Discovery

Kat bounces her leg impatiently as she waits for Felix to get back with her test results. She's the only one there (at three in the morning) so, to her mind he should be done by now. Of course, she does feel a little bad about bothering him at this ungodly hour, but this is the only time she can have the privacy she really needs.

"Okay, Kat," Felix comes back out, yawning and rubbing his eyes childishly. The tip of his nightcap sits by his small muzzle. "I have your results, and you were right."

"I was right?" she asks, happy and terrified all at once.

"You're about two and a half weeks along," he nods. "Everything okay, Kat?—there a reason you could only come in for this at three in the morning?"

"I'm sorry, Felix, really, I just," Kat frowns and twitches her head around nervously. Leaning in, she lowers her voice substantially. "I could only come in now because I knew you'd be the only one here, and not even Doggie would know I came."

"Why would—" Felix catches Kat's wide–eyed look of warning and gasps. "Kat, if he's the father, you have to tell him!"

"I will," she whispers frantically, "I just...have to find the right time."

"How long...y'know?" Felix scratches the back of his neck, only slightly embarrassed to be having this conversation with his friend. True, he had a brief crush on her in his first few weeks (almost everyone did), but their companionship has become more like her relationship with Boom.

"About two and a half weeks," she raises her eyebrow, lips quirked to the side. "Just around after the fall of Omni."

"After he found out his wife..." Felix trails off, both with bowed heads. "Okay, come in for checkups every other week, eat healthy, you're a doctor, you know the drill—and bring Cruger, next time. If I see you in here again without him I'll tell him myself."

"You wouldn't dare and you know I'm not a doctor–doctor," she sighs, folding the paper carefully.

"I do know that you passed the med program at the academy no problem, it's just not your listed field," Felix smiles, enjoying their easy banter. "Take care, Kat, and I'll see you soon."

"Thank you, Felix," Kat hugs her friend and slips out silently. Her walk back to her room is anxious and filled with pessimistic thoughts. She tries to slip back into her bed undetected but the body next to her rolls over. "I'm sorry, Doggie, did I wake you?"

"No, but where were you?" he asks, drawing her body to his automatically.

"Nothing," she tries to brush off until morning, draping her robe off her desk chair.

"What's wrong, Kitten?" Cruger frowns at her.

Kat cracks a smile at the pet–name and curls into him. His warmth brings purrs unbidden from her throat. "Can't it wait until morning?"

"Nice try, Kat," Cruger chuckles. He dares not mention it to her, knowing how self–conscious she is, but he loves her purring. The slight rumbling through her throat is comforting to him. "Tell me, Kat."

Kat takes a deep breath, trying to ready herself for this. She isn't sure how to approach it, especially since they hadn't exactly talked about it. They haven't even really talked about "them". Mostly, the past few weeks had been pure, zealous, ecstatic celebration. In all the times they have slept together it was usually over by morning. During the day they'd be elusive and coy, then he'd come to her room – or occasionally her, to his – and they'd make torturously sweet love. Then the cycle would start again.

So far, she has been trying to curb her emotions. Something very hard was to not say those three little words. She doesn't know if he's ready for that, nor does she really want to push it. There's no way to tell how he feels about it, or if he feels anything. It's insecure, she acknowledges that completely, but she can't help but wonder if this all means the same to him as it does to her.

"Kat, you can tell me," Doggie looks at the slight woman in his arms with soft eyes. He has been trying to find a way of telling her how much she means to him. Properly, too, as opposed to the barely audible terms of affection he has said during... He wants to tell her he loves her, but they haven't even been on a proper date yet. Some great nights together, but there was nothing particularly romantic. Taking her hand he nudges her with his muzzle affectionately. "Tell me."

"I'm pregnant," she lets out, the words riding on a sigh.

With enough control Doggie manages to convince his body to not jerk up at the news. Instead, he remains perfectly, eerily still. Still, he makes sure to clutch her hand tighter. "When...are you...did... "

"I'm sure, I tested, I'm about two and a half weeks along," Kat continues with trepidation. He's taking things pretty well but she reaches to her bathrobe and shows him the results anyway.

"Three...this is where you were?" Doggie frowns at Kat, who doesn't look at him. He touches his cold, wet nose to the speckles dotting her left cheek bone. She smiles automatically in response and he takes it as a good sign. "Kat, look at me."

Kat collects all her nerves and looks up at her friend – and lover – to find his eyes bright. "H–how do you feel about this?"

In reply, Doggie bends his muzzle and places a kiss on Kat's midriff. "The woman I love is carrying my pup, how can I not be happy?"

Kat takes in a shaky gasp, at both the sensation of Doggie nuzzling the beginnings of their baby, and at his words. "T–the woman you...Doggie, you...you love me?"

"Of course," he moves swiftly to capture her lips in his, sweetly curving them into his own. "I love you, Kat; I have for years. I love you, and I love this pup."

Kat smiles through the kiss and continues to beam as he releases her. Collecting her breath again she looks at him, "what if it's a kit?"

"Well, I suppose, but my genes are dominant to yours," he notes casually. He draws them back to the bed, Kat in his arms. Toying with her curls, he tilts his head at her. "We're going to have a baby."

"We?" Kat smiles and kisses him. "You don't have to birth a half–Sirian–half–Feli youngling."

"True, but I'll be there when you do," Doggie lays another kiss on Kat's lips before turning serious. "Kat, will you marry me?

"Oh, Doggie," Kat's tone starts out hesitant but she pauses as he reaches to his coat pocket, pulling out a small, velvet box. Realization dawns on her. "Doggie, you didn't... "

"I've had this for a couple months now," he opens the box, revealing a sparkling silver band, housing a complete ring of diamonds, enclosed by two rows of emeralds. "Marry me."

"Doggie, you don't have to do this," Kat shakes her head, overwhelmed.

"I told you, I've had this for months. They made me think of your eyes," he gestures to the rings of emerald enclosing the diamond row. "Now, will you marry me?"

Kat smiles and slips the ring on. "I suppose so."