"Who is there?" called out Dawn, jumping up with her hackled raised and claws out, ready to fight anyone who dared to attack her. Was it Maplestar? Or one of his rogues? Was it one of her Clanmates? A Clan cat? Or was it a fox? She hadn't learnt how to fight a fox yet! What if it was a badger? She would die for sure!

"Please," gasped a voice, "don't hurt me!" Dawn pricked her ears up and slid her claws in half-way, lowering her hackles as she sniffed the air, with the strange scent now mixed with fear and pain.

"Where are you?" she asked, looking around the hollow, but there was no sign of another cat.

"I-I am in the bushes," whispered the voice, and Dawn walked over, hesitant, to a big clump of bushes that were growing in messy circle. She paused before walking slowly up to the bushes and peering over the top of them. There, laying in the centre on the leafy floor, was a pregnant tan and white patchy queen with fearful green eyes.

"Flowerstem?" whispered Dawn and the queen's eyes filled with confusion.

"I am sorry," apologized the queen, "do I know you?"

"Oh yeah, sorry," fumbled the former apprentice, "I know I look different than what I use to. It is me, Birdpaw."

"Birdpaw?" cried the medicine cat, standing up before doubling over in pain, "I can't believe it is you! I have so many questions to asked you, but I don't believe now is the time to ask." She hissed in pain again and laid back down on the ground.

"Are you kits coming?" asked Dawn and the medicine cat nodded.

"It hurts more than I though it did," hissed Flowerstem as the former apprentice crouched down next to the medicine cat, "and I don't have any herbs either."

"Hang on a moment," meowed Dawn, jumping up, "let me see if Dewpaw is back."

"Dewpaw is with you?" called the medicine cat, "oh thank StarClan." The former apprentice rushed outside the shelter and thankfully, she could see the shapes of Dewpaw, Angel and Inky walking back to the barn.

"Dewpaw!" she yowled, "Dewpaw! Come quickly!" The tom stopped, pricked his ears and broke into a run, with the two kits following behind.

"What is it Birdpaw?" he panted, skidding to a halt in front of the former apprentice. She didn't even bother to tell him that her name was Dawn and instead beckoned them all inside.

"It is Flowerstem," replied the she-cat, "she is in here and her kits are coming."

"And they aren't waiting!" yowled out the medicine cat, before breaking off in another hiss of pain.

"Kits?" cried Dewpaw, "She is having kits? She is our medicine cat! She can't have kits!"

"I know, I know," dismissed the former apprentice, "I tell you about it later. Just come and help." The cream tom nodded and composed himself before stepping inside the den and walking over to Flowerstem.

"Oh, thank God you are here Dewpaw," sighed the medicine cat, "Whiskerstar is going to be so happy when you go back."

"I am not sure 'Whiskerstar' and 'happy' should be in the same sentence," muttered the apprentice but Dawn cut across before the medicine cat could reply.

"Flowerstem," asked the former apprentice, "what do you need?"

"Borage," hissed the she-cat, "which has purple star-like flowers. I also need Burnet, which has green, circle leaves. Chervil, as well if you can get any, it smells sweet and looks like a fern. And I also need a stick, for when the pain gets intense." Dewpaw nodded and gathered up the two kits, nudging them out of the den.

"Do you mind if I tell Dewpaw about you and Whiskerstar?" asked Dawn, sitting next Flowerstem.

"Will he tell anyone?" gasped the medicine cat.

"I don't think so," replied the younger she-cat, shaking her head, and the medicine cat nodded, in too much pain to speak. The two she-cats waited in silence, Flowerstem hissing is pain every now and then, the spasms rippling her fur becoming more frequent. Eventually, Angel burst into the shelter with what looked like burnet in her mouth, racing over to the medicine cat and placing it down next her.

"Thank you," puffed the brown and white she-cat, picking up the herbs and swallowing it just as another spasm rippled through her. Inky trotted in next with a huge stick in her mouth, which was way bigger than her and she looked funny walking with it in her mouth. The kit walked over, the stick almost hitting Angel in the head, and placed it down next to Flowerstem before Dawn shoed them both away. Dewpaw came in last with a couple of purple flowers and fern-like leaves in his mouth, which must have been Borage and Chervil. The she-cat picked up the borage and chewed it, swallowing while wincing at the tang.

"How far away are the kits?" asked Dawn as another spasm rippled through the medicine cat.

"I don't know," she hissed in reply, "but they seem close."

"Does anybody even care to fill me in about these kits?" asked Dewpaw, sitting down next to the former apprentice. Both she-cats looked at each other before the former apprentice sighed and turned to the tom.

"You have to swear not to tell anyone." She meowed and the tom nodded, "So, yes, Flowerstem our medicine cat is having kits, which as you know, is against the warrior code. And to kind of make matters worse, no offence Flowerstem, the father of these kittens is Whiskerstar."

"Whiskerstar?" whispered the tom, looking like he was swaying a little bit.

"Which is why you can't tell anyone," nodded Dawn, "because if anyone knew about the parents of these kits, our Clan would dissolve into chaos."