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Storm clouds bringing the threat of rain rumbled in the distance as Jeremy gently rubbed Brea's bare pregnant tummy beneath their favorite cottonwood tree. Her shirt was off and her bra was having a hard time containing her now engorged breasts. Her already overactive hormones were about to go crazy in preparation for her unborn child. She breathed a sigh of pleasure and sadness while Jeremy did his best to comfort her. They looked into each other's eyes briefly, then turned their attention towards the west, the dark overcast reflecting the shame and worry they felt over their current predicament. Just a couple of hours ago, Brea had walked over to Jeremy's house, wearing lots of jackets to hide her secret, and gave him the news that she was pregnant. Jeremy was speechless and taken aback; his knees grew weak and quivered with shock and fear, forcing him to sit on the bed. For what seemed like hours, he sat there, motionless, his face without expression. Then, he ordered her to put her jackets back on, and without saying a word, grabbed her hand and marched down the stairs and out the back door. Cherry tried to get their attention as they walked past the kitchen. "Jeremy, have you asked Brea if she'd like to try some of my Irish-?" SLAM! "-Cream?" She sighed with disappointment and planted herself on the couch to watch the news on TV, knowing that whatever's troubling the young couple must be quite serious, and that she would probably be spending the afternoon alone...again.

Now they sat beneath the cottonwood tree, stewing in their own guilt and kissing their lives as they knew them goodbye. Jeremy moved his hand from Brea's stomach and placed it on her shoulder. She looked at him, nothing but terror showing in her glassy eyes. "Oh, Jeremy, what are we going to do?" No answer. "At first, I thought I'd actually wanted this to happen, but-"A sob welled up from her throat and she hung her head low. "-but I didn't think about how much this would affect us." She sniffled and whimpered for a minute until Jeremy leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek. "I want an abortion. I know you're pro-life and all that, but I don't want to go through the pain of childbirth."

"No, please, don't say that! We'd be killing an innocent baby. Don't worry. We'll get through this. Everything's gonna be okay." said Jeremy.

Brea turned away from him and growled, "No! No it's not! Do you even have the slightest idea what this means?! Our lives are going to be changed forever! Our parents won't be able to look at us. We'll be shunned by our community for what we did. And how are we going to take care of the baby?! We need money, but we're not old enough to get jobs. We'll be living on the street! That's not the life I want for my kid!"

"Come on, Brea, that's just negative think-"

"SHUT UP, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" she screeched. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!"

"Well YOU'RE the one who wanted this in the first place, so don't go taking it out on me!"

"I SAID SHUT UP, MOTHERFUCKER!" Brea pushed him, causing him to fall backwards and land on his back; then she kicked him in the groin with all her might. Jeremy howled and writhed in pain on the ground, hands tucked between his knees and rocking himself from his right side to his left and then back again. Brea gasped and knelt down by him, pursing her lips and letting out a breath of air as she struggled to bend herself forward over her protruding belly. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to!"

Jeremy coughed and gasped for air, then painfully made himself stand up, brushing the dirt off his jeans. He stood there in silent thought for a few minutes, and then looked at Brea in agony, seeming to come to a decision. "Brea..."

She almost couldn't bear to make herself look into his sad eyes.

"I...I can't-"

"Can't what?" she interrupted.

He stuttered for a moment, almost as if the words themselves did not want to leave his lips. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, "This is too much for me, Brea. I'm a cowardly fool for doing this to you, but-"He took a couple of steps back, looking to the side so he wouldn't have to face his heart-broken mate. "-I'm sorry." And that's when he bolted for his house, running faster than he ever had before.

"Jeremy, what are you doing?!" Brea yelled at him. He kept on running. "Jeremy, come back!" He still kept running. "You can't leave me like this!" she whined. He became a speck and eventually faded from sight. Brea fell to her knees and let forth a wailing cry. "JEEEREMYYYYYYYYY!"

***************************************

Jeremy burst through the back door and slammed it behind him, waking up his sleeping mother who hardly noticed him running past her up the stairs to his room. He flung himself onto his bed and buried hi s face in a pillow, crying his poor little heart out and angry at the world.

Cherry decided to give him some time to himself, not wanting to disturb him while he vented. After about an hour or so, she figured that she'd waited long enough and began walking up the stairs to see if he was ready to talk yet. Before she had gone up three steps, she saw Jeremy come out of his room with a sickly and defeated look on his face as he came down the stairs. "Sweetie, are you ok?" He continued walking down the stairs, brushing past her coldly. He went to the front door and opened it without a word. "Honey, where are you going?"

He stopped for a second and spoke over his shoulder. "Out."

His mom understood right away; Jeremy always went into town on his bike whenever he was stressed and needed some time alone, and though she didn't like it and feared for his safety every time, she trusted him to be home the next morning, which he always was. "O-ok," she said nervously, "just be back in time for dinner."

"Whatever." He slammed the door behind him, got on his bike, and pedaled hard out of his driveway and onto the highway.

Cherry felt sick to her stomach, knowing the only way she could ease her anxiety was to get a bottle of bourbon from her secret stash and drink herself to sleep.

****************************

Jeremy parked his bike behind a truck stop on the edge of town and sat down. His plan was to grab the attention of a trucker and catch a ride to wherever he was going, but he figured he ought to stop and rest for a while. He took a lighter and a pack of Camel cigarettes out of his jacket pocket, pulling one out and lighting it, taking long, slow puffs. He had been introduced to smoking at the beginning of the school semester by some older kids and took to it immediately. He enjoyed it, and even though he knew it was illegal and his mom would die if she found out, he didn't care. It helped him think. Why was he running away? Why didn't he stay and face the fire? It was his duty as her mate to stick by her side. Brea surely hated him by now, so he assumed he could never go back to her. What was done was done, and nothing could change that. He sure felt rotten, though, and he choked a bit when he accidentally inhaled too much smoke. He regained his breathing and took another long puff. 'Besides, our parents would probably disown us for all I know. It'll be the end. There's nothing left for me here. I can't go back. I can't." That last thought really stung him. The life of a traveler was certainly not going to be easy. He was halfway done with his cigarette, but before he took another puff, a drop of water fell from out of nowhere and put it out. He stared at the black, soggy tip and scratched his head. 'What just happened?' He looked up at the sky and suddenly realized how dark those rainclouds were. "Uh oh." he said to himself when he heard a big boom of thunder. Just like that, his face was being pelted by an endless torrent of large drops. "Oh, shit!" He spluttered and gasped, having a hard time breathing there was so much rain. He flung his useless cigarette to the side and pulled the hood on his hoodie over his head, standing up and dashing around the side of the building for the front door. As he placed his hand on the handle, he noticed an all too familiar Harley Davidson motorcycle in his peripheral vision. He looked towards it briefly and wondered. Was he really here? He shook that thought from his head and rushed inside, shaking himself dry and sneezing.

"I'd appreciate it if you did that in the bathroom, kid." said a stern, female voice from behind the cash register.

Jeremy looked to see where the sound was coming from, finding himself staring right in the eye of a large, round grizzly bear who wore some kind of kitchen outfit with a nametag that read "Martha". He shuddered when he saw that the spot where her other eye was supposed to be was covered by an eye patch. He was about to turn around and run right back outside when her face made a big, toothy grin and she chuckled. "Don't worry, hun, I'll have someone clean it up. Would you like to sit down?" He nodded and she came from behind the counter, grabbed a menu, and led him to a short booth in the restaurant section of the truck stop. When he had settled himself, the bear asked him, "Is there anything I can get you this evening?"

"Uh, just diet coke, please." he answered.

"Ok. I'll be right back."

She walked briskly back behind the counter and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Jeremy by himself, except for the few other patrons who were drinking and conversing. He looked around to see if the restaurant had anything interesting in it. Nearly everything was made of wood, including the walls, ceiling, floor, and even the chairs and tables. Somewhere in a far corner of the establishment, he could hear some faint Kenny Chesney music playing. He instantly recognized this song in particular...it was "There Goes My Life" and it was about teen parents who were struggling to survive though their ordeal, and it made Jeremy feel sick just thinking about out how the song related to him. The eating area was shaped like a square and was small enough to be comfortable and homely but large enough that it would not get crowded easily. It had 3 rows of 4 tables with a row of 4 booths attached to the wall on either side, making 20 tables in all. Jeremy was sitting in the booth closest to the cash register. In one corner, there was a deer head mounted on the wall with a nice set of 14-point antlers; it's black, lifeless eyes unnerved Jeremy, as if they were watching his every move and reading all of his thoughts. In the corner across from the head, there was a majestic eagle that had been positioned like it was about to snatch some unsuspecting prey in its talons, the feet tensed up and the wings being spread wide. In the center of one wall there was a massive fireplace that looked like it hadn't been used in years. Above that was a long mantelpiece with various vintage country items like plastic cowboys with coke bottles in their hands or old license plates from random southern states. All across the walls were tons of neon beer advertisements with busty cowgirls and brand names. On the other side of the room at the far corner was the bar, where most of the patrons sat and talked about local events, politics, old friends, and other things. An elderly male raccoon was making drinks, and most of the men at the bar were out of town human truckers, except for a fox at the right end that was slumped over the bar face down, still clutching a smouldering cigarette in one handpaw while the other rested on a spilled bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey. Jeremy suddenly found himself looking at this fox very intently, like he knew him somehow. He was wearing Wrangler jeans, black boots, and a black Harley Davidson motorcycle jacket. He looked some more and saw...wait a minute. That black cowboy hat next to his head looks familiar, and the way his tail's coloured...could it be? Jeremy got up from his seat and tentatively made his way over to the passed out fox, every inch closer giving him feelings of dread.

When he finally got to him, he tapped him on the shoulder and asked in a hushed voice, "Dad?" No movement. "Jake, is it you?" Still no movement. He tried tugging on his tail enough to rouse him. Nothing. "Dad, get up. It's me, Jeremy!" he said in a louder, more concerned tone, drawing worried glances from the other patrons and the bartender. Silence. Just as he was about to yank the other fox's tail real hard, he felt large paws take him by the shoulders and pull him back hard enough that he almost lost his balance.

"Hey, kid, leave the poor man alone!" he heard Martha scold him from behind.

She walked backwards and attempted to pull him back to his seat, but he struggled to get himself free from her iron grip, feeling the adrenaline kick in, and yelled, "No, wait! That's my dad! Something's wrong with him! He's not moving!"

Martha let go of Jeremy and looked at the limp body at the bar. "Oh, really? I-I'm sorry. I had no idea. I'll try to wake him. Clem, help me out! This feller's had one too many this evening." she ordered the raccoon, who immediately scuffled over to the fox and tapped him lightly on his furry head. When that didn't work, Clem took the whiskey bottle out from under the fox's handpaw and raised it over his head, preparing to smash it on him. "No no, you idjit! We're trying to wake him, not kill him!" shouted the waitress. Clem made an "oh" expression and set the bottle aside, then started slapping the fox's muzzle rapidly. "You'll have to forgive him, son. He's an army veteran who spent over 10 years of his life in a POW camp in North Vietnam. The things he witnessed there, they messed with his brain. When they rescued him in the 70's at the end of the war, he was found in the middle of the jungle, wandering in circles with a blank expression on his bloodied face. When they tried talking to him, they found he had lost his ability to speak clearly and didn't really seem to be all there. Never fully recovered."

"Jeez." said Jeremy.

Suddenly, Clem began making unintelligible worried noises and was flailing his arms in the air, looking in Martha's direction. She sighed and asked, "What now, Clem?" He pointed to the fox's head and motioned her to come over. Rolling her eyes, she walked over and placed a paw on the Jake's shoulder. "Sir, are you alright?" When she didn't hear him answer, she gently turned him over, and that's when she screamed at the horrid sight she beheld.

Jeremy gasped. It was indeed his dad, but his face was a purplish blue color. One of the humans set down his drink and rushed over to the scene. "What's wrong?"

Martha squealed frantically, "I-I don't know, his face is purple and he's not moving!"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to take a look. My name's Quay. I happen to be a doctor."

"Oh, thank God! Hurry!"

The human picked up Jake in his arms and gently laid him on the wooden floor, telling everybody to back up and give him some room. "How long has he been unconscious?" The onlookers shrugged, one of them saying he'd thought he was just drunk. He tilted the fox's head back to open his airway and put his ear down by his mouth to listen. No breathing. He then took his fingers and placed it on Jake's neck to check for a pulse. He shuddered when he felt none. "He's not breathing and there's no pulse. It may be too late!"

"NO!" Jeremy shouted.

"I'll call an ambulance!" Martha exclaimed before making a mad dash for the kitchen.

Quay gave Jake two breaths and started CPR, praying to God that he could save him. He did 30 compressions on his chest, then gave him two more breaths and checked for a pulse. No good. He went back to his compressions and continued CPR for another 5 agonizing minutes, Jeremy crying into his hands and praying also while he watched helplessly. When he still did not feel a pulse, he clenched his fists above Jake's body and yelled angrily, "Come on, dammit, live!" before slamming his balled fists down upon his chest in a desperate attempt to start his heart. That's when he heard hoarse coughing beneath him. He looked back at Jake's face and saw that some of the purple hue had left his face and he was twitching and gagging for air. "He's alive!" Quay said with joy.

Jeremy brought his face out of his hands and gasped again. He rushed over to his father and knelt down on the other side of him. "Dad, are you okay?"

Jake coughed some more and didn't open his eyes.

"Sir, can you hear me?" Quay asked with concern.

Jake's ears perked up slightly and he opened his eyes a smidge, straining to figure out who the figures were above him that were going in and out of focus, his breathing labored and riddled with wheezing. He looked to the left at the human. He had no idea who he was. Then he looked to the right and opened his eyes a little more when he saw a fuzzy, fox face with tears in its eyes. "J-J-Jeremy?" he whispered.

His son smiled and held one of his dad's handpaws in both of his own. "Yes, dad, it's me. I'm here."

Jake began tearing up also and sobbed weakly, the cries coming out as wheezes and coughs instead. He looked like he was about to say something when, without warning, his pupils became wide, his face turned colors again, and he let out a croaking gasp. His eyes darted this way and that briefly, like he was searching for something. Then his eyes fell back upon Jeremy. He tried tilting his head closer to his son. "Jeremy-." he whispered a little louder, but before he could say anything else, his eyes rolled back and he went limp.

Jeremy held his father's lifeless paw tighter. "Dad?? Dad?! No, no, don't leave me. Please! Oh God. Oh God, no! There's something I need to tell you! Please, God, no!"

"He needs oxygen. Where are the EMTs?!" shouted Quay.

The paws were back, and this time he was lifted off the ground and slung over Martha's shoulder. "There there," she tried comforting the squirming fox in her arms while she walked away and Quay administered more breaths for Jake, "everything's going to be okay. The ambulance will be here soon. Hush now." But Jeremy continued to sob, and in her heart, she had a terrible feeling that his dad wasn't going to make it.

*********************************

Jeremy wanted to throw up. He had convinced the paramedics to let him ride with his dad to the hospital, but the doctors wouldn't let him in the operating room, making him wait in the lobby just outside the ER. Now he was sitting there, wanting so badly to know if they could save his dad. He waited...and waited...and waited...for an hour and a half, which felt more like all night. Then a female Japanese crane made her way through the doors and walked somberly over to Jeremy. He felt like he was being gutted again; her sad eyes told it all, but he had to ask. He simply had to know. "How is he? Will he live?"

The crane looked at him and sighed. "We've managed to stabilize him, but the cancer in his lungs has spread into his heart and is still killing him, much faster than it was supposed to." She looked down and nearly lost her composure, her beak trembling as she tried to speak. 10 years of doing this and she still had trouble giving bad news to loved ones in a professional manner. She looked up and stared at Jeremy straight in the eye. "From what we can tell, this will be his last night."

Jeremy went stiff, wondering if he would die from grief. He never really knew his father, had just met him a few months ago, and now he would never see him again. "No..." he whimpered, not having the emotional energy to cry but still wracked with sorrow.

"I can let you visit with your dad for a few minutes. Would you like that?"

He sniffled and nodded his head.

"Okay, sweetie. I'll take you in to see him." She spread her wing for him, and he got up and stood beneath it, the embrace of her soft feathers making him feel a little better as they walked through the double doors into a long hallway. They walked together past several doors before coming to a stop and turning to the left, facing a door that read "ICU-5E". She got down on one knee and withdrew her wing, placing it on his shoulder. "He's in there. Go on and see him." She encouraged him by nudging his back with her beak. She didn't expect him to turn around and give her a really hard hug. She brought her wings around him and hugged him back, forming a private place for both of them.

"I can't do it." Jeremy whined.

"Yes you can. Now be brave. Let your dad see you one last time."

He nodded and the crane withdrew her wings again. Jeremy faced the door again and slowly placed his paw upon the knob, turning it and pushing the door open. The room was dimly lit, the only source of light being a little lamp in the corner. He shuffled inside and closed the door behind him, taking slow steps towards the silhouetted figure of a dying fox behind the curtain. When he was inches from it, he took it in his handpaw and pulled it to one side. There was his father, lying beneath a white sheet with his head sticking out and his arms resting on top of the sheet by his sides. He was hooked up to numerous machines and monitors that did their best to preserve whatever life was left in him. One of them, a mechanical pump filled with oxygen, squeezed like an accordion up and down, pumping air through a tube into his nostrils. Jeremy could hardly bear to look at his pale face. He appeared to be resting, but he seemed sad, his mouth frowning and his ears pinned back. He kept looking at his face for a few moments, thinking of something he should say, and then he opened his mouth.

"Dad?" he asked.

Jake's ears faced forward and he turned his head to the left, opening his eyes and smiling when he saw who it was that roused him. "Oh. Hey, champ. Sorry you have to see me like this. I'm messed up pretty good this time."

Jeremy couldn't help but chuckle, even though he still hurt on the inside.

"I think I saw heaven while I was passed out."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Your grandparents were standing at the pearly gates. They told me to tell you they said hi." He sighed and his expression changed. "They also told me I'd be with them and the rest of our family soon."

Jeremy sniffled and started sobbing quietly.

"Hey now, be strong. Don't cry until the heart monitor flat lines."

"Okay. *sniff* I'll try."

"Son-," he was interrupted by a brief coughing fit. "I need to apologize for what I did to you...and your mom. I'm sorry I flew the coop on your mom and left you two alone. I'm sorry I wasn't there for ya'll." He began to cry himself. "And I'm sorry I was such a shitty father."

Jeremy placed a paw on his father's head and said, "It's okay. I still love you."

Jake sniffled and lifted his left arm and patted his only son on the head. "I love you too, son. You're a good boy." Jeremy leaned over and embraced his father in a gentle hug. He was too weak to hug him back, but he kissed his son lovingly on the forehead. When Jeremy broke the hug, his dad gave him some general advice: take care of mom, stay in school, don't do drugs like I did, go to church, and other things like that. "If you don't, I swear on my grave that my ghost will come back to haunt you, kid." he said with a fake serious tone and a smile. Jeremy smiled back briefly, but then looked away. "What's wrong, son?"

He looked back at him and took a deep breath. "Dad, there's something you need to know."

"What's that?"

"Do you remember my girlfriend, Brea? That wolf chick you met at Thanksgiving?"

"Of course I do. Man, did you score a hot one, Romeo!" he teased, winking at him.

"This is serious, dad."

"Oh, all right. Spit it out, already. I could go any second now!"

"Well, um...we've been...uh...seeing each other and...well, you know...having sex."

Jake glared at his son. "What did I tell you about messing around with girls, boy?!"

"Let me finish. That's not all of it. I just found out she's pregnant."

The heart monitor went crazy. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!?!"

"I ran away because I was scared, but now I feel guil-."

His sentence was cut short when his father grabbed him by the front of his hoodie and jerked him forward, pulling him close so they were face to face. "Now you listen to me and you listen good." he growled. "When I walked out on your mother, I hurt her in one of the worst possible ways, a hurt that permanently damaged her soul, a hurt that can't be cured, a hurt she still feels today. She won't even forgive me! I will not let my own son make the same mistakes I did. I will not let the cycle continue! You are going to go back home and apologize to Brea and you are going to take of her and that baby for the rest of your life. It's your responsibility, you hear me?!"

"But I-."

"No buts! It's time for you to be a man! Do as I say or so help me I'll have God send an evil spirit to make your life miserable, understand?!?"

Jeremy nodded fearfully, feeling even guiltier when he realized just how selfish he had been. "Y-Yes, sir."

"Do you promise to love your mate and your baby with all your heart?"

'Seems a little early to be reciting my vows.' he thought before replying, "Cross my heart and hope to burn in hell."

Jake was about to say something else when he let go of Jeremy and gasped, the heart monitor beeping more erratically and all the machines buzzing and flashing with warning signals. The oxygen monitor in particular had a dangerously low reading. An alarm was triggered, and they could hear voices and scuffling of feet outside the room. "Heed my dying words, Jeremy," he whispered faintly, "take care of Brea and the baby. They're your family now."

"Where's the cart and the IV?!" someone shouted outside the room.

"His kid's still in there. Somebody go retrieve him!" another person yelled.

Jake continued talking. "Don't...let her parents...abort..." His breathing was eerily slow and raspy. "Love...you..."

"Dad, no. Don't go."

"I need some nurses in here, now!"

Jake's eyes were shutting. The bustling outside got closer and closer. Then it was over. The heart monitor sounded a continuous beep and the line on the screen went flat, the number beside it reading "0 bpm". Jeremy's father raised his head one last time, opened his eyes, and smiled. "See you on the other side, cowboy." And then he closed them again, his body going limp and his soul leaving it behind.

The door swung open with a loud slam. A male tiger in a white doctor's suit screamed, "He's gone into cardiac arrest! Get me a defibrillator and a manual oxygen mask, STAT!"

The crane from earlier followed him in and took Jeremy by the hand. "Come now. We need to get you out of here."

"No! I won't leave my dad! NO!!!" he tried to escape, but his efforts were in vain. The older bird was much stronger than him, despite her frail, thin figure. A large owl came in with the bag and mask and immediately went to work pumping air into Jake's lungs. Then a younger female tiger brushed past the two of them with the defibrillator pads and promptly handed them to the doctor, who removed the sheet from Jake's chest and pressed a button on the machine they were hooked too.

"Charging!" He took the pads, brushed them together, and placed them on the fox's chest. "Clear!" Jeremy got a glimpse of his father's body convulsing from the jolt of electricity before the crane pulled him out of the room and the doors and blinds were shut. Then he collapsed on the cold, tile floor and cried his own heart out, his wails travelling throughout the intensive care wing.

*********************

It was 11:00 at night when the police car pulled up the driveway to Jeremy's house, lights flashing but sirens not on. He had long forgotten about his bike, and at this point, he didn't really care. The male badger sitting in the driver's seat did not speak, as he could not think on any words to comfort the sad little fox in his backseat, who was also silent. They had just come to a stop when Cherry came out the front door, wearing a pink, silk nightgown on her body and a worried expression on her face. She had been sitting in the living room watching her favorite porno and was just about to open another bottle of brandy when the blinding red and blue lights shining through the window caught her attention. The officer got out of the vehicle and walked over to Jeremy's side, opening the door for him. He stepped out and solemnly walked up the steps of the front porch, the badger remaining at the bottom. He watched as Jeremy held his mother's hands and broke the news to her, how she fell to her knees and wrapped her arms tightly around her son like she had a death grip, weeping bitterly. The officer sighed and wiped a tear from his right eye. Nothing at the police academy had prepared him for the ugly emotional part of this job. He gave them a few minutes to mourn then decided to go back to the car and radio in headquarters to let them know he had gotten the kid home. He picked up the mouthpiece and was about to press the button when he heard a scuffling of feet behind him. He turned around and was surprised to see a female teenage wolf wearing an oversized jacket running from the house next door. He continued looking as she ran up the steps and tapped on Jeremy's shoulder. The fox turned around and nearly jumped, but then they hugged each other and cried softly.

************************

The drive home from the funeral was quiet, too. Cherry, Jeremy, and Brea only heard the sound of the convertible's engine. Brea had agreed to go with Jeremy's family when he asked her too, but only if he agreed that today would be the day they told his mom that Brea was pregnant. They knew for a fact that they could hide it no longer and that they didn't have the resources to run away. She had already gotten many suspicious looks from the mourners. Their stomachs felt fluttery from thinking about how Cherry would react. Jeremy fumbled with a small, sealed white envelope that had his name on it in ink. The doctors at the hospital had found it in Jake's pocket and sent it in the mail to Jeremy. He kept looking at the sentence directly below his name that read "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL YOU BECOME A FATHER". He was sure his dad had intended for him to open it years from now. Brea had nothing to fumble with, so she folded her hands across her lap.

The car came to a stop in the garage. Cherry turned it off and got out, heading for the door, the kids following nervously at a distance. Without a word, everyone made their way to the kitchen. The young couple sat down at the table while Cherry set her purse down by the sink and walked to the front of the pantry, removing her new, gold loop earrings that were feeling a bit too heavy for her to wear anymore today. "Can I fix you two something to eat? Sandwiches? Crackers? Ya'll's favorite peach cobbler?"

They shook their heads. "Just some soda, please." said Jeremy.

Cherry went to the cupboard and opened the door, reaching in and collecting two opaque plastic cups. Then she went to the fridge and pulled out a 2 liter bottle of Dr Pepper. Without asking if they wanted ice, she poured them two cups of the fizzy liquid and brought them over to the cubs. They took them and thanked her, taking a long sip and setting their half empty cups down at the same time. The phone started ringing and Cherry quickly turned around and walked to it, picking up the receiver and placing it by her head. "Hello?"

While she conversed with the person on the other line, Jeremy gave Brea a look that asked if she was ready. She nodded. He pointed to himself then her, then shrugged his shoulders. She pointed at him and mouthed the words, "You tell her." Jeremy was about to object when he heard Cherry say, "5:00 tomorrow? Okay, we'll be there...Uh huh...Thank you. Bye." and hang up. He mouthed to Brea, "YOU tell her." She frowned and kicked him in the shin with her pointed high heels. "Ow!" he yelped. When Cherry turned around, he pretended to sneeze to cover it up. He then cleared his throat. No point in stalling it any further. It was time. "Mom?" he asked meekly.

"Yes, dear?" she replied in weary resignation. No drunk napping for her just yet.

Jeremy inhaled deeply and twiddled his thumbs. "Um, Brea has something-oof!" Another kick to the shin. "-I mean, WE have something to tell you." he quickly corrected himself.

"Oh?" said Cherry, who went over to the table and sat across from the cubs. Her curiosity overrode her emotional fatigue. "And what might that be? Have you two been peeking at my adult paintings on the computer?"

The cubs' jaws dropped. They couldn't believe their ears. "Uhhh, no." said Brea, who tried to forget what she had just heard.

If Cherry would've been in an anime cartoon, an oversized drop of sweat would've appeared behind her head. "Whoops." She was so embarrassed right now. "I mean, er-forget what I said!"

Jeremy was snickering on the inside. Maybe he and Brea could masturbate together while looking at them some time.

"So, what is it?" Cherry asked again.

Jeremy opened his mouth, but no words came out. He looked away from the females and gulped. 'You still have a chance to turn back, you know.' he thought. Then his father's sad face conjured up in his mind, and he shook his head and growled. No. He WILL tell her. He then turned back to his mother and said flatly, "Brea and I...are expecting a baby."

Cherry blinked. An eerie silence penetrated the kitchen. Then, without warning, she burst out laughing, clutching her stomach and cackling loudly. Brea and Jeremy looked at each other briefly with pained expressions and then turned back to the giggling mother in front of them. "Ha! Oh, you two are so funny. That was a good joke!" She laughed a little bit more before stopping to catch her breath.

Brea commented sadly, "We wish it were."

"What do you mean?"

"Show her, Brea." said Jeremy.

Brea scooted back and got out of chair, her head hung low and her feet moving slowly as she walked around the table to where Cherry could see her entire body. She then turned so Cherry was looking at her side. Brea then removed her large, woolen coat and placed a hand on her protruding tummy. Cherry gasped and brought a paw to her muzzle. "Oh no." she said with a trembling voice. She then got out of her own chair and backed up several paces, the unmistakable sight in front of her burning into her retinas. When she felt her back touch the wall, she slumped down on the floor and shook, unable to move her gaze from Brea's stomach. The warmth of Cherry's blood was long gone, and Brea, too, felt chilly under her unrelenting stare. Cherry whimpered. "I should've known this would happen. All those times I left you two alone. All those hours you spent together in his room. Now look!" She placed her head between her legs and crossed her arms over her knees, crying pitifully. "Just like me and his father. Oh, God!" Brea went back to her chair next to Jeremy and sat down. He took his mate's paw in his own and kissed it, both of them feeling scared and sobbing quietly, knowing their secret had been revealed. Cherry continued crying for quite some time. It wasn't for another 15 minutes before she calmed herself enough to stop. She then proceeded to pick herself up off the floor to a standing position, her teary eyes staring at the cubs in a more serious manner. Silence once again filled the air. Then Jeremy spoke.

"S-s-so what happens n-n-now?" he stuttered, wincing and shutting his eyes. 'This is it. We're done for.'

Cherry said nothing for a moment, thinking to herself. Then she sighed, her mind apparently being made up. "Well, I guess we should take Brea to the doctor to make sure she and the baby are doing okay so far."

Jeremy opened his eyes and stared at his mom blankly. Had he heard her correctly? Brea looked at Cherry in surprise, also.

"And we'll have to tell her parents as well. And at some point, we'll need to go to the store and buy some baby products."

Jeremy babbled, "Y-you m-mean you're...you're n-not-?"

"-mad at us?" Brea finished.

"Of course I'm mad!" she answered. The cubs cringed, and Cherry beckoned to them. "Come here." They obeyed, expecting more yelling and a beating, but relaxed when she embraced the two of them in a loving hug. "But what kind of mother would I be if I didn't support my baby boy and his girlfriend?"

They hugged her back in response. "Thank you, ma'am." whimpered Brea. "This means so much to us!"

"We were afraid you'd kick us out." Jeremy added.

"Don't worry. I'll help you two out however I can." Cherry assured them. She broke the hug and went to the phone a second time, picking up the receiver and punching a set of numbers. "I'll make an appointment with the doctor now."

The soon-to-be parents' eyes met. Then they hugged each other real tight, kissing every now and then, crying again, this time with joy, knowing that everything was going to be ok.

**************************

4 weeks later...

"Okay, Brea, right? I need you to lie still and let me put this gel on your tummy, ok, love?" said the female kangaroo in her Australian accent. Brea, being roughly halfway into her pregnancy, nodded at the doctor in reply, feeling a little embarrassed that she was having this done while she's still 13, even though the nurse told her she wasn't the first pregnant teen she'd seen. Her current embarrassment was nothing compared to the shit she had to deal with from her peers at school, who made a lot of smartass comments, laughed, didn't sit next to her at lunch, etc. Jeremy had to endure the same torture because somehow a little birdie had told everyone that he was the father. But they were able to make it because they had each other . They spent all of their time outside of class together and either talked or just hugged and kissed (somewhere they wouldn't get caught by the teachers, of course). Now she was lying on her back on a cushioned table wearing only a shower cap, her modesty covered by 2 thin white blankets she laid under, one covering her breasts, the other hiding her legs and vaginal folds, her tummy and her face the only things that weren't covered. Her parents, Jeremy, and his mom sat in chairs on the other side of the room, watching intently. Brea's parents initially were furious when Cherry told informed them that Jeremy had knocked up their daughter, just like when she told them they were engaging in sexual activity a few years ago, but also just like before, Cherry was able to calm them down and managed to convince them not to resort to abortion. After a long and emotional talk, they reluctantly agreed to let Brea keep her baby. Jeremy also promised himself that he would quit smoking so he could be a good role model for his kid.

The nurse prepared the ultrasound machine and placed the cold metal device on the expecting young mother's tummy just above the navel. Within seconds, a blue and black image of a canine infant within the womb appeared on the screen, and it was moving, which was a good sign, even if it was just an occasional twitch. "There it is. That's your baby." She said with a cheerful smile. "As you can see, the infant already has a working nervous system and seems to be doing just fine. No obvious deformities as far I can tell. Here we can see the little hands and footpaws, here we can see the beginnings of a tail, over here are the ears, and below those you can just barely make out the eyes."

Brea's heart skipped a beat as her excited mind once again came to terms with the fact that she was carrying a baby inside of her, that she was going to be a mother soon. "Can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?" she asked.

"A fox, wolf, or hybrid?" Jeremy added.

The marsupial squinted her eyes at the picture on the screen. "I can't say for sure. The baby's not developed enough to determine the sex yet, but with some more ultrasounds over the next 4 and a half months, we can monitor the fetus's growth and development and-." She stopped and gasped when she noticed something particularly peculiar just behind the baby's image.

Her surprised gasp made everyone worried, especially Brea. "W-w-what is it?" she asked, trembling.

"I-I don't know." she answered. "Let me move this thing so I can get a better view." She moved the metal piece down the right side of her tummy until she noticed something none of them had expected...a second pair of ears, 2 more legs, 2 more arms, 2 more eyes, and a tail, all of them attached to a little body that appeared nearly indistinguishable from the other. "Oh my God, you're...you're carrying...twins!" she exclaimed.

Brea squealed with delight, even more joyous in knowing she was going to give birth to not 1, but 2 babies. She sat up and started bouncing up and down like a little girl who had just opened a Christmas present to find the latest Barbie doll inside. It was a completely different story for the others, though; Jeremy stared at the screen slack-jawed with unbelieving eyes, and Brea's mom had fainted dead away. "Umm, mom? Are you ok?" she asked while her dad fanned his awestruck wife.

Jeremy chuckled lightly as he got up and walked over to his mate, sharing a brief kiss with her while the nurse tried to wake up Brea's mother. "Wow. Twins. Who'd have thunk?"

Brea giggled happily. Then she took his handpaw in hers and placed it on her belly. "Say hi to our babies, Jeremy. I heard it makes them good kids in the future."

Jeremy sighed and rolled his eyes, saying, "All right." pretending to be unwilling just to tease her. He leaned in close to her tummy and brought his voice down almost to a whisper. "Hey, little guys...or girls. This is your daddy speaking. Uhh...don't do drugs, ok?"

Brea frowned. "Jeremy, is that all you could come up with?"

"Do I like a speech giver to you?"

"Well..."

"Ah, forget it." He turned his attention back to her tummy. "Sorry about that. Mommy tends to be picky at times." She stuck her tongue out at him in retribution. "Can't wait to see ya'll. Don't get stuck on the way out, you hear? I'll be waiting for you two." He kissed her belly and caressed it tenderly. "I love you kids..." Even thought the whole thing felt silly, it also made him feel warm inside to talk to his children while they were in their mother's womb. He then turned back to his mate again and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "...and I love you...so much."

Brea let out a sigh of content and brought her paw to his face, also. "I love you, too, my mate." And then they kissed passionately, their tongues once again moving in and out of each other's mouths.

They hadn't gone very far when the nurse interrupted them abruptly. "If the young Romeo and Juliet don't mind, I was going to ask them if they wanted to keep a recording of the ultrasound, free of charge?"

They blushed, looked at each other briefly, and then looked back at the kangaroo with smiles on their faces and answered in unison, "We'd love to."

"Splendid! Just let me finish my examination of Brea and I'll write the DVD for you both, and then you can go home."

"Awesome!" they cheered. Home...that's gonna take on a whole new meaning for us in a few months. Jeremy thought.

******************

Later that night, around 11:00, Brea and Jeremy were going through their usual routine before going to bed, taking a shower, brushing their teeth, etc. Brea's parents had also agreed to let Brea live with Jeremy for the remainder of her pregnancy. This made them both very happy because not only did it make them feel like a real couple to be sharing the same bed, but they also knew they could fuck whenever they wanted to without worrying about anyone catching and stopping them. Brea was in the fur and was just about to put on her panties after drying off from her shower when Jeremy, who was also naked, stopped her and said, "Wait. Let's sleep in the nude tonight."

She giggled at this odd gesture and smiled slyly at him. "And why would I want to do that?" she inquired, already knowing the answer because the pink poking out of his sheath was giving him away.

"It makes cuddling more intimate."

She wrapped her arms around herself and pretended to shiver. "I dunno, Jeremy, it's kind of cold tonight." Jeremy whined is response, not really sad but knowing she was just teasing him. "I guess you could keep me warm, though." she added.

His tail wagged happily, much like it did on that fateful day when Brea had invited him over for a swim. He walked over to her and they shared a brief but passionate kiss. Then he held her hand and led her to the bed where they crawled under the warm covers and embraced in a loving cuddle, his stiffy already poking at her folds. She kissed him on the cheek and they lay there for a few minutes, each other's company enough to satisfy their desires at the moment...but not for long. Soon they were one again, kissing each other madly, breathing in pleasurable gasps as they caressed and groped one another and ground their hips together, his penis rubbing along the outside of her folds, their privates becoming wet from his precum and her juices. Before he could penetrate her, Brea broke the kiss and uttered a meek, "Ooh!"

"You all right, my mate?" Jeremy asked with a hint of concern.

"I think our babies moved is all, just a little kick." she answered, rubbing her protruding belly with a smile.

Jeremy sighed, admiring how beautiful his mate looked when she was with child (or children, in this case), her swollen tummy and enlarged breasts arousing him greatly, mainly because he knew she was pregnant because of him. She was carrying HIS flesh and blood as well as hers. They leaned in and continued where they left, Brea trying to ignore any further movement as they prepared themselves for making love. Jeremy got on top of her, took his hands and placed them on her lovely breasts, kneading and massaging them with care (much to her delight) whilst he poised his cock at the entrance to her tunnel. He looked into her eyes like he was asking for permission, and in response, she whispered, "Take me now." She didn't have to tell him twice, as he eagerly began thrusting in and out of her vagina at a steady pace, making sure she was being pleasured as much as possible while he focused on the fire burning in his nether regions as well. He still kept massaging her breasts while he fucked her, causing Brea to moan happily and buck her hips in time with his thrusts, her vagina and clit being stimulated to unimaginable heights by his throbbing dick. Jeremy already felt like cumming himself, moaning with pleasure and nearly fainting, but he held it in for her. He wanted to climax at the same time, as it was their ritual. They hadn't had sex in awhile with all the early preparations for her birthing, so naturally, she was really tight and warm, her pussy squeezing around his dick eagerly while he thrusted faster and faster. It didn't take long for his lover muscles to weaken; he began happily spurting lots of precum into her body.

"You're...getting close...I can tell." Brea panted between thrusts. She ground her hips harder against him to get herself closer and closer to orgasming and pushed her chest into his hands, the sounds of their sex echoing through the halls of the house. They weren't afraid, though, cause they figured Jeremy's mother had drunk herself to sleep again, so they assumed she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

Jeremy's thrusts suddenly became faster, harder, more erratic, and his eyes went wide as he realized what was about to happen. "Brea, I-I'm gonna cum! Ooohhh fuuuuck!" he groaned.

"I'm cumming, too, my love! Oh God! Oh! Ohhh! Ooohh! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

They held each other as tight as they could while Jeremy gave one last desperate thrust, tying her with his knot in the process, his balls tightening against his body while he finally ejaculated into his mate, thick ropes of semen painting her vaginal walls while they clenched and squeezed his cock, milking him for every drop he had. It felt so good that they dared themselves to wonder if it was only a dream. More and more of his seed kept squirting into her while they squirmed and groaned in pleasure. They rode out their orgasm for what seemed like forever until at last their crotches grew tired of spasming and were reduced to occasional twitches while they basked in the afterglow. When they had finally caught their breath, Brea loosened her grip on her mate but still held him tightly, not wanting to pull away from him just yet.

"I've been itching for a good fuck far too long, Jeremy." she said in a fake whiny voice.

The fox brushed the wolf's hair and smiled. "Was her majesty's sex satisfying?" he asked.

Brea kissed him and giggled. "Possibly the best I've ever had, my mate."

Jeremy cocked an eyebrow at her. "Possibly?? Your words make me feel inadequate!"

She bopped him lightly on the head and pulled her hips away so his penis finally came out of her with a slick sound. "Silly! I'm just teasing!" She then leaned in caught him off guard with a kiss, her tongue seeking his, which promptly responded while they caressed each other's heads and shoulders with their hands. Then she broke the kiss and said, "Besides, we're spending the rest our lives together, so we'll be having lots more sex in the future, I imagine."

"Is that supposed to be a marriage proposal? I thought it was the male who did that."

"Well, we're too young to be married right now, but I'll tell you what: be a good father to our twins and when we're old enough, I'll let you propose, deal?"

"Deal." He leaned in and kissed her back on the cheek. Then he turned his gaze toward the door and said in a loud voice, "I know you've been watching us, mom, and I can smell what you've been doing, too. Go back to bed. Show's over." A figure moved out of sight from the door crack and closed it, the sound of footsteps echoing and fading down the hall and stairs as she ran back to her room.

Brea squealed in disgust. "Eww! How did you know your mom was masturbating to us having sex?! That's so gross!"

"I heard her moaning while we came. I could also smell her juices."

"Was she drunk or something?"

"No. If she was, she wouldn't have reacted that fast. I haven't smelled alcohol on her the other times, either."

"You mean she's done this before?!?! AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME?!?!?!"

"Aww, come on. What happened to your fantasy of being caught? And what's wrong with a little exhibitionism now and then?"

"How are you not grossed out?!"

"Well, I guess it is a little weird, but hey, she's had a very hard life taking care of me without a husband to go to for comfort. Let's let her have her fun, eh?"

Brea sighed and nodded. "Ok. I'll let her watch for now. Just don't tell me if she's doing it next time, all right?"

"Ok. I won't." He kissed her cheek again and snuggled up with her, wrapping his arms around her. "Goodnight, my mate."

"I love you." whispered Brea.

"I love you, too." he replied. And soon they were fast asleep in each other's arms.

***

4 ½ months later, July 7th, 5:30 A.M....

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!! It hurts so bad! AAAGGGHHH!!!"

"C'mon, Brea," Jeremy urged, "you can do it! Push! Push!"

"Keep breathing, young lady, you'll make it!" said the stork midwife. (^_^ had to put that joke in there ^_^)

Brea was getting tired as she hyperventilated and began to fear if they were going to need to do a c-section. The mere thought of them having to cut her womb open while she was still awake scared her to death. She had chosen for the birth to be natural, no morphine or codeine to ease the pain in fear of overdosing her small form and harming the babies. They were in a private room in the maternity ward on the 5th floor of the hospital. She had gone into labour half an hour ago, waking her and Jeremy from their slumber, and when they told Cherry, she immediately put on slippers, called Brea's parents, and rushed the expecting couple to the hospital in her car. On the way there, Brea groaned and breathed heavily while Jeremy tried to comfort her as best he could. Brea was wearing a floral print hospital gown and had her legs spread so the staff could monitor her progress. All the nurses and doctors wore green surgical gowns and blue face masks and hair caps. Jeremy had to wear some, too. When he grumbled about it, they reminded him that he shouldn't be in there in the first place and ought to be thankful that the staff had been in a good mood this morning and were nice enough to let him witness the birth. Everyone else had to wait outside, much to the dismay of the soon-to-be grandparents.

"Easy now, not so fast." said the stork. "You'll pass out if you keep breathing like that."

"This pain is enough to make me pass out already!" she screamed.

"Our Father who art in Heaven..." Jeremy began as he crossed himself and gripped his rosary. He knew they were going to need divine intervention for them to get through this, especially Brea, who happened to notice him with his head bowed and his hands clasped in front of him, the beads and cross dangling as he shook with anxiety.

"Still following that God of yours?" she mocked. "Hah! All-powerful indeed! He can't even ease my pain, that son of a bitch! UUURRRRGGHHH!!!"

Jeremy looked up at Brea with a thoughtful and concerned face. "Have you tried asking Him yourself?"

"What?! NO!" she screamed at a really high pitch, having spoken just as her next contraction hit. "Why would he listen to me?!! I'm a bad girl who's not even a Christian!!! Besides, I don't need His help. I'll do fine by myself!"

Jeremy shrugged and tried his best not to smile out of amusement. "Suit yourself." Sure enough, 25 minutes later, Brea was screaming so loud that if she'd been in a cartoon, everything made of glass within a 10 mile radius of her would've broken. The bed sheets were bloody between her legs and neither of the babies' heads had appeared yet. The doctors and nurses grew worried that the umbilical cords might be wrapped around their necks, and Brea nearly fainted when she heard one of them mention something about a c-section. Jeremy was now standing next to his mate's head, his handpaw on her forehead, gently stroking it to comfort her. He had a smug grin on his face which infuriated Brea.

"What the hell are you smiling for, jackass?!" Brea screeched.

"Are you ready to swallow your pride and ask God for help?" he asked. "You look like you could certainly use it at the moment."

"No! I told you before, I'll never-AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" Another contraction hit her hard and made the pain even worse. It was then that her eyes got teary and she took Jeremy's other handpaw in her own. "All right," she said in a submissive tone, "I'll do it. I can't go on. But what do I-GAAAHHH-what do I say?"

"Just talk to Him like you would anybody else." Jeremy answered, feeling very happy watching Brea finally talk to God at least. It would probably be a while before he managed to convert her to Catholicism, but it was a start.

Both kits bowed their heads as Brea prayed. She started off in a tentative, shaky voice, only interrupted by frequent pains she was experiencing which caused her to cry out in agony. "God, I know I don't deserve anything from you, especially not your love and support, but-AAAAUUUGGGHHH-could you do me a favour and help me get through this alive? And keep my babies safe!" She opened her eyes and frowned at Jeremy. "You see? Not a fucking thing happened."

"Give it a moment..." Jeremy encouraged.

A couple minutes later, Brea still felt plenty of pain, but she also felt like her strength had been renewed. Brushing it off as something psychological, she began to push much harder than she had been before. The stork, still watching the wolf girl's vagina for signs of life, all of a sudden squealed and beckoned the rest of the staff to come and see. "Look! I can see the head! There's the little ears and the nose!"

Brea managed to smile while she kept breathing and Jeremy commented, "Did you hear that? We're almost there! Push!"

Her breathing immediately got very fast, each breath a groan of anguish. She felt like she was about to be split in half vertically down the middle and figured this birth was going to kill her, screaming louder than she ever had in her entire life, when suddenly, she heard a "pop" and a wailing infant; it was over for the moment. Brea's body went limp and her breathing slowed down while the nurses cut the umbilical cord and cleaned off the baby. From the gray fur on the wet fuzzball and the proportionally large snout, they automatically knew what species it was. They turned around and happily presented the newborn child to its mother and father. "It's a boy! And it's a wolf!" they said cheerfully.

Brea stretched out her hand and caressed the forehead of the little cub in the doctor's arms. "He's perfect." she said weakly, adoring the little one's gray fur that matched her own, the tiny paws that wriggled and writhed in search of more of his mother's soft touch, and the cute little white diamond patch he had between the eyes, something she knew he had inherited from her grandmother.

Before she could have a chance to hold him, the pain came back and her head sat up once more, a second round of hyperventilation and shattering screams filling the air in the room. The staff knew they had to be ready, so they hastily asked the father, "Would you like to hold your son for a moment, Jeremy?"

He stared at the frail little creature for a moment before his mind came back into focus, causing him to blink a few times and nod. He held out his arms and gingerly cradled the infant in his arms as he took a seat in the chair he was standing in front of, rocking him back and forth gently to get him to stop crying. Jeremy nearly cried himself, so happy and awestruck that he was holding his son, a part of his own flesh and blood. As the doctors and nurses prepared for the other twin's arrival, Jeremy kissed the baby on the forehead and whispered to it tenderly, "Welcome to the world, little guy," tears dripping from his eyes while his words came out in meek sobs. He cringed when he heard Brea scream real loud again and sighed when he then heard another baby crying. "You did well, honey," the stork congratulated Brea as the other doctors set about checking the second infant's health, "it's over now. Rest easy." Brea went limp again and smiled, glad that the pain had finally subsided. When the staff was finished with the other new baby, they turned around and showed it to the young parents. "It's another wolf," they said, "and it's a girl." Brea had enough energy that she managed to gasp when she heard the word "girl". The stork didn't want to make Brea any more tired, so she placed the baby girl in her mother's arms for her. This one was more quiet than the boy but just as cute, snuggling up against its mother while it slept. Brea couldn't contain herself anymore and started weeping, at one point whispering, "She's beautiful." as she cradled the little wolf up against her warm body.

The staff was happy for the new parents and also relieved that nothing had went wrong. The stork grabbed a nearby notepad and pencil while Jeremy handed Brea the boy, then said to the couple, "Congratulations to you two! What will their names be?"

The fox and the wolf looked at each other, then looked the wolf cubs she was holding, then looked at each other again. They didn't say anything for a moment, then Brea broke the silence and said to Jeremy, "You decide."

He shot her a double take. "What?? You're the mom, so you're the one who has the right to pick names for them!"

She smiled at him and winked. "They're as much a part of you as they are a part of me, my mate. Consider it a reward for sticking by my side though this whole thing."

"B-B-Brea, are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.

"Positive."

"All right. I did have names in mind for them both, I guess." He closed his eyes for a second, then reopened them and said in a proud voice, "Derek and Delilah."

"Derek and Delilah," the stork mumbled as she scribbled out words on the pad, "excellent choice."

"Thank you." Jeremy said, blushing.

"We'll leave the four of you alone for now, give you time to recover. Then I'll send the rest of the family to come in and see. Sound good?"

"Yeah, that'll be fine." answered Brea. The doctors and nurses promptly exited the room, letting Brea and Jeremy take a good look at their babies. Delilah looked almost exactly like Derek, except she had a thicker patch of headfur and a white star between her eyes instead of a diamond. Both of them were sleeping peacefully while their mother took turns with Jeremy stroking their heads and kissing them.

"Hey..." said Jeremy.

"What?"

"I love you."

They leaned in and shared a brief kiss, both of them enjoying the feeling of each other's tongues and lips pressed against their own. They broke the kiss a few seconds later and Brea replied, "I love you, too, Jeremy." They stared at the twins and at each other, smiling and feeling warm inside, knowing without a doubt now that they were parents. They were also afraid, however, imagining all the ominous challenges that lay ahead of them: diapers, flu shots, sicknesses, public school while they themselves were trying to finish high school and get into college, college for the kids, health insurance, dental care, braces, driving, and sex ed, to mention a few. But they were confident that they could face all those difficulties head on because they could lean on each other for support. Before they could speak again, the twins started squirming and gurgling a bit, their uncoordinated handpaws pressing against their mother's breasts, Derek on the left one and Delilah on the right one. Brea giggled. "It must be time for breakfast." she said.

"Oh." Jeremy said, having been caught off guard by that statement realizing that they wanted to breastfeed. "Do you want me to leave so you can...you know...have your privacy?" he asked.

She shook her head and smiled. "No. I want you to stay."

"Ok."

"Besides, I know you like seeing my breasts, so why torture you by making you go outside?"

"Ah. Good point."

Brea handed the twins to Jeremy and then proceeded to let the gown slip off her shoulders, exposing her gorgeous breasts to her mate, who stared slack jawed as he handed back their babies, his eyes focused on those wondrous, furry orbs. She grinned mischievously at her mate in return. It took her a few minutes to position Derek and Delilah in front of her nipples properly, and she had to touch their lips to her nipples a couple of times, but pretty soon, instinct kicked and the wolf cubs immediately latched onto their mother's teats, hungrily lapping up her sweet milk. "Mmmmm, that feels nicer than I thought it would." Brea commented, enjoying the pleasurable sensation of the kits' tongues licking at her nipples. She then giggled, which made Jeremy cock an eyebrow in confusion?

"What is it? Does it tickle?"

"Heh heh. A little. But I was just thinking about those times you suckled me when we were alone, having sex."

He blushed and looked away. "Oh yeah...that's right."

She giggled some more. "You sure enjoyed it, as I recall."

He looked at her again with a hopeful look in his eyes. "Do you think I could...maybe...suckle your nipples and drink your milk? I mean, when the twins aren't?" he asked.

She leaned back so the twins wouldn't slide off her breasts and brought her hand to her mate's chin, scratching it delicately. "Maaayyybeeee..." she teased.

"Sweet." said Jeremy.

***

Later that night...

Brea and Jeremy were snuggled up in bed together, having just put the twins to bed in the crib Cherry had bought for them. They were both very tired and ready for some much-needed rest after filling out the paperwork at the hospital and getting lessons from their parents on how to take care of the twins all day. They were very happy to be in each other's arms once more, this time as a real couple. You could see happiness, content, and fear in their eyes at the same time. They lay there like that for quite some time not saying a word, smiling and gazing at each other with a real kind of love, a love that didn't stem from sex or pity, but real love, the kind that parents share. Brea's eyes soon drooped, and she yawned and said, "I love you, my mate."

"I love you, too." he said back. They then kissed deeply and passionately for a few minutes, caressing each other and snuggling close. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." They fell asleep in one another's arms for a moment before being woken up by the sound of the twins crying. Brea sat up groggily and groaned. "They must be hungry."

"Want me to get the formula?" Jeremy mumbled.

Brea sighed in resignation and said, "No, it's ok. I'll take care of it."

She got out of bed and removed her pajama top, walking towards the hungry wolf cubs. Jeremy sat up and said jokingly, "Don't worry, Brea, only 18 more years to go."

"Ha ha. Very funny, motherfucker." she retorted as she placed the twins in front of her breasts and waited for them to start feeding.