| abstract | - "No thanks, I am no longer hungry." "Are you okay?" He sounded really concerned. No, I am not okay, Bumblestripe... Dovewing thought. "Yeah, I am fine!" Dovewing lied to him easily." Just tired." She trotted off to the warrior's den to try to get some sleep. " I told Jayfeather not to tell anyone my secret... no matter what." Dovewing muttered darkly. "What was that?" Ivypool was in there too, to Dovewing's dismay. "Oh... Um nothing. Just..." She tried to think of something up fast so she would not be treated with suspicious glares from Ivypool, her sister. "Dovewing, we all know that your in love with someone other than Bumblestripe. Is it Tigerheart?" She asked pleadingly. "Ivypool, Tigerheart was then, Bumblestripe is now." Dovewing ended with a purr. At least now I am telling the truth." She thought quickly. But she could not bare lying to her own sister anymore. "The truth is, is that I am bearing kits." Dovewing hoped Ivypool would not make a big deal out of it. "Don't worry, I will keep it a secret, even though Jayfeather should know by now. It is not suprising anyways." " How did you know?" "I thought you might have been over eating, but I saw that you weren't. And just to let you know Dovewing, you are very plump. Are you going to give birth soon or just a lot of kits with Bumblestripe? You should let him know that he will be a father, really." Ivypool's comment made her look down at herself."Well, I do not know who the father is... either Bumblestripe," Please StarClan! " or it is... Tigerheart." Dovewing concluded. "If Bumblestripe is a good friend, then you will tell him the truth, and he will understand. But you need to let him know. And the whole of ThunderClan too, Dovewing. And I am also pregnant with Foxleap's kits, but did not even tell Jayfeather. I told him that I was over eating, but I am not." " That's great!" Dovewing wanted to support her beautiful sister. "Not to me it isn't. Foxleap does not want kits now, and wants them with Rosepetal, not me. I do not want to ruin mine and Rosepetal's friendship, or mine and Foxleap's either. I know Rosepetal and Foxleap both love each other too. I am about a moon with mine. I am really worried, Dove." "Don't worry. After all, we will have ourselves together in the nursery, and... fo rever too." Dovewing felt more relaxed now, she was not the only one with an issue like this. Dovewing: Who's Kits? Chapter 2 Dove Flies As Dovewing walked back to camp, her mind was filled with the talk from half a moon ago with Ivypool. But she still hadn't told Bumblestripe or Tigerheart. Did Ivypool tell Foxleap? No, I would have heard something by now. she thought. Dovewing emerged into the beautiful, bustling camp. Daisy was outside the Nursery talking to Icecloud, who had just recently had kits with Toadstep. He never really came around that often, but she knew that he had a crush on her sister, Ivypool. Would he be mad? She thought darkly. And who was that beside Daisy? Was it Rosepetal? Then Dovewing shook her head and saw only Icecloud and Daisy staring at her. "Are you having kits too?" Icecloud said with laughter. "Are they Bumblestripe's?" "Uh, yeah! I can't wait till we have a family together!" That was true... at least! "Well, you better let the whole clan know. I suppose you told Bumblestripe?" Daisy responded. "Not exactly, Daisy. I am going to tell him right now.... Have you seen him?" Cinderheart made her way out of the Nursery and pointed with her tail, "Right there he is, Dovewing." She wrapped her tail protectively over her four kits. "Well, how are you guys?" Dovewing asked. The kits with Lionblaze were now two moons old. Two she-kits and two toms. Leafkit, named after Lionblaze's mother, Leafpool, spoke pretty boldly for one of the only she-kits. "I am fine, but these two bozos are really bad... I think anyways." "Am not!" Crowkit spoke next, "I am perfectly fine! And so is the other "bozo" your brother, Bramblekit!" For some odd reason, Crowkit was always technical with his words. He actually looked like his grandfather,Crowfeather, a dark, fluffy, gray tom. "And what about you?" There was another she-kit, but Dovewing never knew the name of her. She was quite quiet and shy, but Dovewing could tell that she was highly intelligent, and very good at play-fighting. "Her name we have finally decided." Cinderheart explained. I guess no one knew her name after all! She thought immediately. "Her name is Swoopkit." The name sent her back to the mountains, watching Swoop being carried off by a hawk. "How'd you choose it?" Dovewing asked, but hardly wanted to know the answer. "I had a dream of one of my kits being able to do anything with her own paws. I knew it was a she-kit, but it did not have the dark tiger pelt of Leafkit. Another cat, I think from StarClan came and gave her a prophecy. She said her name was Swoop. I never told Lionblaze though. It had the black and white, fluffy pelt of her." She pointed to Swoopkit with her tail. I hope I get her as an apprentice. Dovewing thought. "I wish I could hear her voice. I bet it is lovely..." Cinderheart looked as if she could see the future of her kits. "Mamma, could I go off with Dovewing? She is so beautiful, and very friendly!" Cinderheart looked at Leafkit, but Leafkit was shaking her head and looking and pointing her tail to Swoopkit. "No, how___" Dovewing cut her off. "Actually, she needs some guidance. In four moons they will all four become apprentices anyways. What would hurt?" Dovewing hoped she was right to do so. Cinderheart looked gratefully at Dovewing. "Of course. Kits,pick warriors who walk by to be with, as long as they do not care. I can go for a walk by the lake with your father. Maybe later he will tell you the story of the journey to the mountains he took with his sister and Jayfeather." "I want to hang out with his sister, Hollyleaf, is it?" Bramblekit asked. Cinderheart looked to Dovewing to try explaining things. "Uh,uh sweetie Bramblekit, your Aunt Hollyleaf, died in battle with The Dark Forest six moons ago." Dovewing choked back tears of sadness. "Oh... That is just too bad. My next decision shall be Brightheart. She certainly is lovely!" "Bramblekit, did you not see how her face is?" Crowkit squeaked. "I do not judge by how they look, Crowkit." "Crowkit, your brother is right, for once. Do not judge anyone by how they look, judge what you can see inside of them." Cinderheart was a great mother. "Wait here, Swoopkit," It felt weird talking to her finally. "I need to speak with Bumblestripe." Swoopkit answered, "Which one is he?" Dovewing pointed him out to her. "Oh, he is handsome." She ended with a purr of young love. "Hello Dovewing!" Bumblestripe greeted her with a purr. "I have to tell you something. I am pregnant with kits." She left out "your." "That is great! Let's move you into the Nursery. "Late at night, Dovewing went to the Nursery and told Swoopkit tomorrow to be with her, and Swoopkit lay there, asleep at Dovewing's belly. I will forever take care of you and love you like my kit, endlessly. Dovewing closed her eyes, and quickly, but yet slowly fell asleep. It had been a moon since telling Bumblestripe that she was pregnant. A quarter moon ago, Dovewing tried to get out in the forest just to walk, be with the one she loved, and did what she did best:hunt. They caught her but she still wanted to go out. She realize how much a mouse brain she's been because she could have seriously hurt her kite but she just misses the forest so much. Rosepetal took her out anyways because Rosepetal remembered how Bumblestripe took out Briarlight when she was in the medicine den. I am only two moons pregnant anyways, but I should have thought more. Firestar had told her that she could still go on patrols and hunt for about another half a moon yet, but Bumblestripe wanted her to be in the nursery. Right now she looked down at her paws and saw Swoopkit's flank rising and going back down as she slept. Will I have enough time to be her mentor still? Dovewing has always wanted that. "Have you thought about names yet?" Hazeltail said with Thornclaw's kits at her belly. They were both she-kits and their names were Smokekit, a dark gray kit, a tawny kit named Tawnykit, going to be Tawnyflower, in memory of Brambestar's sister who had just recently died from a fox. Dovewing screamed in pain, and Hazeltail jumped to go get Jayfeather. Jayfeather was already on his in, his eyes full of anxiety, fret, and blackness shadowed his gaze. It was no time yet. Not for the kits. She had another moon and a half yet! Bumblestripe was right at Dovewing's side instantly. She didn't even know who's kits they were. What if they came out as dark tigers kits? She was not worried by the time all kits were out and safe. They looked like her kits... And Bumblestripe's! Thank StarClan! "Let's name them. How about the gray tabby tom Jaykit, for honor of Jayfeather?" Bumblestripe agreed to all the names she picked. The she-kit that looked like Bumblestripe was named Pinekit. Then Dovewing opened her eyes wide as she saw a dark tiger she-kit's pelt. "Let's name this one Tigerkit." Dovewing curled her tail around her kits and Swoopkit came to join. Bumblestripe was the greatest mate ever, but she was proud to share a kit with Tigerheat too. She saw their futures in her eyes flashing by so quick. Herbs, one would be a medicine cat. A great prophecy for one kit, a great and powerful warrior. A dark path led the way of Tigerkit's destiny, leading to the ShadowClan camp. She wrapped her tail over Tigerkit, to try to protect her from a hard life. I have to tell Tigerheart. He came quickly to the border, Tigerheart. "We need to talk Tigerheart." Dovewing's mew was barely a whisper. She was at the ShadowClan/ThunderClan border, with her once love. "Yes we do Dovewing." Tigerheart did not sound like his normal self. Instead he sounded... mad and frustrated, yet so heart broken. "You hurt me Dovewing. It was worse than the old fairy tales of how my grandfather- TigerStar died. I knew I should haven stayed with him. He loved me for my history- which is all I have now- memories long forgotten apparently by you." "Tigerheart come over here. We need to speak now! What are you mewling about TigerStar! Did you see what he and his so-called 'clanmates' did? But not you- you stood for the clans. There is a reason for that."Dovewing tried to bring him back to the real Tigerheart by showing her understanding. "There was a reason. But not anymore." Tigerheart launched himself at Dovewing and bowled her over at once with his great strength. "Tigerheart- don't do this! Don't kill the mother of your kit!" Dovewing tried to breathe, but she was suffocating, and quick. Tigerheart stopped and stared at her, puzzled. "Dovewing what are you talking about? It was announced at the last gathering, which you missed, that you and Bumblestripe had kits together. How many... like three! You traitor!" Tigerheart seemed to forget what he had just heard and swiped at her face, which Dovewing nipped his paw with her white teeth. "Your the traitor!" The two cats got into a slight and swift tussle when there came a small, puny squeek behind Dovewing. "Mommy- what are you doing with this cat? Please don't hurt him! I need to smell him first so I remember his scent!" Dovewing turned around to see her kit, Tigerkit, to be exact, staring at them with her bright, ice blue eyes, from her mother. Tigerheart got off of Dovewing and swiveled his ears at the tiny kit. "Who's this? Dovewing? Answer me!!" Dovewing turned to stare at him in the eyes and gave him an ice-cold stare. "This is your kit Tigerheart. Her name is Tigerkit. After her father." "So you're telling me the truth?" Tigerheart snarled at Dovewing, to which little Tigerkit hid behind her mother. "Don't you dare scare her!" Dovewing snarled and hissed to Tigerheart. How could I have ever loved this ridiculous cat, she thought. "But yes, this is your kit. " Dovewing concluded with a twitch of her tail and whiskers to show that she would not let this kit live with her father, no matter what. "This is my father?" Tigerkit mewed pitifully. " Yes, I am your father." Dovewing snarled at Tigerheart for answering a question that was meant to be for her. I'm her mother. Of course she'll stay with me over Tigerheart. That's for sure! "Listen Tigerheart- she is almost an apprentice." Dovewing stated calmly. "Okay? So?" Tigerheart looked puzzled again. "A ThunderClan apprentice!" Dovewing leaped on Tigerheart. "Don't you dare think she will be anything else other than that! She will always be with her mother, and her littermates... and her dad." "Which is me." Tigerheart sounded for sure but he was about to be shown that he was wrong again. "No... Bumblestripe. She can't be a half-clan. You out of all of the cats should know. Your mother was a half-clan cat!" Dovewing snapped. "Don't bring Tawnypelt into this! She is a loyal cat, and a great mother." Tigerheart now looked furious. "Fair enough." Dovewing glanced at Tigerheart, licked a paw and slowly cleaned her ears. "Listen Dovewing- I had never stopped loving you. I always prayed to StarClan you would come back to me, but you haven't yet. Maybe Tigerkit is a sign." Tigerheart took a shy glance from Dovewing to Tigerkit. Dovewing's expression turned back to memories of her and Tigerheart at the edge of clan territories. " We may meet every moon with our kit." Tigerheart dipped his head in respect of the decision."But where?" Dovewing looked at him with memories in her eyes. "The normal." She dipped her head. "But you may not have Tigerkit. She is ThunderClan. No one may know of this at all- understand?" She looked from Tigerheart to Tigerkit, almost the same cat, just younger. "Of course." Dovewing was pleased that it was both Tigerheart and Tigerkit who showed their understanding of the agreement between them all. Dovewing started to walk away while Tigerkit touched noses with her father quickly, then came bounding back on Dovewing's right side. Dovewing yowled loud enough for Tigerheart to hear, who was still at the border sitting, and said, "And you could have remembered the scent even if he was dead."
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