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“Okay, that piece there now," Ticktock said, directing Paul in re-assembling a gold pocket watch. They were seated at her worktable on a pile of rags, with Ticktock in his lap. She was still wrapped in bandages as her ribs healed, but she was getting better by the day, which was a relief to Paul.

He carefully fitted the gear where she wanted it, and then nodded, “Okay, what next?" he asked.

She looked over the pieces and then pointed at one, “That there, the spring," she said, “It has a little hole at the end, that goes here, be careful not to let the case open or it will fly to pieces."

Paul took the small piece and looked at it, seeing what she was talking about, he carefully slotted the spring back into place. “Okay…" he said as it clicked into its spot. “Uh…now what?"

Ticktock clumsily tried to grab at the back of the watch, but her fingers wouldn't flex the way she wanted, and it slipped from her grasp several times. She smacked Paul's hand and pointed at it growling, “That…put the back on. Then try winding it," she said.

Paul took it, and carefully set it in place. Then he wound the watch, which started to tick rhythmically in his hand. He smiled, “Hey! We did it!" he said excitedly, then noticed Ticktock wringing her hands and his mood faltered. He sighed, setting the watch down, and he gently took her hands in his, “Sorry, Tick…" he said, rubbing gently over her palms.

She pulled her hands away from his, wincing as she strained her ribs doing so, but she held in the pain.

“Sorry…again…" he said, sighing.

“It's not you," she said, shaking her head, and holding up her scarred palms, “Stupid clumsy hands…" She growled and curled them into misshapen fists, “Stupid Gnarltooth!" she spat.

He rubbed her back gently, “I know…"

“Stupid Milkeyes too," she grumbled, “Blaming you for him, making you fix his mess. It's not fair! You didn't know those other humans were after you!"

Paul sighed, “It's still my mess too…" he said, “If I wasn't here, then they wouldn't have come."

“And we would still be starving and stealing because we couldn't grow food. You at least brought us enough that we didn't have to all go to bed hungry."

She had a point, and Paul decided not to argue it. “Either way, I do have a mess to fix," he continued, “And I have no idea how to go about it, if we stole the equipment needed to grow the medicine, that would just make my brother send more men after us, and the City Council or Bright when they realized just how much coal gas we'd be stealing too. At the scale of a grow house, it's not easy to hide the use."

Ticktock huffed, but nodded slowly, “I wish there was some other shaman we could use, but Gnarltooth was too stupid and power hungry to teach anyone." She shook her head and put her head down on the table, resting it on her arms.

Paul gently rubbed her back and closed his eyes for a while, listening to the soft ticking of the pocket watches that hung all around the walls of their little alcove. To him it sounded like a swarm of clicking insects. That thought was strange to him, when had he ever heard what insects sounded like? Then it hit him, “Crickets!" he exclaimed suddenly and loudly.

Ticktock jumped at the sudden noise, letting out a loud gasp as she clutched her ribs. “Ah…ow!"

Paul yelped, and rubbed her back, “Ah, sorry Tick," he said, “Sorry!"

She swallowed and shook her head, hugging her arms tightly around her bandaged chest, “It's fine…it's fine. But what was that about?"

Paul smiled, “I think I might know where we can find a witch who can help us, or at least to teach someone else the craft."

Ticktock tilted her head, “Where?"

Paul explained, “Another family, the Carters, they own the locomotive station. They have a proper garden in their back courtyard, full of grass and flowers and such," he said, “And crickets too."

Ticktock nodded slowly, “Okay, a human garden…what is a cricket?" she asked.

Paul shook his head and waved a hand dismissively, “Some sort of insect, they make a chirping sort of sound. But listen, their gardener is a witch! Her name is…" he paused thinking a moment, “It's Mrs. Mushroom or something like that. She uses blood magic to keep the Carter's garden alive, just like Gnarltooth did with the herb garden here."

TickTock shifted a bit in Paul's lap to get a better look at him, “Okay, and you think this Mushroom lady would help us?"

Paul shrugged his shoulders some, “I don't know for sure, but it's worth a shot to ask. We'd just need someone who could learn, do you know anyone willing?" he asked, “I know it's a big ask…I don't know much about witchcraft or magic, but I know it can take a toll on the user."

Ticktock thought about it for a moment before shrugging, “Maybe one or two of Gnarltooth's concubines? They lusted after his power more than they did the rest of him. Surely others too who think they might become a new leader of the clan if they do."

“Well, that's promising at least. I'll have to see if Pox can help me get to her. Maybe we can break into the Carter estate one night."

“If Pox can. Her child sickness is getting worse," Ticktock pointed out.

Paul frowned at that, “Right," he said. Earlier that day Pox had left the warren to go speak to the Children of Hectis about her pregnancy and to see if she could get some relief from her symptoms. “I hope the nuns can help her. I'd really like to have her with me."

Ticktock giggled a bit at him, before gasping and clutching her chest again, hissing loudly as the pain shocked her.

“Hey! Careful now, and what's so funny?" Paul asked, rubbing her back gently to help soothe her as she calmed herself.

“Just funny and cute that you need your big strong wife to protect you and keep you out of trouble," she said sticking her tongue out.

Paul rolled his eyes and snatched her tongue between his fingers, tugging on it, making Ticktock squeak in surprise when he did, “Oh hush you," he said, “She's the biggest strongest rat in the whole warren, she proved that when she killed Stumptail and Gnarltooth. Honestly, Milkeyes should make her one of the clan leaders."

Ticktock shook her head, wiggling her tongue out of Paul's grip and she nipped at one of his fingers playfully in retaliation, careful not to break skin. “He won't though," she said, “And she wouldn't want it. She'd have to prove herself too much, and while she's carrying her pup, she won't be strong enough for that."

Paul nodded slowly, sighing, “I suppose you're right, though maybe after she gives birth and recovers…"

Ticktock grinned, “She'll be the biggest strongest mother rat in the whole clan! The whole world even!"

Paul laughed, “I bet, I can't imagine her being anything but the most protective woman alive when it comes to her child," he said.

Ticktock nodded, “She will be," she said and sighed. “I kind of envy her some…" she said frowning.

Paul frowned a bit, “Envy her?" he asked.

Ticktock nodded, her hand rubbing over her belly where she had a long scar from hip to hip. “Yeah, I never thought I'd have a mate like you. You're kind and sweet, unlike male rats." She carefully turned to face him more, straddling his lap, and she put her arms around his neck. “You're here taking care of me, not making me suffer alone."

Paul rested his hands on her hips, and he nodded, “Of course, I love you just as much as I do Pox," he said gently caressing her fur.

She nodded, “I know," she said, “I love you too. That's why I'm a little envious of Pox. I'm a runt, not strong like other rats. It would have been too easy for some male, or several even, to take advantage of my size to breed with me, so I had my womb removed."

Paul nodded slowly, still holding her hips, “Yeah, you told me about that…" he said.

“You know, it was mother that did it," Ticktock continued, “She was our shaman before Gnarltooth… well..." she shook her head, “She was a much better leader than him. She actually took care of the clan. She knew it was good to limit our size, to make food go longer when the sun went dark." She sighed, resting her head on Paul's chest.

He gently caressed her hair, holding her close. “You never talked about her before," he said.

She sighed, “Not much reason to. It hurts thinking about it sometimes. I like to think if she were still here some things would be different, maybe the clan would be in a better place."

Paul nodded, “Maybe…" he said, closing his eyes.

Ticktock smiled and nuzzled closer, “She would have liked you. She liked humans, even though your kind never liked us. She used to say that long ago humans and rats got along. We didn't have to live in these sewers. I think she would have been glad to know a human could love a rat."

Paul chuckled softly and sighed a bit, “I think any human could fall in love with you, Tick," he said and leaned down to kiss her muzzle. “You're sweet, and smart, and beautiful," he said smiling.

“And I don't stink like Pox!" she said with a grin back at him.

“And you don't stink like Pox," he agreed, smiling and holding her close.

†††

Pox walked with Jasmine through the private wing of the pesthouse. Eventually they came to a brightly lit chamber with various pots filled with plants. Pox blinked at the light, “You grow things here?" she asked.

The nun nodded, turning her porcelain visage back to the tall rat, “We do, you don't think our remedies come out of thin air do you?" she asked with a wry tone to her voice. “Our stock is limited of course, but we try to make the most of it." She then brought Pox over to a long planter filled with shoots covered in long thin leaves, a few of which ended in bulbs with small yellow flowers clustered all over.

“This is what I wanted to show you," she said. She started digging in the soft soil with her gloved hands to reveal a knobbed root that spread out like fingers. She broke off a large piece, and then removed the stems growing from it, before turning and holding it out to Pox. “Here," she said.

Pox looked at the knobby root, “What this?" she asked, picking it up and sniffing it. It smelled familiar, like the spiced tea Jasmine gave her on occasion, but much more pungent, and she said as much.

The masked woman nodded, “That's right, this root is what we use to make that tea. You can chew and eat it for a similar effect to calm your stomach." She turned back to the pot, breaking off a few small sections of root, and re-planting them to even out the pot and encourage new roots to grow into the empty space. “You can have that, perhaps you can plant it with the silver thorn your people grow, and then you'll have as much as you need."

Pox pocketed the clump of root, “No more herbs," she said shaking her head. “Clan shaman die. Can't grow."

Jasmine looked up from her work, “Ah…that means you won't be bringing us any more then, I take it?" she asked.

Pox's ears dropped a bit, sensing the disappointment in Jasmine's tone, “No…no more," she said, “Sorry."

Jasmine nodded, “It's quite alright, Pox." She got up and then pointed to another large stone pot, in it were small silver shoots growing from fresh soil. “We took some of the silverthorn you brought us, and we were able to get it to take root. We'll be able to grow enough for our needs with time."

Pox looked over the small shoots and nodded at them, “Pox can see you think ahead. Smart," she nodded, then frowned, her ears drooping again, “This mean no more meat for clan…"

Jasmine shook her head, “No, not at all. As ghastly as the proposition still is, it's actually proven to be a benefit to us to let you dispose of the bodies rather than us trying to bury or burn them. If someone passes away in our care, we will continue to dump the cadavers in the sewers." She then stopped a moment, “Though…with your people not having access to your remedies…"

Pox sighed and nodded, seeing where she was going. “Sick dead humans, make sick dead rats," she said. “Clan leader Milkeyes tell Paul to fix… Pox not sure how, but since Paul's human clan owns grow buildings. Maybe Paul can… at least Pox hopes so."

Jasmine took the opportunity to change the subject, “And how is Paul doing? Is he taking the news of his future fatherhood well?" she asked.

The rat perked up and smiled brightly at that, “Yes, Paul is very happy to be father!" she said, nodding eagerly. “Says will do what he can to take care of Pox and pup!"

Jasmine giggled softly behind her mask and nodded, “That is lovely to hear, and how are you doing, besides the nausea?"

Pox shrugged, “Pox is okay so far. Tea helped, and maybe root will too," she said nodding. “Pox wish she knew why so sick though," she said.

Jasmine shrugged, “It's difficult to say. Every woman is different, and some have a harder time with pregnancy and birth than others," she said. “It could also be that your child is part human, and that's why it's affecting you more."

Pox rested a hand on her belly, nodding slowly, “Pox pup will be fine though, right?" she asked.

The nun nodded, and put a comforting hand on Pox's arm, “It's too early to tell anything right now, but I believe your child will be just fine. You're a strong creature, that means your child will be strong too," she said.

The rat let out a heavy sigh and relaxed, nodding your head. “Jasmine probably right," she said.

Jasmine nodded again, “Still, if anything feels wrong, trust your instincts and come here, we'll do everything we can for you," she said. Then she took Pox's hand, “Come on, let's get you some tea brewed for your stomach, even if you aren't feeling it now, it doesn't hurt to have some anyway."

Pox nodded, following along with Jasmine, glad to count someone like the nun as a friend.