Work Text:
“I love you,” Nutmeg says. “Rusty, listen to me, I will always love you.”
She pulls him into her arms.
“I’ll fight for you,” she whispers, “okay?”
He doesn’t ask what’s going to happen to Princess.
Nutmeg releases him, and presses a kiss to his forehead. “I love you,” she repeats.
“I love you too.”
But then a stranger is leading him into a car and he’s pressing his face to the window, and Nutmeg is crying as she waves to him, and they just keep driving.
* * *
Frostfur runs a comb through his hair. “You excited to see your mom today?”
* * *
They change his name when they cut his ties to Nutmeg, like they want to be sure he won’t forget who he is now.
“Firepaw,” Bluestar says, and he knows it’s a kind offer. It’s acceptance, and he accepts it, letting it be one less thing that will make him stand out with the other kids. They’re going to kindergarten soon, and he won’t have to explain his name to them.
But it’s not the name his mother gave him.
Frostfur rubs his shoulder. “Welcome to the family,” she says.
* * *
They have to take a foreign language in middle school.
It is foreign under Firepaw’s tongue and familiar in his ears. It is what little he has of his mother and sister, things he forgotten with no one to share them with.
“Shouldn’t you be better at this?” Greypaw teases, and Firepaw laughs, because it’s a funny joke, isn’t it?
Sometimes, he wonders if Nutmeg would recognize him now.
* * *
He’s sixteen when he gets a phone call from his sister. He doesn’t talk to Princess very often, and he talks to Nutmeg even less, so if she’s calling, it must be serious.
“I need help,” she says. “I’m pregnant. With twins.”
* * *
Princess’ children are born here, and their birth certificates reflect that. Cloudkit’s name is not changed when Brindleface adopts him, Fernkit and Ashkit already cooing over their baby brother.
“This won’t be the last time you see him,” Firepaw promises. “I’ll break him out if I need to.”
“I hope you didn’t just say you’d steal a baby,” Brindleface says, but her face is soft. “Princess has my number, Firepaw. I have every intention of staying in contact.”
She looks at the other child. Princess named her Lilykit, and she sleeps peacefully. Brindleface waves Firepaw out of the room, but as he’s leaving, he hears her say, “There’s still time if you want to change your mind.
* * *
Cinderpaw gets hit by a car the summer before he leaves for college.
Fireheart sits with her in the hospital during the days, when Frostfur and Lionheart are working, and he brings stacks of those babysitting novels she loves so much.
"I’m gonna miss you when you leave,” she says.
“No, you won’t. You’re going to fight over my room with Brackenpaw and Brightpaw and Thornpaw.”
“Me or Brackenpaw,” Cinderpaw says. “C'mon, Brightpaw and Thornpaw are like, eight. They can share.”
Fireheart snorts. “Try telling them that. I caught Brightpaw measuring the window. She said she has plans.”
“Well, I should get it now,” she says. “It’s on the first floor.”
Her smile contorts.
“You’re going to get better,” he says. “The doctors said–”
“You don’t have to lie to keep my spirits up, or whatever,” Cinderpaw says. “Look, can you just keep reading? I wanna know what happens with Claudia and Ashley and you’re gonna have to go soon.”
* * *
“Fireheart,” Greystripe says, practically singing, “just wait until you hear what happened to me!”
“Did you not realize dining halls are unlimited food or something?”
“I met someone!” he says. “Her name is Silverstream and I’m going to marry her.”
“That’s a little extreme for a first meeting.”
But Greystripe shakes his head. “Just you watch,” he says. “I’m telling you, she’s the one.”
* * *
“Hey,” Princess says. “Look…Mami isn’t well. You should come by.”
* * *
He goes home.
When he gets back, Greystripe has two kids and no Silverstream.
“We never did get married,” he says. “Guess it’s a little late to ask.”
* * *
“They deserve more than someone ducking in and out when it’s convenient,” Leopardstar says. Her voice is deathly calm, her posture rigid, and with enough conviction even Fireheart feels swayed.
“And you think you will provide that stability?”
“I already have. Featherkit and Stormkit are cared for by Mosspelt. They have an older sister. But we are a large household. Mistyfoot and Blackclaw have younger and older children.” She takes a deep breath. “They will grow up surrounded by love.”
Fireheart sighs. He knows that they could do the same, but Greystripe isn’t a part of Bluestar’s household, and courts rarely favour single parents.
He knows that too well.