Brookshadow grunted in pain, lying in her nest and gently giving herself a wash. Her paw ached today, and Brookshadow was getting really tired of it.

Leafpool sat organizing herbs at the edge of their large, two-cat nest. The tabby flicked an ear at her, turning her head. "Are you sure you don't want anything to help numb the ache?"

Brookshadow nodded, giving her a hard stare. "Yes. I'm tired of needing herbs to make myself feel better."

Leafpool gave her a slow blink and turned back to her piles. "You'll heal faster with herbs on it, is why I ask."

"I know," Brookshadow growled. "You've been teaching me, remember? Besides, I have herbs on it!" Her tail lashed and she dug her claws into the ground, tearing up some of the moss that was under her paw. "It's just so stupid! We've been here for almost a moon already. It's nearly leafbare. I have my kits early leafbare. How much longer do we have to wait? No offense, because I know we have everything we need, but I don't want to have my kits inn the middle of the forest!"

Leafpool turned her head and frowned at the torn moss, then let out a sigh. "Impatience. I wondered when it would catch up to you."

Brookshadow's pelt bristled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you have to be patient!" Leafpool scolded, trotting over with some new moss to patch up the torn parts. "You won't get anything faster by complaining."

Brookshadow glared at her for a few moments, then sighed, feeling calm flood through her. "You're right. I'm sorry. I know you're doing everything you can."

"Apology accepted." Leafpool finished tucking in the moss and smiled at her. "But I don't want you having your kits out here, either."

Brookshadow nodded a bit, giving a small wince as her kits stretched.

"But you've been lying there for too long. I want to see how your wrist is actually doing." Leafpool mewed, bending her head down to sniff at Brookshadow's paw.

"Hey," Brookshadow protested, smiling. "I do hop around and do things."

Leafpool gave a huff of amusement and gently nipped the bindweed, then pulling it off of Brookshadow's paw. "Alright. Try moving it."

Brookshadow gently bent her paw, grunting as she felt the muscles contract. It hurt, but not nearly as much as it had before.

Leafpool nodded slowly. "Now stand up."

Brookshadow took a breath and pushed herself to her paws, holding her injured one slightly above the ground. Slowly she placed it against the ground and put some of her weight on it. It still hurt, but the pain wasn't overbearing, and she could feel the weakness of her paw and momentarily worried about it being fragile. Leafpool jerked her muzzle forward; She wanted to see if Brookshadow could walk. The light brown tabby queen took a step forward, trying to use all her paws, however limping mostly on her three good paws. But even with her limpy performance, Leafpool looked happy.

"Look at that," she mewed, her voice a purr. "I think it's time to start heading home!"

Brookshadow flinched, feeling a sharp pain in her side. She let out a soft grunt, curling her tail around her flank. "It's alright, kits," she mewed quietly.

Leafpool nudged her, and Brookshadow glanced at her. "Did you hear me?"

The light brown queen twitched her ears, feeling another shudder of pain run down her flank. "N-no. What is it?"

Leafpool's vision clouded, and she stepped back, looking over Brookshadow with her expert eye. "Brookshadow, are you all right-?"

Another flash of powerful pain, and Brookshadow felt a yowl in her throat. "Yes," she gasped, flattening her ears. "But I think the kits are ready to meet us!"

Dewfur paced in camp, his tail lashing as he waited for the search party to come back. I should have gone with her and Leafpool! He thought, worry clouding his mind. Now we have no clue where Brookshadow or Leafpool are- and it's nearly leafbare!

"Stop pacing, Dewfur!" A voice mewed, and the gray tom looked to see Lionblaze, Cloudtail, and Poppyfrost sitting near him. "You're going to make a rut in the floor of the hollow if you don't."

"Easy for you to say!" Dewfur hissed, angry despite himself. "Your mate and kits are safe, in the Nursery." Dewfur glanced over to the impenetrable den, hearing the soft mewls of Lionblaze's and Cinderheart's kits, who'd been born the day after Brookshadow and Leafpool had left, and felt a twinge of jealousy. "My kits and mate are out there, somewhere, and no one knows where they are, or how they are, or why they've been gone this long." The tom stopped in his tracks and pawed the ground anxiously.

"I understand how you're feeling," Lionblaze insisted. "I don't know what I'd do if Cinderheart and our kits went missing, but I also am here to support you."

Dewfur took a deep breath as his tail whisked nervously behind him. "I just don't want them to be found hurt or... or-"

"Don't even think that," Cloudtail interrupted sternly, his white tail twitching. "You know that Brookshadow is too smart to let that happen, and Leafpool is too skilled to let that happen."

Dewfur's pelt itched. "But I'm still scared," he admitted.

"And that's perfectly okay, Dewfur." Poppyfrost mewed, smiling kindly at him.

Dewfur was about to respond when he heard rustling at the entrance to camp. He spun around and held his breath. Did they find her-?

Graystripe and Millie appeared, with Birchfall and Foxleap behind them. Dewfur tried to look around them for Brookshadow and Leafpool, but no one else emerged.

"Sorry, Dewfur," Millie mewed, resting her tail-tip on the tom's broad shoulders. "No sign of Brookshadow or Leafpool."

"But plenty of ShadowClan scents," Foxleap snarled, his claws unsheathed and scraping the ground. "They need to mind their territory!"

Dewfur glared at Foxleap. He was about to speak when Poppyfrost cleared her throat. "I don't think Dewfur wants to hear about ShadowClan right now, Foxleap. But the news should be shared with Bramblestar. He'll want to know."

As the patrol trotted away, Dewfur's angry gaze following Foxleap, Squirrelflight trotted up to the four-cat group. "Could you guys go and get some prey? It's starting to run low now that it's almost leafbare."

Dewfur sighed and nodded. Poppyfrost gave him a encouraging smile and trotted at his side as they traversed up the side of the ravine. Dewfur twitched his ears, half-heartedly scenting for prey as he trotted through the leaf-fall forest. His paws crunched against dried leaves, and his pelt fluffed up against the cold; How was Brookshadow faring, with the kits? Was she cold, too? Dewfur felt sick to his stomach at the thought of her freezing with her precious bundles.

"Dewfur!" Lionblaze hissed quietly as more leaves crackled.

The gray tom raised his head and looked around, pricking his ears. "What?"

Cloudtail let out a huff of annoyance as a few leaves rustled, then quieted. "Fox dung! Lost it," he growled.

"It's okay, Cloudtail," Lionblaze mewed, his eyes narrowed in irritation. "It wasn't your fault."

Dewfur felt his pelt prickle as he realized that it was his fault Cloudtail's prey had gotten away. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"Sorry doesn't fill hungry bellies!" Cloudtail growled.

"I should just go. Let you guys hunt. I won't be much use." Dewfur mewed, turning and trotting away dejectedly. He heard a few huffs behind him, but he flicked his tail and continued on his way back to camp. If he wasn't going to do anything save walk around in the forest, what was the point? His walking would just scare off any potential prey the hunting patrols had a chance of catching.

As he reentered camp, he glanced around. There were a few cats in the clearing, lying around in the faint glow of leaf-fall sunshine, and a meager freshkill pile that a few others picked at. He glanced toward the nursery and flicked his tail, wondering if he should go and see Cinderheart's kits. But with a sigh he realized that he couldn't go and see the kits without Brookshadow; he wouldn't be able to bear the thought that Cinderheart and Lionblaze were so happy, yet he didn't even know if he'd be able to see Brookshadow again. Shoulders sagging, tail dragging, he figured the place he would be most useful was in his nest. He walked into the warrior's den and lay down in the nest that he'd expanded for Brookshadow all those moons ago, before she'd been expecting kits, and before Piketooth. Or after. He thought, correcting himself. Before Piketooth's craziness, and after his love. Had Piketooth ever truly loved Brookshadow? Dewfur closed his eyes tight, trying to get rid of the nagging thoughts. He took a deep breath in through his nose, trying to smell any lingering trace of Brookshadow. But the last time she'd slept in their shared nest had been nearly a moon and a half ago, and any scents of her were gone.

Dewfur jumped awake. He could feel his eyes glinting in the darkness as they adjusted to the blackness all around him. He felt something. His blood was electric, and as he stood he could feel his paws fizzing with nervous excitement. He wove his way out of the warrior's den and stood in the entrance, scenting the air. He didn't know why he was waiting for something; he just knew that something was happening. After hesitating, he twitched his tail and padded out into the forest. It was quiet apart from the whistling of wind in the trees and the crunching of dead or dying leaves underneath Dewfur's paw, and he twitched his ears. Suddenly a wail rose from not too far away, and Dewfur felt his fur stand on end. That's what must have woken me up. He hurried forward, towards the sound as it faded. He raced through the darkness, jumping over fallen logs and under those that were still halfway rooted. He felt a stab of pain in his paw, and he stopped running with a hiss. He held his paw up, looking at his pad. He could faintly make out the outline of a thorn in the night, blood leaking from the small wound, and he huffed in annoyance. The ferns rustled, and he jumped, arching his back and puffing his fur out.

"Stay back!" he spat as the creature pushed through.

"Dewfur?"

The gray tom immediately recognized the voice. "Leafpool!"

The light brown tabby Medicine Cat took a few steps forward. "What's wrong? I smell a little blood."

"Nothing. A thorn, is all- Is Brookshadow with you?"

"Let me see," Leafpool mewed, and Dewfur raised his paw, his tail flicking in impatience. Leafpool quickly removed the thorn, then ran her tongue across his pad.

Dewfur felt the pain recede, and he gave a small sigh of relief. "Brookshadow?"

As if in reply, another yowl sounded, and Leafpool turned and quickly pushed her way back through the bushes. Dewfur rushed forward, following her, then felt his fur fluff up as he saw Brookshadow lying on her side, her belly enormous, much larger than it had been when he'd last seen her. "Brookshadow!" He mewed gleefully, rushing forward and standing at her side, purring.

Brookshadow was panting, but she gave a small smile. "Dewfur."

Leafpool was running her paws gingerly along the queen's flank. "She's kitting," the Medicine cat murmured to Dewfur, "but we have to get her to camp. We had all the herbs we needed, but we couldn't have stayed there through leafbare!"

Dewfur nodded, his tail lashing nervously. "Camp isn't very far at all. Can she stand?"

"With difficulty," Brookshadow groaned.

Leafpool nodded and helped her to her paws, and Brookshadow held her front right paw off the ground. "We would have been there before dusk, if she hadn't been kitting as well as hobbling on an injured paw."

"Not my fault," Brookshadow panted.

Dewfur nodded slowly. "You can run ahead and get Jayfeather and Cinderheart ready for her, and I'll help her get there." He stood next to Leafpool and replaced her, feeling Brookshadow leaning on his shoulder. The Medicine Cat did a final quick check on Brookshadow, then dashed off in the direction of camp. Dewfur walked with Brookshadow as she groaned, limped, and panted beside him. The gray tom wanted to be doing so much more than he was- but how could he help Brookshadow, other than help her get to camp, and keep her calm so the kits wouldn't arrive before they got there? Dewfur tried to go a little faster, but Brookshadow was starting to lag behind, so he slowed his pace to the fastest she could manage. It felt like forever, but they reached the camp, and a few cats were bustling around, getting things ready for Brookshadow. Dewfur led her to the Nursery, then sat outside, guarding the entrance, his tail tip twitching. Jayfeather must already have been in there, but Leafpool nodded to him as she slipped inside. Dewfur flinched every time another wail rose from Brookshadow, but he knew from Cinderheart's kitting that it was normal. But Dewfur also knew that if it was normal like Cinderheart's, it would take a while. He lay down on his stomach, tucked his paws under his chest, and gave a sigh.

Brookshadow blinked at the two kits lying at her side, then glanced about for the third. "Leafpool?" she murmured sleepily. "Where is my other one?"

Leafpool glanced at Jayfeather. "She... she was stillborn, Brookshadow."

Brookshadow's fatigue drained. "Stillborn?" she gasped. "No! But I- I tried so hard, why-... Why did she have to die?"

Leafpool gave a sigh and nudged a orange bundle of half-dried fur toward her. "I can't answer that. It just... happens, sometimes."

Brookshadow looked down at the kit, then pulled her closer with a sweep of her paw and gently began licking her fur the wrong way to dry her. Brookshadow blinked slowly at her kit, who would never see or hear anything, and who would never train as a warrior or medicine cat... She'd had so much potential in her small body. She felt crushing grief but swallowed it down, knowing what would have had to be done. "Let... Let Dewfur in. I want to see him."

Leafpool and Jayfeather slowly drifted out of the den, and Dewfur replaced them. Brookshadow looked up at him with sad eyes, and she watched as his eyes became sad as well. "We still have two more to raise," she mewed quietly. "Dawnkit will be buried, and we'll remember her, but we have to be here for the others."

Dewfur blinked a few times. "You named her Dawnkit?"

"For when she was born, and for the life that she signifies. She was the dawn of our two kit's lives."

"That's a lovely name," Dewfur murmured. "What are you going to name the other two?"

"I though we could discuss it later." Brookshadow answered, stifling a yawn and looking at the other two kits; a brown tabby she-kit, like Brookshadow herself, and a orange she-kit with black stripes running down her back.

"But I know one thing for sure. Their names are going to be wonderful. And you're going to make a great father," Brookshadow purred.

"You'll make a great mother." Dewfur returned, giving Brookshadow a few licks on her forehead, in between her ears.

~~Announcement~~

Thanks so much for reading this chapter! It was very difficult for me to write it, seeing as this is my first year of high school. But I promise I'm going to do my very best to update as soon as I possibly can, as often as I can! And if you liked this, please vote, and be sure tocomment on what you think Brookshadow's new kits should be named! Your name offering may just be used!!

-Brookshadow15