"Liva, you made it!"
"Of course I made it! How could you think I'd miss your birthday, little Shiro?" Liva laughed, holding out the bag she had brought with her.
Takashi, or Shiro as Liva had taken to calling him, eagerly took the bag and stepped aside so she could come into the house. "You've been gone for forever!"
"Forever, huh? And here I thought you were just turning nine. I don't think my gift is right for a forever years old. I guess I'll just have to take it back." She mocked reaching for it and the boy jumped away.
"Okay, so maybe it wasn't forever, but it was still a long time."
"It was two weeks."
"Exactly!"
Liva chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair.
Shiro huffed then he spotted the nose peeking out of Liva's purse. "Is that Romelle? She's even cuter than the pictures!"
Purring, the caracal kitten peaked out at of the bag, then jumped at the boy.
"Where's your brother?"
"He's in the back making hamburgers. Can I show Romelle to my friends?"
"Hm, I don't know, what does she think?"
The kitten glanced between the two then let out a huff and nuzzled Shiro's chin. Taking that as acceptance, the boy cheered and ran off.
Liva smiled and headed out into the back. When she got there, she spotted Akira by the grill with a couple of Shiro's friends' parents. "Akira!"
The man looked up and waved. "Liva, glad you could make it." As she walked up, he introduced the others. Liva did her best to interact, but even after nine Earth months on the planet, she still had problems sometimes understanding human culture and behavior. Thankfully she got through it and the party went on.
An hour later everyone was seated around a couple tables. The burgers had been finished off and Akira was bringing out a cake to the cheers of the kids. Liva stood to offer to help cut it, but the moment she smelled the cake her stomach twisted.
It was odd, sugar was one of her favorite things about Earth. She'd never tasted anything so delicious as Earth food, especially desserts, yet the sweet smell was making feel like she had to…
Liva ran into the house and threw open the door to the bathroom.
"Liva?" Akira called, rushing into the bathroom with Romelle close at his heels.
"Mrrrrr?"
Liva groaned and pushed a few loose strands of her hair away from her face, glad she had put it up for the party.
"What happened?"
"I-I don't know. My stomach just…"
Akira knelt down and rubbed her back. "You going to be okay?"
"Yeah, don't worry. Get back to the party. I think I'll just get cleaned up and head home."
"You sure? Maybe I should give you a ride."
"No, it's fine, really. The feeling's passed. I'm just going to go home and rest. Just tell Shiro I'm sorry."
"Well, if you're sure. At least let me walk you out. The kids are all focused on the cake."
"Alright, just give me a second."
Liva sat up once he stepped out and moved over to the sink. She washed her face and rinsed out her mouth before looking at herself in the mirror. What had happened?
Once Akira saw her out, Liva got her bike. Instead of riding home, though, she and Romelle headed towards the forest.
"Wrrrr?"
"I need to figure out what's wrong with me, and it's not like the human doctors will be able to help."
Once they reached the tree line, Liva tucked the bike behind a bush and the two headed in. As soon as they were out of sight, Romelle squirmed out of Liva's purse and dropped to the ground. She shook herself then shifted, taking on the form of a gremop, a creature similar to Earth tigers with the height of an Earth horse and six tails.
She crouched down and stared at Liva.
"You're going to be exhausted after this, you know."
Romelle just continued to stare.
"Alright then, if you insist." Liva sat down on Romelle's back and grabbed the fur on her neck.
Once she was sure Liva was ready, Romelle stood up and took off into the forest. She ran until she reached the hidden cave where they had stored the pod. When they got there, she let Liva off before collapsing off by the wall.
The woman chuckled and stroked the gremop's side. After letting the nausea that had risen up once more fade, she headed inside the pod to the emergency kit and pulled out the biometric scanner. She scanned herself then sat down to wait.
Red's tail flicked back and forth as Liva delivered the news to Akira, who looked shocked.
Honestly, Red didn't think she'd ever understand how organic creatures could be so ignorant about what was happening with their bodies. Sure, they couldn't just run a diagnostic scan, but their bodies still gave them so many hints!
She supposed Liva could have a pass - How were they supposed to know humans and Galra were compatible - but Akira? What did he think was going to come from what they had been doing?
Red huffed and nosed Shiro's hand so he'd start petting her again.
"I was so careless! But how was I supposed to know… I didn't think I could… What am I going to do?"
"Hey, it's gonna be okay. You're not alone with this. I'll help you through this."
"I can't ask that of you."
"You didn't have to. I'm not just going to abandon you, Liva."
Teary-eyed, Liva threw herself at Akira and pulled him into a hug.
"I wish I was human."
Red yawned and turned her head to look at Liva, who was laying on the bed next to her flicking through one of the pregnancy books she had picked up.
"I mean, they're so fragile - look at the mortality rate for both the mother's and the children! - and who'd want to run the risk of carrying multiple children inside you, but otherwise their pregnancies are so simple! Some cravings, nausea, pain, and mood swings. That's it! No nesting! No fur and hair going pale! No spurts of temporary blindness!" she sighed and tossed the book.
Red flicked her tail before turning away. She forgot how insane people were when they were carrying a child.
"Is it going to be a boy or girl?" Shiro asked.
Liva frowned. How would she- Oh, right!
"It's going to be a girl." Just another thing she didn't understand about humans; human genders were determined by sex markers until the human said otherwise. And even then-
"So is Liva going to be my sister?"
Akira spat out his coffee and Liva blushed.
"Have you settled on a name?"
Akira glanced over at Liva, who smiled. "Not yet. We're still debating between Angel, Sora, and Ha-neul."
"Those are such cute names. Of course, with a mother like you she's sure to be just as cute!" Shiro's teacher said as she led them out of the classroom.
"Yes, I suppose they will."
"Well, it was nice meeting you both," she said as she opened the door for them. She smiled at Shiro, who was waiting outside, and added, "Although hopefully we won't have to meet again. Not that I'm worried. As I said, Takashi's a model student."
"Are you two going to get married?"
Liva glanced towards the woman standing next to her - the grandmother of one of Shiro's friends - then turned to Akira. He wrapped his arm around her waist and answered for her. "We haven't made any decisions, yet. We both agreed to wait until after the baby's born so we can be sure that's not the only reason we're doing this."
"Smart," the woman chuckled. "Too many kids these days, off getting married before they know what to do with themselves. No wonder people are getting divorced left and right! Now, how far along are you darling?"
"About twenty-five weeks."
"Ah, right in the middle are you! Have they started kicking yet?"
"All the time," Liva chuckled, resting her hand on her stomach.
"May I?"
Liva nodded and the woman brushed her hand over her stomach. The woman chuckled as she felt the baby kick against her hand.
"I have three kids and seven grandkids and still, this never gets old," she sighed, pulling away. "How's little Takashi handling it?"
"He's thrilled. He hasn't stopped talking about his little niece. He even set aside a few of his stuffed animals for her," Akira laughed.
"That's good, especially if you two do end up getting married."
"Where is it? I know I had it on me when I left. It has to be here somewhere."
"Wrrrrrr?"
Liva only wasted a second to glance at Romelle before going back to work. "I'm looking for a vial. About this big, bright purple liquid inside, should be connected to a chain."
The caracal's head tilted to the side and she slipped into the pod to duck under a few boxes. When she pulled out again, she had a chain clenched in her teeth.
"Oh, you found it!" Liva ran over, as fast as she could with only a few weeks left until her due date, and took the vial.
Romelle nosed her leg and she looked down with a sad smile. "It's a surprise."
"I still say I should go with you."
"It's fine, really. You've got work and Shiro's got school. I'll be okay. The doctor said both the baby and I are fine and showing no signs of complications."
"I wish you could just stay and have the baby in town."
"I know, but even if my family's gone, I still want to follow their traditions. I won't be gone long and I'll call you everyday."
"Alright. Is there anything you need before you go?"
"No, but thank you. I've got everything packed. I'm just waiting for my car now."
"Be safe."
Liva froze, then let out a shaky sigh. "You too. I'll call you once I get there. Love you."
"Love you too."
Liva hung up the phone and drooped in her seat. "It would be so much easier if I could just tell him." She looked over to where Romelle was sleeping before getting up to double check her bags. Once done, she pulled out her portable holoscreen and brought up the feed. "Only a few more weeks."
Red paced back and forth outside the pod. How long were these things supposed to take?
Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right.
~Ugh! That's it! I'm going hunting,~ she hissed.
The pod doors swished open and Red was immediately in front of them. The droid Liva had modified beeped at her before turning around and floating back inside. Red followed it inside, past a small pile of bloody fabric to where Liva was lying curled up in a much larger pile with a small squirming thing tucked against her chest.
Red nosed Liva's leg, pushing her towards her seat, but the woman waved her off with a chuckle. "I'm fine!"
Red huffed and her ears pressed flat against her head. She turned away, her tail flicking back and forth, and slipped into the nest of blankets to curl around Kitten's small form.
"There, everything's complete. Now there's just one last thing to do." Red looked up as Liva approached. The woman tucked the papers from the machine she had set up months earlier into her bags and pulled out the vial Red had found for her weeks before.
Only now the liquid inside was a golden green color.
~What's that?~
Liva smiled and stroked her head before carefully picking Kitten up. The cub whimpered and shifted, his yellow eyes flicking open for only a second before he covered them with a whine. "Sorry, love. I know it's a little bright in here. Mama's not used to it so dark anymore. This will help. Open up."
Red was immediately on her feet as Liva opened the vial and brought it towards Kitten's face. ~What are you doing!?~
Liva gave her a sad smile. "It's okay, Romelle. This is just going to help Angel fit in. It won't hurt them."
Red shifted nervously as Liva poured the liquid into Kitten's mouth. She didn't like the feel of the liquid. It smelled like dark magic, like the witch that had been following around Reject. Liva wouldn't hurt the cub though, right?
Kitten whimpered again and shifted in Liva's arms. Suddenly, his ears began to shift, becoming small and rounded like a human's. The fluff of hair on top of his head darkened to pitch black. The vibrant lavender skin around his eyes and most of the splotches around his body changed to match the cream tone he'd gotten from his father. Finally his eyes opened and instead of the normal Galra yellow, his eyes were a shade of dark grey-blue-purple.
~What did you do?~ Red hissed as she sniffed at the cub.
She could barely even smell the Galra underneath all the human and magic! Wouldn't have if she hadn't been looking for it!
"Hey, it's still Angel, Romelle. They just need to look fully human if th- we're going to keep hidden."
Red's ears flicked at a knock from the front door, but ignored it in favor of watching Kitten gurgle in his sleep. She heard voices in the living room, then the bedroom door slowly opened.
"Quiet, Shiro. They are probably still asleep. And don't get too close, Romelle's been in full mother cat mode lately."
Red looked away from the pillow bed's occupant to see Shiro tiptoeing into the room. "Okay Liva," he quietly called as he turned to shut the door.
"Honestly, you'd think Angel was her's the way she's been acting," Red heard Liva sigh just before the door clicked closed.
What did Liva expect? She had used dark magic on her child! Clearly Red would have to step up to be a proper mother for Kitten!
Shiro tiptoed across the room, pausing halfway when he noticed Red watching him.
"H-hey, Romelle," he whispered. "It's okay, I just want to see the baby. Is that alright?" He knelt down and held out his hand.
Red eyed him and his hand, her tail slowly waving back and forth. She'd seen how rowdy human children could be, Shiro included, and her cub needed his rest. Human children could also be extremely clumsy. Although, Shiro didn't seem nearly as bad as the others. He was also kind and gave great scratches. Then there was the fact he felt like Black… Yes, she supposed she could trust Shiro with her cub.
As long as she watched him, that is.
~Fine,~ the caracal purred and turned back to Kitten. Shiro waited a moment before slowly creeping forward. He sat down next to Red and smiled down at Kitten. Red curled up against him and set her head on his knee.
"Hey bro," Shiro said before spooning more cereal into his mouth. "Can we get a cat?"
"Wouldn't you rather have a hamster? Or a pet rock?"
Shiro turned to his brother with a pout.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
"We'll talk about this later," he huffed.
"Or never," Akira teased before picking up the phone. "Hello, Shirogane residence."
Shiro sighed and turned back to the tv.
"WHAT?"
Shiro jumped at his brother's shout. He looked over his shoulder to see Akira frowning at the wall. He glanced over at Shiro then left the room.
The boy watched the door until Akira came back ten minutes later, calling out for Shiro to, "Grab your shoes."
"But school's not for ano-"
"Now, Takashi!"
Shiro's eyes widened and he ran off to get his shoes from his room.
Shiro shifted nervously in his seat and watched buildings flash by the windows of the car. His worries didn't let up when they pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. "Akira, what's going on?" he asked as they got out, but his brother just ushered him inside.
"Go sit over there and wait for me," Akira said, distracted, before rushing over to the reception area.
Shiro bit his lip and glanced towards the waiting area, before sneaking off after his brother. He ducked behind a plant when he saw Akira talking to a police officer.
"Any news?"
"No, but we're looking. We'll find her."
"But will she be alive?"
"Calm down, sir. We have reason to believe she is alive."
"The officer before said her apartment had been trashed."
"There were signs of a struggle, yes. But there were no signs of blood so her attackers either managed to subdue her or knocked her out."
"Or killed her."
"As I said-"
"Do you have any ideas yet about who did this?"
"I can't release-"
"What about Angel?"
"The baby was unharmed. She was found asleep, hidden under some blankets in the mother's bedroom closet. The assailants must have missed her. We probably would have too if we hadn't been looking and for that cat."
"Romelle. What happened to her?"
"Nearly attacked my partner when he opened the closet door. It seemed to calm down when it got a look at us though and fled out a window. That's when the baby woke up."
"And you said she's fine?"
"Yes, she was only brought to the hospital as a procation because of how young she is."
"Can I see her?"
"We have a few questions for you, but then you'll be able to take her as soon as the hospital allows it. It should only take a moment."
"Alright, let me just check on my brother-"
Shiro didn't hear the rest of Akira's words as he fled back to the waiting area. He grabbed a magazine at random and dropped into a chair just before his brother came into view.
"Shiro," he called and Shiro looked up from pretending to read the magazine. "I need to take care of something, okay. Don't go anywhere. If you need anything, just ask the lady behind the counter, alright."
"Okay, bro."
Shiro waited exactly one minute after his brother had left before tossing the magazine aside and calmly walking up to the reception counter. "'Scuse me, miss," he said in that soft, kiddy voice Shiro knew made women do stupid things.
Like clockwork, the woman looked down at him with a wide smile. "Oh, hello there sweetheart! What are you doing here all alone?"
"My brot'er had to go talk to the p'lice offercer, but he said you could get someone to take me to my baby nib' while I wait."
"I don't know…"
Shiro slumped his shoulders and pouted, giving the woman wide eyes. "Pweeeeease!"
"Oh, alright. Just give me a sec, cutey. What's your name?"
"Shiro."
"And your nib'?"
"Angel. Mun."
"Of course, the poor thing. Don't you worry, they'll find your sister soon enough."
Shiro nodded and forced himself not to start tapping his foot.
A man in a nurse's uniform walked up and the reception woman whispered something to him before saying, "Shiro, honey, this nice man is going to take you to your niece, okay?"
The boy gave her a big smile and replied, "Okay! T'ank you, miss!"
As soon as Shiro had been guided into an elevator and the nurse was distracted pressing the button, he dropped the act and rolled his eyes.
Why were adults so stupid? He was nine and nine months, not four!
Shiro followed the man through hallway after hallway until they reached a big glass window with a ton of baby beds on the other side.
"Wait right here, okay?" the nurse asked before ducking through a door. He returned a few seconds later with a woman holding a pink bundle.
The boy frowned when he spotted Angel's head peaking out of it. "Why is the blanket pink?"
"It's to help us keep track of the babies' genders," the woman said, kneeling down next to him. "Boys get blue blankets and girls get pink."
"Liva says we won't know what gender Angel is until they do, and that won't be until their older."
The woman's nose scrunched up like she smelt something bad and Shiro wondered if Angel's diaper needed to be changed.
The man laughed and Shiro gave him a confused look. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, little man. Liva is very smart."
"Smarter than her and the other people who work here, apparently," Shiro said, gesturing to the woman, who really needed to change Angel's diaper if her face was any indication. "You should give them a blue one. Or if it would be too confusing for you, red will work too. You should do it quickly though."
"Oh, why's that?" the man asked, still chuckling.
"Romelle hates pink."
"Romelle?"
"Our cat. She destroyed the pink blankets Sona's mama got us. She doesn't like most other color's either, but she's okay about yellow and green sometimes. Blue and red are her favorites though, especially blue."
"Well, your cat won't be allowed here so it won't matter," the woman snapped.
"But Angel is Romelle's baby! And Romelle is really sneaky. She's probably already here. She doesn't like leaving Angel alone."
"Takashi!"
Shiro jumped and put on his most innocent expression as he turned to face his brother.
"I told you to stay in the waiting room."
"You also said I could ask the lady if I wanted anything. And I wanted to see Angel."
Akira set his hand on Shiro's shoulder and gave the look that meant he'd be going without tv for awhile.
Red flicked her tail as she passed over the vaporized remains of the pod.
She was going to kill Liva if they ever crossed paths again.
The caracal had been worried when she'd woken up inside the closet with Kitten to the sounds of breaking glass and other such destruction, but hadn't wanted to risk leaving and exposing her cub. So she'd waited, curled up with him underneath the mound of blankets and ready to pounce the moment someone unfriendly opened the door.
She was shocked when the door was opened by a human policeman. She was moreso when she jumped out of the closet, startling the human, only to find that the two human's scents were the only ones inside the apartment that she didn't recognize. Knowing the policemen were protectors, Red left Kitten in their hands so she could track down Liva.
Which led her to where she was now and the facts were easily put together. The pod had been self-destructed. There was evidence of the one-person stasis shuttle that had been in the back taking off. Only Liva's, Kitten's, and Red's scents were in the cave. Liva's scent was the one all over the apartment. Liva had trashed the apartment. Liva had left Earth.
Liva had left her cub and Red behind on Earth.
Red growled and swatted a loose rock away from her. She wasn't really angry that Liva had left her. The pull that had attracted her to the Galra woman was gone. Had been for a little over a month. Had been since shortly before she had stepped into the pod and first laid eyes on Kitten, though she hadn't realized at the time.
No, she was furious that the woman had abandoned her cub. Red had never had children, but she knew parents were meant to be protectors and that she understood.
You did not abandon the one you were most meant to protect.
The caracal growled again and stomped out of the cave. It seems she was right before. She would have to be the one to take care of Kitten.
