Part 7

Bramblestar purred in content, curled happily around his mate, her steady breathing showing no evidence of the illness that had nearly killed her. He and Leafpool were dozing happily in the Green-leaf sun in the middle of camp. It had been just over a moon since then, and to say things were back to normal was an understatement. Things were better than Bramblestar could have ever expected. Bramblepaw and Sparrowpaw were both getting on well with their training, and though Sparrowpaw still didn't trust him as much as he used to, Bramblepaw was friendly enough with him. Things had even gone better with Birchwing than he'd thought they would. When they'd got back to camp she'd come to her sense and apologized to both him and Leafpool for getting in the way of their relationship and since then her and Leafpool had been working on their friendship, getting on better than he'd ever thought they would. And to top it off, she'd found someone else, not taken, that she liked. Shadowstorm, their newest addition to the clan, had taken an interest in the deputy that she returned. He watched as Leafpool opened one eye and purred as she watched Birchwing and Shadowstorm share a piece of prey, giving each adoring looks while the other wasn't looking.

"Were we ever that bad?" Leafpool asked with a purr and Bramblestar licked her ear.

"Oh probably," he mewed, purring himself, "I know I used to do that, I don't know about you."

"Oh I did," Leafpool mewed with a grin, "It took a lot of work to hide my jealousy I tell you."

"I do," Bramblestar purred, subtly reminding her she had a mate before him too. She purred.

"Point taken," she mewed. Suddenly Sparrowpaw ran into camp, his eyes alight with excitement.

"Leafpool! Leafpool look what I caught!" he called running over to them, a sparrow clamped in his jaws. Leafpool lifted her head and purred.

"A sparrow," she purred, "That's brilliant Sparrowpaw." Sparrowpaw puffed out his chest.

"I caught me!" he mewed, "I was wondering if you wanted to eat it?" Leafpool twitched her whiskers.

"Thank you Sparrowpaw," she mewed softly, touching noses with her son, "That's very thoughtful of you." Sparrowpaw purred and dropped the bird at her paws.

"Your welcome," he mewed, tail curling happily, "I'll catch lots more! I'm going to be the best hunter ever!"

"Of course you will be," Bramblestar said with a smile, "Any hunter that can catch a sparrow is a good hunter." Sparrowpaw dipped his head in thanks to his 'father' and turned back to Leafpool.

"You'll never guess what else!" he carried on, acting as though Bramblestar hadn't spoken at all, "Icestorm said she's take me battle training tomorrow!" Leafpool smiled.

"That's great, but make sure to leave the title of best fighter for your brother," she mewed licking his head.

"I will," he mewed, "See you later Leafpool!" With that he turned and scampered over to his brother who was sunbathing outside the apprentices den. Bramblestar sighed as Leafpool laid back down next to him again.

"Will he ever like me again?" he wondered aloud and Leafpool licked his ear.

"Don't worry, he'll come around," she mewed softly, "Just give him time."

"I don't know," he mewed sadly, "I don't think he'll ever trust me again. Maybe he's right not to trust me. I don't deserve to be forgiven for what I've done to you."

"I forgive you Bramblestar," she mewed softly, "Why can't you? I know you love me, you saved me, gave up one of your lives to do so." Bramblestar gasped.

"How do you know that?" Bramblestar asked his amber eyes wide.

"I went under sensing all your lives intact," she mewed, "I woke back up to find you with 8. Any cat with imagination can guess Bramblestar." Bramblestar flicked his ear. He'd forgotten as a medicine cat she could sense how many lives he had left, "And I know Waterphoenix. Clever isn't she?"

"You know her?" Bramblestar asked and Leafpool nodded.

"Not well, no cat, not even those in StarClan do," she mewed thoughtfully, "But she's spoken to me a few times. She was the one who helped me stay alive for so long." Bramblestar blinked in surprise. So this Waterphoenix had not only helped save her life in the end, but pro-longed her life as best she could. What connection did they have to make her so desperate to keep her alive?

"So she's not your kin or anything?" he asked and she shock her head.

"Not as far as I know," she mewed, "She's a rogue I can't see how it could be possible."

"You mean she was a rogue," Bramblestar mewed and Leafpool gave him a confused look, "She didn't show to me in person, doesn't that mean…mustn't she be in StarClan then?" Leafpool mrrowed with laughter.

"No you silly furball," she mewed, twitching her whiskers, "Let's just say she's a very powerful cat. I think too much more information would scare you more than help you." Bramblestar wanted to press it, after all he wasn't a kit, but he decided against it. What did it matter who she was or is, she saved Leafpool, that was all that mattered.

"Speaking of scaring you, I need to tell you something," she mewed suddenly becoming serious. Panic flared through him.

"You're not sick again are you?" he asked, his voice thick with concern.

"No you daft furball," she mewed, "I'm not sick. I'm just surprised no one's said anything yet." Bramblestar felt confused, he tilted his head to one side, trying to figure out what her vague words meant.

"What?" he mewed, "What am I missing here?"

"Well you know my kits," Bramblestar nodded and Leafpool lowered her voice, "They should be looking forward to some more siblings soon." Bramblestar's heart stopped. She couldn't mean what he thought she did…could she? Leafpool giggled.

"I'm carrying your kits Bramblestar," she mewed. Bramblestar just froze as the words sunk in. Always…he'd always wanted to be a father…a true father…and now…could it be?

"Really?" he mewed, still in shock, "You're…carrying? You're really carrying my kits?" Leafpool purred.

"Yes, your kits Bramblestar," she mewed softly, "They'll truly be our kits." The shock that held Bramblestar in place broke and he let out a squeak of joy.

"Kits!" he cried, "Our kits! We're having kits!" Leafpool mrrowed with laughter at Bramblestar's loud joyful cries, alerting the whole clan without much effort.

"Well thanks, you saved me the job of breaking it to everyone," Leafpool mewed, twitching her whiskers but he hardly heard her.

"Kits!" he cried happily putting his ear on Leafpool's belly, but he couldn't hear anything, "I don't hear them." He added sadly.

"That's because they're still too little for you to hear them yet," she mewed softly, her eyes full of amusement.

"But they'll be our kits!" Bramblestar cried, continuing his stampede of joy, Bramblepaw and Sparrowpaw watching and laughing from the apprentices den. Obviously this wasn't news to them, "Our kits Leafpool! Our kits!" He covered her in licks and she purred.

"Yes I know," she mewed, "Our kits."

"For StarClan's sake any cat would think you two had never had kits together before," Wavefur mewed as she walked past with her sister Icestorm. Icestorm twitched her whiskers at and simultaneously they both winked at the couple. Bramblestar felt sure he was wearing the same shocked expression as his mate as the two she-cats left camp to hunt. They looked at each other the same question visible on both their faces.

'How did they know that'?

END