I'd like to apologise yet again for leaving you hanging. It took me forever to think of what this chapter was going to be about.

The next chapter will take a long time too, as there's many plot details I need to work out.

Well, here it is. Enjoy!

"Birchclaw? Birchclaw!"

"What is it?" Birchclaw grumbled, reluctantly opening an eye.

A white-furred face was staring at him. "You did remember you were on dawn-patrol?" Whitecloud asked innocently.

Birchclaw shot up. "Oh no!" he exclaimed, getting to his paws quickly. "I completely forgot."

Whitecloud shook her head. "I don't know what's gotten into you," she meowed. "You sleep almost all the time. I know you like sleeping in, but this is too much."

Birchclaw paused next to the den entrance. He had become a lot sleepier these days because he was secretly meeting Appleheart under the cover of night. It had been about a half-moon since he'd admitted his love for her, and he did not regret it in the slightest; even if it did make him wander about in a daze most of the day.

Whitecloud gave him a shrug. "Come on, then. Brambleclaw will be even angrier than usual if he finds out we missed the patrol."

"We?" Birchclaw pricked his ears. "Are you coming too?"

Whitecloud sighed. "There's no talking with this one," she mewed in an undertone, but Birchclaw knew she was just joking.

Brambleclaw was waiting for them with Berrypaw and Cloudtail. "It's about time," he remarked, immediately turning and padding out of the camp. Cloudtail gave his daughter a quick lick as she passed him, while Berrypaw walked alongside his mentor. Birchclaw fell into step behind them. It was good to walk through the woods this early; he'd forgotten the beauty of the sunrise. Everything shone in the morning light, including the four cats in front of him.

I wonder if Appleheart would appreciate this, Birchclaw wondered. Early on, the she-cat had confessed she felt uneasy among the lush undergrowth in ThunderClan's territory. This thought led to other memories and daydreams of his love for her, and so it took Birchclaw a while to realise where the patrol was heading.

The trees over his head became more shady and pine saplings began to appear in between the more thicker birches, willows and oaks. Birchclaw stopped in surprise before walking slightly faster until he was level with Whitecloud.

"Are we heading to the ShadowClan border?" he whispered in her ear. She stared at him.

"Yes. Brambleclaw said that just after we'd left the camp." Her eyes had taken on a suspicious glow. She glanced around, than pushed Birchclaw behind a bramble bush.

"Hey," Birchclaw began to say before Whitecloud clamped her tail across his mouth and pinned him down with her forepaws.

"What is wrong with you?" she hissed. "You're not acting like yourself, Birchclaw!"

"Nothing's wrong with me!" Birchclaw retorted. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Don't tease me!" Whitecloud's paws dug deeper into his chest, though luckily her claws were still sheathed. "You haven't been the same since the Gathering."

Her words finally got through to Birchclaw. Panic rising in him, he asked "Has the whole Clan noticed?"

"I have," Whitecloud growled. "And so have Spiderleg and Dustpelt! They're not the only ones. Leafpool asked me yesterday if you were ill."

Birchclaw's heart sank. ThunderClan knew he was acting oddly; it was only a small step from that to discovering his relationship with Appleheart.

Whitecloud released him, although he could tell she was upset and a little hurt by his refusal to tell her anything. "The patrol's gone," she murmured, not looking at him. "We should catch up with them."

Birchclaw followed, feeling a tug of pain at his heart. Whitecloud was his closest friend in ThunderClan; he didn't want to destroy their friendship. As they neared the patrol, he made his decision.

"Do you want to come hunting with me later?" he meowed under his breath so the others wouldn't hear. "I promise I'll tell you everything."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You're joking, right?" Whitecloud stared at him with disbelief in her green eyes. "You're just making this up."

"I'm not, Whitecloud," Birchclaw sighed. He'd told Whitecloud all about how he'd met Appleheart at the Gathering, and how she and him had been sneaking out to see each other for the past half-moon. "You can say what you want, but I'm not giving Appleheart up," he added as he suddenly recalled the talk Whitecloud had given him immediately after he'd met Appleheart.

Whitecloud shook her head. "Yes, but Birchclaw," she meowed. "Every forbidden romance ends in heartbreak. I don't see how yours can be different. I don't want you to get hurt when you have to part."

Birchclaw felt somewhat frustrated. "We're not going to split up," he pointed out. "I love her too much."

"But does she feel the same way?" Whitecloud mused.

"You haven't met her, otherwise you'd know that she loves me just as much as I love her," Birchclaw argued.

Whitecloud glanced up at him. "I'd advise you to forget about her," she meowed. "But as you won't do that, I suggest you meet her less, get some more sleep instead and take up more patrols. That way the Clan won't get suspicious."

Birchclaw stared at her for a second. It was times like these he was most proud that Whitecloud was his best friend.

"Thanks, Whitecloud." As a sudden afterthought, he added "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

The snowy she-cat gave him a flick with her tail. "Of course not," she purred. "Besides, I've got other things to think about. I promise you, though, I will not spill one word of this to anyone."

Birchclaw let out a sigh of relief. "You're the best, Whitecloud."