Next chappie! Good one for Jetpaw, who happens to be my favourite! This is going to be a very long story! Oh, Pantherpelt still calls herself that, even if no-one else does!

Chapter 8 – Pantherpaw's adopted family

Darkstar's black pelt looked gruff as he had to commend with what he was about to do. Pantherpelt looked up at him, feeling quite smug, but didn't let it show.

"The time has come where Panther is ready to become an apprentice. So I, Darkstar, leader of Nightclan name you Pantherpaw until you receive your warrior name. Which might not happen, you know..." He trailed off at the end, mumbling as he walked away. It was Leaf-bare so she had two seasons to train to become a warrior again.

No one cheered her name, but she didn't care. She wandered over to the apprentice's den and made herself a nest. Jetpaw was there.

"Hey, I suppose you're my equal now." He said. He didn't sound angry or anything though. Pantherpelt just looked at him.

"Yeah, I suppose I am. Hey, when do Riverkit and Talonkit become apprentices?" she asked.

He shrugged. "When they're six moons I suppose. Why?"

"I want someone to look down on." She admitted and he looked at her with understanding.

"That's why we're Nightclan. Our kits look down on the other leaders." He suddenly looked hesitant "Not our kits, I mean Nightclan's." He said hurriedly and looked like he just had a horrible image put in his head. "Yuck."

Pantherpelt laughed at him. "In your dreams!"

"In my nightmare, more like. You're, like, as old as my dad." He retorted and she left the apprentice's den.

She caught up with Talonmane, the deputy.

"Hey, um, if I'm an apprentice who's my mentor?" she asked. Talonmane looked puzzled.

"Erm, I don't know. I'll issue you one." Her head turned to the nearest warrior in sight, which just happened to be Shadowpelt. "Hey, Shadowpelt, you're Pantherpaw's new mentor. Got that?" She said and left.

What were the chances? Why Shadowpelt? Why? She screamed inside her head. He was the last thing she wanted, what with the conflict with Jetpaw.

"Huh." Shadowpelt said as he approached Pantherpaw. "I'm your mentor."

"Yeah, I kinda got that, what with Talonmane just saying it and all." She said and he looked really unimpressed.

"Hey. You can't talk to me like that – I'm your mentor." He lent in as he said that last word. "Well I'm sure I'll fit in your practice with Firebreath and Jetpaw's." And he left.

Pantherpelt went into the apprentice's den, looking very depressed.

"What's up?" Jetpaw asked.

"Your dad is my mentor." She said and he looked shocked.

"Really?" He was completely taken aback. "Good thing he likes you I guess." He now looked sad.

"Trust me, he doesn't like me." She looked up at him a she said this.

"He likes you more than Blueheart." He said quietly and settled down to go to sleep. Pantherpelt felt sorrow in her heart for him.

As Pantherpelt walked up to Shadow she looked depressed.

"I can't kill Blueheart." She said with a defeated sigh.

"Why not?" he asked but she had a feeling he already knew.

"It would hurt Jetpaw too much."

"You love him?"

Pantherpelt didn't know. "Not as a mate, as a brother." Shadow shook his head.

"No. That's not true. Think about him again." He said and she was confused. She didn't like Jetpaw as a mate.

"How else can you love someone?" she questioned

"As a friend, but you love him more than that." He meowed.

"No. No I don't." She confirmed. Why was he saying these things?

"Check again." He said and she did. When she thought of Jetpaw, she thought of funny, unsecure. She had a need to protect him.

"Nope. Definitely brother love." She was sure. If a shadow could smile, he did it then. His eyes glistened against the misty body.

"Yes." He said and she was now really confused.

"Sorry? Did I miss something?"

"No. You are sure of your love. You must do that with everyone you meet; including your mentor."

"Shadowpelt? I don't love him" She said immediately.

"Ah, but he loves you."

"Err, no he doesn't."

"Yes he does. He loves you for your beauty and strength and will-power, authority. He realises it so hides it." This was the last thing Pantherpelt needed.

"Well isn't that brilliant." She muttered with heavy sarcasm.

"Hey! Wake up!" Jetpaw nudged Pantherpelt awake.

"Why?" She asked sleepily setting her head back down.

"We have training, lazy butt." He said affectionately. She got up slowly, licking herself clean.

"Right then. Let's go!" She said with sleepy enthusiasm. Jetpaw looked at her, really unimpressed.

"They slept a lot in Cloudclan didn't they."

"Nah." She said with a yawn. "But loners can sleep for as long as they like." She trudged out of the den and stretched some more.

"What are we doing first?" She asked Jetpaw.

"Dawn patrol with our mentors." He said, walking in a direction Pantherpelt just noticed that Shadowpelt and Firebreath were in.

"Finally. What took you so long?" Firebreath said, looking angrily at Jetpaw.

"Sorry. I overslept." Pantherpelt muttered, scuffing her paws. She saw Shadowpelt looking at her. She didn't notice anything that looked at all like love in his eyes.

She followed them as they headed into the NightCloud forest [in-between Nightclan and Cloudclan]. Pantherpelt noticed the Nightclan territory was clearly marked, with a rock being the indicator. She sniffed out for any unusual scents and immediately noticed the scent of Jaywing, Whitemist and Honeystar, but it was about two days old.

They must have gone out looking for me. She realised. She probably should have felt guilty, but she didn't.

"Cloudclan." She said to the others. She knew that they were testing her, her loyalty. They must've checked this out before.

"Yes. Can you tell who?" Shadowpelt asked, not looking at her.

"Yes: Jaywing, Whitemist and Honeystar." She said; Firebreath looked surprised.

"Honeystar? Why would he be here?" She said, sounding genuinely curious.

"He's my father." She said and they all looked at her.

"Really?" Jetpaw said.

"You're a very powerful cat in Cloudclan then, why did you leave?" Shadowpelt asked.

"I never belonged in Cloudclan." She said, not looking at him. Instead she continued walking. They followed and Shadowpelt and Firebreath went in front.

They finished the Dawn Patrol and Firebreath went to Darkstar's den. Probably to say about her kin.

Pantherpelt went to get some fresh kill for herself, after feeding the elders and medicine cat. She went to eat it by Jetpaw, but he wasn't there so she went next to Tigerheart. He looked surprised.

"Why are you here, Pantherpaw?" He said

"To eat...?" she said

"Yeah, but why next to me?"

"Because Jetpaw's not here." She said and he looked uncomfortable.

"Oh. Yeah of course" He said and continued eating. When she had finished she went over to the nursery. Talonkit and Riverkit were playing with eachother.

"No, I'm Darkstar this time! You're Openstar!" Riverkit complained. They were beautiful.

"Do you want something Pantherpaw?" Thrushcold asked sweetly. Pantherpelt looked up at her.

"Oh, no. I just wondered how old they were." She said

"Well they're six moons in three days." She said, bending down and licking Talonkit affectionately.

"Hey! Mum! Cut it out!" He said and ran away to play again

"Thanks. That's all." Pantherpelt said but Thrushcold stopped her.

"Are you going to have kits?" She asked. Pantherpelt had no idea.

"I don't have a mate." She explained quickly.

"Oh. Really? But I thought you and Shadowpelt were..." She said, sounding confused. Pantherpelt was taken aback.

"What? No!" Pantherpelt said and left hurriedly. She and Shadowpelt weren't together at all. She stormed into the apprentice's den. Jetpaw was there.

"What's up?" He said, sounding a lot like before.

"Thrushcold thought that I and your dad were...you know." She said shrugging her shoulders at the end.

"Yeah. I do." He said and paused. "You know. I really don't mind if you and my dad got together." He said and Pantherpelt stared at him.

"Huh, yeah right. Plus, that would be just weird. I mean, he's your dad." She said

"Yeah, but you're nearly the same age as him." He meowed.

"Do you want us to get together?" she said

"Well. I want some connection with him." He said looking depressed

"But, that would make me like your mum."

"At least my dad likes you."

"Not as much as I like you. Not in THAT way!" she said hurriedly "I love you like a brother. I never want to hurt you." She meowed softer. He looked at her thankfully.

"Thanks." He said and rubbed against her and they fell asleep purring.

Awww! Sweet! Jetpaw and Pantherpelt are never getting together by the way. Pantherpelt's never getting a mate :[ she's a LONER! Not literally... you know what I mean. This one was quite long. Next chapter, Talonkit and Riverkit become apprentices, huh! One of them is a medicine-cat apprentice to-be! Can you remember which one!