Tygra sighed and looked at Cheetara, she looked back, closed her eyes, and a low chuckle started in her throat, Tygra's mouth formed a smile, then cracked into a wide grin, and soon Cheetara and Tygra were laughing loudly and leaning back in their chairs. A perplexed look came from the four young people.  "Oh, Terron, Jella!" Cheetara stood and outstretched her arms, "Welcome to the family! Yes, indeed!" Added Tygra.  All six got up cried, laughed, hugged and kissed.  Cheetara and Tygra respectively had sighs relief inside, because their minds had conjured up much worse scenarios as to what their children were up to.
      After a few hours of conversation, and eating, Tygra, Cheetara, and the rest decided to turn in for the night. Kera and Terron went into her room clinging to each other, Jella and Tygro in his, he carried her.
      Cheetara and Tygra walked into their room and disrobed for bed. Tygra sat on the bed and looked at his mate. "I wouldn't have believed it if it were anyone else's kids." Said Tygra. Cheetara cuddled up with Tygra, and put her head on his chest. "I wouldn't either.  At least our kids aren't boring." Tygra chuckled and stroked the spotted fur on his wife's arm. "Yes, they do keep things interesting. What do you think of Jella and Terron, Cheetara?" Cheetara thought for a long while listening to her mate quietly breathe. "I like them, what do you think, Tygra? Tygra?" Tygra was fast asleep, Cheetara sighed and soon followed.
      Wilykit bathed and dressed her children for bed. Snarf and Snarfer wanted to read them stories and tuck them in, so she kissed them good night and went into her's and Brod's room.
       Brod stood and hugged his mate. "Are you tired, Kitten?" Wilykit smiled and brushed the tawny brown fur on his face, and then kissed his muzzle. "I don't think tired is the word, Brod." Wilykit stretched as Brod unbuckled the bandolier strap, and the belt on Wilykit's waist, and  placed it on the dresser.  Wilykit sat down on the bed and removed her boots, she was accustomed to wearing sandals, so her feet were tired and hot.  Brod knelt and rubbed them. "Thank you. That feels good." Brod looked into Wilykit's eyes. "Do you know anything about Ardua? No, we don't know yet. I hope she is alright wherever she is."  Brod then got onto the bed and began to rub her shoulders he asked, "Are the kittens in bed? Yes."
      As he kissed down her neck he reached into the pouch that was always at his side and got out a ring. "Brod, please don't put that on, I love you the way you are. I know, but you are close to your season, there is a chance that we could," As Wilykit interrupted and pulled Brod closer she smiled. "I'm not in the mood to argue with you now." As Wilykit kissed her mate, he slipped the ring onto his finger, a bluish shimmer radiated around his body as he underwent an astounding transformation, soon Brod's body took on the form of a panther, lynx hybrid. "You know," said Wilykit seductively "I like you better the other way." Brod began tugging clothing off of his wife. "As I recall, Kitten, you rather enjoy me in this form too." Wilykit pulled down the sheets to their bed. As Brod turned off the lights they embraced, and melted into each other's arms.
      Pumyra walked into her room, she saw Bengali sitting on the bed reading a book. "What, Bengali, not courtyard spying? Rowwrr, did you just come to bed to insult me?" Pumyra noticed Bengali was in good humor. "No, dear." Pumyra sighed, relieved. "Is Tyger resting?" Asked Bengali. Pumyra answered. "He said he was going to. Hmmm." Bengali put down the book and looked at Pumyra. "You know i'm not mad about not going, don't you?" Pumyra looked at Bengali in curiosity. "I just don't want you two to get hurt, That's all."  Pumyra took Bengali's book, marked the place, put it on the night stand and scooted up next to him on the bed. "Hold me."  Bengali put his arm around Pumyra and stroked her brown and white hair.  She purred.
      Tyger got up after a short nap, dressed and walked out of his room, he crept down the hall.  Tyger stopped at Panthro's room first, he was going to knock but didn't bother, he knew Panthro would be in the hangar, then walked one door down and opened Ardua's room. He turned on the light and walked in, then closed the door. He looked at the bed and saw the toolbox, Tyger smiled, he was pretty surprised at how Panthro doted on Ardua to this day, sort of like she was still a little girl.  Panthro was always so gruff, and matter of fact but in Ardua's presence he was completely different, he still kept his air of toughness, but he was lighter somehow.  Tyger remembered how she could get away with a little more mischief than the rest of their little group, although admittedly they never did anything really bad.
      Tyger picked up the tool box and put it on the floor, then sat on her bed. Tyger picked up a bottle of perfume and smelled it. Ardua's favorite scent. His too. Tyger remembered how good she smelled with it on the night under the candy fruit trees at 'Kit and Brod's, and when they were in the courtyard after their bonding .  He couldn't get to sleep that night, because the scent hung on his fingertips, and fur. Tygro leaned back and soon was lying on her bed. He wondered what it would be like to, Tyger got up, he didn't need to be thinking like that, although he had fantasized about it thousands of times.
      Tyger was no stranger to the sex act, he had slept with Zia, a lot.  At times Tyger wished he hadn't, but he enjoyed it too, it kind of made him feel guilty though, there was no love in it, just physical pleasure. Tyger and Zia's relationship was empty, when they were through, she didn't give a damn about his day, or how he felt, they just made love, no it wasn't that, it was sex, something to pass the time when there was nothing else to do.  They used each other.  Tyger cringed when he thought of all of the other men he had shared her with, but desperation knows no shame.  He remembered how angry he was at Zia the day he broke his ties with her. "What's wrong, Tyger going back to your mutant whore?" Tyger still got angry, if he weren't a better man he would have hit her.  Tyger wondered if Ardua had ever had intimate contact with a male before, or if she wanted him as much as he did her.  Tyger wiped all of those thoughts out of his head as best he could.
      Tyger straightened the bedspread, and placed the toolbox back onto the bed and wondered what a sight it would be to watch Panthro the Mighty to tie a big loud ribbon on something.
      Lion-O and Lynxana sat in his study talking and sipping candy fruit wine. "Lynxana, Thank you for helping us. I'm sorry I didn't trust you in the bar. It's alright cub, I have a reputation that precedes me." Lion-O took another sip. "What will you do when this whole affair is over?" Lynxana sighed. "I suppose I will go back to bounty hunting." Lion-O thought for a moment.  "You can't do that forever. What will you do when you get old?" Lynxana just looked at Lion-O and said with a chillingly calm rational voice, "I will probably get killed before I get really old." Lion-O put his hand on his chin and stroked it.  "How would you like to come home? Be a Thundercat again? We offered you to do so on Third Earth when you helped us save Jaga." Lynxana laughed with an evil tone. "I challenged your father with rebellion, Lion-O, caught all of you Thundercats and gave you over to the mutants. As I told you on Third Earth you are too trusting. Yes," Said Lion-O, "But it was also you that had a change of heart and saved the very people you hated the most, tells a lot about the real you. What do you say?" There was a long silence.  "I'll think about it, cub." Lion-O poured Lynxana another glass and they spoke about other things.
      Tyger walked into the hangar. Panthro was practicing with his nun-chucks. Tyger watched in awe as the blue and red whipped around the gray panther.  Panthro stopped and motioned for Tyger to sit. Tyger took a seat at the work table, as Panthro moved oily parts aside. Panthro disappeared for a few moments and produced two large cold mugs of his special brew.  Tyger took a sip as Panthro took out a deck of cards. Panthro looked at Tyger gently, the first time Tyger ever recalled Panthro ever doing so to him.  For the rest of the evening Tyger and Panthro drank and played cards, in comfortable silence like two old friends.
      The next morning light broke through the windows of the hangar. Tyger was awakened by a rude ray of light piercing his eyelid.  Tyger rose stiffly stretched, and then stood. Panthro soon followed suit, and rose from the table where they had both slept.  Tyger looked at Panthro and pointed at his own cheek and said, "Um, Panthro, you uh, have some bolts on your face, man."  Panthro brushed his left cheek and tiny bolts fell to the table and floor, leaving a skewed honeycomb pattern on his face. When Tyger didn't laugh at him Panthro stood tall and said, "You're alright kid." Tyger felt accepted by him, finally.
      Tygra and Cheetara walked down to breakfast, finding entertainment in the fact that their children, and new found in-laws  hadn't come out of their rooms for air yet. They sat in the dining area and told all of the Thundercats about the secret weddings. All of them, Tyger especially, were in shock.  Brod, in his true form, and Wilykit held hands under the table, as they watched their children eat. When Tygro, Jella, Terron, and Kera all finally walked into the dining room, everyone applauded.
      After a few wise but good natured remarks everyone ate and tried not to think of what loomed before them.