The Confrontation

Rain leaking through the roof woke Jayfeather up. His head shot up, blind eyes widened. He shook his head and sneezed as droplets got into his nose. He got to his paws and stretched, his tail quivering with the attempt to loosen his muscles.

He padded toward the den entrance. Along the way, he passed by Briarlight's nest. Her warms scent and the calming sound of her deep, sleepy breathing almost lullabied Jayfeather back to sleep. He leaned down to drink in her scent. Jayfeather's mouth watered as her smell hit the back of his throat. She smelled of berries and warm fresh-kill.

Great, StarClan, what's wrong with me? Jayfeather thought. If only Half Moon were here. She'd make everything better.

Jayfeather sighed and made the rest of his way out of the den. A light drizzle tipped his whiskers like dew on grass. He lifted his nose in the air. The camp smelled of wet rock and new life.

A sharp hiss caught Jayfeather's attention.

"Watch it, Dewkit!" it was Lionblaze. Cinderheart was with him; her belly was swollen with his kits.

Pain seared his heart as he knew that he'd never get to have the same experience with Half Moon.

He padded over to the fresh-kill pile and plunged his nose into the warm heap of fur and feathers. He nosed around until his nose touched the familiar fur of vole. He latched his teeth on it and pulled it out.

Over the scent of vole, Jayfeather smelled Briarlight dragging herself over to the fresh-kill pile.

"Stop staring, Jayfeather. Your vole will lose its juice." Jayfeather almost jumped out of his pelt.

"Brakenfur!" Jayfeather hissed. "You scared me out of my fur, you mangy flea-bitten mouse-brain!"
Brakenfur let out a purr of amusement. "That was a lot of insults, Jayfeather. What's eating you?"

Well, I was about to eat my vole, when you came in. Jayfeather thought bitterly to himself. He padded away with a flick of his tail to eat his vole.

Jayfeather sat by the nursery in case anything happened to Cinderheart, and ate his vole hungrily. A snicker caught his attention.

"Hungry, aren't we?"

Jayfeather groaned. "What is it, Greystripe?" Then something sparked in his mind. He shot to his paws. "Is something wrong with Briarlight?! Is her breathing off?" He asked, now finding that he was becoming more worried for the crippled she-cat than he already had been before.

Before Jayfeather could go on, Greystripe put his fluffy tail over Jayfeather's mouth. "She wants to talk to you, actually, something about a sign from StarClan."

Jayfeather's heart lurched. He bolted to the medicine cats' den. Inside, he found Briarlight.

"Jayfeather," She began. "I've had a sign from StarClan." She murmured.

Jayfeather padded a little closer to her. "What did they say?" He meowed, trying to hide the fact that he knew.

"They-" She choked on her words. "They want me to take you as a mate…" She finished. Jayfeather could feel her burning amber gaze scorch his pelt. "And that you were told the same thing…"

Oh, no…

"Briarlight, I-"

"Why didn't you tell me about this?!" She hissed. "I thought you were my friend!"

Jayfeather moved closer, but he felt her pull away from him. "Briarlight, I am your friend. I would do anything to make you happy." He sighed. "I wanted to tell you. I actually wanted to be more than friends."

A gasp came from Briarlight. "But, you're a medicine cat!" She insisted. "Surely, you can't!"

Jayfeather squeezed his eyes shut as if her words had raked his face. "Briarlight, I-" He was cut off when a yowl split the air.

"Cinderheart's kits are coming!" Wailed Daisy.

Jayfeather sighed and gathered his herbs. "We'll continue this later." He mumbled through his mouthful of herbs and dashed out of the den.

When Jayfeather got into the nursery, he heard Cinderheart panting hard and yowling with pain.

Jayfeather rushed over to her and placed his paw on her swollen belly. "There are three, maybe." He told technically no one.

The spasms passed through Cinderheart's belly, and a few heartbeats later, Cinderhearts' kits were brought into the world, a grey tom, a golden she-kit, and a white she-kit with a cream-spotted flank. Lionblaze dashed in.

"Welcome, my kits." He purred. Jayfeather's heart ached, knowing that he'd never feel that way. Half Moon didn't exist in this world and Briarlight wasn't an option. He shook his head and exited the nursery to leave his Lionblaze and Cinderheart alone with their kits.

As Jayfeather exited the nursery, Briarlight's warming scent hit his nose. He had to get out of camp! He pushed past Briarlight and stormed out of the camp, pushing past the brambles, cursing as thorns snagged his fur and nipped at his ears. When he got out of camp, he ran to the lake.

Jayfeather must have been so concentrated on getting out of camp that he didn't notice that he'd practically leapt into the lake. He let out a yowl and scrambled to the edge. His claws scrabbled around until they met the pebbly surface of the shore. He pulled himself out of the cool water. Jayfeather shook himself and began to groom his drenched fur.

Jayfeather heard a snort of amusement. "Silly fur-ball." It was Briarlight. She must've followed him! Jayfeather grumbled.

"What do you want, Briarlight?" He mumbled between licks. Briarlight hissed.

"Don't get an attitude with me. You said we'd talk later." She pointed out. "Well, it's later. Let's start talking."

Fox dung! Jayfeather cursed himself. He sighed and washed a paw and dragged it over his ear. "I know… I don't understand what StarClan is thinking!" He hissed. Jayfeather heard Briarlight dragging herself over the rocky ground to him.

Briarlight rasped her tongue over Jayfeather's neck fur. "StarClan must have chosen this path for us for a reason, Jayfeather." She mumbled. "We can't deny that."

Jayfeather had to swallow to suppress a comforted purr. "We can't, Briarlight. And even if we could, I can't. I'm a medicine cat!" He insisted. Jayfeather rested his tail tip on Briarlight's limp legs. "With your spine broken, it'll be hard for you to deliver anyways!"

Briarlight purred and nuzzled her head underneath Jayfeather's chin. "I don't care. I- I love you, Jayfeather." She confessed. "I always have."

Suddenly, Jayfeather saw Half Moon. Her green eyes looked pleading. As if she was telling him to do it. She opened her mouth to speak. When she did, it came out as a whisper. "I will always be with you, my love. Look in the litter, and you will find me."

"Look in the litter..." Jayfeather repeated. Then it hit him. Half Moon would be in the litter Briarlight would have! Jayfeather tackled Briarlight and covered her face in licks. "Oh, Briarlight! I love you too." He murmured as he nosed her warm fur.

"You do?!" Briarlight sounded shocked. Jayfeather nodded through her fur. Purrs shook his body and made his heart beat as fast as a rabbits. "It wouldn't hurt to try... If StarClan made this decision, it's got to!"

Briarlight purred in rhythm with Jayfeather and she licked his cheek. "StarClan has faith in us... Even if we don't"

Jayfeather couldn't stop thinking about Briarlight, or Half Moon's words.

Look in the litter, and you will find me...