Yes, yes, I've been gone awhile. Please, don't stab me with pitchforks and burn me with torches. I'm here now, and that's all that counts right? No? Well too bad. I wrote a long chapter today. Here are the kits I have chosen, and their creators:

Emberkit/Emberfire- Shadestar17 Owlkit/Owlclaw- 2lazy2login (Ivyfrost) Brookkit/Brookleap- U2Kitty Softkit/(need warrior name!)- Moonfur Thank you guys, and please don't be offended if your cat wasn't chosen. I got like sixteen, and I decided my max was four. All of your ideas were great, it was hard to choose! And no I'm not just saying that. Onto the story then…

And They Enter The World…

Ivyleaf flopped down into her nest, panting with exhaustion. Beside her lay four little kits, and cleaning off the last and littlest one was Jayfeather. The only thing missing was Tigerheart. Ivyleaf felt a sharp stab in her heart and head.

Tigerheart was gone from her life now. Ivyleaf knew she shouldn't look back into the past, but the memory kept creeping to the front of her mind. The more she tried to keep it down, the more it came. Every time Ivyleaf remembered she felt heartbroken, even though she was the one who had rejected him.

Why did I do that? Stupid, stupid, stupid!

But as Ivyleaf looked down at the little bundles she remembered why. No one could ever know her kits were half-Clanners. Both they and their mother would never, ever be able to live it down.

Jayfeather had left her while she was thinking, and now as she looked up she noticed only Poppyfrost was in the nursery. Ivyleaf expected her to ask questions, and she was not disappointed.

"Who's are they?" Poppyfrost asked curiously, peering down at the now suckling kits.

"Mine," answered Ivyleaf, narrowing her eyes at Poppyfrost. "I don't wish to share their father's name."

"Okay, okay. Just wondering." Poppyfrost had not let her kits, who were near to apprentice age now, back into the nursery yet. She then continued, "What are you going to name them?"

Ivyleaf hadn't thought of that yet. Hmm… As she looked down at the kits, the memory of Tigerheart struck her again. Had he found a she-cat to love more than Ivyleaf? Were they having kits and naming them together?

"I…I don't know." Naming them, Ivyleaf decided as she spoke, would just be too painful. When she did name them, she wanted Tigerheart around, not somewhere across the borders in that marshy, ugly land ShadowClan called home.

Poppyfrost just nodded, and walked quietly from the den. Ivyleaf watched her go with an emotion of something like sorrow and heartbreak. All she could think was, He walked away. No, I walked away. Ruined our chance to be together, I did.

Sighing, Ivyleaf looked down at her four tiny kits, one boy and three girls. What would she name them? Maybe she could name one, if she could even think of a suitable name. The boy tom would be first, Ivyleaf decided.

Shadowkit? No, that's too… ShadowClan. He looks fierce. Talonkit? That's no good either… Birdkit? Ha! Funny me. A type of bird, hmm… Lark? No again, it's not fierce enough. What's a fierce bird? Owl! Yes, that's it! Owlkit!

"I now name you, Owlkit of ThunderClan." Ivyleaf smiled at her impersonation of Firestar. She then frowned at her words. Owlkit wasn't truly only "of ThunderClan", since his father was Tigerheart. Tigerheart of… ShadowClan.

-x-

Days, and finally weeks passed and there was not a day when Ivyleaf would stare at her kits and think; Tigerheart. Her kits, all except Owlkit, went unnamed. When, finally, a moon came Ivyleaf crawled out of her nursery nest, telling her kits she would be back.

Ivyleaf crept from camp and into the forest, where she dashed to the ShadowClan border. It has become enough, and Ivyleaf could no longer stand another second without seeing Tigerheart. She wanted to know he was okay, that he truly cared for her.

When she passed into the clearing, and finally got to the border mark, Ivyleaf skidded to a stop. There was no Tigerheart waiting for her here. Of course not, why would there be? She had stopped their meetings, so of course Tigerheart wouldn't be here.

A feeling of hollow despair sunk into Ivyleaf's heart, a feeling so powerful she raised her fallen head and yowled painfully into the pine trees. Tigerheart was not here…

Ivyleaf was alone.

(New POV: Tigerheart)

Tigerheart sat in the camp entrance, guarding it from the night and it's predators. Yet he was not paying attention to the sounds or sights of the forest, but to his thoughts. They were racing wildly, every thought of Ivyleaf and her kits.

She did it for the kits. I love her. I want to see the kits. I want to see Ivyleaf. How is she doing? What about the kits? What are their names? Do they know they are half-clan? Does Ivyleaf want to see me? If she did tell them, do they hate me? Maybe they want to see me, their father. Maybe Ivyleaf doesn't want them to see me.

His thoughts and questions only brought up more thoughts and questions. They were endless, and all related to Ivyleaf. It had been two gatherings, and still Tigerheart had not seen Ivyleaf.

I need to see her, to know she and the kits are fine.

Just then a heart wrenching yowl sounded from ahead, far ahead. It sounded like a cat deeply in pain and sorrow. Yet it was close to the border. Tigerheart felt the urge to investigate and keep his home safe from intruders.

After a quick sniff to make sure nothing was going on, Tigerheart bounded from the camp. His paws ran swiftly through the mud and marsh, better than any Clan-cat, besides a ShadowClan cat, could run. Tigerheart bared his teeth as he saw the outline of a cat against the half-moon.

Tigerheart charged forward and tackled the cat, growling and baring his teeth. The cat beneath him had yet to attack, and was only squirming and trying to get away.

Go on, Hawkfrost suddenly urged, kill the worthless traitor.

Gladly obliging, Tigerheart whipped his head down to bite the cat's throat when he noticed the scent. Yes, it was a ThunderClan cat. But he knew this one, and he knew exactly from where. Tigerheart stared down at the silver she-cat in disbelief. It was really her, his mate.

"Ivyleaf," He breathed.

Well, a cliffe! Sort of! I hope this made up for how long I've been gone. Does it? Write a review!