Being A Nurse And A Mom Is Tough

by AcrossEveryUniverse

Valentine, a nurse who uses ninja techniques, is part of a black-ops Anti-Skullgirl Unit team called 'The Last Hope', sometimes known as 'Bloody Romantic' by the Medici and even her own collages, now faces her most difficult challenge yet: motherhood. Can she handle being a mother? Or will she give in to pressure? A Skullgirls AU where Valentine is Carol's biological mother.

4. Chapter 4: Ferals Know How It's Going

Hello everybody! It's me, AcrossEveryUniverse, or if you want to call me by my other social media name 'yasmeinne', then that's fine too. Typing in my Fanfiction and AO3 username might be a bit long, hehe. First of all, Happy Late New Year and Happy Valentine's Day!

I have been missing in action a bit, but life happens and I am also assisting with a friend's fanfiction over on Archive Of Our Own. And also job-hunting because I passed all my classes in December! Woohoo!

But alas, I'm sure you're not here for my rambles. So without further ado, let's give the limelight to Patty, shall we?

Also, shout out to Jajo Camello for leaving a review! Thank you and I am so glad you like the story! Sorry if I didn't give a shout out last chapter, I was in the middle of midterms.

---

Valentine and Hallow entered her apartment with the former hurrying inside so that her best friend could close the door. After that was said and done, the taller woman let out an intense shiver and sighed deeply. Hallow reached over near the door and turned the heater on, the AC could be heard starting up.

"M-M-Make yourself at home, Val."

"…Thanks, Hol."

As Hallow routinely walked inside, Valentine took off her best friend's scrub and placed it on the coat hanger. She took a quick look around the interior. Compared to Hallow's personality, the inside of her apartment was…cheerful. Her walls were a soft peach color decorated with a rather elegant wallpaper to match the cozy environment. The kitchen and living room were combined and close to the entrance so the apartment seemed small. But as she came more into the apartment, it expanded from the living room and had about three small hallways leading into a bedroom, the laundry, and the bathroom.

Valentine heard soft croaking and turned her head towards a decent sized glass box. Inside of it were two squishy, earth colored amphibians with small white dots on the back looking back at her with little beady eyes. Oh right, she forgot that Hallow had two desert rain frogs as pets. Something about wanting squishy, but angry squeaky companions. Hallow also mentioned that she was training them to squeak on command. So far the training wasn't going so well.

Valentine heard metal meeting metal as she took a seat at the kitchen table. She turned her head to see Holly immediately got started on making tea. After she set the kettle on the stove, Hallow went to her frog enclosure and gently took them out. One of them rubbing the dirt out of their eyes.

"We have a guest, Marshmallow and Gummy. So be courteous."

As they were gently placed on what seemed to be their personal gray waiting room tray, they chirped. The bigger one, Valentine immediately recognized it was the female, merely looked at Hallow then at Valentine before softly croaking in acknowledgement. Her tinier partner started to 'scratch' himself by rubbing his soft tummy with his hind legs. Uninterested or probably just tired as he leaned into his mate's soft side afterwards. Valentine internally shivered and cooed at the same time. Who knew something so ugly could actually be so cute at the same time?

Hallow unwrapped the bandages around her hands and then washed said hands. "Val, I have snacks and some leftovers from yesterday. Mostly homemade, but is there anything specific you want?"

Val only snorted half-heartedly. "Anything warm and sweet sounds good right now."

Hallow blinked, knowing that Val usually dislikes sweets. "Coming right up."

Valentine sighed deeply, feeling much better—and even safer—after leaving the ASG Labs. She felt too weak after crying her heart out to her best friend. And it wasn't just the unwanted feelings of vulnerability, Valentine felt…exposed. Like the ASG Labs were going to find out about her condition and then justify experimenting on her and the baby. Sure, she was considered cold and heartless by most employees. But there were some individuals in the Labs who would do the unthinkable if they could.

Valentine wondered how people could give up their empathy so easily. It was like they traded their soul just to be knowledgeable. She was curious about the unexplainable as well but would rather do it within moral standards.

Valentine looked down slightly at where her womb was. Guilt was building in her chest again as she remembered the conversation with Hallow about an hour ago. She needed to think and decide what to do with the baby. And the sooner the better, though there was also the priority of telling her teammates. Additionally, she needed to be extra cautious of where and when she told her teammates about her pregnancy. Just because the ASG Labs had added more security doesn't mean that there weren't any paranoid employees.

Valentine bit her lower lip in a growing frustration before a teacup being placed in front of her shook her out of her stupor. She looked up to see Hallow softly staring back at her. "Here, something to soothe your stomach before you eat. At least until the morning."

Valentine smiled gently. "Thanks Hol."

"Sure, and careful it's hot."

"Noted." Valentine replied as she saw the steam swollen flying out of the cup. She gently blew on the liquid before taking a small and cautious sip. Her tongue immediately berated her for the hot substance and Valentine swallowed quickly. Despite the hasty tasting, Valentine noted that the tea was honey lemon. Somehow a seemingly perfect mix of sweet and sour with a little bit of sugar.

—

"Do you want any extra blankets?"

"I'm fine, Hol."

"Are you sure? I have some more."

"One fuzzy blanket is all I need, Holly. And last time I checked, you need them more than I do."

Hallow mentally sighed as Valentine reminded her of the unwanted side effects from the enhancement drugs. Sure, she now has a boosted libido she needs to deal with on a daily basis. Actually, it wasn't so bad, she was already horny before. Though it was getting harder to control. But it left Hallow more prone to being sensitive to even the slightest of chilly weather. That's why Hallow now prefers long sleeves to short sleeves. And another reason why her scrub is the longest on the team. She couldn't handle cold weather like before. Prompting her to also look for other ways to improve her wardrobe and lifestyle.

They also had a light argument about who was going to sleep on the bed. Hallow insisted that Valentine sleeps on the bed and that the couch was comfy enough for herself. Said woman persisted on being stubborn, at first wanting the couch and that Hallow slept in her own room. After enough back and forth, the two settled on an agreement: both of them will sleep in the bedroom with Valentine on the bed and Hallow on the floor. Hallow didn't budge when Valentine insisted that she could sleep on the floor instead of Holly. Holly finally won by saying that the floor wouldn't be good for Valerie's back.

As Valentine shifted in Hallow's bed, she took note of how comfy the blanket was. Hallow had multiple blankets in her closet. All of them had some kind of different fluffiness to it. Judging by the one that Valentine had, this was probably one of the more pricier ones.

Valentine turned her head slightly as she brought up the silky blanket and saw that Hallow had one plushie: a crow. Or was it a raven? Maybe both? Could be a magpie. It was goofy looking and definitely had a childish look to it.

She remembered Hallow telling her it was a gift from her younger brother before she came to the ASG Labs. Hallow did say that they were close, often causing harmless mischief and pranks. After Minato woke up from his coma, Hallow took every opportunity she had to spend time with her brother. And vice versa for him as well, having a close encounter with death made Minato appreciate life more.

It almost left Valentine green with envy, she was an only child in her…family. If she could even call whatever her domineering mother and 'weak-minded' father's relationship was. Sometimes Valentine wondered if having a sibling would have helped her situation while growing up. Oh well, no point in dwelling on 'what-if's' and 'could-haves'. Lingering in the past does have its consequences.

A vague memory from when the team introduced themselves came to Valentine. It was a super simple exercise to try and break the ice. They were going to be working together for many years. One of the things that stood out the most was how Hallow wanted to settle down and have a family. Valentine was filled with many doubts at first, especially with Holly's mischievous and creepy habits. But after getting to know Holly, she was actually a big, goofy sweetheart despite her spooky appearance and 'creepy' habits. Valentine's heart sank when she realized the current situation.

How ironic. Valentine thought. I'm the one who's knocked up before Holly has had a chance.

The fluffy crow-raven-magpie plushie was brought closer to Valentine in a melancholy hug as sleep lured her into dreamland.

—

Valentine woke up with the familiar nauseous feeling from the day before. Giving her a sense of deja vu. At least before she quickly grabbed the waste bin left next to her last night and vomited. Groaning, she wrapped the blanket around herself. Feeling an extra blanket when Valentine's consciousness was fully present. Huh, Holly must have put another blanket on her at some point. Oh well, time to get up again.

Valentine heard soft, angry croaking again as she exited the main bedroom. She turned to see that the desert rain frogs were attempting to eat the crickets that were put into their cage. They were trying their best but their short, stumpy tongues didn't reach far. It made Valentine wonder how these little potatoes survive in the wild. Like seriously? They were so round and squishy, how was it possible that nature was in their favor?

"Good morning." Hallow called out to Valentine, breaking her from her train of thought.

"Morning."

"How are you feeling?"

"I-URK!" Valentine only covered her mouth again, stomach starting to turn again for the second time this morning.

"Bathroom's at the end of the hallway." Hallow didn't even need to look up to hear the hasty, pounding footsteps of Valentine. Followed by a door slamming and sounds of agony in the form of her best friend. She only flipped the pancake on the pan as a few minutes later a flush was heard. "And she's done...for now."

Hallow heard croaks of agreement.

The bathroom door flung open as Valentine stumbled out, wiping her mouth in a rather sluggish way. After two seconds did her walking stabilize as she reached the small wooden dining table. Groaning, Valentine gave out an apology. "Sorry about that, Hol."

The taller woman looked back. "Don't worry, Val. I'm actually more worried about how we're going to keep the baby hidden from the ASG Labs until it's time."

"Oh, right…" Valentine paused as both desert rain frogs looked up from their bug massacre to the blue-haired woman in surprise. "After three months there is a good chance of me, uh…showing."

Another pancake done and set as Hallow placed both plates on the dining table. "With your body type? Yeah, it definitely will. I do have a few ideas though. One of them does include wearing more clothing—maybe one of your long coats. The second idea involves solely working in your section at Lab Seven. This way, you are away from our coworkers in our sector. Third: you could just use most of the time sparring with a new technique."

Valentine reached over to grab the authentic raw honey. Despite her recent cravings, she didn't feel like having anything too sweet as of yet. "Nu-uh, too risky. All of Lab Seven will know something is up if I changed my 'sexy' techniques. Everyone knows that after the enhancement drugs changed my body, I adapted and used it to my advantage. If I suddenly switched my tactics 'because I felt like it', it might lead to suspicion."

Valentine paused to take a sip of her ginger tea, praying to Trinity that it would ease her stomach for the whole day. "Plus, the more paranoid scientists might start picking up on my absence and report to Victor. …Mostly from the fact they have nothing better to do."

Hallow but her lip. Frustration started to seep in. "Shit. There aren't too many options, are there?"

Valentine put the teacup down gently on its holder. "Well, there is one more option. I could keep going as I am, wardrobe and all. And when the King permits it, I could volunteer for the field missions—"

"Absolutely not!" Hallow softly yelled to her best friend. "Val, more than of half of those missions involve going into Gigan territory. And even if you did outrun all of them, what are you going to do if you have to fight a few of them!? The stress might affect you and in turn kill the baby!"

Valentine's grip tightened slowly around the teacup, she added sarcastically. "Well, let's hope I get lucky and end up going on a theonite gathering mission instead."

"Valerie, I'm serious. All Gigan missions involve us going in and scouting the area! You should avoid doing them after three months or at least stick to theonite-based missions." Hallow took in a deep inhale and sighed. "At least try to tell the other ladies as soon as possible. They might have some suggestions."

The frogs both squeaked softly causing Hallow to look at them in shock and slight annoyance. "Oh, now you squeak?"

Gummy and Marshmallow turned to look at each other before hearing a noise from nearby. Oh? Was it time to get to work already? But they didn't even eat all the crickets!

Both Gummy and Marshmallow left their moving breakfast to go climb the rock in their cage. Gummy then climbed on top of Marshmallow before jumping by climbing on top of the rock. Carefully calculating, Gummy hopped out of the glass container and landed with a plop. Luckily, his squishy skin shielded his body. Gummy merely wiped his face and went over to hop on the button for the answering machine. It was set at the end of the dining table. The red light began to blink as it started up. After about five seconds the answering machine began to play recorded voicemails.

Gummy merely wiped his eyes in a bored and unamused manner before being picked up back to his cozy glass home.

The answering machine spoke up. "You have two new messages. First message: "Hi Hollyhock! How have you been? It's your brother, I sent this voice message just to check up on you. I hope that you're doing alright. Mom and dad keep wondering what the cuss you have been doing in those government labs. Are you doing illegal drugs? If so, you better not be testing them without me…HA! Just messin' with you, big sis! No but seriously, take it easy on whatever you're ingesting at your work okay? We're worried about your health. Last time you came to visit, Mom and Dad almost had a heart attack at how much you changed. I mean it, big sis. I hope your work is not making you feel too overwhelmed or stressed. We don't want you to be forced to do something drastic."

There was a deep sigh heard before Hallow's brother continued. "Anyways, let me know when you're available, I finally got a girlfriend and want you to meet her. Before you ask, no I didn't make the first move, she did. I don't even know what she sees in me. Op! Gotta go, school is going to start in an hour. Love you, bye!"

Valentine blinked as the recorded message stopped. "You know, I remember that your brother looked nothing like you."

Hallow got up to start washing the dishes. Chuckling as she recalled showing Valerie a photo of her brother. "Yeah, apparently he was lucky enough to get genes from our great-great-grandparents."

"Think he'll be as tall as you?"

Another chuckle could be heard. "I'd be surprised if he did. His growth spurt happened during middle school, but he's still five foot seven."

"Even in high school?"

"Haha! Yup! He doesn't mind though, he says that I can carry him to places if he doesn't feel like walking."

"…How lazy."

Hallow playfully shrugged at her best friend's response. "It runs in our family. Trinity knows that I'm lazy too at times."

At that moment, the answering machine spoke up. "Second message: 'H'llo Hol! It's Matty!"

Hallow almost dropped the plates she was washing into the sink. She caught them but barely as there was a clunking sound that echoed in the apartment. Both Gummy and Marshmallow squeaked angrily at the sudden interruption of their attempts at snatching their moving breakfasts. Valentine blinked, surprise on her face as she remembered the voice. "Huh? Isn't that—"

"Y'know? Pattycake's big brother? Wait, why am aye sayin' this? Of course ye remember, ye gave me yer number after our…uh, that night ye, me sis, 'n yer friends came over. And then we uh, we started seeing each other. Aye still haven't told Pattycakes about us yet. Mum and Dad already know...so do my young'r siblings. It's scary how fast children can sense things. Anyways, aye was wondering if ye have time later on this month or next month fer a date? But if not, aye understand. Pattycakes a'ready tol' me that ye and the ladies would be real busy. Especially with the…ya know. But, um, call back when ye can? …Um, please? And take your time. Aye mean, aye'll be waitin' though. But, uh…gah! Take yer time, aye'll see you soon!"

Ending on that awkward but endearing note was five seconds of sink water echoing in the kitchen. Hallow eventually reached over with a slow hand to turn off the sink. Leaving a thick kind of silence that enveloped the environment. Valentine and both frogs ended up looking at each other before turning to look back at Hallow. Unamusement clear on their faces as one of them croaked while Valentine had a growing, smug smile. Hallow only blushed in embarrassment as Valentine's smirk widened. "So…Patty's older brother, huh?"

"Um…" Valentine wondered if it was possible that Hallow's face could be more of a tomato. "That's not mine?"

Stares between best friends ensued. Valentine gave her best friend the 'I don't believe you face'. Valentine's smug smile never left so Hallow attempted a different technique. "I can explain?"

Valentine raised her eyebrows playfully "Do tell. I mean…he is only about half an inch taller than Patty."

All of Hallow's neighbors from every corner of the apartment complained about a banshee screaming that morning.

—

Val was close to her best friend, playfully tugging on her blue-violet nurse scrub sleeve. "C'mon, tell me."

Hallow only looked away embarrassingly as the ladies were waiting to cross a street light. Already prepped and ready to go to work. Valentine and Hallow hadn't put on their masks though. The taller woman had been steaming since leaving the apartment. So much, in fact, that she almost forgot to lock the front door. Luckily, Valentine reminded her so there wasn't much issue. But Hallow almost tripped over her own feet for ten minutes and refused to look her best friend in the eye.

Valentine switched tactics as she saw that Hallow was not going to budge. "Y'know? I wonder how Patty would feel knowing that you-"

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you!" Hallow sputtered, arms flying around in panic. Making some passersby jump in surprise or glare at the taller woman. Hallow quickly sent an apologetic look before starting. "Okay. So you remember Patty's Family Reunion?"

Last year before the King and Victor had doubled the work, The Last Hope and Brian had been invited to Patty's home. And at the time, they were having a family-reunion. Modern Ferals were very family-oriented and every one of Patty's relatives came from far and wide. …Somehow they had all fit into every corner of the two-story house. That night, the O'Connor Family surprised Valentine in more ways than one.

Starting off was Patty's parents, who were an interesting and lovely couple. Patty definitely took after her father, a goat Feral who was actually rather mild-mannered. He is a few inches taller than his daughter with a well-built body, short blonde hair, trimmed goatee, and a pair of dark gray curved horns to follow. Meanwhile her mother was a Deer Feral. And she was a bit shorter than Patty but instead had soft, brown hair that blended in with her deer tail and ears. Patty did inherit her mother's purple eyes and energy though.

Thirdly, Patty had a lot of siblings. In fact, she had a total of five siblings: three brothers and two sisters. She was the only the second oldest, however, as her older brother Matty took first place. Even if he was only slightly taller than his sister. Matty is a deer Feral with short, somewhat fuzzy brown hair with green eyes.

All of The Last Hope had been welcomed very warmly by the whole family. Patty's younger siblings immediately greeted their sister by attempting to headbutt and surprise her. The youngest Last Hope member was way ahead of them though and managed to stop her siblings oncoming greetings. When they realized that their 'surprise attack' had failed, they did the next best thing: hop on top of Easter and Hallow's shoulders. Reason being that they wanted to feel 'taller'. They immediately got scolded of course, to which the ladies said that they didn't mind.

Valentine remembered talking to so many individuals. Only a few of them had captured her interest. And even fewer had managed to understand her level of mentality. While some of them had disagreed with a few of her ideals, they were rather respectful about her opinion. Something that she was secretly grateful about.

Later on in the party, somebody forgot to tell The Last Hope that most of the adult drinks were alcohol-based. In less than half an hour, Holly was buzzed. Not long after, Hallow turned her attention to Matty and was pretty straightforward when flirting with him. It was past midnight and all of the extended family members had already left or were sleeping in the spare guest rooms. So the two were saved from prying and nosy eyes. Granted they didn't do anything but whatever Holly must have said was probably, um… intense. Matty couldn't stop blushing for an hour or so. His ears wouldn't stop releasing steam or twitching and his fluffy tail was wagging a blur a mile a minute.

"First we'll date, then if it works out…we can get married and then we'll have lots of babies after we—"

Whatever was going to be said was better left unspoken. Left up to the deep, darkest, dirtiest pits of the human brain as Holly collapsed on top of the poor Feral in his room.

At first there was nothing but silence in the dimly lit room. But Matty finally realized that a woman had full-out flirted with him after about ten minutes. She had even extra steps and plans! Processing this information, he had tried to get up but his lanky body couldn't move the much taller, fit woman. Several attempts later, Matty gave up and the only thing that he could do was cover their bodies with his blanket. After that, the both of them were stuck in a rather intimate position until the morning.

Said morning came and Holly was the first one to wake up. She blinked a few times before her consciousness realized that she was lying on something warm. When her eyes snapped open, she saw the face of a super cute and handsome Feral. It took Holly a few seconds for something in her mind to break. She was laying on top of Patty's older brother.

I need to get out before Patty finds us like this!

Scrambling to get up but not wake Matty up, Holly came out of his room. Only to come face to face with his mother. The petite Deer Feral was holding a tray of teacups, she was going to leave her children a cup outside their doors. The older woman's face was stuck in shock, her mouth agape slightly. Holly panicked and quickly made a 'shushing' motion with her finger and a quick apology. Mrs. O'Connor only nodded thoughtlessly, a little too shaken and shocked to fully process what happened.

After that, well, the rest was history.

Now that Valentine thought about it. Holly did have a thing for Ferals…and short guys—especially short guys. Hence why she collects the Feral Boy Magazines.

"Um…" Hallow's sudden meek voice brought Valentine out of her thoughts. The taller woman shyly poked the tips of her index fingers together while walking. "Mats and I were trying to find a good way to tell everyone we know. Don't tell Patty, please."

Valentine rolled her eyes "If we told Patty, she might have a heart attack, faint, try to murder you, or all three."

Hallow shivered. "I…don't know how she might pull all three off if I get a head start on running. Or grabbing her by the horns, that works too."

Valentine chuckled. She remembered the team's humble beginnings, all of them were mere strangers to each other. They tried an exercise in getting to know one another. Hallow had, for a lack of a better word, literally grabbed Patty at the base of her horns and had even lifted her up. She had been curious as to how the Feral managed to develop tall horns at her age. However, Hallow's actions caused the young Feral to bleat angrily whilst blushing and thrashing. Pretty much lightly threatening the pale nurse, who only shrugged and put her down after a while.

Another time was when Hallow was curious if she could fit her head between Patty's horns. Once again, grabbing the young Feral's horns at the base and plopping her head on top of Patty's head…and hat. Which crumpled afterwards but it was quickly fixed. It left a couple of permanent wrinkles though, much to Patty's dismay.

Then there was the time when Hallow had accidentally sipped some strong beverage and...tried to eat Patty's horns. In her buzzed state, she thought that they were rock candy. Patty had never looked so red and embarrassed the labs thought it was a new record. Patty was now on her guard whenever Hallow had alcohol on her. She wasn't going to take any chances with Hallow any more than she had.

"Hehe, anyway I didn't-or rather, we-didn't do anything. I was too smashed and he didn't want to take advantage of that."

"Huh, what a gentleman." Valentine playfully mused. Recalling some of the words Hallow and Patty used when they found out about her night out. "He's perfect for you."

Hallow turned bright red again and flailed her arms around. "Shush! We're getting close to the Labs!"

"Oh, so if I get teased it's alright?"

"You're different! I don't want Patty to impale me with her horns! That's not how I want to go out!"

Valentine rolled her eyes before poking at Hallow one more time. "Uh huh, sure. All because you're dating her older brother and I'm the one who had the cliche, one-night stand. Actually, did you two get to third base yet?"

"…You're just trying to get back at me now, aren't you?"

"Yup~!" A popping could be heard from Valentine as she exaggerated the 'p'. Hallow and Patty enjoyed getting a reaction from Valentine so now it was her turn to return the favor.

Hallow sighed deeply as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I hate you."

"Awww~! No you don't~"

"Hmph. You're right. I only hate you about sixty percent at best."

Valentine's eye quirked. "And the other forty percent?"

"Loathe entirely."

Valentine stared at her best friend. "Pfft. Yeah sure, keep telling yourself that."

Hallow waved her off playfully. "Let's…Let's just get inside and start the day."

—

"Alright! Aye'm off!" The Feral of the day shouted from the front door of her cozy home.

Almost immediately several heads leaked out from their bedrooms. Not a minute later, the youngest family members dashed from their rooms to give their Big Sis a hug.

"Bye, Patty!"

"'ave a good day!"

"Yeah! What she said!"

"Oi! Ye bett'r come home ear'ly!"

"Don't talk to big sis like that!"

"Come on, kiddos. Give yer Big Sis some space!" Matty walked over, gently scolding his siblings as he managed to detach two of them. "She needs to go to work!"

"Awww, can't she stay a little longer?"

"No, now come on! Aye got to get there before noon or else Victor a' Christine are going to get on my arse again!"

Both of her parents yelled from the kitchen. "Language young lady!"

Patty's ears drooped down in annoyance as Matty got their last sibling off of her leg, who spoke up. "Why can't we come?"

One of the other siblings hopped. "Yeah! We want to do secret government work too!"

Patty patted all of them on their heads while chuckling. "Aye would but who's goin' to watch Mammy 'nd Daddy while aye'm gone?"

One of the boys let out a small squeak of frustration, headbutting his sister in the legs. "Baaah! Ye always say that!"

Matty's ears flicked in irritation at his brother's statement. "Braden, Patty's work is serious! An' it's no laughing matt'r!"

"Yeah, but still-"

Patty interrupted. "Tell ye what? Aye can teach some of ye little rugrats some of me moves today if aye'm not exhausted?"

That quickly caught everyone's attention. "WHAT?!"

Patty looked up to see even her mother and father with half of their bodies out from the kitchen door frame. She only shrugged as she saw their facial expressions. "Aye mean, aye might as well teach 'em 'ow to defend themselves. There's been a lot of bad events going on as of lately."

Both parents look at each other before turning to Matty, who sighed before replying. "It's true, Ma and Pa. Patty is being honest, aye've heard the locals complain about the disappearances at work."

Patty gently punched her older brother in the shoulder before winking playfully at him. "Speaking of which, aye gotta getcha to start growing some muscle too! Yer stag horns shouldn't be the only defense ye got! What if one day ye get a lady friend?"

Everyone had a reaction to that question: her sisters started giggling uncontrollably, her other brother rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out in disgust, both of her parents suddenly crowded close and began whispering, and Braden only gave an innocent head tilt.

Matty blushed whilst rubbing his arm bashfully. "Um…well…"

Braden spoke up again. "But Patty, Matty is already-"

Matty and both of the younger sisters' ears perked up in panic and immediately got to action. One of the girls dashed to the kitchen to grab Patty's work bag while the other opened the front door. Matty grabbed his sister by the shoulders and gently turned her to lightly push her out the door. "Ah! Alrighty, goodbyePattyweloveyehaveagooddayatworktellyerfriendswesaidhelloandwewantthemtocomeandvisitagain!"

The sister came back with the work bag and tossed it to Patty, who caught it without even needing to turn around. But the Feral was confused about everyone's sudden actions. "Huh? What-"

SLAM! Click!

The sister at the door merely had a big, smug smile as she completed her task of locking the front door. Never can be too careful. Leaning her deer ear against the door, she waited for a total of five seconds. Once she was sure Patty's footsteps were long gone, she turned to Matty and her other siblings. "She's gone."

Matty only let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Izzie."

"Yer welcome, now pay up!"

"Izzie!" Mrs. O'Connor gasped from the kitchen. "Ye don't ask yer brother fer rewards!"

Izzie only grumbled as she shook her head and snorted. Her big, floppy deer ears flicked before her head hung down in shame. "Aye only wanted Matt's candy."

Said brother only playfully rolled his eyes before walking over and ruffled his sister's hair. When he was sure their parents weren't looking, Matty quickly dropped a plant-based truffle chocolate in his sister's hand. Izzie looked up only for Matty to wink and make a small shushing motion.

"Now go on, shoo! Go get ready for school!"

Izzie's eyes lightened up and nodded as she put the wrapped candy away. She quickly thanked Matty then dashed into the kitchen after her siblings. Her giggling echoed around the two-story house as she followed her siblings into preparing for school.

Not a second later, Matty's ears flicked as he heard his younger sisters in the kitchen. As he grabbed his arpon, he heard something shuffling as the girls closed their lunchboxes. "Tha' boy from New Meridian was asking fer her again."

A head tilt was the only response. "Oh yeah? Which one?"

"The one with the cute chameleon pet!" Matty felt his foot and ears starting to twitch in irritation at the mention of his sisters' current conversation.

"F'r real?!" She gasped lightly. "Maybe he'll finally get to ask Big Sis Patty out!"

"Yeah! They're perfect for each other! And then when they get together, we can play with his pet chameleon all the time!"

"His pet chameleon an' those cute frogs Matty's girlfrien' has!"

Matty shivered for a bit as he heard that last bit from his sisters. Like most good brothers, he was against his sisters dating most men. Granted, Matty had nothing against the lad his younger sisters were talking about. He only wanted the best for all of his siblings. But still, Matty couldn't help but be protective. Another chill went through his body as he recalled Hol telling him about her younger brother. Or rather, she warned him about Minato.

When Hol showed Matty a photo of her brother, the young lad looked harmless enough…until Hol told him that he was the reason that many lads-and lassies-never bullied her and thought twice about cheating again in their romantic lives. Gehenna, even those blue-gray eyes of Minato's were probably watching every one of Matty's moves. All Matty could do was pray and hope that he at least got his blessings later on.

Meanwhile during class, Hallow's brother sneezed during class. Several of Minato's classmates immediately responded with 'bless you' with Minato thanking them afterwards. Minato shook his head as he felt some odd goosebumps and shivers traveling up his spine. Suddenly he had the urge to grab the shovel from the house's backyard. For what, he wasn't sure. But a gut feeling was telling him to do so. …Just in case.

—

"Aye swear on Trinity, ye ask about a certain topic or person an' suddenly everyone jumps in to avoid discussing the issue." Patty mumbled to herself as she hiked along the road to the ASG Labs with the door coming in view. "At least they could let Matty answer, it can't be that bad, right?"

Inside the ASG Labs, Hallow sneezed and ended up spilling hot tea on herself. Her yells echoed around the hallway alerting those who were nearby or those who just entered. She and Valentine had been waiting patiently for the other members of The Last Hope to arrive. Strangely, they were a little behind on their usual arrival time. Though the best friends didn't mind, this gave the two of them some way to try and tell the other ladies about Valentine's current condition.

Speaking of which, Valentine slowly accepted her pregnancy. Maybe Hallow finding out sooner than later helped ease her nerves even if just by a tad. Valentine didn't mind being vulnerable to her best friend after all. Hallow was, unironically, one of the very few people who she can get along with. Though that didn't mean Valerie was any less grateful for Christine, Patty, Easter, and to an extent, Brian, for their friendships.

For the hundredth time, Valentine played several scenarios in her head of how to approach her other teammates. After arriving at the ASG Labs, Valentine and Hallow immediately clocked in and started sorting files. Valentine made sure to keep her mask just below her nose so no suspicion from her other co-workers would rise. Valentine felt tempted to check on the fetus's development but willed it down. As much as she wanted to use the Canopy Kingdom's 'state-of-the-art' technology, she had to wait-no, Valentine needed to wait until she told the rest of her teammates about her condition. Then she could start doing daily updates with all of The Last Hope.

Everyone had a different reaction regardless of the enhancement drug they tested on themselves. One similar reaction they all had was that they all got physically stronger, had enhanced stamina, and also turned a few skin tones paler.

Valentine's body had become more curvy than it was before. Not only that, Valentine could feel that a part of herself was not the same after the change. One example was she felt a continuous need to learn even if Valentine was learning something out of human reach and understanding. It was an empty part of her brain that refused to be filled or satisfied no matter how much she learned about anything no matter the subject. Another was that she could practically feel how she felt little to no sexual or romantic behaviors unless she felt a deep connection with someone.

Hallow's skin had become more sensitive to certain materials and left her more prone to the cold. However, her emotional intelligence has been boosted to the point where she is so self-aware, that Hallow covers it up by acting 'creepy'. Patty grew more aggressive in terms of her Feral instincts and became even more territorial, even with average animals. Eventually, Patty also developed a taste for meat due to burning more energy and some of her biology changing. Christmas's eyesight had deteriorated drastically and she needed glasses. She also ended up getting boosted intelligence but was also more blunt and tends to have more of a 'logic and priorities first, sympathy and empathy later' mentality. While their leader has gotten better at controlling this, her words still tend to have a sharp edge like her scalpels. Easter developed more strength, in terms where if she grabbed something small, like a cup, it would shatter instantly. The drawback was she now needed to be extra careful with her strength lest she wants to break someone's bones. And with how many times Easter has accidentally knocked a door down, it was a surprise that Stanley and other employees don't have permanent bruises yet. That, or they covered it up and told her not to worry about it.

Valentine gently bit her lower lip as the reminder that they were lucky to survive is a miracle. The fact that five people were the ones left from their previously larger group of one hundred lived to see another day already said a lot about their work force. It would genuinely surprise Valentine if the baby managed to live throughout the whole nine months. After all, she and The Last Hope had taken many dangerous missions and battle practices. Most of their duels involve breaking their bones and bleeding to the point of needing to get several blood replacements!

Anxiety almost started bubbling up and bile almost came until Valentine forced it back down. She did quite literally need to swallow her pride and ask her teammates for help with the baby. There was no way she could do this on her own…but there was also no easy way to tell her teammates. Hallow found out way too quickly, who's to say that Patty, Easter, Christmas, or even Brian could find out before Valentine told them herself?

—

Patty wrinkled her nose as she entered the labs, the dull door closed behind her as her footsteps echoed routinely. Lately her senses have been overwhelmed with a new scent that seemed surprisingly familiar. She didn't know what it was, it just seemed…off. Like there was something that was just hanging around these past few weeks. Maybe Lab 4 exploded again after messing with some theonite crystals? Hopefully Stanley wasn't caught in the crossfire again. The Dagonian Shark was a sweetheart of a lad despite his nervous and anxious tendencies.

One of her ears flopped slightly as Patty heard heavy footsteps approaching her. Ah, looks like Easter was right behind her. "Good morning, Patty! Is something troubling you dear?"

Patty perked up immediately. "Ah! Mornin' Easter! And yea', lately me nose has be'n pickin' up something…unusual."

"Oh dear. Maybe some extra side effects are starting to pop up from the enhancement drugs?"

"Hmmmmm, maybe it is the drugs." Patty concluded. "Trinity knows tha' we don't need anymore side effects than we already hav'."

"Hehe, indeed." Easter chuckled before sighing. "I can't even give my family the same hugs like I used to. Otherwise, they would have plenty of broken bones."

"It's still hard fer me to control meself around me family sometimes too."

That's when the door opened from one of the halls. Out came Valentine and Hallow as they were carrying documents and a crate full of new enhancement drugs they whipped up. Rather, Hallow was the one to quickly make something. Valentine was stubborn once again, this time in assisting her best friend but the taller woman wasn't having any of it. Instead, opting that Valentine would rather work on writing the solutions and chemicals they used.

"What happened then? Did you—Oh! Good morning, ladies." Hallow chimed, quickly switching the subject. Valentine only gave a half-hearted wave. She had to drink three cups of ginger tea after coming to the ASG Labs just to attempt to keep her stomach down again. For now, it was working. Although Valentine wasn't sure for how long that would last.

"Good morning, dearies! Did all of you sleep well?" Easter called out.

"Yup! Although, I had a hard time sleeping last night and woke up in between hours again."

"Same here, though for me it happened more in the morning." Valentine stated.

Easter lightly clicked her tongue at her two younger teammates. "Girls, I'm glad you appreciate your work but try not to feel overwhelmed or let it occupy your personal life."

Valentine blinked before looking away with a sarcastic tone. "Easy for you to say."

Easter playfully looked taken aback by Valentine's sharp tongue, a hand on her chest. "Goodness Valentine…did you sleep on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"

"No." Valentine replied a little too rapidly.

"Hmmmm." Easter in turn merely squinted her eyes before turning to Patty. "What about you, Patty?"

Their Feral teammate didn't answer though. Her senses overflowed again. Instincts started to scream at her even after years of practice. Something about protection and preservation and head rubs. Why did she want head rubs?! This was becoming confusing! But as she tried to pinpoint it, it ended up leading her to herself and her teammates.

But…? Nobody was wearing any strong perfumes this time. After the meeting two days ago, Victor had also asked that everyone lower their use of perfumes and colognes. That way, there would be less accidental incidents or chemical reactions from future experiments. Many had groaned internally but nevertheless agreed. Nobody wanted chemical sideburns or to end up smelling like burnt rubber. A small number did have loved ones to return to and would rather not come back home with a thousand different excuses.

As Patty only half-heartedly nodded and listened to the conversation earlier, she focused this time as to where the familiar scent was coming from. It wasn't too hard as Feral senses were much stronger than most living creatures in the world. But…the discovery didn't make sense because it was coming from Valentine.

Patty instinctively and unintentionally got closer to get a better understanding, Valentine got a little spooked though. "P-Patty!"

Said woman had grabbed the younger girl by her face and shoved her away. Patty let out a few muffled yelps before Valentine realized what she was doing and let go in a shocked realization. "O-Oh, sorry Patty."

"Ish fine." Patty merely replied while rubbing her nose. "Though yer not usually this jumpy."

"Patty, don't be ridiculous." Easter gently scolded before gently reaching over and grabbing Patty under her arm. The Feral's face turned to annoyance. "After all, you just told me yourself that your Feral senses aren't what they used to be."

Patty huffed from Easter's soft side. "Yeah w'll, it's not me fault that aye can't help meself with me Feral instincts."

This time, Valentine gave her two cents. "I thought that you were the first one to boast that you were able to control it."

One of Patty's ears flicked at how Valentine was acting. Lightly moving her head against Easter's side she immediately noticed how Valentine seemed more tense than usual. The Last Hope's second-in-command definitely was being more…grumpy than usual. Well, that's what being employed by the King would do to you. And even more with this pitiful war going on.

Then again, whatever was happening to Patty didn't make complete sense. Her primal side was practically screaming at her again to protect Valentine. Though Patty's head was not exactly clear as to why. Unlike her usual busy mindset, Patty felt her brain going rather blank. Which was actually something uncomfortably new for the young Feral. Usually she would be thinking about a ton of stuff about life, family, dreaming about meeting 'the one' someday, the usual. Never giving her mind a rest, the most she has had a clear mind is for about five minutes at best! There was just something that was driving her crazy. In this case: Valentine.

Patty lightly bit her lower lip, maybe she should ask Valentine if she had tried any unique enhancement drug. Whatever this was, it was going to drive Patty crazy if not taken care of sooner than later. Smiling, Patty offered a big grin. "Ye can drink somethin' w'th me lat'r!"

Both Hallow and Valentine stiffened. They quickly glanced at each other before the latter responded. "I'm good Patty. Anyways, Victor might get on our case if he sees us drinking on the job."

Patty perked up from Easter's grip. Valentine usually wasn't one to turn down her stronger drinks. "He doesn't need to kno'! We can keep it a secret!"

"Christmas would find out, Brian will do that 'read people like a book' thing, and I might get chewed out for not stopping you girls. Let's not do this right now, Patty. Come on." Easter quickly chimed in. She shifted Patty in her arms before bidding a mini-farewell to the best friend duo and headed off towards their labs.

Patty attempted to turn her head towards the duo but her ears only perked. She barely picked up some words but she knew the sounds of whispers anywhere. Especially the kind that sounded worried and rapid. She was all too familiar with it. Mammy and Daddy would sometimes worry about her younger siblings after all. And if not them, her Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Grandparents. Most if not all Ferals did come with their own set of health issues after all. Their biology only had some human DNA in them so Ferals shared several health issues with actual animals.

Patty recognized this was a kind of familial worry. Or at least, Patty thought so. Hallow's family did live in New Meridian. But according to their records, the family was healthy except for her brother. He was the main reason why Hallow became a nurse.

Minato had gotten into a coma around seven years old. Nobody knew exactly what the hell happened. All they got from the police reports was that he was at the 'wrong place at the wrong time'. The officials stated that he was playing with some friends near a street when the driver suddenly lost control of their car. The boy had shoved his friends out of the way and ended up becoming a victim.

Minato had died. Yet, he somehow defied death and came back.

Just the thought of something like that was enough to send shivers down Patty's spine. The young lad even gave full details of his out-of-body experience. It was nerve-wrecking and unreal.

Valentine was…a different case. Sure she had her mother and father…or rather just her father. But the old man definitely had seen brighter days.

According to the Kingdom's records, Valentine's father was in a rather critical condition. His back had been thrown out too many times to the point where he needed weekly check-ups from a visiting Doctor in New Meridian. Maybe Valentine finally got around to writing her dad a letter? The few times she mentioned him, she said he was a good man. Albeit a bit awkwardly but Patty didn't sense a hint of malice or negativity in her tone. So Patty guessed Valentine had something of a good relationship with her father.

If Valentine did get a letter back from her dad, was it that bad? Maybe she was secretly stressing out about her dad's health? Hence the scent Patty kept trying to figure out. Confound, and bless, these enhancement drugs! They screwed up her body!

The only good thing was that Patty didn't get drunk anymore and could control her seasonal cycles. Which meant that she could drink all she wanted without embarrassing herself and calm her nerves around cute guys. Though that didn't mean Patty wouldn't stop flirting whenever she could.

Valentine got so lucky on her one-night stand. Patty couldn't help but be a tad jealous that Valentine scored a hunk! Valerie of all people!

Well, maybe tad was being too generous but still! Patty would have bit her hands had she not been happy for Valentine.

As Easter's surprisingly light footsteps echoed around the hallways. Patty almost felt herself fall asleep from the rhythm but forced herself awake. She needed to drink some black tea later on.

Now that Patty thought about it, Valentine had asked for tea yesterday. She had three cups of it! That woman never asked for tea. Ever!

Patty didn't think too much of it at first yesterday. But considering that she smelled ginger tea from both of the ladies, this was something new. Hallow could never budge her best friend to change her habits unless Valentine really needed to for whatever reason.

Well, time to test the waters. Whatever was happening to Valentine and herself, Patty really needed to figure it out before it drove her crazy. Quite literally.

—

"Oí, Hallow!"

"Hmm?" Said woman in question perked up from her latest formula: mixing oleander, cyanide, and rattlesnake Feral venom. An odd choice but Patty wasn't even going to ask her where she got the venom from.

Patty only plowed her elbows on the table while resting her head on her palms. "'Ow's yer brother?"

Hallow blinked in surprise before replying. "Oh, Minty? He's fine, in fact he left me a voicemail saying he's in a romantic relationship now. I'm really happy for him."

Patty's ears flickered a bit, chuckling a bit. "Aye'm not surprised. He looks quite t'e charmer."

Hallow gave her something of a cross between an annoyed and playful look. "I'm right here, you know."

"Yeah yeah, aye kno. 'Ow can aye not see ye?"

"Pfft, anyways you're not his type or his age. If anything, you might end up scaring him despite his poker face." Hallow poked.

"Oì! Wo'ld n't!"

"Would too."

"Not!"

"Too~!"

"WO'LD! N'T!"

"Would not and you know it."

"Yeah aye would—Oì!"

Hallow only laughed at Patty's expense. The young Feral only huffed and walked behind the pale woman to her shelves. Taking note of the different chemicals, toxins, antibiotics, antidotes, and natural remedies she wrote. Wow…Hallow was really dedicated to finding ways to make every serum possible for every possible scenario. If Patty was a normie, she would have been in awe. But she shivered slightly instead.

"So everything's o'kay with yer brother?"

"Yeah. Nothing out of the blue. He would have told me."

"What about Val?"

Patty heard some papers crunching slightly under Hallow's usual soft grip. Hallow choose her next words carefully. "What do you mean, 'what about Val'?"

"Aye mean…" Patty turned her head to look at the taller woman, who only had her head turned slightly. "Both ye and Val soun' on edge for whatev'r reason. And ye just tol' me that Minato is doing alr'ght so aye'm guessing Valentine is worried 'bout her dad?"

Hallow clicked her tongue before standing and shuffling the papers in her hand. "Don't start assuming things, Patty. We're just a bit on edge from the war and…the report we got."

Patty shivered as the report from yesterday came back to her. She couldn't bear the thought of her siblings being trafficked and never seeing them again. If that did happen, Patty is one hundred-percent sure that the Medici would be begging for mercy from her. With or without her being in control of her thoughts. And not just her, Easter and Hallow would also make their deaths painful as well.

Thankfully, King Franz had already sent a few teams to go and attempt to stop the Medici and save whoever was still living. All everyone could do now was wait. Though that was going to be hard to do.

"G…Good point." Patty didn't dare bring up another question or subject to talk about. It was obvious that Hallow didn't want to talk about whatever was bothering her.

—

After lunch it was break time for everyone. Patty had used this as an excuse to sneak away to her personal lab. She quickly mixed some alcohol she had brought in with her. She shook the stainless steel cylinder flask with minimal effort before nodding to herself. Quickly grabbing a glass cup and filling it with a few ice cubes before she poured the mixture in.

As she finished pouring it in, Patty heard her door opening. Turning around, she saw "Val!"

Valentine groaned a bit before coughing lightly. Wiping her mouth, the woman only gave her a half-hearted greeting in return. "Hi Patty."

Patty gently circled her wrist holding the spare glass. Swirling it's divine liquid around. "Aye know ye said ye didn't want any. But aye made it for ye anyway!"

Patty expected her friend to take it with a sarcastic remark. Instead, Valentine merely walked past her. Patty's ears twitched before she turned around in slight annoyance. "Oí! Val, h're you go! One cup of Rum alcohol with dark chocolate swirl!"

"Huh?" Valentine looked up from the current paper she had grabbed: another hypothesis. Looking at the glass made her mouth water until she remembered that she was three weeks along. Her grip tightened on the bottom half of her scrub. A daily reminder to take it easy. She couldn't just think about herself anymore.

Being careful about her choice of words, she said. "Awww~, for me? Thank you Patty, but I would rather not get in trouble with Christmas or Brian. How about you give it to Hallow or Easter instead?"

Patty's face immediately paled, her eyes shrunk, and her ears drooped down. "Are ye sure? Remember what happened last time Hallow had something this strong? And what about Easter? She finished all of me bottles and forgot to give me some! And don' get me started on how Brian and Christmas refuse to drink more than ten percent! Y'are the only one who could control themselves without acting crazy!"

Valentine only chuckled as she remembered how once Hallow took a sip from Patty's special stash, she ended up swiping the whole bottle and downing it in one go. Everyone found out that day that the pale nurse was a real lightweight. Needless to say, all the scientists and employees never looked at her the same way and got really scared of her. In fact, a new rule had been placed immediately in effect: No lightweights were allowed near alcohol. EVER. When she finally got over her buzz, Hallow ended up in a tree with a bucket on her head and several party favors in her mouth.

Oh, and some stripper guy's phone numbers. Score! She had later called them on her birthday this past October and took all of them, even The Last Hope, out ice skating.

Not even Valentine knew what she did or how she got up there. Maybe it was better left unsaid. The show the guy strippers ended up doing was worth it though.

As for Easter, the woman could handle her alcohol for the most part. But if it was from Patty's stash, she…couldn't control her own strength. Not only did the practice enhancement drugs boosted her muscle, it also made her more capable of breaking doors and objects on accident. A simple one to two knocks would make it fall over. Lab 7 used to have a tally chart to see how many doors would either break, fall, or have a hole by the end of the day. …And then they lost count after a month. Easter would unintentionally break things if she had a bit too much alcohol. Something about 'counting chickens after they hatched'. Nevertheless, the Labs would also have to fix the doors when they were done with work for the day. Easter continually apologized, to which most said not to worry about it. They all wanted something unexpected or an excuse to do something other than science and research. Even if they got hurt.

And the Drain couple didn't want anything more than ten percent alcohol. Surprisingly they were not too fond of the adult substance. Instead, they preferred smoking. Not exactly a healthier substitute but Patty wasn't one to judge…too much.

Patty always complained about not being able to get drunk anymore due to the practice enhancement drugs. Although her complaints stopped once she realized how much she could drink now. Until she got banned from the Lab's supply that is. Then Patty had to find alternatives.

Valentine gathered the papers, tapped them against the table to straighten out, and quickly stood up. "Now if you excuse me, I have papers to deliver to Victor."

Patty shook her head and stirred the cup as she saw Valentine leave. "But Val! T'e drink aye made ye!"

"Give it to someone else!" Was the only response she got before Valentine closed the door. The Feral was left there standing and pondering isolated in the room. Her gut instinct gave her the 'I told you something was up' feeling. Patty sniffed a bit as one of her ears merely fluttered about uncontrollably.

—

Even in broad daylight, the streets of New Meridian were busy.

A lone woman donned a simple blue sunflower dress paired with a summer beach hat. Weaving in between the people expertly as she headed towards her destination: a grand chapel sitting on a lone hill for all to see.

Meanwhile, inside said chapel, a beautiful woman with short blonde hair was tending to the inside of a cathedral by gently sweeping the carpet. Her dark blue-violet nun wear caught one of the small dust particles that flew every now and then. However, the ginormous place she tended to on a daily basis never had too muscular dust. She made sure of that.

No place of worship for her Masters, The Trinity, will have even a particle of grim or dirt. The Grand Cathedral was huge with it at least being two stories tall. Lucious carpet with a neutral wall color greatly accommodated the beautiful mosaics. Huge statues of the Goddesses were in the front of the first floor. It felt like walking into a castle. The only difference was that this was a place of worship and to let go of any worries and doubts to the Goddesses.

The routinely sounds of the front doors opening. Ah, a visitor. There was nobody here as it was working and academic hours so the Grand Cathedral was empty. Sister Agatha turned her head to greet the visitor until she saw who it was. Queen Nancy herself has come once again. It was not that hard to see who it was beneath the seemingly innocent disguise.

Agatha immediately started walking towards the woman and bowed lightly. "Your Majesty, how may I be of service today?"

"Thank you, Sister Agatha. But I am not asking to be tended to right now. I am only here to pray for those who lost their lives in the war. And…to pray that by some miracle that this will stop."

"I understand. How are your husband and daughter?"

"They're both doing well. My daughter's persistent in being the top of her class even though I told her she doesn't have to. Though she barely rests or takes breaks anymore. As a mother, I can't help but worry."

"Understandable. After all, your daughter will carry the Renoir name one day."

Nancy opened her mouth to say something before closing it. Quickly, she said. "Yes, Parasoul will be a wonderful Queen one day."

Double smirked as she recognized the feeling Her Majesty is currently feeling: despair and hopelessness. Nancy barely mentioned her husband. If the shapeshifter had to guess, she was avoiding discussing him to suppress her growing frustrations. The woman was too kind for her own good, it was going to destroy her one day.

Double smirked as she watched the Queen take a seat in front of the Trinity statue and began praying. The Queen could be a possible candidate as a Skullgirl. If so, she wondered how powerful a sweet, pacifistic woman who loved her family and kingdom to bits despite their flaws could be?

Such thoughts would have to wait, however. She had to keep an eye on the Contiello Family, they were her first priority.

—

"Hmmmm, Hallow or Easter? Easter or Hallow? Es or Hol." Patty mused.

One of her ears flickered, barely audible whispering could be heard from around the upcoming corner of the corridor she was walking in. Must be gossip…Patty wanted to know who, what, why, when, and what it was about. She was bored trying to figure out who to give the drink to. Both options sounded like no consequences could be avoided whatsoever. So Patty left the drink in the resting room's mini-fridges, whoever got it first will drink it.

She was sure nothing bad would happen.

And secondly, things got boring really quickly in the ASG Labs. Everyone was either tired, sleep-deprived, anxious, stressed, wished they took another job, or was vibrating from over consumption of a combination of caffeine and energy drinks. Some gossip would do everyone good…until it brings drama of course. Then no one benefited from it.

Anyways, long story short: Patty is still young and craving some stories to discuss about. She was still in her early twenties, might as well enjoy it before she gets old and starts scolding everybody for whatever reason.

When Patty opened her mouth to greet whoever it was down the hallway, she stopped as she recognized the voices. One had a sultry voice and the other had a soothing but softly eerie edge to it. She recognized her teammates' voices anywhere. It was easy when they were the only ones who sounded like they were trying too hard on some things in life.

Valentine and Hallow? Patty thought as she stopped walking. What were they doing? Why were they whispering? And why did both Valentine and Hallow look like they were committing a crime while doing so? What's going on? Was Valentine going to go more into details about the man she met? If so, this is a perfect opportunity for Patty! She never told everything from her night out—she couldn't miss this! Maybe Hallow finally got through to her bestie about that night and wanted advice.

Hallow could keep trying, she guessed. With her theme, body, and…creepy habits, Hallow could only wish and hope that she could land a man.

Once again, Matty and Minato sneezed. Both brothers felt disappointed for some reason. Matty felt a sad kind of disappointment while Minato sniffed before feeling himself get angry. Man, today was not his day.

Patty pricked her ears and slowly edged herself against the wall. Careful as to not let her horns scrap, lest she wants to alert the ladies. Gently sliding her back until she could hear what both of her older teammates were saying.

"Hallow do you have any candy on you?"

"Of course. Dark chocolate, right?"

"Umm, actually…" Valentine started, rubbing her arm shyly. "I'm craving something along the lines of milk chocolate. Or even caramel chocolate if you have any."

A small snort from Hallow was heard. "Cravings already? Especially sugar? You're only three weeks along."

Valentine shot back, red from embarrassment and panic. "Shut up! It's not me who wants it."

"Oh? Then who?" Patty swore she could feel Hallow's smug smile through her leather mask. That's how creepy Hallow could be at times. She was good at it but needed to tone it down, even if Hallow said she would never. Valentine let out a hmmp! and crossed her arms looking away from her best friend.

"C'mon~ say it~" Hallow insisted and poked Valentine's nose gently. "Y'know you have to~."

Valentine huffed before whisper-shouting. "Fine! The baby wants it! Happy?"

Patty's eyes widened and her ears shot up in surprise. Her brain suddenly shut off as shock coursed throughout her body. Baby? Wha-Huh? Who?

Hallow giggled. "Yes, mostly because you can't keep denying that you have a small human being who is currently the size of a small bean in your private chambers."

Valentine let out an annoyed sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Couldn't you just use regular scientific terms instead of making this sound weird?"

Hallow leaned back with her hands on her hips, eyebrows quirked with a scolding face "Unless you want every lab to know about the both of you early and unprepared, then yes."

Valentine stared back unamused, and Patty heard her arms crossing from the way the scrub shifted and folded. "...Good point. C'mon, let's go back to work before someone notices we're gone for too long."

Footsteps were closer than before and Patty held her breath as Hallow easily caught up to the fast-paced Valentine. "What about the special order of candy both of you wanted?"

A sigh was the only response. "I...still want it. Just quickly pass it to me when we go back to my lab station."

"Okie doke!"

As the women left, Patty was thankful that the floor she was on was soft and that neither of them saw her. After she was sure a minute had passed, Patty quickly glanced around the corridor corner and pricked her ears. Looks like Valentine and Hallow weren't aware that they had one audience member.

A…A babe? Valentine is havin' a baby? Aye thought those cliche one-night stands didn't actually apply to real-life? Bu'…if she's carrying' then it all makes sense now.

Was this why Patty was acting all…protective? It would definitely make sense. Her mother had the same process that Valentine was going through if that was true. And Patty recalled her father and brother being protective of her mom before her siblings were born. Her relatives were careful as to which days to come visit and Patty never understood why. Though she was quite young before her Feral instincts started to settle.

A hissing sound from a nearby ceiling pipe spooked Patty out of her thinking. After her spook was over, Patty flicked her ears in newfound resolve: she wanted to see if Valentine really was pregnant or not.

—

The afternoon sun beamed a beautiful orange sky behind a few mountains, a sign that it was going to be evening soon. Patty had attempted to try and see if there was a chance that she could talk to Valentine in private. Granted, this would mean indirectly avoiding work but Patty wanted to confirm if what she heard earlier was true or not.

So from the time she heard until later afternoon, Patty did the minimum while keeping her ears and nose sharp. But alas, the second-in-command was nowhere to be found and was usually not alone.

Until finally, Patty saw her chance, Valentine had rushed out of her lab looking green. Patty did a quick perimeter check for any co-workers or colleagues before following the older woman. When she caught up to Valentine, she stumbled slightly looking more pale than usual. Patty lightly bit her lower lip, making a mental note to make ginger tea for her later.

Patty gently grabbed Valentine's arm, making the taller woman jump in surprise before she saw who it was. "Val? Can we talk in private?"

Valentine wiped her mouth confusingly. "Huh? What for?"

Patty mentally kicked herself for not thinking of an excuse before. So thinking fast, she blurted out. "Oh, um! It's a lit'le embarrassin' but aye was hoping ye could give me tips on 'ow to approach boys."

Valentine blinked. "Um, sure. But why me? Why not Easter or Christmas? Hmmm, even Hal could tell you something."

Patty didn't know why, but the way Valentine mentioned Hallow for advice made her feel…highly disturbed. "Well, aye mean…Christmas would tell me to be 'patient'. Easter would say that aye need to keep me-self aware 'nd say somethin' about waitin' for the right one to come along. And aye don't think Hallow has any good advice in romance."

"You'd be surprised." Valentine softly muttered. Tying her best to hold back her giggling. She promised Hol that she would keep her and Matty's relationship a secret. For now at least. Although Valentine was genuinely curious on how her Feral teammate would react to Holly—potentially—banging her older brother.

Patty's ears perked up and an eyebrow quirked. "Pardon?"

"Oh, nothing~."

Patty looked at her dead in the eyes, ears flopped down and folded against her head. "Ye met the kind gentleman. So aye was wondering if ye could give me tips."

Valentine sighed and crossed her arms, knowing that Patty was just as, if not more, stubborn than her. "Alright. I'll tell you the glorious story of my night out. Don't expect me to get into all the details though."

"Yay~!"

—

"And that's how I met him."

"And then ye both shagged 'n a passionate an' lovely mat'er."

"Um-well..."

"Don't deny it. Ye know aye smelled it on ye when ye came to the Labs."

Valentine sighed. "Good point. But that's all I can give you."

Patty leaned over Valentine's desk with stars in her eyes. Her fluffy little tail wagging quickly back and forth in a cute manner. Ears occasionally flicked and hands propped against her cheeks as she looked cheekingly at Valentine. "Ye didn't tell me his name~."

Valentine quirked an unamused eyebrow. "And I'm never going to. I'd rather not you getting any bright ideas on hooking me up with him...yet. You know how tense the ASG Labs are right now."

As much as Valentine wanted to start sending letters to Beowulf. She wasn't sure if now would be a good time though. Valentine didn't even know how to indirectly approach the big man and tell him: 'Hey guess what? I'm pregnant with your child after our fornication night! Congratulations! You're going to be a dad unless my work place finds out first! Why? Because I work with the kingdom's government and they are acting overly paranoid thanks to our King!"

Valentine would have facepalmed in frustration if not for her younger audience. Although, she did have a small recollection that he mentioned being told that he was good with kids. Beowulf didn't believe it. But even Valentine believed that the big ol' bad wolf was a gentle giant.

Patty gently slammed her head on the table, to this day The Last Hope has told her to stop that habit but to no avail. She was stubborn as a goat…literally. "Baaaaaahhhh! Do' remind me! Aye don' even spend tha' much time with Mammy, Daddy, or any of me siblings right now!"

"Alright, kiddo. Anything else? 'Cause I need to get back to work soon and I can't always be the one to fill your hopeless romance fantasies. That's Christmas, Easter, and Ileum's jobs."

Patty slowly looked up from her face plant on the table, her forehead and nose a little red. Now would be a good time to ask Valentine if she really was preggers or not. But...how would she ask?

"Hmmmmmmmmmm."

"Well, that's my cue. See you in a bit, Pattycakes."

Patty almost jumped across the table to stop her friend from leaving. Almost. "Wa-WAIT!"

Valentine stopped completely, staring in shock at her friend. "What in Venus has gotten into you?"

Patty's brain was running a hundred miles a minute. There were plenty of polite ways of asking good ol' Valentine if she was with child. Though Patty couldn't find or use the right words. Oh well, might as well be blunt in an indirect way.

"Hmmmm..." Patty started, hands clasped together under her nose. Eyes looking down before taking a deep sigh right before asking. "Valerie, do ye have a bat in the cave?"

Valentine could only blink her eye. "…Um, I beg your pardon?"

"A pea in a pod?"

"W…What?"

Patty took another slow and deep inhale and gave Valentine her best poker face before. "…Are ye knocked up?"

Valentine inhaled her salvia down the wrong pipe at Patty's bluntness. Her lungs then responded by coughing and hacking. Patty panicked and rushed over tapping Valentine's back until she settled down.

Valentine really should not underestimate a Feral and their heightened sense. While it does differ for every individual, one thing is for sure: they know when someone had sex or made love, when a woman is about three months or so pregnant, when teenagers are lying, or when someone—especially children—is in danger. Period. Done. No more questions asked. Anyway, that's how she knew of Beowulf's scent the day Valentine came to work later than usual. There was no getting around it. Even when Valentine had attempted to cover it up by using that gingerbread perfume she got as a christmas/birthday gift from Christine and Brian.

Another aspect besides the raised senses are that they tend to act like animals from time to time. Some also stick with very ancient traditions of abandoning their children as soon as they were born. There aren't many Ferals who do this anymore though. In fact, modern-day Ferals were much more family-oriented and tended to have an average of three to four children. Along with the fact that Ferals—and Dagonians—were considered to be the best baby-sitters.

Valentine remembered reading some older text stating that Ferals also used to be hunted and considered as 'game'. Those ancient mindsets had ended up making many subspecies of Feral extinct because of this with several populations drastically lowered. Some had gotten so desperate to survive that many attempted fornication and selling their bodies as a means to continue. And it honestly put a bad reputation on Ferals. Slowly but surely they finally started getting the recognition they needed.

Valentine really needed to start getting more gutsy to tell her teammates, otherwise everyone was going to find out in their own way. "I should have expected this. But yes, Patty, I am pregnant."

"Really?!" Valentine jumped slightly from surprise as excitement and joy quickly replaced the worried and concerned look the young Feral had on before. Her eyes were literally sparkling with stars and her tail was now a blur from the confirmation. It seemed as if the whole world got brighter. Valentine wondered if a new energy source could be made from people's contagious positive energy. It would really do wonders for their future resources.

"Y-Yes."

Patty pounced-hugged Valentine, nuzzling her face in her bountiful bosom but she didn't care. Meanwhile, Valentine seems conflicted on receiving said hug while slightly blushing from the over affectionate Feral's actions. "Oh! Aye knew it! Ye got a bun in the oven! A wee one at that! Aye thought the enhancement drugs would mess with me Feral body further but aye am so glad that it was just me sensing yer babe instead!"

Patty looked up to her older teammate. "So?! When did ye find out?! 'ow far along are ye?! And 'ow are you and the babe feeli'?!"

Of course Patty would be excited. Then again, the young Feral wasn't really one to think too much of long-term consequence to an extent. She was still twenty years old and despite claiming to have a few 'experiences' in romance, Patty was never in a relationship before.

"U-Um…" Valentine said softly, fumbling around with her words before finally speaking. "Could…could you let go of me now?"

"Val?" Patty asked as the taller woman awkwardly got out of the Feral's hug.

"Apologies, Patty…but this is hardly good news for me. I mean, look where we work for Aeon's sake!"

Patty's ears slowly fell as she looked around Valentine's lab area before the window towards New Meridian mocked her vision. Her friend did bring up a good point, they were top-tier nurse soldiers meant to take out major threats. Most specifically, the Skullgirl and the shapeshifter. They couldn't just enjoy the old lifestyle they once had. That was gone the moment they signed up to protect the kingdom.

Wrapping her arms around herself in lost innocence, Patty turned to look Valentine in the eye. "So…what ar' ye plannin' on doin' with the babe?"

"I'll let it grow….then after the baby is born I'll figure it out."

Patty looked flabbergasted. "Wha't? Wha't do ye mean-"

"PATTY! DID YOU LEAVE YOUR SPECIAL MIX OF ALCOHOL IN THE MINI-FRIDGE?!"

"Uh oh…" Patty's ears slowly descended again and Valentine's eye shrunk as both heard the furious voice of Christmas. The echoes of the yells bouncing off the walls and the fact that there were no footsteps accompanying it both concerned and relieved the ladies. Usually, Christmas would be headed approaching the current rooms they were occupying if she was upset.

Valentine broke the silence. "We should…probably see who drank it."

Patty looked scared for her life. "But…But aye don't want to!"

VAletnien only rolled her eyes at her friend before gently shoving her towards the door. "Come on. Let's bring you back to the scene of the crime!"

"NOOOOOOOO!" Patty yelled and was about to attempt to get out of her friend's grip via thrashing but stopped herself. Instead opting to let something of a groan and whine. "At least tell me 'bout the babe when Christine's done scoldin' me."

Valentine paused in dragging Patty out of the room. She was about to refute Patty's request until she saw the empathetic look her Feral teammate was giving her. The taller woman only sighed tirely. "Fine…I'll tell you, now come on."

—

Getting chewed out by Christmas passed by very slowly. Patty zoned out for most of her leader's scolding, she didn't mean to though. Sure she felt bad for Brian, he got knocked out after taking a few sips of her alcohol mix. The poor man and his wife were more lightweight than Hallow. But she was restless all day and at this point, Patty just wanted to talk to Valentine.

At last, after twenty minutes of getting chewed out, Patty left the Drain couple's room and entered Valentine's lab. Inside was the blue-haired woman herself, sitting and slouched over her table while looking very exhausted. Standing next to her was Hallow, the tall woman's face seemingly surprised that Patty came to Valentine's lab with a serious energy.

Patty's ears only twitched as she realized the situation: Holly already knew. Not that Patty was surprised, the two were like sisters. So Patty decided to get straight to the point. "So ye were plannin' on tellin' us 'bout the babe but didn't know how?"

"Yes."

"An' yer worried that the Labs migh' be interested in the babe due to the side effects of the enhancement drugs?"

Valentine only rubbed her arm and looked away, a slight guilty look on her face. "If it survives to full term…then yes."

Patty looked to the floor in a contemplative matter before returning her gaze to Valentine. "Aye can spar with ye if ye wants."

"Thank you, Patty. But if you start sparring with me or Holly, Victor and some of the other scientists might start asking questions. And...I would rather keep the baby away from the ASG Labs."

Ears flopped against her head. "O'…right."

Valentine reached over and started scratching around the base of the horns. "But thank you, though. I, um…appreciate it."

Patty's foot started twitching and lightly tapping against the pavement. "We—right there! We could help ye tell Christine 'bout yer condition…at least before the Labs find out."

Valentine stopped scratching Patty's horns. "You don't have to."

"Val." The sudden serious tone that Patty had scared both Valentine and Hallow. The young Feral never really took anything seriously for more than five minutes. Valentine was almost envious at how carefree Patty was. She really enjoyed life to the fullest without apologizing. "Ye have a babe growing inside ye. We don't know 'ow the Labs 're going to react. If they fin' out, then what is going to happen? There is still a war goin' on, and if yer right, Victor and several others might take an interest in the babe. And probably ye as well 'cause yer body might have a different development than most mothers. Do ye want to put yerself and the babe in danger?"

Valerie and Holly blinked before quickly looking at each other. Shock didn't do justice for their current emotions. In front of them, their younger teammate made…several good points about the situation.

"Alright, fine. You two can try to tell Christine and Brian about the baby."

Patty jumped happily before rushing over to nuzzle Valentine, who did not seem to mind this time despite her views on affection. This time, Valentine just awkwardly patted her teammate's head. "Yay! Well, since ye got knocked up on yer one-night stand we need to start prepping! Ooo~! Aye can ask Mammy 'n Daddy if they still got any books tha' can help! Oh! And aye gotta ask me siblings if they hav' any toys they don' want anymore!"

Hallow joined in, adding her two Treats. "And we have to start picking out names and clothes! We could pick yellow, orange, or white!"

Patty huffed, seemingly offended. "No way! We are goin' to pick green!"

"Candy-themed!"

"Clover-themed!"

"Candy!

"Clover!"

"Candy!"

And they're both back. Valentine could only watch as the young Feral and her best friend went on and on. …This was going to be a long nine months wasn't it?

---

DESERT RAIN FROOOOOOOOOOOOOOGGGGGGSSSSSS! I like them, they squishy and they squeak when angry.

That was Chapter 4, I hope you all enjoyed it! I want to give a shoutout and thank you to a friend on AO3, Blehp, for helping me review this chapter. In fact, I would highly recommend reading their Fanfiction, 'Come And Take My Skullheart' when you have the chance. It is so adorable and filled with fluff and wholesome content!

Also, some facts about this chapter and some characters because I forgot to add them in previous chapters:

•Everyone's last names are based, are related to their holidays, or thought of when I was zoning out. Valentine/Valerie Tfarcevol: Her last name is basically 'Lovecraft' in reverse. Hallow/Holly Shadewood: It came to me when I was exercising. And it was either going to be Shadewood or Nightshade. Christine Evergreen: The evergreen trees stay green even in Winter, so I thought it would fit. And as for Easter and Patty's last names: Amana and O'Connor; I looked up some names related to their personality or holidays.

•Hallow's brother is Minato, the male Persona 3 protagonist (Atlus and Sega). I thought it would be fitting considering that he could pull off the goth or spooky look if he wanted to.

•Patty's family all have '-y', 'ie', or have '-atty' in their names.

•Like mentioned in the first chapter, Valentine and Beowulf are 22 years old. But I haven't fully decided everyone's age until before this chapter was posted: Hallow is 23, Patty is 20, BD and Christmas are 27, and Easter is 57.

•I gave Hallow desert rain frogs as pets because I remembered that some Halloween animals would be a cat, lizards, snakes, frogs, and bats. So I was like, 'Why not give her desert rain frogs?'

•This chapter was meant to be posted in January but it got postponed to February thanks to life throwing some curveballs. So I decided to post this chapter on Valentine's Day.

That's all I have so far, I hope you all have a wonderful day and/or night! And once again, Happy Valentine's Day!