(Hey I'm thinking of making this a book...yes or no?)

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(Reaper)

Geno screamed so loud it hurt my ears. Pawing at them, I tried to remember if he'd been this loud before. Goth and Raven sat in chairs next to me. We were just outside the room Geno was in, currently in labor with our second litter. Goth whined softly, his ears flat as he stared at the ground. Raven pawed and dug and pulled at his ears with every scream Geno made. They hated his pain as much as I did.

I tried to console myself and say that yes, he had been this loud and agonized and...tortured...

That is, I tried until a group of nurses rushed into the room madly. They were in there, talking loudly, and I panted in worry. This hadn't happened last time.

The group rushed out of the room, bringing with them one of the wheeled hospital cribs with a child inside it...

"Wait, where are you going?!" I shouted, pouncing after them. A large male nurse stepped in the way and held me back as the child was led into another wing. "Get back here! Where are you taking my pup?!"

A loud scream from Geno's room made my ears want to bleed as I whipped around and sprinted back. Going into the room, I could make out words in his screaming.

"My baby! My baby! Bring him back!" he screamed, thrashing in his bed as two nurses held him down. I came by his side, petting his skull as he looked around frantically. His wild eyes found mine and he growled ferociously.

"They took him! They took my baby!"

"I know, I know, Geno calm down," I tried to calm him down but I was just as worried. Glaring at a nurse, holding in my anger, I asked as calmly as I could muster, "Why did they take him?"

"He wouldn't wake," she said in a surprisingly calm voice for how pissed off Geno was acting beneath her, "He wasn't breathing. They took him to the ICU to save him."

I swallowed, "And the other one?"

"The firstborn is fine," the nurse answered calmly, "She came out easily. But the second was a breach, born upside down."

"S-she?" my tail wagged against my will, "I-it's a girl?"

The nurse nodded, "I delivered your other boys last time. It was easy to tell the difference."

"What will happen to my baby?" Geno asked, his normally calm voice strained and stretched from his screaming.

"He should be fine," she tried to reassure, "But I cannot promise you anything."

Geno looked to me, "Go to him. Watch him."

I glanced at the nurse, "Can I go to him?"

She smiled softly at me, "Normally I'd say no but this is a special case. I don't really want to piss you two off anymore."

"I'll take you to him," offered a bright young nurse. The veteran nodded.

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The young nurse led me to a corridor full of rooms with glass panes looking into them. She stopped by one and pointed out the doctors surrounding my newborn. Soft whines escaped me as I pawed the glass.

Please be okay...Don't die...I need you little one... I thought and felt with all my soul for this child to live.

Pressed against the glass I clung to that hope. The child had to live, for my sake, for Geno's sake...

Something akin to panic seemed to spread through the room and I pounded the glass as the doctors shuffled around. I could hear the buzzing of the machines in the room, flicking my ears at the intrusive sound.

The nurse just watched with me.

The doctors began to clean up and I panicked. "What are they doing? What's happening?"

A gentle touch spooked me and I rounded on the young nurse with an accidental snarl. She reared back, frightened, and I curbed my anxiety.

"Sorry, miss," I muttered, looking back at the glass.

"The doctor wants to talk to you," she said. My head whipped back to her.

"Okay, where?"

"Over there," she pointed at a sliding door by the window. A doctor was waiting, looking tired, solemn, and happy at the same time. I went over to him, noticing that a surgical mask hung from his hand.

"He's stable and breathing," the doctor said without prompting, "He'll be okay but we're going to keep him under monitoring for a while to ensure he remains stable throughout a few nights."

"Is that good news or bad news?"

"That is the good news," the doctor sighed, "The bad news is that we think he has fragile bones. His system is weak, but I believe he'll be fine with a few meds and careful handling."

"Can I see him?" I asked pleadingly.

The doctor held up the mask with a smile, "That's why I brought this, sir. Come on in and meet your son."

He led me into the room after I put the mask on. We reached the monitoring crib with the little baby bones inside it. He was perfect to my eyes, but he would be different for his entire life. One of his ears, black with a dusting of red, was kinked slightly and permanently. The other ear was missing half. It curved, half-formed, with a similar dusting of red on it. He had a white tail, I could see with a black tip. He looked frail and small, but beautiful.

His eyes were closed in gentle slumber, his breathing even.

My newborn son..."Welcome, little one..." I breathed into the mask.

(Geno)

I felt weak and tired. And angry. Raven and Goth were allowed in as Reaper was led away to follow our son. They were by my side in a flash, Goth weeping quietly while Raven gave me sad eyes.

"Are you okay, mommy?" he asked, his ears flat.

"Yeah, baby, I'm okay..." I said tiredly. Goth laid his head on the side of the bed, hanging on my hand loosely. Raven wandered over to the crib in the corner, where his new sister lay sleeping.

"Is this my baby brother?" he asked and I chuckled.

"No, Raven, that's your new sister," I said. He frowned, looking at me.

"I thought you said we were having a baby brother," he pouted. I chuckled again.

"I said we might, and you do," I said, waving him over as I pulled Goth onto the bed next to me, "Daddy went to go see him. He's sick and the doctors had to go take special care of him."

"Is he gonna be okay?" Goth asked softly.

I didn't have an answer for him because I couldn't disappoint my Gothy. I didn't say anything but was relieved of silence as Reaper came in and rushed to give me a hug.

"He's alive, Geno," he whispered, his tail wagging slightly, "He's alive."

Tears came to my eyes and I hugged him back, extremely relieved to know my baby was okay. Letting out a few tired sobs, I kissed Reaper and hugged my little boys.

"Your brother's okay," I told them, "He's gonna be okay."

"Yay!" Raven cheered, "I have a baby brother!"

Goth nudged him, "Are you gonna quit calling me baby bro now?"

"Hmm, maybe," Raven grinned at him and Goth swatted him.

"I was born first!" he protested.

"Boys, boys," Reaper said, taking them in his arms, "Now isn't the time for this..." He gave me a small smirk, "Mommy's tired...We should be quiet and let him rest."

They made to sit down and I waved at my little boys, "Raven, Goth, come here..."

They came over and I hefted them onto my bed, letting them lay on either side of me. They both snuggled into me, sighing gently. Reaper smiled at me before going over to his daughter.

(Reaper)

She looked so delicate. She had Geno's ears exactly, though a bit brighter. She seemed smaller than the boys had been when they were born, but it might just be me looking at a newborn again...

Stretching my paw out I stroked her sleeping face, hearing a sweet little purr. She rubbed into my touch, opening eyes exactly like Geno's but darker and more defined.

"My little girl..." leaning down I nuzzled her small frame gently. Giving a soft lick to her skull she giggled. My tail wagged in response and Geno called me out.

"Enjoying our baby girl, Reapy?" he asked softly. Our boys had fallen asleep in his arms.

"She's so small, Gen..." I said, nuzzling her again. She giggled again, smiling widely.

"Her name's Shino," Geno said gently.

"Shino...so beautiful..." I looked back at him, smirking, "So does that mean-"

"NO, we are not naming her twin Reaper, Junior," Geno rolled his eye.

"Pweeeeeassee......?" I gave him my best puppy eyes but he just flicked his ears.

"NO."

"How about Reaper the Second?"

"NO, that's even worse..."

"Why not just Reaper?"

"REAPER, NO means NO. Now stop."

My ears went flat and my tail hung loosely as I pouted at him. He just rolled his eye, settling in with our boys to rest. He continued to watch me pout until Shino let out a small whine, making my ears perk up. I turned back to her, a smile on my face as my tail wagged softly.

Geno chuckled softly, "I love watching your emotions, Reaper..."

"Huh?"

"Nevermind..."

(Geno)

"Sombre, Shino, where are you~?" I sang, stalking through the halls, "It's bathtime~"

Currently in the playroom, I stalked sneakily through the toys, avoiding anything that might make noise. A tiny giggle sounded in the play tent and I snuck up.

"Where oh where could they have gone?" I mused loudly, "Guess they'll just remain dirty for the rest of their days."

Another giggle. Prepping my stance, I pounced on the entrance. Playful squeals of surprise sounded as I grabbed the two wiggling pups. Standing, one under each arm, I marched to the bathroom.

"Mommy! Let us go!" Shino whined. Sombre just giggled in my other arm.

"Deal with it, sis," he countered, "Mom found us fair and square."

Shino huffed, defeated, "Okay..."

Goth walked up, chuckling as he took Sombre from my arms. I hefted Shino up properly and nuzzled her, "You had your little game, little miss."

Shino huffed at me, trying to pout. But she kept smiling and giggling in my arms as I softly tickled her. Goth and I took them to the tub I had already filled, getting them undressed. Sombre tried to hold back a hiss as Goth took his shirt off and I turned just in time to see Sombre trying to hide a crack on his arm. Goth caught sight of it just as I did and pulled his arm out.

I sighed at the small fracture on his arm, looking up at Sombre's little pout. "What were you up to?"

"It was just a little game of chase, mommy..." he said, "I tripped and bumped the wall... it doesn't hurt, I promise..."

I just sighed again and started wrapping it, making him hiss in pain again. Giving it a small kiss, I set him in the tub with his sister, scratching his ears. "Hurt or not, my brave little boy, you have to tell me or daddy when you think you might get hurt. You could get an infection in a crack like this or it might get worse later. So always tell me, okay?"

"Okay, mommy..." Sombre smiled. I smiled back before dumping a can of water over his head. He squealed in delight as Goth and I gave him and Shino a bath. They kept giggling. Both of them were quite ticklish so bath time was always a fun little time for them all. That is until Shino started a splash war with Goth and soon everyone was soaked.

My babes are so cute... I thought fondly, smiling as Goth helped me start to dry them.

They could never get into too much trouble...

Could they?

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(AGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHNNNNGGGG)

(So, I'm gonna make this a mini-series book, evenually. For now, here's a little itty bitty update because I miss you all and I just got my laptop and I'm stressed as fuuuuuuu- really really stressed.
I am going to attempt to post more often than I have been. I am sorry for the breaks. But hopefully I'll get back on track and this will all make sense once more.
I love you all!

-Tex)