by L. M. Brown
"Blanche, can you watch the youngsters?" Kelon asked, and Blanche, who had apparently appeared mid-fight, nodded. Cal felt a twinge of guilt that the young felines might have witnessed him attacking their father, but they didn't seem to be around.
"Cal, go after Jax," Kelon urged. "He needs you."
Ty nodded. "Kelon's right. Go find Jax. He'll want to be here for the birth."
That was just the thing to get Cal moving and he raced out of the door. He scanned the horizon, searching for the pure white fur of his mate. "Jax!"
His mate didn't answer. Cal ran to the main village, passing Loris and the healer walking back on the way. "Have you seen Jax come this way?"
"He was heading to the sky car terminal," Loris replied.
Cal wanted to demand to know why Loris hadn't stopped Jax and told him Ty was in labour, but he didn't have time to get into another fight with him. Perhaps Jax had simply been too far away for Loris to speak to him.
He raced to the sky car terminal, his paws aching as the soft grass gave way to sharp stones. He could understand why some species chose to cover their paws with clothing. As Furyne became more built-up, he suspected felines would have to follow their example.
The terminal was quiet. They were several stops away from the busiest areas near the spaceport. With no queue to be seen, Jax could have gone in any of the eight directions from this terminal.
"Are you getting on the sky car?" the nearby operator asked.
"I'm looking for my mate. I was told he came this way."
"What does he look like?"
"Small, pure white fur and blue eyes."
The operator smiled. "He headed to the spaceport."
Cal hurried into the nearest vehicle. He paced the floor of the sky car as he cursed the slowness of the method of travel. At least Jax wasn't moving any faster. With nothing to do except pace and worry, Cal did plenty of both.
*****
Although he didn't know it, Ty was mirroring Cal's moves, pacing the length of the bedroom as he answered the healer's questions. He knew he was being sharp with her, but his worry about Jax was at the forefront of his mind. He hoped Cal had found him and was already bringing him back.
"Where's my son?"
Ty groaned as he heard his mother in the main room. The healer rushed over to him, apparently thinking his noise of pain was in some way connected to his labour. He waved her away. "Go tell my mother what's happening, and make sure to keep her through there. I really can't deal with her right now."
The healer did as he requested.
"You can't stop me from seeing my son."
"Are you a qualified healer?"
"No, but—"
"Your son is in labour and has requested the presence of a healer, and his mates."
"But I'm his mother!"
"And I'm his healer. It's my job to make sure Ty's labour is as stress-free as possible, and he has requested you wait out here."
Ty smiled as the tenacious feline stood her ground, refusing to let the higher-ranking noble past.
He practised his breathing and tried to estimate how long it had been since his last contraction. The sound of a baby crying in another part of the house stopped him short. Where was Jax? Ty knew he hadn't abandoned his litter, and that he just needed to get himself together. Being upset around the babies would only unsettle them as well. But he had never been away from them like this before.
The healer returned, thankfully without his mother, but unfortunately with Loris. Ty glared at the feline, holding him responsible for upsetting Jax.
Loris held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "I'm just trying to protect my family."
Ty hissed at him. "Jax is no threat to your family and if you'd listened instead of jumping to conclusions, you'd know that."
"Then you're not here to help Jax get his litter back?"
Ty shot him another scowl. "My main concern right now is giving birth to my own litter."
"And afterwards?"
A contraction hit Ty before he could answer, which was probably for the best, since his reply was unlikely to help the situation. When he felt able to speak again, he turned to Loris. "Jax is the sweetest feline I have ever met. He loves his babies, all of them, but when he found out his first litter was being raised by his brother, he begged us not to tell Kelon the truth."
"He did?"
"Yes. He had every intention of leaving here without ever revealing he was the father of your youngsters."
"Then why did he change his mind?"
"He didn't," Kelon answered from behind Loris. "If you'd have let me explain, you'd know that I had figured it out for myself, and had to practically prise the truth from Jax."
Loris hung his head. "I guess I owe him an apology, don't I?"
"Yes, you do," Kelon agreed. "Let's just hope Cal can find him and bring him back."
"He will," Ty said. He had the utmost faith in Cal, and even if he didn't, he knew Jax would not stay away for long. He would return soon.
As he continued to pace, waiting for the next contraction, he hoped it was soon.
*****
Cal arrived at the spaceport, finding it crowded and noisy. It appeared as if there were several busy passenger crafts arriving and leaving and as such, a variety of species packed the entire waiting area.
Small as Jax was, Cal had little hope of seeing him in the crowd. He would have to rely on his other senses instead. Taking a deep breath, Cal searched the myriad of scents for his mate. Since Jax had been recently claimed again, his mark should be strong enough to find even in this crowded port. No newly claimed feline could ever hide from his mate.
Cal walked slowly, sniffing this way and that as he wove through the crowd. Some of the other species gave him odd looks, perhaps wondering what he was doing, but the felines and other species with a good nose didn't give him a second glance.
Then he caught it, the unmistakable scent of his mate, almost lost amongst all the others around him. Instinctively, he gravitated towards the lines of passengers heading off-world, but he soon realised his mistake. He turned back the other way, the scent becoming stronger as he neared his mate.
He found Jax curled up on a bench, around a corner, in a maintenance corridor. His panic eased as he sat down at Jax's head, stroking the soft white fur and rubbing his ears in a soothing gesture, one his mother had used when he was a child and upset over something.
Jax sat up and Cal put his arm around him, cuddling him against his side. "I'm sorry for running off," Jax said. "Are you angry with me?"
"No. Of course not."
"But I left my babies, abandoned them, without even thinking about what I was doing."
Cal smiled and shook his head before he remembered Jax couldn't see him from where he sat. "You would have come back soon."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Why do you have such faith in me? I've not done anything to deserve it."
Cal hugged him close. "Are you telling me that you wouldn't have returned to feed your babies as soon as their mealtime arrived?"
Jax shook his head. "We should probably head back now, before they get hungry."
Cal stood and guided Jax back out of the spaceport and to the sky car terminal once more. They got onto the next car going back to Kelon's village and headed home.
"Why the spaceport?" Cal asked.
Jax shrugged. "Maybe I was thinking of jumping off-world on the next flight out."
"No, you weren't."
Jax smiled and ducked his head. "No, you're right. I just hopped on the first sky car to pull in and the spaceport was the final stop for it. I found a quiet corner to be alone and then you found me. How did you find me so quickly?"
Cal smiled and sniffed at Jax's neck. "This is how."
Jax sighed and then groaned. "Cal, stop it, you're making me hard."
Cal chuckled. "Sorry, but you did ask."
Jax cast a glance over at the group of felines chatting at the other end of
the sky car. "I wish we had this vehicle to ourselves."
"Me too, because we won't have time for anything like that when we get home, either."
"What do you mean?"
"Ty's in labour," Cal replied.
Jax stared at him in horror. "And you came after me?"
"Well, yes, of course I did. You needed me."
"Ty needs you. He's in labour and you're running all over Furyne searching for me!"
"You know as well as I do that Ty would want me to make sure you're safe. He adores you. We both do."
Jax curled around him once more. "I'm sure I don't know why."
Cal tapped him lightly on the arse. "Stop it."
Jax rubbed against him, purring with contentment. Across the sky car, two of the females gave them knowing smiles and turned away to give them at least the illusion of privacy.
Cal knew they couldn't go too far in the public conveyance, but he could at least distract his mate with kisses until they arrived at their destination.
*****
Ty heard Cal and Jax the moment they returned. A part of him was disappointed that Cal hadn't found Jax in time for the two of them to be back for the birth. The other part was relieved that his mates hadn't been forced to witness his pain. His heart had ached for Jax as he went through his own labour, and he was glad his mates hadn't had to suffer the same with him. He was also quite pleased that his own had been of shorter duration than Jax's, even discounting the fact that he had only carried two babes, compared to Jax's trio.
He purred at the baby in his arms. His firstborn, a daughter, had bold black stripes throughout her fur, but her bright blue eyes were Jax's. Her sister had no markings at all. Her white fur showed everyone who had fathered Ty's first litter. Ty couldn't wait to show them off.
He knew his parents were eager to meet their grandchildren, but he had insisted that Jax and Cal be the first to greet them, after the healer who had helped deliver them, of course.
Jax appeared in the doorway. He hesitated a moment, appearing unsure of his welcome.
"Come and say hello to your daughters," Ty urged with a wide smile.
Jax took a step forward. "Are you angry with me?"
Ty shook his head. "I could never be angry with you, now come sit beside me."
Finally, Jax reached the bed and climbed on beside Ty. "How many?"
"Two females."
Jax leaned in closer. "Five babes altogether. We're going to be very busy the next few cycles, aren't we?"
Ty grinned. "We are indeed. And don't forget, I want to carry a second litter with Cal's babes, too."
"I've not forgotten," Jax replied.
Cal went over to the cribs. Two additional ones had been set up alongside the others, and the four babies in them slept soundly, at least for the moment. Ty suspected that as soon as one began to cry, the rest would follow.
"I can't believe how much the others have already grown," Cal commented. "It's only now I'm seeing them next to the newborns, I realise."
Ty chuckled. "I thought the same thing myself."
His daughter murmured and Ty guided her to his breast. Even though he had been helping Jax feed the others, he felt the warm glow of pleasure that came from feeding the baby he had brought into the world.
A movement from the doorway signalled the arrival of his parents. It seemed that Kelon had been unable to keep them out any longer.
His mother sighed, and the sound wasn't one of pleasure. "You do know that Jax could nourish the babies as well as you can?"
"Yes, I know. I've been helping feed Jax's litter since they were born."
"If you let your milk dry up, your breasts will reduce quicker."
Ty rolled his eyes. "I don't need a lesson on the workings of my body, Mother. I don't intend to let Jax feed all five of our babies alone."
"But Ty—"
"No, Mother." Ty glared at her. "When my babies are hungry, I'll feed them. Besides, I'm enjoying this."
"I suppose you're going to feed them in public too?"
Ty didn't even bother to look up this time. "If they're hungry, then yes, I will."
"There are already rumours about you," his mother continued. "There are those who saw you at the spaceport and noticed your weight gain."
"You're making it sound like I got fat," Ty said. "And I don't care who saw me."
"Ty, could you at least think about what it would mean if everyone knew what you were."
Ty smiled as he gazed on his daughter. "I think about it every day. Revealing what I am would give hope to so many dual-gendered felines who feel they have to hide what they are."
"That's not what I meant."
He opened his mouth to tell his mother that he knew.
"Leave him be," Timon said. "Our son is old enough to make is own decisions. Besides, he's right. Being dual-gendered is nothing to be ashamed of, it's just the way he was born. If common felines were to see him proudly declaring his dual-gender it could help to erase the stigma that so many people associate with it."
Ty gave his father a thankful smile and nodded to the crib on the far left. "Why don't you say hello to your younger granddaughter."
His parents both approached the crib and were soon cooing over her.
A murmur from one of the other babies had Jax hurrying over too.
Cal sat down in Jax's spot, his gaze fixed on the baby. "How are you doing?"
Ty chuckled. "She's doing very well."
Cal shook his head. "I meant you. Was it really painful?"
"I'm fine."
"Don't avoid the question," Cal scolded. "How bad was the pain?"
"It was worth it."
"You don't have to carry any more babies," Cal said. "Your noble markings are clear in this little one. Your line is secured."
Ty waited for Cal to meet his eyes before he replied. "I am going to carry your litter too. There is nothing I want more."
Cal took his hand and squeezed it. "If you're sure?"
"I am. I want a large family, like the common felines have. I want our home to be filled with love and laughter."
Jax joined them, Patty feeding at his breast. "I want that too."
Cal smiled fondly at the two of them. "I have a feeling the two of you are going to spend most of your fertile cycles carrying litters."
Ty laughed. "I think you might be right."
Chapter Seventeen
Jax climbed down from the sky car and stared at the palace. It had been more than a cycle since the mating festival, yet it seemed like yesterday he had last been here.
Turning back, he took hold of the wheeled carriage that Cal was lowering to the pathway. He checked that the two girls were still sleeping and found that they were. Ty's litter slept far more soundly than Jax's trio. Once he was assured they were content, he helped Cal with the next carriage. Cal jumped down after it and then turned to take Patty from Ty, so their mate could disembark.
Once they were all on the ground again, they started the walk up the path to the palace. Ty's parents had returned home a month before, but the rest of them had opted to stay with Kelon and his family for a while.
Loris had accepted Jax wasn't going to destroy his family and they had called something of a truce. Jax wouldn't have described them as friends, but he had hope that one day they might be.
They had all had long discussions about whether the children should be told Jax was their biological father, but they had decided to keep that from them for the moment. Perhaps when they were older, and capable of understanding, they could be told the truth, but until then he would remain Uncle Jax.
Jax had parted from his siblings on good terms, with a promise to visit Kelon often. He wished he could offer the same to Blanche, but she was heading back to Falcair and visiting off-world wasn't going to be easy, not with the youngsters to consider.
As he pushed the carriage along the path, he smiled down at the babies. He suspected he had an expression on his face that was as sappy as the one Ty wore. Not tha
t Cal was much better. The three of them were utterly devoted to their young brood.
They arrived at the palace doors and entered, to be greeted by the staff. Jax gazed about the entrance hall, searching for any sign of his uncle or Lyndon. He didn't want to see either, but he knew that word would have been sent to his uncle about his return to the palace.
A male feline with tabby markings ran over to Cal and threw his arms around him.
"Rags… can't… breathe." Cal escaped from his friend's embrace and set him back a few paces.
"You went off-world without taking me with you." Rags glared at him. "You said I was going to join your household and then took off in a spacecraft… leaving me behind."
Cal hung his head. "I'm sorry, Rags. It all happened rather quickly."
Ty stepped forward and offered Rags a kind smile. "Cal couldn't tell you because he didn't know what I had planned until after we'd left the palace."
"He didn't?"
"No. As he said, it was very sudden. We're back now though, and I hope you'll still wish to join our household. I know Cal has missed you."
Rags nodded eagerly and then stared at the brood of baby felines. "A litter of five? I guess we're going to have our hands full with these."
Ty laughed. "Actually, this is two litters, one of three and one of two."
Jax could tell the moment Rags realised what Ty was saying. The markings, once everyone saw the babies, would reveal that there were three parents in the mix, but at the moment they were all bundled up for the journey. Rags, who had been Cal's former primary food source, would be familiar enough with Cal's body to know he was not dual-gendered.
Ty urged Rags and a few other felines to come forward. "This is Patty, Tyme and Dem. As you can tell, they're a little older than the other two. Jax carried them. And these two little felines here are Fay and Lys. I gave birth to them a few months ago."
A few of the staff gasped at Ty's declaration, but his mate ignored their surprise. He picked up Lys and proudly showed his firstborn to the waiting staff. "Isn't she beautiful?"
"They all are," Cal said. "They're all going to be spoilt and pampered entirely."
