This story is the work of Troy Klinger. Please refer to the primary disclaimer at the top of the prologue chapter for further details, if you have not yet read it.

Chapter Three

Time passed, and the new mothers adjusted to the situation, each in their own way. Rita was the first to make the transition. Her feline maternal instincts had overwhelmed her the moment she saw Rory. Before the day was out she was acting as if she had raised kittens all of her life.

Runt was very understanding, in his usual blundering way. That evening, as he and Rita wandered back to their back alley home, he said, "He's a beautiful puppy, isn't he, Rita?"

Rita didn't look up; she was too absorbed in her own thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh yes," she said. "A beautiful puppy, that's for sure."

She didn't feel like explaining; this day was confusing enough as it was.

"Do you think he has my paws?" Runt asked casually.

Rita stopped short.

"Runt, what kind of dumb question is..." she started to ask, and then suddenly it hit her. "You...don't think..." she added slowly.

"I think he has my paws," Runt said confidently. "And my nose. Definitely-definitely my nose."

Rita shook her head in disbelief. She was about to make a smart remark when Runt cut her short. He puffed himself up, and said, "Er, Rita...I've been thinking..."

That's bad news, Rita thought.

"Er, I dunno how to say this," Runt continued, "but...would you let me help you raise our puppy?"

Rita was stunned speechless for a moment. Then she asked, "Runt, are you proposing to me?"

"Ummm...yes, Rita," Runt replied. "Would you marry me?"

"Runt, I don't know how to put this to you, but..." Rita started to say. Then she looked in her friend's eyes.

They held each other's gaze for what seemed like eternity. Finally, Rita said softly, "Okay. But if you start calling me 'Mrs. Runt', forget it, ya got it?"

"Er, got it," Runt said. "I do?" he half-asked, half said.

"I do," Rita replied, snuggling up next to him.

Flavio and Marita were overjoyed by their new daughter. Never was there a toon child that had so much lavished on her. Marita insisted on dressing Elan in the finest designer baby togs, while Flavio's purchases single-handedly caused the stock of the YUO Lotz toy company to skyrocket.

"I wonder if we've forgotten something?" Marita asked as they carted in the bags and bags of stuff.

"Diapers, madam?" Miss Giraffe, the housekeeper, asked calmly.

"Diapers?" Marita asked in confusion.

"You've noticed the little one needs changing, haven't you madam?" Miss Giraffe coaxed her.

"Changing?" Marita asked, feeling distressed.

"And she'll need feeding, and bathing this evening, and oh I don't know what else."

"Er, this is beginning to sound very un-chic..."

"Don't worry, my pet," Flavio said confidently. "I'm sure Miss Giraffe here will tend to these annoying little details."

"Oh, I will, will I sir?" Miss Giraffe retorted. "And if I said no, sir? What then, sir?"

"Ah...is it too much to ask?" Flavio asked humbly.

He remembered the last time Miss Giraffe walked out on them, and something told him that this might be even more serious.

"Well..." Miss Giraffe pondered, "I might consider it, sir. For a healthy raise, that is."

"How healthy?" Flavio asked warily.

Miss Giraffe leaned down and whispered in his ear. He suddenly turned as white as little Elan.

"But that's...that's..." he started to say, and then he saw the way Marita was looking at him.

"That's quite appropriate," Flavio said hastily. "Nothing but the finest in nannies for our child!"

Pinky appeared to adjust to 'motherhood' quite well, surprisingly. Like most things, it didn't seem to make much of an impression on him. As for the Brain, he decided to try and ignore the whole situation.

"I find myself faced with a fait accompli, Pinky," he tried to explain. "How annoying."

"Fait accompli, Brain?" Pinky asked. "I hear that's good on pizza..."

"Pinky, if I thought you capable of it, I would say you did this just to get back at me for that 'don't reproduce' remark," the Brain replied sourly. "Nonetheless, I will not let this deter me. I expect, however, that you will not let your 'delicate condition' interfere with our plans for world conquest. Do I make myself clear?"

"Right-o, Brain," Pinky said, dandling his child. "Look on the bright side-now you have two assistants!"

The Brain just turned away, shuddering.

Not all of the new mothers adjusted as well, however. A few days after the 'blessed events', Minerva suddenly took an unannounced leave of absence from the studio. Plotz was about to call in the police to investigate, when he received a postcard from her. It was a long, rambling, and almost incoherent diatribe, but the gist of it was that Minerva had decided to quit acting and retire from the world. She had run off to stay with the Wally Llama and was trying to "find herself."

"Figures, that worthless..." Slappy groused when word of Minerva's disappearance reached her.

"Don't be hard on her, Slappy," Dot replied softly. "I've felt like doing the same thing."

Slappy looked at the young mother with sympathy. Dot was probably the worst off of them all, but she tried not to show it. Being a mother for real was a LOT more difficult than just playing house, as she quickly discovered. Midnight feedings, the seemingly endless chore of cleaning up after little Smakko-not to mention the inevitable diaper changings-started taking their toll on the young Warner Sister.

It started taking its toll on the Warner Brothers as well. At first Yakko and Wakko thought it great fun to have another playmate, but like most children, their initial enthusiasm waned quickly. And, although they'd never admit it, they were a little annoyed at the way Dot was acting. She was no longer their Little Sister, but a Mother with Responsibilities.

"I hate to say it, bro," Yakko said finally, "but Dot's starting to act like a grown-up!"

"Yuck!" Wakko replied.

Dot was game, however, and tried to cope with it. Thankfully, Slappy was there for her. The old gray squirrel was a godsend. As the only one of the new mothers with any experience raising children, she was a constant, unfailing source of advice and support. Together, she and Dot worked out a daycare arrangement for the new arrivals between the Water Tower and the treehouse.

"What do you mean, I gotta sleep in the basement?" Skippy asked stubbornly when Slappy explained it to him.

"Like I said, kid, your bedroom's the only one large enough for the nursery," his aunt replied. "And hey, it won't be THAT bad-you can even play your stereo loud down there, okay?"

"Well..."

And so the studio settled back down to its usual (so to speak) routine. It looked as though this story would have, if not a completely happy, then at least a sensible, ending. But this, of course, is a horror story.