Chapter 22
A little while after Wishwind had told Pinefoot she was pregnant, and they had thought of names, Swiftpaw came up to Wishwind and Pinefoot while they were talking.
"Wishwind." Swiftpaw started, "Can you come with me?"
"Of course, my little warrior." Wishwind nodded, and Pinefoot wasn't gonna let her go alone
"Only Wishwind!" the apprentice hissed, "Not you! Go bug someone else. Foxbreath."
"Fine." Pinefoot huffed, "Foxbreath, huh." He muttered after they walked away.
He walked over to Graystripe and asked the deputy to be placed on a patrol, Graystripe complied and placed him on a patrol to the RiverClan border, he came back long before Wishwind and Swiftpaw, when they returned he padded out to his mate and sat beside her.
"Where did you two go?"
"Nowhere," he knew she lied, "We just went out hunting."
"Are you sure?" he said teasing her
"Yes, Pinefoot! StarClan, you don't need to get protective! Do you really not trust me with my own son?"
"From the way he asked, he really doesn't." scoffed the apprentice
"I'm just worried," he said, "Can't I be worried?"
"Have a little more trust in them." Mudpaw said as he walked up flicking his tail
Beepaw was watching them and didn't say anything but padded away with her siblings when they made their way to the apprentices' den.
"I was worried." Pinefoot muttered
"Yes, I get it," Wishwind sighed. "I can take care of myself, though."
But he wasn't listening instead he was staring at the apprentices' den.
"Nothing I ever do will be good enough for them." He sighed more to himself then Wishwind
"But…" Wishwind started
"No, I get it, I'm not their father, and there is a fear that Hawkheart instilled in them."
"Yes, but" she started again
"But I am a warrior can't they have a little respect for me?"
"They should, you just rest, I'll talk to them."
He smiled and nodded, and padded into the warriors' den, Wishwind sighed before walking over to the apprentices' den.
"Swiftpaw, Mudpaw, Beepaw?"
"Yes Wishwind?"
"Can you stop treating Pinefoot like fox dung?"
"Mom! He deserves to be treated like fox dung!" Swiftpaw protested
"No, he doesn't! you just assumed that he was a bad cat from the moment you met him, and Hawkheart instilled a fear in your heart of me dying, if I die it won't be Pinefoot's fault." She ranted, "Just please promise me that if I die you won't blame Pinefoot or your new siblings."
"Okay Wishwind." Mudpaw and Beepaw consented
"Swiftpaw?"
"Okay." He said lying
She purred and left the den, she entered the warriors den and went to her nest and fell asleep, secretly Pinefoot watched her, he was truly savoring every moment he had with her.