~ Hey hey, you you - I don't like your girlfriend! No way no way, I think you need a new one. Hey hey, you you - I could be your girlfriend! Hey hey, you you - I know that you like me! No way no way, you know it's not a secret. Hey hey, you you - I want to be your girlfriend! ~ Girlfriend, by Avril Lavigne
Chapter 25
"Girlfriend."
5/30/17 - 5/31/17
~ Ferretleap ~
RiverClan welcomes five newest additions to their ranks. Olivestar's newborn kits took up the nursery while their mother leaves them to continue her duties as leader. No one quiet knows who the kits' father since Olivestar never disclosed his identity, but one kit, a she-kit, bares a strong resemblance to Larkflight.
Every cat has seemed to move past Otterheart's betrayal, almost as if erasing her from their minds and ranks like her family has. Applefoot certainly has, doting on her five moon old kits.
"Such beautiful kits. Specklekit looks just like her sister, Otterheart."
All except for Daisypelt.
The light grey tabby seems to take delight with infuriating Applefoot and Otterheart's siblings, Heavyclaw and Frecklespots.
"Ferretleap!"
Speaking of which…
Ferretleap hides behind a thick bed of reeds as Frecklespots searches the waterbed for him. She huffs, and pads away from his spot.
This can't go on forever. I can't let Frecklespots go on with this anymore, but if she gets upset she might tell her mother and…
Ferretleap shudders at the thought of Applefoot. Image is everything to the yellow she-cat, and having her "good daughter" crying from a broken heart is not on her list.
Ferretleap pokes his head out of the reeds and comes up with an idea…
"Daisypelt?"
The she-cat in question bristles with hidden resentment, she glares at Ferretleap, turning around to face him.
"I need a quick favor."
"Oh?" Daisypelt says, uninterested in his plight.
"I want us to pretend to be mates - not for real, but just until Frecklespots gives up or moves on to another tom."
Daisypelt scoffs. "The coward's maneuver? Sorry, but I still have some dignity left in me."
Ferretleap jumps in front of her before she could leave.
"Please! I'll do anything!"
Daisypelt's green eyes lit up with cunning thoughts.
Uh-oh. Ferretleap swallows.
"Alright then. But only on these conditions will I help you."
Ferretleap nods reluctantly.
"One. No kits." She said immediately. "Which means when New-Leaf comes around I don't want you near me - no excuses, think you can handle that?"
Ferretleap nods, a little off put by her crude innuendo.
"Two. You are going to announce it to all of RiverClan after Applefoot's kits are apprenticed."
Ferretleap's amber eyes widen with shock. "But that's two days from now!"
"Just for that whining, you're going to tell the rest of the three Clans at the next Gathering."
"Oh, come on!"
Daisypelt narrows her eyes in the same venomous sneer she had when the Soulless attacked, Ferretleap bows his head.
"Lastly, three. If all of the Dark Forest breaks loose and this doesn't make that annoying little tick take a hint, you will tell her to her face that you aren't interested in her. I don't care if she cries, or scratches you, or throws a tantrum like a spoiled kit, she's a warrior for StarClan's sake! She needs to grow up."
Daisypelt raises her paw to him. "Deal?" Ferretleap stares at her paw, and places his own paw, with their paw pads touching as they shake up and down.
"Deal."
~ Darkwater ~
The black furred tom is called into Olivestar's den. The brown she-cat looks content with being out of the nursery despite just giving birth last night.
"I see that your daughters are growing nicely." She told him.
Usually he would beam with pride at the mention of his beautiful daughters, but he knew what Olivestar is referring to.
"With ThunderClan and ShadowClan's prey, the queens are nursing regularly. The decision is coming along successfully."
"For now." Darkwater mutters. Olivestar chooses to ignore his comment.
"Aren't you the least bit concerned about ThunderClan?" He asks her. "Littlestar is sure to send extra patrols to keep you out."
Olivestar waves her paw. "So we'll take prey at night. ThunderClan isn't like ShadowClan, seeing in the dark and all."
"Neither are we." Darkwater points out coldly. He quickly adjusts his tone seeing the anger in her baby blue eyes.
"We have enough prey from their territory to last until your kits are weaned, and it would be best to stop now before ShadowClan starts to notice."
Darkwater secretly prays that Olivestar would see reason. He didn't want his kits to starve, nor Silversnow, but he wasn't going to risk a war against two factions that could harm his Clanmates.
"... Very well."
Darkwater takes a quiet breath.
"However," she says. "If this polluted water situation doesn't become resolved before the fresh kill pile gets low, we will start up the operation again regardless of your opinion."
~ Daisypelt ~
"Ferretleap!"
Daisypelt feels Ferretleap's body tense up to Frecklespots' shrill voice and rolls her eyes. The yellow and white splotched she-cat stops in her tracks and narrows her eyes at the sight before her.
Ferretleap is crouched down, with his flank pressed firmly next to Daisypelt's, dark fur mixing with light grey tabby striped fur.
"Leapy-kins?" Daisypelt croons to the dark brown tom. Frecklespots bristles her fur at the pet name while Ferretleap looks at her with mild confusion.
"Would you be a sweet little minnow and fetch me some tuna?"
Ferretleap looks at the two she-cats - one furiously jealous and one cold and calculating - and nods before getting up and padding away. Daisypelt looks at Frecklespots with amusement.
"Who are you trying fool?" Frecklespots hissed. "What tom in their right mind would ever look at a monster like you?"
Daisypelt curls her tail over her paws. "Beauty is only fur-deep, although I don't expect someone of your shallow nature to understand how meaningful our union is."
Frecklespots suppresses a growl and the urge to claw her arrogant face off.
"I'll believe it when Ferretleap says so!"
Daisypelt sees Ferretleap return with a nice, big tuna in his jaws. He places the tuna near her paws as Frecklespots shoulders him away from the light grey tabby she-cat.
"Daisypelt is making up all sorts of lies about you two. I think she's finally lost her mind!"
Ferretleap can feel Daisypelt's seething stare on him without prying his eyes from Frecklespots when he says. "She's not making this up. We're actually mates now."
Frecklespots's yellow eyes were filled with disbelief, then slight horror. "No. I refuse to believe that you would be with this - this - creature!"
Ferretleap sits back down and Daisypelt rests her head on his shoulder, giving Frecklespots a sly smirk.
This should be fun ~. Daisypelt curls her tail up, enjoying this new "game" she's playing.
"I'm sorry, Frecklespots." Ferretleap said. "I hope that we can still be-."
The yellow and white splotched she-cat quickly turns tail and races away, leaving some cats bewildered by her departure. Daisypelt suppresses her laughter fighting its way up her throat.
"Friends." He finished ruefully. Daisypelt snorts with laughter and looks Ferretleap in his eyes.
"Honestly, you could do so much better, Leapy-kins."
Words cannot describe how much fun I had writing Daisypelt. I've been waiting to do this for so long.
Also, a quick response to guest reviewer iDragonSpy for their review of chapter 23, "Because of You".
iDragonSpy: Ron and Hermione?! Those two? Do you have any idea how much this comment caught me off guard and made me laugh? I completely forgot about Ron and Hermione and how they were always bickering back and forth. Genius! :) ~ Kyubi