As soon as Scourge left his alley that day he went straight back to it, after hearing the rumor of course. Ahh, the rumor, that Scourge protected males who liked males and females who liked females, they'd come up with a word for it.

Crosslovers

And the rumor was that Scourge protected all Crosslovers because he was one, Scourge was not happy.

He'd stormed back to his den, after taking the cats ear off of course, and stayed there, he stayed there for a long time, didn't move, didn't eat, didn't drink, he did nothing but think.

About Willow, about the safe place, about the two males, and most of all, about Bone, Scourge was so confused, he was so alone and he didn't understand, he wanted to know what it was, the feeling he had when Bone protected him, stood near him, even talked to him.

It couldn't be love, that's impossible, Scourge had a clan to lead, cats to take care of, he wasn't about to go and love another tom! That would ruin everything, he had to find a female, something to cover up...cover up what? Would that be admitting it?

But it couldn't be! And all the thoughts kept on repeating...it was so sudden, the love, or maybe it was there all along, after all, Scourge had learned how to ignore his emotions quite well, but this, this was new.

It all came together when Bone walked in.

He strode in confidently, muscles rippling and eyes glowing, but Scourge didn't see that, he lay in his nest, head down and gaze averted to another plane of existence.

Bone looked at him in shock "Scourge! Is this where you've been the whole time!?" Bone said, making Scourge jump up, having not noticed him.

"All this time, it hasn't been long...has it?" Scourges pelt was grey with malnutrition and his eyes were cloudy and repeatedly focused and unfocused, he was scrawny again, ribs showing prominently through his fur, but he didn't even notice.

"You've been missing for a week, Scourge, here, hold on I'll be right back" And before Scourge could say a word, Bones muscled flexed and he was gone in a flash of speed.

"I've never thought of him that way" scourge thought, wrapping his tail around his grey pelt, eyes boring into the ground once more, he faded in and out until Bone came back with a rabbit in his jaws and a spotless rag tied to his front right leg.

He set down the rabbit in front of Scourge and tore off the wet rag from his foreleg, turning back to see that instead of eating, Scourge was staring at Bone.

"Go on, eat" Bone said, nodding his head as he went back to getting the rag off his leg "Thank you" Bone froze at the small voice, Scourge never said thank you, but Bone looked back and there he was, carefully eating the rabbit, one small bite at a time.

Bone shook his head, telling himself that he must've imagined it and got the rag off, he walked over and placed the wet rag next to the rabbit so Scourge could get the water from it.

Once Scourge had area and drunk all he could, Bone peppered him with questions.

"Why did you do that?"

"None of your business"

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, since when are you concerned?"

Born scowled and talked to Scourge like he was a child "Scourge, I want to know what happened, why did you do this to yourself, the whole clan is worried" Bone said, sitting down next to Scourge.

"All you need to know was I needed some time to think, you know, because of you, the whole clan thinks I'm a Crosslover" though Scourge spat the word like poison, he flinched on the inside and remembers the conclusion he'd come to.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry sir" Bone bowed his head and looked away to hide the hate on his face I did that, I did that to Scourge that's my fault. He thought angrily.

"No, it's okay, I got things worked out" an awkward silence followed Scourge's words.

"Bone, what would you do if I a Crosslover? I mean, not that I am, I'm the leader of this clan, the Scourge of the streets" Scourge said, trying to find out what Bone thought of him.

"Well...I guess I wouldn't mind, I'm sure you'd find an amazing tom to love you" Bone said, nervously flicking his tail. Not me, never me. He thought to himself

"Oh" Scourge said, "Well...I better go clear things up huh"

"...yeah, probably don't want me with you" Bone laughed, trying his best to lighten up the mood.

"No, I want you on the stage with me, I want cats to understand that they are yo treat you no different" Scourge said, extremely serious.

"Oh, well okay, whatever you want Leader" Bone said with a smile, he then wiped it off, he was the stone cold deputy and guardian, Bone dosent smile.

And so Scourge leaped across the alleys, literally bouncing off the walls and off trashcans and boxes, making his way to the lathe dumpster where he leaped up on top and called a meeting.

"I am here to clear things up, you may have heard some rumors about me, and I am here to correct you, I am your leader, your protected, the one you come to for assistance and help, so tell me, do you think that I AM A CROSSLOVER?!" Scourge yelled, startling the entire audience.

They looked at Bone, wearing his stone cold mask and murmured, seeing Scourges glare, they all began shaking their heads with great enthusiasm.

"Good, I don't want to hear rumors like that again, if you want truth, come to me" Scourges commanding appearance had the cats nodding their heads once more, by now they all looked like bobble heads.

"Dismissed" Scourge leaped past Bone and onto the ground. Right next to another cat who leaped about five feet in the air and then scrambled to get away.

Scourge sighed and flopped down in his bed, Bone walked up awkwardly and spoke "I just wanted to say good job on the speech sir, amazing confidence and composure" he said, ears twitching nervously.

"Bone, do you want to know the truth?" Scourge looked up at Bone, tired and beaten.

Bone swished his tail, motioning for Scourge to continue.

"I'm scared, I'm terrified of my mind"

Bone looked at scourge lovingly and curled up next to him, lapping at his ear and twining Scourges tail with his

"It's I'll always be here with you...my love"

And then, finally, Scourge woke up