Misunderstandings

Misunderstandings, aka Fern writes nonsense, aka lame genderbend Warriors.

Set after the main events of Firestar's Quest, before the epilogue. For those who haven't read it, that's between The Darkest Hour and Midnight.

Mentions of pregnancy. That's literally the whole fic.

I apologise in advance, I haven't even read this thing through. I just wanted to get it off my hands.

The fallout is a little different, when it's the leader who visits the Medicine Den, and not her mate.

Firestar's fur prickles as she heads for the Medicine tunnel, as if what she's doing is illegal, as if she's being watched and judged. Her warriors drowse in the last of the golden evening sunlight, pressed up against the wall of thick grass to catch the rays before they drift upwards and leave the ravine in nighttime shadow. They're not watching her.

She ducks her head, enters the tunnel. Her paws feel shaky with nervousness, in a way that they haven't done since she was awarded her nine lives. Her head feels heavy with the secret she's carrying - it could jeopardise her position as leader. She hasn't even told Sandstorm. She hasn't really had the chance, she thinks guiltily, trying to defend herself. They've both been so busy since they returned from SkyClan.

The ferns pass away over her head and the little grassy clearing she enters looks beautiful at this time of day. The water cradled in the little pool to her right sparkles golden, and the ravine wall reflected in it is an earthy red

Cinderpelt is backing out of the herb-store rock when she sees him, engrossed in his work, he turns around -shuffling a little on his scarred leg- starts with surprise when he sees her, raises his tail in greeting.

"Firestar! You've come to see me at last!"

Firestar blinks at him, as he pads up to touch their noses together. "At- at last?"

Cinderpelt gives her a sympathetic look, ushering her further into the clearing. "I'm a Medicine Cat, Firestar, you think I haven't noticed?"

The ginger leader's pelt spikes with alarm. "Does anyone else know?"

He shakes his head, sweeping his thick dark tail across her back, leading her to the nests in the grass. "I don't think so. Nobody's mentioned anything. Lie down, I need to have a look at you."

Firestar does as she's told, stretching out in the mossy grass. Cinderpelt's long white whiskers twitch as he leans down to examine her belly. He reaches out a paw, moves it through the paler fur.

"Yes," he murmurs to himself. "Yes, definitely."

Firestar feels like her stomach has dropped out of her body. "Definitely?" she croaks, mouth drying.

"For sure," Cinderpelt says, pulling back. His ears are pricked with delight. "Congratulations!"

Firestar stares at him, head spinning in confusion, fear running rivulets down her spine. "W- what? Aren't I sick? You just said I was sick!"

It's his turn to look confused, blue eyes narrowing. He pulls back all the way into a sitting position, twisted leg dragging a little. "What do you mean?"

"Cinderpelt, I've been vomiting every morning for the last three days! I keep getting chills and flushes all over my body, my stomach keeps twitching... I don't know what to do! I can't be ill so soon after getting back from SkyClan! Do you think I got sick there? Maybe I got an infected bite from the rats-"

"Firestar," Cinderpelt cuts her off, raising one grey forepaw. "Of course you've been like that, aren't you here about your pregnancy?"

Firestar physically recoils. "What?!"

Cinderpelt stands up, sweeps his fluffy tail to gesture across her whole body. "Pregnancy. You're having kits."

Firestar, pushing herself up on her forepaws, can only stare.

"Oh, Firestar," he says, eyes softening in sympathy. "You didn't know?"

She shakes her head, mutely, draws her ginger tail around her paws.

"I thought you were coming to ask for advice. I thought you knew!"

Firestar looks at her paws, kneads her claws in and out of the soft grass. "I don't know what to say..." she meows, softly. "You're sure? I'm not ill?"

Cinderpelt nods, solemnly. "I'm sure. I figured it out a few days ago, but since I thought you'd know before I did, I waited for you to come to me."

For a second Firestar feels a rush of relief, like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders, and she almost relaxes. And then the realisation hits her. "Oh, StarClan help me, Cinderpelt. This can't be happening. What will the Clan say? What will the other Clans say?!"

"Calm down, it'll be alright," Cinderpelt reassures her, but his blue eyes are starting to go wide as well with the implications.

Firestar struggles to her paws. "Female leaders aren't allowed to have kits- I can't- they'll take away my leadership-"

"It's not written in the code so it's not an official rule -don't panic, it's not good for the kits- it's nonsense, nobody will take them away from you, or your leadership away."

Firestar pushes past him, casting out for the centre of the clearing, tail lashing. "Of course not! Why should they? What right does anyone have to tell me I can't be a leader, just because I have kits?"

Cinderpelt catches up to her, licks her ear comfortingly, but before he can say anything she pushes him away again.

Her pelt is prickling with anger now, "If I can be a kittypet and make it to leader, I can be a mother and a leader as well. And just let them try to stop me, I won't-" she stops short, staring at the fern tunnel.

"Oh, hello, Sandstorm," Cinderpelt says, in a carefully measured tone of voice.

The light-coloured tom blinks at the two of them, a vole swinging from his jaws. He drops it into the grass at his feet. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something? Cloudtail said she saw Firestar come this way, I thought she might want something to eat."

There's a tense moment of silence, during which Cinderpelt shifts his scarred leg and Firestar's tail keeps twitching angrily, soundlessly. She looks at the grey tom.

He looks back at her, steadily. "It'll be alright." He tips his head, gesturing to Sandstorm, still standing in the fern tunnel. "Come on, let's start small.

Firestar swallows. "Sandstorm, you're going to be a father."