Tales From The Broken {COMPLETE}

Squirreltail's Darkness -Chapter 6-

"Are you sure you'll be fine alone in here?" Brackenpelt questioned, his voice drawing concern.

"Of course." Squirreltail assured her mate. "I have a den all to myself to get some peace and quiet. I don't know if you've ever slept with a belly full of kits but it's not always comfortable in a crowded den."

"I'll bring you prey every day." Brackenpelt promise.

Squirreltail let out a mrrow of laughter. "You already do, love." She touched her nose to his. "Sandfoot said she will keep me company in here too." Squirreltail settled down into her new nest, it was full of fresh, soft moss and bracken. She wasn't lying, she was actually looking forward to having a den all to herself and her kits.

It had been four sunrises since Squirreltail learned she was carrying a bundle of kits and the Clan had done well to make her at home in the new nursery. She had a large nest in the back where it was warm, she would be able to stretch out as much as she wanted. For for the first time since losing her vision, Squirreltail didn't feel bad for having every single cat wait on her and bring her prey.

"Don't you have a patrol to get to?" Squirreltail purred at Brackenpelt.

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable in here." He was clearly nervous.

"I'm fine, Brackenpelt. I love it, thank you for all your hard work." Squirreltail mewed, resting her fluffy tail over her paws.

"A lot of it was Earthpaw, she didn't stop until she found the best moss for you." Brackenpelt explained with a chuckle.

"Well tell her how grateful I am, she did a wonderful job." Squirreltail began to knead at the soft moss. "Now go on patrol before Cinderflame bites your ears off!" Squirreltail forced her mate to run off and go on patrol. She wanted some peace and quiet to herself.

Once Brackenpelt was gone she let out a content sigh. "So," She spoke aloud to the kits in her belly, something she did with Rosewind as well. "How are you little ones doing? I can't wait to meet you. I wonder how many of you there are."

Squirreltail got a response in the form of slight movement in her belly, she couldn't help but let out a loud purr. "Restless, are we? Don't worry little ones. You'll be out soon enough, and you'll have a whole forest to explore! You'll love your father, he's the greatest warrior in the whole forest. He loves your mother very much, he always takes care of me. Your sister is very excited to meet you as well, she'll teach you all the right things. Oh, and your grandmother is such a wonderful cat. She's retired, so she will take you off my paws when I need a break.

"Though, I won't be running out to go hunt..." Squirreltail's heart began to ache, but she forced the feeling away. "Still, I could go for a walk. I still know the forest, and if I have Brackenpelt with me then I'll be perfectly fine." Squirreltail sighed and rested her chin on her paws. "Oh kits, I'm so excited to meet you. I can't wait to watch you to grow into strong warriors, just as I did with Rosewind."

Squirreltail continued talking to to her kits, getting the occasional shift or kick in response. They were restless, they wanted to come out now. One more moon kits, one more moon. Squirreltail didn't want to wait a whole other moon, she wanted to meet her kits now. She had felt the same with Rosewind, she just wanted to see her kits.

A sharp burst of pain ripped through Squirreltail's heart. Except. I won't get to see them. Her stomach twisted itself into knots. I'll never get to see what these kits look like. Squirreltail felt a darkness she had never felt before creeping up on her, how could see not see her kits? What kind of mother would she be if she couldn't even describe what her own kits looked like? Would she be able to handle it?"

"You doing alright?" Sandfoot's voice snapped her out of the darkness, Squirreltail's head jolted up towards her mother. "You're staring off in space."

"Yeah," Squirreltail cleared her throat. "I'm doing alright, just thinking about my kits."

"Mind if I come sit with you? Nightwing is napping and I don't want to disturb her." Sandfoot asked.

"Of course." Squirreltail sat up to make room for her mother.

"This is nice and cozy." Sandfoot mewed, Squirreltail could feel her shifting beside her. "Much bigger than when I had you and your brother."

"They did a good job rebuilding it after the fire, and Earthpaw did a great job collecting good moss for me." Squirreltail sighed.

"Everything okay?" Sandfoot nudged her daughter. "I know that something is on your mind."

"It's just...weird." Squirreltail admitted. "All of these cats doing so much for me, when I can't do anything in return. Yes, I'm an expecting queen now so I don't really have to but when these kits are out of the nursery then what? I can't hunt to make up for all of my Clanmates hard work."

"You don't have to Squirreltail." Sandfoot mewed. "Your Clanmates help you because they love you, they care about you. They want to see you happy, and they want you have to have healthy kits. Nightwing and I don't hunt for the Clan, but they take care of us still. We may not hunt or fight now, but we did. We are being honored for that, you have fought and hunt for your Clan as well. Though now you continue to give to the Clan, you're giving us new kits. New warriors to strengthen our Clan. You may not be able to hunt or fight anymore, but they will."

Squirreltail hadn't thought about it that way before. "I suppose." She kept the part about her being terrified of not being able to see her kits secret, that wasn't something she was willing to share with any cat just yet.

"You have a lot of cats around you who love you, Squirreltail. I see the way Brackenpelt looks at you, he loves you more than anything else in this forest. He would move mountains for you. You really lucked out with that one."

Squirreltail couldn't help but purr at the thought of her mate. "I really did, I don't know what I would do without him. He's my rock, he keeps me strong and happy."

"Your father was the same way with me." Sandfoot mewed, letting out a sad sigh. "He looked at me like I was the sun, and he often told me that I was the light of his life. He never let me forget that he loved me, and I did the same for him. I hope you and Brackenpelt are the same way."

"He never lets me forget that he cares." Squirreltail mewed. "And I tell him I love him every chance I can. I still feel like a kit when he's around, he makes me so happy."

"I'm glad to hear that." Sandfoot rested her chin on Squirreltail's head. Squirreltail thought about her father, he was a loyal and brave warrior. Dedicated to his Clan and his family above all else. She missed him so much, she wished that he would be able to meet his new grandkits. Watch over them from StarClan, father. Squirreltail prayed. Keep them safe.

Squirreltail and Sandfoot spent the day together, talking and sharing memories and hopes for the future. When Brackenpelt returned from patrol, he grabbed Redclaw and Rosewind and the four of them shared some prey together. Squirreltail was once again reminded of how amazing and loving her family was. Please, never take them away from me.