Opening Statement: Well here we are again, it's always such a pleasure- wait a second, didn't I make this reference already? Oh well, Chapter 9 is coming at ya! And we get some more of the trials of pregnancy for Kendra, as well as parenthood in regards to little Todd. So to take stock again, Kendra is currently four weeks in as of this chapter, so let's dive into this plot shall we!
Disclaimer: Hmm... should I change habit and actually say it here- NAH! You know where to find it... and if not, it's on Chapter 1, I know such a long way to go for a disclaimer, but don't worry, I'll wait for you guys and girls reading to get back...
Done? GOOD, let's go!
Table of Contents: Same here... don't worry, you can go back at your own discretion... but yeah, that's also on Chapter 1.
Kendra sighed as she rubbed her hugely swollen tummy, every so often she'd grunt softly as one of the kits inside her kicked, then she'd smile and rub her tummy even more with an affectionate purr. "You little guys are such a pain... how you manage to kick with nearly five siblings in there I- OOF!- I don't know." Kendra giggled, as Todd and Nelson came back into the home; earlier this past week, Nelson and Kendra had discussed putting Todd into a play group, if for nothing else than to let the pup interact with other mammals his own age. Nelson had been there to supervise, mainly because Todd was a little shy about meeting new mammals.
"Hey there Todd, did my big brave pup have a fun day- OW!" Kendra yelped in surprise, one of the kits having kicked her again, though Todd didn't quite understand this yet and so jumped in surprise before folding his ears back and looking to the floor.
"Sorry Mommy-"
"Todd, sweetheart it's not your fault... the kits in my belly are just kicking a little is all... did you want to feel it hon?" Kendra explained, Todd's ears perking up as his tail wagged slowly, the coyote pup hopping up onto the couch with his mother and slowly placing his right paw against the rounded out skin, rubbing around a bit before yelping softly and pulling back; one of the kits had made a direct kick on Todd's paw and startled the little pup. But rather than get upset, Todd tilted his head and leaned in towards his mother's belly, pressing his head gently against Kendra's tummy and then smiling softly.
"I can hear them in there... it's sounds weird Mommy-"
"You think it sounds weird? I can hear their little hearts beating sweetheart, and by my count there's six in there-"
"Seven... I can hear seven in there Mommy... or is that your heart I'm hearing?" Todd asked, Kendra listening closely and giggling.
"Yeah, I'm just so used to hearing my own heart that I never notice it hon... so how was he Nelly?" Kendra asked, turning her attention to her husband as he took a seat next to the hybrid doe.
"Todd was fine, still hasn't made an effort to really interact with the other kids, but I'm guessing he's just a little shy is all." Nelson replied, Kendra giggling as Todd gently snuggled against her belly, his tail wagging quickly; though he wasn't keen on interacting with other kids, Todd seemed excited about being a big brother. And with Kendra on her fourth week of pregnancy, the time for their delivery was growing ever closer, two more weeks and the Bucksworth family would gain six new additions.
The thought brought her back to her mother and sister's pregnancies; Sarah's would still be going on for another two weeks after Kendra and their mother had their own kits, seeing as her baby was part otter, and her mother would be giving birth to the reverse of what Kendra currently was, a fox/rabbit hybrid. Whether that made much of a difference was unknown, but the idea still intrigued the hybrid doe, along with the thought that along with becoming a mother in a couple short weeks, she'd also become a big sister herself.
Kendra was snapped out of her thoughts when there was a knock at the door, Koslov making his way over to answer the door, Kendra giggling when she heard a familiar yelp from the other side of the door, "Oh Fuh- God damn it Koslov!" Nick exclaimed from the door, Judy giggling as she made her way into the Bucksworth home, Todd quickly catching his grandmother's scent and rushing over to hug the grey furred rabbit.
"Gradma!" Todd exclaimed happily, his little tail just a wagging as Judy lsughed and hugged the pup back, even as Nick sauntered into the home and hopped up to sit near his daughter.
"Oh my word... Todd sure is affectionate today isn't he?" Judy asked, Nelson chuckling and gently pulling his son off of his mother-in-law.
"Yeah... if only he'd be like that with other mammals... you know outside the family-"
"He just adores Koslov dear, and he's not related." Kendra piped in, jolting slightly as one of the six kits inside her kicked again, Nelson rolling his eyes and letting out playful huff.
"Koslov is also Todd's Godfather; which personally I think you accepted just so you can say "I'm the Godfather" every now and again Kossy," Nelson explained, the polar bear letting out a deep timbered laugh before shaking his head.
"No arguments here my friend; the title is rather, as you would say it, "cool" yes?" Koslov asked, as Todd hopped up with the giant bear and hugged him; though Todd was extremely shy around other mammals, Nelson and Kendra noticed that if a bond was formed between him and someone else, he was always hugging them, the little pup apparently very affectionate towards those he knew personally.
"So, how's my future grand babies doing Kendra?" Nick asked, gently rubbing his daughter's belly and smiling upon feeling a kick from one of his grand kits.
"Oh they're kicking the crap out of me Dad... was I this bad while Mom carried me?" Kendra asked, Judy groaning before hefting herself up onto the couch.
"You have no idea... you were constantly kicking me Kendra- and at the worst times too! Your father and I would be watching TV at night, when you'd kick and startle me, or you'd wait until I was putting your siblings to bed and Kick to make them want to feel you- sweet Serendipity you were a very kicky child." Judy explained, as Todd got up and padded over to his grand mother again, this time listening to her rounded belly and smiling, Judy growing confused for a moment.
"He can hear the baby's heart Mom... so, any news on Sarah?" Kendra asked, Judy rolling her eyes and sighing.
"Dr. Belmont still can't fathom how handling Night Howler bulbs could have allowed Brandon to get her pregnant, but from his tests the baby is coming along fine, and also mostly rabbit from the last sonogram that he took... Sarah said it looked like a rabbit, only with a long, rudder-like tail and slightly longer torso, didn't get to see the gender but eh," Judy replied, Kendra snickering before she grinned a moment.
"What did Belmont say when he heard I was pregnant-"
"He still doesn't believe it, not that he's against it or anything mind you... Gordon was just so sure that hybrids were sterile- OH! Sweet cheese and crackers, that was a hard kick!" Judy grunted, Nick chuckling a bit before he was slapped in the stomach by his wife.
During this exchange, Kendra thought of her current point in life; she was a pregnant hybrid with a successful musical career, a coyote pup son, and with parents who were apparently very violent with each other.
Nick and Judy stayed for a short while, before Judy groaned and got up, "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I promised Mom and Dad I'd visit today-"
"You're going to see Grand Dad today? I don't think they've met Todd yet... NELSON! We're going out for a day visit to Stu's!" Kendra shouted, Nelson quickly groaning.
"Really Kenny? I can't fit in their house! How will we visit-"
"They renovated one of the barns into a sitting room of sorts, you became a Hopps just as much as my daughter became a Bucksworth... they accommodated for you Nelson-"
"They never did for when I joined the family Carrots-"
"Nick, you can fit inside the door, unlike Nelson here, and they did accommodate you... you ever notice that you can actually go through doors and stand in rooms without bumping your head now?" Judy asked, Nick pondering this and then shrugging.
"I just figured they needed extra space... after all, you said it yourself, bunnies are great at multiplying-"
"I was referring to my mathematics Nick, not their sexual prowess-"
"Mommy? What's "Sexual Prowess" mean?" Todd asked, Judy's ears glowing red while Nick stifled his laughter, Nelson blushing slightly while Kendra shot a brief glare at her mother.
"Todd, you'll learn that in your own time... and trust me, you don't want to know right now, now come on, let's get you ready to meet your Great Grandparents." Kendra replied, Todd nodding and following the hybrid doe to his room.
Once out of sight Nick burst out laughing at his wife's slip of the tongue, the grey furred doe simply covering her face with her ears in embarrassment, Nelson simply keeping himself quiet while Koslov browsed his newsfeed on Furbook.
(thirty minutes later, Hopps Family Farm)
"Oh hey there Kendra! How's things going with... the... pregnancy- is that a coyote pup?" Stu asked, Kendra and Judy simultaneously rolling their eyes as Nelson guided Todd over to his Great Grandparents.
"No, he's a dingo Pops, OF COURSE HE'S A COYOTE! Not to mention my son... his name is Todd-"
"Todd? Bon doesn't that sound like a fox's name-"
"Oh Stu! Don't be rude, this is our first great grandchild, we will welcome him as we have all new members to the Hopps family- HEY TODD! COME HERE A MOMENT!" Bonnie shouted, the coyote pup yelping and rushing over; from his brief run in with Bogo last week, he sort of put yelling in the "Oh-no-I'm-in-trouble" section of his reflexive reactions.
"Am I in trouble ma'am-"
"Oh pff... no sweetie, I'm your great grandmother Bonnie Hopps, and this old buck here is your great grandfather Stu Hopps-
"So... you're my Papa and Mama? Mommy and Daddy told me I should call you that, so you don't feel so old- MMMPH!" Todd grumbled out, as Kendra quickly closed his mouth and chuckled nervously.
"Heh, pups huh? They say the darnedest things, am I right?" Kendra asked, Todd narrowing his eyes and shaking his head to release his mother's grip on his muzzle.
"Oh Kendra, it's quite alright, after all he's just a pup-"
"Oh yeah, absolutely... quite a cute one too if I say so-"
"That's right Stu, he's a cute little pup, this one is." Bonnie explained, Todd blushing and clasping his paws behind his back; along with being shy, the young pup was quite bashful it seemed.
"Mama... not in front of Grandpa-"
"Hey- I'm not that old little dude... I'll accept "Pops" though, okay sport?" Nick asked, Todd giggling and nodding his head before everyone heard a slight rumbling, Todd's ears perking up before ht dropped to all fours and dashed off to see what the sound was.
"Oh no Todd! You may not want to-"
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Todd shouted, dashing back around the corner with an army of bunnies chasing him; in all his life, Todd has only seen maybe a dozen rabbits, this was so much more than his tiny mind could comprehend, and before he knew it, the young pup was buried under a pile of curious little bunnies.
"Is that a coyote?"
"Are you related to Uncle Nick?"
"Do you wanna play?"
"MOMMY! HELP!" Todd screamed, not fully upset, though not enjoying himself either as he attempted to crawl out of the bunny pile, Kendra coming over quickly and gently brushing her younger uncles and aunts off of her son; the thought that at their current age, they already had those titles.
"Come on guys, off the pup please- Todd, you okay hon?" Kendra asked, the coyote pup looking around at all the small bunnies, before his ears folded back and he hugged his mother close, sobbing slightly into her shoulder; it wasn't that they hurt him or anything, that many new mammals in such a small span of time simply scared him is all, and he was seeking comfort for his tiny wracked nerves, Kendra chuckling softly and patting Todd's back, "Aww, shhh... it's okay baby... hush now little pup okay-"
"Kendra? Did we hurt the pup?" one of her little aunts asked, Kendra glancing down and smiling warmly.
"Not at all sweetheart... my son Todd here just isn't keen on large crowds, you just startled him is all-"
"Sorry Todd," the collective said, all of the little bunnies drooping their ears in shame; may have been an accident, but they felt guilty all the same.
"Oh come now kids, let's go get some treats okay-"
"Treats?" Todd said, ears perked and tail wagging; if there was one thing that could cheer up poor Todd, it was a nice treat of some sort, normally a cookie or some other sweet.
"Todd... you know the rule-"
"Only one cookie before lunch." Todd said, Kendra chuckling and letting her pup go join the many bunnies in her grandmother's home.
(shortly after...)
Shortly after, the group found themselves in the remodeled barn, the building now having a TV large enough for Nelson to see the images clearly, a love seat for him and Kendra, some other seats for the rest of the Hopps family, as well as a fridge with deer sized bottles of Cub Soda; Bonnie and Stu had done the same for Nick when he had joined the family, as Judy had mentioned, they'd raised their ceilings and doorways so the fox could walk around their home without having to crouch down.
"So, Nelson my boy... you doing good in the shop?" Stu asked, Nelson nodding his head and chuckling a bit.
"It's great, actually... Koslov is great at keeping inventory, Nathan is quick with restocking and rotating stock... and with little Todd here, I have someone to leave the shop to when I get too old for this crap-"
"Nelly! Watch your language-"
"I said "crap" that isn't that bad of a word-"
"Isn't that good of one-"
"Oh crap, I broke my crayon-"
"SEE! Now Todd is going to be saying "crap" everywhere he goes!" Kendra groaned, Nelson trying not to laugh at his pup's antics; sure he didn't know he wasn't supposed to say "crap" but that didn't make it any less adorable to hear him say it.
"Mommy? Did I say a bad word?" Todd asked, Kendra about to nod when she hissed, one of the kits had kicked her again, and quite hard if she said so herself.
"Oooh, Kits kicking you hard huh? I still remember my first litter with Stu-"
"That's right, they were kicking like crazy! I thought they were gonna pop out like some sort of horror movie monster-"
"Oh Stu... you exaggerate things like you say Mr. Weasleburg cheats at cribbage-"
"HE DOES! Just because I haven't been able to prove it, doesn't mean he isn't doing it-"
"Dad, do you need a moment to consolidate this with Mom?" Judy asked, Nick groaning in disappointment.
"Awww... just as it was getting good- Way to go Officer Fluff-"
"That's "Sheriff Fluff" to you mister Wilde." Judy teased, Nick rolling his emerald eyes and sighing.
"Well, as fun as this visit was, Me and Fluffbutt here-"
"HEY-"
"have to be going home, little Julie Wilde needs to get some sleep-"
"Julie? You named your kit already? You don't even know the gender yet-"
"Well, that's something we foxes are good for, see when a vixen gets pregnant, her mate can usually smell what the pup will be near the last couple weeks... Carrots here doesn't believe me, but I know we're having another girl-"
"Oh that's a load of crap and you know it-"
"Grandma! You said a BAD WORD!" Todd shouted, causing the other four mammals to laugh, Nick grinning down at his wife while she blushed enough to make her ears look like a couple of flares.
"Well, same goes for us Grand Dad... it's been a pleasure to see you again-"
"Same to you dear-"
"That's right hon-"
"And don't be a stranger now, you hear?" Stu asked, as he and Bonnie hugged their grand daughter, Nelson gathering Todd up and getting him situated in the car, Kendra waiting to be placed in her seat; being so big now, she was literally unable to climb into her seat in the car by herself.
During the drive home, Todd started to doze off, until he was fast asleep in the back, Nelson chuckling at the sight in his rear-view mirror.
"Heh, Kenny take a look in the back, Todd's sleep- oh..." Nelson said to himself, glancing over to Kendra and noticing that she too was sleeping; despite her not having done much, the pregnancy was taking a lot out of her. The stag simply smiled and drove back to the home.
(Back at the house)
Nelson walked into the home with two sleeping bundles, one his son, the other his wife, as he set both gently down onto the couch and covered them up in a blanket. This was futile though, as Kendra picked that moment to wake up, stretching and yawning softly, then gently waking her son up, "Come on Todd... you can't sleep right now, or you won't sleep later tonight... you can have a piece of blueberry carrot cake-"
"CAKE! YUMMY!" Todd shouted, bolting up and rushing to the kitchen; to say the pup had a sweet tooth was an understatement, if Todd had his way, he'd eat nothing but sweets for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
"Todd, how about some food first, then we can have cake, okay?" Nelson asked, lifting Todd up and sitting him in his chair at the table, doing the same for Kendra and then himself; Koslov had stayed home the entire time and started on dinner, hot borscht with fresh baked pirozhki; a bread roll stuffed with various fillings, in this case salmon.
"Thanks for the meal Koslov, it smells delicious," Kendra said, as the polar bear dished up the borscht and handed out the bowls, Todd looking into his bowl and scrunching his nose slightly, Koslov noticing this ans grinning.
"Come now Todd, you will like it I promise-"
"Yuck!" Todd said, pushing the bowl away, Kendra about to reprimand har pup when Koslov held up a paw, dishing up his own portion of the soup and seating himself next to Todd.
"You don't want it? Well I guess you don't want to grow strong like me," Koslov said, noticing Todd glance at the bowl of soup before watching Koslov take a big spoonful into his mouth, "Mmm, tell you what little pup, you give it a try; if you don't like it, then I'll make you something else, okay?" Koslov asked, Todd glancing to his bowl before pulling back over to himself, Kendra's eyebrows shooting up before she watched Todd take up a spoonful of the food and stuff it into his mouth, his garnet eyes widening before he took another bite, and then started eating in earnest, Koslov chuckling and gently patting the pup on the back. "Good boy Todd, have pirozhki... it's got fish in it, goes good with borscht." Koslov said, the pup taking a roll and munching into it.
"Wow, this is so good, Koslov, where did you learn to cook so well-"
"I learned from Mother, she was cook for classy place in Tundra Town when I was just a cub... learned a lot from Mother." Koslov replied, biting into a stuffed roll and then dipping it into his bowl of soup, grinning as he watched Todd mimicking him; it wasn't any secret that Koslov was one of Todd's idols, the others being his parents of course, Todd just adored the giant polar bear.
After dinner, the family gathered in the living room to watch some TV, though as luck would have it poor Todd had gotten sleepy a bit earlier than normal; he had climbed up with Kendra and ended up sleeping with his head in her lap, nobody really noticing until one of the kits kicked hard enough to startle poor Todd into jumping off the couch.
Luckily, he was so tired that rather than be upset, he was simply confused. "Wha... what happened to me? I don't get it-"
"Relax Todd... one of your siblings kicked you off the couch, come on, let's get you to bed." Nelson explained, Todd glancing tiredly at his mother's belly before sticking his tongue out at it.
"Meanie... good night Mommy-"
"Good night sweetheart, sweet dreams." Kendra said, rubbing her belly and watching as her husband led Todd to his bedroom.
Kendra then glanced over to Koslov and sighed, "Okay Koslov... I gotta ask, by now you can see I'm better off than I was after Greg attacked... why are you still here- not that you aren't welcome, I'm just curious is all-"
"I stay, because you are kinder than Mr. Big... as much as that old shrew had use of me, I was mainly the bear that moved him from room to room, and though it's a small thing really, he never thanked me for my services... you on the other paw, have thanked me at every turn... I stay, because I feel appreciated." Koslov explained, Kendra rubbing her tummy and nodding; she knew all about that feeling, during her time as a waitress at the diner, while some mammals would tell her they liked her service and tip her, most wouldn't even bat an eye her way.
"Well, thank you for being here, you have no idea how big of a help you've been-"
"Miss Kendra, I'm possibly the biggest polar bear in the area, that includes Zootopia and the Tri-Burrows together... I think I know how big of a help I've been," Koslov said, grinning at his own joke before Kendra sputtered into a laugh.
"Oh wow... that was horrible Koslov... don't quit your day job," Kendra teased, the bear chuckling before he got up and made his way to his room.
Soon enough Nelson returned and sat back down next to his wife, "Ah, I see Koslov has turned in... you feeling ready yet babe?" Nelson asked, Kendra smiling and snuggling close to her husband.
"Not yet, I kinda want to snuggle more-"
"I kinda told Todd that if he has a nightmare, he can find us in our room... not to try and persuade you, but it'd be nice if we were actually there for him to find-"
"Ugh, you always ruin the good snuggly moments Nelly," Kendra replied, stretching and letting out a yawn, Nelson lifting her and letting her down to the floor to pad her way to their room.
(Later that night)
Nelson and Kendra were fast asleep, softly snoring together as their door creaked open. "M-Mommy?" a tiny voice asked, Kendra stirring awake and rubbing her eyes.
"Yes Todd, what is it hon?" she asked tiredly, yawning softly as she sat up, then let her ears drop at the sight of her pup whimpering softly from the door, his little star plush clasped in his paws.
"I-I had a nightmare... can I sleep in here please?" Todd asked, Kendra quickly nodding and patting her side of the bed; being as tiny as she was, there was plenty of room for Todd to sleep here.
The young pup padded over while rubbing his eyes with a paw, climbing up onto the bed and snuggling next to Kendra, the hybrid doe petting his ears and hushing him as he silently sobbed. "It's okay Todd, Mommy's here... care to tell me what the nightmare was about-"
"You and Daddy were gone, Koslov too... I was alone again and- and there was a monster chasing me..." Todd explained, whimpering as he held his star close and shivered, Kendra pulling the blanket up over her son and wrapping her arms around him.
"Oh, there there Todd... I'm right here, Daddy's here too, and I can assure you that Koslov is still here too... you just sleep okay sweetie?" Kendra offered, little Todd nodding his head and hugging Kendra close, almost as if to make sure she wasn't going to vanish. Kendra smiled and held the pup back, eventually falling asleep like that with Todd in her arms.
BOOM! Chapter 9 in your face! Hope you enjoyed and let me know what you readers think. Two more weeks left before we get to meet Kendra and Nelson's kits, and Todd gets a bunch of little brothers and , I'm TimberWolf, Alpha of the pack, and I'll see you in the next update, PEACE! AROOOOOOOOO!
#Start A Howl
