Chapter One: Expecting

"I'm what?!" Pumyra exclaimed sitting straight up in bed. She was unsure if she liked the combination of dread and joy that was currently tying up every last nerve she had. "I can't believe this is happening."

"It is natural to feel nervous about the coming of parenthood, my Queen." The elderly doctor stated as she calmly packed up his belongings. "You are strong and capable and will be a beautiful mother, if I may be so bold as to say my Queen."

"Could you have been mistaken?"

"I have tended to many would-be-mothers, my Queen." The doctor replied closing her black bag and turned to face Pumyra. "You have all the same symptoms and the body itself doesn't lie about this type of thing. Queen Pumyra, I am never wrong. Shall I inform your husband the king?"

"No!" Pumyra snapped, but then said in a gentler tone, "No, not a word to anyone. That's something I must do myself."

"Very well, my Queen…If that is all, I must tend to my other patients." The doctor said and at Pumyra's nod she left the room.

Pumyra leaned back in the large bed and sighed with one hand laid gently on her stomach. In all the time she and Lion-O had been together, the possibility of having a child had never exactly crossed her mind. That is until the doctor had said something; Pumyra had thought she simply had some sort of stomach bug all week. Now she had to figure out just how she was going to tell Lion-O he was going to be a father.

"Pumyra, are you sure you're alright to be out of bed?" Lion-O asked for what seemed to be the tenth time in less than five minutes as they sat at the long rectangular table in the dining hall of the newly finished palace. He was seated at the head of the table, while Pumyra sat at his right side. To his left sat Tygra followed by his one year old set of twins in highchairs and adjacent to them was Cheetara.

"I'm fine Lion-O and, if you ask again, you will regret it later tonight." Pumyra snapped rather annoyed with her husband's antics.

"R-right sorry," Lion-O replied feeling guilty about already upsetting his wife.

"I'd listen to her little brother." Tygra interjected after a moment or two when it looked like Lion-O was about to ask again.

"Pumyra, I hear you saw a doctor this afternoon?" Cheetara inquired as servants brought their dinner and began to serve them.

"Yes, I did." Pumyra spoke slowly, carefully choosing her words as she met her sister-in-law's gaze. She resisted the sudden urge to place a hand on her stomach as she knew the action would give her condition away. Pumyra knew she'd have to tell them soon enough, but she wanted to tell Lion-O alone first, wanted to be the only one to see his initial reaction. Though with their busy daily lives, Pumyra hadn't had the chance yet to be alone with her husband. "Only at Lion-O's insistence though."

"And did what the old cat have to say?" Tygra asked and ate a spoonful of the hot soup they were served.

"She confirmed my thoughts." Pumyra replied moving her gave over to Lion-O who was staring at her intently, clearly worried. She knew he'd likely spoken with the doctor at some point, but apparently the old cat had followed her wish that she not tell the King a thing. "I merely have a slight stomach bug. It's nothing to worry about."

"Pumyra," Cheetara asked as they exited the dining hall together. Lion-O and Tygra had stayed behind a few minutes to speak with one another privately. Cheetara held Wilycat, while Pumyra held Wilycub and both twins were fast a sleep in their arms. "Why didn't you tell Lion-O the truth at the beginning of dinner?"

"Why do you say I lied?" Pumyra was instantly suspicious of the other cat's motive's for bringing this topic up.

"I saw the hesitant look in your eyes, when I asked about the doctor visit." Cheetara responded calmly as the two of them stopped walking and looked at each other. "You told Lion-O that so he would stop worrying for the time being. It means that your secret is one of two things."

"Which are?"

"Either you're more ill than you claim to be or you're pregnant."

Pumyra looked away from Cheetara and down the hall trying to get her thoughts straight. She could very well insist that Cheetara was wrong on both counts and continue on with her lie about the stomach bug, or Pumyra could just trust her not to say anything to Lion-O. Pumyra turned her gaze to the sleeping cub cradled in her left arm and gently brought her right hand to gently caress his soft cheek. A small smile crept its way onto her lips as she did so. "How did Tygra first react to becoming a father?"

"He was absolutely ecstatic." Cheetara replied grinning herself and shifted Wilycat slightly so she could place a reassuring hand on Pumyra's shoulder. "Lion-O will be a wonderful father."

Later that night, Lion-O and Pumyra were lying in bed together. They were both lying on their sides; Lion-O had his arms around his wife holding her against him. Lion-O had fallen a sleep a little while ago, but Pumyra was still wide awake. One of her hands rested on her stomach as she stared into the darkness of their room. She remembered the happiness she'd felt earlier when she was holding the sleeping Wilycub in her arms as her mind imaged holding her own child, Lion-O's first born. And once again she felt herself beginning to smile. She shifted so that she now was facing Lion-O's sleeping form and reached up to gently place a hand on his bare chest.

"Lion-O," she called to him before shaking him gently so he would wake up. Right now the two of them were completely and utterly alone together. She was more afraid of loosing her confidence if she didn't say something right now while the opportunity presented itself. "I have a confession to make."

"Can't it wait until morning?" Lion-O asked his tired blue eyes blinked groggily as they struggled to stay open. He'd had a long and somewhat stressful day and he'd wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep right now.

"No, it can't Lion-O." Pumyra retorted as her husband yawned and he looked at her through half open eye lids. "I lied earlier about what the doctor said."

"Why?" Lion-O demanded now seeming wide awake with worry contorting his features. He was afraid of loosing her again, but on a more permanate basis this time. "…Are you dying?" his voice trembled slightly as he hesitantly voiced his fear.

"No, nothing like that. I swear it." Pumyra replied soothingly and briefly kissed her husbands slightly quivering lips. Her hand that resided on his chest began to gently caress it to comfort him. "I'm…" she began hesitantly, her confidence in this moment waning. "You're going to be a father."

The worry and fright was instantly replaced with shock and for a long moment Lion-O only stared into his wife's eyes. However he soon grinned back at Pumyra, leaning in so that he could kiss her passionately before cradling her against his chest. "Thank the gods." Lion-O muttered under his breath. "You had me really worried there for a while."

"I'm sorry." Pumyra apologized and a long silence fell over them as they laid there. She was finally dozing off herself when she heard Lion-O whisper into her ear before she completely fell a sleep smiling to herself.

"I love you both."