Due to length what was one extra chapter is becoming two.
At the Gathering, cats milled around. Lionheart and Thrushpelt made an effort to stick together. Strangely, Bluefur had chosen to come to the Gathering even though she had kits to nurse. She had left them with White-eye who didn't seem to mind. When Thrushpelt had asked her why, she had said, "I have reasons for wanting to go to this one. My kits will be fine for one night," a little abruptly. Thrushpelt hadn't mentioned it again.
Now he looked desperately around in circles. Where was Oakheart? There he was! Thrushpelt spotted the reddish pelt moving through a swarm of cats and meeting up with...Bluefur? Yes, that was her. Thrushpelt exchanged a glance with Lionheart who raised one eyebrow and crept over to where Bluefur and Oakheart were hiding behind one of the Great Oaks.
"Shhh," Thrushpelt started to hiss. "None of our busin..."
Lionheart put his paw over his mouth to indicate that they would hear him.
Thrushpelt didn't say anything. He felt like a traitor as he cocked his ears listening for her voice. What he heard her say was "They're beautiful. I named them Stonekit, Mistykit and Mosskit."
She was talking about her kits! Thrushpelt relaxed but then he heard Oakheart say, "I wish I could see them."
"You can. I can't keep them." This shocked Thrushpelt enough that he had to stuff his tail in his mouth to keep himself from crying out. Lionheart gave him a shocked and concerned glance.
"What?" Oakheart was apparently shocked too.
"My Clan needs me more."
"I don't understand." Oakheart voiced Thrushpelt's own thoughts.
"Our kits are lucky. They have both you and me to protect them. ThunderClan has only me."
"What's she talking about?!" Lionheart burst out. Thrushpelt hustled him away. "Be quiet," he hissed. "They'll hear you." A group of gossiping queens nearby gave them dirty looks. "I'll explain later. Let's listen now."
Before Lionheart could answer he crept back to his listening post just in time to hear Bluefur say, "I'll bring them to Sunningrocks tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow night?" Lionheart whispered beside Thrushpelt. "What the.." Thrushpelt was too choked up with grief to say anything. The kits were going to be given to RiverClan tomorrow night? He only had that much time to spend with them? Stonekit who was so tough for such a little guy? Clever, good Mistykit? Sweet, curious little Mosskit?
Somehow he wasn't shocked that Oakheart was their father. He had actually suspected it before but pushed it to the back of his mind as impossibility. But what did Bluefur mean when she said, "My Clan has only me." The Clan had many able-bodied warriors. Did she know of a threat he did not?
What could be so important that she would give up her kits? Thrushpelt couldn't think of a single thing.
Beside him, Thrushpelt felt Dappletail nudge him. Thrushpelt looked up to see that the Gathering had started. Dappletail looked at him funny and looked back at Crookedstar who was giving a detailed report on a battle with a fox that had been sighted on RiverClan territory. But Thrushpelt couldn't listen. All he could think about was that Crookedstar was Oakheart's brother. And the uncle of his kits. Thrushpelt had come to think of them as his kits regardless of the particulars.
To his surprise, he felt anger more than anything else.
While all the other cats streamed into the warriors den, Lionheart dragged Thrushpelt out through the dirtplace tunnel. "Spill," he commanded.
"I don't know anything you don't," Thrushpelt insisted.
"You knew you were only pretending to be the father of Bluefur's kits and what's this thing that only she can protect the Clan from?"
"I have no idea. Don't try to accuse me of anything!"
"Well at least I know one thing," Lionheart sighed. "I no longer need to be jealous of you."
Thrushpelt stared. "What do you mean?"
"I always kind of liked her," Lionheart meowed sheepishly. "I sort of had this kind of fascination with her as an apprentice. I guess...she was the most interesting one in the den and she helped with my first training session and all that. And I don't know. When she became a warrior I wanted to get to know her better but she never seemed to notice me." He confessed.
"Me either," Thrushpelt replied. "I can't believe she pays more attention to cats from other Clans than us. Don't be jealous of me for that."
"But wait," Lionheart looked confused. "You didn't know Oakheart was the father? Or did she let you believe you were the father? How could she?" His voice became constricted.
"No," answered Thrushpelt. "We never...You know." He cringed to admit it but at the same time felt relieved.
"But you covered for her...without knowing what she was up to? Didn't you want to know who the real father is?"
Thrushpelt supposed he did seem rather a sucker when it was put that way. No, he was a sucker. "Yes but if she didn't want to tell anybody..."
"You let her take advantage of you like that?" asked Lionheart incredulously. "And she never set out to betray her Clan but...how could she give them up?"
"I don't want to give them up." Thrushpelt realized his voice was all choked up. Little Mosskit's eyes popped into his head. She could make his heart melt just by looking at him. Stonekit was already trying to learn the hunter's crouch. Mistykit's voice carried enough authority that sometimes Mousekit and Runningkit, who were three moons older would do what she said. "How could she do this to them? And to me?"
"What do you mean, to you?" asked Lionheart. "They aren't your kits. You just said that."
"That doesn't mean I don't care!" cried Thrushpelt. "I help look after them. Oakheart doesn't!"
"Be fair, Thrushpelt." Lionheart's voice softened now. "Oakheart is in a different Clan."
Thrushpelt nodded. It had sounded as if Oakheart did care about the kits and wished he could be a proper father to them. But Thrushpelt had tried to be a proper father to them as well. And how would the kits feel about being transported to another Clan, just like that with no say in it? They would grow up not knowing they were ThunderClan!
Trying to ignore the grief that was bubbling up in him, Thrushpelt said something else that needed to be said. "You had feelings for Bluefur too, huh?"
Lionheart nodded. "I didn't really show it enough though. Can you believe it? I thought she liked you really and then when I thought she had kits with you...I'm sorry."
Thrushpelt sighed. "You know Lionheart, there's something else I have to tell you. Frostfur is seriously eyeing you lately."
"Don't tease me okay. I want to be sure first."
Thrushpelt smiled. But inside he was still sad. "I'm going to have to go to bed soon. I want to be awake to spend as much time with the kits as I can."
Lionheart stared at him. "But surely we are going to do something about it. I mean, we can't just let her give the kits away?"
Thrushpelt shook his head. "Yes, we can, Lionheart. We have to. As you have so mercilessly pointed out, she is their mother and I am not their father. And we cannot tell anyone else either. Bluefur wants to be the Clan deputy. Should be the Clan deputy." Thrushpelt meant this. But while he knew it to be true he would never look at her the same way again. Never really be able to forgive her for what she had done. His hopes of someday being her mate were gone now. He could not bring himself to pursue her anymore.
Lionheart frowned. "Well, if the Clan knew the truth it would ruin her life. I don't want to ruin the life of a friend but these are ThunderClan kits. We can't just let them go to our rivals."
Thrushpelt sighed. "We have to, Lionheart." He turned and padded back through the dirtplace tunnel and to his nest in the warriors den. Tomorrow he would tell Mistykit an elder's story he had been saving just for her. He wanted to be the one to tell her. And Mosskit would get a couple of bites of pre-chewed vole from him even though she was still a little young for it because she wanted to try vole so badly. Stonekit he would engage in a snowball fight because the little tom kit was so active.