Epilogue; Pregnant Fathers

Yuki held one of Haru's hands in her paws, Lune behind her, lending his support.

Baron was sweating as much as his young wife. It had been a terrifying seven months for him. Yuki's pregnancy had lasted a little over two months, and human's usually took nine months to bring their little ones to term, but neither Baron or Haru had ever been completely certain how long she would be pregnant for, or how the baby was doing. All they could do was be careful.

Haru had still gotten up to make breakfast every day, and they still danced every night at her request, until Haru's stomach had gotten in the way and they had been forced to stop.

"Push now," said the cat doctor Lune had summoned to help Haru with the birth.

Haru pushed, and screamed, and grabbed tightly at every hand she could. She pushed again, and again, and kept on pushing, stopping between pushes only long enough to take another breath. At last, she felt empty and knew that it was over.

"You know," Haru said quietly to Baron, still holding his hand. Sweat-soaked, she rolled onto her side a little so that she could look at him. "You have been a pregnant father," she informed him. "Where?" she asked, turning back to the doctor.

The grey old cat held up two little bundles, wrapped carefully up in blankets.

Baron took the bundles from him and returned to his wife's side, handing them to her so that she could at last see the little bodies that had been kicking her from the inside.

"So name them already," she said, smiling at her love and kissing him just beneath the whiskers, playful despite her exhaustion.

Baron pulled back the blankets carefully and looked at his children. Two precious little girls covered in peachy-orange fur, their little hands curling open and shut, sometimes closing over their tails or ears. He may have been a pregnant father, but he was so proud of Haru for bringing these little gems into his life, and so very in love with her.

"Well, I don't think we can get away with calling them Yuki and Lune," he said, looking from his little ones to Haru and then the royal couple who had come to be with them. They all shook their heads in agreement; it just wouldn't work as smoothly as it had with the royal litter of kittens.

They were around somewhere, exploring the Bureau, probably annoying Muta out in the courtyard. Little Muta seemed particularly taken with the old fatso, his namesake, and followed him around. His mother worried that her youngest kitten was picking up bad habits from the old rogue, but his teachers would keep the kitten in check when they returned to the Cat Kingdom.

"How about… Mary, and Rebecca?" Baron suggested, tickling his daughters each as he named them.

"Sounds good to me," Haru answered. "Now, papa, give me a proper hug," she ordered, using his new title as father of her children, a huge smile on her face.