Two Brothers

Two Kits

"He was taken from me, twisted, turned against me by my future enemy."

-James McCloud

I walked through the hospital as there was only one thing on my mind, my mate had just give birth to twins and I was the father.

James McCloud, you are a father. I sighed and I walked up to the elevator, a nurse stood beside me and she smiled knowingly.

"Mate just gave birth to a litter?"

"Twins." I said and the nurse laughed. The door opened and she walked in with me.

"I remember when I had a few kits of my own, I loved them dearly."

"Yeah, these will our first two." She pulled out a clipboard and was looking it over. "What room are you going to?"

"232, McCloud." I raised my eyebrows and she looked at me. "Is that you?"

"Yes, I wasn't allowed in the birthing room so I'm a bit nervous right now." The door opened and we walked into a room where my mate, Vixy, was lying. She was covered in sweat, her black hair was mussed quite a bit and there was an IV drip into her arm. I quickly walked over and the doctor came from another room as he placed a paw on my shoulder.

"Shh, she's asleep. I'm giving her some medicine that will dull the pain and keep her asleep." I nodded and I pulled up a chair beside the bed. I took Vixy's paw and her red fur contrasted to my brown as I smiled at her sleeping form. "How are the kits?"

"Fine, no defects."

"When can I see them?"

"When Vixy wakes up, I'll leave you two alone for awhile." The doctor and he left me as I stroked her red paw. She stirred slightly and Vixy opened her sapphire eyes as I smiled down at her.

"James, how are…they?"

"Fine, the nurse just told me that they are fine." She smiled weakly and I licked her face as she sighed, it was a comforting gesture that I made and she closed her eyes.

"When will I be able to see them?"

"I can get the nurse right now and she can bring them in." Vixy opened her eyes again and she squeezed my paw. I pushed the call button on the wall console and the nurse came in.

"Can we see them now?" She nodded and walked out, a few minutes later she walked back into the dim hospital room and I saw my kits, they were swaddled in cloth and their muzzles were open, crying. The nurse placed them in Vixy's arms and she nuzzled them as I looked my kits over; one was brown furred like me but with orange and white fur, and the other was pitch black with a red stripe going from his black nose all the way down to his furry tail. They were both male and I looked at the brown furred one, his blue eyes smiled at me and he reached out with a paw as he grabbed mine. I looked at my other kit and his green eyes stared at me intently and I was intrigued, I took his paw and he kept his gaze on me.

"What should we name them James?"

"I think we should call this little one Fox." I said as we looked at the little blue eyed kit.

"And what about him?" Vixy asked and I stroked the black kit's head. He mewled softly and nuzzled my paw as I smiled.

"I'm going to let you decide." She looked at me and a weak smile came onto her face.

"You're going to let me have the honors?" I nodded and she bit her lip. "Well, how about Staris?" It fit his persona perfectly.

"That sounds great Vix." I said and Staris curled up in her arms as Fox seemed to want to go to me. I took him and the kit wanted to get as close to me as he could, I held him in my arms and he closed his eyes as I felt the kit fall asleep. "So Vix was it hard?"

"Hard?" She laughed and then winced. "James, that doesn't even begin to describe it." She replied and I chuckled as I stroked my kit. Vixy closed her eyes and I saw her fall asleep as I leaned back in the chair with Fox on my chest. I looked down at my kit and he awoke with a yawn, he looked up at me and I smiled at him.

"Hey Fox; I will always be there for you. That is a promise, ok?" I said and Fox crawled up to my neck, he laid his head on my shoulder and wrapped his arms around my neck. I felt a bond already growing with my son and I felt my eyes close as I slipped into a dormant state.

"James, James?" I heard and my eyes eased open as I saw Vixy, she looked cleaned up and the kits were in her paws.

"Yes?"

"It's almost time for me to be discharged." I quickly sat up and I yawned and the nurse came in, she had a clipboard in paw and she walked over to us.

"Mr. McCloud, would you sign this?" I read the form over and I slid my paw over it, it read my print and confirmed. "Ok, you can leave whenever you want." She took the form and walked out as I helped Vixy out of the bed, she still had her hospital gown on and I shut the door to the room for some privacy. She gave me the kits and Vixy gave me the 'look' as she dropped the gown from her form. She knew I had to put down the kits before I could do anything and I sighed.

"Stop teasing me Vix." I said and she made sure I got a good look at her before slipping on her street clothes. "Geez, why do you always do that?" I asked and she took Staris.

"Because I can, and plus you have already seen me."

"I know, but…" I trailed off and she kissed me. We walked out of the room and I hit the elevator button, the door opened and we walked in, we were alone and Vixy smiled at me.

"Thanks James." She said and I frowned.

"For what?"

"For our kits."

I lay in my bed as my mate Vixy lay beside me sleeping, her arms were curled around me and her breathing was almost silent as my thoughts raced. Our little two story house was now occupied with two kits and I was thinking about them.

Outside the rain pelted the window as thunder sounded faintly in the distance, lightning lit up the sky and I felt I needed to check my kits. I slowly lifted my mate's arm off me and I slid off the bed, I threw on some pants and I walked the dark hallway as I eased the door to their room open and I walked over to their crib. I smiled as I saw them and lightning flashed, my jaw dropped as I saw one was missing.

Fox… I looked around and I saw one of the windows to their room was slightly open, I rushed to it and I looked out, only darkness and thunder replied and I felt extreme sadness hit me. I was floored as tears streamed down my face uncontrolled, I wept silently for my son and sobs were choked as I found that I couldn't breathe.

"Fox…" I whispered and I buried my head in my paws as my fur was wet from all the crying. "Fox." I could only say his name, over and over again as I let a scream of agony escape my muzzle. "FOX!" I yelled and I sobbed again as my entire world seemed to fall apart.

I heard footpaws gently tap the rug as Vixy kneeled down.

"James, James what's wrong?" I held her to me and I felt that she was taken aback as I told her.

"Fox is gone." She looked at me, a horrified expression on her muzzle.

"What, he's gone?" She broke away from me and rushed to the crib, only Staris was there and I managed to walk over, Vixy let out a primal scream and she clung to me as tears flowed freely, I held her to my body and tried to comfort her.

"Vixy…" I whispered and I graced my tongue over her face to try to lick away the tears.

"James, he's gone! Oh my God, he's gone!" Her screaming eventually died down to sustained whimpering and I saw that Staris hadn't even flinched, he was still sleeping and I moved over to him. I picked him up and Vixy touched our kit as he came awake. "Staris." She said and licked his head as the kit mewled, we took him to our room and she sat down with the fox as his paws drifted to her face. She kept licking him and I knew that Vixy was rattled, she had just lost her son and so had I. I sat down beside her and I pulled my Comm off the nightstand as I looked at the clock, it read 4:00 and I dialed the police station.

"Cornerian Police, sector 12, the station is closed. Our hours are 5:00 AM to 1:00 PM. If the nature of the call is serious…" I hung up and didn't listen to the rest of the message.

"The station is closed for now, I'll try calling later." I said and she held Staris to her breast.

"James, do all you can, please." I held my mate and the vixen cried on my shoulder as Staris fell asleep on her chest.

The entity drove the black hovercar as it sped through the dark back streets of the old city. He smiled as his Master would be pleased; he had taken the kit that was destined to be his apprentice, but he might have the extreme honor of raising him. He stopped the car a few moments later and the figure looked over at the kit, he still had his ID tag on from the hospital and he fingered it.

"Fox McCloud." It read and he smiled. He gathered the kit into his arms and he stepped out into the rain, the liquid did not touch them as a personal shield generator was running and the water slid off the invisible barrier. He popped the hatch to his fighter and the figure climbed in as he laid the kit on his chest. Fox fell asleep and the male smiled, his Master would be pleased. After all, this kit was the next ruler of his Master's planet, Venom.

The fighter power up and launched into a programmed flight path, it shot out of Corneria and the male stoked the sleeping kit.

I didn't sleep at all that night and I had Vixy in my arms the entire time as she cradled Staris.

"James, what if the authorities can't find him?" I looked down at her and her muzzle fur was matted from her crying.

"Don't say that, I have quite a reputation around Corneria, they will hunt for our son." I replied and she sniffed as Staris awoke. He began crying and his paws touched her chest as she moved her shirt off, he stopped and his hunger was sated. I stoked Vixy's head and I picked up the Comm, I dialed the station and the holo-screen lit up.

"Cornerian Police, Sector 9, what can I do for you?"

"My son has been kidnapped." The female on the other end nodded and she continued.

"I'll need your name and a description of your son." I gave it to her and she recognized me. "James McCloud? Is that you?"

"Yes." I was a bit famous throughout the Lylat System for some mercenary work that I did. "Please you must find my kit."

"We will do all in our power." The female replied and I killed the Comm. Vixy walked out of the room and when she returned, Staris was not with her. She slipped on her shirt and rested her head against my shoulder.

"James, what if Fox is killed somehow?"

"Vixy, don't think about that, they will find him." I said and she started to cry again. I gathered my mate in my arms and her body shook as I stroked the back of her head. "They will find him." I whispered and she looked up at me.

"I trust you James but I am still worried about Fox." She rested her head against my chest and I started to doubt also.