Thank you everyone who reviewed this one-shot!! (I'm delusional when I still believe this is a one-shot) I'm really happy with the responses but it was this comment that shocked me the most;

GojiBerry7 Sup, been reading your stuff for years with my best friend. It's quite amazing how far you've come with this 'Heart of Fire' series. I love it! Now I'm wondering what Bluestar will do next.

I had no idea that there were others out there that were longtime supporters of this story/series!! (Of course I know one or two that I know closely. I am shocked that there are others out there!!! This is perhaps one of my favorite reviews!!!)

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Tigerclaw returned to ShadowClan by himself. Dustpelt and Longtail had been insistent on staying behind to look after their former Clanmates. Tigerclaw had wished them luck and left them behind for good. By the time he had reached camp, a steady rainfall had begun, causing his Clanmates to seek shelter in their dens.

Rain was a good sign. The fire had not reached ShadowClan's and the rain would help put it out. However Tigerclaw did get soaked down to the bone by the rain, leaving him cold and irritated. His thick-furred tabby pelt was weighed down flat and it would take time to properly dry.

Tigerclaw sought shelter himself, but not in the warrior's den. Tigerclaw instead made a detour to the nursery. After what happened, Tigerclaw wanted to inform Fireheart of what happened. The flame-colored she-cat and mother to his kits had a right to know just as much as he did about their former Clan.

The massive, sturdy, broad chest and shouldered, dark brown tabby tom silently entered the nursery unannounced. If Fireheart hadn't been so wound up perhaps he'd have even gone unnoticed. But as soon as he fully came through the entrance, Fireheart quietly called him over towards her nest where their kits were sound asleep.

"How did it go?" Fireheart asked softly, keeping things quiet so as to not wake up the kits.

"Things in ThunderClan are worser than we thought." Tigerclaw huffed, resisting the grow of disgust that wanted to rumble from his throat. "They left all their elders behind to die."

Fireheart quietly gasped. Which caused one of their kits, Squirrelkit, to grumble in their sleep and turn over. Fireheart lightly stroked her plumy tail over their bushy tailed daughters back and carefully stood and left the nest without waking any of the kits.

Fireheart gestured towards the back of the nursery, out of hearing range of the nursery inhabitants, who consisted of only their kits and Tallpoppy, all who were asleep. Tigerclaw trailed after the beautiful jade eyed she-cat as they came to crouch down beside one another, heads pressing to one another to speak in hushed whispers.

"What do you mean by the elders being left behind?" Fireheart asked, still seeming to be in shock by the news.

"Bluestar told them to be left behind. No reason was given, but I bet she thought they were dead weight and would slow them all down." Tigerclaw replied, it would have been something he would have done in the past. However he wasn't his past self and the thought of deliberately leaving behind any ShadowClan elder to die disgusted him.

"And nobody came back for them?" Fireheart questioned, this clearly wasn't the honorable ThunderClan leader that either of them once had known.

"Some did." Tigerclaw corrected. "Sandstorm and Brackenfur came back to help. So did Cloudpaw and Thornpaw."

"How are they? Are they alright?" Fireheart meowed, looking worried. "I know that the fire is out by now but did they reach safety?"

"The last thing that I know is that Dustpelt and Longtail were going to try and lead the Clan to the RiverClan border to try and cross the river." Tigerclaw told her.

Fireheart nodded. "That sounds like the most safest option."

"You should have seen Cloudpaw, acting like a warrior already," Tigerclaw added, in an attempt to ease some of the queen's worries. "I'd be disappointed if ThunderClan doesn't recognize his greatness."

Fireheart blinked, her whiskers twitching in satisfaction. "Cloudpaw has always been close with the elders," Fireheart agreed. "It's only reasonable to assume he wouldn't just leave them behind."

Tigerclaw was in agreement. He himself had originally been the one to put his nephew on elders duty when he was just a kit. His nephew took to it like a duck to water. It had surprised the then deputy at the time. Tigerclaw himself had never taken any interest in caring for any elders outside of his own mother, Leopardfoot.

Perhaps, his own malcontent in having to take care of elders stem from the whispers behind his back about his father that had abandoned them all, and the disparaging remarks cruelly aimed at him from such a young age. No one was more judgemental than some senile old cats with nothing better to do than gossip and catch fleas all day.

"I'm glad that you went with them." Fireheart admitted, brushing her pelt up against his own. "It must have been hard for you to go back there."

It wasn't hard at all, to be honest. Tigerclaw's only concern had been being trapped and burnt to death within the flaming forest. Then Tigerclaw had found Cloudpaw staying back to help the elders and he became concerned about his nephew. But when Tigerclaw saw how brave Cloudpaw was, and how much his nephew had grown, Tigerclaw knew that Cloudpaw didn't need him at that moment.

Tigerclaw didn't respond. He didn't have anything worth saying about going back to his old territory and seeing his former home engulfed in flames. If anything, it felt as though Tigerclaw had been reborn from its ashes. His past all burned away, leaving behind room for new growth to come to life and flourish.

Glancing at Fireheart as he rose to his paws, Tigerclaw liked to think that the fire that blazed within Fireheart could also burn away their painful past to start something new in the present.

"You should get back to the kits." Tigerclaw meowed, turning away as he began heading back out the way he came in.

"Wait!" Fireheart blurted out, causing Tigerclaw to freeze in place. The powerful tabby watched as Fireheart seemed to grapple with whatever it was she was considering in her mind. "It's…late," Fireheart continued, and seeing how it was confusing the she-cat quickly carried on. "So why don't you come share the nest with me and the kits."

Tigerclaw wanted nothing more than to climb into the larger than usual nest, mainly due to how many kits he and Fireheart had made together, and curl up around his family. He wanted to have them close and safely tucked away within his own embrace, and anyone wishing to harm them would be met with his unusually long, sharp, front claws. He wanted it more than anything.

Tigerclaw felt his heart quicken as they stared into each other's eyes, lost in one another in that single moment.

Tigerclaw's acceptance was right on the tip of his tongue until he felt water slip off the ends of his whiskers. In being so focused on Fireheart he had forgotten that he was still soaking wet. The dark tabby warrior couldn't risk ruining the kits nest, or make them uncomfortable by wetting the rest of them. That actuality soured his mood.

"I shouldn't," Tigerclaw regrettably declined, despising the look of disappointment that reflected in Fireheart's eyes. "I need to go dry off in the warriors den tonight."

"Oh-okay," Fireheart meowed, sounding dejected. "I will see you in the morning then."

Tigerclaw nodded. "Of course." They just stood facing each other in complete silence. Neither knew just how close their hopes and wishes were aligned.

"Goodnight, Tigerclaw."

"Goodnight, Fireheart."

Tigerclaw lingered at the entrance to the nursery. Watching as Fireheart settled back amongst their herd of kits. It was a sweet sight to see.

So although he was still soaking wet and getting even wetter when leaving the shelter of the nursery, Tigerclaw couldn't stop feeling warm inside, because Fireheart had wanted him to stay.

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Please review, I love them! This chapter was supposed to be way longer but I exceeded my 1000 words limit and decided this was a good stopping point anyway!!! (You'll get something plot related in the next chapter!!!)

Fun Facts:

Tigerclaw hated taking care of the elders because of all the hurtful things they told him as an apprentice about his father and him in general. (Like Tawnypelt was treated when she was a ThunderClan apprentice!)

Tiger x Fire moment confirmed.

Also I created a new one-shot featuring Yellowfang pov (Heart of Fire) and am now thinking about doing more like it!!!