Love is patient, Love is kind [For Marcel, Alderheart, Enchanted, & Dewleaf]

Hawkstrike had sent for Frozenflame, after her mother had come visit, so had her father in secret. He looked over the new litter, and mourned with her the ones lost. But while Softsong had only chastised her and let her be, her father was more strongly worded about bringing over Frozenflame. He disagreed with her decision to keep her mate away, still plagued by her memories of her mate walking into camp with their son's dead body was no excuse, he said. He believe this would only hurt them both.

She's agreed reluctantly, seeing some reason. So she waited, tightly curled over her four kits. She care for these little ones, and would stop at nothing to keep them safe from this word.

Tears rolled down Frozenflame's cheeks. How did he not know this? Was he blind? How could he of not seen his mate pregnant? How could she of not told him? When Duskfall had found him and told him about Hawkstrike, Frozenflame was a mix of sadness and furious. The tom pushed through the entrance of the nursery, scanning for his mate while he was still crying. When he found her, he locked his gaze with hers. He didn't need to speak because his eyes did for him. They spoke of pain and brokenness and anger and sadness.

The grey and ginger tom slowly walked over and sat down. After a while of staring at the floor, he said, "Why didn't you tell me, Hawkstrike?" His voice was soft and quiet with sorrow an sadness. His eyes trained on the beautiful kits curled up by his mate's tail and he felt angrier that she hadn't told him.

HoneyKit slowly crawled to FrozenFlame and purred

Fawnkit, scenting another cat, wriggled around in the nest and began mewling. What's going on? Who is this? The fluffy brown and white kit wondered.

Eaglekit mewled at another cat's scent. "Is that our father?" He slowly squirmed from his spot, and soon, was next to Frozenflame's tail. He mewled and pawed at Frozenflame's tail.

Fawnkit feeling the chilly air rush in beside her as two of her siblings wandered off, Where are they going? Don't leave me alone! She gave a weak wail and started off after them, unknowingly she bumped into her father.

HoneyKit squirmed in confusion [i]who is this cat?[/i] and then layed down next to fawnkit

OOC wrong cat alderheart. Fawnkit

Hawkstrike looked away from her mate, unable to meet his crying gaze in guilt. While she didn't regret taking the time to make her own decision about these kits, seeing her love so pained crushed her as well. She didn't mean to hurt him, she just needed some time to herself. To choose to have these little ones rather than be obligated out of parental duty. And she had no doubt, that had it gone some other way, she may have struggled to care for these kits.

"I..." She started, still not meeting his eyes. "After losing Firepaw, Shrikepaw, and over half our kits wounded in the fire... I just need some time, Frozenflame. Time to make my own decisions, and I would have told you, but... I wasn't ready to be a parent again. I needed to make this choice, and I have now. I plan to protect my kits, and raise them better than our last."

There was something off about her statement, she there was a sort of possessive fervour in her tone as she curled around these little ones. When Eaglekit, and Honeykit, tried to move away, with a quick nip, she brought them back into her nest.

Viperkit nuzzled into his sister, Fawnkit, not caring for this commotion. He just wanted to sleep at the moment.

A smile played on Frozenflame's face as the kits tried to come to him, but when Hawkfrost forced them back into their spots, a look of some sort of terror washed it away. "You mean our kits, Hawkstrike?" he asked. "They are mine too. I am the father, aren't I?" He took a big swallow and choked down his tears, trying to hide them from his mate. He noticed the odd tone to Hawkstrike's voice, which made him shiver a little. If she wasn't going to let Frozenflame take care of the kits too...then what did that mean for him? Would he still be their beloved father? The tom didn't know, but he wasn't going to give up possession of the kits easily.

Fawnkit gave a gentle purr as her littermate nuzzled into her, her fur fluffed up defensively as she heard the tone of the voices and her mother tensing up.

Eaglekit hissed quietly as his mother put him back into his spot. He began to squirm away again, trying his best to reach the mystery cat.

Honeykit mewled at her mother to let her go see the mystery cat

Fawnkit couldn't decide whether to follow her siblings or stay, she sensed the tension between her mother and the stranger. Putting her choices aside she caught even stranger scents from the mystery cat's pelt.

"Who else would be!" She hissed, ears flattening against her head at the accusation. The she-cat got up and bristled over the kits, keeping them together with a simple swipe of her paws. Hawkstrike acted like her name sake, watching him intensely for any movement. While a part of her screamed what on earth was she doing, this was her mate, another louder part demanded she protect her kits from this hostile tom.

Perhaps it was the grief and then stress talking, but she was losing it. And only when she lashed out with a unsheathed paw towards him did she see it herself.

The cream she-cat jerked away, falling to her side away from Frozenflame. Her green eyes wide with shock, and her pupils blown out with adrenaline.

"I... I. Help me, Frozenflame..."