"What are we doing today?" Quince asked. The beautiful gray she-cat leaped down from the fence gracefully.

Nutmeg rolled her eyes. "What we do every day," she meowed.

"Which is . . . ?"

"How much fur do you have in your head, Quince?"

"Hey, that's not fair!" Quince protested. "I was only asking a question."

Nutmeg thought for a moment. "What are you doing today?" she asked. "I'm doing what I do every day - planning revenge."

"Nutmeg." Quince glanced from one side to the other anxiously. "Is this really a good idea?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," she mewed. "Is it really necessary for you to plot revenge against Rusty like this? He is your son after all."

"His name isn't Rusty," hissed Nutmeg. "I've told you he went to be a part of ThunderClan. The fool's name is Fireheart now."

"Does it really matter what his name is?" Quince asked. "He's still your son. You should still love him like one, even if he isn't living the life you'd always hoped he would live."

"I don't care what life he lives!" Nutmeg yowled. "Fireheart may as well be dead for all I care! He's no son of mine!"

That silence Quince, leaving Nutmeg to get lost in her thoughts. Why can't she just leave me alone about it? she thought scornfully. A thin smile crept onto her face as an idea hit her. If I get Quince to work with me, Fireheart will certainly fall into my mercy.

Just as Nutmeg parted her jaws, Quince spoke. "Nutmeg- Nutmeg," she stammered. "Do you really mean that? Will it really not change a thing if he died?"

"No," Nutmeg stated firmly. "If Fireheart dies, it won't change a thing. It won't mean a thing."

"How can you say that?" Quince screeched. "Love all of your kits equally! Just because he's not a house cat like you, doesn't mean he can't mean anything."

"Quince..." Nutmeg looked down at her paws, pretending to look ashamed. "I'm so sorry."

Quince seemed to believe her, and Nutmeg felt guilty about it. "Can you," she began, "can you help me learn?"

The gray she-cat nodded, resting her fluffy tail over Nutmeg's brown tabby shoulders. "Sure," she replied.

"Nutmeg," Quince mewed gently. "All of your kits have different personalities and preferences, but that doesn't mean you should love any of them less than the other. Princess, Tommy, and Filou may live the life of a house cat, but it doesn't mean all five of your kits have to. Luna and Fireheart chose separate lives for a reason. They were suited for a life with housefolk and fences."

Quince paused, glancing at Nutmeg. "I'm following you," Nutmeg assured her friend.

"Fireheart went to live in the forest with ThunderClan, right?" Quince asked.

"Right," Nutmeg confirmed.

"And Luna went to live as a loner along on the Thunderpaths, correct?"

"Yes," she agreed. "What does that have to do with anything, though?"

"I'm just trying to tell you that you love Luna because she's your daughter," Quince explained. "Why can't you love Fireheart as you do Luna? He's your youngest, and you were never there for him."

"I- I understand," Nutmeg lied. Why can't she see I'm planning to kill him to end his suffering?

She opened her mouth to speak, but again, Quince beat her to it. "Nutmeg," her friend meowed sorrowfully. "Just think of how much you've missed. Fireheart's first steps. His first word. The day he opened his eyes. The first time he went outside. Those are all things you should never want to miss out on, but you did. It's done now. There's no going back in time to see it all."

Nutmeg noticed Quince's amber eyes glistened with sadness. "You're thinking about Tiny, aren't you?" Nutmeg guessed. She nodded her head.

"Will you help me, Quince?"

"With what?"

"Getting Fireheart back," the tabby explained. "I want to apologize to him. I want to apologize for being abusive, and not being there for all the important and little things."

Quince nodded. "I'll help you," she promised. "I'll do anything I can to help you, Nutmeg."

Nutmeg turned around, a chilling smile spread across her face. Little does she know, I'm going to apologize the way I did Jake.

I'll kill him.