Hey guys! Sorry for not updating in a while! I couldn't find motivation for a bit.
But! I made a huge accomplishment today, and it gave me the motivation I needed, so! In celebration of my accomplishment, here's a new chapter! Also, I'll be adding the weeks of how far along Tanya is in her pregnancy for either a time skip or at the beginning of a chapter!
Warning: some sex jokes ahead!
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His head throbbed.
Mao Mao groaned, slowly opening his eyes, and immediately grimaced, finding the light to be too bright, and that he was covered by a light blanket, and that he was on the couch. He felt sore, and his head in particular was aching like he'd been given a concussion in a fist fight. He shut his eyes, and then pulled the blanket over his shoulders, planning on going back to sleep.
Wait. His green eyes then snapped back open, and then he looked down, his eyes widening in horror, and he gasped.
Where are my clothes?!
Mao Mao yelped and jumped off of the couch. However, dizziness washed over him like a tidal wave, and he covered his mouth as the contents in his stomach churned, nearly collapsing to his knees. He shut his eyes, willing himself not to puke all over the floor.
"Badgerclops," he groaned, feeling too weak to do much else.
Footsteps rushed out of the kitchen, and then Badgerclops appeared, holding a bucket and a glass of water. Mao Mao didn't waste time and grabbed the bucket, vomiting into it seconds after.
"I see that someone's awake, finally," Badgerclops said casually, as if his friend wasn't currently puking into a bucket in front of him.
After a few minutes, Mao Mao stopped, and then reached for the glass of water, feeling the awful taste fading away as the water went down his throat.
"B-Badgerclops," he said, handing the glass back. "Wh-where are my-"
He yelped as his cape was thrown into his face, along with his gloves and sash, and he growled, lifting his cape off of his face, glaring at the badger, who merely shrugged.
"You wanted your clothes back, didn't you?"
Mao Mao grumbled, but began putting his clothes back on, wrapping his cape around himself, so that, at the very least, he wasn't completely naked. "What happened last night?"
"Well, for one: you, my dear friend, are a hypocrite," Badgerclops said, shrugging. "You got drunk."
Mao Mao opened his mouth to disagree, but then he thought about why he felt like he'd been beaten the crap out of, and then he sighed. "Okay, good point. But… why was I naked?"
"Most likely because you probably slept with Tanya Keys."
Mao Mao nearly choked on his own spit, and he snapped his head up too fast, his headache growing worse, and he groaned, holding his head. "W… what?"
Badgerclops sighed. "Adorabat asked where you were, so we went looking for you, and… well, I saw y'all making out. It looked like it was getting heated, so I decided to leave the gala with Adorabat early and drop her off at her dad's place for the night."
Mao Mao sighed in relief, but his face turned red at the thought of him and Tanya making out. Why had he done that? Oh, thank god that Adorabat hadn't seen them. "Thank you, Badgerclops… I'm really glad that Adorabat hadn't seen us doing that…"
"No problem, man." Then, Badgerclops' eye narrowed. "By the way, you vomited all over me when I came to get you, and you kept going on, into detail, about how you made her scream and c-"
"BADGERCLOPS!" Mao Mao screeched, burying his face into his hands as his face burned. "I'm sorry, okay? I-I was drunk, I shouldn't have been drinking in the first place… I'm sorry, man, okay?"
"Eh, whatever, dude," Badgerclops said, shrugging, a odd smile on his face. "It's fine. Get dressed, and get some rest. You had a hell of a night."
Mao Mao nodded, and then he put the rest of his clothes back on, and then he crawled back on the couch, ready to fall back asleep.
But then, Badgerclops suddenly slammed a drawer shut, the loud noise making Mao Mao groan in pain, due to his headache.
"Aw man, I'm so sorry, dude!" Badgerclops cried, but Mao Mao knew, from the tone in his voice, that he, very much, wasn't sorry. Another crash. "Shit, curse my clumsiness!"
Mao Mao groaned, grabbing the blanket again and throwing it over his head.
This is what he got for drinking.
"...Oh, yeah, and the king wants new bedsheets."
Mao Mao blinked. Then, he grabbed one of the couch cushions and screamed into it.
☆☆☆☆
Eight Weeks:
Tanya wasn't stupid.
It had been about two months since the gala. She didn't remember much about what had happened that night, but she could remember snippets, which definitely made her feel warm in the cheeks (and rather proud) since she had gotten to spend the night with her Mittens.
But, ever since then, she had… started to notice some things.
For one, she began feeling a little nauseous, especially if she ate certain foods or detected certain smells, and, quite frankly, her breasts (which were often hidden by one of her illusions to avoid perverts from looking at her) were starting to feel more tender than usual. Plus, she had been peeing more often and had been getting more tired easily, not to mention the back pain and abdominal pain she'd experience every now and again.
All the signs were there. She prayed to every god and cosmic deity that she knew the name of that she could be wrong, but she had to be certain. So, she headed to the nearest drug store, and then grabbed the one thing that a woman in her profession rightfully dreaded ever picking up: a pregnancy test.
Tayna stared at the little box, feeling her heart rate picking up a bit. If she got the answer she knew that she'd most likely receive, then everything would change. She'd have to quit her job as a bounty hunter, and face the one person she was too afraid to be emotionally vulnerable with ever again.
But, even then, there was a good chance that the test would end up being a false positive. She would have to go to a doctor for a proper diagnosis, and even then, she felt like she shouldn't get too attached just yet. A miscarriage could still happen, after all.
Tanya sighed heavily as she took the box, and then went to the checkout.
Behind the cash register, was a porcupine woman wearing the standard cashier uniform. She looked up and smiled as Tanya walked over and set the box down. She grabbed it, looked at it for a second, and then dragged it across the kiosk.
"So, do you think it might actually happen?" the porcupine spoke, much to Tanya's surprise.
The tanuki bit her bottom lip, thinking about her answer, before she shrugged. "Might, might not. My ex and I got drunk at a party, and then things happened, you know?"
"I see. Does he know? That'll be $7.99, by the way."
Tanya shook her head as she handed over the money. "Not yet. He lives in Pure Heart Valley, and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, so…"
The elder woman's eyes softened. "Don't know if you want a little one yet, if at all?"
"Pretty much, yeah," she sighed, grabbing a small plastic bag that the cashier handed over to her. "I mean, I do want to have a kid. Settling down with a family sounds like bliss, but… it's just bad timing, you know?"
The porcupine nodded, understanding in her gray eyes. "I understand. Good luck anyway. And, remember, it's your body, you can do whatever feels right for you and your health."
Tanya smiled slightly, and then nodded. "Thank you," she said, and then walked out of the drug store, carrying the plastic bag containing what could be the key to her future, or the key to her ultimate fate.
Either way, she doubted that she'd be ready for whatever lay ahead of her.
☆☆☆☆
Tanya hummed as she looked at the box's instructions. Remove the plastic cap to expose the absorbent window. Point the absorbent tip (with 5 small openings) directly into the urine stream. Take the sample for at least 7-10 seconds, to ensure that an adequate sample is collected by the testing device. One line indicates that you are not pregnant, and two lines indicate that you are, indeed, pregnant.
One line equals not pregnant, and two means baby, she thought sarcastically. Okay. Simple enough.
So, she urinated on the absorbent tip for about ten seconds as was recommended, and then when she was done, she rested the test on the vanity while she finished her business, and then for the next minute or two, she allowed herself to fully process the situation as she anxiously awaited the results.
She could be… pregnant. Actually pregnant.
What would she do if she found out an actual living being was growing inside of her womb? Her job as a bounty hunter would officially be over; there was no room for a pregnant woman in her line of work.
Of course, there was another… option that would take care of the problem.
But, knowing who she slept with, the unborn child would be Mao Mao's kid as much as it would be hers. It would be unfair if she never told the cat of what was going on and "took care of the problem" behind his back.
Tanya shook her head, snapping herself out of her thoughts, and then she reached for the test, steeling her nerves as she took a look.
She blew out a breath.
Two lines.
Fuck.
Tanya sighed heavily as she set the test down for a moment, and then stared into the mirror, and then, slowly, she raised her hands to her stomach. She couldn't feel a baby bump just yet, but…
She shook her head, snapping herself out of her quickly growing complex thoughts. She shouldn't think about that right now.
Tanya took another glance at the pregnancy test. She knew that the test could very well be a false positive, so she was going to have to see an obstetrician and gynecologist to make sure; but it didn't make what was ahead of her any easier, nor did it answer the question that haunted her like an evil spirit.
Do I want it?
Tanya sighed heavily, and then she went to grab her cellphone.
She had some calls to make.
☆☆☆☆
It was a warm spring day, and so far, it had been surprisingly calm. No monster alarms, no cries from the king; and, most surprising of all, no sign of the Sky Pirates; it was turning up to be a completely normal day.
Which, to Mao Mao, was the perfect day to train Adorabat.
"Alright, Adorabat, now that you've learned some basic fighting skills and how to use your aerial attacks," the black cat told his student, crossing his arms behind his back, "I will be teaching you how to do offensive attacks."
Adorabat squeaked, excitedly flapping her wings, and then tilted her head to the side. "What are offensive attacks, Mao Mao?"
"Offense is the state where you are attempting to or actively attacking your opponent and or putting them at a disadvantage." Mao Mao explained patiently. "The offensive mindset is to take everything and give nothing! The basic goal of every offensive overture is to secure damage, a life lead, frame or positional advantage indefinitely."
Adorabat tilted her head, clearly confused. "Ummm…"
"Basically, you get your opponent in a position that would give you an advantage over them, and give them a disadvantage in return," he explained.
Adorabat's eyes sparkled. "Ooh! Teach me, teach me, Mao Mao, please!"
Mao Mao chuckled. "Okay, okay. Just follow my lead." He then set his feet wider than shoulder-width apart, and pointed his toes out slightly, then squatted down, bending his knees slightly higher than ninety degrees. "Now, Adorabat, karate is a fighting style that uses both defense and offense techniques that involves multiple stances that can help you defend yourself. But, most call it self-defense because it is focused on not bringing harm to others but to just protect yourself. However, it has numerous types of kicks, punches and elbow strikes that make it offensive."
Adorabat's yellow eyes sparkled with wonder and awe as she tried her best to mimic his pose. "Wow! Karate sounds so awesome, Mao Mao!"
Mao Mao chuckled. "Yes, karate is one of the most interesting fighting styles; in my personal opinion, anyway." He then looked at her with a smile. "Now, this stance is called the 'horse' stance: With the horse stance, you get the benefit of working both strength/stability and flexibility. Your glutes will be firing hard to resist further hip flexion, preventing you from collapsing to the floor in a sweaty heap, and will work with other muscles in the vicinity to rotate your hips outwards."
"Ooh, awesome!" Adorabat cheered, getting into position. "So, how long should we do this?"
Mao Mao hummed. "Well, some Kung Fu teachers ask their students to hold this position for up to an hour before they begin formal training, to ensure that they have the mental fortitude to practice Kung Fu."
Adorabat's eyes widened, nearly bulging out of her skull. "WHAT?! We have to do this for an hour?!"
"Adorabat, when learning how to fight, it takes discipline and hard work," Mao Mao explained, trying his best to be patient. "I know that doing only one stance for a prolonged period of time seems boring, but getting comfortable with this position will pay off in the long run because there are many Kung Fu movements performed from this position."
Adorabat groaned, rolling her eyes, but she knew that there wasn't any point in complaining, so she gave into defeat. "Okaaaay…"
Mao Mao smiled, pleased that, at the very least, she was willing to try it, closing his eyes in concentration. "Very good."
To Mao Mao's pleasant surprise, his apprentice managed to hold out for about twenty or thirty minutes, but, unfortunately, Adorabat's little body just couldn't do the entire hour, her knees getting tired quickly, and she let out a little whimper.
Mao Mao opened his eyes as soon as he heard her whimper, and his green eyes softened upon seeing that his little deputy was clearly uncomfortable.
The cat warrior sighed softly and then dropped the stance, walking over to the little bat. "Alright, Adorabat, that's enough."
Adorabat sniffled and then dropped the stance as well, looking like she wanted to cry as her mentor picked her up. "I'm sorry, Mao Mao…"
Mao Mao's eyes softened and he gently wiped Adorabat's tears away with his thumb. "Now, now, little deputy. You did fantastic for your first try!"
Adorabat sniffled, covering her body with her wings. "R-really…?"
"Of course you did! Why," he then closed one of his eyes, setting Adorabat down, before hunching his back over and then took out the sheathed Geraldline to use it as a pretend cane, doing an exaggerated impression of an old man as he spoke. "Back in my day, I could barely do that stance for more than five minutes when I was your age, whippersnapper!"
Adorabat grinned at his goofy old man impression, and began giggling, covering her mouth with her wings as giggles erupted from her mouth, and, while she wasn't looking, Mao Mao grinned to himself, his chest warming up at the sight of his little deputy laughing.
Mao Mao laughed and then dropped his 'old man' pose, scooping Adorabat into his arms as he began heading down the stairs to the garage. "Still, thirty minutes is very impressive, especially for someone your age."
Adorabat's yellow eyes sparkled at his praise; and she squeaked in excitement, unknowingly melting the cat warrior's heart even more. "Thanks, Mao Mao!"
"You're welcome, little deputy," Mao Mao said with a smile, opening the door to the garage and walking down the stairs; right over to the Aero-Cycle. "Now, come on. I think your little accomplishment has earned some ice cream! Badgerclops won't be back from grocery shopping for another hour, anyway."
Adorabat's yellow eyes lit up and she began screeching- a habit of hers that the two sheriffs have long gotten accustomed to. "ICE CREAM! ICE CREAM!"
Mao Mao simply chuckled, shaking his head as he grabbed his and Adorabat's helmets, strapping Adorabat's on when he got the five year-old to settle down in the back, and then he put his own helmet on as he climbed into the front and started the engine, before the Aero-Cycle took off, beginning Mao Mao and Adorabat's journey for ice cream.
☆☆☆☆
"Oh, oh! And I want chocolate syrup on top of my strawberry scoop, and then a mango scoop on top of that!"
Mao Mao sighed, shaking his head as he held Adorabat's wing while they walked over to the nearby ice cream cart. "No, Adorabat. That's way too much sugar for a child your age."
Adorabat frowned, looking disappointed as she pouted at her mentor. "Awwww, how come? Don't we have money?"
"Well, yes. We do. But, that money has to go into more important things. For example," he said, turning to her; unaware that his apprentice's eyes were now trained on someone else, "we have bills to pay, and, considering that we have the Aero-Cycle, we will need to pay for new parts every once in a while, and we also need money for-"
"Tanya Keys!"
Mao Mao was startled for a moment, and turned his head to look at Adorabat in confusion. "Um, no. Why would we need money for Ta-" His eyes then widened when he realized that Adorabat was no longer with him; and he shrieked. "Adorabat?! Adorabat, where did you-?!"
Mao Mao's ears twitched upon hearing Adorabat giggling, and he whipped around to where he'd heard it come from, and his eyes nearly bulged out of his skull when he saw a very familiar someone handing an ecstatic Adorabat the same ice cream he'd just told her that she couldn't have.
The black cat's ears pinned to his head, his eyes narrowing into slits, a low growl rumbling from his chest as he stomped over, clearly not pleased. "Tanya Keys…"
The tanuki turned around, revealing that she was holding an ice cream of her own- strawberry and vanilla in particular- and the corners of her lips curved into a teasing smirk as she gazed at the unhappy sheriff.
"Hello, Mittens," she cooed, licking her ice cream innocently. "Fancy seeing you here."
Mao Mao growled, stomping over. "What are you doing here, Tanya?" He then pointed his finger at the ice cream cone in her hand. "And you'd better have actually paid for that ice cream."
Tanya snorted, rolling her turquoise eyes at her former partner. "Why would I steal ice cream, Mao Mao? Sure, it's absolutely delectable just like a certain someone I know," she winked her eye at him; causing the cat to gape at her words, his cheeks turning a bright shade of red, and she quickly continued before he could retort back, "but it wouldn't exactly make me rich, unlike whoever the heck invented ice cream in the first place."
"Mao Mao!" Adorabat squealed, preventing Mao Mao from snapping at the tanuki, as she skipped over, showing off the ice cream she'd received. "Look! Miss Tanya paid for my ice cream!"
Mao Mao's eyes widened a little at that, and he looked at Tanya, who inwardly snorted at his stunned expression. "You? You paid for the ice cream?"
"Of course I did, Mittens," the tanuki chuckled, continuing to lick at the ice cream, even taking a bite out of the waffle cone, leaving strawberry and vanilla smears on her top lip as she moved her head away from the cone to continue speaking. "I don't steal everything that's in front of me. Besides, I'm thinking about quitting the whole stealing thing altogether."
Mao Mao's eyes widened again. "Wait, what?"
Tanya rolled her eyes again. "You heard me."
Mao Mao scoffed, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Tanya. "Forgive me for being skeptical, but I very much doubt that you would ever stop stealing, Keys."
Tanya furrowed her eyebrows, looking at Mao Mao, as if he'd just offended her. "Ouch, Mittens. You don't think that I'm capable of changing like you? Hurtful."
It could have been Mao Mao's imagination, but he could have sworn that he saw actual hurt on Tanya's face. He pressed his lips together, trying to ignore the guilt festering in his stomach. "That doesn't answer my question. What are you doing here in my territory?"
"Yeah!" Adorabat piped up, looking at Tanya as she licked at her ice cream, her yellow eyes glittering with curiosity. "Why are you here, Miss Tanya?"
Tanya laughed, taking another bite out of her ice cream before she answered. "Well, if you must know… I decided to quit my job as a bounty hunter and move into Pure Heart Valley."
Mao Mao's eyes widened and he almost choked on his own spit. "What?"
"You live in Pure Heart Valley now?!" Adorabat squealed, flying over and landing on Tanya's shoulder, her eyes twinkling with hope. "Does that mean you're a hero like us now?"
Tanya sighed, and then shook her head, trying to ignore how her heart clenched at the sight of Adorabat becoming disappointed. "No. Sorry, kid. I'm just a resident here."
Mao Mao's eyes were filled with suspicion as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll have to see proof of that claim, Tanya."
Tanya smirked, mischief in her eyes. "Aww, Mittens. I'd be happy to let you visit. It has been far too long since we've had some alone time together~"
Mao Mao's eyes widened at her comment, and his cheeks turned red again as he recalled what had happened just a couple of months ago.
"I- I'll be with Adorabat a-and Badgerclops, of course," he stammered, swallowing a lump in his throat. "The three of us will be visiting your 'home' tomorrow."
"We are?!" Adorabat gasped, looking excited as she cheered. "YAY! SLEEPOVER!"
Tanya laughed, looking amused as her turquoise eyes landed back on Mao Mao. "You seriously want to visit my house just so you can see whether I'm lying or not?"
"Yes, I do," Mao Mao confirmed, crossing his arms. "You don't necessarily have the habit of telling the truth, Tanya."
Tanya sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes, but she couldn't help but smirk mischievously as she suddenly sashayed over, swaying her hips as she walked over to Mao Mao. The cat froze up as she suddenly leaned forward, their noses briefly brushing against each other, the tanuki batting her eyelashes at him. For a moment, her lips lightly grazed his cheek, and his whiskers bristled at the light, almost subtle, peck on the cheek.
Tanya then pulled away, winking at him as she turned and walked away, purposely stroking the cat warrior's chin with her fluffy tail before she walked away completely.
"See you then, Mittens~" was the last thing she said before walking to and turning round the corner.
Tanya laughed to herself when she heard Adorabat ask, "Does that mean she's your girlfriend now?" and Mao Mao squeaked, stumbling over his words as he tried to answer, to no avail.
However, when the tanuki was alone, she grimaced and then carefully placed her paws over her stomach.
That was a close call, pup-kit, Tanya thought, and then she reached up and wiped the unshed tear from her eye. Hopefully, when the time is right, I'll be able to tell your Otōchan about you.
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Fun fact: Otōchan is "daddy" in Japanese! Since tanukis are from Japan, and Mao Mao and his family seem to be from a Japan inspired culture in the show, I thought it'd fit if Tanya and Mao Mao spoke Japanese! ^^