Disclaimer: Warriors isn't mine.
Ill
Wolfleap paced the border between TacoClan and rogue territory. She was a thick furred gray she-cat with amber eyes. She lashed her thick tail, as she scented for rogues. As deputy she had to protect the clan. A rustle made her turn her head and arch her back. She hissed, and called out. "Who's there?"
"I am." A handsome dark gray tom with green eyes padded out. He studied her for a moment, seeming to be thinking.
"You had better not be thinking about coming into TacoClan territory!" She warned him. The tom laughed and shook his head.
"Of course not." He assured her. "Go onto clan territory where I could encounter an entire patrol within heartbeats?" He twitched his whiskers. "I assure you, the rogues with any sense know to avoid TacoClan."
Wolfleap padded up to the border. "So why are you here?"
The tom shrugged. "I have less sense than some but enough not to cross the border?" He offered, Wolfleap's whiskers twitched and he continued. "Actually I want to know a bit about Clan life."
Wolfleap narrowed her eyes. "Why not join?"
"I have family and friends out here." The dark gray tom replied, "But I'd like to know about the new group."
Wolfleap thought about it. It did make sense. Plus maybe if she told him about the clan, he'd join.
"Okay. I'm Wolfleap." She meowed.
The tom nodded. "And I'm Jet."
The she-cat began with names, and ranks, explaining everything. Jet was a good listener, asking excellent questions, challenging certain things, but praising other. Wolfleap talked until there was nothing left to tell him about.
Then Jet took over, telling her about what it was like to live with his family.
"I was a rogue before I joined TacoClan." She told him. Jet blinked, and shrugged.
"Well, you told me about your life, can't I tell you about mine?" He asked.
Wolfleap met Jet's playful gaze. "I guess that's fair."
Jet told her about his littermate, Flame, and how she was a gentle kind she-cat, Flame's mate, Jet's best friend, Slade. He mentioned that Slade's parents were expecting another litter, and he was excited to have some younger siblings.
Wolfleap listened to Jet, wishing her and her brothers, Flickerpaw and Yellowpaw, got along as well as Jet seemed to with his family. Wolfleap's ears pricked as Jet asked a question. "Do you have any siblings?"
Wolfleap nodded. "Two brothers. Flickerpaw and Yellowpaw."
Jet looked up at the sky yelped. "My family's going to be worrying about me!" Wolfleap looked up and understood. They'd spent half the day talking, in fact it was almost sunset.
"My clanmates are going to panicking!" Wolfleap jumped to her paws.
Jet got to his feet as well. "I enjoyed this talk." He commented. "Meet her again, in a quarter moon?"
Wolfleap glanced at him, meeting the young tom's green eyes, and she nodded, "I'll see you then."
Jet flicked his tail as he raced off.
XXX
Wolfleap crept up to the border and spotted Jet sitting at his regular spot. This was their third meeting, but this was the first one at night.
Jet purred and greeted her with gentle shove. "So, how's Clan life?"
"Same old, how's yours going?" Wolfleap replied, sitting down.
Jet shrugged. "Nothing new I guess." He glanced at her. "You want to come with me and see something?"
Wolfleap nodded, and followed Jet across the border.
The two raced through the territory, Jet occasionally swerving to avoid someone's territory, Wolfleap right on his tail.
"Here it is." He meowed, slowing to a stop. Wolfleap peered around him and gasped. It was a pond, reflecting the moon, and crystal clear. It reminded her of the descriptions she'd heard of the MoonStream but this was in rogue territory.
Jet padded forward and took a deep drink. Wolfleap joined him, the two side by side as they drank. Suddenly Wolfleap felt water splash her. She stared as Jet swam around, laughing.
"Sorry, I just had to jump in." Her friend meowed, his fur slicked down as he hauled himself out. The water droplets shone in the moonlight. Jet shook off, and Wolfleap shied away from him.
"Hey!" She cried, glaring playfully at him.
Jet laughed and raced around the pond, jumping onto a smooth rock. Wolfleap bounded after him, the two laughing and playing, before Wolfleap tackled him, and they ended up rolling into the water.
XXX
Jet lay outside his den, watching Slade and Flame groom each other. They'd be moving away soon, like his parents had. Some rogues were moving away from the TacoClan border.
As Jet watched his very much in love sister and her mate he wondered why he was thinking about Wolfleap. The way she'd laughed when they'd played at the pond, the way her fur had felt against his when she tackled him, her scent, it was all bothering Jet. She'd had to go to the gathering, so they'd missed their meeting for this quarter moon. Jet didn't understand why that had disappointed him so much, or why he thought about the Clan warrior more than usual.
He was so absorbed in his thoughts he didn't notice Slade had come over until his friend tapped him.
"You okay Jet?" He asked. Jet sighed and rolled over to look at Slade upside down.
"No." He meowed. "I met this she-cat, and I keep talking to her, and now I can't get her out of my head. I feel a little sick too."
Slade sighed. "You are ill." Jet rolled over and sat up, grass seeds sticking to his pelt.
Slade nodded solemnly. "It's a disease most cats, get, it's called love sickness."
"Come off it." Jet snorted. "I don't love her." Or did he? He stared at Slade. "Oh mouse-dung."
Slade shrugged. "It's not that bad. Trust me."
"No, no, you don't understand, I can't love her!" Jet turned away, horrified. What if Wolfleap felt the same way? Had he inadvertently torn her between him and her clan?
XXX
Wolfleap sat in camp, thinking about Jet. The rogues sense of humor made her laugh, and he always seemed willing to listen.
She jumped as something touched her. It was Shadypaw, the apprentice stared at her.
"Wolfleap, are you okay?" She asked. "You seemed kind of out of it."
The deputy nodded. "I'm fine." Shadypaw shook her head.
"Liar. I bet you're thinking about some tom." The she-cat teased. "Is the oh so great deputy love sick for some tom?" Shadypaw laughed. "I bet it's Blacklight!"
Wolfleap blinked slowly. "Of course not!" She replied, but in her mind she was realizing, yes, she was in love with Jet.
XXX
Wolfleap hurried towards the border, and was greeted by Jet.
"Is something wrong?" He asked, worry across his face.
"We can't keep doing this Jet." Wolfleap told him. "I'm sorry."
Jet stared at her. "You are in love with me."
Wolfleap stared at him. "How did you know?"
"Because I figured out I was in love with you." Jet explained. "Wolfleap, we, we could make this work."
"No!" She told him. "Don't you get it? It's not fair to us, or my Clan. I need to focus on them, and I can't be dreaming about you."
Jet stared at her, hurt and pain in his eyes. "You're choosing them over me?" He asked softly, sounding heartbroken.
"I have to Jet." Wolfleap murmured. "I'm so sorry." She turned to leave.
"Wolfleap, wait!" Jet called. "Please, one last night."
Wolfleap hesitated, but turned around. "Just for tonight."
Jet nodded. "To the pond?" He suggested softly. Wolfleap nodded, and the two walked there, slower this time, dreading the awkwardness between them.
XXX
Wolfleap woke up, to see Jet still curled up around her, his green eyes fixed on her. She licked him on his cheek and left the pond, running from the memories this place held, and the broken look in Jet's eyes.
Jet got to his paws, and slowly headed away, going to follow his den to follow his family. He couldn't stay here, not now.
XXX
It didn't take long for Wolfleap to figure out she was expecting kits. She sat in the forest trying to figure out what to do. Tacostar needed her at his right paw, he'd waited until she was a warrior to make her deputy. She couldn't betray him by stepping down for at least six moons to raise kits.
She had to do something, and then the plan came to her. She asked Leafspring and Skyheart, two TacoClan warriors to keep her secret and raise the kits. They'd been desperate for a litter, and agreed instantly.
XXX
Jet watched as Flame died giving birth to her and Slade's kit, a sickly she-cat who died a short time later. He grieved for his sister and supported Slade, knowing the pain Slade was feeling, and comforting the tom through this hard time. Both felt as if their hearts had been ripped out of their chest.
It got easier as time went on, and eventually Jet could go for a few days without thinking about her, before something remind him.
XXX
When Wolfleap gave birth, she had two healthy toms, a smoky gray tom like his father, and a black tom. She named them Smokekit and Dark-kit. Then she did one of the hardest things she'd ever done since leave Jet, she gave them up.
The Clan and Tacostar never suspected they were her kits. Which was a good thing, as Wolfleap became Wolfstar within moons of giving up Smokekit and Dark-kit.
She watched them proudly, Darkpaw becoming Inkedwolf's apprentice and Smokepaw went to Shadyfeather. Smokepaw had his father's wit and sarcasms where as Darkpaw took more after her.
Still she wished Jet could see them. She'd looked for the rogue, in vain. There was no trace of him.
XXX
Jet was left with his younger brother Flare. His parents had died of disease and Slade had moved away, much to Jet's horror. He needed his best friend now more than ever. But Flare was different, Flare he could tell about Wolfleap. Flare supported his older brother, hero worship glowing in his yellow eyes.
Jet knew he was still love sick for Wolfleap even seasons after she'd left him. But he could handle it now. He could move on.
XXX
Wolfstar was so proud of her sons, watching them become great warriors for the clan. Darkstorm had deep compassion for the clan which balanced out his brother's sharp tongue. How Darkstorm put up with him she had no idea, but she could guess. She loved both her kits, but was careful to hide it.
Every once in awhile she would remember Jet with a pain, especially when she looked at Smokefrost, like father like son was never more true.
But Wolfstar was never prouder of them.
XXX
Jet watched Flare become a strong young cat, at five moons he made his first catch, a mouse. He was proud of him. And Flare was thrilled at his brother's praise.
Flare, who thought Jet could do no wrong, Flare who didn't understand that Wolfleap was a mistake of the heart, Flare who Jet loved for being so naïve.
Until that day he went back to near Clan territories. Flare was seven moons old. They got separated, and Jet searched for Flare, eventually coming to the pond, where he stared at the water, staring at his reflection and wondered when the tom that stared back at him had become world weary and no longer carefree.
The pains of being love sick.
XXX
Wolfstar felt her world coming apart when the truth came out. When Smokefrost and Darkstorm found out the truth.
She stared at her sons, praying they'd accept it, accept her, but of course Smokefrost could never make things easy.
Now she wished she had Jet at her side, now she needed him, needed his support, she needed to tell him everything and see him nodded and tell her she was doing the right thing.
But he wasn't here. She'd chased him away, all that remained of him was the illness of the heart she had and her sons.
XXX
It was a miracle. That's what the two heart sick mates thought when they saw each other again. Jet couldn't believe it, but his heart screamed it was her and his eyes showed it was her, and yes, it was her.
Jet couldn't believe it, he'd gotten her back. Then Flare, who'd been forced to join another clan joined TacoClan as Flarepaw. His family was together, and Jet, now Jetfur warrior of TacoClan, could relax.
But no, that wasn't meant to be. When Wolfstar died, that pain, the illness known as love sickness it all came back.
That's what killed Jetfur. The illness in his chest as his heart broke.
XXX
A.N: A friend was at my house looked at this and said it reminded her of a video she'd seen for Crowfeather/Leafpool with the song Sober by Kelly Clarkson.