~ I hate that I let you down, and I feel so bad about it. I guess karma comes back around, 'cause now I'm the one that's hurting, yeah. And I hate that I made you think, that the trust we had is broken. Don't tell me you can't forgive me. 'Cause nobody's perfect. ~ Jessie J

Chapter 13

"Nobody's Perfect."

5/14/17 - 5/15/17

~ Mistpool ~

Mistpool sits with her mate one afternoon as they watch the kits rolling around with each other outside of the nursery.

"How do you feel about kits?" She asks Hawkfeather.

Hawkfeather looks at Mistpool with a teasing grin. "Isn't it a bit early to think about raising kits?"

Mistpool snorts.

"Tell that to Maplecloud! She's already expecting kits and is still going to train Creekpaw until she's a warrior."

Hawkfeather chuckles. "You seem to forget that Oakstorm would not be pleased to become a grandfather so early."

Mistpool sees dark red fur in her peripheral vision, and finds Pineheart returning with Sunpaw close behind.

Mistpool stands up and looks at Hawkfeather. "I'll talk to you later."

The pale grey she-cat makes haste to Pineheart as Sunpaw leaves her for the fresh kill pile.

"Pineheart!"

The reddish brown she-cat's instinctive dread took over before she could reason herself not to. Mistpool stops in front of her with a smile.

"How's being a mentor?" She asks her sister.

"Exhausting." Pineheart replies, clipped. "But Sunpaw is a pleasant cat to teach."

Mistpool couldn't help but notice how rigid Pineheart's muscles are.

"Say, after your done with Sunpaw, why don't we go hunting. Oh! Maybe scare some ShadowClan cats?"

"Mistpool, please." Pineheart hisses tiredly. Mistpool frowns.

"What has gotten into you?" She asks Pineheart as she brushes past her.

"Ever since a couple moons ago, you've been avoiding me like a bad tick."

Pineheart grimaced. "No I haven't. I've just been busy with Sunpaw…"

"What about the times you're not training her?" Mistpool challenged, padding close to Pineheart, who shuffles away from her.

For StarClan's sake! You're not usually so bad tempered!

Mistpool decides to confront her suspicions she had for moons…

"Are you upset over Hawkfeather?"

Pineheart whirls around and looks at her sister with wide green eyes.

"What makes you think that?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe your reaction?" Mistpool replies with a hint of sarcasm.

"I'm not as air headed as cats make me out to be. I know you liked Hawkfeather more than a friend."

Pineheart stares at Mistpool as her fur bristles with anger. "Wait. You knew?! You knew and yet you still went for him?!"

Pineheart's outburst starts to attract attention from the working ThunderClan cats, even Hawkfeather is looking on with concern for his mate and her sister.

Mistpool blinks. "Pineheart. Hawkfeather and I have a connection, we always have."

"I don't care!" Pineheart spat. "Why would you agree to be his mate even after you knew how I felt about him?!"

"Because I love him and he loves me." Mistpool retorts. "It's not my fault you were too much of a coward to say what you feel!"

Pineheart feels her words rakes her heart like claws. "I always knew you looked down on me…"

"I never did!" Mistpool cries out, exasperated. "You're too shy and had a low self esteem, that's why you never had a chance-!"

Mistpool cut herself off too late. Pineheart bites her lip and fights the urge to attack the pale grey she-cat.

"I'm not that she-cat anymore. I refuse to let you get to me."

Pineheart turns around as Mistpool says. "Why? Because you got that tom-toy following you everywhere? I never thought you were desperate enough to go for nine moon olds!"

The reddish brown she-cat gapes in shock when she realizes who Mistpool is referring to. She glares at Mistpool with fury in her smoldering green eyes.

"Don't you dare drag Seedpaw into this, he's innocent!"

"He's also the only one who hasn't noticed the other available she-cats yet." Mistpool replies meanly. "Just you wait, he wouldn't want to be mates with a she-cat who is old enough to be his sister or his aunt!"

Pineheart feels tears fall off her muzzle and glares at Mistpool with a hollow stare before leaving camp all together. Mistpool watches her go with an instant feeling of regret.

No, no… This isn't what I wanted! Oh, Pineheart, I'm so sorry!

She feels a paw touch her shoulder and sees her mother giving her an angry look. "I want you to come with me."

Mistpool follows Graystream through the trees. The pale grey she-cat looks at Graystream pleadingly. "I'm sorry!"

"Save it for Pineheart when we find her."

Mistpool bows her head. "I didn't mean to say those things to her. You have to believe me…"

"I want to, Mistpool." Graystream replies. "But Oakstorm probably saw this happening before I did. You and Pineheart allowed your feelings for this one tom turn against each other. Hawkfeather was Pineheart's world, and now she's trying to find a different source of happiness now that you two are mates."

"It's not my fault Hawkfeather liked me."

Graystream gives Mistpool a warning glance. "But it is your fault for using it against her. And it was wrong to bring someone as innocent as Seedpaw into your quarrel."

"I know…" Mistpool says miserably. Graystream focuses on the lake and sees a dark red fur coat sitting in front of the lake with a young cat approaching her.

Pineheart!

Graystream squints her eyes. "Is that, Seedpaw?"

~ Pineheart ~

Pineheart flattens her ears. "I have nothing to say to her."

Seedpaw pads around Pineheart to try and look at her. "Look, I fight with Ripplepaw sometimes, too, but he's still my brother in the end."

"Well, Ripplepaw never taunted you with the knowledge that nobody could like you back."

Seedpaw tries not to think about his kit-hood when Ripplepaw found out his fascination with Pineheart.

"Please tell me you're joking! Pineheart is, like, a million moons old!"

Seedkit wrinkles his nose and makes sure Sweetflower didn't hear Ripplekit's loud mouth. "You make her sound like an elder."

"She might as well be!" Ripplekit retorts, snickering. "Dude, by the time you're a warrior she'll be unable to have kits! She's obsessed with Hawkfeather, why would she be interested in a pipsqueak like you?"

Seedpaw broke from his thoughts and lashes his tail.

"I'm not as dumb as you make me out to be…"

Pineheart rotates her ears when she hears that.

"Pineheart!"

The reddish brown she-cat sees a blur of grey and white fur and Mistpool looking at her with pleading eyes. The words stumble out of Mistpool's mouth so rapidly that Pineheart is unable to catch on. Graystream watches her two daughters as Seedpaw slowly steps back to give them space.

"Can you forgive me?" Mistpool asks Pineheart.

Pineheart bites her lip, and looks at her light brown paws. "Y-Yes, I do."

~ Mistpool ~

Mistpool rests her head on Hawkfeather's broad shoulder that evening.

"So she's feeling alright?" Hawkfeather asks her.

"She said she forgives me, but…"

Hawkfeather hums. "I don't want to make you feel bad, but I wouldn't like it if Thistlefang treated me like that. I'm glad you worked things out."

Mistpool sighs. "But that's just it. I think she still doesn't truly forgive me for the things I said. If I had paid attention to her in the past, she wouldn't have blown up like that."

Hawkfeather spots Pineheart crouched down near the warriors den with Seedpaw, talking quietly to each other.

"Pineheart will forgive you. She bounces back faster than we know."

Mistpool follows her mate's gaze on Pineheart and Seedpaw, and smiles to herself.