Parent Teacher Conference [Sablestrike]

Since her return, Sablestrike hadn't allowed himself time to speak with Lilyvalley. Any time he had been free to speak with her he had found something that he convinced himself needed his immediate attention. He had thought the molly still harbored resentment for what had happened before she went missing all those moons back, but to his surprise it seemed Lilyvalley didn't have any problems talking with him. Perhaps his fears had been unfounded, or perhaps not. Still. Hated or not, she was his clanmate and an old friend. He didn't want to avoid her any longer.

"I've been... Well, good for the most part. These moons preceeding your return have been hard on us, but Shadowclan is thriving again. It's been so amazing watching our clan slip from death's clutches and return to its former life. That, and I'm still so happy that I've been able to create a family of my own." Happy yes, but he was also afraid. He now had to worry about the troubles his kits would get into, the potential dangers they would be exposed to. If it were up to him he wouldn't have ever given them their apprentice names, but Leopardstar had pushed him to do it. If he was forced to name them, then the least he could do was entrust them to warriors he knew would keep them safe, and while Lilyvalley had been a gamble on his part, it seemed to be working out.

"I'm sure Heatherberry is happy to see them thriving, I'm just..." Did... did he just say Heatherberry? The tom panicked a bit, quickly adding to his thoughts. "happy to see them not getting into trouble, as I'm sure their mother Swiftheart is too! I don't know what either of us would do if they got hurt. What about you? How have you been? I can't imagine living on your own for so long was easy." The tom switched the subject, hoping it was enough to keep Lilyvalley from asking questions.

When she put it like that, Sablestrike couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about their relationship. His eyes dropped briefly to the scar on his chest, the scar that Swiftheart had given him, a near identical twin to the one he had given her. It wasn't fair that he was forcing this role onto her. Would the clan seeing her as the mother of his kits stop her from finding happiness? I really need to show her how much I appreciate her. But how could he do that, with another scar? The deputy laughed to himself. "I'm glad she's happy, too. Swiftheart is a good friend, she deserves to find happiness." Even if their relationship wasn't what others thought it was, could that still make her happy? It was impossible to tell with the molly, she always carried a sunny disposition and a bright smile anywhere she went.

"You really are terrible at taking care of yourself, aren't you." Sablestrike nodded. The state she had returned in made her look like an entirely different cat. She had been older, thinner than any cat he'd ever seen, even those from the moons of famine they had endured, filthy beyond belief. He had always thought she'd do better out on her own, but then again she did have an enormous disadvantage. The deputy gazed briefly at her twisted paw, catching himself in the act and apologizing quickly. "No matter where he is, I'm sure he's doing fine... But, Shadowclan has a way of calling its inhabitants home, too. I wouldn't be surprised if he found his way home in a couple of moons." No cat could remain away from Shadowclan for long, and if they did, well... It usually meant they were wading the stars with their ancestors.

"I'm happy you're here with us, though. I never thought I'd see a friend return after so many moons missing. Given Swiftheart's recent... pregnancy, I didn't feel safe entrusting one of our kits to her, but I trusted you well enough to keep watch over him. How are the two of you doing, by the way? It has been quite a while since you've had an apprentice to train, hasn't it."

"Y-yeah, I suppose we are." He really needed to stop saying things like that, if he got more careless he'd eventually just spit out the kit's true mother. Sablestrike wanted to agree with her, he wanted to tell her how disappointed he had been with her, but she didn't need to hear those kinds of things right now. Besides, there was no way she didn't already know.

"Ah, for a while there I didn't think he was mine! He always seemed so meek when I was with him, but as long as Juniperpaw was around he would end up acting just like me. It was odd really, he's only a miniature version of myself you know. It's interesting to see how he reacts to different obstacles. I get to see how his mind works, how he grows. I can't imagine life without any of them anymore." The deputy was positively beaming as he finished. Even just speaking about his kits made the tom feel proud, though he didn't spend as much time with them as he wished he did. "The two of us could be an unstoppable force, he just needs to mature a bit before that. What I'm really surprised about is how Juniperpaw acts. She's not like me or Swiftheart, but she's got her mother's boundless love... And her cuteness." The personality actually did make sense. She took more after Heatherberry than him, and all of his kits shared her rusty brown coloring somewhere in their pelts. It was so oddly mesmerizing to watch them grow up.

Sablestrike's chest puffed out. They really were amazing kits, weren't they? Though calling them kits at this point was almost an insult to them. Hollowpaw, Juniperpaw, and Willowpaw were all doing excellent as apprentices. Perhaps someday soon he would see the first of his kits earning their warrior name. That thought spread a smile across the tom's face. Going by when they were apprenticed, Hollowpaw would be the first to join them. He'd need to make a spot for her in the warrior's den soon, but would she want it to be next to his? Would she want space to herself? Surely Juniperpaw wouldn't, and if she did Sablestrike might weep.

The deputy was struck from his daydreaming by that next part. It wasn't his first time being asked that question so he was able to keep himself composed for the most part. "Well, when the clans all left because of the spreading disease, Swiftheart ended up losing her kit's life to a rogue. I thought she needed to let out some of her frustrations, so I offered to be her sparring partner. I didn't realize just how much she had been holding back... She gave me this-" Sablestrike dipped his head to the scar the molly had left on his chest. "and I lost it and gave her one to match. I felt so bad about it, I must have apologized to her a million times. I brought her fresh prey, kept her company, and eventually it just... Happened." Sablestrike shifted. He felt so odd talking about Swiftheart as if she were his mate. He knew that Heatherberry knew about their story, but it still felt like he was being dishonest or unfaithful to her.

"So funny to me that something so er, beautiful, could start from something like a scar to the chest, don't you think? Regardless, I love my children more than I ever thought I could. I knew I loved Snowfoot, but my kits are a completely different kind of love. I'm sure you understand the feeling." Sometimes it was hard to put into words, even in his own thoughts, but the bond he felt with those three was deep enough to change his life. "I just wish Frecklekit could be here to see her siblings flourish."