Aileen woke up two days later with Jemima and Jelly by her side. "If your lucky the pain from your wounds will pass in a few days." Jemima mock cheerfully stated. Jelly looked very doubtful. "So why are you here?" Aileen asked. "Umm, I'mgoingtohavekittens." Jemima stuttered. "What?" "I'm going to have kittens."

"Well, congrats!" Aileen said. Longing for sleep overcame her and she fell into another deep sleep, or so she thought it was.

Aileen stayed in that oven for a long a week or so. She didn't heal swiftly, but she did eventually.

Aileen hobbled up to Jemima and Tumblebrutus for a good chat. They looked relieved that she was okay. But she could tell that they were nervous about upcoming events. Aileen wished them happiness and courage and made her way over towards Quaxo's drainpipe. Aileen found him sitting by himself. But he looked very different. His white paw and feet were black, and a very glittery black it was. He looked very beautiful.

Quaxo turned suddenly face to face with Aileen. He looked very relieved and whispered "Everlasting cat! Your alive." Aileen smiled at him and nuzzled him very affectionately. He came closer to her and groomed her fur with his tongue. She purred and cuddled into his black, comforting arms. All doubt was over. This tom had protected her. This tom had accepted her. This tom felt more than a friend to her. She had longed for companionship for quite a long time. But now, she realized that it was more than his companionship that she wanted. She saw now how much she really needed him by her side. She knew now that 'love' could not come close to the feeling she felt for this tom. Fell asleep in his arms once more, with a full understanding of why she was there and with him.

Quaxo watched her face as he before had done many times. He had grown to adore this beautiful face next to him. He had always felt responsible for this kitten, but something about her was different. Or perhaps it was he. She was no longer a kitten. She was getting older. His feeling for her was growing stronger. Feeling? What feeling? Quaxo thought to himself. Love. The answer that came to him surprised him a bit, but then he smiled to himself and closed his dropping eyes. Love.

*******

"Oh!" Jemima groaned. "Keep it up, your doing fine." Jenny cooed. It was due date and Jemima was having her kittens. Aileen was helping Jennyanydots nurse Jemima. Tumble sat next to Jemima comforting her and calming her. "Here comes one!" Jenny announced. After a few moments Jenny handed a small bundle of red fur to Aileen as she tended to the next bundle. Two more bundles of fur were in Jenny's arms as she and Aileen tended to them. One was white and brown and black with one black patch on its right eye. The other was black and white with stripes on its back, slightly resembling Munkustrap, only not as perfectly striped and this kitten was a darker color. The one Aileen had held was a red color, much like Bomb's color. "Two boys and a girl!" Aileen announced to an upcoming crowd outside the large microwave oven they were in. Cheers rang out and Jelly almost fainted at the announcement. Quaxo licked Aileen in approval and she smiled at her mate. Two weeks had passed and they had finally decided not to put off mate hood any longer.

Jemima cleaned the kittens and thought of names for them. "Lets see, this one is shall be.. Exotica." Jemima thought aloud. Suddenly the patched one tried to get up and fell down, then tried again and again with out stopping. "Well now," Aileen mused, "This one's got a lot of energy and determination." Jemima thought about what was said and snapped up her head. "Energite!" She exclaimed, "His name is Energite!" Tumblebrutus smiled. "I get to name the last one!" he declared. He looked at the smallest and last kitten in his arms. It slowly opened its eyes up at him. It had big eyes, like Jemima's, but a deep black. Sort of like a..."Jett black gem." Tumble muttered to himself. "Jett is his name." Tumble decided. "Great!" Aileen declared. "Energite, Jett, and... Exotica." Aileen fumbled at the last name.

After about a month, the kittens were up and running about. Energite was fast and never gave up. Jett was quiet, but playful and seemed to not like crowds or to get to know people. Exotica was funny and lively, and she liked to stick around the older queens such as Bomb, Dem, Cassandra, and sometimes Victoria. The three were very close to each other and their parents. Energite and Pouncival played a lot together. Energite would do all the yacking and Pouncival would listen. Jett, as said, kept to himself and was close to no one. He stayed with Jemima and Tumble, but never really talked to them or his siblings. Aileen had grown to enjoy having the kittens around. Exotica was short, but looked older than she was. Energite was big and muscular while Jett was middle sized. Aileen had tried to understand Jett, but he would say nothing to anyone.

(This gets more graphic about here.)

Aileen had been feeling strange lately. She had felt weaker than usual, and it was a feeling she was unused to. She had spent nights hugging her stomach in nausea and Quaxo had been worried about her. She had convinced him that it was nothing and he had eased a bit. But she threw up many times when no one was looking. She had longed for more to eat. A single mouse or two usually filled her up, but now she wanted five or six. Aileen thought about where she had seen this happen before. It sort of reminds me of Jemima when she was- "Everlasting cat!!" She suddenly gasped in realization. She hobbled slower than usual to Jennyanydots. "Jenny!" She yelped before fainting of exhaustion. When she woke up Jenny was examining her. "Jenny," Aileen breathed, "I- I've been feeling strange these days." "I know." Jenny said. "Congratulations! Your pregnant." Aileen clasped her hand over her mouth. "It may be a little bit more difficult for you than it was for Jemima, but all the same it will come." Jenny continued. Aileen was speechless and wondered what to say to the others. "Quaxo's the father I take it?" Jenny smiled. "Yes." Aileen answered faintly. She was still in shock.

Aileen stayed with Jenny for a while and she told her that walking was going to be hard work, so she shouldn't try to walk around a lot. Aileen had nodded, remembering the way she unexpectedly fainted. Aileen spent most of the afternoon there by her advise. Aileen fell asleep for a long time.

Quaxo had seen Aileen hobble slower than usual towards Jenny. He had seen her eat more than usual, hold her stomach more than usual, and sleep more than usual. Aileen always was awake from 10 AM to 2 AM. She now woke up and fell asleep very differently. Quaxo was worried about her condition. He realized that she still hadn't left Jenny, he would have seen her. He could just hope that what ever it was, it wasn't serious.

Aileen hobbled away from Jenny to find Quaxo. To her surprise, he was closer than she had thought he was. She was still tired from walking at all, though, so she collapsed next to him, breathing heavily. "Aileen," Quaxo asked softly, "what's wrong?" Aileen looked at him for a moment, and then sighed with a small smile. "Quaxo," she breathed, "I'm fine. The only reason why there would be any difference in my life would be because," she paused, "there's going to be more than three kittens in the junkyard." Quaxo looked up at her, mildly startled. "Really? Who's expecting?" he asked. "I am." Aileen replied. The way he had been startled just a moment ago had no comparison to his startle just then. "Aileen, are you sure you're okay?" "Yes. You're going to be a father, so which would you rather be called: daddy, dad, father, papa, pop, dadio- "Quaxo batted his paw gently at the giggling Aileen. "Very funny. We have to look at this seriously Aileen." Aileen's face stiffened a little words. "Quaxo, I know. I'm also just a bit, well, scared. I don't want to think about it seriously." Quaxo nuzzled her a bit affectionately.

The two hugged each other for a while. Quaxo could sense much fear from Aileen. Aileen was very scared of what Jenny told her. Jenny had said that it wasn't best for her to have kittens, that it will be difficult, and dangerous with her, *cough* condition. I'm too weak. I was just born weak and was never supposed to have kittens. Aileen thought this very strongly, and Quaxo to a certain point could sense her fearful thoughts, and so he longed to give her comfort.

Aileen watched Jemima's kittens play the next afternoon. Aileen thought about how she would have kittens in a few more weeks. Or, would she? Perhaps she would lose them. Aileen shuddered at the horrid thought.

Aileen was growing to look very different. She had grown to become a very haunting pale color. She was having a very hard time. It was no secret any more. And the time to have the kittens had come. She had not really grown round, just a slight bulge. Otherwise she would have been considered thinner than usual. But the bulge was ready to come out.

The birth was the most difficult part of all. She struggled for time with a death grip on Quaxo's paw, who was beside her. Jemima helped a little. Jenny needed a nurse, while Quaxo was to keep her calm, which wasn't really working out. Finally, a little fluff of fur was visible in Jenny's arms. It was completely black, save a small white mark on her forehead. She was very small looking, but she was strong and healthy. Aileen had given all her oomph into this kitten, and she was a strong one. Quaxo told Aileen to name her, it was she who had done all the work. Aileen took one glance at the pretty kitten placed in her arms and saw that it's pupils were completely white, like hers, with a dark brown rim, like Quaxo's. Aileen looked at the kitten's sleek fur, all black and shiny, like a black strength. "Ebony." Aileen whispered, and the kitten cuddled into it's mother's fur and fell asleep.

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