Disclaimer: I don't own CATS!

Warnings: this is the delivery chapter, and it's kinda graphic, so remember you've been warned!

Please, I really want to know how I handled this chapter, please review!

The winners of the kitten naming contest are: Wombaat (I shortened the one you suggested, hope you don't mind), RileyAnn, and Mitelia.

The names themselves are actually going to be said in the next chapter though, sorry to keep yall waiting, I couldn't make the chapter longer.

As the contraction ended Bomba hesitated a moment but then helped Tanto to her feet. The rain was still coming down, with no signs of stopping. Tanto starred down at the pavement, not even looking up as her mate came up to her, holding the mangled body of her brother.

"Tanto, he's breathing," he said in a low voice.

Tanto bit her lip and looked at her brother, his head bleeding and his legs horribly broken, and the rest of him bruised from hitting the pavement so hard. Tugger held Cori away from his body, unsure of how to handle this, as blood dripped out on the pavement.

Tanto looked away and almost collapsed, but Bomba caught her and helped her stay on her feet. "We need to you out of the rain," said Bomba, putting her jealousy aside.

Tugger looked around for shelter and saw that the door to the warehouse was ripped off its hinges, so he nodded in its direction. "In here."

They followed him into the dark warehouse, the place was dusty and old furniture lay scattered across the room, covered in white sheets. A cold draft blew through the building and Tanto shivered a little as she gripped her body tightly, very afraid. The rain beat loudly on the roof of the building as the storm was still raging, but at least it was safe and dry.

As they walked through the warehouse, Bomba almost tripped on something, which turned out to be an old battery powered lantern, and it worked! Now they could actually see what they were doing.

"We need to lay him down and find something to wrap around his head," said Tanto, looking seriously at her unconscious brother.

"Don't look at him honey," said Bomba, seeing the look of desperation in Tanto's eyes. "Trust me, in your condition you don't need to see him."

Tugger nodded and looked back and fourth until he saw an old broken recliner and laid Cori on it.

Tanto gripped her stomach tightly, she hoped it would be a while before the next contraction. She still wouldn't look away from Cori, thinking of all the stories he told her about deliveries that went wrong.

"You need to sit down," said Bomba, leading her over to a couch and helping her down. Tanto was too afraid to put up a protest, and laid back on the couch. She looked frightenedly at Bomba for a second, who nodded encouragingly to her, wanting her to know that she understood she couldn't be a bitch right now.

"Tugger," said Bomba, straightening up, "you're gonna have to sit with Tanto and comfort her while I take care of Cori."

Tugger sat with Tanto and put his arm around her shoulder as Bomba shredded one of the sheets and tied Cori's head with it and she also dried him off, but before she was done Tanto had another contraction.

Tugger pulled his arm away and just let Tanto squeeze his paw, until Tanto relaxed as started panting. "Okay, we need to get her back to the junkyard," said Tugger, unclenching his teeth as Tanto released his paw.

"Are you kidding? It's too dangerous in this storm!" said Bomba, appalled.

"Well, neither of us know how to deliver a litter of kittens, we need Jenny!" cried Tugger desperately, gripping his head.

"Alright, well, I'm faster, how about I go get her? Do you think you can wait that long Tanto?" she asked with concern.

"As long as you hurry," said Tanto, laying her head down on the arm rest.

"You're not gonna leave me here while she's having kittens, are you?" asked Tugger, looking back and fourth at his mate and Bomba.

"I'll be back before she has them, don't worry," said Bomba, and before Tugger could protest, she took off into the storm.

They waited hours but the storm just got worse, making most of the power in the city go out. Tanto and Tugger had nothing but the dim light of the lantern to see by, this was not the place Tanto wanted to be when she had her kittens. The longer they waited the more hopeless they became, worrying if the storm was keeping Bomba, or worse, if she had just abandoned them. Tanto continued having contractions, becoming more scarred with each one, realizing they were coming closer and closer together.

"Damn, we shouldn't have trusted Bomba," thought Tanto, laying on the couch, starring at her brother. "please don't die, you're not unlovable just because mom and dad didn't want us. I love you, even though you hurt me," she told her brother in his mind, but she got no response.

Tugger did everything he knew how to comfort Tanto, but it was obvious he was on the verge of panic. "This cannot be happening, we cannot be stranded in a rainstorm while she's having kits!"

Around midnight, after another hard contraction, she rolled onto her side and muttered, "she's not coming back."

Tugger didn't want to believe it. "She's coming back, just try to hang on," he said, stroking her head, trying hard not to panic.

Tugger sat down next to her on the end of the couch and she dug her claws into the sofa as she had another contraction. "Tugger, I don't think Bomba and Jenny are gonna get here in time," she said, afraid and about to cry.

"Can't...can't you just hold them in?" asked Tugger, hoping that the answer was yes. "I mean, they aren't really due for three week."

His answer came as a swift kick in the gut, which almost made him fall off the couch.

After Tugger recovered himself and Tanto took a few deep breaths, another contraction came, faster than any she had had so far. Although it didn't bring about the urge to push, she knew it would be soon. "Tugger, the kittens aren't gonna wait, so I'm gonna need your help," she said, giving in to the situation.

"But I don't know what to do!" said Tugger, looking at the door, hoping Jenny would just come running through it at any second. He didn't feel ready to become a dad yet, he thought they had more time, this was happening way to fast for him. "I've never delivered kittens before! What if"-"Damn it!" she yelled. "I'm doing all the hard work! They taught me what to do at all those damn classes you slept through! I just need for you to take the kittens when they come, okay?"

Tugger didn't look okay, he looked like he was about to barf, but he didn't have much choice but to help her.

"Okay, Tugger, it's close, help me to hold my legs up and back, to give me a little leverage," she said, pulling up her legs.

Tugger moved her tail out of the way and gabbed both of her ankles. "I think I'm gonna barf," he thought, scared out of his mind.

Tanto started breathing deeply to calm herself, running a paw over her stomach and shutting her eyes tightly as she tried to picture what it would be like when it was over. She tensed as she felt the next contraction coming and gripped her knees tightly, and finally started to push, groaning at the effort.

As she pushed, Tugger looked scared and worried, without even meaning to he yelled, "wait, no I'm not ready!"

Tanto stopped pushing as the contraction ended and she panted, she could feel the head of the first kitten, and she cried out as the next contraction came. Between pushing she kept turning and looking at her brother, wanting to cry seeing him laying there as she gave birth.

Tugger watched with squinted eyes, feeling useless not knowing how to help her and also feeling sick. He helped her hold her legs back as she pushed, and she gripped his paws tightly from the pain. As the head was coming Tugger almost looked away from fright, not knowing if he should keep quiet or yell push like they do in the movies.

Tanto kept pushing, cringing at the pain as she felt the kitten coming out, and she let go of Tugger's paws as she felt its tiny body slide free from hers, and soon the sound of loud mews filled the room.

Tugger was completely speechless as his first kitten was born. It was gross to watch but still, first it wasn't there and then suddenly it was, right there in his paws. "Tanto, it's a queen..." he managed, as he looked down at the tiny mewing kit he held. He was barely able to draw a breath as he held his first kitten, it briefly ran through his mind that he was a daddy, as the kitten blindly pawed at his face. "Tanto..."

Tanto looked around and Tugger brought the kitten close to her, and she almost cried when she saw it. "Oh Cat..." was all she could get out as she reached for it, thinking this was unreal. She took it and meekly begun cleaning it. Tugger started to help her, but he wasn't much help as he got the taste of birth fluids in his mouth and started spitting and wiped his tongue off, although he did chew off the umbilical cord. Once she was clean they could clearly see that she was black with Tanto's coat pattern, but the stripes and lines were covered in leopard spots.

"She's beautiful," she said, holding the kitten close, nuzzling it gently. Tanto rested for a minute, Tugger rubbing the back of her neck and watching, unsure of what he should say. It softened his heart to see his first kitten, and he allowed himself to relax, until Tanto gasped and signaled the next contraction.

Tugger immediately took the kitten and held it awkwardly, realizing Tanto couldn't hold it while having the next one.

"Okay, Tugger, we need... something to put her in," she said as the pain ended, and she looked worriedly at her frightened mate

Tugger looked around until he noticed a basket. He took a cushion and a couple of sheets and put the kitten in it, who immediately started mewing loudly for her parents. He reached his paw in the basket and started stroking his daughter's back, trying to get her to calm down, but his mate still needed him.

"Tugger!"

Tugger gently put the basket down and turned back to Tanto, he still felt like he was gonna puke, but his KITTENS! And Tanto! The next kitten came very quickly, Tanto cursing fluently as she barely had time for breaths between pushing.

Tugger was starting to feel squeamish again, so this time he kept his eyes on Tanto's face as he held her legs while she pushed. She wanted to reach out and claw Tugger's face off because of the pain, but all she could do was sink her claws into his paws as she felt the head coming out, and then the rest.

Once it was out Tanto laid back down and panted as she turned and looked at her brother. "Don't die," she told him in his mind, weakening her as she felt the psychic energy flowing out. She watched his chest heaving and couldn't help but be afraid he wouldn't make it through the night, this fear and knowing she had four more kittens to deliver weighing down on her, until she heard Tugger's voice saying, "it's a tom."

She sat up a little but Tugger was already cleaning this one. The kitten was copper with silver and gold stripes, and had a slight ruffle of what was gonna be a mane around its shoulders. Tugger nipped off the umbilical cord and brought the kitten around for her to see, and Tanto weakly smiled at the sight. Tanto ran her paw down the kitten's face, she was feeling so scared and emotional, but here was another beautiful kitten that was hers. "He's georgous."

Eventually Tugger put this one with its sibling, and it curled up into the blanket and went to sleep.

"This one didn't put up as much of a fuss..." commented Tugger, sitting next to Tanto and watching the kittens.

Tanto nodded meekly as she looked on at the kittens, tears and cold beads of sweat staining her face. "Could you bring me some water?" she asked, touching Tugger's paw.

"Sure," he said, as he stood up slowly, worried about leaving her alone. He looked around and noticed an old bowl and fetched it before he made his way to the door. He stood in the doorway for a moment, looking out at the storm, and placed the bowl on the pavement outside to let it fill. As he stood there waiting he looked down at himself and realized he realized he was covered in blood and birth fluid, and the nausea came back suddenly and he puked, gripping his knees as he spilled his guts. When he got to where he was just dry heaving, he slowly got up. Wiping off his mouth, Tugger picked up the bowl that was now filled with fresh rain water and brought it back to Tanto.

Tanto drank the water, so grateful that he was there to help her, until the next contraction came and she started calling him a bastard.

As one hard contraction ended, she turned on her side and looked at her brother. She could see blood leaking out of his head bandages and she reached out to him, but let her paw drop hopelessly as she ran the other over her now smaller stomach. She was so scared he was gonna die, but she had to concentrate on this.

"Tugger," she whimpered, wanting to make this move along faster. "We need to try some of that stuff we learned in lamaze class, help me turn over."

Tugger awkwardly helped her, slowly because he was afraid of hurting her. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, helping her get up on her knees.

"Do you really have to ask?" she said, grabbing the back of the couch. She calmed herself by taking deep breaths until she felt the next contraction and she pushed hard along with it, feeling the pressure of the kitten in her lower abdomen.

"Tugger!" she gasped, "you're gonna have to take the kitten as it comes." She clenched the side of the couch as the next contraction came and she worked to get the kitten out, this position helping things along faster than lying down.

Tugger obeyed, unable to blink or even close his mouth as he watched her, he had thought the lamaze teaching was joking when she had shown them this position.

She called out as it was born, but it was so much easier this way, and she cried in relief as she felt the kitten slide free from her. She fell back down onto her elbows, but she kept her eyes closed and didn't look at her brother.

"It's a queen," said Tugger, a little flustered. He came around with the kitten once he had bitten off the cord, and Tanto looked up from the couch to see him holding a tiny silver tabby. "Tuggs... she has your paws," she said, and Tugger leaned forward and kissed Tanto's head and put his arm around her as he started cleaning his daughter. Tanto smiled tiredly as Tugger made faces as he tried to clean the birth fluid off the kit, and almost laughed when the kitten started to kick out and defend itself against the rough tongue that cleaned it.

Soon she was put with her siblings and immediately she started climbing on them, it was a beautiful sight.

Tanto's face was dripping with sweat, and Tugger still looked like he was barely hanging onto consciousness just from the suddeness of it all, but he put his paw on Tanto's neck and started rubbing it gently, which she immediately started leaning into. "You're so beautiful," he said, Tanto looking up at him with tired eyes, her exhaustion the only thing keeping her from laughing at the cliched line. The neck message was helping but seemed all too short as the next contraction came faster than expected, and Tugger quickly pulled his paw away. Tanto got back on her knees and tried to calm herself again with the deep breathing techniques she had learned, Tugger holding the paw she wasn't clawing the back of the couch to shreds with. This position was supposed to make it easier, but Tanto lost track of how long it took before she finally had to push, this kitten was taking forever.

Tugger was scarred, he didn't know what to do if something went wrong, he felt helpless as he watched.

Tanto clutched her legs as she pushed, but it didn't feel like she was getting anywhere. Tugger held her paw as he moved back behind her and moved her tail out of the way, wanting to make sure he was ready when this one finally came. Tanto pushed hard as she recognized the pressure of the kitten in her lower abdomen, until finally she felt the familiar pain as it came out, and she heard a gasp from Tugger.

Slowly she looked around and saw Tugger trying to clean the kitten, but they didn't even need to get all the blood and fluid off to tell that she was white with scattered black spots. But once she was clean, it was obvious she was going to have a mane like her brother.

Tanto collapsed onto her side from exhaustion, birthing this one had taken most of her strength. Tugger brought the kitten over to her and she slowly took it, letting it lay on the couch with her arms around it. She held the white kitten as it nuzzled into her fur but she couldn't take her eyes off her brother His breathing was unsteady and labored, and she didn't notice Tugger trying to get her to look away. "Don't die Cori," she begged, as she watched him breathe. "You're gonna be okay."

"Tanto, don't look at him... its gonna be alright," he said, trying to get her to look at him instead of Cori. Tanto tried to ignore her mate as she attempted psychic communication again, but she got no response. She wanted to reach out to her brother, she wanted him to help her with this and welcome her kittens into the world with her, but he wouldn't have even if he had been conscious, and knowing that brought about a despairing sense of anguish.

The next contraction came and went without giving her the urge to push, but it left her feeling even more drained of energy.

"Do you need help moving?" asked Tugger.

she just shook her head no as she layed there on her side, to tired to move. When the next contraction came she swore under her breath and cried as she pushed, not taking her eyes off her brother.

It took a long time but finally the fifth kitten was born, and Tugger told her it was another tom. But she barely heard him as she rested, the only sound that met her eyes was the sound of her own heart pounding in her chest. She really felt like she had had it, there was no way she could give birth to another kitten.

Tugger seemed as worried as she was, he didn't even gag once when cleaning this one. This kitten looked exactly like..." Coricopat," she gasped when she saw it.

Tugger brought the kitten to Tanto who held it as long as she could, stealing glances at her brother whenever Tugger wasn't looking. She couldn't believe it looked like her and Cori, it was as if she were looking at a picture of them back when they were kittens. It was hard to believe that Coricopat had once been that young and innocent.

"Please don't die, I couldn't stand it if you died," she told Cori, unable to banish her fears even as she held her newborn kit.

After a few minutes Tugger finally took the kitten and put him in the basket, but he was really nervous as he did so, he was scarred for Tanto because she just seemed spent.

She wouldn't look away from Cori, the tom who had tried to twist her concepts of reality and own her, in some ways she was still addicted to him. The image of her brother stayed in Tanto's mind even as she had the next contraction, but she decided to fight it. She tried to stretch, to take in a deep breath, and even tried holding her breath, anything to keep from pushing.

Tugger didn't know what to do, seeing his mate struggle like this was almost more than he could bare, and apparently he could bare a lot more than he had thought. "Tanto, shouldn't you"-"shut up!" she yelled. "I just can't do this, I can't have a litter next to my unconscious brother!" Sweat poured down her face as she literally tried to hold the kitten in, and she bit her lip until it bled from straining so hard.

"You can do this, I just watched you deliver five others," he said, trying to encourage her.

She continued to fight the contractions, not looking away from her brother. "NO, not if Cori dies, he was supposed to be an uncle!" she cried, digging her claws into the couch, "he was supposed to be an uncle..."

Tugger was panicking, he didn't know what to do, he tried to talk to her again, but she shot back with, "I'm just not strong enough!"

At this Tugger got down by her head, he had an idea, he leaned in close and looked at her earnestly. "Tanto," he said, taking a breath, "it's a good things toms can't get pregnant, because we aren't this strong. No tom is strong enough to do what I just watched you do. I know you think you can't, but I know you, you're strong enough. Don't think about Cori right now, just focus, you're gonna be okay." His words hung in the air as he got back into place, for once he felt like he had said the right thing as she finally gave in and pushed.

"That's it, you're doing great," Tugger soothed, as he saw the head coming. Tanto continued to cry out at every contraction, until her body relaxed as the kitten was finally born.

"We have another tom," said Tugger brightly, nipping of the cord. He brought it around for her to see once it was clean, knowing she would want to see and touch him. The kitten was a tortoiseshell, his coat a different pattern than Tanto's and brighter, and he had a redish-brown blotch on his face.

At the sight of the last kitten, Tanto just sank into the couch sobbing, unable to believe she had just delivered six kittens.

Hey, I had really rushed this chapter before, so now that its done, I'd like to know if you think it's better this time. Oh, and does this story need an epilogue?