Flashback

"Something wrong Graystripe?" Millie asked gingerly. She knew he was in a rough patch, seeing Firestar's daughter being pushed away by the leader in favor of the new apprentice Gempaw.

But she could relate, as she hasn't exactly been faithful to her own ThunderClan mate.

"Why would he make the cat he once loved so much into an apprentice over a piece of prey?" Graystripe snapped. "If he was really over Firestar's daughter then why is he treating her with hate?"

"That's probably his own business dear, it's getting late." Millie replied softly.

"Millie! He brought his own personal problems into our Clan!" Graystripe protested. "It can't possibly be just his business."

Millie was about to reassure him once more when she felt wriggling in her stomach, her heart dropped as she remembered the kits she was keeping a secret.

"Are you OK Millie?" Graystripe dropped his harsh tone and looked at his mate with eyes of worry. "Do you need to see the medicine cats?"

"I'm just going to go out for a walk." Millie lied. "You get your rest Graystripe, I'll be back soon."

She already knew where she was going, to see the father of the kits currently in her belly. But her secret was they were not fathered by the tom that has loved her for many seasons. No, they were of a WindClan warrior that has fathered ThunderClan kits before.

She smirked at the thought of how that over-dramatic medicine cat Leafpool would react if she ever found out that she was seeing her former mate Crowfeather. Turns out Crowfeather was desperate for any cat as Nightcloud wasn't exactly a giving mate.

She waited patiently at the border, grooming her fur for her secret lover. Soon enough, she saw Crowfeather smile, his blue eyes bright seeing Millie's arrival.

"I can't believe I'm having more kits." Crowfeather was still surprised despite knowing for some time now. "Maybe I couldhave my kin passed down in all the Clans!"

Millie imagined Crowfeather seducing ShadowClan and RiverClan she-cats and felt excited that she was part of this twisted plan.

"Well, who knows?" Millie shrugged. "Your son Lionblaze was pathetic to stop seeing Heathertail. But maybe one of our kits will go past the rules, push them further."

"The warrior code has no chance." Crowfeather smirked. "When these silly interclan forbidding collapses, I can finally be free of that crazy Nightcloud."

Millie nodded with bright green eyes. If that ever happened, she wouldn't have to be allowed with only one tom. She could have as many partners as she would want.

But thecode is tightly knit together, too strong for two mere warriors like them to ever break down for all the Clans. For now, their kits would do as living proof that there was nothing wrong withhaving a fling from another Clan.

"Goodbye Millie." Crowfeather purred. "See you at the Gathering soon."

Millie nodded and she headed back to camp, where her fantasies were nothing more than dead dreams.

Present

"YES! I KNEW HE WAS MY FATHER!"

Twigpaw grinned at the cat who had just told him: Mistystar's daughter Bluepaw. This was the best he had felt in moons.

Bramblestar is my father! I was right!

"Twigpaw keep your voice down!" Blizzardpaw gasped, her eyes fearful.

"Why are you so worried?" Twigpaw snapped. "This is the best news we've ever had!"

"Not all of us want to be Bramblestar's kits!" Blizzardpaw growled. "I actually liked Stormcloud as my father! And Squirrelflight hates our mother for being with Bramblestar!"

"Why would she do that?!" Twigpaw demanded. "Thanks Bluepaw."

Bluepaw nodded and left, shocked at the exchange that was going on between the two siblings.

"Because many seasons ago, she and Bramblestar used to be mate till she deceived him." Blizzardpaw explained. "When our mother was his mate, he banished Squirrelflight."

"And now he's brought her back, and she didn't know that we were Bramblestar's...but there's no way that another cat hasn't told her by now." Blizzardpaw sighed. "Oh look they're talking about us now."

Twigpaw turned around and indeed saw Gemlight talking to Bramblestar, the two cats looking at them constantly. Goldenpaw joined them and uncharacteristically looked nervous.

"Why would Squirrelflight want us dead?" Goldenpaw whispered. "Maybe our mother is just being overprotective, and that we should just sweep this under the dirt."

"The Gathering will start, Bramblestar quit gossiping with your mate." Rowanstar growled.

Squirrelflight looked horrified and looked at Gemlight's kits, Blizzardpaw hid behind Goldenpaw and her and Twigpaw looked at each other before the leaders started.

"Skybreeze has had her kits." Onestar meowed. "Otherwise, things have been moving more slowly in WindClan. Mistystar?"

"My kits have become apprentices." Instead of the usual pride of a mother, Mistystar's eyes were cold. "Bluepaw, Firepaw, and Streampaw."

"Bluepaw! Firepaw! Streampaw!"

"We have five new apprentices." Rowanstar boasted. "Quickpaw, Acornpaw, Fennelpaw, Stripepaw, and Eaglepaw."

As the cats all around starting shouting the names, Twigpaw noticed Bumblestripe looking infuriated.

He must've had a mate that moved on to ShadowClan with her kits like the whole Clan has been saying. But where is the mate and her kits?

He noticed Bumblestripe glaring at a grey she-cat with Eaglepaw and Stripepaw and recognized her as Dovewing.

Bramblestar looked like he was thinking carefully, and he looked straight at Twigpaw. His son beamed knowing this was a fatherly exchange.

"My kits have become apprentices." Bramblestar announced. "Twigpaw, Blizzardpaw, and Goldenpaw!"

Twigpaw felt warmth as all the cats shouted their names, but Blizzardpaw looked horrified as Squirrelflight was staring at them intently like she was staring down prey.

"We should leave." Blizzardpaw whispered.

"The Gathering has ended!" Rowanstar announced almost at the same time.

Twigpaw really wanted to talk to his father over all the moons wasted on not confirming he was their real father, but they had to get back to ThunderClan first.

He felt really happy for once in his life, but as he climbed the tree-bridge he felt a paw smack his hind paws off the tree and he fell into the lake.

GREAT STARCLAN IT'S COLD!

Twigpaw was swimming frantically to the surface when a branch snagged his hind paw in place. If he couldn't find a way out of this, he was going to die.

He saw Gemlight leap into the water and gently released his paw out of the branch and grabbed his scruff and lifted him to the surface.

He saw many apprentices laughing and felt hot with embarrassment and escaped his mother's grip.

"Dear are you OK?" Gemlight meowed with worry. She then glared at Squirrelflight.

"Bramblestar!" Gemlight yowled, getting out of the water and storming over to the leader.

Twigpaw sighed and they headed back to camp, Blizzardpaw ran to him.

"Twigpaw, why are you so calm?!" Blizzardpaw whispered sharply. "Squirrelflight tried to kill you!"

"I'm sure the cat behind me just stepped their paw a little too frontward." Twigpaw muttered. "Wait, why does Stormcloud look sad?"

"Oh yeah." Blizzardpaw sighed. "Gemlight broke up with him, saying she never really loved him. That she was happy that we finally got to know who our real father was. Six freaking moons of his caring fatherly attitude wasted because of her!"

"Are Bramblestar and her mates again?" Twigpaw questioned her.

"No, she just really didn't want to be with him anymore!" Blizzardpaw hissed. "I don't care what any of you say, he'll always be a better father to me!"

Blizzardpaw stormed off and suddenly Hollypaw bolted out of the Nursery spooked, her eyes frantic.

"WHERE'S STUMPYKIT?!" Hollypaw wailed. "Where is she?!"

"I'll find her!" Goldenpaw meowed with pride.

Twigpaw sighed, Blizzardpaw was the kind one and Goldenpaw wanted to be everyone's hero. He...he felt like nothing.

Stumpykit definitely has a crush on me, and she's probably hoping I find and save her wherever she's at. And what do I do? I sit in my depressed state doing nothing, I have to do something...

Twigpaw bolted out of camp and he sniffed out for Stumpykit's scent, he sniffed close to a pair of bushes and reeled back when he heard a whimper.

"Stumpy?" Twigpaw whispered.

"Twigpaw!" Stumpykit gasped as she carefully got out of the bush, and looked quickly left and right. "Are they gone?"

"Is who gone?" Twigpaw asked her.

"That mean rogue, they threatened to kill me and I hid in the bushes." Stumpykit explained. "Do you see them?"

"No, I don't think so." Twigpaw replied. He licked Stumpykit's ear in reassurance and lead her back to camp. The Clan was relieved to see her and Hollypaw flung herself at her daughter.

"Stumpykit! What were you thinking?!" Hollypaw cried. "I thought something happened to you!"

"Something did happen." Twigpaw answered. "A rogue threatened to kill her and she had to hide."

"I'm so glad you found her out of her hiding place son." Bramblestar purred. "Stumpykit, tell us what they looked like please."

"They had dark fur and amber eyes, I couldn't tell if it was a tom or not because I was too scared." Stumpykit whimpered.

"Don't worry." Twigpaw reassured her. "There should be many more patrols guarding the camp after this, I'm sure of it."