Dawnpaw was in the shadows of the apprentices' den, pretending to nap. She'd tripped over her paw in training that day, and Jayfeather had ordered her to rest. She shuffled around in her nest, unable to be comfortable. The seeds that the medicine cat have given her were helping, but the pain was keeping her awake. It was the first day of leaf-bare today, and greencough had spread through the camp so fast she couldn't even keep count.

Something built up in Dawnpaw's throat. She scratched at it with sheathed claws, coughing slightly. Panic shot through her. Do I have greencough?

Dawnpaw staggered out of the den, coughing more heavily now.

A black shape emerged behind her. His bright blue eyes were open and were worried. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Demonpaw, thanks." Dawnpaw gritted her teeth and continued on her way to the medicine den, ignoring the pain in her paw.

"You're not fine, look at you, you're coughing!" Demonpaw nagged.

"I'm FINE!" she hissed. "Leave me alone, you arrogant furball!"

In the dark, Dawnpaw could see Demonpaw smiling. "You need to see Jayfeather. I could take you."

"Where in StarClan do you think I'm going, Demonpaw? Wait- did you just ask me on a date?" Dawnpaw stopped in her tracks.

"Maybe...if you want it to be so," Demonpaw purred.

Dawnpaw coughed.

"You really should go to Jayfeather,"

"I'm going there, you psychopathic furball," Dawnpaw nearly yowled.

"What's this?" Jayfeather appeared at the entrance of the medicine den, exhausted. "Another one? Who is it this time?" His blind blue eyes flicked between the two of them.

"It's Dawnpaw, sir." Demonpaw choked out.

Jayfeather sighed. "Larkpaw! I need you to check Dawnpaw."

Larkpaw hobbled out of the medicine den and examined her.

Get off me! Dawnpaw tried to growl but coughed instead.

"Greencough," Larkpaw sighed as well.

"Have you got any catmint for her?" Demonpaw's bright blue eyes looked over the two medicine cats.

"We're too low on catmint, Demonpaw. We need to save it for the cats who are closer to death. And anyways, why do you care so much? Dawnpaw isn't your sister." Jayfeather snapped.

"I um...I care about her because she's in my Clan," Demonpaw stuttered.

Dawnpaw stifled a purr. She had never heard Demonpaw stutter before.

"Well? Leave!" Jayfeather glared at Demonpaw. "You're going to get infected too!"

"Right. Sorry." Demonpawe muttered, casting a long look at Dawnpaw before leaving.

"Now, you've got weak greencough, so you can stay in the abandoned Twoleg nest. That's where we're keeping whitecough patients and weak greencough patients." Larkpaw led Dawnpaw to the abandoned Twoleg nest.

"What about my training?" Dawnpaw said in between coughs.

"I'm sure Luckystar is busy enough as it is," Larkpaw mewed briskly. "But you'll catch up."

"Okay." Dawnpaw agreed sullenly.

"Here's your new nest," Larkpaw pointed out a messy and small nest in the abandoned Twoleg nest.

Dawnpaw wrinkled her nose. The smell of greencough was overwhelming. She lay on the nest, her paw aching and her lungs burning. Slowly, she drifted into sleep.

Dawnpaw blinked open her eyes to see bright blue eyes staring back at her.

"Aargh!" she scrambled back, shocked. "Why would you do that, you piece of fox-dung?"

"I wanted to greet you," Demonpaw replied smoothly.

"Can't your mentor control you?" Dawnpaw retorted.

"Don't think so," the tom flicked his ears back.

"Stop that. Now if you must be here, then I want to talk about you stuttering last night." Dawnpaw flicked her tail on his mouth to stop him from talking.

"I did not!" Demonpaw protested.

"Oh yes you did! I heard you!" Dawnpaw returned.

"Fine." Demonpaw muttered. "I admit I stuttered a bit."

"Ha! You admit it!" Dawnpaw crowed. Beside her, Snowpaw shifted in her sleep but didn't wake.

"Shush," Demonpaw teased.

"Why, you...crow-food eater!" Dawnpaw yowled.

Snowpaw woke with a start, looking annoyed. "Trying to sleep," she growled.

Dawnpaw's ears went flat on her head. "You mange-pelt!" she hissed at Demonpaw.

"I have something for you," Demonpaw said shyly. "Come outside."

"I'll be glad for fresh air," Dawnpaw said slyly, ignoring Demonpaw.

She strode outside and waited for the black tom.

"Look here," Demonpaw pointed at a blade of grass.

"Yeah? It's grass. You want me to worship it or what?" Dawnpaw purred.

"No. It's catmint. I stole it for you." Demonpaw offered it to her.

"I..." Dawnpaw didn't know what to say. "Thank you."

She took the catmint and ate it. Immediately, her dry throat eased, and her lungs stopped burning.

"I also brought you a rabbit," Demonpaw held up a dead body of a plump rabbit.

Dawnpaw quickly ate it. "Thank you." She repeated.

"I should go," Demonpaw broke the silence.

"Yeah, me too. I should go back into the cramped Twoleg nest that stinks of sickness," Dawnpaw tried for a joke.

Demonpaw didn't purr. He met her eyes, dead serious. "I'm bringing more catmint tomorrow, whether you like it or not. I care about you too much to let you die to a sickness like greencough."

WHAT? What did he just say?

Her thoughts were confused, but her mouth just said, "I'll see you then."

It was when she was back in her nest when it finally .

Demonpaw just said he liked me.

Dawnpaw and Demonpaw's meetings kept going on until Dawnpaw was almost cured.

"Thanks, Demonpaw. I don't know how much I owe you," she said weakly, unconsciously twining her tail with his.

Demonpaw purred loudly. "I'd do it all again for in a heartbeat."

"Demonpaw, over these few days, I've been feeling...different about you." Dawnpaw said softly.

"I think I've always felt this way for you." The tom replied just as quietly. "Ever since the Clan voted to let you stay."

A faint memory stirred in her. The day when Duskpelt had brought her to the Clan. "I was very young. And reckless. And a good bit braver. I can't even say what I feel anymore."

"You're still brave," Demonpaw shuffled his paws.

"And you're still the annoying furball that accompanied me to the medicine den." Dawnpaw shot.

"I've never felt like this before...never about someone before." Demonpaw whispered.

"Me neither," Dawnpaw admitted. "Hide!" Rustling pawsteps had caught her attention.

Demonpaw ducked down instinctively, hiding the catmint and rabbit underneath a bush.

Larkpaw strode over, and she definitely wasn't purring. "I heard two voices."

"Demonpaw was here earlier. He just left." Dawnpaw mewed confidently.

"I'm sorry for doubting you." Larkpaw's green eyes darted around peevishly.

She turned around and left, her head flicking back occasionally as she strode back to the Twoleg nest.

Demonpaw left the bush, purring. "She didn't even question you!"

"It's my natural aura of obedience," Dawnpaw lifted her chin haughtily.

"Yeah right," Demonpaw responded. "Like you could boss a kit."

"Fish-face!" Dawnpaw snarled. She nipped him on the ear.

Demonpaw drew back, rubbing his ear. "Fine, fine," he muttered. "Dawnstar."

"I have to go back," Dawnpaw rubbed Demonpaw's face. "Bye."

"Bye." Demonpaw licked her ear tenderly.

Dawnpaw licked up the rest of the catmint and the rabbits and left Demonpaw in the thick undergrowth.

"Where've you been?" Dawnpaw flinched back as she saw Jayfeather's gray muzzle instead of Larkleaf's silver one. "I've been looking for you for ages!"

"I was walking."

"Do you want to be cured or what?" Jayfeather snapped.

He sniffed her breath tentatively. "You're lucky that you aren't sick anymore. Your greencough seems to be very weak. Good job."

Dawnpaw managed a small smile. It wasn't Jayfeather's treatment that had made her better. It had been Demonpaw's catmint.

"Can I return to training?" she said the first thing on her mind.

"Yes, I suppose so," Jayfeather grumbled. "Take it easy for the first few days. There's a Gathering tomorrow night. Luckystar should be announcing it soon."

Dawnpaw walked through the forest with a spring in her step. Between back to training and Demonpaw, her life couldn't be better.

NOTE: The events in this chapter are slightly different according to DarkClan's Attack.