At the hospital, Feral was quickly stripped, examined (there was some shock to learn he was pregnant), his arm set then placed in ICU due to a high fever and shock. He was very sick for more than twelve hours.
Ms. Briggs, at the behest of the Mayor, went to check on Feral.
"Doctor, how is Commander Feral and will he recover soon?"
"He just has a broken arm, Ms. Briggs. Its his other condition that has us concerned and why he'll remain in the hospital for a few days. Right now he is suffering a fever from an infection he picked up from the broken arm and the beating he suffered. Thankfully, the kitten is healthy and suffered no difficulties despite its mother's present condition. Commander Feral did a great job of protecting his belly as best he could under such trying circumstances."
Callie could only gape at the doctor for a long moment before finally stuttering, "Kitten? D-did you say kitten?
"Yes. Didn't you know? I'm sorry I thought you did. Commander Feral is over four and half months pregnant."
"Uh, no I didn't know. Frankly, I wasn't aware the Commander was an hermaphrodite in the first place."
"Oh, I wasn't aware of that," the doctor stated a bit taken aback.
"It's obvious to me that the Commander withheld this information from everyone. I think we should respect his wishes and keep this private. No one is to be told except those responsible for his care about his condition. Please restrict his visitors to family, his second in command, and myself from now on. Commander Feral is now under a news black out. Understand?"
"Of course, Ms. Briggs. It will be done immediately. Fortunately, none but those that treated him on arrival and those on this floor is aware of his delicate condition," the doctor assured her.
"Good. Now you say he has a fever, is he expected to recover?"
"Oh yes. He's on antibiotics and should be right as rain within another day or so. He has been through a lot so I'm keeping him long enough that he gets some needed rest that I'm certain he would follow if he was released."
"You are correct, I'm afraid. He's just as much a workaholic as I am," Callie said ruefully, giving the doctor a small smile. "Well, I'll leave then and give the Mayor an update on Feral's condition. Please inform me if there's any change that would be a detriment to him. Thanks for taking such good care of him."
"You're most welcome, Ms. Briggs."
When she explained about Feral and his condition, she was pleasantly surprised when Manx didn't object too strongly about holding back the information about the tom's pregnancy though the Kat did nearly choke when he'd heard about it. What would happen after the kitten was born, she didn't know but that was a problem for another day. At least there would be another peaceful day and for that she was very grateful to Feral and the SWAT Kats for making it happen.
A few days later, Feral was finally recovering but was exhausted and upset by the news he'd finally gotten from his second about what had transpired while he'd been imprisoned by Dark Kat. The deaths of the kittens hurt him more than he could express. What a terrible price they paid to finally be free of that menace.
Ms. Briggs had told him his condition had been kept secret. Embarrassed, he thanked her and retreated within himself. Now that the danger was over, he was again faced with his problem. He missed his lover terribly and could really use him now. His gentle touch was what Feral craved but he couldn't have that and tears fell unbidden when he thought about not seeing him ever again.
At the salvage yard, a couple of days after the death of Dark Kat...
After giving his partner a severe talking to and a firm piece of his mind on what needed to happen now, Jake left him to think about what he'd said.
Chance stared at the door as it closed behind his partner. He'd been shocked at Jake's firm assurance that he should be grateful for finding his one and only. So many Kats lived their lives never finding their mate. Instead of moaning over the fact it was someone he wouldn't have chosen had he known, he should put that aside and rejoice at his good fortune and celebrate the new life he'd helped to create.
It was that last that had Chance swallowing tears of confusion and longing. He would be a father and yes, he did miss his mate...he missed holding him, loving him, just being with him even though they'd never traded a word between them. But in reality, they had...every time they spoke as Chief Enforcer and SWAT Kat. The ease they now had between them seemed to make more sense. Their bodies recognized each other making their interaction easy and comfortable. He shook his head in amazed revelation.
'Well damn! We were acting as mates all along but just didn't know it and now there was a kitten to think about. I need to talk to him...this can't wait any longer!'
Unfortunately, he had to wait until Feral was on the mend. It chaffed him to have to wait so he went back to work with his partner, much to Jake's relief. The garage was busy enough that his mind could hold back all the things he wanted to say to his mate and the impatience of waiting until he could.
Finally, by the end of the week, he found out by calling Callie how Feral was doing and found he was much improved. He managed to wheedle out of her where the tom was then planned to sneak into the private hospital room the tom had been moved to for a long delayed visit.
Night had fallen and the patients had been fed and given their meds by the night shift when T-Bone slipped into the place. It was very quiet and there were few people about so slipping into Feral's room was easy. He closed the door then quietly pulled the curtain between the bed and door so that if someone came in he was able to hide before being spotted.
Feral appeared to be sleeping but his eyes opened when he heard the curtain move. He blinked in confused surprise at the sight of the SWAT Kat in his room. T-Bone walked over to his bed and stared down for a moment.
"I needed to see you," he finally said softly. "Explanations won't work for what I need to say so I want you to trust me. Please close your eyes and just feel, don't ask any questions and stay silent."
Feral frowned at him for a minute but the SWAT Kat had a grave look on his face so he decided to humor him for the moment and closed his eyes.
Reaching out carefully, T-Bone gently caressed the rugged face he'd remembered feeling under the mask. Feral gasped but kept his eyes closed. The tabby moved his fingers down the chin and placed them under it, raising it as he lowered himself down for a light kiss.
That first touch told him as nothing else had that this was his mate without a doubt, now if only Feral recognized it too.
Feral shuddered and gasped as those lips he knew so well touched his own and kissed him. Those familiar fingers had touched him the same way he remembered too. Unable to keep his promise any longer, he opened his eyes as the SWAT Kat moved back a bit but stayed close.
"Oh my God!" Feral breathed in disbelief. Trembling, he reached up slowly and lightly touched the tabby's face below the mask and swallowed. "It's you!"
"Yeah, it is. I only realized it when I was forced to feel you in the dark to check your injuries. Even then I had a tough time believing it. You're handling it better than me, I'm ashamed to say. It took my partner to shake some sense into me to realize I had something truly wonderful...a mate and now..." he reached down and tenderly caressed the hump he could see pushing up the bedding, "...we have this..." he looked up into his mate's face and said gently, "I can't ignore the fact that we've created life even if it was an accident. I have no intention of allowing you to carry this burden alone. I'm here now and I'm not leaving."
Feral felt on the verge of tears at that heartfelt declaration from his mate and felt shocked by it. 'Must be pregnancy hormones,' he realized in annoyance then dismissed it and reached for those lips he wanted so desperately.
T-Bone was rather surprised then forgot it all as he sank into the kiss. He missed this. His arms reached down and wrapped around the powerful shoulders he'd known so well and hugged the tom to his chest as the kiss deepened.
A sound in the hall finally broke the embrace. They didn't let go entirely as they listened for some minutes but no one came into his room and silence returned from outside. Relaxing, T-Bone sat on the bed and held his mate in his arms. Feral rested his face on the shoulders he missed so very much and sighed.
Okay, so his mate was a SWAT Kat, stranger things had been happening lately what was one more. Oh yeah, problems were going to have to be solved, like were they going to live together, where should they raise their kitten and would he know his mate truly?
'Now that was the question,' he thought in amusement. His mate was still masked just as he'd had been when they first met at the club so he still didn't know who he was.
"You're smiling," T-Bone murmured, pulling back to grin at Feral. "I could sense it. You aren't freaked by this?"
"I should be but I've been so unhappy, stressed out about being pregnant, then being kidnapped by Dark Kat, that I just don't have anymore shocks to put up with any longer. But there is one more thing that has me amused..." Feral said grinning impishly.
"Oh...only one?" T-Bone smiled back.
"Yeah, you're still masked and unknown to me while you know who I am...is that fair?"
The tabby blinked then laughed softly. "You're right about that. Unfortunately, I need the permission of my partner before I give that away since it isn't just my secret."
"Now that I can understand. I'll wait. We have many other things that need discussing anyway."
"We do at that and now we can actually talk about it," T-Bone smirked.
"Well I didn't mind not being able to talk except through our bodies. It was more honest, don't you think?"
"Yeah, Razor commented on that when I first began going to Hidden Faces. He felt the owners had planned on people finding their mates or making good friends through this method. I gotta say they are really shrewd people."
"Oh, I definitely agree."
They were silent a moment enjoying just being close and together at last.
"Feral...uh...wait that's far too formal...what should I call you?"
"Ulysses."
"Oh, yeah, I remember hearing that from a news conference...I like it. Anyway, why did you go to the club, Ulysses, besides the obvious one that took a lot of people there?"
He eyed his mate a long moment before answering. "I was lonely and dying to be touched," he murmured, honestly.
T-Bone stared at him, bringing up a paw to caress a nearby cheek. "I'm glad you went then. As for me, it was for the adventure and the thrill of anonymity. I certainly didn't expect to find true love."
"Neither did I. I just hoped to have someone who would treat me well and I'd have a good time."
"Was I good to you on that first night? I thought I was, but I was never sure."
"You were very good and don't say you didn't know for sure. Your mouth and eyes lighted with delight to know you'd done such an excellent job. I never enjoyed myself so much nor experienced pleasure that intense before," Feral said sincerely. "I never dreamed I'd fall so hard for someone like I have for you."
T-Bone felt his face flush with pleasure and warmth. "I love you!"
Feral grinned delightedly and whispered as he drew T-Bone close for another kiss, "I love you too!"