I was furious, I looked all over the house just to find him here, sneaking back in. Was Falcon encouraging this behavior? It had already happened twice before, but I had always caught him beforehand and he had promised not to out anymore.

So when I saw the guilty trio, plus a kitten I had never seen before, I ignored the throbbing in my leg to question them and Falcon had the audacity to just try to sneak away.

"I-"

"Erm…"

"You see…"

So many stuttering words, what if Beetle had gotten hurt out there? There was so many ways he could have. "Speak!"

Falcon walked over with a guilty expression, "I'm sorry I told everyone they could go on an adventure."

I had expressly told Falcon not to let my kid do anything reckless! And here they were, I liked to think I was a pretty chill Mom but this was way out there. "A real answer. Also who is this kitten?"

Falcon immediately tried smooth talking, "You see Frost and Beetle wanted to help, so I brought them a short distance way to save this poor innocent soul!" They gestured to the fluffy gray kitten.

That was the worst lie I had ever heard.

I whirled around to the kittens deciding to ask my son since he usually was better, "Beetle tell me what happened."

Beetle hung his head low, "I'm sorry Mother! It won't happen again!"

The kitten they brought home had stared blankly at the conversation. Then it, like many kits asked, "What's wrong with your leg?"

Before I could even react Falcon immediately came to my defense, "Featherkit! That's no way to treat your elders! I am So sorry about that Cream, clearly someone, still needs to be taught manners. Featherkit."

Featherkit eeped before dipping her head in front of me, "I am very, very, very sorry! It actually makes you look very cool! Like a big scary warrior!"

Falcon chuckled nervously. I felt too tired to care, besides she was a kitten and I had always had a soft spot for kittens. "It's fine dear. Frost what do you know about this?"

Frost looked up at me with deceptively wide eyes. "I just wanted to help a kitten, because I don't want a kitten to be left on the streets… like… like me." Her voice heartbreakingly cracked at the end and I just couldn't be mad at her.

Falcon had darted out I realized leaving me with an extra kitten to take care of, I lifted them up by their scruff and despite their protesting dragged them back downstairs and curling around them in the cat tree.

Beetle followed ears drooping and Frost was right at his heels. "I am very disappointed in you, Beetle."

Beetle had scared me half to death, I thought he may have been hurt or even worse killed out there in the woods at night, I would need to tell Falcon to stop filling their heads with stories of grandeur.

Frost curled up next to me, Beetle already knew that when he was bad he wasn't allowed to and so he trailed off towards the kitchen.

Mad mama