Chapter 18
Garth slowly wakes up in the loving embrace of his mate. None of the kits were with them this morning. He checks with this new thing in his mind. The kits are in the living room, with Alex and his sister in the kitchen making breakfast. He knows they have time and throws up the personal shield that Thomas had taught him. He then begins to nibble and lick at the base of Samantha's ears. Samantha wakes up from a very erotic dream only to find it's not a dream.
Afterwards, they have a quick shower, an even quicker brushing, and get dressed for the day. They come into the living room and are mobbed by their kits. "Whoa, guys, give us a bit of a breather so we can have breakfast." The kits all have pouty looks, but they can see they are just funning them. They then return to the cartoons on the TV. Garth and Samantha saunter into the kitchen to greet Marsha and Alex. Marsha hugs her brother. "Today is the day, I can't wait." "Yes, it is. I wonder if they will like us." "I'm sure they will. After all, we are their grandchildren." Marsha then turns back to the stove and pulls two plates out of the warming tray. Garth and Samantha eat like they are starving. Alex and Marsh smile as they know what they need. From experience, that is.
There is a real crowd waking down the street this morning. All the kits are running around playing a game of tag. It's very chaotic. Garth is using a cane seat. He walks as far as he can, then folds out the seat and sits down for a small rest. The rest of them wait for him as the kits continue to run around. The intervals between sitting are getting further and further apart as his nerves settle down. Soon, he should be able to walk without this aid and the booties. They enter the complex and head for parking lot "D". They all walk up to the Pegasus Two. The rest of them going are just milling around the door of the craft.
When they see each other, the kits run at each other with shouts of joy. Judy rushes to embrace her sister. Scott lets out a howl to get everyone's attention. When they look at him, he says. "Everyone on board. Our flight window opens and closes ten minutes from now." Garth thinks to himself, "We are flying there"? They all board and find seats. Scott does a ten-second countdown for the kits. Everyone does it with him. He lifts off smoothly and heads for the Hopps Warren. Twelve minutes into the flight, Scott brings them down to the warren grounds. Unseen by everyone on board, two small bunnies disappear from the window they had been looking out, waiting for the craft to arrive. As they file out of the craft, they form up on the side, away from Scott and Nick. "How strange," Garth thought.
Scott and Nick get down into a runner's stance. Scott looks at Nick. "So, old man, you ready"? Nick hunches over some more, sucks in his lips, and in an old-timey voice. "You, young whipper snappers. Think you're better than your peers." Scott laughs. "Not better, just faster. Our usual bet"? "Why not? You haven't beaten me yet." "In your dreams, Brother. You only have a one-time lead on me. And I'm going to tie it up today." "You can try, but no, not today. I'm feeling lucky." "You don't need luck, just speed." As they talk, a rumbling is felt in the ground.
Soon, this tsunami of bunny kits spills out of the front door of the warren. They are chanting "NICK, SCOTT" over and over again. Nick and Scott take off running with the Tsunami of bunny kits in hot pursuit. The last twenty or so stop and stamp their hind paws in frustration as their prey gets away. Vivian Slowly moves away from Peter, and then she whistles. The kerfluffle turns and notices Peter all by himself and make a beeline for him. "GRANDPA PETER!" they scream as they head for him. Peter reacts slowly and is brought down by the smallest bunnies. Everyone laughs as Peter is buried under the laughing, giggling kits. Peter sticks one paw up like a flag. It slowly wavers and falls back into the pile. He then slowly gets to his paws with his arms outstretched in front of him. Bunny kits are hanging all over him. Two small girls are sitting on his head, holding onto his ears. "Arrgh, I'm the bunny apocalypse. Fear my wraith." He slowly shuffles towards Vivian. As he gets close, several kits jump from him to her. Vivian catches, hugs and kisses as many as she can. Judy and Sam stand there in rightest indignation. "What are we? Chopped carrots? Is that any way to treat your aunties"? Soon, they are mobbed as well. Sam feels several of the kits tug on her new antlers. She wears some silicon buttons on the pointy tips. She doesn't want to stab someone accidentally. Bonnie had been standing at the door, watching and laughing at the antics of the kits. Soon, Garth's kits are meeting the warren kits. Greetings made; they all run for the outdoor play area and leave the adults to themselves.
"I'll never get used to that bunny greeting." Says Peter as he dusts himself off. "It is a bit enthusiastic, isn't it"? Says Bonnie with a smile. It's then she notices Samantha. "Samantha? Is that you? What have you done to yourself"? "I did nothing, Mom. The one true God did this to me. I now look like my husband." "You're married"? "Not yet, Mom, but we will be soon. Mom, I'd like to introduce you to my mate, Garth. Garth, this is my mother, Bonnie." They shake paws. Bonnie looks him over. "So, are all those kits yours"? "I am the father of all those kits. They just have different mothers." Bonnie harrumphs. "It's not what you think, Mom. Garth was held captive on that meat farm that was raided six weeks ago. He and his kits are some of the survivors." Her paws fly to her muzzle as tears fill her eyes. "I'm so sorry for what you went through. I can't imagine the horrors you endured." She brings him into a hug. "It's ok, Miss Hopps, and thank you for your concern. I was told that the perps had developed a taste for Jackalope."
"What's a Jackalope"? "I, Samantha, my sister, and her mate are all Jackalopes. Alex's mom called Alex her Jackalope. His father was a jackrabbit, and she is an antelope. The hyphenated words just suit us all." "Your right, it does." She releases Garth and hugs her kits and their mates. "Amber and Elisabeth, I fully expect time with my great-grandkits." "You'll have it, Grandma. Though I should warn you they are all at the teething stage and don't know their own jaw strength." Says Elisabeth, setting the kit carrier down.
"Oh, I remember that stage with Daniel and Susan's kits. I didn't really hurt that much. All three were ankle bitters. Though it was funny watching Charlotte emulate her brothers. And Welcome, Thomas, and Jessica. How are my great-grandkits getting along"? "They're doing fine, Bonnie. However, they do miss their sister, something terrible. We are going to surprise them all by taking them to the games to see her perform. We have the tickets to her events and quite a few others. Hopefully, we can tucker them out watching the events." "I'm sure you will have a good time wearing them out. And Betty, Simon, good to see you too." Sandy, waking up and hearing voices, sticks her head out of the Carrier. "Oh, my goodness, is that Sandy? She's so big and cute. I hope I can see her with my great-grandkits as well." "You can, Bonnie, though she's not much of a walker yet. But she does try." They all start to file into the warren.
Just then, Stu comes around the corner of the burrow, and they stop to look at him. He has a look of fury on his face. "William, just the mammal I want to see. Do you know anything about that tent being set up on the soccer field"? "Sorry, Stu, I don't." "Well, you should. They have an invoice from Wild Industries for setting it up here." "Do you remember whose signature was on the bottom of the invoice"? "Yes, a mammal by the name of Sirius Omega. What kind of name is that"? "Ah, Grandpa, if Sirius has asked for a tent to be put up, I would let him put it up." "What's so special about him"? "Grandpa, do you remember the good book? And the name of the main character"? Stu gets a puzzled look, and then his eyes open wide at the realization. "You mean"? "Yes, Grandpa. I believe he will be visiting us this weekend." Stu starts to ring his paws. "Don't worry, Grandpa. He's quite the articulate fellow." "You've met him"? Said Stu in incredulity. "I have. He's really down to earth." "Well, I should hope so. He did make us all, after all." Stu greets them all and motions them to continue into the warren.
Most of the adults continue to the small kitchen. Thomas and Jessica excuse themselves to watch the kits at play outside. As they get outside, they see the kerfluffle of bunnies surrounding Nick and Scott as they walk back from the woods. Two bunnies are sitting on their necks, holding onto their ears. "So, who won this time"? Nick and Scott hang their heads a bit. Nick speaks up, "Neither of us won. We were ambushed and were caught at the same time. These little stinkers had set up a net to fall on us as we got to the old oak tree, and then they claimed their prize of us as their steeds." "I'll get you next time, brother." "In your dreams, Nick, I'm still faster than you." "We were neck and neck when we were caught. So no, you're not faster than me." "I was holding back so you wouldn't feel offended when you lost." "Right; who was panting hard when we were caught"? "Not I, it was just show." "Riiight, Scott, you know you're good for the sprint, not the long haul." "So? I was still beating you." "Let's agree to disagree."
"No talking, steeds don't talk." The Bunny on Scott's head said as he gently paws him upside his head. Scott snorts as he gets down on all fours and bucks him off. Nick catches him as he flies through the air. All the kits laugh as he gets bucked off. Scott stands up, puts his arms in the air, and shouts a "YES". "And the big bad wolf wins again. Run, little bunnies, or the big bad wolf will huff and puff and blow you away." All the Bunnies let out a mock scream as they ran for the outdoor play area with Scott in hot pursuit. Nick reaches up and lifts the bunny off his shoulders. He turns him around and hugs him. "You need to run too, Andrew, or this fox is going to get you." He clacks his jaws together at him. Nick's show of teeth does not faze the bunny; he hugs him again and Nick sets him down. He runs screaming to the play area, waving his paws in the air as Nick saunters along behind him. Thomas and Jessica join him as they walk to the play area.
In the play area, kits jump all around, playing on all the equipment. Scott and Nick are playing with some of the kits. Chasing them around the area. Thomas and Jessica push some kits on the swings. Several adult rabbits are pushing swings as well. The rest of the adults watch to see that no one hurts themselves. This organized confusion is the norm in the play area. Scott and Nick soon fall to the ground, panting. When they do this, the kerfluffle descends on them. Soon, all that can be seen of them is their tails. Which are covered in bunny kits going "so soft". The lunch bell rings, and the kits explode out of the play area, and it becomes a ghost playground. Scott and Nick stand up with the two bunny kits that caught them, riding on their shoulders as they head for lunch.
Scott and Nick drop the kits at the main cafeteria and head for the small kitchen. It's still organized confusion, just on a much smaller scale. Elisabeth's kits are running around biting ankles. After the fourth incident, Elisabeth paws them tethers to bite on instead. With the rings in their muzzles, they then go around asking for hugs. Herb and Angel Millicent laugh and smile at the kit's antics. They get and give several hugs.
Donna Leapson has tears in her eyes as she sees this hallmark moment. She had hoped that her Tabitha would have given her grand kits, but only her brothers were able to do so. Tabitha was the fourth in the only litter of five that Phil and Donna were able to have. The doctors were barely able to save her after her first litter. Consequently, they never had more kits. Seeing the kits running around on their hind paws and down on all fours, made her feel nostalgic thinking about her own kits. She had twelve grand kits, but she had hoped for more.
When the authorities knocked on her door six weeks ago, she was not expecting to be told that her Tabitha was dead, nor the circumstances of her death. She collapsed and cried at the news. The money meant nothing to her. She just wanted her daughter back. She shuddered at the thought of the meat farm and how all predators should never have meat. "They didn't need it." She thought. But a tear came to her eyes as she watched the predators and prey getting along in the kitchen. Bonnie Hopps was getting hugs from predator children. She didn't know that the kits were her great grandkits. And the strangest of all were some of the rabbits in the room.
They had antlers. "What a strange thing to have," she thought. She was sure that one of them was Samantha Hopps, but how could she be? She had antlers, too, though they were much smaller than the other three. But darn, did she look like Samantha. Tabitha and Samantha had a rivalry going on at track and field in school. They had been evenly matched in the win and loss columns; both were good. Donna sat back and smiled at the antics of the kits.
Soon, lunch ended, and a mattress was brought in for the kits to nap on. All the kits in the room made for the mattress, and several more that looked like the adult-antlered rabbits joined the kits on the mattress from the other room. She counted fourteen bunnies that looked like the adult-antlered rabbits. Marc, Sandy, and Elisabeth's kits joined the sleep pile. Ember still didn't join the pile but was better with people she didn't know. She curled up in her mother's lap. Soon, all you could hear from that corner were gentle snores and meeps of tuckered-out kits.
Bonnie looks at her son-in-law and her daughter, "I guess it's time you tell us what's going on, Sam or Judy. I've been dying of curiosity this whole week. And why ask for my parents to be here"? Judy says, "We asked for everyone in the room to be here because it concerns everyone in this room. Hi Donna, where is your mate"? "Sorry Judy, he's not doing so well. This is one of his bad days." "What's wrong with him"? "He is in the final stages of dementia. It's only a matter of time before he succumbs to his illness." "I'm sorry, is there anything I can do"? "Thanks for your concern. But I've had a long time to prepare for the inevitable. It's just a waiting game at this point."
"Anyway, the reason we are all here together is because we are going to tie up some loose ends today. Grandma and Grandpa Millicent, do you remember three weeks ago when we asked you for a DNA sample? The sample we took verified that we had found Angelica in our murdered files." Angel gets a look of horror in her eyes. "She's dead"? "I'm sorry she is. We found her in our cold case files from eighteen years ago." Bonnie hugs her mom, and they both begin to cry. "An antelope murdered her because she had dared to leave him. He didn't know that she had given birth to two kits. Your grandkits. She hid them away at an orphanage to protect them from him. But, eight years ago, he found one of his children.
She was right to try to protect them. He was the owner of that meat farm in the news six weeks ago." His son was made to breed female rabbits for his dining pleasure. The antelope was a meat eater." "No! did my grandson survive"? He did, along with his kits. His father is now doing a life sentence in the ice house. He never found Garth's sister. The records of the orphanage had been tampered with, and her name had been changed, so her father never found her." Angel asks, "I have grandkits? When can I meet them and their father"? "You can soon, Angel. Donna, Tabitha gave birth to eight kits." Donna throws her paws to her muzzle and cries harder.
"So, my Tabitha did have kits"? "She did. Eight of the ones on the mat over there are her kits." She looks over at the two male jackalopes in the room. "Are one of you two the father of my Grandkits"? Garth sighs, "Yes, I am the father of the Jackalope kits on the mats. Herb and Angel, I am your grandson and the father of all the jackalope kits. Marsha is my sister, and her mate is Alex. My mate now is Samantha Hopps. I loved Tabitha with my whole heart. Tabitha died three days before we were rescued. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about her." "But you have a mate already? I know rabbits move fast, but I had no idea jackalopes moved faster." Donna said with venom. There is a commotion in the hall when the door opens to a Great Dane.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I am Sirius Omega. I hope I'm not too late to this discussion." Stu and Bonnie fall to their faces on the floor. "Get up, you two. It's hard to converse with your faces on the ground. And before you ask, yes, you are worthy to look at me. I'm not a tyrannical dictator who rules with an iron fist. I rule with love and understanding. It's good that I look in on my children every now and then. But I can't change the decisions made, just to help you understand them. And Samantha, you can tell Donna who you really are."
"Who you really are? Are you not my Samantha"? "I am mom. But I'm also Tabitha Leapson." "How are you, Tabitha, my daughter"? "It's all my fault I changed things up a bit. When Tabitha died, I sent her soul back in time to the body that is now known as Samantha. I did not take from her, her memories of being Tabitha. Bonnie, I'm sure you realized that Samantha died at birth." "Yes, I do. But she was found to be alive after her brothers and sisters were born. It was thought to be a mistake that she was pronounced." "I fixed that heart valve and put Tabitha's soul into that body. Yes, I interfered in my creation, but it's so small a change that I thought it was worth the risk. "You are talking like you are the creator. I find that highly unlikely." "Donna, what can I do to prove to you that I am"? "Fix my mate. Give him back his mind."
With a sad look, Sirius speaks again. "I'm sorry, Donna, I can't do that. If I did, I would have to step into every situation and change the outcomes. The best you can do for him is to accept this outcome and remember all the good times you had with your mate." "That's a small consolation. I want my husband back." Donna cries. Sirius goes to her and hugs her. "I know it's small, but know this: he is loved by you and me." Donna turns and cries into his chest. Sirius comforts her as she cries.
Herb and Angel go to the sleeping mat. They get down on their haunches and marvel at the kits on the mat. The smallest one wakes up and smiles at them. "Hi," she says with a big yawn. She then gets up to hug them both. The rest of her siblings also begin to wake up and go in for hugs. All the Jackalope kits soon surround Herb and Angel. Donna finishes crying. And looks to her Grandkits. "Which ones are Tabitha's children."? She asks. The eight smallest ones move forward to Donna. "We eight are Tabitha's kits, though all of us are Garth's kits." Donna stretches out her arms to welcome them all in for a hug. The eight happily comply. Sandy and Marc wake up feeling the cold from the pile dissolving around them. Marc goes to Sirius, and Sandy tottles over to her mother.
"Hi, Sir." Says Marc as he gets close to him. "Hello, Marc. I see your education is coming along nicely." "Education, Sir"? "Well, yes, you are now where you were meant to be." "Very cryptic, Sir. Just like Gab." "Who do you think taught him, Hmmmm"? Sirius lets out a laugh at his expression. The kits leave their grandparents, and all climb into Sirius's lap as he laughs.
Thomas looks over at him and asks, "Why are you here, Sir"? "I'm here for the naming ceremony and to officiate at the weddings tomorrow." "What wedding ceremony"? Asks Stu. "Why, my Jackelopes need to be married. And I thought I would do it." "Sir, you already married Alex and I." "I did, but that was in the meadow. In my eyes, you are married, but in this world, not so much. So, we have a tent and plenty of witnesses. Plus, I have all the documentation for the courts." "But Samantha and Garth are first cousins. They can't marry." Said Stu. "Stu, I've changed Samantha's DNA. There is no chance for mutant kits. In fact, their kits will be perfect Jackelopes. Good choice of a species name, by the way. It suits you perfectly." "Then it's ok"? "Yes, Stu, it is. The four of them are the start of a new species. I hope they will have many kits like you and Bonnie did." Stu and Bonnie look at Sirius, a little embarrassed, as Sirius laughs and holds all the kits to himself. "Also, Garth has a different last name and doesn't show on any documents as a Millicent. Only the people in this room know who his mother was."
One of Bonnie and Stu's grandkits opens the door and looks into the small kitchen. "Can all the new kits come to play with us"? He asks. The kits all jump out of Sirius's arms. It looks like a small explosion as kits go everywhere. Sirius laughs as they all vacate the room. The rest of the adults in the room chuckle at seeing the explosion of kits.
Garth looks at Sirius, "Sir, what kind of naming ceremony do you have in mind"? "Oh, Garth, the ceremony can be anything you want. I'm just here to watch." "I was thinking that it should involve a fire in the fire pit, but it doesn't have to." "I was thinking the same thing." "I thought we could write the thing we want to forget or get rid of on scraps of paper. The bad feeling can be lost in the flames." "Good notion, I agree. You could write anything at all on the papers or nothing. But you will never forget what happened to you all. It is part of what makes you, you. Now, I must leave; I will see you all later at the ceremony." With that, he gets up and leaves the room.
Betty puts her daughter in the kit carrier on her chest, and Amber moves Ember into her carrier. All of Elisabeth's kits had left with all the other kits. They all get up and head for their rooms. Nick and Scott are looking a little worn out. Judy hugs Nick's arm and thinks to herself as they walk, "My little kit is worn out; it's time to put him down for his afternoon nap." Judy chuckles at the thought. Nick feels Judy laughing beside him and wonders what that's all about. Judy joins him on the bed, and soon they both fall asleep.
Marsh, Alex, Garth, and Samantha all stay as Herb, Angel, and Donna throw all kinds of questions at them. Herb pulls out a picture from his wallet of all his kits. Garth and Marsha cry seeing their mother's image for the first time. Samantha holds Garth, and Alex holds Marsha. Herb and Angel bring the five of them into a hug as well. Donna is not left out of the hug. The five of them soon stop crying, and phone calls are made. Herb and Angel call their sons and tell them the bad and good news. They then invite them to their niece and nephew's wedding tomorrow and to meet their great-nieces and nephews. Donna calls her boys and tells them the good news about Tabitha's kits. She also invites them to the wedding tomorrow. And tells them to bring their father. No exceptions. He has to be here. They argue a bit but relent and say they will all be there.
After supper, they all head outside. The sun is just setting, and the sky is lit with an orange glow. All the adults from the warren, who were interested in the naming ceremony, follow Stu to the fire pit. As the glow fades from the night sky, they arrive at the fire pit. The fire is already going, and Sirius is there stirring the coals. All the kits gather around Sirius and marvel at the fire. They had never seen fire before. One of the boys stretches out his paw towards the fire. It seems to pull away from him. "Please don't do that. The fire will hurt and burn off all your fur. You don't want to be hairless, do you"? Said Sirius to the bold one holding out his paw. He blushes as he pulls his paw back. Sirius laughs; some of the adults do as well. Most get the joke and smile.
"Now, everyone, this is Garth's naming ceremony for his kits. As some of you are aware, Garth and Tabitha never gave names to their kits when they were born. Why give names to your kits when you are going to end up in the stew pots? That's why we are here tonight to give them names or to have them choose names for themselves." Some adults made the connection between the kits in front of them and the news story six weeks ago. To know that someone they knew was there at that meat farm brought a sense of compassion and tears to them all. Sirius, sensing the mood swing, sent out love to them all. Gath's four oldest girls step forward. "Garth, can we go first"? Garth waves them forward. The fire has now burnt down a bit, so they can stand fairly close. They all look at Sirius, who smiles at them. They smile back and then, turning back to the fire and linking paws, begin.
"This is an ode to our Mom who gave us life. "Mom, we are grateful you gave us life. You gave us names which we will be keeping, as it's the only thing we have left of you. We're sorry you thought so little of your family that you didn't want to bring us to them. We understand that they may have rejected us, but we wish you had given us and them the chance. We know you were just trying in your own way to keep us safe. But we have found in our short lives that adversity is the spice of life. We are sure we could have worked things out eventually with them. We may still get to meet them, but we are not sure we really want to."
"We love you, Mom, and the strength you had to bear what we all went through. We're sorry that your mind went to a bad place when you were released from captivity. Know that we have found an individual who wants to be our surrogate mother. We know she loves us as much as you did. Her mate loves us as well. Even though he isn't our father, he loves and treats us like his daughters. We love you mom. And wherever you are, we wish the best for you and hope you can be forgiven, as we forgive you for leaving us. May you rest in peace, our mother." At the end of her speech, she throws a piece of paper into the coals. The paper sort of floats up as it burns. Soon, it's nothing but ash as it floats away in the air currents. The four of them turn back to Marsha and Alex to see tears in their eyes. They then return to their new parents and get into a family hug.
Next to step forward were Britney and Stewart. They smile and hug Sirius, then turn for the fire. "We don't have much to say except we love you, Mom. And we are keeping the names given to us by our new mom. The courage you displayed and what you had to do just to save two of us. We know we were extremely lucky to survive. We have some survivor guilt, and our father and new mother are helping us to work through it. We miss you and all our brothers and sisters. Sirius, can you hold them all to you"? "Know this, young Stewart and Brittany, I love all my children. And I hold them all to me. No one is ever lost in me." "Thank you, sir." Brittany and Stewart both throw papers into the coals. Again, they rise as they burn until the ash floats up out of sight. Sirius picks them up and holds them to himself as they cry for what has been lost. They quickly fall asleep in his arms. The last eight of them move towards the fire.
The oldest steps forward. "As this is the first day of the rest of our lives, I would like to be known as Adam." The second oldest steps forward and links paws with her brother. "I would like to be known as Brenda." The third one looks at Sirius and smiles. "And I would like to be known as Charles." The fourth one steps forward. "I would like to be Loki, but that is too weird. So I will be known as Denis." "You can always use Loki as your middle name. If you want one, that is," said Garth with a smile. Denis just nods. "I'm beginning to sense a pattern here, fluff," said Nick, turning to Judy. With a smile, Judy slaps his arm, "Hush you." The fifth one steps forward. "I want to be known as Edward." The sixth one steps forward. "I want to be known as Francine." The seventh one steps forward. "I want to be known as Gerald." The last girl steps forward. "If no one minds, I would like to take my grandmother's name, Angelica." No one objects. As she was the last, she had the paper and threw it into the fire. It burns far longer as it floats up. Herb and Angel have tears in their eyes as they think their daughter's name now lives on in their great-granddaughter. Stewart and Brittney wake up and climb out of Sirius's arms.
Sirius wipes a tear from his eye. "That was beautiful, everyone, and now for the ending credits." Most give him a strange look. Sirius gets up and heads out into the darkness. He comes back with a tub of stuff. "Now, as a treat, everyone, I have brought fixing's for smores." Sirius passes out sticks and marshmallows. All the kits stand there holding sticks and wondering what to do with them. Sirius leads by example. He takes a stick, stabs a marshmallow on it, and toasts it to a golden brown over the fire coals. He then takes a graham cracker and some chocolate. He sandwiches the toasted marshmallow between the cracker and the chocolate and eats it. There are the usual burnt marshmallows and the ones that fall into the fire. But soon all the kits have smores. The rest that want smores make them as well. Soon, the kits are a sticky mess. They appear to wear as much on the outside as they put inside themselves. Garth and Marsha, laughing, start sticking kits together and getting them ready for the bath inside. They had to chase a few who tried to get away. The kits protest, but as they can't unstick themselves, they just glare at their parents. Nobody saw when Sirius left. Most didn't realize who Sirius was, but they knew he would officiate at the weddings tomorrow, so he must be some holy mammal.
The following day dawns clear with a golden sunrise. Those who want to attend the ceremony get ready for the day. There is organized confusion at breakfast, but Bonnie takes control and leads like a general commanding her troops. Soon, everyone has a meal, and they go to get ready. Garth was surprised that they found dresses and suits for all the kits. Garth had a dark blue suit donated by someone in the burrow.
Garth is not allowed to see Samantha before the ceremony. Last night was one of the loneliest nights he had spent since he awoke after the tank. He and Alex walk towards the tent with all the kits between them. Anyone who looked could tell they were nervous. Being on their best behavior, one of Samantha's siblings leads the kits away to their seats. Garth and Alex are made to stand on one side of the raised dais. Maggie hugs all the kits she can but has to move seats to encompass them all. Nick and Judy hug a few before they go to Maggie. Both Alex and Garth are still pulling at their collars like they are being choked.
The tent is full of relatives to them all. Sirius appears and stands at the head of the dais. Angel and Donna are crying and holding their mates. Tabitha's brothers are there with her father and their kits; the same goes for the Millicent brothers and their mates and kits.
Sirius steps down and goes to Donna. He touches Phil's head and smiles down at him. Phil, with a smile on his muzzle, nods at him. He then returns to the Dais. Donna could tell Sirius had given him some semblance of cognitive understanding. "I hope he remembers this, if nothing else." She thinks to herself as she hugs him.
Soon, the singer starts with a love song. Suzie Q, who had become an opera singer and was world renowned, was singing for this wedding. Davis hadn't known this and was disappointed that his mate couldn't make it. But here she was, singing for only him. Well, yes, she was singing for the wedding, but he knew she was singing this love song for only him. The wedding march starts, and Suzie sings it. Marsha and Samantha appear on the arms of Stu. Marsha asked him if he could give her away at the wedding. He had been crying and incoherent for a few minutes but agreed he would. By the time they got to the dais, he was a blubbering mess and could barely answer Sirius when he asked who gives these ladies away in holy matrimony.
No one objected to the union of these two pairs. There was nothing special about the ceremony. Both couples were as nervous as can be, so they went with the traditional ceremony. When they were told they could kiss, due to his nervousness, Alex missed Marsha's lips and kissed her cheek. His mom laughed, as several guests did as well. Alex immediately blushed red and went back in to do it right. After the traditional kiss, they were led to the back and out into the sunshine. As the guests filed out, some venue people started to rearrange the tent for the meal. Tables were brought in, and the chairs were positioned around them. Sirius leads them all to the kissing tree on the hill. It's more of a grassy knoll with a majestic oak in the center. Several people blushed as this tree was where they had shared their first kiss with their mates. The photographer from the burrow had a hay day taking pictures of the new couples and their entourage. All the kits got into acting silly for the photographer. Many laugh at their antics. Rabbit and Jackelope kits were having fun. It's late afternoon when they all head back for the tent.
At the reception, Alex and Marsha Danced with their mates, their first dance as husband and wife. After this dance, the dance floor was opened up to everyone. A sea of small bunny kits took over the floor. A few couples danced in the middle of the confusion. The floor was alive with a wriggling, seething mass of kits. The kits were left to work out their energy. After about forty minutes, they all move off the dance floor to the sidelines for drinks or something to eat. The DJ then plays some slow dances for the group. The wedding party, their parents, and many more take to the floor. They kiss as they dance. The kits see this and go, "Ewwwh." The adults laugh at their kits.
Later, all the Jackalope kits spend the night with their grandparents and Family. The inevitable "Why do our parents need alone time?" was asked. They were told the truth because they were bunnies and not afraid of the answer. They respond that they know what adults do when they think they are alone and know it's an expression of their love for each other. They then were asked how they knew. They all blush and say they were linked to their parents. Thomas explained how intrusive that was, and they shouldn't do it. They had the common sense to look embarrassed and swore they wouldn't do it again. After they said this, Thomas showed them how to block this link so they don't intrude on their parent's alone time. They were quick learners and, in a few minutes, had it down pat. Maggie gets her four granddaughters, and they all sleep in a pile on the bed. The rest of the kits make a pile with Thomas and Jessica's kits. Thomas and Jessica watch over them all from the bed next to them.
The following day, it rained most of the day. All the kits are in the indoor play area except for the ones in the game room. Marsha and Alex make an appearance about noon but only stay long enough to grab a meal, say hi to their kits, and then disappear again. Samantha and Garth do the same. The kits all smile at them as they do. By the end of the week, both couples had visited and got to know most of the family. Sam introduced them to the family members, who were more accepting of them. Her new antlers are pawed by most of the family. Soon, the big reveal happens.
Thomas and Jessica are having breakfast in the small kitchen when the newly married couples walk in. Jessica looks at them and smiles at them. Thomas has a smirk on his face as well. They grab a meal and sit down with them. Samantha notices the smirk and asks. "So what are you smirking about Thomas"? "Oh, not much. I think congratulations are in order." "What are you talking about"? Jessica smiles and rubs her belly. Sam, seeing this, gets it. "I am? Are you sure"? "Yes, Sam, you are. Would you like to know how many and gender of your kits"? "You can do that"? "I can. It's part of my ability." What are the two of you going on about"? asks Garth. "Well, hun bun, it seems I'm pregnant. And Jessica can tell us how many and their genders." Marsha stares in shock at Samantha, as does Garth. "Would you like to know the genders and how many my husband"? Garth hugs her and, through his tears, nods yes. He didn't trust his voice at the moment. "Well, Sam, you are having four boys. I want to see you in my office on Tuesday so we can run some tests. But from what I can tell, they all appear healthy at this stage." Marsha cries and hugs Samantha. Garth sat there in shock as they hugged.
"Don't think you're left out of the equation, Marsha. Would you like to know how many and gender as well"? Alex and Marsha sit back in shock as Garth finally hugs Samantha. It takes a bit for Marsha to find her voice. "I can't have kits. I was too far damaged due to the incident." "I'm sure you were told that Thomas and I fixed you. You could get pregnant, and obviously, you did." Alex holds her as he nods yes. "Ok, you're going to find this a little weird, but you are having four boys as well. I want to see you in my office on Tuesday as well." "Oh goodness, we must tell the rest of our kits." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the kits in question burst through the door, leading Maggie, Bonnie, Stu, and the Millicent's.
"Slow down, kits; what's the big rush"? Asked Bonnie. In answer, they rush their respective parents. Bonnie had been through this many times, not to know the signs. "So how many are we talking about, Sam"? "How did you know mom"? I have been through this at least a hundred times not to know the signs and see the glow in your eyes." "Well, I guess you're right. You're going to be a grandma again with four more boys. Jessica says so." Some of the kits put their ears against their mother's belly, trying to hear a heartbeat. "Guys, guys, they have no heartbeat at this time. It's too soon. "Stu doesn't say anything as his tears fall. Bonnie just tutts at her mate. "Oh, Stu..." She thinks. Hugs go all around to everyone. Maggie held on tight to Marsha. All she could think about was how lucky she was. Her family was about to get bigger.
There are many tearful goodbyes as they leave for the city later that day. Scott can see how happy they all appear to be and wonders when he will also have a mate. "You have to go out and look," he thinks. But in wolf culture, it's the alpha who decides when and who he will marry. "I guess it's time to tell Uncle I need a mate." He makes plans to talk to Uncle Perry. William and Garth talk about their living arrangements on the way back. William tells Garth he has a plan. He won't say more at this time, as everything is still up in the air. Marsha and Samantha sit side by side and discuss what they are going to do. Marsha feels like Sam is the sister she never had.
They all break up as they get off the ship. "Dad, could you stay for a minute"? Peter stays behind. "What's up, son"? He asks. With a nervous gulp, Scott asks, "Is it too soon for me to think about a mate"? "Nooo, What, brought this on"? "Well, I've seen how happy the family is with their mates, and from what I've read about wolf traditions, I have to ask the alpha for a mate." Peter falls to the ground as he laughs and howls. When he gets himself under control, he smiles at his son.
"Son, I don't know what you have read, but that tradition fell out of favor a century ago. If you lived in the Howler complex, you would have to ask for approval from the alpha, which is very seldom turned down. If you like, I can find out when the next mixer comes up." "Mixer, Dad"? "Well, yes, the wolf packs young get together once a month and have a dance. I have been told the last one had over four hundred youths there. By youth, I mean wolves between twelve and twenty. Are you adverse to an older female or male, or a younger one"? "No, Dad, I'm not. As long as she can love me as much as I can love her." Peter lets out a breath of relief. "Your mother and I were worried that you hadn't asked before." "Well, it has been on my mind for a while now." "Yes, I believe I was your age when I started to think of females. I believe the next mixer will be held at the Howler compound. You should go to the next one to see if anyone catches your fancy. Your fur color is so unusual; you should have no trouble greeting and meeting almost everyone there. Just treat it like a job interview with lots of dancing." "Not sure if I'm ready for a large crowd like that." "This is coming from a starship pilot? Just be yourself, son; it may not happen this time, but who knows"? "Thanks, Dad. I need to get the Pegasus-two back to the hanger." "Say no more, son, I'm off." Peter steps out as Scott closes the door. He lifts off and returns to the hangar. Scott locks the ship and hangar and then walks to his favorite coffee shop.
From the Star News
By Chris Beaverton
Well, it's happened, folks. Wilde Industries is now in the space tourism business. They have a four-hundred-person craft that goes into space. It is round with a clear dome on top with an uninterrupted view of the stars. It has a much smaller dome on the bottom for viewing the Earth. The prices vary for how many revolutions of the Earth you wish to take. One revolution of the earth costs about four hundred dollars a person and takes twenty-four hours, and I've been told it's booked solid for the next five years. As more ships come online, more people will be able to take this excursion. I have been told that eventually, there will be permanent crafts in orbit, and shuttles will bring people to and away from the orbiting crafts. I will be reporting from the craft as we ascend into the sky. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event for me. I am going with a few dignitaries and other reporters.
On a related note, new aircraft have come online as well. The engines are gone on the fixed-wing aircraft, and graviton coils have been installed. The bulky hydrogen tanks are gone as well. It still flies like an aircraft, and in the event of a catastrophic failure of the graviton drive, it will be able to glide like a sailplane. It has emergency coils for a safe landing. They are separate from the lifter coils. This is the safest plane in existence. Also, the average person will soon be able to fly. The prices for a seat will come down as the number of available graviton planes soars. They have five pilots trained on the new drive systems at the moment, with more scheduled in the near future. Also, travel times to other continents will be halved over normal aircraft. Some structural fortifications of the aircraft had to be made to handle the higher speeds. Maintenance of the systems will be handled by Wilde Industries techs.
As for the home front, several news agencies were witness to the demolition of a derelict building. It took a total of eight hours for this "Disrupter" machine to take down this building. From standing to rubble piles in eight hours, "Just wow." How this machine does this is beyond me. The piles of building materials were hauled away as the building came down. The cement, rebar, copper, and other materials were trucked off to a storage site where it will be recycled into a new building. Some will be turned into new materials for use in the new building.
Wilde Industries will start construction on this new building once this old site is cleaned up. They are saying that it should only take about one week to for the new building to be erected using the same machine that is taking it apart. It will be some kind of comunial living facility. The interior I was told will probably take about six months to make habitable. I hope Wilde Industries will think about taking down a few more derelict buildings in the city. Maybe they will get the city contract to do this, like they got the city dump contract. This machine breaks down all materials into it's base components, and recycles about ninety percent of the material entering the dump. They hope to get that percentage to one hundred by the end of the year. They will then start to dig into the dump pile for the raw materials held in that earth mound.
As of now Wilde Industries is the richest private company in the world. They have refused to put the company on the stock market. They don't want to be tied down by investors. The securities commission is looking into Wilde Industries. But so far they have found no improprities. Wilde Industries has made all their documents avaliable to the commission. So far nothing has been found wrong with their business dealings.