Fallenstar padded over to Frozenleaf and put his tail tip to her shoulder. She sat up straight. Never let them see your weakness.

"Good morning, Frozenleaf."

"Good morning, Fallenstar."

Fallenstar chuckled. "How kind of you, dear. I'm sure you've heard from Tanglepaw and Dawnpaw why you are here today."

"I don't really communicate with Dawnpaw," Frozenleaf replied.

"Is that so?" Fallenstar said. "How interesting. Well, you do understand that anything you say here could cause me to believe that you murdered your mate?"

"I do understand that."

Fallenstar nodded. "Very well. Now, then, could you tell me about your relationship with ShadowClan's former deputy?"

"At first, we had a great relationship," Frozenleaf said. "That's what I thought, anyways. Brokenshadow told me that we might have kits someday, but not anytime soon. But after some point, whenever I asked him, he said that we could never have kits together."

"And you were understandably upset," Fallenstar intervened.

"Well, yes. Of course I was, Fallenstar."

"Can I ask you at what point he said that you could no longer plan on having kits?"

Frozenleaf slapped at a rock with her paw. It scattered across the den floor, kicking up dust and momentarily clouding part of the den. "Oh, I don't know. Probably right after Tanglepaw's...um...warrior ceremony."

Fallenstar jumped to his feet. "Don't lie to me, Frozenleaf. I know more than you think."

"Oh, I would never lie to you, Fallenstar. I just got confused, that's all." Frozenleaf giggled.

Quietwind stood to his feet. Fallenstar didn't stop him.

"You know, I have lost my fondness for you, Frozenleaf. Despite our past, I have not liked your dishonesty or your sweet exterior."

Frozenleaf just sat there, dumbfounded. She knew the past that Fallenstar was speaking of. Back when she was an apprentice, Fallenstar had been her mentor.

Fallenstar sighed. "I'm so sorry I got myself worked up. While it's true you aren't my favorite warrior in ShadowClan, I have always seen a perseverance in you, dear. And I have seen what Brokenshadow turned you into. It's a shame, really. Now, would you like to tell me the truth?"

Frozenleaf took a deep breath. She again began to scoot around stones with her paw. "It was after Brokenshadow left Dawnpaw. You know about them, don't you?"

"Yes. And you tried to hide it from me."

Frozenleaf slapped the rock across the floor again. To Frozenleaf's surprise, it hit the same rock that she had been slapping around before, and caused both of the rocks to fly in different directions.

A cream-colored paw planted itself on top of one of the flying rocks. It was such an abrupt stop that Frozenleaf bolted up.

"Ah, a chain reaction. You see, I know more about what you did than you realize."

Frozenleaf took a step back as Fallenstar pushed the pebble aside.

Frozenleaf tapped her unsheathed claws against the cool ground. It was leaf-fall now. Dawnpaw was going to kit at any time. The white-and-cream she-cat had prayed to StarClan that that day would be the day.

She had jumped as the bushes beside her rustled. Brokenshadow barged through, with a timid, scratched-up little queen beside him. "Any sign of Dawnpaw?"

"Not yet," Frozenleaf said. "I told her to meet us here at sunrise. I wish she would hurry."

Brokenshadow ignored his mate. "This is Amira. She's an old friend."

Frozenleaf narrowed her eyes. "Amira? You look...familiar."

Amira nodded quickly.

"You can speak," Brokenshadow said, with nearly no emotion at all.

"I took the name 'Amira' because I didn't want to be associated with the Clans anymore. I used to be the ShadowClan medicine cat, before whoever it is you have now. But - "

"Things didn't work out," Brokenshadow finished for her.

Frozenleaf peered at the little thing. She did look rather frail. Maybe she just appeared that way after living the hard life of a loner in Clan territory. It probably didn't take much convincing for Brokenshadow to get the suspiciously pregnant-looking queen to come along with him. Yet Frozenleaf had to wonder - how did Brokenshadow know where to find the she-cat?

"I'm sorry I got here so late. It's hard getting around like this."

Frozenleaf swiveled around. Dawnpaw waddled through the bushes, into the tiny clearing. Frozenleaf and Brokenshadow had chosen this place because they knew it was well beyond the realm of most ShadowClan border patrols. The only thing they had to worry about was some ThunderClan cats barging in on them while trying to journey to the Moonstone.

"It's about time you got here," Brokenshadow spat. He swiped his paw at the apprentice's face. She cried out in pain.

Frozenleaf felt her hackles rise, but she tried to stay calm. "It is hard getting around when you're pregnant, Brokenshadow."

Brokenshadow turned around and glared at his mate. "It isn't like you would know."

Frozenleaf was taken aback. Then again, was she really surprised that Brokenshadow would say such a thing?

Dawnpaw collapsed. She closed her eyes and laid her head against the cool dirt below her. She opened her eyes to slits and peered at Amira. "Is that the cat?"

"It is," Frozenleaf answered.

"Oh, thank StarClan," Dawnpaw said. "I was worried you wouldn't be able to find her."

"I said I would find her, you ignorant mouse-brain," Brokenshadow growled. "I don't have all day. When cats start to wake up it's going to look suspicious that we are all out of camp at the same time. And hurry up and get those things out so that Amira can get out of ShadowClan territory."
"Amira? What a pretty name," Dawnpaw sighed.

Frozenleaf had to fight baring her teeth. Even she didn't think that Brokenshadow should be treating Dawnpaw in such a way. Ever since Brokenshadow had concluded that Dawnpaw was pregnant, he had been in a terrible mood.

Dawnpaw began to yowl in pain, but Brokenshadow swatted her face again. Amira jumped.

Frozenleaf closed her eyes as she saw the first signs of blood. How could something she herself wanted so badly make her so nauseous?

Amira quickly made her way over to Dawnpaw, while avoiding Brokenshadow's eyes. When Frozenleaf dared to look again, Amira was blocking her view.

"A little tom," Amira suddenly said. Frozenleaf could barely see the cream-colored furball on the ground. The loner quickly began to lick the kit. She picked the kitten up with her teeth and laid it at Frozenleaf's feet. "Please watch it," the loner said as she turned around and continued to help Dawnpaw.

"Two she-kits. Lick them."

Frozenleaf laid down beside all three of the kittens. The she-kits were both plump for new-borns. One was calico, and one was a tortoiseshell.
"Last one, I think. Another tom. Lucky you, or maybe not. You can lick this one." She laid the little gray-and-black tabby at Dawnpaw's mouth. Dawnpaw immediately began to lick her kitten.

Frozenleaf glanced down at the three kits that were temporarily in her care. Did she dare to pretend that, for just one second, these kits were her own? Mommy's little blessings...

"Give me my kittens," Dawnpaw whispered. Frozenleaf glared at her. "Please, just let me see my kittens one time. I will never see them again."

Frozenleaf hesitated, but she understood. She and Amira picked up the kittens and carried them over to their real mother.

They all crawled over to Dawnpaw's stomach. "Oh, how precious," Dawnpaw crooned. "My kits. Brokenshadow, won't you please come see your kits?"

Brokenshadow had wandered some distance away now that Dawnpaw had kitted. He stood off at an angle. "They won't be my kits for much longer."

Frozenleaf could see that that got to Dawnpaw. She stared longingly at Brokenshadow, but then flinched. Frozenleaf almost couldn't blame her.

"Will you name them?" Amira said. She seemed to be back to being timid.

"Oh, can I?" Dawnpaw cried. "Yes. I will name the cream one - oh, wait. Do you mind if they have Clan names?"

Amira shrugged. "Erm, I don't know. Like I said, I don't like being associated with Clans."

Dawnpaw's shoulders slumpped for a moment, but she seemed to brush it off and looked back at her kits. "Well, that's okay. This cream tom will be named Lightning. The calico she-cat will be Breeze, and her sister will be named Stream. The gray-and-black male will be Fear."

Amira blinked. "Clever mother."

Brokenshadow finally made his way over to his little family. He took one look at his kits, and said, "I think it's time you get going, Amira."

Dawnpaw opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it. "You promise to take care of my kittens, Amira?"

"Of course I do. I'm probably expecting only one or two of my own. Plenty of milk to go around at the barn."

"You'll be going back to the camp, Dawnpaw," Brokenshadow interrupted. "Frozenleaf. You're helping me and Amira carry the kits to Amira's home."

"Um, okay," Frozenleaf replied. "Dawnpaw? Hurry back to camp, please."

"I-I will," Dawnpaw stuttered. "Take care, my little ones." She took one last glance at her kits, and slowly padded back through the bushes.

Amira took Lightning in her mouth. "She was a lucky one," she somehow managed to say. "Most cats that young don't survive giving birth, yet alone have four healthy kits."

"She may still die yet," Brokenshadow muttered as he bent down and took Breeze and Dark by the nape of their necks.

Frozenleaf grabbed Stream. The little kit let out a tiny mewl. Frozenleaf glanced back at the bushes, and she thought she could see two tiny eyes staring back at her.

A/N: I know that this chapter is a bit much for a Warriors story, so if you think I should change the rating to T, someone let me know and I will. Also, this is now the longest chapter! Thank you all for the support! - vulpixzii325