Tygra awoke, he reached out with his hand looking for his mate, but he couldn't find her.  Tygra looked at the time and saw that it was the wee hours of the morning. Tygra sat up with the intention of looking for Cheetara but he soon heard clues as to her whereabouts.

      Cheetara hugged the toilet, she knelt in a clammy sweat knowing that there couldn't possibly be anything left in her stomach.
      Cheetara's body felt otherwise, so she convulsed in dry heaves until they stopped, at the same time she tried desperately to keep her hair out of the commode.  By then, Tygra had joined her kneeling on the floor and had begun applying cold compresses to the back of her neck, he also gave her a glass of water to rinse with.
      "Thank you, Tiger, that feels good." Tygra kissed her forehead, and decided that he had to do something.  "Cheetara, I want you to go see Pumyra,  TODAY! Tygra i'm fine, something is going around. 'Tara, you've been getting sick like this for three weeks! Please, you might have something seriously wrong with you." Tygra's voice became more stern. "If you don't go voluntarily, so help me, I, i'll  drag you!" Cheetara looked in Tygra's eyes, she knew he was truly concerned, and that his threat was valid.  "Alright, after my run, i'll go." Tygra was going to insist she go first thing, but chose not to press the matter, he knew that he was only going to get so far with his argument, and she had acquiesced, finally.  That was all that mattered. Tygra helped Cheetara rise, she flushed, and the two went back to bed.

    The later that morning Cheetara felt fine, she even felt even more vigorous.  Cheetara sat for a moment, lifted her head, closed her eyes, and smelled the rich cool air.  The sun through Cheetara's eyelids made her see bright red as she stretched her neck.  Cheetara stretched and massaged her calf and thigh muscles, she raised her arms and limbered her back as well, she heard a disconcerting pop, but only one.  Cheetara got up and slowly began to jog, to warm herself further, as she felt she was more ready, her speed increased until she reached her top speed of seventy five miles an hour. Cheetara knew the days of her topping speeds in excess of one hundred miles an hour were over, in a way she was sad, but still, mere months before she could scarcely move without searing pain, and she was grateful.  As Cheetara pounded the soft asphalt she continued to count her myriad blessings. Thundera was whole, Kera was going to have a baby, a precious grandchild for she and Tygra to spoil and love, if they were blessed doubly, twins.  Tygra and she had rekindled their love, and made their bond stronger if such a thing were possible, Tygra didn't care about astro golf as much it seemed at any rate.
       Cheetara knew that it would be difficult for Kera, she wouldn't feel well, and she would have to deal with morning sickness and the like.  Like it or not, Kera would also have to make some changes in lifestyle and working.  Her attempts at persuasion had not had the desired effect yet, but she would keep trying.  Cheetara continued her run but at a slower pace, she had peaked out.
      Cheetara remembered how the Totem of Dera's energy flowed through her body, it had hurt greatly as it's power remolded her legs, thankfully Tygra was able to catch her and hold her up.  She didn't understand why she would be getting sick. The Totem should have healed any stomach complaints, but she had none prior to her healing.  Cheetara's mind turned to other things.

      Later in the morning, Cheetara walked up the steps to Pumyra's "office" above Bengali's forge.  "Hello, 'Tara. Hi, 'Myra how are you today? Tired, I had to help Bengali with an order last night." Cheetara stood up and smiled. "If you don't want to see me today I can reschedule. No, Cheetara. Tygra called me this morning and told me that you have been throwing up morning noon and night. I wouldn't go that far, Pumyra." Cheetara rolled her eyes. "Tygra has a gift for overstatement, he is also a little too overprotective." Pumyra grinned. "Better overprotective, and caring rather than under protective and non caring. You have a point 'Myra." Pumyra regarded her patient and friend. "So, tell me, what are your symptoms?" As Pumyra listened she found the symptoms interesting to say the least.  Well i'll get the necessary equipment, please take off your clothing." Cheetara with dread stripped away her clothing and put on a flimsy gown.  Pumyra produced a needle and a cup, and began to gather the necessary fluids.
     Cheetara looked at Pumyra as she took a blood sample, and tried to think of something to divert them both as Pumyra did her best to shove her whole fist through her stomach and back.  "How are Tyger and Ardua doing?" Pumyra looked at Cheetara with a half-smile. "Ardua has asked Lion-O and the Varionite government to help planet Plundarr get into the Interstellar Council, as you know." Cheetara winced. "Tyger told me yesterday that they won't admit Plundarr because the Empress won't repeal capitol punishment.  Planet Plundarr doesn't have the best record with planet Selacia either. The Magestrar of Selacia has already said he would be damned if Plundarr got in on his watch.  That ass Prefect Irgall of course backs her up one hundred percent." Cheetara nodded as Pumyra continued. "I hope she doesn't back down from them one inch either!" Cheetara looked at Pumyra surprised. "Murder, sexual assault, and child molestation should be punished with death." Cheetara looked at her friend in amazement. "I didn't know you were so... conservative. I am when it comes to that."  Cheetara rolled over, and Pumyra exposed her backside. "I'm going to give you a vitamin shot, just in case, but the rest of you looks fine.  When i'm done you can go home and i'll call you with the urine, and blood work results later today, alright?"
      Cheetara nodded started to dress then stopped.  "Is the rumor about some new virus going around true?" Pumyra put her thermometer strip back into her pouch. "Yes it was supposed to have started in the Solon system, but it hasn't come here yet, thank the Gods!" Pumyra sighed. "I hope it doesn't too, I heard that it has a kill rate of twenty percent.  It affects the elderly and the extremely young the worst." Cheetara shook her head. "Those poor people, I saw a blurb about it on the news. Any planet that reports a case is instantly quarantined."
      Pumyra shook her head and then smiled warmly at Cheetara. "You can tell Tygra thus far you have a clean bill of health, and that I said hello." Cheetara laughed. "I will, healer. Thanks for seeing me. No problem,'Tara. Professional courtesy. Professional courtesy?" Asked Cheetara with a grin. Pumyra's eyes widened. "Oh, 'Tara, if you would, please remind Kera that she has an appointment in two days. Will do, healer." Cheetara grabbed her handbag waved goodbye and left.  Pumyra took her testing equipment and began her analysis.
      Cheetara walked out to her vehicle, got in, and drove away to wait at Cat's Lair for Pumyra's call.
 

       It was early in the afternoon, and Pumyra gave Cheetara's blood and urine a fifth test after taking her bio scan equipment apart and cleaning it thoroughly. Pumyra reasoned that the results had to be correct.

      Cheetara was napping in her favorite place, a window seat Tygra had built for her when her legs were still twisted. It was warm and cozy, every once and awhile, Tygra would bring her a new pillow, scented with Thunder catnip. Cheetara loved to place the pillows on her's and Tygra's bed so that his scent would also meld with them, it was comforting during his absences to have them, and when she missed him all she had to do was rub her face in them and her tiger was there.  Cheetara didn't quite know why, but she loved to sunbathe facing the window, so that she could watch the comings and goings of the Lair.  Cheetara felt as if it harkened back to a primal need, she caught herself squeezing the pillows repetitively, allowing her claws to rake across them and stopped.  Cheetara lazily stretched and inadvertently got her claws stuck in the loosely woven fabric, as she tried to free herself, the teleterminal began to chime. Finally with the aid of mild swearing and a violent movement, Cheetara freed herself and answered the chime.
       "Hello? Pumyra!." Cheetara greeted with a smile, it faded when she saw her friend's face, it was serious.  "Hi, Cheetara. Well, what's the verdict, healer?" Cheetara knew she was about to hear something she didn't want to.  "Cheetara, I think you may want to sit down."  Cheetara complied.  As Pumyra explained, Cheetara's eyes widened, and she felt her heart beat hard and fast. "But how? I-i'm...!"  Pumyra gave Cheetara several scenarios, but no real insights.  Pumyra's concerns then turned to Cheetara's health, and how to deal with the situation. "By the Gods, 'Myra!" Pumyra didn't know what to say. What could she say, she scarcely believed it herself.  When Cheetara finished her conversation she sat, and wondered what was going to happen next. Her life was changed forever, in a most unexpected way. Cheetara dialed up Tygra.
       "Hello? Hey, Mom!" Tygro's eyes lit up. Cheetara looked at her gentle son, and thought for a moment how much like Tygra he was. "Mom? You okay?" Cheetara was snapped out of her thoughts. "Yes." Tygro was not convinced. "I need to talk to your father. Okay." Tygro said warily as he left the screen. Tygra sat and smiled warmly, but then it faded when he saw her expression. A wave of fear went over Tygra, Cheetara felt it. "Tygra, I, You need to come home now, we, we have to talk. Please be careful coming home, Tiger." Tygra signed off and left Tygro in charge of the office.
      Cheetara got out a glass, filled it with candyfruit wine, sat by the window and waited for her love to come home.
      Tygra drove as quickly as he could, he thought of all the terrible things that could be wrong with Cheetara. Tygra's mind immediately conjured up the worst possible scenarios, and judging by her expression, and tone of her voice one of those things had to be.  Tygra prayed to the Gods that it wasn't cancer, all of the Thundercats watched helplessly as Lynx-O bravely fought, and succumbed.  Tygra then pondered a life without his 'Tara, and his emotion almost got the better of him.
        Tygra growled, and blew his horn, usually the road was clear at that time of day, but the one time he had to get home in a hurry, the road was blocked with an accident.  Tygra looked around for a way around it, but he was hemmed in by other cars.  Tygra could do nothing but sit and wait.
        Tygra remembered the day Lion-O started courting Corbia formally, leaving Cheetara upset, and already in a bad condition. Cheetara had tried to act brave, but she never was any good at hiding her feelings from him.  Tygra for the first time in his life wanted to punch Lion-O in the face.  Tygra shook his head, that was the past, and he had profited by Lion-O's decision, although that was not his intention at first.
     Tygra thought of the day he knew for sure that Cheetara was going to die. He had been reading a paper to her, she was burning with fever, he had to wipe her brow with a cold wet cloth. When he wrung it, it was warm as bath water, no women were there to help him, so he drew a tub full of cold water stripped off her clothing and immersed her in it, then put a towel in the tub to cover her. Tygra felt foolish, he had seen her before, been intimate with her before, yet he didn't have her permission to take those liberties.
      As Cheetara shivered,and convulsed, all Tygra could do was keep her from hurting herself.  When she was calm he read to her, though he knew she couldn't understand, and keep re filling the tub with cold water. Tygra remembered what true helplessness was, he had lost so many people in his life, he couldn't bear to loose her, she was the heart of the Thundercats, and his.  He felt that way at that moment.
     Tygra was relieved when Mandora, Panthro, and Lion-O arrived with the medication that would help Cheetara fight the infection that riddled her body. Pumyra told him that he had saved her life by keeping her temperature down, and that if she had survived, she would never be the same again due to brain damage. The only real damage that surfaced from the infection was that in her legs. The infection had eaten away at Cheetara's bones, and when they healed they were crooked, and misshapen, which made walking torture for her, and forced her to use a cane.  She would not have been able to walk at all had he and Panthro not built braces for her legs to heal in, directing bone growth.  Now Tygra was facing the possibility of losing her again, but he was heartened, now they had the Totem back perhaps it could fix this malady. Tygra tried not to be upset, he didn't even know what the problem was yet, and that Cheetara would pick up on his feelings, which would further upset her.   Tygra looked ahead, the wreckage was clearing. He continued on his way.
      Cheetara wished that she had simply waited for Tygra to come home that evening before she dropped the considerable bombshell. Cheetara had no idea how Tygra was going to react, she knew how he could be at times.  Cheetara looked out the window and thought about various things, especially the day that she finally told Tygra her love for him, she didn't need to ask him if he felt the same, he had shown her, just as Kerah had said he did, and would.
      That night, Tygra had brought her food, he took his meals with her every night so she wouldn't be alone.   As they finished eating, he turned to leave, she caught his arm and asked him to stay and talk with her. Tygra took her hand and did, their conversation turned to past events on Old Thundera, and Third Earth.  Cheetara knew that Panthro loved her too, and she loved him as well. Panthro's was a different kind of love.  Panthro by nature was solitary, and sought solace in the inanimate.  Cheetara knew that she wouldn't just be satisfied with knowing she was loved, she wanted to be shown.  Cheetara decided that only Tygra could give her that, she needed the gentle comforts that only a man like Tygra could provide, but also the protectiveness that he had shown her through the years.  Cheetara had spent many sleepless nights pondering what to do, knowing that one of her friends was going to be hurt, but she finally made up her mind.  Cheetara remembered the foolish way that she told Tygra her wishes, it made her shake her head.
      "I, we aren't getting any younger, Tygra. I want cubs, a family." She remembered the look of shock she received from him when she brushed his cheek and said, "I want you to be my mate, and the father of those cubs."  Cheetara also remembered how even then he had a protest on his lips when she interrupted him.  "Will you have me?  Please? Just tell me that you don't want me and i'll never mention it again."
      Tygra said nothing to her in that moment, he sat on the bed with her, then put his head on her pillow and held her the entire night through.  The next morning, when she woke up, her entire bedroom was covered in flowers, and there was a box of candy on her nightstand with a card that said "I had to go help Panthro see you soon, Tiger."  A nickname she had given him when they were children.
      After all of that transpired she and Tygra were then faced with another more poignant dilemma, how to tell Panthro their feelings.  Cheetara felt ashamed that they didn't tell him outright, but there were other problems at hand,  so they hid.  Cheetara and Tygra secretly loved each other and shared their beds for a year, everyone in the Lair knew but Panthro. Cheetara mused that at fourteen years of age even Wilykit and Wilykat had to have known about her and Tygra.
      Tygra was eaten up with guilt, working with his friend, and loving the same woman he did intimately in secret. Finally Cheetara and Tygra were sick of having guilty consciences and lying, and finally sat down with Panthro and told him of their hidden love.  Cheetara remembered how hard Panthro had hit Tygra, and the groan of pain he made, she was afraid that he had ruptured something in Tygra's stomach the punch was so hard. Cheetara remembered the look Panthro gave her when she slapped his face and yelled hatefully at him.  Panthro looked at her like a wounded animal then ran.  Later that night, when alone, Cheetara and Tygra both held each other and wept, feeling like they had betrayed him,  but there was no other way.
      In time the three had forgiven each other. Cheetara was grateful that after all of that, Panthro had his child to look after, she had filled some of the void left in his heart, Panthro demonstrated more outward affection for the child, than he ever did for her.  For that Cheetara was grateful.
      Cheetara rose when she saw Tygra barreling up the steps.  Soon she heard the footfalls growing closer.
      "'Tara!" Tygra entered the doorway and embraced Cheetara panting. "What did she say?" Cheetara smiled slightly, Tygra's face was full of worry.  She closed the door and locked the intercom. "Tiger, drink this." Tygra took the glass of wine. "'Tara, tell me! Tiger, drink first and sit down."
      Tygra obeyed his mate. Tygra put the emptied glass down on the floor beside the bed, Cheetara turned from the window and sat down next to him, and laced her fingers in his. Cheetara closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

                       "Tygra, i'm pregnant."

      Tygra looked at Cheetara in irritation, for an instant he was even angry, but then began to laugh. "You scared me to death! Oh, 'Tara, you really had me going! That is the best joke yet!" Tygra kissed the side of Cheetara's head. "Tygra it's the truth, i'm going to have a baby!" Tygra was going to tell Cheetara that the joke was played out when he saw tears flooding her eyes.  Tygra then realized that there was absolutely no joke about anything she had said.  Cheetara gave Tygra the bottle of wine, and he filled  his glass to the top and downed it quickly. Tygra was quiet, so Cheetara did the talking.
       "Pumyra thinks that maybe when the Totem of Dera healed my legs, it healed something else as well." Tygra's eyes widened. "I hadn't fully undergone the change yet, I was still seasonal, but not with the regularity that I once was." Tygra's mouth was agape.  "You were also subjected to some of the Totem's power, you caught me when I almost fell, and held me up.  That would explain your changes, um, zeal as well." Tygra thought, he did have more vigor. The two of them lately had spent more time trying to find excuses to be alone than did the younger cats in the lair.  Tygra still looked at Cheetara in shock. "But that still doesn't explain how your body!  Surely you would have gone through a season, we would have known you were fertile. I don't know Tygra."
      Tygra put his hand on his head. "I just don't know how you could have gotten pregnant!"  Cheetara looked at her husband with wide eyes and surprise. "How could it not happen, Tiger? Do you remember what we've...." Cheetara stood and sighed.  "When you chased me down in the forest? While you were invisible? In the Feliner? The supply closet? Sandcat Cliffs?  The trip to Sandcat Cliffs was enough!" Tygra drank another glass. He was going to offer Cheetara some, but she couldn't have it. Tygra still sat in silence. Cheetara looked at her tiger. "Well, say something, anything!"
      Tygra put his arms around Cheetara.  "Maybe there was a mistake." Cheetara shook her head no. "Pumyra tested five times."  Tygra sat dumbfounded, then quietly asked, "What do you want to do about it, Cheetara? Do? There is nothing that I can do, Tygra!"  Tygra pulled his fingers through his hair. "Will this harm you? I'm going to go talk to Pumyra tonight when she gets home about it." Tygra looked to the side. "If this is going to harm you, I don't want you to go through with it." Cheetara looked at Tygra hard. "How can you say that?" Tygra looked at her gently. "I, I don't want you to be harmed, you are not...young physically anymore, I ." Cheetara held Tygra closer to her. "Tygra, I know that this is a shock, but I want this!  We always wanted another, Tiger, the Gods have given us our wish." Tygra felt badly for thinking ill of the situation, but he was still concerned about the consequences that could come of the pregnancy. "'Tara, I want this too, but only if you can do it safely.  Tiger, we'll talk to Pumyra tonight, and figure all of that out, okay?" Tygra hugged Cheetara to him as he nodded. "Alright."
      Cheetara and Tygra reclined on the bed and held each other for a long while. "How are we going to tell the others, Tygra?" Tygra hadn't even considered that aspect yet. "I don't know, I guess that we just do."  After a few minutes, Cheetara giggled. "What about Kera and Tygro, Tygra? I guess we'll have to sit them down and give them the talk." With that the two laughed and felt a little comforted. Cheetara grabbed Tygra's hand. "When?" Cheetara asked as Tygra kissed her cheek. "I suppose as soon as we can, 'Tara. After we talk to Pumyra."  As Tygra kissed her head, Cheetara cuddled with her mate, and wondered at the situation.