A/N- I don't know the names of Fara's parents, so I made them up. That's all.

Chapter 4

Peaking around the corner to the rec room, Fox saw Fara sitting on the couch nursing a bowl of ice cream. Sighing in relief, he leaned against the wall. The fennec had been rather... emotional of late. From singing cheerfully to crying for hours over nothing, it was getting quite stressful for Fox. She wasn't the normal Fara anymore, going from pleasantly smiling to screaming him into next week...

"No! That is not how you kick a ball, you moron," Fara yelled at the TV, "FOX!"

Jumping around the corner, the vulpine answered, "Yes Fara?"

As sweet as pie, she asked, "Could you bring me some more ice cream?"

"Uh... sure, dear," he answered shakily and returned to the kitchen.

Okay, on second thought, Fara wasn't different at all.

Fara was licking the spoon when Falco walked in the rec room.

"I hear you're knocked up," the falcon said.

"If that's what you want to call it, you neanderthal," she said without even looking at Falco, "I am happy about it, and so is Fox."

Kicking back on a recliner, Falco snorted, "Yeah. Where are you going to live? Here on the Great Fox? Having a kid running around on a mercenary ship might not be a great idea."

Fara finally looked at him and covered up the fact that she hadn't thought of that, "We'll figure out something. I think a baby would be fine on the Great Fox. Fox was a young kit when James first bought it and he survived childhood."

"True," Falco conceded.

It wasn't that Falco was not happy for them, he just didn't want to wake up to baby crying or deal with smelly diapers. If he had wanted a family, he would have... well, he would have had a family. Truthfully, he wanted a wife and kids deep inside, but knew he wasn't ready to settle down yet.

That, and the only woman he wanted to marry still refused to talk to him.

Fox brought the bowl of ice cream to his wife and sat beside her.

"Thank you, Foxie-poo," she said and offered him a bite.

"You're welcome, Fara-" he halted the pet name at her glare.

Obviously Fara's name was bedroom only.

'Well, I might as well enjoy the semi-quiet now,' Fox thought, 'It won't be long before I hear the crying of a newborn.'

"Let me just remind you how much my mother is going to cry for joy," Fara said as Fox landed their personal transport in her parent's lot.

"For the fifth time, I know. I'm not worried about your mother, I'm worried about your father. He was never very thrilled about our relationship," Fox said.

Once the craft was shut down, the two unbuckled and stepped out the side door, Fox going first and then turning to help his wife. Fara, as usual, scoffed at him.

"Daddy will be happy about a grandchild, no matter how much he says he hates you," she said as she bypassed his out-held paw.

"Great, now he'll be berating me about Fara and the baby," he muttered, and received an elbow from Fara.

"Suck it up."

They went inside the Phoenix Mansion, where they were greeted by Penelope, one of the several maid-bots owned by the wealthy couple.

"Welcome, Fara and Fox, your parents are waiting in the study," she said in a feminine yet mechanical voice.

The door to the study opened automatically, revealing Fara's parents. Her mother, Bea, rose from the sofa in a fluid motion. She was average height and quite thin, almost frail, but it was years of ballet that had kept her body so rigidly tiny.

"Fara! Fox! How wonderful of you to visit us," she said.

Mother and daughter hugged tightly, and then Fox gave her a quick hug.

"You're both looking quite well," Bea turned to her husband, "Belasthar, they're here."

A hidden door swished open and Belasthar Phoenix strode into the room. He was tall and powerful-looking, with a stern continence, but the facade was broken when his daughter was around.

Belasthar pulled his daughter into an affectionate hug, "You're looking beautiful, baby girl."

"Oh Daddy," Fara laughed.

The exacting look returned to the fennec's eyes as he looked at Fox, "Hello... Fox."

He had long ago given up on trying to appease Fara's father, so he just nodded and said hello in return.

The four furs sat around the exquisite sofa set while Penelope brought them drinks.

"So," Bea said, "How have things been?"

Fara smiled, "Wonderful."

"Are you still training for that useless run?" Belasthar grunted.

"It's not useless! It's something I like to do, so why can't I do it?" Fara shot back.

"At least you're minding your figure," Bea glared at her husband momentarily, and then returned to sipping her tea.

Fox knew from where Fara had received her strong will and withering glances. He, like Belasthar before him, nearly always relented to the spirited females when presented with 'the look.'

"Yes..." Fara hesitated, and then nudged Fox.

He nearly spilled his drink. "What?"

Fara gave an exaggerated sigh, "I guess tell them."

Bea raised a brow, "Tell us what?"

"You need money? I told you a mercenary wouldn't be able to support you. You get your shopping addiction from your mother," Belasthar said, glaring daggers at Fox.

"I'm sorry, Belasthar, but who puts together your wardrobe in the mornings so you don't go out with a blue sock, a black sock, and an orange tie? Hmm?" Bea sipped her tea daintily, knowing it annoyed her husband when she insulted him while acting so lady-like.

"Not to brag, or anything," Fox, finally peeved, interjected, "But I did defeat Andross a few years ago. I think I'm worthy to be married to your daughter."

Belasthar stopped arguing with his wife for a moment to bite back, "When you have a daughter, you'll know that no man is worthy for her."

Fara clapped her paws and laughed, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, "It's funny you mention that, Daddy, because Fox and I will be parents."

Vacuuming from three floors up was heard by all.

Bea set her tea cup on the coffee table, "Parents? You mean..."

"Yes, Mom, that is why we came. To tell you in person," Fara explained.

"Why, this is wonderful news!" Bea exclaimed, "Belasthar, start a savings account for this new addition. We'll be paying for his college, don't you worry."

Belasthar was in disbelief, having only been silenced like that twice before; the first time was when he found out he'd be a father, and the second was when he thought he would lose his only child.

While Bea had, indeed, burst into tears of happiness, Belasthar finally stood and took his daughter by her shoulders.

"My little girl... is all grown up," he said with a look of such pride.

"Daddy," she said softly, "I've been grown up. You just haven't accepted it."

The fennec hadn't even heard Fara. He simply raised his paws above his head and walked back into his secret office, exclaiming, "I'm gonna be a Grandpa!"

"That went surprisingly well," Fox said as he climbed into bed beside Fara.

She scrolled down the book on her data pad, "I told you they wouldn't be upset. Mom and Dad may have... high standards, but they're caring furs."

"I know," he settled in, placing his paws behind his head, "It's just... I haven't had parents for years now, and I had hoped that yours might be a little more accepting of me."

Fara looked at her husband for a long moment, "To be blunt, they aren't your parents, Fox."

Fox closed his eyes. Of course, he knew that.

"When I married you, it was an agreement that we become one, that we share our lives," the fennec continued, "Mom loves you as much as she loves me."

Fox glanced at her.

"Okay, maybe not as much as she loves me, but she has accepted you. Dad, he's a bit more gruff, and I doubt he'll ever be any different to you. I know he cares for you, though, as much as he doesn't want to admit. I've been nothing but happy in the years I've known and been married to you, Fox. That was all he wanted. For me, for us, to be happy."

Smiling, Fox kissed Fara and said, "You are the most wonderful woman I know."

She playfully grabbed his ears, "You better believe it!"