Tawnypelt sighed, gazing down at her newborn kits with hope and love blazing in her deep green eyes. She was exhausted from birthing them, but now, as they slept, curled up next to her stomach, she felt a wonderous feeling of peace and joy spread over her.

"Tawnypelt?" Rowanclaw's anxoius mew sounded from the nursery entrance, and the ShadowClan queen looked up into her mate's eyes. He must have seen the exhaustion, because he whispered, "As long as you're all right, I can come back later to see the kits..."

"No, Rowanclaw, it's ok," she protested wearily, wanting her mate to be with her, now of all times. "Come see our kits."

He hesitated at the entrance, but dipped his head slightly and padded back to join her, ignoring Snowbird, whose watchful gaze followed his every pawstep. Tawnypelt looked on proudly as he gently sniffed each kit, pausing on the largest, a tortiseshell tom with tabby markings. "Have you named them yet, love?"

Tawnypelt smiled gently, flicking her tail toward her tortiseshell son. "Yes, I've decided on names for two of them," she purred softly. "This one is Heronkit. He's got the makings of a fine hunter." She nodded toward the smallest kit, a dark ginger tom. "That one is Flamekit."

"For your former leader, the great and noble Firestar?" Rowanclaw sneered. Tawnypelt's face must have betrayed her shock and pain, because he mate's face softened and he whispered, "I'm sorry. I just can't get used to the fact that you used to be ThunderClan!"

"It's for Brambleclaw," she mewed softly, turning her face away so her mate wouldn't see the tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. She still missed her brother, even after all these seasons, and she knew he felt the same way.

Rowanclaw didn't reply. He finally murmured, "And the female?"

"That's for you to choose," Tawnypelt replied, turning to face him again. Her eyes were bright with love and happiness, and her mate smiled slowly.

"Dawnkit," he whispered, the corner of his mouth twitching a little. "Because she, like her mother, will be beautiful, like the new dawn."

Her throat choked up with emotion, Tawnypelt reached forward to press her muzzle against his. This time, the tears of joy could not be contained, and Rowanclaw's grin grew into a gentle smile.

"Rest now, beloved," he purred soothingly, pulling away from her slowly. Tawnypelt wanted to protest, but he swept his tail across her mouth in one fluid movement. "Don't argue; you know you're exhausted."

Frowning playfully, Tawnypelt leaned forward a little to nip his ear like she had when they were apprentices; it was a single nip that had started all this in the first place. Laughing softly, Rowanclaw dodged her and, with an affectionate glance back at his mate, left the nursery. Tawnypelt closed her eyes, content, knowing that Rowanclaw had gone to spread the news that they were the poud parents of three fine, healthy kits...

*                                            *                                               *

Tawnypelt yawned and stretched in satisfaction before she realized that her stretching should have upset three little kits, who had been sleeping beside her when she'd drifted off. Panicked, she spun around, and at once knew that she was not in the ShadowClan nursery, or, for that matter, even the ShadowClan camp.

Eyes narrowed suspiciously, the queen scanned the forest around her and realized that she was dreaming. Or, more accurately, she was having a nightmare.

"The Dark Forest," she muttered to herself, flexing her claws. She hoped that she hadn't gotten so soft that she'd forgotten all her training...

"Now, then, Tawnypelt," a smooth, calm voice purred from behind her, "There will be no need for fighting today. Unless you want to be difficult..."

Tawnypelt swung around, a growl escaping her throat, to face the cat who'd starred in her nightmares more than once: Tigerstar. Her own father.

"What do you want, Tigerstar?" she snarled. "I've already refused to join you, haven't I? Do I have to prove to you again that I mean it?" To emphasize, she sank her long claws into the soft dirt of the Dark Forest ground.

To her suprise, Tigerstar only smirked. "Please, Tawnypelt, save me the drama. We both know why I've brought you here."

"To get revenge," she growled. "I'm not stupid! You want revenge on Brambleclaw now, too, because he was good enough to stop you! Who else have you been bribing? Besides me, I mean?"

"Come on, Tawnypelt," a soft, deadly voice spoke this time, and Tawnypelt saw Hawkfrost for the first time. He stood next to Tigerstar, his eyes just as cold and cruel as she remembered. "It's not that hard to figure out."

Speechless for a rare heartbeat, Tawnypelt blinked. Was she missing something? Hawkfrost's mouth turned up in a mocking smirk. He looked like a mirror image of his evil father.

Tigerstar laughed at her expression. "Really, Tawnypelt! I expected better of you. Surely you've figured it out by now? Why Lionpaw seems so incredible in all the stories that ThunderClan passes around? Do you really think he did it by himself? He couldn't have gotten nearly as far as he has without help! And Hollypaw? How long do you think it will take her to come around?" At Tawnypelt's bewildered expression, he frowned. "Think hard, my daughter."

Tawnypelt couldn't help but obey. Lionpaw? Hollypaw? How were they involved in this? Wait... they were both Brambleclaw's kits, weren't they? And Tigerstar was recruiting them. So he'd called her here because...

"No!" she cried, eyes widening in shock as she figured it out. She took a step back. "No, no no no no no no no! You can't," she choked out. Fear, the first feeling of true, genuine fear she'd felt since she was an apprentice, washed over her. Her heart both froze and accelerated at the same time. She felt faint and sick and panicked. If it was just her, that was fine. But her kits? Never!

Both dark tabbies smiled as she put together the pieces. "So," Tigerstar mewed calmly, "Will you give them up easily or will he have to work harder?"

Something in Tawnypelt snapped, and at once, all her fear disappeared. She took a step toward her kin. "Never," she hissed. "You wouldn't dare!"

Hawkfrost looked at her, fire burning in his icy blue eyes. "Oh, but we would," he mewed. "Look me in the eyes and tell me we won't."

Tawnypelt felt anger pulsing through her veins, and she snarled. "You won't, if you know what's good for you!"

At this, both tabbies laughed. "We're dead, remember?" Hawkfrost sneered scornfully.

"Then you'll die again," the ShadowClan queen retorted, stalking closer. "And again, and again, and again! As many times as you need to before you know to leave my kits alone!"

A shadow of fear crossed Hawkfrost's face, and even Tigerstar looked slightly spooked. Every hair on Tawnypelt's pelt was sticking straight up; her claws were extended, her teeth bared. Her face was contorted with fury and there was a crazed gleam in her eyes. The toms must have known that there was nothing more fierce than a queen defending her kits, and they knew, dead as they were, this was a fight they would not win. Tigerstar narrowed his eyes and hissed, "If you mess with us, you'll be sorry!"

"If you mess with my kits, you'll be sorry!" The words ripped from Tawnypelt's throat, making her sound even more fierce. She prowled forward another step, and the toms recoiled automatically.

"If you ever-" Tawnypelt was level with Tigerstar; her eyes met his and she narrowed them dangerously, "-Even think about hurting a single hair on my kits' pelts-" She raised a paw, claws extended, but Tigerstar didn't flinch away, "-You're going to get something much, much worse than you've ever gotten before." In a flash of silver claws, she struck.

Tigerstar stood, blinking in disbelief, as blood dripped from a wound on his ear. Hawkfrost flinched when Tawnypelt turned to him, but he held her gaze bravely. "Be warned," she growled. "Next time, I won't be so easy on you." Then the queen turned and prowled out of the clearing, into the forest, where she sat calmly, waiting until she woke up.

*                                            *                                               *

"Tawnypelt?" Rowanclaw's anxoius voice woke the ShadowClan queen from her slumber. "Are you okay? You were talking in your sleep..."

"I'm fine," she assured him. "How are the kits?" As she spoke, she looked down at her kits, who were wiggling around, searching for milk. She gently nudged them toward her belly, and they began suckling quietly.

"They're hungry," he mate mewed, "And Heronkit's been quite a mischief maker." His voice was affectionate as he spoke of his son.

"I've been thinking..." Tawnypelt paused. Rowanclaw nodded for her to go on, and she did, eyes narrowed. "I think we should rename Heronkit."

"What?" Rowanclaw gasped. "Why? What's wrong with his name?"

"Well," his mate began. "I think we should call him Tigerkit." She waited, braced for Rowanclaw's reaction.

Her mate was silent, studying her face. She seemed serious, he decided. And there was something about her eyes... They were dark, determined, as though she'd just overcome an obsticle she'd been working to overcome for many, many moons.

"Okay," he mewed quietly. "He'll be Tigerkit, then."

Tawnypelt leaned over to lick her mate affectionately. "Thanks for understanding, Rowanclaw," she whispered. "It's complicated, but trust me, he won't turn out like Tigerstar."

Rowanclaw nodded, slightly relieved. He turned and, flicking his tail in Tawnypel't direction, left the nursery again.

Tawnypelt looked down at her kits, a fierce determination burning in her eyes. They would be good, loyal warriors, and they would make ShadowClan strong without the dangerous ambitions of Tigerstar guiding them.

What Rowanclaw could never know was that she'd named Tigerkit for the courage of TigerClan, the courage that would protect both he and his siblings from his evil ancestors.

And, of course, his name proved that Tigerstar had no control over his mother or her family. That she had finally overcome her greatest fear.