Thornclaw watched as Spiderleg turned his amber gaze away, looking more toward the entrance to camp, focusing on nothing in particular. He padded over, sitting next to the tom.

"Well, I'm back. Apparently my 'heart attack' wasn't that bad." He mewed, his tone light. But still the tom kept his head turned to the entrance. "What's wrong, Spiderleg?"

"W-what?" He replied, turning his gaze toward Thornclaw, his pelt feeling a but hot. "N-nothing's wrong! I'm fine, Thornclaw! Don't worry!"

The golden-brown tabby tom narrowed his eyes, licking his nose. He sighed, and sagged his shoulders a bit, staring at the black-and-brown tom, his icy eyes staring straight at him.

"Well, nothing to say, then? I guess I'll just say what I have to say." He mewed, scrunching his nose slightly in an effort to think of something to say. "I just wanted to say...um... Thanks. For the help with Blossomfall. I feel bad, but I think it was for the best."

"Oh! Yeah, of course, no problem!" Spiderleg chuckled nervously, standing up, accidentally brushing fur with his friend. "Oops! Sorry!"

The tabby ton felt his pelt heat up, his cheeks reddening slightly. He smiled, his eyes wide and nervous. He chuckled, coughing to interrupt the awkward silence.

"Well, thanks! I better get going! Is that Leafpool I hear calling me! See ya, Spiderleg!" Thornclaw responded, zipping away from the brown and black tom, his pelt practically burning with embarrassment.

The ThunderClan warrior padded over to the medicine den, almost shaking with excitement and nervousness. He stopped at the entrance, taking a deep breath, closing his blue eyes momentarily. He opened them again, digging his claws into the ground, shaking his head. He padded in, spotting Leafpool sitting with Alderheart, the two sorting herbs.

"H-hey..." He mewed, his breath slightly shaking from his short spring across the camp, his legs feeling a bit weak. "Could I return back to the warrior's den? Or do I have to stay in here...?"

"No, you can go back. Tell Briarlight she can continue to sleep in the medicine den now. I'm not going to lie, I think she missed hearing Alderheart and Jayfeather arguing." Leafpool chuckled, looking to the brown and gray tabbies. "Anyway, yes you can go."

The golden-brown tabby tom dipped his head, his eyes flashing with gratefulness as he turned into camp, suddenly finding it a bit more full, cats padding through the stone clearing, greeting each other silently. It wasn't that busy, but full enough that almost all the patrols had returned.

The ThunderClan warrior padded over to the fresh-kill pile, hoping to find the two sisters there, but to no avail. He sighed, glancing at the sun, finding it almost completely covered by the clouds. They most likely wouldn't have gone out, so maybe they were somewhere else in the clearing?

Thornclaw sighed, turning around, running straight into Bumblestripe, who had gone to get food for his mate. His pelt flushed with embarrassment, and he just turned, and continued walking his way, toward the corners of the camp, where the sisters might have been sharing tongues. He looked around, spotting the tortoiseshell-and-white pelt of Blossomfall contrasting with the brown one of Briarlight.

Great. He thought, cursing silently. Well, here goes nothing.

The tabby tom padded over to the two she-cats, his pelt fluffed and warm. Blossomfall gave him a glare, turning away. Briarlight, however, just gazed at him, no expression in her blue eyes. "Yes, Thornclaw?" She asked, blinking.

"Well, umm, Leafpool said you could return to the medicine den, if you want." He whispered, clearing his throat. "Also, Blossomfall?"

"Ooh! Thanks!" Briarlight squeaked, her nose twitching. "And Blossomfall told me she doesn't want to speak with you. Sorry, Thornclaw."

"Oh... Please? I just want to say one thing..." He responded, trying to catch Blossomfall's gaze. "If you won't speak, I guess I have to speak, then. Listen, Blossomfall. I truly do mean what I said at the lake. I am sorry. But I also do not love you, and I wish I could, but I don't."

"Thornclaw..." Blossomfall whispered, glancing at Briarlight, who had dragged herself across the clearing. "I'm expecting your kits."

The golden-brown tabby tom felt his heart skip a beat, and time seemed to slow around him. A cold sweat made its way down his back, his bright blue eyes widening with despair, nervousness, and fear. He couldn't be a father! Not again. He wasn't ready for that, at least, not yet.

"B-b-blossomfall, what?!" He stuttered, his voice louder than what he wanted it to be. "When were you planning on telling me this?!"

"Well, I was going to tell you at the lake, but then you left me." She hissed, her vouce cold as ice, venom practically dripping from her words as they clawed at his heart. "Then you decided to be dramatic, and you had a heart attack, and I haven't exactly had the chance, Thornclaw!"

"Oh." He whispered, licking his lips. "Wh- No. I'm sorry. I really am. I'll try to be he father to these kits that I can. Could I tell anyone? Brackenfur, Brightheart, Spiderleg? Please?"

"You'd want to tell him," she spat, baring her teeth. "You may."

The tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat bared her teeth, turning away, her tail lashing angrily. She padded off, her ears flattened, her pelt bristling with anger. Thornclaw's blue eyes followed her, regret and despair pooling through them. Would him and his ex-mate's relationship ever be healed? Would they ever be friends again? Probably not.

The tabby tom turned around, tears pooling in the corner of his eyes. He could barely see as his daughter rushed up to him, her ginger tabby pelt glistening in the sunlight. Her eyes gleamed with worry as she nuzzled her father, licking his cheek.

"It's okay, Thornclaw. It'll all be okay. I promise, dad." She purred, licking his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too." The ThunderClan warrior purred, leaning into his daughter. "Thanks, Eaglepaw. I'm glad that you're here for me."

"Hey, I think someone else is, too, Thornclaw." The apprentice mewed, turning her head away, her eyes tracing a certain warrior, who paced restlessly by the warrior's dem. "Go to him. You want to speak with him, I can tell. Go ahead."

Her tears eyes were happy, and showed that she truly wanted that for him. Eaglepaw placed her tail gently on her father's back, pushing him a bit. The tom stumbled forward, his paws tumbling over each other a bit. He kept his balance, luckily, and began to pad over, receiving an encouraging smile from Eaglepaw, who was watching her father intensely.

"Erm, hey, Spiderleg..." He murmured, scrunching his nose. "Nice to see you, huh?"

"It hasn't been that long, Thornclaw." The brown-and-black tom chuckled, slapping his tail to his friend's shoulder. "But good to see you, too, Thornclaw."

The golden-brown tabby chuckled nervously, his whiskers twitching with embarrassment. "My life is a disaster, Spiderleg. I'm guessing you heard my quarrel? Well, Blossomfall is expecting kits, and I'm not ready."

"Thornclaw, that's awful! I mean, I bet Blossomfall is happy, and you are, but, like, I'm sorry that your ex mate is expecting your kits?" He mewed awkwardly, suddenly realizing that his words weren't very kind. "Um.. I don't know..?"

"Obviously," Thornclaw snorted, his eyes brightening a bit. "At least I know Eaglepaw still cares for me, right?"

"At least you have that. I think it's good." He mewed. "At least, I'd assume so."

Thornclaw shrugged, licking his nose. He looked at the ground, glancing back over to the entrance of the camp, to where Blossomfall had stormed off. He sighed, his shoulders sagging.

"I'm a mess, Spiderleg. I don't know what to do. My former best friend hates me, all of my kits, except Eaglepaw hate me, I'm sure, and I'm going to have kits, again." He growled, bitter at the world. "I don't know what to do."

The brown-and-black Tom looked at his friend, a bit of a hurt expression in his amber eyes. He blinked, and it was gone. He wondered if he had imagined it. Probably.

"I care for you, Thornclaw. I can be your friend, and a shoulder for you to lean on." He whispered, licking his own nose. "I'll be there for you."

"Thanks, Spiderleg. I'm glad st least a few of the cats in this Clan don't think I'm a monster." He mewed, realizing he was being a bit dramatic. "But, yeah... Sorry about that, I'm a bit lost in my life. It would be nice to have a friend to guide me along this serpentine path through the fog, yeah?"

"Sure would, Thornclaw. Sure would," Spiderleg responded, an unreadable expression in his own eyes. "Friends care about each other. They really do."

"They do."