Trigger Warning: Rape
Kitty groaned quietly, pushing herself away from the porcelain toilet seat. For the first week after David's death she'd felt sick to her stomach.
Why it was still happening, even when she didn't think of it, a month later was beyond her.
"You alright, Kitty-Kat?" Takado's voice came from the other side of the door.
"I don't know." Kitty sighed softly before rinsing her mouth with mouthwash.
"I think I caught the flu or something."
"We're demons. We don't catch human illnesses." Takado laughed.
Kitty rolled her eyes, spitting into the sink before opening the door to glare at her husband.
"Well when you think of a better explanation, let me know." Kitty pushed herself onto her tip toes, barely brushing her lips against the bottom of his jaw before returning to her seat on the bed.
"Maybe you're pregnant." Takado continued laughing before sitting next to her.
"I hope not." Kitty grimaced.
"I think it's a little early in our marriage to make you hate me."
"I wouldn't hate you over that." Takado frowned, leaning over to kiss her forehead.
"Your distaste of children has led me to believe otherwise."
Takado sighed softly before laying down.
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Kitty smiled brightly at him, pushing aside his hair. Her smile faltered slightly as she thought about Takado's suggestion.
She laid down beside him and shook her head briefly.
It wasn't possible. They were always cautious. It had always been clear it was a situation they wanted to avoid.
But she never had been very good at remembering to take pills.
"Kitty, are you in there?"
Kitty sprang out of the bed and ran to the door, startling Spikes slightly.
"Wow, that was fast."
"Yes, I'm here. What do you need?" Kitty forced herself to smile, to think about anything other than the possibilities of what caused her illness.
"I kind of have an issue with Vincent. I wanted to talk to you-"
"That's great." Kitty cheered.
"I mean... Not that you're having issues, just that. You know what let's just go talk."
Spikes raised and eyebrow at Kitty as she pushed her best friend out the door.
Spikes brushed off Kitty's hands and made her way down the hall.
"I love you, Tako. Gotta go. Girl stuff!" Kitty called out, blowing a kiss at her confused husband before racing after Spikes.
"Dude, are you okay?" Spikes questioned as the cat caught up to her.
"Of course I am." Kitty grinned, linking her arm with Spikes's.
"I was just getting bored sitting around doing nothing."
Spikes eyed the cat suspiciously, but remained silent as they passed through the living room. Kitty's smile weakened as the thought weighed on her.
She wouldn't even know if she was late, since she never kept track of it much anyways.
"Okay seriously, What's on your mind?" Spikes asked, turning to face Kitty as they entered her room.
"Nothing." Kitty smiled softly, shrugging her shoulders.
"Just thinking about some stuff I need to get at the store later."
Spikes nodded. She shuffled her feet, toying with her fingers before meet her eyes to Kitty's.
"I think I really messed up with Vince."
"What happened?" Kitty frowned, pulling the dog to the couch.
"I... I told him I don't want to get married." Spikes admitted. She gently rubbed her temples.
"He's really broken up over it, and I don't know what to do."
"Oh no." Kitty sighed softly. She reached over, gently patting Spikes's head.
"Marriage is such a big deal to Vince, and I know you don't want to. Though I don't really understand why."
Spikes sighed heavily, breathing in deeply in an effort to calm herself.
She jerked her head up, turning to glance at Kitty.
"What?"
"I don't know..." Spikes frowned, sniffing the air around Kitty.
"You smell different. Are you using a new shampoo or something?"
Kitty shook her head briefly. Spikes groaned, laying back on the couch.
"Maybe I'm just trying to distract myself."
Kitty smiled gently and ran her hand through Spikes's hair. Spikes glanced at Kitty before returning her gaze to the ceiling.
"I really don't know how to help with this one Spikes." Kitty responded, her voice quiet.
"But I do know you can't wait to find out. You need to deal with this."
Spikes nodded and closed her eyes. Kitty hummed softly, still running her fingers through the dog's hair. Spikes focused on her breathing, wondering how she would even try to approach the subject with Vincent.
It couldn't hurt to wait a little, could it?
Spikes nodded. She shuffled her feet, toying with her fingers before meet her eyes to Kitty's.
"I think I really messed up with Vince."
"What happened?" Kitty frowned, pulling the dog to the couch.
"I... I told him I don't want to get married." Spikes admitted. She gently rubbed her temples.
"He's really broken up over it, and I don't know what to do."
"Oh no." Kitty sighed softly. She reached over, gently patting Spikes's head.
"Marriage is such a big deal to Vince, and I know you don't want to. Though I don't really understand why."
Spikes sighed heavily, breathing in deeply in an effort to calm herself.
She jerked her head up, turning to glance at Kitty.
"What?"
"I don't know..." Spikes frowned, sniffing the air around Kitty.
"You smell different. Are you using a new shampoo or something?"
Kitty shook her head briefly. Spikes groaned, laying back on the couch.
"Maybe I'm just trying to distract myself."
Kitty smiled gently and ran her hand through Spikes's hair. Spikes glanced at Kitty before returning her gaze to the ceiling.
"I really don't know how to help with this one Spikes." Kitty responded, her voice quiet.
"But I do know you can't wait to find out. You need to deal with this."
Spikes nodded and closed her eyes. Kitty hummed softly, still running her fingers through the dog's hair. Spikes focused on her breathing, wondering how she would even try to approach the subject with Vincent.
It couldn't hurt to wait a little, could it?
...
Kitty covered her face with her hands, sliding down the wall's surface. She bit down on her lip as tears began to spill from her eyes.
It had been easy enough to ignore Spikes saying she smelled odd.
Ignore Sabbith's constant compliments of her marriage glow.
Ignore Warren's confused looks to her eyes, before glancing downward as he'd walk away.
Ignore Takado's fussing.
Ignore the continued illness.
However, it had been impossible to ignore all that on top of her sudden craving for coconuts.
She'd always despised them. Which finally made her decision to buy a test.
Several tests actually.
She looked beside her at the small pile of different brands of pregnancy tests.
Every single one saying the same thing.
She was going to have a baby.
Kitty snapped her fingers, lighting the pile ablaze. She closed her eyes and ignored the smell of burning plastic. Grateful, for once, that Takado wasn't home.
Kitty stood up rapidly, ready to run to Spikes's room to ask for help.
She found herself back on the floor quickly, her knees too weak to stand, and her head still spinning.
Kitty shook her head. She couldn't talk to Spikes. Spikes wouldn't understand, she wouldn't be able to help.
Kitty's eyes filled with tears once again.
She couldn't lose Takado.
Her fingertips gently grazed over her abdomen where she assumed the baby was slowly growing.
She couldn't give up the baby either though.
Kitty stood on shaky legs. She put out the flames that had consumed the tests, tossed it in a bag of old clothes, and then into the outdoor trash.
Kitty swallowed, hesitating before she went back inside. She glanced at the driveway, where two hours from that moment Takado would pull up.
He'd get out of his truck, and go straight to her. It didn't matter where in the house she was, he didn't do anything before kissing her to let her know he was home.
He'd tell her all about his day, and how much he missed her.
And she wouldn't tell him the news that would change their lives forever.
She'd keep it to herself, and continue her seemingly prefect life for as long as she could.
Hold on to him for as long as she could before giving him the news that she believed would ruin the happiness they'd created.
...
"What do you mean you're pregnant?" Everyone asked almost in unison. They stared with wide eyes at the feline before them, unsure of whether to congratulate her or not.
"How?" Spikes asked, the slightest aggression slipping through her voice.
She sighed softly glancing up at her mate. Water filled her eyes as she struggled to speak.
"Don't force yourself." Blade whispered softly, reaching over to kiss Nadine's cheek.
"Why don't you step out for a minute? I can tell them."
Nadine nodded briefly before exiting the living room. Kitty's eyes stayed on her as she walked away.
"Blade, how is Nadine having a baby?" Kitty asked. She glanced at Spikes's mentor, face colored with disbelief.
Blade sighed, taking a seat across from everyone. Her own eyes began to fill with tears.
"Nadi was raped..."
The silence that engulfed the room was suffocating. Everyone stared at Blade with wide eyed horror.
No one knew what to do, or say.
They just took the information, slowly processing it in silence.
"I left so this would never happen." Blade sobbed, her head hung low.
"I left to cut all my ties. Finish everything and start a clean life so she'd never get hurt. I fucking failed."
Spikes silently sat down next to Blade, resting her head on the bat's shoulder.
"You can't blame yourself, Blade." Spikes's voice was hoarse whisper.
Takado nodded in agreement.
"You did everything you could, Blade."
"But she still got hurt. She got hurt and it's my fault."
Everyone stepped closer to Blade, all hoping to reassure her.
None noticing Kitty had stayed put.
"Is she going to keep it?"
Kitty's voice startled everyone, even Blade met Kitty's eyes with confusion.
She shook her head for a moment before lifting her head once again.
"I don't know."
"I'm keeping it." Nadine stepped back into the room, tears in her eyes. Blade rushed to her side, quietly asking her to think about it, not to be hasty.
"I want my baby." Nadine hissed defiantly at blade.
"What happened... It wasn't the baby's fault. It didn't ask to be conceived. I will not damn my child for something it cannot control."
Everyone held their breath, eyes wide as they watched Blade and Nadine cautiously.
"Okay." Blade sighed, reaching a hand out for Nadine's.
"If you're sure you want to do this I'll support you."
Nadine's smile was blindingly radiant as she wrapped her arms around Blade's neck. Tears fell from both their eyes as they held each other.
"Well it's not the way we wanted it to happen, but at least we're going to have a baby." Nadine wiped away Blade's tears with her sleeve.
"Wow." Kitty whispered softly. She watched as Sabbith excitedly spoke about the baby with Nadine. Spikes hovered around Blade for moral support. Even Warren tried to reassure both women that things could turn out for the best.
"What is it?" Takado asked, taking Kitty's hand in his own.
"It's amazing how strong they are." Kitty smiled softly.
"They're making the absolute best of a completely horrible situation."
"They're rising from the ashes." Takado nodded in agreement. Kitty's eyes traveled to her slightly swollen abdomen. It hadn't been enough for anyone to notice yet, but she was running out of time.
Takado sighed, bending over to kiss her cheek.
"Sometimes I feel like I wouldn't mind that one day."
Kitty felt her stomach lurch and a lump form in her throat. She stepped away from Takado.
Her heartbeat racing as she eye
d the door.
"No, no. You've always made it very clear you don't want kids. It's just you and me in this." Kitty stuttered, slowly making her way towards the door.
"Things change Kitty." Takado smiled softly, stepping towards her.
"No!" Kitty screeched, grabbing everyone's attention. Kitty's cheeks flushed bright red. Tears filled her eyes as she glanced between her friends and her husband before running for the front door.
"Fuck." Takado muttered and turned to run after her, leaving everyone behind in stunned silence.
Takado grabbed the door to Kitty's car as she tried to close it before he reached her.
"Kitty, just talk to me."
"No!" Kitty hissed sliding out of her car through the passenger seat. She tried to run away from him, but he easily caught her, pinning her back against the wall of the house.
"Stop running. It's not good for you when-"
"You said you don't want kids." Kitty whimpered. She could feel bile rising in her throat as she struggled to pull her wrists from Takado's grip.
"You've always said you don't want kids. That you don't want a family."
"I might if it's with you." Takado snarled.
Kitty's eyes widened, tears rolling down her cheeks. Takado let go of Kitty's wrist and ran his hand through his hair.
"I'm pregnant." Kitty whispered, burying her face in her hands.
"Takado I'm pregnant."
Kitty turned to run again, to get away from him.
Takado pinned her against the walls, crushing his lips against hers. He gently kissed her nose a moment later, smiling softly at her.
"I know."
"What?" Kitty looked up at him in disbelief. "How?"
"Kitty you are the love of my life. I have every centimeter of you memorized. I know your every facial expression. I'd notice anything different about you." Takado smiled softly, taking her hand. He rubbed his cheek against her knuckles as a weak smile began to tug at the corners of her mouth.
"Also you've been craving weird food, and the dogs knocked over the trashcan that had your melted into one piece pregnancy tests. A few of them were surprisingly still readable."
Kitty rolled her eyes, a soft laugh escaping her lips.
"How far along are you?"
"Nine weeks." Kitty bit her lip, waiting for him to get angry.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize." Takado kissed her forehead.
"I wish you'd told me sooner, but this is my fault. If I hadn't always said I was so adamantly against kids, you wouldn't have reacted like this."
"So you're not mad at me?" Kitty whimpered, a new wave of tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
"Of course not. Unless it's not mine that is." Takado laughed as she swatted at his arms. He grabbed her hand, pulling her into his arms as he began softly stroking her hair.
"I knew I had probably scared you, so I was letting you take your time to tell me. Over two months is insane though. Have you been taking the vitamins you need to?"
Kitty nodded her head briskly, before shaking it slowly.
"I forget to take them sometimes."
"I feel like that is exactly what got us into this situation." Takado laughed again. He kissed the top of Kitty's head, loosening his grip on her.
"So, you want the baby?" Takado's eyes widened as they met hers. Despite everything, her eyes still shone with fear.
"Of course I want our baby." Takado's voice was gentle, and his smile soft as he leaned in to kiss his wife. He rest his fingertips against her abdomen, his own eyes becoming teary.
"I want a family with you."
Kitty smiled, resting her hand on her husband's that was still against her abdomen.
Takado lifted her into his arms, with little protest and carried her back into the house.
Kitty curled against Takado, half-asleep and unaware of the looks from her friends.
Takado paused as he stepped into the hallway.
He turned around and leaned his head back into the living room, grinning like a kid on christmas.
"I'm gonna be a dad!"
Kitty covered her face with her hands, sliding down the wall's surface. She bit down on her lip as tears began to spill from her eyes.
It had been easy enough to ignore Spikes saying she smelled odd.
Ignore Sabbith's constant compliments of her marriage glow.
Ignore Warren's confused looks to her eyes, before glancing downward as he'd walk away.
Ignore Takado's fussing.
Ignore the continued illness.
However, it had been impossible to ignore all that on top of her sudden craving for coconuts.
She'd always despised them. Which finally made her decision to buy a test.
Several tests actually.
She looked beside her at the small pile of different brands of pregnancy tests.
Every single one saying the same thing.
She was going to have a baby.
Kitty snapped her fingers, lighting the pile ablaze. She closed her eyes and ignored the smell of burning plastic. Grateful, for once, that Takado wasn't home.
Kitty stood up rapidly, ready to run to Spikes's room to ask for help.
She found herself back on the floor quickly, her knees too weak to stand, and her head still spinning.
Kitty shook her head. She couldn't talk to Spikes. Spikes wouldn't understand, she wouldn't be able to help.
Kitty's eyes filled with tears once again.
She couldn't lose Takado.
Her fingertips gently grazed over her abdomen where she assumed the baby was slowly growing.
She couldn't give up the baby either though.
Kitty stood on shaky legs. She put out the flames that had consumed the tests, tossed it in a bag of old clothes, and then into the outdoor trash.
Kitty swallowed, hesitating before she went back inside. She glanced at the driveway, where two hours from that moment Takado would pull up.
He'd get out of his truck, and go straight to her. It didn't matter where in the house she was, he didn't do anything before kissing her to let her know he was home.
He'd tell her all about his day, and how much he missed her.
And she wouldn't tell him the news that would change their lives forever.
She'd keep it to herself, and continue her seemingly prefect life for as long as she could.
Hold on to him for as long as she could before giving him the news that she believed would ruin the happiness they'd created.
...
"What do you mean you're pregnant?" Everyone asked almost in unison. They stared with wide eyes at the feline before them, unsure of whether to congratulate her or not.
"How?" Spikes asked, the slightest aggression slipping through her voice.
She sighed softly glancing up at her mate. Water filled her eyes as she struggled to speak.
"Don't force yourself." Blade whispered softly, reaching over to kiss Nadine's cheek.
"Why don't you step out for a minute? I can tell them."
Nadine nodded briefly before exiting the living room. Kitty's eyes stayed on her as she walked away.
"Blade, how is Nadine having a baby?" Kitty asked. She glanced at Spikes's mentor, face colored with disbelief.
Blade sighed, taking a seat across from everyone. Her own eyes began to fill with tears.
"Nadi was raped..."
The silence that engulfed the room was suffocating. Everyone stared at Blade with wide eyed horror.
No one knew what to do, or say.
They just took the information, slowly processing it in silence.
"I left so this would never happen." Blade sobbed, her head hung low.
"I left to cut all my ties. Finish everything and start a clean life so she'd never get hurt. I fucking failed."
Spikes silently sat down next to Blade, resting her head on the bat's shoulder.
"You can't blame yourself, Blade." Spikes's voice was hoarse whisper.
Takado nodded in agreement.
"You did everything you could, Blade."
"But she still got hurt. She got hurt and it's my fault."
Everyone stepped closer to Blade, all hoping to reassure her.
None noticing Kitty had stayed put.
"Is she going to keep it?"
Kitty's voice startled everyone, even Blade met Kitty's eyes with confusion.
She shook her head for a moment before lifting her head once again.
"I don't know."
"I'm keeping it." Nadine stepped back into the room, tears in her eyes. Blade rushed to her side, quietly asking her to think about it, not to be hasty.
"I want my baby." Nadine hissed defiantly at blade.
"What happened... It wasn't the baby's fault. It didn't ask to be conceived. I will not damn my child for something it cannot control."
Everyone held their breath, eyes wide as they watched Blade and Nadine cautiously.
"Okay." Blade sighed, reaching a hand out for Nadine's.
"If you're sure you want to do this I'll support you."
Nadine's smile was blindingly radiant as she wrapped her arms around Blade's neck. Tears fell from both their eyes as they held each other.
"Well it's not the way we wanted it to happen, but at least we're going to have a baby." Nadine wiped away Blade's tears with her sleeve.
"Wow." Kitty whispered softly. She watched as Sabbith excitedly spoke about the baby with Nadine. Spikes hovered around Blade for moral support. Even Warren tried to reassure both women that things could turn out for the best.
"What is it?" Takado asked, taking Kitty's hand in his own.
"It's amazing how strong they are." Kitty smiled softly.
"They're making the absolute best of a completely horrible situation."
"They're rising from the ashes." Takado nodded in agreement. Kitty's eyes traveled to her slightly swollen abdomen. It hadn't been enough for anyone to notice yet, but she was running out of time.
Takado sighed, bending over to kiss her cheek.
"Sometimes I feel like I wouldn't mind that one day."
Kitty felt her stomach lurch and a lump form in her throat. She stepped away from Takado.
Her heartbeat racing as she eye
d the door.
"No, no. You've always made it very clear you don't want kids. It's just you and me in this." Kitty stuttered, slowly making her way towards the door.
"Things change Kitty." Takado smiled softly, stepping towards her.
"No!" Kitty screeched, grabbing everyone's attention. Kitty's cheeks flushed bright red. Tears filled her eyes as she glanced between her friends and her husband before running for the front door.
"Fuck." Takado muttered and turned to run after her, leaving everyone behind in stunned silence.
Takado grabbed the door to Kitty's car as she tried to close it before he reached her.
"Kitty, just talk to me."
"No!" Kitty hissed sliding out of her car through the passenger seat. She tried to run away from him, but he easily caught her, pinning her back against the wall of the house.
"Stop running. It's not good for you when-"
"You said you don't want kids." Kitty whimpered. She could feel bile rising in her throat as she struggled to pull her wrists from Takado's grip.
"You've always said you don't want kids. That you don't want a family."
"I might if it's with you." Takado snarled.
Kitty's eyes widened, tears rolling down her cheeks. Takado let go of Kitty's wrist and ran his hand through his hair.
"I'm pregnant." Kitty whispered, burying her face in her hands.
"Takado I'm pregnant."
Kitty turned to run again, to get away from him.
Takado pinned her against the walls, crushing his lips against hers. He gently kissed her nose a moment later, smiling softly at her.
"I know."
"What?" Kitty looked up at him in disbelief. "How?"
"Kitty you are the love of my life. I have every centimeter of you memorized. I know your every facial expression. I'd notice anything different about you." Takado smiled softly, taking her hand. He rubbed his cheek against her knuckles as a weak smile began to tug at the corners of her mouth.
"Also you've been craving weird food, and the dogs knocked over the trashcan that had your melted into one piece pregnancy tests. A few of them were surprisingly still readable."
Kitty rolled her eyes, a soft laugh escaping her lips.
"How far along are you?"
"Nine weeks." Kitty bit her lip, waiting for him to get angry.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize." Takado kissed her forehead.
"I wish you'd told me sooner, but this is my fault. If I hadn't always said I was so adamantly against kids, you wouldn't have reacted like this."
"So you're not mad at me?" Kitty whimpered, a new wave of tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
"Of course not. Unless it's not mine that is." Takado laughed as she swatted at his arms. He grabbed her hand, pulling her into his arms as he began softly stroking her hair.
"I knew I had probably scared you, so I was letting you take your time to tell me. Over two months is insane though. Have you been taking the vitamins you need to?"
Kitty nodded her head briskly, before shaking it slowly.
"I forget to take them sometimes."
"I feel like that is exactly what got us into this situation." Takado laughed again. He kissed the top of Kitty's head, loosening his grip on her.
"So, you want the baby?" Takado's eyes widened as they met hers. Despite everything, her eyes still shone with fear.
"Of course I want our baby." Takado's voice was gentle, and his smile soft as he leaned in to kiss his wife. He rest his fingertips against her abdomen, his own eyes becoming teary.
"I want a family with you."
Kitty smiled, resting her hand on her husband's that was still against her abdomen.
Takado lifted her into his arms, with little protest and carried her back into the house.
Kitty curled against Takado, half-asleep and unaware of the looks from her friends.
Takado paused as he stepped into the hallway.
He turned around and leaned his head back into the living room, grinning like a kid on christmas.
"I'm gonna be a dad!"
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