~Briarsong~

Addertail didn't die. He did, however, get an infection in his neck-wound. Finding that out had nearly given Briarsong a heart attack, considering she knew that infections could kill, especially if they were in a vital place like the neck. But Sageblossom and Lightpaw had done their absolute best to bring him back to health. The two worked on the warrior for a solid two moons, carefully healing him and then helping him get into the swing of his duties once more.

Poppyheart had literally wept with joy when Addertail was able to safely walk once more. Swiftfall and Flowerdusk had both eagerly embraced their older brother, somehow managing to not break his ribs with how hard they had squeezed him. As for Briarsong, she was couldn't have been more relieved. Honestly, she didn't know how she'd get along if her friend died. That, plus she didn't know what effect such a thing would have on the future of her babies. But one moon later, she was certain that the fear would never become reality, having noticed that Addertail was perfectly healthy again.

Unfortunately, it seemed that WindClan could have no peace. Eaglestar, in spite of his age, was somehow losing it. At first, it wasn't too noticeable. But then he unexpectedly snapped at Hawktalon, whom had been his friend since they were kits. The leader had gone as far as slapping the warrior, thus bringing everyone's attention to his current state. In complete honesty, it scared Briarsong terribly.

"I wonder if he's really losing his mind," Flowerdusk commented absently. She was busily braiding Swiftfall's dark hair, which was awkward considering how large her belly had grown in the past three moons.

Swiftfall hummed, "I don't think so. Brightfire said that he's just stressed."

"I don't think stress warrants slapping your clanmate," Flowerdusk retorted, "And I'm sure that Eaglestar knows that…or at least, he did."

"Can we not talk about that?" Briarsong asked. She had opted to sit off to the side, watching Flowerdusk's hand movement quietly. While the fellow queen was indeed large, Briarsong felt two times her size. Sageblossom had confirmed that she was carrying at least four kits, and the idea of such a number made the brunette's head spin. She hated to think of how huge she'd be in just three more moons.

"What else is there to talk about?" Flowerdusk questioned, glancing at Briarsong for an answer.

Briarsong shifted her legs to get more comfortable, "Well, Solo was spotted by RiverClan territory yesterday, wasn't he? That's pretty interesting, since he wasn't been seen in a while."

"Yeah," Swiftfall said, sitting up a bit, "He hasn't. But it's just like that barn-cat to disappear for a whole moon before popping up again. He's strange like that."

"Hmm, what do you think he came back for? He usually reappears whenever something is about to happen. The man's a bad omen in himself," Flowerdusk said, pulling her sister back into place.

Swiftfall swatted at Flowerdusk's knee, "Don't speak so badly about him!"

"Why? It's not like—oh," Flowerdusk said, looking up at Briarsong as she came to a realization. The woman's face turned apologetic, and she quickly spat out an 'I'm sorry'.

Briarsong narrowed her eyes. She knew exactly why the two were acting the way they were. Pretty much everyone believed that she was Solo's daughter, but Briarsong personally refused to believe it. There was no solid proof, and Sootleaf had never given a single sign of either fondness or anger towards Solo whenever she saw him. Briarsong wouldn't really mind if that was the truth, but she wasn't giving in without true evidence aside from green eyes and brown hair.

"It's fine," Briarsong said in spite of her thoughts.

"For the sake of everyone's good mood, I won't point out that your eyes are contradicting that statement. Besides, Addertail is coming," Flowerdusk said, using a free hand to point at the nursery's entrance. Briarsong perked her ears, and could hear the sound of approaching footsteps. They were irregular, which everyone had come to recognize as Addertail's slight limp.

A moment later, the warrior poked his head in and greeted them in a sing-song tone, "Hello, hello."

"Hey, brother!" Swiftfall said with a bright smile. She stood up, despite her braid not being finished, and gave the man a hug. Flowerdusk eyed the now-messy braid and sighed.

After being released, Addertail turned his attention to Briarsong. The softness in his eyes wasn't hidden at all, and Briarsong felt herself smile at the sight of it.

"Hi," she greeted.

Addertail gave a second 'hello' and seemed to brighten as he sat down beside her. Briarsong wasn't startled in the least bit by his abrupt action, since she was used to it by now. This had become a routine for her. Every day, Addertail would visit the nursery; whether it was to bring food, check up on the queens, or simply provide some company. He certainly seemed to have adapted to his position as an expectant father, despite not really being one.

"Can I touch you?" Addertail asked quietly. When she'd first heard the question, Briarsong had felt her face heat up, immediately assuming that he wanted to do something…lewd. But the warrior had caught on and quickly cleared up what he'd meant. Now, Briarsong simply nodded in consent.

Immediately, the red-head's hands were on her middle. Briarsong shivered slightly, noting how cold Addertail's palms were.

"Sorry," the warrior apologized, "It's getting chilly, you know?"

Briarsong nodded, allowing herself to relax as Addertail went on feeling her bump. His hands were large, as he was a large man, spanning out over her belly and seeking out any possible kicks. The kits had indeed started moving around, and had successfully frightened their mother the first time. Their movements were normally small, and felt like a fluttering butterfly inside of her. But occasionally, there would be a kick or sudden jerk that always managed to get Briarsong's attention. Sootleaf had been the first one to feel a kick aside from Briarsong, and she'd jokingly commented that the kits were feisty.

Thinking about it, Briarsong wondered if her kits were acting like Ravenstrike. From the few times she'd encountered him, she knew that he had a fire in him, though he showed it with rough actions. He had a temper, which Briarsong had been made aware of during their first meeting. She shuddered, remembering how he had pinned her down so forcefully. She'd thought of him as dangerous from that moment on…well, until they mated. Sure, Ravenstrike had been rough, but he proved to enjoy cuddling just as much as she did. StarClan, he'd even stayed with her through the night, though he claimed that he'd simply fallen asleep.

"How do you feel?" Addertail asked suddenly.

Briarsong glanced at him, "Huh?"

"How do you feel?" he repeated, nodding at the woman's abdomen.

"Oh," Briarsong said in realization. She glanced down at her distended belly before replying, "I feel big."

Addertail blinked at her before chuckling softly, "Is that all?"

"No. My legs are aching, I'm hungry, I'm tired, I've got to pee all the time, and I'm complaining too much, aren't I?" Briarsong asked, feeling her face redden once she realized how much talking she was doing. Normally, she wasn't one to be dramatic, but pregnancy sure could amplify a woman's need to complain.

"No, no," Addertail assured, "It's perfectly reasonable. You're the one carrying kits for nine months, after all."

"Well in that case, did I mention that I have that 'I-have-to-pee' feeling in my breasts?" the brunette questioned. Her breasts had swollen a bit recently, and Briarsong just wasn't used to the pressure that came with producing milk. Not to mention that a little bit of clear fluid would leak out every-now-and-then.

Swiftfall let out a little laugh, and Flowerdusk gave her a look, "You don't want this, Swiftfall. I suggest making Smokeclaw pull out unless you want to experience everything that Briarsong is talking about, because it's all too true."

Briarsong smiled as Swiftfall paled. The younger warrior looked absolutely horrified, "We are very responsible! Smokeclaw isn't ready to be a parent, and neither am I!"

"That won't stop you're belly from growing when you make one mistake," Flowerdusk said pointedly, clearly enjoying her sister's increasing horror.

Briarsong had focused on the last part of Flowerdusk's sentence, though unintentionally. She shot a quick glance at her belly, which Addertail was still roaming over, and was reminded of her own mistake six moons ago. She agreed with Flowerdusk, "She's right, you know."

Swiftfall gave Briarsong a confused look, "You mean that you and Addertail didn't plan this?"

I certainly didn't, Briarsong thought, And I don't think Ravenstrike did either.

Addertail quickly replied, "No, but I'm personally happy about our situation. Briarsong?"

"Yeah, me too," Briarsong answered. She noted the tone of Addertail's voice and wondered if he was really being genuine. Of course, Addertail never lied unless necessary, but she had a hard time believing that he liked being put in this position. He'd be taking care of kits that weren't even his, and he knew it. That just didn't seem like something that anyone would be happy about in Briarsong's mind. She felt guilty.

"Well, that's good," Flowerdusk said, patting her belly, "Raventail almost looked like he was going to faint when he found out that I was expecting. But he's been dutiful this whole time."

"I saw that, you know. His face was paler than snow," Swiftfall commented before smirking at Addertail, "So, brother, how did you react?"

Briarsong felt herself panic. Maybe she should make up something for him? But then, she didn't really know about a believable reaction, considering she'd never seen one in all her eighteen years. She also felt guilty again, knowing that her friends would be lied to again in order to protect the safety of her kits. But would the two women really do anything to harm them if they knew?

"I was…happy," Addertail said slowly, "I was really happy for her. But I was also a bit disappointed."

That certainly caught some attention. Briarsong stared at him in complete confusion. Where was he getting this from? And how was he making it sound so true when Addertail was never an excellent liar.

"Disappointed? Why?" Flowerdusk asked, seeming just as confused as Briarsong felt.

Addertail shrugged, "I guess I thought we'd have more time before kits came into the picture. You know, to bond. But I guess StarClan had different plans that I don't even know a single thing about."

His eyes were glued to Briarsong's belly, but she could tell that he wasn't as happy as he'd been when he arrived. Was he referring to the fact that he didn't know the complete truth? That seemed to be the most likely problem, but it could be something else too. Yet it was unfair, Briarsong realized, for him not to be told what had occurred. Addertail had remained loyal for the past four moons, and fully deserved to know. Briarsong glanced at Flowerdusk and Swiftfall, guessing that they deserved to know, too. They had been just as supportive.

"Hey," Briarsong said quietly, "I think it's time I told you all something."

Her mind screamed at her to stop. Addertail looked up at her with wide eyes, obviously having caught on immediately. Briarsong wasn't completely sure that this was the right decision, but she couldn't help the guilt that was clawing at her insides. Besides, this was the best time for delivering the news, since Deerleap and Windstreak had taken their kits out for some fresh air.

"What's wrong, Briarsong?" Swiftfall asked tenderly, noticing the brunette's tone.

"About my kits," Briarsong said, not really knowing how to go about saying this, "They're not Addertail's."

Flowerdusk quirked her brow, "Of course they're Addertail's. Why would you say something like that?"

"They're not. He already knows," Briarsong said guiltily. She felt her hand being squeezed, and looked down to see that Addertail had taken hold of it. His eyes were hard, but he seemed to be supporting her. Briarsong squeezed back gratefully.

"Hold on," Swiftfall said, "This had better not be a joke, because it's a horrible one. But if you're being serious—"

"I am," Briarsong intervened, "They're not Addertail's."

"Then whose are they?" Swiftfall inquired.

Briarsong mumbled out the answer, feeling her already-low confidence draining away. Flowerdusk was having none of it, however, and pressed her for the answer to be repeated.

"A ThunderClanner's," Briarsong admitted. She shrank back when Addertail stopped stroking the back of her hand with him thumb, and her two friends gasped. Suddenly feeling panicked, Briarsong shut her eyes and prepared to be yelled at. Maybe they'd hate her, and they'd run to inform Eaglestar. Oh, what would Sootleaf do? She'd probably be disappointed, and wouldn't even want to see Briarsong again. Smokeclaw and Coalfoot would be the same, she figured.

Tears were building up, and Briarsong did her best not to cry but failed. She let out a small, shuddering breath as those tears overflowed and poured down her cheeks. Her face felt hot, and she personally felt like a complete idiot and a pitiful kit at once. Then she recognized the feeling of a hand on her back, rubbing in soothing circles while another worked on wiping away her tears. Cautiously, Briarsong opened her eyes.

"It's okay, Briarsong," Addertail said calmly, continuing his ministrations. Swiftfall and Flowerdusk still seemed shocked, but they weren't angry. The shock wore down, however, and Swiftfall hurried to join in soothing Briarsong. Flowerdusk was a little slower, but came anyway.

Once Briarsong calmed down, she realized how much of a kit she had acted like and sniffled, "I'm sorry."

"Briarsong, it's okay, just…just explain for us," Swiftfall urged gently.

Nodding, with her cheeks still wet, Briarsong went on to explain what had occurred. Of course, she left out the intimate details, but gave her friends the gist of what had happened. She was more than grateful for how calm the three were throughout her story, along with how understanding they were being. Sure, none of them had ever bred with anyone outside their clan, but they did their best to grasp what they were told. By the end of it, Briarsong was relieved when they agreed to keep her secret. But then Flowerdusk brought up one certain issue.

"What about your family, Briarsong? Aren't you going to tell them?"

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A/N: So now Addertail, Flowerdusk, and Swiftfall know. It's a good thing that they're keeping the secret! But sh*t will go down next time.

Fun-Fact: Addertail has a permanent limp due to the dog attack.

Also, Briarsong's father has already been introduced. You can all take a guess as to who it is. Hint: It's not Solo.

Happy Holidays~!

- Tina