My pups darted into the room. They nearly pushed me over but I regained my footing and pushed myself forward. I looked into the ground and I was glad it was just the Professor, Feldspar, Keen, Poultice, and my mate in the room. I didn't want a large crowd since this was the first time my pups would be meeting anyone. I was still nervous of how this would go.
"Starlight," gasped Keen as he padded out from behind the Professor's desk and looked at me and smiled.
"How are you doing Keen," I asked as my pups bounded around the room, looking in every which way.
"Great," he murmured as he looked to his side and Poultice strode beside him. He looked over at me and dipped his head, beaming.
"Dad," gasped Murk as she darted toward Thruster. The rest of her littermates followed and leaped around him, yipping at him. Thruster growled back at them and pushed his head against each of his pups' flanks and rumbled in amusement.
"Hey pups," he chuckled as he licked Thyme between the ears since she was being the calmest out of her four siblings. "Is this your first time out of the den?"
"Yeah and mom said that we can meet everyone in this room," howled Reed as he looked around madly.
Thruster chuckled and strode toward me, his eyes lit in affection. "Well there isn't that many of us here right now but you can meet those who are here," he barked before he strode up to me and we touched noses. I rumbled in affection before I steered him around to look at his pups.
"Come on out pups," I ordered but to my surprise Keen, Poultice, and Feldspar filed out first and I couldn't help but let amusement light in my eyes. I kept forgetting they were pups as well but I had meant my pups. Luckily they wanted to see the older pups so they followed with their heads held high and their shoulders cocked.
"Poultice," gasped Thyme excitingly as she reared on her hind legs and rubbed her head against his shoulder.
Poultice smiled before she licked Thyme between the ears. She sat back down and wagged her tail before she looked to her father who looked like he was about to lunge. I quickly rested my tail against his tail to try and calm him down. "They're just friends. Poultice is helping her out of her shell a bit and she reminds him of himself. Let him be."
Thruster growled half to himself before he turned to Murk and Reed who were flanking Feldspar. "Hey pups," yipped Feldspar as he lowered into a crouch, his haunches wiggling. "Do you want to play?"
"Yes! Yes!" Murk leaped onto his back before Reed tried to push his head into his shoulder. Feldspar was a lot stronger than two pups though so he just stood tall while they tried to push him down.
Keen had strode toward me so that left Avery. He was stalking around a bit behind the Professor's dest and looking around madly. He suddenly let out a gasp and darted backwards. He surged toward me and ducked between one of my legs back there. "Something bumped my nose," he wailed.
I leaned down and licked him between the ears. "What did it feel like," I asked as I tried to get him to describe it.
"It felt cold and really hard," he explained as he raised a paw to his nose and rubbed it gingerly. Murk and Reed had ducked back to see if their brother was alright and I allowed Thruster to try and comfort them but they wanted me. He looked crestfallen but I just shot him a look of reassurance.
I jolted back before I looked up. I knew that the Professor had been hanging back a bit so he didn't startle my pups. My pups had only ever seen mutants walking. They didn't know what a wheelchair was and I knew that they would be started about how it looked and how it sounded since I knew the first time I had seen a wheelchair I had been very startled. I wanted to ease them in slowly but I had to plunge in now.
"You can come out," I murmured and when I looked up the Professor had wheeled a few paces in front of me. My pups hung back a bit, looking up and their mouths gaping in shock.
"Don't be rude," I chided as I took a step back and nudged my four pups forward. "Introduce yourself."
"M-Murk," Murk stammered as she looked up but she wasn't looking at his eyes. I wasn't sure why but she was looking at his legs.
"Reed," barked Reed as he dipped his head. He would always be my most outgoing pup along with Murk but right now Murk looked terrified and I didn't think she was about to be outgoing.
"Thyme," mumbled Thyme. I saw the Professor lean forward a bit but he still couldn't hear her. She was looking at her paws and shaking madly. I lowered my head to calm her down but it wasn't working. To my relief Poultice strode over and licked her ear tip.
"Thyme," I repeated as I looked to the Professor who seemed to understand. 'She's a bit shy,' I told him in my mind.
'That's alright. I won't push her,' he told me back in his mind.
'Thank you.'
I looked back to Avery. "Go on little one. He's waiting."
Avery shook his head to clear it and licked his lips. "Avery." He sounded cool and confident. His fur was slicked against his body while his head was pointed upward.
I saw the Professor stiffen and I wondered what he was thinking. Avery had no idea this was the man that had named him. He also didn't know he was named after my mother, Ivory. Ivory had been very special to the Professor and I knew it had meant a lot of him to name her grandpups after her after she had died. However I knew actually seeing Avery was hard for the Professor.
The Professor's eyes cleared before he smiled to my pups. "I'm Charles Xavier."
"Aren't you the one who built this school," asked Murk before she looked to me with her tail kinked over her back. "Mom told us that."
The Professor beamed. "Yes I did a long time ago."
Reed then took a step forward and sniffed the wheelchair. "Why are you using this thing instead of walking like everyone else?"
I stiffened. I forgot not to mention to my pups not to mention the Professor not walking. I knew it could be a touchy subject for him if approached incorrectly and Reed had certainly approached it incorrectly. Lucky for me the Professor acted like he wasn't fazed.
"Because I was injured and I can't walk," he replied to Reed.
Reed's eyes widened in shock before Murk nudged him aside and looked up at the Professor. "How?"
"I was shot and it severed my spine. Now I can't feel my legs," he answered and Murk's eyes widened in shock.
"Did it hurt," pipped up Thyme and Poultice stepped aside so that the Professor could see Thyme. Thyme looked up and realized that no one was shielding her from the Professor's gaze. She gasped and darted behind my legs and I sighed.
"He won't hurt you, will you Professor," I asked intently as my ears flicked upward.
"No I wouldn't hurt anyone," assured the Professor. I knew that wasn't exactly true but for now that's what Thyme needed to hear. She was very timid and anything little could startle her.
"Did it hurt," Thyme repeated as she licked her lips and poked her head out from behind my leg. She didn't venture any further but for her that was a huge step so I didn't push it.
"Not really," murmured the Professor gently as he smiled at her and she smiled back, a bit more comfortable. "It was very quick."
Thyme nodded before she looked up at me. "Was that a bad question?"
I snorted in amusement and licked her cheek. "No that was an okay question little one. Thanks for checking."
She nodded before I looked over to Reed and Murk. They were sprawled out on Feldspar who was sleeping as well. I turned to Thruster who rolled his eyes and strode toward Feldspar. He lifted a paw and prodded it against Feldspar's ribs. Feldspar leaped to his paws, his eyes darting around madly. "What happened?!"
The Professor and I chuckled while Poultice whispered something in Keen's ear. Keen's eyes lit in amusement. "Hey sleeping beauty," teased Keen as he looked at his friend and smiled. "Do you think it's time to get up now?"
"Sorry," gasped Feldspar as he darted to his paws and shook his pelt. "I just meant to close my eyes."
"It's alright Feldspar," assured Poultice as he bustled over and helped Feldspar to his paws. "Just try and stay awake until you get back to your room and then you can sleep."
Feldspar stretched and tensed his muscles. "Good idea." He strode toward the entrance of the Professor's room. Keen and Poultice looked to me before they dipped their heads.
"We're going to train for a bit. We'll see you later Starlight," murmured Poultice as he flicked his ears upward before he pushed out of the door with Keen following.
"I think it's time for you nap pups," I murmured as I looked at my sleepy pups. The only one who looked awake was Thyme but she was very different from her littermates in more ways than one.
"Alright momma," murmured Reed as he shuffled his paws forward with Murk trailing. She nearly fell forward but Thruster caught her with his muzzle.
"I got ya," assured Thruster as he let Murk dangle on his muzzle. He strode forward and helped Reed along as well.
That left Avery and Thyme who looked to be the least tired out of all of their littermates. They looked to me as if to ask to stay longer but I shook my head. Avery would be cranky without his nap and Thyme would be asleep on her paws later.
"There will be plenty of time for stories later once you've had your nap," I chided as I pushed Avery forward with my muzzle.
He tried to fight back but I sunk my teeth into his scruff and hauled him off of his paws. He yelped in shock and I rumbled in amusement. "Bye Professor," called Avery as he waved his paws a bit.
I turned my head and motioned for Thyme to follow me. She was in awe of the Professor and I couldn't blame her. Poultice had been the same way and still was. I was sure that if anything ever happened to Thruster that Poultice would become the Professor's companion.
"Bye Avery. After you nap if you come back here I'll tell you and your sister some more stories," he vowed and I felt pleased that the Professor offered to do that. It meant a lot to my pups.
"Thanks Professor," mumbled Thyme in a voice that the Professor could actually hear! She turned and darted between my legs and I nearly fell forward.
"Anytime Thyme." The Professor rolled back to his desk and I knew he had a class coming in. I pushed out of the door and smiled. That couldn't have gone better.