Disclaimer: We do not own ThunderCats.

A FATHER'S BLESSING

Cheetara smiled down at the toddler that clasped one of her fingers as they made their way slowly down the hall. "Ready to go see Daddy?" she asked the red-headed, blue eyed boy.

"Da!" he chirped, trying to make his chubby little legs move faster.

She chuckled. "Look at my big boy go!"

"Da!" the toddler called again, louder this time.

Upon reaching the throne room, Cheetara opened the ornate wooden door quietly and peered inside to find Lion-O standing in the middle of the large room with a high vaulted ceiling. Tygra, Bengali, and Panthro stood with him, all four men involved deeply in a discussion over military strategy.

"Da!" the small child called again upon sight of his father, squealing with delight. He let go of Cheetara's finger and his chubby little legs churned furiously as he hurried across the marble floor to his father.

Lion-O, upon hearing his son's squeal, turned around with a grin on his face and went down on one knee with his arms held out before him.

"Da!" The toddler who had just mastered the art of running finally reached his father's arms and propelled himself toward the lion's embrace.

Lion-O scooped his son into his arms and stood up, tossing the boy into the air. The child screamed with laughter. Then the king settled his boy on his hip and pressed a kiss to the chubby cheek.

"Da!" the child crowed once again, gripping a handful of Lion-O's thick, red hair.

Cheetara approached and Lion-O's focus was drawn to his wife. He grinned using a smile he saved only for his cheetah. "I missed you today," he said softly as he reached out a hand toward her and ignored the other men in the room.

She took his hand and allowed him to tug her against him. "We missed you." She pressed her lips to his for a tender kiss. "Our son wanted to see his father."

Tygra, Bengali, and Panthro immediately began to mumble amongst themselves about tasks that needing attending and quickly excused themselves from the throne room.

"You have perfect timing." Lion-O smiled as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "We were just about to wrap things up for the day."

Cheetara leaned into her husband and rested her hand against his chest. "I was hoping we could take a walk before dinner."

"Absolutely." Lion-O bounced his son on his hip, eliciting a giggle from the little boy. "Where to?"

"How about the garden?" the cheetah suggested.

The lion took his wife's hand and together they made their way to the palace garden. Their son loved to play there, even though he tended to stomp on a few blooms as he tromped around.

Cheetara settled down on one of the benches overlooking the grandeur of the garden and Lion-O lowered their son down and chuckled as he watched him toddle directly over to his mother.

"Ma!" He squawked as he ran and latched onto his mother's legs, locking his big blue eyes on her and grinning at her in a way that reminded her so much of Lion-O.

Lion-O joined his wife on the bench, smirking as he watched Aren pluck petals off the flower that Cheetara had handed him.

As Lion-O watch his son playing happily by their side, he placed his hand over his wife's and twined his fingers with hers. "Life just doesn't get much better than this. Don't think that a day goes by that I don't realize how blessed I am."

Cheetara smiled at him and suppressed a giggle as she seemed to be searching for the right words. "Lion-O, we are very blessed, you and I."

At that moment Aren looked up at them and squinted, unleashing his four-toothed grin upon them and they couldn't help but chuckle.

"Lion-O," Cheetara began, "What would you say if I told you that we have been blessed again?"

It took a moment for her words to register before he reacted. He locked his azure eyes on hers and smiled. "Another baby? You're…we're pregnant?"

"I just found out for sure today..." Cheetara began but was interrupted as Lion-O pulled her into a kiss.

They stayed wrapped up in their kiss until they were no longer able to ignore Aren's hands thumping against their thighs. Lion-O scooped the little boy up and sat him on his lap.

"Aren, you're going to be a big brother!" Lion-O beamed at him. "Now, don't take any lessons on being a good big brother from Uncle Tygra," the lion joked.

"Lion-O." Cheetara chided, but it was clear she was amused.

"I wonder if it will be a boy or a girl?"

"Well, I don't know but it would be nice to have a baby that actually looked a bit like me," Cheetara teased as she looked at their son, the spitting image of his father save for a few light spots across his shoulders and upper arms.

"If this baby is a girl and looks anything like you than I'll have to increase the number of guards on duty to keep the boys away."

Cheetara shook her head and chuckled at the thought of her husband becoming an overprotective paranoid father. "I love you."

"I love you, Cheetara." Lion-O said. "I can't wait to meet our new baby."

Lion-O's heart was filled with emotion as he sat with his growing family and he realized how truly blessed they were.

Finis

Dedication:

Bronwynn: Dedicated to my best friend and husband, Chris. I lost him five years ago and miss him every day. I am so blessed to catch glimpses of him in our two children. We love you!

Prairie24: In loving memory of my daddy. He's been gone for almost nine years, but I still miss him every day. I love you, Daddy!