Creekfeather was not typically swayed by attractive cats, but the she-cat standing nose-to-nose with him left him speechless.
"You. Where is my son."
Suddenly Creekfeather had all kinds of words he wanted to spit out, starting with, "Excuse me? Who are you?!"
Harveymoon was quick to separate the two as he hurriedly explained, "Creekfeather, this is Delilah. Delilah, this is Creekfeather, and we did talk about your approach-"
"Fox-dung to your approach," Delilah spat. "I don't care how ferocious a group of kitnappers think they are-"
"Kitnappers?!"
"Hold on," Leafstar started, pushing herself in front of Creekfeather. "Shadowkit, is he your son?"
Creekfeather and Delilah's eyes widened at the same instant. "You named him?" she demanded. "Who- who do you think you are?!"
"We're not kitnappers, for starters," Creekfeather snapped. His stomach felt like it was full of angry hornets and it took everything in him to not dwell on the fact that This is Shadowkit's mother and she's going to take him away- "Harveymoon brought him to us."
"That is enough," Leafstar raised her voice. "Tonight is meant to be a night of peace, and no one is going to walk into my camp and disrupt that." She turned her sharp eyes onto Delilah. "We can discuss this further in my den. Harveymoon, you come with us."
"And me," Creekfeather said immediately. "Shadowkit is mine- my responsibility."
He thought Delilah, this horrible wretched she-cat, would protest, but she seemed frozen solid by Leafstar's gaze. Leafstar nodded at Creekfeather and gestured for him to come along with them, and Sharpclaw filled in and began to instruct their Clanmates.
As Creekfeather brushed by Waspwhisker his father ran his tail along Creekfeather's back soothingly, but those hornets buzzed on, frantic.
"We are going to have a civil, respectful discussion," Leafstar began sternly. "Delilah, is it? It seems that Harveymoon has brought your kit to us. He told us that he found him alone, crying, and he knew the kit needed milk. How did he end up in that situation?"
"Are you judging my ability as a mother?" Delilah demanded.
"I am," Creekfeather cut in.
"No, we're not," Leafstar said, shooting Creekfeather a hard look. "I just want to hear your side of the story."
Delilah looked torn between snapping back at Creekfeather and respecting Leafstar's wishes. She settled for the latter. "I was heavily pregnant and had to flee a bad situation. I ended up kitting in the Twolegplace, and a few nights later, I scented dogs. When they found me and my son I had to protect us. Look, one of those brutes gave me this."
She showed them her flank and Creekfeather winced instinctively; that was one nasty bite.
Delilah saw their reactions and sat back down, her face grim. "This is what it looks like after the Twolegs help. They found me and brought me to their clipper, but they never found my son. I finally managed to escape their den yesterday and I'd heard about the daylight warriors, so I found Harveymoon, and asked him if he could help me. He led me here."
Harveymoon sat quietly in the corner of the den, looking quite uncomfortable at being singled out as the one responsible for bringing the rabid she-cat into SkyClan's camp.
"So your kit was never abandoned," Leafstar said slowly. "You were injured and taken away from him."
"Yes." Delilah's eyes softened, pleading. "Please, I just want my son and then I'll be out of your fur. You'll never hear from us again."
One of the hornets stung. Creekfeather jolted and said, "Leafstar, think about what's best for Shadowkit-"
"I am his mother," Delilah snapped, whirling on him. "I am what's best for him!"
Another sting. "Think about Cherrytail, she just lost her own litter, and if we take Shadowkit from her too-"
"Stop calling him that! His name is not Shadowkit!"
"He doesn't even know who you are!"
"I don't care who you think you are, you are not his father-"
Another sting, and another and another-
"That's enough!" Leafstar was on her paws, tail lashing. "Creekfeather, I understand that you have a bond with Shadow- with the kit, but Delilah is right. She is his mother, and we have to respect her wishes. If she wants to take him and leave then that is her right."
And another sting. Creekfeather lowered his eyes, feeling numb all over, thinking, This is not happening right now this cannot be happening right now-
Harveymoon cleared his throat and spoke up. "Delilah, I do think you should consider leaving your kit with SkyClan a little while longer. You remember what you told me about your milk supply?"
Creekfeather's head shot up just in time to catch Delilah's face harden, and Sharpclaw slipped quietly into the den. "Thank you, Harveymoon. Not that it's anyone's business, but when I was at the clipper they… did something to me that dried up my milk."
"He needs milk," Creekfeather immediately said. "He isn't ready to eat fresh-kill yet."
"I know that," she huffed. "I know a queen who can nurse him for me."
"One that he already knows and trusts?" Creekfeather challenged. "Cherrytail has nursed him for over a half-moon." He expected another retort but Delilah hesitated.
"I may have a solution," Leafstar said. "Delilah, what if you and your kit stay in SkyClan just until he's weaned? You can sleep in the Nursery with him, and Creekfeather, who has been hunting for Cherrytail, can hunt for you as well."
"What?!"
"I think that's a great idea," Sharpclaw spoke up. "You said you were injured in a dogfight, didn't you, Delilah?"
Delilah must have sensed the secret underneath Sharpclaw's question. She looked between him and Creekfeather, nodding.
"Fine," Creekfeather bit out. "If it keeps the kit and Cherrytail together then I'll do it."
All heads swiveled to Delilah, then. She looked like she was caught in front of a monster on the thunderpath. Slowly, Delilah turned to meet Creekfeather's eye. He schooled his expression into neutrality and refused to let her see him sweat.
"Fine," Delilah agreed. "That's reasonable. But as soon as I decide I want to leave, I'm leaving, and I don't owe anyone an explanation."
Creekfeather opened his mouth but Leafstar beat him to it. "Agreed. Sharpclaw, why don't you lead Delilah to the Nursery-"
"Actually," Sharpclaw cleared his throat. "Can I have a minute to warn Cherrytail?"
Leafstar's eyes softened. "Of course. Go ahead, I'll have a patrol escort Harveymoon to the border. And you two," she turned to Creekfeather and Delilah, " please try not to kill each other in my den. Creekfeather, give Sharpclaw a few minutes before you show Delilah to the Nursery."
Sharpclaw headed towards the Nursery and Leafstar led Harveymoon out. And then there were two. Creekfeather turned to eye Delilah and found that she was already eyeing him.
"What's his name, then?"
Delilah averted her gaze. "He doesn't have one. I was waiting for the right name to hit me before the dogs got a hold of me."
Creekfeather's eye flickered to the gash on her flank; he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. "That looks like it hurt."
Delilah snorted. "That's putting it nicely. I thought the dog was going to rip me in half."
"We have a medicine cat, Echosong, and she has herbs she can put on it to keep it from-"
"No thanks," Delilah interrupted. "I want to owe you Clan cats as little as possible. The only reason I'm even letting you hunt for me is because I can tell you don't want to do it."
Creekfeather scowled. "You're just a sweetheart, aren't you? Well I don't care why you're letting me hunt for you, all I care is that Shadow- the kit is safe and cared for."
He was expecting another hot retort but all Delilah could say in response to that was a grumbled, "Me too."
Leafstar's Den felt sticky with heat and tension. Creekfeather half-hoped that Delilah would spit some more venom at him just so he had a reason to spit it back, but she stared at the world outside the den and didn't make another sound until he decided that it was safe to head to the Nursery.
It wasn't wise for cats to wander around the sheer cliff paths late at night, but the full moon offered enough light to guide Creekfeather's paws. The winding way to the Nursery was almost muscle-memory by this point.
He could hear Cherrytail long before he saw her. Thinking fast, Creekfeather turned to Delilah and said, "Give me a moment and I'll tell her we're here."
"I want to see my son," Delilah said, stone-cold.
"And you're going to, for StarClan's sake! Just wait here."
Creekfeather ducked into the Nursery, eyes immediately falling on Shadowkit despite the darkness. He sat between Cherrytail's paws, looking up at Sharpclaw.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Cherry," Sharpclaw was saying, not angrily.
"I want to meet her," Cherrytail insisted. "If someone is going to take Shadowkit away from us, then I better know who it is!"
Creekfeather cleared his throat. "I, for one, think that's a very fair demand."
"See, Sharpclaw!"
"Do not think that Creekfeather agreeing with you carries any weight with me," Sharpclaw retorted.
Cherrytail bent her head to lick Shadowkit, and when she sniffled, his eyes softened. "Oh, fine. Bring Shadowkit out to her, then, but mind your manners. No matter how we feel about this, Delilah is his mother."
Cherrytail simply brushed her cheek against her mate's by way of response. She picked Shadowkit up and padded out of the Nursery, and Creekfeather followed right behind her. "Delilah," he started, "this is Cherrytail. She's the queen who's been nursing Shadow- your son."
Cherrytail grunted by way of 'hello', but Delilah didn't make a sound. She had eyes only for the little black kit hanging from Cherrytail's mouth.
It was petty, but Creekfeather was looking forward to the moment when Cherrytail set Shadowkit down in front of Delilah, and he stared at her like a stranger before running back into their paws. Shadowkit was only a few days old when Delilah abandoned him, captured by Twolegs my tail, and she was beyond bird-brained if she thought that Shadowkit would recognize her.
Cherrytail set Shadowkit down, and finally, Delilah moved, shifting to lay on her stomach so that she could crawl towards her kit. Shadowkit looked back at Cherrytail and Creekfeather, alarmed, and Creekfeather couldn't help but feel smug and he wasn't sorry about it.
"Hi, kitten," Delilah cooed softly. "Stars, how I've missed you."
Shadowkit sniffed her and maybe it was Delilah's scent or maybe it was her voice, but something triggered in his brain. Something flashed in his eyes. Creekfeather didn't know what he was watching as Shadowkit leaned forward and touched noses with Delilah, a raspy purr deep in his throat.
Creekfeather barely registered Cherrytail breezing past him and ducking back into the Nursery, her tail curled around her flank. He stared at Delilah and Shadowkit, and suddenly he felt like he was intruding on something by watching their reunion.
He remembers her. Delilah agreed to stay in SkyClan until Shadowkit was weaned, but Creekfeather's hoped hinged on the possibility that Shadowkit would reject her and Leafstar wouldn't send Shadowkit away if he didn't want to leave-
Shadowkit brushed his cheek against Delilah's temple, still purring that raspy purr.
Another sting, this one fatal.
"Clovertail will make sure you have a nest," Creekfeather murmured, but if Delilah heard him then she didn't show it. Feeling like he'd lost a battle, Creekfeather turned and dragged himself back to the Warriors' Den.
Creekfeather did not claim to be a strategist; that honor went to Plumwillow. But Creekfeather had been a prankster his entire life and those exploits required a good amount of planning! So he laid awake all night and thought of a plan to keep Shadowkit in SkyClan…
Even if that meant keeping Delilah, too.
Starting with the fattest squirrel in the forest, Creekfeather thought happily, jogging to the Nursery. He'd had to chase the squirrel from tree to tree, but he realized that his, uh, emotional response to meeting Delilah might have turned her off to him, and that wouldn't do. So if he had to be a little extra generous, a little extra charming, then so be it.
"Good morning," Creekfeather chirped, sticking his head into the Nursery, squirrel tucked underneath his chin. "I come bearing fresh-kill!"
Three heads turned to him, but only two seemed grateful for the meal; Delilah took one look at Creekfeather, made a face, and returned to grooming Shadowkit. Well, Shadowkit made up for his wretched mother's lack of enthusiasm.
"Creekfeather!" he exclaimed, scrambling out of Delilah's grasp to rub up against him. For his part, Creekfeather felt sorta dizzy.
"He said my name," he said, his voice barely more than a murmur. Suddenly it felt like the sun had just burst from the clouds, vanquishing a storm. "He's never said it before."
"Well, that's actually the second time he's said it," Clovertail said, a twinkle in her eye. "It was the first thing out of his mouth this morning."
"I'm a little bit wounded that he said your name before mine," Cherrytail added, but there was no malice there.
Delilah simply stared at Creekfeather, watching as her son rubbed up against his leg, purring. Then she said, "I don't want that squirrel."
And just like that, the sun was hidden behind the clouds again.
"You're kidding. Everyone likes squirrels, even Tangle!"
"I don't know who that is nor do I care. Leafstar said you would hunt for me, and I don't want that squirrel."
Creekfeather frowned, shifting his gaze to study Delilah's figure; he hadn't noticed it last night but she wasn't well-fed. He thought she wasn't really in a position to turn down free fresh-kill, especially fresh-kill that looked this good.
"Fine," he said, actively working to keep his tone relaxed. "What kind of prey do you like?"
He didn't understand why it took so long for Delilah to finally answer, "Shrew."
Ground prey, Creekfeather thought, a bit disdainfully. He would much rather hunt in the treetops, but fine. Okay. Whatever it takes to convince Delilah to stay in SkyClan.
"I'll be right back," Creekfeather said, reluctantly peeling Shadowkit from his leg and setting him back in Cherrytail's nest.
"Take your time," Delilah retorted, and it took everything inside Creekfeather to not scowl at her.
Clovertail looked between Creekfeather and Delilah and shook her head, hiding a knowing smile.
This time Creekfeather wasn't going to waste his time searching for the fattest piece of prey in the forest; kill a shrew, get back to the Nursery so he could begin wooing Delilah. In and out, easy peasy.
He did have to reroute at one point to avoid running into Rabbitleap and Mintfur and their apprentices; this was not the day to humor Rabbitleap's self-righteous 'I told you so', and it was never a good day for Mintfur at all.
When he returned to camp the queens were sunning themselves outside the Nursery by the river. Birdflight and Nettlesplash were there too, as they had been for the last several days; Nettlesplash pretended to be napping but Creekfeather noticed how his ears were alert, pointed towards Birdflight, and Creekfeather was torn between 'accidentally' pushing his brother into the shallows or teasing him about his growing fondness for Birdflight.
But then Shadowkit caught his eye and his tiny face lit up. "Creekfeather!" he exclaimed, and all thoughts of messing with Nettlesplash vanished.
"Hi, again," Creekfeather purred, bending to nuzzle the top of Shadowkit's head. "Look what I caught: shrew!"
"Lame," Birdflight called from the shallows. "Ground prey doesn't taste nearly as good as tree prey!"
Creekfeather agreed, but for Delilah's benefit he said, "Well, a fat shrew sometimes tastes better than squirrel!"
"Doubt it," Delilah said, unconcerned as she groomed her pelt. "The squirrel that Fallowfern shared with me was delicious."
"Pardon?"
"Your mother dropped by earlier," Birdflight explained, sending a little wave toward Shadowkit, who was creeping closer to her. "She wanted to meet Delilah. She brought a squirrel with her."
Creekfeather was not easy to anger, but great StarClan, maybe Delilah's appearance was phase two of Rabbitleap's brilliant punishment. "But you said you hate squirrels!"
"I never said I hate squirrels; I'd never even tasted squirrel before today. I said I didn't want 'that squirrel'."
"What was wrong with the squirrel that I caught?!"
Delilah shot him a wicked grin, and Creekfeather was going to ground his teeth to dust before the day was over. I'm going to kill Rabbitleap for this.
"Well, I'm sorry if your shrew disappoints now," Creekfeather mumbled, dropping it at her paws. Delilah shot him a look.
"Do you have cotton in your ears? I said I already ate."
"I caught this shrew specifically for you, are you really not going to eat it?"
"Give it to Tangle, whoever that is."
"Tangle hates shrews! He hates everything except squirrels because squirrels are delicious!"
"Oh, I agree! The one I ate after you took your ugly face out of the Nursery was wonderful."
"My ugly what?!"
Behind them, Nettlesplash cackled.
I need to drown somebody, Creekfeather thought, and while Delilah was the most tempting option, he would settle for Nettlesplash. Creekfeather turned around just in time to watch Shadowkit lean too far over the edge and fall into the river.
"Shadowkit!" Delilah screeched, shoving past Creekfeather.
He was right on her tail when Birdflight cried, "Wait, he's swimming!"
Creekfeather and Delilah skidded to a halt; Shadowkit tilted his neck to keep his head above the water, but Creekfeather could make out his little paws paddling beneath the surface. His panic turned quickly into pride. "Look at him go, like a fish- hey, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Delilah snapped, as she set Shadowkit on solid ground. She began to lick his fur in the opposite direction.
Birdflight caught Creekfeather's eye and offered him a smile. "Well, that was a good start! Looks like your idea paid off, Creekfeather!"
Yeah, it did, Creekfeather realized, looking back at Shadowkit. He fell in, but he knew to swim. I'll never have to worry about him drowning.
"What idea?" Delilah asked.
"Creekfeather had the idea to teach Shadowkit how to swim! He's been bringing him out the last few days, letting him get near the edge and splash around a little. I didn't think Shadowkit was actually ready to swim, but I guess he's been watching me-"
Delilah whirled on Creekfeather, then. "You've been encouraging this?!"
Creekfeather immediately became defensive. "It's a good skill for any kit to have with the river so close to the Nursery! When we were three moons old, Nettlesplash tripped-"
"I did not trip!"
"I don't care what happened when you were three moons old," Delilah snarled. "You have been purposely endangering my kit's life!"
Clovertail brushed up against Delilah. "Delilah, it's not like that," she said in a soothing voice. Delilah shook her off.
"You've all just been watching!" She cried, sounding hysterical. "Just- just watching as he throws my kit into the river!"
"I never threw him in the river!"
Creekfeather snapped. "Would you just listen-"
"Shut-up!" Delilah screeched. "You're all insane! Insane, and, and I'm not going to stay here and watch as you all find new ways to almost kill my kit! As soon as Shadowkit is dry, I'm leaving!" She picked Shadowkit up by his scruff and stormed into the Nursery, leaving behind a stunned group.
"Oh, stars," Clovertail grumbled, brushing past Creekfeather to join Delilah in the Nursery. He made to follow her but Cherrytail stepped in front of him, shaking her head.
"Cherrytail," Creekfeather breathed, his throat tight, "she can't leave with him, she can't."
"Let Clovertail and I talk to her," Cherrytail replied, in a voice that warned I can't promise you anything. She ducked into the Nursery, leaving Creekfeather behind with Nettlesplash and Birdflight.
Birdflight climbed out of the river and shook out her pelt. "I'm sorry, Creekfeather," she said, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I should have kept my big mouth shut."
His throat was feeling tighter and tighter. He wanted to reassure Birdflight, he wanted to spit at Birdflight, but he couldn't get the words past his throat. Stars, it was becoming hard to even breathe.
Creekfeather turned and started towards the Warriors' Den, feeling dizzy and lost.
It was Creekfeather's fault for not scenting Rabbitleap; this time he wasn't able to reroute before Rabbitleap saw him and called his name. Instinctively, he stopped.
"How's the kit?" Rabbitleap asked, catching up to him. "Did he remember Delilah?"
"Yeah, he remembered her. Where's your group?"
"Leafstar and Billystorm wanted to take the girls hunting, and I'm sure Mintfur is holed up somewhere trying to figure out how to make my death look like an accident. This whole truce is really testing her patience. Say," Rabbitleap paused, finally noticing the cloud that hung over his brother's head. "You don't look too good."
"Hm. Makes sense. I don't feel too good."
"What's up with that?"
My adopted son is going to be taken from me by a horrible queen and I'm never going to see him again, and it's your fault that I'm in this position in the first place, and I've been avoiding you all day because you are the very last cat that I want to talk to.
"Tired, I guess."
"Yeah?" Rabbitleap eyed him. "Well, take a nap or something. I heard you're responsible for Shadowkit and his mother now, so you'll have to start working twice as hard."
Nettlesplash always said that when Rabbitleap talked to him there was something in his voice, a note of superiority that made it sound like he had better things to do, things that Nettlesplash could never understand. Creekfeather had always been too laid-back to care, too busy pulling pranks and proving his brother right.
As Rabbitleap turned to leave and do something impossibly important, Creekfeather spoke up and said, "Actually, I won't. Delilah is leaving with Shadowkit today."
Rabbitleap stopped and turned back to Creekfeather, confused. "What? How come?"
"She didn't like that I was teaching Shadowkit how to swim. She thought I was endangering him."
"Really?" Rabbitleap sighed. "That's a shame. The Clan needs kits, especially since Cherrytail miscarried…"
Creekfeather's tail-tip twitched. His strike paw itched.
"And Delilah could have been a useful warrior, but I guess not everyone is cut out for it. It's a loss, but I hope you learned something important, Creekfeather."
Creekfeather couldn't help but ask, "What do you hope I learned, Rabbitleap?"
If Rabbitleap heard the warning in his brother's voice then he chose to ignore it. "About responsibility, obviously. I know you became attached to Shadowkit but the point of your punishment was to learn how to be more responsible, less selfish. I do wish Delilah and Shadowkit were staying, but-"
"Attached?" Creekfeather repeated, the word sharp. "You think I became attached to Shadowkit? I love him. I love him like he is my own kit, and you just wish that he could stay around so that I can properly learn my lesson?! So that you have another apprentice lined up once you finish with Stormpaw?"
"Stop that," Rabbitleap ordered. "You're reacting emotionally-"
"Of course I'm reacting emotionally!" Creekfeather hissed. "Shadowkit is mine and I can't stop a stranger from taking him from me-"
"He is not your kit!" Rabbitleap bit out. "After all the dung you gave Swiftleap about wanting to settle down and start a family, and now you're crying over a kit that you've known for less than a moon! Do you not see what a hypocrite you are?"
"It's not the same thing," Creekfeather insisted, stubborn.
Rabbitleap shook his head. "You haven't learned a single thing from this, have you, Creekfeather? You're just as selfish and irresponsible as you were before Shadowkit."
"And you're so selfless and noble!" Creekfeather laughed, but it was a joyless sound. "Nettlesplash has always been right about you-"
Rabbitleap narrowed his eyes and warned, "Watch yourself."
"No! You think you have to act so much better than us now because you were the worst apprentice SkyClan has ever seen, and now you like to throw us around like you're the Clan leader or something, but you're still the same exact insecure apprentice you've always been except now you're also the worst littermate in the world!"
He regretted saying it as soon as the words jumped off his tongue, but it was too late to take them back; Rabbitleap stared at Creekfeather as if he'd just clawed him across his face.
"I- just leave me alone, Rabbitleap." Creekfeather turned and hurried into the Warriors Den, praying that Rabbitleap's pride was so wounded that he wouldn't dare follow him inside. He curled up in his nest and buried his face in the moss, trying not to remember the way Shadowkit cried his name, or how Delilah glowed underneath the moonlight like a StarClan warrior, or the pain that flashed across Rabbitleap's face-
Creekfeather lay deep inside his nest and felt awful sorry for himself.
Gradually the shadows crept closer and closer toward the back of the den, vanquishing the sunlight for the day. Creekfeather watched the show with a heart full of dread.
Delilah is probably about to leave now, if she hasn't already. He should say good-bye to Shadowkit, but Creekfeather wasn't sure he could handle it. Clearly his emotions were running wild if his argument with Rabbitleap meant anything. Shadowkit would probably spot him across the cliffside and he would exclaim his name, like it was the best name ever, and Creekfeather would- he would-
I'm going to miss him. There was so much that Creekfeather planned on teaching Shadowkit as he grew up; how to make friends, how to flirt, how to get into trouble and then charm his way out of it. He even thought about asking Leafstar if she would let him mentor Shadowkit when he reached six moons, even though kin wasn't really supposed to mentor kin. Maybe she would compromise and let Plumwillow mentor him, at least. She would be a good mentor and maybe if she still hadn't forgiven him by that point, mentoring Shadowkit would help.
Plumwillow and Nettlesplash hated him. Swiftleap and their friends hated him. If Rabbitleap didn't hate him before their argument then he certainly hated him now. Delilah hated him so much that she was leaving with Shadowkit.
Creekfeather wasn't one to lay around and mope, but he had never felt so sad before in all of his life. He was so sad that he couldn't quit thinking about it.
"Creekfeather?"
He raised his head and squinted against the dusk. "Fallowfern?"
Fallowfern slipped into the den and sat down beside him. "How do you feel?"
Creekfeather shrugged, silently.
"Rabbitleap told me about your fight."
"Of course he did. Rabbitleap is a snitch."
"You would be surprised." Creekfeather looked up at her, then. "He asked me if I would talk to Delilah."
Whatever Creekfeather thought she was going to say, it certainly was not that. "He asked- Did you talk to her?"
"I did. She's not the softest cat in the world, is she?"
"Stars, she's awful."
Fallowfern bent down to lick Creekfeather right between his ears. "Be easy on her, Creek. She's lived a very… difficult life, for someone her age. But she's agreed to stay with the Clan for a little longer after all."
Creekfeather's head shot up. "You're serious? Shadowkit is staying?"
"For now," Fallowfern warned. "If I were you, I would be on my best behavior around her."
"I have been! Except for like, last night, but she accused us of being kitnappers! Did you know that I woke up at dawn to catch her the fattest squirrel I've ever seen and she told me she wanted a shrew instead, and when I came back with a shrew, she told me she wasn't hungry because she ate a squirrel with you?"
Fallowfern purred. "Is this the first time a cat hasn't been immediately fooled by your good looks?"
"That's another thing! She called me ugly!"
"I know, Nettlesplash was very excited to tell me about it."
Creekfeather scowled. I knew I should have drowned him earlier.
"Let me tell you a secret, Creek," Fallowfern began. "Not every cat is going to be won over by your charm, or your looks. Delilah has already known cats like you, and they've hurt her; if you want her to stay around a little bit longer, then you should try just being her friend."
"How do you befriend a cat who already hates your guts?"
"With patience," Fallowfern replied, and Creekfeather made a face. "I know. Patience. How terrible."
"For Shadowkit," Creekfeather vowed. "I'm doing it for Shadowkit."
A knowing look passed across Fallowfern's face but before he could question it, Fallowfern said, "You should go see them before it gets much darker. And Creekfeather, when you see Rabbitleap next-"
"I'll apologize," Creekfeather mumbled. "Not that he'll forgive me. Rabbitleap can hold one heck of a grudge."
Fallowfern smiled at him and said, "Then it's a good thing you're going to start working on your patience, isn't it."
"Creekfeather!"
It was embarrassing, really, how tightly that kit had Creekfeather wrapped around his paw. All Shadowkit had to do was shout his name and Creekfeather's entire face lit up, brighter than the sun.
"Hey there, chick." He licked the top of Shadowkit's head as he wound around his legs. "Shouldn't you be in your nest by now?"
"He wanted to say goodnight to you, first." Creekfeather looked up. Delilah stood in front of the Nursery, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "I was starting to think that you weren't going to come by."
"I wasn't planning on it. I thought you had already left."
"I suppose that's fair."
Awkward. Tense, awkward silence.
For Shadowkit.
"I'm sorry," Creekfeather blurted out in the same instant as Delilah. They stared at each other. "I- what are you sorry for?"
She scraped her claws against the sandstone. "I panicked earlier when Shadowkit fell in the river, but I should've heard you out instead of snapping at you. And I never should have assumed that you would purposely endanger Shadowkit." Her eyes fell to where Shadowkit was still winding around Creekfeather's legs. "He really loves you."
"I love him, too," Creekfeather said, without thinking. Delilah's eyes flicked back to his face.
"I can see that. And I'm… grateful, that Shadowkit has more than just me watching out for him."
"It's the best part of being part of a Clan," Creekfeather replied. "You're never alone."
Cherrytail chose that moment to poke her head outside the Nursery and called, "Shadowkit! Time for sleep!"
Shadowkit, the darling rascal that he was, obeyed willingly. He darted between Delilah's paws and into the Nursery, squealing. Cherrytail shot Creekfeather a smile before ducking in after him.
Creekfeather looked back to Delilah and said, "You never have to worry about kitsitters when you part of a Clan, either."
"I can see that, too."
More silence, but slightly less awkward. Creekfeather decided to press on.
"You called him Shadowkit earlier, and then again tonight. Are you still thinking of a name for him, or-?"
Delilah sighed. "It's grown on me, unfortunately. And I suppose I can't continue calling him 'son'. But I might still change it once we leave; he won't be a -kit forever, after all."
We'll see about that, Creekfeather thought. But he said, "Wouldn't that be nice if he stayed this sweet forever. When I was his age I was already protesting bedtime."
A smile ghosted Delilah's face. "Your mother told me plenty of stories about when you were young. I'm half-surprised you're still alive today."
"My littermates weren't perfect either," Creekfeather defended himself. "It's a miracle that they're all alive, too."
Delilah was quiet for a moment, then she said, "Fallowfern told me about the time that Nettlesplash and Plumwillow fell into the river as kits. She said that's why you wanted to teach Shadowkit how to swim."
"Nettlesplash and Plumwillow still won't go near the river," Creekfeather replied. "They don't talk about it so maybe they don't realize it, but they're scared of it happening again. With the river running through camp, I don't want Shadowkit to fear it."
"It's a good idea," Delilah admitted, softly. "You should keep teaching him. And, um, maybe you could teach me, too. It's a good skill to have when you depend on yourself."
There was something about this cat and the way moonlight played off of her. It turned her fur silver and filled her eyes with starlight. Creekfeather thought this was the closest he would come to a StarClan warrior until he died.
"Yeah," he said, and he didn't mean for his voice to soften. "I can do that."
That small, barely there smile never left Delilah's face. "Well, it's late."
"Oh, right. Um, what do you want me to catch you in the morning?"
"Think you can catch another squirrel?"
"Yeah, sure. Whatever you want."
That smile, that barely there smile. "Goodnight, Creekfeather. I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight," Creekfeather echoed, as Delilah dipped back into the Nursery. He stood there for a long moment, rooted to the sandstone floor, his heart thumping softly in his ears.
Sneaking into the Warriors' Den was easy work now that there were two dens and it wasn't half as crowded. Creekfeather hesitated by Rabbitleap's nest, all alone by the front of the den. He struggled to find the right words. "Hey. About what I said earlier, I didn't-"
"I know exactly what you meant," Rabbitleap interrupted him, eyes still closed as he pretended to be asleep. "You're welcome, about Delilah. Consider it a gift from the world's worst littermate."
Creekfeather winced, but he wasn't surprised. Good thing you're working on your patience, he heard Fallowfern say.
"'Night, Rabbitleap."
Rabbitleap didn't reply as Creekfeather settled down in his nest for the night. He tried not to think about it, instead remembering the way that Shadowkit said his name and the way that Delilah looked at him with starlight in her eyes. It wasn't long until he was fast asleep.
alternate title: in which Creekfeather deals with his baby momma drama
This chapter is one of my favorites that I've posted thus far. Creekfeather always makes for an entertaining read and it's surprisingly easy to get into his headspace and let him write his own stuff. Anyway, I would say that he's certainly met his match in Delilah, who is also a lot of fun btw, and I'm excited to show you what a slightly humbled Creekfeather looks like!
Find me on Tumblr under the same user for chapter trivia and other content! Cross-posted to AO3 if you prefer the format.
