Little Friends

[Danielle Otis]

Danielle's lips curved up in a smile, but she covered her mouth, trying not to laugh at the man whom continued to run around.

"Uhm, can you take her to the room beside the kitchen?" he asked, looking at him briefly before continuing to hop around, multiple things in hand. They were almost falling out of his arms, with so many books.
"It's the sitting room...if there's any books on the couch in there, just push them off. Don't worry about it."

Dante continued to look around for anything that they missed, and Danielle turned to Dosise.
"I think he's freaking out more than either of us," she murmured.

"Danielle!" Dante spoke, and she jumped.
"How often are your, uhm, contractions?" the man went red again as he spoke.
"I don't know. Every few minutes?"

Dante went red again, breathing a deep breath.
"Right. Yep. Okay."

[Deleted]

Xavier nodded as he guided her into the sitting room. He was right, there were a pile of books on the couch. In fact, there was one spot for one to sit on the cushion, and then two stacks on either side of that spot that seemed to be the size of a person each! "You didn't rob the library did you, Dante?" Enoch asked with a slight laugh as he pushed the stacks to the side, the books falling like a lost game of Jenga. They littered the floor and after he sat Dani down, he had to sweep them to the side.

Once it seemed remotely clear, and looking like a sitting room with actual sitting room, he sat down next to Dani and held her hand softly. "You think this was a good idea? Our choice in location I mean... do we really want the first thing our children to see and smell is a bunch of old books?" He joked, trying to keep the stress level down, mostly for himself. He had begun to sweat. "It might turn them into librarians or scholars."

[Danielle Otis]

Dante could be heard outside of the room, shuffling.
“Uhm, sort of!” he called, “An older gentleman and I recovered a lot of the books from the ruins. Though, I only kept a few. These are mostly all bought, off of carriages coming through and the like.”
Though he had to remember a time when the place was relatively clean; when his sister was running the house, and when his parents were. The thought of his family put a small smile on his face.

Danielle sat down, feeling another contraction but still smiling, rubbing at her belly.
“Oh please, if I had the choice of them following in our footsteps or Dante’s, I think I’d choose this,” she chuckled softly. “Can you imagine? One will turn into an assassin, one a thief. The last one a librarian.”

She didn’t mind the thought of one of her children becoming a scholar, however. Her mind swam with the possibilities.
Turning to Dosise she noticed the sweat beginning to form on his face. She was surprised for a moment, before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek.
“Everything will be alright,” she said softly, giving him a reassuring smile.

And how could it not be? She had him back, and they would be a family.

Dante ran into the room, nearly tripping over books as he did so. He placed a few cushions on one end of the couch, plus a blanket laid out beside Danielle.
“Alright Danielle I’m going to get you to lay back here,” he asked, placing the books he held onto the ground as he began laying them out, one by one beside each other, open all to a particular page.
“Dosise, you’re going to be doing more of the coaching. I’m going to be putting some spells over you, Dani, so that it’s not as painful, and it happens a little…faster.”

Danielle laid back, and Dante placed a hand on her forehead.
“Danielle, I’ll tell you when I’m ready, and then just… get pushing,” Dante said, staring at the two once more before sighing, slowly chanting his spells. Already, Danielle was feeling less pain in her abdomen.

She looked over at Dosise, a small nervous smile on her face as she waited for Dante to be finished.
“Ready to be a father?” she asked, a slight nervous laugh at the end.

[Deleted]

"If that does indeed become the outcome..." He started, "let's hope they get along." he chuckled lightly as he thought of it. Crime had torn his family apart, and yet it had brought this one together. He hoped, prayed, and decided that he would do everything in his power to allow his life, and Dani's, to bring the children together and not tear them apart. The kiss might as well have been an agreement between the two, a shared oath to protect, guide, love, and keep the family together despite the challenges and activities that they would face. He smiled as he looked down at her. "I know... everything is as long as I've you watching my back." And it was true, through all of these times where he nearly disappeared or died, she was there, keeping hims sane, real, happy, alive.

The moment was interrupted, as was to be expected. He stood up and made room as Dante arrange everything to the way he wanted; the way that would be best for Danielle and the children. "I can coach... I think." He stated as he held her hand and waited as well. He waited in anticipation with her and also thought of becoming a father. "I will be, just give me a few minutes." He said with a reassuring smile.

[Danielle Otis]

Danielle continued to smile wide at Dosise, excitement coursing through her. Whatever her life was beyond this point, she was happy. Happy, to have Dosise. Happy to have her children. And happy that, just maybe, everything was perfect. She gave his hand a squeeze.

“Alright Danielle, get ready,” Dante stated, keeping his hand on her forehead as he continued to channel magic into her.
“One…two…three!”




Dante had given Danielle and Dosise some time alone after the three were out. Two in Danielle’s arms, one in Dosise’s. Danielle couldn’t help but stare softly at her children, smile wide. Two boys and a girl; although, not exactly what she was expecting.

She was expecting one to be a neko; and one was, the girl, with teeny tiny ears and a teeny tiny tail. She was the last to be born. The next, the oldest, was a human boy. She was thankful that she never turned into a cat form during her pregnancy, with the information her mother gave her, it would not have ended well for him. The last, the middle child, was particularly odd. He was a humanoid, of course, but instead of only having a few cat features, he had both ears and a tail, and fur all over his body. His face was shaped slightly like a cats, as well. Her mother had mentioned no such thing; and although surprised, Danielle took no notice after the fact.

Despite the unexpected she fell in love with all of them instantly, even shedding a few tears.

It was silent as they both stared at their children, already fast asleep. But, the silence had to be broken.
“What should we call them?” she whispered, her thumbs grazing the girl and youngest boy’s arms.

[Deleted]

He had never imagined something so beautiful... at least not something that was first so... well he couldn't find the words to describe it. He looked down at the child in his hands, and he already knew of one name. A tribute, a memory, an honor. He wanted his oldest son to hold the name of a man he had always looked up to, a man who had always been beside him, while he could. A man that was taken, and changed. It would be a way, in a way, to change him back. "If it is alright with you," he started as he looked into the eyes of his oldest son, "I'd like to name our oldest, Eric, in memory of my brother. Who he was and not what he was made." He said sadly, yet with a sense of peace. He looked over to the other two and smiled as well.

He had not imagined such diversity among them all. A Neko, a human, and what to him seemed like a pure Anthro-Gato. It was baffling, amazing, wonderful. "What do you think?" He asked her, wanting her input as well.

[Danielle Otis]

Danielle looked up in surprise as Dosise spoke Eric’s name. Then she remembered how it was not his real brother that had done wrong. She smiled softly, slowly nodding.
“I think Eric’s a beautiful name,” she smiled, nodding as she agreed.

One name down; two to go.

She looked down at the two in her arm, both still fast asleep.
Danielle carefully observed the girl, curiously looking at her ears. The tiny cat ears she obtained had small puffs of short red hairs, barely noticeable. She smiled, but tried not to laugh in fear of waking them up.

“I think she should be called Autumn,” she stated, giving the girl a slight squeeze. She wriggled a bit, an ear loving slightly before she settled back down again.

Her attention moved over to her other son, and she raised her eyebrows; a pleasant smile on her face. He had woken up, and was now staring at Danielle in awe. She was surprised he had not made a sound.
“I think this little guy needs a good name,” she said, head tilted as he stared back at her.
For some reason, she thought he was special. In what way she did not know. But special. And for that, she continued to smile down at him.

[Deleted]

"Autumn." He smiled as he said the name and looked at the small girl in Danielle's arms. It was a beautiful name for their beautiful daughter. "It suits her well."

He too then turned his attention to the middle child. The small boy with nearly pitch black fur. "He does." Xavier agreed as he thought. "What about Brutus?" He asked as he looked over to Dani and then back to the boy. When he looked back down, the boy seemed to hold a disgusted expression on his face, his nose cringed and his gums showing as if it had begun gagging. He had to chuckle quietly at that. "I don't think he likes it." He said and then continued to think. "We could give him a more traditional Antro-Gato name." He suggested.

[Danielle Otis]

Danielle's face twisted up at the name, a smirk on her face. Brutus? For a babies name? He did not seem too eager with the name either, the boy's face scrunching up as hers had.
Though she too chuckled as she watched his face.

"I don't blame him," she teased, before going into deep thought. A traditional anthro-gato name...

"Da'janovic..." she murmured, before looking up.
"That's really the only traditional anthro-gato name I know."

[Deleted]

"Da'janovic... yes, that does sound like a fitting name for him." Xavier smiled lightly as he looked at him. The boy seemed to not make an expression at this name, no cringes or ill faces, only a gaze up and at the two of them. His gaze seemed to be move than a child's young curiosity but one that truly pondered.

"I'm glad you didn't know any others." he stated as he turned to her. "I love it."

[Danielle Otis]

She continued to rub at the arms of the two she held, loving the warmth and comfort they gave her, just as much as the heat and comfort she gave them.

"I'm glad I was able to think of something," she smiled, before yawning.
"Perhaps we should be heading home... while you were occupied, I took the liberty of finishing that baby room, plus made extra cribs for the extra ones," she chuckled, then raised an eyebrow.

"And don't go chiding me for doing work while pregnant, I didn't do it all! Just the simple stuff. A few from the guild helped me out. Quite protective of me at the time, really. I suppose that's why they didn't tell me anything."

[Deleted]

His brow rose in surprise, he was also quite impressed with it as well. He didn't know she was even remotely a craftsman. "Really? You're a craftsman AND those from the guild helped you?" He chuckled. "Maybe this is going to work out after all." He said and then clarified. "The guild I meant."

With that, Eric awoke and just as Xavier looked down and smiled, he vomited all over his shoulder and chest. Slowly, his smile faded, only to grow again. "Yes... I think it is time we went home. I think Dante has had enough of the birthing experience and infants for today." He stated and then held Eric out, there really was no where to place him or hand him off to clean himself up. He couldn't hold him into the vomit either so he switched sides and held him against the opposite shoulder.

[Danielle Otis]

Danielle smiled softly at his remark; yes, perhaps the guild would work out after all.

And with that, Eric threw up all over Xavier. Danielle bit on her lip, trying to hold in her smile but could not. There would be a lot of that it seemed. But it was a start to a new, and very different adventure. And Danielle was excited for it.

She carefully stood up, careful as to not wake the sleeping babies in her arms (as Da'Janovic seemed to have fallen asleep) before smiling at the man.
Truly this was the real beginning of their lives.