FSE

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It's been nearly nine months since we found the humans. Since then Kyle's been proving himself a good leader. With the help of a flying machine called a shuttle, he's not only relocated them to Garrent, but he's also found a home, large enough for all of us, just outside Arindell. Everyone that was in his party when he rescued me, has also been given the positions he promised them. Arru's his advisor and family councilor, Niku's the family shaman, Zoe's the cook, and Tria's teaching the children.

When we got back to Arindell, he reunited with his first love, a rabbit named Megai, and took her for his second mate, alongside Tayla, who's just recently given birth to her two cubs, one a yellow female, the other a white male. With his daughter, Fey, his ward, Kotu, and Megai's daughter Amela, they've become a rather large, happy family.

Larrah's still his guard, and thanks to Arru, her former guards, Tareth and Skye, both huskies, are also the family's guards. There are also two house servants, a stoat named Kosh, and a red panda named Nanai, and he's recently taken on a couple new guests, a couple humans, named Darren and Cayla. Cayla was apparently the one he was trying to save back when he first woke, Darren however, was one of the humans we rescued and moved to Garrent.

As for Railu, Kyle's finally been able to properly tend to her, relieving her of her reoccurring problems. Despite this, for the last few months, I've been pushing her around in a wheelchair, something Kyle made for her so she doesn't exert herself. We've had our talk with Niva, who has decided to stay in Lorholt. Maybe one day, after the kit's born, I'll be able to convince her to move up here with us.

With it late in the evening, I push Railu slowly from the main hall, where we spend the day, back to our room.

She leans back in the chair, sighs, and then looks up at me. "I am so ready for this day to be over."

"You just want me to put you to bed," I joke and lick her nose.

She smiles, "Yes, I do, but you know that I have a hard time moving myself from this chair to the bed."

Entering our room, I push the chair up to the side of the bed. She locks the wheels as I step around side to pick her up. As I do, she wraps her arms around me and nuzzles into my neck.

"This is the part I love," she whispers, "being held by you."

Instead of setting her on the bed, I turn and sit, still holding her to me. "Then let me just hold you for a while."

She sighs as I lean back onto her pillows, "This is nice."

I rest my head on hers, and gently rub her belly. Before too long, I feel the kit kicking at my hand and smile. "Soon, little one. Soon, I'll be able to hold you in my arms."

I hear Railu groan slightly, and realize that she's asleep. I lay back, rolling to my side, gently pulling her with me. Without waking her, I position her on her side and snuggle up to her back.

"Ziggy, lights," I whisper. They dim, reducing to minimal ambient light. The house's AI, Ziggy, something I don't pretend to understand, but I've come to appreciate his being here. I relax, letting the sound of her breathing lull me. My hand stays on her belly, feeling for the kit's movement.

Time slips away as I lay there, holding her in my arms. I begin to realize that the kit has stopped moving, apparently asleep like its mother. With a sigh, I roll to my back, trying to get more comfortable, and after just a moment, I hear Railu moan.

"You okay?" I whisper, rolling back to her.

"Something just happened," she moans. "It hurt."

I sit up, putting my hand back on her belly. "What hurt? Was it the kit?"

"I'm not sure. I've never FELT..." she reflexively stops talking and starts her labor breathing.

"Now?!"

She nods.

"ZIGGY?!" I scream.

"I have already alerted Niku."

"Then..." I'm distracted by my leg getting wet, and my nose tells me it's not urine. "Rai?"

Still focused on her breathing, she gives me a worried look, "What?"

"Your water broke."

She grits her teeth as another contraction hits, then growls, "Not in here. Not now."

Fighting off my panic, and remembering what Niku taught us, "Sorry love, but as close as your contractions are, we don't have time to move you."

The door opens and Niku comes in. "I agree," she states. Ziggy, how close are they?"

"The contractions are less than two minutes apart. The others are on their way."

"Thanks." She looks at me, "We need to get her into position. You're going to have to hold her."

Taken by surprise at her statement, I ask, "What?"

She gives me a stern look, "You're going to be her birthing chair."

"Wha..." I cut myself off, realizing that she's right. "How?"

"We'll need to move her to the edge, and you'll need to hold her knees up to her."

Together, we quickly move her to the edge of the bed, and as I sit behind her, Zoe comes in and starts helping me get into position. She props me up on several pillows and I take hold of Railu's knees, holding her legs up, and leaning her back on to my chest.

Cayla comes in as Niku starts checking Railu. "Cayla, tell me what you can see," Niku states.

I feel my mate have another contraction as Cayla puts her hands on her belly. "Mark's not really setup for this. All he can tell is the kit's ready to be born, and the contractions aren't strong enough."

"Something's wrong," Railu gasps, "They're getting weaker."

Suddenly Zoe bolts from the room as Cayla says, "She's right."

Feeling Railu start to tremble, I gently nuzzle into her neck, "Hold on love, don't give up."

She weakly nuzzles back, "I can't, I'm getting too tired." She starts to sniff, crying softly.

Kyle comes, followed by Zoe, and Cayla immediately starts filling him in, "Kyle, good, she's in full labor, fully dilated, and her contractions are close but they aren't very strong."

He nods, "Ziggy, give me original time of onset."

"Her labor started abruptly eleven minutes ago, and her water broke three minutes later."

"What? No gradual onset?"

"Correct."

"We need your hands here," Niku states.

He looks to Cayla who backs up slightly, "Marc's only a medic."

"Can you help her with her contractions?" Niku asks.

I feel Railu tense as another contraction hits her. He then says, "Can now, but not much. Railu, how're you doing?"

In between her ragged breathing, she manages to shake her head and gasp, "I'm not...ready...anymore." Her voice is weak and she still trying not to cry.

I gently nuzzle into her again, "Yes you are. You've been waiting for this, love."

Kyle waits for a contraction to pass. "You're ready, all you need to do is push. I can help, but I can't do anything for you on my own."

She nods and keeps up her breathing. I feel her start to adjusts herself, getting ready to push. I take the opportunity to get a fresh grip on her legs. As the contraction hits, she tenses, letting out a loud scream as she pushes.

My ears hurt from her scream, I shakes my head a little. "Screaming doesn't help, love."

"Yes it does!" she counters.

"I see the nose, get ready, and...push," Niku commands.

This time she doesn't scream, but her grunt sounds more like a growl. Zoe's tail twitches and poofs, surprisingly getting larger than it already was.

"I have the kit," Niku says, then after a moment, adds, "Congratulations, You have a daughter."

As Railu relaxes into me, she manages to say, "Ru."

Zoe takes the kit, and wraps her in a towel goes into the grooming room to give her a bath.

Feeling Railu start to relax, despite some remaining contractions, I continue to hold her up, until Niku takes her legs from me.

Before Kyle stands, Railu looks up at him, "Thank you."

He smiles and rubs her cheek, "You did all the work. Now you can get some rest."

"Not until you feed her," Zoe states, coming back in from the grooming room. She places, a now clean and swathed, Ru in Railu's arms. Knowing how tired she is, I reach around to help her hold our daughter.

Looking over her shoulder at the newborn, I can't help but smile, "She's got your eyes."

"Our eyes are the same color."

"But they look like yours, not mine."

"She needs to feed," Zoe states, irritated.

Railu gets suddenly ashamed, crooking her ears.

Kyle gives her a curious look, "What?"

"My milk hasn't come in."

"Why didn't you say something sooner? Ziggy, breast milk." Zoe states as she heads to the converter and grabs the nursing bottle that appears. "Here, it's a mix of Tayla's and Sada's, so Ru will still get what she needs until yours comes in."

"When will that be?"

Kyle leans back over Railu and says, "Soon, a couple days, maybe."

"In the mean time, let her suckle on each a little before you give her the bottle, it'll help stimulate your own milk," Niku adds. "For now though, let her have the bottle, you need to rest."

Remembering that her water broke in bed, and I'm sitting in it, I look up at Kyle, "Can you pick her up, so I can change the sheets?"

"Sure." He gingerly picks her up, cradling her, while she cradles and feeds Ru.

I roll off the bed and quickly strip it. Seeing that the mattress is still dry, I bundle the bedding and toss it in the wall converter. I touch the activator and say, "Clean."

With a subtle flash, they disappear and a neatly folded set takes there place.

As the bundle disappears, I hear Kyle softly say, "He's right you know."

"About?" Railu asks.

"She has your eyes, not his."

I grab the clean set that appears and Zoe helps me make the bed. Railu asks, "How can you tell?"

"Her eyes have that look of wonder and determination that I've see so much in yours," he answers. His comment makes me smile, it's the same thing I saw.

I fluff the pillows and he sets her down on the bed. Seeing how tired she is, I ask, "Would you like me to hold her?" She nods, and lets me take her.

I get lost for a moment in my daughters eyes for a moment, as Kyle says, "Welcome to fatherhood."

I barely hear the bedroom door open, then Niku says, "Please, they need their rest, try to keep it short."

I look up and watch as nearly everyone trickles in. I smile, and sit next to Railu, then look back up at the others, "It's a girl!"