Chapter 13: Fathers
Several days had passed since the brothers' birthdays, as had the beginning of Fiver and Laura's courtship. Spartina and Blackberry were also carefully thinking about where and when to take their mates to tell them of their kitten's impending arrival. Spartina and Blackberry had already chosen their locations, but Blackberry wanted Spartina to have her day first, because she wanted to know Bigwig's reaction to the big news.
On a bright and sunny morning, Spartina was ready to give Bigwig a very good time to remember. Bigwig was still sleeping, but Spartina woke him by nudging him on the face with her cheek. Bigwig yawned before he got up, sitting on his tail. Spartina giggled as Bigwig got up, because Bigwig was bleary yet again, but he recovered after a few seconds. He then stood on his haunches.
"Spartina? What are you doing up so early?" Bigwig said, with a few groans from being woken earlier than he had wanted. Spartina smiled before she moved in a bit closer to him and held his paw.
"Oh, just something I want to do with you," she said lightly as Bigwig sighed slightly with a grin on his face.
"Really? What do you want to do with me?" Bigwig asked eagerly. Spartina licked Bigwig's cheek, which made him blush before he licked her cheek in return. After a few seconds, she finally decided to answer his question.
"Just follow me and you'll find out. Keep up!" Spartina cried, shaking her tail at Bigwig to tease him. She then bolted out of the burrow and outside. Bigwig quickly got up and went after her.
After a few minutes of running, Spartina decided to stop hard in her tracks just to mess around with Bigwig. Bigwig was unaware that she had stopped; he kept running until he collided into her. The two went rolling on the ground, tumbling until they stopped in front of a log. Spartina landed on top of Bigwig, who smiled and then gave her a confused look.
"Why did you stop running? I was running my fastest. Did I hurt you?" Bigwig asked, concerned that he might have hurt his mate from ramming into her. Spartina giggled before she answered.
"No, you didn't hurt me; I'm tough. I just wanted to mess around with you," Spartina laughed as both stared into each other eyes lovingly for a few seconds. The two nuzzled each other's nose before they both got up. Spartina then started to run again with Bigwig chasing after her.
After a few more minutes, they finally arrived at the place. It was a large, open area with a waterfall a few yards away from the two. Trees surrounded the area, which had rock piles in various places. Bigwig gasped in amazement at the sight of the pleasant clearing.
"You like it?" Spartina asked as Bigwig nodded his head.
"Yes, I do, but what will we do here?" Bigwig asked, thinking of all the good things they could do together.
"Today is just about us, so let's spend the entire day together here," Spartina answered as Bigwig blushed. He always wanted to spend more alone time with her, but he had one thing on his mind.
"But what about the warren? I had Owsla training with the warren!" Bigwig protested, worried about missing Owsla training.
Spartina bumped his shoulder with her forehead. "Don't worry about it. I had Fiver take your place since he has those serum powers, and I made sure Campion would keep Dandelion and Hawkbit at their drills. Now, like I said, today is just about us," Spartina reassured as Bigwig cheered up and smiled. To emphasize her point, Spartina then darted behind Bigwig and smacked his tail.
"Tail tag, you're it!" Spartina shouted as she ran off, and Bigwig groaned.
"No fair! Now you've tricked me twice!" Bigwig shouted back, chasing after her. After a few minutes of tagging each other back and forth, they flopped next to each other on the warm grass, playing a game of Bobstones.
"Bobstone guess... is two," Bigwig guessed, grunting when Spartina lifted her paws to reveal four stones.
"Just like that tournament, lost to a doe," he muttered. Spartina laughed as she patted his back in a playful manner.
"This time you lost to your mate," she added, nudging his shoulder. Bigwig smiled, touching his paws with hers as he reached over and gently nibbled her ears, which made Spartina purr and giggle at the same time. A few seconds passed before he moved his head away from her ears and they nuzzled each other's cheeks for a few minutes. Bigwig purred slightly as Spartina grinned. She thought it was always funny to see the tough Owsla Captain blush and purr.
"Why are you giggling?" Bigwig asked as Spartina did just that. "You seem exceptionally outgoing today."
"It's just wonderful to see that you love me dearly," Spartina answered with another laugh. Bigwig let out a grin, nuzzling her nose.
"I do love you. You taught me that there's more to life on Watership Down than just training Owsla and being a co-chief of the warren," Bigwig said, sighing in content.
"I love you too, Bigwig. After all, you are my mate," Spartina said, flashing a smile and pressing her nose against Bigwig's. Bigwig blushed, red filling his cheeks. He felt his stomach grumble in hunger.
"Is there anything we can eat?" Bigwig asked, holding his stomach to succumb the pain. Spartina immediately hopped on her haunches as Bigwig followed her. She led him to a few carrots and his favorite kind of berry: blackberries.
"How did you know my favorite flayrah?" Bigwig laughed, wrapping his paws around Spartina to give her a small hug in excitement.
"I just know; mates know these things. Now let's dig in!" Spartina said with a wink as Bigwig sat down next to her and nosed a carrot towards her. Bigwig took a bite from his carrot; Spartina did the same with her carrot. After a few minutes of eating, they ate their berries before they got up. Bigwig then went behind Spartina and smacked her tail.
"Tail tag, you're it!" Bigwig cried, shaking his tail and bolting off. Spartina jumped indignantly, but she chased Bigwig around the open area. After a few minutes of playing, Bigwig felt a raindrop hit his nose, which made him jump. Spartina grinned, but she was worried as well when it started to rain, threatening to turn into a downpour.
"Now what do we do?" Bigwig asked as they both started to shiver from the cold water drops hitting their bodies. They tried to find cover, but Spartina then remembered that she had dug a burrow earlier that week in case it rained.
"I know what to do, come on!" Spartina shouted over the sound of the rain drops hitting the leaves as Bigwig followed her. They dove into the burrow that Spartina had dug. The burrow was large, meant for two rabbits, but it was larger than necessary. They settled in before Bigwig noticed something. They both were completely dirty from the dirt, grass, and bugs that had collected in their fur when they were running around and tackling each other.
"We look pretty dirty from all that running; shall I clean you up?" Bigwig asked as Spartina examined her back and found dirt all over her fur.
"Sure, come closer and we'll groom each other, alright?" Spartina asked and Bigwig nodded in agreement. They moved in closer to and groomed each other. Bigwig ran his paws through her back fur while Spartina ran her paws through Bigwig's mane. Bigwig purred loudly as Spartina groomed his mane; he couldn't help but purr. After a few more minutes of grooming, they were both cleaned up. They then went to the back of the burrow and cuddled close to each other. Spartina leaned her head on Bigwig's shoulder, and Bigwig purred softly as he cuddled closer, draping a paw over Spartina to hold her closer to him.
"It feels great being able to spend time with my mate," Bigwig purred as Spartina sighed before she pressed her forehead against Bigwig's.
"It does, Bigwig. We are the only two here," Spartina smiled. "It's hard to get any real privacy with all those rabbits running around. Not to mention the kits," she added, glancing coyly in Bigwig's direction. Bigwig didn't seem to notice the remark, however, as he was moaning a little and rubbing his back leg. "What's wrong?" she asked, frowning.
"My muscles are sore. I think I worked them up a little too much or twisted something when we rolled into that log earlier," Bigwig explained, moaning again.
Spartina twitched her ears at him mockingly. "What sort of Owsla Captain are you, moaning about a little sore muscles? And we didn't roll into the log hard at all. But if you really need fixed up, I've got an idea. Just lie on your stomach and I'll show you."
Bigwig laid down obligingly on his stomach. Spartina rose from her sitting position and got on his back, which made Bigwig frown.
"Spartina? How will this fix my pain? Are you sure about this? Umph, this isn't helping," Bigwig complained.
Spartina nipped his ear. "Yes, I'm sure. Now just ease out all tension and relax and stop squirming around," she said, placing her paws on Bigwig's back and rubbing her paws around. At first Bigwig wanted her to stop, but then he began to relax. He smiled and purred. The pain in his back and shoulders slowly faded away from Spartina rubbing his back and shoulder muscles.
"Hehehe. Spartina, you are really good at that. Keep going," Bigwig purred as Spartina continued to rub his back. After a few more minutes, Bigwig's pain was gone.
"Where did you learn that?" Bigwig asked.
"I taught myself, thank you very much," Spartina answered, smiling at Bigwig. Bigwig flipped onto his back and sat on his tail and Spartina sat down next to him. Bigwig reached over and gently nibbled Spartina's shoulders as Spartina purred before she moved him away and nuzzled his nose. After a few minutes, Spartina was ready to tell Bigwig the news.
"Bigwig? I have to tell you something," Spartina stated as Bigwig rose from his crouching position in curiosity.
"Yes? What is it?" Bigwig asked.
"Well, you might be able to figure this out," Spartina said, pointing her paw to her stomach, indicating that she was pregnant. Bigwig tried to hide his happiness, but he couldn't. The thought of being a father overcame himself. He gasped in excitement and then pounced on top of Spartina, nuzzling her nose. Spartina smiled; she had been sure Bigwig would be happy, and her guess had proved correct. She purred before nuzzling him back. After a few more minutes, Bigwig got off of her to give her some room.
"Do you want to go back?" Spartina asked, but Bigwig did nothing.
"No, I just want to stay here with you for a few more hours or so," Bigwig said as he cuddled with Spartina, who did the same with Bigwig. After a few more hours of cuddling and talking, they decided to head back. It was evening when they got to the warren, and Fiver greeted Bigwig and congratulated them both.
The next morning, Blackberry got up early. She let Campion sleep in a bit longer than Spartina had allowed Bigwig. But after a few minutes, she could no longer contain her excitement and woke him up. He yawned as he woke, rolling straight onto his haunches.
"Morning, Campion," Blackberry greeted him, smiling. Campion smiled back.
"Hello, Blackberry. What gets you up early?" Campion asked, a confused look crossing his face.
"Oh, nothing. Today, I think we should spend the entire day together," Blackberry said, holding Campion's paw. Campion sighed in contentment.
"I'd love that very much, but where will we do it?" Campion asked as Blackberry giggled.
"I know where. Just follow me," Blackberry said, nuzzling Campion's nose before he began to follow her. After a few minutes of hopping away from the warren, they arrived at the place. The meadow was open and large, like the clearing where Spartina and Bigwig had gone, but this area was dotted with various ponds everywhere.
"This place is amazing. How did you find this?" Campion asked.
"I was just exploring the outskirts of the warren and I found this. Now, let's spend our day together," Blackberry said as the two nuzzled each other's cheeks before they both ran into the center. They started to chase each other around the open area, smiling and laughing.
"Tail tag, you're it!" Blackberry cried, smacking Campion's tail and then running off. Campion had a lot of fun playing tail tag; he never had played before since he moved into Efrafa, but now he had a lot of fun, and a mate to have fun with. After a few more minutes, they decided to have a quick lunch, which Blackberry prepared for them both. Among the lunch were some carrots, berries, and some clover.
"You did a nice job choosing what food for us to eat, didn't you?" Campion asked as Blackberry grinned while laughing.
"Yes, I did. Now let's dig in!" Blackberry laughed, letting out a sigh before they both sat down next to each other and started to eat. Campion dug into the carrots first because carrots were his favorite. Blackberry also dug into the carrots first. Both laughed as they kept biting their carrots and crunching them. Both then ate their clovers and berries.
They enjoyed their quick lunch, and then they returned to playing around, happy to be free to the regular duties at Watership Down. They decided to play one more round of tail tag, with Campion starting out. Campion almost could not catch the nimble Blackberry who darted between the ponds, but he eventually trapped her.
"Tail tag! You're it!" Campion shouted as he smacked Blackberry's tail. Blackberry ran up a rocky hill but she couldn't stop herself. She tripped and was about to fall off the hill, which was high, though not enough to injure her seriously if she fell. She lost her footing, and as she started to fall off, she let out a cry. Campion quickly rushed to the bottom of the rock platform and caught her. They tumbled down a little hill and eventually stopped rolling. Campion landed under Blackberry, who smiled.
"Good thing I caught you, or you would have gotten a broken leg," Campion said gracefully, gazing into Blackberry's eyes. Blackberry nodded before she spoke.
"Yes, that is a good thing. You're pretty fast for a buck, aren't you?" Blackberry teased as Campion laughed. Campion then nuzzled Blackberry's nose, and she nuzzled back. They nuzzled each other for a few minutes before they got off of each other, standing on their haunches. Blackberry leaned in and gave Campion a lick on the cheek, which made Campion purr before he licked her cheek in return.
The two then took a few minutes to look at the area from the tall hill. They gasped in amazement at the way the area looked from far away. The sun shined its fullest onto the whole area. Blackberry leaned her head on Campion's side. Campion looked down at Blackberry, smiled, and then wrapped his paw around her side and pulled her closer to his own flank. Both purred at the feeling of being close to each other.
Campion let go of her from his side and placed his paws on her shoulders, gazing into her eyes lovingly.
"I love you, Blackberry," Campion said, nuzzling her cheek. Blackberry purred lovingly. The two pressed noses together for a few seconds, and then they touched foreheads with each other, continuing to stare into each other's eyes.
"I love you too, Campion. In fact, there's something I want to tell you," Blackberry said as Campion's ears perked up in excitement.
"What is it?" Campion asked. Blackberry grinned at Campion's curiosity.
"We are going to be expecting our first kits," Blackberry said with a smile as Campion gasped. He'd always wanted to have their kits. He couldn't hold in his happiness and he wrapped his paws around her and pulled her closer to him. He nuzzled her nose for a long while.
"Blackberry, you don't know how happy you've made me," Campion purred, still holding Blackberry in his paws. After a few more minutes, they let go of each other and then went back to the warren to share the news.
When they got back, Bigwig and Spartina were waiting for them. Bigwig was the first to greet them.
"Campion, how did it go?" Bigwig asked, eagerly wagging his tail.
"Excellent! I'm going to be a father!" Campion cried out as Bigwig got excited as well.
"I'm going to be a father as well!" Bigwig cried, then the two bucks gave each other a huge hug, congratulating each other. The two does were excited as well, Fiver's advice to them had worked perfectly. They hugged each other, excited for their soon-to-be arrivals. Hazel was happy to hear the news as well, and he asked Clover to help prepare for the kits.