Before y'all read this: I'm mixing the older cats' personalities together from the original books as well as Bluestar's Prophecy. So some of them are going to be more lighthearted than their Into the Wild counterparts. If you don't like your canon cats being slightly OOC, turn back now.

I also sincerely apologize if the middle part is wonky af. I struggled like hell with it.

Her gaze swung wildly between all three forest cats. She didn't think Graypaw would attack them, but he certainly wouldn't help them either. Bluestar and Lionheart were still blocking the way to the fence, but maybe if she lunged for the middle they'd separate, thinking she was attacking, and she and Rusty could make a break for it. But they might also just swat her out of the air, they were big enough. And then what would she do? Maybe instead she could attack Graypaw and threaten to kill him if Bluestar and Lionheart didn't step aside. She wouldn't actually do it, but they didn't know that.

Even as thoughts and plans spun through her head, Bluestar didn't even glance at her. Her frosty blue eyes were glaring down at Rusty, pinning him in place. "Well?" she demanded, awaiting an answer.

Rusty apparently knew how badly he screwed up. He looked at Delilah first and, seeing her panic, went back to his submissive crouch. "I am no threat to your Clan." he meowed tremulously. Such a pathetic tone coming from him seemed wrong to Delilah. Rusty wasn't one to cower or whimper, not unless it was in response to something she'd done.

Bluestar wasn't impressed, not by a long shot. "No threat? No threat? You threaten us by taking prey that is rightfully ours. You hunt for sport, we hunt for survival. Had you caught that mouse, that would mean one less piece of fresh-kill that would have gone to a kit or an elder. Did you ever think of that, kittypet?"

Delilah felt Rusty freeze next to her and her fur prickled in discomfort. She didn't know what to do or how to protect him. She felt useless, something she wasn't used to. She waited for him to act, to give a signal, anything. What he did surprised her as much as it did the Clan cats. Rusty straightened up, his eyes clear of all fright and unease. "You're right, I never thought of it that way. I'm sorry. I won't hunt here again."

An apology? An APOLOGY? They're about to die and he thinks an 'I'm sorry' will be enough? What the hell was he thinking? Did he really honestly think that would work?

Apparently it did. Bluestar lost her fierce expression to once again exchange looks with Lionheart. There was an almost resigned look in the tom's yellow eyes that Delilah didn't understand, but it unnerved her almost as much as their anger had. "You… you are an unusual kittypet, Rusty."

They'd never given their names. How had she known? Then Delilah recalled that the Clan cats had been watching them, so it made sense for them to know what they were called. It still weirded her out though, and she was ready for them to leave. "Is your Clan very big?" Rusty asked in wonder. Delilah mentally sighed. Guess they weren't going home any time soon.

Bluestar flicked an ear dismissively, like she was flicking off a pesky fly. "Big enough. Our territory is enough to support us, but we've nothing to spare." The reprimand was clear to Delilah, even if Rusty hadn't heard it. 'Don't hunt here again.' Part of Delilah agreed. The last thing she wanted was for her brother to be hurt because he didn't listen. The other, more stubborn part wanted to do it anyway just to piss these cats off. Suffice it to say, Delilah apparently had zero survival instincts.

Clearly Rusty didn't hear the same thing she heard, though. "And you all take care of each other?"

Before they could respond, Delilah interrupted. "No more than you and I take care of each other, I imagine. Bluestar has already said they hunt for the young and old, Graypaw's said they fight the other Clans for territory. Lionheart's been standing there like a lump this entire time." Lionheart and Graypaw both gaped at her impudence while Rusty and Bluestar shared an almost exasperated look. Delilah gave a sarcastic smile to the bigger tom. "Thank you for your contribution, by the way. You make a very handsome statue."

Something apparently snapped. "Okay, that's it." Lionheart hissed and took a threatening step forward, claws unsheathed and glinting in the moonlight. "Either you start showing some respect right now or I swear to StarClan-"

Delilah cut him off with a mocking sneer. "You'll what? Kill me like you killed that other cat?" In her admittedly small experience, this ploy never failed. Confuse a cat enough and they'll forget whatever it was they were angry about. This time was no exception. She could almost hear the question running through his head: 'what is she talking about?' "That extra fluffy part of your scruff?" She gave a would-be innocent tilt of the head and blinked wide eyes at him. "Are you telling me that ISN'T the pelt of a cat you killed, skinned, and now wear as a trophy and warning to all those who dare oppose your might?"

Delilah counted the beats of silence it took for them to react. Everybody was staring at her in mute shock, even Rusty. She got up to five before he and Graypaw both burst out laughing. Even Bluestar was trying to hide a smile, though she dropped it when Lionheart whirled around on her with his mouth open. She spoke before he could even get a word out. "No, Lionheart. You may not spread that rumor at a Gathering to scare the new apprentices."

He let out the breath he'd been holding and looked away. Were he not a big, strong warrior, Delilah would have described it as a pout. "You're no fun anymore." he muttered, just loud enough for the rest of them to hear.

Seeing as Rusty and Graypaw were still struggling for breath, Delilah gave a commiserating nod. "I know the type. Seen it happen. Cats change, grow apart. You can either fight for your friendship or accept that it's over." Delilah had to take a few steps forward to pat him consolingly on the shoulder, but she did it.

And now that the older cats appeared to be thoroughly distracted by her seemingly harmless antics, she flashed a quick look to Rusty. He had calmed himself enough that he caught it, and blinked to show he understood. Delilah kept up her steady stream of fake condolences, conjuring up a story of having once witnessed a pair of kithood friends have a falling out that had destroyed their relationship forever.

Delilah had no idea if any of the forest cats were buying her distraction or not. The two elder ones were watching her weave her web, regaling them with how Mindy had caught Shiloh with Elias, the tom she'd thought had loved her. Not even she had any clue where this was coming from. They were all real cats, but as far as Delilah knew, none of them had ever met each other. She was careful to keep her eyes on Lionheart as she spoke, keeping Rusty in her peripheral as he tiptoed in the background to get behind their blockade.

Once she deemed him safe, Delilah didn't even try to be subtle in her sidestepping Lionheart, still babbling, not even sure what she was saying anymore. When she got to Rusty's side, she looked up at the sky and blinked in fake surprise. "Oh wow, is it that late? Well, thanks for the talk, sorry for intruding, won't happen again, bye!"

Rusty took off when she finished and Delilah was a flash behind him. They didn't get very far before once again they were cut off. Except this time Bluestar and Lionheart angled themselves so the two kittypets were caught in a triangle. Delilah spat a curse and got ready for a fight. She didn't expect Bluestar to be so lenient this time.

Far from being angry though, Bluestar actually seemed to be incredibly amused. "Did you actually think your little act would work? I will give you credit for the creativity of it, but your brother is hardly the stealthiest of cats. Warriors are trained to always be alert."

There it was again. Any mention of training from these cats made Delilah's fur itch. She sighed heavily and righted herself. There was no escaping it now. "Can't blame a girl for trying." she meowed blankly. "Go ahead, then. Say what you're going to say. I know what you're gonna offer, I know what his answer will be. Might as well get it over with."

The two she-cats stared at each other before Bluestar switched her gaze to Rusty. "I'd like to extend an invitation to the both of you to join ThunderClan." Yup. There it was. Delilah heard her brother take in a sharp, surprised breath of air. Clearly he'd had no idea what Bluestar had been leading up to. Delilah wasn't surprised at his surprise. Rusty had a good heart, and he was good at thinking on his paws, but his situational awareness could use some work.

His wasn't the only one, either. "But kittypets can't become warriors! They don't have warrior blood!" Graypaw blurted out.

Normally Delilah would have let that go. Let them have their prejudices, what did she care? But she was tired, hungry, and annoyed. More than that though, if she and Rusty were going to be spending the rest of their lives with these forest cats as she suspected, she had to nip this holier-than-thou attitude in the bud.

Bluestar looked like she was about to respond. She never got the chance. Delilah whirled around and put the full force of her wrath in her glare. Her tail lashed wildly in an almost unhinged dance and she unsheathed her claws as far as they'd go, making sure he got the idea. "Why Graypaw, it sounds as if you're insinuating something. It sounds, silly of me to even consider it, that you're saying because I was born a kittypet, I'm somehow lesser than you." She took a slow, menacing step forward, and basked in the genuine fear building in Graypaw's eyes. "That's absurd though, for two reasons. For one, cats can't help where they're born. To judge them on that is cruel and unfair. And two, well, I already proved I can beat you in a fight. Would you like a reminder?"

Graypaw actually took a step back, stuttering and stammering what amounted to a half-assed apology. Delilah would have gone on intimidating him for the fun of it when a tug on her tail made her glance at Rusty. He looked about as annoyed as she felt. "Come on, Delilah, knock it off. Keep acting like that and they'll think you might actually hurt him."

Damn it. Sometimes Delilah hated how well he knew her. "That was kind of the point, Rustbucket." She growled, stepping back again and loosening her stance. In a few seconds she went from being a dangerous threat to calmly washing her ears. "How are we going to make them take us seriously if we just roll over and let them talk about us how they want?" Rusty rolled his eyes at her and Delilah gaped. "Oh you did NOT just roll your eyes at me!"

Not only did he do it again, he also blatantly ignored her and looked back at the watching adults. "Graypaw's sort of right though. Why us? Why offer us the chance if you think we might not be able to handle it?"

Delilah was kind of curious too. She didn't care whether they joined or not, even if she had a gut feeling they would. But if Clan cats really thought of kittypets as weaker, why allow them to join? "You are right to question our motives. The truth is, ThunderClan needs more warriors. Leafbare has left us weaker than usual, and the other Clans encroach on our territory every other moon."

So they need fighters. Bodies who were willing to bleed for their Clan. Delilah wondered if that was all they were, fodder to wear down their enemies enough to beat easily. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. On the one paw, she was never one to turn down a good fight. On the other, if it was true, then why didn't they recruit other kittypets and loners?

Her musings were interrupted by Lionheart. "Understand, you two, that Bluestar does not make this offer lightly. It needs to be either both or neither. We will not accept one without the other." Okay, that was… weird. Bluestar was just harping on about the Clan's need for warriors. Why take zero when you can only have one? Not that it mattered. If Rusty somehow miraculously decided against joining, she wouldn't either. "You must either respect us-" he emphasized respect and flashed a particular look at her- "and our way of life or return to your twolegs and never come back."

Beside her, Delilah felt Rusty shiver. It wasn't cold enough for it to be from that, so she could only decide it was from excitement. Bluestar apparently saw it too, only she didn't think it was from cold or excitement. "Are you wondering if it's worth it? Giving up your comfortable kittypet life? But do you know what you'd be giving up if you stayed?" Rusty's excitement turned to puzzlement. "Despite the twoleg stench that clings to you two, I can tell the both of you are still intact."

This time Delilah was as confused as Rusty. What did she mean by 'still intact'? The two kittypets exchanged bewildered looks and Bluestar saw their confusion. "You have not yet been taken to the cutter to become… altered." She huffed once in amusement. "The both of you would be very different otherwise. Not so keen to hunt and fight with Clan cats, I imagine!"

Oh, she meant the vet! Was that what happened to Henry, that fat old tabby that lived down the road that always whined about the birds? Bluestar wasn't done with her persuasion and continued. "We wouldn't be able to offer such available food and warmth. In the season of Leaf-bare, the weather can be cruel. Nights especially. And we can't always guarantee a full belly. But the rewards would be great. You'd both remain as you are, be trained in the ways of the wild, and you'd have the strength and companionship of your Clanmates behind you even when you hunt alone."

It sounded… not that bad, actually. Companionship had never been a problem for Delilah. She was just as comfortable being alone as she was with others, even preferred it sometimes. But she knew Rusty wasn't like her. He thrived on being surrounded by cats, on helping others and being depended on. He was the exact opposite of her in that way. An offer like that was too good for him to refuse. Lionheart spoke to Bluestar this time. "We should return to camp soon, Bluestar. Tigerclaw will be wondering what became of us."

Bluestar murmured agreement. Delilah was fully convinced she and Rusty would be following after them, but Rusty proceeded to surprise her. "Wait! Can we think about your offer? Talk it over between us?"

It took a few long moments, but eventually the old she-cat nodded. "Lionheart will be here at sunhigh tomorrow. If you're not here, we will assume your answer is no." Honestly it was more than Delilah had expected, but she was glad they were given the allowance. Rusty wasn't the only one who had goodbyes to make.

The three forest cats turned and disappeared into the undergrowth, Graypaw meowing goodbye over his shoulder. Rusty looked up at the stars, and Delilah looked at him. The wind whispered through the trees, setting them rustling. She broke the silence. "We're joining, aren't we?"

Rusty didn't even hesitate to nod. "Oh yeah, totally."