October, 1792
"Should we stop them?" Savannah asked, pointing to the squirming twins. Jack looked up from the maps spread over the cabin table, eyes the twins. Up in the loft, Larch perched haphazardly on Vana's back with his arms wrapped around her neck. She was trying to stand up, legs wobbly and shaking under the extra weight.
"What are you guys doing?" Jack called out in Standard.
Larch yelped and toppled off his sister, landing on his back on the kit's bed. Vana stood up and shook herself, giggling at Larch's squirming.
"Nothing!" she said, smiling.
Jack rolled his eyes and walked over to them. He climbed up the ladder, pushing himself onto the landing. He reached out and picked up Vana, pulling her against his chest. "Let's not roughhouse so high up, alright? Larch could have fallen and hurt himself," he said, tweaking her nose.
Vana let out a high pitched sneeze and rubbed her nose. She shook her head, whiskers twitching and looked up at Jack. "Okay, sorry Daddy," she chirped, reaching up and bumping her head against his chin.
Larch pushed himself onto his back legs and stood up, balancing himself against Jack's abdomen. "I want up!" he whined, pressing his paws into Jack's stomach. His sister twisted around to her brother, sticking her tongue at him.
Jack flicked her nose again and leaned down. He shifted Vana's weight onto one arm and wrapped the other around Larch. He pulled his son into his arms, placing his chin on his head. "No more roughhousing where you could fall and hurt yourselves, alright?" he said, shifting the kits so he could look them in the eyes.
The twins nodded, smiles wide.
"Thank you," he said, pressing a kiss to their foreheads.
"Umm, Mr. Frost?" a voice called.
He turned to the voice, smiling as he saw the owner standing in the doorway. "Hey, Varsha! What'd do you need?" he said, jumping off the platform onto the wooden floor.
The newest kit stood just inside the cabin, wringing her paws as she looked past Jack. "Stellan was looking for the twins. She said it was time for their check up," she said.
Vana whined and buried her head in Jack's neck. "Don't wanna," she mumbled, whiskers tickling Jack's neck.
He chuckled and ran his fingers through her coat. "Sorry sweetheart, but you have to do it. It'll take half an hour, then you and Larch can go back to playing," he soothed. Not waiting for a response he strode over to the door, giving Savannah a quick peck on the cheek as he past. Varsha backed out of the doorway, letting him pass. He gave her a quick smile and walked out into the crisp fall air.
Varsha followed him, closing the door behind her. They began the trek to the cave, ignoring the twins as they chittered at each other. Jack looked down, absent mindedly examining their most recent addition. They woke Varsha the first week of September to help with the harvest. She was younger than Savannah and Dahlia but much older than the twins. By his estimate, if she were a human she'd be eight or nine years old, too young to help with the actual hauling of crops, but old enough to keep an eye on the twins while picking vegetables or watering crops. She was a quiet kit, keeping to herself or shadowing Savannah and Dahlia as they went about their chores. Around Jack, she spoke very little, but she was more open with the older pooka. Regardless, she was a sweet kit, always willing to help or run errands.
"So, Varsha, how are you settling in?" Jack asked, smiling. She looked up at him, eyes wide.
She frowned, her ears drooping. "Alright, I guess. I like it here and you're all really nice but I want to go home. I miss my family," she said, watery grey eyes boring into his. Jack sighed, chest falling. "Do you think I'll ever see them again?" she asked, voice quiet.
"I don't know, kid. We don't know who else escaped or how to find them," he answered, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Varsha looked down, whiskers trembling. She wrapped her arms around herself and let out a quiet sob.
He winced, reaching a hand out to her. When she didn't react, he placed his hand on her back. "It'll be ok, kiddo. We'll figure things out. Stellan's been working on extending the ship's signal range. Who knows, maybe some adults will be on the next ship that crashes here," he said, rubbing circles into her back.
She sniffed and nodded, wiping her eyes. "This is a very pretty planet, it'd be a good place for a new start for the pooka," she admitted.
Jack laughed and pat her on the shoulder. "There's the spirit! Maybe there'll be a teacher on board that can help you guys with you lessons or someone from those weird moving pictures things Dahlia keeps talking about!" he said, giving her a wide grin.
She giggled, covering her muzzle with a paw. "They're called movies, and they're not that weird," she argued, a small grin on her lips.
Jack shook his head, chuckling. "Nah, they're pretty weird. I swear, every time I talk to you guys you mention some crazy advanced technology humans haven't even dreamed up yet."
She smiled up at him, her sadness forgotten for a moment. They'd have to have that conversation at some point, but not yet. They walked along the forest path, pine needles crunching under their feet as they took in the scenery.
"It's so peaceful," Varsha said, looking about the forest.
"It is," Jack said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
The humans rarely came to the part of the forest and spirits were beginning to respect his claim over the area, so their little family could sometimes go for months at a time without seeing outsiders. It may not be the healthiest for the kit's social development, but it kept them safe so Jack wasn't inclined to change their routine. In his arms, Vana squirmed and pulled herself up to his ear.
"Daddy, I wanna watch a movie!" she whispered.
He pulled her back and raised a brow. "Oh? Is that how you're supposed to ask for things?" he asked, trying not to smirk as Vana pouted.
"Plllleeeaaassssee," she whined, her ears drooping.
Jack smiled and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "After dinner we'll see if we can find anything kit friendly on the Archive, alright?" he acquiesced. "But you and your brother have to agree on what you want to watch, alright? I don't want any fighting."
Vana cheered, throwing her arms around her brother. "Yay!" she said, forcibly chinning her brother.
Jack rolled his eyes and jostled her in reprimand. His daughter giggled, her smile brightening. He gave her a wide grin and looked up, trying to orientate himself with the mountains. It had been almost five years since Stellan and Neva had built the cabin, but he still had trouble navigating from the ground to the burrow. When he flew he could make it there in less than a minute, but the twins were getting too big for him to risk flying with them both. They walked the rest of the way in amicable silence, making it to the cave entrance fifteen minutes after they set out.
Neva met them at the entrance, her arms splattered with blood and gore from her most recent kill. She greeted them, keeping Jack between herself and Varsha.
"You're smelly!" Larch complained, wrinkling his nose at the older kit.
She gave him an unimpressed look. "If you complain you won't get any soup later today," she said, wagging a finger at him.
Larch squeaked out an apology, grabbing Jack's shirt. "I'm sorry! I want soup!" he wailed, butting his head against his father's jaw.
Jack winced at the impact. He knelt down, placing the twins on the ground. He stood, rubbing his sore chin. "Where'd Stellan get to? These two," he gestured to the youngest kits, "need a checkup."
Neva smirked and directed him back to the ship. She slipped past the group as they climbed the ramp, heading for the river.
Jack herded the twins into the belly of the ship, chasing Vana away from one of the closed pods. He forced them into the cockpit, Varsha locking the hydraulic door once all three kits were inside.
Stellan looked up from her notebook, smiling. She shut the book, stashing it up on a shelf. "There you are. Are you two ready for your checkup?" she asked.
The twins shook their heads, crowding against Jack's legs.
The older pooka laughed, walking to Jack and leaning down. She snagged Larch, ignoring the little boy's high pitched squeals as he was lifted off the ground. Larch squirmed in her arms, trying to pry himself out of her grip. Stellan carried him over to her impromptu examination table, setting the squirming kit on the surface. Larch crossed his arms at her, lower lip extended in a pout. She chuckled, reaching into her bag and pulling out a thermometer. "Sorry kiddo, I know check ups aren't fun but we've got to do them," she said, offering a sympathetic smile.
"Don't wanna check up," Larch muttered, curling in on himself.
Jack's heart twinged at his son's unhappy expression, but he watched on without interruption. He glanced down as Vana bumped against his leg, pressing herself against his calf. "You don't have to stay here," Jack said, turning to Varsha.
She blinked, looking up at him. "Stellan wanted to take a look at me after she was done with the twins," she explained.
Jack nodded, looking back to his son. Larch stared at the far wall, ears flat against his back with a thermometer sticking out of his mouth. He sighed, fighting down the urge to cross the room and comfort his son.
Varsha leaned towards Jack. "He looks so sad," she whispered, watching Stellan pick Larch up and put him on a scale.
"I know," Jack said, frowning. "I knew they wouldn't like this, that's why I agreed to let them watch a movie."
She smiled, grey eyes twinkling in the artificial light. "You're such a softie. Your kits are going to be so spoiled," she teased.
Jack laughed, a smile tugging at his lips. "That's fair, but in my defense Savannah was already like that when I got her," he joked.
Varsha giggled. "She's not that bad. Dahlia on the other hand…"
Jack smiled and held up a hand. "Hold up. Dahlia's not one of mine, you can't blame me for her."
The newest kit laughed, eyes crinkled and whiskers trembling with amusement.
Jack hummed as he walked into the cargo. Night had fallen several hours ago, and the kits were getting ready for bed. The older kits wouldn't sleep for a few more hours, getting a few last minute chores done or hanging out by the fire, but it was bedtime for the twins. He walked past the pods, smiling at the few remaining closed.
Fifteen years after his kits crashed to earth, only five of the fourteen were still asleep with plans to wake most of them in the coming decades. There was still a raging between him and the older kits about what to do with the infant and the injured kit, but the other three would soon be woken up and incorporated into their little family. Smiling, Jack hit the release on the cockpit door. With a familiar hiss the door opened and revealed the darkened cockpit.
The Archive was active, projecting a dim menu screen onto the wall. The twins were fast asleep, snuggled into a ball in the little nest of blankets Savannah had made for them. Chuckling, Jack stepped over to them. He knelt next to their nest, reaching in and lifting Vana. He settled his younger daughter against his chest, slow and careful so he wouldn't jostle her. A moment later Larch joined his sister. Jack pressed a kiss to their foreheads, smiling. He turned and made his way out of the ship, waving to Hyacinth as he wandered by.
It was too late to go back to the cabin, so the twins would have to stay in the burrow tonight. It wasn't a big deal, they'd carved out several other bedrooms over the years and they kept a few extra if the younger kits couldn't get back home before nightfall. Jack made his way to the closest unclaimed room, ducking through the heavy curtain that separated it from the main cavern. Stepping over to the nest, Jack knelt next to the raised frame. He leaned over it, setting the twins on the plush mattress. Vana frowned in her sleep, reaching over and wrapping her arms around her brother. Jack smiled, grabbing a loose blanket and pulling it over them, tucking it under their chins. He gave them another kiss before standing and walking out of the room.