Finally!

Okay, so my internet started working around noon yesterday. But give me a break. Even the Super Whiz Updater Gladewing can't do it every day. Besides, I've been uber-hooked on I Am Legend. I just watched it for around the twenty-fifth time.

AND, I've finally got some iTunes moolah and I've downloaded a few songs. And guess what?

I finally downloaded "Heroes and Thieves" by Vanessa Carlton, so I've actually HEARD it now. Nothing's changing; the song is amazing and I still think it fits my storyline.

Currently I'm home sick. THIS STORY MAY BE FINISHED TODAY.

Okay, now after that unnecessarily long author's note, REVIEW REPLIES. Fun fun fun. Although I am overjoyed that I've gotten so many in my absence.

Rainey: JayxFrost? Nah. A little affection but no shipping there. (I do way too damn many Jay shippings.) And yeah poor Frosty. Thanks for pointing out the italicness. It wasn't like that when I posted it...


Tigerstar's Traitor: Am I that obvious?? -sob-

Heartsong: Glad for you I am. (Whoop whoop. I iz Yoda.)

Forever.Now: Indeed indeed. Btw, I'll get to those links as soon as possible. Right now I'm being lazy.

Loup d'Amour: Thankee, thankee!

Rubyheart: -sigh- Cross-Clan loves. I need to STOP that. Oh, well, I have a plan for this one.

Okay, hopefully an interesting chapter.
Might I add that the title for this one was from "I Am Legend". All chapters from now on will have titles from that. Let's see...based on my plan...
Chapter 10 - You Are Not Alone
Chapter 11 - Not Gonna Let This Happen
Chapter 12 - I Can Still Fix This
Chapter 13 - Light Up The Darkness
Chapter 14 - Epilogue

If you haven't seen the movie, you simply must. I've just been replaying it all weekend. Even if it sounds superficial, Will Smith is hot, and he is an absolutely amazing actor. But if you can't stand tense moments, don't. Oh, and another thing - I have never cried during a movie before. Ever. And this movie makes me cry every time I watch it.

And because of that, I think this story shall have a sad ending.

You Are Not Alone

The sun hadn't risen yet. I could see okay in the dark, but I wished I didn't have to be sneaky about this. Why did there have to be boundaries anyway? If there weren't physical, emotional, territorial boundaries, none of my problems would even be happening! Nobody would be worried about anything.

I snorted so hard I could have shot a tick from my nose. Something told me that the boundaries would never disappear.

I waited by the ShadowClan border, feeling a little bit unclean. But I couldn't just let this go. Maybe if I said it out loud, I'd actually believe it.

Sure enough, he padded along eventually. He liked to be alone, I thought.

"Falconpaw," I called. "Falconpaw." I faltered, my voice sounding barely a whisper on the breeze, but he heard me.

"Frostpaw?" He padded uncertainly toward me, but I saw the glitter in his eyes. Could it be possible he felt the same way?

Would it be good if he felt the same way? Wouldn't it technically be better if he violently rejected me? Right? I mean, if he didn't like me back, nothing could happen, and then that would be another problem resolved.

"What do you want?" His voice was wary, but not unwelcoming, I liked to believe.

"Um. Have you ever liked anyone...like a she-cat? Like that?"

How stupid did that sound?

"Yes," he replied calmly, settling down across the border and wrapping his tail about his paws. He blinked at me, and I felt my heart sink. Then he went on: "But not anymore."

"Oh," I said brilliantly. "And...how did you know? You liked her that way?"

"I would go hunting with her just to be close. Say words to other cats that I really wanted her to hear. Got butterflies in my stomach, as the old queens say," he explained, eerily peaceful.

Well, fox dung.

"I think I like you," I finally blurted. "Or. More than that. Like, love you."

"Is that possible?"

It was like a blow with claws unsheathed. I flinched away, and lifted a paw to leave, but his voice stopped me.

"Is it?" he said more demandingly.

"I don't know," I whispered, agonized.

"Because if it is," he meowed, his voice suddenly painfully quiet, "than I feel the same way. But I didn't think...I had no idea."

"Do you really?" I asked, lifting my head, fearing he was playing some cruel joke on me.

His dark eyes. Oh, they were so beautiful. And they shone with such blatant honesty that I almost faltered again. This couldn't be. He was telling the truth. He really did feel the same way.

We were breaking the warrior code.

"I really do," he purred.

"Frostpaw!"

I froze where I stood. Falconpaw shot me an agonized glance, ran forward to touch my nose, and then disappeared somewhere deep in his territory, all before I realized the tone of the voice wasn't accusatory; somebody was desperately trying to find me.

Somebody was terrified.

"I'm here!" I called, bounding toward the forest. "It's me, Frostpaw! I'm here!"

"Oh, Frostpaw." A golden-brown tabby burst from the forest and collapsed at my paws. It was Goldenpaw. I leaned down and automatically began licking her fur down, remembering when Jayfeather had licked my chest for shock.

"Goldenpaw, what's wrong?" I asked her, very quietly, trying not to startle her.

"Nothing's wrong, I'm just...scared! So scared..."

That didn't make any sense. Trying to find something rational, I sifted through her current emotions, and recent ones. Now there was fear, but happiness, pure, clear joy..and from not too long ago...

Pleasure.

"Goldenpaw," I said, startled.

"You guessed it, didn't you?" she whispered. "Yes, Stormpaw and I mated."

I sighed delicately. "You're a bit young, aren't you?"

"Well, so are you!" she said defensively.

I stared at her expectantly.

"I'm sorry. It doesn't have anything to do with you," she apologized with a heavy sigh. She drew in a deep breath, and then continued. "I just went and saw Jayfeather. Frostpaw, I'm..."

She wouldn't say it.

I didn't blame her.

I rasped my tongue gently across her ear. "It's okay, Goldenpaw. I know you've got problems. You're definitely not alone there," I purred, though I didn't feel like it was okay.

Because I had remembered my vision. Kits looking for a mother that was not there.

I said nothing.

"Come with me back to camp," Goldenpaw begged. "I can't do this on my own. Jayfeather's keeping the secret until I don't have a choice...will you?"

"Of course I will," I whispered.

She got to her paws and slowly we started back home. I glanced over my shoulder toward ShadowClan, and that was when I saw the pair of eyes. They were dark and glinting. But I couldn't miss that the fur around them was not dark brown, but russet.

Someone had witnessed us.

The question was, how much had they witnessed?