"What?" Bluestar meowed softly, staring at the mother in surprise.

"Whitestorm was my mate," Willowpelt replied, eyes pleading. "He loved me. Or I thought he did. I only realised after the fire he never cared about me or the kits! If he did, he would've saved me from the fire! I would have died if it weren't for you, Bluestar. Please let me be a part of your Clan."

Bluestar's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't want to make a bad reputation for RiverClan. If you leave, you will be a part of RiverClan forever and you can't leave again. You will be disrespected and hated for the longest time before you prove yourself to your Clan. Even then, cats will think you're a traitor. Your kits may grow up disrespected."

Willowpelt frowned. "Well, of course, I won't let that happen!" She protested.

Bluestar looked down at the queen with sympathy in her eyes. "You'll have to fight Whitestorm and your friends."

Willowpelt's claws sunk into the earth and she shrugged. "I'll fight Whitestorm with no hesitation. He left me and my kits to die."

Bluestar smiled and dipped her head, tail tip twitching. "Okay, Willowpelt. But you will be treated like a prisoner at first, I'm afraid to say," the leader meowed, flicking an ear. "Let's go back to camp."

Bluestar picked up a kit and helped Willowpelt and the other two kits back to RiverClan's camp and Willowpelt's new home.

--

"Bluestar, why did you bring an enemy warrior here?!"

Oakheart was staring at her sharply and Bluestar felt like shying away under his gaze. But she stood strong.

"Willowpelt and her kits were treated horribly in ThunderClan by her mate and others too. In the fire, she was left to die and her mate didn't help her. She has asked to join RiverClan with her kits."

Oakheart snorted. "We already have a bad reputation!" He protested, tail lashing from side to side. "We don't need more ThunderClan cats."

Bluestar leaned in close to her mate, muzzle near his ear. "Imagine how it would feel for you to stay in RiverClan but me and my kits driven out by Hailstar," she murmured. "Please, have a bit of sympathy here."

Oakheart's eyes softened and he gave up. "I guess so," he muttered.

Stonefur padded over to the newcomer, dipping his head curtly. "Welcome to RiverClan," he meowed calmly. "You can make a nest in the nursery."

Willowpelt dipped her head, looking nervous, and padded into the den with assistance from Mossdapple. After the medicine cat exited the den again, Stonefur sighed. "Oakheart and Bluestar, how about we have a quick talk in the leader's den?"

Bluestar nodded, leading the way into her den with the two warriors following close behind.

--

Inside the leader's den, Stonefur's calm demeanour evaporated. "What were you thinking?! Letting an enemy warrior into our camp! You couldn't have even asked your deputy?!" He snarled.

Bluestar blinked in surprise, ears flicking up and eyes narrowing as she gazed at her son.

"She was a queen and she had kits," she meowed coolly. "Imagine what would've happened for you if we were exiled from RiverClan. I'm trying to do the right thing."

Stonefur scowled, dipping his head. "I know you are, but why couldn't you have asked me what I thought? What use am I other than sorting out the patrols if you don't come to me with help like this?!"

Bluestar's hard gaze softened. "I'm sorry, Stonefur," she meowed. "I promise I'll come to you next time and I'll listen to you. It's just that Willowpelt's story is a lot like mine. I felt so bad and it all felt so familiar to me. I didn't want to be like Darkstar."

Oakheart's ears pricked. "How do you-"

Bluestar shrugged off the question. "Doesn't matter," she meowed simply. "Now, I need to tell you two something about Thistleclaw."

"Thistlestar, soon," Oakheart muttered.

Bluestar nodded. "He killed Sunstar," she hissed.

Stonefur jumped to his paws. "T-That's a large accusation, Bluestar," he stammered, looking taken aback and surprised.

"I was there when he killed him in the fire," Bluestar croaked, the awful memories rushing back to her and making her flinch. "I tried to save him, but I couldn't. Whitestorm, Tigerclaw and Firepaw blocked my way. I managed to get past Whitestorm but it was too late. So I tackled Thistleclaw and I tried to strangle him. I knew it was my only chance to stop him before he became a leader and I was so close-"

"You tried to kill Thistleclaw?!" Oakheart hissed, tail bushed out.

Bluestar's eyes narrowed. "I had to. I had a vision from StarClan. They showed me a camp full of dead RiverClan cats and Thistleclaw sitting on a hill of bones. There will be a horrible danger for all four Clans now that I have failed to kill him. I was so close, but the smoke got to my lungs and-"

She broke off with a cough. "I fell unconscious. I nearly lost a life."

Oakheart gasped and nuzzled Bluestar's cheek. "You nearly died!"

"That'd make both Thistleclaw and me," the leader meowed wryly.

"I'm glad you told us that," Stonefur meowed, sitting back down and gazing at her with concern in his eyes. "You need to tell the Clans at the gathering tonight."

Bluestar nodded. "I will try to. He killed cats and I'm going to make sure they get avenged. Now, could you two leave me to rest in here? I've had a long day," she chuckled with a cough.

Oakheart and Stonefur exchanged a worried glance, then her son left. Oakheart hesitated. "You don't want me with you?" He meowed, eyes glittering with concern.

Bluestar yawned, curling up in her nest. She opened a blue eye at him and smiled. "I'm fine, Oakheart. You did a great job today," she meowed drowsily, beginning to fall asleep.

Oakheart walked over and licked her between the ears like Moonflower did when she was a kit. Then he left and left Bluestar alone with her thoughts.

I failed, she thought to herself sadly. But I can still make things right. Maybe StarClan won't even want to give that treacherous cat nine lives.

She repeated the calming thoughts in her head, knowing deep down they weren't true.