Chappie #17 is here. It would have been here sooner, but I wrote it, trashed it, wrote it again, then trashed it again. Finally I got this version, which I'm not totally happy with, but is way better than what I had before. (Also, I have to get something out, under the threats of Tigerstripe) Anyway, I hope you all like it! I only have one chapter going after this one, and then the epilouge. But I'll consider a sequal if I get enough reviews that want one.

Mostly all of you guessed right about the cat (not that it was the hardest riddle in the world or anything). Still, good guesses all of you, and enjoy!

"You're a fool, Hawkfrost."

Squirrelflight had to clamp her muzzle shut to keep herself from gasping aloud. Of all the things she had thought Brambleclaw might say, that was not one of them. She crouched even lower in the ivy, a dark green leaf tickling her nose, her eyes of the same color fixated on the two tomcats that sat in front of her.

She had followed Brambleclaw from the camp. She wasn't quite sure why, though she knew it was a combination of suspicion, curiosity, and her own foolish wonderment. She had sneaked out after the tabby tom, making up a story to the camp guard Graystripe about late night hunting and not to expect them back before dawn. So it would be morning before they were missed- both of them, since Squirrelflight had included Brambleclaw in her cover story.

Hawkfrost looked at Brambleclaw. There was surprise in his icy eyes, but not anger. "What?" he meowed. "What do you mean?"

"You're being a fool," Brambleclaw repeated. "Believing what Tigerstar tells you in dreams. Trying to take over ShadowClan with a group of rogues. And trying to convince yourself that you're doing it because of honor. You're not even close."

For a moment Hawkfrost crouched low as if he may spring upon his half-brother, and Squirrelflight's muscles tightened as she readied herself to intercept him before he could touch Brambleclaw. But then he relaxed, and he looked up at the other tom, his light eyes searching, a desperatehopelessness dulling his movements."What do I do, Brambleclaw?" he whispered. "Fight him? How can I? He comes in my dreams, you know. All the time."

Squirrelflight was lost, but Brambleclaw was ready with his response. "Don't believe him, Hawkfrost. Don't listen to him. He is nothing more than shadow and memory. Because he is dead."

"And it hasn't stopped him." Hawkfrost pointed out. "He's powerful, Brambleclaw. More powerful than any other cat before him...or after. So how can I fight him? Especially when, no matter how much you deny it, we are just like him!"

"No," snapped Brambleclaw, and there was a fire in his eyes warmed Squirrelflight to the core. She watched as he paced to the edge of the ivy and threw back his head as if he was trying to find Tigerstar prowling through the darkest parts of the sky. "He can't tell me what to do. Not anymore. And you say he is powerful? Then how come he was murdered by a rogue half his size? How come he could lose all nine of his lives in a single swipe? And how come, no matter how hard he tried, he could never defeat Firestar?"

Hawkfrost's gaze was full of shame, and he dropped his head, scuffling at the earth. "You're right," he murmured. "Of course you are. But I just thought...never mind. So what do we do now?"

"Stop the rogues," Brambleclaw answered.

"How? Even if I'm not there, they'll still attack. Though it may not be ShadowClan. It may be your Clan. Because it's closest."

Squirrelflight's fur bristled, but Brambleclaw had already anticipated this. "Then we'll stop them," he announced. "You and me. Together."

That was too much for the young she-cat in the bushes, and she leaped out into the open, startling them both with her yowl. "No, Brambleclaw! Mouse-brain! You're going to follow him to the rogues...when you know that he's been speaking to them?"

Hawkfrost's eyes glared at her, and it was several heartbeats before Brambleclaw could recover from the surprise. "Squirrelflight! You-"

"Followed you." She answered for him. "Yes. And I'm glad that I did."

"Why?" Hawkfrost challenged. "This isn't any of your business!"

"And whose territory are you on?" Squirrelflight snarled, but Brambleclaw cut her off. "I'm going with him, Squirrelflight. We'll figure out some way to get the rogues out."

"Oh, right." Squirrelflight rolled her eyes. "I'm going to let you ramble off with this piece of fox dung...alone...to chat with battle-ready rogues? Not likely!"

"You can trust me," Hawkfrost meowed. But Squirrelflightshe pushed away the sincerity that rang true in his tone, flattening her ears as he meowed,"Brambleclaw's right. This isn't the way."

"Oh, so now you're all ready to agree?" Squirrelflight spat.

"I was wrong," Hawkfrost meowed. "I'll admit it. And now I have to make things right again."

"He's right, Squirrelflight," Brambleclaw meowed, in between them. "You have to trust him."

"Trust him! Give me a reason to. Go on!" Squirrelflight's eyes locked with his, and his amber stare kept her from moving at all.

"You should trust him because I do. And you should trust me because...because I love you, Squirrelflight, all right?"

StarClan themselves may as well have appeared. Squirrelflight imagined that the shock of seeing them in all their silver glory wouldn't match the wonderment she felt then. Brambleclaw's mouth was partially open, as if he was not quite sure of what he had just said. Hawkfrost seemed to be trying hard to pretend that he wasn't there, and he was doing a fairly good job, for neither of the ThunderClan cats even looked his way.

He loves me. He does. After all we've been through, after all we did- both of us, bad and good- he still loves me. After Hawkfrost and Mudclaw. After I ignored him. He still does.

And he was still staring at her, his amber eyes huge and soft. There was a question there, too, a wondering. He was waiting for her to speak.

Squirrelflight stared back at him, and then she felt a purr start up of its own accord. She found her whiskers twitching at his hopeful, wary eyes, and she knew what she had to say. "Oh Brambleclaw, Brambleclaw, of course I love you too! Why else would I care so much?"

"Because you're annoying, nosy, and stubborn," Brambleclaw mewed, but there was laughter in his voice. He stepped towards her and they touched noses. Squirrelflight breathed in his scent, and somehow it was different than she remembered. But that wasn't a bad thing.

She had forgotten their argument, their situation, and she would have gladly floated there in the oblivion of nothing with Brambleclaw forever- but he brought her back to earth. "I have to go, you do know that?" he meowed. "With Hawkfrost. We'll figure out a way to stop the rogues."

"How?"

Hawkfrost carefully took a pawstep forward, his ears twitching. "We'll figure out a way," he meowed with certainty. "We are smart and strong...just like our father was."

His comment would have once made Squirrelflight flinch, but she didn't even blink. Somehow it all fit together for her now. It didn't matter, did it? Tigerstar had nothing to do with them! Not anymore. Just as Brambleclaw had said."Can I at least go with you?" she asked.

"No!" They both meowed at once, and then Brambleclaw continued, "It'll be dangerous. We won't be fighting, after all. The last thing we need is extra claws. We'll have to outsmart them."

Squirrelflight tipped her head to one side. She didn't understand, but perhaps that was all right. Hawkfrost gave her a soft of half-nod before he padded off after the rogues. Brambleclaw hovered beside her for a moment before following. His muzzle brushed past her ear. "We'll be fine."

"Of course you will." She watched as he leaped away, catching up with his half-brother. They began mewing quietly to each other as they went, making up a split-second plan, using all the intelligence and cunning they had inherited- but, unlike Tigerstar, putting it to good use.

The moon flared silver in the sky, and the air was cold. But not the bone-chilling cold of leaf-bare, but the cool air that told Squirrelflight that something warmer was to come. Her tail twitched, and she got to her paws. There was no sense in waiting here. She somehow knew that Brambleclaw would manage this. And she also knew that, no matter what, she would always be back at camp, waiting for him- unless, of course, there was the chance that she could go with him. Just as she had done all those moons ago, when she had decided to go with him to the sun-drown-place.

A little sappy...but cliffy-less, as some of you will be glad to see. Reviews are appriciated!