FSE

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Cast and credits are at the end of the story.

4 hours

3 centimeters

A well built male Siberian husky and a very pregnant female golden retriever walked up to the hospital's reception desk. The receptionist looked up. "May I help you?"

The husky nodded, holding the golden retriever close and rubbing her belly, much to her delight. "Yes, I am Thrunder Anderson, and my wife Alice is in labor."

The receptionist nodded. "Okay, how far apart are the contractions?"

Alice responded, "They're about ten minutes apart now and I've been in labor for some...I don't know, four hours." She stayed close to her husband and held one of his hands.

The receptionist nodded and handed over the appropriate paperwork as he had a lioness nurse take Alice to her room. Thrunder quickly filled out the forms and returned them before he was directed to Alice's room. The room was a soft blue in color, and several pictures of parents of various species holding their newborn babies dotted the walls. The scale that would weigh their puppy was in the far corner of the room, and a rocking chair was in the corner nearest to the bed. His wife lay in a white hospital gown that was covered in a flower pattern and was just being hooked up to a monitor by the nurse who had taken her to her room a short while ago. Thrunder noticed that the monitor wasn't connected to the beltlike device on Alice's belly by any wires, and he asked, "Is that a new model, or something?"

The nurse responded, "Yep. We're trying out a new wireless version, gives the mothers more freedom to move around."

Alice smiled over at her husband and blew him a kiss. Thrunder pulled up a chair next to her and put his hand under the small of her back, gently rubbing it. "How are you feeling, love?"

Alice murred at the backrub, resting a hand on her belly. "I'm okay. So far so good, at least."

"You can do it, my love," Thrunder said before kissing her and stroking the side of her muzzle. He then spoke to the nurse as he continued to rub Alice's back, "Excuse me, ma'am, but can you please get us a pitcher of ice water and a glass of ice chips in case my wife needs either of them?" The lioness nodded and walked out of the room.

Just then a raccoon doctor came in, smiling politely. "Hello there, I'm Mathias and I'm going to be your doctor today," he said, moving over to shake their hands.

Alice smiled and accepted the shake. "I'm Alice, and I'll be your patient," she quipped.

Thrunder shook the doctor's hand. "And I'm Thrunder, leading male of the cast," he joked as well, drawing a laugh from all three of them.

The nurse returned with the requested pitcher of water and glass of ice chips, setting them down on a nightstand next to Thrunder and smiling at both of the soon-to-be parents. "Finally, I am Angel and I will be your nurse, so if you need anything, I'm the one who'll come running."

Alice beamed at all the attention she was suddenly getting, her tail wagging a little beneath her.

"So, how did you want to birth, with or without medication?" Dr. Mathias asked as he looked over her chart.

Thrunder spoke up. "She wants to do it naturally, Dr. Mathias." Alice gave a confirming nod.

The raccoon nodded and smiled understandingly. "I respect her in that choice. If you don't mind, I'll just check her and we'll see how far along she is." Alice nodded again and spread her legs as Dr. Mathias put on a pair of gloves and pulled up her hospital gown to probe between her legs, soon withdrawing his hand. "Okay, you're about three centimeters, Alice."

The golden smiled, patting her belly. "Only a matter of time now."

Thrunder matched Alice's smile as he kissed her again. "In time, my love, we will be proud parents." The doctor and nurse exited the room, leaving the soon-to-be parents alone for the moment. Alice looked lovingly into Thrunder's eyes before she tensed up a little bit, taking hold of one of his big hands. Thrunder went back to rubbing Alice's back as he spoke in a quiet voice, "Breathe, love. Just imagine you're with me in our special spot on the beach."

"On the beach," Alice echoed.

"Walking hand in hand with me along the moonlit shore," Thrunder continued, softly licking Alice's face, "and the water is shimmering as if snow from the moonlight."

She took deep breaths as she imagined what her husband described, her free hand resting on her belly. She didn't close her eyes, though; she kept looking at him, mimicking his breathing. "Hee hee hoo, hee hee hoo," she kept repeating out loud as she focused on her breathing.

Her husband nodded, mimicking her back to keep her focused. "Hee hee hoo, hee hee hoo, keep imagining it, love, it'll always be there for you, as will I."

The contraction soon ended and Alice let out a deep breath, lying back and rubbing her tummy. "That wasn't so bad. Not yet, anyway."

Thrunder nodded. "You will be able to do it, love."

Alice moved his hand to her belly as their puppy kicked a little bit. "I can do it with you here with me," she said.

"I am never leaving you," he said with a smile as he leaned down to kiss her belly. "The puppy is so strong, just like its mother."

Alice sighed contentedly and scratched Thrunder's ears. "It gets it from its daddy."

"Nope, all you," he remarked as he rubbed both her back and belly, smiling at his wife and their coming puppy.

6 hours, 14 minutes

4 centimeters

A couple of hours later Alice was starting to move into more active labor. She was still handling the contractions well but they were steadily becoming stronger and closer together. At the moment she was just recovering from one. She let out another deep breath as she looked at Thrunder from lying on her side, a bit of sweat on her forehead. Thrunder gently wiped her forehead with a cloth as his free hand kneaded hers, still smiling at her to keep her positive.

The doctor came back in to check on Alice again, the nurse in tow. "Hi you two, how are things going?" he asked.

Alice looked over her shoulder at the raccoon as she started to shift to her back with Thrunder's help. "They're going pretty much as expected so far."

Dr. Mathias checked her quickly. "Hmm, okay, you're at four."

Alice's eyes widened as she slumped in disappointment. "Only four??" she exclaimed with a whine. "This'll take forever...."

Thrunder held his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close to him. "It's okay Alice, we'll just keep going."

"Would you like us to break your water, see if that will help you dilate more quickly?" Angel offered.

Alice shook her head. "No...I want to try to do this as naturally as possible. I'll just have to grin and bear it...er, no pun intended."

Dr. Mathias nodded. "Well, I personally suggest that you walk around."

Alice didn't need long to consider his proposal. "Okay. Help me up, dear." The two men helped pull Alice to her feet. Thrunder gave her the soft fluffy robe they had brought and started to lead her around the hospital.

Alice was more than a bit unsteady but kept her cool as they walked around. After about half an hour they came across the nursery and Alice took a moment to stop and look at all the babies. "Aww...."

"They are so cute and little," Thrunder said in acknowledgment.

She nodded as she pawed at the glass. "Yeah, and soon we'll have our own little one," she said wistfully.

"Yes, soon," he responded with a rub of her back. "How are you doing, love?"

Her tail wagged a bit at the back rub. "I'm keep- mmf," she grunted as she leaned against him and took both of his hands in hers, another contraction hitting.

Thrunder licked her ears as he spoke to her as he had been doing throughout her labor so far. "It's okay, love, breathe through it. Hee hee hoo, hee hee hoo. Take yourself somewhere else; imagine you are at the beach enjoying a nice walk."

Alice did as Thrunder said, mimicking his breathing once again. She tried to imagine herself on the beach, but it was getting hard. She let out a yelp as the pain suddenly spiked: this contraction was sharp, not gradual as her other ones had been.

"I think you're coming closer, love," Thrunder said as he rubbed her back.

She whimpered as the contraction quickly ended, but it left a dull throb. She turned around and hugged Thrunder, a tear forming in one eye from the pain. "That one really hurt...I want to go back to our room now." In response, the husky carefully picked her up and carried her back to the room and gently laid her on the bed. Alice's eyes widened in surprise of her husband's strength. "Wow...I knew you were strong, but...."

"Siberian huskies are," Thrunder said with a smile. "They are meant to pull weights and work, so why not pick up a very lovely woman?"

The insides of Alice's ears turned red as she blushed. "Ohh you, you flatter me...."

He rested a palm on her belly and gave it a rub. "Soon, my love, soon," he said as he leaned down and kissed his wife.

Alice returned the kiss, stroking his muzzle. "Heehee, you know I can't resist a hunk like you," she teased.

He grinned at her. "I know, and I can't resist a cute pregnant girl like you," he said as he continued to kiss her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"How about we take a little breather here, then just stand and walk around the room a bit, hm?" the golden asked.

"Only if you're up to it, love," Thrunder responded.

She nodded and lay back, resting her hands on her belly. "Wonder if we should see how far I've gone...nah, it's only been half an hour or so."

"That's up to you, Alice. Only when you're ready."

She closed her eyes. "Think I'm gonna try to rest first...my legs are kinda tired."

Thrunder moved down the bed and started to massage and rub her feet and legs. "Sleep some, love. Keep your strength up." She smiled and murred at her husband's affection.

Some eight minutes later Alice's brow knitted in focus. "Mmf, it's coming again," she whimpered as she waved her hands around a bit, indicating that she needed to hold his hand.

The husky was at her side in a moment, taking her hand in his and kissing her cheek. "I'm here, love, just breathe through it. You can handle this, I know you're strong."

Alice took his hand and held it close to her, trying to focus against the invading pain. "Hee hee hoo, hee hee hoo, hee hee hoo...oooo..." she groaned as the pain started to peak quickly again.

"You can do this, love, just breathe. I'm here for you," he said with a rub of her belly, "you can do this."

She grit her teeth as tears formed in the corners of her eyes, still holding Thrunder's hand as she whimpered. "Mm...owwwie...mm, it's going down."

Thrunder rubbed her back with his free hand. "You can do this, my love, I know you can." He gently nuzzled her. "It'll be over in no time."

The contraction dwindled until it was no more. Alice let out a long sigh, looking over to her husband. "Mmf...I'd be a wreck without you, darling," she murmured as one of the tears started to run down her cheek.

Thrunder gently wiped the tears from her eyes with the backs of his fingers, smiling warmly at her. "You are doing wonderful, Alice. You will get through this," he said in a soft voice as he started to rub her shoulders and back.

She didn't respond, just soaked up her husband's praise. She closed her eyes and tried to rest. "Sweetie...do you remember the night we conceived?"

"You mean the romantic dinner at home, then the bath, then the bed of rose petals, all candlelit?" the husky responded, trying to evoke pleasant memories.

She nodded, keeping her eyes closed. "Yeah...I'll never forget that night. How you took such loving care of me, how you made me feel so special and beautiful, and how you made love to me so completely." She rubbed her tummy. "This puppy truly began out of love."

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "It was all out of love, and is to this day."

Alice smiled and started to drift off when Dr. Mathias returned. "Hello? How're we doing here?"

Thrunder spoke up, "She seems to be in pain but she's doing okay. I know she can do it," as he held her close to him.

"Okay. And you still want to go natural?" the doctor continued.

She nodded. "Yeah...I can keep going."

Thrunder smiled at her, continuing to rub her back. "I'm very proud of you, Alice."

Dr. Mathias nodded and moved to her side to look at the readout from the fetal monitor. "Well, puppy's heart rate looks good, you're contracting regularly...can't ask for much more than that," he complimented.

"The heart's strong, just like its mother's," Thrunder said.

"Would you like me to check you?" Mathias asked, receiving a nod from Alice. He soon announced her to be at five centimeters.

She sighed. "Mm...first puppies take a while, I guess."

Thrunder hugged her. "They do, love?"

"All right, anything else you needed?" the raccoon asked, discarding his gloves.

Thrunder looked at Alice, who shook her head. "Just a little alone time, I guess," she replied.

Alice nodded. "They're almost eight minutes apart now and getting stronger and I had my last one a little while ago."

The husky grinned, lovingly holding his mate's hands as he leaned in and whispered, "You are so lovely no matter what, Alice," kissing her on the lips.

She murred and kissed her husband back. "Honey, not in front of the doctor," she murmured.

"I don't care. I want the whole world to know how much I love you and our puppy," Thrunder remarked as he kissed her again.

Dr. Mathias just chuckled. "Heh, I don't mind. Touching and kissing is good in labor."

She giggled then gasped a little as she moved Thrunder's hand to her tummy, which was becoming a little active. "I think the little one wants to meet his or her daddy."

"And I can't wait to meet the little one," Thrunder answered, rubbing her belly.

The puppy gave his hand a good kick, causing her whole tummy to shake. "Wow...must have a lot of husky blood, quite the little tough."

Thrunder nuzzled her. "That's not good."

"Heehee, why isn't that good?" Alice asked.

"They tend to be chewers the first two years," her husband replied. "We'll need to get lots of chew toys for the little one if so."

She laughed again. "All puppies are chewers, including goldens. We'll just see what happens."

"All right. If you need me, just hit that call button," the raccoon said, excusing himself.

The next few minutes were spent exchanging little words of comfort and love until Alice closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose, starting to pant. Thrunder clasped her hands. "Breathe, love, you can do this, I'm here."

She repeatedly breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth, her brow furrowing in pain. "Mmm...ng...owwww...ssss," Alice hissed with a whine.

"It's okay, love," Thrunder whispered as he leaned down, kissing and gently nipping her neck to try to take her mind somewhere else, "you can do it."

"Mmf...kih-...kiss me, Thrunder..." Alice whispered breathily as she tightened her grip on his hands while her belly muscles tightened further.

The strong husky moved his head up, kissing his wife's neck, then her cheek, then her lips. "You can do this, love, I know you can, you're being really strong for the puppy." The laboring golden tried to kiss her husband back but her mind was primarily focused on the pain. His ever-so-gentle touches helped remind her that he was with her all the way...Gods she loved this man. Thrunder kept her hands in his as he nuzzled her and ran his tongue over her lips. "Breathe, Alice, I'm here. Just take it easy and breathe, let your body do the work."

Alice yelped as the pain started to peak. She suddenly felt that she needed to sit upright...it was a feeling that she couldn't ignore. "Mm, help me sit up," she whimpered, holding his hands tight.

Thrunder did as she asked, rubbing her back as he pulled her upright. "I'm here, love, just do what feels right." She turned so her legs were over the side of the bed and leaned into her husband, holding him close to her as she tried to work through the pain. He continued to rub her back. "Alice, try rocking a little, see if that helps." She rocked from side to side a little as she let out whimpers and whines of pain. Rocking did seem to help, at least giving her something to do other than sit there. Her breathing eased up as the contraction started to go away. "Do you want to try laboring in the shower, love?" Thrunder suggested.

She let out a deep breath as the contraction ended, looking up at her husband. "A shower? Why a shower?"

"Maybe the warm water will help when you have contractions, dear," he explained.

Alice nodded. "Anything to help with this pain."

"Want to walk around some more before hitting the shower?" the husky asked.

Alice nodded and started to stand up with her husband's help. "Let's just stay in the room for now."

"Whatever you say, baby," Thrunder said as he took one of her hands, starting to lead her in a slow walk around the room and staying close to her in case she needed to lean on him.

6 hours, 55 minutes

5.5 centimeters

Alice stuck to Thrunder like glue, weathering several more contractions before she started to get anxious for some relief. "Okay...think I'm ready for the shower." The husky helped her walk to the bathroom and turned the shower on, rubbing her back as they waited for the water to warm up. Alice lifted the gown over her head, revealing her very pregnant body in all its glory. She winked at her husband. "Well, take it off, honey."

Thrunder slipped out of his tank top T-shirt, showing his wife his very muscular torso. He then took off his shorts and boxers, his member already starting to harden, causing him to blush a little. "Sorry Alice, you always turn me on like this," he murmured as he kissed her deeply and helped her into the shower.

She returned the kiss and held her husband as close as she could, the puppy seeming to be settled down, belying the excitement in the room. She rubbed her belly and purred, "Mm...God, you've made me so big...."

"But you are as beautiful as ever, my love, and you always will be," Thrunder complimented with a grope of her bottom.

Alice giggled. "Heehee, I know how much you enjoyed watching me get bigger." She pressed her belly against him.

"Yes I did, but I always loved just watching you," he said as he held her as close as he could, rubbing her back. "I love you so much, my dear wife and child."

She turned around so her back was leaning against her husband and moved his hands to her belly. "And we love you too, sweetheart," she said as she kissed him, Thrunder returning the kiss and rubbing her belly.

They relaxed in the shower, letting the warm water soothe their muscles (especially Alice's) and slowly rocking from side to side. Then Alice gasped and held Thrunder's hands, her belly visibly tightening. "Breathe, love, you can do this," Thrunder whispered as he helped her rock and moved her so that she was under the shower more than he was.

The water did help Alice deal with the ever-increasing pain but she still let out long whimpers and whines, her legs shaking as she rocked. "Hee hee hoo, hee hee hoo...ohowww...."

Thrunder used a foot to pull over the shower chair. "Go ahead and sit if you need to, Alice," he said, rubbing her back.

The golden quickly shook her head and turned around and hugged the husky as close to her as she could. "Mmmf...oww, this one hurrrts...." One of her hands rubbed at her tightened belly and the other grasped at any part of her husband's body she could reach.

Thrunder took her hand in one of his as he kept rubbing her back, smiling down at her. "I'm here, love. Do you want to lie back down, walk or stay here?"

Alice didn't respond in words as she grit her teeth and breathed hissing breaths, the contraction peaking. She pulled her head back and let out a sharp yelp at the pain.

The husky gently nuzzled her face. "That's okay, do whatever you need to do to get through it."

She buried her face in her husband's fluffy and powerful chest, sniffling as a tear rolled down her face. She thought she was getting the hang of the contractions but this one was intense. She started to slowly sink to her knees, completely trusting Thrunder to support her. Thrunder held her up by her armpits and then pulled her close to him, softly rocking her back and forth and humming to try to help her relax. The peak of the contraction started to ebb slowly, leaving Alice a little shaken but grateful that she was making progress. She looked up at her husband and smiled wearily. "Our puppy will be here soon, Thrunder."

"I can't wait, Alice." Sensing that the shower wasn't the best option, Thrunder led Alice out of the shower and gently helped her dry off, fetching the fluffy robe from earlier and wrapping it around her. After drying himself off and redressing, he then surprised her again as he picked her up in his arms and lay down behind her on the bed, humming to her as he would to their beloved puppy.

Alice sighed happily and melted at Thrunder's affection. "You're too good to me, Thrunder."

"You deserve it, my love." Thrunder gently wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

She chuckled and kissed her husband back, the puppy stirring a little bit. She merfed at the movement, smiling down at her belly. "Patience, sweetheart, you'll be out in no time."

Thrunder smiled. "Yes, little one, soon you will be in our arms."

Alice redirected her smile from her belly to her husband. "This puppy's definitely got some husky blood...I'm really going to be counting on you when it's time to push."

He nodded. "You know I will be here to help you in any way I can, Alice."

Alice stroked her belly. "Gonna be stretched pretty thin...mmf, kinda scary."

"You will be just fine, my love," Thrunder said with a kiss. She leaned into her husband's arms, still a little scared but having faith that he would keep her focused. "That's it, Alice, just relax and save your strength for labor, not worrying."

Dr. Mathias returned at that moment. "Hello? I thought I heard a yelp in here...is everything okay?"

The husky looked down to his resting wife. "They're getting stronger."

The raccoon nodded. "Then that's good, means we're moving right along. Do you want me to check you again?" Alice nodded and spread her legs. The doctor checked her and furrowed his brow a little. "Okay, you're at about five and a half centimeters."

Alice moaned. "I'm barely halfway and they already hurt so much?"

Thrunder shook his head. "Love, you're over halfway now."

She grunted and poked her belly. "C'mon, you, it can't be that much fun in there!"

Thrunder chuckled. "I bet it thinks that it's a warm, safe and free place in there."

Alice poked her belly again and then let out a yelp as another pain started. "Mmf, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!" she exclaimed as she shut her eyes and felt around for Thrunder's hands.

The husky took her hands. "Breathe, love, you're doing great, squeeze my hands."

Dr. Mathias carefully withdrew from Alice and moved to her side, setting a hand on her shoulder. "Just take some deep breaths and listen to your husband, Alice."

Alice started to do her Lamaze breathing again but this contraction was sharp, peaking much faster than she was ready to handle. She whined and yelped as she desperately squeezed Thrunder's powerful but gentle hands.

"Good girl, just breathe through it," Thrunder whispered into her ear as he nuzzled her. She squirmed as the contraction peaked already, drawing out another loud yelp from her as she squeezed his hands harder, not hard enough to hurt him considering their size difference, but enough to let him know that she needed him. "I'm here, love," the husky reassured as he rubbed her belly with one hand, "you're doing wonderful."

She panted and moaned as the pain started dwindling, finally exhaling a deep breath and wiping her forehead. "Can we...walk some more?"

"Only if you feel up to it, I'm not going to rush you," Thrunder responded.

Alice nodded and exhaled another deep breath, trying to calm down. "I seemed to go faster when I was walking. Help me up," she said in an insistent tone. Thrunder obeyed her request and supported her with words and actions as they started to walk around the hospital.

7 hours, 32 minutes

5.5+ centimeters

She walked a bit slower over the next thirty or so minutes, getting tired from the contractions, never letting go of Thrunder's hand. "Mm, this is harder than I thought it would be...."

"I know, Alice, but you can do it, I know you can," Thrunder said, holding her close.

She stared ahead absentmindedly, her attention elsewhere. "I don't know...."

Thrunder led her to the nursery window. "Look at the little ones," he suggested.

Alice smiled at all the babies. "Yeah...they're cute...."

"And soon enough ours will be here, too," he said with a warm smile and a kiss to the top of her head. She nodded, just looking at all the little babies. She was so focused on her labor that she hadn't noticed she was still wearing nothing but the bathrobe, and she didn't really care.

She would have probably kept staring at the babies for hours until a tightening in her belly reminded her why she was walking around. She turned around and leaned into Thrunder, wrapping her arms around him as her womb contracted. Her husband held her close to him, rubbing her back as he kissed her on the lips. Thrunder's reminder had calmed her down a good bit: she didn't yelp out as the contraction worsened but she did moan and rock from side to side, letting him kiss her as much as he wanted. He continued to kiss her and rub her back, gently rocking her and letting her know he was there for her. Alice once again was putty in her husband's arms even as the pain peaked. She shocked herself when she let a hand wander down to the top of Thrunder's tailbase and press down there: that was a super sensitive spot on his body. His eyes widened as one of his legs twitched and he whimpered a bit at the pleasure, but he didn't break the kiss. She kept pressing on the spot, weathering this contraction quite well as she caressed her husband's tongue with her own, but she broke the kiss and opened the robe frantically as she felt a pop within her. Clear liquid was running down her legs, and they knew why.

"We best get you back to the room," the husky said, earning a nod from Alice. They made their way back, the contractions seeming to be giving Alice a breather. Thrunder made sure to let a nurse know that Alice's water had broken before they returned to their room. "We should stay here now; this is going to go a little faster now. You want to lie down or walk around the room some more, love?"

Alice looked at the bed and shook her head. "I don't know if I ever want to get back in bed, standing really helps...even if it wears me out a little." She rubbed her belly a bit nervously. "This is really going to get tough...I might beg for an epidural...."

"I will not allow it," her husband said with great certainty in his voice as he started to walk around the room with her.

She shook her head. "They might give it to me even if you don't allow it...and I don't want you to start a fight or anything that would get you taken away from me." She looked up at him. "We need to find a way to have me cope with the pain better."

Thrunder looked at her with a bit of a scowl. "They will not or I will sue them. We told them no."

She sighed. "Thrunder, I've read up on this. If I say I want medication, then they can give it to me no matter what I said at any other time. Listen, we need to- awr!" she cried and leaned her weight on him.

He kissed her and rubbed her back, trying to reassure her. "Breathe, love, breathe. Hee hee hoo, hee hee hoo...." Alice caressed Thrunder's muzzle as he kissed her while she contracted, but now that her water had broken it was really hurting. Not only did her belly hurt, her crotch was starting to hurt too as the puppy was pressed down on her unopened cervix. "It's okay, Alice, just breathe," Thrunder whispered. She shuddered and moved both hands to her belly as she broke away from the kiss, starting to walk slowly in no particular direction as she whimpered loudly. She really had no idea why she was doing this, but she would later chalk it up to her body just being confused as to what to do to cope. Thrunder closely followed her, trusting that she would find what worked but wanting to help her. "Alice, try getting on all fours on the bed," he suggested. Alice nodded and made her way over to the bed, trying to get in the appropriate position but the pain was too much. She looked over at Thrunder pleadingly as she panted, unable to speak. The strong husky gently moved her onto the bed as he wiped her forehead with a nearby cloth and used the other to rub and massage her back.

She carefully moved to be on all fours, rocking back and forth. This position was helping...it hurt like hell, but she could handle it with her husband's soft touch. The contraction waned slowly, leaving Alice a bit crumpled as she looked over at Thrunder. "...Thirsty...." Thrunder poured her a nice big glass of water and put a straw in it, holding it so the straw was at her lips as he rubbed her back. She gratefully accepted the straw and drank, staying in a slouched all-fours as she recovered her strength. She soon pushed the glass away. "Thanks."

Thrunder set the glass on the table. "You're welcome," he said as he held her gently, letting her rest and conserve her energy.

Alice was sweating a lot even after the contraction ended. She shook her body a little. "Thrunder, get me undressed...it's hot in here...." Her husband took her robe and gown off and ducked into the bathroom, coming out with a clean towel to wipe her body. She sighed happily and smiled as she rested her head on the bed. "I must look pretty silly...naked, pregnant and on all fours on the bed."

He shook his head and smiled warmly. "You do not, love, you look beautiful." She giggled a bit but didn't answer, relieved by Thrunder's support and resting while she had the chance. "I love you, Alice." She let out another happy sigh as she let her husband support her.

8 hours, 27 minutes

6.5 centimeters

About an hour later and with Alice still in the nude all-fours position, there was a knock at the door. Thrunder pulled a sheet over Alice's backside for a bit of privacy. "Come in," he said.

The lioness nurse from hours ago walked in and smiled at them. "Is there anything I can get for you, ma'am?" Angel asked.

Alice looked over at the nurse, looking a bit out of breath. "Mm, I wouldn't mind some more pillows...and water...and a check."

The nurse nodded. "Would you like the doctor to check or me?"

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me."

Angel nodded and left the room for a moment, returning with pillows under one arm and a pitcher of ice water in her other hand, setting the water down on the table next to the bed and laying the pillows in front of Alice. She washed her hands and put on a pair of gloves, moving behind Alice and lifting the sheet. "Ready for me to check you, Alice?" Alice nodded and spread her legs a little, letting out quiet. The lioness gently checked her, saying, "You're at six...and a half centimeters," pulling out her hand and throwing the glove away. "You're doing very well, Alice. The first time is almost always slow but you're handling it very well. Do you need anything else?"

Alice groaned and put her legs back together...well, as much as she could considering her belly got in the way. She looked over at Thrunder. "Can you please leave us, Angel?"

She nodded. "Okay. If you need anything, just buzz me," she said with a comforting pat of Alice's back before she turned and left the room.

Alice looked over at her husband. "Thrunder...this is going so slowly...I don't know if I can do it...."

Thrunder gently nuzzled her. "You can, love, you're doing wonderful. You heard Angel; she said that first ones are usually slow. I don't want to see you give up on something you want so much because I know you are doing wonderful and I don't want you to be in a lot of pain if they try to speed things up."

She buried her face in her arms, starting to sniffle a little. "I'm...I'm scared," she admitted.

"You have the right to be scared, Alice, but I'm not leaving you," he said as he sat beside her on the bed, holding her to him and cupping her belly. "I know you want to go natural and I know you can do it. I also know you're scared and in pain...if there were anything more I could do to take it from you, I would do it, but I promised you I would not let you have drugs and I want to keep that promise."

She looked over at him, a tear running down her cheek. She opened her mouth to speak and explain how she was feeling, but couldn't from how emotional she was, so she spoke first with actions by softly kissing his lips. "I love you, Thrunder," she whispered.

He nuzzled her and returned the kiss. "I love you with everything I have, Alice, and I love our puppy too. I only want you both to be happy and healthy."

She smiled warmly at him before she grunted and started swaying back and forth, going right into her Lamaze breathing. "Hee hee hoo, hee hee hoo...."

"There you go, you know what to do," he said, rubbing her back and kissing and nipping at her neck, whispering, "I'm here for you, Alice."

9 hours, 30 minutes

7+ centimeters

Alice remained on all fours for almost another hour as she labored harder. Thrunder's reassurance had greatly strengthened Alice's resolve, and even though she knew the contractions were only going to be longer and more difficult, Thrunder never failed to keep her spirits up. As they passed the nine-and-a-half-hour mark, Dr. Mathias returned to the room to see Alice laboring in a sitting position with her legs over the side of the bed, still naked save for the fetal monitor, leaning her side against Thrunder. "Am I here at a bad time?" he asked.

Thrunder looked over to the raccoon as he held Alice and rubbed her back. "She's having a contraction," he said before returning his full attention to his wife, who was apparently completely unfazed by the doctor looking at her naked body. "It's okay, love, you can do this, I know it's hard but you're strong," he whispered, nuzzling her. The doctor nodded and went to look at Alice's chart, letting Thrunder comfort Alice. Alice breathed deeply as she held Thrunder close to her, the pain starting to fade. "Great job, Alice, you're doing so wonderful," Thrunder said with a kiss.

Alice let out a long breath as the contraction left her, still holding Thrunder. Seeing she wasn't in pain for the moment, the raccoon started to put on gloves. "Can you lie back, Alice? It'll be easier for me to check you." Alice nodded and started to lean back and spread her legs.

Thrunder held her close as she lay back against him, smiling and swerving his head to look her in the eyes. "You're doing wonderful, love, and you look so radiant," he complimented Alice, rubbing his nose against hers.

The doctor quickly checked Alice and frowned a little. "Hmm...you're at...a little over seven centimeters. Firsts take a while but I'd like to move things along a little bit." Alice looked a bit nervous and held Thrunder's hand. Sensing her nervousness, Mathias continued, "I don't think there's any danger to the puppy, but I think we should try a little bit of pitocin." Alice flinched and looked at Thrunder for support.

"Doctor, you know when we came in that we wanted this without medication and I want to keep it that way, as does my wife, and if it's not needed, I wish for you to respect that," Thrunder said as he held Alice's hand.

Mathias nodded as he withdrew from Alice. "I understand that, but...hm. Perhaps we should speak outside."

Alice gave Thrunder a kiss and nodded. "Don't be long." The husky nodded back and followed the raccoon out of the room.

Mathias stepped to the side of the door and turned to face the husky. "Mr. Anderson, I know you and your wife want to have a natural delivery but I'd really feel more comfortable if we got her on a little pitocin. Not a lot, just move things along."

He shook his head. "No, doctor, I am not okay with that. I promised her I wouldn't allow drugs unless absolutely necessary and I want to keep that promise. I'm sorry if I'm making your job difficult but that is our wish."

The doctor nodded dejectedly. "All right. I can't force you or her...but just know that she's really going to need you at this rate."

The husky nodded. "I am going to be there for her and I'm not forcing her to do anything either."

Mathias nodded again. "I know that, but she might be in so much pain that she'll change her mind. If she thinks she can't take it anymore and nothing seems to work, there is one thing that could help."

"There will only be two ways I will let her have drugs: either she breaks down with a bad fever or the pup is in trouble."

The raccoon shook his head. "I don't mean give her a drug or anything; I mean something to help comfort her. I really shouldn't talk about it, but I want to see her give birth naturally if that's what she wants."

Thrunder nodded. "Thank you, doctor...I should get back to her." He turned to leave.

Mathias held Thrunder's huge bicep to stop him. "Wait, I need to tell you what it is...it's something only you should do." He leaned up and whispered something into the husky's ear.

The husky's eyes widened as he looked at Mathias for confirmation, which he received in a nod. "Okay, I'll try it." He returned to his wife, smiling. "How are you feeling, love?"

Alice held out her arms for him. "Help me sit up and gimme a hug," she said simply.

Thrunder happily obeyed and she was soon sitting upright again, her legs hanging off the side of the bed as he held her around her shoulders in a hug. "The doctor gave me an idea for helping with the pain...want to see if it'll work, love?"

Alice looked over at her husband as she remained a little hunched over her belly. "What is it?"

He leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I please you with my fingers."

The golden's eyes widened as she cocked her head in confusion. "You mean...touch me...you know?"

He nodded. "Yes, he said it would help."

A bright blush spread across her face and her ears: Thrunder had really caught her off guard. She rubbed her belly for a little while. "Um...er...I don't know...would you really want to?"

Thrunder nodded. "I would do anything to help you, and you know I love to please you and make you happy."

She smiled a little at him. "How about we just keep it as simple as we can for as long as we can, like, you can kiss me and touch me but no actual, y'know, touching unless I need it?"

The husky nodded again and started to gently and slowly rock back and forth. "Anything for you," he said, holding his wife close and rubbing her belly while humming a soft song.

Alice relaxed from his song until about five minutes passed: she felt another contraction building. She took his hands in hers and leaned back on the bed, sitting upright from the bed's raised head, and pulling him down with her (his weight off her middle of course), all the while moaning.

"Breathe, love, breathe, you can do this," Thrunder said as he kissed and nipped at her neck, whispering a soft song to her.

Maybe it was being so close to the man she loved, maybe it was the thought that this actually would help, she didn't know, but he relaxed the moment his lips touched her skin. "Mmf, no singing, just kiss me," she whimpered, her muscles tensing up as the pain built. Thrunder did as she asked, kissing her deeply on the lips and holding her hands. The golden let her husband kiss her as deeply as he wanted, murring in appreciation as his velvety tongue probed her mouth and feeling her body relax even as the pain started to peak. She still whimpered, but this was definitely more bearable. The kiss wasn't broken for more than a moment, Thrunder's tongue caressing hers as if to dance with it, their grips on each other's hands tightening. Alice had to keep her eyes closed but her vocalizations were mixed with pain and now a bit of pleasure...she certainly hadn't been expecting that when over seven centimeters. The contraction started to wind down and she was now kissing him as much because she loved him as because she needed him. Soon the contraction ended and Alice slowly pulled away from her husband's mouth, smiling happily at him. "Thrunder...I don't know if I've ever been so grateful you're my husband than I am now."

Thrunder hugged her as best he could. "I'm always grateful to have a woman as loving as you as my wife," he murmured, nuzzling her happily.

Alice moved to her side and had Thrunder lay down behind her in a spoon position, one of his hands draped across her belly. "Never thought we'd be cuddling when I'm having a puppy."

Thrunder scooted a little closer and rubbed her belly. "It seems to help you, love, and if it works then that's what we're going to do."

She murred in appreciation and leaned back into him, giving him a quick peck on the lips as they waited. They didn't have to wait long: Alice had another contraction within the next five minutes, causing her to whimper loudly and turn her head to kiss him again. Her husband kissed her deeply again, his hand rubbing her belly and letting her know he was there for her. She kissed him back but pulled away to let out a high-pitched yelp as the puppy pressed even harder against her cervix. "O-Okay, Thrunder...touch me..." she whimpered.

"Whatever you say, love." The hand that was rubbing her belly moved down to gently touch her sex, Thrunder watching for her reaction and not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

She shook her head. "Touch my breasts," she said tersely. Thrunder's free hand gently rested on one of her breasts, not doing anything without Alice's say as he continued to paw at her sex. Alice whimpered louder from pleasure as well as pain. "Rub them," she commanded, surprised at her somewhat snappy tone. The husky rubbed his open palm on her breast and stroked between her legs a bit harder, hoping to help as best he could. She moaned, this time a bit more sexually as she wriggled against his hands, panting a little. "Rub my other breast too...please," she whispered breathily.

Thrunder rubbed his arm over her chest as he stroked her sex, nuzzling the side of her face. "Enjoying yourself, Alice?" he asked.

Alice moaned louder as her very sensitive and heavy breasts were caressed and rubbed by Thrunder's big hands. The pain was starting to peak...she reached up and rubbed her breasts along with him as she kept squirming in pain and pleasure. She let out a loud whine as the contraction peaked and she pawed at her husband's hands as best she could. "Owww...it wants ouuut...."

Thrunder kissed her gently. "I am sure it will be very soon, love," he said quietly as he continued to pleasure his wife.

Her legs started to shake a bit, her body curling up a little as the puppy pressed ever harder against her not-ready cervix. It felt as if there was a hundred-pound weight pressing against her crotch, but...Thrunder's hands gave her a wave of softness against the angry ache of labor. Thrunder gently pushed a finger into her folds, hopeful to help relieve more of the pain. Alice's eyes snapped open at Thrunder's minor penetration as a tiny spurt of her juices leaked out of her sex. "OhhmyGodthat'snice," she moaned as she weathered the peak of the contraction, the pain slowly starting to leave her. Thrunder continued to stroke both her breasts and her sex, being careful to avoid her sensitive spots. The pain finally went away and she sighed, still pawing at herself and lying on her back now. "Thrunder...that...was...unbelievable," she said tiredly.

The husky stopped his touches and kissed her, removing his hands from her erogenous zones. "I'm glad it helped you."

Alice returned the kiss: she hadn't even come and she was already feeling quite relaxed. "Can you just...keep your hands there? It feels really nice," she said, blushing a bit.

He nodded. "Of course, Alice, but do you need anything else?"

She shook her head. "No, you're all I need." In response, Thrunder returned his hands to her crotch and her breasts, keeping one still finger in her sex. Touching did indeed help Alice relax a lot. The pain was still there, there was no denying that, but to have Thrunder be so intimate with her when she needed him more than anything else...what more could she want?

10 hours, 48 minutes

8+ centimeters

Another hour later, Alice was sweating rather heavily both from the labor and from all the masturbation she and Thrunder had done. Her contractions were barely giving her time to rest, but she was still okay...for the moment. She finally removed his hand from her breast and looked at her chest: all the stimulation had apparently made her colostrum drop a little. She merfed and looked over at Thrunder. "Don't think it'll be long now."

The husky nodded. "Do you want to be checked, Alice?"

She shrugged. "Not really...I was just about to wonder out loud what to do when it's time to push. Might be kinda hard to touch me or whatever then."

Her husband nuzzled her. "Don't you worry, we'll figure out what to do."

Alice shrugged again, rubbing her belly. "Heh, for all I know it'll feel good...this feels good and I didn't think it was supposed to," she mused.

Thrunder smiled at her positive attitude. "It's been a while since you were last checked...do you want to see how far you are or wait?"

She thought about it for a moment, then opened her mouth to respond but gasped and pulled Thrunder into a kiss again. His hand moved to her sex to try to please her as the other hand caressed her breasts again. Alice grabbed the hand that was rubbing her breasts and moved it to her sex as she wrapped her arms behind his neck, telling him with her actions to touch her there. She turned around to face him and ground her body against him as the pain got worse: however far along she was now, she had a feeling she was entering transition, when labor would be the most intense, and it sure as hell was getting more intense.

"It's okay, you can do it, Alice," Thrunder murmured as he continued stroking her and nuzzling her. Alice let out a series of yelps: these contractions were long and hard, her belly tightening like a vice. At this rate, kissing and touching wouldn't keep the pain at bay for long...and she was getting tired. "You can do it, just keep breathing...do you want to be checked?"

She didn't answer him, just held him close and clutched at his fur as her muscles tightened. "Mmmf...aaahh...he-help..." she pleaded. Thrunder slipped another finger into Alice, starting to get worried that he was losing his ability to help her. She writhed and arched her back, curling over her belly and tightening her grip on him, letting out a loud grunt that started to become a scream as the contraction started to peak.

"Breathe, Alice, you need to breathe," her husband said as he held her close to him and kissed the top of her head. Alice tried to breathe but could only do so shakily, letting out another muffled scream into Thrunder's chest, tears starting to flow now. "Love, is there anything I can do for you?"

"Nnnggrrr! I...I don't know...aaaagh!" she grunted, clutching at his fur. She cried openly as the pain finally started to ebb again...this contraction was hell. She must have been nine centimeters by now.

Thrunder wiped her tears softly. "Alice, I know this is hard on you...and if you want something for the pain, I understand. You've done an incredible job, but you've been laboring for a long time now and I don't want you to be in pain if you want drugs."

She frantically shook her head. "Don't...don't give up on me...drugs or no, I can't do it if you don't believe in me...."

The husky nodded, smiling softly. "That's my girl. Let's get you checked." Alice nodded and Thrunder pressed the call button on the side of her bed.

Dr. Mathias soon came into the room. Alice already had her legs spread for him; her fur was soaked with her sweat and she was looking really out of breath. He checked her quickly as she panted from tiredness. "You're at...hm...a little over eight centimeters." Alice's whole body slumped in near defeat.

Thrunder licked her cheek. "Don't give up now, we're almost there." He looked at Mathias. "Is there anything else we can do for her besides drugs?"

Alice, too, looked pleadingly at the doctor. "Please...I'll do anything...just please don't tell me I need drugs."

The raccoon rubbed the back of his neck. "Well...there's always getting in the tub...."

The husky held Alice close to him and rubbed her shoulder blades. "Do you think water would help relieve the pressure?"

Dr. Mathias nodded. "I'll get the water in the tub running," he said, ducking out of the room.

Alice sighed, holding onto Thrunder. "Thank you..." she said weakly.

Thrunder kissed her forehead. "You are very welcome, sweetheart."

The sound of running water soon filled the room and the raccoon poked his head out of the bathroom. "Just come in when you're ready."

The golden looked to Thrunder. "I'm tired...can you carry me?"

The husky nodded and scooped her up carefully and brought her in the bathroom, setting her gently in the large Jacuzzi-like tub. He looked over at Mathias and smiled. "Thank you, doctor. You've been a great help to my wife and me."

The doctor smiled back and nodded. He leaned down and patted Alice's shoulder. "You've both done incredibly well. Most moms beg for drugs by now: you should be very proud of yourselves and of each other." He stood up and smiled at Thrunder again. "Call me if you need me," he said before he excused himself.

Alice let out a long sigh at being set in the tub. "Mmm...that's nice..." she murmured, holding her belly.

Thrunder set his arm around her shoulders, rubbing her belly and nuzzling her face. "Even now, you're still my pregnant Goddess," he said. Alice just smiled a little, reaching up and taking one of Thrunder's hands. The hand on her belly remained where it was. She mumbled to herself a little about how she was getting close. "You are close, Alice. We'll be holding our puppy very soon." She looked over to tiredly kiss Thrunder, just a little connection of lips right now. All of her energy was being spent on having this puppy. "Try to rest, Alice, just take a deep breath and let the water support you." Alice nodded and rested her head back, moving Thrunder's hand to her belly. Her eyes slowly started to close. "Good. Just let it go," Thrunder murmured.

Alice was in a bit of a trance for the next couple of minutes before she whimpered a little. "Mm...contraction coming..." she whispered nervously.

"It's okay, Alice, breathe through it. Hee hee hoo, hee hee hoo...." She took a deep breath before she started to do her Lamaze breathing, holding tightly onto Thrunder's hand. The puppy was still pressing down, but she felt as if she could handle it better...but still, ouch. "You can do it, Alice, you're doing wonderful. Just keep breathing."

Her grip tightened as the pain and pressure escalated, her legs spreading out a little to try to relieve some of the pressure but not having much success. "Hee hee hoo, owww this hurts...."

Her husband nuzzled her and licked the corners of her mouth. "I know, Alice, but you can do this, I know you can." Alice held Thrunder's hand tightly as she leaned over to rest her head on his chest, whimpering at the ever-present pressure in her abdomen. "Breathe, Alice, you can do this." She sniffled as she went back into her Lamaze breathing, but it wasn't helping as much anymore. All she could possibly need now was her husband's support: everything else would fall into place if Thrunder was with her. She curled over her belly a little as the pain continued to escalate. The husky rubbed his wife's back, trying to help in any way that he could. "Breathe, Alice, breathe."

"Mmf...back's fine...just hold me," Alice whimpered as she continued to breathe as best she could. Thrunder held her close and rubbed her belly, nuzzling and kissing her ear. The laboring golden breathed harder and faster as the contraction peaked, her legs trembling a little. She squinched her eyes shut to try to block the unwelcome pain, but to no avail: all she could do now was weather it. She arched her back and moaned into Thrunder's neck. "Ohhh...oooh...owwwpressure...."

Thrunder licked her face softly. "I know, love, just keep breathing." She continued to pant and whimper and clutch at her husband, almost completely dependent on him to keep her from bursting into tears. The contraction stayed at its peak for a long time, and although the water relieved a lot of the pressure, it was still there...and it only reminded her of what was to come. "You're doing wonderful, Alice," Thrunder murmured, holding her close.

Alice finally felt the contraction start to wane slowly. Her breathing slowed and she calmed down quite a bit in relief that the current contraction was ending.

"Do you want to stay in the water longer or lay back in the bed?" Thrunder asked.

She felt the muscles in her belly ease up but still remain tense, as if already preparing for the next contraction. She went almost completely limp as the pain left her. "Mmf...here..." she breathed.

"Okay, Alice." Thrunder smiled happily. "You're doing wonderful, sweetie."

She shook her head a little. "Thrunder...it hurts...I don't know how much longer I can do this...."

"You can do this; you are doing this, love."

Alice opened her mouth to argue but nothing came out, so she just did the one thing she could do: rest while she had the chance, still panting a little.

"If I could, love, I would take this pain from you and deliver the puppy for you," Thrunder said, nuzzling her again.

She smiled weakly and whispered, "Silly boy...I have to...."

Thrunder smiled. "Yes, love, I know, but I would take all the pain away and still let you deliver the puppy."

Alice looked over at him with half-lidded eyes, still smiling. She raised her arms a little to signal that she needed his help. "Want to squat here...help me up...."

The husky helped her squat and lean against his side of the tub, holding her close. "I'm here for you, Alice."

She leaned into the hug as best she could, though her belly certainly got in the way while she was in the tub. She just squatted on her shins, breathing quietly. "Love you...Daddy..." she whispered.

"I love you too, Mommy," Thrunder murmured with a kiss.

Alice murred a little at the kiss, her tail wagging slightly. "Can feel the puppy...pressing down...gonna be a mommy soon...." She sounded a little out of it, but having someone there to answer her was all the reassurance she needed.

"Yes, you will be a mommy soon," Thrunder said.

She leaned into Thrunder's chest as she breathed quietly, nuzzling his chestfur softly. "Couldn't have done it...without you...."

"I'm here, Alice. I'll always be here for you." Thrunder held her and kissed the top of her head.

Alice nodded and just stayed still, waiting for the next contraction, and she quickly had one. She whimpered a little and moved back, holding Thrunder's hands and rocking a little as she started contracting.

Thrunder held her hands and smiled. "You're doing it, Alice, you're doing incredibly well."

She panted loudly as the tightening worsened, letting out little whimpers but handling the pain better than before. "Owww...mmf...p-pressure...pushing down...."

"You can do it, love, I know you can."

Alice let go of his hands and folded her arms, grasping the side of the tub as she rested her forehead on them and grunted. If she looked down now, she could easily see her belly contracting. She wiped a bit of sweat from her face and spread her legs wider to try again to relieve the pressure. She let out a loud yelp as she felt the puppy shift around and descend a little, causing her legs to falter and her body to sink a little into the water. "Oooh!" she cried.

Thrunder kept her in his embrace and pet her hair. "It's okay, love, I'm here and I'm not leaving you."

She gritted her teeth and snarled a little as she felt the puppy press even harder against her cervix. She was completely reliant on Thrunder to support her as she breathed hissing breaths. The pain hit a sharp peak and she pulled her head back and yowled loudly.

Dr. Mathias was quickly at the door. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Hurts!" Alice grunted.

Thrunder kept petting her hair and kissing the top of her head. "Want to go lie in bed and be checked, Alice?"

Alice shook her head hastily and continued to yelp as the contraction stayed at its peak. The raccoon quickly put on a long glove that went almost up to his shoulder and knelt next to the tub. "Thrunder, hold her steady, I need to check her."

The husky nodded and tightened his hug a little bit, trying to keep her calm for the doctor. "You can do this, love, I know it hurts but I believe in you."

Mathias reached around and under Alice's belly and into her sex, causing Alice to yelp. "OW!"

"I'm sorry, Alice, just hold still and I'll be out soon."

Alice kept breathing, her breaths a mix of groans and yelps and pants.

The doctor felt her cervix and what little of the puppy's head that was sticking through it, and nodded. "The puppy's moved down a bit, though it had a jump in progress just now, I'm betting. But that's good, the water is helping."

Alice just hissed and pushed his hand out.

Thrunder rocked Alice gently. "You're doing wonderful, Alice, you can do it."

The contraction stopped abruptly, causing Alice to collapse and pant heavily. "OhmyGod...sooomuchpressure...."

Mathias patted her head with his dry hand. "It's okay, Alice, you're almost at the end."

"We're close to holding our puppy, Alice. Soon the puppy will be here and all the hard work will be over," Thrunder said to try to reassure her.

11 hours, 42 minutes

9 centimeters

The hardest work was yet to come, however. Alice and Thrunder weathered another forty-five minutes of transition contractions in the tub, Alice feeling the puppy ever so slowly descend and her cervix open.

She collapsed after another contraction and started crying a little. "I can't...do this...for long...."

Her husband kissed her softly. "Yes you can, and then the end will be in sight. Would you like to go lie down or remain here?"

"Dowwwwn," she groaned, starting to stand up.

Thrunder picked her up dutifully and carried her to the bed, laying her down and draping a hospital gown over her front, smiling and petting her belly. "Just relax, Alice. Save your strength for pushing."

Alice sobbed a little. "It hurts...I can't...."

"You can, Alice, and you are. We've waited forty whole weeks for this, and you told me right from the start that you wanted to have an unmedicated birth with me here. I'm not letting you give up now." There was a knock at the door just then. Alice nodded to Thrunder, too tired to speak up. Thrunder called out, "Come in."

The door opened and Angel asked Alice softly, "How are you doing, sweetie?"

Alice mumbled, "Pain...pressure...must be close...check...." She spread her legs tiredly.

The lioness put on a glove and helped Alice part her legs, checking her cervix gently. "You're at nine centimeters, Alice."

Alice nodded tiredly. "Just one more...just one more...." She held onto her husband's hand with a firmness she didn't expect to have when this far along.

"We're almost at the end now, love," Thrunder said as Angel pulled her hand out and disposed of the glove.

She looked up at Thrunder, not bothering to hide her tiredness as she panted. "It huuurts...I wanna have iiit...."

"It will be soon, Alice. It will be over soon," Thrunder said reassuringly as he nuzzled her. "Just relax as much as you can."

"Mmmm...I'm not even having a contraction and it hurts..." she whined.

"The puppy is very close now, that's why. You've held on and been so strong for the puppy. You can do it."

She sniffled a little, wiping her nose and eyes. "God...why is it so hot in here...I'm naked, for God's sake and I'm hot...."

"You're in labor and your body's working very hard to have the puppy." He looked over at the nurse. "Excuse me, can you please get a fan for Alice?" The lioness nodded and ducked out of the room.

"I don't knowwwWW!" Alice yelped, one hand grabbing Thrunder's and the other clutching at the sheet.

Thrunder clasped her hand, stroking her hair. "I know it hurts, love, I'm here."

Alice breathed hard through clenched teeth, letting go of Thrunder's hand and curling around her belly. She was trying to let the pain and pressure go...but it was so hard.... Thrunder put an arm around her shoulder as the nurse came back with a fan, quickly setting it up and having it blow on the nude, laboring golden. She lay on her side, grasping at the bedsheets and curling up in an almost fetal position with her ears pinned back, whimpering. "Haah, hahh, ohGoditwantsouuut...."

"I know, Alice, it will be here very soon." The husky nuzzled and kissed the back of her head.

The golden's lips pulled back as she yelped loudly, pounding the mattress with her fist. "AHH! IT HUUURTS!" She reached out and pulled Thrunder's face down to hers, just needing to feel him. He gently licked her face and muzzle, not moving an inch away from her and softly whispering that he was there. She finally started to come down from the contraction, moaning and wheezing. She looked up at Thrunder as a tear formed in one eye. "S-Say it's over soon...."

"Soon we'll be holding our puppy in our arms, Alice," he murmured as he draped his arm over her shoulders again.

Alice licked his muzzle. "I love you."

"I love you too."

She nuzzled into his chest and breathed slowly. "I can't believe it...we're so close to having a puppy I can feel it..." she whispered before she started crying softly from the overwhelming emotion.

"Yes, Alice. You will be a wonderful mother, and I can't wait to hold you both in my arms."

12 hours, 19 minutes

10 centimeters

As she came up on twelve and one quarter hours of labor, Alice felt the pressure start to become overwhelming. "Thrunder...call Mathias...hurry..." she panted urgently.

He hit the call button on the side of her bed over and over as he stroked Alice's hair, feeling his heart leap. Mathias soon came into the room with Angel in tow. The raccoon checked Alice quickly and nodded. "Okay, Alice, you're at ten centimeters. Let's get you ready," he said as he and the nurse started gathering their instruments and putting their gowns and gloves on.

Alice beamed up at Thrunder, trying to speak and tell him what she was feeling, but nothing would come out. He just smiled at her as he leaned in to kiss her. "We're finally here," he said quietly.

The golden was soon sitting half upright with her legs apart, Thrunder holding one of them and Angel holding the other. The doctor stood in front of her and said calmly, "All right, you know what to do. When you have a contraction, curl around, tuck in your chin and gimme a big push. It's gonna feel kinda like you're having a bowel movement." Alice was only half listening, holding onto Thrunder's hand and crying again from all the emotion. The husky stroked her cheek with his free hand, smiling down at her. They only had to wait for a minute before Alice whimpered and nodded. "All right, deep breath aaand push!" Mathias said. Alice inhaled deeply and curled around her tummy, Angel and Thrunder pulling her legs back and she bearing down.

Thrunder counted, "One, two, three..." all the way to ten. "Okay, 'nother breath aand push!" he encouraged, periodically looking down at her sex, the nurse dividing her attention between the monitors and Alice. Alice let out her breath, inhaled, and bore down again, gritting her teeth and pushing hard. Then she felt a mass in her tummy start to press harder against her cervix and she flinched, the pain starting to intensify, but feeling different from the pain of contractions...well, in addition to the pain of this contraction. Thrunder leaned in and nuzzled her cheek. "That's it, pushpushpush, four, five...."

"That's it, push against the pressure, Alice," Mathias encouraged.

She let out a yelp as the pain and pressure heightened, trying to push hard, her hands gripping the sheets.

"Come on, you can do it Alice, push hard," Thrunder said before he started counting again, the lioness nurse wiping Alice's forehead with a cool rag.

Alice gave another push before she relaxed, letting her legs down and breathing hard. "OhGodohGodohGoditHUUURTS!" she cried.

"You're doing so wonderful, love," Thrunder murmured, caressing her cheek. "Keep that up and the puppy will be here in no time."

The golden whimpered loudly. "Idon'tknow...ifIcandoit..." she mewled, every verbal utterance sounding as if it was getting harder for her to speak.

"Alice, honey, that was just the first pushing contraction. Don't get discouraged just because it didn't happen right away," Mathias said softly.

"You can do it, Alice. You are doing it. We're at the end now, it's too late to turn back," Thrunder said firmly but gently. She sniffled and nodded, her face showing the pain she was still feeling...and God, so much pressure.... "I know you hurt, Alice, but I promise it will be over soon." Alice laid her head back against the pillow, breathing deeply, trying to relax and save her strength for pushing rather than fear. She closed her eyes and weakly reached for the water bottle nearby, not really trying to get it, just to tell Thrunder that she needed it. He held it to her lips, continuing to encourage her, "You are doing wonderful, love. Keep it up and you'll do it, I know you will."

She gratefully drank the water, her throat having suddenly gone dry. "H...Hurts..." she breathed.

Mathias patted her tummy gently. "It's okay, just rest and take some deep breaths."

"I know it hurts, Alice, but you are doing wonderful, and I know you can do it. I'm not leaving your side until we have a puppy," Thrunder reassured her.

She nodded slightly, holding Thrunder's hand as if afraid he would disappear if she let go. She kept her eyes closed and kept taking deep breaths, trying to focus on what would come of all this pain and effort...which she could feel pressing down on her cervix.

Her husband gently squeezed her hand back. "That's it, just breathe and rest. Visualize the puppy coming; our puppy's just waiting for you to help it into the world."

Alice tried to do as he said, picturing the life she had seen on the sonograms and heard on the heart monitors sliding down her birth canal and into their waiting arms. The thought calmed her down until she merfed and pulled her legs back. "Here comes...!" she tried to get out before she was again seized by the urge to bear down.

Thrunder and Angel again helped hold her legs back as she pushed. "You are doing it, love, you are doing wonderful, keep it up," Thrunder said quietly as the nurse wiped Alice's forehead off to try and help keep her cool.

The canine pulled back her lips and clenched her jaw as she pushed, her usually soft face twisted in determination and effort. "Hngg...ngg...grrah!" she grunted before she took another deep breath and pushed again, her hands clenched into fists tighter than she thought she could make.

"That's it, push down into your bottom," Mathias said from his position.

Thrunder pet her leg, doing anything he could think of to encourage and comfort his wife. "That's it, that's it, that's it, push."

Alice would have told him to "shut up, dammit!" but she was concentrating harder on pushing her puppy out than snapping at Thrunder. "Gggh...OW!" she yelped as the pain and pressure rose again, causing her to push harder and whimper louder. Thrunder moved to hold her leg up with one arm and put his other arm under her shoulders, helping her curl over.

"Come on Alice, deep breath and push!" Mathias said.

She let out another yelp, causing her to lose her breath and take a huge gasp before she bore down again, a tear building up in the corner of her eye from the pain. Thrunder gave her muzzle a lick, sensing she wanted to concentrate rather than be told what to do. She held the push as long as she could before she let out her breath and her body relaxed, she panting heavily from the effort. She looked up at the mirror hanging over the raccoon and let out a sob from seeing the puppy wasn't even showing yet.

Thrunder took the cool towel they kept nearby and wiped her forehead and face, nuzzling her gently. "I love you, Alice," he whispered.

She wanted so badly to answer louder, but she could only whisper faintly, "Love you."

Mathias stroked Alice's leg. "Sweetie, don't get discouraged; it's perfectly normal for firsts to take a lot of pushing. How about we move you into another position?" She nodded slightly, reaching for Thrunder. "Okay, let's try sitting. Mr. Anderson, will you please help me move her to sit on your lap?"

Thrunder nodded and after sitting on the bed he, Mathias, and Angel helped to move Alice to sit on his lap, her big belly facing out and she leaning back against him. He smiled at her as he licked the top of her head. "You are beautiful, love."

The golden let out a whine at this change in position. The pain in her pelvis was lessened a bit, but the pressure was more intense. It was all happening so fast, and there was going to be so much more? She reached for his hands and squeezed them tightly for reassurance.

The husky held her hands and kissed her forehead. "I'm here, Alice, I'm not going to leave you."

She heard him and understood him, but she was too focused on the mass pressing on her cervix to answer. She knew he was there and he was her only anchor to reality and safety...he was there...he was there for her and their puppy.

Mathias nodded at the lioness nurse. "Angel, can you take over wiping Alice's forehead, please?" Angel returned the nod and gave Alice's face another wipe with the towel.

Alice was so hot...the towel was a small but welcome comfort. She breathed slowly and deeply for the next couple of minutes before she whined and tightened her grip on Thrunder's hands. He continued to hold her close, smiling down at her. "Come on, love, deep breath, you're doing very well," he encouraged.

She pointed her muzzle to the ceiling and pushed down, trying to imagine her pelvis widening as she sat to allow their puppy to pass through. She focused on that image, picturing the puppy making steady progress. "HeeeaaaAArgh! Hgggh!" she grunted with the pushes, having trouble keeping up a steady push. Thrunder kneaded her hands and kept her upright, supporting her with her pushing as best he could. Her body trembled with the effort, her breasts and sex leaking slightly.

Mathias took a sanitary towel and gingerly dabbed up the fluids, saying quietly, "That's it, good girl, feel your puppy come."

"Goddammit!" Alice thought. When she pushed, she wanted quiet, wanted to focus, but between contractions she needed support, needed to be told she wasn't doing it wrong, and she couldn't focus enough to speak, not with that deadweight in her birth canal. Thrunder nuzzled and licked her face as he supported her, trying to be her anchor of strength and encouragement. Alice let out her breath, panted a few times, and bore down again, feeling the force of gravity pull the puppy closer to entering the world. Well, it was pulling the puppy, but that didn't make it feel as if it was coming much faster. She tightened her grip on Thrunder's hands as she felt her cervix strain to pass the puppy.

13 hours, 30 minutes

10 centimeters

1 hour, 11 minutes of pushing

"You are doing wonderful, Alice, you can do it," Thrunder whispered, holding Alice close and wiping her forehead.

Alice was beyond being able to respond at this point. She had passed an hour of pushing, and after sitting followed by pushing on her side no longer felt comfortable, was now on her hands and left knee on the bed, her right foot flat on the bed and its knee at her chest level, still as naked as she had been for the last six hours. A blanket was bunched up under her sex, which was now red and slightly swollen with the puppy's head behind it. Alice had her eyes closed, both hands gripping the blanket under her. Mathias and Angel continued to help Thrunder support the golden, Mathias having instructed the nurse to hold a warm, wet washcloth to Alice's sex to increase the blood flow and reduce her risk of tearing, as well as give her something to focus on when she pushed. Thrunder stood behind Alice, one arm around her chest to help her keep her balance as his other hand dabbed at her face with a towel.

Alice soon grunted and gripped the blanket harder, letting out a deep-throated growl as she started giving quick, grunting pushes, her chin tucking into her chest. She wasn't thinking anymore; all that stuff she heard and read didn't matter. She just felt what was right and did it. Thrunder kept quiet and let her do what she needed, stroking her muzzle gently and licking her ears. The room filled with the sounds of Alice's grunting and groaning, her body shivering with the effort and the sensation of the puppy progressing slowly but surely. Mathias, having figured out that Alice wanted quiet when she was pushing and reassurance when not, remained silent as he watched and waited. "Uggghh...nng...hahhhgh..." Alice grunted, nearly tearing at the blanket with each push. Her labia bulged against the washcloth slightly as the puppy would descend, then slip back slightly in a "two steps forward one step back" fashion.

"You're doing very well, love, keep it up," Thrunder said quietly into her ear as he hugged her against his chest and kissed her forehead.

Her hands finally left the blanket as she let out a "Yipe!" at a slight jump in the puppy's progress, reaching frantically for Thrunder's hands as her body kept up the push without her thinking about it, acting almost completely on instinct.

Thrunder took her hands, kneading them gently. "I'm here, I'm not leaving, I'm here for you."

"Ahh...AGGGHH!" she yowled as she stopped pushing and the contraction ended, she squeezing his hands almost tight enough to whiten her knuckles.

Mathias gently moved Angel's arm out of the way and leaned down to look under Alice's tummy, putting his hand on her sex and carefully probing it. "Alice, the head's right here. Do you want to feel?"

Alice's right hand, still gripping Thrunder's, moved to her belly, but she just couldn't unclench her grip. Thrunder nuzzled and licked her cheek. "It's okay, Alice, just let it go. Just let go, one finger at a time...that's it...now the next," he softly encouraged until her hand had released his. Then he took her wrist and guided her hand under her right thigh and to her sex. "Feel, Alice. Feel the puppy we made in our love."

Alice slipped her fingertips inside herself, and her eyes shot open when she felt the hard, wet mass that was their puppy's head just inside her. She sobbed as she ever so gently stroked the puppy's head, speaking barely above a whisper, "It'sthere...feel...."

Thrunder moved his hand to cover hers and gently slipped one fingertip in, petting the almost-born puppy with her as a pair of tears fell from his eyes onto her hair. "I feel our puppy, Alice," he said quietly, kissing the bridge of her nose, "and soon we can hold him or her in our arms."

Any pain and fatigue Alice was feeling suddenly didn't matter anymore; their puppy was so close she barely had to reach in to touch it.

"That's a girl. You're almost at the end," Mathias comforted with a smile. "Now, the puppy's going to stretch your perineum, and if it hurts too much to continue pushing, just breathe it out and let gravity pull."

Alice was nearly oblivious to him, unable to think about anything but the puppy she and her husband could touch with their own hands now. Thrunder gave the puppy a last pet before he rubbed his hand up and down her arm, words no longer able to express how he was feeling.

"Thrunder, if you want to hold the washcloth to Alice's perineum, you can feel the progress of the puppy too," Mathias invited.

The husky nodded and returned his hand to her sex as Angel handed him the resoaked washcloth, which he gently pressed against his wife's opening while licking all over her face. The lioness took the towel from him, wiping Alice's forehead.

Alice's tongue lolled out of her mouth as she panted, keeping her hand under the washcloth. Her head leaned back against Thrunder's shoulder, her lips pulled into a smile despite the pain. "You are my birthing Goddess," Thrunder purred as he planted a kiss on her muzzle. The golden, as overwhelmed by joy as she was, still could only give her husband's muzzle a lick. Her other hand was now kneading his as much as clenching it.

Within a couple of minutes, she gasped as another contraction started, curling her chin to her chest again and pushing, keeping her fingertips on the puppy's head to remind her of how close she was. Thrunder smiled brightly, continuing to hold the washcloth over her hand. It didn't take long for Alice to clench her eyes and jaw shut as her labia started to part for the puppy's head, Alice letting out a cry stifled by the stinging of her flesh stretching. "Gyahh! Ahahhh!" she whined, pulling her hand out and again gripping the blanket.

"Try talking to her to calm her down, get her to slow down and give herself time to stretch," Mathias said quietly to Thrunder.

Thrunder nodded and spoke calmly to Alice, "Love, try to relax. Breathe. Let your body stretch and prepare."

"Nnghahh!" She couldn't concentrate on what his words meant, only on the slowly crowning puppy and how it was forcing her open. She wanted to relax and let the puppy come, but her body was pushing whether she wanted to or not.

Thrunder rubbed her back with his free hand. "You can do this, Alice, keep it up," he said as he kissed her the top of head and Angel wiped her forehead.

Alice couldn't cry any more tears; she had gone completely dry. All she could do was give dry sobs as her flesh distended and opened so slowly around the puppy....

Mathias gently rubbed her arm to try to comfort her. "It's okay, just take it nice and easy, the puppy will come."

Thrunder's washcloth-covered hand cupped the puppy's emerging head as if encouraging it to come to them. His hand and touch were the only comforts Alice had now. Even knowing that the pain was the puppy coming closer, it just hurt too much for her to think positively. She shook her head back and forth as she let out mixes of whimpers and grunts, her hands alternating between gripping the blanket and reaching between her legs to try to feel the puppy.

When the contraction ended, Alice nearly collapsed, keeping herself upright with adrenaline and willpower. Her body shivered with her dry sobs as she was finally able to take shaky breaths. Thrunder continued to gently try to help Alice stretch, slowly rubbing the washcloth back and forth over her opening, trying to find out what would help her the most. Alice gulped down some spit that had accumulated in her mouth as she started to concentrate on Thrunder. Her hand moved to her opening again, inching Thrunder's out of the way as she touched the top of the puppy's head.

Mathias too reached in to feel, and nodded. "Very good, Alice. That's your puppy."

Thrunder moved his free hand from Alice's back and reached for the glass of water they kept nearby, bringing the straw to her lips as his other hand continued to rub her opening, feeling the hard protrusion of the puppy's head and feeling his heart swell with anticipation. She gratefully gulped down the water before she leaned her head back against Thrunder's shoulder again, breathing deeply and trying to calm down. Angel took the glass from Thrunder's hand so he could continue to comfort Alice as best he could, and wiped the golden's forehead. Thrunder then gently tried to nudge one of Alice's nether lips to the side to try to stretch it a little.

Alice flinched at Thrunder's action, letting out a light cry of, "Owdon't!"

Mathias looked up at Thrunder and shook his head. "Don't try to pull her open; that'll promote tears. Just rub in a nice, slow circle."

Thrunder immediately followed the doctor's instructions, rubbing Alice in a slow circle. "I'm sorry, love," he murmured to her as he leaned down to kiss her.

"That's it," Mathias said with a nod as he continued to feel around the puppy's head.

Alice panted slowly at Thrunder's rubbing, feeling the ache in her body abate enough for her to whisper, "Feel."

Thrunder reached under her thigh and under the washcloth with his free hand and touched the puppy's head, beaming a smile at his wife and licking her nose. "Almost there, Alice," he whispered as he continued to rub with the washcloth.

Alice let out a few more slow pants before she whined and reached for Thrunder's free hand, her other hand gripping the blanket again. "T-Talktomeee!" she mewled as she felt her body push down on the puppy and her sex begin to stretch again.

"You are doing wonderful love, you can do it, take it slow and easy," the husky said quietly as he rubbed her opening, "you can do it."

"Good girl, puppy's coming, puppy's coming," Mathias added.

Alice continued to cry out through clenched teeth, but now she was hanging onto her support more than ever to try to let the puppy come at its own pace.

Thrunder kneaded Alice's hand. "You're doing it, let the puppy come, it's coming," he reassured as he crouched down to nuzzle her neck and lick her face.

Her right leg trembled before she moved it so she was sitting on her shins, keeping her legs as spread as she could. She felt herself open wider and wider, her lips pulling tight around the puppy's head. Her hand let go of the blanket and reached down to feel the puppy again, the act reminding her to take it slow. "C-comeonpuppycomeonpuppycomeonpuppyyy..." she whimpered.

Thrunder moved the washcloth so she could feel the head. "It's coming, you're doing well, let it come on its own, it'll be here when you're both ready," he whispered into her ear, licking her face again.

Despite herself, she still let out a scream when the puppy's head approached its widest diameter: "GYAAAAHHHH!" At that, the contraction ended, causing the puppy to slip back in slightly.

"That's it, it's so close," Thrunder whispered as his big hand cupped the puppy's head again.

Alice's dry sobs returned, now from both pain and the rush of knowing that the puppy was so close to being with them.

"Alice, I think this puppy's head's coming out on the next contraction. The end's only a few minutes away," Mathias said quietly.

Thrunder's tail wagged happily. "You hear that love? The doctor said so himself. The puppy's all but in our arms now."

"Thrunder, if you want to help catch the puppy, come on in front," Mathias offered. Alice could hardly believe it. The puppy was finally so close that the doctor asked her husband if he wanted to help catch it. Thrunder nodded and let go of the washcloth, moving in front of his wife and, after a quick wash of his hands with some sanitizer Mathias had nearby, stood at the ready, his palms on Alice's thighs. "Now, just let her do most of the guiding. She knows what to do," the raccoon coached, moving to sit on a stool behind Alice and taking his instruments with him. Alice leaned forward and rested her forehead against Thrunder's shoulder, her hands stroking and caressing the puppy's head.

Thrunder waited eagerly for Alice to have another contraction, rubbing her thighs as his tail continued swishing. "It's almost time, sweetie. We're so close to being parents," he said quietly with a kiss of Alice's forehead.

She panted and waited, her fingers brushing over the wet fuzz on the puppy's head. She let out another sob as she found a pointy ear and gently rubbed the velvety flesh between her index and middle fingers and thumb.

The two continued to gently touch their puppy and each other until Alice gasped and took a few quick pants, her whole body shaking. She took in a deep breath and bore down: every inch of her body was telling her to finally push this puppy's head out. Her sex bulged against their hands as the puppy inched closer.

Thrunder moved his hands between her legs as best he could, though her hands took up most of the available room. "The head's almost here, little more, little more," he coached.

The puppy's head again reached its widest diameter as Alice pushed. "Hgggrrrr...!" she grunted.

Thrunder's smile widened even further as he felt the puppy moving. "Head's almost here, just a little more!" he said excitedly.

Mathias readied his instruments. "That's it, one more push," he reassured, rubbing her back.

Alice felt her flesh give everything it had to let the head pass through, and she decided it was finally time for the puppy to come out. She took in a deep breath. "Thisisit...!" she grunted in a strained voice before she gave as hard a push as she could. "rrrrRRAAAAAHHH!" she screamed in pain and love as her lips finally gave way to the puppy's head in a gush of fluid. Her eyes opened and stared into Thrunder's as she felt the entirety of the puppy's head: its little muzzle, its squinched eyes, its tiny nose...she thought she had cried all her tears out, but they came back as she bawled in joy. Thrunder stroked around the puppy's head, giving Alice a gentle kiss on the lips, ready to catch the puppy.

Mathias suctioned out the puppy's nose and mouth and held his hands over Alice and Thrunder's. "That's good, you're doing so well, Alice. Now, we're just going to give it a little turn to its side so the shoulders come out," he said as calmly as he could.

Alice wasn't listening to the doctor; her body already told her that the puppy needed to turn, and she gave the head little nudges, feeling it slowly shift. Thrunder squatted down to look at the puppy, another tear rolling down his cheek. "It's black...the puppy has black fur," he said in a shaky voice as he stood back up.

Alice leaned forward into Thrunder's chest, her tears and sweat wetting down his shirt. She was so close...so close....

"One more push, Alice, one more push and the little one is here," Thrunder said quietly, licking Alice's head as they waited for what he hoped would finally be the last contraction. Alice tried to steady her breathing, but she could barely think, only feel.

With the next contraction, Alice extended her legs to lift her upper body as upright as she could while she pushed, feeling the shoulders slip out of her body. She let out a long yelp as the puppy's whole body soon followed, landing in the soft safety of her and her husband's hands and the blanket. Thrunder smiled as he slowly, carefully lifted the little one up for his wife to take. Alice reached out with shaky arms and took the squirming, whining, fuzzy life from her husband. She slowly moved to sit against the bed's upright head, cradling the puppy to her chest and licking its head. It was mostly black like Thrunder's father and it had her husband's curved tail but it had her golden muzzle, forearms and hands, and lower legs and feet. Its ears were pointed at their tips but the middles of its ears were folded. Its eyes were shut and would remain shut for at least two months. Alice couldn't speak; she just cried with the puppy.

Mathias took another blanket and draped it over the puppy, smiling at the new family. "7:39 P.M., and a beautiful boy. Congratulations," he said quietly.

Thrunder leaned down and put an arm around Alice's shoulders, stroking the puppy's head. "Hello sweetie. Welcome to the world," he murmured.

Alice rubbed the puppy's back and kept licking his head as he coughed and wriggled, burying his face between her warm breasts. "Happy birthday my little Henry," she whispered.

"Happy birthday Henry, our beautiful son," Thrunder whispered with her, kissing her face and then the puppy.

Mathias nodded to Angel and patted Alice's leg. "Thrunder, if you'd like to cut the cord..." he offered, holding up the appropriate scissors. After Thrunder did so, the raccoon continued, "And now, if we can just take him for a little while to weigh him and clean him up." Alice didn't ever want to let her son go. She shook her head and kept licking her son. "We aren't going to take him away. He's not even going to leave the room."

"Alice, let me take him. They need to weigh him and measure him and make sure he's okay," Thrunder said calmly. Thrunder's voice, the voice that had kept her confident during this whole experience, was the only voice Alice could listen to except for the puppy's whimpering, so she gave the puppy a last kiss on his head and slowly relaxed her arms for Thrunder to take Henry. The husky took his mixed breed son in his strong but gentle arms and slowly moved to the scale with Mathias.

Henry whined louder at being taken from his mother, but something about the scent of the big thing holding him made him feel safe. He wanted to be held close to something soft and warm.

Mathias followed Thrunder as Angel cleaned Alice as best she could. "Okay, just set him nice and easy on the scale."

Thrunder gently placed Henry on the scale, bending down to speak quietly, "It's okay little one, Daddy's here and he's not leaving you."

That voice...Henry had heard that voice very often...he couldn't understand it at all...but he associated it with safety. Someone known. Important. Loving.

The doctor checked the numbers and nodded. "Okay, seven pounds, eleven ounces. Good so far." He then measured the puppy's length and added, "And nineteen inches long."

Thrunder chuckled lightly. "You are a big little boy, Henry," he remarked with a smile.

Alice's eyes were barely open as she watched and listened to the doctor and her husband, smiling as she panted slowly, her tongue hanging out of her mouth again. Their son was healthy...and finally here...it was so worth it. Now if only those annoying jabbing sensations in her womb would stop...damn cramps.

Angel continued to wipe Alice's sweaty body, asking, "Is there anything I can get you, Alice?"

"My son," the golden spoke barely above a whisper.

Soon, Mathias had wrapped the golden/husky puppy in a soft blanket and handed him to his father. "He's in great health. You two should be very proud for sticking it out even when it got hard."

"I'm very proud of my wife Alice," Thrunder said as he carried Henry to his mother.

Alice took the puppy in her arms again and held him to her breast. "Come on Henry, you've had a long day...nurse from Mommy..." she crooned, giving the blind puppy a wide smile as he latched onto her breast.

Thrunder smiled happily and carefully sat down on the bed next to Alice. "You did wonderful, Alice," he said with a kiss.

Alice kissed her husband back and returned her attention to Henry. She let out a long, happy sigh at the feeling of his little mouth suckling from her. "That's a good boy. Mommy has all the milk you need."

Thrunder gave her another kiss on her temple. "You both mean the world to me, Alice. I'm so happy to have you as my wife," he rubbed one of Henry's ears, "and you as my son."

Alice leaned her head over to rest her cheek on his shoulder. "Couldn'tve done it without you," she murmured, closing her eyes.

Mathias smiled at them. "Honey, there's just one more thing we gotta do: the placenta."

"You ready for the last step, Alice?" Thrunder asked.

She nodded slightly. "Then...finally sleep."

"We just have to wait a little bit for a contraction, then it'll be out in two shakes of a lamb's tail," the raccoon remarked.

Thrunder put his arm around Alice's shoulders and stroked their son's back with his free hand. The golden/husky merfed quietly as he suckled, pawing at Alice's breast.

"Angel, can you examine her uterus, please?" Mathias asked as he began writing on Alice's chart.

The lioness nodded and wheeled over an ultrasound machine from the corner of the room, placing some gel on Alice's still-swollen belly and rubbing the wand over it. Within a few seconds, she squinted at the image on the screen, then gasped. "Mathias, come look at this, quick!"

Alice's eyes opened slightly as she looked over at the doctor and nurse. "What...'m I okay?" she asked tiredly.

Mathias came over and looked at the machine's readout. "Hmm? That's not a placen-..." he stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening. "Oh my God."

"What?" Thrunder asked, leaving his wife and son's side for the moment to look at the picture, his own eyes going wide as well. "Sweetie," he began.

"Alice," Mathias said in the same tone before they finished in unison:

"You have another puppy in there."

Alice grunted, feeling a sudden rush of adrenal fear as she nearly barked, "Turn it! S-Show me!" Angel turned the screen to show Alice the blurry image of the other puppy that had been hiding from them.

"Okay, honey, I'm so sorry, but we have to get you to a delivery room, pronto, which means Henry has to go to the nursery," Mathias said, keeping his voice calm but firm. "I promise, you'll see him again as soon as possible."

Alice looked up to Thrunder and reached for his hand. "H-Help me," she whined, looking to be on the verge of tears again.

"Love, I will be right there with you. I am not leaving your side," he reassured, stroking her face.

As Angel and Mathias bustled to get Alice ready to be moved, the golden tried to focus on the little boy in her arms and her husband at her side. They were the only things keeping her calm, and she let out a whimper every time she felt the second puppy move.

Thrunder hugged her against him and kissed her on the lips, gently lifting Henry from her arms once he finished nursing. "Just for now, Alice."

She kissed her index and middle fingertips and touched Henry's head with them. "Mommy has to go now...be a good boy," she whispered, fresh tears coming to her eyes.

Thrunder gave Henry's forehead a kiss of his own and gently placed him in Angel's arms. The puppy whined a little as he was handed to Angel, who placed him in a wheeled bassinet and covered him with another blanket before the lioness wheeled him out of the room.

Alice was soon ready to go, and Mathias, assisted by a few other doctors, wheeled her bed out the door. Her hand never left Thrunder's, and she whined as they brought her down the hall. Her whine turned into a yelp as she felt a contraction start, her grip tightening.

"It's okay, Alice," Thrunder tried to comfort, rubbing her hand with his thumb.

All of this was happening too fast...she couldn't concentrate on her breathing or on anything, so all she could do was cry out as she contracted. Patients they passed looked at her in fear, but she couldn't care less if she was scaring them when she herself was afraid.

"That's it, just let it all go, Alice. I know you're tired, but it'll be over in no time; the second one will be much faster," Thrunder continued.

Alice wasn't listening. She just grit her teeth and growled and writhed and yelped. She needed to calm down, to concentrate, to recenter herself, but it hurt so bad and she was so scared....

"Almost there, Alice, just hold on," Mathias said, even though he didn't think she'd care.

When they entered the delivery room, Mathias held up a hand to stop Thrunder. "I'm sorry, but I need you to wash-"

"NO!" Alice cried at feeling her hand leave Thrunder's.

The husky hastily put on the scrubs and surgery mask to which Mathias pointed him and washed his hands, rushing back to Alice's side and taking her hand. She clenched his hand so hard her knuckles whitened. "D-Don'tgoagain!" she blurted.

"I won't, I promise, love," he said, nuzzling her and flinching from the strength of her grip.

"Okay, Alice, here's what we're going to do. We're going to let you push as long as you can, but if the puppy looks like it needs help, we're going to move in, which might mean a C-section," Mathias explained.

Alice gulped and nodded. "H-Help me be strong," she whispered to Thrunder as her other hand went to his and she started to sit up on the bed.

"Just say the position and we'll help you, Alice," Mathias said.

A quiet "Squat," was his answer. Alice was so tired...she couldn't go through another hour-plus of pushing. That was why she wanted to squat. It was a tiring position even with Thrunder's support, but she read that this was one of the best birth positions, and she didn't care if she slept for days afterward: she was going to keep her promise of only accepting pain medication if it was needed for a C-section.

Soon she was squatting beside the bed with a sanitary towel under her and a cup of ice chips on the bed, panting, with Thrunder behind her and Mathias in front of her. Thrunder kissed the top of her head and murmured, "You can do this, Alice. Everything's okay. This one will be out real soon."

Mathias gently rested his palms on her tummy to feel for the puppy. "That's right. Soon you'll be doubly blessed," he said calmly.

Alice leaned back into Thrunder, holding both of his hands as she mouthed words but no sound came out.

"It's okay Alice. You can do this. This puppy will be much easier," Thrunder tried to reassure her.

She licked at her lips, a thin line of saliva that she didn't care to swallow running from the corner of her mouth as her breasts leaked a little again, Mathias dabbing at her mouth and then her breasts with another towel. Soon she hissed and gripped Thrunder's hands harder, grunting as she pushed.

Thrunder kneaded Alice's hands and nuzzled her ear. "It's okay, I'm here, you can do this. Just think: as soon as it's over, you'll be holding another beautiful puppy in your arms."

"RrrRRr...!" she grunted, pushing down as hard as she could and feeling the second puppy begin to come.

"That's it, pushpushpush," Mathias coached calmly.

Thrunder continued to whisper encouragement to his wife as she pushed. "You can do it, good pushing, real strong."

Alice's body and especially her arms shook with her effort, gritting her teeth and shutting her eyes. She could already feel progress being made, but she couldn't keep up the effort and had to stop and take a few deep breaths in mid-contraction.

"It's okay Alice, just do what you can," Mathias said, rubbing her thigh and reaching for the towel to wipe her forehead.

She was only able to give another, weaker push before the contraction started to wane, and she shook her head. She was so tired...she used up so much of her strength on Henry. She wanted to tell Thrunder that she was scared, but could only hold his hands. "Good pushing. Nice, deep breaths. In and out. That's it," he murmured. The golden nodded slightly, moving to sit on the towel underneath her and whining loudly.

"Sweetie, you're a great pusher, but I know you're very tired, so if you feel too tired to push, go ahead and ride out a contraction," Mathias offered, wiping her forehead.

Thrunder caressed her cheek and nuzzled her ear. "Take a nice rest. Save your strength." She breathed as slowly as she could, reaching up to wipe a tear from her eye. Suddenly feeling extremely needy, she turned her head around and softly kissed Thrunder's mask-covered muzzle, moving his hand down to her belly. He kissed her back even with the mask on. "I'm here, Alice. I'm not leaving." Alice wanted to feel Thrunder's lips on hers, but didn't want Mathias to make him leave to wash up again. She leaned back against his chest, panting lightly as Mathias and the doctors watched.

She soon whined again and struggled to pull herself back into a squat, taking a deep breath and pushing. "Mm...ggahhhhh...ggh!" she vocalized as she pushed, a few blood vessels on her temples standing out against her fur. Thrunder whispered more encouragement to her as he let her use his body to keep her weight centered. Her head leaned back, her nose pointing to the ceiling as she tried to keep up her push, eventually giving quick, short pushes to try to keep breathing, feeling the puppy inch down little by little.

"Good, really good, keep pushing," the raccoon in front of her said.

"That's it, you're doing it," Thrunder added, moving her hand under her thigh, which caused her to reflexively unclench her hand and reach for her crotch.

Alice could feel the flesh of her opening swelling outward a bit, but she still had a ways to go. Desperate to feel that she was indeed progressing, she pushed her index finger inside herself a little past the second knuckle before her fingertip touched the puppy's head, causing her to sob again in a mix of relief, pain, and love as she felt its slight movements downward.

"See, Alice? You're doing incredible. Just keep it up. I know it hurts and you're tired," Thrunder said with a kiss of her ear.

About an hour ago, she would have barked at him that "he had no idea how much it hurt or how tired she was," but now all she wanted to hear was his voice. Once the contraction ended, she again let out a deep breath and sat down, breathing hard as Mathias tried to help Thrunder comfort Alice by wiping her forehead.

Thrunder nuzzled Alice's cheek. "Okay, rest. Deep breaths. You're doing it, the puppy will come."

Mathias nodded. "Do you think you can lift up a little so I can check?" he asked, receiving a nod as she lifted her body up a little and he felt the puppy's head. "Mm, very good, you're moving along very quickly. Looks like a C-section probably won't be necessary after all," he said with a smile, nodding at the other doctors and motioning for them to stay back so as not to make Alice feel crowded or panicky.

Alice was still afraid that even moving as fast as she was, she would just be too tired to push the second puppy out, or something would still go wrong. Sensing her lingering fear, Thrunder nuzzled her cheek. "Just remember what you felt now. The puppy's coming. Soon Henry will have a new brother or sister."

Alice nuzzled back and closed her eyes, gulping to try to ease the dryness in her throat. Her reprieve was short, though: another contraction hit quickly, causing her to work back into a squat again. They were coming on so fast and hard now; she needed a longer break to catch her breath. Thrunder took the glass of ice chips on the bed and held it to her lips, hearing her hoarse breathing. "Good girl, nice pushes," he coached.

She couldn't accept the ice as she was seized by the urge to push, but this time she couldn't give a big, hard push as she usually did. She tried to ride this contraction out and breathe, but the feeling of the puppy descending made her unable to keep herself from pushing a little.

Seeing that Alice was trying to conserve her strength, Mathias quietly consoled, "That's it, nice, little pushes, puppy's coming," as he kept his fingers in her sex to monitor the puppy's progress and give her more to focus her pushing on.

Thrunder nodded as he supported Alice. "You can do it, you can do it, keep it up."

"OhhhGooood...ggh! ...Ggghahhh!" Alice moaned and grunted, slowly shaking her head back and forth and gripping urgently onto Thrunder's hands.

"Good girl, make all the noise you want, no one's going to stop you," Mathias told her.

"That's it, I'm here. Go ahead and yell and cry and let everything out," Thrunder added.

Once Alice had endured most of the contraction and saved more of her strength, she gave one good push near the end, feeling the puppy slip down and letting out a shrieking yelp at the sudden stretching of her flesh. After Alice recovered her senses (jumbled as they were), she swallowed another mouthful of spit and whispered, "Bed."

"Do you want to get in another position on the bed?" Mathias asked, receiving a nod. Thrunder again offered the cup of ice chips to Alice, kissing the top of her head. Alice took an ice chip in her mouth and sipped at it, every drop a relief. "I think she wants you to help her, Thrunder," Mathias said.

She nodded, breathing the word, "Carry."

"Anything you say, love," Thrunder replied, pulling her up by her armpits and helping her move to get on the bed. Alice slowly rose to her hands and knees and turned to kneel against the raised head, letting out a sigh and resting her chin on the pillows as she gripped Thrunder's hands. Mathias moved to one side of her near her hindquarters, dabbing at her sex with a sanitary towel. Thrunder smiled at his wife and leaned in to kiss her forehead as he stood in front of her. "I'm so proud of you, Alice. I love you."

She looked up and actually forced herself to smile a bit, kissing the air. Her tail gave a tired wag at her husband's praise and encouragement, and she breathed, "Feel."

Mathias handed Thrunder a packet of sanitizing gel, smiling. "Just for a little bit."

The husky rubbed the gel on his hands and moved to Alice's side, carefully inserting the index and middle fingers of one hand into his wife. He felt his heart skip a beat when his fingertips brushed the puppy's head. As exhausted and in pain as Alice was, even now she didn't regret going drug-free in the slightest. There was just something so inherently pleasing about having her husband touch their puppy, such a primal rush....

"Alice, this puppy's coming out really quickly, so I might need you to stop pushing so you don't tear, okay?" Mathias asked.

"Almost done. Just a little longer. You know what to do," Thrunder said quietly as he walked back in front of Alice and took her hands in his again. She gave his masked nose a weak lick, feeling a second wind well up inside her from knowing that the puppy was almost out. Within a minute, she tightened her grip on his hands and spread her legs, lifting her tail and bearing down. "That's it, you're doing wonderful, good pushing," Thrunder said excitedly.

Mathias kept his eyes on Alice's opening as he saw the top of the puppy's head begin to emerge. "I see blonde hair, Alice," he encouraged.

Alice didn't scream and barely grunted, all of her energy going inward and she willing the puppy to come down, her tail bobbing slightly with her pushes. "Come on, push push push, really strong pushing!" Thrunder continued.

Alice shook with the force of her pushes, letting out a long "Gghhhhhhrrrr" before she took a deep breath and pushed again, clenching her jaw harder. She felt the puppy progress and almost reach its head's widest diameter before she had to stop, keeping her eyes closed and wiping at them with her hands.

Thrunder kissed Alice through the mask again, kneading her hands. "You can do it, Alice, I know you can," he comforted.

"Great pushing, Alice," Mathias added. "Now, at this rate, the puppy's head will be born really quickly, and if you can help it, try not to push when it emerges. Being in this position helps, but I'd rather not take chances of having you tear if it can be helped."

Alice would have told him that "she couldn't stop pushing once she started, and this puppy's coming out when I say it is," but she just rested her chin on the pillows, slowly reaching under her belly to touch the puppy's head, sniffling with tears of happiness.

"Yes, Alice, very soon. You can do it, just keep it up, love," Thrunder said with a nuzzle of her nose.

Alice smiled tiredly, just perking the corners of her mouth a little, and panted through her mouth, her tongue hanging out. Then she gasped; she could feel the puppy moving and her opening stretching, but she wasn't having a contraction. She would have cried out, but...she wasn't afraid anymore. If the puppy wanted to come now, she wouldn't fight it. "Ooooh," she moaned, though it was a vocalization of both pain and love as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Wha- oh, okay, nice and easy!" Mathias coached as the puppy's head suddenly slipped out of Alice's body in another gush of fluid.

"That's it, let it happen," Thrunder whispered as he moved to Alice's side to try to see the puppy, not letting go of his wife's hands. The puppy's wet, smooshed face looked much Henry's with the colors swapped: its head was primarily Alice's blonde with a black muzzle.

Mathias checked that the cord wasn't around the puppy's neck and suctioned the airway. "That was amazing, Alice. Worst is over, now it's just a few more little pushes."

Thrunder kissed the top of his wife's head. "The puppy's here, Alice," he whispered into her ear with a wide smile.

Alice smiled widely and cried happily, her body shaking with her sobs as she looked up at Thrunder and let out a few sounds not unlike the hysterical babbling one makes when crying, but hers were not tinged with sorrow or panic: they were her attempts to vocalize how overwhelmed by love she was.

Mathias supported the puppy's head as he started to turn it to its side. "Almost, almost...."

"One more push, Alice," Thrunder added.

Alice gulped and panted, soon tucking her chin into the pillows and giving a little push, feeling the puppy's shoulders and then whole body slip out of her. Mathias gently caught the slippery, wet life in his arms as it cried and wriggled. "It's another boy. You're a mother and father of two boys," he said calmly.

Thrunder smiled and kissed his wife again, tears filling his eyes. Alice slumped down and slowly turned around, lifting her leg over the umbilical cord and sitting on her rump, reaching out with rubbery but insistent arms for her second boy. As his head foretold, he was pretty much a smaller Henry with his colors swapped: black arms, legs, and muzzle, and light blonde on the rest of his body. Unlike Henry, he had Alice's straight tail.

The raccoon placed the boy in Alice's arms. "Easy, Alice. Don't overexert yourself," he quietly advised.

As if Alice would drop this unexpected blessing even when this tired. She gently held his head to her breasts so he could sniff for her milk. Thrunder smiled down at them, reaching to softly stroke the puppy's back. Alice touched her lips against the top of the mixed breed puppy's head as he merfed and whined, rooting through her chest for the comfort of his mother's milk.

After cutting the cord, Mathias spoke up, "Alice, can I take him? He was a surprise, so we really should make sure he's healthy right away." He didn't want to disturb the newly grown family but he was more ready to face their scorn than a puppy in trouble.

"Alice, I'll take him again. He'll be checked nice and quick, then we can rest with our puppies, okay?" Thrunder said, reaching out to lift the little boy from Alice's arms. The golden nodded slightly, relaxing her grip on the puppy and letting his father take him.

Soon the puppy was on the scale, weighing in at five pounds, five ounces, and measuring fourteen inches long. A fair bit smaller than Henry was, but seemed to be quite healthy, as his loud whining signaled. "It's okay, little one, Daddy's here," Thrunder said softly, gently licking Henry's face.

Mathias smiled as he handed Thrunder his second child wrapped up in a blanket. "You and Alice are truly inspiring. Thank you for letting me share this experience," he said with a bright smile.

Thrunder smiled and nodded, hugging the puppy to his chest. "Thank you too, Doctor, for helping us have the births we wanted," he replied.

Before long, Alice and Thrunder were back in their birthing suite, Alice wearing a gown that unbuttoned at the chest so she could nurse her puppies. Alice held both puppies to her breasts, tears running down her cheeks as they nursed. "Hello puppies...I'm your mother...he's your father...and we love you," she sang.

Thrunder smiled at them, humming along to her song as he sat in the rocking chair and stroked Henry's back.

She looked over at her husband. "Thrunder...can we name him...Cole?" she asked tiredly, her eyes half closed as she tapped the primarily yellow puppy's head with her fingers.

The husky nodded. "I like that name...Henry and Cole."

Alice looked down at their puppies. "Henry and Cole...two blessings when we expected one." When they were full, she lifted them up and kissed the tops of their heads. "Our twin puppies."

"Yes, our precious little angels," Thrunder said in agreement.

Alice closed her eyes and cuddled the puppies against her, but Henry wriggled in her one-armed grasp. "Mm...take him...I want to sleep..." she murmured, letting out a sigh of contentment.

Thrunder nodded and gently took Henry, rocking him in the chair and cradling him close to his body. Henry let out a quiet "Marf," blindly clinging onto Thrunder's shirt as he took in his father's scent, an imprint being formed on his mind even this early in life. The husky smiled down at his sons. "They're so beautiful, Alice," he said, bringing Henry's head up to kiss his forehead.

The golden nodded and smiled, stroking Cole's back. She hummed a quiet song again as she drifted off, soon sinking deep into her well-earned sleep.

Epilogue

2 months later

Alice and Thrunder returned home to a welcome-home party several days after the birth; the news of Alice giving birth to twins had spread quickly among their friends and family. The new parents were treated to overwhelming praise of their accomplishment, and Alice was even given an after-baby shower to commemorate the unexpected twin; Alice and Thrunder's parents were particularly beside themselves upon seeing their two new grandchildren. Alice, of course, was asked plenty of "How'd you do it?"-type questions from the other women, who couldn't believe she had given birth to twins without medication.

The dogs entered parenthood with great enthusiasm, eager to learn how to make their puppies smile, to take them for walks and to friends' houses, to involve them in every aspect of their lives that they could. They did look forward to the twins finally sleeping through the night, though, but the night of Henry and Cole's two-month birthday would be one they would cherish forever.

Alice's ears perked to the familiar sound of whining coming from the baby monitor. She groaned and looked at the clock on the nightstand: 3:14 A.M. She gave her husband a tired kick in the thigh. "Why can't you grow breasts and feed 'em?" she complained.

Thrunder merfed at the kick and rolled out of bed as he heard the pups' cries, walking into the nursery in just his boxers to comfort his children a little before they were fed.

The golden soon followed, rubbing her eyes and standing up as she shuffled to the door, catching sight of her dark reflection in their bedroom mirror. She still had a lot her pregnancy weight, giving her a fair bit of baby fat easily noticeable even through her nightgown...to say nothing of her breasts. Sometimes, especially when she was so sleepy, she wished she could just have her old body back right then.

She dragged herself into the nursery to see Thrunder holding Henry and Cole, one puppy in each big arm, smiling down at them as he slowly rocked them back and forth and hummed to them. Alice yawned widely as she sat down in the rocking chair. "Gimme Cole," she grumpily told him, unbuttoning her nightgown, feeling her milk already reflexively start to let down. Thrunder gently handed Alice Cole, and Alice used her arm as a cradle to leave one hand free for a moment. She held her nipple between her index and middle fingers, holding the primarily yellow puppy to her breast, unable to help but smile softly as Cole latched on. "Good puppy," she whispered. Henry, meanwhile, wriggled in his father's grasp, hungry and wanting to nurse.

Thrunder crouched next to her and held Henry to her other breast, helping Alice support him as he latched on. "Such a pretty mama and pretty puppies," he said quietly with a smile

Alice murred at feeling both of her puppies nurse from her, closing her eyes and trying to retreat into her maternal instincts. "Good puppies...pretty puppies...nurse from Mommy," she whispered. Thrunder leaned in to plant kisses on the backs of his puppies' heads, watching his family tiredly but happily.

"Mmm...mmm..." she murred as the sound and feeling of her puppies nursing started to lull her into tired contentment. The golden and husky started to nod off, but Alice was brought back to attention by Cole detaching from her breast. After he refused to nurse anymore, Alice looked up to Thrunder. "Honey..." she trailed off, motioning with her head to Cole.

"All right, c'mere Cole." Thrunder gently took Cole from Alice as she used her now free arm to support Henry. He took a washcloth from the changing table and draped it over his shoulder, then held the puppy's head over it, patting his back until he burped. "There ya go," Thrunder remarked as he sniffed Cole's bottom to see if he needed to be changed, and finding not, set him back in his crib.

Alice stroked the ear of her bigger, hungrier puppy. "You sure are a greedy one...and here I thought I'd have more milk than you could handle. Good thing your brother came along too," she teased lightly. Once Henry was finished, Alice stood up and draped one of the washcloths over her shoulder as she patted his back, eventually coaxing a decent belch out of him. "Can you change him, Thrunder?" Alice asked, smelling that he had a dirty diaper.

"Excuse you," Thrunder joked, taking Henry to change him.

Once Thrunder had Henry on the changing table, Alice held a clean cloth diaper to her breasts, which were leaking slightly from breastfeeding. She winked at Thrunder. "Mooo." Thrunder turned his head and planted a quick kiss on her lips before he continued to change Henry. She giggled and moved to the crib, smiling down at Cole and reaching out to lightly stroke his soft bellyfur. Then, turning back to Thrunder and Henry once the mostly black puppy was changed, whispered, "I'll finish up here. Go back to bed."

Thrunder brought Henry to the crib, laying him down next to his brother and then standing behind Alice, wrapping his arms around her and rocking slowly. "I love you, pretty mama," he cooed.

Alice nuzzled Thrunder's chin, smiling at their puppies. She reached down to pet Henry, who rolled on his back with a "Mmf." She giggled lightly, and then stopped abruptly, leaning down to look more closely at Henry. She gasped and dropped the diaper she was holding to her breasts, lifting Henry out of the crib. "Oh my God...Thrunder..." she whispered. Henry's eyes were open. Just a little, but for the first time, they could see their son's hazel eyes looking up at them.

"Oh, love, this is wonderful." He smiled widely and reached up to stroke Henry's cheek with the backs of his fingers.

Alice sniffled, her eyes tearing up as a wide, loving smile spread across her face. "Hello, Henry...we're your mommy and daddy...." She brought the puppy up closer to her face, lightly kissing him on his nose.

Henry tried to open his eyes a little more upon hearing their voices, so Thrunder tried to encourage him. "I'm your daddy, son," he whispered. The puppy could only open his eyes a crack, but it was all his parents needed for this wakeup call to be worthwhile. He soon closed his eyes and nuzzled against his mother's breast. She kissed him again and turned so Thrunder could do the same. The husky softly kissed Henry on the cheek. "He and Cole are so precious."

"Yes they are," Alice responded. She set Henry down in the crib, and the mostly husky puppy cuddled against his brother. Alice gave Thrunder a quick smooch on the lips. "Love you, Thrunder."

"Love you too," he replied, looking in the crib. His eyebrows rose and he leaned in for a closer look. "Love, I think Cole's eyes are open too!" he whispered excitedly.

She gulped and leaned in to look again, covering her muzzle to stifle her gasp. It was too dark in the room to make out Cole's eye color while he was in the crib, but Alice didn't want to disturb his rest too, so she petted his chest, receiving a murr from the boy. She let out another sniffle as she wiped her eyes with her other hand. "Love you both, my little angels...even if you do exhaust me sometimes," she whispered to the puppies.

"Let's head back to bed, love. The puppies need to sleep, as do we," Thrunder said quietly.

Alice nodded again, blowing Henry and Cole kisses before tiptoeing with him out of the nursery and back to their bedroom, her arms around his waist.

Thrunder smiled and pulled the covers of their bed down, then picked his wife up and lay her in the bed before crawling in with her and pulling the covers over them. "Night night, Alice."

She cuddled up to him, kissing him lightly. "See you in the morning, sweetie."

"See you in the morning, honey," he murred.

Cast

Alice: Me.

Thrunder: velvetkitten.

Angel: velvetkitten.

Mathias: Me.

Twins: Me.

Credits

This story owes a great debt of creative consultation to Nyght: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/darkmuse03/ . Were it not for her patience with me drilling her about her own childbirth experience, this story would never have been what it is.

This story also owes a debt of inspiration to numerous sources relating to childbirth, not the least of which are almost every episode of A Baby Story I have ever watched, "Childbirth Education Resources for Expectant Parents" here: http://transitiontoparenthood.com/ttp/parented/parentshome.htm , and the numerous birth stories, real and fictional, I have read over the years.

Finally, since this story commemorated my 10,000th DA pageview, I wish to thank everyone who has read, commented on and favorited my stories. You all inspire me to continue doing what I love, and knowing that you appreciate it fuels me even more.