“I don’t,” Orchiddrop said softly, though she did. In the stormy afternoon, their voices floated back to Crow, whom both of them were still unaware. Out here, Orchiddrop was far from the loving mate she was back in camp. Her voice was quiet and restrained, bare hints of fear peeking through. Why were they so far away from camp? Could it be that he meant to harm her- truly harm her?

“I’ve done everything you asked, Goldenshadow,” came the plea that followed, desperate to save her kits. “I’ve been good. If- if it’s the rumors, you don’t have to blame me. I didn’t start them. I can be better- I’ll be more affectionate.” She did not deny the rumors either- she could not deny Crow publicly, even if she pretended she barely knew him.

Orchiddrop stumbled away from his blows, clumsily and awkwardly, trying to maintain her balance as he struck her. She was used to his blows, but these were harder and sharper, more deadly in their intention. These blows elicited a soft cry from her when they landed, when she had normally learned to be silent.

He was going to kill her- he had already decided. Orchiddrop was not as perceptive as her sister, but she wasn’t stupid. Tears pricked her eyes, a new wave of shame washing over her. This was how it ended, what it came out to. All the actions taken to protect her kits were in vain. At least she would not go out as a liar. At least she could fight back verbally, just this once.

“It’s true,” she said hoarsely, squaring her shoulders and looking back up at Goldenshadow. “I was pregnant with Crow’s kits before I accepted you as my mate. I thought, foolishly, that I could give my kits a better chance at success that way. But you- you were the worst mistake I’ve made. I gave up on the one man I love- a good, honorable man who used to love me- to be with a pathetic, manipulative, abusive piece of crap. You wanted to own me, Goldenshadow, and you thought you succeeded. You owned me body and soul- but never heart. I hope that after you kill me, the knowledge that there was a part of me you couldn’t own haunts you.”

Despite her brave words and steeled shoulders, tears flowed openly down her cheeks. Orchiddrop did not want to die. She wanted to apologize before her death- to Crow and her kits once again- but she would not, since Goldenshadow might hear those words and think they were meant as atonement for her lying to him.

Orchiddrop couldn’t reconcile what she was seeing with what she had expected to happen. Here was Crow- Crow, who should by all accounts hate her, who should have left Summerclan the moment he found out the horrible lie she had constructed. And now he was defending her from the man who would have her dead.

She would not leave him.

“Kill him,” she spat, sapphire eyes brimming with hatred and ire. In her weak and heavily pregnant state, she could not do it, but she desperately wanted to. However much she may have brought this on herself, in that moment she wanted nothing more than to see her abuser cut down. Gone were the mercies she had learned in the hunt for her parents killers, replaced by the brimming over of months of silent torture.

She made no move to leave Crow, though she did give them a good distance, still mindful of the kits in her stomach. Speaking of… Orchiddrop paused suddenly, then let out a choked gasp as the pain gripped her abdomen. No. Not here. Not now, she pleaded, knees buckling. Rain lashed against her long white fur, her world spinning as the pain wracked her body.

Plead as she may, it was no use. Her kits were coming, making their entrance in the middle of the battle between their true father and the tom who would have played the part.

Since her meeting the Crow, she found herself stalking SummerClan's territory. She had to make sure that he followed through and found his mate. She didn't see him again after that meeting, but she hung around. She had seen this tom and the she-cat wander before. She saw the fear in the why Orchiddrop moved, but ultimately decided to wait. It was not her place to interfere within this Clan. But that was before she noticed her pregnancy. This time she was close enough to see how pregnant she was, and when Goldenshadow readied himself to attack her, she was ready to defend. But then her shadow confronted the demon. And she couldn't have been more proud, until he started to actually fight. Goldenshadow clearly was the better fighter, but she waited to step in. Her son had more inside of him. She saw his conflict, his rage, and his love. When he found that inner strength, the difference was clear.

He ragdolled the poor tom around, no doubt driven by a mixture of rage and desire to protect his mate. She knew how much pent up anger he had, and Goldenshadow was taking the brunt of it. Igziq stayed there in silence, and held her breath as Crow finally ended up on top with his claws raised. The blue-eyed bengal silently egged him on. And then he hesitated, and Igziq got ready. Goldenshadow had rage too, and the abuser never let that rage go. Ever. She stalked to within striking distance, and then when Goldenshadow moved toward her son, she leaped from her hiding place.

She was a blur when she collided with the tom, and in their tumble his surprise let Igziq grab onto his foreleg and end up on top. Without a moment's hesitation and with all the strength in her forelegs, she pulled up and a loud pop could be heard by everyone as she dislocated his leg. She threw him by that foreleg, no doubt causing him immense pain, and growled. "You lousy piece of abusive filth!" She knew the fight was over, his was incapacitated. No cat could fight on with a dislocated limb. But she was not her son. She had no moral code that would hold her back her. In a moment she was on his other leg, and did the same. Another pop. This time, she twisted his leg with her jaws for good measure. A sick cackle left her jaws as she let go of his leg. "No one threatens my family. No one!"

She glanced between Crow and Orchiddrop. To Crow, the meaning was simple: mommy's got this, help your mate. To Orchiddrop, it was somewhere between 'welcome to the fam, hope you like it', and 'help is on the way.' She turned her attention back to Goldenshadow, and this time placed one paw on his neck and on his face. She slowed curled her claws into his neck, no doubt getting dangerously close to his airway and arteries. Her other paw curled into his skull, and she made sure to hover one of her claws above an eye. "How does it feel to be powerless." She pushed down on his neck and started to suffocate him. "This is how she felt. This is what you did to her!" His previously immaculate pelt didn't escape her. With the paw that was curled into his skull she split one ear straight in two, and gave the other a distinctive bite mark. There no tear, only a tooth sized hole in his ear. Her tone dropped and she turned to look at Crow and Orchiddrop. "Crow, mommy's gonna rehabilitate this tom. You don't have to worry about him anymore."

(GidgetGal it's time for ratstar to make his appearance!)

Rosethorn had been hot on Ratstar's heels on their way out through the storm, hanging back at his request until the fighting was over. Then she broke forward from her hiding spot, rushing to her sister's side.

Orchiddrop was curled around herself, taking shuddering breaths as the contractions wracked her body. She was drenched from the rain, shuddering and pitiful, and blood still welled from the wounds on her cheek, mixing with mud, rain, and tears. Rosethorn took a deep breath, tears welling in her own eyes as she leaned down beside her sister.

"You're okay, Orchid. You're alive," she whispered, trying to soothe the rightfully hysteric queen. "I'm so sorry- I should've intervened earlier. I didn't know-" She cut herself off, realizing it wasn't the time. "You have to be strong for just a little longer, Orchid. For your babies." She turned to Crow, exhaling deeply. "Go get Graythorn. Get him to bring labor herbs. There's no way she's moving until the kits are here."

There was nothing to do except wait, so Rosethorn laid down beside the queen, trying to keep her warm in the icy rain. She rested her chin on Orchiddrop's back, murmuring soothing words as Orchiddrop wept- wept from pain, from regret, from fear, from relief that Crow had not been killed. The others could discuss Goldenshadow all they wanted- as much as Rosethorn wanted to see him dead, her obligation was first and foremost to her battered and trembling sister.

Crow could feel his legs begging to buckle underneath him when his mother threw herself into the fray, the strength that had held him aloft and carried him through the battle seeping out knowing that Igziq would take care of everything from here. He knew he couldn't, though. Showing weakness now was the last thing he wanted to do, the last thing he wanted Goldenshadow to see before he would watch his mother's claws rip the life right out of him.

At least, he'd hoped that would be the resolution to the events of this evening. Reality was a lot less sweet-- Ratstar arriving in time to spare the abusive pile of bones laying crumpled at his paws. He bit back a snarl that he was sure the leader wouldn't appreciate, his eyes glinting with an immediate guilt that he'd ever doubted Ratstar, and he raised his dark chin when he was addressed. There weren't any words for him to say, the gratitude mute between the two toms. Ratstar would surely see it in his eyes before they flickered away to rest on Orchiddrop, and Crow may have lurched across to her if not for Rosethorn's arrival next.

Numbly, he registered her order. Most things were starting to fizzle out of his awareness as the exhaustion and blood loss drained him of what little energy he had reserved, wanting nothing more than to be warm and dry and snuggled up somewhere with his mate like they'd done before their relationship became complicated by abandonment, deceit, and bitterness. He should hate her for it. Somewhere, that dark little seed of anger that had been planted the day his childhood ended was threatening to bloom, but it withered and died anytime they so much as made eye contact or he caught her distinct lavender scent when they passed each other, wordlessly, in camp. Crow couldn't hate Orchiddrop anymore than he could have killed Goldenshadow.

His mother once again claimed the remnants of his attention, taking charge as she so easily did. He struggled between the two orders poised to him before, begrudgingly, he addressed Rosethorn. "I'll get Graythorn." Haggard, it was clear there wasn't much left in the fiery tom-- and he definitely didn't want to leave, not with his mate giving birth to his kits-- but he knew Rosethorn would be harder to convince to go. "You get the supplies until then." Firebright eyes resting on Orchiddrop's pained gaze, an unspoken I love you flashing within them, he summoned up the last dredges of strength and vanished from the scene.

(Whitemuzzle hope you don't mind adding graythorn to this mess!)

(No worries! )

If it wasn't one thing it was another! Graythorn thought as he followed Crow through the wet territory at a break-neck speed. His small log of herbs banged against his chest as it dangled from the vine handle in his mouth. Why can't queens stay inside the camp when they're so close to delivering? There was nothing he could do but follow the fleet footed tom. It seemed like an eternity before he picked up the scents of other cats just ahead of them and was surprised to see their leader, Ratstar, among the group. He stopped when he saw Goldenshadow laying hurt among the group but the sound of a cat in pain drew his attention to Orcharddrop.

"How far apart are the contractions?" he asked after dropping his herb log on the ground near the pregnant queen. He was pleased to see Rosethorn was here. She could help him with the herbs. At least she'd be the only cat here who would know what herb was what.