Fluff's eyes blinked open. She could hear Benny breathing steadily beside her as her eyes adjusted to the gloomy barn. She got to her paws, careful not to wake Benny, and stretched. She then caught a mouse for each of the cats and put them in a neat little pile as she ate hers, waiting for the others to wake.
Max was the first to wake up. Fluff watched him as he gazed drowsily around, seeming to forget where he was for a moment. He noticed her looking at him and purred with a grin. She grinned and flicked her tail towards the mice, inviting him to take one. He bowed his head graciously before picking up two of them, one for himself and one for his mate.
The long-furred ginger tom gently nudged Rosie awake and offered her one of the mice. She thanked him quietly and ate it quickly before falling asleep again, twitching as she dreamt of hunting.
Eventually they were all awake again, "I like the idea of joining the clans." Meowed Max as Rosie flicked her tail anxiously beside him; the cats had gathered in a circle to talk.
"But I've been a rogue all my life." She protested.
"That doesn't mean that things can't change." Max replied, turning away from the centre of the group and to his left to look at her. Rosie just huffed quietly and turned away.
"But we don't know enough about them yet." Ginger pointed out.
"And some of us don't even want to go." Added Fluff, glancing worriedly at Benny who was looking down at his paws.
"Fine," Mewed Ginger, "Let's settle this. Cats who want to join the clans, raise your tails." Ginger raised her own along with Fluff and Max.
"But I don't know yet!" Rosie cried in despair, scared that she would lose her mate, "Would you leave me to go and join some stupid group of feral cats that you don't even know?" She spat at him.
"I want you to come with us-" Max started.
"Answer my question! Would you leave me?" Rosie interrupted with a hiss. Fluff and Ginger looked awkwardly at each other, feeling responsible for causing the argument.
"No," Max sighed, "I couldn't! I love you," He purred, "But if you love me, you should understand that I want to have a purpose in life, I want to be a warrior."
"You know that I love you, mange-pelt that you are," Rosie purred playfully, "But we don't know enough about these wild cats to leave everything we know for them. I mean, for all we know they could be a bunch of flea bitten rogues!"
"So, we need to find out more." Ginger decided, the other cats turning to look at her.
"Remember what happened last time you wanted to 'find out more'?" Benny suddenly snarled at Ginger, narrowed eyes flashing, "You nearly got Fluff killed!"
"But you were there to save the day," Ginger meowed sarcastically, "So everything turned out okay."
"Okay? You think it's okay that you put the lives of Fluff and two strangers at risk? It's okay that you didn't listen to my warning? That you were so stupid enough as to put your own mouse-brained ideas about fantastical clan cats above the safety of your best and only friend? What kind of cat are you?" Benny roared, teeth bared.
"I'm the kind of cat who wants to have a purpose, like Max. I didn't put any cat in danger on purpose and I will protect cats that I love with my life! You could kill me here and now and I wouldn't care. If long as I suffer instead of somecat innocent, if I prove a point or even make a tiny difference, my life is irrelevant. So, slay me Benny, see what your beloved she-cat thinks of you then when she knows you're just another violent and angry rogue. She'll always love me more than you and you need to accept that!" Ginger yowled, hackles raised.
In a heartbeat, Benny flew at Ginger, but Fluff was quicker. She got in the between them and Benny barrelled into her. He leapt back with his pastel eyes wide when he realised what had happened. "Fluff!" He yowled, racing to her side. Ginger rushed over as well but Benny shoved her out of the way and she collapsed in the straw, lying still.
"I'm fine," Fluff coughed, "I can't believe you would attack Ginger like that! You know how much she means to me!"
"But you clearly mean nothing to her," Benny spat, "She put you in danger just because she didn't want to listen to me!"
"Because she doesn't trust you!" Fluff yowled, "And I don't know if I can anymore."
"But, but, but." Benny stuttered.
"But what?" Hissed Fluff, dark eyes black with anger.
"But I love you, Fluff." Benny breathed, staring down at his paws.
Fluff's expression barely softened, "Say it when you mean it. Say it when you can look me in the eye and I know it's the truth." She spat, stalking over to Ginger who still lay unmoving.