Chapter 7

Bluebird raced through the forest with Rainstorm at her, side leaves crunching underfoot. Half a moon had past and she was free from care. She looked up; many leaves were turning golden and falling off, Leaf-bare is nearly here she thought. She stopped as one fluttered down in front of her. Reaching up, stretching her paws she grabbed the leaf and pounced on it playfully.

Rainstorm let out a mer-ow of amusement and joined in. Together they chased leaves as they fell to the ground around them. Panting Bluebird stopped. "I've hadn't had this much fun in ages" she gasped. Rainstorm didn't reply he just padded up beside her and twined his tail with hers.

"This feels so right, yet so wrong" he breathed and pressed up on her side. Bluebird felt breathless, she still hadn't gotten used to being this close to Rainstorm.

Hearing distant pawsteps they jumped apart exchanging guilty glances with each other.

"I have to go and be somewhere" Bluebird meowed awkwardly; she cringed at her awful excuse and bounded off towards the sound of the pawsteps.

"Bumblebee" Bluebird exclaimed "What are you doing here?" she questioned.

"I could ask you the same thing" he replied coolly

"I was doing some err hunting" she responded quickly. Bumblebee nodded and continued the way she had just come from. Bluebird's heart jumped into her throat. What if he finds Rainstorm? Would he put two and two together? I can't take that chance she told herself.

"Bumblebee" she called after him. The striped tom turned around "Would you like to go hunting with me? Bumblebee considered the offer. "Sure" he replied. And together they bounded out into the woods in search of prey.

They had only gone a few fox-lengths when she heard a cat calling Bumblebee's name, she saw Lillynose appear out of the brush in front of them.

"There you are!" she cried "Where have you been?" Bluebird watched him carefully, guilt was written all over his face. Bluebird thought of how Bumblebee side-stepped her question. Trusting the tom she spoke up.

"He was hunting with me" Bumblebee's face lit up with relief

"Where's all the prey then?" she asked sceptically.

"Well we were about to catch some, when you barged in and scared it all away" Bluebird feigned frustration. The last bit wasn't completely a lie, she did interrupt. Now it was Lillynose's turn to look guilty.

"Sorry" she muttered unable to accuse Bumblebee of anything wrong. She brightened up quickly.

"Now that I found you we can go for a walk or something" she asked hopefully. Bumblebee looked up to Bluebird.

"Erm well we were hunting…" Bluebird finished awkwardly. "Yeah we were" Bumblebee piped up "Sorry Lillynose, maybe some other time"

"Yeah, sorry, right" she muttered but walked away. Bluebird and Bumblebee padded in the opposite direction, after a while Bumblebee spoke.

"Thank you" he said "Back there"

"No problem" she replied "any time" she decided not to question Bumblebee, as she also had a secret. "Now let's actually catch some prey" she chuckled and bounded off with Bumblebee hard on her paws.

They arrived back at camp with a vole and two shrews they dumped them on the fresh kill pile and immediately Lillynose took Bumblebee away chatting about nothing in particular. Bumblebee shot a longing glance at the warriors den, hinting that he would like nothing better than to curl up and sleep in his warm nest.

Bluebird chuckled at the young couple and went off in search of Rainstorm. She found him in the medicine cat den sorting through herbs. "Rainstorm" she meowed. The medicine cat stopped sorting and ran over, happiness lighting his face. Her heart broke in two. "Rainstorm it was fun while it lasted but you must put you duties before your feelings" Bluebird walked out leaving a confused and hurt Rainstorm staring after her.

Bluebird told herself it had to be done; now she was free to do her warrior duties she gave a little skip of joy, I must find Cloudberry, she looked around the camp she saw Windleap sharing tongues with Gingerstripe and their two kits running around them Antkit pounced on his father's tail and bit it hard. Bluebird laughed softly as Windleap stood up so quickly Antkit tumbled backwards. Both kits were nearly ready to become apprentices and Bluebird would like to mentor one of them but she probably wouldn't be able to as she had just recovered from her dreadful injury.

Spotting Cloudberry she padded up to her. "Is there any patrol to go on?" she asked hopefully

"No, sorry but I'll put you on the next one" she promised. Bluebird padded away disappointed. Bluebird looked up; her paws had led her to the medicine den out of habit. Clearing her head she walked towards the warriors den only to be stopped by three kits, their fur fluffed up. Nightkit growled at her "Get out of our camp fox" he spat.

"Oh no" she meowed dramatically "What ever shall I do against you fine warriors"

"Run away and never come back" Pearkit meowed sensibly.

"Never" Bluebird growled, and batted the nearest kit gently away. Squintkit growled and launched himself at Bluebird but miss judged the jump and landed a mouse-length away. Bluebird was about to pounce on the kit when Nightkit hit her side, Squintkit and Pearkit also joined in and together they held Bluebird down. Bluebird let out a false whimper.

"I am no match for you O great warriors" She meowed.

"And don't forget it" Nightkit growled. All three kits jumped away. "Thanks for playing with us Bluebird" Nightkit mewed. "Can we play another game?"

"Sorry kits I'm tired" Bluebird meowed regretfully and continued to the warrior's den. Curling up she noticed the cold air against her back fur, she remembered with a pang of sadness the way Rainstorm had licked her to sleep, soothing her with calming words. Slowly she fell into a restless sleep.

Groaning Bluebird woke up, her belly was crying out with pain. Pulling herself up she trudged to the medicine den.

"Rainstorm" she called weakly "Rainstorm, my belly hurts, help me" she let out a whimper. Rainstorm rushed over his face worried "Lay down" he instructed. Bluebird did as she was told. She felt Rainstorm's paws prod her belly. His face turned into joy. "Bluebird" he said excitedly "You're having kits, you're having my kits"