with every heartbeat i have left [c]

"Bouncepaw!" Frostwillow called to his son, readying himself for the conversation they were about to have. The truth that they deserved to know; had always deserved to know. "Willowpaw! I'd like to speak with you both, if you could spare a moment."

It was a pleasant enough day, enough that it felt strange - the sense of loss and hollowness were fresh, still, but it seemed as if this corner of their world was untouched by tragedy before their arrival. But the mingling of the Clans was - well, it wasn't the perfect time for this conversation; he was sure there wasn't one.

But it was well past time, as days had passed since their arrival here.

---

Willowpaw lifted her head to see the RiverClan warrior who had comforted her in the aftermath of the disaster, when she was shivering and cold and alone in the crowd at Highstones, and silently nodded her head. She didn't mind offering him her time, not when he had offered her his kindness.

Bouncepaw's silver head perked up as Frostwillow called his name. Thankfully, he hadn't been hurt by the flood, fire, nor quakes that had wrecked havoc among the Clans. He knew not every cat could say the same. It was fair, he thought with a frown. Most of the cats who'd died hadn't deserved it.. But that was life, he supposed. Cats died and more cats were born. It was a cruel cycle but it was the truth.

"Yeah, dad?" He mewed, standing up and stretching his forelegs. The tom blinked as his father called the little SkyClan apprentice. What was her name again? Oh, Willowpaw! Duh, his father just said it. The silver furred apprentice grinned and ran up to the she-cat. "Hi! You probably don't remember me, but I'm Bouncepaw! That's my papa, Frostwillow."

Willowpaw nodded slowly as the other apprentice introduced himself again. "Bouncepaw," she said quietly, for her own benefit more than anything else. "Right. And, um... Frostwillow... Okay." Despite his words, she did remember Bouncepaw; and the strange sense of familiarity she'd felt when she first saw him. What a RiverClan warrior wanted with her she wasn't quite sure of, but she couldn't bring herself to ask.

---

"Ah, you two... There's something I need to tell you," Frostwillow began. "Something important, so I hope you're ready to listen... Willowpaw, I don't know if you recall, but... I asked where your mother was, before. You look just like her."

He took a moment to gather his strength. "She was my mate... And you two are littermates. I'm sorry that there wasn't a good time to tell you, but now... It wasn't supposed to be like this. Still, if you'll give me a chance, I promise to dedicate myself to you both."

Would they hate him for his confession? Hate each other? He doubted it, but still...

"And please... Take care of each other."

It was what Feathersong would have wanted.

There was silence for a moment.

Shock. Surprise. Confusion.

And then.

A grin.

Bouncepaw's eyes lit up, and his maw parted in an awed smile. "I have a sister?" he mewed softly, in awe. And then, louder, "I HAVE A SISTER!" The tom yowled joyfully, looking between Willowpaw and Frostwillow with a gleeful twinkle in his eyes.

"That's so super cool, right Willow? Dad! Do we have anymore secret siblings?" Bouncepaw asked, his fur fluffed out in his excitement. "Oh, this is great! I always wanted a sibling! I can teach you how to fish, and we can go on patrol together," he broke off with a gasp, and an even wider grin if that was possible, "We'll even get our warrior names together! Which means we can sit vigil together and you, and me, and dad can go hunting, and maybe fight a fox! Wait no, foxes are big, maybe a goose instead, until we get bigger and stronger. But still! We'll have so much fun together, Willow!"

It hadn't yet occurred to the energetic tom that Willowpaw lived in SkyClan, and that she might not feel the same as him about all of this.

Willowpaw listened quietly as Frostwillow spoke, letting each word settle over her until she understood what he was saying - what he meant by it. Why he had called her to this conversation.

"A... Brother...?"

Her initial response was to take a half-step back, especially when Bouncepaw started shouting - but she forced herself to stay where she was, and to think. She had thought she was alone without her mother... But if this was her family, if they really wanted her... Then that wasn't so alone after all, was it?

"I... I'd like that," she murmured. "To spend time with you."

She was SkyClan, and they weren't, but it didn't seem to matter as much as they had always said; and her mother had taught her to take things one at a time when she was overwhelmed like this.

For now, at least, the Clans were together. The rest would come later.

"I... I don't know about fighting a fox- or a goose... What's a goose?"

---

"Just the two of you, as far as I know," Frostwillow shook his head. "And I'd like to think I would. Ah- Now, Bouncepaw... Willowpaw is SkyClan," he reminded. "But for the moment, we're all traveling together; so I suppose you just might get to do some of that, at least."

He hoped that Clan rivalries wouldn't keep them apart, particularly at a time like this when they didn't seem to matter. There were no leaders to forbid them from speaking just yet - well, there was Olivestar, but neither of them was WindClan and he doubted she'd try to do something like that.

"Geese are really silly white birds with teeth!" Bouncepaw explained, proud to know something that Willowpaw didn't — but now she did, and that was good! When his father reminded him that Willowpaw was SkyClan, all the silver tom did was crinkle his nose. "Why's it matter what Clan she's in, papa? If she's SkyClan, that means Mama was too. So why does it matter? RiverClan helped SkyClan in the flood, too! So I think our Clans are friends, and even if they aren't, we're still family!"

He turned his gaze to Willowpaw, grinning. "So it doesn't really matter what Clan you're in! Because we'll always be family, and we can always look after each other, okay?" The apprentice may have been a bit too energetic and eager, but he was sincere, and he'd be there to protect his sister now that he knew he had one. "That's what family is for, yeah? Being there for each other, no matter what."