Pikestep.

I couldn't give a flying fish why he was the apple of Volepaw's eye. I just knew he was and I hated it with every fiber of my being.

We would be heading out to the Queen-Napping Patrol soon, but Redpaw had told me amusingly that Volepaw has a crush on him and not to tell anyone else. I know Redpaw wasn't trying to upset me, but I was fuming.

Why was I this upset? It's not like I'm into her right? It's only been one sunrise for StarClan's sake.

"Hey, moth-ball!" I heard Willowtail growl. "Didn't you hear Jioveheart? It's time for us to go on the Queen-Napping Patrol!"

Knowing I had to go on the same patrol with the she-cat that magically seems to take over most of my thoughts made me irritated. But it made my heart race...but I was still irritated.

A grim vibe came over our patrol as we apprentices knew the wrong that this patrol was going to commit. Kidnapping queens and kits.

"We will split into three groups." Jioveheart explained. "Willowtail will take Brownpaw and Flypaw, Honeybreeze will take Volepaw and Songpaw, and I'll take Redpaw."

I looked away from Volepaw as the three of us walked down a Thunderpath feeling a burning sensation as I heard that we were partnered together. Why would I care?

"Can't wait to hunt down kittypets!" Volepaw growled with a satisfied smirk.

"We're not killing all of them y'know." Honeybreeze rolled her eyes. Does that mean we have to kill some of them?!

"I'm not hurting any of them!" I blurted out. Honeybreeze glared at me while Volepaw froze and looked worried.

"You will if I say so!" Honeybreeze hissed, she lunged forward as if to claw my ears. But Volepaw stood in front of me and puffed her chest.

"Leave her alone will you?" Volepaw snapped. Her angry voice defending me practically made my heart melt and my legs shake. This felt like nothing I felt in ThunderClan, but why?

"You two listen to me, OK?" Honeybreeze ordered with a little less of her confidence. "I'm your superior, so you listen to what I say!"

Personally it sounded like she was trying to convince herself that but when it came to picking and choosing my battles, I chose none. So I didn't say anything else.

I saw kittypets run to their nests like they knew this was going to happen. Honeybreeze waved her tail as a signal and ran after the kittypets, with me and Volepaw following her.

"Get the slowest she-cat over there!" Honeybreeze yowled, I knew she was referring to the black and white one that seemed slower than the others.

Me and Volepaw ran towards the she-cat while Honeybreeze went after a she-cat with her four kits. We were closing in on her till a sleek brown and white she-cat leaped in front of us.

"Whitney!" The black and white she-cat yowled terrified.

"Stay back Sheila! I'm not losing my mate to these wild cats!" The brown and white cat unsheathed her claws and leaped at Volepaw.

"Songpaw! Take her down!" Volepaw hissed as she attempted to push Whitney off. "Why are you hesitating?! Do it!"

"Because that's her mate!" I gasped. They were just like me, but they were happy with each other...I couldn't do that. I was snapped out of my thinking when I heard Volepaw hiss in pain.

I ran to Volepaw and pushed the kittypet off of her. Whitney and Sheila both took off leaving me and a very ruffled Volepaw looking at me with annoyed amber eyes.

"What gives?" Volepaw panted. "Those two she-cats could've gave kits to the Clan-"

"No they couldn't! Those two were mates Volepaw!" I snapped. "You wouldn't understand! You're not like us!"

"...us?"

Oh no.

"How are you similar to that pair of kittypets?" Volepaw asked, walking closer to me. My heart began to race till I heard Honeybreeze yell for us. She couldn't of picked a better moment.

"Honeybreeze needs us!" I gasped. "Um, we need to go!"

"Fine, but you'll answer my question later." Volepaw huffed before the two of us took off onto a different Thunderpath where a ragged tabby she-cat and Honeybreeze were fighting.

"We need more cats!" I gasped. "I'll go get help!"

I gave Volepaw no time to answer as I ran to the bushes where I knew Spiderpaw would be and ended up seeing Redpaw as well.

"Redpaw! There's a she-cat protecting her kits and we need your help catching her!"

Redpaw's eyes widened as she looked at me and then at Spiderpaw. Then I saw the kittypets that looked horrified and I suddenly got an idea.

"Go Spiderpaw!" I meowed. "I'll watch the kittypets!"

Suspecting nothing, Redpaw and Spiderpaw took off in the direction and I looked to the surviving kittypets: a orange she-cat named Faith, a dark grey tom named Ollie, a black she-cat named Misha, and a small grey kit.

"Go!" I snapped at them. "I'm not like them! I'm letting all of you escape!"

Ollie's eyes widened with disbelief but picked up the kit in his mouth and took off with Faith following him. But Misha stayed still.

"Didn't you hear me? They're horrible cats and you should go!" I winced as I thought: not all of them are horrible.

"I'm tired of my kittypet life!" Misha admitted. "Being taken by wild cats is the best thing that's ever happened to me! Don't you see?"

I didn't respond as I saw the rest of the Queen-Napping Patrol run back shocked and angry.

"SPIDERPAW!" Jioveheart boomed. "Why did you leave the kittypets with Songpaw?!"

"She told me too!" Spiderpaw protested.

"Likely story!" Willowtail growled.

"Hey! She made a mistake, calm down!" Brownpaw retorted. "We still have two she-cats and two she-kits!"

"But I wanted twenty-"

"Twenty isn't a realistic number." Volepaw growled.

"Spiderpaw, you'll be in charge of elder den cleaning duties for a moon-"

"Don't punish her Honeybreeze, I was the one who couldn't keep them from escaping." I whispered, earning a suspicious look from Volepaw.

"Don't punish anyone!" Redpaw snapped. "We still have kittypets! Let's just head back!"

"Fine!" Jioveheart snarled. "The sun is falling anyways, let's go back."

As our whole patrol headed back to camp, I gasped when I felt Volepaw brush against me.

"They didn't just escape on their own...did they?" Volepaw whispered rhetorically.

"No." I admitted embarrassingly. "Are you going to tell Jioveheart?"

"No, she deserves to take the fall because she's out of her mind." Volepaw was shocked to hear me cackle with laughter. "How was that funny?"

"Because it's true!" I snickered. "Sorry, I needed that. These past two sunrises have been pretty rough, I'm in a new Clan after all."

"RiverClan is only awful because Splotchstar is our leader. If Stonewater were leader it'd be a lot friendlier." Volepaw agreed. "Oh, before I forget...what was that about with the kittypets?"

I felt my body turn cold surprised that she even remembered! But how long could I go without telling her? My feelings were very complicated, but for some reason I chose to tell her.

"I like she-cats." I told her quietly as I could. "As my future mate."

"Just any she-cat?" Volepaw asked confused.

"Obviously a she-cat that's...'the one,' you know?" I explained. Volepaw nodded with no judgement in her gaze and my heart raced knowing that now she knew.

That night I saw Pikestep proudly lead a hunting patrol back with several more warriors and Volepaw immediately ran to his side and started kissing up to him on what a great catch he made.

I had just desperately hoped that she'd move on from him like Redpaw did from Darkpuddle. But why did I want her to?