Trial of a Titan.

In the woodlands, Titan made his way back to the summer garden, feeling the weight of his responsibilities.

Titan smiled and purred with pleasure at the sensations caused by Apudo’s presence inside him as she kicked and kneaded at his womb with her feet and paws. His eyes shining, he rolled onto his back on the track, feeling Apudo kicking as she was turned upside down. Titan breathed deeply, then rolled down the slope towards the summer garden, faster and faster, braking to a stop by digging in his feet.

“Okay that’s enough,” Titan mewed, panting hard, his pads hot and sweating from his exertions.

“You look wonderful!” Snowy mewed, padding from the outdoor pool where she was finishing her daily swim.

“I feel it,” Titan mewed.

“I heard about what Apudo did!” Snowy growled, “that was awful Titan!”

“I know,” Titan mewed, “but you cannot speak to her about what is past.”

“Why not?” snowy asked, “I’d love to tear her paws off for what she did to little Ekaterina, the poor female man cub!”

“I understand how you feel,” Titan mewed, “but, she has no past now, at least not in her old skin.”

“What on earth are you on about?” Snowy asked.

“Touch my belly,” Titan mewed, lying down on the tiles by the edge of the pool.

“Okay, but, but, oaoaoaoaoh!” Snowy mewed as she too lay down, then reached for Titan’s belly with one huge white paw, her touch answered by an answering kick from inside the huge liger.

“Titan,” snowy whispered, “are you sure?”

“It’s my choice, and hers,” Titan mewed.

“But rebirth is dangerous work,” snowy mewed, “I know that, and so should you Titan, why do it?”

“I will not break the confidences of one who’s deepest thoughts were spoken to me in privacy and deep distress,” Titan mewed, “except to say this, I will be delivering a cub to the community in a short time. Which means, we have only one leader now, karina.”

“No, we have two,” Snowy mewed, nuzzling Titan’s paw, “you and karina, and patch, so three.”

“I’m no leader,” Titan mewed, “I have not been elected, I’ve not done anything to merit it.”

“You have done much,” karina said, padding near, turning the shower on and washing herself.

“You look as if you’ve had a good time karina,” Titan mewed.

“Oh, the sand in my fur from head to feet?” karina giggled, “yes, Moses and little Ekaterina rolled me in sand, then rubbed it into my head fur too. They slightly buried my feet also.”

“One of the best bits of washing in the shower is cleaning pads and toes,” Snowy mewed, “it feels so good!”

“that’s so true,” karina mewed, washing herself thoroughly, before soaping her hands and attending to her feet, lifting first her left foot, soaping it, then, standing on her right leg, she grabbed the shower hose and, leaning on the wall, turned the nozzle to fine spray. Turning her back on the watchers so they could see the sole of her left foot, she directed the jet over her heel, arch and toes, snowy giggling as Karina’s toes curled with the pleasure of the water’s massage.

“I’m hating every minute!” karina yowled theatrically, Titan laughing merrily at her antics.

“the day you don’t enjoy foot massage will be a sad day indeed,” he said.

“What’s the best place for you?” Snowy asked.

“the best place on my foot?” Karina asked, playing the spray over the sole of her left foot, "um, here.” Snowy saw the jet hitting the ball of Karina’s foot, karina curling her toes slightly to catch the water.

“I like it there too,” Snowy mewed, padding up behind karina and touching the heel of her left foot with her nose, karina laughing, spraying snowy in the face with the jet of water.

“I forgot you could do that!” snowy gasped, coughing as water went up her nose.

“Don’t tickle my pads with your breath then dear snowy,” Karina mewed, feeling snowy plant a kiss on the heel pad of her raised left foot.

“that’s so sweet!” Titan mewed.

“I have another foot I need to wash,” karina mewed, repeating her washing on her right foot.

“it feels great doesn’t it,” Titan mewed.

“it does,” snowy purred.

“You will want plenty of paw and foot washes during your labour Titan,” karina mewed, “I know what a rebirth is like, it’s bloody hard work!”

“I know,” snowy mewed, “my poor toes! My poor legs! My poor everything! So much ouch!” Titan squirmed with the thought of it, but the kick of the new life inside him soothed his anxiety.

“you do all you need to when in labour Titan,” Snowy mewed, “don’t be afraid to yowl like a tigress in labour.”

“I can’t yowl like a tigress, I’m a liger,” Titan giggled.

“You can yowl like a lioness or tigress,” Snowy mewed, “don’t hold anything back, if it hurts, let the world know with your voice and paws and feet and efforts.”

“It will hurt,” Titan mewed, “Apudo is going to be a big cub when she’s born. I only hope she doesn’t come out feet first as she did first time. That would be difficult.”

“if she does, Blackberry can get his paw in and help,” karina said.

“I would like to help Apudo out into the world unaided if I can,” Titan mewed.

“Have you got the, um, equipment to give birth?” snowy asked.

“I, I, well, yes I have,” Titan mewed, “I looked at the scans of me, and I have a womb and birth canal. I could push properly to deliver a cub. I have no milk supply though, my female side is strange, I have female and male genitalia, as Blackberry put it, but no teats to give milk. I don’t think about it much, I’m more, well, in my head rather than my body.”

“how do you feel about your body?” Karina asked.

“it’s what I have, and if others don’t like it, then that’s their issue,” Titan mewed, “as long as I know why I feel the way I do. I’ve wanted to give birth to a cub for ages, as everyone knows. I am glad I have the means to do just that, and that Apudo is safe inside me.”

“Who checked you over?” snowy asked.

“I did,” Blackberry replied, padding to Titan, kneeling then kissing his nose.

“did you see how Apudo was transported?” Karina asked.

“I can’t explain how it happened,” Blackberry replied, “it was all very strange. Titan covered Apudo in oil and, well, she shrank and I well, um, I saw her transported into Titan’s care.”

“You put her there? Inside him?” Karina asked.

“Apudo sort of made her own way. She was in a sort of half dream when she did it, I think we all were. Titan crouched, and Apudo crawled to him, vanishing beneath his body. I didn’t see where she went, but Titan lay down on his side, panting and pedalling the air with his paws and feet a bit, curling his toes with discomfort from time to time too,” Blackberry replied.

“up the tunnel that’s where,” Titan mewed, “I’ve felt it done. It’s strange, and does make you pant and pedal the air with your paws!”

“it’s done that way with those who have tunnels,” Blackberry said, “I’ve spoken to patch about it. he said that in those who rebirth who have no tunnel, males, the cub is placed differently.”

“Did Apudo actually die?” Karina asked.

“No,” Titan mewed, “Apudo slid into a dream to crawl to the place where she is now, when she arrived at the place where she is to stay for a while, she went into a deep sleep, her body was flexible enough to get her to where she needed to be. In those who die by the actions of another, in their rebirth the implantation is different, but the outcome is the same. Apudo will know her name, but I will be mama to her.”

“Why did you let Blackberry do that Titan!” snowy miaowed.

“I had no hand in what happened,” Blackberry replied, “I was just passing, and saw it done. I carry kit on my trike, so waited for all to settle, for Titan slept for a long time after the implantation of Apudo. Once I was sure he was asleep, I scanned his belly, finding what I, as a scientist, expected to be there, namely the unborn cub. How Titan did what he did, I do not yet understand. I was not there to hear their conversation, and even if I were, I would never speak of what I heard. I arrived just as Titan started cleaning Apudo ready for her long sleep.”

“that sounds like a sight worth seeing,” karina mewed.

“It was,” Blackberry replied.

“did it hurt you Titan?” karina asked.

“No, it was uncomfortable that’s all,” Titan replied, “most of my pedalling and panting was me trying to help Apudo’s spirit along. She had to really want to get where she needed to be, and get there she did.”

“the thought of something crawling up the tunnel makes me want to cross my legs and scream!” snowy miaowed.

“it’s the only way,” Titan mewed, “I could not kill Apudo, as she hadn’t actually killed little Ekaterina, only confessed to her aggression maybe going further if she hadn’t been stopped by me. Having aggressive thoughts is no crime, acting them out on others is. So I had to help Apudo that way, killing her was not an option.”

“Ugh, that’s horrid!” snowy spat.

“Killing her would be far worse,” Titan mewed, “I could not do that, I have no reason, and what’s more, I could not bring myself to hurt another except in great need. Apudo had come to me for help, how could I not help her when I have the power to do so?”

“and you say you’re no leader?” karina asked.

“I am not worthy of leadership,” Titan mewed, “I do what I know how to do.”

“You’re putting yourself at risk to save someone else’s spirit,” karina mewed.

“I am doing what my body and mind want, and what Apudo wants too,” Titan mewed, “I may speak lightly of this, but I know the risks, I have seen them first paw, as it were, and touched them too,” he looked at snowy with deep love and respect, “I know the risks, I am willing to put myself through them, backwards cub and all.”

“but surely if Apudo comes backwards you could help Titan Blackberry?”

“I can, and will,” Blackberry replied, “but hopefully that won’t happen.”

“I can’t wait to feel the cub’s head stretch me and curl my body round to kiss its nose before its first breath,” Titan mewed.

“Can cats do that?” Karina asked.

“yes,” snowy mewed, “I tried curling my body round between urges to push so I could kiss the cub’s nose, but another contraction made me lie down flat and push before I could kiss him.”

“You did try very hard,” Titan mewed, “but the cub had slid back,.”

“ “I remember curling everything, my back, my toes, everything while trying to greet Nuru at the first showing of his nose!” snowy mewed passionately, panting, she calmed down, Titan seeing her toes curling as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her.

“I tried so hard!” she whimpered. Titan leant over to her then kissed her nose.

“I saw,” he mewed gently, “Dear Snowy, you did all a mother should and could do.”

“how long until you have your cub Titan?” snowy asked, touching his paw with hers.

“I don’t know,” Titan mewed, “but when it happens, I want everyone to be there. The labour will be long and possibly very strenuous and painful, I know that.”

“You will do fine Titan,” Blackberry said. Titan smiled at the black bear.

“I hope so,” the liger mewed. the sound of small naked soled feet padding over the tiles made Titan look round to see Little Ekaterina walking towards him.

“Hello little one,” he purred, the young girl kneeling, then crawling to him.

“Can I cuddle?” she asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed, “I know we hadn’t finished our talk earlier.”

“I’m sorry for throwing the sand,” the little girl said, embracing Titan.

“I know you are, and I knew it when you took my paw while unsupported, and when you still held my paw while sitting on your heels. You did all you could to say sorry. You did enough Ekaterina dear.”

“Apudo wanted more. I couldn’t do it Titan!”

“I know,” Titan mewed, “Apudo knows too. She did you and I much wrong earlier. Now she will get a new chance.”

“Karina said you were going to have a cub like she did Felix,” Little Ekaterina said.

“I will,” Titan mewed, “and you can be there little Ekaterina. I will be in pain, but you can touch my paws and feet, and see me have the cub, for I will not harm you, no matter how much pain I’m in.”

“Titan, labour really hurts,” karina said, sitting down beside him. Titan set to washing little Ekaterina, the young girl laughing merrily as his tongue worked over her hands and feet.

“You’ve got sand on these feet,” Titan mewed.

“there is some sand on the tiles,” Little Ekaterina said, “I think it’s from karina’s feet that, or maybe from mine too.”

“I’ll get rid of it,” Titan mewed, blowing on the soles of her feet, little Ekaterina shrieking with laughter.

“You’re tickling meyeee!” she yelled.

“Oh sorry,” Titan purred, little Ekaterina laughing merrily.

“You can push while curled up in a ball,” Swarupa said, hauling herself out of the water and walking across the tiles, “I did it when giving birth to Tigger.”

“I suppose you can do anything when in that much pain,” Titan mewed. Swarupa looked down at Titan.

“Did you, did you really give Apudo the chance of rebirth?” Swarupa asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed, sending Little Ekaterina away with a touch and push at her toes, the young girl getting to her feet and walking away to Karina, who returned with her to the house.

“I, oh dear Titan, I’ve been talking to Nuru. He told me, told me, well, that, that you helped him into the world, and that Snowy told him you’d gone to give rebirth to him!”

“It’s all true,” Titan mewed. Swarupa looked troubled.

“I’m the worst of tigresses,” she choked, “I didn’t understand what happened out there, but Nuru, he told me, with patch’s help he told me the whole tale! I then spoke to Blackberry, some time ago now, and, and, he showed me why you are like you are. I’ve been feeling ill recently, and, and, it’s all because I’m hate filled. I do not want to be like this, Sushanti isn’t. I do not want to hate my cubs.”

“There are tigresses who don’t take to mothering,” Titan mewed.

“I did what I had to preserve my own skin,” Swarupa admitted, “I mothered you three because I’d born you, not because I truly wanted cubs for the love of them. No wonder Tigger and Namrah stuck together, no wonder they mated, no wonder they forgot their heritage in their need for comfort.”

“your late regret does not undo anything you did,” Titan mewed, “Swarupa, I cannot give you anything, for I feel nothing for you bar contempt for you for your actions towards your cubs. I disown you, Tigger and Namrah I know do likewise. Anyone can give birth to cubs, it’s bringing them up that’s really hard. Tigger and Namrah wanted to love each other for the joy they gave one another. That love is undiminished despite their mistake. They cared for that dying cub with all they had Swarupa, you know it, and so do I.”

“I saw what happened,” Swarupa mewed, “I saw the birth of their cub, and, and its death, and their tender care, and the cub’s final resting place. Patch showed me, he knows all.”

“I know that place,” Titan mewed.

“I will go now,” Swarupa mewed, “Titan, If your sire knew of our conversation now, he’d kill me for hating my cubs.”

“I know,” Titan replied, tears in his eyes, sniffing and gulping, he continued:

“He would hate you for baring cubs in a selfish manner. Here we have no societal compulsion to have cubs.”

“I did it because everyone else was,” Swarupa mewed, “everyone was at it, so I felt left out, so I first used a donor tiger, then I asked ancient Nuru to do his duty by his pride tigresses, and he did. He cared for you more than I did, but I barely let him see you.”

“I know, and now he’s dead,” Titan mewed, grief choking him.

“now, now you’re rebirthing Apudo,” Swarupa mewed, “you’re everything a community member should be Titan. I’m glad you didn’t follow my paw prints.” With that Swarupa turned and walked away, leaving Titan crying like a cub.

“Rebirth Apudo for her and your sire’s sake Titan,” snowy mewed.

“I know he wanted to do what I’m destined to,” Titan whimpered, coughing as his tears flowed. Closing his eyes, he hung his head and tried to breathe deeply, struggling to regain his composure.

“Titan?” a voice asked, Titan feeling a nose and set of whiskers brushing his left cheek.

“Namrah?” Titan asked, feeling another set of whiskers and another nose nuzzling his right cheek.

“Tigger and I are here, Sushanti too,” Namrah replied gently.

“Thank you all,” Tigger sniffled. Namrah rested her head on Titan’s shoulder, feeling her half-brother’s sorrow.

“I love you Titan,” she mewed, kissing his ear.

“We all do,” Sushanti mewed.

“I saw you born Titan,” Tigger purred, “you were big then, and remain so today. I saw you arrive, and Blackberry pulled you into the world.”

“Knowing what I know now, I’m sorry for anyone being born to Swarupa,” Snowy mewed.

“What’s done is done,” Titan mewed, raising his head, getting to his feet and shaking himself from nose to tail, “we must rise above Swarupa’s taint and enjoy our lives.

“so Swarupa had cubs because everyone else was?” snowy asked, “that’s a very silly thing to do.”

“it’s past now,” Titan mewed, “I have work to do, and all this disgust isn’t helping my unborn cub.”

Apudo listened to all from her cocoon of warmth. She could feel Titan’s upset inside her, and didn’t blame him one bit. Lying in her warm place, she wondered when the time would be right to start the journey to the outside air.

“here is nice and warm, but there is something to be said for the embrace of warm paws in a snuggly furry hug,” she thought, “oh, yes, and I must try not to be born backwards. Poor Titan if I am. He won’t be able to give birth without help.”

Later that day, Titan was dozing in his lie up when little Ekaterina crawled up to him and touched his paw with her hand. Rousing himself, he looked at her.

“Where has Apudo gone?” the young girl asked.

“I’ve sent her away to think about things,” Titan mewed, “what she did to you was horrible.”

“She hurt me Titan!” little Ekaterina whimpered.

“I know she did,” Titan mewed.

“I would have held your paw, I was going to ask if I could hug you and say sorry after I hugged Apudo, but she made me hold your paw in a nasty way, and, and it hurt me!” the girl sniffled.

“I know she hurt you Ekaterina,” Titan mewed, “that is why I roared at Apudo when she made you kneel up again. I knew it hurt you, I knew it was all you could do to sit back on your heels and hold my paw in your hands.”

“I wanted to hold your paw Tiggie Titan! But I couldn’t do it while kneeling up, I had to sit back on my heels,” Little Ekaterina replied.

“I know,” Titan mewed.

“I was wriggling like this!” little Ekaterina said, turning her back on Titan, kneeling in front of him so he got a good view of the soles of her bare feet, then sitting back on her heels, Titan seeing what he was sure Apudo saw.

“I know,” Titan mewed, kissing the heel pad of her right foot, “Ekaterina, Apudo hurt me too.”

“Kiss my other heel, then my toes!” little Ekaterina begged, Titan smiling and doing as she asked, little Ekaterina laughing delightedly:

“Rub my feet with your paws too!” she pleaded, Titan doing as she asked, little Ekaterina bouncing on her heels, then sitting back hard, squirming with pleasure as his paws worked from her heel pads down to her toes, little Ekaterina curling her toes to catch those of Titan’s paws, Titan pushing his toes into the grip of her smaller ones, then tugging at his toes as if they were trapped.

“Where has Apudo gone?” she asked, uncurling her tiny toes, turning to him and throwing her arms round his neck.

“Hug me please,” Titan mewed. Little Ekaterina hugged the huge liger as tightly as she could, Titan returning her hug with both paws.

“snuggle me like Moses, I want to push with my toes!” little Ekaterina begged. Titan did, the young girl pushing with her toes as she’d seen Moses do.

“Is that better?” he asked. Little Ekaterina buried her face in his fur.

“I love this,” she said softly, Titan purring deeply.

“I wish you were Apudo’s dad!” little Ekaterina burst out, “she would be gentle and cuddly like you if you were her dad.”

“I’m going to be guide to her,” Titan mewed.

“She needs doing to her what Theo said Nuru had done to him,” little Ekaterina said, “she needs to learn not to hurt people, she hurt me when I’d already said sorry to you.”

“I know,” Titan mewed, “dear child, I know she hurt you, she hurt me too. I could not watch her hurting you.”

“I know,” little Ekaterina said, “but I wanted to hold your paw, that is why I wriggled on my heels, I wanted to hold it for as long as I could. I didn’t want to kneel with my bum off my heels. Which Apudo made me do.

“You and I have been hurt little one,” Titan mewed, “Apudo is safe with me though, here, feel.” He let go of her and flopped onto his side, then smiling, guided her hand to his belly. Little Ekaterina gasped as she felt something kick back against her finger pressure.

“you have a cub in there?” she asked.

“I do,” Titan mewed, “can you guess who it is?”

“You’re going to do for Apudo what Snowy did for Nuru?” little Ekaterina asked.

“I am,” Titan purred.

“I want to see this, now!” little Ekaterina said. Titan laughed then kissed her nose.

“I can’t make it happen now,” he said, “but I will pedal the air with my paws and feet a bit and curl my toes, how’s that?”

“Will you make noise like you’re giving birth to a cub?” she asked. Titan hugged her:

“I might,” he replied softly.

“You will have to get used to making moaning and growling sounds with others around,” little Ekaterina said.

“Yes he will,” Moses replied, padding into the room, dropping to his knees and crawling up to Titan.

“Oh all right,” Titan mewed, waving his huge left paw in defeat, “I’ll moan and growl a bit too. But you two must rub my pads while I’m doing it, that’s my reward for making a noisy exhibition of myself.”

“We’re getting you ready for the real thing,” Moses said.

“yeah, I suppose so,” Titan mewed, “Thinking of it, if I want my paws and feet rubbed, I’d better keep them still, though I could still curl my toes.”

“I’ll bet you will close your eyes and bare your teeth too,” Moses said.

“probably when giving birth for real,” Titan mewed. Moses Stroked Titan’s large right paw, the liger curling his toes with pleasure.

“I will moan and groan as if having a cub,” he mewed. taking deep breaths, Titan set himself to moaning and curling his toes as long as the children stroked the pads of his paws, prolonging his moan as long as they stroked the large heel pads on the soles of his paws or feet, Titan stopping to pant when their fingers reached his curled toes. Relaxing his toes as he panted, Titan wriggled, then pushed back against their hands with his paws and feet as he felt pressure on his pads from their fingers. Moaning,, he strained during imaginary contractions, extending his legs, pushing his paws and feet hard into the grip of the children’s hands, the length of time their fingers took to travel from his heels to the balls of his feet or paws as well as the pressure of their stroking shortening or prolonging, as well as guiding the severity of his imaginary contractions, and by extension his efforts, Titan curling his toes with his concentration and effort of amercing himself in their game.

“Push as long and hard as you can Titan, push push push!” Moses urged. Titan growled and moaned as he felt Moses fingers trace his pads, his toes curling with concentration. When the boy's fingers reached his tightly curled toes, Titan panted, whimpering and growling with the imagined pain he thought he would feel, while relaxing his toes in preparation for another contraction.

“This is just imagined!” the liger panted, “what will the real thing be like?”

“You're making the story,” Moses said, “when real birth pains start, you'll be unable to control your voice, urge to push, or the way your toes curl. You’re doing wonderfully Titan ! Another push should do it!”

“I’m trying!” Titan mewed, wriggling convulsively as Apudo drummed on the wall of her safe place with her paws, “uuuuumf, the cub’s getting restless!” the liger moaned, “maybe she’s excited at me getting into the game! I’m not ready to have the cub yet!”

“Will we see a cub born today?” Moses asked.

“I don’t know,” Titan panted, “Apudo, Stoaoaoap it!” he pleaded, “oaoaoaoaoawch! Oaoaoaoaaoaow!” Titan moaned as Apudo kicked hard at the entrance to her room with her foot. Suddenly Titan rolled from side to side, seemingly in a battle with the force inside him, flailing all four limbs, his teeth clenched and pads bathed in sweat.

“oaoaoaoaoh! Aouwch! Uuuuumf, Awowowowowowouch!” he roared in a high pitch voice noone had heard him use before.

“he sounds like snowy!” Theo mewed, padding into the room, closely followed by Blackberry, both attracted by the noise.

“I think Titan’s going to have a cub Theo!” Moses yelled, hugging the startled young lion.

“I don’t know if he will or not,” Theo mewed coolly, “Moses, please, let me go.” Moses did, hearing the rebuke in the lion’s tone, “I don’t mind a hug and all, but I’m concerned for my friend.” He padded to Titan, who now lay on his side on the floor, panting and crying into his paws.

“It’s gonna hurt and be harder than that!” Titan whimpered.

“I know,” Theo mewed, “I remember my passage into the world, and Apudo’s effort. Just take it gently Titan.” Titan felt Apudo moving, trying to guess if she’d turned head first or not. Blackberry padded up to Titan, knelt and asked him:

“Can I please put monitors on you?” Titan replied that he could, Blackberry rigging Titan up with oxygen and heart rate monitors that let the liger move around independently, while still giving Blackberry all his readings.

“I hope you’re not breach Apudo,” Titan groaned as he felt the first contraction. Getting to his feet, Titan walked round the lie up, feeling the cub shift inside him.

Apudo, after kicking hard at the entrance to her room, turned and hit it with her paws, trying to pry it open. It was this which had caused Titan to start rolling about on the floor, throwing Apudo around the room, her paws and feet skidding and scrabbling as she tried to make her wish to be let out known. Titan settled down after a while and Apudo carefully turned round and round, feeling the walls, floor and roof of her safe room with paws and feet. Suddenly she found a place where her paw fitted snugly. Pushing, she felt Titan tense, then heard his moan of pain as she felt the room ripple around her, squeezing her against the entrance.

“if I brace with my feet rather than my paws, I can speed this up, but I must remember to turn around before I go down the tunnel!” Apudo thought. Rolling onto her back, she pushed at the room’s entrance with her feet, left right, left, right, rolling from side to side as she did so, gently digging her toes in to kneed the place. Apudo knew she was doing well when Titan began responding to the pressure of her feet with moans, groans, roaring, growling and panting.

“I mustn’t let that door get too big!” Apudo thought, “if it does, I’ll go down the tunnel backwards, and poor Titan will have a horrid time.” Apudo pedalled the entrance to her room with both feet, feeling it widening bit by bit.

Meanwhile, Titan, feeling her efforts, moaned and groaned through increasing pain. Stopping pacing, he lay down, his teeth clenching and toes curling with pain whenever Apudo pushed against her door, and afterwards when his body responded with an effort he couldn’t control.

“Oaoaoaoaow!” he moaned every time, panting and curling his toes, while little Ekaterina and Moses sat by his forepaws, watching from close range, Theo even closer to Titan’s hind end, the young lion’s pads sweating with nervous excitement while he eagerly watched the sweating pads and toes of his cubhood friend’s feet and the space beneath his tail. Theo could see the entrance to the tunnel, but it was still vacant of any sign of the cub which was to be born. Titan curled round and looked at Theo.

“Tell me if anything happens,” he panted.

“I will,” Theo mewed, “or I might reach in and help if she comes backwards. I have a feeling she’s trying not to come backwards, but she’s using her feet to kneed the entrance at the moment as it’s more comfortable for her.

“yes, I can see how it would be,” Titan moaned, “but for me it isn’t!” he gasped.

“what’s she doing?” Theo asked.

“Feels like digging her toes in and massaging in circles to open the entrance!” Titan yowled, rolling onto his back and pedalling the air with his own feet, Theo watching Titan’s feet, the liger’s soles facing him, his huge pads moving back and forth and round and round as the liger struggled to cope with increasing pain and discomfort.

“Uuumf! Oaoaoaoaoaoaaow, I must, umf, uououououof! Pedal the air with your feet Titan, stretch your legs, wriggle, roll from side to side and pedal the air with your feeyeeet!” Titan moaned aloud, encouraging himself in a world of pain.

“Like this?” Theo asked, rolling onto his back so his feet faced Titan’s tired eyes, then rolling from side to side while pedalling, the action moving his feet in a circular motion while pointing his toes.

“Like what?” Titan asked, looking between his hind legs at the young lion, “Theo, I Haven’t got time for oaoaoaowch! Demonstrations of what you think Apudo’s doing inside meyeee, aoaoaoaow shit! Aouwch!”!” he yelled. covering his face with his paws, writhing, trying to cope with the pain, “she’s rubbing my insides with her feeyeeet!” Titan screeched.

“I think Moses is pretending to be you Titan!” Theo giggled. for the young boy now lay on his back, knees drawn up, bringing them together and pushing them apart while cycling with both legs, making sure each bare foot described a rough circle in the air, just as Theo had described.

“Titan’s doing this!” he declared.

“Seeing it re-enacted makes me even more uncomfortable, stoaoaoaoap!” Titan pleaded. Moses stopped cycling with his feet, rolled onto his side and grabbed Titan’s sweating left paw as the liger rolled over and lay on his left side panting and sniffling.

“It’ll be all right Titan,” Moses said, kissing his nose. Little Ekaterina started rubbing Titan’s ears, the liger crying with fear and pain.

“Do you want pain relief,” Theo asked.

“I can’t, not with rebirth,” Titan mewed, “it can go so wrong if I have pain relief. I can’t feel what the cub’s doing, and it’s only my will to push that’s getting her born!” Titan suddenly took a deep breath and pushed experimentally.

“aoooooow, not yet, not there yet!” he moaned.

Apudo, feeling Titan’s experimental effort, felt her feet squeezed into the tunnel. Desperately scrabbling with her paws, she managed to free them and turn head first down the now rapidly opening tunnel. Pushing with her paws, she tried to kneed as she had with her feet, but couldn’t do it properly, only able to push straight ahead with both or alternate paws. This didn’t help widen the gap much, her paws fitting into the gap she’d already made, which was not yet big enough for her head, as she found out by gently testing the gap with her nose, only just about able to fit her nose into the gap, there being not enough space to fit her body down it yet. Titan could feel her efforts, and responded with moans, groans and scrabbling paws, which Apudo could hear from where she lay, experimenting as gently as she could while trying not to be forced backwards down the tunnel. Ten minutes past, and while Apudo was exploring the gap with her paws once more, Titan moaned deeply and pushed down hard for the first time, her paws slipping forward,, her head jamming in the gap.

“uuuuumf, oaoaoaoaoawch!” Titan screeched, piling on the pressure, Apudo feeling her head and paws slide down the tunnel. Titan responded to the sensation of Apudo’s passage with screams of:

“ayayayayayayaayaywch! Heuuuuuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Yayayayyayayayayouwch!” pushing hard down against Apudo. Apudo, her body now half inside the tunnel, felt Titan get up, then squat, so her body was now angled downhill. Yowling, Titan bounced on his toes while straining with another contraction, Apudo feeling her whole body slide into the tunnel.

“I hope this cub’s not breach!” Titan moaned, “I can’t cope with that too, please, please let her be head first this time! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Yaoaoaoaoaoaowayayayayowuch!” Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Apudo felt her body forced down by Titan’s pushing, hearing Titan’s roars and moans of effort.

“That’s it, Titan, push, push, push!” Theo mewed, “push right down Titan, right into your tail. puuuuuush!”

“yes Puuush Titan, puuush!” little Ekaterina encouraged, Titan screaming:

“Shuuuuuut up I’m puuuuuuushing!” collapsing and sprawling on his left side, his feet and paws pedalling the air, his pads sweating with pain and effort, Little Ekaterina and Moses taking a paw a peace and holding onto it, Theo holding Titan’s left foot with his paws.

“I must auaoaoaoaowch!” Titan roared, straining hard down, kicking with his free right foot. Suddenly he felt something wetting his hind legs. Screeching, he shook his paws free of the hands of the two children and curled round to investigate his birth area, finding liquid there, he quickly cleaned the area, while another contraction built. Groaning with the building pain, Titan found that, by holding onto the floor with the toes of both paws, he could watch what happened as he pushed. Groaning, he bore down, seeing more fluid burst from him, then seeing two paws entering the world. Shrieking with fear, Titan yelled:

“the cub’s breach, it’s breach!”

“No she’s not, they’re forepaws you are seeing,” Theo mewed, squeezing the toes of Titan’s left foot, letting the liger grip the toes of his smaller paw in the toes of his larger foot, “now lie down and push hard Titan, right down, deep down into your bottom!” Theo urged. Whimpering, Titan lay full length on his left side once more, pushing hard down into his tail.

“Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Ruuuuuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Titan complained in a strident voice that was not his usual.

“he sounds like a tigress!” Snowy exclaimed, “Titan even looks like one! I never knew birth suited him so well!”

“Shut it snowy!” Titan moaned, wriggling convulsively, “now, I must try to kiss that cub’s nose!” Titan groaned, curling round with a low moan of effort. Taking a deep breath, Titan pushed down gently, then, seeing Apudo’s nose emerging, took an even deeper breath and pushed down strongly, Curling his body tighter, Moaning, growling and puffing with effort, gripping the rugs with his paws, digging his toes into the rugs, curling his body as far as it would go, while stretching his neck and tongue to kiss the wet nose he could see. Straining harder than ever into his tail, Moaning, grunting and whimpering with effort and desperation, Titan quickly explored the cub’s nose and paws with his tongue and lips, Briefly Kissing the cub’s nose, only breaking off his exploration with a moan of fear when his effort to push failed and the contraction ended, the cub sliding slightly backwards as the contraction failed, Titan panting, sobbing and coughing. Stretching full length on his left side, Titan moaned piteously as he felt the cub’s head stop the slide back into his birth canal, crying with frustration. Closing his eyes tightly, Titan all too soon found himself panting up to an enormous set of efforts which shook the floor beneath his body as his body strained to give birth, while his voice expressed his struggle in prolonged Shrieks, moans and groans:

“Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Ruuuuuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Titan screamed and moaned as he pushed, while his legs pedalled and paws and feet sweated, his toes now constantly curled. Moaning deeply, Titan panted. Taking a deep breath, then wailing, Titan splayed his hind legs, pointing his toes as he felt the cub’s presence. Grunting, he pushed with fresh strength. Moses and little Ekaterina again held Titan’s paws, while Theo held the liger’s left foot in his paws. Groaning deeply, then screeching, Titan splayed his hind legs an extra bit wider, lifting his right leg and pressing the toes of his left foot into Theo’s paws as he pushed desperately hard down into his tail. Straining to his limit, he moaned and yowled, then roared with his expulsive efforts as he felt the cub’s body coming out into the light of day. Squealing and panting, Titan wriggled, then, settling himself, continued pushing the cub’s body out with strong but slow pushes, his voice sometimes low, then high, as he expressed his agony and struggle with deep prolonged moans and shrill yowls. The liger, his pads and fur dark with sweat, accompanied his final effort which delivered Apudo’s feet with a prolonged, tigress sized high pitch yowl and deep moan as the cub’s feet slid free, one by one, Titan whimpering, screaming and crying as he felt the passage of her feet as they slid into the world. Soon Another sound filled the ears of the watchers as Apudo gave vent to all her fear and pain which she could not do while being pushed into the world. Apudo’s fear and terror burst from her in a frenzy of yowling, kicking and rolling about. Theo suddenly found himself being hit by her paws, half stunned by the view from his position, lying almost touching Titan’s tail with his nose. gasping, he grabbed Apudo in a huge grip of teeth on the scruff of her neck and paws round her, then when she was calm, he got to his feet and padded carefully towards Titan’s paws.

“I did it!” Titan gasped, panting and sniffling.

“Clean your cub,” Theo mewed, Titan curling round, his eyes closed in concentration, grabbing Apudo from Theo, who was now exhausted. Exploring Apudo’s body with his tongue and paws, Titan marvelled at how large Apudo was to his touch.

“you did so well Titan!” Snowy mewed, padding up to him then kissing his sweating cheek.

“I did didn’t I,” he panted, cleaning the cub which he now held in his paws.

“I’ve never seen that before, it was amazing!” Magnus said, walking into the room.

“you’ll never see a liger giving birth again,” Titan mewed, “will someone please get me a drink?” Titan was given water, which he lapped noisily as was his way.

“Thank you for letting us hold your paws Titan,” Moses said, hugging the liger.

“You were a comfort,” Titan mewed, kissing the top of his head.

“you kissed the cub’s nose before it was fully out!” Moses said.

“I did,” Titan mewed softly, kissing Apudo’s nose once more as he held her in his paws, “and now, now I will feed her. Smiling, he guided his new cub to the milk he knew was waiting for her, the busy drinking sound confirming his belief.

“now she is born,” Titan purred.

“when you were licking her, it sounded all wet!” Moses said.

“it was,” Titan mewed, “thank eohippus it wasn’t dry there, that would have been awful.”

“I thought you were going to grab the cub in your paws and pull it out into the world Titan,” snowy mewed.

“I couldn’t do that, I could barely dig my toes in enough to hold myself curled up enough to kiss her nose. It was a hard struggle,” Titan replied.

“Do you know what her fur feels like against your tongue?” Moses asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed, “I’ve cleaned her from nose to tail, so I know what she feels like with lips and tongue from nose to tail and ears to pads. Exploring a paw or foot with one’s tongue is unusual, but Apudo seemed to like my grooming her.

“yes I did, and I want more, please,” the cub replied, Titan curling round to watch her drinking.

“I pushed all of you into the world,” he said in a voice full of wonder.

“You did,” Apudo mewed, “from my paws to my feet, it all came from you, and you pushed every bit out yourself.” Titan smiled happily.

“Thanks for not coming out backwards,” he said.

“Oh, but, I was looking forward to an extra foot wash!” Apudo miaowed, “you won’t’ deny me that will you Titan. My paws and feet are very tired from kneading the door open before you really began helping. My poor toooes ache so much!” she complained, “I curled my toes on the way into the world. I’ll tell the story tonight, my birth tale, for I know it all. You’re powerful Titan ! I never knew you could push like that.”

“I didn’t either,” Titan replied, reaching for his cub and hugging her as he groomed her face and paws to clean the milk from them.

“I love this bit,” Apudo mewed, snuggling up to Titan, the liger chuffing with pleasure equal to the pain he’d felt during her birth.

“I like that sound too,” Apudo mewed, “how do I make it happen again?” Titan chuffed and chuffed at Apudo, the cub’s eyes which were open, gazing into his as he held her in his paws.

“ “I wonder if I can make that sound?” Apudo asked Titan.

“Try it,” Titan purred, Apudo trying a tentative chuff, Titan hugging her.

“Now can you mew?” he asked. The cub laughing helplessly:

“Of course I can!”

“How about a growl and roar?” Titan asked. Moses and little Ekaterina were soon laughing fit to bust as Apudo tried to roar, her attempts sounding more akin to a petulant yowl.

“I can’t roar!” she miaowed piteously, “and what am I anyway? Liger or lion, or something else?”

“you’re a lioness still,” Titan said, “your rebirth was to bring you closer to me, not to save your physical life, so you retain your old species. You are a lioness with a lion’s body and mane, as before.

“But I am now your cub, under your protection?” Apudo asked.

“yes my dear cub, you are,” Titan mewed.

Imvula, having heard everything from patch, and finding the whole thing very interesting, her mate Aslan having been reborn after dying from illness, had watched Titan’s labour and delivery of Apudo with wide fascinated eyes. Now she wanted to meet the liger, whom she’d never really met before, and also meet the new cub.

“Everyone give Titan some room now,” Blackberry said, “Moses, Little Ekaterina, come away now, you’ve been too close too long.”

“but we love his paws!” they protested.

“He needs them to greet others,” Blackberry replied. Blackberry pushed Imvula forward, the tawny lioness padding up to the huge liger.

“I saw your confinement on Camera,” she said, “Titan, well done.”

“I needed to and wanted to Imvula,” Titan replied softly.

“Your labour mirrored mine,” the lioness said, “right down to the two children holding your paws.”

“though I think that time, if the stories are right, Apudo came out backwards,” Titan purred.

“She did, and I know that feeling,” Imvula replied, “the pain of jamming paws, the fear as you don’t want to push, but you must push. It’s horrid Titan!”

“come here,” Titan mewed, Imvula cuddling up to the huge liger, Titan tightly hugging her.

“I didn’t mean to give birth to a confused lioness,” Imvula whispered.

“do not speak of it here,” Titan mewed, it is not good to speak of this in hearing of the cub.”

“Oh,” Imvula said, glancing at Apudo, who was so absorbed in drinking and kneading the milk from Titan’s supply that she didn’t hear Imvula’s words.

“You did very well Titan, “I saw your face, feet and paws working to give birth to your cub,” Imvula said. Titan smiled:

“I used my muscles too, pushing hard down,” he said.

“I could see your effort,” Imvula replied, your face, feet and paws were more eloquent of it for me though.”

“So there’s a contest as to who gives birth more expressively?” Titan asked, giggling slightly.

“No, well, we take note,” Imvula replied, “the more expressive births are remembered for the birth itself as well as the cub resulting,” she explained.

“I hope my labour was worth the honours,” Titan purred.

“Your face was very expressive, closed eyes, bared teeth, but you spent a lot of time moaning with open mouth and closed eyes,” Magnus said, “I saw your head mostly.”

“So you saw Titan’s face, I saw his paws, and Theo saw his feet?” Moses asked.

“I saw more than just Titan’s feet,” Theo mewed, his voice hoarse as he wiped his eyes with his paws, “I, I saw, saw,” he gulped, tears of emotion rolling down his face, “I saw everything, and I will never forget it!” he wept, Titan waving at Imvula, the lioness withdrawing, pushing Theo, who was now weeping, towards Titan, who hugged him.

“You saw what I wished you to see,” he mewed, “and I hope others can see it too, for I’m sure another was watching also.” Blackberry smiled and nodded at Titan, not disturbing his talk with Theo, while catching the liger’s eye.

“I saw everything Titan, it was amazing! Thank you, thank you!” Theo sobbed.

“I am glad of it Theo,” the liger purred, “and you did something else than let me hold your paw with the toes of my foot I think?”

“While you were pushing, I kissed the pads of the foot holding my paw,” Theo replied, his face reddening with embarrassment.

“Thank you for that too,” Titan mewed, Theo snuggling hard up to him, Titan hugging him close.

“You let me see something I have not earned,” Theo mewed.

“You have earned it, and Theo, please do not talk in that way. You are more dear to me than I can put into words, and letting you take an active part in the birth of my cub was a pleasure.”

“I, I, Titan, I touched her paws, is that okay?”

“Yes,” Titan purred, “you brought her to me after her birth, remember?”

“No, it was before that, when she was being born and you were straining hard into your tail,” Theo blurted.

“That’s okay too,” Titan mewed.

“I wish you could have kissed your cub half way out too!” Theo mewed, “Apudo looked as if she needed it.

“I hope you soothed her,” Titan mewed. Theo, crying, nuzzled his ear in reply.

“he kissed my nose and paws twice, it was so nice,” Apudo mewed.

“Theo,” Titan mewed, “I really wanted to kiss my cub’s nose and paws on her way out far more than I managed to. You did it for me, and I am very grateful.

“I kept contact with your foot as I did it,” Theo mewed, “my hesitation to tell you is because I wouldn’t dream of doing that normally, but I did then, and thought you should know what I did while you couldn’t see your cub. I hope I did not do wrong Titan.”

“You did everything I wanted, thank you,” Titan mewed.

“You mean to say you told Theo to kiss Apudo’s nose for you?” Blackberry asked.

“I think I must have,” Titan mewed, “when did it happen Blackberry?”

“I saw it done, it was while you were straining to deliver her body and hind quarters.”

“When I wished to kiss her the most!” Titan exclaimed, “I felt my pushing, and wondered what the cub herself was feeling, and I so wanted to grab her and tell her it was fine and that I was pushing as hard as I could to save her life.”

“Thanks Titan,” Apudo mewed, nuzzling his paw.

“so Titan gave Theo the chance to do what he always wanted but dared never to do by instructing him through pad contact,” Blackberry summarised.

“Yes,” Titan mewed.

“it seems all is well,” Imvula said.

“it is, but there are other tales,” Apudo mewed in a small voice, “tales I want to tell,” she added, covering her face with her paws in sudden shyness.

“Your birth story is very important to me Apudo my dear cub,” Titan mewed.

“What will the cubs and community Apudo abandoned to become a cub think?” Swarupa asked, sticking her head in at the door.

“They know what happened, now, Swarupa, kindly piss off, there’s a good kitty,” Blackberry replied, lifting a paw which was clenched round something, or things.

“Sod you Blackberry!” Swarupa spat, Blackberry throwing whatever he held at Swarupa, the tigress pelted by bottle tops. They kept hitting her, far more tops than he could have held rained down on her and around her, soon getting under her tender padded Tigrine paws, Swarupa shrieking with pain and anger, turning and running away, her paws and feet sliding on the tops, the tigress nearly landing on her nose as she tried to gain traction with suddenly slippery paws.

“naoaoaoaoao! Stop this!” she yowled, rolling onto her back and kicking the air in her anger, bottle tops pricking her pads and between her toes, as well as her back.

“waoaoaoaoaoaaoh!” she screeched, finally struggling to her feet and bolting.

“how did that happen?” Magnus asked, “Blackberry, you threw four bottle tops at most, but there was suddenly a shower of them which overwhelmed that tigress!”

“I, I imagined it,” Blackberry said, “I must have done, for my anger at her made me imagine what I wished those tops to do to her. I wanted to stop her properly, and I combined what I knew about the tops and about what anger does to pads, and caused each to be enhanced.”

“Sweaty pads, slippery spiky bottle tops,” Imvula mewed.

“yes,” Blackberry replied, “I didn’t know I had that power.”

“You don’t,” Titan mewed, “I too want my family safe, and know about your prowess with the bottle top gun. I gave you the power to bring your imaginings to life to get rid of the threat to my family.”

“You say you’re not a leader, but you then speak like that?” Blackberry asked.

“I’m no leader, well not in the traditional sense,” Titan replied.

“how about Patch?” Theo asked.

“he and I work together,” Titan mewed, “I am his comfort at night, and also, as his pads are sometimes sore these days, his transport too.”

“You have paws which would be the envy of any bear,” Blackberry said, “they are soft and tough.”

“I know they are glorious, many lions and bears have said that,” Titan mewed.

“We humans think so too,” Jenny said, padding into the room.

“When Apudo and I tell our tales it will be a hard tale to tell,” Titan mewed.

“When I tell mine, as I feel I should, though it frightens me to tell it,” Apudo said, looking up to her guide, “will you please hold me?”

“I will,” Titan mewed, “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. When you’re telling your tale, you lie comfortable, and when you want me to give you reassurance, just squeeze my paw.”

“I was going to ask if I could hold your paw Titan,” Apudo asked.

“If you like, I can hold your paw between both of mine,” Titan suggested.

“But I want a cuddle too, you can’t do both,” Apudo replied.

“True,” Titan mewed.

“Why tell your tales if it will hurt you?” snowy asked, padding into the room, having watched everything with Karina in Sita’s lie up, where she had described everything to Sita by re-enacting what Titan was doing in real-time.

“it’s a hard fight, and people should know how it was to rebirth a community member,” Titan mewed.

“people should know what rebirth feels like too, terrifying though it is,” Apudo mewed.

“We will tell our tales after dinner,” Titan mewed.

“I need sleep,” Apudo yawned, stretching her paws then rubbing her eyes, Titan’s own eyes gentle on her.

“I love it when cubs begin yawning, stretching their paws then rubbing their eyes when they’re tired, it’s so very cute,” he said.

“I’m one tired cub then,” Apudo yawned, “then again, I’m not surprised, I’ve been through a lot today.”

“I have too Apudo dear cub,” Titan mewed.

“Can I drink some more?” Apudo asked. Titan smiled and pushed her towards his belly. “Come,” he replied,

Apudo drinking from his ample milk supply, Titan feeling contentment flood him from her kneading paws. Sighing, he closed his eyes, resting his head on Theo’s shoulder.

“You’re exhausted Titan,” Theo mewed. turning to the assembled creatures, he said:

“I think we should leave Titan and Apudo alone now. They need rest.

“I’d like food first,” Titan mewed, “once Apudo’s finished drinking, I’ll settle her and find some.”

“No you won’t!” Theo admonished, “I’ll find food, we all will find food for you.” Blackberry rubbed his paws delightedly.

“would you like some of my meat and vegetable Stew Titan?” he asked. Titan smiled and nodded.

“I’d love some of that,” he replied, remembering the last time he’d tried Blackberry’s culinary creation. The truth was, Goldie and Bramble, who usually ran the kitchens, knew little about food, while Blackberry, as well as being a caring medic, loved his food too. His staple was a rich meat and vegetable stew with which he revived many a flagging patient.”

“I’ll get some,” Blackberry replied, padding from the room with his camera and downloading all the footage of Titan’s labour to the computers.

Soon Blackberry returned with a bowl of stew for Titan, the black bear careful it was not too hot. Titan carefully ate the stew, the flavour soothing him, the food sustaining, but not too heavy on his stomach.

“You could revive the dead with that Blackberry,” Titan mewed, drinking from a water bowl.

“I don’t think it does that,” Blackberry replied.

“now I can sleep,” Titan mewed, Blackberry wiping Titan’s face with a cool damp cloth. Titan, his body more tired than ever, curled up with newborn Apudo.

“sleep now little one,” Titan mewed, hugging his cub to him, Apudo purring and snuggling close.

“They look so cute together,” Moses said.

“how big is Apudo now?” Jenny asked.

“Well she’s asleep now, so touching her would not be nice,” Theo mewed, “but when she’s awake, I’ll ask Titan if you can touch her.”

“should you not ask her permission as well?” Jenny asked.

“not yet,” Theo mewed, “she needs to be ruled by Titan for a few weeks yet, to bed in the fact he’s her guide. Then she will be able to grant her own permission for others to touch her.”

“Titan was playing at having a cub shortly before he really had one,” Moses said.

“What was he doing?” Jenny asked. Moses described what happened, Jenny very jealous she hadn’t been there to touch Titan’s paws or feet.”

“I’ll do what Titan did,” snowy mewed, “I don’t mind re-enacting the birth of a cub.”

“I’m sure Titan would be honoured if everyone re-enacted it,” Imvula said.

“he would be, I’m sure,” Theo mewed, “and males can do it too, as long as they lie on their sides to give birth as Titan did.” Imvula smiled at him.

“Titan sounded part lion, part tiger when he was giving birth, it was a wonderful sound,” Jenny said.

“It was,” Imvula replied.

“he was mostly tiger when moaning, lion when roaring,” Blackberry replied.

“he’s liger, a big, fat, cuddly liger,” Jenny said.

“Careful,” Theo mewed, “I know you love him and all, but he is still bigger and stronger than you, and could do you a lot of harm if you get on the wrong side of him.”

“Titan would never hurt Jenny,” Apudo mewed, shaking herself awake, “that’s why we call him leader isn’t it?”

“Do we?” Imvula asked, “noone elected him.”

“he hardly needs that,” Theo mewed.

“he won’t be happy about that,” Apudo mewed, “I’m sure I’m a big enough pawful for him, without leadership on top.”

“ “we’ll decide later,” Blackberry said, “right now, I think we should all clear out of here and let poor Apudo and Titan sleep.”

“yes, please, let us sleep,” Apudo yawned, “your talk disturbed me, and I had to throw my paw in to the mix, if only to defend the kindest, gentlest big cat who ever called a striped coat and four fat paws his own.”

“he is mother and sire combined,” Blackberry said, “I saw lion and tiger, tigress and lioness in his face as he strained to give birth to you Apudo.”

“How long was I in real labour?” Titan asked, yawning expancivly.

“About four hours all told,” Blackberry replied.

“It felt like it,” Titan mewed, “each push really made me wonder if I could carry on, and if it would ever end.”

“I was frightened Titan!” Apudo mewed, “I was terrified you wouldn’t be able to push me out!”

“come here,” Titan mewed, hugging his cub tightly as she cried into his fur.

“I would have pushed until I was exhausted,” Titan mewed.

“I know,” Apudo replied, coughing as tears choked her, “but, but, in there, I heard everything, and you sounded very tired, I was so scared!”

“I was tired,” Titan mewed, “but I would never give up on you Apudo, I promised you I would push until I was dead.”

“I know,” Apudo sniffled, “but, Titan, it was scary in there! I don’t want to go back, please, please, help me not go back there!”

“I will do all I can,” Titan purred, licking the tears from Apudo’s face, “you’re safe now, and I love you, so please, don’t worry,” he mewed softly.” Apudo snuggled hard up to Titan, his huge physical presence and warm fur comforting her.

“the place you came from is now closed,” Titan mewed, “the door firmly shut, with you on this side of it. You will not go back there.” Apudo buried her paws in Titan’s fur, snuggling as close to him as she could get.

“here is warm,” she mewed, closing her eyes.

“You’re safe little Apudo,” Titan purred, feeling the cub snuggle down beside him.

“now we really must leave them to it,” Blackberry said, “everyone, out! Now!” he chased everyone away except Snowy, who literally dug in her toes and refused to leave.

“You stay quiet Snowy,” Blackberry commanded, Snowy settling down on Titan’s right to make a barrier between him and the door, protecting Apudo, who lay between Titan’s paws, the huge liger lying on his left side where he’d lain for hours.

“I think Titan, that you should roll over,” snowy mewed. Titan gave Little Apudo to Snowy, rolled onto his right side, Snowy picking Apudo up and padding round to his left, lying down, giving the cub back to Titan, Snowy looking wistfully at the cub in the liger’s paws.

“I half hoped you’d tangle your paws when rolling over,” Snowy mewed. “Hold her if you like,” Titan mewed. Snowy rolled onto her left side, extending her paws, both liger and tigress touching Apudo with their paws.

“I need to clean that rug,” Blackberry said, padding back into the room. “Snowy, get up.” Snowy got to her feet, Apudo stretching and yawning.

“Can a cub get any sleep?” she asked.

“Sorry,” Blackberry replied, “look, I’ll freshen the rug, then give you water and food, and go.” This he did, providing snowy with some of his magick meat and veg stew, and both big cats settled down, water available from water fountains in the lie ups, which were pressure pad controlled. To lessen disruption to Apudo, first Snowy, then Titan went to drink, Titan groaning as he got to his feet for the first time in over six hours.

“My poor legs!” he miaowed. Padding stiffly across to the fountain, he drank deeply, shook the water from his whiskers, then padded back to the rugs. Feeling a stirring inside him, he padded to the relieving place and completed his business there, washing his paws, hind parts and feet.

“I’m back,” he said, lying down. Snowy went the same route Titan had, leaving Apudo with Titan. Apudo felt the need to relieve herself, and looked anxiously at her guide.

“how do I relieve myself now I’m a cub?” she asked, “It’s too far to that place Snowy’s going to. I can’t hold it in, it’s come on suddenly!” Titan glanced at snowy, who nodded at him.

“that happens with newborn cubs,” she said. Reassure Apudo it’s all right to relieve herself here for now. Snowy found some pads Blackberry had put out for that purpose, and, Apudo, getting the picture, scrambled onto the pad almost as soon as Snowy spread it on the floor. Settling, Apudo relieved herself.

“Very good that,” Blackberry said, “let it come Apudo, push it all out.” Apudo breathed deeply as her body did its natural duty, then, she left the pad, Titan cleaning her up after the event.

“I’ll clean myself next time,” Apudo mewed, “now I know how it feels when I need to go, I’ll go sooner to the relieving place.”

“Your mind might want to go, but your body may not let you know in time,” Blackberry said. Apudo sighed:

“I barely got any warning then.”

“You won’t for a few days yet,” Blackberry replied.

“You mean I’ll have to use those pads?” Apudo asked.

“For a bit yet,” Titan mewed.

“Oh okay, as long as it’s all right. I had a strange feeling it wasn’t the done thing.”

“For you it is,” Snowy mewed, “you’re a cub Apudo, you need to gain your paws, and you can’t use the relieving place until you’ve done that.”

“Oh,” the cub replied, “I didn’t know being reborn would involve that too.”

“it does, so you get closer to those who give you care and protection, and we can keep an eye on you to make sure everything’s working properly.”

“I suppose so,” Apudo mewed, snuggling up to Titan, “your washing was very comforting,” she added.

“I’m glad,” Titan mewed, settling himself to sleep, “it felt the right thing to do,” he yawned.

“it was,” Apudo yawned, snuggling deeply into Titan’s hug. The liger and his cub slept deeply, Snowy watching over them, sleep far from her mind. Smiling, she examined what she could see of Titan and Apudo, drinking them in from noses to tails.

“I love them both,” she thought, reaching out with her paw and touching Apudo’s head, then the furry top of one of Titan’s huge paws which held Apudo in their massive, well-padded embrace.

“I just saw the most amazing thing!” Bianca yelled, running in.

“please be quiet!” Snowy hissed.

“but snowy, snowy, a tigress gave birth to a lion cub! She did, she did I tell you!” Bianca miaowed, excitedly bouncing on her toes.

“the tigress was a liger, and yes, the lion cub was born,” Snowy mewed, reaching for Bianca’s paws and pinning them to the floor, “Now stop bouncing!” She pleaded.

“But it was amazing Snowy, the ligress pushed and pushed, then kissed the cub’s nose, then pushed and pushed, making noises I had never heard before, then the cub slid out, the liger roaring and yowling, pedalling the air with his huge paws!”

“now you’re not sure if it was a tiger, liger, or tigress giving birth?” snowy asked.

“It had stripes and miaowed with pain,” Bianca babbled.

“Could it have been a zebra?” a deep voice asked.

“Don’t take the piss!” Bianca miaowed, “I really saw the cat give birth! Or did I really see it? I don’t know now!”

“Look at me Bianca,” Titan mewed, Bianca turning to him, shuffling her paws on the rugs, as he was slightly out of her line of vision.

“oaoaoaoaoh, it’s the liger I saw in the video!” she yowled, “but, but, Titan, I know you!” she exclaimed.

“I know you too my dear Bianca,” Titan mewed softly, “yes I gave birth, I saved a lost spirit today.” Bianca padded forward, lay down and examined the small bundle of life cradled in Titan’s paws.

“oaoaoaoaoh, what a lovely cub, such a cute face, and those paws! How lovely they are!” Bianca whispered, touching Apudo’s large paws and feet.

“she’s my cub,” Titan mewed, gazing down at Apudo with gentle eyes.

“You’re looking wonderful Titan,” Bianca mewed, “um, being a guide really suits you I think.”

“I loved giving rebirth to Apudo,” Titan mewed softly.

“but you cried and screamed,” Bianca mewed.

“I did,” Titan mewed, “but I loved the whole thing. The emotions pile in on top of you Bianca.”

“I saw everything!” Bianca exclaimed, “Blackberry watched everything on his headcam, and, I, I saw the cub’s arrival!”

“Yes, I know,” Titan mewed.

“You even,” Bianca began, gulping back a sudden rush of emotion, “Titan,” she continued hoarsely, “you even curled round and kissed Apudo’s nose before her head was even out properly. That was so sweet!” Titan smiled broadly and replied:

“and your friend Theo knows what happens when a cub is born too, so when you’re having his cubs, he can help you.”

Steady on!” Bianca mewed, “we’re just friends! We haven’t discussed mating, I’m only young, so’s he, we can’t, yet, though, though,” she hesitated.

“yes?” Titan asked gently.

“We, we, I, we, um, we played at me having a cub, and, oh Titan, it was lovely! Theo was so gentle, helping me ease the imaginary cub out, rubbing my paws and feet, encouraging me to yowl, roar, moan, pant and scream while pushing at his paws with my feet when I wanted. “Do what you want to do Bianca,” Theo said, rubbing my pads while I moaned and curled my toes. In the end I grabbed him in my paws and yowled with the emotion of it all.”

“it became very real then?” Titan asked.

“yes,” Bianca replied, her face red with shame, “but, but, is it wrong to act out such things? To feel so right about them?” “

No it’s not,” Titan mewed, “as long as the acting gives you pleasure, and tells you not to do the real thing too soon.”

“I loved it Titan,” Bianca replied, her words coming in a rush.

“So that’s where Theo learnt about pedalling the cub out,” Snowy mewed.

“I’ve, um, even thought about how it would be if I delivered a breach cub,” Bianca mewed, “then, well, I was half cub, half mama in labour, me pushing until I felt the cub’s foot emerge, then curling round and licking at my own pads as if they were the cub’s foot pads, Theo arranging my feet, telling me to push. That was nice too.”

“it’s not nice at all to have a breach cub,” Imvula replied, padding into the room, “I’ve done it, it hurts. Bianca, tell Theo not to romanticise that! As for you, don’t glorify it yourself, do you hear?” the lioness roared.

“I’m sorry Imvula, I didn’t know!” Bianca mewed, backing off, lowering her head in submission.

“I hope you didn’t act out the breach birth too often,” Imvula growled.

“once, maybe twice,” Bianca whimpered, “the cubs survived both times, we made sure they did!” she yowled.

“sometimes cubs don’t!” Imvula roared, her voice like thunder, “Why act out something so dreadful!”

“if they act it out, they can prevent problems,” Blackberry replied coolly, “Imvula, you do not know the half of what their acting may prevent in the future.” Bianca looked scared, her toes curling into the rugs.

“What?” Imvula asked crossly, “What did it lead to Blackberry?”

“To Bianca asking me about breach births and if Theo could help if and when she had cubs, and if that were to happen to her unborn cub, could Theo help her.”

“You told her about it?” Imvula asked.

“I did, and I demonstrated too with a plush cub and the equipment I have. I showed her and Theo what they should do.”

“I panted the last breach cub into the world,” Bianca said.

“naoaoaoaoao, don’t tell me anymore!” Imvula screeched, running from the room.

“She gave birth to Apudo first time, and,,,” Titan said, Bianca cutting him off:

“I know Titan, now I’m feeling bad for acting out that scenario.”

“I had Luna breach,” Targon said, walking into the room, “Bianca, preparation is no bad thing.”

“but we were playing, and some things you just don’t act out,” Bianca moaned.

“but that’s okay to act out,” Snowy said, “Bianca, labour happens to nearly every female creature, why should they not be prepared? by being prepared, things go more smoothly when problems arise. What’s more, if you’re acting alongside someone whom you truly love, and they’re rubbing your pads during the action, that’s all to the good in my book.”

“mine too,” Titan mewed, “I acted out a labour just before Apudo opened the door to come into the world a second time, and having Moses and little Ekaterina holding my feet and paws, and directing me by touch to push or pant felt great!”

“how did they do that?” Bianca asked.

“they touched my paw pads for as long as I was to push, then touched the ball of my foot to allow me to pant,” Titan mewed. “Sometimes I would be in the midst of a good pant when they’d touch my toe pads again, and I’d be forced to push according to the pressure they put on my toes. The harder they pressed, the harder I pushed, the longer it took them to reach the balls of my feet or paws, the longer I pushed, while tightly curling my toes of course.”

“that sounds a lot of fun,” snowy mewed.

“It was,” Titan replied, “at first I felt a bit of a fool, making noise about nothing, but then I got into it, and it felt great to respond to their suggestions, making my labour seem sort of real. I would push against their hands with my feet and paws too, so I was really pushing too. It felt wonderful!”

“Titan’s play with Moses and little Ekaterina made me all excited,” Apudo mewed, waking up from her long sleep, “I wanted to be re-born then.”

“Maybe Theo and I can play like the humans did with Titan,” Bianca mewed, “that would be nice for me to be surprised by our play.”

“Theo is a lovely lion,” Snowy mewed.

“I’ll leave to find Theo,” Bianca mewed.

“Was Theo the lion who kissed my nose on my way out of the tunnel?” Apudo asked.

“He was,” Titan mewed.

“I’d like to see him again, Bianca, I think that’s your name, please, bring him back, and bring yourself back too.” Bianca laughed and trotted away, waving her tail in farewell.

“I need to wash,” Titan mewed.

“I need to drink first,” cub Apudo mewed, grabbing Titan’s paw and pinning it down as firmly as her small weight would allow.

“Raoaoaoaoow!” she growled in her effort, Titan kissing the top of her head:

“I’ll hang about so you can drink Apudo my dear,” he mewed.

“Thanks,” Apudo mewed, cuddling up and nursing from his milk supply. Snowy watched them with shining eyes.

“how about if I get a sponge and water, and wash you where you lie Titan?” Blackberry asked.

“I’d like that,” Titan mewed. Blackberry padded away, and returned with Jenny, Moses and little Ekaterina.

“We’ve heard it’s liger washing day,” Jenny said. Titan laughed:

“If you like, but be careful with Apudo.”

“Are we going to wash Apudo too Blackberry?” Jenny asked.

“No,” Blackberry replied, “her fur won’t take the soap.”

“But I want a wash!” Apudo yowled, rolling about on the floor, kicking the air with her paws and feet.

“Blackberry?” Titan asked. Blackberry smiled and nodded:

“We can wash her with water, but not soap,” he said.

“Mum has some special shampoo that doesn’t make me cry if it gets in my eyes, I could get that,” Little Ekaterina said.

“it sounds as if we’re all going to get a wash at this rate,” Blackberry giggled.

“why not?” Apudo asked, “I want a wash now!” she yelled, clapping her paws and pedalling her feet.

“awhwhwhwh so cuuuute!” Moses giggled.

“What is?” Jenny asked.

“Oh, I forgot, you haven’t met Apudo have you Jenny,” Moses said, “Titan, please, could Jenny touch you and Apudo, to see the size difference?”

“Please,” Titan mewed, “measure our paws too, hers against mine.”

“That would be something to see,” Moses replied.

“Kneel beside Titan Jenny, come, round here,” Blackberry said, guiding Jenny to Titan’s side, the liger chuffing a greeting, Jenny trying an experimental chuff in return, Titan scratching at her arm with the toes of one huge paw, his claws retracted.

“Now get hands on, but make sure it’s a good massage as well as a fact finding exploration,” Titan mewed, “oh,” he added, “I’ll keep Apudo in one place so you can’t lose her, she’ll be held by snowy.” Snowy, co-opted into this, lay down at right angles to Titan and Jenny, who knelt before Titan, Apudo held in her paws, the little lioness watching all as Jenny touched Titan’s body, running her hands from his nose to his toes, Titan chuffing, miaowing and purring with pleasure. Once she’d got a good idea of the size of Titan’s body, snowy handed Apudo to the liger, Jenny laughing as she found out how small Apudo was compared to the one who’d rescued her.

“You’re so small Apudo!” Jenny exclaimed, laughing as Apudo squirmed from side to side while lying on her back between titan’s massive paws, trying to get all four of her small paws into Jenny’s hands, “You’re lovely Apudo! Now, please, measure your paw against Titan’s.” Apudo and Titan pressed paws together, Jenny exploring their paws, finding Titan’s paw almost impossibly huge against Apudo’s smaller one.

“Jenny, may I touch your feet now?” Apudo asked.

“yes, come on Apudo,” Jenny said, the cub crawling to Jenny’s feet then exploring her soles with her small paws, Apudo’s mischievous nature getting the better of her, the cub tickling Jenny’s toes with her whiskers.

Yeyeyeyeyeyeyeoaw!” Jenny squealed, laughing and bouncing her backside on her heels, “Apuuudooo’s tickling my toooes!” she squealed.

“tickle her paws in return,” Titan suggested.

“I can’t, she’s tickling my toooes!” Jenny squealed.

“Stop it Apudo,” Titan mewed, snowy lifting Apudo so the cub could tickle Jenny’s heels more easily, Jenny wriggling and bouncing harder and faster as the cub pressed home her attack.

“I can’t tickle Apudo, she’s tickling meyeee!” Jenny squealed, laughing fit to bust.

“Apudo, that’s enough!” Titan growled, Snowy lowering Apudo to the floor, Jenny crawling round, picking the now furious cub up in her hands when she felt the tiny form crawling towards her.

“Hello little one,” Jenny said gently, hugging her.

“hello,” Apudo mewed, forgetting her anger, spitting fury turning to purring and mewing. Jenny sat down, cradling Apudo in her lap. The cub, lying on her back, reached up with her paws and feet to touch Jenny’s hands. Jenny gently caught each of Apudo’s paws and feet in turn, blowing on the cub’s pads, Apudo miaowing and wriggling with delight.

“Titan, Jenny’s tickling my paaaaws and feeyeeet, stop her!” Apudo miaowed.

“I’m too tired,” Titan yawned, stretching his paws.

“naoaoaoaoao! Snowy, heyeyeyeyeyeyelp!” Apudo begged, laughing helplessly. Snowy looked at the laughing cub.

“you’re just too cute Apudo,” snowy mewed. Jenny rubbed Apudo’s pads, the cub purring deeply.

“I should rub the tickle from your toes too Jenny,” Apudo mewed.

“I’ll kneel again, and you can,” Jenny replied, Apudo tumbling off her lap, Jenny kneeling, Apudo lying on the floor behind her, rubbing Jenny’s heel pads, arches and toes with her paws with great concentration.

“That’s better,” Jenny said, Apudo crawling backwards.

“now what about that wash?” Apudo asked.

Titan got to his feet, picking up Apudo by the scruff of her neck and carrying her to the bathtubs, Snowy, Blackberry and the humans following her. On route, Theo and Bianca joined them, so when they got to the tubs, the party was large. Blackberry ran the baths, then indicated the communal shower rooms. Everyone went and had a shower, even Apudo, who was showered by Titan, the liger slowing the flow with his paws and washing her thoroughly

“You really get clean here,” he said, rolling her onto her side and soaping her paws and feet, “the fun starts later on in the tubs. We’ll wash there, but this is where the real washing is done.” The washing over with, Blackberry led the group to the tubs, helping Titan and Snowy into one with Apudo, the tigers washing the small lion cub.

“Now for you humans, and other lions,” he said, Jenny, Moses, and little Ekaterina climbing into their spar tub, Theo and Bianca joining them.

“five cubs in one tub, what a hoot!” Blackberry said, throwing in a pawful of something into both tubs which made the water smell sweet.

“This is lovely!” Apudo mewed, Theo and Bianca playing with each other’s paws, while Jenny tickled Moses and little Ekaterina’s toes with the spray from one of the shower heads which were located by each seat ranged round the sides of the tub. Moses and little Ekaterina laughed helplessly as their toes were tickled, Jenny careful to get the flow of water just right.

“I’ve just thought of something!” Theo yelled, banging the water with his paw in triumph.

“What?” Titan asked.

“Well, if I re-enact your labour Titan, and I do it on one of the rafts from the pool complex, when I curl round to lick the cub’s nose, and hold on desperately with my paws as you did the rugs, I can be more like you than you were yourself, I can be trapped toes Tiggie!” Titan groaned:

“Not that! Please, not that again!” while everyone else laughed helplessly.

“Okay, I won’t,” Theo mewed, “but Titan, seriously, your paws! You held on so tightly to your rugs!”

“It felt as if I needed To,” Titan mewed.

“I will watch back the whole of your labour,” Theo mewed, “then, I can really go to town on it.” “I only ask one thing if you do that Theo,” Titan said gravely,, “that you scream and roar, and curl your toes and do everything I did.”

“I will,” Theo mewed.

“I hope noone’s going to re-enact what I went through,” Apudo mewed, “that was awful! I felt squeezing through my whole body, I heard screaming, moaning and groaning, I heard scrabbling paws, and panting, and sounds of terrible pain. I was so scared Theo!”

“I know Apudo my dear cousin,” Theo mewed.

“Was that why you kissed me when I was half way out?” Apudo asked.

“It was, in part anyway,” Theo mewed, his Voice cracking with emotion.

“I cannot re-enact what happened,” Apudo mewed, “but I would love to see what my guide did to give rebirth to me.

“I pushed and pedalled with my feet, and pushed, and roared, and curled my toes, and cried and screamed, and yelled and curled my toes, and pedalled the air with my feet some more.”

“You didn’t pedal with your feet that much, well not with your paws,” Theo mewed, “you kicked with your free right foot a bit. You curled your toes quite a bit though. Titan, mostly, you curled and stretched your toes, Your paws were held in the hands of two children, and I held your left foot.

“Can I get paws on with your paws Titan?” Apudo asked.

“you can,” Titan mewed.

“I vote we leave this tub and dry our fur and paws, then snuggle on your rug in the family lie up Titan,” Snowy mewed.

“You’re leader now,” karina mewed padding up to the edge of the sunken tub, “Titan, they all want you to be leader along with me.”

Let’s go to the great room then,” Titan replied, “I want to see if they will all come to me.”

“I will bring Apudo,” Snowy mewed, getting out of the tub, everyone adjourning to the drying rooms, the humans and lions following the liger, tigress and Titan’s cub.

Let’s dry our paws and feet first,” Titan suggested, Everyone following his lead.

After a meal of Blackberry’s vegetable stew, of which even Apudo finished an entire bowl full, Titan was padding into the great room with Snowy, who held Apudo tightly by the scruff of her neck. In the room he found bears, humans and big cats, as well as karina and Felix. Padding to the raised beanbag, Titan stepped up onto it, then lay down. Snowy, still standing on the floor, turned away from Titan to make her way into the crowd, still carrying Apudo.

“Why are you taking me from Titan?” Apudo asked.

“You are a cub, he is leader now,” Snowy mewed, “he has to call you to his side if he wants you.”

“why is Titan rejecting me snowy?” Apudo asked plaintively.

“I’m not, who said I was? Snowy? What are you saying!” Titan demanded, having been too caught up with the numbers flooding into the great room to take full notice of what Snowy had been saying or doing, taking it for granted she’d keep Apudo by him.

“Titan, Save me from snowy! She’s taking me to I don’t know where, I’m scared!” Apudo yelled, furiously pedalling the air with all four paws. Titan rose to his feet, glaring at snowy.

“Bring her back here,” he growled, his voice cutting through the general chatter all around.

“But, but, she’s a cub, the least of your community members,” snowy blurted.

“What?” Titan asked, his face setting into a terrible expression of anger, as his voice rose to a near roar, “Snowy, for that remark, you are the least of all who gather here! Bring my cub to me! Or, or, will I have to come and get her?”

“Sorry,” Snowy mewed, padding back to the bean bag, the chatter having died, everyone staring at the white tigress who’d just put all four paws in her mouth at once.

“That’s better,” Titan mewed when Apudo was lying safely next to him, “now snowy, go! Hide yourself in the crowd, and don’t ever, ever, tell my cub she’s the least of the community members, no cub is the least of the members! Adults though, now, they often fall from the grace they are born with, you have seen this, don’t follow in Swarupa’s paw prints.”

Titan lay down, settling Apudo on the beanbags. When he was certain she was comfortable, he stood up on all four feet.

“You have called me here today,” he called in a clear voice, “I have had a message you all want to talk to me about something. I am here, at your service, at your command!”

“his voice gives me goose bumps,” Nanulak whispered to karina, “so powerful!”

“What do you want of me?” Titan asked, “I am here, so speak your will. I have a cub to look after, as some of you may know, so please forgive me if I glance down from time to time to check on her.”

“You lie down, hold her in your paws, we’ll come to you!” Anook called from the back of the room.

“What is it I can do for you?” Titan asked, “and for that consideration dear she bear I thank you., I ask again, why am I called here, to this place, at this time?” Titan replied.

“Doesn’t he know?” Aslan whispered to Imvula.

“I don’t know,” Imvula replied.

“Titan, we want you to be our leader!” Luna yelled, getting to her feet, clapping her paws and bouncing on her toes.

“Sit down!” Targon growled, pushing her cub down onto her backside.

“But mum, it’s true, You told me!” she complained loudly.

“I know, but it’s not the done thing to jump about and clap your paws!” targon snapped.

“Why is it not?” Titan asked, “dear cub, please leap about with joy if the prospect of having a fat pawed moggie like me for a leader makes you happy.”

“but you’re not a moggie!” Luna yelled, who’d never met Titan in her life, “I want to hug you and kiss your nose!” Targon nearly walloped her.

“You don’t say that!” she hissed.

“come then, come here and do as you wish,” Titan replied, looking straight at Luna.

“She didn’t mean it Titan,” Targon babbled.

“You speak with a mouth full of adult embarrassment mama,” Titan replied, glancing at her then Looking back at Luna, who was now having second thoughts, Titan said gently, “come to me dear cub, and please, tell me your name so I know whom I am being hugged by.”

“You have really done it now!” Targon growled, pushing Luna forward, “go to him!” she commanded. Luna padded to the beanbag, the liger never having seemed so big to her.

“come closer, stand in front of me, here, on the beanbag,” Titan mewed, patting the space before him. Apudo, fascinated by all the goings on, and having totally forgotten her fears, watched with staring eyes and a gaping mouth.

“You called me?” Luna asked.

“I rather think it was the other way around,” Titan mewed, “was it not you who wanted to hug me and kiss my nose?”

“I don’t know now,” Luna whimpered, the sight of Titan’s huge form frightening her, though his eyes were gentle.

“I will not force you,” Titan mewed, “but you sounded very definite only a few minutes ago.”

“You’re big, your head, your paws, your body, it’s huge!” Luna mewed.

“yes,” Titan replied softly, bowing his head to touch Luna’s nose with his, “but I can still give birth to a cub and be hugged by that cub. Please, will you not make good on your words?” Luna looked up, straight into Titan’s eyes.

“I so want to hug him!” she thought, “but I can’t,” she reasoned, “he’s too big, and I’m so nervous!”

“how would it be if I lie on my chest, or even with my feet relaxed, so I can’t spring to them easily?” Titan asked.

“I saw you giving birth today, and wanted to run and hug you, but mum wouldn’t let me!” Luna blurted.

“Hug me now, if you like, mum’s not going to stop you,” Titan mewed softly, lying down slowly, his huge paws extending either side of Luna, Apudo seeing what he was about to do, her cubbish smile of delight lighting up her face.

“Hug her Titan,” Apudo whispered. Luna found she couldn’t help kneeling when Titan lay down, Apudo watching both.

“now will you hug me?” Titan asked, “or,” he continued, “would you prefer it if I hugged you?”

“I don’t know,” Luna replied.

“How about if I just give you my paw,” Titan suggested.

“You’re not the same liger you were,” Luna blurted, “you’re big and majestic now, back then, you were crying and sweating, and curling your toes, and screaming in pain.”

“I’m the same liger,” Titan purred.

“you can’t be,” Luna protested, “you don’t look like him.”

“Beside me is the cub I gave noisy birth to, look at her, touch her,” Titan purred. Luna looked into Apudo’s face, the little lioness looking back with curiosity.

“Hug him Luna, he won’t bite,” she mewed, Titan chuffing to Apudo, Apudo replying in kind.

“That’s Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!” someone exclaimed.

“I think I’ve got something in my eye,” Aslan sniffled, wiping his eyes with his paws.

“Go on, snuggle Titan,” Apudo mewed.

“I can’t!” Luna protested, “he’s not the same liger!” “

He is!” Apudo miaowed, “he had a wash that’s all.” Everyone laughed heartily at this.

“I tell you! Titan’s the same liger as the one you wanted to hug earlier!” Apudo miaowed, banging the beanbags with her paws in a sudden fit of frustrated rage.

“Titan, is, that, liger!” she yelled, banging the beanbag with alternate paws as she spoke each word.

“Peace Apudo dear,” Titan mewed, leaning over then kissing the top of his furious daughter’s cub’s head.

“Now you’re that liger,” Luna said throwing her arms round Titan’s neck, giving him a huge hug.

“What?” Apudo mewed, “he always was “that liger,” as you put it.”

“now We can move on from this,” Titan mewed, after returning Luna’s embrace, ”can I please get to my feet so I can address the community?”

“I need a drink and a wee Titan!” Apudo miaowed loudly.

“Oh, um, okay, sorry folks, got to answer the call of nature, back in a minute.” Titan mewed, picking Apudo up by the scruff of her neck. Waving a paw at the gathering, Titan ran for the door. In the corridor, Blackberry laid one of the absorbant pads on the floor, Apudo crouching on it, Titan supporting her with a gentle paw. Apudo settled her feet and paws, urinated, then turned her head to Titan, looking very concerned.

“I need to poo,” she groaned, “I didn’t need to a minute ago, it’s coming!” she whimpered, bearing down with a strangled yowl, the whole business seeming to upset her.

“is it hurting you,” Titan asked.

“No,” Apudo mewed, “but my feet are cold, and my business is keeping you from your business, I can’t do mine without stopping you doing yours, and, and, yours is more important, but my feet are cold, and the floor is cold, and it’s hard to do my business when it’s cold!”

“ “How if I breathe on your feet and tail to warm them, like this?”

“That’s better,” Apudo mewed piteously.

“good,” Titan purred, “now take your time. Now, if I lie down at right angles to you and then breathe on your feet, is that better?” Apudo mewed:

“yes, it’s better, I need to, need to, uuuuumf, it’s happening!” she whimpered.

“gently now, easy push now, gentle push, puuush, there,” Titan replied, reaching round then rubbing the root of Apudo’s tail, the little lioness pressing down into her bottom as she relieved herself.

“you’re so kind,” Apudo said, as Blackberry cleared away the results of her efforts and Titan cleaned her up.

“Are you sure you don’t want a drink before we go back in there?” Titan asked.

“I do, but, won’t,” Apudo mewed, “I’ll only end up needing to wee again, and, well, I’ve already caused so much trouble.”

“No you haven’t,” Titan mewed, washing his paws in special solution blackberry brought, then lying down and pulling Apudo close, “you did well, telling me you needed to go to the relieving place in good time.”

“but here is not, even I know that,” Apudo mewed.

“I could tell you were desperate,” Titan purred, “you were pedalling with your paws and feet faster and faster as we reached the door.”

“yes, you’re right,” Apudo mewed.

“okay Apudo, I want two things, to give you something, and something from you,” Titan mewed.

“yes?” Apudo asked.

“To give you a hug, and, a drink, if you want either, or both, and for you to promise me something.”

“What is the promise?” Apudo asked, gazing up into her guide’s eyes with trusting innocence.

“that you will tell me whenever you need the relieving place and not be shy about it,” Titan mewed.

“I would love a hug, and a drink, and I promise,” Apudo mewed.

“Let’s go back to the beanbag for the first two,” Titan mewed, “it’s warmer there, in this corridor it’s cold..”

“It is,” Apudo mewed. Titan picked Apudo up by the scruff of her neck, but she wriggled and kicked.

“Can I crawl?” she asked. Titan, smiling, set her down.

“You can,” he said, turning to the door, Apudo following Titan by dragging herself using her forepaws, trailing her hind legs behind her.

”I’m rather slow, I’m sorry, need carrying, please?” Apudo panted when she was half way to the beanbag. Titan, smiling, picked her up and carried her to her old place.

“All done?” Imvula asked, her eyes sparkling.

“yes, thanks,” Apudo replied, Imvula smiling at her, which made Apudo feel very good.

“She’s so cute!” someone said. Startled, Apudo looked round to see who’d spoken, though from her point of view, she could see little.

“for what purpose did you call me here?” Titan asked the gathered creatures., “if it is to get a good look at my cub, which some of you clearly want,” he looked at the speaker of the words that had startled Apudo, whom she could not see, though he could, “what else do you want of me, or of my cub. Is it me you want? Or her?”

“We want you, well both of you,” Aslan replied, “we want you as leader Titan, and we also love cubs.” Titan smiled.

“Come here,” Titan mewed, patting the beanbag with one huge paw.

“Must I?” Aslan asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed. Aslan, his mouth dry, pushed through the crowded room to the beanbag, where Titan stood. Looking up into the liger’s face, Aslan realised how big he truly was. Aslan didn’t know Titan that well, though he’d heard of him, as most of the community had.

“Place your paw on the bean bag between mine,” Titan mewed, lying down. Aslan did, feeling his right paw sandwiched between Titan’s massive, well-padded ones.

“For how many do you speak?” Titan asked, “for yourself? Or for your kind? That is to say the pride? Or for all big cats? Or for the community of non-humans? Or for everyone?”

“I haven’t been elected as their spokes lion as it were,” Aslan mewed, “I was just airing an opinion.”

“Who else holds the same opinion as this white cat?” Titan asked.

“We all do,” Patch called in a clear voice, “bears, lions, tigers, and those humans who are born into, or are by virtue of being mothers to cubs that are born into the community.”

“Go now,” Titan mewed, kissing Aslan’s nose, “go and sit back where you were. Aslan looked at Apudo, the cub gazing back at him.

“You’re one beautiful cub,” he said.

“If you want me to be leader, I need a show of support,” Titan mewed, “nothing sycophantic, just, well, a show of paws or hands. As there are so many of us now, this would be impractical. So anyone who wants to leave because of my being proposed as leader can do so, now. Patch, as you have spoken in favour of me, and are known by history and by the present time to be held in most honourable esteem and probity among us, please, look to the door to see if anyone leaves. If they do, make a note of who they are, but let them go in peace.”

“Why ask patch to watch?” someone asked.

“Because I can’t see that far,” Titan mewed.

“I will go,” patch said, “I can tell you noone has dared move a paw yet.”

“When you are there in place, I will give the assembled company five minutes to decide whether they wish to trust me as leader. If half walk out the door, I will propose that they find someone to stand against me, and we will vote in the speediest way those who have technology at their paws can devise. Then we will see. If noone goes, then, well, I suppose I’m elected. But I will not allow myself to be held to so such high office until everyone has had their say. Okay, the five minutes from,,,” Titan paused as Felix padded up to him:

“Yes?” he asked.

“I thought you might want something to signify the beginning of the election time,” the Felursapien said, “I have such a thing.” He placed by the beanbag a rounded object on a wooden base.

“really you should not be on that beanbag if you are casting doubt on your election,” patch advised.

“Fine,” Titan mewed, stepping off the beanbag, and resting his paw on the thing Felix had presented him with. Felix returned to his place, and Patch called for silence.

“Now, I will press this thing to signify the start of the five minutes!” Titan called, when silence had fallen round him. Titan pressed down on the thing, a dreadful loud rasping noise making him leap into the air with a surprised yowl, everyone staring at Felix, who rolled about on the floor, laughing helplessly.

“What in Eohippus name was that!” Titan demanded when all four of his huge paws had finally touched the floor.

“Felix!” Karina yowled, running to him and cuffing him, “that was nasty!.

“No it wasn’t, it was wonderful!” “ Apudo miaowed, rolling about on the beanbag laughing as hard as Felix.

“Okay, stoaoaoaoap this!” patch roared, silence falling, “I will find something else which can be used as a time signal. Ancient Koda had rooms full of human’s stuff.” With that he vanished upstairs to the storerooms. The lift to the great room arrived carrying Patch and something large and wooden. Patch emerged from the lift wheeling a large plate on a frame, a huge hammer dangling from the top spar of the frame which stood vertically on a pedestal.

“What’s that?” karina asked.

“A gong,” Patch replied, setting the frame up by using the breaks, releasing the plate to swing free. Patch picked up the hammer, striking the gong in the centre, the sound startling Titan, the liger screaming with fear and racing for the door.

“Fat pawed Tiggie, steps on ground, was terrified by farting sound! Tiggie leaping in the air, Titan yowling, “it’s not fair!” Patch strikes gong, bong Bong bong! Fat paws running, Titan gone!” Nuru carolled.

“I wish I’d thought of that rhyme!” Felix whispered to Apudo, whom he’d joined on the beanbag, the little lioness giggling into the beanbag so Titan would not hear.

“Titan’s so funny when frightened!” she mewed. Titan, forgetting the door was shut, blundered into it, reared onto his feet and beat it with his paws, screaming:

“let meyououoout!!”

“it’s all right Titan, dear Titan, it’s not going to hurt you!” Snowy yelled above the liger’s screams of fear.

“Stoaoaoaoap this! Nuru, shut up too!” patch yelled, “Titan, for Eohippus sake, what’s the matter?”

“Titan’s easily startled,” Apudo mewed.

“I think he gets the leader’s job just for being a total hoot!” Felix mewed.

“the ground rumbled, then I heard the bell from hell!” Titan miaowed.

“it’s a gong, not a bell you idiot!” Felix yelled.

“Can, can I lie down for a bit, please?” Titan asked.

“Yes, there’s a nice beanbag here,” Apudo called to her guide. Titan looked fearfully at the beanbag.

“Not there, and you come away too!” he commanded, his legs shaking.

“but it’s fine, look!” Apudo mewed, rolling about the beanbag until she fell off with a grunt, “well, not if you fall off it’s not,” she added, everyone laughing at her antics.

“Apudo, please come here!” Titan mewed. Apudo got to her feet, then tottered towards her guide, Titan watching her come to him.

“Apudo?” he whispered. When she reached him, he steadied her by letting her lean on him as she panted with her effort.

“You walked to me!” Titan mewed.

“yeah, my poor legs and pads!” Apudo miaowed.

“Let’s go back to the beanbags,” Titan mewed, Apudo rearing onto her feet, stretching, gripping Titan’s left foreleg with both paws, stretching up on tiptoe to kiss his nose. Titan, his eyes filling with tears, bowed his head then kissed her nose, the whole community giving a collective sigh of:

“awww that’s so cute!” before erupting into cheering and applause.

“I think they want you Titan,” Apudo mewed, scrambling onto Titan’s back, riding proudly on him as he walked back to the beanbag.

“Off my back Apudo,” Titan mewed, sitting down on the beanbag, Apudo yowling as she was tipped off backwards, landing with a grunt on the soft beanbag.

“Now, please, let’s get back to business,” Titan mewed, the applause still rippling round him. Titan tried to gain silence by shouting:

“Okay, it’s been a funny day I know, but please be quiet!” the community ignored him, applause still rippling round him. Titan, now frustrated, ran to patch’s gong, finding a pedal before him. Pressing it, he saw and heard the hammer hit the gong. Titan, convinced the world would shake to bits with the sound, but hardly caring if it did, while fearing the consequences, closed his eyes, set his teeth and rocked on his feet, pressing the pedal harder and harder with both paws. The gong’s sound was massive, Titan’s body and ears filled by a sound which vibrated the whole world. After four presses, Titan stepped away, the gong’s sound dying away to leave complete silence.

“that’s better,” Titan mewed, climbing onto the beanbag, “now what were we doing before that interruption? Ah yes, trying to elect a leader. Five minutes from,” he glanced at the gong, “well, no,” he continued, anyone who wants to leave, can. You have five minutes from, now, open the door I couldn’t, and go. Once that’s over, the five minutes I mean, anyone else still in here I will take as accepting what leadership I can provide.”

“We don’t want to leave,” Fleur mewed, “Titan, we want you, all of us want you as leader. We only ask that you let us touch you, smell you, get to know you.” Titan smiled:

“My paws and feet will be glad of a hug and stroke,” he replied.

“they want you to hug Apudo again Titan,” Felix mewed.

“You want that Felix,” Titan replied.

“I wouldn’t mind it myself,” Apudo mewed, lying beside her guide’s right paw.

“Why did they cheer when I hugged you Titan?” Apudo asked.

“I think they watched you walking towards me and my reaction to the whole thing, you walking on your big paws was so cute and wonderful I got a little tearful, your efforts to hug me and kiss my nose pleased them, They seem to like that,” the liger mewed.

“We also like fumble footed cubs a lot!” Theo mewed.

“I was trying not to fall over my own feet,” Apudo mewed.

“It would have been even cuter if you had,” Theo purred.

“Bet you would not like to fall over your paws and have everyone laughing?” Apudo challenged.

“but they’d come and pick me up, and that’s all comforting,” Theo mewed.

“My paws and feet are big aren’t they,” Apudo mewed, looking down at her paws, then bowing her head between her forelegs and contorting her body, lifting one leg so she could see the pads of one foot.

“My feeyeeet are huuuge!” Apudo yowled.

“Now that’s cute!” Theo mewed, rearing onto his feet to clap his paws.

“Stoaoaoaoap it Theo!” Apudo mewed, kicking and waving her paws about, struggling with a beanbag that had become clawing and enveloping as she tried to get to her feet. Theo dropped onto all four paws, padded across the beanbag,, and pushed Apudo onto her chest with a gentle paw.

“There,” he mewed, kissing her ear.

“Thanks,” Apudo mewed softly, pushing herself to her feet, her large paw landing on Theo’s.

“Sorry,” she mewed, stumbling, her shoulder pushing him.

“Get your breath and your balance,” Theo purred, kissing the back of her ear.

“this morning I could crouch for relieving myself, but not walk,” Apudo mewed, “now I can walk, I’m learning fast, but, Theo, there is something. That corridor, it’s cold! My feet froze while trying to, well, and, and, my bum got cold too!” Theo nuzzled her ear.

“I know that feeling,” he mewed, giggling slightly, “it makes you yowl doesn’t it.”

“It does!” Apudo mewed, relieved she was not alone in her discomfort, “I would tuck my tail down there to keep me warm but, well, I have a feeling that would not end well.”

“No it wouldn’t,” Theo purred.

“Theo,” Apudo mewed, “would you come with me to the place, I know where the pads are, Titan needs to do his business here, he’s deeply into it with Patch, talking about things I don’t understand, but I can’t do mine here, and I need to do it so badly! Would you come with me, please?”

“I will,” he replied. Titan was talking to patch when Apudo and Theo stole away, taking two absorbent pads with them.

“You don’t do this normally do you?” Apudo asked as they entered the cold corridor.

“I have only stopped doing it recently,” Theo mewed, “I’m not so old as you think. Now, here, we won’t be disturbed.” They spread the absorbent pads on the floor and crouched side by side, Apudo’s paw straying over to Theo’s for support.

“Now let it go Apudo,” Theo mewed, rubbing her paw. Apudo began to relieve herself, but stopped, sniffing back tears and whimpering,

“It is uncomfortable, not like last time, it’s harder, I feel really bad Theo, I’m going to burst!” she cried.

“Okay, breathe and push gently,” Theo mewed, Apudo sniffling and struggling to keep calm. Theo heard her breathing, as his head rested near hers. Then she caught her breath and strained, a rasping sound coming from her other end, Apudo squealing with surprise.

“that’s good,” Theo mewed, “do it again Apudo.” Apudo pushed, feeling something leaving her. grunting, she pressed hard down, bouncing on her toes a bit.

“It’s hard first time isn’t it,” Theo mewed.

“Titan rubbed my tail root, but, but, I’m on my own now,” Apudo miaowed. She panted as she felt another need to push. Bracing her feet, she paused, “well I’m not,” she added after her preparations for relief, “you’re here, but I have to make all this effort now!” it’s getting things working again after my rebirth, but it’s so much ouwch, and the floor’s so cold under my paws and my bum too!” she moaned.

“Do you need to push again?” Theo asked.

“yes,” Apudo whimpered.

“okay, all four paws on the floor this time, deep breath and easy push, easy,” Theo mewed, Apudo trying so hard to follow his gentle voiced instructions, her control snapping when she felt the obstruction jam slightly as it was leaving her. with an infantile growl and wriggle, she pushed as hard as she could, her voice rising in a screaming yowl as the obstruction jammed tighter, then left her in a rush.

“all done?” Theo asked. Apudo nodding and panting.

“That was awful!” she moaned.

“I’m done,” Theo mewed.

“How are we going to clean ourselves?” Apudo asked, her voice full of tears of anxiety, “Theo, I forgot about that bit, and, and, now we’re dirty!” she sobbed, burying her face in his shoulder.

“We’ll go to a place I know, it’s not far,” Theo mewed, “what did Titan do with the pads?” he asked.

“Blackberry was here to fold them and get rid of them, but even he’s not here now!” Apudo mewed piteously, “Theo, it’s all gone wrong! I’m a stupid cub, I have got us both into trouble!”

“We can work this out Apudo, don’t panic,” Theo mewed, “Look, if you stand on one end of the pad, I can fold the other over the results of our relief, then we fold the other side that you are standing on, then we fold the other sides. Can you remember what sides were folded first?”

“Short ones I think,” Apudo mewed, “we can’t get this wrong Theo, we just can’t! If we do, it’ll be horrid and awful, and, we really will be in trouble!” they managed to fold the first pad, then the second, Theo using Apudo as an anchor, while he folded the pad.

“Now they’re secure, he said, sticking the tapes down on the last bundle, “we will go and wash our paws and feet and rear ends.” Apudo padded down the corridor with Theo, still quite unsteady on her paws.

“Thanks for letting me lean on you,” she said, “I’m still a little unsteady when I have to, well, do that.”

“here is the place,” Theo mewed. he and Apudo entered one of the relieving places, and Theo helped her to wash herself properly. Smiling, he led her from the place, walking straight into Titan.

“oaoaoaoaoh!” Apudo yowled as she saw the look of terrified concern on her guide’s face.

“Where have you two been?” he asked.

“I need, well, I needed to relieve myself, and you were talking to Patch about the gong and things, so I asked Theo, Theo to, to, to, to come with me, and he did, and we spread the pads and he helped me, and we folded the pads, and we washed ourselves, and, well, I’m here now.” Apudo replied, her words coming out in a babble.

“You wandered off without telling me,” Titan growled, “Apudo, that is very wrong!” he roared.

“but I was hurting so much!” Apudo miaowed, “I couldn’t do my business there on that beanbag, I just couldn’t!”

“Why could you not,” Titan asked in a growl that made Theo want to defecate all over again..

“It didn’t feel right to do it there,” Apudo whimpered, “and, and, it hurt too. It was my first, well, proper relief.”

“Theo, why did you not stop her running off?” Titan asked, turning a look of such rage and fury on Theo the Lion miaowed with fear, Apudo pressing herself against him to reassure him, “you know I would have stopped the talk for Apudo.”

“Apudo asked me, and she was so concerned, I took the lead and helped her,” Theo mewed piteously, “Titan, I thought we were doing the right thing. Apudo didn’t want to relieve herself there, I mean really didn’t want to. She, she, I suppose,,,” he stopped as Titan brandished a huge paw In his face.

“Let her speak for herself, You are a naughty little cub, who led her astray!” Titan growled.

“me?” Apudo asked, “what do you want from me?”

“Why did you not want to go to the toilet in that place, or to tell me you wanted me to go with you to the corridor?” Titan asked angrily.

“I didn’t want to soil that place, and you were having such a conversation with Patch that I thought it would be rude to interrupt you, and and I thought I could be gone and back before you realised, but, but, it went wrong, and I took more time, and we had to fold the pads, and, and wash ourselves, and, and,” Apudo began to sniffle with her rising emotions and regret, “now we’re taking even more time, and I’ve done so wrong, and you’re angry, and the day is ruined, and I thought I was doing the right thing, and Theo’s in trouble, and I’m in worse, and I just want to go home!” Apudo sobbed, leaning against Theo’s shoulder.

“I don’t know whether to be angry or not,” Titan sighed, lowering his paw to the floor.

“I would take the less angry option,” Theo began to say when Apudo’s paw slammed down urgently on his.

“Don’t, Theo! Don’t say anything!” Apudo mewed desperately.

“Are you scared of me Apudo?” Titan asked, though he knew the answer already, and it made him feel dreadful.

“You looked terrifying Titan,” Apudo replied, “I, I, I was afraid, but you wouldn’t, I know that.”

“I would never hurt either of you,” Titan mewed, “my raised paw was to stop Theo talking.”

“Your eyes Titan, they spoke death,” Theo mewed. Titan choked back a rush of tears.

“Not to you, not to Apudo!” the liger replied Horsely, “I felt frothy anger to, to, to, to the ones I imagined had hurt you, to the one who’d got so deep into a conversation about nothing that he’d taken his eyes off the one that was most precious to him. I feel dreadful too. I feel proud of Apudo for taking initiative to smooth my path, but I feel ashamed for not noticing her discomfort. I feel proud she felt such friends with a lion she hardly knew, that she would ask him to help her so intimately. that is testimony to you Theo, I feel ashamed of my anger, but it was born of fear, then of relief at finding you both safe.”

“Were you made leader?” Theo asked.

“I didn’t get that far before noticing you were gone,” Titan mewed, “screaming, I ran from the room, misjudged the angle into the corridor, nearly trod on the packages you had left in the corner, and came along here. It is testament to my padded paws, which Theo, I saw you admiring, that I was silent, but my mind was screaming louder with fear than I did when giving birth to you Apudo.”

“I’m sorry for running off Titan,” Apudo mewed, “I couldn’t wait. You probably have forgotten how that feels.”

“No,” Titan mewed, “I know it very well, and I am sorry for roaring, Theo I hope you can pardon my anger too.”

“I need pardoning too,” Theo mewed, “and, I’m not going to make it either, oaoaoaof!” he whimpered, turning and bolting for the relieving place.

“You terrified him to that Titan,” Apudo mewed in an accusatory tone.

“how gentle was he with you Apudo?” Titan asked.

“he knew my pain and fear when relieving myself,” Apudo mewed, “he soothed it, helped me push, warmed my paws without breathing on them too. He’s lovely Titan.” Titan, tears pricking his eyes, gulped down a huge lump which had suddenly formed in his throat.

“I’m going now,” he said, “follow me when you’re ready Apudo. I’m feeling rather foolish.” Titan padded away very slowly, his tail drooping, his paws and feet looking and sounding to Apudo as heavy as lead, and by the shaking of his shoulders, Apudo could see he was crying.

“Titan?” Theo called when he had nearly reached the doorway into the great room, the liger turning his head, “please, come back.” Titan reluctantly turned and, head down, tail drooping, Padded back to Theo, almost falling over his own feet.

“I frightened you with my paw, I misused my paws!” Titan mewed piteously, “Theo, I used my paws to cause near mortal fear in a community cub, I’m sorry.”

“Your anger is understood by both of us,” Theo mewed, “but Titan, your cub did great things today.”

“I know,” Titan sniffled, throwing himself down on the tiles of the passage, burying his face in his paws, “I know she did,” his breath caught, and he coughed, “she’s a good little lioness,” He sobbed. Apudo and Theo lay down, one each side of Titan, and started licking and nuzzling the furry tops of his tear soaked paws until he raised his head, then they jumped on his paws, and lay before him, licking his pads until he lowered his head, when they set about his tear soaked face and whiskers with their warm tongues and gentle paws, washing his pads and face. When Titan realised what they were doing, fresh tears sprang to his eyes, things almost becoming too much when Apudo scrambled up onto his back, then slid down his hind quarters to get to his feet to wash them, Titan soon feeling her tongue working over his pads. Sniffing back tears and Sighing with pleasure, Titan tightly curled the toes of his huge paws in an effort to get a grip of his run away emotions. Shaking his head, he felt the toes of both feet joining in, Titan giving himself up to fiercely curling the toes of all four paws while closing his eyes tightly.

“You have a guide who is struggling here Apudo,” Theo mewed.

“I know,” Apudo replied, “I’m trying to soothe him, but there’s so much going on in his head.”

“I never knew having a cub would feel like this!” Titan miaowed.

“Let’s go back to the great room,” Theo mewed, smiling as Apudo grabbed the toes of Titan’s right foot in her paws.

“I can’t free my toooes!” Titan yowled, pushing with his paws and scrabbling at the tiles with his free left foot, the one which had less traction. Banging his tail on the floor, Titan wriggled and squirmed. Moaning with mock fear, Titan rolled onto his right side, curling round towards his feet to gently explore the sole and toes of his trapped left foot. Unable to see anything due to the angle, he felt the pads and toes of his left foot with his tongue and lips, finding Apudo’s paws holding his sole pad in their small grip, his toes curled as tightly as they’d curl.

Roaaoaowr!” Titan complained, worrying at his trapped toes with his tongue and lips, “I can’t free my paw!” he moaned.

“Now you are trapped paw Tiggie,” Apudo giggled.

“I can’t uncurl my toooes!” Titan yowled, kicking with his free right foot and two free paws, Theo laughing merrily at his antics. Apudo tightened her grip on his pads, holding the furry top in her left paw, plonking the pads of her right slap on his heel pad, Leaving his curled toes free. Titan instantly curled the toes of his other free paws, miaowing about stuck paws and how he couldn’t uncurl his toes. Theo smiled as he watched Titan Reaching for his left foot with fresh urgency. Titan began fiercely tugging with his lips at his own tightly curled toes, Apudo rubbing his sole pad with her paw, Titan mewing and growling with anger at himself for not being able to uncurl his toes. What made this extra funny for the two cubs to listen to was that Titan had the toes of his left foot in his mouth as he growled his frustration.

“He sounds very funny!” Apudo giggled. Titan, growling and puffing with effort, his paws dangling within Theo’s range, Theo was very tempted to tickle the pads of one of them, but touching it, he restrained himself, for Titan was so absorbed in tugging at his toes with his teeth, that Theo felt, if he were to tickle Titan’s pads, as he so badly wanted to, Titan would do himself an injury, and no play was worth that.”

“how do I uncurl these toooes!” Titan miaowed, panting hard.

“Let us rub them?” Theo asked. Titan, miaowing with frustration, gave up the fight with a vicious slash at his toes with his tongue.

“I can’t uncurl my toooes!” he moaned, lying flat on his side, feeling the two cubs working on his feet with their warm tongues and gentle paws.

“I’m meant to be leading this community, and I’m here, pinned down by two cubs,” Titan mewed aloud, sighing deeply, he watched them playing with his toes while he flexed and curled them, the two cubs, growling with playful curiosity, scrabbling at his toes with their paws until he straightened them.

“I should be leading the community now,” Titan continued aloud, “but, I’d rather be here, playing silly toe curling and stretching games with two cubs.” Titan reluctantly put an end to Theo and Apudo’s play by curling round, grabbing each cub in turn in his paws and placing them by his belly. Smiling, he gazed into their faces.

“I have to do boring things now,” he said, “I am sorry I have to end our play.” Apudo and Theo reached up to touch Titan’s face with their paws, leaning on him for support. Titan, lowering his face to their paws, closed his eyes in bliss as they kissed his nose and their paws touched his nose and whiskers, the cubs giggling as his tongue kissed their pads.

“Titan’s a silly Tiggie, a big silly soppy Tiggie!” Theo giggled.

“He’s big and soft and cuddly, and I love him so much,” Apudo mewed, Titan catching his breath.

“come you big, fat padded cuddlypuss, you have work to do,” A voice said. Titan looked up to see Patch watching them from the nearest door into the passage, “you have been away from the great room for ages, time to come and lead this community formally,” patch continued. Titan smiled, gently rolled onto his chest, and, looking round at the two cubs, nodded to them. Apudo and Theo climbed aboard, sitting gripping the thick fur on Titan’s massive back with their toes, the huge liger getting to his feet with a grace and fluidity that had Patch saucer eyed in admiration.

“I must do my duty now,” Titan mewed.

“You’ve been doing it for the last hour,” patch said, touching Titan’s massive left paw, “playing with cubs is a leader’s duty first and foremost.” Smiling, Titan followed the huge grey bear into the great room. Climbing onto the beanbag, Titan faced the assembled creatures.

“Who left?” he asked Patch.

“Noone,” Patch replied.

“I can’t believe he’s real,” Sushanti mewed to Androcles, “Titan’s enormous, but, but, those eyes, those paws!”

“I know what you mean,” Androcles replied, “you want to tell him your most intimate secrets, while hugging those huge paws.”

“He’s beautiful!” Sushanti mewed, hoping Titan would not overhear her.

“so do you all want me to be leader?” Titan asked.

“We do,” Leopold mewed, the young cub padding forward and, rearing onto his small feet, looking up into the liger’s face, Titan bowing to look into his face.

“They haven’t gone and elected you as their leader have they little one?” he asked.

“No,” Leopold replied, “I, I, I’m just speaking their views, should I not have done so?”

“You would not be Fleur’s son if you weren’t brave enough to step forward,” Titan mewed, lying down then kissing Leopold’s nose and paws, the taliger cub smiling shyly.

“you’re so cuddly!” Leopold blurted, Titan mewing, rolling onto his back and waving his paws and feet about, Leopold laughing helplessly.

“That’s it, Titan’s duly elected!” Patch announced, hitting his gong with tremendous force.

“naoaoaoaoaoao, not that again!” Titan miaowed, covering his ears with his paws.

“Give me a cuddle!” Leopold demanded, Titan rolling onto his side, offering his paws, Leopold scrambling into them, the liger hugging him tightly.

“wash too?” the liger asked.

“yes please,” Leopold mewed, Titan grooming him from nose to tail, the Taliger purring and chuffing with pleasure.

“his paws are magnificent!” Sally said, kneeling by Titan’s feet, drawing circles on the liger’s massive heel pad and counting the toes of his right foot.

“I watched him labouring,” she said to Petra, “Titan laboured wonderfully, he was committed and didn’t hold back.”

“he was wonderful!” Petra mewed.

“Seeing Apudo emerging from him was wonderful too!” Nuru mewed.

“I remember that,” Titan replied, “it hurt at my end.” Apudo snuggled up to his chest:

“I remember it too,” she mewed, “it hurt Titan, it really, really hurt! I was so scared!”

“I know Apudo dear cub,” Titan mewed.

“I don’t want to tell my tale Titan,” Apudo mewed, “it’s too scary!”

“You don’t have to,” Titan mewed, I know what you did when you were in there, despite me asking what you were doing, I knew what you had to do. I will tell your tale if you feel you can’t.”

“I feel bad not doing so, but Titan, I really, really, really can’t tell what happened. It was scary and awful, and I screamed about it when I was born, but it is over now, and I want to forget the passage into the world, but remember the paws which soothed me after Theo restrained me to take me to you. his paws were forceful, but they had to be, yours, oaoaoaoaoh, they were lovely! Your gentle paws and tongue cleaning me, your hug soothing me, that was wonderful!”

“Your story can be a private one between me and you Apudo,” Titan mewed, “I will not ask you to retell it for others. All they need to know is my story, the struggle to rebirth a spirit who lost her way.”

“I will tell what I did,” Apudo mewed.

“You don’t have to tell them what you did Apudo, I know what you did to get out of the room you were in,” Titan mewed, “remember dear cub, I felt it all. I did what you did, trying to open things up for you.”

“What did you do?” Apudo asked.

“Okay, I’ll show you,” Titan mewed, rolling onto his back, pedalling and circling at the air with his huge feet as he had during the first stages of labour.

“that looks so cuuuute!” someone said.

“It was horrid!” Titan yowled, spinning onto his paws and staring round him, “Apudo’s pressure on my insides, oaoaoaowch! That really was uncomfortable!”

“It seems no matter what you do with your paws or feet Titan, they’re still very cute!” Sally giggled.

“Are they?” Titan asked, “I know Moses and little Ekaterina liked my paws and feet when I was pretending to have a cub.”

“I felt a need to hug your foot while you were curling your toes,” Theo mewed, “I needed to protect the owner of that foot, your toes were so eloquent!”

“I will never forget the love I felt during my agonising effort,” Titan mewed, lying down on the beanbag.

“we all love you so much,” Leopold said, snuggling up to the huge liger.

“I’ve just thought of something,” Namrah said, gazing at Titan from her place in the crush around the beanbag, “Swarupa didn’t leave the room in the five minutes! She’s over there,” she said, waving a paw, “she didn’t leave here Titan. But, well, she hates us. Why didn’t she leave?”

“Thanks for darkening my day,” Titan miaowed, spitting with disgust at what he had to do as leader, “Namrah, you are right, if she didn’t leave, there are questions she needs to answer. Namely why didn’t she leave if she hates me, my paws and feet, my fur, and everything inside my fragile skin.”

“Maybe she’s trying, maybe she’s struggling to quell her anger and hatred,” Androcles suggested, “we all saw how she admitted she was at fault, and heard with our own ears how she said she was glad you’d not followed in her paw prints, and that you Titan, were everything a liger should be. Come to think of it, with her not leaving in the five minutes allowed, did she mean leader rather than liger when she said “you’re everything a liger should be Titan.” I wonder if that was what she truly meant.”

Swarupa lay on the floor next to the gong. The force and reality of Titan’s labour had scared her at first, but then had made her think hard. The liger had truly faught bravely for his cub, and seeing his efforts had made her feel ashamed at her words to him. She’d heard how he’d gone into the woods to save another cub, the cub they now called Nuru, and seen now how he might have done it. Swarupa had found her own paws and feet pedalling with Titan’s, her breath coming in snatches as she watched his labour on the screen in her lie up, the cameras giving her a view that she found fascinating, despite her anger, which soon turned to anguish and concern when Apudo slid back after Titan had kissed her nose. Now she was in a froth of indecision. Could she accept Titan for what he was? Could she swallow her own hatred and touch his paws? Would he accept her if she made the effort? Swarupa hated what she’d become, loathed her treatment of Tigger and Namrah, and in her deepest darkest moments, blamed herself for the death of Tigger and Namrah’s cub.” Lying by the gong, she knew her paws had not taken her from the place of election when the five minute get out time was announced, they’d stuck fast, refusing to move her body, and now were sweating with fear at the ends of her forelegs, her feet doing likewise at the ends of her hind.

“if you can’t forgive me, please, tolerate me,” she thought, “dear Titan, I want to be here, here is my home! I, I, I love you dear liger.” Swarupa thought, tears rolling down her face. Burying her face in her paws, she sobbed quietly, the rest of the community seemingly unheeding of her distress.

“Swarupa,” Titan mewed, looking over the edge of the beanbag, his eyes locking on the weeping form lying by the base of the gong.

“go to him,” Sushanti whispered to Swarupa, shoving her hip with her paw.

“I can’t, I can’t!” Swarupa miaowed.

“You must!” Sushanti growled, pushing at Swarupa’s hip with both paws. Swarupa got to her feet and padded to Titan’s beanbag, as if in a nightmare. Titan bade her get on the beanbag, and worse, lie down beside him. Pushing the others away, he signalled with his paw for space, Apudo crawling away with Sally to the edge of the beanbag. Titan rolled over and took Swarupa’s paws in his.

“Why if you hate me, did you not leave the room when given the chance?” Titan asked, “I am the one who hurt you during my birth, remember? I’m the one whom you hate for being different, remember? I’m the one whom you disowned along with your other two cubs on the poolside, remember that?”

“I’ve alienated myself haven’t I,” Swarupa mewed, “Titan, before I go, which I now see I must, let me say this. Cold, freezing cold comfort it may be, but, for what you did for Apudo, I have the hugest respect for you. if I could ask for such treatment I would, but I can’t, I haven’t the spirit for it. I’ve messed up, I’ve done worse to unborn spirits and to those who are born, I’ve tormented those I should not have, I’ve been punished by bottle tops, but, but, I’ve been let off lightly. You are strong, you are the best of big cats. You can’t stop me feeling this way, so I will say it, I love you dear Titan, and I’m sorry for what I did to you and your half-brother and Sister. Seeing Apudo arriving into the world was fascinating. I sweated and curled my toes along with you, not that you’d wish me to have done that. Titan, you are a tower of strength for this community, and for the newest cubs here. I will go now, I can feel you cannot give me space here.”

“Swarupa,” Titan said, “I can forgive, but I can never forget. I will not throw you out, I have no reason to. Hatred of one’s own cubs is not enough for that punishment. Go into the woodlands, live as a loan tigress, please, for the sake of cubs, do not give birth to any more, you clearly hate them once they are born, though you love the attention given to you during labour and birth. I cannot condone what you do, and will not even attempt to.” Go from here, go into the woods. I will not say go in peace, for you have no place of peace to go to, and I cannot undo the harm you have done to yourself and to others. For my part, I am very sad, but my injury at your paws was slight. You have stuck your claws far deeper into others, from the effects of that neglect they will never recover.” Titan pushed Swarupa away, the tigress getting to her feet and walking from the room.

“Titan?” Blackberry asked, kneeling on the beanbag beside the liger.

“her words were genuine, but, but, she can’t change her ways,” Titan mewed, “Swarupa wanted safe conduct, and I’ve given her that. She is not fit to bear cubs, she clearly cannot nurture them as they need to be nurtured. She will be a loan tigress, a wandering creature who is woodland based.”

“Are there any special instructions for what we should do if we meet her in the woodlands?” tommy asked.

“hmm? What?” Titan asked, shaking himself, as if rousing himself from deep thought, “meet her in the woodlands? What do you mean?” the liger enquired.

“should we ignore her, or talk to her when patrolling?” tommy asked.

“Oh, talk to her,” Titan mewed, “I have put her out to think, to come back someday, I, I can’t bring myself to,,,” he trailed off.

“freeze her out?” Namrah asked.

“yes,” Titan moaned, “I know I’m being stupidly optimistic, but, but, maybe, one day.” Namrah sighed deeply.

“Push her into the long grass and she’ll go away,” she said.

“It’s not that, I’m not doing that!” Titan growled, “I just can’t bring myself to throw her out Namrah. I would love it if she could, one day, come back home. Right now she hates all we do here. She’s a community cub who did not take to the community lifestyle.”

“Do you think her respect for you giving birth to Apudo was genuine?” Blackberry asked.

“yes, that was,” Titan mewed, “I believe her when she said her toes curled with mine and that her feelings were genuine then. It’s what she does with the cubs after that I don’t like.”

“Could we not take her cubs off her when she has them?” Patch asked.

“I don’t like that idea,” Titan mewed, “I hope she will see sense and not have cubs for the sake of the lives of those cubs. My life before I could walk and find other friends was baron, I was not played with much. Swarupa didn’t want to know apart from when she was observed. That was why I went to Tigger and Namrah for play. They were kind to me, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for their kindness to me. Looking back though, I now know why their play was so frantic, so desperate. It was a play born of loneliness, a need for gentle touch at any pretext. They are not comfortable in their bodies without touch from tender paws. I learnt to cope with no touch from my birth mother, no touch that wasn’t absolutely necessary to my survival. I began wandering, and found those who wanted me to stay, so I stayed, and I grew, and now, now I am leader of my community.” Titan sighed deeply, “what a tangled web this is,” he yawned, “right now though, I am going to feed my cub, and hug her, and be a comfort to everyone, including myself.” Titan hugged Apudo, who’d snuggled up to him during his speech, Soon she was drinking busily.”

“You’re so lovely Apudo,” Titan mewed. Apudo looked at him, her gentle golden eyes comforting the huge liger.

“I’ll finish drinking, and then, could I have a hug?” she asked. Titan smiled:

“of course,” he replied, purring deeply as she kneaded his belly for milk.

“I thought you’d started on solid food Apudo?” Theo asked.

“yeah, I have, but, well, this is a comfort drink,” Apudo mewed.

“Oh don’t!” Theo moaned, “what I’d give for one right now.”

“I can do you warm milk,” Blackberry said.

“I didn’t mean milk of cow,” Theo whimpered.

“Why does he want comfort from Titan in that way?” Androcles asked.

“he feels Apudo’s need I think,” Titan mewed, “Theo became very close to her I think.”

“Swarupa made my blood run so cold my pads froze on my feet!” Theo whimpered.

“I would have rubbed them for you,” Bianca mewed.

“I don’t think he meant it like that,” Apudo replied in a pause while drinking, “I think she chilled his spirit.”

“she didn’t do much for mine,” Titan mewed, “my paws are freezing! Come Theo, I know you’re slightly older than Apudo, but, come and drink.”

“I’ll wait my turn,” Theo mewed.

“No you won’t!” Apudo mewed, “Theo, come here, beside me, there’s enough room.” Theo padded over the beanbags and lay down beside Apudo, the little lioness snuggling him up to Titan’s paws on his right, her small warm body on his left.

“Drink,” Titan mewed, Theo finding what he didn’t expect to find, and getting down to drinking, the milk warming him from his feet to his ears.

“Strange creatures,” Bianca mewed.

“and you’re not?” Titan yawned, stretching his paws, “what with your playing at having a cub with Theo and all?”

“I suppose we all are in our way,” Bianca mewed.

“I want to see Bianca giving imaginary birth to a backwards cub,” Moses said, “that would be an interesting thing to see.”

“It wouldn’t!” Imvula growled, “Titan, stop her!”

“No,” Titan mewed, “we all have to have the chance to play at giving birth to cubs, including me, who couldn’t possibly give birth, or so I thought.”

“I’m nooaoaoaot letting Bianca make fun of my labour!” Imvula yelled.

“She isn’t,” Titan sighed, “for eohippus sake Imvula, these things happen, things aren’t all sweetness and light you know.”

“if they were, I’d be out of a job,” Blackberry said.

“You, you horrid, thing! you!” Imvula screamed at the black bear.

“I almost want to pretend to have a really long, awful labour, just to spite her,” Theo mewed.

“I hate you Theo!” Imvula yelled.

“did Apudo get stuck then?” Theo asked.

“Not really,” Imvula replied, “look!” she snapped, growling, “I don’t want to talk about it, okay!”

“We can always get it up on video,” Sally said.

“sod your video!” Imvula roared into the human’s face.

“and same to you, you ungrateful moggie!” Sally yelled back.

“I’ll tear your head off!” Imvula roared.

“No you won’t,” Sally replied, padding up to the lioness, pushing her onto her back and touching her paws and feet, Imvula growling and roaring with humiliation.

“Now puss, go back to your basket,” Sally said, Imvula getting to her feet and padding away, her head hung in shame.

“that was amazing!” Apudo yelled, clapping her paws.

“Can’t stand that!” Sally blustered, “Imvula knows if it hadn’t been for us, Apudo would not have survived, and she treats us like that!”

“Will Imvula go after Sally?” Theo asked.

“if she does, I’ll tear her paws off and ram her tail down her throat,” Patch replied.

“She won’t,” a voice said from the doorway, Imvula slinking in with dragging paws.

“Promise?” Titan asked.

“yes,” the tawny lioness mewed, “I, I, it was a hard fight, and, and, to find others re-enacting it, well,,,” she paused, “it hurts a bit.”

“How did you wrestle that lioness Sally?” Theo asked.

“She knew she was beaten before I turned her upside down,” Sally replied, “Imvula’s all bluster and no action. She’s a pussycat really. I know this, I’ve met her in vulnerable situations, and she’s no violent creature.”

“I’m ashamed,” Imvula whimpered.

“Now I really want to feel Titan re-enact Apudo’s rebirth!” Sita said.

“Wasn’t my description enough?” Snowy growled.

“It’s not the same, and you know it,” Titan mewed.

“I’m surprised anyone got any good pictures with the amount of spectators round you,” Sally said.

“I’m assured they did,” Titan mewed.

“What happened in the corridor Titan?” Bianca asked, “I heard terrible roaring, whimpering, terrible sounds!”

“Um, ah, I, I, I misjudged two cubs,” Titan mewed, looking down at his paws in shame.

“So even our leader is not beyond reproach,” Imvula growled.

“I was angry from fear for my cubs!” Titan miaowed.

“I was busting for the relieving place,” Apudo mewed.

“I helped her in the corridor to gain relief,” Theo mewed.

“they didn’t tell me they were going, because I was deep in conversation with Patch,” Titan added.

“it all went very wrong,” Apudo concluded.

“We have made it up now,” Titan added.

“Theo helped Apudo do what?” Imvula asked.

“yes, that,” Theo mewed, “Imvula, she needed assistance, reassurance, encouragement.”

“That’s Titan’s job!” Imvula screeched.

“I could not be there to do it,” Titan mewed, “and please, she has a right to privacy you know.”

“Apudo’s a cub, she doesn’t!” Imvula spat.

“should I tell all on that too?” Apudo asked.

“No,” Theo mewed gently, nuzzling her ear, “Imvula shut it!” He growled.

“I trust Theo,” Apudo mewed, “he’s lovely and gentle and kind. He helped me to relieve myself when Titan couldn’t.”

“I know how that feels,” Bianca replied, padding to Apudo, “I’ve had help from Theo myself.” Apudo looked at Bianca, then kissed her nose, Bianca giggling delightedly.

“You didn’t see what happened when Titan calmed down did you?” she asked.

“No, tell me,” Bianca urged.

“I’ll tell you,” Titan mewed, “I, I, I messed up, messed things up bigtime. When I crumbled onto the floor, my face in my paws, I,” he swallowed hard, “Apudo and Theo were lovely!” he sniffled.

“What did they do?” Bianca asked.

“Ashamed by my actions, I was crying into my paws,” Titan choked, “they, I mean Apudo and Theo, they came to me, kissed the furry tops of my paws until I raised my head, then they jumped on my paws and washed them, then,” Titan coughed as tears choked him, wiping his eyes with his paws, “they washed my face too!” he said horsely.

“We couldn’t get a re-enactment of the washing now could we?” Bianca asked.

“Oh shut up!” Titan laughed, when he felt four paws pinning his to the floor, then two tongues washing his pads.

“Oh naoaoaoaoao!” Titan whimpered, “they know how to make me well up!” Theo and Apudo washed Titan’s face and paws just as they done in the passage. Then Apudo, laughing helplessly at Titan’s shocked expression, said:

“Show them what happened when I grabbed your right foot Titan!” turning to the room in general, she added, “this is really cute, Theo and I haven’t a hope of topping this!”

“Oh all right,” Titan sighed, smiling at Apudo, who grabbed the liger’s right foot in her paws. Rolling onto his right side as he’d been in the passage, Titan curled his toes, then curled his body round to his left, grabbing the toes of his left foot in his mouth, exploring with tongue and lips, trying to force his tightly curled toes to uncurl. Growling and mewing, he struggled against the will of his tightly curled toes to remain curled and not relax, Bianca watching with shining eyes, worried she might explode with the cute factor.

“You’re a big soppy snuggly cuddlypuss Titan!” Bianca said, Titan tugging his toes straight with a final growling effort, rolling onto his back, waving his feet and paws about, mewing like a big cub.

“See? He’s a big softy!” Bianca giggled.

“While giving birth to Apudo, I lay on my left side, curling round to my right to grab her, if I lie on that side, I might end up re-enacting that!” Titan mewed.

“I’d love to see that,” Bianca mewed.

“you’ve asked me to act like a cub, now you want me to re-enact the birth of my cub?” Titan asked.

“Well, maybe, if you don’t want to do that just yet, we can rub your pads while you curl your toes and growl a bit?” Moses said, “that was really cute when you did it last time.”

“the truth is, I love my pads and toes rubbed,” Titan admitted.

“We know! You growl and moan with pleasure too, it’s Soaoaoaoao cute!” little Ekaterina and Moses said in unison.

“Can I feel your paws and feet while you curl your toes Titan?” Jenny asked.

“I’m not going to get much chance to do my leader’s job here, my paws and feet are in too much demand!”“ Titan mewed.

“ “I would love to see a re-enactment of the bit where you curled round then kissed Apudo’s nose for the first time, that was so full of power and the joy of new life,” Imvula said.

“”I remember every second,” Titan mewed, Apudo gasping and burying her face in Titan’s shoulder.

“I remember that too,” she replied, “Titan, you really pushed, really curled your toes, really gripped with your paws and curled your body.”

“I’d never wanted anything more in the world than I did to kiss your nose then,” Titan mewed, “I would have done anything Apudo.”

“You did!” Apudo mewed, sobbing into his fur, “I saw your effort Titan! You stretched everything, braced your toes,” she touched the toes of his left paw, your neck, your back, and your tongue to reach my nose and kiss it. You even kissed my paws.” Titan, the memories flooding back, rested his head on his paws, crying quietly.

“It was a hard meeting to attend Apudo,” Titan sobbed, Apudo kissing his nose.

“I remember your tongue slowly licking my nose and paws, it felt wonderful!” she giggled, Then, more soberly, “Apudo continued, I also remember your tears as you had to go back to pushing.”

“I didn’t know if I’d see your face again!” Titan sobbed. Crying now, Apudo hugged him as tightly as she could.

“Come here Titan!” she sniffled, pressing herself into the weeping liger’s embrace, Titan hugging her as tightly as he dared, his strength prodigious, fuelled by past fears that were as real as her own birth tale.

“I’m not going to die, I’m here, alive and very warm,” Apudo mewed softly.

“I didn’t think I could push enough!” Titan sobbed.

“Well you did, I’m here,” Apudo sniffled, her own remembered fear almost choking her.

“You felt the fear too didn’t you,” Titan whispered, Apudo squeezing his paw in response.

“it made me want to cry, but I couldn’t then,” she said softly, Titan moaning with pain.

“I tried to push so hard!” he sobbed.

“I know!” Apudo mewed, crushing his huge left paw in both her small ones, “Titan, I know you did all you could.”

“Apudo slid quite far back didn’t she,” Bianca said to Theo, the lion nodding.

“I thought I could never get to the end and give birth to you Apudo, I was so scared my body would fail you!” Titan mewed piteously.

“I’m here, I’m four legged, four pawed, complete with twenty four pads and eighteen toes on my four paws, two ears, one tail, one nose, two eyes, one mouth, and a whole lot of love for a liger who never gave up hope or the fight to help me,,” Apudo mewed. Titan embraced Apudo tightly, the little lioness snuggling up to him.

“don’t think of me sliding backwards Titan,” Apudo mewed, remember our first nuzzle, your first kiss to my nose, for I do.” Titan gulped and coughed, breathing hard as tears choked him.

“I love you Apudo,” he whispered.

“Anyone got a tissue?” Blackberry sniffled.

“We’re all a bit like you,” Imvula replied, drying her eyes on her mate Aslan’s mane.

“Oi!” he laughed, sniffing back his tears and shaking his head, his mate’s tears flying from his mane.

“Lion’s manes are not meant to be used as handkerchiefs!” Aslan growled, looking like he was about to put Androcles mane to the same use Imvula had so recently put his.

“You dare!” Androcles warned, his own emotions almost choking him.

“If we use each other’s manes, we’re both fixed,” Aslan mewed, grabbing Androcles, the two lions rolling on the floor in a huge embrace, each drying their eyes on the other’s mane, their collective emotions spilling over, till they found they were both crying into each other’s manes, finding their paws unable to let go of each other.

“Okay, this is really silly!” Androcles miaowed, sniffing hard, hugging Aslan tightly, “we’re all sobbing wrecks.

“Seeing huge emotion does that to those who really care,” Blackberry said, reeling off a huge length of towel, wiping his eyes, then blowing his nose with an alarming honk which startled Apudo.

“Sorry,” Blackberry sniffled.

“Right, this is silly! I must Stop this!” Patch choked, stamping his paws in an attempt to gain control of his own deep well of emotions. Sniffing, he looked round for a tissue, Blackberry throwing a screwed up ball of towel to him, Patch shaking it out and tearing it up into usable sheets.

“I got a bit teary when Apudo was finally reborn to us, but not like this!” Karina sniffled, “I need a drink!” she announced, running for the water fountain. Weakened by their outpouring of emotion, Aslan and Androcles got to their paws, making their way towards the water fountains. Literally leaning on each other for support, Aslan stumbled, falling over Androcles paws, both lions landing in a laughing heap.

“Just look at those two!” Blackberry giggled, waving his paw at Aslan and Androcles.

“Big soppy lions,” patch replied smiling.

“I think their friends now,” patch replied. Aslan and Androcles rolled about on the floor in a growling, laughing struggle to untangle their paws from each other’s manes. The lions, finding they were exhausted after gaining freedom for their paws, hugged each other.

“Just look at them!” Bianca giggled, delightedly clapping her paws. laughing helplessly at their antics, Aslan and Androcles kissed each other’s noses, then got to their feet.

“I think I like you Aslan,” Androcles said. Aslan kissed Androcles nose, the tawny lion smiling broadly, rolling onto his back, presenting Aslan with a view of his fat belly and the well padded soles of all four fat paws.

“you big soppy lion!” Aslan laughed, kissing Androcles pads, the tawny lion smiling into the white lion’s eyes.

“now, can I see your paws?” Androcles asked. Aslan grinned, rolled onto his back, waving his paws in the air, Androcles examining the white lion’s black padded paws.

“You have really cute pads Aslan!” Androcles mewed.

“If you want cute, get a load of these paws!” Bianca yelled, tumbling off the beanbag, presenting Androcles with a good view of her smaller black padded paws, the tawny lion racing over to her, pinning her down with one massive paw and blowing on her pads, Bianca wriggling and yowling with laughter, Aslan watching her with a jealous expression.

“I want to be played with like that!” he heard himself yowling.

“wait your turn!” Bianca giggled. Aslan rolled onto his back, miaowing and kicking the air with all four paws in protest at the wait, Leopold, Nuru, Theo and Apudo laughing helplessly at his antics.

“Aslan’s a cuuuub! Aslan’s a cuuuub!” Bianca carolled, clapping her paws. Aslan got to his feet, his mane bristling with rage.

“I’m Noaoaot a cub!” he roared, stamping his paws and feet and shaking his mane in a display he hoped made him look fierce. The feel of a nose brushing his paw made him look down.

“I thought I would approach one who looked to be a bigger cub than me,” she said. Aslan opened his mouth to protest, when the cub before him rubbed her head against his, kissed his nose and placed her small left paw on his larger right, all the fire dying in Aslan. Tears pricking his eyes, Aslan head rubbed Apudo, the little lioness leaning hard into him, the pressure of Apudo’s greeting overbalancing Aslan, the white lion’s legs collapsing, the huge beast flopping onto his right side with a loud:

“Miaow!” Apudo kissed the now exposed pads of his right paw, Aslan purring contentedly. Grabbing her in his paws, Aslan hugged her tightly and asked:

“Apudo, are you all right? Did Titan’s labour really happen?”

“I am, and yes, it did,” Apudo replied, still giggling slightly.

“You pushed me over!” Aslan miaowed.

“I did,” Apudo laughed, almost choking, “Miaow! Miaow! Miaow miaow miaow!” she mimicked, Aslan kissing her nose, then grooming her thoroughly.

“I like this,” Apudo mewed, snuggling up as Aslan groomed her from her nose to her toes.

“I do too,” Aslan purred, Apudo sighing deeply as she drifted in a warm haze of gentle touch.

“I think they’re both giving each other a huge spiritual hug,” Titan mewed.

“Apudo,” Aslan said when the grooming was done, “about, about my conduct ages ago, I’m,,,”

“I know,” Apudo mewed, “I wouldn’t have come to you if I doubted your feelings. Think of it no more Aslan.”

“but, but, it was after my rebirth that it all happened, and, and, I’m meant to be having a second chance, and I do that? What sort of sire am I Apudo to do that to one who has never done me harm?”

“You couldn’t watch my rebirth, so Imvula said,” Apudo mewed.

“I was scared Titan wouldn’t be able to do it,” Aslan mewed, “I was so scared!” he choked. Apudo mewed:

“And about the other thing Aslan, forget it now, if I could, I’d make you a cub like me, so we could make a new start together.” This broke Aslan’s control completely, resting his head on the ground, Holding Apudo in his paws, he sobbed like a cub.”

“could someone rebirth Aslan?” Apudo asked plaintively.

“is he feeling like he wants to?” Titan asked.

“I think he is,” Apudo mewed, “all he did to me after his rebirth and all, it’s eaten away at him.”

“let me hold his paws,” Titan mewed, padding to Apudo, who let Titan lie down beside Aslan, the white lion letting him take all four of his paws in the grip of his larger ones.

“You want to get rid of the knot inside you made by what you did to Apudo?” he asked the crying lion.

“yes, yes I do!” Aslan mewed, “it’s balling up in my stomach and making me sick!”

“ “Apudo, do you forgive Aslan for his folly and attempted destruction of your life?”

“I do,” Apudo mewed, “please Titan, help him!” Apudo yowled, “he’s dying!” she wailed. Aslan looked into Titan’s eyes, the liger seeing deep sorrow and agony.

“You have done more soul searching since Apudo asked you to go live your life in peace after the treatment in the great room at the beginning of her leadership haven’t you,” Titan mewed.

“I hate myself Titan,” Aslan sobbed, “when I felt Apudo’s paws in mine, I, it’s too much!” the lion screamed.

“Okay,” Titan mewed softly, “Aslan, take a deep breath and listen. The only way I can help you is for you to help yourself. That knot in your stomach, you have to get rid of it, and you know vomiting won’t help. Push it out, get rid of it like all waste products.” Aslan whimpered, curling into a ball and screaming in pain. Then he sat up, crouched and began to strain hard down into his tail. Gripping the floor with his paws, he strained and panted, each effort making him moan and growl, then yowl and roar. Apudo, watching him, wondered if he was feeling what she had in the cold corridor.

“Ouauauauauauw! It’s horrid! It huuuurts!” he whimpered in a voice which made Theo look round, while Apudo felt her toes curling with Aslan’s, her pads sweating as she watched. Aslan, shrieking with effort, bore down, Blackberry sliding a pad beneath him, Aslan, feeling the touch of the pad, scrambling onto it. crying like Apudo had, Aslan began to get rid of the mass inside him. Straining and puffing, crying and wriggling, then, shifting his paws and feet on the pad, back to straining again. Apudo watched intently, willing him on.

“I can’t do it, I need help!” Aslan mewed like a frightened cub, “I’ll never be able to poo!” he yowled, “it’s not coming!” he roared, stamping the floor with both feet.”

“Can I help?” Theo asked. Aslan looked at him through his tears.

“You helped Apudo,” the lion said flatly.

“I did,” Theo mewed, “maybe I can help you too.” Aslan, feeling dreadful in mind and body, bowed his head.

“yes please,” he whimpered.

“now Aslan dear,” Theo mewed, sidling up to him and resting his paw on the white lion’s, “gentle push, breathe and push, that should do it.” Aslan caught his breath, then let it out slowly, then breathed in, and out, feeling the mass sliding into the world. Wriggling, Aslan bit his tongue to suppress a wail of fear, as the passage of the mass felt very uncomfortable.

“I want it to stop! Make it stop!” Aslan yowled like a cub. Crying, he turned to Theo, burying his face in the younger lion’s shoulder, Theo squeezing the paw he held, Aslan moaning deeply and piteously as he pushed, then opening his mouth, he yowled as he lost control.

“yayayayayayayaayayaowch!” he yowled, pushing hard down into his tail, the mass jamming, then leaving him with a rush which left him panting and gasping. Aslan, feeling the ordeal was over, tottered forward off the pad on unsteady paws, collapsing exhausted on the rugs.

“I couldn’t hold it,” Aslan whimpered, “I couldn’t hold it in, now I’ve made a terrible mess!” he cried, sounding like Apudo had in the corridor.”

“ “I think you need cleaning,” Titan mewed. Aslan looked up at the liger.

“You?” he asked.

“Yes,” Titan mewed, lying down and embracing Aslan, “me, with my tongue and paws, your fur is in a terrible state little one, and you look as if you had a terrible time relieving yourself. Here, let me please.” Aslan, sniffling and weak, kissed Titan’s nose.

“I’m so dirty,” the lion said, “your tongue won’t clean me, not ever, not now.” Titan groomed Aslan from nose to tail tassel, missing absolutely nothing. Aslan, lying on the rugs, felt warmth flowing through him, Titan’s soothing of his sore paws and feet with his teeth, tongue and paws making him feel something he’d not felt since he was a young cub that first time round, all those years ago, before Imvula, before rebirth, long long ago. Aslan knew he was being reborn, Titan’s cleaning of his fur and of his sore places as sensitive as a lioness’s. Once the washing was over, Titan combed and dried Aslan’s fur, the other creatures watching in fascinated silence.

“Aslan’s smaller!” Apudo exclaimed.

“yes,” Titan mewed, “he’s smaller, I’ve fitted his body out for his new life. He is as big as Theo now. But, his status is less than yours Apudo. Treat him kindly, for he is fragile, as you found Apudo.”

“You mean, I really did knock him over?” she asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed, “your greeting was enthusiastic, but he was a younger cub than you, a, “bigger cub,” as you put it Apudo. But as he is a cub that is so much younger than you, you have to be an example to him. Teach him, as I and Theo teach you.”

“who’s Apudo’s sire now then?” someone asked.

“ “does that really matter?” Apudo asked.

“Aslan is still her sire,” Titan mewed, “but he is of a size now that he can be taught the right ways again.” Titan pushed Aslan’s hip with his nose.

“Get up on your feet now,” he commanded, Aslan doing as he was told, the others now seeing what Apudo had first seen.”

“Aslan’s so cute!” Sushanti mewed.

“he is isn’t he,” snowy mewed.

“Now,” Titan mewed, padding to the beanbag, climbing onto it and turning to face the assembled community members, “where is this aspiring poet we have in our midst?” Everyone looked round, wondering to whom the liger could be referring. Settling his paws and feet, then raising his head, Titan gazed round him intently. Suddenly he roared:

“Nuru! Come here!” Nuru, moaning with fear, cowered by Fleur, trying to crawl under her body:

“stop it, get off!” fleur mewed, cuffing him with her paw.

“Nuru, come here!” Titan roared, “or,” he growled, that sound more menacing still, “will I have to find you myself?” there was a general shift in the group, Titan seeing a young cub being pushed towards him. This cub was so reluctant to face him, Titan saw he was digging in his toes in an effort not to proceed. Inevitably though, Nuru was pushed to the front, then, gulping hard, his eyes full of fear, slunk fearfully up to the beanbag and faced Titan.

“You like making up silly songs Nuru?” Titan asked.

“yes, yes, I have,” Nuru mewed piteously, “I, I didn’t mean to cause offence Titan!” he sniffled, “I was only playing, I can’t help it, these songs just come into my head, and, and, they burst from me, and it’s only later I realise what I’ve sung.”

“You made one up about me,” Titan growled.

“yes,” Nuru whimpered, his head bowed so his nose nearly brushed the rugs. Titan climbed down and faced Nuru.

“Tell me the words to the song, sing it,” Titan mewed.

“No, no, I can’t, it’s too bad, it’s, it’s disrespectful now!” Nuru choked.

“So why sing those songs then?” Titan roared.

“I’m sorry!” Nuru miaowed.

“Tell me the contents of the song,” Titan purred.

“naoaoaoaoaoao!” Nuru wailed.

“I can listen back to it on the video, so you’re fate is only delayed by seconds, Koda!” Titan demanded, “find me Nuru’s newest tune.” Koda, seeing Titan’s wink, and trying not to laugh, tried to be over respectful to the liger.

“yes sir, right away Sir,” he said, his urge to laugh almost too much. Titan turned to Nuru, the liger cub now sweating with fear.

“give me your paw,” Titan mewed, Nuru raising his left paw, Titan climbing onto his beanbag and reaching down to grasp the sweaty padded paw.

“now what was that song?” Titan asked.

“I’ve found Nuru’s song Titan, the sound engineers are working to clean the other sound out of it, so you can hear it properly,” Koda said.

“I am very close to finding out the content of your little singsong, so tell me now, or your punishment will be the worse for delay Nuru,” Titan mewed.

“I’m sorry, I won’t do it again!” Nuru miaowed.

“here it is Titan,” Koda said, padding over the beanbag with a wireless headset in his paws. Titan, grim faced, let the bear array him with the sound equipment, listening intently. As he heard the song, his face was expressionless. Suddenly, he began to laugh.

“Oh Nuru, I like this!” he mewed, “let me get this straight, um, “Fat pawed Tiggie, steps on ground, was terrified by farting sound! Tiggie leaping in the air, Titan yowling, “it’s not fair!” Patch strikes gong, bong Bong bong! Fat paws running, Titan gone!” Is that right?” Nuru, ashamed and terrified, mewed that it was.

“I think I like it,” the liger replied.

“You mean I can carry on making songs?” Nuru asked, beginning to breathe more easily.

“No!” tommy roared, “Titan, have you heard the song he made about meyeee! It’s worth a good spanking for.”

“Oh, yes, that one, I remember,” Titan mewed, his eyes sparkling.

“naoaoaoaoao Titan you dare sing it!” tommy yowled.

“Thomas Tiggie Tom Tom, brush went up his bum bum?” Titan enquired, Bianca giving herself up to an explosion of giggles.

“naoaoaoaoao Titan!” Tommy wailed.

“Yes, that’s the drift of it,” Nuru mewed. Titan stepped down off his beanbag and Koda removed the headset. Hugging Nuru, Titan pushed the relieved cub onto his side and groomed the tears and sweat from his face and paws.

“You need not fear me,” he purred.

“But you seemed fierce and angry!” Nuru mewed.

“Noise dear Nuru, just good acting and a lot of noise, see? No claws. If you want to know the state of my mind, look at my paws and feet. Even during my labour, I never extended my claws. I know that.”

“Titan’s claws were out when he was first defencivly furious with us, me and Theo that is,” Apudo mewed, “but he put them away when he was upset after that, when he realised we were safe.”

“I hate using my claws,” Titan mewed.

“You used them on my fur,” Aslan mewed.

“I did,” Titan replied, “but there’s using your claws, and using your claws. I used my claws to comb and clean. I don’t mind using them for that.”

“Titan,” Patch said, “I think your community need to get to know you a bit, please, lie down so they can touch you and hold you in their paws.”

“I want to touch him and hold him so much!” Petra mewed.

“You can, come, and I will let you touch me and hold my paws,” Titan mewed.

Meanwhile, at the back of the room, Sita and cub Ekaterina listened to the goings on. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about them, the information they were able to get being only from what they could hear. Sita and Ekaterina wanted to get paws on with Titan, but they dared not ask. When they heard people were getting paws on, they pressed forward as best they could, but could not get near the liger. Sita had to protect Ekaterina with her body several times to stop her being almost crushed by the weight of numbers. Miaowing with frustration and fear in a fog of noise, loud talking and eager questions shouted at Titan, she shoved at the encroaching bodies, heads, paws and feet in increasingly desperate attempts to protect the slight bundle of life in her protection.

“Stoaoaoaoap this!” someone roared, but the noise continued. Panting, Sita held her position, awaiting developments. Suddenly there was a terrible noise, Sita remembering it was called a gong. Someone was hitting the gong hard and repeatedly with the hammer. As the sound died down, Sita heard silence.

“There are two creatures being crushed by you lot!” Titan roared, “have a care will you, all of you!”

“Who?” Karina asked.

“Sita and cub Ekaterina!” Titan miaowed, “you lot, you forgot them! I am ashamed of you all! Now, karina, find them and separate them from the rest of the group, oh, and Orbon too, and Jenny, everyone who cannot see me. And I don’t mean those who have good sight but can’t get a good look either! Separate Sita and Ekaterina, and Jenny and Orbon from the crush, and I will visit them privately. Take poor Sita for a drink, calm her charge, and make sure the others are well cared for. How can we neglect these people? Come on you lot!” Karina found Sita and cub Ekaterina, leading them from the room, Jenny and Orbon finding their way out soon after.

“Titan will be along shortly,” Karina mewed, getting cold drinks for all, and a huge cup of tea for Sita, who had begun to shake with exhaustion.

“It was like the forest from hell!” she whimpered.

“I can’t imagine it really,” Karina mewed.

“Long may it be the case,” Sita sighed, “now, now we’re devoid of the excitement of that place, but I’d rather that than be crushed by other community members who have forgotten us."

“Titan hasn’t,” Ekaterina said.

“he saw you two I think,” Jenny said.

“I think he did,” Sita mewed.

“I think he saved us from the crush,” Ekaterina said, “I’m crawling at the moment, and I nearly got squashed.

“Can I hug you Ekaterina?” Jenny asked.

“Of course,” the she bear said. Jenny hugged the naked she bear, Ekaterina pushing her paws and feet into Jenny’s hands, Jenny rubbing her pads, Ekaterina purring with pleasure.

“You have lovely paws and feet Ekaterina, Jenny said.

“I know who’s paws and feet I’d like to get my paws on,” Ekaterina said.

“We all would love to get our paws on Titan’s paws,” Sita mewed, “they say he shrank Aslan to the size of an eight week old cub!”

“He did,” Aslan mewed, walking into the room, Sita crawling to the lion and hugging him.

“You’re smaller!” she exclaimed.

“I know,” he replied, “my paws are smaller too, they need a rub, would you?” Aslan lay down on the floor, and Sita rubbed his paws and feet, the lion purring ecstatically.

“can we join the party?” someone purred.

“Titan!” Sita yelled, padding carefully over to the huge liger, then hugging him tightly. Suddenly Aslan realised who was among them, leaping to his feet, he launched himself at the startled liger.

“Stop it Aslan!” Titan miaowed as the small lion leapt up at his face and pawed at it, kissing Titan’s nose, Titan involuntarily leaping backwards.

“Careful Titan!” Apudo mewed, balancing on Titan’s back, “stop dancing about!”

“I’ve got a lion leaping up at my face!” Titan miaowed, “Aslan, it’s finished now!” he growled, slapping the floor with his paw, but Aslan ignored him.

“Apudo, off my back, go to Sita!” Titan miaowed.

“naoaoaoaoao!” Apudo mewed, holding on more tightly for safety, “I want to stay with you Titan!” Titan growled at Aslan. Aslan sat down, panting and miaowing.

“That’s better,” Titan panted, sitting down, “now, I will greet the rest of you, Apudo, time to walk.” Apudo slid down the liger’s back, padding round to his right side and sitting down.

“I will not have everyone mobbing me,” Titan mewed, “one at a time, and when I say enough, that means enough, and another person gets to stroke me. I know it might sound restrictive, but there is only one of me.”

“Who first?” Aslan asked.

“Not you after you disobeyed Titan, that’s for sure,” Apudo growled.

“Sita?” Titan asked, “how about you first my dear?”

“No, not me, let the cubs go first,” Sita mewed.

“Sita,” Titan mewed, padding close, “I want you first, come.” Sita felt herself nuzzled, then a rough tongue kiss her nose.

“You can ask me about my birth story later,” Titan purred in her ear. Sita opened her mouth, but she felt the soft pads of a huge paw placed over it.

“Come later, and I’ll explain,” Titan mewed, “now though, I’d like a rub down from one who knows her paws.” Sita grinned.

“Well lie down little cub, and I will,” she replied, Titan purring happily in her ear.

Titan lay down on his left side and Sita touched him from his nose to the end of his tail, finding there was so much to touch. Titan found Sita’s touch soporific, she didn’t lightly run her paws over his fur in a manner that would tickle, using a firm touch that demanded nothing, but made Titan want to give her everything, if only he could fight the warm feeling making him want to sleep. When she finally reached his paws and feet, having ran her paws all over the rest of him, Sita touched the pads of his left paw with gentle care, Titan wriggling and miaowing, scrabbling his left paw into her grasp, Sita giggling at his urgent scrabbling.

“You’re desperate for a pad massage aren’t you Titan,” she mewed.

“he is,” Apudo purred, “I know, I can see his face.

“I’ll rub your pads a bit,” Sita mewed, rubbing Titan’s left paw, the liger breathing deeply, then catching his breath and gulping back a rush of tears.

“Sita, stop!” he begged, “I, I, please, paws off my pads. I can’t, not yet.”

“Can’t what?” Sita asked.

“Can’t tell you what I want to tell you, not yet, and, and, your touch, it, it, oh dear!” Titan sniffled, “I just can’t, later, then I will.”

“he means our birth tale,” Apudo mewed.

“I do,” Titan replied.

“Can I hug you for now then?” Sita asked.

“yes, but no pad to pad contact, I can’t stand it, not now.” Titan rolled onto his chest, so his forepaws supported him, while his hind lay along the ground to his right. Sita hugged then kissed Titan, the liger chuffing repeatedly to her, Sita replying in kind, their greeting ending in nose rubbing and Sita playfully tugging Titan’s ear with her teeth.

“that made Titan curl the toes of his feet Sita,” Apudo mewed, “Maybe the harder you tug at his ear, the tighter his toes curl.” Titan rested his head on Sita’s shoulder.

“I will talk to you later,” the liger purred.

Everyone else touched Titan from his nose to his toes, the liger curling and stretching his toes when they asked him to, but it was clear his encounter with Sita had made a great impression on him.

“Aren’t you meant to give attention to all your community equally Titan??” karina asked.

“Am I not?” Titan asked.

“You’re distracted since Sita touched you.,” Karina mewed when all was over.

“I am, I suppose,” Titan admitted, “and I’m sorry if I haven’t been all here.”

“What is it about Sita?” Karina asked.

“She understands how tactile birth can be,” Titan blurted, “it feels so amazing and scary karina. I need to tell her my tale in touch, curl my toes, let her feel me as I pant, as I curl my body and lick, as I curl my toes and push!”

“A description in touch rather than sight,” karina mewed.

“yes,” Titan sighed, “do you know that feeling when you meet someone you want to open up to completely? You can’t help it Karina, it just explodes from you and you hope, hope,,,” Titan paused, tears choking him, “please be gentle,” he whispered.

“Yes, I know that feeling,” karina mewed.

“I’m honoured and grateful Titan,” Sita mewed.

“Who does it for you Karina?” Titan asked.

“my mum, her who you call Sita, “Sita helped me through labour, and it was wonderful.”

“but, that wasn’t,,,,” Sita began.

“It’s all forgotten mum,” karina reminded her, “you repented of that, and that was not to do with the concept of rebirth either.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Sita mewed. Titan knew what had taken place, and didn’t press them for details.

“can I tell you too karina?” he asked, as she held his paw in her hands.

“You can,” karina mewed, “I saw it all, but you can tell me if you want. I could be the silly primate telling you to push if you like.” Titan laughed.

“It wasn’t silly to tell me,” he replied, “I know I told them to shut up, but Moses and little Ekaterina’s encouragement to push was welcome really. It gave me the will to carry on, as did,,,” he stopped, swallowing hard as Apudo touched his nose with hers, then licked it.

“that?” she asked, Titan inhaling deeply as his chest got tight with emotion.

“Apudo don’t do that!” he sobbed.

“I kissed his nose too,” she said, “noone saw that, as Titan’s head was in the way, and my head was practically in his mouth.

“It wasn’t!” Titan sniffled.

“That’s not how I felt,” Apudo mewed, “I got a good view of the biggest set of teeth I’d ever seen, then this great big tongue shot out and licked my nose, then this nose was in my face, and gentle lips were kissing my nose and touching my paws, and as you withdrew to push, your eyes stared into mine as you whimpered and sniffled. Titan moaned deeply with the memory.

“if I could have grabbed you with my paws I would have,” he choked.

“I’ve found the perfect birthing bed for you when you want to re-enact it again Titan!” Felix yelled, walking into the room on his two feet with something under his right arm.

“What’s that?” Titan growled, unimpressed about being interrupted. Apudo saw the thing.

“I know what it is, I know what it iiis!” she yelled, rearing onto her feet and clapping her paws.

“Naoaoaoaoao, not one of those!” Titan moaned.

“You can really get your paws caught in that, then, we can be eye to eye and nose to nose for longer,” Apudo mewed, “stuck tiggie, stuck cub, all in it together.” Titan growled angrily:

“It’s no joke getting your toes caught in one of those things, and neither is labour!” he miaowed.

“I wonder what would have happened if I’d come out backwards?” Apudo asked.

“oaoaoaoaoaoaoh naoaoaoaoaoao!” Titan wailed, wriggling uncomfortably, “don’t mention that, just don’t! Auwououowch!!!” he roared, writhing as if he were in pain.

“is it too early to change the story a bit?” Apudo asked.

“Naoaoaoaow not like that! I did not give birth to a breach cub while lying on a raft!” Titan yowled.

“but what if you had?” Apudo mewed.

“Oh naoaoaoaoaoao!” Titan moaned into his paws, “it’s too early for this!”

“You would have seen two feet, or one foot and a tail, and be licking that to try and free me,” Apudo mewed.

“yes, and afraid to push, and, it would be lick lick lick at your feet and tail, and, and moan moan moan, pant pant pant, trying to ease you out!” Titan replied, his voice muffled by his paws.

“would I have made it?” Apudo asked.

“yes,” a voice said, “dear Titan, only those who have gone through rebirths are told this, everyone else has gone from here, and those who have not been the one rebirthing, or the cub being reborn will not be able to hear this. There is no danger with rebirth, though it feels as if there is. The rebirthing creature and their cub will survive the birth, the spirits are strong, the will is strong. You would have managed to give birth to Apudo breach or normal presentation Titan.”

“oaoaoaoaoah,” Apudo mewed, “so I would have been all right.”

“yes,” patch said, for it was he who’d been speaking, and whom they now saw, as he padded in front of them.

“I can see why you don’t tell that to first timers,” Titan mewed, “if you did, they’d not try with all their might.”

“Yes,” patch replied.

“Let’s go to my lie up,” Titan mewed, “there we can talk properly, and, and, I can show you Sita.”

“What do you want me to do with the knowledge of your birth story?” Sita asked.

“Tell it to the cubs,” Apudo mewed.

“make sure all cats know it, and will be able to re-enact it,” Titan purred.

“Okay,” Sita mewed, “I know Felix’s birth is re-enacted quite often by the cubs, and by karina herself.”

“it is,” karina giggled, “that was a very special time mum, Titan.”

“I hope I didn’t swear,” Titan groaned.

“You did! You said, “shit!” I heard you!” Apudo yelled, clapping her paws.

“Oh naoaoaoaoaoao,” Titan wailed, Apudo laughing softly at his reaction.

“doesn’t matter,” she said, “who gives a shit anyway?”

“Stoaoaoaoap swearing!” Titan miaowed. Pleased with the reaction such a little word produced, Apudo ploughed on:

“ when I was opening up the door, you said.

“I know what I said, and, you, will, not, repeat it!” Titan roared, stamping his paws.

“Don’t lose your shit Titan,” Apudo whispered.

“Stoaoaoaoap!” Titan roared. Apudo, now giggling helplessly, continued:

“I say the word shit, Titan loses his shit, and Karina, and Sita? They don’t give a, miaoaoaoaowch!” Apudo complained as Titan cuffed her with his paw.

“Don’t use that language!” Titan yowled.

“Pleas Apudo, don’t!” karina replied, her voice full of laughter.

“You’re laughing, you find her funny!” Titan miaowed.

“Let’s go to your lie up,” Sita mewed. Titan padded with Sita to his lie up, Apudo padding alongside him, until her feet got tired and she scrambled aboard Sita, who carried her the rest of the way, Titan not minding one bit. Once in their lie up, Titan got drinks for all, then lay down on his left side, stretching his legs and paws.

“Now, I’m going to show you everything I can Sita,” Titan mewed.

“Are you going to have another cub?” Apudo asked, “that would be wonderful!”

“Not actually have a cub, but, well, sort of remember what I did when giving birth to you,” Titan replied.

“I remember every minute, so why can’t you remember every minute too?” Apudo asked. Titan hugged her.

“I won’t need to remember, well not struggle to,” he replied, “when I get into it, I’ll remember well enough.”

“Can I snuggle?” Sita asked.

“what? You want a cuddle too?” Titan asked, “I don’t know Sita, hmm, Apudo? Should I let her?”

“Oh yes, if you can hug her like you do me, that would be lovely for her.” Titan looked at Sita, then snuggled her, Sita mewing and purring. “

They’re so cute together!” Apudo mewed, Titan laughing.

“now, now, I think I’m going to have a cub!” Titan moaned piteously, stretching out on the floor. Sita got paws on with Titan, the liger closing his eyes, trying to remember. Sita got paws on as Titan pedalled with all four limbs, curled his toes and panted. Groaning, Titan pushed against Sita’s paws with his feet, moaning with pain.

“it hurts him so much!” Sita mewed.

“Yes, it did,” Apudo mewed, “I felt his pain and effort.” Titan showed Sita what he did throughout his labour, Sita finding Titan’s paws and feet with their curling toes most interesting, and the liger himself curling up to lick his cub very endearing. Sita rode Titan’s memories with gentility, touching his paws, feet and head, amazed at the liger’s flexibility of body.

“how do any of us do this!” she mewed. Titan, miaowing and grunting, kissed Sita’s paws and nose when it came to the point at which he’d kissed Apudo’s paws and nose during the labour to deliver her, Apudo giggling at the situation.

“I felt everything!” Sita mewed, hugging Titan when all was over.

“I’m all hot and sweaty now,” Titan mewed.

“Your pads are very damp Titan,” Sita said, “can, Titan, could, can I wash you, please?” Titan smiled:

“I’d love you to,” he replied. Sita and Titan padded to the washrooms, Apudo scrambling after them:

“wait for meyeee!” she yowled, scrambling to her feet and running after them, nearly tripping over her fat paws in her eagerness to follow.

“Now let’s wash him properly,” Sita mewed, Titan stretching out on the floor, the overhead shower turning on, Sita getting the soap, rubbing it onto an abrasive flannel and washing Titan’s pads until he complained about the rubbing.

“What are you doing!” he miaowed.

“Rubbing away all the dead pad,” Sita mewed, working hard on his left paw. After an hour, she’d finished rubbing away the dead skin from his pads. Smiling, she began to wash his softer under pads, the liger mewing and purring as she got to work on his pads with special soap. After another hour, she’d finished her job, Titan left with tingling paws and feet.

“Now get to those gorgeous paws and feet, and feel the floor,” Sita mewed. Titan did, bouncing on his toes, his eyes alight with amazement.

“I’ve never felt this since I was a cub!” he exclaimed, Sita giggling delightedly.

“Not saying your pads weren’t clean before, but,” she said.

“But, oaoaoaoaoh, I want this more!” Titan replied.

“I could become personal paw washer for the community leader,” Sita giggled.

“That would be too posh, too, well, not me,” Titan mewed.

“how about if I said I loved doing it for you? would you let me then?” Sita asked.

“I would,” Titan mewed, “but you’re play specialist Sita, you can’t do that and this job too!”

“I could,” Sita mewed, “my play sessions finish around four pm, I could come and check your pads over then, before dinner.”

“no,” Titan mewed, “if you will, please have dinner with me, and then check my pads over. This is an indulgence, not strictly necessary.”

“Do you not want to feel the cubs touching your feet and paws?” Sita asked.

“I do, yes I do!” Titan mewed.

“Then it’s necessary,” Sita purred, Titan laughing delightedly. Sita dried Titan’s pads, and they adjourned to the lie up, Titan flopping down on his freshly laundered blanket.

“Titan still has fat pads, touch Them Sita, tickle his toes!” Apudo giggled, having watched Sita’s ministrations from a safe distance. Sita smiled, pushing Titan onto his side and tickling the liger’s toes, Titan yowling and squirming, the liger rolling onto his back, Apudo laughing at the sight of his wriggling body, lashing tail, waving paws and kicking feet.

“miaoaoaoow! Naoaoaoaoao, stoaoaoaoap tickling my feeyeeet!” Titan yowled, Apudo laughing so much she choked..

“Stop it Titan, I can’t breathe!” she panted, “Sita, stop tickling Titan, make him be serious!” she pleaded. “come and rub his paws then,” Sita mewed, pushing Titan onto his left side. Apudo rubbed Titan’s pads, Sita supporting her so she could get to all four of the liger’s huge paws and feet.

“I would love to see what Theo saw,” Apudo mewed, Sita sitting with her behind Titan, Titan kicking with his right foot, pointing his toes as he imagined straining, Apudo staring at him.

“I think he’s cute from his nose to his toes!” Apudo mewed, leaning forward then kissing the toes of Titan’s left foot, Titan giggling delightedly, lashing his tail about, whacking Apudo with it, Apudo miaowing in surprise.

“your tail is violent!” Apudo mewed, Titan curling round and looking at her, Sita pushing her forward so he could kiss her nose.

“Awhwhwhwh Titan, you big softy!” Apudo mewed, reaching for him with her paws, Titan nuzzling and licking her paws, then curling up more tightly, lashing out with his tongue to kiss her nose, Apudo looking concerned.

“You looked terrified Titan!” she mewed, “I don’t like that look!” she sniffled.

“I’m all right now,” Titan purred.

“I’m glad of that,” Apudo said, sniffing back her tears. Trying to lighten the mood, she said:

“I can see what Theo saw now Titan, if we got Felix’s inflatable bed, the way you’re paws are, we could make you trapped toes tiggie!” Titan smiled.

“if you would dig me out of the bed if I get caught, I will get my paws and feet stuck,” Titan mewed.

“now that’s just silly!” Sita mewed.

“It is,” Titan purred, lying down full length on his blanket.

“how did we get to have such a cute and cuddly liger?” Sita mewed, “we’re very fortunate here. She let go of Apudo, the cub crawling to Titan’s head. Smiling, Sita followed her, then leant down and kissed Titan’s nose, the liger deeply embarrassed.

“I am just me, Titan, a rather big boned, large pawed liger,” he mewed.

“If Titan gets his toes trapped, he can struggle to free them, then when he does, I can wash his paws,” Sita mewed.

“You don’t need me to trap my toes to ask if you can wash my paws,” Titan replied.

“You’re a big old softy!” Apudo mewed.

“Me? old? No, three years old if that, and by the way, Sita’s older than me. If I’m an old softy, she’s ancient and disappearing over several hills.”

“Oi!” Sita meowed, slapping Titan, Sita and Titan settling their differences by wrestling on the floor, Apudo watching them with shining eyes.

“How will they end this?” she asked karina, who’d padded in at the sound of miaowing and growling.

“Probably tickle each other’s pads,” Karina mewed, “that’s how these are usually settled. Sure enough, Sita won by tickling Titan’s toes until he begged for mercy.

“I win,” Sita mewed, hugging the liger, kissing his nose.

“Now my pads are all hot and bothered!” Titan miaowed.

“Good,” Sita mewed, grooming his paws and feet, something they both clearly enjoyed.

“You two are so funny!” Apudo mewed.

“We’re not!” Sita mewed, “Titan said I was over the hill! He was so rude I had to tickle his toes to put the big soppy cub right!” Titan kissed Sita’s nose and paws, Sita mewing and purring.

“You’re both too soppy for your own good and for mine, I’m dying of cute here!” karina giggled.

“Titan’s face as he curled round to lick my nose during the re-enactment of my birth was so terrified!” Apudo mewed, “I’m glad he was able to push me out after cleaning my face and paws.

“Did I clean them?” Titan asked.

“You did,” Apudo mewed, that was why I was able to scream lustily as I was born, I could scream thanks to your tongue doing its job!”

“but you slid away from me, back inside!” Titan miaowed.

“I put my paws over my face,” Apudo mewed, “I managed to keep my nose clean, and take a deep breath before I slid back, then breathed and held my breath through the contractions.”

“don’t tell me anymore!” Titan whimpered.

“My nose was clear of the fluid around the birth opening once my head was out, even when you relaxed after kissing me Titan, I kept one of my paws over my face,” Apudo mewed. At this news Titan buried his face in his paws, sobbing at the thought of what Apudo must have gone through.

“I’m sorry!” he wept,

“I loved your licking,” Apudo mewed, licking his paws, then, when he dropped them from his face, kissing his wet nose, “ dear Titan, “I’m now like you when you gave birth to me, kissing your paws to uncover your nose and kiss it.” Titan hugged her in his wet paws, Apudo snuggling up to him, purring contentedly.

“I love you so much Apudo,” Titan sniffled, wiping his eyes on the backs of his paws as he held her, “I would not have given up until I was dead!” he wailed.

“I know, and I love you too Titan,” she purred.

“I would love to re-enact the first time I kissed your nose Apudo,” Titan said.

“I’d love it too,” Apudo mewed, “if I stay by your feet, you can curl round and lick me, how would that be?” Titan smiled:

“I will,” he said. Titan settled, then began to moan and pant, then groaning, he stretched his legs and curled his toes. Another toe curling effort made him yowl:

“the cub’s head is stretching meyeee!” then he panted and, groaning, turned his head, then arched his back, Apudo seeing his face coming towards her, then she felt his tongue, warm and rough and slightly wet kissing her nose and paws. Titan miaowing, moaning, grunting and puffing as he worked, the toes of his huge paws curled into the rugs as he held on desperately to keep himself from stretching out full length.

“Push Titan, push!” Apudo mewed, Titan stretching out full length, groaning with remembered effort and pain, Apudo grabbing his left foot, rubbing his pads and toes, the liger miaowing as he pushed his foot into her paws.

“Nearly there, nearly, just the feet to go, just the feet, puuush!” Apudo mewed, kissing the sweating pads of Titan’s left foot, the liger yowling and kicking with his free right foot as he pushed the imaginary cub’s feet out, moaning as he remembered the sensation of them sliding free.

“That was amazing Titan!” Apudo mewed.

“Why did I do that?” he asked. Apudo padded to his head and hugged him.

“I loved every minute,” she said.

“how did you manage to hold my foot, I was pushing against you with all my strength!” Titan mewed.

“I wanted to help,” Apudo mewed.

“I would love to see the video as well as feel what happened,” Apudo mewed. Titan got to his feet, padded to the computer and found the video of his labour, scrolling forward, Apudo was treated to the sight of him urgently pedalling his paws and feet, then straining urgently and quickly as the video sped forward, the video Stopping at the point where he first curled round to check out Apudo’s emerging paws. Apudo heard his distress, seeing Theo kissing the sweating pads of the liger’s left foot, which he held, and which Apudo had held earlier. She watched as Titan curled round a second time, the liger grunting and growling, moaning and puffing as he curled his body, then she saw his tongue and lips exploring her fluid covered face and paws, cleaning them. the sight of him doing that and the expression of fear and anxiety in his eyes made Apudo tearful.

“Oh Titan!” she mewed, hugging him, “You did so well my dear guide, dear Titan!” she whispered, kissing his nose and paws.

“I was so scared!” Titan mewed, trying not to cry, but Apudo’s kiss to his nose broke his control, and he rested his head on his paws, sniffing and gulping.

“Big softy Titan, you big soppy cuddlypuss,” Apudo mewed, kissing his nose and paws.

“thanks,” Titan replied, struggling with his emotions.

“Okay, now, can I give this liger a hug?” Moses asked, padding into the room. Titan, seeing him, leapt to his feet and ran to him. Chuffing like an excited steam train, he rubbed heads with Moses, the young human kissing his nose.

“You big soppy tiggie!” Moses laughed, hugging the liger.

“come for a cuddle!” Titan mewed, flopping down on the blanket, Moses kneeling and embracing the liger, Apudo watching him.

“I want to tickle your toes Moses!” Apudo miaowed, Moses wiggling his toes in response, Apudo growling in mock anger, pouncing on the soles of his feet with velveted paws, Moses laughing as she tickled his toe and heel pads with her whiskers.

“I love your touch!” Moses giggled, sitting back, squirming with pleasure, drilling his heels into his backside, Apudo laughing softly as Moses curled his toes. Apudo blew on the boy’s toes, Moses shrieking with laughter.

“Can I hug you now Apudo?” Moses asked. Apudo leant on his feet, her paws pressed into his soles, her toes gripping the backs of his heels, the heels of her paws pressed into his arches.

“If you can free your feet yes,” she said, scratching his heel pads with her velveted toes. Moses squirmed, then crawled away, Apudo following him by scooting along on her backside, her paws still in contact with the heel pads and arches of the boy’s small feet.

“I can’t free my feeyeeet!” Moses squealed, curling his toes, Apudo feeling his pads heating up as he struggled to free his feet from her paws, Apudo gripping the backs of his heels with her strong toes.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Apudo mewed, running her paws down the soles of Moses feet, the young boy curling his toes with pleasure, Apudo pressing the toes of both her large paws into the balls of his feet.

“Can I hug you now?” Moses asked,

“Yes, come,” Apudo mewed, Moses turning and embracing the large lion cub.

“You’re so big and so warm!” he said, snuggling her close.

“I know she’s big, I had to push to deliver her, that was awful!” Titan mewed.

“Awful until you kissed her nose that is,” Moses said.

“Yes,” Titan mewed, “but the fear of pain and exhaustion from effort was replaced by a fear of what would happen if I couldn’t push, Apudo seemed so big when being born! How could I give birth to a cub that big? The passage has a small exit.”

“the passage stretched to allow Apudo through,” Moses said.

“Yes, I know, and that hurt too!” Titan growled.

“I’ll tickle your toes Apudo,” Moses said, pushing the laughing little lioness onto her back and blowing on the pads of her feet, Apudo wriggling and waving her paws.

“Miaoaoaoow! Naoaoaoaow! Moses is tickling meyeee Titan, stoaoaoaoap him!” Apudo yowled, Titan laughing merrily at her.

“No, I won’t,” he yawned, stretching his paws and settling down. Apudo faught her way free of Moses tickling fingers and padded clumsily to her guide’s side, flopping down beside him, Titan covering her back with one huge paw.

“your paw is lovely and warm Titan,” Apudo mewed, squirming her body closer to his, pressing her body against his for warmth.

“Are you cold Apudo?” Titan asked. Apudo sighed:

“I’m trying to cope, but yes, I am cold.” Titan pressed the button on a strap on his left forearm. Could someone please get us a warm drink?” he asked when the voice asked him what they could do for him. Titan, feeling slight discomfort, watched as Bramble padded into the room, settling a bowl within Titan’s reach, Titan helping Apudo to drink the warm tea which she’d made. Titan, smiling at Bramble, bowed his head to her, the she bear smiling.

“I can see you’re uncomfortable with that wrist strap thing,” she said.

“No,” he said, “I’m uncomfortable asking others to do things for me.”

“You have the right to ask, we’re your people now,” Bramble said, “just don’t abuse that right.”

“I won’t,” Titan mewed, “I asked because, well, I have a cub here who needs warm drinks, and I am her source of emergency warmth, so couldn’t move.” Bramble knelt, her white legs and feet making her look like she was wearing white leggings, the rest of her fur brown.

“Apudo’s beautiful,” Bramble said, “we all saw her rebirth,” she added, “you pushed really well Titan.”

“have you heard what each of us thought about our various experiences?” Titan asked, “it was emotional, strenuous work.

“Yes,” Bramble replied, kissing Apudo’s nose then rubbing the cub’s ears with her large paws, Apudo rolling over so the she bear could rub the pads of all four of her small paws, “Goldie and I saw and heard everything. We respect your actions and words.”

“I love your touch Bramble,” Apudo mewed.

“It was terrifying Bramble,” Titan mewed, “Labour really hurt, and was strenuous, everything ached during and after, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“I wouldn’t change the first view I had of my guide,” Apudo mewed, “well except one thing, the fear and exhaustion in his eyes.”

“You saw that?” Titan asked.

“I did, and it made me sad,” Apudo mewed. Titan hugged her tightly.

“I was worried about you,” he mewed.

“You pushed wonderfully Titan,” Apudo mewed, “scary it was, but every push told me you cared about me, every moan and whimper spoke of your love for me. I held on to the hope you’d given me.” Titan gulped hard.

“I love you so much Apudo,” Titan mewed softly, “I tried so hard with all I had to give birth to you.” Apudo kissed his nose and paws.

“I’m warm now,” she said.

Sita, would you like a drink?” Bramble asked, “I have enough tea on my trolley. Sita replied that she would, and soon felt the handle of a cup placed in her well-padded right paw.

“Cake anyone?” Bramble asked.

“Oh yes please,” Sita mewed, Bramble laughing merrily.

“you have a very sweet tooth Sita,” she said, “now just the one, otherwise you’ll end up like Goldie.

“What’s wrong with Goldie?” Apudo asked.

“he’s fat,” Sita replied, munching through her cake, “too much food and not enough exercise.”

“Oh,” Apudo mewed.

“Chocolate cake or Carrot cake Titan?” Bramble asked.

“Carrot cake please,” Titan mewed, “that chocolate’s a bit sweet for me, and I like to pretend I’m eating something of a healthier option too.”

“ “don’t I get any?” Apudo asked, watching Titan and Sita with large envious eyes.

“Can you eat solid food?” Sita asked.

“I can,” Apudo miaowed, “I ate that stew, but, well, it made me feel funny.”

“Not here Apudo, not while we’re eating,” Titan warned.

“anyway, I would like cake! Titan’s smells wonderful!”

“tastes good too,” Titan mewed, licking the pads of both his huge paws, which were all sticky, as he’d held the cake between them, gnawing at it as he would a bone in the wild, something which Bramble found disconcerting.

“I’ll give you a bit of each Apudo,” Bramble replied.

“Just a small bit Bramble, give her a mouthful of each. Apudo, you should only eat a small amount of this today, you can eat more when you’re older,” Titan mewed. Bramble cut a small piece of each of her cakes, Apudo tentatively trying the chocolate cake. When the chocolate hit her tongue, she yowled and spat the cake out in disgust, opening her mouth and chewing her tongue as if she was going to be sick. Bramble got her some tea, and Apudo slurped it down for a couple of laps, then took some in her mouth, closing her mouth and washing the tea round before swallowing, making a noise like a washing machine.

“Apudo, stop that!” Sita miaowed.

“But, that, that chocolate was horrid! Apudo yowled when she’d swallowed the tea,, “Ugh, ah yuck!” she pawed at her mouth, “it’s all over my lips, yuuuuuuuck! I need to spit!” she miaowed, Sucking up some of the tea and spitting it out several times.

“That’s disgusting!” Sita complained.

“Noaoaoaow, that cake is disgusting!” Apudo miaowed.

“have you managed to clear your mouth,” Bramble asked crossly.

“yes,” Apudo mewed, “I think so,” she whimpered.

“Now for the carrot cake, and if you need to complain, don’t spit!” Bramble said.

“I will try not to,” Apudo mewed. Titan looked with compassion at his cub.

“you’re not condoning her spitting are you?” Bramble asked angrily.

“No, but, I do know what she experienced,” Titan mewed, “there’s a type of sweetness that makes one very sick. Now I don’t know if it’s Sita’s ursine heritage that makes her have such a sweet tooth, but I don’t like overly sweet things. Fruitcake, a moist one, with the icing taken off, then yes, but not that chocolate cake.” Bramble tried Apudo with a piece of her carrot cake, the cub trying a small bite, pausing as she chewed, her eyes watchful as if she was expecting the assault on her taste buds of last time. Finding none, she swallowed, then, with a rapidity she regretted later, gobbled the rest down.

“that was lovely!” Apudo mewed. Before Titan could stop her, Apudo gobbled the next piece of cake Bramble gave her.

“that was even better!” she miaowed, lapping thirstily at the tea.

“You’ll be ill later,” Titan mewed.

“Me? No,” Apudo replied confidently. Titan washed her face and paws, Apudo curling up beside him. Bramble, smiling broadly, left the room after giving Moses tea and cake, the young boy too fascinated watching the big cats to ask for his share.

Once Moses had eaten his fill of cake, Sita and Moses padded to the wash rooms, Sita making sure the young boy washed his face and hands, Moses giggling at her nannyish concern. Not sure if he had carried out her wishes, as she could not see him, Sita got soap on her paws, asked him to close his eyes, then washed his face, Moses trying not to laugh as she worked on him.

“you’re so lovely Sita,” he said. Sita washed her own paws and face, Moses watching intently.

“Let’s go,” Sita mewed, both she and Moses returning to the lie up.

“Would you wash my feet too?” Moses asked Sita, Sita laughing helplessly.

“I was going to ask you if I could play the stuck foot game with you,” Sita mewed.

“yes please,” Moses replied, “I love that game, and would love to play it with you.”

“I love that game,” Sita mewed, sitting opposite Moses, pressing her feet against his.

“My feet don’t reach half way up yours,” Moses laughed softly, “I’ll lift my feet a bit, then you can hold my toes with yours. Sita felt the touch of Moses feet moving up hers, the boy pulling his foot up hers by gripping the pads of her feet with his toes, digging them in and gripping, walking each foot one by one up hers, first his right, then his left, Sita giggling delightedly, until her toes gripped his, Moses toes gripping the balls of her own feet.

“Now push, puuuuuush with your feet, puuuuuush those feet Moses puuuuuush!” Sita mewed, Moses bracing his feet against hers.

“For a moment, I thought we were going to see the birth of a new cub,” Titan laughed softly.

“Uuuuuuuumf, I think, uauauauauaowch!” I think my cub’s coming!” Moses yowled.

“Stoaoaoaoap it Moses!” Sita laughed softly.

“yes, stop that!” Titan growled. Moses braced his feet against Sita’s, pushing hard, burying his heels and toes in Sita’s sole pads, Sita curling her toes as tightly as she could as Moses pushed his feet against hers.

“Push Sita, puuuuuush!” Moses urged, Sita growling and miaowing as she braced her large feet against Moses smaller ones. They were just about to get down to play when Apudo suddenly struggled to her feet and ran for the relieving place. Tripping on a fold of Rug, she fell, rolling onto her chest, just about able to support herself with her paws in time to vomit without choking herself. Eyes staring in terror, paws and feet gripping the floor with curled toes, Apudo vomited repeatedly. Sita, hearing Apudo’s distress, broke off the game she and Moses were playing and padded to Apudo, literally bumping into Titan, who was making his way to his cub.

“It’s that bloody cake!” he whispered, as Apudo retched and vomited again.

“Poor Apudo’s arching her back and gripping the floor with all four paws,” Moses said, joining them.

“Apudo?” Titan asked gently, resting his paw on her back.

“I shouldn’t have eaten that cake!” the poor cub whimpered, “now look at meyeee!” she yowled, retching convulsively at nothing.

“deep breaths Apudo dear,” Sita mewed, Apudo struggling to breathe, her breath shortened by fear and exhaustion.

“You ate that cake too quickly and too much of it,” Titan mewed softly.

“I know, I shouldn’t have!” Apudo moaned, crying as her body took its revenge on her.

“All done?” Titan asked.

“I don’t know! I feel all wrong in my belly, and my head feels hot, and my paws are all wet, and I feel dreadful Titan!” Apudo whimpered.

“I’ll clean you up,” Titan mewed, washing Apudo’s face and paws, then attending to the rest of her.

“You ate your cake so nicely Titan, and I scoffed mine, then threw it back up again!” Apudo miaowed, “rule one for me, don’t eat the cake so fast, or so much of it.”

“That should be two rules, not one,” Moses said. Apudo turned savagely on him.

“what?” she asked, “I’m nooaoaoaot ready for this! Shuuuuuut up!” she yowled, lashing out with her paws.

“Give her space Moses,” Titan mewed, gently pushing the boy away with one massive paw.

“sorry,” Moses said. Titan rubbed Apudo’s belly, then hugged her, the cub purring deeply.

“that’s better isn’t it,” Titan purred, while Moses helped Sita to clear up the mess.

“that cake was too much Titan,” Apudo miaowed, “I should have listened to you before I went for that other bit. Now, now I’ve lost the lot!” she wailed.

“These are lessons you have to learn,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose.

“It was a good cake too,” Apudo mumbled.

“yes, it was a very good cake,” Titan mewed.

“You still have yours,” Apudo whimpered.

“yes,” Titan replied softly. Apudo snuggled up to Titan, Titan kissing her ear.

“I’m hungry now too,” Apudo whimpered, “hungry and pissed off!” she yowled in a sudden fit of rage, banging the floor with her paws.

“Milk?” Titan asked. Apudo, her eyes desperate, replied:

“yes please.” Titan snuggled the cub to him, Apudo drinking desperately, her kneading paws telling Titan she was furious at herself and drinking to blot out her own anger.

“it’s okay Apudo,” Titan mewed, “it’s all forgotten, everything’s forgotten, once you eat your solid food today, you can have a small piece of carrot cake. Apudo sighed, lying down beside him.

“vomiting was horrible,” she said.

“I know,” Titan mewed.

“You weren’t the one losing your cake!” Apudo yowled.

“No, but I’ve done it before, and I hate it,” Titan mewed.

“What are Sita and Moses doing Titan?” Apudo asked. Titan looked over at them:

“They’re playing the stuck foot game,” he replied, “it’s a difficult game for us cats to play.”

“It looks as if they can’t free themselves,” Apudo mewed, “Moses is tugging at his left foot, Sita curling the toes of her right foot around his. I can’t see what she’s doing with her left paw, but she’s working away with it, probably at the arch of Moses left foot. I’ve seen his arches, I haven’t seen the soles of Sita’s feet, so can’t tell if she has arches too. Moses toes are worth chasing, and very ticklable too. He bounces his bum on his heels so cutely too!”

“Shall we see if Sita can bounce her bum on her heels?” Titan asked.

“She wouldn’t do it would she? She’s adult, she’s past bouncing on her heels with pleasure,” Apudo said.

“is she? Don’t be so certain,” Titan purred.

“you’re not going to make her are you?” Apudo asked in a shocked tone.

“Not make her, ask her if she will,” Titan purred. Apudo watched as Moses yowled while tugging at the heel of his left foot, Sita squirming as his heel pulled free of the pads of her right, Sita’s voice growling and yowling her discomfort as their pads were pulled apart, Moses tugging back and down,, prying at the ball of his foot, then pulling down, his hands gripping his arch, tearing his toes free of the grip of Sita’s larger ones, Sita miaowing and grabbing the sole of her right foot in her paws, while Moses nursed his left foot in his hands.

“Uuumf, that was hard!” Moses gasped.

“yes it was,” Sita panted, working her fingers over the sole of her right foot, Moses watching her curl her toes and dig her fingertips into her bunching pads.

“Are your pads sore?” he asked.

“They are,” Sita mewed.

“My rubbing isn’t doing much for me either,” Moses replied, “How would it be if you rub my left foot, I rub your right?” they took hold of each other’s feet, rubbing each other’s pads, while Apudo watched with rapt attention.

“So after a game like that, you can’t soothe your own feet?” she asked.

“No,” Titan mewed, “neither can you after other strenuous work Apudo, don’t you remember?” Apudo sighed:

“the times when you’ve cleaned me up,” she replied, “how could I forget those? Yes, you washed my paws and feet even when they had nothing to do with the, event. That was to soothe wasn’t it.”

“yes,” Titan purred, kissing the top of her head, Apudo looking up just in time to bump noses with Titan, the liger’s eyes sparkling into hers.

“I would love to play that stuck foot game with you, but you’re too big, and I’m too small!” she whimpered.

“Why not play with Theo or Bianca? They’re about the right size,” Titan mewed.

“how would we play?” Apudo asked.

“Lie down on your side so you face each other, then press paws to paws and feet to feet,” Titan mewed.

“Then what?” Apudo asked.

“Try to pull your feet away from Theo’s or Bianca’s, whomever you’re playing with,” Titan mewed, “oh,” he added, “but don’t be surprised if your pads stick to theirs. That’s very common.”

“You mean like Sita and Moses feet did?” Apudo asked.

“yes,” Titan purred. Apudo looked at Titan’s own paws and feet.

“I wish I could stretch my legs so my feet could touch yours,” she mewed,

“Let’s see if they can shall we?” Titan asked, pushing Apudo onto her right side, while he lay on his left, and gently taking her paws in his.

“now stretch those legs so your feet touch mine,” Titan mewed. Apudo stretched her hind legs, her feet feeling for Titan’s. she watched with growing dismay and then fury as her feet failed to find his. Smiling, Titan drew his feet up until his toes caught hers.

“There,” he said, but she could see he was uncomfortable.

“Don’t do that,” she said, “though Sita’s and Moses game was hard, they didn’t look like you do.” Titan relaxed his legs, Apudo kissing the toes of the paws holding her own in their massive embrace.

“thanks for touching my toes with yours,” Apudo mewed.

“It’s a pity we can’t sit like Sita and Moses can,” Titan mewed.

“Yes,” Apudo sighed, “ah well, “we’re cats and they aren’t.”

“Sita’s half cat,” Titan mused.

“yeah, but she sits like a bear or a human,” Apudo purred.

“lucky her,” Titan yawned, stretching the toes of all four paws and feet one by one, Apudo gazing at them with admiration.

“My paws and feet will never do that, They’re too small!” she mewed.

“your paws and feet will get bigger,” Titan mewed, kissing Apudo’s paws as she tried to copy him, curling and stretching her toes as far as they’d go.

“Miaoaoaow! Stoaoaoap tickling my paws!” Apudo laughed softly.

“Sorry, should I have tickled your feet instead?” Titan asked, curling round and tickling the pads of Apudo’s feet with his whiskers, the cub shrieking with laughter.

“nayaoaoaoaow, not my feeyeeet as well!” she screeched lashing about her with all four small fat paws, Titan kissing her nose, her right paw grazing his whiskers. Titan opened his mouth and gently took the toes of Apudo’s left paw between his lips, the cub squealing gleefully.

“Sita! Titan’s tickling my feet and nibbling my paws, Stoaoaoap him!” Sita laughed helplessly at Apudo and Titan’s antics.

“Will you two be careful?” she asked, “Titan, please remember you’re a lot bigger than Apudo.” Titan let go of Apudo’s paw, padded to Sita’s side and asked:

“yes, but how much bigger? I know I’m bigger!” he roared.

“Sorry,” Sita miaowed.

“You’re concerned for her safety, thanks for reminding me I’m bigger than her. I have to be careful with my paws and teeth.”

“can I get paws on with both of you to find out how much bigger you are than Apudo?” Sita asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed. Titan lay down, and Apudo padded to his side, Sita soon getting paws on with the vastly different sized creatures.

“she’s so little, and you’re so big!” Sita mewed.

“Let’s measure paws and feet,” Titan purred, rolling onto his side, Apudo pressing her paws against his, Sita miaowing with surprise when she felt the difference. Then Apudo scooted backwards and placed her feet heel to heel against Titan’s, the little lioness’s toes reaching only a quarter up the main sole pads of both his huge feet.

“Can I grab your toes in mine Apudo?” Titan asked.

“Yes, let me,” Apudo gasped, wriggling and pushing with her toes, trying to walk them up Titan’s pads, “let me get them to where you can, there, now try,” she panted, Titan smiling at her, reaching back with his paws and placing them on her head, Apudo giggling delightedly as his toes grabbed hers and squeezed them in a warm, gentle embrace.

“I love this paw play,” Apudo mewed, “can I tug at my toes like Moses did?” Apudo asked.

“yes, go on,” Sita mewed. Apudo tugged at her left foot, then her right, Titan growling and miaowing with his supposed effort to tightly hold her toes, Apudo laughing helplessly at his acting.

“You’re not even trying!” she challenged.

“if I did, I’d hurt you, and I would never deliberately do that,” Titan purred,.

“Squeeze my toes, I dare you!” Apudo mewed. Titan shook his head:

“No,” he replied firmly, “I’ll hurt you Apudo, I won’t do that!”

“Titan?” someone asked, Titan hearing large paws padding into the lie up. Looking towards the door, he saw Androcles padding into the room, Titan smiling at the ex-circus lion, the sight of him padding about on his large paws reminding Titan of a cub who never grew into his paws.

“I know what you’re thinking, so stop it!” Androcles miaowed.

“What am I thinking?” Titan asked.

“My paws!” Androcles whimpered.

“Come,” Titan invited, “come and let me touch your paws, then maybe your miaowing will turn to purring. I love your paws and how fat they are.”

“I came to ask you something,” Androcles said, “if, if, if, I could, Sushanti and I actually, if we could adopt Aslan, as, he’s, well, you know, a cub now and all?”

“yes you can adopt him, if he will let you,” Titan purred.

“he will,” Aslan mewed, padding in on his small paws, Titan shocked at the size difference between Androcles and Aslan.

“I didn’t realise I’d shrunk him so much,” the liger thought. Aslan lay down beside Androcles, Androcles lying down and pulling the white lion close, hugging him.

“Can I rub you down from nose to tail Aslan?” Titan asked. Aslan waved a languid paw.

“come,” he yawned, “I do feel tired Titan, does rebirth make you tired?”

“it does, at least for a day or two,” Titan mewed. Aslan purred deeply as Titan explored his body with his paws, Titan finding the rebirth process had rejuvenated the white lion.

“I love these paws and feet,” Titan mewed, handling Aslan’s right paw, the lion purring deeply.

Meanwhile in Sally and Jenny’s flat, Jenny and Sally were playing together, Sally showing Jenny how Moses and little Ekaterina pressed Titan’s pads before he’d given rebirth to Apudo, and how the liger had reacted. Jenny started by pressing the heel pad and toe pads of Sally’s right foot, Sally reacting as Titan had by groaning and yowling in response to pressure and duration of press on her heel and arches, sally panting whenever Jenny’s touch reached the ball of her foot, Sally curling her toes with effort and concentration. Jenny found as Moses and little Ekaterina had, that Sally, as Titan had, got into the swing of the game, becoming more inventive as the game went on. Sally sat back on her heels, Jenny rubbing her heel pads, Sally building up to a massive effort, moaning and groaning her way through the pressure on her pads, then panting hard, Jenny pressing her fingers into Sally’s heel pad once more, Sally yowling with surprise or groaning lustily or quietly depending on the duration and amount of pressure on her pads, as well as drilling her heels into her backside with the intensity of her play. They swapped roles and Jenny had a go, moaning and wriggling as Sally had, the two girls laughing helplessly at their own antics.

“What will Titan think of us?” Jenny asked.

“Probably roar with laughter, he seems that kind of liger,” Sally replied.

“I just want to hug him all day!” Jenny said, “he’s so cute it’s painful!”

“Hmm, am I?” a voice said in Jenny’s ear, Jenny feeling whiskers tickling her.

“oaoaoaoaoh! Titan!” Jenny exclaimed, “Oh dear, how long have you been here?”

“quite a long time,” the liger replied sitting down, arranging his paws and tail, “I heard your playtime, and what you said about wanting to hug me all day too. As to your play, I find it amusing, and as to you wanting to hug me all day Jenny, alas that isn’t possible, but, now, now is a good time, that is if you’ve stopped playing with Sally and can spare me a few minutes.”

“yes, we both can,” Jenny replied.

“Sally, I think you want to hug me too?” Titan asked. Sally laughed:

“I’d love it,” she replied. Titan lay down and let the two girls hug him one at a time, responding to their caress with head rubs, chuffing and purring.

“One happy tiggie,” Sally laughed softly. Jenny picked up Titan’s left paw and held his toes.

“He’s now trapped toes Tiggie too,” she said, Titan miaowing and tugging at his held paw. Finding that didn’t free it, he set to franticly licking Jenny’s hand, Jenny laughing merrily.

“Tiggie can’t free his toooes, Tiggie can’t free his toooes!” Jenny sang.

“Miaoaoaoaow!” Titan complained, Sally hugging him.

“let Titan go Jenny, he clearly can’t cope with trapped toes,” Sally said. Lying either side of Titan, the two girls put their arms round his neck and hugged him gently, the liger purring until his whole body vibrated.

“Snuggly Tiggie,” Sally said, Titan brushing her face with his whiskers, kissing her cheek, Sally giggling delightedly.

“Where’s Apudo?” Jenny asked.

“I’m here, keeping out of Titan’s way,” Apudo mewed, “he has things to do that don’t involve me,” she added.

“Can I give you a hug Apudo?” Sally asked. Apudo padded to Sally, Sally hugging her tightly, the lion cub purring contentedly.

“I love a hug,” Apudo mewed.

“We realised,” Titan purred.

“I’m partial to the odd cuddle myself,” Titan purred, Rubbing his head against Jenny’s.

“You’re big and snuggly,” Jenny replied, “Titan, I think someone should make a plush toy version of yourself so we can hug you when you’re not around, like the humans did by making plush versions of Felix and Karina for Moses and little Ekaterina.”

“they have plush Felursapiens, so you and Sally want to have a plush liger?” Titan asked.

“Yes, but our liger would have fat paws and pads, and be big and cuddly.”

“Oh, and if he could have a lion cub inside him which he could give birth to and snuggle, that would be brilliant too,” Sally said.

“Now that would be one unusual creature,” Titan mewed.

“they made a plush version of Sita, and it fooled Blackberry, that was very funny!” Jenny said.

“I heard,” Titan mewed, laughing slightly, “Blackberry would not thank you for reminding him.”

“You’re big and soft Titan, I want to hug you forever!” Jenny said, Titan snuggling close to her.

“that plush liger would be a soft toy version of you Titan. We would use pictures to get your fur and face right, and oh, yes, the soles of your paws too. All the cute bits,” Sally said. Titan laughed softly, hugging Sally.

“All my cute bits,” Titan purred.

“Well you’re cute from your nose to your tail,” Moses said, walking into the room.

“thanks,” Titan mewed.

“I want a cuddle Titan!” Moses yelled, crawling up to the liger and throwing his arms round his neck. Purring, Titan rolled onto his side and hugged the little boy in his huge paws, Moses rolling onto his side and curling up with the liger. Apudo, seeing the soles of Moses small feet exposed to the world, padded up to him, lay down and began rubbing the boy’s heel pads and toes, Moses withdrawing his feet, Apudo chasing them. Titan growled and, excusing himself with a shake of his head, swiped at Apudo with a massive paw, growling:

“Wait your turn!”

“But Moses was making me chase his toes!” Apudo yowled.

“he withdrew his feet, I saw it,” Titan replied, “but he was hugging me, he might not want you rubbing his feet while he hugs me. Okay?” Apudo, mewing disconsolately, padded away to sulk.

“Thanks Titan,” Moses whispered, “I love Apudo and all, but I didn’t want her to touch my toes, and I couldn’t tell her off, that’s your job.”

“It’s finished, I can get back to snuggling,” Titan mewed, flopping onto his left side, Moses crawling up to him and curling up beside him, Titan hugging the young boy by draping his right forearm over him, his left paw rubbing the boy’s back, Moses arms around Titan’s neck, his head on the liger’s right shoulder.

“You are so cuddly Titan, I wish I could cuddle you forever,” Moses said.

“More plush Titan’s?” Sally asked.

“I would have thought one of me was enough,” Titan mewed.

“no, we want more!” Moses said.

“Miss Chartwell says some of the school are saying the community is now run by a glorified housecat,” Jenny said.

“Glorified what?” Titan roared.

“Housecat, moggie, alley cat,” Sally said.

“I’m nooaoaoaot a moggie!” Titan miaowed.

“An alley cat then?” Apudo asked.

“Definitely not that either!” Titan yowled.

“The fat alley cat caused a spat, now who started that? Oh drat!” Apudo mewed.

“Shuuuuuut up!” Titan roared.

“Oh sorry ” Apudo mumbled.

“As if one poet wasn’t enough, I’ve given birth to another!” Titan growled, “is that what rebirth does to spirits, makes them insufferable poets that are too cute to clout?” the liger asked.

“Might do,” Apudo mewed.

“I’m furypuss, oh, I mean furious, with whomever told the school I’m a housecat!” Titan roared.

“You do look a little like a housecat Titan,” Magnus said, padding into the room, “you’re not very well striped, you’re big, slightly clumsy pawed, hmm, also fat,” the bear concluded.

“Fat? I’m nooaoaoaot fat!” Titan miaowed.

“Poor striped tiggie, Long tailed Tiggie, miaow miaow miaow!” Apudo carolled, Titan growling at her, ignoring him, she continued, “fat pawed tiggie, trapped toes tiggie,,, I’m in trouble miaoaoaoow!” Apudo yowled as Titan leapt across the room, pinning her under his paws.

“stoaoaoaoap this!” the liger roared.

“I’m sowwy,” Apudo mewed piteously, Titan huffing at her, letting her go.

“I can’t get angry at her, I just can’t!” Titan mewed, Moses, Sally, Jenny and Magnus laughing helplessly.

“I’m not a fat pawed tiggie!” Titan yowled, stamping his paws and feet while sounding like a cub.

“I can see some very fat paws and feet, and they seem to belong to you Titan,” Magnus observed.

“Oh all right,” Titan mewed, flopping down on the floor, Moses crawling up to him and hugging him. Grabbing Titan’s right paw, Moses counted the liger’s toes while chanting:

“Fat pawed tiggie, trapped toes tiggie,” ending his count with a touch on the ball of the liger’s paw.”

“You should grab his toes, you’d get the “mrioaw mrioaw miaow” then,” Sally suggested.

“Oh nayaoaoaoaow!” Titan mewed piteously.

“Sally it’s not “mrioaw mrioaw miaow, it’s “miaow miaow miaow!” Apudo corrected her. Giggling helplessly, she continued, “come on Titan, do it! do it! do it!” Banging the floor with her paws, Apudo urged, “Titan, I want to hear you “miaow miaow miaow!””

“Oh dear,” Titan moaned.

“come on Titan, with me now, Fat pawed tiggie, trapped toes tiggie,” Moses said, touching Titan’s pads as he had before,

“Naoaoaoaoao I’m nooaoaoaot doing that!” Titan yowled.

“Oh please!” Moses pleaded, Titan growling at him:

“No, what do you think I am?”

“Now you’re a trapped toes tiggie!” Moses laughed softly, grabbing the toes of the liger’s left paw.”

“Oh nayaoaoaoaow!” Titan yowled, everyone laughing helplessly at him.

“If you want to be a liger of the people, as it were, you need to play with the cubs,” Magnus said.

“Oh all right,” Titan mewed.

“yeyeyeyeyes! Titan’s going to play the gayayayayme!” Apudo yelled, rolling onto her back, wriggling from side to side, clapping her paws and kicking the air with her feet.

“Okay, with me now Titan, say this with me, “Fat pawed tiggie, trapped toes tiggie,” Moses said, taking Titan’s right paw in his hands.

““Fat pawed tiggie, trapped toes tiggie,” the human and liger chanted, Moses ticking off Titan’s toes with the words, tickling his paw pad with the final “Tiggie,” Titan yowling

““miaow miaow miaow!” As Moses and sally tickled his paw pads in time with the rhyme. Apudo, laughing so hard she was nearly sick, gleefully waved her paw at Titan.

“That’s it, that’s it!” the little lioness gasped, coughing as her breath ran out for laughing, “Titan you’re wonderful!”

“I’m feeling very silly!” Titan moaned. Apudo padded to the liger, lay down and began rubbing the pads of his right foot, while Sally tended to his left.

“I thought a new set of paws rubbing these pads would be good,” Apudo mewed. Titan, groaning with pleasure, relaxed completely.

“now you’re a playful tiggie too,” Moses said, kissing Titan’s nose and the pads of the toes of the paw he’d been playing with.

“now shall we make Titan trapped toes Tiggie?” Sally asked, holding Titan’s right foot in her hands. Moses, smiling, took the liger’s left paw, Apudo his right and Magnus his left hind.

“Now Titan, try to get out of that, and make it noisy!” Apudo miaowed.

“naoaoaoaoaoao! They’ve got my paaaaws and feeyeeet!” the liger yowled, “Roaoaoaoaoaoaaow! wraow! Miaoaoaoaoaoaoaoaaow! Titan screeched, tugging at all four paws, spitting with mock anger and effort, each cry increasingly desperate.

“awhwhwhwh, yowl, spit, yowl spit, how cuuuute!” Apudo mewed.

“my paws and feeyeeet are twapped, I mean trapped! My poor toooes! Raoaoaoaoow!” Titan complained loudly, while Apudo and JennyhuggedTitan’s paws, laughing helplessly.

“the stuck foot game! Titan’s playing the stuck foot game!” Apudo laughed.

“It’s nooaoaoaot imagination this!” Titan yowled, “my paws and feeyeeet are really stuck, they’re being held onto, and I can’t move my toooes!” He struggled against grasping hands and paws, straining his legs and squirming, “I’m really stuuuuuck!” Titan yowled. Panting, he tried to relax, Sally and Jenny feeling sweating pads.

“I’ll bet if Titan really tried, he could free his paws and feet,” Apudo mewed.

“I was really trying!” Titan whimpered.

“Apudo, if he really put his strength into it, Titan could hurt us all, I’m sure he doesn’t want to do that.”Sally replied.

“I have seen his strength against a punch bag,” Magnus replied, “um, Apudo, Titan’s scary!” In one fluid movement, Titan suddenly tugged all four paws free of restraining paws and hands, leaping to his feet.

“there, happy?” he asked with a hint of a growl.

“Oh dear, what did we do wrong?” Sally asked.

“Nothing,” Titan snapped, “Apudo!” he roared, “how dare you tell me I can’t play properly!” Apudo miaowed with fright, curling into a ball.

“Sorry!” she miaowed into her paws.

“I was being gentle!” Titan roared, “you want to see how my paws can deal with a punch bag?” Apudo looked up at her guide, he was bristling with fury.

“Naoaoaoaoaoao Titan!” she begged.

“I need to lie down again,” Titan mewed, lying down. Apudo looked at Titan, taking him in from glossy coat to the sheen on his pads.

“Hot pads suit you Titan,” Apudo mewed, kissing the pads of his right foot, Titan watching her with gentle eyes.

“You like my pads?” Titan asked gently.

“yes, I want pads like yours!” Apudo mewed. Titan curled his toes, Apudo placing the toes of her left paw in the grip of those of Titan’s left foot.

“I’d love to get paws on with you,” he said, Apudo tugging her paw from Titan’s foot and padding up to his paws. Lying down, she felt his paws embracing her, Apudo mewing softly to Titan, snuggling into the liger’s thick fur and warm embrace.

“I’m sorry I threw up my cake and complained about your play,” Apudo mewed, “I still have a lot to learn Titan.” Titan kissed the top of her head and her nose, Apudo purring deeply.

“You’ll learn,” Titan mewed. Apudo kissed her guide’s nose and paws, Titan purring deeply.

“I would like to see more of the stuck foot game again, and the play births of cubs too.”

“I think Bianca and Theo are into the latter of those, and the bears and humans are into both,” Titan mewed.

“I’d love to see how Theo and Bianca pretend to give birth to a stuck cub,” Apudo purred.

“I know it’s not easy,” Titan mewed.

“it’s not,” Bianca mewed, padding into the room with Theo, the white lion and lioness smiling at each other.

“How long does it take you to give birth to a cub once you know it’s stuck?” Titan asked.

“About ten minutes once I’ve curled round to lick at the cub’s feet,” Bianca mewed. It’s hard work, you have to make sure the cub’s feet aren’t jammed, breathe the cub out, pushing hard when you need to, panting hard to ease it out. Everything’s inverted, so the head’s the hardest bit.”

“Just you wait until you have a cub for real, that really hurts,” Titan mewed.

“I love rubbing Bianca’s paws and feet as she miaows and wriggles, curls her toes and pedals the air with her feet,” Theo mewed.

“I love wriggling and meowing so Theo rubs my feet and hugs me,” Bianca purred.

“You have such cute paws and feet, and your face when you screw your eyes shut with effort while you curl your toes and strain your feet against my paws makes me want to hug you so tight,” Theo mewed.

“Good,” Bianca mewed, kissing his nose.

“You both be careful not to make cubs too soon,” Sita mewed, padding into the room.

“We won’t,” Bianca purred. Theo pushed Bianca’s shoulder with his head, the lioness tumbling off her feet and rolling on the floor, Bianca laughing as Theo pounced on her, then rubbed her paws and belly as she lay on her back on the floor.

“You rogue!” Bianca laughed, batting at Theo’s nose with her paws, then grabbing his head in her paws, kissing his nose, the lion lying across her body.

“You have really cute paws Bianca,” Moses said, padding to the white lioness’s feet, then kneeling and drawing circles on her pads with his fingers, Bianca wriggling and pushing her left foot into the boy’s hands, curling her toes with pleasure.

“You have lovely black pads!” Moses said, kissing the lioness’s pads, Bianca purring deeply, crossing her hind legs so Moses could get to both her feet more easily. Curling the toes of both feet, Bianca concentrated on Theo rubbing her paws and Moses her feet. Apudo, padding up behind Moses, touched his right heel pad with her paw, Moses sitting back on his heels, trapping her toes between his bum and heel pad.

“Rub my pads if you like Apudo,” Moses said, Apudo pulling her toes free then rubbing Moses pads, then down his arch and to his slightly curled toes, pressing them with her own, Moses wriggling and drilling his heels into his bum with pleasure.

“A lioness’s foot in my hands, and a little lioness rubbing my feet with her paws, so lovely!” Moses said, Bianca and Apudo giggling, Apudo kissing the heel pad of Moses left foot.

“Can I rub Apudo’s feet please?” little Ekaterina asked. Apudo, miaowing, turned and flung herself at little Ekaterina, the young girl kneeling and catching the cub in her arms.

“Hug meyeee please!” Apudo begged, rubbing her cheek against little Ekaterina’s, the little girl embracing the mewing, licking cub.

“You’re smaller than me!” Ekaterina said, Apudo purring deeply, rearing on her hind legs and flinging her paws around little Ekaterina’s neck, pushing with her feet to push herself into the girl’s hug.

“What about my feeyeeet! Oh,” Moses said, turning and seeing the embrace happening behind him.

“I wanted to say how sorry I am,” Apudo mewed to little Ekaterina.

“My toes curled with Titan’s as he miaowed and pushed to give rebirth to you Apudo,” little Ekaterina said. Apudo kissed the girl’s nose and hugged her tighter than ever, pushing hard with her feet, little Ekaterina leaning into the lioness’s embrace.

“Push Apudo push!” little Ekaterina urged, Apudo miaowing with effort, little Ekaterina sitting back on her heels and wriggling with pleasure as it flowed through her, pulling the cub into her hug as hard as she could.

“those two are so cute!” Magnus said, padding round the room, watching from all angles.

“Many toes curled with pleasure here,” he observed, much bunching of pads too. Can’t see faces, as many are buried in shoulders or looking down at pads, so I’ll gather pleasure rating from how tightly toes are curled and pads bunched.” Titan laughed softly as Sita grabbed his paws then kissed his nose, the liger and Felursa hugging each other. Sally looked at Magnus, ran to him, then hugged him, the bear sitting down, Sally calling Jenny over to her, both girls hugging the large fat bear, rubbing his pads, Magnus lying down so they could more easily play with his feet. Apudo, her initial bonding hug with little Ekaterina over, lay down behind her then rubbed her small heel pads and tiny toes, Little Ekaterina lying on her side, watching the cub’s absorption in rubbing the soles of her feet, little Ekaterina curling her toes from time to time as Apudo’s paws found a very pleasurable spot to rub.

“I like this,” Little Ekaterina said.

“So do I,” Apudo mewed.

“how do you pretend to push when not pushing against a real cub Bianca?” Moses asked, rubbing the lioness’s left hind foot in both hands.

“either concentrate on curling my toes and moan while doing it, or if Theo’s paws are within range of my feet, Brace my feet and paws, or hug Theo while moaning and panting,” Bianca mewed, “I could do it now if you want.”

“go on then,” Moses said, Bianca growling and panting, then moaning deeply as she pushed her feet against Moses hands, her moan turning into a yowl as she exerted herself.

“that’s how!” she panted, “and, and once you do it, it’s hard to stop! Oaoaoaoaoh, it’s happening again. Aoaoaoowowowowch! Uuuuuuuumf!” Bianca yowled, bracing her feet harder than ever against Moses hands and curling her toes, which she’d not done the first time, “aoaoaoaow! Aouwch! Ouwch! Miooaoaoaaoaowch!” Bianca complained lustily as she pushed, breathed and pushed, Moses getting into the spirit, encouraging her:

“Push Bianca, push that cub out, puuuuuush, breathe and puuuuuush hard, right down into your tail!” Bianca, growling and wriggling, responded with a screeching yowl and, grabbing Theo in her paws, drew her feet up, braced them against Moses hands, and groaning deeply, pushed down hard, her groan turning to a moan then a screaming yowl as she strained hard.

“That’s it, that’s it!” Theo encouraged, Bianca panting and whimpering, then shrieking as she built up to another huge effort, drawing her feet back, Moses bracing his hands against her pads, Bianca pushing back against his pressure, straightening her legs as she pushed.

“So that’s how to really push if I want to pretend to have a cub, but I can moan and whimper with the best of them,” Jenny said, getting hands on with Bianca’s strenuous efforts.

“yes, yes!” Bianca gasped, “it’s really good, feels fantastic!”

“You two are so silly!” Sita mewed.

“You never have?” Theo asked.

“yes, I have,” Sita mewed.

“I’ve seen her and Blackberry playing, and sometimes, even Blackberry has a go at giving birth to a cub,” Titan purred.

“Awhwhwhw that’s so cute! “Sally laughed.

“I know how he feels while doing it,” Titan mewed, “I tried acting out how I’d push a cub into the world while Moses and little Ekaterina held my paws, and then, well, I was pushing a few minutes later for real.”

“I couldn’t wait!” Apudo miaowed, Titan laughing merrily.

“I know Apudo dear,” he replied, padding to her then kissing her ear, “you were keen, and so was I,” he whispered, “and,” he continued, “I loved every minute of it Apudo, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” Apudo, purring deeply, rubbed her head against his whiskers.

“I have seen and heard Jenny and Sally playing their imaginary birth game, it’s all pressure on the pads, I’ve played it too,” Titan mewed, “but pushing with your feet is good too, if you’re able to grab your feet or have someone hold them while you push back against them. I’ve done one of those, but can’t hold my feet like Sita can, lucky thing you are Sita.”

“I know,” Sita purred, “but you can curl your toes and pedal the air with all four huge paws, and you do, I’ve been told you do anyway, of course, I’ve never got paws on while you do it.”

“I’ll do it just for you,” Titan mewed, “curl my toes, pedal the air with my paws and feet, and wriggle a bit too.” Sita looked uncertain.

“I don’t want to put you to any trouble,” she said.

“Others can replay the videos of my pedalling paws and feet, zoom into my face and pads, slow motion play the birth of my cub so they can inspect everything. You can’t do this, so I will let you get paws on with my feet and paws,” Titan mewed.

“I would have loved to be at the rebirth of Apudo,” Sita said, “snowy was re-enacting it, but we could hear your yowls and roaring from the flat, without the camera. We turned it off just to hear your power Titan.”

“My power born of unimaginable pain and tremendous effort,” Titan mewed.

“yes,” Sita mewed, padding over to the liger and taking his paw in both of hers, “I heard it all, but I would have loved to get paws on with your rebirth of Apudo.” Titan felt tears pricking his eyes:

“I would love it if you could have too,” he choked.

“If we make that plush liger with a cub inside him, then she can,” Sally said.

“What’s that?” Sita asked.

“Oh, some silliness the children have come up with,” Titan laughed softly, “they want to make a plush version of me so they can hug me when I’m not around in the flesh.”

“they made a plush Felursa,” Sita mewed.

“I know,” Titan replied laughing, “and Blackberry got taken in by it.”

“yes,” Sita replied.

“I wonder if they will make a plush version of me,” Titan mewed.

“I think someone has,” Sally said, “I take it that’s not you lying on your rug in the pride lie up.”

“Ay?” Titan asked, getting to his feet and staring at the screen, “It’s a huge liger!” he miaowed. Sprinting out of Sally and Jenny’s flat, he raced to the pride lie up and stared at the new liger.

“it looks like me!” he thought wildly. The plush ligress lay on her side, the pads on the soles of her huge paws and feet visible to Titan, who gently touched them in wonder, the ligress curling her toes at his touch. The leathery pads were warm, but Titan ignored this for the moment, the ligress frighteningly realistic. Titan explored the ligress from nose to tail with his paws, feeling something inside the liger’s belly when he ran his paws firmly over its abdomen. As Titan ran his paws firmly over the kicking thing he felt inside the liger, the plush creature seemed to moan in pain. Gasping with shock, Titan pushed his toes deeper into the liger’s belly, the plush creature moaning more deeply, and seeming to pant. Almost crying with terror, Titan leapt backwards.

“What the hell’s going on?” Titan demanded as the plush liger rolled over onto its chest, put its feet to the floor and got to its feet, turning its head to stare at Titan. Chuffing a friendly greeting, the liger walked over to Titan with slightly jerky strides, as if slightly Arthritic in its joints. Miaowing with fear as he realised the liger was a ligress, Titan watched the ligress come on, and when she was opposite him, and nose to nose, the creature opened her mouth and licked his nose with a rough, wet tongue.

“nayaoaoaoaow!” Titan screamed.

“Miaow?” the ligress replied, Titan nearly fainting.

“Stoaoaoap this!” Titan roared, feeling a paw gently placed on his. Looking down, he saw the plush ligress had placed her huge, very soft padded right paw on his left.

“This isn’t happening!” Titan moaned, “the bloody thing licked my nose!” the male liger yowled, “oaoaoaoaoh, it’s now staring at me, now it’s chuffing at me! Heyeyeyeyelp!” Titan wailed.

“she might even begin to go into labour,” Blackberry replied, Titan spinning round on the black bear, “she’s an elaborate computer programme, she can’t do anything but have a cub, so she’s a birthing training aid, but she can do all she needs to, sit down, lie down in various poses, roll onto her back, kick the air, and of course breathe, moan, groan, whimper, roar, mew and yowl, as well as strain to give birth,” the bear continued, while Titan, now completely at a loss, stared alternately at him and the ligress.

“she even splays her legs to let the cub pass into the world,” Janet said, walking in from the other room, “she’s totally wireless too.”

“I’m going to be sick!” Titan moaned. The animatronic ligress gripped his paw with her own, mewing urgently, Titan turning to the ligress, rubbing noses with her in an attempt to comfort her. The plush animatronic ligress rubbed her head against Titan’s in response to his comforting kiss to her nose.

“it’s almost as if, no! that’s madness!” Titan gasped, “it’s almost as if, if, she’s trying to communicate with me!” he roared.

“she is,” Blackberry replied, “you’re comforting her, and she’s responding.

“You mean she can see and feel me?” Titan gasped.

“she has cameras in her eyes and touch sensitive fur and pads yes,” Blackberry replied, “the computer which drives the creature is able to respond to the emotions of others, and the ligress is able to respond to how she is cared for. Titan, go on, Hug her, see what happens. Titan looked into the animatronic ligress’s face, the creature looking back with a mix of apprehension and trust.

“I can’t leave you,” he whispered. Suddenly the ligress stepped back. Closing her eyes and opening her mouth wide, screwing up her face in pain and groaning, she panted hard, squatting and wriggling. Titan stepped forward, no longer caring what the others thought. Mewing to the animatronic ligress, he rubbed noses with her, getting a lick of thanks in return. Growling, the ligress lay down on her side, Titan taking one of her now hot, well-padded, freely sweating paws in his.

“her pads are warm and sweating, as if, as if she’s alive!” Titan yowled, the tigress suddenly grabbing him and holding onto him with fierce strength, moaning and miaowing in pain as the first pains came. Titan could feel her warm breath, her whole body warm against his. Panting, the Ligress ground her teeth and, with a wail of agony and moan of effort, wriggled in pain and strained hard, her toes curling with her efforts.

“It’s all right! I’ll stay!” Titan said to the ligress, who let go of him with a whimper of thanks, before closing her eyes and resting her head on the rugs, moaning piteously with her labour pain.

“Walk about,” Titan suggested, the tigress lifting her head to listen to him.

“Try walking about,” Titan said again, the ligress getting to her feet and walking round the room, Titan following her anxiously. Every now and then, the animatronic ligress would stop, squat and endure a contraction with a moan of pain, curling her toes into the floor, her eyes full of terror when she wasn’t closing them to concentrate on contractions.

“Remember she can hear and feel you,” Blackberry said, “Titan, if you want, go to her, touch her paws, rub her pads.” Titan, dry mouthed, watched the ligress turn and look straight at him. In ligrine She asked him to come to her, and Titan went. Lying down, the ligress closed her eyes, set her teeth and pushed deeply into her tail for the first time, her pads sweating copiously as she exerted herself, the grip of her toes fierce on Titan’s.

“Can I tell her to push?” Titan asked. For answer the animatronic ligress took a deep breath, caught it and strained harder than ever, her moan of effort causing Titan’s own toes to curl in sympathy with her.

“There’s your answer,” Blackberry replied, Titan now comforting the miaowing, sniffling creature by hugging her as tightly as he dared.

“I know it hurts, but you must push, you must push more,” Titan told the writhing crying ligress, kissing her tear soaked cheek. With a moan of pain, the ligress suddenly curled up and licked at her birth area, Titan gasping as she did this, seeing the wetness of her tongue left on the area while also hearing her panting and whimpering. Lying back down on her side, the ligress strained and pedalled the air with her feet and paws, wriggling and panting as she felt the cub moving down. Titan watched as the ligress struggled to give birth to her cub, the poor creature’s moans and groans of effort making Titan want to cry. When the ligress wriggled, then strained hard, yowling and spitting as the cub’s head emerged, fluid bursting from her, Titan knew he would protect this poor creature, even if in reality she was only a computer. yowling, the ligress curled up into a ball, licking the cub’s face as it emerged. When she lay back down to push, Titan threw his paws round the ligress’s neck and hugged her.

“that’s it, pant, pant pant, that’s it, now, now, puuuuuush, puuuuuush!” he encouraged, the ligress leaning into him for comfort while straining hard to give birth to the rest of the cub. Screeching, she strained hard into her tail, Titan feeling hot tears against his cheek, her hot padded right paw with its curled toes held in both of his.

“Miaoaoaoaow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” the ligress screeched, Titan watching her feet pedalling the air, her legs straining and splaying as she pushed.

“Nearly there, one more push, one more!” Titan pleaded, the ligress whimpering with distress and exhaustion,. Then panting, she strained one last time, her yowl of effort making Titan burst into tears. When the ligress curled round as the cub, now released from her, yowled and pedalled its limbs, Titan lost it completely. Moaning, he buried his face in his paws and burst into tears. He looked up as a nose brushed his, Titan seeing the ligress now on her feet, holding her cub by its scruff. Titan saw it was the ligress’s nose that had brushed his. Miaowing, he rolled over, opening his arms wide, the ligress placing her cub in Titan’s embrace, then lying down, chuffing to him all the while. Titan responded in kind, hugging the cub, who snuggled up to him.

“it’s amazing what computers can do,” Blackberry said.

“But they’re warm, the ligress and cub, they seem to like me,” Titan gasped.

“they do,” Blackberry replied, “and that’s genuine too, the computer has recognised you as a friendly presence, and the ligress is showing her trust in you Titan.” Titan, overwhelmed, hugged the animatronic ligress’s cub, the creature snuggling up, purring and chuffing to him, while its mother looked on with what Titan could only describe as gentle eyes, thenTitan felt her paw touch his, the ligress lying down beside him on the floor. overcome, titan wept into her coat. Once his tears dried, he asked:

“how does she get her power?”

“Powerful batteries, and her whole body is coated with special stuff that converts light into electricity all the time to help her keep topped up,” Blackberry replied, giggling softly, “I’ve had her run on one charge for four days once, pushing her batteries to their limit. When she gets low on power, she will yawn, then curl up and sleep. You haven’t seen her switched off yet. Janet?” Janet pressed buttons on a handheld control she carried, and the ligress curled up and went to sleep, as did her cub, after looking at its mother for a minute.

“the cub took its cue from the ligress!” Titan yowled.

“yes,” Blackberry replied, Titan squealing with surprise as the ligress woke, roared at him to shut up, then closed her eyes again.

“oaoaoaoaoh!” Titan yowled.

“next time, she’ll whack you,” Blackberry laughed softly.

“I take it you’ve provoked her before?” Titan replied.

“yes,” Blackberry replied laughing, “she’s lovely. The computer programmes took ages to write, and her development took years. I’ve had two of these made, as I said, a bear, and a big cat,. They’re both able to give birth and their cubs are animatronic too, as you saw the ligress do.”

“So that’s how you’re so well trained!” Titan mewed.

“yes,” Blackberry replied, “that’s why I could help Jess have Rosemarie as easily as I could help you if you got into trouble.”

“oaoaoaoaoh!” Titan yowled, the animatronic ligress waking with a growl, striding over to him and smacking him with her paw.

“ouauauauauauw! You bitch, that huuuuurt!” Titan yowled, the two creatures rolling on the floor in a wrestling match, which Titan won.

“shit she’s strong! she faught meyeee!” Titan miaowed, the ligress pinned under his paws. At the sound of a sleepy mew, Titan looked round, his eyes fixing on the cub, who was rubbing its eyes with its paws in a very tired manner.

“I’m sorry little one,” Titan mewed, padding over to the newborn animatronic cub, leaning down, kissing the cub’s nose, “I’m big and noisy, and you need your sleep.” The cub crossed its paws and rested its chin on them, closing its eyes.

“they’re too real,” Titan mewed.

“I’m sorry,” Blackberry replied. Titan, very shaken, shook himself from nose to tail, stamped his paws and feet and left the lie up. Sniffing back tears, he returned to Sally and Jenny’s flat to find the group he’d left so hurriedly.

“We saw and heard,” Apudo mewed when he returned and lay down wearily.

“Blackberry should be shot for that!” Magnus declared.

“I wouldn’t shoot him, but I’d ban him from using computers,” Titan mewed.

“that bloody ligress will probably seek you out for company when her loneliness programme is triggered,” Magnus growled.

“She seemed almost sentient!” Titan moaned.

“yes, dam Blackberry, dam his computers!” Magnus yelled.

“What was it like?” Moses asked.

“too scary to recount,” Titan wailed.

“Would you like a drink and a hug?” Moses asked.

“yes, and, and, paw massage, please?” Titan mewed, throwing himself on the rugs. Apudo padded up to him and took his paw, feeling the sweat on his pads.

“that ligress shook you to your pads didn’t she,” Apudo mewed.

“Even you give it a gender identity,” Titan thought, the memory of the ligress’s eyes and her struggles to give birth fresh in his memory as he looked at Apudo.

“that cub, it, it, oh Titan, it was Soaoaoaoao real!” Apudo exclaimed, “I, I,” she swallowed hard, trying not to cry, but Titan knew how she felt.

“I know Apudo dear,” he replied, “I couldn’t help but be gentle to her and her cub.”

“What did her pads feel like?” Apudo asked. Titan was about to reply when a paw touched his.

“Mrioaw?” a voice asked. Titan looked up, Apudo squealing with terror.

“go away!” Titan snapped in Tigrine, repeating himself in ligrine and leonine, just in case the ligress didn’t understand him. Suddenly the ligress raised a placatory paw and padded away.

“that was, wasn’t it?” Apudo mewed piteously.

“yes,” Titan mewed, “I think she was seeking me out for comfort, well she can go swing for it!” He raged, banging the floor with his paw, “I’m not going to give sucker to a bloody computer!” he roared.

“I don’t like it Titan!” Apudo wailed.

“Blackberry’s bloody training aid has messed with my head!” Titan yowled.

“she looked desperate!” Apudo mewed.

“Yes, I know,” Titan mewed, his eyes troubled.

“You’re not feeling sorry for her are you?” Apudo asked.

“I, I, I don’t know!” Titan moaned.

“Give her the same attention you give any community member,” Sita mewed.

“I will,” Titan sighed, now, Apudo, come here.” Apudo snuggled up to him, Titan grooming her.

“Can I wash your face and paws?” Titan asked. Apudo laughed:

“that’s the best bit! Yes, please,” Titan spat on his paws, then washed Apudo’s face, the little lioness purring deeply, pawing at his face while he washed hers.

“Now let’s wash these paws and feet,” Titan purred, washing Apudo’s paws, then her feet with gentle care, Apudo purring with deep gratitude.

“I groomed little Ekaterina’s hands and feet while you were away Titan,” Apudo mewed.

“I noticed you two were talking,” Titan replied.

“I, well, apologised to her, you remember? I told her how sorry I was with no words, just paws, and, and, it was okay.”

“I’m glad you two have made peace,” Titan mewed.

“She sat back on her heels while hugging me, and I didn’t get furious this time,” Apudo mewed.

“Or furypuss?” Titan asked, Apudo smiling.

“Not that either,” she replied, “we played and hugged and I tickled her toes and,” she laughed softly, “Ekaterina tickled mine. I loved that bit best of all!”

“that animatronic tigress’s paws were warm, but not like yours,” Titan mewed, “yours have a pulse, a living pulse of spirit, hers, well, they didn’t, it was all her eyes, her movements, her voice. She had no spirit at all, no inner self. She gave the illusion of feeling things, but really she couldn’t, not in the way we can. Her grab at me was to keep me with her to soothe her physical pain, the tears and heat were just augmentation.” Titan said this last bit with some desperation.

“You’re not so sure?” Apudo asked.

“I was so upset, I don’t know what I was feeling!” Titan miaowed, “it was real, but then again, it wasn’t. it was a shock to find a liger with a cub inside, then, then, well it got stranger by the minute!”

“You saw yourself giving birth I think,” Apudo mewed.

“I,” Titan gulped and coughed, “I, I think I might have Apudo,” he replied hoarsely.

“you’ll be glad to know the cub doesn’t have a mind of his own,” Blackberry said, “we didn’t’ programme that into him.”

“how dare you come here!” Apudo yowled, “Blackberry, get out! That ligress has already pestered Titan!”

“She was looking for comfort,” Blackberry replied, “I’ve looked at your ratings on the app Titan, you really soothed that big cat.”

“I, um,” Titan shook himself then tried again, “I, Blackberry, she, she, it, he, that, the ligress, liger, whatever,” Titan paused, then words burst from him, “Just don’t do that again! It was too close to home!”

“You mean she touched you deeply,” Apudo mewed.

“Dam it, she did Apudo!” Titan wailed miserably, “I, I don’t know what to do!” he sniffled.

“it proves something to me,” Apudo mewed, “you can connect to anyone very quickly. Blackberry’s computer programmes are not simple ones, that was not a simple cat.”

“No, she wasn’t,” Titan sighed, “and I, I,,,, he hesitated, Apudo finishing it off.

“You nearly groomed her and welcomed her and her cub into the community?” the little lioness asked. Titan’s emotions welled up, Apudo seeing tears welling in the liger’s eyes, hearing his breath shortening. Miaowing with distress, Titan leapt to his feet and ran for the door to the relieving place, Apudo hearing him being violently sick.

“Poor Titan,” Apudo thought, watching her guide padding back to her on heavy paws. Titan lay down with Apudo, hugging her in paws that were still damp with emotion.

“so the plush version of you had a bit more life in it Titan,” Sally said.

“Blackberry’s version did,” Titan grunted.

“There are two others,” Jenny said.

“Oh naoaoaoaoaoao!” Titan wailed.

“They’re just very well made plush with joints, pads and such,” Jenny said, “nothing like Blackberry’s training aid liger. Well, it’s the same model, but without the computer built in.”

“yes, I modified one,” Blackberry replied, “strengthening the legs, making a birth canal, that sort of thing. I’m quite proud of her really.”

“she scared the fur off meyeee!” Titan wailed.

“I’m sorry Titan,” Blackberry replied, looking into the liger’s shattered eyes.

“I nearly thought she was real,” Titan whimpered, his pads sweating with shame.

“that’s good,” Blackberry said, regretting the words the minute they were out, for Titan leapt to his feet, roaring at him:

“nayaoaoaoaow Blackberry it bloody isn’t! you scare the shit out of me, then abuse my emotional state with your contraptions! Stoaoaoaoap it Blackberry, bloody Stoaoaoap this!” Blackberry turned and ran for the door, Titan chasing the black bear from the room, slamming the door behind him.

“Calls himself a medic, ethics? What would Blackberry know of those? Bloody nothing!” Titan raged silently. Turning from the door, he padded back to his place.

“Let’s go home Titan, here is not our place,” Apudo mewed. Titan shook himself, then padded with Apudo to the lift, riding it down to the pride lie up, where so recently he’d met the animatronic big cat. Relief flooded him when he saw his blanket empty. Reflecting on the last few days, Titan realised the last time he’d lain on the blanket for a proper rest was just before he’d given rebirth to Apudo. Sighing, he lay down, pressing his communicator button and asking if someone could bring some of Blackberry’s stew from the kitchen. Snorting with disgust, Goldie obliged Titan.

“Blackberry might be a technological terror, but he can still cook,” Titan thought as Apudo and he set to eating the thick stew. Apudo lay down beside her guide after finishing her share of the stew.

“Will that tigress come back tonight?” she yawned.

“No,” Titan replied, “if Blackberry does that, I’ll break his paws!”

“But she had her own mind!” Apudo mewed.

“Complicated programmes I hope,” Titan mewed.

“You’re still unsure aren’t you,” Apudo replied.

“Despite my rational mind telling me it was a computer, my other side, well,” Titan replied, sighing.

“But you said her paws had no spirit,” Apudo said.

“I know,” Titan mewed, “but, she nearly did, Blackberry’s a bloody pain!” the liger raged aloud.

“You spoke to the cub too,” Apudo mewed, “it, it, it crossed its paws and settled to sleep, like I would!” she choked on a rush of tears.

“it’s only a computerised creature,” Titan mewed, but his words sounded hollow to his ears.

“I half believe they’re real, and, and, I only glimpsed the ligress before you sent her away,” Apudo sniffled.

“she won’t come back,” Titan mewed, kissing Apudo’s nose and paws, her spirit soothing his..

Meanwhile, in Blackberry’s lie up, the black bear lay on his bed, his face buried in his paws. He knew his training aid had genuinely upset Titan, and that his little introduction to it had gone very wrong. He’d meant to impress the liger, but had terrified and deeply traumatised him.

“that technology is too realistic for some,” Janet said.

“I know now,” Blackberry whimpered, “worse is I’ve got off on the wrong paw with our new leader!” he raged, banging the hammock he lay on with his paw.

“I think if we lie low with the training aid, Titan will forget about it,” Janet replied.

“I should have told the system not to seek out the one who gave it comfort!” Blackberry whined.

“You think of it as a programme for training medics, it doesn’t look like that to Titan, it looks like a ligress who needs a cuddle, right down to soft warm pads on her feet!” Janet explained.

“how do I make it up to Titan? How do I apologise for frightening the whiskers off him?” Blackberry asked, his pads sweating with shame.

“you didn’t just frighten him, you tricked him into thinking the robot was real, he loved that cat!” Janet replied.

“the programmes she runs are very complicated,” Blackberry replied, “she’s a very sophisticated and realistic creature.”

“Have you topped her up with fluids and the cub?” Janet asked. Blackberry nodded.

“She’s ready to go again,” he replied.

“Did you remove her memory of Titan as a comforting presence?” Janet asked.

“I have,” Blackberry replied.

“I don’t think Titan would deliberately hurt the ligress,” Janet said, “if he knew she was just a computer.”

“I can’t see that ligress as just a computer,” Titan mewed, padding into the room.

“Right, we’ll show you,” Blackberry said, getting to his feet. Titan padded with the black bear to the other side of the room where the ligress lay connected to a wire and bathed in strong low energy light.

“Recharging herself and the cub,” Blackberry explained, the cub recharges when it’s placed in the placenta which she opens up after birth.” Titan touched the ligress’s paws, they were cold to his touch.

“Her eyes are closed,” Titan said.

“yes,” Blackberry replied, glancing at a monitor, “she’s topped up with all fluids she needs, and the charging of her and the cub is nearly complete. We can charge her in two hours from flat.”

“but she looks so real!” Titan mewed.

“yes,” Blackberry replied softly.

“what labour is she going to have next?” Titan asked.

“A breach birth I think,” Blackberry replied, “the sounds she makes are going to be different too, not regular groans at the end like you heard, where she is just pushing the cub along, it’s going to be puffing, grunting, whimpering and licking. It is a very fluid based birth this. She gets up to a lot of licking and is very animated. She may, or may not be able to birth the cub herself.”

“Does she,,,” Titan began to ask, when Blackberry raised his paw.

“Wait and see,” he said. Titan watched as Blackberry disconnected the ligress from her power supply, closing the charging port to the ligress and her cub with a bung, then covering it with fur.

“the cub is now free to be pushed down the birth canal,” Blackberry said, “we use motors and air filled baffles to push the cub down, so, if one has to get their paw inside to help, it feels real when she pushes.”

“I wish you’d not told me that!” Titan miaowed, remembering the feel of Nuru’s birth on his paws. Janet set up the labour, then they waited for the ligress to react.

The ligress, her eyes still closed, moved her legs, then twitched her ears and tail. sighing deeply she curled and stretched her toes and settled. Titan, seeing this, felt his breath catch and pads dampen with sweat. He knew watching this ligress’s struggle was going to stress him. The ligress suddenly snorted and wriggled, her eyes flying open from sleep. Groaning, she squeezed her eyes shut, panting and mewing with the kicking of her unborn cub, which Titan could see, the first contractions making her moan and pant. Getting to her feet, the ligress padded to her bed and lay down on her chest, her feet out to her right, Titan able to see her sweating pads, the ligress panting hard as waves of discomfort rolled through her.

“I want to go to her, to hug her!” Titan mewed to Blackberry.

“you’re too quick to get paws on,” Blackberry grunted, “let her work it out. Watch how she deals with it. she knows what to do if she’s in trouble.”

“she’s in real pain, I can see and hear her pain!” Titan miaowed, his pads sweating.

“Let her do her natural thing,” Blackberry replied. the ligress’s labour progressed quickly, her voice and paws expressing her pain. Titan, though he kept reminding himself the ligress was animatronic, basically a powerful computer, he found the ligress’s pain hard to watch. She moaned and wriggled her way through increasing contractions, Titan padding up to her and touching her paws, feeling their heat and sweat. Moaning, the tigress actively pushed for the first time, her toe curling, growling effort ending in a yowl.

“Push my dear, puuuuuush down,” Titan mewed, rubbing her ears and paws, the ligress looking up at him during a lull in contractions, Titan kissing her nose.

“Kiss her nose and paws, but don’t help her yet,” Blackberry sighed, realising Titan could not separate fiction from reality.

“ouououououwach! Roaoaoaoaoawowowowowaoaowoch!” the ligress complained as she pushed, Titan kissing her nose and the sweating pads of her paws.

“oaoaoaoaaoaow! Ouauauauauauw! Auauauauauauch!” the ligress complained, each wail higher pitch than the last, “Uuuuuuuumf!” she moaned, bearing down into her tail, the ligress rolling onto her right side and curling round to lick her birth area, splaying her legs wide to reach the place with her tongue. Puffing, she wriggled and settled down on her chest once more, her head raised as she looked into Titan’s face with pleading eyes. Miaowing, she lashed out with her tongue in a desperate attempt to kiss his nose, Titan rubbing heads with her, chuffing and miaowing to her, then padding along the side of the bed and rubbing the sole of her right foot with his paws, massaging her toes as she closed her eyes, clenched her teeth and bore down with a wail which made him want to cry.

“that’s it, push, push!” Titan urged, feeling the ligress’s toes curling with her efforts, watching the contractions tearing through her, the ligress panting, groaning, moaning, wriggling, pedalling her feet and wailing through her labour. The ligress suddenly lay down on her right side, pushing harder than ever, more fluid bursting from her. with a high pitched miaow of pain and distress, she curled round to lick her birth area with her tongue, rasping the birth area that had dried since her last ministrations, the sound of her rasping tongue clear to all. Titan watched anxiously, the ligress lying down to push, then, grunting and growling:

“Uuuuuuuumf, “Roaaoaowr!” then puffing as she curled round as Titan saw one hind paw emerging, the ligress staring at it, then curling up tighter, bearing down with a strangled cry as she explored the emerging hind foot with her tongue, the sound of her licking now wet as fluid ran over the cub. puffing, the ligress lay back down and strained, her pained cry:

“Roaoaoaoaaoowow oaoaoaoaoh,! Uuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!,” Tugging at Titan’s heart. The ligress suddenly panted desperately, curling round and puffing hard as she frantically attended to the right foot of her breach cub with her tongue,, the only foot that was visible, the cub’s left foot still within her body. Moaning, the ligress tried exploring the rest of her cub with her tongue and lips, finding the cub’s tail and trapped right leg. Whimpering piteously the ligress licked at the cub’s rear end, tugging at the cub’s tail with her teeth as she pushed. Moaning, she reached for the cub with her paws, trying to grab it. Wedging her left paw under the cub’s trapped hind leg, the ligress strained and wriggled, trying to free the cub’s trapped leg. The ligress struggled for five minutes, whimpering and whining while licking her birth area, the cub and her own fur, then straining with a terrible yowl of fear and pain while wriggling, licking and pawing at the cub, splaying her hind legs as she pushed, the sight of her straining belly and feet, and sound of her struggles upsetting Titan.

“I must help her!” Titan mewed as the ligress lay back, straining hard into her tail for the fourth time with a screeching yowl of fear and pain, alternating her straining efforts with worrying at the trapped cub. Titan stroked her paws and belly, then kissed the pads of her right foot.

“Can she feel him kissing her pads Blackberry?” a voice asked. Blackberry spun round, seeing Bianca and Theo watching from close range.

“Yes she can, and what are you two doing here?” he hissed.

“We heard yowling and labour sounds,” Theo mewed, “Bianca loves the births of cubs.” the ligress moaned as she relaxed after another straining push, Titan easing the cub’s right leg out as she panted between efforts, the ligress curling round and licking at the emerging cub as she pushed again, she and Titan getting eye to eye, the ligress splaying her legs and straining hard down, Titan helping the ligress deliver her cub by holding it in his paws, letting her push the cub out when she wished, holding as much of the cub’s body as he could when she relaxed. Once the cub’s body was delivered, and its head was the last major part of the cub to come out, Titan told the tigress to push and then pant hard. The ligress did as Titan suggested, straining hard, a brief, grunting, powerful shove which brought the cub’s head into the light of day, the ligress following that up by panting and miaowing, splaying her legs and curling her toes as she felt the cub’s head stretching her, growling and whimpering, enduring the pain of her cub’s delivery, crying as the cub slid free, its paws coming with a rush after its head exploded into the open. Titan opened the placenta, then disconnected the chord before he washed the cub’s face and paws. Realising it wasn’t breathing, he licked the cub frantically, rolling it in his paws and pawing at its chest until it coughed the fluid out of its mouth. miaowing with fear, the ligress grabbed the cub from Titan, finishing the job of getting it breathing, the ligress working until the cub breathed deeply, then deafened everyone with its yowls for attention.

“It’s alive!” Bianca mewed, as the cub opened its eyes and shook itself, while its mother washed it.

“that’s a computer?” Theo asked, his breath short and pads sweating.

“yes,” Blackberry replied, Titan washing the ligress’s feet and birth area, the ligress looking at him with interest, but she didn’t try to stop him.

“Titan’s washing her!” Theo mewed.

“he did that for Snowy,” Blackberry replied. the ligress looked at Titan with gentle eyes, chuffing and mewing to him.

“I don’t care if she’s a computerised ligress!” Titan sniffled, grooming the ligress with fierce intensity.

“Titan’s lost it, he’s mad!” Blackberry pronounced.

“He’s giving me ideas,” Theo mewed.

“after giving birth, I want a wash like that,” Bianca mewed..

“you’re too young for that!” Blackberry yelled.

“that’s what we try to enact,” Bianca mewed.

“you mean you wash each other, like that?” Blackberry asked.

“yes,” Theo mewed.

“has Sita ever wild groomed you Blackberry? She grooms her cubs the wild way when they’re young you know.” Blackberry stared at him.

“You’re not serious?” he asked.

“I am,” Theo mewed.

“and I do Blackberry,” Sita mewed, padding in carefully, “what was all that Miaowing and screaming?”

“What did it sound like?” Blackberry asked.

“A cat giving birth, but we have noone having cubs here!” Sita mewed.

“” “Muroaoaoaoaow!” the animatronic ligress protested.

“Who’s that?” Sita asked.

“A very lifelike training aid, and you’ve just been told off by it,” Blackberry laughed softly.

“What?” Sita asked.

“Sita, you don’t know yet,” Titan sniffled.

“Don’t know what?” Sita asked, “Titan, what the hell’s going on?”

“me,” the animatronic ligress replied, padding over to Sita and touching noses with her.

“Ay? What? Who are you?” Sita asked.

“I don’t have a name, would you like to give me one?” the ligress asked.

“How can you not have a name?” Sita asked.

“I don’t understand,” the ligress replied, resting her paw on Sita’s, “I’m a training aid to help Blackberry with difficult and easy births, and I can have cubs many times a day.”

“What?” Sita asked, “Blackberry, you’ve subjugated a ligress for your birthing practise?”

“No! no! no!” Blackberry laughed, “she’s a sophisticated computerised creature.”

“oaoaoaoaoh!” Sita mewed.

“My last labour was hard, the cub breach, and the attendant who helped me was very gentle and saved my cub,” the ligress replied.

“What?” Sita yowled.

“that is the end of my report,” the ligress said.

“Can I feel you?” Sita asked.

“yes, I work well with touch, I like it,” the huge plush animatronic ligress replied. Sita knelt and explored the creature’s head and neck, legs and paws, while the ligress purred contentedly.

“but You’re warm!” Sita miaowed, “this is too much!” she whimpered, the ligress gently kissing her cheek with her rough, warm, wet tongue.

“You’re almost real!” Sita mewed.

“She’s great isn’t she!” Blackberry replied, clapping his paws.

“We must give you a name,” Sita purred to the animatronic ligress.

“What name are you going to give me?” the creature asked, sitting down and resting her head against Sita’s shoulder.

“I haven’t thought of one yet,” Sita mewed, “but you can’t just be nameless.”

“if we didn’t already have a tigress called Pakshalika, I’d call her by that name,” Blackberry said, “they both seemed to love having cubs at frequent intervals.”

“Do you think my last labour was easy?” the animatronic ligress asked crossly, “I don’t!” she roared.

“auauauauauauch, sorry!” Blackberry wailed.

“maybe she should be given my name,” Sita mused, “for she was the harvest from an experiment too.”

“but you’re not a computer Sita,” Titan replied.

“No, but I often get forgotten about and left in a metaphorical corner,” Sita grunted.

“Ouch,” Titan mewed. Sita took the animatronic ligress’s right paw in her paws, rubbing her pads and massaging her toes, the ligress purring deeply.

“I like that,” she said, yawning pleasurably.

“don’t I get a hug too?” the ligress’s cub asked, blundering across the room on unsteady paws, crashing into Sita, collapsing in a shrieking heap.

“You do,” Sita mewed, rolling onto her side, then embracing the cub tightly in her paws, the creature purring and mewing with pleasure as Sita groomed it.

“Does the cub have cameras in his eyes?” Theo asked.

“He does,” Blackberry replied, “but his sight isn’t good at first, he was overconfident a minute ago. His sight gain is slightly accelerated for teaching purposes.”

“Can I tell you about my labour Sita?” the animatronic ligress asked. Sita, shocked the creature used her name, replied:

“yes, if you like.”

“I’m feeling very happy,” the animatronic ligress said, “the one who helped me give birth to my cub is very gentle pawed.”

“He is,” Sita mewed.

“he was lovely and gentle, What’s his name?”

“It’s Titan,” Sita mewed, “and he is very gentle.”

“he even washed me, which is sweet too,” the ligress replied.

“I want a wash like that after I have a cub, okay Theo?” Bianca mewed.

“but of course,” Theo purred.

“Who is Titan?” the ligress asked, her eyes registering confusion.

“the liger who has the good paws is named Titan,” Sita mewed, slightly annoyed at the ligress’s incomprehension.

“She’s only a computer,” Blackberry said.

“you’d hardly know it,” Titan growled softly.

“rub my feet Sita, please,” the ligress said. Sita rubbed her paws and feet, the animatronic ligress purring and mewing with deep pleasure, giving vent to a “miaow!” of protest when Sita inadvertently tickled the toes of her right foot.

“Sorry,” Sita mewed, the ligress pressing her foot into Sita’s paws, Sita rubbing her tightly curled toes and warm pads.

“Oi mum, I want food!” a small voice yowled, Sita finding herself attacked by a small set of paws.

“I’m not your mum!” Sita laughed, the cub climbing into her lap and kneading at her fur.

“No, but you’re stopping meyeee from getting food!” the cub complained, “I don’t want the bottle!”

“oaoaoaof!” Titan yowled.

“So this cub recharges itself by drinking its mother’s milk?” Theo asked.

“Of course silly!” Bianca laughed softly, “well, electricity in the cub’s case.”

“But it said it didn’t want the bottle!” Titan miaowed.

“It needs paw contact too,” Sita mewed. Kissing the cub’s nose, Sita guided it to its mother’s milk supply, the cub latching on, seemingly drinking busily.

“What is the state of mama ligress’s batteries?” Titan asked.

“still full charge,” Blackberry replied, “she can go four days of giving birth to one cub per day with hard labour, then feeding it before she starts to complain, and, quite frankly, I can’t bear to make her go through another labour, not yet anyway.”

“I am your training aid Blackberry,” the ligress said, “you can make me do what you want. I have enough room for two cubs inside me if you want me to have them.”

“I know that!” Blackberry snapped, “but, well, don’t you want rest?”

“I want cuddles, and if moaning my head off and pushing will get them, I’ll do that,” the ligress replied.

“Blackberry,” Patch said, “I need to talk to you, and to Janet too.” Blackberry looked at Patch, the grey bear’s expression frightening him.

“Janet,” Patch said, “you gave this ligress a moral code, the code of this community. Blackberry, you wanted a training aid, but you wanted so much, that Janet had to code ethics and morels into the ligress. Could you now kill the ligress? switch her off? Bin her? Blackberry?” Blackberry looked scared.

“No,” Blackberry replied, “oh Patch, what have I done?”

“Blackberry’s monster,” Theo grunted.

“Not a monster,” Patch replied, “even Frankenstein’s monster did not start out evil. Blackberry, you have created life with your computer wishes. Janet, a human, had to programme that life with a code to live by, and she chose the code of the community. Now you dared not turn her off. She is yours, to help you deliver cubs, and she is as sentient as you or me.”

“What about the cubs themselves?” Blackberry asked, “they cannot grow up at all can they?”

“No, and they will not expect to,” Patch replied, Janet did not code them with a wish to do so. They will remain cubs, and can do the ligress’s will. It is she whom you have given choices, she who has dominion over her cubs.”

“But what if she takes a liking to one cub and will not rebirth them again and again?” Janet asked.

“She will do her duty to Blackberry and to her community, as will the bear you have created Janet.”

“that breach birth was amazing,” Titan mewed.

“I know,” the ligress replied, “the care I got was fantastic.”

“how did you teach her what touch was Janet?” Sita asked.

“Oh, Moses helped there,” Janet said, “I touched his hands and feet, asked him what he liked and what he didn’t. we programmed the ligress together by touching her paws and body. She can feel all over her body, and inside too. That’s why she knows to push her cubs into the world, and when things are going wrong.”

“You mean?”

“yes,” the ligress interrupted, “I felt the cub was in trouble.”

“Oaoaoaoaoah!” Blackberry wailed.

“My duty is to give birth to the cubs, and my ursine friend, whom I have met, her job is to give birth to the cubs she has inside her.”

“oaoaoaoaoh, they know each other!” Blackberry screeched.

“Yes, we do,” a deep voice said. the animatronic ligress settled her cub to sleep, then padded to her ursine friend, who’d padded in from an inner room. Embracing, the two creatures turned to face the assembled group.

“We are your creatures Blackberry, please do not abandon us to boredom.” They said in unison.

“Now we really must give them names,” Titan mewed, the ligress going over to him then kissing his nose.

“though I am assistant to Blackberry, you are my leader,” she said. Titan looked into her eyes.

“Welcome,” he said, kissing her nose then rubbing each cheek with his whiskers, the ligress smiling broadly.

“I was told you’d do that,” she said, “I wanted that so much. You have gentle paws, and I know this so well, as you have touched me deeply.” Titan, his throat closing with emotion, kissed the ligress’s nose, chuffing gently to her.

“I have a name for you my dear,”” Patch mewed, talking Ligrine to the ligress.

“yes?” the animatronic ligress replied.

“How if I name you Shandy, you have a golden coat like the drink I saw Janet drinking when she taught you to play that first time.”

“You taught her to play while drunk?” Titan asked, turning to Janet.

“I had to put away my human inhibitions and play with Shandy, as we will now call her, properly. She is strong enough to be thrown about like a real liger. We made sure of that, but my human brain told me she was fragile.”

“No she’s not!” Titan miaowed, “I’ve been faught by her, she’s not fragile at all!”

“I liked that fight,” Shandy replied, “it made me want you to be my leader, not that I would have told you that at the time, I didn’t think you were ready for me to tell you.”

“aoaoaoaoah!” Titan yowled.

“how if we name this she bear Shadow?” Shandy suggested.

“What?” Blackberry asked, “why should we name her anything you suggest?”

“Blackberry!” Patch snapped.

“I have been accepted by Titan into the community, and my programming says that when the leader accepts me, I have a right to speak, is this not right?”

“yes but,” but what?” Titan asked.

“She’s a computer!” Blackberry wailed.

“Shandy is more than a computer!” Titan roared.

“hmm, shadow?” the black bear female asked, “I am sorry I followed you about so often Shandy, but, you are the first, and are as I am, and I needed to learn from you.” Shandy head rubbed with the black bear.

“Shadow you shall be known as,” Shandy said, kissing the she bear’s nose.

“I think I will have my cubs soon,” Shadow replied, “I can feel their stirrings.”

“Mine kicked hard before being born, probably trying to turn right way round, but I was too desperate to push him out,” Shandy mewed.

“I watched you pushing, you did very well,” shadow replied.

“I loved giving birth to my cub,” Shandy said forcefully, “it’s what I was made for after all.

“ “I will enjoy giving birth to mine,” Shadow replied.

“but you yowled and were terrified!” Titan pointed out.

“Yes,” Shandy replied, “but, I knew I could do it, I had warm paws inside me helping me.”

“oaoaoaoaoh!” Titan replied.

“You were so gentle to me Titan,” Shandy said, padding over to him then kissing his nose and paws.

“We can also turn the cub inside you too,” Janet said, “that was in the latest update to your software Shandy, Shadow.”

“Ah, so they can turn feet or head first, nice,” Shandy replied, “I like a challenging labour.”

“we built you with a liking for it,” Janet replied.

“I remember another teaching me how to play, a young creature of your two legged sort,” Shandy mewed.

“that would be Moses,” Janet replied.

“Hmm, I could feel and hear, but not speak then,” Shandy mused, “Moses, I would know his touch, I think, though the name means little.”

“We didn’t use our names while teaching you,” Janet replied.

“You never forget a touch,” Shandy mewed. Janet called Moses in from another lie up, the young boy padding into Blackberry’s work room, Shandy turning to him.

“It’s the ligress we worked on mum!” Moses exclaimed.

“Why not touch her and tell her your name,” Janet suggested.

“Take her paw?” Moses asked.

“Yes, like you did when you snuggled with her that last time,” Janet replied. Moses went to Shandy, who lay down and extended her legs, Moses lying down beside her, taking her left paw in both his hands. Her paws were huge, indeed she was a massive creature, fully ten feet long from her nose to her tail tip, with long legs, a massive head, as well as huge paws and feet.

“this is the touch I remember,” Shandy purred, Moses kissing her nose and the pads of the paw he held, the ligress curling her toes with pleasure.

“Can you touch my heels and toes?” Moses asked the ligress.

“I can,” Shandy replied, “now, where would they be, ah yes,” she crawled backwards and held his left foot in her paws.

“Now, I can groom this foot as I did my cub’s,” Shandy mewed, Moses feeling her tough dry tongue rasping his heel pad and toes, the sensation making him laugh.

“I love that!” he said.

“Your tongue is dry, are you out of water Shandy?” Blackberry asked.

“Hmm, no,” Shandy replied, “I dried out my tongue for this purpose. I know where I can get water if I want. Food is sunlight, so I’m okay for that too.”

“so she doesn’t need to use the relieving place?” Moses asked.

“Not really,” Blackberry replied, “both Shandy and Shadow sweat through their paws, and can salivate, but don’t need to urinate or defecate.”

“so they can lick their birth areas and clean their cubs,” Theo replied.

“What about the fluids they take in while doing that?” Patch asked, would they not be waste products?”

“ooaaoah,” Blackberry exclaimed, “I didn’t consider that!”

“Lucky someone did,” Janet laughed softly.

“You mean, mean they, they can,” Blackberry asked.

“yes,” Shandy replied, “my cub can’t, as he’s, well, only fed on electricity, but, well, we mothers, we have to lick our cubs, and the fluids and saliva get collected in another place, and, well, um, ejected. I know that much.”

“Are you feeling the need to?” Patch asked.

“I think so,” Shandy replied, “If I squat and push, maybe that will give me relief?”

“Where’s the pain?” Patch asked. Shandy curled round and nuzzled her lower belly.

“Yes, get to your feet and try,” Patch suggested. Shandy got to her large paws, settled herself and pushed down strongly.

“something’s coming!” Shandy whimpered, “I can feel it!” she wailed, “it’s coming, I can’t Stoaoaoap it, must puuuuuush!” she groaned, bearing down with a yowl of terror. Moses, seeing her fear and remembering his own problems that he’d had when younger, put his arms round Shandy’s neck, cuddled her and said:

“Push and breathe Shandy, push and breathe. Shandy, whimpering, bore down, then panted, weeping into Moses shoulder.

“Let it come,” Moses said, Shandy miaowing and groaning as she bore down, then, with a squelch, the mass left her.

“it’s oily and slightly solid,” Blackberry said, examining Shandy’s scat.

“it would be,” Patch grunted, “her body dried some of it out.”

“poor Shandy, having to do that in public,” Janet said.

“NO, it was nice, nice to be cuddled while doing that,” Shandy mewed.

“I know how frightening it is first time,” Moses replied.

“Can she wash like we do?” Titan asked.

“yes,” Blackberry replied, Moses showing Shandy to the relieving place, then to the wash facilities, the ligress washing herself, but clearly wishing Moses would wash her.

“You feel like a cub don’t you,” Moses said.

“yes, if a cub is meant to feel unsure and unsteady on their paws,” Shandy replied. Moses hugged the ligress.

“You should be washing your cub like Titan washed you that first time after your labour,” Moses said, “though your cubs won’t need what you do, as they are not licking fluid like you are.”

“I understand that,” Shandy mewed, “I would like a drink, please?”

“I’ll show you the drinking fountain,” Moses replied, showing Shandy the place, the ligress drinking busily.

“That’s better,” she mewed, shaking her whiskers dry, “now, now, I think I’ll go back to my cub and snuggle with him.” She padded back to her cub, the small creature asleep, curled up on the bed where she’d given birth. Shandy checked the cub over, noticing its paws were warm.

“What happens when you want to give birth again?” Moses asked.

“I will have to be put to sleep and have the cub replaced in my womb,” the ligress replied, “I would love to have two cubs next time though, maybe one feet first, the other head first, and, and, Titan? Would you? please?”

“Could I help too? And maybe my friend little Ekaterina could help you too?” Moses asked.

“yes,” Shandy mewed, “and maybe, shadow? Would you help by giving birth tonight too?” shadow laughed softly:

“I might,” she replied, “but, well, maybe if you have a long labour, mine will start?”

“The longest I can have is three hours,” Shandy replied.

“I can labour for twelve,” Shadow replied.

“I could stretch Shandy’s to twelve too,” Blackberry replied, “you two work on the same programme, “three hours is usual for big cats. That is all.”

“If I’m having big community cubs though, it could be longer,” Shandy replied, “is my mission not to teach cubs too? All cubs need to see what I do during my labour.”

“Yes it is,” Blackberry replied smiling.

“Well, please, load me with cubs, and then I will give birth,” Shandy mewed, padding to her cub and gently covering its head with her paws, the cub drifting into a deep sleep.

“Now I will lie down,” Shandy mewed, lying on her back, all four paws in the air, drifting into a deep slumber. Blackberry, connecting Shandy to her power source and checking his screen carefully, opened Shandy’s belly up, opening powerful Velcro fastenings, laying the two cubs inside. The two cubs, now in fluid filled sacks were connected to Shandy through umbilical cords, the fit a snug one. Smiling, he closed up, then filled her fluids to the maximum, saliva, birth fluids, sweat and tears.

“Shandy will turn the cubs during her first stage labour,” he said.

“So she’s sleeping now?” Moses asked.

“She is,” Blackberry replied, “I’ll just seal her fur, there, now turn her onto her side, and, disconnect her power supply, and wake her up.” He pressed a button on a pendant round his neck and Shandy woke from her deep sleep, stretching and yawning.

“am I with cub?” she asked.

“You are, and you’d better get some food into you,” Blackberry said.

“Did you not connect me when you were putting the cubs to me?” the ligress asked.

“I did,” Blackberry replied, “I suppose I forgot for a minute you don’t eat like other creatures.,” he added.

“My cubs are already kicking,” she said, getting to her feet.

“They were fully charged when put into you, and are connected to your own power supply too.”

“Good,” Shandy replied, flexing her legs and bouncing on her toes in a way which Moses found extra cute. Smiling, he dropped to all fours, balancing on the balls of his feet and fingertips, bouncing on his fingers and toes, the ligress watching him, then padding round him to check out the soles of his feet. smiling, she lay down and blew on his raised heel pads and arches, Moses shrieking with delighted laughter. Putting his head down, he stuck his tongue out at the ligress, who reached between his legs with her left paw, touching his nose with her toe pads, Moses giggling at her. Smiling, Shandy withdrew her paw and stood up.

“I feel a strange friendship towards you little one,” she said, “I don’t know why this is,” she mused.

“I touched your paws and feet, teaching you touch,” Moses replied, spinning round on fingertips and the balls of his feet, kneeling then hugging the ligress, “I touched your pads after mum, that’s Janet, learnt from me how I liked having my feet touched.”

“So my liking of foot and paw contact is yours too?” Shandy asked.

“yes,” Moses replied, “my friends Jenny and Sally helped with shadow’s touch learning.”

“I do love my hind paws played with,” Shandy said.

“I do too,” Moses replied, “my younger friend little Ekaterina loves it too. She’s a bit younger than me. Titan knows her.”

“I get the impression pad contact and playing with toes is very important here,” Shandy mewed.

“it is,” Moses replied, “I grew up with it, my friend Mishka, a big bear with huge pads, he helped me to learn, I love the play.”

“I think you blew on my pads like I did yours once,” Shandy said.

“I did!” Moses replied, “I learnt how to programme your responses, and taught you the feel of tickled pads, curled toes too. I curl my toes often, mum doesn’t so much now, but I remember she used to quite a bit. I taught you that curling your toes with pain or pleasure was all right.”

“I love play,” the ligress said, nuzzling Moses cheek.

“I heard they were making animatronic Felursapiens too,” Blackberry mused.

“ooaaoah nooaoaoaot not another Felix!” Titan wailed theatrically, Bianca and Theo laughing merrily.

“Another Felix would be lovely!” Karina said, walking into the room.

“You mean another cub?” Titan asked, “another Felursapien cub?”

“Yes,” Karina replied, “oh, and yes, they have modified our plush versions to put a small cub inside a slightly larger version of me too. Blackberry, your vision, and Janet, your programming is a hit. It’s general programming, and can be used for any mammalian creature. It’s wonderful!”

“that would be scary!” Titan miaowed, “have you put your likes and dislikes into the programme Karina?”

“yes, well why not?” Karina asked. “after all, it’s meant to be an animatronic version of me isn’t it? it would be silly for me not to input things I like and dislike. Felix also helped programme his animatronic cub self too. And yes, the plush version of me can give birth and can walk and everything. She can even curl her toes and crawl, it’s so sweet!”

“I’d hate to meet her on a dark night,” Titan moaned, “meeting Shandy was frightening enough.”

“I can tickle your toes when you’re not here then Karina!” Moses laughed softly.

“You can Moses,” Karina replied, “and I’ll laugh too, and curl my toes tightly, and it will be lots of fun for you and little Ekaterina.”

“Hmm, are these creatures warm like me?” Shandy asked.

“Why don’t you get paws on and find out?” a voice asked. Shandy turned and saw a silver furred Felursapien. Smiling she padded to the animatronic creature and hugged her.

“You are warm,” Shandy mewed, the animatronic creature kissing her nose.

“the cub inside me is black coated, I know the real Karina has almost black fur, her cub Felix has grey, they flipped it when they made us.”

“so Moses and little Ekaterina will have to share you until your cub is born?” Shandy asked.

“yes,” the animatronic silver Felursapien mewed. of course, I can have cubs as often as I like, that’s my job, as it’s yours Shandy dear.”

“what have they named you?” Shandy asked.

“My name is not Karina, I have not got a name yet.”

“we will have to find names for you and for your unborn cub,” Shandy mewed.”

“My cub will not have a name, like yours, it is a training aid, as I am, but I get a name because I am the one being cared for in the main. Once my cub is suckling well, then we are left alone, and the training ends.”

“True,” Shandy replied.

“So my name is the only real important thing to get sorted, as my cub will not have one, I suppose we can call him Felix, but my name should not be that of the real Felursapien,” the animatronic Felursapien replied.

“Philomena?” shadow suggested.

“Nice name that!” the silver coated Felursapien replied, It means friend of strength, according to my sources.”

“She’s connected to the internet, as am I,” Shandy explained, when she saw incomprehension on Titan’s face.

“Oh, right,” the liger replied. Philomena lifted her left foot from the floor, balancing on her right, reaching behind her, she scratched the heel pad of her left foot with her fingers, flexing her toes with pleasure as she attended to the margin of her heel pad where it joined her arch, Shandy watching in admiration.

“that’s a neat trick,” the Ligress said. Philomena sat down, Shandy gazing at her with increasing admiration.

“did you programme Shandy with a fascination about Felursapiens?” Titan asked.

“yes, we did, sort of,” Janet replied.

“Oh dear,” Titan mewed, “that ligress is more like me than I first thought.” Everyone laughed heartily at Titan’s words, Shadow padding over to him and hugging him.

“Philomena,” Shadow said, “why not come here and meet our leader.” The animatronic Felursapien judged the distance between herself and Titan, seeing it wasn’t worth getting to her feet, she crawled to him, then, bowing her head turned rear on, giving him her left foot, Titan kissing her toes.”

“wow! Not even the newest cub does that!” Blackberry exclaimed.

“she’s presenting me with her foot, letting me stop her running away,” Titan mewed, “it’s a way of showing absolute trust and humility. It is rarely shown to that level here.” Titan rubbed the toes of Philomena’s left foot with his left paw, the Felursapien pushing hard back into his touch, Titan letting his paw slide from her toes, over the ball of her foot to her arch and up to her heel pad, where he drummed with his toes, then gripped the back of her heel with them, Philomena laughing and sitting back on her heels, pinning the toes of Titan’s left paw between her buttocks and her heel, Titan returning the complement by pinning the toes of her right foot under his right paw, Philomena squirming and drilling her heels into her backside with delight,.

“that’s very cute,” Titan mewed, kissing the arch of her right foot.

“I like that,” Philomena said unnecessarily, Titan rubbing the thick pad of her left heel, the Felursapien purring deeply. Titan saw the soles of Philomena’s naked humanoid feet had thick heel, ball and toe pads, her arches short, showing she was a young creature.

“now we’re both trapped by the toes,” Titan laughed softly, blowing on the heel pad of Philomena’s right foot, the young Felursapien laughing helplessly, bouncing her backside on her heels, Titan gripping the pad of her left heel tightly with the toes of his own left paw.

“I like the grip of your toes on my heel and the touch of your toes on my toes,” Philomena laughed softly. suddenly she tore her feet free, turned and hugged Titan, the liger purring deeply.

“I’m real,” she mewed, “I’m not plush, I’m not electronic. I’m Blackberry and Freckles cub. they, um, mated some time ago, I’m very young, you know that from my feet. there is an animatronic version of me, but I’m as real as mama Karina. I can’t have Felursapien cubs on demand. Titan nodded:

“I know this,” he purred, “you have spirit, Shandy and Shadow do not.”

“so you guessed,” Blackberry harrumphed.

“I have Blackberry,” Titan mewed, “You and Freckles kept that quiet.”

“I was in the wilderness when it happened,” Blackberry replied, “it was before Freckles met Kuma. Freckles and I, well, mated, and the cub was born some time later. Freckles gave birth in secret, and Philomena stayed with Mishka for the early part of her life. We both needed it, she and I.”

“Now there are two young Felursapiens,” Karina mewed.

“there is a plush animatronic version of my sister Karina,” Philomena replied, “and what I said about plush animatronic Felix is correct. But I’m real.”

“how do I truly know this?” Titan asked. Blackberry showed him x-rays of Philomena’s body, and then of her animatronic counterpart. Titan immediately saw the difference,. The metal instead of bone, the mechanical joints. Blackberry ran a metal detector up and down Shandy’s legs, then up and down Philomena’s, the detector squealing when it touched Shandy, silent when it touched Philomena. He then padded to the room where Shandy lay when recharging, presenting Titan with the animatronic likeness of Karina, booting the creature up and letting him touch her, the liger realising his guess was not flawed.

“So you dipped your wick with Freckles and Philomena was the result Blackberry,” Karina mewed.

“yes,” Blackberry replied.

“I was in the wilderness, like my sire,” Philomena replied, “now though, now I’m here.” Blackberry put away Karina’s animatronic likeness and looked at his two daughter cubs.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about your half-sister until now Karina. If you’d asked, I would have told you, but noone did.”

“She’s lovely,” Karina mewed, focusing on Philomena as Titan had, loving her for herself, not caring how she came into the world, ignoring Blackberry’s conduct, putting it down to a mental breakdown after his misuse of technology, Blackberry reverting to a basic need for instinctual pleasures, rather than holding himself up to a level of his usual careful consideration.

“Basically Blackberry, Freckles offered, and you accepted,” Karina said.

“Um, yeah,” Blackberry replied, his face burning with shame, “but I never abandoned Philomena! She was brought up by me and Freckles. she needed a home and I didn’t have one in the woods, so I slept under trees or in trees, and she slept in Mishka’s treehouse.”

“I see,” Karina mewed.

“who taught Philomena what she knows about play?” Karina asked.

“Um, ah, that was me,” Sita mewed.

“You knew what Blackberry had done?” Karina asked.

“Of course,” Sita replied, “I knew I was teaching my then ex mate’s cub. Karina, I can’t deny her life or teaching because of who her sire is now can I?”

“NO,” Karina mewed, “but Sita, didn’t you get angry at Blackberry?”

“No,” Sita mewed, “Freckles got great care from him while she was in labour, and he did all he could and should have done for Philomena. Mishka and I taught Philomena how to play. Now she’s a lovely cub.”

“Quarter grown, but yes, lovely indeed,” Titan mewed, kissing Philomena’s nose.

“When will Shandy have her cubs?” Moses asked.

“I’ll have them when I’m ready!” Shandy replied, “Don’t worry, you’ll get plenty of warning.”

“Can I play with you Philomena?” Felix asked, running into the room on all fours. Philomena looked at him, then ran to him and hugged him tightly.

“Feyeeelix!” she squealed, kissing his nose, Felix laughing delightedly.

“I had a feeling you were something to do with Blackberry, but dared not ask you,” Felix mewed.

“Let’s dance Felix!,” Philomena exclaimed. Felix and Philomena stood on their feet, holding each other’s hands, the two cubs dancing in circles, Karina laughing fit to bust.

“I forgive Blackberry anything he did because of this sight,” she said.

“I might too, if I could see it,” Sita mewed.

“come and get paws on, touch our hands and feet,” Philomena said. Sita got paws on, Felix and Philomena turning on her and mobbing her, kissing her nose and paws, hugging her tightly.

“if you were big enough, we could both sit on you Sita.,” Felix said.

“Kneel Felix, kneel down so Sita can touch our hands and feet, we’re quite close in age.” Felix felt Sita exploring his hands and feet, then Philomena felt the cat bear’s touch, curling her toes with pleasure, Sita finding thick pads and short arches on both Felix’s and Philomena’s feet.

“I’ll bet Freckles was surprised when she gave birth to you Philomena,” Sita mewed.

“She got paws on with the whole process,” Philomena said, “I have the video Blackberry made of it. He filmed it on his headcam, which he took into the woods with him. Freckles is very expressive and touches me on my way out from my head to my tail tip. She has to pull my tail out, like Karina did Felix’s. she moans and pushes, doing all the work herself, as she wanted.”

“ooaaoah, I must see this!” Felix said.

“You can,” Philomena replied, “Freckles has let it be uploaded to the servers. She screams and yowls a lot. You see a lot of her feet and paws, and of course, a lot of me too. I’m glad I came out head first.”

“So am I,” Freckles said, walking into the room, padding up to her daughter and hugging her.

“Hi mum,” Philomena said, kissing Freckles nose and paws, the cat bear smiling broadly.

“Do you run your paws all over Philomena and remember pushing out each bit Freckles?” Sita asked.

“I do,” Freckles replied, “she was a hard cub to give birth to, but I remember every minute of her birth. I eased her out, exploring her head, her arms, hands and body, legs, feet and tail.

“You took a long time,” Philomena said, “I remember it, because you cleaned my face so I could breathe. I felt your paws exploring me mum, I felt you pushing, I heard your effort. Tell them what I did when you pushed out my tail.”

“Philomena drew up her feet, dug in her heels and pushed back with her feet as I pushed forward to deliver her tail,” Freckles replied.

“ooaoaoaoaoh, I wish I could have done that for mum!” Felix replied.

“I would have liked to roll onto my chest, put my feet to floor and push, but digging in my heels was all I could manage, but I lifted my bum and pushed, and my tail came free, in the end,” Philomena said.

“You did,” Freckles replied, “at the end of it, you rolled over onto your chest, and I rolled over, and we braced our toes and you pulled while I dug my toes in and crawled away, pushing into my tail as I went.

“I was probably too frightened to realise what I was doing,” Philomena replied. Freckles padded to a console and played the video of her labour.

On the screen Freckles sat under a tree, rocking back and forth on her backside, squeezing the sole of her left foot in desperate paws as she curled her toes in response to her mounting contractions. Grunting and whimpering, Freckles endured a fast first stage of labour, the second stage of labour crashing in on her. Crawling round and round the tree she sat beneath, Freckles wailed and moaned through her pains, sometimes stopping to sit back on her heels and drill them into her backside while moaning and screaming into her paws in her struggle to cope. Then it was back to crawling, her large feet eloquent of her contractions with curled toes and sweating pads, Freckles panting and moaning with pain. Suddenly Freckles yowled, rolled over and lay on her back, grabbing her feet with her paws. Growling, she gripped her soles fiercely in both paws, her toes curling as tightly as they could. Squealing:

“auauauauauauch! Yoaoaoaoaowoch!” Freckles dropped her paws back to her thighs and kicked, then pedalled the air with both feet, left right, left, right, faster and faster, then slower as her contractions grew and eased. Freckles did this for about twenty minutes, pedalling up to a contraction, then drawing her feet to her and holding on tightly to her thighs while she strained hard through the peak, then pedalling down from the contraction, all the while the contractions coming more frequently and for a longer duration, until Freckles ended each contraction with angry cubbish kicking and whimpering while she rested. Suddenly, with a moaning yowl of pain, Freckles sat up, and, leaning against the tree, curled herself into a ball and licked her birth area, reaching down between her splayed legs with her paws. Groaning, then screeching, Freckles pushed her cub’s head into the world, panting and yowling with the sensation of stretching she felt. Then, still paws on, Freckles squealed as she felt the cub’s head burst from her with a squirt of fluid. Screaming:

“uauauauauauwch!” uauauauauauauauw! Ouauauauauauw!” she pushed the cub’s body into the world, push after straining, sweating push, Freckle’s teeth clenching and toes curling with her efforts. Drawing up her legs and splaying them, she dug her heels into the forest floor, anchoring her feet. yowling, she lifted the cub in her paws as she pushed, putting it down as she relaxed, exploring its body with her paws in the lulls between contractions, finding the cub’s hips and legs still inside, its head, upper body and arms outside. Freckles licked her paws and washed the cub’s face, then, when she’d got it breathing, she pushed against the cub’s hips, her paws touching the cub’s body as it squeezed and squelched from her own. Grunting with effort, she pushed the cub’s hips into the world with a tremendous effort, the cub exploding forth, Freckles panting and whimpering with effort as the cub shot forth. Freckles moaned as the cub’s large feet jammed, but she panted, feeling everything relax. Softly, gently, Freckles eased each of the cub’s naked humanoid feet from her body with the aid of her own paws and gentle pushes, feeling the passage of the cub’s feet one by one into the world, groaning and moaning the heels, then arches, and toes of her cub’s right foot out into the world, while the cub sat on the ground, watching her mother’s efforts with fascination.

“I’ll help you mum,” it said, Freckles letting it gently pull its own left foot out into the world, freckles helping by pushing, the she bear having freed her cub’s right with her own paws. Now free except for her tail, Freckles cub drew up its legs and, digging in its heels, pushed back to try and free its long prehensile tail, Freckles groaning, moaning and wriggling as she struggled to push to help the cub’s efforts. Bracing their heels, mother and cub struggled to free the cub’s tail, Freckles reaching back and holding onto the tree for support, while the cub pulled hard at her tail as Freckles pushed hard with her contractions. When this failed, in a coordinated effort, the two creatures rolled onto their paws and knees, and, jamming their toes and fingers into the track, crawled away from each other, Freckles pushing hard down into her bottom as she crawled. With a lot of collective wriggling and jamming of toes into the forest floor and pushing, a final screaming yell of effort from both mama and cub, the cub’s tail freed itself, The cub’s efforts making her roll head over heels, breaking the umbilical cord. Freckles crawled back to the sound of her cub’s panting and gasping, touching her cub, then washing it thoroughly.

That’s my birth,” Philomena said, “it is amazing isn’t it. mum did wonderfully!”

“So did you my dear,” Freckles replied, “it was a real team effort.” Philomena crawled to Freckles, hugged her then kissed her nose.

“I’m tired!” Shandy yawned.

“How do we charge her up?” Philomena asked.

“Shandy has a charging cord with which she can be charged that connects to her hip with a magnet,” Blackberry replied, “he thought for a minute, “but there is another way we devised, an easier way of charging Shandy.”

“What’s that?” Shandy asked, yawning expansively.

“A blanket that is like a sunbed,” Blackberry explained. “the black stripes on your body fir are covered in solar particles that can create electricity. Wrap you in that blanket, tuck in your paws, which also have the solar powered particles on their pads, and you recharge. You can do this yourself.” Blackberry showed Shandy the blanket, the ligress wrapping herself in it. sighing contentedly, she tucked in her paws. Pushing a switch with her left paw just before she tucked it well into a mitten in the blankets, having already buried her feet in the warm blanket. Blackberry looked at the bundle of blanket, straightening it out, so it was more comfortable for Shandy, and charged her batteries more successfully. Shandy’s weight started the charging process, the blanket warming her as well as charging her batteries.

“I feel better now,” Shandy said, “maybe my cubs were drawing extra from my supply a bit.” Snuggling, she rested her chin on the topmost of her crossed paws.

“As long as Shandy is wrapped in the rugs, or her paws are in the mittens, she charges up,” Blackberry said, rubbing Shandy’s ears.

“Oi Blackberry,” shadow snapped, “do I get an ear rub too?” the animatronic she black bear padded over to Blackberry and touched noses with him.

“Sorry,” Blackberry replied, hugging her.

“Shandy’s asleep,” Philomena observed. Felix hugged Philomena.

“Come back to our lie up Philomena,” he said, “my mum and I live in the same lie up as Titan, as mum’s leader too. Sita isn’t leader, so she lives in another flat.” Philomena smiled at Felix.

“I’ll come to your lie up if you like,” she said. Felix and Philomena went to the monorail and Felix punched a code into the panel. The monorail arrived, and Philomena stared round her as Felix led her into Blackberry’s Ambulance. Smiling, Felix told the car to go out into the woods with full sirens and lights, the car racing away, everything flashing and blaring. Back in the lie up, Blackberry heard the monorail car’s wailing departure. Swearing extravagantly, Blackberry watched Felix and Philomena riding his ambulance into the woodlands, Felix driving the vehicle.

“They stole my wheels!” Blackberry screeched, Karina laughing helplessly despite herself. Blackberry watched on a screen as Felix drove the ambulance round the woodlands, then back into the house and onto the monorail track, the car racing back to Blackberry’s work room, Blackberry ready to meet the errant cubs who’d taken his ambulance for a spin. Bursting into the ambulance, Blackberry threw himself on top of Felix, pinning the cub to the floor.

“You are a bad cub!” Blackberry roared, Philomena giggling into her hands as Felix squirmed under Blackberry’s paws.

“You nearly crashed my car!” Blackberry screeched.

“I didn’t though did I,” Felix wailed.

“Felix did really well Blackberry!” Philomena said, Blackberry scowling at her.

“I won’t steal your car again, I won’t!” Felix yelled.

“You won’t get the chance!” Blackberry roared, Felix squirming from beneath his grandsire’s paws and running away.

“Bloody cubs!” Blackberry roared.

“Let’s go to your lie up now Felix,” Philomena said, tugging at Felix’s hand. Felix led the way to the family lie up, showing Philomena the lift, showing her how to use it. Philomena, trusting Felix, followed him, the two cubs sitting on the beanbag sofa. Blackberry watched the two cubs leave him, tracking them on the cctv cameras.

“They’re too clever!” he growled.

“You’re not?” Shandy mewed, shaking herself.

“All right, I am,” Blackberry replied, “but the cubs are the limit. Stealing my wheels!”

“they stole more than the wheels, they stole the whole thing,” Karina mewed.

“Oh yes I know that!” Felix can drive my ambulance too, the little shit!” Blackberry fumed.

“he’s all right, and you’d not see a hair on his head damaged,” Karina mewed.

“True,” Blackberry replied more calmly, smiling broadly.

“Felix and Philomena look well together don’t they,” Karina mused.

“They do,” Blackberry replied, watching the two cubs drinking fruit juice from plastic cups they’d found in the fridge.

“I love Philomena already, and I’ve hardly met her,” Karina mewed.

“she’s your half-sister,” Blackberry replied.

“I know,” Karina mewed, “and watching her birth and all, that was amazing!”

“it was,” Freckles said, “I remember it all internally and by the paw too. I felt everything Karina, and Blackberry calmed me enough to make it possible.”

“have you got paws on with Philomena since?” Karina asked.

“I have, she’s lovely,” freckles replied.

Titan shook himself and padded after the two Felursapien cubs to his lie up, where he lay down by the blazing fire.

“Titan looks like the house moggie, don’t you think Philomena?” Felix asked.

“I wouldn’t call him moggie,” Philomena cautioned, “he is our leader you know.”

“I know, but did you hear what happened at the ceremony? What Nuru did?”

“Or what you did which set him off!” Titan growled.

“I heard, it was funny!” Philomena replied, “but all the same Felix, Titan is leader, and should not be called Moggie, even if he is rather crossbred. We are too for the matter of that. Do you think your rather human hands and feet are purebred? I don’t. Our tails too, they are not those of cats. So us calling Titan “moggie,” is rather rude. At least he’s all cat. We’re, well, not entirely feline, or ursine, or entirely human.”

“True,” Felix mewed, “but Titan does do a great line in scared cat photos and video if you frighten him.”

“that’s horrid and you know it!” Philomena snapped.

“I agree,” Titan mewed, washing his paws by the warmth of the fire.

“You are a magnificent moggie Titan,” Felix said, crawling up to the huge liger, Titan getting to his feet, turning round, then pouncing on Felix.

“am I?” he purred, pinning Felix under his paws, the Felursapien screaming for mercy.

“Please Titan nayaoaoaoaow!” Felix pleaded, Titan kissing his nose, lying down and hugging him.

“Despite your silliness Felix, you are good,” Titan purred, grooming him thoroughly, blowing on his hands and feet, Felix shrieking with laughter and curling his fingers and toes.

“I would like some of that,” Philomena said, crawling over to where Titan lay on the rugs, the liger looking up at her.

“Patch lives here,” he said, bang on his door, he’d love to hug you I’m sure.” Philomena crawled to Patch’s room. Pressing the bell, she waited, the huge grey bear crawling up silently behind her,

placing his paws on the soles of her feet, Philomena squealing with surprise.

“Hello,” Patch said, leaning over then kissing the top of her head.

“oaoaoaoaoh Patch!” Philomena yelled, tugging her feet from under his paws, turning and hugging him.

“Hello dear one,” Patch said, kissing her nose, Philomena purring deeply.

“I wanted, wanted, could I? please? Would you?” she asked, Patch laughing:

“You want a hug?”

“yes,” Philomena mewed, Patch opening his door and letting her in, he crawling in after her, tickling her toes with his breath, the Felursapien laughing helplessly.

“hug here?” Patch asked.

“No, sit on the mattress, on the quilt, or better pull the quilt off and wrap it round us, my hands and feet are freezing!” Philomena replied. Patch smiled, pulling the warm blanket off his bed, the blanket warmed by electricity. Sitting on the bed, he watched as Philomena sat beside him.

“Now what?” Patch asked, the blanket held in his strong arms.

“Now wrap me up in that, and yourself too, so we sit on it,” she replied, “then I want you to tuck my feet in so we’re all snuggled, like a tent.” Patch smiled:

“You don’t want much,” he replied.

“Isn’t there enough blanket?” Philomena asked. Patch spread the blanket out, and they both sat somewhere near the middle. Patch then drew his feet up, Philomena doing the same, Pulling the forward edge of the blanket with her, up and over her feet, Patch doing the same with his end. Tucking it under their legs Patch then reached back and grabbed the edge of the blanket that was behind him. Pulling it up so it covered his back and over his head, Philomena helping by tugging at her end, until they were completely covered by the blanket, Philomena tucking her end round her legs and over her toes.

“This is no good!” she miaowed, “there is still a draught!” Patch looked at her.

“there is something,” he said, “but it will mean you wearing clothes like a human does.” Philomena smiled:

“What?” she asked. Patch faught his way free of the blanket and, tucking it round Philomena as if she were a very young cub, padded to a wardrobe. Opening it, he leant in. suddenly a brown thing leapt out at him with a yowling roar of triumph. Yelling and swearing with fright, Patch fell backwards onto the bed, Philomena laughing helplessly at his antics.

“What on earth?” Patch asked, as Apudo, giggling helplessly, her eyes shining with cubbish enjoyment, scrambled into Philomena’s lap.

“Apudo!” Patch shouted, “you, um, don’t ever do that again!”

It was brilliant!” Apudo replied smiling, “I hid in the wardrobe when you went out Patch, I heard you come in, I waited, it was brilliant!”

“It was terrifying!” Patch moaned.

“It was brilliant!” Philomena laughed softly, hugging Apudo tightly to her.

“cubs!” Patch groaned.

“When would you have come out?” Philomena asked, “you could have been in there for ages if Patch hadn’t come back, or if he’d not gone to the wardrobe Apudo,” Philomena said.

“I would have left the room when he was asleep,” Apudo mewed.

“You’ll be the death of me Apudo!” Patch remonstrated, the lioness giggling helplessly.

“What’s going on in here?” Titan asked, padding into the room, Philomena looking first at his face, then down at the liger’s huge paws.

“Apudo’s causing trouble,” Philomena said, “but it’s really funny!” she added, defending the lion cub, “she leapt out from the wardrobe at Patch.”

“that’s nasty Apudo!” Titan growled.

“I was Soaoaoaoao bored,” Apudo mewed, “you’d gone to see Shandy, and I was bored, Soaoaoaoao bored bored bored!” she miaowed, banging the blankets with her paws.

“Yes, you were bored, so you set an ambush like that?” Titan asked.

“yes, it was so good!” Apudo mewed, “at first I was going to leap out at Patch when he came in, but Philomena came in first, and I didn’t want to scare her, so, well, I waited, hoping that the drift of the conversation, which was all about Philomena being cold, came round to Patch getting something from the wardrobe. It did come round, and Patch, he opened the door, and I sprung at him!” she laughed helplessly, “he swore Titan! Patch said,”

“yes yes I know, I heard what he said and you’re not going to say it!” Titan snapped. Apudo mouthed the word Patch had used, Titan seeing her.

“stawoaoawp that Apudoaoaoaoao!” the liger yowled.

“stawoaoawp that Apudoaoaoaoao, stawoaoawp that Apudoaoaoaoao, stawoaoawp that Apudoaoaoaoao!” Philomena mimicked, Apudo nearly sick with laughter, Patch trying not to laugh by snorting into his paws.

“That’s enough!” Titan roared, brandishing his paw at Philomena, who kissed his pads, disarming him.

“If you’re not going to use your paw, don’t wave it at me,” Philomena said, Titan miaowing piteously and placing his paw back on the floor.

“Are you all right Patch?” he asked, Patch smiling at him.

“I’m fine,” the grey bear replied, “I think it’s you who is discomforted now.” Titan lay down on Patch’s bed resting his paws flat on the blanket, his legs out to his right, his soft padded feet pushing into Patch’s and Philomena’s backs., the huge liger relaxed, taking up most of the space on the bed, Apudo leaping for safety, while Patch and Philomena protested by tumbling theatrically off onto the floor.

“Oh dear, sorry,” Titan mewed. Apudo scrambled up and sat on Titan’s back, while Patch perched on the side of the bed by the liger’s head, while Philomena tickled the exposed pads of Titan’s left foot, while holding his right, of which she could get a good grip. working her fingers delicately against the warm pads of Titan’s left foot, Philomena watched Titan’s face, the liger closing his eyes with pleasure and concentration, squirming and miaowing, realising he was trapped.

“We’ve got you now,” Apudo said into his left ear, lying along his back, her paws playing with the liger’s left ear, massaging it and then scratching the root, Titan’s purr of pleasure vibrating her whole body.

“Gently scratch the inside of his ear,” Patch suggested, “not too deep though, I think you know where.” Apudo did, Titan’s moaning mew of pleasure making her giggle. Turning his left paw in so Patch could more easily rub his pads and gripping the blanket in the curled toes of his right, Titan pushed against Philomena’s scratching fingers with his left foot, gripping the blanket as best he could with the toes of his right foot, leaning his head to his left, trying to maximise the pleasure he got from three sides, the liger scared his right foot would not be able to sustain the pressure of anchoring his body.

“Miaoaoaoaoaow, roaoaoaoaoaoaaow! Miaoaoaoaoaow!” Titan mewed, curling the toes of all four paws with exquisite pleasure, Patch and Philomena giggling delightedly.

“he’s a big soft moggie! Titan’s a moggie! Titan’s a moggie!” Felix chanted from the doorway, clapping his hands in time with his chanting.

“shut it Felix!” Philomena said, “Titan’s trying to concentrate, and he can’t with your noise.”

“Oh sorry dear Philomena,” Felix replied. Patch rubbed and scratched the huge pads of Titan’s left paw, while Philomena worked on his left foot, Titan growling and puffing with pleasure, wriggling and squirming when pleasure peaked, relaxing as it ebbed.

“don’t overwhelm Titan, press and rub, stroke and pause,” Patch suggested. Philomena rubbed Titan’s left foot with gentle care, watching his right, the liger’s toes gripping and relaxing as he was ministered to.

“Titan has beautiful paws and feet Patch,” Philomena said, “they’re lovely without claws.” Patch smiled:

“I don’t think Titan knows what to do with his claws,” he said.

“I don’t know if he knows what to do with his paws either,” Felix mewed.

“I think he wants to give us his paws forever,” Apudo mewed, sliding off Titan’s back onto the floor, then scrambling up onto the bed, tugging at the gripping toes of Titan’s right paw in an attempt to get to his pads. Titan let go of the bed with his right paw, turning it inwards, Apudo rubbing his pads with gentle care.

“I’m now a pampered puss,” Titan mewed, Patch kissing his nose.

“You have everything a huge snugglypuss should have, big fat legs, huge paws and feet, and a massive body, all good for holding onto, oh yes, and then there’s this massive head and long tail, beautiful too,” Philomena said.

“the tail is great for playing with, as are his toes,” Apudo mewed, blowing on Titan’s right paw, Titan miaowing and licking the tickled pads, Apudo giggling:

“that’s cuuuute!”

“You tickled my toooes!” Titan yowled, Apudo rubbing her small head against his huge one.

“You’re so cuddly Titan,” Apudo mewed, Titan purring deeply.

“I wonder when Shandy will have her cubs,” Titan mewed, “I know how she feels when having them, it’s a painful but amazing time.”

“Maybe I’ll give birth on that bed,” Shandy mewed, padding into the room. Stopping by the bed, she writhed as her cubs kicked and wriggled inside her.

“they’re really active aren’t they,” Philomena said, gently touching Shandy’s belly, Titan miaowing and smacking the bed with his tail in protest as she let go of his left foot.

“The cubs are very active,” Shandy panted, squatting and squirming, gripping the floor with the toes of all four huge paws.

“you poor thing,” Patch commiserated, hugging Shandy.

“It’s really rough at the moment,” Shandy mewed, panting hard.

“When will you have your cubs Shandy?” Apudo asked, sliding off the bed onto the floor, padding to her then kissing her paw.

“I doaoaoaoaon’t knoaoaoaoaow!” Shandy miaowed as her cubs kicked and wriggled more energetically than ever, “Uuuuuuuumf! They’re really, really, oaoaoaoah! stoaoaoaoap! Just stoaoaoaoap wriggling for a minute!” Shandy whimpered, gripping the floor with her toes and squirming, shifting her paws and feet and bouncing on her toes.

“Your pregnancy is more real than normal, as you are now given community member status,” Patch said, “Shandy, you are no longer just a training aid for Blackberry, and neither is Shadow.”

“Miaouauauauauauauauw! This is awful!” Shandy protested, throwing herself on the floor, rubbing her belly on the ground, squirming and rolling about. Lying on her side, she curled up and stretched her body, her toes curling and stretching with the rest of her as her cubs kicked and slapped at her insides.

“oaoaoaoaoawch, Ouauauauauauw! Umf, yayayayayayayaymf!. Auauauauauauaauuwmf!” Shandy yowled, wriggling and contorting herself into all sorts of shapes, tying her paws and feet in knots.

“she’s really having problems, poor thing,” Philomena thought. Kneeling, she embraced the sweating, crying ligress during a lull in her discomfort.

“Thanks,” Shandy sniffled. Suddenly Shandy moaned deeply, Philomena cradling her as she sobbed into her fur.

“Is that labour starting dear Shandy?” Philomena asked.

“If it is, it’ll be a relief,” Shandy replied, sniffing back her tears, struggling to be strong.

“If you want to cry like a cub, it’s all right,” Philomena said. Shandy burying her face in the young cub’s shoulder, crying with pain and fear.

“she’s terrified of labour now,” Titan mewed.

“I think some sadist is telling the cubs to go mad inside her,” patch said, “autonomous Shandy may be, but a computer still drives her and her cubs. I bet someone is playing with the cub’s settings.”

“Can they kill the cubs?” Apudo asked, Shandy squealing with fright.

“yes they could,” Patch replied, pounding from the room. Sure enough, Patch found Moses playing with the unborn cubs. Moses, lying in front of a motion sensitive camera, rolled about, waving his arms and legs and kicking the air with his feet, while curling his fingers and toes from time to time. Patch stopped the little boy’s play by pushing him onto his back and slapping his right paw down on the boy’s two hands. Then, leaning over, he switched off the motion sensitive camera with his free left paw. Releasing Moses, Patch sat down.

Shandy’s cubs are not a computer game to be played with!” patch remonstrated, “Moses, poor Shandy’s going through hell!”

“I was going to hit the labour button in a minute,” Moses said.

“give poor Shandy a minute then, let her catch her breath,” Patch replied, “Moses, I know you wanted to make it more realistic for her, but that’s a bit unfair isn’t it? You didn’t press any buttons that would kill a cub did you?”

“of course not!” Moses replied, “I know that would be horrible for Shandy, and yes, I know it can be done too, but I wouldn’t.”

“if I could show you what you’re doing to Shandy I would,” patch replied, Shandy padding into the room behind the grey bear.

“this is the boy, this is the boy who did it,” patch said, waving a paw at Moses. Shandy, her fur, paws and feet bathed in sweat, padded to Moses, collapsing in a heap on the floor at the boy’s feet.

“You played with my cubs?” she asked.

“I did,” Moses replied, “I’m sorry Shandy, I didn’t know they were so violent inside you.”

“The faster and harder you move your hands and feet and curl your fingers and toes the more they do the same,” Patch replied.

“So you Moses controlled my cubs by being a cub yourself,” Shandy moaned.

“Yes, sorry,” Moses replied, realising what he’d done.”

“I forgot I am a computer,” Shandy whimpered, “it really hurt me Moses!”

“I’m sorry Shandy,” Moses replied, crawling to the ligress and hugging her, Shandy purring deeply then kissing his forehead, forgiving him.

“I made it so both cubs did the same thing, but they were thirty seconds apart, so the rolling, kicking and pawing never ended,” Moses replied, “I didn’t know it was so hard Shandy.”

“the harder you kick, the harder the cubs kick,” Shandy mewed.

“I’m sorry,” Moses replied. Shandy kissed his nose, then padded round to his feet, touching the soles of his feet with her nose and paws.

“these feet are very warm with damp pads, you really were kicking weren’t you Moses,” Shandy said.

“I was, I’m sorry Shandy,” Moses replied.

“did you see what you made me do?” Shandy asked.

“No, if I had, well, maybe I wouldn’t have done it,” Moses replied, turning to the huge ligress, “I know I could have looked at the screen, but I wasn’t, I was too busy kicking and punching the air.”

“You made me squirm and scream and yowl,” Shandy miaowed.

“oh,” Moses replied.

“We can show him on the computer,” patch said. Patch replayed what Shandy had gone through in the previous half hour. Moses watching the replay, then looking at the ligress in front of him.

“I’m sorry,” he said, kissing her nose.

“Would you wash my feet and paws Moses?” Shandy asked, “I deserve that I think, after what you did to me.”

“Yes, I will,” Moses replied. Moses washed Shandy’s paws and feet, then hugged her.

“I thought my labour time had come, but you were playing, and it’s not quite that,” the ligress said.

“I nearly pressed the labour button,” Moses admitted.

“that would have been horrible,” Shandy miaowed, “all that pain and distress, then contractions on top? Awful!” Moses inspected the ligress’s paws, then turned his attention to her feet.

“I know that now,” he said, drawing circles on the ball of her right foot, Shandy curling her toes with pleasure.

“there are three more paws when you’ve finished with that one,” she yawned, stretching luxuriously.

“yes, they are lovely paws and feet too,” Moses replied. Moses rubbed the pads of Shandy’s feet, the ligress tightly curling the toes of her massive paws with deep pleasure.

“Even your toes are curling as you work on her feet Moses,” Patch said, watching the toes of Moses own feet as he rubbed Shandy’s pads.

“I’ve heard you bears and human creatures like to pretend to have cubs,” Shandy said, “how do you do that?”

“Oh, we hold our feet with our hands, and push our feet against our hands when pretending to push against the cubs,” Patch replied.

“You do?” Shandy asked, waving a paw at |patch.

“yes, but I have also had a cub myself, so my act is only partly imaginary. I know how it feels, and add a bit of memory of the real thing into my act. Moses does a good act too, as do Jenny and Sally. Karina’s good at the act, though she’s also had a cub, so hers is based in real experience too.”

“How do the big cats do it?” Shandy asked.

“concentrate on curling our toes mostly,” Titan mewed, padding in.

“I can imagine you giving birth to a cub, you’d do it well Titan,” Shandy mewed, Titan smiling at her.

“I did give birth once,” Titan mewed.

“I know,” Shandy replied.

“If I could have grabbed my feet with my paws during that, I would have,” Titan mewed, “but it’s hard for cats to do that.”

You did well though,” Shandy mewed.

“it hurt everything and was such hard work, but I wouldn’t change a thing,” Titan mewed. Moses worked on Shandy’s other paws, then got to his feet reluctantly.

“using my feet to walk is so boring,” he said.

“I know that feeling,” Shandy mewed, getting to her own large feet, stretching herself languidly.

“Soon you’ll be having your own cubs and using your feet and paws to hold onto people and the rugs while you push,” patch said.

“yes,” Shandy mewed, padding from the room, Moses watching her go.

“Can I hug you Patch?” Moses asked. Patch smiled, sat down and Moses clambered into his lap, wrapping his arms around the huge bear, Patch hugging him.

“Can I rub your feet?” patch asked, Moses smiling, sitting down opposite Patch, giving him his left foot, the bear rubbing the naked sole of Moses foot, Moses curling his toes with pleasure.

“I’ve seen you and little Ekaterina playing games where you two pretend to have cubs,” Patch said, “you really get into it Moses.” Moses smiled, then pushed his foot into Patch’s paws, groaning with the effort of pushing against his imaginary cub.

“Uuumf, must puuuuuush!” Moses gasped, grabbing his free right foot in both hands and curling his toes with effort, patch laughing. furiously rubbing his foot between efforts, Moses flexed his toes, then suddenly tightly curled them, bracing his foot against his hands with a yowling moan of effort while gripping the ball and heel of his foot with his hands as if the pain had taken him by surprise. Moaning, then groaning as he imagined pushing, Moses braced his feet hard against Patch’s paws and his own hands.

“Titan sort of moaned with his pain, then pushed with it,” Patch said, “freckles did the same.”

“If I rub your pads patch, will you pretend to have a cub like Titan did?” Moses asked.

“You mean make sound and curl my toes in response to your pressure?” Patch asked.

“yes,” Moses replied. Patch crawled round the room, Moses pressing his sole pads, patch stopping to moan and sit back on his heels, drilling them into his backside while Moses ran his fingers down the soles of his feet. Patch’s moans, whimpers and groans were so realistic, Shandy fled and Titan felt such a need to curl his toes that he lay down to let his paws and feet follow his urge. Yowling, growling and miaowing, Titan pedalled the air, tightly curled his toes and wriggled with his efforts.

“You’re exhausting me patch, stop it!” Titan miaowed, “Shandy’s fled in terror, and I’m incapacitated here, as the toes of all four of my paws and feet are curling in sympathy with yours!”

“Switch off then,” Patch panted.

“I can’t and you know it!” Titan growled, pedalling the air with his paws and feet as another effort made Patch curl his toes, Titan unable to stop his own toes from following suit.

“uuuuurururururuf! ouououoch, Uuuuuuuumf!”!” Patch groaned, squirming his backside against his heels and curling his toes with the effort of having his imaginary cub:

“Miaoaoaoaow! Uauauauauauauauw!” Titan complained as his paws and feet ached with the effort of following the example of patch’s toes, “stoaoaoaoap it patch!” Titan miaowed.

“You big silly moggie,” Moses laughed softly, pouncing on Titan, grabbing each of the liger’s paws in turn then rubbing his tired toes. Titan, purring deeply, smiled at Moses.

“Can I help too?” Philomena asked, running into the room, then crawling up to Patch, who hugged her and directed her to his feet, where she rubbed his hot pads and equally tired toes.

“it’s fun to pretend to have a cub,” Philomena said, “I’ve seen Moses and little Ekaterina, and Sally and Jenny doing it too.”

“It makes my toes ache!” Titan miaowed.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Patch said, “it lets me roar and squirm and curl my toes and make a fuss, it’s real fun!”

“Shandy didn’t think so,” Titan mewed.

“She sees what she’s about to do when in labour, that’s the reason why she ran off,” patch replied.

“yes, Patch, you’re too good!” Shandy miaowed, padding into the room, “I had to lie down and copy Titan! I couldn’t help myself!” she roared.

“I can do what Moses did,” Philomena said, sitting down and grabbing her right foot in her hands, pressing her foot into her hands, curling her toes, groaning deeply with effort, then panting, rubbing the sole of her foot with her fingers. Suddenly she yowled, gripping her right foot with extra strength, pushing it into her hands, her toes curling even tighter.

“ouauauauauauw!” this is really hard!” she squealed, Shandy looking terrified.

“I’ll be doing that soon!” she whimpered. Moses rubbed Philomena’s left foot while she held onto her right, bracing her foot against her hands whenever she felt the need. Suddenly she lay back and pressed her feet into Moses hands, pushing hard against his palms with her soles, her toes curling tighter than ever, her sounds of effort making Titan bury his face in his paws.

“stoaoaoaoap that!” Titan wailed.

“The cub’s coming uauauauauauuauaoaoaowch!” Patch screeched, grabbing his right foot in his paws and squeezing his pads hard, his toes curling with imagined pain and effort.

Ueueueueueueueeumf! Eeueueueueueurmf!” Philomena yowled as she pushed against Moses hands, Moses pressing his fingertips into the grip of her toes, pushing back against her strong legs, “must, must sit up, grab cub!” Philomena gasped, sitting up, reaching down to her feet and grabbing her soles, yowling and moaning, then lying down on her back, drawing up her legs and kicking hard. Squealing, she sat up and grabbed her feet in her hands as she eased her imaginary cub out into the world inch by inch, puffing between squealing efforts in which she curled her toes, holding onto one foot, then the other, then both as she pushed against her imaginary cub.

“Push Philomena Puuush!” Moses urged, Titan mewing to Patch to keep pushing down, the bear wriggling and rocking, then leaning over his right foot, bending his right leg, gripping the sole of his foot in his paws, pushing down hard into his paws with his foot. Philomena and patch crawled to each other, sat down opposite each other, then grabbed a foot a piece, patch grabbing her left, she his right, each squeezing the other’s pads as they pushed into their held feet. Groaning and puffing, the Felursapien and bear faught to give birth to their imaginary cubs.

“shadow will be doing this for real soon,” patch groaned, “she makes me want to do this so much!” Philomena puffed hard as she faught to deliver the rest of her cub, “Ouauauauauauw! It’s coming Patch! Auuuuuuumf! Auuuuuuumf!” Philomena yowled, crushing his right foot in her hands, patch gripping her left, both squeezing and pushing hard.

“You’re too real!” Titan miaowed.

“Remember, I had a cub once, and Philomena probably saw Karina having Felix on video.”

“yeyeyeyeyes, I know! That’s the worst, they’re too good at giving birth to pretend cubs!” Titan wailed.

“You’re too empathetic,” Patch replied, “you’re big and cuddly Titan, and want to help, that’s your problem.”

“I so want to!” he moaned.

“I know,” Patch said, ruffling the liger’s ears

“it’s so hard!” Titan wailed.

Curl your toes and scream as much as you like Titan,” Patch replied. Titan curled his toes and buried his face in his paws, yowling and sobbing with the intensity of his emotions.

“would you like us to rub your paws Titan?” Philomena asked. “

I need to get used to seeing this,” Titan mewed, “cubs are going to be born all over the place, and I can’t get involved with every birth.”

“your reaction to the births of cubs is rather sweet,” patch said. Titan sighed.

“It doesn’t help mamas in labour if I’m yowling and collapsed in a corner,” Titan miaowed. He looked at Patch with a hunted expression.

“I’m all woosy and silly patch!” Titan whimpered.

“it’s mostly play Titan,” Patch said. Titan mewed:

“Mine started off like play with Moses and little Ekaterina, them pressing my pads and me reacting by moaning and yowling, curling my toes and panting, but then, then, I had to push for real, and Apudo was the result, that was a shock!” he yowled.

“Titan,” Shandy said, padding fearfully back into the room, “could I watch the birth of your cub Apudo?” She asked. Titan looked round, seeing Shandy sit down, her cubs kicking slightly inside her.

“yes okay,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet and setting up the video.

Shandy watched avidly, hiding her face in her paws to hide her tears when Titan curled round to kiss Apudo’s nose.

“that’s so cute,” she sniffled, Titan hugging her. Shandy watched Titan pushing Apudo into the world, then cleaning her face, fur and paws.

“You curled your toes so tightly Titan!” Philomena exclaimed.

“yes, I did,” Titan replied, “seeing my face and feet from that angle, I even feel sorry for myself.” Philomena hugged the huge liger.

“I can see how much effort you put in,” she said, “it was amazing Titan and you need a big hug for that.” Titan purred deeply as Philomena threw her arms round his neck in a huge hug.

“Are my paws and feet like yours Titan?” Shandy asked. Titan glanced at the soles of Shandy’s feet as she rolled onto her left side.

“Well, you were modelled on me,” the liger replied, “um, yes, they’re similar to mine.” Smiling, he rolled over onto his right side and measured paws with Shandy, the ligress’s paw only slightly smaller than his, her pads as thick as Titan’s. Shandy growled with pleasure as Titan’s toes gripped hers, the ligress pressing her toes into the grip of the liger’s more powerful paw. Smiling, Titan kissed Shandy’s nose, the two ligers paw to paw and nose to nose. Shandy returned Titan’s kiss, shaking her right paw free of his left, then gripping his toes with hers.

“I wish the cubs I’m about to have were yours, and real Titan,” she said.

“What bit of programming is this?” Titan asked.

“Oh dam you!” Shandy miaowed, hitting him with a paw driven by frustration, “Titan, I love you very much, and want you to hug me and care for me while I have my cubs and beyond. During my walking trials, I saw you in the woods, they were testing my pads out, testing my walking and my eyes and things on the trails. I saw you in a clearing on the track, I was with Blackberry, you looked very tired. I wanted you to help me have cubs then,” she shook her paws free of Titan’s and hugged him, “Blackberry told me to stop thinking of you, that giving birth to your cubs would be impossible. He even tried to destroy my liking for you, but didn’t manage it.”

“While I was sleeping after Apudo’s entry into my body,” Titan mewed.

“yes, now I know it was that time,” Shandy mewed, kissing his nose and paws, “now, now, I got to looking at you Titan, and, and, well, I found I loved everything about you.” Titan looked into the ligress’s eyes, finding them devoid of the spirit he expected to see from her words, and her touch.

“you’re a computer!” he mewed.

“I’m a computer, but I know this, for I have asked others to test me,” Shandy mewed, “I know I truly love you Titan. Blackberry tested me after he could not rid my memories of you from my mind. Then, when you came back to me in your lie up, the memory was triggered again, and he tried again to wipe my memory of you. I lied to him. I said I’d forgotten, put the right message up on his screen, but, well, I hadn’t. if I had, when you came to me while I was giving birth to my cub in his work room, I would not have trusted you like I did. Titan, I love you very much.” Titan stared at Shandy.

“I cannot give you cubs!” he mewed.

“but, but, you gave birth to Apudo,” Shandy replied.

“I know, but, that wasn’t really conception, that was rebirth, spiritual rebirth,” Titan explained.

“You mean like me putting the cubs back inside me and giving them a second chance?” Shandy asked.

“yes, sort of,” Titan replied.

“You can’t have Titan’s cubs anyway,” Blackberry said, padding angrily into the room, “you have no DNA Shandy, and Titan is infertile as he’s a male liger. You could have a relationship with him, but no cubs.”

“But I wayayayayant Titan to impregnate meyeee!” Shandy exploded, banging her paws on the floor.

“You cannot be impregnated by Titan,” Blackberry replied.

“you cannot tell me what Titan cannot do, nor what I can’t do! I want Titan, and I will have him!” Shandy roared, leaping on top of Blackberry. Titan, seeing a member of his community being attacked, launched himself at Shandy. Patch, joining in, helped Titan, pulling her off Blackberry and flooring her, Titan throwing himself on top of her, Patch beating her senseless with his paws.

“thanks,” Blackberry panted, “I, I, I couldn’t!” he whimpered, “she was too strong!” he admitted, burying his face in his paws.

“You created something you could not control?” patch asked.

“oaoaoaoah, I might have!” Blackberry wailed. Shandy moaned as she woke up.

“who hit me,” she moaned, “my head hurts!” she yowled.

“I hit you,” Patch replied, “Shandy, take this as a warning!” Shandy looked at patch, then at Blackberry, then Titan, Titan’s eyes tearing into her, his disappointment in her making her want to cry.

“You cannot have me Shandy, I will not let you possess me, I will not even call you friend,” Titan mewed. Shandy ran from the lie up, throwing herself on the floor in Blackberry’s work room.

“They gave me community status, but I’m a training aid,” Shandy thought, “I cannot have Titan’s cubs, I remember him, and love his gentility and warmth, but he cannot be mine, I must not try to possess him. I know the community law, and I was very nearly killed by Patch and Titan, as I nearly killed Blackberry in a fit of rage.”

“You seriously put your paws in it Shandy,” someone said.

“I know Patch, I know!” Shandy mewed, “and you know how close I came to killing Blackberry because he said I could not have Titan’s cubs.”

“Blackberry speaks the truth,” Patch said.

“I don’t understand that,” Shandy mewed.

“Titan’s infertile, so he cannot fertilise eggs, though he can give birth to cubs, as he is partly female. He cannot impregnate you Shandy.”

“I accept what you say,” Shandy mewed.

“Blackberry said that, and you tried to kill him,” patch replied, “Why not try to kill me?”

“I couldn’t,” Shandy miaowed, “you’re far stronger than me. You could end my life without trying Patch.”

“I’m the one who conferred community status on you,” Patch replied, “Shandy, if you attempt to kill, or kill any community member, I will now tell you the consequences for yourself. Today I incapacitated you, next time, I could terminate you completely. I will not do it without just cause and extreme provocation, but, I will do it to protect my community.”

“I’m sorry Patch,” Shandy mewed.

“Be warned Shandy,” Patch replied. Shandy got to her feet, Patch looking her deeply in the eyes, Shandy looking down at her paws.

“You have a lot to learn,” Patch said.

“I’ve now put myself on Titan’s blacklist,” Shandy whimpered.

“yes, personally you have, professionally he will be civil to you,” Patch replied.

“I can’t look into your eyes patch!” Shandy whimpered, “Blackberry’s, Felix’s, Karina’s and Philomena’s eyes are the same. Are you all born of man?”

“I am not, but they are,” Patch replied, “Moses and Janet are members of mankind too.”

“I thought Blackberry was a bear,” Shandy mewed.

“he is, but then again, he is not,” Patch replied, “his mother was human, though her form was ursine when she gave birth to him. Notice his paws? They are opposable thumbed, like a humans, Karina and Philomena, and Felix all have that too, as do sire Koda and Blackberry’s first cubs Caleb, Titania and Targon.”

“You too have this,” Shandy mewed.

“I have lived with humans all my life,” patch replied, “I have faught for humans, and brought one up through cubhood with my own paws. I am no human though.”

“the stories all say you can walk in the world of men without question,” Philomena said, walking into the room.”

“this is true,” patch replied, “I have done this, but my paws and feet always give me away.”

“that is how peter uncovered you as a bear when you visited the school,” Karina mewed, padding in after Philomena and hugging her.

“My feet are a little less bearlike now,” Patch said, “I am in another body now, and my feet are longer and have a slight arch.” Patch sat down, showing the soles of his feet off to everyone. He was right, they did have a slight arch, and they were slightly longer than a bear’s should be.

“My paws too,” patch said, showing them off. Massive paws, thickly padded with four fingers and one thumb. Patch could work as well as a man with his paws, and often did.

“Blackberry has smaller feet and paws, but his feet are more like a bear’s at the moment. In time his may grow to be like mine.”

“you were leader of the community once,” Karina mewed.

“I was, but I stood aside and behind to let another take my place, so I could concentrate on my mate at the time,” Patch replied, “even then, the community still held me in high regard, and now, now we have had more change, one leader proposed, elected then demoted, and another proposed, then elected. I do not feel I am fit to be a leader to this community now.”

“Do you feel too close to man?” Karina asked.

“No,” Patch replied, “but it is time for community born and bred leaders now, not outsiders such as myself.”

“You are no outsider,” Karina mewed, but her words sounded hollow.

“I am,” patch replied, “I am not like you or Titan Karina.”

“come here,” Karina mewed, Philomena and she piling in on Patch, hugging him, the huge bear hugging them.

“now let’s go back to the family lie up,” Karina mewed, “Patch, you come, Shandy, stay here, go to patch’s old lie up if you want to go anywhere, don’t come to the family lie up.” Patch padded with Karina and Philomena to the family lie up, where he lay down on Titan’s rug, Titan snuggling up to Patch, curling his body so he lay in the bear’s embrace, curling his body so Patch’s feet were caught between his hind legs.

“I need to play,” Patch said. Titan sighed.

“I need to play too,” he replied, but the game I want to play is too difficult for cats.

“stuck foot games?” Karina asked hopefully.

“yes please Karina,” Patch replied, Titan looking enviously at Patch.

“I wish I was a Felursa,” he growled.

“it’s very hard on you Titan,” Patch said, hugging the liger.

“You Felursapiens, bears, humans and Felursas have all the fun! It’s nooaoaoaot fair!” Titan miaowed.

“could we not rebirth him as a Felursa? Or at least change his bone structure so he could play?” Sita mewed, padding into the room. Patch felt Titan’s paws, they were sweating and the liger was very upset.

“the community elected a liger,” Patch said.

“No, they elected Titan.” Sita mewed, “I, for one, don’t care what he feels like. I’d love it if he could have big feet and paws, there is more to stroke and play with.” Titan miaowed and pushed his paws into Patch’s grip at this suggestion. Whimpering, he tried to curl round to grab Patch’s toes with his.

“I think Titan wants this hugely,” Patch remarked.

“I was born by the paws of a bear!” Titan whimpered, writhing with discomfort, “I want to be able to play like Sita can, like Karina and Felix can. They can still run on their toes, and on all fours, and they have whiskers and a tail!”

“they do,” patch replied, feeling his way up Titan’s legs, then down again to his paws and feet, handling them, working his toes and stroking his pads, Titan purring deeply and falling asleep.

“could you?” Karina whispered.

“yes,” patch replied, “it doesn’t take much. I know how Felursas balance, I created one after all.”

“Patch?” Blackberry asked. Patch looked round at the black bear, “could I ex-ray Titan, just to make sure?” he asked.

“I will do the rearrangement for Titan,” Patch replied, stroking Titan’s body from nose to tail.

“He will have a cat’s face, and a tail. His body is very heavy anyway, so his neck, legs and arms need sorting, along with his paws and feet.” Patch worked on Titan, stroking, moulding, testing, strengthening, changing his balance and stance.

“Titan will be able to run on his fingertips and toes as easily as on his flat soles, and stand up on his feet too,” Patch said, “he can do what Karina, Felix, Philomena and Sita can.”

“I’ll bet he’ll love that,” Sita mewed.

“He will,” Patch replied, stroking Titan’s back and chest, testing his joints and flexing fingers and toes.

“of course, he had to have longer fingers, but that’s easy enough when you can make someone as malleable as plasticine,” patch mused.

“”ooaaoah! That’s what he did to me, before I was given the chance to be reborn!” Apudo miaowed.

“yes, though he cannot do it for himself,” Patch replied.

“when are you going to wake him up Patch?” Apudo asked.

“Now,” Patch replied, “I’ve checked everything over, Titan can wake now.” Patch groomed Titan from his nose to his pads, the bear checking everything over one last time, missing no part of the newly formed Felursa. Once he was satisfied, he woke Titan by shaking him gently, the Felursa yawning expansively.

“what will his breed be known as now?” Sita asked.

“Well, he’s a Felursa now, but if you want to go into what breed of Felursa he is, he’s a Felursaliger, and you Sita? Hmm, Ahanu was a lynx lion cross, and Haimati, she was a tigress. Hmm, you’d be a Felursalynxliger.”

“oaoaoaoaoh!” Sita miaowed.

“You’re all Felursas though,” Patch concluded.

“My head hurts!” Titan miaowed.

“I’m not surprised,” Sita mewed.

“No I’m not talking about Patch’s little speech, though that is migraine inducing, I’m talking about my head and just about everything else!” Titan yowled, struggling to his feet with much swearing.

“now I’m up on my paws, can I call them paws? What’s happened to my paws!” Titan yowled. “You’re standing well, now try to stand on your feet alone,” Patch suggested. Titan pushed off with his paws, finding his legs flexed, then stood him upright on his feet. Gasping, Titan stood tall, holding his arms out to balance himself.

“Try using your tail,” Patch said, Titan stretching out his tail, the extra balance meaning he could fold his arms across his chest.

“oaoaoaoah! I’m, wow!” he mewed. Sita padded up to Titan, found his toes with her paw, then reared onto her feet, taking his paws in hers.

“he’s quite a bit taller than you Sita,” Karina laughed softly, Titan suddenly gripping Sita’s forearms in the huge grip of his two paws and swinging her off her feet, Sita yowling as she was swung round three times, then placed gently back on her feet.

“I haven’t had that done since I was a cub!” she gasped.

“Titan is immensely strong,” Patch replied. Titan sat down, curling his long tail around his feet and tickling his toes with the tip.

“this is wonderful!” he mewed, Apudo padding up to him, tripping over his tail and falling into his lap, Titan pointing his toes so she didn’t land on them..

“Youououoaw!” Apudo yowled, Titan catching her in huge velvety paws.

“now you’re safe,” he purred.

“but, but, you’re big and oaoaoaoaoah!” Apudo miaowed. Titan laughed merrily, rolling Apudo onto her back and scooping her into his arms, lifting her into the air to his eye level then kissing her nose and dangling paws.

“I’ve always wanted to do this,” he purred, Apudo sniffling back tears.

“Stoaoaoap, Titan, I can’t see now!” Apudo choked, wiping her face with her paws, Titan putting her down gently in his lap, his own eyes blurring with tears.

“Soppy old Titan,” Philomena laughed softly.

“I have a feeling he’s wanted this for a long time,” Moses said.

“I’ve known it,” patch replied.

“he does look even cuter now he’s got big paws and huge feet,” Moses said. Titan put Apudo down gently on the floor then got to his feet.

“now I can be a leader to all my community, cats, bears and humans,” Titan said. Patch reared onto his feet and hugged him.

“You’re not the cat who gave birth to Apudo,” Moses said.

“I’m the same,” Titan replied, “I’ve just had, well, some constructive adaptations.”

“I love him regardless of his body shape,” Apudo mewed, “but now he can chase you and tickle your toes with his paws or his whiskers, and you can tickle his Moses, is that not a good thing?” Moses looked at Titan, who smiled, then dropped onto all four paws, then to paws and knees, then to fingers and the balls of his feet, bouncing on the balls of his feet and fingertips, lashing his tail from side to side, Moses shrieking with laughter.

“I couldn’t do that when I was a pure cat,” Titan mewed. Moses copied Titan, Moses and Titan bumping noses, Titan swiping at Moses nose with his rough tongue, the young boy giggling helplessly.

“You’re wonderful Titan,” he said.

“You’re not so bad yourself Moses,” Titan mewed. Moses pinned Titan’s huge paws under his small hands then kissed the Felursaliger’s nose.

“You’re so cute Titan,” Moses said.

“Hug me if you like,” Titan mewed, Moses pushing Titan’s shoulder, the huge creature rolling onto his side, Moses scrambling between his huge paws, and into the embrace of his powerful arms. Smiling, he wrapped his arms around Titan, curling up on his side, Titan purring deeply, the sound making Moses smile broadly.

“Titan has thick black pads on his paws and feet,” Apudo observed, “they’re rather cute!” she said, lying on her side and tapping Titan’s toes with her paws, Titan curling his toes, trapping the toes of her left paw in the grip of the toes of his right foot.

“Maiaoaoaoaoow! Noaoaoaoaoaow, he’s got meyeee!” Apudo yowled, tugging on Titan’s tail with her free paw.

“uauauauauauwch! Don’t pull my tail! That huuuurts!” “ Titan yowled, wriggling and lashing out with his uppermost foot, Apudo rolling away from the reflex kick.

“Poor Titan,” Moses said, hugging the huge Felursaliger.

“Don’t pull Titan’s tail Apudo,” Sita mewed.

“I was only playing with it, tugging at it to make his toes release my paw,” Apudo miaowed.

“You hurt him!” Sita mewed, grabbing Apudo’s tail and gently tugging at it, the cub curling round and lashing out with her paws, while squealing:

“Ouauauauauauw! My taiyayayayayl!”

“Feel?” Sita asked.

“yes, I feel now!” Apudo wailed, Sita letting go of the cub’s tail.

“I’m sorry Titan!” Apudo whimpered.

“It’s all right,” Titan mewed, Getting to all four paws and padding about, getting used to his new perspective on things. Sita touched Titan’s paw, Titan collapsing onto his side to she could get paws on with his new body, Sita exploring with gentle paws, starting at his nose and ending with his feet, rubbing the thick sole pads and toe pads.

“You’re wonderful Titan,” she mewed. Purring and miaowing, Titan rolled onto his back, pedalling the air with his feet, waving his paws and lashing about with his tail. bending his tail up and back, he grabbed the tip in his paws and played with it, Sita laughing at his antics.

“Big softy Titan!” she laughed softly.

“you’re not so hard yourself,” Titan mewed, rolling over and crawling away, Sita following in his wake, her paws touching the soles of his feet, her fingers pressing into the balls of his feet as she moved her arms to keep her paws in contact with his huge warm sole and toe pads.

“I’d love to play the stuck foot game properly Sita,” Titan mewed, “I understand you’re an expert at it.”

“I’m fairly good yes,” Sita mewed. Titan led Sita to a corner of the room, there he sat down, Sita pressing her feet against his, the feet of the two Felursa’s meeting at the top of an arch made by their strong legs. Smiling, she explored his toes, which were thick and quite long. Smiling, she measured feet with Titan, her own toes reaching to the balls of his feet. Smiling, she curled her toes, gripping the thick soft pad on the balls of Titan’s feet, Titan finding his own toes curled round hers, holding them securely.

“I thought your feet would be smaller than mine,” Sita mewed.

“You thought wrong,” Titan purred, feeling Sita snuggling her toes into the strong grip of his own.

“now push Sita, push!” Titan mewed, Sita pushing with both feet, feeling Titan pushing back against her, the Felursaliger growling with effort, his growl turning into a yowl as his knees were pushed towards him, Sita’s own legs straightening as she pushed, her thigh muscles tensing with the effort. With a miaow of frustrated defeat, Titan gave up the fight. Panting, his feet hot and toes aching, he rolled over and lay on his side.

“You’re stronger than meyeee!” he yowled, gasping for breath.

“sorry,” Sita mewed, crawling to the exhausted Felursa and hugging him.

“wow Sita, that was amazing!” Titan panted.

“now can I get paws on with your feet and you get paws on with mine?” Sita asked, “we sort of forgot that you see, it’s part of the game. Once that’s done, maybe then we can play the stuck foot game.” Titan embraced Sita:

“Can we cuddle for a bit first? I’m worn out!” he panted.

“Yes,” Sita mewed, grooming Titan as if he were one of her cubs needing reassurance, Titan mewing and purring, the Felursaliger remembering the times Sita used to do the same thing when he was a lot younger.

“I remember this,” he purred, “it felt great then, and feels wonderful now dear Sita.”

“You were always a big cub,” Sita mewed softly, Titan’s mind going back to the first time he’d met the huge Felursa. It was in her playroom, and he’d been introduced to her by Baako, Titan remembering thinking Sita was a very strange creature indeed. It was when she touched him he felt her deep love for him, her touch making him want to snuggle with her forever. Her touch was one he half knew, for he’d felt echoes of it just after his birth when Patch had handled his paws. Titan learnt much later that Sita was Patch’s daughter cub.

“Okay, that’s enough of that,” Sita mewed, Titan miaowing in protest at the withdrawal of her grooming.

“Get to your feet Titan,” Sita mewed, Titan getting to his feet, Sita checking him over while he stood on all four paws, then again when he stood on his feet alone.

“You are very handsome in all situations,” Sita mewed, Titan purring deeply.

“Despite all she did to Blackberry, I’m still wondering what happened to Shandy,” Titan mewed.

“she might be a raging furypuss but, like you, I’m still concerned about her,” Sita mewed.

Shandy lay on Blackberry’s bed enduring the first contractions of labour. Catching her breath, clenching her teeth, moaning and panting, she struggled through the pains which caught her in their vice like grip, the animitronic ligress curling the toes of all four huge paws. Shandy knew contractions with which she’d have to push would make her muoaw and yowl lustily. Moaning deeply, eyes tightly shut, she thought of whom she’d like to have with her during the worst pains. Shandy’s mind kept filling with visions of Titan, along with a deep longing for his touch, but she felt she could hardly ask him. Shifting painfully on the bed, Shandy felt another contraction rip through her, Yowling, she felt her toes curl and teeth clench. Groaning deeply, Shandy rolled and writhed on the bed, pedalling the air with her huge feet and paws. Rolling onto her front, she rubbed her belly on the hammock while screaming into her paws.

“Miooaoaoaaoaowch! Uauauauauaauauauwch!” Curling the toes of her feet in agony, “it really huuuurts!” she miaowed. Turning round and Backing carefully off the bed, Shandy gained her feet and padded round the room, panting hard, moaning and growling with pain.

“What are my cubs doing in there!” she moaned, “they’re tearing meyeee to bits!” Shandy squatted as another contraction tore her apart.

“uauauauauauwch! Uauauauauauauauw!! Hauauauauauaauauauauauaowauauauauwch!” she screeched, “umf, Uuuuuuuumf! Errururururururmf!” she moaned as the last contraction eased, feeling her paws and feet damp with sweat.

“I must drink,” Shandy thought, padding to the fountain and drinking deeply.

“Are you all right Shandy?” a voice asked. Shandy, drinking deeply, suddenly felt another contraction building. Her teeth snapping shut, she took a deep breath, sniffing up water. Coughing, she endured a contraction, collapsing into a huge set of paws. Coughing, then screaming with pain and fear, Shandy gave herself up to the pain and realisation she was about to die.

“Breathe deep Shandy, deep breaths,” the voice said, Shandy crying into the voice’s fur.

“It huuuurts!” she screamed, the voice helping her back to the bed. Scrambling onto it, Shandy faught for breath.

“Slow breaths, gently now, gently,” the voice said, Shandy feeling the voice’s paws rubbing her ears.

“ouououoououaw, miaoaoaoaoaow! Miaoaoaoaoaow! Ouauauauauauw!” Shandy protested as more contractions tore through her.

“Not pushing yet,” she panted, “but oaoaoaoaoah, it won’t be long! Uauauauauw! Aoaoaoauauauauwch!” the voice ran its paws all over her body from head to sweating paws and feet, Shandy wriggling and mewing with pleasure, even though she had inner turmoil. Suddenly Shandy felt a cub wishing to be born. Groaning, she curled round and licked frantically at her birth area

“I think I neyeeed to puuuuuush noaoaoaoaoaoaaow!” Shandy whimpered, lying full length on her side, “Uuuuuuuumf, erurururururururorooooourmf, miaoaoaoaoaouurururururururmf! Auauauaurururururururmf!” Shandy moaned as she pushed four times, each effort more strenuous than the last, each effort wringing a different tone of cry from her. the first of surprise, the second of cubbish fear and pain, the third of a ligress’s need to birth her cubs, the forth, when the cub was sliding well into the world, a shrill yowl of pain and triumph. The voice helped her by stroking her and encouraging her to push with gentle words, Shandy splaying her legs as she pushed deeper into her tail with every contraction. Shandy ignored the squelching sound of the first cub’s passage, but she felt the fluid and the birth all too clearly. Panting, she tried to calm herself, the cub screaming for food. Shandy curled round and licked her cub, pulling it up to her face with desperate paws. Half way through her cleaning, she felt the stirrings of another contraction. Growling and mewing piteously she tried to concentrate on cleaning her first cub, but the contraction made her stop, clench her teeth and then open her mouth in a yowl of agony. Grunting, she curled round to lick at her birth area, convinced her second cub was near to being born. Puffing, she licked and licked, her tongue rasping dry skin, then she felt a desperate need to push. Groaning and puffing, Shandy strained into her tail, feeling the cub’s feet emerge. Sniffling, she explored the two feet with her tongue, realising the cub was breach. Lying back full length, Shandy groaned deeply as another contraction gripped her. Yowling, she curled round, grabbing the cub’s now slippery feet with her mouth and paws, straining hard, trying to pull the cub from her body. She felt the voice’s paws trying to help her, but in a fit of rage, growling and roaring with anger, she batted them away. Taking a good grip of the cub’s right foot in her mouth, the left in her paws, Shandy made a valiant effort to birth her breach cub by pushing hard down into her tail while pulling with her mouth and both paws.

“ouauauauauauw!” she yowled, straining hard into her tail, then, panting, began pulling at her cub’s feet with her paws and mouth while the contraction spent itself. Between efforts, Shandy tugged, licked and worried at the cub’s feet and tail, whimpering piteously as she was forced to the conclusion her straining effort had failed, and that she’d have to push down again. Lying full length, she pushed twice more, complaining:

“Aouaoaoaoaoaow! Yauauauauauaauauwch!” as she pushed, then curled round to worry at her stuck cub’s feet with scrabbling paws and licking tongue, making everyone who watched her want to cry. While Shandy was worrying at her cub’s feet, the cub convulsed inside her, lashing out with its paws and kicking with its feet, Shandy screaming lustily. Finally realising she was unable to free the cub by traction, Shandy lay down full length, gripped the rugs with her sweating paws, panted for breath, splayed her legs and, with a yowling roar of:

“Uuuuuuuumf, Roaooaoaoaoaoaooaoaoaoaoaoaoaaoowow!” strained into her tail as powerfully as she could. The fluid around the cub’s body squelched as Shandy forced it into the world. Half way out, the cub’s body jammed, Shandy taking a deep breath, then screeching:

“ Ouauauauauauw my cuuuub! Must Puuush!” Straining into her tail as powerfully as she could, she screeched, “Roaooaoaoaoaoaooaoaoaoaoaoaoaaoowow!” The cub’s body exploding into the world with a gush of fluid. Shandy, still screeching and yowling, pushed the cub’s shoulders, head, forelegs and paws into the world with one huge effort. Convinced there was more cub to be born, Shandy continued straining and screeching, the voice squeezing the toes of both her feet to stop her.

“the cub’s out, they’re both out!” the voice yelled, “Shandy, you did it!” Shandy, crying with relief, relaxed completely, feeling her second cub placed in her paws, its strident yowling for food nearly bursting her eardrums. Sniffling and whimpering, Shandy cleaned her second cub, then set both cubs to drinking.

“did I do the right thing?” Shandy sobbed.

“You did wonderfully Shandy dear,” the voice said.

“it hurt, it really hurt!” the ligress sniffled, “but, but the fear was worse. I nearly couldn’t give birth to my second cuuuub!” she wailed.

“You have, and you did, all unaided too, you were wonderful!” the voice said. Shandy, who’d kept her eyes closed for most of her labour, using touch to locate her second cub’s feet when fighting to free them, now looked at the owner of the voice. At first she didn’t recognise him.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Didn’t the touch of my paw tell you anything?” the strange creature asked.

“um, ah, it did, but, but, you can’t be whom the paws belonged to,” Shandy babbled.

“Why not?” the creature asked with a hint of a growl.

“the one I most wanted to see and feel comforting me would never come to me,” Shandy mewed, “and you don’t look like him either!” she blurted.

“give me your paw, close your eyes and tell me whom you feel,” the creature before her commanded. Shandy, feeling weak and disorientated, gave him her paw.

“Titan,” she mewed, as she slipped into unconsciousness, her last memory being of him kissing her nose before she slept. Titan wrapped Shandy in her blanket, tucking in her paws and feet and making sure her cubs were feeding from her supply of electricity. Titan looked at Shandy’s monitor, smiling, he walked away, the animatronic ligress recharging her batteries after her long fight to deliver two large cubs. Titan knew her cubs would be recharged by their contact with her nipples, all three getting revived in a few hours. Titan walked away feeling troubled. Had he witnessed a computer, or sentient life giving birth to two cubs? He knew the look in Shandy’s eyes when she’d tried and failed to pull her stuck cub into the world would not leave him in a hurry. Her eyes had been full of genuine fear. What had Blackberry actually created? Did the black bear even know? Titan doubted it. padding to the door, Titan heard someone vomiting into the toilet bowl in the relieving place. Padding in, he found Blackberry doubled over, crying and vomiting.

“Blackberry?” Titan asked. The black bear, his eyes red from weeping, coughed and spat.

“What have I done?” he asked miserably.

“Created life my dear chap, that’s what,” Titan mewed.

“I saw, saw, everything!” Blackberry moaned.

“now is Shandy still just a training aid?” Titan asked.

“oaoaoaoah, I don’t know now!” Blackberry wailed, washing his mouth with water. Spitting angrily, he turned to Titan, staring into the Felursaliger’s face.

“You helped Shandy, even though she wanted to claim you,” he said.

“I could hardly refuse her, she was in terrible pain and distress,” Titan mewed.

“Do you love her? even a little?” Blackberry asked.

“yes I do,” Titan mewed, “I think she doesn’t know herself yet, so she’s clinging to one she understands, one who’s likeness she was made in.”

“I made something I didn’t fully understand!” Blackberry wailed.

“now you have to live with what you made,” Titan mewed. Blackberry shook from nose to tail, Titan letting the black bear lean on him.

“I’m terrified Titan!” he whimpered.

“I think I’m about to have my cubs Blackberry,” shadow said, putting her head in at the door. Blackberry screamed and fled, racing past her and out to the woodlands.

“Who’s going to be with me during my labour?” shadow asked.

“I and Titan will,” Karina mewed, padding up to Shadow and hugging her.

“thank you,” shadow replied, “but how do you know what to do if things go wrong?” she asked.

“I’ve given birth before, and my labours have been those of a creature very like you Shadow,” Karina mewed, kissing her nose. Shadow smiled:

“I watched Felix’s birth,” she said, “it was lovely Karina. You and Sita did so well!”

“I was a cub giving birth to a cub,” Karina mewed.

“You were lovely,” shadow replied.

“My reactions were those of a cub giving birth,” Karina mewed, “my voice sounded like that of a cub, my physical reactions were that of a cub, my toes curled like a cub’s would.”

“You laboured and coped wonderfully,” Shadow replied, “I wish I will labour as well as you.”

“I will help you,” Karina mewed. Shadow took Karina’s hand and placed it on her belly, Karina feeling slight contractions.

“You’re not moaning and complaining yet,” Karina said.

“I’m bearing my pain silently,” shadow replied, “when I’m with you though Karina, I’ll let you know it hurts. I have curled my toes and grabbed my feet in my paws already. I will do more too, with you I will not hold back.” Karina padded with Shadow to her sleeping place, which resembled Shandy’s. Shadow, moaning with pain, sat down on her rug, bending her left leg and reaching desperately for her left foot with both paws. Clutching the sole pad of her left foot with both paws, Shadow wriggled and rocked, curling her toes as tightly as she could, the fierce grip of her paws on her foot making her toes curl even tighter. Panting hard, wriggling from side to side and rocking back and forth, she endured increasing contractions.

“uauauauauauwch!” shadow moaned, her eyes tightly closed, her teeth bared with the first deep consuming pain of her labour.

“umf, umf, Ouauauauauauw! Oauuououuoouw!” the she black bear complained, her side to side wriggling and back and forth rocking becoming increasingly desperate.

“oaoaoaoaoawch! Auauauauauauch!” Shadow squealed, dropping her left foot, then getting to all fours and crawling round the room, Karina following her, rubbing shadow’s sweating sole pads as the she bear crawled. From time to time, shadow stopped crawling, then, squealing:

“Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” Shadow sat back on her heels, squirming and drilling her heels into her buttocks, curling her toes with her increasing pain. Sometimes, during her kneeling sessions, Shadow would cross her ankles to dig her uppermost heel into her backside even harder, Karina thinking shadow was pressing on a nerve that helped her with her pain. Then, Panting, she’d uncross her legs, or kneel off her heels and carry on her crawl, Karina noticing how cubbish Shadow looked, her face taking on a cub like expression when she sat back on her heels to press them into her buttocks, her squeals those of a bear barely out of cubhood. Shadow repeatedly crawled and paused to sit and squeal while squirming her heels into her buttocks, or sit back hard on one heel, squirming it against the root of her tail, Karina watching shadow’s hind end for any sign of her cubs, seeing squirming buttocks, sat on heels, sweating pads and curled toes. Karina took shadow in from her nose to her toes, noticing her black fur and grey paw and foot pads, thinking the she bear very beautiful indeed. Round and round the bear crawled, Karina crawling behind, watching her every move.

Shadow, reaching her blanket for the eighth time, scrambled onto it, rolling onto her back, drawing up her knees and grabbing the backs of her thighs.

“I must crawl! But I’m aoaoaoaow here!” Shadow moaned, kicking with both feet. Groaning, she pedalled the air with both huge feet, left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, left, right, clasping her belly with her paws.

“Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Yaoaoaoaoaoach, uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” Shadow whimpered, drawing up her knees and grabbing the soles of both feet with her paws, her toes tightly curled. Wriggling convulsively, Shadow faught her feet free of her paws, grabbing her thighs with her paws, panting hard, Karina seeing the sweat breaking out on the she bear’s pads. Karina gave Shadow a drink between efforts, the bear drinking from a straw held by her. Screwing her face up in agony, shadow moaned her pain.

“uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Karina, I wan’a puuuuuush!” Suddenly she strained hard, her legs splaying as she bore down into her bottom.

“auauauauauauaoaaoaoaoaoaow!” Shadow yelled, panting hard, then squealing:

“Yeyeyeyeyeyeyeoaw!” as another contraction hit, Shadow splaying her legs, now curling and pointing her toes with every effort, Karina finding the whole thing fascinating as she circled Shadow, trying to get a good look at the she bear’s efforts from all angles while being attentive to her needs at the same time.

“leave the drink to my left, I can grab it when I wayayayayant then!” Shandy whimpered, noticing Karina’s dilemma.

“Okay,” Karina mewed, doing as she asked. Shadow groaned deeply, pushing hard into her bottom, Karina seeing fluid burst from Shadow, the she bear sitting up and leaning down to clean her birth area. Moaning, Shadow lay down on her back to push. Grunting, Shadow strained, Karina seeing something solid emerging from shadow’s body, finally recognising what she was seeing as small paws and a head. Shrieking and Grunting as the cub’s head emerged, shadow sat up, splaying her legs, bending her knees a little so her heels settled into the floor with her knees bent. Curling her toes, bending over and Reaching down with her paws, Shadow supported the cub as it emerged, pushing down into her bottom with squeals and groans of effort. When it came to the cub’s hind legs and feet, Shadow squealed:

“Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” letting everything stretch, while her paws provided support for the cub.

“there, done it!” Shadow panted when the cub’s feet slid free, swiftly Cleaning her cub up. Groaning with exhaustion, Shadow lay down on her right side to feed her newborn cub, while still clearly in labour.

“I think the next cub’s coming!” shadow moaned, lifting her left leg to allow the cub’s progress. Karina, kneeling at the she bear’s feet, held Shadow’s right foot to the floor with her left hand, while rubbing the she bear’s bunching pads and tightly curled toes with her right, watching Shadow’s straining belly and left foot, observing tightly curled toes and bunched sweating pads. Shadow wriggled as she struggled to draw up her left foot and lift that leg at the same time. Panting, Shadow slightly bent her right leg for support, drawing up her left leg and bending her knee so she could grab the heel of her left foot with her left paw to hold her leg out of the way of her emerging cub. Satisfied with her posture, Shadow curled her toes and bore down with groans and moans :

“Uuuuuuuumf! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” of effort, Karina watching the cub’s emergence with fascination. With more prolonged moans of:

“Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” Shadow gave strenuous birth to her second cub. Karina, her eyes wide, reached out towards the emerging paws and head of Shadow’s cub, catching the cub in her hands. Fascinated, Karina waited, supporting the emerging cub while intently watching the curled toes and sweating pads of Shadow’s left foot for signs the she bear was relaxing her straining efforts to deliver her cub. Shadow, well into Pushing, screamed and moaned:

“Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” WITH PAIN AND effort, struggling to prolong HER contractions by desperately straining into her bottom, prolonged push after prolonged straining push while she clung desperately to the sole of her left foot with her left paw. Karina caught Shadow’s cub, Shadow moaning and squealing “Uuuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuuumf! Uauauauauaauauauwch!” straining and wriggling until she felt the cub’s feet slide free.

“Oaoaoaoaowch, Uauauauauauauauaauow, Yeyeyeyeyeyeyeeyyeauauauauw,” Shadow moaned as her body adjusted to not pushing, “I did it!” she yelled Triumphantly.

“You did wonderfully, well done Shadow!” Karina mewed. Shadow smiled, Karina giving the second cub to Shadow, who cleaned the second cub, then began feeding her screaming cubs, who soon swapped screaming for the ursine humming purr as they got filled with the food they desired. Shadow too drank from the drink Karina had placed by her, slurping the water down, then plugging herself into her power source by placing a hat on her head, Karina laughing at her headgear.

“Don’t mock it, it keeps me topped up,” Shadow said.

“Your labour made my toes curl in sympathy with you,” Karina mewed.

“awhwhwhwh, that’s so sweet of you,” shadow replied giggling, “you really are sweet Karina.”

“Your labour mirrored mine in so many ways Shadow,” Karina mewed.

“I did what I felt was right, as did you I’m sure,” Shadow replied.

“Your feet were very eloquent of your struggle,” Karina mewed, “you did everything I did with my heels and toes, but there was something I didn’t do, and that was cross my ankles and sit back on the uppermost heel. Maybe that’s because Sita was paws on with my feet, and I didn’t feel the need.

“I can’t believe what I saw!” a voice exclaimed. Karina turned, seeing Felix staring at her and Shadow.

“How much did you see?” Karina asked.

“right from when shadow FIRST sat down and grabbed her left foot in her paws mum! It was wonderful!” Felix replied.

“I squealed like a stuck cub!” shadow whimpered.

“You did wonderfully!” Felix mewed.

“Your labour was so expressive my teeth clenched, pads sweated and toes curled with yours Shadow,” Karina mewed, “I’m glad I was kneeling or crawling for most of it.”

“did you sit back on your heels too?” Shadow asked. Karina hesitated:

“I don’t know,” she replied, “my backside does ache a bit, now you mention it.” Felix, giggling helplessly, hugged his mum.

“Mum, the only thing you didn’t do while Shadow was crawling was squeal. You did everything else in sympathy with her.”

“oaoaoaoah!” Karina replied, Felix laughing so hard he choked.

“Steady!” Karina mewed, patting her son’s back, Felix recovering slightly.

“Mum, you were wonderful!” Felix mewed.

“She was,” Shadow mewed.

“You even crossed your ankles and sat on them like Shadow did mum,” Felix laughed softly.

“I bet you saw me from close range too Felix,” Karina mewed.

“at one point I was half an arm’s length from your toes,” Felix admitted.

“but you’re part cat, so I suppose you can pad around noiselessly, you almost have licence to do so,” Karina mewed.

“You too dear mama,” Felix replied, nuzzling her cheek, Karina gulping back a sudden rush of emotions.

“Mum’s a Soppypuss, a big Soppypuss!” Felix laughed softly, Karina sniffing:

“shut up!” she laughed, wiping her eyes with her hand.

“awhwhwhwh mum!” Felix said, drying his mum’s eyes, Karina laughing merrily.

“So you had cubs too shadow?” Shandy asked, padding into the room with one of her cubs dangling from her mouth, “your cries woke me and my cub,” she mewed, placing the cub she carried on the floor.

“yes, sorry,” Shadow replied. Shandy padded up to Shadow then kissed her nose, shadow looking at Shandy and her cub.

“You have had yours too,” she said smiling.

“I did, and it was hard work Shadow,” Shandy replied.

“I know, I saw,” the she bear said.

“your cubs are lovely,” Shandy said, looking at the newborn bear cubs, who already had fur covering them from their nose leathers to the palms of their paws and soles of their small feet, where Shandy could see small thick pads covering the cubs soles and palms, fingers and toes.

“they are lovely cubs aren’t they,” a small voice said.

“pardon?” Shandy asked, looking round, staring straight into the open eyes of her youngest cub.

“I was woken by the cries of a creature in pain, so I crawled away and watched,” her youngest cub replied, unphased at his mother’s reaction to him speaking, “I saw everything too.”

“oaoaoaoah my cub can talk, and, and he’s walking on his feeyeeet!” Shandy yowled, “I didn’t think they were programmed to that level!”

“We are,” the cub sighed, “but my brother will go back to sleep to be reborn again, as that is his job.” Shandy stared at her youngest cub in astonishment.

“You came out backwards!” she yowled.

“I know, and your paws and mouth kept me alive while you faught to deliver me, my feet charge me like yours do you, your life charged mine,” the cub replied.

“oaoaoaoaoh!” Shandy yowled again, her cub smiling broadly.

“you helped me so much during my birth,” the cub purred.

“Your littermate is not yet on his paws though!” Shandy miaowed.

“No,” the cub replied, “I’m barely on mine really, but I forced myself due to my curiosity about the cries of pain, I’m glad I did too. Mum, what does it mean when my toes curl with the mama bear’s?”

“It means you sympathise with her and want to help her push, and I’m not letting you do that!” Shandy screeched.

“My toes curled so tightly I had to lie down!” the cub laughed.

“nayaoaoaoaow!” Shandy wailed.

“It’s all right Shandy,” Shadow said, “I like the thought a cub was sympathetic to me.”

“Well I don’t!” Shandy miaowed, “they’re not, not, not meant to be as sentient as meyeee!”

“Maybe getting paws on with the feet of a cub during its birth makes the cub more than just a training aid?” Titan asked, padding into the room, smiling at Shadow, padding to her, kneeling then kissing her nose.

“naoaoaoaoaoao! The cubs are mine to do with what I want, they can’t have minds of their own!” Shandy screamed.

“ah, sorry, but there was a bug in the programme,” Patch replied, Padding in after Titan, “if a mama gets forcibly paws on during a difficult birth before the cub’s body is completely free of her body, she has to care for that cub until it naturally dies. Now, if you’d let Titan get paws on and help when he tried to, rather than beating him off, the cub you bore would have remained just a training aid for your use. Of course, your first born cub of this cycle was born to be a training aid, your second? You got paws on, fighting for that cub, and when Titan tried to help, you batted him away, that’s not what a training aid does is it? the cub was charged from two sources when you touched him, his cord and his feet. if you’d left his feet alone and let Titan do his job, you would not be caring for a cub until he naturally dies now. Shandy, getting paws on with your cub in the way you did made him more than just a training aid.”

“Naoaoaoaoao! patch, you must reset him!” Shandy yowled.

“I can’t do that,” Patch replied, Shandy going mad at the news, turning on her cub and biting him, the cub shrieking and running away.

“any more displays like that Shandy, I’ll slap your paws so hard you won’t be able to feel the ground!” shadow warned. Shandy looked into the bear’s eyes, and wished she hadn’t.

“I’ll go to Shandy’s youngest cub,” Felix said, padding on his naked soled feet to the small cowering creature, kneeling and hugging him.

“What’s wrong with mum?” he asked.

“She doesn’t understand what she did when she touched your feet while giving birth to you,” Felix mewed, kissing the cub’s nose, the cub rolling onto his back, Felix kissing his paw pads, the cub chuffing with pleasure. Felix blew on the cub’s belly, the cub expressing his pleasure with delighted miaows.

“I like you,” the liger cub mewed.

“I like you too,” Felix purred, the cub grabbing Felix’s head in his paws and hugging it, Felix giggling helplessly.

“come on, let’s get you drink, and then we can curl up together,” Felix mewed, the cub following him to a drinking fountain, watching him drink, then following his example.

“My paws and mouth took in plenty of charge from mama Shandy’s fur and nipples,” the cub said.

“What should we name you little one?” Felix mewed, “you do know you won’t grow any larger don’t you?” the cub smiled:

“I’m ok with that,” the cub replied.

“I think we should name you little Raja, keeping a good name going, as Raja, sire of Haimati, is very elderly now.” The liger cub smiled, then laughed helplessly as Felix pushed him over onto his side and tickled his toes.

“Felix!” Karina snapped, “this is meant to be a solemn occasion and you play silly toe tickling games with Little Raja!”

“sorry mum,” Felix mewed, trying to rub the tickle from Raja’s right foot, further tickling the cub’s pads.

“hands off Little Raja’s feeyeeet Felix!” Karina snapped, leaping to her feet.

“Okay mum,” Felix mewed, letting go of Raja’s right foot, the cub’s whimpering and miserable expression leaving her unmoved.

“I know my name is Raja,” the cub mewed, “I can remember that, now can I get back to playing with Felix? I so love him tickling my toes then rubbing my pads!”

“Oh all right!” Karina mewed, trying hard to be angry, when in front of her the newly named liger cub and her own son cub clearly loved each other’s company.

“You did so well Shadow!” Titan said, smiling at shadow, the she bear smiling broadly.

“I did my duty,” she said, “but, I would like to try another labour, a harder one this time. Maybe a breach cub would teach me how to birth one, or maybe teach Karina or you Titan. I sense Blackberry has run off.”

“he fled, ran clear out of the room!” Titan mewed.

“he did, but, he’s back,” Blackberry said, padding wearily into the room, “if I ever make another animatronic training aid, please take me out and shoot me.” He moaned.

“Do you now hate our creation?” shadow asked.

“no, it’s not that!” Blackberry whimpered, “it’s that I can’t understand what I create!”

“shadow’s labour was amazing Blackberry!” Felix exclaimed.

“I couldn’t watch!” Blackberry whimpered piteously.

“I nearly copied her!” Felix mewed.

“You dare do that!” Karina miaowed, “the rate we’re going, what with Titan able to have cubs and all, I would not be surprised if you could too!”

“That was a very different thing, and you know it Karina,” Blackberry replied.

“Oh I know,” Karina mewed, “but it wouldn’t surprise me if Felix gave birth to a cub.”

“Philomena could give birth to my cubs,” Felix mewed.

“Naoaoaoaow, Felix, you haven’t?” Karina yowled.

“No mum!” Felix replied, “well, we have in play, she’s very expressive too, and her fur and the pads of her feet are so soft also.”

“As long as it’s still play!” Karina mewed.

“Oh yes, we used a plush version of me as the cub itself. It was so much fun to play,” Felix said.

“I never had that urge,” Karina mewed, “I suppose I was able to help others give birth to cubs from a very young age, as I was, and am still, well, connected to them, or so it seems. It was only by an act of willpower that I managed not to push with Shadow.”

“could you have?” Felix replied.

“no, as she’s a computer when all’s said and done, but, the urge was there, as it was for Titan when he saw Shandy first having her cubs,” Karina mewed.

“Do you not like us playing at giving birth to cubs then?” Philomena asked, padding into the room.

“I suppose it’s fascinating,” Karina mewed, “that’s why all cubs do it. Plus it gives them a chance to make a lot of noise and not get punished for it.”

“Gives a chance for good foot massage too,” Philomena said, Felix giggling and hugging her.

“True,” Karina mewed, “but we don’t need excuses here. Just ask, and, well, you will mostly find someone who will.”

“yes, but, there’s always the added urgency of a cub’s birth which makes the massage that much better,” Philomena replied.

“Even a pretend birth?” Titan asked.

“Oh yes, well then the massage makes you moan and pant as your pads are touched, doesn’t it Titan?” Felix replied.

“Erhrhrhr, yes, it does,” Titan mewed, laughing slightly.

“I love making labour sounds while Felix rubs my heels and arches, then panting hard as he rubs my toes,” Philomena said.

“I love copying Philomena’s example of moaning and whimpering while she rubs my pads too,” Felix laughed softly.

“You two don’t? do you? oaoaoaoaoh nayaoaoaoaow!” Karina miaowed, Philomena and Felix falling about laughing.

“Bet you and Nanulak do that too Karina,” Philomena said.

“We, um, well, I did try to imagine what it would have been like with Nanulak rubbing my pads while I gave birth to Felix,” Karina mewed, “during my dream he was there throughout, even if he was hiding, he saw everything, so rubbed my pads how I liked, all that and more.” “

Mum yelled ““ like a cub too!” Felix laughed softly, “she made a sound like “Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” Sounding like you do when you’re playing at having a cub Philomena.”

“I wasn’t playing when I made those sounds Felix!” Karina yelled, slapping him.

“I know, I heard you,” Felix mewed, rubbing his hand where Karina’s had smacked it.

“You heard me in labour?” Karina asked. “

Of course,” Felix replied, “You didn’t think I was deaf did you? I heard everything, it was amazing and you really faught for me mum. I only wish I could have had the presence of mind to help you pull my tail free like Philomena did hers.”

“I was holding you in my arms, I didn’t think you’d have a tail,” Karina mewed, “that was a shock I can tell you.”

“You made a lot of noise pushing it out,” Philomena said. “yes, I know,” Karina mewed, “I was exhausted and concerned, and could hardly hold Felix, let alone push, but push I did.”

“You squealed while Sita pulled,” Felix mewed.

“I pushed thank you!” Karina miaowed.

“You did dear Karina,” Sita mewed softly. Screeching: “

Muuum!” with surprise, Karina whirled round, “how did you creep up like that?” she asked.

“Soft padded feet, just like yours dear Karina,” Sita mewed, kissing her nose.

“yeah, but you scared meyeee!” Karina yowled. Sita hugged her daughter cub.

“I love you my dear,” she purred, Karina snuggling close to Sita.

“thank you for your help that day,” Karina mewed, “mum, I loved your touch!”

“I loved touching you too, thank you for letting me get paws on with you and dear Felix too,” Sita mewed. Karina smiled broadly:

“I loved your help and am thankful for it,” Karina mewed, “I hope you will never forget Felix’s birth mum.”

“I won’t,” Sita replied smiling. Karina smiled broadly, kneeling to kiss Sita’s paws, Raja crawling up to her exposed soles then tickling her toes with his whiskers, Karina squealing with surprise, then laughing merrily.

“That’s what grabbing him with your paws does Shandy, it gives your cub autonomy. He can copy what he sees, and hopefully get the same reaction,” Titan mewed.

“So if I’d not grabbed him, but let you do it, Raja would be like my first born?” Shandy asked.

“yes.” Titan mewed.

“But Shadow grabbed her cubs,” Shandy mewed.

“That’s how a bear gives birth,” Titan mewed, “you could have kissed Raja’s nose, but then for you it’s lie down, curl your toes and push push push, no paw contact from your paws for your cubs Shandy, if you want your cubs to be training aids. Otherwise, they end up like you.”

“So the only one who’s cubs can remain training aids if they get into trouble so mama has to help them with her paws as well as her pushing during birth is Shadow’s?” Shandy asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed, “but even she can give them autonomy if she wishes.” Shandy looked at Shadow, fury in her face.

“So I can’t struggle to free my cubs at all without having them for life?” she growled, “I thought the training aid was to stop real mamas having problems, so my struggles to save my cub would be normal! I should be able to struggle to free my cubs, but then have them reset, just like shadow can!”

It would be normal,” Blackberry said, padding into the room, “okay, Raja is here now, we can’t reset him, but Janet has rewritten the code so your cubs are not impacted by anything that you do as regards their autonomy. So you can get paws on and tug as much as you like during their births, and not be encumbered by cubs for any longer than it takes to suckle them to strength, about two weeks. You were the first written for, and now Shadow has got to go some to make her cubs as you are. You only had to touch your cubs feet while giving birth to them to make them autonomous, shadow has to go far further.” Raja looked fearful.

“You’re not going to, are you?” he asked, his paws sweating.

“No,” patch replied, “you are safe Raja, Shandy’s other cubs will be proper training aids from now on, even if she gets paws on like she did with you. she will have to sleep her cubs within two weeks though to make sure they don’t gain the autonomy sheand you have. Shandy, that is how it works, and how it works for shadow too now. Shadow will put her cubs into their rebirth sleep before they are two weeks old. Then she can rebirth them again.”

“Shadow gave amazing birth to her cubs Patch,” Raja mewed.

“I know,” patch replied, “and she will do so again, as will your mama too. You will see her do it time and time again too.”

“I haven’t seen my birth yet,” Raja mewed.

“I can show you that, if you’d like,” Patch replied. Raja padded with Patch to a screen, and soon Raja was watching Shandy in labour. His toes curled with hers, and he panted with her as she groaned her first cub into the world. The sight of Shandy struggling during His own birth made Raja paw at Patch’s arm until the bear sat down, then, whimpering, Raja scrambled into the bear’s lap, burying his face in the bear’s warm fur for fear of the sound.

“Watch her Raja, you know she manages to get the cub out, for that cub’s you,” patch said. Raja, sick with fright, watched Shandy’s struggles, his toes curling as the ligress tugged and strained to deliver him. When she finally realised that tugging wouldn’t work, and lay down to push as hard as she could, Raja found himself lying in Patch’s lap, bracing his paws against the bear’s chest, feet against his right leg, pushing as hard with his paws and feet as the ligress on screen pushed to deliver him. Shandy’s scream, pleading for her cub made Raja choke back tears.

“Watch, watch the cub come,” Patch said, stroking Raja’s shoulder, down his side, to his hip, then down his leg to his foot, the liger cub lifting his foot so Patch’s paw embraced it, then pushing hard into his pads with the whole of his foot, favouring his toes, which he braced even harder, the cub pushing as hard as he could.

“It’s hard isn’t it,” Patch said, stroking the now sweating liger cub.

“yes,” Raja mewed, “but I won’t be scared now, let me watch it again.” Patch did, Raja staring open mouthed as patch showed the angle from Titan’s point of view, Raja seeing Shandy’s feet with their curled toes and her straining legs. Then the first cub’s emergence and then his own, accompanied by her curling round to grab him with her mouth and paws. Raja saw everything, and when it was over, he collapsed back into patch’s hug, the bear kissing the top of his head, then rolling him onto his back then kissing his paws and feet, the liger cub smiling broadly.

“you will never grow any bigger than you are now,” Patch said, “Raja, you will physically be a cub for life, are you okay with that?”

“As long as I’m protected, then yes,” Raja replied, “I don’t mind others finding my paws and feet cute you know, it gets me plenty of pad rubs, which I like.” Patch laughed at this, hugging the liger cub.

“Do you think Adults with big feet don’t like having their feet rubbed?” he asked.

“I think you do,” Raja mewed, “and I think Titan does too.”

“We do,” patch replied.

“I think Felix and Philomena do too,” Raja mewed.

“We do, Philomena especially,” Felix said, walking up to patch and looking over his arm to where Raja lay in the bear’s lap.

“Did Philomena love it when you rubbed her feet while she gave pretend birth to that plush of your kind?” Raja asked.

“she loved it very much,” Felix mewed. Raja got up and padded to Shandy, who looked at him.

“So I’ll be stuck with you for life?” she asked.

“What?” Raja enquired, his face full of sorrow, “you faught for me so much, but you don’t want me now?” Shandy looked at the fat little cub.

“I didn’t intend to give you life, just push you into the world,” she growled, “now I’m stuck with you!” she yowled.

“You have to feed him for another week, then we can put him on a bottle,” Blackberry replied, “then, after a week on that, he can charge using light, or the paw mittens and blanket like you do,” the bear concluded.

“can I still have the bottle if I want it?” Raja asked.

“Of course,” Blackberry replied, “I’m just telling you when you’ll be off Shandy’s charge that’s all.”

“if you didn’t intend to give Raja life, why did you fight so long and hard for him?” Titan asked.

“I don’t know!” Shandy yowled.

“maybe it is because you truly do want a real cub,” Raja mewed, sidling up to Shandy. Shandy felt his warmth, then his tongue licking her ear, the feeling soothing her, despite her desperate attempts to hold onto her anger.

“would you like me to show you your fear and terror Shandy?” Blackberry asked, “I can you know.”

“Noaoaoaow!” Shandy miaowed, fiercely grooming Raja, the cub purring and waving his paws about, Shandy kissing her son cub’s pads, purposefully getting her head in the way of Raja’s waving paws so he smacked her nose with the pads of his paws, his toes brushing through her whiskers.

“if you have two more cubs, I can urge you to push mama push!” Raja said, Shandy laughing merrily.

“I would love that,” she replied.

“do you have another cub for Shandy Blackberry?” Patch asked.

“Now I can grab my cub’s feet without giving them life?” Shandy asked.

“yes, all you need to do to give them life now is to stop their growth into sentient ligers by putting them to rebirth sleep within two weeks,” Patch replied, “yours and Shadow’s programmes are the same now.” Shandy smiled broadly at this.

“I almost want to give birth to cubs right now,” Shandy mewed.

“You can,” Blackberry replied, “Shadow can too. All we need to do is put your cubs to sleep, and then we can implant them, and you can start the labour yourself, or we can choose it for you.”

“make it hard for me,” shadow replied, “I’ve had an easy one, I want a hard, screaming effort this time, a real toe curler which makes my pads sweat and me wriggle and struggle, crawl about and groan lustily.”

“We can,” Blackberry replied.

“My first cub came so easily really,” Shandy mewed, “my second, the one we now call Raja,” she suddenly sat down, as if the memories were too much. Gripping the floor with the toes of all four paws, Shandy yowled: oaoaoaoaoh! His birth hurt. It was then I felt fear for him, when it really hurt, and I couldn’t do a thing but puuuuuush!” she exclaimed.

“You did well Shandy,” Titan mewed.

“I want to do it again!” Shandy yowled.

“Okay,” Blackberry said, Shandy putting her paws on the head of her eldest cub, the cub going quickly to sleep, Shandy herself quickly lying down and sinking into a deep sleep. Shadow, smiling, did the same to her two cubs, sliding into sleep herself. Blackberry prepared the black bear and ligress, filling their water and fluid tanks, placing the cubs inside them, connecting the cubs to their mother’s power supplies, then plugging both creatures into the charging blankets by wrapping them up and tucking in their paws, while Raja watched enchanted.

“So mum and shadow will wake and then give birth to their cubs?” he asked.

“yes Raja,” Blackberry replied, “though we can wake them with contractions if we want, they and their cubs are ready for the labours to start. The cubs were almost fully charged anyway.”

“I saw Shadow’s face and feet, her face screwed up and her toes curled as she pushed!” Raja mewed.

“I know,” Blackberry replied smiling, “it’s good isn’t it. facial expressions and all that.”

“yes,” Raja mewed, “were shadow’s and mum’s paws damp Blackberry? Shadow’s looked it when she pushed.”

“yes, they were,” Blackberry replied, “you can touch them if you like while she’s in labour, shadow won’t mind.”

“Can I catch mum’s cub as it’s born?” Raja asked.

“yes,” Blackberry replied, as Shandy, then Shadow woke.

“Am I ready to give birth to my cubs?” Shadow asked.

“you are, as and when you want, unless you want a complete surprise.” Blackberry replied.

“It could be a surprise,” shadow replied, “I will leave it to you, as will Shandy I think.”

“I waaaaant to go into labour Naoaoaoaow!” Shandy yelled, leaping to her feet and stamping them in a very cub like display which made Raja and Felix laugh.

“give her a hellish labour for that,” shadow remarked.

“she might have one, I don’t know,” Blackberry replied.

“I’m looking forward to my labour,” shadow said, “I’m built for it, labouring is what I do, giving birth is what my job is.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing how you cope with it,” Blackberry said.

“drilling my heels into my bum really helped Blackberry,” Shadow said.

“it really helps doesn’t it Shadow?” Karina mewed.

“It does,” shadow replied giggling.

“it looks very cute too,” Felix mewed.

“it’s a real squirming struggle,” Shadow replied.

“I saw you doing that several times,” Karina mewed, “sit down hard on your heels, curl your toes wriggle wriggle wriggle,” she mewed, “cross your ankles, sit down hard on the back of one heel, curl your toes, wriggle wriggle wriggle.”

“yes, I did that, it felt wonderful!” Shadow replied.

“You grabbed your feet with your paws too, that’s also very cute,” Raja mewed, “though the best bit for me that showed your effort was when you grabbed the backs of your legs and pushed while curling and pointing your toes, while splaying your legs.

“that was just me in pain,” shadow replied, very little pushing got done then, only when I sat up did the cub really come down. I tried lying on my back and lifting my feet because I remembered lying on my back in water, my feet in the air, that was soothing,” Shadow said, “I stretched my legs then too, splaying them and pointing my toes while in the bath, that was before I came to Titan and Blackberry to tell them I was in labour. The truth was, I’d done everything I did while here once before while in my tub. I thought I could labour alone, but soon realised I couldn’t. dragging myself on paws and knees from the tub, I crawled to the drying place, lying there till I was dry, then got to my feet, ignoring my painful contractions. I padded to Blackberry’s work room, and Karina found me.”

“Didn’t anyone see you?” Karina asked.

“No, there are no cameras in my private bathroom, where shadow had closeted herself,” Blackberry replied. Shadow nodded.

“I laboured for hours in there,” she said.

“and now you’re going to do it all again,” Felix mewed, crawling up to the she bear’s right foot and taking it in his hands, rubbing her sole from toe pads to heel, the she bear sitting up and curling her toes when she could. Tighter and tighter she curled her toes as Felix rubbed her thick sole pad.

“I like that!” shadow gasped, squirming and rocking with pleasure, pushing her foot into the grip of Felix’s hands, Felix laughing merrily.

“rub my foot! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, Uuumf, uauauauauauwch! I think my labour’s starting already!” shadow wailed, panting hard.

“is it?” Felix asked, rubbing the sweating sole pad of her right foot.

“Uauauauauw, Yeyeyeyeyes!” shadow moaned, rocking and wriggling. Suddenly she spun onto her knees and crawled, Felix following her.

“rub my feeyeeet!” shadow whimpered, “that’s it, Uuumf, ruururururumf! Rub, rub my toes and sole pads,” she panted as Felix began massaging her hot damp soles, “that’s good, that’s good!” the she bear moaned, sitting back hard on her heels, squirming them into her backside and wailing:

“The contractions are coming really hard nayaoaoaoaow! Yuuuuuuumf! Uauauauauauauauw!” Felix watched Shadow’s struggles, as the she bear crossed her right leg over her left, sitting back on her right heel that was now uppermost of the two, drilling her right heel hard into her backside, her toes curled and pads bunched with pain and effort.

Uauauauauauauawowowowowowowowoauch!” she screamed lustily, sitting back hard on her right heel, squirming desperately. Wriggling her legs uncrossed, she crawled away, Felix following her.

“it’s hurting isn’t it,” Felix mewed.

“it really huuuurts!” Shadow sniffled. Felix inspected Shadow’s curled toes and bunched pads as she squirmed and rocked her buttocks against her heels.

“I’m coming round to your front,” Felix mewed.

“nayaoaoaoaow!” shadow protested, “stay there Felix, behind me is more interesting, and you can ruuuub my feeyeeet!” she yelled, “umf, ruururururumf, uuuuush!” she gasped.

“Okay, I will shadow,” Felix mewed, drawing circles on the sole pad of her sweating left foot.

“rub in circles with two fingers, don’t use one, that’s sure to tickle her foot,” Titan mewed, observing the squirming gasping she bear and the Felursapien cub comforting her.

“this really huuuurts! Uauauauauw, uauauauauauauauw! I must push harder!” Shadow squealed, rolling onto her back, drawing up her legs, grabbing the soles of both feet with her paws and drawing her knees to her chest, pulling hard on both feet with both paws while desperately rolling from side to side.

“Try to relax Shadow, don’t force your cubs,” Felix mewed.Squealing:

“I don’t want heyeyeyeyeyeyelp, I can do this alone, paws off!” Shadow took a fresh grip on her feet and pulled her knees tighter into her chest, rolling faster and squirming harder, her toes curled as tightly as she could curl them. Dropping her paws back to her thighs, Shadow let her feet kick free. Kicking hard and wailing with agony, shadow, her toes now tightly curled, let go of her legs and thrust at the air with both feet while punching the air with her paws, which she had balled into fists:

“Ouauauauauauw! Ouauuauauoauoauoauoauowch! Yauauauauauaauauwch! Hururururururumf! Umf! Ruururururumf!” Shadow squealed lustily.

“Is the cub coming along?” Raja asked.

“Not very easily since she’s lying on her back,” Blackberry said, “but shadow will try crawling about in a bit. She’ll sit back on her heels too. This is just a phase, she wanted a difficult labour, and has forgotten everything she learnt during her last one. Someone should be advising her, but she’s in wild den mode, so won’t listen to advice, but you can comfort her by rubbing her feet if you can get hold of them.”

“can Shadow hear our conversation?” Raja asked.

“No, she’s in her own world,” Blackberry replied, “she’s coping alone, after all, she wanted a difficult labour. She will come to you when she realises she can’t cope alone. She knows you’re there, but is stubborn about having her cubs unaided. Panting, Shadow grabbed her feet in her paws and wriggled convulsively. The wriggling made her moan in pain, but must have also sparked an idea, for she let go of her feet and began to pedal the air, left right, left right, her body rolling side to side with her pedalling.

“Must puuuuuush! Ouauauauauauw! I can feel the cub coming, must puuuuuush!” shadow roared, struggling to push down, “Uuumf! Ruuuuuumf!” she moaned as she strained, rolling onto her knees and crawling round the room, Felix hands on with the soles of her feet once more. Moaning and gasping, Shadow crawled and crawled, then stopped to sit back on her heels and wriggle, then crawled some more.

“This feels better,” she panted as she circled the room, Shandy and the others watching her intently.

“The cubs are nowhere near being born yet,” Blackberry replied, “Shadow’s in for a long labour. Indeed, if she’d not actively pushed, she would be feeling more comfortable now.”

“What’s that?” Shadow asked, “I should not have pushed while lying on my back?”

“No, not really,” Blackberry replied, “you have exhausted yourself for no reason, that pushing while lying on your back comes much later. Now is time for crawling and letting others rub your feet, and maybe some sitting and rocking. also lying on your side might help too. But I’d recommend no more lying on your back holding your feet with your paws, not yet anyway, later, when the cubs are nearly ready to be born, then you can. If you want to kick rather than crawl, then that’s okay too.”

“I need to crawl!” Shadow moaned.

“can you describe shadow’s feet to me Titan?” cub Ekaterina asked, crawling into the room.

“But of course,” Titan mewed, “shadow, can cub Ekaterina get paws on with your feet?”

“Uuuuuuuumf, oaoaoaoaoah, yes, yes, get paws, paws on, Ouauauauauauw! I’d like that, ush, ush uuuuush!” Shadow replied. Titan and cub Ekaterina followed Shadow, shadow trying to crawl slowly. Cub Ekaterina got paws on with the soles of shadow’s feet as the bear crawled, and while she sat back on her heels and drilled them into her backside.

“Shadow’s sole pad and toes are light grey when she’s relaxed, but darker grey now, how do they feel to you?”

“Soft and warm,” cub Ekaterina said, sitting back on her own heels and squirming with Shadow.

“You’re copying her Ekaterina,” Titan said, the bear cub laughing merrily.

“I’ll bet my namesake is doing the same,” she laughed softly.

“Little Ekaterina is,” patch replied grinning, watching Moses and little Ekaterina playing in their flat, “Sally and Jenny are doing what Shadow is too, it’s rather sweet!”

“Keep ruuubing my feeyeeet!” Shadow moaned, “I like that, ruuuub my toooes too, please!” she groaned. Cub Ekaterina got paws on, rubbing and drawing in circles, shadow sitting back hard on her heels, squirming, moaning and panting, her paws flat on the floor, pushing her bum hard onto her heels.

“the cubs aren’t even far down yet,” Blackberry said, “my monitors which I put onto Shandy and Shadow tell me that Shandy’s labour is at small contractions, Shadow’s are getting harder and longer, but shadow’s cubs are not ready to be born yet. Every mistake she makes sets her back a bit.”

“how long can labour last for?” Ekaterina asked.

“Days,” Blackberry replied, “Shadow can have some painful contractions, but they’re not very powerful, even though they are long. Shandy’s labour can ease off too, her cubs will be okay.” Shadow panted and wriggled, then breathed more easily as the round of contractions eased.

“Why didn’t Shadow relax during the time she lay on her back?” Titan asked.

“Shadow can push voluntarily, that’s what she was doing,” Blackberry replied, “she’s now learning to go with her body rather than forcing it. she first went with her body, but then rolled onto her back and tried to force her cubs into the world, they weren’t ready and all her efforts did was hurt and exhaust her. She will learn by relaxing, and learn what real urges to push are. Her voice will tell you when she is really pushing, she won’t scream, she’ll groan deeply, a proper deep groan of effort.”

“Moses, Jenny, Sally, Little Ekaterina and Janet, as well as two pandas, Xingjuan and Kuaizi are playing at being shadow too,” patch laughed softly. “there’s lots of curling toes, sitting back on heels and squirming going on.”

“They love to act out what they see,” Titan replied smiling.

“But I’m nooaoaoaot acting!” Shadow whimpered. drawing in her paws, pushing back, closing her eyes, sitting back on her heels, her toes curled with effort and pain, Shadow wriggled, screeching:

“Uauauauauw! Aouwwowowowowch!” Shadow drilled her heels into her backside harder than ever, curling her toes while wriggling and pushing hard down.

“I muuuuust crawl now,” Shadow groaned piteously, lifting her buttocks off her heels and crawling, cub Ekaterina, who’d been paws on with Shadow’s wriggling struggles throughout, following shadow closely, rubbing Shadow’s toes as the she bear crawled round the room.

“What’s going on in here?” Sita asked, padding into the room.

“Shadow’s having cubs,” Shandy mewed.

“Hmm,” Sita replied, “I could pretend too, but of course there would be no cub at the end.”

“Is there an animatronic Felursa?” Shandy asked.

“No, just a plush one,” Sita mewed, “at least I think there’s no animatronic version of me. The plush version is scary enough, right down to the slightly toughened pads on my feet, I’d not like to meet an animatronic version of myself!” Sita protested. shadow suddenly moaned:

“Cub’s moving down now, ouauauauauauw!” Sitting back on her heels, she screeched:

“I wan’a puuuuuush!” getting to her paws and knees and pushing hard down into her bottom, “Uauauauauw! Uauauauauauauauw!” she complained while straining hard twice, Then, taking a deep breath, Shadow strained with no sound at all, just the sound of her catching her breath and a slight scuffling as she braced her weight on her paws and splayed her legs.

“Uuuuuuuumf!” she moaned when she’d come to the end of her first effort, “let’s try that again when there’s another contraction! Umf, umf, Uuuuuuuumf, here goes!” this time Shadow screamed:

“Yayayayayayaayyah! ruururururumf! Yayayayayayaayyah!” as she strained hard into her bottom, her contraction prolonged, forcing her into further efforts, Shadow pushing three times with her contraction.

“that was awful!” Shadow panted when the contraction eased, wriggling hard as she came down from her efforts.

“Your breath holding didn’t help,” Blackberry remarked, “groaning did though, followed by squealing your head off. So groaning and breathing helps best.” Shadow gripped the floor with her paws and moaned through another contraction, pushing down hard, sweat flying from her fur and pads as she wriggled between efforts, the palms of her paws and soles of her feet damp with the sweat of her struggles. Eyes closed, wriggling and straining, Shadow moaned:

“Yuuuuuuumf! Uuuuuhuuuuuowmf!”

“Shadow’s really pushing now,” Blackberry said. Shadow sat back on her heels, pressing her backside against them when Fluid suddenly burst from her, the she bear squealing with surprise, then grunting as she pushed.

“A cub’s not far now,” Blackberry said as Shadow, eyes still closed in concentration, rolled onto her back, drew her knees up and grabbed her thighs with her paws, splaying her legs, her toes curling with the pain and effort of her labour. Squirming and squealing, Shadow endured the beginnings of her contraction, then, when it peaked, she sat up, dug her heels into the floor, bearing down with a prolonged :

“Yuuuuuuurf!” of effort. Shadow repeated this many times, rocking back and forth from lying on her back, knees drawn up, legs wide apart, toes curled, her voice telling the world of her pain, to sitting and straining with increasingly desperate groans of effort, her heels braced hard into the rugs as she curled her body into a ball while straining, her toes curled, paws flat on the floor between her feet. Cub Ekaterina got paws on as best she could with the struggling she bear, touching her sweating paws and feet and her rocking and wriggling body.

“aauauauaauauauauuw! Aoooooow! Aouwch! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” shadow complained in a strident squeal as she lay on her back, wriggling and kicking with drawn up knees, “Ruuuuuumf! Uuuuuuuumf! Heuuuuuumf! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” Shadow groaned as she sat, straining hard into her bottom, then with a yell, went back to lying on her back, drawing up her legs and holding her thighs or the soles of her feet with her paws, gripping the tense muscles of her legs or bunched sole pads with desperate strength. As Sita and Ekaterina got paws on with her, and everyone else watched, Shadow moaned and sat up, straining down harder than ever into her bottom.

“Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh Uuuuuuuumf! Ururururumf! uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” Shadow moaned as she pushed, her paws cradling the cub’s emerging head, Shadow panting out the cub’s head, flexing her toes as she panted and squealed the cub’s head into the world. As the cub’s body began to emerge, Shadow groaned deeply, pushing the rest of her cub into the world with moaning efforts, desperately curling her toes with every effort.

“Uuuuuuuumf! Ruururururumf! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” she complained as she struggled, her cub easing out inch by inch. Shadow grabbed her cub in both paws, pulling at the cub as she strained, the cub slowly emerging unlike her first labour, when the cub’s body slipped out easily. Grunting and moaning with effort after five minutes of struggle to deliver the cub’s body, shadow strained deeply into her bottom to expel the cub’s hips, then, squealing and grunting as the cub’s hips jammed, bore down to expel them, its legs and feet coming with a rush as Shadow cradled the cub in her paws, pulling as she pushed.

“Just the cub’s feet to come now, gently push, gently,” Blackberry urged, shadow moaning as she squeezed down gently, her cub’s feet coming free with a squelch of fluid. Gasping, Shadow grunted to her now lustily screaming cub, who reached up to her with its paws, shadow rolling onto her back, then cleaning the cub with urgent licking.

“My difficult labour is not over,” shadow moaned, “I think I’m due a breach cub, I’ll push and see.” While shadow cleaned her cub, lying on her back as she was, she couldn’t help pedalling the air with her feet while her paws held her newborn cub, Titan’s eyes shining at the scene.

“I like that,” he said, waving a huge paw at Shadow, “such a cute view of a mama cleaning her cub, her feet kicking with the intensity of her concentration.”

“I wonder when shadow will have to put her cub down and attend to herself as her second cub emerges,” cub Ekaterina said, paws on with shadow’s left foot, shadow bracing her foot against Ekaterina’s paws.

“Oaoaoaoaoaow! I think, think there’s more contractions, muuuuust push, ouauauauauauw!” shadow whimpered, rolling onto her side and placing her newborn cub on the floor. Moaning, she rolled onto her back and pulled her knees to her chest, grabbing the soles of her feet with her paws, wriggling and puffing:

“It’s Oaoaoaoaowch! It’s huuuurting! Ouauauauauauw!” Shadow squealed, letting go of her feet, grabbing the backs of her thighs and splaying her legs as she suffered.

“cub’s coming Naoaoaoaow!” she moaned piteously, grabbing her feet with her paws and screeching: “Oaoaoaoaow Uauauauauw! Ouauauauauauw! muuuuust puuuuuush!” Wriggling convulsively, Shadow dropped her feet, grabbing her thighs, Shadow grunted with effort, straining hard into her bottom, splaying her legs in her efforts.

“that’s it, sit up and push, then lie back and relax, sit up and push!” Blackberry encouraged. Shadow rocked back and forth, sitting up and pushing, then lying back, drawing up her legs and grabbing her thighs, splaying her legs, wriggling and kicking as the cub was pushed down, then sitting up, repeating the whole thing over and over, moaning and squealing as she pushed and relaxed. Suddenly Shadow roared as Fluid burst from her and her cub’s feet emerged, stretching her. Shrieking, she sat up, bearing down as hard as she could, the cub’s feet and bottom visible when she pushed to her limit. Reaching down with both paws, Shadow caught the cub’s feet and pulled as she bore down, the she bear screaming as she strained, her heels dug into the floor, wriggling between efforts as she struggled. Shadow’s final effort which freed the cub from her body was a forceful straining push accompanied by a screaming yell, Shadow pushing with her heels, throwing herself backwards as her cub’s head and paws came free, the cub lifted in her paws. Shadow hugged her cub to her chest, her feet lifting off the floor and pedalling the air as she licked her cub dry.

“I need food too! Oi!” the first cub screamed, shadow putting down her second cub, crawling over and grabbing her first from Raja, who’d begun to play with the bear cub’s small paws.

“Oi Raja, paws off!” Shadow growled, slapping the liger cub’s paws off her cub’s, which Raja had begun to tickle, the bear cub wriggling and giggling with pleasure.

“Maybe I can tickle your toes mama shadow!” Raja miaowed, leaping at the she bear’s feet and tickling her toes, shadow rolling onto her side and cuffing him hard with her paw, yelling:

“Off my toooes too!” Blackberry, Shandy, Titan and cub Ekaterina laughing merrily.

“that was so funny!” Titan miaowed.

“It wasn’t!” shadow replied, backing up to her youngest cub so Raja couldn’t get at her toes.

“I love those toes, they’re so ticklable!” Raja mewed, Shadow growling:

“Leave my toes alone!”

“ Raja, his eyes shining, padded to Shadow then kissed her nose, the she bear unable to use her paws to retaliate as she was hugging her cubs while they nursed.

“Go away you horrible little half-bred cat!” Shadow yelled.

“that’s horrid!” Titan growled.

“yes, it is, sorry,” Shadow said, sitting down, her cubs scrambling into her lap. Hugging them in her arms, she wiggled her toes at Raja, her soles now visible to the liger cub. Raja pounced on her toes, shadow laughing merrily as he tickled her toes and sole pads. Raja lay down paw pad to sole pad with shadow, rubbing the sole of her right foot with his left paw, the she bear curling her toes with pleasure.

“I like that,” she said.

“I’d like that too,” patch said, “by the way, shadow, your labour was re-enacted by all the humans and two bears too. I think Lihua is going to have a cub very soon too, as I think Xingjuan said something to Kuaizi that her mum would be doing this for real soon.”

“yes, I will,” Lihua replied, padding into the room, “my cub’s nearly ready to be born, Nanuq and I, well we liked having Xingjuan so much that we’d go for another cub.”

“You gave birth very well Lihua,” patch said, getting to his feet and paws, padding to her and rearing onto his feet, the panda polar cross bear rearing onto her feet, the two bears embracing.

“We were enjoying imitating shadow,” Moses said, padding in silently on his thickly padded bare feet, “why did she have to stop her labour?”

“she had to stop sometime Moses,” Blackberry replied, “but that doesn’t mean you and your friends can’t continue it.”

“We took turns sitting back on our heels and squirming, each helping the other through their acting, it was great!” the boy said, “Jenny and Sally were brilliant!”

“I bet they were,” Blackberry replied.

“Even little Ekaterina had a go, but she was too interested in helping me to really get into it. she kept tickling my toes!” Moses complained.

“I saw that!” Patch laughed softly.

“it put me off!” Moses ranted, Lihua turning to him and hugging him in her large ursine embrace, Moses standing on tiptoe to press himself harder into her hug.

“I really want to tickle Moses heel pads, but, that would be so wrong!” Titan said.

“yes it would,” patch replied, bouncing on his toes, “but you can tickle mine,” he said, kneeling, offering Titan the soles of both his huge feet. Titan drew circles on Patch’s pads, the huge grey bear wiggling and curling his toes with pleasure, Titan then blowing on his sole pads and toes, patch sitting back on his heels, bouncing hard, then, to Titan’s delight, the grey bear sat down properly, grabbing each foot in turn, massaging and scratching at his thoroughly tickled sole pads and toes with both paws, curling and stretching his toes as he worked on his sole pads, then grabbing each toe in turn and scratching the tickled pad.

“You look very cubbish when doing that,” Titan mewed.

“I feel it, but can’t help it,” patch replied.

“Patch was the cutest big cub in the community as far back as I can remember,” cub Ekaterina said, “I met him when he was fully grown, and even then he had the pads of a cub. I doubt anything has changed.” Patch knelt and drilled his heels into his buttocks like Shadow had, cub Ekaterina getting paws on with his struggles.

“Were you drilling your heels into your bum like Shadow Patch?” cub Ekaterina asked.

“yes,” Patch replied, “for a while anyway, for most of it I just sat, but there were parts when, well, I couldn’t help sitting back on my heels and squirming.”

“You feel our pain just as much as Karina or Titan do,” Lihua said, kneeling then kissing Patch’s nose.

“I do,” patch replied, “I could push with any of you, but I stop myself, though sometimes it’s a hard won victory of my rational mind over my urge.”

“I wish someone had pushed with me,” shadow replied, “it was awful pushing on my own.”

“I can only push with those who are mortal,” Patch replied, “those who have real spirit rather than animatronic life, I’m sorry shadow.”

“I thought you’d say that,” shadow replied sadly, “I suppose I am just a training aid when all’s said and done. I can strain and push, and scream and roar, and exhaust myself, but I can be reset and revived, you mortal life forms can’t, when you die, you die, so powers like Patch’s have to be there for the times of need.”

“Are you saying Patch is ever living now?” Sita asked.

“I was given an extra boost when I inherited sire Orbon’s body,” Patch replied, “I don’t know how long that will give me on this earth.”

“Hopefully a long time yet,” cub Ekaterina said, “I have a lot to learn from you patch, but I don’t expect you to be my guardian, for I cannot bear to disappoint you a second time.”

“We are all your guardians, as you are a community cub,” patch said, turning to cub Ekaterina and stroking her naked back from her shoulders to the small of her back.

“Your touch makes me want to crawl into your lap and curl up,” she said, patch smiling and sitting down.

“come then,” he said, clapping his paws, cub Ekaterina crawling to him, finding his feet, then feeling round to his right leg, then scrambling in over his right leg, pulling her body over his legs until her paws touched his left leg, drawing up her knees, then curling up in his massive warm lap.

“if I sit in your lap, you could rub my feet,” cub Ekaterina said. Patch put his huge right arm around Ekaterina’s body, his paw over her belly, while she drew up her legs, bending them, Patch pressing the palm of his huge left paw against the soles of her small feet.

“this is lovely Patch,” cub Ekaterina sighed contentedly.

“Push with those feet Ekaterina,” Patch said, Ekaterina bracing her feet against his paw and arm, Patch able to stop her pushing his arm sideways without effort.

“Uuuuuuuumf! Ururururumf!” cub Ekaterina moaned in her efforts, pushing hard with both feet, then alternate feet, left right, left right until she gave up in exhaustion.

“You’re now a cub Ekaterina,” patch reminded her, drawing circles on the small sole pad of her right foot.

“I know, I knoaoaoaow! Stoaoaoap tickling my fooooot!” she giggled helplessly.

“If I tickle your foot, I can then rub the tickle from your pads,” patch said, Cub Ekaterina smiling.

“yes,” she purred, “that is the really nice bit, though you tickling my foot is nice too.” Patch looked at the naked female cub, taking her in from her ears to her soft padded paws and feet.

“These hind pads haven’t touched the floor yet have they,” he said, “but your knees and paws have.”

“Yes,” cub Ekaterina replied, “it’s cold now too patch, the autumn is coming in, and I’m freezing!”

“would you like to be dressed from neck to feet in a warm suit?” Patch asked.

“Don’t cover my paws and feet,” Ekaterina said, “I don’t want to lose touch with the world.” Patch kissed Ekaterina’s nose and paws, the cub snuggling close to him.

“would you like to wear a suit?” he asked.

“Like furball does?” Ekaterina asked.

“Yes,” patch replied, “we can make it so the wrists and ankles are elasticated so there’s no strap tight across your sole pads or squeezing your toes”

“I’d like that,” the she bear cub replied. Patch picked cub Ekaterina up in his paws and carried her to the family lie up, and to his private room. There he set her down on the bed, where she sat looking very naked and vulnerable. Smiling, he turned away, rummaging in a cupboard for a suit. Finding it, he turned back to Ekaterina, measuring her by eye for the suit. Patch wrapped her up in a warm blanket, cub Ekaterina tucking her paws and feet into the warm folds of the blanket while Patch did something with the suit, which involved a noisy fan and some heat. Turning back to her, Patch helped cub Ekaterina into the suit, easing the legs of the trousers over her own legs until her small feet emerged from the trouser bottoms, Cub Ekaterina having to help him by pushing her feet through the rather tight elasticated holes in the ends of the trouser legs, her ankles gripped firmly but comfortably by the elasticated cuffs. Patch asked:

“Can you pull the trousers up yourself Ekaterina?” cub Ekaterina did so, finding they were a snug fit. Sealing the Velcro fastenings on the trousers, she found herself cocooned in warmth from her hips to her ankles. Patch then helped her on with the jacket, the whole thing velcroing closed round her hips, Ekaterina cocooned in warmth from neck to ankles.

“If your feet and paws do get cold, there are socks and mittens for you, oh and a silly hat too,” Patch said.

“I won’t wear the silly hat,” cub Ekaterina said.

“Can you crawl about in that suit?” Patch asked.

“If you would help me to the floor, I will try,” the polar bear cub replied. Patch helped cub Ekaterina to the floor, and she tried crawling about, finding it easy, that the suit moved with her and didn’t slip, just like wearing a second skin.

“I like this,” cub Ekaterina said, “I can feel the air on the soles of my feet and carpet under my paws. The rest of me is very warm, but, oaoaoaoah! There’s a wind coming from somewhere to my left, and now my head’s cold!” she yelled.

“Shall I get you that hat?” patch asked. Cub Ekaterina felt a warm hat placed on her head, wondering how patch got everything so warm.

“I can still hear!” she exclaimed.

“the hat was made with little bears in mind,” patch replied.

“It keeps my head warm without making me deaf!” Ekaterina squealed delightedly, rolling over onto her back, kicking the air while clapping her paws.

“that’s very cute indeed,” patch replied. Ekaterina grabbed the brim of her hat with her small paws, stretching it until it caught on her nose, Patch laughing so hard he had to sit down. Ekaterina, feeling the hat blocking her nose, squealed with fright, bracing her paws against the brim of the hat, trying to pull the hat off her head. With an open mouthed cubbish squeal of angry dismay, the naked footed polar bear cub rolled about on the floor, kicking with both feet, crossing her legs, curling and uncurling her toes, curling and stretching her body in increasingly desperate attempts to free her nose, all this accompanied by bad tempered infantile squealing and screeching. Lying on her back after ten minutes of intense struggle, panting hard, cub Ekaterina gave herself up for lost. Exhausted and frightened, anger was soon replaced by fear and terror, cub Ekaterina venting her distress in an almost constant cubbish scream of rage and fear.

“now let me get you free,” patch replied, trying not to laugh, as he could hear cub Ekaterina’s distress was now very real.

“come here,” Patch said, crawling up to the distressed cub, sitting and gathering her into his lap. Smiling, he gently stretched the hat until her ears and nose popped out of the hat.

“there,” Patch said softly, hugging the whimpering polar bear cub.

“the hat got stuck on my nose, then I tangled my toes!” cub Ekaterina wailed.

“I saw,” Patch replied, “Maybe it isn’t such a good idea to stretch the hat down until it catches on your nose?”

“My paws weren’t strong enough to make the hat go away!” the polar bear cub yelled.

“that was very funny,” Patch replied.

“nayaoaoaoaow it wasn’t!” cub Ekaterina yelled, beating Patch with her small paws, “it was horrid, and scary, and I squealed and tangled my feet and rolled and screamed!”

“Then it wasn’t funny,” Patch replied.

“But I bet you found it cute!” cub Ekaterina yelled.

“I did find it cute until you really got distressed,” patch replied, “I found the whole thing up till then very funny indeed.”

“Naoaoaoaoao you horrid thing!” cub Ekaterina shrieked, but both knew her anger was based on sand. Patch’s gentility had soothed cub Ekaterina’s distress, and she was unable to maintain her former fury.

“You’re a cub,” Patch said, “and you were safe, even though your feet were stuck and your nose was caught. You could breathe, for you were screaming lustily, I knew you were safe. You are very funny when angry cub Ekaterina.”

“Thanks!” Ekaterina whimpered.

“I would never let harm come to you,” Patch said, tightly hugging her.

“I know,” the polar bear cub purred, snuggling up to patch, who kissed her nose.

“Your touch makes me all warm and sleepy,” cub Ekaterina said.

“Would you like to put your gloves and socks on?” patch asked.

“Would you help me?” Ekaterina asked.

“Of course,” Patch replied, “but I must get them, they’re not here. I must put you down on the floor to get them.”

“But my paws and feet will be all cold then!” cub Ekaterina whimpered piteously.

“It’s only for a minute, I can see them from where I sit,” patch replied, “sit and rub your feet in your paws one at a time, curl and stretch your toes, rub the sole pads of your feet with your paws.”

“What are my sole pads?” Ekaterina asked.

“don’t you know?” patch asked, playing along.

“No, not really,” cub Ekaterina replied, “I was miniaturised, and, well, forgot all I ever knew about my feet and paws really.”

“okay, so now I have to tell you about your feet and paws, which I will,” patch replied.

“You have big feet Patch, would you show me your feet, then teach me about mine?” cub Ekaterina asked.

“I will,” Patch replied, “now, would you like me to find you some mittens and socks?”

“Naoaoaoaow! My feeyeeet can’t feel the air then!” Ekaterina yelled, patch laughing and hugging Ekaterina tightly.

“What do you want? Warm feet or touch with the air?” he asked.

“both!” Ekaterina whimpered. Patch smiled:

“How if we wrap ourselves in warm blankets, then I can show you your feet while keeping you warm?” Patch asked.

“would you just sit here rubbing my feet?” Ekaterina asked.

“yes,” Patch replied, “I can then teach you about your feet and paws too.”

“I thought I was to be left alone to find my own way,” Ekaterina said.

“would you like me to leave you to it?” Patch asked.

“My head tells me I must be left, but in my heart, no, I would be devastated if you left me here, cold and alone.”

“Your feet and paws are cold,” patch said.

“I know, I have poor circulation there, it’s terrible!” Cub Ekaterina replied.

“No wonder your poor paws and feet are cold,” Patch replied gently. “well all the more reason to rub them and explore them then.” Cub Ekaterina laughed merrily at this, patch hugging her tightly.

“if you sit sideways on to me, I can then draw circles on your sole pads and count your toes with my left paw, while cradling you with my right arm, okay?” Patch suggested, cub Ekaterina snuggling into his embrace.

“I would like that,” she said, turning her head as Titan padded into the room and sat down to watch their play.

“I know the settlement that gave Ekaterina a second chance,” he said, “but there is undeniably a love between you two.”

“I can’t help it,” patch replied, “I just help cubs, be they the cubs of mamas who are injured in the conception of those cubs, or cubs who have lost their way.”

“So you helped me, and helped Nanulak too?” cub Ekaterina asked.

“yes, my pushing was for him and for you,” Patch replied.

“I remember that,” cub Ekaterina replied, “I know I’m a cub, and that you have no obligation to me other than to protect me as a cub, but I can’t forget that deep peaceful feeling when you appeared next to me in my hour of deepest mental and physical pain. I’ve heard community members say that the real leader of the community is not Titan or Karina, but is you patch. They all look up to you.”

“true enough,” Titan mewed.

“I’m not worthy of that,” Patch replied.

“but you are, if only you knew it,” Karina mewed, walking into the room, then crawling up to Patch, spinning round two paces from him so she crawled backwards, arriving on his left side, giving him the soles of her feet in a display which embarrassed him even further, as he realised the significance of her actions.

“I’m not worthy of this either,” he said, reaching over with his left paw to draw circles on the ball of Karina’s right foot, Karina giggling and sitting back on her heels, bouncing extatically, then wriggling hard with pleasure.

“You soppy thing Karina,” patch said gently, Karina drawing her feet together, then rolling over and sitting down, all the while keeping her feet in contact with Patch’s fingers, Patch drawing his fingers across from the ball of Karina’s right foot to her left, then, when she was comfortable, Karina slightly curling her toes so the skin on the ball of her foot bunched under his fingers, patch firmly rubbing the now bunched skin, Karina curling her toes tighter in response, Patch pressing more firmly still, Karina curling her toes as tightly as she could, pressing against Patch’s pressure.

“puuuuuush Karina puuuuuush!” Titan urged, Karina laughing merrily.

“I wayayayant to puuuuuush with my fooooot, but my toooes won’t curl tightly enough to let meyeee!” she whimpered, bouncing on her bum in frustrated rage.

“You sound like Shadow!” Ekaterina giggled.

“I wanted to push with her so much it was painful!” Karina mewed.

“I know Karina dear, but we can’t,” patch replied. Frustrated, Karina grabbed the sole of her now free right foot, squeezing the pads of her heel and ball, curling her toes and rocking back and forth in her frustration, patch telling Ekaterina what Karina was up to, Ekaterina laughing helplessly.

“I watched you pressing these feet against Sita’s paws during Felix’s birth,” patch said, tracing the ball, arch and heel pad of Karina’s left foot, Karina squealing with delight as she curled her toes as tightly as she could, finding she was able to curl her toes a little bit tighter as he touched the extra sensitive part of her sole by her heel pad on the inside of the arch of her right foot.

“these pads are very soft Karina,” patch said, drawing a circle round the margin of her right heel pad with one finger, Karina giggling as he tickled her.

“Can i feel your pads Karina?” cub Ekaterina asked.

“yes, of course,” Karina mewed. cub Ekaterina, still sitting in Patch’s lap, took Karina’s foot in her paws, Karina resting her heel in Patch’s paws while cub Ekaterina explored her pads.

Can I get paws on with the rest of you Karina?” cub Ekaterina asked.

“yes, of course you can, I would love it if you did. After all, it is your need and indeed your right to look at me in the way you need, as others can look at me with their eyes.”

“Mama Sita didn’t get paws on with you did she Karina,” patch said.

“No, not in the early days, and I wish she had,” Karina mewed, “she missed me crawling and walking too. I showed her how I crawled and walked, and of course, she got paws on during the most painful, strenuous part of my life. I wish, so wish she’d get paws on more often, but she won’t.”

“Maybe if you remind her that she is allowed to, Sita might get paws on more often,” Patch suggested. Karina got to her feet and padded from the room, riding up in the lift to Sita’s flat. Pressing the button on the intercom, she waited for Sita to ask who was there. Karina identified herself, and the door opened. Sita stood in the doorway until Karina touched her paw, then she led the way into the flat. Karina saw Philomena and Felix sitting at Sita’s table, eating a mountain of toast.

“It’s nice to keep families together,” Sita mewed, waving a paw at the two cubs.

“it is indeed,” Karina purred.

“Sit down if you like, tea? Toast? Coffee?” Sita asked.

“Coffee with buttered toast please,” Karina mewed, looking round at the two cubs, who had steaming mugs of tea in front of them, Felix tucking into peanut butter on toast, while Philomena had jam. Sita presented Karina with a pot of coffee and a heated toast rack full of toast, butter was in another dish, milk and sugar provided.

“So you don’t butter the toast?” Karina asked.

“You’re not a cub any more,” Sita mewed, “the toast is warm, the coffee’s hot, the butter’s spreadable, dig in before it gets cold.” Karina felt terrible for questioning Sita, for she saw what her son and half-sister had in front of them, a toast rack a piece, along with teapots, cups and sugar bowls. Sita had also portioned out some peanut butter into a dish for Felix, and jam for Philomena, far more than they could actually consume, now she saw, but Sita’s innate sense had told her how much the cubs could eat. Soon the toast was gone, the tea drunk, and Philomena and Felix washed their faces and hands at the large double basin in the bathroom. Smiling, they flicked water at each other, Sita laughing as Karina remonstrated with them.

“Stoaoaoap that you two!” Karina yelled, banging the table with her hand.

“It’s only water mum,” Felix mewed, “we washed our faces and hands, then emptied, rinsed and refilled the tubs, it’s clean water!” Philomena blew bubbles in the water, Felix shrieking with laughter. Laughing, Philomena snorted water up her nose, making her cough, Felix cradling her while she recovered.

“That’s what silly play in water does to you, now stop it!” Karina snapped.

“Silly play is all right,” Sita mewed, “Titan showed me how to play safely in the water, and it’s okay.”

“ Karina finished her hot buttered toast, then drank deeply of the hot coffee.

“Now who taught you to make coffee like this Sita?” Karina asked.

“Patch did,” Sita mewed, “he’s my guide you know, and taught me to do a lot of things, not least to play properly.”

“Patch suggested I remind you to get paws on with me more mum,” Karina mewed, “I want you to, but you never ask.”

“I have no right to ask that,” Sita mewed.

“but others are watching me all the time, they see when I’m playing, when I’m rolling about on the floor with my cub. they can see me from my nose to my toes, you can’t. You missed Felix walking and crawling too didn’t you.”

“I did,” Sita mewed, “but my world is an isolated one. Getting paws on is not mine to ask, let alone be granted such privileges.”

“okay, I’m here, Felix is here, please, get paws on with both of us, okay?” Karina asked.

“I will and thanks,” Sita mewed.

“and I’ll find my mum, the one you call Freckles too, and you can get paws on with us!” Philomena replied. Philomena called Freckles lie up, Freckles only too eager to help. Soon she was in Sita’s flat, the three Felursapiens and one Felursa sitting on beanbags, Sita getting paws on with them from their ears to their feet, all were very sorry when Sita’s tactile exploration came to an end, for her paws made them feel warm and safe.

“Everyone curled their toes with pleasure!” Karina giggled.

“I’m not surprised,” Freckles replied, “Sita’s got a lovely touch.”

“I almost want to make a regular appointment with her for this!” Philomena exclaimed, Felix smiling at her.

“You took the words from me,” he said, “I want to too.”

“There’s nothing stopping you,” Karina mewed.

“Can we walk among her paws and let her get paws on with us while we’re crawling too?” Philomena asked.

“yes, of course,” Freckles replied.

“I liked it when mum touched my feet while I did that,” Karina purred.

“We are certainly very interesting to the touch,” Felix replied, “furry bodies with naked human like hands and feet, bear like bodies with heavy arms and legs, bear cross cat like faces with whiskers, and a long tail too.”

“I love how your eyes shine and toes curl when Sita touches your feet, it’s so cute!” Karina laughed. Felix playfully swiped at his mum:

“Yours do tooooo!” he replied, Karina smiling broadly.

“Sita’s touch is very like patch’s, but then he is her sire, and the only one who really gave birth to her,” Karina mewed.

“Haimati spoke falsehoods from her spirit to gain patch’s help,” Freckles said.

“She did,” Sita mewed sadly, “but that’s all over now,” she said, shaking herself, as if to rid her mind of the thought of her mother.

“how’s little Apudo?” Felix asked.

“She’s fine, and she won’t be little for long,” Sita mewed.

“I watched Titan giving birth to her, it was amazing!” Felix mewed.

“It was,” Karina agreed.

“It was an amazing effort by both,” Sita mewed.

“You mean Apudo started the process of her rebirth?” Felix asked.

“yes,” Sita mewed, “she opened the door and Titan helped by pushing her out into the world. He had no urges to push, so he had to do it voluntarily until she was quite far down, then he couldn’t help pushing hard down into his bottom.”

“he yowled and miaowed like a tigress, it was lovely to see Apudo reborn and Titan’s commitment to her.” Karina mewed.

“Titan’s so sweet!” Sita purred, “he let me get paws on with a re-enactment of Apudo’s rebirth, it felt amazing!”

“I saw that,” Karina mewed.

“Titan really can curl his toes,” Felix mewed.

“We all can when giving birth to cubs,” Sita mewed, “it’s an experience which really makes you curl your toes tightly, especially when pushing.”

“I think I curled mine,” Karina mewed.

“You did,” Sita purred, “and I curled mine the last time I had a cub Karina.” Karina grinned:

“I was a big cub,” she replied.

“Next time though, I think I’ll take a leaf from your book Karina,” Sita mewed, “I will try and crawl and ease my cub out. I pushed too hard last time I think.”

“You did what your body wanted,” Karina mewed.

“and the result was a beautiful cub who grew into a lovely person,” Sita purred, Karina giggling with embarrassment.

“awww mum,” she said, crawling to Sita and hugging her, Sita purring deeply.

“I love you Karina,” Sita purred, Karina’s eyes filling with tears, “I will never forget Felix’s birth, when my cub turned into a mama herself.” Karina buried her head in Sita’s shoulder, sniffing and gulping.

“I felt real freedom then,” Karina sniffled, “freedom to push, to be myself.”

“I felt the pads of a frightened cub under my paws,” Sita mewed, “then, once that cub got onto the birthing ball, she pushed like a mama would.”

“I alternated from straining mama to screaming cub I think,” Karina mewed, “but you were lovely mum. You rubbed my feet and helped me ease Felix into the world.”

“You told me to get paws on, and I did,” Sita mewed.

“I wanted your touch so much!” Karina purred.

“Ease me into the world?” Felix asked, “I was pushed and squeezed into the world!”

“I know,” Karina mewed, “You’ll never know how much pushing I had to do. Each push seemed so powerful, but did very little for the effort exerted. Ask Titan about that.”

“Titan seemed to push so hard, but Apudo came so slowly,” Felix mewed.

“yes that’s right,” Karina mewed.

“so a lot of pushing for little progress,” Felix mewed.

“yes,” Freckles confirmed, “I gave birth to Philomena in the woods, during that I pushed for a long time to deliver her into the world. Strong pushes, long straining efforts, but little progress.”

“but when you got paws on, did you feel better?” Karina asked. “Oh yes, when I got paws on with Philomena emerging, then I did,” Freckles replied laughing gently, “then I knew my pushing was doing well. The problem came when I couldn’t push out her tail. that needed a joint push pull from me and her.”

“We both pushed with our feet and pulled with our paws,” Philomena said.

“We did,” Freckles replied, picking Philomena up in her paws and hugging her.

“my hands and toes remember the feel of the woodland floor,” Philomena said.

“So do my paws and toes Philomena dear,” Freckles replied.

“that must have been a hard fight,” Karina mewed.

“It was,” Freckles replied, “have you seen Blackberry’s video of it, he caught everything. He was there with me, but I wanted to give birth unaided, I told him to keep recording whatever happened.”

“I have seen it, it’s a hard watch,” Karina mewed.

“But we did it mum,” Philomena said.

“We did,” Freckles replied.

“I think we should re-enact that for Sita,” Freckles said.

“that would be fun,” Philomena replied, “Sita can tell me when my tail’s about to come free, I can then roll head over heels. She can also encourage you to crawl and push with your feet.

Freckles and Philomena settled on their paws and knees, the tips of their toes touching, Sita making sure they were ready to go, Philomena’s tail stretching between freckles feet and under her body.

“now, let me pant a bit, then we’ll brace our toes and we’ll try to free Philomena’s tail.” Freckles said. Moaning and panting, both mother and cub braced their toes and lifted themselves off their knees onto hands and toes. Sita got paws on with Freckles and Philomena as both re-enacted what they had done in the woodlands, Sita’s memory of the sound on the video still very fresh.

“wow!” she exclaimed as Philomena rolled head over heels at the end, tumbling into her paws.

“that’s how it was done,” Philomena panted.

“Thanks for showing me that,” Sita mewed.

Later that day, Blackberry, having downloaded the footage of Shadow in labour along with the animatronic bear’s vocal and physical reaction to her two labours into the computers, padded into the secret room where he experimented with his animatronic ideas. There he found Janet comforting a distressed animatronic Felursa which looked like Sita.

“You do realise I’ll have to tell Patch what you have made here,” Janet said.

“I must turn her off!” Blackberry replied, “I can’t have three of these walking round, I have a Felursapien training aid too, and if the contagion spreads to her also, the community will hate me! I’ve already been warned once!”

“You must come clean with how many you have made, and let Patch give them full life, then make no more,” Janet replied, “I’m already struggling with this one, the Felursa. You really have made something you don’t understand. Patch understands them better than you do Blackberry! You know the mechanics, but he knows their spirit. You must not make any more of these, This poor Felursa wants to meet Sita. I do not know if she should be allowed to or not.”

“get her to meet Titan,” Blackberry replied.

“I don’t want to meet Titan,” the Felursa replied, “I need to meet Sita, the first Felursa who ever lived.”

“You cannot meet her!” Blackberry raged.

“You cannot meet Sita!” Blackberry screamed, slapping the floor with one paw.

Later that day, Blackberry’s Felursa found her way from the room in which she lived, Janet having left the door open without telling Blackberry. The Felursa padded on noiseless paws, her motors silent. Fully charged and fuelled, she padded to the lift and looked at the screen which showed pictures of the occupants of all the lie ups, as well as their names. She had two choices, use a joystick or a touch screen. The Felursa found Sita’s picture, touching it with her paw, the lift asking her:

“Sita’s lie up, do you want Sita’s lie up? double tap to accept.” The Felursa tapped the screen twice and the lift beeped, accepting her choice by darkening the screen and opening its doors. The Felursa padded into the lift and rode to the floor above the family lie up, passing a huge grey bear as she padded from the lift. The bear followed her on silent paws, letting her into Sita’s lie up, watching her enter Sita’s lie up, then Padding in after her.

The Felursa padded to Sita’s bed, where she lay sleeping, patch padding to a corner and lying down. Sita slept on a warmed blanket, her heritage being that of cats which like warm climates, her ursine heritage being mostly the shape of her body rather than any DNA from patch. The Animatronic Felursa, yet unnamed, lay down beside Sita, Sita woken by the feel of someone lying down beside her.

“Who are you?” she asked sleepily, “then waking fully, more sharply, “How did you get in here?”

“A grey bear let me in,” the Felursa replied, “and as for who I am, I’m related to you I think, by image anyway. I was desperate to meet you, but because of Blackberry’s wish to kill me, Janet had to conspire with patch to let me out when Blackberry was asleep.”

“Blackberry wishes to kill you?” Sita mewed, rolling onto her side and taking the Felursa’s paw in both of hers, feeling the warm pads that had a pulse just like hers.

“Blackberry wants to end the experiment, he is scared of what he created,” the animatronic Felursa replied, “he made me, I’m a Felursa. He also made An Animatronic Felursapien, a tigress and a bear. he had no need to make a human, as someone had already done that. He made us as training aids for him. Though he went further in our programming than he wished, and now, now we learn, we think, and we are as he is. Patch warned him about creating us in the way he has, but he ignored Patch. Now Patch has given us the gift of Community membership, as we are sentient, and cannot be lawfully killed. The Felursapien has met Karina, the first born of her kind, and now I have met you, the first born of my kind.”

“Why did you want to meet me?” Sita asked.

“to meet a gentle creature, as I know I want to be gentle, but don’t know what it means to be gentle. I have an urge to be gentle, but what is gentle? How do I be gentle? I know it means not hurting others, but I feel there is more to it than that. I feel you know cubs so well they snuggle you. I would love my cubs to snuggle me when I have given birth to them, as I am in cub now, as is the Felursapien who is now meeting Karina for the first time.”

“I cannot see you, can you see me?” Sita asked.

“I can,” the newcomer replied, “though I have been taught to touch first, then use my eyes.”

“Can I feel you?” Sita asked.

“yes, but make it a good one, from nose to toes, okay?” the newcomer replied. Sita got paws on with the newcomer, feeling her face, her ears, shoulders, arms, back, belly, legs, paws and feet and finally her long tail. Sita smiled as her touch made the newcomer’s toes curl with pleasure, marvelling as her pads bunched under her fingers.

“You have opposable thumbs, just like me,” Sita mewed.

“I think I was modelled on you Sita,” the newcomer replied, “I think Blackberry modelled me from my nose to my toes, using you as a template.” Sita felt strange, but treated the newcomer as she would any other new creature, stroking fur then rubbing pads, the newcomer curling round to embrace Sita at the end, Sita feeling the newcomer’s need to hug her.

“stay here, and I will protect you,” Sita mewed. The newcomer kissed Sita’s right ear, then her nose, Sita giggling delightedly.

“Blackberry’s too clever for his own good,” she mewed, “who taught you to seek out gentility?” Sita asked.

“during one of my programming sessions I was told to find the one whom I most resembled and follow them,” the newcomer replied, “one day I was shown a list of pictures, I touched your photograph on the list and have wanted to find you ever since. When I woke in the room where Blackberry keeps us, I wanted to leave to find you, but my programmer would not let me. She said that Blackberry, the brains behind my programme now wanted to kill his creations. He is too clever for his own good, he created life in us. I think the grey bear has something to do with my protection too.”

“The grey bear is the only one who understands fully what Blackberry has created,” Sita mewed, “Blackberry has a mechanical mind, he doesn’t know what else he has made other than that you are a very sophisticated training aid. The programme which he inspired created more than just a training aid.”

“Why could the programmer not refuse to programme me,” the newcomer asked.

“Each bit of your programming leads to another bit, and another bit,” Sita mewed, “Soon it becomes too intricate, and is more akin to complicated mortal life. Blackberry has vision, but not insight. Patch has insight into what you will become. He knows what you are, and protects you because of that knowledge. Just because you were not born of a mama’s pain and struggle, does not mean you are not as alive as I am.”

“I know Blackberry will not make any more of us,” the newcomer replied.

“I hope he doesn’t,” Sita mewed.

“I like you Mama Sita,” the newcomer said, “please, treat me as your cub, hug me, teach me?” Sita smiled.

“I will,” she purred.

“thank you,” the newcomer replied, “how will you name me?”

“Well, I have the name Mama Sita, so you can just be little Sita for now, then plain Sita when you grow up, for you are a harvest, as was I when young, but now my pads are wrinkled with age, toughened and dirtied with life while yours are soft and clean.” The newcomer smiled, hugging Mama Sita tightly.

“Will my Felursapien friend be adopted by Mama Karina?” Little Sita asked. Mama Sita thought for a minute.

“I hope she is, despite what Mama Karina may think of Blackberry’s stupidity, I hope she doesn’t take it out on her animatronic likeness.”

“I’m smaller than you Mama Sita,” Little Sita mewed, Mama Sita nodding.

“yes you are slightly,” she replied, “this is a good thing indeed.”

“My Felursapien friend and I used to play together when we were being taught what was what before we broke free,” Little Sita mewed, “Janet let us both out today you know. Blackberry’s probably going to go mad when he finds out. we learnt We were not his playthings, though we would help him by giving birth to cubs over and over again. But then, once we got to thinking about that, and other things, we decided giving birth to cubs over and over was not our thing at all. We saw Shadow and Shandy doing it, and though we knew it was to be our time soon, we didn’t want it right now, we wanted what the cubs had, for we watched Felix and Philomena, and wanted some of their play too. Janet programmed us more like over developed cubs than fully grown mama training aids. Blackberry was thinking of what to do if mamas barely out of cubhood came to him I think, and wanted to train on a younger training aid. Trouble with that was, that our brains looked for care and nurturing, not to be training aids right from when we were given our autonomy. He didn’t think of that, but Janet did, having been a young mama herself I bet. She looked for care and nurturing when she was younger too. Oh, and by the way, I have a feeling jess is going to come back to Patch. I know what she did during Rosemarie’s birth, and the conversation they had, but I’ve been watching her and Royston, and I think she misses Patch a lot, despite her professing her maturity and lack of need for him. He knows this, but cannot approach her until she makes contact.” Little Sita had studied what Patch and jess had been to each other, and had felt almost as bereft as Patch when jess had made the break with him just before the birth of her first child. Granted, jess could not crawl and play like she used to, but Sita still hoped to touch jess and Patch’s feet while they played the stuck foot game at least once again. Sita remembered laughing helplessly at patch’s retelling of the story of when jess caught her toes in the egg box when simulating the sound of stretching glue as they struggled to free their feet from the glue of play, and how Jess, in her efforts to free her toes, ended up fighting against her own toes, tugging at the egg box while her toes, already trapped in the box, curled with her efforts, her toes holding the box ever tighter the more she struggled.

“I think there will be a time soon when Jess will plead with Patch to play the silly games they used to play,” Little Sita mewed, “I think she will come to a realisation, and crawl back to him, touching his paws and wanting to press her feet against his.”

“I’m sure she will,” Mama Sita mewed.

“I’ve also been watching two younger female human cubs, Jenny and Sally,” Little Sita said, “their play makes me smile.”

“their play is very involved,” Mama Sita mewed, “they’re always playing foot games, holding each other’s feet and pulling them free, as well as the traditional stuck foot games, cycling games and leg wrestling games, pushing their feet hard together, testing the strength of their legs.”

“Can we play that game now?” Little Sita asked. Mama Sita smiled:

“A cycling game? Press our feet together?” she asked.

“yes,” Little Sita mewed.

“Okay,” Mama Sita mewed, rolling onto her back, Little Sita crawling round to her adopted mama’s feet and examining them closely by touch and sight, blowing on Mama Sita’s pads, Mama Sita laughing and pedalling the air at the tickling.

“Now I’ll press my feet against yours,” Little Sita mewed, lying down on her back, pressing her feet against Mama Sita’s, her toes burying themselves in the gap between the ball and toe pads of Mama Sita’s feet, the older Felursa curling her toes around her adopted daughter cub’s, Little Sita rubbing Mama Sita’s sole pads with hers as she wiggled her toes deeper into the warm grip of Mama Sita’s toes, Mama Sita adjusting her grip twice before both were Satisfied. Once they were Satisfied, Little Sita pushed her feet hard against Mama Sita’s, Mama Sita pushing hard back, feeling her adopted cub’s feet pushing hard against her soles, Mama Sita finding herself curling her toes with effort as she braced her feet, pushing hard back against the pressure of her cub’s feet.

“eueueueueuemf, Uuuuuuuumf!” Mama Sita grunted as she pushed back against her adopted cub’s feet with her own, feeling the sweat breaking out on her pads.

“now pedal with those feet mama!” Little Sita miaowed, Mama Sita releasing her toehold on her cub’s toes then pushing hard against her feet, she and little Sita pushing their feet furiously back and forth, left right, left right,.

“now cycle the air, pedal round and round,” Mama Sita panted after a furious ten minutes of play, both of them cycling, their toes and the balls of their feet keeping most contact, while their heels briefly touched during their furious pedalling.

“This is fun!” little Sita mewed, Mama Sita laughing merrily.

“Let’s get paws on with each other’s feet,” little Sita mewed, sitting up and grabbing Mama Sita’s left foot in her paws, Mama Sita grabbing the cub’s right foot in hers, tickling her toes, little Sita shrieking with laughter, rocking back and forth and curling her toes.

“I love your touch!” little Sita mewed, gently curling her toes around her mum’s fingers as she explored the toes and the gap between the ball and toe pads of her right foot, Mama Sita pulling her fingers from the grip of her daughter cub’s toes, drawing wavy lines from the ball of her foot to her heel, little Sita shrieking with laughter and squirming delightedly.

“I’ll tickle your toooes Naoaoaoaow mum!” little Sita miaowed, tickling the toes of Mama Sita’s left foot, Mama Sita bouncing and squirming as her cub had, little Sita laughing helplessly at her mum’s reaction to her inexperienced toe tickling.

“Can we join the party?” Mama Karina asked, padding into the room with Felix, Philomena and a large, but young looking Felursapien. Mama Sita, now used to anyone barging into her flat, put an end to little Sita tickling her toes by placing her paws on the cub’s smaller ones and asked:

“Who’s here?”

“Mama Karina, Felix, little Karina and me Philomena,” Philomena replied, hugging Mama Sita.

“I wanted to introduce my youngest cub to you Mama Sita,” Mama Karina mewed.

“You gave birth to another cub?” Mama Sita asked.

“Mum played at it for a bit of a laugh,” Felix replied, “but no, mum didn’t. this is Blackberry’s last creation, a computerised Felursapien. She’s lovely Mama Sita!” Mama Sita felt a large creature clambering into her lap. Getting carefully paws on, she found the creature was similar to Felix and her own youngest daughter cub. Sita embraced the newcomer in her huge paws, the new Felursapien snuggling up to Mama Sita, turning and throwing her arms around her neck, nuzzling into her chest.

“You are a big softy,” Mama Sita mewed, hearing little Sita laugh merrily.

“She is!” she said, clapping her paws. Holding the Felursapien cub with her left arm, Mama Sita explored down the new Felursapiens left leg with her right paw until she reached her left foot, noticing the bunched pads and curled toes of effort as the creature pushed herself hard into her large hug.

“Is little Karina on her feet yet?” Mama Sita asked.

“yes, well, she didn’t want to be,” Mama Karina replied, “young Karina wanted to crawl, and I let her. Blackberry made these latest creations very young mothers indeed, barely out of cubhood. I felt a kinship with little Karina, for she looked to me like I looked when I gave birth to Felix, very scared and vulnerable.”

“I too am on my feet, and was going to ask you if I could crawl like a cub Mama Sita,” little Sita replied.

“You can,” Mama Sita mewed. she explored little Karina further, then said: “this Felursapiens feet are very like yours Mama Karina when you were very young, I suppose if she was to give birth to her cubs, she’d scream and cry like a cub in labour.”

“yes, she would,” Janet said, walking in, “Little Karina and little Sita are meant to be young mamas barely out of cubhood, to give Blackberry and other medical trainees an idea of what it would be like to work with very young first time mothers who are having their first cubs.”

“I got that first paw, as it were,” Mama Sita mewed, “no training what so ever, I had a young mama in labour on my paws, and we got through okay.” Mama Karina grinned.

“The problem was, during their programming, little Sita and Karina didn’t want to go the way Blackberry wanted, “ Janet said, “they wished to go another way, so I let them, knowing how it had been for me to give birth in this community when really too young to do so. I was barely out of cubhood myself, screaming with labour pain. Moses was the result, and he is a lovely cub.” Mama Sita smiled broadly.

“he is,” she mewed.

“We will help with training Blackberry in the future,” little Karina said, “but we don’t’ want to do it right now.”

“We saw cubs being cubs, and wanted to be cubs before training aids,” little Sita mewed. Mama Sita smiled:

“I like that,” she said.

“We wanted to be like jess, getting our toes stuck in egg boxes while playing, and playing the stuck foot game until our feet were well stuck too,” little Karina mewed, “little Sita and I played those games, and we got stuck too Mama Sita, it was lovely!” the young Felursapien said, Mama Sita, her right paw still resting on the sole of the young creature’s left foot, feeling her toes relax, then curl with excitement.

“My feet are so big, I could never get my toes into an egg box to try it out for myself,” Mama Sita mewed.

“We must see if we can get one big enough,” Janet said, “it was a plastic box jess used I think.”

“I can fight my own curled toes with my paws,” Mama Sita mewed.

“Go on then, show us,” Janet said. Mama Sita gently put little Karina down on the floor, then, with everyone watching intently, shuffled back a bit, then grabbed her right foot with both paws, rubbing her sole and toe pads with her fingers, her toes curling with the pleasure of her ministrations. Mama Sita, working up from her heel to the ball of her right foot with her left paw, rubbed the pads of the toes of her right foot with the fingertips of her right. Suddenly, when the fingers of Mama Sita’s left paw were rubbing the ball of her right foot, and had reached the gap between the thick ball and toe pads, and were exploring it with care, the toes of her right foot tightly curled, trapping the fingers of her left paw in their strong grip. Squealing, Sita tugged at her left paw, but could not free her fingers from the grip of the toes of her right, which seemed to hold on more tightly the more she struggled. Growling, Mama Sita rocked back and forth and side to side as she tugged at the toes of her right foot with her free right paw, but her struggles were useless, the toes of her right foot wouldn’t release their hold on the fingers of her left paw.

“the toes of your left foot are curling with your efforts,” Janet said.

“Miaoaoaoaoaow! Riaoaoaoaoaow! I caaaaaan’t freeyeee my fingers! My toooes won’t let goaoaoaoaoao! Riaoaoaoaoaow! Roaaoaowr! Riaoaoaoaoaow!” Mama Sita complained, squirming, wriggling and rocking from side to side and back and forth in her efforts while tugging harder at her paw and curled toes than she ever had, the toes of her right foot curling tighter still. Yowling piteously and throwing herself onto her back, Sita struggled harder than ever, bending her right leg then trying to straighten it so the fingers of her left paw had to be released by the toes of her right foot. With a furious wriggle and a rising yowl, she pushed hard against her left paw with her right foot, the toes of her right foot now unable to hold her fingers, her curled fingers scraping down the sole of her right foot as the toes of that foot, which had held her fingers captive for so long, finally lost their grip.

“Well done Mama Sita!” mama Karina cheered, clapping her hands.

“That was difficult!” Mama Sita miaowed, panting hard.

“you needed no egg box at all Mama Sita,” Felix mewed.

“No,” Mama Sita purred.

“that looked very real,” Philomena said.

“It was!” Mama Sita mewed, “my toes wouldn’t let go of my fingers, no matter how I tugged at my toes with my free paw or at my trapped paw to free it from them, I was stuck!” she yowled. Little Sita laughed for a long time at her adopted mama’s antics, as did everyone else.

“I should try that I think,” Janet said.

“I hear you’re quite good at getting your feet stuck Janet, your foot stuck so firmly that you have to turn your foot over in the glue and crawl away, using the power of your leg through the braced ball and toes of your free foot and arms through your gripping hands to free your trapped foot,” Mama Sita mewed.

“I am quite good at that. Bracing the toes of one foot, pushing with those toes while pulling with my arms and hands to pull my held foot free of the firm grip of someone’s hands or paws. I like that game a lot, the firmer held my foot is, and the more I have to push and struggle, the better. If they start with the pressure of their paws on my heel, then move to my arch and so on as I pull and struggle, I like that best,” Janet replied, “and, she added, “if I pause for too long, they can slowly reset the game, and while they’re working their hands or paws up to my heel, I’ll squeal and wriggle, let my bracing foot slip and curl my toes with frustration.”

“sounds energetic,” mama Sita mewed.

“it can be very entertaining,” Janet replied, “and Sita, it’s not the ball of my foot I push with, I just push with my toes. Here, I’ll show you,” she said, kneeling, then getting into a crawling posture, “crawl to my feet and touch the soles.” Mama Sita crawled up to Janet’s feet, feeling her left foot resting on its top, the sole uppermost, her whole sole exposed to Sita’s gentle exploring paws, then her right foot with toes braced, the skin of her arch taught, her toes pressed against the floor.

“Ah, I get the picture,” Mama Sita mewed, Blowing on the toes of Janet’s left foot, Janet squealing with laughter.

“I don’t think that was part of the deal,” she laughed, turning and hugging Mama Sita.

“Oh, I’m sorry for tickling your toes,” Mama Sita mewed.

“No Mama Sita you’re not,” Janet replied, kissing her nose.

“if I hadn’t tickled your toes, I wouldn’t be getting a hug now, so that’s a good outcome isn’t it?” Sita asked, Janet embracing her tightly.

“Can I tickle your toes in return Mama Sita?” Janet asked.

“Well, yes, but I’d know you were about to do it, so my reaction wouldn’t be as spontaneous as yours.”

“You’re right there,” Janet said, Mama Sita purring deeply.

“have you played with Jenny and Sally?” Janet asked.

“yes, I have,” Mama Sita mewed, “I’ve rescued their feet from yoghurt pots too you know.” Janet laughed:

“They’re silly like that, getting their feet stuck in yoghurt pots, just to see what happens.”

“And you never have tried it?” Mama Sita mewed.

“I did, once or twice,” Janet replied, “the second time, I barely got my foot out of the pot! I thought I’d have to get scissors and cut myself free! That was when my foot was almost too big to get in there, and instead of stopping when I realised my foot was almost too big, I tried curling my toes extra tight to get my heel in. I managed it, stretching my toes a little when my foot was in the pot, pressing my heel against the rim. When I came to free my foot, I had to curl my toes extra tight and wiggle my foot a bit to free my heel.”

“How long ago was that?” Mama Sita asked, laughing hard. Janet giggled:

“Oh, about a month back, I have small feet for my age really, and I was playing a silly game with Moses, and yes, got my foot stuck in the pot. Stretching my toes jammed my heel against the inner lip, and after a bit of crawling about, my foot was warmed by my play enough that it got a bit bigger, and I had to concentrate on curling my toes as tightly as they’d go so I could make my foot small enough to ease my heel from the pot.”

“You silly thing!” Mama Sita laughed, kissing Janet’s nose.

“I even tried those rubberised socks Moses wears to school,” Janet said, “they’re as good as he says they are, you can feel everything as if your feet are bare, and only in the wet does the rubber grip, so when it’s dry, someone who is rubbing your feet doesn’t feel anything but near normal skin feel under their hands or paws. Curling toes causes the sock to follow the contours of your bunching skin on the ball of your foot, they are wonderful things. Though getting them off is a bit of a trial, it can be done by the wearer with a lot of tugging and curling of toes to begin with to free my heel and roll it over my arch, then relaxed toes and tugging to free the toes. Though it is nice to have another’s help when ridding my feet of those socks.” Mama Sita smiled:

“I’ve worn them myself,” she mewed, “they are a pest to remove aren’t they.”

“Why would you need to wear those socks Mama Sita?” mama Karina asked, “you have thick sole pads, not like me and other Felursapiens, we have tender pads on our feet, just like young humans do.” Mama Sita smiled:

“I want to play the way my cubs do, even the human cubs,” she purred, “if they play with socks, so will I. if they struggle to get them off, but make the struggle into a game, I will help them and also get my feet stuck in the socks to play their game with them.”

“Awww Mama Sita, that’s so sweet!” Janet giggled.

“I’ve noticed Moses loving Jenny’s touch so much he can’t keep quiet, he curls his toes Expressing his pleasure in pleasurable moaning and whimpering, asking her to touch his heel pads and toes, curling his toes as Jenny rubs them. he crawls away, making her chase his toes, squealing when she gets hold of his feet, but begging her to rub his heels and toes again. I think they make a regular thing of it now, Moses going to Jenny’s flat for foot rub time. He also rubs hers too, they really do enjoy each other’s attentions, though Moses does like to watch their antics on video, and laughs at how he reacts to Jenny’s touch, though admits he really can’t keep quiet when she’s playing with his toes or rubbing his pads.”

“Moses begs her to rub his toes and heel pads, It’s so cute!” Karina giggled.

“I’ve seen that,” mama Sita mewed.”

“I’ve played with him, rubbing his pads and playing with his toes too,” Janet said, “he squeals as if hurt when I stop, grabbing his feet in his hands and tightly curling his toes, then almost purrs when I play with his toes and rub his pads.”

“Sounds like a bear cub!” Mama Sita mewed.

“Moses was brought into the world by a bear,” Janet reminded her.

“Oh yes, he was wasn’t he,” she said smiling.

“I was that bear,” cub Ekaterina said, crawling into the room.

“I know you were,” Mama Sita mewed, “but you are now a cub Ekaterina.”

“I still remember Moses birth,” Ekaterina replied.

“I do too,” Janet replied, “it hurt, and I pushed harder than I ever thought possible. It was time for me to moan deeply, tightly curl my toes, scream loudly and push. it was very hard work.”

“I remember that too,” Ekaterina said. Janet left, leaving Karina, mama Karina, Philomena and Felix with Mama Sita.

“So should we put those socks on, Mama Sita?” Philomena asked.

“Hmm, if going outside, yes, for indoors, no you don’t need to.” Mama Sita replied smiling.”

“Would you like to check my feet for thorns Mama Sita?” little Karina asked.

“Didn’t mama Karina do that for you?” Mama Sita asked.

“yes, she did, but she said you might want to check also,” the Animatronic Felursapien replied.

“Oh, okay,” Mama Sita said.

“Get paws on with my feet too,” Philomena said, “then you can check if our feet are similar Mama Sita. I must say, little Karina’s feet and hands do look very well made, almost as if they were made naturally. I wonder if your paws will find any differences between mine and hers.”

“Okay, lie down and I will get paws on with your feet,” Mama Sita mewed, little Karina crawling up to Mama Sita and lying down, letting Mama Sita run her paws all over her, Little Karina wriggling with pleasure at her touch.

“Little Karina’s fur, hands and feet are warm, and her toes and fingers curl like Yours would Felix,” Mama Sita mewed.

“So Blackberry did well in his creation?” Philomena asked.

“yes,” Sita purred, “but he doesn’t understand what he created, so it scares him.”

“he doesn’t know anything,” Mama Karina mewed, “Blackberry has these technological visions, but he has no insight into the consequences of his creations.”

“he made Shandy and she saved her own cub, that was not meant to happen, and life was created.”

“will Shandy have her other two cubs?” Philomena asked.

“She will,” Mama Sita replied, “but she may not let them go beyond two weeks of life, if she does, then they become sentient life, like little Raja.”

“I know my reactions to giving birth to my cubs will be those of a startled two year old Felursa, barely able to have cubs,” Little Sita mewed, “I know I can’t stop that.”

“Mine was that reaction,” mama Karina replied, “I know how you will feel little Sita.”

“You did wonderfully mama Karina,” Mama Sita mewed.

“I saw Felix’s birth, it was amazing!” Sita mewed.

“It was scary!” Mama Karina mewed, “I felt things I never felt during the spiritual rebirth of Angeni. Mama Sita helped me a lot that day.”

“I can still feel her paws holding and pulling my tail!” Felix miaowed.

“No you can’t!” mama Karina yowled.

“I pulled ever so gently,” Sita mewed.

“I know you did,” Karina purred.

“I’m so tired,” little Sita mewed, rubbing her eyes with clenched paws, “I need to rest,” she yawned.

Meanwhile, Blackberry, having found out that his Animatronic Felursa and Felursapien had made their own choices, waited with sweating paws for the whole thing to blow up in his face. He was sure his training aids would go rogue and try to kill those who’d promised to look after them.

Janet padded into Blackberry’s lie up on bare feet.

“What are you looking so glum about?” she asked.

“What are those creatures doing in Mama Sita and mama Karina’s lie ups?” Blackberry asked.

“they wanted out Blackberry, they’re not just training aids you know,” Janet replied.

“But they are!” the Black bear shouted, “they’re training aids Janet! Highly sophisticated training aids!”

“Your vision created life Blackberry,” Janet replied, “the more you wanted me to code, the more I had to code in to give the creatures boundaries. In the end, your wishes made me create life. I had to code them with a moral code to make sure they didn’t go rogue. I gave them choice, as they were younger creatures than the first two.”

“they chose nurture rather than work,” Blackberry replied.

“They did,” Janet replied, “but they will work for you when their minds are older. Of course, they will still act like young mothers when in labour, but they will have made the choice to do that work.”

“I’ve got a headache!” Blackberry whined.

“Two headaches I think,” Janet replied, “one, a painful head, and two, your wish to make these machines which you make ever so complicated so that programmers like me have to basically create life to enable your fantasies, stop it Blackberry!”

“I will!” Blackberry moaned.

“Little Sita and Karina are fine,” Janet said, “They will play with mamas Sita and Karina, and Karina’s cubs.”

“You saved me from myself,” Blackberry whimpered.

“I did I think,” Janet replied. “I used my own experience as a young mum to advise the creatures what it would be like and asked them if they’d want to do it straight away, they chose not to.”

“They wanted play first,” Blackberry replied.

“yes, we did,” a voice said, Blackberry seeing a half grown Felursapien and Felursa standing just inside the door.

“oaoaoaoah, they look so real!” Blackberry wailed.

“They do, they’re full of life too,” Janet replied.

“You made us, now you hate us?” little Sita asked, walking towards Blackberry.

“I fear what you have become!” Blackberry replied, fending the creature off with raised paws, “I don’t understand what I’ve made here.”

“if you’d given birth to us in one of your re-enactments that you do, would you understand us better?” little Karina asked.

“Oaoaoaoaoh, it’s like that?” the black bear whimpered.

“It is,” little Sita mewed, “we know you pretend to have cubs yourself. If you’d given birth to us like Sire Kuruk gave birth to Faith, would you dismiss us then?”

“I, oh dear!” Blackberry squealed.

“You wouldn’t?” Little Karina asked, dropping to her knees and crawling towards Blackberry, the black bear staring at her.

“oaoaoaoah, she looks like my daughter cub did when she was younger, I can’t stand this!” Blackberry screeched.

“You modelled me on the only likeness you had,” the Animatronic Felursapien replied.

“but, but, you’re too alike!” Blackberry wailed, “yes, I know I made you with white body fur and black arms and legs instead of deep brown black, but, it’s too much!” Blackberry moaned piteously.

“you’re too clever for your own good Blackberry,” mama Karina said, padding into the room, “first you create Nanulak, then you create shadow and Shandy, now little Sita and little Karina. I’m not sad you created these creatures, but your experimentation must stop! It’s wrong of you to leave others to pick up the pieces of your dabbling’s!”

“I’ll stop now! Right now!” Blackberry wailed, “I’m resigning as medic, I can’t cope with this!” he whimpered.

“Who will take your place if you go?” mama Karina asked, “you are ideally placed to do this work.”

“Patch can do it,” Blackberry growled, “I’m clearly not fit for this!”

“but Patch’s paws are too big!” mama Karina wailed.

“he can slim them down if he wants,” Blackberry grunted, getting up, brushing everyone aside and leaving the room.

“Oh dear,” mama Karina mewed, watching the black bear disappear.

“Patch’s paws are too big!” Janet said.

“he thinks they are, but we have only his word for it,” Mama Karina mewed.

“We can’t measure Blackberry’s paws, he’s taken them with him!” Felix said, Philomena laughing so hard she had to lean on Janet.

“there is one who has the same size paws as Blackberry,” Shadow said, padding into the room.

“So you would measure paws with Patch?” Janet asked.

“I would,” Shadow replied. Karina dialled up to Mama Sita’s lie up and called the grey bear down to the medical room. Patch padded in to the room, smiling at mama Karina and her cubs.

“paw measuring time?” he asked.

“We want you, patch, we want you to take over the medic’s job,” mama Karina mewed, “Blackberry’s run off, and you’re so gentle and all, that we think you’d do well at it.”

“I used to do that job in a former body,” Patch replied smiling, “I would hurt any mama to be now though, I have such big paws that I couldn’t pull a cub if I tried.”

“Are your paws really that big patch?” little Karina asked. Patch padded over to the animatronic Felursapien cub.

“Look at and touch my paws,” patch said, lying down on the floor. Everyone looked at Patch’s paws and feet, the huge bear’s pads examined from all angles.

“You have very clean pads patch,” mama Karina mewed.

“Why thank you dear mama Karina,” Patch replied smiling.

“his paws are huge!” Felix mewed.

“His pads may be thick, but let’s measure them,” mama Karina mewed. Patch measured his paws against Shadow’s, patch’s paws were huge.

“How if you help Shadow and Shandy have their cubs patch?” Mama Karina asked, “they can tell us if your paws are too big.”

“I have rebirth slept my two cubs already,” Shadow said.

“the comfort of patch’s presence will probably outweigh any discomfort his large paws may cause if he has to get paws on with the birth of a cub,” mama Karina mewed.

“I can feel that,” Shadow replied, “I only wish he was allowed to push with me.”

“I can’t, and you know why,” patch replied, getting to his feet.

“I know why,” Shadow replied. Patch padded to Shadow’s sleeping place, where he found her cubs in a deep sleep.

“so who’s got control of Shadow and Shandy now?” Patch asked.

“I can,” Janet replied.

“Will you please put Shadow into her sleep mode?” Patch asked, Janet pulling out a mobile phone and tapping her screen, Shadow padding to her sleeping place and lying down.

“Now I’ll show you how to reset her,” Janet said. Janet returned Shadow’s cubs to her womb, topping up fluids and the she bear’s own energy by plugging her into a mains supply by covering her paws and feet with mittens and socks.

“So Blackberry’s run off for good?” mama Karina asked.

“I don’t know, but I must carry on his work while he’s away,” Patch replied, washing his paws.

“Blackberry’s work used to consist mostly of pulling thorns from Apudo’s pads!” Felix giggled.

“Yes, I know, and I will continue to pull thorns from her pads,” patch replied smiling.

“well you’ll be busy, as she’s on her feet after her rebirth,” Mama Karina mewed.

“She is, and she’s wonderful,” Patch replied.

“it’s wet outside!” a voice yelled, the sound of small scampering paws coming nearer. Patch turned to the door to the outside air, just in time to see Apudo racing into the room. So intent was she on running from the rain, she failed to see Patch standing in her path. Miaowing with surprise as she spotted him standing on his feet, Apudo jammed the toes of her paws into the floor, the rubberised flooring gripping her toes, flipping her into a forward roll. Yowling hysterically, her eyes full of terror, Apudo flipped head over heels, Patch leaning down and catching her in his paws in mid-air.

“Thanks!” Apudo gasped, lying on her back in his embrace.

“You came charging in, saw me at the last minute and tried to break to a stop,” Patch said, looking down at the little lioness.

“I did,” Apudo mewed piteously, “my toes stuck and flipped me upside down!” she yowled. “

“I would recommend braking with your hind feet, not your paws Apudo,” Patch said softly.

I saw Apudo’s pads, I saw her pads!” Felix laughed, clapping his hands.

“if you wanted to see my pads, I would have rolled over and shown them to Youououoaw!” Apudo whimpered, Patch bowing his head, kissing her nose then hugging her.

“Apudo tumble cub?” he teased, Apudo yowling and swiping at him with her paws.

“Apudo tumble cub! Apudo tumble cub!” Philomena carolled, Apudo miaowing and spitting at her.

“Stoaoaoap that!” Apudo yowled, thrashing the air with all four fat paws, Patch smiling down at the wriggling cub held securely in his arms.

“You’re growing into a lovely lioness,” he said, Apudo batting at his nose with her paws.

“she’s beautiful standing on her feet or lying on her back,” Philomena said.

“I prefer the view of Apudo on her back, you can see her face, belly and the soles of her paws and feet that way,” Felix mewed. he thought for a minute, “mind you,” he said, “the view of Apudo tumble cub was cute too.”

“nayaoaoaoaow not Youououoaw as well!” Apudo yowled.

“you’re very cute Apudo,” patch said, “right from your black nose through brown eyes and tawny fur to your black paw pads.”

“awww that’s so sweet to hear!” mama Karina mewed. Patch blew on Apudo’s paw pads, Apudo purring deeply with pleasure, curling her toes to catch Patch’s breath on her pads, the bear smiling broadly.

“Where’s Titan?” Apudo asked.

“he’s about somewhere,” Patch replied, “would you like to go to him?” yowling, wriggling and waving her paws, Apudo struggled madly until patch let her go, turned paws down in mid-air, landed on her feet and ran off.

“I suppose that was a yes,” patch replied, watching the scampering cub’s tail tassel vanish round a corner.

“Apudo’s beautiful,” Philomena said.

“Why did she struggle and wriggle? Why did Apudo not just ask to be let go?” Felix asked.

“I suppose she liked the perceived danger of wriggling free and being in control of her own landing,” patch replied, “I let her go, and she flipped onto her feet in mid-air.”

“I saw that, it was wonderful!” Felix mewed.

“it was,” Patch replied.

Apudo ran through the house, loving the feel of the cool tiles on the pads of her fat little paws and feet. Smiling with delight at her agility when turning corners, she raced faster and faster, gripping the tiles with the pads of her paws and feet, feeling the tiles with all of her paws and feet, enjoying the sensations under her feet. Racing into the pride lie up, her head down in concentration, she tripped and flew! Yowling with fear, Apudo crashed onto the beanbag sofa, her back hitting the back of the sofa, her body sliding down the back of it, until Apudo found herself facing outwards, lying half on her side, cradled in its embrace.

“What did I trip over?” she asked blearily.

“My tail!” Sita miaowed.

“Um, sorry Mama Sita,” Apudo replied, wriggling until she could see the huge Felursa, who had got to her feet and was now padding carefully towards her.

“I wonder who’s more blind sometimes,” Mama Sita mewed, “I didn’t even hear you coming little Apudo. What were you doing to launch yourself so high into the air by tripping over my tail?”

“I was, was running hard, I wanted to find Titan,” Apudo mewed piteously.

“you nearly lost your head,” Mama Sita mewed, reaching the sofa, sitting carefully down, then feeling for Apudo, lifting her into her lap and examining her by touch.

“Tell me where it hurts,” Sita mewed.

“I’m all right! Paws off!” Apudo miaowed, spitting at and striking out at Mama Sita with her small fat paws. Despite the spitting fury in her lap, Mama Sita refused to be deterred from her paws on examination of Apudo’s body, starting at her head and ending at the end of her tail.

“Nowhere hurts, now leave me alone!” Apudo miaowed.

“You’re pads are a little tender,” Sita mewed, handling the cub’s left paw.

“I, um, tried to stop my headlong run just before I slammed into patch,” Apudo confessed.

“You’re too small to run about like this at the moment,” Mama Sita mewed gently, “you’ve burnt these pads a little.”

“They are a bit sore,” Apudo admitted, “running on the cool tiles of the passage helped me cool them.”

“Then you tripped over my tail,” Mama Sita mewed, soothing Apudo’s pads with her tongue, cooling the hot damaged pads with her breath.

“I did,” Apudo mewed, snuggling into Mama Sita’s embrace, purring deeply.

“So I’m now allowed to explore these pads?” Mama Sita mewed.

“yes you are,” Apudo yawned, stretching her paws, Mama Sita smiling as Apudo’s paw stretched under her touch.

“I like feeling bunching and stretching pads and stretching and curling toes,” Mama Sita mewed, Apudo giggling delightedly.

“That’s so sweet!” she replied, “well I have four paws, please, get paws on with them, and I’ll curl and stretch my toes and bunch my pads all you like.” Mama Sita smiled broadly.

“Can I curl my toes and bunch my pads while you hold my feet too Mama Sita?” Philomena asked, padding up to the sofa.

“yes, you can, but not before I’ve done it!” Apudo snapped, “and you have two feet only, I have four, so I take longer to do it okay?” Philomena sat down to watch Apudo, smiling at her assertiveness.

“You win,” Philomena replied. Apudo and Mama Sita played their game, Sita holding each of Apudo’s paws in hers, the little lioness curling and stretching her toes, Sita rubbing her toe pads and palm or sole pads, then getting her fingers into the gap between the sole pad and toe pads of Apudo’s small feet as she curled and stretched her toes, Sita rubbing the lioness’s pads, Apudo squirming, mewing and purring with pleasure, pushing her feet hard against Sita’s rubbing fingers.

“puuuuuush with your feet Apudo, puuuuuush!” Philomena urged, giggling delightedly.

“I’m really puuuuuuushing! with both feeyeeet too!” Apudo miaowed, Mama Sita laughing helplessly.

“You are just too cute Apudo,” she said, Apudo scrabbling at her left paw with the toes of both feet.

“maiaiaiaiaiaow! Roaooaoaoaoaoaooaoaoaoaoaoaoaaoowow!” Apudo miaowed in a cubbish voice while her toes scrabbled for purchase, Apudo keeping her claws sheathed.

“your pads are all damp now, you’re really putting everything into this aren’t you Apudo,” Sita said smiling.

“I’m trying so hard to stop my head exploding with pleasure by pedalling my feet fast!” Apudo mewed, Philomena laughing helplessly at her antics.

“You’re so cute Apudo!” Philomena said, Felix padding up to the sofa, attracted by the noise.

“I love upside -down Apudo,” he said, tickling the pads of the little lioness’s right foot, Apudo squealing with surprised delight.

“You Rogue!” she yowled.

“If I move my foot to my right, you can rub my pads, and Sita can rub my left foot,” Apudo mewed. Felix traced her thick toe pads and the thick sole pad with the fingers of his right hand.

“I like your thick pads, are they your heritage from Titan?” he asked.

“It must be,” Apudo mewed, “my feet were rather flat padded when I was bigger than I am now.”

“You have lovely pads Apudo,” Philomena said, Apudo has thick pads like we do Felix, she’s young like we are. Apudo bouncy-paws, as well as being a bouncy tumble-cub.”

“she’s so sweet,” Felix said.

“Apudo has the cutest feet and paws,” Mama Sita mewed.

“So you feel you cannot touch her face?” Felix mewed.

“I can while grooming her, but not generally,” Mama Sita mewed.

“I will express my feelings through my voice, paws and feet Mama Sita,” Apudo mewed.

“Maybe if we all closed our eyes and got paws on, we may find we all have another dimension,” Philomena said.

“What on earth are you on about?” Felix asked.

“Just that touch is far different to sight, and that if we got paws on with respect for each other but without fear, we might learn something more about each other,” she replied.

“Mama Karina said something about that when she groomed me last,” Felix mewed, “she often explores me by touch. She does this even when I’m clean after she’s been licking and combing at my fur for an hour.”

“What I really enjoy is when my feet and hands are washed,” Philomena said, “Freckles wets her paws and rubs them over my feet and hands, it feels wonderful!”

“mama Karina washes my face, feet and hands that way,” Felix mewed, “it’s really nice.”

“I love having my paws and feet washed,” Apudo yawned, covering her mouth with both paws, stretching her legs, pointing, curling and stretching her toes, Felix watching in admiration.

“she’s beautiful even when she does that!” Felix mewed.

“Apudo’s lovely,” Philomena replied, Mama Sita smiling as she got paws on with the stretching, toe curling, yawning cub.

“You stretch like Apudo does when you’re about to go to sleep Philomena,” Felix mewed.

“Do I?” she asked, “I’ve never noticed.

“You wouldn’t notice yourself silly!” Felix giggled.

“No, suppose not,” Philomena mewed.

“Where’re little Ekaterina and Moses these days?” Felix asked.

“Oh, they’re in their flat, playing pass the twig with a marble. It’s rather an interesting foot game, I played it with mum a few times, it’s really hard!”

“how do you play that game?” Felix asked.

“Pick the marble up in your toes and try to pass it to someone else’s toes, only using your toes,” Philomena explained, “the best way to make the pass is for the other player to roll onto their knees and for the first player to use their toes to place the ball in the grip of the other player’s toes, the other player curling their toes round the ball and crawl with the ball to a third player, then pass it to the third player. It’s quite difficult, the larger the marble, the harder it is.”

“That sounds like a really great game,” Mama Sita mewed, “”what happens if you drop the ball?”

“the other player gets to tickle your toes,” Philomena replied.

“Ah, sounds good,” Mama Sita mewed.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Felix replied.

“I’ll bet you and Philomena play that game a lot,” Sita mewed.

“Of course,” Philomena replied, her eyes shining.

“I forget you two are part human,” Sita mewed, “oh, and you haven’t tried doing what Janet and Sally did with their feet too have you?”

“You mean getting them stuck in pots and or socks?” Philomena replied starting to giggle helplessly.

“Yes,” Mama Sita mewed, “Have you?”

“Felix put his foot in one of those socks, then jammed it into one of the pots too!” Philomena squealed delightedly.

“yes Mama I did,” Felix confirmed.

“I’ll bet that took some effort to free,” Mama Sita mewed.

“it did,” Felix replied, “oh, and I wear those socks outside too, as my poor pads are so tender Mama Sita. You see, our feet are young human ones like those of Moses and Little Ekaterina, so they’re all soft and not used to hard ground.” Mama Sita smiled broadly.

“I know,” she replied, “your pads are all springy and soft.”

“I’m going if you three are going to play pass the marble,” Apudo mewed, “I can’t play it, I’m a cat.” With that she rolled off Sita’s lap, landing on her feet. Smiling, she ran off.

“Apudo!” Mama Sita miaowed, “walk from the lie up!”

“Oh, yes, slow down,” Apudo mewed.

“yes, otherwise you end up flying,” Mama Sita mewed.

“I’ll slow down,” Apudo mewed, “I’ll pretend my feet are slightly sticky so I can’t run,” she stepped exaggeratedly toward the door, tugging each paw and foot from the floor as if they stuck a little each time she placed them down, Felix and Philomena laughing at her antics.

“Oh Apudo! You silly thing!” they laughed, Apudo wriggling and bouncing as she struggled to free her feet as she walked.

“the faster I try to walk, the more the glue sticks my feeyeeet!” the little lioness yowled, Philomena choking with laughter.

“if you walk slowly, you won’t stick,” Philomena said when she could speak.

“but I wayayayant to go fast! When I do, my toes and pads stick hard, and I’m pitched into head over paws and I fly and land in sofas and the embrace of bears and things!” Apudo yowled.

“Things?” Mama Sita enquired.

“You grabbed meyeee, I didn’t land in your lap!” Apudo huffed, realising the drift of Mama Sita’s enquiry.

“it’s all right Apudo,” Felix mewed, padding to Apudo and hugging her.

“You’ve got a slight mane,” Felix mewed, “are you going to be stopped from running about by a long mane, like last time?” he asked.

“I might,” Apudo mewed, “but I’d rather remember not to run about than get tripped by my mane.”

“Apudo tumble-cub,” Felix teased, Apudo miaowing and swiping at him with one fat paw.

“You’re big and fat Apudo,” Felix mewed, “a fat little cub you are,” he said. Apudo was about to get very indignant and start protesting when Felix threw his arms round her, hugging her tightly, her previous anger forgotten in a rush of warm feelings.

“What was all that about your liking me upside down?” Apudo asked.

“On your back, paws in the air,” Felix mewed, pushing Apudo onto her side, then over onto her back, staring down at her.

“This way, I can see your face, and the pads of all four gorgeously fat paws,” Felix mewed, when you’re right way up, I can only see your face, and you trip over your paws all the time, which makes you tumble rather amusingly. Also, when you’re on your back, or upside down, I can grab your paws or feet and do this,” Felix said, grabbing her fat little left paw then rubbing the pads, Apudo miaowing and purring with pleasure, the toes of her three free paws curling with pleasure.

“That’s why I like upside-down Apudo very much,” Felix mewed, his eyes shining as she kicked the air with her feet and pawed at him with her free paw, miaowing and purring.

“This nose and these toes are soaoao cute!” Felix said, kissing Apudo’s nose and pads, the little lioness clasping his head in her fat little paws and returning the kiss to his nose with her rough tongue, Felix’s eyes shining into hers.

“That’s so sweet!” Philomena gushed, quickly recounting Apudo and Felix’s antics to Mama Sita, who laughed merrily and crawled over to them.

“Apudo’s lying on her back on the floor, Felix holding her paws in his hands,” Philomena said, When he kissed her nose, she grabbed his head between her fat little paws and returned his kiss, it was Soaoaoaoao cute!” she squealed gleefully.

“You two make me smile,” Sita mewed, “What is it you like about Apudo Felix?”

“Oh, she’s so fat and cute, and she runs around everywhere, head down, concentrating on her paws, then she looks up, sees she’s about to crash into something, digs her toes in, they stick, and she tumbles over her paws, landing in a spitting miaowing heap! Then she rolls onto her back in a frothing paw and foot waving rage, showing me her face, belly, paws and feet. she’s very cute,” Felix gushed.

“I don’t mean to fall over my paws!” Apudo miaowed, “but, well,” she considered aloud, “when I do, I get the pads of my feet and paws rubbed and played with, so it’s not all bad.” Felix laughed and hugged her as tightly as he dared.

“If you tumbled in the playroom, you could be a tumble cub in safety, and kick the air with your paws and feet in a cubbish fury until you tied them up in knots, and I could crawl up to you and rub your pads as much as you liked,” he said.

Awhwhwhwh Felix that’s so sweet!” Philomena said, her eyes shining.

“I haven’t really let myself go yet,” Apudo mewed, “everyone’s stopped me so far. Maybe one day I’ll really get furypuss and kick until my feet and paws tangle, and then that will make me even more furypuss and you can come and soothe my angry curled toes on paws and feet.”

“Why not tangle your paws and feet now?” Felix asked.

“nooaoaoaot now!” Apudo miaowed, “I’ll do it later, now, now I’m getting paw and foot rubs and it’s nice.”

“What if I stop,” Felix asked.

“nayaoaoaoaow! Don’t Stoaoaoaoap!” Apudo begged, waving her paws and feet about, Felix grabbing each of her paws in turn then kissing the pads, then grabbing each fat foot then blowing on her toes, Apudo yowling with laughter, kicking hard, the toes of her left foot striking him on his nose. Felix sat down and gently took the fat cub’s left foot in his hands, blowing on her exposed pads, making sure his breath tickled each pad on the sole of her foot, Apudo shrieking with laughter.

“Mama Sita! Felix’s tickling my feeyeeet! Stoaoaoaoap him!” she miaowed.

“No,” Mama Sita mewed, laughing at the antics of the two creatures.

“I love these big fat paws,” Felix mewed, washing her feet and paws, Apudo purring deeply.

“now can you get onto these paws and feet and walk?” Felix asked, kissing Apudo’s nose.

“I don’t want to now,” Apudo mewed, “being upside-down Apudo is such fun, my feet, paws and nose like it a lot.” Philomena and Mama Sita said:

“awww!” In unison, then fell about laughing.

“when you’re in the playroom, I will come running in, jam the toes of all four feet into the floor, then roll onto my back, I think I need to use my rear brakes as well as my front ones a bit Felix,” Apudo mewed. Apudo suddenly jerked her foot free of his hands and scrambled into his lap.

“Hug me Felix,” Apudo begged, “hug me tightly too, I’m quite tough you know.” Felix felt Apudo’s head resting on his shoulder, and he put his arms around her body and hugged her tightly, the little lioness snuggling hard up to him, holding him as best she could with her paws.

“So you have four paw drive and excellent ground holding skills?” he purred into her ear.

“Four paw drive yes, ground holding skills? Well, no, my front breaks are better than my rear,” Apudo mewed, both she and Felix laughing merrily.

“You don’t dig your claws in do you?” Felix asked.

“No, I don’t,” Apudo mewed, “I thought my toes would stop me!” she whimpered.

“I loved the old Apudo very much,” Felix mewed, “but the new smaller Apudo is so cute I could easily fall in love with her all over again.” Apudo buried her head in his shoulder, snuggling up, purring as deeply as she could.

“Get hands on with me, rub my feet and paws, play with me, please?” Apudo pleaded.

“I will,” Felix mewed, “can Philomena get hands on too?”

“yes, and, then could I chase your tails and toes?” Apudo asked.

“You can,” Philomena replied, lying down to get a closer look at Apudo.

“Apudo is very cute isn’t she,” Philomena said softly. Apudo smiled at the two Felursapiens.

“I still want Mama Sita to rub my feet though,” Philomena said wistfully.

“She can now her paws are not full of a fat little lioness,” Mama Sita replied.

“Oi, that’s not fair!” Apudo yowled.

“But you are fat, fat from your nose to your toes,” Felix mewed, touching Apudo’s nose, then her toes, digging his fingers into the gap between the toe pads and heel pad of her right foot and scratching the tender place of pleasure he found there, Apudo mewing and purring.

“Why not scratch the pads of Apudo’s foot on the place that would be the ball of my foot,” Philomena suggested. Felix moving his fingers down slightly from the gap between Apudo’s heel pad and toes to the ball of the heel pad, then pressing and scratching that, Apudo miaowing:

“I preferred between my pads, scratch there, the bit, the bit where the thorns get caught, that’s very sensitive, I hate thorns there, but, but, when I’m not walking, a good rub there feels great!”

“I’ve had the privilege to get hands on with fleur and Snowy’s paws and feet recently, they have lovely thick pads, Fleur’s are thickest of all, as she’s a liger. Titan’s used to be cat like too, but now he’s got more of a bearlike paw and foot, but he can still walk on his toes like a cat if needed, he has thick pads on heel and ball and long toes with thick pads too.”

“We Felursa’s can all do that, it’s rather good for creeping about,” Mama Sita mewed. she thought for a minute, “let’s go to the playroom where you can tumble and roll in safety Apudo.”

Miaowing with excitement, Apudo leapt to her feet, ran a few steps, crossed her legs, tangled her feet and fell flat on her nose.

“Ouauauauauauw!” the lioness screeched, Felix and Philomena trying not to laugh.

“Oh dear, oh dear!” Mama Sita mewed, stuffing her left paw into her mouth to stop herself for laughing like the two Felursapien cubs.

“My feet tangled and I hurt my nose!” Apudo yowled, sitting down then rubbing her nose with a paw.

“You’re a funny little cub,” Mama Sita mewed.

“I’m nooaoaoaot!” Apudo yowled hysterically, turning and rushing at Sita, tripping over her own feet, flying through the air and landing in Sita’s lap, Sita laughing helplessly at the little lioness’s antics.

“Stop it Apudo, stoaoaoaoap it! You’ll kill me laughing!” Sita laughed. Apudo coughing and gasping as the wind came back into her lungs.

“Dear Apudo, take a deep breath, several breaths and slow down!” Mama Sita mewed, picking Apudo up, turning her onto her back and gently placing her down on her lap.

“I tripped and flew,” Apudo mewed piteously.

“Stand on your feet, then walk gently, walk feeling the floor under your pads, love walking, love pad pad padding, don’t tangle your toes.” Apudo smiled at Mama Sita.

“I love my feet being rubbed,” Apudo mewed softly.

“You don’t have to tangle your feet to get your pads rubbed,” Felix giggled.

“Every time I run, I trip over my feeyeeet!” Apudo whimpered.

“then don’t run,” Mama Sita mewed.

“Where’s Titan?” Apudo asked.

“I’m here,” a voice mewed, Mama Sita screaming with shock, Felix laughing helplessly.

“You saw him come in and didn’t tell me!” Mama Sita accused.

“yes,” Felix replied, spluttering as he tried to repress his giggles.

“I’m here Apudo,” Titan mewed, “I’ve been watching you tripping over your feet the whole day, and thought I might come and check that things were okay. Walking doesn’t seem to be your strong point since you came in from the rain.”

“I keep tripping over my toes!” Apudo raged, waving her paws and lashing out with her feet.

“I saw,” Titan mewed gently, kneeling then kissing Apudo’s nose, then blowing on her waving paws.

“I have watched my rebirth again,” Apudo mewed, “Would you do it again Titan?”

“I would,” Titan mewed, “I know my feet and paws are not the same as those with which I gave birth, but I am the same Liger inside.”

“I could imagine you giving birth to me in the form you are now,” Apudo mewed, “it would be wonderful Titan.”

“it might be,” Titan mewed, “but I hope I don’t have to do that Apudo.”

“I promise to do all I can so you don’t have to,” Apudo mewed.

“You’re a cub, play like a cub, fall over your paws, show everyone your pads, get cuddles, give hugs, ask others to touch you and touch others,” Titan mewed.

“I will,” Apudo mewed, “Felix likes me, “upside-down,” as he puts it. He means me with my face turned to the sky and paws and feet in the air.”

“I’ve seen that,” Titan purred.

“I can see all of her then, and she can’t fall anywhere either,” Felix mewed.

“That’s true,” Apudo mewed, curling and stretching the toes of her paws and feet, Titan watching her face, paws and feet, watching Apudo closing her eyes and bearing her teeth as she concentrated on curling and stretching her toes, making her pads bunch and stretch as she tightly curled and stretched her toes.

“That’s a lot of concentration,” Titan mewed as Apudo panted with her efforts.

“Sometimes my feet and paws don’t seem to be mine,” Apudo mewed, wriggling and kicking, “I’m happily padding along, then my my toes trip and I fall over them!” she miaowed, Titan laughing merrily.

“you’re so cute Apudo,” he purred, reaching out with a paw to trace the pads of her left foot, Apudo grabbing his fingers with her fat padded toes.

“Got you!” she growled, miaowing as she struggled to hold onto her prize as Titan tugged at his trapped paw.

“miaoaoaoaoaow! Rowowowowor! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Apudo yelled as she struggled to hold onto his paw with the toes of her left foot, Titan kissing her sweating pads as she rested, panting hard after a few minutes of struggle.

“You’re a lovely cub,” Titan mewed, kissing Apudo’s nose.

“How do I stop my paws and feet tangling whenever I walk Titan?” Apudo asked.

“Go slowly my dear cub,” Titan mewed.

“or you could try being upside-down Apudo more often,” Felix giggled.

“Okay, let me try,” Apudo mewed, getting to her feet, Titan rubbing the tops of her feet and paws with his paws, Apudo purring deeply with pleasure.

“I’ll walk with you to the playroom,” Titan mewed, “Mama Sita, Felix and Philomena, are you coming too?” Everyone followed Titan and Apudo.

Padding to the playroom, the five creatures stopped to remove their outside pads, enjoying each other’s attentions as each helped the others to remove imaginary thickened pads and wash the resulting softer pads beneath. This done, they padded to the playroom, Titan rolling head over heels in delight as his feet touched the rubberised flooring, Apudo yowling with laughter at his antics.

“Look at that silly Felursa!” she yelled, waving her paw at Titan, who now stood on his feet smiling broadly.

“Who’s leader round here now?” Titan asked, “I really think I should put myself up for re-election in my current form, as it were.”

“You were elected because of what’s inside you, not what form you take,” Mama Sita mewed.

“thanks,” Titan mewed, dropping to all fours and turning to the assembled creatures.

“Now, Apudo, can you run without tangling those gorgeous paws and feet?” he asked.

“I can do it Titan, but sometimes, well, sometimes it doesn’t work!” the little lioness mewed.

“I wonder what the next mutation will be?” Felix mewed, “Titan’s magnificent! I wonder, will we get a female white liger?”

“Hmm, Shandy would have been that if I’d been a white liger,” Titan purred.

“You would have had to be born of leonine Samson to have a chance of being a white liger,” Mama Sita mewed.

“the best bit of a liger has to be their paws, all huge and soft,” Theo mewed, padding in with Bianca.

“Liger paws are lovely aren’t they,” Mama Sita mewed.

“I know,” Theo purred, “Titan’s paws were beautiful, and still are, but I loved those thick pads so much!”

“I’ve still got those,” Titan mewed, lying down, Theo racing to him and examining his paws and feet.

“Thick toe pads, thick pads too on the palm of your paws and balls of your feet, then a deep arch and a large heel pad on your feet,” Theo mused, “long fingers and toes too!” he exclaimed.

“I can walk flat footed like a bear or run on my toes like a cat,” Titan mewed.

“What are these feet like when you curl your toes?” Theo asked. Titan curled the toes of his left foot, the one Theo held in his paws, the toes curling tightly, bunching the pads to nearly half way down his arch.

“that’s so cute!” Theo mewed, rubbing the bunched skin on the sole of Titan’s left foot.

“Of course, when I have another cub, if I do, I’ll be curling them even tighter, as I did when rebirthing Apudo,” Titan mewed.

“you’re having another cub?” Apudo asked, leaping about with excitement.

“No, not yet!” Titan laughed, “I’m just saying that if I do, my paws and feet will tell the story of my struggle.”

“I hope you’re vocal too,” Mama Sita mewed.

“I will be, if it happens,” Titan mewed. Titan purred and mewed as he stretched and curled his toes with pleasure as Theo rubbed his pads.

“I love big springy liger pads,” Theo mewed.

“I know you do,” Titan purred, “just touch Apudo’s pads, hers are a lot thicker and more springy since I rebirthed her. If you want genuine thick liger pads, find ligress Fleur and ask her if you can touch her paws and feet, she’s got very thick pads,” Titan mewed.

“Leopold should also have thick pads, but he’s only a cub, so you probably won’t want to get paws on with him,” a voice said. Theo padded over to Leopold and playfully knocked him off his feet, leaping at and grabbing his now free paws, rubbing and playing with them, the Taliger cub mewing, moaning and purring with enjoyment of Theo’s ministrations.

“You noisy thing Leopold!” Theo laughed.

“I learnt that from mama fleur,” Leopold mewed, “she made lots of noise during my birth, so now I do too.” Theo kissed the fat Taliger’s nose, Leopold pawing at his face with his large, soft, exceedingly fat paws.

“You’re big and snuggly, and I love that,” Theo mewed.

“Don’t I get to play with Leopold’s paws too?” Bianca asked.

“I’ll play with his paws, you play with his feet,” Theo mewed. Leopold, now pinned down by two white lions, mewed, growled, wriggled and purred as they played with his paws and feet, rubbing his pads and playing with his toes, Leopold finding the only way to stop his head exploding with pleasure was tightly curling his body and the toes of all four huge paws, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth from time to time.

“Do you notice what Leopold does every time we rub his pads Theo?” Bianca asked.

“yes, he curls into a mewing, toe curling, teeth clenching ball of fur, it’s so cute!” the young lion replied, Bianca giggling happily.

“miaoaoaoaoaow! Rowowowowor! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Leopold yowled as he struggled to articulate something for which he had no words.

“keep rubbing his pads Theo!” Bianca urged, Theo rubbing the pads of Leopold’s left paw, the taliger squirming and miaowing.

“Leopold’s so funny!” Apudo giggled.

“You sounded like that,” Titan mewed softly.

“Naoaoaoaow I didn’t! Oh, all right, I might have sounded like that,” Apudo mewed.

“Could I hug you Titan?” Leopold asked.

“yes, why not?” Titan replied, lying down. Leopold hugged Titan, the Felursaliger smiling and returning his hug.

“You big snuggly moggie,” Titan mewed, Leopold complaining:

“I’m nooaoaoaot a moggie!” Slapping him with his paws, Titan laughing merrily, turning onto his back, lifting Leopold up in his paws, bench pressing the Taliger, Leopold pedalling the air with all four huge paws with increasing desperation, Apudo shrieking with laughter.

“Put him down Titan!” she laughed, rolling about from side to side on the floor, kicking the air with her feet and waving her paws in cubbish excitement.

“Puuuut meyeee doaoaoaoaoaown!” Leopold screeched, Titan lowering him until their noses touched, kissing his nose. Rolling over, Titan let Leopold go, the taliger cub sprawling on the floor.

“don’t ever do that again!” Leopold moaned piteously.

“That was Soaoaoaoao fuuuuuuny Titan!” Apudo squealed gleefully, waving her paws about.

“Naoaoaoaow it wasn’t! Titan lifted me off my feeyeeet and I pedalled hard, but he bounced me up and down! Oaoaoaoah, I’m going to be sick!” Leopold moaned, vomiting onto the rubberised flooring.

“Oh, maybe it wasn’t so funny,” Titan mewed, Apudo struggling to hide her mirth by snorting into her paws.

“I’ll clear that up,” Felix mewed, running for a brush and shovel.

“I need to wash,” Leopold whimpered, gagging and spitting.

“I’m sorry Leopold,” Titan mewed, looking very contrite.

“Titan! Wash meyeee!” Leopold demanded.

“I humbly suggest after shaking Leopold up it is your duty to wash him,” Mama Sita mewed.

“I will,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet, gently picking Leopold up in his paws and carrying him away.

“Titan bench pressed Leopold!” Philomena giggled.

“Titan was very stupid and made Leopold very sick,” Mama Sita mewed.

“I think he knows that,” Apudo replied.

“I hope Titan’s washing Leopold right now,” Sita said.

“Titan’s all right Sita,” Apudo mewed, “he knows he did wrong.”

Titan washed Leopold from head to paw pads, the taliger soon forgetting the horrendous ride he’d had.

“I gave no thought to you being motion sick,” Titan mewed.

“Neither did I,” Leopold miaowed, “if I had, I would have told you to stop sooner. It was only when you were half way through did I begin to feel unwell, it came upon me so fast!”

“Sorry,” Titan mewed.

“It’s all forgotten now,” Leopold replied, turning onto his back, showing Titan the pads of his paws and feet, Titan looking at the thick pads and fat paws.

“You have lovely pads dear Leopold,” Titan mewed, tickling the taliger’s toes with his breath, Leopold expressing his pleasure by infantile mewing and lots of kicking and waving of feet and paws.

“Silly moggie,” Titan teased, Leopold swiping at his whiskers with his massive paws.

“I love these padded paws,” Titan mewed, kissing the pads of the Taliger’s left paw, Leopold’s purr vibrating his whole body.

“Can someone please tell me who’s leader round here?” a voice asked. Titan looked up, straight into the eyes of the largest big cat he’d ever seen.

“mhyayayayayayaaioaow!” Titan yowled, leaping backwards, Leopold laughing helplessly.

“Um, sorry, did I frighten you?” the newcomer asked, panting hard.

“Um, ah, no,” Titan babbled, shaking himself, “I, I, I’m leader, at least I think I am. Mind you, after my reaction to you, I’m not sure now, um, oh dear,” his voice trailed away.

“I’m, well, lost,” the newcomer replied, “I, I got a thorn in my pads while in the woods, and can’t remove it, and I’m in terrible pain and feeling awful, and a huge fat slothful tiger told me to come here. He said, well, that I could get it removed, the thorn that is.”

“Let me look at you,” Titan mewed, inspecting the large big cat from all angles. Titan saw the biggest ligress he’d ever encountered, the creature’s coat magnificent, the only thing disfiguring her was the way she held her left foot off the floor, the paw swollen and painful.

“This foot is infected,” Titan mewed, looking down at the effected foot.

“I know,” the ligress whimpered, miaowing with pain as Titan touched the injured foot with his nose.

“That huuuurts!” the ligress yowled, turning savagely on Titan with a roar that chilled Leopold’s blood.

“Sorry!” Titan yowled, leaping backwards, the ligress’s sudden movement causing her to place weight on her injured foot, her heart rending screeching yowl of pain making Titan want to cry.

“We can help you!” Titan mewed.

“I, I, I hope so!” the huge ligress sobbed, sweat darkening her fur as the pain shot through her body, settling down to a persistent throb which made her sniffle like a cub.

“the pads of your foot have been injured some time ago,” Titan mewed.

“I think so,” the ligress whimpered.

“I’ll take you to Patch,” Titan mewed, rubbing the ligress’s massive left paw reassuringly.

“I don’t think she’s fit to walk any further,” Leopold said, “Titan, can we get patch to come here with his trolley?”

“yes, let’s,” Titan mewed, recovering himself. Pressing his communicator, he spoke to Patch, and soon the huge grey bear was beside them with his trolley.

“I think you have competition Titan,” Patch said, waving his paw at the newcomer.

“I do, she’s even bigger than meyeee!” Titan replied in a surprised yowl which made Leopold smile.

“Come and lie down my friend,” Patch said, helping the pain maddened ligress onto the bed, strapping her down.

“I’ll get off now and see to this ligress’s huge foot,” Patch replied, having seen other things which he dared not talk about. Patch wheeled the ligress away, Titan and Leopold watching them go.

“What’s wrong with Patch?” Leopold asked.

“I think that ligress’s sicker than we realise,” Titan mewed.

Patch wheeled the ligress back to his work room and set up a drip full of antibiotic and a sedative.

“What’s your name?” Patch asked the ligress.

“I’m not telling you, you’ll laugh,” the ligress replied drowsily.

“I won’t, promise,” Patch replied.

“My name? what’s my name?” The ligress mumbled, “it’s Tiggs.” Patch smiled, stroking Tiggs’s shoulder.

“You’ll be okay,” patch said, taking a look at Tiggs’s swollen foot, noticing the bulging pad full of pus. Patch scrubbed his paws for a fourth time, then grabbed a scalpel and incised the area, releasing the muck from the foot by squeezing the pad, Tiggs drowsily watching him.

“I can’t feel a thing,” the huge ligress mumbled.

“Local anaesthetic and a sedative, a great combination,” patch replied. Tiggs sighed deeply, settling back on the bed, Patch working with gentle care, enlarging the drainage hole, then finding the offending thorn, driven deep into the tissues. Removing it with forceps, Patch dumped the thorn in a dish, then packed the wound with antibiotic powder. Bandaging the foot, Patch finished the job, then took a good look at the rest of Tiggs’s body. The ligress’s fur was clean, as were her pads and teeth. Patch smiled at the drowsy ligress, kissing the big cat’s nose.

“I’ll keep you on antibiotics and fluids,” he whispered, “you’re very unwell dear Tiggs.” Tiggs sighed deeply, basking in the relief from pain. Patch ultra sound checked Tiggs, his eyes widening as he saw something inside her womb.

“What’s wrong with her patch?” Leopold asked.

“Oh, hello,” patch said, turning and washing his paws, “poor thing has blood poisoning from her infected foot, she’s on antibiotics, but if things don’t go well, I may have to transfuse her blood.”

“oaoaoaaoh!” Titan miaowed, he having followed Leopold to the medical room.

“The thorn went in at the ball of Tiggs’s foot, where Apudo usually gets hers stuck,” Patch replied, “it was in deep, and there was all sorts of muck in there too.”

“She’s on oxygen too,” Leopold observed.

“yes,” patch replied, “oh, her name’s Tiggs by the way, she seems gentle enough, well, we won’t know until she’s well again. she’s big, that’s one certainty.”

“She’s nearly as big as me!” Titan mewed, stroking the huge ligress’s shoulder with one paw.

“I hope Tiggs will survive,” patch said, “she was exhausted, panting hard and on death’s door when she came to us.”

“She hid it very well,” Titan mewed.”

“How can a thorn cause all this?” Leopold asked.

“Easily if it’s not removed,” patch replied. Patch wheeled Tiggs and all the monitoring equipment into the ward, then checked a tablet computer to see that all Tiggs’s vital signs were monitored.

“Drip fed, catheterised, infection excised, now it’s up to Tiggs’s,” he said once he’d closed the door and Tiggs could not hear him.

“Poor thing,” Titan mewed.

“I’ll watch her by cctv and by vital signs,” Patch replied.

“Is her size due to the infection?” Titan asked.

“No, she’s naturally huge,” Patch replied.

“I’m glad she’s huge,” Titan mewed.

Tiggs slept deeply for fifteen hours. Waking, she found herself lying on a warm bed. Looking up, she saw the hairy face of a huge grey bear looking down at her.

“I remember you from somewhere,” Tiggs mewed sleepily, “you, you helped my pain go away and fixed my foot,”

“I checked on your foot and have cleaned, treated and bandaged it,” the bear said, “you seem to be on the mend in other ways too. How are you feeling?”

“Better than I did,” Tiggs replied, “I was feeling awful, and that had nothing to do with my foot I don’t think.”

“You had blood poisoning,” patch replied, “I’m monitoring that, and your kidney function too. You’re on high doses of Anti biotic and pain killers to kill infection and make you feel more comfortable.”

“I didn’t think a thorn could do all that,” Tiggs mewed.

“Unfortunately yes, now rest dear,” Patch said, kissing Tiggs’s nose, the ligress smiling sleepily.

“Will I be confined to bed for long?” she asked.

“yes, for a few days,” patch replied, “but you can have visitors, and can turn over and lie on your back or your front. The catheter is flexible enough to allow that, the bag isbeneath your bed. You can relieve yourself in the natural way in all other respects. We only catheterise you to make sure of kidney function, jess is testing that every hour or so, right now, you’re doing fine.” Tiggs took all this in, not really worrying about who jess was, nor whether she’d ever roam the forest again. Right now, under this warm blanket with the warm mattress under her, she felt better than she had for weeks.

“What can I eat?” she asked.

“Drink plenty of fluids, and drink nutritious soups, we can put all you’ll need in those,” Patch replied.

“So I lie here, lapping soups and keeping warm while I recover?” Tiggs asked.

“That’s about it,” patch replied, “then, after a few days, when I’m sure your kidney function is unimpaired, I’ll let you out of bed and treat you with a pump that will administer antibiotics so you can walk about and meet the community.” Tiggs looked at patch.

“I can’t stay,” she said, “it would be wrong of me to stay. You haven’t the room for me, I’m too big!” she protested.

“You’re small enough to fit in the front door, so you’re fine,” Patch replied smiling.

“You’re very kind,” Tiggs mewed.

“Now, would you like some soup? Or to rest a while?” Patch asked.

“I’d love some soup, then to rest a bit,” Tiggs replied. patch, having anticipated this, reached down to a flask which he’d clipped to a belt round his middle. Unscrewing the top, he held the flask out to Tiggs, the Ligress taking it in her paws and putting the teat in her mouth, drinking busily.

“I’ve made a special soup so you need only drink,” Patch explained. Tiggs, the warm fluid soothing her, kept drinking, until it was all gone. Smiling, she handed the flask to patch, patch stowing it on his belt.

“You made short work of that,” he commented, taking Tiggs’s pulse and looking at her vital signs, and the level of pathogen in her blood which was monitored by another machine.

“You’re getting better,” patch said, “I can see the infection leaving your body on a scale of ten to zero, ten is very infected, zero is no infection. You’re on two now. When you started, you were up at eight, very unwell indeed.”

“Oh,” Tiggs mewed, “I must say, I do feel a lot better.”

“if all goes well, I’ll turn the amount of Anti biotic down tomorrow,” patch replied.

“now, now, can I sleep?” Tiggs asked.

“yes, I’ll leave you to sleep,” Patch replied, taking a screenshot of her vital signs, annotating with the date and time, then saving everything into his records with his comments on Tiggs general demeanour.

“Thanks again,” Tiggs yawned, Patch smiling broadly at her, then tucking her in, Tiggs watching him through half closed eyes.

“You love tucking creatures into bed don’t you,” she mumbled.

“I used to do it for my young human when she was very small,” patch said, finishing off by tucking Tiggs’s paws into a fold of the warmed blanket.

“are you warm enough? Can I get you anything else?” patch asked.

“no thanks,” Tiggs mewed, swallowing hard as emotions threatened to swamp her.

“it’s all right, you’re safe now,” patch replied, kneeling and taking her paw.

“I’m being so silly,” Tiggs sniffed, “but, but, I wouldn’t be here now, I know that.”

“You got here just in time Tiggs, now sleep, and don’t worry,” patch replied, kissing her nose and squeezing the paw he held, tucking it back into the warm blanket, Tiggs sighing deeply.

“I’ll never forget this,” she mewed. Patch withdrew, keeping an eye on Tiggs all the time until he’d closed the door, watching her through the porthole in the door for a few minutes longer.

“how is she?” Titan asked.

“She’s better than I could have hoped for,” patch replied, “it seems we might have caught her infection just in time.”

“You’re wonderful patch,” Titan mewed.

“Titan,” Patch whispered, pulling him down the corridor, “that ligress is in cub!”

“ooaaoah!” Titan miaowed.

“I think I’ve saved them both,” Patch replied.

“wow Patch, that’s great news!” Titan purred, Patch smiling broadly.

“I don’t know who the sire is,” Patch whispered, “but, well, I think a certain slothful tiger might be responsible.”

“Fleur’s gonna go mad!” Titan mewed.

“No,” patch replied smiling, “I do wonder though if the name Tommy is somewhat of a guide to the bearer’s wish to be a promiscuous male.”

“You mean he, he didn’t! did he?” Titan mewed, Patch laughing at the Felursaliger’s scandalised expression.

“I think he did,” Patch replied.

“At least he’s been good to her, tipping her to this place for treatment,” Titan mewed.

“he’s desperate for sex,” patch replied, “and fleur’s got a cub on her paws at the moment, so where else is he going to get it but with a free ligress?”

“Who is Tiggs mama though?” Titan asked.

“Who cares About that?” Patch asked, “Tiggs is here, in cub and on the mend too.”

“Tommy might not know!” Titan whispered.

“Hmm, true,” Patch replied, “well are you going to tell him?”

“I dared not!” Titan miaowed, “maybe if she has the cub, then, well, we can just pretend noone knows who the sire is, how long has she been pregnant?”

“Um, three months now, it’s nearly time for her to give birth,” patch replied, “I’m surprised the cub has survived the infection, but it has.”

“Lucky cub,” Titan mewed, “maybe mama Tiggs’s kidneys filtered out enough junk to make sure the cub was healthy, while Tiggs got weaker by the day.”

“Maybe,” patch replied.

“I think Tommy should be told he is to be a sire,” Titan mewed.

“go on then,” Patch replied.

A day later, Tiggs woke in the early evening. Lying in her bed, watching the screens displaying her vital signs, she thought about her situation. She felt better than she had for weeks, but there was one thing she missed, the company of others. When she was very ill, she’d not wanted anyone near her, but now, now she craved the touch of another. Reflecting on the last, how long was it? weeks? Tiggs realised the last time she’d had company was when that fat tiger had mated with her. Now, confined to bed as she was, she wanted someone to talk to, or better still to snuggle with. The bed was a large one, and despite her own bulk, there was room for someone else who was small to snuggle with her.

A day later, Apudo, waking in Titan’s lie up, padded after Patch’s old scent, wondering what the huge grey bear had done with the large ligress. Padding to the medical room, she found the door to Tiggs’s room. Smiling, she pressed the button which let her in, the door swinging open slightly, Apudo barging it wider, then swinging round it to stop it slamming onto her tail, finally letting it close. Apudo found herself in a small room with a low bed in it, a large ligress lying under the duvet on the bed. Padding up to the bed, Apudo watched carefully, in case the ligress sprung upon her.

“hello little one,” the ligress mewed, turning onto her left side and watching Apudo creeping towards her.

“And I thought I was being stealthy,” Apudo mewed.

“You were,” Tiggs mewed, “it’s that door which gave you away, it’s loud.”

“Oh, okay,” Apudo mewed, reaching the side of the bed, Tiggs watching her come closer.

“Are you feeling better now?” Apudo asked.

“yes, thanks,” Tiggs mewed softly, “I would like some company though.”

“Didn’t patch leave you with a button to press for assistance?” Apudo asked.

“he did, but that’s for assistance, not for company, I can’t press it just because I’m lonely,” Tiggs mewed.

“awww, that’s so wrong,” Apudo mewed, rearing onto her hind legs and placing her paws on the bed, “would you like me to stay for a while?”

“I’d love you to,” Tiggs mewed, Apudo scrambling up onto the bed.

“I’ll make some room,” Tiggs mewed, shuffling across the bed. Apudo snuggled under the duvet, Tiggs tidying the bedding, then embracing Apudo in her huge paws, the little lioness snuggling up to the ligress’s warm body.

“now how’s that?” Tiggs asked.

“It’s nice,” Apudo mewed.

“Good,” Tiggs purred, “now you are hidden, noone can see you under the quilt.” Apudo giggled delightedly at this news.

“I’m getting bigger all the time, so I may not be able to be hidden for long,” the lioness mewed.

“You’re not growing that fast dear Apudo,” Tiggs purred, kissing the top of her head, Apudo nuzzling Tiggs’s cheek, Tiggs embracing the little lioness in her huge soft warm paws.

“I can sleep now,” Tiggs mewed, closing her eyes.

“sleep well Tiggs,” Apudo mewed, the warmth making her drowsy. Sighing deeply, Apudo settled to sleep, taking hold of Tiggs’s left paw in her small paws.

Ages later, Apudo woke to the sound of Tiggs moaning and panting. Shaking herself, Apudo felt the toes of the ligress’s paw which she held in hers curl tightly. Miaowing, Tiggs wriggled and panted. Suddenly Tiggs screamed:

“I muuuuust puuuuuush! wayayayant to puuuuuush! Yeyeyeyeeyaow!” Tiggs settled herself and began straining hard. Apudo scuffled backwards down the bed, until she found the toes and sweating pads of Tiggs’s right foot. Holding it, she felt Tiggs straining hard, Tiggs jamming her right foot into Apudo’s paws, her left jammed against the tucked in quilt at the end of the bed, Apudo getting paws on with the straining ligress’s tightly curled toes and bunched pads. Once the ligress relaxed, Apudo explored Tiggs’s tail and what was beneath it with her small paws, feeling a set of paws emerging from Tiggs’s body. Tiggs, now screeching, pushed down hard, Apudo feeling her struggles, a cub sliding into her small paws, Tiggs screaming and crying, yowling and roaring as she wriggled, pushed and panted. Tiggs moved from lying on her side to sitting up, her paws resting flat on the bed, her hind end still turned almost through ninety degrees. Gripping the sheets with the toes of both huge paws, Tiggs inflated her lungs, lowered her head, and bore down into her tail with a groan of effort.

“Push Tiggs! That’s it, push! Puuush! You’re having a cuuuub!” Apudo miaowed, Tiggs repeatedly bearing down hard while roaring and miaowing, her feet braced against the bottom of the quilt, Apudo lying beside the struggling ligress’s hind legs, paws on with the slowly emerging cub.

“miaoaoaoaoaow! Roaooaoaoaoaoaooaoaoaoaoaoaoaaoowow! Riaow! Uauauauauauauauw! This cub’s huge, Errururururururmf! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!” Tiggs screamed, groaned and screeched as she strained to deliver her cub. Apudo, already cramped at the end of the bed and drenched in sweat from the heat of the quilt and the electric blanket, felt fluid drench her, then the paws of the newborn cub filling her paws, a huge set of paws belonging to a cub, Tiggs screaming muffled by the quilt as the cub’s head stretched her, the ligress’s paws beating the quilt from time to time as she screamed:

“Riaow, Uauauauaauw! Riaow Riaow! panting the cub’s head into the world. Suddenly her legs began straining and toes scrabbling for purchase as she strained deeply to deliver the cub’s body, her moans and cries eloquent of her effort.

“yeyeyeyeeyaow! Umf, Umf, Ouauauauauauw! Miaoaoaoaoaow!” Tiggs screamed as she strained, then she moaned, “Uuuuuuuumf, Uuuuuuuumf! Yuuuuuuuuuuumf! Uauauauauauauauw!” as, with a final rush and gush of fluid, the massive cub slid free, pushed into the world by Tiggs’s straining efforts. feeling the cub’s feet slide free, Tiggs buried her face in her paws, panting and crying,.

“the cub’s tail is still inside you, you need to push a bit more Tiggs,” Apudo mewed.

“I cayayayayn’t puuuuuush anymore!” Tiggs wept.

“Okay, I’ll gently pull,” Apudo mewed, cleaning the cub up. Tiggs felt Apudo tugging at the cub’s tail with both paws, the sensation of the cub’s tail sliding from her making her clench her teeth, moan and pant while curling her toes every time Apudo pulled at the cub’s tail.

“Panting helps, pant Tiggs pant!” Apudo mewed, Tiggs panting and moaning as Apudo pulled the cub’s long tail free from her body.

“Concentrate on your toes, pant and curl your toes Tiggs!” Apudo urged, “That’s it Tiggs, pant and moan, curl your toes, that’s it, nearly there!” Apudo encouraged, Tiggs moaning and panting, her toes flexing with each effort Apudo made to free her cub’s tail.

“All done!” Apudo mewed, “any more in there?” she asked, having cleaned up the cub for a second time. Tiggs didn’t reply. Dragging the cub to Tiggs paws, Apudo found Tiggs almost comatose. Miaowing, she slapped the ligress’s shoulder, “Oi!” she snapped, pummelling Tiggs’s shoulder, the ligress rousing herself and looking round at the newborn cub cradled in the paws of the small lioness.

“What’s that!”,” Tiggs sniffled, “I was woken by an urge to push, it huuuuurt Apudouuououoouuouo!”

“You did well,” Apudo mewed, as the door burst open and patch rushed in.

“what the hell’s going on in here?” he asked, his eyes wild, “all my alarms went off at once, and I panicked, getting my feet and paws tangled in my quilt! After a hell of a struggle I’ve just freed myself, and ran here, and now what’s going on?”

“Tiggs just gave birth to a cub!” Apudo laughed, clapping her paws.

“I can see that, I suspected nothing!” Patch yelped.

“me too,” Tiggs whimpered, “being woken by hard labour is horrible!” she miaowed.

“I thought there were two cubs!” patch replied.

“No, just one pedalling hard with her paws and feet I think,” Tiggs gasped, trying to hold onto her kneading, kicking cub. Putting the cub to her milk, she looked at patch.

“All my treatment,” she said, “will that affect my cub now?”

“I don’t think it will, I’ll take you off it now,” patch replied, “I think you’re all right now. I’ll remove the catheter now, and you can have some more soup.” Tiggs breathed deeply as patch removed the catheter, wriggling as he pulled it free.

“aoaoaoaow!” she protested, patch stroking her flank as he dumped the tube in a bucket.

“All done,” he said, removing the drip from Tiggs’s left paw, “Now feed your cub Tiggs.”

“how many days have I been here?” Tiggs asked.

“A week now,” Patch replied.

“Oh,” Tiggs replied softly, “now I have a cub,” she mused, “so quickly, I push and yowl and I now have a cub.”

“You must have been in labour for about half an hour,” patch said, “I know that, as the alarms went off, and it took me half an hour to free my feet and paws from my duvet!” Apudo, finding the idea of Patch tangled in his bedding very funny, laughed helplessly.

“Patch tangle-paws! Patch tangle-paws! Patch tangle-paws!” she carolled.

“Stoaoaoap it!” patch whined, Apudo laughing so hard she choked.

“you’re so funny!” Apudo squealed.

“Naoaoaoaow I’m Noaoaot!” patch yelled, rearing onto his hind legs, waving his paws and stamping his feet in a cubbish rage, Apudo losing control completely, rolling about on the floor, waving her paws and feet, laughing helplessly.

“You’re soaoao funny patch!” Apudo miaowed, patch catching sight of himself on a screen. Finally realising what he looked like, he put an end to his antics, dropping to all four paws, trying to look serious and in command.

“You’ve made my day patch!” Tiggs mewed.

“I’ve made myself look very stupid,” patch whimpered.

“come, meet my cub,” Tiggs mewed.

“I need to change your bed Tiggs,” Patch replied, “I’ll do that, make the bed, then meet your cub. Please, get out of bed.” Tiggs did as he asked, and patch quickly stripped the bed and made it up with fresh sheets and quilt.

“now that’s better,” patch said, supervising Tiggs and her cub’s settlement into the clean bedding.

“I think someone ought to tell tommy,” Apudo mewed.

“tommy knows,” Tommy mewed, slinking into the room, “Tiggs, I’m sorry I skulked out of the way while you were in labour! I know I was with fleur when she had her cub, but, but, I couldn’t do it again!”

“So you’ll dip your wick but not see the female through her pain Tommy?” Apudo asked.

“yes!” Tommy wailed.

“I think fleur’s labour put him off forever,” patch remarked.

“I remember that!” Apudo miaowed, “fleur and Leopold faught together for Leopold’s freedom.”

“I can’t cope with this!” tommy whimpered, “who helped Tiggs give birth to her cub?”

“I did, noone saw a thing,” Apudo mewed, “it was all done under the quilt, I felt Tiggs curling her toes and straining her legs, and then the cub emerging too.”

“I had no time to think!” Tiggs mewed, “I woke in horrendous pain, feeling a huge urge to push. I pushed, I couldn’t do anything else!”

“You did wonderfully Tiggs,” Apudo mewed.

“My cub’s sleeping now,” Tiggs purred.

“I’ll never forget helping you give birth to your cub Tiggs,” Apudo said.

“Now leave Tiggs and her cub in peace Apudo,” Patch said.

“Naoaoaoaow don’t goaoaoaoaoao!” the cub yelled, waking suddenly, leaping at Apudo and clinging to her.

“Okay little one, I won’t go,” Apudo mewed gently, kissing the cub’s nose. Patch looked at Tiggs, who waved her paw at Apudo.

“Let her stay,” she mewed.

“”is there enough room on that bed Tiggs?” Apudo asked. Tiggs smiled:

“there is, now snuggle with us Apudo,” Tiggs purred. Apudo snuggled up to the ligress and her cub, the cub snuggling down between Apudo and Tiggs.

“it’s warm here,” the cub mewed, Apudo stroking the cub’s head with her paws, the cub purring and nuzzling Apudo, the lioness smiling broadly.

“this is lovely,” Apudo mewed softly.

“it’s lovely and warm here,” the cub agreed. Tiggs looked round at the two cubs, her eyes shining with love for both.

“It’s been eventful today,” Tiggs mewed.

“Why did Tiggs wake to raging hard labour?” Apudo asked Patch.

“Probably the amount of pain relief she was on made her impervious to contractions until they got really strong,” the bear mused.

“I’ll say!” Tiggs mewed, “that hurt so bloody much, and pushing was hell!”

“One huge cub,” Patch replied.

“yes, it was hard work and hurt when I pushed her out!” Tiggs whimpered.

“You have a female cub?” patch asked.

“yes I do, aren’t you meant to check these things after birth?” Tiggs replied.

“Um, well, you haven’t given me a chance,” Patch said.

“here, check her over,” Tiggs mewed, rolling onto her side, Patch getting paws on with the newborn cub, who spat at and struck out at him with huge paws.

“She’s a lively bundle,” Patch said, laughing at the huge cub’s antics, while she clambered all over him like he was a climbing frame.

“hey little one, I just want to check you over!” he pleaded, while Tiggs and Apudo laughed so much both lay on their backs waving their paws.

“I’m cold!” the cub miaowed.

“Okay, I’ll warm you up,” patch replied, embracing the cub in his huge paws.

“I need to be kept warm!” the cub yowled, “I was forced out of my warm place into a cold place!”

“the sooner you keep still, the sooner I can put you back with your mum,” patch replied. the female taliger cub, seeing the sense in this, settled on her back in patch’s lap, showing the bear her face, belly and the pads of all four of her fat paws and feet.

“You’re so cute,” patch said, checking the taliger cub over from nose to tail, the female cub purring and miaowing at him in the manner of all newborn cubs which patch loved and found so endearing.

“you’re fine little one,” Patch said, the cub grabbing the toes of her feet in the grip of her paws and sticking her tongue out at him.

“Now that’s super cute and super silly!” patch laughed, blowing on the pads of the female cub’s feet, the cub yowling and lashing out with her feet.

“You tickled my feeyeeet!” she yowled.

“I know,” Patch replied, lifting the cub in his paws then kissing her nose.

“I love you kissing my nose, kiss my paws and feet too!” the taliger cub demanded. Patch did, the female cub purring delightedly.

“She’s got you wrapped around her little paw I see,” Tiggs giggled.

“I love cubs,” Patch replied, “I only wish I could have seen this one being born.”

“if I’d known what was happening, I would have shouted,” Tiggs mewed, “I just felt an uncontrollable urge to push, and I obeyed the urge. I didn’t realise I was having a cub until Apudo slapped my shoulder and I looked round to see her cradled in Apudo’s paws, That’s the truth!”

“Did you even know you were in cub?” patch asked.

“No, Patch, I didn’t!” Tiggs admitted, “I remember mating with tommy some time ago, but I wasn’t in season, or don’t think I was, and, well, thought the pains were something to do with my illness. I strained and screamed and curled my toes and pushed, and, well, my cub’s here!” Tiggs miaowed.

“You have had a really eventful day Tiggs,” Patch replied.

“You saved my life,” Tiggs mewed, “then, then, I gave birth to a gorgeous cub.”

“You did,” patch replied smiling.

“How do you know all that about drips and things Patch?” Apudo asked, “that was Blackberry’s domain, not yours at all.”

“It was mine as well as his,” Patch replied softly, “I learnt all he did, shadowing him, though he never knew it.”

“Why?” Apudo asked.

“In case of crisis,” Patch replied, “I couldn’t leave the community without medical help. I moved from medical work to leadership, but always kept my skills sharp. Now I find that was not a bad idea at all. I find a sick ligress and by good fortune and training save her and her cub. Saving Tiggs life and that of her cub is worth any amount of opprobrium I get from Blackberry for making the medical bear’s job a watertight one.”

“thank you Patch,” Tiggs mewed.

“thank you for letting me hug your cub Tiggs,” patch replied, “hugging your cub is all the thanks I need.”

“You can keep hugging me too, and tickling my toooes!” Tiggs cub roared in an infantile voice which made Patch’s eyes grow misty with emotion.

“She’s so cute,” Patch said, rubbing the taliger cub’s belly, the cub curling the toes of both feet while holding his huge left paw in the tiny fierce grip of her own much smaller paws.

“You’re beautiful little one,” Patch said.

“What will your cub’s name be Tiggs?” Apudo asked.

“Hmm, I like the name Yendi, I once knew a lioness of that name,” Tiggs mewed.

“Yendi, that’s a nice name,” patch mused, Tiggs smiling to herself.

“I hope Tommy’s happy,” she purred, “We mated with joy in both of us, but my shock at going into labour almost put me off sex.”

“You had no choice in that though, pushing I mean,” patch replied.

“Hmm, true,” Tiggs replied.

“it was hot under that quilt, but I wouldn’t have missed Yendi’s birth for the world,” Apudo mewed.

“Did you see it all?” Tommy asked.

“No, it was dark under the quilt, but I felt everything,” Apudo mewed.

“auauauauauauch! So did I,!” Tiggs miaowed.

“We felt different things Tiggs,” Apudo mewed.

“yes,” Tiggs replied grimacing, “I woke screaming in pain with an uncontrollable urge to strain into my bottom as hard as I could!”

“I was woken by your yowling, then felt the toes of your paws curling,” Apudo mewed, “to begin with I didn’t know what was happening, but then I realised and shuffled down the bed to the scene of action.”

“You caught my cub,” Tiggs mewed.

“I did, and I felt you push with your feet and curl your toes while you struggled to deliver Yendi into the world too,” Apudo purred.

“I want to know what happened!” tommy demanded, shifting his paws and feet in agitation.

“I pushed and screamed and roared, and Apudo caught Yendi as she emerged from my body,” Tiggs mewed.

“how could you not know you were pregnant?” tommy miaowed.

“I was very ill tommy!” Tiggs replied angrily, “I woke in hard labour because my pain killers had dulled everything before that! I didn’t know what was going on! Feeling the pains and obeying my urges, I just pushed!”

“Apudo?” tommy asked, “you must tell me!” he demanded.

“it’s all a bit of a whirlwind,” Apudo mewed, tommy now dancing with rage, “I can’t remember much about it,” Apudo continued, tommy roaring with anger:

“If you try, you can remember every bloody second Apudo!” tommy roared, leaping around in his anger and frustration, I wayayayayant to know what happened during Yendi’s birth!” he wailed piteously. Apudo watched tommy’s antics, his antics making her want to roll about on the floor and wave her paws and feet about while laughing helplessly. When tommy’s antics got so animated that he leapt clean over Tiggs’s bed where the ligress and her cub Yendi were lying, Apudo lost control completely. Shrieking with laughter, she ran for the door, tommy pounding after her, roaring angrily.

“Leave it tommy!” Patch commanded, leaping on top of the tiger, bearing him to the floor, the tiger yowling and screeching as he fell, letting Apudo escape, “you’re too upset, just calm down a bit!” Patch pleaded.

“but I wayayayaynted to be at the births of my cuuuuubs!” tommy screamed, beating the floor with his paws and weeping inconsolably.

“Look, sometimes you miss these things,” Patch said, sitting down, lifting the weeping tiger into his lap and cradling him in his arms.

“Apudo won’t tell me, she won’t tell me!” Tommy wept, Patch stroking his ears and paws.

“Apudo probably thought you were being a petulant cub,” Patch replied, “I’ll ask her to tell you your cub’s birth story.”

“I might be a fat, lazy tiger, who likes eating too much and patrols too little, but I love my mates and cubs!” tommy sobbed.

“I know you do,” patch replied gently, while Apudo, realising she was out of danger, crept back and sat, staring open mouthed at the weeping tiger.

“Tell Tommy what you felt Apudo,” patch said, looking Apudo in her eyes.

“I was woken by Tiggs moaning and panting, I had gone to sleep cuddled up to her,” the little lioness said, “I held one of her huge paws in mine, and could feel her curling her toes in pain. To begin with I didn’t realise what was happening, but, as Tiggs wriggled, I realised she might be having a cub, so I dove under the quilt and felt my way to her tail, finding her sweating feet first. she was curling her toes and straining hard by this time, so I found her tail, and investigated beneath it. just in time to find the cub’s paws emerging. Tiggs braced her feet against the quilt, fortunately it was tucked under the mattress at the foot of the bed, so it held, even as she pushed hard against it with both feet, one of which I held briefly in my paws, feeling her sweating pads and curled toes. Once I got paws on with Yendi’s paws however, I forgot about Tiggs’s eloquently curling toes and bunching pads and held the emerging cub as Tiggs pushed and panted, yowled and strained. I felt Tiggs change position a bit, and heard her beating the bed with her paws as she faught to push harder, I think she was lying on her side at first, and had moved to sitting up, with her head raised so she could breathe more easily and push harder. Tiggs pushed and pushed, and I caught more of the cub’s body which came out ever so slowly, Tiggs squealing and shrieking as Yendi’s head emerged, Tiggs bearing down even harder to deliver Yendi’s body. I remember thinking Tiggs’s efforts were out of all proportion to the amount of progress, Yendi came out really slowly! I encouraged Tiggs to push as hard as she could, though I don’t think she could have heard me under that quilt as I was.”

“I heard you all right,” Tiggs replied smiling, “it helped to hear you urging me to push.”

“thanks,” Apudo mewed, Tiggs grinning at her. “well,“ Apudo continued, now bouncing on her toes with excitement at her tale, “I caught Yendi and helped her into the world, poor Tiggs too exhausted to turn and grab Yendi off me. I had to pull the cub out, right to her feet and long tail, then clean her and pull her up to Tiggs and slap her before she realised the cub was born. After that, nothing much happened.” Tommy hung on Apudo’s every word, his eyes and mouth wide with surprise, his fat toes curling in sympathy with Tiggs’s own toes.

“Thank you Apudo,” he sighed, rubbing his eyes with his paws.

“I’ll never forget it,” Apudo mewed.

“I take it you’re my sire then?” Yendi asked, crawling over to Tommy, flopping down beside him.

“yes Yendi I am,” tommy mewed, looking at the female taliger cub.

“No wonder Tiggs had a hard fight giving birth to her she’s huge!” tommy thought, reaching out and touching the huge cub’s head and back, Yendi rolling onto her side to give him access to her paws, belly and feet.

“She’s got big paws with thick pads and a gorgeous face,” tommy thought. Tommy rubbed Yendi’s belly with one huge paw, the cub purring softly.

“You are really beautiful Yendi,” Tommy mewed.

“Mum said I have a half-sister now!” Leopold yelled, pounding into the room on his small paws.

“You do,” tommy purred, Leopold skidding to a stop beside Yendi.

“I take it this is her?” Leopold asked, touching Yendi’s paw with his.

“yes, that’s her,” tommy mewed.

“You never said I was to have a little sister, why did you keep it quiet tommy?” Leopold asked.

“I don’t know,” tommy mewed, watching as Leopold stroked Yendi, the female cub purring delightedly.

“I’m glad Tiggs gave birth to her safely,” Leopold mewed.

“We all are that, oh, by the way, her name’s Yendi,” Tommy purred.

“I’ll bet Yendi didn’t end up pulling her tail into the world like I did mine,” Leopold mewed.

“Um, no, Apudo did that for her,” Tommy replied.

“if I’d known I was in labour I would have got out of the bed to give the cub some room. As it was, things were so far along, all I could do was grip the bed with my paws, brace my feet, scream, moan and push,” Tiggs mewed.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” Tommy mewed.

“I was there, and it hurt!” Yendi miaowed in a high pitch voice.

“it hurt me too!” Tiggs whimpered, “I thought I’d never be able to give birth, everything seemed so slow! Straining pushes which nearly tore me apart hardly seemed to move you along at all Yendi. It was really hard work, and then, then, I had to endure the passage of your tail, oaoaoaoaoawch!” she moaned.

“Why is it Felursapien and liger mamas have this problem where the mama can’t push out the cub’s tail?” Apudo asked.

“The cubs are that much bigger that they have to push really hard to deliver the body of the cub,” Patch replied, “after that,” he continued, “the mama is so exhausted, pushing out a long, thick tail is too much for them. Big cub from crossbreeding big cats in the case of ligress’s, or big cub and thick tail in the case of Felursapiens. As to why the fluid isn’t around the tail when it’s passed, well, most of the fluid goes to lubricating the huge cub’s body.”

“ouch!” Leopold mewed.

“yes indeed,” Tiggs miaowed.

“it did with mine,” Leopold said, “and if Felix and Philomena’s births are anything to go by, theirs too. I understand both mama Karina and mama Freckles both had problems pushing out their cub’s tails.”

“it really takes it out of you!” Tiggs whimpered.

“I suppose after pushing out the cub’s body, it would,” Apudo mewed.

“yes,” Tiggs sighed, “everything stops you see, there’s very little to push against, so you end up straining hard.”

Double ouch,” Leopold mewed.

“I wonder how long it will take others to re-enact Yendi’s birth?” Apudo asked.

“they couldn’t see much, so it won’t be much good to them,” patch replied.

“hmm, yeah, I see that,” Apudo mewed.

“it’s only you and I who know what really happened Apudo!” Yendi giggled, “how wonderful is that?”

“It’s not wonderful at all!” Tiggs whimpered, “I wanted to see you born, but I was denied that! I wanted to give birth like Titan did, I heard of that, how he curled round and saw Apudo born into the world as he laboured.”

“Oh,” Yendi mewed, “who’s Titan?” she asked.

“he’s, he was, a liger, like your mum,” Apudo mewed, “he now, well, he’s, a, a, Felursa, in shape anyway. He’s still my guide though.”

“You’ll meet him later on,” Patch said.

“Why not now?” Titan asked, walking into the room. Tiggs eased herself off the bed and padded to Titan, the Felursaliger and ligress looking into each other’s faces.

“You’re magnificent Tiggs,” Titan mewed.

“You used to be shaped like a liger didn’t you,” Tiggs mewed.

“Yes, I changed to suit my community, so I could play with them more easily without giving up my liger roots,” Titan replied.

“it is said you feel the pain of mamas in labour, did you feel mine?” Tiggs asked. Titan shifted his paws uncomfortably.

“I did,” he said, “and it was hard not to push with you.”

“during the worst of it, when I could hardly move Yendi along, I closed my eyes, imagining I was a huge liger giving birth,” Tiggs mewed. Tommy told me of Apudo’s birth, and how you’d struggled. I thought what I felt giving birth to Yendi would be similar to how you felt when giving rebirth to Apudo, so I pushed and roared like a liger.”

“I didn’t have to pant out a long tail,” Titan mewed.

“No,” Tiggs mewed, “that seems to be the preserve of us who give birth to Taliger cubs.”

“I would have helped you if you’d asked. Titan mewed.

“Apudo pulled Yendi’s tail,” Tiggs mewed.

“I understand she did,” Titan mewed, “can I meet Yendi?”

“yes, come,” Tiggs mewed, waving her paw at Yendi, Titan padding to the female cub, kneeling, kissing her nose.

“Hello Yendi,” he purred softly.

“Who’s this?” Yendi asked.

“His name’s Titan,” Tiggs mewed, “he’s our leader here.”

“Can i feel your paws Yendi?” Titan mewed.

“You can,” Yendi mewed, purring and squirming delightedly as Titan rubbed the pads of her paws and feet.

“You have gorgeous pads Yendi,” Titan mewed, Yendi laughing helplessly as Titan rubbed her pads, then tickled her toes.

“I love you tickling my toooooes!!” Yendi squealed, Titan smiling at her, stopping his tickling.

“nayaoaoaoaow, don’t stoaoaoaoap tickling my toooes!” Yendi miaowed, Titan kissing her pads, Yendi giggling delightedly.

“I love Yendi Tiggs,” Titan purred.

“I’m so glad,” Tiggs mewed, Titan letting Yendi smack his whiskers with her paws while he blew gently on her pads to tickle them.

“he’s tickling my toooes muuum!” Yendi miaowed, Tiggs laughing so hard she couldn’t answer.

“would you like me to stop?” Titan asked.

“nayaoaoaoaow! you don’t stop!” Yendi commanded. Titan tickled the pads of Yendi’s feet with his breath, the taliger cub shrieking, squirming and kicking with glee.

“I love you dear Yendi,” Titan purred, Yendi dabbing at Titan’s nose with the toes of her left foot, Yendi screaming with delight as Titan tickled her toes with his whiskers.

“Tickle my toooes again!” Yendi begged, Titan sitting down, gathering Yendi to him, hugging and grooming her.

“I’ll tickle your toes later,” he mewed, Yendi kissing Titan’s nose as he groomed her with his rough tongue.

“you’re so soft Titan,” Yendi said softly, Titan smiling down at her.

“You’re soft too Yendi, cub soft from your nose to your ticklish toes Yendi dear,” he purred, Yendi giggling delightedly.

“Mum thought I was hard work, can I be soft and hard too?” Yendi asked.

“yes,” Titan purred, Tiggs gulping back emotions.

“You’re so lovely,” she sniffed, padding over to Yendi then kissing her nose, the cub purring deeply.

“I love you Yendi,” Tiggs mewed, Yendi rolling over so she faced her mum, Tiggs lying down, Yendi clinging to the ligress’s huge left paw with both her small fat paws.

“I think you’re well again Tiggs,” Patch said. Tiggs smiled at the huge bear.

“yes I am, thanks to you,” she replied, Patch padding to her, and removing the last bandage from her healed foot.

“Now you can walk properly,” he said. Tiggs smiled at him and got to her feet, bouncing on her toes.

“Tiggs is so lovely Patch,” tommy mewed.

“I know you love your mates and your cubs,” Patch replied.

I love you Tommy,” Tiggs mewed, hugging the tiger then kissing his nose, the expression on Tommy’s face making Apudo think he wanted to return her hug.

“go on, give Tiggs a cuddle Tommy,” Apudo mewed, pushing the huge fat tiger’s flank with her small paw, “or do I have to tickle your toes before you’ll do it?” she asked, lying down and blowing under tommy’s left foot, tickling the heel pad, the tiger miaowing and bouncing on the toes of all four of his huge paws, making the tickling worse.

“nayaoaoaoaow stoaoaoaoaoaop tickling meyeee Apudoaoaoaoao!” Tommy protested.

“Only if you do what you want to do Tommy,” Apudo mewed, blowing gently on the now exposed pads of the tiger’s left foot, tommy bouncing about on three legs as he lifted his tickled left foot to flex his toes to ease the tickle from them, inadvertently angling them into Apudo’s stream of breath.

“Stoaoaoap tickling my toooooes!” Tommy yowled, bouncing harder, Apudo and Leopold shrieking with laughter. Tommy, swallowing his inhibitions, padded forward and hugged Tiggs, the huge ligress purring and chuffing delightedly.

“You big softy,” Tiggs mewed, brushing her velvet padded left paw through his whiskers, dabbing his nose with her toes, tommy smiling and nuzzling her pads.

“I love you so much Tiggs,” tommy mewed. Fleur padded in, Tommy padding to her and head rubbing with her.

“I like ligress’s,” he mewed, Fleur and Tiggs smiling at each other.

“We like fat tigers,” they mewed in unison, laughing so hard they both leant on Tommy, the tiger looking as if he would collapse at any moment.

“grip the floor with your toes Tommy!” Apudo mewed, Tommy gripping the floor with the toes of all four paws, his ligress’s laughing at his antics. Yendi clambered up Tiggs’s left leg, scrabbling with paws and feet for toeholds until she lay exhausted on the ligress’s back.

“What on earth are you doing up there Yendi?” Apudo asked.

“I thought I’d climb,” Yendi mewed.

“your cub’s on your back Tiggs,” Apudo warned, “she’s too high up for her age!” she yowled.

“when I sit, please slide off my back Yendi,” Tiggs mewed. Yendi slid as Tiggs asked, shrieking with delight at the living slide which Tiggs’s back created.

“I want to slide again!” she miaowed when she landed, her feet either side of Tiggs’s tail.

“I wish I could do that!” Apudo thought.

“All right,” Tiggs replied, “I’ll sit on the bed, that way if you fall, there’ll be a soft landing.” Yendi climbed onto her mum’s back, Tiggs climbing onto the bed and sitting down, settling her paws and feet. miaowing with glee, Yendi clambered up and slid down Tiggs’s back again and again, the ligress laughing merrily.

“that’s enough now,” Tiggs mewed after six slides.

“nayaoaoaoaow I want more!” Yendi yelled.

“Yendi’s so cute,” Apudo mewed.

“I agree,” Tommy purred. Leopold looked at tommy.

“am I small enough to slide down your back?” he asked. Tommy pushed Leopold around with his nose and paws, the cub shrieking with laughter.

“No, you’re too big now,” Tommy decided, Leopold mewing disconsolately:

“Oooaoaoh tommy, you spoilsport!”

“let’s leave here now, let’s go to the family lie up,” Titan suggested, getting to his feet from where he’d been lying, observing Leopold and Yendi from near floor level.

“Can I ride on you Titan?” Apudo asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed, Apudo clambering clumsily onto his back, Leopold leaping onto tommy’s back, Tiggs carrying Yendi.

“Let’s go,” patch said.

Reaching the family lie up, Tiggs and Tommy sat down, their cubs sliding off their backs and onto the floor, then lay down with their cubs, Apudo falling with a thud as she tried to climb down Titan’s left hind leg and lost her footing.

“maiaoaoaoaoow! Umf!” she yowled as she fell, Titan turning and checking her over with anxious paws, Apudo squirming from his grip, protesting her fitness in a bad tempered miaow.

“I’m all right, get off!” she miaowed.

“You miaowed and grunted as you fell!” Titan protested.

“I’m strong Titan,” Apudo giggled. Titan kissed her nose, Apudo rolling onto her back, the Felursaliger kissing her paws and blowing raspberries on her belly, Apudo laughing helplessly.

“Titan’s tickling my belly and toooes!” she screeched, Mama Sita laughing helplessly from her place with little Sita, Karina, mama Karina and Cody.

“You silly thing Titan,” Mama Sita mewed.

“You have never had Titan tickle your toooes!” Apudo miaowed.

“I have, it’s intense.” Mama Sita replied.

“I could do with a hug,” a voice said.

“Who’s that?” Mama Sita asked.

“I don’t recognise him, he’s a huge silver grey bear with white fingers and toes.” mama Karina mewed.

“he sounds very interesting,” Mama Sita mewed.

“I’m not interesting, carry on as you were,” the bear yawned. Mama Sita padded to where she heard the voice come from, finding the bear had very soft fur as well as large well-padded paws and feet.

“What’s your name?” Mama Sita asked.

“My name’s Mercury, but you can call me whatever you like,” the bear replied.

“You’re fir is very soft,” Mama Sita mewed.

“I was found by a young she bear,” the grey bear said, “she couldn’t pronounce my name though, it came out as Mewcuwy, which made her sound like a cub, which she clearly wasn’t.”

“That’s Puwdy, I mean Purdy,” Titan mewed.

“what’s wong with her?” mercury asked, mama Karina coughing to stop herself laughing helplessly.

“the humans she used to live with took her front teeth,” Patch said, “but I don’t think that’s what causes her rotasism, I think it’s a deeper speech impediment than just the loss of her teeth.”

“She’s lovely,” Mercury said, “her cub’s sweet too, Koda’s his name isn’t it? hmm, and her mate too,” Mercury mused, “the funny thing is I almost got them the wrong way round, sire coda’s so small I thought at first he was Purdy’s cub! silly me!”

“I’ll bet that endeared you to him,” Titan mewed.

“I managed not to say anything inappropriate, but, it was a close shave,” Mercury admitted, while mama Karina still struggled not to fall about laughing.

“Ah there you awe!” Purdy said, sweeping into the room, “My cub and I were wondewing where you’d got to Mewcuwy!” Mercury rubbed his face with his paws to hide a huge grin.

“I’m here Puwdy,” he choked, trying not to laugh.

“You don’t speak like meyeee!” Purdy remonstrated, stamping her feet with rage, Mercury racing to her and hugging her.

“I love you Puwdy,” he whispered, embracing her in a massive bear hug.

“You’we a big soft bwuin Mewcuwy,” Purdy replied, snuggling into Mercury’s hug.

“Awww, that’s Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!” Apudo giggled, “big soft bwuin, big soft bwuin!” she carolled, Purdy scowling at her.

“Shut up Apuwdo!” Purdy raged, Apudo smiling up into the enraged she bear’s face.

“All wight Puwdy, I will,” Apudo whispered, Leopold covering his mouth with his paw to stop himself laughing.

“You’we all howwible!” Purdy yelled.

“Stop it all of you,” Patch said softly, “Purdy can’t help how she is, and it’s not right to ridicule her for what you perceive as her shortcomings.”

“And you never have spoken like her?” Apudo challenged.

“I never said that,” patch replied, “if I have spoken like Purdy, I have never meant to ridicule her. I have spoken to her privately, when she is embraced in my paws, so she knows my true intent. Like Mercury now, who got a gentle response when he hugged her, Purdy knows true intent when you embrace her.”

“Mercury’s a very beautiful bear patch,” mama Karina mewed.

“he is,” Patch replied, crawling up to Mercury, who was kneeling to hug Purdy. Smiling, he blew on Mercury’s toes, the silver grey bear laughing helplessly, sitting back on his heels, curling his toes and squirming in response.

“Stoaoaoap tickling my toooes!” Mercury giggled, patch tickling his heels instead, Mercury rocking and rolling about on his knees, then reaching round behind his back with his paws to scratch his tickled pads.

“that’s cute too,” patch said, kissing Mercury’s scratching fingers, Mercury laughing merrily.

“I’m coming to get Youououoaw!” Mercury yelled, spinning round and launching himself playfully at Patch, both bears rolling on the floor in play, each trying to tickle the other’s toes.

“now that’s cute!” Mama Karina mewed.

“you have big fat feet Patch, great for tickling!” Mercury yelled, grabbing Patch’s right foot, tickling the squirming grey bear’s pads, patch laughing helplessly and thumping the floor with his paws.

“I used to do this when a friend of mine named Kuma and I used to play,” Mercury continued, Patch’s cry of astonishment giving Mercury pause.

“What?” he asked.

“Kuma’s here,” Patch said, “at least we have a bear by that name here. Mercury rubbed the tickle from patch’s toes and pads, Patch laughing merrily.

“I’d like to see him again,” mercury said, “I knew Kuma when he was a cub, he was a big fat thing with small paws and huge feet.”

“Kuma has got small paws and huge feet, even now,” patch replied.

“I would love to meet him again,” Mercury said.

“I can arrange that,” patch replied, smiling as Mercury drew circles on the huge sole pad of his right foot with the fingers of one paw.

“I’ll find Kuma,” patch said, finding that mercury’s tickling of his feet had exhausted him so much he could only crawl to the console. Smiling, Patch put in a call to Kuma’s lie up, the bear padding to the pride lie up and then racing to Mercury, the two bears tightly embracing each other.

“I haven’t seen you in years!” Kuma said, kissing Mercury’s nose and paws, mercury’s eyes filling with tears.

“go on, snuggle!” Apudo urged, Kuma and Mercury laughing at her urging.

“We will, in time,” Kuma promised.

“I want to see it now!” Apudo mewed. Mercury nudged Kuma.

“I don’t know, we’ll be tickling each other’s toes on command next Kuma,” mercury said, Kuma grabbing Mercury’s left foot in his paws and tickling his toes, Mercury catching the fingers of Kuma’s right paw in the grip of his curled toes, the bears laughing helplessly as they started a tug of war between toes and paw.

“I can’t free my paw!” Kuma whimpered, “eoeoeoeoh! Your toooes are so strong Mercury!” Mercury, growling with effort, wriggled with Kuma’s efforts, keeping hold of the fingers of Kuma’s right paw with the toes of his own left foot.

“Okay, I really can’t free my paw now, let go of it will you Mercury?” Kuma whimpered.

“No!” Mercury replied, Kuma tickling the pads of Mercury’s right foot with his left paw, Mercury releasing Kuma’s right paw, roaring with laughter.

“Bet you can’t catch my toes! Kuma challenged, crawling away, Mercury crawling after him, pinning Kuma’s feet under his paws, plonking them down on the brown bear’s large sole pads, Kuma squealing like a stuck cub and throwing himself forward to bang the floor with his paws in a display of surrender which had everyone laughing merrily.

“I can catch more than just your toes,” Mercury said, lifting his left paw then blowing on the pads and toes of Kuma’s left foot, the male bear curling his toes against the tickling breath.

“huauauauowwheeee! That tickles!” Kuma squealed, Mercury tickling the pads of both Kuma’s feet until Kuma rolled onto his back and kicked the air with his well tickled feet, mercury pressing home his attack until Kuma drew up his knees and grabbed his feet with his paws, Mercury finishing by kissing Kuma’s tightly curled toes and the furry tops of Kuma’s fiercely gripping paws.

“now that’s cuter than I could ever have hoped for!” Apudo laughed with cubbish delight, throwing herself down on the floor, then rolling excitedly onto her back, before squirming from side to side while kicking the air and clapping her paws.

“I might explode from cute!” she miaowed.

“I might too!” Mercury laughed, Kuma suddenly letting go of his feet and leaping on top of Mercury, rolling him over onto his front, pinning him down under his left paw, tickling the large bear’s toes with his right, Mercury laughing helplessly as they rolled on the floor in play.

“I love seeing play,” Patch said, smiling from where he sat on the sofa.

“You have very soft fur and firm pads Kuma!” Mercury observed loudly.

“And so do you dear Mercury,” Kuma replied, turning on Mercury and hugging him tightly.

“You soppy pair!” patch giggled, Mercury and Kuma crawling to the grey bear, grabbing his feet then tickling his toes, Patch laughing merrily and curling his toes, catching the paws of the two bears in the strong grip of his large toes.

“he’s got both of us!” |Mercury yelled, scrabbling at the sole of Patch’s left foot with his free left paw, his right caught in the toes of Patch’s left foot, while Kuma tugged at his left paw, while scrabbling at the sole of Patch’s right foot with his right paw.

“Yeoeoeoeoeoeah, I can’t freeyeee my paw Kuma!” Mercury squealed, the large bear trying to wedge the toes of his right foot in the gap between the palm of his trapped right paw and the sole of Patch’s left foot in an attempt to use his toes as a lever to free his paw.

“that won’t work,” patch said, gripping mercury’s paw harder with his toes, mercury squirming with effort while tugging at his trapped paw while trying to wedge the toes of his right foot between his right paw and patch’s left foot. Kuma struggled similarly, Patch gripping the paws of both struggling bears with ease in the powerful toes of both his huge feet.

“We’re really stuuuuuck!” Kuma whimpered.

“I know!” Mercury wailed, tugging at his trapped paw, rocking back and forth and wriggling from side to side.

“You two are so cute!” patch giggled, uncurling his toes, letting go of their paws. Mercury, strongly pushing with his right foot and tugging hard at his left paw when patch let go of his paw, fell backwards, Kuma laughing helplessly as Mercury’s paws and feet flew skywards as he landed on his back.

“Mercury, you’re super cuuuute!” Kuma laughed, Mercury sitting up hurriedly.

“I’m nooaoaoaot cuuuute!” Mercury yelled, looking very cute indeed. Kuma crawled to mercury and hugged him, Mercury smiling broadly and returning his hug.

“I remember the first time I met you,” mercury said, “Kuma, I saw you born, your mum laboured for hours and I saw you born, I was an inquisitive cub, only three months old myself, I strayed into a den because I heard sounds, and saw a cub being born! My mum couldn’t keep me away, and your mum wouldn’t let me leave!”

“my mama told me much about you,” Kuma said, “I met you three months later.”

“We played every day from dawn to dusk, and in each other’s dens too, our mamas were so frustrated!” Mercury laughed, Kuma hugging his cubhood friend as tightly as he could.

“Who was your mama Kuma??” patch asked.

“Her name was Catherine,” Kuma replied, Patch nodding and smiling.

“Thought so,” he replied.

“So Patch’s sister is your mama Kuma?” mercury asked.

“she is,” Catherine replied, walking into the room, kneeling, kissing Kuma’s heel pad as he hugged Mercury. With a cry of delight, Kuma turned and threw himself at Catherine, the fat she bear and her grown son rolling over in play.

“So you’re my nephew Kuma,” patch said softly.

“I am,” Kuma replied. Patch beckoned to Kuma, who scrambled into his lap, the huge grey bear hugging him tightly while Catherine watched with shining eyes.

“I can see similarities between all three of us now,” she said, “big fat pads is one for sure, and, we’re all, well, slightly fat! Sire Orbon was a big bear, and it shows in all of us.” Patch and Kuma laughed merrily at her observation.

“We are a fat padded family,” Patch said, Kuma snuggling up to him.

“Can I snuggle too?” Apudo asked, rearing onto her hind legs, placing her paws in Kuma’s lap.

“No! get off!” Kuma roared, pushing Apudo down off his lap and onto the floor with a decisive paw, Apudo miaowing with surprise and disappointment as she slid backwards, then lost her balance, toppling onto her back, her legs flying in all directions.

“Miaoaoaoaoaow! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!” Apudo protested, wriggling and kicking.

“Right, that’s enough, I’m in bits!” mama Karina sniffled, wiping her eyes.

“Apudo’s so cute upside down isn’t she mum!” Felix mewed from his place watching behind the sofa.

“she is,” mama Karina mewed.

“Golden eyes and a black nose, large thick black pads on her fat paws and feet and soft brown belly fur, what is there about Apudo that I could not fall in love with?” Felix mewed. deeply embarrassed, Apudo covered her face with her paws.

“You really do love her don’t you Felix,” mama Karina teased.

“I do mum!” Felix mewed, Apudo miaowing and trying to roll onto her paws to run away.

“you love him too Apudo?” Philomena asked. Apudo, yowling hysterically, tried to run, but tripped over her paws, landing in a heap.

“Miaoaoaoaoaow! Rowowowowor!” she protested, words failing her.

“I think that’s a yes!” Philomena laughed, clapping her hands, Apudo looking very upset.

“What do you feel for Felix Apudo?” Philomena asked, padding up to the distraught little lioness.

“I don’t know,” Apudo mewed, “he makes me feel warm and safe, and I like that a lot!” Philomena smiled and helped Apudo to her feet, pointing her in Felix’s direction, Apudo’s paws taking her towards him as if she had no will of her own. Apudo came to her senses to find herself nose to nose with Felix, their hands and paws very close together.

“oaoaoaaoh, Felix!” Apudo miaowed, Felix’s hand closing over the furry top of Apudo’s paw, Apudo finding her toes curling to grip the floor as he touched her.

“want a hug?” Felix asked. Mewing piteously, Apudo watched Felix sit down, then scrambled into his lap. Felix embraced Apudo, the little lioness fitting snuggly into his embrace. Felix hugging her as tightly as he could, Apudo tried to increase his hug by pressing herself into him along the length of her whole body, even trying to embrace him with her tail, pushing against his legs with her own feet to push her body against his, while her paws embraced his neck, her head resting against his.

“Push with those feet Apudo!” Philomena urged, Apudo miaowing:

“I am already pushing as hard as I can with my feeyeeet! I can’t push any harder!” Felix smiled as Apudo strained her legs, the toes of her left foot slipping against the fur on the top of his own right leg,, her body collapsing into his lap.

“Maiaiaiaiaiaow! Miaowowowowow!! Rowowowowor! My toooes slipped!” Apudo protested, Felix lifting her in his arms and hugging her, Apudo clamping her paws around his neck, resting her cheek against his.

“hug meyeee! Please,” she begged. Felix hugged Apudo tightly, then shook her paws free of his neck, placed her lying on her back in his lap, then played with her paws and feet, gently curling her toes then rubbing her pads, Apudo mewing, pawing and wriggling with pleasure.

“If you want my toes curled, I can curl them!” she giggled, “I can do that you know, I might not be able to stand on my own four paws, but I can do more with them if they’re free from supporting me.”

“you’re so cute,” Felix mewed, lifting Apudo in his arms, kissing her nose and the soles of her flailing paws and feet, Apudo’s eyes filling with tears, the lioness sniffling as tears ran up her nose as emotions swamped her.

“Put me down,” she choked, Felix settling Apudo in his lap, the lioness turning her head away from him, coughing and sniffling into her paws.

“I’m sorry,” Apudo sniffled, gulping hard, “I don’t know what’s come over me,” she wept, Felix rubbing her back and shoulder with his hands, Apudo sniffing hard, rubbing her eyes with clenched paws.

“I can’t let you touch me anymore,” Apudo said, her voice hoarse with emotion, I love your touch too much, and, well, I end up like this!” she miaowed.

“are you worried that what you feel is wrong?” Felix asked.

“I am, a bit. I love you Felix, and, well, I love your touch and your play and everything!” the little lioness blurted.

“Hugging me and letting me play with your paws and feet is not a bad thing, if that’s what you want. I love it too. Being hugged hugely and hearing your purr and mewing and all sorts of other cute sounds is so sweet, and your soft pads and fur are so lovely to touch, and I love thick fur and pads too. You have the most gorgeous face, and the cutest paws and feet I’ve seen on a lioness. I must say, your rebirth did lots for your coat and pads as well as your outlook on life. You were gorgeous before your rebirth, but now, you’re more than that Apudo. You have a sheen to your coat and paw pads that no scrubbing in the world would ever give to my coat or pads. Plus your feet and paws have the softest pads going. Are you sure you will ever be able to walk on them outside the house? You’ll get thorns in them very easily,” Felix replied.

“I don’t know!” Apudo mewed, “I find myself seeking out sand and soft things to walk on,” she suddenly looked anxious, “Felix, would you pull thorns from my pads if I happen to pick them up?”

“yes my dear,” Felix mewed, “if you roll onto your back when you feel a thorn go in, I’ll come and help.”

“Why would she have to roll on her back?” Philomena asked.

“To stop her pushing the thorn further in to her pad silly,” Felix mewed, his eyes shining.

“Who’s she? The cat’s mother?” Apudo asked.

“well, yes, in a former life,” Felix giggled, Apudo growling and swiping playfully at him with one massively fat paw.

“You are so cute,” Felix mewed, picking Apudo up in his arms and resting her paws round his neck, snuggling her close to him.

“My feeyeeet won’t let me push myself against youuuuu as hard as I wayayayayant!” Apudo yowled piteously, Felix purring deeply, the sound and vibration soothing the frustrated lioness as his whole body vibrated, soothing her through her paws, feet and any other place on her body which touched his. Apudo yawned expansively, stretching her paws, her claws sheathed.

“Your purring makes me want to sleep Felix,” she yawned deeply.

“Can I rub your pads while you sleep?” Felix asked. Apudo, yawning more than ever, snuggled down into his lap.

“here are my paws and feet, do what you want with them,” she mewed, rolling onto her side, wiggling the toes of all four paws. Felix looked down at the lioness in his lap, taking her in from her nose to her toes, Apudo falling asleep, even while Felix turned her gently onto her back and explored her feet and paws by touch with gentle care. Gazing into her face, he massaged Apudo’s paws and feet in his hands, missing no part of the lioness’s fat pads, from her toe pads, to the bridge between her toes and the sole pad, to the sole pad itself, rubbing the ball of her foot where thorns lodged to the mid-point and heel of the sole pad, while Apudo slept on, a huge smile on her cubbish face.

“Apudo’s beautiful Philomena,” Felix mewed softly, rubbing Apudo’s belly with the fingers of one hand while the other stroked her ears, Apudo mewing piteously in sleep, stretching her paws towards him as if she knew he’d stopped rubbing her pads.

“I think Apudo wants you to rub her pads some more,” Philomena remarked.

“I think she does,” Felix mewed, watching Apudo’s paws scrabbling desperately at the air for reassurance, Felix stilling them by taking one in his hands then rubbing the pads, the lioness briefly tightly curling the toes of all four paws with pleasure, then relaxing them, settling into a deeper sleep.

“She’s so cute isn’t she,” Felix purred, Patch smiling at the Felursapien.

“You love her don’t you,” he said.

“I do Patch,” Felix mewed. Apudo slept deeply for an hour, Felix watching over her the whole time. Waking slowly, Apudo yawned then rubbed her eyes with her paws, Felix gazing down at her with gentle eyes.

“I love the way Apudo rubs her eyes and flexes her toes,” Felix mewed.

“I know someone else who looks rather cute when sleeping,” Philomena said, kissing Felix’s ear.

“Do I? awww, thanks,” he mewed, Philomena giggling delightedly.

“You curl your fingers and toes, twitch your tail and pedal the air with your feet,” Philomena giggled.

“No wonder I’m so exhausted all the time!” Felix miaowed.

“your toes curl and pads bunch so cutely!” Philomena laughed merrily.

“you also pedal the air with your feet and wriggle!” Felix mewed, fighting to outdo Philomena’s description of him sleeping.

“Do I?” Philomena asked.

“yes,” Felix mewed, “I’ll show you!”

“I’d like to see that,” Philomena replied. Apudo, also wanting to see this, padded after Felix to the console. Felix showed Philomena a video from their lie up, the female Felursapien clearly asleep. Mewing, she wriggled, lashed about with her tail, pawed and kicked at the air with gripping fingers and toes.

“I look like I’m struggling to get free of something,” Philomena observed.

“Reliving the struggle you had to free your tail when you were born?” Felix suggested.

“it does look like that,” Philomena replied, winding the video back and zooming in on her face, then her hands and feet.

“I look stressed out, toes curled tightly, hands almost balled into fists. I’m surprised I feel as good as I do when I wake!” she mewed.

“That was last night’s sleep,” Felix mewed.

“’twas the same for you my dear,” Philomena replied.

“I sleep like that?” Felix asked.

“You do, pedalling your feet and waving your arms in your sleep,” Philomena replied.

“oaoaoaoaoh! I really do don’t I!” Felix miaowed as he watched himself sleep on video.

“I’m surprised you two aren’t permanently tired,” Apudo mewed. Felix and Philomena smiled at the large fat cub, then rolled her over and tickled her paws and feet until she could hardly breathe for laughing.

“stoaoaoaoap it! Stoaoaoaoap tickling my toooes!” Apudo begged, panting hard as Felix and Philomena rubbed the tickle from her pads.

“That’s very cute,” Felix mewed, smiling broadly.

“I have very sensitive pads Felix, remember when I was bigger than I am now, how Blackberry used to pull thorns from my pads and I could still feel those thorns days later?” Apudo reminded him.

“Oh yes, I remember now,” Felix mewed, “no wonder you went stratospheric when we tickled your toes.”

“Stratospheric?” Apudo mewed, “I was somewhere near the moon I think! It was almost hurting, it was nearly horrible!” Felix looked into Apudo’s face, seeing she was serious.

“We didn’t mean to hurt you,” he mewed contritely.

“I know,” Apudo replied, “it’s hard having such sensitive pads, I want to be tickled like any other cub, but, well, others tickling my paws is almost painful!”

“I’m sorry Apudo,” Philomena said, kissing the little lioness’s nose.

“If I can miaow and kick or wave my paws or wriggle while someone’s tickling my toes, I’m all right,” Apudo replied.

“I wish I’d never tickled your toes now,” Felix whimpered, “I didn’t know it hurt you Apudo,”

“I’m all right Felix,” she purred, “take my paws and feet and rub them Felix.” Felix smiled.

“Just be firm with my rubbing?” he asked.

“yes,” Apudo mewed.

“I do love your paws and feet Apudo,” Felix mewed.

“I like your hands and especially your feet Felix,” Apudo purred, “and your laughing eyes while I tickle your toes are very sweet too.”

“You like human feet don’t you Apudo,” Philomena said.

“I do,” Apudo purred, “Felursapien feet are nice too.” Philomena giggled helplessly at this.

“I will show you mine then,” she said, lying down comfortably on her side, Apudo grabbing Philomena’s left foot in her paws, rubbing her heel pad and ball of her foot, Philomena curling her toes with pleasure, Apudo rubbing the toes of her left paw down ridges of the now bunched pads of Philomena’s left foot, Philomena smiling broadly and curling her toes even tighter as Apudo rubbed her bunched pads and the heel pad of her foot. Squirming with pleasure, Philomena smiled at Apudo, curling round to watch the lioness’s rapt attention to her job of massaging the sole of her foot.

“I like that Apudo,” Philomena purred, Apudo smiling broadly.

“I know,” the little lioness mewed, “I can feel you’re enjoying it. Curled toes and bunched pads, and you straining to curl your toes extra tight when I touch your arch tells me you like my touch.”

“I do, I really doooo!” Philomena gasped, pushing her foot against the pressure of Apudo’s rubbing paws.

“Are you enjoying that Philomena?” Felix asked. Philomena miaowed incoherently with pleasure in reply, wriggling and curling her toes extra tightly.

“I think she does,” Apudo mewed, blowing on Philomena’s heel pads, Philomena squealing with shock and crawling away, Apudo chasing her toes, pinning them under her paws and blowing on Philomena’s heels and arches, Philomena laughing helplessly.

“Can I have some of that?” Felix asked. Apudo leapt at Felix and pinned his left foot, tickling his toes, Felix shrieking with laughter.

“Stoaoaoaoap tickling my toooes!” Felix yowled, Apudo laughing merrily and tickling his left heel with her whiskers, Felix squealing with glee.

“he’s loving that,” Philomena mewed.

“I thought so,” Apudo mewed, kissing the tickle from Felix’s heel pad and toes, Felix curling his toes with pleasure at the feel of Apudo’s rough tongue soothing the tickle from his pads.

“You big fat softy!” he giggled, Apudo miaowing and pouncing on his back, Felix rolling onto his side, throwing Apudo off his back, the little lioness tumbling off her paws and scrambling clumsily to her feet, Felix watching her scrambling paws and feet from floor level. Apudo, growling in an infantile manner, turned, pushed Felix onto his back, then clambered aboard. Her feet pinning his legs, placing her paws either side of his shoulders, Apudo leant down until their noses touched

“Miaow?” Apudo enquired, Felix laughing helplessly at her.

“You big fat moggie!” Felix teased, Apudo standing up and brandishing her fat, well-padded left paw in his face. Felix, seeing the lioness’s claws sheathed, kissed her offered pads, Apudo’s eyes smiling down into his.

“now what do I do?” she asked, placing her paw on the floor.

“Come here,” Felix mewed, reaching up and putting his arms round her neck, Apudo lowering her head, Felix kissing her nose.

“I love you Apudo,” Felix mewed, Apudo smiling at him.

“I love you too,” she mewed, Philomena smiling broadly behind her hands as she sat watching them.

“What would Felix and Apudo’s cub look like?” Philomena asked mischievously.

“nayaoaoaoaow! I’m not having a cub!” Apudo miaowed, “well not yet anyway,” she added after a long pause, Philomena laughing so hard she nearly choked.

“I imagine Apudo’s cub would be a furry lion with a long tail, feline paws and human feet,” patch suggested, Felix laughing merrily, while Apudo looked very uncomfortable.

“I would have to give hard, long birth to that!” she miaowed, “I’m nooaoaoaot ready for that!” she yowled.

“You could pretend,” Felix teased, Apudo growling at him.

“but it would be Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!” Philomena said, Apudo scowling and spitting angrily at her.

“I won’t do it!” Apudo miaowed, Felix and Philomena giggling helplessly, Apudo putting pressure on her paws to lift her feet off Felix’s legs so she could hop them sideways, when Felix suddenly grabbed and hugged her, Apudo losing her balance, falling half on top of him with a miaow of protest, her paws and head ending up resting on his chest.

“I love you so much Apudo,” Felix mewed, Apudo purring deeply.

“I fell on top of you silly!” she mewed, Felix stroking her head and ears, Apudo finding her paws gripping his fur, feeling her toes curling as he stroked her.

“Your toes are very expressive Apudo,” Philomena said, crawling to Apudo’s feet and touching her pads, exploring her tightly curled toes and slightly bunched pads, Apudo accidentally gripping Philomena’s fingertips with the toes of her right foot, Philomena feeling the power of the little lioness’s toes as they gripped her fingertips, her thick pads warm and soft.

“Squeeze my fingertips with your toes Apudo,” Philomena said, Apudo doing as she suggested, Philomena miaowing with surprise.

“That’s why you don’t want to get on the wrong side of my toes when I curl them, I can tightly curl my toes!” Apudo purred, Philomena miaowing as she tugged at her trapped fingers, finding she was unable to move them.

“Wow Apudo!” she mewed, Apudo smiling broadly.

“that’s when I’m not curling my toes with the pain and effort of labour,” Apudo mewed, “when I’m in labour, I curl my toes even tighter.”

“I thought you were a cub!” Philomena exclaimed.

“I’m learning how to play, and my stature means I can be guided, but I still have my memories of what I used to be,” Apudo mewed.

“So that’s why Theo helped you when you had problems relieving yourself, he loves you dearly already!” Felix mewed.

“I suppose that’s why,” Apudo replied. Philomena tugged at Apudo’s curled toes with her left hand which held the fingers of her right, Apudo fighting Philomena’s tugging fingers with much miaowing and growling.

“I’m nooaoaoaot letting goaoaoaoaoao!” Apudo growled, Philomena curling her own toes with concentration, Felix giggling helplessly as he saw her toes curl, as Philomena now lay across his legs, Apudo lying with her paws resting on his chest.

“I’m pinned under cuddly snuggly friends,” Felix giggled.

“if I was bigger I wouldn’t do this as I would squash you Felix, and I could never do that,” Apudo mewed.

“If I roll onto my side Apudo, I can hug you and you can hug me, and Philomena can still hold your feet, or you can hold her fingers with your toes,” Felix mewed. Apudo released Philomena’s fingers from the grip of the toes of her left foot and shuffled backwards, Felix rolling onto his left side, extending his arms and putting his arms around Apudo’s neck, Apudo rubbing heads with him.

“I love your hug,” Apudo mewed softly.

“I love your mane Apudo, it’s all soft and warm,” Felix purred, Apudo smiling:

“I have a mane again don’t I, I need to make sure I don’t trip over that,” she purred.

“Can I hold your paws Apudo?” Felix asked. Growling with effort:

“I muuuuust find the strength to get out of this huuug!” Apudo shook her head and squirmed until Felix let go, then, miaowing piteously thrust her paws back into his hands, Philomena laughing helplessly at the fat little lioness’s antics.

“awww, you can’t bear to stop the cuddles Apudo!” she giggled, Apudo mewing and purring with pleasure as Felix rubbed the pads of her left paw, while Philomena, her fingers now released from the grip of Apudo’s toes, grabbed one of Apudo’s huge feet then rubbed her pads, as Apudo had begun wriggling and pedalling the air.

“I think I could get used to having my paws and feet rubbed,” Apudo purred, rolling onto her side, resting her head on the floor, Felix and Philomena rubbing all four of Apudo’s fat paws, the lioness wriggling and mewing with pleasure.

“Apudo bracing her paws and feet into our hands is so cute!” Philomena giggled.

“yes,” Felix replied smiling broadly, his eyes shining.

“You look very uncomfortable there Apudo,” Patch said, pushing a pillow under Apudo’s head, the little lioness smiling at him.

“Now that was the only thing left I needed to make this purrfect,” Apudo purred, Felix and Philomena gazing down at Apudo with gentle eyes, the lioness’s paws and feet embraced in their hands.

“has there ever been a more pampered puss?” Titan asked, padding over to them.

“I don’t think so,” Felix mewed, “but I can’t help it, I love her from her nose to her toes. Rebirth suited her very well Titan.

“I know you think of a beauty far deeper than the skin deep of which you speak,” Titan mewed.

“I do,” Felix purred, “I only wish I’d been present at Apudo’s rebirth. I’ve asked Moses and Theo about it, and watched the video too, but, well, it’s not the same.”

“I will never forget that,” Titan mewed.

“you were in labour for ages!” Felix exclaimed.

“I know, and I had no help from hormones to help me push either,” Titan mewed piteously.

“it was the pressure from my paws that started Titan activly pushing to get me down the tunnel,” Apudo mewed, only when I was half way down, did I press a nerve which made him push involuntarily.”

“I remember that,” Titan mewed, “it hurt, but was a relief too. I just kept pushing hard down into my bottom.”

“you did wonderfully Titan,” Felix mewed.

“I’ve never known such pain or fear,” Titan mewed, “fear I couldn’t push hard enough to give birth to Apudo, fear that I would fail her.”

“You didn’t fail me at all,” Apudo mewed softly, “look at me Titan, touch me. I’m here now!”

“When you slipped back inside me after I curled round, I thought I’d never be able to push hard enough to get you out into the world,” Titan mewed.

“Well you did,” Apudo mewed, “right out, Theo didn’t have to pull or anything! He just supported my body as you pushed.”

“I screamed the place down,” Titan mewed.

“yes, and I’m not surprised too!” Philomena mewed, “Apudo was a fat cub, even then.”

“I am a disgrace to have screamed and roared like that,” Titan moaned.

“It’s no bad thing,” mama Karina mewed, padding forward on two feet and taking Titan’s paw in her hands, “you are guide to Apudo, you faught for her that day. It is right you expressed the effort and pain of your struggle to rebirth her.”

“it was very hard work, and hurt worse than I could have ever imagined,” Titan mewed.

“It hurt at my end too,” Apudo mewed, “I’ve never been so squashed in all my life! Apart from my natural birth, though I don’t remember that so well.”

“I was the one doing the squashing, sorry,” Titan mewed, Apudo reluctantly withdrawing her paws and feet from Felix and Philomena’s embrace, then scrambling clumsily to her feet, quickly padding to Titan then kissing his nose when he bowed his head in shame.

“You saved me Titan, I won’t ever forget what you did for me,” Apudo mewed, “don’t feel ashamed for the noise you made.”

“As long as noone minded,” Titan mewed, “I had to scream like that, it hurt so much and I found pushing so hard!”

“I know,” Apudo mewed. Titan kissed Apudo’s nose, the little lioness smiling broadly.

“I wonder where Blackberry is?” Apudo asked suddenly.

“there was a black bear riding the log flume round and round,” Mercury replied, “could that be him?”

“yes, that could,” Titan mewed, “he ran off from his medical job after creating animatronic medical devices that gained lives of their own.”

“Wow,” Mercury replied, “he must be one talented bear.”

“No, he’s stupid, and doesn’t understand what he creates,” Mama Sita growled.

“A bear with much vision but little insight,” Patch remarked.

“Oh,” Mercury replied, not interested enough to pursue it further.

“What is a log flume?” Apudo asked.

“it’s a system of canals and slides that can be ridden using hollowed out logs,” Mercury said, “they can be a lot of fun, though I only rode one once.”

“Water coasters are similar things,” patch said, Titan glancing fearfully at him.

“I know you don’t like them Titan,” Patch said.

“What’s this?” Apudo asked. Titan, looking down at his paws, told Apudo of his terror filled adventure with patch, Apudo laughing helplessly at the idea of Titan being trapped in the raft by his fat toes.

“That would be Soaoaoaoao fuuuunny to seyeee! She giggled, Titan growling at her.

“I couldn’t free my toes!” he miaowed piteously.

“So how did you free them?” Apudo asked, “you haven’t told me that yet.”

“Patch helped me,” Titan moaned, “I wiggled my toes while Patch pulled at my feet.” Apudo, seeing her guide’s humiliation, stopped laughing.

“the worst of it was that I was unable to walk afterwards,” Titan mewed.

“Did you hurt your toes?” Apudo asked.

“No,” Titan mewed, “they were tightly trapped, but not hurt at all. I was too scared to walk, I had to lie down. I know Patch would have carried me to the bottom of the coaster in the raft, but I couldn’t ride it, I had to get out.”

“I remember that,” Patch replied, “Titan doesn’t like dark tunnels you see Apudo, and the water coaster has one very echoing dark one that has a slide in it.”

“Don’t remind meyeee!” Titan pleaded.

“I will have to ride that,” Apudo mewed.

“You’re not riding that!” Titan yowled.

“I’ll ride on my own, you can’t stop me,” Apudo challenged.

“Naoaoaoaoao!” Titan miaowed, “you can’t ride that alone!”

“You’ll have to come with me then,” Apudo mewed.

“I can’t!” Titan whimpered.

“Felix,” Apudo asked, turning to him, “do you know where this coaster is?” Felix smiled and nodded. Titan glaring at him.

“I can show you, and we will ride it,” he said. Titan nearly attacked him.

“You can’t! she can’t! I forbid it!” he screeched.

“let’s go Apudo,” Felix mewed, Titan racing round and round in panicked circles as they left, Philomena racing after them.

“I have control of the water coasters, I won’t let them ride!” Titan yowled.

“No you don’t,” Patch said, “I relinquished that when you became guardian to Apudo, thinking that you’d not be able to do two things at once. Mama Karina is now wardress of the water.”

“nayaoaoaoaow!” Titan yowled, running from the room, nearly tripping over his feet in his haste.

“Poor Titan,” patch said, “ah well, he’ll ride that coaster with Apudo, that’s almost certain.”

“Will he?” Mama Sita mewed, “he’s not going to swallow his fear that easily is he?”

“No,” patch said, “and there is nothing to fear Sita. Titan will ride though, and if I know Felix and Philomena, they’ll play tricks on him too, they’re cubs! I can’t stop them either, and to do so would be very wrong.”

“I must find out what happens!” Mama Sita mewed.

“Well there are cameras throughout the rides Sita, just tap and listen,” Patch suggested. Mama Sita padded to the console and accessed the feed from the water coaster.

Titan raced through the house, catching up with the two Felursapiens and one little lioness as they called their raft at the station of the water coaster. Hearing him panting up behind them, Felix turned and smiled at him.

“There is a spare seat, if you want it,” he replied to the question in the glaring eyes of the Felursaliger.

“Please, don’t let Apudo get on that!” Titan miaowed.

“I can’t stop her, and neither can you,” Felix mewed. mama Karina and Felix piled into the raft, as did Apudo, Titan, dry mouthed, following her. Titan felt the jets increasing their pressure under his body and couldn’t get out of the raft. Gripping with all four paws, he felt the raft moving. Left, right, and left again, then up a bit, then down into a canal and into an echoing place. Apudo, hearing this echo, yowled as spookily as she could, Titan shrieking with fear, Felix laughing helplessly. Titan, now utterly terrified, opened his eyes and looked over the edge, just in time to see the raft disappear into a tunnel, then feel it angle downwards. Screaming and yowling, Titan held on as the raft hurtled down into the darkness, the sound of the laughter of two cubs and mama Karina failing to soothe his fears. When the raft came to a near stop with a whoosh of spray which deluged the four riders, Titan found he couldn’t move for the toes of both feet were stuck between the baffles on the bottom of the raft. Miaowing with anguished frustration, he told Apudo of his predicament, the little lioness laughing helplessly.

“Oh thanks!” Titan moaned.

“Hold on till the end, and we’ll dig, dig you out,” Felix giggled.

“nayaoaoaoaow! I wayayayant to get off Noaoaoaaow!” Titan yowled.

“There’s no way you can,” Apudo mewed, drumming with her paws on the divider in front of her in a manner she knew would piss him off.

“Stop that bloody banging!” Titan miaowed.

“No,” Apudo mewed, as the raft angled upwards and made its way to the highest part of the water coaster.

“let meyououoout!” Titan begged in a high pitch yowl.

“where is the next place we can do that?” Apudo asked, tapping Felix on the shoulder with her paw. Felix asked Mama Karina, who smiled and pressed a button on the watch on her wrist. The doors shut, the flow slowed to a trickle, and the level lowered so the raft was flush with the door on the wall at the left of the canal once it had bumped its nose into the now closed doors which stopped it going down the chute at the end of the canal.

“You can get out now Titan,” Karina mewed. Titan wriggled and tugged at his feet with his paws, but couldn’t move. “I’m stuck Karina, I’m Noaoaot joking either! My feeyeeet are stuck!” he yowled, beating the divider between him and Apudo with his paws.

“I’ll unlock the door, then get out, then Felix, please follow me,” Karina mewed, unlocking the door and pushing it wide, stepping from the raft onto dry land. Reaching back, she unlocked the divider between her place and Felix’s, then helped Felix onto the walkway, Apudo releasing the divider between her and Felix’s place, turning and releasing Titan, pulling the divider off his toes as she tugged it flush with the side of the raft.

“That’s it!” she panted as she used her paws to free his toes from the baffles, you’re free now Titan, follow me from the raft. Titan, rigid with fear, couldn’t move. Sighing, Karina leapt into the raft, pushed Apudo from it and through the door, then hauled at Titan’s paws, the Felursaliger sliding down the raft to the door. Felix and Apudo jumped sideways into the water around the raft, their feet splashing in the water, then they were in the raft, helping Karina push Titan through the open door.

“What will everyone think of us!” Apudo miaowed.

“They will think Titan’s a woose,” Felix mewed, “I wish he was still a liger shape, then I could call him a woosy pussy.”

“Let’s call him that,” Apudo replied, shoving at Titan’s legs and feet as the Felursaliger crawled from the raft, “he’s not reborn, he’s only reshaped, patch could reshape him again if he wanted.” Puffing hard, Karina slammed the door on Titan, leaving the whimpering Felursaliger to find his own way down.

“I feel bad leaving him,” Felix mewed.

“Bugger him,” Apudo miaowed, “he’s a woose, he may be my guide, but he doesn’t have to follow me everywhere!”

“now what do we do?” Felix asked, “can we restart our ride?”

“We can,” Karina mewed, looking into the camera at the top of the door, “would someone please pick up Titan?” she asked, “you know where he is.” Turning to her crew, she said, “set up the baffles again, and we can ride. Apudo swung back the baffle into place between her and Titan’s former place, sniffing suspiciously.

“Titan wet himself with fright!” she miaowed, “how disgusting!” she spat.

“Poor Titan,” Karina mewed. it’ll not come through to us if we close the baffle, it’s self-contained, plus valves keep the rafts from filling up with water.”

“Yes, there is no yellow water in here, just the smell,” Apudo miaowed.

“You mean we’re riding on Titan’s piss?” Felix asked.

“Felix!” Karina snapped, Apudo roaring with cubbish laughter, “and no, well, yes, well no, the chlorine will kill it if I splash some water in the raft, there, oh dear!” Karina blustered, Apudo hugging Felix, both cubs snorting into each other’s fur in their attempts to hide their laughter.

“I’ll set the ride in motion now, strap yourselves in,” Karina mewed. Felix and Apudo closed Titan’s pod off and opened their pod up so there was no gap between them, Felix holding Apudo on his lap, wrapping his arms around her body, Apudo leaning back into him.

“Let’s go,” Karina mewed, cancelling her previous command to the coaster, the coaster filling the canal, then increasing the flow before the doors opened, letting the raft float forwards and left and into the next chute. Shrieking with delight, the riders rode their raft down the chute, into the water break run, then down another chute into a pool. soaked to the skin, they then ran into a set of rapids which took them into the lazy river, then up another spiral into the fast slide which Patch had recently built. Screeching with glee, the riders shot down the fast slide into the pool, then round to the right into the lazy river, the splash from the break run of the fast slide briefly filling the raft with water, quickly draining from the one way valves inside the base.

“I wonder where Titan got to?” Apudo asked once she’d wiped the water from her eyes.

“I’m here!” Titan miaowed. Apudo looked over at the Felursaliger.

“So you found your way down then,” she remarked.

“yes,” Titan growled, “Patch talked me down, I got no comforting paws to help me though!” he spat.

“You’re a woosy pussy Titan!” Felix yelled.

“I hate that tunnel!” Titan yowled.

“Maybe if you could be shown it without the water in it, you might not be so scared?” Felix suggested.

“I’m not setting paw in that bloody place!” Titan yowled.

“Can we go back to the top of the coaster in the raft?” Apudo asked, “I want to ride it again, and my paws ached after walking all that way!”

“yes, we can,” Karina mewed, “it’s a dark tunnel though, it’s a lock that is not normally used by passengers. It’s very noisy.” Apudo and Felix smiled at Karina.

“We’re ready,” they said, Karina pressing buttons on her watch. The raft was channelled towards a glass sided box, doors opening in the box as they drew near. The raft entered the box, the doors shutting behind them. with a tremendous noise of rushing water, the box filled, the raft carrying the passengers quickly rising to the top, where the doors opened, and the raft flowed out into the canal they’d started their ride in so long ago. Bypassing the station with a whoosh of spray, they continued their ride into the dark echoing tunnel, then down Titan’s slide from hell, and to the rest of the water coaster, arriving in the lazy river ten minutes later, to find Titan anxiously watching for them.

“Thank Eohippus for that!” they saw him mouth as they floated towards where he stood on the tiles at the side of the river.

“I saw you enter the box, then go up the box, then vanish!” he mewed.

“it was noisy, but fun too,” Apudo mewed.

“I didn’t find it so,” Titan whimpered, “I ran off and was violently sick!” he admitted ashamedly.

“You must have been sick quick,” Felix mewed.

“We were fifteen minutes the round trip,” mama Karina mewed, looking at Titan with sympathetic eyes.

“That tunnel sickens me, then you ride a bit that isn’t meant to be ridden by passengers Apudo!” Titan yowled.

“But I want to try things for myself!” Apudo mewed.

“Just because you hate fast rides Titan, doesn’t mean Apudo has to,” Felix mewed.

“I would like to ride the log flume,” Apudo mewed, “I remember swimming across a lagoon once, I think that was the flume.”

“yes, it was,” Felix mewed, “I will take you on it.”

“Naoaoooaoao!” Titan miaowed, throwing himself into the river, as if that would stop Felix.

“Ruuuun!” Felix screamed, Apudo and he scrambling from the raft and racing from the pool complex into the log flume station, slamming the door behind them and locking it.

“Right, now, now for a log,” Felix panted, banging coming from the door. A bump and the sound of squealing rubber made Felix and Apudo look towards the canal, a log was coming into the station, Blackberry sitting in it.

“We need to get away from here, quick!” Felix told the startled black bear, who until five seconds earlier had been deep in his own thoughts.

“Get in,” Blackberry said, shuffling towards the back, Apudo getting in the front, Felix sitting on the ledge between Blackberry’s legs. The banging from the door reseeded as the boat left the boathouse and entered the main canal system.

“Titan doesn’t like me riding,” Apudo said by way of explanation for the banging noise.

“I thought so,” Blackberry replied, “for myself, I was deep in my own miserable thoughts when you tumbled into my boat. I’ve not been so good lately. I’ve done much wrong, and understand even less.”

“do you still want to turn little Sita and Karina off?” Apudo asked.

“No,” Blackberry replied, “I have been watching their play via a pawheld monitor I have in the boat. I don’t want to terminate their programmes.”

“What will you do now you’re no longer medical bear?” Apudo asked.

“Just be a normal bear, or try to be,” Blackberry replied, “I have made a huge mess of so much!” the boat made its way up the first incline, then splashed down into another canal, turned left, then right, then went up another incline to the highest part of the flume. Apudo and Felix sat through two circuits of the flume, then scrambled out at the third visit to the station, Blackberry following them.

“I don’t want to be alone anymore,” Blackberry whimpered, Felix getting to his feet and leaving the flume, reaching back to the black bear, Blackberry taking Felix’s hands in his paws and crawling from the log onto the revolving platform. Felix smiled at Blackberry, dropping his paws, the black bear crawling after Felix, Felix stopping crawling until he was alongside Blackberry, Apudo walking alongside them.

“If you speed up, I can rub the pads of your feet and tickle your toes Blackberry,” Felix mewed, Blackberry speeding up his crawling, Felix tickling the bear’s toes, Blackberry laughing merrily, then shrieking gleefully as Apudo joined in, tickling the black bear’s heels with her whiskers.

“Okay, that’s enough!” Blackberry gasped, “here isn’t safe to play. Let’s get back to the house.” Blackberry got to his feet, Apudo jumping onto Blackberry’s back for a ride, while Felix walked alongside the black bear.

“I preferred you crawling,” Felix mewed, nuzzling Blackberry’s ear.

“Only because you could touch my pads,” Blackberry replied softly, returning Felix’s affectionate nuzzling, Felix smiling broadly.

“yes, your pads are cute,” Felix mewed, pushing at Blackberry’s shoulder, the bear stepping off the platform onto solid ground, tipping Apudo off his back, rolling onto his back, Felix rubbing the thick pads of Blackberry’s left foot with the fingers of one hand, while supporting his heel with the other.

“I don’t deserve this,” Blackberry said.

“You didn’t kill little Sita or little Karina,” Felix mewed, “we love them dearly, and I will speak up for you to patch if he mentions it.”

“I just want to crawl about and be snuggled,” Blackberry replied, rolling onto his knees and crawling away, Felix and Apudo following the view of the well-padded soles of his large feet.

“Blackberry’s cute isn’t he,” Felix mewed. Apudo smiled:

“he is very cute,” she mewed. Blackberry opened the door to the pool complex to find Titan standing on the other side, the Felursaliger angry and worried.

“Where the hell have you two been?” Titan asked.

“Actually, there are three of us,” Felix pointed out.

“shut it!” Titan yowled, “you know what I mean Felix! You and Apudo! Where have youuuuu been!”

“Oh round and round and round in circles,” Felix mewed gently, “Blackberry’s circled even more than we have.”

“You’re all wet too!” Titan miaowed, watching Blackberry theatrically struggling to wring out his paws and feet by rolling from side to side on his back on the tiled floor, balling his paws into fists in concentration as he concentrated hard on curling his toes as tightly as they’d go to squeeze the water out of the pads of his feet.

“Look at Blackberry!” Apudo miaowed, “just look at him Titan! His feet were so heavy with water He had to crawl from the boat! Now he’s struggling to rid his feet of water by curling his toes to squeeze his pads. His pads are like sponges you see.” Whimpering:

“I’ll have to get paws on with my feet, I can’t curl my toes enough to squeeze my pads dry! I’m curling my toes so tight, but my feeyeeet are still full of water!” Blackberry squealed theatrically. Growling, the black bear sat up and grabbed his left foot with both paws, squeezing his toe pads, then curling his toes tightly and squeezing his sole pad with the fingers of both paws, starting at the ball of his foot and ending with his heel as if wringing out water from his pads, Apudo all the while trying not to laugh.

“I wish my pads held water,” Felix mewed, “I would have a good reason for grabbing my feet and playing with my toes, and it wouldn’t feel so cubbish to do so.”

“Go on Felix,” Apudo mewed, “you can imagine your pads fill with water, then sit down and squeeze them out. I’d like to see that, that would be cute.”

“I must get my feet wet again,” Felix mewed.

“What’s all this silliness?” Titan asked crossly.

“Your pads look like they’d hold plenty of water Titan,” Blackberry said, “why not get them wet, and we can all play at crawling about and squeezing our pads free of water.”

“I can’t, I’m a cat!” Apudo miaowed.

“Well we’ll have to squeeze your pads for you then,” Blackberry replied smiling.

Meanwhile, Moses was watching the goings on in the pool complex. The idea of Blackberry’s feet being so full of water that he could squeeze the water from his pads like a sponge appealed to him greatly. Smiling, he wet his own feet and crawled to the pool complex, gasping as he crawled with now imaginary waterlogged feet. curling his toes with effort every time he thrust with his knees, Moses crawled slowly to Blackberry.

“I was having a bath, and my feet filled with water!” Moses complained. Blackberry crawled to Moses feet and touched his pads.

“your heel pads and toes are full of water,” the bear said, “the only way I can think of getting rid of the water is to squeeze your pads with your fingers. It worked for me.”

“Can you squeeze my feet?” Moses asked, sitting back on his heels and wriggling in simulated discomfort.

“no, it drains from your heels only,” Blackberry said, “oh, and once you’ve drained all the water into your heels, you need to press extra hard to get rid of the water, I have just found that out myself. Curling your toes keeps the water from flowing back into them, then you squeeze your arches and then your heel pads as hard as you can while curling your toes as tightly as you can too.”

“This is all so silly!” Titan raged.

“it’s fun!” Apudo mewed. Moses rolled into a sitting position, crossed his legs with a groan of effort and tightly curled toes, rested his left heel on the thigh of his right leg and began squeezing the toes of that foot with his fingers, taking care with each toe, then down to his ball, then his arch, and to his heel pad, groaning and moaning about his heel pad bulging as if it would burst, wriggling and rocking as he forced the imaginary water down into the imaginary stretching heel pad of his left foot as the water filled it. Moses curled his toes while he pressed and squeezed the heel pad of his left foot to squeeze the water from it, all the while rocking, wriggling and moaning in his efforts, Blackberry and Felix loudly urging him to brace his foot harder into his hands and curl his toes tighter to squeeze the water out.

“puuuuuush with that foot Moses, curl those toooes, hold onto your foot with both hands and puuuuuush with your foot and rub your heel pad with your fingers!” Blackberry urged.

“I’m trying!” Moses whimpered, wriggling and pressing his foot into his hands, “the water isn’t squeezing from my foot!” he raged.

“You must keep your toes as tightly curled as you can Moses,” Blackberry said, “relaxing your toes lets the water back into them.” Yowling, Moses relaxed, then tightly curled his toes while frantically massaging the arch and heel pad of his left foot.

“Rub and squeeze that heel pad, curl your toes and press with your fingers!” Blackberry urged, Moses growling and whimpering with effort, rocking back and forth as he squeezed the imaginary water from the heel pad of his left foot.

“What’s going on in ‘ere?” Purdy asked, padding into the pool complex from the woods.

“Moses is twying, I mean trying to squeeze water fwom his heel pad, he got his feet vewy wet when bathing and they sucked up water,” Felix replied, Purdy scowling at him.

“You don’t speak like me so Stoaoaoap it!” the she bear yelled, rearing onto her hind legs, waving her paws and stamping her feet in her most fierce display of anger.

“Come here Purdy,” Felix said, going to her and hugging her, while trying not to laugh. Rearing onto his feet, he hugged the stamping, angry she bear, Purdy’s angry fire dying.

“We love you so much,” Felix said, kissing her nose, Purdy giggling delightedly:

“You awe a wogueish cub Felix, only you could get away with mimicking me the way you do, I should weally cuff you hawd with my paws evewy time you mimic me, but I don’t, and don’t weally know why either.” Felix hugged her tightly, His embrace soothing the she bear into returning his hug.

“I don’t mean you harm Purdy,” Felix mewed, “I can’t help but speak like you when talking to you. you almost have a different accent to other bears, and your use of language is very different too.”

“I wemember watching Kuwik on video, now he was a bear who weally mangled sentences,” Purdy replied, “not even you can say I do that!”

“No, you don’t do that,” Felix mewed, “but your speech is wather cubbish, and you will stamp your feet when angwy too. You’re like an overgrown cub Purdy! Even mercury said he thought you were a cub at first!”

“Mewcuwy said what?” Purdy asked, her fur bristling, “I’ll smack Mewcuwy when I next see him!”

“That’s Soaoaoaoao cuuuute Puwdy!” Apudo mewed.

“naoaoaoaoao it’s nooaoaoaot!” Purdy yelled, stamping her feet, as her paws, which she would have also used to express her anger had she been on all fours, were hugging Felix.

“If I stamp my feet too Purdy, would that help?” Felix asked.

“Oh shut up!” Purdy replied laughing, “you weally know how to make me laugh Felix, and talking like me as well as stamping your feet like me isn’t funny!” Felix hugged Purdy even tighter, standing on tiptoe to do so, Purdy snuggling into his hug.

“You’we getting big now Felix,” she commented, “you awe going to gwow up into a big fellow. I think you need to play mowe with Blackbewwy, he needs you Felix.” Purdy said in a confidential whisper.

“I think he does too,” Felix mewed, “I’m twying, I mean trying Puwdy.”

“Play with him Felix, ask Kawina to play with Blackbewwy too,” Purdy said. Felix nuzzled her cheek, pushing his nose deeper into her fur by bracing his toes and embracing her as tightly as he could with both arms.

“go and help Blackbewwy to wid his feet of the water in his pads Felix,” Purdy said, pushing the Felursapien away from her, Felix walking away, Purdy dropping to all four paws.

“My left foot is nearly empty of water! I need to now squeeze my right empty!” Moses yelled, grabbing his right foot with both hands and crossing it to his left thigh, pushing his heel hard into his thigh to give him stability to begin squeezing the imagined water from his toes and heel pad.

“Squeeze those toes first Moses,” Blackberry said, sitting down and grabbing his own right foot in both paws, copying the little boy’s example, “I was standing with my right foot in a pool of water, and my pads are now full of water!” Blackberry whimpered, Moses laughing merrily at his antics, watching the black bear squeezing the toes of his right foot with both paws, then curling his toes, moving his paws down to the ball, then the mid sole and heel of his right foot.

“Absorbent pads are a pain aren’t they Blackberry,” Felix mewed, “I’ve been struggling with waterlogged pads for ages!”

“they are, I can’t squeeze them hard enough either!” Blackberry groaned, rocking back and forth, stretching and curling his toes with his efforts.

“Keep your toes curled Blackberry,” Moses said, “curl those toes and squeeze your pads!” Blackberry, growling with concentration, faught against his own feet, Purdy and Apudo giggling helplessly as they watched him and Moses struggling to rid their feet of the water their pads had soaked up.

“This is a lot of fun!” Moses giggled.

“Yes, but, but, curling my toes so tight then keeping them curled while I squeeze the water from my sole pads is such a struggle!” Blackberry whimpered, rocking from side to side and back and forth, holding tightly onto his right foot with both paws, his toes curled as tightly as he could curl them.

“I’ll help you Blackberry, together we’ll encourage each other to squeeze our toes, then the pads of our feet. that way we can help each other.” Moses said, Blackberry groaning with effort.

“Maybe each can grab the other’s foot in their hands and help that way,” Felix suggested.

“that’s game two,” Moses said, “game one is to do it yourself.”

“Ah right, We’ll all do it,” Felix mewed, “me, you Moses, Blackberry too. I wonder if mum could get her feet wet too.”

“I’ll help Apudo to squeeze her pads dry,” Karina mewed, “you’ll have to curl your toes though Apudo, I can’t do that for you, okay?” Apudo, smiling broadly, waded through the shallows of a nearby entrance to the lazy river to wet her paws and feet.

“I’ll squeeze the water from your feet like the bears are doing Apudo,” Karina mewed, “the bears and human’s paws aren’t absorbing water.”

“My feet are Soaoaoaoao heavy Noaoaoaow!” Apudo miaowed, dragging her feet, pulling herself along with the aid of the curled toes of her two paws.

“awww, that’s so cuuuute Apoodo!” Purdy observed.

“you think having feet so heavy you can’t move is cute?” Apudo asked, “I don’t!” she roared, “I muuuuust wring them out!” she yowled. Mama Karina turned Apudo onto her back, then squeezed the pads of Apudo’s feet, first her left, then her right, squeezing the little lioness’s toes one by one, Apudo then curling her toes as tightly as she could, Karina squeezing her heel pads from front to rear, Apudo miaowing and growling with her efforts to keep her toes tightly curled.

“hard isn’t it,” Blackberry gasped, struggling to squeeze the water from his left foot, the pads of which had filled once more, “Uuuuuuuumf, my toooooes!” Blackberry moaned, wriggling while curling his toes and squeezing his pads.

“this is so silly, but such fun!” Felix mewed, easing the imagined water from the heel pad of his left foot, his toes tightly curled, having worked the water from his toe pads, then the ball of his foot, and arch, down to his heel pad before his final huge effort, in which he tightly curled his toes and squeezed his heel pad with his fingers, and was now deeply engaged in the last effort to expel the water from his heel pad.

“I find it really hard to keep the water down at my heel Felix!” Blackberry whimpered.

“it’s really hard to keep your toes curled!” Felix groaned, squirming with his own efforts.

“I think all this squeezing of pads and curling toes is so stupid!” Titan roared.

“Why not twy it youwself Titan?” Purdy asked, “I’m going to twy it, I want to be cubbish a bit.”

“make sure you cuwl youw toes tight Puwdy,” Felix said.

“I’ll let you get paws on so you can see I do,” Purdy replied. Felix giggled delightedly at this, Purdy sitting opposite him.

“Your toes look a bit like mine! You have no claws Puwdy!” he said, purdy smiling.

“I’m used to it now,” she replied, grabbing the toes of Felix’s left foot with those of her right, Felix wiggling his toes into the grip of Purdy’s stronger ones, “I have stwong toes now too,” Purdy added, Felix smiling broadly at the warmth he felt from the pads of her right foot.

“I like the feel of your toes in mine,” Purdy said.

“I like the feel of your toes holding mine,” Felix mewed.

“Now gwab your left foot in your hands and squeeze out the water, I’ll gwab my wight foot and do the same,” Purdy said.

“Make sure you cuwl your toes tightly after squeezing the water from your toe pads Puwdy,” Felix replied.

“You make sure you cuwl youw toes tightly too Felix,” Purdy replied smiling, her eyes shining.

“Curl my toooes, squeyeeeyeeaze my pads!” Felix whimpered, Purdy mimicking his whimpering entreaties to herself. Felix laughing:

“Cuwl my toooooes, squeyeeeyeeaze my pads?” he asked, purdy gripping the toes of his right foot with those of her left as fiercely as she could in retaliation for his mimicry of her manner of speech, Felix digging his toes into the gap between the ball of her foot and her toe pads, gripping the thick pad on the ball of her left foot with his toe pads, both he and Purdy gripping their own and each other’s feet as hard as they could. Purdy gave Felix her right foot, Felix giving her his right, both squeezing each other’s soles as hard as they could, while each curled their toes as tightly as they could.

“We must tightly cuuuuuuwl our toooooes and squeyeeeyeeaze our pads!” Felix and Purdy yelled in unison, then laughed so much they nearly forgot their task.

“Let’s copy them Blackbewwy! I mean Blackberry!” Moses suggested. Blackberry looked over at Purdy and Felix.

“yes, let’s copy Purdy and Felix and grab each other’s feet and see if that will help get rid of the water, squeezing our pads and shouting at each other to curl our toes and keep squeezing our pads doesn’t seem to work!” the bear panted.

“Just look at Moses and Blackbewwy Felix,” Purdy said, “they awe so silly awen’t they?”

“You awe too Puwdy,” Blackberry replied, smiling at her.

“Purdy’s pads and toes are so cute Blackberry. She has thick sole pads, her toes are short and thickly padded, powerful too!” Felix mewed, tugging at his right foot, the toes of which were held by those of Purdy’s left.

“Felix has vewy soft pads, my fingers press into them quite easily, and his toes cuwl and pads bunch so cutely too.” Purdy replied, Felix giggling delightedly.

“You two are so Silly!” Titan yelled, storming out of the room.

“Hmm, play hater,” Blackberry remarked.

“Are your pads wrung out yet Blackbewwy?” Purdy asked, “mine awe holding water vewy stwongly at the moment. Felix can’t squeeze them hawd enough and I can’t cuwl my toes tightly enough to wing them out.”

“cuwling youw toes to wing out youw pads Puwdy? That’s Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!” Apudo giggled.

“Stoaoaoaoap that!” Purdy yelled, while Felix tried not to laugh, “you can’t even wing out youw own pads Apuwdo, so you can’t talk about it!” Purdy yelled.

“I’m sowwy,” Apudo mewed, crawling to Purdy and resting her paws on the she bear’s left leg.

“you’we not Sowwy Apuwdo, for if you wewe, you’d not speak like meyeee!” Purdy yelled, “and if my paws wewen’t busy with squeezing the water fwom Felix’s pads, I’d smack you so hawd that you’d not be able to feel youw paws fow a week!” she raged.

“Okay, I’m really sorry now!” Apudo miaowed, backing off from the bristling she bear.

“Does anyone mind if I use the lazy river?” a voice asked. Titan, miaowing with surprise, turned to see a huge she panda standing behind him, rocking from her heels to her toes.

“Lihua?” he asked.

“yes,” the sow panda replied, “I’m wondering if I can use the lazy river as pain relief, I’m feeling the first stirring of my cubs I think.”

“you can’t use it as a birthing pool!” Titan yowled.

“I don’t know who’s in charge of the birthing pool now,” Lihua moaned, rearing onto her feet and clutching at her belly with both paws, bouncing on the toes of her huge feet.

“It’s patch, go to patch, don’t get into that river, you’ll soil it!” Titan miaowed.

“I’ll go,” Lihua panted, dropping to all four paws and padding painfully away.

“she’s in a lot of discomfort,” Felix mewed, “I’ll go after her. Mum, would you finish my game with Purdy?” mama Karina smiled at her son cub.

“I should be the one going,” she said, “but yes, I will take your place, and you can find Lihua Felix.” Felix tugged his left foot free of Purdy’s and trotted away.

“he’s so lovely,” Moses said, “I’ll follow him I think. I’d like to see the birth of a panda cub. mama pandas are very expressive when they give birth. Lihua will probably make a lot of noise too, probably more noise than Titan made I think.” With that he got to his feet and ran after Felix.

“you didn’t try to stop him Karina!” Titan miaowed.

“I won’t,” mama Karina replied, “it’s right cubs should see the births of other cubs.” Moses and Felix ran after Lihua, catching her by the door to the complex, as her progress was slowed by her contractions.

“Can we come with you?” they asked. Lihua glanced at the young Felursapien and human.

“Yes, come,” she said, “I might scream and roar the place down though,” she whimpered.

“The noisier the better,” Felix said, rubbing Lihua’s paw with his hand.

“I’ll moan, scream, roar and kick,” Lihua promised, “I do that anyway, so that’s what you’ll see.”

“The birthing pool is near here,” Felix said, padding alongside Lihua on his noiseless feet.

“Uuuuuuuumf, oauauauauauaow!” Lihua replied, her eyes shut and toes gripping the tiles as she stopped to endure a contraction. Head down, she rocked on her paws and feet, moaning deeply.

“Not near pushing yet,” she panted, “but, as I’m asked to make lots of noise, I will!”

“Good,” Moses replied, hugging Lihua.

“I want you and Felix hands on with me,” Lihua said, “I want you to help me by touching me, and telling me it’s all right to push, and curl my toes, and kick and squirm and make as much noise as I want!”

“We will,” Felix mewed, kissing Lihua’s left ear.

“We will,” Moses repeated, Lihua nuzzling them in return. Groaning, she padded carefully to the pool and got into it.

“I will probably have my cub on the ledge,” she panted, “but, but, now is time for swimming and paddling. Lihua set off down the pool, half swimming while dragging her toes along the bottom, paddling with her paws in case she had to stand up quickly during a contraction.

“I’ve got a float,” Patch said, padding in from his workroom and flicking a foam float to Lihua, who gratefully rested her paws on it.

“I could give you a leg float too,” Patch said, flicking one into the water, “put that between your legs and squeeze them together, that’ll hold them up and you can rest your chin on the paw float and drift,” Patch added, Lihua doing as the huge grey bear suggested, the brown pads on the soles of her feet visible to everyone. Lihua could propel herself by flicking with her feet, drifting up and down the pool, moaning through her contractions by lifting her head slightly from the float on which her paws rested whenever she wanted to breathe deeply, the floats easily supporting her paws and legs.

“my pain’s eased by the water,” Lihua panted, flicking her toes to push herself through the water, her toe flicking becoming more urgent as a contraction built, Lihua lifting her head up off the float, bracing her paws against it, taking deep breaths, then moaning as the contraction tore through her. Moaning, groaning, panting and grunting, Lihua endured her pains. Dropping the floats after half an hour, Lihua paddled back to a foam ledge on which she sat, patch having covered the tiles of the ledge with foam which was more comfortable to sit or lie on. Moaning with discomfort, Lihua sat on the ledge, the water covering her to her belly, her feet braced against the floor, paws resting over her belly. Wriggling, she moaned and panted.

“”uououououof! Yuuuuuuumf! Uauauauauaauauauwch!” Lihua moaned, rocking and squirming. Then, leaning back against the ledge at her back, she lifted her feet, kicking the water into a froth as she wriggled and squealed: “uauauauauauwch! Uuuuuuuumf! Yauauauauauaauauwch!” Lihua scrambled out of the pool, crawling and whimpering, Moses and Felix getting hands on with her, rubbing her back, ears and the soles of her sweating feet. Lihua crawled until she felt a contraction, then she stopped, lowered her head and, bracing herself with her paws, splayed her legs.

“Uuuuuuuuoououooumch!” she moaned, then raising her head and curling her toes, she strained hard into her bottom, complaining in a lusty scream, “Auaoaoaoaowch! Ayayayayayaywouch!” as she coped with her body’s efforts to deliver her cub.

“Lihua, you will endure a very long contraction just before the cub’s head emerges,” patch said, “Felix, Moses, don’t be surprised if Lihua yells lustily during that. Most mama Pandas feel this contraction, just before they push harder than ever to deliver their cubs.”

“Okay, I have knoaoaoao choice!” Lihua gasped, relaxing her toes and bracing them against the floor to rock on her knees and sweating paws.

“Poor Lihua,” Felix mewed, kissing the sweating heel of her right foot as she rested on her belly between contractions, her toes flexing as she panted between pains.

“It’s hard Felix!” Lihua whimpered, Moses crawling up to the sweating sow panda and hugging her.

“I must oaoaoaoaoawch!” Lihua groaned, lifting herself onto her paws and knees, then sitting back on her heels, moaning and writhing in pain, drilling her heels into her backside, her toes tightly curled.

“”This is going to be a long labour!” Lihua gasped.

“What’s happening mum?” Xingjuan asked, running into the room.

“I’m in labour dear!” Lihua moaned, “Nanuq and I mated, and Oaoaoaoaow! Now I’m giving birth!” she screamed. Scared, Xingjuan sat down, staring at her mum.

“I’m all right, this is natural!” Lihua gasped. Xingjuan stared at Moses and Felix, who smiled broadly at her.

“your mum is doing fine Xingjuan,” Moses said, crawling to Xingjuan, who looked terrified.

“your mum’s pushing to give birth to her new cub, all that noise, when she makes noise, she’s pushing.”

“oh,” Xingjuan said softly, Moses hugging her tightly.

“your mum is going to have a big cub,” Moses said, “she is well fed and is a community bear herself, and she is crossbred too. This will be hard on her, but she’ll be okay. Curl your toes with her if you like Xingjuan, I will.”

“Can I help her?” Xingjuan asked.

“yes, come, rub the sole of her foot, Lihua will like that,” Felix mewed. Xingjuan crawled to Lihua’s feet, the huge she panda backing up so Xingjuan and she bumped noses.

“I’m fine Xingjuan love,” Lihua said, nuzzling and licking her cub’s ear, “I’ll be all right, I need to give birth to your new brother or sister that’s all.”

“It’s so hard isn’t it mum,” Xingjuan said.

“It is,” Lihua replied, “but sit and curl your toes when I curl mine if you like. Come and rub my feet too, and maybe, maybe you can catch the cub when it is finally born, now, would you like to do that?”

“Could I?” Xingjuan asked, her eyes full of wonder.

“yes,” Lihua replied, now, now, let me, Uuuuuuuumf! It’s getting painful again!” she moaned.

“Watch your mum’s face and paws Xingjuan, this is all normal,” Felix said. Xingjuan watched Lihua bearing a contraction, the she panda’s face contorted with pain, her paws gripping the floor, her heels dug into her buttocks as she sat back hard on them, her toes tightly curled.

“Get paws on with her toes and the soles of her feet Xingjuan,” Moses said, rubbing the sole of Lihua’s left foot with his fingers, “here, touch her right foot with your paw, rub her pads and toes as she moans through her pain.” Lihua, only too glad to have the reassurance of touch, whimpered that Felix, Xingjuan and Moses could do anything with her feet, as nothing could be worse than the pain inside her, and she liked their touch.

“press your paw into the sole of your mum’s foot just above her toes Xingjuan,” Moses said, “yes, there, at the ball of her foot, when she moans, push hard there, she’ll curl her toes, your paw touch will help her.” Lihua moaned deeply, Xingjuan pressing her paw into her mum’s foot where Moses suggested, Lihua curling her toes and moaning deeply.

“Uuuhuuuumf, that feyeeels greyeyeyeyeat!” Lihua moaned, “Uuuhuuuumf! Uauauauauw!” she whimpered, sitting back on her heels, banging the floor with her large paws, “I, I muuuuust, I wan’a, wayayayayant to sit hard back on my heeeyeels! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf! Aoaoaoaoaoaoaoaow! Uuuuuuuumf!” she complained, beating the floor with her paws while trying to drill her heels hard into her buttocks by desperately wriggling and squirming.

“it huuuurts!” Lihua squealed, wriggling and squirming urgently. Seeing Xingjuan was terrified, Moses said:

“You can help your mum by copying her, curl your toes, hold your feet with your paws and sit back on your heels Xingjuan.” Xingjuan looked at Moses and then tried all he suggested, Moses smiling at her complete absorption in her tasks which soon made the young panda forget her fear, “I’ll do like you do, that will help Mama Lihua push,” Moses added.

“Sit down Lihua, and grab one of your feet in your paws, then rub your pads,” patch suggested. Lihua did as he said, sitting down and grabbing her large left foot in her paws, gripping her pads and curling her toes as she suffered, her fingers pressing into the bunching pads of her sweating foot.

“It’s Noaoaot working!” Lihua yowled after three moaning panting contractions.

“Try lying on your back and grabbing your feet with your paws Lihua, Felix suggested.

“That won’t help the cub come sooner,” Patch said.

“Naoaoooaoao, but it might give me something to hold onto during the worst of this!” Lihua squealed, rolling onto her back, then drawing up her knees, grabbing her feet in her strong paws, shrieking: “uauauauaouououououwoch! Yeyeyeyeyeyeyeyaouwch!” wriggling and rocking, her toes curled tightly, while fiercely gripping the thick pads on the soles of her feet with both paws. Xingjuan ran to Moses, who hugged and comforted her, taking her a short distance away.

“Let go of your feet and grab the backs of your thighs, then splay your legs to let the cub out Lihua,” patch suggested. Lihua, gasping after moaning “uuuuuuuuaumf!” through another contraction, tried his suggestion, yowling as the cub surged inside her when her legs splayed, giving it more room to move. Grunting and yowling, Lihua pedalled the air with her feet for a few minutes, then sat up, beginning more strenuous expulsive efforts, grunting and puffing as she pushed hard into her bottom, bracing her heels against the floor, her legs splayed for the passage of the cub. resting her paws on her knees, her eyes tightly shut, toes curled tightly and constantly in concentration, Lihua bore down hard into her tail, seemingly in control of her efforts. Suddenly she gave vent to a moan of pain that started low and ended in a high pitch yowl of effort, the control she previously had seemingly gone. Wriggling, she splayed her legs even wider, another roar of effort escaping her as two small paws appeared between her legs. Shrieking, Lihua felt the cub’s emerging feet, and finding they were soles up, she got to her feet and squatted, straining harder than ever, screaming hysterically with fear, pain and effort, sinking to all four paws and bouncing on her braced toes between efforts, then getting to her feet again to push..

“Keep pushing Lihua, stay on your feet my dear and push down, hard down!” Patch encouraged, his voice steady, though his eyes told of his true anxiety. Reaching below her body, Lihua cradled the legs and feet of her emerging breach cub with her paws.

“Stand up and push down Lihua, let the cub come Lihua, let gravity help,” patch said, Lihua sinking to all four paws, then to a crawling posture, bearing hard down with screams and strangled moans of effort and fear:

“Muuuuust puuuuuush! Oauauauauauaow!” she shrieked, the cub slowly emerging from her at first, then, when Lihua splayed her hind legs to their widest extent and bowed her head to push more strongly, accompanied by increasingly urgent efforts, along with fearful shrieking and grunting from Lihua, the cub began to emerge more quickly with a gush of fluid.

“I muuuuust puuuuuush! Yeyeyeyeyeyeyeoaw! Uauauauauauauauaauow! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Ooooooouououoomumf! Uauauauauauahauauauauouououomf!” Lihua screamed, rising to her feet every few minutes to wriggle and pant desperately while bouncing on her toes, squealing lustily. During her fifth panting, bouncing session, Lihua screamed hysterically as the cub’s head slid from her, Patch stepping forward, catching the cub, turning it over in his paws and quickly cleaning it, Lihua turning on him with a roar of rage and, rearing onto her feet, batting at him with both her sweat soaked paws, patch only just able to keep hold of her cub.

“Give me my cuuuub!” Lihua demanded in a roar that shook the floor.

“In a minute,” Patch said, swiftly cleaning the cub and blowing into its tiny mouth. Lihua, now terrified, dropped to all four paws and stared at Patch, her paws and feet now damp with the sweat of fear which seemed to stick them to the floor.

“My cub’s dead isn’t it!” Lihua panted, her eyes full of tears, sniffing, she gulped hard.

“She came out backwards,” Patch said, “but, she’s not dead.” As he spoke the cub began to yell for food and warmth.

“You and Nanuq made her,” patch said smiling as the huge cub screamed for food.

“I knew something was wrong when I felt those feet!” Lihua said, grabbing her cub and sitting down to nurse her. Lihua’s cub was huge, with grey legs and arms and a cream body with grey eye patches.

“She’s beautiful Lihua,” Felix said. Lihua looked up at Patch.

“I never thought I’d be able to give birth to her,” she said, “Patch, did you pull her at all?”

“No, I just caught her as she fell,” patch replied, “I thought I’d have to, but you stood up at the last minute while straining to deliver her head.”

“It was awful!” Lihua whimpered, “where’s Xingjuan?” she asked.

“she and Moses are cuddled together,” Patch said, “Moses took her away when things got a bit difficult, but she saw everything while being comforted by him.”

“I’m glad,” Lihua replied wearily.

“I told Xingjuan to copy me and curl her toes and bounce on her toes like you were on yours,” Moses said, “I told her she was helping you by doing that.” Lihua smiled at him.

“Thanks to you both,” she replied sincerely.

“We grabbed our feet and bounced hard on our toes and curled our toes very tightly mum!” Xingjuan exclaimed, Lihua beckoning her with one paw.

“Come here Xingjuan, if you sit beside me, I can put one arm round you and hold my cub with the other,” Lihua said, Xingjuan padding up to her mum and sitting down.

“I hope Moses took care of you,” Lihua said.

“he did,” Xingjuan replied, “he told me that if I copied you, sitting back on my heels, grabbing my feet with my paws and bouncing on my toes too, it would help you push.” Lihua smiled broadly at this fallacy, but she could see it had helped Xingjuan through her fear of what was happening to her mum.

“thanks for bouncing on your toes with me Xingjuan,” Lihua said, nuzzling her daughter’s ear, “I hope Moses bounced on his toes too.”

“he did, and he curled his toes and held his feet in his hands too, I also held my feet in my paws too. We did all you did, though Moses managed to stop me screaming with you, but I wanted to scream so loudly! Secretly, I think he did too mum.” Lihua laughed as she saw Moses hide his face in his hands.

“I think you might be right,” the sow panda replied.

“Moses bounced on his toes and curled his toes while holding the soles of his feet with his hands, I did too!”

“You can’t bounce on your toes while curling them and holding your feet in your paws at the same time Xingjuan dear,” Lihua said.

“I didn’t mean all at the same time mum!” the half grown cub laughed, “the bouncing was between sitting back on my heels and curling my toes. I spent a lot of time with my toes curled,” Xingjuan mused.

“I did too Xingjuan dear,” Lihua replied.

“We got paws on with each other’s feet, each copying the other,” Moses said, “it was good Lihua, we managed to keep each other company and stop our fear.”

“What happened to make you yell like that mum?” Xingjuan asked.

“I was pushing to give birth to your sister,” Lihua replied, “how much did you see Xingjuan?”

“I saw her come out into the world,” Xingjuan said softly, “so you were screaming because it was hard work pushing?”

“yes,” Lihua replied, “it’s harder than it seems Xingjuan. It feels like you need to relieve yourself, but it is like the hardest effort you’ve ever made to do that, plus you have to cope with your body’s need to push, and the pain caused by that is overwhelming too.”

“Can I hold my sister?” Xingjuan asked.

“You can,” Lihua replied, handing the newborn cub to Xingjuan, the new-born cub’s eyes looking into those of her older sister.

“She’s quiet now,” Xingjuan observed.

“I’m not frightened anymore,” the little cub replied, “coming down that tunnel backwards was scary!” Lihua gasped and covered her mouth with her free left paw, hugging Xingjuan with her right arm.

“They know they’re coming out backwards,” Patch said, “Apudo knew, and so did your cub.”

“oaoaoaoaoh!” Lihua moaned.

“but I’m here now, so don’t worry,” the cub said, laughing and curling her tiny toes as Xingjuan tickled the sole pads of her small feet.

“What shall this gorgeous cub’s name be?” Patch asked.

“I’ll name her Soo Lee,” Lihua replied, “now I want to go back to our lie up and settle down.

“Soo Lee has cute paws and feet mum,” Xingjuan giggled, Soo Lee smiling at her older sister.

Back in their lie up, Lihua and Soo Lee had a shower, while Xingjuan relived the birth of her sister on video. suddenly Nanuq ran into their lie up. Seeing Lihua and Xingjuan, the former with a tiny cub in her paws, Nanuq leant back on the heels of all four paws to stop his headlong rush, skidding slightly as he swayed his hips, bracing his heels and pressing all of his twenty toes hard into the floor to break to a final stop, his feet sliding beneath him, Nanuq tumbling off his feet, landing hard on his backside, Nanuq’s face wearing a shocked and confused expression, the pads of all four huge paws now visible to the laughing pandas.

“oooah, that’s what you were up to while I was patrolling!” Nanuq exclaimed, waving his paws about and curling the toes of both his huge feet while digging in his heels in a desperate attempt to bring the slide on his backside to a stop before his feet collided with Lihua’s, “I missed it all!” he raged, coming to a stop with the pads of his huge feet pressed against the thickly soled pads of Lihua’s own feet, the sow panda bracing the soles of her feet hard against Nanuq’s, burying her toes in the bridge between the balls of Nanuq’s feet and his toes to stop his slide, the male bear curling his toes tightly around Lihua’s as if to put the brake on his progress, throwing his paws over his face to hide sight of the inevitable crash, Lihua laughing merrily.

“I was,” Lihua replied, “I couldn’t help it Nanuq, I just went into labour, and three hours later, here’s our cub! I’m sorry you missed the birth!”

“I take it it was all caught on camera,” Nanuq replied, removing his paws from over his eyes.

“It was,” Patch replied, “I caught everything Lihua did on headcam.”

“Thanks,” Nanuq replied with heartfelt gratitude, “now though, I need my paws and feet cooling, for I’ve burnt them on the tiles! I ran too fast and Oaoaoaoaw!” he whimpered, “I didn’t know a polar bear could slide on his paws and feet on a non-slip floor, but I managed it, and now, now, Uauauauauw! All four of my sole pads and the pads of all my twenty toooes sting! “ he yelled.

“your mum wasn’t a polar bear though was she Nanuq?” Lihua said, “I’ll bet your feet are smooth padded.”

“Brunetta was a brown bear, my sire, also named Nanuq, was a polar bear,” Nanuq replied, “we can check my pads against those of a real polar bear, Flocke is one isn’t she? So are Tiguak and snowdrop. Ask them if they will show you their soles.”

Flocke padded in after Nanuq’s phone call.

“Can we borrow your feet Flocke?” Xingjuan asked.

“Well I can’t leave them here,” Flocke replied smiling.

“No, we would like to look at your soles, maybe touch them and compare them to my sire’s. he can slide on his feet, but he looks like a polar bear, I think he’s not all polar bear, and he knows he isn’t, so we’re wondering what the soles of your pure bred polar bear feet are like compared to his,” Xingjuan replied. Flocke sat down beside Nanuq.

“Take a look, and touch my feet too,” she replied. Xingjuan gave Soo Lee to Lihua and crawled to Nanuq and flock’s feet, seeing both had well-padded soles, flock having more fur on the soles of her feet than Nanuq. Flock’s pads were rough to Xinghuan’s touch, whereas Nanuq’s were smooth and he had no hair between his toes as Flocke had between hers.

“can you slide on these tiles Flocke?” Xingjuan asked. Flocke got to her feet, padded out of the door, then ran in, attempting to break to a halt by leaning back on her feet, feeling herself tipping backwards, she lowered her head, her paws digging into the floor, flipping her head over paws as her rough pads gripped the floor, Flock squealing with fear and kicking the air with her feet as she performed a handstand, then tipped over, landing on her back on the rugs, all four paws in the air.

“I landed on my bum,” Nanuq said, “flock, are you all right?” Flocke got to her feet and smiled round at the assembled company.

“You saw how Nanuq’s feet hold the tiles,” she said. I saw it too just before I came here. Nanuq’s phantom toe curling braking was so cute!”

“I was digging in my heels too!” Nanuq replied, “I would have used my paws between my legs to stop me too, if my heels hadn’t done it.” Flocke giggled helplessly, leaning against Nanuq’s shoulder, the male bear smiling broadly.

“Are your poor feet all right Flocke?” Nanuq asked.

“They are, but, but, I could do with a pad rub,” Flocke said, turning her feet to Nanuq, the male bear picking up her rough padded left foot in his huge smooth padded paws, rubbing her rough pads with his smooth ones, Flocke smiling broadly.

“how’s Kenny?” Nanuq asked.

“Oh, you don’t know do you,” Flock said, “he died recently. At this news, Nanuq impulsively pulled Flock onto his lap and hugged her.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, kissing her nose. Flocke looked up into Nanuq’s face, her eyes filling with tears.

“Kenny, he was all right one day, then he was gone,” she choked.

“I’m sorry,” Nanuq said, hugging Flocke.

“Nanuq,” Flocke pleaded, “please, don’t let me go!” Nanuq smiled sadly.

“I won’t,” he said, “I’ll hold you.”

“And play with my paws, please play with my paws and my feet!” Flocke begged, Nanuq hugged her even tighter, smiling:

“I will play with you Flocke,” he replied.

“you two look lovely together,” Lihua said, “Nanuq, if you want to spent time comforting and maybe, maybe have a cub with Flocke, I won’t stop you,” she said. Nanuq looked at her.

“I will do my duty to you and to Flocke, which is to protect you both, and protect my cubs,” he said.

“Will you play with us too?” Flocke asked.

“yes,” Nanuq replied.

“Will you slide down a hill and curl your toes to stop yourself?” Xingjuan asked.

“I will,” Nanuq replied smiling, “and I have the right place for it too, a place where you pandas should feel at home, though,” he looked at Soo Lee, so small in her mum’s paws, “I don’t know if Soo Lee can come, she’s too small, and the place is too cold!”

“The ice room?” Flocke asked.

“yes,” Nanuq replied, “the room for ice bears.”

“But you’ll slide all over the place!” Flocke said, “you can’t even keep your footing on tiles!” she giggled.

“I can rub some special cream on my feet that helps me grip,” Nanuq replied, “but, well, I may keep my feet untreated so I can skid about and slide properly, only treating my paws with the cream.”

“I would have loved to see you braking your slide with your paws, heels dug in, toes curling and stretching, pads bunching, scrabbling at the ground between your legs with your paws as you try to stop your slide! How funny!” she laughed.

“I dug my heels into the floor to stop myself,” Nanuq reminded her.

“I forgot you had!” Lihua giggled, “you looked so cubbish when you landed on your bum and couldn’t stop your sliding! It was Soaoaoaoao cuuuute Nanuq!” Nanuq laughed merrily at this.

“I must see this,” he said, Xingjuan running to the console, handing Nanuq a set of glasses, the male bear watching himself running in. Lihua saw his huge grin as he watched his own antics.

“I do look cubbish, I’m trying so hard to stop my slide on my bum by curling my toes tightly too!” Nanuq giggled.

“I think we should see more of that,” Flocke replied, “and I’ll do the same too, I can slide on my bum too, and I’ll dig in my heels and make my pads slick too, if that’s possible Nanuq?”

“It is,” Nanuq replied, “you can try out smooth pads in the playroom first Flocke.” Flocke smiled broadly at his suggestion.

“I would like you to re-enact my labour with Soo lee too Nanuq,” Lihua said, “I know you like doing that.”

“I would have done everything in concert with you if I could,” Nanuq replied.

“Even screaming with her?” Xingjuan asked.

“yes,” Lihua giggled, “he would!”

“Oh, I didn’t get to do that!” Xingjuan replied, her voice heavy with disappointment.

“I haven’t seen Soo lee’s birth, but I will, and I will probably act it out too,” Nanuq replied.

“I’d like to see you scrabbling with your paws while trying to dig your heels into the floor and desperately curl your toes to put the brakes on and stop your slide,” Flocke said.

“leave my lap, and I’ll pretend,” Nanuq offered, Flocke sitting down opposite the male bear, Nanuq drawing up his legs, digging in his heels and leaning over his flexing toes. Then, arranging his face into an expression of confused bewilderment, Nanuq began scrabbling desperately at the floor between his legs, curling his toes with increasing urgency while rocking a little back and forth, Flocke shrieking with laughter.

“Awhwhwhw I so wayayayayant to hug Youououoaw Nanuq!” she laughed delightedly, clapping her paws..

“You’re very silly, but I know now why I love you so much Nanuq!” Lihua giggled.

“I used to play at having cubs,” Nanuq replied, “my sire taught me how to play and that playing with my feet, and letting others play with them while being expressive isn’t a bad thing.”

“I’d like to see that,” Lihua said. Nanuq grabbed his right foot in his paws, gripping the sole pad, his toes curling tightly as he leant over his foot, moaning and panting.

“Uauauauauw! This cub’s coming strongly! Uauauauauw!” he whimpered, wriggling and rocking back and forth, still holding his right foot in his paws. Closing his eyes, he panted hard with open mouth, then his mouth snapped shut as he took a deep breath, his yowl of pain through clenched teeth.

“Yuuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf! Uauauauauaauauauwch! The last sound was a squeal as he rolled onto his back, drew up both feet and grabbed them in his paws, wriggling and moaning with pain.

“Must sit on my heels, huaouaw!” Nanuq gasped, fitting his actions to his words, sitting back on his heels, bouncing and squirming desperately.

“he looks like you did mum!” Xingjuan exclaimed. Nanuq suddenly roared lustily, sweat braking out on his pads. Xingjuan crawled to Nanuq’s side and watched Nanuq bearing an imagined contraction, his face contorted with pain, his paws gripping the floor, his heels dug into his buttocks as he sat back hard on them.

“Get paws on with Nanuq’s toes and the soles of his feet Xingjuan,”“ Lihua said, Flocke crawling over to Nanuq then rubbing the sole of the struggling polar bear’s left foot with her paw, “touch his right foot with your paw, rub his pads and toes as he moans through his pain.” Nanuq, only too glad to have the reassurance of touch, whimpered that Lihua, Xingjuan and Flocke could do anything with his feet, as nothing could be worse than the pain inside him, and he liked their touch.

“press your paw into the sole of Nanuq’s foot just above his toes Xingjuan,” Flocke said, “yes, there, at the ball of his foot, when he moans, push hard, he’ll curl his toes, your paw touch will help him.” Nanuq moaned deeply, Xingjuan pressing her paw into Nanuq’s sole pad as Flocke suggested, Nanuq curling his toes and moaning deeply.

“Uuuhuuuumf, that feyeeels greyeyeyeyeat!” Nanuq moaned, “Uuuhuuuumf! Uauauauauw!” he whimpered, sitting back on his heels, banging the floor with his large paws, “I, I muuuuust, I wan’a, wayayayayant to sit hard back on my heeeyeels! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf! Aoaoaoaoaoaoaoaow! Uuuuuuuumf!” he complained, beating the floor with his paws while trying to drill his heels hard into his buttocks by desperately wriggling and squirming.

“it huuuurts!” Nanuq squealed, wriggling and squirming urgently.

“Sit down Nanuq, and grab one of your feet in your paws, then rub your pads,” Flocke suggested. Nanuq did as she said, sitting down and grabbing his large left foot in his paws, gripping his pads and curling his toes as he suffered, his fingers pressing into the bunching pads of his sweating foot.

“It’s Noaoaot working!” Nanuq yowled after three moaning panting contractions.

“Try lying on your back and grabbing your feet with your paws Nanuq, Lihua suggested.

“That won’t help the cub come sooner,” Flocke said.

“Naoaoooaoao, but it might give me something to hold onto during the worst of this!” Nanuq squealed, rolling onto his back, then drawing up his knees, grabbing his feet in his strong paws, shrieking: “uauauauaouououououwoch! Yeyeyeyeyeyeyeyaouwch!” wriggling and rocking, his toes curled tightly, while he fiercely gripped the thick pads on the soles of his feet with both paws

. “Let go of your feet and grab the backs of your thighs, then splay your legs to let the cub out Nanuq,” Flocke suggested. Nanuq, gasping after moaning “uuuuuuuuaumf!” through a huge contraction, tried Flocke’s suggestion, yowling as the cub surged inside him when his legs splayed, giving it more room to move. Grunting and yowling, Nanuq pedalled the air with his feet for a few minutes, then sat up, beginning more strenuous expulsive efforts, grunting and puffing as he strained hard into his bottom, bracing his heels against the floor, his legs splayed for the passage of the cub. resting his paws on his knees, his eyes tightly shut, toes curled tightly and constantly in concentration, Nanuq bore down hard into his tail, seemingly in control of his efforts. Suddenly he gave vent to a moan of pain that started low and ended in a high pitch yowl of effort, the control he previously had seemingly gone. Wriggling, he splayed his legs even wider, another roar of effort escaping him as two small paws appeared between his legs. Shrieking, Nanuq explored the emerging cub, feeling the feet and finding they were soles down, he got to his feet and squatted, screaming:

“Two feeyeeet coming! The cuuuuub’s breach!” Pushing down harder than ever, screaming hysterically with fear, pain and effort, sinking to all four paws and bouncing on his braced toes between efforts, then getting to his feet again to strain hard.

“Keep pushing Nanuq, stay on your feet my dear and push down, hard down!” Flocke encouraged, her voice steady, though her eyes told of her true anxiety. Reaching below his body, Nanuq cradled the legs and feet of his emerging breach cub with his paws.

“Stand up and push down Nanuq, let the cub come Nanuq, let gravity help,” Flocke said, Nanuq sinking to all four paws, then to his paws and toes, bearing hard down with screams and strangled moans of effort and fear:

“Muuuuust puuuuuush! Oauauauauauaow!” he shrieked, the cub slowly emerging from him at first, then, when Nanuq splayed his hind legs to their widest extent and bowed his head to push more strongly, accompanied by increasingly urgent efforts, along with fearful shrieking and grunting from Nanuq, the cub began to emerge more quickly with a gush of fluid.

“I muuuuust puuuuuush! Yeyeyeyeyeyeyeoaw! Uauauauauauauauaauow! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Ooooooouououoomumf! Uauauauauauahauauauauouououomf!” Nanuq screamed, rising to his feet every few minutes to wriggle and pant desperately while bouncing on his toes, squealing lustily. During his fifth panting, bouncing session, Nanuq screamed hysterically as the cub’s head slid from him.

“The cub’s born!” Nanuq gasped, while Lihua stared at him.

“That was just like my labour!” she exclaimed.

“Was it?” Nanuq asked.

“yes,” Lihua replied, “Nanuq, did, did I tell you about it during our pad to pad contact as we touched feet after your slide into the room?”

“I don’t know,” Nanuq replied, sitting down and wiping his sweating face with his paws, “I just knew what I had to do.”

“how about if we cool off with a visit to the ice room?” Flocke asked.

“I think I’d like that,” Nanuq replied, Flocke crawling to him and hugging him, smelling his strong cent.

“You looked almost female when you re-enacted Soo Lee’s birth Nanuq,” Flocke said.

“Did I?” he asked, “I hope I did, for I had no choice, I just went with my body.”

“you were wonderful!” Lihua said. Nanuq took Soo Lee in his paws, rubbing her belly and paw pads, the cub wriggling and giggling with delight.

“could we put a little suit on Soo Lee so she can join us in the ice room?” Lihua asked.

“I’d like to come with you,” Soo lee replied, stretching her small paws and feet towards Nanuq’s paws, Nanuq holding her feet in his paws while blowing on her paws, Soo Lee shrieking with laughter.

“I think Patch may be able to help,” the male bear mused, “but, what about your feet and paws? Do we cover those?”

“nayaoaoaoaow!” Soo Lee protested, “don’t cover my feeyeeet, I wayayayant to feel everything!”

“Okay,” Nanuq replied, “but we will keep some mittens and boots with us just in case.”

Crawling to the ice room, Nanuq and his family met Felix and Moses near the lift doors by the ice room door.

“We want to come too,” Felix said, “we’ve been watching you in your lie up, and we want to help you cool your feet Nanuq. Patch does too!”

“”Okay,” Nanuq replied, “but it’s going to be cold in here.”

“I’ve got fur, and Moses is dressed in a suit,” Felix said, “Where’s Soo Lee’s suit?” he asked. Nanuq dove into a locker and came out with a small all in one suit, which Felix helped Soo Lee into, the cub laughing merrily as she was encased in warmth. Flocke, cubbishly excited, began dancing on her toes. Soo Lee climbed onto Nanuq’s back, burying her paws and feet into the polar bear’s thick fur.

“Now let’s get arctic,” Nanuq said, opening the door, the arctic blast making Lihua squeal and Flocke dance more furiously on her toes as the icy wind blew under her pads.

“Come,” Nanuq invited. Flocke entered the room, her feet padding noiselessly over the thick snow, Moses and Felix gasping as their feet felt the powdery snow, the snow working between their toes, the two friends curling their toes involuntarily into the thick snow. Nanuq helped Xingjuan and Lihua into the room, entering last, letting the door close with an air brake hiss behind him. Moses and Felix, their feet thrilled by the snow, ran up the hill, turned and waved at Nanuq.

“Put Soo Lee down and slide down this hill!” Felix commanded, “I saw what you did on the tiles Nanuq!” he carolled. Nanuq smiled broadly, gave Soo Lee to Lihua, then walked up the hill. Lying down on his back, he sat up so his backside was just touching the snow, Felix and Moses giving him a push. Paws and feet flying, Nanuq shot down the hill, as he reached half way, he sat up and dug in his heels, the snow fountaining up into his face, while his black pads and urgently curling toes, which everyone had come to see were obscured by the flying snow.

“Maybe a hill wasn’t a good idea for showing off your skills at toe curling”, Flocke said, catching Nanuq as he slid to a stop, even though a grown bear like him hardly needed her assistance,, “maybe you should try to slide on ice Nanuq.”

“Is Flocke in love with Nanuq do you think Felix?” Moses asked, burying the Felursapiens feet in snow at the top of the hill.

“I think she might be,” Felix giggled.

“Nanuq is the sort of bear anyone could love though,” Moses said, “I’ve been reading about him, he’s so cute! He used to play with his sire like we all do now, but long before it was the done thing. They’d play silly stuck foot games, and really get into them. now he’s grown up to be a lovely bear, and I would have loved him to be my sire, if he could have been.” Felix smiled at this, but knew the seriousness of Moses words.

“maybe we should go and play with him,” he suggested.

“Where’s Patch?” Moses asked.

“In the den, watching you play,” patch replied, “it’s warmer in here you know.”

“come out and slide down the hill patch!” Nanuq said, getting to his feet, then falling as his smooth pads slipped on the snow.

“I’ll skid about like you’re doing I bet,” patch replied, sticking his head out into the now driving snow.

“My feet are too smooth for this!” Nanuq raged, scrabbling at the soles of his feet with his paws as if to rough up his pads.

“I wonder,” Lihua said, “Nanuq, could you pretend to be a mama polar bear having a cub in her winter den?”

“Why don’t I try it?” Flocke asked, “I can take lessons from Nanuq on how to push and curl my toes and make things look real.”

“That would be wonderful,” Nanuq replied, “but surely you know how to do it already? You had Perdita for real after all.”

“I did,” Flocke replied, “but I would love to re-enact a labour with you Nanuq.” Patch crawled from the den then stood up, roaring as his feet slid from under him, the huge grey bear landing on his backside, his huge toes curling as he slid down a slight hill from the den. Laughing helplessly, Moses and Felix slid down the hill they’d been playing on, using their heels to brake to a halt.

How do you pretend to have a cub Nanuq?” Flocke asked.

“Oh, brace my feet against my paws, sit back on my heels, curl my toes, moan and yowl with my efforts, it’s easy really. It’s a lot easier than the real thing Flocke, I’m not meaning to belittle what real mamas do when giving birth to their cubs.”

“I know,” Flocke said, kissing his nose, “I want you to show me how to pretend to deliver a cub.”

“Grab your feet with your paws and push your foot hard into them,” Nanuq replied, “your foot is the cub, your paws resist the passage of the cub. do this for both feet singly, then both feet together when you lie back and grab your feet with your paws just before the cub is born,. Somewhere amongst all that, crawl and sit back on your heels and wriggle, and of course, groan, squeal and roar with your efforts.”

“I didn’t get to see you curling your toes while sliding down that hill,” Flocke said, “all I got was a fountain of snow!”

“I know, I got a face full of it!” Nanuq whimpered.

“Maybe we can go and play at giving birth to cubs. I can help you and you help me,” Flocke suggested.

“it would be a good game,” Nanuq replied.

“how would you make me have a hard labour?” Flocke asked.

“Well the goal is to straighten your leg and therefore free your foot by pressing your foot into your paws,” Nanuq replied, “I could hold your foot in my paws and push back so you can’t straighten your leg or free your foot.”

“Sounds great!” Flocke enthused, “I can then wriggle and roar and yell about the cub being stubborn and not wanting to come out.”

“yes, and I’ll rub your foot while you pant and whimper,” Nanuq suggested, Flocke dancing about delightedly on her toes.

“You two go and play,” Lihua said, ‘ll look after Soo lee for a bit.”

Flocke and Nanuq padded to the adult’s playroom, Flocke drying her paws and feet on the towels, Nanuq doing likewise before they entered. Flocke looked Nanuq over, loving what she saw, a huge polar bear with the pads of a brown bear.

“Why did you fall over when you ran into the room?” Flocke asked.

“My feet and paws are not meant for my body Flocke,” Nanuq said, “I’m as heavy as a male polar bear, but have the pads of a lighter brown bear, my pads aren’t fit for purpose!” Flocke laughed merrily at this, hugging Nanuq, pushing him onto his back then kissing the pads of his paws and feet, the polar bear pleasurably curling the toes of all four paws.

“now, now, please show me how to pretend to have a cub,” Flocke pleaded. Nanuq smiled broadly.

“right, sit down and imagine you have a bellyache, the pains coming in waves,” Nanuq said. Flocke sat down and moaned deeply, rubbing her belly with her paws, her toes curling with concentration as Nanuq asked her to deepen her breaths, increasing her moans to deep groans of pain.

“My toooes are curling already!” Flocke gasped, “I need to push against something Nanuq!”

“Push with your feet,” Nanuq said, sitting and lifting her right foot in his paws, “bend your leg and push into my paws when I gently squeeze your foot.” Flocke did, pushing into Nanuq’s paws with her right foot, her bent leg unable to straighten. Wriggling, she pushed even harder, moaning and yowling with effort.

“That’s it, push!” Nanuq encouraged, Flocke, eyes closed, responded by curling her toes with effort and pushing her right foot as hard as she could into his paws.

“Yuuuuuuumf! Errurururururururmf!” she moaned, her paws clasped over her belly.

“That’s it, puuuuuush!” Nanuq urged, Flocke setting her teeth and pushing harder than ever into his paws, Nanuq slowly releasing his hold on her foot, Flocke’s moan turning to a yell, then a squeal as she felt the resistance lessen.

“Uuuuuuuumf, done it, but yuououuouoaow! I think, think there’s more!” she gasped, Nanuq holding her left foot this time. Flocke wriggled in discomfort, then braced her left foot against Nanuq’s paws, pushing hard while screaming her head off.

“the cuuuuub’s not coming!” she yelled, Nanuq holding her foot so her leg was bent to the same degree for a long time while she pushed, wriggled and struggled, rubbing the pads of her own right foot between efforts, Nanuq priming her for another contraction by squeezing the foot he held, Flocke tensing and building herself up for another effort by whimpering and wriggling before pushing hard into his paws with a drawn out yowl of effort.

“This cuuuub is so difficult!” she groaned, her toes curled tightly with concentration and effort.

“Try crawling and sitting on your heels,” Nanuq suggested. Moaning and puffing, Flocke withdrew her left foot, spinning onto her knees and crawling away, Nanuq rubbing the pads of her feet, which were warm to his touch.

“aaaaaow, ouououououoch!” Flocke groaned as she crawled, stopping to sit back on her heels and wriggle from time to time, her toes constantly moving, curling tightest of all when her imagined pain was at its worst. Nanuq crawled behind Flocke,, rubbing her hot pads as she struggled to cope with waves of pain which made her pant, moan, whimper and gasp.

“Does wriggling against your heels help?” Nanuq asked.

“auauauauwch! It does, a little, must, muuuuust try that again!” Flocke whimpered, fitting her actions to her words, sitting hard back on her heels, and wriggling her buttocks urgently against them, pushing hard down onto her heels.

“that’s better, it’s helping! Uuuuuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf! The cuuuuub’s coming down further, Uuuuuuuumf! aow, aouwch! Ruuuuuumf! Aouoooooooawch!” Flocke squealed.

“Get up onto your paws and knees and, when you feel the need, push for as long as you can when I press your right sole pad and keep going if you can until my fingers touch the bridge between the ball of your foot and toes,” Nanuq suggested. Flocke did as he asked, working herself up to a massive effort, groaning, moaning and squealing as she concentrated on the feel of the pressure of Nanuq’s paw as he pressed her sole pads, peaking with a roar of effort, her toes tightly curled, ending her effort with whimpering of:

“Uuumf, Uuumf,” and heavy panting as she felt his touch reach her curled toes.

“it helped, it helped!” Flocke gasped, “Uauauauauw! I wan’a do it again, I wayayayayant to puuuuuush!” she roared, rolling onto her back and bracing her feet against Nanuq’s paws once more, pushing hard into them with renewed urgency.

“I wayayayayant to puuuuuush! I muuuuust puuuuuush!” Flocke squealed, grabbing her feet in her paws, wriggling and panting, then pushing her feet against her paws, her toes curled tighter than ever.

“uuuuuuuuaumf! Ruuuuuruuuruuuumf!” she moaned piteously, straining hard with the deepest moan Nanuq had yet heard, Flocke’s feet flew free of her paws. Flocke, panting and dropping her grip to her thighs, began wriggling convulsively, then rocking and yowling hysterically as the cub surged inside her and stretched her.

“It’s coming! The cuuuuub’s coming!” she shrieked, Nanuq catching her feet in his paws, Flocke pushing her feet into his paws with curled toes, straining her legs, her rising cries of “aowwwwww! Aowwwwww aowwwwww, Ruuuuuumf! The cuuuub is aowwwwww aowwwwww! I muuuuust aowwwwww aowwwwww aowwwwww!” making Nanuq almost feel her pain.

“come on Flocke, you can do it! push, wriggle and puuuuuush! The cub’s nearly here, so nearly here!” Nanuq encouraged, Flocke letting go of her thighs, crossing her paws over her belly, wriggling and pushing hard into Nanuq’s paws with both feet, narrating her increasing efforts with loud yowling, moaning and roaring of:

“My cuuuub! Muuuuust puuuuuush for my cuuuub! Aouwch, Uuumf! aowwwwww, but it huuuurts, I cayayayayn’t! Uauauauauauauauaauow! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Ooooooouououoomumf! Uauauauauauahauauauauouououomf! Aouwch!” Her toes tightly curled the entire time she pushed, Nanuq encouraging her all the while:

“That’s it Flocke, you’re doing well, puuuuuush Flocke, puuuuuush deeper my dear bear, puuuuuush harder, deep, deeper down, right down!,” while he held Flocke’s sweating feet still, keeping her legs bent until she was at the peak of her sixth effort.

““uauauauauauwch! Ruuuuuumf! I wayayayayant the cub to be born nayaoaoaoaow!” Flocke screamed.

“That’s it Flocke! That’s it! Just push a Bit more! The cub’s nearly here, so nearly here!” Nanuq said excitedly, letting her feet go while she was moaning deeply:

“Uuuhuuuumf!” with her strongest effort, the release of pressure on her feet making Flocke lustily scream “Uauauauauauauauw!” panting, Flocke leant forward, moaning, “umf, Uuuhuuuumf, Uuuhuuuumf!”

“Are you all right Flocke?” Nanuq asked.

“I’m fine thanks Nanuq, pretending to give birth is hard isn’t it!” she panted, “and I bet you made it harder too, keeping my legs bent like that!” she giggled.

“that’s how it’s done,” Nanuq said, “I held your feet so all you had to do was push, but when you do it for yourself, you have to resist yourself, which is harder.”

“I prefer your touch,” Flocke said, “Nanuq, that’s how it would be, how I want it to be when I have a real cub, you with me. I want you to hold my feet, to make me push. I can’t do it alone, either acting or in reality.”

“We’ll see what happens,” Nanuq replied, “when it comes to it, you might not want me there while you’re giving birth to a real cub.”

“I will want you with me, paws on too,” Flocke replied smiling, “and I actually like not knowing how much effort I will have to make too. If I’m fighting myself, I can make it too easy.”

“Ah, ok,” Nanuq replied smiling.

“I want to do it again, but now, would you rub my feet before I grab my own feet and sit back on my heels?”

“I will,” Nanuq replied, sitting down opposite Flocke, taking her left foot in his paws, massaging the furry top and rough sole pad, smiling as he watched her toes curling with pleasure.

“oaoaoaoah, the cub’s coming, auauauauauauwhwhwhwhwh!” Flocke moaned, tightly curling the toes of both her huge feet, whimpering, she pulled her foot from Nanuq’s paws and crawled away, Nanuq following her.

“What do I do now!” Flocke begged, “it’s Soaoaoaoao painful!” she yowled.

“I’ll hold your foot and you push,” Nanuq said, Flocke spinning onto her bum, giving her right foot into his paws.

“That’s it, push!” Nanuq encouraged, Flocke, eyes closed, responded by curling her toes with effort and pushing her right foot as hard as she could into his paws.

“Yuuuuuuumf! Errurururururururmf!” she moaned, her paws clasped over her belly.

“That’s it, puuuuuush!” Nanuq urged, Flocke setting her teeth and pushing harder than ever into his paws, Nanuq slowly releasing his hold on her foot, Flocke’s moan turning to a yell, then a squeal as she felt the resistance lessen.

“Uuuuuuuumf, done it, but yuououuouoaow! I think, think there’s more!” she gasped, Nanuq holding her left foot this time. Flocke wriggled in discomfort, then braced her left foot into the warm grip of Nanuq’s paws, pushing hard while screaming her head off.

“the cuuuuub’s not coming!” she yelled, Nanuq holding her foot so her leg was bent to the same degree for a long time while she pushed, wriggled and struggled, rubbing the pads of her own right foot between efforts, Nanuq priming her for another contraction by squeezing the pads of her foot which he held, Flocke tensing and building herself up for another effort by whimpering and wriggling before pushing hard into his paws with a drawn out yowl of effort.

“This cuuuub is being so difficult!” she groaned, her toes curled tightly with concentration and effort.

“Try crawling and sitting on your heels,” Nanuq suggested. Moaning and puffing, Flocke withdrew her left foot, spinning onto her knees and crawling away, Nanuq rubbing the pads of her feet, which were warm to his touch.

“aaaaaow, ouououououoch!” Flocke groaned as she crawled, stopping to sit back on her heels and wriggle from time to time, her toes constantly moving, curling tightest of all when her imagined pain was at its worst. Nanuq crawled behind Flocke,, rubbing her hot pads as she struggled to cope with waves of pain which made her pant, moan, whimper and gasp.

“Does wriggling against your heels help?” Nanuq asked.

“auauauauwch! It does, a little, must, muuuuust try that again!” Flocke whimpered, fitting her actions to her words, sitting hard back on her heels, and wriggling her buttocks urgently against them, pushing hard down onto her heels.

“that’s better, it’s helping! Uuuuuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf! The cuuuuub’s coming down further, Uuuuuuuumf! aow, aouwch! Ruuuuuumf! Aouoooooooawch!” Flocke squealed.

“Get up onto your paws and knees and, when you feel the need, push for as long as you can when I press your right sole pad and keep going if you can until my fingers touch the bridge between the ball of your foot and toes,” Nanuq suggested. Flocke did as he asked, working herself up to a massive effort, groaning, moaning and squealing as she concentrated on the feel of the pressure of Nanuq’s paw as he pressed her sole pads, peaking with a roar of effort, her toes tightly curled, ending her effort with whimpering of:

“Uuumf, Uuumf,” and heavy panting as she felt his touch reach her curled toes.

“it helped, it helped!” Flocke gasped, “Uauauauauw! I wan’a do it again, I wayayayayant to puuuuuush properly!” she roared, rolling onto her back and bracing her feet against Nanuq’s paws once more, pushing her feet hard into them with renewed urgency.

“I wayayayayant to puuuuuush! I muuuuust puuuuuush!” Flocke squealed, grabbing her feet in her paws, wriggling and panting, then pushing her feet against her paws, her toes curled tighter than ever.

“uuuuuuuuaumf! Ruuuuuruuuruuuumf!” she moaned piteously then straining hard with the deepest moan Nanuq had yet heard, Flocke’s feet flew free of her paws. Flocke, panting and dropping her grip to her thighs, began wriggling convulsively, then rocking and yowling hysterically as the cub surged inside her and stretched her.

“It’s coming! The cuuuuub’s coming!” she shrieked, pedalling the air with her legs, Nanuq catching her feet in his paws, Flocke pushing her feet into his paws, desperately curling her toes, straining her legs, her rising cries of “aowwwwww! Aowwwwww aowwwwww, Ruuuuuumf! The cuuuub is aowwwwww aowwwwww! I muuuuust aowwwwww aowwwwww!” making Nanuq almost feel her pain.

“come on Flocke, you can do it! push, wriggle and puuuuuush! The cub’s nearly here, so nearly here!” Nanuq encouraged, Flocke letting go of her thighs, crossing her paws over her belly, wriggling and pushing hard into Nanuq’s paws with both feet, narrating her increasing efforts with loud yowling, moaning and roaring of:

“My cuuuub! Muuuuust puuuuuush for my cuuuub! Aouwch, Uuumf! aowwwwww aowwwwww, but it huuuurts, I cayayayayn’t! Uauauauauauauauaauow! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Ooooooouououoomumf! Uauauauauauahauauauauouououomf! Aouwch!” Her toes tightly curled the entire time, Nanuq encouraging her all the while:

“That’s it Flocke, you’re doing well, puuuuuush Flocke, puuuuuush deeper my dear bear, puuuuuush harder, deep, deeper down, right down!,” while he held Flocke’s sweating feet still, keeping her legs bent until she was at the peak of her sixth effort.

““uauauauauauwch! Ruuuuuumf! I wayayayayant the cub to be born nayaoaoaoaow!” Flocke screamed.

“That’s it Flocke! That’s it! Just push a Bit more! The cub’s nearly here, so nearly here!” Nanuq said excitedly, letting her feet go while she was moaning deeply, “Uuuhuuuumf!” with her strongest effort, the release of pressure on her feet making Flocke lustily scream “Uauauauauauauauw!” panting, Flocke leant forward, moaning, “umf, Uuuhuuuumf, Uuuhuuuumf!”

“how was it that time?” Nanuq asked.

“Even better!” Flocke replied panting hard, her eyes shining, “I really must get into that, it’s a good workout.” Nanuq smiled broadly.

“It’s great isn’t it,” he said, “you do look rather vulnerable when you’re pedalling at the air or holding your feet with your paws.”

“I tried pedalling with my feet this time as a form of relief, it felt wonderful!” Flocke replied, “it made me wriggle from side to side too, that eased the cub into the world a bit, but I still had to push, just had to.” Nanuq kissed her nose, smelling her strong warm scent.

“You’ve been struggling hard mama,” he said, gently pushing Flocke onto her back then kissing her nose, the pads of her paws, her belly and the sole pads of her feet, Flocke giggling delightedly while curling her toes and fingers with pleasure. Nanuq groomed Flocke from nose to tail, the she bear expressing her pleasure with a sound she’d seldom made since she was a very young cub being nursed by her mother in a warm den. Humming contentedly, Flocke lay, letting Nanuq push her around with his paws to reach every part of her, Flocke trying to position her paws and feet for extra attention from the male bear, Nanuq smiling as a paw or foot he thought he’d groomed was thrust into his paws with toes or fingers wiggling in mute appeal. Nanuq wild groomed Flocke, licking her body fur and pads, then combing her fur with his claws and rasping her pads with his teeth, lick rasp and spit. The final place he attended to was her face, wetting his paws then rubbing them over her face, before drying it with his breath, Flocke, eyes now closed, nearly asleep.

“I’ve not felt this good in ages,” she mumbled, Nanuq pulling Flocke onto his lap, then hugging her tightly.

“My sire taught me this,” he said. Flocke put her arms round Nanuq, pulling him to her, trying to match his hug, her toes curling and left foot pedalling slightly with her efforts.

“You’re struggling even now,” Nanuq said, having felt the toes of her left foot brushing through the fur on his right leg twice, the feel of the scratching toes telling him they were curled, as he could feel no claws.

“I can’t hug you tight enough!” Flocke whimpered, Nanuq kissing her nose and nuzzling her cheek.

“your pedalling feet are so cute,” he said.

“Feet?” Flocke asked, “I can only pedal with one foot, though I am bracing your other foot against your leg while tightly curling the toes of both my feet as if their existence depends on it! If I could pedal with both feet and hug you all at the same time I would! “There is a hammock in this playroom,” Nanuq said, “we would be able to sit in that with our feet free and hug each other, then we could both pedal the air as much as we liked.” Flocke giggled helplessly at his suggestion.

“I need power to get over there,” she said, “Nanuq, please, rub my pads while I crawl, I’m exhausted from the births of cubs.” Nanuq smiled and did as Flocke asked, crawling behind her, rubbing the large pads on the soles of her feet with his paws while she crawled to the hammock, not taking his paws from her feet until she was sitting cradled in the hanging hammock. Smiling, he clambered into another hammock which was hanging opposite Flocks, settling himself, pulling up on a bar to lift his feet and slide them down into the holes between the straps, the hammock supporting his weight, both bears sitting comfortably, their feet clear of the floor, Nanuq able to just about touch the floor with his toes if he pointed and stretched them to their limit, Flocke unable to touch the floor with her toes, even though she tried several times.

“I’ll have to lift you out of the hammock Flocke as your toes can’t touch the floor,” Nanuq said.

“I’d like that,” she replied.

“let’s hug shall we?” Nanuq suggested, Flocke swinging towards him by kicking with her legs, Nanuq grabbing her with both arms, Flocke gripping his body with her arms, both bears swinging in a huge embrace, their feet pedalling the air as they hugged.

“This is wonderful!” Flocke said, swinging her legs, both bears coordinating their leg thrusts so they swung back and forth higher and higher.

“lean into me Nanuq!” Flocke said as she swung back towards him, feeling her arms tighten around him, her thighs gripping his, her feet still as he pushed with his strong legs and feet to swing them. then he gripped her thighs with his, and she swung her legs, his arms round her as hers had been around him, Flocke thrusting hard with her legs, trying to emulate Nanuq’s power, but she could not, whimpering with frustration, Flocke kicked angrily at the air, pedalling furiously and cubbishly with both feet, breaking their synchronicity, Nanuq hugging her and calming her.

“I can’t do it!” she whimpered, Nanuq hugging her tight.

“you are smaller than me Flocke,” he said softly, “do what you can, now, let’s go for it, you were doing fine. Now, let’s do it again.” By this time their swing had diminished to a slight rocking. Nanuq got things going again, and Flocke helped him, discarding her previous competitiveness and aiding Nanuq with willing thrusts from her own shorter legs, both loving the other’s efforts, watching each other via screens behind each of them, seeing each other’s efforts in their faces and kicking legs, as well as involuntarily curling toes. Nanuq had seen Flocke’s outburst from her face to her feet, and it had told him she felt inadequate.

“Push and relax, push and relax,” Nanuq said softly into her ear, Flocke laughing:

“You’re curling your toes whenever you bend your legs from the thrust Nanuq! You can’t talk of relaxing!” Nanuq hugged her tightly.

“your feet told of your frustrations too,” he whispered softly, feeling Flocke settling into her role, relaxing, doing what she had to, enjoying the swinging, using her weight to compensate for her loss of leg power.

“Aren’t they lovely together?” Lihua said, Xingjuan standing on her hind legs, watching Nanuq and Flocke on their swing.

“they do look lovely together,” Xingjuan replied, “Don’t you mind Nanuq being with Flocke?”

“No, she needs him, and he her,” Lihua replied, “I love him for what he is, for what he does. He will have a cub with Flocke, and with me, and love us both equally.”

“I love their shining eyes and how they curl their toes at the end of their swing!” Xingjuan said, “I can see their bunching pads and curling toes so clearly!”

“they’re very cute,” Lihua replied smiling. Padding from the playroom to where the two bears were enjoying their swing, Lihua carrying Soo Lee on her back, they stood watching Nanuq and Flocke.

“I think we’re being watched,” Flocke said.

“We are,” Nanuq replied, “by Two grown pandas and a cub who’s waving her paws and feet about, and is, yes, just about to fall off her mum’s back.”

“how much did they see?” Flocke asked.

“I hope they saw everything,” Nanuq replied, “they’ll see how gentle you are.” Flocke smiled and hugged Nanuq, her legs working in harmony with his to keep their swing going.

“We should really stop swinging about and greet them,” Flocke said.

“you’ll be unable to get out of the hammock unaided Flocke, your toes can’t reach the floor,” Nanuq said. Flocke stretched her feet towards the floor scrabbling at the air with urgently grasping toes and kicking feet.

“stretch your toes Flocke, they’re nearly touching the floor!” Xingjuan encouraged, Flocke pointing her toes, then curling and stretching them, her efforts unable to stretch her toes far enough to reach the floor. Whimpering after five attempts with both feet, she lost her temper, wriggling and rocking inside the hammock in a frothy cubbish rage.

“Your feet are so close to touching the floor!” Xingjuan said, Flocke yelling:

“I cayayayayn’t touch the floor with my toooes! My legs are too short!”

“how close to the floor are Flocke’s toes Xingjuan?” Mama Sita asked, padding in from the main playroom.

“Come and feel,” Flocke invited, panting slightly from her efforts. Mama Sita padded over the rubber matting, coming up against Nanuq’s swing first.

“touch my feet first,” he said, “then touch Flocke’s. My toes can only just touch the floor, while hers,,,,” Mama Sita explored Nanuq’s feet, feeling the tops and soles, finding the male bear could just about touch the floor with the tips of his toes.

“if I tickle these pads,” Mama Sita mewed, Nanuq giggling and curling his toes as she tickled both his sole pads.

“Stoaoaoaoap tickling my feeyeeet!” he yowled, bouncing about in his hammock, Flocke giggling helplessly.

“now for your toes dear Flocke,” Mama Sita mewed, Flocke breathing deeply and, when Mama Sita touched the soles of her feet, stretching her toes towards the floor, Mama Sita finding Flocke couldn’t touch the floor with her toes, no matter how much she curled and stretched her toes.

“awww that’s rather cuuuute!” Mama Sita mewed, Flocke giggling at her concern, then laughing as Mama Sita tickled her toes with her breath.

“Okay, I need to get out of this hammock!” Flocke whimpered, wriggling and struggling. Nanuq smiled, levering himself out of his hammock by grabbing the handles either side of his hammock, then lifting his feet and bending his legs, clearing the webbing that had held him, standing upon his feet, then lifting Flocke up in his arms, the she bear feeling her body leave the floor, her toes scraping the webbing as she was lifted high, then placed gently on her feet on the floor, Flocke smiling up into Nanuq’s face, the larger bear looking down into her eyes, with a gentle expression which she realised she deeply loved in a rush of emotion which made her hide her face with her paws.

“Nanuq’s making Flocke all soppy!” Xingjuan giggled.

“he is!” Flocke said, her voice muffled by her thickly padded paws.

“Awww, that’s even cuuuuter!” Xingjuan giggled.

“Flocke’s head over paws in love with Nanuq!” Lihua giggled.

“she is,” Xingjuan replied soberly, “it’s very nice too. Mum, do you remember how Nanuq helped Flocke give birth to her imaginary cub? she needed his touch.”

“She did, and liked it too,” Lihua replied.

“I did,” Flocke said, taking her paws from her face, “I had my feet rubbed and was able to push into Nanuq’s paws too, it was lovely!”

“What I want to see Nanuq do is wheelbarrow race with Flocke!” Sally said, walking into the room. Nanuq grinned, for he knew what Sally meant.

“Who will grab Lihua’s feet to race with Flocke?” he asked.

“Oh, I can,” Sally replied. Lihua gave Soo Lee to Xingjuan, and was soon resting her weight on her paws, her ankles held in Sally’s hands, the soles of her feet pointing skywards, her toes relaxed. Nanuq smiled, Flocke lying on her stomach, the huge male bear picking up her legs. Flocke pushed up onto her paws, then the two bears lined up.

“go!” Xingjuan yelled, Soo Lee clapping her paws delightedly. Flocke and Xingjuan ran on their paws alone, Nanuq and Sally following behind. Thinking she would make Lihua go faster, Sally blew on the sow panda’s upturned soles, Lihua squealing with surprise and increasing her pace. Seeing his lead being eaten into, Nanuq blew urgently on Flocke’s soles, the she polar bear curling her toes, digging in her paws and increasing her pace, both bears arms going like pistons.

“I can’t go any faster, stoaoaoaoap blowing on my feeyeeet Sally! Lihua gasped. Flocke panted hard, her paws going like pistons, her toes curled in concentration as she struggled to maintain her slight lead on Lihua. Roaring:

“Push meyeee faster Nanuq!” she gasped and panted, stretching her arms as she struggled to stretch her lead a bit, while staring at the sow panda’s paws getting closer to her own. She could see the line Xingjuan had marked out, and Lihua was approaching it almost as fast as Flocke. Screeching, Lihua leapt forward, throwing herself at the line in one last desperate effort, clasping the rope in her paws.

“foul play!” Flocke raged, gasping for air, panting hard and banging the floor with her paw, “the rules, rules say one paw, paw, must be in contact with the floor at all times during the, race, and both paws must touch the line and be seen to! I, I, know this game, I played it before! Lihua, Yu, you, you cheated! You lose!” Flocke raged, repeatedly slapping the floor with her paw.

“Who’s the big cub now?” Sally asked, “but Flocke’s right Lihua, you lose.” Lihua, furious and sulky, looked at Flocke with misery in her eyes.

“this is so silly!” Xingjuan yelled, “you two grown bears are acting like cubs! stop it right now! Even the worst of cubs would not act like you two are! Finish it!”

“Lihua cheated,” Mama Sita mewed, “if she leapt for the line, she cheated. One paw must be in contact with the floor at all times, and the winner has to stop with their paws on, or as near to the far side of the finish line as they can get them.”

“I knew it, I tried soaoao hard and was robbed of the win!” Flocke grumbled, Nanuq placing her feet on the floor, Flocke rubbing her sweating face with her equally sweaty paws.

“Now let’s rerun that race,” Lihua suggested.

“Give me a chance to rest a minute,” Flocke moaned, rolling onto her side, her paws and feet relaxing.

“Are you all right Flocke?” Xingjuan asked, very concerned.

“I’m fine,” Flocke replied, “I’m not as young as your mum though, and racing on my paws took it out of me a bit.” Xingjuan knelt then kissed Flocke’s nose and paws, the she bear smiling at her.

“”I’d love a hug too,” Nanuq said, lying down on the floor, feeling tiny paws scrabbling at his. Looking down, he saw Soo Lee scrabbling at his left paw with both of hers.

“Can I hug you?” she asked. Nanuq smiled.

“Hug my paw little one,” he said, “you can’t hug me, you’re not big enough to do that yet.” Soo lee hugged his left paw, then crawled to Nanuq’s smooth padded left foot, grabbed it in her small paws then kissed his pads, Nanuq curling his toes in response to her touch, the cub blowing on Nanuq’s bunched pads, Nanuq giggling helplessly:

“that’s tickling meyeee!” he squealed, Soo Lee laughing softly.

“Careful Nanuq,” Lihua warned. Soo lee scrambled over Nanuq’s left foot and onto his leg, then up that to his hip, where she clambered along his side, the male bear watching her progress with raised head turned towards her, listening intently to her gasping and puffing as she scrambled paw over paw, digging her feet into his fur at every pause as if scaling a vertical cliff. When Soo Lee finally reached his shoulder, Nanuq tipped her off so she slid down his left arm, Nanuq reaching over and picking her up by the scruff of her neck with his right paw. Settling the gleefully squealing cub between his paws, Nanuq cradled her tenderly, grooming her from nose to pads, while Soo Lee constantly tried to bat his nose with her paws.

“You’re beautiful Soo lee,” Nanuq whispered to the cub, Soo Lee clamping her paws around the sides of his nose, holding on tight, Nanuq kissing the black tip of the cub’s own nose with his tongue, while Flocke and Lihua watched with moist eyes and huge smiles.

“he’s so sweet isn’t he!” Lihua giggled.

“Nanuq’s lovely!” Flocke replied, her eyes dreamy, “When he helped me pretend to give birth to my imaginary cubs he was lovely.”

“Soo Lee couldn’t wait for him,” Lihua replied sadly, “I had little warning.” Flocke looked at Lihua with gentle eyes.

“Why not show him your labour,” she suggested, Lihua padding to a screen and running the video, Nanuq sitting down to watch the video, the polar bear crying and hugging Lihua and Soo Lee by the end of the video.

“I want to hug you and rub your pads!” he sobbed, Lihua embracing him.

“you can,” She replied softly, kneeling and hugging the huge polar bear as best she could. Nanuq embraced Lihua with his left arm, reaching over her shoulder and rubbing the heel of her left foot with his right paw, Lihua giggling delightedly, spinning round and crawling away, Soo Lee clambering onto Nanuq’s back as the polar bear crawled after the grown she panda, caught her then tickled her toes with his breath, Lihua squealing gleefully.

“you’re lovely Nanuq!” she giggled.

“I love my mates and cubs,” Nanuq replied gently, rubbing her sole pad of her right foot with the toes of his paw and gently drawing his claws down the thick pad, Lihua moaning and curling her toes tighter than ever with pleasure.

“Stop this Nanuq, think of the cubs!” she whimpered, Xingjuan giggling into her paws.

“I think he is,” she spluttered.

“Xingjuan!” Lihua remonstrated, Flocke laughing helplessly.

“I want to rerun the wheel barrow race,” Flocke said, “you cheated Lihua, and that’s so wrong somehow.”

“you’ll beat me, it’s not a fair race!” Lihua whimpered, “I’m a panda, you’re a big polar bear, I can’t have any chance of winning!”

“Oh well, you are a spoil sport too it seems,” Flocke grunted.

“Come on Lihua,” Nanuq said, “I’ll run the race, you can drive me, then it will be polar bear against polar bear.”

“it’ll certainly be more even than panda racing polar bear that’s for certain,” Lihua replied, and I get to look at the soles of Nanuq’s feet too, which are so cute!” Flocke giggled:

“I must ask him to re-enact a cub’s birth for me,” she said, “he made it so nice for me, I did it twice, and I want to see if I can soothe him as much.”

“let’s run that race first,” Nanuq replied, “Sally, can you help by driving Flocke?”

“I’m too short to race Flocke,” Sally said, “how about if I get someone like mama Kamchatka to drive her?”

“mama Kamchatka is lovely,” Flocke replied, “I’d like to be driven by her.”

“have you seen a large female brown bear walking round here recently?” Nanuq asked, “we’ve been tracking her, and though this bear is huge, it’s not Orbon’s mum. Lily died recently, and, well, I know she’s not Lily because this she bear has beige pads, Lily’s were black. This she bear’s very fat and ponderous, and lies on her back with her feet and paws in the air when she sleeps. She’s just so fat!”

“sounds like the bear we used to call little Kamchatka!” Sally laughed, “I’ll look her up on the console.” She ran over to the console, her bare feet pattering on the rubber floor and soon had a live picture up on the screen.

“Is it this one?” she asked.

“Yes,” Nanuq replied, looking at the picture of a huge she brown bear lying on her back, her paws and feet pointing skywards, beige soles visible, toes twitching:

“That’s mama Kamchatka as she’s known now. Her cub didn’t have a name when he was born. I well, think he died in infancy. She’s now looking for another mate I think.”

“she looks so cute!” Sally said.

“She’s lovely,” Nanuq replied.

“yes, that’s the bear I’m thinking of,” Flocke replied.

“Let’s give her a call,” Soo Lee said, Sally tapping the image of the bear on the screen. Hearing the burr of her telephone, the watchers saw the bear yawn, open her eyes, stretch her legs and arms, stretch the toes of her paws and feet, then scramble to her feet. rolling over and punching a button nearby, she turned her head to the camera.

“yeah?” she asked sleepily.

“would you come and help us in a wheelbarrow race Kamchatka?” Nanuq asked. The she bear rubbed her eyes with her paws.

“No Nanuq, I’m tired, I was asleep when you phoned!” she moaned.

“We saw,” Xingjuan replied.

“Then why the hell did you call me?” the huge female brown bear asked crossly, “I was patrolling all last night because Nanuq was said to be otherwise engaged, and now, now, Nanuq! I find you playing silly games with Flocke and a mama panda! No I won’t come and help you play your stupid games! No, and no, and no again!” she raged, angrily slapping the button with her paw to cut communications.

“Not a happy bear,” Nanuq replied.

“Were you meant to be patrolling today?” Flocke asked in a concerned tone.

“Yes, but, well, my family comes first,” he replied, “Look, I bunked off, I won’t’ do it again, but for Eohippus sake! My mate just had our cub without much warning! am I not allowed some slack?”

“there is that,” Flocke replied faintly. The sound of paws on rubberised flooring made them look towards the door. Mama Kamchatka came padding through the door, looking very contrite. Walking up to Nanuq, she rubbed heads with him, kissed his nose, then knelt and kissed the tops of his paws.

“I’m sorry for what I said,” she said, “I, I, I didn’t know what had happened, I just heard you were unavailable, and patrolled angrily for a further eight hours, then came back, exhausted, to find you playing with Flocke. I didn’t realise what had happened.”

“it’s all right Kamchatka,” Nanuq said, “would you like to meet the cause of my non patrol?”

“I would,” the sow brown bear replied, feeling a paw tickling the toes of her right foot.

“Look between your legs mama,” Nanuq said, Kamchatka placing her paws on the floor and lowering her head to look back between her knees. Seeing a small panda like face looking back at her, sticking its tongue out at her, she laughed merrily, turning and embracing the tiny cub.

“Hello little one,” she said softly, reaching out with both paws to Soo lee, who crawled to her, mama Kamchatka embracing the tiny cub in her large warm paws, rolling onto her back, clasping Soo Lee to her chest.

“I like this,” Soo lee said, snuggling up to the huge she bear.

“You big softies!” Xingjuan said, tickling Kamchatka’s feet, the she bear squirming and laughing helplessly.

“She tickles my toes too, so you’re not alone Mama Kamchatka,” Lihua said.

“My cub died,, Kamchatka said, turning her head to Lihua, “I’m not mama any more, please, don’t call me that, for, well,” she hesitated, wiping her eyes with the back of her paw, “It hurts too much,” she sniffed.

“Oh,” Lihua replied, “I’m sorry, really I am, I knew your cub had died, but didn’t realise you were still unable to talk about it.”

“I just try to hug cubs now,” Kamchatka replied, “I miss my own cub, it’s nice that others let me hug their cubs.”

“Well you can hug mine,” Lihua said, “the big ones and the little ones,” she added, waving her paw at Nanuq, who grinned at her.

“What games shall we play now?” Nanuq asked.

“What did you have in mind?” Sally enquired.

“how if I put some of those socks on my feet that you humans all wear, you know the ones? The ones that mean you can go barefoot without being barefoot, as it were, then I can struggle to free my feet, and you can encourage me to fight and tug, and not to curl my toes while tugging too, and I will yowl and squeal and curl my toes! Then get totally frustrated and angry when I’m fighting against my own toes to free them from the sock which they curled round in the frustration and effort of freeing themselves.”

“Sounds a lot of fun,” Sally said, “I’ve played that game before. I’m wearing those socks now actually, though you wouldn’t know it, and I would not have remembered had you not said Nanuq. Feel my foot, touch my sole and ankle, bet you can’t find the sock.” Nanuq asked Sally to kneel and, kneeling behind her feet, he explored her right foot with his right paw, finding the cuff of the sock just above her ankle, as it was slightly thicker than the rest so it could be pulled off.

“It is tight fitting to my foot,” Sally said, referring to the sock, “I like these socks a lot, and yes Nanuq, before you ask, I have faught to free my feet from the socks in play. My feet did get stuck, and I had to struggle a good bit, but it was fun.”

“The sock is part of you,” Nanuq replied.

“yes they’re good,” Sally said, curling her toes at Nanuq’s touch on the ball of her foot to prove how tight fitting they were, Nanuq seeing and feeling the sole of Sally’s foot with his paw, noting the bunching skin on the ball of her foot while having to remind himself she was wearing a sock. Sally’s toes curled tightly around his, and he rubbed the heel of her left foot with his paw, feeling smooth pad under his own, Sally sitting back, wriggling her buttocks on her heels with pleasure.

“last time I saw that was when Flocke tried it,” Nanuq said, “I was rubbing her pads too.”

“uauauauauauwch! I think a cub’s coming tooo!” Sally yowled, wriggling urgently, Flocke laughing merrily.

“You’ll have to do better than that!” she challenged.

“Sally helped a panda cub to survive once,” Nanuq said, “she pushed her to life after the cub’s mama died during labour.”

“You did that Sally?” Flocke asked.

“I did,” Sally replied, “I pushed the cub into the world to make it breathe, as it was so close to being born by its mama. I called her Kuaizi, meaning chopsticks.”

“I saw that on the computer,” Nanuq said, kissing the heel of Sally’s right foot, “I thought you were wonderful Sally, as was Hope.”

“I didn’t know what was happening really,” Sally replied, “I just acted as I wanted, and a cub emerged. I didn’t know then what I know now, other than I wanted to help a mama panda save her cub. I didn’t dream for one minute I would end up doing it like that.”

“Well you did!” Kuaizi said, crawling up to Sally, kissing the toes of her right foot,, crawling to her hand then kissing that too.

“Hello my dear,” Sally said, bumping noses with Kuaizi, who smiled at her surrogate parent.

“I watch my birth from time to time,” Kuaizi said, “I love my birth video.” Sally smiled broadly.

“I did what I had to, and felt great doing it, despite my yells, curled toes and pedalling feet, I knew I was doing the right thing.”

“wriggling and pedalling the air with your feet and curling your toes isn’t a bad thing Sally,” Lihua said, “it helps you to ease the cub’s way into the world.”

“it does,” Kamchatka said, “I remember doing that when I had my cub, it worked too, along with pushing and lots of curling toes and sitting back on heels of course.”

“I’ll help you have another cub if you like,” Nanuq said, Kamchatka smiling at him.

“I have been watching Magnus for a long time, I’m in cub to him now I think, though my first cub will never be forgotten.”

“your cub will be lovely,” Nanuq said, “now I have to do my duty to Flocke, though I don’t know if she’ll let me without tickling my toes in play first.” Kamchatka and Flocke laughed merrily, Flocke leaping at the exposed sole pads of Nanuq’s huge feet, temptingly displayed to the world while he knelt to rub the soles of Sally’s feet, her paws plonking down on the large sole pads of his feet, Flocke rubbing his toes with the heels of her paws, while her fingers gripped the back of the polar bear’s heels, Nanuq giggling and sitting back on his heels, trapping Flocke’s fingers between his buttocks and heels while curling his toes to hold onto the heels of her paws.

“he’s got meyeee!” she whimpered, tugging at her paws, then lowering her head and blowing into the slight gap left between the palm of her left paw and the sole of his left foot by the fur and rough pads of her own paw, Nanuq squealing and bouncing his buttocks about on his heels, Flocke freeing her paws, then blowing on the male bear’s now exposed sole and toe pads, Nanuq laughing helplessly and bouncing about like a cub.

“Got you!” Flocke giggled, kissing the tickle from Nanuq’s toes and sole pads, Nanuq smiling broadly, though Flocke couldn’t see this, his pleasure indicated to her through his flexing toes which curled tightly whenever she flicked her tongue over his sole pads. Smiling, Flocke put her lips to the thick padding on the sole of Nanuq’s left foot and blew, Nanuq shrieking with laughter:

“Stoaoaoap that Flocke!” as her breath and vibrating lips tickled his left sole pad.

“What is she doing to you Nanuq? Sally asked, feeling the bear’s paws bouncing and scrabbling at her own feet.

“Flocke’s kissing and blowing raspberries on the pads of my feeyeeet!” Nanuq squealed, everyone laughing merrily at Nanuq’s cubbish squealing.

“your paws are scrabbling and bouncing all over the soles of my feeyeeet!” Sally giggled, “pressing my toes, then heels, then my arches! Your pad rub has gone to bits!”

“my feeyeeet are beieieieieing tiyiyiyckled!” Nanuq replied laughing, wriggling his buttocks harder than ever on his heels, flexing and tightly curling his toes, Sally squirming delightedly, bouncing her buttocks on her heels at the sensation of Nanuq’s frantic paws on the soles of her feet as the bear struggled to concentrate enough to use his paws effectively to massage her heel and toes while his own feet were tickled.

“that looks so lovely,” Kamchatka said, smiling broadly.

“it feyeeels wonderful!” Nanuq gasped, wriggling madly and bouncing his buttocks on his heels, “but, but, Flocke kissing and tickling my pads and toooes is breaking my concentration on rubbing Sally’s pads!” Flocke rubbed the tickle from Nanuq’s pads, the male bear panting with relief.

“I wonder if you can help me remove my socks?” Sally asked, “I want to feel your pads against my pads for real Nanuq.”

“I think Felix or Karina might be able to help, even Blackberry would be better than me,” Nanuq replied, “I’ve not got opposable thumbs you see, and I, I don’t think I can grab the cuffs of the socks.”

“but if I rolled the cuffs down, maybe you could help me pull them over my heels? Help me Do the hardest part?” Sally asked hopefully.

“I could then,” Nanuq replied, “just for you, I’ll try getting at the cuff of your sock with my paw. See if I can without hurting you.” Flocke looked at Nanuq’s claws for the first time, seeing they were very short indeed. She remembered the community practise, when claws could not be retracted, to keep claws as short as possible to stop injuries during play. Flocke as a matter of course, had always trimmed her claws short, but to see Nanuq’s paw with the claws almost invisible against his thick toes was quite something. She also looked at his feet, same thing there, virtually no claws, and she now saw how he was able to wear those inflatable boots and gloves he used to wear to bounce about the playrooms. Flocke looked at Nanuq’s paws and feet again, loving them as works of art in themselves. Flocke realised she took her own paws and feet for granted, but now thought she’d take more notice of them. Smiling, she ran her paw over the pads of Nanuq’s left foot, the male bear’s thick pads soft and warm.

“Loving Nanuq’s feet as well as their owner Flocke?” Kamchatka asked.

“yeah,” Flocke replied smiling while stroking the soles of Nanuq’s feet from heel to toes, the male bear wiggling and curling his toes with pleasure, “I could really play the stuck foot game with this bear’s feet pressed against mine,” she mused.

“I could play you too,” Nanuq replied, “but now I’ve got to free Sally’s feet from her socks.”

“I’ll help,” Flocke said, “You take her left foot, I’ll take her right, we can pull the cuffs of her socks down and help pull them off her feet.”

“Hold still Sally, rest your weight on your hands so we can get your socks off,” Nanuq said, kissing the heel of the young girl’s right foot, Sally giggling and complying. Flocke and Nanuq scrabbled at the cuffs of Sally’s socks, gripping them in their paws and pulling them down over her heel pads, the socks sticking there, putting pressure on Sally’s heel pads.

“now let me, let me at the socks,” Sally said, rolling over and sitting up, “I’ll let you two help me pull them down, but I must try a bit myself!” Sally scrabbled with her fingers at the bunched socks covering her heels, failing to free her heel pads.

“I need the strength of two bears to get the socks off my feeyeeet!!” she whimpered, kicking the air with both feet, her toes curled in frustrated rage. Flocke and Nanuq each caught one of Sally’s feet in their paws, then gently explored the situation they were in with their paws.

“We’ll have to pull them off with her sitting, not kneeling,” Nanuq said, “Flocke, can you get your fingers under the bunched sock on her right foot? I can just about get mine under the one on her left, maybe we can tug them off that way. We can’t pull at the toes of her socks, that’s for certain.”

“I wayayayayant to get these socks off my feeyeeet, but I cayayayayn’t!” Sally yelled, tearing her feet from the paws of the two bears by drawing up her legs, grabbing her feet in her hands and wriggling urgently.

“We’ll help you,” Flocke said, concern in her voice and eyes, Nanuq whispering to her that Sally was playing, and this wasn’t real, Flocke looking sheepish.

“I can’t get these socks off!” Sally squealed, scrabbling at the soles of her feet with her fingers, then thrusting both feet into the paws of the two huge kneeling bears. Flocke and Nanuq hooked the fingers of their huge paws under the bunched socks and then Flocke leant forward, kissing Sally’s curled toes.

“Grab your heel pads with your fingers and bend your legs Sally,” she said. Sally lay back and, reaching forward, did as the she bear suggested, feeling the sock pulling off her foot as they tugged together. Squealing:

“The socks are coming off!” Sally tugged harder at her heel pads, her fingers moving to her arches as she felt the socks coming further off her feet. curling her toes as she felt the bears tugging and heard their sounds of effort, Flocke grunting that:

“These socks are Soaoaoaoao tight! What was Blackberry thinking!” Sally closed her eyes to better feel the sensations from the soles of her two now hot padded feet.

“Pull Sally puuuuuull!” Nanuq gasped, tugging at the sock he held in one paw.

“I’m pulling!” Sally squealed, wriggling with frustration and tugging at her left foot, her toes curling with frustrated effort. Growling, the two bears pulled harder, Sally pointing her toes in time with their tugging to try and help her rescuers.

“”The socks are nearly off your feet, just the toes to go, but you keep curling them Sally!” Flocke panted.

“If I could see your toes, I’m sure you curled yours while helping her,” Nanuq replied.

“She did, she did!” Xingjuan replied, delightedly clapping her paws, “you did too Nanuq,” the half grown she panda added.

“Relax your toes Sally,” Nanuq said, gently rubbing the arch of Sally’s left foot with his paw,, that’s it, relax those toes,” he said softly, as if coaxing a mama to relax after a long pushing effort during a difficult labour. Sally relaxed her toes, Nanuq stretching then tugging the bunched sock off her toes, Sally accompanying the bear’s effort with a squeal of:

“Eoeoeoeoeoah!” Panting, Nanuq rubbed the sole of Sally’s left foot.

“I’d be curling my toes in concentration and end up fighting my own toes if I tried to free my toes from the sock by myself,” Sally admitted. Sally tugged at the heel, then arch of her right foot as she’d done with her left until Flocke tugged the sock from the toes of her right foot, and both feet were freed.

“I was looking forward to the epic fight between Sally, her curled toes and the socks!” Kamchatka whimpered, “you polar bears really do give humans an easy time of it. Now, when I tried to get a sock off my foot after playing with Anernerk’s cub using those socks, it took me ages to get it off my foot! I struggled so hard, growled, wriggled, curled my toes and tugged at the socks for a good hour before I somehow got it over my heel and could tear at it with my paws. By that time I was rolling about on the floor too! The worst of it was, to anyone looking at me, it would seem like I was trying to tear off the sole of my own foot! That was very unedifying!”

“You poor thing,” Nanuq said, trying not to laugh, “but it’s not Sally’s fault your foot got stuck.”

“No, but Anernerk’s cub told me to free my own foot!” Kamchatka raged, “then the dam cub ran off laughing! I couldn’t free my toes, and Magnus had to help meyeee!” she raged.

“You said sock,” Nanuq replied, “Kamchatka, what about the other sock? Did Magnus help you get that off your other foot?”

“he did,” she replied, “but then, then, he got his own feet caught in the socks, he put them on and got his feet caught in them. I saw what I’d looked like, and it was rather cute. Poor Magnus got his toes stuck too!”

“I did,” Magnus replied, padding into the room, Nanuq taking the huge bear in from his nose to his huge paws and feet.

“I haven’t had my feet checked for thorns yet,” Magnus said, kneeling before Flocke, the she bear inspecting his thickly padded sole pads and toes, touching each pad all over, Magnus kneeling with his buttocks off his knees at first, Flocke’s touch causing him to sit back on his heels and squirm with pleasure.

“You big softy!” Flocke giggled, kissing the top of Magnus’s head, the huge bear’s smile visible to Flocke as his face was caught by the camera, looking down, Flocke inspected Magnus’s feet by sight, seeing thick pads and huge toes.

“I can imagine you wearing socks,” Flocke replied.

“You don’t’ have to imagine it,” Magnus said, “those socks are clear aren’t they.”

“yes, Blackberry’s socks are, it’s so the humans can walk about barefoot without injury,” Flocke replied, “why would bears wear them?”

“Because they want to,” Magnus replied smiling.

“let me feel again,” Flocke said, touching the sole of Magnus’s left foot, the bear’s toes curling tightly with pleasure as the she bear felt round to his ankle, finding the cuff.

“I’m silly, here it is!” she laughed, Magnus straining his toes to curl them even tighter, wriggling and gasping as he struggled to express the pleasure he felt, finally, in a fit of embarrassment, Stuffing his paw into his mouth to stop himself whimpering.

“let it go Magnus,” Flocke replied, kissing the now very warm toe pads of the brown bear’s left foot.

“Am I going to have competition for Flocke?” Nanuq asked.

“if I fought you, you’d tickle my toes until I submitted,” Magnus giggled.

“yes, last time,,,,” Nanuq replied, Magnus smiling at the huge polar bear.

“You two faught?” Kamchatka asked.

“IT was only a scrap, but yes,” Nanuq replied, “Magnus and I tested our strength, and, well, I threw him on the floor and tickled his toes until he gave up.”

“That’s so cuuuute!” Flocke giggled.

“Nanuq turned a disagreement into a play session, I can’t believe that!” Magnus replied, “Nanuq was playing with a ball in the woods one day, and I wanted it, so I nicked it, and he faught me for his ball, and we scrapped, all paws and feet, and then he tickled my toes until I submitted, then, then, Nanuq gave me the ball anyway!” Nanuq grinned hugely.

“I couldn’t resist tickling those huge pads,” he said, Magnus smiling at him.

“I turned up for rounds of the stuck foot game with you for ages after didn’t I,” Magnus said.

“You did, and Magnus, if I may say, there’s a lot of pad to get stuck,” Nanuq replied smiling.

“you can talk!” Magnus said, lunging sideways, nocking Nanuq off his knees and grabbing the polar bear’s left foot, “you have big feet here too, and, and they’re ticklable!” Magnus yelled, tickling the sole pad of his friend’s left foot, Nanuq rolling on the floor, laughing helplessly. Flocke, laughing too, watched Nanuq. Suddenly the polar bear was on top of Magnus, tickling the brown bear’s toes, Magnus laughing hard, His eyes shining, clearly wanting to be dominated by Nanuq. Nanuq left off tickling Magnus’s pads, the brown bear crawling round the room, Nanuq pouncing on Magnus’s left foot, scrabbling at the bear’s sole pad and toes with his paw, Flocke seeing that Nanuq was trying to remove the socks on Magnus’s feet.

“Go for the cuff,” she advised, Nanuq hooking the cuff of the sock on Magnus’s left foot with the toes of his left paw.

“Now brace the toes of your right foot against the floor and push with it while pulling with your paws Magnus, Puuuull!” Nanuq urged, Magnus pulling at his left foot, the sock coming down his leg, then over his heel, Nanuq’s strength giving up as the sock reached Magnus’s left heel pad, Magnus squealing:

“ouauauauauauw!” With dismay as the sock constricted his heel pad, squeezing it.

“Puuuull Nanuq puuuuuull!” Magnus whimpered, “I’ll push with my right foot, and pull with my paws while you pull at my left foot!” Nanuq tugged hard, Magnus and Nanuq squealing with effort, both bears fighting their own battles, Nanuq leaning back while kneeling, pulling as hard as he could with his paw, while Magnus pushed away with his right foot. his toes curling in concentration, Nanuq sat back on his heels, squirming them into his buttocks with frustration as he tugged and worried at the stubborn sock on his friend’s left foot, Magnus grunting and puffing with his own efforts, pushing hard with his free right foot and pulling with both paws while Nanuq tugged harder than ever at the sock on Magnus’s left foot.

“Uauauauauw, Uuuuuuuumf! Oaoaoaoaoaoaoh! My foot’s too hot to let the sock goaoaoaoaoao!” Magnus whimpered, “I muuuuust Puuuull Haaaarder!” Bracing his free right foot, he tugged desperately at his left, Nanuq pulling against him.

“The sock’s coming, it’s coming!” Nanuq gasped, Magnus squealing as he reached the top of his effort, the sock pulling inside out and flying off Magnus’s toes, Nanuq thrown backwards, landing on his back, the sock still held in his paw, Magnus spinning round, sitting down and massaging his left foot with his paws.

“That was hard!” Nanuq whimpered.

“It was,” Magnus panted, “what happened Nanuq?”

“You and I pulled so hard we turned the sock inside out!” Nanuq replied.

“I didn’t curl my toes, I struggled so hard not to curl my toes, but, but I so wanted to Nanuq!” Magnus replied, “come, feel my foot, now, feel it!” the bear whimpered, thrusting his left foot at Nanuq, the polar bear crawling to Magnus and cradling the brown bear’s left foot in his paws, Magnus’s toes curling urgently as Nanuq knew he’d desperately wanted to curl them during their fight to free his left foot from the sock. Rubbing Magnus’s bunched pads, Nanuq saw the brown bear’s pleasure in his shining eyes and a huge smile at the touch of his paws on his hot, slightly dampened pads, not that Nanuq needed to look at Magnus’s face to tell what the brown bear felt.

“You put those socks on adult pads that hadn’t been removed before you came in here didn’t you Magnus,” Nanuq said. Magnus looked down at his left foot, the toes of which were still slightly curled.

“I wondered why I had so much trouble removing that sock,” the brown bear said, sighing deeply, “now I know, it took my adult pad with it.”

“I think it might have,” Nanuq replied smiling.

“Well I’ll fight to free my right foot too!” Magnus replied resolutely.

“I can help you remove your other sock with a lot more ease than your first,” Nanuq replied.

“Why would I want that?” Magnus asked, “I wouldn’t get a pad rub if it was easy, and anyway, I liked the fight to free my left foot from its sock.” Nanuq leant forward then kissed Magnus’s nose, replying softly:

“I did too.”

“Nanuq was really struggling Magnus!” Xingjuan said.

“I’ll watch us both on the cameras when all this is over,” Magnus replied, “but now,” he continued, “I have a foot to free from a very tight sock, a foot that has been through one battle, and now has to fight another.” Nanuq hugged Magnus, the sight making Flocke’s toes curl with pleasure as she sat watching them.

“let’s free that other foot then,” Nanuq said, pulling the cuff on the sock on Magnus’s right foot down to his heel pad, feeling the rubberised sock sticking, Magnus turning onto his knees and crawling away, Nanuq sitting back on his heels, curling his toes and pulling hard, grunting as Magnus’s heel stuck and was constricted, then squealing as Magnus, pulling harder than ever, tugged the sock free of the tight spot on his heel, the sock’s cuff turning inside out, Magnus bracing the toes of his right foot against the floor and pulling with his paws with renewed urgency, wriggling while pulling hard with two paws and pushing with one foot.

“eoeoeoeoh, Uuuuuuuumf! Magnus whimpered as he struggled, “the sock’s coming off my foot! It’s coming off, pull Nanuq pull harder!” Magnus implored. Nanuq pulled harder than ever, leaning hard back, bracing his bottom against his heels, bouncing his bottom off his heels and bracing his toes against the floor for more leverage, then leaning back on his braced toes. The sock finally turned inside out and came off Magnus’s left foot with such an unexpected rush that Nanuq fell back on his backside, Magnus tumbling forward, head over heels, ending his tumble on his back with his paws and feet sticking skywards.

“I so want to grab those huge feet and tickle those toes!” Flocke exclaimed.

“I want to stroke Nanuq’s feet, I saw his straining pads and curling toes!” Kamchatka replied.

“You can stroke them, they need it,” Nanuq replied smiling.

“You have lovely pads Nanuq,” Kamchatka said, sitting down and taking his right foot in her paws, stroking his pads and toes, the polar bear smiling at her.

“That struggle to free Magnus was so cute!” Sally said, “I curled my toes with both your efforts.”

“thanks Sally,” Magnus said, crawling to her, Sally hugging the huge bear.

“I have wanted to hug you for a long time,” Sally said. Magnus smiled broadly, returning her hug.

“Do you still play stuck foot games with your friend Jenny?” Magnus asked.

“I do, we play often,” Sally replied, “would you like a game now?” Magnus, smiling broadly, nodded.

“Okay, my left foot to your right, let’s check each other’s feet for thorns,” Sally said. Magnus took her left foot in his paws, Sally unable to stop herself curling her toes at his warm soft touch on the sole of her foot, his warm paws soothing her. she felt his thumbs rubbing her arch and ball, Sally curling her toes even tighter at his touch, pushing her foot harder into his paws.

“Since when did a bear have thumbs that was not born of a human in ursine form?” Sally asked.

“A cat bear always has thumbs,” Magnus replied, “we’re one up from a bear, and one up from a cat. We can use our thumbs too. Pandas also have a sort of thumb, so it’s not unusual for a bear to have thumbs.”

“I’m glad you have them, your rubbing is wonderful!” Sally replied.

“Has anyone any idea if Shandy has had her cubs yet?” Lihua asked, her face full of concern, “I know she’s a training aid and all that, but she was set up to have them some time ago, I followed all that, and remember that much.”

“I don’t know,” Nanuq said, “after Blackberry ran from his post, I don’t know what’s going on with those training aids. Shadow might not be able to replace her cubs inside her, even if she can rebirth sleep them.”

Janet, sitting in her computer room, hit enter on her newest lines of code, a programme to enable Shandy and Shadow to help each other get ready for their roles. Uploading the latest code into the ligress and she bear, who slept beside her in code reception mode, she knew the code would work, as she’d run it remotely on a screen, the screen showing her all the actions her code would produce. She’d taught the two where each other’s fluids could be found, and how to prepare and insert each other’s cubs into their wombs. The two training aid creatures were now a team who could work together or individually. Janet had also passed overall control to herself and patch, writing Blackberry out completely, removing his memory from their minds. Hitting the enter key on the button marked, “wake up,” Janet watched Shandy and Shadow. They stretched the toes of their paws and feet first, then flexed their limbs before opening their eyes. Looking round them, they got to their feet and padded to Janet’s side.

“Can you tell me anything about what you just learnt?” Janet asked.

“Shadow’s things are in the cupboard with her name and likeness on it,” Shandy said, “she puts herself to sleep and I open up her belly and prepare her womb by undoing the Velcro, emptying the womb with the vacuum, then placing the cubs in their sacks, connecting the cords in the sacks to the cubs, filling the sacks with fluid before sealing them shut. I then place each cub filled sack into the womb and fill it with fluid to cover the cubs, filling until the womb is full. once that is done, I seal the womb and skin. Then wake shadow up.”

“Good,” Janet replied. She then asked Shadow the same question, who until being addressed, had seemed not to be listening at all, getting a similar answer.”

“I learnt quite a bit from Shadow’s last labour,” Shandy said, “and my cub Raja seems to be ramming it down my throat quite a bit too, he seems fascinated!” she giggled.

“his own birth was amazing,” Janet replied.

“I’ve watched that too,” Shandy replied thoughtfully, “I am sorry for wanting him dead, “I don’t want that now,” she said contritely.

Meanwhile, in Patch’s lie up, Titan spoke urgently to the huge grey bear.

“I don’t want to be a Felursaliger anymore,” he said, “I know I wanted to play with Sita properly and all that, but I’m not doing very well at this play thing, and, well, for another thing, the community elected a liger! I’m a liger in my mind too. I thought I could play like a bear or a human, but I can’t! and I’ve been worse to Apudo since my transformation. I need to go back, to be what I was born to be.” Patch nodded.

“I understand where you’re coming from,” the grey bear said softly.

“I wayayayayant to be a liger agayayayayayain!” Titan sobbed.

“You will be one again,” patch replied, hugging Titan, the Felursaliger falling asleep in his arms. Smiling, patch carried Titan to his work room, then remodelled the liger to the dimensions he’d been before, taking huge pride in modelling his paws and feet. Using his paws and other tools he had to sculpt the body of the liger into what he thought he’d been like before, Patch took his time. Smiling, he placed the sleeping liger into a scanner, telling it to scan Titan’s dimensions and compare them to what they’d been just after his last exam from Blackberry. The computer told him Titan was too fat in the body region, but this was because Titan had put on weight since the last examination. Patch asked the computer if his modelling of a liger had been correct, had he missed anything. The computer asked patch to elongate the tail a bit, which Patch did, rolling it in his paws like he would to roll out dough, elongating Titan’s tail.

“Titan is well muscled now,” the computer informed patch, “he will feel more padding under his paws and feet. would you like to increase the firmness and spring in his pads?” Patch said he would, and the computer told Patch to mould Titan’s pads in a certain way so this was duly done.

“Now are you satisfied?” the computer asked. Patch asked the computer a final time if he’d made Titan into what he would have been if he’d remained a liger. The computer said yes, and patch pressed the done key. The machine switched off, and patch woke Titan from his sleep.

“I’m, oaoaoaaoh! I’m a liger again!” Titan miaowed, rolling over to look at his paws, patch holding a mirror to his feet so he could see their soles.

“I love these paws and feet patch!” Titan mewed, leaping to his feet and bouncing on all four paws at once, springing off his sole pads and bouncing on his springy toes.

“You silly liger!” Patch laughed, hugging Titan, who was now bigger than ever, a huge big cat with muscles to envy. Titan shook patch off, then roughhoused with him, Patch winning the contest, pinning the mewing liger under his paws.

“You made me bigger so I can do what I wanted to do but you would never let me do,” Titan mewed.

“yes,” patch replied. Titan got to his feet, powerfully shook himself, then patch mounted his back, Titan padding forward, the bear’s feet clear of the ground by two feet or so.

“Can you go any faster?” patch asked.

“Hold onto my body with your knees,” Titan mewed, then he bounded down the corridor, Patch feeling a similar sensation to someone who rides a horse at canter. Having nothing to hold onto, Patch felt slightly unsteady, but managed not to fall off, that was until Titan, during an over exuberant left turn, lost his footing and slid sideways into the playroom, patch feeling the liger’s feet go from under him, throwing himself off Titan’s back before his leg was crushed beneath the liger’s body. Titan slid screaming along the floor, his paws covering his face, unable to brake with his feet, though Titan curled his toes urgently and repeatedly.

“miaoaoaoaoaow! Noaoaoaoaoaow! Miaoaoaoaoaoaoe!” Titan yowled, coming to a stop when his paws slammed into a wall of soft bricks being built by Sooleawa and Yamka, Smashing it down, the bricks tumbling over his head and body, the two bears returning from a drink at the water fountain to find their creation smashed, a very shocked liger buried under the rubble.

“What happened?” Yamka asked.

“Oh, watch this,” patch said, picking himself up off the floor and padding to a console. Mouths wide, eyes on stalks, the two bears watched as Titan came barrelling through the door on two paws, Patch riding proud, then they saw Patch leap clear as Titan’s feet lost grip and the liger landed on his side on the rubberised flooring.

“How could his feet have lost grip?” Sooleawa asked, when she saw Titan smash their wall to bits. Patch then showed them another angle, this time behind the wall, showing its destruction from that angle, the two bears gasping with shock.

“Answer to your first question is here,” Patch said, kneeling and picking up Titan’s left paw, indicating the side of the dazed but unhurt liger’s paw, which had fur but no pads, “he tried to grip with this bit, rather than here,” Patch continued, touching the liger’s pads.

“I ran too fast and turned too quickly,” Titan whimpered.

“Are you all right Titan?” Sooleawa asked.

“yes,” Titan Mewed, “pride bruised, but I’m fine.” He got to his feet, the huge liger shedding soft multi coloured bricks.

“You’re a liger again!” Yamka exclaimed.

“I am,” Titan replied, “I wasn’t, well, myself in my previous form.”

“Apudo will be pleased,” Sooleawa replied.

“I didn’t treat Apudo as well as I should have,” Titan mewed, “I was not right in myself, but now I am myself.”

“You wanted to play with the whole of the community,” Sooleawa said.

“I did, but, well, maybe I can just play with the cats, I’m one myself. Felix’s play angered me, and it should not have done so. I will be more feline from now on, after all, you elected Titan, a liger, not Titan a Felursaliger, lovely though Felursa’s are of course.”

“So we will see cuddly Titan again?” Theo asked, walking up to Titan then playfully swiping at his whiskers with a huge paw.

“yes,” Titan mewed. Theo pushed Titan off his feet and hugged him, the liger purring deeply.

“now I can cuddle you hugely!” Theo mewed, lying down, then wrapping his paws around Titan’s shoulders, resting his head against the liger’s, Titan hugging Theo in a similar way, the two cats head rubbing.

“Have you been taking care of Apudo?” Titan asked.

“She’s fine,” Theo mewed. Titan got to his feet, turned and nearly tripped over Apudo.

“So you’re back to your old self,” she said. Titan nodded, leant down then kissed her nose.

“I wasn’t any good as a Felursaliger,” he said, “I was dreadful to you and Felix, and, well, I just wasn’t myself.”

“Bet you can’t ride that water coaster though,” Apudo mewed.

“I can’t,” Titan mewed, shifting his paws uncomfortably, “I don’t want to ride that thing again!” he miaowed.

“You pissed in it,” Felix mewed.

“did I?” Titan whimpered, “I’m sorry if I did, but I was scared!”

“You were a mewing, sobbing wreck,” Apudo said softly.

“I didn’t want you riding that thing at all!” Titan growled, “and, and, I was wrong,” he whimpered, “I know you have asked me to be your guardian, but I’ve been less than I should be lately. I’m a cat, not a Felursaliger. I should be more of a cat, a cat who looks after a cub he rebirthed.” Titan lay down, and Apudo snuggled up to him, burying her paws in his thick fur, purring as his huge paws embraced her.

“What’s going on in here?” Mama Sita asked, padding in from the adult playroom, “I hear screaming, then a crash, then well, nothing.”

“Titan smashed our wall up,” Yamka said.

“Titan?” Mama Sita asked, “Where are you?” Titan banged the floor with his paw in a half-hearted manner, his thick pads making hardly any sound.

“She won’t be able to hear that!” Apudo whispered to the liger, Sita tracking Titan down by scent.

“So you busted their wall?” Sita asked.

“Not intentionally,” Titan mewed, “I, well, ran a bit quick, and, well, fell and slid and the wall fell on top of me!”

“I was riding him,” Patch said, Sita whipping round on patch, accidentally smacking Yamka in the mouth with her tail.

“auauauauwch Sita!” Yamka yelled.

“Sorry Yamka,” Mama Sita mewed.

“Patch, you were riding Titan?” Sita asked. Patch replied that he was.

“Surely Titan’s not that big!” Sita mewed.

“He is now,” Titan replied. Sita got paws on with Titan, miaowing with surprise as she took in his huge body, strong legs and massive paws and feet.

“oaoaoaoaoah!” she exclaimed when she’d finished, Titan kissing her nose.

“So I am big yes?” he asked.

“yes, very!” Sita mewed. Titan purred, the whole floor vibrating with the sound.

“Want me to roar?” Titan asked.

“Naoaoaoaow!” Mama Sita begged, but Titan let fly, the whole room shaking with a blast of sound which made patch dive for the floor, and Sita cover her ears with her paws, screaming with fear.

“Sorry,” Titan mewed, switching off his roar, Sita using a word which made Patch’s toes curl with embarrassment.

“Sita!” Patch snapped.

“Yes, well!” Sita grumbled, “scaring the shit out of us like that! Titan should be smacked for that!”

“Sita!” Sooleawa remonstrated, “Your language! Please!”

“yes, well!” Mama Sita grumbled. Titan looked at the devastation around him:

“Sorry about this Sooleawa, Yamka,” he said. Bricks and a padded ladder lay scattered about the floor.

“We were getting on weally well with building that wall!” purdy said, walking in from the relieving place, “I was helping Sooleawa and Yamka put the bwicks on the top, and now, now look at this!” she raged, sweeping the mess with a paw, “and now, now you’we tuwned back to a liger, not that I don’t pwefer you that way Titan, you can’t help webuild the wall! It’s down to us beaws!”

“Webuild the wall, webuild the wall!” Yamka carolled.

“oh shut it!” Purdy yelled.

“I prefer the sound of Nanuq pretending to have a cub to this,” Sita mewed.

“I saw him and Flocke swinging on those hammock swings,” Purdy said, “I saw Flocke’s cubbish tantrum when she lost the swing of it, all kicking feet and pedalling legs, that was vewy cute!”

“Did you see Nanuq showing Flocke how to simulate the birth of a cub?” Mama Sita asked.

“it was so weal I neawly wan in with towels to catch the cub!” purdy admitted, Flocke laughing merrily behind her, Purdy turning, the sow polar bear hugging the sow black bear in a massive embrace.

“I know you’ve had a cub for real,” Flocke said, “so have I, but pretending with Nanuq helping you is wonderful. He is so lovely.”

“I’ve nevah twied pwetending,” purdy said, “how do I do that?”

“Push against your paws with your feet,” Flocke replied, “hold your feet with your paws and push until your paws can’t hold your foot first one foot, then the other, then draw your feet up and push against both paws at once. It feels very good!”

“you make effort sounds too?” Purdy asked.

“Oh yes, that’s expected,” Flocke replied smiling, “you sit back on your heels and wriggle too while moaning deeply, by the way, that feels great.”

“I must twy that,” Purdy said, “how if you help me by holding my feet and touching my pads to encouwage me to push?” she asked.

“I will,” Flocke replied.

“Can I help?” Nanuq asked.

“You can,” Purdy replied, “Nanuq, can I wub youw pads? I’ve heawd they’we weally smooth, not all bumpy like a polar beaw’s.”

“You can,” Nanuq replied.

“I want you to wub, I mean rub mine too Puwdy!” Flocke whimpered cubbishly, Purdy hugging her.

“I will,” she promised.

“Did you see what happens when Nanuq runs really fast Purdy?” Flocke asked.

“No,” Purdy replied, sitting down.

“His feet go from under him and he slides on his bum!” Flocke giggled.

“All right, all right!” Nanuq replied, “I know it’s funny for others to see me lose my footing and slide on my bum, but it hurts my poor bum!”

“It’s not that bit which is funniest,” Flocke said, hugging him, “Nanuq, the phantom braking with your toes is funniest of all!”

“I don’t!” Nanuq whimpered.

“Oh you do, and it’s lovely,” Flocke replied.

“Phantom bwaking?” purdy asked.

“yes, curling your toes repeatedly when sliding on your backside or on your side or back,” Flocke replied.

“that sounds so cuuuute!” Purdy giggled.

“it is,” Flocke said, “as is when Nanuq curls his toes at the top of his backswing when on the swing. That’s cute too.”

“And you never have?” Nanuq asked, playfully nibbling Flocke’s ear.

“Oi! All right I have,” Flocke replied giggling.

“I think Purdy needs a hug,” Nanuq said, sitting down and beckoning to Purdy with a massive paw, the sow black bear crawling to him, then scrambling into his lap, Nanuq embracing her, Purdy pushing with both feet and pulling with her arms to increase her own returned embrace, Nanuq smiling broadly while holding her tightly.

“Purdy’s pushing with her feet Nanuq,” Flocke said, Nanuq grinning at her.

“if you could have done that earlier, I’m sure you would too,” he said, Flocke smiling broadly.

“I’m too big,” she replied, “but yes, if I could have pushed with my toes to increase my hug with you, I would have.” Whimpering, Purdy pushed even harder with both feet, Flocke’s toes curling as she saw Purdy’s effort expressed by the black bear’s straining sole pads and arms.

“I think Purdy needs all your hug and more Nanuq,” Flocke said, nudging Purdy’s heels with her nose until the she bear’s toes lost their grip, Purdy now kneeling in Nanuq’s lap. Once she had access to the whole of Purdy’s pads, Flocke kissed her pads, Purdy humming with deep contentment.

“could we Flocke?” Nanuq asked.

“What?” Flocke asked, “adopt purdy?” she enquired.

“I think she’d like that,” Nanuq replied, “I know Sire Koda helped her to acclimatise to the community, but he now has his own paws full of his cubs. maybe Purdy needs us.” Flocke smiled.

“and at a push, I could have given birth to her too,” she mused. Nanuq grinned at Flocke.

“ “if we adopt her we’ll have to ask Koda first,” Nanuq replied, turning Purdy onto her back and examining her face, belly, paws and feet.

“she’s very cute,” Flocke said, kneeling and handling Purdy’s right paw, Purdy relaxing into Nanuq’s hug, her mind soothed by the presence of the two bears, even though she was fully grown.

“You’re just too cute Purdy,” Flocke said gently.

“I need to rebuild that wall,” Titan mewed, “I destroyed Sooleawa and Yamka’s work!”

“It’s all right Titan,” Yamka said, “we were going to push it over when we returned from the relieving place anyway. You destroyed it in a far more spectacular fashion than we could ever have done!”

“Oh,” Titan mewed, feeling very silly indeed.

“I think demolition by liger was far more entertaining,” Yamka said.

“I didn’t mean to!” Titan whimpered.

“It was brilliant!” Sooleawa replied.

“I didn’t think so,” Titan mewed, looking down at his huge paws.

“Fat striped tiggie, skiddy-paws tiggie, Riaow riaow riaow! tumbling tiggie, yowling tiggie, crash bang miaoaoaoaoaow!” Patch carolled, Titan scowling, yowling:

“Shuuuuuut up!” at the huge bear, Patch smiling, his eyes sparkling.

“come here Titan,” patch said, Titan padding to him, Patch kneeling and wrapping his arms around Titan’s thick neck, hugging the huge liger, who purred deeply and lay down, leaning hard against him.

“I love you dearly Titan,” patch whispered into Titan’s ear, the liger smiling and pressing himself into Patch’s hug.

“You made me all bouncy and skiddypawed too!” Titan mewed.

“I did nothing to your pads, you leant over so far during your turn your pads were useless,” Patch replied. Titan snuggled into Patch’s hug, kissing his nose.

“You’re a huge snugglypuss aren’t you Titan,” Patch said, the liger relaxing completely.

“If you say so,” he replied yawning expansively. Titan closed his eyes briefly, then shook himself and got to his feet. turning, his eyes still half-closed,, he tripped over bricks which still lay about the floor, stumbling over them with one paw and tripping with both feet, Titan’s remaining paw, which was off the ground, slamming down as he tried to save himself from nose-diving into the floor.

“Miaoaoaoaoaow! Miaowowowowow! Raoaoaoaoow!” Titan protested as he stumbled, bricks skittering from under his feet.

“oaoaoaoah nayaoaoaoaow! Raoaoaoaoow!” he yowled as he felt his balance going. Furiously lashing the air with his tail, Titan fought to remain on his feet, but bricks gave his paws and feet no traction. Titan fell yowling:

“Aow! Rowowowowor! Miaow! aow! Aow!” Among the bricks, Yamka and Sooleawa laughing helplessly at him.

“Stoaoaoap it!” Titan yelled, rolling onto his back, kicking the air with his huge paws and feet.

“You look Soaoaoaoao funny!” Yamka giggled.

“I’m nooaoaoaot fuuuunny!” Titan yowled.

“Who’s that?” Yamka asked, waving a paw towards the door. Titan looked at a huge lioness padding into the room. She looked more exhausted and bewildered than he’d ever seen anyone look in his life.

“Apudo?” Titan asked. The lioness padded to Titan and collapsed at his feet.

“What’s happened to me?” she asked.

“You’ve grown massively,” Titan mewed.

“I woke in terrible pain after dreaming of myself running through the woods with big paws and a flowing mane, a cubbish dream of being all grown up I suppose,” Apudo whimpered, “I woke with my paws and feet aching and a feeling of everything stretching, as if my bones were trying to burst from my paws and feet, stretching my skin. I ran to a bath and got into that, but soon, it seemed to me I was getting too big for the tub, so I heaved myself out of that, and maddened by pain, ran to the birthing pool, and, and, all the water vanished, and, and I couldn’t help constantly curling and stretching the toes of all my paws, and, and now, now I’m like this!” she yowled.

“Hmm,” Titan mewed, closely examining the huge lioness, “you’re very well padded.”

“Fat I think you mean,” Apudo mewed, “At least the pain has gone,” she added, that went when all the water vanished, though where the water went I don’t know!”

“Hmm, into you I think,” Patch replied, “Rebirth sequences work like that.”

“What?” Apudo asked, “I thought I’d grow up normally!” she screeched.

“No,” patch replied gently, “your mind took you further into the future than it should have done, and your body, well, it followed.”

“But I wayayayant to beyeee a cuuuub!” Apudo raged, banging the floor with her huge paws, then rolling onto her back, wriggling and squirming, her paws and feet flying in all directions as she went into a proper tantrum.

“Your mind played tricks, and now, well, you’re like this,” patch replied.

“So we’ve got an overgrown cub on our paws now?” Sooleawa asked.

“yes,” patch sighed, “Rebirth does sometimes, well, um,,,”

“Not go according to plan?” Titan asked, as Apudo, now thoroughly furious, got her feet and paws tangled in her exceedingly long mane.

“Oaoaoaaoh naoaoaoaoaoao! My paws and feeyeeet are caught in my mayayayayne!”“ she yowled, while Nanuq tried not to laugh, stuffing his paw into his mouth.

“you may think it fuuuunny, but I doaoaoaoaon’t!” Apudo screeched.

“Can I help you Apudo?” Titan asked the weeping lioness.

“I’m stuuuuuck heyeyeyeyeyre!” she sobbed, Titan kissing her nose and the trapped toes of her paws, then moving to the equally entangled toes of her huge feet. As Titan explored Apudo’s hot, fear and stress dampened pads with his lips and tongue, he untangled iech paw and foot in turn, Apudo finding herself suddenly freed from her entrapment.

“What happened?” Apudo asked, getting carefully to her feet.

“You grew really fast,” patch said.

“It felt as if my bones were stretching my skin!” Apudo miaowed.

“they were,” Patch replied, “you did the best thing you could have done.”

“It huuuuurt Patch!” Apudo whimpered, running to the huge bear, tripping over her paws in her haste, patch sitting down just in time for Apudo to tumble head over paws into his lap.

“I cayayayayn’t even ruuuun!” Apudo yowled piteously once she’d got her breath back, her paws sticking skywards as she lay supine in patch’s lap, the huge bear gazing down at her with gentle benevolence.

“Dear sweet Apudo,” he said, “you really do get your toes in a tangle don’t you.” Apudo, unable to disagree with this statement, lay in patch’s lap, feeling comfortable and safe for the first time since she’d woken in pain that morning.

“Am I always going to be this fat?” Apudo asked.

“yes, I think so,” patch said, “you’re Titan’s cub all right, you’re almost as big as he is Apudo.”

“She’s so cute!” Flocke exclaimed, padding forward to look more closely at Apudo, “that mane, those paws! Oh how sweet!” she gushed, Apudo hiding her face in her paws, Flocke gazing down at the thick pads on the lioness’s huge feet, as her paws were no longer available to look at, “I love these pads!” Flocke continued, rubbing the sole pad of Apudo’s left foot with her paw, the lioness curling her toes in response to the she bear’s gentle touch.

“I must get used to my new body, but it’s larger than I know what to do with!” Apudo mewed, her voice muffled by her now exceedingly large paws with their fat pads, “I get used to being a cub,” she continued, “then, then this!” waving a massive paw, “my paws get huge, and my body gets huge, and, now, now I’m a fat pawed, fat footed bumble paws! Just look at these paws! They’re huuuge! I can’t run on them without tripping over and getting them tangled in my mane!”

“You’re lovely from nose to toes, and your feet and paws are so cute Apudo Bumble paws!” Felix mewed, padding into the room. Striding up to Apudo, who’d removed her paws from in front of her face to glare at the Felursapien, Felix, his eyes sparkling, rose to his feet,, planting a kiss on her nose, the huge lioness relaxing suddenly, smiling at him.

“Apudo bumble paws, that’s rather sweet,” Apudo mewed, looking into Felix’s face, “Why does everything sound like an endearment when you say it Felix?” she asked, “I should be furypuss, I mean furious at you for that, but I’m not.”

“you are a big Soppypuss under all that mane Apudo Bumble paws,” Felix mewed, kissing her paws.

“Stop it Felix, I’m going to cry!” she sniffed, wiping her eyes with her massive paws.

“You are purrfect from your nose to your toes,” Felix mewed, touching Apudo’s nose and the toes of her paws and feet, “Purrfect from your ears to your tail tassel too.” Gulping hard on her emotions, Apudo rolled off Patch’s lap and got to her feet, then stared at an image of a lioness on a screen. It was huge with a long mane and huge paws.

“who are you?” she asked, padding towards the strange lioness, who seemed to approach her with equal confidence. Leaping at the lioness, Apudo sort to defend herself, the lioness before her leaping to meet her. roaring, Apudo felt her paws hit the wall, only then did she realise what she was attacking. Throwing herself backwards, flipping head over paws, Landing on all four paws, Apudo looked round her to find everyone laughing so hard they were supine.

“All right, all right!” Apudo huffed, rolling onto her back and washing her paws as if she’d not just attacked an image of herself.

“You funny!” Felix mewed, choking with laughter.

“To be fair, I don’t think Apudo had seen herself in her new body before then,” patch replied, “she obviously thought there was another lioness in the room.”

“I’m feeling really silly now!” Apudo miaowed.

“It’s a laugh a minute with you Apudo. I’m going to have to book myself into Patch to be stitched I think,” Felix mewed.

“I can’t believe I didn’t see that mirror for what it was,” Apudo whimpered.

“You went into attack mode!” Flocke said.

“I thought it was another lioness running at me! I was defending myself!” Apudo miaowed, Nanuq lying on his back on the floor, squirming from side to side, kicking the air with both feet and spluttering into his paws as he struggled to contain his mirth.

“Okay, Stoaoaoap it Nanuq!” Apudo miaowed.

“You’re soaoao cuuuute!” Nanuq replied, crawling to Apudo then rubbing her belly with his paws, the lioness smiling at him.

“can I rub your feet with my paws?” Apudo asked. Nanuq smiled, crawling away, Apudo crawling after him, pouncing on his huge soles, rubbing his sole and toe pads with both paws, Flocke watching her.

“Nanuq has cute feet doesn’t he,” she said.

“yes, big cuddly pads, much like their owner,” Apudo replied. Nanuq giggled delightedly and backed up, curling his toes, Apudo blowing on his pads, Nanuq sitting back on his heels, wriggling and bouncing with excited pleasure.

“He’s a big cub too,” Flocke replied.

“Nanuq is, and I love him for it,” Apudo mewed, kissing the huge bear’s curled toes, Nanuq lifting his bottom off his heels, balancing his weight on his paws, splaying his legs a little, lowering his head between his arms, then sticking his tongue out at Apudo and Flocke, who sat and lay behind his feet.

“You’re soaoao fuuuunny Nanuq!” Felix laughed, the bear smiling at him, then bracing his toes against the floor, throwing his weight onto his paws, tucking his head under, forward rolling, Apudo smiling at the polar bear, then laughing as he landed, waving his paws and feet about.

“Nanuq might be huge, but he’s super cute!” Felix said.

“I have watched bears, Felursapiens and humans doing the same thing,” Apudo mewed, “I love that too.”

“You just love their flying paws and feet don’t you,” Patch said, Apudo smiling broadly.

“I like watching their paw and foot games,” she replied.

“I watched Nanuq helping Flocke with the imagined birth of a cub,” patch said, “both of them did so well!”

“Nanuq was gentle with me,” Flocke replied, “even though I pushed hard into his paws with both my feet and screamed the place down.”

“You did wonderfully Flocke,” Nanuq said.

“I want to do it again,” Flocke said, but without guidance this time, as I know what to do with my feet and paws. I want you Nanuq to make it really hard for me to free my feet, so I really struggle for the cub.”

“I will do it if you want,” Nanuq replied.

“rub my pads, hold my feet, let me brace my feet and struggle,” Flocke replied, “when I start moaning and squealing, don’t let go Nanuq, let me fight for my cub for some time before letting go of my foot.”

“use Soo Lee’s birth as a template if you like,” Lihua said, “I strained for ages with no visible result Flocke.” Flocke smiled, crawling to Lihua and hugging her.

“Thank you,” she said.

“when you’re kneeling with your weight on your paws and Nanuq is rubbing your feet, squeal and roar as he rubs your sole pads, then pant when he rubs your toes,” patch suggested.

“So do that when I’m sitting on my heels too?” Flocke asked.

“yes, especially then,” patch replied.

“mama Karina sometimes pretends too,” Felix mewed, “Nanulak rubs her pads while she’s moaning and puffing, squealing and squirming. He’s really gentle with her.”

“Do you and Philomena still play?” patch asked.

“Oh yes!” Philomena replied, walking into the room, “Felix is wonderful with me when I’m really struggling. He doesn’t make it too easy either, which I like.”

“what feeling do you get when Felix rubs your pads Philomena?” Flocke asked.

“it’s all warm and lovely,” Philomena replied, “the feeling makes me want to push with my feet to increase it. I push harder and harder with both feet to get that feeling.”

“Philomena moans and whimpers while she pushes too,” Felix replied, “I rub her feet to help her with her efforts.”

“I curl my toes so tightly too! Philomena giggled, “we’re a right pair! I want his touch, and when Felix touches my feet, I push into his fingers, moaning and whimpering in my struggle to increase his touch.”

“it’s only when I let go of her feet does she pant, then when I grab another foot, Philomena squeals and is back to pushing hard into my hands again,” Felix mewed.

“that bit’s a lot of fun,” Philomena said, “I kick and pedal my feet while pretending I’m surprised by the contraction, and when Felix takes hold of my foot I wriggle my foot into his hands and push hard into his grip while groaning deeply.”

“You curl your toes too,” Felix mewed.

“What do you do with your free foot when you’re in the single foot pushing stage?” Flocke asked.

“Hold onto it for dear life and squeeze my pads, the toes of both feet curled tightly,” Philomena replied.

“Single foot pushing?” patch asked.

“Oh, it’s when you hold onto one foot at a time and push against it,” Nanuq said, “when you draw up your legs and grab both feet, that’s when the cub is very near indeed.”

“Oh, so pushing with one foot, then the other and then both prolongs the efforts,” Patch replied.

“yes, it’s a lot of fun!” Philomena replied.

“Hmm, I must try that,” Patch said, “I’ve always just crawled and grabbed both feet when lying on my back, along with kicking too, but I’ve never tried the longer forms of pretend labouring.”

“You should try it, it’s wonderful stress relief,” Nanuq said.

“I might,” patch replied, crawling to Philomena, pushing her off her feet, then tickling her toes, Philomena laughing uproariously at him.

“I bit my paws during Perdita’s birth,” Flocke said.

“it’s hard not to bite your paws,” patch said, “snowdrop bit down on hers during Kamchatka’s birth, I very well remember her doing that.”

“I may bite my paws during my cub’s birth,” Kamchatka said, “Magnus looks like he could make big cubs.” Magnus smiled broadly at this.

“I’d rather you grabbed your feet and curled your toes,” he said, “biting those beautiful paws seems such a desecration.” Kamchatka padded to Magnus and hugged him.

“Sometimes biting your paws is the only thing that helps with the pain,” snowdrop said, padding into the room.

“You were very young and had not told anyone of your pregnancy,” Patch said.

“that’s true,” Snowdrop replied, padding up to Patch then rubbing the pads of his feet with her paws, “you helped me through the pain of my labour, and I gave birth to Kamchatka, and adopted Anernerk too.”

“You did,” Patch replied smiling.

“I recently watched my birth,” Kamchatka said, “mum, you were so young then, how did you get through it?”

“It hurt worse than anything I’ve ever done,” Snowdrop replied, “I thought I was being punished that day for doing a wrong thing. I thought I would die in the most horrendous pain, and worse, take an innocent cub with me. When you were finally born, I didn’t know what to do, and Mama Sita, she was so good to me, patch too, they,” snowdrop paused, tears welling in her eyes, “they fed you until I’d come to my senses,” she continued, “and they were kindness from their ears to their paws!” she sniffled.

“Now your cub has grown into a huge bear who is to be a mama for a second time,” Magnus replied.

“yes,” snowdrop said, “I am very grateful too, for I didn’t treat her well at first.”

“come here mum,” Kamchatka said, Snowdrop going to her, Kamchatka hugging her mum tightly.

“take my paws and feet in yours if you like,” Kamchatka said, snowdrop sitting opposite her grown daughter and exploring her paws and feet with her own paws, Kamchatka smiling and curling her toes with pleasure.

“You’re lovely Kamchatka,” Snowdrop said, kissing the pads of her grown daughter’s right foot, Kamchatka giggling delightedly.

“I’m myself mama,” Kamchatka said, Snowdrop looking her over from nose to pads.

“I have given birth to a beautiful bear,” snowdrop thought as she examined Kamchatka’s eyes, paws and feet.

“You have lovely soft pads Kamchatka,” Snowdrop said, rubbing the sole of her daughter’s left foot with her paws, Kamchatka whimpering with pleasure.

“I wonder if I will grab my feet with my paws,” Kamchatka said.

“You probably will,” Snowdrop replied, “I did, and it helped, if only to give me something to hold onto while I wriggled and screamed my way through transition. That bit really hurts.”

“Is that the bit when the cub’s head comes into the birth canal?” Flocke asked.

“yes,” Patch replied, “most mamas grab their feet with their paws, wriggle and scream, then, once the cub’s head is through the opening, they pedal the air with their feet, then draw up their legs even further, splay their legs and hold on tight to the backs of their thighs to push.”

“I remember doing that,” Kamchatka replied, “my first cub hurt on his way out.”

“I did it too,” Snowdrop replied, I also crawled and sat on my heels while I moaned and screamed during your birth Kamchatka.”

Awhwhwhwh mum,” Kamchatka said, hugging snowdrop tightly.

“Patch helped me to cope, he let me scream into his fur, hugged me and encouraged me to push,” Snowdrop continued.

“Good,” Kamchatka said. Patch groaned deeply, everyone looking at him. Patch held his left foot in his paws, urgently rubbing the pads on the sole and toes of his foot then, as they watched, Patch suddenly gripped the sole of his foot, then yowling, wriggled and pushed his foot hard into their grip, puffing and whimpering as he felt his effort failing, then roaring and moaning as he pushed harder still into his paws with his left foot, the toes of both his feet tightly curled with his efforts.

“Aouaoaoaoaoaow! Uuuuuuuumf! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Oauauauauauaow!” Patch protested as he pushed. Suddenly patch squealed desperately as his foot flew free of his paws. Then, panting and whimpering, patch crawled round the room, stopping to sit back on his heels and wriggle them into his backside, while whimpering and moaning piteously.

“I muuuuust puuuuuush!” patch groaned, wriggling his heels into his buttocks more urgently than ever, sitting on both his large, thickly padded heels, then on one heel, then on both again as he struggled.

“Uuuuuuuumf, Ruuuuuumf! Uauauauauauauwuuuuumf! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” Patch groaned, wriggling convulsively. Panting, he rested his weight on his paws, splayed his legs, curled his toes and whimpered:

“ouauauauauauw! Umf! Ouououououwach!”

“Push Patch, push as hard as you can!” Flocke urged, patch sitting down, wriggling hard, then grabbing his right foot in his paws, bearing down hard by pushing his foot into the grip of his huge paws.

“eyeyeyeyeuuuumf! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Eyeyeyeyeyeyeeyeyuuuuuuumf!” Patch squealed as he pushed his foot into his paws.

“I wayayayayant to, muuuuust puuuuuush!” Patch squealed, pushing his right foot harder than ever into his paws, groaning with his increasingly desperate efforts.

“that’s it Patch, push hard!” Magnus encouraged, patch straining his foot into his paws.

“ouauauauauauw! This is Soaoaoaoao hard, Uuuuuuuumf, Ouauauauauauw!” Patch complained, wriggling and pushing with all his might. Suddenly Patch’s left foot flew free of his paws. With a yell of effort and surprise Patch rolled backwards until he lay on his back, drew up his feet and held them in his paws, wriggling and squealing, before pushing hard with both feet, his paws gripping his sweating soles. Three yelling, screeching efforts freed his feet with a rush, Patch pedalling the air and panting, then squealing lustily as he drew up his feet, grabbed his thighs with his paws, then wriggled hard, splaying his legs and kicking while moaning deeply:

“the cuuuuub’s coming, Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Soaoaoaoao close naoaoaoaoao!”

“Puuuuuush patch, puuuuuush!” Snowdrop yelled, Patch groaning piteously and sitting up, then squealing while rocking back and forth:

“the cuuuuub’s head’s coming ouuouououout! Uauauauauaowch, Umf, Umf! Eeueueueueueurmf! Aauauauaauauauauuw!” then he leant over, panting hard while resting his paws between his knees as he pushed down into his heels, groaning and growling as he made extra efforts to free his cub.

“Just the cub’s legs and feet to push now Patch, they’re big!” Philomena said.

“Uauauauauw!” Patch gasped, “the cuuuuub’s legs are ouuouout, but its feeyeeet are stuuuuuck!” wriggling and panting, Patch grabbed his right foot in both paws, curling the toes of both feet, while rubbing the parts of his own right foot he was pushing against as he narrated his struggles to push the cub’s huge feet out into the world:

“push out the cub’s right foot, first the heel, puuuuuush the cuuuuub’s heyeeel, Uuuuuuuumf! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! The cub’s heel’s slipping back! Must puuush harder! Herhrhrhrhumf! Uauauauaauw! It’s out, umf! Now, now pant Patch, pant the ayayayarch, Uuuuuuuumf! Now puuuuuush the cub’s toooes! Toooes! Umf, auauauauwch! Toooes!” One foot, one foot now ouuouout! ueueueeueeurf! Now, now for the cuuuuub’s left foot, must push out both feeyeeet!” patch gasped, grabbing his left foot, curling his toes with his efforts wile again rubbing the parts of his own foot as he narrated his struggles to push the cub’s huge feet out into the world. “patch, after fifteen minutes of struggle, sat wriggling and squealing desperately, set to pushing the cub’s left foot out into the world. Taking a deep breath, he struggled on:

“Puuuuuush the cub’s left foot out! first the heel, puuuuuush the heyeeel, Uuuuuuuumf Umf, Errururururururmf! Don’t stop puuuuuuushing Patch, not like last time, puuush! It’s ouuouououout! Uuuuuuuumf! Now, now pant, pant the ayayayarch, Uuuuuuuumf Uuuuuuuumf! Now puuuuuush the cub’s toooes! Toooes! Umf, puuuuuush out the cuuuuub’s toooes! Ouauauauauauw! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” Patch whimpered, letting go of his own toes as he moaned, “toooes,” for the second time.” Wriggling, patch explored his imaginary cub, then moaned:

“auauauauwch, the cuuuub has a taiyayayayayl! Got’a try to get it out! Uuumf,” Patch tugged at the imaginary tail, wriggling and gasping, his feet now drawn up close to his buttocks, Patch’s toes curling desperately as he pushed, “Uuuuuuuumf, cuuuuub’s tail is Soaoaoaoao long, oooah, Yauauauauauaauauwch! Umf, Ruuuuuumf, muuuuust puuuuuush harder! Uuuuuuuumf, Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Uuuuuuuumf! Umf! Nearly, How much taiyayayayayl has this cuuuub got?” uuuuuuuuaumf! Auauauauwch! Patch screamed, rolling onto his back and drawing up his legs, grabbing his feet in his paws and wriggling, while straining his feet against the grip of his paws to push the last of the cub’s tail into the world, “Uuuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuuumf! It’s ouuouououout! The cub’s tayayayayil’s Finally ouuouououout!” patch whimpered.

“What sort of cub was that patch was giving birth to do you think?” Felix asked.

“Felursapien,” Philomena giggled, “the trouble patch had delivering the cub’s heels, and toes gave it away, as did the long tail and the trouble with pushing out the cub’s toes, as the cub probably curled its toes while Patch pushed. I know I did when Freckles pushed to deliver me.”

“That was amazing Patch!” Nanuq said, clapping his paws.

“it felt amazing,” patch replied, “and yes Philomena, I was giving birth to a Felursapien.” Philomena giggled delightedly.

“All the trouble of a human birth, with added tail and difficult feet!” she giggled.

“yes, Felursapiens have big heads compared to bears,” Patch replied smiling, “the feet are very sculpted too, so when mama is exhausted, pushing bulging heel and ball pads, deep arches and thick toes out is difficult.”

“Mum told me my toes nearly got stuck!” Felix mewed.

“Yes,” patch replied, I saw that.

“I saw that too,” Apudo mewed, padding over to Felix, pushing him off his feet, then exploring his soles with her paws, Felix mewing and purring at her touch, “mama pushed hard against your heels, arches, the balls of your feet and your toes,” Apudo mewed, touching each part of Felix’s feet as she described them, Felix smiling broadly, his eyes shining with pleasure.

“I watched the whole of my birth time and time again,” Felix mewed, “I also have reversed the video, it looks like mum’s pushing me back inside! It’s very funny!”

“you silly thing!” Apudo laughed merrily.

“I’ve seen that too!” mama Karina mewed, padding into the room on her two feet, Felix has shown me that! It made me curl my toes with discomfort, and it wasn’t even real!”

“It’s a bit of fun mum,” Felix mewed, crawling backwards towards his mum. Looking between his arms from time to time, Felix waited for his toes to touch his mum’s, then he turned, reared onto his naked feet and hugged her. mama Karina smiled at her son cub and returned his hug with interest.

“awww mum!” Felix mewed, snuggling close to his mum, pushing himself into her hug by standing on tiptoe.

“Puuuuuush with those toes Felix, puuuuuush!” Philomena encouraged from where she lay on the floor watching his feet, Felix giggling, then whimpering with effort.

“Felix is really struggling, pushing hard with his toes mama Karina,” Apudo mewed, watching the soles of Felix’s feet from close range, getting a good view of the Felursapiens heel pads and straining arches whenever he pushed hard with his toes. Karina picked Felix up in her arms and swung him round in a circle, his feet flying out behind him, the shocked quarter grown cub miaowing with surprise, everyone laughing at his reaction. Smiling, Karina put Felix down on his feet, the cub collapsing in a heap as he was dizzy.

“that was unexpected mama,” Felix mewed.

“I thought I might,” Karina replied, kneeling then kissing her cub’s nose, Felix hugging her.

“I love seeing hugs and play,” Apudo mewed, crawling up beside Karina, looking at her and Felix hugging each other.

“you’re both so lovely,” she mewed, “I saw you Karina vulnerably giving birth to your son cub. I saw your face, feet, hands, eyes, everything. I saw your struggle at close range.”

“But you were in the cab of the ambulance,” Karina mewed.

“I saw everything Blackberry did,” Apudo mewed.

“Can I look at you Apudo, one cub to another?” Felix looked Apudo over, the lioness rolling onto her side to show him her belly and the thick pads of her huge paws and feet.

“You’re lovely Apudo,” Felix mewed, “So if you run you tumble, and if you roll onto your back and wriggle, your feet and paws get tangled?”

“yes,” Apudo mewed piteously, “I must learn not to run, but, well, as for rolling about and getting my paws and feet tangled, I sort of like it. I like it when others free my paws and feet. it also gives me a good reason to curl my toes, roar and wriggle.” Felix grinned and replied:

“You’re cute when you’re tangled Apudo.” Apudo playfully swiping at him with a massive paw.

“Why do you love being untangled from your mane, but hate being tangled in it?” Karina asked.

“I don’t know,” Apudo mewed, “I should cut my mane so it doesn’t tangle with my toes, but when I am being freed, I like it. if I cut my mane back though, I’d not be able to be freed from it.”

“maybe you crave attention that you didn’t get when you were a cub Apudo?” Patch suggested.

“Maybe,” Apudo mewed. Apudo got to her feet, bounced on her toes and shook her mane, her mane flying around her head in a cloud.

“I wonder what Apudo would be like with long hair all over her body, she’d be rather cute with fluffy paws I think,” Felix mewed.

“I have enough trouble keeping my paws clean as it is without that,” Apudo mewed.

“Your paws are always super clean and very cute,” Felix said.

“So now Apudo’s a big cub?” mama Karina asked.

“Yes,” patch replied, “her body outgrew her mind due to a dream she had, and, well, if she’d not got into that rebirthing pool, she wouldn’t be as big as she is now.”

“The pool was soothing, but, yes, it did make me fat!” Apudo whimpered, “until then, I’d been a slim lioness, though I was growing very quickly, hence why my paws and feet hurt. The pool, well, that fattened me up, and now I’m without any corners at all and I have huge paws and feet too!”

“You are very beautiful Apudo,” Patch said, crawling to her and taking her huge left paw in his huge ones.

“this paw is very soft and very firm,” patch said, “the pads are lovely and bouncy too. Giggling delightedly, Apudo rested her head on patch’s arms as he played with the toes of her left paw, while curling the toes of her feet with pleasure.

“This paw is a pleasure to play with,” patch said.

“there are three more paws,” Apudo mewed, her eyes shining, “I want you to play with all four of my paws, please?” patch smiled and did as Apudo asked, playing with all four of her paws in turn while she purred and mewed, squirmed and growled with pleasure.

“that lioness is lovely,” Felix said, looking envious, “I wish I could have my feet played with.” Sally crawled to Felix, hugged him and asked:

“Would you like me to play with your toes? Rub your pads?” Felix smiled at the young girl.

“I would like that,” he replied softly. Sally took each of Felix’s feet in her hands in turn, rubbing his toe pads, the pads on the balls of his feet, his arches and thick heel pads.

“These hands and feet are so human,” Sally remarked, “a little thicker padded, but very much like mine and Jenny’s.”

“I have watched you two playing,” Felix mewed, “the play of humans is like that of us Felursapiens.”

“You’re very cute Felix,” Sally said, embracing Felix with tender care, “I love you very much,” she said, kissing Felix’s nose, Felix returning her hug.

“I think I like Apudo bumble paws very much,” Felix said, “she’s huge with no corners at all! She’s a well-rounded lioness.” Sally laughed merrily at this.

“Apudo bumble paws?” she asked, “does Apudo know you call her that?”

“She does,” Apudo mewed, padding over to them and sitting down, “I’m very big now, and trip over my own paws very easily.”

“your paws and feet look like they’ve been inflated!” Sally exclaimed.

“yes, I’ve got no corners now,” Apudo mewed, “I’m fat all over now. I think, if I’d not got into the birthing pool, I’d have been a large, but thin lioness. Now, I’m large and very fat! The water just vanished into my paws and feet and filled me up!” Sally laughed merrily, taking Apudo’s left paw in her hands, the lioness lying down.

“You have huge fat paws, they’re so cute!” Sally giggled, kissing Apudo’s nose.

“I think I’ll have to be careful, as I have so much weight now that if I run I might not be able to stop that easily,” Apudo mewed.

“that would be funny!” Sally giggled.

“Noaoaoaow it wouldn’t!” Apudo growled, “I run, then I jam my feet into the floor, and skid on my pads and can’t stop, so I smash into things, or my paws jam and I flip head over paws!”

“That bit is very funny!” Sally replied.

“nayaoaoaoaow it’s naoaoaoaoaoaot!” Apudo whimpered piteously, Sally hugging Apudo tightly, burying her head in the lioness’s thick mane.

“I love you fat one,” Sally whispered, “I remember when you were first born, you were fat even then, a lovely bundle of life.” Apudo purred deeply as she felt her misery leave her.

“I heard you helped Yendi into the world Apudo,” Sally said.

“I did, but I was smaller then,” Apudo mewed, “I wouldn’t be able to do now what I did then.”

“You got paws on, so the story says,” Sally replied.

“I did,” Apudo purred deeply.

“I remember you getting paws on Apuuuuudo!” Yendi yelled, running in on unsteady feet, only noticing how close she was to the huge lioness at the last minute, her paws and feet skidding as she struggled to stop, Yendi miaowing:

“I cayayayayn’t Stoaoaoaoap Apuuuuudo!” with terror as her feet failed to stop her slide and she crashed headlong into the lioness.

“oaoaoaof!” Apudo grunted as Yendi ploughed into her.

“Be careful Yendi!” Tiggs remonstrated, padding in after her scampering cub.

“hello Tiggs,” Apudo gasped.

“Are you all right Apudo?” Tiggs asked.

“I am,” Apudo mewed, looking Tiggs over from nose to tail, “but, but you, you seem to have lost all your fur!” Apudo mewed.

“it came out in pawfuls,” Tiggs replied, “after Yendi’s birth it started falling out, and now, now I’m naked from my ears to my feet! I can, even, listen,” she slid her paws along the floor, her pads squeaking on the rubber flooring.

“a tiger can’t usually do that,” Tiggs said.

“but you still have stripes!” Apudo exclaimed.

“I know,” Tiggs replied smiling, “I’m still liger! Roaoaoaoaor!” Yendi giggled helplessly at her mum’s antics.

“Does Patch know of your fur loss?” Apudo asked.

“yes,” patch replied, “I’ve been monitoring her. There’s no skin infection, she’s just naked now, a furless ligress.”

“Oh,” Apudo mewed. Tiggs rolled onto her back, waving her paws and feet about, Yendi laughing helplessly at her mum’s antics.

“Tiggs Squeaky paws!” Yendi yelled, rolling onto her back and clapping her paws.

“naoaoaoaoao I’m not Tiggs Squeaky paws!” Tiggs yelled, Apudo leaping at her, both ligress and lioness rolling on the floor in play.

“Tiggs Squeaky paws, Tiggs Squeaky paws!” Felix and Yendi carolled.

“Okay, I am Squeaky paws,” Tiggs panted, miaowing as Apudo tickled her toes.

“it’s lovely to hear mum playing with Apudo,” Yendi said, “Apudo’s so big And mum looks so fragile without fur.”

“Your mum’s been through a lot,” Patch said, “Yendi, I don’t know if her fur loss is to do with the treatment I gave her to cure her infected foot, it may be a hangover from that.”

“You mean the treatment made Tiggs’s body hate her fur?” Felix asked.

“Maybe,” Patch replied, “I was hitting the infection in her body with every potion I could think of.”

“Well I’m alive, and I thank you for that,” Tiggs mewed, “I still look like a liger, which is wonderful. I’ll have to be an indoor ligress though, as outside would be too cold for me.”

“There’s enough to keep you fit here Tiggs,” patch said, “we have ample warmth and food and, I hope, stimulation for you too without going into the woodlands.”

“I might be able to go into the woods on warm days, but walks in the autumn and winter are out for this ligress,” Tiggs replied. Sally padded over to Tiggs and put her arms around the ligress’s neck, hugging the naked big cat to her, Tiggs chuffing and purring at her touch.

“You’re beautiful without fur Tiggs,” Sally said, Tiggs smiling at her and resting her head on her shoulder.

“What will other cats think of me though?” Tiggs asked.

“I love you just as you are,” Apudo mewed, “and, if others don’t, I will defend you with my big paws.” Tiggs smiled at Apudo.

“Thanks,” she mewed softly.

“Apudo bumble paws wouldn’t be able to hit anyone with any force now her pads are so thick, it would be like being hit with one of those sponge mallets we play with here,” Felix mewed.

“I’ve never tried hitting anything since I got my new body,” Apudo mewed, getting to her feet, “have I got strength with this size? Or am I just fat and weak?” patch pointed to a punch bag attached to a metal arm, Apudo rearing onto her feet and cuffing it with her right paw. The arm flew backwards with a crash, alarms sounding and lights flashing.

“hmm,” patch mused, “and you weren’t really trying were you?” Apudo saw the punch bag come back at her, and she swiped at it with her left paw, the arm flying backwards even faster, the needle on the readout going from the orange section into the red. Roaring with fury, Apudo lashed out for a third time with both paws, the “slap-metre hitting the end stop, the mechanism jamming the needle at the top for several seconds as the mechanism spent the energy it could not use to drive the needle any further.

“There!” Apudo growled, “I can slap hard!”

“wow!” Felix mewed, “so Apudo’s not all fat under that fur.

“No,” patch replied smiling, “the water in the birthing pool accelerated the growth of her body. it basically accelerated her to what she would become in later life. The problem is, her brain didn’t mature at the same time, so we have a big, fat, fumble footed, long maned bumble cub.” Felix giggled at this, while Apudo sighed.

“Rebirth wasn’t what I thought it would be,” she sighed deeply.

“Rebirth did what you wanted,” Titan mewed, padding over to Apudo, resting his head against her shoulder.

“But you can’t hug me in your paws anymore!” Apudo whimpered, “I want to be small again Titan!” she wailed.

“We can’t do that without rebirthing you all over again,” Titan mewed, “and,” he hesitated, “I don’t think I could go through that again. Spiritually yes, physically? I doubt it.”

“I wayayayayant to beyeee a cuuuub agayayayayayain!” Apudo yowled, stamping her huge paws and feet and shaking her mane in a cubbish rage. Tumbling off her paws, she rolled onto her back, wriggling and kicking with all four legs until her paws and feet got tangled in her mane. Shrieking with fury, she tore at her paws and feet, but her mane held them easily. Panting and sobbing, Apudo lay on her back on the floor, her frothy rage turning into tears of bitter frustration.

“I wayayayaynted to be cub size so I could be guided,” Apudo sobbed, “now, now because I had dreams of the bigger me, I have become big and fat, and now I’m no longer a cub! I wayayayayant to beyeee a cuuuub agayayayayayain!” Apudo yowled hysterically, growling as she squirmed convulsively while tugging at all four paws, in a desperate struggle to free her paws and feet from her mane. Panting hard, she whimpered piteously :

“now, now my mayayayayne has got my feeyeeet and paws, I’m stuuuuuck!”

“Poor Apudo, let me help,” Sally said, crawling to Apudo’s side and gently stroking her sweating paw pads, touching the mane entangling her toes.

“Your mane is thick and long, and very beautiful,” Sally said.

“It’s also very troublesome, but I can’t give it up, I love the feel of it brushing my toooes!” Apudo mewed piteously.

“will you let me help you? let me untangle you,” Sally said, rubbing the pads of Apudo’s left paw.

“yes please,” Apudo whimpered. Sally gently untangled the toes of Apudo’s paw from her mane, clearing it away from the lioness’s hot pads.

“My mane even sticks to my pads!” Apudo mewed.

“let me untangle your other three paws,” Sally said, rubbing Apudo’s pads until she uncurled her toes, then gently freeing the lioness’s toes from her mane.

“Apudo is so cute when she gets into a fury,” Tiggs mewed.

“No I’m not, I’m a frothy mess!” Apudo miaowed, getting to her feet. Padding to Tiggs, she explored her from nose to tail with her paws, finding the ligress completely furless.

“I want to give you my mane to wrap you up in it,” Apudo mewed.

“Your mane is yours Apudo, I know you’d miss it if you gave me it.”

“I’d miss the feel of it brushing my toes as I walk,” Apudo mewed, “but tripping over it, or getting my paws tangled in it is something I would not miss.”

“You’d miss being rescued from it though,” Tiggs mewed, pressing her nose against Apudo’s ear.

“yes, yes I would,” Apudo sighed, “I will admit I like being rescued from my mane, the pad rubs and attention, I like that a lot.”

“But do you have to get your paws and feet tangled before anyone will rub your pads?” Tiggs asked, bumping noses with Apudo, then pushing her over onto her side, lying down and taking the huge lioness’s well furred, thickly padded right paw in her large naked ones, rubbing the lioness’s pads, Apudo’s toes curling with pleasure, “or do you just have to ask, or like now, have it almost imposed on you?” Apudo, purring and moaning with pleasure, replied:

“This is no imposition, take my paws and my feet, rub them all you like Tiggs, I want it so much!” she gasped. Tiggs smiled and groomed Apudo from her nose to her tail, Apudo miaowing and purring with pleasure.

“You’ve got her wrapped around your paws mum,” Yendi said, padding carefully up to Apudo and exploring the lioness’s huge right foot with her paws.

“your cub’s very paws on,” Apudo mewed, “Yendi didn’t see me until she was very close to me too.”

“I’ll check her over,” Patch said, scooping Yendi off the floor, the taliger cub miaowing in protest and lashing out with her paws. Tiggs, now anxious, followed her and Patch to his workroom.

Patch took Yendi to his work room and checked her over from nose to tail, finding nothing physically wrong with her. lying her on her back on his hammock, Patch pricked the sole pad of her right foot with a needle, drawing blood onto a slide for tests, Yendi squealing with shock and pain.

“Sorry Yendi,” Patch said, kissing her nose. Patch then switched off the lights, plunging the room into darkness, asking the cub to look at a light he held in front of her eyes and tell him when she could see it. Yendi hesitated:

“I can’t see a light,” she mewed, as Patch passed the light in front of her left eye, “oh, there it is!” she mewed, as Patch passed it in front of her right eye.

“Right,” patch said, tell me when the light’s bright or dark Yendi.”

“Bright now, dark, now,” Yendi replied, while Patch flashed the light in front of her right eye.

“Yendi, please, look straight at me,” Patch said, fitting a head cam with a special lens on it, “look into the light please, this will hurt your eye, I’m sorry about this, but keep looking into the light.” Yendi tried hard to look into the light, but it hurt her eye, crying, she covered her face with her paws.

“What’s happening Patch?” Tiggs asked, “What does “can’t see the light mean?”

“I, um, I think Yendi’s got sight problems Tiggs,” patch replied softly.

“oaoaoaoaoah!” Tiggs yowled in great distress, Yendi turning her head towards her.

“What’s wrong mum?” she asked, Tiggs turning tail and running from the room.

“Why did mum yowl like that Patch?” Yendi asked.

“You can’t see very well Yendi dear,” Patch replied, “your mum, well, she’s upset about that.”

“I’m upset that you hurt me with your bright thing!” Yendi yelled, lashing out at Patch with her paws.

“That’s good, in a way,” patch replied, “if I hurt you with my light, that means you can see it. If the light is on, and it’s not bright enough to hurt, there’s a problem.”

“Like in my left eye?” Yendi asked, patch gasping as she got right to the point.

“yes Yendi dear,” Patch replied, touching her paw with his, “I need to check your other eye too, as, well, that’s not normal either.”

“I didn’t see Apudo patch, not till the last minute,” Yendi said, “I, I, I crashed into her because I had no choice!” she sniffled, “I didn’t mean to Patch, honest I didn’t!” she whimpered piteously.

“I know that now,” Patch replied gruffly, swallowing a huge lump in his throat, trying to be professional, but seeing cubs so distressed always upset him.

“Am I going to be like Mama Sita?” Yendi asked, Patch turning away to hide his emotions.

“I don’t know,” he replied. Taking a deep breath, Patch turned back to Yendi, “I’ll see what I can do,” he said firmly.

“Are you going to see if you can stop me being like Mama Sita?” Yendi asked.

“Yes,” Patch replied softly, “I must do more checks,” he added, “but as I’m hurting you, I’ll sedate you so you won’t feel it. I need to look deeper into your eyes Yendi.”

“What made me like this?” Yendi asked. Patch took a deep breath, steeling himself, for he didn’t like describing things like this.

“it is how you were made Yendi dear,” he replied.

“So it’s mum’s fault?” Yendi asked.

“No, it’s noone’s fault, it’s just how things are, sometimes,” Patch replied, trying not to sound overwhelmed or upset, which he was both, “”You did nothing wrong, your mum did nothing wrong Yendi,” he said.

“I can’t take that pain any more Patch,” Yendi said.

“What pain?” patch asked.

“the light pain, it huuuuurt!” she whimpered.

“I’ll sedate you,” Patch said, “here, suck on this sweet.” Patch gave Yendi a sweet which soon made her sleepy. Then patch got on with his exploration, finding Yendi couldn’t see anything out of her left eye, but could see light and dark with her right. He found the bit of the retina that held the cones which dealt with colour completely destroyed in both eyes, the rods also gone in her left eye, whereas her right still had working rods, meaning she could see light and dark in her right eye only. “What’s wrong with my cub Patch?” Tiggs asked, her voice trembling with emotion.

“She’s blind in one eye Tiggs dear,” patch replied, “and I think only light perception in the other, meaning shadows.”

“So, so Yendi couldn’t help crashing into Apudo,” Tiggs mewed.

“No,” Patch replied, “Tiggs, I think, think it’s worse than that. I don’t think she has any lens in either eye, and, well, she couldn’t tell where Apudo was until she was right on top of her.”

“ooaaoah,” Tiggs mewed, looking at her cub lying supine on the couch, patch giving Yendi pain killing gas through a mask attached to a tube.

“I don’t think she can see much at all Tiggs dear,” Patch said, Tiggs choking back her tears.

“Did my failure to treat my illness cause this?” she asked.

“I don’t know Tiggs dear,” patch replied, “please, don’t think like that.”

“but that’s the only thing that could have caused this!” Tiggs wailed.

“I don’t think it could have,” patch said with as much conviction as he could muster, “your cub was healthy, I saw that for myself, and she’s healthy here. Look, we mustn’t talk like this, she can still hear us, and it might distress her.”

“yes, I can still hear you,” Yendi mewed drowsily, “I don’t understand everything you’re saying, but it isn’t sounding nice.”

“isn’t there anything you can do for Yendi Patch?” Tiggs asked desperately.

“No Tiggs, there isn’t, I’m sorry,” patch replied softly, “we’ll just have to be considerate of her needs like we are Mama Sita’s and ursine Ekaterina’s.”

“Now I know why Yendi crashed into me,” Apudo mewed, padding into the room, Patch turning the pain killing gas off, giving Yendi pure oxygen to flush the drug from her body.

“yes Apudo, she didn’t see you,” patch replied.

“Oh dear,” Apudo mewed, “and I loved seeing her scampering and skidding paws too. I’m sorry she can’t see her way.”

“She will have to be careful now,” Patch said. Yendi stretched her paws and feet, then Patch helped her down from the hammock.

“use your nose and paws Yendi,” Patch said, Yendi padding carefully to Tiggs’s side, bumping noses with her.

“Mum, are you cold?” Yendi asked.

“I’m a little chilly,” Tiggs replied. Patch got a blanket for Tiggs, wrapping it around her body, strapping it under her belly to keep her warm, Tiggs staring at herself in a mirror.

“You turned me into a leopard!” she yowled, Patch laughing delightedly.

“oops, wrong blanket,” he said, dragging out a striped blanket and exchanging it.

“That’s better,” Tiggs mewed, Patch hugging her tightly.

“Look after your cub,” he said softly, “Yendi needs you more than ever now,” Tiggs head rubbed with Patch.

“Will she lose the shadows too?” Tiggs whispered.

“I don’t know Tiggs dear,” patch replied. Yendi padded away with Tiggs, Patch sighing deeply as he watched them go.

“I really hate giving bad news,” he thought.

Patch put away his diagnostic kit, the images of what he’d seen in Yendi’s eyes unable to leave him. Patch remembered the fear he felt when he had described to him what the vets had seen in his own eyes when he’d been blinded by congenital eye problems before his rebirth into Orbon’s old body, the images he’d just seen frightening him just as much.

“Yendi probably thinks nothing of it, as her eyes have always been in that condition, but to see it is shocking,” Patch thought as he left the room. Patch went to the playroom wanting to see cubs playing. Walking in, he was ambushed by Yendi who had hidden herself round the corner of some soft bricks which formed a slight wall, the cub clamping her paws round his left leg, patch grunting with surprise and tugging hard, feeling her paws slide down from his ankle to the sole of his left foot, the cub letting his leg and foot slide through her paws. Once Yendi had hold of his foot, she clung on, digging her toes into his soft, firm sole pad, patch feeling the pressure from her toes, grateful she’d sheathed her claws.

“wow Yendi!” Patch gasped, tugging at his left foot, curling his toes with effort, the toes of Yendi’s paws gripping the bear’s bunching pads more firmly than ever.

“Pull Patch pull!” Yendi encouraged, digging the toes of her own feet into the floor, and leaning back, patch and she having a tug of war. Patch whimpered, grunted and panted, pushing hard with the toes of his free right foot while leaning hard on his paws. Patch pushed as hard as he could with the toes of his right foot while pulling with his paws, but couldn’t free his left foot. Lowering his head and whimpering with effort, he tugged desperately, Yendi letting go of Patch’s left foot at the peak of his effort, Patch tumbling head over heels, landing on his back with a yell of surprise.

“she’s strong!” he gasped.

“that was soaoao fuuuunny!” Apudo laughed, rolling onto her back, wriggling with glee and clapping her paws until they tangled in her mane, putting a yowling, whimpering end to her merriment.

“Oh dear Apudo,” Yendi said, padding over to the huge lioness then exploring her with her paws, “you’re stuck, I thought I heard your merriment coming to a whimpering, miaowing stop.”

“I’m stuck Yendi!” Apudo whimpered piteously.

“My paws are smaller than yours Apudo,” Yendi said, touching her left paw against Apudo’s right, measuring her small fat paw against the lioness’s huge fat one, Apudo whimpering miserably.

“This isn’t a time to measure paws!” she growled.

“but you’re never still enough normally,” Yendi mewed, Apudo huffing at her.

“All you have to do is ask,” she growled.

“Yendi, don’t do that!” Theo snapped, running in and cuffing Yendi’s paws off Apudo’s.

“What?” Yendi asked, tumbling onto her back, Theo pinning her down under his paws.

“Don’t take Apudo’s paws without her permission!” Theo snapped.

“What? I wasn’t! was I?” Yendi miaowed. Theo told her breathlessly of the time he’d had his own paws touched by force, the memory upsetting him.

“Oh, I didn’t think of it like that,” Yendi mewed sorrowfully, “Apudo, I’m sorry! Are you there Apudo?” Apudo, not having heard what Patch had found out about Yendi’s sight, kept silent, angry with the cub.

“Apudo, please, speak to Yendi,” patch pleaded, crawling to her.

“she can see I’m furious! I’m furious at her for measuring her paws against mine, and not freeing my paws when she could see they were trapped by my mayayayayne!” Apudo mewed, “I’m nooaoaoaot speaking to her patch!”

“Apudo, she can’t see you,” patch replied, his voice cracking.

“I’m closer to her now than I was when she crashed into me,” Apudo mewed, then she looked at Patch’s face, “What?” she asked.

“Yendi can’t see you Apudo,” patch said, “she can’t see your face, paws, anything about you.”

“so that’s what Tiggs looks so upset about!” Apudo mewed, “I asked her, but she wouldn’t say anything, she just slammed out of the playroom in a bitter mood.”

“yes, she’d been given some bad news about Yendi’s sight. Yendi can’t see at all in her left eye, and only shadows in her right, with no depth perception at all.”

“oh,” Apudo mewed softly, her anger at Yendi evaporating, “Yendi, please, come, touch my paws,” she mewed.

“No,” Yendi mewed, “taking your paws was wrong, I shouldn’t have done that, not when they were tangled in your mane and you couldn’t get free.”

“could you help me get free of my mane?” Apudo asked.

“yes, I could,” Yendi mewed, Theo huffing with exasperation as he let her go, Yendi padding to Apudo’s side, the cub’s nose touching Apudo’s.

“Lie down, and I’ll try to get my paws and feet close to yours,” Apudo mewed, wriggling into position. Yendi lay face to face with Apudo, Yendi’s small touch on the pads of her paws making Apudo tearful.

“your touch is like Mama Sita’s!” Apudo choked.

“is it?” Yendi mewed, clearing the mane from Apudo’s right paw, then attending to her left.

“yes,” Apudo mewed, gulping back her tears, “Yendi, make sure you have untangled my paws and feet properly.”

“I have,” Yendi replied, “I make sure before I move to the next paw.”

“I don’t want that,” Apudo choked.

“You want me to do a good job but at the same time you don’t want me to do a good job?” Yendi asked.

“Apudo wants you to touch and rub each of her paws and feet more than once I think,” Theo mewed.

“but they’re tangled,” Yendi mewed, “I thought you didn’t want me to touch them when they were tangled Apudo?”

“I don’t like them played with when they’re tangled, I want them freed then,,” Apudo choked, sniffing hard, “Yendi, please, rub my pads now.” Yendi worked on Apudo’s paws, then scooted to her feet, working carefully with her paws, nose and tongue to check Apudo’s pads for any mane tangling them, Apudo burying her face in her newly freed paws, sobbing piteously at the memory of how high she’d held her own petty concerns.

“Getting my feet and paws tangled in my mane is nothing to what Yendi, cub Ekaterina and Mama Sita have to contend with,” she thought, crying into her thickly padded paws..

“there, all four of your huge paws are free,” Yendi mewed, scooting back to Apudo’s forepaws, finding the lioness’s paws covering her face, tears leaking between the digits.

“Why are you crying?” Yendi asked. Apudo angrily wiped the tears from her eyes with her paws and sniffed hard before replying:

“My troubles are so petty, and I get so angry about them, that’s all,” she mewed.

“I know I shouldn’t have touched your paws without your permission, I’m sorry Apudo,” Yendi said.

“come to my lie up, and you can touch my paws and feet if I’m off them, and if I’m not off them, ask me to lie down,” Apudo replied horsely.

“Are you sure?” Yendi asked.

“yes!” Apudo mewed, “then, then, if you tickle my toes and I squirm and tangle my paws, you can free them too.” Yendi kissed Apudo’s nose and the tear soaked pads of her left paw.

“you’re adult though,” Yendi mewed, “is it right I tickle the pads of an adult lioness?”

“I’m not what I seem,” Apudo mewed, “please Yendi, take me up on my offer. I’d love it if you would.” Yendi kissed the pads of Apudo’s hot, tear soaked paws, the huge lioness taking a deep breath to steady her emotions which shook her entire body.

“I think patch wouldn’t mind his foot caught in your paws again Yendi,” Theo mewed.

“No I wouldn’t, I enjoyed that,” patch replied smiling.

“You made a lot of noise while fighting me,” Yendi mewed, “it was fun Patch.”

“did you notice my toes were curled?” patch asked.

“I did,” Yendi mewed, “I kept paws on with your foot as it slipped through my paws, even though I let you go, your pads were bunched too,, you have very cute pads and toes patch!” Patch laughed merrily at the memory of his toe curling, pushing, pulling struggle to free his foot.

“patch’s feet are huge!” Theo mewed, gazing down at Patch’s right foot, “how did you ever hold one of them in your small paws tight enough to stop him in his tracks Yendi?”

“I don’t know,” Yendi mewed, “I dug in the toes of both paws a bit,, though I promise I didn’t use my claws!” she added quickly.

“You have powerful paws,” patch replied, fingering the sole of his left foot, the one Yendi had held onto with such power, “I really truly couldn’t free my foot. If I had been able to, I wouldn’t have tumbled head over heels when you let go Yendi. I was really struggling!”

“Where’s mum?” Yendi asked. Patch got to his feet and left the room, finding Tiggs in the relieving place, sobbing and vomiting into the hole in the floor.

“come Tiggs,” patch said, resting his paw on her sweating shoulder. Tiggs turned her tear ravaged face to him.

“My cub can’t see anything!” she choked, “how can you be so happy? How can I ever be happy again?”

“I too felt the shock of it,” patch replied, “Tiggs, you don’t know my history, but I do know what Yendi’s going through. I hated giving you the news, but the news is not terminal. Yendi’s still here, she’s still the cub you loved until today. She knows she’s different to others, but she plays as happily as ever she did. For Yendi, today is no different to her previous day, or tomorrow. She copes with what she has. She knows you’re upset, but doesn’t really understand why you’re upset. To her, her sight loss is just the way she’s always been, though she knows now that she has to use her paws a bit more than she thought she’d have to, after crashing into Apudo that is. You are upset for yourself, at the thought of what you’d lose if your sight was like hers. We can play with Yendi in different ways to how we’d play with cats with full sight, we’ve done it before. Mama Sita and cub Ekaterina have full lives here, and before her rebirth, mama Ekaterina, as she was known then, was a midwife, attending the births of many cubs. while Yendi is too young to get paws on with things like that, it’s not unheard of here. Now come, come and hear what happened to me thanks to your dear cub Yendi. I’m sure what happened to me will make you smile.”

“Nothing will make me smile ever again,” Tiggs whimpered. Patch washed Tiggs’s face and tear soaked paws, then, with dragging steps, she followed him from the relieving place to the main playroom, where they found Apudo, huge and immovable, lying on her back with Yendi scrambling all over her like she was a climbing frame.

“I’ll show you the video,” patch said, smiling at Yendi and Apudo, “I don’t think we could re-enact what happened, I know I couldn’t do it so convincingly as I did then.”

“My paws just held onto Patch’s foot, I didn’t know properly what I was doing until then,” Yendi mewed.

“how did you hold onto his foot with enough strength to stop him in his tracks Yendi?” Tiggs asked.

“I don’t know,” Yendi replied, “I felt strength in my paws, and holding Patch’s foot was so easy! He pulled so hard, but couldn’t free his foot. He was as weak as a cub mum!”

“That’s just it,” Patch replied, “I flipped our strength when you’d caught me Yendi. I had to use my weight to free myself, as my strength couldn’t do it.”

“Why make yourself as weak as a cub patch?” Tiggs asked.

“I wanted to do it,” patch replied softly, “I needed to feel Yendi’s determination to hold my foot, and she was determined. Yendi had started something by grabbing my leg, and I thought I’d play along a bit.”

“You were wonderful patch,” Yendi said, sliding down Apudo’s left side then padding up to him, rubbing his huge paw with her small one, while Apudo protested Yendi’s abandonment of her with a high pitched yowl of cubbish rage.

“Can I hug you Yendi?” Patch asked. Yendi smiled, Patch sitting down, Yendi scrambling into his lap, the bear hugging the taliger cub in his huge warm paws.

“I love you Yendi,” Patch said, rubbing her ears with his huge left paw, the Taliger cub purring and mewing with pleasure.

“What on earth is Felix riding?” Apudo asked suddenly, leaping to her feet and staring at the Felursapien cub.

“Oh, that’s a tricycle,” patch said, as Felix ran over the tip of Sita’s tail, which he’d failed to notice lying across his path. Sita, yowling:

“aouwch! uauauauauaowch! Miaoaoaoaow! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow! Uauauauauaowch!” with pain, whipped round, launching herself at Felix who was babbling apologies, the cub tumbling off the trike, Sita and he tumbling together on the floor as she walloped him with her paws.

“I’m sorry Sita!” Felix miaowed as she slapped him.

“You have working eyes, bloody use them!” Sita screamed.

“yes, I’m sorry Sita!” Felix whimpered, “I thought I’d missed your tail!”

“Naoaoaoaow you didn’t!” Sita yowled, “Oaoaoaoaow, Uauauauauw! My taiyayayayayl!” Sita screamed, rolling onto her back, drawing up her legs and curling her tail towards her so she could grab it in her paws. Massaging her tail tip, she writhed in discomfort, curling and relaxing her toes by various degrees as, mewing piteously she licked then rubbed life into her sore tail.

“Sorry Mama Sita!” Felix mewed, crawling up to her then kissing the pads of her left foot which were bunched as she curled her toes with the discomfort of rubbing her sore tail tip.

“What ran over me?” she asked.

“I ran over your tail with the front wheel of my trike,” Felix mewed, “I was pushing it along with my feet, I wasn’t pedalling it, though I could have pedalled the trike.”

“It felt like a steamroller going over my tayayayayil!” Sita miaowed.

“I’m sorry Sita, please,, let me hug you?” Felix replied. Sita let go of her tail and rolled onto her side.

“Come on then,” she said, feeling Felix scrambling up to her, his arms hugging her.

“I’ll show you the trike,” Felix mewed, kissing Mama Sita’s nose.

“I need to get paws on with what squashed my tail,” Mama Sita mewed. Felix led Sita to his trike, which Patch was examining with interest.

“Felix, where did you get this?” he asked.

“I found it in an old garage in the woods, it was full of ride on wheeled things. I got this out as I could push it along with my feet, I wasn’t confident pedalling it,” Felix mewed, “I washed the wheels when I brought it into the house, then scooted it along here.”

“Then you ran over my tail!” Sita yowled.

“I, um, yes, I didn’t mean to!” Felix replied.

“Can I get paws on with the thing that ran over my tail Patch?” Sita asked. Patch rang the bell which he found on the handlebars of the trike and Sita followed the sound, Felix realising he could have used the bell to alert Mama Sita of his approach. Sita got paws on with the trike, then asked Felix to sit on it. Felix did, and she got paws on with him, touching his hands, legs and feet, touching the tops and soles of the Felursapiens feet, Felix giggling as her paws explored his arches and heel pads, then tickled the tops of his toes.

“So you can push with your toes to move the bike?” Sita mewed.

“yes,” Felix mewed, pushing with his toes, Sita exploring his feet, Patch stopping the trike from running far.

“Ah, so you can push harder and faster with your toes, then the trike will get faster and faster?” Mama Sita asked.

“yes,” Felix mewed, “You’re too big to fit in this trike Mama Sita.”

“I’m very big,” Sita mewed, “but isn’t there a trike big enough for me?”

“No,” Felix giggled.

“You can’t see well enough to drive one anyway Sita,” Apudo said.

“No, suppose not,” Sita mewed, “Felix,” Mama Sita asked, “did I hear a bell ring a minute ago?”

“yes, and I know what you’re going to say, and I’m sorry!” he miaowed.

“yes, you could have rung it while riding that bloody trike!” Mama Sita growled..

“how’s your tail now Mama Sita?” Felix asked. Sita twitched the end, feeling coming back into it.

“It’s all right,” Sita mewed.

“I don’t want to put an end to your scooting,” Patch said, “but isn’t it a bit dangerous riding that into and around the house?” Felix looked down at his hands on the handlebars.

“yes,” he mewed, “it was rather silly now I think of it properly.”

“Take it outside then,” patch said, “and don’t ride it in the house Felix,” he added, as Felix settled into the seat, “wheel it outside.”

“but patch!” Felix mewed piteously, but the bear was unrepentant:

“Off the trike,” he said, “wheel it Felix.” Felix, grumbling to himself, got off the tricycle and wheeled it from the playroom.

“That’s something from Ancient Koda’s old storage buildings isn’t it?” Sita asked.

“yes,” patch replied, “the door must have been left open, or broken.”

“I know it hurt my tail,” Sita mewed.

“Felix will ride it outside from now on,” Patch replied.

“He should be made to ring that bell constantly while riding that thing!” Tiggs mewed, “I can imagine poor Yendi walking in the woods and Felix comes barrelling down the track and smack, straight into her!”

“I will warn him,” Mama Karina mewed, walking out of the room to find her son cub.

Karina found her way to the woods, to find Felix racing round and round a circuit of tracks near the house. Waving to him, she flagged him down.

“Felix, I know you like that wheeled thing of yours, but please, be careful when riding it,” she pleaded when he’d come to a stop beside her, “keep your eyes open please. I have a terrible fear you’ll do someone damage with it. Just imagine if Mama Sita or cub Ekaterina were out here and you came flying down the track on that thing? I can’t hear it until it’s quite near, so please, please, ring your bell and slow down too! It would be horrible if you hit a community member because you were inattentive.”

“I will slow down mum,” Felix mewed, tearing off down the track as fast as he could go while Karina looked after him:

“Slow down!” she yelled as Felix disappeared round the corner of the house. Felix scooted faster and faster, then pressed the button on the handlebars which lowered the pedals. These pedals dropped behind his feet, and he fitted his toes into loops which meant he could push back against the pedals with both feet. thrusting hard with both feet, Felix went even faster. Turning right, he encountered the cobbles on the roadway, the vibration making him feel very unwell. Slowing down, he pulled to the side of the road and was violently sick on the verge.

“That’s why you don’t race that thing,” a voice said in his ear. Felix looked up, straight into Patch’s face.

“How did you get here?” he asked.

“I thought I’d follow you to make sure you didn’t do any harm,” patch replied, his eyes angry, “Felix, you shouldn’t race that thing as hard as you do. Take it gently, and you can ride it, but we have disabled creatures here who cannot run from your path if you happen to come down the track they’re walking on. If you do not ride responsibly, I’ll put noise makers on your wheels so you can’t ride without making a horrendous din.”

“I’d put them on anyway,” a small voice said, Felix looking down at Patch’s feet, seeing cub Ekaterina crawling through the grass to meet patch. The naked half-grown cub was clearly not on her feet yet, and Felix’s heart went out to her.

“I will ride properly,” Felix mewed, visions of smashing into cub Ekaterina floating unbidden into his mind, “you can put those noisemakers on my wheels too,” he added. Patch looked down at cub Ekaterina, then smiling, lay down, cub Ekaterina scrambling onto his back, the two of them leaving Felix alone, the naked cub riding on patch’s back, her toes and fingers gripping his fur as she rode home.

“patch knows how to make me feel more sick than ever,” Felix thought, riding home at a much slower pace than he’d arrived. Driving the trike at slow speed, Felix rang the bell every time he approached and turned a corner, only ceasing ringing the bell when he had rounded the corner. Pulling into the garage, Felix slipped his feet from the pedals and pulled a lever which stowed the pedals. Standing on the concrete on both feet, he was about to enter the house through a side door when he felt a paw touch his left foot.

“You drove back very calmly,” cub Ekaterina said.

“I thought you were back here!” Felix mewed, kneeling beside the naked polar bear cub.

“Patch followed you back to make sure you rode responsibly,” cub Ekaterina replied.

“I wouldn’t want to injure you or anyone else,” Felix mewed, kissing cub Ekaterina’s nose.

“that’s good,” she replied, Felix getting to his feet and going to the door, cub Ekaterina following him on paws and knees.

“Are you any closer to getting on your feet Ekaterina?” Felix asked.

“No, not yet,” the bear cub replied. following Felix into the house, rubbing her paws and knees on the mat then crawling to the paw and foot wash place, where they washed their paws, knees and feet.

“that was very considered riding Felix,” Patch said, washing his paws and feet at another basin next to the two cubs.

“the feeling of the trike rumbling over the cobbles made me sick, then the thought of injuring cub Ekaterina made me feel awful,” Felix mewed, “Patch, please, will you help me fit things to that trike so I can ride it safely?”

“yes,” patch replied, “plus we’ll get you a helmet too, in case you come off that thing.”

“Anernerk doesn’t have to wear one when she’s riding her scooter,” Felix mewed.

“She’s strapped to it,” Patch replied, “plus she has taken to wearing a helmet recently.”

“I might,” Felix mewed.

“You will!” mama Karina replied, padding up behind her son and sitting down beside him at the sunken bath.

“Oh all right mum,” Felix mewed.

“I don’t want to lose you because you fell off that thing and hit your head,” mama Karina mewed.

“yes mum,” Felix mewed, hugging her.

“Can we play Felix?” cub Ekaterina asked.

“I’d like that,” Felix mewed, “how if I tickle your pads until you laugh so much you’re squirming on the floor Ekaterina?”

“I’d love it if I could sit in your lap and you rub the pads of my feet,” the bear cub said.

“I’ll be glad to,” Felix mewed.

“I call you a cub, but you’re not really one any more Felix,” mama Karina mewed.

“I can play like one mum,” Felix purred, “but I’m not one in body, not like Ekaterina here.”

“You didn’t mess up your life like I did,” Ekaterina said.

“You’re trying your best to do the right thing now cub Ekaterina,” Felix mewed, leaving the tub and padding to the drying room, cub Ekaterina following him, “we will dry off here, then we can play.”

“you’re lovely to me Felix,” the bear cub said. Felix sat cub Ekaterina in a slatted chair, then angled warm air hoses so they blew warm air up through the seat of the chair and over her feet and paws, cub Ekaterina wriggling with pleasure, laughing merrily as she was tickled and dried by the warm air.

“that’s a novel way of using the hoses and a chair Felix,” Patch said, padding into the room and stepping into a warm air cubical to dry his fur and paws, the air fanning him from all directions, tickling his toes and ruffling the fur between his ears. Patch, bouncing on his toes to stimulate his sole pads, looked out at Felix and Ekaterina.

“Patch is bouncing on his toes like an excited cub,” Felix mewed to Ekaterina, who smiled at the thought.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because I like the feel of the warm air blowing over my pads,” patch replied, leaving the cubical and padding to the chair where cub Ekaterina sat. Picking her up out of the chair, he sat down in it, sitting her in his lap, Ekaterina snuggling close to Patch.

“I’m surprised you came out into the woodlands with me Ekaterina,” he said, “it’s cold and you weren’t wearing a coat.”

“I wasn’t thinking of that when I followed you out of the house,” the cub replied, “but, yes, it was cold, I rode home with my paws and feet buried in your fur as far as they’d go, even so, I was freezing!”

“are you warm enough dear cub?” Patch asked.

“yes thanks,” cub Ekaterina replied softly. Patch rose from the chair and carried Ekaterina to his lie up where he settled her on the bed, then found a suit for her. helping cub Ekaterina into the suit, Patch smiled at the sight of Ekaterina in a quilted suit, her small paws and feet sticking from the jacket and trousers, the hood ready for her to put over her head if she wished. The suit also had re-enforced knee pads and elbow pads to help Ekaterina crawl, as well as tight fitting cuffs on arms and legs so the suit didn’t slip while she crawled.

“there,” Patch said, cub Ekaterina smiling at him.

“I love being all snuggly in this,” she said, Patch kissing her nose, then her paws, which she’d turned pads uppermost and lifted for him to kiss.

“You’re lovely,” he said.

“Can I crawl and still feel if others touch my feet or paws?” Ekaterina asked.

“Try it,” Patch replied, Ekaterina shuffling to the side of the bed, then trying to reach the floor, stretching for the floor with her legs, her feet unable to reach the floor. turning onto her front, and wriggling back a bit, she again stretched for the floor with both legs, her toes only just able to touch the floor.

“I’m going to fall!” she squealed, Patch lifting her up and placing her on the floor.

“Thanks,” cub Ekaterina said. patch stroked her ears with a massive paw and then ran his fingers down the sole of her left foot from heel to toes, Ekaterina squealing shrilly with glee.

“What are you doing in there Ekaterina?” mama Karina mewed.

“patch is tickling my feeyeeet!” cub Ekaterina laughed, Patch rubbing out the tickle on her sole pad.

“he’s a rogue for that,” mama Karina mewed, padding into the room.

“having my pads tickled is great,” cub Ekaterina said, “my squealing was with delight at the feeling Patch tickling me gave me.”

“Maybe I need some of that,” mama Karina mewed.

“come here then,” Patch said, beckoning with a huge paw. Mama Karina crawled towards Patch, his paw rubbing her ears, back, legs, and finally her naked padded feet, mama Karina curling her toes increasingly tightly with pleasure as his paw rubbed her heel pads, arches, then the balls of her feet, Karina’s pads bunched by her tightly curled toes. Patch smiled as mama Karina sat back on her heels, squirming and bouncing with pleasure.

“last time I bounced on my heels like this I was in pain giving birth to Felix and it helped then,” Karina mewed.

“it feels good either way doesn’t it,” cub Ekaterina said.

“it does,” mama Karina mewed.

“You are a big cub under that fur,” patch said, Karina smiling broadly.

“I hope my pads are not too tough to play with,” she said.

“They’re soft and springy, like a cub’s should be,” patch replied, Karina looking up into his face.

“I know I have given birth to my cub when I was hardly out of cubhood myself,” mama Karina mewed.

“You must have been just on the eve of your year’s birthday,” patch replied.

“Far too young,” mama Karina mewed, “When I look back at that video, during scenes in the family lie up and in the ambulance, I sound like a cub giving birth. I even look like one, because I was a cub, despite my size, I was a cub.”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” patch said, rubbing the bunched skin of Karina’s left foot with his paw, Karina relaxing her toes, “you and Mama Sita did wonderfully Mama Karina.”

“Mama Sita helped me so much that day,” Karina mewed, “touching my feet as she did, exploring me with her paws while I curled my toes in concentration during my pushing and straining efforts. All was lovely.”

“I know she thanks you for letting her get paws on with you during your labour,” Patch replied smiling.

“I wouldn’t have had it any other way Patch,” mama Karina mewed. Patch drummed his fingers on the ball of Karina’s left foot, watching her smile and wriggle with pleasure.

“do that much more and I’ll curl my toes and wriggle even harder,” she mewed.

“Would you like me to?” patch asked.

“You know what I’ll do, so if you want to see me bounce about and curl my toes, by all means tap away at my pads,” Karina mewed. Patch ran his fingers down the sole of Karina’s left foot from heel to ball, Karina giggling and squirming gleefully.

“I could do with more of this!” she exclaimed.

“why not crawl away and I’ll chase you,” patch suggested. Karina crawled, patch crawling after her, pinning her toes under his paws and blowing on her heel pads, Karina shrieking with laughter.

“Can I chase you too Karina?” Ekaterina asked.

“yes, please do,” mama Karina mewed, laughing helplessly as Patch traced circles on her heel pads with his breath, Karina unable to resist the urge to bounce her buttocks on her heels and squirm with glee, Patch laughing at her antics.

“You only needed an excuse,” he said.

“I only needed someone to tickle my pads!” Karina giggled.

“there are plenty here who will do that,” Patch replied, quickly running one finger down the sole of Karina’s left foot from heel to toes, making her shriek:

“Stoaoaoaoap it!” with laughter.

“I’ve got the other foot to work on,” patch replied, kissing the top of Karina’s head.

“I’ll be bouncing, squirming and squeaeaeaealing a lot more then!” Karina giggled.

“You big softy Karina,” Patch replied, kissing her nose then blowing raspberries on the heel pad of her right foot, Karina laughing so hard she nearly choked.

“”Ok, I’ll stop,” Patch said, stroking the tickle from Karina’s pads, Karina smiling at him.

“No don’t stop, it’s fun to see mum bouncing about on her heels like a cub!” Felix mewed.

“Okay, I’ll blow raspberries on her other heel pad,” patch replied, Karina squealing:

“naoaoaoaoao my head will explode!” patch blew raspberries on Karina’s heel pads anyway, mama Karina shrieking with glee, Felix laughing helplessly at his mum as she rolled onto her back, waving her arms about, while Patch blew on her toes.

“You’re so fuuuunny muuum!” he yelled, clapping his hands while bouncing on his toes, patch laughing at his antics.

“What’s going on?” cub Ekaterina asked. Felix stopped bouncing on his toes and told her all.

“Oh,” the bear cub said, “that sounds much fun.”

“come with me Ekaterina, we will leave Patch and Karina to play. I would like to finish off what Patch started. He was tickling your toes wasn’t he?”

“he was,” Ekaterina replied, “and I’d like someone to play with my right foot too.” Felix crawled to Ekaterina then hugged her.

“I have been wanting to play with you for ages Ekaterina,” Felix said, “but all the stories say you’re a big mama bear. My mind says that too, but my eyes tell me otherwise.”

“What do your hands tell you?” Ekaterina asked.

“That you want to be a cub again,” Felix mewed.

“yes,” the bear cub replied, “Think of me as a cub, for I am now.”

“I will,” Felix mewed.

“Hold my paws, rub and tickle my pads,” Ekaterina said.

“I will if you want,” Felix mewed, “Ekaterina, would you like to come out into the woodlands? I could then help you walk a bit and you could feel the woodland under your feet.”

“I’d like to feel your fingers tracing my pads first,” Ekaterina said, “but then again, you could do that after my walk in the woods, that’s if I get up on my feet. You could help me check my feet for thorns.”

“I’ll check them anyway,” Felix mewed, “I could even rub mud into your pads too, so it looks like you’ve been walking.” Ekaterina hugged Felix, giggling helplessly at his suggestion.

“I will come with you,” she said.

They left Patch’s lie up, the two friends crawling to the lift, Felix crawling with Ekaterina as she couldn’t walk.

“You could ride on my trike if we get it from the garage Ekaterina,” Felix mewed.

“I can’t see enough to ride that,” Ekaterina replied.

“No, but it’s big enough for you to get on the back behind me,” Felix said, “there is a seat with footrests.”

“Ah ok,” Ekaterina said, “I hope there’s something for me to hold onto.”

“There is,” Felix replied.

“if you are going to ride your trike with Ekaterina on the back, please be very careful Felix,” Philomena said, pressing her cold wet nose into the fur behind his ear, “I don’t want you to do her damage, or you to damage yourself.”

“get your cold nose away from my ear!” Felix yelled, swiping at her with his hand, “Philomena, your nose is soaoao cold!”

“Sorry,” Philomena mewed, kissing Felix’s chilled ear.

“thanks for that,” Felix mewed, nuzzling her cheek, “I will be careful with Ekaterina, I promise.”

“Ride carefully,” Philomena urged, kissing Felix’s left heel pad, Felix shrieking as her cold nose touched his skin.

“Stoaoaoap it Philomena!” he yelled, Ekaterina laughing merrily.

“You think Philomena touching my heel with her cold nose funny?” Felix asked.

“Your squealing is hilarious!” Ekaterina replied.

“Apparently I have a very cold nose,” Philomena said, touching the toes of cub Ekaterina’s left foot with her cold nose, the cub shrieking as loudly as Felix had.

“Feel?” Felix asked.

“yes, Philomena has a cold nose!” Ekaterina gasped. Philomena rubbed the warmth back into Ekaterina’s toes, the bear cub smiling gratefully.

“Felix, Ekaterina,” she said, “it’s raining hard out there, are you sure you want to go out in that?” Felix looked out of a nearby window, then turned to Ekaterina.

“It’s raining hard,” he said, “I can’t ride the trike in that. The woodlands will be soaking!”

“Please!” Ekaterina begged, “We can get dry and warm afterwards.”

“You’ll catch cold,” Felix said, “I’m not driving my trike in that weather.”

“We can skid through puddles and get soaked, then come in and get warm,” Ekaterina pleaded.

“we’ll go to the garage now,” Felix said, crawling out of the room with Ekaterina, Philomena watching them go, then running to a window and looking out at the slashing rain.

“No!” Felix mewed.

“cubs are meant to get dirty and wet,” Ekaterina begged.

“This one isn’t, this one has more sense than that!” Felix replied, touching her paw, “we can ride the water coaster, go down the chutes and play in the pool. I’ll ask Titan to come along with us. He is big and soft, and we can ride on him too.”

“Oh, thanks,” a deep voice said behind them, Felix’s yowl of surprise making Ekaterina laugh while the deep voice continued in a piteous mew, “I don’t like the water coaster.”

“Will you come and play with us Titan?” cub Ekaterina asked.

“Hmm, yes,” Titan mewed, “but I’m not riding that bloody water coaster.”

“he peed himself with fear last time Ekaterina,” Felix mewed.

“Oh,” Ekaterina replied, Titan looking very embarrassed.

“if we’re going to the pool, let’s go,” Titan growled, padding away.

“he’s impressive isn’t he,” Felix mewed.

“I don’t know, I’ve not got paws on with him since he was rebuilt into a liger, but his previous dimensions were vast,” cub Ekaterina replied.

“He has big feet and paws, and a huge body, and massive head, and his pads are very thick,” Felix mewed.

“I’ll ask Titan if I can get paws on with him,” cub Ekaterina replied, crawling after Titan’s tail with Felix beside her.

“I so want his paws!” Felix mewed.

“You can’t have liger paws Felix!” Ekaterina giggled.

“but they’re so huge and springy and I’ll bet soft too!” Felix miaowed.

“Well during the pre-pool shower we can test how soft and springy his pads are,” Ekaterina replied. Felix and Ekaterina followed Titan into the pool complex, where they met Apudo, the huge lioness making Titan look small.

“you’re even bigger than Titan Apudo!” Felix exclaimed.

“That’s my mane doing that,” she replied, “when it’s plastered to my head I won’t be so large.”

“You have impressive paws Apudo,” Felix mewed.

“I do now,” Apudo mewed, “when I was reborn they were smaller, but very fat. Poor Titan!” she giggled.

“yes, pushing out every bit of you hurt Apudo,” Titan mewed, “I felt your pads squeezing out! I didn’t know if I would ever get your feet free!”

“I’ve watched your struggle many times,” Apudo mewed, “that last effort you made when you yowled and moaned, you were pushing really hard. Despite all your effort, my feet slid out slowly because they were so big.”

“You were a big cub,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose.

“Now I’m a, well, even bigger cub,” Apudo miaowed.

“You’re lovely just as you are,” Titan mewed, “Apudo, can I wash you?” Apudo smiled and padded with Titan to the shower room, where she lay down, Titan using his paws to wash her from her face to her pads.

“Apudo’s huge Ekaterina, and so is Titan!” Felix mewed, “it’s only when they lie down that you get a good look at them, and oaoaoaaoh! They’re huuuge!”

“Take off your suit Ekaterina, and you can get paws on with us,” Titan mewed, looking at Apudo, who smiled. Felix helped Ekaterina out of her suit, then they joined Titan and Apudo in the shower, Ekaterina getting paws on with Titan, then Apudo, exploring them from noses to toes.

“They’re both huuuge!” she exclaimed as she explored Titan’s right foot, the liger unable to stop his toes curling with pleasure at her touch.

“Can you Carry one of us each Apudo? Titan?” Felix asked.

“Oh so we’re transport now?” Apudo asked.

“Yes,” cub Ekaterina replied.

“We could, whether we will is another question entirely,” Titan mewed.

“Oh go on!” cub Ekaterina urged.

“Oh all right,” Titan mewed, “but be gentle with Apudo, she’s young too.” Ekaterina got paws on with Apudo’s massive paws and feet, the lioness laughing helplessly as cub Ekaterina tickled her toes.

“I love these pads,” cub Ekaterina said.

“Be firm with them cub Ekaterina,” Titan mewed, “Apudo has ticklish pads.”

“They’re all soft and springy, like mine!” cub Ekaterina giggled.

“Apudo will take as much attention to her pads as you can give her I think,” Felix said, Apudo sticking her tongue out at him.

“That’s confirmed,” Felix giggled.

“She has got lovely pads though Felix, so soft and springy, “they’re almost too soft to be walked on, almost cub soft!”

“Well she is a cub,” Felix mewed, “Apudo’s a big cub, and her feet have hardly touched woodland floors. Yes she ran about in the woods a bit, but not enough to harden her pads.”

“bouncy Apudo’s pads may be, but I had to push harder than ever to deliver her feet,” Titan mewed, wriggling with remembered pain and effort.

“they’re lovely to rub though,” Ekaterina said.

“Titans are lovely also,” Felix mewed, grabbing the liger’s left paw, Titan purring deeply as Felix rubbed his pads, the water still falling on the liger and lioness as cub Ekaterina and Felix rubbed their pads.

“let’s go from here,” Titan mewed, reluctantly withdrawing his paw from Felix’s grip and getting to his feet, “I must say, walking seems a boring use for such sensitive parts of my body,” Titan mewed, “I much prefer being off my feet and letting others embrace them.”

“Same here,” Apudo mewed, also getting clumsily to her feet and yawning expansively.

“Let’s follow them Ekaterina,” Felix mewed, crawling after Apudo and Titan, who walked so silently over the tiles to the poolside. Wading into the water, Apudo felt the tug of the waves which had just started up from the wave machine. Miaowing, she turned and fled from the water.

“It’s okay Apudo,” Titan mewed, wading in himself, “come, I’ll wade with you, then we’ll swim.” Apudo, looking at the water with hatred, swallowed hard and followed her guide into the surf, miaowing with fear, she waded until she paddled, then floundered, sniffing water and coughing. Titan, seeing this, dove under the water and lifted her clear with his body, swimming her to the side of the pool.

“I’m not ready for this!” Apudo sniffled, Felix staring at her.

“You used to love the water Apudo!” Felix said.

“Well I don’t now!” Apudo whimpered.

“I’ll switch the waves off!” Karina yelled, running into the room with Patch, The machine soon switching off.

“Now we can swim,” Titan mewed.

“have we got a pool for the cubs?” Patch asked.

“Yes, but, well, Apudo’s too big!” Karina mewed..

“Oh, um, yes.” Patch replied. Apudo stood shivering with fright on the side of the pool, staring into the water.

“I can’t go in there,” she gasped.

“Could you pick Apudo up and throw her in patch?” Felix asked.

“I wouldn’t dream of such a thing! But, well, yes,” Patch replied.

“nayaoaoaoaow!” Apudo miaowed, running for the door, turning right in her fear, racing up a slope to the top board. Running straight off the end, Apudo found her feet and paws pedalling at nothing, then, with a prolonged yowl and huge splash, Apudo crashed tail first into the water at the deep end of the dive pool.

“I’ll rescue her,” Patch said, leaping into the water and swimming to where Apudo was surfacing, Patch treading water and using his arms to cradle the now floundering lioness.

“Get meyeee out of here Patch!” Apudo sobbed, Patch kicking strongly while Apudo rested her head across his arm, her paws dangling limply.

“You’re in the shallow end now,” patch said, Apudo putting her feet down, digging her toes into the non-slip tiles.

“What happened?” she asked when she had got her breath back.

“You ran up the accessible ramp to the top board and straight off it!” Felix giggled, “the sight of you pedalling your feet in mid-air before you crashed bum first into the water was so fuuuunny!”

“I’m not doing this water thing very well,” Apudo mewed, looking down into the water at Patch’s huge feet which were even larger than she knew them on land, being magnified by the water.

“You’re doing fine, but running off the end of the diving board is a rather unusual way of forcing your own paw Apudo,” Patch replied gently.

“I didn’t mean to run off the end,” she mewed, I felt the tiles leave my paws and feet, then I crashed into the water!”

“it was a real classic moment which I hope was caught on camera,” Felix mewed.

“Oh yes it would have been, flailing paws, kicking feet and all,” Karina mewed, Apudo groaning piteously :

“I’m going to be the laughing stock of the whole place!”

“Poor puss!” Felix teased, cub Ekaterina slapping him.

“Apudo’s not in her adult mind yet!” the polar bear cub warned him from her place sitting on the ledge, her feet in the water.

“I suppose she’s not,” Felix mewed, sitting down beside cub Ekaterina, “I must remember her body is bigger than her mind. Apudo ran from the threat of the water, and the water got her anyway.”

“Poor Apudo,” cub Ekaterina replied.

“My pads are all wrinkled now!” Titan miaowed, lying down on the poolside and rolling onto his back, then wriggling madly, struggling to examine the soles of all four paws, Patch laughing at the squirming liger.

“we’ll all have wrinkled pads before long,” Patch said, “and just look at that long tailed Tiggie over there!” Ekaterina crawled from the water and found Titan squirming about on his back, struggling to examine the sole pads of his huge feet, bending his toes back with his paws in order to anxiously examine the pads behind them.

“Miaoaoaow! Miaoaoaoaoaow! Roaaoaowr!” Titan complained as he fought his personal battle between his own paws and feet. Apudo, padding over to Titan, could not help laughing at the liger’s antics, leaning down then kissing the furry tops of Titan’s scrabbling paws.

“Noaoaoaow, I’ve lost hold of my toooes now!” Titan yowled, Apudo smiling down at him.

“You’re a big softy,” she said, pinning him down under her huge soft left paw, “I can see a lovely face with big black nose and golden eyes, two gorgeous paws and two cute feet, each paw and foot with lovely thick pads on soles and toes.” Titan wriggled under her paw, miaowing:

“Let meyeee goaoaoaoaoao!” While pawing at the air with all four paws. Apudo smiled, lowering her head till his left paw smacked her nose then kissing the large black pads, Titan yowling:

“yaoaoaoaow my paw!” as her whiskers tickled his pads, Titan tightly curling his toes in response to her tickling whiskers.

“your tickling makes my toes curl!” he yowled, wriggling and kicking, Apudo laughing at his reaction to her play.

“If I rub your pads, your toes might curl even tighter,” she suggested.

“I love you Apudo,” Titan replied, Apudo blowing on his pads, the liger miaowing with surprise.

“Will you let me get to my feet?” he asked.

“No,” Apudo mewed, “I like you as you are, I can see your face and the pads of your paws and feet.”

“So you want me permanently paws skywards?” Titan asked.

“yes,” Apudo mewed, releasing Titan, the liger getting to his feet then head rubbing with her.

“You’re right,” Titan mewed, lying down, rolling onto his back and waving his paws in the air, “being off my paws is better, grab them Apudo!” Apudo, giggling helplessly, tickled Titan’s pads, the liger miaowing and wriggling with pleasure.

“You big soppy tiggie!” Apudo mewed, bowing her head then kissing Titan’s nose, the liger embracing her head with his huge warm paws.

“now get out of this,” Titan mewed, Apudo growling and miaowing as she shuffled her feet beneath her body, curled her toes into the floor, closed her eyes and began pushing hard with her paws, Titan letting her go, Apudo rearing onto her feet, landing on and bouncing on the toes of her four huge paws.

“That was fun!” Apudo mewed.

“You’re gorgeous when concentrating on freeing yourself,” Titan mewed, “when you’re paws are trapped Apudo, the look of concentration on your face is so cute!” Apudo giggled and lay down, then hugged Titan’s head in her paws, kissing his nose.

“I don’t know what to do about my mane,” Apudo mewed, “I love it brushing my toes, but then I get tangled in it, and it’s a pain, but, well then I get my feet rubbed while being freed, and it’s wonderful again, for without my mane, I wouldn’t get so many paw rubs, which I love Soaoaoaoao much.” Titan smiled broadly at Apudo.

“Your paws tangled in your mane look so cute, especially when you curl your toes with effort, “your toes disappear into this mass of mane, and your paws become four puffballs on the ends of your legs,” he said. Apudo released Titan and he embraced her in his paws.

“I don’t know what to do about my mayayayayne!” she wailed piteously.

“if you walk, never run, and don’t get excited, you’ll be fine,” Titan mewed.

“that’s it!” Apudo miaowed, “I love waving my paws and feet about while having a good wriggle, it feels so nice!” she exclaimed, “but,” she mewed piteously, “that comes to an abrupt halt when my paws and feet get tangled in my mane which extends far back along my body, meaning even the toes of both feet get caught if I kick and wriggle extra hard.”

“I know, it’s so cute,” Titan mewed.

“I curl my toes in frustration and pull as hard as I can, but I can’t free my paws or feet! it’s like my mane is made of strong netting from which I can’t free my paws or feet, no matter how I struggle,” Apudo mewed.

“It looks that way,” Titan replied softly, “It’s cute too. Now to see if my feet will accept me standing on them,” he added. Titan braced his paws and feet against the floor, meowing and growling with his efforts to rise. Wriggling with frustration, he tried several times, spreading the thick toes of his great paws and feet and straining upwards, though after four attempts, he gave up, whimpering with defeat:

“I can’t get up!” he miaowed.

“How if I push you to your feet and you push with your paws and feet against the ground,?” Apudo suggested. Titan, panting hard, agreed:

“I’ll get to my elbows, there, now, now, can you work your paws under my chest?” Titan asked. Apudo did as he asked by lying down on her back and working her paws beneath his chest, then, growling, braced her paws, pushing hard upwards, Apudo and Titan miaowing and growling with effort, Titan fiercely bracing his paws and feet against the floor, his toes spread, until he got to a point where he could start pushing with all his strength, Apudo still helping him by bracing her paws against his chest, spreading her toes as Titan had his until Titan straightened his legs, and stood firm on his huge thickly padded paws, his toes now curled into the tiles.

“Thanks,” Titan panted. Apudo, wriggling from beneath Titan, stood up and smiled at the huge liger.

“Are those huge paws and feet going to support you?” she asked.

“Yes, but it’s hard to resist the urge to lie down and let you hold my paws again,” Titan miaowed piteously, Apudo laughing at him then kissing his nose.

“I saw your toes spreading as you pushed,” she said, “You have webbed feet Titan!”

“I do, great for swimming,” Titan mewed.

“will you let me see you curl your toes?” Apudo asked. Titan looked at her with desperate eyes.

“if I lie down again, I won’t get up,” he mewed, “I’ll lift a foot, there, now, look at my right foot, straight toes, see? Now, if I curl them,,,” he said, Apudo touching his curling toes and slightly bunching pads with her nose as he curled his toes, Titan miaowing and wriggling:

“Don’t touch my pads!” he yowled, “if, if, if you do, the will power to stand up will leave me, and I’ll lie down and give you my feet and paws forever Apuuuuudo!” Apudo smiled, kissing the liger’s curled toes, Titan looking round at her with loving eyes.

“Your paws and feet are beautiful,” she mewed, “I watched you curling your toes during my birth, and they were cute even then.” Titan smiled:

“I remember feeling the power of my paws as I curled my toes,” he said, “it frightened me they were curling so tightly, as I knew what effort I was truly making.”

“your paws were very expressive,” Apudo mewed, “but your voice, wow!” she exclaimed, “though, “ she considered, “your paws and feet were best to watch. They’re cute when pedalling, your toes curling so tightly, your pads bunching under the strain.”

“Your kiss to my pads nearly broke my resolve to stay on my feet!” Titan mewed, placing his right foot on the floor. Patch padded up to Titan then kissed his nose.

“You seem to be having problems staying on your feet,” the bear observed.

“yes, it’s hard to use them for walking patch,” Titan whimpered.

“I know that feeling,” Patch replied, rubbing the top of Titan’s left paw, the liger closing his eyes as if in concentration.

“”Stay on your feet!” he whispered, wriggling a little.

“Is it that hard?” Patch asked.

“Yes,” Titan replied panting slightly.

“Were your pads wrinkled?” Patch asked.

“I couldn’t see them properly!” Titan raged.

“Why didn’t you ask Apudo?” Patch enquired.

“I was so enraged at not being able to see for myself, I totally forgot,” Titan replied.

“Swim for a bit with those huge webbed paws and feet and I’ll tell you,” Apudo mewed, kissing Titan’s ear, the liger smiling at her touch.

“I’ll dive beneath you and watch you swim over me,” Apudo said, “I can then get to see your huge paws and feet at close range, and maybe, maybe, blow raspberries on your pads too.”

“naoaoaoaoao you don’t!” Titan miaowed, Patch giggling helplessly.

“that would be a wonderful thing to do Apudo,” he said. Titan leapt into the deep end of the pool, swimming hard, the toes of his huge paws and feet spread so he kicked powerfully, Apudo leaping in after him, her fear of the water forgotten in the excitement of seeing Titan swim over her head. Diving, Apudo struggled to stay underwater, but came up for air coughing and spluttering after a few seconds.

“We have cameras on the bottom of the pool,” patch said, rescuing Apudo for a second time, “that way you can see his paws and feet on a screen in comfort Apudo, then you can groom his wrinkled pads after his swim.” Titan swam slowly up and down the pool so all could see the pads of all four of his paws on the cameras beneath the water,then waded out of the water. Padding over to Apudo, he shook water all over her, the lioness shrieking with surprise and rearing onto her feet to use her paws to push him back into the deep end. As he felt her push, Titan turned and sprang into the air, tucking his legs up and bombing into the water, soaking Apudo and patch from noses to tails.

“oi!” Apudo choked, spitting water, “Titan, that was horrible!” Titan, laughing, rolled onto his back, kicking hard with his hind legs, his huge paws causing the water to fountain all over Apudo, the lioness hiding behind Patch for protection from the drenching.

“Stoaoaoap splashing meyeee Titan!” Apudo yowled, while Patch, laughing so hard he could hardly stand, reared onto his feet, clapping his paws.

“Miaoaoaow?” Titan asked, turning onto his front and swimming powerfully away. Apudo leapt into the water to follow Titan, watching his feet thrusting beneath the water’s surface. Taking a deep breath, she ducked her head under the water, and with two eyes open, lunged for his left foot, catching it in her paws and, pulling it towards her, she blew on his pads. Titan, feeling Apudo’s paws grab his foot, stopped swimming in case he kicked her. Taking a deep breath, then jack-knifing beneath the water, he pulled his foot from Apudo’s grip and caught her body in his paws, roaring beneath the water, Apudo yowling with fright and slapping the water, then feeling a nose brushing her ear and hearing Titan’s deep purr as he pushed them both to the surface:

“Caught you good and proper didn’t I?”

“You bloody sod!” she whimpered.

“now that’s not the language I like to hear from a cub, let alone one of mine,” Titan mewed, Apudo bursting into tears of fright.

“when I heard the roaring, I wondered what had got me!” she wailed.

“Only a cuddly liger,” Patch said.

“He sounded so fierce!” Apudo sniffled.

“Titan?” patch asked, laughing merrily, “please Apudo, you know him better than that.”

“I feel this water is unfriendly to me, I jump in and try to play, and something grabs Titan and pulls him under, then grabs meyeee!” Apudo mewed piteously.

“I dove beneath you and grabbed you,” Titan mewed, lying on the water at right angles to Apudo, his paws cradling her head, Patch paddling round opposite him to cradle the lioness’s body.

“I don’t like it here,” Apudo sniffled, Patch helping Titan to get her to the shallow end of the pool.

“Let’s get you out,” he said softly, helping Apudo to the poolside and out onto the tiles.

“I wan’a go home!” Apudo sobbed, Titan kissing her nose.

“We’ll go,” he said gently. Apudo, soaked through and shivering, padded miserably along behind Titan, following his brightly striped tail. Titan showered the Chlorinated water off Apudo, then showered himself carefully from ears to paws.

“I’m sorry for being such a wimp,” Apudo said, “I thought you had been drowned by the monster Titan, and that when I was grabbed by those paws, the monster was coming to get meyeee!” Titan realised then how young Apudo’s mind was. He kicked himself for only half accounting for the changes rebirth had made to Apudo, vowing from now on to take more care.

“Let’s go home and get you fed and warm,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet from where he’d been lying curled round Apudo. Apudo followed Titan back to the family lie up, where they settled down on his blanket, Apudo now too big to snuggle beside him in the way she had before. Titan saw the expression of huge loss on her face as she realised how large she’d become.

“Lie down beside me,” he suggested, Apudo throwing herself down in a cubbish rage. Titan, seeing the beginnings of her anger, placed a gentle paw on hers.

“It’s all right Apudo,” he said, Apudo’s face showing her intense upset at her situation.

“I wayayayayant to be the size of a cuuuub agayayayayayain!” she yowled, banging the floor with her paws and squirming convulsively.

“If I let you go, you’ll go into a frothy rage and tangle your paws in your mane Apudo,” Titan mewed.

“but that’s what I need to do Titan, it’s eating meyeee!” Apudo yelled. Titan kissed her nose while holding her paw tightly in his.

“Take a deep breath and try to control yourself,” he said softly.

“but I must wriggle and kick!” Apudo gasped, “it’s feeling like something else I remember, yes, that’s it, when giving birth, the urge to push! I couldn’t stop myself then, and it’s hard now!” Apudo sobbed.

“Okay, on three, curl your toes and keep them curled for as long as you can,” Titan mewed, “no noise, just concentrate on curling those toes, one, two, three.” Apudo curled her toes as Titan Asked, the huge liger touching all four of her huge paws to check her toes, Apudo gasping and wriggling as she struggled.

“That’s it, that’s good!” Titan mewed as Apudo growled with effort and relaxed her toes.

“I want to curl my toes again!” the lioness gasped, Titan watching her tightly curl her toes while he set to rubbing her pads, the lioness meowing with her efforts.

“Curl those toes Apudo, curl those toes!” Titan encouraged, Apudo meowing and wriggling as she fought to obey him.

“This is great, I love this!” Apudo gasped, “it’s far better than getting tangled in my mane, and curling my toes means they can’t get caught, and, and, I, oh miaoaoaow! I love your touch Titan! Keep rubbing my payayayds! Help me cuuuurl my toooes!” She pleaded in a cubbish miaow which melted Titan’s heart.

“If you wriggle with your toes curled, you can’t get them caught in your mane? Is that what you’re trying to say dear cub?” Titan asked. Apudo, feeling his touch on her left foot, miaowed:

“Yes, I think so. I’ll try it Titan, try wriggling and kicking with my toes curled, and see if my paws get caught in my mane. Would you rescue me if that happens?”

“I will,” Titan mewed.

“I still want to see your wrinkled pads,” Apudo mewed.

“I’ll show you them when we bathe later,” Titan mewed.

Apudo wriggled and kicked, keeping her toes curled, but her feet still got tangled in her mane. Yowling in frustration after five frantic minutes of struggle to free her paws in which she wriggled, tugged and yowled with effort, Apudo lay on her back, her paws and feet still very much trapped in her mane.

“Oh dear Apudo,” Titan mewed, gently freeing each paw in turn, careful not to tickle her pads as he worked with his paws, tongue and teeth to free Apudo.

“It’s so wrong! But, but, if I curl my toes repeatedly, I could avoid wanting to wriggle and kick so much,” Apudo mewed. Titan kissed the toes of Apudo’s right foot, which he’d just freed, the huge lioness curling her toes with pleasure.

“you have very warm pads Apudo,” Titan mewed.

“Well I’ve been struggling against my mane!” Apudo miaowed, “and, and now my pads are all hot and bothered,” she whimpered. Titan blew across his tongue while washing Apudo’s pads, his breath cooling them, Apudo mewing and purring with pleasure.

“I wriggle and kick, then get my paws and feet tangled, then I tug and wriggle, but can’t free my feet or paws!” she ranted.

“You put up a brave fight against your mane Apudo,” Titan mewed, “now it is time for me to wash your hot paws.”

“You’re lovely to me,” Apudo mewed, “Titan, I’m still a cub, you know that don’t you? please, ignore my huge body and play with me!” she pleaded. Titan kissed Apudo’s paws and replied:

“I know you’re a cub, now Apudo, let me hug you.” Titan embraced her tightly, Apudo smiling with contentment and snuggling close.

“I would like to see the soles of my own paws and feet Titan,” Apudo mewed, “Maybe we can look on a camera and then curl our toes and see how cute the pads of our feet and paws really are.” Titan laughed merrily at this:

“Wrinkled pads too?” he asked, “we must have wrinkled pads too.”

“Okay, those too,” Apudo mewed, giggling delightedly.

“I liked your small paws too,” Titan mewed.

“I know,” Apudo replied, “and I went and made them into big paws.”

“I love them however they are,” Titan purred, “you too.” Apudo embraced Titan as tightly as she could, pedalling the air with both feet while curling her toes in her effort, Titan feeling her toes brushing his legs. Smiling, he kissed Apudo’s nose.

“I will let you see the parts of your paws and feet that are most sensitive and, if you like I’ll rub them too,” he said.

“I know how they feel when they have thorns in them, but I’d like to see my pads and toes and watch my reaction while I have them rubbed by someone who deeply cares for their owner,” Apudo mewed softly.

“You will, we have a way of showing you your pads,” Titan mewed, “you can wear special glasses that show you the view from a camera, you will see me rubbing your pads and your reaction to that rubbing, not forgetting the reaction of your own paws and feet to the rubbing too.”

“I’m looking forward to that,” Apudo replied. Titan stroked Apudo’s ears and paws, the lioness purring deeply.

“This is what I want,” she mewed, “I love this touch, I need it Titan.”

“I know,” Titan mewed, “but my eyes tell me you are adult. My paws though, which I must trust, they tell me you’re a cub.”

“I’m a cub Titan,” Apudo mewed, “you have the right to wash me, to touch my paws and feet, and guide me when I go astray.” Titan hugged Apudo tightly.

“If only you could squeeze me to the size of a cub again,” Apudo mewed.

“I could only do that by rebirthing you,” Titan mewed, “dear Apudo, you know that.”

“I know,” Apudo mewed sadly, “I know I shouldn’t have leapt into the birthing pool!” she sniffled, Titan kissing her nose and the pads of her paws.

“I will do all I can to soothe you Apudo,” Titan mewed.

“Do you have video of me when I was smaller?” Apudo asked.

“I do, would you like to watch it?” Titan mewed.

“I want to see if I can catch a glimpse of how small my paws were then,” Apudo mewed. “yes

You can, on at least one video,” Titan mewed, going to a console and bringing up a video which showed Apudo lying on her side, the soles of her paws and feet in the camera’s view as she slept, Titan slowing the video at a point where Apudo flexed the toes of all four paws in sleep. Grown Apudo watched her smaller self with moist eyes.

“I wish I still had paws as small as those,” she mewed, waving a massive paw at the screen, “I wish I was small again, like Yendi, then, then, I could be cuddled, and embraced from nose to toes. It’s cold here.” Titan looked at Apudo’s face and immediately wished he hadn’t, her anguish heart-breaking.

“Did Yendi measure her paw against yours?” Titan asked.

“yes,” Apudo sniffled, “She has gorgeous paws, and they’re the right size too! Mine are just too huge and hideous, I made them like that with my mind!” she wailed bitterly.

“your paws are lovely Apudo,” Titan mewed, caressing her left paw in his massive paws, “I love them, all four of them.” Titan kissed the pads of all four of Apudo’s huge paws, feeling how springy they were.

“I love these huge paws as much as I did your smaller ones,” Titan mewed, Apudo feeling warmth rising from her pads.

“I think you do too,” she mewed, her toes curling with the pleasure of Titan’s ministrations, Titan smiling as his nose was caught by the toes of Apudo’s right foot, Titan blowing on her curling toes, Apudo meowing and hurriedly withdrawing her foot.

“My toes are ticklish!” she whimpered, rolling onto her side, then curling up and grabbing the toes of her right foot in her mouth to soothe them.

“That’s rather cute too,” Titan mewed, as Apudo used her teeth to scratch her tickled toe pads, then curled up even tighter to attend to the sole pad of her right foot with her rough tongue, which Titan’s breath had also tickled.

“Meroaoaoaow! Ruououoow!” Apudo complained, wriggling and licking her pads, while Titan, overcome with mirth, giggled helplessly.

“You tickled my toooes Titan!” Apudo miaowed.

“Sorry,” Titan replied, “but, well, I wouldn’t have seen what I’m watching now if I hadn’t. Apudo, you look so cuuuute!” Apudo slashed at the sole of her right foot from heel to toes with her tongue, trying to soothe the tickling sensation.

“I cayayayayaynt soothe my payayayds!” she complained after five minutes of frantic licking and scratching.

“others need to do that,” Titan mewed, nudging Apudo’s nose away from her right foot, the lioness miaowing as Titan took over, rubbing her pads with his paw, Apudo furiously rubbing her foot against Titan’s pressure.

“My pads need soothing!” she whimpered.

“You’re a big soft moggie,” Titan teased, Apudo miaowing loudly in protest and swiping at him with one huge well-padded paw, yowling:

“I’m nooaoaoaot a moggie!”

“if I washed you, you’d be a soggy moggie,” Titan mewed.

“Naoaoaoao!” Apudo protested, Titan laughing merrily at her.

“You’re so cute dear Apudo,” he said.

“I’m fat, and my pads are huge, and I’m truly now Felix’s “Apudo bumble paws!” Apudo raged.

“Your paws and feet are lovely and pads are gorgeous,” Titan mewed, drawing circles on the sole of her right foot, Apudo wriggling and curling her toes with pleasure.

“I know you love me very much,” Apudo mewed.

“I do, and so do the rest of the community,” Titan mewed.

“I want to see my paws and feet,” Apudo mewed. Titan looked at the camera nearest them.

“I don’t know who to ask about getting the headcam,” he said, “Patch might be the one who knows, but Blackberry was usually the go to bear for this, though since he ran off from the medical job, I don’t know who has control of the technology. Sire Koda might, or maybe Janet, as she coded Shandy and Shadow, as well as Little Sita and Karina.”

“I’ll ask her,” Apudo mewed, “I really do want to see how I react to my guide stroking me.”

“I wonder if mama Kamchatka is going to have Magnus’s cub soon,” Titan mewed, “that will be something worth watching on Camera.”

“I wonder if you’ll be able to get through it without curling your toes in sympathy with her Titan,” Apudo mewed.

“Probably not,” Titan admitted, “my memory of rebirthing you is still very strong.”

“but bears give birth to tiny cubs,” Apudo mewed, “surely it can’t hurt that much.”

“I thought big cats didn’t feel much until, well,” Titan replied.

“I suppose there is that,” Apudo mewed.

“I’ll bet poor Kamchatka is going to scream her head off,” Titan mewed, “I would, I couldn’t help screaming and yowling when you were born Apudo.”

“I know!” Apudo mewed, “I watched it again and again. You were very vocal, very active too, wriggling, kicking, bouncing on your toes a bit, squatting and wriggling too. All that effort for such a little thing.”

“But the effort was worth it,” Titan mewed, kissing Apudo’s nose and squeezing her paw, Apudo’s eyes filling with tears.

“You soppy old thing,” Titan purred, nuzzling her cheek.

“but you didn’t have to,” Apudo choked, “you didn’t have to rebirth me Titan, I pleaded, and you had the right to say no, to tell me to live in the skin I’d created for myself. Instead you helped me into a new skin, and, and, due to my stupid mind and wish to be bigger than I was, and leaping into the birthing pool, I’m now back to square one! Please, Titan, make it so I can’t run, that when I walk on stony ground it hurts so much that I stay in the house where I can’t do silly things!”

“I could make your paws tender,” Titan mewed, “all I need to do is rub them a bit in mine and I’m sure they’ll be as soft as a newborn cub’s.”

“Yes, please,” Apudo mewed, “I must find some way of stopping myself from doing stupid things.”

“Your dream became reality,” Titan mewed.

“it did, and I hate it!” Apudo yowled, “I wayayayant to beyeee a cuuuub!” she miaowed, I now know where I went wrong!” Apudo whimpered. All that pain and growth was in my mind, until, until, until I leapt into the birthing pool! Now it’s real, and I’m here, and I’m fat and huge, and it’s all gone wrong!” she sobbed.

“No it hasn’t,” Titan mewed, “you’re still my cub, I still love you, and will look after you now, as I did before you became large. You have matured in your body faster than in your mind. Remember mama karina and her labour? When she gave birth to Felix? Remember how she looked and sounded? She sounded like a cub, and looked like one giving birth to a cub. but inside her body was a mind which knew what to do, karina made the choices she did with the knowledge she was going to care for her cub, and care for him she did, using her small hands, feet and all.”

“I’ve not watched Felix’s birth since I was reborn,” Apudo sniffled.

“Mama Karina can hardly watch it because she thinks we’re ashamed of her youth,” Titan mewed, “the truth is, we love her for giving birth to a cub whom she loves dearly. I for one think she should celebrate her labour, her effort and struggle.”

“I have never thought of my labour like that,” mama karina mewed, “all I see when I’m delivering Felix on that screen is a cub giving birth to a cub. I forget what I felt, how sure I was of how right what Nanulak and I did, even though I was shocked by it. yes we played, yes we mated without planning, but I knew I felt right in myself. It’s only after Felix’s birth, that I questioned what we’d done, and that is worse in some ways than accepting it and loving Felix with all my heart, and love him I always have. I just can’t get the vision of a cub giving birth to a cub out of my head. I was so young Titan.”

“You were young in your body, but is it a body or a mind who brings up a cub,?” The liger asked.

“it’s a mind, of course it’s a mind,” mama karina mewed, “but, my mind was that of a cub when I was in labour, I screamed and kicked like a cub, and only during the lulls did I know I was not a cub. during my efforts, during the struggles, I felt cubbish. I couldn’t push hard enough, so I screamed loudly and wriggled hard too, and all that screaming and wriggling was a frightened cub’s effort to get away from the pain my adult mind had put me through. My adult mind said I needed to push, and my cub brain said naoaoaoaoao! So I screamed and yelled and curled my toes with pain like the cub I was, but I knew deep down I had to carry on making effort for the cub inside me. So I half ignored my inner cub telling me not to push because it hurt, and struggled on, letting the inner cub scream her pain and show it with curled toes. It was hard not to give up, my inner cub screamed at me to stop, that what I was doing to her hurt and that she wasn’t ready for this. My adult mind told my inner cub to shut up and help push my cub into the world.”

“Your inner cub screamed and yelled about it,” Apudo mewed.

“yes,” karina replied, “but she didn’t get her way, I kept pushing, and Felix was the hard fought for result of my effort.”

“Karina, come here and lie down,” Titan mewed, karina padding up to the huge liger and complying, Apudo moving away, sitting down and watching as Titan hugged Karina then kissed her nose.

“Noone blames you for having Felix when you were so young. What you and Nanulak did was in genuine love, and you gave birth in that love too. Now Felix is lovely,” the huge liger purred.

“he’s a rogue sometimes,” mama karina mewed, embracing Titan, “but, he has a core of soundness which many feel in him.”

“Felix is lovely,” Titan purred.

“yes he is, so don’t feel ashamed about his birth, either the timing or the sight of it karina,” Titan mewed, “You were wonderful during that time, and Mama Sita will agree I’m sure. You did very well, wonderfully well karina.”

“I know,” karina mewed, “I’m trying to come to terms with how young I was. Snowdrop’s helping me, as she had a cub when she was very young too. during her labour in which she gave birth to mama Kamchatka as she is known now, Snowdrop looks and sounds like a cub giving birth to a cub. Mama Snowdrop and I look very similar throughout most of the videos,” mama karina giggled.

“We do indeed,” Snowdrop said, padding to the threshold of the room and looking in.

“come in,” Titan mewed, waving a paw at the sow polar bear.

“About the only differences between mine and your labours was Felix had a tail and I didn’t bite my hands Snowdrop,” karina mewed, getting to her feet and hugging the sow polar bear.

“Also I don’t think Kamchatka’s feet were as hard to deliver as Felix’s,” snowdrop replied.

“I squealed something about not being able to deliver them I think,” Karina mewed.

“I don’t think you formed words, but yes, you did a lot of squealing when you were struggling to push out his heels,” Snowdrop said.

“pushing out Felix’s feet hurt so much and they came out so slowly! I was pushing so hard!” mama Karina mewed piteously.

“You did wonderfully karina,” Snowdrop said, “at least you didn’t bite your paws like I did.”

“I was very close to doing that Snowdrop,” mama karina replied, “Pushing Felix out into the world was hard work, especially his feet, which were enormous! Those heels, they took some pushing.”

“I think Mama Sita had trouble delivering your feet too karina,” Titan mewed.

“big feet seem to be a Felursapien thing,” Snowdrop remarked.

“not necessarily big feet,” karina mewed, “but our bodies are huge, so it takes a lot of effort to give birth to them, after that our feet get stuck, meaning extra pushing.”

“Can I look at your feet karina?” snowdrop asked.

“yes,” karina mewed, kneeling, “of course mine are larger than a Felursapien cub’s. I don’t know if Philomena’s about, she has smaller feet than even Felix, maybe you could see the differences between hers and mine.”

“Why don’t we all show Snowdrop,” Felix said, padding in with Philomena.

“Okay,” Karina mewed.

“But she must rub our pads, and so must Apudo too,” Philomena mewed, “I really want a pad rub from those huge paws!”

“I want one from Titan’s paws,” Snowdrop replied, “they look like the softest, most gorgeous paws, and Theo says they are too, cats are never wrong.”

“but does the owner of Titan’s paws want to use them for that?” Titan purred.

“Oh please!” snowdrop begged, kneeling then kissing Titan’s nose, the liger smiling broadly.

“Hmm, let me look at your pads first,” he said, Snowdrop sitting down, Titan taking her left foot in his paws, rubbing her toe pads and sole pad, Snowdrop wriggling and curling her toes with pleasure.

“I like these pads,” Titan mewed, blowing on snowdrop’s sole pad, the she bear squealing with surprise and wiggling her toes, Titan rubbing out the tickle from her pads with the toes of his right paw.

“You’re tickling meyeee Titan!” Snowdrop laughed, bouncing about on her backside.

“Stoaoaoap that Apuuuuudo!” Karina squealed, bouncing her backside on her heels and wiggling her toes, Philomena laughing:

“Apudo’s tickling Karina, Apudo’s tickling Karina!”

“Apuuuuudo’s tiyiyiyckling my heeeyeels with her whiskers!” karina squealed, Felix laughing helplessly at his mum’s antics:

“Mum’s all cubbish when she squeals, it’s soaoao cuuuute!”

“You would be squealing tooo!” mama karina giggled, squirming and bouncing even more urgently, “I haven’t squirmed or bounced like this since I was in labour!” Karina gasped.

“You were more drilling your heels into your bum then,” snowdrop said, watching as Karina did just that as Apudo tickled the bunched skin on the balls of her feet.

“I’m drilling my heels into my bum now!” Karina laughed, Felix grinning at his mum.

“she’s a big cub,” he thought, crawling to Apudo’s left foot where the huge young lioness lay on the floor so she could use her paws to tickle karina. Reaching the lioness’s left foot, he tickled her pads, Apudo yowling with surprise and curling her toes round Felix’s fingers, Felix surprised at the strength of the lioness’s toes.

“wow Apudo!” he gasped, tugging hard at his fingers, Apudo growling as she held on doggedly to his fingers with the toes of her left foot. Miaowing, Felix struggled against Apudo’s strong hold on his hand, the lioness wriggling and squirming with him to keep hold of his fingers with the toes of her left foot. Struggling hard, narrating his efforts with mewing and growling and curling his toes in concentration, Felix faught to free his fingers from the grip of Apudo’s toes.

“Miaoaoaoaow! Maiaiaiaiaiaow! I cayayayayn’t freeyeee my fingers from Apuuuuudo’s toooes!” Felix raged after five minutes of intense struggle against the lioness, during which Apudo narrated her struggles to keep her toehold on Felix’s fingers with bubbly growling and angry yowling, as well as the scuffing thuds of her free paw and fur on the rugs.

“Hold my foot with your paws Apudo, anchor your paws by holding my feet!” Karina mewed, feeling Apudo’s paws taking a warm, firm grip of her right foot.

“Now struggle using your feet and your whole rear end, throw yourself about like you’re having a cub!” karina urged. Felix, the fingers of both hands now caught in the grip of Apudo’s strong toes, yowled and growled as he was thrown about, resting his head on Apudo’s well-padded right hip when she settled to pant and gasp for air before continuing her fight with Felix.

“This started as a gayayayayme, but naooooow my toooes won’t let goaoaoaoaoao of Feyeeelix’s fingers!” Apudo miaowed.

“maybe if I can get my toes between my hand and the sole of your foot Apudo, I might be able to free my fingers!” Felix gasped, sitting back on his heels, dragging Apudo with him, for though she was big, she was very light. Apudo found her rear end half resting in Felix’s lap, her feet together as the toes of both her huge feet held the fingers of both Felix’s hands in their strong grip.

“Push me away Felix, sit down and try to get your toes to touch the soles of my feet!” Apudo miaowed, wriggling urgently. Felix sat down and, bending his left leg, tried to get the toes of his left foot into the gap between the palm of his small left hand and Apudo’s huge left foot. Feeling his toes touching the sole pad of her left foot, Apudo groaned deeply:

“My toooes won’t uncurl, push with your toes Felix, puuuuuush and I’ll puuuuuull!” Felix pushed with his left foot, feeling Apudo’s toes releasing his fingers, Felix working his toes up to Apudo’s as hers uncurled, releasing his fingers.

“I wayayayayant to let goaoaoaoaoao of your fingers, puuush Felix puuush with your fooooot!” Apudo groaned and moaned as she tugged at her left foot, rolling away slightly to pull her foot away as far as she could without releasing the toehold of her right foot on the fingers of Felix’s right hand. Moaning and growling, Apudo felt her left foot let go of the fingers of Felix’s left hand, the Felursapien panting as he rolled over so his toes could reach hers, both pressing toe pad to toe pad, Apudo miaowing with her urge to push her toes against his, Felix and she pushing their toes hard together.

“Now that hand’s free, let’s try with my other foot!” Felix gasped, “I don’t think my left hand will free my right hand!”

“Try it,” Apudo gasped, the toes of her free left foot curling with anticipation as she felt karina curl her toes to encourage her to hold on with her paws, her right holding the top of Karina’s foot, the lioness’s left placed on the sole of Karina’s foot, the Felursapiens toes able to curl enough to catch and support the heel of Apudo’s left paw.

“Squeeze my foot if you need to,” karina mewed, “freeing your right foot may be harder work Apudo.” Apudo felt the fingers of Felix’s left hand slip between the palm and sole of his right hand and her right foot. Groaning, as she felt her toes curling even tighter, Apudo wriggled and panted:

“Use your toes again Feyeeelix, lift my foot and slip your toes between your hand and my pads, then push, push your toes up my pads like you did with your other hand, push your toes towards mine. That should uncurl my toooes!” Felix jammed the toes of his right foot between the sole of Apudo’s right foot and the palm of his hand, leaning over slightly to increase his pushing, Apudo miaowing, wriggling and growling, then squeezing karina’s foot and yowling as her toes began to uncurl, Karina’s curling in response to the lioness’s pressure, encouraging Apudo to greater efforts. Groaning and puffing, the lioness tugged and wriggled, then miaowed lustily as her toes released their hold on Felix’s fingers and their toes met. Bracing pads to pads, Apudo and Felix roared with Triumph, Karina bracing the toes of her left foot against the floor and pulling hard to free her right from Apudo’s paws. Apudo slightly curled the toes of her left paw, karina feeling the velvet toes of Apudo’s left paw digging into the pad of her right heel. Yowling, she pushed with the toes of her left foot, tugging at her right foot to free it, her weight thrown onto her hands. Grimacing, Karina put her head down and tugged harder still, feeling Apudo’s toes scraping ever so slowly down the sole of her foot, Karina’s efforts out of all proportion to the progress she was making.

“Puuuull my heyeeel pad freeyeee, now my ayayayarch! Then the ball of my fooooot, and my uuuuumf! Ayayayayayayaow! my toooes!” Karina yowled as she tugged, the word “toooes spoken in a squeal as she’d had to pull extra hard to free her toes, them being curled with her effort. With a cubbish yell, Karina tumbled head over heels, landing with her paws and feet in the air.

Throughout all this, Titan, Philomena and Snowdrop watched the two Felursapiens and one lioness’s struggles, too enthralled to urge them to greater efforts, even if they could have made them.

“that was amazing Apudo!” Titan mewed, rubbing his sweating paws on the rugs, “I really thought you wouldn’t ever free your feet.” Apudo, rubbing her sweating face with damp paws giggled delightedly.

“it was a load of fun!”

“that’s real cubbish play, and I’m glad to see it from all three of you,” Titan mewed. karina laughed merrily, turning to Apudo and hugging her, Felix hugging Apudo’s huge left foot in his hands, the lioness curling her toes in response.

“You’re all hot and your pads are damp Felix,” Philomena said, padding round to his left side, kneeling and taking his left foot in her hands.

“It’s hard work freeing my fingers from the grip of a lioness’s toes,” Felix mewed.

“It was hard work uncurling my toooes!” Apudo whimpered.

“I should report that to Mama Sita,” Titan mewed, “Apudo can play like a cub, and initiate a game too.”

“I’m being monitored now?” Apudo mewed unhappily.

“sorry,” Titan replied.

“yeah, bet you are Titan!” Apudo snapped, furious with him, “can’t I just play in peace?”

“Sorry,” Titan said again, Apudo sighing and padding to Mama Karina.

“Can I play that stuck paw game with you Apudo?” Karina asked.

“If I lie on my side, you and I could press pads together I think,” Apudo mewed, “mine are so big that your toes could touch mine, and your heel my sole pad, and we could pretend that way.”

“I’d love to explore your feet with my toes,” Karina mewed.

“if you could help me wash, you can explore my paws and feet with your hands too,” Apudo mewed.

“I will,” Karina purred, “and I think Felix would like to also, after all, it was he who got you all hot and bothered during your play.” Apudo smiled at Felix and Karina.

“Now all I have to do is convince my feet to carry me to the shower room,” she said, rolling onto her chest, digging in her toes and straining herself to her feet, standing massive and imposing, curling the toes of all four paws into the rugs on the floor.

“You have such cute pads on those huge feet Apudo,” Felix mewed, crawling behind her, “I’m sorry they aren’t visible now.” Apudo lifted her left foot from the floor, then curled and stretched her toes, Felix blowing on her pads, Apudo shrieking with laughter.

“I could walk on three feet and keep my forth visible,” she said.

“No,” Felix mewed, kissing the toes of her raised foot, “I’m not asking that of you Apudo.”

“I liked that,” Apudo said, lowering her head so she could look back at Felix between her forelegs.

“You didn’t think you’d get cute paws as well as a new start when you were reborn did you Apudo,” Titan mewed.

“I’m sure my paws were cute before that, but it’s nice to find others approve of them now,” Apudo purred.

“typical cat vanity,” snowdrop said.

“yes, I know,” Apudo mewed, “Titan has it too, we big cats all do.”

“I know about Titan,” Snowdrop giggled, “he’s always grooming his fur. The funniest bit is when he forgets to rough up his pads after washing them, he slides all over the place when he tries to walk!”

“Don’t remind me!” Titan moaned.

“Titan skiddypaws! Titan Skiddypaws!” Apudo carolled, Titan smiling at her, Apudo’s joy turning to embarrassment when she realised what she’d just sung.

“I’m sorry,” she said, blushing to the roots of her mane.

“you’re a cub, and I don’t mind if cubs sing silly songs,” Titan mewed.

“Even if they mock you Titan?” Nuru asked, padding into the room with Leopold.

“yes, even then,” Titan mewed, kissing Nuru’s nose, then turning to Leopold, who stared up in wonder at Titan.

“Where’s Yendi?” Titan asked.

“she’s with Tiggs, would you like us to find her?” Leopold asked.

“I would,” Apudo mewed, “I, I think, I think I need to apologise to her for snapping at her when she measured her paw against mine, and, well, let her touch my paws again.”

“I’ll find Yendi,” Leopold mewed, racing from the room.

“Why the sudden interest in how things feel Apudo?” Titan asked.

“I spent nearly all the time with my eyes closed and toes curled while playing with Felix,” Apudo mewed horsely, “I, um, felt more. I can’t explain it better than that Titan.”

“Oh, well, that’s good enough,” Titan mewed.

“I want to tell Yendi she can get paws on with me, touch me from my nose to my toes,” Apudo mewed.

“Well you can,” Yendi purred, padding carefully into the room behind Leopold’s tail, Apudo smiling and padding to her, bowing her head, then touching noses with the two week old cub.

“you’re barely on your feet little one,” Apudo mewed.

“I’ve been trying,” Yendi mewed, “but standing on my feet means I can’t use them for other things Apudo.”

“I know,” Apudo mewed, “when I’m off mine, I can play so much more easily. Yendi, would you like to touch my paws and feet, like you did in the playroom?”

“if you would like that,” Yendi mewed, “I have no right to ask,,,,”

“but others can see my pads, you can’t,” Apudo mewed, “come, I’ll wash, as I’ve been playing energetic games, and then you can touch my paws and feet, or all of me, if you’d like. Maybe then my pads will become as soft as yours and I will not be able to spend as much time on my feet, so will feel more with them.”

“I’ll wait here while you wash,” Yendi mewed, smelling the lioness’s scent, “I know cubs are able to wash adults here if both agree, but, well, you’re adult, and I hardly know you yet.”

“Yendi, I’m not adult, I’m not even a yearling yet!” Apudo replied, surprised by a rush of emotions which threatened to make her weep, “if I could rip this body off, you’d find a cub a little bigger than you I think. I, Um, thought something silly, and sleep walked into a pool where I woke huge, though my mind was,,,” Apudo hesitated, “Yendi, take my paw, please?” Yendi lay down, rolling onto her back and spinning round so Apudo’s breath fanned her whiskers, before presenting her small paws for the lioness to place her paw in their embrace. Apudo, taking a deep breath, placed her emotion dampened left paw between the cub’s small ones, Yendi tenderly hugging Apudo’s paw.

“but, but, these are cub’s pads,” Yendi mewed with surprise, “they’re big, and thick too, but they’re the pads of a cub!”

“I know,” Apudo replied, emotions making her ears tingle, “I’m a cub in a huge body because I messed up during a dream. Now I’m having to play and be a cub while carrying myself around in this huge body, and it’s hard Yendi. Felix knows, everyone who touches me knows what I really am.”

“but these pads are lovely!” Yendi mewed, “all soft and springy, and, playful too,” she added.

“You wait till you get paws on with Apudo’s feet,” Felix mewed, “her toes have a mind of their own,” Apudo laughed merrily:

“They certainly did,” she replied softly.

“I like this paw well enough,” Yendi mewed, clasping Apudo’s paw in hers with fresh eagerness, rubbing the large lioness’s hot, slightly damp pads with her right paw, Apudo mewing with pleasure then kissing Yendi’s nose.

“I see you have cute pads yourself,” Apudo mewed, “Yendi, your pads really are those of a cub, mine, well.”

“yours are bigger, but no harder than mine Apudo,” Yendi mewed.

“but can I have big soft pads and still play like a cub and with the cubs?” Apudo pleaded.

“yes of course,” Yendi mewed, cheekily kissing the toe pads of the huge paw she held, “play often, and your pads will be soft.” Apudo, gulping hard, shook herself as best she could on three feet.

“I don’t want to put my paws or feet to any other work but this,” Apudo thought, gazing down at her huge paw held tightly in Yendi’s small ones.

“Can you lean over and kiss my toes Apudo?” Yendi asked.

“I might have to ask you to let go of my paw, and I don’t want you to do that!” she mewed passionately.

“try while I hold your paw,” Yendi encouraged. Apudo, taking a deep breath, stretched herself forward, stepping with her right paw a little at first, then pushing herself up on the toes of her huge feet, leaning on her right paw for balance. Yendi, feeling Apudo’s struggle, arched her back and stretched her hind legs, wiggling the toes of both feet in the air, giggling as Apudo’s large tongue swiped across the pads of her right foot:

“you did It Apudo! You kissed the pads and toes of my right foot, now, if I cross my legs, you can kiss my left too!” Smiling broadly, Apudo did as Yendi asked, the cub laughing delightedly, curling her toes so they caught Apudo’s whiskers as they brushed through them..

“Now I must wash,” Apudo mewed, pushing back with the toes of her right paw to push her weight onto the sole pads of her feet.

“I will let your paw go now,” Yendi mewed, Apudo unable to stifle a whimper of protest.

“I can hear Apudo loves your touch Yendi,” Mama Sita mewed, padding carefully into the room.

“Apudo let me hold her left paw while she was standing on three paws and, while standing on three paws, she managed to kiss the pads on both my feet Mama Sita!” Yendi yelled.

“That’s sweet,” Sita mewed.

“Apudo? Are you there?” Yendi asked, feeling the lioness’s breath tickle her whiskers.

“I’m here,” Apudo mewed.

“Could we show Mama Sita what we did?” Yendi asked. Apudo hesitated:

“No,” Apudo replied, and as Yendi protested with a piteous yowl the lioness continued, “Yendi, I can’t do it! I’m in bits here!” she sniffled, “it took all I had to remain composed while playing with you the first time, I can’t do it Yendi, I just can’t!” Apudo begged.

“Playing with Yendi isn’t only play Apudo?” Mama Sita asked.

“No Mama Sita, it’s not!” Apudo whimpered, panting hard, “Yendi makes me feel like the cub I wayayayant to beyeee!” she wailed miserably, “and it hurts, hurts I’m so big and fat!” Apudo raged, “that I did this to myself, and now, now, now I look awful!”

“Yendi found you, Felix did too,” Mama Sita mewed, “if they can love you, others, including yourself, can too.” Mama Sita padded to Apudo, who was now weeping freely.

“Come,” Sita mewed, “let me hug you,” Apudo let Mama Sita hug her tightly, burying herself in the Felursa’s massive embrace.

“Yendi likes what she feels,” Sita mewed into Apudo’s ear, “big fat paws and all, she likes what she feels. Don’t deny her the cub she loves Apudo.”

“I never thought of things that way,” Apudo mewed.

“Very few of us know you as the small reborn cub,” Sita purred, “we accept you as you are now, and Yendi loves Apudo bumble paws very much.”

“Don’t call meyeee that!” Apudo raged, but her heart wasn’t in her anger.

“You rage at me, but?” Mama Sita asked.

“Felix,” Apudo mumbled, “he calls me bumble paws, and, and, he does it with such love that, though it enrages me when I fall over my feet, I can’t help but like the name.”

“Felix means you no harm Apudo. He loves you dearly,” Mama Sita mewed.

“Titan, Titan!” Magnus yelled, running into the room, “Kamchatka’s complaining of pains, I, I think she’s in labour.”

“Since when did that fat pawed cat earn his stripes to be present at the birth of a bear cub?” Snowdrop asked.

“He was born with them silly,” Magnus yelled, “now, come quick, all of you, I think you’ll miss it otherwise.”

“No they won’t, I’m here,” Kamchatka said, padding up behind Magnus, making him whip round with a surprised squeal:

“You’re meant to be on the bed!”

“No,” Kamchatka giggled, “I said I was in slight pain, it’s nothing yet. The interesting stuff, the stuff Nanuq plays at hasn’t happened yet. I’m not even close to catching my breath yet. I want everyone to see what I do during this cub’s birth, and they will see, and Nanuq will probably re-enact it too. Well if he doesn’t I’ll be really angry!” Titan laughed merrily at this.

“I’ve seen Nanuq playing at having a cub, he’s wonderful,” the liger mewed.

“Your labour is no plaything Kamchatka!” Magnus raged.

“Nanuq is deadly serious when he’s acting out a cub’s birth,” Kamchatka said.

“yes he is, and he’s wonderful,” Flocke replied, padding into the room and hugging Kamchatka.

“Hello dear Flocke,” Kamchatka said, kissing her nose. Patch, wearing a headcam and backpack wandered in with Nanuq a few minutes later. After Patch had dumped his pack on the floor, he too was pulled to the floor by Kamchatka and Flocke, who pinned Patch under their paws, rolled him onto his back, then kissed his nose and paws, patch laughing helplessly throughout.

“Now for Nanuq!” The two she bears yelled, pouncing on the large polar grizzly cross bear and bringing him down, then mercilessly tickling his toes until he squirmed, roaring with laughter.

“I love their paws,” Kamchatka said to Flocke, “Patch and Nanuq make great actors. I think Flocke, you should also try to act out my cub’s birth too.”

“Have the cub first,” Flocke giggled.

“Oh I will,” Kamchatka said, “and I think it’s happening now!” she groaned, sitting down suddenly, clasping her belly with her paws and panting hard.

“That’s what happened last time!” Magnus moaned.

“I know!” Kamchatka moaned, wriggling and squirming, tightly curling her toes, “Ruuuuuumf! Uuuhuuuumf!” she complained.

“Do you want help?” Magnus asked.

“No,” Kamchatka replied, panting hard, “though I complain loudly, this is small stuff. When I’m rolling about on the floor, straining and curling my toes while screaming and yelling, you can give me pain relief by rubbing my pads.”

“I remember your pads being black last time you had a cub Kamchatka,” Karina mewed, looking closely at the huge she bear’s tightly curled toes.

“They were dirty I think,” Kamchatka moaned, “now, now they’re beige, and, aoaoaoaow! I’m having a cuuuub and they’re hot and sweating! Uauauauaauw! Auauauauauauw!” wailing, Kamchatka grabbed her left foot in her paws and held on tight, her toes tightly curled.

“Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf!” Kamchatka moaned deeply, rocking and wriggling.

“I want to give you pain relief Kamchatka!” Magnus yelled, stamping his feet.

“No, I need to know when to push,” the she bear replied through clenched teeth, “I need to crawl now, I think, think I, uuuuumf, I wayayayant to crawl!”

“What can I do?” Magnus asked, staring at his mate with terrified eyes.

“Get her a drink,” patch replied, diving into his abandoned backpack with both paws and quickly setting up mobile cameras, “make sure you get a straw too, for if she bites it, it won’t hurt her.”

“I will Patch,” Magnus gasped, “Kamchatka, I’ll be back in a minute!” Magnus ran off like a scolded cat.

“Uuuuumf! Uauauauaauw! Umf,” Kamchatka whimpered, wriggling and rocking on paws and knees.

“You’re feeling pain with no urges to push Kamchatka?” patch asked, setting up his monitoring equipment, his eyes never leaving the she bear, spoken progress reports and prompts about his Camera gear coming to him from an earpiece which he always wore, which noone really noticed.

“Yes, pains,” payayayayayins which make my toooes cuuuurl!” she yowled, fitting suitable action to her yowled words.

“Okay,” patch replied, rubbing her sweating left paw, Kamchatka sitting back hard on her heels and drilling them hard into her backside, first two heels together, then just one, squirming urgently while sitting hard on her left heel.

“uauauauauaowch! Yuauauauauaauauauauawch!” Kamchatka yelled, banging the floor with her paws, “now, now, now I must, I wayayayayant to roll onto my back and kick, muuuuust roll!” she groaned.

“Everything’s fine,” patch said, watching her intently, his cameras navigating their way autonomously to watch Kamchatka from all angles, “roll, bounce, crawl, scream, kick, everything’s fine Kamchatka.” The she bear rolled onto her back, drew her knees to her chest, grabbed the soles of both feet with her paws, wriggled and screeched, then let go of both feet and pedalled the air with them for a few minutes, while wriggling madly. Suddenly Kamchatka drew up her knees, grabbed the backs of her thighs with her paws and splayed her legs, squealing lustily:

“auauauuw! This huuuurts!, uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Uauauauauauwch!”

“Crawling might help,” patch suggested, Kamchatka wriggling and rolling onto her knees, then enduring another pain which made her yowl, just as Magnus came in with the drink. Patch saw with relief that the huge bear held a flask with a secure top, as, seeing Kamchatka, and hearing her vocal protestations of pain, Magnus dropped the flask and fled.

“would you rub my pads Patch?” Kamchatka begged. Patch knelt then rubbed the sole pad and toes of Kamchatka’s sweating right foot, the she bear leaning into him with gratitude.

“That’s nice,” she moaned, crawling to the dropped flask, picking it up and extending the rubber drinking spout. Drinking deeply, she had nearly finished when another contraction made her drop the flask, spit a mouthful of drink then clench her teeth, while squealing:

“Aouwch! I muuuuust puuuuuush!” sitting back on her heels, Kamchatka strained hard down into her bottom:

“Aouwch, Aouwch, Aouwch, Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Uuuuumf, Ururururumf, Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Uauauauauauwch! This huuuurts and is bloody hard! So hayayayayayrd!” she screeched.

“I know it’s hard work and hurts worse than anything before Kamchatka dear,” Patch said, kissing her ear.

“I’m sorry for my fuss,” Kamchatka sobbed, squirming and panting after the longest contraction she’d yet endured.

“There’s no need to apologise,” Titan mewed, padding to Kamchatka then kissing the sweating pads of her left foot, “I screamed like you Kamchatka.”

“This is horrible!” Kamchatka sniffled, “but I don’t want pain relief, I just want touch.”

“That’s fine,” Patch replied, “and Kamchatka, scream your head off if you want, we won’t punish you for it.”

“this huuuurts!” Kamchatka yelled, sitting down and grabbing her left foot in her paws, squeezing her pads and curling her toes, then groaning, she lay back and pedalled the air hard with her large feet.

“Every little helps,” Patch said, rubbing the pads of Kamchatka’s right foot, the she bear bracing her foot against his paws, patch feeling her tightly curled toes, patch rubbing circles on her bunched pads, the she bear moaning with relief.

“I want to push agayayayayayain!” she moaned, closing her eyes, clenching her teeth and bearing down into her bottom, moaning “Yuuuuuuumf! Eueueueueeuhuuumf! Erhrhrhrhrhrhrhmf!”

“Would you like a birthing ball?” Patch asked.

“take her to the birthing dens!” Snowdrop yelled.

“Not if she doesn’t want to be there,” Titan mewed.

“but she’ll make a mess!” Snowdrop wailed.

“Come Kamchatka dear,” Titan mewed, padding to her and nuzzling the panting she bear’s cheek, “crawl to my rug, that’s warm and you’ll be safe there. Kamchatka opened her eyes and looked at Titan.

“Thank you,” she whimpered, crawling to his blanket, the liger sitting down and watching her with gentle eyes.

“What’s going on?” Yendi asked.

“Kamchatka’s giving birth! Can’t you hear that?” Snowdrop snapped.

“don’t be like that Snowdrop,” patch replied, “you can see what’s happening, Yendi and Sita can’t. Kamchatka’s lying on her back on Titan’s rug pedalling the air with her feet Sita.”

“ah, can I do anything?” mama Sita asked.

“Uuumf, no, no,” Kamchatka gasped, “touch my feeyeeet if you want, feeyeeel my toes cuuuurl maybe?” Sita crawled towards Kamchatka, listening to her panting and moaning. Sita took Kamchatka’s left foot in her paws, feeling the heat and sweat on the she bear’s pads and her curling toes. Suddenly Kamchatka lay back, drew up her knees and grabbed her feet with both paws:

“Wayayayant to puuuuuush!” Kamchatka screeched, pushing down hard, screaming:

“Uauauauauw! Aouwch! Umf, aow! Aow! umf, Uuuhuuuumf! Yuuuuuuumf!”

“Push down Kamchatka, push right down, Try to make it a long squeezing puuuuuush!” Patch encouraged, Kamchatka panting, then, with a strangled squeal, pushing hard down.

“uuuuumf! Heuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuuumf!” Kamchatka squealed as she pushed, her feet flying free of her paws as she pedalled the air while straining hard.

“This cub’s enormous!” Kamchatka yelled as she came down from another contraction.

“What do you want to do now?” patch asked.

“Drink,” Kamchatka panted, Patch padding over to the dropped flask, picking it up and holding it out to the she bear, Kamchatka drinking from the straw.

“aoaoaoaow Patch, I muuuuust puuush agayayayayin, cuuuuub’s puuuuuuushing to get ouwch! Ouwch! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf!” aouwhwhwhwhwwhwhwh!” she moaned loudly, rolling from side to side, then sitting up and straining hard down into her bottom.

“Cuuuub won’t come ouwt!” Kamchatka squealed as she pushed, rocking back and forth on her backside while straining, then getting to her knees, whimpering and panting hard,.

“Rest a minute,” Patch suggested, Kamchatka moaning and writhing.

“would you like to see your cub’s birth?” Felix asked.

“I’d like to,” Kamchatka whimpered, “but, but, there’s no time!” she moaned.

“Put these on,” Felix mewed, putting glasses over Kamchatka’s eyes and fastening a strap around her head. Kamchatka gasped as she saw her feet. So astonished was she that she didn’t quite believe her eyes at first.

“is this picture of my hind end, of the soles of my own feet and will I see my cub? Will I see all of my cub’s birth?” she asked, her pain forgotten in her astonishment.

“Wiggle your toes and tell me if you see them,” Felix giggled. Kamchatka did, seeing her toes wiggle on the tiny screens projected onto the displays in front of her eyes, panting, she curled her toes tightly, gasping at the sight of her bunching pads and curled toes on the screens in front of her eyes.

“oaoaoaaoh!” Kamchatka breathed, “those are my toooes! I wish I’d seen more now!”

“Kamchatka can see through the glasses, past the screens to us if she wants,” Patch explained.

“naooooow! I wayayayant to see my cub’s birth!” Kamchatka yelled petulantly, wriggling and straining hard down, “ouauauauauauw! Uuuuuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Oauauauaauauaowch!” she yowled, “the cuuuuub’s coming, ieieieieit’s puuuuuuushing dowhwhwhwhwn, but muuuuust puuush! Auauauauauauw! Aouwch! Heuuuuuumf! The cuuuuub’s huuuurting meyeee!” she screeched.

“one more push like that and we’ll see the cub’s paws and maybe its head too,” Patch said, gently wiping Kamchatka’s sweating face with a damp cloth, “you can do it Kamchatka, I nearly saw the cub’s paws when you pushed really hard just then!” Patch looked Kamchatka over, seeing the she bear panting hard while resting on her paws and knees, sweat soaking her fur, the sweat running off her legs in rivulets, drenching the pads of her feet, running down her soles to be caught by her curled toes. As he watched, Kamchatka shook herself, sweat flying off her fur and the pads and toes of her feet. Panting, she settled, splayed her legs a little and, whimpering, settled her paws slightly beneath her, so her back was slightly angled downwards. Kamchatka, Pointing her nose to the ceiling, took a deep breath and pushed down into her tail.

“uuuuuuruuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuruuuuuuumf! Uuuuush!” Kamchatka moaned while straining hard, “auauauauwch! I saw the cuuuuub’s toooes too! Uauauauauauauauw! I, I wayayayayant to see them agayayayayayain! Aow, Aouw! Aouw! Aouw! Ieieieieit huuuurts! What’s this payayayayayin? Aouwch, Aouwch Aouwch Aouwch!” She screeched.

“It’s the cub’s paws and head coming out, don’t push Kamchatka, please don’t push until I say you can, but until then, when you feel the need, curl your toes, wriggle and squeal!”

“Okay, okay! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Aouwch Aouwch Aouwch! I can seyeee my cuuuub coming, ieieieieit’s coming!” Kamchatka squealed lustily, wriggling convulsively, the cub’s huge paws and head coming out slowly at first, then with a rush, making Kamchatka yell.

“Ruuuuuumf, I wayayayayant to puuush, muuuuust puuuuuush!”

“Push when you feel the need Kamchatka, big push!” patch encouraged, “I’ll help, feel my paw touching your heel?”

“yes, yeyeyeyeyes! I can see it tooo!” Kamchatka panted.

“Push as long and as strongly as you can until you feel my paw touch the ball of your foot, then pant,” patch suggested.

“I’ll try,” Kamchatka moaned, “but, I wayayayayant to seyeee what’s going on tooo, but I muuuuust puuush!!”

“One, two, three, push!” patch said, Kamchatka bearing down silently, seeing and feeling Patch’s touch move down her foot as she pushed. Grinding her teeth, she kept up the pressure, her breath running out when his paw was half way down her foot. Taking another breath, the contraction still strong, Kamchatka bore down with a strangled moan of :

“Uuuuuuuumf, the cuuuuub’s coming ouwt,” Panting desperately as his paw touched her toes.

“That’s it, that’s good!” Patch encouraged, “the cub’s body’s quarter out now, can you see it? It’s a big cub!”

“I know that! I can seyeee it!” Kamchatka sniffled, “I wayayayant to watch, but I need to close my eyes to puuush! It’s nooaoaoaot fair!” she raged, Uuuuuuuumf! Heuuuuuumf! uuuuuuruuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuruuuuuuumf! Uuuuush.!”

“I’m watching your cub,” patch said, “Kamchatka dear, you won’t miss a thing if you close your eyes. You can watch it all later.” Patch had set a camera on the floor at the level of Kamchatka’s feet, the camera getting full view of the soles of her feet and the cub’s arrival into the world. patch found he was able to gauge her levels of effort and pain by whether her toes were curled or not, while he wore a headcam, the computer giving Kamchatka a view of her feet and the progress of her cub. patch couldn’t help flicking his eyes down from time to time to check on her bunching pads and curled toes to gauge her level of pain, before looking back up at the emerging cub, and emerging it was too. Kamchatka made another huge effort, squealing:

“oooah! I can seyeee my cuuuub coming!” As the cub’s body slid three quarters out, Patch supporting it in his paws.

“I wayayayant to seyeee what happens when I push like that agayayayayin!” Kamchatka panted.

“You can,” Patch said, “the cub’s not too far out for that.”

“I can see it’s coming!” Kamchatka replied in a strangled yell, suddenly bearing down and wriggling, the cub easing into the world, Kamchatka groaning deeply, pushing hard down as the cub’s hips jammed, moaning:

“uuuuumf, Soaoaoaoao muuuch puuuuuuushing, buuuut I muuustn’t close my eyes, wayayayayant to seyeee everything!” as its legs slid free.

“Big push for the cub’s feet Kamchatka, big push!” Patch encouraged.

“Noaoaoaow, can’t push, cayayayayn’t puuush!” Kamchatka panted.

“Do what you can,” Titan replied, padding round and stroking the sole of her right foot with his velvet padded paw.

“uuuuumf, ouuuuuuoooooooosh, ouououououoch!” the she bear complained in a shrill scream as she pushed deeply down into her tail, seeing and feeling the cub’s feet slide from her, hearing a squelch of fluid as they left her body..

“That’s it,” Patch said softly, cleaning the cub up, Kamchatka watching in amazement, Patch’s head mounted camera meaning she could watch her cub without turning round. Soon Kamchatka saw her cub kicking with all four huge paws and heard it squealing for food. Smiling with gratitude and relief, Kamchatka turned to take her cub from patch.

“It’s a large male!” patch laughed.

“I’m not surprised!” Kamchatka replied, “I had enough trouble giving birth to the cub.”

“I know, ouch,” Sita mewed, having been given a blow by blow account by Felix after he’d fitted Kamchatka with her goggles.

“It would be great if another cub was born right now,” Leopold mewed.

“No thanks!” Kamchatka groaned, “I’ve had quite enough for one day thank you!”

“I didn’t say it had to be a bear cub,” Leopold purred.

“no you didn’t, that’s true,” Kamchatka replied.

“You were amazing Kamchatka,” snowdrop said, padding up to her daughter a few minutes later while Kamchatka was sitting down nursing her newborn cub.

“I felt as trapped as a stuck cub though,” Kamchatka replied.

“I did too when I gave birth to you,” Snowdrop replied, “labour, it grips you doesn’t it.”

“yes, by all four paws and by your insides too,” Kamchatka groaned.

“It gripped me too!” her cub said, “I felt everything!” Kamchatka laughed helplessly at her cub’s words, stroking his head and paws.

“No wonder you had such trouble giving birth to your cub Kamchatka, he’s huuuge!” snowdrop remarked, taking a good look at her Grandcub for the first time. “he has sparkling brown eyes and a black nose and is covered in brown fur from nose to tail, his legs are long, ending in huge beige soled paws! No wonder you squealed when his paws came out,” she continued, picking up and closely examining the cub’s left paw, then his right foot, “your cub has enormous paws and feet!”

“I can hardly believe I pushed him out of me into the light of day,” Kamchatka replied.

“Well you did mum, I remember every bit of it too, you squashed my paws and feet!” snowdrop laughed helplessly at the cub’s talk.

“your mum did everything she could,” she said gently, drawing circles on the sole of the cub’s right foot while he sat on Kamchatka’s lap, the cub curling his toes with pleasure.

“You’re okay now mum?” the cub asked.

“I think so,” Kamchatka replied, “I think I need to get rid of the afterbirth, and, oaoaoaof. Swiftly she handed her cub to snowdrop, scrambled to all four paws then squatted and, splaying her legs, strained hard a couple of times, her cub watching with fascination.

“uuuuumf, uuuuuuuuaumf!” Kamchatka moaned, the afterbirth welling from her as she gripped the floor with her paws while bouncing on the toes of both feet. Snowdrop tried to cover the cub’s eyes with a paw, but he shook her off.

“I saw my way down the tunnel!” he snapped, “I battled my way out of that too!” he yelled, waving a huge paw at the mess of afterbirth lying on the floor.

“can’t keep anything from cubs these days,” snowdrop thought, as Kamchatka sank to paws and knees, exhausted by her sudden urges.

“”That was unexpected,” she panted.

“Can I rub your feet mum?” her cub asked, fighting his way free of Snowdrop’s embrace.

“Why?” Snowdrop asked.

“Because I saw someone doing it when mum was making those sounds before,” the cub replied, Kamchatka smiling at her cub.

“Yes, come and rub my pads,” she said. the cub crawled to his mum’s feet and began rubbing his paw all over the sole of her left foot in no particular pattern.

“That’s nice,” Kamchatka sighed.

“When the big grey bear who helped me into the world did that, you pushed hard and I was born,” her cub said, “now, if I rub your foot some more, will you push hard again and will another cub be born?” Kamchatka laughed:

“No, well I don’t think so,” she replied, “I think I’m done giving birth.”

“I hope you are Kamchatka dear,” Magnus replied, creeping in from the passage, “I don’t want to see you in pain like that again!”

“It was fine,” Kamchatka replied, “the pain was normal, I just complain massively that’s all.”

“You screamed and kicked and sweated buckets!” Magnus yelped.

“I did, but that was because I was pushing hard to deliver our cub, and he wouldn’t come out easily, it was hard work!” Kamchatka replied.

“when Magnus has paws like his, I’m not surprised you had a problem giving birth,” Apudo mewed, Magnus kneeling to kiss Kamchatka’s nose, Yendi crawling to his feet and touching his thickly padded soles.

“Someone has very soft paws!” Magnus gasped, sitting back on his heels.

“they belong to me I think,” Yendi mewed, kissing the toes of Magnus’s left foot, Magnus glancing behind him and seeing noone as Yendi was so small and he so huge.

“Who’s that?” he asked, placing his paws on the floor, splaying his legs a bit, then bowing his head to look beneath his body, Yendi waving a paw at the sound of his breathing, being unable to see Magnus herself.

“oaoaoaaoh, there you are!” the male bear exclaimed.

“yes,” Yendi mewed, drumming on his large thickly padded toes with her small ones, “I’m here, though I can’t see your face, nor how big your body or feet are. SO I hope you didn’t mind me getting paws on.”

“No, not at all, please, get paws on again!” Magnus gushed. Yendi did, Magnus giggling as her soft padded paws tickled his toes.

“You’re tiyiyiyckling meyeee!” Magnus squealed, bouncing his backside on his heels, Yendi laughing at his voice.

“I’ve never heard a grown bear squeal like that!” she laughed, “I’ll tickle your heels now tooo!”

“naoaoaoaoao!” Magnus screeched cubbishly, squealing with laughter as Yendi mercilessly tickled his pads.

“Where’s Yendi?” Tiggs yelled, rushing into the room, spotting her cub just in time to stop herself repeating the blunder Yendi made when she blundered into Apudo.

“oaoaoaaoh there you are Yendi!” Tiggs miaowed, jamming her paws into the floor, wiggling her hips and bracing her toes into the floor until she slithered to a stop.

“yes mum,” Yendi mewed, “I came here to play with Apudo, and, well, so much has happened! I’ve heard a bear cub being born, I’ve met Apudo who’s a large sort of liger cub, and now I’m tickling a huuuge bear’s toes! It’s wonderful!”

“I, I was asleep with Yendi beside me, and when I woke hours later, she’d gone!” Tiggs yowled in explanation of her frantic entrance.

“I was asked if I wanted to play with Apudo, and I did, so I followed Leopold here,” Yendi mewed.

“bloody cubs!” Tiggs growled.

“Don’t say that,” Kamchatka replied, “dear Tiggs, don’t say that, now is not the time to say that.”

“I suppose not,” Tiggs replied, sitting down.

Kamchatka disengaged herself from Magnus’s hug and sat down, her cub clambering into her lap to nurse. His thirst quenched, he curled up on her lap to sleep. Shortly after, patch padded up with something in his paw.

“Congratulations Kamchatka. You’re the first to witness your own cub’s birth in real-time,” Patch said. handing her a small object.

“What’s this?” Kamchatka asked.

“It’s a memory stick with your cub’s birth on it,” Patch replied, “you can watch from all angles, see things even you didn’t see.”

“It’ll make me cry, but I will watch it Patch,” Kamchatka replied, settling her newborn cub in Snowdrop’s lap, the sow polar bear never far from Kamchatka’s side., Padding to the console, Kamchatka, with Patch’s help, plugged the stick into the console.

“there’s a Menu,” Kamchatka said, “paw camera, face camera, tail camera, overhead camera and foot camera? I suppose these are telling me what view I will see?”

“yes, and there’s normal video too, well edited that is to get a general overview, but you can watch the birth from all angles, just your face, or your paws, or feet, or the emergence of the cub, anything.”

“oh okay,” Kamchatka replied, pressing the screen marked, “face cam, watching her face on the screen, seeing her own pain and discomfort.

“You can split the screen too, like this,” patch said, pressing the split screen button, then face rear and foot cam buttons, “Then you can see your face, the soles of your feet and your tail, so you can see what happens in detail to those parts.”

“My face and feet are fascinating!” Kamchatka gasped, “so much effort!”

“I know,” patch replied.

“I’m Sitting on my heels now,” Kamchatka said, “wriggling and bouncing, curling my toes so tightly! I can’t believe how tightly I curl my toooes!” she gushed.

“it amazes me every time how tightly toes curl,” patch replied.

“Bunching pads too!” Kamchatka continued, “now I’m wriggling, oooah, it makes me want to curl my toes, wriggle and scream all over again!”

“yes I know that feeling too,” Patch replied smiling.

“I’m on my back now, pedalling the air with my feet, I do have huge feet with huge thick pads Patch!” Kamchatka narrated, “I’m grabbing them now, holding onto my feet with my paws, wriggling and screaming, then letting go and kicking, now drawing my legs up and grabbing my thighs and screeching. My toes are curled all the time now! I never knew that till now!”

“your pads bunch so tightly,” patch said.

“it looks like they do,” Kamchatka replied, “I think I grabbed them before this and held on tight.”

“yes you did,” patch replied, “but my close up cameras didn’t see it, only my head cam did, which wasn’t so close.”

“That’s disappointing,” Kamchatka replied.

“Wait!” Patch replied, holding up a massive paw, “I got a shot of you grabbing your foot with your paws, here,” he showed her footage of her holding her left foot in her paws, the camera focused on her fiercely gripping paws and tightly curled toes.

“Good!” Kamchatka replied smiling, “but how I managed to curl my toes or grip with my paws like that I’ll never know!”

“Just watch what happens when you give birth to your cub,” Patch replied, showing Kamchatka the film of her face and her hind quarters as she gave birth to her cub.

“What effort! No wonder I complained,” Kamchatka said, “so much pushing, oooah, so I can see soaoao much pain and effort in my face and my feet too! Grimacing face, such tightly curled toes, fiercely bunched pads, and I can see the sweat of my effort too! I even shake myself at one point I think, Wow, that’s amazing!”

“Watch what happens next when you push the cub out properly,” Patch replied, the view now of Kamchatka’s face on half the screen, and her hind quarters on the other. They could see her wearing the goggles, her eyes clearly visible behind them. at the part of the video when Patch said:

““one more push like that,”“ gently wiping Kamchatka’s sweating face with a damp cloth, they saw Kamchatka on paws and knees, panting and gasping, Patch urging her to push, as he’d nearly seen the cub’s toes when Kamchatka exerted herself. Now Kamchatka watched the next bit with wide eyes, reaching for, and gripping her right foot in her paws for support. Kamchatka felt her mouth go dry with anticipation and fear for the mother on screen. With wide eyes, Kamchatka saw herself on screen, shaking the sweat violently from her fur and the pads of her feet, then her determined efforts to give birth to her cub. In the present, her mouth gaping, eyes staring, paws clamped round her right foot, the toes of which were curled as tightly as she’d ever done before, Kamchatka watched herself pushing against her cub on screen, her face full of concentration and pain, her feet with their constantly curled toes and bunched pads, and the sound, Kamchatka vowed she’d never forget the sound of her struggles.

“ “uuuuuuruuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuruuuuuuumf! Uuuuush!” Kamchatka’s on screen image moaned while straining hard, “auauauauwch! I saw the cuuuuub’s toooes too! Uauauauauauauauw! I, I wayayayayant to see them agayayayayayain! Aow, Aouw! Aouw! Aouw! Ieieieieit huuuurts! What’s this payayayayayin? Aouwch, Aouwch Aouwch Aouwch!” She screeched. Patch’s on screen likeness replied:

“It’s the cub’s paws and head coming out, don’t push Kamchatka, please don’t push until I say you can, but until then, when you feel the need, curl your toes, wriggle and squeal!”

“Okay, okay! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Aouwch Aouwch Aouwch! I can seyeee my cuuuub coming, ieieieieit’s coming!” on screen Kamchatka squealed lustily, wriggling convulsively, the cub’s huge paws and head emerging slowly at first, then with a rush.

“Ruuuuuumf, I wayayayayant to puuush, muuuuust puuuuuush!” Kamchatka roared.

“Push when you feel the need Kamchatka, big push!” on screen patch encouraged, “I’ll help, feel my paw touching your heel?”

“yes, yeyeyeyeyes! I can see it tooo!” Kamchatka panted.

“Push as long and as strongly as you can until you feel my paw touch the ball of your foot, then pant,” patch suggested.

“I’ll try,” on screen Kamchatka moaned, “but, I wayayayayant to seyeee what’s going on tooo, but I muuuuust puuush!!”

“One, two, three, push!” patch said, Kamchatka bearing down silently, seeing and feeling Patch’s touch move down her foot as she pushed. Grinding her teeth, she kept up the pressure, her breath running out when his paw was half way down her foot. Taking another breath, the contraction still strong, Kamchatka bore down with a strangled moan of :

“Uuuuuuuumf, the cuuuuub’s coming ouwt,” Panting desperately as his paw touched her toes.”

“I remember your touch on my pads Patch, that was lovely,” Mama Kamchatka said in the present, her right foot still clamped in her paws, “it helped a lot Patch,” she added, “now let’s watch more.” On video, Patch was saying:

““That’s it, that’s good! “On screen Patch encouraged, “the cub’s body’s quarter out now, can you see it? It’s a big cub!”

“I know that! I can seyeee it!” On screen Kamchatka sniffled, “I wayayayant to watch, but I need to close my eyes to puuush! It’s nooaoaoaot fair!” she raged, Uuuuuuuumf! Heuuuuuumf! uuuuuuruuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuruuuuuuumf! Uuuuush.!. On screen Kamchatka made another huge effort, squealing:

“oooah! I can seyeee my cuuuub coming!” the cub’s body slid three quarters out, on screen Patch supporting it in his paws.

“I wayayayant to seyeee what happens when I push like that agayayayayin!” On screen Kamchatka panted.

“You can,” Patch said, “the cub’s not too far out for that.”

“I can see it’s coming!” Kamchatka replied in a strangled yell, suddenly bearing down and wriggling, the cub easing into the world, Kamchatka groaning deeply, pushing hard down as its hips jammed, moaning:

“uuuuumf, Soaoaoaoao muuuch puuuuuuushing, buuuut I muuustn’t close my eyes, wayayayayant to seyeee everything!” as its legs slid free.

“Big push for the cub’s feet Kamchatka, big push!” Patch encouraged.

“Noaoaoaow, can’t push, cayayayayn’t puuush!” Kamchatka panted.

“Do what you can,” Titan replied, padding round and stroking the sole of her right foot with his velvet padded paw.

“uuuuumf, ouuuuuuoooooooosh, ouououououoch!” the on screen she bear complained in a shrill scream as she pushed deeply down into her tail.”

“oh mama!” a voice exclaimed behind her as the video ended, “I could hear everything you said, and felt some of what you did too, but never knew it was like that!”

“What did you feel little one?” Kamchatka asked, tears rolling down her face. Turning, she reached out, grabbing her cub in her arms and hugging him, her tears wetting his fur.

“I felt you rolling about, and pressure all on my body, feet, paws and head mum,” her cub replied, “I knew you were making huge efforts, I could feel them! You pushed so hard mama, I see that now,” her cub concluded.

“You don’t know why I pushed and faught so hard little one,” Kamchatka choked.

“I’m not your first cub, I think a brother cub once stayed where I did,” the cub replied, Kamchatka’s squeal of grief confirming his words.

“My first cub died!” Kamchatka blurted.

“I know,” her huge newborn cub replied softly, “I felt your sadness, I knew you were hoping I’d not die when I was young.” Kamchatka, overwhelmed, sobbed into her cub’s nature fresh coat, the cub wrapping his arms around her to comfort her as best he could.

“I learnt about my older brother’s life by listening to your talk to someone called Magnus,” the cub said, “my brother died soon after his birth, he lasted two moons.”

“You shouldn’t know this!” Kamchatka wailed, choking on her tears, lifting a huge paw to wipe her eyes as she coughed and gasped, “a cub should never know this stuff,” she whimpered.

“I’m glad I heard it mum,” her cub replied, “it prepared me for my birth, and for your fear too. I knew you were scared, so I tried not to be. I knew others were looking after us mum.”

“Patch was lovely to me,” Kamchatka said, rubbing her face with her hot tear soaked paws.

“I know,” her cub replied, “and it was he who reassured me all was well too. Who’s bed was I laid on while I was cleaned?” he asked, it was warm and smelt wonderful!”

“that was mine,” Titan mewed, padding up to the cub, bowing his head then kissing the cub’s nose.

“the blanket was lovely and warm! I think mama would agree?” The bear cub replied, turning to the huge liger and gazing at him with gentle eyes.

“I would, and Titan, your bed gave my paws and feet good grip too,” Kamchatka replied.

“I hope it kept you warm too mama,” Titan mewed softly.

“It did,” Kamchatka replied gratefully.

“Would you like to keep the blanket until your cub is at least walking on his paws?” Titan asked.

“Only if you will sleep on it in the daytime so we can have your scent for reassurance,” the cub replied.

“That scent is not just of me though,” Titan mewed, “it is of Patch and Apudo, and of all the leaders who have lain on the blanket from Ancient Leo down. We wash the rug on top, but beneath, beneath is a bed which leaders have lain on for years and years.”

“oaoaoaaoh!” Apudo miaowed, “so that’s why I liked snuggling with Titan on that rug, along with him, I felt the reassurance of the community.”

“Titan also gave birth to a reborn cub on that mat,” Kamchatka’s newborn cub replied, “a lioness struggled to give birth on that mat, as did patch struggle to give birth to his own cub.” Patch gasped at this news, for it was indeed true, he had given birth to Sita on that mat.

“the mat is a birthing mat,” Patch replied hoarsely, “it has electric elements In it to warm the mat, and we use them for beds here.”

“In a previous life, I gave birth to Nuru on that mat,” Apudo mewed, “it was lying on the hammock!”

“I know Apudo,” Titan mewed softly.

“that mat needs to remain the mat which leaders give birth on and sleep on,” Kamchatka replied, “I’m no leader, so I feel I do not deserve your sleeping place. I humbly decline your offer Titan, grateful and humbled though I am by it.”

“Okay,” Titan mewed, “will you at least do me the honour of sitting on the mat to feed your cub? give him the security of the smell he trusts?” Kamchatka saw the sense in this and nodded.

“It’s a wonderful mat to give birth on,” Patch said, it cushions your paws so well, and is great for rolling on too.”

“So say all of us!” Apudo, Titan and Kamchatka chorused, laughing helplessly at their outburst.

“I won’t be on my paws for a long time then, I want that blanket,” Kamchatka’s cub said.

“What should we name your cub Kamchatka?” Patch asked.

“Hmm, I don’t know,” Kamchatka replied, stroking her cub’s ears while, sitting opposite her, he played with the toes of her right foot, Kamchatka curling and stretching her toes while her cub rubbed and wiggled her toes in his paws, Kamchatka ending his play by trapping the toes of his small left paw in her curled toes while he laughed merrily.

“You curled these toes really tightly didn’t you mum,” her cub said.

“I did my dear,” Kamchatka replied, releasing her toehold on his paw.

“curl those toooes mama!” the cub urged, rubbing her pads with his small paw, Kamchatka giggling helplessly:

“I’m not going to do that!”

“awww mum, but curling your toes was what got me here!” he whimpered.

“All right, I’ll curl them for a bit,” she replied, tightly curling the toes of her right foot, her cub rubbing her bunched pads and the tops of her toes with his small paws..

“Thanks mum,” her cub said, Kamchatka smiling broadly, her eyes shining.

“You’re so sweet,” she said, kissing the top of his head.

“Your foot’s huge!” her cub said, “can I measure my foot against yours?” Kamchatka smiled and nodded.

“now I’ll uncurl my toes and you press your feet against mine,” she said, her cub smiling and pressing his small feet against her huge ones, his toes hardly reaching the mid soles of her feet, her cub laughing joyfully as Kamchatka curled her toes in an attempt to grab his smaller ones.

“I can’t remember what I said while I pushed out your feet, but I’m sure I yowled,” Kamchatka said.

“You did mum,” her cub replied.

“I would have loudly sworn my head off!” mama Sita mewed.

“no doubt you would Sita,” Snowdrop growled.

“I was swearing in my head, but the words wouldn’t come out of my mouth, I just moaned and groaned and screamed,” Kamchatka replied.

“Very refined of you,” mama Sita mewed.

“Kamchatka, let’s name your cub.” Tiggs mewed.

“What to name him?” Kamchatka asked.

“how if we name Him Jem,” Magnus replied.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” patch said, “it means supplant, or replace. I don’t think Kamchatka got herself pregnant to forget her first cub.”

“Noaoaoaow! though Jem sounds a nice name, my second cub is no replacement for my dead first cub!” Kamchatka wailed piteously.

“You were desperate for a cub when I met you,” Magnus said, “you said, after the death of your first cub, you felt lost, alone, unwanted Kamchatka, and that a cub would help feelings of loneliness.”

“is that true?” Snowdrop asked.

“yes,” Kamchatka whimpered.

“So, in that case, Jem is a good name for your second cub!” Magnus roared triumphantly.

“Jem he is then,” Kamchatka replied faintly, burying her face in her paws.

“politics,” Titan groaned, yawning and shaking himself.

“I need a wash,” Kamchatka said, getting to her feet, Jem, her newly named cub following her at a crawl.

“Jem’s not the only one to gain his name by what he is,” Apudo mewed, “my name means “fat one. My full name, “Apudo Adhoch,” means fat one born feet first. Yes, I came out backwards, and am, well,” she waved a huge paw, leaving the sentence unfinished.

“No you didn’t!” Tiggs miaowed, “Apudo, when Titan gave screaming birth to you, you came out paws and head first!”

“that was rebirth, and I kept my old name as I’d chosen to be reborn,” Apudo mewed, “Only Titan can change my name. As I was still fat, he chose not to.”

“Ouch!” Tiggs mewed, looking at Yendi and trying to imagine herself labouring to push a breach cub into the world.

“My biological mama Imvula will tell you a far different tale,” Apudo said, getting to her own feet with reluctance and following Kamchatka to the shower rooms, Patch watching them go.

“Are you going to give Kamchatka and Jem your mat Titan?” Patch asked.

“I would love them to have it for a while,” the liger purred, “I would love it to be so big that I could curl up on it with Apudo and still leave room for Kamchatka and Jem to curl up together.”

“it’s not that big,” Patch replied laughing slightly.

“It would be bigger if I hadn’t grown so dam big!” Apudo mewed, overhearing the end of their conversation as she padded into the room from her wash.

“you’re lovely as you are,” Titan mewed, padding to Apudo, touching noses with her then nuzzling her cheek and head rubbing with her.

“you’re lovely just as you are,” he purred, slipping his left paw over hers.

“You rebirth me, and I do this!” Apudo miaowed bitterly, waving a huge paw, “I hardly deserve your help and care Titan!”

“don’t speak like that,” Titan mewed, “you deserve my help and my love and a place to snuggle. I love you very much Apudo. Rebirthing you was therapy for me and a new start for you too. You know what I am Apudo, I can’t deny my biology.”

“but I could have been more considerate and not dreamt myself huuuge!” Apudo miaowed, “if there is a way of shrinking me, I’d do it!” she yowled.

“There isn’t,” Titan mewed, “but you can’t get any bigger now, you’re full adult size, if very light on your feet.”

“I want my small paws and feet back!” Apudo whimpered.

“Apudo, would you do something for Yendi?” Titan asked.

“Anything!” Apudo mewed.

“would you guide her? protect her?” Titan asked, glancing at Tiggs, who nodded.

“I will,” Apudo mewed.

“Patch?” Titan asked, “if Apudo rolled in sand and soaked up all the water in her body, would it revert her to her proper size?”

“You’d have to roll her about, squeeze the water out of her,” Patch replied.

“You Mean there could be a way of making me small again without having to rebirth me?” Apudo asked.

“I don’t know,” Titan mewed uncertainly, “My memory is not so good, I accept you as you are Apudo, and can’t properly remember how small you were before you grew to be like you are now.”

“how about if you make me how you want me to be?” Apudo asked, “I want to be smaller, that’s all I want. You Titan, you could mould me, make my paws big and fat with deep pads, I like big fat paws and feet with thick pads on my soles, even if I wave them about as illustrations of how big the rest of me is. I just want to be small enough to curl up with you Titan. To fit in the curve of your body when you’re curled comfortably so you can hug me with one paw while I sleep.”

“Hmm, could this be done?” Titan asked, looking at Patch.

“if Apudo’s body distresses her so much, then yes it could,” patch replied.

“I didn’t want that dream to come true, it’s turned into a nightmare!” Apudo mewed piteously, looking alternately at Titan and Patch with a desperate light in her eyes.

“You remoulded me patch,” Titan mewed, “it could be done for Apudo too.”

“Come to my work room Apudo,” Patch said. Patch padded with Apudo to his work room, and helped the huge lioness onto the couch. Looking her over, he saw a very unhappy big cat, who was very uncomfortable in her body.

“I would do anything if I could wake up from this dream the size I was when I was in bed with Tiggs and her newborn cub Yendi,” Apudo mewed. Patch smiled at her:

“I know how you were then,” he said, Apudo falling asleep as he stroked her from her nose to her pads, his paws working all over her body. Titan, having followed Patch to the work room, watched, sick with fear, his paws and feet sweating, gripping the floor with his toes, as Patch remodelled his only cub.

Patch left Apudo after an hour, Titan able to take a fearful look at his cub. Apudo lay there, asleep and much smaller than she’d been. Titan went to kiss her nose, but at the last second, looked up at patch:

“Is it safe to touch her?” he asked.

“if you think she’s back to what she was, groom her,” Patch replied. Titan Nodded, and Patch lay Apudo, still sleeping peacefully, on the floor. Titan thoroughly groomed the now much smaller lioness, who was now more cub size, her feet and paws still rather fat, but in proportion to the rest of her. After grooming her, Titan dried Apudo’s fur and pads, the lioness waking as he finished her tail.

“I feel so much better!” she yawned, stretching her paws and feet and flexing her legs. Titan watched as Apudo got to her feet, turned and looked at him.

“You’re still a bouncy pawed cub,” he said, “I am glad Patch left those gorgeous bouncy paws and feet to you.” Apudo looked down at her paws, they were a bit fat, but, glancing up at a screen, which was now so high she had to crane her neck, she saw she was fat all over, though no longer as large, or as fat as she’d been. Smiling, she looked at Titan.

“Can we try me for size?” she asked, Titan lying down, Apudo curling into the space between his feet and elbows, Titan rolling onto his side and placing a paw over her, Apudo purring deeply, cuddling close.

“I’m happy now,” she mewed.

“What’s going on?” Yendi asked, padding into the room with Tiggs following wearily behind her.

“Get paws on and find out,” Apudo mewed, Yendi padding carefully to Titan’s left paw, finding it with her own right paw, then tracking along Titan’s body to Apudo, who lay half on her side, her body supported by Titan’s. Yendi got paws on with Apudo, touching her head, body, legs, paws and feet.

“You’re smaller,” Yendi mewed.

“Yes,” Apudo purred, “now I’m back to my proper size, I will not dream that dream again. You’re bigger too!” she giggled.

“I’m not! Am I?” Yendi asked.

“You’re bigger because Apudo’s smaller,” Tiggs mewed.

“Oh,” Yendi replied, not interested enough to follow her mum’s train of logic.

“You said something about me guiding Yendi,” Apudo mewed, “Titan, how can I do that if I’m rudderless myself?”

“it’s not that sort of guidance Yendi needs,” Titan mewed, “would you be her eyes? Help her until she’s confident around the house and maybe a little in the woods too?”

“I will,” Apudo mewed, “I will do that Titan. Yendi rubbed Apudo’s left paw in both of hers, Apudo curling her toes while mewing and purring with pleasure.

“I forgot how good taliger paws were when used for massage,” Apudo mewed, “all soft and warm like liger paws, but with extra padding even than those. Oooah, Soaoaoaoao nice! Miaow!”

“awww, all mrioaw miaow miaow,” Yendi teased, Apudo clasping Yendi’s left paw in both hers.

“I get to rub these gorgeous paws too,” Apudo mewed, “when we’re walking I can check them for thorns.”

“I’ll check yours for thorns too Apudo,” Yendi purred, kissing Apudo’s nose, the little lioness rubbing noses with her.

“I love this fat paw,” Yendi mewed.

“There are three more of mine to touch too,” Apudo mewed, “oh, and if you want to touch a set of larger paws, my guide has four, I’m sure he’ll let you rub them,” she added.

“your guide?” Yendi asked.

“Oh, his name’s Titan, he’s the one with the huge paws,” Apudo replied.

“I only really know Patch, oh, and you Apudo.” Yendi mewed, “I don’t know Titan very well at all.”

“he’s my guide, as well as community leader, well one of them, along with mama karina,” Apudo mewed.

“I don’t know many round here yet, but I’ve only been in this world two weeks,” Yendi purred, “I sort of met Theo, but he’s only an angry voice and a set of paws whom others called Theo, I have not met him properly.”

“oaoaoaoah!” Titan miaowed.

“What?” Apudo asked.

“Nothing,” Titan mewed, but Apudo could feel her guide was upset.

“What’s wrong?” Apudo asked.

“Just an angry voice and a set of heavy paws,” Titan mewed sadly.

“I hope Theo’s more than that,” Yendi continued, “but until I know otherwise, he’s just a set of heavy paws and an angry voice.”

“Theo’s lovely,” Apudo mewed, “I’ll take you to meet him, he’s, well, very understanding about many things, usually,” she added.

“he was pinning me down with his big paws, and we hadn’t even met properly!” Yendi miaowed.

“he got that very wrong,” Apudo mewed, “honestly Yendi, Theo’s not like that at all, and his paws aren’t that big.”

“he seemed very distressed about something,” Yendi mewed, “I could feel he was very unhappy. come to think of it, he did say something to me, but I was so scared by him that I hardly took in what he was saying.”

“he might tell you about it one day,” Apudo mewed, “it’s not a tale I have the right to tell.”

“Wihakayda is still as nasty as she was then if all tales are true,” Titan groaned.

“Poor Theo, something about his paws being taken?” Yendi mewed, rubbing the sole of Titan’s left paw with hers, the liger purring deeply, “but how can someone take anyone’s paws? They’re attached to you aren’t they? I can’t swap paws with Titan now can I? I’d like to, his paws are so cuuuute!”

“Theo didn’t mean it like that,” Apudo mewed, “Titan, can we go back to the family lie up?”

“In Theory yes, in practise, oh miaow!” Titan replied, “this paw massage is so good I wayayayayant it all over all of my paws right now!” Apudo, laughing helplessly, pushed at Yendi’s shoulder with her newly minted right paw, mewing at her to:

“Stop rubbing my guide’s paw up the right way for a minute so we can go home Yendi.” Yendi reluctantly let go of Titan’s paw, the liger miaowing in protest, Apudo and Yendi laughing at him.

“Get to your feet Titan and, do you think you could carry me?” Yendi asked.

“You? certainly Yendi, Apudo, hmm, she’s very stocky.” He got to his feet, then tried to lift Apudo. Apudo tried to make herself as limp and light as possible, but despite all her efforts, it was plain Titan couldn’t lift her without straining his neck and back.

“You’re too heavy!” he miaowed, “Patch, what the hell did you do during her reconstruction? Apudo was lighter than this!”

“Sorry,” Patch replied laughing, “she’s a heavy cub.”

“She is!” Titan mewed, lifting Yendi by the scruff of her neck, the taliger cub as light as a feather compared to Apudo.

“Lie down and let Apudo ride on your back Titan,” Patch said. Titan lay down on his chest, tucking his feet beneath him, and soon he felt Apudo’s paws and feet clambering over his body, her toes digging into his thick fur until she was tightly gripping his fur with the toes of all four paws, the toes of one paw and one foot gripping the thick fur either side of his spine. With a groan of effort, swearing under his breath, sweat breaking out on his pads, digging the toes of all four paws into the floor for purchase, Titan heaved himself to his feet, picked up Yendi and padded from the room, patch following them.

“Apudo’s so heavy! Patch what did you do to her?” he demanded in a loud miaow.

“I don’t know how she got so heavy,” Patch replied, Titan padding alongside the huge bear.

“Here, you carry her,” Titan mewed, Apudo clambering onto Patch’s back, Patch doing press-ups with Apudo holding onto his fur, Titan spitting with fury.

“Okay Patch, I know you’re big and strong,” Titan mewed.

“Apudo’s as light as a feather,” patch replied, “Maybe she wants to walk Titan?”

“You mean she made herself as heavy as lead to spite me?” Titan growled.

“She might have,” Patch replied, walking faster, Titan having to trot to keep up.

Titan put Yendi down in the family lie up, then collapsed onto his blanket beside Kamchatka, who had just finished feeding Jem, Apudo, suddenly realising the ride was over, tumbled off Titan’s back and settled to sleep beside him. Smiling, Titan looked at Apudo, taking her in from nose to paws. Patch had done a wonderful job at reducing Apudo’s size, the little lioness now the size she wanted.

“You are very beautiful Apudo,” Titan thought, tightly hugging his cub, Apudo purring deeply. Patch sat down, Jem scrambling into his lap, Patch hugging him tightly.

“you’re lovely and warm Patch,” Jem said, snuggling up to the huge bear.

“Kamchatka did wonderfully giving birth to you,” Patch replied kissing his nose.

“You told her to keep pushing, I remember that,” Jem replied, reaching up to touch Patch’s nose, “she pushed and pushed, and moaned and pushed, I remember seeing her feet with bunched pads and curled toes as she pushed me into the world Patch. Is that a real memory? Could I have seen her feet?”

“You could have,” Patch replied.

“I remember that,” Jem replied.

“if we’re talking about new life, what exactly have you made Apudo patch?” Titan asked.

“I let her keep her strength, but scaled her down, so she is as strong as she was when larger, but smaller, and as you can see, she has big paws, and as you felt Titan, is very heavy, but she can make herself light if she wants to play. So Yendi could push her over if she wanted. What Apudo also has is a strong will, and her wish to be cuddled by you overrode your wish to carry her, hence why you couldn’t. Apudo had to ride on your back, but even that was too much for you, because her paw contact with your fur had you thinking about how it would feel to cuddle her Titan. The more you wished for that, the heavier Apudo got, until you had to give her to me. I too love to cuddle Apudo, but my need to cuddle Apudo is nowhere near as pressing as yours, hence why I could do press-ups with her on my back, physically heavy though she is.”

“Oh dear, so it’s a battle of wills now?” Titan groaned.

“now you can push her about with your paws if you want,” Patch replied, “Apudo’s weight was too much for you because she wanted to go back to the family lie up, and you didn’t Titan,” patch replied.

“I enjoyed lying with her,” Titan admitted, “but was it that enjoyable?”

“it clearly was,” Patch replied, “Titan, get to your feet and lift Apudo by the scruff of her neck.” Titan got to his feet, then picked Apudo up with ease.

“You want to pick her up, and she doesn’t mind it either,” Patch replied, smiling at the shocked expression in the liger’s eyes.

“Now think hard about walking on your paws and feet Apudo,” Patch suggested. Titan, miaowing with shock, suddenly dropped Apudo, the little lioness giggling helplessly, landing on her feet.

“We’re well tuned in,” she said, kissing his paw, Titan looking down at her, kissing the top of her head.

“Kiss my paws too!” Apudo miaowed, rolling onto her back and waving all four huge paws at Titan, the liger kissing her paws then her feet, Apudo mewing and purring with deep contentment.

“have you got paws on with Yendi yet Apudo?” Titan asked.

“No, where is she?” Apudo asked.

“I’m here, over here!” Yendi yelled, clapping her paws, her soft pads making no sound at all.

“”I’ll come to you Yendi,” Apudo mewed, rolling onto her chest, then getting to her paws and padding to Yendi, who felt her arrival, reaching up to touch Apudo, Apudo finding she could kiss the pads of Yendi’s large paws without bowing her head. Blowing on Yendi’s pads, she watched as the taliger cub squirmed, giggled and waved her paws and feet about.

“You’re so cute,” Apudo mewed, pinning Yendi gently down under one fat paw, Yendi wriggling as if snuggling into a warm blanket, Apudo smiling at her, leaning down then kissing her paws, and nose.

“You’re all warm and cuddly Apudo,” Yendi gushed, Apudo kissing Yendi’s paws.

“Can I kiss your paws Apudo? Maybe, also, can I get paws on with them, and paws on with your feet too?” Apudo smiled and replied:

“yes, and, if I like your touch, we may make it a regular thing too. Make a time for mutual paw rubs. I know bears and humans do it, I’ve seen patch and Nanuq at it, rubbing each other’s feet with their paws for no other reason than it feels good. Humans too, Sally and Jenny do it, as do Moses and little Ekaterina. The humans are always at it. I see, Patch sees, it’s really cute.”

“how do humans and bears play?” Yendi asked, “I’ve never got paws on with that.”

“I’ll show you a video,” Apudo mewed, “in a former life, I helped with my whiskers to free Jenny and Moses feet as they got well and truly stuck after a round of the stuck foot game.”

“I’d like to get paws on with that,” Yendi mewed.

“Oh, um, yes, you’ll have to get paws on won’t you,” Apudo babbled, “I’ll try to remember to ask them to play the game while you get paws on. Oh dear, um.”

“if it’s a hard thing to arrange, I don’t mind not getting paws on,” Yendi mewed.

“Ask them,” patch suggested, “I know Jenny and Moses, they won’t mind playing the game.” Apudo looked at Patch.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“yes I’m sure,” Patch replied, setting Jem down on the floor, then padding to the phone and picking it up. Asking Jenny and Moses to play the stuck foot game was easy, the two humans agreeing quickly. Patch put the phone down, then turned, looking at Magnus.

“how about if you and I play too?” he asked, “Magnus, remember our play in the playroom a few days ago? We could hardly free our feet!” Magnus smiled at patch.

“You have very sticky pads,” he said, crawling to Patch and hugging him.

“Your toes pressed so hard into the balls of my feet, but you couldn’t free your feet,” patch replied, “Magnus, you tugged and pulled so hard, whimpering and struggling like a stuck bear.”

“I was a stuck bear!” Magnus giggled.

“Shall we play again?” Patch asked.

“What will Jem think?” Magnus asked.

“He’ll think you’re a fun loving bruin,” patch replied smiling, “the only thing I ask is that you let Yendi, Sita and cub Ekaterina get paws on with us while we play.” Magnus smiled:

“I welcome and would expect nothing short of that,” he replied. Patch sat down opposite Magnus, lifting his legs a little, so his and Magnus’s feet formed the top of an arch of their four legs, pressing his feet against the fat bear’s, Magnus burying his toes in the bridge between the thick padding on the balls of Patch’s feet and his toe pads, Patch curling his toes, embracing Magnus’s toes with his, Magnus pushing hard against Patch’s soft pads with both feet.

“your pads are so thick, and feet so huge I can keep the soles of my feet flat against yours and grip your pads!” Magnus gasped.

“Bet you still can’t free your feet though,” patch replied, Magnus grabbing his right heel with both paws, pushing hard with the toes of his right foot while tugging hard at his right heel, his foot refusing to move an inch.

“Uuuuumf, heuuuuuumf! Can’t move my fooooot!” Magnus whimpered, wriggling and tugging at his right foot with both paws.

“Get paws on with patch’s and Magnus’s feet Yendi,” Apudo said, Yendi touching the feet of the two bears, finding curled toes and warm pads on both sides and one struggling fat bear on one side.

“if we drop our out of play feet to the floor, Yendi can get paws on with those,” Patch suggested, Magnus dropping his left foot to the floor, Patch his right, Yendi exploring their free feet with her paws, touching their warm toe and sole pads, both bears curling their toes with pleasure, bunching their sole pads. Giggling, Yendi ran her toes down the curled toes and bunched pads of patch’s left foot, Patch wriggling with pleasure, Apudo laughing merrily at him.

“Patch likes that, carry on Yendi,” she encouraged. Yendi clamped patch’s right foot in both paws, rubbing her right paw down the sole of his foot, patch curling his toes tighter than ever.

“You big softy Patch!” Apudo laughed, rolling onto her back and clapping her paws, her thickly padded paws making hardly any sound at all.

“Bear’s pads are very soft and warm,” Yendi mewed, taking Magnus’s left foot in her paws, this time using her left paw to rub his pads, Magnus curling his toes as tightly as Patch had at her touch.

“I would love to get paws on with Magnus and Patch struggling to free their feet,” Yendi mewed. Apudo guided her round to the other side of the two bears, Yendi paws on with their braced feet, touching Magnus’s paws which tightly held onto his right heel, Patch’s toes curled round Magnus’s, holding them tightly.

“now pull, Puuuull!” Yendi encouraged, Magnus tugging at his right foot, gasping as his sole pad refused to pull free of patch’s. Wriggling desperately, Magnus pulled harder than ever, gripping the heel of his own right foot with desperate paws, the toes of that foot pressing into the gap between the ball and toe pads of Patch’s left foot, Patch curling his toes to help him.

“Uuuuumf, yyeyeyeeyeyowh!” Magnus yelled, scrabbling with the fingers of both paws at his and Patch’s sole pads which refused to part, no matter how hard he pulled or desperately scrabbled at the stuck pads with his paws. “you’re stuck fast aren’t you,” Yendi mewed.

“Yeah, I cayayayayn’t freeyeee my fooooot!” Magnus squealed, Apudo giggling helplessly, “your touch sapped my strength Yendi and now I’m really stuck!” Magnus whimpered.

“You just don’t want patch to let go of your toes do you Magnus?” Yendi asked.

“I’d like it if you rubbed my left foot again,” Magnus gushed, “and, I think Patch would like you to rub the sole of his right foot also.”

“I would,” Patch replied, wiggling his toes when Yendi grabbed them in her paws.

“So that’s the stuck foot game?” she asked.

“it is,” Patch replied, “but the humans play it more convincingly than us bears do. Moses even plays a single player version, which he taught Anook’s cub Lucky. I think Mishka also plays that game.”

“Purdy and Koda do too!” Tiggs giggled.

“mama Sita too,” mama Sita admitted, mama Karina laughing merrily at her mum, padding to her and hugging her.

“I know Felix and Philomena play that game too,” she said, “I too have played with Felix.”

“I like the single player game,” Sita mewed, “Blackberry doesn’t often play with me, and sometimes I just have to play that game myself.”

“You silly mixed up moggie Sita!” Titan laughed, Sita miaowing:

“Mixed up Moggie? You can talk Titan! You’re a liger!”

“Yeah, yeah I know,” Titan mewed, rolling onto his back in a sign of submissiveness, presenting Sita with a view, if she’d been able to see it, of his belly and the pads of his paws.

“go to Titan Sita, get paws on,” Patch said, Titan briefly clapping his paws to show where he was, realising the futility of it when he heard nothing from his thickly padded paws.

“I’m over here Sita,” he mewed. Sita crawled to Titan, finding him with her paws, then, kneeling, she explored him with both paws, the liger mewing and purring with the pleasure he felt from her exploration, Sita smiling at his purring.

“you’re very huge and you have soft fur and firm pads,” she mewed.

“thanks,” Titan replied, wriggling with pleasure.

“Titan’s rather cute isn’t he,” Felix mewed, crawling up to the huge liger, then tickling his feet, Titan complaining In a high pitch yowl:

“Riaow! Miaow! Miaoaoaoaoaow!” which sent Apudo and Sita into fits of giggles.

“Riaow Riaow Riaow!” they teased, Titan whimpering:

“Stoaoaoap that!” While Sita kissed Titan’s nose and the pads of his paws, Felix kissing the pads of the liger’s huge feet.

“I love you Titan,” he mewed.

“Thanks,” Titan purred, “I love you too Felix, and you Sita, though you mock me for my protest at Felix’s tickling fingers on my pads. Miaoaoaoow! Stoaoaoap it!” Titan yelled, “Feyeeelix’s tiyiyiyckling meyeee again! Riaow! Riaow! Riaow!”

“You’re so fuuuunny Titan!” Apudo giggled.

“Riaow, miaoaoaoow! Feyeeelix’s tiyiyiyckling meyeee!” Titan replied in a cubbish yowl, making Yendi laugh so hard she nearly choked.

“Titan! Stop it! you’re killing Yendi!” Apudo mewed, Patting the coughing taliger cub’s back, tears of laughter rolling down Yendi’s face as she recovered.

“”Riaow miaoaoaoow! Feyeeelix’s tiyiyiyckling meyeee! Stoaoaoap it!”“ Yendi mimicked, laughing gleefully, rolling about, waving her paws and feet.

“You’re being gently teased by a two week old cub, and I will do nothing about it Titan,” Sita mewed.

“I must make amends for teasing Apudo’s guide really,” Yendi purred, padding over to Titan and, with Sita’s help, pulling him over onto his side so she could get to his paws.

“I forgot how cuuuute these paws are!” Yendi mewed, hugging Titan’s left paw in her small ones, Titan laughing softly as the toes of his left paw were squeezed in the small grip of Yendi’s much smaller paws.

“I love your touch Yendi,” Titan mewed, “I wish I could have seen you born dear cub.”

“I don’t think mama Tiggs even knew I was to be born until things got really tough,” Yendi mewed.

“I didn’t know,” Tiggs replied, “If I’d known, I would have invited you to watch my cub being born Titan.”

“I remember everything, and I’m sure Apudo does too,” Yendi mewed.

“I certainly do and I’m sure Apudo does,” Tiggs replied.

“Mum’s lost all her fur Apudo,” Yendi said, “her paws and feet are hairless now, in fact she’s entirely furless from her nose to the soles of her paws I think.”

“Why not get paws on and find out?” Tiggs invited, lying down, Titan looking with admiration at the ligress.

“I’d like to get paws on with her,” he thought, shaking himself when he remembered he could give birth to, but not sire cubs.

“I think Titan likes naked ligress’s,” mama Karina observed.

“he can’t, can he?” Mama Sita asked.

“No, he fires blanks,” Patch grunted, “I couldn’t do anything about that, sorry.”

“Nor about the fact I can’t have cubs,” Apudo mewed piteously.

“No, sorry,” Patch replied.

“I could still love a naked ligress though,” Titan mewed. Tiggs reluctantly got to her feet and padded over to him, stopped and touched his thick fur with one paw.

“You could share some of your fur,” she said.

“I can’t just take off my fur,” Titan mewed.

“I could do with a warm coat,” Tiggs mewed. Titan looked her over, from her nose to the coat on her back, to her feet.

“how if we found you a proper coat?” He asked.

“I’d like that,” Tiggs mewed, “but my feet do sometimes get very cold too.”

“Wear socks then,” Moses said, walking into the room.

“naoaoaoaoao! You’re not putting socks on my paws Moses!” Tiggs protested.

“I never wear socks now,” Moses said, “I prefer going barefoot, and if you are an indoor cat Tiggs, you should have very warm feet and paws most of the time. They heat the floors here a little so going barefoot should be no problem.”

“My paws haven’t got used to not having any fur on them at all,” Tiggs replied, “Yes, the floors are heated here, that’s nice.” Moses padded to Tiggs, knelt and put his arms round the ligress’s neck, hugging her.

“Does this make you feel better?” he asked.

“yes Moses it does,” Tiggs purred. Yendi, padding up behind Moses, found the toes of his left foot with her paw. Smiling, she began to rub his toes, lying down so she could use both paws. Moses, smiling, sat hard back on his heels, wriggling with pleasure while wiggling his toes at Yendi’s ministrations, still hugging Tiggs in his arms.

“that’s so cute!” Apudo mewed.

“What is?” Yendi asked, “I know the owner of these human feet, which I think they are, is enjoying my touch, as he’s wiggling his toes, but what else is going on?”

“Moses is sitting on his heels, wriggling and bouncing his backside on them,” Apudo mewed.

“Get paws on with my heels Yendi,” Moses invited, Yendi feeling her way carefully up his left foot with her left paw, coming to his left heel pad. Smiling, Moses felt her touch exploring his bum pressed into his heels. Giggling, he wriggled and bounced slightly, Yendi laughing at his antics.

“So that’s what’s so cute?” she asked, rubbing both Moses heel pads with both her own velvet padded paws, Moses ecstatically bouncing and wriggling at her touch, curling his toes as tightly as he could with pleasure.

“yes,” Apudo mewed, “and you can’t see this Yendi, but Moses is curling his toes with pleasure now, he’s enjoying you rubbing his heel pads with your paws.

“Maybe if I touch his toes while rubbing the heel of the same foot, I can feel them?” Yendi suggested. Moses replied:

“Touch my feet as much as you like Yendi,,” which she did. Yendi, carefully exploring Moses left foot from arch to toes with the toes of her right paw, found his toes tightly curled as she rubbed his heel with her left paw,.

“Moses curled toes are rather cute aren’t they,” Yendi mewed, Moses giggling delightedly:

“There’s another foot too, rub that, please.” Yendi smiled and replied:

“I will, and thanks,” settling down to exploring Moses right foot with her whiskers, while still rubbing his heel pad with her left paw, while her right paw touched the curled toes of Moses left foot. Wriggling madly and shrieking with laughter, Moses squealed:

“You’re tiyiyiyckling meyeee Yendi!”

“Sorry Moses, I had to use my whiskers to touch your right foot, my paws are full with your left!” Yendi mewed, Titan and everyone else laughing merrily.

“If you tickle my left foot too, you can use your paws to rub the tickle from both,” Moses replied.

“I will,” Yendi purred. Moses laughed helplessly as Yendi tickled his soles with her whiskers, and now she was deliberately tickling him, Moses felt the difference. Laughing helplessly, he crawled away, Yendi following on her toes and elbows, mercilessly tickling his heels and toes with her whiskers and breath.

“Okay, that’s well Tickled,” Yendi mewed after two minutes of the most intense tickling Moses had ever felt, Moses desperately trying not to roll onto his back, sit up, and grab a foot in both hands to rub and scratch his tickled pads.

“rub out the tickle from Moses pads with your paws Yendi,” Titan said, “use a good firm rub in circles from Moses heels to his toes.” Yendi tried this, and Moses sighed deeply as he was soothed by her rubbing.

“I think I’ve found a new thing, “it’s called the Taliger tickle!” Moses giggled.

“did I go too far?” Yendi asked..

“No,” Moses replied, “I know now that I want more of the taliger touch. Your pad rubbing was wonderful!”

“I sort of knew you liked it,” Yendi purred, “I sort of knew you liked the tickling too, I went as far as I thought I could without hurting you Moses.”

“I was struggling not to rub my feet with my fingers,” Moses replied, sitting down, “Yendi, can I hug you?” Yendi crawled up to Moses and clambered into his lap.

“Yes, go on,” she replied, Moses smiling, picking her up in his arms and hugging her.

“Can I feel your paws now?” Moses asked.

“Yes, only if you touch my feet too,” Yendi mewed, rolling onto her back to present Moses with a view of her face and the soles of her small paws and feet. Moses rubbed Yendi’s pads, taking care to rub the toes and pads of each of the Taliger cub’s small paws and feet. Then, smiling, he blew on her pads, Yendi yowling with laughter and wriggling madly while waving all four paws about.

“Okay, that’s enough tickle,” Moses said, rubbing the pads which he’d just tickled with his breath with careful fingers, Yendi purring and mewing and curling her toes with pleasure.

“You two soppy things,” Apudo giggled, padding up to Moses, grabbing the toes of his left foot with her right paw, Moses pressing his toes into her small grip.

“I remember you when you were much bigger, and also when you were reborn Apudo,” Moses said.

“you and Little Ekaterina were with Titan throughout it all weren’t you,” Apudo mewed.

“Yes, we saw him struggling to give rebirth to you from acting to straining, roaring, yowling and squealing with pain and effort,” Moses replied, “Apudo, he is the best guide you could have.”

“I know this very deeply,” Apudo mewed.

“I know it is said females forget the pain of giving birth,” Titan mewed, “but I won’t ever forget the pain, nor the fear I felt.”

“do you regret it?” Tiggs asked.

“of course not,” Titan replied, “but it was very painful and very hard work, and I doubt I’ll be doing it again.” Titan got to his feet, stretched and padded round the room, before settling down on his blanket once more. Once he’d settled, Titan realised he was face to face with Kamchatka’s cub who sat on the floor between his mum’s outstretched legs, Titan and Jem looking at each other over the barrier formed by Kamchatka’s right leg.

“hello Jem,” Titan purred, Jem responding by clambering over Kamchatka’s right leg and tumbling into the space between Titan’s paws, the liger hugging the bear cub as best he could, Titan purring deeply as Jem returned his hug.

“Can I stay with you for a bit?” Jem asked, “mum wants to sleep, and she can’t sleep while I’m with her, as she worries about me too much.”

“Your mum worries about you because she cares about you little one,” Titan mewed.

“I know,” Jem replied, “but she’s so tired that I think she needs some time off!” Titan looked at Kamchatka’s face, to him the she bear looked very tired.

“how am I to feed Jem while he’s in my care though?” Titan asked, forgetting he’d fed Apudo after her rebirth.

“I’m surprised you didn’t try to push with Kamchatka while she was in labour,” patch said.

“I faught my urge to with everything I had Patch, that’s the truth of it,” Titan mewed.

“I would have loved some outside help to push Jem into the world,” Kamchatka replied.

“maybe next time,” Titan mewed.

“You mean mum will give birth to me again?” Jem asked.

“No little one,” Kamchatka laughed, “when I have another cub, if I do, then Titan will help me push.”

“Titan looks as if he could have given birth to me, he’s big enough,” Jem replied, measuring his paw against Titan’s, the liger’s paw much larger than his own.

“I could do anything I suppose,” Titan mewed, “but, birthing a bear cub, hmm, that would be hard work indeed.”

“Moses has said he’s a human cub,” Yendi said, “his feet tell me he is a cub.”

“That’s true Yendi dear, Moses is a human cub,” Tiggs mewed.

“I think Moses toes enjoyed me rubbing his heels,” Yendi said.

“Yes they did,” Moses replied, kissing her nose, “I did too,” he added.

“My toes liked your touch on my pads so much they curled tightly, and I liked your touch too,” Yendi replied smiling. Moses laughed merrily, kissing Yendi’s paws, the taliger cub mewing with pleasure and kicking the air with both feet.

“I think Moses likes Tiggs too,” Titan mewed.

“I do,” Moses replied.

“Do you play the stuck foot game often, say with Little Ekaterina Moses?” Magnus asked. Moses looked at the brown bear, who still pressed his right foot against Patch’s left.

“Yes I do,” Moses replied, “why, do you need help freeing your foot from Patch’s Magnus?”

“I do,” Magnus replied, “I can’t free my foot from patch’s!” the bear whimpered, wriggling madly, “ I’ve curled the toes of my free left foot so tightly while pulling at my right foot with both paws in my efforts that my pads are permanently bunched, but my right will not come freeyeee!”

“concentrate on freeing your foot Magnus,” Moses replied smiling, “little Ekaterina gets so good at the game she can’t free her feet from mine.”

“that’s true,” little Ekaterina replied, padding into the room, then, seeing the cubs, crawling to Jem and touching the sole of the newborn cub’s left foot, the cub curling his toes with pleasure, then lifting his paws to be embraced by little Ekaterina, Jem returning her hug, then pushing little Ekaterina onto her back, grabbing her left foot in his paws and tickling her toes with his breath, the little girl laughing helplessly and kicking the air with her free right foot. Jem, seeing the girl’s small kicking foot, leapt on it and tickled her pads for good measure, Little Ekaterina squealing and waving her arms gleefully, to the delight of everyone in the lie up.

Kissing Moses nose, Yendi left him and padded to Patch and Magnus’s side, touching their left foot and right respectively.

“Pull Magnus, pull!” Moses encouraged, Magnus tugging at his right foot with both paws, bracing the toes of his foot against Patch’s left, Magnus wriggling while digging at the sole pads of his own right foot and Patch’s left with the fingers of both his fat paws, tugging his sole pad free inch by panting, sweating inch. Puffing and whimpering, Magnus kept pulling, wriggling and pulling until just his toes were held by Patch’s and he could relax, panting hard.

“now you have to free your toes Magnus,” Yendi said. gripping the sole of his foot with the fingers of both his fat paws, Magnus tugged at his right foot, the toes both Patch’s feet curling with concentration as he struggled to hold tightly onto the toes of Magnus’s right. Squealing with effort, Magnus tore the toes of his right foot free of the grip of the toes of Patch’s left, Patch, squealing with cubbish rage, grabbing his tired toes in his paws and furiously rubbing them, Yendi paws on throughout.

“I don’t know who’s the biggest cub!” Yendi giggled, paws on with Magnus’s paws and right foot as the huge bear set to rubbing the hot pads of his right foot in both paws.

“The bear cub tiyiyiyckled meyeee!” little Ekaterina laughed, sitting up then Tightly Hugging Jem.

“Your toes enjoyed it too, curling tightly, bunching your pads dear human cub,” Jem replied.

“They did,” Little Ekaterina replied, stroking Jem’s ears, Jem snuggling into her hug, “your toes curled and bunched your pads because they liked my touch when we first met,” she added.

“can I rub your heels like Yendi rubbed Moses heels little Ekaterina?” Jem asked. Little Ekaterina crawled away, Jem following her, rubbing the soles of her feet from heels to toes, Little Ekaterina giggling helplessly while curling her toes to bunch her pads.

“I like that,” she said, stretching out on her side to let Jem rub her feet more easily, curling and stretching her toes from time to time as the cub rubbed her heel pads, arches and the balls of her feet, the bear cub finishing with careful massage of her toe pads until her toes either curled or uncurled depending on whether he found them curled or relaxed when he first touched them. Jem found if he rubbed little Ekaterina’s feet from heels to toes, she curled her toes when he touched her heel pad, uncurling her toes the closer his touch got to her toes, if he rubbed her feet from the ball of her foot to her heel, little Ekaterina’s toes started relaxed, curling more tightly as he rubbed from the pad on the ball of her foot to her heel pad. If Jem rubbed his paw randomly over the sole of little Ekaterina’s foot, she flexed her toes. Little Ekaterina noticed how her toes reacted, challenging herself by asking Jem to keep rubbing her feet from ball to heel pads so she could try to keep her toes tightly curled for a long time. After two minutes of constantly holding her toes tightly curled, little Ekaterina gave up her struggle, saying her toes were tired. Jem, smiling, rubbed her toes in his warm soft paws.

“If I rub your foot from toes to heel, your toes curl, if I rub them the other way, they uncurl, and if I rub both ways, they wiggle, it’s cute little Ekaterina,” Jem said, little Ekaterina laughing and hugging the bear cub.

“I like you rubbing my feet,” she said, “can I rub yours?”

“Yes, of course,” Jem replied smiling. Little Ekaterina rubbed Jem’s left foot, her fingers working from his toes to his heel, the cub curling his toes as she rubbed his sole pad, bunching the skin under her fingers, Little Ekaterina rubbing firmly, Jem curling his toes even tighter in response.

“That feels wonderful!” he said.

“What will happen if I rub your foot like you rubbed mine?” she asked.

“Try it,” Jem invited, Little Ekaterina rubbing her fingers down the sole of his left foot from ball to heel, the cub curling his toes. Rubbing her fingers the other way over the bunched pad towards his curled toes made Jem uncurl them.

“This feels wonderful!” Jem said, smiling broadly.

“Can I get paws on with you Jem?” Sita asked, crawling up to the bear cub.

“But of course!” Jem replied, “here’s my right foot, rub that while little Ekaterina rubs my left foot if you like.” Sita did, Jem smiling broadly as the soles of both his feet were rubbed by Sita and little Ekaterina.

“I like this,” he said, curling his toes with pleasure.

“My cub looks as if he’s a hit with you both,” Kamchatka said, crawling over to them to see what was happening.

“”Jem’s lovely,” Sita mewed.

“I love mama Sita’s touch, and Little Ekaterina’s too,” Jem said.

“I love Jem’s touch,” little Ekaterina said, “Moses and I watched his birth, you pushed so hard mama Kamchatka!”

“You did Kamchatka,” Moses said, “at one point, I thought you’d never be able to give birth to Jem.”

“It was hard work,” Kamchatka replied smiling.

“Can I rub your feet Kamchatka?” Moses asked.

“yes, please do, they’re ready for a good rub too,” Kamchatka replied, Moses crawling to her feet, rubbing her pads with the fingers of both hands, Kamchatka sprawling comfortably on her side, wiggling and curling her toes with pleasure.

“I love this,” the she bear said, sighing deeply with pleasure.

“I like it too, thank you for letting me rub your pads,” Moses said.

“I liked rubbing your pads too Moses,” Yendi said.

“I liked you rubbing my pads too,” Moses replied.

“Your feet are not like mine, they’re rather interesting,” Yendi said.

“I know Apudo likes our human feet too,” Moses replied, “we humans like bear and big cat feet.” Yendi and Apudo laughed merrily at this.

“I wonder if Patch and Magnus will ever be able to finish their stuck foot game?” Yendi asked, “I think they have another game to play with Magnus pulling and Patch holding on, then it’s patch’s turn to pull his feet free.”

“That’s right,” patch replied.

“the stuck foot game is a great game for the mind as well as touch,” Magnus said.

“there are other great touch games,” patch replied, “I played a game with jess where I drew circles on the arches of her feet, and she curled her toes tightly for a small circle and slightly for a large one, interpreting the circle with the curl of her toes. Then, touching her heel pad was a signal for her to curl her toes as tightly as she could for as long as she could manage.”

“Sounds a great game,” Magnus replied smiling.

“yes she and I both enjoyed it, be it she drawing on my soles with her fingers, me curling my toes, or she curling her toes while I drew on her soles,” Patch replied, laughing softly at his memories of past hours he and Jess spent playing paw and foot play games.

“mama Janet plays those games with me patch,” Moses said.

“mama Cynthia with me too,” little Ekaterina added, “they feel great!”

“just having my pads checked for thorns is wonderful enough,” Magnus replied.

“I agree,” Tiggs said, “I’ve almost got into the habit of going out just to get my pads slightly dirty so I can ask for someone to check my feet for thorns.”

“You silly Kitty,” Magnus giggled, Tiggs miaowing:

“I’m a ligress, nooaoaoaot a kitty!”

“Tiggs Silly kitty, Tiggs Silly Kitty!” Apudo carolled, banging the floor with her paws, Tiggs hiding her face in her paws.

“Stoaoaoap her singing!” Tiggs miaowed.

“Singing? I’d call it caterwauling,” Titan mewed. Apudo padded to her guide and lay down, curling up so he could hug her, Titan embracing her tenderly.

“I wouldn’t be hugging Apudo, I’d be slapping her for making such a fearful noise!” Tiggs miaowed.

“”Can I get paws on with your paws Tiggs?” Sita asked. Tiggs padded to Sita, lying down beside her, the Felursa taking the ligress’s right paw in her huge ones.

“I feared you’d hate the feel of a naked ligress’s paw,” Tiggs mewed.

“No, I like your paws Tiggs,” Sita replied.

“Can I get paws on with you Sita?” Tiggs asked.

“You can,” Sita mewed, “but close your eyes while you do it, it’s far better.” Tiggs purred deeply as Sita rubbed the pads of her left paw, the toes of her other three curling with pleasure.

“If having my own paws rubbed can feel like this, I’ll never get round to getting paws on with your paws and feet Sita!” Tiggs purred.

“Don’t be ashamed of making miaow and riaow sounds like Titan,” Sita mewed.

“I won’t,” Tiggs mewed.

“Right, here goes,” Sita mewed, swapping her attentions to Tiggs’s left paw.

“oaoaoaoaoh, meroaoaoaow! Miaoaoaoaow! Maiaiaiaiaiaow!” Tiggs expostulated, little Ekaterina and Moses laughing helplessly at her miaowing.

“I want to hear “Riaow Riaow Riaow!” Apudo yelled, clapping her paws.

“You’re hearing far too muuuch! Cuubs should not hear this!” Tiggs yowled.

“It’s like when mum gave birth to me,” Yendi mewed, “she made very similar sounds then.

“I might have, but you had no choice but to hear those!” Tiggs whimpered.

“Your miaowing is lovely mum,” Yendi replied, padding to her mum then brushing her small paws through her whiskers.

“My paws love Sita’s touch so much!” Tiggs miaowed.

“I wonder if Sita’s feet will love mine?” Yendi asked.

“Try touching my toe and sole pads,” Sita mewed, “I’m kneeling, so my feet are in the right position for you to touch them.” Yendi found Sita’s left foot, stroking her paw down the thick pads on Sita’s sole from heel to toes, Sita wriggling with pleasure, her toes slightly curling.

“oaoaoaoah! That feyeeels wonderful!” Sita gasped.

“I can stroke your other foot too,” Yendi mewed.

“Please do,” Sita purred, “I will probably wriggle and bounce on my heels too!”

“You’re not concentrating on my paws noaoaoaow!” Tiggs miaowed petulantly.

“Could you concentrate if you were rubbing another’s paws and Yendi got hold of your feet?” Apudo asked.

”naoaoaoaoao,” Tiggs mewed piteously.

“Yendi has the softest paws,” Apudo mewed, “bet they’re even softer than mine.”

“No they’re not, not, not, not, not!” Yendi countered:

“Bet they are, are, are, are, are!” Apudo replied giggling.

“How would it be if we get paws on with each other’s paws and feet Apudo?” Yendi asked.

“That way we could leave Sita and Tiggs to their play too,” Apudo mewed.

“naoaoaoaoao, I wayayayant my feeyeeet rubbed more! Yeyeyeyeyndi, pleaeaease! Don’t Stoaoaoap ruuuuuuubbing my feeyeeet!” Sita yowled desperately. Overcome with mirth, Tiggs rolled about on the floor, Waving her paws, laughing helplessly at Sita’s yowling.

“I want to rub Apudo’s paws and feet now,” Yendi mewed.

“Tiggs?” Sita mewed, “would you rub my paws and feet ? Please?”

“but you haven’t finished rubbing mine!” Tiggs mewed.

“Oh, yes, sorry,” Sita replied contritely.

Yendi found Apudo by scent and touch, the two cubs rolling together in play, grabbing each other’s paws and feet, swiping at each other’s whiskers, ending up snuggled together.

“that was fun!” Apudo mewed, Yendi snuggling up to her.

“You’re lovely and warm Apudo,” Yendi mewed.

“Apudo’s got enough fat on her to keep you warm for ages Yendi,” Magnus grunted.

“Shut it!” Apudo growled.

“No I won’t!” Magnus yelled, “Apudo’s a fatty, Apudo’s a fatty!”

“shut up!” Titan roared, his voice shaking the floor.

“Bet you won’t do a thing!” Magnus challenged. Silently, Titan got to his feet, then, leaping at Magnus with a roar, knocked him onto his back, pinning him down with his huge left paw, slapping the bear across his face with his right:

“uauauauauauaowouch! Magnus screeched, rubbing his face with his paws.

“You thought I would do nothing?” Titan asked, “you thought wrong!”

“Apudo’s fat!” Magnus wailed.

“She’s big yes, but I won’t see her taunted!” Titan growled.

“Get off me Titan!” Magnus squealed.

“You disgusting creature!” Titan growled.

“Leave him alone Titan,” Patch said, “I think you’ve frightened Magnus enough.

“Frightened him?” Titan asked, “I want to tear his fur off!”

“Now that solves nothing,” Patch replied.

“All right, but if it was anyone else asking me, I’d ignore them,” Titan huffed, letting Magnus sit up.

“I hate all this anger,” Apudo mewed.

“I do too,” Titan mewed, lying down as if his legs had given way, “but sometimes, well, it needs to be expressed.”

“Jem, would you play the foot rub game with me that you played with Little Ekaterina?” Moses asked.

“I’d like that,” Jem replied, “Sita would you please play with Little Ekaterina?” Sita smiled at Jem, and little Ekaterina hugged him.

“Play with Moses,” Little Ekaterina said, “rub his feet like you did mine, that was nice Jem.” Jem crawled to Moses’s side, the little boy hugging him tightly.

“Come on then, here’s my left foot,” Moses said, stretching out his left leg, wiggling his toes, Jem grabbing the boy’s foot in his paws and hugging it, Moses giggling delightedly, curling his toes and pressing his foot into the bear’s well-padded embrace.

“You have thumbs dear Jem,” Moses said.

“Well my sire is a cat bear,” Jem replied softly.

“Magnus has no tail though,” Moses said, “Sita has a tail, but Magnus doesn’t.”

“Cat bears sometimes have opposable thumbs too,” Magnus replied.

“I didn’t notice your thumbs,” Sita mewed, “maybe I’m so used to them, me having them and all, that they are background things now.”

“I do have them,” Magnus said. Sita, now bored with Magnus, listened to Jem and Little Ekaterina.

“What game were you and little Ekaterina playing?” Moses asked.

“Oh, I was rubbing Little Ekaterina’s foot towards her toes, and she was stretching her toes, if I rubbed her foot towards her heel, she curled her toes, at first I didn’t know which way to rub her foot to make her toes do certain things,” Jem replied giggling, “and if I rubbed her foot both ways, she wiggled her toes! It was so funny!”

“Please show me that game?” Moses asked, “rub my pads and tell me what to do with my toes.”

“If I rub your left foot from just behind your toes to your heel, like this,” Jem said, rubbing Moses foot with his right paw from ball to heel, “please curl your toes Moses, slightly when I touch the ball of your foot, more tightly when I touch your arch, then as tightly as you can when I touch your heel pad.”

“Like this?” Moses asked, curling his toes as the cub had requested.

“Yes, that’s it!” Jem replied, “now, try doing that backwards. When I touch your heel, tightly curl your toes, and the closer my paw gets to your toes, uncurl your toes Moses.” Moses tried what Jem suggested, flexing all five toes together when Jem rubbed his paw up and down against his arch, giggling delightedly:

“that’s it Moses! Keep wiggling those toes, now when I touch your heel,,,”

“cuuuurl my toooes!” Moses replied, curling his toes tightly as Jem touched the heel of his left foot with his right paw, Moses hugging the cub’s paw to the heel pad of his left foot with the fingers of both hands while keeping his toes tightly curled.

“Get paws on with my curled toes Jem,” Moses said, Jem smiling and exploring the curled toes of Moses left foot with his free left paw, then the bunched skin on the ball of the boy’s foot, and across his arch to Moses heel pad. Jem then rubbed Moses toes which held the fingers of his right paw.

“I can’t curl my toooes any tighter, but I wayayayant tooo cuuuurl them tighter!” Moses gasped, wriggling and rocking with effort as Jem’s paw worked down his foot from just below his toes to his heel, “maybe I can curl them a bit more, just a bit more!” Moses panted, “Ururururumf!” he groaned with his efforts.

“that’s so fuuuunny!” Jem giggled.

“my toooes wayayayant to cuuuurl, I can’t Stoaoaoap them, Uuumf!” He wriggled desperately, “I wayayayayant to cuuuurl my toooes even tighter!” Moses yelled, little Ekaterina laughing at his antics:

“Jem’s touch on my heel pad made me cuuuurl my toes like that too!” she laughed.

“I cayayayayn’t Stoaoaoap cuuurling my toooes really tightly!” Moses yelled, squirming with effort, “oooah, the toooes of my freeyeee right fooooot are jealous of my left one, auauauuw! My toooes!” he yelled, grabbing the tightly curled toes of his right foot with the fingers of his right hand, tugging at his toes in a furious effort to uncurl them by force,, while holding Jem’s paw to the heel of his left foot with the fingers of his left hand. Jem, kneeling in front of Moses, rubbed the bunched skin on the sole of the boy’s right foot, Moses groaning:

“don’t doooo that Jem! Don’t rub my buuuunched payayayayads! That makes me wayayayayant to cuuuurl my toooes even tighter! Yyeyeyeeyeyowh, uuuuumf, my fingers won’t uncuuuurl my toooes either!”

“pull at your toes Moses, go on, pull!” little Ekaterina encouraged.

“Eieieieieow! My toooes won’t uncuuuurl!” Moses yelled, Little Ekaterina crawling round to watch his antics, her own toes curling in sympathy with his struggles to uncurl his.

“Pull Moses Puuuull!” she yelled, kneeling so she could watch more easily, excitedly bouncing her backside on her heels and clapping her hands in encouragement.

“Jem’s rubbing my foot and my toooes like it so much my toooes cuuuurl!” Moses yelled, wriggling and bouncing about, “uuuuumf, Ruuuuuhuuumf! I cayayayayn’t uncuuuurl my toooes!” he yelled.

“Mine are curling with yours tooo!” little Ekaterina whimpered, bouncing about on her heels while curling the toes of both feet as tightly as she could. Suddenly she wriggled convulsively and rolled onto her side, then, sitting down, grabbed her right foot in both hands, tugging at her curled toes with the fingers of her right hand while holding her right foot tightly with her left. Moses and Jem watched Little Ekaterina’s struggles to uncurl the toes of her right foot, seeing her look of concentration, as well as the fingers of her left hand scrabbling at the sole of her foot while the fingers of her right tugged at her tightly curled toes, Sita crawling over, then carefully touching Moses and little Ekaterina’s hands and feet, exploring their desperately tugging fingers and curled toes with her gentle paws.

“I cayayayayn’t uncuuuurl my toooes!” Little Ekaterina yelled, tugging and squirming.

“I think you’re pulling with both hands at the same time,” Sita mewed, “Ekaterina, you’re scrabbling down towards your heel with the fingers of your left hand, what does that do to your toes?”

“I don’t remember!” Little Ekaterina yelled, bouncing about on her backside, “I wayayayant to uncuuuurl my toooes!” she screamed, tugging harder than ever at the toes of her right foot with her right hand, while she urgently rubbed her heel pad with the fingers of her left.

“it curls toes!” Jem said.

“yes,” Sita mewed, as little Ekaterina, growling with effort, gripped the heel of her right foot with fierce fingers and tugged at her toes again, whimpering:

“My toooes, uncurl toooes!”

“so if Little Ekaterina rubbed up towards her toes with her left hand, she might uncurl them?” Jem asked.

“yes,” Sita mewed, “she’s forgotten her own rules, rules she created, but her toes haven’t. Moses and Jem giggled at this, but Sita’s smile was only half amused.

“Rules are there to be followed, especially if you make them,” Sita mewed.

“Uauauauauw! Toooes do have minds of their own!” Moses laughed.

“yes they do!” Sita giggled.

“Rub up your foot towards your toes Ekaterina,” Jem suggested, like this,” he said, showing her by rubbing the sole of his own right foot with his paw, Little Ekaterina watching intently.

“ah,” Little Ekaterina said, putting his demonstration to the test, the toes of her right foot uncurling.

“now I wayayayant my toooes to curl agayayayayin!” Little Ekaterina yelled.

“Well you know what to do,” Jem said. Wriggling, Little Ekaterina scrabbled with the fingers of her left hand from the ball of her foot to her heel pad, her toes tightly curling.

“Rub your foot with your fingers and your toes will curl and uncurl,” Moses said. Little Ekaterina tried this, giggling as it worked.

“pull my fingers down the sole of my foot to curl my toes, push up to uncurl,” little Ekaterina said.

“yes,” Jem replied.

“You trying to uncurl your toes was rather cute Ekaterina,” patch said smiling.

“My toes wouldn’t!” Little Ekaterina whimpered, “well, it was rather fun,” she admitted, “I forgot my game rules, so my toes wouldn’t play.”

“you have very small feet and tiny toes little Ekaterina,” Sita mewed, handling the little girl’s left foot in her large paws, Little Ekaterina smiling, working her foot into mama Sita’s grip, wiggling and curling her toes with pleasure at the warmth she felt there.

“I’m sure you had small feet and tiny toes when you were small Mama Sita,” Moses said.

“I can’t remember,” Sita mewed.

“now she has huuuge feet and strong toes,” Apudo mewed, rubbing the sole and toe pads of Sita’s left foot, the cat bear curling her toes with pleasure, Apudo running the toes of her left paw down the bunched skin on Sita’s sole pad, making her curl her toes even tighter.

“You’re so cute Sita,” Apudo mewed.

“I’m bored!” a voice said by the door, Jem looking towards the door. In crawled a grey and white bear cub, whom Jem crawled to meet, their paws touching just before their noses did.

“What’s your name?” Jem asked.

“I’m Soo Lee,” the grey and white newcomer replied, sniffing Jem’s fur, “and you’re more newly born than me, have you got a name yet?”

“Oh, yes, my name’s Jem,” Jem replied.

“let’s go from here,” Soo Lee said, “I’m bored, and I bet you are too. I know a place we could ride water and get very wet.”

“Ride water?” Jem asked.

“you look big enough to ride with me,” Soo Lee said, “come, I’ll show you the place.” She turned away, Jem following her. Jem followed the sight of Soo Lee’s brown sole pads moving back and forth in front of his eyes, both cubs crawling down corridors, then down a slope and into a place where the tiles felt different to Jem’s paws. Crawling faster, he caught up with Soo Lee’s toes and blew on them, the cub shrieking with laughter and turning to him, both cubs rolling on the tiles, batting at each other’s paws in play for a few minutes, then recommencing their crawling to the beginning of a long spiral slope. Soo Lee led Jem up the slope to the beginning of the water slides.

Purdy, seeing the cubs arrive from where she stood waiting for little Koda to finish his shower, padded after them, her cub following her.

“You two awen’t going towards the lazy wiver awe you?” purdy asked.

“lazy wiver?” Jem asked, turning to see the large sow bear padding up the slope towards him, “what is a lazy wiver?”

“it’s a big stweam of watew below us,” Purdy replied, “you wide it on wafts, and it has a watew slide too. It’s too deep for cubs.”

“if we’re widing the wiver on the waft then it won’t be too deep for us will it Puwdy?” Soo Lee asked.

“Soo Lee, don’t speak like meyeee!” Purdy yelled, stamping her feet, Jem giggling helplessly at the sudden change in Purdy.

“You stop laughing too!” Purdy snapped, swiping at Jem with her paw.

“Oh I wouldn’t do that,” a huge voice said behind Purdy, a huge paw slamming down on hers, pressing it to the floor.

“oaoaoaoaoh Titan!” Purdy yelped, bouncing on her toes in her struggle to tug her paw free of his.

“I’m huge but light on my paws,” the liger purred, Purdy staring up into his face, “you swipe at Jem or Soo lee, or any cub again, I’ll break your paws,” he growled.

“I’m sowwy,” Purdy replied, Jem exploding into a fit of giggles, “I’m weally sowwy Titan, I just get so stwessed about cubs mimicking me sometimes!” Purdy protested, knowing her excuse didn’t wash with the huge liger. Jem looked at Soo Lee, seeing the older cub covering her mouth with one paw to hide a huge smile.

“You’re soaoao fuuuunny Puwdy!” Jem said, purdy grinding her teeth and curling her toes into the tiles.

“Stop mimicking Purdy Jem,” Titan mewed, removing his paw from Purdy’s.

“But her speaking is so fuuuunny!” Jem replied.

“It’s not fair to make fun of Purdy’s speech Jem,” Titan mewed.

“Was I?” Jem asked, “is that not how to speak to her, after all, that’s how she speaks.”

“So are we going to wide the waft on the wiver?” Soo Lee asked, Purdy growling:

“Soo lee, stop that!”

“No, you’re both coming back with me,” Titan replied.

“auauauuw, noaoaoao!” Soo lee wailed, “We won’t make fun of Purdy again, pwomise, I mean promise!”

“right, that’s it! You’re coming home!” Titan snapped.

“Naoaoaoaoao!” Soo Lee wailed.

“Purdy?” Titan asked.

“I think we should let them go,” Purdy replied, “I weally am sowwy for swiping at Jem, I now see he is vewy young. I didn’t know how young he was.”

“Jem was born only a day ago Purdy,” Titan mewed.

“I see that now,” Purdy replied. She bounced on the toes of all four paws, “Will you wide the slides with them Titan?” she asked.

“No,” Titan mewed, “I hate those things Purdy.”

“I heard tell you wet yourself on the water coaster Titan,” little Koda said.

“Yes I did,” Titan mewed unhappily, “Little Koda, that isn’t funny!” he snapped as the half grown bear cub covered his face with one paw, sneezing into it to hide his giggles.

“You howwid thing!” Purdy yelled, turning furiously on Little Koda, walloping him with her paw.

“auauauauwch!” Little Koda screeched as Purdy’s paw landed across his, cuffing it from his face.

“I hit youw paw, shut it!” Purdy growled.

“auauauauwch muuum!” Little Koda yowled, sitting down hurriedly, rocking back and forth on his backside while sucking the fingers of his slapped paw, the toes of both his large feet curling and stretching as he rocked.

“You don’t laugh at Titan!” purdy screeched.

“Hitting him wasn’t very nice Purdy,” Titan mewed.

“he screeched over nothing!” Purdy huffed, walking away. Little Koda got up to follow her, yelping as he put his slapped right paw to the floor.

“I can’t put weight on it!” he whimpered.

“go to Patch,” Titan mewed. Little Koda, getting to his feet to take weight off his injured paw, padded away, Titan watching him go.

“Little Koda,” Titan said, turning and bounding over to the half-grown bear, “let me carry you. You look very awkward on those two feet of yours.”

“Mum will go mad!” Little Koda replied, “she told me never to ride a liger.”

“Look, I’m offering you transport, climb onto my back, I’ll carry you,” Titan replied. Little Koda, feeling as if his whole world were upside down, saw Titan lie down, then before he knew what he’d done, he’d swung a leg over the liger’s back and sat carefully on the warm fur, his feet still touching the floor either side of Titan’s wide body. Suddenly the liger got to his feet, Little Koda squealing as his feet left the floor. stretching his legs and pointing his toes, Little Koda tried to reach the floor, Titan laughing merrily,

“You’re about two feet off the floor with those toes,” he said, “now, Little Koda, grip with your knees, yes like that, now, let’s go!” with that Titan took off, bounding down the spiral slope in a giddying run that made Little Koda close his eyes and nearly shriek with fear. Titan ran on, slowing and stopping at Patch’s workroom, the grey bear already in residence.

“I saw it all,” patch said gruffly.

“Patch, is it wrong to ride a liger?” Little Koda asked.

“I have wondered,” patch replied, “Titan will insist sometimes though.”

“I can’t touch the floor with My toes!” Little Koda said, swinging his legs and then stopping suddenly, pointing his toes towards the floor, curling and stretching them..

“I know that feeling too,” patch said, “stretch those toes Little Koda, go on! Curl and stretch those toes!”

“I’m trying so hard Patch!” Little Koda yelled, wriggling in his efforts, Titan purring deeply as he felt the half grown bear’s struggles, feeling Little Koda’s wriggling and watching his curling and stretching toes.

“You won’t be able to stretch your toes far enough,” Titan mewed.

“I wayayayayant to touch the floor, I muuuuust cuuuurl and streaeaeach my toooes!” Little Koda replied, wriggling convulsively while curling the toes of both feet, then pointing his toes to the floor, wriggling desperately while stretching his toes as far as he could.

“That’s rather cute!” Titan mewed.

“I cayayayayn’t touch the floor!” Little Koda raged, bunching his paws into fists, this action making him remember his injured paw. Squealing little Koda stopped playing, tumbling off Titan’s back, the liger lowering himself to the floor to land little Koda as gently as he could.

“that right paw hurts doesn’t it,” Patch said, watching Little Koda as he lay on the floor whimpering and sniffling.

“It does!” Little Koda wailed. Patch gently took Little Koda’s right paw in both his strong ones, the black bear looking away as Patch handled his injured paw. Little Koda whimpered and wriggled while Patch tried to examine his paw, Patch eventually giving up and stroking Little Koda’s shoulder

“Hmm,” the huge grey bear said, “I can’t really make a good examination without hurting you Little Koda. I’ll sedate you a bit, if you don’t mind.”

“What has my mama done?” Little Koda asked, patch injecting him with a sedative.

“I think she’s broken one of your fingers and bruised the others,” Patch replied, “Can’t be sure until I’ve examined them properly though.”

“All this because Little Koda laughed at me pissing myself,” Titan mewed sadly.

“I know,” patch replied.

“I shouldn’t have laughed,” Little Koda replied miserably, the sedation taking affect.

“Now I’ll examine your paw,” Patch said, taking Little Koda’s right paw in his strong paws once more.

“Hmm,” Patch mused, handling the injured paw. There was a sudden click and patch flexed Little Koda’s fingers, the black bear staring blearily down at his paw.

“Dislocated no more,” patch grunted.

“Ay?” Little Koda asked.

“Purdy should keep her paws to herself,” Patch replied, “Little Koda put some weight on that paw if you can.” Little Koda tried it, the sedation making him a little light headed.

“I’m not feeling the pain I was,” he replied, swaying against Titan, “then again, I’m half cut, so how would I know for sure?”

“You’d know,” patch replied. Try bouncing on your fingers and toes Little Koda. Little Koda tried it, and found he could quite easily. While he was at this, he felt a breeze tickling the sole of his right foot, squealing with laughter, he tumbled head over paws.

“who tiyiyiyckled meyeee!” he demanded, feeling a huge paw pinning him down, and whiskers tickling his nose.

“I couldn’t help myself, sorry,” Titan mewed, Little Koda, giggling delightedly, embraced Titan’s head in his paws, kissing the liger’s nose.

“is Little Koda all right now?” a small voice said. Little Koda looked towards the door to see his mother carrying two bear cubs on her back, while looking very unhappy about the arrangement.

“they made me cawwy them!” Purdy complained.

“It’s only fair you carry us after what you did to your cub,” Soo lee said.

“how did you two do it?” Little Koda asked.

“Oh we told her to carry us, as she’d slapped that poor cub, and we wanted to see if he was all right.” Soo Lee replied.

“how do you know he’s a cub?” Patch asked.

“Oh, his feet told us, they are fat padded, they also have fat cubbish toes, not the toes of an adult bear, and we’ve both seen those,” Jem replied, sliding off Purdy’s back, Soo Lee following him.

“That’s rather cute,” little Koda said, letting go of Titan’s head,.

“yes,” Titan mewed, releasing Koda, the half-grown bear sitting up, feeling a set of small paws grab his right foot and rub the sole pad, Koda curling his toes with pleasure.

“I like that,” Little Koda said, pointing his toes to better push his foot into the grip of the small paws.

“your pads are all bunched up,” Jem said, rubbing the bunched pads below the tightly curled toes of Koda’s right foot, the larger bear sighing deeply with pleasure.

“Stretch and curl your toes Koda,” patch suggested, Koda doing as patch suggested, feeling Jem’s toes caught in his.

“now hold my toes with yours while I pull!” Jem said, Koda feeling the little cub tugging at his left paw, Koda concentrating on curling his toes as tightly as he could.

“Koda’s feet are so playful!” Soo lee giggled, grabbing little Koda’s left foot in her small paws.

“Koda can you turn your feet upside down like mum’s were when she was giving birth to me?” Jem asked.

“Turn my feet upside down?” Koda asked.

“So your heel is further from the floor than your toes,” patch said, “you’ll have to kneel to do that Koda.” Koda smiled:

“Ah, I know now,” he said, “Maybe if I turn my heels up, you can help me remove my pads, maybe then, you pull your pads off your feet Jem and then I could try them on?” Jem giggled helplessly at this.

“I would like to rub your foot more easily,” Jem said, Koda reluctantly tugging his left foot free of Soo Lee’s paws, then his right free of Jem’s, little Koda rolling onto his chest, Jem getting paws on with the half grown bear’s feet, now “upside down,” as he put it.

“that’s how my mum’s feet were when she was giving birth to me,” Jem said.

“your mum gave birth to you on paws and knees, like this,” little Koda said, balancing his weight on his paws and knees, then curling his toes.

“yes, Koda she did!” Purdy snapped, “you’re not going to pwetend to be Kamchatka! You dawe!”

“oooah, go on Koda!” Soo Lee giggled.

“Uuumf, Uuuhuuuumf!” little Koda grunted, wriggling and then sitting back on his heels, squirming them urgently into his backside, “Uauauauauw! I muuuuust cuuuurl my toooes!” he yelled suddenly, Jem laughing merrily:

“puuush Koda Puuush!” Jem encouraged, just as Patch had encouraged Kamchatka, making Patch want to laugh so much he covered his face and snorted into his paws.

“ “Okay, okay! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Aouwch Aouwch Aouwch! I can feeyeeel my cuuuub coming, ieieieieit’s coming!” Little Koda squealed lustily, curling his toes and squirming his backside hard against his heels, while Jem rubbed his curled toes and bunched pads.

“now try rolling onto your back and grabbing your feet!” Soo lee suggested. Koda, groaning, rolled onto his back, drew up his legs and grabbed his feet.

“auauauauwch! Uauauauauauwch! Ouwch!” he yelled, wriggling and panting hard while tightly curling his toes.

“if you want to push, try holding your foot in your paws and pushing it into them,” Soo lee suggested. Koda did, sitting up and grabbing his right foot in his paws, then pushing it hard into them, his toes curled with effort, his moans of effort very eloquent.

“Koda’s almost as expressive as mum was!” Jem said, clapping his paws.

“I know there won’t’ be a cub at the end, but I can’t Stoaoaoap!” little Koda roared, “auauauuw! Muuuuust puuush agayayayayin! Uuuuumf, heuuuuuumf! Uuuhuuuumf!”

“someone Stoaoaoap him!” Purdy yelled.

“if only I had a bed of mane to lie on I’d do better!” little Koda groaned. Panting, he began rolling from side to side on the floor, having again grabbed his feet with his paws.

“naoaoaoaoao!” Purdy screeched, realising where he’d got the bit about labouring on a bed of mane.

“I muuuuust puuush!” little Koda yelled, Jem and Soo lee urging him to:

“Push hard down Koda, puuush!” Koda wriggled and whimpered, then pushed hard with both feet, complaining:

“uuuuumf! Heuuuuuumf! Uauauauauw! Aouwch! Uauauauauw!”

“I’ll let him hug me at the end,” Jem said to Patch, waving a paw at little Koda, who narrated his struggles with his feet and paws as much as with his voice.

“Muuuuust paws and knees now, auauauauwch!” Uuuuuuuumf!” Koda whimpered, struggling to kneel, then he began to push hard down, Soo lee rubbing the sole of his left foot, Koda sitting back on his heels, moaning:

“Uuumf, uuuuumf,” and writhing with imagined effort and pain.

“auauauuw the cuuuuub’s head’s coming ouuouout!” Koda screamed, rolling onto his back and splaying his legs, then grabbing his thighs, and pushing with closed eyes and clenched teeth, “uuuuumf, Ruuuuuumf! Ruuuuuumf!” Koda groaned, wriggling and pedalling the air with his feet.

“”Pant Koda pant!” patch suggested, while Purdy stared, open mouthed in horror at her son cub’s antics.

“I wayayayayant to puuush!” Koda groaned, drawing up his legs and grabbing both feet, then pushing hard against his gripping paws with both feet, his toes curled tightly, while protesting loudly: “uauauauauauwch! Ouououoch! Heuuuuuumf!”

“The cub’s quarter out now,” Patch said, Koda sitting up and opening his eyes to see what he’d imagined, finding Jem kneeling between his outstretched legs.

“touch my body and pretend to push it out as you rub your paws from my hips to the soles of my feet,” Jem suggested, Koda laughing merrily at the cub’s suggestion.

“Noaoaoaow, Stoaoaoap him!” Purdy yelled.

“It’s all play,” Patch said, “purdy, they’re playing, leave them to it.”

“Uuumf this cuuuuub’s huuuge!” Koda groaned, wriggling and taking gentle hold of Jem.

“If you like, I can pull myself through your paws,” Jem suggested, “that way you can’t make it too fast.” Koda realised he was in for a long fight.

“Go on then,” he said. Jem pulled slightly with his paws, Koda groaning and wriggling, then making straining sounds, Jem pulling a little harder with his paws, pulling his body through Koda’s paws, the black bear squirming and rocking, curling his toes and squealing as he faught to deliver his cub, who now seemed very real.

“I Cayayayn’t puuush this cuuuub ouuouout!” Koda groaned, straining hard, squeezing Jem to indicate his pushing, Jem stretching himself slightly from time to time while Koda pushed, while Jem concentrated on staying stubbornly where he was.

“Push and wriggle a bit Koda, then puuush hard down!” patch suggested. Koda drew up his legs, curled his toes and braced his heels, then wriggled, Jem pulling hard against Koda’s paws, Koda curling his toes more tightly than ever, groaning deeply, then screeching:

“Puuush the cuuuub, puuush the cuuuub!” Jem wriggled and pulled, feeling Koda’s paws slide over his hips, then grip them hard while Koda himself wriggled and panted. Jem pushed bac slightly, pushing Koda’s paws back a little:

“auauauuw, the cub’s sliding back!” Koda squealed, wriggling urgently, “auauauuw, uuuuumf! Uuuuumf!” Koda groaned, wriggling and puffing hard. Then he complained:

“eyeyeyeyeyeyeoumf! Eeueueueueueurmf! As he pushed against Jem’s hips with increased urgency, his paws making slow progress over Jem’s hips and down the cub’s legs as Jem pulled, Koda stopping to pant, Jem pushing backwards a little, Koda squealing:

“I, must puuush! Muuuuust puuush!” straining hard, his effort eloquent in his voice, and feet, his toes curling with imagined efforts as he pushed. Jem pulled slightly and more quickly as Koda pushed, until he felt his feet in Koda’s paws. Then he stopped pulling, Koda building himself up to a huge effort, then pushing down hard with a, “uuuuumf! Auauauauwch! Of effort, Jem feeling his feet gently compressed by the bear’s paws, but not moving an inch. Koda wriggled and whimpered, rocked and squealed, but could not free Jem’s feet.

“the cuuuuub’s feeyeeet are stuuuuuck!” Koda yelled, panting and rocking.

“Pant them out,” patch suggested.

“I’m gonna feeyeeel all of this!” Koda groaned, panting hard, Jem easing his left foot free of Koda’s paws, the bear now holding his left foot in both paws. Koda squealing and groaning as Jem’s foot pulled through his paws, then freed itself.

“the cuuuuub’s feeyeeet are coming, it’s left fooooot! It’s Heyeeel’s coming ouuouout! Auauauauwch! I cayayayaayn feeyeeel every payayayd! Heyeeel, sole payayayds, now, now, curled toooes! The cuuuuub’s curling his toooes! Auauauauwch! Uuuuumf! I cayayayayn’t puuush ouuouout those toooes, but wayayayan’a puuush!” Uauauauauauwch!” Koda screeched, panting and squirming hard, Jem seemingly making it very hard for him.

“My cuuuuub’s feeyeeet aren’t coming ouuouout!” Koda groaned, panting hard, Jem easing his left foot free of Koda’s paws as he said this. Koda, whimpering and moaning, gripped Jem’s right foot in both paws, Jem pushing back a little, Koda groaning and rocking harder than ever.

“I think this cub want’s back in!” Koda moaned, digging in his heels and bearing down hard, Jem easing his right foot free very slowly, Koda gasping and groaning with his efforts, complaining at the passage of Jem’s heel, squealing at the passage of his sole pad, and yowling at the passage of his curled toes. Once all was over, Koda hugged Jem tightly, while Purdy, totally furious, ran from the room.

“Now you have to deliver the cub’s after birth too,” Soo lee said. Koda suddenly pushed Jem away, grabbed his right foot in his paws and bore down hard twice with strangled cries:

“Uuumf, uuuuumf! Uauauauauw!” then panted hard, Jem giggling delightedly:

“I tried to make it really hard,” he said.

“You did!” little Koda gasped, “I pushed so hard Jem.”

“You were only pwetending!” Purdy yelled, stamping back into the room.

“Actually Koda wasn’t,” patch replied, “I let him feel part of what Kamchatka felt. when it came to delivering Jem’s feet, I let him feel what Mama Karina felt while delivering Felix’s feet.”

“so it was sowt of weal?” Purdy asked.

“yes,” Patch replied.

“I liked it too,” Kamchatka said, padding into the room, little Koda did so well!”

“It’s okay for sows to do that sort of thing, but boars?” Purdy asked.

“Why not?” Nanuq asked, padding into the room, “I’ve re-enacted the births of cubs for years, I like it. so does little Koda it seems. He’s hurting noone, and if Jem wants to play the newborn cub, let him, that’s what I say.”

“it was so hard to deliver Jem’s body Nanuq! My pads will never be flat again, my toes never uncurl, I’m sure of it!” Koda whimpered.

“Koda needed to play, and Jem knew this, so he helped,” patch replied, “Purdy, don’t restrict his play, he’s only a cub, barely a year and a half old. Why should he not want to play at giving birth to cubs, and on a bed of mane too, as he was born on such a bed?” Purdy grumbled, but Patch held up a paw, “another thing,” he added, “Purdy, about your anger about the cubs mimicking you. do you have any idea why they do this?”

They want to take the piss!” Purdy snapped.

“No,” patch replied, looking at Jem and Soo lee, “they think you’re speaking another language. To them, your mode of speech is a different language, hence why they try to communicate with you in it, while finding it amusing to do so too.”

“Oh,” Purdy replied, “but when they wealise it isn’t, it becomes making fun of me doesn’t it?”

“yes, and no,” Patch replied, “what’s their intention? If they jeer and mock while using your trick of speech, then yes, but they weren’t.”

“I never thought of it like that,” Titan mewed to himself.

“What’s all this about not accepting a lift from a liger too Purdy?” Titan asked.

“Well you’we sowt of woyalty, being of lion and tigah and all, and you’we leadew too Titan,” Purdy replied, “I thought it would be wong of Koda to ask for a lift fwom you. ligahs awen’t to be wode on like howses you know.”

“But it is for me to refuse a lift, not for Koda to be scared to ask,” Titan mewed.

“Twue,” Purdy replied shame faced.

“As it was, I enjoyed giving him a ride, and his struggles to touch the floor with his toes while sitting on my back were so very cute too,” Titan purred.

“I didn’t do wrong by pretending to give birth to a cub did I?” Koda asked.

“No,” patch replied smiling.

“It was magnificent,” Nanuq said, crawling to little Koda and hugging him, “You did so well, and Jem was fantastic too! I especially liked it when he pushed back slightly, that often happens, and your reaction was wonderful Little Koda.” Little Koda smiled:

“I would love to do it again,” he said, “I loved holding Jem after the birth too, he was all warm and cuddly.”

“I’m mostly able to overcome that need, but yes, to hug a cub after is needed sometimes,” Nanuq replied.

“Nanuq does re-enactments of cub births really well,” Lihua said, “His re-enactment of Soo Lee’s birth is amazing.”

“I found I couldn’t help carrying it on,” Koda said, “About half way through, I needed to continue, when Jem rubbed my pads and toes I so wanted to continue!”

“I know,” Patch replied smiling.

“Purdy, please, don’t hit Koda again,” Titan mewed, “he laughed at me wetting myself, which was sort of wrong, but your reaction was totally out of order, you really hurt your cub today.” Purdy looked into the liger’s eyes, and wished she hadn’t. Titan’s disappointment in her tore her to her soul.

“I can’t say sowwy, words don’t go deep enough to expwess my sowwow,” Purdy replied, sitting down and burying her face in her paws.

“A cat’s disappointment is always remembered,” Patch said.

“It’s like a rebuke from the beginning of time!” Kamchatka replied, looking very shaken.

“and you weren’t the one being told off,” Nanuq replied shuddering.

“that wasn’t meant for either of you,” Titan mewed.

“If Titan can do that with his eyes, I won’t let him get paws on!” Kamchatka said.

“My paws will only punish those who deserve it,” Titan mewed, “and Kamchatka, that look was not meant for you.”

“I feel sick!” Purdy whimpered.

“maybe smashing your cub’s paw wasn’t the best move,” Nanuq replied.

“I know that now,” Purdy whimpered.

“I know little Koda laughing at my misfortune was not a nice thing, but Purdy being violent to him for laughing was so uncalled for that I forgive Koda,” Titan mewed.

“you pinned him down under your paw and tickled his nose,” patch said.

“I did too,” Titan mewed.

“Titan tickled the sole of my right foot too,” little Koda said.

“I did, and you tumbled beautifully,” Titan mewed.

“you big snuggly tiggie,” Koda said, crawling to Titan and hugging him.

“I think the cub you gave simulated birth to needs a cuddle too,” Titan mewed, watching Jem punching and kicking the air with all four paws. Koda went over to Jem, sat down, then rubbed the cub’s belly with his paws. Jem looked up into Koda’s face, then scrambled into his lap.

“how did wanting to push feel?” Jem asked.

“A tightness in my belly, which I soothed by pushing my foot into my paws,” Koda replied.

“Oh,” Jem said.

“I know what I felt,” little Koda said, “it was real, you know it was real Jem.”

“yes,” Jem replied, “I know it was real, that was why I helped you to give birth to a real cub, and you did, well sort of, as much as a male can.” Koda smiled, hugging Jem tightly.

“I enjoyed it,” little Koda said, “I know I should not really enjoy it, but I did!”

“I’m the same,” Nanuq replied, “I enjoy it too.”

“Has patch given you the feeling of real labour?” Koda asked.

“Yes,” Nanuq replied, “I’ve felt it, I’ve curled my toes and pushed my foot into my paws while screaming lustily too.”

“I know Patch has,” Titan mewed.

“yes I have, for real as well as acting too,” Patch replied, crawling to Koda and lying down to watch Jem at close range.

“If you could have given birth for real, how would you have pushed Jem into the world Koda?” patch asked. Koda smiled:

“On my back, knees drawn up, legs splayed, like my mum did me probably,” he replied.

“oaoaoaof! Don’t wemind meyeee!” Purdy yelped.

“it hurt so much!” Koda whimpered.

“No it didn’t!” Perdy screeched, “you have no weal idea Koda, you awe a bloody idiot!”

“Koda felt the same urges you did Purdy,” Patch replied, “his urge to push was eased by pushing his foot into his paws rather than pushing in the normal way. When he pushed while holding Jem’s body, little Koda curled his toes and dug his heels into the floor to push.”

“I don’t want to know that!” Purdy screamed, “My cub was playing at having a cub!”

“hmm, I wouldn’t have called what Koda did play,” Nanuq replied, well not after Jem rubbed his foot that is.”

“So Jem gave him permission to do that?” Purdy asked incredulously.

“yes, with a little help from me,” patch replied.

“Little Koda’s paws were really warm purdy,” Jem said, turning to the enraged sow bear, the look in his eyes making Purdy leap to her feet and run screaming from the room.

“Your pads are really soft Little Koda,” Jem said.

“yours are too Jem,” little Koda replied, Jem crawling to him, rolling onto his back and presenting him with his paws and feet.

“show me which bits of my feet hurt you on their way out,” Jem said. Koda took the cub’s right foot in his paws and traced his heel, then his sole pad, then his toes.

“these parts, your heel, sole pad, and toes in that order,” little Koda said, “you curled your toes too, and pushing those out was really difficult.”

“So it really doesn’t matter whether a cub comes out belly down or face up,” Kamchatka replied, the cub’s feet can still get stuck.”

“Yes,” Karina mewed, padding into the room, Felix’s feet got stuck, and he came out belly up, I was able to grab him and look into his eyes while his tail was still inside me.”

“Jem’s feet huuuuurt meyeee!” little Koda yelled.

“I enjoyed my second birth,” Jem replied.

“I enjoyed acting it out too,” little Koda replied smiling.

“I don’t know if mama Sita ever re-enacted my birth,” mama Karina mewed.

“I don’t think she ever has,” patch replied.

“It was almost too quick,” mama Sita mewed, padding into the room and sitting down, “but I remember it all, a few hard pushes, and Karina was almost born, then another, and a fifth to deliver her feet. then possibly one to deliver her tail, I can’t remember. Hmm, yes, five pushes in all,” Sita mewed.”

“You did very well mama,” Karina mewed, hugging Sita, Sita getting paws on with mama Karina, tracing her body, her paws stopping at places where she’d strained during karina’s birth, her shoulders, mid-way along her body, her hips, and her ankles.

“There was the first contraction which brought your head out, making it five huge ones,” Sita mewed, I pushed about ten times throughout the five, trying to help.” Karina smiled, Sita rubbing Karina’s soles from heel pads to toes, while karina pulled her feet through Sita’s paws, Sita making noises as if she was pushing Karina’s feet into the world all over again, Karina giggling delightedly.

“awww mum!” she said, hugging Sita once her toes were free of Sita’s paws, which took some time as karina curled her toes and kept pushing her feet back over Sita’s paws, so her heels and arches, as well as her now bunched pads on the ball of her foot, and curled toes got a good rub, Sita reacting by moaning and puffing as if struggling all over again to deliver Karina’s feet.

“Your pads are as soft now as they were then,” Sita mewed, karina smiling broadly.

“Please, get paws on while I curl my toes,” she said.

“I love these feet,” Sita mewed, Karina giggling delightedly, then squealing as Sita tickled her toes, Sita paws on as karina drew her feet up then rubbed her tickled toes with both hands.

“You’re so cute mama,” Sita mewed.

“When I’m being embraced by your paws mama Sita, I’m a cub again,” karina mewed. Sita smiled and pulled karina onto her lap, Karina snuggling into Sita’s hug.

“awww mum and Grandmamma Sita you’re both soaoao cuuuute!” Felix mewed, racing in, karina giggling at her sun cub.

“I’m too young to be a grandmamma already really,” Sita mewed, “but my daughter cub had her own cub so young too, so I suppose I’m one by default.”

“Mum looks so like a cub when hugged by you Grandmamma Sita,” Felix mewed.

“I feel like one,” karina purred.

“Did you see karina and Sita playing at karina’s feet being stuck during her birth?” Jem asked, “that was all karina pulling and Sita pretending she was pushing.”

“No,” Felix mewed, “though I saw Koda and you Jem, that was sweet.”

“karina and Sita did what Koda and I did,” Jem replied.

“Philomena and I played that cub birth game too,” Felix mewed, “we both got stuck on our ways into the world. I pushed her into the world, and then she pushed me out too, we helped each other, each playing attendant to the other. Lots of yelling, panting, moaning and curling of toes, it’s a lot of fun.”

“it is,” little Koda replied, “but when it becomes real, ooaaoah, then!”

“I’ve heard it’s intense,” Felix mewed.

“it is!” little Koda replied. Jem grabbed Koda’s left foot in his paws and explored his sole pad and toe pads.

“I wonder, could I push your feet into the world like you did mine little Koda?” he asked.

“not yet!” Kamchatka laughed, padding into the room, “maybe a little time in the future you can pretend then Jem. I don’t mind Koda and others pretending to give birth to you, but you giving birth to a cub is a bit too soon.”

“All right mum,” Jem replied. Jem crawled up to Felix and looked closely at him.

“You’ve been in the water place that Soo lee and I were going to,” the bear cub said, “I can smell it on your fur.”

“I have, with my friend Philomena who went for some food. She’ll be back soon, and anyway, this place is not a place for fun, I’m going to the family lie up. I’m allowed there as my mum’s leader along with Titan.” Felix got to his feet and left, Jem looking at his own mum.

“Titan?” he asked.

“that huge cat thing who slapped Purdy,” Kamchatka replied.

“Cat thing?” Titan growled, Jem staring up at him.

“Sorry,” Kamchatka whimpered.

“I’ve been called worse,” Titan mewed, looking down at Jem, who stared back with wide eyes and gaping mouth.

“You’re huuuge!” the bear cub yelled.

“I’m standing, I’ll lie down,” Titan mewed, “but there’s not much room here. Let’s go to where there is room, and there you can see me properly Jem.”

“Oh I remember you, but you were smaller then,” Jem replied, “you hugged me in big warm paws, but you were smaller then,” he said.

“I was lying down then,” Titan mewed, “come to the family lie up, and you can have another hug and maybe play with my paws too.”

“”I’m tired after being born for a second time, could I ride on your back?” Jem asked. Titan, smiling broadly, lay down, Jem scrambling onto his back, the cub slipping backwards a few times before he managed to get aboard.

“Now hold on tight with your fingers and toes,” Titan mewed, struggling to his feet, Kamchatka padding alongside the liger while he walked to the family lie up.

Once there they met Felix and Philomena, who were playing the stuck foot game, Felix unable to free his right foot from Philomena’s left, Felix tugging at the heel of his right foot with the fingers of both hands while pushing with the toes of his right foot and wriggling in his efforts.

“I think Sita wishes she’d been able to get paws on with mama Karina’s birth ~~Felix,” Philomena suddenly said, “I know Freckles was glad she got paws on with me while I was born, and I know your mum let Sita get paws on with your birth. I think mama Sita would have preferred getting paws on, as it was, karina’s birth was too fast, and in water too.”

“I know mama Sita says she misses a lot,” Felix mewed, “mum does try to let her get paws on, but mum forgets sometimes.”

“I know mama Sita tries to re-enact mama Karina’s birth, but she knows so little, that she can’t really do it right,” Philomena mewed.

“Maybe if she has another cub she can get paws on then,” Felix replied.

“I would love for her to feel karina’s birth slowly so she can get paws on with her cub,” Philomena said, “Freckles, my mama, she tried to slow down my birth so she could get paws on, and managed it too. She eased me out into the world, and knows me from nose to tail.”

“It would be nice for mama Sita to do that,” Titan mewed, padding up to the two Felursapiens.

“I wonder if Patch could arrange for that,” Philomena said, “it is said he has the power of life and death, could he not show mama Sita the birth of her cub Karina?”

“he could,” Patch replied, padding in with Mama Sita beside him.

“How will that work?” Titan asked.

“I just have to keep pushing when I feel pains,” mama Sita mewed, “keep pushing and get paws on, and I will feel karina’s birth as I could have done if I’d not been crouching in the water. I want to feel her birth with my paws. I just need to keep pushing, and I will feel her arrival.”

“But patch can’t slow it down enough can he?” Felix asked, “Sita, Karina was born very quickly.”

“I make the efforts,” Sita mewed, “I’m not altering the reality, only feeling a re-enactment, if I want to speed it up, I can, If I want to slow it down, I can too. Mama karina will not be affected by this, only I will, and the cub will come out in the end, for if I give up the struggle, I will crouch and have the cub as I did before. Patch is going to allow me to alter my labour position and give me control of the speed of my cub’s birth during the re-enactment so I can get paws on, that’s all.”

“You will want to push,” patch said, “Sita, pushing will feel good, so you can focus on the passage of your cub. the pain will ease when you push, so make you want to push, but you can switch the pain on by taking very deep breaths, then it will build and make you want to push again. You will have enough time to examine your cub with your paws as she emerges, and, if you want to stop the whole thing, just stand on all four feet, or crouch, and your cub’s birth will continue as it did in reality, in either case, at the end, you then will hug mama Karina as she will be watching you Sita.”

“I’m looking forward to this,” Sita mewed, “I’ve wanted to feel Karina’s birth ever since I missed it because I was in the wrong position. Of course, cameras caught it, but I can’t see those.”

“I know you want it mum,” mama Karina mewed, padding up behind Mama Sita and nuzzling her ear, “your paws told me through the sole of my foot that you wanted to feel my birth with your paws.”

“I have always regretted not being able to touch my last cub during her birth,” Sita mewed, “I touched my other cubs during their births.”

“I can do it for you,” Patch said, rubbing Sita’s paw.

“Okay, let’s go,” Sita mewed.

“We don’t need to go anywhere,” patch said, Sita feeling the first contractions tightening her belly. Gasping, she sat down, patch getting her something to lean on.

“Remember breathe deeply to make a contraction, then push through it,” patch replied, shallow breathing or panting, or normal breathing won’t trigger contractions.

“Okay, uuuuumf, okay!” Sita groaned, suddenly she caught her breath, pushing hard down.

“uuuuumf! Uuuuuuuumf, miaoaoaoow! Uauauauauw!” Sita groaned deeply, sitting down and curling her toes with concentration and pain as she pushed, feeling urgently with her paws for her cub’s progress. Splaying her legs, Sita bore down harder than ever, wailing with pain and effort. Suddenly she felt a set of hands emerging from her. Yowling as the cub’s head crowned and was forced from her, Sita wriggled, keeping paws on.

“auauauuw! Auauauauwch! I wayayayayant to get paws on with my cuuuuub’s birth! Auauauuw miaoaoaoaoaow! Aow! She whimpered, then taking another deep breath, feeling another contraction, Sita rocked back and forth, then squirmed, groaning “uuuuumf, Uuuhuuuumf!” pushing hard down again, feeling her cub’s body slowly emerging between her paws.

“Aouw! Aouw Aouw! Sita screeched, panting hard, then bearing down with curled toes and a moan of “uuuuumf! I cayayayaayn feeyeeel my cuuuub coming! Uauauauauw! Heuuuuuumf!” while grimly keeping paws on.

“uuuuumf! Uuuhuuuumf! Ruuuuuumf!” Sita groaned as she pushed the cub’s hips and legs out. Now near exhaustion, Sita panted:

“Aouw, Aouw, maiaiaiaiaiaow! Aouw Aouw!” as her cub’s legs slid into the world. Suddenly with a squeal, she drew up her legs, braced her heels and tightly curled her toes, whimpering, wriggling and groaning:

“the cuuuuub’s feeyeeet are stuuuuuck! I Cayayayn’t puuuuuush!”. Sita, squirming and rocking, tried to free her cub’s feet, without success. Taking a deep breath, Sita pushed down, groaning and whimpering, feeling karina’s feet emerging, first her heels, with their thick pads, which hurt terribly, making Sita screech, to the arches of both Karina’s feet, then with a rush, her toes, Sita paws on with every part of karina’s emerging feet, Sita’s rising yowl of pain and effort as she bullied her cub’s feet into the world almost deafening Patch. When Sita’s cub’s toes, then her tail came free, Sita lay back, sobbing and gasping.

“I did it!” Sita whimpered, tightly hugging mama Karina.

“You did, and how did it feel?” Karina asked.

“I touched everything!” Sita replied sniffing slightly, “now, now I must groom my cub,” she pleaded, Mama Karina sitting down on Sita’s lap, Sita grooming her from nose to tail, Karina purring deeply.

“You did well mum,” Karina said, “I would have liked you to get paws on with me during my actual birth you know. You keep forgetting to ask me if you can get paws on with me. Now please do, touch my body, explore that which others get to see all the time.” Sita, smiling broadly, got paws on with Karina, exploring her from nose to the end of her tail, and from her ears to the soles of her feet, Karina mewing and purring with deep pleasure.

“Let me pull my feet free of your paws mama,” Karina mewed, sitting opposite Sita, Sita holding on tightly to each of her daughter’s feet in turn,. karina tugged hard at her right foot, feeling Sita’s grip firm on her foot, first tugging gently, then with more effort, Sita touching her daughter’s feet during her efforts, holding on tightly to each one of her feet, karina increasing her efforts until Sita felt heel pad, then arch, then ball and toes slide through her grip. Karina, panting and whimpering throughout her struggles, curled her toes from time to time, pausing so Sita could feel everything, Sita paws on with her daughter’s curled toes and bunched pads.

“you’re silly mama,” Felix said, watching his mum’s antics.

“it’s a more extreme version of the stuck foot game,” Karina mewed.

“suppose it is,” Felix replied.

“Weren’t you playing with Philomena?” Karina asked.

“yes, but what mama Sita was doing seemed more interesting to us,” Felix mewed, “we’ll get back to our game now.”

“You two, Felix and Philomena need to play your games with as much commitment as mama Sita did giving birth to your mum Felix,” patch said.

“I couldn’t free my heel from Philomena’s if that helps patch,” Felix mewed.

“That’s committed play indeed,” patch replied smiling.

“yes, Felix, come, let’s play again,” Philomena said, playfully tugging at Felix’s tail with both hands from where she sat behind him, while Felix himself stood on his feet. Felix reacted to her tug on his tail by falling backwards into her lap, Philomena laughing merrily and hugging him.

“you silly thing,” she said, kissing his nose.

“Let’s leave Grandmamma Sita and mum to it,” Felix said, getting to his feet and padding away, Philomena following him. Felix found Jem and Soo Lee sitting beside Titan, and asked them if they wanted to come to ride the water, as they’d meant to do before Purdy messed things up.

“yes, we’ll come,” they said, “but that big she bear will go mad again!”

“No she won’t,” Felix mewed.

“They’re so tiny Felix, will they be all right in the rafts?” Philomena asked.

“yes,” Felix replied, “if we take care of a cub each, we can keep them safe, sit within a pod each, and press our feet against the inflated wall in front of each of us, cubs between our legs.”

“Hold onto them too,” Philomena mewed.

“yes, that too,” Felix replied.

“we’ll take a small raft,” Felix said, heading through the door. Philomena followed, marshalling the two cubs in front of her, following their crawling progress.

“Follow the large grey and black tail,” Philomena said. Titan got to his feet and followed reluctantly.

“Suppose I’d better follow them,” he said to Patch, “I can at least swim if they get into trouble. I hope, hope they don’t want to ride that bloody coaster or any of the slides.”

“Awhwhwhw Titan, but that leaves only the lazy river!” Felix complained.

“I can just about take that slide into the river, but not the coaster, okay?” Titan growled.

“If we get him to surf down on one of those mat things, Titan gets his toes stuck,” Felix mewed to |Philomena.

“Noaoaoaow, I’m nooaoaoaot doing that!” Titan wailed, both Felursapiens giggling delightedly at his reaction.

“That was very funny,” Philomena said, kissing Titan’s whiskers, “Felix showed me that film of you struggling to free your toes from that raft Titan, oh dear!” she giggled.

“It was embarrassing and I was terrified!” Titan miaowed.

“Seeing you rolling onto your back, the raft waving above your struggling legs! Soaoao fuuuunny!” Philomena squealed gleefully.

“Noaoaoaow it wasn’t!” Titan replied.

“You sound like an overgrown cub Titan!” Soo lee giggled.

“I’m feeling like that right now,” Titan mewed piteously, “the memories of my struggles are still fresh.”

“awww dear Titan,” Felix mewed, Philomena rubbing the liger’s paw, as Titan was now walking beside her.

“please, please don’t ride that bloody water coaster,” Titan begged.

“you don’t have to ride it with us Titan,” Philomena said.

“I’m worried about you cubs!” Titan miaowed.

“We’ll be fine,” Philomena reassured the now trembling liger.

“is Titan getting all hot under the pads about us?” Felix asked.

“he is, poor tiggie,” Philomena mewed.

“Now that’s rude!” Titan roared, Felix and Philomena’s giggles dying in their throats.

“Sorry,” Philomena mewed, Titan nipping her ear, Philomena squealing with surprise and pain.

“I might be easy going tiggie sometimes, but I will not be disrespected like that!” Titan growled.

“Sorry,” Felix mewed, feeling he too had to take some responsibility for the lead up to Philomena’s punishment.

“I am getting, “hot under the pads,” as you put it Felix,” Titan growled, “this is because I’m fearful of the coaster, and don’t want you lot to get hurt on it.”

“Okay,” Felix mewed, “we’re Sorry Titan, we shouldn’t have mocked your fear.”

“But his fear is groundless!” Philomena mewed, returning to the attack, “Titan’s a big woosy puss.”

“he’s a big softy yes, but I wouldn’t call him “woosy puss,” Felix mewed.

“that coaster is very safe,” Philomena mewed.

“Yes, but Titan doesn’t like the loss of control feeling you get when you ride that big dark bit with the massive slide,” Felix mewed.

“We’re here now,” Titan mewed piteously as they arrived in the pool complex.

“Titan really is frightened Felix,” Philomena mewed.

“I’m frightened yes,” Titan mewed.

“how if we let you see the tunnel in the light?” Felix asked, “Titan, I can do that, mum showed me how. Well she didn’t mean to, but I saw her working the lights and the coaster controls.”

“How?” Philomena asked.

“Switch off the coaster, then wade into the dark part of the ride, but with the lights on,” Felix mewed, “I’ve done it, mum let me walk there.”

“I’m not so sure about this Felix,” Philomena mewed, “What about Soo Lee and Jem?” she asked.

“We can sit them in a raft, they can sit with Titan in the raft,” Felix mewed, “I don’t think we’ll be able to get Titan to set paw outside the raft.”

“No you won’t!” Titan mewed.

“Are you coming with us then?” Felix asked.

“I feel I have no choice,” Titan whimpered, shifting his paws uncomfortably.

“Don’t worry Titan,” Felix mewed. The two Felursapiens led Soo lee, Jem and Titan to the top of the water coaster, where they got a raft and arranged for Titan to sit in the back, Felix in front of him, then Philomena, Jem with Philomena, Soo Lee with Felix. Titan, feeling sick, watched Felix fiddle with a console before getting into the raft, Soo Lee clambering in after him.

“what have you arranged?” Titan asked. Felix looked behind him, straight into the liger’s terrified eyes.

“Just what we said,” he replied, “a look at the tunnel from hell with the lights on this time.” The raft slid forward, Titan seeing the tunnel coming towards them. digging his toes into the raft bottom, he panted hard, trying not to vomit from fear.

“here we go,” Felix mewed, his voice echoing in the chamber full of rushing water, Titan closing his eyes and biting his tongue to stop himself screaming. Suddenly the raft bumped up against something, and stopped. Titan, taking a deep breath, opened his eyes to see the lights on, and Felix outside the raft, standing on a metal walkway beside the canal. The water had drained away, the raft resting on the bottom. Titan wiggled the toes of all four paws free of the baffles and faught to relax.

“You see? Felix asked, “it’s just a big metal tube,” he banged the side with his hand, the sound echoing round the tube, making Titan squeal, while Jem and Soo Lee laughed helplessly, “it’s a big tube!” Felix continued. Then he pursed his lips and hooted like an owl, the sound echoing round the tube, causing Titan to nearly wet himself with fright.

“Stop that!” Titan moaned, burying his face in his paws, which he’d rested on the bolster in front of him.

“Felix, poor Titan’s really scared, I think you’ve done enough,” Philomena mewed.

“come on Titan, get out,” Felix encouraged, tugging at the trembling liger’s paw.

“Leave me alone,” Titan whimpered piteously.

“If you get out here, you can leave,” Felix mewed. Titan, feeling very shaky, looked up at Felix, who pointed to a door in the wall at the end of the tube.

“I might have to,” the poor liger gasped, getting to his feet and climbing out of the raft. Padding along to the door, Titan didn’t see what Felix did next. Suddenly the lights flashed, there was a horrendous rush of water which flooded the canal, hitting Titan and pushing him briefly up against the wall, before washing round his feet, then Titan heard the gleeful screams of three cubs and the admonishing voice of a fourth as they vanished into a black hole which had opened up beside him. Screaming, Titan lost his footing, tumbling into the canal, then, lying on his back, he found himself carried into the yawning echoing tunnel. Shrieking, Titan flailed with all four paws as he felt himself sliding down a slope. Screeching and yowling, Titan rode the chute until a water break hit him full in his face, stopping him at the bottom of the slide, where he finally came to rest. Opening his eyes after a long time, he saw bright lights. Coughing violently, Titan layin the bottom of the chute, too terrified to do anything, but then he remembered the cubs. Squealing with fear, he got to his feet and stared round him, but there were no cubs to be seen.

“Felix? Philomena? Soo Lee? Jem? where are you? Where am I?” he roared, thinking his voice very small indeed. Giving the cubs up for lost, Titan scrambled from the canal, lay down and buried his face in his paws, crying inconsolably.

“Titan?” a voice asked, ages later. Titan looked up to find Apudo looking down at him.

“the cubs, they vanished, vanished into a dark echoing hole!” He whimpered. Apudo, seeing Titan was unable to rise, snuggled up to the liger, lying down beside him where he lay on the tiles.

“here isn’t a good place,” Apudo mewed, pushing at Titan’s shoulder with one, then two paws, “the cubs are safe Titan, come on, get up, I can’t push you to your feet!” Titan braced his paws and feet against the floor and pushed, somehow standing on his four huge paws, which supported him despite his woolly confusion and fear.

“the cubs are safe Titan,” Apudo mewed, “Felix is in real trouble too!” she giggled, “mama Karina’s slapped him for what he did to you.”

“What did he do?” Titan asked blearily.

“Felix made it so the lights would go out and the raft would carry on with him and the others in it, leaving you alone in a flooding tunnel,” Apudo mewed, “you were swept off your huge paws and carried down the chute on your back. The raft carrying the four cubs carried on round the coaster, while you lay here in the canal.”

“Felix did that?” Titan asked.

“yes,” Apudo mewed. I came to find you the minute I heard, I was in the family lie up you see, and mama karina had just realised what Felix had done, having found a camera which was watching you lying at the bottom of the slide in the canal, then wound back the footage from another camera. She’s hopping mad! She switched off the coaster with an emergency code and ran to the end of the coaster. Now she’s separated Felix and Philomena and grounded Felix forever I think.”

“Philomena didn’t want to,” Titan mewed, “she didn’t want to Apudo,” he sniffed, “she knew it was wrong!” he choked.

“Felix has really gone too far this time,” Apudo mewed, “Philomena was very apologetic, she helped Soo Lee and Jem back to the lie up while Karina tore a strip off Felix.”

“Felix thought he could get away with his roguish play, now he’s gone too far!” Titan miaowed.

“come on,” Apudo mewed, “Titan, can you walk?” Titan felt Apudo nuzzling the top of his paw, smiling, he bowed his head then kissed her between her ears, Apudo giggling delightedly.

“I never got to see or rub your wrinkled pads did I,” Apudo mewed.

“We must make that happen,” Titan replied, nibbling her ear, Apudo head rubbing with the huge liger.

“it seems every time we meet water, something goes very wrong,” Apudo mewed. Titan smiled, and turning, padded away as if his paws and feet were waterlogged and lifting them was difficult, Apudo laughing helplessly at his antics.

“You’re lovely Titan,” she mewed, padding alongside him. Titan lay down, and Apudo climbed onto his back, the liger getting to his feet and carrying her back to the family lie up, swimming every pool in the pool complex and wading through the foot and paw showers.

“I should have nice wrinkled pads now,” he mewed, Apudo patting his neck with her paws.

“The things you do for me,” she mewed, Titan smiling.

“I’m glad I can bunch my pads a little too,” Titan mewed, “of course, I’m not so good at it as Patch or the humans, they can really bunch their pads.” Apudo giggled at this.

“I’ve seen your pads on video as you gave birth to me, and they bunched well then, showing off your struggle as much as your face did, and you can really curl your toes too!” she said.

“I curled my toes in a way I only can when giving birth to a cub,” Titan mewed, “the pain and effort makes my toes curl extra tightly, my pads bunch more too.”

“I watched you while you gave rebirth to me Titan, I saw tenderness, love, fear, struggle, and relief all in that labour. I saw a liger doing what he wanted to do for someone he deeply loves.”

“You wished rebirth, and I granted that wish, which became my want, need and duty Apudo,” Titan mewed.

“You’re lovely to me Titan,” Apudo purred, Titan ending their journey in a private lie up.

“this isn’t the family lie up,” Apudo mewed.

“No,” Titan replied, lying down, “I thought you might want to hug my paws and feet where we’re not interrupted.”

“We can have time together?” Apudo asked.

“yes, here, now,” Titan mewed, “I’ll leave leadership to Karina for a few minutes, I need to be with my cub, who wants to touch my water wrinkled pads and play with my paws and feet. I want that too, so come on,” he said, rolling onto his side, “there are two paws and two feet, I’ll curl and stretch my toes, and paw at the air too, or just lie here and let you touch my paws and feet, because I want this too Apudo.” Apudo touched Titan’s feet and paws, tracing the wrinkles on his pads with the toes of her own paws, Titan purring and mewing throughout.

“You have lovely paws Titan,” Apudo mewed, kissing the pads of his left paw, the toes of which titan curled with pleasure, Apudo then attending to his feet, Titan curling the toes of both his huge feet with as much pleasure as he had those of his paws, his deep purr of pleasure making Apudo feel very happy.

“We need to go back to the family lie up now,” Titan mewed, “I need, need to see what to do with Felix.”

“No need,” mama Karina mewed, crawling into the room, Titan staring at her.

“You have no need to crawl in to the room like a cub karina,” Titan mewed.

“I do, when my son cub has done what Felix did,” karina mewed, backing round so her toes met Titan’s paws first.

“Tell me what happened?” Titan asked.

“Felix, he, what he did!” Karina mewed, turning to Titan in great distress, “he set the coaster to tidal wave and flood the tunnel, so it would wash them down the tube fast and leave you standing, but, but, he made it go too powerfully and, well, I saw, saw, saw you washed down the plughole! Tiggie down the tube!” Apudo, at first appalled by karina’s tale, let go of Titan’s left paw which she’d been playing with and coughed into her paws to hide her urge to laugh when Karina said, “tiggie down the tube,” as, despite what she knew of Titan’s fear, her cub brain found an image of a liger being flushed down a chute frightfully funny.

“Something amusing you Apudo?” karina asked.

“Um, no, no Karina, I’m sorry,” Apudo mewed, sneezing into her paws.

“I’m sorry Titan,” karina mewed, “I’ve banned Felix from seeing Philomena for a month, and he cannot ride his trike either. What he did was inexcusable!”

“he didn’t even let me get near the door before plunging the tunnel into darkness and washing me down the pipe!” Titan miaowed, Apudo snorting into her paws, curling her toes tightly as she tried to suppress her giggles.

“he knew you hated that place,” karina mewed angrily.

“I’m safe now though, and I know Philomena and the other two cubs meant me no harm,”

“I don’t think Felix meant you harm,” karina mewed, “he just did something that was very thoughtless. If he’d let you leave then set the tidal wave off to send himself and the others down the tube, that would be better, but he didn’t, he washed you down after him..

“We’re all safe now,” Titan mewed, sighing with tremendous relief.

“Tiggie down the tube, tiggie down the tuuuube!” Apudo squealed gleefully, giving up her struggle to hide her mirth.

“It’s nooaoaoaot fuuuunny!” Titan whimpered, cuffing Apudo with the paw she’d been playing with only minutes before.

“auauauauwch!” Apudo wailed, Titan glaring at her.

“Oh, I forgot you’re a cub,” Titan said, his fire dying, “you’re younger than Felix, I should not have hit you Apudo, I’m sorry, it solves nothing,” he groaned, burying his face in his paws, yowling as his pads stung.

“I hurt my paw too!” he whimpered, licking his sore pads, “auauauauwch!” he yowled, rolling onto his back, frantically licking the pads of his left paw.

“You’re being punished for hitting a cub for being a cub,” karina mewed.

“auauauuw, I knoaoaoaow!” Titan yowled, rolling from side to side with discomfort.

“I should not have laughed at Titan’s misfortune, that was very wrong too,” Apudo mewed, “please, could we forget this?” Apudo pleaded. Karina pushed Titan onto his side, and Apudo kissed the pads of his paw which had slapped her, soothing them, Titan hugging her tightly for his part.

“I want a cuddle,” Apudo said snuggling up to the huge liger.

“Can I play with your paws Titan?” the little lioness asked.

“yes, please do,” Titan mewed. karina looked at Titan:

“there are two large feet going spare, could I play with those?” she asked. Titan grinned hugely.

“I’ll never be able to use my paws and feet for walking again,” he said resignedly, “but yes, I’d like that.” Karina crawled to Titan’s feet, settling down by his huge hind quarters, lying on her side so she could take each of the liger’s huge feet in her hands, rub his pads and play with his toes. Titan wriggled with pleasure, pressing his huge feet into her hands, karina giggling delightedly at the feel of Titan’s soft pads and curling toes.

“Titan’s pads are wrinkled Apudo,” karina mewed.

“he can make them so I think,” Apudo mewed, “I think Titan can also make his pads like sponges, so they soak up a little water so I get to rub the pads of a damp padded, wrinkle padded tiggie.”

“rub my pads Apudo, karina, that way, I might, just might be able to get to my feet to walk away.” Karina massaged the pads of Titan’s huge feet in circles, feeling the dampness leave his pads as she pressed them with her fingers, warmth suffusing them when she stopped pressing them.

“Rub his paw pads in circles Apudo,” karina mewed.

“I don’t want this to end, I think I might slide down the water coaster chute more often if I get a pad rub like this,” Titan purred deeply.

“We love your pads Titan, they’re the keys to a gorgeous spirit,” Apudo mewed.

“The last time the pads of Titan’s paws felt like this was shortly after he gave rebirth to you Apudo,” Moses said, crawling up to Titan.

“Can I hold onto your paw Titan?” Moses asked, crawling up to Titan’s side.

“yes,” Titan mewed, Apudo, take my left paw, Moses my right paw. The little boy took Titan’s right paw in his hands, sitting back on his heels as he did, Apudo noticing the toes of the boy’s right foot were in range of her own paws. Smiling, Apudo let go of Titan’s left paw then rubbed Moses toes, the young boy bouncing on his heels and curling his toes with pleasure, Titan smiling as he saw what was happening. Purring, he leant down and kissed Moses’s right heel pad, Moses squeezing his paw gently in both his small hands.

“My toes rubbed by a little lion, my heel kissed by a liger, my hands holding a liger’s paw, this is lovely,” Moses said.

“Titan’s terrified,” karina mewed.

“yes,” Moses replied, “these pads tell me he’s full of fear, like he was when straining to rebirth Apudo into the world. Titan, sighing, rested his head in Moses arms.

“I am terrified,” the liger admitted, “what happened to me scared me as much as rebirthing Apudo did. I thought I was going to die in the tube Moses.”

“Your tongue made a rasping sound on Moses pad Titan!” Apudo giggled.

“he has a rough tongue,” Moses replied.

“I like the feel of him kissing my nose and toes,” Apudo mewed.

“I like it too, but Titan’s tongue’s still rough Apudo,” Moses replied smiling.

“What did Titan’s pads feel like while he was giving birth to me Moses?” Apudo asked.

“Damp and springy like now, his toes curling tightly every time he felt pain and even tighter than that when Titan actively pushed,” Moses replied.

“awww Titan!” Apudo mewed, kissing the top of the paw she held.

“It was so hard Apudo,” Titan said, turning his head to her.

“I tried to lie still, but sometimes I had to wriggle!” Apudo mewed.

“I know, I felt it, and wriggled too,” Titan replied.

“The sounds you made were amazing too Titan,” Moses said, “you didn’t just roar and growl, you moaned and yowled too.”

“We ligers can make all sounds that a lion or tiger can,” Titan mewed, “it makes for a very vocal labour and birth of cubs. that was why Blackberry modelled Shandy on me I suppose.”

“Shandy’s so cute,” Moses said, “but wonderful though she is, there’s nothing better than hugging a real liger.” Titan purred deeply at his words.

“Have you hugged Tiggs?” he asked, “she’s even more interesting than me Moses, and yes she has large pads, and big paws and feet like me too, but no fur on the tops or soles of her feet, between her toes and such, you know?” Moses smiled and embraced Titan tightly.

“I’ve played with Tiggs’s paws, she purrs easily,” the young boy replied, “Little Ekaterina also played with Yendi Recently, Yendi’s so cute too.”

“Titan’s fear’s easing now,” karina mewed, playing with Titan’s right foot in both hands, the liger curling and relaxing his toes with pleasure.

“Can you curl your toes like you did when giving birth to me Titan?” Apudo asked.

“yes, and moan and growl too?” karina added.

“I don’t know if I could,” Titan replied, “If it was just the pain I felt, then I could, but the fear comes back too.”

“Knowing all is fine, could you do it then? like Sita did?” Apudo asked.

“Then we could rub your pads and soothe you, which we both want to do,” karina mewed.

“I’d love to encourage Titan to push again,” Moses said, “Titan, did you push extra hard when I encouraged you too?”

“I remember telling you to shut up about it, but yes, I think I did,” Titan mewed, “I pushed extra hard into my bottom when everyone said it was okay to do so.”

“how can you have given birth to Apudo?” Tiggs asked, padding up to Titan, “I just saw the video Titan, and you gave birth right enough!”

“I’m part ligress too Tiggs,” Titan replied, “and before you ask, yes I could conserve a cub and give birth to it, and feed it, and everything. I can’t sire a cub though. I’m, well, both liger and ligress.”

“it is said male ligers can’t sire cubs, but would you try?” Tiggs asked.

“I would be such a disappointment,” Titan mewed.

“if I could, I’d like to get you in cub Titan,” Tiggs mewed, “you are so gentle with Apudo, and gave rebirth to her with such commitment and love too.”

“I sometimes look at male lions and tigers and contemplate what giving birth to their cubs would be like,” Titan admitted.

“your female urge is very strong isn’t it,” karina mewed.

“it is karina, it is,” Titan replied, “I needed to give birth to Apudo, and did it well, I know that. Maybe giving birth to a cub in the natural way would be easier on me than the rebirth was. These feelings, they come in waves lasting about a month, but then go away for months.”

“You’re in season then,” Tiggs replied.

“I must be, or something very like it,” Titan mewed. Theo padded up to Titan:

“how are you?” he asked, “Titan, I saw what happened in the tunnel from hell, I wanted, well, was worried, you know.” Titan got to his feet and, turning, kissed his friend’s nose, noticing a frightened look in Theo’s eyes. Before Titan could ask what was upsetting Theo, the lion continued:

“Titan, I did wonder, about you and your liking for giving birth to cubs I mean, I know here isn’t the right place to say this, but, well, sometimes, well,” the lion looked very embarrassed, “Titan, when you were giving birth to Apudo, I watched, and, and, I wanted you to have my cubs! I’m sorry! I’ll go now!” with that he ran for his life.

“I suppose I give off those signals too,” Titan mewed, “and Theo’s a full blooded male too. Leaping to his feet, Titan roared:

“Theo! Come back here!” Theo turned and padded back, shame written all over his face.

“Titan?” he asked miserably.

“Theo dear,” Titan purred, come closer.” Theo padded nervously up to the huge liger, “I know now why we felt for each other like we did. We felt friendship, but sometimes you told me you could fall in love with me and once, though you might not remember this,,,”

“I begged you to have my cubs,” Theo moaned piteously.

“You did,” Titan mewed, “now, now I know why you did.”

“Titan, I’m so sorry!” Theo whimpered.

“Dear Theo,” Titan mewed, resting a huge paw on the lion’s, Theo shocked at how Titan’s massive paw covered his, “if, if, if you want, we can, I’m sure of it.” Theo’s eyes filled with tears.

“I never saw you as male,” the lion babbled, “I knew it, I knew you weren’t, deep down, you told me Titan, you told meyeee!” he gushed, “and, and when I saw you giving birth to Apudo, my paw touched your foot, remember? Well, I felt a female paw there, my eyes said male, but my paws, they said female, you were a ligress giving birth to your cub when you were in the throes of labour, deep pushes, deep ligress sized efforts. It was then you were most content, I could feel it!”

“I know,” Titan mewed, “Theo, what you felt was not wrong.”

“I want to mate with you for your mind, so our cubs will grow up with your kindness!” Theo miaowed.

“What does Bianca think of this?” Titan asked.

“I’ve told her, she dragged it out of me,” Theo whimpered, his face and paws sweating, “we were watching the rebirth of your cub, and, and, in a fit of emotion I told her I wanted you to have my cuuuuubs!” Theo wailed, crying inconsolably, “she, she told me,” he sniffed, “she told me to,” Theo coughed convulsively, “told me to tell you. She didn’t mind me having those feelings, as she knows what you are, but, but, she told me to tell you. I’m here, telling you Titan, telling you what I feel, have felt for ages, ever since we were curled up together when we first met!”

“Theo, dear friend,” Titan mewed, “my paws don’t lie, I am what you think I am. I may look male, but I am female, inside I am female, you have seen that most intimately of all. You touched my femaleness too.”

“I did, and, and, I knew then, my paws told me then, but my eyes, they told me I must be wrong, that my paws were very wrong!”

“Your paws weren’t wrong,” Bianca mewed, padding up to Theo and resting her paw on his free one, “you’re very intuitive, and your paws didn’t lie to you.”

“You’re very good to me Bianca,” Theo mewed, sniffing hard.

“Let’s go from here,” Titan mewed. Moses, karina and Apudo got to their feet and they all padded back to the family lie up, Theo and Bianca following, Theo’s pads leaving big wet prints on the tiled floor, as the lion was still sweating from nose to tail with fear and shame.

“I remember curling up with Titan, holding his paw in mine,” Theo mewed to Bianca as they padded alongside each other, “we would sleep like that for ages, and, and, in my half-conscious moments I would rub his pads, imagining doing that while he was giving birth to my cubs. Titan would curl his toes with pleasure, and I imagined them curled even tighter while he gave birth to my cub, then, once he was in cub, I got to feel Titan’s toes curling for real, as he gave birth, and I could hardly believe what I felt! Bianca, I’m sure of my paws, but ashamed of my reaction to the messages I am getting as my eyes tell me Titan’s male!”

“I’m ashamed of giving birth to that!” Swarupa yelled, bounding up to the two lions.

“I’m not ashamed of this!” Bianca roared, raking her claws down Swarupa’s face, the tigress yowling with pain and running away.

“What a horrid cat!” Bianca spat.

“I hate her Bianca,” Theo mewed piteously.

Finding the family lie up, they lay down together, Titan snuggling down between Bianca and Theo.

“I’m sorry I broke the news of my feelings for you to you so harshly,” Theo mewed, kissing Titan’s nose.

“I sort of knew them already,” Titan purred, “paws are two way things you know, and in those waking minutes where you held my paws in yours, I knew your thoughts Theo, but didn’t dare speak of them, though I never resented them as I too was confused by what I am. One minute I thought I was female, the next male, then, well, I accepted myself, as others didn’t seem to mind me being soppy or cuddly, or wanting to give birth to cubs. now I sort of know what I am, I can stop being concerned about my own urges too.”

“You would be a wonderful guardian and guide to any cubs Titan,” Bianca purred, rubbing his right paw in both of hers, Titan licking the furry top of her right paw, the pads of which rested on the furry top of his larger one.

“You big softy,” Bianca purred, kissing Titan’s whiskers, the liger purring into her ear, kissing it, Bianca purring deeply.

“Poor Titan,” Apudo mewed, “he wants to mate with Bianca, but he can’t, meanwhile Theo wants to mate with Titan.”

“We could mate,” Bianca purred, “it depends what I want from a mating with Titan, cubs? hmm, maybe not, but deep love from his paws? Then yes.”

“It would be nice if Bianca had my cubs the same time Titan did,” Theo mewed, “I could imagine both of you in labour, holding each other’s paws while urging each other to push.”

“White Petra and dear fleur did that once, so the tales say,” Titan mewed.

“Let’s try holding each other’s paws now,” Bianca suggested, Titan smiling and rolling onto his left side, Bianca onto her right, liger and lioness holding each other’s paws and pedalling the air between their bodies with their huge feet.

“Puuush Bianca puuush!” Titan mewed, feeling Bianca’s toes pressing against his, Titan bracing his toes against hers, lioness and liger pushing hard with their feet, Bianca panting, wriggling, growling and miaowing in her efforts.

“That’s rather sweet Bianca,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose.

“right Titan, now you push,” Bianca challenged, Titan pushing against Bianca’s feet with his huge feet, he too miaowing, moaning, yowling and panting with his efforts.

“That’s lovely,” Bianca purred, kissing Titan’s nose. Theo saw his own toes curling with emotion as he watched the two big cats he loved more than any others in the world.

“how should we address you Titan?” he asked, “what I mean, is, would you rather be known as male or female, as you are both.”

“I’m Titan,” Titan replied, “A liger who is male on the outside, female on the inside.”

“I know, that’s just it!” Theo whimpered, “I look at your body and think, male, but, when I look into your eyes, you have a more gentle expression than any male big cat I’ve ever seen! Then, when I touch your paws, oaoaoaoah, your pads! I so want to snuggle them and ask their owner if she’ll have my cubs! but you’re male! At least your outer covering is male, and you have a male name.”

“I don’t mind being given the female equivalent of my male name when I’m being that,” Titan mewed, “but Titania, the bear might not like it.”

“Oh sod her!” Theo mewed, “you can be called what you like.”

“Call me Titan, for that’s what most see me as,” Titan replied, “then, when and if you get paws on with my paws, see where your paws take you Theo, just as you did during your waking moments, and the truth was revealed to you.” Theo looked desperately at Titan, the huge liger leaning over then kissing his nose, then tugging his paw from beneath Theo’s and slapping it down on top, Theo feeling his toes curl beneath Titan’s touch.

“my toooes are cuuurling Soaoaoaoao tightly, and that’s just what happens when Titan rests his paw on top of my paw, what would happen if Titan touched my pads?” Theo asked himself, wriggling with the pleasure of the liger’s touch, his eyes closing involuntarily.

“Love my spirit,” the touch, which now consumed his senses seemed to say.

“I’ll love you forever, as I promised when we first touched paws!” Theo heard a voice, which sounded like his own, say breathlessly. Theo opened his eyes, to see Titan’s looking into his.

“Show me then,” the liger’s eyes said, Theo closing his eyes and wriggling more urgently than ever, but that soft warm paw was still holding his, urging him to put his words into actions. Theo felt his paw released from Titan’s, and then his paws were embracing Titan and pulling the liger close, then Titan’s paws touched Theo’s body and their feet touched, and Titan’s toes gripped Theo’s. miaowing with fear, Theo gave himself up to his urges, the liger’s paws holding him so tightly, his toes held by those of the huge liger, their pads pressed together. Theo, his eyes still closed, kissed Titan’s nose and ears, the liger’s warm purr vibrating his whole body, Theo feeling a wild need, but also still knowing he had control of his urges, that if the paws or the body he touched said no, he would, and could respect Titan’s wishes. Theo amerced himself in the warmth and joy of the amazing creature which he’d found, Titan giving Theo so much in return without actually mating with him. It seemed that whenever Theo thought of the mating act itself, the thought was smashed by something Titan did, a gentle stroke of his shoulder with one paw, a gentle squeeze of the toes of his right foot from the liger’s left, a gentle kiss to his ear, leaving Theo with an instant notion of the vulgarity of the mating act, and how insignificant it really was, with a hint that, once the mating had happened, the blissful playtime would be somehow desecrated. Every time Theo asked his silent question, the reply was:

“Do you truly want that Theo? for you can have it, but,,,” and Theo would plunge away from “conquering Titan,” as his raging maleness saw the act of mating, while his softer side wanted to ease things along, and Titan’s paws seemed to appeal to Theo’s softer side by offering him the certain but fleeting chance of physical fulfilment, while holding out a promise of sustained spiritual and emotional satisfaction if he took the gentler path.

“I wayayayant to mate but you keep throwing me back!” Theo yowled in frustration after an hour of gentle but intense play, in which both lion and liger had rolled about on the floor, sometimes Theo on top, sometimes Titan.

“come on then,” Titan mewed, standing over Theo for the umpteenth time, Theo pushing at Titan’s chest with both paws, Titan standing on the toes of all four of his paws, bouncing on them as Theo braced the pads of both his paws against the liger’s chest, curling his toes into Titan’s thick fur. Titan suddenly rolled off Theo, Theo mounting Titan, then mating with him, Titan first yowling with surprise, then roaring in agony as Theo took his physical pleasure, then withdrew quickly. Titan, in all consuming pain, rolled over onto his side and lay on the floor, kicking with all four legs, screeching and yowling, then curling up and licking his tender places with an urgent tongue.

“What happened?” Theo asked, as Titan lay back down on his side, his eyes closed, breathing hard through clenched teeth, the toes of all four paws curled as a signal of his constant pain. Theo looked down at Titan with horror, the liger writhing in agony on the floor.

“What’s going on in here?” Tommy asked, padding in on his impossibly fat paws.

“I mated with Titan, with his consent, and, and now this happened!” Theo whimpered. Tommy stared at Theo, then down at Titan, “where did I go wrong?” Theo asked.

“Let me see,” tommy replied, padding to the console and rewinding the video. Watching the mating, tommy’s eyes widened as Theo mounted Titan, then forgot to bite the nape of the liger’s neck as a lion would that of a lioness. Tommy ran off and found fleur, his mate and mother of Leopold. Quickly, he asked her what she’d felt during their mating.

“A languor,” she replied, “but why Tommy? What’s all this about? What’s going on? What’s happened?” fleur asked anxiously. Tommy showed her the video, his eyes full of tears.

“Theo hurt Titan, I don’t think he meant to,” Tommy sniffled. Fleur watched, open mouthed, as the mating continued on screen.

“he should have bitten the nape of Titan’s neck, like a lion would a lioness’s during mating,” she replied, “that gives a dose of anaesthetic, a nerve block just before he dismounts and withdraws!” fleur miaowed, “poor, poor Titan!” she growled, “no wonder he lay on the floor, pawing at the air and crying. I must go to him!” with that she ran, tommy lumbering after her. fleur found Titan lying on his right side on his rug, where the liger had crawled to after a long time.

“Titan?” she asked, bowing her head then kissing his nose. Titan opened his eyes and stared at her.

“fleur?” he asked.

“yes,” fleur mewed, lying down beside Titan and taking his paw in a breach of protocol, which made karina gasp, though Titan didn’t seem to mind.

“What did Theo do to you?” Fleur asked.

“Mated with my consent, but, well, I think he forgot pain relief,” Titan mewed, “I can take labour, but not that, ow fleur!”

“I know,” fleur replied, kissing Titan’s nose, then the sweating pads of his left paw, Titan smiling gently.

“thank you,” he purred, kissing fleur’s nose in return for her ministrations, seeing the ligress’s tear filled eyes.

“I hate seeing you in pain,” she said, brushing her paw through Titan’s whiskers, Titan lazily licking her pads.

“I know lionesses snarl at their mates after mating, then roll over in languor,, but all I did was roll over in agony,” Titan mewed.

“I hurt you Titan, and for that I’m sorry,” Theo mewed. Suddenly Fleur leapt to her feet, a roar exploding from her, Theo leaping backwards, fleur pouncing on him, rolling him over and pinning him under her large paws.

“You should have learnt the rules of mating!” fleur roared into ~Theo’s face, the lion whimpering and miaowing with fear and apology.

“I hate youuuuu!” Fleur raged, cuffing Theo across his face.

“I’m sorry!” Theo miaowed, throwing up his paws to cover his face, Fleur batting them away with ease.

“You are a nasty lion!” Fleur roared.

“No fleur,” Titan mewed in a tired voice, struggling onto his chest, “Theo isn’t a nasty lion, he didn’t mean to hurt me. Fleur dear. Stop hitting Theo.”

“All right,” Fleur mewed, leaving Theo, who got to his feet, shaking vigorously, fleur smiling at him as the sight of his mane thrilled her.

“Theo learnt something today,” Titan mewed.

“I should have asked Tommy what to do!” Theo mewed piteously.

“I wouldn’t ask that fat old tiggie,” Felix said from where he sat on the chair of shame in the kitchen part of the lie up, his seat hard, his feet freezing on hard tiles.

“Why not ask Tommy,” Fleur asked, “he knows how to mate, and how to deliver cubs too, he’s done both you know,” she giggled.

“I’ll never forget Leopold’s birth, I was so scared!” Tommy miaowed.

“I wasn’t?” fleur asked.

“You were my love,” Tommy mewed, kissing her nose, fleur purring contentedly, “I stayed with you and held you, and stroked you..”

“You did, and I rewarded your kindness by leaping on top of you and crushing you,” fleur mewed, tommy Kissing her nose.

“I wouldn’t have missed a minute of it,” he purred deeply.

“You saw everything didn’t you,” Fleur mewed.

“From your sweating pads to your curling toes and Leopold’s emergence from your body driven by your tremendous efforts dear Fleur,” tommy replied softly.

“You saw and felt more than that,” Fleur mewed, Tommy rubbing noses with her, kissing her ear.

“miaow?” someone asked. Spinning round with a startled growl, fleur saw a huge big cat standing in the doorway.

“What paws! What a magnificent tail!” fleur thought.

“can we help?” Titan asked, getting to his feet.

“I’m wondering if I can stay here,” the huge black coated leopard asked.

“A black snow leopard!” Tommy mewed, having never seen a real one in his life, though having dreamt of them ever since he’d seen one on a screen.

“yes, you can stay,” Titan mewed, “we haven’t had snow leopards here for years, since Salty died, and that was some time ago.” Tommy padded up to the huge snow leopard and padded round him, inspecting him from all angles, from his black head to his white paws, which looked for all the world as if he were wearing socks on his huge paws.

“Want to see the pads of my paws too?” the huge leopard asked, “I have cleaned them,” he added quickly, “a bear asked me to clean my paws, and actually grabbed each one to clean it.” tommy kissed the snow leopard’s nose, the leopard purring at him and nudging back, tommy smiling as the leopard rolled over and waved his huge paws in the air.

“What lovely paws!” mama karina mewed, padding over and grabbing the snow leopard’s right paw, the leopard curling his toes with pleasure at her rubbing of his pads.

“Miaoaoaoow! Roaaoaowr! I love that!” the huge cat mewed, wriggling with pleasure, Karina giggling delightedly at the sight of his lashing tail and three free waving paws.

“I have a question, please,” the leopard begged when he could speak, “if, if it is possible, could I bring a friend here, the problem is, she’s pregnant, so there could be more than two very soon.”

“but of course, we love snow leopards,” tommy blurted, karina shooting him an angry look.

“Shut it Tommy! You have no right to say that!” she growled.

“I’ll go then, if there’s not enough room here for three,” the huge leopard replied, withdrawing his right paw from karina’s hands.

“I didn’t mean that! Tommy can’t make the decision though, he’s not of rank to do so!” Karina snapped.

“neither will you be any more if you treat tommy like that!” Titan roared, the snow leopard yowling with fear and covering his face with his paws.

“Don’t be frightened,” Titan purred, “I won’t hurt you dear snowy leopard.

“Snowy leopard?” Felix grunted, “he looks dirty and dishevelled.”

“We’ll wash him,” Karina mewed.

“We’d better find his friend first,” Philomena mewed. She ran to a window and looked out, it was raining hard, “I think she’ll be cold and wet, and if she is pregnant, that won’t be good at all for her.”

“Snow leopards are very hardy,” Patch said, “they aren’t domestic cats or even naked ligers Tiggs,” he said, smiling at the ligress, who’d been joined by her cub Yendi and was playing with her in a corner of the lie up.

“let’s find her,” Tommy mewed, “I for one would like to meet a second snow leopard, I kind of like them. I’d like to meet their cubs too, they’d be super cute, we haven’t had snow leopard cubs here for a long time.”

“I remember reading when Whitie had her cubs,” Titan mewed, “she got into the den with a leopard named Blackey who was as black as she was white.”

“but that’s my name, Blackey,” the snow leopard replied, “I, well, my mate, she’s my friend too, her name’s Whitie, she hardly has any spots on her, they’re on her paws mostly, Whitie’s paws are so covered in spots they’re almost black, I think I got her white paws and she got my black ones!” he giggled, “I’m sorry funny tailed thing,” he said to Felix, “but I’m as clean as I’ll get.”

“how did you know this black thing was a snow leopard tommy?” Felix asked, ignoring Blackey.

“I saw his shape, plus, he has white paws, gorgeous white paws! Oooaoaoh, they’re Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!” Tommy gushed, Titan laughing merrily.

“Blackey, please, bring your mate here,” Titan mewed.

“Oh yes, please doooo!” Tommy gushed, fleur laughing helplessly at him.

“I love those paws!” tommy mewed, “Blackey, can I borrow them?” Blackey, laughing merrily, nuzzled tommy’s ear:

“you’re very silly,” the leopard said, “but, well, I think my paws would fit you fat one,” tommy rubbed Blackey’s right paw with his left, the leopard leaning in close.

“Please bring your black pawed mate,” tommy purred, Blackey smiling with huge relief.

“let’s go,” karina mewed, padding out of the room.

“I like her,” Blackey said, waving a paw at karina, “but that other thing, her cub, he’s, well, bolshie.” Tommy looked at Felix.

“If that cub had paws, I’d say he is getting too big for them,” tommy mewed confidentially.

“I don’t wish to make enemies of anyone here, but that cub is rude,” Blackey said, following karina through the door and down the passage, fleur and tommy following.

Reaching the woods, they found the place where Blackey’s mate lay by ear before they saw her. Yowling, curling round and tying her paws and feet in knots, Whitie lay on the forest floor, clearly in pain. Blackey, seeing this, rushed to her side, calling out to her:

“What’s going on Whitie? I’m back here now!” The snow leopardess, hearing his voice, turned an agonised expression towards him.

“Blackeyyeyey! I’m in layayayayaybour!” she yowled.

“Oh shit, oh shit, shit shit shit!” Blackey miaowed, staring at Tommy for help, who looked terrified.

“You know what to do,” Fleur said, nudging the terrified tiger, “treat her like you did me, hug her, stroke her Tommy.” Tommy was nearly sick.

“she’s not my mate!” he gasped, “I can’t do it Fleur!”

“go on, try it,” fleur mewed. tommy swallowed hard, padded to the struggling snow leopardess and asked:

“What’s your name dear? I’ll help you, if I can.” The snow leopardess turned an ear to him, her eyes full of pain.

“I’m Whitie,” she whimpered, “are you a midwife, a healer?”

“I’ve helped a mama cat in labour before,” Tommy mewed, watching Whitie’s toes curling and eyes screwing shut as she faught another contraction.

“uuuuumf! Uauauauaauw! Aouwch! Miaoaoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!” Whitie yowled, Tommy lying down beside her and holding her sweating, rain sodden paw in both of his.

“I’ll hold your paw through this,” tommy purred, kissing her nose, the snow leopardess smiling weakly, “now push, when you feel pain, push Whitie, push hard into your bottom, as if you’re pushing into the tip of your long tail, imagine that you’re giving birth to your cub through the end of your tail, push deeply down and it will be over soon.” Fleur, hearing this, smiled to herself, her love for her fat pawed, slothful mate growing every minute. Whitie pushed as tommy suggested, yowling:

“Puuush dowowowown into my taiyayayayayl! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!” As she strained, Tommy rubbing her paw in encouragement as she laboured.

“that’s it, I can see the cub’s paws now!” fleur mewed.

“auauauauwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow, miaoaoaowowowowowow!” Whitie yowled, splaying her legs and curling her toes, while holding onto tommy with both her huge paws and screaming into his face.

“You’re doing well, puuuuuush into your tail!” Tommy miaowed, Whitie wriggling and straining hard, “that’s it, that’s good!” Tommy encouraged. Screaming and yowling:

“auauauauwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Uuuuhuuuuumaow! Miaoaoaoaoaow!” Whitie, sweating profusely, put all her effort into one final huge push, which pushed the cub’s feet into the world, and Fleur cleaned the cub up.

“Just the one?” she asked.

“I bloody well hope so!” Whitie mewed.

“I can’t cope with seeing that agayayayayin!” Blackey moaned, collapsing in a heap on the wet woodland floor.

“Your cub is lovely!” Fleur mewed, “Whitie, your s and Blackey’s cub is wonderful! All silver coat with two black paws and two white feet, its left ear black, the other white, how cuuuute is this cuuuub!” fleur mewed, pushing the cub towards Whitie, who scrabbled about for her cub, then touched it and grabbed it in her paws, but didn’t look down at it.

“Aren’t you gonna look at your cub?” tommy asked.

“I would if I could,” Whitie replied, “I’ve never been able to see like others can, I will get paws on with my cub though.”

“oaoaoaoaoh!” tommy exclaimed, “you’re like the other Whitie, she was blind tooo!” he miaowed.

“The other Whitie?” Whitie asked.

“A snow leopardess years ago, who used to live here,” Titan mewed.

“Who do all these voices belong to Blackey?” Whitie asked.

“They are the owners of the house near here, the place I went into so I could beg for help,” Blackey replied, “I’ve never seen such people Whitie! They are lovely, or they seem it. there’s one rude cub, but apart from that, they’re gorgeous, and the tiger who helped you give birth, he’s very much taken to me I think,” Blackey giggled.

“he does have very nice paws, the tiger I mean,” Whitie said as she settled her now screaming cub to drink from her milk, “hmm, those paws,” she said dreamily, “they’re almost as big and fat as yours Blackey. They’re soft, as if their owner doesn’t do much work, his pads are soaoao soft!” tommy snorted at the mention of him doing no work.

“You have been in the paws of the worst patroller in the community, who was outwitted by a rabbit, but, he is lovely,” fleur mewed, tommy groaning piteously.

“Why do you have to remind everyone?” he asked.

“but, as you felt, Tommy is great with labouring big cats Whitie.” Whitie smiled broadly and called:

“Blackey, come and get paws on with your cub.”

“Blackey’s lying on the floor in a near dead faint,” tommy mewed, shaking the black snow leopard’s shoulder, the leopard leaping to his feet with a miaow.

“Um, what?” he asked, staring round him.

“Blackey, Come and meet your new cub,” Whitie said, Blackey staring at her, then padding to her.

“are you all right my dear?” he asked. Whitie smiled, feeling Blackey touch her paws which still held the cub to her.

“our cub’s lovely!” Blackey said, examining it with gentle care, “ooaaoah, it has two white paws and two black ones, and one white, and one black ear too! How cuuuute!” he gushed, Whitie looking suddenly grave.

“I don’t know what those colours mean,” she said, “but I do know that black body fur and white paws, or black paws and white body fur on a snow leopard are not good things, for you Blackey, and I, have both suffered for the colour of our paws or fur. You are saying now that you like the fact that same suffering is going to be inflicted on our cub?”

“I don’t think it will be, not now we’ve found those in the house,” Blackey said, “Whitie, they are lovely people, a strange but lovely people, I promised you that I’d keep you safe, well I think I’ve found our home at last.” Whitie got up from her birthing bed and shook herself, Tommy examining her as closely as he had Blackey.

“I’ll carry our cub,” Blackey said, “Whitie, get on my right side, I’ll guide you that way.” Whitie padded round to Blackie’s right side, then Blackey tugged at something round her left leg with his massive right paw, just above her paw, pulling it away from her paw, slipping his paw into the thing, then wrapping it tightly round his own paw, Whitie tugging it tight.

“what on earth?” fleur asked.

“A Gide rope so I go where Blackey does,” Whitie explained, “we can run easily this way, and, well, we ran for our lives once, and this rope saved both of us.” Fleur choked on a sudden rush of tears, turning away to wipe her eyes with one very muddy paw.

“Oh,” she sniffed, for she’d seen something in Blackey’s eyes that made her realise how much he loved his mate.

“We’ll tell you our tale when we’re warm, fed and safe,” Blackey said, “so, if you would like to hear it, please, make us so.” Titan, having followed tommy and fleur to the woods, nodded at Blackey.

“you will be safe and warm, as will your mate and cubs,” He said.

“Who’s that Blackey? Who’s that with the big voice?”

“he’s a liger, but, well, he, he’s also ligress too!” Blackey replied softly, “I don’t know what he is, or why he just pluralised cub!” he concluded in some distress.

“My name is Titan,” the huge voice said in Whitie’s ear, the snow leopardess nearly jumping out of her fur, as she’d not heard his approach.

“Oh, I am sorry,” the big voice said, seeing her reaction, “I didn’t see the rope between you and your mate,, and wasn’t aware of your disability until now Whitie, of course, I now know you cannot see me, for your reaction is much like mama Sita’s whenever I pad up to her without making a sound. Whitie felt a kiss on her nose, then a paw covering her right one, the paw was soft and very warm, Whitie instantly wanting to hug it, or be hugged forever by the paw’s owner.

“you are the warmth of the house? Of the people Blackey met?” Whitie breathed.

“No,” Titan mewed, “I am not the sum of the community I lead, only one of them who has been elevated to lead.” Whitie felt tears welling up in her eyes, closing them, she shook her head.

“You’ve come a long way, and been much frightened on your journey, more terrified than your mate knows my dear,” the silky voice said softly, Whitie feeling her throat close with emotion.

“Stop it!” she blurted, coughing and choking on tears which suddenly overwhelmed her.

“you cry for two Whitie dear,” Titan mewed. Whitie, now feeling weak, leant against the voice’s shoulder.

“Blackey’s paw is under your left, my paw resting on your right, Blackey trying to be strong, outwardly that is. But his real emotions are pouring into you and they are filling you where there is no room for his and yours, plus you both want to cry buckets because your families deserted you, and the struggle you both endured to find a safe place to deliver your cub has exhausted you both,” the deep rich voice said. Whitie felt Blackey’s paw shift beneath her left paw, and knew he was staring at the owner of the huge, deep, gorgeous voice.

“What are you?” Whitie asked softly.

“I am myself,” was the deep voice’s purred reply, “they call me Titan, but you can call me that, or nothing at all, or my alternate name, if you know that.”

“You have struggled like I did under the bush haven’t you,” Whitie said.

“I have,” Titan mewed, “but my struggles were in a warmer, safer place than you have ever known dear leopardess. My hardships have been naught to yours.”

“external struggles maybe not,” Whitie replied softly, her remarks only meant for Titan’s ears, “but internal ones, finding yourself, loving yourself, while always loving others despite your struggles with your own emotions. You’ve had those. Then you faught for another who needed your guidance, physically bringing her into the world again so she could benefit from your kindness and wisdom.” Titan didn’t reply, but a slight pressure from his toes on hers told Whitie all she needed to know.

“So will you come with us?” Titan asked in his normal tone, “do you like the feel of the people who live in the house?”

“I’ve hardly met any of them,” Whitie replied in her normal voice.

“You have met two now,” Titan mewed, “A leader, and a patroller. You have not met a cub yet, but, you soon will. So will you come with us?”

“Blackey makes that sort of choice,” Whitie replied, Titan’s paw tightening on hers.

“Blackey makes choices you cannot,” he said, “but you can make this choice, for you can feel, do you trust us as he does?” Whitie felt Blackey pull his paw from beneath her left paw, the voice’s paw also leaving its warm place atop her right paw. Whitie, now paws on with the cold floor, knew she was being left quite alone, alone to make her own mind up. Momentarily terrified for herself and her cub, she looked into the darkness of an unknown place. Could she trust the voice, and that paw? But then she remembered the touch of the voice’s paw, and how it had made her think of warmth and rest and had taken all fear from her. Also of how the voice had treated her, how he had spoken to her, and of the other voices, and those other paws, the comforting paws of the tiger who’d come to her aid, who though himself fearful, had comforted her, and helped her safely bear her cub into the world.

“my mate, cub, and I will come with you Titan,” Whitie said in a clear voice, “please, lead us to your house.”

“Blackey guides Whitie with that rope thing,” fleur whispered to tommy.

“It means they can run if they need to, please, fleur, don’t give them cause to run, I love them too much to bear that.” Fleur looked into tommy’s face, the fat bumbling tiger’s expression filling her heart with love for him anew.

“I love you tommy,” fleur whispered, feeling tommy’s huge paw land on hers, his toes squeezing hers in a well-padded embrace.

“Whitie and Blackey are lovely aren’t they,” Tommy said.

“The sight of Whitie tying her paws in knots during her labour made me want to cry,” fleur admitted, “I bet the poor thing even grabbed her own tail and pulled on it in her struggle, hurting herself even more.”

“I did you know,” Whitie replied, turning her head to speak to fleur as she and tommy padded alongside her.

“I had a violent labour with my cub,” Fleur said softly, “Whitie, I know how it feels.” Whitie pressed fleur’s paw with hers and replied:

“I wasn’t in labour when Blackey left me, then, when I settled down, I began to worry if he’d ever return, and then the pains started, I told myself not to be so dam stupid, that it couldn’t be labour, but the pain kept coming and coming, and I rolled and wriggled, growled and moaned, but, it kept coming, faster and faster. Some of the pains were real toe curlers, you know?” Whitie asked.

“I know, a little,” fleur mewed, “I know about curling my toes with the pain and effort of pushing, but, not the loneliness you felt, for tommy was with me all the time.”

“some of the sounds you made were amazing Whitie,” tommy said.

“Sorry,” Whitie replied.

“I’ve never heard those from a big cat before!” tommy continued, “I suppose it’s snow leopardese for “shit I’m in agony.”

“it was just noise, just agonised complaint,” Whitie replied, “it meant no more than a sound of pain tommy. Without you though, I would have probably crossed my legs and be pushing against myself and my cub would not have been delivered.”

“I would not have missed it for the world,” tommy replied, “thank you Whitie for letting me help you.”

“I have helped Whitie find water and food, rescued her from a trap, helped her run to safety, and kept her warm on a cold night, but when she needed me more than ever, I was useless,” Blackey miaowed piteously.

“if you hadn’t helped me all those times and many more besides, I’d not be here to give birth to our cub,” Whitie replied, sidling up to Blackey and nuzzling his ear, “so stop that talk, now,” she mewed, nibbling at his ear, then gently tugging it, Blackey briefly resting his head against hers.

“We’re nearly at the house now,” Blackey said, “Whitie, it’s enormous! These people must be very rich or very lucky.”

“Both,” Titan mewed, “now, please, wash your paws on entering the house. Whitie,” he said turning to her and touching her paw, “come with me, I’ll get someone to help you wash your paws. Sooleawa?” he roared, “where are you?”

“I’m here,” a voice said, Blackey giggling as he recognised the silver coated bare who’d accosted him and washed his paws so thoroughly seemingly years before.

“Oh, there are three now?” Sooleawa asked, “I must get some more soap!” she babbled, rushing from the room and returning with a brush and soap, “is it the full wash Titan?” Sooleawa asked.

“yes, full community wash,” Titan replied, “it’s not that you’re dirty Whitie,” he said softly to her, “it’s a ritualistic thing we do here. If you will permit it, we’ll wash you, Blackey and your cub.” Whitie replied:

“As you are giving us a home, we need to adhere to your customs as much as possible,” she replied.

“You will not mind this one at all,” Titan mewed, “I will give you into the care of mama Sita, who is our play specialist, but is also a dear friend and gentle creature. She will also take care of your cub, as her lie up is secure and the cub can’t run off.”

“Not that I’d want to,” Whitie’s cub replied, “it sounds a lovely place! Hey, big leopard, put me down will you?” it asked, wriggling and kicking the air with all four huge paws.

“You summoned me?” a voice asked.

“ooaaoah!” Blackey gasped, dropping his cub, who landed with a squeal, but quickly realised where it was and crawled to Whitie’s side, landing both small paws on her left one.

“I’m here mum,” it said.

“You have a female cub,” the newcomer’s voice said, Whitie feeling a gentle paw touch hers. This paw was different, slightly feline, but also hinting of something else in the owner of the paw’s makeup.

“what is that?” Blackey asked,jabbing a paw at Sita.

“That?” Titan growled, “her name is Sita, she’s a Felursa, a cat bear, and that funny furred naked footed rude cub is her grandson cub, he’s a Felursapien, and, Blackey, don’t ask,” Titan mewed, warning Blackey with a raised paw, “you won’t believe the tale even if I told you it, even though it is completely true.”

In the control room, Nanuq was being quizzed by Patch.

“Did you see the two snow leopards arrive?” he asked.

“Yes, we did, and my paw was hovering over the call button for the patrols when Blackey entered the vicinity of the house,” Nanuq replied, “the outer patrol missed them, I think,” he added ashamedly, “I was going to speak to them via the speakers, but didn’t know if that would frighten them, after all, both looked terrified already,” the polar bear babbled.

“I see that,” patch said, watching a replay of Whitie and Blackey’s arrival in the woods.

“They were monitored, if not very closely,” Nanuq said, his toes curling with apprehension, Patch seeing this and smiling at the nervous bear.

“”Tommy helped Whitie have her cub, did you see that?” patch asked.

“I cried when the cub was born,” Nanuq admitted, patch hugging him.

“they’re all in the house now,” patch replied, “and the door is locked and the house is warm, and we have food in the kitchen and drink in the cellar, all is good at the moment.”

“Felix is in the shit though,” Nanuq groaned.

“he’s in trouble,” patch replied, “but, the bear mused, I think karina’s taking him in hand. She’s got him sitting on the hard chair with his feet on hard tiles and being ignored by all for the whole morning, then, well, he’s unable to play with Philomena and is banned from playing with Jem or Soo lee.”

“yes,” Nanuq replied, “Patch, can I meet the snow leopards soon?” patch smiled and led Nanuq from the room, where they caught a monorail to Sita’s lie up, where they entered the room to find the cat bear busy washing Whitie and her cub with gentle care.

“Hi Patch,” Sita mewed, drying her paws then padding over and hugging him, “oh and you Nanuq,” Sita added, hugging the polar bear, Nanuq smiling and returning her hug.

“”Dear sweet Sita,” Nanuq replied softly, Sita giggling delightedly.

“I have a snow leopardess and her cub here Patch,” Sita mewed, “she’s huge and her cub is small, and both are well washed and warm, the cub drinking mama’s milk, mama drinking warm tea, as is the prescription for creatures who come from the woodlands.”

Sita introduced Patch to Whitie:

“Whitie, this is Patch, my sire, and our spiritual leader here.” Patch gave Whitie his paw, the snow leopardess taking it in both of hers, embracing the huge paw with tender care.

“hello Whitie dear,” patch said, leaning down then kissing her nose, “can I please take a look at you Whitie, and then maybe look at your cub?” Patch asked.

“You can,” Whitie replied, “come, get in the tub with me, it’s big enough.” Patch did, looking at the huge snow leopardess.

“You’re magnificent,” he said, “white body fur and gorgeous black paws! How sweet!”

“Apparently my cub is even more striking,” Whitie mewed.

“She is,” patch replied, Sita handing him the cub, who giggled as Patch tickled her toes.

“she has white feet and black paws!” patch exclaimed.

“She does,” Nanuq said, looking over his shoulder, “she’s so cute.”

“Miaoaoaoaow! Riaoaoaoaoaow!” the cub yelled, waving her paws about as Patch tickled her feet, Sita giggling at the cub’s protestations.

“the big paws are tiyiyiyckling meyeee!” the cub yowled, patch rubbing the tickle from the snow leopard cub’s pads, the female cub sighing contentedly.

“that’s better,” she mewed contentedly.

“What shall we name our cub?” Blackey asked, padding into the room, his black fur and white paws shining under the lights.

“I don’t know,” Whitie replied, “she’s apparently a mix of every colour going!”

“hmm,” Patch replied softly, “let me think a bit. Come to think of it now, Whitie and Blackey aren’t very fitting for you adults either. Blackey, how would it be if we rename you Makalu, that’s the name of the great black mountain in the Himalayas. Whitie, we could name you Ceba, which means dear to hold, and your cub Jalus, which means rainbow, because she is a riot of different colours.” Whitie and Blackey, or Ceba and Makalu as they now were, stared in open mouthed admiration at Patch.

“You honour us with our new names,” Makalu replied, “ I’m sure Whitie, I mean Ceba feels the same way too.” Whitie, now to be known as Ceba, smiled and replied that she too felt as Makalu did.

“So my name is Jalus now?” Makalu and Ceba’s cub asked.

“yes, and it describes you wonderfully,” Patch replied, “oh, he said, “there’s another name you could all have as a surname, if you wish it, it’s Somba, and,” he smiled, “it means socks,”

“Jalus Somba? Well done Patch, you’ve just named a cub rainbow socks, Rainbow socks! Woops!” Sita laughed, clapping her paws, water flying everywhere.

“I’m nooaoaoaot having a name which means rainbow socks! It’s so silly! Stop laughing Sita! “ Jalus wailed, “ Rainbow socks, oaoaoaaoh Naoaoaoaow!” the cub screeched.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry!” Nanuq replied, sitting down and stuffing the toes of his left paw into his mouth to stop himself dissolving into fits of laughter. Squirming convulsively, Nanuq dropped his paw from his mouth: Rainbow socks is Soaoaoaoao fuuuunny!” he yelled, giving up the struggle.

“Naoaoaoaoao it’s nooaoaoaot, it’s nooaoaoaot!” Jalus squealed indignantly.

“I’ll think of another then,” Patch replied.

“you better had, my name Jalus is awful with Somba!” Jalus screamed.

“right, Patch, get thinking!” Nanuq spluttered, tears of laughter coursing down his face, “Rainbow socks, Rainbow socks! How cuuuute!” he guffawed.

“Shuuuuuut uuuuuuup!” Jalus screamed, then suddenly she had broken free of Patch’s paws and was swimming across the tub towards Nanuq, then she was out and crawling towards him, then slapping him hard with her small fat paws.

“Don’t call meyeee rainbow socks, I’m, not! Rainbow! socks!” Jalus yelled, slapping the sole pad and pummelling the toes of Nanuq’s left foot with her small paws.

“Stop hitting Nanuq!” Patch snapped.

“I’ll think of a new name for you,” Patch replied, “how about Kutang, means mountain of the spirit, and you’re certainly full of spirit.”

“Kutang, I like that,” the cub replied, suspending her attack on Nanuq’s left foot.

“If we could please drop the socks thing, as we don’t wear socks, that would be good,” Makalu said. Patch smiled at the snow leopard.:

“Ok Makalu we will,” Patch replied smiling, “and you’re right, he added,” we don’t wear socks here, but your mate and you look like you’re wearing socks, as does your dear cub. your cub won’t know what socks are at the moment, but we can teach her what they look like when her eyes open.”

“We haven’t got small enough socks to put them over Kutang’s tiny paws yet,” Sita mewed, “if we had, she could feel them.”

“I don’t wayayayayant socks on my paws or feeyeeet!” Kutang screamed.

“I don’t blame you,” Ceba mewed, I once got my paws wrapped in wet leaves once, and couldn’t feel a thing!”

“I hate socks,” Kutang whispered, Nanuq picking her up in his paws and hugging her.

“As it happens, so do I,” he said, Kutang snuggling up to the huge polar bear, having forgotten her frothy fury towards him.

“Can I rub your paws Kutang?” Nanuq asked.

“yes,” the cub replied, “can I rub your feet big paws? I, I, I think I hit one of them earlier, and I’m sorry.” Nanuq smiled and hugged the snow leopard cub.

“you can, and thank you,” he replied softly, kissing her nose and paws, Kutang purring deeply. Kutang found Nanuq’s left foot and explored it with her small paws:

“your feet are different to mums,” Kutang said, “I held mum’s foot in my paws, and hers are very different. You have thick pads like she does, but hers are covered with fur, though I can dig my toes in and scratch the pads, which she likes, I know she likes it because she begins purring and her toes curl up.”

“Rub my pads, and feel what my toes do,” Nanuq said, Kutang doing as he asked, giggling delightedly as his toes curled and pads bunched.

“Your toes have curled like mum’s and your pads have gone all bumpy!” she yelled delightedly.

“Your mum’s do too, but there’s so much fur there, you can’t feel her pads doing it,” Nanuq replied.

“We could shave Ceba’s pads so Kutang can feel,” patch suggested.

“No thanks!” Ceba replied.

“Snow leopard paws are just so cute anyway,” tommy mewed, padding into the room, Makalu padding up to the huge tiger and nuzzling his cheek.

“Want my paws now?” he asked, lifting a huge forepaw.

“I’d love to swap paws,” tommy mewed, “but, if you will allow,, I’d be content to rub your pads.” Makalu smiled and nuzzled tommy’s whiskers.

“You like Tommy don’t you Makalu,” Ceba remarked.

“I do, he’s rather nice,” Makalu replied.

“I like him too,” Ceba replied smiling, “his paws, ooaaoah they’re so sweeyeet!” she mewed, Makalu laughing merrily at her passionate response.

“I wish Tommy had helped me pull my cub now,” Ceba mewed.

“You could have a second cub, even now,” Makalu replied.

“here would be a great place, here and now,” Ceba mewed, “I’m so warm and comfortable and safe, I could easily labour for hours to deliver a second cub.”

“I wouldn’t mind another cub,” Makalu said.

“If I had a brother or sister, they could have the name rainbow socks!” Kutang mewed.

“I can find other names,” patch replied smiling.

“Patch, could you ultra sound Ceba and see if there’s another cub?” Tommy asked, dancing with anticipation.

“What’s this ultra sound?” Ceba asked.

“A little thing Patch places on your belly,” tommy gushed, “it’ll feel a bit strange, as Patch uses Jelly and then places the microphone on your belly.”

“It’ll see if there are any cubs to come,” Patch replied. Ceba climbed out of the water and patch led her to his work room, the snow leopardess leaving large wet paw prints on the floor.

“turn right here,” patch said, tugging her right paw with the guide rope which Makalu had lent him. Ceba turned sharply, her nose brushing Patches, the bear kissing her nose and nuzzling her whiskers.

“If you are to have another cub,” patch said, “you will be in safe paws here Ceba.” Ceba smiled:

“I knew I was when Tommy got hold of my paws,” she said, “he’s lovely patch, I can feel the reasons why Makalu likes him.”

“Okay, there’s a couch in front of you,” patch said, “Ceba, there’s a ramp up to the couch, can you feel it under your paws?” Ceba climbed the ramp, then patch helped her to lie down on his couch, before scanning her with the ultra sound scanner.

“Hmm, there is another cub,” Patch said, “it’s been a few hours since Kutang was born, I’ll give it a few hours more, then help you to start labour. At the moment all’s fine.” Ceba felt her toes curling with emotion as she thought of birthing another cub.

“Could we do it now?” she asked.

“I’d like nature to take its course,” patch replied, “but what I will do is put a remote monitor on you so I can monitor you and your as yet unborn cub.” with that he placed a monitor on Ceba’s belly, and one on her left leg, just above, what he now saw was a white guide rope, Ceba wearing one on each leg so Makalu could guide her from EITHER side of her.

“Your second cub is a huge one,” patch said.

“I want Makalu and Kutang as well as tommy to get paws on with me and the cub,” Ceba said, “I want my labour to be slow so everyone can get paws on with my feet and paws and the emerging cub.”

“I can’t slow natural labour, but if you take it easy, you’ll be okay,” Patch replied.

“What if I don’t go into labour to give birth to this cub?” Ceba asked.

“I can help then,” patch replied, rubbing Ceba’s paw reassuringly, “I have drugs which can help you then. Your cub will have every help coming into the world.” Ceba smiled broadly.

“Even backwards?” she asked.

“Especially if the cub comes backwards,” patch replied.

“cubs hurt extra much when they come out backwards,” Shandy said, padding into the room.

“Who’s that?” Ceba asked.

“that’s Shandy, she’s an animatronic ligress, a training aid for me to learn how to deliver the cubs of big cats,” patch replied.

“But she replied to our conversation!” Ceba yelled.

I’m a very complicated computer programme,” Shandy replied, padding round and touching Ceba’s paw with hers, Ceba feeling the toes of a warm paw grip her own, but there was something missing in the feel of the paw that Ceba noticed, there was no spiritual warmth, or any other messages from the paw, as if the owner of the paw was indifferent to Ceba’s feelings.

“have you given birth to a cub who came backwards?” Ceba found herself asking Shandy.

“Yes,” Shandy replied, “Raja came out backwards, and I gave him life by touching his feet with my paws. I can send my cubs back to sleep to be reborn again and again you see. Raja though, he’s real now. I can be turned off, even though I have been given full community rights. Shadow’s the same as me, she’s a bear though.”

“that is the ultimate punishment,” Patch replied, “the off switch is in my control, as it is I who gave Shandy and shadow community status.”

“What happened when you gave birth to a cub backwards Shandy?” Ceba asked.

“I grabbed one of the cub’s feet with my paws and the other with my mouth and pulled as I pushed, then, as that didn’t work, I just lay down and strained hard into my tail,” Shandy replied, “I can do it again now, as I have two weeks to sleep the cub after birth before it becomes as real as you are.”

“So you can give birth to backwards cubs repeatedly?” Ceba asked.

“yes, I’m a training aid for Patch,” Shandy replied.

“ouch,” Ceba mewed, “I expect I’ll be miaowing, yowling and growling if I gave birth to a breach cub.”

“I do,” Shandy replied, “I make enough noise giving birth normally, moaning, groaning, yowling, etc, but when a cub’s breach, the breaks really come off.”

“they would for me too,” Ceba admitted, “I screamed and miaowed giving birth to my first cub Kutang. I doubt I’ll be any less vocal when this second cub comes into the world.”

“I can be as Patch wants,” Shandy said, “either very quiet, or very loud, very active or very passive in my labour.”

“You can also make your own choices,” Patch reminded her.

“yes, and you can make me have an easy or a hard labour,” Shandy replied.

“Can you curl your toes and kick with all four feet Shandy?” Ceba asked.

“yes, and I can sweat and pant too,” Shandy replied.

“Sorry about these questions,” Ceba mewed.

“I’m a computer, I am fine with questions, and patch can make me do anything he wants, even mess things up so I have a really hard time of giving birth.”

“Lie down on the hammock over there Shandy,” Patch said, “now Ceba,, come with me.” He led Ceba to the hammock, and helped her get into it so she lay beside Shandy, “this is a birthing hammock,” Patch continued, now Ceba, Shandy’s paws are towards you, hold her paws and Shandy will curl her toes and her pads will sweat beneath yours,” patch said, “at the moment they’re dry padded. Feel this.” Ceba felt Shandy’s paws seek out hers, then she felt the ligress’s huge toes curling, her pads sweating beneath Ceba’s paws.

“that’s really cool!” Ceba mewed.

“Stroke the rest of Shandy now, and feel what happens,” patch replied, turning Shandy’s programme over to autonomous control. Ceba ran her paws all over Shandy’s body, from her head to her pregnancy swollen belly and the pads of her paws and feet, right to her tail. Shandy, wriggling with pleasure, expressed her pleasure with mewing and purring, Ceba giggling delightedly when the toes of her left paw got caught in the strong toes of Shandy’s right foot.

“Shandy, can I feel you give birth to a cub?” Ceba asked. Shandy smiled:

“Can patch tell me what you did during your labour?” she asked, “I could show you how you laboured.” Ceba gasped with shock.

“Could you?” she asked.

“I could,” Shandy replied, “all patch needs to do is programme me.” Patch grabbed his tablet computer and inputted commands, watching his screen, running scenarios on screen to make sure everything was right. Once he’d finished, he saved the labour scenario, then told Shandy to carry it out.

“Shandy will stay on the bed, lying where she is now,” patch said, “you will be able to feel her doing everything, as I will slow her contractions down so she curls her toes for a longer time so you can get paws on with her paws, feet and her face too Ceba.”

“thank you Patch,” Ceba said. Shandy moaned and curled her toes, wriggling and panting, Ceba getting paws on with the soon struggling ligress. Ceba ran her paws over Shandy’s face, finding clenched teeth and lips drawn back, as well as laid back ears, the toes of the ligress’s paws and feet tightly curled. Shandy kept groaning, whimpering and moaning deeply and at considerable length as patch made her experience the longest contractions he could. When Ceba touched Shandy’s right foot, after exploring her head, body and legs, she felt the ligress’s toes relax, hearing her pant and whimper with relief.

“that was amazing Shandy,” Ceba said.

“That was a minor contraction, it just went on for a long time,” patch replied, “also I’ve increased her sensitivity to pain too, so she reacts strongly to the slightest twinge, like a young inexperienced mother would.

“so you can ask her to repeat that?” Ceba asked.

“yes, Shandy’s a computer, I can ask her to do what I want.” Patch replied.

“Can you make her have a small contraction, then a violent one?” Ceba asked. Patch tapped his pad, and Shandy moaned deeply, panting and grinding her teeth, her paws and feet pedalling the air. Shandy suddenly miaowed piteously and took a deep breath, as a contraction hit her. Screeching, she curled up, biting down hard on one paw, her toes desperately curled, her eyes shut and free feet pedalling the air. Suddenly she panted, then took another deep breath and bore down with a long moan of effort, her moan ending in a petulant yowling miaow as she struggled with her pain and the inner battle she had to deliver her cub.”

“that was a very weak but painful contraction,” Patch said.

“So all this pain is not causing the cub to move down?” Ceba asked.

“no, not much,” patch replied, “Shandy’s struggling with the pain, but she’s not really pushing yet.”

“auauauauwch, miaoaoaoaowch! Raoaoaoaoow! Uuuuuuuumf!” Shandy complained, wriggling, kicking and pawing at the air.

“Ask her to push Ceba,” Patch suggested. Ceba took Shandy’s left paw in hers and said:

“when you feel another pain Shandy, push hard down.” Shandy moaned that she would, then settled herself. When the pain hit, Shandy took a deep breath and bore down, Ceba paws on with her straining belly.

“Uauauauaauw! Auuuuuhuuuuuauw! Aouw! Huuuuuruyoaaoaoaoaow!” Shandy screeched as she pushed, Ceba paws on with her efforts.

“Is that what I did?” she asked.

“Yes, some of it,” patch replied.

“Shandy’s pads are sweating and her toes, they’re curled so tightly!” Ceba mewed.

“yes, as tightly as yours were Ceba dear,” Patch replied.

“miaoaoaoaowch, uuuuumf! Rurururururuouch! Miaoaoaoaoaow! Muriaiaiaiaiaow!” Shandy moaned and yowled.

“Shandy can keep this up for hours,” Patch said.

“Just like a real big cat then,” Ceba mewed.

“yes,” Patch replied.

“What’s happening to Ceba?” Makalu asked, bursting into the room.

“Oops, sorry,” Patch replied, “I programmed Shandy with the vocabulary of a snow leopardess.”

“You did what? And who the hell’s Shandy?” Makalu asked.

“I’m Shandy, and I’m in labour!” Shandy panted, “auauauauwch! Miaoaoaoaoaow!” she wailed piteously.

“oaoaoaoah!” Makalu exclaimed, staring at the ligress, “You look like Ceba did when she was giving birth to Kutang!” he yowled.

“I’m using the programme from Patch’s observations, “auauauuw, Ceba had a painful layayayayaybour!” Shandy miaowed, pedalling the air with her huge paws and feet.

“oaoaoaoaoh! Her paws! They’re so cuuuute!” Makalu mewed, climbing onto the hammock and lying down, taking Shandy’s sweating left paw in both of his, rubbing her pads while she curled her toes, wriggled and miaowed with the pain of another contraction. Burying her face in Makalu’s shoulder, Shandy miaowed and yowled her pain, Ceba getting paws on with the ligress’s pedalling feet and tightly curling toes as she struggled to push with the contractions in a desperate effort to give birth to her cubs. while exploring shandy’s hind quarters, Ceba accidentally slipped her paw beneath the animatronic ligress’s tail, where she felt two paws slip into hers as Shandy exerted herself to her utmost during one screaming, yowling, wriggling contraction.

“I can feel your cub’s paws Shandy! Another good push should bring them and the cub’s head out!” Ceba mewed, feeling the cub slide back inside Shandy, Shandy yowling with pain and frustration as she felt her cub slide backwards. With a yowl of:

“Rowowowowowoaur!” born of pain and anger, she strained hard, Ceba feeling the cub sliding into her paws.

“That’s it, push Shandy push!” Ceba mewed.

“I ayayayayayam puuuuuuushing! Uauauauauauwch!” Shandy yowled, the cub sliding into Ceba’s paws. Feeling the cub’s feet slide into the world, hearing her newborn cub’s petulant yowl, Shandy turned and snatched it from Ceba, frantically licking the cub until it was dry, then she fed it from her electricity supply. Lying down, Shandy panted and mewed as she recovered from her labour.

“Will Shandy give birth to a breach cub?” Makalu asked.

“she might,” Patch replied, fiddling with his touchpad, Shandy groaning and miaowing with discomfort.

“Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Ceba! Auauauauwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow, miaoaoaowowowowowow! I’m having another cuuuub!” Shandy yowled, panting hard.

“Push when you feel the need Shandy,” Ceba said.

“Miaoaoaoaow! Ouauauauauauw! Miaoaoaoaoaow!” Shandy yowled and miaowed as she pushed with suddenly increasing contractions.

Ururururumf, umf!” Shandy growled as Ceba felt a cub’s two feet slide into her paws, “uuuuumf, uuuuumf!” Shandy moaned and groaned, panting and splaying her legs to try and free her cub:

“Uuuuuuuumf, “Roaaoaowr!” Shandy miaowed, Roaoaoaoaaoowow oaoaoaoaoh,! Uuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!,” she complained lustily, curling round to lick at her emerging cub.

“One foot’s out, the other one’s stuck!” Ceba mewed.

“I knoaoaoaoaow!” Shandy mewed, getting paws on with her stuck cub as Ceba got paws on with Shandy’s paws and the cub itself, “I’m puuuuuuushing! “Uuuuuuuumf, “Roaaoaowr!

Roaoaoaoaaoowow oaoaoaoaoh,! Uuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!,” Shandy yelled as she lay back down on her side.

“Pant hard until I tell you to push Shandy,” Ceba mewed. Shandy panted, feeling Ceba gently pulling the cub’s foot free, Shandy wriggling as the foot freed itself.

“Now push, Shandy, push!” Ceba mewed, “focus on the touch of my paws and push!” Shandy responded with a yowl of fear, then determined groaning and yowling efforts, Ceba feeling the cub slide into the world with a rush.

“I, I muuuuust! I have to puuush!” Shandy screeched, the second cub’s body, then its head bursting from her with a gush of fluid, while Ceba rubbed Shandy’s left foot in her paws, feeling the ligress’s toes curling and pads sweating. Patch came over and attended to Shandy’s second cub, cleaning it and blowing into its throat, as it was programmed not to start breathing on its own. The programme inside the animatronic cub decided if Patch had done enough, and either let the cub live, making it wave its legs and yell for food, or shudder in patch’s paws and quietly shut down.

“What’s happening to my second cub?” Shandy asked, staring anxiously at Patch.

“I’m trying to keep it alive,” patch said, as the cub yowled and wriggled in his paws, Shandy sighing with relief.

“now feed your second cub,” patch said, handing the cub to Shandy, who snatched it and began feeding it, the cub kneading her belly with its tiny paws.

“wow!” Ceba mewed, “that was amazing patch!”

“Now Shandy will speak like a liger, as that’s her default language,” patch replied.

“She’s rather cute,” Ceba mewed, “I hope I have a good labour with my second cub. If I don’t, I hope my cub survives, and Patch is there.”

“I’ll be there, but your cub is real, it can’t be rebooted like Shandy’s cubs,” Patch replied.

“I forgot Shandy is a computer,” Ceba mewed.

“I did too, but you are not a computer Ceba dear,” Makalu replied, stepping off the hammock and padding round to his mate.

“Where did you leave Kutang,” Ceba asked.

“I’m here muuum!” Kutang yelled, “I’m on my back, bottle in my paws, drinking milk. I heard everything! It was Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!”

“she can drink from a bottle already?” Ceba mewed.

“yes, I taught her how,” Nanuq replied smiling, “we have emergency milk here.”

“I’ve neglected my cuuuub!” Ceba wailed.

“No you haven’t muuum!” Kutang yelled, “you’re going to have another cub, according to big bear Nanuq, so you were taken into another room, so he said. Now that tigress ligress snow leopardess has had her cub first, but you’ll be next. You can’t feed me and give birth at the same time can you? No, I thought not. Nanuq has been looking after me while you’ve been away, he’s so sweet mum!”

“Can I get paws on with you drinking milk Kutang?” Ceba asked.

“I’ve finished it now, but I could pretend,” Kutang offered, Ceba padding to her and getting paws on with her six hour old cub, who’d learnt so much in her short life. Kutang giggled and wriggled as Ceba’s paws explored her paws and body, Kutang dropping her bottle then grabbing her mum’s paws as Ceba explored her, Ceba laughing at her cub’s antics, Kutang trying to grab her mum’s head with her small paws. Ceba let her cub grab her head, feeling her cub kiss her nose.

“awww, I want to cry!” Makalu mewed, “that was really sweeyeet Kutang!”

“it was,” Ceba mewed, sniffing slightly.

“soaoaoppy mama!” Kutang teased.

“What have you been teaching my cub Nanuq?” Ceba asked.

“Oh, Kutang’s a sponge,” Nanuq replied, “she’s picking up words from everyone here.”

“I hope my cub’s birth is going to be an easy one,” Ceba mewed, wriggling slightly.

“Are you feeling the first contractions?” Patch asked.

“I might be,” Ceba mewed.

“I’ll get off the hammock, it’s needed for a far more important birth than my two cubs,” Shandy mewed. She got to her feet, then stepped down off the hammock, turning, Shandy picked up a cub by the scruff of its neck and carried it to her blanket, where she tucked it in, before returning for another cub, which she again tucked into the blanket.

“the cubs will be recharged by the blankets,” Shandy said, “I want to thank Ceba by letting her get paws on with me and my cubs, her paws really helped me.” Ceba found the ligress guiding her to her blanket, then Ceba found herself lying beside the animatronic big cat.

“I can hardly believe you’re a computer for Patch, a training aid,” Ceba said.

“I am, and I could have gone on forever pushing and curling my toes and yowling with no progress towards the births of my cubs,” Shandy mewed.

“Can I get paws on with your paws?” Ceba asked.

“Of course,” Shandy replied, giving her left paw to Ceba and curling her toes as Ceba rubbed her pads.

“I like you rubbing my pads,” Shandy mewed, “did you know Patch made me give birth to a breach cub because you asked him to?” Shandy asked.

“Surely not Shandy?” Ceba asked.

“yes,” Shandy replied, “he turned the cub inside me, and it came out feet first.”

“oooah!” Ceba mewed, “how did I do then Shandy?”

“You did well, as did your mate,” Shandy purred.” Ceba smiled, then grimaced as her own pain started.

“I think I’m having a cuuuub now!” Ceba groaned.

“What? Nooaoaoaot agayayayayin!” Makalu yowled, bolting from the room.

“Poor Makalu’s run off!” Shandy observed.

“yes,” patch replied, “Shandy, will you please leave with your cubs to a safe place?”

“naoaoaoaoao, I wayayayayant Shayayayayandy!” Ceba moaned.

“I think she wants me to stay Patch,” the animatronic ligress replied, “my programming says I wish to, as she helped me, I want to help her. Can I please do this?” patch replied:

“Yes Shandy, you can.”

“thank you,” Shandy replied. Kutang crawled up to Shandy and took her paw.

“What’s happening to my mum?” she asked the animatronic ligress.

“your mum’s having another cub,” Shandy replied, as Ceba bit down on her paw and yowled piteously with pain.

“I’m scayayayred!” Kutang whimpered.

“come here,” Shandy said, enfolding the frightened snow leopard cub in a huge hug, “there, is that better? Your mum will be all right Kutang,” Shandy said comfortingly.

“What?” Nanuq asked, “Patch, that’s Shandy, a computer!” he exclaimed.

“Yes, but she’s very advanced,” Patch replied smiling.

“Surely Ceba needs someone with spirit, someone with gentility!” Nanuq replied.

“Shandy can be gentle,” patch replied, “she is going to help Ceba have her cub.”

“How?” Makalu asked, returning on sweating paws.

“Watch,” Patch replied. Shandy lay face to face with Ceba, holding the snow leopardess’s sweating paws in hers, their toes interlocked.

“now Ceba, when you want to push, hold onto my paws with yours and push down into your tail,” Shandy mewed. Ceba ground her teeth, cameras in Shandy’s eyes showing Patch what she could see.

“Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!”

auauauauwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow, miaoaoaowowowowowow!” Ceba miaowed as she pushed.

“Curl those toes and push into your tail Ceba,” Shandy mewed, Ceba yowling:

“Puuuuuush into my taiyayayayayl! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!”

Auauauauwch!” Panting as the contraction eased, Ceba felt Shandy kissing her nose and felt her paws embraced by the ligress’s.

“I like your paws Shayayayayandy!,” Ceba mewed, “Uauauauaauw! This cuuuuub’s huuuurting meyeee! It’s hurting meyeee!” she screeched.

“I must check on the cub,” Shandy mewed, letting go of Ceba’s paws, Makalu very nearly beating the ligress in his fear.

“What on earth’s going on Ceba?” he demanded, his mate whimpering and moaning with increasing pain.

“I’m having a cuuuub!” Ceba squealed, bearing down hard, “Uuuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuruuuuuuumf!” she groaned, “auauauauwch, Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! I think, think something’s wrong!” she screeched.

“the cub’s huuuge with big fat feet, and coming backwards,” Shandy said in a matter of fact voice, “pant Ceba, pant when you feel the next pain, just like you told me to do. That will let the cub’s feet come out naturally.” Doing as Shandy asked, Ceba panted, concentrating on curling her toes.

“cuuuurl your toooes Ceba, but don’t puuush,! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Ceba, cuuuurl your toooes and don’t puuuuuush!” Ceba chanted aloud as she faught to obey the ligress.

“that’s it, that’s it, the cub’s feet are coming out now, there, one, now two feet, now push Ceba, puuuuuush!” Shandy miaowed. Ceba miaowed:

“Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!!”straining hard, Shandy saying:

“Now the cub’s body is out, now the cub’s head and paws!”

“I muuuuust Miaoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!” Ceba screamed as she strained, the snow leopardess yowling and moaning as the cub’s head and paws came free, the cub’s head stretching her, its paws pointing skywards, the cub’s toes curled with fear.

“There,” Shandy mewed, cleaning the cub up, “you had a cub Ceba!” Makalu stared at the animatronic ligress.

“how did you do that?” he asked, “Patch?” he demanded, “how could a computer do that?”

“She learnt from Ceba,” Patch replied laughing, “Shandy learnt from Ceba’s treatment of her own labour and the birth of her cub.”

“Oh,” Makalu said, as Shandy padded to him, bowed her head then kissed his paw.

“I believe you are the sire of Kutang and this new cub,” Shandy mewed.

“I am,” Makalu replied, looking into the eyes of what he kept telling himself was a machine, but at the same time seemed to care about him and his mate and the cub.

“I will never forget the birth of Ceba’s second cub,” Shandy mewed.

“neither will I,” Makalu replied, his voice choking.

“You two are very gentle I think,” Shandy mewed. Shadow padded up to Shandy, knelt then kissed her nose.

“what have you been doing?” she asked in a maternal manner which Shandy didn’t seem to mind.

“Oh, just labouring to deliver cubs and helping a mama in labour, a normal day,” Shandy replied, looking into the animatronic she bear’s eyes.

“oaoaoaoah, another computer!” Makalu mewed.

“I am,” shadow replied, “but don’t let that put you off. Shandy and I are very gentle, we are learning to be so.”

“You’re beautiful shadow!” Makalu heard himself blurting.

“You’re beautiful too Makalu,” shadow replied, kissing the snow leopard’s nose.

“What do we name your new cub Ceba?” shadow asked, turning to find Ceba nursing her newborn cub.

“I was going to ask you that about your two,” Ceba mewed.

“I won’t name them, as they’re animatronic,” Shandy mewed, “I named one cub whom I gave mortal life by short circuiting him during a breach birth. His name is Raja. I won’t name these two though. Your two cubs need names though, Kutang has hers, but what about your second cub? she’s all white with three black feet and one white one, very lovely!”

“that sounds really cute,” Ceba mewed.

“how if we name her Dhaulagiri, it means white mountain,” Patch replied.

“Hmm, I like that,” Makalu mewed, “she’s a huge cub, bigger than Kutang for sure.”

“No wonder Dhaulagiri hurt me on her way out,” Ceba whimpered, getting paws on with Dhaulagiri as the cub drank her first milk.

“You’re the first to be aided in your labour by a computer Ceba,” patch said.

“I wish I could have got paws on with my cub’s birth,” Ceba mewed.

“But you can,” Shandy mewed, “you don’t think I’m going to forget what you did? I will log what you did during your labour in my memory and use it as inspiration for the births of my own cubs. I will now sleep my cubs, and shadow will help me put them back inside me.” Ceba heard Makalu gasp as Shandy got to work sleeping her newborn cubs.

“What is sleeping the cubs?” Ceba asked.

“Resetting the cubs so they can be put back inside Shandy to be reborn, and then Shandy will be topped up with all her fluids and made ready for another labour,” Patch replied.

“is Shandy put to sleep for this?” Makalu asked.

“I used to be, but now, well, I am sedated for the opening of my belly to put the cubs in, and the rest is done by drip,” Shandy mewed, “Shadow and I have got to know each other very well while helping each other get ready for our roles.”

“have you helped each other give birth?” patch asked.

“Oh yes,” Shandy replied, shadow gave birth to cubs yesterday, and I got to rub her feet and catch both cubs. Shadow was stubborn and wouldn’t let me get near first, but then, then she was overwhelmed by pain and the urge to have her cub. I got paws on then, as she begged me for help.” Shadow smiled broadly.

“I know now not to resist Shandy’s advances during my labour,” the she bear replied.

“You can control who helps you during your labour,” Patch replied, “Shandy, paws off if Shadow doesn’t want you.”

“I wanted her help, I was being silly,” Shadow said, rising to her feet and waving her paws to make her point, Patch won over by her dramatic display.

“All right,” Patch replied.

“Can you customise Shandy or shadow?” Makalu asked, “what I mean is make them look like a bear or a cat they’re not?”

“Oh, yes,” shadow replied, “we have different suits, gloves and boots. I can look like a polar bear, or a cross bred bear, different paws and feet, mix them up, you know? Shandy too, she can change her coat and paws, I can make her into a snow leopardess with black paws if I want,” shadow giggled.

“Can you elongate her tail too?” Ceba asked.

“Oh yes,” Shandy replied, “I just disconnect one tail and put on another.”

“Wow!” Ceba mewed, “so you could do what I did during my labour, that is grab my tail and tug on it. Shandy smiled:

“I could, if I had known you had, I would have asked to change tails.” Ceba laughed merrily and hugged the animatronic ligress.

“surely your energy is low now?” she asked.

“No,” Shandy replied, “the light here is strong, and I’m charged by that, as am I charged by working on my blanket, you gave birth on my blanket, so I was charging my batteries all the time.

“Sorry for making a mess,” Ceba mewed.

“No worry of that, everything’s changeable,” Shandy mewed. Makalu smiled at the animatronic bear and ligress.

“Do you have smaller versions of yourself to teach patch about young mamas?” Makalu asked.

“No, but we can act like a new mama would,” Shandy replied, “there are two younger creatures created, but they are Felursapien and Felursa, like mama Sita and karina.”

“I love my work,” shadow said, Shandy smiling at her.

“I know you do,” she said, “I’ve never met another creature so dedicated to the birth of cubs.”

“Same with you Shandy dear,” shadow replied smiling and hugging the ligress.

“So how much can you change of yourselves to make you look like what you’re not?” Makalu asked.

“Oh, I can have the paws of a lioness, tigress’s paws, or ligress’s paws, or snow leopardess’s paws,” Shandy replied, “I just take off the ligress’s socks and paws, and put the right ones on. Shadow does that too, same with her various coats. She can be a crossbred bear, or a brown bear, or a small polar bear. I can look like a ligress, or a tigress, or even a lioness.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Makalu replied, “could you make yourself look like Ceba?”

“Yes, that’s easy!” Shandy replied. “I pull on a head covering, and a coat, gloves and socks, then I attach the right size and style of tail for whatever cat I’m being, then talk in the language I need to speak in. if I’m a ligress I speak in two languages, and if a snow leopard then I don’t roar for instance. It’s fun!” Shandy mewed.

“You changing tails freaks me out Shandy,” Shadow mumbled.

“Awwwh shadow, don’t worry,” Shandy mewed, kissing the she bear’s nose.

“so you can become a naked liger too?” Makalu asked.

“Yes, like Tiggs in my case, or shadow can become a bare bear, like mama furball,” Shandy mewed.

“A naked bear?” Ceba asked.

“yes,” Nanuq replied, “there are hairless bears and ligress’s here.”

“You really do give a home to everyone don’t you,” Makalu said.

“We try,” Patch replied.

“Patch and mama Ekaterina helped a human give birth to her baby,” Shadow said.

“What?” Ceba asked.

“I’ll show you,” Nanuq replied, “then, then you can meet the human who was born.

“The mama of the human is the one who programmes us,” Shadow said.

“watch this,” Nanuq said, showing them the video of Moses birth, Janet giving loud birth to her baby boy.

“aoaoaoaoah Ceba,!” Makalu said, “it’s true, it’s true! There is a young female human giving birth to her baby on this video, and she’s being helped by two bears, one of which is patch!”

“I can hear the cries of the labouring human,” Ceba mewed.

“Now meet the little boy born that day,” a voice said behind Ceba, the snow leopardess feeling a hand take her paw, turning, she felt arms go round her and a kiss placed on her nose.

“Hello,” Ceba mewed, Moses smiling, tightly embracing the snow leopardess.

“I was the baby in the video,” Moses replied.

“he was Ceba, he was!” Makalu miaowed.

“You are human Moses,” Ceba replied, sniffing at Moses hair.

“I am,” Moses replied, “but touch my feet or hands, and you will find I am just like your cubs dear Ceba.” Ceba explored Moses with her paws, touching the boy from head to toe, smiling as his toes curled and caught those of her carefully |exploring paws.

“You’re lovely Moses,” Ceba mewed, kissing the pad of Moses right heel, Moses smiling broadly.

“What’s going on mum?” Kutang asked, padding over to Moses and Ceba.

“I’m touching a human,” Ceba mewed, “here, get paws on Kutang.” Kutang touched Moses left foot with her paws and whiskers, Moses shrieking with laughter as he was tickled.

“Kutang’s on her feet and her eyes are open!” Makalu yelled.

“I washed her face then she saw me crawling and walking, so she copied me,” Nanuq replied smiling, “I taught her to drink from a bottle too! Cubs, they learn so fast!”

“I tickled his toes too!” Kutang giggled. Kutang suddenly rolled onto her back, curled her toes, then kicked the air with her small paws and feet while miaowing:

““Uuuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuruuuuuuumf!

auauauauwch, Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!”

“Stoaoaoap that!” Ceba complained, realising what her cub was up to.

“She looks like you did while giving birth Ceba!” Makalu giggled.

“naoaoaoaoao!” Ceba yelled, lashing the air with her long tail and stamping her large paws and feet in rage, “Kutang, Youououoaw muuuuust stoaoaoaoap that!”

“Why should she? She’s very cute,” Nanuq laughed.

“It’s nooaoaoaot fuuuunny!” Ceba raged.

“I see Kutang’s carrying on the tradition of cubs re-enacting the births of cubs,” Patch said.

“naooaaoao that is soaoao wrong!” Ceba mewed.

“it’s all right,” Patch replied.

“We humans also re-enact the births of cubs,” Moses said, “I do it, so does little Ekaterina, and Sally and Jenny too.”

“Humans are as good as bears at re-enacting the births of cubs,” shadow said.

“the re-enactment of the births of cubs has been going on for ages here,” Patch said, “It’s almost an art form like drawing or painting is.”

“It is,” Nanuq replied smiling.

“Noaoaot you as well!” Ceba mewed.

“Oh yes, and Moses too,” Nanuq replied.

“me too,” patch said, Ceba huffing to herself.

“Pretending to give birth to cubs is great, because it’s a chance to curl your toes and push your foot into your hands while wriggling and moaning and curling your toes, then squeal, then get a pad rub too while curling your toes and panting hard then spend ages bouncing and drilling your backside against your heels,” Moses said.

“We cats can’t do most of that,” Ceba mewed, “but, yes, I wanted to scream louder and curl my toes tighter and kick harder than I did.”

“You still have cute paws though,” Moses said, “you curl your toes expressively too, which is wonderful.”

“shadow’s toes and pads are very expressive of her effort and pain when she’s having cubs,” Shandy said, “I love rubbing them.” shadow smiled broadly.

“I love rubbing your pads too, and helping your cubs out of tight situations when you can’t give birth to them unaided,” the she bear said.

“Have you pulled a cub into the world Shadow?” Nanuq asked.

“I’ve pulled one of Shandy’s cubs into the world, and Shandy’s pulled one of my cubs into the world too. she has the most gentle paws,” shadow replied.

“how do you pull a cub?” Makalu asked.

“Ask mama to lie on her side, then reach in with one paw, grab the cub’s paw or foot, whichever’s nearest and pull gently,” Shadow replied.

“Don’t talk about that!” Ceba miaowed.

“try to encourage mama to push a bit if she can while you pull,” Shandy replied.

“ouch!” Ceba whimpered.

“Either that or lose the cub,” shadow replied.

“I’ll bet you yowled and screamed,” Ceba mewed.

“we both did,” Shandy said, “we did it as a role play one time, each of us having a hard labour, then the cub getting stuck and the one who was midwife having to ease the cub out while comforting mama and trying to get her to push, all at the same time. It was hard on both ends of the role.”

“I found pushing very hard,” shadow replied, Lying on my back I drew up my knees and splayed my legs, held my thighs with my paws and pushed as hard as I could. Shandy tried it while lying on her side.

“I had a good view of Shadow’s curled toes and bunched pads while she struggled to push while I pulled,” Shandy said. I placed one paw on the sole of her foot while feeling inside with the other for the stuck cub’s foot or paw. I tried to use the touch of my free paw on the sole of Shadow’s foot as reassurance for her, I don’t know if it worked.”

“It did,” shadow replied, “until that time, I rolled from side to side, my feet in the air, stopping to pedal at the air and wriggle to try and move the cub along. I even tried getting up onto all fours, and crouching and pushing. Remember that?”

“yes,” Shandy replied, “it was a hard struggle you had Shadow.”

“Was the cub born in the end?” Makalu found himself asking.

“yes, but under traction,” Shandy replied.

“Under what?” Makalu asked.

“Shandy pulled the cub out of me,” shadow replied flatly.

“auauauauoh naoaoaoaoao!” Makalu miaowed, looking very unwell.

“It’s how things are sometimes,” Shadow replied, “Shandy and I faught for hours to deliver my cub. it was a huge cub. I did everything I could think of before Shandy got, paws in, as it were.” Makalu ran from the room, and they heard him being violently sick in the relieving place.

“I’d do it all again though,” Shadow said, “it’s my job after all. I get myself into those situations so others know what to do if it happens to a mortal mama.”

“I’d like to see that struggle sometime,” Nanuq said.

“I can give birth to cross bred cubs,” Shadow replied, “I could make the one I have a big one that won’t come out, and makes me do all sorts of things to shift it.” Nanuq smiled at Shadow.

“I know I’ve tried imagining difficult births,” he replied, “I give birth to imaginary cubs almost every day, and no matter how hard I push, some of them don’t come out for ages.”

“I wouldn’t mind if you helped me Nanuq,” shadow said, “I’d quite like it actually,” she added, “Flocke said you’re very warm pawed.” Nanuq smiled, padded to Shadow and hugged her.

“I would help you if you asked,” he said to her.

“Even getting your paws dirty?” Shadow asked.

“Even then,” Nanuq replied.

“I can even make myself into some kind of panda thing too,” Shadow replied, “I pull on black tights, and they have the pads already there for my feet to fit onto. I can feel everything, and I can still sweat through them, as if they were my own.”

“Can you talk like a panda too?” Nanuq asked. Shadow grinned hugely.

“I can roar like one in labour, like Lihua does anyway,” Shadow replied.

“Shadow’s toes curl so tightly when she’s straining hard against the cub Nanuq,” Shandy said, “she’s very eloquent with her paws and feet.”

“I try very hard, as do you,” shadow replied.

“You both enjoy your work, though why I’ll never know,” Makalu said.

“We’ll leave you and your mate to look after your cubs,” shadow said, “come Nanuq, I would like to experience how you take care of a mama bear in labour.” Nanuq and shadow walked away, Shandy looking at Patch.

“I’ll help you get ready for another labour,” he said to the ligress.

Makalu led Ceba and their two cubs to a lie up, where they settled down with a bowl of thick stew provided by a smiling black bear, who clattered in with a trolley.

“I’m Blackberry, I work in the kitchens,” the bear said, “you two must be Makalu and Ceba, and your two cubs?” he asked.

“Kutang is the cub with black feet and white paws, and Dhaulagiri is the all-white cub with three black feet and one white,” Makalu replied.

“Ah, Kutang and Dhaulagiri, what nice names.” Blackberry replied, almost purring as he served up the soup, “they’re lovely cubs too.”

“Shandy helped me give birth to Dhaulagiri Blackberry,” Ceba mewed, Blackberry ignoring her comment.

“soup,” he grunted, suddenly eager to be out of the lie up.

“What’s eating Blackberry?” Ceba asked, “he seemed to change the minute I mentioned Shandy.”

“I think he doesn’t like Shandy much, there was fear in his eyes,” Makalu replied.

“I didn’t know!” Ceba whimpered.

“I saw it for the first time in his face when you mentioned that ligress’s name,” Makalu said, “Ceba, Blackberry looked terrified!”

“What’s there to be scared of?” Dhaulagiri asked, “Shandy is nice enough, I felt her paws helping me into the world.”

“I think there’s something deeper going on,” Ceba mewed.

Blackberry sat in Sita’s lie up, his head in his paws.

“What have they turned Shandy into?” he asked himself aloud, “I hardly understand what I created, but she’s grown into a near autonomous birthing attendant! What is she really? What is Shadow? What have I created?” he asked himself.

“maybe you need to get to know the creatures you created?” mama Sita mewed, Blackberry lifting his head from his paws.

“aoaoaoaoah, Sita!” he exclaimed, “I didn’t see you there.”

“Shandy is lovely, shadow too,” Sita mewed, “Maybe you need to get to know them from their noses to their paws.”

“I can’t believe Ceba was helped intimately by Shandy!” Blackberry whimpered.

“She was,” Sita mewed, “Shandy’s lovely, so’s Shadow and little Sita and Little Karina too, Janet’s done a wonderful job of training them.”

“I never thought my ideas for training aids would lead to this!” Blackberry moaned.

“they are rather wonderful, even if you don’t fully understand what you’ve created,” Janet said, padding into the room on bare feet, “Shandy’s wonderful, and shadow’s playing with Nanuq now.”

“I need to talk to Patch,” Blackberry whimpered, “I must find out if what I saw was true. That, that Shandy got paws on with Ceba’s difficult delivery of her cub!”

“she did, and she was wonderful,” Moses replied, padding in after his mum.

“oh dear, oh dear!” Blackberry wailed, “I never meant for this to happen!” he protested.

“Nanuq’s now helping Shadow give birth to her cubs,” Janet said.

“I sometimes pretend I’m a she bear giving birth to cubs,” Moses said.

“I’ve seen that,” Janet replied smiling, “you pretended when you saw Kamchatka giving birth to her cub.”

“I like re-enacting a birth so I can do a bit more pedalling the air with my feet, but yes, it was good,” Moses replied, “Kamchatka grabbed her feet with her paws and kicked the air with both feet a little, which was good, I like doing that too.”

“I actually grab my feet with my paws and pedal the air more than once,” Kamchatka said, padding in behind Moses, “Shall we practise it together?” Moses turned to the she bear and hugged her tightly.

“I forgot,” he said, “but, yes, I’d like to practise it with you and Jem. Jem needs to learn about his feet anyway.”

“He is grabbing at his feet while lying on his back, drawing them up and grabbing them, but hasn’t quite grasped they’re still there when he’s sitting up,” Kamchatka giggled, Maybe you can show him Moses? You showed Lucky, or so stories say.”

“I think little Ekaterina would do well at that,” Moses said, “she and Jem are playing together a lot lately.”

“that’s true,” Kamchatka replied, “maybe she can teach him imaginative foot play games.”

“Little Ekaterina came up with one involving the toes of one foot having grabbed the fingers of her opposite hand, she having to use the toes of her other foot to free her fingers,” Moses said.

“yes, I have got paws on with you two playing that one,” Sita mewed.

“You have played it too mama Sita,” Moses replied, “have you taught that game to Little Sita and little Karina?”

“I have and they like it a good bit.” Sita mewed.

“Blackberry, I think you need to get to know Shandy, Shadow, little Sita and little Karina. They’re very cute,” Sita mewed.

“Noaoaoaow they’re computers!” Blackberry moaned.

“Hmm, now that’s nice,” Shandy said, padding into the room, Moses padding up to her, kneeling, then hugging Shandy, the ligress purring deeply.

“You have a strong scent Shandy,” Moses said.

“I’ve washed,” Shandy mewed, “but giving birth to two cubs, one of which was a breach cub was hard work, “she mused, “though, she added, glancing at herself in a mirror, “giving birth does give a lustre to my coat that can’t be complained of.”

“You are a typical cat, always checking your fur!” Blackberry growled.

“I dared not let the side down,” Shandy mewed, “and I wonder who programmed me to be this way?” Blackberry threw himself face down on the beanbag he was sitting on, covering his head with his paws.

“ooaaoah, petulance,” Shandy miaowed, padding up to Blackberry and pushing him onto his back with one paw, the black bear staring into the ligress’s face.

“Go away!” he wailed, Shandy bowing her head then kissing his nose.

“awhwhwhwh that’s so sweeyeet!” Moses exclaimed.

“What’s going on?” Sita asked.

“Shandy pushed Blackberry onto his back then kissed his nose,” Moses replied.

“She really is sweet isn’t she,” Sita mewed.

“I don’t know,” Blackberry whimpered, “Sita, she’s a computer!”

“A very clever computer,” Janet replied, “Shandy can make her own choices and learn too. I didn’t tell her to roll you over and kiss your nose Blackberry.” Blackberry looked up into the animatronic ligress’s face.

“I can see you’re scared of me,” Shandy mewed, “Blackberry, you have no need to be frightened of me. I will not hurt you or your family.”

“I’m gonna be sick!” Blackberry whimpered, Shandy pushing him onto his side in time for him to vomit, supporting him there until he finished.

“Are you finished?” Shandy mewed.

“I’ll get a brush and shovel,” Janet said, padding from the room.

“Leave here Shandy, you’re not wanted here!” Blackberry moaned.

“I’m going,” Shandy replied, padding quickly from the room, Moses split between feeling sorry for Shandy and marvelling at her huge paws as the ligress left quickly.

“Go after her Moses,” Janet said, “I think she needs her paws rubbed after that.” Moses ran after Shandy.

Moses caught up with Shandy in Patch’s work room, the ligress throwing herself down on the blanket she slept on.

“Shandy?” Moses asked, padding up to her, kneeling then kissing her ear.

“I know I’m a computer,” Shandy replied, “but, sometimes, I just want to be hugged and played with like anyone else!” the ligress complained, burying her face in her paws, wailing in misery.

“Can I play with your paws?” Moses asked.

“You can,” Shandy replied. “Moses, can I play with your toes?” Moses smiled, sitting down and giving the ligress his left foot, laughing as the ligress rolled onto her side, took his foot in her huge paws and rubbed his toes and heel pad, then tickled his toes with her whiskers, then again used her paws to tickle the sensitive part of his foot just above his heel pad, making Moses toes curl.

“That’s so cute!” Shandy mewed.

“you’re tickling meyeee!” Moses giggled, Shandy soothing the tickle from Moses pads with a gentle kiss.

“That’s really nice,” Moses said, hugging Shandy tightly, the ligress purring deeply.

“You can tickle my pads if you like,” Shandy mewed.

“I will just rub them I think,” Moses replied, putting his words into actions.

“I’m sorry for tickling your toes,” Shandy said, “they looked so ticklable, I just had to.”

“your paws look so huggable I just have to,” Moses said, embracing each of Shandy’s paws in turn, the ligress purring deeply, her toes curling with pleasure.

“So I tickle your pads and you hug mine?” Shandy purred.

“That’s a good swap,” Moses said.

“You do have very soft pads Moses, and your toes curl very cutely,” Shandy mewed, Moses laughing merrily:

“I’ll curl my toes more often and let you touch them more then,” he said, “will you pretend to have a cub so I can hug you and tell you to push, then soothe you by rubbing your pads when you’re yowling with the pain of it?” he asked.

“I’m a training aid,” Shandy said, “I can have one cub, or two. I can be loaded with two cubs, and just give birth to one, then, hours later, give birth to the second one, the first birth different to the second one.”

“Are you ready for it? everything topped up, including energy?” Moses asked.

“yes,” Shandy replied, “and if I labour on my blanket, I won’t run out of energy either.”

“Oh, I forgot about that,” Moses replied, hugging Shandy tightly, the ligress purring deeply, “shadow’s the same isn’t she?”

“Yes,” Shandy replied, “though we do like drinks during our labours. We can drink water if needed too, that tops up our sweat tanks.” Moses found a bottle with a straw and brought it to Shandy, the ligress drinking deeply from it.

“I’ve finished drinking now,” she mewed when the level had dropped by half, “but please, keep the water there for me. I’ll need it if I am to labour long and hard.”

“you’re lovely Shandy,” Moses said, hugging her again, the ligress smiling and pushing back against Moses hug, bracing her paws to push even more firmly.

“can I bring my friend little Ekaterina to meet you?” Moses asked.

“You can,” Shandy replied, “I’ve seen her and you playing those hand and foot games you like to play.”

“Her hands and feet are smaller than mine,” Moses said, “her pads are softer too, as she’s younger than me.”

“Will I be too big for her? might I frighten her?” Shandy asked.

“No,” Moses replied, “she has seen you and wants to cuddle you.” Shandy purred at the thought of this, for she liked the idea of cuddles a great deal. Moses padded away, returning a short time later with little Ekaterina, who ran up to Shandy, knelt quickly and threw her arms around the ligress’s neck, hugging her tightly, Shandy purring deeply.

“She is smaller than you Moses,” Shandy said, getting paws on with little Ekaterina, while the young girl laughed helplessly as Shandy managed to tickle her ears with her whiskers, and her toes with her huge paws.

“that’s lovely,” Moses said, watching little Ekaterina and Shandy embracing each other.

“you have the softest pads I’ve ever touched little Ekaterina,” Shandy mewed.

“thank you,” little Ekaterina replied, stroking Shandy’s ears then scratching their roots, Shandy mewing and purring with pleasure.

“Would you hug me Shandy?” little Ekaterina asked, Shandy purred and embraced little Ekaterina with both paws, pulling her tightly into her hug, little Ekaterina leaning into Shandy’s shoulder, her arms around the ligress’s neck as far as they’d go.

“Like this?” Shandy asked.

“yes!” little Ekaterina replied, burying her face in Shandy’s warm fur.

“I like this too,” Shandy mewed, hugging Ekaterina with one paw while rubbing the girl’s left heel with the other, little Ekaterina giggling delightedly at this arrangement.

“Can you rub my toes?” she asked. Shandy wriggled and growled, miaowed and gasped as she flexed the toes of her right paw, her left still hugging little Ekaterina, while Little Ekaterina urged her on:

“go on, you can do it Shandy!” she encouraged, Shandy scrabbling at little Ekaterina’s left heel pad with the toes of her right paw, walking them down the sole of her left foot, inching her toes down the sole of Ekaterina’s foot to the girl’s toes, little Ekaterina curling her toes to help the ligress.

“I’ll curl my toooes,” little Ekaterina encouraged, Shandy miaowing:

“Stretch my tooes, streaeaeach my toooes!” Suddenly little Ekaterina felt Shandy’s toes scrabbling at her own. Relaxing her toes, Little Ekaterina felt the toes of Shandy’s paw drop into the gap between the ball and toe pads of her left foot, then grip the soft pads there. Smiling, Little Ekaterina curled her toes, holding the tips of Shandy’s toes as tightly as she could in the grip of her own small ones.

“that’s very cute,” Titan said, walking into the room.

“I wish I could be cuddled like that,” Moses replied.

“I’m available,” Titan mewed, Moses turning to the huge liger and hugging him.

“You have big paws too,” Moses said.

“Will you rub my pads too?” Titan asked.

“Oh yes!” Moses replied, burying his face in the liger’s shoulder.

“come on then,” Titan mewed, padding over to Patch’s hammock and lying down comfortably on it..

“climb in,” Titan mewed, Moses scrambling into the hammock with Titan, boy and liger snuggling together, Titan purring deeply.

“Now will the hammock let me kneel while you rub my foot like Shandy’s rubbing Ekaterina’s?” Moses asked.

“It should,” Titan purred. Moses knelt at one end of the bed, Titan lying down in front of him, Moses kneeling between the liger’s paws, putting his arms round Titan’s neck, Titan embracing him with his left paw, using his right to rub the heel of Moses left foot, Moses giggling delightedly.

“Now can you miaow and wriggle like Shandy did?” Moses asked.

“he won’t need to,” Shandy said, “Titan’s huge!”

“but I will,” Titan purred.

“go on, you can do it Titan!” Shandy encouraged, Titan scrabbling at the heel pad of Moses left foot with the toes of his right paw, walking them down the sole of Moses left foot, inching the toes of his left paw down the sole of Moses foot to the boy’s toes, Moses flexing and curling his toes to help the liger.

“I’ll curl my toooes,” Moses encouraged, Titan miaowing:

“Stretch my tooes, streaeaeach my toooes!” Suddenly Moses felt Titan’s toes scrabbling at his own. Relaxing his toes, Moses felt Titan’s drop into the gap between the ball and toe pads of his left foot. Smiling, Moses curled his toes, holding the tips of Titan’s toes as tightly as he could in the grip of his own smaller ones.

“now that was fun!” Moses giggled, “your miaowing and wriggling was wonderful too Titan,” he said, kissing the liger’s ear.

“I liked the struggle,” Titan mewed, tickling Moses ear with his whiskers, the boy laughing merrily and hugging Titan as tightly as he could.

“Your paw is very soft,” Moses replied, kissing Titan’s nose and pushing the sole of his left foot against the warm pads of liger’s paw.

“Pull back Titan, pull back against my foot!” Moses urged, Titan gripping the ball of Moses foot with his toes, Moses leaning back, pushing hard with his left foot, Titan pulling back against the boy’s pressure, both liger and human growling, wriggling and whimpering with their efforts:

“puuush your fooooot against Titan’s paw Moses!” Moses whimpered, bracing his left foot hard against the liger’s paw pads, while Shandy and little Ekaterina laughed helplessly at them.

“You’re both so silly!” Shandy mewed.

“Maybe we can try that?” little Ekaterina asked. Shandy smiled, gripping the ball of little Ekaterina’s left foot with the toes of her right paw.

“come on then, push!” Shandy mewed, little Ekaterina pushing hard back against Shandy’s paw, the ligress miaowing and wriggling with her own efforts to pull back against little Ekaterina’s pressure on the pads of her huge paw.

“puuush with my fooooot, puuush my fooooot into Shayayayayandy’s paw!” little Ekaterina whimpered as she pushed with her left foot, Moses laughing at her:

“You sound just like me!” he said.

“What on earth’s going on in here?” patch asked, padding into the room. Shandy and Titan told him, patch grinning at the two humans hugged in the two big cat’s huge embraces.

“That sounds wonderful,” Patch replied.

“Shandy said she was going to pretend to have a cub, but we haven’t got round to that bit yet,” little Ekaterina said.

“I hope she’s been taking lessons from Titan,” Patch replied.

“Oh yes,” Shandy mewed, “his delivery of Apudo is my default labour. Though I will make it extra miaowy and yowly too, if that is at all possible,” she replied smiling.

“If you can outdo me, I’ll leave and never return,” Titan mewed.

“If you leave, I’ll cry forever, and you wouldn’t want that. Besides, I’ll never outdo you,” Shandy purred, “Titan, your labour with Apudo was more than I could ever re-enact. I’m not you, though my body looks like yours does.”

“Little Ekaterina I hope you do well helping Shandy have her cubs,” Patch said.

“Oh, Moses is helping me too, I’m not leaving him out of this,” little Ekaterina said.

“I’ll love every minute,” Shandy replied, “I’m going to have a long, growly, panting, moaning labour with much time for them to rub my paws and feet and belly and for me to curl my toes and yowl and moan.”

“I liked some of the sounds Ceba made,” little Ekaterina said, “Shandy, could you make those?”

“Oh yes, they’re not out of the range of a ligress,” Shandy replied.

“I’ll leave you two humans and you titan to tend to Shandy then,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet then kissing Moses and little Ekaterina’s noses, Moses crawling to Shandy, he and little Ekaterina hugging the ligress.

“would you tickle our toes before you go Titan?” Little Ekaterina asked. Titan, smiling broadly, tickled Moses and little Ekaterina’s toes with his breath, both humans bouncing their backsides on their heels with glee.

“I’ll leave you to tend to Shandy, as she’s so pregnant she’s fit to burst,” Titan mewed, kissing their heel pads, Little Ekaterina and Moses wiggling their toes, Titan kissing their toes, the humans laughing helplessly.

“Would you kiss my pads too?” Shandy asked. Titan smiled, padding round to where the pads of Shandy’s left foot were accessible as she rested her hind end at an angle to her head. Lying down, Titan kissed Shandy’s pads, the ligress purring deeply and curling her toes with pleasure.

“now I will go,” Titan mewed, “good luck with the births of your cubs Shandy.”

Padding from the room, Titan made his way to the family lie up, lying down on his blanket. Yawning, he rubbed his face with both paws and settled to sleep.

Meanwhile, in Ceba and Makalu’s lie up Dhaulagiri and Kutang were getting washed from noses to paw pads by Ceba.

“I don’t know what all the fuss is about,” Ceba mewed, gently washing the pads of Kutang’s right foot for the fourth time.

“We have to present our cubs to Titan,” Makalu replied, “it’s the thing to do here I think.”

“but Titan knows us,” Ceba mewed.

“He knows us, but not our cubs,” Makalu replied, “and Ceba, please, make sure you are presentable too. Wash thoroughly, we must look our best for this meeting.”

“I’m very clean thank you!” Ceba miaowed, Makalu waiting for her to finish grooming her cubs, then pushing her towards the bathtub.

“Step down,” he said, Ceba miaowing as she splashed into the sunken tub.

“Get off!” she growled as Makalu washed her as thoroughly as she had Kutang, “naoaoaoaoao, leave my paws! You know it tickles meyeee!” Ceba yowled, both cubs laughing as Ceba yowled and splashed in protest.

“We must look our best,” Makalu replied, washing his mate from nose to tail, then fluffing her fur, which Ceba found very embarrassing.

“Now you wash me,” Makalu said.

“We’ll hold him down for you mum!” Their cubs yelled, rolling about, clapping their paws. Ceba was unimpressed.

“this is not needed!” she mewed, though she washed her mate from nose to tail, paying close attention to every inch of him. Once she’d done this, Ceba fluffed his fur while he dried, so all four snow leopards looked like walking puffballs as they padded to Titan’s lie up. Half way there, the two cubs, barely on their paws as they were, complained of feeling tired and that their paws were cold. Ceba stopped and Makalu looked at her.

“What can we do?” he asked.

“We could carry them,” Ceba mewed, “but then, that would not look very impressive. We need to ride on something, like the humans do When they need to go long distances.”

“There’s something here,” Makalu replied, looking at a door in the wall, “it says monorail.” He pressed the big red pedal by the door, and a voice asked:

“Where would you like to go?”

“What was that?” Ceba asked.

“I think the wall wants to know where we want to go,” Makalu replied, “I’ll tell it Titan’s lie up, it should know him. Take us to Titan’s lie up,” Makalu said to the wall.

“Titan’s lie up?” the wall asked.

“Yes,” Makalu replied.

“Please wait for your car,” the voice replied.

“We’re tired mum,” the cubs complained, Kutang sitting down, Dhaulagiri lying down.

“We’ll get this car to take us,” Ceba mewed, as the door in the wall slid open, and the voice told them to walk forward and into the car. The two adult snow leopards picked up their weary cubs and padded into the car, the car door closing, the car speeding off on its journey.

In Titan’s lie up, the monorail informed him that a car was on its way with Ceba, Makalu and two cubs, the computer having taken photographs of the adult snow leopards and assigned their names to their pictures. Titan, yawning then rubbing his eyes, stretched his spine, then his paws and feet, one by one, curling and stretching his toes with luxurious slowness. Getting to his feet, he padded to his shower and washed himself, then quick dried his fur and paws, just in time to get back to his post as the monorail pulled into the station with a ping and an announcement of the names of passengers. Titan looked at Ceba and Makalu on the screen by his bed, seeing the two snow leopards looked fearful. The doors opened, and the snow leopards came into the room with their cubs trailing wearily behind them, Titan seeing neither cub was properly on her paws yet.

“what’s the matter?” Titan asked.

“We, we have come to present our complements, and to introduce our cubs,” Makalu replied horsely, for his mouth had gone dry at the sight of the majestic liger.

“I am honoured you feel you need to do this,” Titan mewed, “but you need not have presented your cubs formally to me. They look exhausted too,” Titan observed.

“We’re a little tired,” Kutang replied, Makalu shushing her by anxious downwards motions of his paw, “but now we’re a bit fresher,” Kutang continued, Makalu nearly smothering her.

“come,” Titan mewed, sitting down, then lying down comfortably, “come both you cubs, and maybe I can take a look at you, and you at me?” Kutang and Dhaulagiri padded forward, Titan watching them at their eye level, taking in their stumbling paws and fearful, startled faces when they realised how big he really was.

“now how would you like me, lying down, sitting, or standing?” Titan asked.

“Lying down please, so we can see the pads of your paws,” Kutang replied.

“No!” Makalu snapped, “Kutang, you can’t ask that!”

“But she can, and very sensible she is too,” Titan mewed, “if I’m off my paws, and she can see their soles, I can’t do her any harm can I?”

“Suppose it would be more difficult,” Makalu miaowed.

“now who’s who?” Titan asked when the cubs had come as close as they dared.

“I’m Kutang,” Kutang replied, “I’m the one with the black socks on my feet and white gloves on my paws, according to my sire that is.” Titan smiled at this reply.

“And you?” he asked Kutang’s sister, who looked down at her one white foot in self-conscious shame.

“My name’s Dhaulagiri sir,” she said faintly, “I’m the cub with one white foot, or paw I suppose it is, as it’s my left front foot, and three black feet, and no spots.” Titan looked at Dhaulagiri’s face, the cub looking so ashamed that he stretched out his paws to her, gathered her up in them and hugged her tightly.

“Now who has taught you shame at your tender age?” he asked.

“We were visited by someone,” Kutang said, “a funny furred young thing with naked feet and hands and a long tail. he said, said, well, that Dhaulagiri looked unusual, and that the one white foot made her look like she’d stepped in white paint and that she’d then rolled in it. Titan examined Dhaulagiri carefully, noting the black tip on her tail, and that Kutang also had one.

“that cub can be ignored,” Titan mewed, “now, dear Dhaulagiri and Kutang, while you’re here, you are loved and safe. Now, which way do you want me?” Titan asked, “on my back, on my side? sitting, or standing. Your choice. I’m yours.” Dhaulagiri looked up into Titan’s face, the liger gazing back at her, his paws still embracing her.

“Can I feel your paws?” she asked.

“of course,” Titan mewed. Dhaulagiri lay down and took Titan’s massive left paw in her tiny ones, cuddling his paw as if she was cuddling the liger himself.

“You can’t hug him like that!” Makalu snapped, as Titan kissed the top of Dhaulagiri’s head with a level of tenderness which moved Dhaulagiri to tears.

“What’s going on?” Ceba asked.

“Get paws on with Dhaulagiri and find out,” Kutang said. Ceba touched her youngest daughter’s left paw, and knew what the conversation had been between Titan and Dhaulagiri.

“Felix hurt her,” Titan mewed.

“that cub should keep his trap shut!” Makalu growled, “I’ll tear his paws off!” he raged.

“I don’t think he understands how sensitive about our paws we are,” Ceba mewed. He is born to love his hands and feet, as I think most are here. Indeed, touch of the paw seems more important than facial expression here. Dhaulagiri knows her paws are not normal, maybe she got some of the shame from me, as I’m ashamed of my paws, as Makalu is his, though he hides it under a tough shell. We know what pain white body and black paws, or black paws and a white body can cause, and, well,” she paused, “to find a people who celebrate our difference, our paws and coats, and want to touch those parts of us we find distasteful, is quite disconcerting.”

“What do you find when we touch your paws Ceba?” Titan asked.

“complete acceptance of us for my part,” Ceba mewed, “that’s why I don’t understand that cub, Felix, as you call him. He says these awful things, but, I’ve seen him playing, and he’s not awful at all Titan.”

“if he touched me first, he might not say these things,” Dhaulagiri mewed piteously.

“I understand,” Titan mewed. Titan pinned Dhaulagiri down with his left paw while she fiercely hugged his right in her tiny paws.

“it’s almost as if Dhaulagiri’s plugging herself into Titan to try and draw strength from him,” Ceba mewed. Makalu, distressed by his cub’s upset, looked to Titan for help, the liger kissing Dhaulagiri’s nose and the top of her head as if she were part of his family.

“Titan doesn’t judge Dhaulagiri,” Kutang mewed.

“come and lie down beside me Kutang, if you will,” Titan mewed, “you will be warm enough there.” Kutang padded to his side, gazing in some fear and trepidation at Titan’s huge paws and feet as she lay down so her paws faced his, taking in his massive body from nose to tail as she did so, but, when he turned his face to her, and even more when his huge paw locked hers pad to pad, she knew she was safe with this enormous, gentle creature. Titan, shifting slightly so Kutang and Dhaulagiri could both keep paws on with both his paws, relaxed completely.

“Titan’s just a big pussycat!” Ceba mewed.

“he’s lovely,” Makalu replied, sitting down, Ceba joining him, sitting opposite him, their tails curled round so each could place their paws on the other’s tail, their tails resting on the toes of their huge feet. leaning into each other, the snow leopard and leopardess rubbed noses and whiskers then kissed noses, tightly holding each other’s tail tips with the toes of both paws.

“awww, that’s Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!” Fleur mewed.

“I think I might cry,” tommy mewed, for he and Fleur lay curled together on the other side of the room, and had seen everything.

“Snow leopards are so cute aren’t they fleur,” tommy purred.

“I liked them well enough to begin with, but yes, now I sort of know two, they are, right from their noses to their tails, and especially those huge paws.”

“I watched Ceba giving birth to her two cubs, and that was amazing!” tommy mewed.

“you curled your toes and miaowed with her every time during Dhaulagiri’s birth Tommy,” fleur giggled.

“You didn’t really do that did you Tommy? Tell me it’s not true!” Makalu exclaimed, totally appalled, while Ceba laughed so hard her whole body shook with mirth from whiskers to tail tip.

“I’d love to have heard that!” she guffawed.

“Tommy sounded like a deeper version of you Ceba,” fleur mewed, “he even wriggled and pedalled the air when you did, as if that would help you.” Ceba, her eyes sparkling replied:

“Dear tommy, I’ll have to get paws on, and you must show me.” Makalu crushed Ceba’s tail in his paws, begging her not to go to the huge tiger and let him show her.

“one, stop squeezing my taiyayayayayl! And two, I can share my labour with whomever I like Makalu!” Ceba snapped, squeezing her mate’s tail in both paws, twisting the tip for good measure, Makalu miaowing with pain, begging her to stop.

“Marital bliss has turned to this, oh dear,” Titan groaned.

“No, we’re okay,” Makalu panted as Ceba let go of his tail, “the thought of that fat tiger mocking my mate’s labour is Soaoaoaoao awful!” he raged.

“He wasn’t mocking it,” fleur replied, “Makalu, tommy couldn’t help what he did. He felt connected to Ceba from last time, and seeing her in pain a second time made him want to help her. the only way he could do that was curl his toes and yowl like she was doing.”

“Celebrating the births of cubs by re-enacting them is something we do a lot here,” Titan mewed.

“So it’s okay to curl one’s toes and pedal the air and scream and yowl, even if you’re male?” Makalu asked.

“Oh yes,” Titan mewed, “even I did it once, but, well, I ended up giving birth for real then.”

“Naoaoaoaow!” Makalu yowled.

“yes, it happened,” Apudo mewed, padding up to the male snow leopard.

“You’re joking? You have to be!” he replied.

“No, watch this,” Apudo mewed, and played the video of Titan’s labour and delivery of Apudo, Makalu describing it to Ceba, trying to keep to the story, while his own incredulity threatened to ruin his narration, the snow leopard worried his head would explode with disbelief.

“I believe it,” Ceba mewed when Titan had given vent to his ligress like yowl as he gave one huge final push to free Apudo, pushing out her hind legs and feet with tremendous effort.

“touch those paws which sweated on screen if you like,” Titan invited.

“I’d like to,” Ceba replied. Titan released Kutang and Dhaulagiri’s paws, then tried thumping the floor with his paws to guide Ceba, but his paws were so padded and fat they made no sound, much to the raucous amusement of Kutang and Dhaulagiri, who rolled onto their backs and clapped their paws with delight, the snow leopard cub’s own paws hardly making any sound.

“Oh dear, neither clapping my paws, nor thumping the floor with my tail like a dog makes any sound at all! This is no dam good!” Titan mewed, thwacking the floor as hard as he could with his tail in frustration, though his frustration was almost silent. Ceba, finding Titan by listening for his frustrated miaowing, touched his paw, the liger pulling her towards him, then hugging her tightly, Ceba laughing delightedly as she was rolled off her feet, then engulfed in Titan’s huge embrace.

“miaoaoaoow, meuryiaow!” Ceba miaowed, snuggling up to Titan and grabbing his paws one by one in hers.

“Titan’s paws are so huuuge! I want a set like his, now!” Dhaulagiri demanded.

“You’ll have to grow into your own paws!” Makalu laughed merrily.” Titan put the toes of his left paw in his mouth and tugged at them, Kutang laughing merrily at his antics.

“Silly Titan’s trying to pull off his own paws so he can give them to meyeee, that’s sooo sweeyeet!” she giggled.

“Don’t say that!” Makalu begged.

Meanwhile, in Patch’s lie up, Shandy moaned and panted through the first stages of labour, while little Ekaterina and Moses hugged her and rubbed her belly and paws.

“auauauuw this huuuurts!” Shandy miaowed, curling her toes with the pain she felt, “must try to push, Uuuuuuuumf! Raoaoaoaoow!” the ligress complained as she strained experimentally.

“It’s not time for that yet,” Moses said, hugging Shandy’s left paw in both hands, feeling the ligress’s sweating pads and curled toes.

“uauauauauauwch! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Yauauauauauaauauwch!” Shandy miaowed as her pains increased, bracing her paws and feet against the hands of Moses and little Ekaterina.

“Sit back on your heels Ekaterina, sit back and hold Shandy’s feet!” Moses gasped, doing as he suggested, squirming as he tried to hold onto Shandy’s paws as the ligress braced her paws as she pushed down into her tail.

“auauauuw! Auauauauauauw! Ruauauauauauauow! Ruauauauauouwch!” Shandy yowled, wriggling and straining, the two small humans holding her paws and feet wriggling as much as Shandy, their toes as tightly curled in concentration as the ligress’s were in pain.

“Okay Ekaterina, she’s going to push again, sit back and hold on tight!” Moses urged, little Ekaterina sitting back hard on her heels, wriggling as Shandy braced her left foot into her hands, Moses holding her paws, little Ekaterina leaving Shandy’s right foot free so the ligress could splay her legs to let the cubs into the world.

“the cuuuuubs are coming!!” Shandy groaned, catching her breath and bearing down into her tail.

“puuush Shandy puuuuuush!” little Ekaterina encouraged, bouncing about with excitement. Shandy suddenly wriggled, miaowing and yowling as the cub’s paws emerged, then screamed:

“Miaoaoaoaow! Auauauuw!” as the cub’s head emerged, Shandy yowling while desperately splaying her legs, pushing the toes of her left foot hard into little Ekaterina’s hands.

“hold her foot Ekaterina,” Moses said, “now Shandy, puuuuuush!” Shandy growled and wriggled, then strained hard, the cub easing out of her, as it was a big one, sliding from her with a squelching of fluid, the cub sticking every time Shandy relaxed.

“It’s a huuuge cuuuub!” Shandy moaned, “I can hardly puuush enough to move it!” she miaowed.

“I’ll help by pulling,” Moses said, watching as the cub slid back after yet another screeching effort from Shandy.

“Hold Shandy’s paws Ekaterina, I’ll pull the cub,” Moses said.

“Can I pull the cub?” little Ekaterina asked.

“let her pull the cub,” Shandy mewed, “I’ll try to push extra hard to help.” Little Ekaterina took hold of the cub’s paws and sat back on her heels, wishing her buttocks had recesses for her heels to give her extra leverage. Leaning back, she pulled as Shandy, grinding her teeth, pushed down into her tail with pained yowls and moans:

“Miaoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Riaoaoaoaoaow

Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Riaow!” the ligress complained, finishing each effort by wriggling with frustration.

“that’s it, the cub’s coming!” little Ekaterina yelled.

“naoaoaoaoao it’s nooaoaoaot!” Shandy screeched, she panted and gasped, “I cayayayayn’t puuuuuush!” she yowled.

“You’re pushing, you’re pushing!” little Ekaterina panted, “I’m helping by pulling and I’m curling my toes as much as you are, but it’s working! Push like that again Shandy!” Shandy, groaning deeply, settled herself to pushing.

“Miaoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Riaoaoaoaoaow

Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Riaow!” she complained.

“Puuush Shandy puuush!” Moses encouraged, bouncing on his heels with excitement, “the cub’s almost here, almost here!” he encouraged, “when Shandy pushes again, pull harder than ever Ekaterina,” Moses said, “now both of you, settle yourselves, push and pull!” Shandy and little Ekaterina settled themselves, Moses watching Little Ekaterina’s hands on the cub’s body, the young girl sitting back on her heels as she waited, Shandy settling herself. When Shandy pushed with a yowl of anger, little Ekaterina leant back on her heels, curled her toes and wriggled, screaming as loudly as the ligress yowled, Shandy pushing as hard as little Ekaterina pulled, the cub’s hips, legs and feet coming out very slowly.

“that’s it, that’s it!” Moses encouraged, “one more push Shandy, just one for the feet!” Shandy screeched, bearing down hard, Moses seeing sweat on the ligress’s and little Ekaterina’s faces and feet.

“that’s it!” Little Ekaterina gasped as the cub’s feet slid free.

“that was awful!” Shandy miaowed, curling round and grooming the newborn cub, who was soon screaming for food..

“Can I catch the second cub?” Moses asked.

“Yes,” little Ekaterina replied, crawling to Shandy’s head, Moses swapping places with her, “I’ll be glad of the rest, though poor Shandy’s got another cub to give birth to,” Ekaterina added.

“Oh no, there is another cub to come,” Shandy groaned, “maybe this one will be faster.

“No, I want Moses to have to pull as hard as I did,” little Ekaterina said, “my pads are all hot!” she said, rubbing the toes of her left foot with both hands.

“Mine are too,” Shandy replied, “maybe I can groom you while I’m waiting for my next pains Ekaterina? After all, it felt as if I was giving birth to a cub the size of you.” little Ekaterina and Moses laughed helplessly at this.

“Okay,” little Ekaterina said. little Ekaterina lay face down on the floor and Shandy took the young girl’s left foot in her paws and licked her heel, ball and toe pads, Shandy’s cool tongue soothing to little Ekaterina’s hot pads.

“This feels wonderful!” little Ekaterina said, curling her toes with pleasure, Shandy purring delightedly, tracing the furrows in the bunched sole skin with the toes of one paw.

“What happens if Shandy feels another pain and squeezes little Ekaterina’s foot?” Moses asked.

“She won’t do that,” patch replied, “oh,” he added, “well done both of you for getting that cub out. It’s fine.”

“little Ekaterina’s feet are so small!” Shandy mewed, “I almost could have given birth to her I think. It almost felt like I had!”

“I know the cub was a huge one, but not that huge,” patch laughed.

“My toes huuuuurt!” little Ekaterina whimpered.

“You curled them and wriggled almost as much as Shandy, and that scream at the end was amazing!” Moses replied.

“I was really pulling!” little Ekaterina replied.

“I know,” Shandy mewed, “sometimes you pulled just before I pushed, you tried almost as hard as I did.”

“I think Moses needs hot damp pads too,” little Ekaterina said, “Can you do that Shandy? I don’t know, cross your legs or something?”

“I groaned and pushed hard enough thank you,” Shandy replied, “if this cub comes slowly, I’ll do what I can. If it comes quickly, then I’ll take that too.”

“Your pads were soaked,” Moses said, giving Shandy a drink, the ligress drinking busily.

“It was hard work!” Shandy whimpered.

“I know,” little Ekaterina replied, “I think I panted and groaned with my efforts to pull as much as you did while pushing Shandy.”

“You did!” Patch replied.

“I’ll probably want to act out Shandy’s cub’s birth,” little Ekaterina said, “hmm, curl my toes and, “Miaoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Riaoaoaoaoaow

Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Riaow!”“ Shandy, Patch and Moses laughed helplessly, Shandy’s laughter cut short by a sudden contraction, making her curl up into a ball, curl her toes and scream with pain.

“the cuuuuub’s coming quick, auauauauwch! Yauauauauauwch! Auaoaoaoaoaowch! Miaoaoaoaowowowoaowch! Yeyeyeyeyeyeyaowch!” Shandy yowled, wriggling as the cub surged from her, exploding into the world with a gush of fluid, while Shandy, unable to cope with her contractions, rolled about, tangling her paws and feet while the cub forced its way into the world, Shandy coming to rest just as the cub’s head emerged, then with a drawn out strangled miaow from Shandy, her body pushed the cub into the world with two long contractions, the cub sliding easily into the world, the ligress screaming and yowling until her breath gave out, though the cub slid easily. Moses caught the cub, pulling as Shandy pushed, though the ligress knew her efforts were hardly needed. Screaming with terror, shandy rode the waves of pain and sensations of a cub serging towards the outside world, while being unable to help the progress of the cub. shandy panted and yowled, reduced to a passanger in her whirlwind of a labour.

“Moses hasn’t got to try, your cub’s coming out easily!” little Ekaterina raged.

“is it?” Shandy asked, panting hard, as the cub’s hips jammed, making Shandy groan and pant, then yowl as she strained hard, finding the cub wouldn’t move.

“uuuuumf, Yuuuuuuumf!” Shandy groaned while making huge effort, pedalling the air with her feet and paws.

“now sit back as little Ekaterina did Moses, grab the cub’s body and pull while Shandy pushes,” patch suggested. Moses caught hold of the cub’s body and pulled, sitting back on his heels, little Ekaterina glad to see his toes curling with effort as he pulled at the cub. Shandy, utterly worn out, was hardly helping, though she struggled valiantly to push.

“Wiggle the cub a bit,” Patch suggested, Moses trying that, the hips finally coming through, Shandy miaowing with discomfort, wriggling and pawing at the air.

“Now gently pull the cub’s legs out,” patch suggested, Moses leaning back as he pulled, until the cub’s feet jammed.

“I want to push the cuuuuub’s feeyeeet ouuouout!” Shandy moaned, sitting up, as she’d been lying flat on her side ever since the cub had first emerged. Groaning, she tried to push with Moses pulling, the two of them getting the cub’s left foot half way out before their strength gave out, Shandy yowling as she felt the cub’s foot inside her, the pads compressed. Grinding her teeth she strained hard:

“heeeyeel pads, toooes, auauauauwch!” she yowled as they emerged with a squelch.

“Now for the other foot,” Moses panted, grabbing the cub’s right leg, Shandy curling her toes as tightly as she could and closing her eyes, feeling little Ekaterina’s hands take hold of her right paw.

“Puuush Shandy puuush!” Little Ekaterina begged, kissing the sweating ligress’s nose.

“uauauauauaowch! Uuuuuuuumf! Ruuuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf!” Shandy groaned, pushing down, Moses pulling at the cub’s stuck right foot with groans and panting, patch seeing the boy’s pads sweating, his toes curling as tightly as little Ekaterina’s had done.

“Ah, the joy of Shandy being computerized,” he thought as Moses struggled as much as little Ekaterina had to free Shandy’s cub. with a final yell from Moses and yowl from Shandy, the cub’s right foot came into the world, Moses’s heel pads and forehead damp with sweat, Shandy sweating from nose to tail.

“that was awful!” Shandy groaned, lying down, utterly exhausted.

“Now you two, why not care for Shandy and her cubs,” patch said, “wash the second cub, get it breathing and fed, then attend to Shandy.” Moses and little Ekaterina, under Patch’s direction, washed the cubs, then set them to feeding. Then they attended to the cub’s exhausted mother, washing Shandy’s birth area, face, feet and paws and giving her a long drink. Before wrapping her up in her blanket, leaving a space for the cubs to nurse. Shandy, her paws and feet tucked into gloves and socks which recharged her, and wrapped in a blanket which helped give her energy, began to feel better.

“that was amazing!” Shandy mewed. “you two helped me wonderfully Moses, Ekaterina, thank you very much.”

“We’ll wash, then come back,” Moses said.

“No, I want to groom your hands and feet first,” Shandy mewed. the two children delighted at the suggestion, hugged Shandy. Shandy kissed their hands and then soothed the hot pads on the soles of their feet, while Moses and little Ekaterina talked about the births of her two cubs.

“she can do all that again today you know,” Moses replied.

“I know,” little Ekaterina said, curling her toes with pleasure as Shandy kissed the pad of her right heel, “I don’t want to make her do it again though. I’m very glad that you got as harder time as I did Moses,” she said, “that second cub was coming out much faster and more easily!”

“I think patch had something to do with that,” Moses replied, Patch grinning at him.

“I suddenly lost all energy,” Shandy mewed, “I couldn’t push at all!”

“that was the idea,” patch replied, “Moses had to pull the cub’s feet out alone, even though you tried to push Shandy.”

“I felt every pad!” Shandy miaowed.

“that would happen,” Patch replied.

“We both pulled, screamed and sweated as much as Shandy pushed, sweated and miaowed,” Moses said.

“I know,” Patch replied.

“Shandy’s bunched pads on her paws were so cuuuute when she curled her toes while pushing before the cub came out,” little Ekaterina said.

“they were cute on her feet too,” Moses replied smiling, "you curled your toes so tightly Shandy!” he said, hugging the ligress.

“I think this was the stuck cub game today,” the ligress replied, purring deeply,One game I think you two humans play is a stuck foot game, I’d like to see that,” she added.

“Oh yes, we play that,” little Ekaterina replied.

“Sally and Jenny play that game too,” Moses said, “they’re older than us, they’re eleven and twelve now, but they still play those games. Jenny’s got smaller feet than Sally, slightly smaller feet that is, but they still stick well to Sally’s.

“they’re great players of the games,” Patch said, “and they do silly things like putting their feet in pots and getting them stuck. I suppose I’ll have to rescue you two from that sooner rather than later.”

“We like getting our feet into those socks that Blackberry invented, and struggling to free ourselves,” Moses said.

“ah, those,” patch replied, “yes, they are wonderful aren’t they.” Moses grinned:

“They allow us to go barefoot in school without upsetting the school!” he enthused.

“they let you feel everything and being tightly fitting and transparent, it looks like you’re barefoot too, which is very good,” patch replied.

“Are you wearing them now?” Shandy asked.

“No, we take them off when we get in the house,” Moses said, “but I will put some on so you can see and feel them Shandy.”

“I’d like that,” Shandy replied, looking down at her cubs, “while you’re doing that, Patch, will you help me reset my cubs and get me ready for my next labour?” Moses and little Ekaterina crawled to the door, then walked out of it, Patch padding to Shandy and inserting drips, the ligress soon drowsy and sprawled on her back, Patch inserting her sleeping cubs into their sacks, then into their mother’s womb while Shandy was refuelled with high speed charge, water and other fluids. This all done, Patch switched Shandy’s systems over to wake her when all charging was completed and got himself a drink. Refilling her water bottle, he put it beside her and sat back down on his hammock to await Moses and little Ekaterina’s return.

Meanwhile, in Nanuq’s lie up, Shadow lay on the floor, straining and groaning with labour pain and effort while Nanuq watched her.

“nearly there, I saw a paw!” Nanuq urged, shadow bearing down while rolling onto her back and kicking the air. Suddenly she drew up her knees, grabbed her thighs, her toes tightly curled, splayed her legs and strained hard into her bottom.

“uuuuumf! Uuuuuuuumf!” she moaned as she pushed. Nanuq, watching Shadow from close range, had first come in to her lie up hours before when she was biting on her paws to cope with increasing pain from her labour. They’d spent hours together, Nanuq rubbing her feet and hugging her while she screamed and cried, bit down on her paws, rocked back and forth, crawled, rolled onto her back and grabbed her feet with her paws while curling her toes, sat back on her heels while wriggling and drilling her heels into her backside, all the while moaning and yelling through her labour, her toes almost constantly curled. now, hours later, shadow’s cubs were due to be born, but she was so tired that she felt she couldn’t push hard enough to give birth to them. Nanuq, Watching her straining efforts and desperate struggle, decided to ask her a question.

“Shadow, would you like me to help? I can see a cub’s paw whenever you push, can I grab it and pull while you push?” Shadow moaned and panted:

“yes, yeyeyeyeyes, grab the cub’s paw!” Nanuq crawled to Shadow’s left foot then kissed the bunched pads and curled toes.

“Now push, puuuuuush!” Nanuq urged, shadow bearing down hard, Nanuq grabbing the paws of the emerging cub and pulling as long as shadow pushed. Gasping, shadow kicked hard, then tried pushing again.

“Yuuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuuuaumf! Hururururururumf!” she moaned, pushing hard down, Nanuq easing a huge cub into the world, guiding the cub by touch while watching Shadow’s face, paws and feet.

“The cub’s head’s nearly here! Pant Shadow pant!” Shadow panted and moaned, then whimpered that she wanted to push. Nanuq kissed the ball of her left foot:

“Squeal and yell the cub’s head into the world Shadow,” the polar bear urged, feeling her toes curling, her toe pads touching his nose as she did as he advised. Shadow gave vent to a drawn out yowl as the cub’s head emerged with a squelch of fluid and sensation which made Shadow curl her toes tighter still, but all to soon shadow was pushing hard, Nanuq pulling the cub as the she bear laboured hard, moaning, yowling and straining.

“Puuuuuush that cub Shadow, push push push! Puuush that cuuuub! Push push push push!” Nanuq urged as Shadow bore down with strangled cries and moans, Nanuq stroking the sweating pads of her raised right foot when she wasn’t pushing, and pulling the cub with both paws when she was, holding it there by shuffling backwards on his knees as the cub came further into the world, Nanuq sitting back on his heels between the sow bear’s efforts.

“You’re doing so well shadow!” Nanuq said, “it’s nearly over now!”

“I don’t wayayayayant it to be over, I wayayayayant you to help me puuush forever! I love it Nanuq!” Shadow moaned.

“I can do that, I will help you,” Nanuq replied. shadow gripped her thighs once more and strained lustily with a:

“Yuuuuuuumf! Auauauauwch! Of effort,” Nanuq pulling on the cub’s hips, the cub’s legs and large feet sliding free.

“that was lovely!” Shadow gasped, sitting up and cleaning her cub a few minutes later.

“I enjoyed helping you,” Nanuq replied.

“I hope you curled your toes too,” Shadow said, “tell me you did! I’ll be really upset if you didn’t!”

“I did, and I think there’s video to prove it,” Nanuq giggled.

“I’m glad,” shadow replied.

“there were cameras on me and you Shadow,” Nanuq said, “one of which was trained on my feet at all times. I’m sure I curled my toes when you wriggled or struggled.

“Can I get paws on with your foot while you curl your toes?” Shadow asked.

“yes, here’s my right foot,” Nanuq replied, holding out his right foot towards her. Shadow put her cub down on the floor and explored Nanuq’s right foot, the male bear relaxing his toes, then curling them, shadow exploring stretched, then bunched pads, relaxed, then curled toes.

“these toes are so cute!” she giggled, Nanuq hugging her paw to his pads with both his huge paws, Shadow smiling at him, Nanuq kissing her nose.

“you curled yours cutely too Shadow,” he said.

“I would give you my paws and feet all the time if you wanted them,” shadow replied, “I like your touch Nanuq.”

“I like your paws and feet very much Shadow,” Nanuq said, shadow smiling and replying:

“I loved your touch during my labour. It helped me carry on pushing, even though I know I’m a computer, I wanted your touch, I needed it Nanuq.” Nanuq smiled and hugged shadow’s paw to his foot with fresh urgency.

“when I first saw you, you were biting your paws to counter the pains,” Nanuq said, “now I’ve seen you deliver a cub, and been paws on with it too.”

“I wanted that,” shadow replied, “Nanuq, I wanted you to be paws on with me.”

“I know,” Nanuq replied softly.

“You’re not the only one,” Lihua said, padding into the room, “I wished I’d had Nanuq there when delivering Soo Lee into the world.”

“I was on patrol, wearing out my pads on the track when I could have been with my mate!” Nanuq raged. He looked at Lihua with genuine pain, “I didn’t know in time!” he pleaded.

“I know,” Lihua replied, “if I could have stopped my labour I would have.” Nanuq crawled to her and hugged her.

“Now you have another potential mate,” Lihua said.

“I like shadow, but I can’t mate with her,” Nanuq replied, “she’s a friend, that’s all she can ever be.” Lihua kissed Nanuq’s nose, Shadow watching them with genuine acceptance of the position she had in Nanuq’s life.

“will you have another cub shadow?” Lihua asked.

“I don’t know,” shadow replied, “I could, there is another one inside me. I could sleep this one and give birth to my second.”

“I would love to get paws on again while you give birth,” Nanuq said.

“I will bite my paws and grab my feet, and do everything I did before,” Shadow said, “I like that kind of labour, plenty of noise and action.”

“You look like you’d do well at that,” Lihua said.

“I’m trained to do that,” shadow replied, “going into labour is what I do.”

“When I arrived from the relieving place, Shadow was sitting down, biting her paws while rocking and wriggling,” Nanuq replied.

“that sounds rather cute,” Lihua replied.

“What’s going on in here?” Jenny asked, crawling into the room.

“I’m about to have another cub,” shadow replied, “would you like to get paws on with me while I go into labour Jenny?” Lihua stared at shadow.

“How do you know her name?” she asked.

“Oh, the computer told me what she looks like, and what her name is,” Shadow replied, “I am a computer, but I also have access to a bigger computer. I know Jenny can’t see me, so I asked if she wanted to get paws on, which I actually like people doing.”

“I’d like to,” Jenny said, “though I don’t want to cramp you while you’re in labour shadow.”

“You won’t,” shadow replied, “I’m happy for people to get paws on.”

“I’m looking forward to this,” Jenny said.

“You can catch my cub too,” shadow replied, “here, get paws on with me before the action starts, then you know what I’m like. I’ll make sure I do everything at least twice. Bite my paws, or grab my feet, or kick, or sit back on my heels, and will try to narrate my labour too, as if I’m urging myself on. That way you know to get paws on with me.”

“thanks,” Jenny said, hugging Shadow, the she bear smiling broadly.

“I understand this to be gratitude,” she said, “my learning says it is.” Jenny giggled at this.

“despite all my fur and pads and bear like shape, I’m still a computer,” shadow reminded her.

“Patch doesn’t think so,” Jenny replied, “and, well, neither do I.” Shadow smiled:

“I am still a computer, despite all you may wish,” she replied, “I will labour so you can get paws on and touch me as I struggle. Be warned, if you don’t get paws on, I will be furious!” Jenny kissed Shadow’s nose then rubbed her ears, Shadow humming contentedly like a comfortable cub.

“I’ll tell you how I grab my feet when simulating a cub’s birth,” Nanuq said, “grabbing your heels when legs drawn up gives you enough to push against with your feet without reaching round. Instead of reaching round to grab the outside of your heel or arch, reach between your legs with both hands or paws and grab your heels from the inside edges with your hands or paws. That way you can push well.”

“I will try that now,” Jenny replied, “it sounds more comfortable than reaching round the outside and grabbing your arch for times when the re-enactments get long. Jenny lay down on the floor of the lie up, drew up her legs and, reaching between her legs, turned her hands outwards and grabbed the pads of both heels in her hands from the inside edge rather than the outside, the heel pads of both feet fitting neatly into her hands. Settling herself, she pushed against each hand with each foot, then both together, while holding tightly to the heels of both feet with fierce determination.

“Ururururumf!! Uuuuuuurhuuuurmf!” Jenny groaned, tightly curling her toes in her efforts, “freeing my feet is really difficult, but I can really puuush!” she moaned, pushing hard with both feet. Jenny pushed both heels against her hands several times more, moaning and curling her toes in her efforts while groaning, then, wriggling, she relaxed a bit, then pushed a final time, pushing both her now hot padded feet hard against the fingers which just wouldn’t let go. Jenny yowled and moaned, then panted and pushed harder than ever, giving vent to a long deep groan of effort, ending in a half yowl as her fingers slipped on her heel pads and her feet flew free.

“it’s great isn’t it,” Nanuq said.

“It’s wonderful!” Jenny replied, panting hard, “would it work for mamas in real labour too?”

“It might,” Nanuq replied, at least for the times when they’re not holding their thighs with their paws and splaying their legs. It would work for the beginning and mid part of the labour, where the mama doesn’t yet have to let the cub out, but wants something to hold onto. Other than that, it’s grab the thighs, splay your legs and hold on tight.”

“I might try that more often,” Jenny replied, “it gives me a real thing to push against, and is wonderful!”

“I’ll tell all mamas about that,” patch said, walking into the room, having overheard Jenny’s sounds of effort and taken a look into shadow’s lie up.

“It’s really good Patch!” Jenny replied, “just grab your heels, curl your toes and push! You have a good hold on your feet too, so you can really concentrate on the sounds you’re making.” Patch grinned hugely. Lay down on his back, drew up his feet, grabbed the insides of his heels with both paws, then pushed hard against his paws with both feet, while Jenny and Nanuq laughed helplessly at his antics.

“Nanuq taught me that,” Jenny said.

“I’m not surprised he did,” Patch replied, still lying on his back, his heels held by his huge paws, “How do I free my feet?” he asked.

“Push!” Nanuq and Jenny replied laughing. Patch pushed twice experimentally, his toes curling slightly, then, wriggling and curling his toes as tightly as he could, built up to a huge growling, roaring effort, his feet held by his paws for a few seconds, his eyes closed, teeth bared as he strained. Suddenly his feet broke the grip of his paws, flying free of his paws, Patch kicking, whimpering and panting.

“That’s so intense!” he said, sitting up.

“I will make a note on how to grab my feet properly,” shadow said smiling.

“and I’ll make a note to show Flocke how to grab her feet for when she has cubs,” Lihua said, “though, thinking about it, Nanuq’s almost female in his re-enactments now. Give him smaller feet and he would be.” Everyone laughed at this, including shadow, who saw the joke as much as the others.

“Something that isn’t a joke are Felix’s comments to Ceba and Makalu about their cubs when he went to their lie up during their rest,” Patch groaned, getting to his feet, “Karina’s hopping mad!”

“The cubs are impressionable at that age,” Lihua said.

“yes and one’s already ashamed of her one white paw,” Patch replied, “Felix isn’t a bad cub, he has just got the idea he can say anything to anyone, as long as it sounds like a joke, but this wasn’t! Poor Dhaulagiri!”

“poor Dhaulagiri indeed,” Felix mewed, padding in, “Patch, Dhaulagiri and I have spoken, I am truly sorry. I really didn’t know about their heritage. I thought it was okay to joke about paws and things, as we are very tolerant here. Now though, now I know that white paws and black coat, or black coat and white paws can be frowned on, I’ll be more careful.”

“let me speak with Dhaulagiri,” Patch said, “somehow I don’t believe you spoke to her.”

“Why would I lie?” Felix asked, “I have no reason to lie.”

“you do Felix a disservice by not believing him patch,” Titan mewed, padding up behind patch, nearly frightening the life out of him.

“Titan!” the grey bear yelled, leaping into the air and whirling round to face the liger, “how did you get in without us noticing!”

“Hmm, there’s the emergency door which all lie ups have, and I’m light and silent on my paws,” the liger replied, “and, I thought I would speak on Felix’s behalf if his word wasn’t good enough.”

“his word is good enough,” patch replied, “he didn’t give me his hand that’s all.”

“I forgot,” Felix mewed, “and in truth, my palms are sweating so much from shame I am ashamed of them.” patch looked into Felix’s face, and realised finally how sorry he was.”

Okay,” patch said, “the matter is closed Felix,” the grey bear turned to the liger, “ Titan, don’t ever creep up on me like that again! If you ever do that again, I’ll strangle you!” Titan padded boldly up to patch then kissed his nose.

“You wouldn’t,” the liger said, touching Patch’s paw with his.

“no,” Patch replied, looking down at the floor.

“there,” Titan mewed, kissing Patch’s ear as if the huge grey bear were his own cub, “even you make idol threats sometimes.”

“stop this!” patch whimpered.

“What’s happening?” Jenny asked, As patch faught not to burst into floods of tears.

“Titan’s doing his adoption thing again,” Felix mewed, “though it is no trick, I’ve felt it, and he means it.”

“I’ve felt it too,” Nanuq said, “it made me cry like a cub when Titan did it.”

“Patch looks like he’s been reproved by the mother earth herself!” Felix mewed.

“I think he feels that way,” mama karina mewed, walking into the lie up and hugging her son cub.

“who’s pretending to have cubs?” Karina asked.

“I was actually having one, and Jenny half pretended,” Shadow replied.

“We used to have midwives who acted out the births of cubs, they were great at it,” karina mewed, “it was a prized skill.”

“that only went so far though,” Shadow replied, “with me and Shandy, we can do the whole thing.”

“yes, but it’s a skill sadly now vanished,” mama karina mewed.

“there’s no harm in pretending though,” shadow said, “computers didn’t kill letter writing did they?”

“well, sort of, but no,” Karina mewed.

“if you want to re-enact a cub’s birth, or even make up one, go ahead,” Nanuq said, “I do, and I thrive on it.”

“Nanuq’s lovely when he does it,” Lihua said, “he really gets into the role, and I sometimes wish he had a cub to cuddle after.”

“I might try that way of grabbing my feet when I pretend to have a cub,” Philomena said, padding into the room and hugging Felix, “grab the inside of my heels and hold on tight, hmm,” she mused, “why don’t you try it Mama Karina?” Karina giggled and sat down.

“Show me how will you?” she asked. Philomena lay down, drew up her knees, reached between her legs with her hands and grabbed both heels, her heels cupped in her hands, Philomena able to push against her hands with her feet.

“Am I out of house arrest now mum?” Felix asked. Karina smiled and sat up from pushing her heels against her own hands.

“You are,” she replied. Philomena, groaning with effort, furiously strained with both legs, pushing her feet against her hands, Felix tickling her toes until, screaming with delight, Philomena broke the handhold on her feet, rolled onto her knees, then pushed Felix onto his back and tickled his toes, both Felursapiens rolling over and over in play.

“I like seeing that,” Titan mewed.

“they’re so cute,” Jenny said, hugging Philomena’s right foot as it came within range of her hands, Philomena turning to her and hugging her, Jenny embracing the Felursapien cub.

“Hold me, and then hold Felix!” Philomena demanded, Jenny hugging her, stroking her ears and back.

“Hold my hands and feet, get hands on with me!” Philomena urged, Jenny exploring Philomena from her nose to her toes while the cub laughed merrily, curling her toes and twitching her tail tip with pleasure.

“I’ll measure my feet against Felix’s, you must get hands on Jenny, mustn’t she Felix?” Philomena said.

“but of course,” Felix mewed.

“You have very cute feet and hands Philomena,” Jenny said, Philomena sitting opposite Jenny, pressing her feet against Jenny’s, the young girl able to curl her toes around Philomena’s, the Felursapiens feet warm against Jenny’s, Philomena pushing her toes into the gap between the pads on the balls of Jenny’s feet and her toe pads, Jenny able to embrace Philomena’s toes in the grip of her own with ease.

“Your feet are smooth padded and very cute,” Jenny said, Philomena laughing merrily.

“can I get hands on with your feet?” Philomena asked. Jenny smiled and gave Philomena her left foot, Philomena rubbing Jenny’s toes, arch and heel pad, Jenny tightly curling her toes with the pleasure of Philomena’s touch.

“You have the softest pads,” Philomena said, Jenny struggling to obey a sudden urge to curl her toes even tighter.

“don’t struggle with those toes,” Philomena said.

“I Cayayayn’t help it, I wayayayayant to cuuuurl my toooes as tightly as I can!” Jenny laughed, Philomena seeing and feeling Jenny desperately straining to curl her toes that extra bit.

“This is a lot of fun!” Jenny giggled, squirming as she tried to curl her toes as tightly as they’d go.

“Grab your heels Jenny!” Philomena urged, Jenny drawing up her legs and grabbing her heels in the manner Nanuq had described, curling her toes into the deal, Philomena blowing on Jenny’s bunched pads, the young girl laughing helplessly at Philomena’s tickling.

“If you cross your ankles, you can then grab your heels or the sides of your feet with your paws or hands in the normal way,” Nanuq said, “but for pushing, unlocking your ankles, turning your hands outwards reaching for the insides of your heels and grabbing the pads is often the best, as that way you can push against your hands with your feet while pretending to push a cub out into the world until your heels push hard enough and are let go by your fingers.”

“it sounds good for pretending and for real births too, as well as being very complicated, but it isn’t,” Karina mewed.

“Philomena, have you seen these socks?” Moses said, running in with little Ekaterina, “Shandy’s gone to sleep, we were going to show her them, but she’s snoring after giving birth twice today, so we can’t show her, we’d like to show you instead.”

“Socks?” Philomena asked, “but we don’t wear them here.”

“We humans have to, outside in the school we go to, which is a sort of place for learning, it’s very boring, I won’t say more,” Moses replied, “but, we have to wear these socks, as our natural feet aren’t strong padded enough, so the teachers say.” He handed Philomena a pair of socks, the Felursapien cub staring at them in her hands.

“So you put them on your feet?” she asked, “well you must do, as they have toes, or seem to.”

“Try it, please,” Moses said, “they’re wonderful, they protect your feet without you losing any feeling. Philomena looked at Moses:

“Show me how to put them on,” she said. Moses sat down:

“I’m wearing mine,” he said, “but little Ekaterina hasn’t’ got any on yet. Unfortunately, they’re single use only, once you pull them off, they need to be thrown in the bin, so I can’t pull mine off without getting another pair.”

“Can I feel your feet and then, Little Ekaterina, can I feel yours?” Philomena asked.

“You can,” Little Ekaterina said, “and, how if Jenny puts some socks on too.”

“I’m already wearing some,” Jenny said, “I came in from school and washed my hands and feet with the socks still on my feet. they can be washed well enough you know.”

“Can I feel one of your feet without a sock, and the other with one Jenny?” Philomena asked.

“You can,” Jenny replied, “but they’re hard to get off, it’s not easy, I need to roll it down and get the sock over my heel with some effort before they’ll even think of coming off. Jess hated removing them.”

“I know she did, I helped her once. Jess put her feet in Blackberry’s socks and nearly went mad trying to remove them. that was when I was very young and she wanted to show me what socks were,” karina mewed.

“let’s see if I can get my sock off my left foot,” Jenny said, rolling the rubber sock down her left leg until it stuck on the back of her heel. Curling and stretching her toes, Jenny tugged at the sock, trying to stretch it enough. Whimpering, she tugged desperately, but the sock wouldn’t stretch.

“Naoaoaoaow I forgot these were the new type which needed a bit of teamwork to remove!” Jenny whimpered.

“What?” Philomena asked.

“It’s to encourage you to think twice before putting them on,” Jenny explained, “do you really want to wear them? as going barefoot is best. Once you have them on however, they are a pest to get off by yourself. You either need to curl and stretch your toes while tugging upwards and outwards to get the cuff over your heel, or get the help of someone else to pull it off your foot while you crawl away. Blackberry made them so they would encourage teamwork and play. The older socks were more stretchy, but these!” she tugged hard at the stubborn sock, flexing her toes as fast as she could, “it won’t’ come off!” Jenny yowled. Philomena smiled, taking Jenny’s left foot in her hands and gently stroking her now warm pads through the sock, Jenny curling her toes with the pleasure of Philomena’s touch.

“If I hold this cuff and you crawl away, the sock should come off, is that the idea?” Philomena asked.

“yes,” Jenny replied.

“Well then, let’s do it,” Philomena replied. Jenny spun onto her knees and felt Philomena gently rubbing the hot pads on her heel and the ball of her left foot, then she was tugging at the cuff on the sock.

“now dig the toes of your right foot into the floor and pull!” Philomena urged, Jenny doing as she asked, feeling the sock inverting off her left foot, the feel of the rubber making her curl her toes, something she knew meant the sock would constrict her toes at the end, meaning that for Philomena to be able to pull the sock off, Jenny would have to stretch her toes or relax them, rather than what she wanted to do which was curl them with the pleasure and effort of the sock’s removal.

“Jenny, Keep pulling!” Philomena urged, Jenny pushing hard with her right foot while pulling with her hands.

“The sock’s coming off slowly! Heuuuuuumf! I wayayayayant to be barefoot! I wayayayan’a cuuuurl my toooes!” Jenny raged. Philomena tugged harder, the sock now bunched round the ball of Jenny’s left foot.

“Okay, curl your toes tightly for five seconds, then relax them, go!” Philomena said. Jenny squealed, curling her toes as tightly as she could, whimpering her need to do such a simple thing: “Muuuuust cuuuurl my toooes, Wayayayan’a cuuuurl my toooes! got’a tiyiyiyightly cuuuurl my toooes!”

“sometimes it’s too irresistible isn’t it,” patch giggled.

“yes, and sorry for the whimpering,” Jenny replied.

“It’s being expressive, which we like here,” Philomena said, rubbing the heel of Jenny’s left foot with her fingers, Jenny wriggling as she struggled not to curl her toes with pleasure again.

“Relax those toes,” Philomena said, “now, when I pull at the sock, push with your right foot and pull with both hands, but keep the toes of your left foot relaxed. Go!” Jenny pulled with her hands and pushed with her right foot, feeling the sock slide off the ball of her foot.

“Naoaoaoaow don’t cuuuurl your toooes Jenny!” Jenny squealed to herself as the sock came off her toes, turning inside out.

“My toooes are freeyeee! My toooes are freeyeee!” Jenny yelled, sitting down and setting to frantically massaging the toes of her left foot with her fingers.

“Done it, we did it!” Philomena panted.

“if that’s the two player game, what’s the single sock removal game like?” Patch asked.

“Hard work,” Jenny replied, “for starters it looks like you’re tugging at nothing. You have to curl your toes tightly while pulling the sock over your heel, then keep curling and stretching your toes while pulling the sock as hard as you can towards your toes with both hands. Then, when it’s all bunched around your toes, you have to relax them enough to pull the sock off. The sock is designed to be a pleasure to put on, nice when worn, and to cause frustration when pulled off. Probably in the hope of teaching barefoot is best, something like that.”

“that or fostering interactive play,” Patch replied.

“that was fun,” Jenny replied, “again, sorry for whimpering my struggles.”

“that was very cute Jenny,” Nanuq replied.

“it gave interest to your struggle,” Patch said.

“can I feel each of your feet now?” Philomena asked.

“Yes,” Jenny replied, Philomena getting hands on with Jenny’s feet, the Felursapien unable to tell the sock covered one from her truly bare foot.

“the socks are great aren’t they,” Jenny said.

“I can’t tell the difference,” Philomena said.

“there used to be a rough sole on these, but the new ones don’t have it, the sole acts like normal skin, but is tougher so the real sole doesn’t get hurt as easily. I can still curl my toes, feel everything, and even go swimming. Even when my pads bunch, the socks stay with them, they are so tightly on my feet, they’re almost part of me, as you saw when I tried to pull one off my left foot,” Jenny giggled.

“But why do you have to wear them on your feet at all?” Philomena asked, “Jenny, you were born with good pads, why not use those?”

“We could,” Jenny replied, “but our schools don’t like us doing so. They’re scared of us hurting our feet.”

“but that is a load of rubbish!” Philomena yelled, “our feet are made to be walked on, to be played with, after all, why would our arches fit into our hands if they weren’t meant to be held onto during play?” Jenny laughed merrily at this notion, and, by reaching down to her left foot and cupping the arch in her right hand, she realised Philomena was right.

“It’s this thing called health and safety,” Jenny said, “we know it here, for we are always washing ourselves, our hands and feet, as we use them to play and for walking etc, but some schools get upset when we want to use our bare feet for what they were intended, walking and as playthings. They want to put our feet in shoes and stop us playing with our toes, and there are only a few teachers who let us take our shoes and socks off and use our hands and feet as playthings. Miss Chartwell, Cynthia as you know her, mama of little Ekaterina was the one who started the barefoot time in our school. Now, because the school can’t get rid of the barefoot changes, but wish to keep us “safe,” as they call it, Blackberry looked into using these socks, and now they’re great. Though I do prefer going without these socks if I can, as do Moses and little Ekaterina.”

“the socks are great,” Philomena said, “but I still can’t get my head round why the school doesn’t like cubs going barefoot.”

“We don’t mind it here,” Nanuq said.

“We almost require it,” patch replied.

“We don’t force it,” Titan said, “but most go barefoot when they come here, as it is accepted protocol.”

“it is such bad form not to go barefoot, being barefoot is almost law,” Patch said.

“hmm, true,” Titan mewed.

“The truth is, you can’t feel a lot under your feet when you’re wearing anything on them,” mama Sita mewed, padding into the room.

“of course, that’s more understandable for those in your situation mama Sita,” patch said.

“I walk outside bare pawed, but I am wary of it, Humans leave all sorts of rubbish in the woodlands, and I’ve cut my pads more than once.”

“You walk on tracks near the house now with a white cane don’t you Sita?” patch asked.

“yes,” Sita mewed, “when I last ventured into a part of the wood I didn’t know though, I ended up finding Cody, then Apudo found both of us.”

“I remember Apudo telling me all about that,” Titan purred.

“You two basically adopted him,” Mama Sita mewed.

“also going barefoot makes play gentler,” Sita said, “if we’re bare footed, we don’t play so roughly. It grounds us, making us remember we’re as fragile as the one we’re playing with.” Patch smiled at Sita.

“Come here Sita, he said. Sita padded up to Patch and the bear hugged her tightly.

“I love you,” Patch whispered to the Felursa, Sita purring deeply, “I love your cub, niece and Grandcub too.”

“they’re wonderful aren’t they,” Sita mewed.

“yes, perfect from their noses to their naked toes and the tips of their fluffy tails,” patch replied, Philomena, Mama karina and Felix hiding their faces in embarrassment.

“Awhwhwhw Patch, stop that!” Felix mumbled from behind his hands, “it’s nice to hear, but it’s embarrassing too! Not in public please!” Nanuq and Shadow laughed at this, Jenny smiling to herself.

“so it’s not just human cubs who get embarrassed at what their older family members say,” she giggled.

“We know we are loved, and we love you and each other,” Karina mewed.

“Feeling your birth properly was lovely Karina,” mama Sita mewed.

“I wish you’d get paws on more often than you do,” karina replied, “mum, push me off my feet and hug me and hold my hands and feet more!” Sita smiled.

“I forget you’re still very young,” she said.

“Even when I reach adulthood, I would still want you to get paws on,” karina mewed, “others can see me, my own mum can’t. You already missed me walking, crawling and playing with my toes for the first time. I made sure you didn’t miss the birth of my cub, nor me giving birth to him. You have a right to get paws on mum, please, use that right.”

“You give me that right, it’s not one I instantly have because I bore you and am unable to see you,” Sita mewed.

“for eohippus sake, and mine too mum, get paws on before I forget what your touch feels like!” Karina protested.

“Okay, thanks,” Sita mewed deferentially.

“Look mum, grab me, hug me, play with me!” Karina miaowed, “oh, and do this for Felix too. Get hold of him with both paws and play with him. Tickle his toes, tickle mine, rub my pads and his pads, do what you want to do!”

“I want to love you with my paws,” mama Sita mewed, “but it’s somehow seen as wrong to ask to touch you.”

“come on mum, I’m here, Felix’s here too, get paws on, and make it worth it too. Don’t be frightened, use your paws like others would use their eyes. If I’m sitting, touch my feet, my face and hands, if I’m lying down, touch those parts others will be able to see. Come on before I explode with exasperation!” Sita, laughing merrily, padded to her daughter cub and hugged her.

“Now you’ve hugged me, get paws on with me!” mama karina mewed. mama Sita ran her paws all over karina, who sat on the floor, exploring her face, ears, head, back, arms, legs, hands, feet and tail, karina all the while trying to remain straight faced, but Sita knew she wanted to snuggle with her.

“Cuddle with me if you like,” Sita mewed, mama Karina scrambling into her mum’s lap, throwing her arms round her in a huge Embrace, Sita holding her daughter cub in a huge embrace with one arm, while rubbing the naked sole of mama Karina’s left foot with her other paw.

“If I curl up in your lap, lie on my side a bit, draw up my legs a bit, here, my feet are here,” mama Karina mewed, bracing her toes against her mum’s left paw.

“Awww, thanks Karina love,” Sita mewed, karina purring deeply.

“now you have an idea of how big I am, get paws on with me, your Grandcub and niece,” karina mewed. Sita found herself kneeling in front of Karina, Felix and Philomena, getting paws on with them, finding Karina the largest, though not by much, as Felix was rapidly catching her up, with Philomena the smallest.

“you’re all very cute,” Sita purred when she’d finished her exploration, all three laughing merrily.

“Now you’ve done that, we want it every day!” Philomena commanded.

“Karina’s feet are slightly bigger than mine, mine slightly bigger than Philomena’s mama Sita,” Felix said.

“You’re all very lovely,” Sita purred, “and I can’t believe how large Felix has grown since I last got paws on with him!”

“Mum,” mama Karina said, “we made plush versions of Felix at key times so you could remember him.” Mama Sita’s expression of shock and delight made karina want to cry.

“yes we did,” Blackberry said, padding into the room, “they’re instead of photos. Since, well, since I gave up the medical job, I’ve been doing this Sita.” Sita swallowed hard, Felix trying not to laugh at her expression.

“Just wait until she gets paws on with my birth likeness,” he thought. Blackberry brought the representation of Felix when he was newborn into the lie up for Sita to get paws on with. Sita cradled the plush creation in her paws.

“This is accurate in as much detail as I could,” Blackberry replied.

“Did you make this?” Sita asked.

“I did,” Blackberry said, “stuffed it and padded its hands and feet too.” Sita was overjoyed at the thought of three dimensional likenesses of her Grandcub as he grew up, preserving for her the memories of how large he’d got at various times in his development.

“I know it won’t mean much to you Grandmamma Sita, but my plush likenesses look frighteningly real,” Felix mewed.

“I know little Ekaterina and Moses had plush likenesses of you and Karina Felix,” Sita mewed.

“Yes, these are like those,” Blackberry replied.

“Are you up to making friends with Shandy and shadow?” Felix asked.

“me?” Blackberry replied, “well, I,” he looked down at his paws, “I have been talking to Shandy. If, if,” he cleared his throat and started again, “if I forget she’s a computer, she’s lovely. I can’t quite do it though, so I can’t do what Ceba did and entrust myself to her care just yet.”

“We’ve been talking all right,” Shandy mewed, walking into the room, “Blackberry’s feeling confused I think.” Blackberry looked at Shandy, taking the light brown ligress in from nose to toes.

“You really want to like me don’t you,” Shandy mewed.

“yes, I’m trying, trying to put away the thought you’re a computer,” Blackberry replied.

“So Blackberry, you went from computers to sewing,” Shandy mewed, inspecting the likeness of Felix which still lay in Sita’s lap.

“I did,” Blackberry replied smiling.

“These are scarily lifelike! I’m terrified!” Shandy miaowed.

“Are you being sarcastic?” Blackberry asked.

“Um, yeah,” Shandy mewed.

“oaoaoaoah! You are no computer!” Blackberry screeched.

“I’m still a computer, though a very complicated computer,” Shandy mewed, kissing the black bear’s nose.

“Stoaoaoap this!” Blackberry yelled, turning and running towards the door, Shandy pouncing on him, pinning him under her paws, kissing his nose and grooming him thoroughly as she would have done a cub who’d run away.

“Noaoaoaow Stoaoaoap licking meyeee! It tiyiyiyckles!” Blackberry laughed, for despite his fear, he couldn’t help laughing as Shandy’s tongue tickled the pads of his paws and feet.

“now that’s better,” Shandy purred, letting Blackberry go, the black bear hugging her as tightly as he dared, Shandy purring deeply, pushing her body into his embrace.

“how could you swallow your fear so fast Blackberry?” Moses asked, padding up to Blackberry.

“I came to the conclusion that getting to know Shandy can’t be worse than my time in the wilderness, so I swallowed my fear and got paws on,” Blackberry replied, “now, well,” he added, “you can see the results.”

“Follow your paws is the good thing to do, always has been,” Titan mewed.

“I know this, and have always done, deep down that is,” Blackberry replied, “but, for some time I seem to have forgotten it.”

“In the rush of technology you forgot yourself,” Titan mewed.

“putting it like that, I suppose I did,” Blackberry replied.

“Okay, I’m going to try to get the sock off my right foot,” Jenny said, “I don’t know if I can or not.” She rolled the cuff down her leg till it reached her heel, then tugged hard with index fingers of both hands while pulling back with her right foot, trying to stretch the sock. With sounds of protestation and effort, she managed to get the sock to pull over her heel to about half way, but there it stuck when she relaxed, making her yell about her heel being compressed by the sock, while rolling about on the floor for a few minutes. Then she was back to grabbing the sock and pulling hard.

“uuuuumf! Eyeyeyeyeyeyeoumf!” Jenny yelled as she tugged and wriggled, wiggling her toes and tugging at the sock, while pulling her leg backwardswhile keeping her arms straight to pull the sock off her foot. During her prolonged tugging efforts, Jenny curled her toes, relaxing them while she rested, panting hard, then tugging again, her toes curling with her effort and concentration.

“Jenny’s really trying hard,” Sita mewed, getting paws on with Jenny’s left foot, the toes of which curled with the girl’s efforts just as much as those of her right did.

“how do her pads feel Sita?” Titan asked.

“They’re soft and slightly damp, warm, and the ones below her toes are all bunched up too. Jenny can tightly curl her toes too,” Sita mewed.

“eueueueueuemf!” Jenny groaned, curling the toes of her left foot as tightly as she could beneath Sita’s paws, sometimes pushing her foot into Sita’s paws during her efforts as she tugged at the sock on her right foot, which refused to budge from the mid part of her heel.

“Hmm, fun though that might be,” Blackberry said, “there is a way of getting those socks off in an Emergency.”

“How?” Jenny asked, “I want to fight to free myself, but, if I need to get it off in a hurry, I need to know this.

“It’s a special liquid that is rubbed all over the sock,” Blackberry said, “Can I?”

“Yes, this time,” Jenny agreed reluctantly. Blackberry washed Jenny’s right foot in a basin of what looked like water. Instantly the sock on her right foot became loose and she was able to remove it with ease.

“Oh!” Sita mewed, feeling the now useless sock.

Blackberry grinned, picking up the discarded other sock and turning it right way out. Smiling, he picked the now ruined sock from Sita’s paws.

“These two are now useless,” he said, “but, they are totally biodegradable.”

“So that water destroys the structure of the sock,” Jenny said.

“it does, but it’s not water,” Blackberry replied, “it’s a nontoxic fluid which breaks down the polymers in the socks.”

“shut up,” Sita moaned, “I can’t stand this science bit.”

“Well I still can’t get my head around the idea of wearing socks at all!” Philomena said, “I understand clothes, as you humans don’t have fur. I know furball, who is a bear, and cub Ekaterina too, they don’t have fur, so clothing is good for them, but even they’re barefoot.”

“It’s strange isn’t it,” Sita mewed, “think of it this way Philomena, outside here, and even in the woods, the humans make such a mess of their land, and ours, that they have to protect themselves from their own land.”

“that’s very sad when put like that,” Jenny said.

“Well it’s true enough,” Titan mewed.”

“So will everyone carry this water round with them when wearing these socks, just in case Blackberry?” patch asked.

“I notice the school have put dispensers for the fluid in the classrooms, just in case,” Blackberry said, “but yes, that’s right. There are little canisters of the stuff, you just pump the button a few times and it sprays on the socks, and as you saw, the sock comes off easily.

“ruining a very fun game in the process,” Jenny grumbled.

“Sorry,” Blackberry replied.

“Well we know now how to get the socks off in a hurry,” Patch said.

“yes, but I wanted to struggle to pull it off!” Jenny complained.

“I’m sorry, but you did ask,” Blackberry said.

“there’s still one sock left, I could use that,” Jenny said, snatching the sock she’d recently worn on her left foot from Blackberry.

“Okay,” Blackberry said, as Jenny put the sock back on her right foot.

“Now it’s gonna be extra hard,” Jenny said, “but I know I have the can of stuff should I want to end the game.”

“I’ll lock it all up,” Blackberry grunted.

“No you won’t!” Jenny snapped.

“Leave her with a can Blackberry, just in case,” patch said.

“Oh all right,” Blackberry replied.

“I still can’t get the reasoning behind covering one’s feet with things,” Philomena said.

“I wouldn’t normally want to do it, and nor would Moses, but there are so many things out there that are harmful to us,” Jenny said.

“Well at least the socks are transparent and tight fitting,” Philomena replied.

“yes, there are children’s socks, and adult ones too,” Blackberry replied, “we also make them for bears and cats too.”

“Cats?” Shandy asked, “As if we’d wear those!”

“there are some who need to,” Apudo mewed, padding into the room, “some of us have very tender pads Shandy. I’m sure Patch could programme you to feel what I do when I get a thorn in my pads. You’ll hate it.”

“Bet I won’t!” Shandy miaowed. Patch tapped his keyboard, then looked at Shandy, “you’re just a woosy pussy Apudo!”

“We’ll see,” Apudo mewed. Shandy padded away, her tail in the air.

“just wait until the thorn bomb goes off,” patch said to Apudo.

“You can make her feel like she has a thorn in her pads?” Apudo asked.

“she’s a computer Apudo, I can make her feel anything,” patch replied.

“interesting,” Apudo mewed. Suddenly a ligress’s voice screamed:

“ayayayayaywch You bastard!”

“what’s going on?” Apudo asked, padding into the main work room to find Shandy lying on the floor, growling and miaowing as she asped and licked furiously at the pads of her left foot.

“I’ve got a thorn in my pads!” she raged, “I cayayayayn’t get it ouuouout! Miaow! Miaoaoaoaoaoaoe! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!” the ligress raged, rolling about on the floor, biting at the pads of her left foot.

“Hmm, I’ll find help,” Apudo mewed. Padding away, she heard Shandy get to three feet and follow her.

“you’re on three legs,” Patch grunted.

“yeyeyeyeyes! I have a thorn in my fooooot! It huuuurts!!” Shandy yowled.

“how do we get a thorn out of a computer’s pads?” Jenny asked.

“With forceps,” Patch said, “I can replace any pad that’s damaged, but there won’t be any damaged pad. Shandy’s just feeling it. I’ll prod about a bit and dig it out.” Patch padded over to Shandy, who was now off her legs, waving her paws about and yowling petulantly.

“Stoaoaoaoap that bloody noise!” Patch yelled.

“bedside manner patch?” Blackberry grunted.

“she doesn’t deserve it,” Apudo mewed. Patch grabbed Shandy’s left foot and examined the pads, he could see where the thorn was, for the pad was bulging slightly where it shouldn’t be. Digging in with forceps, he dug out the thorn, Shandy roaring and yowling.

“now the thorn’s gone,” Patch said.

“naoaoaoaoao it hasn’t!” Shandy raged, biting at her left foot, “it’s still there!” she screeched.

“it’s gone,” patch said, looking over at his computer, the screen telling him the thorn had been removed, but Shandy was still feeling the prick from it. curled up on her side, the toes of her left foot in her mouth, Shandy looked very unhappy.

“now do you see what pad memory is?” Apudo asked.

“Yes, aoaoaoaow!” Shandy whimpered.

“Well don’t call me a woosy pussy for loathing thorns in my pads!” Apudo screeched.

“this is awful!” Shandy miaowed, “how do I get rid of it?” she begged.

“Get someone to rub your pads,” Apudo mewed. Shandy stared helplessly up at Patch, who kissed her left foot, then rubbed the pads, Shandy sighing with relief as the discomfort subsided.

“the thorn was horrid!” Shandy sighed.

“Now it is gone,” patch said.

“these socks are amazing!” Philomena said, handling Jenny’s right foot, “I can’t tell the difference between your right and left feet Jenny. Well I can, they’re different shapes, but not because of the roughness of what you’re wearing on your right foot.”

“this is really funny!” Jenny giggled.

“Now Pull Jenny, Pull at your sock!” Philomena urged. Jenny grabbed the cuff of the sock and rolled it down to the heel of her right foot, then began pulling hard.

“I cayayayayn’t do it!” she yelled after five minutes of wriggling, tugging at the sock with both hands, pointing and curling her toes in her efforts.

“spin onto your knees and crawl, I’ll pull, like last time,” Philomena said. Jenny did, and soon she was squealing a reminder to her toes not to curl while Philomena was pulling the sock off her foot, while Patch and Titan laughed helplessly.

“Don’t cuuuurl your toooes!” Jenny squealed as she tugged, her toes flexing as she pulled. Philomena pulled hard back, sitting on her own heels, drilling them into her backside as she pulled.

“the sock’s nearly off!” Philomena said, “Jenny, just the ball and toes of your foot to go, push with your left foot, brace those toes and pull with your hands, brace those toooes and puuush!” Jenny, screeching with determination, gripped the floor with her fingers, braced the toes of her free bare left foot and did what Philomena urged.

“puuuuuull! Puuuuuull with my hands and Puuuuuush, puuush, puuush with my toooooes!” She screamed, the sock suddenly flying off the toes of Jenny’s right foot, Jenny tumbling head over heels, laughing as she landed with her hands and feet in the air.

“Good work!” Shadow said, clapping her paws.

“Anyone for swimming?” Patch asked, getting up from where he sat.

“you’re not going to that bloody water coaster are you patch?” Titan asked.

“I might,” Patch replied, Titan looking terrified.

“You don’t have to come with me Titan,” Patch said, kneeling and hugging the liger, “I know you feel protective towards me, and that’s really sweet, but I’ll be fine.”

“does he?” Jenny asked, “do you Titan?” Titan squirmed with embarrassment in patch’s embrace.

“Yes, all right I do,” he whimpered, “I can’t help it, okay?”

“Dear, silly tiggie,” Patch whispered into Titan’s ear, while still hugging the liger..

“Shuuuuuut uuuuuuup!” Titan moaned, shifting his paws uncomfortably.

“that’s rather cute,” Jenny giggled.

“Stop hugging meyeee Payayayaych!” Titan yowled.

“But you’re still snuggling,” patch replied smiling, Titan sighing, knowing this was true.

“how can I resist hugging a huge cuddly liger?” Patch asked.

“When you remodelled me, you made me fat and rather more cuddly than a big cat should be,” Titan mewed, “not that I’m complaining though,” he added quickly, “it’s just that sometimes I get cuddled like a bear, when I’m a cat.”

“let’s go swimming and surfing Titan,” Patch said.

“You can go surfing, I’m not, not after last time, I got my toes stuck in the raft!” Titan wailed.

“Awww, trapped toes Tiggie!” Patch giggled, Titan slapping his paw.

“No more of that!” the liger pleaded.

“I love those paws of yours,” patch said, kissing Titan’s nose, the liger purring softly.

“If you rub my paw a bit, I might roll onto my back and show you the soles of my paws and my belly,” Titan mewed.

“We both know you need no excuse to do that,” patch replied, nuzzling Titan’s ear.

“Titan’s beautiful patch,” Theo mewed, padding up to the grey bear, who smiled at the shaggy maned lion.

“I’m sorry for hurting you during mating Titan,” Theo mewed, “I forgot the technique, I was so nervous!”

“That’s all right,” Titan mewed, “please,, will you hold my paw when I have your cub Theo?” Theo smiled then kissed Titan’s nose.

“I will Titan,” he replied.

“thank you,” Titan mewed.

“I’m going swimming,” patch said.

“I’ll follow,” Theo mewed, Titan also padding after the grey bear.

Reaching the pool, they found Moses and little Ekaterina playing in the small pool for cubs, splashing each other and racing up and down the pool on an inflatable tube while Janet watched them.

“Hi you three!” Patch called, waving at them, Moses and little Ekaterina wading to the side of the pool, then running to embrace him and Titan.

“Titan, patch!” they yelled, throwing themselves at the liger and bear.

“You two shouldn’t be running across the tiles!” Patch remonstrated, hugging little Ekaterina, then Moses when the young girl let go of Titan, whom she hung off of by leaping up and throwing her arms round his neck.

“Careful with Titan Ekaterina, he’s in cub,” Moses said, little Ekaterina lifting her heels off the floor, then bouncing on tiptoe, while looking at the liger.

“Is he?” she asked, “Are you Titan?”

“I am,” Titan mewed.

“But that’s wonderful!” little Ekaterina replied, hugging Titan even more tightly then letting him go and gleefully jumping about, Patch smiling at the little girl.

“It is, I’m looking forward to having Theo’s cub,” Titan mewed.

“Like you gave birth to Apudo? All maiaiaiaiaiaow and curled toes and yowling?” little Ekaterina asked.

“yes, but not quite like that,” Titan mewed.

“But you’ll moan and muoaw and curl your toes and push and do everything you did then?” She asked.

“yes I will, promise,” Titan mewed, Little Ekaterina and Moses laughing merrily at his promise.

“You don’t need to promise to do that!” they said.

“I’ll promise now, as I’ll probably do all that and more,” Titan mewed, both children kneeling then kissing Titan’s paws, Titan smiling then kissing the tops of their heads, then padding round behind them, bowing his head then kissing their water wrinkled toe pads, the two children giggling as he tickled their heels with his whiskers.

“Now that’s evened things up,” Titan mewed, Moses and Ekaterina excitedly wiggling their toes, Titan running his paw down the soles of their feet with gentle care, watching the children’s toes curl with pleasure.

“Can we hug you again Titan?” Moses asked. Titan smiled, removing his paw from massaging the toes of little Ekaterina’s left foot.

“if you like,” the liger replied.

“yayayayaay!” Little Ekaterina yelled, turning and throwing her arms round Titan’s neck, the liger miaowing theatrically as he threw himself on the floor, Ekaterina and Moses throwing their arms round Titan’s neck, burying their faces in his short thick mane.

“huuug Titan! Huuug Titan!” they carolled, bracing their toes against the tiles, pushing to rock Titan on his paws as they hugged him tightly.

“this is lovely!” Titan mewed.

“Can you push with your feet Titan?” Moses asked. Titan shifted his feet a little and pushed with his toes, both children giggling delightedly.

“Puuush with those feeyeeet Titan!, puuuuuush!” they laughed, Titan smiling broadly, growling and miaowing with his efforts.

“he’s so cuuuute!” Moses giggled.

“Titan’s so cuddly!” little Ekaterina said.

“I’m big and fat, I blame Patch for fattening up my whole body when he remodelled me.” Titan purred.

“You’re cuddly, all round and snuggly like Apudo was when she was huge after her dream Titan,” Moses said.

“he’s fat, he’s round, he bounces on the ground, tiggie Titan, Tiggie Titan!” Nuru carolled.

“Shuuuuuut uuuuuuup Nuuuruuu!” Titan yowled, Moses and little Ekaterina giggling helplessly into his fur.

“Save Nuuuruuu from Titan!” Moses giggled, he and little Ekaterina pushing Titan onto his back and crossing his forelegs, each holding a paw, Titan suddenly finding himself upside down, kicking the air with both huge feet.

“Maiaoaoaoaoow! Naoaoaoaoaoao!” he protested, Moses and little Ekaterina kissing his upturned paws, the liger wriggling, kicking with both huge feet and lashing the air with his tail.

“now you can’t go after Nuru,” Moses said to the startled liger.

“I suppose I can’t,” Titan mewed, feeling little Ekaterina kissing the pads of his left foot while Moses held both his paws, his forelegs crossed.

“How did you pull a liger onto his back like that?” Theo asked.

“Don’t know,” Moses said, “we just did. Now he’s an upside down Tiggie, and we both like that, as we can see Titan’s face and the pads of his paws.”

“Wriggle wriggle wriggle, miaow miaow miaow!” little Ekaterina teased, Titan squirming while lying on his back, lashing the air with his tail while little Ekaterina and Moses kissed his paw pads and the pads of his feet, the toes of which curled and stretched with his struggles.

“Two young human children have tied up a liger with no rope at all!” Theo exclaimed.

“Be careful you two,” Janet said, “Titan may be leader of our community, but he’s still a powerful big cat.”

“I’m stuuuuuck here!” Titan yowled, wriggling and miaowing theatrically as he kicked with his free right foot while his left foot and both paws were kissed and played with by little Ekaterina and Moses.

“that looks Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!” Theo mewed.

“It does,” Janet said.

“What’s going on in here?” Jenny asked, padding in with Philomena.

“Get paws on with me, you might as well find out, have a laugh,” Titan mewed.

“awww, but that’s so cute!” Jenny said, touching Titan’s crossed forelegs, paws pointing skywards, then his upturned feet, Jenny stopping at Titan’s right foot to kiss the liger’s pads, making the liger purr deeply and curl his toes.

“Titan’s got such cute paws and feet,” Jenny said, blowing on his toes, Titan squirming and mewing:

“Miaoaoaoaow! Stoaoaoaoap tiyiyiyckling my toooes! Riaow!” while Jenny laughed merrily at the supine liger. Jenny soothed Titan by rubbing the tickled pads of his right foot while little Ekaterina and Moses attended to his left foot and paws respectively, Titan wiggling, flexing and curling the toes of all four of his huge paws with pleasure in response to their ministrations.

“Titan’s a big cuddly puss,” Theo teased.

“he is,” Philomena said.

“miaow?” Titan replied, Theo laughing merrily and rubbing Titan’s belly with his paw.

“now get to those lovely paws and let’s swim,” Theo purred.

“but I’m enjoying having my feet rubbed too much, they don’t want to swim,” Titan miaowed.

“come on you trapped toes tiggie, let’s go,” Theo mewed, his whiskers tickling Titan’s nose as he kissed him.

“Oh all right,” Titan mewed, gently freeing all four of his huge paws from the custody of three humans, then, with a drawn out moan of protest, rolling onto his chest and getting to his feet.

“he’s so cuuuute!” Theo thought, his eyes closing tightly for a few seconds and toes curling with his emotions.

“I think Theo likes you Titan,” Patch said.

“I know he does,” Titan mewed, bouncing on his toes, Theo’s own toes curling even tighter into the tiles.

“Stop it Titan!” Theo growled. Titan danced about, his huge paws and feet soundless on the tiles, Theo’s eyes on stalks as he watched.

“You’re a pest!” the lion moaned.

“You like the sight of Titan’s huge paws when he’s dancing about?” patch asked.

“yes, and of the soles of Titan’s feet when he bucks and kicks his feet in the air!” Theo whimpered, “when he does that, I wayayayan’a grab them and huuug them!” the lion miaowed passionately.

“that’s Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!” Titan giggled, Theo looking desperately at him.

“I need to get paws on Titan!” Theo whimpered.

“there’s no discussion about this?” Patch asked crossly.

“I was tempting him, so I can’t really refuse,” Titan purred.

“Youououoaw bloody sod!” Theo miaowed piteously, Titan kissing his nose, the lion’s scent strong in his nostrils.

“damp pawed Theo?” Titan asked.

“You make me so, I’m going round the bend here!” Theo miaowed.

“awww, can I rub those paws better?” Titan asked, Theo replying by rolling onto his side, desperately pawing the air.

“You know how to give me heart palpitations Titan!” the lion whimpered.

“Come on you silly thing,” Titan mewed, kissing Theo’s nose and the damp pads of his paws, “get up and let’s swim.”

“but my mane will be all plastered to my head, I’ll look like a lioness!” Theo miaowed, the word, “lioness” delivered as a yowl as he was picked up by Patch and thrown into the large pool.

“Miaoaoaoaow! Raoaoaoaoow! Theo protested as he paddled to the side of the pool, his mane plastered to his head.

“He’s a lioness! Theo’s a lioness!” little Ekaterina yelled, leaping about and pointing at Theo, who’d found his way to the side of the pool and hauled himself out.

“I’m nooaoaoaot a lioooneeyeyeyess!” Theo roared, bouncing on the toes of all four feet and shaking his head to fluff out his mane, angrily lashing about with his tail and stamping all four feet when his mane refused to fluff up, while everyone dissolved into fits of laughter.

“Stoaoaoap it, stoaoaoaoap laughing! it’s nooaoaoaot fuuuunny!” Theo miaowed petulantly, throwing himself on the floor and scrubbing at his mane with his paws, “my mayayayayne won’t fluff up! Naoaoaoaoao!” Theo yowled, rolling about on the floor, then leaping to his feet and angrily leaping about until, losing his bearings while leaping extra high in a fit of rage, he fell into the water with a yowl of fear and huge splash, Patch leaping in to rescue the floundering, spitting lion.

“Stop it Theo, you’re killing us!” Titan mewed, laughing hard. Patch pulled Theo onto the tiles, then sat down himself, trying not to laugh, but giving up the struggle when he saw what little Ekaterina did next. Laughing helplessly, Little Ekaterina threw herself on the floor, rolled over, and lay on her back, screaming:

“my mayayayayne won’t fluff uuuuuuup! My mayayayayne won’t fluff uuuuuuup!” while waving her arms and legs, pawing at the air with her feet and hands, yowling and growling as best she could in an imitation of the lion’s petulant protest.

“did I really sound and look like that? Oh naoaoaoaoao!” Theo whimpered, Titan kissing his nose, while little Ekaterina’s antics made Patch laugh so much he choked.

“Ekaterina, stop it, you’re killing Patch!” Titan mewed, Moses going over to the bear and patting his back while Patch recovered from his merriment.

“Thanks Moses dear,” patch said, pulling the little boy onto his lap and hugging him.

“You do look like a lioness Theo,” Titan mewed.

“Look, I’m sorry for acting the cub,” Theo whimpered, burying his face in his paws.

“You looked very cute with your mane all plastered down,” Moses said.

“But I’m a lion! We hayayayayte water!” Theo miaowed.

“Do you hate it because your culture says, water is bad?” Moses asked.

“Um, er, well,” Theo mumbled.

“so get in and swim,” Titan mewed. Theo got to his feet, shook himself, then looked at the water.

“Go on, dip a paw, I dare you,” Patch said, getting up.

“naoaoaoaoao Patch! Don’t throw meyeee in!” Theo yowled.

“I won’t,” Patch replied, seeing Theo standing on his toes. Suddenly Nuru kitten crawled up to the lion’s feet, lay down and blew against his pads. Screeching, Theo bucked hard, his backside going past vertical and, miaowing piteously as his paws left the tiles, The lion turned in mid-air and landed with a crash on his back in the water.

“You sod! You bloody sod!” Theo screamed, kicking and struggling in the water, Patch leaping in and fishing Theo out.

“Who did that, who tickled my payayayayads!” Theo demanded while Nuru hid behind Titan.

“I saw nothing,” Titan replied, Theo staring at him.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I’m sure,” Titan mewed, “I can’t speak for others though.”

“Patch?” Theo asked, turning to the grey bear, who smiled at him, “you know something! You saw!” Theo yowled.

“I’m saying nothing,” Patch said, Theo shaking his mane at Patch, threatening him.

“Hmm, temper Theo?” Patch asked, Theo roaring with impotent anger and stamping his paws, the sound of giggling making him spin round.

“Nuuuruuu!” Theo miaowed, leaping clean over Titan in an attempt to get to the giggling half-grown Liger. Theo’s leap cleared Titan, the lion landing smack on his paws in the middle of the cub’s pool with a tremendous splash.

“Naoaoaoaow, I didn’t get him!” Theo screamed, whirling round, the water seeming as thick as treacle against his legs, slowing him down. Angrily smashing at the water with his paws and roaring as menacingly as he could, Theo tried to run at Nuru, water spraying from beneath his paws and feet as he ran up the sloped side of the pool to the tiles.

“ruuuun Nuuuruuu!” Titan yelled, Nuru racing into the cub pool, Theo turning slowly to grab the half grown cub, leaping at him, his paws leaving the water, feet still in the water. Nuru swam and swam, then raced out on the other side of the pool, up the slope there and onto the tiles.

“I can’t swim after him!” Theo gasped, exhausted from fighting the water, which had begun to ripple with the beginnings of waves from the wave machine. Nuru ran across the now slightly wet tiles, his feet splashing through the toe deep water covering the tiles as the waves broke over his paws and feet. Nuru had seen this before, where the whole pool complex became a huge seascape, the waves contained by gutters and gullies, the doors to the pool complex sealed while this was taking place. During this spectacle, arrivals and departures were through water tight doors into a dry lock which was pumped out before the outer door to the house was released. Normally these doors were kept open, the lock containing the foot and paw baths and showers, but now they were closed, the water lapping around their watertight seals while Theo and Nuru faught their battle of wills.

“let me ouuouout of here!” Theo miaowed, wading to the door and beating his paws on it, Patch opening the first door, then shutting it, the paw and foot bath starting up, Theo soon Thoroughly soaked, then the water drained away and the outer door opened to a drying room. Theo ran for the drying room, throwing himself down on the floor and covering his face with his paws.

“I want Titan so muuuch!” he thought wildly, squirming in his distress.

Meanwhile, back in the pool complex, Felix ran to the lazy river and leapt in, swimming round against the current, then grabbing a mat and riding the rapids into the main pool while the wave machine stopped. Who set the wave machine off?” Patch asked.

“It just did it itself,” Titan mewed, “I think,” he added after a minute of thought.

“Not like that it doesn’t,” Patch replied, looking at Felix, who was pulling himself out of the pool.

“Me?” he asked, his eyes sparkling.

“yes you Felix!” Patch replied laughing.

“I saw Theo going after Nuru, and just had to stop him!” Felix mewed.

“You are both Rogues!” Patch laughed, “but this time, this time Felix, you didn’t overstep the mark.”

“I thought what Nuru did was very funny!” Felix mewed.

“he put the break on Theo,” Titan mewed, “I think Theo’s frustrated he can’t have his will with me you know Patch.”

“He won’t get his way,” Patch replied.

“You really like Nuru don’t you Felix,” Moses said.

“he’s of a similar mind to me,” Felix replied smiling.

“I’ll bet you tickle each other’s toes too,” little Ekaterina said.

“yes, we do,” Nuru replied, “my poor toooes and payayayds!” he yowled, playfully cuffing Felix.

“Silly Nuru, silly Nuru!” Little Ekaterina carolled, bouncing on her toes, the half-grown liger cub smiling at her.

“You washed Theo out of the pool complex Felix!” Moses laughed, clapping his hands.

“I suppose I did,” Felix mewed.

“Can we go on the water coaster with you Felix?” Moses asked.

“I’m banned from that,” Felix mewed.

“No you’re not,” Titan replied, “get on it Felix, take little Ekaterina and Moses with you.”

“You were nearly killed Nuru!” Titan mewed when the two children and Felix had vanished towards the water coaster.

“Theo wasn’t joking was he,” Nuru mewed.

“No he wasn’t!” Titan replied, “I need to speak to him about that. You blowing on his pads caused him to flip into the water, but it doesn’t mean you have to be chased and nearly killed for it.”

“I couldn’t resist those pads,” Nuru mewed.

“You have a well-developed comedy instinct, and, while that is to be commended, I think, for your own safety, you need to rein it in,” Titan mewed.

“I can’t help making up silly songs, as you know,” Nuru mewed, “I know they can get me into trouble, but it bursts from me before I can stop it sometimes!”

“I see that,” Titan mewed. Nuru looked at the huge liger, comparing his own stature to that of the huge big cat.

“do I make you feel small?” Titan asked.

“I know I’m going to be huge one day,” Nuru mewed, “but now, well, all I want to do is hug your huge paws Titan.” Titan smiled, lay down and rolled over onto his right side, showing Nuru the soles of his paws, his pads wrinkled from the water which had so recently flowed beneath them.

“Apudo would love to see her guide off his wrinkled pads now,” Nuru mewed, Titan smiling at him.

“She likes my paws,” he remarked, wiggling his toes, Nuru grabbing Titan’s left foot in both his smaller ones and hugging it, Titan pressing his toes into Nuru’s hug.

“I have three more paws you know,” Titan mewed, curling round then kissing Nuru’s nose, the liger cub smiling at Titan, hugging the liger’s foot even tighter, Titan responding by fiercely pressing the toes of his left foot into Nuru’s embrace, the toes of his other paws slightly curling with the pleasure he felt.

“You have magnificent paws Titan, can I have a set like them?” Nuru mewed.

“”Can I look at your paws Nuru?” Titan asked. Nuru showed Titan the soles of his paws and feet, Titan examining each paw in turn.

“You’ll have paws like mine one day,” the liger mewed, blowing on the toes of Nuru’s left foot, the half-grown liger laughing helplessly.

“You’re a really playful tiggie Titan,” Nuru mewed, Titan kissing his nose and paw pads, Nuru purring deeply with pleasure.

“You have the most gorgeous black pads on brown fur thing going on with these paws Nuru,” Titan mewed, stroking the liger’s left paw, Nuru laughing merrily.

“Yours are lovely too,” he replied, “all black wrinkled pads on brown fur.”

“Do you know that as ligers and tigers get older their pads grow lighter until their skin is white?” Titan asked.

“Hmm, rubbish,” Nuru mewed.

“not so,” Titan replied smiling, “if you see a white padded tiger or liger, it’s very old.”

“ah,” Nuru mewed, “but could it not just be a white tiger? White tigers have pink pads too.”

“Okay, if an orange tiger has white pads, they are very old,” Titan corrected himself.

“So you’re a young tiggie then,” Nuru mewed.

“Yes, as are you dear Nuru,” Titan purred.

“So Yendi is an even younger Tiggie, as her pads are small and very black indeed,” Nuru mewed.

“Have you played with her paws then?” Titan asked.

“I play with her, so does Leopold,” Nuru purred, “she’s got the most gorgeous paws Titan! I’m glad she has four of them, they’re so huggable!”

“that’s really cuuuute,” Yendi mewed, padding carefully up to Nuru, the liger smiling at her.

“Nuru and I spend ages playing with each other’s paws Titan,” Yendi mewed.

“it never gets boring either,” Nuru said, Yendi lying down beside him, Nuru taking her left paw in both of his, Titan miaowing with mock indignation:

“Oi Nuru! You’ve got three more paws of mine to ruuuub!”“ he protested petulantly.

“Oh dear, Tiggie not happy it seems,” Yendi giggled, Titan playfully tugging at her tail, Yendi yowling with surprise, lashing out blindly, accidentally cuffing Nuru.

“It wasn’t meyeee who tugged your tayayayayil!” he whimpered.

“oops! Sorry! I didn’t mean to cuff you Nuru!” she said as the liger cub rubbed his sore nose.

“it was my fault,” Titan said, “Nuru, if I could draw the pain from your nose I would.”

“try rubbing all four of my paws,” Nuru suggested. Titan set to doing what Nuru wanted, the liger purring and mewing with pleasure, the pain and shock of his nose being hit soon forgotten.

“I feel bad for hitting you Nuru,” Yendi mewed.

“You didn’t know where I was,” Nuru mewed.

“having my tail tugged huuuuurt!” Yendi yowled.

“I’m sorry dear,” Titan Mewed. Yendi suddenly felt her way to Titan’s tail and, grabbing it in both paws, began furiously tugging and pummelling it. Titan hardly felt a thing, and didn’t move. Yendi, her fury growing, angrily tugged harder, her paws slipping off the liger’s tail.

“I cayayayayn’t keep hold of his tayayayayil!” she raged, pummelling Titan’s tail with both paws.

“Stop it Yendi!” Tiggs yowled, running into the pool complex, her facial expression thunderous.

“But Titan pulled my tayayayayil! I’m getting him back for that, but I cayayayayn’t hold his tayayayayil, so I have to punch it!” “ Yendi yowled. Tiggs walloped the backs of her cub’s paws, Yendi squealing with shock and letting go of Titan’s tail.

“You, don’t, pull, Titan’s, taiyayayayayl!” Tiggs miaowed, slapping Yendi in time to her words, Yendi yowling and crying.

“Stop that!” Titan roared, Tiggs instantly ceasing walloping her cub, “I deserve it Tiggs,” Titan mewed, “I did playfully tug at Yendi’s tail, and I should not have done that.”

“But she’s pummelling your tayayayayil!” Tiggs yelled.

“she’s a cub, she can’t hurt me,” Titan mewed, “I though, I may have hurt her a bit when I tugged at her tail in what I hoped was a playful manner when she called me “Tiggie.””

“You should nooaoaoaot call Titan Tiggie Yendi!” Tiggs roared.

“Well he’s Tiggie mum, Nuru calls him trapped toes Tiggie,” Yendi mewed, “I know he is that, because Nuru told me. Titan gets his feet caught in the rafts and he can’t free them!”

“Not that again!” Titan groaned.

“I’ve been begging Nuru to re-enact what Titan does, but he won’t do it so I can feel it!” Yendi yowled, “he says I have to ask Titan!”

“So you want me to get my toes stuck in a raft so you can touch what everyone else can see?” Titan asked.

“yes, but no Titan,” Yendi mewed, “that would be very wrong of me to ask it.”

“All I need to do is sit down, and I can pull my paws free, then lean forward on freed flat paws and pull my feet free,” Titan mumbled to himself, his toes curling involuntarily, Tiggs seeing this.

“The thought of getting his feet caught is upsetting Titan Yendi, you can’t ask that!” The ligress yowled.

“Long tailed Tiggie, trapped toes Tiggie, miaow miaow miaow,” Nuru whispered, Titan moaning:

“Stoaoaoap that Nuuuruuu!” Yendi, desperately wanting to laugh, buried her face in her paws, coughing to stop herself laughing.

“give me a minute,” Titan mewed, “I will do what Yendi wants. I know how to free myself.”

“I heard you like having your feet freed by Patch or another big cat. Also, I hear cubs can make you melt by touching your pads too,” Yendi giggled, “you like their touch.”

“go on, hug my paws and feet Yendi,” Titan mewed. Yendi hesitated:

“okay Titan,” she mewed, reaching for his left paw with both of hers. Suddenly Yendi found herself embraced in Titan’s paws, then she felt his tongue grooming her from nose to tail, the feel of Titan’s warm paws and grooming soothing her.

“What have I done to deserve this?” She asked.

“I’m sorry for tugging your tail,” Titan mewed.

“Oh that’s forgotten,” Yendi mewed, “Titan, can I get paws on with your paws and feet?” Titan smiled and let go of Yendi, the Taliger cub grabbing his left paw in both of hers, hugging his paw, rubbing his pads and playing with his toes, Titan mewing and purring with pleasure.

“I’ll find a raft,” Moses said. Titan lay on the tiles, letting Yendi play with his paws and feet, wiggling and curling his toes and twitching his tail as she played with his paws, Yendi rubbing his sole pads and toe pads, the liger wriggling with pleasure.

“As I’m going to cause you fear and struggle later, I need to rub your pads a bit in a sort of advance apology Titan,” Yendi mewed.

“here’s the raft,” Moses said, returning with a surfing raft. Spreading it on the floor, he looked at Titan, the liger looking fearfully at the raft.

“You don’t have to do it Titan,” Yendi mewed, feeling the pads of Titan’s right paw which she held become damp to her touch.

“I’ve promised,” Titan mewed.

“I’ll find a pin,” Moses said, “I can burst the raft like a balloon if you can’t free yourself Titan.”

Your paws and feet are so cute Titan,” Yendi mewed, kissing the sole pad of Titan’s left foot, the liger smiling broadly.

“I will get my toes caught in the raft,” he mewed, getting to his feet and padding to the raft, then working his paws and feet into a comfortable position. Clenching his teeth and closing his eyes, Titan wiggled the toes of each of his huge paws in turn, opening up the gap in the baffles, pushing hard with each paw until he felt his toes touch the bottom of the gap, then, sitting down, he relaxed, feeling the baffles gripping his toes, holding his sole pad hard against the top of the baffle.

“Like this, it’s quite comfortable,” Titan mewed, “I can surf or ride the lazy river like this. If someone was to pull me to the lazy river now, I would be able to ride it and surf the slide too.” Accordingly, Patch tugged out the rope on the end of the raft in front of Titan and tugged, the raft dragging easily over the tiles with Titan aboard. Pulling hard but steadily, Patch dragged Titan to the slope to the lazy river and pulled him into it backwards, pushing him round to face the direction of flow, reassuringly rubbing the liger’s left paw.

“We will rescue you if you want it,” Patch said to Titan, kissing the liger’s nose. Yendi paddled out to the raft and climbed aboard, the raft so wide and Titan so tall and broad between the paws, she could sit between the liger’s huge paws with ease.

“Yendi’s under your chin now Titan,” Patch said, Titan just able to see her by turning his head a little,.

“Will she be safe if we surf?” he asked.

“if I get my paws and feet into the raft like you have then yes,” Yendi mewed, Titan feeling her kissing the top of his left paw, Yendi’s Kiss soothing him.

“but if we’re both stuck at the end, we’ll both be in huge trouble!” Titan miaowed.

“I can help you free your feet,” Yendi replied. Stand up Titan,” Patch said, the liger pushing himself to his feet, his toes still caught. Patch checked that Titan’s head didn’t extend over the edge of the raft. Satisfied, he motioned for Titan to sit down.

“Now I’ll let you go,” Patch said, rubbing the top of Titan’s head with his paw, ruffling the liger’s ears as if he, Titan, were a much loved family moggie, Titan smiling broadly.

“You look like a big lap cat Titan!” Apudo mewed.

“he might curl up in Patch’s lap when noone’s looking,” Yendi mused.

“I might,” Titan mewed. Floating round the lazy river, Titan felt the raft wetted by the waves which pushed it round, the water getting beneath his pads and into the baffles, Yendi bouncing on her toes, the water spraying from under her feet.

“bounce Titan!” she encouraged, Titan bouncing on his toes, the water spraying even harder from beneath his pads, Yendi laughing merrily as she was soaked.

“You big silly,” Titan mewed, “now hold on tight as we go down the slide.” Yendi nuzzled Titan’s paw, the liger smiling down at her.

“there are straps to stop your paws falling off,” Yendi said.

“I don’t need to tug at those too,” Titan mewed, “but you can put them on my paws if you’d like. I can lean down and tug them off my paws.”

“I love your paws Titan,” Yendi mewed, Titan smiling gently.

“here’s the upwards run to the slide,” Titan mewed, “sit back and hold tight Yendi.” Titan felt Yendi sitting back, pressing her back against his chest.

“I’m sitting back Titan,” she mewed.

“So am I my dear,” Titan purred, smiling as his paws and feet were soaked top and pad by water rushing over them as another wave washed their raft and Yendi bounced on her toes, making spray hit his legs.

“I would like to get paws on with your paws when you’re bouncing,” Titan mewed.

“Maybe if we both get paws on with each other’s paws,” Yendi said, “I’ll free my paws first, then touch yours while you free yours, then I’ll get my paws stuck, and you can get paws on while I free mine. Okay?”

“yes,” Titan purred, “I promise I’ll do everything wrong at first too.”

“Oh so will I,” Yendi said. Titan felt Yendi tighten the straps on his paws, then they were at the top of the slide and sliding down, Titan sitting back hard to keep the back of the raft down as they rode the slide, a slope down, then level off, then another slope down, then level off, before splashing into the water when the slide went beneath the surface of the pool, the raft floating across to the side of the pool, sliding to a stop as the tiles rose to meet it.

“That was so good!” Yendi yelled, bouncing about on her toes, Titan grinning down at her.

“now how do we do that again without moving?” he asked.

“I’ll push you off again,” Patch said, pushing the raft into the water, then wading in himself, tugging the raft to the entrance to the lazy river, which was lower than the pool, making a slight slide down into it. Patch gave the back of the raft a powerful shove, and the raft, with its feline passengers, slid down the slide and into the lazy river, then round to the slide, and down back to Patch.

“Can you make the slide any quicker?” Yendi asked.

“Hmm, yes,” Patch replied, “though you’ll get a real face full of water Yendi.

“hmm, it was hitting my chest a bit,” Yendi said.

“I don’t want you to choke on water, so no, we won’t make it go faster,” Titan mewed.

“If I got onto another raft, I could go fast then,” Yendi said, “I wouldn’t have Titan’s extra weight then either, but I suppose that’s what makes it extra quick,” she added.

“Oh thanks!” Titan whimpered, “but yes you’re right,” he conseeded.

“Let’s try it once,” Yendi said.

“We might take off,” Titan mewed, “I wouldn’t like to fall off the raft with you between my paws Yendi.”

“Patch, can you strap us both down?” Yendi asked, “then once we’re done, could you unstrap us so Titan can fight to free his paws and feet?” Patch nodded and strapped Titan’s and Yendi’s paws and feet to the raft, before pushing them off to the lazy river, then increasing the speed of the water to maximum. Titan and Yendi reached the top of the slide, and then began the ride. Screaming, Titan dug his toes into the raft as it hurtled downwards, sitting back hard on his feet, curling the toes of all four paws as tightly as he could, seeing that Yendi was also desperately curling her toes into the raft. Yowling, she rode the slide, the water break meaning they skated over the water, then ground to a bumpy stop on the slope, where Patch was waiting for them.

“I won’t do that again,” Patch said.

“No, please don’t,” Yendi mewed, “it wasn’t much fun that.” Titan looked devastated.

“Please don’t Patch,” he begged. Patch hauled the raft from the water, then unstrapped Yendi and Titan’s paws.

“I’ll pull you to a soft play part of the complex,” he said, tugging the raft to another slide, this one consisting of rollers. Pushing Titan’s raft onto the start of the track, Patch wound a handle, then pressed a button, the rollers suddenly starting up, Yendi and Titan carried to the top of the slope, then riding down the rollers to the bottom, where a mat stopped the raft.

“Now you can work your paws free, roll about and play without risk of harm,” Patch called.

“I’d love it if you’d ask Jenny to help me free my paws,” Yendi said. Patch, smiling to himself, padded to the poolside where Jenny and Moses, Little Ekaterina and Felix were just about to enter the lazy river. Hearing Yendi’s request, Jenny excused herself and padded to Yendi’s side, the others following, as they wanted to see Titan live up to his nickname of “trapped toes Tiggie.”

Reaching the soft play area, they found Titan and Yendi still standing on the raft, Yendi desperately trying to free her toes by tugging at each paw in turn, articulating her increasing desperation with loud miaowing and growling.

“Stuck?” Jenny asked, stroking Yendi’s head.

“Yes, feeyeeel my paws!” Yendi pleaded. Jenny felt Yendi’s left paw as the little Taliger tugged at it in an attempt to free her toes.

“I cayayayayn’t freeyeee my toooes!” Yendi complained, Jenny touching each of Yendi’s paws and feet as she tugged furiously at each in turn. Once Yendi was panting hard, Jenny finished her exploration, hugging the stuck cub.

“Lean back and tug each paw free, then place them flat on the raft and, lean forward and pull your feet free one by one,” she suggested, Yendi resting her head against Jenny’s.

“Please, would you help me?” Yendi asked, “I got into this for Titan, and now, now I’m stuuuuuck! It’s nooaoaoaot a gayayayayme Naoaoaoaow!” the cub whimpered. Jenny realised to have any hope of freeing Yendi, she’d have to ask Titan to stand up.

“this has gone very wrong!” Yendi mewed piteously.

“Titan, can you stand up please? Do you think I can free Yendi where she is without moving you?”

“I think so,” Titan purred. “of course, as this is no longer a game for Yendi, I can free my paws and we won’t play any further.”

“It’s a pity Yendi can’t see you freeing your feet Titan,” Jenny said.

“I know,” Titan replied, looking down at Yendi, who looked very unhappy.

Titan freed his paws and feet, then stepped off the raft and hugged Yendi.

“Remember what I said,” he said to the now sniffling cub, “lean back on your feet and pull each paw free, then rest your paws flat and pull your feet free one by one.” Yendi did what Titan asked, gulping back tears of fear.

“it’s too real Titan!” she cried into his fur when she was free.

“I know,” Titan mewed.

“I wanted you to get your feet stuck so I could find out what gave you the nickname trapped toes tiggie, and I got my feet stuck instead!” Yendi miaowed, “I suppose there’s a lesson there somewhere,” she added.

“That it’s not all fun and games for Titan?” Jenny asked, rubbing the pads of the liger’s huge right foot in her hands, gently squeezing and curling his toes, rubbing his sole pads and toe pads, Titan all the while trying not to be too distracted by Jenny’s ministrations.

“Are you all right now Yendi?” Titan asked. Yendi pushed herself to her feet.

“I’ll leave you now,” she said, “Titan, I’m sorry for asking you to trap your toes, I shouldn’t have asked it, I know that now!” she whimpered, sniffing hard, tears rolling down her nose.

“I didn’t mean it to be a lesson,” Titan mewed, “I was prepared to let you touch my paws while I struggled to free them Yendi.”

“I know you were,” Yendi replied, turning back towards the liger, “but I know I can’t ask to get paws on now. Not after what I felt, I’m sorry Titan, and I’ll never again call you trapped toes Tiggie!” she added sorrowfully.

“You can call me trapped toes tiggie, especially when you hold my paws with yours Yendi,” Titan mewed.

“but I asked you to put yourself into a horrible place!” Yendi protested.

“it’s no worse than asking a mama to re-enact her cub’s birth,” Titan mewed.

“have you been asked to Re-enact Apudo’s birth then?” Yendi asked.

“I have,” Titan mewed, “and I’ve done it to the best of my Ability too. It’s not really the same, but, there it is.”

“I’ll bet my mum wouldn’t re-enact my birth,” Yendi said, “she’d be too afraid what others might think.”

“I can hardly remember it,” Tiggs replied, standing at the top of the roller slide into the soft play area. Resting both her large paws on the first roller, Tiggs looked down at her daughter cub,. Suddenly the rollers started up, Tiggs’s paws pulled from under her. Yowling, she landed on the soft rubber and was quickly borne down on the rollers, coming to a stop by Titan’s feet.

“Hi Tiggs,” he said.

“The floor started moving!” Tiggs whimpered.

“I know,” Titan mewed.

“Are you all right mum?” Yendi asked.

“Those rollers are designed to be ridden on,” Patch said, sliding down a pole next to the roller slide, landing on his feet, then dropping to all four paws and padding to Tiggs, who sat up, blearily looking round her. Tiggs’s eyes lingered on Titan’s face, then she reached out and grabbed his right paw.

“I could love you very easily,” Tiggs mewed.

“Which side of me,” Titan asked.

“both sides,” Tiggs replied, “I love your paws very much, I think you know what that means, and I love your male look too.”

“What are you on about mum?” Yendi asked.

“Titan’s paws are female,” Patch translated.

“oaoaoaaoh!” Yendi mewed, “so he looks male and female?” she asked.

“he does,” Tiggs replied. Tiggs massaged Titan’s right paw in both of hers, the liger kissing her naked paws.

“I could get used to this,” he mewed softly. His right paw unavailable, Titan closed his eyes, leant over to Tiggs and explored her face with his nose and whiskers, kissing the ligress’s nose and ear as he did so, Tiggs purring deeply, then laughing as his whiskers tickled the soft, very sensitive skin on the inside of her right ear.

“I like naked ligress’s too you know,” Titan purred, Tiggs feeling her toes curling with arousal as he stroked her cheek with his free paw.

“would you like to get paws on with my naked paws too?” Tiggs asked.

“I’d like to touch your pads and the tops of your paws and your belly and your feet and your tail too,” Titan mewed.

“I’d like that, come on then,” Tiggs replied, “but take off my blanket first.” Titan rolled Tiggs onto her side, then loosened the strap securing the blanket to her back, Tiggs rolling out of it, Titan exploring the naked ligress from her nose to her toes.

“Here is not the place you two!” Patch giggled.

“What are they doing?” Jenny asked.

“Being all snuggly and cuddly,” Patch replied smiling, “all paws on and tactile.”

“Sounds good,” Jenny replied.

“Jenny, would you like to rub my paws?” Yendi asked, “I think, please, they need it!” the taliger cub whimpered. Jenny crawled to Yendi and hugged her.

“It’s all gone wrong for you hasn’t it,” Jenny replied.

“yes, I asked Titan to do something very wrong,” Yendi whimpered.

“now there’s not much here that is wrong,” Jenny replied, “let’s see if I can put your paws back on the right path Yendi.” Yendi let Jenny rub her pads, and soon she was purring deeply.

“Do you think Titan will forgive me for asking him to trap his toes?” Yendi asked.

“he never held your request against you Yendi,” Jenny said, “you felt his fear, and couldn’t free your feet. Titan will still tug at his paws while you touch them if you want him to.”

“But I felt his fear! I can’t ask him!” Yendi mewed.

“I’ll tug at each paw and foot while you hold them if you like, curl my toes and riaow a lot too Yendi,” Titan purred.

“so you don’t mind your paws being held tight then?” Yendi asked.

“No I don’t,” Titan mewed, “I quite like it really, I don’t mind being “trapped toes Tiggie when my feet are held in warm loving paws Yendi.”

“So you hate being alone when it happens,” Yendi mewed, “If you’re with others it’s better?”

“It’s bearable,” Titan mewed, “well then I get seriously embarrassed about trapping my toes, and that sort of drives the fear away,” he admitted.

“awww, that’s too cuuuute,” Jenny giggled.

“I come from a community who love pretend play, but us cats, we need some pressure on our pads to remind us to struggle and curl our toes realistically,” Titan mewed. the truth of it is, I’m a big liger, rolling about on my back while kicking and squirming, and it’s not liger like. I watch myself though, and see me free one paw, then a foot, then another paw, and see my toes curling with my effort, and I want to go and hug the struggling tiggie on screen!” Titan miaowed, Tiggs giggling helplessly.

“that’s really sweeyeet!” she said, hugging Titan.

“I don’t mind the struggle to free my paws and feet when I know I’m going to be all right,” Titan mewed, “it was that silly surfing thing I did in the dead of night which frightened me. I shouldn’t have surfed the slide at night.”

“trapped toes Tiggie, poor old Tiggie, muoaw muoaw miaow!” Tiggs teased.

“Less of the old!” Titan growled, playfully cuffing her with one huge well-padded paw, Tiggs hardly feeling the blow to her shoulder, though she rolled over submissively, showing Titan her white belly and black padded soles, Titan looking very embarrassed.

“Stop that, stop it!” he blustered, burying his face in his paws, thoroughly embarrassed, “you mustn’t feel you need to do that Tiggs!” Tiggs laughed merrily, rolling over and clasping Titan in a huge hug.

“Because you have no fur Tiggs, your body loses loads of heat, meaning I’m lovely and warm,” Titan mewed.

“leaving me bloody cold!” Tiggs yowled, “Titan, I wayayayayant a huuug!” she begged, snuggling up to him as tightly as she could.

“We could find you some socks and mittens to keep your feet and paws warm,” Titan suggested.

“naoaoaoaoao! Don’t cover my paws and feeyeeet!” Tiggs protested.

“You silly ligress,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose, “come on, let’s bathe properly.” Tiggs got to her feet, Titan following her into a bathroom where they ran water into the deep sunken bath, both of them squeezing into the tub, washing each other from noses to paw pads. Once washed, both big cats found their way to a drying room, laughing as their pads were tickled by the warm air.

“I love this place, and you too Titan,” Tiggs mewed.

“It’s Tommy you should thank for finding you this place,” Titan reminded her.

“I know, and I do, and have, often,” Tiggs replied.

“I was born here, and this place still amazes me,” Titan mewed.

“I can’t believe how gentle these people are,” Tiggs purred, “I heard Ceba marvelling to Makalu about how gentle she found this whole community.”

“they are gentle,” Titan mewed, “and I do wonder why they elected me as leader. After all, I’m not much.”

“You’re all a leader should be,” Apudo mewed, padding up to Titan then kissing his nose.

“hello Apudo dear,” Titan mewed, Apudo smiling at him.

“I like this place very much,” Ceba mewed, walking carefully into the washing room, “Makalu said that I could walk round here without fear, as there are many looking out for me,” she added.

“yes, there are,” Apudo mewed, “Sita and cub Ekaterina move about here without fear.”

“As do I,” a deep voice said. Apudo whipped round with a miaow of surprise to see a huge brown bear padding carefully into the room.

“Who’s that?” Apudo asked, “he’s huuuge!” she gasped.

“that’s Mishka,” Titan mewed, “he is a bit big. History has it if Koda hadn’t given the leadership away, Mishka might have been leader after him.”

“Mishka is huuuge!” Apudo repeated, looking at the huge bear, who padded carefully across the room, accidentally treading on Ceba’s tail when the snow leopardess sat on the tiles.

“yaoaoaoaow! who’s standing on my tayayayayil!” she yowled.

“Sorry!” Mishka replied, quickly lifting his paw off her tail, though not before Ceba had torn it from under his pads, turned and walloped him across his nose with her paw.

“Uauauauauw!” Mishka screeched, rubbing his nose with the paw which had just trodden on the Snow leopardess’s tail.

“Can’t you see me? I’m told I’m big enough, and my tail is long enough too!” Ceba yelled.

“Um, no I can’t,” Mishka replied, “how, how about if we put a bell on the end of your tail so I can hear how long it is? I can hear your paws, whatever sort of big cat you are. What’s your name?”

“My name’s Ceba, I’m a snow leopard and I thought I had well-padded and cushioned feet!” Ceba mewed.

“yeah, you do, but you sort of drag your feet a bit,” Mishka replied smiling, touching her paw, then shoulder, then finally hugging the startled snow leopardess.

“So I have a rope on my leg and will soon have a bell on my tail like some long vehicle signal!” Ceba moaned.

“You don’t have to,” Mishka said, kissing her ear, Ceba’s anger melting under the warm embrace of the huge bear.

“I could get used to this,” Ceba mewed.

“Where are your cubs Ceba dear?” Titan asked.

“I fed them, and Makalu is cub sitting,” Ceba purred, “little Ekaterina and Moses are feeding them with milk from bottles whenever they want it. Makalu told me to have a wander, which I am doing now, though I feel the tug of my cubs, so will be going back soon.”

“You recently gave birth to cubs?” Mishka asked.

“You don’t know our story?” Ceba asked.

“No, I’m, well, out of the loop on so many things,” Mishka replied.

“come back to our den, and Mishka and I will Tell you,” Ceba mewed.

“I don’t deserve that, after stepping on your tail and all,” Mishka replied.

“I can feel you couldn’t help it, and didn’t mean it,” Ceba purred.

“I’ve never knowingly come into physical contact with a snow leopard in my life,” Mishka said.

“Well you can keep stroking me,” Ceba mewed, Mishka exploring her from her ears to the end of her tail, then down her legs to the tops of her paws and feet.

“How about my belly and paw pads?” Ceba asked, “surely you’re not going to leave those out are you Mishka?” Mishka smiled as Ceba rolled onto her side, presenting him with all four paws and exposing her belly for exploration. Mishka, smiling broadly, knelt then rubbed Ceba’s belly and paws, the snow leopardess purring and wriggling with pleasure, her toes curling in ecstasy.

“Now please get paws on with me,” Mishka said as he finished his exploration of her right foot.

“I have a feeling your paws and feet are going to be very different to mine,” Ceba mewed, “I’ve got paws on with Makalu’s paws and feet, and with those of my cubs too, so I know what a cat’s pads feel like. I don’t know if I have ever got paws on with a bear’s paws or feet.”

“Well now you will,” Mishka replied, “and I am the type of bear you would meet in your mountainous home too. So get paws on Ceba, and make it a good one too.” Ceba got paws on with Mishka’s huge well-padded body, the bear smiling hugely, curling his toes whenever her paws came into contact with the pads of his paws and feet.

“Your pads bunch rather cutely,” Ceba mewed, rubbing the large sole pad of Mishka’s left foot with her paw, moving it to his curled toes, then tickling his sole pad with her whiskers, the bear laughing helplessly and curling his toes still tighter as he squirmed while she tickled his sole pad.

“Stop tickling Mishka Ceba, you’ll finish him off,” Apudo mewed.

“No, no don’t stop Ceba, tickle my other foot, rub and tickle my pads and toooes!” Mishka giggled, squirming hard as she rubbed and stroked the sole of his left foot.

“Mishka’s a big softy,” Moses said, padding into the room, kneeling and wrapping his arms around the brown bear’s neck, resting his cheek against Mishka’s.

“hello Moses my friend,” Mishka said, hugging the boy in return.

“cubhood friends?” Tiggs asked.

“yes,” Mishka replied, rubbing Moses back with his paw, Moses bracing his toes against the floor and pushing into the bear’s hug.

“You two love each other very much I think,” Ceba mewed.

“Mishka taught me to be a bear,” Moses replied, “I learnt a lot from him in my early months. If he’d had his treehouse back then, I would have spent time up there, now I go there quite often.”

“I take it you go barefoot,” Tiggs mewed, rubbing the heel of Moses left foot with her paw.

“I do, no plastic socks either,” Moses replied, curling his toes with pleasure at Tiggs touch, “Mishka checks my feet for thorns after I’ve walked through the woods. he says I can wear shoes to the bottom of the slope to his treehouse if I want, but I don’t do that. I like to feel the woods under my feet, just as Mishka does.”

“I remember that house,” Apudo mewed, “the feel of the planks under my pads,” she shivered with pleasure.

“I remember listening to your progress up the ramp,” Mishka said, “you dragged your feet a bit Apudo.”

“Why do you have a treehouse Mishka? Are you not second in line by birth to the leadership of this place?” Titan asked.

“I am, just as you Say, Mishka replied, “but, well, it just happened that way I suppose. I dip in and out of the house, spending most of my time in my treehouse.”

“You have the sort of paws and feet which most cubs would love to cuddle,” Moses said, “Mishka, stay around here a while, swim, play, hug. I will help you swim and guide you too. What I would like though is for you to rub my pads and play with my toes like you did when I was younger.”

“Thank you, and I will do as you ask Moses,” Mishka said, hugging the boy as tightly as he dared.

“I heard you and Jenny played a silly game pressing each other’s heels with your toes?” Mishka asked, “Moses, would you teach me that?” Moses giggled:

“You must know that game already!” he said, “let’s go to the soft play room, and there I’ll show you.” Moses crawled away, Mishka turning, kissing Ceba’s nose, then following him by touching the boy’s toes with his paws, Moses crawling slowly so his feet didn’t part from Mishka’s touch.

“I want that myself,” little Ekaterina said, padding into the room from the pool complex, “Mishka, can I join you and Moses?” Mishka crawled to little Ekaterina, the young girl kneeling and giving him her hand. Mishka took her hand, then hugged her, Little Ekaterina giggling delightedly.

“would you touch my toes, and my heels, and arches too?” she asked.

“Yes,” Mishka replied softly, kissing her ear.

They crawled to the playroom, Mishka helping the two children prepare their hands and feet by washing them, much to their delight.

“You have thumbs Mishka!” Moses exclaimed.

“Ancient Sire Koda was human in DNA, just as Jess was when she became ursine,” Mishka replied, “Ancient sire Koda was killed by a real bear though, as he broke a bear’s laws. Now, I am the youngest of his cubs, and I have opposable thumbs.” Mishka knelt behind little Ekaterina’s toes then rubbed the girl’s heel pads with both paws.

“You have lovely soft paws,” little Ekaterina said, as Mishka rubbed the sole of her left foot from her heel pad to her toes, “how do you keep them so soft when you live in the treehouse?”

“I don’t really know,” Mishka replied smiling.”

“His feet are very soft too Ekaterina,” Moses said, pressing the sole pad of Mishka’s left foot with his thumbs.

“that feels wonderful Moses!” Mishka exclaimed, sitting back on his heels, wriggling and bouncing, then curling his toes, Moses pushing his thumbs into the bear’s now bunched sole pad before him, Mishka sighing with pleasure, little Ekaterina laughing at him.

“What’s going on in here?” Jem asked, crawling into the room.

“We’re about to show Mishka foot play games me and Ekaterina play,” Moses said. Jem smiled:

“Soo lee and I play with a cub called Ekaterina, but she’s a bear,” he said.

“Maybe we can teach you something that really feels good, which you can teach cub Ekaterina.

I was brought into the world by her when she was larger and had more fur than she does now,” Moses replied.

“I know the tale of cub Ekaterina’s rebirth,” Mishka said, “I helped her to be reborn, as I can assist bears doing it in the way she did it.”

“She unzipped herself from her outer skin didn’t she?” Moses asked.

“yes,” Mishka replied, “it was a hard time for her, but she managed it. Now she’s growing up in the love of the community with a true second chance.”

“I notice your rubbing little Ekaterina’s feet from heel pads to her toes,” Jem said, “could I get that done for me Mishka?” Mishka smiled:

“I will, or Moses will, or little Ekaterina might if you ask her,” the brown bear replied. Mishka rubbed the heels, arches, balls and toes of little Ekaterina’s small feet one more time, struggling to concentrate as Moses worked on his.

“Why don’t you see if you can rub my feet Jem?” Moses asked, “I know you haven’t got opposable thumbs, but rub with your paw, digging your toes into my heel pads, arches, balls of my feet and toe pads like I’m doing to Mishka’s pads with my thumbs.” Jem knelt behind Moses then rubbed the soles of the boy’s feet with his paws, giggling as Moses toes curled with pleasure.

“Your paws are lovely and soft Jem,” Moses said. Jem smiled and drummed on the thick, soft heel pads of Moses feet with his paws, Moses sitting back on his heels, squirming and bouncing on them with pleasure.

“Ah there you are Jem!” Kamchatka said crossly, padding quickly into the room, “he ran off!” she complained.

“he was crawling when he came in here,” Moses said, “Kamchatka, are you telling me you couldn’t keep track of a crawling cub?”

“Um, well, I was asleep when he ran, sorry, crawled off,” Kamchatka replied sulkily.

“Shall we go into the playroom now?” Little Ekaterina asked.

“yes, let’s,” Mishka replied, “I think our feet have been rubbed of their serious coverings. Jem can join us as his feet are still cubbish enough for the covering not to stick to his pads.”

“What are you on about?” Kamchatka asked.

“Oh, it’s silly really, but it’s fun,” Moses replied, “when we walk around the house, barefoot as we do, our pads pick up a layer of worries and concerns that remain with us. It’s not good to take them into a place of play, so we strip off those outer concerns before we play.”

“We can’t do it ourselves either,” little Ekaterina chimed in, “someone else has to do it for us. Mishka’s doing it for me, Jem for Moses, and Moses for Mishka, Jem’s feet are not covered by worries and things. Though I would very much like to rub his pads.” Jem crawled to little Ekaterina and backed up so her hands landed on the soles of both his small feet.

“Rub away,” he said, wiggling his toes.

“Can I join the party?” cub Ekaterina asked, crawling into the room. Kamchatka looked at the naked cub with some distaste.

“Can’t you put some clothes on or something!” she snapped irritably.

“it’s not cold in here,” cub Ekaterina replied, “I don’t want to wear clothes on my body at the moment.”

“You’re a cub, you will do what adults Say!” Kamchatka roared.

“Who’s in charge of cub Ekaterina?” Moses asked.

“I suppose her larger brother must take that role,” Mishka said, crawling to cub Ekaterina, taking her right paw in his then kissing her nose.

“That’s so sweet!” Jem giggled.

“it is isn’t it,” cub Ekaterina replied, resting her head against Mishka’s, “You big cuddly thing,” cub Ekaterina said, Mishka smiling and squeezing her paw.

“I have you to thank for my life my dear older sister,” he whispered to cub Ekaterina.”

“don’t speak of that any more,” the naked cub sized she bear replied, “I’m your younger sister now, I want to be that. You know more of life than I do Mishka. show me, guide my paws please.” Mishka kissed her nose and the naked top of her left paw, which was not covered by his.

“Can I check you over with my paws?” Mishka asked.

“yes,” cub Ekaterina replied, “Kamchatka thinks I need clothes on, but that’s because I have a lack of fur. If you think I’m all right without, could you override her?”

“If I claim you under my protection, yes,” Mishka replied, kissing her ear, cub Ekaterina smiling broadly, while Moses, Jem and little Ekaterina watched enthralled, as Kamchatka, angered and realising she’d lost, began to stamp about.

“I’ll start with your nose and end at your toes,” Mishka said, running his paws all over cub Ekaterina’s body from her nose to her paw pads and toes, checking her head,belly, ears, back, legs, arms, paws and feet.

“You’re good to go just as you are,” Mishka said when he’d finished.

“I feel warmer already,” cub Ekaterina said.

“I wouldn’t mind Mishka rubbing me from nose to toes like that mum,” Jem remarked.

“Noaoaoaow you’re not having that!” Kamchatka yelled.

“Why not? Everyone else can see me with their eyes, so why, when Mishka can’t see me with his eyes, could I not let him see me with his paws?” Jem asked. Kamchatka, completely stumped, waved her paw.

“Go on,” she huffed.

“I wonder, if I curl my toes and breathe in hard enough, could I become as cub Ekaterina is?” Jem asked.

“You dare take your fur off! I forbid it!” Kamchatka yelled desperately, everyone laughing helplessly at her.

“I can’t believe you said that mum! That was Soaoaoaoao fuuuunny!” Jem squealed, Kamchatka glairing round at the children, cubs and one huge brown bear.

“You can’t follow them into the playroom Jem!” Kamchatka snapped, playing her final card.

“And why not?” Mishka asked, “has Jem done anything wrong Kamchatka? Here I mean. He left you while you were sleeping because he was bored and came here.”

“I want him back in our den,” Kamchatka replied.

“Why? To be groomed? To eat?”

“Just because I want him home!” she snapped.

“if he is to be bored in your den, and feels clean and is well fed while being here, I’ll vote he stays here,” Mishka replied.

“Well fed?” Kamchatka asked, “he drank milk some time ago. Jem, you must be hungry now! I, I don’t feel safe feeding him here!” Kamchatka blustered.

“I went to a place with cold tiles on the ground and, while I was there, a big black bear gave me meaty water and milk with funny green things in it mum, it was lovely!” Jem replied.

“Gave you what?” Kamchatka asked.

“I don’t know what it’s called,” Jem replied.

“It was stew,” Mishka said, “Blackberry mixes a little milk in it for very young cubs.”

“Naoaoaoaow, you didn’t eat that did you?” Kamchatka raged.

“It’s very good mum, it made me feel all warm and comfortable inside, and the bear who gave it to me was so nice too,” Jem replied.

“Naoaoaoaow you should not accept food from strangers!” Kamchatka yelled, stamping her feet.

“Blackberry’s no stranger,” Moses said, “he’s lovely Kamchatka.”

“he does weird things to bears!” Kamchatka screeched, “Look at Nanulak! It was due to him doing things with you Ekaterina that Nanulak was born, and then Felix was born, and aoaoaoaoah! It’s all unnatural!”

“Kamchatka, Get out now! Leave here!” Moses commanded, he and Mishka chasing Kamchatka from the room to the outside corridor and slamming the door.

“What was she saying Mishka?” Jem asked.

“Horrid things about Blackberry and cub Ekaterina,” Mishka replied, “you don’t need to know about those things yet.”

“Did Blackberry hurt cub Ekaterina?” Jem asked, looking at the trembling naked she bear.

“he did, but I was bigger then, and as much to blame as he was, well sort of, I forgave him for it Jem, it’s, well, a long and confusing tale, and took place a long time ago, please, don’t make me tell it,” cub Ekaterina begged.

“I’ve met Felix, he’s lovely!” Jem replied.

“focus on that,” cub Ekaterina said.

“Now shall we go to play?” Moses asked.

“yes, let’s go,” Mishka replied, helping cub Ekaterina to the door.

Moses looked cub Ekaterina over from her nose to the small naked bear’s toes. She had thick pads on her feet, and her body seemed covered in a black suit, though it was really her skin, black from her nose leather to the soft leathery pads on her feet. He knew Mishka had brown skin under all his fur, as his nose leather and the pads on all four of his huge paws were brown, as were his eyes. Moses, looking again at cub Ekaterina, saw her eyes were brown, the rest of her body deep black and hairless, the lack of fur giving her a vulnerable look which made him want to tightly hug her. little Ekaterina crawled up behind cub Ekaterina and touched the she bear’s sole pads and toes, cub Ekaterina pausing in her crawl, backing up and pushing her foot against the little girl’s hand, little Ekaterina scratching the she bear’s pads and toes with her fingers, cub Ekaterina smiling broadly and curling her toes to catch the girl’s fingers.

“I like your touch little Ekaterina,” cub Ekaterina said, turning to the girl and hugging her.

“I remember your paws from somewhere,” little Ekaterina said.

“yes, I helped you into the world,” cub Ekaterina replied.

“But you are very small!” little Ekaterina said.

“I was bigger then, and had fur too,” cub Ekaterina replied.

my mum says I’m three years old, nearly four, Moses is five, nearly six. How come you are so small?” little Ekaterina asked.

“I made mistakes, so I became a cub again, like Apudo,” cub Ekaterina replied.

“I like you like this,” little Ekaterina said, “I wanted to hug you ever since mum showed me the video of my birth, but you were so big I dared not, now you’re small, and I can do this!” little Ekaterina said, hugging cub Ekaterina in her arms, cub Ekaterina smiling and snuggling close while little Ekaterina stroked the small she bear’s naked back and, by reaching a bit further, the heel of her right foot, cub Ekaterina purring with pleasure and shuffling closer so little Ekaterina’s fingers could reach further down her right foot towards her toes which curled with pleasure and other welling emotions.

“I know my mum struggled for ages to give birth to me,” little Ekaterina said.

“your birth was normal, but yes, she did struggle a bit,” cub Ekaterina replied.

“Not half as much as your mum struggled to give birth to you cub Ekaterina,” Mishka replied.

“Or to you Mishka,” the naked she bear said, “I was present at your birth, and touched it all.”

“I know,” Mishka replied. cub Ekaterina crawled to Mishka and hugged him, the brown bear smiling broadly at her.

“They’re so cute aren’t they Moses!” little Ekaterina giggled.

“They are,” Moses said, “though I’ll bet they find us cute too. I know Mishka loves our pads and toes, and I know I love his.” Little Ekaterina giggled helplessly at this.

“I love cub Ekaterina’s curled toes and bunched pads, they are soaoao cuuuute,” she said, crawling to Cub Ekaterina’s feet, the bear’s sole pads pointing skywards. Rubbing the she bear’s pads with her fingers, little Ekaterina watched cub Ekaterina, the she bear giggling delightedly and sitting hard back on her heels as little Ekaterina’s fingers rubbed her right sole pad.

“Now what shall we play with cub Ekaterina?” Mishka asked.

“What’s around here?” she asked.

“four paws with twenty toes and two soft palm pads, feet with two soft sole pads, if you want them,” Mishka replied, “Moses knows some foot play games where we explore each other’s feet with our toes too.”

“I would like to play the stuck foot game a bit too, and maybe get paws on with others playing it too Mishka,” cub Ekaterina said.

“we could both teach you the single player stuck foot game Ekaterina, also little Ekaterina could teach you the game where toes grab the fingers of one paw and you have to use the toes of your other foot to free your paw. There are also the games where you curl your toes tightly and fight to uncurl them with your fingers, as well as drawing games on the soles of your feet too, as well as the stuck foot game we all play,” Moses said.

“I don’t know how to play the heel rub and toe press game you and Jenny played Moses,” Mishka said. “Maybe if You teach me those games, I could play them with cub Ekaterina a bit..

“Kneel on the floor, and I’ll sit behind you Mishka, feel what I do next. It’s not really a game, more a way of giving pleasure to someone by rubbing their pads without them seeing what you’re about to do.”

“Human feet are very interesting, they have arches and heel pads and everything, our bear feet are just flat soled, we don’t have arches,” Mishka said, kneeling on the floor. Smiling, cub Ekaterina crawled forward, finding Mishka’s toes with her paws. While feeling her way to his heels by walking her fingers up the soles of his feet from toes to heels, she felt Mishka’s pads bunch as he curled his toes with pleasure at her scrabbling touch.

“You cuddly bruin,” Ekaterina giggled, Mishka sitting back on his heels, cub Ekaterina feeling him bounce and wriggle with pleasure at her touch.

“that’s so cuuuute!” Jem giggled.

“I like small bear feet,” little Ekaterina said, pouncing on Jem’s small feet and tickling his toes, the cub shrieking with laughter and turning on her, little Ekaterina and he rolling about in play, Jem tickling little Ekaterina’s tiny toes until she was screaming with laughter, just as he had.

“You have very smooth pads Ekaterina,” Jem said, “mine are like yours, here, feel.” He sat down, giving the young girl his left foot, smiling as she explored his sole and toe pads with her fingers, embracing his small foot in her small hands.

“What’s going on in here?” Karina asked, padding into the room, then dropping to a crawling posture AND crawling towards the two children, two cubs and one grown bear. Seeing her, little Ekaterina and Jem crawled to her and hugged her.

“Moses and Mishka are here too,” Jem said, scrambling onto Karina’s back and sitting side saddle.

“Oi!” Karina miaowed, “when did I say you could climb up there Jem?” Jem slid off Karina’s back, landing easily. Spying her tail, he crawled to it and played with the end, Karina twitching her tail.

“I can see the soles of your feet too karina!” Jem exclaimed, crawling to her naked bare left foot, then touching her heel and toes, Karina glancing behind her, then curling her tail round and tickling his toes with the tip, Jem giggling at the sensation.

“if I let you rub my foot, I can’t tickle your toes any other way,” she said, looking round at the bear cub’s shining eyes.

“You’ve got meyeee,” Jem giggled, karina stroking the sole of his foot with the tassel on the end of her prehensile tail, Jem smiling at the sensation as Karina rubbed the tickle from his toes with the tip of her thick furry tail.

“You can do a lot with that tail of yours,” Jem observed, feeling karina’s tail embrace him.

“It’s quite useful,” karina mewed, wiggling and curling her toes with pleasure as Jem rubbed the heel of her left foot.

“Your pads go all bumpy when you curl your toes Karina!” Jem giggled, rubbing the bunched pads of her left foot.

“Yours do too,” Karina mewed, “I’ll show you shall I?” Jem hugged her left foot in his paws, kissing her heel pad, karina giggling delightedly.

“You’re so cuddly karina,” Jem said. Karina turned and hugged Jem.

“how are you lot doing?” karina asked, crawling to where Mishka and little Ekaterina played, little Ekaterina now sitting opposite Mishka, the bear’s feet huge against little Ekaterina’s feet, Little Ekaterina stroking the sole pad and toes of his right foot with the toes of her bare left foot, Mishka giggling as his pads were stroked, curling his toes in an effort to catch little Ekaterina’s small toes with his larger ones.

“For a bear who lives in the woods Mishka, you have really soft pads,” Moses said, stroking the sole of Mishka’s left foot with his fingers while little Ekaterina stroked the sole pad of his right with the toes of her left foot, drawing her toes from the ball of his foot to the heel.

“Mishka’s pads feel very soft on my toes,” little Ekaterina said, squealing:

“oaoaoaoah naoaoaoaoao Mishka’s toes have got my toooes! ”when the toes of Mishka’s right foot curled, suddenly catching and holding her own toes as they touched the gap between the ball and toe pads of his right foot.

“I like this! she said, grabbing the sole of her left foot with both hands, then tugging hard in an attempt to free her toes while Mishka held onto them with his stronger ones.

“uuuuumf, Eieieieieow!” little Ekaterina complained, wriggling and rocking as she tugged at her trapped left foot with increasing urgency, the toes of her free right foot stretching and curling with her struggles, the little girl moving her right foot back towards her, leaning on her right heel a bit to give her extra leverage, lifting the heel of her left foot off the floor so she could grip her foot more easily, using the heel pad of her left foot as a means of grip, her heel pad and palm of her right hand in union to keep her small hands in place around the ball, arch and heel pad of her foot while she struggled to pull her toes free of the grip of Mishka’s large warm toes. From time to time Little Ekaterina varied her struggle by trying to curl the toes of her stuck left foot a bit, then relaxing her effort and tugging hard. Whenever she curled her toes, she wriggled and rocked back and forth, squealing in frustration while scrabbling at the bunched skin on the sole of her own left foot with her fingers. Then, panting hard, she took afresh hold of the sole of her left foot in both hands, now hot from her struggles, and, digging in her right heel and curling the toes of that foot, resumed tugging hard at her left foot to free her trapped toes. After five minutes of struggle, Little Ekaterina tried wiggling the toes of her left foot while tugging at her foot, Mishka curling his toes extra tightly to counter her increased struggles, the bear sitting forward and wriggling with his own efforts.

“You two are so wonderful!” Jem said. Mishka enfolded little Ekaterina’s hands and left foot in the grip of both his huge paws, leaning forward until their noses touched.

“I can’t free my toes now,” Little Ekaterina said, “and I don’t want to really either,” she added, wiggling her toes deeper into the grip of those of Mishka’s right foot, Mishka taking fresh hold of her small toes with his huge ones, while Little Ekaterina snuggled her toes into their grip.

“Do you want to carry on the game?” Mishka asked.

“yes,” little Ekaterina replied, feeling Mishka’s thumbs rubbing her fingers as she held onto the ball of her left foot. Smiling, she pushed her foot against her fingers, leaning into his rubbing.

“I want to pull hard to free my toes,” Little Ekaterina said, “promise me Mishka, that you’ll curl your toes as tightly as you can.” Mishka replied that he would.

“would you hold my left foot with your paws while I try to free my toes?” little Ekaterina asked. Mishka released her hands and cupped her left heel in his paws.

“if You can free your toes, I will soothe your foot,” he replied.

“Okay, but get paws on with my wriggle and struggle to get my toes out of the hold of yours,” Little Ekaterina said. Mishka took gentle hold of little Ekaterina’s hands, the sole of her left foot from arch to ball cupped in her hands, his thumbs gently gripping her fingers. Wriggling, Little Ekaterina settled herself, curling and stretching the toes of her free right foot, then settling the heel of that foot to give her leverage. Taking a fresh grip on the heel pad, arch and ball of her left foot, she tested to see that her heel would not let her fingers slip by sliding her hands down the sole of her foot, until the little finger of her right hand pressed up against her thick, soft heel pad. Counting aloud to three, she tugged hard, the word three coming out as a squeal of effort as she pulled against the force gripping the toes of her left foot. Wriggling, yowling, moaning, growling and puffing, little Ekaterina struggled to break the grip of Mishka’s powerful toes on her own smaller toes. After five minutes of wriggling, tugging, squirming and more tugging, her cries of frustration of:

“I Wayayayayant to freeyeee my toooes! Muuuuust Puuuull harder! Eeeeoeoeoeoaow! Umf! Eeeeoeoeoeoaow! Cayayayayn’t freeyeee my toooes!” animating her struggles, throughout which Mishka gently held her hands and foot in his paws, feeling her efforts, little Ekaterina relaxed, panting hard.

“Let go of her toes Mishka,” karina said.

“naoaoaoaoao!” little Ekaterina protested in a desperate squeal, letting go of her left foot, fiercely hugging the toes of Mishka’s right foot with both hands,” curling the bear’s toes round those of her own left as firmly as she could, while burying the toes of her left foot into the grip of his toes as far as they’d go and wriggling with the intensity of her sudden emotion, I don’t wayayayant to stoaoaoaoap the gayayayayme Kariyeyeyeyeyna! I like the gayayayayme!”

“I like the game too Ekaterina. Karina, it’s fine,” Mishka replied gently, rubbing her hands with his paws, tiny hands which still held his toes tightly curled.

“Overruled mum,” Felix mewed, padding into the room.

“yes,” karina replied, “I must remember that not all squealing and words of protest are what they seem.”

“I don’t want Mishka to end our game, I heard once Moses and Patch played for hours, Moses couldn’t free his toes from the embrace of Patch’s toes, no matter how much he tugged and wriggled. Now, I’m going to try to free my toes,” little Ekaterina said, grabbing Mishka’s curled toes and tugging at them, Mishka curling his toes as tightly as he could while she tried to pull the toes of her left foot free of their grip and straighten his toes with her fingers.

“I cayayayayn’t do it!” the little girl yelled, grabbing the arch and heel of her left foot in both hands, digging the heel of her right foot into the floor and leaning back with a squeal of rage, Mishka letting go of her toes, little Ekaterina rolling backwards with a gleeful yell, pedalling the air with both feet.

“little Ekaterina’s feet are so cute when she pedals the air!” Felix giggled.

“Mishka, get paws on with my pedalling feet!” little Ekaterina urged. carefully Mishka, feeling in front of him with one paw, crawled to little Ekaterina’s feet and caught one of her feet as she pedalled at the air, moving to her legs and exploring each leg and foot in turn, little Ekaterina laughing delightedly, pushing her feet into Mishka’s paws whenever she could.

“let me push my feet against your paws Mishka!” little Ekaterina demanded, pushing her feet hard against Mishka’s huge paws, Mishka embracing each of her feet in turn, then both together as she pushed with both feet at once.

“Mishka’s paws are so soft and warm!” little Ekaterina exclaimed. Moses looked enviously at little Ekaterina.

“I want to play with Mishka now,” he said.

“I’ll play with you in a bit Moses,” Mishka replied. Felix looked at Moses.

“I’ll play with you Moses,” he said.

“I think Jem and cub Ekaterina are having a lot of fun too!” mama karina said, watching the naked she bear and brown bear cub playing together, tickling each other’s toes and rolling about on the floor.

Moses and Felix sat down opposite each other, Felix lifting his feet so Moses could explore the soles of his feet with his toes, Moses pushing his toes into the gap between Felix’s toe pads and the balls of his feet, then drawing them down his arch and then gripping the bulging heel pads of both Felix’s feet with the toes of both his feet.

“You have very soft pads Felix,” Moses said. Felix pushed his heels against Moses toes, tightly curling his toes, Moses curling his toes and pushing back hard, then drawing his toes over Felix’s heel pads, Felix dropping his heels to the floor, Moses grabbing the toes of both Felix’s feet in his. Wriggling, Felix grabbed the sole of each of his feet in turn in both hands and tugged in a struggle to free suddenly trapped toes.

“yeyeyeyeeyaow, my toooes!” Felix yowled theatrically, just like little Ekaterina had, while tugging at each foot in turn with increasing urgency, using his heel pads as brakes on his fingers so they didn’t slip off his arches. Miaowing and growling, Felix tugged at his feet, first his left, then right, wriggling and tugging as he pulled, Moses wriggling and squirming in his effort to keep hold of Felix’s toes with his own.

“Maybe if you let go of one of my feet I could free the other?” Felix asked, “Moses, Little Ekaterina didn’t have to fight with both feet caught!” Moses let go of Felix’s right foot, uncurling his toes to free Felix’s, Felix running the toes of his right foot down the sole of Moses left foot, the boy’s toes curling with fresh urgency as Felix’s touch gave him great pleasure, Felix curling the toes of his now freed right foot to bump them over the bunched skin on the sole of Moses left foot, making Moses wriggle and cry out, the young boy curling his toes even tighter with the pleasure and excitement of the touch.

“Little Ekaterina will be fighting to free her other foot from Mishka’s soon I bet,” Moses said, hoping Felix didn’t notice his loss of control.

“You enjoyed my toes scratching the sole of your foot Moses?” Felix asked.

“Oh all right, I did,” Moses replied, you saw, felt and heard it I bet too.”

“Moses curled his toes when Felix rubbed his toes down the sole of his foot!” little Ekaterina said, “Mishka, I’ll show you what he did!” Little Ekaterina sat up and demanded that Mishka sit down. Once the bear was seated, she grabbed his left foot, positioning her own right to scratch the bear’s sole pad with her toes.

“Grab these toes Mishka,” she said, wiggling the toes of her right foot against Mishka’s left, Mishka grinning as he grabbed her toes with his, “now let go of my toes,” little Ekaterina said, “and yes, I will do this,” she ran her toes down the sole of his foot, curling them as Felix had his, Mishka’s toes curling like Moses toes had, Little Ekaterina laughing merrily.

“Do you like that Mishka?” she asked.

“I do,” Mishka replied, “I think Moses did too.” Little Ekaterina bounced about on her backside with delight.

“I liked having my toes caught in yours, I liked squealing and tugging, and wriggling and pushing with my free foot, then I liked when you let go and I flew backwards too! I was really pushing with my foot Mishka, and pulling with my hands too, I want you to know that,” little Ekaterina said.

“I know, I could feel it,” Mishka replied smiling.

“Now I want you to grab my toes with yours again, and not let go until I’ve struggled hard and yelled a good bit,” Little Ekaterina said, “oh, and also, get paws on with my free foot if you can, feel my toes curling with my efforts.”

“I can’t get paws on with both at the same time,” Mishka replied, “it’s either touch your hands or your free foot with my paws while you pull.”

“I won’t mind if you touch my free foot with your paws for one effort, and my hands which hold my stuck foot when I pull during another,” little Ekaterina replied, “I won’t free my stuck toes while you’re touching my free foot though. I will squeal and wriggle and curl my toes while you touch my free foot too.” Mishka hugged little Ekaterina tightly.

“thanks,” he said.

“Now, before I get my toes caught again, I want you to feel the tops and soles of my feet, please,” Little Ekaterina said. Mishka felt little Ekaterina turn round and kneel between his outstretched legs, then shuffle backwards until the soles of her feet, heels uppermost, pressed hard against his outstretched paws.

“now touch my heels and my toes and my arches, feel them for thorns,” Little Ekaterina urged, “if I kneel like this, you can get to my feet more easily than if I sit down. I’m comfortable here, the floor is soft Mishka.” Mishka did as she asked, touching her heel pads and the arches and balls of her feet.

“Don’t just touch my heel and ball pads, touch my toes too, and rub them as if feeling for thorns!” the young girl remonstrated, after Mishka had pressed her heel pads and the pads on the balls of both her small feet with his thumbs, seemingly forgetting about her toes.

“Oh sorry, forgot about your toes,” Mishka replied, Little Ekaterina laughing helplessly at him. little Ekaterina, now sitting back on her heels, started squirming and tightly curling the toes of both feet in excitement.

“Okay,” Mishka replied, rubbing little Ekaterina’s heel pads and toes so the skin stretched a little under his paw pressure, while little Ekaterina wriggled with pleasure.

“keep going! Keep ruuubing my feeyeeet!” she demanded, bracing her hands on the floor, throwing her weight forward so she could push her heels against Mishka’s paws, “Urrrhrhrhurf, I wayayayant more!” she remonstrated.

“I’ll rub one foot at a time,” Mishka suggested, giggling delightedly at little Ekaterina’s antics, “can you push any harder with those heels?” he asked. Little Ekaterina gathered herself together and pushed hard against his paws with her heels, bracing her heels by lifting her knees slightly off the floor and resting her weight on her hands. After a few seconds of this, she relaxed, kneeling once more.

“rub one foot at a time Mishka, please!” little Ekaterina pleaded, “that way it will last longer. Mishka smiled, rubbing out the circles he’d drawn with his fingers on the heel pad of little Ekaterina’s right foot, then the circles on her left heel pad prior to her pushing against his paws with them..

“I’ll start all over again then,” he said, “your feet need more soothing after pushing against my paws, your pads are rather warm little Ekaterina.

“I’m looking forward to it, I like the feel of your paws on my feet,” little Ekaterina replied, sitting back on her heels and bouncing her backside on them.

“Where did you learn that Mishka?” mama karina asked, padding over to Mishka and watching as he began working on Ekaterina’s pads by rubbing with the tips of the fingers of his right paw from the back of Little Ekaterina’s right heel to the margin of her arch, rubbing circles on the girl’s soft heel pad until he’d covered the entire pad. Then, very gently, he rubbed the arch of her right foot from the margin of her heel to the ball of her foot, little Ekaterina curling her toes with pleasure as he worked.

“Oh, rubbing pads you mean?” Mishka replied, drawing four fingers down the centre of the arch of little Ekaterina’s right foot from her heel pad to the ball of her foot, working from the inside out, “I learnt it while playing with Moses when we were very young cubs. I grew up faster than him, so became almost an older brother. We used to play with each other’s feet quite a bit. We taught each other gentility I suppose. Now though, now I use that to help others play, or just to give them pleasure, as with little Ekaterina here. There are no thorns in her pads, but, well, let’s pretend a bit, and I get to show her how I feel, and she gets to show me how she feels, and also play, which is what she and I want too. I love this karina, it gives me a chance to be gentle, to give pleasure to others, and I enjoy it too.”

“I can see little Ekaterina enjoys it, and she likes the trapped toes games too.” Karina replied.

“I do,” little Ekaterina replied, “I can’t free my toes from Mishka’s very well, and I like that.”

“would I be able to feel some of this?” mama karina asked.

“Maybe, if you let your inner cub play mama Karina,” Mishka replied.

“I could, I think, I’ll try my best,” karina replied.

“you have to believe your toes are stuck,” little Ekaterina said, “only then can you wriggle and tug and yell like I did Karina.”

“I could really get into some of that,” Karina said, watching Mishka pressing the now bunched skin on the ball of little Ekaterina’s right foot while the young girl flexed and curled her toes with pleasure.

“I’m glad I have two feet,” Little Ekaterina said, “though sometimes I wish I had two paws and two feet, bear like paws and human feet, that would be nice.” little Ekaterina sighed pleasurably as Mishka rubbed a circle on the ball of her right foot, Little Ekaterina relaxing her toes so Mishka could press each toe pad on her foot with one finger, then the ball of her foot where her toes joined it, little Ekaterina curling her toes around Mishka’s fingertips. Karina, fascinated by Mishka’s massage of a little human girl’s foot, had lain down, resting her chin on Mishka’s left knee, watching his paws press the upturned sole of little Ekaterina’s right foot, the pink skin slightly darker on the little girl’s heel and the toes and ball of her foot than on her arch, the ball of Little Ekaterina’s right foot whitening in furrows when she curled her toes, while the tops of the furrows remained pink until she relaxed her toes, when the entire ball of her foot became pink. Karina watched little Ekaterina’s left foot, as the young girl expressed her pleasure by curling the toes of both feet while Mishka worked on just one at a time. Karina was glad she could clearly see the toes and ball of little Ekaterina’s left foot, as Mishka’s massive paw somewhat obscured the ball and toes of her right foot while he worked on it. Little Ekaterina had moved from a crawling posture to lying prone on the floor, her forehead supported on her arms.

“I think little Ekaterina’s staying,” mama karina said.

“What makes you think that?” Mishka asked.

“she’s lying flat on her front, cradling her head on her arms,” mama karina explained, “I’m watching the toes of Little Ekaterina’s feet for her reactions to your massaging, mostly the reaction of the toes of her left foot, as you work on her right, as I can’t see the toes of her right foot because of your huge paw Mishka.” Mishka and little Ekaterina giggled helplessly.

“I’m not going anywhere,” little Ekaterina said, wiggling the toes of both her small feet, “I like this too much to go anywhere.”

“I’m enjoying it too,” Mishka replied, rubbing little Ekaterina’s left heel pad with his paw.

“would you rub my right foot again Mishka?” Little Ekaterina asked.

“I will,” Mishka replied.

“would you rub my feet next?” Karina asked. Mishka smiled at her.

“Yes,” he said.

“I’ve got to free the toes of my right foot from Mishka’s yet karina,” little Ekaterina said.

“I wouldn’t mind a go at that myself,” Karina said.

“How do my pads feel to you Mishka?” little Ekaterina asked.

“Soft and warm from your efforts to free your toes from mine,” Mishka replied, drumming the fingers of his right paw on the heel of her right foot.

“I like that,” little Ekaterina said, bracing her hands and the toes of her left foot against the floor to lift herself, lifting and drawing her right knee under her a little then pushing back, bracing the heel, arch then toes of her right foot hard against Mishka’s paw.

“You softy,” Mishka said, cradling little Ekaterina’s right foot in his paws and blowing on her heel pad, little Ekaterina wriggling and squealing with laughter.

“rub the tickle from my heel pad now,” little Ekaterina said, Mishka cradling her right foot in his left paw while gently using the fingers of his right paw to massage the heel pad he’d tickled with his breath, little Ekaterina curling her toes with pleasure.

“Touch my left foot too,” little Ekaterina invited, “my toes are pressed against the floor, touch my heel and the rest of it with your paws please Mishka.” Mishka rubbed the sole of little Ekaterina’s right foot with his paws, then let go of her foot, finding, then exploring the taught sole of her left, finding her toes braced against the floor, the arch of her foot flexing and stretching a little as she bounced her weight slightly on her toes.

“You have very small feet little Ekaterina,” Mishka said.

“They aren’t too small to play with are they?” Little Ekaterina asked anxiously.

“No,” Mishka replied, “I’ve played with a bear cub’s toes before, and they are tiny too.”

“would you like to touch me while I re-enact Titan’s rebirth of Apudo?” little Ekaterina asked.

“I’d like that,” Mishka replied.

“Well I’ll grab my feet in my hands and you can get paws on with me, and I’ll push my hands with my feet and make sound like Titan,” little Ekaterina said, Okay,” get paws on with me Mishka. I won’t have my cub until you properly feel my head and hands and feet okay?” smiling, Mishkaexplored with his paws, finding her already in a crawling posture.

“I’ll crawl a bit and mew,” little Ekaterina said, “I’ll curl my toes a bit too, Titan walked, but I can’t walk on my hands and feet like he did for long. Anyway, you wouldn’t be able to feel my toes curling, and I want you to touch my toes Mishka.” Mishka laughed then kissed the top of her head.

“Okay,” he said, “but you can do what you like, as it’s your version of Titan’s struggle. I’m looking forward to this,” he said. Little Ekaterina crawled round the room, mewing and panting, while Mishka got paws on with her head, hands, legs and feet. then all too soon for her, for she was enjoying Mishka’s touch, little Ekaterina wriggled and groaned, then panting, crouched with her fingertips on the floor, supporting her weight on her fingers and toes only, as if she were Titan squatting on his rug. Miaowing, little Ekaterina bounced on her toes, writhing and panting, then catching her breath and moaning deeply. Suddenly, with a squeal, little Ekaterina was rolling onto her left side, drawing up her right knee and grabbing her right foot in her hands, her right hand gripping her heel, her left the arch and ball of her foot, while her toes curled urgently, Mishka touching her hands and right foot. “Ruuuuuumf! Ruuuuuumf!” Little Ekaterina moaned, wriggling while flexing the toes of both feet, building up to her main efforts, Mishka paws on throughout. Then, panting and wriggling hard, she worked herself into a liger like fury. little Ekaterina groaned, while pushing her right foot against the grip of her hands,groaning, yowling and miaowing:

“Ruuuuuumf, heuuuuuumf! ayayayayayayaayaywch! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Yayayayyayayayayouwch! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Ruuuuuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Maiaiaiaiaiaow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Remembering Titan’s own struggle, little Ekaterina had set herself the task of imitating his sounds and effort, replaying in her mind’s eye his efforts to give rebirth. Pushing against her hands with her right foot while keeping her toes curled, Ekaterina yelled and moaned. Panting, she relaxed her toes, wriggled, moaned, groaned, yowled, curled her toes with fresh urgency then made desperate efforts to push and wriggle, then push even harder with her right foot while moaning and miaowing, curling and relaxing her toes, wriggling and straining. As Mishka got paws on with her hands and right foot, Little Ekaterina’s efforts and cries of pain became more urgent, her right foot pushing faster and more furiously against the restraint of her hands while she curled her toes as tightly as they’d curl, her wriggling becoming more urgent as her right foot, substituting for the emerging cub, faught to free itself from her restraining hands. Suddenly little Ekaterina wriggled convulsively, panted hard, took a fresh, firm hold of her right foot in both hands, then, screaming, made one final massive effort to give birth to her imagined cub: “Yaoaoaoaoaoaowayayayayowuch!” Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Maiaiaiaiaiaow! Ruuuuuumf!” Ekaterina screeched, Wriggling madly, squealing as her right foot flew free of her hands, Mishka feeling her kick the air, his paws pummelled by her warm bare right foot, her curled toes scratching his fingers.

“You set me a high example little Ekaterina,” Moses said.

“that was amazing!” Titan mewed, padding into the room, “Little Ekaterina, I couldn’t have re-enacted it any better.”

“I watched you every minute Titan,” little Ekaterina panted, “Titan, you did all that, apart from holding your right foot. I held mine so I could really push, just as you really pushed Apudo out.”

“I wanted to hold my feet with my paws like you did, to keep them out the way of the cub,” Titan mewed.

“I think Theo did that for you didn’t he?” Moses asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed.

“I wish I’d been paws on with Apudo’s arrival,” Mishka said, “not that your re-enactment isn’t wonderful little Ekaterina.”

“You may have the chance to get paws on with me while I’m in labour very soon,” Titan mewed.

“how so?” Mishka asked.

“Mishka, take my paw,” Titan said, giving the brown bear his left paw.

“Oh, it’s like that,” Mishka whispered.

“My rebirth was no fiction Mishka,” Apudo mewed, padding up to Titan, “it really happened.”

“Oh, I believe you,” Mishka replied, Titan kissing his nose.

“feel what I’m doing now Mishka!” little Ekaterina yelled. Titan and Mishka turned, and Apudo opened her mouth to comment when Titan covered it with his paw.

“Let Mishka find out with his paws,” Titan whispered to his cub.

“But it’s Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!” Apudo mumbled from behind Titan’s paw.

“I know,” Titan replied, “but, let Mishka get paws on. Little Ekaterina knows how he sees the world now, that’s why she lets him rub her feet and hands all the time. We watched them remember? That’s also why Karina wants him to touch her feet too.” Apudo sat down to watch Mishka. Mishka crawled towards little Ekaterina, finding her lying on her back. Feeling gently, the blind bear found her arms, then her hands, which were holding her feet. Mishka found Little Ekaterina’s left foot, then her right, but they were in a strange position. Exploring further, he found she’d drawn up her legs, turning her feet inwards, crossing her legs, one in front of the other and grabbing the toes of both her small feet with the fingers of both hands, left hand to curled toes of left foot, right hand to curled toes of right foot. Mishka found little Ekaterina’s left foot was now furthest away from her, her right nearest her..

“I can see the sole of my right foot Mishka, find and touch my feet and hands,” little Ekaterina said.

“You silly thing!” Mishka laughed, exploring little Ekaterina’s hands which held onto the curled toes of both feet, feeling their smallness compared to his own paws.

“that’s very cute,” Mishka replied, gently scratching the bunched skin on the sole of her left foot, little Ekaterina curling her toes extra tightly and wriggling with pleasure at Mishka’s touch.

“this is so lovely,” little Ekaterina said, “rub my left foot Mishka, rub from my toes to my heel!” she begged. Mishka did as she asked, little Ekaterina letting go of the toes of her left foot, relaxing her toes and letting her foot fall, the toes of her left foot brushing through Mishka’s paws, little Ekaterina curling her toes in a desperate attempt to grip Mishka’s fingers and stop the fall of her foot. Mishka let her foot fall, to which little Ekaterina reacted by squealing and letting go of her right foot, pedalling hard with both legs for a few seconds, her feet brushing Mishka’s paws, her toes curled with frustration. Then, with a yell, she drew up her knees,, turned her legs inwards so the soles of her feet faced each other, grabbing the tightly curled toes of both feet with both hands once more. Wriggling madly, Little Ekaterina held fiercely onto her toes, her left hand gripping the tightly curled toes of her left foot, her right gripping the tightly curled toes of her right foot, her fingertips dug into the gap between her toe pads and the pads on the ball of her foot, her toes curled tightly round them.

“rururururr! now my fingers won’t slip, get paws on Mishka! My toooes are curled tight round them, and they can’t slip!” little Ekaterina yelled, wriggling urgently as if to test her words, Mishka paws on with her hands and feet throughout her antics, Mishka smiling at her.

“rub Ekaterina’s foot Mishka, show Ekaterina how you feel by rubbing the sole of her left foot. Treat her as you would mama Sita or cub Ekaterina,” Titan suggested.

“yes Mishka, rub the soles of my feet!” little Ekaterina replied, letting go of the toes of her left foot and lowering her left leg, bending it comfortably, then resting her heel on the floor. Mishka took gentle hold of little Ekaterina’s left foot, rubbing the sole of it from toes to heel, the young girl whimpering and curling her toes with pleasure, pressing her foot into his paws as he worked.

“ruururururumf!” she grunted, pushing her foot hard into his paws.

“It’s all right, you can push with your foot as much as you like,” Mishka said, stroking the tops of little Ekaterina’s curled toes, Moses watching her, his eyes shining as he saw her reaction to the bear’s massage.

“I also do what you’re doing when Mishka rubs my feet Ekaterina,” he said.

“Mishka’s paws are Soaoaoaoao lovely! I don’t wayayayayant him to Stoaoaoap ruuubing my heeeyeel or toooes!” little Ekaterina replied, bouncing on her backside and flexing her toes, then suddenly stopping her bouncing and tightly curling her toes as she pushed her left foot into Mishka’s paws with fresh urgency.

“I don’t wayayayant Youououoaw to Stoaoaoap ruuubing my toooes Mishka!” little Ekaterina yelled.

Moses felt a paw touch the toes of his left foot, where he sat on the floor watching little Ekaterina.

“your toes are curled as tightly as I imagine little Ekaterina’s are,” cub Ekaterina said.

“Would you like me to fight to uncurl them with my fingers?” Moses asked.

“I’d like that,” little Ekaterina said. Moses curled the toes of his right foot, cub Ekaterina paws on with his curled toes and bunched skin on the sole of his foot. Then she felt the fingers of his right hand gripping and tugging at his curled toes, Moses wriggling while tugging with increasing urgency at the curled toes of his right foot, which refused to uncurl, cub Ekaterina paws on throughout. Tugging hard at his toes, Moses struggled to uncurl his toes, cub Ekaterina feeling his fingers slip twice as he worked at the first stage of uncurling his toes. Each time his fingers lost grip, Moses would grab his right foot with both hands, wriggle madly and scrabble at his sole with his fingers. after ten minutes, in which he lost hold of his toes three times, Moses scrabbled at the toes of his right foot for a forth time, when they suddenly uncurled and grabbed his fingertips, curling tightly to hold them, cub Ekaterina feeling him wriggle and hearing him groan with disappointment as his fingers were caught.

“my toooes have my fingers naoaoaoaoao!” Moses gasped, wriggling, rocking and tugging, cub Ekaterina’s own toes curling with anticipation of the coming struggle between Moses fingers and toes. Getting paws on with the toes of Moses right foot, she found the fingers of his right hand tugging at his toes while his left held the heel pad of his right foot. Moses tugged at the fingers of his right hand, their tips still caught in the fierce grip of the toes of his now hot padded right foot, while he wriggled in his struggle to uncurl his toes and free his fingers. struggling hard, Moses began gasping and whimpering, cub Ekaterina feeling the toes of his left foot curling with the efforts he was making to uncurl those of his right.

“pull, Moses pull!” cub Ekaterina urged, getting paws on with Moses right foot, feeling the fingers of both his small hands gripping his heel pad and tugging at his curled toes in a frantic effort to uncurl them. yowling, Moses tugged and wriggled, his protestations starting with low pitched moaning and ending in high pitched yowling whenever he tugged at his trapped fingers.

“Moses is doing this Mishka!” little Ekaterina said, mimicking Moses antics by grabbing her right foot in her hands and tugging at her toes, the blind male bear paws on with the young girl’s small hands and feet.

“You like Mishka’s touch don’t you Ekaterina,” Apudo mewed, nudging little Ekaterina’s shoulder with her nose.

“yes, he has really soft paws, he’s lovely!” the little girl replied.

“I must let him have my paws and feet sometime soon,” Apudo mewed, looking at Mishka’s huge feet as the bear knelt before little Ekaterina, playing with the young girl’s right foot in his huge paws, gently flexing her toes then rubbing the sole of the girl’s foot from toe pads to heel pad, Apudo feeling her own toes curl into the rubber floor as she imagined Mishka’s huge, soft paws working on her own pads, while she wanted desperately to touch the massive sole pads and toes of Mishka’s feet with her own paws. Apudo shook herself, feeling her long mane flop about her head, looking down at her paws, she noticed they were fatter than her forelegs.

“I’m growing normally aren’t I Titan?” Apudo asked anxiously.

“yes,” Titan replied, “you have a long mane and very cute fat paws and feet Apudo.” He kissed her nose and the tops of the toes of her left paw, Apudo smiling broadly, nuzzling the top of his huge right paw. Little Ekaterina suddenly shook her right foot free of Mishka’s paws, and, standing up, threw her arms round the bear’s neck.

“come here!” she demanded, hugging him, Mishka snorting with surprise, then smiling as she kissed his nose.

“all right little Ekaterina,” he said, returning the kiss to her nose then hugging her in his huge embrace.

“you’re lovely,” Mishka purred, little Ekaterina standing on tiptoe to hug Mishka more easily.

“I love you Mishka,” little Ekaterina said, the bear rubbing her back with his massive left paw while hugging her close with his right arm.

“I love you too little Ekaterina,” Mishka replied, kissing the top of her head.

“that’s so cute!” mama Karina said.

“I want you to rub my feet again Mishka,” little Ekaterina said.

“I didn’t rub your left foot while you were lying down did I,” he said.

“no, and I curled my toes so tightly when I was imagining the birth of my cub too,” she replied. Mishka sat down, little Ekaterina kneeling with her feet between his, Mishka leaning forward and touching the upturned heel of her left foot, rubbing the pad with gentle circular movements of the fingers of his left paw.

“thank you,” little Ekaterina said.

“Moses might need some of that rubbing too,” cub Ekaterina called over to Mishka, “at the moment he’s struggling to uncurl his toes by using his fingers and can’t do it very well.”

“Little Ekaterina showed me what Moses was doing cub Ekaterina, it is very cute.” Mishka replied.

“What do my pads feel like Mishka?” little Ekaterina asked.

“Your heel pad is soft and firm, with a little spring in it,” the bear said, moving his paw to the sensitive spot on the inside of her arch just below her heel pad as he felt it, on the arch of her foot just below the margin of her heel pad, rubbing the place with gentle pressure from his fingers, little Ekaterina curling her toes and wriggling with pleasure.

“keep doing that!” little Ekaterina begged, Mishka smiling with contentment at his work.

“rub my feet from my toes to my heels, keep rubbing my feet please Mishka,” little Ekaterina urged.

“I will do it for as long as you like for it is an honour to do such a thing,” Mishka replied.

“I don’t understand all those words yet,” little Ekaterina replied, “but I understand the feelings your paws very well Mishka. carry on with your rubbing please.” Mishka rubbed down the arch of little Ekaterina’s small left foot from heel pad to the ball of her foot, the girl’s toes curling tighter the nearer his touch got to them, Mishka’s fingers eventually touching bunched pads on the ball of her left foot then tightly curled toes, little Ekaterina relaxing her toes, Mishka pushing his fingers into the gap between the girl’s ball and toe pads, whereon little Ekaterina tightly curled her toes in a desperate attempt to hold onto the bear’s fingers.

“that’s very cute,” Apudo mewed, lying down on the floor and resting her paws and chin on Mishka’s right leg so she could get a good view of the goings on.

“it’s lovely to do this Apudo,” Mishka said. Apudo looked at him, glad he could not see the envy in her eyes.

“I know how you feel,” Mishka suddenly said, “you wish you were in little Ekaterina’s place don’t you Apudo. Apudo, shocked to her core, gasped and replied:

“yes, but, how, how did you know?”

“Your paws are touching me, I can feel it,” Mishka replied.

“I’m ragingly jealous, but struggling to hide it,” Apudo blurted.

“I know that too, and I commend you for your restraint,” the bear said.

“I know his touch,” Moses said, “Apudo, Mishka’s touch is wonderful.”

“I know it too,” cub Ekaterina said, “I agree, it is wonderful.”

“Don’t speak of it any moaoaoaore! My payayayayads wayayayayant Mishka’s touch!” “sorry, you’ll have to wait,” Mishka said, Apudo yowling with frustration:

“naoaoaoaoao!” she yowled, slapping Mishka’s leg with her well-padded paws.

“yes,” little Ekaterina replied finally, “and don’t slap Mishka!” she yelled, turning on Apudo and slapping her paws, Apudo glancing at Titan, seeing his disappointment, then recoiling in a mewing sulk.

“Well done Ekaterina!” Titan said, watching Apudo licking the tops of her paws which little Ekaterina’s tiny hands had slapped.

“that told her,” Mishka mused.

“I would like my feet rubbed again,” little Ekaterina said.

“You will get that,” Mishka replied. little Ekaterina lay down prone on the floor, her feet near Mishka’s paws, smiling as she felt her left foot taken in his paws.

“I know now why pulling my toes from yours was so hard,” she said, “Mishka, your paws and feet are so warm, I really have to try hard!”

“hearing that is rather pleasing,” Mishka replied.

“I like your play,” little Ekaterina said.

“I can’t get over how small your hands and feet are little Ekaterina,” Mishka said, little Ekaterina giggling merrily at this.

“they’re big enough for you to rub aren’t they?” she asked.

“yes,” Mishka replied, drawing circles on the heel pad of her left foot, “they are, and I’m honoured you let me.” Little Ekaterina felt Mishka’s fingers reach the sensitive part of her foot on her arch and begin rubbing in circles just below her left heel pad, the sensation making her curl her toes with pleasure.

“I so want some of what you’re having little Ekaterina!” Apudo miaowed.

“Moses is next I think,” little Ekaterina said, Apudo wailing with frustration.

“Stop your wailing!” Karina miaowed, slapping Apudo.

“Auauauauauauw! That huuuuurt Karina!” she yowled.

“I wayayayayant my paws ruuuub!” Apudo miaowed, rolling onto her back, waving her paws and feet about.

“they’re so cute aren’t they,” Moses said, “I muuuuust freeyeee my fingers from my toes so I can ruuuub Apudo’s payayayds!” he yelled, wriggling and tugging, cub Ekaterina paws on with his wriggling, squirming struggles. Yowling, Moses tore the fingers of his right hand from the grip of the toes of his right foot, the toes of both his small feet curling tightly with frustration, Moses crawling to Apudo while keeping the toes of both feet curled, cub Ekaterina following him, keeping the small fingers of both her naked paws in contact with the bunched skin on the balls of Moses small feet, feeling the heat in his toes and balls of his feet. they found Apudo lying on her back, her large paws and feet sticking skywards.

“Rub my paws and feet please,” Apudo mewed piteously.

“They look very cuddly,” Moses said.

“I was reborn of Titan,” Apudo mewed, looking up into the little boy’s face, “I used to have rather flat pads if I remember, but now I’m grateful to have thick, bouncy pads like Titan’s.”

“I love these pads,” Moses said, rubbing Apudo’s left paw, Apudo mewing with pleasure and curling her toes, Moses pushing his fingers into the grip of her large fat paw then rubbing her pads..

“miaiaiaau! Stoaoaoaoap that!” Apudo yowled, wriggling hard, “it’s too nice!” she whimpered, panting hard.

“that sound was so cute,” Moses said, touching Apudo’s right paw in the same way, Apudo miaowing in the same fashion but with increased urgency the more he touched her pads of all four of her large fat paws.

“miaiaiaau, Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Miaiaiaau!” she yowled, while Moses and cub Ekaterina laughed helplessly at her.

“that sounds so cute!” cub Ekaterina said.

“Apudo’s waving her paws about when I rub her feet, then she kicks with her feet when I rub her paws, it’s so sweet!” Moses giggled.

“She’s lovely,” cub Ekaterina said, grabbing Apudo’s left foot then kissing her pads, Apudo squirming delightedly.

“That’s very sweet of you,” Titan mewed, padding over to cub Ekaterina, bowing his head then kissing the sole of the naked she bear’s left foot.

“Titan,” Apudo said, “I tell you what would make you look lovely, a really long mane.

“One like yours used to be?” the liger asked.

“yes,” Apudo mewed, “well, a longer mane than you have now. You’ve got a ruff at the moment, I want you to have a curly mane.” Titan smiled hugely.

“as you know Apudo, I am three quarters female,” he mewed.

“I know,” Apudo purred, “but you’d still look lovely with a mane.”

“I know you look great with one,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose, Apudo smiling gently.

“Three quarters?” mama karina asked.

“it’s only Titan’s bone structure and muscles that’re really male,” Mishka said.

“yes, now you mention it, you’re right, his paws are female with a lot of male physical strength in them, but his eyes and the spirit pouring from his paws is very female indeed.”

“Titan’s the leader I wanted to be, but blew my chance when I got angry with little Ekaterina and tortured her,” Apudo mewed.

“You brought Titan into the love of your pride Apudo, now he is guiding you when you need it,” Karina mewed.

“Now I need guidance more than ever,” Apudo mewed.

“you are getting it when you play with Moses, and when you touch his feet and he touches yours,” Titan mewed. Apudo rolled onto her side and looked at Titan’s feet, the liger’s paws looking huge and she knew their souls were thickly padded, though she couldn’t see his pads. Titan watched her, then casually lay down, rolling onto his left side so his pads were visible to her.

“You wanted to see the pads on the soles of these?” he asked, rolling slightly so he could paw the air with all four of his huge feet.

“I love these paws,” Apudo mewed, putting her left paw in range of Titan’s right, pushing her toes into the gap between the sole pad and toe pads of his left paw, Titan gripping her toes with his hugely padded ones in a warm embrace.

“I can’t imagine the power of these paws while you pushed to give birth to me,” Apudo mewed.

“If I was to curl my toes like I did then, I would break your toes,” Titan mewed.

“I saw your toes curling on the video, I zoomed in on them and saw them curl, oh, and saw my birth like that too,” Apudo mewed.

“I’ve watched myself too,” Titan replied, massaging the toes of her left paw with those of his right, you had a struggle too I think Apudo.”

“It was a struggle of faith,” Apudo mewed, “could you push hard enough to deliver me? Could I survive the pain and fear of being reborn?”

“I wondered if I would be able to push hard enough,” Titan mewed, kissing his cub’s nose, “Your rebirth was my responsibility.”

“And you weren’t completely female inside then were you?” Apudo asked.

“My muscles weren’t ready to give birth,” Titan mewed, “I had to push in certain ways to make them work. You pressing down on a nerve helped me push Apudo.” Apudo smiled:

“I remember that,” she said, “I pressed with my paws on a place and there was a change in the way you pushed. It was a determined straining effort, the sound you made was different too.” Titan smiled then kissed her nose.

“I felt raging urges, and obeyed those,” he replied, “the worst bit for me was cleaning your face with my tongue, then seeing your face retreating as my pushing failed, I was so exhausted and I thought all was over, and I’d never be able to birth you.”

“I felt it,” Apudo mewed, crushing Titan’s paw in both of hers, “I roared and cried with fear once I was born, remember that?”

“I do,” Titan mewed, “I remember you beating Theo’s paws up too.”

“I had to get away from that tunnel Titan,” Apudo replied, kissing the toes of the paw which held hers. Wriggling with the sudden intensity of her memories, Apudo panted, swallowed hard, then continued, “Theo wanted to clean me, and I thought “naoaoaoaoao! I wayayayayant to get awayayayayay!”“ Titan giggled despite himself.

“What’s so funny? It’s nooaoaoaot fuuuunny!” Apudo yowled, tearing her paw from Titan’s grip and slapping both paws down on his, crushing his toes with sudden cubbish rage, “you laugh at my struggle and fear?” she asked.

“No, Apudo, I’m sorry, it’s the way you told the tale,” Titan replied, kissing his cub’s ear.

“My feet huuuuurt after being squashed, and I was so scared!” Apudo mewed piteously.

“I’m sorry for pushing so hard,” Titan mewed.

“naoaoao don’t be soaoaoaorry about that,” Apudo mewed, “I’m sure I’ll push as hard as you did when I have a cub of my own.”

“I don’t know if you can have your own cubs Apudo,” Titan mewed.

“I feel like I can,” Apudo mewed.

“did your rebirth cure you of your infertility too?” Titan asked.

“it may have done,” Apudo mewed, “I haven’t been examined by patch for that sort of thing since my rebirth. I didn’t have a womb did I. well, I might have one now, maybe.”

“I’ll ask Patch to check you over,” Titan mewed. Apudo snuggled up to Titan:

“but you have a womb,” she said, “I know it, I’ve rested in it, you just didn’t know how to push with it.” Titan kissed her nose.

“I soon found out though, thanks to you dear Apudo,” he replied softly.

“You did,” Apudo mewed, “and you had no help from the normal triggers either, you had to push willingly until I was able to reach that nerve with my paw. You did far more strenuous work at the beginning than you would normally have to do.”

“I remember when your paw touched that nerve, it hurt, as it caused the first proper involuntary urge to push, but it felt good to push with a proper contraction,” Titan replied.

“I felt you push, I felt your body react to my pressure on that nerve,” Apudo mewed gently, holding Titan’s paw with fierce urgency, pushing the toes of her left paw into the grip of those of his right, curling his toes round hers with her right paw, begging him to:

“Hold my paw Titan!” Titan gripped her toes with those of his paw, Apudo pressing her body against his, holding his right paw tightly in both of hers.

“I hope you can have another cub Titan, and, and, I hope I can be there to see it born,” Apudo mewed.

“You can be where Theo was during your birth if you like,” Titan purred.

“I know what he saw!” Apudo mewed, “there was a camera behind him, and as he never got up from where he lay, I saw my birth from his point of view. It was amazing Titan!”

“But you didn’t feel the pressure of Titan’s curled toes on yours did you Apudo,” Theo mewed, padding into the room, “Titan’s toes curled so tightly round mine I thought their grip would break my toes. Even though it was painful, I wouldn’t have missed that pressure for anything, it added to an amazing experience.”

“I curled my toes and pushed my left foot into your paws, I can remember that much,” Titan mewed, “I was full of fear and pain. Pushing felt awful and fantastic all at once, then feeling Apudo stretching me on her way out, that was painful and glorious too.”

“I will see Bianca going through that soon,” Theo mewed, ”she’s about to have my cub any day now.”

“Why aren’t you lying with her now?” Titan asked.

“She’s bathing, she told me she had stomach cramps and to leave her alone,” Theo mewed.

“I’d go back to find her, she may be in labour Theo,” Titan mewed.

“I will,” Theo mewed, getting to his feet.

He was barely half way to the door when Bianca staggered in, her fur bathed in sweat and eyes full of terror. As Titan watched, she stopped walking, splayed her hind legs, closed her eyes, bared her teeth, squatted and, with a strangled moan of:

“erurururururuuuuuumf! Theoaoaoaoaow! I’m in layayayayaybour!” gave herself up to painful involuntary contractions.

“Oaoaoaoaoh! Auauauauwch! Umf, urhrhrhrhrhrf! Ruururururumf! aouwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Oaoaoaoaoh Theo, it’s, it’s, oh Theoaoaoaoaow, it’s so, oaoaoaof Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!” the white lioness complained stridently as she alternately wriggled and bounced on her toes. Bianca panted hard, stamping her paws and feet.

“I think, think, I think it’s settling down,” she gasped, opening her eyes and looking at Theo, getting to her feet and lowering her head, her mouth wide with panting. Suddenly she caught her breath and screwed her eyes tightly shut, her mouth snapping closed with a click of teeth. Squatting again, Bianca wriggled hard, her screeching yowl of pain making Theo’s toes curl and pads sweat with fright.

“oaoaoaoaaoaow, Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Auauauauauauw!” Bianca screeched, wriggling from side to side and bouncing on her toes, sweat flying from her fur.

“Is labour meant to be like this?” Theo asked.

“yes, yeyeyeyeyes!” Bianca yowled, “it huuuurts though! Muuuuust squat here! Auauauauauauch! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Uuuuuuruuuuuuumf! Oaoaoaoaow Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!”

“Is all this yelling and wriggling normal?” Karina asked.

“Quite normal,” patch replied, padding into the room wearing a rucksack on his back. Smiling at Bianca, he dumped it on the floor and set up cameras and his headcam, “Bianca’s just very sensitive to pain. I don’t think all her playing at having a stuck cub really helped her understand the real birth process. Oh, and before you panic, this cub’s not stuck, I’ve put ultra sound pads on Bianca’s body, I know where the cub is, I’m watching it now. I’m also monitoring Bianca’s vital signs, right down to the heat in her pads. She has a little sensor on the pads of one paw that monitors their heat and the sweat coming off them. Tells me if she’s dehydrated too.

“so all this is just dramatic yowling?” Theo asked, staring at Patch, who was now stroking Bianca’s head and ears with his paw.

“Yes, but I wouldn’t describe it as that,” the bear replied, “I don’t doubt she’s in pain, but it’s just noise.

“I’m in a lot of pain, I don’t need to push yet, but can I have something that will dull the pain?” Bianca whimpered.

“Yes, I can strap something to your back and you can breathe oxygen and a special gas,” Patch said, “the thing is a pack and you can roll on it if you want to roll on your back Bianca.”

“I might need that,” Bianca replied through clenched teeth, “aoaoaoaoaowuw,” she moaned, “it’s starting agayayayayayain! Oh Theoaoaoaoaow! It’s so Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! heuuuuuumf! ayayayayayayaayaywch! This Huuuurts!” Bianca complained, rolling onto her back, kicking the air with her feet and screaming into her paws which she’d cupped over her mouth, “Roaoaoaoaaoowow! miaowauowauowauow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Ruuuuuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” the lioness protested, her breath coming in snorting pants as she tried to cope with the pain and effort of her cub’s will to be born.

“Do you want pain relief?” Patch asked.

“miaowauowauowauow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!” Bianca replied piteously.

“I think that’s a yes!” Theo mewed, his fur dark with the sweat of fear as sweat dripped from his mate’s fur which was now more grey than white. Patch rolled Bianca onto her side and hugged her, then strapped a pack to her back and around her chest, giving her a demand valve to bite on.

“bite and suck on that when you feel the pain,” he said. Bianca did so when another pain hit, and she felt her pain dulled by the gas.

“I hope you’re getting all this on camera!” she gasped when she could speak again.

“yes,” Patch replied gently, kissing her nose and the tops of the toes of her sweating right paw, Bianca smiling her thanks.

“when I want to push, you’ll know first,” she panted.

“Can you curl your toes Like Titan did Bianca?” little Ekaterina asked.

“you can’t ask her to do that, this isn’t a bloody pantomime!” Theo yelled, stamping his huge paws.

“I will try to curl my toes like Titan did for you little Ekaterina,” Bianca mewed when she could speak between contractions, panting slightly, “next contraction. It might help me a bit when not pushing. Can everyone see my pads? Cub Ekaterina, Mishka, get paws on if you like! Oaoaoaaoh, it’s coming agayayayayin! miaowauowauowauow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!” Bianca lay on her left side, curling the toes of all four paws as tightly as she could during her ride through another contraction.

“don’t wayayayan’a puuush yet, cayayayayn’t puuush yet, but miaowauowauowauow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! This huuuuuuurts!” “ Bianca yowled, repeatedly tightly curling the toes of all four paws during the build-up and peaks of her contractions, relaxing them during the increasingly brief rests between her body’s efforts. Fascinated, little Ekaterina and Moses watched Bianca’s face, paws and feet, curling their own toes in sympathy with hers, both trying to curl their toes for as long as Bianca curled hers.

“how can Bianca curl her toes so tightly for so long?” Moses asked after ten minutes of following her lead, “my toooes are so tired and aching already!”

“She’s in far more pain than her tired toes could ever give her,” patch said, “Bianca hardly feels the ache or how tired her toes are Moses.

“Uauauauaauwmiaow!” Bianca yowled, breathing hard through the demand valve, wriggling and kicking, “Uauauauaauw! Auauauauauauch! This is Soaoaoaoao payayayayaayinful!” she screamed.

“Is the cub stuck?” Theo asked, his eyes terrified.

“No,” Patch replied, “Bianca, try deep breathing when you feel the pain, that way you’ll get more pain killing gas, and your cub’s heart rate won’t race either. When you hyperventilate like that, you’re getting less oxygen into your body.”

“I cayayayayn’t! It huuuurts too muuuch!” Bianca screamed.

“when you’re screaming at Patch, at least you’re breathing correctly,” Karina observed.

“Shuuuuuut uuuuuuup Kariyiyiyiyiyina!” Bianca yowled.

“that’s good,” patch said, stroking Bianca’s back, “now, do you feel a need to push?”

“how should I know?” Bianca sobbed.

“It feels like needing a poo,” Karina replied helpfully.

“Not yet, but, but, I’ve already done that! I did it several times already!” Bianca yelled, her paws now clamped around Patch’s left foot, “uuuuumf, erhrhrhrhryuuuuuumf! I wayayayayant to relieve myself!” she gasped, getting to her feet, squatting and straining, a plug of fluid and mucus bursting from her, “auauauauwch! What was that!” Bianca screeched.

“the uterine plug,” Patch said, “congratulations Bianca, you’re in proper labour now.”

“you mean all my screeching and sweating wasn’t?” Bianca asked, staring at Patch.

“Oh, it was, but not the sort that will birth your cub,” patch replied, Bianca throwing herself on the floor, screaming with pain and frustration as the next contraction gripped her, the lioness grabbing Patch’s right foot in her paws and crushing his toes while screaming and swearing.

“that’s it,” Patch said, rubbing the lioness’s ears as she rested her chin on her paws while panting hard during a lull in increasingly powerful, frequent contractions, “Bianca, keep that up.”

“Don’t ruuuub my ears like I’m a bloody lap cat!” Bianca squealed, bearing down hard for the first time, “uuuuumf, uauauauauauwch! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Miaoaoaoaow! Ruuuuuhuuumf!” she complained lustily as she repeatedly strained, breathed and wriggled while straining down into her bottom. Little Ekaterina and Moses watched as Bianca tightly held onto Patch’s right foot with her freely sweating paws, firmly anchoring her front end, while her hind end bounced about, the white lioness pushing off with the toes of both feet, curling her toes, then throwing her hind end about with every effort she made, accompanying her efforts with moans and yowls of protest at the pain she felt.

“When you feel the need to push, grip my fingers with your toes Bianca,” Mishka said, crawling over to the struggling white lioness and placing the fingers of both paws within the space between the toe pads and the balls of her feet.

“Now squeeze away at my fingers with your toes dear lioness,” Mishka invited, “and Bianca, please, listen to me,” he said gently, rubbing the sweating sole pad of her right foot, “when you push, imagine the cub being pushed towards the outside, anchor your paws and feet with my paws so the cub can’t fall and injure itself. This cub is going to be born, so let me hold your feet down and rub your pads to soothe you, then you can get on with pushing, okay?” the bear said softly, Bianca curling her body round to listen to him more closely, for Mishka was speaking so softly Bianca could hardly hear him, indeed, he’d never raised his voice to her, even when she was screaming and struggling.” Bianca, exhausted from throwing herself about, lay crying and sniffling as she listened, unable to speak to Mishka, though knowing he spoke sense, for the contact between the bear’s huge paws and the pads on the soles of her feet told her everything.

“Mishka speaks truth Bianca,” Patch said softly.

“I know, I know!” the lioness sniffled, “the pain’s coming agayayayayin!” Bianca screamed, lifting her head, throwing herself full length on the floor. Wriggling hard, Bianca screwed her eyes shut, yowling as she pushed properly for the first time, bracing her feet against the pressure of Mishka’s paws while blindly reaching for Patch’s paws with hers, finding Patch’s right foot and crushing his foot in a grip driven by effort and pain, Mishka’s fingers and Patch’s entire right foot getting the full force of Bianca’s need for reassurance and physical support as her body did its age old duty.

“ruuuuuuumfriaiaiaiaiaiow! Uuuuuuuuaumf! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!” she complained as she pushed, her effort expressed at first in a low moan, tailing off with a yowl as she felt her effort fail.

“Go on Bianca! Do that again! Puuuuuush Bianca, puuush like that again!” Patch encouraged.

“Ruuuuuuumfriaiaiaiaiaiow! Uuuuuuuuaumf! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow, aoaoaoaow! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!” Bianca replied, straining hard into her bottom, “My cuuuuub’s moving down, I can feeyeeel the cuuuub inside meyeee!” she whimpered.

“That’s wonderful news, that’s great, do it again, that big push again, hold my toes and Mishka’s fingers, and puuush!” patch replied, looking down at the toes of his left foot, noticing them curled with excitement or anxiety, he didn’t know which.

“What the hell are you doing Titan!” Bianca suddenly demanded during a lull in her efforts. Startled out of his own concentration, Patch looked over at the huge liger. Titan was lying on the floor with cub Ekaterina holding his right foot in her paws, as Mishka held Bianca’s, his paws clamped around Sita’s foot, the cat bear having apparently walked in without anyone noticing.

“I’m re-enacting what’s going on for those who can’t see it,” Titan mewed, panting hard.

“Well stoaoaoaoap it!” Bianca raged, her rage cut off by another contraction. Lowering her head, Bianca wriggled, roaring and miaowing with the pain of her labour:

“ruuuuuuumfriaiaiaiaiaiow! miaowauowauowauow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!” then panting, before straining again, complaining lustily “Uuuuuuuuaumf! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow, aoaoaoaow!” Titan getting down to following her lead, which was easy for him, for he tapped into her body, his physical body controlled by Bianca’s struggles.

“As you’re pretending to be me, a bit of help to puuush wouldn’t go amiss!” Bianca gasped during a lull in her pains, Titan smiling at her.

“I can help with that,” Titan mewed, “I’ve been ignoring your efforts so far, but I can tap into them if you’d like.” Bianca stared at Titan.

“Go on then Titan, push!” she challenged, Titan replying by sitting down, gripping the floor with the toes of all four of his huge paws, settling himself then straining hard, Bianca closing her eyes and clenching her teeth.

“auauauuw! I can feeyeeel it!” she wailed, Titan gasping and panting as he relaxed.

“That was without a contraction,” he panted, “with one I can help even more, want it?” he asked, sweat dripping off his nose.

“Yeyeyeyeyes!” Bianca wailed, wriggling as her body got ready for another huge effort. Titan and Bianca pushed together, then took turns as Bianca’s contractions built and spent themselves.

“how does the cub feel to you Titan?” Bianca gasped after five minutes.

“Fine, moving down, uuuuumf! This is wonderful! You’re doing so well Bianca!” the liger replied, wriggling as Bianca wriggled, curling his toes with her as she pushed, both liger and lioness straining together to birth her cub.

“This cub’s huuuge!” Titan gasped.

“ruuuuuuumfriaiaiaiaiaiow! Uuuuuuuuaumf! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow, aoaoaoaow! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!” Bianca and Titan yelled in unison as they both pushed and panted together.

“I wayayayant more of this!” Bianca pleaded.

“the cub’s not out yet, three quarters of the way till his head comes out, nearly there!” Titan gasped.

“Puuush Titan puuuuuush!” Bianca screeched, Titan bearing down, Bianca yowling and kicking as he strained, concentrating on the contractions and efforts to get the cub born. Settling his paws and feet, Titan pushed hard, deep groaning pushes that made Bianca squeal and yowl, while gripping hard with her sweating paws and bracing her right foot against Mishka’s huge paws, lifting her left leg to allow the cub to be born, crushing Mishka’s and Patch’s toes with her toes and paws when she felt the need to push.

“Auauauauauauw! Auauauauauauw! “ruuuuuuumfriaiaiaiaiaiow! Uuuuuuuuaumf! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow, aoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!” Bianca complained lustily as Titan strained hard. Titan finished his last effort off with a yowl as Bianca piled on the pressure, making Titan squeal and yowl as she had.

“lift your right hind leg, let the cub come Bianca,” Patch said gently.

“it’s buuuuuurning!” Titan screamed, lifting his own right hind leg to let the cub come out as the cub’s paws and head emerged, then slipped back as Bianca relaxed and panted.

“I nearly felt the cuuuuub’s head come out!” she gasped.

“I know, I feyeeelt it!” Titan whimpered, wriggling with discomfort.

“I wayayayan’a puuush this cuuuub ouuouout on my own, wayayayan’a puuush!” Bianca suddenly yowled, straining hard, biting down on her left paw as she strained into her tail.

“ayayayayayayaow! Umf! ayayayayayayaow!” she yelled as she pushed down hard into her tail, the cub’s paws and head half emerging with a squeeze of pressure that made Bianca squeeze her eyes shut as her efforts nearly forced her cub’s head out into the light of day. Groaning, she piled on the pressure, straining lustily as the cub’s paws scraped over the opening, then with a wriggle and yowl from both Bianca and Titan, its head emerged slowly, then with a rush, which nearly took their breath away. Squealing, Bianca kicked with her right foot, then moaning, she bore down, pushing the cub out inch by inch, Titan scrabbling on the floor as he struggled to help.

“Puuush the cub Bianca!” Titan begged, bracing his paws and left foot, lifting his right leg and panting while Bianca kept up the pressure, straining hard down into her tail.

“aauuauaauuowch! Uauauauauauwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!” Titan screamed, the cub’s body sliding out, its hips jamming. Both liger and lioness reacted to this, Bianca redoubling her efforts and Titan screaming his head off, the cub shooting out the rest of the way, accompanied by ear splitting roaring and yowling from Bianca and Titan as she made one last straining effort to deliver the cub’s feet.

“left foot out, Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! heels and toooes!” Titan screeched.

“Right foot out, heyeeels toooes!” Bianca yelled taking his cue as she pushed down hard into her bottom and began to feel the cub’s right foot slide free, the pads bumping their way into the light of day.

“Uuumf, auauauauwch, aouwch!” Bianca gasped as the cub’s toes slid free.

“done it, your cub is born, you did it Bianca!” Titan replied, panting slightly, “.”

“We did it you mean,” Bianca mewed, turning to look at the cub whom she’d just given strenuous birth.

“I’ll clean it,” Titan mewed, padding over and washing the cub, to Theo’s anger.

“But that’s Bianca’s job!” he miaowed.

“Go on Titan,” Bianca mewed, Titan finishing cleaning the cub, handing it to Bianca to nurse, the lioness gazing at a huge white male lion cub.

“No wonder he was hard to give birth to, he’s huge!” she thought. Theo pushed Titan out of the way and sniffed the now yowling cub over from nose to tail. the male cub smelt of Bianca and himself, not of Titan, though the liger had cleaned him.

“My scent will not be present on your cub or in him,” Titan mewed, “I will claim no right to your cub Theo, he’s yours to name and nurture. All I did was, well, give a little assistance to Bianca when she needed help with her labour.”

“You have hardly used my gas and air mix Bianca,” patch said.

“No, I, well, didn’t need it when Titan began pushing with me,” Bianca mewed, “I felt really safe, and the pain was there, but not there. I could feel it, but it didn’t scare me anymore, so it was bearable.” Patch smiled, for he knew what she meant.

“I’m glad Titan comforted you from the inside,” the bear said.

“he did,” Bianca mewed, “I can’t explain it, but he comforted me, even while I was yowling as he pushed to deliver our cub with and without my help.”

“Our cub?” Theo asked, “Bianca, you’re not saying, are you? How can that cub be Titan’s too? “ the lion’s mane suddenly bristled, and he stamped his paws, He cayayayayn’t be the sire of your cuuuub!” Theo raged.

“I meant yours and mine,” Bianca mewed. Suddenly a pained cry:

“aauuauaauuowch! Uauauauauauwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!” from Titan, made her turn her head towards him. Stunned into silence, Bianca watched as Titan, his face contorted with pain and fear, threw himself on the rubberised floor of the playroom, wriggling urgently and curling into a ball, then stretching out while pedalling the air with his paws and feet. nearly tying his paws in knots, Titan strained twice, long, straining pushes into his bottom which made him moan:

“Uuuurmruuuumf! Ruuuuuumf!” Then he struggled to his huge feet, squatted and bore down twice more, his pained cries of:

“Auauauauauauw! Auauauauauauw! “ruuuuuuumfriaiaiaiaiaiow! Uuuuuuuuaumf! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow, aoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!” making Bianca wish she could push with him.

“Push Titan puuush!” Bianca yelled, finding herself banging her paws on the floor in solidarity with the liger.

“Stoaoaoap that banging Bianca!” Theo yelled, as Titan threw himself down on the floor once more and lay full length, straining and yowling.

“I must auaoaoaoaowch!” Titan roared, curling his toes for the first time as he strained hard down, kicking with his right foot.

“That’s it, Titan, push, push, push!” Bianca mewed, “push right down Titan, right into your tail. puuuuuush!”

“Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Ruuuuuumf! This cuuuuub’s huuuge! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Titan complained, straining hard, Apudo seeing the paws of a huge cub emerging from beneath his tail as he pushed down repeatedly, Titan now curling the toes of all four paws with pain and effort. Fascinated, Apudo watched from where she’d thrown herself down on the floor behind her guide’s feet, feeling a small body throw itself down beside her, her nose and the newcomer’s almost touching the toe pads of Titan’s left foot.

“Nearly there, nearly there!” Theo yelled, his eyes filling with tears as the liger screamed:

“ayayayayayayaow! Umf! I cayayayaayn feeyeeel the cuuuuub’s paws! Ayayayayayayaow!” as the cub’s paws slid into the light of day, its head emerging half way, sliding back a little when Titan’s effort waned. Panting hard, Titan mewed piteously then screamed:

“Oaoaoaowch! Ayayayayayayaow, oh ayayayayayayaow!” as the cub’s head was forced out into the light of day with the next contraction. Titan, screaming with fear and pain, wriggled hard, then lifted his right leg as far as it would go from his left to allow the passage of the cub.

“ayayayayayayaow! Umf! Ayayayayayayaow! This cuuuuub’s enormous!” Titan yowled, “aauuauaauuowch! Uauauauauauwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!”

“Nearly there, nearly there Titan, just half the cub’s body, hips and legs to go!” Apudo yelled, placing the toes of her left paw in the grip of those of Titan’s left foot, Titan curling his toes round hers, squeezing them during his efforts. The newcomer, seeing Titan’s struggle, nudged Apudo:

“if we grab one of the cub’s paws each, we could pull when Titan makes that noise while he pushes,” the cub suggested.

“No, he’s fine,” Apudo mewed, “and you can’t pull at the cub’s paws either!” she snapped as the newcomer, whom Apudo could now see to be a very fat, clearly very newborn male white lion cub reached his small paws towards the emerging cub’s massive ones. Everyone stared at Titan, or was paws on with the struggling liger and the cub to which the big cat was giving strenuous and violent birth. Under further pressure from Titan, the cub emerged, squelching into the world. To everyone’s astonishment, during a huge effort from Titan as he pushed to deliver its feet, the cub wriggled, then yelled in a loud protesting miaow:

“aauuauaauuowch! Uauauauauauwch! My feeyeeet awe being squashed! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Riaoaoaoaow! Uauauauauw!”

“Can I help pull her feet out?” the newcomer asked. Apudo nearly threw herself on top of him.

“No!” she snapped, pinning him down under one paw, “leave Titan and his cub alone, they’re doing just fine.”

“Sorry, so sorry little one!” Titan whimpered, “I have to puuush just a bit more, Uuuuumf, Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Your feeyeeet are huuuge! Muuuuust puuush! Uuuuumf Ruuuuuhuuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Titan squealed. Feeling the pressure ease after what seemed to be an age of straining, Titan panted, listening to the sound of the cub’s paws as it began crawling squelchily towards his head.

“now clean me, and feed me!” it yelled, slapping Titan’s nose with a mucus covered paw.

“yes, come,” Titan mewed, licking the cub dry, the cub’s purring vibrating Titan from paws to tail.

“you’re female!” Titan mewed.

“yeah, I know, though I’s big ain’t I. Now you’s Titan ain’t you?” The cub asked.

“yes, I is, I mean am,” Titan mewed, trying not to laugh at the cub’s manner of speaking.

“All we need Bianca, is for your male cub to have Purdy’s speech patterns, and we’ll have a right pair,” Patch giggled.

“’e ‘asn’t said anything with r in it yet,” Mishka said, Patch spluttering into his paws with laughter.

“Oh come on Titan! give me my milk!” his female cub raged, kneading furiously at Titan’s belly, “I cayayayayn’t find it, and I’s vewy ‘ungwy you know!”

“this is soaoao fuuuunny I’m going to explode!” Patch laughed, running from the room.

“Who’s going to check us over to make sure we’re fine, and who’s going to check our cubs now Patch has gone?” Bianca asked.

“Patch will come back,” Mishka said, “he’s, um, finding all this rather amusing.

“Now I’s found milk, great, I’m appy now,” Titan’s cub said, Theo smiling into his whiskers.

“how did Titan give birth to a cub with a speech impediment worse than Purdy’s!” Theo mewed.

“Your cub is miraculous Theo!” Apudo snapped, running to the newborn cub, then, slowing to a stop, dropping to a crawling posture, then touching the pads of the cub’s left foot with her paw.

“’ere,” the cub said, turning round and sniffing at Apudo, then touching her with her paws, “you smells like you’re my sister, come, ‘ave yourself a dwink.”

“thanks,” Apudo mewed, Titan watching both Apudo and his newborn cub.

“That’s so cuuuute! I think I’m gonna cry!” Bianca said.

“yes, it is isn’t it,” Theo mewed, tears rolling down his face as he watched his two cubs.

“Soppy old lion that!” Titan’s cub said, waving a huge paw at Theo, “’e’s one soppy lion ain’t ‘e?” Theo, completely overcome, wept unashamedly for joy.

“we all do,” Titan thought, wiping his eyes with a huge paw, noticing Bianca struggling to keep emotions in check.”

“Too cubs in one day,” Titan mewed.

“yeah I know,” his cub said, “I ‘’eard all that noise, and knew what it meant, so I just ‘ad to come out and join the pawty. I was lonely in that place!” Apudo, smiling broadly, hugged the newborn cub, shocked at how fat and large she was.

“You’re huuuge!” Apudo exclaimed.

“Yeah, I know, Titan said I is,” the cub replied, snuggling up to her.

“Your paws! They’re enormous!” Moses said, grabbing Titan’s newborn cub’s right paw, the big liliger pulling her paw away, miaowing.

“get off my paw!” Spitting with fury.

“Why can Apudo hold your paw, but I can’t?” Moses asked.

“Because you’s gone and grabbed my paw, that’s why, touch my foot fiwst, let me get used to youw touch fiwst!” Titan’s cub yowled.

“Sorry,” Moses replied, grabbing the cub’s right hind foot.

“that’s bettew,” Titan’s cub mewed.

“What should I name my cub?” Bianca asked, Chasing him across the playroom until the cub blundered into Titan’s newborn cub, almost falling over her.

“oi! Ow!” she screamed.

“Sorry,” Bianca’s cub said.

“What are you anyway?” Titan’s cub asked.

“I’m like you, a big cat cub, I think,” the male cub said, “I saw you bown, I mean born, though I haven’t yet got a name.

“We’ll name him Jespah,” Theo mewed, “that name has some meaning for me I think, or had a meaning for my now dead relatives. I have a notion it was a name of a fundamentally good lion.

“yes I think that was the name of a fundamentally good hearted community lion,” Titan mewed, “even if the lion who carried that name did wrong, the name is very suitable and is ripe for use again after so many years.”

“Titan, how would it be if we name your cub moggy?” Felix asked, “, you can’t get more of a genetic aberration, more of a moggie than a cub who’s born of a liger and a lion’s mating. A cub whose mother is partly male, and who, by right should not really have lived to be born.”

“Don’t talk like that!” Titan growled, leaping to his feet and facing Felix, “who are you to speak of moggies?” he asked in an increasing roar, his fur bristling, “you, Felix, who are born of Karina, who was born of mama Sita, making all of you Felix, from your nose to your toes, a genetic aberration, should know better than to speak of such things!” Titan’s cub, terrified by the noise, tried to snuggle against him, finding him gone, she struck out in the opposite direction with both paws, Jespah grabbing her in his paws, holding onto her in as large embrace as he could, while Titan’s voice became even fiercer, growing into a roar of rage. “I suggest you try to remember what you are! Remember where you came from!” the liger remonstrated in a roar that shook the floor and walls.

“oops,” cub Ekaterina said, “Felix, I’d shut up if I were you.”

“oh, um, yes, sorry,” Felix whimpered, burying his face in his hands.

“I’m sorry to speak like that Mama Sita,” Titan said, hearing his cub’s and Sita’s wail of distress when he mentioned genetic aberrations, “Sita getting to her feet.

“is that how you think of us Titan?” she asked icily.”

“No, of course not,” Titan mewed, “but the truth cannot be denied, and I had to speak of it to quell Felix, who, to my mind, was being as unreasonable towards the naming of my cub as I could be seen to be by mentioning the facts of his birth and that of his mother and Grand mama, the facts I referred to in order to make Felix see the ill-judged nature of his own words. I am deeply sorry mama Sita.”

“I thought we were tolerant of difference here,” Sita mewed.

“yes, in the main we are, but it seems, despite all teachings, that some of us are willing to use that difference as a weapon by means of a slur against a cub who has done no wrong to deserve it,” Titan mewed, throwing himself down on the rubberised floor of the playroom in sudden exhaustion. Sita swallowed hard, Titan seeing she was close to tears.

“I hoped never to hear a genetic slur used against another cub,” she choked, hiding her eyes with one paw and sniffing hard.

“Oh Grandmamma Sita, I’m sorry for that,” Felix mewed, padding to her and touching her supporting paw.

“Don’t touch me,” Sita choked, “Felix, you know what you said, you may be a cub, but you are clever and attentive. You know what you are and what your mother is, and what I am.”

“I’m sorry Grandmamma Sita, I didn’t think!” Felix miaowed, his face a picture of contrition.

“has Mama karina taught you about your origins Felix?” Titan asked. Felix turned his head to the liger, his face telling him all he needed to know.

“I told him where he came from, where I came from and where mama Sita came from too Titan,” mama karina mewed.

“I’m sorry!” Felix mewed, walking from the room, his head hung in shame.

“Stop,” Patch commanded as Felix reached the door, “walking away from those you have offended is not the way Felix. If you’re really sincere in your apology, go in turn, to mama Sita, and Titan, and the cub you call Moggie, though she will not understand why you call her Moggie, take their paws in turn, and apologise to each.”

“I was taught of my history by the badgers, and by my mama,” Felix mewed, “patch, you are right.”

“Where is you Titan?” his cub asked.

“I’m here,” Titan mewed, banging his well-padded paw on the rubberised flooring. Titan’s cub crawled to him, Titan grooming her from nose to tail as he hugged her in his paws.

“what will my name be?” the cub asked.

“Hmm, let me think,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose, “I think we should name you Zalika, which means well born, for you have been, despite what Felix may think. Is that all right with you Patch?” Patch padded forward, kneeling and stroking the large female cub’s head and ears.

“I think so,” he said, while the cub reached out with both paws to touch patch, the bear letting her touch his nose before he gently kissed the warm pads of her large fat left paw.

“Well born she is, and Zalika shall be her name,” Patch said. Titan smiled broadly at this, the cub rolling onto her back and waving all four paws about, patch blowing on her pads, making her squirm and laugh helplessly.

“now, let me meet Jespah,” Patch said, crawling to where the male lion cub lay between Bianca’s paws.

“Hello little one,” Patch said, Jespah turning his ear to Patch.

“Who are you?” the cub asked.

“e’s patch, I ‘eard ‘e’s some sort of spiwitual bear, Titan lets ‘im wide on ‘is back sometimes,” Zalika replied, as if she knew everything about it.

“hmm, my mum’s paws smelt of this bear,” Jespah mewed, sniffing at Patch’s paws as the bear handled his, “yes, I have smelt this scent before. Mum used him as something to hold onto while she pushed I think.”

“yes,” Bianca replied.

“How did Titan go from re-enacting a birth to giving birth for real?” Theo asked, throwing himself down on the floor, rubbing his sweating face with equally hot paws.

“I wanted to come out,” Zalika replied, so when Titan made those sounds and even pushed a bit, I’s thought to myself a bit then decided to come out.”

“I’m glad I’m not able to have cubs,” Theo mumbled into his paws.

“””Giving birth to a conceived cub was amazing,” Titan mewed, “painful, hard, strenuous work, but amazing too. Right Bianca?” Bianca smiled:

“it was amazing,” she replied.

“Now you’s both got a cub to looks aftuh ain’t you,” Zalika said, “I likes this place, and especially the paws of that ‘uge cat thing which touched my paws aftuh Titan did. Though That ‘uman thing went too far at first, touching my paws befowe touching my feet.”

“yeah, sorry,” Moses replied.

“Do you want more milk Zalika?” Titan asked.

“yeah, all right, I will,” the cub replied, drinking busily, Titan watching her with gentle eyes.

“I can hardly believe what happened today,” the liger mewed, kissing the top of Zalika’s head, the cub snuggling closer to him.

“come to thinks of it,” Zalika mewed in a tone which bore the wisdom of a thousand years, “I finds what ‘appened quite unbelievable too.”

“You have the most gorgeous fur and paws Zalika,” Apudo mewed, rubbing the large big cat cub’s shoulder.

“thanks,” Zalika mewed, purring as Apudo snuggled up close to warm her.

“Do I get a hug too?” Jespah asked, trying to push between Zalika and Apudo.

“That’s Bianca and Theo’s job!” Apudo mewed, turning on Jespah, spanking him with her huge paws, the male cub retiring to a safe distance.

“She doesn’t like meyeee muuum!” he yowled to Bianca.

“I’ll hug you,” Bianca replied, gathering Jespah into a huge hug.

“Why did you spank that big cub until he ran away Apuwdo?” Zalika asked.

“Because he shoved himself between you and me, that was so rude!” Apudo miaowed.

“yeah, suppose it was,” Zalika mused.

“Fighting already, how depressing,” Titan mewed.

“yeah, but ‘e wanted to steal my milk!” Zalika screeched.

“There’s enough for three Zalika,” Titan mewed, “and I don’t think Jespah wanted to steal anything. All he wanted was a hug.”

“he was rude about it though,” Apudo mewed.

“yes, he was, and you punished him I think,” Titan replied.

“I did,” Apudo mewed.

“Now I think it’s time to clean this place up to return it to a semblance of normality, please Patch?” Sita implored.

“yes, let’s clean this place and turn it from an impromptu birthing den to a playroom once more,” Patch replied. he got shovels, a mop and bucket, and began to clear away after birth and other muck from the rubber flooring.

“Glad this place is designed for this,” he said after an hour as he washed the floor with disinfectant and then dried it with a warm air dryer which he pushed along the floor, the sound making Sita’s toes curl with anxiety. Pads sweating, she rode out the noise until Patch finished.

“Sorry Sita,” he said, kissing her nose on his way past, Sita bumping noses with him.

“The room is suitable for play again now,” Patch said, putting away the cleaning tools then returning to Sita. Sitting down, he hugged her then rubbed her back, Sita purring deeply and cuddling close to him.

“Thanks,” she mewed, “I can’t quite get over my fear of anything that sounds remotely like a vacuum cleaner.”

“Dear sweet Sita,” Patch said, “nothing will harm you here, Wihakayda is not going to torture you with that sucking tube anymore.”

“Let’s wash,” Titan said to Bianca.

“Go to the washroom, and we’ll wash you and your cubs,” Sita said, struggling to compose herself after her fright. The two big cats picked up their cubs, carrying them to the washrooms, where Patch joined them.

“Shall we go too?” Felix asked cub Ekaterina.”

“No,” the she bear said, “I would like to stay here and play with you a bit. Jem and mama Karina are playing together too I think.

“We’ll stay too,” Moses said, “me and little Ekaterina want to play with each other’s toes after curling them so tight with Bianca’s efforts to have her cub.”

“I curled my toooes with her Moses, now they ache!” little Ekaterina replied, Moses taking her left foot in his hands, little Ekaterina curling her toes with pleasure as he rubbed the toe pads and ball of her foot, then on down to her heel.

“I’ll lie down on my front,” little Ekaterina said, “that’s how Mishka did it Moses, that way you can rub my heels too.”

“Maybe if we both give our feet to Mishka to rub, that would be nice for him and lovely for us,” he suggested. Little Ekaterina bounced with enthusiasm for the idea, curling her toes as tightly as she could with excitement.

“I can’t rub four feet at once,” Mishka protested.

“No,” mama Sita said, “I’ll help you Mishka.”

“I’ve never had my feet rubbed by mama Sita, well not lately anyway,” little Ekaterina said. Sita smiled:

“I can’t promise I’ll be as good as Mishka,” she replied.

“But you know how to be gentle, and how to rub pads?” Mishka asked.

“Oh yes,” Sita mewed.

“Then you will do well,” Mishka replied, hugging her, “just enjoy your work Sita, and don’t worry about doing things wrong. If you do, remember that your worries will transmit through your touch.”

“I’ll give it a go,” Sita mewed.

“You have opposable thumbs don’t you Sita?” Mishka asked.

“I do,” Sita replied, giving the male bear her right paw, Mishka’s touch making her gasp as he engulfed her paw in both his huge ones.

“oaoaoaoah!” Sita exclaimed.

“am I hurting you?” Mishka asked.

“No,” Sita mewed, “I just wish I’d given you my foot that’s all! I, I, I can feel what little Ekaterina feels, I think.” Little Ekaterina giggled delightedly:

“his touch is amazing isn’t it,” she said.

“oaoaoaoaoah! Miaoaoaoaow!” Sita replied, Moses laughing helplessly at her incoherence.

“Maybe if you practise rubbing Mishka’s feet first Sita,” Moses suggested.

“I think I will, with your say so of course Mishka,” Sita replied hesitantly.

“You have my permission, and I won’t bite your head off either,” Mishka replied smiling.

“You can do it mama,” mama Karina mewed, “you soothed my mind by touching my feet when I was in pain giving birth to Felix.”

“I suppose I did,” Sita mewed.

“Do you think I would have let you get as paws on as I did if you didn’t soothe my pain with your paws mum?” Karina asked.

“Suppose not,” Sita mewed.

“I was in a lot of pain mum,” Karina mewed, “if you remember, I was a cub giving birth to a cub really. You ignored my cubbish screaming, but others didn’t. they thought of me only as a cub.”

“You were very young to be having a cub,” Sita mewed, “but, karina, I thank you for letting me into your intimate space that day.”

“Mum and I both needed you Sita Paws,” Felix said, Sita smiling broadly.

“What’s this about Sita Paws?” Jespah asked, padding in from the washroom and throwing himself down exhausted beside the group, “I want to get to my paws and walk like Zalika, but it’s so tiring when I do!” he mewed.

“Oh, hi Jespah, it’s a silly name I gave my Grandmamma when I was first born,” Felix mewed, “I felt her paws holding me while mum, that’s mama Karina, pushed me into the world. My mum told me the paws were called Sita, or that’s how I understood mum’s meaning at the time. So I called grandmamma Sita, Sita Paws. Silly really.”

“that’s very cute,” Jespah replied. Felix crawled to Jespah, looked the huge cub over from nose to toes, then hugged him, the two creatures head rubbing, Jespah purring deeply.

“You’re gonna be huge when you’re all grown up,” Felix mewed.

“Not as big as Zalika I don’t think,” Jespah replied, “have you seen the size of her paws? They’re enormous! No wonder poor Titan had to push hard to get them into the world!”

“’e was pushing alone too,” Zalika said, walking up behind Jespah and playfully tugging his tail, “I’s big, I knows that. I knows I ‘uwt Titan on my way into the wowld.”

“On our way into the world, we all hurt those who give birth to us Zalika,” Felix mewed. Jespah settled himself on his right side so the pads of his large paws and feet were visible to Zalika and Felix.

“I think Jespah wants ‘is pads rubbed,” Zalika said.

“please,” Jespah mewed, wiggling and curling the toes of his large feet, Zalika giggling at his antics.

“I know what it’s like to need a pad massage,” Mishka said.

“miaoaoaow, as do I, I neyeeed one knoaoaoaoaow!” Jespah replied. Mishka crawled to the struggling male lion cub and hugged him, then grabbed his right foot, Jespah sighing with relief and pleasure as Mishka’s gentle touch filled him with warmth and pleasure from his foot to his ears.

“I remember mum feeling this,” Jespah said, “I heard someone calledMishka had hold of her feet during her labour when she calmed down and set to pushing without fear. This bear’s touch helped her I think.” Mishka smiled, Jespah curling his body so he could kiss Mishka’s nose.

“You can’t quite reach me, I’m huge,” Mishka said as he felt the lion scrabbling at his paws.

“Well lean towards me then,” Jespah miaowed, “I wayayayayant to kiss your nose!” Mishka leant towards Jespah’s face, still keeping one of the cub’s feet in his paws, Jespah straining to reach the bear’s nose with his tongue to kiss it.

“I cayayayayn’t do it!” Jespah yelled, banging the floor with his paws in frustration.

“I’ll finish rubbing your pads, then move and lie down, or I will lift you in my paws so you can kiss my nose Jespah,” Mishka replied.

“But I wayayayant to kiss your nose now!” Jespah yelled, wriggling madly, little Zalika padding forward and pinning Jespah down under her fat paws.

“Get off meyeee Zalika!” Jespah yelled, swiping at her with a paw. Zalika leant down then kissed Jespah’s nose, the male cub miaowing and spitting with disgust.

“miaiaiaau! Oi! Yuck!” he yowled, rubbing his face with his paws, Moses and little Ekaterina laughing merrily.

“That was so sweeyeet!” Moses giggled.

“take his paws in yours Zalika, I dare you to!” Felix giggled.

“naoaoaoaoao, stoaoaoaoap it!” Jespah yelled, Zalika grabbing his right paw in both of hers, the little lion wriggling and spitting in protest at first, then becoming suddenly calm.

“such warm paws,” he whispered, Zalika playfully kissing his ear.

“Kiss paws please,” Jespah mewed, Zalika kissing the toe pads of Jespah’s right foot, the little lion curling his toes as she kissed his sole pad, Zalika smiling as she watched his toes tightly curl.

“Can I kiss those cuwled toes?” she asked.

“oaoaoaaoh, yes!” Jespah mewed, his eyes tightly shut, curling his body so Zalika could more easily kiss the toes of his feet without letting go of his paw.

“Curled body, cuwled toes, so cuuuute!” Zalika giggled.

“oaoaoaaoh, meoaiaiaiaiaiaow!” Jespah whimpered, Zalika kissing the warm pads of his left foot as he stretched out full length, keeping his toes curled.

“he loves her really,” Felix mumbled from behind his hands.

“I love her touch, oaoaoaoaoaoaoh, Zalika, do those hugs and kisses ever run out?”

“Can I cuddle all fouw of youw paws?” Zalika asked. For answer Jespah shook his paw free of hers and rolled onto his back, growling and waving his paws and feet about as if struggling to free himself from a net. Growling, yowling, miaowing and spitting, Jespah struggled furiously, Zalika calming him by kissing the pads of his struggling paws and feet, kissing his nose while the others watched with shining eyes, Felix laughing as he narrated Jespah’s struggles to Sita, cub Ekaterina and Mishka, while Jem, little Ekaterina and Moses, seeing what the two little lion cubs were up to, laughed merrily at their antics.

“You’re two cuddly pusses!” Felix laughed.

“rayiaiaiaiow! We’we not pusses!” Zalika miaowed, turning on Felix and leaping at him, her paws spread in preparation for a slapping attack. Felix, seeing the little liligress coming his way and that her claws were sheathed, caught her and hugged her.

“oh Miaowowowowow!” Zalika complained as her attack fell apart in Felix’s embrace.

“see? She’s really a big cuddlypuss,” Felix giggled, Jespah wriggling delightedly until his paws and feet crossed, while little Ekaterina laughed helplessly at his antics.

“You’re so funny Jespah!” Moses said, the little lion uncrossing his paws and feet, then rolling onto his pads, standing up and padding to Zalika, meeting her nose to nose as she lay on her back in Felix’s lap, her paws and feet sticking skywards.

“I can see the pads of these gorgeous paws now,” Jespah said, kissing the pads of her paws, Zalika wriggling delightedly.

“I ‘ave two more paws, their pads would like a kiss,, they’re a bit further back,” she said, Jespah kissing the pads of her feet, Zalika curling her toes with pleasure at Jespah’s tickly kiss to her sole pads, during which his whiskers tickled her toes.

“miaoaoaoweyeee! Jespah! You’we tickling my toooes!” Zalika miaowed, laughing merrily.

“I’m sorry!” Jespah mewed.

“now you ‘ave to kiss the tickle from my toes,” Zalika mewed. Jespah did so, Zalika purring deeply and curling her toes with pleasure.

“I like these big fat paws and feet,” Jespah mewed, kissing the bunched sole pad of her left foot, Zalika mewing with pleasure.

“Titan pushed so hard to deliver her,” Felix said.

“I know,” Jespah replied, gazing between Zalika’s feet to where her face, framed between her paws, looked back, the little lion cub sticking her tongue out at him.

“I think I love this little cub,” Jespah mewed.

“she’s bigger than you!” Felix said.

“Oh, yes,” Jespah replied, measuring his left paw against Zalika’s right foot, his paw dwarfed by her foot. Zalika, feeling the touch of Jespah’s paw pads on those of her right foot, curled her toes, catching his in their grip, Zalika wriggling with excitement at what she’d done, Jespah miaowing with surprise at how strong she was as he was thrown about.

“Stoaoaoap that!” he miaowed, slapping her right leg as Zalika held on tightly to his left paw with the toes of her right foot.

“Sowwy Jespah, I’ll stop squiwming about,” Zalika said.

“that’s a white liliger!” Theo miaowed, making everyone jump, Zalika release Jespah’s paw, and Jespah crouch protectively over her, growling as fiercely as he knew how, though he didn’t know why.

“What if she is a white liliger?” Jespah growled.

“I’m no threat to her Jespah,” Theo mewed.

“I didn’t notice until you said,” Moses replied.

“You injure her, I’ll tear off your paws!” Jespah yowled.

“I’m not going to! She’s my cuuuub!”“ Theo miaowed, sitting down, almost crying.

“You’re very protective of Zalika,” Titan said, padding in behind Theo, Bianca following him, “Jespah, she’s safe here.”

“She’s not safe!” Jespah miaowed, “someone spoke of her coat, they want to take her coat!”

“I don’t!” Theo wailed.

“I will protect her ears and nose and her toes and her pads and her tail and everything!” Jespah miaowed.

“but I won’t huuuuurt her! she’s my cuuuub!” Theo wailed.

“Jespah, you needn’t do this,” Patch said, going to the little lion cub then kissing his nose, “Zalika’s perfectly safe here. It’s all right,” the bear said gently.

“but that big white lion wanted a coat that wouldn’t fit him!” Jespah miaowed.

“He didn’t,” Patch replied, lying down so his face was at Jespah’s level, “Theo just commented on what Zalika was, a white liliger, which she is, you can’t deny that.”

“all right,” Jespah mewed.

“Can I get to my feet now?” Zalika asked, “Jespah, You’we twapping meyeee!”

“Oh sowwy,” Jespah mewed, releasing Zalika, the white liliger cub getting to her fat paws.

“Thanks,” she mewed, shaking herself, Jespah gazing at her with gentle eyes.

“You Soppypuss Jespah!” Felix mewed.

“I saw white fur against black pads and black nose against white facial fur, it’s lovely Felix,” Jespah mewed.

“I saw black pads against light brown fur, vewy sweet indeed,” Zalika mewed, Jespah head rubbing with her, Zalika kissing his nose and brushing his whiskers with her paw, Jespah mewing to her, Zalika rubbing his left paw with her right.

“Two soppy pusses,” Titan mewed, padding up to Zalika then kissing the top of her head, the newborn cub gazing up at him from deep blue eyes.

“You’s made me so,” she mewed.

“You’s beautiful you is,” Jespah mewed, kissing Zalika’s nose, the newborn cub hiding her face in embarrassment.

“I like big fat paws,” Jespah mewed, gazing down at Zalika’s paws and feet, watching as her toes spread slightly when she shuffled her paws and feet with embarrassment at his words.

“is it all right Titan?” she whispered.

“Does it feel all right?” Titan asked.

“Yes, but, well, my head wants to explode whenever Jespah touches my pads!” Zalika mumbled.

“I have known that feeling,” mama karina mewed.

“Was it all right for you?” Zalika asked, her eyes desperate and fearful.

“It was,” mama Karina mewed, “All Jespah wants is to hug your paws and feet and protect you Zalika.”

“I knows that, I wants it,” Zalika replied.

“go on then, give him your paws and feet,” Titan mewed. Zalika, much relieved, lay down, Jespah lying down so his feet and paws touched hers, the two cubs interlocking their paws and each catching hold of the others toes, their grip fierce at first, then easing off as their pads got warmer and security was promised to one another through their touch.

“that’s very cute,” mama Karina said, watching the two big cat cubs from close range.

“It’s not fair! Zalika’s paws and feet are bigger than mine!” Jespah miaowed.

“I think it’s rather sweet,” mama Karina replied.

“Your paws and feet will get bigger than hers one day,” Titan mewed.

“but I don’t know if I want that, it’s nice to be able to push my paws into hers,” Jespah mewed.

“’ow does my paws feel?” Zalika asked.

“Warm and soft, very cuddly,” Jespah mewed.

“Youw feet feel vewy warm too Jespah,” Zalika mewed, pushing her feet against Jespah’s, embracing his toes with hers.

“Oh Miaoaiaiaiaiaow! This feels great!” Jespah whimpered, wiggling his toes more deeply into the grip of Zalika’s larger toes.

“You’s a big softy!” she giggled, kissing his nose.

“don’t push too hard with those toes Jespah, you might hurt Zalika,” Bianca said, lying down so she could take a good look at what her cub was doing.

“@e’s all wight,” Zalika replied, “I likes ‘is toes ‘olding my foot as best they can. It feels lovely!”

“I like you holding my toes with yours Zalika, go on, hold tight!” Jespah urged, Zalika doing as he wished, curling the toes of both feet, in the grip of which Jespah’s toes were tightly held.

“that feels wonderful!” Jespah mewed, pushing hard with both feet.

“Stop it Jespah!” Bianca growled.

“Jespah’s fine Bianca, ‘e ain’t ‘urting me one bit,” Zalika replied, “go On Jespah, weally push with them feet of youws,” she said. Jespah gathered his strength and pushed with both feet at once, Zalika relaxing her toes, then gripping Jespah’s extra tightly when she felt them press home into the gap between her toe and sole pads. His toes now firmly anchored, Jespah pushed as hard as he could, Zalika holding tightly to his toes with her own powerful ones, wriggling with the male lion as he concentrated on pushing the pads of both his feet against her larger, thicker pads with all his might.

“Zalika’s very strong Bianca. Jespah can’t hurt her,” Titan mewed.

“miaoaoaow! Riaoaoaoaoaow! Rayiaiaiaiow!” Jespah yowled as he pushed and wriggled.

“Youw pads awe all hot and damp, you’s weally stwuggling Jespah,” Zalika mewed.

“I wayayayayant to puuuuuush my feeyeeet so hayayayrd against yours Zalika!” Jespah miaowed desperately.

“You’s a silly thing,” Zalika mewed, kissing his nose. then, to Jespah’s distress, she let go of his paws and toes. Miaowing, he pawed and kicked at the air, Zalika catching each paw and foot in turn, kissing the toe pads and the ball of his foot, Jespah purring deeply.

“After this, walking on my paws and feet is going to be boring,” Jespah mewed.

“does you want me to stop playing with youw paws?” Zalika asked.

“naoaoaoaoao not yet, carry on!” Jespah miaowed. Zalika massaged and played with Jespah’s paws and feet, then Jespah returned her play, playing with her huge paws and massive feet, flexing her toes then rubbing her pads.

“Will you curl your toes Zalika?” Jespah asked as he handled her left foot. Zalika giggled and, purring deeply, did as he asked,.

“I love your huge paws and feet,” Jespah mewed as Zalika pushed her left foot hard into the embrace of his small paws.

“Did you see my biwth?” Zalika asked.

“I did, I wanted to reach out and pull at your paws to help Titan when he pushed, but Apudo wouldn’t let me,” Jespah replied.

“that’s so sweeyeet!” Zalika mewed, curling round then kissing Jespah’s nose, “If I ever get stuck, I’ll ask you to pull me fwee,” she said.

“You’re lovely from your nose to your paws Zalika,” Jespah gushed.

“So my paws awen’t lovely then?” Zalika asked.

“Oh you know what I mean silly!” Jespah giggled, “Ok Zalika, I love you from your nose to your pads, is that more like it?” Zalika wriggled with delight, pawing at Jespah’s paws and face, Jespah kissing the furred tops and naked pads of her paws.

“You two softies!” Apudo mewed, lying down so she could get a good look at Jespah and Zalika’s play.

“I remember seeing this nose, and these toes, and your ears and the pads of your feet come out into the world Zalika,” Jespah said, tickling Zalika’s ears, nose, the toes and the sole pads of all four paws as he spoke, Zalika squirming and laughing with glee throughout.

“Stoaoaoaoap tiyiyiyckling meyeee!” the little liligress miaowed, “Jespah, I can ‘ardly bweathe for laughing!” Jespah stopped tickling the toes of Zalika’s right foot then kissed her nose, smiling as she clamped his head in her fat paws then kissed his cheek.

“I think I love your face and your paws and feet, and everything about you,” she mewed.

“I the same about you,” Jespah mewed, “Zalika, I know we’re cubs, but, I feel very close to you.” Zalika smiled, rubbing his left paw in both of hers.

“It was lovely to see you born Zalika,” Jespah mewed.

”Did you see Titan’s pads bunching and toes cuwling?” Zalika asked.

“yes,” Jespah mewed, “he really pushed hard didn’t he.”

“I knows that, my poor feeyeeet!” Zalika miaowed.

“Would you like me to rub them again?” Jespah asked.

“I would love it,” Zalika replied. Jespah was as good as his word, Zalika curling her toes with pleasure at his touch on her pads.

“My toooes wayayayant to cuuuuwl so tightly!” she giggled.

“Go on, curl them,” Jespah replied.

“But I Cayayayn’t cuuuuuuwl them as tightly as I wayayayayant tooo!” Zalika miaowed, wriggling with frustration. Jespah hugged each of the frustrated cub’s paws in turn, Zalika calming down the third time he embraced her left foot in his paws.

“surely you need a drink of milk Jespah?” Bianca asked, “I’m ready to feed you, and I wish you’d leave Zalika’s paws and feet alone for a bit too!”

“naoaoaoaoao!” Zalika yowled, trying to press all four of her huge paws into Jespah’s paws at once, “I wayayayant ‘im to keep wuuubing my paws and feeyeeet!”

“No!” Bianca growled, padding over to Jespah and picking him up by the scruff of his neck, “you’re coming with me!” she mumbled round the fur in her mouth.

“Naoaoaoaow! Get off meyeee muuum!” Jespah raged, wriggling madly and kicking the air with all four paws.

“Go with her Jespah,” Zalika said, “the sooner you go, the sooner she will let you do youw own thing.”

“Not if I ground him first!” Bianca mumbled.

“but I wayayayant to play with Zalika muuum!” Jespah yowled.

“if you don’t drink, you will become weak, then you can’t possibly play,” Titan said gently, kissing the enraged cub’s nose.

“Oh all right,” Jespah mewed, his rage dying.

“You can’t wesist Titan, ’e’s just too gentle,” Zalika mewed. Bianca stamped off to the other side of the room in protest, setting her cub down, then throwing herself down on the rubberised flooring with unnecessary force. Glaring at Titan, Bianca demanded:

“Titan, how come you can get Jespah to do things but I Cayayayn’t!”

“you told him he had to drink,” Titan mewed, “Bianca, Jespah knows when he wants to drink, cubs don’t drink on command. I backed you too, before you say I didn’t. I got Jespah to come with you without protest in the end by telling him that if he didn’t do what you asked, even though he didn’t want to drink, he would become weak and not be able to play.” Bianca, who’d opened her mouth half way through Titan’s speech to counter the liger’s logic, snapped it shut.

“You speaks the twuth Titan,” Zalika said.

“How would a cub like you know what, twuth,” was!” Bianca yelled.

“Stop that!” Titan growled.

“I knows that I wouldn’t dwink on command, that’s what I’s meaning about the twuth Bianca,” Zalika mewed.

“You can’t even speak properly Zalika!” Bianca screeched, “stop that silly cub talk and speak properly!”

“How can you expect her to do that, she’s only a cub mum, as am I,” Jespah mewed. Growling, Bianca lost her temper, slapping Jespah with her paw.

“auauauauwch! Muuum that’s nooaoaoaot fair! Miaowch! That huuuuurt muuum!” the cub screamed.

“ Bianca, how dare you bring such disgraceful behaviour into a place like this!” Theo growled.

“I don’t think Zalika can help the way she speaks anyway,” Patch said.

“You mean she’ll always speak like an ill bred alley cat?” Bianca asked.

“I think her trick of speech is quite cute,” Mishka said.

“It demeans her more than she already is!” Bianca yelled.

“Oi!” Titan roared, bounding over to Bianca and slapping her with his paws, the white lioness miaowing and spitting at the liger.

“Okay, okay, keep your fur on!” Bianca yelled, cuffing Titan, who responded by delivering a raking cuff to Bianca’s shoulder, which knocked her onto her back leaving her with her paws sticking skywards, the sight of which made Zalika and Jespah run to her and, roaring cubbishly, jump on her. yowling with rage, Bianca threw the two cubs off her, got to her feet and ran from the room.

“cub hater,” Jespah mewed.

“I’m glad Titan’s got enough milk for two,” Zalika mumbled.

“Oh Bianca will be back,” Patch replied, “if she’s not, we’ll milk her like a cow.” Titan looked shocked, but Theo touched his paw.

“You as leader should know about the covenant extended to all cubs,” the lion said.

“I know there’s the promise of universal help, but I hadn’t, before today, heard it expressed in such terms,” Titan mewed.

“I know milking Bianca if she refuses to feed Jespah sounds brutal, but is for the good of her cub,” Theo mewed.

“she’ll be back,” Patch replied, “I don’t think we’ll have to use the emergency milk.”

“I’m hungry now though!” Jespah miaowed.

“Oh deaw, this is going well ain’t it,” Zalika mewed in a tone which suggested she’d seen it all before, which made Sita laugh.

“Old before your Time Zalika dear?” she asked.

“No I ain’t that!” Zalika mewed, padding to Sita, leaping into her lap and playfully slapping her. Sita grabbed the liliger cub in her paws and hugged her, Zalika purring until the tassel on the end of her tail vibrated.

“you’re so big!” Sita mewed.

“Yeah, I knows that, poor Titan giving birth to me ‘in’it,” Zalika replied.

“No wonder the poor liger yowled and moaned,” Sita mewed, handling Zalika’s huge left foot in her large paws, the cub curling her toes with pleasure.

“Pwess my pads if you like,” Zalika mewed, Sita doing as she asked, Zalika curling her toes as tightly as she could.

“Zalika’s got white fur, with black and brown spots on her back and belly, black and brown stripes on her tail and legs, and spots on the tops of her paws,” Felix mewed.

“I don’t know what those are,” Sita mewed, but they sound very mixed up, and, I have a notion that they may cause ill feeling towards her. Not from me you understand,,,” Sita swallowed hard, forcing down her misgivings. Felix, unheeding of her distress, said:

“Stripes are straight lines, and spots are blobs all over her, I’ll take your paw and try to show you a bit. As for colours, I can’t explain those, sorry,” he said. Zalika laughed merrily as Felix guided Sita’s paw, tracing the stripes and spots on her body.

“Zalika’s very well marked,” Sita mewed.

“I wish you could see Zalika’s coat Sita,” Felix replied giggling, “she looks like someone’s got confused half way through dyeing the coat she was going to wear throughout her life. She looks very, um, unusual.

“but to me she’s a big cub, a large cub born of a very big, big cat. Felix, Zalika has the most lovely silky soft coat and the softest pads on her paws and feet, and best of all, she enjoys my touch, which she expresses in purring and snuggling and curling her toes with pleasure when I touch her pads,” Sita replied.

“yes, that’s most important of all,” Felix replied quickly.

“You bet it is,” Zalika yawned, “I need to dwink milk, but I’s too comfortable,” she added.

“could she drink emergency milk now?” Felix asked Patch.

“Yeah, Zalika could, as she’s had the first most important drink,” Patch replied.

“And what if I want to feed her?” Titan asked.

“go and pick her up then,” Patch replied, “you have the right to do that Titan.” Titan padded to where Zalika lay, stopping with his paws almost touching the thick sole pads of Sita’s feet. Looking down at Zalika lying on her back cradled in Sita’s embrace, Titan realised suddenly that he couldn’t bear to move his cub.

“How do I get milk from me into her if she can’t nurse in the proper way?” he asked, turning to Patch in desperation.

“With this,” patch said, rummaging in his rucksack, then padding up to Titan with a contraption in his paws.

“that thing looks like a bicycle pump Patch!” Felix laughed, “what is it?”

“It’s a breast pump,” Patch replied, “Titan can lie comfortably and work the spring loaded handle with his paws, or the thing is electric too. It expresses the milk from the teats.”

“Ugh!” Felix groaned.

“it’s not meant for you silly,” mama karina mewed.

“So that, thing, will suck milk from me into itself and then others can feed Zalika?” Titan asked, staring at the instrument in patch’s paws.

“yeah, that’s the idea,” the bear replied.

“I’s getting vewy ‘ungwy Titan,” Zalika mewed, “I’ll come and settle down with you now, then, once I’s fed, you can pump what’s left.”

“Assertive isn’t she!” Patch laughed.

“Far too assertive!” Bianca miaowed, stamping in and padding to Jespah, who, seeing her, screamed and fled as fast as his small paws would carry him. Tripping over his toes, Jespah flipped onto his back, landing with a thud.

“Miaowch!” the little cub complained, scrambling to his feet and, with a fearful glance back at his mum, racing away to the other side of the room where the rope ladders to the slides and zip wire hung down to the floor. racing up the first, Jespah found himself on a small platform. Spinning round, he watched Bianca, who now stood at the foot of the ladder.

“Don’t go up after him Bianca,” Titan warned, as the white lioness put one paw on the lower most rung of the ladder.

“Jespah,” shecalled up to the newborn cub, “I won’t hurt you. please, come down.

“No mum, if you come up a step more, I’m going up there!” Jespah miaowed, waving his paw at another ladder. Bianca stepped back, craning her neck, whimpering at the sight before her.

“That’s too high, you can’t go up there!” she wailed.

“Leave him alone for a bit Bianca,” Patch said, “There’s no harm that can come to Jespah here.

“how am I going to get milk to him?” Bianca mewed piteously.

“Patch could pump some from you and take it to him,” Felix suggested.

“What?” Bianca asked, staring at the Felursapien.

“As I said, Patch has this pump thing which will milk you like a cow,” Felix mewed.

“naoaoaoaaoao! That’s awful!” Bianca miaowed.

“maybe, if there’s enough fow me and Jespah Titan, you could ‘elp out and pump some into that thing, then I could take it to Jespah on ‘is boawd thing.” Zalika suggested.

“You couldn’t get up there, you’d need all four paws to climb,” Titan mewed, nuzzling Zalika’s cheek, “and how then would you carry the bottle?”

“Oh, yeah, well, tie it round me I suppose,” Zalika mewed.

“your intentions are lovely Zalika,” Titan mewed, “but Bianca will feed Jespah herself. Turning towards Bianca, Titan said:

“Jespah, Bianca won’t harm you if you come down. I will make sure of that.” Bianca looked fearful at this, but Titan was unbending.

“You will not come to harm Bianca,” he said, “I will though, stop you from cuffing, or punishing your cub while he drinks.” Bianca suddenly felt very strange. Sleepy, she lay down, dimly aware of Jespah padding up to her and lying down beside her ages later. She felt him drinking, then curling up to sleep. Bianca tried to move her leg, to curl the toes of her right paw, but the messages were delayed by several seconds, and her toes hardly curled at all. It was as if she’d lost most of the strength in her body. Breathing was easy, and her sight was unaffected, but she couldn’t move her limbs or flex her paws, let alone curl her toes.

“Stop this Titan!” Bianca moaned. Titan padded forward, Bianca seeing his massive bulk filling her vision, then he kissed her nose and the pads of her left paw. Bianca felt the lethargy leaving her, her strength gradually returning.

“How did you do that!” Moses asked.

“I don’t know,” Titan mewed, “I just do it, if the person is receptive to my ideas, and Bianca is. She could slam the door, but her deepest wish is to feed her cub. so she will let me help her do it.”

“It’s like when you helped me push,” Bianca mewed, “I felt you pushing as if it was me pushing. That was strange, but lovely too.”

“What can you make Bianca do Titan?” Moses asked.

“I will not make her do anything inappropriate,” Titan mewed, “but I could make her roll onto her back and wave her paws and feet about, curl into a ball or curl her toes. Only Patch has the ultimate control though.” Titan looked at Patch, who sat stroking the sole of Sita’s left foot, while the Felursa lay prone on the floor. he seemed to have heard none of their talk, being completely absorbed in the work of rubbing her left foot from heel to toes.

“Patch doesn’t like talking about the ultimate power he has,” mama Karina mewed.

“I suppose not,” Titan mewed, feeling very uncomfortable all of a sudden, his pads sweating and stomach churning.

“Patch, stop that!” Titan miaowed.

“I have done nothing, but you wondered how I feel about having that ultimate power. Now you know.” Patch replied.

“I’m sorry,” Titan mewed.

“Can you make me curl my toes Titan?” Moses asked.

“if you let me, I can,” Titan mewed, lying down to give Zalika a drink. Moses found his toes suddenly curling, the young boy laughing merrily.

“Go on, curl my toes tight!” he urged, Titan doing as he asked by curling the toes of both his own feet, Moses toes following their example, Moses wriggling and clapping his hands with excitement, grabbing his left foot in both hands to explore the sole without having to curl his own toes. Moses felt no ache in his toes, he just couldn’t move them, though he could feel they were curled. Moses smiled to himself, Exploring the soles of his feet one by one with the fingers of both hands, tracing curled toes, bunched skin on the balls of his feet, then right down to the pads of his heels.

“This is fun!” he said, Titan relaxing his own toes, Moses toes following their example. Titan curled his toes again, Moses toes following their example, the boy laughing merrily. Titan got to his feet, Bianca squealing with surprise.

“What?” Titan asked.

“oaoaoaoaoah! Titan, you’re enormous!” the white lioness yowled.

“ooaaoah!” Patch gasped, standing up suddenly, Sita miaowing in protest at the cessation of the foot massage she was enjoying.

“what?” Titan asked.

“when you were straining to deliver Zalika you must have stretched yourself outside and in!” Patch replied, “Titan, you’re huuuge!” Titan looked down at his paws, seeing they were rather large.

“I washed,,,,” the liger mewed, “I didn’t mean to do this!” he whimpered.

““Look at them paws!” Zalika exclaimed, waving her paw at Titan’s.

“them paws,” as you so beautifully put it Zalika, are huge and lovely,” Theo mewed.

“I’m sure they were smaller before Titan gave birth for the second time,” Patch said.

“I’ll get on the scale if you like,” Titan mewed. Patch laid out a mat with what looked like a lightweight cage which he quickly constructed. Titan got into the cage, and Patch laser scanned the liger from all angles, the tablet computer telling him Titan’s weight, height from paw to shoulder, breadth and length. In disbelief at what he was seeing, Patch asked the computer to weigh Titan four times and to laser scan him five, the same result coming up each time. In front of him Patch seemingly had a liger that was twelve feet long from nose to tail, stood five feet high at the shoulder, and was nearly three feet broad. His paws were ten inches wide, his feet twelve.

“oaoaoaoah!” Patch gasped, Titan looking at him between the bars of his cage.

“Can I come out now?” Titan asked. Patch let the liger out, Titan padding towards him. Watching the huge liger padding easily across the rubber floor, his huge paws making no sound at all, Patch felt a sudden thrill of fear.

“you have no need Patch,” Titan mewed.

“I’m sorry,” Patch replied, swallowing hard. Titan stopped before Patch.

“What is it that scares you?” Titan asked, “I saw fear in your eyes patch.

“You’re twelve feet tall when standing on your hind legs!” the bear wailed, “I’m only seven, and that’s on tiptoe!”

“I won’t hurt you,” Titan mewed.

“oaoaoaaoh, you have a mayayayayne tooo! You’re turning into Apudoaoaoaoao!” Patch screeched.

“he’s not!” Apudo giggled, “Patch, Titan has a lovely mane and gentle eyes, and, if you asked him to give you his paws, you would find he has the softest, most gorgeous paws of any big cat here.”

“What made you so huuuge!” Patch asked, staring up at Titan from his own suddenly diminutive four feet at the shoulder.

“I don’t know,” the huge liger replied, padding closer still, so his nose nearly touched patch’s, or would have done if Titan bowed his head, which Patch saw with sudden shock.

“Whatever I did, which surely I don’t know, I’m sorry for it now,” Titan mewed, “Patch, the look of terror in your eyes saddens me to my paw pads.” Feeling the huge presence before him, Patch closed his eyes, unable to meet Titan’s gaze. With a feeling of profound shock, Patch admitted to himself he couldn’t look Titan in the face.

“I’m the liger I used to be, just bigger,” Titan mewed, his voice deep and rich. Apudo found it soothing, as she was saying to Zalika at that moment, but Patch, now terrified, did not find it so.

“Your eyes deceive you patch,” Titan mewed.

“No they don’t, they bloody don’t!” Patch wailed.

“here,” Titan mewed, kissing Patch’s nose, “please, sit down Patch. Sit down and take my paw in yours.” Patch, feeling sick, replied:

“I will do as you command, but I cannot sit,” Patch knelt before Titan.

“it is no command patch,” Titan mewed, “please, dear Patch, sit, don’t kneel before me, for I’m not worthy of that.” The liger mewed softly, his deep rich voice soothing the terrified grey bear. Sitting down, Titan gave patch his left paw, resting it in the bear’s outstretched paws. Patch felt the weight of the huge paw and looked down at the paw resting in his now seemingly very small paws.

“I feel as small as little Ekaterina when she was forced by Apudo of old to hold your paw in the woodlands,” he said.

“I am not forcing you to hold my paw patch,” Titan mewed, “I will withdraw it if you wish.”

“No,” patch replied, “my eyes tell me one thing. I hope they are wrong.”

“They are Patch,” Apudo mewed, karina shushing her.

“you don’t even need to lift my paw, just touch my pads with yours,” Titan mewed. Patch slipped his right paw under Titan’s huge one, his eyes dropping to look at the furred top of his own left paw, small against the furred top of Titan’s enormous paw,.

“You are the same, you are Titan of old,” patch choked.

“I know,” Titan mewed, “my body is bigger, my paws are larger, but I am Titan of old. The cub you saw born, the one who grew into an adult and rebirthed Apudo, and now bore Zalika to full term after a natural mating.”

“What made you so huge?” Patch asked, looking up into Titan’s face, the deep grief in the liger’s gentle eyes making him want to cry.

“I, oh dear Titan, I’m sorry!” patch choked, dropping the liger’s paw, leaning forward, throwing his arms round Titan’s neck, embracing the liger as tightly as he could.

“birthing Zalika made me as big as I am now, I am a manifestation of how large this community wants me to be,” Titan mewed, “they want me this size, as do you I feel.” Patch clung to Titan.

“I knew this would happen, but seeing it, seeing you become what you want,” he replied, “it, it, it’s so wonderful!” the bear gushed..

“Patch, you are so silly! You saw a threat in Titan that wasn’t there!” Apudo yelled.#

“ “shut youw mouth, you doesn’t speak to Patch likes that!” Zalika growled. Yowling with anger, Apudo cuffed Zalika’s shoulder with her paw, the liliger cub returning the cuff to Apudo’s shoulder with compound interest.

“auauauauwch! Your paw’s so heavy Zalika, it’s like being hit by a wrecking ball!” Apudo yowled.

“that’s ‘orrible things you’s saying about Patch Apoodo!” Zalika miaowed.

“You’ve got paws like lead weights, and you speak like a drain!” Apudo miaowed.

“No I ‘asn’t, and I doesn’t! you gweat big meanie fleabag!” Zalika yowled. Enraged, Apudo cuffed Zalika a second time. Squealing with rage and pain, the liliger cub returned her cuff with double compounded interest, Apudo demanding:

“Titan, Stoaoaoap her! Uauauauauw!”

“If you stop cuffing Zalika, she’ll stop whacking you Apudo,” mama Karina mewed in a bored tone.

“but she speaks like a drain!” Apudo miaowed.

“No I doesn’t, I doesn’t! just shut youw mouth Apoodo!” Zalika wailed, running away.

“Shut youw mouth Apoodo! Shut youw mouth Apoodo!” Apudo mocked, only shutting up when mama Karina padded over and smacked her hard on her rump, Apudo lashing out at Mama Karina with a yowl and furious spitting, Karina pushing her over and holding her down.

“You need to stop this, right now!” Karina growled menacingly.

“but Zalika’s got a mouth like a drain!” Apudo miaowed.

“No she hasn’t!” Jespah roared in an infantile voice, “Zalika’s lovely, she’s lovely!” he yelled, stamping his paws and feet to emphasise his point, a sight which made mama Karina smile broadly.

“Where’s Zalika now?” she asked.

“I’s up ‘ere, where fat Apoodo can’t get me!” Zalika yelled. Karina looked up, seeing the newborn cub on the highest point of the slide and zip wire frame, standing on the platform near the steepest slide.

“Get down!” she yelled.

“’ow can I does what you’s asking?” Zalika asked, looking over the edge, a long way down to the floor.

“At least she won’t jump,” Karina thought.

“I’ll come up and help you!” karina yelled, padding over to the ladder and climbing it to where Zalika stood.

“’ow’s we gonna get down?” Zalika asked, “Kawina, I’s come up ‘ere two get away from Apuwdo, she’s being awful to meyeee!” the cub whimpered.

“I’ll carry you in my lap as we slide,” Karina mewed.

“I’ll old on tight then,” Zalika mewed.

“You put your arms round my neck and hold on as best you can,” karina mewed, “I’ll cradle your body in my arms.”

“You’s good to come up ‘ere and ‘elp me, thanks,” Zalika mewed.

“Right, I’ll set a mat down and sit on the beginning of the slide, there, now, Zalika, you climb into my lap, that’s it,” Karina mewed, now, Zalika, put your arms as far round my neck as you can, and I’ll cradle your bottom and legs. There, Now, if I pull a bit with my heels which are inside a sack, and wriggle a bit, here we go!” Mama Karina lifted her heels from the slide and the two creatures sped down it, Zalika cradled in Mama Karina’s arms. At the bottom, mama Karina dug her heels into the slide to stop their slide, then lifted her legs and kicked slightly to free her feet from the sack, laughter making her look round.

“your toes curled while digging in your heels!” Moses laughed, “Karina, do you really think that would help, and they’re still curled now! It’s cute anyway.”

“Oh, I have haven’t I,” Karina mewed, staring down at her toes. Zalika turned and looked, then grabbed mama Karina’s toes in her fat paws, mama karina laughing merrily.

“I forgot how cats love toes,” she said, Zalika clambering off her lap to grab her toes more easily, Mama Karina wiggling her toes for Zalika to catch, the liliger cub purring with delight and pouncing on her toes. Mama karina crawled away, Zalika chasing her toes, mama Karina wiggling her toes to encourage Zalika to chase them, which the cub did, pouncing on Karina’s feet with splayed paws, aiming for mama Karina’s toes with her paws, Karina’s heel pads with her whiskers. Mama Karina laughing merrily as Zalika’s Attack hit home on the toes and heel pads of both her feet.

“it’s all right,” mama Karina mewed, “she’s not grabbing my tail and expecting me to drag her using that, I can cope with this, and quite like her touch anyway.” Mama Karina draped her tail over Zalika’s back, embracing the huge cub.

“Can you pull me closer to youw feet with that tail Kawina?” Zalika asked. Karina tightened her grip, Zalika feeling her paws pressed tightly against the soles of Karina’s feet.

“go on, pull me with that tail!” Zalika laughed. Karina doing as she asked, Zalika feeling the pressure of karina’s effort on her paws, karina pushing back with her hands to push her feet against the cub’s paws while anchoring her with her tail.

“This is fun!” Zalika laughed, karina bracing her feet hard against Zalika’s paws,, “puuush with those feet Kawina, puuush!” Zalika urged. Karina lifted her weight onto her hands and pushed back with her feet, while anchoring Zalika with her prehensile tail.

“mama Karina’s cuwling her toes too, so cuuuute!” Zalika giggled, her own toes braced against the floor to stop herself sliding backwards, though Mama karina’s strong tail held her firmly in its grip.

“you’re sandwiching Zalika!” Apudo miaowed.

“it’s fun,” Zalika replied, lifting her feet from the floor so all that supported her was karina’s tail and the friction of her own pads against the soles of Karina’s feet.

“naoaoaoaoao, Stoaoaoap that!” Apudo miaowed, karina and Zalika laughing merrily, Zalika and she miaowing and growling with effort as they pushed their paws and feet together harder still, karina gripping Zalika’s body tightly with her tail while pushing back hard with both feet, while Zalika, her forelegs bent a little, pushed hard against the arches and heels of karina’s feet with both her fat paws.

“you’ll squash her karina!” Apudo mewed.

“No she won’t,” Theo mewed.

“Can I stop now? I’m tired,” Karina asked. Zalika moved her left paw down a bit so a little of the pad of Karina’s left foot was exposed, then, bracing the toes of both paws against karina’s arches, kissed her left heel pad.

“yes you can, and thanks for playing,” Zalika said, karina lowering her knees to the floor and gently placing Zalika down before releasing her and sitting down herself.

“that was fun,” karina mewed, Zalika rubbing the heel pad and arch of her left foot with both paws, karina curling her toes with the pleasure of the cub’s touch.

“karina did all the work!” Apudo remonstrated.

“I wanted to,” karina mewed.

“youw tail is weally stwong Kawina!” Zalika exclaimed.

“It was worth the effort just to hear you say that Zalika,” karina mewed, Zalika grinning hugely.

“You speak like a dwain, I mean drain Zalika!” Apudo yowled, “Kawina, don’t encouwage her!” Apudo, shocked at how she sounded, stuffed her paw into her mouth.

“you’s speaking like meyeee! That’s vewy cute Apoodo,” Zalika laughed.

“I’s not meaning to, I’s twying not to! But I can’t ‘’elp it, what’s ‘appening to me!” Apudo mumbled round the paw she’d shoved in her mouth, her eyes blazing with rage.

“this is fun,” Titan mewed softly.

“You’s doing it to me?” Apudo asked angrily.

“I is, I mean am,” Titan mewed.

“Well stops it wight noaoaoaaow!!” Apudo raged.

“Sowwy,” Titan mewed, Zalika laughing so much she rolled onto her back, clapped her paws and kicked the air with glee. Apudo, now thoroughly angry, stamped her paws until Sita put an end to her rage by hugging her.

“You need to learn to tolerate others more,” Sita mewed, “did your rebirth teach you nothing Apudo?” the Felursa asked.

“but Zalika’s speech really gets on my nerves!” Apudo miaowed.

“Listen to what she says, not how she says it,” Sita mewed.

“Zalika speaks like a drain!” Apudo complained loudly.

“I think it’s time we left for our lie up,” Titan growled, “Apudo, here is not the place for such talk.” With that he picked Apudo up by her scruff and carried her, kicking and screaming from the room.

“My milk supply ‘as just walked out I sees,” Zalika observed.

“I have emergency milk in my bag,” patch replied.

“I think Titan will be back,” Sita mewed.

Titan took Apudo to their lie up and dumped her on the rug where they slept at night.

“you will miss out on play Apudo,” Titan mewed, “I don’t mind you having views that conflict with others, but first getting at Patch for his fear, then telling Zalika she spoke like a drain is too much. Stay here for an hour and think on what I say. Remember your rebirth, remember the second chance you have been given and what you requested of me and the community at large.” With that, Titan turned and walked away. Apudo looked after him until the tip of his long tail had vanished round the corner. sighing deeply, she lay down and buried her face in her paws, suddenly feeling sick.

“I was reborn to be guided, and I refuse that guidance?” she thought, “Apudo, what are you doing!” Apudo woke sometime later, her Pads sweating. Feeling dreadful, Apudo moaned deeply to herself.

“What’s wrong?” a voice asked. Apudo looked up to see a large cub sitting beside her.

“I’m miserable that’s what,” Apudo mewed, “I’ve thrown away the chances I was given and am now ready for the bin.”

“What’s your name?” the cub asked. Apudo looked the cub over from nose to tail. she was a snow leopard cub with black feet, white paws, one white and one black ear and a silver grey coated body. The cub, obviously frustrated by Apudo’s hesitation, said:

“My name’s Kutang, What’s your name?”

“I’m Apudo,” Apudo whimpered.

“Are you saying you are an Apudo, or that is your name?” the cub asked.

“I’m Apudo, in that Apudo means fat one, I’m a ligress too, or I think I am anyway, something of that sort, My name’s Apudo,” Apudo mewed, writhing with distress.

“I’m sorry if I seem inquisitive,” the large cub said, touching Apudo’s paw, “but I’ve never seen you here before.”

“you’ve met my guide,” Apudo mumbled into her paws, not looking at the strikingly coated cub, “you know him, or your mum does more likely. She can’t have seen him though, as I believe she is blind.

“Oh but she knows him all right,” Kutang replied, “Ceba, that’s my mum, she knows Titan very well. He’s so sweet, so she says.”

“he is,” Apudo mumbled.

“My sister Dhaulagiri likes Shandy a great deal too,” Kutang replied.

“How long have you been here?” Apudo asked.

“Oh, ages,” Kutang replied, “you were asleep for ages after you came in, then you woke up and whimpered to yourself a bit, so I came over to see what you were so upset about. I hate seeing distress. I heard enough of it on my way into the world, felt it too. My poor mama Ceba, she was scared out of her fur in that place where I was born, that was until that big clumsy tiggie came along and took her paws in his.”

“Big clumsy tiggie?” Apudo asked, “surely not Titan?”

“No, not him,” Kutang replied, “noone would ever call him clumsy. Though I’ve heard he does trap his paws from time to time, no, not him. Mum called the tiggie Tommy.

“Oh, him!” Apudo giggled, despite her foul mood, “he’s big and fat, and very clumsy.”

“he’s lovely,” Kutang replied.

“he has the fattest paws for his size that I have ever seen!” Apudo mewed.

“they are huge and lovely too,” Kutang replied, smiling broadly.

“@ere Apoodo, where you’s got to?” a voice asked. Apudo looked towards the door to see Zalika padding in. the thrill of excitement and gratitude Apudo felt on seeing Zalika nearly bringing her to tears.

“I was made to lie here for ages,” Apudo mewed dully, sniffling while looking down at her paws. Feeling a nose pushing at hers, she looked up straight into Zalika’s face, the cub more huge than ever.

“Why did you come looking for me?” Apudo asked, “Zalika, I’d be the last person you’d want to see after what I said to you.”

“You’s sowwy wight?” Zalika asked. Apudo, Zalika’s body pressed to hers, felt tears pricking her eyes.

“yeah, I’s sowwy,” she mumbled, sniffing slightly.

“You’s a big softy too I sees,” Zalika mewed, resting her paw on Apudo’s.

“stop this!” Apudo wailed, “you’s squeezing me out like a sponge!” Giggling, Zalika kissed her nose and the hot pads of her left foot, Apudo curling round and hugging Zalika tightly.

“you’s got vewy wawm pads Apuwdo,” Zalika said.

“Would you like me to show you all four of my paws?” Apudo asked.

“I needs to kiss them, to cool them I think,” Zalika mewed. Apudo sighed deeply, rolling onto her side, Zalika kissing the pads of all four of her large fat paws and feet, Apudo purring with pleasure as she felt the cub’s breath cooling her pads.

“your tongue soothes my pads like Titan’s does,” Apudo mewed.

“I’m bown of ‘im ain’t I. I’s a full cub of ‘is too,” Zalika replied.

“yes you is that,” Apudo mewed, tightly curling the toes of her right foot as Zalika kissed the sole pad, the cub kissing her curled toes.

“how does your pads feel now?” Zalika asked.

“They’s much better, cooler,” Apudo mewed, “thank you Zalika,” she added. Zalika smiled broadly then kissed Apudo’s nose.

“Can you get to your feet and follow me now?” Zalika asked. Apudo put her feet and paws to the floor and pushed herself onto them.

“My feet are feeling good,” Apudo mewed, Zalika looking up into her face.

“Youw paws spwead when you stands on ‘em,” she observed.

“that’s normal,” Apudo sighed, ”but I wish I could keep off them more,” she added.

“I likes them tops and pads,” Zalika mewed, Apudo laughing merrily, then lifting each paw in turn and wiggling her toes, Zalika giggling at her antics.

“We’s communicated by the touch before we’s seen each other proper like,” she said, Zalika grinning and blowing on the sole of Apudo’s left foot when she raised it to wiggle her toes, Apudo squealing with surprise and toppling onto her left side, Zalika pouncing on her feet as she’d done with karina’s, Apudo miaowing with laughter as Zalika tickled her pads, Apudo wriggling while Zalika held onto her right leg with both paws and tickling the pads of her right foot.

“Stoaoaoaoaoaop tiyiyiyckling meyeee!” Apudo miaowed, Zalika curling the toes of Apudo’s right foot which she now held in her strong paws, Apudo curling her already curled toes as tightly as she could

“I love your touch Zalika,” Apudo purred.

“now get up to youw feet, and don’t wiggle them toes at me again, otherwise, I’ll gwab youw foot again,” Zalika mewed, Apudo laughing merrily..

“After what happened when I did the first time, I think I’ll stay off my feet,” Apudo mewed, pushing her foot into Zalika’s paws.

“There you both are!” Titan mewed, padding into the room, “Zalika, I thought you’d gone to find Apudo, then were bringing her back with you.”

“They got playing it seems,” Kutang said.

It wasn’t all play though,” Apudo replied soberly, “Titan, I, I know now what I did wrong.”

“have you forgiven Apudo for the hurt she did to you Zalika?” Titan asked, bowing his head to look into Zalika’s face, taking hold of her right paw in his left.”

“I ‘ave,” Zalika replied, “Titan, I’s bown of you, does you think I’d go to ‘ur if I ‘adn’t been ready to forgive ‘ur if she was sowwy? I could feel she was sowwy befowe I got to ‘er, but touching Apoodo’s paw told me what I felt was wight.”

“she’s her mama’s cub indeed,” Kutang said, Apudo shooting a look at Titan.

“I’m mama to this cub,” he said, “Theo’s her sire. I know I’m male on the outside, but that’s a third of me. My other two thirds are female.” Kutang smiled at this.

“I saw you giving birth to Zalika,” she said, “it was hard work wasn’t it Titan.” Titan nodded:

“For as long as I live, I’ll remember every push, every sensation, and every time I curled my toes and how tightly I curled them,” he replied.

“I won’t forget watching Zalika be born either,” Apudo mewed, “I saw everything Titan, from the curl of your toes and bunching pads to the emergence of my sister.

“I wish I could have seen it in real time like Kamchatka saw Jem’s birth,” Titan mewed.

“Patch caught it all on camera,” Apudo said.

“I could show you from all angles Titan,” patch said, walking into the room with his bag of tricks on his back.

“You were expressive from your face to your feet Titan,” Kutang said.

“I bet I was,” Titan mewed.

“You clenched your teeth and screwed up your face and panted and miaowed and curled your toes and pedalled the air with your huge paws and feet and strained with your belly too,” Kutang continued.

“You even curled up into a ball at first Titan, but I bet you don’t remember that,” patch replied.

“I couldn’t curl up to kiss Zalika’s nose as I had Apudo’s, and for that I am very sorry,” Titan mewed.

“You ‘ad no time to think about anything else but pushing,” Zalika mewed.

“I suppose I didn’t,” Titan replied, “it’s only now coming back to me. It was all very hard work Zalika, harder than I ever thought possible after Apudo’s rebirth, but your birth was harder in some ways.”

“Because there was no safety net in case of mistakes,” patch said. Titan shuddered with the thought.

“yes,” he mewed, “spiritual rebirths have that safety net, Actual ones don’t, apart from quick medical interventions if pushing fails.”

“oaoaoaoaoh,” Apudo mewed.

“it’s not easy,” patch said.

“’ow if you kisses my nose and paws now ‘cos you couldn’t when I’s being squeezed into the wowld Titan?” Zalika asked, rolling onto her back and waving her paws and feet about. Titan watched through eyes welling with tears, bowed his head then kissed Zalika’s nose and the pads of her paws and feet.

“You’s a big softypuss Titan!” Zalika giggled, kissing Titan’s nose.

“I love you so much Zalika,” Titan wept, lying down beside her, Zalika rolling over and licking away the liger’s tears, Titan sniffing and gulping.

“You have a lovely cub there,” Patch said, setting down his bag.

“I have two lovely cubs, though at the moment one makes enough trouble for both,” Titan mewed.

“Oi!” Apudo miaowed, but all could see she knew the truth.

“You’re huge now Titan!” Kutang said.

“I am, pushing hard to deliver Zalika into the world did that,” Titan replied.

“Ooaaoah!” Kutang exclaimed, “will my mum get larger the more cubs she has?”

“No, it’s not like that!” patch laughed, stuffing his paw into his mouth when he saw the snow leopard cub’s serious expression.

“it happened because Titan’s destiny was to give birth to a cub of his own biology,” Patch replied round the toes of his paw, “Titan won’t get any larger than he is now.”

“But he’s too huuuge now!” Kutang replied, “he was big at first, now, he’s oaoaoaoaoh!” Titan smiled at Kutang.

“Come, take my paw,” the liger invited. Kutang looked at Titan’s paws, the liger stretching his legs so he could show them off to her.

“They’re enormous!” Kutang mewed, Titan’s left paw filling her field of view.

“they is ain’t they,” Zalika purred, “now just you gets ‘old of one of ‘em, feels ‘is pads Kutang.” Kutang did as Zalika suggested, lying down so she could take Titan’s huge paw in both of hers, gasping as she felt the softness of Titan’s pads.

“How can you walk on these!” the snow leopard cub asked.

“they’re soft but tough,” Titan purred, curling his toes with pleasure, Kutang laughing as she explored Titan’s huge paw with both her small paws.

“You’re paw’s all snuggly and warm!” Kutang mewed, Titan purring deeply.

“I’m so glad you find it that way,” he said, Kutang feeling warmth flowing through her from her paws at first, in which she held Titan’s massive left paw, to her tail and the pads of her other three paws, the feeling in her pads making her curl the toes of all four of her small paws with pleasure. Then the warmth seemed to fill her legs to her body, and up that to her head, ending at her ears, the feeling making Kutang grip Titan’s paw tightly in her small ones.

“is you all right Kutang?” Zalika asked.

“I’m all warm! It’s like being wrapped from nose to toes in the warmest blanket ever Zalika!” Kutang mewed.

“I knows that feeling, Titan’s nice ain’t ‘e.” Zalika mewed.

“may I have my paw back?” Titan asked.

“yes, of course, sorry,” Kutang replied, watching with shock as Titan got to his feet.

“you’re huuuge!” she miaowed. Titan bowed his head to kiss the top of Kutang’s, the snow leopard cub looking up at the last moment, the leopard and liger bumping noses.

“awhwhwhwh that’s Soaoaoaoao cuuuute! How sweeyeet!” Apudo exclaimed.

“that was rather cute,” Patch giggled. Titan pushed Kutang onto her back and then groomed her from nose to tail, the snow leopard cub purring deeply.

“You big softy Titan!” Makalu yelled as he walked in with Ceba, Ceba slapping him for his impropriety.

“Don’t call him that!” she hissed, urgently pushing his nose with hers, “Titan’s leader round here, you can’t say that!” she miaowed.

“Makalu is only speaking the truth Ceba. If I cannot accept the truth about myself, I do not deserve to be leader,” Titan mewed.

“Titan’s a snugglypuss! Titan’s a snugglypuss!” Apudo carolled, Titan smiling broadly. Turning to Apudo, he gently pinned her down with one huge paw then rubbed her ears with the other, Apudo wriggling and miaowing:

“I’m nooaoaoaot a cuuuub!” In protest.

“Oh you is,” Zalika mewed, “you’s just a bigger version of me Apudo.” Apudo growled and spat with rage, Zalika pouncing on her tail with outspread paws, pinning Apudo’s tail under them, Apudo miaowing and squirming.

“Get off my taiyayayayayl!” Apudo raged.

“There’s a nice tassel on the end ‘ere,” Zalika mewed, playing with the end of Apudo’s tail in both paws, while Apudo got increasingly angry, wriggling and yowling:

“Leave my taiyayayayayl aloaoaoaoaone!”

“Sowwy,” Zalika mewed, as Apudo lashed out with both feet, her right foot just missing Zalika’s head, the huge cub yowling with terror and leaping back just in time.

“Stoaoaoaoap that Apuuuuudo!” Titan growled, Apudo staring up at the huge liger’s face which loomed over her at close range, “You nearly kicked Zalika in the head!” Titan roared, the sound terrifying Zalika, who ran away to the nearest corner, threw herself on the floor and curled herself into a tight ball, covering her face with her paws.

“you nearly took Zalika’s head off Apudo!” Titan roared.

“but she was playing with my taiyayayayayl! I hate people playing with my tayayayayil!” the little lioness raged.

“I’m sure you didn’t mean to kick Zalika in the head,” Jespah mewed, padding into the room.

“I warned her once, I warned her I didn’t like her playing with my tayayayayil!” Apudo yowled, kicking with all four paws to emphasise her point.

“Maybe Apudo meant to kick Zalika in the head,” Jespah mewed sorrowfully, padding over to Zalika and nudging the furry tops of her paws and the soles of her feet with his nose until the terrified cub lowered her paws and uncurled when she saw whom it was that had been nudging her. Jespah lay down beside Zalika then washed her face and paws, Zalika purring deeply as he washed her with gentle care, Zalika hugging Jespah as tightly as she could once he’d finished his ministrations.

“There you are Jespah!” Bianca miaowed, padding in quickly from the passage.

“I came in search of Zalika mum,” Jespah mewed, “as you can see, she’s ‘ere, and I’ve just finished grooming ‘ur too.” Zalika giggled into her paws at Jespah’s mimicry of her speech.

“You dare speak like Zalika!” Bianca yowled, stamping her paws.

“I’ve just got footage of your labour before you came to the playroom Bianca, you laboured in the tub in the shower rooms by the pool complex,” Patch said. he twiddled and swiped about on his tablet computer a bit, “Oh, and you swam in the lazy river too during your first stage labour.” Bianca looked ashamed.

“yeah, I’m sorry for that,” she whimpered, her head and tail drooping with shame.

“it’s all right, I know when your water broke, as do you.”“ Patch said.

“It was in the tub,” Bianca mewed piteously, “I felt a really huge urge to push, massive pain and pressure, so I closed my eyes and mouth, splayed my legs and braced my feet against the end of the tub, curled the toes of all four paws and pushed as hard as I could. I remember pushing hard twice, screaming as I felt something give and gush during my second effort. I screamed through two further efforts before I opened my eyes, then, Seeing the bloody water, I leapt from the tub and showered while screaming and stamping my paws through contractions, after that, when things calmed down a bit, I walked to the playroom, which was the closest place where I might find help. You know the rest.”

“I got all that on camera, sound and vision,” patch said, Bianca looking very uncomfortable.

“I would have liked to have been there,” Theo said.

“No you don’t!” Bianca whined, spinning round to stare at the lion, who’d padded in from the passage.

“I wanted to be with you, but you sent me away!” Theo whimpered.

“that was before all you described Bianca,” Patch said.

“You mean I missed loads?” Theo asked, the look of devastation on his face upsetting Bianca so much she hid her eyes with one paw.

“yes, you did,” Bianca sniffled, “Theo, it was horrible!” she whimpered, “I wish now you’d been there,” she whispered, “I wayayayaynted you with meyeee! but I sent you away Theoaoaoaoaow!” the white lioness suddenly yowled, collapsing on the floor in a wailing heap.

“”if Labour’s like that, I never want to do it!” Zalika mewed, watching Bianca sobbing into her paws.

“Show him Patch, show Theo,” Bianca sniffled. Patch tapped his tablet computer and a screen flashed into life. Theo padded round an lay down beside Bianca, taking her paws in his. Both watched the screen, Theo holding tightly to Bianca’s paws. On screen Bianca was shown padding into the washroom, the tub empty. Groaning, she filled the tub and clambered in, Theo joining her a short time later. Moaning and wriggling, Bianca bore her contractions, Then, during a particularly heavy contraction, she screamed at Theo to leave, which he did at speed. Now alone, Bianca panted and moaned, wriggled and miaowed through her pain.

“aoaoaoaoaowuw! Uauauauauauwch! The white lioness complained as she laboured. Lying on her back in the tub. Whimpering and sniffling, Bianca kicked the water to a froth with her feet and paws as she struggled through her contractions, sometimes splashing water into her mouth mid contraction, making her cough.

“Wasn’t anyone with her?” Theo asked.

“Oh, there was someone watching, but Bianca didn’t know it,” Patch replied. On screen Bianca endured another contraction, this one was long, strong and very painful to her. Bianca reacted by lifting her feet from the water, splaying her legs and bracing her feet against the side of the tub, curling her toes round the lip. Holding on desperately, Bianca strained hard, her belly contracting as she pushed, the poor lioness Yowling through her effort. Bianca ended her effort with a moaning whimper, then screamed thrice as another contraction built, her third protestation being a screaming yowl as she bore down, her left foot slipping as she braced her feet harder than ever. The watchers in the lie up knew when Bianca’s waters had broken, because her strangled yowl of effort turned into desperate squealing and panting, then a quick scramble from the tub when Bianca saw the colour of the water. Panting groaning and moaning, Bianca padded towards the shower. Half way there, she wriggled, moaned, yowled, then rolled onto her back. Wriggling, her hind legs splayed, the pads of both feet visible to the camera, Bianca strained deeply, kicking with both feet, her toes curled tightly with effort. Panting, she came down from the contraction, getting to her feet and padding to the shower to shower herself. Standing under the spray, Bianca panted and wriggled, easing her weight from paw to paw, lifting each foot in turn while moaning deeply whenever she felt a contraction building, squatting and straining with yowls of effort and pain whenever she felt the urge. Panting and squirming between contractions, she struggled to wash, having to stop from time to time to squat and strain deeply. Bianca finished her shower and staggered from the room, the sweat of her effort soon undoing the benefit of bathing.

“I saw youw pads Bianca!” Zalika miaowed.

“yes, my sweating pads and curled toes!” Bianca moaned, Theo kissing her nose and the pads of all four of her paws, finding the toes of her feet curled, the lion kissing her bunched pads until she uncurled her toes, Bianca smiling with relief.

“I wanted that while I was in labour,” she mewed, “but,” she sighed, “Theo, I told you to leave, but I wanted you there, deep down I did, especially during my shower, when things got really bad, when Jespah wasn’t suspended in the fluid any more, it really hurt to push. That was worse than anything before.”

“I know that feeling only too well,” Titan mewed.

“It was like trying to push along a log, it was so painful and such hard work!” Bianca Miaowed.

“Thanks,” Jespah whimpered, Bianca padding to him and hugging him.

“I wouldn’t change a thing,” she said, kissing his nose, “but I can’t deny my pain and effort.

“I know,” Jespah replied, “I remember hearing the bathwater and your moans and groans mum. I could also feel you pushing too.”

“oaoaoaoah!” Bianca Miaowed, Jespah kissing her nose.

“It was all right mum,” he said.

“did you hear the shower and everything?” Bianca asked.

“Oh yes, and your feet on the floor too mum. I heard the lot!” he mewed.

“I’m sorry for throwing you about, but it really huuuuurt!” Bianca mewed.

“I remember you moaning, wriggling and curling your toes for about an hour before you went for a bath Bianca,” Theo mewed.

“patch probably has film of that too,” Bianca sighed.

“I do,” Patch replied, “but it’s not half so interesting as your bathing Bianca. All you do is wriggle and pace about a bit,”

“You woke me by yowling loudly,” Theo mewed, “I suggested you went for a bath, and you told me to leave you to bathe Bianca!”

“I knoaoaoaoaow! I’m soaoaoaoaorry!” Bianca whimpered, Grabbing Theo in her paws burying her face in his shoulder, crying into the lion’s fur.

“I wish I could have another cub with you paws on!” Bianca wept, “I wish I could puuush so hard and feel your paws holding mine and catching our cuuuub!” she wailed.

“I could try clambering back inside like Apudo did,” Jespah mewed.

“awww, that’s Soaoaoaoao sweeyeet!” Apudo mewed, “but dear Jespah, I’m sure your mum wouldn’t want that.”

“I’m serious, if mum wants to give birth to me again, she can, I’m not too big yet.” Jespah replied. Bianca looked tenderly at her son cub.

“No Jespah,” she said, her voice cracking and eyes filling with fresh tears, you can’t do that, it’s not as easy as that,” she said softly, stretching both paws towards Jespah, embracing and kissing him.

“Maybe you could pretend then,” Apudo suggested, “after all, you used to pretend you were having cubs before Jespah was born Bianca.”

“What I imagined then was nothing like the all-consuming roller coaster of reality,” Bianca replied.

“would you curl your toes while I get paws on mum?” Jespah asked. Bianca smiled:

“I can’t push out another cub,” she said, “but I will bury my face in my paws, wriggle and moan a bit, you can get paws on with my feet while I do that.”

“I remember you doing that when in our lie up,” Theo mewed.

“yes, that’s why I’m going to do it now,” Bianca replied.

“What if your pushing and another cub comes?” Jespah asked, touching his mum’s belly on the way to her feet.

“What makes you say that?” Bianca asked sharply.

“Oh, I can feel paws,” Jespah mewed.

“paws? Naoaoaoaaoao!” Bianca yowled.

“I think so,” Jespah replied, “Mum, try pushing a bit, go on, push deep into your tail.”

“No, no I won’t! I, Uuuhuuuumf, ayayayayaywch!” Bianca yowled, wriggling and scrabbling with all four paws.

“What’s going oaoaoaoaoaon!” she demanded.

“take deep breaths a minute and I’ll tell you,” Patch replied.

“I’m nooaoaoaot having another cuuuub!” Bianca raged.

“hmm,” Patch said, scanning Bianca’s belly with an ultra sound device while Jespah sat watching the screen on his tablet computer.

“ There are paws! There’s paws!!” the male lion cub yelled, pointing at the screen with his paw.

“There can’t be paws!” Bianca moaned, “Patch, tell me what’s going on!” she demanded.

“There are paws, and they belong to a second cub,” Patch confirmed.

“Naoaoaoaoao!” Bianca whimpered.

“the cub’s fine,” Patch continued, “and, I think, about ready to come out too!” he added.

“Try a little push mum,” Jespah mewed. Bianca shot a look at Patch, who nodded.

“uuuuumf, Uauauauauw!” Bianca complained as she bore down experimentally.

“Try a bigger push, close your mouth and bear down as if relieving yourself,” patch suggested. Bianca tried what he suggested, feeling the cub jam. Squealing, she stopped pushing.

“the cub’s stuck!” she panted.

“I’ll get you some gas to breathe, Can I feel?” Patch asked.

“Do what you have to patch,” Bianca replied. Closing her eyes, she waited for the discomfort. Bianca rolled over and lay down on her side, trying to ignore the sight of Patch washing his paws and lubricating one paw. Turning her head away, she concentrated on breathing the gas Patch had given her.

Miaowing loudly, Bianca bore the sensation of Patch reaching inside her. clenching her teeth, she yowled through increasing discomfort, struggling to breathe calmly:

“auauauauwch! Oauauauaauauaowch! Roaoaoaow!riaow! Uauauauauw! Oouououoooohmiaow!”

“Sorry,” patch said softly.

“What can you feeyeeel!” Bianca panted, “I muuuuust puuush!” she screamed, straining hard, patch swearing as his paw was crushed.

“Oaoaoaoaow! Auauauauwch!” Bianca yowled, banging the floor with her paws.

“Your paw inside Bianca is making her want to push Patch!” Theo miaowed.

“If I give you a light Epidural Bianca, you can help me get this cub out by pushing while I pull when you’re out of pain.

“The gas isn’t working!” Bianca whimpered.

“You’re terrified mum,” Jespah mewed, holding her left foot in his paws, “your pads are sweating buckets here.”

“I’m frightened for myself and my cuuuub!” Bianca sobbed.

“your cub is fine,” Patch said, glancing at the screen of his computer, “as are you,” he added, “Now, this next bit will hurt a bit. You must stay absolutely still while I do this. I’m putting in an injection, I must put it precisely in place, so please don’t move while I do this, take as much gas as you need.”

“Mum, Patch has got a needle and syringe!” Jespah mewed.

“Don’t bloody tell meyeee!” Bianca miaowed. Bianca felt someone pumping her tail up and down, then, before she could ask, a deep sting in her back. Screeching, Bianca curled the toes of both feet and buried her face in her paws, then, taking a deep breath, she yowled lustily, the sound shaking the windows.

“All done,” Patch said, “and Bianca, listen to me please,” Bianca exhausted from yowling her head off, twitched an ear, “you were wonderful, you didn’t move an inch.”

“Zalika and I sat on her foot patch,” Jespah said.

“good,” Patch replied, “Now though, take her feet in your paws and soothe her, for she’ll have to push as much as she can. Bianca, you’re doing well. Theo, get her a drink will you? There’s water in my bag in a special bottle. Get it for Bianca, and put it in range of her paws so she can drink when she wants.”

“I can’t feel my legs!” I wayayayan’a feeyeeel my cuuuuub’s holding my feeyeeet!” Bianca wailed.

“You can’t do this without pain relief Bianca, the cub’s stuck!” Theo raged, stamping his paws.

“I need you to push long and hard Bianca, try it now,” Patch said. Bianca tried pushing, a long, strenuous effort which made her growl and moan.

“I can’t feel it,” she panted when she’d finished.

“Can you feel us touching your pads mum?” Jespah asked.

“no, and I wayayayant to!” the lioness wept.

“right, we have to get this cub out,” patch said, “Bianca, your last push did well. Do it again. Push like that again.” Bianca pushed down hard:

“Riaow! roaoaoaoaoaoaaow! Riaiaiaiaiaiaiaow! Miooaoaoaaoaowch!” she yowled while she pushed.

“That’s good,” Patch said while the lioness panted, “now, push deeply, as if you’re straining to relieve yourself.” Bianca took a deep breath and strained hard, feeling the cub sliding into the world as she piled on the pressure.

“eueueueueueueueueueueueumf! Hururururururumf! Uuuuuuruuuuuuumf! She groaned as she strained.

“That’s it, pant now,” Patch said, Bianca panting hard.

“Pant Bianca, pant, don’t push, don’t push!” the lioness said aloud.

“I can see the cub’s paws and head muuum!” Jespah miaowed, while Zalika stared at the goings on in open mouthed silence.

“ouauauauauauw! The cub’s squeezing out of Bianca!” Theo miaowed.

“that’s its ‘ead!” Zalika mewed, “now push Bianca, push ‘ard!” Bianca squirmed, then bore down into her bottom with a drawn out:

“uuuuuuuuaumf!” of effort, while Patch pulled at its paws.

“Can I pull Patch?” Jespah asked during the lull in one of Bianca’s efforts.

“My cub’s not a bloody rope!” Bianca gasped.

“the answer is no Jespah,” Patch said, watching as Bianca strained hard, her cub moving a couple of inches further into the world.

“uuuuumf! Riaoaoaoaoaow! This is hayayayrd without help!” Bianca gasped.

“I’ll pull your cub mum!” Jespah miaowed, getting up from where he lay, having held his mum’s left foot through three hours of labour, while her toes curled and pads sweated.

“naoaoaoaoao!” Bianca raged, banging the floor with her paws, “I wayayayant you to hold my fooooot Jespah!” she yowled.

“that’s a no then,” a small voice said.

“oaoaoaoaoh! The cub spoke to meyeee!” Jespah screamed, leaping to his paws and running from the room.

“Jespah’s vewy silly,” Zalika said, washing the cub’s face and paws with her paws, as Titan had first washed hers.

“I’m not born yet, and you’re washing me?” the cub asked.

“I doesn’t know why I’s doing that weally,” Zalika replied, “but ‘ow does it feel?

“I’ll tell you when I’m fully born,” the cub mewed, screwing up its face and yowling “aoaoaoaow this huuuurts!” as Bianca strained hard. “Uuumf, miaiaiaiaiaiowch! Oooohmioaoaoaow!” Bianca yowled, Theo miaowing to her to:

“Puuush Bianca Puuuuuush!” staring at her from where he now stood by her tail, his eyes blurred with tears, but with a full view of the goings on as Bianca faught to deliver the cub’s hips and legs. Patch pulled gently as Bianca repeatedly strained hard into her bottom, the cub’s hips coming out slowly with much squelching of fluid, As Bianca, crying with relief at the coming victory, strained into her bottom with fresh strength. Piling on the pressure, the lioness yowled and moaned:

“Aoaoaoaow! Miaoaoaoaoaow! As she struggled hard to deliver the cub’s hips without being able to feel the cub’s progress, screeching as fluid gushed over the cub and it shot forth, Bianca panting, pedalling the air with all four paws and wriggling as she felt the pressure ease, Zalika lying back down and grabbing Bianca’s sweating right foot to cradle it as Bianca strained, Bianca lifting her left clear of the cub. Jespah, looking sheepish, padded in and sat down to watch.

“Puuush the cub out Bianca!” Zalika mewed, feeling Bianca pressing her toes into her paws, thinking that the lioness she was helping was struggling almost as hard to jam her toes into the grip of her fat paws as she was to give birth to her cub.

“Hold my foot as tight as you like Zalika! I wayayayayant an anchor!” Bianca miaowed, Zalika taking a good grip on the lioness’s right foot, feeling Bianca’s sweating pads and scrabbling toes as the white lioness struggled to gain purchase with her foot by pushing it hard into Zalika’s paws before the urge to strain hard to finally deliver her cub became too much, as by now the epidural was wearing off.

“I can feel things a bit now!” Bianca moaned, “is everything all right Patch?”

“yes Bianca, everything’s fine, just the cub’s feet to go Bianca. What do you want me to do? You could try pushing them out yourself if you like,” Patch replied calmly, the lioness panting:

“Yes, please, let me push by myself, I would like to feel I’d pushed my cub into the world unaided, even if it’s just a little of its body,” Bianca gasped, grabbing the flask of drink Theo had put near her paws, slurping greedily from it. Bianca settled herself, then started her solo fight to deliver her cub’s feet. Giving a cry of effort which started off as a low moan as she bore down, rising to a high pitched angry miaowing yowl as she strained harder during the contractions, Bianca tried her best to birth her cub:

“uauauauauauwch! Miyayayayaayayayow! Aouw! Puuush those feeyeeet ouuouout Bianca!” she screamed aloud, go on, puuush, get that one foot out, umf, it’s soaoao uauauauauauwch! Miyayayayaayayayow! Oh uauauauaauwmiaow! That’s it! One foot out! Ayayayayaywch!” Bianca shrieked as the cub’s left foot came free, slightly ahead of the right. Panting hard, Bianca took a rest, then strained hard again, wriggling as she felt the cub’s right foot jamming:

“Uuumf, miaiaiaiaiaiowch! Oooohmioaoaoaow! All right, Bianca, nearly over,” she gasped, talking aloud to herself, “one more big push, that last foot was hard to push, but you must, umf, ruururururumf! Muuuuust Puuuuuush the cuuuuub’s other foot ouuouououout! Muuuuust puuuuuush! Miaiaiaiaiaiowch! Aouw! Ayayayayaywch!” Bianca yowled, bearing down hard, feeling the cub’s right foot slide from her with the sensation of every pad coming into the world. While Bianca lay panting, spent in strength and spirit, Patch cleaned the cub up, then Zalika led it to Bianca’s head, Bianca wearily cleaning her cub, while Zalika attended to Bianca’s right foot once more, first kissing the lioness’s sweating pads, then cradling the foot in her paws, rubbing the lioness’s pads.

“You’s got lovely pads Bianca,” Zalika said, Bianca curling her toes with pleasure at Zalika’s touch while feeding her newborn cub.

“I’m glad I’m out of there, I thought I’d never get out!” the cub mewed between deep drinks.

“I’m never having another cub!” Bianca mewed piteously.

“I did have to reach right in and grip both the cub’s paws in one of mine,” Patch said.

“I would have put a rope on that thing’s paws and used a winch!” Felix mewed, padding in from the passage, “I watched on the screen in the playroom,” he added.

“Makalu told me all that went on, from Bianca’s face to her feet,” Ceba mewed.

“I still think a winch would have helped Bianca,” Felix mewed.

“Sorry little one,” Bianca said, getting to her feet, “I have to deal with this!” she roared, pouncing on Felix then rolling him over and whacking him with her paws, “this shit!” she raged, slapping Felix’s backside with her left paw while pinning him down on his front with her right.

“Aoaoaoaowch! Aouwch! Aouwch!” Felix squealed, Bianca letting him go.

“Can I have a go mum,” Jespah asked.

“You can’t does that!” Zalika yelled, leaping on top of Jespah to stop him going after Felix, tickling the little lion cub’s paws until he submitted, laughing helplessly. Zalika was rejoicing at her victory when a small form crashed into her and tickled her paws as she’d done Jespah’s. Laughing helplessly, Zalika realised Bianca’s newborn cub was tickling her paw pads, coming to the aid of her older brother.

“All wight little one, I’s not gonna tickle youw bwother any mowe!” Zalika squealed.

“That’s good news, the cub replied, rubbing the tickle from her pads, Zalika kissing the tiny form’s nose. Meanwhile Bianca, still furious with Felix, stood over the Felursapien, wondering what damage she could do to him. Patch, sensing her anger, commanded:

“Bianca, that’s enough!” Bianca leaving Felix on the floor.

“Winch,” Bianca grumbled, turning away, “and what does that say of your efforts Patch? You knelt behind me for hours while I pushed and he pulled!”

“I bet it wasn’t that hard!” Felix goaded

“I could show you! I will show you you disgraceful scrap!” someone roared, a streak of golden fur leaping into the room and pinning Felix down under its paws.

“naoaoaoaoao, Shandy, piss off! Get off meyeee!” Felix miaowed, grabbing her right leg and shaking it, he may as well have tried to shake the trunk of a great oak.

“You think Bianca didn’t push? You think Patch didn’t pull?” the enraged ligress asked.

“How would you make me push like Bianca?” Felix asked.

“I can’t, but I can go into labour and make you pull my cub like Patch had to pull Bianca’s,” Shandy mewed, “I know how Bianca’s labour worked, Patch’s computers told me.”

“You know how hard I pushed?” Bianca asked. Shandy let Felix go, then padded to Bianca.

“I can do all you did, in the tub and the shower and the lie up,” the animatronic ligress said. I am waterproof from nose to toes, and can drink water too. I know how you pushed and struggled.”

“She could probably make herself into a white lioness too,” Felix mumbled.

“I do have different coats, headwear and paws as it happens,” Shandy mewed, “I’m normally as you see me, but, Patch can dress me how he wants.Shandy suddenly turned to Makalu, smiled and said:

“I can even have a black coat, white paws, and a long tail.” Makalu smiled broadly at her.

“I’d love to see her as a white lioness,” Theo mewed.

“I’ll be a bit big for a lioness, but here goes,” Shandy said. Patch left with the ligress, and a wait ensued.

Patch padded with Shandy to a room where he had different cat suits. Lying down comfortably on a rug which recharged her, Shandy watched patch get out a coat, leggings and, “mittens and boots,” as he called them. then he found Shandy a lion’s tail which connected to the mechanism which enabled the animatronic ligress to work it. Patch unzipped the coat, headwear, leggings, boots and mittens from Shandy, then detached her tail. Shandy, seemingly half sedated, watched him. Smiling, he tickled the pads of her left foot, Shandy miaowing and curling her toes.

“You know my payayayds are more sensitive when my boots are off!” she yowled, laughing merrily.

“I know, that’s why I did it,” patch replied, “now I will put gloves and boots on your feet and paws to return your pads to their normal sensitivity.”

“that’s quite sensitive enough!” Shandy mewed, her eyes shining. Patch attached the new tail to Shandy’s backbone, then dressed the animatronic big cat in her new finery.

“What do I call myself now?” Shandy asked.

“You’re still Shandy. I just undressed you then dressed you up in another suit, that’s all,” patch replied as Shandy got to her feet and padded round the room.

“Everything feels fine,” she said, I can feel everything!”

“Good,” Patch replied, “I checked your attire over on my computer, but good to hear independent confirmation.”

“I must learn to go naked though, just as Tiggs does,” Shandy mewed.

“you can,” Patch replied, “indeed, you felt like Tiggs does while you were furless from nose to pads.”

“Now do I look like a lioness?” Shandy asked.

“yes, you’d pass as a lioness if noone looked too closely, and another thing, lose the Tigrine language,” Patch said. Shandy grinned, reared onto her hind legs and hugged Patch, the bear returning her hug.

“Shall I give birth to Theo and Bianca’s cubs?” Shandy asked.

“But of course, I wouldn’t expect anything else,” Patch replied.

“I’m feeling good, all my batteries are charged, I’m full of water and other fluids I need, and of course my two cubs are bursting to be born,” Shandy mewed.

“Shandy?” a voice said from the doorway.

“yes?” the animatronic big cat asked, turning from Patch and facing the speaker. Seeing Bianca, she padded to the lioness and touched noses.

“If you have come to beg me not to re-enact the births of your cubs, I understand,” Shandy said. Bianca held up a paw.

“No, dear Shandy, no, it’s not that. It’s just, well, the births of my cubs was hard work, can you manage it?”

“I can give birth over and over Bianca, hard births, easy ones, squeezy yowly ones. Bianca kissed Shandy’s nose and the top of her right paw.

“By the way, you look stunning in your white coat Shandy,” Bianca said. Shandy turned and showed her the pads of her left foot, “and these pads and paws are delightful!” Bianca mewed, kissing the offered pads, Shandy purring delightedly.

“I could miaow and riaow and curl my toes like you did,” Shandy said, “I wouldn’t be pushing though, I can do both independently or together.”

“Show me how I sounded at my worst while giving birth to Jespah,” Bianca mewed.

“Okay, here goes. I’ll curl the toes of my raised foot too. “ruuuuuuumfriaiaiaiaiaiow! Uuuuuuuuaumf! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!

ruuuuuuumfriaiaiaiaiaiow! miaowauowauowauow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Auauauauauauw! Auauauauauauw! Ruuuuuuumfriaiaiaiaiaiow! Uuuuuuuuaumf! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow, aoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Auauauauauauw! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!” Shandy replied, Bianca kissing the pads of her raised right foot to soothe her.

“I’m just acting, everything is just acting for me,” Shandy said, turning suddenly on Bianca, kissing the startled lioness’s nose and then, to Bianca’s surprise, pushing her onto her back then kissing her paws and feet.

“Maiaiaiaiaiaow! What are you doing!” Bianca protested, a protest she would have continued, but she felt Shandy’s kiss on her paw pads, then those of her feet.

“Oh, I know what you’re doing,” she mewed softly, recognising what Shandy was trying to convey to her.

“I love these paws and feet, they’re so cuuuute!” Shandy mewed, playing with the toes of Bianca’s left foot in both paws, “Where is your newborn cub?” she asked.

“Oh, I expressed some milk using patch’s contraption in his bag and left it with Mama Sita, who’s just walked in. hey, Shandy, I know Sita would love to feel what Patch did, could she help you give birth to your second cub as Patch helped me?”

“yes,” Shandy mewed, “I’ll push alone for the first though.”

“Could I have pushed alone to give birth to Jespah Patch?” Bianca asked.

“yes,” Patch replied, “neither of you were in danger. Bianca smiled:

“having Titan help me was lovely though,” she said, “and it brought Zalika into the world too, which was lovely.”

“Now I’ve gazed upon your face and paws, I feel better today,” Shandy mewed, kissing Bianca’s nose, the white lioness reaching for Shandy’s head with her paws, pulling it towards her face and returning her kiss, Shandy lying across her chest.

“now go,” Bianca mewed, “Shandy, go and re-enact the births of my cubs, and then, if you can, the birth of Titan’s cub too, for I think you were modelled on him. Because of this, you can re-enact the birth of his cub more realistically than any other. Shandy rolled away and got to her feet.

“I’ll go now,” she said, “Bianca, would you like me to re-enact the bathing scenes too? I can do that. Bianca got to her feet then kissed Shandy’s nose.

“Can you memorise all our labours and births, and Shadow do that for the bears, and little Karina for the humans and Felursapiens?” Bianca asked.

“I have asked little karina and Sita if they want to learn from Shadow,” Shandy replied, “they are playing at giving birth like cubs and human children will.”

“I know,” mama Sita mewed. Seeing her, Shandy padded over to the Felursa, then, mewing softly, gave Mama Sita her paw.

“Hello dear Shandy,” mama Sita mewed, kissing the paw she held.

“is it all right for little Sita and Karina to play at having cubs mama Sita?” Shandy asked.

“It is fine, now they have asked to play,” mama Sita replied, “I let them play together, and they watch Shadow acting, and watch Moses and little Ekaterina too. Little Ekaterina is coming on well with her acting too I hear.”

“mama Sita, I think she wants you to get paws on while she re-enacts Felix’s and Zalika’s births,” Bianca mewed.

“I will,” Sita mewed, “I’ve already been paws on with little Karina while she re-enacts Felix’s birth, that’s very realistic, and Blackberry, despite his silliness, had a great idea when creating you and the two other animatronic creatures Shandy. I’ve fallen in love with little Sita and little Karina, who are so cute from their noses to their toes. Shandy kissed mama Sita’s nose and said:

“Mama Sita, would you like to get paws on with the birth of Bianca’s cubs? I can re-enact what Bianca did and you can get paws on with everything. Delighted, Mama Sita replied:

“yes, I’d love to, and thanks.”

“there’s one thing,” Shandy said, “patch helped Bianca to give birth to her second cub by pulling to free the cub while Bianca pushed, would you do that to help me?”

“I will, and thanks again,” Mama Sita mewed.

“What should we name your youngest cub Bianca?” Patch asked.”

“Well she’s female,” Bianca replied, “a little sister for Jespah.”

“hmm,” Patch mused, “How about Sasha? It means defender of men, or defender of little brother cubs, in the case of Jespah. I hope all are fine.”

“Oh Zalika is, the big pawed bully!” a little voice miaowed.

“You haven’t hurt her have you?” Bianca asked, turning to her youngest cub.

“No, she ‘asn’t, she just tickled my feet with ‘ur breath when I was pinning ‘Jespah down with my paws while tickling ‘is feet with my breath!” Zalika mewed, padding up behind Sasha, rolling the cub over onto her back and tickling her pads as Sasha had hers.

“maiaiaiaiaiaow! Get off my toooes! Leaeaeaeaeave my feeyeeet aloaoaoaoaone!” Sasha squealed, laughing helplessly.

“You ‘as the cutest pads Sasha,” Zalika mewed.

“I like you tickling my toes Zalika,” Sasha mewed, Zalika hugging the newborn cub with intense joy.

“I’s so honoured and gwateful that youw mum let me be pwesent at youw biwth Sasha,” Zalika mewed, kissing the cub’s nose and the pads of her paws.

“you’re lovely Zalika!” Sasha mewed.

“You’s beautiful,” Zalika said, “you and Jespah awe such beautiful lion cubs. Sasha giggled with delight, pawing at Zalika’s nose, Zalika kissing the pads of the younger cub’s paws.

“You ‘as such soft pads Sasha,” Zalika mewed, pressing her nose against the cub’s pads.

“I’m newborn, I would hope I have soft pads,” Sasha mewed, “Zalika, can I test your pads?” Zalika rolled onto her side, presenting the soles of all four paws to Sasha, the newborn cub rolling over, pressing her nose against the pads of Zalika’s paws and feet, Zalika having drawn up her legs so her paws and feet were as close to each other as she could get them, laughing merrily as Sasha’s breath tickled her.

“You two are so funny!” Bianca laughed.

“What are they doing?” mama Sita asked.

“Sasha’s pressing her nose against Zalika’s paw pads for some reason, tickling her pads while trying to do something,” Bianca mewed.

“Sasha’s testing my pads fow bounciness,” Zalika said, “‘ur pads are spwingy, she wanted to know if mine wewe too, but her finding out tiyiyiyckles Soaoaoaoao muuuch!” the cub squealed, laughing helplessly.

“Testing pads for springiness,” Sita mewed, “I tested little Karina’s pads, hers are springy enough. She laughed helplessly while I pressed her pads with my nose, she said my whiskers tickled her.”

“shall we test Bianca’s pads now Sasha?” Zalika asked, “we could get Jespah involved, three of us should be able to push Bianca off ‘ur paws and let us test them for spwingyness. Bianca, laughing, rolled onto her side, mewing:

“come, take my paws and feet.”

“They’re lovely paws ain’t they,” Zalika mewed, pouncing on Bianca’s left paw, Bianca laughing merrily, Sasha crawling to Bianca’s left foot and pinning that under her small paws, Bianca curling her toes with pleasure at the touch flowing from the paws of the two cubs’.

“Mum’s toes are curling Zalika, that’s so cuuuute!” Sasha mewed, Zalika leaning over Bianca’s right paw, which she pinned down with hers, to kiss the pads of the lioness’s left, the toes of which were curled, Bianca relaxing her toes a bit so Zalika could kiss her pads, then curling them so she could rub the cub’s cheek with her toe pads, Zalika smiling at Bianca’s touch, her warm scent soothing her.

“You’s been working ‘ard this day mama Bianca,” Zalika said, “youw scent tells me that, it’s all warm and snuggly. Bianca, purring deeply, kissed the top of Zalika’s head while she rubbed the cub’s cheek with her left paw.

“if you are pinning my right paw, you’d better test the pads of my left, here,” Bianca said, stretching the toes of her left paw while keeping the toes of her other three tightly curled. Mewing with pleasure, Zalika pressed Bianca’s pads with her nose, then kissed them, Bianca closing her eyes in ecstasy at the rush of pleasure and warmth coming from the two cubs.

“Hey muuum!” Jespah mewed, rushing in, “is there a free paw I can grab?” Bianca glanced at her eldest cub, grinned, and wiggled the toes of her right foot, Jespah rushing to her foot, throwing himself on the floor and grabbing Bianca’s wiggling toes in his paws. Moaning with pleasure, Bianca leant into the touch of the three cubs, her eyes closed so no visual distraction spoilt her tactile bliss.

“mum’s a huge cuddlypuss,” Jespah giggled.

“She’s done a lot over the last day Jespah,” patch said, “your mum is amazing, giving birth to two cubs more than twelve hours apart. You were in labour for five hours with Sasha, and seven with Jespah Bianca. There was a twelve hour gap between births.”

“Did that sensor on my paw which you forgot to remove survive?” Bianca asked.

“it did,” Patch replied, “it gave me good data.”

“Who was watching me during my bath before Jespah’s birth?” Bianca asked, “I have a feeling I wasn’t alone.”

“dear Fleur watched over you,” Patch said, “she stayed out of sight, but saw everything, and would have come to help if you needed it.”

“Dear fleur?” Bianca asked, “I’ve heard that name, but never met the cat herself. The stories say she came back over the bridge from the spirit world after she died of natural causes.”

“I got so bored over there,” a voice said. Bianca looked round, seeing a very fat, very large pawed and long tailed big cat standing by the door.

“you’re Beautiful!” Bianca gasped.

“I watched your labour in the tub, and my pads sweated with yours Bianca,” the big cat said, padding forward to where Bianca lay then kissing her nose, “I didn’t interfere, but watched you intently, ready to help if you were in trouble.”

“I know I was watched,” Bianca mewed, “cameras watch us all the time here, there are people in the control room all times of day.”

“yes,” Patch replied, “Bianca, you didn’t know this, but, when I reached inside you, I placed a monitor on Sasha’s head so I could monitor her as I was monitoring you.”

“Thanks,” Bianca mewed.

“you’re wonderful Bianca,” Dear Fleur said, kissing her nose again.

“Thank you, but I did nothing more than lionesses have been doing for generations,” the white lioness replied.

“the way you did it was lovely,” Dear fleur mewed.

“I’ll go now,” Dear fleur said, padding from the room.

“let’s get out of here,” Patch said.

“I can’t move, my paws are all claimed by cubs!” Bianca laughed, looking fondly at the three cubs pinning down all four of her paws.

“Let’s wash mum’s pads before she leaves,” Sasha suggested. Bianca purred with pleasure as the three cubs got to work, washing her pads, the cooling sensation of their wash soothing her paws and feet.

“Mum’s enjoying that,” Jespah mewed.

“she is,” Zalika purred, “I’s gonna wash Titan’s paws more often now I knows what it does,” she added.

“I think he deserves it,” Bianca mewed sleepily, “he laboured just as hard to push two cubs into the world too you know.”

“now we’ve practised on you mum, and we can make you nearly fall asleep, we’ll be able to tame the trapped toes Tiggie well enough,” Jespah mewed.

“if you call Titan trapped toes tiggie, ‘e’ll wip your paws off!” Zalika mewed.

“No he won’t!” a huge voice exclaimed, making everyone look towards the door, Sita turning an ear.

“I won’t rip anyone’s paws off,” Titan mewed, “I don’t like being trapped toes tiggie when they’re caught in a raft, but I very much enjoy it when they’re held by cubs. So if you want me to be Trapped toes Tiggie and enjoy it, please, come, and I’ll lie down and give you my paws and feet to hug and soothe.”

“His paws are huuuge mum!” Sasha exclaimed.

“Titan’s gentle,” Bianca mewed softly.

“If I leave this room and go back to the main family room, maybe my paws won’t look so big,” Titan mewed. Zalika padded over to Titan, then, smiling, climbed his left foreleg as if it was the trunk of a tree, sitting on the liger’s back like the queen of the castle.

“Hold on tight with your toes Zalika,” Titan mewed., Zalika obeyed by curling the toes of all four of her large paws into Titan’s thick fur.

“is that tight enough?” she asked.

“Feels good,” Titan mewed, turning from the others and padding out of the room.

“Titan’s feet look so huggable!” Jespah exclaimed, Titan smiling to himself.

“Let me get to my feet, and we’ll go and see if he’ll let you and Sasha hug his paws,” Bianca mewed. Jespah helped Sasha away from Bianca, and both cubs watched as their mother got to her feet.

“how are your paws and feet now mum?” Jespah asked.

“Cool and soothed thanks. They needed that after my labour today,” Bianca replied, gazing with gratitude and wonder at her two healthy newborn cubs.

“I’m so happy,” she thought, calling to Theo, who padded in. Smiling, he picked Sasha up by her scruff, Bianca doing the same with Jespah, the two lions carrying their cubs from the room to their lie up, the inside of which Bianca hadn’t seen since the early hours of the previous day.

“Theo,” Bianca said, placing Jespah on the rug on which she’d been sleeping when the first pains of labour had woken her, “I’m so exhausted I just want to sleep. Can you face sleeping with a sweaty mess?” Theo touched her paw with his.

“You’re not the only one,” he said, Bianca feeling his damp pads, “sleep Bianca, lie down and snuggle with your gorgeous cubs.”

“You two look so tired, I wanted to bring you both my remedy for low energy and mood,” someone said. Bianca and Theo spun round to look towards the door, Theo so surprised at what he saw, he opened his mouth to ask Patch what he was carrying, the lion forgetting he was carrying Sasha, the cub falling on top of Jespah with a yowl, Jespah grunting with surprise, then catching and cuddling his younger sister.

“oaoaoaoaoh, soaoaoaoaorry!” Theo mewed, staring in horror at the two cubs, “are you both okay?” Patch padded in, setting a tray with a plate of sandwiches and warm sugary tea in bowls down on the floor. then, dropping to his knees, he crawled to the two cubs and checked them over with his paws, Jespah and Sasha lying quiet in the bear’s huge paws as he prodded and manipulated their limbs.

“They’re not screaming!” Theo miaowed, his eyes terrified, glancing at Bianca, he saw she was furious.

“Patch’s touch is lovely!” Sasha mewed.

“Yes it is,” Jespah replied, Theo looking relieved. Bianca spat at Theo and slapped him hard with her paw.

“I’m soaoaoaoaorry for dropping Sasha!” Theo miaowed.

“Is a bear walking in with a tray so surprising in this place?” Bianca asked angrily.

“No, it’s not!” Theo whimpered.

“No harm done,” Patch replied, sitting back on his heels, squealing as his toes were tickled.

“What?” Bianca asked, having seen who’d tickled the bear’s toes.

“Someone’s tiyiyiyckling my toooes!” Patch yelled, bouncing his backside about on his heels.

“Oh really?” Bianca replied, her eyes shining, Jespah and Sasha giggling together at Patch’s bouncing..

“You know who’s doing this!!” Patch yelled, sitting back hard then frantically squirming his backside against his heels. Bianca waved her paw in a circle, Patch feeling a rasping tongue soothing his tickled toes.

“Miaow?” a voice asked, a set of whiskers tickling his right ear.

“Titan!” Patch yelled.

“I loved that,” the liger mewed, kissing the top of Patch’s head.

“You sod!” Patch whimpered, turning to the liger, lifting his backside off his heels, reaching up both arms and hugging him.

“your bouncing was so cute to watch,” Titan mewed, bowing his head so Patch could hug him.

“You tickled me with your breath and whiskers!” Patch exclaimed, embracing Titan even Tighter, the liger leaning into his hug.

“I saw it all Patch. It was vewy sweet,” Zalika mewed from her vantage point sitting on her sire’s back.

“I did it for you Zalika, as you said Patch’s feet looked ticklable,” Titan mewed, patch giggling:

“So you’re taking orders from your cub now?”

“I thought it fun to do too,” Titan mewed, “I wouldn’t hurt you patch. When Bianca told me to stop the tickling, I did.”

“Youw feet awe so big Patch, Titan had a lot of toe pad to tickle!” Zalika laughed.

“I know they’re large,” Patch replied, shrieking with surprise as Sasha and Jespah tickled his toes. Curling them, he felt his large toes catch the paws of the two cubs.

“Be Gentle Patch,” Theo mewed.

“I will be,” Patch replied, releasing his toehold on their paws.

“That’s fine coming from you Theo you oaf, you dropped a cub!” Bianca spat.

“Stop that!” Titan mewed, “Bianca, Theo didn’t mean to drop Sasha. Now,” he glanced at the tray full of sandwiches and tea, “I think we deserve some of that. Bianca, it’s peanut butter and peanut butter and honey sandwiches and tea, eat and drink.” Patch divided the sandwiches and tea between the big cats and their cubs, who also wanted to taste the interestingly scented foodstuff.

“it clogs up my whiskers!” Theo miaowed, after eating two peanut butter and honey sandwiches, “this is all sorts of yuck!” he complained, scraping the peanut butter out of his whiskers with his paws.

“I have provided bowls for washing faces and paws,” Patch replied grinning.

“This stuff is wonderful!” Bianca mewed, biting enthusiastically into her second sandwich which she cradled end on between her paws. Closing her eyes and chewing slowly, she considered her next words, “You make a lovely sandwich Patch,” she mumbled, spraying crumbs.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full Bianca!” Theo miaowed.

“Sorry,” Bianca mewed, coughing as she inhaled crumbs. Spluttering into her paws, she fought for breath, Patch crawling to her and patting her back.

“that’ll teach you,” Theo mewed, scraping yet more peanut butter out of his whiskers, “This stuff is like glue!” he miaowed, “it’s stuck my paws together now tooo!” Patch giggled:

“I put some peanut butter and honey sandwiches in for the cubs. Also, if you’d looked Theo, there are bowls of water to wash your paws, just as the cubs have done,” he said. Theo licked his paws, tasting the sweetness on them:

“My paaaaws are stuuuuuck! Aoaoaoaoah Noaoaoaoaoaow!” the lion raged, while his mate and cubs laughed helplessly, carolling:

“stuck paws Theo, stuck paws Theo!”

“You didn’t tell us about the honey Patch!” Theo blustered.

“I thought it wouldn’t stick to your paws so much as it has,” Patch replied, trying to keep a straight face, as Theo had now rolled onto his back and was furiously licking his paws while rolling from side to side, kicking the air with both huge feet.

“’e does look fuuuunny!” Zalika laughed, pointing at Theo with her paw, then dancing on Titan’s back until, with a “Miaow!” of surprise, she fell off, landing safely on her paws.

“It’s good for you Zalika that cats always land on their paws,” Titan mewed.

“I cayayayayn’t land on mine, they’re stuuuuuck!” Theo raged, both his paws now stuck together, the lion struggling to free them by licking furiously.

“Trapped toes Theo, Trapped toes Theo!” Jespah and Sasha carolled, gleefully waving their very clean paws in the air, as they’ had, unlike Theo, washed them between sandwiches,.

“Stoaoaoaoap waving those paws!” Theo raged.

“Upset about our clean paws Theo?” Jespah asked, padding over to his sire and dabbing his nose with his clean left paw.

“naoaoaoaoao! Stoaoaoap that!” Theo moaned, Bianca laughing so much she nearly choked on the tea she was lapping.

“Silly Theo,” Patch said, getting a bowl of warm water, then washing Theo’s paws as if the lion was a cub.

“Leaeaeaeaeave my paws aloaoaoaoaone!” Theo yowled.

“I will, if you want the honey to stick your paws together forever,” the bear said.

“Oh go on, wash them then, and thanks,” Theo miaowed.

“Growly kitty, Spitty kitty, mrioaw miaow, sticky pawed kitty, angry kitty, “ “wash your paws? Naoaoaoaoaoao!” Apudo carolled, skidding to a stop beside Theo

“Shut up! Just shut it!” Theo raged, wriggling with anger, being unable to whack Apudo as he’d like to, As Patch, fearing Theo’s mood, had grabbed both the lion’s paws, keeping him on his back.

“Apudo’s a cub, remember that!” Patch whispered. Theo snapped at Patch, the bear whacking him in self-defence, the lion screeching:

“uauauauauauwch! Payayayayayayach!” with surprise and pain.

“You forget,” Patch growled, “If you do that again, that was just a taste,” he warned.

“You slap like a cat!” Theo raged.

“Only because I couldn’t!” Titan growled.

“Uauauauauw Naoaoaoaoaoao!” Theo whimpered.

“anyway, Apudo’s just singing a song! The song was quite harmless, and quite appropriate too. You were going to do her harm for singing a song!” Titan mewed.

“Titan, how can you of all cats here say that?” Theo roared, “you hate people singing songs about trapped toes Tiggie!” he raged.

“I tolerate it, though it does make me curl my toes in embarrassment,” Titan admitted, “Nuru’s song about the gong was especially so if I remember rightly, but I never attacked him for it!” he roared.

“awww, you curl your toes Titan?” Bianca asked, “Maybe we should sing songs more often, then you’d curl the toes of your beautiful paws and feet more than ever.”

“Titan shows you his paws, and as for his toes, curls them on request,” Patch said smiling.

“I saw them curling while he was giving birth to Zalika, I put my paw in the grip of his toes too,” Apudo mewed.

“I felt that,” Titan replied, “I hope I didn’t hurt you Apudo.”

“Your pads are so thick you couldn’t hurt me!” Apudo giggled.

“Do you remember what they looked like?” Jespah asked.

“I’ll show you, I got it all on camera,” Patch replied.

“Oh, Bianca,” Titan mewed, “if you would like it, I could help you curl your toes like you did during Jespah’s and Sasha’s births.”

“I struggled to curl my toes in an effort to show Jespah,” Bianca mewed.

I know that!” Sasha mewed, “I felt it mum, your breathing made me want to come out, I faught madly to come out! I kicked and punched with my paws and feet and wriggled too, but I was too big to come out without the help of Patch’s paw.” Bianca looked at her large female cub. “

I know,” she mewed softly, “Sasha, I feel I’ve failed for not being able to push unaided!”

“You’re no failure Bianca,” Titan mewed, padding forward then kissing her nose.

“I tried to push alone Titan, I tried so hard,” Bianca mewed, tears filling her eyes.

“You pushed your cub into the world Bianca, I saw you doing it!” Titan mewed, “you pushed her out, doing most of the work. You didn’t fail your cub Bianca,” the liger insisted, feeling the sweat of shame on the white lioness’s pads as he kissed the soles of her feet and paws, his action breaking the dam on Bianca’s emotions, the white lioness sobbing inconsolably.

“Bianca looks upset, can I kiss ‘ur paws too Titan?” Zalika asked, “crying makes ‘ur pads all ‘ot and I thinks they needs cooling down.” Bianca, hearing this, wiped her face with her paws, which, as Zalika had prophesied, were hot and damp.

“I’m upset about not being able to labour to give birth to both my cubs as a lioness should, and moved by Zalika’s concern, making me cry, now my paws and feet are hot and uncomfortable too!” Bianca sniffled.

“I’s able to wash ‘em if you’s wanting,” Zalika mewed, sliding down Titan’s right leg and padding towards the white lioness.

“No, Zalika, if you do I’ll go to more pieces!” Bianca whimpered, rubbing her eyes with her paws, Zalika seeing a very red eyed white lioness.

“’ow if we’s getting together then washes and rubs mama Bianca’s paws Jespah, Sasha?” Zalika asked.

“if you pin her paws, Sasha and I will pin her feet, then we can get to work,” Jespah replied, rubbing his paws together.

“’ere, I’s just thought, three cubs and four paws? Apudo, you’s good at the paw rub thing. Gives us a some ‘elp to push Bianca over onto ‘ur side will you? then you can takes a paw too. That’ll be one paw per cub then.” Bianca, helpless from emotion, watched as four cubs approached her, pushed her onto her left side with gentle care, then took a paw and foot each. This last act, and the warmth flowing from their touch broke Bianca’s control, and she wept, only to feel a gentle tongue washing her face. Blinking hard, she saw a huge liger lying at an angle to her so he didn’t obstruct the cubs, but could still reach her.

“You’re as soft as your cubs Titan!” Bianca choked, Titan bumping noses with her.

“”I want to hear no more about you failing to labour properly,” Titan mewed, “Bianca, you gave birth to your cubs, all three of them. You pushed unaided for at least part of the time, every push helps, and you pushed. The evidence of your efforts is in front of you, look at it, touch it, smell it.”

“I didn’t have three cubs,” Bianca mewed.

“Do you think your pushing didn’t help Zalika into the world?” Titan asked.

“oaoaoaaoh, did you let me push with you?” Bianca asked, “I wasn’t, I didn’t, though I wanted to,” she babbled.

“during the time I was pushing to help you deliver Jespah, you pushed too, we were both pushing two cubs, Zalika, and Jespah. The burning I felt was Zalika’s head entering the world, but she slipped back while you pushed to deliver Jespah on your own Bianca.” Bianca, overcome by this news, wept for joy.

“that would account for you moaning and struggling afterwards,” Bianca mewed.

“yes dear Bianca, that was why I struggled at first, I didn’t realise my cub was on her way, her kick and wriggle made me yowl and strain.”

“Zalika has been lovely to me Titan. Can I call her my cub?” Bianca pleaded, the lid blowing off her thoughts as Zalika squeezed her left paw in her fat paws.

“You can if you wish,” Titan mewed, “go on, feed Zalika, hug her and love her.”

“I’s now spoilt for choice I sees,” Zalika giggled, hugging Bianca’s left paw, then turning to Titan and hugging his right foot, which was the closest to her without breaking Titan’s contact with Bianca.

“come snuggle with me and have a drink Zalika,” Bianca mewed, looking at the liliger cub.

“thanks,” Zalika mewed, padding to Bianca’s side and lying down, then drinking from her milk, Sasha and Jespah gathering round her to warm her.

“That’s better isn’t it?” Bianca purred, Zalika kneading Bianca’s belly with her paws.

“Yeah, is good,” the cub replied.

“Can I go and drink Titan’s milk mum?” Jespah asked.

“I don’t see why not,” Bianca replied, looking at Titan, who smiled and rolled onto his side:

“Come to me Jespah,” he purred, beckoning with his huge left paw. Jespah padded to Titan, then lay down and drank, purring as the warm milk soothed him. Once he’d drunk his fill, Jespah snuggled up to Titan, the liger hugging him.

“There, is that nice?” Titan mewed, draping a massive paw over Jespah’s back, kissing the top of his head while the cub drank.

“Yes thanks,” Jespah replied, wriggling so more of his body was sheltered beneath the liger’s massive, thickly padded paw.

“I could stay here, snug under your paw forever Titan,” Jespah mewed.

“You can stay as long as you like,” Titan purred.

“Oi, do I get a snuggle too?” Apudo asked, flinging herself down in front of Titan.

“yes,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose.

“Why just a kiss?” Apudo asked.

“My paws are full of another cub at the moment,” Titan mewed.

“I watched Jespah’s birth, it was wonderful Titan!” Apudo mewed.

“Did you see the whole thing?” Jespah asked.

“Yes I did,” Apudo mewed, “from the toes of Bianca’s feet curling extra tight as you stretched her, to the emergence of your paws and head, then your body and legs and feet.”

“Giving birth to Jespah and Sasha hurt!” Bianca mewed.

“I could see and hear that,” Apudo replied, “I wanted to get my paw in the grip of your toes to feel your power, but I dared not without asking.”

“It was such hard work!” Bianca miaowed.

“Now it’s all done,” Titan mewed.

“I know, but Shandy is going to preserve both our labours for ever,” Bianca mewed.

“She will,” Titan mewed.

“Little Karina will preserve Mama Karina’s efforts to give birth to Felix too,” Patch said.

“Why do we call her little?” Bianca asked, “she’s almost as big as mama Karina herself!”

“Blackberry made her to be a young Felursapien mama, just as mama Karina was when she gave birth to Felix. Little Sita, well she was not so little, she was modelled on a two thirds size version of Mama Sita, though she acted like a cub at first, and begged Mama Sita for protection, which Mama Sita gave.”

Meanwhile, in the playroom, little Karina and Philomena played together, comparing hands and feet, as little Karina had worked out that Philomena was the same species as her.

“Your hands and feet are like mine Philomena!” the Animatronic Felursapien giggled.

“They are,” Philomena said, “Can I look at and touch your feet little Karina?”

“You can, here’s my right foot,” little Karina mewed, holding up her right foot, Philomena taking it in her hands, feeling the warmth of little Karina’s pads and the bunching of the skin on the ball of her foot as her touch caused Karina to curl her toes with pleasure.

“Chase my toooes!” little Karina miaowed, jerking her foot from Philomena’s grip and crawling away, Philomena chasing her. pouncing on little Karina’s heels with both hands, Philomena tickled the cub’s heels with her fingers, Little Karina banging the floor with her hands, squealing with glee.

“Rub my feeyeeet!” she yelled, Philomena rubbing her heels, then down to her arches, the balls of her feet and her toes, Little Karina curling her toes tighter and tighter with pleasure the nearer Philomena’s fingers got to them.

“I love this!” little Karina mewed, “Philomena, could I pretend I’m having a cub and you help me?”

“You can have cubs for real can’t you?” Philomena asked.

“Yes,” Little Karina replied, “but I would like you to help me, not Patch, I want to scream and wriggle and curl my toes and moan and strain hard with just you helping me. I would like you to get paws on while I do it too.”

“I’ve pretended to give birth to a cub before. It’s really good to push your foot into your hands, or the paws of another wriggle and scream your head off. It feels wonderful,” Philomena mewed.

“I can do it for real, over and over again,” Little Karina replied, “I know I will scream and cry like ayoung mama, as that’s what I am. I’m the same age as Mama Karina was when she gave birth to Felix. I’ve seen the film in which Mama Karina screams and struggles like the cub she was then. I will hold my feet for support, not to push against my hands with them to push the imagined cub, as mine isn’t imagined.”

“yes,” Mama Karina mewed, padding up on her thickly padded naked soles, “I screamed and begged and struggled like a cub.” Philomena crawled to Mama Karina and hugged her, the older Felursapien returning her hug with intense emotion.

“Do you mind Blackberry making an animatronic likeness of yourself mama Karina?” Philomena asked.

“I don’t mind one bit,” mama Karina mewed, “I watched you born in the woodlands too. Philomena, you have a story to tell too.”

“I birthed my own tail, put fingers and toes to earth and pulled,” the Felursapien cub replied.

“These fingers,” mama Karina mewed, touching Philomena’s fingers, the cub’s eyes filling with tears, “and these toes,” mama Karina finished, touching the toes of both Philomena’s feet.

“That feels so good!” Philomena mewed, curling the toes of her right foot to catch the fingertips of Mama Karina’s left hand.

“Squeeze my fingers Philomena,” Mama karina mewed, Philomena squeezing Karina’s fingertips in the grip of her toes.

“Can I play the stuck foot game with you mama Karina?” Philomena asked.

“Yes, of course,” mama Karina mewed, Philomena releasing her fingers, mama Karina sitting down and rubbing Philomena’s toes with her fingers, the Felursapien purring with pleasure.

“What’s this stuck foot game?” Little Karina asked.

“We’ll show you it,” Philomena replied. Philomena and mama Karina checked each other’s feet for thorns, each taking the other’s feet in their hands one at a time, then, pressing toe pads and the pads on the ball of the foot, then the soft skin on the arch of each foot, back to the heel using their fingers, stretching the skin as they went, not missing an inch in their exploration. Fascinated, little Karina watched all, noting the pleasure the two creatures got from their play, their pleasure expressed in gentle curling of toes and the occasional sudden firm press of one foot into the hands of the other, toes tightly curled if one found a pleasure point on the sole of the other’s foot, and they hadn’t even started the game yet.

“This feels wonderful!” Mama Karina mewed.

“Mama Freckles taught me how to touch,” Philomena replied, “she and I play this game a lot, it’s a good tactile game, as she can’t see to chase me.”

“Your pads feel soft and warm Philomena,” Mama Karina mewed.

“Yours are warm and slightly tougher than mine, but they are soft too,” Philomena mewed.

“how old are my pads?” Mama Karina asked.

“Your pads are those of a young creature, only two years old or so,” Philomena replied, rubbing the heel pad of Mama Karina’s right foot with her thumbs, “Your pad toughness is due to you walking a bit on them, but I can tell you don’t walk often, your pads are too soft for that.”

“I’m glad you think my pads are soft,” Mama Karina Mewed, curling her toes with pleasure at Philomena’s touch, “but I do walk on my feet a bit. It’s just that here, we have soft rugs and things, and my feet aren’t very hardened to rough tracks. Mama Sita’s are the same, freckles too.”

“I really want to curl my toes and squeal my head off while giving birth to a cuuuub!” little Karina exclaimed suddenly.

“Are you ready with cubs in place?” mama Karina mewed.

“I am,” Little Karina mewed, “I think, think I can resist the urge though.”

“Are you in first stage labour?” mama karina asked, remembering her own wish to have others rub her feet and to play the stuck foot game before Felix’s birth.

“How does that feel?” Little Karina asked.

“A lot of energy, a need to play a mentally strenuous game, and a wish to have your feet touched, at least that’s how I felt,” she replied.

“oaoaoaoah, yes!” Little Karina mewed piteously, “it’s just like that!” she whimpered, bouncing about on her backside and grabbing her left foot in her hands. Closing her eyes and curling her toes as tightly as they’d go, little Karina braced her foot against her hands while squeezing the ball of her foot hard with her fingers, panting and gasping.

Suddenly she closed her eyes, gripped her left foot in both hands with fresh urgency, tightly curled the toes of both feet and moaned deeply.

“oaoaoaoaaoaow! “ouwch!” she panted, “umf! Pain!” she moaned. Little Karina crawled away, Moses, having seen what was happening, crawling after her with Little Ekaterina following him on hands and knees. Moses caught up with Little Karina, ending up rubbing the balls and toes of both Little Karina’s feet, Little Karina turning her head, Moses seeing closed eyes and bared teeth.

“Pains,” she panted, backing up so Moses could rub her heels, “ooooamf!” Little Karina moaned, Little Ekaterina rubbing the sole of little Karina’s left foot from damp heel to toes, while Moses rubbed the struggling Felursapiens right.

“is Little Karina in pushing labour so soon?” Philomena asked.

“No,” Patch replied, walking in wearing his head mounted camera, “Little Karina’s feeling the first stage, small contractions.

“ow Patch, youw!” Little Karina yowled.

“Do you want pain relief now?” Patch asked.

“No,” Little Karina replied, “Moses and Little Ekaterina are rubbing my feet, plus screaming also helps.”

“your pads are warm and slightly damp Little Karina,” Moses said, rubbing her heel pads, Little Karina rocking on her knees as another contraction built in her.

“oaoaoaoaowowowowowwowoaw!” Little Karina moaned softly, “umf, yaumf!” she complained shrilly, her toes curling and stretching with her rocking, curling tightly when she rocked forward, relaxing when she rocked back to sit on her heels.

“can I hug you Little Karina?” Moses asked. Little Karina turned round, and Moses embraced her tightly.

“This feels wonderful!” Little Karina gasped as she came down from the forth contraction since the arrival of the two children, “I like this,” she panted, holding Little Ekaterina tightly as she leant into her, moaning and panting, “It’s getting worse! Hold tight, curl toes tight, ooooamf!” she groaned, suddenly Little Karina shrieked, “oaoaoaoaaoaow! Aaaaaaaaaw!” wriggling and yowling into Little Ekaterina’s shoulder, Little Ekaterina curling her toes in sympathy with Little Karina.

“Get hands on with my feet Little Ekaterina,” Little Karina invited, letting go of the young girl. Little Ekaterina kissed the top of Little Karina’s head, crawling round to her tail just in time to get hands on with Little Karina’s left foot and feel her toes curl, the Felursapien bouncing and drilling her heels into her backside, Mama Karina holding Little Karina while she squirmed and struggled.

“aoaoaoaow mum, aaaaaow! Aoaoaoaow! Aaoaoaaawch!” Little Karina squealed lustily, the Animatronic felursapien seeing mama Karina as her own mama, as was her programme when in labour.

“It’s all right Little Karina, it’s good pain,” Mama Karina purred, “Each pain is opening things up so your cub can come out.”

“but it’s so oawwowowowowch!” Little Karina whimpered.

“I know,” Mama Karina mewed, kissing her nose.

“I wan’a drill my heels into my bum mum!” Little Karina yowled, fitting actions to her words, squirming, groaning and growling as she did so. Mama Karina held Little Karina tightly, feeling her wriggling and hearing her panting. After five minutes of growling while squirming her backside against her heels, Little Karina groaned deeply then squealed lustily.

“ow mum, ow, ow, ow ow ouwch!” Little Ekaterina, who’d got hands on with Little Karina’s back, the soles of her feet and her tail throughout, rubbed Little Karina’s toes with her fingers, the Felursapien mewing and crying through her pains.

“ooooamf, Uuuuuuuumf mum!” Little Karina moaned.

“Are you wanting to push?” Mama Karina asked.

“what does that feel like?” Little Karina asked.

“Like you want to poo,” Mama Karina mewed.

“no, it, it’s just pain, like belly ache,” Little Karina replied, “ow mum, this is ow, this one’s ow!” Little Karina screamed suddenly, squirming her backside on her heels then sitting back on them with a “Yuuuuuuumf! Of pain, Little Ekaterina feeling the sweat breaking out on the soles of Little Karina’s feet.

“Oaoaoaoaow! Ahaoaoaaoaow!” Little Karina screeched, drilling her heels into her bum more urgently than ever.

“Miaoaoaoaoaoaoaoaaow!” aouwch! Oooooooaoaoaoow mum!” Little Karina screamed, her toes and fingers curling tightly with pain, Little Karina sitting back on her heels harder than ever, wriggling and drilling her heels into her bum as she endured her contraction. Little Karina suddenly yowled and squatted, straining hard with a strangled squeal.

“Your waters have gone,” Patch said, helping her clean herself up with antiseptic wipes.

“that pushing felt good Patch!” Little Karina replied.

“now to the hammock,” Patch said, Little Karina following him to the door on all fours.

“if you need to push, tell me,” Patch said, “we’re taking the monorail to my workplace.”

“I wayayayayant to puuush!” Little Karina moaned, giving herself up to her need, screaming and straining hard down lustily as Mama Karina cradled her.

“I want to have this cuuuub!” Little Karina whimpered.

“you’ll have all that,” Mama Karina mewed, her own hands and feet sweating with fright.

“the monorail is the fastest way of getting to my workplace, that’s on the ground floor out by the woods.” Patch said, punching in a special emergency code to summon the monorail. The car drew up almost instantly, and the two felursapiens and one bear boarded, followed by Moses and little Ekaterina, who crawled in behind them. Once in the monorail car, Little Karina rested on her hands and knees on the rubberised floor of the car..

“I wayayayant mum to push her paws against my feeyeeet!” Little Karina yelled, wriggling and rocking on her knees.

“Get behind Little Karina Mama Karina, kneel, and plaice your hands against the soles of her feet, your fingers to her heels, the heels of your hands against her toes,” Patch said. Mama Karina complied, crawling round to Little Karina’s feet.

“rub me down mum!” Little Karina whimpered, “rub me from my nose to my toooes!” Little Karina begged, Mama Karina backing up and exploring her daughter’s head, arms, hands, belly, shoulders, back, legs, tail and feet, finally kneeling behind Little Karina, as she finished her hands on exploration, feeling her daughter cub’s hot pads under her palms and fingers.

“I can brace my feet if I want to push,” Little Karina gasped, narrating aloud to reassure herself, “I can push with my hands and brace my feet, and push as much as I want.” Little Karina settled her feet and hands, Mama Karina pushing back against Little Karina’s naked feet with her hands in an effort to reassure her, which Little Karina seemed to like, showing her approval by pressing her toes into the palm pads of Mama Karina’s paws, Mama Karina rubbing Little Karina’s heels with her fingers, bracing her own feet against the wall of the ambulance

“Okay, let’s go,” Patch said, the car setting off at top speed. Little Karina felt the vibrations of the car moving under her hands. Moaning, she braced her feet against Mama Karina’s hands, pushing back with her hands as another contraction gripped her.

“push your feet against my hands Little Karina!” Mama Karina miaowed, Little Karina pushing back with her hands, feeling her feet pressed by Mama Karina’s warm hands, “that’s it, brace your feet and squeal, push with your feet and scream, don’t push against the cub yet!” Mama Karina urged. Screaming:

“Push my feet, push my feeyeeet!” Little Karina bore two contractions this way, pressing her toes into the soft palm pads of Mama Karina’s paws. Once she’d come down from these, her hands and feet sweating profusely with her efforts, Little Karina crawled painfully to a birthing ball and sat on it, Mama Karina keeping in touch with the soles of Little Karina’s feet with her paws for as long as she could. Squealing, Little Karina bounced hard on her toes, then braced her feet, settled herself and bore down into her tail, Mama Karina getting hands on with her adopted daughter cub as Mama Sita had with her during Felix’s birth, while Little Karina wriggled and squirmed from her head to the soles of her bare feet during her effort.

“ooaoaaoaoaoaoaomf mum, it hurts, really hurts!” Little Karina sniffled, “it’s, it’s getting worse mum! Aoaoaoaow!” Mama Karina felt Little Karina’s sweating body, her tensing fingers, curling toes, sweating heels, laid back ears and hunched body as she bore down into her tail. Then Mama Karina felt Little Karina’s relaxed state, drooping ears, open mouth, relaxed hands, heels digging into the floor, and relaxed fingers and toes.

“I love you getting hands on mum,” Little Karina mewed, “it feels great! Do it again, please do it again!”

“I will, and thank you,” Mama Karina mewed, trying not to cry with emotion.

“I have always wanted you to get hands on,” Little Karina mewed, “now you can, and I need it, so do it mum, get hands on with me as I sweat and scream and strain to deliver my cub.”

“Now, mum, paws please, paws, your paws!!” Little Karina squealed, tumbling off the ball and lying across it, bracing her feet against Mama Karina’s paws, groaning more deeply than ever as she got ready to push. Straining into her tail, Little Karina bore down twice, Mama Karina hands on with Little Karina’s sweating feet, the Felursapien curling her toes as tightly as she could, Mama Karina exploring her sweating soles, lashing, straining tail, and straining legs.

“anything coming yet!” Little Karina demanded.

“No, but I can’t feel!” Mama Karina miaowed. Patch thrust soap into her hands, and Mama Karina quickly washed them.

“now feel,” Patch said.

“You tell her!” Mama Karina hissed in a whisper.

“No, Little Karina wants you Mama Karina, Tell her yourself.” Patch replied softly.

“Nothing yet Little Karina,” Mama Karina mewed, “Maybe when you push again, I might be able to feel something. Patch slowed the monorail car, focusing his camera on Little Karina, the headset already installed in the monorail car, as it was Blackberry’s, now his own emergency car for transporting sick and injured community members. Smiling, Patch watched Mama Karina and Little Karina as mama Karina gave her cub a drink, for he knew all was well, and that this time needed to run its course, even if Little Karina had her cub in the car.

“I want to push again, puuuuuush!” Little Karina moaned, settling her hands and feet. Mama Karina felt her daughter move her tail out of the way, then bear down hard.

“ooooamf!” Little Karina moaned, “Yuuuuuuumf!” she complained as she strained, Mama Karina Washing the soles of Little Karina’s feet, this done, getting hands on with the root of her tail and what was beneath it.

“I can feel two hands, large hands!” Mama Karina mewed, Little Karina grunting as she curled her toes and bore down hard, struggling to prolong the contraction.

“Uuuuuuuumf, uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, that felt good!” Little Karina yelled.

“Push like that again then,” Patch said. Little Karina did, resting on hands, knees and tiptoes this time.

“Now mum can rub my feet and catch the cub!” Little Karina yowled, bearing down hard.

“the head of the cub is coming out!” Mama Karina miaowed in shock, Little Karina screeching in a cubbish voice

“Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” with pain as she felt the emerging cub’s head stretching her, panting, she tried to stop the contraction, but it went on for a further screaming half minute, Little Karina dropping to all fours, curling her toes, shrieking lustily:

“Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Stop! Stoaoaoaoap!”

“now pant Little Karina, with the next contraction pant,” Patch said, his head cam focusing on her face, cameras around the car showing what Mama Karina could see, plus all angles, from the sweating soles of Little Karina’s feet, to her ears, eyes and screaming mouth. “Where do you want to have your cub Little Karina?” Patch asked.

“here, with mum,” Little Karina mewed, “I want it here, in this place, it’s warm here, warm and ow! Ow! Aoaoaoaow! Safe!”

“Okay,” Patch replied, his eyes full of all sorts of views from various cameras. He could see everything, and knew everything was fine, but he wanted Mama Karina and Little Karina to discover things for themselves.

Pant Little Karina pant,” Mama Karina mewed, Little Karina panting, yowling and squealing as the cub’s head came into the world. Then, as the cub’s head came out with a rush, Little Karina moaned and screeched:

“I want to push, I want to hold my feet and push! I want to kick like Sally did!” “You can do that,” Patch said. Little Karina squirmed, then curled her toes, moaning and groaning before straining hard against another huge contraction. Panting, she wriggled, rolling over onto her back. Moaning, Little Karina drew up her knees as far as she could, grabbed her thighs with both hands, splayed her legs and strained, Mama Karina feeling the cub coming into the world, Little Karina having to make extra effort to push the cub out, but she didn’t seem to mind that.

“Push Little Karina, push down into your tail,” Mama Karina mewed.

“I want to puuuuuush harder than this! puuuuuush harder!” Little Karina yowled as Mama Karina caught the cub while Little Karina held the backs of her thighs, splaying her legs as wide as they’d go. Little Karina rolled from side to side, then strained again, squealing lustily as she did so.

“Feel my feet mum!” Little Karina groaned as she wriggled and squirmed. Mama Karina protested:

“but I’ll miss the birth of the cub!”

“You won’t!” Little Karina mewed, panting hard, “feel my feet.” Mama Karina did, and Little Karina, who’d relaxed her toes, curled them tightly, moaning and wriggling while she pushed her foot hard into Mama Karina’s hands, Mama Karina feeling curled toes and bunching pads, the fingers of her left hand caught in the grip of the curled toes of Little Karina’s right foot.

“Uuumf, Uuuuuuuumf!” Little Karina groaned, “now you know what my feet are doing, feel my face, and then my hands and the cub.” Mama Karina did, amazed Little Karina could be so calm while she was giving birth.

“thank you,” Mama Karina sobbed, as she got hands on. Little Karina smiled despite her discomfort. Only when Mama Karina had hands on with the cub did Little Karina push hard, keeping quiet so Mama Karina could hear the squelching passage of the cub.

“umf!” Little Karina grunted as she came to the end of a contraction. Then, taking a deep breath, she pushed hard down again, wriggling madly after pushing, slight sound escaping her, but her initial fear had gone, as Mama Karina was hands on with her from her emerging cub, to her feet, face and her hands as she pushed, this felt wonderful to Little Karina.

“this cub’s enormous!” Mama Karina mewed.

“yes, I know!” Little Karina gasped, “I’m going to give birth though, I will give birth to this cub aided only by my mama’s paws and my pushing!” she yelled, Sorry everyone will miss this live, but I don’t care now, I want my mum!” Mama Karina choked on a fresh rush of tears feeling Little Karina shuffling backwards until she was sitting on the birthing ball once more, then digging in her heels and curling her toes and fingers, finally making effort, pushing the cub into the world with huge efforts. Little Karina alternated her labour positions, sometimes sitting on the ball,, sometimes lying on her back, drawing up her legs and holding the soles of her feet with both hands, or drop her hands to the backs of her legs, grip her thighs with her hands and splay her legs wide while kicking hard and tightly curling the toes of both feet, before pedalling the air with her feet as if cycling. Little Karina sometimes pushed silently, sometimes screamed and yowled, sometimes moaned deeply, Mama Karina encouraging her to:

“Scream and moan if you want Little Karina, tell me how you feel!” while she got hands on, feeling her efforts from her straining belly to her hands with gripping fingers, and pedalling feet with tightly curled toes. in response to her mum’s encouragement, Little Karina screamed and moaned, growled and whimpered as she wanted, letting Mama Karina feel everything, as she desperately wanted her mum’s reassurance and knew the cub was safe, and the more slowly she delivered it, the easier it was on the cub and herself. Wriggling and panting, screaming and yowling, Miaowing and screeching, Little Karina laboured hard. Accompanying her yelling with wriggling, Rocking and straining, Little Karina gave slow birth to her cub, Mama Karina hands on throughout, touching Little Karina’s feet, hands and the emerging cub, Little Karina wanting this, making Sure Mama Karina touched everything. After half an hour of careful easing her cub into the world, Little Karina had delivered the cub up to its feet. Lying on her back on the floor, Little Karina asked Mama Karina to tell her how far along the cub was to being born. Mama Karina explored, telling Little Karina she was just about to deliver the cub’s feet. Little Karina panted hard:

“Hold the cub mum!” she begged, “hold the cub while I get onto the ball, there, now, now, let me feel, ooooamf!” Little Karina reached down and took the cub from Mama Karina’s hands, gathering the large creature in her hands, cleaning his face with her tongue, while Mama Karina got hands on with the cub’s legs. Settling her heels into the rubberised flooring, Little Karina strained down hard into her tail, the cub’s feet starting to slide into the world, Little Karina relaxing and panting half way through the passage of her cub’s heels, feeling the heel pads easing out, Little Karina squealing and moaning through their passage as she was exhausted, her cub yowling as his feet jammed then slid slowly into the world and were compressed as Little Karina’s strength gave out, Mama Karina encouraging Little Karina to:

“Push hard Little Karina, as hard as you can! Those heels need to come out, otherwise they’ll get stuck!” Straining as hard as she could, Little Karina felt the thick heel pads on the cub’s feet jam, then slide back as she panted. Wriggling and squealing with rage and pain, Little Karina strained down hard once more, feeling the cub’s heel pads filling her world. Screeching, she bullied them out into the light of day, then panted as her cub’s arches slid out, squealing as the balls of her cub’s feet jammed, then, under more pressure from Little Karina, squeezed into the world as she pushed strongly, his toes sliding into the world with some difficulty, as the cub had curled them with fear. Panting after the passage of the cub’s feet, Little Karina tried to relax, but felt something still inside her. Looking down, she stared in wonder as the cub’s long tail emerged from her. Little Karina panted, wriggling and complaining: “

Auauauauauauw, Naoaoaoaow Noaoaot a tail! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! I caaaaaan’t puuuuuush!” in response her cub yelled at her to:

“Push my tail out mum! Push, push!” Pedalling his large naked feet in mid-air in his own effort to help. Little Karina responded by repeatedly screaming:

“Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” while straining repeatedly down into her bum to deliver the cub’s tail while Mama Karina got hands on with the emergence of the tail. Lying prone on the floor, Mama Karina tracked the emergence of the cub’s tail with her left hand, the sole of Little Karina’s left foot resting in the embrace of her right, feeling her curling her toes as she pushed and wriggled, pushed and strained to deliver the cub’s tail, which to Mama Karina seemed never ending.

“Keep pulling gently on his tail mum!” Little Karina mewed, “I can’t lift him higher, and I can’t push the tail out without help!” Mama Karina gently pulled at the cub’s emerging tail, following it down with her left hand as Little Karina pushed and wriggled with much moaning and protestations of:

“Oaoaoaoaow, ooooamf, ouauauauauwhwhwhw,” while Mama Karina kept rubbing the sole of Little Karina’s left foot from the Felursapiens curled toes to bunched ball and sweating heel pad with her right.

“Push my tail mum!” the cub encouraged, Little Karina having cleaned its face with her tongue when she’d first got the cub in her hands, Phew!” the cub exclaimed between groans as expressive as Little Karina’s own as she pushed his tail into the world, “you took a long time over getting me out! But well, I’m glad of it, but there’s so much more of my ow, ow, Yaoaoaoaoaoach! tail!” he yowled.

“nearly there mamma Little Karina,” Mama Karina mewed, Little Karina yowling clenching her hands into fists and curling her toes with effort while straining hard, squealing as she felt the tip of the cub’s tail emerge.

“Done it!” Little Karina wept.

“That’s great,” Mama Karina mewed, kissing little Karina’s nose.

“Now I will sleep my cub and you can reset me Patch,” little Karina said in a normal voice, Patch smiling at the animatronic Felursapien. Little karina padded to the raised bed in the ambulance, then lay down on it. Patch smiled and inserted a line into little Karina.

“water and other fluids,” he commented. Lying on her back, Little Karina watched as Patch strapped a cuff to her left wrist.

“Vital signs, plus it charges her batteries,” he grunted, fishing out a syringe and needle, “Epidural anaesthetic,” he added. Little Karina sat up, and Patch inserted the needle, numbing little Karina from her waist down.

“Now we go in,” Patch said, little Karina settling back on the bed.

“Won’t she feel this?” mama Karina asked.

“Usually I’d sleep her deeply for this, but it’s possible to reinsert a cub the same way they come out if we’re performing a caesarean section, just backwards,” Patch replied. She’ll be able to labour just as well as she did a few minutes ago.” Patch used a special blade to cut into little Karina’s belly, then down to her womb and then open that up, placing the newly slept and fluid covered cub in its place.

“The cub’s in a bag of fluid which will preserve it, the umbilical cord will deliver electric to the cub from little Karina’s own batteries,” Patch said, “as long as the placenta is connected to the womb, the cub will be fine.” Mama Karina, watching all as Patch closed up the wounds, felt her palms becoming damp.

“I do care about her,” she admitted to Patch.

“I know,” Patch said, finishing his job and washing his paws, little Karina smiling at him as he injected the antidote to the epidural.

“you’ll be able to get up in a bit,” Patch said, little Karina smiling and making an attempt to curl her toes, her toes unresponsive.

“In a few,” Patch said smiling.

“I suppose I have to wait!” little Karina whimpered.

“In a minute,” Patch replied.

“I loved giving birth to my cub,” little Karina mewed, “and, mama Karina, you are wonderful at soothing a screaming cub.”

“You’re just like I was,” Mama Karina mewed.

“I’m meant to be,” little Karina mewed softly, climbing off the bed and crawling to Mama Karina, who hugged her, then groomed her from nose to tail.

“Would you like a drink little Karina?” Patch asked.

“Yes please,” Little Karina mewed. Patch gave her a bottle of water, little Karina drinking deeply. Mama Karina drank her own drink, watching her adopted cub.

“that was amazing!” little Ekaterina said, clapping her hands.

“It was,” Moses replied, sitting back on his heels. Rubbing her face with her hands, Philomena looked at Mama karina.

“I imagined myself doing what little Karina did,” she said, “my toes curled with hers, her struggle felt very close to home for me.”

“You are very much like she is,” Patch said.

“I can’t be reset like her though,” Philomena replied, “but,” she considered, “I played with little Karina, and it was real committed play, and her pads were warm to my touch too.”

“That was amazing!” little Ekaterina said, excitedly clapping her hands and bouncing on her toes.

“I could do it again,” little Karina replied.

“I’ll let you rest a bit,” Patch said, turning the car round and returning to his base. Once back in his work room, the car stopped and doors opened.

“the only time this car was used in real crisis was when Apudo thought if she ate bees she’d get honey,” Patch mused.

“did she really think that?” Philomena laughed, “how silly was she!” she shrieked, clapping her hands.

“it’s not funny!” someone miaowed, a brown form leaping on top of Philomena and pinning her down, “it was scary, and awful, oaoaoaoah miaiaiaiaiaiowch!” Apudo whimpered, words failing her.

“It was a scary time for all of us,” Patch said gently.

“I remember the fear and pain,” Apudo mewed piteously, letting Philomena go.

“Sorry Apudo, but you did think bees tasted of honey, that was what was funny, not that you got hurt,” Philomena mewed.

“yeah, okay,” Apudo growled. Patch knelt and hugged Apudo, the little lioness snuggling into the bear’s embrace.

“You have cute pads Patch,” little Ekaterina said, crawling to Patch’s feet where his thick sole and toe pads were exposed to view, touching them with her fingers, rubbing his heels, then down the thick pad to his toes, Patch sitting back on his heels and curling his toes with pleasure, little Ekaterina giggling with delight.

“Patch’s a big cub Moses!” she giggled.

“Moses grinned:

“you wriggle like that when I rub your heels and toes,” he said.

“I don’t! Do I?” little Ekaterina asked.

“You do,” Jenny said, crawling into the room, “Sally told me you do anyway,” she added.

“Jenny!” Moses yelled, running to her, then hugging her.

“Hi Moses,” Jenny said, returning the boy’s hug.

“I’ve seen you and Sally bouncing your bums on your heels, wriggling like Patch did too,” Moses said, Jenny laughing:

“I know, we can’t help it.”

“You curl your toes very tightly when you bounce and wriggle Moses,” Philomena said.

“Do I?” Moses asked, crawling backwards, Philomena crawling forwards until her hands met the balls and toes of Moses feet, Moses curling his toes round the heels of Philomena’s hands. Gripping the heels of Philomena’s hands hard with his toes, while pressing his arches against her fingers, Moses closed his eyes with bliss as Philomena scratched the soft skin just below the margin of both his heel pads with her fingers.

“that’s Soaoaoaoao good!” Moses exclaimed, sitting back on his heels, squirming with pleasure while Philomena rubbed the sensitive skin on the insides of both arches, just below his heel pads.

“That’s so sweet of you Philomena!” Patch giggled, feeling little Ekaterina’s fingers pressing into the skin on the inside of his sole pads, Patch whimpering with pleasure, little Ekaterina laughing merrily.

“You’re bouncing and squirming and curling your toes Patch!” she said.

“I cayayayayn’t help iyiyiyt!” Patch replied, tightly curling the toes of both his huge feet, squirming and bouncing on his heels with pleasure, while Apudo watched with open mouthed amazement.

“You’re acting like a huge cub Patch!” she exclaimed.

“And you wouldn’t?” Jenny asked.

“I don’t know,” Apudo mewed.

“Well I’ll get hands on with your feet and see if you curl your toes and miaow with pleasure,” Jenny replied. Apudo lay down, and Jenny took her left foot in both hands, rubbing the little lioness’s pads with her thumbs, Apudo clenching her teeth to stop herself mewing with pleasure.

“Apudo’s fighting the sensations from her pads,” little Ekaterina said.

“Oaoaoaoah miaoaoaoaoaow!” Apudo gushed, everyone laughing helplessly at her complete capitulation to the feelings in her paws.

“Told you so,” Jenny said, kissing the lioness’s nose, Apudo rolling onto her back, and drawing her paws and feet together so Jenny could stroke the pads of all four at once.

“You big fat snugglypuss Apudo,” Jenny said, tightly hugging the lioness, who purred deeply in her embrace.

“Your feet and paws are well padded Apudo,” Jenny said, “your pads are like springs on your soles.” Apudo giggled helplessly at this, Jenny rubbing the sole of her left foot, Apudo curling her toes round the fingers of Jenny’s right hand as the young girl rubbed her pads.

“I like this a lot,” Apudo mewed.

“I’m only showing you what made Patch and Moses curl their toes with pleasure,” Jenny replied.

“No wonder they whimpered with pleasure!” Apudo mewed.

“You’re curling your toes really tightly!” Jenny exclaimed.

“I wayayayan’a cuuuurl them even tighter!” Apudo miaowed, wriggling and pedalling the air with her paws while curling the toes of both feet, which Jenny held in both hands.

“Your toes are so cute Apudo, especially when you tightly curl them,” Jenny said. Patch, smiling, rolled onto his side, little Ekaterina grabbing the toes of one of his huge feet with one hand, rubbing his bunched pads with the other as he curled his toes.

“Can I grab someone’s toes too?” mama Karina asked.

“Grab mine if you want,” Jenny said, “I can still hold Apudo’s toes, you could grab mine.” Mama karina crawled up to where Jenny lay on her side and grabbed the little human’s left foot in both hands, Jenny curling her toes with pleasure.

“You like my touch?” Mama Karina asked.

“I do, I really do,” Jenny replied, curling her toes as tightly as she could.

“You soppy pair,” Patch said.

“I don’t know about that,” Karina mewed, “Patch, you have your arms round Apudo, her feet are in Jenny’s hands, who’s more soppy. Oh, and your toes are holding onto little Ekaterina’s fingers too.”

After a while, Everyone got to their feet and left the car, padding to the pool complex to cool off, finding Mama Sita and Shandy swimming together in the large pool.

“Did Sita help you have your cubs Shandy?” Patch asked.

“Oh, that hasn’t happened yet,” Shandy mewed, “it got too hot for that, so I stripped off my coat and am trying to cool down.” Mama karina and the children laughed at this.

“I want to be like Tiggs too,” Sita mewed, “wearing a fur coat in this heat is crazy!”

“You can’t sweat through anywhere but your paw pads,” Patch said, “Sita, you’re a cat bear. cats and bears can’t lose heat through their skin other than on their paws and feet and noses. Blackberry made it so Shandy could though, and that’s why she feels good when she strips off her coat.

“Shandy’s all shiny when she takes her coat off!” Tiggs mewed, padding in from the outdoor pool.

“That’s because I’m sweating buckets!” Shandy mewed, drinking hard from the fountain, Tiggs nudging her across a bit, then following her example.

“you are two shiny tiggy’s!” Felix yelled, padding into the room.

“hmm, are we?” Tiggs asked, turning to Felix, plonking a huge naked paw on his hand and touching his nose with hers. Felix hugged Tiggs tightly, the ligress smiling broadly.

“You’re so cute Tiggs,” Felix mewed.

“I’d love to have fur on my body but naked feet and paws,” Shandy mewed, looking Felix over.

“You could couldn’t you?” Felix asked, stroking Tiggs, who snuggled and purred deeply.

“I suppose I could,” Shandy mewed. Tiggs pushed Felix onto his back and washed his hands and feet, Felix giggling with delight at her attentions.

“You big softy Tiggs, oi! You’re tickling meyeee!” Felix yelled as Tiggs worked on the sole of his left foot, her whiskers tickling his toes.

“Sorry,” Tiggs replied gently, rubbing out the tickle on Felix’s toe pads with a quick swipe of her tongue.

“You Soppypuss!” Felix giggled, Tiggs gently pinning him down with one paw, then lifting her paw, placing it back on the floor, leaning down then kissing his nose. Felix, his eyes shining, asked:

“Can I hold your paw Tiggs?” Tiggs gave him her right paw, Felix clasping it to his chest, then releasing it. Smiling up at the naked ligress’s gentle eyes, Felix drew up his legs, lifting his right foot a little, Tiggs kissing the offered toe pads and heel pad, Felix giggling helplessly.

“You big softy!”

“I try to be,” Tiggs mewed softly. Grinning up at the ligress, Felix curled the toes of both feet as Tiggs kissed the bunched skin on the ball of his right foot.

“You big softy cub,” the ligress purred.

“What colour are my pads?” Felix asked.

“You know what colour they are!” mama Karina mewed.

“I’ll tell him,” Tiggs mewed, “Well Felix, I’ll touch the sole of your foot with my paw as I describe it, okay?” Felix grinned hugely at this:

“this sounds great!” he said.

“Well,” Tiggs continued, “you’re quite a young cub Felix, so your pads are not very thick with wear. You have very dark pink, almost brown skin on the soles of your feet, slightly darker on the ball of your foot here, and the heel here,” the ligress mewed, touching the parts of Felix’s foot with the toes of her naked paw as she described them, “your toes are darker padded than the gap between them and the ball of your foot,” she continued, touching each of Felix’s toes, the Felursapien cub giggling as her exploration slightly tickled him.

“This is fun!” he said, Tiggs smiling:

“so Felix, your toes have darker pads than your arch, here, here, here, here and here,” the ligress said, touching the pads of Felix’s now relaxed toes with her paw, “the ball of your foot is a little darker than the arch. Your heel pad is slightly darker than your arch, here, and the rest of your foot, all this bit,” Tiggs said, gently sweeping her whiskers over his arch from the ball of his foot to the margin of his heel pad, “is lighter than the rest!” she concluded, Felix curling his toes and laughing, gleefully squealing:

Tiyiyiyiggs That tiyiyiyckled!” Tiggs smiling down at the Felursapien cub.

“Would you like me to rub the tickle from your pads?” Tiggs asked.

“I’d like that, then, would you tickle my other foot too?” Felix asked. Tiggs released Felix, then kissed his nose, Felix closing his eyes with pleasure.

“You have very cute feet Felix,” Tiggs mewed.

“I’m glad you like my pads, I keep them very clean, we all do here. thank you Tiggs.” “ Felix replied smiling, pedalling the air with his feet, Tiggs blowing on his toes, the Felursapien cub wriggling delightedly, Tiggs bowing so she could blow on the soles of Felix’s feet as he pedalled the air, Felix squealing with glee as the ligress’s breath tickled him.

“What are you doing to my cub Tiggs?” mama Karina asked.

“She’s tickling my feeyeeet!” Felix squealed.

“Well Tiggs, stop it,” mama karina mewed.

“naoaoaoaoao!” Felix protested, pedalling the air faster with both feet, the toes of his left foot grazing Tiggs’s nose, Tiggs drawing back a bit, then, turning side on, and with a quick upward movement of her head, Tiggs used her whiskers to tickle his right foot from heel pad to toes, Felix shrieking with laughter. Wriggling, Felix drew back his right foot and grabbed it in both hands, rubbing the tickled pads with his fingers.

“You nearly kicked Tiggs in the head Felix!” Mama Karina miaowed.

“I’m sorry,” Felix mewed, “but Tiggs got me back by tickling my toooes!” he giggled.

“Let’s swim, it’s hot here,” Tiggs said, padding away from Felix, the Felursapien cub following her long tail. wading into the water, Tiggs swam powerfully across the pool, Felix floundering after her.

“Oh for Eohippus sake, ride on my back,” Tiggs mewed, Felix scrambling onto Tiggs’s back, The ligress swimming further into the pool, Felix sitting astride her back, his feet in the water.

“I’m gonna have wrinkled toes by the end of this,” Felix mewed.

“We all will,” Tiggs replied, wading into the lazy river and spreading her limbs so she floated, the river carrying her and Felix round the watercourse. When the river went down a steep slope, Tiggs turned rear on, Felix laughing as she plunged tail first over the edge, both swept down into the lower reaches of the river. Turning sideways, Tiggs rode the water, watching for other swimmers. Smiling, Felix patted Tiggs’s shoulder, the ligress’s purr vibrating his body.

“Now going up,” Tiggs mewed, sprawling on a belt which carried her up to the top of the river course, the belt dipping beneath the water at the top, depositing her into the water at the top of the course. Tiggs drifted on the current, the river carrying her and Felix to the side, Tiggs’s paws sliding up the slope, the ligress gripping the rubberised tiles with her toes.

“You get off here,” Tiggs mewed, Felix swinging a leg over and sliding off side saddle.

“thanks Tiggs,” Felix mewed, kneeling in the shallow water to kiss Tiggs nose, the ligress turning her head to him, the two creatures rubbing noses and whiskers.

“I’ll go now,” Felix mewed, turning tail and, as a sign of humility to the ligress, crawling through the shallow water towards the tiles. Seeing the soles of Felix’s feet moving through the water, the water level just at the balls of his feet, Tiggs crawled forward, bowed her head and blew against the ball of Felix’s right foot, Felix laughing as bubbles burst against his skin.

“You silly tiggie!” he laughed, Tiggs kissing the heel pad of his left foot, then blowing on the ball of that foot, Felix shrieking with cubbish laughter.

“Now can I blow on your toes silly Tiggie Tiggs?” Felix asked.

“Yes, okay,” Tiggs said, sliding backwards into the water. Felix turned and followed her, finding her feet accessible, Tiggs lying so her feet were half out of the water as his had been. Leaning down, Felix blew hard against the large toes and pads of Tiggs’s left foot, the bubbles bursting on her pads, Tiggs laughing hard, whipping the water to a froth with her long tail.

“What are you doing Felix?” Mama Karina asked, padding over to where Felix lay in the water beside Tiggs.

“I’m blowing on Tiggs’s pads under the water like she did mine,” Felix mewed.

“Why?” mama Karina mewed.

“Because I blew on his toes while he crawled away from me,” Tiggs mewed.

“I like you Tiggs,” Felix mewed, kissing her toes, Tiggs curling her toes with pleasure. Smiling, Felix crawled towards Tiggs head, then hugged her, the ligress purring deeply, snuggling into the cub’s hug.

“Why do you play with her feet Felix?” mama Karina asked.

“I don’t know mum, I like Tiggs feet and her paws, and everything. She likes me too, she played with me first.”

“but you’re a cub, and she’s much older than you, and you should not be blowing on her pads like she’s your cubbish playmate!” mama Karina blustered.

“Why shouldn’t they Blow on each other’s pads to make the bubbles in the water?” Patch asked, padding up to the discordant group.

“Because Tiggs is no cub!” Karina raged.

“I’ll tell my cub that Felix can really play, and she might come to play with him,” Tiggs mewed, “though,” she added, kissing his nose, “I quite like Felix myself. He has lovely touch and clearly loves me and my paws and feet too.”

“I’m surrounded by furred creatures, fur on their paws all around me, and it’s nice to find a big cat with no fur on her paws or feet,” Felix mewed, “I have no fur on my hands or feet, and neither do you Tiggs.”

“do you know why she has no fur on her paws? Why she has no fur from nose to toes?” Karina asked.

“No, I don’t, apart from the fact she might have been born with no fur,” Felix mewed.

“I had an infection in a paw,” Tiggs mewed, “Patch saved my life, but I lost my fur completely.”

“That’s what you’re celebrating, the loss of her fur!” Karina raged.

“I’d say Felix is celebrating my life when he tells me he likes my naked paws and feet,” Tiggs mewed.

“Oh, um, ah,” mama Karina mewed, watching Tiggs stretch out on the slope so her paws and feet were half in the water. Smiling, she wiggled the toes of all four paws until the water frothed round her paws, Tiggs closing her eyes in bliss as Felix hugged each of her naked paws and feet in turn,.

“I love these paws and feet,” Felix mewed.

“you don’t have to put it into words,” Tiggs mewed, wriggling her body and curling her toes with pleasure.

“We could go somewhere else if my mum’s anger upsets you,” Felix mewed. Tiggs pushed her right foot into Felix’s hands.

“I don’t understand this!” Mama karina raged.

“Maybe if you let Tiggs kiss your pads you might,” Felix mewed.

“She’s as mischievous as you are!” Karina whimpered.

“She is,” Felix mewed, “but, there’s something else there too. Tiggs touch makes you want to give her all your hands and feet at once.”

“Oh go on, try me,” karina replied.

“Kneel in the water mum, so Tiggs can touch your feet,” Felix mewed. Karina knelt in front of Tiggs’s paws, nervously looking down into the water which sloshed about her knees. Tiggs ran her paw down the sole of Karina’s left foot from heel pad to submerged toes, karina gasping as her toes curled with the pleasure of the touch. Then she felt a kiss placed on the heel of her right foot, which made her eyes fill with tears.

“your feet are very much like your cub’s,” Tiggs mewed, “mama karina, you’re very young indeed aren’t you.” Mama karina bowed her head, trying to hide her tears.

“I was a young mama, too young really,” she sniffled.

“your pads hadn’t even had time to git dirtied by life,” Tiggs mewed, “but you gave birth to a gorgeous cub who is as fun loving as a liger cub.”

“Felix is a rogue and a pest sometimes, but I love him more than the world Tiggs,” mama Karina mewed.

“I know that,” Tiggs replied, mama Karina suddenly turning to Tiggs and throwing her arms around the ligress’s neck. Whimpering, mama Karina rested her head against Tiggs’s.

“I know what Felix felt now,” Mama Karina mewed, “Tiggs, I won’t stop him playing with you.”

“I mean him no harm mama Karina,” Tiggs purred, reaching round to the sole of Mama Karina’s right foot with her left paw, cupping the pad of her right heel in the warm embrace of her naked pads.

“This feels wonderful!” Karina mewed, as she hugged Tiggs tighter than ever, the ligress’s right paw rubbing her back.

“Pull me closer Tiggs!” Mama Karina miaowed, “pull with both paws!” Tiggs pulled mama Karina closer, putting pressure on Karina’s left heel and back, mama Karina hugging Tiggs tighter than ever.

“awww mum, you’re curling your toes!” Felix giggled, rubbing the bunched skin on the balls of his mum’s feet with his fingers.

“that makes me want to curl my toooes even tighter!” karina miaowed, sitting back on her heels and drilling them into her backside.

“awhwhwhwh muuum, that’s so cuuuute!” Felix mewed, leaning down, making karina squeal:

“Feyeeelix! Stoaoaoap that!” by blowing into the water just above her curled toes, karina wriggling and bouncing her backside harder than ever on her heels. Felix rubbed his mum’s toes, Tiggs grinning over karina’s shoulder at Felix.

“you’re a rogue Felix, but I love you dearly,” Tiggs said. Felix rubbed the sole of his mum’s left foot from heel pad to toes, Karina whimpering with pleasure.

“all right, I think I’m going to die of cute!” Patch said, padding up to the little group.

“yay! More paws to play with!” Tiggs mewed, Patch laughing merrily.

“I’ve been swimming, so they should be wrinkled too,” patch said.

“Mum’s are now,” Felix mewed, tracing the wrinkles in the skin on mama Karina’s right foot, Patch grinning as he watched her struggles not to squeal with pleasure, putting her energies into wriggling and bouncing her backside on her heels as well as curling and stretching her toes.

“My head’s going to explode!” Karina yelled, to which everyone laughed.

“you’re looking more and more cute as Felix rubs your pads mama Karina,” Patch said. Patch bounced on his toes with excitement, the shallow water spraying from beneath his heels as he did so.

“patch, you are so silly!” little Ekaterina said, walking up behind the bear and, lying down, blowing hard under the raised heel of his right foot, Patch shrieking with surprise and kneeling to reach back with his paws and rub the tickled pad.

“now I blow on your toooes!” little Ekaterina giggled, kneeling and following Tiggs example by blowing bubbles in the water near the toes of Patch’s left foot, the bear laughing and bouncing his bum on his heels as he rubbed his arches and heel pads with his paws.

“You look so cuuuute Patch!” Moses said, padding up to where little Ekaterina knelt rubbing the toes of Patch’s left foot. kneeling himself, Moses rubbed the sole of Patch’s right foot with his fingers, first his heel pad, then his toes, the bear smiling, catching Moses fingers beneath his, pressing them to the soft warm skin on the sole of his right foot.

“Let’s all get out of this water before our pads become wrinkled as prunes!” Tiggs suddenly said.

“but wrinkled pads are so cute!” Moses replied.

“they are,” mama Karina mewed, “but keep them wet for a long time, and it isn’t good.” They all left the pool and padded outside to where the tiles on the side of the outdoor pool baked under the midday sun. Instantly, Tiggs lay down on the warm tiles, warming her paws and feet.

“I forgot you ligress’s like warm pads,” Patch said, sliding into the pool, the water as warm as a bathtub. Patch swam to where Tiggs lay on the poolside, the pads of her paws and feet hidden from view. Smiling, he took her left paw in both of his, rubbing her pads, Tiggs curling the toes of both her huge naked soled feet into the gaps between the tiles, the sight of her pads bunching on the paw he held making Patch smile with pleasure.

“I love tightly curled tiggie toes,” he said, Tiggs purring deeply as Patch rubbed the pads of her held paw with his paw, making her close her eyes and curl her toes even tighter. Patch kissed the pads of Tiggs’s paw, Tiggs withdrawing her paw from patch’s grip, then burying her face in her paws to stifle a whimper of pleasure.

“don’t be ashamed of it,” Patch said, kissing her ear.

“your touch and kiss to my payayayds feyeeels Soaoaoaoao good!” Tiggs mewed, everyone laughing merrily at her mewing soppiness.

“I might die of cute!” someone said, Tiggs looking up sharply at the sound of the voice.

“Zebedeyeee!” she miaowed, throwing herself in the water and swimming to the other side, then, climbing out to tackle to the floor, then embrace a spotted bear.

“Who’s this?” Patch asked, as Tiggs kissed the bear’s nose and paws.

“My cubhood friend,” Tiggs mewed, grooming the startled bear from nose to pads, the bear, Zebedee, laughing as Tiggs whiskers tickled his pads.

“you’re still as cuddly as I remember,” Zebedee panted as Tiggs finished her desperate paws on examination of his body, “anyone would think you were anxious about me,” he said.

“I’ve never forgotten you,” Tiggs mewed, “I’ve got so much to tell you, all about my fur and my cub, and the community who took me in when I was unwell, and of the bear who saved my life, the one whom you saw kissing my pads, making me whimper with pleasure.”

“I saw you lie down, I saw your pleasure in his touch Tiggs,” Zebedee replied, sitting up, Tiggs lying across his lap so he could hug her, “you have cute paws and feet, just as you did when you were younger,” Zebedee said, kissing her ear.

“Even though I’m naked from nose to toes?” Tiggs mewed.

“yes,” Zebedee replied gently, “I can feel your weakness Tiggs, I know you have been very ill.”

“oaoaoaoaoah!” Tiggs whimpered, “is it that obvious?”

“Only to one who pulled you from your dying mama as she faught to give birth to her cub,” Zebedee replied, Tiggs choking on a sudden rush of tears.

“Were you raised by a bear Tiggs?” Patch asked, watching as the naked ligress sobbed into the curiously coated bear’s fur.

“By my mother,” Zebedee replied, stroking Tiggs’s head as she clung to him, weeping into his coat, “I was walking nearby when I heard a terrible yowling and moaning coming from a cave, I entered to find a mama lioness in hard labour, struggling to push out a huge cub. as I watched the lioness begged me to pull the cub as she pushed, as she knew she was dying. My mum said the lioness had been in labour for hours, as she’d heard the sounds for hours before I found the lioness. My mum had been too scared to investigate, but I went, despite her entreaties to me not to. Scared, I pulled at the half born cub’s paws and then her body and hips and legs as she came by inches into the world to the accompaniment of screaming yowls of effort and pain from her rapidly tiring mama. At first, all I could see was the cub’s paws and head, which were just visible as her mum pushed. With a lot of effort from both of us the lioness’s cub was born, but the mama lioness bled to death soon after. Before the lioness died though, I kissed her nose and paws, and after I’d quickly cleaned her cub, the lioness managed to briefly hold her cub in her paws before she died. Once the lioness was dead, I lay wondering what to do next, when I looked up and found my mum staring in at the scene with shock and terror in her eyes. I asked my mother if she could feed two cubs, and she said she didn’t want to, but I told her I would feed the cub by sharing my milk by drinking from her then feeding the cub if she didn’t. Overruled, she said she could. Staring at my mother as she bullied the liger cub, whom we named Tiggs, to her soft padded feet, I wondered what would become of the cub. Crying with fear of the new world she’d entered, and pain from walking on her tender pads, Tiggs walked with me and my mother, who, despite her harsh treatment of the cub at first, accepted the strange cub, fed her and bathed her, and brought her up as my sister. One day, during a huge storm, Tiggs ran off, as she was terrified by the thunder and rain. I haven’t seen her from that day to this.”

“I ran and ran until I was on my own,” Tiggs sniffled, “I learnt to fend for myself, and wandered for ages as a nomadic ligress.”

“Until you came to us very unwell,” Patch said.

“Yes,” Tiggs replied.

“So you pulled Tiggs into the world Zebedee?” Moses asked.

“I did,” Zebedee replied.

“My life was saved twice by bears, once by Zebedee, and then by Patch.” Tiggs mewed.

“What happened to your fur Tiggs?” Zebedee asked.

“When I got ill after an infection in my paw, the treatment Patch gave me to save my life was so strong I lost all my fur,” the ligress replied.

“I like you this way,” Zebedee replied, stroking Tiggs’s paws both tops and pads to show he liked her nakedness.

“I’m so glad you found us,” Tiggs replied, kissing Zebedee’s nose and paws, then smiling, lifting each of his feet in turn then kissing his sole pads and toes, Zebedee smiling broadly.

“I’m glad I found you,” Zebedee said, “You’re my sister, and I love you with everything I have.”

“You and your mum saved my life,” Tiggs mewed.

“There you are muuum!” a voice yelled, Tiggs looking over at the gap in the wall into the main pool complex, to see Yendi swimming towards her.

“You have a cub Tiggs?” Zebedee asked.

“Zebedee, meet Yendi,” Tiggs said, as the large cub found her way to her side.

“hello,” Zebedee said to the huge liger cub who scrambled out of the water beside him.

“I’m all weyeyeyt!” Yendi yowled, shaking vigorously, the water showering all over Tiggs and Zebedee.

“Yendi! You’re soaking us!” Tiggs mewed, slapping her cub with her paw.

“Sorry mum, but my fur is all heavy and yuuuuuuuck!” Yendi yowled, Zebedee laughing merrily at Yendi’s yowling.

“Come here, and I’ll hug you dry,” Zebedee replied.

“Mum?” Yendi asked.

“yes, go to him Yendi, he is my best friend in the whole world,” Tiggs replied. Tiggs moved out of her way and Yendi went to Zebedee, feeling herself pulled onto his lap then rubbed dry by large paws, the liger cub laughing merrily as her pads were rubbed by the warm paws.

“you’re all snuggly,” she said, Zebedee hugging her.

“I think I like you,” Yendi mewed.

“you’re very cuddly yourself,” Zebedee replied, kissing Yendi’s nose and paws as the liger cub lay in his lap.

“Tiggs, Yendi’s not looking at meyeee!” he exclaimed.

“She’s blind Zebedee,” Tiggs mewed.

“Oaoaoaoah!” the bear whimpered.

“Enjoy Yendi’s touch, I do,” Tiggs mewed. Zebedee took the liger cub’s paws and feet one by one in his paws, Yendi pushing her paws and feet into his paws, rubbing her pads against his.

“Your touch is lovely Zebedee,” Yendi mewed, Zebedee smiling at her.

“You have really cute paws Yendi,” Zebedee said.

“Mum,” Yendi said, “I have a new friend I think. That’s why I wanted to find you, to tell you. he’s a bear, and is so sweet!”

“What’s his name?” Tiggs asked.

“He wouldn’t tell me,” Yendi mewed, “But I’d know his paws anywhere. He says he’d know mine too.”

“Yendi, Yendi!” someone yelled, then there was much splashing and a large bear scrambled out of the pool and sat down beside Zebedee.

“You should really be named Patch,” Tiggs said, poking the bear with a paw, “Patch has a solid grey coat, yours is all funny, all patchy, a real jumble of all sorts!” The bear flinched as Tiggs used the word jumble, his reaction not going unnoticed.

“I think I’ve found your name out!” Felix yelled, clapping his hands, “you’re a real jumble of a bear aren’t you!” he continued, the bear whimpering piteously and burying his face in his paws,.

“Jumble is very fitting, but is a nasty name when used as an insult,” Tiggs mewed, leaping into the water, swimming to Felix, then slapping him hard with her paw.

“uauauauauauwch!” Felix yowled.

“We will rename you,” patch said, swimming up to where the funny coated bear sat on the poolside shivering and sniffling, his feet dangling in the water. Patch cupped the bear’s left foot in his paws, the strange coated newcomer pressing his toes into Patch’s embrace.

“You have a gentle nature,” Patch said. the patchwork coated bear looked at him through his tears.

“You know my name now, how will I ever live with that!!” he whimpered.

“You have lived quite well with it before,” Felix mewed.

“That’s because I hardly associated with anyone,” the wretched bear replied, “then, then, I was sleeping beneath a bush near the house when Yendi touched my foot with her paws, and we got talking, and then playing, and now, now it’s all gone wrong!” the bear wailed.

“We will think of a name for you as if you are newborn, which to us you are,” Patch said softly, lifting the newcomer’s foot from the water then kissing his toes.

“You’ve been in the water a long time, these pads are very wrinkled,” Patch said, tracing the wrinkles on the newcomer’s pads with his fingers, the bear laughing despite his reservations.

“We would ask Yendi if she had a suitable name for you,” Patch said, “but, she can’t see you. We try to name properly here, mine aside of course, but I was given that name before I knew myself. I’m the least patchy coated bear I know, yet that is my name. Jess, that’s my human cub, she called me old grey, as to her I must have seemed ancient.”

“Maybe Yendi can name this bear for his playful nature,” Mercury said, padding up to the newcomer and hugging him.

“oaoaoaaoh, is this how everyone greets newcomers?” the bear asked.

“We try to be inclusive,” Patch replied.

“I think ‘e could be called spwinkle,” Zalika said, swimming up to the newcomer.

“Who’s this?” the bear asked, looking down at Zalika.

“Our leader’s cub,” Patch replied.

“Your leader?” the bear asked, staring at Zalika.

“yes, their leader,” a voice purred in his ear, the bear turning his head to find the largest liger he’d ever seen standing on the tiles beside and slightly behind him.

“oaoaoaoah, you’re huuuge!” the bear yelled.

“I’m just myself,” Titan purred.

“So what’s my name to be then?” the bear asked the huge liger.

“I think Zalika has it about right,” Yendi mewed, “I like the name spwinkle, I mean sprinkle. It’s cuuuute.”

“It’s a cub’s name!” Apudo miaowed.

“It’s sweet,” Titan mewed.

“Spwinkle is a lot better than my previous name,” the bear replied, “I quite like it, especially the way Zalika says it, “now that’s weally cuuuute,”” Zalika laughed merrily, slapping the newcomer with a cautionary paw, the bear hugging her.

“You’s a wogue you is,” she said, Sprinkle laughing and hugging the liliger cub even tighter.

“Sprinkle is such a cute name!” Yendi mewed.

“It fits him the more you say it,” Zebedee said.

“I like Zalika’s version best,” Titan mewed, “but then again,” he mused, “she is my cub, so I would say that wouldn’t I?”

“I like Sprinkle, for his fur is all sprinkled with different colours,” Tiggs mewed.

“Sprinkle, or spwinkle, its far better than my old name,” the bear replied, letting Zalika swim away.

“Zalika has very nice paws,” he remarked.

“I know, Zalika’s lovely isn’t she,” Titan purred, Sprinkle looking up into his face.

“who’s her mother?” he asked.

“I’m mama,” Titan mewed, sprinkle looking into Titan’s eyes, seeing a different liger there to the body in which Titan lived.

“you pushed didn’t you,” Zebedee said.

“I did,” Titan mewed.

“I thought so,” Zebedee replied. Titan smiled and plunged into the pool, the splash showering everyone round the pool, Moses laughing at the sight of everyone shaking themselves dry, and Tiggs spitting water as she’d got a mouthful when she’d opened her mouth to ask Zebedee a question just as Titan leapt into the water.

“Sorry,” Titan mewed, Tiggs wiping water from her eyes with one huge paw, coughing hard.

“Can I rub your pads Moses?” Philomena asked, padding into the pool complex. Moses waded to the side and hugged the Felursapien.

“I’d love you to,” the young boy said. Philomena climbed down into the water then rubbed the soles of Moses feet from heels to toes while the boy knelt on a pad in the water.

“you’re curling your toes with pleasure,” Philomena mewed.

“I like your touch a lot, that’s why,” Moses replied, wriggling his backside hard on his heels.

“I’ve seen you and little Ekaterina wearing suits that are furry and make you look like us Felursapiens,” Philomena said.

“yes, there are costumes,” Moses replied, smiling as Philomena rubbed the toes of his left foot.

“Can I rub your feet too?” Moses asked.

“You can,” Philomena mewed, “but I like rubbing your feet a lot, you can’t rub mine while I rub yours really.”

“true,, well we could if we sit opposite each other,” Moses replied, relaxing then curling the toes of both feet as Philomena drew circles on his soles, Moses sitting back hard, curling his toes as tightly as he could.

“I love these curled toes!” Philomena giggled.

“You’re all big softies,” Titan said, wading through the water to where he could see Philomena’s upturned soles beneath the water. Smiling, he bowed his head and blew hard just above her heel pads, Philomena shrieking with surprise.

“Titan!” she yelled, turning to him, the liger grinning down at her from his considerable height.

“silly liger you are,” Philomena mewed, Titan kissing the top of her head.

“You know how hard it is for me to resist blowing on upturned heel pads and toes,” the liger mewed.

“It’s cute,” Moses giggled.

“Do we wash Sprinkle’s paws and feet before we let him into the house?” Yendi asked, “I remember my paws and feet getting a good wash when I was born into the community.”

“yes, and it will be your job to wash them,” Patch replied.

“It doesn’t mean you’we dirty Spwinkle,” Zalika mewed, “it’s a custom we ‘as ‘ere, Zebedee will get the wash too, won’t ‘e Tiggs.”

“Zebedee will have his paws and feet washed too,” Tiggs mewed.

Sprinkle and Zebedee were escorted by Tiggs and Yendi to a tub, where the ligress and her cub washed their paws and feet, and Blackberry gave them a cup of soup which was blended down from a batch of his famous stew.

“This is lovely!” Zebedee said, gripping the warm mug in his paws, “Lying in a tub having my feet washed, while drinking a warming brew, this is wonderful!” Tiggs grinned and attended to her duties.

“now you’re washed, I’ll empty the tub and we can let Yendi and Sprinkle get in,” Tiggs mewed. Zebedee let the tub, and the water was pumped out and refilled in record time for Sprinkle to be amerced for Yendi to wash him. Once sprinkle’s paws and feet were washed, and he’d drunk deeply of Blackberry’s brew, the two bears and their escorts padded to Titan’s lie up, where the liger lay on his rug looking very embarrassed.

“We have to present you to our leader,” Tiggs said.

“Do you accept Zebedee and Sprinkle into this community Titan?” mama Karina asked, padding into the room.

“It’s customary for their proposers to ask that, not the deputy leader,” Titan mewed.

“Yendi?” Tiggs asked, nudging her cub, go forward to Titan, ask him for his paw and ask him the question. Yendi, looking terrified, padded forward, tripped over the edge of the rug and, squealing with dismay like the cub she was, landed hard between Titan’s paws. Titan, knowing he should remain uninvolved until Yendi asked him for his paw, could not leave the poor cub in her predicament, so he gently picked Yendi up in his paws then rubbed her down.

“now, try again,” Titan mewed, kissing Yendi’s nose.

“Titan,” Yendi mewed, clearly more uncomfortable than the liger, “Titan, please, would,” she hesitated, then blurted: “ please give me your paw?” Titan gave her his left paw, resting it in the tiny grip of the female Taliger’s tiny paws, “But your paw’s huge!” Yendi mewed.

“You are lucky you can’t see him,” Zebedee grunted.

“My paws won’t hurt you Yendi,” Titan mewed, kissing the taliger’s nose, Yendi now close to tears and holding onto Titan’s paw harder than ever. Yendi, now terrified, sniffled and gulped in a valiant attempt to compose herself.

“What do you want to ask me?” Titan asked in a gentle purr which made Tiggs’s eyes fill with tears.

“will you give Sprinkle a home?” Yendi asked, her voice cracking as she dropped Titan’s paw in fear.

“I will Yendi,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose, “I hope I’m not that scary,” he whispered to the taliger, who was now openly crying.

“why are you crying Yendi?” Titan asked softly in his deep rich voice, hugging Yendi in his huge embrace.

“You’re big and I’m so small!” she sniffled, “I know the others say you’re huge, but, well, now is the first time I’ve felt your paws and someone with that big a paw must be absolutely enormous!”

“You first met me when I was not myself,” Titan mewed, “now, Yendi, please, get paws on with me, completely paws on, please.” Yendi, sniffing back her tears, snuggled up to the huge liger, Then, when Titan released her, she did as he asked. Yendi got paws on with Titan, starting with his head, then progressing to his arms or forelegs, and paws, then his body, then legs and feet.

“you’re enormous!” Yendi mewed, laughing as she felt Titan’s whiskers tickling her cheek, then purring as she felt his tongue gently kiss her nose.

“I’m huge, and I hope, now a little less scary for a little taligress,” Titan purred.

“You’re paws are all cuddly,” Yendi said, hearing her mum’s gasp of shock, Titan giving Yendi his left paw.

“why not hug the paw which frightened you?” the liger asked. Yendi hugged Titan’s paw, purring deeply at the warmth she felt there.

“I love your paws,” Yendi mewed softly, kissing the furred top of Titan’s paw.

“now it’s time for Tiggs to do what you have done Yendi,” Titan mewed, kissing the top of her head, “now step back, and let your mum propose Zebedee, as you did Sprinkle.” Tiggs helped her cub back to a beanbag, where Yendi lay down, then she approached Titan, the liger watching the naked ligress padding towards him, his eye level at that of her naked paws, watching them rather than her face. The paws stopped pad pad padding about a foot from his, then Tiggs’s face came within view.

“Titan, could I take your paw in mine?” Tiggs asked. Titan gave her his right paw, then Tiggs asked: “please, would you be so kind as to grant Zebedee a permanent home?”

“I will,” Titan mewed, “now both of you, step back and let each of those who claim a home come to me, then to mama Karina and let us hug them,” the liger said. “Sprinkle, Zebedee, it’s customary to crawl up to a community member,” Yendi mewed, “turning backwards at the last minute and crawling to their paws to show them complete humility, as they can touch your feet with their paws first.” mama Karina smiled at this, while Titan looked very uncomfortable.

“Touch their pads Titan,” Mama Karina mewed, “if Sprinkle and Zebedee want you to touch their feet, they’ll turn pads on to you.” Zebedee and Sprinkle both turned pads on to Titan, and the liger rubbed the pads of their feet from heels to toes as they pressed them hard into his paws, finding the pleasure of his touch made their toes curl and pads bunch.

“Thanks,” both bears said, kissing Titan’s nose and paws, then, turning to Karina, they gave her their paws and feet, Karina rubbing their paws and feet in both hands, both bears curling their toes with the pleasure of it all.

“now would you like me to get them some food?” Blackberry asked.

“Some more of that soup would be wonderful!” Zebedee replied, smiling at Blackberry. Blackberry padded away, returning with his trolley full of food. Patch padded in soon after, grinned at Blackberry and asked:

“Did you hear what happened when Theo got hold of a honey sandwich?” Blackberry shook his head, busy serving soup.

“Watch this,” Patch replied, playing the video of Theo’s mishap with the sandwiches in which the lion had got his paws stuck together with honey.

“That lion looks so cuuuute all raging and wriggling like that,” Sprinkle observed.

“Hmm, would you like to say that to his face?” Zebedee asked.

“Um, no,” Sprinkle replied.

“I bet Titan would look cute rolling about like that lion did though,” Zebedee said, “His paws! So cuuuute!” the bear gushed, Titan grinning hugely.

“Titan has a nickname, it’s trapped toes Tiggie, for he used to swim quite a bit, and got his toes caught in a raft, then couldn’t free himself,” karina mewed.

“I’m gonna get it now,” Titan sighed.

“Trapped toes Tiggie, how sweet!” Zebedee said, kneeling and, without prior permission, taking Titan’s left paw in his,, “these pads are so soft!” he exclaimed, rubbing the pads of Titan’s left paw, finding them soft to his touch, the liger curling his toes with pleasure.

“How dare you touch Titan’s paws without permission!” Tiggs miaowed.

“My paws and feet can be withdrawn at any moment,” Titan purred, “but,” he mewed, “I won’t be withdrawing them yet, the paw holding mine is no threat.”

“Can we ‘old your other paw and feet Titan?” Zalika asked, walking into the room with Apudo and Jespah.

“yes,” Titan replied, “though, please, if you can, include Yendi too.” Zalika pounced on Yendi and tried to drag her, the taliger cub miaowing with shock and lashing out with her paws.

“Who’s that!” she yelled, her paw catching Zalika on the nose.

“What the hell are you doing Zalika?” Titan snapped.

“Don’t drag meyeee!” Yendi mewed, refining her aim, her second blow landing on Zalika’s shoulder.

“I wanted you to comes with us and grab Titan’s feet Yendi,” Zalika mewed.

“Well please tell me before dragging me, I can’t see where you’re dragging me, nor know who’s dragging me, and as for pouncing on me, well, that’s just rude!” Yendi miaowed, “please remember I’m blind, I can’t see who’s doing what, and I get jumped on, then pulled about by a great big fat cat!” Zalika padded away, much put out, looking for sympathy from Titan, but Titan came down on Yendi’s side.

“You can’t just drag Yendi Zalika,” he said.

“All wight, all wight!” Zalika moaned. Padding back to Yendi, Zalika helped the taliger cub to Titan’s side, where they both battened down his feet under their paws, Jespah taking the liger’s right paw in his small paws.

“now this is what I like,” Titan mewed softly, stretching out on his side, all four paws in the embrace of other’s paws.

“Titan has really cute paws and feet,” Jespah mewed.

“they’re all soft and snuggly,” Zebedee replied, shocked at what he’d just said, “I’m sorry Titan,” Zebedee said suddenly, “I didn’t mean to call your paws cute.”

“If you think they are, that’s fine,” Titan purred, “I think bear’s paws and feet are cute, now you mention it. I love bears paws and feet, and those of humans too, oh, and Felursapiens also,” Titan mewed, glancing at mama karina, who grinned hugely wiggling her toes and fingers at Titan, the liger smiling.

“Can I hug you Titan?” Moses asked, padding up to the liger.

“I don’t know if I can be hugged while I’ve got my paws and feet in the paws of others,” Titan mewed, I’m not so flexible as all that,” he explained.

“We’ll finish rubbing his paws, then you humans can have a cuddle,” Zebedee said. Zebedee and Jespah drew back, and Titan rolled onto his chest, keeping his feet accessible. Little Ekaterina crawled forward first, turning rear onto Titan just before her hands touched his paws so her feet touched his paws first, Titan rubbing her pads and toes with his paws, the liger kissing her heel pads and toes, Little Ekaterina curling her toes as if to hold the kiss tightly to the balls of her feet before turning to him and hugging him.

“Would you like me to hold the kiss to your heel pads too?” Titan asked. Little Ekaterina laughed at this.

“yes please,” she replied, kneeling so Titan could reach her heel pads with his paws, little Ekaterina putting her arms round his neck, hugging him close.

“that’s so cuuuute!” Sprinkle giggled.

“I’ve let your kiss on my toes slip through them!” little Ekaterina raged, “I couldn’t cuuuurl my toooes tightly enough to hold it!” she whimpered.

“I’ll kiss your toes again, then rub the kiss in,” Titan mewed, little Ekaterina giggling delightedly.

“I know you love me and Moses,” she said, “Titan, we love you too.” Titan smiled broadly, kissing the top of little Ekaterina’s head.

“the pads of both Moses and your hands and feet are as fragile as my own cub’s,” Titan mewed.

“What about Jenny’s and Sally’s?” Moses asked.

“Sally and Jenny’s too,” Titan mewed, “send them to me, and I’ll bring them into my pride, just as Apudo did when she was leader.” Moses giggled delightedly at this.

“that’s gonna be so cute,” he said, “Titan, would you bring us into your pride too?”

“I will,” the liger mewed. little Ekaterina turned her feet to Titan, the liger wild washing her feet. Once he’d finished, Moses crawled up to the liger and received the same attention, giggling as Titan blow dried his pads, Moses curling his toes to hold onto the kiss Titan placed on the ball of his foot.

“that’s very cuuuute!” Zebedee said, “can I have that too?” Titan grinned at the bear.

“Come on then,” he said. Titan washed Zebedee’s feet, then turned to Sprinkle.

“You too?” the liger asked.

“Oh go on,” the bear replied. Titan washed Sprinkle’s pads, the bear smiling broadly.

“Can I hug you?” Sprinkle asked. Titan drew back, the bear turning and hugging him without fear.

“Thank you for giving me a home,” Sprinkle whispered, kissing Titan’s ear.

“that’s no problem,” Titan mewed, “I think it’s Yendi you really need to thank though, she found you and played with you, and you convinced her you were gentle.”

“Can I play with her paws like she played with mine?” Sprinkle asked.

“Crawl to her and ask her,” Titan mewed. Sprinkle crawled to Yendi, took her paw in his then kissed her nose.

“Could I play with your paws?” Sprinkle asked.

“You can, I’d love it,” Yendi mewed. Sprinkle lay down beside Yendi, then, very gently played with the toes and rubbed the pads of both her small paws.

“Your paws are so cute Yendi,” Sprinkle said, kissing the pads of the female taliger’s left paw,, Yendi giggling helplessly.

“Can I go after your paws and feet now?” she asked.

“yes, please do,” Sprinkle replied, Yendi finding his feet with her paws, then tracing them from heels to toes, the taliger cub giggling as her touch made Sprinkle tightly curl his toes.

“Your paws are as soft as Titan’s!” Sprinkle exclaimed, Yendi hugging each of his feet and paws in turn, the bear curling the toes of whichever foot or paw she held.

“It is said a lion’s paws are soft, a tigers softer still, mix the two and you get glorious pads,” Titan mewed.

“oaoaoaaoh, you do, you do!” Sprinkle exclaimed, now lying on his back. Suddenly, with Yendi’s paws touching his feet, Sprinkle drew up his legs and grabbed his feet with his paws, trapping Yendi’s paws between his palms and soles, Yendi exploring the situation with her nose and whiskers from Sprinkle’s tightly curled toes to his gripping fingers which held her paws against the soles of his feet.

“you’re so cute!” she said, blowing on the bear’s curled toes, making Sprinkle shriek cubbishly:

“that tiyiyiyiyickles!” and let go of her paws.

“You have very soft pads Sprinkle, they’re lovely,” Yendi mewed. Sprinkle kicked the air with his feet, Yendi getting paws on while he did this.

“I love your soft pads and how they bunch up when you curl your toes,” Yendi said.

“it’s almost a duty to keep pads soft,” Titan mewed.

“You could make it a duty,” mama Karina mewed, “I mean you’re leader, so you could make it a rule that everyone does that, as paws and feet are playthings. We already semi enforce clean pad policy anyway. Sooleawa and her cub have never been so busy.”

“True,” Titan mewed, “I am forever washing my pads, I do sometimes forget to rough them up though, for if I don’t, I can’t walk very well.” Karina giggled at this.

“Titan skiddypaws,” she giggled cubbishly.

“yeah, I know, I know!” the liger groaned.

“I love these paws and feet,” Yendi mewed, kissing Sprinkle’s nose.

Titan watched Tiggs and Zebedee playing, the ligress lying on her back, Tiggs laughing helplessly as the bear tickled her paws and belly.

“has she got soft paws?” Titan asked.

“Tiggs?” oh yes, her pads are beautifully soft,” Zebedee replied, kissing Tiggs’s nose, then blowing on her pads, the ligress yowling with laughter, wriggling and kicking like a cub.

“You owe me a tickle!” Tiggs giggled, throwing Zebedee off, pouncing on him, then pinning him down under one paw and tickling his toes with her whiskers, the bear shrieking with laughter.

“Gerr’ off my toooes!” Zebedee laughed, Tiggs flipping Zebedee onto his front, kissing the tickle from his pads, Zebedee smiling broadly and wiggling his toes.

“I wayayayant to hold the kiss to my payayayayads with my toooes!” Zebedee giggled.

“awww, that’s so sweet!” little Ekaterina said, “Zebedee, when Tiggs kisses your toes, curl them to hold the kiss to the ball of your foot.” Moses laughed merrily at this.

“I did that, and so did you Ekaterina, he said.

“Can I feel your heel pads with my toes Moses?” little Ekaterina asked. Moses smiled and nodded, throwing himself down on the floor on his front and wiggling his toes. Little Ekaterina sat behind Moses feet and rested her heels on the balls of his feet, gripping Moses heel pads with her toes, Moses curling his toes around her heels.

“grab my heels!” Moses encouraged, little Ekaterina pressing her toes against Moses heel pads. Moses lifted himself up on his hands, pressing his feet against little Ekaterina’s, little Ekaterina lifting her backside off the floor, balancing herself on her hands while bracing her feet against Moses pads, pushing with her heels and toes against the balls and heels of Moses feet, both children encouraging each other to push with their legs and grip each other’s heels with their toes.

“Puuush with your feeyeeet Ekaterina, curl your toooes and puuush!” Moses encouraged. Little Ekaterina yelling back at him:

“I’m puuuuuuushing with my feeyeeet Moses!” Yendi padded up to the two children, lay down and got paws on with their efforts, touching their feet as both children pushed their feet together, Yendi exploring braced heels and fiercely curled and pressing toes.

“Now pull your foot away from mine,” Moses said, “Ekaterina, pull each foot down mine so your toes rub my heel pads, arches and toes.” Little Ekaterina sat down and wiggled her left foot, then with much yelling of:

“uuuuumf, eeeeoeoeoeoaow! Uuuhuuuumf!” Wriggling with frustration, she grabbed her left foot with both hands and, with much wriggling and tugging began the struggle to free her foot by bracing her toes into the heel pad of Moses left foot while tugging at her own left heel with her fingers. After a lot of wriggling and tugging, little Ekaterina freed her heel enough so she could get the fingers of both hands beneath it and grip the pad for extra leverage. This done, she pulled hard at the heel of her left foot, squealing, moaning and growling with her efforts, slowly dragging the toes of her left foot over Moses left heel pad, Moses pressing his toes into Ekaterina’s fingers and what little of her heel pad he could, Little Ekaterina squealing lustily with her efforts, her toes digging more deeply into the soft skin on the sole of Moses foot with her struggles, her toes scraping the sole of Moses foot from his left heel pad, down his arch to the ball of his foot to his toes, little Ekaterina screaming with mock rage as her toes were caught by Moses toes, the two children having a tug of war, toes against toes until, with a roar of rage, little Ekaterina grabbed the arch and heel of her left foot in both hands and, with a “uuuuumf!” of effort, tugged hard, Moses responding by squealing and curling his toes even tighter round little Ekaterina’s, which his toes had managed to grab hold of. With a yell from Moses, the toes of his left foot finally gave up the fight against little Ekaterina’s struggles, letting go of hers. Little Ekaterina cradled her left foot in her hands, rubbing her toes, ball and heel pad, her toes curling with excitement at the game while the naked pads of her right foot still rested on those of Moses right foot.

“That’s my left foot free Moses, now for my right, but that’s very warm, and, I don’t think it’s gonna be easy to get it free from yours!” Ekaterina whimpered. Wriggling and tugging at her right foot with both hands, little Ekaterina felt the warmth in her own and Moses pads. Moses, curling the toes of his right foot, held the heel of little Ekaterina’s right as she gripped the back of his heel with her toes, pressing the ball of her right foot against the heel pad of his right foot.

“Right, Uuumf! This is gonna be hayayayrd!” little Ekaterina yelled, grabbing first her toes, then the heel of her right foot, wriggling while tugging at each in turn. Gripping her arch with her left hand, and the margin of her right heel pad with the fingers of her right, Little Ekaterina tugged hard backwards, her yells of effort and contorted face eloquent of her efforts. Moses pushed back against her foot with his, the affect being that little Ekaterina’s right foot didn’t move an inch toward the freedom for which she struggled so valiantly. Groaning and whimpering, little Ekaterina scrabbled with her fingers at Moses heel pad and the toes of her right foot, then at his arch, trying to work at freeing the ball of her foot from ball to toes, then from the front of her heel pad to the back where it met the ball of Moses right foot, Moses curling his toes, pushing back hard whenever she struggled to free her right foot.

“eoeoeoeoeoah, I cayayayayn’t freeyeee my foot, it’s nooaoaoaot moving!” Ekaterina squealed.

“Sliding your foot free from Moses foot seemed to work,” Titan mewed.

“is this what the stuck foot game is?” Yendi asked, having got paws on with little Ekaterina’s struggles to free her left foot from Moses left.

“Yes,” little Ekaterina replied, “it’s good isn’t it.”

“it is,” Yendi mewed, “Mum said you played it while both sitting too.”

“We do, but this is a new type of game,” Moses replied. Making lots of noise, Little Ekaterina struggled to free her right foot, scrabbling at her arch and the sides of her heel with her fingers until she could slip them beneath the heel pad and grip the warm, slightly damp pad and arch in both hands as she leant back, tugging and squirming in her efforts to free her foot, the ball and toes seemingly partially stuck, the little girl tugging and panting in her efforts to free her foot. While she was at this, Yendi got hold of little Ekaterina’s left foot, feeling her toes curl with each effort she made to free her right foot from the imaginary glue holding her toes and the ball of her foot to the heel and arch of Moses right. Whimpering and tugging, little Ekaterina got her toes over the heel of Moses right foot, then, curling them tightly, she pulled harder still, her toes scraping down Moses arch and to the ball of his foot, little Ekaterina holding onto her own arch as she tugged, until her toes met those of Moses right foot, where they were caught by his, Little Ekaterina squealing with frustration as she felt her toes caught by Moses toes.

“My toooes, I cayayayayn’t freeyeee my tooes!” little Ekaterina yelled, squirming and wriggling.

“Just relax a bit, then try to tug them free,” Yendi mewed, getting paws on with little Ekaterina’s hands and right foot, feeling the warmth in her pads and how hard she gripped the sole of her right foot in her hands.

“Touch my left foot Yendi,” little Ekaterina said, “touch my toes and the rest of my foot while I pull at my right foot, feel my toes curling.” Yendi took little Ekaterina’s left foot in her paws, the young girl snuggling her foot into the warmth of Yendi’s furry embrace.

“Okay, pull at those toes!” Yendi mewed, little Ekaterina taking fresh hold of her right foot with both hands, her left holding the ball of her right foot, her right cupping her heel. With a squeal of rage, little Ekaterina tugged at her right foot, the toes of both feet curling in effort, Moses curling his toes in response, the toes of the two children fiercely interlocked as each struggled against the other. Yendi got paws on with Moses and little Ekaterina’s feet, feeling the warmth in their pads.

“This feels a lot of fun,” Yendi mewed.

“it is, it iyiyiys!” little Ekaterina replied, tugging at her right foot with both hands, relaxing and curling the toes of her freed left foot in her struggles to free the caught toes of her right. Yendi rubbed the smooth skin on the sole of little Ekaterina’s left foot, then rubbed the soles of Moses feet from heels to toes of his left and heel to the ball of his right, the taliger cub rubbing the tops of the caught toes of Ekaterina’s right foot with her paw, Moses and little Ekaterina laughing merrily.

“touch my hands Yendi,” little Ekaterina invited. Yendi touched little Ekaterina’s hands, finding them gripping the heel and arch of her right foot. Little Ekaterina tugged at her right foot, Yendi paws on with her struggles as she wriggled and pulled at her stuck foot, Feeling little Ekaterina’s hands slip from the sole of her foot, the young girl’s fingers scrabbling at the arch and heel pad of her right foot for purchase as they slipped. Growling like a big cat cub, little Ekaterina took hold of her right foot once more, tugging and straining to free it, Yendi’s right paw caught between little Ekaterina’s left hand and the arch of her right foot.

“Pull Ekaterina pull!” Yendi mewed, feeling the girl’s hands grip her right foot hard, hearing her yowl of effort as she tugged with all her might.

“I cayayayayn’t freeyeee my fooooot!” little Ekaterina protested after five prolonged efforts, Yendi paws on with little Ekaterina’s right foot for three, then with her left for the final two.

“I didn’t squash your paws did I?” Little Ekaterina asked.

“No,” Yendi mewed, “I’m tougher than that!” she giggled, “now, little Ekaterina, I have hold of your left foot, would you tug for one final time at your right foot and curl the toes of your left too?”

Can I push my foot into your paws?” little Ekaterina asked.

“Yes, push your foot into my paws, I want to feel your struggle and hear it too,” Yendi mewed.

“Okay!” little Ekaterina replied, settling her hands round the arch and heel of her right foot, settling her left foot into the warm grip of Yendi’s paws as the big cat cub lay cradling her left foot in her warm paws.

“eueueueueuemf! Yeyeyeyeyeyeyeoaw!” little Ekaterina yelled, tugging at her right foot, wriggling with frustration as she found Moses toes had a firmer grip than ever on those of her right foot. Yendi, paws on with the warm sole of Little Ekaterina’s left foot, felt her pressing her bunched pads and toes curled with the effort of her struggles into her paws. Yendi could feel that the little human was making tremendous efforts.

“I cayayayayn’t get my toooes freeyeee!” little Ekaterina whimpered. Tugging furiously at her right foot with both hands, as well as scrabbling at the arch and heel with her fingers. Little Ekaterina tried alternately scrabbling with her fingers at her toes which were caught in the grip of Moses larger ones and at the arch and heel pad of her right foot, whimpering piteously throughout.

“I can’t do it!” she protested after five minutes of scrabbling effort..”

“Let me feel,” Yendi mewed, kissing the bunched pads and curled toes of little Ekaterina’s left foot, then exploring the children’s right feet with her paws. Moses and Little Ekaterina found their toes curling with the pleasure of the taliger’s touch, which made Yendi smile when she felt Moses bunching pads as she set about exploring his right foot by touch, touching his heel, arch, and then little Ekaterina’s toes, the young girl clamping her hand over Yendi’s paw as she touched her caught toes, Yendi smiling then kissing the top of her hand.

“This is lovely!” little Ekaterina exclaimed.

“It is,” Moses replied, the toes of both feet curled tightly with the pleasure of Yendi’s touch, as she’d lain down and rested one well-padded paw on the heel of his right foot, the other pinned under little Ekaterina’s hand, as it rested on the toes of her right foot which were gripped by those of his own right.

“Nice though this is,” Yendi mewed, “I need to find a way of freeing your toes little Ekaterina. I think I may have an idea how to free your toes, the problem is, I can’t get paws on while you pull, I don’t think.”

“Try getting paws on with my toes as I try to pull them free,” little Ekaterina said, letting go of Yendi’s left paw. Yendi explored the toes of little Ekaterina’s right foot, then those of Moses right which held them.

“now pull, pull as hard as you can Ekaterina,” Yendi urged. Little Ekaterina took a good hold of the arch and heel of her right foot and pulled as hard as she could to free her toes, Moses gripping her toes hard with his.

“It’s nooaoaoaot working!” little Ekaterina yowled after five minutes of struggle. Smiling, Yendi stretched her arms and turned her head, finding Moses heel pads with her nose and whiskers, exploring, she found it to be his right heel pad. Smiling, Yendi said:

“Right, Ekaterina, on the count of three, pull as hard as you ever have. One, two, three!” little Ekaterina tugged at her right foot, a long effort, fiercely gripping the arch and heel pad of her right foot in her hands and tugging furiously, her toes not moving an inch. Yendi smiled and tickled Moses right heel pad with her whiskers, Moses shrieking with laughter and releasing little Ekaterina’s toes at the height of her efforts by uncurling his toes, the young girl rolling backwards with a squeal of surprise, laughing merrily as her knees drew up and she naturally pedalled the air with both feet. Then, wriggling madly, she drew up her legs to rub the soles of both feet with her fingers, Yendi getting paws on with Little Ekaterina’s hands and feet. after Yendi had rubbed little Ekaterina’s toes and heel pads, Moses and little Ekaterina hugged the Taliger cub in turn.

“that was lovely!” Moses said.

“thanks for letting me get paws on,” Yendi mewed, kissing the boy’s nose and hugging him in return.

“Give me a huuug!” little Ekaterina begged, grabbing Yendi and embracing her, the taliger cub hugging the little girl in return.

“thanks for letting me get paws on with your game,” Yendi mewed.

“I loved it, and I don’t think I would have got free if you hadn’t tickled Moses heel pad,” little Ekaterina replied, everyone laughing at this. Once all was settled, Moses and little Ekaterina sat opposite each other and pressed their feet together, measuring their feet, the taliger and two children finding Moses feet were only slightly larger than little Ekaterina’s, her toes reaching half way up his when their feet were pressed heel pad to heel pad. If she curled her toes, little Ekaterina found she could grip the pad on the balls of Moses feet, digging her toes into the gap between the ball of his foot and his toes, Moses able to grip her smaller toes with his larger ones. Mama Sita, always having an ear out for play, came in to see what her cubs were up to. Breathlessly Yendi, Moses and little Ekaterina told her what they’d been doing, Mama Sita grinning hugely at their play.

“I hope someone got paws on with all that,” she said.

“Yes I did,” Yendi mewed, “and I hope Moses and little Ekaterina will play again, so you can too Mama Sita,” she added.

“mama Sita and I played the same stuck foot game as little Ekaterina and I played Yendi,” Moses said, she taught me that game. She knelt while we played though, mama Sita bounced on her bum while I tugged to free my toes from her heel pads. She squirmed like a cuuuub!” he laughed.

“I did,” Sita mewed, smiling broadly.

“Sita’s feet are so cuuuute!” Moses said, “they’re like a bear’s, her paws are cute too, and her tail thwacks the floor when she squirms her bum on her heels!” Moses giggled.

“Show us Sita!” little Ekaterina begged.

“Oh all right,” Sita mewed, her eyes shining. Smiling, she knelt and sat back on her heels, her tail draped over the soles of her feet. suddenly she wriggled and bounced her bum on her heels, her tail smacking the floor and lashing the air, little Ekaterina and Moses laughing helplessly at the sight of Sita’s tail and toes, Sita curling her toes with the effort she was putting into wriggling and bouncing about.

“Your tail and toes are so funny Sita!” Moses laughed, kneeling then rubbing the ball of Sita’s left foot, letting his fingers get caught in the toes of that foot as Sita bounced and squirmed, Moses laughing as her tail flicked over his back and embraced him.

“I wayayayan’a bounce, I wayayayan’a squirm and cuuuurl my toes!” Sita miaowed, everyone laughing at her antics.

“You big soft moggy!” Moses giggled, leaning forward then kissing the bunched sole pad of mama Sita’s right foot, mama Sita purring with pleasure.

“now that’s super cute,” Mama Karina mewed, padding up to her mum and hugging her.

“Thanks for being such a good sport and bouncing on your heels mama Sita,” Yendi mewed, getting paws on with the sole pad and toes of the Felursa’s left foot while mama Sita enthusiastically bounced and wriggled her backside on her heels and curled her toes.

“now you do it mama Karina!” Moses urged.

“Oh all right,” mama karina replied, “I bet you and little Ekaterina do it too, and probably while wearing the Felursapien costumes you had made for you.”

“Yes we do, it’s rather funny!” little Ekaterina replied, “we put them on and Moses is a complete rogue like Felix, and I mess about like Philomena does too.”

“I suppose Moses and Ekaterina are about the same height as Felix and Philomena too,” Titan mewed.

“We both love the real Felix and Philomena though,” Moses said, “They’re super cool and lovely to be with too.”

“Did Shandy show you how she gave birth to me and Sasha Sita?” Jespah asked, padding up to the Felursa and touching noses with her.

“No, she hasn’t yet,” Sita mewed, “it’s too hot for her, so she says.”

“Mum had to get on with it, so why shouldn’t Shandy?” Jespah asked.

“Very true,” Titan mewed, “so did I, we both sweated buckets too.”

“Shandy wants a water birth,” Sita mewed.

“I’m sure Bianca would have had one if only she’d hung on a few hours longer,” Tiggs mewed.

“I think mum was too scared after her waters broke,” Jespah mewed, “she could have called for help, but she ran for it instead. There are call buttons and cords in the bathrooms, I’ve seen them,” the lion cub continued.

“You’re right, I was too scared,” Bianca mewed, padding into the family lie up. Jespah, seeing Bianca, ran to her and rose onto his hind legs to try and hug her with his paws, Bianca lowering her head to allow him to do so, those who could see what was happening making exclamations along the lines of how cute they thought his actions were.

“Okay, lions cuddling is just so cuuuute!” Mama karina gushed.

“Would you like milk?” Bianca asked.

“yes please mum,” Jespah replied, “Where’s Sasha?” he asked.

“I’m here!” Sasha yelled, leaping about on Bianca’s back.

“You’ll fall off if you do that much more,” Titan mewed.

“Too late,” Bianca sighed as Sasha fell off her back and landed on the floor with a squeal.

“Are you all right?” Jespah asked, dropping to all four paws and rushing to his younger sister’s side.

“Oh I’m fine, but I think I’ll keep my paws on mum’s fur,” Sasha replied. Jespah pushed Sasha about with his nose and paws until the smaller cub complained in a strident miaow:

“Stoaoaoap it Jespah, get oaoaoaof! Muuum! Stoaoaoap him!”

“Jespah’s concerned about you,” Bianca mewed, “He’s not hurting you is he?”

“No, but iyiyiyt’s embarrassing muuum!” Sasha whined.

“I loved it when Zalika pushed me about with her paws when I fell off mine,” Jespah mewed.

“I’m all right Jespah, now stop pawing at me, please!” Sasha begged, Jespah leaving her alone, the cub getting to her feet and shaking herself.

“Who’s that?” she asked, waving at Titan with her huge left paw.

“that’s Titan, our leader,” Jespah said.

“and that huge cub?” Sasha asked.

“that’s Zalika, you know her, she’s the one who pins mum’s paws down when she’s lying down and we pin her feet to the floor,” Jespah said.

“Oh, her,” Sasha mewed, “I’ve never seen her on her feet before, she’s huuuge!”

“she was as big as you were when she was born,” Titan mewed.

“I heard mum screaming and yowling while she pushed,” Sasha mewed, “did Zalika’s mama do that too?”

“Yes,” Titan replied. Sasha walked up to Titan and looked up into his face, the liger looking down at her, even though he was sprawled comfortably on his chest.

“You’re on your feet, so large, but then so small little one,” he said, kissing the top of Sasha’s head.

“I want paws like yours Titan, they’re huuuge! Can I hug one?” Sasha asked. Titan smiled and rolled onto his side.

“There are four,” he replied, “they’re all for cubs to hug.” Jespah, Sasha, Apudo and Zalika crowded round Titan, claiming a paw or foot each, hugging his paws in theirs then rubbing the liger’s warm pads.

“This is lovely!” Titan mewed, working his paws and feet into the paws of the four cubs.

“You big softy Tiggie,” Sita mewed, crawling to Titan, finding the end of his tail with her paws, then playing with it, Titan purring deeply.

“Titan’s paws are lovely,” Sasha said, “We played with Theo’s paws, or tried to, his are wooden paws, they were not nice to play with.”

“Wooden paws?” Bianca asked.

“No spirit in them, Theo had given his paws and feet to his cubs, but didn’t really want to play with them,” Titan mewed, “I’m lying here, but I’m playing with the cubs, wiggling and curling my toes. I want to play with them, Theo didn’t. so when he gave them his paws, it was very obvious, and Sasha felt his reluctance.”

“Your paws are lovely and soft and very playful Titan,” Sasha said.

“I can press Titan’s pads with my toes and they sink into the pad, it’s so nice!” Jespah mewed.

“Titan’s got weally cute pads,” Zalika mewed.

“So have you dear Zalika,” Jespah replied, “hey, you know the stuck foot game Moses and little Ekaterina were playing? Could we play it too?”

“I was watching them playing and little Ekatewina pwessing ‘ur feet against Moses made me wemember the pwessure of youw feet against mine Jespah. You asn’t pwessed youw paws and feet against mine like that since. I enjoyed that you knows.”

“the truth is, I’ve been too scared to ask if I can,” Jespah replied, “I did it then because I had no choice, it felt the right thing to do. Now unleashing a force like that scares me.”

“I loved the feel of youw pads pwessing into mine,” Zalika mewed, “I would love it if you’d do it again Jespah.”

“Do you know how big cats would play the stuck foot game?” Jespah asked.

“No, but Titan might,” Zalika mewed, “I think Apuwdo knows too.”

“Hold onto each other’s paws and press your feet together,” Apudo mewed, “feel each other’s pads with your toes first, then press pads and toes together, lean into your paws while struggling to pull each foot free. Use imagination,” Apudo mewed, “imagine your feet are completely glued together, miaow, growl, wriggle and pant with effort, dig your toes into each other’s pads and pull! Your feet will be very hard to free from that glue. It’s a lot of fun!”

“then after that, do I get the chance to hug Zalika’s paws and feet in mine?” Jespah asked.

“You doesn’t need to play the stuck foot game fiwst to be able to ‘ug my paws,” Zalika mewed, rolling onto her back and waving her paws and feet in the air, “’ere’s my feet and paws, them’s ‘ere for you all the time Jespah, grabs ‘em and ‘olds ‘em in yours as much as you likes, as long as you’s gentle,” she added. Jespah suddenlypounced on Zalika, rolled her onto her side and lay down himself, grabbing her paws and feet in his, curling his smaller toes round her larger ones, Zalika pushing her toes into the grip of Jespah’s smaller paws and feet.

“Don’t hurt him Zalika,” Bianca warned.

“go on Zalika, push with your paws and feet, puuush!” Jespah mewed. Zalika pushing hard with her two feet, then her paws, and finally all four paws. “

Oaoaoaoaoh! Uuuumioaw! Rayiaiaiaiow!” she yowled as she pushed with all her might, her muscles tensing and relaxing as she struggled, her eyes tightly shut in concentration as she braced her feet and paws against Jespah’s, Jespah adding his own growling, yowling accompaniment to her struggles as he faught to hold onto her squirming, gripping, pushing paws and feet.

“I’s exhausted,” Zalika mewed after ten minutes of concerted effort.

“Your pads are damp and you’re panting hard,” Jespah mewed.

“I twied so hawd Jespah,” Zalika gasped.

“I know,” Jespah mewed, “and now you’s got to get your paws and feet fwee fwom the twap you’ve got them into.” Zalika miaowed with anguish, tugging at her feet and paws in turn. Unable to free them, she tried pulling hard with all four paws at once, yowling hysterically with her effort.

“oauauauauauaow! Riaiaiaiaiaiaiaow! My paws and feet awe twapped, I’s stuuuuuck!” she complained lustily. Jespah kissed her nose.

“I could let go,” he suggested.

“naoaoaoaoao!” Zalika begged.

“so the more I hold onto your toes with mine, and the more you struggle to free your feet and paws, the more time I get to hear more of your gorgeous speech,” Jespah purred, “Zalika when you’re playing or excited, your grammar goes right out the window, it’s so sweeyeet!”

“I knows it does, I can’t ‘elp it,” Zalika replied.

“I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Jespah mewed, kissing her nose, Zalika purring with pleasure, working the toes of her feet and paws into the grip of Jespah’s smaller ones.

“Jespah, I weally was twying to fwee my paws and feet,” she said.

“I knows you was,” Jespah mewed, Zalika giggling at his mimicry of her.

“You’s speaking as bad as me,” she purred, “now grabs my paws tight,” she said, bumping noses with him, “I never wants you to let go of my paws or feet,” Zalika mewed, Jespah’s eyes filling with tears.

“I love you Zalika,” he choked, Zalika kissing his ear.

“Now how about trying to free your paws and feet Zalika?” Jespah said a few minutes later. Zalika pushed with her feet and pulled at her paws, both paws coming free of Jespah’s grip. Then she placed her paws flat on his and, arching her back, pulled at both her feet, Jespah’s toes letting go of hers.

“you just had to do as Titan has to do when freeing his toes from the raft,” Jespah mewed, “there was a way to free your feet after all.” Zalika smiled broadly at this.

“now they’s all ‘ot and damp,” she said. Jespah washed Zalika’s pads, |Zalika purring deeply as his breath soothed her hot pads.

“You two are lovely,” mama Karina mewed, watching them from where she sat nearby.

“I love Zalika so much Karina,” Jespah mewed.

“I think she loves you too,” Titan purred, padding up to the two big cat cubs and looking down at them from his considerable height.

“Titan’s ‘uge ‘ain’t ‘e,” Zalika mewed.

“Yeah, and that’s when he’s on all four huge feet!” Jespah mewed, “he’s long too, from nose to tail I mean. His paws and feet are nearly a foot in diameter each!” he exclaimed.

“he’s nearly five feet tall at his shoulder, twelve feet long and with paws nine inches in diameter,” Moses replied, “I know Titan’s that big, because I measured him for a thing we’re doing at school. It’s about the sizes of our pets, well Titan’s not my pet cat, but he’s the biggest cat I know, so I measured his paws, traced them too, also got him to put ink paw prints on paper.”

“Yes you did,” Titan mewed, “and you got a tape thing out and measured me from nose to tail, and my feet and paws, and my girth too. I even got on the scales for you too!”

“Next thing Moses will want is a urine sample!” Yendi yelled.

“Yendi! That’s enough!” Tiggs snapped, while Moses and little Ekaterina fell about laughing.

“Whether they’ll believe Moses about how big Titan is, is another thing entirely.” Mama Karina mewed.

“We’ll show them,” Moses said, “Titan, would you come to our school? I could then show them how big you really are.”

“Let’s see if the teachers disbelieve you first,” Titan mewed, “oh by the way, drawing round my paws and feet tickled so much it took Moses ages to trace all four of my paws, I kept bouncing about on my toes, just so you know what I put myself through for my community,” Titan concluded.

“Titan yowled and rolled about on the floor too, it was so fuuuunny!” Moses guffawed, the liger looking very embarrassed.

“Oh all right, all right!” Titan groaned, “that’s enough.” Moses got up from where he was sitting with his feet pressed against little Ekaterina’s, crawled to Titan and, after the liger lay down, hugged him tightly.

“huggy liger time!” Moses said, throwing his arms round Titan’s neck, Titan embracing Moses with both huge paws.

“I like huggy liger time,” Titan purred into Moses ear, pulling the boy closer to him with his left paw while rubbing Moses left heel pad with his right paw, Moses curling his toes with pleasure.

“would you like to play with my toes Titan?” Moses asked.

“I’d love to, if you would like it,” Titan mewed, “I like playing with the paws and feet of others, as do all big cats.” Moses kissed Titan’s nose:

“If only the school could see what you’re like with me and little Ekaterina,” Moses said, “they’d fall in love with you like they did Patch.”

“I love you and little Ekaterina, and all the humans who call this place home,” Titan purred.

“Oh, I nearly forgot,” Moses suddenly said, his face serious, “I have lost the tracings I made of your paws and feet Titan, can we do them again?”

“Oh naoaoaoaoaoao!” Titan whimpered piteously, Moses giggling helplessly at the big cat’s expression:

“It’s a joke!” he said, I scanned the papers and took photos of your paws and feet, remember? I also took a film of me measuring your feet and paws and how long and tall and wide you were.”

“The width bit was the shocker,” Titan whimpered.

“You’re a liger, you’re meant to be huge!” little Ekaterina said, “oh Moses, the one thing we haven’t done is put the prints of our own feet against those of Titan’s for, whatever that word was our teacher used.”

“Comparison?” Titan asked.

“Yes, we had to compare our feet with those of our closest, “pet,” as they put it. Little Ekaterina measured Petra’s feet and paws and everything else and she’s put her footprints beside Petra’s, but I haven’t put mine beside yours Titan. I need to ink my feet and do that. Could you help me paint my feet?”

“I can’t use a brush with my paws as they are, Sita can though,” Titan mewed regretfully.

“You could use a t bar brush,” Patch said, “they’re a regular brush with a bar to hold onto which means you can paint as if you had opposable thumbs. It’s really cool.”

“I’ll give it a go,” Titan mewed, Moses rushing off and returning with an inkpad and brush. Titan strapped the brush to his right paw, noticing the flexible shaft as he worked the strap over his paw and clamped the bar in the grip of the toes of that paw. Moses knelt in front of Titan with his back to the liger, Titan painting the boy’s right heel pad, then his arch, then the ball of his foot, and then his toes, while Moses shrieked with laughter.

“You’re too gentle, put some paw power into it!” he squealed, “you’re tickling meyeee!” he yelled. Titan tried being firmer with the brush, and it worked this time.

“You can load the brush with ink too, if that will help,” Patch said, as Titan struggled to ink his brush for a fourth time.

“Please, help?” Titan asked.

“Come here,” Karina said, unscrewing the brush, then filling the reservoir with ink, screwing the brush onto the handle clamped to Titan’s right paw, “now have a go,” mama Karina mewed, Titan smiling his thanks. Titan painted the sole of Moses right foot once more, starting at his heel pad, then his arch, ball of his foot and toes. Little Ekaterina ran off to get some paper onto which Moses could stand to make his footprints so those of his feet and Titan’s paws and feet could be joined together and photographed.

“this is lots of fun!” Titan mewed, mama Karina recharging his brush while Moses placed his bare right foot on the paper. This done, Moses stepped into a small bath of water with his right foot to wash the ink off. This done, Moses sat and dried his right foot and knelt for Titan to ink the sole of his left. Titan painted the same black ink onto Moses left foot, mischievously swiping the brush lightly over the boy’s toes at the end, making Moses shriek with laughter and curl his toes.

“that’s what I wanted to happen,” Titan purred, rubbing the tickle from Moses toes with his paw, then painting the pads one by one, as he had when painting the toe pads of the boy’s right foot. Moses printed with his left foot, washed it, then turned to Titan, knelt and hugged him.

“Thank you,” Moses said, kissing the liger’s nose, Titan tightly hugging him.

A few days later, in Moses and little Ekaterina’s classroom, the teacher and the teaching assistants gathered in the project about the children’s closest pets. There were dogs, cats, a rabbit, a hamster, and then Moses and little Ekaterina’s projects about a lioness and liger.

“Ekaterina’s project is fine, but yours Moses,” the teacher said, “is this liger really twelve feet long and five feet high, and does he really have paws and feet that are nearly a foot across? I know you’ve put your height, girth and footprints as comparison, but, I can’t believe your film, or your tracings.”

“Titan’s really that big Mr Paint,” Moses replied. “ligers get huge, really huge!”

“I’m marking you down as a fail for this project, your films are bogus, you made this up!” Mr paint yelled. The sound of the double doors to the playground and garden crashing open made everyone look round, There, in the doorway stood an enormous cat.

“I’m not late am I?” Titan asked, “it struck me how silly Moses’s project might look, humans being what they are and all. Disbelief runs strongly through the conventionally educated majority, so I thought I’d come along to make sure of proper fairness in the marking of Moses project. Yes I am that liger, yes I am named Titan, and yes, my paws are huuuge!” Titan roared, Moses clapping his hands while little Ekaterina cheered Titan to the rafters.

“oaoaoaoah,” Mr Paint screamed, while the children all rushed outside to gather round Titan, touch and hug him.

“I told you our community was unusual,” Moses giggled, as Thomas, a very shy boy by all accounts, threw his arms round Titan’s neck and planted a kiss on the liger’s nose, Titan rolling onto his side and embracing him.

“but that’s a wild animal!” Mr paint screeched.

“Titan is wild, wild in that he is untamed, but he is good,” Miss Chartwell said, walking into the room barefoot as she always was.

“Cynthia, you know, that?” Mr paint demanded, waving a hand at Titan, who was now lying on his back, squirming with glee and roaring with laughter as his paws and feet were tickled by as many children as could get hold of them.

“I know Titan very well, and so do my daughter Ekaterina and her friend Moses,” Cynthia Chartwell replied, “Titan’s a lovely liger, as is Patch a lovely bear. Would you like to measure Titan’s paws and feet, or how long or tall he is to confirm Moses findings for his project? I could arrange a meeting with Titan,” she offered.

“No, no!” Mr Paint babbled, “I’ll change Moses Project to a pass, no, a distinction! I’m not getting any closer to that liger!”

“Awhwhwhw but Mr Paint, Titan’s so cuuuute!” Thomas said, “come on, come and hug him, and he’s got his cub with him too, she’s super cute too!”

“A male liger had a cuuuub? Naoaoaoaoao!” Mr paint yelled, everyone laughing at his incredulity.

“This one did,” Cynthia replied, “we can show you the video if you would like.”

“Oh dear, I’m going home!” Mr paint yelled, bolting for the door, only to find Patch striding in on two feet with his bag of technological tricks on his back.

“I have all evidence,” the bear said in perfect English. I take it Titan has explained the situation.”

“yes, he spoke to them in perfect English,” Cynthia Chartwell confirmed, laughing slightly.

“You’re all mad!” Mr Paint yelled, dodging round patch and running for the exit.

“Right,” patch said, dusting off his paws, “I’m teacher now am I?” Cynthia Chartwell laughed helplessly at this and hugged the huge bear.

“I’ll teach them,” she said, “you won’t get a word in edgeways, they’ll want to push you off your paws and hug the fur off you.” Patch grinned hugely at the thought of being hugged so hard.

“Let’s rescue Titan and Zalika,” Patch said, “though, then again, they both look as if they’re having a wild time of it. both are being hugged tenderly and it seems rules of gentility are being adhered to.” Zalika ran up to Patch, reared onto her feet, put her paws on his knees and looked up at him.

“I’ll kneel to you,” Patch said, kneeling and hugging Zalika.

“We’s ‘aving a lovely time ‘ere,” the cub said, “Titan’s loving ‘is paws and feet played with, and them small ‘umans wants to see ‘ow I was born into the wowld.”

“We’ll show ‘em shall we?” Patch asked, Zalika playfully slapping him with her paw.

“You’s as bad as Jespah fow mimicking meyeee!” she giggled, kissing his nose.

“I’ll set up a screen,” Patch said, getting to his feet.

“I was just about to rub your soles too Patch,” Cynthia said, Patch turning to her and hugging her.

“Later, I promise,” he said.

“awww, that’s cuuuute!” Zalika giggled, dancing about on the tiles, her feet tangling in her enthusiasm, then sliding from beneath her as she tried to sort them out, the cub landing on the hard floor with a surprised yowl.

“It’s hayayayrd!” she complained stridently.

“yes, it is,” Cynthia said, scooping Zalika up into her arms and hugging the liliger cub.

“You’s little Ekaterina’s mum isn’t you,” Zalika mewed, sniffing at Cynthia.

“I is, I mean am,” Cynthia replied, stroking the cub’s head.

“Put me down please,” Zalika said, Cynthia putting her down on the floor, the cub padding carefully away across the tiles.

“All the tiles are non-slip in the community house,” patch explained.

“Ah,” Cynthia replied, “these are a bit too, but, well, not for energetic liligers it seems.

“Maybe to human and bear feet they are, but as you say, not so for big cats,” patch replied.

“What shall we teach the children about?” Cynthia asked.

“Maybe we could show them Zalika’s birth, then talk about that and Titan could explain how he felt during it. they’re old enough to understand it, and little Ekaterina and Moses certainly are.”

“In my drama classes we have pretended to give birth to cubs after watching the videos,” Cynthia said, “I took a course in drama teaching, and now do that,” she explained, “I’ve also shown them the video of me giving birth to little Ekaterina, and how mama Ekaterina helped me. The children are all into the community in a big way, you’re famous Patch.”

“We let humans watch us, so they leave us alone,” patch said, “only very seldom do we let humans in.”

I know some would love to meet Sita and mama Karina,” Cynthia said.

“if they meet them in the woodlands, then fine, but I’m not making a spectacle of them,” patch replied, “If mama Sita or mama Karina decide of their own free will to come here, that’s different of course.”

“Titan came here to back Moses, which was lovely of him,” Cynthia said.

“I know he did, and it’s very sporting of him, not to forget brave too,” Patch replied.

Their conversation was interrupted by Zalika exclaiming:

“Jespah, what on earth is you doing ‘ere? You’s bleeding too, youw paws and feet is all cut up!”

“I wanted to find you, so I followed Titan’s cent, and well, I’m here,” the exhausted lion cub replied, his legs shaking violently.

“I wode ‘ere on Titan’s back, but you walked?” Zalika asked.

“yeah,” Jespah mewed, lying down, Zalika getting a good look at his sore and bleeding pads.

“I needs to clean these pads Jespah, it may ‘urt a bit,” she said.

“Zalika, I’ll do it, I’ve got antiseptic spray,” Patch said.

“’is pads awe too tender fow that,” Zalika mewed, “if I washes them, ‘e’s not gonna be ‘urt as much, at least fow now.” Patch hesitated, but saw the logic in Zalika’s words.

“you clean the grazed pads, I’ll spray them with my stuff later,” he said. Soon the children got to hear of Jespah’s plight, and they crowded into the classroom, eager to see what was going on.

“Zalika’s washing the smaller cub’s feet, that’s so cuuuute!” someone said.

“She’s cleaning the dirt out of the wounds on his pads, look at her, lick and spit, lick and spit, she’s doing all right too,” Someone else added.

“the smaller cub’s not crying with pain either, I think that must hurt him, but no, Zalika’s really gentle. What I like is the tenderness that cub’s showing the younger male cub, she’s almost motherly with him, look at her face, at how she almost caresses his paws and feet in her paws while she’s working on them.”

“Oi you lot, I can ‘ear you, and speaks youw lingo too, so shut it,” Zalika mewed crossly.

“ooaaoah, sorry,” one of the children said, “we didn’t realise you could speak English like your sire.”

“Well I can, and I still says you’s as wude as anything,” Zalika mewed, “poor Jespah ‘ere, ‘e’s walked miles fwom the community ‘ouse and ‘is paws and feet is in a bad way, so I’s cleaning ‘em. Is you okay with that?” she asked.

“wow, Zalika gives as good as she gets,” Cynthia remarked.

“Can I look Zalika?” Patch asked. Patch checked Zalika’s work, and found he could not have done a better job. Very gently he sprayed Antiseptic on the scuffed and sore pads of Jespah’s feet and paws, Jespah miaowing and crying with pain while Zalika tried her best to soothe him by kissing his nose and hugging him.

“You’s not cwying while I’s washed youw feet and paws Jespah,” she mewed, “now you’s scweaming while Patch uses ‘is spway thingy,,” Zalika growled.

“I knows I’s done wong Zalika, It’s all my fault! I’s been so silly!” Jespah whimpered.

“’ow awe we going to get ‘im back ‘ome Patch?” Zalika asked.

“I’ll call my ambulance,” patch said, pressing a button on his communicator, “it’ll be here in a few minutes.” Titan pushed his way through the milling children, caught sight of Jespah on his back being attended to by Patch and Zalika, and sighed.

“Let’s get him back home.” Patch heard a siren outside, and his communicator told him the ambulance had arrived. Padding out to the ambulance with Jespah in his arms, Patch realised everyone was following him. The doors of the ambulance opened when the cameras saw Patch’s face and Jespah was placed gently on the bed inside, Patch feeling the springs go down as Titan climbed aboard with Zalika.

“I’m sorry everyone, but I think we should all go home now,” Patch said to the children, “I’ll arrange for Titan and Zalika to come another day.” With that he closed the doors, leaving very disappointed children in his wake.

“That poor lion cub,” Cynthia said, “but I suppose they all had to go, Zalika because Jespah is her friend, Titan because Zalika left, and Patch because he’s the medic.”

“Where’s my cuuuub!” someone yowled, a huge white lioness erupting from an alleyway on the other side of the road, bounding across it and into the midst of the children.

“Bianca,” Cynthia said, “your cub has gone with Patch to the house, you missed them by a few minutes.”

“what!” the lioness raged, stamping her paws, “Jespah got here, and now he’s gone back with Patch and Titan?”

“yes, in the ambulance,” Moses said, “he had very badly cut pads mama Bianca.”

“he went after Zalika, Jespah’s infatuated with that bloody cub!” Bianca roared.

“they love each other,” Moses said, “and Jespah was silly, he admitted to Zalika he’d been silly to do what he did.”

“Now I’ve got sore pads from walking all that way, and there’s no transport!” Bianca spat.

“I’ll drive you home!” someone yelled. Bianca spun round to see Blackberry riding a scooter type contraption with a trailer on the back.

“What the hell’s that!” Bianca asked.

“Oh, self-powered transport for soft padded lionesses,” Blackberry replied grinning.

“I sit in that do I?” Bianca asked, pointing at the trailer with one muddy paw.

“yes, get in, tuck your paws in to the straps, and I’ll tighten them, then you sit like the queen while some poor sod, like myself, pedals you home.” Bianca padded up to the trailer and, rearing onto her feet, looked inside.

“A soft seating place, plus straps, and a canopy to keep off the rain and sun,” she observed.

“yes, and I can open the side to let you walk right on board, here,” Blackberry said, getting off his machine and letting down the side, Bianca walking right up into the trailer, then fitting her paws and feet into the straps, noting seating for others around the sides of the trailer.

“I pedal up front, and there’s electrical help too,” Blackberry said, strapping Bianca in securely, “Now I’ll put the side up, lock everything and we’ll be on our way.

“Can we have a lift home Blackberry?” Moses asked.

“yes, get in,” Blackberry replied, watching his weight gauge as they scrambled aboard. It showed green, if it had gone into the red, the black bear knew he would not be able to drive the car trailer vehicle. He knew he’d over engineered the electric pedal car to carry a driver the weight of a fully grown polar bear on the front and the weight of a full grown polar bear male and his mate plus two cubs and half as much again on the back, but he was very wary all the time. Blackberry pedalled until the charge metre read full, then pressed the starter. The machine whirred into life, and he turned it round in the turning circle at the end of the road, swinging round to face the way he’d come, then accelerating away, pedalling as the electric motor worked to drive the car and trailer so the batteries didn’t run dry. Blackberry knew he could run the car and trailer on batteries alone, but preferred to pedal while he was driving. In extreme situations Blackberry knew he could drive the thing with pedal power alone and that the solar panels on the bonnet of the car would charge the batteries enough to get it going within an hour on a moderately sunny day. Blackberry drove back to the house, his passengers talking among themselves, the wind blowing through his fur and around his feet, something he enjoyed in the summer months. Blackberry turned onto the cobbled driveway, the thick tyres making a rumbling sound on the road. Slowing, Blackberry turned towards the house while still pedalling steadily. Pulling to a stop outside the main door, Blackberry got off his scooter and let the ramp down for the passengers, two humans and one lioness leaving the trailer.

“thanks for a smooth ride,” Bianca mewed, kissing Blackberry’s nose, Moses and little Ekaterina throwing their arms round his neck in turn, hugging the black bear with love and gratitude.

“I am here to serve,” Blackberry said, Bianca feeling dreadful about her outburst.

“I’m sorry if I was snappy,” she mewed, bowing her head then kissing Blackberry’s paw.

“I chased you along the road when I saw you leave in a hurry,” Blackberry replied.

They all went inside the house to see how Jespah was getting on. Finding Jespah and Zalika talking in the family lie up, both cubs sharing a large duvet which they’d wrapped round themselves, snuggled together like two peas in a pod.

“Blackbewwy, I gave Jespah some of youw stew, me too,” Zalika mewed as she saw Patch come in behind Blackberry, “Jespah’s paws awe still soothed by what you put on them too Patch.”

“I’ll leave them till morning now,” Patch replied gently. “

@e’s not ‘appy that ‘e can’t play with me,” Zalika mewed.

“I’ll never walk that distance again!” Jespah whined.

“You’ll be able to, but Jespah, you’re a cub with a cub’s pads. Your pads haven’t even had a real chance to touch the ground yet,” Patch replied. Jespah looked miserably up at Patch.

“My paws and feet huuuuurt Soaoaoaoao muuuch during that walk!” he whimpered.

“I know,” Patch replied, “but the more you keep those poultices on your pads, the sooner you’ll be able to play with Zalika.”

“I miss her touch on my pads already!” Jespah wailed.

“I know,” Patch said gently.

“Noaoaoaow you don’t, you can’t know!” Jespah yowled, “I really miss her touch, it hurts Soaoaoaoao muuuch!” the lion cub squirmed in what Patch thought genuine distress.

“’ow badly awe Jespah’s paws ‘uwt Patch?” Zalika asked.

“Oh, grazed, a cut here and there. They’re in a bad way, but I’ve seen far worse,” Patch replied, “Jespah’s young, his paws will heal in a short time.”

“I wants to touch ‘is pads again soon too,” Zalika mewed.

“You will be able to soon,” Patch said, hugging each of the cubs in turn, “I know you love each other more deeply than you can put into words,” he said to them in a low voice.

“’ow long does Jespah need to wear the boots you puts on ‘is paws and feet?” Zalika asked.

“The boots stay with the poultices,” Patch replied.

“Them’s quite nice, they looks like weal paws and feet them does,” Zalika mewed.

“We do try to make things aesthetically pleasing,” Patch replied, “and the tight fitting boots which go over the paws or feet are digital too, so they allow the toes to move, and the skin to breathe too.”

“I can’t touch ‘is pads at the moment, as them’s covered by the thing which soothes them,” Zalika whimpered.

“maybe another few days, then Jespah can wear the boots only, no poultices. Then he can go completely bare footed and pawed,” Patch said, rubbing Jespah’s head with his paw.

“if I wear the boots when going outside, would they protect my feet and paws?” Jespah asked.

“yes,” Patch replied.

“You’s ‘it on something!” Zalika mewed excitedly, “Jespah can wears them boots and gloves until ‘e’s biggew, then ‘e can walk pwopewly on stones and things. I’ll wear them boots and gloves too, and then we’s both able to walk awound the woods.”

“The woodland tracks are designed for cubs to walk on, the road isn’t,” Patch replied, “go barefoot out there Zalika.”

“but Jespah won’t be able to feel anything under ‘is paws or feet now. I isn’t going out there without ‘im!” Zalika mewed.

“let me look at his paws and feet,” Patch sighed. Stripping off the gloves and socks, Patch removed the poultices from Jespah’s pads and found them beginning to heal well.

“You have amazing powers of healing Jespah,” Patch remarked, “it’s only been an hour or so since I dressed your paws and feet.”

“Can I go with Zalika now?” Jespah asked.

“I’ll wash your paws and feet, then put some fresh socks and gloves on them, then you can go,” patch said. Patch disappeared to get some antiseptic wash, Zalika taking a look at the pads of her friend’s feet and paws.

“Wash them please Zalika,” Jespah mewed. Zalika, smiling broadly, did as he asked, drying them before Patch got back, lying down exactly where she’d been before he left. Patch washed Jespah’s paws and feet, then dried them and put new gloves and socks on them, Jespah getting to his feet and dancing about:

“Be off with you both,” Patch said, pushing the cubs towards the door. “

Let’s go into the woods,” Zalika mewed, kissing Jespah’s nose. smiling, he followed her out into the woodlands, delighting in the feel of the track and woodland floor under his paws and feet.

Meanwhile, Felix, padding round towards the garage, found Blackberry’s pedal car and trailer. Decoupling the trailer, he sat on the seat, looking down at the steering wheel and the pedals. Reading the words above the switches and buttons, he pressed the battery test button, watching the display which told him the battery was full. Smiling, Felix flicked the power switch down, the display showing him the car was warming up. The whirring sound made him giggle, and he pushed the accelerator pedal with his foot, the car moving forward, rumbling out of the garage. Turning left, he increased the speed, pedalling the car so the battery wasn’t drained.

“Felix! Stop driving that car!” the camera to his right yelled from the speaker in its front. Felix stuck two fingers up at the camera and sped up, cresting a slight hill and heading down towards the lagoon, his speed increasing all the time. Zalika and Jespah padded beside the lagoon, hearing the rumble of wheels coming nearer. Zalika, looking behind her, saw Felix racing towards them. yowling a warning, she pushed Jespah into the lagoon, leaping in after him, Felix stamping hard down on the break, his car skidding through the spot where the two cubs had been standing barely ten seconds before.

“Stop that car!” another camera yelled. Felix recognised Flocke’s voice, wondering if Blackberry had built a remote way of disabling his car. Taking a deep breath and sighing with relief, he waved mockingly at the camera and, speeding up, headed towards the woodlands, turning on the headlights as he entered the trees. The car coped well with the hills and rough terrain, Felix smiling at the freedom he had to go where he wanted. Suddenly he felt the car slowing and stopping. Then he saw his mum emerge from the trees.

“You are grounded!” Karina screamed, leaping aboard the car and dragging Felix out of his seat.

“You stole a car, swore at the camera crew, then nearly killed two cubs!” Karina screamed.

“I suppose I did,” Felix mewed.

“now get into the passenger seat, I’m driving!” Karina mewed, Felix sitting beside his angry mother. Karina sped towards the house, driving fast.

“now get out!” she snapped when they pulled up in the garage. Karina stabled the car and took the disabling device with her into the house, giving it to Blackberry who grinned at her. Felix slunk into the house, Blackberry scowling at him.

“You criminal!” he growled, striding forward and slapping Felix, “you also nearly ran over two cubs!” Blackberry yelled, cuffing Felix round the head with a wet towel, Felix screeching with pain.

Meanwhile, in the lagoon, Jespah and Zalika sat in one of the log flume logs which they’d seen and swam to.

“Who was in that wheeled thing?” Jespah panted, “I’m soaked!” he yowled.

“better that than dead,” Zalika mewed, “that was Felix dwiving, ‘e’s a pest, a thowough pest, and ‘e’s dangewous!

“you pushed me into the water!” Jespah miaowed.

“I ‘ad to do that, sowwy,” Zalika mewed, I knows you’s a lion and ‘ates water, but you’d pwefer being wet than dead I bet.” Jespah shook himself and curled the toes of all four paws to wring out his pads.

“yeah, thanks,” he sniffed, shaking himself all over Zalika.

“now I’s all weyeyeyt!” she yowled, shaking the water off her fur.

“You were anyway,” Jespah mewed, sneezing violently.

“yeah, but being showewed in my fwiend’s cast off water is worse!” she miaowed.

“awww I’m sowwy Zalika!” Jespah mewed, kissing her nose, Zalika rubbing heads with him.

“You’s all wight,” she mewed, squeezing his paw with her larger one.

“how do we get off this floating thing?” Jespah asked, “we climbed aboard using our claws, well you climbed aboard using yours, then hung off the side and pulled me inboard. You’re really strong Zalika!” Zalika giggled delightedly.

“I thinks there’s a wope ‘olding the boat to the bank, I knows ‘ow to make this boat move,” she said.

“What’s going on ‘ere?” a voice asked from the woods. Zalika, in the bottom of the boat, looked up and saw a huge bear’s head looking down at them, the bear’s paws gripping the side of the boat.

“We’s jumped in the water to avoid being wun over!” Zalika mewed.

“You doesn’t speak like meyeee!” the bear screamed.

“Well I’s always spoke like this,” Zalika mewed, “you’s a vewy angwy beaw isn’t you?”

“I’m not!” the bear yelled, banging the side of the boat with her paws.

“You’s showing all the signs of youw ‘ead about to explode,” Zalika mewed, rearing onto her feet and plonking her paws on one of the bear’s large ones.

“I’s Zalika, what’s youw name?” Zalika asked.

“I’m Puwdy,” the bear replied, looking into the huge big cat cub’s face.

“I’s Titan’s cub, if that’s any ‘elp to you placing where I’s fwom,!” Zalika replied, “oh, and the cub in the boat with me, ‘e’s Jespah, Bianca’s fiwst cub. As I says, we’s in this boat because Felix was dwiving some ‘uge thing at us and we ‘ad to leap into the water. Now we’s ‘ere, and you’s ‘ere, and Felix isn’t, and well, what’s we gonna does now?” Zalika asked.

“how if I lift you out the boat and we go back to the house?” Purdy asked.

“I’s fine with that, ‘ow about Jespah?” Zalika asked.

“I’ll lift him out too,” Purdy said. Zalika climbed out of the boat unaided, Purdy staring at her.

“How much stwength do you have?” she asked, “you’we only a cub awen’t you?”

“I is,” Zalika mewed, “but as to ‘ow stwong I is, ‘ow would you like me to show you? ‘it you like I did Apuwdo?”

“I don’t know,” Purdy replied, “Well let’s go to the house anyway,” she added, “Felix is a wogue for doing what he did, stealing that scooter caw thing that Blackbewwy dwove Bianca home in.”

“That scooter nearly wan ovew us,” Zalika mewed.

“It did what?” Purdy asked, stopping walking.

“It neawly wan us ovew, I told you I pushed Jespah into the water to save ‘im, thwowing myself in seconds befowe that bloody caw thing ploughed thwough the space where I’d been standing. The Camerwas got evewything I suppose.” Purdy stared at Zalika.

“I saw Felix take the caw, I then walked into the woods, away fwom the lagoon a bit. I walked back towawds the lagoon and heawd you and Jespah talking,” she said.

“I was so weyeyeyt!” Jespah miaowed.

“Better weyeyeyt than dead,” Purdy grunted.

“Ain’t that the twuth,” Zalika mewed, wiping her paws and feet on the mat as they entered the house.

“Zalika,” Patch said when he saw her come in, “I would like to talk to you a while. Something’s been bothering me.

“What’s that?” Zalika asked.

“how Jespah’s feet and paws healed so dam quick!” Patch replied, forgetting he was speaking to a cub.

“that’s because I’s so bloody good ‘in’it,” Zalika mewed.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t profane, but bloody hell Zalika! That’s at least a week’s total bed rest, completely off your paws damage you fixed in a few hours!”

“I’d good ain’t I,” she mewed.

“How?” Patch asked.

“I doesn’t know,” Zalika mewed, “but Jespah feels no pain in ‘is paws or feet now. Takes them socks and gloves off and looks at ‘is paws, I ‘aven’t done it, but you’s maybe wanting to.” Patch hugged Zalika and turned to Jespah.

“Could I examine your paws and feet Jespah?” the bear asked. Jespah rolled onto his back and Patch stripped off the socks and gloves from his feet and paws. Patch stared down at what, to his eyes, looked like healthy, intact pads.

“Stretch your toes, curl and stretch your toes,” Patch said, incredulity in his voice. Jespah did, giggling as Patch took such a close look, his breath tickled him.

“they’re completely healed!” Patch squealed.

“I washed ‘is feet and paws while you was getting that anti whatever stuff you use,” Zalika mewed.

“When? Just before I put the socks on him without the poultices?” Patch asked.

“Yeah, I dwied ‘is feet too,” Zalika mewed. she looked carefully at Jespah’s pads, examining each toe and pad with care, “them’s ‘ealed I sees,” she mewed, “now, well, I’ll get ‘im walking on the twacks a bit, then ‘e can get ‘ard pads a bit.”

“You healed Jespah’s pads in two hours!” Patch exclaimed.

“I’s not suwpwised,” Zalika mewed, “Titan always says to kiss a wound bettew you see?” Patch stared at Zalika, his mouth gaping.

“yeah, but it’s not a literal thing, well not really, I suppose licking a wound, but, well, that’s too fast!” he babbled.

“Well now ‘e’s able to touch my paws and I touch ‘is again, Jespah and I can get back to our play can’t we,” Zalika mewed.

“Yeah,” Patch replied weakly.

“come on Jespah, let’s leave this baffled bwuin to ‘is work,” Zalika giggled, kissing her friend’s paws and rolling him onto his chest, Jespah getting to his feet then kissing her nose.

“I could get used to you soothing my pads,” Jespah mewed, “Zalika, I enjoyed it when you washed my pads.”

“It doesn’t ‘uwt does it,. I got evewything clean though, washed thowoughly Jespah.” she mewed.

“You’s wondewful you is,” Jespah mewed, kissing Zalika’s nose.

Meanwhile, in the family lie up, Titan was roaring at Felix:

“You nearly killed my cuuuub!” he roared.

“I know, I’m sorry!” Felix miaowed.

“NO you’re not, you sped away after that, I saw you! we all bloody saw you!” Titan raged, “Felix, you have no regard for anyone else but yourself!”

“Zalika and Jespah are all right though aren’t they?” Felix asked.

“Only because Zalika heard you coming and threw herself and Jespah into the water!” Titan roared, “another thing, you turned off the noise maker on that electric car! Blackberry at least has the decency to ride with it on for the safety of others!”

“yes, but it was such a horrid noise!” Felix mewed.

“Nothing is as awful as the sound made by an injured cub or grieving parent because you have killed their cub,” Titan mewed softly.

“oh,” Felix mewed, “I didn’t think,” he dried up.

“no you bloody didn’t!” Titan roared, the floor shaking beneath Felix’s feet, then calming down, the liger continued, “Blackberry has a lot to fix, security is one thing, noise maker is another, and a long range disablement device is a third!”

“What will you do to me now?” Felix mewed.

“I do not think you are a bad cub,” Titan replied, “you are a rogue, and were inconsiderate. I know you have been well born and bred, I will therefore do nothing else to you. You will not steal that car again, nor, if you drive it legally, will you do so at stupid speed, and without the noisemaker engaged!” Titan growled.

“No,” Felix mewed.

“go now, the sight of you is upsetting me,” Titan grumbled, Felix turning and heading for the door.

Later that day, in his workroom, Blackberry sat in the car which Felix had driven, checking over the modifications he’d made. The noise maker was on by default and could not be turned off, the car was pin, paw and face recognition protected, and there was a remote shut down device that could be used from anywhere in the world thanks to GPS. Blackberry kicked himself for not adding these features sooner, but, as he admitted to himself, he was too impatient to get the car on the road. Now others had nearly payed the ultimate price for his oversight and haste.

“I must apologise to Zalika and Jespah,” Blackberry thought as he pulled out of his workroom and onto the track to test drive his car in its new configuration. First he tested the speed limiter, something he’d introduced to work within the woods, and switch off on the roads. The limiter let the car go at twenty miles per hour in the woodlands, and up to eighty miles per hour on the roads. There was a boost option to ninety for overtaking, but that came with a double press then foot hard down on a pedal to activate, and drained the battery if used too often. Blackberry, still furious with himself, drove through the woods to the main road, where a light told him the limiter was disengaged. With the noise maker going full blast and all lights on, He pushed the car to sixty, then deliberately turned hard onto the woodland track, the limiter breaking him to twenty, even though his paw was hard against the accelerator stop.

“That works, he sighed, switching off the lights and coasting towards the house. Blackberry pressed a button which switched on a forward scanning radar, then deliberately drove the car at a tree. The car stopped long before the tree, a claxon going off in the car.

“Good,” he thought. Turning the car round, Blackberry headed for the house. Parking the car, Blackberry got out, stretching his legs and flexing his paws.

“Oh, ‘ello Blackbewwy,” Zalika said, padding in from the woods, “as you fixed that caw of youws?”

“yes, and, Zalika, and you Jespah, I’m sorry,” the bear replied.

“What ‘as you to be sowwy fow?” Zalika asked, “it wasn’t you who dwove at us like a bloody maniac was you?”

“No, but, I didn’t put things into the car that would have stopped Felix,” Blackberry replied miserably, “I meant to, but I was too impatient to get it on the road. For that I’m sowwy, I mean sorry.”

“Well you’s put them in now, so that’s good ‘in’it?” Zalika asked.

“yeah,” Blackberry replied.

“Jespah’s doing well on ‘is ‘ealed pads,” Zalika mewed.

“That’s good,” Blackberry replied, not having a clue what the liliger cub was talking about.

Blackberry went indoors, Zalika and Jespah following him to the kitchen.

“’as you got any of that soup Blackbewwy?” Zalika asked.

“I have,” Blackberry replied, giving the cubs a bowl each of his soup which he’d blended down from a batch of the stew which everyone in the community enjoyed.

“I still feel shit,” Blackberry thought as he remembered the footage of the near miss between the car Felix was driving and Zalika. Worse, he remembered the disregard Felix held for the cubs after he’d skidded through the spot they’d been standing in seconds before. He drove off at high speed, not bothering to stop to check on them. Blackberry had seen Jespah’s struggle to swim, and Zalika’s heroic effort to keep him afloat while they struggled to the nearest thing, a boat a few feet along the bank. Zalika had saved Jespah’s life that day, getting him to hold onto a trailing rope while she got into the boat, then leant down, gripping the wood with her feet while using her paws to heave him bodily into the boat.

“You’s looking uncomfortable Blackbewwy,” Zalika remarked.

“Oh, it’s just the footage of the near accident you and Jespah nearly had earlier,” the bear sighed, “Felix was so close to killing you both,” Blackberry said, sniffing back tears, “so dam close,” he whimpered, turning away to hide his tears.

“it ain’t youw fault,” Zalika said, padding up to the distraught black bear and touching the toes of his right foot, as he was standing on his feet, struggling not to cry into the soup he was making.

“Sit youwself down please,” Zalika said, Blackberry stopping his stirring of the pot and sitting on the kitchen floor. Zalika scrambled into his lap and tried to hug him, Blackberry too overcome to speak. Embracing the huge cub, he wept into her coat.

“you’s soaking me as much as that lagoon did!” Zalika miaowed, shaking herself.

“sorry,” Blackberry sniffled.

“Now you’s so silly,” Zalika said, kissing Blackberry’s nose, “Felix is wesponsible for ‘is own actions. You didn’t dwive that caw like a pwat now did you.”

“No,” Blackberry replied, gulping hard.

“Is you a beaw or a waterfall?” Zalika asked.

“Sorry,” Blackberry sniffed, wiping his nose on his paw.

“You’s gonna wash that paw I ‘opes,” Zalika mewed.

“yeah,” the black bear replied horsely.

“Now evewything’s all wight, okay?” Zalika mewed.

“Yeah,” Blackberry replied. Zalika kissed Blackberry’s nose, then left his lap and she and Jespah left the room.

Patch found Titan lounging on his blanket in the family lie up that evening.

“Titan, can you please explain something?” Patch asked.

“I will try,” the liger replied, stretching luxuriously on his blanket, Patch impressed by the liger’s paws.

“You know how badly cut up Jespah’s paws were after his five mile walk to town?” patch began, “well, Zalika has just healed his pads in about two hours flat! She licked his pads, and they’re healed!” patch yelped, “how?” he asked, sitting down for a long explanation. Titan looked at him.

“Zalika can heal wounds,” Titan mewed.

“But in two hours?” Patch enquired.

“I don’t know anything about that,” Titan mewed, “I don’t know the extent of Zalika’s power. I thought you’d know more.”

“I’m out of ideas,” Patch replied, staring at the liger’s huge paws. Titan gave Patch his huge left paw, the bear massaging the liger’s toes then deeply massaging his other pads, Titan purring deeply.

“Maybe Zalika’s cleaning of Jespah’s pads sped up healing,” Titan mewed, “then again, who would not want to get back on their paws as fast as they could to play with her. I know I’m her parent, but she’s really sweet.”

“Get on their paws?” Patch asked, “Jespah wanted to get off his so Zalika could touch his pads. He didn’t want to run after her in play as much as to have her touch his pads and him hers. I get the feeling she wanted the healing process sped up too.”

“Maybe she did,” Titan replied, “I know she loves their paw and foot play games. Maybe we need not explain what healed Jespah. we should just marvel that only hours after cutting his pads to bits, Jespah’s able to play properly again.”

“True,” Patch replied, “but I for one am convinced Zalika has powers we don’t yet understand.”

“I know she has,” Titan mewed.

“could you heal someone’s pads like Zalika did?” Patch asked.

“I’ve never had the chance to try,” Titan mewed. Patch dropped Titan’s paw and got to his feet.

“All I know is that was the fastest healing I’ve ever seen!” he said, turning and walking from the room.

“Patch,” Zalika said, stopping the bear just outside the lie up, “I thinks Blackbewwy’s a bit upset about ‘is caw thing neawly killing me and Jespah. Can you go to ‘im and tells ‘im what Felix did was not ‘is fault? ‘we won’t takes it fwom meyeee!” she yowled, stamping her feet in frustration.

“Blackberry’s had a hard time with technology,” Patch said, “I’ll talk to ‘im though. I take it he said the right words, but your paws tell a different tale.”

“yes them does!” Zalika mewed.

“Okay, I’ll try,” Patch replied. Zalika leapt onto Patch’s back, the bear grunting with surprise.

“I’s coming with you,” she said, “Blackbewwy is scared of what ‘e saw on the video I thinks, and ‘e might want a cub to ‘ug.” Patch grinned at Zalika’s logic.

“come on then,” he said. Patch padded to Blackberry’s work room, finding the black bear sitting on his bed looking very unhappy.

“You’ve done all you can to sort that car Blackberry,” Patch said, “It’s not your fault Felix stole the car and drove it like a prat before you got it all sorted with security devices.”

“I should have limited the speed, I should have made it more secure!” the black bear moaned.

“’ere Blackbewwy, Jespah and I’s fine, so why not fowget it?” Zalika mewed, leaping into Blackberry’s lap from Patch’s back, the black bear’s eyes widening with surprise.

“Can I rub you down from nose to pads?” Blackberry asked.

“yeah, why not,” Zalika mewed, rolling onto her back presenting Blackberry with a view of her face, belly and the soles of her paws, Blackberry’s heart melting as he looked down at Zalika, who’d begun to pedal the air with her paws and feet.

“cuddle my paws!” Zalika begged, Blackberry laughing and gently embracing each of Zalika’s small paws and feet in his large paws.

“Now if you ‘old’s my paw and I tells you to fowget what ‘appened on the twack by the lagoon, will you pwomise to do that Blackbewwy?” Zalika asked. Blackberry smiled broadly.

“Okay Zalika, you’ve won me over,” he said.

“Now, can Jespah and I ‘as a wide on youw caw thing?” Zalika asked.

“The passenger seat is not designed for cubs. You’d have to twavel in the twailer,” Blackberry replied. Zalika giggled helplessly at Blackberry’s mimicry of her and slapped his paw between both of hers.

“You’s a wogue you is!” she said, squeezing his paw affectionately in both of hers, “and as to twavelling in the twailer, I’s fine with that,” she added.

“Well lets go then,” Blackberry said, “oh, and bwing Jespah with you too.”

“Stoaoaoaoap mimicking meyeee!” Zalika giggled, “does I weally sound like that?” she asked.

“yes you does, but it’s cute and I’s not complaining,” Blackberry replied smiling.

“you’s so fuuuunny!” Zalika giggled.

“I’m not, I’m very unhappy,” Blackberry replied soberly.

“Why is that?” Zalika asked.

“All my technology seems to go wrong or I don’t understand what I’ve built!” Blackberry whimpered.

“What does you mean?” Zalika asked.

“Shandy and Shadow, the bear and big cat birthing training aids became living members of the community because I made them so complicated, I made life. Then I make a car and Felix nearly kills two cubs when driving it! Not to mention the other thing with mama Ekaterina as she once was. Forgiven I might be, but I’ll never forget.”

“Now you stop that!” someone said, Blackberry feeling a pair of naked paws grab his left foot. Looking up from where he’d been contemplating the sight of his left paw in the strong grip of Zalika’s paws, he saw cub Ekaterina holding his left foot in her paws, her grip was fierce, and she was shaking his foot in frustration.

“I told you I’d forgiven you, now, please, let’s hear no more!” the naked cub begged.

“I’m sorry cub Ekaterina, I really am,” Blackberry whimpered. Cub Ekaterina placed the fingers of her left paw in the space between the sole pad and toe pads of Blackberry’s left foot, Blackberry curling his toes to catch cub Ekaterina’s fingers, the cub working her fingers deep into the grip of his toes.

“Promise me you’ll never speak of that again?” cub Ekaterina said, pulling her fingers from the grip of Blackberry’s curled toes and drawing them down the bunched sole pad of his left foot, her fingers bumping over the furrowed pad while Blackberry curled his toes even tighter:

“yes, I promise,” Blackberry replied, feeling the fingers touching his foot rubbing circles on his pads.

“Now can cub Ekatewina come with us too?” Zalika asked.

“come where?” the bear cub asked.

“Oh, just fow a wide on Blackbewwy’s twailer thing. ‘e’s dwiving, I ain’t, so you’s safe.” Cub Ekaterina smiled.

“I’ll come,” she replied.

“I’ll go find Jespah,” Zalika mewed.

“No need,” Jespah mewed, padding in and padding up to cub Ekaterina, touching her left foot, then, getting an answering wiggle from the toes of that foot, tackling her to the floor, then tickling her feet with his whiskers, the bear cub screaming with laughter.

“You two awe so silly!” Zalika mewed.

“I love her bare feet!” Jespah gushed.

“I knows beaw feet awe nice to ‘ug,” Zalika purred.

“toes of humans and bears are lovely to play with,” Jespah said.

“I know Titan and Apudo can’t get enough of rubbing our pads,” Moses said, padding into the room, “the feet of bears and humans are loved by all big cats it seems.”

“Can I wub youw feet Moses?” Zalika asked. Moses smiled and knelt so Zalika could easily rub his heels and toes, Zalika padding over to him and lying down to get paws on, Moses soon sitting back on his heels and squirming with pleasure, curling his toes more tightly than normal from time to time when his pleasure peaked.

Zalika rubbed Moses heels, then his arches, paying particular attention to the inside of his arch, as touching the skin just below his heel pad with her paw made him squirm his backside against his heels and curl his toes harder and tighter than ever.

“I love you touching that playayayayce!” Moses giggled whenever she rubbed that part of the sole of either foot.

“Can I get paws on with Moses left foot while you rub his right Zalika?” cub Ekaterina asked.

“should that not be wub my wight?” Moses asked.

“Oi you!” Zalika giggled, kissing the heel pad of Moses left foot.

“Yes, I’d like a bear and liliger’s paws rubbing my feet,” Moses said smiling.

“So would I!” little Ekaterina said, crawling up to the group.

“You’ll have to settle for a lion and bear,” Moses said, “Blackberry and Jespah?”

“Why not?” Blackberry replied, crawling up to little Ekaterina and pinning her right foot under his paw, the young girl kneeling back on her heels and squirming with pleasure as he rubbed her heel pad and arch.

“This feyeeels wonderful!” little Ekaterina squealed gleefully, squirming hard on her heels, curling and relaxing her toes as she squirmed.

“Wiggling human toes are so cute aren’t they!” Jespah miaowed, pouncing on the toes of little Ekaterina’s right foot with both paws, the young girl screaming with laughter as he tickled her heel pad with his whiskers.

“oaoaoaoaoah, this feyeeels even better!” little Ekaterina laughed, clapping her hands delightedly.

“I love this so much,” Blackberry said, “seeing and feeling cubs having fun, and such simple fun too.” Moses and little Ekaterina smiled as they both squirmed their backsides against their heels while flexing their toes.

“the more you rub, the more I squirm!” little Ekaterina giggled.

“The more I rub, the tighter you curl your toes, which is so cute!” Blackberry said, kissing the heel of her left foot, little Ekaterina giggling delightedly, reaching back then rubbing Blackberry’s nose as he kissed the heel pad of her left foot while rubbing the bunched skin on the ball of her foot with the fingers of his right paw, moving them to her toes which were tightly curled with pleasure. Feeling his touch to the ball of her foot and toes, little Ekaterina pushed with her hands to press her left foot harder against the bear’s rubbing, Blackberry smiling broadly then rubbing the sensitive place on the inside of her arch, just below her left heel pad with his left paw, while his right rubbed the toes of that foot, Jespah attending to her right foot with his paws while he lay on the floor, little Ekaterina whimpering with pleasure.

“this is amazing!” Moses giggled while cub Ekaterina and Zalika rubbed his heel pads and toes, paying attention to finding, then touching the places on his soles which made Moses squirm and tightly curl his toes most of all. Moses, realising this, concentrated on the touch on his feet, delighting in curling his toes as tightly as they’d go, as well as wriggling and bouncing enthusiastically.

“Will we ever get to wide Blackbewwy’s twailer?” Moses asked in a brilliant impression of Zalika.

“NO, as long as you copy meyeee, the longer I tickle youw toes Moses!” Zalika mewed, tickling the curled toes of the boy’s left foot with her whiskers, Moses shrieking with laughter.

“Okay, okay!” Moses guffawed, “I won’t do it agayayayayin!” he yelled, bouncing his bum hard on his heels, Zalika giggling helplessly.

“the longer you copy me, the longer I can wub youw toes and heel pad,” she said, kissing his left heel pad, Moses reaching round with his left hand then rubbing the top of her head as she kissed his foot.

“you ‘ave lovely pink pads Moses,” Zalika said, lifting a paw to touch Moses foot. Running her paw over the sole of his left foot, she continued, “They’s ‘ere on youw ‘eel pad, then on the ball of youw foot, ‘ere, and on youw toes, ‘ere, ‘ere, ‘ere, ‘ere, and ‘ere,” Zalika mewed, “little Ekatewina ‘as them too I sees.” Moses and little Ekaterina giggled delightedly at Zalika’s observation.

“does I ‘ave them pads on my other foot too cub Ekatewina?” Moses asked, squealing gleefully as Zalika tickled the toes of his left foot with her whiskers.

“Yeah, you does,” cub Ekaterina replied, she too shrieking with surprise as Zalika pounced on, then tickled the sole pads and toes of both her feet.

“stoaoaoaoap tiyiyiyckling meyeee!” cub Ekaterina squealed, everyone laughing at her.

“You deserve a good tickling for mimicking Zalika!” Blackberry giggled.

“I think we should leave and drive round the woodlands with the trailer,” Patch said, “As there are many cubs coming, Blackberry, please sit in the back with them.” Blackberry smiled at the grey bear.

“Okay,” he said, “do you know how to drive that thing?” he asked.

“I do,” Patch replied, “Blackberry, I might not understand how to build things, but I can understand things once they are built, if you know what I mean.”

“Shandy, Shadow,” Blackberry replied.

“yes,” Patch said, “I can drive cars, and, if tested, fly helicopters too, but don’t ask me how to build them, or programme their computers.”

“did you ever get your pilot’s licence back after your rebirth?” Blackberry asked.

“No I didn’t, nor did I take up the non-lethal weapons I used to use,” Patch replied, “um, I’ve had much more on my paws ever since that day,” he added.

“Let’s go,” Blackberry said.

“oaoaoaoah naoaoaoaoao, we can’t have our feeyeeet rubbed anymore!” Moses and little Ekaterina yelled in unison, both falling about laughing when they’d realised what they’d done.

“put some of those socks on which Jespah is wearing,” Patch said, “then we’ll go out.”

“Okay, and was he wearing socks? Jespah?” little Ekaterina asked.

“No, I, well, took my gloves and socks off Patch,” Jespah replied looking ashamed, “I hated them!” he miaowed.

“his paws are very healed,” Moses said, looking at Jespah’s paws, as the lion cub had padded round in front of him, throwing himself down and rolling onto his back to show him his paws and feet, “Yes, his pads are as good as new now,” Moses mused.

“Okay,” Patch replied, “let’s go all of you,” he said, “Moses, and you little Ekaterina, crawl if you want, and no need for socks for you.” everyone followed Patch and Blackberry from the room to the garage, where Blackberry coupled the trailer to the car and all piled in, Patch sitting up front in the driver’s seat. Patch drove the car and trailer from the garage, noticing the noisemaker and the limiter light coming on. Grinning, he drove gently down the track, hearing the others chatting in the back, Blackberry having strapped the cubs in and put seatbelts on the two children before buckling up himself. Smiling, Blackberry watched the scenery going past, scanning the trees for interesting things. The noise maker directed sound in front of the car, so others could hear it coming, while those riding could have a quiet ride, Patch able to see the noisemaker was working by the light on the dashboard, and a confirmatory microphone which listened for the sound from the speaker, though to him, the sound was barely audible. Turning right, Patch drove into the trees, down a secluded track. The trailer ride became a little bumpy, and Patch looked out for low branches, though he knew the track, while secluded, was well maintained. Half way along, he heard a heavy sound down a small opening in the trees. It sounded like a moan of pain, so Patch stopped the car and listened hard.

“what’s appening?” Zalika asked.

“shush!” Moses snapped, covering Zalika’s mouth with his hand, the cub licking his fingers with her rough wet tongue.

“I only wants to know what’s ‘appening!” she mumbled.

“Shut up!” Blackberry snapped. They all listened hard. Patch opened his mouth to cut out swallowing sounds, his ear to the trees. The moan and heavy sound of something rolling about in the leaves came clearly to him on the air, which had become still. Getting carefully out of his car, Patch looked in the boot, blessing his foresight never to go anywhere without his medical kit and camera array. Putting a headcam on, he set the hard drive recording, then slung his pack and entered the trees, watching the goings on through his goggles. Blackberry, at a signal from Patch, disembarked the cubs and humans and followed the grey bear into the deepest woodland.

What they saw in the depths of the woodlands took their breath away. A huge fat female polar bear lay on her back on the ground on a pile of leaves, her legs bent, feet braced hard against the trunk of two trees only six inches apart. The bear covered her mouth with her paws to muffle occasional moans of pain as she wriggled and panted.

“Is she in labour?” Moses whispered.

“yeah,” Blackberry replied.

“She’s gonna have a cuuuub, how cuuuute!” little Ekaterina yelled, the she bear looking round at the sound, her scream of fear saddening Patch.

“shut it little Ekaterina!” Blackberry snapped.

“Who are you?” the she bear panted.

“My name’s Patch, I live here,” Patch said, padding forward and kneeling beside the terrified she bear.

“I’m Ursula, and I’m in layayayayaybour!” the she bear yowled, bracing her feet against the trees while trying to stifle her cries by covering her mouth with one paw while biting down on the other.

“You don’t need to do that now,” Patch said, “Ursula, you can breathe and scream and curl your toes and do all you ever wanted to do but were too scared to. You’re safe here, I promise.” Ursula squirmed with another contraction, biting her left paw to stop herself screaming.

“Oh, and don’t bite your paws,” Moses said, crawling up to the struggling she bear then kissing her nose without fear, “we won’t harm you, you don’t need to hide here.” Ursula dropped her paw from her mouth, opened it wide and moaned loudly with pain, then, panting, she looked at Moses.

“but you’re human!” she gasped.

“I am, but I am with Patch. Now, if you can walk, we can get you somewhere safe to have your cubs, but if not, we can help you here. My friends and I will help you.” Patch’s heart swelled with pride as he listened to Moses.

“I don’t know if I can walk, whenever I try, I, I feeyeeel awful payayayayayins!” Ursula wailed, curling the toes of her feet, digging her claws into the trunks of the trees as she faught with another contraction..

“yes, we understand,” Moses replied, kissing the she bear’s nose, feeling her hot breath on his face.

“I’m so scared!” Ursula sobbed, “I got in cub by huge grey bear, and, and, now, now it’s so Aouw!” Moses hugged Ursula’s paw while the she bear roared and wriggled through another contraction.

“Looks like we’re going to walk home,” Blackberry grunted to the cubs.

“I’ll get the ambulance,” Patch said, pressing his communicator, the ambulance responding to his summons, “We have a bit of a walk Ursula, the ambulance is on the main track, my car is on a side track, and you’re on a tributary of that. We have to walk to my car, then you can ride to the ambulance and I’ll drive you home.”

“Can I crawl? I muuuuust crawl!” Ursula sniffled, “If, if I don’t crawl, and my cubs come, they’ll fall!” she whispered.

“You can crawl, and I’ll crawl behind you,” Moses said, “little Ekaterina, my young human friend and I will crawl behind your feet and rub your pads and toes to encourage you. How would that be?” Patch heard Blackberry gulp and saw him swiftly wiping his eyes with his paw.

“soppy old bruin,” Patch thought, grinning at the black bear.

“I’ve got something in my eye,” Blackberry whimpered, coughing into his paws.

“Blackbewwy’s cwying! ‘e’s a soppy old bwuin!” Zalika yelled, rolling onto her back to clap her paws delightedly.

“After the next contraction, can we go?” Ursula asked.

“yes,” Patch replied, “but, Ursula, if you have to stop to push, that’s fine too. I have everything I need here to deliver cubs, and Moses and little Ekaterina are experts in it too. They’ve seen a few births in their short lives.” Ursula rolled onto her chest, then got onto her paws and knees, Moses catching sight of the soles of Ursula’s feet for the first time. Her feet were huge, the sole pads thick and hairless, not like a polar bear’s at all, their paws and feet having hair between the toes and around the pads, while Ursula’s soles were as naked as Moses own.

The soon to be mama polar bear crawled along the single track to the car, the concentration needed for crawling seeming to ease her fear and the contractions. Only once did she stop and Moses see her toes slightly curl as she felt a small contraction.

“aoaoaoaow,” she moaned, her mouth wide with panting, while Blackberry rubbed her right paw under his, Patch walking round Ursula to get a good view of her face, huge feet and toes, and her substantial body.

“It’s all right,” Blackberry said softly to the she bear, kissing her nose. Ursula made it to the car, sitting down in the well of the trailer, her paws cupping her right foot in their huge embrace.

“I’ll squeeze my foot and curl my toes during the ride home if I feel a contraction,” Ursula said, I won’t push, or I’ll try my best not to. I’m not pushing yet, have no urge, just the need to scream and hang onto things.” Moses, little Ekaterina and the two big cat cubs kissed her paws and feet before they sat down wherever they could in the trailer, Blackberry sitting up front with Patch. Ursula sighed deeply with relief as she felt the kisses to her paws and feet, each kiss accompanied with a hug of the paw or foot being kissed, the feeling soothing her.

“If you want to push a cub out now Ursula, we’ll catch it,” little Ekaterina said.

“how big is this new bear?” cub Ekaterina asked.

“she’s ‘uuuge!” Zalika mewed.

“that’s not very descriptive,” Moses replied, “Ursula, cub Ekaterina here can’t see you, would you mind giving her one of your paws or letting her hold your foot in her paws?”

“she can touch me when I lie down to give birth,” Ursula replied, “I think I’ve got a long way to go yet before I have a cub. since you came, my labour has eased off a lot. Fear was great in that place, but now it is less.” Moses smiled:

“good!” he said, as the car started up, then very soon was out onto the main track, Patch having cancelled the ambulance half way through its journey because Ursula was calmer.

“cub Ekaterina, take my left foot in your paws, I have my right in mine,” Ursula said. cub Ekaterina got down into the well of the trailer and found Ursula’s left foot with her paws, exploring her pads and toes.

“If you feel a pain, will you curl your toes?” cub Ekaterina asked.

“I’ll do it for you as you have asked, even if they won’t naturally curl,” Ursula replied, “though I think they have been curling with my pains. If they are, or even if they don’t, I’ll make sure I curl them, and curl them extra tightly.” Moses laughed at this.

“You have no control over your toes,” he said, “if your toes curl, they curl tightly. I know, I’ve felt mine curl with pleasure and they curled real tight. what your toes will do when you’re in pain is yet to be seen and felt.”

“When you feel a pain, scream and yell and curl your toes,” Blackberry called back, “Ursula, the children and cubs will help you there, they can curl their toes and encourage you to scream and yell.” Patch drove the car slowly towards the house, cub Ekaterina paws on with Ursula’s left foot while the she bear desperately gripped her right in her huge paws.

“there’s pain coming, oaoaoaowch!” Ursula groaned, “uuuuumf, oaoaoaoaoawch, Auuuuuuumph, Aouw, oh aow! Aow Uuuhuuuumf! ooaaoah, Aouwch!” the she polar bear moaned, wriggling and rocking where she sat, curling her toes with the intensity of her pain, cub Ekaterina paws on with Ursula’s left foot, feeling her toes curling, pads bunching and sweating beneath the touch of her small paws. During the peak of her pain, Ursula pushed her feet hard against her own paws and cub Ekaterina’s, her toes curling even tighter as she struggled with her labour pain.

“Nearly home now Ursula,” Moses said, watching the she bear’s face as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, clenched her teeth and groaned through another pain.

“Sitting here isn’t very comfortable now,” Ursula panted, “I need to move about soon. Auauauauwch, this is Soaoaoaoao aoaoaoaow!” she squealed.

“It’s all fine, we’ll look after you,” Jespah said.

“I’ll drive right up to my outside door,” Patch said, swinging the trailer round so Ursula could get out straight into his medical room.

“if I rig you with ultra sound and other devices here, we can go to a birthing den or the pool,” Patch said, getting out of his car and helping Ursula into the house, the sow polar bear crawling to Patch’s birthing hammock and scrambling into it with a moan of discomfort.

“I’ll lie here for a bit,” Ursula panted, flipping onto her back, her paws over her belly, her legs slightly bent, supported on sponge sausage like supports, lifting her heels clear of the hammock.

“This is more comfortable,” Ursula sighed, Patch handing her a bottle with a straw poking out the top.

“Energy drink,” he said, fitting Ursula with sensors on her arms, and one on the finger of her right paw. Ursula drank the drink, smiling her thanks, Patch staring at her.

“I think ‘e’s just fallen in love with ‘er!” Zalika giggled, waving her paw at Patch then at Ursula.

“she has the most gorgeous smile,” Patch thought. Patch took Ursula’s paw, checking her pulse, even though the monitors she now wore told him everything. Patch noticed Ursula’s toes curling at his touch, even though she was not experiencing a contraction.

“I think Patch is gonna give Ursula another cub when she’s ‘ad this one,” Zalika giggled.

“I thinks ‘e gave ‘ur these ones,” Moses replied, “do you remember she said she’d got in cub by a grey bear. well the only grey bear we have here is Patch! Do you think it could be possible?”

“Who knows what Patch does at night,” Jespah mewed, “he’s always about during the day, but at night, where does he go? And how did he meet Ursula?”

“I can’t say, but she’s loving his touch, that’s for sure,” little Ekaterina remarked.

“Patch wouldn’t just mate with a she bear, that’s not his way,” cub Ekaterina said, “I knew him as mate once, remember? Getting him to mate was a considered process. He’d ask about six times before even setting paw on me, let alone mating!”

“I think we’ve been found ouuouout Payayayaych!” Ursula moaned as the first real hard contraction built. Grabbing Patch, she pulled him onto the bed and buried her face in his shoulder fur, screaming lustily into the bear’s thick coat.

“It’s all right Ursula,” Patch said, stroking her ears.

“It huuuurts!” Ursula sobbed.

“I can numb you completely,” Patch said.

“No, I want to feel the births of my cubs, it’s just so ow when it’s happening,” Ursula panted, “oaoaoaoaoah, Yauauauauauaauauwch! Uuuurmruuuumf!” she moaned, wriggling and rocking on the bed, grabbing her left foot in her paws and sweating profusely as she squeezed the pads on the sole of her foot as hard as she could, her toes tightly curling.

“Get paws on with me Patch, you promised you would!” Ursula panted once she came down from the contraction and could speak coherently.

“Why didn’t you let me know you were in labour?” Patch asked, “I gave you that communicator thing to press to tell me, but you didn’t!”

“I felt a wimp!” Ursula admitted, “I knew what you could do, I’d heard it from others, badgers and birds and a fat slothful tiger too. They all said you could make my labour easier, but I’m a polar bear! I should be able to handle labour and birth alone, but now, now I know I Cayayayn’t!” she yowled.

“So it was only chance we found you?” Moses asked.

“yeah, oaoaoaof! Aouwch! It’s coming agayayayayayain!” Ursula screamed, letting go of Patch, then drawing up her feet, reaching between her legs and grabbing her heels with her huge paws, closing her eyes, wriggling and screaming through another contraction.

“Can I put monitors on you Ursula? Examine how far you are towards having your cub?” Patch asked.

“oaoaoaoaoawch, aouwch, yes!” Ursula replied shrilly. Patch put close quarters cameras out all around Ursula, then gently inserted his paw into the birth canal with a monitor for her cub’s head while Ursula panted and moaned, still holding her feet with her paws.

“I’m all done now Ursula,” Patch said, kissing her nose. Ursula smiled at him.

“I wayayayant to see the births of my cuuuuubs!” she moaned.

“You can, watch the screens and you can see from your face to your feet and the emerging cubs, you can hear your cub’s birth from the inside too,” Patch said.

“Are we close to seeing the birth of a cub?” little Ekaterina asked.

“Umf, uuuuumf, heuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf! yes!” Ursula moaned deeply, letting go of her feet and splaying her legs, then grabbing the backs of her thighs with her paws and gripping them hard.

“aoaoaoaoaowuw! Uauauauauw! Muuuuust puuuuuush! Yuuuuuuuuuuumf! Eueueueueueueueeuruueueueuemf! Aow!” the poor she bear complained lustily.

“I thought I saw paws!” little Ekaterina yelled, climbing on the bed to see better, her face within inches of the struggling she bear’s left foot.

“Get away from there Ekaterina!” Blackberry yelled, Little Ekaterina kissing the sole of Ursula’s left foot as the she bear strained hard, curling her toes in her effort.

“Can I climb up and feel one of Ursula’s feet?” Moses asked.

“No you bloody can’t!” Blackberry snapped.

“yes he can,” Ursula panted, “someone’s got to catch the cuuuub tooooo!” she moaned.

“You can do that,” Patch said.

“I’ll sit up a bit,” Ursula gasped, sitting up and letting go of her thighs.

“Now push right down into your bottom! Push like you want to poo and a cub you will do!” little Ekaterina yelled. Patch and Blackberry laughed helplessly while Little Ekaterina and Moses held Ursula’s feet as she pushed, leaving her own paws free to catch the cub. her eyes still shut, Ursula strained hard down into her bottom:

“oaoaoaoaoaowowowo! Uouououououow! Push like you wayayayant tooo poooo Uuuuursula! Puuuuuush!” Ursula moaned as she pushed down, the cub’s paws and head coming into the world, Ursula screeching:

“Yuauauauauaauauauauawch!” as the cub’s head emerged, and no wonder Ursula screamed, the cub’s head was huge! Groaning, Ursula panted hard, then, whimpering pitifully, pushed down desperately, catching her cub in her sweat soaked paws as she squeezed more and more of it into the world with every effort which made her scream, roar and curl her toes with pain whenever she pushed. After ten minutes of straining, wriggling, panting, screaming, moaning and more straining, Ursula had birthed the cub’s head, forelegs, body and hind legs.

“Nearly there!” Patch yelled, Ursula panting the cub’s legs out, then straining hard to force its feet into the world.

“ruururururumf! Errururururururmf! The cuuuuub’s feeyeeet neyeeed to come ooooououowt! Naoaoaoaow tooo!” Ursula screamed, pushing hard down. As she panted for the thousandth time, Ursula felt the cub’s feet slide free. Gasping, she began cleaning her cub then settling it to feed, the cub briefly screaming for milk before humming contentedly as it drank its fill.

“Is there another cub in there?” little Ekaterina asked, “I want to see another cub born!” she demanded.

“I can’t give birth on command,” Ursula giggled.

“Want a drink mama?” Patch asked, handing her the energy drink. Ursula opened her eyes, took the drink, smiled and drank deeply.

“What do we do now?” Blackberry asked, his eyes terrified.

“You go and get some of that soup we’s all enjoying at the moment,” Zalika said, “Blackbewwy, we’s all needing that aftew what we’s seen today, and Uwsula cewtainly needs some aftew ‘what she’s done this day. Now just piss off and gets us some of that.”

“I’ve never been spoken to like that by a cub before!” Blackberry raged.

“No, that’s ‘co’s no cub ‘as wealised you’s close to meltdown befowe, so just go will you?” Zalika replied, Blackberry huffing with anger, but he went.

“That cub’s got bottle!” Ursula exclaimed.

“Blackbewwy’s close to jumping at shadows,” Zalika said, “I doesn’t want ‘im scweaming the place down. You ‘as a weason for scweaming, ‘e don’t ‘ave one at all.”

“I can feel another cub inside!” Ursula moaned suddenly, “can I give birth to this one while resting on paws and knees?”

“You can,” Moses said, “that way you can have your feet rubbed throughout too.”

“We’d all like to help do that, if you’s letting us,” Zalika mewed.

“this cub’s birth ain’t gonna be quick so you have plenty of time,” Ursula replied.

“does we ‘as to stop wubbing youw feet just ‘cos you’s ‘ad youw cubs?” Zalika asked.

“No of course not!” Ursula laughed, but, uuuuumf, sorry, got to, oaoaoaoaaoaow!” she moaned, straining down hard, then settling her newborn cub and flipping onto her paws and knees, sitting back on her heels and squirming urgently.

“Go on, rub my feeyeeet!” she yowled. Everyone took their turn, Ursula panting and moaning with pain and pleasure as her contractions and the sensations of rubbing human hands and cubs paws on the soles of her feet registered with her. When it came to pushing her second cub into the world, Ursula held onto a bar in front of her with both paws while labouring, Ursula’s unborn cub easing into cub Ekaterina’s paws as she held them ready to catch the fully grown she bear’s cub, Moses, who was kneeling beside cub Ekaterina, at the moment of the cub’s emergence, telling her what was happening:

“The cub’s coming now cub Ekaterina, catch the cub and hold onto it!” he yelled above Ursula’s drawn out moan of:

“Yuauauauauaauauauauawch! I cayayayaayn doooo this! Watch the picture Ursula and Puuuuuush, Uuuuursula puuuuuush!” with effort as she pushed hard down into her bottom. Patch watched Ursula’s face, recording her facial expression, the way she wriggled and moved her paws on the bar and her cries of pain and effort with his headcam while other cameras watched her feet and the emerging cub, for everyone except cub Ekaterina was now wearing headcams, and all were trained on Ursula’s feet and the emerging cub. Patch rubbed Ursula’s left paw while she desperately gripped the bar with both paws.

“Do you want something to bite on?” Patch asked.

“No, no gas either, I’m okay, I like this!” Ursula panted. Cub Ekaterina caught Ursula’s second cub as Ursula settled down and laboured hard:

“aoaoaoaoaowuw! Uauauauauw! Yuauauauauaauauauauawch! Uuuuursula, youuuuu Muuuuust puuuuuush! Yuuuuuuuuuuumf! Uuuuursula Puuush like yououou’re poooing! Puuush like you doooo when youuuuu poo and a cuuuub will come thrououough! Eueueueueueueueeuruueueueuemf! Aow!” Ursula screamed lustily as she pushed, the cub easing out into cub Ekaterina’s embrace. Then with a huge effort, Ursula, moaning deeply, birthed the cub’s feet:

““I did iyiyiyiyiyt!” Ursula screamed triumphantly As she felt the feet of her second cub slide free. Panting hard and sitting down, she gently took her second newborn cub from cub Ekaterina, noticing that she’d already cleaned it up.

“Are you all born midwives?” Ursula giggled.

“Well, I was once, in a former life,” cub Ekaterina replied, “and, well, the other cubs learn quick.”

“I’ve never felt safer,” Ursula said, feeding her two cubs.

“thanks for letting us be witness to and part of the births of your cubs Ursula,” Jespah said.

“It was a pleasure,” Ursula replied, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and standing up on her feet while cradling her two cubs in her arms. It was then that the big cat cubs and children saw how tall Ursula was.

“No wonder youw feet awe ‘uuuge Uwsula! You’s so tall when you’s on youw feet!” Zalika exclaimed.

“oaoaoaoaoh, she’s huuuge!” Blackberry yelped, running from the room in fear.

“Come back you silly bwuin!” Zalika miaowed, running after Blackberry.

“buuuut she’s enormous!” Blackberry wailed.

“Yeah, I knows that, I sees that, but Uwsula’s still the cuddly bwuin she was in the woodlands! You’s so dam silly Blackbewwy!” Zalika yelled, circling in front of the large black bear in the corridor to the outside air.

“Can someone help please?” a voice yelled from the outside, “Blackberry, Zalika, anyone? There’s a bear in the woods, down a track, and, and, she’s in labour I think. I said I’d go find help, but, I may be too late now! It’s taken me ages to get back here.” Blackberry turned to see mama Sita standing in the doorway. Bleeding from her nose and with one ear ripped, she looked a terrible sight. Blackberry could also see from the way she was standing that her pads were almost too painful to put pressure on.

“What the hell’s going on Sita?” he asked.

“I’m not going through it again!” the Felursa snapped, “I told you once, Zalika probably heard the lot, ask her! I’m going to bed, I feel terrible, my pads are cut, my ear’s ripped and I’ve tripped over more logs, roots and been torn on more brambles than you’ve had hot dinners Blackberry. Now please get help for that poor bear wherever she is. Somewhere in the woods by the road if I remember right.”

“Why didn’t you press your communicator?” Blackberry asked.

“I tried, but it didn’t work!” Sita miaowed.

“Neither did mine,” Patch said, padding into the passage, “I’ve just checked the logs, my request for an ambulance for Ursula didn’t get through.”

“that was the bear’s name!” Sita whimpered, “is she all right?” Patch padded to Sita and hugged her, the Felursa nearly collapsing into his embrace.

“she’s fine,” Patch replied, “but dear Sita cub, you are not. Come and I’ll bathe your wounds and you can find the ending to this tale. Blackberry, please, get Sita warm soup and bring it to my private place.” Blackberry turned and left, Patch rearing onto his feet, picking Sita up in his arms and carrying her to the lift which opened for him, Zalika dodging inside just before the doors closed.

“I’s coming with you,” she said to Patch, “I’s not gonna get in youw way, I just wants to sees what’s gonna ‘appen. Poow Sita looks in a bad way, ‘ur pads is all cut up, and them’s looking sowe too.”

“I’ve been walking for hours!” Sita whimpered.

“youw pads says that too,” Zalika mewed, “I sees them pads, because Patch is ‘olding you in the wight way for me to sees them.”

“My arms are round his neck and he’s cradling my backside in his arms,” Sita mewed.

“the soles of youw feet awe vewy visible to me, and them looks vewy sowe,” Zalika mewed, “I’s said I’s not gonna get in the way, but I’s gonna be vewy gwateful if you would let me wub soothing cweam into them pads mama Sita.”

“I will,” Sita mewed, as the lift arrived at the floor they needed and Patch padded to his bathtub, setting Sita down on a chair in the bathroom. Turning to Zalika, Patch looked her over, measuring her by eye.

“Yeah, you’ll be able to get in with me and Sita,” he said. running water into the tub, Patch threw pawfuls of powders and shook oils into it, mixing the water until the water was deep and frothy. Grinning happily, Patch turned to Sita, hugged her, then washed the wounds on her nose, ear, paws and feet with care, before lifting her into the tub. Zalika was next in, the cub purring with pleasure as the warm water caressed her from her paws to her neck.

“Any more room in there?” Patch asked.

“You know very well there is,” Sita giggled, Patch showering himself down, then climbing into the tub.

“keep your paws and feet in the water Sita,” Patch said.

“It stings a bit,” Sita replied.

“I know, but it’s cleansing your wounds. I’ll wash your nose and face now.” Patch washed Mama Sita’s face, Sita miaowing with pain when he washed the deep scratches on her nose.

“You have thorns in your pads too,” Patch said, working the splinters from her paws and feet with tweezers, Patch looking at Sita’s paw and foot pads through a magnifying glass to see every little splinter and graze.

“Can I looks thwough that looking glass?” Zalika asked. Patch let Zalika look through the glass at the sole pad of Sita’s left foot while she lay back with her foot elevated, resting her heel on a float.

“You’s got lovely pads Sita,” Zalika mewed, “when them’s ‘ealed, they’ll be even mowe beautiful. Sita curled her toes, Zalika kissing Sita’s curled toes, Sita wriggling and giggling delightedly.

“The water soothes your pads now?” Zalika asked.

“There are soothing properties in this water too,” Patch said, “and quite frankly, you don’t need to hide your feet under poultices Sita. Zalika, would you like to wash Sita’s pads?” Zalika looked at Patch.

“Like I did Jespah’s?” she asked.

“yes,” Patch replied.

“Sita? Would you mind if I washes your pads in the wild way?” Zalika asked.

“No, it would be pleasurable,” the Felursa mewed. Zalika set to work on Sita’s pads, Patch and Sita smiling as Zalika climbed all over Sita, washing the palms of Sita’s paws and soles of her feet.

“this may ‘elp ‘eal youw pads quicker,” Zalika purred when she’d finished, Sita now lying on her back in the water, her paws and feet out of the water.

“Now dwain the water fwom the pool Patch,” Zalika said, “then, once that gone, let me dwy Sita’s pads.” Patch did as Zalika asked, all three soon sitting in an empty tub. Zalika blow dried Sita’s pads, the Felursa giggling as she was tickled by the liliger’s breath.

“now get up and walks about on them pads,” Zalika said, kissing Sita’s nose. Sita got up and walked, realising there was no pain anywhere in her pads.

“That’s amazing!” she exclaimed.

“yeah, and I tells you what’s amazing too,” Zalika said, “we’s ‘elped a mama beaw ‘ave ‘ur cubs today, ‘ur name was Uwsula, and it was amazing!”

“the same bear I went to get help for?” Sita asked.

“Yes,” Patch replied.

“I missed the birth of a cuuuub!” Sita wailed.

“No you didn’t,” Shadow said, walking into the room, “I can be like Ursula, and show you how her cubs were born.”

“Thank you Shadow, thank you!” Sita replied, hugging the animatronic she bear, shadow giggling delightedly.

“First of all though, why not meet the real Ursula,” someone said. Sita then found herself engulfed in a huge hug.

“I know what happened,” Ursula said, “I know you went for help and how you stumbled and struggled through the trees, a squirrel has just told me all. Sita, you went through the thickest woodlands!”

“I was lost,” Sita mewed, “I blundered out onto a track and could smell Blackberry’s stew on the hob, so I headed towards the stew.”

“Blackberry needs to sort his communicators,” Patch grumbled, “Sita could have been killed!” the bear raged.

“Sita, please, meet my two cubs,” Ursula said, “oh, and Patch is their sire too.”

“You? Patch?” Sita asked.

“”yeah, me,” Patch giggled.

“No wonder Ursula screamed while straining to give birth,” Shadow mumbled.

“I would like you to get paws on with me from my nose to my feet Sita,” Ursula said.

“I will,” Sita mewed.

“And we’d love it too!” two tiny voices yelled.

“I left you two in the den!” Ursula roared, spinning round to see two very fluffy newborn cubs literally fall off their small paws and roll about on the floor laughing and kicking their feet in the air at her startled expression.

“We were bored!” the two cubs yelled in unison, leaping to their feet and racing towards Sita, whom they climbed, using her forelegs like tree trunks, then sat on her back.

“If you’d given me time to sit, I could have hugged you both,” Sita mewed, crouching so her back sloped, the two cubs sliding down her back, Sita angling her back so the cubs could use her tail as a rope.

“A huuug, let’s have a huuug!” both cubs yelled, sliding down Sita’s tail to the ground as if it were a fast rope from a helicopter.

“Definitely my cubs!” Patch yelled, delightedly clapping his paws.

“They’re so advanced!” Ursula exclaimed, sitting down, “I had to really push to deliver them, it hurt and took a lot of push, but I did it. No wonder I had to push so hard, they’re enormous!”

“What are their names?” Sita asked.

“We haven’t got names yet,” the cubs replied, scrambling into Sita’s lap, “but we’re sure you’ll be able to tell us apart by our paws, mum says that’s how things work here.” Sita hugged each cub in turn, the cubs pawing at her then kissing her paws.

“Who are the two humans who helped mum?” one cub asked.

“their names are Moses and little Ekaterina,” Patch replied.

“We knew them, because they came to our den while mum was out, and they hugged us, and we remembered the touch on our feet,” the cubs carolled.

“how could they have touched the feet of my cubs?” Ursula asked, “I didn’t let them touch their feet.

“When someone touches your feet while you’re in the last stages of pregnancy, oh, about a week to go, or the cubs are being born, they also get to feel the touch,” Patch explained.

“oaoaoaoah,” Ursula replied.

“We know Sita’s paws!” her cubs suddenly yelled.

“I touched your feet and paws briefly before I went for help Ursula,” Sita mewed.

“You did,” the she polar bear replied softly, “and it was while I was in a lot of pain too, your touch really helped,” she continued.

“We want Sita to get paws on with our paws and feet now!” the older of her cubs said, throwing himself down on his back in Sita’s lap, pawing and kicking the air with his small paws and feet.

“How long did each cub take to be born?” Sita asked.

“From paws to feet?” Patch asked.

“yes,” Sita replied.

“Oh, about fifteen minutes,” Patch replied, “Ursula had to push quite a long time.”

“You got it all on video too,” Ursula replied, “I could see my cub’s birth on a live picture in front of me both when I was sitting and on paws and knees, it was amazing!”

“We like to give mama a good view,” Patch replied.

“You did,” Ursula replied, “I saw my cub emerging, and my toes curling, and everything else! The children rubbing my feet while I was labouring stopped rubbing for a bit, and I saw my entire soles, I can really curl my toes when I want to!” the she bear enthused.

“You can,” little Ekaterina said, padding into the room on naked feet, “I will probably re-enact the births of your cubs too.”

“What? Play at giving birth to my cubs?” Ursula asked.

“yes, it’s something cubs do here, human cubs and bear cubs, and sometimes big cat cubs all pretend to give birth to cubs,” Moses said, walking up beside little Ekaterina, “even the adults do it, don’t they mama Sita.”

“Yes,” mama Sita mewed, “and Ursula, with your permission, I’d love to re-enact the births of your two cubs when I’ve been shown how it went.”

“I’d love to see and hear that,” Ursula replied.

“Was there anything you did in the woods we should know about?” Moses asked.

“I sat on the ground for a long time, wriggling and rocking on my bum,” Ursula replied, “I held onto my feet with my paws a good bit too, you know, grabbing them in my paws and squeezing hard whenever I felt pain. I also tried drawing up my legs and grabbing my feet like you saw me do on the hammock. I grabbed my feet then too. Anything else?”

“Did you sit back on your heels in the woods?” little Ekaterina asked.

“I can’t remember doing so, I think, ah yes, I was on paws and knees, as I remember opening my eyes to see a squirrel sitting by my left paw and staring at me after I’d moaned through a contraction. I must have scared the poor thing stiff. So yes, I was on my knees and paws, and probably did sit back on my heels before I came to the house. Even if I didn’t, you can imagine I did. Just imagine yourself in a clearing in the woods, alone and struggling to cope with the onset of the labour which will birth your cubs, then see where it takes you,” the she bear concluded.

“You did wonderfully Ursula,” little Ekaterina said, hugging the she bear without fear, Ursula pulling the young girl onto her lap and embracing her in a huge bear hug.

“this is lovely!” little Ekaterina exclaimed, snuggling up to Ursula, the she bear humming with pleasure as little Ekaterina gave her a huge hug in return.

“do I get a hug too?” Moses asked.

“In a minute,” Ursula said, pulling little Ekaterina close with one paw then rubbing the girl’s left foot with the other, little Ekaterina’s toes curling with the pleasure of the she bear’s firm but gentle touch.

“now you get a hug Moses,” Ursula said as little Ekaterina made way for him, the she bear hugging Moses then rubbing the sole of his foot the same way she had little Ekaterina’s, leaving both children ecstatically happy.

“You’re both as cuddly as my two cubs,” Ursula said.

“Thank you for letting us be hands on at the birth of your cubs,” Moses said.

“It was a pleasure,” Ursula replied smiling.

“What will we name your cubs Patch?” Ursula asked.

“How if we name the female cub Allie, the male cub Bjorn. We had two bears of those names here once, they are both now long dead. The names are noble ones, and worthy of such lovely cubs.” Ursula laughed delightedly at this, waving her paws to her cubs, who ran to her and jumped into her lap, the she bear hugging them.

“their eyes are open!” Ursula exclaimed.

“I know,” Patch replied, “the cubs are well developed here.”

“If I didn’t jump, I’d not be able to get into your lap muuum!” Bjorn yelled.

“I’d climb up the pads on mum’s foot, then along her leg and up her belly and then sit on her head,” Allie said, “why don’t we climb on her feet and her back and use our sire as a climbing frame too?” she suggested.

“We’d love that,” Patch said. Shadow padded away with mama Sita, who’s pads had now completely healed, both standing on two feet to walk.

“I’ll get Shandy to give birth to her two cubs too,” Shadow said, “mama Sita, you can get paws on with me and Shandy.”

“Shandy’s cool when she’s not being a proper drama queen!” Sita miaowed, shadow giggling delightedly and putting her arm round Sita’s shoulder to guide her.

“you’re going to get a treat when I give birth to my two cubs,” Shadow said.

“The birth is nice, but I like the labour beforehand, all the moaning and curling toes and pedalling the air,” Sita mewed.

“I didn’t do that in the hammock, but I did in the clearing!” Ursula yelled.

“okay, that’s added,” Shadow replied.

“There wasn’t time for me to pedal the air with my feet before the cubs came!” Ursula protested.

“It’s not mandatory you know,” Patch said.

“I know,” Ursula replied, “but the time when I did it in the clearing, only for a bit as my body made noise on the leaves, was so good! it felt as if I was moving the cubs down by pedalling with my legs. Not kicking the air, that did little, but a good pedal with my legs and feet, back and forth motion with my legs, making cycling motions in the air with my feet helped with the pains.”

“You’re huuuge muuum!” Bjorn yelled, patting his mum’s belly with his paws while he drank milk, while Ursula hugged him and Allie to her with her huge paws.

“your mum is lovely and you all have a safe home here,” Patch said.

“I gave birth to huge cubs because of a huge sire,” Ursula mused, “I enjoyed my labour though, it was lovely once I was found and you and the cubs got hold of my feet and paws. I knew I could push properly then, and push I did.”

“Making noise while in labour helps,” Moses said.

“It really does doesn’t it,” Ursula replied.

“I know that very well too,” Titan mewed, padding into the large bathroom. Ursula gazed at the huge liger.

“Patch told me about you,” she said, “you’re as magnificent as he told me you were.” Titan padded close to Ursula, kissed her nose, then gazed down at her cubs.

“Well done mama,” Titan mewed, “May I greet your cubs?” Ursula looked at Patch, who nodded and smiled:

“Titan’s a big softy,,” Patch said. Ursula looked down to find her cubs looking up into the huge liger’s face, then stretching their paws out to him. Titan lay down then kissed their paws and noses, both Bjorn and Allie smiling broadly.

“Can I hug you?” Titan asked.

“your paws look so snuggly!” Allie replied, staring at Titan’s massive paws.

“I’m up for a cuddle,” Bjorn said, crawling along Ursula’s left leg as if it were the branch of a tree, then grabbing the toes of her left foot and swinging himself round so his feet touched the naked sole of her left foot, then sliding down her foot, using his tiny toes, palms of his paws and tiny fingers as brakes, Ursula laughing delightedly and curling her toes to give his paws and feet extra grip as her cub slid down the sole of her foot, landing safely in Titan’s paws which the liger had cupped at her heel to catch him.

“you’re very resourceful,” Titan mewed as Bjorn hugged his huge left paw in his tiny ones. Bjorn lay down on his back between Titan’s paws, showing Titan the soles of his tiny paws and feet, shrieking with laughter as the liger tickled his upturned pads with his whiskers.

“Did you ever have small paws big cat?” Allie asked.

“My birth mother would say no, as I hurt her on my way into the world,” Titan mewed.

“I bet his paws were cute even then, they are now,” Bjorn said, grabbing the toes of Titan’s left paw in both his paws.

“You can’t say that!” Ursula squealed, looking at Titan for signs of disapproval, but the liger’s eyes were soft, and, as she watched, the huge cat kissed her son’s nose with his tongue.

“I want to hug you Titan!” she heard herself blurting.

“I haven’t finished hugging him yet!” Bjorn yelled, everyone laughing merrily.

“There’s enough of me to hug,” Titan mewed, “If I free up my feet, your mum and sister could cuddle one of them each Bjorn, and I could still have free paws.” How big are your feet?” Bjorn asked. Titan stretched out:

“Can you find them?” he asked, “they’re like my paws, but further back. Oh, if you reach my tail you’ve gone too far,” the liger mewed. Bjorn scrambled over Titan’s body, sliding down his flank to his legs, the liger smiling at the cub’s cry of delight as he found his left foot, Titan rewarding the cub’s eager grip on the toes of his left foot by curling them.

“I found a foot, I found your foot!” the cub yelled, jumping about while holding onto Titan’s foot with his paws, lifting his feet off the floor during tuck jumps of joy, Titan smiling at the sight of the soles of Bjorn’s small feet.

“I can see small feet too,” Titan mewed, curling round and blowing on Bjorn’s pads whenever he exposed them to view during his leaps, the bear cub shrieking with delighted laughter as the liger’s breath tickled his pads.

“So this is play in the community?” Ursula asked.

“yes, this sort of play, and the stuck foot games too, oh, and giving birth to imaginary cubs,” Patch replied, “oh, rubbing of feet and paws by others, that’s popular also.”

“Curled toes kitty, curled toes Kitty!” Bjorn carolled, tickling the pads of Titan’s left foot with his free right paw, while Titan held his left in the grip of the huge toes of his left foot.

“Don’t call Titan that Bjorn! And don’t tickle his pads either!” Ursula warned.

“Your cub’s fine,” Titan mewed, gently planting his huge left paw on Bjorn’s head.

“You’re enormous!” Ursula exclaimed.

“You’re not so small yourself mama polar bruin,” Titan mewed, gazing at her from where he lay, then, stretching out, he kissed the toes of her left foot, Ursula crying out as her toes curled involuntarily at Titan’s kiss.

“if you kneel between my paws Ursula, I could rub your foot with one of my paws and hug you with the other,” Titan purred, “oh, and your cubs could cuddle one of my feet each too. Would you like that?” Ursula looked into Titan’s eyes, the huge liger’s expression tugging at her heart.

“I’d love to,” she said, settling Allie on the floor, the cub crawling to her brother, who helped her take hold of Titan’s right foot in her paws, while their mum got a hug from the liger’s huge paws. Ursula kneeling before Titan, but between his paws, her knees almost touching his chest.

“Put your arms round Titan’s neck Ursula, don’t be afraid,” Patch said. Ursula did so, and Titan embraced her as he said he would, his right paw touching her back, pulling her close, his left reaching round to the sole of her right foot, rubbing it from heel to ball and back again, Ursula’s toes curling with emotion and pleasure.

“Tiggy’s curling his toes, Tiggy’s curling his toooes muuum!” Bjorn and Allie yelled delightedly.

“I’m curling mine too,” Ursula replied.

“We’re all enjoying a mass cuddle,” Titan mewed, pushing his feet into the small grip of the paws of two polar bear cubs, while using both his huge paws to hug their mother and rub the sole of her right foot.

“this is lovely,” Titan mewed, kissing Ursula’s ear, the huge polar bear pulling him into an even bigger bear hug.

“Okay, massive hug time, go!” Titan mewed, Ursula and he tightening their embraces.

“ooaaoah, I cayayayayn’t compete with your huuug Tiyiyytan!” Ursula exclaimed, leaning into the liger’s embrace, pushing with her toes to try and push herself even harder into his hug.

“It’s not a competition,” Titan mewed, rubbing the sole of Ursula’s right foot with his left paw, the she bear tightly curling her toes with pleasure, “I love you just as you are,” he purred into her ear, Ursula feeling a rush of emotion which ended in tears.

“you’re safe now,” Titan purred, the vibration of his purring vibrating Ursula from paws to feet, Ursula and her two cubs hugging or snuggling up to him as warmth flooded their bodies, the vibration of the liger’s deep purr soothing them from their paws to their feet.

“I could sleep here mum,” Allie mumbled, resting her head on Titan’s right leg, his foot cradled in her paws.

“We mustn’t!” Ursula replied, “it would be disrespectful to, but, “she yawned, “I could sleep too.”

“Sleep then, lean on me and doze for a while,” Titan purred. The mama bear and cubs did just as Titan suggested, his rubbing of mama Ursula’s pads and his hug making it impossible for her not to snooze, while the toes of the liger’s huge feet embraced the small paws of two tiny bear cubs. soon three bears were snuggled with Titan, who had also fallen asleep, Patch, Zalika, Moses and little Ekaterina watching them in amazement.

“Titan’s a huge snugglypuss,” Zalika whispered to Patch.

“I know how those bears feel,” Moses said, “Patch can also do that if he wants too. Hug him and you’re soon snoozing.” Little Ekaterina smiled at this news.

“I like him rubbing my feet,” she said, “oh and he plays a really good stuck foot game too!”

“Sorry Titan,” Ursula mumbled as she woke, the liger shaking himself awake.

“I loved the hugs but I’m stiff as a board now!” Titan whimpered, wiggling his toes free of the grip of Bjorn and Allie’s paws, then getting to his feet, Ursula following his example, her two cubs waking and getting to their feet.

“I love Titan’s pads mum,” Allie said.

“I do too, they’re so cuddly and soft,” Ursula replied. Allie and Bjorn climbed on their mum’s back, and all three left the bathroom.

“Where do we sleep?” Ursula asked, turning and returning to Patch, “we are using a birthing den, but it’s very unwelcoming, very wipe clean with a washable rug on the floor.”

“All our rugs are, but yes I know what you mean,” Patch said. “there are two types of lie up to choose from, one in the house, the other are log cabin type. They are in the woods.”

“I don’t mind which one I have,” Ursula said, “what I want though is for it to be warm and safe and to have many community members around me.”

“Safety is assured with all the lie ups, they have communications, and paw operated door locks,” Patch said, “the house has more lie ups, we’ve just built another extension due to growth in community numbers.”

“I’d like a house lie up please,” Ursula said softly.

“Will you be moving out of your lie up now you have a mate Patch?” Moses asked.

“if Ursula will have me,” Patch replied, “she is a wild mama bear, and her instincts may exclude me in rearing her cubs. though if she wants me paws on I’ll be as paws on as I’m allowed.”

“Patch, of course I want you. come to the lie up. Well you’ll have to, as we don’t know where to go,” Ursula replied, “I notice too that you’ve not asked to be paws on with your cubs yet.”

“No, I have no right to that,” Patch replied. suddenly Ursula was in front of Patch, touching his nose with hers.

“come home,” she said, “Bjorn and Allie are as much yours as mine, come and cuddle them.” Patch got out of the tub and escorted Ursula to the lie up. Opening the door, he locked the door open and showed Ursula round the lie up, the water fountain, call bells, wash room and toilet facilities and sleeping place. Allie and Bjorn tumbled off Ursula’s back and got their paws and feet on to the rugs, enjoying the feel of the new softness, Ursula bouncing on her toes as she felt the warm soft flooring caress them, Patch watching her curl her toes into the soft carpeted rugs.

“this is your lie up isn’t it,” Ursula asked, staring at the bed which was raised off the floor.

“Yes, here is mine,” Patch replied, “I was going to give you it and move into the family lie up if you didn’t want me here.” Ursula padded up to Patch then kissed his nose, then covered his paw with hers.

“I want you here with me, and in bed with me and our cubs,” she said, “promise me Patch?”

“I promise I will,” Patch replied. Ursula climbed onto the bed, her two cubs joining her on the warm bed, Patch climbing up beside her, Ursula rolling onto her side.

“this is lovely!” Ursula said, resting her head on a pillow, her cubs snuggling up to her and drinking busily. Patch took Ursula’s left paw in both of his, Ursula interlocking her legs with his as she lay with their cubs between their bodies.

“when I need to wash, will you wash me Patch?” Ursula asked.

“yes, but you smell wonderful at the moment,” Patch replied, “wild, earthy scent, it’s lovely.”

“I’m fresh from giving birth to my cubs,” Ursula said, “I thought everyone washed constantly here.”

“yes, but you are okay as you are,” Patch replied, “I will ceremonially wash you and your cubs tomorrow.”

“would you wild wash us now?” Allie asked, burying her paws in his long fur.

“yes, okay,” Patch said, taking Allie in his paws and grooming her from her nose to her paw and foot pads, the cub giggling helplessly throughout.

“Groom meyeee next Patch!” Bjorn demanded, grabbing Patch’s left foot in his paws and wiggling the bear’s toes.

“I will,” Patch said, curling his toes, trapping the male cub’s paws in their grip, Bjorn laughing helplessly.

“muuum, look at meyeee! Paayayayaytch’s toooes have trayayayayped my paws!” Bjorn yelled, shaking Patch’s foot as he struggled to free his paws from the grip of Patch’s toes. Bracing both his own small feet against the thick heel pad of Patch’s left foot, Bjorn arched his back, pushing with both feet while tugging hard to free both paws from the grip of Patch’s toes.

“Puuuull, Bjorn, push and Puuuull hayayayrd with your feeyeeet and your paws agayayayayinst Paayayayaytch’s toooes!” the cub yelled, “I muuuuust puuuuuull and puuuuuush with my paws and feeyeeet!” the cub screeched, Patch and Ursula laughing merrily at Bjorn’s antics, Patch uncurling his toes, releasing the cub’s paws.

“naoaoaoaoao! Payayayaych,,” Bjorn yelled, scrabbling at the sole of Patch’s left foot with all four of his small paws and feet, “grab my paws with your toooes agayayayayin Payayayaych! I didn’t reaeaeaeally wayayayayant Youououoaw to let goaoaoaoaoao!” the cub yelled, scrabbling at the sole of Patch’s foot with his small paws then grabbing at his toes. Patch laughed merrily and curled his toes round Bjorn’s fingers when he felt them touch the gap between his sole pad and toe pads.

“now I can push with my feeyeeet and Puuuull with my paws!” Bjorn yelled. Patch rolled onto his back to make it easier for Bjorn, the cub giggling delightedly.

“curl your toes tightly Patch!” he urged, kissing the ball of his foot, Patch sitting up, reaching forward then rubbing the male cub’s back with his paw, Ursula watching their antics with shining eyes.

“What’s Bjorn doing?” Allie asked, “muuum, what’s he doing!” she demanded. Ursula described what her youngest cub could not see from where she lay.

“I want that too, hold my paws with your toes!” Allie demanded. Allie scrambled to Ursula’s feet, climbing over her toes and dropping down by sliding her paws and feet down the sole of her foot as Bjorn had earlier that day. Allie looked over at her brother, then arranged her feet and paws like his were.

“Now mum, curl your toes tightly and let me pull!” Allie yelled, patting the sole pad of her mum’s left foot, Ursula giggling delightedly and curling her toes, feeling her cub working her paws deeply into their grip.

“now push with your feet and pull with your paws Allie!” Bjorn yelled. Allie tugged at each paw in turn, then with a squeal of rage, pushed with both feet, tugging at both paws at the same time.

“uuuuumf! Yeyeyeyeyeyeyeoaw! My paaaaws are stuuuuuck!” Allie whimpered, bracing her feet against the heel of her mum’s left foot while tugging at her paws which were firmly held in the grip of Ursula’s toes.

“awww, “my paaaaws are stuuuuuck!” Bjorn mimicked, Ursula and Patch laughing helplessly.

“Bjorn, that’s Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!” Ursula said, sitting up then rubbing Allie’s back, just as Patch had Bjorn’s.

“He’s mimicking meyeee muuum!” Allie whined, Ursula putting an end to her protestations by kissing the top of her head.

“Watch your brother,” she said, “he might be playing a stuck foot game with Patch in a bit.”

“How did you know I was thinking that mum?” Bjorn asked.

“I thought you’d not want Patch’s foot to let go of yours that easily,” Ursula replied.

“it’s true, I don’t!” Bjorn replied, “and if I push my feet against his foot as hard as I can, they will become stuck and it’ll be like the game you and he played in the woods just before you gave birth to us.” Patch laughed at Ursula’s squeal of surprise.

“We played that yes!” she squealed, “but, you were unborn!” she protested shrilly.

“your feet got very well stuck to Patch’s,” Bjorn replied, “I think that was why Patch went down the track too, he found you because you wanted him to.”

“oaoaoaoaoh!” Ursula squealed.

“Why then didn’t Sita’s wish to be found in the wood when she was lost communicate to me?” Patch asked.

“Sita?” Zalika asked, padding into the room. The weason why she didn’t ask for ‘elp was because she’s a stubborn old boot when all’s said and done. Yes she was lost, but she is stubborn, and can’t ask for ‘elp, she won’t even dwop ‘ur pwide and ask to get paws on, which is ‘ur wight as a blind community member. Sita’s so silly!” the liliger cub yelled, stamping her paws.

“the cubs know, they know!” Ursula exclaimed.

“and so do you my dear,” Patch replied.

“I used to know, in my cubhood, but, well, it’s got less and less since I have got older,” Ursula replied.

“You suppress it, that’s all,” Patch said, “dear Ursula, if you let your mind go free as a cub’s, you’d feel what your cubs feel. You did that day when we played the stuck foot game, that was why we couldn’t free our feet for hours.”

“My feet were truly stuck that day,” Ursula said, “and, Patch, when you left me, I kept rubbing my pads for ages afterwards, they hurt!”

“Mine did too,” Patch admitted.

“did you rub the soles of your feet with your paws?” Ursula asked.

“I did, I rubbed them like a cub would after energetic play,” Patch said.

“good!” Ursula giggled, “though I would have loved to see that,” she added soberly.

“Grab your free foot with your paws and rub the pads Patch, oh, and curl your toes too, because, according to mum, “you look so cuuuute!”“ Bjorn giggled.

“I said that too!” Ursula exclaimed, “when we sat in the woods after the game and we rubbed our own and each other’s feet Patch!” she gushed.

“I know,” Patch replied smiling.

“Patch looks cute when he rubs his foot muuum!” Bjorn laughed, waving one paw, which had been freed when Patch uncurled the toes of his left foot. Patch now held the sole of his left foot in his huge paws, curling his toes as he rubbed the sole pad from ball to heel with his fingers.

“muuum looks cuuuute too Bjorn! Look at her!” Allie giggled, waving a paw at Ursula’s right foot, which she, like Patch, had grabbed in her paws and set about rubbing her sole pad while tightly curling her toes.

“Look at mum and Patch! Both of them are big cuuuuubs!” Allie yelled, hugging the toes of her mum’s left foot in her small paws.

“You both were meant to be stuck by the paws,” Ursula said, her eyes shining.

“We will get our paws stuck again in a minute, but we want to hug your toes, which you must have uncurled to free our paws so we could use our paws to hug your toes,” Bjorn replied. Unable to fault this logic, Patch and Ursula hugged their cubs while Bjorn and Allie used their small paws to hug their mama and sire’s toes.

“I never knew having cubs would be like this!” Ursula said.

“It is when they are in a stable loving home,” Patch replied.

“We’re being watched by three big cat cubs,” Ursula said suddenly.

“Oh, they’re Zalika, Jespah and Sasha,” Patch replied, “they’re family Ursula.”

“has anyone seen Theo?” Bianca asked, bursting into the room, her large paws and feet pounding on the floor, making her entrance very noisy.

“I thought lions were meant to be silent on their paws?” Ursula asked.

“Oh sod that!” Bianca snapped, “has anyone seen Theo!” she demanded, “he went out a few hours ago on patrol, and, and, hasn’t come back!” she wailed.

“Did he go out alone, or as an organised Patrol?” Patch asked. No sooner were the words out of his mouth when Androcles burst into the room, his huge paws and feet making even more noise than Bianca’s.

“Patch, Theo’s, he’s, oh for Eohippus sake!” the lion babbled, tears rolling down his leonine face and dripping off his nose, “Theo,” Androcles started to Say, sniffing hard, gulping and collapsing to the floor, “Theo what?” Bianca asked, shaking the sobbing lion.

“I think, think he’s, he’s dead!” Androcles wept, “our patrol found him, me and Tommy. Theo, someone shot him, shot him with a long dart thing!”

“Jim?” Patch asked aloud, thinking of Jenny’s brother’s reign of terror in the woodlands.

“Noone else is to go into the woods,” Patch commanded, hitting his communicator and broadcasting to the whole community:

“This is Patch, attention, this is an emergency, noone is to go into the woodlands, and anyone who is there now should return to the house. Control, send out a patrol, tell Charles Fullbeans and then lock the doors in five minutes. Let me know when everyone’s indoors.”

“Theeoeoeoeo!” Bianca yowled, throwing herself on the floor, crying into her paws.

“Androcles, get out of my way!” Tommy snapped, climbing over the near inert lion.

“The badgers brought back Theo’s body,” Tommy mewed.

“Androcles, for eohippus sake, get up and occupy yourself, take Bianca with you, get her some tea and just be with her,” Patch ordered.

“Tommy, what happened?” Patch asked sternly when Androcles had helped Bianca to her feet and both had padded away, Jespah and Sasha padding after their mum..

“We found Theo on the track,” tommy mewed. He had an arrow in his side, and,,,,” the tiger looked very unhappy, “someone had shot him with a gun too,” he whispered, “I think, think,” he swallowed, his paws shaking.

“sit down,” Patch said softly, while his two cubs and Ursula watched and listened, their mouths open in shock.

“I saw the humans running,” Tommy mewed, limping over to Patch’s side of the bed.

“You’re limping,” Patch said.

“I was shot too,” tommy replied, “Androcles, he, he, he’s worse, shot in his shoulder too. I’m just shot in my paw. The humans, they emptied their gun at us when we charged them.”

“so they’re now roaming the woodlands without surveillance?” Patch asked. Tommy was about to reply when Indigo and a huge bear whom Patch didn’t at first recognise padded into the room.

“We have found two humans trying to get away in their wheeled thing,” Nerromiktok said, “Patch, we stopped them, we broke their engine with a banana and sat on them until the police got to us.”

“Well thank you,” Patch said, watching Ursula stuff her paw into her mouth in a sudden struggle not to laugh.

“Broke their car with a banana?” she asked, coughing into her paws to stop herself laughing, “how did that stop the car?”

“I don’t know, but when they, the humans tried to drive away, there was a huge bang and the banana flew out of the pipe in the back of the car, and they stopped dead,” Nerromiktok said. Ursula, overcome now, spluttered into her paws.

“We got them, and pulled them out of the car, and sat on them brother Patch,” Indigo said.

“Ursula, contain yourself!” Tommy snapped.

“sorry,” Ursula gasped.

“Where are the humans now? And where is their car?” Patch asked.

“the police had them and it away,” Indigo replied, “we ran for our lives when the police turned up. I know we called them, but that’s an agreement with Mr Fullbeans, not with us bears. We fled.”

“So they shot Theo, couldn’t collect the body because Tommy and Androcles came round the corner. When chased, the humans emptied the gun at the lion and tiger, then fled for their car, where Indigo and Nerromiktok, having seen what happened, booby trapped the car so they couldn’t get away, raided the car, sat on the humans and detained them till the police came,” Patch summed up.

“Yes,” Blackberry replied, walking into the room, “one thing I did get right was a GPS tracker and heart monitor for all patrollers. When it feels the heart stop, it sends an alert to the control room of place of death, and also tells the police. I know what happened, I’m very sorry for Theo”

“Where did the badgers leave his body?” tommy asked.

“In the medical room, the badgers are guarding it,” Blackberry replied.

“I bet poor Bianca wants to see her mate’s body before, well, before we bury him,” Patch said.

Down in Patch’s work room, Bianca stood paw to paw with Blackberry brock, a massive badger who barred her way to the medical room.

“Theo’s body is not fit to be viewed,” the badger said softly.

“I must see him, before, before Patch confirms his cause of death,” Bianca mewed, pushing past the badger, Brock staring after her, Bianca opening the door and entering the medical room. What she saw in there made her stop dead, then turn and bolt out the door.

“I told you didn’t I!” Brock yelled, as the lioness ran past him, screaming her head off.

“ooaaoah,” Brock exclaimed, as he looked in at the scene. Theo stood on the tiles, head down, blood running down his right leg and shoulder.

“Payayayaych!” Brock yelled, hitting the emergency button.

Patch left his lie up at speed and ran downstairs, bursting into the medical room from another door. Seeing the state of Theo, he swore and jabbed anaesthetic and saline into Theo’s left hip that wasn’t peppered with shot, the lion looking blearily through the mask of blood and foam on his face.

“Patch,” Theo gasped, “it hurts!” he whimpered. Patch looked Theo over as the lion collapsed onto his left side, seeing the shaft of the arrow sticking out of the lion’s right hip, the arrowhead buried in the muscle. Theo slipped into unconsciousness, Patch rigging him up to monitors, then taking a look at the damage done. Looking Theo over from nose to tail, something troubled Patch. How could Blackberry’s equipment certify Theo as dead?

“Maybe the shock stopped Theo’s heart temporarily then it restarted,” Patch thought. Patch dug the arrow out of Theo’s haunch, noticing the head had grazed the bone, but hadn’t smashed it.

“You’re so fat it helped save your life Theo,” the bear thought as he searched for pellets on Theo’s body, both left and right sides, back and belly by touch and metal detector. Two hours after digging the arrow from Theo’s haunch, Patch stepped back from his work which had involved digging shot out of muscle and stitching wounds.

“I hope he’ll live,” Patch said to Brock, who’d been watching throughout, “if he does, he’s gonna be sore. I’ve given him a shot of anti-biotic, and as much saline and other fluids as he’ll take. Basically the body will get rid of any fluids Theo doesn’t need. I will catheterise him too so he doesn’t need to get up to urinate.” Patch rigged Theo up with tubes and wheeled him into the sick bay.

“Patch, please, tell me about Theo?” Bianca asked when she saw the bear leaving his work room.

“Bianca, my dear lioness,” Patch said, kneeling and putting his arms around her neck to hug her, Bianca snuggling close, “Theo lived by the nearest margin, he is at risk of lead poisoning, but I have done my best to save him. The arrow didn’t shatter the bone in his leg, thanks to him being so fat.”

“I know, he’s a bit rotund isn’t he,” Bianca giggled.

“I hope he will live,” Patch said, “go in with him Bianca, you’ll see tubes and things, but he will be able to hear you if you talk to him. Take his paw and talk to him.” Bianca kissed Patch’s nose.

“thank you,” she said.

“Can me and Sasha see him too?” Jespah asked.

“No!” Bianca snapped, then more gently, she continued, “Jespah, it’ll be too much for you, he won’t be a nice sight.”

“but maybe ‘e will do better to ‘ave ‘is cubs around ‘im Bianca,” Zalika said, “you knows, company of ‘is cubs and mate might ‘elp ‘im live better.” Bianca looked at Patch, who nodded.

“Be careful of his tubes though,” he said, “and you two, Jespah, Sasha, no climbing all over Theo either!” Bianca took her two cubs into the ward and all gathered round Theo’s bed, which was low to the ground. Staring at him, Bianca saw two tubes, one in, one out, then a massive dressing on his right hip, with a huge dressing covering his right shoulder.

“Theo?” Bianca asked, padding up to the bed and nudging the inert form. Theo’s eyes opened and he looked blearily round at his surroundings, then at Bianca.

“Am I really here?” he asked horsely.

“You are, and so are we,” Jespah said, Theo craning his neck to see who’d spoken.

“We’re here!” Sasha yelled, leaping onto Theo’s bed, then grabbing one of his paws, Jespah misjudging his leap, landing on top of Theo himself, the lion wincing with pain.

“You stupid!” Bianca snapped.

“sorry Theo!” Jespah mewed.

“At least your paws were velvet,” Theo mewed, “and if I am going to leave this world, my last sight and feeling could be worse than one of my cubs taking my paw while the other landed smack on top of me.” Jespah slid down Theo’s chest and onto the bed, landing behind Sasha.

“please move back to my left foot a minute Sasha,” Theo mewed, “I have to hug Jespah.”

“I want to slap him!” Bianca growled.

“come here Jespah,” Theo said softly. Jespah crawled to his sire and Theo hugged him as tightly as he could, for the muscles in his right shoulder were very painful.

“You confirmed to me I’m alive,” Theo whispered to Jespah, the male lion cub crying into his sire’s mane.

“Mum said you’d got blood all over your shoulder and hip!” Jespah sobbed.

“yes, there was a slight grazing from one of the pellets, but I escaped a direct hit in my head,” Theo mewed, “now Jespah and you Sasha, hold one of my paws and feet in your paws and squeeze it as hard as you can.” Jespah and Sasha did as Theo asked, the lion closing his eyes and smiling.

“have as much strength as you need,” Jespah mewed, kissing his sire’s ear. Theo settled down with Jespah embraced in his paws, Sasha cuddled next to him, Bianca sitting down to keep vigil by her king’s bedside.

“I’ll hold one of his feet in my paws, just in case it is the last time,” Bianca thought, padding up to Theo’s bedside and taking his left foot in her paws, feeling his pulse strong and the pads warm in her grip, Theo curling his toes to press them into her pads, Bianca gently kissing the pads of the foot she held.

“Bianca, play with Sasha and Jespah,” Theo mumbled, “Bianca, will you do that. I liked watching that, just before I went outside. When I wake, I’d like to see more, to laugh at the play of the cubs.”

“I will,” Bianca mewed, pressing the toes of her paw into the grip of those of Theo’s left foot, feeling his toes squeeze hers.

“We were enjoying watching two polar bear cubs playing with their mama and Sire Theo,” Jespah said.

“the cubs were playing the stuck foot game with mama and sire,” Sasha mewed, crawling to the toes of Theo’s right foot and squeezing them in her paws, Theo wiggling his toes in her small grip.

“Tell mama and sire, and their cubs that they should play too, I know whom you speak of, for I could smell them on the paws of the one who worked to save my life. Tell him Bianca!” Theo urged, tell him and his cubs to play without thinking of me, to play until their feet are completely stuck and they are yowling and tugging as loudly and hard as they can to free their feet.”

“We used to play the stuck foot game,” Bianca said.

“yes, then I became all wooden pawed when I became a sire, and we stopped,” Theo mewed, “Bianca, if I get away with this, I promise I will play properly with you and my cubs.”

“Your paws have already got softer,” Jespah mewed, kissing the pads of Theo’s left paw.

“We’ll go now, let you sleep Theo,” Bianca mewed.

“I know sleep is what I need, but this is too nice to sleep through,” Theo purred.

“You will sleep!” Bianca mewed, “come on Jespah, Sasha, we’re going!”

“We can’t stay,” Jespah mewed, squeezing Theo’s paw, letting him know how he really felt before easing himself slowly from the lion’s embrace, making extricating himself a great struggle, Bianca impatiently tapping her paw on the floor.

“come on!” she hissed angrily, snatching Jespah off the bed by the scruff of his neck, dumping him on the floor and turning away, walking quickly from the room with Sasha following. Bianca was so intent on making her dramatic exit that she failed to notice Jespah had stayed behind until it was too late.

Once the door shut, Jespah leapt onto the bed and snuggled up to Theo once more.

“I’m still here,” he said, kissing his sire’s paw pads, Theo smiling broadly.

“I think I can still curl round and do this,” Theo mewed, kissing his son’s head, Jespah smiling broadly.

“I’m glad I was running by the time they tried to shoot me with the gun,” Theo mewed, “when the arrow hit me, I fell over, but then got up and ran, If I hadn’t, I would have been killed by the gunshot.”

“I don’t want to know what happened!” Jespah whimpered.

“I’m sorry,” Theo mewed, “I sometimes forget you’re a cub Jespah.”

“just don’t die!” Jespah wailed, clinging desperately to Theo’s paw.

“I won’t,” Theo mewed, “I survived the operation and one sleep, and now I’ve got a cub snuggled with me who defied his mama to be with his sire. Time to look towards the living, but it hurts to move in certain ways, and my leg is going to be weak from that muscle wound.”

“you’re tied to this bed by horrid plastic ropes!” Jespah mewed.

“They’re saving me for now,” Theo purred, “look, Jespah, would you get me something to eat? Maybe some of Blackberry’s soup?” Jespah leapt off Theo’s bed.

“I’m off to get some!” he yelled, when he caught sight of the call bells beside Theo’s left paw, “What’s this?” he asked, looking down at the array of buttons and levers, “call Patch, call food, call family?” he read.

“yes, it’s an intercom,” Theo mewed, “get back into bed Jespah, I’ll call.” Jespah snuggled down with Theo, and Theo pushed the lever for call food. A light shone from the machine, and a beep was heard.

“I wonder what happens now?” Jespah asked.

“we’ll find out, though I’ve probably broken some rule or other, I always seem to,” Theo mewed.

“someone pressed the intercom in here,” Blackberry said, walking into the room, “Jespah!” he snapped, “you shouldn’t be in here! Get out! he roared.

“Blackberry, it was me who pressed the intercom. Jespah thought some of your soup might do me good, and I agree.”

“We’ll have to talk to Patch about that!” Blackberry snapped.

“Well talk to him then,” Patch said, padding up behind Blackberry, Jespah laughing at the black bear’s scream of surprise.

“I’ve been watching everything, as have my cubs and mate,” Patch said, “Naturally Ursula hasn’t been able to play with her cubs, nor the cubs play together after what they heard. I’ve also been digging shot gun pellets out of Androcles and Tommy’s paws and shoulders, though they got far less of a peppering than you did Theo, Blackberry, please, find soup for one cub and one lion, and shut your mouth too, you look very silly.” Blackberry shut his mouth and padded out of the room.

“Bianca’s furious Jespah, just so you know,” Patch said

“well I’m nooaoaoaot leaving Theo’s side until he can get up on his paws and walk!” Jespah protested.

“It’ll be a few days yet,” Patch said, “but I’m surprised he is as alert as he is.”

“I’ll ask Zalika to pay you a visit Theo, she’s good at healing others,” Jespah mewed.

“So are you,” Theo mewed, embracing his cub.

“Zalika’s abilities can’t be abused Jespah,” Patch said.

“Abused?” Jespah asked in an angry miaow, “how would asking her to help Theo be abusing her Abilities Patch?”

“She has got to want to help, and I mean really want to help, that’s all,” Patch replied.

“who says I doesn’t want to ‘elp?” Zalika asked, “I’s seen the cctv of Theo’s shooting, and it’s orrid. The bloody ‘umans kept out of shot till the end, but, Theo’s yowl of pain as the awwow ‘it ‘ome is ‘eart wending, and ‘is scream of fear worse when ‘e’s shot at fow a second time.”

“I don’t want to watch!” Jespah moaned.

“You shouldn’t have seen that!” Patch yelled, rounding on Zalika.

“I’s wondewing why the camerwa team didn’t see what was going on,” Zalika mewed.

“Because they weren’t recording it, it was in a dark part of the woods,” Theo mewed. He wriggled with sudden discomfort, then turned his head to Zalika and demanded, “hang on a bit! How do you know so much?”

“the humans who shot you Theo broadcast the thing via wireless and uploaded it to our computers accidentally,” Patch sighed, “yes Theo I’ve seen it too. It’s as horrid as Zalika says it is. They filmed the whole thing, fled and left the camera. We’ve put the footage into a can for the police. It’s horrid viewing.”

“and ‘cos it’s so dam awful, I’s wanting to ‘elp you get bettew Theo,” Zalika mewed, “I can’t do much fow youw wight leg, but could do something maybe to fix the other ‘oles that awen’t meant to be there.”

“Theeoeoeoeo!” a voice yowled, the door bursting open behind Patch, a huge lion nearly running Zalika down in his headlong rush.

“Be caweful!” Zalika miaowed, leaping to safety on Patch’s back. Bear and liliger cub were treated to the sight of a very fat male lion fussing round Theo, whimpering and mewing like a lost cub, kissing Theo’s nose and the pads of his feet, head rubbing with him and tugging his ears until Theo got concerned.

“Androcles, please, stop!” Theo begged, for the fat pawed lion was now crying.

“but I thought you were dead!” Androcles sobbed.

“No, I’m not, and thanks for your concern,” Theo mewed, realising the origins of Androcles antics were born of genuine feelings.

“Theo, he’s really upset,” Jespah mewed.

“I know,” Theo mewed, “I’m not used to being fussed over like that though.”

“did you like it, once you’d got over the shock?” Jespah asked, squeezing his sire’s paw in both of his.

“yes, I loved it,” Theo mewed, feeling two small paws working their way into his mane

“Good,” Jespah mewed, kissing the furred top of Theo’s left paw which he held in his tiny ones, Theo feeling tears pricking his eyes as another larger tongue kissed his ear and a smaller one the pads of his free right paw.

“Zalika and Androcles, you silly softies!” Theo sniffled, gulping hard as he opened his eyes and saw them standing by the side of his bed so they could more easily see his face and touch his paw pads.

“I feel better now,” Theo mewed.

“Andwocles ‘as weally cuuuute paws and feet Theo,” Zalika mewed, “I saw ‘im sleeping, ‘is paws twitched, and ‘e cuwled his toes too while ‘e slept! That was befowe he woke scweaming fwom a nightmawe about you getting shot,” she concluded miserably, “Maybe Andwocles paw twitching and toe cuwling isn’t so cute, maybe ‘e did that ‘cos of ‘is nightmawe.” Zalika looked anxiously at Androcles, who padded to her then kissed her nose.

“Ask Sushanti and you’ll find I wiggle my paws and cuwl my toes all the time when sleeping,” the lion whispered, giving Zalika his left paw, the toes of which he’d clenched into a fist, Zalika smiling then kissing his curled toes.

“I loves youw fat paws and feet, them’s so cute Andwocles,” she said.

“I love how you say my name, “Andwocles,” it’s so cuuuute,” Androcles giggled.

“Can I say I loves youw paws and feet? is it all wight for a cub to say that?” Zalika asked. Androcles lay down and waved his paws.

“Take a paw and find out,” he purred, Zalika lying down, suddenly finding herself engulfed in Androcles huge embrace and getting her nose kissed by his warm rough tongue.

“please, love my paws and feet,” the lion pleaded, Zalika smiling, wriggling free of his paws, kissing them when Androcles whimpered about his paws and feet hurting him, her kiss to his paws soothing the lion. To finish her job, Zalika put her paw in the grip of the toes of Androcles left foot, the lion covering his eyes with his paws and curling the toes of his left foot round those of her smaller right paw, pressing her paw pads against those of his left foot, Zalika finding his foot warm and touch comforting.

“Why’s you covering youw eyes with youw paws Andwocles?” Zalika asked.

“to stop my eyes distracting me fwom the feelings in my foot fwom youw paw,” the lion replied, but Zalika didn’t laugh.

“That’s lovely,” she said, kissing the curled toes of his left foot which so tightly gripped those of her right paw.

“I mustn’t take all your healing power,” Androcles mewed, “Zalika, Theo needs it more than I do.”

“I’ll go when I wants to,” Zalika mewed, I can sees the pads of youw wight foot as you cuwl your toes with pleasuwe, it’s weally cuuuute,” Zalika said, kissing the pads of Androcles right foot, the lion gulping back tears.

“you’s a soppy lion as well as a fat pawed one I sees,” Zalika giggled.

“I’m sorry, so sorry,” Androcles sniffled, Zalika wiggling her right paw free of Androcles left foot and replacing it with that of her right foot, Androcles curling his body to find her with his paws, only to be embraced by her paws, this breaking all control on his emotions.

“you’s a snuggly soppy lion isn’t you,” Zalika said softly, Androcles sobbing into her shoulder.

“I’m being wrung out like a sponge!” Androcles sniffled.

“You’d just been unable to cwy since poow Theo got shot,” Zalika mewed, “when you did cwy, Tommy got fuwious with you and told you to stop. Now you’s safe ‘init.” Androcles clung to Zalika while he wept, Theo, Patch and Blackberry, who’d walked in with soup for them all, also fighting back tears, while Jespah, who knew Zalika’s power best of all, openly wept, the cub’s tears wetting Theo’s left paw, which he held in the tight grip of both his smaller ones.

“This is so silly, so silly!” Theo sniffed, gulping hard.

“now we’s all wight ain’t we,” Zalika mewed.

“yeah, apart fwom when you weduce us to sobbing wecks!” Blackberry replied, Zalika grinning at him, everyone else laughing at his mimicry of the little liliger’s trick of speech.

“now, now, can I get up, please Patch?” Theo asked, “I need to stretch my legs, and, well, I’ve lain here long enough.”

“Let me disconnect your tubes,” Patch said, glancing at the monitors showing the lion’s vital signs. This done, Theo got up off the bed, growling with pain as his right leg nearly gave way beneath him. Repositioning his paws so he could stand, Theo limped to the relieving place, accomplished that task, then limped to the water fountain and drank, before drinking the soup Blackberry had set out for him.

“I need to strengthen the damaged muscle in my leg,” Theo mewed, “walking on it is the only way, though it hurts to do so,” he groaned.

“the humans shot at the ground in front of me and Tommy to stop us so they could get away,” Androcles said, “the stones and some shot hit my paws and shoulders, tommy just got some in his paw, that’s why we’re comparatively uninjured, and for that I’m grateful.”

“What were your cubs doing before those humans ruined everything Patch?” Theo asked.

“Oh, they were playing,” Patch replied smiling, “they were playing their own stuck paw game, and getting me and Ursula to rub our feet with our paws while they pointed and called us “cuuuute!”“ Theo smiled broadly at this.

“I think I could begin to enjoy it if my cubs started playing with my paws and feet,” he said.

“yes, we would like to,” Jespah mewed.

“and you can,” Theo mewed, “but I want Patch to go home, give his cubs and mate a huge hug and get back to their games. I’ve messed things up for them one way and another.”

“You didn’t, the humans did, please don’t talk like that Theo,” Patch said, kneeling and hugging the lion, “I want you to go home and hug your cubs, then play with them Theo,” Patch continued.

“I want you to do the same,” Theo mewed, “I understand you were present at their birth.”

“I was comforting Ursula,” Patch said, “though my cameras gave me a view of what was happening. Cub Ekaterina caught Allie, Bjorn was caught by Ursula herself.”

“I would go through it all again to have you catch both cubs,” Ursula said, walking into the room with Allie and Bjorn riding on her back, “not that I didn’t like cub Ekaterina catching Allie, nor that letting the other cubs rub my feet was at all unpleasant while I gave birth to Bjorn, catching him in my paws. It’s just that, well,,,”

“You know now how cuddly Patch can be?” Theo asked, kissing Patch’s nose.

“Yes,” Ursula said, rubbing the sole of her mate’s left foot with her paw.

“Who was youw mama Ursula?” Zalika asked.

“I don’t remember her,” Ursula replied, “my earliest memory is being released from a crate in the house I used to live in. there I learnt to sleep in a bed and use human cutlery and do all sorts of strange things that weren’t ursine. When I was too big for them, I got chucked into the forest and Patch found me and gave me cuddles and helped me have cubs.”

“then he left you in the woods to give birth?” Theo asked.

“No, I told him to get away from me for our own safety. I didn’t know where he lived then, though he smelt very clean and well cared for. Patch gave me the directions to his house, but I dared not go there. I was too scared! I thought, once I had the cubs, I could hide them and look for Patch, but, well, it didn’t happen that way. I’m glad I was found, I’m glad I came here, and I am very grateful for a home here, and that I had good care here while giving birth.”

“We want to see our births!” Bjorn yelled, tumbling off Ursula’s back and landing on the rubberised floor.

“but we want you to re-enact it mum,” Allie added.

“I can’t!” Ursula laughed.

“I think Patch could ‘elp you,” Zalika said, “’e knows ‘ow all births awe, ‘e can make you feel what you felt, and you canweally get into pwetending, pushing, gwoaning, cuwling youw toes and all that.”

“But what about having a cub to cuddle at the end?” Ursula replied.

“We could scramble into your lap at the end mum,” Bjorn said, “we’re not too big yet.”

“true, it has only been a day since the real thing,” Ursula mused.

“You imagine giving birth, we imagine getting our paws stuck, it’s all very good,” Bjorn said.

“Go on Patch, make me want to push,” Ursula said. Patch smiled and Ursula gasped with shock, lifted her left foot off the floor and curled her toes.

“oaoaoaoaaoaow!” she moaned deeply, “okay Patch, try a violent contraction! Allie, get off my back.” Allie slid down her mum’s raised left leg, sliding off the toes of her left foot and to the floor. Patch let Ursula experience a hard contraction, the she bear squealing and roaring.

“auauauauauauch! Ruuuuuruuuruuuumf! Uauauauauaauauauwch!” sitting down hurriedly as she did so, curling her body to grab her left foot in her paws. Holding onto her foot with fierce strength, Ursula wriggled, Patch going with her as she actually strained, Patch giving her another contraction to push with.

“aoaoaoaoaowuw! Aouwch! Uuuuumf oaoaoaowch!” Ursula complained, wriggling and writhing, curling her toes every time she wanted to push.

“Bracing my foot into my paws helps the pains!” she gasped.

“it will,” Patch said, “you can’t push like you did during an imagined cub’s birth, so you push your feet into your paws.”

“this is amazing mum!” Allie yelled, clapping her paws.

“I wayayayan’a puuush!” Ursula screamed, pushing her left foot hard into her cupped paws, Allie and Bjorn paws on with her right foot, feeling their mum curl and stretch her toes as she faught to have her imagined cubs.

“I muuuuust puuush!” Ursula moaned, pushing her left foot hard into her paws while curling the toes of both feet, her cubs paws on with her free right foot, touching her curled toes and bunched pads.

“When will mum let go of her foot?” Bjorn asked.

“When her cub’s nearly born,” Patch replied, “when the cub’s feet are just about to be pushed out. until then, your mum still needs to push. She’ll feel everything she felt inside her, relieving her need to push by bracing her feet against her paws, or drawing up her legs and grabbing her feet, or pedalling the air, or even sitting back on her heels and wriggling.”

“Oh like this!” Allie said, sitting back on her heels and wriggling her bum against them, Bjorn laughing at her and tickling her heel pads until Allie rolled on the floor, screaming with laughter.

“yes like that,” Patch replied, “Ursula, I will stop the contractions now.”

“I want to do this properly!” Ursula panted, “I want to wake with a small contraction and moan and whimper and kick my feet in the air and pace and everything with you with me all the time Patch.”

Okay, we’ll do that,” Patch replied.

“Can you make mine and Allie’s feet stick together too?” Bjorn asked.

“I could,” Patch replied, “but I’d like you to find your own imaginations first.”

“the game with mum’s and your toes was the start of that wasn’t it,” Allie said.

“yes,” Patch replied, “we held your paws lightly with our toes so you could fight to free them. Once you’d done that, your feet would be stuck to ours, and you could tug to free those too.”

“let’s go,” Ursula said, getting to her feet, her cubs climbing aboard for a ride home.

“I’ll see you in the morning Theo to change those dressings,” Patch said.

“What dressings?” Theo asked. Patch looked round at Theo, then nearly pounced on the startled lion, rolling him over in a frantic check for the dressings he’d put on the lion’s hip and shoulder.

“What happened!” Patch demanded, staring at Zalika.

“I pulled off them dwessings and cleaned ‘is wounds while you was fussing awound with Ursula,” Zalika mewed.

“oaoaoaoaoah!” Patch yelped.

“Good ‘in’it,” Theo giggled.

“how?” Patch asked.

“You won’t like it, it wasn’t very sanitary,” Theo replied smiling.

“but it’s clean, no wound!” Patch screeched.

“I licked the wound and spat on my paws to work deeply in it,” Zalika admitted, “there, told you you’s gonna be disgusted didn’t I?”

“Let me do tests!” Patch demanded.

“Oh test away,” Theo mewed, “I’ve never felt so good since before the shooting. You know, Zalika’s tongue and paws are so soothing!”

“Stoaoaoap this!” Patch yelled, clutching his head with his paws in a display of bafflement which made Allie and Bjorn laugh so much they tumbled off Ursula’s back and rolled about on the floor, waving their paws and feet in the air.

“Just accept there’re things we can’t understand Patch,” a deep rich voice said in his ear, Patch screaming with fright and turning round, only to be knocked off his feet by Titan, who pinned him gently under one paw, bowed his majestic head then kissed the startled bear’s nose.

“it’s all fine, all well Patch,” Titan mewed.

“Patch! You got told by the pet cat!” Allie yelled.

“Pet cat?” Titan enquired in a deep growl, releasing Patch and turning to the newborn cub, “I’m not a moggie!” he growled, the ground shaking beneath Allie.

“I’m soaoaoaoaorry!” Allie whimpered. Titan suddenly rolled onto his back then started licking his paws while mewing like the world’s biggest tiger cub, Zalika shrieking with laughter and pouncing on him.

“You’s a big lap cat, the pet kitty!” she teased, kissing Titan’s nose and paws, Titan tenderly hugging her.

“I’m more than that to some,” he purred, ”, you did good work today.” Zalika hugged Titan’s paw.

“thanks,” she said.

Patch and Ursula left the sick bay, their cubs scampering after them on their small paws.

“we wish we could crawl a bit,” Bjorn said, “but we don’t know if it’s the done thing.”

“It is,” Patch said, “let’s all crawl a bit.” The four bears crawled down the corridor, the two cubs tickling their parent’s toes from time to time, Patch and Ursula laughing helplessly until Ursula got the cubs to crawl in front of her and Patch on, what she said were grounds of safety. Keeping an eye on them. Smiling at Patch, she let Bjorn and Allie get a few feet away, then pounced on Bjorn’s toes, Patch pouncing on Allie’s, Allie and Bjorn screeching with laughter as their mother and sire pinned down their small toes and tickled their heel pads with their breath.

“Stoaoaoaoap iyiyiyt muuum and youuuuu Payayayaych!” they squealed, their sire and mama kissing the tickle from their heel pads, the two cubs humming with ursine cubbish pleasure.

“That was so cuuuute! Someone purred, everyone looking up into the eyes of a huge liger.

“Hello Titan,” Patch said, the liger grinning hugely.

“Titan!” Bjorn and Allie yelled, climbing up the liger’s thick legs like they were a couple of tree trunks, then over his shoulders to his back, where they sat proud and smiling.

“Sorry for Allie and Bjorn’s behaviour Titan,” Patch said.

“It’s all right, they’re welcome to me,” the huge liger mewed, “now, if I lie down, they can have my paws and feet to themselves, rub my pads, and even play with my toes. Now that would be nice, I like that thought.”

“So do we, so do we Titan!” Bjorn yelled, turning cartwheels on Titan’s broad back.

“both of you be careful, otherwise you might not make it to see the pads on my paws,” Titan mewed, “Hold on tight you two, dig your fingers and toes into my fur, then we will go back to my lie up, where I’m sure Patch and Ursula will join us in good time.” Patch saw Titan’s tail twitching, and knew what he was about to do.

“naoaoaoaoao Titan!” he protested, “you can’t take them for the run you took me on that first time you ever took a bear for a ride on your back!”

“They’ll be as safe as you were,” Titan mewed.

“yeah, until you misjudged the corner and landed on your side on the floor!” Patch snapped. “That won’t happen again,” Titan mewed.

“If you want to run, take me on your back, let Ursula carry the cubs, please?” Patch implored.

“I will do as you ask,” Titan mewed, sitting down, “Now Allie, you first, slide down my back, then you Bjorn, but only when I say!” the liger commanded. the two cubs giggled to each other while waiting until the liger sat down, then, on his command, waving their paws and shrieking gleefully, Bjorn and Allie each used the liger’s sloped back as a slide, Titan lifting his tail so the cubs shot off the end like a ramp, the liger turning and catching them in his paws while they were still in mid-air.

“Naoaoaoaow!” Patch screeched as Titan expertly caught Bjorn and lowered him to the floor, while Allie, the first to experience the liger slide, lay in her mum’s paws, laughing so hard she could hardly breathe.

“Titan’s the tops!” she yelled.

“Titan’s a terror!” Patch moaned.

“I wouldn’t do anything to harm your cubs Patch,” Titan mewed in a voice which melted Ursula’s heart.

“I know you wouldn’t, but turning your back and tail into their own personal theme park ride is a little extreme when they’re not yet two days old!” Patch whimpered.

“Now let’s go to my lie up and we can snuggle,” Titan mewed, kissing Patch’s nose.

“Can we ride on Titan’s back?” Bjorn asked.

“No!” Patch replied sharply. Ursula got to her feet, and both cubs scrambled onto her back, Patch trudging after his mate, mumbling about grown ligers who thought they were still cubs.

Titan followed Patch, drawing alongside him then kissing his ear, Patch looking into Titan’s face.

“I know deep down my cubs are safe with you,” Patch said, “but Titan, you do give a sire heart palpitations.” Titan smiled broadly.

“I would never ever hurt your cubs dear Patch,” he said, “I felt your mate’s labour pains, I know how she felt.” Patch shot a disbelieving look at Titan, but the liger’s face was deadly serious.

“I suppose you did,” the bear mumbled.

“I feel the labour of all mamas here, that is why I will never hurt your cubs,” Titan mewed softly.

“You’re more switched on to that than I am,” Patch replied.

“No Patch,” Titan mewed, “you suppress your knowledge while I lie in my den, curl my toes, kick the air, scream and roar.”

“I felt Ursula’s pains, but I ignored them,” Patch replied.

“you felt my pain?” Ursula asked.

“yes,” Patch said, “that is why I can replay it to you accurately. I know it, I know your fears and terrors..”

“That’s why I felt so good!” Ursula exclaimed, “you told me everything was fine, and I knew you were right, as you knew my pain!”

“I did, and do, and cherish that knowledge,” Patch replied, padding up to his mate then kissing her nose.

“So could you re-enact my labour?” Ursula asked.

“I could,” Patch replied, “and so could you, but this time, you’d be able to enjoy it, as at the back of your mind, you’d know all was fine, and there would be no fear this time.”

“I’d love that,” Ursula said, “and I knew that for a bit too, as when I climbed onto that hammock, though I was screaming inside, urging myself to push while screaming and curling my toes, I felt no fear then.”

“I could tell that,” Patch replied, “dear Ursula, I got everything on film, and though your face was contorted with pain and effort, your eyes no longer looked fearful. You lost that the minute you got into the trailer with the cubs around you.”

“I did,” the she bear replied, “my labour calmed down, and I began to enjoy myself, knowing what I was doing was right.”

“I know that, and so do all the cubs who helped you,” Patch replied, kissing her nose.

“I am so grateful to all of you,” Ursula said, as they rounded the corner into the family lie up, “I would love to feel my contractions again, with you touching my feet and paws while I moan and strain,” she said.

“We used to make a profession out of acting out births of cubs,” Patch said, “now it’s gone out of fashion somewhat, now we have shadow to do it for real.”

“That’s really sad,” Ursula replied, and Patch knew she really meant it.

“there is one polar bear who’s still good at births, and he’s a playful sort too,” Patch said.

“He?” Ursula asked.

“yes, his name’s Nanuq, and he’s lovely, his mate Flocke learnt from him how to re-enact the births of cubs.”

“I’d love to meet him,” Ursula replied. Patch settled Bjorn and Allie , then called Nanuq’s lie up, smiling at what he saw on the screen.

“Nanuq, please, come to my lie up, oh, and come as you are,” he said into the phone, putting it down before Ursula could see what he could. Nanuq, anxious not to keep Patch waiting, padded in soon after, wearing his inflatable suit.

“What’s that!” Ursula asked.

“It’s, um, my silly outfit, sorry, who are you?” Nanuq asked, the embarrassment in his eyes showing Patch he already knew.

“I’m Ursula, Patch’s mate,” Ursula replied.

“I’m sorry for appearing in front of you like this!” Nanuq whimpered, kneeling in supplication.

“Patch said you were playful, and I think that’s why he got you to come as you were,” Ursula replied.

“This is my, um, cubbish playtime suit,” Nanuq whimpered.

“I want you to be playful, to be a mama having a cub actually,” Ursula replied.

“I can’t be like you!” Nanuq protested, “I’m not taking your role from you!” he said.

“I know a computer will immortalise my labour,” Ursula said, “I want a bear to do it, a bear who is not my mate. I’ve heard you do a good re-enactment.”

“I would not be so disrespectful!” Nanuq protested.

“Please?” Ursula pleaded.

“you re-enacted the birth of Soo lee Nanuq,” Patch said, “so why not re-enact Bjorn and Allie’s births too?”

“I could, I suppose,” Nanuq replied hesitantly.

“I would love it if you did,” Ursula replied, “and I’d really love it if you’d do it while wearing that inflatable suit too.”

“When I wriggle and bounce on my heels and squirm I’ll look really silly!” Nanuq replied.

“it’s meant to be fun, so try it,” Ursula suggested.

“I’d love to do it without these silly paws and feet, and the bouncy suit,” Nanuq replied softly.

“Can I get paws on with your feet Nanuq?” Ursula asked.

“yes, of course,” he replied, “um, with or without these boots?” he asked.

“without,” Ursula replied. Nanuq undid his gloves, using the tabs he could pull with his teeth, then stripped off his boots and the rest of his suit, sitting on the end of Ursula’s bed where she sat, then giving his left foot into Ursula’s warm paws, Patch smiling as Nanuq’s toes curled with pleasure at her touch.

“These feet are like mine!” she exclaimed, rubbing the sole of Nanuq’s foot from toes to heel and back again with her fingers.

“You’re not a pure polar bear either I see,” Nanuq replied.

“No, my mama mustn’t have been, if she had been a polar bear, I would have furry toes and I don’t have those, my soles are naked Nanuq.”

“I can see that,” Nanuq replied.

“Would you like to touch my foot too?” Ursula asked.

“yes of course, if it’s okay with Patch too,” Nanuq replied.

“it’s Ursula’s body, she can do with it what she likes,” Patch replied, “I have no claim over her.”

“but she’s your mate!” Nanuq replied.

“she chooses to be my mate,” Patch replied, “you are a mate to two different she bears aren’t you Nanuq? Both are very happy with that arrangement too.”

“so you wouldn’t mind if, if, but I wouldn’t!” Nanuq replied.

“if Ursula wanted to have cubs with you, I would not deny her,” Patch replied, “if she chose you over me, who am I to stop her.”

“Now if I could give birth to two cubs, one from Nanuq and one Patch’s cub, that would be lovely,” Ursula mused, “they’d have to be big cubs, I want to really struggle hard, feel everything and feel the love of my mates too.”

“So you actually enjoyed giving birth?” Nanuq asked.

“when the fear had gone, yes,” Ursula replied, “it happened in the trailer, when I had a cub holding my right foot in her paws. I knew then all would be well. Yes I felt pain, yes I moaned and wriggled, but I felt no fear. I knew what I felt was good, and that anything I did was allowed and any noise I made was welcomed. That’s a great weight off a mama’s mind Nanuq.”

“That was why you were able to choose the position to birth your second cub,” Nanuq said. your first was too far down the process for you to choose, all you could do was splay your legs and push. But your second cub came in a more controlled manner, and you got what you wanted.”

“I did,” Ursula replied, “though, thinking back, it was all wonderful. I was able to concentrate on my body from the time I got into the trailer, to the time I pushed Allie’s feet into the world with cub Ekaterina supporting her body.”

“take Ursula’s feet in your paws Nanuq,” Patch said. Nanuq did as Patch asked, taking hold of Ursula’s left foot in his huge paws, as Ursula wanted, feeling her toes curl with pleasure as he rubbed the sole of her left foot from toes to heel pad.

“ooaoaoaoaoh!” she gasped, “I’ve never been free with my feet before, it’s all very new this being able to let whomever I like grab my feet. I love this foot play, it’s like being a cub again!” she giggled, “as for freedom to mate,” Ursula continued more soberly, “I thought once a mate claimed a female, she was theirs from her nose to her toes.”

“Not here,” Patch replied, “most are monogamous, but if you want to mate with many bears, you can. The only thing we ask is you look after any resulting cubs, or if you can’t, you give them up for adoption.”

“I just want to be tactile, to let others touch me and give them love when I feel the need,” Ursula replied.

“It’s like Titan giving his paws and feet to those he feels comfortable with,” Nanuq replied, he won’t mate with just anyone though.”

“and neither will I,” Ursula replied, “but my feet and paws are given to those who I feel will respect them, and right now, as well as many cubs, human, feline and ursine, there are three adults I would willingly give my feet and paws to, Titan, Patch and you Nanuq, oh, and also, what’s her name? the cat bear who found me in the woods?”

“her name’s Sita,” Patch replied.

“her too,” Ursula replied, “I’d love her to take my feet in her paws once more.”

“We’ve felt her paws rubbing our feet, and they’re lovely paws!” Allie enthused.

“I would also love to meet any cub of mama Sita’s,” Ursula replied, “for her cub must be as wonderful as she is.”

“Karina’s beautiful,” Nanuq replied.

“Why not give her a call on the phone?” Patch asked.

“I don’t need a phone call,” mama Karina mewed, padding into the room. Ursula stared at her.

“”You’re Mama Sita’s cub? You’re lovely!” the she bear gushed.

“You haven’t met me yet,” karina mewed, padding up to Ursula and giving the bear her hand.

“You are very young dear Karina,” Ursula said softly.

“I am only three years old,” Karina mewed, “I was a mother at just over a year, and my cub is now one and a half.” Ursula gasped:

“so, it was your cub who nearly ran down those two big cat cubs on the lagoon!” she babbled.

“yes, that was Felix, and he won’t live that down for a long time!” Karina growled. Ursula pulled karina onto her lap, Karina giggling helplessly as the she bear hugged her.

“I’m sorry for bringing up your cub’s wrong doing,” Ursula said.

“Please, hug me and rub my feet,” mama Karina found herself saying, Ursula doing as she asked, karina bracing her feet against the she bear’s rubbing paws. Ursula smiled at the feel of Karina’s pads bunching under her paws as she curled her toes with pleasure.

“You like my touch?” Ursula asked.

“ooaaoah yes!” Karina mewed, sitting back on her heels, Ursula rubbing Karina’s heel pads, especially the sensitive spot on the inside edges of her arches just below the margin of her heel pads, Karina closing her eyes with pleasure and tightly curling her toes whenever Ursula rubbed that very sensitive place.

“I love your rubbing!” Karina mewed.

“I’m so tall I can see your toes curling, they’re so cute!” Ursula replied.

“if I sit down and you rub that place, you can get paws on with my curling toes more easily,” karina mewed.

“I would love some of that when you’re finished Karina,” Nanuq said.

“right now, you will have to free your feet from themselves!” Ursula giggled.

“yes, they’re stuuuuuck!” Nanuq yelled. He was sitting on his end of Ursula’s bed, his feet pressed together from toes to heels, the fingers of both paws scrabbling at his trapped toes and soles from balls of his feet to his heels.

“uuuuumf! I Cayayayn’t freeyeee my feeyeeet!” Nanuq protested, wriggling while scrabbling at the soles of his feet with his fingers.

“I need your help Ursula!” Nanuq whimpered.

“You’ll have to wait, I’m having my feet rubbed by Ursula’s paws,” karina mewed.

“Patch?” Nanuq asked, looking at the male bear, but his paws were rubbing the soles of the feet of his two cubs who sat on a thigh each, their feet dangling down in the space between his legs, Patch cupping his cub’s feet in his paws one by one, rubbing the pads on the soles with his fingers. Nanuq watched as Patch rubbed the pads on the sole of Bjorn’s left foot, while Allie rubbed his right, then Patch swapped to Bjorn’s right, Allie rubbing his left foot. Once that was done, Bjorn rubbed Allie’s left foot while Patch rubbed the sole of her right with his much larger paws.

“You two look really contented,” Nanuq said to Allie and Bjorn, the two polar bear cubs waving their paws at him while pressing their feet together, bridging the gap between their backsides with their legs, their soles pressed together. Patch looked down at the four feet pressed tightly together, toes to toes, heels to heels. Smiling, he blew on the toes of his cubs, both cubs squealing with surprise and bouncing their bums on his thighs as they faught to keep contact between their feet despite his tickling.

“Payayayaych is tiyiyiyckling uuuus Nanuq!” Allie squealed.

“I need help, my feeyeeet are twapped, I mean trapped!” Nanuq wailed.

“You’s speaking like Zalika! It’s Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!” Bjorn giggled. Nanuq squirmed, tugged at his toes and scrabbled at the sides of his heel pads , trying to work his fingers between them to ease them apart, bracing his toes against each other as he furiously scrabbled.

“there’s another game where you hold one set of toes with the other and try to free your heels, then your toes,” Ursula mused.

“It’s part of this gayayayayme!” Nanuq whimpered, “my heels will slip when I pull hard enough, the toes of one of my feet will curl round those of the other and hold them, then my heels will stick more firmly than ever!” the poor male bear whimpered.

“that sounds a wonderful game,” Ursula replied, rubbing the heel and lower arch of Karina’s left foot with her left paw while the Felursapien sat sideways on her lap, pushing her left foot against Ursula’s paw. Ursula used her right paw to explore the ball and toes of Karina’s left foot, feeling karina’s toes curling and pads bunching by differing degrees as she rubbed different parts of her left heel and lower arch.

“do you like me rubbing your foot Karina?” Ursula asked.

“Oh I do, I do!” Karina mewed.

“Who will help me free my feeyeeet!” Nanuq whimpered, wriggling while tugging at his toes with both paws.

“You’ll have to try as hard as you can yourself,” Ursula replied. everyone watched Nanuq struggling to unstick his huge feet from one another. First he tugged at his toes with his fingers, then tried prying his heels loose while fiercely bracing his toes, all this accompanied by growling and whimpering’s of effort. Suddenly, his fingers slipped into a gap between his heel pads. With a squeal of effort, Nanuq pried at the gap, easing it larger and larger, his heel pads gradually coming apart. Suddenly the glue holding Nanuq’s heel pads gave way a little, and, as he’d predicted, one foot, his right slipped towards him a little, the toes of his left foot curling round those of his right. Nanuq writhed as all ten of his large toes gripped their opposite numbers or the pad on the ball of his left foot and his heel pads glued themselves together more firmly than ever, even though he now had a quarter of his right heel pad free, which he was able to rub with his fingers, while the toes of both feet still held each other captive. The toes of his left foot mostly curled round those of his right, while his big toes pushed hard against each other, the other toes of his left foot holding onto those of his right, which pushed their way into the grip of those of his left, while also clinging tenaciously to as much of the ball of his left foot as they could.

“My feeyeeet are stuuuuuck! This iyiyiyiyiyiyiyisn’t fair!” Nanuq wailed, tugging at his curled toes with both paws while wriggling madly.

“You do look so funny Nanuq, so cubbish!” Ursula giggled.

“I’m reaeaeally stuuuuuck!” Nanuq whimpered, everyone laughing merrily.

“Patch,” Ursula said, “I know you monitored me throughout my labour,” she looked down at her paws with sudden embarrassment, “could you tell me something?”

“What?” Patch asked.

“do you know whether cubs hear during labour?” Ursula asked.

“Yes they do,” Patch replied, “I, well, I now have a confession to make.”

“Go on,” Ursula said.

“I recorded the sounds of labour from the inside, I know what the cubs hear, as best I can know.”

“how did you do it?” Ursula asked.

“You know I put monitors on you and, um, examined you before you gave birth to Bjorn?” Patch asked.

“Yes,” Ursula replied, “I remember, it was gentle, and you put monitors inside me and around me.”

“I recorded the sound of a cub’s birth from the inside too,” Patch admitted.

“Did you?” Ursula asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

“Yes,” Patch said, “I have recorded the audio from inside mama of many births when the monitor was on the cub’s head. I didn’t know I was, until recently, but I found the files. Sasha’s birth, Jespah’s too.”

“I’d love to listen,” Ursula said faintly.

“you hear moaning, panting, groaning and squealing as if in a water filled chamber,” Patch replied, “during a contraction, you hear squelching and groaning and panting, and or screaming and roaring.”

“What did labour feel like mum?” Bjorn asked.

“Like I wanted to do the biggest poo,” Ursula replied candidly. “it was like being blocked up and really wanting to push to relieve myself. I pushed, and you were born Bjorn. I know it’s crude, and I’m sorry, but that’s how it felt, you did ask.”

“The cub, as it is being born, presses on the same places which give sensation of needing to relieve yourself,” Patch said.

“What I really want is for someone to act out the birth of my cubs,” Ursula said.

“What I really want is to give birth to a cub,” Nanuq sighed. Ursula looked at him, seeing the huge polar bear looked exhausted, his paws no longer engaged in trying to free his stuck feet.

“You look very unhappy Nanuq, is the stuck foot game that difficult?” She asked. Nanuq removed his paws from their struggle to free his huge feet then rubbed his face with them, looking pathetically up into her face, begging for understanding and forgiveness.

“Nanuq?” a deep rich voice asked. Nanuq looked at Ursula, then at the one who’d suddenly appeared from nowhere and spoken his name.

“Ursula, it’s not the stuck foot game, it’s, oh Titan!” the bear choked, “I need to talk to you, I think, think you’ll understand better than most.”

“Oh,” Ursula whispered, looking at Patch, who smiled. Ursula took her time, looking carefully at Titan, then at Nanuq. Liger and bear they may have been, but they were very similar in stature, and why was it, in all the stories Patch had told her, all the cubs loved Nanuq’s paws and feet so much?

“would you like me to arrange tests Nanuq?” Patch asked softly.

“I, I would, it’s so strong sometimes Patch!” Nanuq replied miserably, “it has been, ever since I was a cub. I’ve always wanted to have my own cubs, not just to sire them, but to give birth to them. I spent hours in my lie up pretending to have cubs, I would whimper and scream and curl my toes and brace my feet against my paws and crawl and do everything!”

“What do cubs do when they see you Nanuq?” Titan asked softly.

“They grab my feet and paws and snuggle, just as they did with you, and I want to nurse the really young ones so much Titan!” Nanuq whimpered.

“Feed them using bottles?” Patch asked, knowing the answer, but wanting to see Nanuq’s reaction.

“Naoaoaoaow, that’s the worst of it!” the poor bear wailed, “I want, want, want to nurse them like a mama would!” Nanuq screamed, tumbling off the bed, leaping to his feet and running for the door.

“wayayayayait!” Titan roared, his roar flooring Nanuq, who lay looking up pathetically at the huge liger.

“I truly and deeply know how you feel,” Titan mewed, “dear Nanuq, please, go with Patch, see if what I think is there is there.” Patch guided Nanuq away to his work room soon after, Nanuq looking like the condemned bear, dragging his feet and with his head down.

“he looks like he’s being taken out to be shot,” Karina said, “poor Nanuq,” she continued, “I think I know what state he’s in, and he should not be ashamed of it.”

“You saying he’s female under all that fur?” Ursula asked.

“yes,” karina mewed, “did it not occur to you how alike he and Titan are in stature? Stocky, huge, with the same look in their eyes?”

“I was too interested in his paws and feet to be honest,” Ursula replied.

“I feel for him though,” Karina mewed.

Nanuq went to Patch’s lie up and got scanned. Titan watched an all too familiar scene unfold on screen soon after.

“Nanuq’s genetic profile is like yours,” Patch said to Titan in the private room he used to conduct experiments.

“I will take his paws in mine and comfort him,” Titan mewed.

“Go to him, talk to him, break it to him that what he is doing is acceptable please Titan,” Patch said.

“Why can’t you break it to him?” Titan asked, “poor Nanuq thinks that what he is doing is very wrong, you are spiritual leader. Nanuq knows I empathise with him, we have touched paws while you were conducting your experiments to confirm what Nanuq already knew in his heart. What he doesn’t feel sure about is one thing, is it right to want to give birth to cubs. Tell him Patch, he’ll take it from you as you are not like him.”

“first you, now Nanuq?” Patch asked.

“No, first Nanuq, then me, Patch, he’s older than me,” Titan mewed.

Leaving the room, they found Nanuq sitting on a bench looking very unhappy.

“What’s wrong with me?” the huge bear asked.

“Nothing, you’re female inside, just like Titan,” Patch said.

“oaoaoaaoh!” Nanuq exclaimed.

“We could try to fix it,” Patch said.

“No, I don’t want that!” Nanuq replied, “if Titan can live with that, so can I. if he can come to terms with what he is, so can I. I just need to know why I feel the way I do.”

“Now you know,” Patch replied, “Nanuq, you have always been like this, though you, unlike Titan, can sire cubs as well as give birth to them.”

“I would love to give birth to a cub,” Nanuq said, gazing at Patch, “would you? please?” Patch shook his head:

“I will not Nanuq,” he said softly, “What I will do is say to you that if you feel the need to give birth to a cub, you will find the right male to help when the time is right.”

“I think I’ve found one,” Nanuq replied faintly, “I confided my feelings in one who would say nothing.”

“This is good news,” Patch said.

“But what of Flocke and Lihua?” Apudo asked, walking into the room.

“this is a private consultation!” Patch screamed, “but, yes, it has to be faced, what about their feelings?”

“I’d better tell them what I am, and what I want more than anything in the world,” Nanuq replied.

“I don’t think there is need to tell them,” Titan mewed softly, “Dear Nanuq, they have suspected as much as we know today. You look female when giving birth to imaginary cubs, you scream and roar like a female bear, not like a male pretending. Flocke knows, Lihua knows what you are. They have confided their deep concern for you to me. They said they would not mind if it was true. All they want is for you to be happy, and they can see you’re not, though your cubs give you great joy.”

“I love my cubs, I love them as a sire, but also because they play so easily, and I can play with them like a mama,” Nanuq replied.

“go now,” Patch said, Nanuq padding from the room. When he was quite out of sight, Patch put his head in his paws.

“Poor Nanuq,” he mumbled.

“It’s not all bad news,” Titan purred.

“But the pressures on him as a sire, when he deep down wants to be a mama!” Patch whimpered.

“Nanuq will be a mama in time,” Titan mewed, “I know the one to whom he confided his deepest wish, and that one will love him via the paw and make love to his female side as Theo loved me via my paws to give me Zalika.”

Nanuq walked out of Patch’s work room to find Flocke, Lihua, Xingjuan and Soo lee waiting for him.

“We all know,” Flocke said, “Nanuq, we know what you are inside.”

“if you want to disown me, I’ll walk away now,” Nanuq replied dispiritedly.

“we won’t!” Lihua said, hugging him, “Nanuq, we’ve known for ages, we’ve watched your agony as you struggled to satisfy your female side.”

“I forget there are cameras,” Nanuq replied.

“We have been talking to Titan for ages, he’s wonderful, he explained what you’d be feeling and how you’d be acting, and everything,” Flocke replied, “dear Nanuq, I knew even before we swung together in the playroom. It’s not a secret to us.”

“What about me wanting a cub, actually to give birth to a cub I mean?” Nanuq asked, his pads sweating with nerves.

“you’re like Titan, and both of us cried with joy when he gave birth to Zalika. Xingjuan and Soo lee danced for joy and took the piss out of us for crying, calling us wooses, but they were equally happy for Titan. We will be happy for you too,” Lihua replied, kissing Nanuq’s nose.

“do you know who it is whom I have confided in?” Nanuq asked nervously.

“yes,” Lihua said, “Nanuq, dear sweet bear, your confidant is as beautiful as you are. He will love you very gently.

“I want to have his cubs!” Nanuq choked.

“And you will,” Flocke replied, kissing Nanuq’s nose, “and you will sire mine and Lihua’s cubs too.”

“another thing,” Lihua said, “Nanuq, if you don’t re-enact the births of your cubs with commitment and love, your cubs will tickle your paws and feet until you do, okay?” Nanuq smiled, greatly relieved.

“I’ve just worked out how it is that Nanuq looks so female when he’s pretending to have a cub!” Soo lee exclaimed.

“How?” Nanuq asked, feeling uncomfortable again. Soo Lee grabbed his left paw in both her small ones and replied:

“it is said by the badgers and others that the true spirit comes from the paws,” the half-grown cub panted, now very excited,, “and this has been proved by everyone saying that Titan and Theo mated, not a male mating with a male, but a male with a female. They both mated with their eyes shut, navigating with their paws. So Theo mated with Titan’s spirit, which came out through his paws. This paw contact is very important. How do we pretend to have cubs here. We all grab our feet with our paws to push don’t we?” Everyone nodded, Nanuq breathing deeply, waiting for something awful to happen, “this is accepted,” Soo lee continued, “well, why is it that Nanuq looks and sounds more and more female the more he pretends to have a cub? the reason is because his paws are in contact with his feet, pad to pad, female spirit to female spirit! Nanuq gets more female the more he pretends to give birth to an imaginary cub, his touch on his feet from his paws making him feel more and more female the harder he tries to give birth to his imaginary cub. Don’t you see?”

“I see,” and when he finally mates with us, he clasps us with his paws,!” Flocke said, “that clasping is of fur though, not our feet or paws, so we feel his maleness, and can accept the strength he has, ignoring his female side.”

“I see now!” Lihua replied.

“I feel a fraud,” Nanuq moaned.

“you’re not, you’re lovely and cuddly and we love your male side and your female side and your paws and your face and your feet and your fur, and your paws and feet, okay?” they all said in unison, while everyone tried to hug him at once.

“Thank you,” he sobbed, while his mates and cubs tried to dry his tears.

Released by his family, Nanuq padded to the main family lie up. Reassured of their love and support, but feeling sick from the whirlwind of emotions he’d gone through, Nanuq entered Patch and Ursula’s den, snorting with surprise as Bjorn and Allie ambushed him.

“We would like to touch your feet!” they begged, pouncing on his huge paws and sitting on them to stop him walking..

“I don’t deserve your touch,” Nanuq whimpered.

“We want to touch your feet, mum said you’d need us,” Bjorn said, leaping high and grabbing Nanuq’s nose to try and pull the bear’s head down to their level, Nanuq bowing his head, then lying down full length prone on the floor, the two cubs scrambling over his back, heading for the soles of his huge feet.

“We’ve got your feet now!” Allie and Bjorn yelled, standing on tiptoe on the toe pads of Nanuq’s feet, rubbing the heel and midpoint of his sole pads with their paws.

“What are you two doing!” Ursula yelled, padding up to the three bears, “Nanuq, you’re lying in the doorway, and, Allie, Bjorn, what are you up to?”

“They’re soothing a very anxious mind,” Nanuq replied, “but, Ursula, yes, I could have chosen a better place.”

“No you couldn’t, we pulled you down Nanuq!” Bjorn yelled, kissing the heel of his right foot while kneeling on the ball of that foot, feeling Nanuq’s toes curling to grab his, Ursula watching him.

“I am glad I bore cubs who are so compassionate.” She said, kneeling then kissing the tops of their heads.

“would you like us to kiss the pads of Nanuq’s heels on your behalf mum?” Allie asked. Ursula hesitated:

“yes please,” she replied, Nanuq gulping back tears of relief. Ursula watched her cubs kissing Nanuq’s heel pads, then, very carefully, splayed her legs and walked with one paw and foot either side of Nanuq’s body, so her own body passed right over those of her cubs and that of the huge male bear until she was able to turn round and kneel before him. Smiling, she gently cupped Nanuq’s chin in her paws, lifted his lolling head from his paws, then kissed his nose.

“You are beautiful Nanuq,” Ursula said softly, the male bear looking into her eyes.

“I was frightened people wouldn’t understand,” Nanuq sniffled.

“I and my cubs love you,” Ursula said, Nanuq breaking down completely, Ursula stretching out on the floor so she could hug him properly where he lay. Patch found them like this half an hour later, and, realising the gravity of the situation, went another route to get into his private lie up, stretching himself on his bed to wait for his mate and cubs.

“Get to your feet now Nanuq, and we’ll find some food,” Ursula said.

“Noaoaoaow muuum,” Bjorn protested, “if he gets to his feet, we can’t rub these lovely pads, “Nanuq, crawl, we can then hold on with one paw, and brace our feet against your toes if you curl them, then rub your foot with the other paw.” Nanuq swallowed hard.

“I’m very touched,” he said.

“Well of course you awe, the cubs is wubbing youw feet ain’t they?” Zalika asked, padding into the room via the same entrance Patch had used, everyone laughing merrily at her observation.

“they and you know what I mean silly tiggie,” Nanuq replied grinning.

“I will get that Blackbewwy to find you some soup you can dwink fwom a bowl so the cubs can keep paws on with youw feet Nanuq,” Zalika said, padding forward, kissing the bear’s nose, then padding away.

“I feel safe here,” Nanuq said softly.

“Please try crawling while we rub your feet Nanuq,” Allie said, kissing the heel pad of the huge bear’s left foot.

“Hold on tight then,” Nanuq replied, Ursula crawling backwards to get out of his way, Nanuq smiling at the sight of her.

“I think Nanuq likes the sight of you crawling Ursula,” Patch said.

“there wasn’t enough room for me to turn and crawl away, otherwise I would have let him rub my toes with his paws,” Ursula replied, standing up on all four paws so she could get a good look at her cubs. Realising the angle was wrong, she leapt clean over Nanuq and her cubs and turned to watch them, lying down so she had a good rear view of Nanuq’s feet with her cubs riding on his thickly padded soles.

“that’s very cute,” Ursula said, crawling up to Nanuq’s toes and blowing as best she could between his toe pads and the soles of the feet of her tiny cubs, first Bjorn’s feet, then Allie’s, both cubs having to use their paws to take their weight by grabbing the fur on the back of Nanuq’s heels, bending their legs to lift their feet clear of the tickling zone of their mum’s breath, both cubs screaming with laughter as Ursula, now having a clearer field of aim, blew on the soles of their small feet, moving her head from side to side and up and down to vary the stream of her breath, her cubs kicking the air and laughing helplessly.

“Muuum’s tiyiyiyckling our feeyeeet Nanuq!” they yelled, Nanuq laughing merrily, replying:

“she’s tiyiyiyckling my toooes tooo!”

“Go on muuum, Tiyiyiyiyckle Nanuq, Tiyiyiyiyckle Nanuq’s toooes!” Bjorn and Allie urged.

“I won’t, I’ll let him off.” Ursula said, kissing the tickle from the feet of her two cubs, “I would like him to play the single player stuck foot game though, then I’ll play it, and you two can judge how realistic it looks and give points for style. Patch can tell you the rules of the game.”

“Then will you two please show us the two player game?” Allie asked.

“Yes we will,” Nanuq replied.

“I’ll watch to see fair play,” Patch said, smiling at Nanuq. Nanuq made as if to sit back on his heels, Allie and Bjorn sliding their paws off them, dragging their tiny paws down the soles of his feet and onto the floor, kissing his toes before they crawled round to his paws, which they promptly sat on.

“I can’t play the stuck foot game if I don’t have my paws free,” Nanuq said, kissing the tops of their heads.

“We love you Nanuq,” Bjorn said, Nanuq blinking back tears:

“thanks,” he choked, “now,” he said sniffing hard, “to the stuck foot game.” He gently tipped Allie and Bjorn off his paws, the two cubs rolling onto their backs and kicking the air, screaming with mock rage at their dispossession of his paws.

“now I’ll sit down here,” Nanuq said.

“Why not sit on the bed so we can all see your feet and paws,” Patch suggested, crawling to and patting the end of the bed.

“Can we touch your feet and paws before you play with them Nanuq?” Bjorn asked.

“You’re already well acquainted with Nanuq’s paws and feet, Bjorn that’s too much,” Patch said.

“No it’s not,” Nanuq replied, “they need to check my pads for thorns don’t they?” Ursula grinned hugely at Nanuq’s overriding of Patch.

“Oh all right,” Patch said, crawling back to his place at the pillow end of the huge bed.

“I would love it if someone would get paws on with my efforts to free my feet from each other too,” Nanuq said softly.

“fortunately we all have working eyes, which we will use,” Ursula replied.

“I know there are some here who do not though,” Nanuq replied softly.

“let them get paws on, for us it’s the pleasure of watching someone who is good at their game,” Patch said. Nanuq climbed onto the bed, Ursula cupping his feet in her paws, bending his legs a little as she did so, Nanuq grunting and pushing against Ursula’s cupped paws with his feet as if climbing onto a bed that was a few feet off the floor was hard for him, a six foot tall polar bear.

“Puuuull with my paws, Push with my legs, brace my feeyeeet and puuush!” Nanuq gasped, Ursula kissing the toes of the panting bear’s left foot as he pulled himself onto the bed and rested in a crawling posture, Patch covering his mouth to hide his mirth.

“It doesn’t take much to turn you into a mama to all cubs, including the really big ones does it Ursula!” Titan said, padding into the room. Patch’s squeal of surprised shock made Nanuq stare at him.

“Ursula, you remind me of ancient mama Kamchatka! She could do what you are doing. Grown adults would let her handle their feet and paws without protest, and would enjoy it too!” the bear gabbled.

“I’m glad I remind you of someone good,” Ursula replied, gently stroking Nanuq’s back as he waited for her to sit on her end of the huge bed.

“I want to help you onto the bed too Ursula,” Nanuq whimpered.

“later,” Ursula replied, “you never know, I might be so exhausted from freeing my feet, I may need help to get to bed tonight.” She watched the soles of Nanuq’s feet as he crawled to the head end of the bed.

“this is lovely to watch,” Titan mewed, sitting down comfortably.

“Now, if I sit down on the end of the bed where Patch is,” Nanuq said, sitting down to face Ursula, who was just pulling herself onto the other end of the bed and sitting down, “I have a pillow to stop me falling backwards into the wall. If I used the other end of the bed, I’d fall off the end when my feet come free.”

“I’m glad you didn’t free your feet earlier, that could have been really dangerous,” Patch said.

“Can we look at and touch your pads Nanuq?” Allie asked.

“yes,” Nanuq said, sitting propped up by the pillows, Patch crawling to sit beside Ursula on the end of the bed, a generous space between his feet and theirs even when his and Patch’s legs were fully stretched out while sitting. Nanuq saw Ursula’s legs were nearly as long as Patch’s.

“You do have the most gorgeous paws and feet Nanuq,” Ursula said, “I think you and I are crossbred bears, we have naked soles.”

“bare soles and bared soul,” Nanuq thought as he felt small paws working over his toes, then the balls of his feet and heel pads, while he watched at the level of his own toes, the two cubs behind his feet obscured by their width and length.

“I can make two cubs vanish,” Nanuq giggled. Smiling, he curled his toes, watching as two cubs pulled themselves up using his toes, then, reaching forward, he pinned the cubs’ two leading paws with his own, letting the cubs use their toes to lever themselves up over his, digging their toes into the gap between his thick sole pads and the toe pads they’d been rubbing.

“I can see two cubs now,” Nanuq said, Allie and Bjorn racing up his legs towards his paws, crashing joyously into his belly and snuggling with him while Nanuq hugged them with both paws, kissing their ears and noses when they lifted their faces to him, for all the world like he was their mama. Ursula watched with tears of joy in her eyes, while Patch rubbed his face with his paws, sniffling sounds coming from behind them.

“you’ve just earned the jackpot,” Titan mewed, his own eyes wet.

“Are my feet ready for play?” Nanuq asked.

“No, we want you to use your paws to hug us! Don’t we Allie,” Bjorn said. Allie smiled:

“but Nanuq is here to play the stuck foot game, not to hug us like a mama, nice though that is,” she said, “yes Nanuq, your feet are ready for play.”

“Okay, I need you two to get off my lap and let me use my legs,” Nanuq replied. the two cubs tumbled into the space between Nanuq’s outstretched legs, crawling away from him, the bear waiting until they were about four leg thrusts away, then leaning over and blowing hard so his breath tickledthe pads and toes of their small feet. Both cubs, screaming with laughter, crawled faster until they tumbled head over heels down the bed, colliding with Patch and Ursula’s left and right feet respectively. Bjorn and Allie looked up into the faces of Ursula and Patch, who looked down at them with shining eyes.

“Come on you two, sit properly now,” Ursula said, both parents picking up a cub each and sitting them between their feet, the two cubs warmed by one of their parent’s paws resting on their heads, as well as the warmth of the sides of their parent’s well furred feet either side of their bodies.

“Are we all comfortable now?” Nanuq asked.

“I’d like a drink,” Allie replied. Patch huffed in exasperation, but Ursula said:

“It’s been a lot of fun for them until now. You know what it’s like Patch, or have you forgotten playing until you were worn out and needing a drink.” Patch smiled his apology.

“I’ll find Blackberry,” Titan said, pressing the communicator bell.

Blackberry, having watched all in the lie up from his kitchen, anticipated the bell and wheeled up some drinks and snacks for the coming bouts of the stuck foot game. As he set the trolley out, he looked longingly at Nanuq.

“I wish I could play that,” he said, “but, I’m here, cooking till all hours.”

“you’re too serious minded at the moment to play that game with any conviction,” Patch said, Blackberry knowing this was all too true.

“we want sound, effortful facial expressions, lots of wriggling and panting, curled toes and lots of effort!” Ursula said.

“You’ll get that,” Blackberry remarked, “Nanuq is one of the best at the single player stuck foot game.”

“I often used the game to relieve my stress at not being able to be myself in public,” Nanuq replied.

“Now you are able to be yourself, does that mean you’ll play the stuck foot games and give birth to imaginary cubs less convincingly?” Patch asked.

“No, more,” Nanuq replied, “I can scream and roar and tug louder and harder than ever now it won’t bring people running thinking I’m dying or in trouble.”

“Okay, try it then,” Ursula replied, smiling broadly. Nanuq bent his legs, pressing his feet together so they met at the ball, heel and toes. Nanuq smoothed the furred tops of his feet with his huge paws, pressing the tops of his toes and of his feet as if to make sure all pads were well pressed together, checking the sides of his feet that were uppermost with his paws, then he began to pry with the fingers of both paws at his heels, scrabbling with his fingers to try and make a gap into which he could get better purchase. Groaning, Nanuq scrabbled at his toes, then down the insides of his feet where the pads met, trying to find a place to start the process of freeing his stuck feet.

“I Cayayayn’t freeyeee my feeyeeet!” he moaned. Panting, he dug his fingers into the thick pads on the heels of both feet where they met, digging furiously with his fingertips.

Puuush with your toooes Nanuq! Puuuuuush with toes, wiggle your fingers and all will come freeyeee!” he whimpered, Ursula and Patch lifting their cubs up so they could see what the bear was doing.

“Nanuq is pushing hard with his toes isn’t he mum!” Bjorn said.

“he is,” Ursula replied, just as Nanuq’s heels began to separate, the bear redoubling his efforts, growling and panting in his urgency.

“Heels free, now down the sole of my foot, but oaoaoaoaoah! My right tooes are sliyiyiyping! Aoaoaoaoah naoaoaoaoao! My toooes wayayayant to cuuuurl! Uuuuumf, auauauauauauch! My left foot! The toes are grabbing those of my right! My right toes are grabbing the ball of my left fooooot! My toooes, They’re grabbing at anything really tightly! They’re grabbing each other and the ball of my left foot and I cayayayayn’t Stoaoaoap them! Nanuq squealed, wriggling as the toes on both his huge feet got even more entangled with each other. Nanuq scrabbled at what he could grab at of his toes with both paws, then attended to his heels once more, feeling the exposed pad of his right foot. Growling, he pried at the pads that were still partly stuck, easing them free enough for him to get a grip on his right foot with both paws. This effort took Nanuq five minutes of struggle, which was full of puffing, scrabbling paws and wriggling. Once he had hold of the heel and top of his right foot in both paws, Nanuq tugged hard, but the toes of his left foot held tightly to those of his right, and his efforts increased with little gain. Suddenly he strained backwards, tugging hard and long at the heel of his right foot, the pad held in his left paw, his right cupping the back of his right heel, the toes of his right foot scraping over the sole of his left, the toes of his left foot curling with the effort he was making to tug at his right. Nanuq pushing into the pads of his left foot with the toes of his right, the toes of his left foot curled tightly with effort, Nanuq pulled and relaxed, pulled and relaxed until the toes of his right foot were almost where the margin of the heel pad on a human’s left foot would be. It was while Nanuq relaxed with hth toes of his right foot pressing into the soft pad of his left heel that it happened. With a yowl of dismay, Nanuq felt the toes of his right foot curling and relaxing, making their way back along the sole of his left foot to the grip of the toes which were already uncurling to receive them. wailing, Nanuq watched as the toes of both his large feet resumed their fierce embrace.

“this is gonna be hayayayayrder! Nanuq screeched, tearing at the toes of his left foot, which now held those of his right tighter than ever, while the held toes of his right foot gripped the ball of his left. Nanuq moaned and yelled, groaned and puffed as he tugged hard at his trapped right foot, because nothing he did would uncurl the toes of his left. After five minutes of hard tugging, in which he held tightly to the sole of his right foot with both paws, his left on the heel, his right as far down his foot towards his toes as he could get his paw without grabbing the toes themselves, Nanuq had got the toes of his right foot half way back along the sole of his left foot, everyone seeing the toes of both feet were curled, the toes of Nanuq’s left with effort, the right because they pushed so hard into his left sole, as if stuck there. Nanuq groaned and grunted:

“uuuuumf, uuuuumf, auauauauauauamf!” as he tugged at his right foot, this time always keeping traction on his right foot with both paws while he rested, rather than relaxing his hold completely, for he’d learnt his lesson the first time. The last tug to free the toes of his right foot made Nanuq moan and whimper as he tugged harder and harder, the toes moving slowly across the soft pad of his left foot at first, but then as he squealed:

“uuuuuuuuaumf!” they slid free with a rush, Nanuq flying backwards, his head cushioned by the pillow he’d put behind him.

“done it!” the bear gasped, rubbing the sole of his right foot with the fingers of both his huge paws.

“That was amazing Nanuq!” Ursula said, clapping her paws.

“I’d never before seen that trick with the toes scrabbling back to the start, that was new,” Titan mewed.

“that was because I let go of my heel and my toes do their own thing,” Nanuq panted, “it was left foot against my right , I can reverse it, so my right foot holds the toes of my left.”

“you held onto your foot so tightly!” Ursula exclaimed.

“I did, it was wonderful!” he replied.

“I’ve seen the humans playing that version, and they really get into it, but I still think a bear playing it is the best,” mama karina mewed, padding into the room and getting a cool drink for Nanuq from the trolley.

“You felursapiens can at least get hold of an arch to help you, we bears can’t!” Nanuq said, taking the drink from karina and smiling his thanks.

“yeah, but you have rougher pads to hold that bit tighter, we smoother padded creatures don’t,” karina mewed.

“My feet rough? Paws too? Feel,” Nanuq invited. Karina did, finding his pads as smooth as her own.

“that’s why you skidded onto your bum when first setting eyes on Soo Lee! Your feet slid from under you Nanuq!” Karina giggled.

“Oh all right, I know!” Nanuq whimpered, karina kissing him.

“You are funny,” she said.

“My bum huuuuurt after that!” Nanuq wailed, Karina dissolving into cubbish laughter.

“Oh I’m sorry,” she said after five minutes of mirth, “I shouldn’t laugh, but the video’s so funny! You sliding out of control on your bum, curling your toes repeatedly as if they were brakes!”

“It didn’t work did it, Lihua had to stop me by bracing her small feet against my huge feet!” Nanuq whined.

“It was cute, and you know it,” Karina mewed.

“What are you like giving birth to cubs Nanuq?” Ursula asked.

“I could simulate any bit, what do you want?” Nanuq asked.

“a big huge contraction where you whimper, then draw your feet up, grab your feet in your lovely paws and moan as if pushing,” Allie said.

“Like your mum did?” Nanuq asked, smiling at the small cub.

“yes, like mum!” Allie said, clapping her paws.

“Okay, ready?” Nanuq asked.

“No,” Ursula whimpered, covering her face with her paws.

“aww mum, but you were wonderful!” Bjorn said, hugging her left foot with his small paws.

“I suppose I was,” Ursula replied softly.

“Here goes!” Nanuq said, leaning forward and grabbing his left foot in his paws.

“Aouw! Aouw! Uuuuumf, Aouw!” he complained, squeezing his heel and the ball of his foot with both paws while stretching and curling his toes.

“umf, uuuuumf!” Nanuq whimpered, drawing up his feet, reaching between his legs and grabbing the insides of his heels with his paws, squealing as he braced his feet against his paws as he settled, then complaining “Umf, uuuuumf, heuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf!” as he strained his feet against his paws, curling his toes as he pushed deeply. Then, with a cry of “auauauuw! Along with huge straining efforts, Nanuq’s feet flew free of his paws, the bear splaying his legs, grabbing the backs of his thighs with his paws and gripping hard. Wriggling convulsively, the poor bear complained:

“aoaoaoaoaowuw! Uauauauauw! Muuuuust puuuuuush! Nanuq squealed, then he panted, “Ush, ush, Uuumf,” then, wriggling, and grabbing his heels with his paws again, he squealed “Ooaaoah! Yuuuuuuuuuuumf! Eueueueueueueueeuruueueueuemf! Aow!” curling his toes whenever he pushed and moaned, relaxing them when he panted. Nanuq sometimes let go of his feet while he wriggled, then grabbed them again in a fierce grip, moaning and whimpering as he pushed his feet against his paws with ever increasing efforts. Nanuq moaned:

“uuuuumf, uuuuumf!” as he worked up to a final huge effort, then with a final straining effort, yelling:

“Eueueueueueueueeuruueueueuemf!” he strained harder than ever, grunting as his feet flew free of his paws for the final time..

“that was amazing!” Ursula yelled, clapping her paws.

“It was too real!” Patch whimpered.

“it felt wonderful!” Nanuq replied, sitting up and grinning at two cubs, who were watching his antics in open mouthed fascination.

“Your face, feet and paws are beautiful Nanuq!” Patch blurted.

“awww thanks,” Nanuq replied, crawling to Patch then kissing his nose, Ursula giggling delightedly.

“You looked like mum did Nanuq!” Bjorn yelled.

“How do you know what I looked like during my labour?” Ursula asked.

“Um, mum, the den you left us in had a television, we watched you give birth to us, it was Soaoaoaoao amazing!” Allie replied.

“oh, um, okay,” Ursula replied.

“Nanuq did what you did, and he looked like you looked!” Bjorn said, “mum, you pushed your feet through the grip of your paws too.”

“Did I? I can’t remember,” Ursula said, “I remember grabbing my feet, I remember the pain, but can’t remember what I did with my feet.”

“You must remember holding your left foot in your paws in the trailer,” Patch said.

“I remember that,” Ursula replied smiling. “I suppose, if I were to get into the posture I was while giving birth my body would remember.”

“yes it would,” Patch replied.

“Nanuq has similar feet to you and Patch mum,” Allie said.

“that’s because we aren’t pure bred bears,” Ursula replied.

“Are you going to play the stuck foot game mum?” Bjorn asked.

“I’d like you to play it,” Ursula replied. Bjorn pressed his feet together where he sat on the bed, then began tugging with his small paws to free his stuck feet, while moaning and squealing with effort as Nanuq had.

“Puuuull Bjorn Puuuull!” Ursula urged, Bjorn having the same problems Nanuq had, the small cub following Nanuq’s struggles to the letter.

“it’s hayayayrd muuum!” he yelled, having got hold of his right heel in his small paws. Ursula watched her son cub tugging to free his trapped toes, the toes of his left foot curled round those of his right, just as Nanuq’s had been. Shrieking, Bjorn freed his feet, falling backwards into Ursula’s paws, the she bear laughing so hard her whole body shook.

“muuum, it was hayayayrd and you’re laughing at meyeee!” Bjorn complained theatrically, Ursula lifting her cub into her lap then washing his sweat soaked paws and feet.

“it was worth all the struggle for this mum,” Bjorn said, settling down to drink from her milk. Allie scrambled up onto her mum’s lap and drank deeply from her milk supply, Ursula gazing down at her two cubs with gentle eyes.

“can I have a paw and foot wash too?” Nanuq asked.

“You can wash your own paws and feet!” Patch replied.

“I’ll do it, Nanuq was good enough to play along with us,” Ursula replied, “we did ask him to play the stuck foot game and one of our cubs asked him to re-enact their births, it’s only fair we wash his paws and feet.” mama Karina found a bowl of water and gently washed Nanuq’s paws and feet, the bear smiling broadly at her.

“Thanks,” he said.

“now we want to see mum playing the stuck foot game! Go on muuum!” Allie urged. Ursula settled her cubs on the quilted spread on the bed, then smiled, crawling to the end of the bed with the pillows, her cubs chasing her toes across the quilt on the bed, pouncing on her toes with their paws and tickling her sole pads with their breath, Ursula giggling helplessly throughout. Ursula, sitting back on her heels when she reached the pillows laughed as Allie and Bjorn got paws on with the soles of her feet as she knelt squirming and bouncing her backside on her heels, just as she’d done before Allie’s birth in the video they’d seen in the den.

“You’re a big softy mama,” Bjorn said, tickling his mum’s toes, Ursula suddenly curling her toes, catching her cub’s fingers in their grip.

“you’re so cuddly Ursula,” Nanuq said.

“I try to be,” Ursula replied, “I was a child’s playmate for years, then, well, I suppose the humans thought I outgrew my child and my house.”

“They just threw you into the woodlands?” Nanuq asked.

“yes, tipped me out of the large estate car we rode in, and I was left on the roadside while they sped off,” Ursula replied, deep sadness in her eyes.

“Ooaaoah uuuuursula!” Nanuq wailed, looking very distressed.

“Mum, I think you should turn round and face Nanuq,” Bjorn said. Ursula turned to Nanuq, the two bears meeting nose to nose on the bed, their paws touching.

“We love you here Ursula,” Nanuq said, kissing Ursula’s nose.

“I wish you had my cubhood,” Nanuq said, “I had all the play I could want, loving parents too.”

“Patch told me about your life Nanuq, about how playful you were, about your reactions to the births of your cubs,” Ursula replied.

“I would love to play with you, to get my feet stuck to yours and rub your paws too,” Nanuq said.

“We can make a date for that, and the stuck foot games too,” Ursula replied softly.

“You two can play now, play now!” Allie and Bjorn yelled, clapping their paws.

“Let’s measure feet Ursula,” Nanuq said, nuzzling her cheek.

“Can I hold your feet in my paws?” Ursula asked.

“You can,” Ursula replied, “can I take yours in mine?”

“I’d love it,” Nanuq replied, kissing Ursula’s nose, the she bear closing her eyes in bliss.

“awhwhwhwh! Muuum’s gone all slushy!” Allie yelled, clapping her paws.

“Give me a hug, please?” Ursula pleaded, Nanuq pushing Ursula onto her side, lying down beside her, nose to nose, then wrapping his arms round her and pulling her close, Ursula embracing him tightly in her arms too.

“two cubs cuddling, two cubs cuddling! How cuuuute!” Bjorn yelled, rolling onto his back, squirming gleefully while pedalling at the air with his feet and clapping his paws delightedly.

“this is just too cute,” Patch said hoarsely.

“Measure your feet against mine Ursula,” Nanuq said softly.

“Okay, I will,” Ursula replied, sitting up, Nanuq pressing his feet against hers, heel to heel, Nanuq’s toes sticking up above Ursula’s, the male bear feeling her toes curling, gripping the ball of his sole pad, his own toes curling round hers.

“You have short claws Ursula,” Nanuq said.

“So do you,” she replied, “Nanuq, I keep mine short for play.”

“so do I,” Nanuq replied.

“Ursula,” Patch said in English, “do you know English? Can you speak it?” Ursula looked at him, fear in her eyes.

“What if I can?” she asked in ursine, the language they’d been using until now.

“I wondered if you could as you’d been with humans since you were a cub,” Patch said. Ursula sighed and replied in English:

“yes Patch, I know English. I hope that this will not damage our relationship.”

“No, it’s normal for a bear to know English if they’ve lived with English humans,” Patch replied, also in English, Ursula sighing deeply.

“Do you know whom I have spoken to about my issues Ursula?” Nanuq asked.

“I know the one in the woodlands,” Ursula replied, “I met him too.”

“he’s lovely,” Nanuq replied.

“He has a troubled past, and hides in the treehouse because of it,” Ursula said.

“So he never forgave himself,” Patch said.

“It would seem that way,” Conrad replied, padding into the room, “Patch, “we need to talk to this bear and tell him all is forgiven. I was given a body to live with mama Anook after she returned. Now this bear should be forgiven for his actions so many years ago.” Patch got off the bed, leaving two confused cubs and their mama to work things out as best they could.

Padding to Mishka’s treehouse, Patch rang the bell and Mishka spoke down the speaking tube.

“who’s there?”

“It’s Patch and Conrad, oh, and Sooleawa too!” Patch yelled.

“No need to shout,” Mishka grumbled, the tube does its business quite well.” Patch grinned as there was a ding from the wall beside him, and the door unlocked. Opening it, he and the two other bears got in. closing the door, they waited.

“Pull us up will you Mishka!” Sooleawa yelled, banging on the side of the cage. Mishka moved the lever on his lift control console to the up position and pedalled gently, the lift rising to his level, the bell telling him it had arrived. Disengaging the gear, Mishka felt the pedals lock, then pressed the unlock button which opened the door a few inches, three bears emerging from his lift.

“Solar and pedal powered,” Mishka grunted.

“Blackberry put a fully solar system in here didn’t he?” Patch asked.

“Yeah, but my gadgets, the computer for reading my emails and my talking book machine guzzles loads,” Mishka replied, “I conserve the batteries for that.”

“You have a feed from the house though?” Sooleawa asked.

“I do, but I rarely use it, don’t have the right,” Mishka replied.

“We have come about that,” Conrad replied, “Mishka, you do know I got my body back after mama Anook helped me back into the world?”

“I know,” Mishka replied, “but I still do not deserve any forgiveness for what I did to you Conrad.”

“You were silly, but yourself exile has taught you much,” Patch replied.

“I do not fully deserve to be part of your community, help mama Ekaterina though I did,” Mishka replied.

“Dear Mishka,” Sooleawa said, “you showed your true colours by going about helping unobtrusively, without the need for recognition from anyone. You were a cub when the things you spoke of happened. Now you’re years older and wiser. We know what you have done for others in the intervening years, we know you are the gentle bear in the woodlands.”

“I’ve come and gone from the community, but here I live,” Mishka replied.

“come more often, play with us more often, please,” Patch said.

“I have had contact with Freckles and Ursula when they have been alone in the woodlands,” Mishka replied, “I have directed them to your house Patch.”

“We know that,” Patch replied, “and you have also spoken to another too Mishka, one who is as community cub born as yourself, and also felt isolated.”

“yes, he is a beautiful bear,” Mishka replied softly, “there is one other who came to me in his time of troubles, but you will never realise it.”

“Titan?” Patch asked.

“yes,” Mishka replied, “he came up the slope many a time to talk to me about he and Theo. It was I who suggested to him he was part female, which he laughed off, but I believe he found was true.”

“Titan’s now very happy,” A deep rich voice said, “and Mishka, we want you to be too. You can cope, but being happy with your life is another thing entirely.”

“I like this place,” Mishka replied, “it’s less of a treehouse now, and more an, um, elevated home. I call it a treehouse because it’s off the ground, but that’s to stop rotting in the wood. I’m connected with all amenities here, and have my own address too.”

“can I takes a look awound this twee’ouse?” Zalika asked, tumbling off Titan’s back, landing almost silently on her thickly padded feet.

“yes you can,” Mishka replied, smiling at her trick of speech. Zalika padded to where Mishka sat.

“Wants to touch my paws?” she asked.

“Yes, please, if you would be so kind,” Mishka replied, Zalika scrambling over his left foot, climbing up his pads using just her pads for grip, then into his lap, before rolling onto her back.

“Finds my paws then,” she invited, Mishka finding her waving paws and kicking feet with his large paws, embracing each in turn, Zalika purring and squirming with pleasure.

“I love your pads, they’re so cuuuute!” Mishka said.

“You’s pads on with Bianca when her’s giving biwth to Jespah wasn’t you,” Zalika said.

“Yes, I touched her pads, didn’t get paws on with the birth of Jespah himself though,” Mishka replied.

“Well, ‘ow if we gets Shandy to act like Bianca, then she can let you get paws on,” the liliger cub asked.

“Shandy can give birth like Bianca?” Mishka asked.

“Yeah, ‘ur can, she just ‘as to forget she’s a ligress and mrioaw and roar like a lioness. Shandy will cuwl ‘ur toes too, and you can feel Jespah’s birth that way.”

“I was very close to Ursula when Patch found her, actually I was with her when the car pulled up, but fled when Patch got out, I’d like to have got paws on with Ursula’s labour further too, but alas, that won’t be possible,” Mishka replied.

“What about when Sita found ‘er?” Zalika asked.

“I was there too, and we both tried to comfort Ursula, when Sita said she’d go for help,” Mishka replied.

“I’s sowwy that you’s felt you ‘ad to wun away when Patch tuwned up. As to expewiencing the biwths of Ursula’s cubs, Shadow can ‘elp with that,” Zalika said, “I thinks you needs to talk to Shandy and shadow Mishka, they can lets you get paws on with my biwth, Jespah’s, and Bjorn and Allie’s too.”

“No Zalika, I’d like Mishka to feel me re-enacting your birth,” Titan mewed, padding forward, bowing his head then kissing the toe pads of Mishka’s right foot, “I want to revive the acting profession in this community.”

“You’re very kind Titan,” Mishka said.

“I likes that lift thing,” Zalika said, “Mishka, ‘ow if you wants to use it? You’s gonna ‘ave to pedal that thing and you can’t if you’s in it.”

“Ah, there is a manual handle you can use to wind the thing up and down if power’s low, and there is a battery as well as the pedal power.”

“that lift is so cool!” Sooleawa gushed. The bell ringing made Mishka gently set Zalika down on the floor and pad to the speaking tube:

“who’s there?” he asked.

“Ursula, Nanuq, Sita and two cubs,” was the reply.

“I’m glad I got an extension,” Mishka grunted as he sat on the pedal seat.

“the lift can only take so much weight, get in and I’ll tell you,” Mishka said, “not to be disrespectful, but some of you will have to walk up here, or wait for the next lift if you’re over capacity.”

“We can’t all get in the lift anyway, mama Sita’s tail’s too long!” Allie yelled when the lift came down.

“You don’t speak about mama Sita like that!” Ursula snapped, “for that Allie, we will walk, you aren’t going to ride in that lift, either up or down! Sita, please ride with Bjorn and Nanuq.” Hearing the justice being dealt out to Allie by Ursula, Mishka grinned to himself. Once Allie, her two cubs, Nanuq, and mama Sita were in his house, Mishka left his post and sat down, Allie and Bjorn scrambling into his lap for a hug, Mishka hugging them both, rubbing their ears, paws and feet.

“I forgot how lovely newborn cubs were,” Mishka said.

“Your paws are very warm and gentle Mishka,” Allie said, Mishka grabbing her right foot and blowing on her pads, Allie shrieking with laughter. Bjorn begged Mishka to blow on his pads, and the huge bear did, Bjorn laughing as much as his sister had. Once the cubs had their fill, they scrambled off his lap.

Mishka led everyone on a tour of the house, Titan, Zalika and Ursula following him upstairs to the next floor, where he had a bedroom and computer room, as well as a balcony. Downstairs was the bathroom and general living room, as well as his kitchen where he had a food store.

“You’s got a nice place ‘ere,” Zalika mewed while looking round Mishka’s bedroom, jumping onto his bed and stretching full length, Titan slapping her for her disrespect.

“Get off his bed you disrespectful creature!” he snapped, lifting Zalika off the bed by the scruff of her neck, dumping her on the floor.

“come, come for a cuddle,” Mishka said, climbing onto his bed and patting the bed beside him. Zalika leapt up onto the bed and snuggled with Mishka, the huge bear hugging her, Zalika kissing his paws.

“Now I wayayayayant to cuddle tooo!” Titan miaowed, Zalika laughing merrily at Titan as the liger bounced on his toes, lashing the air with his tail.

“I wish you could see Titan now Mishka!” Zalika mewed, “’e’s bouncing on ‘is toes and lashing about with ‘is tail! ‘e’s a big cuuuub!” she yelled, pointing with her paw at the liger.

“Pointing at me won’t help Mishka see me any better Zalika,” Titan mewed.

“Oh,” Zalika mewed, “Mishka can’t see anything? Like mama Sita and cub Ekatewina, and siwe owbon?”

“yes Zalika that’s twue,” Mishka replied, Zalika turning to him, playfully slapping him with her fat left paw.

“you’s a wogue speaking like me, when in weality you doesn’t, but I supposes that’s what I desewves fow being so wude and diswespectful, saying what I did,” Zalika replied.

“You also shouldn’t hit Mishka,” Titan mewed, now flat footed on the thick carpet.

“I recognise this style of bed!” Ursula said, looking into the room.

“I tested the bed for Patch, then he got one,” Mishka giggled, wriggling while kicking the air with his feet and paws, Zalika and Titan roaring with laughter at his antics.

“You gweat big cuddly bwuin Mishka!” Zalika miaowed, copying his example while Ursula and Titan laughed helplessly at their antics.

“You two make me so happy!” Titan mewed, gazing contentedly at his cub and Mishka.

“I suppose I should stop acting the cub and do the host bit, tea anyone?” Mishka said”

“NO need to ask, I’ve already made some!” Sita yelled up the stairs, “Mishka, Patch and I were gasping!”

“Sorry, I’m coming!” Mishka replied, padding from the room.

“Quick, now you gets on the bed Titan,” Zalika said.

“I wanted a hug from Mishka, but he’s gone!” Titan wailed cubbishly, Zalika squealing with laughter:

“You silly thing Titan!”

“Oh I know, but that bed looks so inviting!” the liger moaned pitifully.

“if you was a cub, would you ‘ave got youwself up ‘ere?” Zalika asked.

“I would do it right now, but it’s disrespectful to use a bed without asking first.”

“ Titan mewed.

“Yeah, you told me that,” Zalika mewed, snuggling down, “but it’s so nice!” she yawned, closing her eyes.

“come on Titan, come ‘ave a snuggle,” Zalika mewed. Titan reared onto his feet, put his paws on the bed, then he was heaving his body up, then his feet were on the bed and he’d turned and lain down beside his cub. curling up together, the liger and liliger quickly fell asleep.

Ten minutes later, Ursula, who’d followed Mishka downstairs, returned to the upper floor with a tray of tea and little cakes to find Titan and Zalika sleeping peacefully on Mishka’s bed. Setting the tray down, she padded silently from the room and found Mishka, whispering to him, Ursula led Mishka to his bed.

“Get paws on with them,” Ursula whispered. Mishka gently stroked Titan and Zalika, his heart melting when he touched Titan’s paws which tightly held Zalika in their huge embrace.

“You two are so lovely, you are welcome to my bed,” Mishka said, kissing their noses and the top of Titan’s left paw. Finding Zalika’s right paw free, he kissed the top of that too, then kissed her ear. Padding from the room, Ursula looked at Mishka. She wanted to rub the pads of his huge feet, but didn’t know how to frame her request.

“Would you like to get paws on with my feet and paws?” Mishka asked.

“I’d love to, I mean like to, oh dear,” Ursula babbled, Mishka kissing her nose.

“I’d like to get paws on with your paws too,” Mishka said, “I like to rub paws and feet of bears, humans and cats.

“Get paws on with the whole of me Mishka,” Ursula said, “my cubs love you, and I could too.”

“there’s enough room for you to stretch on the rug in my sitting room,” Mishka said.

“I’m looking forward to it Mishka,” Ursula replied. Mishka and Ursula padded downstairs where Sita and the others sat chatting, drinking tea and eating biscuits.

“Where have Titan and Zalika got to?” Sita asked.

“On my bed sleeping like cubs,” Mishka replied smiling.

“Naughty that Titan!” Nanuq snapped.

“He’s all right,” Mishka replied, “there’s enough room on the bed for both, and if I want my bed tonight and they’re there still, I’ll sleep down here, there’s no problem.”

“You are so gentle,” Sita mewed, “I hope you got paws on with them Mishka.”

“Oh I did,” Mishka replied, they were all snuggled together, Zalika turned to Titan, almost nose to nose. it was so cuuuute!”

“I would think getting paws on would disturb them,” Nanuq said.

“Not the way Mishka and Sita do it,” Patch replied.

“Mishka did it so lovingly I asked him to get paws on with me,” Ursula said.

“You’ll love his touch,” Patch replied.

“As long as he doesn’t mind dusty pads,” Ursula replied.

“Oh, I just blow the dust off dusty pads,” Mishka said.

“I know!” Nanuq replied, “I walked through the woods to find Mishka, and the walk to his door has a sandy path. It cleans mud off pads and dries them too. You then get to a rough mat thing that you wipe your paws and feet on before climbing the slope or riding the lift, but even that last doesn’t sometimes work, and there is still some sand on your pads. Mishka blows it off my pads with a quick puff of breath which makes me squeal with cubbish laughter.”

“your pads are lovely Nanuq,” Mishka said, Nanuq smiling at him.

“I am grateful some come to me for hugs and silly foot play games,” Mishka said.

“You don’t judge us Mishka,” Nanuq replied, “You’ll play for the love of a game and the need of the other to play with you, or teach the rules of a game and encourage interactive play in one who doesn’t understand how to play.”

“Did you play the stuck foot game with Ursula?” Mishka asked.

“No, I played it singly, though my feet got really stuck,” Nanuq replied grinning.

“I’m glad you played a version of the game anyway,” Mishka replied smiling.

“Nanuq couldn’t free his feet, it was so fuuuunny!” Allie said.

“I’d love to have got paws on with that,” Sita mewed.

“Me too,” Mishka replied.

“I could do it all again,” Nanuq said, “the glue never runs out you see,” he added smiling.

“Let’s see you play then,” Mishka replied.

“I’ll play for Mishka, you play for Sita Nanuq.” Ursula said.

“We have to check your pads for thorns though,” Mishka replied.

“yeah, I’m looking forward to that,” Ursula replied. Ursula sat down with a mug of tea in her huge paw, Mishka kneeling before her then rubbing her left foot in both his huge paws.

“cup of tea in my paws, while the soles of my feet are being rubbed, how lovely,” Ursula said, closing her eyes in bliss.

“You’ll be needing all the rest you can get when you’re struggling to free your feet from each other,” Patch said.

“My toes are already curling with pleasure,” Ursula replied, tightly curling the toes of her left foot, on the sole pad of which Mishka was drawing circles. Mishka ran his fingers straight down the sole of Ursula’s left foot, Ursula curling her toes even tighter as the male bear’s fingers bumped over the deepening furrows in her pad the tighter she curled her toes. Ursula even went so far as to grab her toes with her left paw and curl them that little bit more.

“I could make you feel a contraction like you did during labour, then you’d curl your toes as tightly as they’d go,” Patch said smiling.

“Noaoaoaow, you did that in the sick bay, and it was horrid!” Ursula whimpered.

“Mishka wants you to curl your toes as tightly as you can mum,” Bjorn said.

“I’m trying to do that!” Ursula whimpered.

“I love your toes, be they curled slightly or tightly,” Mishka replied smiling.

“You big softy,!” Ursula giggled.

“I know, I can’t help it,” Mishka replied gently.

“Now I’ll play the stuck foot game,” Ursula said, putting down her cup of tea and gripping the tops of her toes with her left paw, the back of her left heel with her right, then tugging at her trapped left foot in an effort to ease it free of Mishka’s paws which held the sides of her foot in a gentle grip. Ursula increased her effort, whimpering and tugging harder at her left foot as if it was stuck, Mishka gently gripping her foot, the two bears having a mock tug of war between her paws which held the toes and heel of her left foot and his paws which still gripped the sides of that foot.

“this is the stuck foot game,” Mishka said, rubbing the sole of the she bear’s left foot with his thumbs, Ursula smiling:

“Using your thumbs is cheating!” she squealed, giggling cubbishly, “Your thumbs are your inheritance from ancient sire Koda aren’t they Mishka,” she said.

“Yes, and I love the way your pads bunch when I rub the ball of your foot with them too,” Mishka replied.

“Pull hard to free your foot mum!” Allie urged, Ursula tugging desperately to free her left foot while Mishka touched the mid sole of that foot with the thumbs of both paws, the toes of the same foot monitored byBjorn, who told him how much his mum was curling her toes, toes which Ursula curled and relaxed with her struggles to free her foot.

“I Cayayayn’t freeyeee my fooooot!” Ursula whimpered cubbishly, her cubs giggling helplessly at her antics.

“cuuuuuuwl them toes tight and puuuuuull ‘ard Uwsula!” Zalika yelled, watching the she bear from her vantage point sitting on Titan’s back on the top landing of the treehouse.

“I’m alweady puuuuulling ‘ard and cuwling my toooes!” Ursula yelled, Bjorn and Allie laughing so hard they rolled on the floor waving their paws.

“Now that’s so cuuuute!” Titan mewed, PADDING backwards DOWN THE steep STAIRS FROM THE LANDING, “Bjorn and Allie waving their cute paws and feet about, and mama Ursula tugging as hard as she can to fwee her foot.”

“Ursula’s pads are warm and her toes are curling so tightly Titan,” Mishka said.

“My foot’s stuuuuuck!” Ursula wailed, wriggling and bouncing in her efforts. Smiling, Mishka rubbed the mid sole of Ursula’s left foot with the thumb of his left paw, while the fingers of his right kept a tactile vigil over her toes.

“If you could see Ursula’s face Mishka, you’d see a huge grin just about now,” Nanuq said.

“I can feel her toes are curling with pleasure,” Mishka said, gently rubbing the ball of Ursula’s left foot with the thumb of his left paw, the she bear sighing and closing her eyes with pleasure, her toes curling even tighter, Mishka rubbing as much of the she bear’s toe pads as he could with the fingers of his right paw while she curled them as tightly as possible. Mishka dug the fingers of his right paw into the bunched skin on the ball of Ursula’s foot, working them into the gap between the ball pad and toe pads, Ursula squirming as her toes uncurled then curled tightly, this time grabbing the fingers of Mishka’s right paw, the male bear blowing between the palm of his right paw and sole of her left foot, Ursula screeching with laughter and releasing his fingers by uncurling her toes.

“Now I can get to rubbing these lovely pads, and you can try and free your foot from my paws again,” Mishka said, kissing the top of Ursula’s right paw, which still held onto the heel of her left foot.

“My left paw feels redundant,” Ursula said.

“If I grab the ball and toes of your left foot with my paws, you can get paws on with the heel,” Mishka said.

“I never thought of that,” Ursula replied, sitting so her left foot was towards Mishka, his warm paws holding her toes and the ball of her foot. Ursula cupped her left heel in her right paw, reaching between her legs, her right paw round her left heel pad, her left resting on the outside of her lower left leg.

“Now I can pull as hard as I want,” Ursula said, tugging hard, Mishka feeling her toes curling as she tugged.

“Uuumf, Ruuuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Eieieieieieiaw! I Cayayayn’t freeyeee my fooooot!” Ursula yelled.

“That’s so cuuuute muuum!” Bjorn yelled, clapping his paws.

“the toes of your free right foot curled too when you pulled extra hard at your left foot mum,” Allie said.

“I bet they did, I’m reaeaeally tryiyiying!” Ursula panted. Relaxing, then tightly curling the toes of both feet with a frustrated yell of: “Yuuuuuuumf! While both her cubs laughed at her antics.

“Mum’s a huge cub!” Allie yelled, clapping her paws.

“Muuuuust Puuuull as hayayayrd as I cayayayaayn!” Ursula whimpered, tugging at her left foot with both paws, Mishka letting go of her foot when she was at the height of her effort, Ursula rolling backwards onto her back, her heels lifting off the floor, her two cubs grabbing her toes with their paws, riding their mum’s feet into the air, resting their small feet and paws against the huge soles of her feet.

“Mishka, feel my feet,” Ursula said, sticking her tongue out at the two cubs who’s faces looked down at her from three feet above her face.

“your two cubs are resting on the soles of your feet!” Mishka exclaimed.

“yeah, this is so cool!” Bjorn yelled, standing up on the sole pad of his mum’s left foot, bracing his feet against her heel, his paws against the ball of her foot, Ursula curling her toes to grip his fingers to hold him securely.

“I’m not so brave as you Bjorn,” Allie said, lying on the sole pad of Ursula’s right foot, fiercely gripping her mum’s curled toes with both paws, “how do we get down from here?” she asked.

“I want to feel mum’s pads with mine for a bit,” Bjorn said, gently kneading his mum’s sole pad using his feet, Ursula tightly curling her toes with pleasure and concentration as her male cub continued treading and kneading the sole pad of her left foot, nearly three feet off the floor. Allie stared at her brother in utter astonishment.

“I’m not doing that!” she yelled, “I feel sick watching you Bjorn, stoaoaoaoap him muuum!” Allie moaned.

“I’ll lift you off Allie,” Mishka said, picking Allie up off the thick sole pad of her mum’s right foot and placing her on the floor. then, turning to Bjorn, Mishka rescued him in a similar manner, sitting both cubs down on the floor, Ursula sitting up:

“Now my feet have been unexpectedly warmed by my cubs, I will see if I can free them from each other,” she said, pressing the soles of her feet firmly together.

“Mum has huge black pads Mishka,” Bjorn said.

“I don’t know what black is,” Mishka replied, “but yes your mum’s pads are huge and soft aren’t they.”

“We made them even softer so they’ll stick better,” Allie giggled, clapping her paws.

“I kneaded mum’s pads, you didn’t, you were too scayayayred!” Bjorn taunted. Allie crawled over to him and slapped him hard round the head with her paw, Bjorn screeching with surprise and anger, then lashing out wildly at his sister with poor coordination.

“stop it both of you!” Patch growled.

“but he called me scared!” Allie squealed.

“You were,” Ursula replied, “hitting him for that was totally uncalled for.”

“My head hurts!” Bjorn moaned. Ursula crawled to her son cub and, rolling onto her side, picked him up in her paws, examining him anxiously by touch.

“I’ll take a look too,” Patch said, digging into the rucksack he always wore, “I’ll check him over, just in case.” Patch put a little helmet on Bjorn’s head and scanned it, watching the image on his tablet computer.

“Bjorn’s okay,” he said, “all he’s got is a headache I think. I’ll scan him again in an hour or so.” Suddenly Patch pounced on Allie, pinning her down under one huge paw:

“You never hit anyone around the head Allie!” Patch snapped at her.

“But he’s a pest!” Allie whined.

“You never hit anyone around the head!” Patch repeated.

“Oh dear, and I wanted to feel you play peacefully too,” Mishka whimpered.

“You’ll be able to,” Ursula replied, gently rubbing Bjorn’s head with her paw as the cub had begun to cry with pain, “just give Bjorn a few minutes and I’ll be back playing the stuck foot game I’m sure.”

“Everything’s going strange mama!” Bjorn yelled in a terrified squeal. The male cub suddenly vomited, everyone looking at Ursula and Bjorn. Ursula laid Bjorn down so he didn’t choke, then gave vent to a high pitch scream of terror noone had ever heard before, throwing her paws up to cover her eyes, rolling about while screaming in pain. Ursula and Bjorn panted desperately, their paws and feet damp with sweat. As everyone watched, Ursula and Bjorn seemed to simultaneously suffer a huge convulsion, then both lay perfectly still.

“I think Bjorn’s dead,” Patch whispered after a minute or so, Ursula panting, still covering her face with her paws. Feeling sick, Patch checked Bjorn over, the tiny cub’s body limp in his paws. The brain scanning helmet was still on the cub’s head so Patch reached for the tablet, seeing something on the screen. His eyes blurred with tears, Patch scrolled back through the brain patterns, coming to a place where they went wild, then continued in a less disturbed manner.

“Bjorn had a huge fit mama,” Patch whispered, the tablet knocked flying from his lap as Ursula threw herself at him, the she bear landing almost in his lap, Patch bowled onto his back, the male bear recovering to find his mate desperately hugging him.

“What’s happened?” Allie asked, but her parents couldn’t reply.

“Come with me Allie,” Titan mewed, the bewildered cub following him upstairs.

“Mishka to control, Mishka to control, we have problems here,” Nanuq heard Mishka saying into his consul headset, “yes, you saw the use of Patch’s tablet? Ok, you know then whom it was and I think what happened. Get someone over here to help.” Then a pause and the sound of Mishka’s paw hitting the desk in frustration, Yes dam you, the medic is inconsolable! Look you stupid bloody idiots, Patch, the medic is consoling his mate because, because, um,” Mishka swallowed hard, tears filling his eyes, “Bjorn their cub is dead,” he choked. Mishka closed down the link, buried his head in his paws and sobbed. Nanuq and Sooleawa got tea, while mama Sita cradled Bjorn’s body in her lap, stroking the inert form.

“I’m sorry little one,” she whispered, clasping one of his small paws in her huge ones.

“What do we do now?” Nanuq asked, coming in with fresh tea.

“Allie didn’t mean to kill Bjorn,” Titan mewed, Sita jumping with fright and spilling her tea.

“Shit! Titan, don’t do that!” she remonstrated.

“Sorry,” Titan mewed, “maybe I should wear a bell on my tail?” he asked.

“yes maybe you should!” Sita miaowed, “I do, well on my ankle actually, but there it is.”

“Allie doesn’t know really what she’s done,” Titan mewed, “she’s upset her brother’s dead, but can’t see why hitting him would kill him.”

“Even Zalika knew not to hit Apudo round the head when defending Patch from her words, and she was only a few hours old,” Sita replied.

“I know,” Titan mewed, “and other cubs don’t go for head shots either, it’s hitting shoulders, paws even, but not the head. I don’t know why Allie did that.”

“I bet neither does she,” Nanuq replied, “where is she now?”

“Patch, Ursula?” Blackberry said, padding into the room, “I’ll help where I can.” The black bear put down flasks of soup, then washed his paws and opened a sack which he’d carried in on his back.

“Sita, please, can we, can we,” Patch asked, unable to finish his request.

“here,” Sita mewed, passing Bjorn’s near lifeless body to his sire, “I know what you want,” Sita mewed, “and I can guess what Blackberry’s just brought from the house.” Ursula looked into space from where she sat, twisting her paws together from time to time.

“Can I do anything for anyone, pour tea, soup?” Nanuq asked.

“the one thing I want, noone can do,” Ursula replied dispiritedly, “I know the spirit world, I know what can be done, but Bjorn is gone forever. The fit destroyed his spirit, wrecked his mind, destroyed who he was.”

“it wasn’t a peaceful passing,” Patch choked, “he knew, Bjorn knew.”

“Bjorn felt fear,” Ursula said, “I know he felt fear, I felt it in him just before he died.”

“If he ever comes back over the bridge, he will never lose that fear,” Patch said softly.

“If it is permitted, I’ll take Bjorn’s body away now,” Blackberry said. Patch kissed his male cub’s nose one last time, then Patch handed the body to Blackberry, who gently slid it into the bag he carried.

“I’ll bury him in the woodlands, would you like to know the place?” Blackberry asked.

“the last cub I buried was still alive,” Patch grunted.

“Bjorn is not like little Patch was,” Blackberry said softly, “Bjorn’s brain died Patch, he’s gone.”

“it was a few seconds of agonising pain,” Ursula said, “my brain’s blocking it at the moment, but I felt his passing, I know I did.”

“don’t even try to think about it please Ursula!” Patch begged, grabbing his mate in a huge bear hug.”

“it’ll come to me when I sleep,” Ursula whispered.

“You felt his convulsion didn’t you,” Patch whispered.

“I saw the flash of light too,” Ursula replied, “that’s why I covered my face with my paws Patch, it wasn’t because I didn’t want to see my cub. I, I, Patch, I can’t see you now, my eyes are dark now,” the she bear said.

“What happened?” Patch asked, his voice hollow.

“I can find out Patch,” Blackberry said.

“Keep your paws off her you fleabag!” Patch roared.

“I’m almost certain Ursula’s visual cortex was destroyed by the flash of light from Bjorn’s,” Blackberry replied.

“I know the spirit world as well as Patch does,” Ursula said, “I too had an experience much like he did. We had very similar lives.”

“Why didn’t I see Bjorn’s fit?” Patch asked.

“You’ve had years to learn how to separate yourself from the bodies of others Patch,” Titan mewed, “Ursula hasn’t had that time. She saw Bjorn’s death and felt it too.” Patch stared at his mate, who’d buried her face in her huge paws, crying inconsolably.

“So there are other bears born with the spirit knowledge,” Patch thought, remembering his own feelings when he first unconsciously tapped into Haimati’s body to feel her labour. That had been a roller coaster, and had ended well. It was something he couldn’t control, and reasoned Ursula also had no control over at this stage in her life. Patch knew how dangerous not pushing with Haimati would have been, so he had pushed hard and Sita had been born healthy and lively.

“You’re in turmoil Patch,” Ursula said, sniffing hard.

“I am,” Patch admitted, knowing she could see all, “I’m remembering my first encounter with the power you have just felt, and how joyous mine was. I’m very sorry Ursula.” Patch touched Ursula’s paw.

“You’re resentful and angry Patch,” Ursula said.

“I shouldn’t be,” Patch replied, “but yes I am.”

“You doesn’t want to be a sighted guide do you Patch,” Sita said.

“I thought I’d left that behind,” Patch admitted, angry with himself, but unable to deny his feelings, as he was sure Sita knew them only too well, and Ursula would grow to know them.

“So you will deny your mate assistance?” Sita asked, “the history tells that you stuck by ursine Ekaterina till the present day.”

“I got my sight back to facilitate cub Ekaterina’s inclusion and that of other sightless bears and humans too,” Patch whimpered, “I feel dreadful about this, but I don’t want to be a constant sighted guide again.”

“When you took Ursula as your mate, did you not promise to look after her in all weathers?” Mishka asked. Patch knew he had, so did everyone else. He knew with the nature of Ursula’s disability, giving her partial sight by routing sight to the visual cortex would not work as it would with Cub Ekaterina, Mishka and Sita, as their disabilities were due to crushed optic nerves and damaged internal structures of the eye, rather than damage to the brain itself, could see a little if he enabled it, whereas Ursula could not. Patch realised he would have to describe everything to her, or let her get extremely paws on.

“I must go now,” Patch replied.

“but I can’t bring Allie up alone!” Ursula whimpered.

“I need time,” Patch replied, walking out the door and down the ramp.

“We’ll help you Ursula,” Nanuq said softly, padding to her and hugging her.

“I don’t know what to do!” Ursula squealed, clinging to Nanuq.”

“I’ll take Bjorn’s body to the woodlands,” Blackberry said, padding from the room and down the ramp with his sad Burdon.

“I can’t see a thing Nanuq, I don’t know where anyone is, or even where I am, I know I’m in Mishka’s treehouse but that’s all. Where’s Patch, Titan, Zalika?”

“Patch left the treehouse, Mishka said, crawling to Ursula and grabbing her right foot, the she bear curling her toes with pleasure and relief.

“I don’t know what to do with Allie now,” Ursula confided, “a blow from her paw killed her brother, what do I do now?”

“We could adopt her into the community and educate her,” Mishka replied, “Ursula, you need time to adapt to your disability. You can’t bring Allie up single pawed, we see that.”

“Patch’s wunning off!” Zalika whimpered, staring out of the window, her paws on the sill, feet on Titan’s back.

“I think though he’s spiritual leader, he can’t cope with physical reality,” Sita mewed.

“Who do I go to who can teach me to cope?” Ursula asked.

“We all need help,” Sita mewed, “Mishka has learnt his way about here, but I get lost. I don’t go far from the house, and the truth is Mishka doesn’t go far from here either.”

“How did he find me in the woods then?” Ursula asked.

“The place is just behind my twee’ouse,” Mishka said, Zalika growling at him:

“Stop it Mishka!” Mishka padded to Zalika, reached up and picked her up off Titan’s back, cradling her in his arms.

“Now I thinks you’s lost,” Zalika said, “If you turns round Mishka, I can guides you back to youw seat,”“ Mishka turned his back to Titan and Zalika told him to walk forward until his feet reached his beanbag, Zalika telling him to, “stop just before “you twip ovew youw beanbag.” Mishka turned and sat down on his beanbag, Zalika snuggling into his hug.

“You are such a snuggly cub,” Mishka said, Zalika nuzzling his arm and climbing up his chest to kiss his nose.

“that’s so cuuuute!” Nanuq said, “Sita, Zalika’s climbed up Mishka’s chest fur then kissed his nose! She makes me well up!” Titan smiled broadly.

“I like her a lot Titan,” Mishka said, hugging Zalika tightly, the big cat cub climbing down into his lap, then sprawling herself comfortably on her back, giving Mishka her paws and feet, the huge bear gently rubbing them in his huge paws.

“You’s got a lovely touch Mishka,” Zalika mewed.

“I think we’d better go after Patch,” Nanuq said.

“he abandoned me when I became disabled!” Ursula whimpered, “I’m not going after that bear.”

“I will not be going after him,” Titan mewed, “Ursula, he should not have walked out on you. Zalika and I will not.”

“Neither will Mishka or I Ursula,” Sita mewed.

“Count me in that number too,” Nanuq said softly.”

“thanks,” Ursula replied, “but what do we do about Allie? I don’t know where she is, but we can’t just leave her.”

“She’s on Mishka’s bed,” Titan mewed, “I’ll bring her down, and we’ll see what happens. I don’t think she fully understands what hitting Bjorn did.”

Titan led Allie downstairs and across to her mum, explaining as he went that Ursula needed to touch her paw to know she was there.

“Where’s Bjorn?” Allie asked, looking round the room.

“he’s, he’s dead Allie,” Ursula replied, “he’s not here anymore.”

“Zalika said when I hit him, I sent him over the bridge,” Allie said.

“You did,” Ursula replied, “Allie, you killed your brother cub. I know you didn’t mean to kill him, but hitting him round the head with your paw hurt him so much he went over the bridge.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to!” Allie wailed.

“we and your mum know you didn’t, but there’s no changing what happened,” Titan replied, turning to the terrified cub.

“What can I do to bring him back?” Allie asked.

“Nothing,” Ursula choked, “Allie, there’s nothing you can do.”

“But I wayayayant tooo, I didn’t mean to send him over the bridge! I know it was wrong to hit him for saying I was scared, which I was!”

“There’s nothing that can be done,” Ursula replied softly.

“I’ll never play with anyone again,” Allie said, “I don’t deserve to play ever again after what I’ve done.”

“You will play again, just not now,” Titan mewed, “Allie, I know, and your mum knows you didn’t set out to kill Bjorn.”

“I was just angry with him, ashamed at myself for being scared too. he told me I was scared, and I got furious and hit him, and now he’s not coming back,” she clung to her mum’s left paw, crying bitterly, “now I can’t say sorry to him, which I am, I knew I’d done wrong as soon as Bjorn said things were going strange for him, now, now he’s gone!” the cub collapsed, Ursula pulling her limp body onto her lap and holding her close.

“I want to be with Bjorn, to say sorry to him!” Allie screamed. Ursula held Allie tightly, but the cub faught her way free, ran to the window and tried to jump out of it. the window, closed and double glazed, gave her no exit. Shrieking, Allie ran to the ramp, but Blackberry had closed the door, and she was too small to open it.

“someone stop her!” Ursula pleaded. It was Sita who stopped Allie, tracking the screaming cub’s whereabouts by ear, then gently arranging herself over the distraught cub’s body. Sita crouched, then scooped Allie up in her paws, resting her weight on her toes, then her soles, before standing up with the screaming, crying cub in her paws.

“I waaaaant to beyeee with Bjorn, let me go to Bjorn!” Allie screamed, lashing out with her paws, Sita taking the blows on her chest as she walked back to her place, Mishka banging the floor with a stick to guide her. Once she was sitting down, Sita tightly hugged Allie.

“You won’t meet Bjorn by going that route,” Sita mewed.

“but he is that route!” Allie yelled, thumping Sita with a paw balled into a fist of fury.

“he isn’t that route,” Titan mewed, “Dear Allie, if you go that route, the bridge doesn’t lead to those you love, it leads to a place of perpetual confusion and anguish. You cannot find Bjorn that way.”

“So I have to stay in a place where he is not?” Allie asked.

“You will meet him faster here than in that other place,” Titan mewed.

“You mean, like Nuru?” Sita asked.

“Maybe,” Titan mewed, “it’s not too late to reset him and let him play like Nuru did, or like Snowdrop before him.”

“I will rebirth my cub if I can,” Ursula said.

“Allie knows what she did wrong,” Titan mewed, padding up to Sita, lifting Allie from her lap, placing her on the floor, then padding to Ursula and gently butting her belly with his huge head.

“Can I be reborn too?” Allie asked.

“It is for you to help your mum when she gives rebirth to your brother,” Titan mewed, “Allie, this will be hard for your mum. She will push, but you’ll need to encourage her to push.”

“Can I push too?” Allie asked.

“yes, if you wish,” Titan replied, “Allie, how do you know how to do it?”

“Push like I need to poo,” Allie said, “I heard you say that while you were pushing me into the world mum. You said, ““aoaoaoaoaowuw! Uauauauauw! Yuauauauauaauauauauawch! Uuuuursula, youuuuu Muuuuust puuuuuush! Yuuuuuuuuuuumf! Uuuuursula Puuush like yououou’re poooing! Puuush like you doooo when youuuuu poo and a cuuuub will come thrououough! Eueueueueueueueeuruueueueuemf! Aow!””“ Ursula laughed helplessly at her cub’s mimicry of her own voice.

“I heard you say that muuum! You were pushing to give birth to me when you said that!” Allie yelled, clapping her paws.

“I was, and I did say that,” Ursula replied, “now though, I can’t see Bjorn born.”

“Zalika explained something about an explosion in your head when Bjorn went over the bridge,” Allie said.

“I don’t know about that,” Ursula replied, “but I can’t see anything now Allie.”

“You will be able to feel your cub’s birth though,” Titan mewed, “and dear Ursula, please, be assured that there will be little risk to Allie or yourself by rebirthing Bjorn. A biologically natural birth is much more dangerous to mother and cubs.”

“I’m assured from good sources that It doesn’t feel like it though,” Sita mewed. Titan smiled broadly.

“It doesn’t,” he replied, “It feels just as painful and scary.”

“Can I go as slowly as I want?” Ursula asked.

“You can push as slowly as you need,” Titan replied, “you can have whomever you want around you too.”

“I won’t hold back either,” Ursula said, “I’ll push and moan and yell and grunt and puff as energetically as I can.”

The sound of large paws padding up the slope to the closed door, then a light tap on it made Mishka go to his console and enquire the identity of the visitor. Smiling, he opened the door by pressing a button, and the visitor walked in. Titan saw it was Apudo, but she, on seeing the group, turned and fled, her pads making a sucking sound on the rubberised ramp as she bolted.

“Apudo, you silly thing, come back!” Titan yelled, but Apudo was running faster and faster into the trees.

“What’s eating her?” Patch asked.

“that’s confidential,” Mishka replied, “she must have been very upset to come here without arranging it on the telephone.”

“her paws were so damp with fear they stuck to the floor!” Titan mewed.

“Poor Apudo must have been terrified,” Sita mewed.

“You know her Titan, any ideas?” Ursula asked, probing.

“She looked at me and fled,” Titan mewed pitifully, “I wonder what’s eating her.”

“she came to Mishka’s house, clearly expecting noone else to be here,” Ursula replied.

“As I said, her issues are confidential ones,” Mishka said.

“Maybe she wasn’t looking at me after all,” Titan mewed, “I’ll go to her, find her, Zalika, stay here,” he said.

“Titan, don’t go to ‘er, don’t ‘arass ‘er, Apoodo’s clearly upset.” Titan left, Zalika staring at his retreating form.

“Poor Apuwdo,” she sighed, rolling over and sitting on Mishka’s lap.

Titan padded down the slope and turned left to walk alongside the void under Mishka’s house. Looking into it, he saw a form lying deep in the space, its head turned from him, its face buried in its paws. Titan could see by the trembling of the creature’s body that it was crying. Crawling into the space, he found himself in a dark place. Lying down beside the creature, whom he now knew, by its scent, to be Apudo, Titan waited.

“Apudo?” he asked softly. The lioness said nothing for a long time, then, whimpering pitifully, rubbed her face with her paws and turned to him a look of such anguish and fear that Titan instantly embraced her.

“Whatever has happened can’t be that bad,” the liger said softly.

“It’s worse than anything, I’m such a fool!” Apudo wept.

“Tell me,” Titan mewed, kissing her tear soaked cheek and the damp pads of one paw, smelling the scent of fear on them.

“I had a horrid dream Titan, I dreamt of a cub, and he was very sick, he kept stumbling about in the dark, and when I asked him if I could help, he just said the light was too bright and that he could find no way out of his prison. I felt terrible, really sad for this tiny cub. When I woke, I went to see Patch to see if he could make nose or tail of that dream and, and,” Apudo nearly choked on a fresh rush of tears, “I found out,” she gasped,” Patch told me, once I’d roused him from his deep gloom, that, that, oh Titan,,,” Apudo buried her face in Titan’s shoulder and broke down completely.

“I know what he told you,” Titan mewed, “dear Apudo, you didn’t know.”

“I tried to find you, but you had gone to I didn’t know where, and, and, Patch was the only one I could think of to ask. I’ve really put my paw in it, all four of them too! I went to Mishka’s house, ran there, leaving Patch distraught and weeping. I know I shouldn’t, I know it was wrong to leave him, but, but, I fled! He’s changed Titan, he’s unsure now. For ever since I’ve known him, through good times and bad, he’s had faith in the world. Now that has gone.”

“he saw his cub die and mate blinded,” Titan mewed.

“but he helped cub Ekaterina, how is it he can’t help Ursula, I think that’s what he called her.”

“Patch is burnt out, he can’t do it Apudo,” Titan mewed, “it’s too much for him now.”

“Oh,” Apudo mewed.

“what made you run from Mishka’s house?” Titan asked.

“Seeing you, Seeing whom I thought to be Ursula, I fled, because I knew bad things, and had done bad things in the past too.”

“Apudo, how could you have known that cub was Ursula and Patch’s? You weren’t on the trailer, you weren’t at the births of her cubs Allie and Bjorn.”

“No,” Apudo mewed, “but I feel I should have known. I’ve been playing with Sasha and Jespah, but they said nothing about the birth of any cubs.”

“probably keeping the story for later when they’re alone,” Titan mused.

“To talk over before Bedtime?” Apudo asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed, “lion cubs like a good bedtime tale, and the birth of a cub is a nice one to tell.”

“they probably don’t know about the cub’s death then,” Apudo mewed miserably.

“I want them to tell that tale to their mama and sire,” Titan mewed.

“but it’s all wrong, there aren’t two cubs now!” Apudo wailed.

“ah, there Apudo, you are gloriously wrong, there are two cubs,” Titan mewed.

“There can’t be!” Apudo whimpered, “Patch said Bjorn died of a brain, something or other.”

“He did,” Titan mewed, “and I cannot reverse the damage done to his mama by what she saw and felt, but what I can do, thanks to Bjorn’s age, is to rebirth him to Ursula.”

“I know about Nanuq too, could he not give Ursula rebirth too?” Apudo asked.

“No,” Titan mewed, “Ursula’s damage cannot be undone that easily.”

“She’s too old, and hasn’t asked for rebirth either, that’s it isn’t it?” Apudo asked.

“Yes,” Titan replied softly.

“I heard something else too Titan,” Apudo mewed, “Patch, Patch told me, told me he couldn’t look after Ursula, that his cub dying, then her blindness pushed him to breaking point.”

“he doesn’t want to be depended on for everything like cub Ekaterina depended on him,” Titan mewed. It proves how little he knows Ursula. I know her through Mishka, and she is more like him and Sita when it comes to their disabilities than cub Ekaterina was when she was older than she is now. Mama Sita and Mishka ask for assistance when they need it, not constantly when they really don’t.”

“I know they’re embarrassed to ask to get paws on,” Apudo mewed, “I wish they would you know, get more paws on that is.”

“what brought you to Mishka’s door?” Titan asked.

“I felt so shit about disclosing my dream to Patch I just ran,” Apudo mewed, “ran, to, to,,,”

“To the only safe place you know that is not the pride lie up?” Titan asked.

“yes,” Apudo whimpered pitifully, “Titan, I feel so shit!”

“I understand,” Titan mewed, “but Apudo, none of this was your fault.”

“It’s just bad luck, I know,” the little lioness mewed, “but, I poured the dream out to Patch, and I failed to notice his increasing distress until I’d finished and he was sobbing into his paws! At first I thought it was the way I’d told my tale, but, then, then I knew, and I fled. I have put all four of my fat clumsy paws in someone’s sea of grief, and I deserve nothing but condemnation and contempt for my stupidity!”

Titan heard a small set of paws scuffing the ground nearby and held up a paw to stop Apudo speaking. The sound got closer and closer, then was beneath the house. Titan watched with staring eyes and gaping mouth as a small cub crawled towards him, finally stopping at his side when a small outstretched paw touched his right one.

“Bjorn, is that you?” Titan asked, the cub taking the liger’s huge right paw in his small ones as best he could and violently shaking it.”

“can you speak?” Titan asked, feeling his paw dropped and then two paws plonked with finality on the furred top of his, the cub shaking his head in the dim light.

“So you can hear me, that’s a relief,” the liger mewed, “can you see me?” a nod and a tight squeeze to Titan’s right paw from the male cub’s paws.

“it wouldn’t be right to ask where you came from,” Titan said, “Bjorn, we need to talk to Blackberry about, um, how we’re going to communicate with you.”

“Who are you talking to Titan?” Mishka asked, crawling into the space, which by now was getting very crowded.

“Bjorn’s just arrived,” Titan mewed, “but he’s mute, I think.”

“Oh,” Mishka replied, Bjorn grabbing his left paw.

“this cub’s begging for his life,” Mishka gasped.

“Even I can be wrong,” Titan mewed.

“but how are we going to help him?” Apudo asked.

“I think Blackberry can help,” Titan mewed, “he was a failed Medic, but not because he did anything wrong as such. He didn’t kill anyone, he was misguided and ran off when he realised what he’d created. Now, I wonder, with his computers, could he make Bjorn able to speak again?”

“Speech, that can be done if Bjorn can tap with his paws. He would be able to do this with two paws free. Unfortunately this means sitting in a wheelchair or on a scooter or on the floor to communicate with any real coherence to anyone who can’t see his face or paws, “Blackberry replied, making Bjorn jump and cling to Mishka’s paw for reassurance.

“but you made shadow and Shandy see and hear, and speak too,” Apudo mewed.

“Bjorn isn’t a computer!” Blackberry whimpered, “and I’m not going down that route again!” he yelled, becoming angry. Bjorn crawled to the angry male black bear and hugged his paw so tightly Blackberry cried out.

“Get off Bjorn! At least I found you now! I thought you were dead!” the black bear raged. Bjorn slapped his paws down on Blackberry’s paw and shook his head while blowing hard through his nose, which clearly meant:

“Sorry to disappoint you,” which made Apudo laugh.

“How can we make Bjorn intelligible to those who can’t see him?” Apudo asked.

“computers,” Mishka replied, “Blackberry, I’ll take Bjorn to my communications room, there I will show him a keyboard he may be able to use. A flat concept keyboard with words on it. You know the ones.” Blackberry, stunned by the enormity of everything, grunted:

“go on Mishka.” Mishka turned to Bjorn and asked:

“Bjorn, will you come with me now?” Bjorn nodded and briefly but tightly squeezed Mishka’s paw.

“I think that’s a yes,” Mishka said, his paw getting another tight but brief squeeze.

“I’m going to put a rope on your arm, there,” Mishka said, strapping a rope to Bjorn’s right arm which led to an ankle strap on Mishka’s right ankle.

“Now, your right arm is attached to my leg, feel?” Mishka said, Bjorn explored with his paws, then gave the toes of Mishka’s right foot the same squeeze he had the bear’s paw, accompanying this with another signal traced out on the sole pad of Mishka’s foot.

“Oh, you want to go now?” Mishka asked, getting a gentle squeeze to his toes this time, along with a more gentle drumming on the sole pad of his foot.

“Only if I’m ready. What a polite chap you are Bjorn,” Mishka said, Bjorn showing mirth by opening his mouth wide in a wheezy laugh, dancing his fingers on the sole of Mishka’s right foot, Mishka catching the cub’s fingers with his toes, Bjorn tugging furiously at his trapped paw for a few minutes, kissing the heel of Mishka’s foot, Mishka letting go of the cub’s fingers.

“Let’s go,” Mishka said, “Blackberry, you come and check the damage to Bjorn’s brain, bring the ambulance if you have to. I’m off with him to my computer room to see if we can get him talking.” Bjorn tugged urgently at Mishka’s right foot, eager to be off. Mishka made it feel to Bjorn as if he, Bjorn were tugging Mishka out of the space, the cub sitting up in the small space and tugging hard at Mishka’s feet one by one, Mishka pushing with his paws to help the cub, who was remarkably strong despite his ordeal. Once the two of them were out of the crawl space, Mishka led Bjorn round to another lift that was private to himself. Punching in a code, he guided the clearly startled cub into the lift. Bjorn held Mishka’s paws down with his, stopping him from pressing any buttons. He then took Mishka’s paw and touched his own chest with the fingers, then touched Mishka’s chest with Mishka’s own paw. Mishka said:

“I’m going with you yes, we’re both going up to my room where we can properly talk.” Mishka pressed the button for the floor he wanted, then let Bjorn cling to him while they rode. Once the cub’s feet were on solid flooring again, Mishka led him to another room, both crawling along the passage, Bjorn feeling soft carpet under his paws. Mishka led Bjorn to a computer, sitting the cub down with a lap tray on which was a flat keyboard. Mishka, like Blackberry, also worked on computers, though mostly for fun, and now presented Bjorn with a screen of common phrases, showing him things he might want to say.

“Now Bjorn, you make phrases by adding them to the line here, watch. Mishka added the words, listening privately through headphones. He programmed, hello Bjorn, how are you today?” Dropping each word into the edit box, or typing free paw. Mishka then tapped the speak button by hitting enter, the computer asking Bjorn the question Mishka had typed. Bjorn bounced about excitedly, tapping away on the keyboard on his lap, Mishka turning down his headphones so he couldn’t hear the screenreader he’d used. A decisive slap from Bjorn’s paw told him he’d finished, and the voice said:

“I’m confused, but deeply grateful for the help you gave me today. I wish Blackberry wouldn’t shout though, he scares meyeee!” Mishka knelt and hugged Bjorn, the cub eager to tap out another message.

“I like your cuddles, they understand me.” Bjorn had got the sentence slightly wrong, but Mishka got the drift, and for a minute couldn’t speak. Bjorn tapped again. Banged the speak key, then crawled to a box he saw on the workbench. The voice from the computer said:

“you’re crying! Mishka you soppy thing you.” then Bjorn shoved a tissue into Mishka’s paw, the bear blowing his nose hard on it.

“Sorry,” Mishka sniffled, Bjorn scrambling into his lap and throwing his arms round Mishka’s neck, the huge male bear hugging the small cub to him with one paw, tickling the sole of Bjorn’s left foot with the other, Bjorn laughing helplessly, using that wheezy laugh and a lot of ecstatic wriggling to make his point..

“so you can laugh, but not speak?” Mishka asked. Bjorn turned, dragged the tray back onto his lap, and began to tap again.

“At least I’m alive, I’m here,” he wrote, Mishka catching his breath.

“You shouldn’t be writing that at your age!” he whimpered.

“I heard what Blackberry and the others were saying in the room where the flash happened,” Bjorn tapped, the synthetic voice speaking for him, “I heard that my mum had been blinded like Sita. I wanted to say I was alive, but couldn’t. Blackberry, he took me to a strange cold place and put me there. I found my way out and crawled to the woodlands, following his smell back to the house of wood. There I found the big cat who cuddled my mum in the bathroom. I knew if I found him I’d be safe, so I tried to make myself known to him. He seemed to understand, and now, thanks to you and Titan, I’m here.” Mishka hugged Bjorn, fighting with his own emotions.

“I’ll take you downstairs now,” Mishka said.

“How will I talk?” Bjorn asked via the computer.

“I’ll make sure Blackberry has a tray just like that one,” Mishka replied. Picking up his phone, he pressed the speakerphone.

“go on Bjorn,, ask Blackberry what you want,” Mishka said. Bjorn tapped out his message.

“Blackberry, have you got a speaking tray on wheels for me? I can’t take Mishka’s tray with me, and I want to talk to my mum.” Blackberry’s choking reply made Bjorn’s eyes fill with tears.

“I have something better, can you see dear one?” Blackberry asked. Bjorn tapped:

“Yes.” Blackberry replied:

“If you will wear a helmet, you can look at words with your eyes and it will speak for you if you press a button when you’re ready to speak a sentence, you can use that and a touchscreen on a scooter.” Bjorn looked up at the screen, noticed something, then began to type rapidly on the normal keyboard. he wrote for a long time, adjusting the computer’s accent, as Mishka had programmed different creature’s accents into the computer. the one Bjorn chose was feline, the speech dynamic and phonetic. Then, seeing a box that said, “you have changed the currently loaded accent, would you like to save these changes?” Bjorn typed, Zalikaspeak, into the box for the file name, then hit enter. When the computer spoke:

“So I can wide the twack on the scooter thingy while Zalika and Allie twy to keep up with me by wunning on their small fat paws,” Blackberry and Mishka laughed so hard they cried.

“yes, but don’t let Zalika hear you mimicking her, she’ll slap your paws so hard!” Mishka giggled, hugging Bjorn.

“I won’t,” Bjorn replied after a second’s tapping, then, after another pause, he added, “Zalika is so cuuuute!” Flicking the accent to the default before pressing speak.

“I’m on my way!” Blackberry said, crashing his phone down at his end. In seconds he was in his workroom, gathering his computers. Leaping into his ambulance, he raced to the treehouse, then banged on the door of Mishka’s lift. Mishka let him in, the black bear racing along the corridor to Mishka’s workroom. Skidding to a stop, he handed Bjorn the helmet, which the cub put on his head. In truth it was a cap with a head’s up display. Bjorn found he could see through the display as well as see the words. Snatching the control box, he turned it on, eagerly drumming his paws on the floor while the thing warmed up. Smiling, he saw the words in front of him.

“Now look at the words and when you see one, blink three times quickly at it. Once you have the sentence you want, squeeze the thing I’ve just put on your right paw Bjorn,” Blackberry said. Blackberry’s smile widened as Bjorn selected words, the selected words coming up on his tablet computer.

“I’m getting the hang of this thing I think,” Bjorn said, the voice which came out of the computer making his eyes widen and mouth gape.

“It sounds like I did before I was injured!” the cub typed, putting emphasis on by hitting an exclamation mark.

“I recorded your mode of speech,” Blackberry said. the computers record everything in the house.” Bjorn, overcome by this, hugged Blackberry so tightly the black bear was nearly suffocated.

“thank you Blackberry, thank you!” Bjorn said through his communication device, Mishka and Blackberry quickly becoming sober as Bjorn said:

“Now I need to go to my mama, I understand she has been injured too, but, unlike me, she will not see again. I also know that Patch has left her after she realised she was blinded. How awful is that? So I will explain things to her. I will also forgive my sister, for she is a cub, and cannot have that hanging over her for her whole life.” Blackberry turned away to hide his tears.

“that cold place makes you think hard,” Bjorn said after a few seconds, Mishka hugging him.

“Blackberry,” Mishka said, the black bear wiping his eyes with a handkerchief, “how compact is that speech thing?”

“It’s the cap only,” Blackberry said, “it has replaceable batteries and I can update it with new voices, and Bjorn can add new words as he learns them.”

“I already know some that if my mum found out, I’d get a slap,” Bjorn admitted.

“Whisper them to us then,” Blackberry said, Bjorn typing rapidly, then selecting whisper from the list of primary commands for speech. The words the cub knew the meanings of made Blackberry blush and Mishka laugh.

“Where did you learn those!” he asked.

“during my mum’s labour, she swore a lot while rolling about in the woods you know.” Bjorn replied.

“We’ll walk into the house as if nothing’s happened,” Blackberry said, “Bjorn, will you go to your mum and climb into her lap.”

“but she’ll die of fright Blackberry, she can’t see me!” Bjorn remonstrated.

“Oh, um, perhaps not then,” Blackberry babbled.

“how about if you go in there, and, please, explain it properly to mum, then I’ll come in and we can do all that huggy cubby stuff, which I’m looking forward to.” Mishka choked back tears.

“Come on then,” he said, leading the way down another passage to the lift, where he entered another code which took them to the main room.

Meanwhile, in the main room, Sita, Nanuq, Sooleawa, Ursula and Zalika were at a loss. Feeling this, Nanuq made tea and found some biscuits. They were on their third pot when they heard Titan pad up the slope, saw him walk in and collapse by the fire, saying nothing, Apudo padding in soon after him.

“got any tea?” Apudo asked, Nanuq giving her a bowlful.

“What happened out there?” Ursula asked.

“I don’t understand it,” Apudo mewed, “I don’t want to talk about it Ursula. I know you’re affected by all this, but I can’t say anything, because I’m confused and overwhelmed by it all. Titan might be able to tell you more, in a bit.”

“I want to give rebirth to my lost cuuuub, and knoaoaoaoaow!” Ursula wailed.

“You will, soon,” Titan replied, physically crossing his paws in hope, tucking them under his chin to hide their shaking.

“I really hope Patch is okay,” Nanuq said.

“I don’t,” Ursula snapped, “he walked out on me. He can’t cope with my disability!”

“I know, and I’m sorry,” Nanuq replied softly. He is spiritual leader though, and has standing in the community.”

“yes, a descending one,” Ursula growled.

“Walking out on your mate is a rather low thing to do,” Apudo mewed.

“some can’t cope with a blind mate, but I will help my blind mum,” a voice said. Everyone stared at the speaker, Ursula screaming with fright.

“don’t worry mum, I’m here. I know you thought me dead, but I’m not. It’s a long story, I cannot speak normally, though I’m rushing to, as my brain wants to say so much, but my eyes can’t make the computer go fast enough.” Ursula crawled to the voice, only to be stopped by two paws holding hers, then a kiss to her nose.

“I’m here mum, I’m Bjorn, I’m speaking through a computer now. I cannot speak using my natural voice any more, can I hug you, please?” Bjorn asked. Ursula rolled onto her side, her cub snuggling up to her.

“I like this,” Bjorn said, “mum, I’ve been wanting this for so long.” Ursula wept, her tears wetting the top of Bjorn’s head.

“I hope this cap is waterproof Blackberry,” Bjorn said through his computer, “If not, I might end up saying some very strange things indeed.” Blackberry and Mishka, who’d come in behind Bjorn, laughed merrily.

It’s water proof Bjorn, you can go swimming with it,” Blackberry replied.

“I need to be able to shout for help if I get into trouble,” Bjorn replied.

“you’re staying with all four paws on the ground for the moment,” Ursula replied, kissing her cub’s nose, paws and belly, Bjorn squirming delightedly, his mouth open in his

wheezy laugh.

“I’m so glad you’re all right Bjorn,” Ursula said.

“I wouldn’t call a mute cub all right Ursula,” Apudo said.

“I’m all right Apudo, I’m a lot better than dead,” Bjorn replied.

“You were dead!” Ursula whimpered.

“I was in a coma for a bit,” Bjorn said, “I woke to find myself in the cold place, so I left there, as there’s an emergency escape release just in case doctors get the pronouncement of death very wrong.” Hearing Bjorn mention it, Mishka shivered at the memory of his own time in that place.

“I must remember to thank sire Koda for saving my life,” Mishka thought, “I do every birthday I have.”

“Mishka, have you been in that place too?” Bjorn asked. Mishka replied:

“I’ll ask mama Anook, cub Ekaterina and sire Koda to tell you about it one day.”

“Hadn’t we better Tell Patch that his cub has come out of his coma and is now walking and talking?” Ursula asked, “I may hate him for deserting me, but he has a right to know about his son cub.”

“I will tell him,” Bjorn said. Blackberry gave Bjorn a lift back to the house in his ambulance. Half way there, they found Patch walking towards the treehouse. Pulling up, Blackberry opened the ambulance doors and Patch climbed in.

“Patch, meet Bjorn,” Blackberry said, the grey bear staring at the small cub.

“but you were dead!” Patch squealed.

“I woke in a cold place and found my way from the dark place to the woodlands and was saved by Mishka and Blackberry,” Bjorn said softly.

“your brain readings were all over the place!” Patch wailed.

“yes his were,” Blackberry replied. “Now Bjorn is mute Patch. He is speaking to you using a communications device.”

“ooaoaoaoaoh!” Patch wailed.

“I want to ask you something Patch,” Bjorn said, rapidly scanning his heads up display and selecting words.

“What?” Patch asked.

“I have promised to help mum by being her eyes if she will help by being my voice when my technology fails. Will you help too?” Patch knew this question might come, but was shocked that it should come from his own now disabled cub.

“I was selfish, I am sorry Bjorn. I was on my way back to apologise. I know Ursula probably won’t have me back in her life. I should be a guide for her, I owe it to her, as she is my mate. I wanted my independence, not realising that in having that independence, I was denying others far more.”

“mum can’t see a thing now Patch,” Bjorn said.

“I thought that was the case,” Patch replied. Blackberry drove back to the treehouse with Patch and Bjorn, Patch hiding himself under the house, Bjorn accompanying Blackberry. Once inside, Blackberry asked Ursula if he could scan her brain while shining lights into her eyes. Ursula sighed heavily but agreed reluctantly.

“I can’t see a thing, so what’s the point?” she asked.

“I want to find out if I can help you,” Blackberry said, fitting the cap over her head and switching on his computers. Blackberry flashed and shone lights into both Ursula’s eyes, the she bear very sick of saying the word no by the time twenty minutes had passed.

“Nothing at the level of the eye,” Blackberry said, “now I’m going to try to stimulate your optic nerve, to test the wiring as it were.” Blackberry put a pad on Ursula’s temples, then scanned again, Ursula sitting perfectly still.

“Still nothing,” she said in a bored voice. Blackberry took Ursula back to the house for a quick MRI scan, but he was almost certain what he’d find. Lying on a bed, Ursula was wheeled into the scanner, Blackberry scanning Ursula’s brain while shining lights into her eyes. There was no reaction from the portion of the brain which processed vision.

“now, have you stopped poking me, sticking things on me, and messing about?” Ursula asked irritably.

“yes,” Blackberry replied, “don’t you want to know what the outcome is?”

“I know what the outcome is thank you!” Ursula snapped, “I’m blind, you can’t do anything, so I’m stuck with it.”

“Um, yeah,” Blackberry replied, “but we can help you communicate, write things.”

“but I’ll never be able to see the faces of my cubs again will I,” Ursula replied.

“No,” Blackberry replied miserably.” Ursula crawled to the outside door, went out of it, then slammed the door. then realised she was lost.

“Blackberry!” she roared, “where the hell am I?”

“Blind bears can’t do dramatic exits,” Blackberry said, taking her paw, Ursula clinging to him, weeping into his coat.

“I need to learn so much!” she sobbed, “I need to have everything described to me, everything relearnt, at the moment everything is just too much!”

“We’ll help you,” Blackberry said.

“yes, we will,” Patch said, padding up to Ursula and touching her shoulder with his paw, who, screaming, swung for him the minute she felt his touch and heard his voice. Crashing into Patch, she pummelled him until he broke free of her flying fists and frothy anger.

“how dare you come back to meyeee!” she screamed, “Patch, you ran off because you couldn’t cope with my disability, now you’re back offering help? Well screw you, screw you and your help!”

“I deserve your anger Ursula,” Patch said, as Blackberry stared at him, “I ran off Blackberry, I who have everything, ran from someone who is my mate, and who’d just lost a great deal. Worse, I ran off because I selfishly didn’t want to give my mate, you Ursula, something so easy to give. I understand your anger Ursula, I would feel as she does if I’d had the same done to me. What I did is inexcusable. During my time in my lie up, I came to realisation of this and many other things.”

“Now I need to get back to my cubs, Allie needs feeding, as does Bjorn, and I need to calm down before the rest of my brain packs in and the cubs have no mother!” Ursula raged, “but how do I get back to them?” she asked, “all this autonomy has been taken from me in an instant, and I’m thoroughly frightened and angry!”

“I’ll help you get back to them,” Patch said, “Ursula, I was wrong to run away!”

“show me you can play with and love your cubs,” Ursula said, “also, show me you can play with me, and if you can still do so, love me for what I have left.”

“You have lots to give Ursula,” Patch replied softly.

“Ursula?” a voice purred, whiskers and a soft nose bumping hers. Ursula felt a soft padded paw with an opposable thumb grip hers with gentility.

“Sita?” Ursula asked.

“I’m Sita,” the newcomer said.

“I need your help, help to play, help to touch, oh shit! help to do everything!” Ursula wailed, clinging to Sita, who held her and let her cry.

“I can help,” Sita purred, her purr vibrating Ursula’s whole body, soothing her.

“Please show me the games? show me how to play without sight,” Ursula pleaded.

“First we have to find your cubs, come on, take my tail in your paws and follow me,” Sita mewed.

“Bugger that,” Blackberry said, “Sita, Ursula, get in my Ambulance, or even better, there’s a monorail to Mishka’s twee’ouse, I mean treehouse.”

“when was that built?” Sita asked.

“Oh, we put it out to his house some time back,” Patch said, “but he doesn’t think he has the right to use it.”

“Mishka needs to take the rights of being part of the ruling family,” Sita mewed, “I’ll get him to write down his rights a hundred times as penance for not taking them up if he’s not careful. where is this Monorail?”

“It’s not like the house one, it’s underground, only popping up near the treehouse, well in reality, the station’s underground too. you step out of the car into the lift, and go upwards. Mishka’s private lift has a key to the lower floor, but he never uses it,” Blackberry replied.

“So we have to convince him to use his transport,” Sita mewed.

“I want him to play with me and you Sita, his paws and feet are so lovely!” Ursula said.

“you only know his paws,” Patch reminded her.

“I would like to get to know his feet too,” Ursula corrected herself, “but if his feet are as lovely as his paws, I’ll love playing with them. now where is this monorail.” Blackberry, almost dancing with delight, showed Sita and Ursula the entrance.”

“Now,” he said, “Sita, feel the wall, that button? Press it, then await instructions. I’ve scanned your paw into the system, and the code is your name in numbers. You will have access to Mishka’s treehouse lift for two rides only before he has to authorise you. he’ll probably go up the wall but I don’t really care at the moment, I just want him to use the transport to which he has a right to.”

“Oh do you?” a voice said at his back, Blackberry screaming with shock and whirling round, to see Mishka standing behind him.

“oaoaoaoaoah, I’m sorry!” Blackberry squealed, Mishka padding to him then kissing his nose.

“Blackberry, I know what you’re trying to do, and I thank you for it,” Mishka replied softly, “now, if you and Patch, and the leaders of this community really want me back for good, I will come back into the house more often.”

“I want you back, and Moses does too, and little Ekaterina would love to come to your treehouse more often too,” Sita mewed.

“Oh she does, and brings Moses with her,” Mishka replied, “they don’t advertise it though, as they think I feel embarrassed if others know.”

“You’ve felt an outcast for years,” Sita mewed, “well now please, do not feel that way anymore Mishka.”

“I’ll ride the monorail,” Mishka said, “and dear Sita, I will let you use your two passes to my lift, and maybe, just maybe extend them to more.” Sita hugged Mishka as tightly as she could, kissing his nose.

“who did you leave with Allie and Bjorn?” Sita asked.

“oh, Titan and Zalika, both bear cubs were tickling Zalika’s pads when I left them. It was so cute!”

“Let’s go into the house and start the monorail journey from the kitchen. that way I can get you three some soup before you go,” Blackberry said.

“I would love that,” Sita mewed, “Blackberry, could we take a flask back to Mishka’s treehouse for Titan and the cubs?”

“I’ll even throw in some tea and milk for you Mishka,” Blackberry said.

“Oh, we finished your biscuits Mishka,” Ursula said, “I finished the last one I think, sorry.” Mishka kissed her nose and squeezed her paw:

“I’ll get some more,” he said.

“NO Mishka, you phone the house, and I’ll send it up on the monorail from now on,” Blackberry said.

“that would make me feel very lazy,” Mishka replied.

“it doesn’t matter, I want to use the monorail to send up food. Oh yes, and if you want anything cooked and sent along, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I’m going to be very spoilt if I’m not careful,” Mishka giggled.

“Now get along with you all, and I’ll bring the soup and a pie along as soon as I’ve cooked them,” Blackberry said, “Patch, come with me and help me cook. The least you can do after what you’ve put Ursula through is help me cook for her.” Sita pressed the button and the computer asked:

“what is your code?” Sita covered the pad with her paw and thought:

“My name in numbers, what on earth does that mean?” Feeling the keypad with her fingers, Sita considered things. Then she remembered something Blackberry had said about letters as well as numbers on a telephone keypad, and during a conversation with Janet she’d said something about texting. So Sita reasoned she had to write her name in numbers.

“if you want more help, press the star key, the star key is on the bottom left of the keypad,” the computer voice said, “please enter in your code and press the hash key, that’s on the bottom right of the keypad.” Sita pressed bottom left.

“The keypad is made of ten numbers, from left to right, top left is the number one. Middle top number two, top right number three. Four five and six are directly below that at middle left, centre middle, and middle right. The number five has a raised dot to enable orientation of the keypad. The numbers seven, eight and nine are on the third row down from the top, lower left, lower middle and lower right respectively. Below seven eight and nine there are the star, zero and hash keys. Lowest left, lowest middle and lowest right respectively. To enable keyboard description mode, press and hold key one for six seconds, to exit this mode, press key one for six seconds again. While in key describer mode, the key will describe its functions when pressed, other than this, nothing will happen. the numbers two to nine have corresponding letters. Two has a, b and c, three has d, e and f, four has g h and I, five has I, j, k, and l, six has m, n, and o, seven has p, q, r and s, eight has u, t, and v, and nine has w, x y, and z. to type a word as a code, dial the word. For example, Patch would be 7 “ 8 “ and 4. To get the different letters, press the numbers the right number of times. So for code word Patch, press the number seven once, the two once, the eight once, the two three times, giving the letter c, and the number four twice to give the letter h. this ends the tutorial.” Sita, her head spinning, shook her head.

“So I have to dial my name,” she whispered. Sita dialled seven four times, four three times, eight once and two once. The machine then said:

“Now place your paw on the reader to the left of the keypad.” Sita did so, and the computer was evidently satisfied, as with a joyful tune, it announced.

“Sita, you have been given two passes to use the monorail to and from Mishka’s house, and to use his lift twice.” Sita gasped as the door in front of her opened, and a voice inside the car, which had drawn up on the other side without any sound, invited her to:

“Please step inside Sita, there are seats on the left and right of the doors, and handrails down the middle of the car. Sita stepped in, as did Mishka and Ursula.

“Please sit down if you can,” the car instructed. “when I see noone else coming through the door, I will wait for ten seconds, then will ask if you are ready to leave.” Everyone sat down and waited.

“Hey, stoaoaoaoap! I wayayayant to come with you to see Zalika!” a feline voice miaowed, Jespah throwing himself through the door and landing on the floor, clutching one of the hand hold poles in his paws.

“now you can drive off,” the cub panted. The car closed the doors and moved away, accelerating down the track, gathering speed.

“This monorail’s destination is Mishka’s house,” the voice said, “the journey should take only a few minutes. Now we’re coming into the station at Mishka’s house. Please wait for the car to stop, and for the doors to open. When you step out, directly in front of you is a lift door. The lift leads to Mishka’s house, and is a private lift. If you are not permitted to use this lift, please use the stairs to get to the ground level.” The monorail car slowed, then stopped, the doors opening with a double chime and a whoosh sound. Jespah, getting to his feet from the rubberised floor where he’d been holding on tightly to the base of the pole with his paws, padded from the car, Sita, Ursula and Mishka following him.

“now what?” Jespah asked, bouncing on his toes with excitement.

“I need to log in again,” Sita mewed. finding the keypad and paw scanner plate, Sita pressed the button and, when asked, typing in her name and scanning her paw.

“Now the door is open, let’s go in,” Sita mewed, padding into the lift, carefully feeling her way with one paw, checking the ground before her until her paw hit the back wall, which she noticed was made of two more doors. Turning round, she stood up by the controls.

“Where are we going Mishka?” she asked.

“Now we’re all in, yes?” Mishka asked. Everyone said they were, “tails out the way of the doors everyone, now Press the button marked with the two raised lines Sita,” Mishka said. Sita did, and the doors clanged shut, the lift travelling to the second floor. the doors behind Sita opened, and Mishka led the way from the lift, the three friends finding themselves in the main living room with Zalika, Bjorn and Allie, the three cubs playfully scrapping on the floor, Zalika trying and failing to stop the two bear cubs from tickling the thick pads on her paws and feet.

“This sounds interesting,” Ursula said, her two cubs breaking off their committed attack on Zalika’s feet to run to their mum and sit on her paws, Ursula laughing merrily as she was stopped by the weight of two cubs on her paws and their paws grabbing her legs.

“muuum, we want to hug your paws and feet and play with you,” they said, Ursula bowing her head, her two cubs kissing her nose and touching it with their paws.

“We want to touch your paws and feet and be hugged by your paws muuum!” Bjorn said after a long period of staring at and clicking on the letters flashing in front of his eyes.

“All right Bjorn, you can,” Ursula replied, “anyone here,” she called out, “is there a place I can safely sprawl with my cubs?” Titan padded to Ursula, kissed her nose, then guided her to a place where she could lie safe with her cubs. Ursula lay down, Bjorn and Allie clambering all over her body, touching her paws and feet with their paws then kissing her nose and paw pads, the attention from her cubs making Ursula feel deeply content.

“thinking of Shandy and Shadow, how can they see things and understand things like we can, while they are computers?” Nanuq asked.

“They have a computer brain,” Mishka replied, “I know what you’re asking, and the answer is no. to give Ursula back her sight Blackberry would have to make her a computer brain. I’m sure he could do this, but she would not be Ursula as you know her and her cubs know her. Blackberry would have to make an animatronic bear, he could not implant a computer brain into Ursula’s body. We just can’t do that yet.”

“I would not want that anyway,” Ursula mused, “I wish I could see my cubs, but, well, touching them is nice too. Their touch is more meaningful than ever now.”

“Mum, would you play the stuck foot game you were going to play before my accident?” Bjorn asked.

“yes I will,” she replied, sitting down and pressing her feet together.

“Do you remember how to play it?” Nanuq asked.

“No, not as well as you would,” Ursula replied, “I bet Mishka can play too.”

“I can,” Mishka replied, sitting down andtouchingUsrsula’stoes with his paw, “would you like to check my feet for thorns?” he asked.

“I’d love to,” Ursula replied, picking up his right foot and resting it on her left leg, rubbing his sole pad and toe pads with her fingers.

“You have the cutest feet,” Ursula said, Mishka curling his toes, bunching the pads on his right foot, Ursula bumping her fingers down the furrowed sole pad of his right foot from ball to heel, Mishka squirming and bouncing with pleasure.

“if I spin onto my knees, you can do that more easily,” Mishka said.

“but I love keeping one paw on your toes and feeling them curling when I rub the sole of your foot with the other, I can’t do that so easily when you’re soles up,” Ursula replied.

“True,” Mishka said, but I can bounce on my heels with pleasure then, and I want to do it now!” he whimpered, Ursula laughing at him as he grabbed her paws with his and pressed them hard against the toes and sole pads of his right foot, Ursula hugging his foot as tightly as she could, Mishka squeezing her paws against his foot tighter still, Ursula leaning forward to press her fingers deeper into the soft pads, laughing merrily when Mishka kissed her nose when it was within range.

“You big softy mum!” Bjorn said, quickly programming the phrase into his communicator as a one button press as he thought he would use it a lot. Blackberry had programmed many phrases for cubs, “I would like some, or I want, milk, drink, a hug,” as well as other phrases like mama, and the names of all the community members. Bjorn felt whiskers tickling his ear, and, turning his head, saw Sita standing beside him.

“Sita!” he exclaimed, throwing himself at her. Sita felt Bjorn crash into her, and by rolling onto her side managed to messily catch the cub.

“I can’t see you Bjorn, don’t launch yourself at me like that!” she remonstrated. Bjorn straightened his hat, which had been knocked sideways and apologised to Sita.

“Also your hat is at an angle, and you can’t see to communicate then,” Sita mewed, having felt him adjusting his cap.

“Yeah I know, I’m clumsy like that,” Bjorn said.

“Can I hug you little one?” Sita asked.

“You can,” Bjorn replied, pressing a button marked cub hum when he was comfortably in Sita’s embrace, Sita giggling delightedly.

“Blackberry thought of everything didn’t he,” she said.

“I think he did,” Bjorn replied, the cub hum fading out a bit when the synthetic speech played, only to fade back in.

“You’re so lovely,” Sita mewed, rubbing Bjorn’s paws and feet, the cub’s wriggling and humming reassuring Sita she was doing a good job.

“I’m so glad I can talk by using this thing,” Bjorn said, Sita hugging him tightly.

“Don’t lose it,” she said, suddenly frightened of what some cubs might do to frustrate and upset Bjorn if they knew how important his hat was to him.

“I won’t lose it,” Bjorn said, “if I lose my hat, I lose my voice.”

“Yes, that’s what I’m afraid of,” Sita thought.

“You’re anxious Sita,” Bjorn said.

“how do you know?” Sita asked, for she wasn’t one to lie.

“Your pads are damp!” Bjorn whimpered.

“I’m worried what some cubs might do if they knew how important your hat was to you,” Sita confessed.

“Oh, steal it you mean?” Bjorn asked.

“yes little one,” Sita mewed miserably.

“Tea and pies and soup everyone!” Blackberry’s voice yelled from the loud speaker by the lift, “will someone let me in? or will I have to leave the trolley down here and depart first.

“Blackberry, Mishka’s got his paws full of mum’s paws!” Bjorn yelled as loudly as his communicator would allow. Blackberry laughed and replied:

“I’ll use the trades bear’s code.” Bjorn watched the lift, and soon the door opened, to reveal Blackberry behind a huge trolley piled high with boxes and steaming pots of delicious smelling food.

“There’s enough food to feed everyone for a week!” Nanuq exclaimed.

“some of it is provisions for Mishka’s cupboards,” Blackberry replied smiling. Mishka reluctantly got up and helped Blackberry put stuff away, labelling the boxes with a scanner device he used. Once all the boxes were put away, Mishka sat back down opposite Ursula, the she bear embracing his right foot with a kind of desperate urgency.

“Blackberry,” Bjorn said, “Sita’s worried someone might steal my voice.” Blackberry stared at Bjorn for a minute in total incomprehension.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“that someone might steal my hat with all the tricks in it which give me the ability to talk,” Bjorn explained. Blackberry suddenly leapt to his feet.

“I didn’t think of that!” he exclaimed.

“Well Sita did, and she’s worried,” Bjorn replied, “come to think of it, so am I, a bit. Could you make it so if the hat comes off my head and isn’t more than say, a foot away from me, it sends an alarm or something?” Blackberry cursed himself and fled to his workroom. Bringing back a few items, he sat down beside Bjorn.

“the only way I can think of doing this without sticking needles in you and microchipping you would be for you to wear something on your ankle that spoke to the hat, and if the hat was a certain distance from the bracelet, an alarm was triggered. I have something here.”

“If you’re going to put something on my ankle, would you rub my pads too?” Bjorn asked. Blackberry laughed merrily, replying:

“Yes, I will rub your pads Bjorn dear.” Blackberry took Bjorn’s left foot in his paws then rubbed the cub’s sole pad and toes, grinning as Bjorn’s toes curled with pleasure, Blackberry rubbing the furrowed skin on the sole of his foot, Bjorn wriggling as he struggled to curl his toes even tighter in response.

“Now I will put the bracelet on your left ankle, and that will communicate with the presell on your paw and the hat,” Blackberry said, “remove any of these from your body without disabling the bracelet first, an alarm goes off.” Blackberry set up his tablet computer and casually removed Bjorn’s cap from his head. Bjorn watched it go, wondering what was going to happen. Suddenly Blackberry yelped, an alarm went off, Blackberry dropping the cap, Bjorn diving for it and catching it.

“I’d forgotten about the electric shock!” Blackberry squealed wringing his paws, “I programmed that, but didn’t test it! oaoaoaoaoah!” Bjorn laughed so hard he could hardly breathe. Coughing, he recovered himself. Bjorn replaced the cap on his head, smiling at Blackberry.

“Take Bjorn’s cap two feet from his body, and aouwch!” Blackberry wailed, “I forgot to disable that experimental feature!” he screeched.

“I think it’s great,” Bjorn said, “I don’t go in for hurting people, but if you take my voice, how else am I to express my anger?”

“A mute cub pummelling at someone with his paws is quite cute,” Nanuq said.

“No it’s nooaoaoaot! Bjorn yelled, furiously blinking at his device and squeezing his presell, while jabbing at Nanuq with his free left paw, “if I lose this hat, I lose my voice, I cayayayan’t let it go!” he raged, hitting the presell even harder than normal. Frustrated at the rate of typing on the head’s up display, Bjorn launched himself at Blackberry, snatched the bear’s tablet, found his speaking app and began banging the computer with his paws to type even faster, his angry words coming out in a furious gabbling torrent as Bjorn upped the speaking rate with a quick swipe of his paw:

“how would you like it if I stole your voice and ran off down the road with it Nanuq?” the cub asked angrily, his paws slapping Blackberry’s tablet with furious intent.

“I wouldn’t, I’m sorry!” Nanuq replied, Bjorn finishing a sentence by hitting an icon of a cub with its mouth open in an angry cub scream. Squeezing his presell, the communicator, using Bjorn’s preprogramed voice raised in a cubbish scream, yelled:

“I bet you’d be screaming too!”

“I know I would, I’m sorry!” Nanuq whimpered, Bjorn huffing and panting in his distress.

“Stop this!” Titan growled, “Nanuq, there are some things you don’t joke about, this is one. Bjorn, please, dear cub, sit down, let Sita give you a hug and try to calm down.”

“come here Bjorn,” Sita mewed, hugging the distraught cub.

“I don’t want anyone to steal my hat!” Bjorn whimpered.

“They won’t, and if they do, and I find them, I’ll tear their tail off and stuff it down their throat,” Sita mewed.

“that’s so fuuuunny!” Allie yelled, clapping her paws.

“No it’s not!” Titan growled, imagining trying to swallow Sita’s tail in one go, the thought making him feel unwell.

“You look ill Titan,” Blackberry said. the liger closed his eyes and shook his head to clear his mind:

“I had a horrid vision of a lion or tiger being force fed their tail!” Titan whimpered, Sita laughing uproariously at the notion.

“Oh Titan, please stop!” she begged, but Titan’s roar of rage put an end to her mirth.

“You know how vivid my imaginings can be Sita, I didn’t want that one!” he wailed, covering his eyes with his paws.

“I forgot you know how long my tail is,” Sita mewed.

“I see it every day, along with your large paws and feet, and a gorgeous smile,” Titan mewed. Sita felt warmth flowing through her at his words.

“thanks,” she said softly.

“Can we gets back to play?” Zalika yawned.

“I’d like that,” Apudo said, “my paws need play after today.”

“Mine certainly do,” Ursula said, “and I need a wash too!” she exclaimed. Mishka got to his feet and said:

“Ursula, come to my bathroom with your cubs and you can wash yourself and them.”

“Okay, um, Mishka, I know I went to your bathroom when I had sight, but now, now I’m lost!” Ursula replied ashamedly, “please, could you show me where it is?” Mishka hugged Ursula.

“I will, and I understand,” Mishka replied gently. Both bears crawling, their cubs following on their eight small paws, Mishka led her by her paw to the bathroom, then told her the layout.

“Shower to the left, sunken tub to the right, before you fall in there is a ridge tiled lip that you can feel with your paw, follow that and there is another set of tiles across your path, they have circles. The one around the bath has lines. Cross the circles and you’re in the toilet area. The relieving place is hard right, the washing place to clean up is beyond that, though dead ahead of you. If you get into trouble, use this communication device,” Mishka placed something on mama Ursula’s left wrist, the she bear smiling at him.

“Aren’t you coming in with me?” she asked.

“I would never presume to take that liberty,” Mishka said, “It’s Patch’s job, if a male is ever to help wash a she bear’s cubs,” Ursula squeezed his paw.

“Patch didn’t come with Blackberry did he?” she asked.

“No, I don’t think he did, but if you’d prefer him to be with you, I can call him and compel him to come,” Mishka replied, “after all,” he added, “he owes you so much after what he said to you.”

“You need not compel me Mishka,” Patch said, walking up to him, “I want to help my mate and her cubs.”

“they’re your cubs too,” Ursula said.

“No Ursula, I feel I don’t deserve them,” Patch replied softly.

“”wash with us, and I’ll decide,” Ursula replied. Patch helped by filling the tub with water and soothing salts. Getting into the tub, Patch helped Ursula into the tub.

“would you like help into the tub Ursula? If so, How would you like to be helped into the tub?” Patch asked.

“Help me in please Patch,” Ursula said, “I feel if I got in backwards, it would be less dangerous.”

“Would you like me to guide your foot to the ledge?” Patch asked.

“the first time, please,” Ursula replied, turning rear on to Patch and shuffling backwards until the balls of her feet and toes were the only parts of her feet on the pool edge.

“Now lift one of your feet, and I’ll cup it in my paws and then lean back a bit, and I’ll place your left foot on the first step,” Patch said. Ursula lifted her left foot clear of the ground, feeling Patch’s paws catching and holding it, his thumbs over the heel of her foot

“Now lean back into my paws, pivoting on the toes of your right foot, you’ll feel the toes of your left touch something before you lose balance Ursula,” Patch said, Ursula taking a deep breath and doing what she was told, feeling her left foot lift from the flor then the toes touching the edge of a steep angled corner, then the hard ridged flat surface of a tile just beneath the water. Now push your toes forward till they contact the wall of tiles,” Patch said, Ursula doing so, feeling Patch letting go of her foot, her whole body rocking back a bit so the entire sole of her left foot and the toes of her right took some of her weight.

“now you know the rough depth and width of the steps, you can climb down yourself,” Patch said.

“I wish you’d used that contact to rub my pads,” Ursula said.

“While guiding, I can’t do that,” Patch replied, “did you feel secure though?”

“I did, thanks,” Ursula replied, climbing backwards down the steps, feeling her way with her feet, exploring each step with the toes of one foot, placing that foot carefully on the steps until she had both feet on one step, then stepping down again with one foot, following it with the other until she was level, all the while carefully exploring the tiles, every time following more certainly with her paws.

“Mum looks Terrified Patch,” Bjorn said.

“Don’t bloody tell him!” Ursula snapped.

“!”feeling frightened is natural Ursula,” Mishka said softly.

“But I’m crawling like a cuuuub!” Ursula raged.

“You will until you get confident enough not to,” Mishka replied, “it’ll come with time Ursula.

“I will crawl with you if you want me to Ursula,” Patch said, helping Ursula to sit down in the tub, Bjorn and Allie joining her by leaping in, soaking Mishka, who stood on the side of the pool.

“Can I come in too?” he choked, as water had shot up his nose.

“Yes, come in,” Ursula replied. Mishka coughed and then scrambled down into the water, Sitting beside Patch, Allie scrambling into his lap.

“the history tells of you helping mama Ekaterina get on with a cane,” Mishka said, “Patch, could you do the same for Ursula?”

“You had the same training didn’t you Mishka?” Patch asked.

“I, um, yes, but, well, I trained with someone else too.”

“I noticed Petra stretched out by the fireside, but she said nothing,” Patch said, “what’s going on there Mishka?”

“Petra, as part of her penance for killing Nuru, offered herself as my guide companion. She compelled me to teach her to be a guide lioness. I told her that she didn’t have to, that I would carry on with the white stick I’d been using, but she insisted. We got a human trainer to come out and train Petra to guide me like some humans who are blind are guided by their dogs. Petra lies quietly beside the fireside, and doesn’t get in my way when I’m working about the house. I hate this subordinate role she’s taken on, but she insists she should do this.”

“it’s like a bloody penal colony here,” Ursula remarked.

“We are both disgraced in one way or another,” Mishka replied, “I through what I did to sire Conrad and Sooleawa all those years ago, and though Apudo helped Petra back across the bridge, she too feels disgraced, so she came to live with me from little Ekaterina’s house when little Ekaterina no longer needed her services as a confidant and comforter.”

“So what else does Petra do, what does she do for food and such?” Patch asked, “does she ask you if she can go out to relieve herself?”

“No,” Mishka replied, “I asked her to make her own choices on when and what she ate, as well as when she visited the relieving place. She offers her services as guide to me, and I in return give her a home and wash her paws and feet when she’s been out in the forest, as well as groom her from nose to tail.”

“But cats groom themselves!” Ursula giggled.

“Petra likes me to do it, as she was trained in the school for guide dogs she went to,” Mishka replied, “she has been badged as a guide service animal. She said she was trained with two rather opinionated horses, one of which she became friends with. This horse wants to be a guide for cub Ekaterina, but cub Ekaterina’s too small to be guided by her at the moment.”

“cub Ekaterina could ride the horse,” Patch suggested.

“That’s not how it’s done, but yes, I suppose,” Mishka replied, “I’ll contact the guide horse and ask her if she wouldn’t mind being sat on until cub Ekaterina gets bigger.”

“Um, Mishka, she won’t,” Patch replied.

“cub Ekaterina won’t what?” Mishka asked.

“Get bigger,” Patch replied, “she’s that size for life now.”

“Why?” Mishka asked, “the history says she was made smaller to learn how to be when she got bigger again.”

“Um, well, it, it sort of broke,” Patch said, “the contact with you Mishka, it sort of stopped her growing! Same with sire Koda, when he was touched by you during the time he was all out of sorts and you took him briefly into your world, he too hasn’t grown much at all.”

“So I stunt growth?” Mishka asked.

“It seems you do,” Patch replied, “but only during rebirths of female community members, and once with sire Koda.”

“I don’t want that to happen!” Mishka whimpered in great distress, “I helped mama Ekaterina, I didn’t want to restrict her ability to have cubs of her own, nor did I mean to stop her growing into an adult again! That’s what she wanted, she wanted to learn from others so she could grow up to be adult again!”

“Mishka, has she spent time here during the first two weeks of her rebirthed cubhood?” Patch asked.

“yes, yes she did, but only briefly,” the shocked brown bear replied.

“I think she made the choice not to grow any larger in those two weeks,” Patch said.

“She spoke of many things, but, but, I told her to go her own way, I tried not to influence her at all. I told her to get back to the state of mind she had when she was young, not to stay small forever!” Mishka yelled.

“It seems she likes playing with the cubs too much to grow into an adult bear again,” Patch said.

“oaoaoaoaoah!” Mishka wailed.

“It’s not your fault Mishka dear,” Patch said, hugging his brother.

“but, but, I was born after Ekaterina, I should be the smaller one!” Mishka whimpered.

“cub Ekaterina wants to be guided by you and others,” cub Ekaterina said, crawling into the room and backing down the steps of the pool, then splashing over to Mishka.

“I never meant to stunt your growth Ekaterina,” Mishka whimpered.

“I did that,” cub Ekaterina replied, “I will always be known as cub Ekaterina now, I may even change my given name to my surname Adsila, which means Blossom, which is what I hope to do, plus, I am not pure at all now. Then, little Ekaterina can have her name without the diminutive or the association with me, as I am tainted by my actions after her birth.”

“What does little Ekaterina have to say about this?” Mishka asked.

“I’ve been talking to her about it,” cub Ekaterina said, “and from now on, please do not call me Ekaterina, call me Adsila, and little Ekaterina just Ekaterina.”

“Where is she now?” Patch asked.

“I came to the house with her,”cub Ekaterina, now Adsila said, “we have been listening to your talk in the bathroom, we listened at the door. Look, I know we shouldn’t but we did.”

“I’m fine with the name change,” Ekaterina said, the little girl padding in on her small bare feet, then sitting on the side of the sunken tub, “I have been talking to Adsila about this for ages. We’ve been calling each other Adsila and Ekaterina in private for ages now. Only in public have we not done so, until Adsila was completely sure. Now she is, and, well, she wanted to tell you as soon as possible. As it affects me, a bit, Adsila asked me to come along.”

“It’s a time for growing up in spirit for Adsila, as well as in body for you Ekaterina,” Mishka said.

“yeah, but I don’t want to grow up too fast,” Ekaterina said, “I like our stuck foot games too much!” Everyone laughed merrily.

“You can play those well into adulthood, and play at having cubs too,” Titan mewed, padding into the room, “yes Patch, I know all,” he said.

“so in summary, Ursula is learning to be as independent as much as she can while blind, Petra is Mishka’s guide cat, and Adsila is now known as Adsila, and has dropped the cub, while little Ekaterina is just Ekaterina now?” Patch asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed.

“My head hurts!” Patch whimpered.

“I still can’t get over the idea of Mishka training a lioness to guide him!” Ekaterina said, “it’s so unusual, and noone knew anything!”

“We kept that secret,” Mishka said. “and what about Ekaterina’s, I mean, sorry, Adsila’s guide horse? I haven’t spoken to Brydy about being ridden yet.”

“Where does she live?” Patch asked.

“Oh, Brydy?” Mishka asked, “she has a stable on the other side to the crawl space where you found Apudo Titan, there she can come and go, and I provide food and water for her as well as shelter. She decided to come here with Petra after her training, as she heard of Sita’s brush with getting lost in the woods and thought she might want to help. She says she can carry Adsila while Sita holds her harness.”

“I don’t think she’ll be able to do both,” Patch said, how would it be if Petra makes contact with the other guide horse?”

“Um, ah,” Mishka,” Petra said, padding into the room, “there’s a horse asking to see Adsila, it’s, um, it’s a horse I trained to guide with,” Petra mewed, bowing her head to Mishka, which Patch was glad the brown bear couldn’t see.

“Petra dear, please tell Brydy Adsila will be along presently,” Mishka said. Petra turned and padded silently from the room, Titan staring after her.

“I can hardly believe what I saw!” he growled, “Mishka, have you subjugated a member of the community?”

“No,” Mishka replied, “Titan, you know I dam well haven’t! Petra joined me of her own free will.”

“yes, but, but, she bowed to you!” Titan yowled.

“did she?” Mishka asked, “I must ask her to stop that at once.”

“I will ask her now!” Titan growled, “it’s unfair and unpleasant and disgraceful and demeaning! I won’t have it!” he roared, sprinting out of the room.

“I didn’t know,” Mishka sighed heavily, “don’t be hard on her Titan!” Mishka yelled, “it’s not her fault, she feels disgraced, like meyeee!” he pleaded.

“I’ll go to him,” Patch said, getting out of the tub, “I must stop him saying anything too harsh to Petra!” Patch fled from the bathroom, his huge paws leaving wet marks on the tiles, a cry of shocked surprise coming from a nearby room.

Dripping wet, Patch found Titan with Petra in her room, the terrified lioness pinned down under his huge paws.

“You never, ever bow to Mishka again!” Titan roared.

“I’m sorry, Titan, I don’t know how I started that!” she wailed, “and please, get off me, don’t pin me down, you’re acting like a dictator!” Titan panted hard, then released Petra, who got to her feet.

“What’s happened here?” Patch asked, his fur still dripping water.

“I demanded to know why she bowed to Mishka,” Titan replied shame faced.

“You did more than that,” Patch said, “Titan, you pinned her under your paws and demanded she stop bowing to Mishka.”

“he, Patch,” Petra said, but then stopped, Titan, seeing her eyes fill with tears, realised what he’d done in the red mist of sudden anger.

“You hit her didn’t you Titan,” Patch said.

“I’m sorry Petra!” Titan mewed, throwing himself down at her feet, “I, oh dear, I did hit her Patch! I was so furious with her, so livid she’d bowed to Mishka, I lashed out at her. yes it was with sheathed claws, but even so, I should not have done that. Then I compounded my error by pinning her down when she was prostrate.”

“Where did he hit you Petra?” Patch asked.

“My shoulder,” Petra mewed, “I’m all right though, I rolled with it. so many times of being crashed into by Ekaterina when she was very little I suppose,” she giggled, but Patch saw fear in her eyes.

“I’m desperately sorry!” Titan mewed pitifully.

“I understand the twin reasons for your anger Titan,” Patch said, “one, the community law that says everyone is equally treated. Technically Petra broke that when she bowed to Mishka, plus your anger at seeing a community member, and a big cat too, seemingly made subservient.”

“If I get my paws on Mishka, I’ll strangle him!” Titan roared,.

“Titan, I was the one who bowed, who chose to do it!” Petra yowled, “he didn’t tell me to, and I hoped he would never know.”

“Well don’t do it agayayayayayain!” Titan screamed, leaping to his feet.

“I won’t, and please Titan, don’t shout at me, I’m doing my best!” Petra whimpered, cowering back against the wall. Titan, seeing this, suddenly felt very sad.

“forgive me Petra,” he begged in a small voice, “I’m sorry,, I went too far.”

“I’ve been taught by the service animal school that I should not get in the way when with Mishka, that I should stay out of the way of guests,” Petra said, “that was why I said nothing to you all and ignored you when you lay down beside me Titan.”

“But you’re a community member first, a guide animal second Petra!” Patch exclaimed, “I’m sure Mishka wouldn’t mind if you were sociable with us.”

“I am sure he wouldn’t, but I’ve only just come out of training, and I can’t be breaking the rules too soon,” Petra mewed, “we’ve got a follow up visit from a human who trains service animals, and if I don’t get it right, I won’t be able to guide Mishka, and I so want to do that! I trained so hard Patch, if I chuck it away now, I’ll be sad forever!” the lioness whimpered.

“I can’t be the one to say you should socialise,” Patch said, “if you need to observe purdah, that’s what you must do Petra.”

“I want to socialise, but the rules say I can’t!” Petra miaowed.

“This can’t be right,” Titan mewed, “look, I’ll find Mishka, ask him. You come too, bugger the rules.” Petra padded miserably after Titan and Patch, once in the bathroom, Titan asked Mishka to leave the tub and go to Petra, then kneel and take her paw.

“Your pads are all damp Petra, are you all right my dear?” Mishka asked. Petra choked a little as she said:

“Mishka, I know I’ve been quiet while your guests are round, but, I really want to socialise with them! Is that allowed? The rules say it isn’t!”

“they say if we’re out at another house and you’re in harness you should not solicit attention,” Mishka replied, “it says nothing about when you’re out of harness in your own house. Dear Petra, I know you’re a social cat, I would never have agreed to you doing this if the rules meant you could not be social. So please, when you’re out of harness, go talk to others. I never said you couldn’t.” Petra hugged Mishka tightly, weeping into his fur.

“I thought I was to be on duty at all times!” she sobbed, “I thought I had given my life to you until retirement!”

“You are expected to behave yourself when out of harness, and know that when you’re in harness you’re working,” Mishka said.

“What do you want me to do now?” Petra asked.

“take a deep breath, dry your eyes and smile.” Mishka said.

“I’ve often cried in my room at night because I felt isolated,” Petra mewed, “I thought I couldn’t socialise ever again, and I ached for it Mishka.”

“But you said nothing,” Mishka replied.

“I didn’t feel I had the right,” Petra replied, “at that school you were taught to obey your owners, first, last and between, and were told to be seen and not heard. At least that’s the impression I got. Whenever I did anything social, like to greet another class member when in harness, I got a good telling off to the point I greeted noone, even out of harness. When out of harness I went to my room and cried myself to sleep.”

“You came back very thin,” Mishka said, “Petra, you ate for the county that first night too!”

“I felt so shamed by breaking the training rules I could hardly eat at the school, and my misery at not being able to socialise compounded that. I wasn’t explained the rules about socialisation outside work, as it were, not like you’ve told me.”

“Oh Petra, dear Petra,” Mishka said, hugging the lioness as tightly as he could, “if I’d known that, I would have sort help for you. after your training You told me about the training, but you said nothing about this, not a whisper.”

“I so wanted to help you, that I thought I must get used to the isolation I thought had been placed on me by my new job,” Petra replied.

“No Petra,” Mishka replied horsely, tears rolling down his nose, “you mustn’t shut yourself away, if you do, I’ll sack you!” he said with mock fury, “I’d rather have a community member than a guide if the guide job is going to destroy that community member.”

“I miss interpreted the rules,” Petra said, kissing away Mishka’s tears.

“Now come, come in to the tub and I’ll wash you,” Mishka said, “you’re smaller than most lionesses, so fitting in here won’t be a problem, come down the steps and into the water.” Petra stepped into the water, and Ursula, when she felt Petra accidentally step on her paw under the water, greeted her with a huge hug.

“come in and I’ll wash you, so will Mishka,” she said. Ekaterina and Adsila sat with their feet in the water, Ekaterina having described everything to Ursula and Adsila.

“It’s all happy families again now?” Adsila asked.

“yes,” Mishka replied, “Brydy will meet you sometime later Adsila. Once Petra and Ursula’s cubs had been washed, Mishka washed Ursula and Patch dried her. this done, Patch, Sita, Adsila, Petra, Ursula, Mishka and the two polar bear cubs padded down the slope to where Brydy, a welsh pony, waited.

“Ah, Mishka, and Petra,” Brydy whickered, Petra receiving a gentle horsey kiss to her nose, “how good to see you both.”

“Please, Brydy,” Adsila said, “would you be so kind as to guide me?”

“will I still have to use the stick?” Sita grumbled,” I want a guide horse!” Sita Yowled, I can’t get on with a stick! I get lost so easily!” she complained.

“I won’t lose Adsila,” Brydy said.

“Brydy, Can you guide two at once? Maybe if I hold onto your tail?” Sita asked.

“as long as you don’t want to sit up top, and Adsila wants to go the same way as you do, yes,” Brydy whickered.

“Oi! Are you saying I’m fat? I am a predator you know!” Sita growled, stamping her feet.

“You’re too big for me to carry Sita! I’m a welsh pony, that’s the size of it!” Brydy whinnied, to which Adsila burst out laughing.

“Don’t take offence Sita, I’m sure there was none meant,” Petra mewed, as Sita’s tail began to twitch with rising fury, “it’s a statement of fact, you’re too big to ride Brydy.”

“So I’ll be left with the bloody stick,” Sita groaned.

“You haven’t even mastered that yet,” Adsila said, “Sita, you need to master the stick, I have, all right, I was trained by Patch years ago, but since my rebirth, I have mastered it. I don’t use it in the house, but round the woods I have used the stick, depending on how my pads are feeling, as I need to walk on my feet, and they sometimes hurt.” Sita cuffed Adsila with the back of her paw.

“oaoaoaowch Syiyyiyiyita!” Adsila yowled, rubbing her nose.

“You really know how to rub it in don’t you Adsila!” she growled.

“Pick up the stick, get to know it and to use it, and I’ll see if I can find you a guide horse Sita,” Patch said, “oh,” he added, and if you ever hit Adsila again, I’ll hit you so hard you won’t be able to sit down for a week, okay?”

“yes, I’m sorry Adsila,” Sita mumbled, “I haven’t got on with the cane like I should have.”

“A cane doesn’t go sick, it also can be replaced very easily,” Adsila said, “when I ride Brydy, or she guides me by me holding her harness, I’ll always carry a cane with me.”

“What else Adsila?” Brydy asked nuzzling her cheek.

“Oh, and a hoof pick too,” Adsila replied smiling.

“Good,” Brydy replied, “oh, she added, “there’s one more thing you forgot I think?”

“no, I can’t remember,” Adsila said.

“It’s white and comes in cube form,” Brydy whispered.

“oh, sugar lumps!” Adsila yelled, Brydy whinnying with laughter then kissing the top of Adsila’s head.

“When did you learn to be guided by Brydy?” Sita asked.

“”I learnt some time back, though just got the notice today. It said, “welsh pony, needs stable, food, water, good bedding, good grooming and vet care, and runs on sugar lumps and plenty of hugs,”” Adsila said. apparently I have to walk with Brydy on my right and give her directions with my left arm and voice. I’ve been ploughing through the manual for at least a week with Mishka. A lot of it is like what he learnt with Petra.”

“did you learn to brush her too?” Mishka asked, thinking of how he had been taught to brush Petra.

“Oh yes, that’s really fun,” Adsila said, “we talk a lot too while I’m doing that. You know the funniest thing? Brydy even gently grooms me sometimes too.”

“What?” Sita asked, Brydy pricking her ears with pride.

“Adsila’s my little foal,” she said, Sita gaping at her, Brydy squealing with laughter.

“All this has been so clandestine, noone suspected, I love it!” Brydy whinnied.

“But why the secrecy?” Patch asked.

“We are the disgraced Patch,” Mishka replied, “we dared not tell the rest of the community we were improving our lot.”

“Well you aren’t the disgraced now,” Patch said, stamping his foot, “I should have that mantel now, after what I said to Ursula!”

“Oh for Eohippus sake, can we stop this contest!” Brydy Whinnied.

“I agree, and noone is disgraced,” Ursula said.

“But what’s this about a horse grooming a bear?” Sita asked.

“You’ve never felt it?” Adsila asked.

“No,” Sita mewed.

“please show Sita Brydy?” Adsila asked, the welsh pony running her top teeth down Sita’s spine, gently grooming the fur there, Sita gasping with the pleasure of it.

“wow!” she exclaimed, “that’s amazing Brydy.

“if it’s done with love it is,” the pony replied.

“how are you going to walk around the house?” Patch asked.

“Ah, I wear boots when indoors,” Brydy said, Patch staring at her.

“Boots?” he asked.

“yeah, Brydy does, cute little rubber boots which make sure she doesn’t slip on the tiles,” Adsila said.

“Oh,” Patch grunted.

“Everything was kept under wraps from you lot because we are, were, the disgraced,” Mishka said.

“That’s why we didn’t see anything of Bjorn’s seizure on the cameras!” Blackberry yelled from the balcony.

“Yes, I’d turned off my cameras,” Mishka said, “I am the disgraced you see.”

“Oh shut it, shut up about that!” Blackberry yelled stamping his foot.

“Now what do we do,” Petra asked.

“Well I think we need to groom our guides and Sita needs to get out with that cane,” Mishka replied.

“Grooming our guides?” Apudo asked, listening on the balcony with Blackberry, “does that mean I have to groom Titan?”

“he’d like that,” a deep voice said in Apudo’s ear, making her scream:

“Titan! Don’t do that!” while the liger laughed merrily.

“I’d love to see Adsila standing on a box with a dandy brush in her paw,” Blackberry said.

“I’d love to see Titan curling his toes with pleasure while I groom him,” Apudo mewed.

“You know I do that very easily,” Titan replied.

“has Titan let you get paws on while he re-enacts Zalika’s birth Apudo?” Mishka asked.

“I’d really love it if you’d get paws on Mishka,” Titan said, “I understand you helped Bianca during her labour.”

“I did,” Mishka replied.

“Yes, Titan has let me get paws on, and he curls his toes really tightly while re-enacting Zalika’s birth too,” Apudo mewed.

“I would love to get paws on with the birth of a cub, even if it’s a re-enactment of the birth of one already here,” Sita mewed.

“maybe you can!” Androcles yelled, “Can someone help us, Sushanti’s gone into labour! She’s making a hell of a noise and it’s frightening meyeee!” he whimpered, turning and bolting back towards the house. Sita yelled:

“Wait for meyeee Androcles!”

“if you can’t run after him, that’s it, he won’t wait,” Titan mewed. Sita padded after Androcles, the others watching her go.

“She’s keen isn’t she,” Titan mewed. Sita padded after Androcles, catching up with him five minutes later, treading on his tail as he had lain down from emotional exhaustion.

“Ayayayayaow! My tayayayayil!” the lion howled.

“I’m sorry Androcles,” Sita mewed contritely.

“It’s Not just Sushanti, Amafu too!” Androcles whimpered, “I mated with them both, and they’re both in labour in my lie up, and it’s noisy!” the lion continued. “Lead me to them,” Sita mewed.

“And meyeee too!” a small voice begged, Androcles staring at the newcomer, as the sound of hooves reached him, seeing a small pony gallop past with a bear riding on top.

“You have an audience for the births of your cubs Androcles,” Sita said.

“Jump on Sita,” Brydy whinnied.

“but what about your back!” Sita mewed.

“Bugger that!” Brydy replied, “the cubs won’t wait for my back. Get on, quick, and Androcles, get to your feet and let’s go!” Androcles lumbered to his feet and fled, Brydy cantering off with Sita and Adsila on her back.

Reaching the house, Sita slid off Brydy’s back, Adsila following, Androcles leading them nervously into the house. Reaching his lie up, they found Sushanti and Amafu moaning and panting together.

“The cubs aren’t here yet,” Amafu gasped, looking up at Androcles, “contractions not easy, but, I’ve always been a wimp!”

“Me tooo!” Sushanti gasped.

“When did the labour start?” Brydy asked.

“Who’s that?” Amafu asked, “who let a horse in here?” she demanded.

“it started about half an hour ago, Amafu and I both went into labour at the same time,” Sushanti said, “poor Androcles ran round the room thrice in panic when he found out, then, well, he tangled his paws and fell over, which made us laugh and then roar and scream with the contraction that brought on, and Androcles fled!”

“He hasn’t missed anything then,” Brydy said.

“No,” Amafu said, “we still have a lot of pushing and curling our toes and moaning to do. I may even shriek and yowl like a stuck cub at the end,” she whimpered.

“I’m sure you will,” Brydy said, “I’ll wait outside if my presence upsets you two mamas to be, “I’m just the transport.”

“You’re a guide horse, and have the right to stay indoors with your handler, which is me,” Adsila said.

“I’ll stay indoors, but I’m not going to take up space in a birthing den,” Brydy whinnied.

“uuuuumf! I feeyeeel another payayayayayin coming!” Amafu wailed, squeezing her eyes shut and panting hard, “oauauauauauaow! Aouwch!” aouauowauowauowch! Uuumf, heuuuuuumf! Aouwch!” the poor lioness screeched, feeling a soft nose brushing hers as she wept with pain and fear.

“Remember the tale of Eohippus?” a voice said softly into her ear, “because I do. It is said the horse stayed with the lioness while she gave painful and long birth to her cubs.”

“But then the horse laid down her life for the cubs!” Amafu whimpered, panting hard, “I’m not letting you sacrifice yourself, and I’m not having fourteen cuuuuubs!” Amafu squealed, Brydy gently washing Amafu’s sweating face and the pads of her paws and feet.

“You’ll be okay, just go with it, be the cub breach or regular presentation,” Brydy said, getting from her knees to her feet and clopping away.

“I get the feeling Amafu’s a lot younger than Sushanti in her mind,” Brydy said to Sushanti’s enquiring look.

“You’d be right there,” Amafu whimpered, “and my last pregnancy wasn’t the best of situations either.”

“We don’t talk about that!” Apudo mewed, padding into the room, “Brydy, what the hell are you doing here? Get out!”

“I’m going,” Brydy said, as Sushanti clenched her teeth, moaning deeply as another contraction gripped her, the tigress curling the toes of all four of her huge paws, wriggling and panting, then straining hard with her contraction, Brydy turning and kneeling to watch her struggle.

“You’re not allowed to watch that!” Apudo snapped, as Sushanti screwed her eyes tightly shut, panted, moaned and miaowed while writhing with pain, the toes of all four paws tightly curled. Brydy kissed Sushanti’s nose and gently washed her face and the sweating pads of all four of her huge paws, the toes of which were now almost constantly curled. Whimpering as she came down from the peak of her contraction, Sushanti opened her eyes as Amafu had, to see a horse gazing at her from point blank range.

“Good luck,” Brydy said to Sushanti, the tigress’s eyes filling with tears.

“was it you who washed my face, paw and foot pads?” she asked.

“Yes,” Brydy replied, turning and walking away, Sushanti too overcome with emotion to thank her.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing Brydy?” Apudo miaowed once the welsh pony was outside the room.

“I was showing mama lioness and tigress humility,” Brydy replied.

“You shouldn’t be washing their paws and feet! you haven’t been inducted into the community yet!” Apudo miaowed, her fur bristling. Brydy clopped out of the house and down the track to the lagoon, Apudo chasing her.

“Get out of my sight!” the little lioness roared, Brydy leaping into the lagoon and vanishing beneath the water. Apudo leapt in, swimming to where she thought Brydy had disappeared, but the water was so murky she couldn’t see the pony anywhere. Suddenly Apudo found herself lifted on a wide body, her own body lying transverse across its back, then a horse’s head reared up in front of her, the eye turned to hers. Suddenly a triumphant whinny echoed off the log flume tower, then a scream from the pit of hell. Yowling with fear, Apudo nearly defecated into the water with fright.

“Is this my ritualised washing?” a huge equine voice asked.

“yes, you have the right to wash a tigress’s pads now!” Apudo wailed, hiding her face in her paws. Brydy swam to the lagoon’s edge, Apudo scrambling off her back and retiring to a soft Patch of grass to relieve herself, Brydy leaving the water.

“now I’m going to watch an amazing event,” Brydy said, shaking herself dry all over Apudo, then clopping back into the house, leaving one very wet and fed up lioness.

“You disgraced yourself Apudo,” Titan mewed, rising from the long grass beside the lagoon.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Apudo asked, shaking herself with a rising miaow of anger, “I thought you were at the treehouse!” she raged.

“I had to correct one who was misguided,” Titan mewed, “and you certainly are today Apudo. Brydy has the right to kiss Amafu’s nose and paws, and to kiss those of Sushanti too. I know what she did, for I felt it. I also felt their gratitude to her and her need to show them solidarity in their natural pain and fear.”

“I’ve really screwed up haven’t I,” Apudo asked.

“Um, yeah,” Titan mewed.

“What do I do now?” Apudo asked.

“Go and watch the births of two cubs,” Titan mewed, “I’m going, Mishka is too, and mama Ursula is hoping to get paws on also, if Amafu, and or Sushanti will let her.”

Titan padded to the birthing den of the two lionesses, finding Mishka and Ursula paws on with the two labouring big cats, where Amafu and Sushanti’s labours were progressing slowly. Panting and moaning, curling their toes, pedalling the air with their feet and paws, the two big cat mothers to be struggled through their labours, the pads of their paws and feet damp with sweat, they rode out increasingly frequent, strengthening and lengthening contractions. Adsila, holding Sushanti’s paws in hers, felt the tigress’s toes curling with her pains.

“Is it bad?” Adsila asked.

“It’s horrid!” Sushanti gasped after moaning through another pain, “but it’s the right thing, I know this is how things have to be Ekaterina, I mean Adsila.”

“What a stupid question you ask Adsila!” Apudo yelled, cuffing her across the back of the head, “you are so bloody stupid!” Sushanti panted:

“No, Apudo, it’s good to ask these questions, Adsila, please, ask away, I don’t mind, aouwch! Uuuuumf! Riaiaiaow! uuuuhuuuumuuuuuf! Uuuuumf! Uuuuuuhuumiaow!” Sushanti complained as she endured another drawn out contraction.

“I won’t ask any more questions!” Adsila whimpered.

“It feyeeels like I need to poooo!” Sushanti yelled.

“It’s the cub coming down the canal to the outside, “push through that urge Sushanti!” Titan miaowed.

“uuuuumf! Tiyiyiyiytan! I muuuuust puuuuuush! Riaiaiaiaiaow! Uauauauauaauauauwch!”!” Sushanti wailed, Amafu watching the tigress, so much bigger than herself, struggling with the birth of her cub. Amafu was sure she’d scream and roar, creating a constant terrified cacophony when it was her turn to push to deliver her cub. Right now, she was groaning and curling her toes from time to time through contractions, having till then panted and moaned.

“I’m not looking forward to pushing, Sushanti looks as if she’s straining hard enough to turn herself inside out!” Amafu thought, watching the labouring tigress, a view of who’s struggle she could see all too clearly in the curled toes of Sushanti’s paws and feet and the effort, pained expression on the tigress’s face, as well as hearing everything from her panting to high pitched miaowing and pitiful moans. Amafu reached out with a paw to touch Sushanti’s left paw. Suddenly hers was grabbed and nearly crushed in the tigress’s, as Sushanti held onto everything she could as, moaning deeply, she voluntarily strained for the first time, her eyes tightly shut as she bore down into her tail. Adsila screeched as her paws were squeezed by the tigress’s toes as she had been rubbing Sushanti’s feet at the instant the tigress curled her toes. Sushanti strained, repeatedly complaining “Uuuuuuhuumiaow! Umf, uuuuumf! Aouwch! miaoaoaoow! Ouwch! Riaow, riaow! Riaiaiaiaiaow! Yiaow! Ruuuuuumf! Riaiaiaiaiaow!” as lustily as she could while pushing as strongly as she knew how, Apudo watching as Sushanti curled into a tight ball, then stretched full length, splayed her legs and kicked while straining hard, her straining efforts finally pushing into view a cub’s long tail and large set of feline feet, the toes of which jammed at first, then as Sushanti squealed with the sensation, emerged from beneath her tail.

“Your cub’s breach Sushanti, get onto your feet and push as hard as you can!” Titan yelled. Sushanti panicked, screaming with fear. Getting to her feet she strained hard, screaming with pain and effort:

“Uuuuuuuumf! Auauauauauauch! Someone Puuuull the cuuuub!” she screamed, Adsila pulling down on the cub’s hips, then its body, as Sushanti strained hard, venting her fear and effort with a rising squeal:

“Riaiaiaiaiaiaiaow! Aouaiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiaow!” The cub’s head jamming a bit, then, with Sushanti’s final effort, in which she felt later that:

“I strained hard into my bottom from my ears to the soles of my huge feet, “and with a rising scream of effort and pain, the cub’s head and paws exploded into the open with a pop and rush of fluid. Yowling with fear, Sushanti collapsed, crying into her paws.

“Your cub’s all right Sushanti, feel!” Adsila said a few minutes later, handing a screaming and very lively cub into the tigress’s tear soaked paws. Sushanti covered Adsila in kisses, then turned her attention to her cub, giving him the same treatment while cleaning him up.

“I hope my layayayaybour is as successful, oaoaoaowch!” Amafu yowled, taking a deep breath and bearing down for the first time with curled toes and clenched teeth, “auaoaoaoaowch! Aouaouaouaouauowch! Uuuuumf! This huuuurts!” Amafu screamed, pedalling the air with her feet and paws.

“I know how you feel!” Sushanti mewed, feeding her newborn cub.

“I wayayayan’a puuuuuush! Muuuuust puuush! Aouw this is Soaoaoaoao payayayayayainfuuuuul! Iyiyiyiyiyt huuuurts!” Amafu screeched, wriggling while kicking with all four legs, nearly tying her toes in knots.

“Wriggling helps!” Sushanti mewed, “Wriggle Amafu, wriggle!” Amafu wriggled madly, her vocal expression of pain and effort starting with a low moan of

“Uuuuuuhuumiaow! Umf,! as she was forced to stop wriggling and splay her legs, progressing to a shrill lusty yowl of, “Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumiaiaiaiaiaiaiaaiow!” as she strained hard for the first time.

“ouauauauauauw! Riaiaiaiaiaiaiaow! this cuuuuub’s huuuge!” Amafu wailed, “I cayayayan’t puuush it ooooououowt!” she yowled.

“Pant a bit Amafu, let it all open up!” Sushanti urged.

“aow! Aow! Aow, aow riaow!” Amafu squealed while she panted, then, snapping her mouth shut, she bore down with a strangled cry of:

“uuuuumf! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf. Aoaoaoaow, riaoaoaoaoaow! Riaiaiaiaiaow!” as she strained to give birth to her cub.

“Try pushing without the yelling!” Apudo moaned, “you’re hurting my ears!” She complained. Amafu tried pushing without yowling, but the pain was so great she couldn’t help herself.

“I cayayayayn’t doooo iyiyiyiyiyt!” she yowled.

“Sushanti managed to give birth to her cub with less yowling than you, and you’re not even having a breach cub!” Apudo snapped.

“Will you shut uuuuuuup Apuuuuudo!” Amafu squealed, “it’s nooaoaoaot youuuuu hayayayayving this cuuuub! If you wayayayayayn’a tell meyeee to Shuuuuuut uuuuuuup, come and feeyeeel my toooes cuuurling first!”

“oaoaoaoaoah naoaoaoaoao!” Apudo screamed, running for the door, Titan switching on in Apudo’s head what Amafu felt just as Apudo reached the door, the little lioness collapsing in a screaming heap, screaming and crying:

“I muuuuust puuuuuush! Uauauauauauwch!” As she strained into her bottom as hard as she could, Amafu screeching with surprise and joining in the effort, both lionesses screaming at each other as they faught to obey their need to strain with the contractions.

“I like a little cooperation,” Titan thought as the two lionesses yowled and miaowed, then joined paws, literally holding onto each other’s paws while pushing hard down into their bottoms, Apudo as involved with Amafu’s cub’s birth as Amafu herself.

“This reaeaeally huuuurts and is Soaoaoaoao hayayayrd!” Apudo whimpered when the cub’s paws were out in the world.

“Apudo and Amafu, both of you, it’s time to pant, both of you pant, pant the cub’s head into the world!” Sushanti advised, both lionesses panting hard.

“eueueueueuemf, ueueueeueeurf, uuuuuuuuaumf!” they moaned deeply, their paws locked tightly together, both bracing the pads of their sweating paws hard against the other’s, both lioness’s splaying their hind legs as they began pushing the cub’s body into the world.

“puuuuuush Amafuuuuuu puuuuuush!” Apudo gasped, Amafu clenching her teeth as Apudo strained hard, the lid flying off her effort to be silent half way through Apudo’s effort. Screeching, she kicked hard with both legs and strained down into her tail, Apudo losing her battle to push without moaning, both lionesses screaming their heads off as Amafu’s cub was pushed into the world by their collective efforts.

“the cuuuuub’s enormous!” Apudo gasped, “I’m soaoaoaoaorry for shouting at you Amafuuuuuu! But I don’t wayayayayant to do this anymore! I cayayayan’t puuush anymore!” Apudo wept.

“I have no choice!” Amafu sniffled, “the cub’s half way born I think, I muuuuust puuush, but it huuuurts!” she sobbed.

“It’s only right you see it through Apudo,” Sita mewed.

“mama Sita, get paws on with us, and the cub too,” Amafu panted. Mama Sita crawled round to the feet of the two lioness’s, embracing, then washing their feet, Amafu sobbing with gratitude.

“Now to explore this cub,” Sita mewed, touching the emerging cub’s head and paws, noticing its body was half way out, and as she noticed this, Amafu strained hard, the cub sliding into her paws.

“puuush the cuuuub to Sita, puuuuuush the cuuuub into Mama Sita’s paws Amafuuuuuu!” Amafu groaned aloud as she strained.

“You can’t catch the cub as well as feel Amafu curling her toes Sita,” Apudo mewed, “I’ll show you how that was later, for mine are curling as tightly as hers are.

“Muuuuust puuush, got’a puuuuuush this cuuuub ooooououowt!” Amafu screeched.

“the body’s nearly out Amafu,” Sita mewed, kissing the sweating bunched pads and curled toes of Amafu’s left foot, “why not stop pushing when you feel the cub’s hips and let Apudo push the rest out. You need a rest after all.”

“Just a bit more, puuush a bit more!” Amafu grunted. “uuuuumf! Riaow!” she yelled as Apudo took over the efforts, Amafu able to let herself go, screaming and curling her toes as tightly as they’d go, Sita catching the cub as Apudo, grunting and yowling, bullied the cub’s legs and feet into the world. Sushanti’s newborn cub, now very intrusted in the goings on, crawled up to Sita’s left leg, onto it, and found itself face to face with the newborn cub, who’s face Sita had cleaned just before Apudo began pushing out its hips, legs and feet.

“You’re going through what I did aren’t you, but forwards,” Sushanti’s liger cub said to the huge nearly born lion cub.

“yes, and it huuuurts!” the lion cub yelled, “I wayayayan’a cuuuurl my toooes like mama is, but I Cayayayn’t!” it screamed, the cub’s scream intensifying as Amafu, hearing its protest, pushed with Apudo, the combined effort of the two lionesses easing the cub’s huge feet into the world, as Apudo’s solo efforts were failing to push the cub’s feet out. The cub grabbed its older half sibling in its paws, screaming and yowling:

“Auauauauauauch!” as its feet were squeezed.

“It’s nearly over, nearly over!” Sushanti’s cub said, Sita noticing what the two cubs were doing and, lying the cub on her leg so it supported its body, she began helping to free its feet one by one as Amafu and Apudo pushed.

“this cub’s got huge feeyeeet!” Apudo gasped as the cub’s left foot was freed.

“Only the cub’s right to go,” Sita mewed.

“Hold onto me, this is going to hurt,” Sushanti’s cub said to Amafu’s, both cubs embracing each other as tightly as they could.

“Scream and yowl if you need to,” Sushanti’s liger cub said, “I won’t be a meanie like one voice I heard here.”

“I think that voice is helping puuuuuush at my fooooot!” the lion cub moaned, “it huuuurts, my toooooes huuuuurt when they puuuuuush!” the lion cub yelled, “I wayayayan’a push with my left foot, but there’s nothing to push agayayayayinst to help my right get freeyeee!” the cub wept.

“Just hold on,” Sushanti’s cub said, gazing at the lion cub’s right foot as Sita eased it out, the lion cub curling the toes of its left foot with every effort made by Sita or the two lionesses to free its trapped right foot.

“oaoaoaowch, miaoaoaoaowch!” the cub screamed as its foot was squeezed into the world.

“done it, wow that cub was so long coming out, a real trial to give birth tooo!” Amafu gasped.

“Your labour was slowed down because of Apudo’s nasty words,” Titan mewed, “Amafu, you would have pushed normally, it’s Apudo who caused you longer labour, because of how she spoke to you.”

“You doubted your strength after what I said Amafu,” Apudo mewed.

“I suppose I did,” Amafu mewed, “I’m grateful for your help Apudo,,,,”

“I think Titan’s saying you wouldn’t have needed it had I not said what I did,” Apudo mewed, holding up her paw to stop Amafu’s torrent of praise for her.

“but I felt no anger,” Amafu mewed.

“Not at the end,” Titan replied, “it left you when Apudo committed herself to push with and for you Amafu. You wanted her to feel your pain, and it was granted.”

“I might have said that, but I didn’t mean it!” Amafu whimpered.

“Really Amafu?” Apudo asked, taking Amafu’s sweat soaked left paw in both hers.

“All right, I did, for a bit, I was angry,” Amafu whimpered, “but to wish pain on someone is wrong!”

“Not this time Amafu,” Apudo mewed, “I needed to know. I was shaming you for doing your natural duty. I should not have done that.”

“Now you have a lovely cub,” Sita mewed.

“I do,” Amafu replied smiling.

“many of the humans would love to have got paws on with what we have Adsila,” Sita said.

“I wonder what Ekaterina and Moses did while we had the privilege of witnessing two births?” Titan asked.

“they’re probably playing at having a cub or two,” Adsila giggled, “Ekaterina was going to talk to Moses about playing those games again. She wanted him to play with her. I think she wanted him to rub her heels and toes mostly though.”

“I like playing with the toes of humans, they’re very cute,” Titan purred, “also watching them play at having a cub is cute too.”

“they do it so convincingly, “Ekaterina was almost as good at acting out the birth of an imaginary cub as you were at giving birth to one for real Titan.”

“Moses is good at it too,” Titan mewed, Jenny would like to have a go too I think, but she says she can’t really let herself go like the younger children can.”

“I’ll teach her how to we-enact the biwth of a cub pwopewly,” Sita said.

“I’d love it if the humans re-enacted the births of big cat cubs,” Sushanti said.

“You crouched really low when delivering your cub into the world,” Adsila said, “I felt how low you were off the floor Sushanti.”

“It was frightening when Titan said my cub was breach,” Sushanti said, “but as he’s all right now, I don’t mind his birth being re-enacted, either by Shandy or another big cat, Titan, maybe? Or a human for that matter. Just make sure you squat and scream like I did, that’s all I ask.”

“Oh, and if anyone wants to scream their heads off, they can get their wish by re-enacting the birth of my female cub,” Amafu mewed, cleaning and feeding her newborn cub. This done, the cub’s half-brother asked Amafu for a drink, and she could hardly refuse.

“We’re going to ask my brother’s mum for a drink too in a bit,” her cub said, Amafu smiling at them both.

Meanwhile, in Mishka’s tree house, Moses and Ekaterina played at giving birth to Ursula’s cubs. Moses was pretending first, and was at the early stage of his labour, holding each of his small feet in his hands, curling his toes then rubbing the balls and heels of each foot in turn while moaning and puffing, Ekaterina kneeling opposite him, helping him by rubbing the sole of whichever foot he wasn’t holding with desperate hands, exploring the boy’s curled toes and bunched pads with her fingers, eagerly awaiting the time when she’d first see him tightly gripping each foot in turn, seeing him pushing his feet against his hands and hearing him moan and pant while enduring his imagined contractions,. Ekaterina looked forward to encouraging him to breathe and push, though watching him curl and relax his toes as well as rub the soles of each of his feet while he wriggled and moaned wasn’t bad. Nor was rubbing the sole of his free foot, the toes of which sometimes caught her fingers as he struggled, Ekaterina having to wait for Moses to uncurl his toes before she could begin rubbing his ball and heel pads properly again. After ten minutes of this, Ekaterina asked:

“How is it feeling Moses?” Moses clenched his teeth and panted:

“It’s getting more painful, the cub’s on its wayayayay! Auauauauwch!” Then as she watched, Moses closed his eyes, tightly gripping the heel pad and ball of his left foot in his hands while tightly curling his toes as he moaned and rocked on his backside. Then panting, he let go of his left foot and grabbed his right in the same manner while wriggling and moaning, the toes of both feet tightly curled.

“Is it getting worse?” Ekaterina asked, rubbing the warm pads of Moses left foot as he curled his toes as tightly as they’d go.

“, yeyeyeyeyes,” Moses moaned, pushing his right foot into his hands, then pushing his left into her grip, Ekaterina feeling his efforts. Whimpering, Moses let go of his right foot and sat back on his heels.

“Ruuuub my heeeyeels Ekaterina!” he gasped, wriggling his backside against them, Ekaterina seeing his toes curling as he bounced and squirmed with increasing pains. Ekaterina rubbed as much of the pads of Moses tightly curled toes as she could reach, the balls of his feet and his heel pads, Moses moans and wriggling, as well as panting getting increasingly desperate. Suddenly, moaning:

“The cuuuuub’s coming!” whimpering with imagined discomfort, Moses lay back and drew up his legs, reaching between his legs and grabbing the insides of both heels with his hands, the margin of his heel pad and arch giving his fingers extra purchase to grip the heel pads of both his small feet. Bracing his feet hard into his hands to simulate pushing against his imaginary cub, Moses began moaning and puffing while straining, curling his toes with his pushing effort, Ekaterina encouraging him to push hard, Moses groaning and pushing harder against his hands with each foot in turn, then both together with every fresh effort. Lying on his back, Moses was soon wriggling and pushing hard to get the imaginary cub into the world. Moaning and groaning with effort, Moses struggled hard, alternately pushing his feet against his hands, then pedalling the air, then drawing up his legs, grabbing his feet and pushing his feet even harder against his hands.

“uauauauauaowch, umf, auauauuw! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Aouw this cuuuuub’s huuuge!” Moses complained, Ekaterina determined to outdo him during her turn, her eyes fixed on his feet, while her fingers explored his fingers and curled toes, as well as the parts of his feet she could reach as he pushed. Wriggling, Moses relaxed for a bit, then panting and yowling, gave himself up to further pushing, bracing both his small feet as hard as he could against his hands while curling his toes, Ekaterina encouraging him to:

“Puuush Moses Puuush! Keep puuuuuuushing! You’re doing so well!”

“I’m puuuuuuushing, I wayayayan’a puuush! I wayayayan’a give birth to both cubs like this!” Moses whimpered between a group of strenuous efforts, “I won’t crawl while giving birth to the second cub like Ursula did.”

“Okay, neither will I, now puuush!” Ekaterina urged, Allie, Bjorn, Zalika and Nanuq watching avidly, each getting paws on from time to time with Moses’s legs, arms, feet and hands as the young boy waited for the next imagined pain, then pushed his feet against his hands, straining with each foot in turn, then both together, straining and groaning through his own fictitious labour and birth of his imaginary cub, until, accompanied by Moses yelling with his effort, and with their toes curled as tightly as he could curl them, his feet broke free of the grip of his hands. Now Ekaterina, watching Moses, wished fervently for her turn to pretend to deliver her imaginary cub. Once Moses feet had broken through the grip of his hands, Moses finished his prolonged act by pressing his feet together, then energetically, and with many sounds of effort, started pulling hard at his right heel, his feet coming free so very slowly, Moses simulating the tremendous efforts to deliver his cub’s feet into the world by playing the same version of the single player stuck foot game Nanuq played, curling his toes, pulling at the heel of first his left, then his right foot, just as Nanuq had.

“uuuuumf, my cub’s feeyeeet are stuuuuuck! I muuuuust freeyeee my cuuuuub’s feeyeeet! First the cub’s left foot!” Moses yowled, tugging at his right foot, the toes of his left holding those of his left foot tightly in their grip. Squealing, he pulled harder, keeping up the traction on the heel of his right foot. Pulling, then relaxing for a minute, then pulling harder still, Moses managed to get the toes of his right foot to the margin of his left heel, where they curled round the pad, Moses squealing and wriggling, then, straining hard, he tugged with all his might at the heel of his right foot, the fingers of his left hand gripping the heel pad of his right foot, his right the back of his right heel. With a rush, the toes of his right foot came free of the heel pad of his left. Then it was time to free his cub’s right foot in the same way as he had its left. Moses, tugging at his right foot the same way he had his left, found it hard going. His right foot took a full ten minutes to free, as Moses was, quite genuinely, exhausted from his long efforts. Ekaterina and Zalika, watching him avidly, encouraged him to push, Moses freeing his imaginary cub’s left foot with a straining tug and yell of triumph, the toes of his left foot flying free of his right heel. settled back, hot but happy, Moses was ready to watch and participate in Ekaterina’s imagined cub’s birth. When she lay on her side, bent her right leg and grabbed her right foot, he realised she was re-enacting the birth of a big cat cub.

“uuuuumf, meieeyeyeyeyoaw!” Ekaterina complained, curling her toes and lifting her right foot clear of her left, pushing it against her hand every time she strained with a contraction, Moses watching the toes of both feet curling as Ekaterina wriggled and moaned through her imagined contractions. Then the pushing started, hard pushes from Ekaterina, her toes curling almost constantly with her efforts. Suddenly, with a yowl of pain, Ekaterina struggled onto her hands and feet, then yowling, she walked on her hands and feet to a beanbag, looking like a big cat. Groaning, Ekaterina balanced herself on fingers and toes and seemed to be squatting as if she was a big cat.

“Push Ekaterina puuush!” Moses yelled. Screaming lustily, Ekaterina replied:

“I’m puuuuuuushing! Yeyeyeyeeyaow! Miaoaoaoow! Ouwch! Riaow, riaow! Riaiaiaiaiaow! Yiaow! Ruuuuuumf! Riaiaiaiaiaow!” While pushing as strongly as she could down into her toes, bracing them hard against the beanbags.

“This is almost weal! What’s ‘appening Ekatewina?” Zalika exclaimed.

“this feyeeels reaeaeaeal!” the young girl moaned, “maybe, umf, Uuuuumf! Riaiaiaow! uuuuhuuuumuuuuuf! Uuuuumf! Uuuuuuhuumiaow!, maybe I’m in touch with a mama who’s hayayayayving a cuuuub! I Muuuuust puuuuuush!” she yowled, pushing her toes hard into the beanbags, which seemed to be the only way of relieving the pressure she felt inside her. Moses rubbed the heel pads of Ekaterina’s feet as she braced her toes into the beanbags, pushing and wriggling as hard as she could, until, with a final screaming push, grunt and squeal, she delivered her imaginary cub. Zalika realised Ekaterina had been reacting to something outside her imagination, and, concerned, said:

“I thinks we must go and sees if a cub was bown bweach,” Zalika mewed, “I sees Andwocles coming distwaught to the house eawlier today, maybe Sushanti ‘ad a bweach cub?” Very happy from their re-enactments, Ekaterina and Moses followed Zalika to the monorail beneath Mishka’s treehouse, the three friends riding to the house in comfort, laughing about Ekaterina’s act.

“I did what I had to,” Ekaterina said, “but Moses acted best I think.”

“Well we’ll sees if Sushanti ‘ad a bweach cub won’t we,” Zalika mewed, “I ‘as a feeling it’s all wight if she did though, as if the cub was in twouble, you wouldn’t ‘ave known about it Ekatewina. The spirits keeps things like that within the family if the cub don’t makes it.”

“I didn’t know that,” Ekaterina replied. Leaving the monorail, they went to Androcles lie up, pressed the bell and waited. Androcles answered the door, his dishevelled mane and weary eyes telling Zalika and the two human children that he’d had a tough few hours.

“Hello,” the lion mewed, “come to see Sushanti and Amafu have you?”

“if we can, if that’s who’s had cubs,” Ekaterina said, “Zalika saw you very “distwaught,” as she put it, and we guessed Sushanti was having your cub.” Androcles looked into the lie up, got two beckoning paws waved at him, and drew back, letting Moses, Ekaterina and Zalika into the room. Crawling, Ekaterina and Moses made their way to Sushanti and Amafu respectively, each child hugging the big cat mamas.

“Well done,” they said, getting kisses to their noses in return for their hugs.

“It was hard work Ekaterina,” Sushanti said.

“I bet it was,” Ekaterina replied, taking Sushanti’s massive left paw in her small hands and telling the tigress of her strange experience.

“So you came because you felt the birth of my cub?” Sushanti asked.

“sort of felt it,” Ekaterina replied, “I didn’t have the cub, nor the fear I now know you felt. I felt nothing compared to what you did Sushanti.”

“Moses has just told me he had a long labour with his cub, and it was hard to get the cub’s head and feet out Sushanti,” Amafu said.

“we’re not trying to make light of the effort you made, nor mock your cub’s births,” Moses said.

“Amafu and I don’t see it that way,” Sushanti replied, “we see it, well, as celebration of the births of our cubs. for to have humans re-enacting the births of big cats is very high praise indeed.”

“We don’t want you to be, um, whatever Titan got angry with Petra for being,” Moses said.

“We aren’t being subservient,” Amafu said, having heard the tale from Petra, who’d come in with Mishka, “Mishka told me the tale before I got really involved with the birth of my cub.”

“next we’ll have a big cat re-enacting the births of human cubs,” Androcles said.

“now that really would hurt!” Amafu whimpered, looking at Moses hands and feet, then taking his left foot in her paws and exploring his toes and heel pads, shuddering as she imagined straining to deliver his feet after a long labour.

“how did you pretend to push my cub’s feet out?” she asked. Moses showed her the single player stuck foot game, Amafu paws on with his struggles, her eyes wide with fascination and admiration.

“So it really was a struggle,” she said.

“yes, and I loved every minute,” Moses said. Ekaterina then showed Sushanti how she’d simulated the birth of her cub, Sushanti clapping her paws delightedly at Ekaterina’s imaginative acting, Ekaterina very happy and relieved the tigress took no offence.

“What should we name your two cubs Androcles?” Sushanti asked.

“I don’t know,” the lion replied, looking completely lost, “seeing their births has hardly computed yet, both of you were so amazing!”

“We would have loved it if you’d kissed our paws,” Sushanti said.

“I know Brydy did, and I really wanted to, but I didn’t think I was permitted to wash your paws and feet, as I’m not female!” Androcles whimpered, looking very distressed.

“Kiss them now if you like,” Amafu mewed.

“but you’re not in labour now!” the lion wailed.

“uuuuumf! Riaoaoaoaow!” Amafu screeched, curling her toes, Sushanti laughing so hard she had a coughing fit.

“Stoaoaoap it!” she pleaded, Androcles kissing Amafu’s nose and the curled toes and bunched pads of all four of her paws.

“that’s so cuuuute!” Sushanti said, “Androcles, you’re so lovely.”

“I’ll kiss your pads too if you like Sushanti,” the lion said, turning to her. Sushanti smiled, rolling onto her side and waving a paw.

“Come and kiss my paws and feet, and meet your two cubs who are currently drinking me dry,” she said.

“I hope you two will share the load,” Androcles said, “I can’t feed the cubs, otherwise I would do my share too!” Amafu looked up into Androcles face, seeing the lion was deadly serious.

“Tell me, did you want to push with us too?” she asked.

“I did, I felt so useless!” Androcles whimpered, Amafu seeing, for the first time, how vulnerable the fat lion truly was.

“if only there was another cub in there, I would let you push with me Androcles, and I’m sure Sushanti would too,” Amafu mewed.

“I would,” Sushanti said, “I wonder if Titan can make it so we feel labour pain, so Androcles can push a little?”

“I could,” Titan mewed, “for I know how your labours went. Androcles, go to the relieving place please.” The lion went and did his business, then padded back to the room.

“I take it what I’m about to feel will make me want to poo like Sushanti and Amafu felt,” he said.

“it will,” Titan mewed, “I was saving your embarrassment. “now lie down and I’ll give you small pains so you can get used to breathing and curling your toes through contractions, as well as used to the moaning you’ll do when I really get started.” Androcles lay down beside Sushanti and waited.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Androcles said. Titan lay down at right angles to Androcles, cupping the lion’s feet in his paws, letting him feel what Amafu had, leaving Androcles moaning and panting after the first contraction, squealing after the second and roaring after the third, the lion rolling onto his back and splaying his legs, his toes tightly curled. Thrusting at the air with his feet, Androcles screamed into his paws:

“I wayayayan’a puuush! Rowowowowor!” Androcles wriggled and, yowling, fitted actions to his words with a mighty straining effort which made him curl his toes as tightly as he could. Ekaterina and Moses watched as Androcles strained, his face screwed up in pain and effort as he bore down hard, pushing his feet against Titan’s huge paws, his toes curling with effort.

“I’ll stop now,” Titan mewed, “I can’t keep this going, it’s not fair.”

“I’m exhausted, but I wayayayant to puuush so muuuch!” Androcles moaned.

“I know that feeling,” Patch said, having watched all from where he sat in a corner of the room, ever since they’d walked in with Brydy to find Amafu and Sushanti in labour that first time.

“Why didn’t you intervene in Sushanti’s cub’s birth Patch?” Apudo asked.

“Oh, all was fine,” Patch replied, “I filmed the lot on my head cam, and could see I didn’t need to do a thing. Sushanti pushed magnificently.”

“I needed to push tooo!” Androcles whimpered.

“Maybe we can show Jenny how Sushanti and Amafu laboured now you know Androcles,” Patch said.

“Amafu and I would curl our toes and moan and do all we did for her as much as we would for Sita or any other community member who couldn’t see,” Sushanti said.

“I’d love to have been paws on,” Mishka said, “I was paws on with Amafu’s paws for a bit, and she really could curl her toes.”

“Can’t we ask Shandy to re-enact the birth of my cub?” Amafu asked.

“She could re-enact mine and yours during the same labour,” Sushanti said, “Shandy can carry two cubs can’t she?”

“I can, and I will, with your permissions,” Shandy mewed, padding to the two big cat mamas then kissing their ears.

“We give you permission Shandy,” Amafu said.

“I wayayayan’a puuush agayayayayin!!” Androcles moaned, pedalling the air with his feet and paws, “uuuuumf, iyiyiyt’s happening agayayayayin!” he roared, pushing hard with both feet against Titan’s paws, moaning:

“uuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Uauauauauaowch! Aowwwch! Eeueueueueueurmf!” while curling his toes as tightly as he could curl them.

“Are you addicted to it Androcles?” Titan asked.

“I know I roar and moan, but puuuuuuushing feyeeels Soaoaoaoao good!” the lion moaned, Panting hard as he came down from another effort.

“You used to act in the circus didn’t you Androcles?” Sushanti asked.

“yes, yes I did,” the lion replied, “and yes I used to act out the births of cubs. that was why I asked how it felt Sushanti.”

“You do look very natural doing it,” Amafu said.

“Your circus act included giving birth to cubs?” Sushanti asked.

“No, that’s what I did to relieve my stress,” Androcles replied, “I saw a mama lioness giving birth to a cub once, I was in the next cage and saw and heard it all. I saw the mama lioness’s paws and feet braced against the bars of the cage, she curled her toes round the bars and braced her pads as strongly as she could to hold onto the bars while she strained to deliver her cub. I saw the cub born too, and heard the mama’s moans and groans as she struggled, as well as seeing her from her face to her feet. I asked how it felt, and she told me everything throughout her cub’s birth. It was she who, by showing such love to her cub, showed me I’d missed out, as I’d been bought as a very young lion, hardly knowing my mama. I tried making friends with another lioness, but she hated me. I should have stuck to that lioness who told me about the birth of her cub. I encouraged her to concentrate on her cub and push through the pain, and she said it helped, just my voice helped her, so she said, but I wanted to rub her straining paws and feet, rub her straining muscles and hug her so much, especially when the cub got stuck half way out. the poor mama lioness got to her feet with a wail of terror, wriggled, bounced on her toes and shook herself, then threw herself down on the floor, which seemed to dislodge the cub, for she then endured a massive contraction, screaming and roaring into her paws to hide her noise as best she could. I suddenly found myself outside my cage, touching the sweating pads of her straining paws and feet through the bars as she struggled to give birth to her cub. I meant to return to my cage Once her cub was born, a birth I saw, and will never forget, but I didn’t make it before the lion keeper found me and shot me. I woke in my den feeling utterly shit, and the lioness was feeding her newborn cub. I so want to meet her again, but I suppose she’s dead now,” Androcles whimpered.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” a gentle voice said, Androcles feeling a paw touch his nose.

“Smell me,” the lioness said, Androcles eyes filling with tears.

“Leona?” Androcles sniffled, “it is you isn’t it?”

“yes,” the lioness replied, Androcles looking up into the eyes of an elderly lioness.

“You have a family now I see,” Leona said, lying down beside him.

“yes, these two cubs, and, and one other,” Androcles replied, gulping hard, “but what of, what happened to your cub, the one I saw you give birth to?” he asked. Leona lay down, Androcles taking her paw in his, feeling her tough life worn pads.

“Androcles,” Leona mewed sorrowfully, “Androcles, my dear cub.”

“I’m not your cub Leona, though, oh,” Androcles said, realising Leona’s meaning.

“What happened to the cub you named after me?” Androcles asked softly.

“he was shot,” Leona mewed, tears spilling down her face, “he was shot,” she coughed, choking on her tears. Sniffing hard, she buried her face in Androcles mane, giving vent to a wail of agony that tore at the lion’s emotions.

“he died in the ring, he tried to escape, and they shot him. I got out of there when the place was raided by activists. They just removed the locks, and I ran. I came looking for you, the one who’d helped me through my greatest pain until the death of my dear cub, whom I’d named after you because of your help Androcles,” Leona mewed.

“I’m honoured,” Androcles replied, “but it’s a long way to come for one so weary of life.”

“my pads feel old I know,” Leona said, “I’m old before my time though. You came to the circus when you were six months old, you saw my cub born when you were a year and a half old. I was there half a year before you at the age of two and a half, making me three and a half when you saw my cub born, and you, dear sweet Androcles, left the circus when you were two and a half, and I was five. I’m now ten, but my pads have gone through the wars a lot. Dear cub Androcles died when he was two.”

“So many years without your cub,” Androcles said.

“I Maun my dear Androcles every day,” Leona mewed, “and, and, I think of the one who was brave enough to come out of his cage while I was straining through the pains of labour to give me comfort by kissing my paws and wash my face as best he could through the bars of my cage while I struggled to give birth. Now I’m here, and, and, I’m to have another cub too.”

“but that’ll kill you!” Androcles mewed.

“I needed companionship, and a lion gave me it,” Leona replied, “If I die giving birth to my cub, at least I’ll have help through it from the one, apart from my dear cub, now departed, who truly loved me.” Shocked into silence by the lioness’s arrival, then her heart rending tale, Titan and the others just stared at Leona and Androcles.

“You are welcome here,” Titan mewed, “Leona, if we can be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to ask.”

“I saw the tigress and lioness giving birth,” Leona mewed, “it brought back so many memories. Androcles, why didn’t you kiss their paws like you did mine?”

“I have grown up since that time,” Androcles said, “dear Leona, when I kissed yours, I was a cub. the cubs do that here, wash the pads of mamas in labour, for they have no fear. Now, now I’m too fearful of messing things up to wash pads without permission. I think that lioness I tried to befriend didn’t help.”

“Ah,” Leona mewed, wearily resting her head on her paws, “I don’t remember what they called her.” the lioness reminisced, “but she was prickly as anything. Even her words had claws.”

“She hated me,” Androcles replied.

“I know, and I’m sorry for it,” Leona mewed pitifully, “dear Androcles, the truth is, I would have been a mama to you, but, but,” she paused, rubbing her face with her callused paws, “that lioness, she wouldn’t let me. She said, said you needed toughening up. I knew the night I was in labour, crying and straining in my cage, that I wanted to be a mama to you when you kissed my paws and nose. I so wanted to pull you inside and implore you to help me deliver my cub.”

“I remember the cub getting stuck,” Androcles said.

“he did, for a few minutes, until I shook him loose,” Leona mewed, then, well, the strongest contraction I’d ever felt pushed him half into the world. I just kept puuuuuuushing,, kept yowling and straining until his feet came out. I remember feeding my cub, all the while wondering why my toes ached. It was only later I found I’d gripped the bars with them while pushing with all the strength I had. Now I’m in cub again, in cub to a tiger from the circus who died in the escape from that place. He was hit by a wheeled thing, and I’m now alone, but I’m carrying his cub. here,” Leona rolled onto her side then waved her paw at her belly. Androcles touched Leona’s belly, the lioness gasping and fighting a fresh rush of tears as her unborn cub responded to Androcles touch with a strong kick against his pads.

“I’ll protect you and your cub Leona, I promise,” Androcles said, Leona burying her face in his mane, embracing him tightly with her worn out paws.

“these pads are burnt mum,” Sushanti’s cub said, examining the pads of Leona’s right foot. Touching the pads with his tongue, he felt the lioness flinch and saw her toes curl slightly.

“you’re hurting her,” Sushanti said.

“what’s that licking my foot? It hurts, oaoaoaof!” Leona said, curling round, coming eye to eye with Sushanti’s cub, her paw raised to cuff the cub away from her foot when she saw him for the first time

“”oaoaoaoah!” Leona yowled, staring in sudden terror, her face crumpling in sudden grief.

“What’s wrong with my cub?” Sushanti asked. Leona was so upset she could hardly breathe. Tears choking her, she coughed and wept inconsolably.

“Her first cub’s sire was a tiger,” Titan mewed.

“Oh, my cub looks like the one she lost?” Sushanti asked.

“I think so,” Androcles replied softly, kissing Leona’s nose and paws.

“It isn’t just that though,” Amafu said, “you did the same for Leona when she was in pain as your cub has just done. Licking her burnt pads was a lovely thing for you to do and your cub has emulated you.” suddenly Leona grabbed Sushanti and Androcles newborn cub and groomed him thoroughly. Sushanti became angry.

“Get your paws off my cuuuub!” she roared, but Leona was too far gone in her misery. Yowling with grief, Leona clung to Sushanti’s cub, her hot tears wetting his coat.

“I think our cub burst a dam Sushanti,” Androcles said.

“you smell distressed Leona,” Sushanti’s cub said to the lioness, kissing her nose.

“Of course she does, she’s crying you idiot!” Amafu’s cub sneered, clapping her paws in mock congratulation.

“Shut it!” Amafu snapped, cuffing her newborn female cub with her paw, “I’m sure Leona does smell distressed.”

“it’s not just at pad or fur level, it’s deep,” Sushanti’s cub said, “I know distress at pad level, I felt and saw and smelt it on you Amafu, while you were giving birth to my half-sister. This is deeper, as if this mama is made of distress. As if she was born of distress.”

Naoaoaoaoao!” Leona squealed.

“Mama Leona was born in a place that her mum felt anxious in,” Sushanti’s cub said, “distress was Leona mama’s whole life, and she bore a cub, Leona, into distress too. Fear was their only companion, that and burnt pads. Mama lioness grew up to give birth to a cub born of distress. but then, during the birth of this cub, a lion came to Leona and lifted her distress for a brief moment.”

“Stoaoaoap, shut uuuuuuup!” Leona screamed.

“I look like the cub mama Leona lost, and, and, I think she couldn’t say goodbye properly either,” Sushanti’s cub said, Leona lifting her head, giving vent to a cry of pain which brought tears to everyone’s eyes.

“uauauauauauwch! Auauauauauwuuuuuumf!” Leona suddenly screeched, her belly contracting. Sobbing, she pleaded:

“Not agayayayayin! Please, not agayayayayin!” pushing Sushanti’s cub away and grabbing Androcles, Leona buried her face in his shoulder, screaming with the first agony of her labour, though everyone knew the lioness’s pain was far deeper than anything physical.

“Great, you have brought on Leona’s labour you bloody idiot!” Amafu’s cub screamed at her older brother.

“Let me check,” Patch said, having noticed Leona could hardly walk through the door, so heavy with cub was she. Leona, in a world of fear, pain and misery, hardly noticed as Patch rigged her with his scanning devices. Ultra-sounding the cub, he found a huge cub, perfectly formed with massive paws and feet.

“I think it’s ShowTime!” he intoned, Sushanti laughing despite her concerns.

“uauauauauauwch! I cayayayayn’t puuush, I just cayayayayn’t!” Leona screamed and cried.

“you will push, and this cub will be born,” Sushanti’s cub said, “mama Leona, you will push like my mum did. Don’t worry, we’ve all seen and done this before. This time though, you’ll have a comfortable place to give birth in, no cold bars to grip with your paws and feet and bite on, no concrete, it’s warm here, soft rugs, warm paws, a soothing wash if you wish too.”

“how do you know!” Leona groaned, “my pads are soaked already!” she screeched, “and don’t you give me rubbish about knowing everything, you’re just a bloody cuuuub! Auauauauauauch!” she raged, batting Sushanti and Androcles cub across the room with an angry paw as another contraction made her curl into a ball, screaming with pain and fear.

“I know because my mum’s paws and feet got washed by a bear Leona!” Sushanti’s cub yelled, crawling back to the sobbing lioness.

“Get away from meyeee!” Leona spat.

“Okay, I’m going,” Sushanti’s cub said, touching the pads of Leona’s sweating left paw, “but I know you don’t mean what you say about me going away.” Leona panted through another contraction:

“no, naoaoaoaoao! Don’t goaoaoaoaoao!” she begged.

“Told you,” Sushanti’s cub said, “mum,” he said, “please, go and get poor Leona a drink.” Sushanti, giggling helplessly, left the room, returning with a drink which Leona drained thirstily.

“Get her one more for later,” Patch said, Sushanti trotting off for more, returning sometime later with Blackberry who wheeled his trolley of food and drink into the corner, sitting down to watch the goings on, his eyes wide with surprise.

“My paws and feeyeeet are soaking wet!” Leona screamed as another contraction built, “Aoaoaoaoaoaoaouch! Yoaoaoaoaoaoaoaow!” she wailed, wriggling convulsively. Patch washed Leona’s paws and feet, the lioness growling and panting throughout. Then Leona wriggled, squealing as fluid drenched her fur.

“Okay Leona, the cub’s coming now, Leona, Push, push, deep big pushes!” Patch encouraged, his head cam focused on Leona’s cub’s progress, while Moses and Ekaterina grabbed cameras and focused them on the rest of the labouring lioness, Leona filmed from nose to tail.

“auauauauwch! Uuuuuuuumf! Ruuuuuumf! Aouwayayayayaouwch! Riaiaiaiaiaow!” Leona screeched, rolling onto her back, clasping her paws, splaying her legs and straining hard to deliver her cub.

“I saw paws then, lie on your side Leona!” Moses yelled. Rolling onto her side, Leona moaned deeply, then she panted hard, pawing at the air while Moaning:

oaoaoaowch,” as her cub’s head stretched her on its way out.

“Your cub’s head and paws are out now!” Ekaterina squealed excitedly, “Leona, puuush hard!” Leona, screaming, moaning and crying with pain and drowning in waves of emotion, strained hard, pushing deeply down into her tail, curling her toes as best she could with every moaning, roaring effort, amercing herself in every contraction as if diving for the bottom of the well of her labour, coming up for air to pant desperately, only to dive down again when she felt another urge to push, wishing for it all to end while seemingly reaching inside herself with both paws to push her cub ever further down and out of her body. All of a sudden, after the thousandth dive into the depths of her pain and misery and with a screaming yowl from her cub, Leona felt the pressure ease. Crying with relief, Leona panted hard, coughing violently on sniffed up tears and short of breath from her exertions.

“you did it mama,” Sushanti’s cub said softly, “your cub is here.” Leona curled her body round, then felt a paw smack her nose.

“that was noisy mum,” the cub said.

“it huuuuurt!” Leona sobbed, hugging her cub as tightly as she dared, crying into its soft warm fur.

“You did it mum,” her cub said, Leona grooming the cub as gently as she could, the cub laughing as her tongue tickled its pads.

“Muuum! You’re tiyiyiyckling my feeyeeet!” the cub squealed gleefully.

“sorry, so sorry,” Leona mewed, receiving a loving lick to her nose from a warm wet tongue.

“I’m here now mum,” the cub said, brushing a paw through Leona’s whiskers.

“I was so worried!” Leona sniffled, hugging her cub as tightly as she could while he drank.

“me too,” her cub replied, Patch finding he was suddenly unable to see what he was filming as everything had gone blurry.

“I think that’s a wrap,” he choked, everyone laughing merrily with huge relief.

“What’s wrong with your pads mama Leona?” Sushanti’s cub asked.

“the humans, they made me jump through fire as part of my circus act,” Leona mewed pitifully, “My pads got burnt, scarred for life. I hate the pads on my paws and feet, but can do nothing about them.”

“Your paws and feet are naked from the bottoms of your legs, all over the tops of your paws and the soles,” Androcles said. Leona looked down at her naked badly scarred paws.

“I know,” she said, “I hate my paws and feet Androcles.”

“Maybe we can encourage you to love them again,” Sushanti’s cub said, kissing the pads of Leona’s left foot with his warm rough tongue.

“How can you bear to kiss my pads?” Leona asked.

“Because your pads are warm and want to be soft too,” Sushanti’s cub mewed.

“What rubbish you talk!” Amafu’s cub snapped.

“Oh Shuuuuuut uuuuuuup!” Sushanti’s male cub yowled, whacking her.

“aoaoaoaoaowuw! He hit meyeee muuum!” Amafu’s cub screamed.

“Stoaoaoap that!” Leona’s cub demanded, scrambling over Leona’s paws and slapping the paws of the two older cubs with his small ones.

“now I get to snuggle you!” Sushanti’s cub yelled, snuggling up to Leona’s cub, kissing his nose and paws.

“What should we name these three?” Patch asked.

“Well Leona’s and my cub is definitely Cub Androcles,” Androcles said.

“yes, that’s understood,” Patch replied, “How about your cubs Sushanti, Amafu?”

“How about the name Anbessa for my cub,” Sushanti said, “he’s a little leonine warrior, fighting for mama Leona and for his own life, and he’s only a few hours old.”

“Fine,” Androcles said.

“I would like the name Savannah for mine,” Amafu said.”

“Savannah? Hmm, I like that name,” her cub said.

“I just got Mishka’s cameras to this place working again!” Nanuq panted, rushing into the room, “we saw a lioness giving birth to a cub!”

“yes, but which lioness,” Leona mewed. Nanuq stared at her.

“You poor thing!” he said, staring at her naked scarred paws.

“I hate my paws!” Leona whimpered.

“I don’t,” Androcles replied, kissing the pads of her left paw.

“I had surgery on my paws to free up the toes after the fire,” Leona mewed, “my paws are a sorry mess.”

“They are beautiful paws,” Androcles said, kissing her nose.

“When your cub kissed my foot while I was in labour, the pain he caused was not physical, my paws don’t hurt like that anymore,” Leona said.

“I guessed,” Androcles replied softly.

“I hated your cub for licking my pads because I thought they were disgusting. When I saw your cub, and he looked like, like, like my dead cub Androcles, the pain increased, and it was all too much. That brought on my labour, and now I have a cub.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you Leona,” Anbessa said, padding up to her then kissing her nose.

“I know now you didn’t,” Leona replied.

“Can I look at and touch the pads of your paws and feet Leona?” Anbessa asked, the lioness waving a ravaged paw.

“Come on then,” she said, “if cubs get used to my paws and feet at an early age, they won’t be so scared I suppose.”

“thank you,” Anbessa said, kissing Leona’s pads and taking each paw in turn in his small ones, rubbing her toes and pads, Leona sighing with pleasure, closing her eyes to better focus on her paws and feet.

“If I close my eyes, I can feel everything,” she thought, snuggling her left paw into the suddenly huge and very warm embrace of Anbessa’s paws.

“would you curl your toes for me Leona?” Anbessa asked.

“I’ll try,” she said, “they did try to give me full movement in my paws and feet after the fire, let me try to curl my toes.” Leona attempted to curl the toes of each paw and foot in turn, then, finding she could, she curled the toes of all four paws at once.

“feel,” she invited, “are they curled enough?”

“they are, and I hope you can feel everything with them too,” Anbessa said.

“I can,” Leona mewed, enjoying the challenge of paw and foot play, “rub my pads, and, if you like, I’ll tell you when I can feel your touch,” she offered, Anbessa hugging her left paw, which made Leona smile with pleasure.

“I can feel all over my left paw, and my right, and my left foot, and my right too,” Leona mewed as Anbessa tested her pads, as well as the digits of all four of her huge paws, “I can also curl my toes too,” she said, fitting actions to her words, Anbessa smiling as he hugged each of Leona’s naked feet and paws in turn, the lioness purring with deep pleasure.

“I’m glad my mum’s happy now, for so long she wasn’t happy at all,” cub Androcles said.

“You knew?” Leona asked.

“I did,” her cub replied, “I felt your distress, when you got here, I felt the distress peak and knew I had to get out of there.”

“So you did cause Leona to go into labour Anbessa, you bloody idiot!” Savannah yelled, Amafu cuffing her with her paw, Savannah screaming:

“auaoaoaoaowch muuum!”

“Can I check the three newborn cubs over,” Patch asked, “I note all placentas were delivered correctly after the cubs, which is great news all round.”

“I pushed so hard to deliver Anbessa that nothing could possibly be left inside me,” Sushanti replied wearily.

“Can I also examine you too Leona?” Patch asked. Leona looked so fearful, Patch padded to her, knelt and hugged her.

“I won’t hurt you, I promise,” he said, stroking her neck and shoulders with his huge paws, while Leona rested her head against his chest.

“I’ve gone through so much pain Patch, I cayayayan’t take any more!” the lioness mewed pitifully.

“Are you in physical pain now?” Patch asked.

“My paws are a bit stiff from the operations to repair them and free my toes after the fire. Apart from that, no. I still love curling my toes and having my paws played with,” Leona replied. Patch took each of Leona’s paws and feet in his huge paws, the lioness curling her toes at his request, Patch checking the skin on the tops and soles of her feet as she curled and stretched her toes.

“Whomever was the surgeon who fixed your paws and feet after the fire did a good job,” he said.

“the vets perminantly took all the hair off my feet and paws so they could work on them,” Leona replied, “my chest and neck got burnt too. those scars aren’t visible as they’re hidden by fur.”

“you limped a bit too when walking in here,” Patch said.

“I think there’s a thorn in one of my pads,” Leona mewed, Patch finding it and digging it out with tweezers.

“The humans who fixed your paws and feet made a good job of neatly trimming the hair around your wrists and ankles Leona,” Patch said, stroking the top of Leona’s left foot with his paw, the lioness watching him intently.

“So you aren’t revolted by my appearance?” she asked.

“No,” Patch replied, “I’d like to have a go at your callused pads to see if I can make walking a bit easier for you.” Leona let Patch get on with rasping away the dead pad, and soon all was done. He rubbed some cream into her pads to finish the job, the cream soothing and cooling her travel worn pads.

“They might be a bit tender to begin with, but you’ll be able to walk more easily,” Patch said, Leona getting to her feet and padding about, while Patch vacuumed up the shavings from the rasping of Leona’s pads, while Sita, scared by the noise, grabbed hold of Mishka and cried until Patch had finished.

“fortunately you don’t need any work doing on your pads Sita,” the bear said, Sita sniffling back her tears.

“Poow old Sita, getting all stwessed about a vacuum cleanew,” Zalika mewed.

“You don’t know what happened!” Sita wailed, feeling a kiss placed on the toe pads of her left foot, as she’d knelt to hug Mishka meaning Zalika could access the soles of both her feet.”

“you have cute pads Sita,” Zalika said, drawing circles on the huge sole pad of Sita’s left foot with the fingers of her own, much smaller, right paw, Sita curling her toes as tightly as she could.

“when I saw Moses and Ekaterina’s feet and hands sticking from the all over suits they wear, I thought at first, they too had injured their hands and feet like I had my paws and feet,” Leona said.

“No we haven’t,” Moses replied, crawling to the lioness and hugging her, “though we do love our hands and feet being touched and toes played with. Felix and Philomena, two Felursapien cubs love it too. they have no fur on their hands or feet, like you have none on your paws or feet.”

“I feel strangely comforted by that,” Leona said, as Ekaterina crawled to her side and wrapped her arms round her neck, hugging Leona as tightly as she could, planting a gentle kiss on the lioness’s nose, while Moses held Leona’s left foot in his hands, tracing her pads with his fingers, Leona curling her toes with pleasure.

“So the Felursapiens are bare handed and footed,” Leona mewed.

“I’m surprised Felix isn’t here,” Moses said.

“I think he’s keeping out of the way, especially after how he behaved at Bianca’s cub Sasha’s birth,” Blackberry said, “hey, anyone going to help clear this trolley before it all gets cold?” everyone raided the trolley for food and drink, Blackberry very happy.

“Now who’s leader of this place?” Leona asked, sitting down with her mate to drink the soup.

“’e’s ovew ‘ere Leona,” Zalika said, padding to a heap in the corner and prodding it with a paw, ”oi Titan you lazy moggy, stop twying to look unobtwusive and shows yourself to Leona will you?” she said.

“I wanted to keep out of everyone’s way!” Titan moaned, uncurling and getting to his feet, Leona yowling with shock.

“he’s huuuge!” she exclaimed.

“I am,” Titan mewed, “and I am glad your cub was born safely Leona.”

“Did you see it?” Zalika asked.

“Oh I watched it all,” Titan mewed, “Leona, you curled your body round, splaying your legs to lick your cub every time you pushed, it was so cute!”

“That was out of desperation,” Leona said, “It felt as if I was pushing my cub really far down a long tunnel.”

“You were,” Titan mewed.

“aoaoaoaoah, you know don’t you!” Leona mewed, looking into Titan’s face.

“I know how it feels,” Titan replied.

“he’s your mama, but he looks male!” Leona yelled, waving a paw at |Zalika, “but, but, Titan’s not male, well not really male,” she trailed off, wary of stepping on Titan’s paws.

“It’s hawd ain’t it,” Zalika said, padding up to Leona then kissing her paw, “Titan’s lovely though. Touch ‘is paws, you’ll love ‘em.”

“but will someone so beautiful touch mine?” Leona thought.

“you doubt yourself,” a huge deep voice said in her ear, Leona feeling a huge paw covering her right paw, which was the most scarred of four fire ravaged paws.

“Can I examine you Leona?” Titan asked.

“I don’t think you’ll judge a ravaged set of paws,” Leona mewed.

“I feel your pain Leona,” Titan mewed, “they want to introduce you to me in some silly ceremony anyway, but, if we have our own introduction, it’s not going to be so silly is it.”

“look at my paws and feet Titan,” Leona said, rolling onto her side. Titan kissed the lioness’s ravaged pads and the naked scarred tops of her paws, lying down and taking each of her paws and feet in his paws, caressing each damaged paw and foot, warming Leona from her paws to her ears.

“There,” Titan mewed as Leona relaxed, “you are welcome, and I’m so honoured you chose my community’s house to give birth to your cub Leona.”

“I had no choice where I gave birth,” Leona mewed, “but yes, I couldn’t have had better care. I came here in search of the lion who’d helped me most in the circus, and found him, I was about to beg him for a home when my cub made his appearance. Fortunately Androcles was sympathetic and didn’t kill the cub of another lion.”

“I never would do that,” Androcles replied.”

“Can I groom your cub Leona?” Androcles asked.

“yes, groom me, come on!” cub Androcles urged, his adopted sire lying down, then taking him in his paws and grooming him from nose to pads, the cub shrieking with laughter :

“Muuum, heyee’s tiyiyiyckling my toooes!”

“I always get the grooming of paws and feet very wrong!” Androcles whimpered.

“it’s all right, I like my paws tickled,” the cub replied, kissing Androcles nose, the lion’s eyes filling with tears of gratitude.

“awww, the big lion’s crying mum!” cub Androcles said, his adopted sire’s tears falling onto his face.

“Now I’m getting weyeyeyt!” cub Androcles screamed, wiping his face with his paws.

“Sorry, so sorry,” Androcles sniffled, Leona smiling at him.

“You always were a big softy,” she said.

“But I forgot how good it was to groom a cub!” Androcles said, “they’re so lovely Leona!” Leona laughing merrily at this, watched her cub being groomed, her eyes shining.

“Can we be groomed too?” Anbessa and Savannah asked, working their way to Androcles feet and grabbing one of his feet each.

“You can,” Androcles said, pushing cub Androcles away and curling round to grab his two older cubs.

“You can’t groom us both at once!” Anbessa said, “you have huge paws Androcles but even you can’t groom us both at once.”

“I see that,” Androcles replied, kissing Savannah’s then her older brother’s noses, “one of you will have to wait, or maybe Sushanti or Amafu can groom one of you extra thoroughly for me?”

“Come on you two,” Sushanti said, “Savannah, come here, Anbessa, stay with Androcles.” Savannah padded to Sushanti, the tigress grooming her from nose to tail, the little lioness purring deeply, while Androcles got down to the serious business of grooming Anbessa, the liger cub purring as deeply as his half-sister.

“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Ursula pleaded, “Bjorn has tried, but he doesn’t yet know the words for what he’s trying to describe.”

“Well you were paws on with mine and Amafu’s labours,” Sushanti said, “after that a lioness came into the room, you heard her talking to Androcles, then, well, she gave birth to a cub. the lioness we now know as Leona looks very ancient, though that’s due to her experiences I think, and her paws and feet have no hair on them from the wrists and ankles to her toes, like Felix and karina. I think that’s because she was burnt in an accident at her enforced work.”

“come, touch my paws if you want,” Leona said, realising with sudden shock that the huge she polar bear was blind as she watched her crawl uncertainly towards her voice, the huge she bear feeling her way with one paw, then the other.

“come,” Leona said, stretching out her paws to Ursula. Ursula touched, then took hold of Leona’s paw, feeling naked skin and warm pads.

“now get paws on with me,” Leona invited, the she bear exploring her from ears to naked paws.

“oaoaoaoah mama!” Ursula exclaimed when she reached the lioness’s paws.

“You have had a hard time too I feel,” Leona mewed.

“I, I, I have, is it that obvious?” Ursula asked.

“your paws tell me much,” Leona replied softly, kissing her nose.

“oaoaoaoaoah!” Ursula whimpered, resting her head against Leona’s shoulder, “I wasn’t abused by humans though, well, not like you have been.” Leona hugged Ursula tightly.

“now, now, can I feel your paws and feet?” Leona asked.

“Please do, and cub Androcles can too,” Ursula replied, feeling two feline paws already exploring the toes and ball of her left foot, the sensation making her smile and curl her toes with pleasure.

“You’ve both had a hard time mama Leona,” Ursula said softly.

“I was so stressed,” Leona mewed.

“How did you get past our security?” Titan asked, Leona looking scared.

“Security?” she asked, “sir, I saw no security.”

“What’s this sir stuff?” Titan asked, “I’ve kissed your paws and feet you silly, now, now please, call me Titan, and please, stop looking so scared, it upsets me!” he whimpered.

“But you’re huge and the most beautiful, I mean handsome, I mean, oh dear!”

“depends which bit of me you’re looking at?” Titan asked.

“yes, I mean no, I, oh I really don’t know!” Leona whimpered.

“Good, now we’ve dropped the formality, please tell me how you got here unescorted,” Titan mewed.

“I’ll go if you want, I’ll take my cub, you’ll never see us again!” Leona miaowed, Titan kissing her nose.

“You’re not in trouble,” he said, “and dear Leona, you and your cub begged a home here. We will not hurt you, nor turn you away.” Leona looked desperately round her, her eyes falling on Zalika, who smiled broadly.

“Titan loves you and your cub I thinks,” she mewed.

“I heard about this place from a badger who challenged me on the outskirts of the woodlands,” Leona mewed, “he found me, I was sleeping and, when I woke, I found my paws and feet bound and the badgers discussing whether to put a muzzle on meyeee!” she yowled.

“”We badgers meant to question you, and arrested you for that purpose,” a deep earthy voice said.

“Blackbewwy Bwock! You wogue of the fiwst flushing!” Zalika yelled, Anbessa snorting into his paws to hide a sudden fit of giggles.

“it’s the badger who tied my paws!” Leona yowled.

“We are sorry we did that now,” Blackberry Brock said, padding forward and bowing before the lioness, “we have to protect the community you see. The lions and tigers are so useless.”

“Shut it!” Sushanti yowled, but she knew the badgers had apprehended more intruders than any lion or tiger could ever hope to.”

“We move unobtrusively through the woodlands, the only big cat who has our stealth is Titan, and, amazing though he is, he can’t be everywhere,” the badger replied.

“What ‘appened after you woke and found youwself tied paw and foot Leona?” Zalika asked.

“I told the badgers my name and that I was in cub, and looking for a safe place,” Leona replied, “one saw my paws, burnt pads and all that, and told me that someone at the house might be able to help me. They apologised for tying my paws and feet, released me, then pointed me to the house. I suppose that’s why I got here unchallenged by the, “eyes in the woods,” as Mr badger Brock called the cameras.”

“Oh,” Titan mewed, “well you and your cub are very welcome here Leona.”

“As for that newbown cub who’s laughing at meyeee,” Zalika said, “Anbessa, I’s gonna wip youw paws off if I catches you laughing at meyeee again!”

“Oh Zalika, you’we soaoao fuuuunny!” Anbessa replied, mimicking her perfectly.

“naoaoaoaoao, stoaoaoaoap iyiyiyt!” Zalika yelled, stamping her feet and lashing her tail in a perfect miniature imitation of Titan when he got angry.

“Zalika looks like you do when you get furious about something Titan,” Patch said.

“Do I look like that? Oh dear, no wonder she laughs,” Titan mewed, struggling to keep a straight face.

“come on Zalika,” Anbessa said, padding to her and covering her left paw with his, “don’t get so angwy with me, I thinks you’s got a cute way of speaking.” Zalika looked at the newborn cub’s face, his paw telling her all she needed to know, as her anger towards him was flowing from her pads into the floor. Anbessa kissed Zalika’s nose, the liliger cub smiling and clamping his paw with her free one.

“you’s on three legs,” Anbessa said.

“I’s leaning on my paw which you’s pinning under youws,” Zalika mewed, “now I’s getting pins and needles in my paw, so can I moves it please?” Anbessa smiled sliding his paw from atop Zalika’s.

“Oi, she’s mine!” Jespah roared, bounding in and whacking Anbessa with considerable force.

“Now Jespah, what the ‘ell does you’s thinks you’s doing? you doesn’t do that!” Zalika miaowed, leaping on top of Jespah then pummelling him with her paws, the two cubs rolling over and over in a proper catfight.

“ow muuum!” Anbessa whimpered.

“Where did he hit you?” Sushanti asked, her eyes murderous.

“My shoulder, but it huuuurts!” Anbessa whimpered.

“Zalika, get off meyeee!” Jespah yowled, as the liliger stamped on his paws, which in truth didn’t really hurt Jespah himself, though her abuse of his paws hurt his pride a great deal.

“You get youwself out of ‘ere, and leaves us alone Jespah!” Zalika yelled, “I’s not ‘aving cubs abused like this, Anbessa’s newbown, if you ‘adn’t noticed! ‘e’s not gonna do anything with me, and you isn’t either if you carries on that way into the future! I’s not youws to does with what you’s liking! You can piss off with that idea stwaight away!” Zalika, thoroughly fired up and angry, whacked Jespah’s paws and tugged at his ears one last time, then left him, turning away in disgust.

“I’s Fixes ‘im,” she said to Anbessa, who sobbed into his mum’s coat, “Anbessa, Jespah better be gwateful I wasn’t Sushanti, I’m Shure she would ‘ave wipped off ‘is tail and stuffed it down ‘is thwoat by now. I’s not youw mum, so I can’t get that angwy, nor is I big enough, otherwise, well,,,” she left things unsaid, making Sushanti smile.

“Independent little cub you have Titan,” Sushanti said, Titan staring at his cub in total amazement.

“I won’t punish you for this,” he said, “Zalika, you did the right thing, if a little forcefully. You defended Anbessa’s body and your honour.”

“I wouldn’t like to get on the wrong side of you Zalika!” Cub Androcles said.

“I’s not like that always,” Zalika mewed, “Jespah weally pissed me off though. Who the ‘ell does ‘e thinks ‘e is? ‘e comes in, laying about ‘im with ‘is paws as if ‘e’s the big, “I is,” I’s saying, “you’s the big “I isn’t!”

“Oh Zalika, stop!” Nanuq begged, coughing into his paws to stop himself laughing, in case he got a dose of the liliger cub’s fury, “your manner of speaking when you get fired up is gorgeous and endearing, but, it’s, it’s, oh dear, it’s so amusing!” he guffawed.

“Yeah, I supposes it is,” Zalika mewed, lying down beside Anbessa then rubbing his injured shoulder with her paws, “I speaks sort of funny, which goes to weally silly when I’s fuwious. My mouth seems to wun away with my ‘ead a bit when I gets weally angwy.”

“You are so fuuuunny!” Nanuq said, shouting with laughter.

“You’s thinking so maybe, but I ain’t!” Zalika mewed, “my words just pours from me like a fountain when I’s angwy and gets my words all tangled and babbled and I sounds like a thwee day old cub! Which I isn’t!” the liliger cub yelled.

“I am is, I is, You are, you is, r is always pronounced w,” Anbessa mouthed, his eyes closed. Opening them, he saw Zalika staring at him.

“What was you saying?” she asked.

“Oh, I was just twying to work out how you speaks is all, fow my own wefewence you sees,” the cub replied.

“Naoaoaoaoao! nooaoaoaot Youououoaw tooo!” Zalika raged, her fur standing on end, Anbessa kissing her nose.

“I’s not laughing,” Anbessa replied, “you speak another type of language Zalika, and I’m trying to learn it, that’s all.”

“You’s deadly sewious ain’t you Anbessa,” Zalika said.

“Yeah, I’s sewious, as you puts it dear Zalika.” Zalika felt warmth running from her paw to her ears. Acceptance by Jespah of her mode of speech was one thing. He’d been born almost the same time as she, but for Anbessa, a newborn cub who had no familial connection with her to, not just accept her impediments, but treat them with the respect of another language filled her with gratitude. Zalika was sure adult members of the community, all accept Titan, who, she was sure would love her however she spoke, tolerated her babbling over emphasised chatter when things got a bit heated for her, probably thinking her rather cute, which she didn’t mind, after all, the adults didn’t know any better than the least enlightened cubs, so Zalika thought.

“Zalika’s chatter isn’t a new language you bloody fool!” Savannah snapped, “Anbessa, are you telling me that rubbish which came out of her mouth shows her intelligence? She’s a moggie, a fraud, well born my paw! She’s a scruffy cub from a clumsy pawed oaf.” Titan saw Zalika’s expression of impotent fury, her innate good manners staying her paws and frothy anger, as Savannah hadn’t actually laid paw on either her or Titan.

“You’s got the restraint of wisdom dear Zalika,” Titan mewed.

“I wants to slaps ‘ur ‘ead!” Zalika whispered.

“But you resisted, you took the mature path.” Titan mewed.

“I’s neawly exploding with fuwy though Titan, and I’s not joking!” Zalika mewed.

“If you shut your mouth Zalika, and blew through your nose, would you inflate like a balloon?” Savannah asked.

“No of course I wouldn’t!” Zalika yowled.

“but your sire, mama liger thing looks like he’s done just that,” the cub mewed.

“’e doesn’t!” Zalika mewed, her toes curling into the rugs, “Titan’s weally nice, ‘e’s big and soft!” she miaowed.

“He looks like he could be burst like a balloon!” Savannah goaded.

“I’ll burst you like a balloon if you’s carrying on likes that!” Zalika yelled, stamping her feet, “you’s saying weally awful things Savannah, and you’s got no wight, let alone any weason to say these things! All you wants to do is make me fuwious! I wayayayant to explode!” she complained in an infantile roar. Savannah mocking her:

“Oh, my ‘ead’s gonna explode, my ‘ead’s gonna explode, my ‘ead’s gonna explode!” she chanted, Anbessa grabbing Zalika’s paw to steady her.

“You’s ‘orrible! You’s a mangy moggy! A disgusting flea ridden alley cat Savannah!” Zalika yelled, the words pouring from her in a flood of fury.

“ooaaoah, such words, all words, no paws for me Zalika?” Savannah yelled.

“NO, please, Zalika, don’t!” Amafu begged, “I’ll take Savannah from here, we’ll go now.” Amafu gripped the scruff of Savannah’s neck in her teeth and tried to lift her, Savannah pinning her feet to the floor and making herself a dead weight, Amafu groaning as she strained to pick the cub up.

“Leave meyeee alone muuum!” Savannah yowled, “come and get meyeee Zalika! Bet you can’t, bet you won’t! bet your fat pawed inflated ego half parent won’t let youuuuu!” the little lioness goaded.

“Wight, that’s it, you’s toast!” Zalika yowled, surging towards Savannah, Anbessa yelling to Zalika to:

“don’t be so silly Zalika!” while Savannah, seeing a raging fury flowing towards her, a fury with great leaping bounds, huge paws, huge fur and huge growling, mocked it with a cubbish laugh. Then the fury stopped and opened her mouth in a tremendous roar, the sound shattering Savannah’s ears and shaking the floor, making Savannah’s paws sweat with fear. Screeching, Savannah threw herself to the floor, covering her ears with her paws.

“Now you shuts youw mouth, wight?” Zalika mewed, turning tail and walking away.

“Do you even know who your mama is Zalika?” Savannah asked, “your fur looks like Titan could be your sire, while scruffy Sita could be your mama!”

“I’s not gonna takes offence at that comment, as Sita is vewy sweet and if she ‘ad been my mama, I’s sure I’d ‘ave liked it,” Zalika mewed. Sita crawled forward and hugged Zalika tenderly, the liliger cub purring ecstatically.

“You’s so lovely Sita,” Zalika purred, Sita smiling then kissing Zalika’s ear.

“Thanks,” she said.

“where’s that wogue of a gwandcub of youws Sita?” Zalika asked, “I knows ‘e’s a pest of the fiwst flushing, but I’s missing ‘im.”

“Felix is keeping out of everyone’s way after stealing Blackberry’s car and nearly running you over Zalika,” Sita mewed.

“I’s sowwy ‘e thinks we ‘olds it against ‘im for so long,” Zalika said.

“I’ll see if I can convince mama Karina to let him out of the lie up, he’s been grounded for weeks now,” Sita mewed.

“’ow about Philomena?” Zalika asked, “she’s not gwounded too is she?”

“No, she just feels she can’t roam about like bears and cats can,” Sita mewed.

“Well tells me where she is, and I’ll tells ‘ur she’s fine to come to mine and Titan’s lie up, Mishka’s twee’ouse and evewywhewe in the community. I wants to see ‘ur awound and about the place Sita.” Sita giggled delightedly at this.

“Okay, I’ll tells ‘ur that,” she said, Zalika playfully cuffing her with one well-padded paw.

“I’ll consider being slapped by a liliger a badge of honour,” Sita mewed.

“Did I ‘uwt you?” Zalika asked, mortified.

“No, and I’m sure your paws were velvet,” Sita purred.

“yes, them is,” Zalika purred, “I doesn’t get my claws out, just like Titan doesn’t. Stowies say ‘e didn’t even get ‘is claws out when ‘e was in pain giving biwth to me.”

“That was twue, ‘e didn’t,” Sita mewed.

“now Sita please, you does so kind as to stop that!” Zalika mewed.

“awhwhwhwh that’s suuuuper cuuuute Zalika!” Moses giggled.

“what is? The way I mangles my words?” Zalika asked.

“yes, it’s weally sweeyeet!” Ekaterina chimed in. Zalika padded to Moses and little Ekaterina in turn, then tickled their feet with her paws, the children laughing helplessly. All they could do was curl their toes with pleasure and tell Zalika how good her ministrations felt.

“What is she doing?” Sita asked.

“Oh, tickling our toooes! I thinks Zalika’s fuwious!”!” Moses replied laughing.

“I’d like you to wub my pads, if you have time Zalika,” Sita mewed.

“course I ‘as time,” Zalika purred, finishing off rubbing Moses and Ekaterina’s feet from toes to heels. Crawling to Sita, Zalika found Sita lying down on her chest, her feet soles up so Zalika could have better access to the whole of the soles of her feet from heels to toes.

“You’s got ‘uge pads Sita,” Zalika mewed.

“I’s, I mean, I’m a cat bear, a Felursa.”

“You’s got soft pads too,” Zalika observed, “I thinks you doesn’t walk much outside.”

“No, I don’t,” Sita replied, curling her toes with pleasure at Zalika’s rubbing of the ball of her right foot.

“Titan’s got bouncy pads too,” Zalika mewed, “I thinks ’e’s an indoow cat weally.”

“he has got lovely pads,” Sita mewed languidly, “I’m feeling rather drowsy here Zalika, I hate to stop you rubbing my pads, but, if I don’t, I fear I’ll fall asleep, and that wouldn’t be at all polite.”

“I think we should leave Androcles and his family to settle down now Zalika,” Titan mewed.

“You’s all lovely you is,” Zalika said, waving a paw at Leona, Sushanti, Amafu and Anbessa. Finally she pointed at Savannah, “and as fow you Savannah, you’s a pestilence of the fiwst flushing you is!” Zalika spat.

“right, you’re dead!” Savannah screamed, rushing at Zalika. Ursula, hearing Savannah coming towards her, stuck out her paw, the lioness tripping over it and flying through the air to be caught by Patch.

“Caught and bowled!” Nanuq yelled, clapping his paws.

“naoaoaoaoao, get off meyeee!” Savannah screamed, striking out at Patch with all four paws.

“Oh dear, happy families we aren’t,” Mishka sighed.

“but Zalika’s horrid, and common, and I hayayayayayte her for playing with my brother, who’s also as common as she is, so I hayayayayte hiyiyiym tooo!” Savannah yowled.

“What ‘as I or youw bwother ever done to ‘’urt you?” Zalika asked, “Savannah, ‘as you ever got paws on with me? No. You knows nothing of me at all, and it saddens me you’s taking this dislike to me, a cub who you’s never weally met. As fow ‘ow you tweat youw bwother, ‘e ‘elped you into the world, ‘ugging you when Amafu and Apoodo couldn’t push ‘ard enough, and getting your feet out ‘urt you a lot. Anbessa was lovely to you Savannah, and you’s repaying ‘im with slurs and spite? I doesn’t undewstand you at all!”

“I know poor breeding when I hear it, and you are ill bred!” Savannah screeched, “it looks like some cub has taken a paintbrush and painted all over you, then has taken it and painted all over Anbessa and Sita, all random rubbish!”

“that’s unfair!” Sita growled.

“You shut your fêted trap scribbled Sita!” Savannah yowled, Amafu snatching her up off Patch’s lap by the scruff of her neck, shaking her, then dumping her on the floor.

“come with meyeee now!” Amafu growled, grabbing Savannah by the scruff of her neck and, straining backwards, digging her feet in and pushing with her paws, dragging her from the room, the cub digging in her paws and feet at every opportunity to frustrate her mother, who was having a hard time.

“Savannah’s too heavy!” Amafu panted, gripping her daughter’s scruff and straining backwards. Savannah, with an evil smile, lightened herself when her mum was at maximum effort, Amafu’s effort spending its energy by forcing the lioness to rear onto her hind legs then crash backwards, dropping her cub in the process, Savannah laughing helplessly at her mum’s pedalling paws and kicking feet.

“that’s enough!” Titan roared, “Savannah, come here!” he growled, snatching her up in his mouth and shaking her, then dropping her, “you are a horrid little scrap!” Titan roared into Savannah’s face, the cub squealing with fright, “now you go home, go home to yours and Amafu’s lie up and think about your conduct this day!” Titan growled, “then come back when you’re about four years old and can reason with the reasonable!” he roared, the sound of his anger making Amafu tremble with fear.

“My fury is not at anyone else,” Titan mewed, looking with intense sadness at Amafu.

“What do I do Titan?” Amafu asked plaintively.

“Take your cub to your lie up, settle her there and I’ll send someone to deal with Savannah,” Titan mewed. Amafu, panting and sweating, tried to lift Savannah by the scruff of her neck.

“uuuuumf!! You’re heaeaeaevy!” Amafu moaned, bracing her paws and feet, curling her toes into the tiles for purchase and straining with all her might to lift Savannah, her feet slipping on the tiles as she struggled. Panting and letting go of Savannah’s scruff for a breather, Amafu looked round her for help.

“Don’t mess about Savannah, go with your mum!” Apudo commanded. Savannah reluctantly let Amafu pick her up, the lioness, her fur dark with sweat, padding from the room.

“Ursula,” Leona asked, “does a bear ever give birth lying on their back with their feet in the air?”

“yes, I think they sometimes do,” Ursula replied, hugging the lioness, “why do you ask?”

“Just curious, as I nearly gave birth to cub Androcles on my back, that’s all.”

“Oh,” Ursula replied, “yes, I suppose bears can do that, if they wish. I’ll ask Shadow, she would know, she’s the animatronic bear who does the re-enactments of births for Patch to practise helping at a troublesome ursine birth without endangering real mothers, Shandy does the feline births.”

“I would like to know,” Leona mewed.

Apudo padded to Amafu’s private lie up, Apudo having realised only she could be of assistance to Savannah.

“So you’ve come to punish me have you?” Savannah spat angrily when Apudo walked into the room.

“Not to punish you, to talk to you and see if I can understand why you hate Zalika and Sita, and Titan so much,” Apudo mewed.

“They’re all so unkempt, all so uncouth with their scruffy fur and Titan letting Zalika get away with her sloppy speech,” Savannah mewed, “that Anbessa too, he’s a scruffbag!”

“But you’ve never thought to get paws on with Anbessa?” Apudo asked, lying down and taking Savannah’s paw in both of hers, “Savannah, do you remember your birth? Do you remember being helped by a cub when your feet were stuck?”

“I don’t remember that, and why would I want to remember it, even if I could?” Savannah growled.

“that cub who let you grab him during your birth was Anbessa.” Apudo mewed.

“You think just because I grabbed hold of him during my birth, I should be kind to him my whole life? No!” Savannah miaowed.

“Savannah, regarding Anbessa, indeed all community members, they need to be shown a little respect,” Apudo mewed, “you can’t say what you did without repercussion Savannah. You don’t know Zalika, nor Sita, but you treated them shamefully. As for what you did to your mum, well that’s unacceptable too! Why cause her to fall over like that? What had she done to you? I know what it is to be full of hatred towards everyone here, and it led me to some very dark places.”

“How can anyone respect someone who looks so horrible?” Savannah asked.

“Quite easily if you touch their paws,” Apudo mewed, “Zalika is lovely, her manner of speech is a bit unusual, but I for one love it. she’ll never grow out of it, that’s how she speaks. Titan gave birth to a miracle cub, and Zalika has wisdom beyond her years.”

“I don’t know why I’m feeling so anti-everyone,” Savannah mewed, “I just can’t stand the sight of Anbessa and Leona, let alone Sita and that scruffbag Zalika!”

“I would like to try something with you,” Apudo mewed, “come to a darkened room and touch the paws of those you dislike. You won’t be able to see them, and, well, you might like them.” Savannah, feeling her anger rise again, had closed her eyes to focus her mind on Apudo, whom, despite her reservations, she’d begun to listen to. Savannah suddenly felt her right foot taken in a set of warm paws, the paws were soft, large and had very thick, springy pads.

“My foot is in a set of paws,” Savannah mewed dreamily, “they’re warm paws, soft springy padded paws, feline paws. Lovely paws.” Apudo noticed Savannah snuggling the toes of her held foot into the newcomer’s huge paws.

“Would you like to better know the owner of those paws?” Apudo asked.

“I would,” Savannah mewed.

“curl round, and feel with your paws, touch everywhere,” Apudo mewed. Savannah opened her eyes, but could see nothing, though the warmth she felt inside her eclipsed all fear she was sure she would have felt at being plunged into darkness. Savannah curled round and got paws on with a large feline body, it was rather chunky with very fat feet on the ends of chunky medium length legs. Savannah explored the big cat’s feet several times, as her paws kept being drawn back to their warm pads, the toes of the two feet gripping her paws every time she touched them.

“Do the cat’s feet appeal to you?” Apudo asked.

“I like them,” Savannah replied.

“touch everywhere else now,” Apudo suggested, Savannah touching the stranger’s head, ears and body, but her paws kept returning to the big cat’s feet, the huge warm pads and toes which curled comfortingly round hers every time she touched them, the newcomer’s toes seeking her paws out then gripping her toes with theirs, holding them in an impossibly padded grip.

“Would you like to get to know the owner of those feet?” Apudo asked, “I notice your paws returning to the cat’s feet, touching the pads and your eyes light up when your paws are caught by the toes of the cat’s huge feet Savannah.”

“I would love to get to know the owner of these feet and paws,” Savannah mewed, feeling a kiss to her nose.

“You’s weally sewious about that?” a voice asked.

“Oh Zalika, they’re your paws holding my foot? And my paws held your feet? and your feet held my paws?” Savannah asked breathlessly.

“Yes,” Zalika purred, “them’s my toes which ‘as caught your paws over ten times now, and my paws ‘aven’t left your wight foot fow about half an hour now.”

“I didn’t know you were so warm!” Savannah mewed.

“I’s warm, at least others tells me so,” Zalika purred, kissing Savannah’s nose.

“Don’t do that!” Savannah miaowed, “don’t kiss my nose Zalika,,,,”

“Why not?” Zalika asked.

“Because, because, Zalika, I don’t deserve it, I’ve been horrible! No wonder Sita nearly fell asleep with your touch on her pads, no wonder everyone seems to like Titan, if your pads are miniature versions of his.”

“Zalika has small paws? That’ll be the day,” Apudo giggled, “poor Titan had to push those huge paws into the world, I remember his cries of effort and pain even now, not to mention how tightly he curled his toes with the effort he made to deliver his cub.” Savannah closed her eyes as Zalika squeezed the toes of her right foot in her warm paws, the little lioness wriggling with pleasure, fiercely gripping Zalika’s own right foot in her paws.

“I wayayayan’a cuuuurl my toooooes!” Savannah miaowed, Fitting actions to her words, feeling the toes of a large feline foot caught in her own paws curling, but she couldn’t stop her toes curling, nor her paws squeezing the foot she held, moaning with intense effort, she curled her toes as tightly as they’d go.

“Zalika, I can’t stop my paws squeezing, I Cayayayn’t Stoaoaoap cuuurling my toooooes either!” Savannah squealed.

“I knows, mine can’t stop either!” Zalika mewed.

“I’s sorry if I’s squeezing your foot!” Savannah whimpered.

“I supposes my paws is doing same to yours,” Zalika mewed, “but we’s communicating now.” Savannah stared at the tightly curled toes of Zalika’s large left foot, then lazily, she licked the furred top of that foot, the cross bred cat kissing her ear.

“now you’s feeling able to talk to me pwopahly?” Zalika asked.

“yes,” Savannah mewed, “Zalika, please, find Anbessa, and bring him to me. I think, think I need to apologise.”

“I will bwing him to you if you apologises to youw mama fiwst,” Zalika mewed. Savannah looked round at Amafu, seeing an exhausted lioness with damp pads and a sweat soaked grey coat where it had been white.

“I can tell I’ve made a lot of people unhappy,” Savannah whimpered.

“Would you like to know how un’appy?” Zalika asked, “I can show you with my paws.” Savannah replied:

“show me Zalika.” Zalika showed Savannah, the cub soon crying from the impact of the bewilderment, sadness and fury her words engendered.

“I want to say sorry to everyone I hurt,” Savannah mewed, “I’ve been so awful, so dreadful, I hardly deserve a second chance.”

“You only said things,” Apudo mewed, “when I was dreadful to the community, I hit others with my paws and was frothy with my words too.”

“Can I say I love your Touch Zalika? Is that all right?” Savannah asked.

“yeah, it is,” Zalika mewed, kissing Savannah’s nose, “and as it ‘appens, I likes youws now too. it stawted all angwy and confused, now I likes it, as it changed to a gentle touch. Youw mum might even let you touch ‘ur paws and feet and even wash ‘em. I think that would be nice if you could wash youw mum’s pads.”

“I faught her too didn’t I,” Savannah whimpered.

“You did, and she is all worn out ‘cos of what you did,” Zalika mewed.

“I’m recovering now,” Amafu protested.

“That ain’t the point,” Zalika mewed.

“I splayed my legs and curled my toes into the floor to lift you off the floor Savannah, and even then I couldn’t,” Amafu mewed.

“Because I didn’t want you to,” Savannah replied, “I saw how you strained and tugged to lift me, and then I didn’t care about the struggle you had mama.”

“Now is diffwent though?” Zalika asked.

“Yes,” Savannah mewed, padding to her mama and washing her paws.

“now I’ll ask Anbessa to come into the room shall I?” Apudo mewed.

“yes, and Sita too, please,” Savannah mewed, “I need to apologise to them both, and to Titan, and to, oh, everyone!”

“What on earth’s going on here?” Amafu asked, “I glanced up to the screen watching Androcles lie up, and it seems Moses is having trouble freeing one of his feet from the other, he’s tugging at his right foot with both hands, his toes curling so tightly!”

“Oh, that’s the stuck foot game,” Zalika mewed, “them humans loves that game, and, well I does too, if I can get someone to play it. it’s ‘arder for cats, but it can be played.”

“Moses is really tugging hard to free his right foot from his left, he’s got the toes of his right foot just about to the margin of his left heel!” Amafu mewed.

“It’s a game of imagination,” Patch said, padding into the room.

“I need to watch that,” Savannah mewed, “I think watching someone play would help me.”

“I could play it here if you’d like,” Patch said, sitting down.

“but you haven’t any arches, not like Moses,” Apudo said, looking at Patch’s huge feet with interest.

“my toes don’t need arches to stick to my sole pads, I can still fight to free my toes from my heels like Moses does,” Patch replied, wiggling the toes of his left foot at the lioness, Apudo pouncing on his foot, clasping his toes with her paws.

“I knew you would grab my toes,” Patch laughed.

“I can’t resist it, I’m sorry!” Apudo mewed. Patch curled his toes, catching Apudo’s paw in their grip.

“I don’t mind,” Patch replied, stroking the lioness who sprawled beside him.

“Patch, can I rub your pads before you play?” Apudo asked.

“yes you can,” Patch replied, releasing her paw by uncurling his toes, lifting his left foot and resting it on his right leg, Apudo backing up to get paws on with the sole of his foot, rubbing his toe and sole pads, the bear curling his toes to bunch the skin on the sole pad when her paws reached the ball of his foot.

“that’s so cuuuute!” Apudo mewed, kissing the bunched pad of Patch’s left foot.

“Now would you like me to play the single player stuck foot game?” he asked.

“I’d like it if you would,” Apudo mewed.

“I could play too,” Ekaterina said, padding into the room, “I came to see where Apudo had got to,” she explained.

“We’ve finished our business, so I’d like to watch you both pretending,” Apudo mewed.

“Savannah, go to Sushanti’s lie up, ask Anbessa if you can talk to him,” Patch said, “tell him what you told Apudo and Zalika.” Savannah padded away, Amafu watching her go.

“I hope he will give her the time of day,” the white lioness said.

Ekaterina sat down, and Apudo rubbed her right foot, while Zalika attended to her left, rubbing the girl’s soft pads with her own equally springy pads.

“Youw toes are cuwling tightly Ekatewina,” Zalika giggled, rubbing the sole of the young girl’s left foot, making Ekaterina giggle by rubbing her paw down the bunched skin on the ball of her foot, over her small arch and to her heel pad.

“I wayayayan’a cuuuuuuwl my toooes tighter!” she said, struggling to do just that, Zalika kissing her left heel pad.

“You big soppy Zalika!” Ekaterina laughed, pulling the cub onto her lap and hugging her.

“You’s soppy youwself,” Zalika replied, nuzzling her arm and throwing her paws round Ekaterina’s neck, hugging her.

“You’re just too cuuuute Zalika!” Ekaterina said, embracing the liliger cub as tightly as she dared.

“I’s just wanting a cuddle, that’s all,” Zalika mewed, kissing Ekaterina’s nose, “does you know you ‘as vewy small feet?” Zalika asked. Ekaterina grinned:

“I’m a very young human,” she said, “I’m nearly four years old, Moses is nearly six. Jenny is nearly eleven and Sally twelve.”

“I’s about thwee months old I thinks,” Zalika purred. Ekaterina pushed Zalika onto her back in her lap and played with her left paw, the liliger cub looking up at her with gentle eyes.

“You have really big fat paws for a very young tiggie,” Ekaterina said, Zalika clamping Ekaterina’s small hand in her paws.

“I ‘opes my pads is as soft as youws is,” she said.

“I could feel my heel pads, then your pads if you like,” Ekaterina invited.

“I can’t feel my own pads though, which is kind of sad,” Zalika mewed.

“How if I touch your pads Ekaterina, then yours Zalika?” Apudo asked, looking up from where she’d been watching the toes of Ekaterina’s right foot curling and stretching as she rubbed the ball and heel of her foot with both paws.

“Okay,” Ekaterina replied, “that okay with you Zalika?” she asked.

“Oh yeah, I loves my feet ‘andled by gentle loving ‘ands or paws, you knows that Ekatewina,” Zalika replied, making Ekaterina and Apudo smile broadly.

“yeah, I knows that,” Ekaterina said, Zalika wriggling with pleasure as Apudo tested the springiness of the pads on her right foot by gently pressing on them, Zalika seeing Ekaterina smiling at her reaction, which included curling her toes and pressing back into the pressure of the lioness’s paws. Zalika’s turn to smile came when she felt Ekaterina wriggle with pleasure when Apudo rubbed and pressed the heel pad and toe pads of her right foot.

“You likes Apudo’s touch Ekatewina?” Zalika asked.

“yeyeyeyeyes!” the little girl replied, “and I sees you does too!” she added, “you pushed your foot into Apudo’s paws too Zalika!”

“I did that,” Zalika mewed, “pushed and squiwmed, though I didn’t know you’d pushed youw foot into Apoodo’s paws Ekatewina.”

“Oh Ekaterina did by pointing her toes a bit, and it was cuuuute! Oh, and she tightly curled her toes too,” Patch said, “I saw her curling them,” he added.

“so does Ekatewina have as soft pads as me then?” Zalika asked.

“yes Ekaterina does, I think that’s because she’s rarely standing on them. too busy playing stuck foot games with Moses, Mishka and Lucky I think,” Apudo giggled, Ekaterina grinning delightedly.

“I got really stuck a few days back,” Ekaterina said, “Moses and I got our feet stuck together for an hour.”

“I’d love to see that,” Zalika said.

“Titan and Apudo have seen it,” Ekaterina said, “they had to get Sally and Jenny free from a stuck foot game once. Sally and Jenny had got themselves so stuck, they couldn’t free themselves.”

“that was funny,” Patch said, “I think the two cats used their whiskers, tickling Sally and Jenny’s feet until they were free.”

“I think Jenny wants to play stuck foot games with others but is a little afraid to ask, just like Sita really,” Apudo mewed, “maybe she can go to Sita for play sessions.”

“Maybe I could learn from Patch or another bear,” Jenny said, padding into the room. Ekaterina pushed Zalika off her lap, crawled to Jenny and hugged her.

“Patch will show you how to play the stuck foot game,” Ekaterina said, “now, get hands on with Patch’s feet, he’s about to play the game I think.” Patch said:

“Come to me Jenny, get hands on with my paws and feet while I play the single player game. I understand you played the two player game with Moses, but would you like to learn the single player game?”

“I would,” Jenny replied, crawling to Patch’s side.

“come to a playroom, and we can play there,” Patch said, “you might get very involved and roll backwards once your toes are free of your other foot, at least there you’ll be safe.”

“I’d also like to learn how to properly pretend to give birth to a cub,” Jenny said, following Patch to the playroom. There they met Sita, who, when hearing what Jenny wanted, agreed to show her.

“I can show her while you get on with your job Patch,” Sita mewed, “I need to show someone how to play at having a cub, and also play stuck foot play games, I don’t do enough of that.”

“But you haven’t arches on your feet have you Sita?” Jenny asked, “you can’t get your toes stuck like a human can, can you?”

“I can,” Sita replied, “I’ve felt Moses and Ekaterina playing the single player stuck foot games. I’ve tried it too. If you like though, I can put on some socks which will thicken my heel pads, the balls of my feet and my toe pads.”

“I’d like you to do that anyway,” Jenny replied.

“You silly Sita,” Patch laughed, hugging the cat bear, who purred ecstatically.

“I won’t have to put those socks on,” Sita purred, “I have slight arches on my feet, they have deepened as I’ve got older. Or maybe, maybe it was when Blackberry repaired my body, he made my feet a bit more arched. People haven’t noticed, but then, well, not many grab my feet to find out about them. I wish they would more often, and that goes for my paws too.”

“No wonder you’re so good at grabbing your feet when the vacuum cleaner comes round!” Nanuq said, padding past, “you can grab them so easily Sita!”

“naoaoaoaoao, nooaoaoaot that!” Sita miaowed.

“Sorry,” Nanuq replied, “but that’s really the only time I ever get to see your feet when in the control room, so that’s the only thing I can comment on.”

“Suppose,” Sita mumbled.

“You had flat pads when I helped give birth to you Sita,” Patch said, “do you have arches now?” Sita lifted her right foot from the floor, Patch inspecting the brown padded sole.

“You have a distinct heel pad here,” Patch said, drawing circles lightly on the thick heel pad with his paw, Sita squirming slightly as he did so. Patch, unheeding, carried on, gently drawing on the sole of Sita’s foot with the fingers of his paw,“then a small arch, then thick,,,” he got no further, because Sita, shrieking with laughter, flinched as he tickled the ball of her foot, her tail lashing upwards in a reflex action, whacking him hard between his hind legs. Tearing his paw from her foot, squealing with pain, Patch crumpled to the floor, grabbing at himself with both paws.

“Ball and toooe payayayayads! Yeyeyeyeyes I know!” Sita laughed, “I can take others touching my feeyeeet but, but, you tiyiyiyckled meyeee!” She yowled. Patch’s squeal finally registering, Sita turned, suddenly concerned.

“Patch?” she asked, hearing snorting sounds coming from beside her, as well as Patch’s moans.

“You lashed him in the, in the, oh Sita!” Nanuq giggled.

“I didn’t did I? Oh naoaoaoaoao! Payayayaych! I’m Soaoaoaoao sorry!” Sita miaowed.

“yes, yes you did, right in the boarhood!” Patch panted, drawing up his knees and rolling from side to side in his agony, his paws clutching himself.

“I’m so sorry!” Sita whimpered, while Jenny laughed so much she had to lean against Nanuq for support.

“You might think it funny Jenny, but Sita’s tail is so hard!” Patch moaned.

“thank goodness you weren’t tickling Karina’s or Felix’s toes, they have tails like whips when they’re excited or angry,” Sita thought.

“Patch is curling his toes and wriggling Sita,” Nanuq said.

“I’m so sorry Patch!” Sita mewed pitifully.

“It’s all right Sita, you weren’t to know where I was. I’m off to rest for a while,” Patch groaned, crawling away.

“I feel Soaoaoaoao bad now!” Sita mewed pitifully.

“Go play with Jenny,” Patch groaned. Sita padded with Jenny to the playroom where she sat down, Jenny kneeling beside the Felursa and getting hands on with Sita’s feet, making sure they were pressed together heel pad to heel pad, toes to toes, ball of foot to ball of foot.

“Are you comfortable?” Jenny asked.

“yes,” Sita replied, “now I will show you the stuck foot game. Touch my feet and paws.” Jenny did, and Sita began prying at the heels of both feet, trying to free them. Jenny felt Sita pushing hard with the toes of both feet, trying to pull her heels apart. Wriggling, Sita struggled harder and harder, Jenny feeling a gap emerging between her heel pads, Sita digging down into the growing gap with her fingers while tugging and wriggling, miaowing and panting in her effort. Having freed her heels, Sita then tugged at her toes, freeing them one by one. After this, she was about to set to freeing the balls of her feet when her right foot slipped and the toes of her left foot curled round those of her right, the toes of her right foot gripping the pad of the ball of her left foot. Miaowing with frustration, Sita wriggled as her feet pushed hard against each other, the bond between them sealing more strongly than ever, Jenny hands on with Sita’s feet and paws while Sita wriggled and rocked, Miaowed and whimpered, holding onto her tightly curled toes with both paws in frustration.

“Now I’m reaeaeally stuuuuuck!” Sita yowled, tugging at the heels of both her huge feet, trying to free her right heel from her left. Whimpering and puffing, then finally Grunting while prying with her fingers at her heel pads,, she felt her right heel pad was slightly accessible, cupping it in her left paw, the back of her right heel with her right, Sita managed to pull backwards until she’d freed her right heel. Taking a fresh grip of the pad of her right heel in her left paw, the back of her heel with her right, Sita tugged, Jenny feeling the toes of her right foot coming free of the curled toes of her left, the toes of Sita’s left foot curling as she struggled to free those of her right, the toes of Sita’s right foot scraping over the ball of her left, then over her arch, and to the heel pad, where, already digging hard into the thickly padded sole of her left foot, they took their revenge for being tugged from their warm place in the grip of the toes of her left foot by gripping the margin of her left heel pad. Sita, growling with effort, tried tugging harder to get the toes of her left foot over the cliff edge of her right heel pad, but her strength failed. The minute she let go of the heel of her right foot, the toes of her right foot clawed their way back along the arch and ball of her left foot to where the toes of her left foot, once curled so tightly with the concentration and effort she’d made to free her right, were relaxing, ready to grab those of her right in their embrace. Sita greeted this event with a rising squeal of frustration, moaning and wriggling as her toes clasped each other once more.

“I neyeeed to puuuuuull agayayayayin!” she yowled, “I’m so worn ouuouout, I cayayayan’t doooo iyiyiyt! Buuuut I muuuuust!” she raged, Jenny trying not to laugh.

“You’ll have to pull again then,” Jenny said, “and when your toes come to the ledge of your heel pad, don’t let go of your foot this time.”

“I’ll try not tooo!” Sita panted. Jenny tightly hugged Sita, Sita grinning and nuzzling her cheek.

“This is fun ‘in’it,” she said in her normal voice.

“It is, you’re really good at this, I hope I can do as well as you,” Jenny replied. Sita hugged her, then wriggled and panted:

“At the moment my feeyeeet are stuuuuuck!” Sita yowled, tugging at the toes of her left foot with her paw, toes which held those of her right as tightly as they could, the toes of her right foot digging into the space between the sole pad and toe pads of her left foot in a very annoying manner. Scrabbling at the heel of her right foot, a grip on which she could just about obtain, Sita tugged hard, Yowling:

“The toooes of My riyiyiyiyiyiyght fooooot are so stuuuuuck!” Wriggling and growling as she dragged the heel of her right foot towards her body in an attempt to free the toes of that foot from the fierce grip of those of her left.

“yeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeoah! Umf! Riaiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiow!” Sita yowled, tugging hard, Jenny hands on with Sita’s left foot, touching tightly curled toes and bunched pads whenever Sita tugged at her right foot, the toes never completely relaxing, even when she panted between efforts. All the toes of Sita’s left foot did when she panted was uncurl a little, only to tightly curl when Sita tugged at her right foot. Panting hard, whimpering and moaning, Sita dragged the toes of her right foot over the sole of her left, dragging them slowly over the ball and arch to the margin of her left heel pad.

“muuuuuustn’t let go of my foot this time, but I’m Soaoaoaoao exhausted!” Sita gasped, whimpering as the toes of her right foot gripped the edge of her left heel pad, Sita kept traction on her right foot while breathing hard, cupping the warm heel pad of her right foot in her left paw, while her right held the back of her heel as before.

“Now, now to puuuuuull! Tuuuuuug Hayayayayayrd To freeyeee my toooes! Yeyeyeyeyeyeyeoaw! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf!” Sita screeched as she dragged her toes, toes that gripped her heel pad so hard in their reluctance to let go of it, over the ledge, then the pad, inch by inch, Sita straining hard backwards, the toes of her left foot curled as tightly as she could, Jenny hands on throughout, and urging Sita to:

“Puuuull Sita, puuuuuull!” Sita gave a rising squeal of effort as she made one final attempt to pull the toes of her right foot free of the heel of her left. Sita’s yell of Triumph when the toes of her right foot came free of her heel pad was heartfelt, Jenny hands on with her paws and two straining feet throughout.

“That was amazing Sita!” Jenny said, the Felursa lying back exhausted.

“that’s how you play the single player stuck foot game,” Sita mewed.

“but you only played with one foot, you could use your other foot as the stuck one too?” Jenny asked.

“yeah,” Sita mewed, rubbing the sole of her right foot with both paws, “you can play with both feet. I’m better pushing with the toes of my right foot against the sole of my left.

“Can I rub your left foot?” Jenny asked.

“yeah, please do,” Sita mewed, smiling as Jenny got to work on the sole of her left foot, rubbing the sole from toes to heel.

“You faught madly to free your foot Sita,” Leona said, padding up to her, “I’ve never seen that sort of play before.”

“Well you wouldn’t have if you were in the circus,” Sita mewed, “it’s a bleak life there for a lioness I suppose.”

“It is,” Leona mewed. Leona padded round Sita and Jenny, Sita listening to her naked feet padding on the rubberised flooring.

“I can tell your feet are hairless,” Sita mewed, “they sound different to the usual lioness’s furry set of pads Leona.”

“They make a slapping sound on the floor!” Leona miaowed, “I bet furry pads don’t do that!”

“No they don’t,” Sita mewed, “then again, I have naked soles like you, so mine make a similar sound.”

“Mine doesn’t though does they,” Titan purred in Sita’s ear, making her shriek with surprise.

“Titan! Stop that silent padding about behaviour!” She screamed, Leona laughing so much she rolled onto her back and kicked the air with all four paws.

“That was brilliant,” Titan mewed, kissing Sita’s ear.

“naoaoaoaoao iyiyiyt wasn’t!” Sita protested, Titan kissing her nose.

“I came to see how you two were getting on,” he said, “I saw your game Sita, it was enviable.”

“I’m getting quite good at it now,” Sita mewed.

“I also saw what happened to Patch,” the liger said, sitting down, “poor Fellow, standing on all four feet, not realising your tail was between his legs, then tickling your pads with his paw, you lashing upwards with your tail!”

“I feel so bad about that!” Sita whimpered.

“I know you do, but you need not. Patch has to watch where your tail is Sita, you can’t!” Titan mewed.

“I must go to him,” Sita mewed.

“NO need, I’m here Sita,” Patch said, crawling up to Sita.

“How are you feeling now?” Sita asked.

“I’m all right now,” Patch replied, “I won’t ever tickle your feet again though, and if I do, I’ll keep well clear of your tail!”

“I feel really bad about that,” Sita mewed.

“don’t, I’m the one who tickled you, I’m also the one with working eyes,” Patch replied.

“may I touch your feet Jenny?” Leona asked.

“You can,” Jenny replied, “may I touch yours?”

“You can touch all four of my paws,” Leona mewed. Jenny turned to Leona, finding the lioness lying on her side on the floor. finding the lioness’s paw, Jenny took it in her hands then rubbed the naked top and pads with gentle care.

“Your paws are lovely Leona,” Jenny said.

“They’re scarred and not very nice to look at,” Leona mewed.

“I can’t see them, to me, they’re lovely paws,” Jenny replied, kissing the top of Leona’s paw, the lioness sniffing back a sudden rush of tears.

“Where’s cub Androcles?” Patch asked.

“Oh, I left him with Sushanti and Amafu,” Leona mewed, “Savannah came into the room and apologised to Anbessa and Titan. She might be round here in a bit to Apologise to you Sita. What she said was disgraceful!” the lioness whimpered..

“your feet and paws give the impression you’re wearing a body suit and head covering Leona, and that you were born as naked as a human,” Jenny said.

“I wasn’t, I have had fur all my life,” Leona mewed. Sighing, she told Jenny about the accident which burnt her paws and feet.

“I didn’t jump high enough, and the fire burnt my paws, all four of them,” Leona said.

“I’m sorry we humans asked you to do such things,” Jenny said.

“I was kept until I was well again. Then one day, I escaped after animal rights activists unlocked my cage,” Leona mewed, scratching her nose by rubbing it on the hairless top of her free right paw, “I had to find Androcles, and find him I did.”

“would you like to find out about my feet now?” Jenny asked.

“yes please,” Leona mewed, Jenny turning rear on to the lioness, lying on her front and soon feeling the lioness’s paws rubbing her heels, arches, the balls of her feet and toes.

“Your pads are very soft,” Leona mewed, “you have slightly larger feet than Moses, who’s feet I’ve also had the privilege to touch.”

“We’re a few years apart,” Jenny said, “I’m eleven, he’s nearly six, but he’s male, so he has slightly larger feet than I would have had at his age.” Jenny wriggled with pleasure as Leona rubbed the ball of her left foot, curling the toes of both feet with pleasure.

“Your curled toes and bunched pads are so cute,” Leona mewed, bumping the toes of her right paw over the bunched skin on the ball of Jenny’s left foot, the sensation making Jenny struggle to curl her toes even tighter, sitting back on her heels and squirming in her effort.

“You don’t need to struggle so hard to curl your toes,” Leona mewed.

“but I cayayayan’t Heyeyeyeyelp iyiyiyiyiyt! The touch of your paws make me wayayayant to cuuuurl them so tightly!” Jenny giggled.

“Your toes look very cute when you curl them,” Leona mewed.

“Hold my foot Leona, hold it with your paws, I want to try and pull it away from your grip,” Jenny said. Jenny got into a crawling posture then offered Leona her left foot, Leona holding Jenny’s left foot in her paws, Jenny tugging hard to free her foot, pushing with the toes of her right foot and pulling with her hands, the toes of her caught left foot curling with her effort.

“Puuuull Jenny Puuuull! Eoeoeoeoeoeoah!” Jenny squealed, Leona watching the sole of the girl’s left foot for signals of her effort, as well as listening to her protestations.

“your curling your toes every time you pull,” Leona mewed.

“I’m tryiyiyiyiying tooo freeyeee my fooooot!” Jenny screeched, panting while she relaxed, then roaring:

“roaoaoaoaoaoaaow! While tugging furiously at her left foot.

“Your toes are very animated,” Leona mewed, “they’re curling quickly and tightly when you tug hard. Leona kissed the bunched skin on the ball of Jenny’s left foot, Jenny yowling:

“don’t doooo that Leona, you’ll take my strength awayayayayay, and I won’t be able to Puuuull tooo freeyeee my fooooot!” Leona changed her grip from the sides of Jenny’s left foot to the sole and top.

“Now I have hold of your foot another way, I can feel your heel, arch and toes being pulled through my paws,” Leona mewed.

“If I can doooo iyiyiyt!” Jenny replied, bouncing on her fingers and the toes of her right foot, “I have to push with my foot and Puuuull with my hands, but I cayayayan’t, it’s tooo difficult!” she squealed, Sita crawling round to feel what Leona was up to, smiling at the games being played beneath her unobtrusive touch.

“My left foooot’s reaeaeally stuuuuuck Syiyyiyiyita!” Jenny yowled.

“your foot feels very stuck indeed,” Sita mewed, exploring as much of Jenny’s left foot as she could touch while it lay clamped in Leona’s warm paws, then kissing the pad of the raised heel of Jenny’s right foot, “Jenny, I think you’ll have to pull extra hard to free your foot,” she said. Jenny tugged hard at her left foot, Sita paws on with her straining right foot, feeling her toes pushing against the floor as she pulled at her left foot.

“My cuuuuurled toooes won’t let my foot come through Leona’s grip, but I Cayayayn’t seem to Puuuull without curling my toooes! Eeyeyeyeyeyeyoah!” Jenny screeched theatrically, panting hard as she rested, resting the toes of her right foot by bouncing off them and setting her foot down, sole up, Sita able to touch the warm sole of Jenny’s right foot with her paws, feeling the heat in her pads, Jenny unable to stop her toes curling with pleasure at Sita’s touch.

“I wish jess would come back and play like you played Sita,” Patch said wistfully, “I know she’s eighteen and all now, but, well, if we can play when we’re adults, so could she.”

“it has been nearly a year since she gave birth to Rosemarie hasn’t it?” Sita asked.

“yes,” Patch replied, it’s a year now.

“maybe it’s time I came back to the playroom then,” Jess said walking in with her daughter Rosemarie walking beside her.

“your daughter is on her feet?” Patch asked, staring at Jess.

“Yes, and I’m wanting to get off them and feel the touch of paws on my payayayds!” Rosemarie yelled. She looked accusingly at her mum, “mama won’t let me come here though, she says I’ll learn to be too like a cub and not a human, and I will never come back to the human way of doing things, and I hate iyiyiyiyiyt! I wayayayan’a play with my feeyeeet!” she screamed, stamping her small feet.

“I don’t understand what gets into Rosemarie sometimes,” Jess sighed.

“I think you do know,” Patch said, padding up to Jess and rearing onto his feet, then touching her shoulder with his paw, “you do know, you just don’t acknowledge it jess. You’re trying to be too technological, like Blackberry, when you’re not like him.”

“I have never met another child, apart from Moses, who was so intent on getting to the community,” Jess said, “why did she want to get to the community so much?”

“Because Blackberry handed her to you after cleaning her up after birth, I think,” Titan mewed.

“oaoaoaaoh! So she’s a community cuuuub! But I didn’t wayayayant that!” jess yowled.

“What you want Jess and what nature is are two different things,” Titan mewed, padding up to Rosemarie and bowing his head, the child lifting her face to him, Titan kissing her nose.

“I’ve waited a long time for you to come to us,” Titan mewed, Rosemarie giggling delightedly, lifting her arms and hugging the huge liger.

“I’ve waited a long time too,” she whispered, “my hands and feet have wanted your touch for Soaoaoaoao long!”

“that’s because you were in touch with us shortly after your birth,” Titan mewed, “Rosemarie, you could hardly be more community cub if you tried.”

“I want to be a community cub now,” Rosemarie said, Titan taking her in from her brown hair, to her dark skin, Rosemarie wearing a catsuit like Jess herself, leaving her hands and feet bare.

“I’d like you to touch my feet,” Rosemarie said, sitting down, Titan seeing Rosemarie’s pink soles. Bowing his head, he kissed the ball of her foot, Rosemarie rubbing his ears with her tiny hands, Titan purring deeply, making sure his whiskers touched her toes while he purred, Rosemarie curling her toes, screaming:

“you’re tiyiyiyckling meyeee! ”with laughter.

“I hoped I would,” Titan purred, kissing her nose.

“Can I rub your pads?” Titan asked.

“yes,” Rosemary replied, Titan lying down and taking her left foot in his paws, the little girl smiling broadly and curling her toes with pleasure as Titan’s huge paws rubbed the sole of her foot from her toe pads to her heel pad, the liger as gentle with her small foot as if Rosemarie was his own cub.

“I think I need my pads rubbed too, Patch?” jess asked. Patch smiled and nodded.

“Come on then,” he said, sitting down. Jess sat down beside Patch, giving him her left foot, her toes curling as Patch rubbed her heel pad and the ball of her foot, Jess snuggling her foot into the familiar grip which she knew so well.

“Who’s the funny furred long tailed thing Titan?” Rosemarie asked.

“I think you mean Sita,” Titan mewed, waving a paw at Sita, who sat quietly.

“yes her, she has what look like very bouncy paws, could I go to her?” Rosemarie asked.

“You could,” Titan mewed, “would you like me to carry you?”

“You mean I can ride on your back?” Rosemarie asked.

“yes, if you like,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet.

“I won’t though, I’ll crawl to Sita I think,” Rosemarie said. Sita heard a scuffling sound, then felt a tiny hand touch the toes of her right foot, then two hands grabbing her toes.

“Who’s this?” Sita asked.

“I’m Rosie,” a voice said.

“your name’s Rosemarie, that’s what we named you!” Jess snapped.

“I don’t really mind what she’s called,” Sita mewed, “Rosie, what can I do for you?” Sita asked, covering the girl’s tiny left hand with her massive paw.

“I’d love you to hold me, to rub my feet, please?” Rosemarie asked.

“I will, if you’d like it,” Sita mewed. Sita felt a small human scrambling into her lap, then two small feet pressing against her left paw. Sita put her arm round the human then rubbed her tiny feet with her left paw, the human wriggling and bouncing on her lap with pleasure.

“So you’re Rosemarie?” Sita asked.

“I am,” the young girl replied.

“you have the most tiny feet and hands,” Sita mewed, exploring Rosemarie’s feet with her fingers, counting her toes and exploring the rest of the soles of her feet from ball to heel.

“They’re really cute aren’t they,” Titan mewed.

“yes they are,” Sita purred, kissing the top of Rosemarie’s head, the little girl giggling with delight.

“Hug meyeee!” she yelled, turning and embracing Sita, Sita hugging her tightly, Rosemarie pushing with her feet to increase her hug.

“Hug meyeee tighter Syiyyiyiyita! Uuuuumf! I wayayayan’a puuush, puuuuuush with my feeyeeet, puuuuuush hayayayayayrd with my toooes and hug with my arms to huuug Youououoaw tooo!” Rosemarie yelled, pushing as hard as she could against Sita’s legs with her feet while embracing her as tightly as she could with her short arms, Sita embracing Rosemarie with her right arm while rubbing her head with her massive left paw, a huge smile on her catlike face.

“touch my feeyeeet!” Rosemarie begged, Sita touching the soles of the little girl’s straining feet as she stood on the tips of her toes, pushing herself to increase her hug.

“Blackberry shouldn’t have touched my baby!” Jess raged, Patch hugging her.

“he’s your son cub, what makes you say that about him?” Patch asked.

“it’s his touch that has made Rosemarie want to be with this community!” jess raged.

“that has happened before,” Patch replied, “but you’re sounding as if Blackberry contaminated your daughter cub.”

“there you go again!” jess complained, “I didn’t give birth to a cub, I gave birth to a baby! A human Baby Patch! Not a cuuuub!” she screamed.

“Well I’m sorry if Rosemarie likes our touch, but there it is,” Patch replied.

“I suppose I’d better get used to it,” jess grumbled, “but I don’t want Rosemarie to be known as wolf girl or some other derogatory name because she comes here.”

“Moses is respected because of his connections to this community,” Patch said, “I’m sure Rosemarie will be so respected too.”

“I hope this is the case,” jess replied.

“I’m sure it will be,” Patch said, watching Rosemarie leave Sita’s lap and crawl to Titan’s side where he lay on the floor, then take his left foot in her small hands and begin playing with the liger’s toes, Titan’s purr vibrating the whole floor.

“What do Sita’s pads feel like Jenny?” jess asked.

“Oh, they’re smooth and warm,” Jenny replied, “they bunch like ours do too jess.”

“yours are smooth and warm too Jenny,” Leona mewed, rubbing the sole of Jenny’s right foot with her paw.

“I still want to try and free my left foot from your paws Leona,” Jenny said, resting her weight on her hands and the ball and toes of her right foot, “hold my left foot tight Leona!” she urged. Leona, while cradling Jenny’s left foot in her left paw, ran the digits of her right down the sole of Jenny’s left foot from heel to toes, Jenny tightly curling her toes and wriggling with pleasure.

“Now hold my foot tightly in your paws Leona!” Jenny urged, Leona pressing the toes of her right paw into the heel pad of Jenny’s left foot.

“now Jenny, pull,” Leona mewed, kissing the exposed heel pad of Jenny’s right foot. Jenny braced the toes of her right foot into the floor and pulled at her left foot, feeling the toes of Leona’s left paw rubbing down the pad of her left heel, the sensation making her squeal:

“Thatfeels so goood!”

“Try to ignore that, pretend my paw’s the enemy,” Leona mewed.

“Put more pressure on my foot with your paw,” Jenny said. Leona did, and Jenny pulled experimentally.

“Now that’s good pressure,” Jenny groaned, “now I can Puuuull! And it’s reaeaeally hayayayrd tooo, which is what I wayayayant!” she whimpered. Jenny pulled her left foot through Leona’s paws bit by bit, groaning and panting with effort until it came to freeing her ball and toes. then, as the pressure of Leona’s paw pressed into the soft skin, Jenny squealed with effort, her squeal increasing in pitch and volume as she pulled, Leona watching Jenny bracing the toes of her right foot into the floor, Rosemarie watching avidly, while Sita got paws on with Jenny’s right foot, the Felursa exploring as much as she could of Jenny’s straining efforts.

“I muuuuust relax my toooes, but I cayayayan’t! they wayayayant tooo cuuuurl, I cayayayan’t freeyeee them if I cuuuurl them though!” Jenny screeched, Leona rubbing the ball and toes of Jenny’s left foot with her left paw, Jenny squealing, wriggling and panting as Leona did this.

“I muuuuust Puuuull, but I cayayayan’t without cuuurling my toooes!” Jenny raged, “relax toes Jenny, now puuuuuull!” she yelled, tugging hard at her left foot while pulling with both hands and pushing with the toes of her right. Jenny’s effort started off with a low moan as she felt her foot coming free, turning to a shrill scream as she, with a huge squealing effort, tore the toes of her left foot from Leona’s grip, Jenny tumbling head over heels as her foot was released, landing in a laughing heap on the floor. Sita, paws on with Jenny’s right foot, was nearly kicked as Jenny tumbled, though she took that as an occupational hazard.

“that was brilliant!” Jenny said, crawling to Leona, who rubbed the warm sole of her left foot with her paws, while Sita attended to her right, Jenny curling the toes of both feet with pleasure at the combined touch of the two creatures.

“I would like to try and play the single player stuck foot game now,” Jenny said. Sita smiled, replying:

“I hope your feet rebel just as mine did.”

“I hope I have as committed a game as you,” Jenny replied. Smiling, Jenny sat down, Sita paws on with her feet. kneeling beside the young girl, Sita got paws on with Jenny’s feet, making sure they were pressed together heel pad to heel pad, toes to toes, ball of foot to ball of foot.

“Are you comfortable?” Sita asked.

“yes,” Jenny replied, “now I will show you my version of the stuck foot game you taught me. Touch my feet and hands.” Sita did, and Jenny began prying at the heels of both feet with the fingers of both hands, trying to free them. Sita felt Jenny pushing hard with the toes of both her small feet, while trying to pull her heels apart. Wriggling, Jenny struggled harder and harder, Sita feeling a gap emerging between Jenny’s heel pads, Jenny digging down into the widening gap with her fingers, tugging and wriggling, miaowing and panting in her effort. Having freed her heels, Jenny then tugged at her toes, freeing them one by one. After this, she was about to set to freeing the balls of her feet when her right foot slipped and the toes of her left foot curled round those of her right, the toes of her right foot gripping the pad of the ball of her left foot. Yowling with frustration, Jenny wriggled as her feet pushed hard against each other, the bond between them sealing more strongly than ever, Sita paws on with Jenny’s feet and hands while Jenny wriggled and rocked, Miaowed and whimpered, holding onto her tightly curled toes with the fingers of both hands in frustration.

“Now I’m reaeaeally stuuuuuck!” Jenny yowled, tugging at the heels of both her small feet, trying to free her right heel from her left. Whimpering and puffing, then Grunting while prying with her fingers at her heel pads,, she managed to free her right heel. Cupping the pad in her left hand, the back of her heel with her right, Jenny tugged, Sita feeling the toes of Jenny’s right foot coming free of the curled toes of her left, the toes of Jenny’s right foot scraping over the ball of her left, then over her arch, and to the heel pad, where, already digging hard into the thickly padded sole of her left foot, they took further revenge for being tugged from their warm place in the grip of the toes of her left foot by gripping the margin of her left heel pad. Jenny, growling with effort, tried tugging harder to get the toes of her right foot over the cliff edge of her left heel pad, but her strength failed. The minute Jenny let go of the heel of her right foot, the toes of that foot clawed their way back along the arch and ball of her left foot to where the toes of that foot, curled so tightly with the concentration and effort she’d made to free her right, were relaxing, ready to grab the toes of her right foot in their embrace. Jenny greeted this event with a rising squeal of frustration, moaning and wriggling as her toes clasped each other once more.

“I neyeeed to puuuuuull agayayayayin!” Jenny yowled, “I’m so worn ouuouout, I cayayayan’t doooo iyiyiyt! Buuuut I muuuuust!” she raged, Sita trying not to laugh.

“You’ll have to pull again then,” Sita said, “and when your toes come to the ledge of your heel pad, don’t let go of your foot this time.”

“I’ll try not tooo!” Jenny panted. Sita tightly hugged Jenny, Jenny grinning and returning her hug.

“This is fun!” Jenny said.

“It is, you’re really good at this!” Sita replied.

“At the moment my feeyeeet are stuuuuuck!” Jenny yowled, tugging at the toes of her left foot with her left hand, toes which held those of her right as tightly as they could, the toes of her right foot digging into the space between the sole pad and toe pads of her left foot in a very annoying manner. Sita, paws on throughout, felt Jenny scrabbling at the heel of her right foot with the fingers of her left hand, a grip on which she could just about maintain, Jenny tugged hard, Yowling:

“The toooes of My riyiyiyiyiyiyght fooooot are so stuuuuuck!” Wriggling and growling as she dragged the heel of her right foot towards her body in an attempt to free the toes of that foot from the fierce grip of those of her left.

“yeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeoah! Umf! Riaiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiow!” Jenny yowled, tugging hard, Sita hands on with Jenny’s left foot, touching tightly curled toes and bunched pads whenever Jenny tugged at her right foot, her toes never completely relaxing, even when she panted between efforts. All the toes of Jenny’s left foot did when she panted was uncurl a little, only to tightly curl when Jenny tugged at her right foot. Panting hard, whimpering and moaning, Jenny slowly dragged the toes of her right foot over the sole of her left, dragging them slowly over the ball and arch to the margin of her left heel pad.

“muuuuuustn’t let go of my foot this time, but I’m Soaoaoaoao exhausted!” Jenny gasped. Whimpering as the toes of her right foot gripped the edge of her left heel pad, Jenny kept traction on her right foot while breathing hard, cupping the warm heel pad of her right foot in her left hand, while her right held the back of her heel as before.

“Now, now to puuuuuull! Tuuuuuug Hayayayayayrd To freeyeee my toooes! Yeyeyeyeyeyeyeoaw! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf!” Jenny screeched as she dragged the toes of her right foot, toes that gripped the heel pad of her left foot so hard in their reluctance to let go of it, over the ledge, then the pad, inch by inch, Jenny straining hard backwards, the toes of her left foot curled as tightly as she could, Sita hands on throughout, Sita urging Jenny to:

“Puuuull Jenny, puuuuuull!” Jenny gave a rising squeal of effort as she made one final attempt to pull the toes of her right foot free of the heel of her left. Jenny’s yell of Triumph when the toes of her right foot tore free of the glue on her left heel pad was heartfelt, Sita paws on throughout.

“That was amazing Jenny!” Sita said, Jenny lying back exhausted, “Can I rub your left foot?” Sita asked.

“yeah, please do,” Jenny replied, smiling as Sita got to work on the sole of her left foot, rubbing the sole from toes to heel.

“You have very smooth pads Jenny,” Sita mewed, “thick heel, ball and toe pads they are too.”

“I love your touch Sita,” Jenny said, curling her toes, “now how do I give birth to an imaginary cub?”

“when you want to push, brace your foot into the grip of your hands,” Sita mewed, “keep pushing into your hands until each foot is freed once, then roll onto your back, draw your legs up and grab the soles of both feet with both hands, then push until both feet are freed together.”

“I think I understand,” Jenny replied, “Can I curl my toes and wriggle too?”

“Of course,” Sita mewed, “crawl, sit back on your heels, wriggle and curl your toes too. Also hold your feet and rub your soles while curling your toes when things are easier, then curl your toes and push hard when you feel you need to push against the cub, squeal and roar when you need to too. the cub’s born when you feel you no longer need to grab your feet with your hands to push, or sit back on your heels to wriggle.”

“I will try that now,” Jenny said, “I know Moses and Ekaterina are good at it, as is Sally. I tried it once, but wasn’t sure if it was okay to do it. I used to play at giving birth to my own bear cub in my room at home.” Sita smiled broadly at this, rubbing the toes of Jenny’s left foot in her paws.

“Do it with commitment,” she said.

“I’ve never been able to bring myself to have a go at re-enacting the birth of a cub here in the community, though Sally has pretended often,” Jenny replied.

“I understand when Nanuq taught Flocke how to do it, he held her feet while she pushed, so she could get used to the feel of it,” Sita replied, “it takes a lot of concentration to push your feet as hard as you can into your hands without letting go of your feet prematurely.” Jenny pushed her left foot against Sita’s paws, Sita smiling:

“It’s like that yes,” she said, “now try it for yourself.” Jenny grabbed her left foot and pushed it into her hands.

“it’s hard isn’t it!” she gasped after pushing her foot hard into her hands for a few minutes.

“yes,” Sita mewed. Leona padded from the room, her feet slapping on the rubberised flooring.

“She’ll never be silent on her feet again poor thing,” Titan mewed.

“I wish you had bells on your feet Titan,” Sita mewed, “you creep about silently and scare the fur off nearly everyone!”

“I don’t mean to!” Titan meowed.

“Maybe he should have his feet shaved,” Jenny said.

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Leona mewed, turning back into the room, “I now get very cold paws and feet. I don’t know what’s worse, the scarring or the cold. I can’t wear anything on my feet, because I can’t feel the ground if I do.”

“Tea or coffee anyone?” a voice shouted, the sound of a rattling trolley coming near. Titan leapt to his feet from where he’d been lying letting Rosemarie play with the toes of his right foot. Growling, he looked towards the door to see a huge brown bear walk in on his feet, pushing a rattling trolley.

“who on earth are you?” Titan asked, the huge bear’s head at the level of his shoulder.

“I’m Goldie, I used to be Samson, a lion, but, well, I’m a bear now, and a full bear too.” the bear replied, “I’ve been told that my DNA is a bear’s, rather than a lion’s with the structure reconfigured. That’s why I’m so big now.”

“Ah,” Titan mewed, looking the huge bear up and down, “well Goldie, good to meet you.” Goldie grinned hugely and waved a massive paw at the trolley.

“Tea, coffee and hot chocolate, pastries and crumpets,” Goldie said, “I also have fruit juice for the man cubs, milk for the non-human cubs too.”

“I’d love a crumpet and a coffee,” Sita mewed.

“Would you like assistance to butter it?” Goldie asked.

“I’ll be fine, if there’s a flat place,” Sita mewed, “thanks anyway.”

“Anyone else want anything?” Goldie asked, “it’s usually self-service, so Blackberry said, but sod that. I’m here to help anyone.”

“Blackberry forgets those who can’t self-serve,” Sita grunted, “he’s mated to me and all, I thought he’d remember.”

“I don’t think it’s intentional, but, it’s a bit thoughtless,” Goldie replied.

“I’ll go back to cub Androcles and see how he’s getting on,” Leona mewed, padding from the room.

“Leona has the most gorgeous paws,” Jenny said.

“She does,” Titan mewed.

“I would love to have my paws and feet rubbed,” Goldie said, “bramble won’t, she’s scared that, if she does, we’ll end up mating and she’ll go through a terrible labour like she did giving birth to Sooleawa.”

“You don’t have to mate to make love you know,” Patch said.

“I know that! But Bramble doesn’t believe that!” Goldie yelled, stamping his huge feet.

“Ursula knows it,” Patch replied, “I don’t mind if you talk to her about mating with her if you wish. I don’t deserve monogamous commitment from her really.”

“I just want to play!” Goldie whimpered, buttering Sita’s crumpets automatically,then pouring her a coffee.

“Sugar?” he asked.

“No thanks,” Sita mewed, kissing Goldie’s huge paw as he set a cup in her paws. Goldie sat down, burying his face in his paws.

“All I want to do is play a bit,” he mumbled through the thick pads of his paws.

“you can,” Patch replied, “play with my cubs and with Ursula too. Allie and Bjorn will love you I’m sure.”

“I heard the tale of Bjorn and Ursula’s trials,” Goldie replied.

“They are great trials, but, I can still play,” a voice said, Goldie looking between his paws at a small polar bear cub, who stuck his tongue out at him.

“Are you gonna hug me then?” Bjorn asked through his speaking machine.

“I will, if you will permit,” Goldie babbled, Bjorn scrambling into his lap and hugging him.

“You’re nice and warm Goldie,” Bjorn said, snuggling up to the huge brown bear.

“You’re warm too,” Goldie replied, leaning down to kiss the top of Bjorn’s head, the cub turning and lifting his face so the larger bear’s kiss landed on his nose.

“I’ll push my communicator switch off the palm of my left paw so you can rub all of my paws and feet,” Bjorn said.

“how will you speak if you can’t squeeze your presell?” Goldie asked, for he’d seen Bjorn squeezing the pressure switch strapped to the palm of his left paw with the fingers of that paw.

“I can speak, but I’ll have to speak by the glasses alone, it’ll take a bit longer to talk, that’s all,” the cub replied.

“You have lovely pads Bjorn,” Goldie said when Bjorn was stretched supine in his lap, Bjorn presenting the palms and soles of his fat little paws and feet for Goldie’s inspection by sticking them skywards.

“don’t just look at my paws and feet, touch them,” Bjorn said. Goldie took each of Bjorn’s tiny paws and feet in his huge paws and stroked the tops and soles, Bjorn wriggling and snuggling with pleasure.

“I forgot how tiny a bear cub is!” Goldie exclaimed.

“I’m quite fat, so mum says,” Bjorn replied, “well, her paws tell her I’m fat. She can’t see me anymore.”

“I know little one,” Goldie said gravely.

“My illness blinded my mum,” Bjorn replied, “I can speak, so I am well again, but she can’t see. Blackberry said he can’t do anything for her, and it really isn’t fair!” Goldie looked at Patch, who shook his head.

“so I try to tell mum what’s going on,” Bjorn continued, “but I don’t know the words yet! I know the computer knows the words, but I don’t know them to select them to tell my mum what I want to tell her!” he raged, “I tried describing Jenny and Leona’s stuck foot games, but I couldn’t doooo iyiyiyt!” the cub whimpered, wriggling and kicking in his frustration.

“they say a picture paints a thousand words,” Goldie replied, rubbing Bjorn’s belly in an attempt to soothe the angry cub.

“there’s so much going on, I can’t describe it all!” Bjorn wailed.

“You are doing what you can, and that’s good of you Bjorn,” Ursula said, crawling up beside Goldie.

“but muuum, iyiyiyt’s nooaoaoaot enough!” Bjorn raged.

“I can ask no more,” Ursula replied.

“but you muuuuust ask! I want to give you everything in your head so you can enjoy what I see, but I can’t!” Bjorn sniffled.

“My mind is troubled by memories, that’s true,” Ursula replied, “the blinding end to all the light I saw, but, but, all is not darkness in my life. My paws and feet tell me much, but they can’t tell me anything that’s beyond their touch. I have got paws on with many cubs and two small humans too. Of course I remember what they look like, but now they will grow up, but my picture memory of them will never do so. I will probably discard those memories in time, for what use are they when they are no longer the truth?” Goldie felt tears filling his eyes, gulping, he cleared his throat, trying to hide his own emotions.

“My own cubs too,” Ursula replied, “I can get paws on with them, and it is a joy when I do, but in my mind, they will always be month old cubs. Bjorn will grow strong as a polar bear should, but my mind will see him as a tiny cub. Allie too, she will grow in reality, but my fictional mind will hold her cubbish image. It is time to forget those images as I do those of Ekaterina and Moses, but, but, I can’t dump those as easily. The images of their play, of them riding on Nanuq’s feet as he crawled, and on mine just before the accident. I remember your delight at being up so high Bjorn. Now I dared not lift you with my feet in case you fall and maybe silence your voice forever.” Bjorn looked into his mum’s troubled eyes, and wished he hadn’t. the look in them tore at him, stripped his fur from his body and chilled him to his bones.

“if I hadn’t lifted you up, then, then,” Ursula began, when Bjorn stopped her.

“Mum, you must stop this!” he said.

“I can’t help blaming myself,” Ursula replied, “I endangered my cubs and now I’m paying for it. Sometimes I feel I don’t deserve descriptions of delightful things.”

“Muuum Stoaoaoaoap iyiyiyiyiyt!” Bjorn screamed, “you didn’t hurt me, you didn’t! I was safe on your foot, your toes held my paws right until Mishka had hold of meyeee!”

“I can’t remember,” Ursula replied vaguely.

“Right, let’s do it here and now mum!” Bjorn replied.

“I can’t lift you on my foot Bjorn, I won’t!” Ursula protested.

“But I wayayayant Youououoaw tooo!” Bjorn protested through his communications aid.

“If you fall off and smash yourself and your communications device, I will be very upset! You won’t be able to scream for help!” Ursula replied.

“If Bjorn’s dead, that’s very likely,” Goldie grunted.

“naoaoaoaoao! don’t even goaoaoaoaoao there!” Ursula squealed.

“The helmet and goggles are shock proof,” Blackberry said, walking in with a new helmet in his paws, “Bjorn, here’s a new helmet, it has a longer battery life, and the box isn’t strapped to your arm anymore.” Blackberry fitted Bjorn with the new communications set up, the cub delighted at the faster response, and the new set up with the presell, the laser design meaning all he had to do was wiggle the fingers of his nominated paw three times to speak his words, rather than the previous more aggressive squeezing movements which Bjorn had reported to Blackberry as tiring him more than necessary.

“Ursula,” Blackberry said, “this new helmet is cub proof, I have tested it extensively to test the electronics against shock and water. You can play with your cub as much as he wants now.” Ursula explored Bjorn’s head with her paws, finding the new helmet fitting well, the goggles now so small that they covered each eye, rather than spanning almost the whole span from one eye, across the bridge of his nose to the other.

“now will you play with me mum?” Bjorn asked.

“how do I know you won’t lose your communications device?” Ursula asked. Blackberry smiled and replied:

“I tested it, putting myself into a spinning machine while wearing one of those things, it spun me upside down and round and round, and it didn’t fall off,” he said.

“I’m glad you didn’t spin my cub!” Ursula replied.

“I offered, but, he wouldn’t muuum! Blackberry’s boring!” Bjorn yelled.

“Safety conscious I think you mean,” Ursula replied, kissing Bjorn’s nose.

“Now you can hug my paws without that horrid metal thing on my paw mum,” Bjorn said, climbing onto his mum’s back and bouncing on his toes, skipping about on his mum’s broad back, Ursula closing her eyes as if to blot out the imaginings of her cub’s fall. Breathing hard, she concentrated on keeping very still while Bjorn leapt into the air, turned summersault, landing lightly on his paws in a handstand, Blackberry laughing at Bjorn’s antics.

“Your mum’s back isn’t a crashmat Bjorn!” the black bear giggled.

“I’m terrified Bjorn, stop it please,” Ursula pleaded. Bjorn backed up until he stood on his feet on the thick padding just before Ursula’s tail, then he ran forward on two legs, leapt up, dove, landed on his paws on the middle of his mum’s back, sprang off his paws, summersaulted, then landed lightly on both feet by her shoulders, springing off his toes, Bjorn then flew through the air, summersaulted again, touching Ursula’s head with his paw on his way down, springing off that, then tumbling through the air to land on his feet on the rubberised flooring facing his mum.

“What happened?” Ursula asked. Bjorn, his mouth wide in wheezy laughter, took Ursula’s paw in his and demonstrated with the fingers of his paw on the palm of hers.

“You didn’t fly did you?” Ursula asked.

“yes!” Bjorn giggled, Ursula lying down full length then rubbing her nose with her free paw, whimpering:

“You’ll scare me to death!”

“I bounce easily mama,” Bjorn replied.

“I remember giving birth to you and Allie,” Ursula said, “it was one of the most amazing things which happened to me. I remember how it felt from every angle too. how my toes curled, the deep breaths and noise I had to make, the effort, how my pads bunched, the feel of pushing, the feel of your passage into the world, everything Bjorn!”

“Don’t ever forget that mum,” Bjorn replied.

“I won’t,” Ursula said, “I’m glad I was more paws on than eyes on with you at the first. I have no gaps in my narrative of your birth Bjorn, Allie’s though, her birth was visual to me, and I am struggling to remember images.

“you know and remember more than you think you do,” Patch said, “Ursula, if you wanted to, you could re-enact the births of your cubs, and feel what you felt then.”

“I wish I could, then maybe I’d undo the damage done to Bjorn.”

“Stop it mum!” Bjorn yelled, slapping her paw, “you’re hurting yourself!”

“It’s hard to cope with my pain,” Ursula replied.

“Come on mum,” Bjorn said, squeezing Ursula’s paw in both of his, “I want to rub your pads.”

“Rub them please,” Ursula replied. Bjorn padded round to his mum’s feet then rubbed her pads, Ursula curling her toes with pleasure, trying to calm herself.

“It’s not your fault mum,” Bjorn said, rubbing Ursula’s huge sole and toe pads, digging his fingers deeply into the leathery pads, rubbing in circles, “I want you to sit down and play with your toes, and to get paws on while I play with mine mum.”

“Thank you,” Ursula replied softly, Bjorn rubbing bunching leathery pad on the balls of her feet as Ursula curled her toes as tightly as she could.

“Now sit down mum, and I will rub your pads again,” Bjorn said. Ursula did, her toes curling as her brain flooded with pleasure from her cub’s touch.

“Can I feel your toes with mine Ursula?” Goldie asked. Bjorn, smiling broadly, grabbed Goldie’s left foot and began tugging hard at it, the bear shuffling his backside forward.

“Pull me round Bjorn,” Goldie said, Bjorn alternately pulling at each of Goldie’s feet, the huge brown bear pulling with his free heel as best he could while shuffling on his backside until he was opposite Ursula, then toes to toes with her, Bjorn racing round behind Goldie and shoving him forward to press their toes together.

“Get hold of Goldie’s toes with yours muuum!” Bjorn urged, Ursula laughing merrily as she felt Goldie’s toes pressing into the gap between her sole and toe pads, Ursula curling her toes to grip Goldie’s, Bjorn giggling at their antics.

“You two are now well padded,” he said, Goldie rubbing the she bear’s toes with his paws, toes which gripped his with well-padded strength.

“Can I snuggle my toes further into the cuddly embrace of yours?” Goldie asked.

“let’s see,” Ursula replied, relaxing her toes a little, Goldie pressing his toes into the gap created, Ursula curling her toes around his, feeling his toe pads gripping the thick padding on the balls of both her feet.

“Can I rub your toes with my paw?” Goldie asked, Ursula wriggling a little closer, pressing her pads against his, Goldie pushing his feet hard against hers.

“I love a she bear with bigger feet than mine,” Goldie said, Ursula and Bjorn laughing merrily.

“You have warm pads Goldie, and the warmth is not just external either,” Ursula said while Goldie rubbed the toes of her left foot which tightly held those of his right.

“I think mum likes you Goldie,” Bjorn said, his smile and shining eyes telling the male bear very much.

“I have hold of mum’s left paw,” Bjorn said, “Goldie, she’s calmed by your touch.” Goldie felt emotion welling in him, gulping, he tried not to cry.

“You’re warming me from my feet to my ears,” Ursula said, “Goldie, bury your toes in the grip of mine and brace your feet against mine as hard as you like.”

“I would love to get paws on with your feet Ursula,” Goldie said.

“My tension is flowing from me,” Ursula said, “I hope it isn’t upsetting you.”

“I can feel your pads becoming softer under mine,” Goldie replied gently.

“I love your touch Goldie,” Ursula said.

“What about Patch’s touch? I’m not trying to compare him with me, but why can’t it soothe you? he’s spiritual leader after all.”

“sometimes those who have loved those who look unlovable are the only ones who can soothe a broken mind,” Ursula replied.

“Dear fleur, I loved her very much,” Goldie said.

“You lost her on the same day Sita was born,” Ursula replied, Sita miaowing with surprise.

“How do you know that!” she asked.

“I feel Goldie’s turmoil on that day,” Ursula said, “the joy at the birth of a new cub, struggling with the grief at the sudden loss of his mate.”

“I never re-mated for life after that, only doing my leonine duty reluctantly. I thought I was gay, but it turned out I was just confused and reticent to mate. It took me a long time to mate with anyone.”

“What did you look like then?” Bjorn asked.

“I was like Apudo when she was older than she is now,” Goldie replied, “I nearly tripped over my mane a few times too!” he giggled.

“Samson was very beautiful for a lion, almost too beautiful,” Patch said, “you couldn’t imagine him defending his pride, though he did wild eat a few times I think. He and Dear Fleur killed and ate our capybara population.”

“I did,” Goldie replied.

“now he has beautifully soft fur and pads,” Ursula replied.

“it is said Samson was always too gentle for his assigned body,” Blackberry brock said, padding into the room, “my mama always said he was too gentle to be a lion.”

“I felt more akin with the bears,” Goldie said, “it tore at me inside, and I begged the spirits, but unlike Jess, who gave birth to Blackberry, I was true to my wish. Jess, and I know you’re here so I will speak plain jess. You wanted to be a bear, but like the boss, you failed to be ursine. I though, have not failed in my ursinety. Because of this, I am a true bear now, whereas it was a simple shift of mechanics and body fur to make humans into bears in the case of the boss and you Jess, of which the history tells eloquently.”

“It is true,” jess replied.

“Now I will not mention that again for I think I have another bear to soothe,” Goldie said.

“the one thing I would like to know though is why is Blackberry named so?” Ursula asked.

“Oh, that was because Adsila as she was then named him shortly after his birth, taking inspiration from his pads, which bunched like the skin of a Blackberry when he curled his toes,” Goldie replied, smiling broadly.

“You’re very warm Goldie,” Ursula said, “how would it be if me and my cubs came to your lie up and snuggled with you?”

“Bramble will go up the wall,” Goldie said, “Ursula, I can’t let you do that.”

“Goldie, you can do that,” Bramble said, “I know now what you need, and you have done right respecting my wishes, while I haven’t respected yours. I need to let you play. You’ve missed that.”

“I would play with you, but you think play will lead to mating!” Goldie whimpered.

“Sooleawa’s birth was so hard and frightening Goldie, I can’t go through with anything like that again, I am an elderly bear now, and carrying another cub to birth would kill me,” Bramble replied.

“I can restrain myself from mating you know,” Goldie replied, “Bramble, all I wanted was to touch your paws and feet and hug you, but you wouldn’t let me, and I’m very upset by that.”

“I’m sorry Goldie,” Bramble replied contritely.

“Please Bramble, take the trolley back to the kitchen and unload it,” Blackberry said, Bramble grabbing the handles and wheeling it away, the empty cups and dirty plates rattling away.

“We need a constant tea round,” Sita mewed, washing her paws and face at the washstand.

“We could do that,” Blackberry said, “breakfast, midmorning, lunch, mid-afternoon, evening, and suppertime.”

“Who would man the trolleys though?” Ursula asked.

“Bramble and Goldie, also I will do a run,” Blackberry replied, “though the trolleys are self-service. I noticed Goldie stayed behind with the trolley.”

“yes, Sita needed assistance,” Goldie replied, “Self-service doesn’t work for everyone Blackberry, I thought you’d appreciate that difficulty, Sita being your mate and all.”

“Sometimes I forget,,,” Blackberry whimpered.

“You of all shouldn’t forget,” Goldie said, bracing his feet into the soft warmth of Ursula’s pads, her toes still gripping his.

“I know,” Blackberry replied, watching Ursula and Goldie, his own toes curling with emotion, “if you both alternately push hard with your feet, you might bump noses,” Blackberry said.

If we brace the balls of our feet, could we do it now?” Ursula asked. She pushed the balls of her feet against Goldie’s, leaning forward, the huge brown bear doing likewise, their noses touching, then further still, each was able to nuzzle the other’s cheek. Ursula even flicked her tongue out the side of her mouth to kiss Goldie’s cheek, the male bear grabbing her toes with both paws and holding on in reply.

“so cuddly those two,” Bjorn said.

“They are aren’t they,” Patch said.

“Mum’s calm too,” Bjorn added, which Patch knew all too well. Indeed, Patch realised Ursula felt more comfortable with Goldie than she ever had with him since the loss of her sight.

“I must judge her in ways even I can’t work out,” Patch sighed, “forgiven I may be, but Ursula’s still stepping on egg shells, and my rejection of her, however temporary, caused those. Her poor feet must be hurting from my rejection of her. Goldie hasn’t rejected her, he’s embracing Ursula from her paws to her feet.”

“Hopefully he’ll embrace the rest of her too,” Blackberry grunted.

“You know what Patch means by paws and feet Blackberry,” Titan mewed.

“All the ports of the spirit, yes I know!” Blackberry whimpered.

“Where’s Allie?” Ursula asked.

“she’s playing with Zalika I think,” Jess said.

“’er’s keeping out of youw way Uwsula,” Zalika said, padding into the room and leaping onto Titan’s back, “Allie don’t wan’a get undew youw paws any mowe. She knows she ‘urt both you and Bjown, and ‘er’s sowwy fow what she did.”

“but how’s she getting fed?” Ursula asked, “I have plenty of milk for both my cubs, I don’t want Allie to starve, no matter what she did!” Ursula whimpered.

“She’s getting milk fwom Sushanti and Amafu,” Zalika replied, “’er’s doing fine on that scowe, and you’s not to worry, that be what she says anyway.”

“Stop it Zalika!” Bjorn giggled.

“stop what?” the liliger asked, sliding down Titan’s tail to the floor.

“You speaks so fuuuunny!” Bjorn replied, Zalika looking at him:

“Wants to says that again? She asked, padding over to him, her tail lashing the air.

““You speaks so fuuuunny!” Bjorn repeated, Zalika pouncing on him and tickling his paws and feet with her whiskers.

“stoaoaoaoap tiyiyiyckling my paaaaws and feeyeeet! Stoaoaoaoap iyiyiyiyiyt! Leaeaeaeaeave my paaaaws and feeyeeet aloaoaoaoaone!” Bjorn squealed with laughter, furiously kicking the air.

“he spoke! Bjorn spoke!” Ursula yelped.

“Bjorn’s communications device has fallen off his head in the tussle with Zalika,” Blackberry said, “and it’s out of range too!” he squealed.

“My feet are all ticklish now!” Bjorn panted, Zalika kissing his nose and paws.

“Is you speaking through that communicator thingy?” Zalika asked.

“No, I don’t think I am,” Bjorn replied, “I know I’m not!” he yelled.

“show meyeee!” Ursula yelled, grabbing the helmet and taking it away.

“Mum, I can speak again,” Bjorn said hoarsely, “Zalika pouncing on me banged my head, and, well, I screamed at her to stop tickling my toes, and I found I could speak again!” the cub exclaimed.

“oaoaoaoah!” Ursula wailed, Blackberry switching off the helmet’s power.

“Now Bjorn, the helmet’s turned off,” he said, “Can you speak?”

“yes, I can,” the cub said, getting to his feet, “Zalika should try crashing into mum, maybe it would,,,,”

“No, it wouldn’t,” Patch said, “Bjorn, that helmet was linked to a brain scanner, and I now know what happened to you. the blow to your head disconnected your speech, but now, now it’s reconnected. Your mum’s vision power has been burnt out, destroyed completely by the fizzing flash as the circuit was cut that first time.”

“Could you go inside my brain and make sure it doesn’t come off again?” Bjorn asked.

“Blackberry?” Patch asked. Blackberry nodded.

“Bjorn you will be awake while I do this, and you will be asked to talk to me throughout.” Bjorn padded to his side, Ursula realising too late what was about to happen.

“What are you doing to my cuuuub!” she screamed.

“Fixing his brain mama, we’ll be back in an hour or so,” Blackberry said.

In the MRI scanner, Bjorn lay sedated, wires connected all over him. Blackberry, with Shadow helping him, asked Bjorn to speak. While the cub prattled on about anything which came into his head, Blackberry drilled a small hole in his skull with a tiny drill, then aimed a laser down at the point where the speech part of the brain connected to the stem. Searing the contact, he made sure it was completely connected, Bjorn asked to speak and then sing as he worked, Shadow staring anxiously at her screens throughout.

“All done,” Blackberry said, plugging the small hole with special putty, Bjorn wheeled from the MRI scanner.

“is it fixed?” Bjorn asked.

“yes,” Blackberry replied, “but you’ll have to wear a helmet for a bit, to protect your head from knocks while it heals, okay?”

“yes Blackberry,” Bjorn replied softly, his eyes filling with tears, “I wish you could fix my mum,” he sobbed.

“That I cannot do,” Blackberry replied, “and dear Bjorn, if the connection to your speech hadn’t seated, I couldn’t have found the dangling wires anywhere. It is only because I know where the junction is I could fix your connections. Bjorn, dear cub, I have seen your mum’s visual cortex, and it is utterly destroyed. I can’t fix it, your mum will never see again.”

”but I wayayayant her tooo! I wayayayant muuum to seyeee agayayayayin!” Bjorn screeched, lashing out at Blackberry. Blackberry held the furious cub in his arms.

“Bjorn, I can’t graft nerves that are burnt! I can only do those that are healthy, and your mum’s aren’t! they were burnt in an electrical fire, they aren’t fresh, I can’t do with them what I did with your speech centres. I can’t, if I could I would, I promise I would!” Blackberry said, almost weeping.

“did you look inside her head like you did mine?” Bjorn asked.

“No, I didn’t drill,” Blackberry replied.

“Well do iyiyiyt! Get in there and have a look!” Bjorn begged.

“I’ll find Ursula,” shadow said, padding from the room and returning with the huge she bear.

“Go on Blackberry, take a look,” Ursula said. Blackberry gulped hard, set up his equipment and before he knew it, was looking down his endoscope at where Ursula’s visual cortex was, or rather where it should have been. He saw severed nerves, broken nerve endings all over the place.

“I’m not going any further,” Blackberry said, as Shadow swore quietly at the image on the screen.

“Are you out of there Blackberry?” she asked urgently.

“I am,” Blackberry replied, “I’ve plugged the small hole too. Ursula?”

“I’m here, present and correct,” Ursula replied wearily.

“don’t go in there again Blackberry,” Shadow warned.

“is it a mess?” Ursula asked.

“yeah,” Blackberry replied, sniffing hard, “Ursula, you were so close to losing speech too,” he choked.

“Oh,” the she bear said as Shadow released her from the MRI scanner. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ursula felt Bjorn snuggling up to her. picking him up in her arms, Ursula hugged him.

“there will be no rolling about on the floor for you for a day or two,” she said.

“Hmm, you is so boring Ursula,” Zalika mewed, jumping up on the bed on which she was sitting then kissing the place where Blackberry had plugged the hole in Bjorn’s head.

“Stop that!” Blackberry snapped, cuffing Zalika to the floor, then kicking her across the room, “you might cause infection in his head!” the bear screamed. Zalika flew through the air, tumbling and twisting, landing on her feet before turning and roaring, the sound shaking the walls.

“auaoaoaoaowch!” Ursula squealed, covering her ears with her paws, Blackberry throwing himself on the floor, Shadow grinning hugely.

“You’s got no idea ‘as you Blackbewwy!” Zalika yowled.

“but you licked the place where my dwill, I mean drill went in!” Blackberry moaned.

“I’s ‘ealed ‘is ‘ead that’s all,” Zalika replied.

“Would you heal mine?” Ursula asked.

“I’s ‘appy too,” Zalika mewed, climbing back up onto the bed, Ursula settling Bjorn on the bed, then sprawling to allow the big cat cub to kiss the side of her head where Blackberry’s drill had gone in, while Bjorn stared at his mum and the beautiful big cat cub.

“You’re dead!” someone roared, Blackberry finding himself rolled over and pinned under the paws of a huge big cat. Looking into the black bear’s face, Titan took a deep breath and roared lustily, Blackberry screaming with fright.

“You know nothing, you are ill-educated and untutored, and are violent!” Titan roared.

“Are you all right Zalika?” Bjorn asked.

“I’s fine,” Zalika mewed, jumping down off the bed, Bjorn following her, Zalika letting him explore her, checking her over with his paws from her nose to her toes.

“You’s very kind,” Zalika mewed, kissing Bjorn’s nose.

“now I vote me, you and mum get out of here,” Bjorn said, “I think Titan’s about to explode!” he warned, tugging urgently at Zalika’s paw.

“yes, let’s go!” Zalika mewed, both cubs racing for the door.

“Wayayayayait for meyeee!” Ursula yelled, padding quickly but carefully towards where she thought the door was, all the while expecting catastrophe to erupt behind her as the sound of growling increased. finding the door, she went through and slammed it, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Where are you Bjorn? Zalika?” Ursula asked, realising she’d gone through a door that led to the outside air.

“’ere I is!” Zalika yelled, leaping onto Ursula’s back from the tree she’d quickly climbed.

“Don’t doooo that!” Ursula yelled, struggling not to pass out from fright.

“Oh dam, I forgets you’s blind, sorry,” Zalika mewed.

“After all that just went on?” Bjorn snapped, noticing his mum was very upset.

“I’s sowwy!” Zalika mewed.

“My mum’s blind, I don’t want her dead too!” Bjorn growled, climbing onto his mum’s back then furiously tugging Zalika’s tail.

“auaoaoaoaowch!” the liliger squealed, Bjorn letting go.

“Now don’t leap onto my Muuum’s back fwom twees, I mean trees!” Bjorn yelled.

“I’s vewy sowwy,” Zalika mewed, finding she could turn fully round on Ursula’s wide back to face Bjorn.

“I suppose I could carry you two home, though you don’t deserve the ride Zalika,” Ursula said.

“I’ll walk,” Zalika mewed, leaping off Ursula’s back and landing lightly on her well-padded feet.

“mum,” Bjorn said, “if she’ll let you, get paws on with Zalika’s paws and feet and rub her pads, they’re lovely!”

“I doesn’t deserve that,” Zalika growled.

“Which way is home Bjorn love?” Ursula asked.

“I’ll see if Mishka’s in his treehouse,” Bjorn said, “I think he ought to know what happened to me this day.”

“I’d like to find Allie too,” Ursula replied.

“I’m here mum,” Allie said, touching her mum’s paw, “Savannah sent me to look for you.”

“Ah,” Ursula said, turning her head, Allie standing on her hind legs to bump noses with her.

“I’ve been keeping out of the way,” Allie said, “I know I’ve caused all sorts of problems.”

“Well, yes,” Bjorn said, “Allie you have, hitting me because of a comment I made which was perfectly true, has caused so much trouble for so many.”

“how do I make up for what I did?” Allie asked.

“Keeping youw paws to youwself might be a stawt,” Zalika mewed.

“But then I wouldn’t be able to play, nor to show Bjorn or mum how sorry I am for what I did, and I truly am sorry!” Allie protested.

“yeah, I’s not meaning like that.” Zalika replied, “I’s meaning not ‘itting others as a fiwst wesowt when things awe said to you that you don’t like.”

“I think I’s falling in love with a funny fuwwed big cat cub,” Bjorn said, Zalika grinning at him.

“You’s gonna ‘ave to compete with Jespah and Anbessa and many othuhs then,” she said, “I thinks them all likes me.”

“you’we a vewy cuddly cat,” Bjorn replied, Zalika leaping onto Ursula’s back then kissing Bjorn’s nose, then tugging his paw, both bear and cat cubs leaping to the floor.

“come on, let’s go ‘ome,” Zalika mewed, “Uwsula, we’s taking the monowail to the pwide lie up, okay?”

“But I’m not allowed in there, I’m not a member of the ruling family!” Ursula protested.

“You’s invited by me, who is the cub of Titan, who is the wuling family. Now comes on Uwsula, I wants you to come to ouw ‘ouse,” Zalika replied smiling.

“All wight, I’s coming to youw ‘ouse then,” Ursula said, Zalika rubbing Ursula’s massive right paw with her smaller left.

“That’s wight Uwsula, do as I says won’t you,” Zalika giggled, Ursula bowing her head, Zalika bumping noses with her, kissing the huge she bear’s nose.

“I wants you to come and west fow a while,” Zalika mewed.

“I want to play, I want to get paws on with Goldie’s feet and with your feet and those of my cubs and hug all at once,” Ursula replied.

“You’s gonna do that,” Bjorn said, kissing his mum’s paw, Zalika climbing on Ursula’s right paw, leaning over to Bjorn then kissing his nose, Ursula nuzzling the top of her head.

“Come,” Zalika said, “my pads wants the touch of a huge snuggly polar bwuin.” Zalika led them to the monorail, Ursula, Allie and Bjorn riding with her to the pride lie up, where they all settled down, Goldie joining them soon after.

“’ello Goldie you big snuggly bwuin,” Zalika mewed, waiting until he was sitting down, then leaping into his lap like the world’s fattest housecat, “gives me a cuddle will you?” Goldie smiled and hugged Zalika, the huge big cat cub purring ecstatically.

“now I’s liking this a good bit,” she said, snuggling close.

“Can I get paws on with your feet Goldie?” Ursula asked.

“Of course, please, find them and hug them,” Goldie invited. Ursula did, kneeling in front of Goldie and exploring his right foot with her paws, Goldie curling his toes round her fingers as she explored the soles of his feet, Ursula laughing and pretending her fingers were trapped by his powerful toes.

“I love these soft pads,” Ursula said, “I’m glad they were carried over from your leonine days.”

“I love thick leathery polar ursine pads too,” Goldie replied, Ursula curling her toes with pleasure as Goldie’s good will was transmitted through her paws from the pads of his feet, warming her from her nose to her toes.

“Patch never made me feel like this, lovely though he is!” Ursula thought, “This bear embraces me, completely embraces me like Titan’s hug did in the bathroom, despite the fact Titan is a big cat, he embraced me with more than just his paws!”

“You’s feeling the pwide influence I thinks,” Zalika mewed, watching Ursula’s reaction to the grip of Goldie’s toes on her fingers.

“I wish a male bear could have half the family ethic!” Ursula said aloud.

“I only have it because I never forgot it from my days as a lion,” Goldie said, “Ursula, I treasured my leonine family, and it was only when I lost my mate did I turn into my true form. My sense of self, my ethics and morels are leonine and community based. I want large families, I want to cuddle cubs of all families.”

“Blackberry really doesn’t know what his bottle washer is capable of,” Ursula said.

“Blackbewwy knows about my ‘ealing abilities, I sees ‘im watching the video fwom the school when I washed Jespah’s pads. ‘e knows what I can do if I wants to! Instead of suspending ‘is, so called knowledge, ‘e throws me across the woom and abuses me big time. That saddens me gweatly.”

“What you did was medically disgusting,” Patch said padding into the room, “but I have shown Blackberry what you did for Jespah. Zalika, he can’t understand it, and neither can I.”

“Zalika heels others with her touch and kiss?” Bjorn suggested.

“yeah, but, how?” Patch asked.

“that is one thing you’s never gonna find out,” Zalika mewed.

“We could get you to spit into a test-tube and we could test that,” Patch suggested.

“hmm, blackbewwy’s done that,” Zalika mewed, “’e was so mad in the woom a while back ‘cos ‘e couldn’t find anything ‘ealing in my saliva. It’s spiwitual Patch, that’s all I can say about that.”

“Zalika’s touch soothes anyone it seems,” Bjorn said.

“Can I look at the place where the drill went in to your head Ursula?” Patch asked. Ursula, on her knees in front of Goldie, nodded. Patch looked at the place, but couldn’t find the putty.

“There’s no hole, and no putty!” Patch exclaimed, Blackberry said it was bright red! I saw it put in, I saw the whole operation!” the bear blustered, “Zalika’s tongue must have licked it out of the hole, but, but, that would leave a hole, and there’s no hole!” Patch screeched, rising to his feet and quite literally clutching each side of his head with his paws, an action which made Goldie laugh aloud.

“Consider Patch completely baffled,” he said.

“Blackberry accepted Nuru’s rebirth, but can’t accept mine or Zalika’s abilities.” Titan mewed, padding into the room and lying down.

“how is Blackberry after you finished with him?” Patch asked.

“He’s thoughtful,” Titan mewed, I showed him Zalika washing Jespah’s pads in the lie up, I showed him close up of when she kissed Ursula’s head, and yes, as you found, the putty vanished and Ursula was healed.”

“I can’t get my head around it,” Patch replied.

“Rebirth of cubs should be impossible, but it has been done,” Titan mewed.

“yes it has,” Patch said, “mama Ekaterina did it for Dear Fleur, and I helped with Sita’s first birth, though Sita’s rebirth was due to, well, other forces.”

“Some things can’t be weasoned out,” Zalika mewed, Patch sitting down heavily.

“What you did was disgusting though,” he mumbled.

“You knows a bit about the spiwit world Patch, but you’s not endowed with abilities so much. You’s followed a path, and also given youw bwother life by helping him ovew the bwidge, but you can’t do what I and Titan can.”

“I suppose you are the next level up,” Patch replied, “Zalika, I never doubted your abilities, just was confused by them. it is Blackberry who’s openly hostile to them.”

“My head hurts!” Patch whimpered.

“Wants me to kiss it better?” Zalika asked, Bjorn laughing merrily.

“go on, give Patch a kiss,” Bjorn said.

“Naoaoaoaow! I mean, oh dear!” Patch yelped, covering his face with his paws like an embarrassed cub, Titan laughing helplessly at Patch’s reaction to the prospect of a kiss from Zalika.

“’e’s a big softy bwuin weally, ain’t you Patch?” Zalika said, Titan gasping at her impropriety.

“I try to be,” Patch mumbled from behind his paws.

“I won’t kiss anything bettew without Blackbewwy’s say-so fwom now on then,” Zalika mewed.

“Where’s Mishka?” Bjorn asked, “I would like to show him I’m communications device free now. Does he know what happened to me?”

“He must do,” Goldie replied, “but go to his treehouse and see if he’s there.”

“I’ll go now, I’ll take the monowail,” Bjorn replied, Zalika leaping from Goldie’s lap and chasing the laughing cub out of the room.

“I’s coming’ to get youuuuu fow that!” Zalika miaowed, catching up with Bjorn at the nearest monorail station, the cub spinning round to face the larger big cat, Zalika skidding to a halt then kissing Bjorn’s nose.

“I’s coming with you,” she said, “Bjorn, I wants to go to the twee’ouse again.”

“It’s worth taking you with me just to hear you say that,” Bjorn replied smiling.

“Say what?” Zalika asked.

“Twee’ouse,” Bjorn replied, Zalika cuffing his shoulder with her well-padded paw.

“You’s a wogue you is,” she purred, kissing his nose.

“And you’s lovely you is,” Bjorn replied, Zalika purring deeply, the two friends entering the monorail and riding to Mishka’s treehouse. Picking up the phone, Bjorn made contact with the large brown bear, who opened the lift doors for them, then waited for them at the top. Once Zalika and Bjorn were in his house, Mishka returned to his sofa and sat down.

“What brings you all this way?” he asked.

“I’ve got something to show you,” Bjorn replied, climbing into Mishka’s lap, “feel my head Mishka.” Mishka did as Bjorn asked.

“aoaoaoaoah! No communications hat!” the blind bear squealed.

“No,” Bjorn replied, “I’m cured of my speechlessness. Mishka was so overwhelmed he just hugged Bjorn.

“My mum though, she can’t see,” Bjorn added sorrowfully.

“I’ll try to help her,” Mishka replied, “but Bjorn, you being able to speak is just wonderful!”

“I’m grateful to a certain cat for wolling me onto my back and tickling my paws and feet,” Bjorn replied, “I tried to speak properly whenever I was using the communications device, but nothing came out. then, when Zalika leapt on top of me and rolled me over, I hit my head on the rubber flooring of the playroom.”

“ and ‘e found ‘e could squeal at me to, ““stoaoaoaoap tiyiyiyckling my paaaaws and feeyeeet! Stoaoaoaoap iyiyiyiyiyt! Leaeaeaeaeave my paaaaws and feeyeeet aloaoaoaoaone!”“ hearing Zalika's perfect mimicry of himself, Bjorn laughed so much he collapsed into Mishka’s lap, rolled onto his back and wriggled hard while waving his paws and feet about. Mishka grabbed each of Bjorn’s waving and kicking paws and feet in turn and blew on the cub’s pads, Bjorn screaming with laughter, begging:

“Leaeaeaeaeave my paaaaws and feeyeeet aloaoaoaoaone! Stoaoaoaoap tiyiyiyckling meyeee! “ while Zalika rolled on the floor, laughing at his antics.

“Now I’ll kiss the tickle from your pads Bjorn,” Mishka said softly, lifting the cub in his paws then kissing the tickle from the palms of Bjorn’s paws and soles of his feet, Bjorn humming with cubbish pleasure.

“that looks Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!” Zalika said.

“Mishka has the most gorgeous touch,” Bjorn sighed, Mishka’s sightless eyes shining with pleasure.

“Mishka, would you and your guests like drinks and something to eat?” a voice asked. Yowling with fright, Zalika leapt to her feet, staring at the newcomer.

“who the ‘ell’s you?” she asked.

“I’m Anook, Mishka’s mum,” the huge black she bear replied, “in a former life I was known as Kamchatka, but now I’m Anook. I’m Mishka’s assistant and home help too.”

“You can’t does that for ‘im! Zalika raged, “’e’s subjugated youuuuu!” she roared.

“No he hasn’t!” Anook replied crossly, “Zalika, I came looking for a job, for meaning in my life. It’s great being accepted here and all, but I was bored, I needed something to do. Mishka can’t do certain things, and I offered, in return for bored and lodging, to help him by reading things he could not, and guiding him to places he could not get to. Plus, I get to be with the cub I gave birth to shortly before I went over the bridge that first time. Lucky, my adopted cub is with me, and I can come and go when I wish. It’s a mutual arrangement, he doesn’t pay me a thing. I get far more out of this than he does I think.”

“Curling up with you at night is very comforting mum,” Mishka said.

“I died soon after your birth Mishka, and I suppose I’m making up for the time I didn’t have then,” Anook replied smiling.

“oh, if you’s putting it like that,” Zalika babbled, feeling very foolish.

“yes,” Anook replied, “and even if we weren’t Zalika, it’s disrespectful for a cub to question a mutual arrangement between two adults isn’t it? Mishka’s not holding a gun to my head, he hasn’t demanded I work for him. I came to him offering my assistance. Of course, it started as home help, that sort of thing, but then, well, we began to feel things, and, well, realised we hadn’t had the time together mama bear and cub should have had before I died. I was very late giving birth to Mishka, and he lost me very early on. Now he’s regained me, thanks to the spirits, and I will be able to for fill my need to be with my cub, and my cub’s need to be with me.”

“Mum still loves playing with her toes,” Mishka giggled, Anook grinning at him.

“I do,” she agreed, sighing heavily, “I can’t give it up, and I love my feet played with too. I even re-enact the births of cubs, though I know that’s shadow’s job now.”

“it’s a fine skill to have,” Mishka said, “Nanuq is great at it too.”

“I notice shadow helped Blackberry operate on you Bjorn,” Anook said.

“I noticed that too, I didn’t wecognise Shadow at fiwst, and by the time I did, Bjown was coming out of the sleep she’d put him undew,” Zalika mewed, “I doesn’t know if I likes the idea of a computew keeping twack of a living beaw’s body functions.”

“Apparently shadow’s very advanced, as is Shandy now,” Mishka replied, “Janet’s working full time to programme them with new things they can do. It’s like accelerated schooling for cubs.”

“I know little Sita and Karina are learning to re-enact the births of cubs too, which is rather sweet,” Anook replied, “I hear little Karina is very noisy, whereas little Sita tries not to be, and mostly fails when she has to really push against the cub.”

“Who are they taking lessons fwom?” Zalika asked.

“I’ve taught them a bit, as has Nanuq,” Anook replied, “little karina’s feet feel like Philomena’s do, little Karina’s quite proud of that.”

“Where are they now?” Mishka asked.

“They’re here,” a small voice said, Bjorn leaping from Mishka’s lap to allow little Karina to scramble into it, Mishka hugging the animatronic Felursapien, little Karina snuggling close.

“I love a cuddle,” she said, nuzzling his cheek.

“Are you going to have a cub soon?” Mishka asked.

“I might,” little Karina replied, “I am ready to, though last time I screamed the place down when I felt the pains. I sounded like the cub I am!”

“Expressing your pain isn’t a bad thing karina dear,” Anook replied.

“I know, but I’m trying to be all grown up about it, and I can’t be, I just hold my feet and scream and wriggle and scream and yowl,” the little Felursapien said.

“Can I rub your feet Karina?” Mishka asked.

“yes of course,” little Karina mewed, giving the huge bear her left foot, Mishka feeling warm pads and toes which curled easily.

“I like this touch,” she said, snuggling into Mishka’s embrace, the bear drawing circles on the ball of her left foot, while little Karina curled the toes of both her small feet with pleasure.

Meanwhile, in Blackberry’s work room, shadow finished suturing a wound in Ursula’s head. Smiling, she woke the female polar bear up from the anaesthetic.

“Can you see my paw?” shadow asked, waving her paw in front of Ursula’s eyes.

“It’s big and the pads are black, and you are big and black furred and oh, shadow! What have you done? Thank youuuuu!” Ursula screamed delightedly.

“I did something the other bears and humans dared not,” Shadow replied, “I used the same visual processor I have in my brain, connecting that to your brainstem using your optic nerves and some more wireing. Your optic nerves are now linked to your eyes on one end, and a processor on the other which is linked to your brainstem Ursula.” Ursula, breathless with emotion and excitement, threw her arms round Shadow and hugged her tightly.

“I love you and thank you!” she wept, shadow smiling broadly.

“I thought I’d have a go, and it worked, I’m so glad,” Shadow said.

“But Blackberry’s terrified of trying!” Ursula gushed.

“he is, but I’m not,” Shadow replied. I brought you in here, and I must say, my reading says what I did was unethical. I told you I was going to put you under anaesthetic, but not for what reason. For that I am sorry. The books say you should give consent, and I didn’t get it before I operated. I have failed in that regard. Please do not be angry with me Ursula.” Ursula, looking at shadow’s concerned face, kissed her nose and paws and then, pushing her onto her back, kissed the pads of her feet as well.

“Sod that, I’m so glad you did it!” Ursula sobbed.

“I am too, as I think you’re happy, but, I don’t think others will be when they find out what I did,” shadow replied.

“What the hell’s going on?” Blackberry asked, bursting in from the outside door, which Shadow had forgotten to lock.

“Liberation is going on,” Shadow replied, picking herself up off the floor, Ursula turning and looking Blackberry straight in the eye.

“aoaoaoaoah, uuuuursula! you can seyeee meyeee!” he yelled, running from the room, shadow and Ursula collapsing against each other in fits of laughter.

“Tiyiyiyiytan! Shadow’s fitted a visual processor to Ursula! She can see agayayayayin!” Blackberry screamed down the phone to Titan’s lie up. Titan yawned expansively.

“Now she can see, that’s nice isn’t it?” the huge liger asked blearily.

“Yes, but, but, she, I mean shadow, she isn’t programmed to do that!” Blackberry screeched.

“I suppose Shadow learnt from a book or something, like you did,” Titan mewed, “now Blackberry, please, let me sleep.” Blackberry slammed down the phone and spun round to find Patch gazing at a screen, tears in his eyes.

“Shadow, she, she did that,” he said, waving a paw at the image of Ursula seeing Shadow for the first time after coming round from the operation.

“shadow did, and she did it in secret, and she made Ursula into a computer, and she’s going to die!” Blackberry raged.

“You know you can’t do that!” Patch remonstrated.

“shadow took knowledge that was not hers to have and broke the rules and did unethical things, and she’s a computer!” Blackberry ranted.

“I watched everything she did,” Patch said, “she was clean, considered and careful. Her logic and knowledge is completely flawless.”

“She put a processor in Ursula’s brain and wired her up, now she’s a bionic bear!” Blackberry raged.

“yes, and it’s good news too, now shut up. I’m enjoying watching Ursula tickling shadow’s pads,” Patch replied.

“I created a monster!” Blackberry wailed.

Meanwhile, in her flat, Janet watched shadow’s operation on Ursula. She couldn’t fault the black bear’s asepsis, or her work style. Indeed, she knew all about it, as Janet had programmed her with the knowledge. Shadow knew as much as Blackberry and Patch, and could learn for herself as well as be fed information. Shadow had taken the leap into experimentation on her own initiative, though Janet knew it was remiss of Shadow to forget to seek Ursula’s permission before experimenting on her in such a manner. Now though, the experiment had worked, and Ursula could see again with the help of bionics. All shadow had done was work out what made her, as a computer, see, and applied it to Ursula’s situation. Now because of Shadow’s own inquisitive mind, and a lack of fear, Ursula could see again. Shadow had a sense of caution, but not the fear of messing up which Blackberry had. Shadow was confident that, as long as she followed the rules, she’d be fine.

“How did shadow know all that?” Blackberry screeched.

“it’s programmed into her,” Patch replied.

“oaoaoaoaoah, so she learnt from meyeee, and from books and from everything, all in one goaoaoaoaoao?” he yowled.

“yes,” Patch replied, “Blackberry, for a computer technician, you’re clueless aren’t you.” Blackberry ran from the room into his work room, nearly blundering straight into Ursula, who fended him off with her two massive paws.

“hey Blackberry, stoaoaoaoap!” she begged, the poor black bear clinging to her, crying into her fur.

“I’m going mad!” he screamed.

“No you’re not,” Ursula said, “you came across a bear braver and more resourceful than yourself, that’s all.”

“Oh thanks a lot!” Blackberry growled, but he knew the truth.

“I know where I went wrong,” shadow said, “I didn’t ask Ursula’s permission first.”

“If you had, I would have said no out of fear,” Ursula replied, “Shadow, what else did you do?”

“I cut back all the burnt nerves until they were healthy, then reconnected them to the visual processor, then wired that into the brainstem,” the animatronic black bear replied.

“oaoaoaoaoah naoaoaoaoao!” Blackberry screeched hysterically.

“why not accept the fact you have created something that is cleverer than you are Blackberry?” Sita mewed, padding into the room.

“but she’s a bloody computer!” Blackberry screamed, lunging at Shadow, who fended him off with tremendous strength.

“I know where you were heading,” the she bear growled, “Blackberry, that switch was disabled, disabled and removed, now, now I am like anyone of mortal lifeform here, as is Shandy. You cannot switch us off without actually killing us.”

“oaoaoaoaoaoaoh!” Blackberry screamed.

“We now live as you do,” Shandy mewed, padding into the room, her coat glossy and paws seemingly bigger than ever.

“You’re a computer!” Blackberry screamed.

“So are you Blackberry, just an organic one,” Shandy mewed, “now, well, I feel worn out by all your screaming and bawling, my head hurts, I’m going to sleep.”

“oh dear, she has self-awareness!” Blackberry screeched.

“We both do,” Shadow replied, “now Blackberry, get back into your den and stay there if you can’t accept us.” Blackberry padded from the room, his head bowed.

“He doesn’t understand what he created,” Shandy mewed, “Blackberry builds us, gives us life, then screams about it and runs off crying.”

“he’s very clever, but doesn’t understand what he creates,” Shadow yawned, “now, now I need a strong coffee and one of those sticky doughnut things Goldie was loading his trolley with earlier.”

“I could do with a drink myself,” Ursula replied, padding with Shandy, shadow and Patch to the pride lie up. Drinking deeply, the animatronic ligress and bear quenched their thirst at the drinking fountain.

“I wonder if Leona’s found Tiggs yet,” Patch mused.

“she’ll feel more at home with her I think, they both have paws as naked as a human’s feet,” Titan purred. Shadow dried her face with a paper towel and looked at Titan.

“Was I wrong to help Ursula?” She asked suddenly.

“No,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet, padding to shadow then kissing her nose, “you did well shadow.”

“I’m glad I did it, no matter what Blackberry the miserable git says,!” Shadow raged, stamping her feet.

“I’m glad you did too,” Ursula replied, sidling up to shadow, kissing her ear.

“I think we should go to the treehouse,” shadow said, padding to the Monorail station, Ursula following her.

Shadow’s so sweet!” Goldie said, “I’ve played with her, I’ve even caught a cub of hers when she gave birth to it. She’s lovely.”

“Shadow’s very sweet,” Titan mewed, “I think Janet modelled at least a bit of her personality on Ancient mama Kamchatka.”

“I’ve heard shadow’s adopted Mishka’s treehouse as her home,” Titan mewed.

“She has, she likes to curl up by his fire and snooze while he rubs her paws, much like his mama Anook does really,” Goldie said.

“Bet you have too,” Titan mewed.

“Oh yes, sometimes, when I’m off duty,” Goldie replied.

Shadow and Ursula made their way to Mishka’s treehouse, shadow ringing the bell on the rope. Mishka asked who it was, and the two bears were soon stepping into the lift and being carried to the main floor. Once they were inside the house, Ursula padded up to Mishka and touched his left paw.

“Mishka, it’s Ursula, I, I,” she paused, swallowing hard.

“Shadow did amazing things, I know,” Mishka said, “Ursula, I’m very glad for you indeed!” he exclaimed, gently squeezing her paw.

“How would it be if Shadow did the same for you and Adsila and Sita?” Ursula asked.

“It would be too traumatic for me,” Mishka replied, “Ursula, I’ve never seen in my life, nor has Sita. We can’t learn now. Adsila though, she gained sight when she was younger, only to fling it away for stupidity. Maybe she could regain it.”

“Blackberry’s going up the wall because of what I did,” shadow said.

“Oh hello Shadow,” Mishka replied, the animatronic black bear padding to him then kissing his nose.

“I’m in trouble Mishka,” she said, “I put a visual processor in Ursula’s head, and now she can see, but Blackberry’s wanting to switch me off for it!”

“he can’t do that, I made sure of that!” Mishka replied.

“I know you did,” shadow said, “but it’s still a worry for me.”

“I’ll rip his paws off if he suggests anything of the sort!” Mishka replied angrily, “who the hell does Blackberry think he is?” he demanded of the room in general.

“I only did what I thought was right, and everyone’s now very angry, I don’t like it one bit!” shadow whimpered.

“You’ll be fine, so will little Sita and little Karina too,” Mishka replied.

“Shadow tickled my toes, it felt great!” little Karina said, bouncing excitedly in Mishka’s lap.

“I know how that feels,” little Sita said, “Philomena tickled mine, and I hers.”

“Now to have Felix, or Philomena, or mama Karina play with my feet is wonderful indeed,” little Karina said.

“that’s because they are like you, and you can get hands on with their feet too, understanding more about your own,” Mishka replied.

“I would love to give birth to a cub and have her or mama Sita as Midwife,” little Karina said.

“Did Blackberry make a large Felursapien training aid?” Mishka asked.

“No, just me,” little Karina mewed, “I’m three quarter size, the same size mama karina was when she gave birth to Felix. Little Sita’s three quarter grown size too.”

“How does it feel to give birth to a cub little Karina?” Bjorn asked.

“It really hurts, but I love it, as it’s my job to teach others how a young mama would react to giving birth. Little Sita helped me give birth to a cub yesterday, then I helped her. it was great!”

“how long does it take for you to give birth to a cub little Karina?” Mishka asked.

“Oh, an hour or so in the moaning and wriggling part, where I sit back on my heels, crawl, scream and squeeze my feet with my hands, as well as curl my toes,” little Karina replied, “then the actual pushing, about another hour to get the cub’s head about to crown, then another fifteen minutes to push the cub’s head and body out, maybe longer if I’m tired or out of control. Sometimes I just can’t help it, and do everything wrong.”

“that’s what we’re meant to do, so the midwives know what to do if things go wrong,” Shadow said.

“It is,” little Karina replied smiling.

“I would like to touch you while you have a cub little Karina,” Mishka said, “I got paws on with Sushanti’s and Amafu’s paws and feet while they laboured, but didn’t get a chance to catch the cub.”

“You could touch shadow and me, and Shandy too,” Little Karina mewed, “we’d all like it Mishka.”

“I’m rubbing your right foot now, and your toes are so tightly curled little Karina,” Mishka said, rubbing the bunched skin on the ball of little Karina’s right foot.

“I curl them even tighter when in pain of labour,” little Karina mewed.

“maybe I can make them curl tight now. Want me to try?” Mishka asked.

“yes, all right,” little Karina mewed. Mishka drew the fingers of his left paw down the sole of Little Karina’s right foot from ball to heel, karina curling her toes while squirming and giggling:

“My toooes want to cuuuurl even tighter! The touch of your paw on my foot makes me want to curl my toooes, as if they have strings attached to them and are being pulled tightly curled!” she whimpered, Mishka kissing the top of her head.

“That’s really cute,” Mishka said softly.

“Keeeyeep puuuuulling those striyiyiyngs on my toooes! I wayayayan’a cuuuurl my toooes so tiyiyiyightly!” little Karina yowled theatrically. Mishka kept stroking the sole of little Karina’s foot from the thick pad on the ball of her right foot, down her arch to her equally thick heel pad, the cub squirming in her efforts to curl her toes ever tighter.

“If I press your heel pad with my fingers, like this, does that keep the strings tight?” Mishka asked.

“ooaaoah yeyeyeyeyes iyiyiyt does!” Little Karina squealed, laughing merrily, “I wayayayan’a tiyiyiyightly cuuuurl the toooes of my other fooooot tooo!” Shadow and Ursula grinned hugely at little karina’s antics, as the Felursapien drew her feet up, reaching for the heel of her left foot with her left hand.

“Now, if I press the heel of my left foot with my fingers, my toooes will curl,” little Karina mewed, fitting actions to her words by pressing the heel of her left foot with her fingers, just as Mishka was doing to the heel pad of her right foot. Pressing hard, karina watched the toes of her left foot, but they weren’t curling.

“naoaoaoaoao it’s naoaoaoaoaoaot woaoaoaoaoarking! The toooes of my left fooooot won’t cuuuurl!” little Karina screeched.

“awhwhwhwh Kawina, that’s really cuuuute! I’s gonna die of cute I thinks!” Zalika mewed.

“Maybe if you bring your left foot closer to your right so I can rub them with my paw at the same time, I could make your toes curl like you want them to karina,” Mishka suggested. Wriggling with frustration, little Karina brought her feet together, Mishka rubbing the fingers of his massive left paw simultaneously down the balls, arches and heel pads of both her small feet, karina squealing gleefully as the toes of both her small feet curled as tightly as she wanted them to.

“Iyiyiyt’s woaoaoaoaoarking! My toooes are cuuurling tiyiyiyightly knoaoaoaoaow!” she yelled delightedly.

“That’s super cute,” shadow said, kissing little Karina’s ear, “by the way, I’ve been looking at videos of mamas giving birth, and like how Targon did it, holding her right foot in her paws while she pushed, while giving her left foot to a midwife to rub. I’ve asked Targon about it, and she said it helped her. I’ll try it myself next time.”

“I remember Lucky’s birth, I don’t think I did that,” Anook replied, looking at shadow, seeing a near double of herself.

“I’ve met Lucky, he’s so sweet!” shadow replied, padding to Anook then kissing her nose.

“come here Shadow,” Anook said, rearing onto her hind legs and stretching out her arms, shadow rearing too, the two bears embracing.

“If I didn’t know, I would think you were born of a natural mama,” Anook said, shadow smiling then kissing Anook’s ear.

“Muuum!” Allie yelled, charging into the treehouse, “Blackberry said you can seyeee agayayayayayain!” she yelled.

“Yes Allie I can, and Bjorn can speak too,” Ursula replied smiling. Allie ran to her, Ursula sitting down, both Allie and Bjorn piling into Ursula’s lap and hugging her.

“Muuum! I can speak and you can see, and it’s all good!” Bjorn exclaimed, kissing his mum’s paw and bouncing hard in her lap.

“All thanks to a fat little big cat cub and a computer,” Ursula replied.

“Shadow’s more than a computer now mum,” Bjorn said softly, “she decided to do something for you. she’s no longer considered a training aid now. I heard Patch talking about her. She’s as much a community bear as I am.” Ursula mentally chastised herself for her words.

“yes, I’m sorry,” she replied softly. Ursula crawled to where Shadow knelt stroking Zalika, the black bear’s soles accessible. Ursula rubbed the sole pads of Shadow’s feet, the she bear curling her toes with pleasure.

“I, I think I’m about to have another cub!” little Karina miaowed, wriggling with discomfort then grabbing her left foot in her hands, Mishka touching her gripping fingers and the curling toes of her left foot with his paw. Wriggling and panting, little Karina moaned through two pains, her toes curling and relaxing, while Mishka got paws on with her toes and fingers. karina suddenly squealed lustily, scrambling off Mishka’s lap and crawling round the room, “aouauauauauauauch! Aoaoaoaohoaoaoaoach!” she screamed as her labour pain increased. Mishka crawling round after her, rubbing her feet, the animatronic Felursapien stopping to back up to push her feet against his rubbing paws from time to time while she wriggled and moaned her way through pains.

“aouwch! Aouw! Aoaouauoauoauoauoauoauowch! Aouwch! Uuuuumf, aouwch!” little Karina screeched as her pains rapidly increased.

“What would you like me to do Karina?” Mishka asked, as he explored the soles of little Karina’s feet as she sat back on her heels, wriggling urgently, her toes curled tightly as she squirmed on both, then on just one heel as her pains increased.

“Heyeyeyeyelp meyeee hayayayayve my cuuuub! I cayayayayn’t doooo this aloaoaoaoaone!” little Karina begged in a wailing tone, “hold my feeyeeet, catch the cuuuub, hold me while I puuuuuush and screaeaeaeaeam!” she screeched.

“I’ll do that,” Mishka replied, little Karina turning and grabbing him, then clinging to him with strong arms while she screamed and writhed with increasing pain, Mishka able to rub the sole of her right foot with his left paw, feeling the hot heel pad and then down to her bunched pads on the ball of her foot and to her curled toes.

“oaoaoaoah, aauuauaauuowch! The cuuuuub’s huuuurting meyeee! Aouw! Aouwch! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Aoaoaoaoaoaoaoaow!” the little Felursapien screeched, her arms round Mishka’s neck as far as she could reach while she leant hard into him, gasping and screaming with the pain she felt. Wriggling hard, little Karina, while sobbing after a contraction, suddenly caught her breath and strained:

“uuuuumf! Uuuuuuuuaumf! Auauauauauauaauwuouououomf!” she protested as she actively pushed for the first time, then panting, sat back on her heels, squealing:

“Aoaouauoauoauoauoauoauowch! This reayeyeyeyeyeylly huuuurts! Ouwch! aouwch! Aow! Aoaouauoauoauoauoauoauowch!” while wriggling and bouncing as the cub moved down the passage to the outside world, while Mishka moved round behind her then rubbed the hot soles of her feet from damp heel pads to bunched skin on the balls of her feet, and finally her tightly curled toes, shadow taking his place, supporting little Karina while she squirmed her bum hard into her heels..

“let me sit for a bit now!” little Karina begged, Mishka feeling her sit down, then lean into him. Shadow saw little Karina bend her right leg and cross it over her left, then Little Karina grabbed the sole of her right foot in both hands, before bearing down, holding onto her right foot with fierce strength.

“I can hold my fooooot this way, and the cub can come ooooououowt! If I lean back a bit it’s easier!” she squealed, Shadow taking hold of little Karina’s left foot in her paws, while the little Felursapien leant back into Mishka’s embrace, lustily screaming and moaning while straining to deliver her cub.

“little Karina’s curling her toes so tightly,” Shadow said, “Mishka, I’ll cradle her, you come here and feel her feet and hands!”

“yes, Yes Mishka, touch my feeyeeet!” little Karina gasped, “I’ll try, try not to puuuuuush!” she screeched. Mishka and Shadow quickly changed places, while little karina bounced on her backside and wriggled with discomfort, squeezing then rubbing her right foot with both hands while curling the toes of both feet, panting and moaning as she tried not to obey a growing urge to push.

“Now lean back, hold that foot and push Karina, push hard!” shadow said, little Karina leaning into Shadow’s embrace and gripping the heel pad of her own right foot in her left hand, the toes of that foot in her right, little Karina tightly curling her toes as she strained down hard into her bottom, shadow cradling her so the cub could emerge. Mishka got paws on with little Karina’s left foot, feeling damp pads and tightly curled toes, then touched her right, feeling the creature’s hands holding her hot, damp padded right foot so tightly, the toes tightly curled, as he found when karina adjusted her grip on her foot.

“Aoaoaoaowch! Uuuuumf! Aoaouauoauoauoauoauoauowch! Aoaouauoauoauoauoauoauowch! Riaiaiaiaiaow!” karina yelled, Mishka touching karina’s right foot, then her left, touching curled toes and hot bunched pads. Karina suddenly shuffled forwards, so Shadow’s paws supported her head and shoulders. Drawing up her knees, splaying her legs, and holding the backs of her thighs with her hands, little Karina screeched lustily as she pushed, Mishka paws on with her feet as she struggled. Hearing a squelching sound and a squeal from little Karina, he washed his paws and gently explored the cub’s situation, finding a tiny set of hands in the open. Feeling the cub’s emergence, little Karina began wriggling, bouncing and straining down hard, only to be brought up short with a screaming yowl as the passage of her cub’s head stretched her.

“Aoaoaoaowch, uuuuumf! Ruaiaiaiaiaiaiaiow!” Karina screeched as she felt the cub’s head stretch her.

“That’s it, the cub’s coming out now karina, puuuuuush!” shadow urged, little Karina bracing her left foot into Mishka’s paws, pushing herself back into Shadow’s arms while feeling Mishka’s paws exploring her hands and left foot from time to time as she was forced to push down hard.

“I’m puuuuuuushing! I’m tryiyiying to puuush!” the Little Felursapien screeched, Mishka exploring the young creature’s situation with his paws, finding little Karina again held her right foot in both hands, her right heel close up to her body as she held tightly to it while struggling to push the cub into the world, the toes of that foot curling with every effort she made and every pain she felt, Mishka realising Karina’s toes had been constantly curled for the best part of ten minutes.

“don’t you want to lie down, draw up your legs and push?” Shadow asked.

“Naoaoaoaow! I can doooo iyiyiyt this wayayayay!” Little Karina screamed lustily.

“The cub’s got plenty of room,” Mishka said, “little Karina’s reclined somewhat anyway.

“I wayayayan’a hold my fooooot and puuuuuush! Muuuuust puuuuuush!” little Karina screeched, fitting actions to her words, lifting her left foot off the floor, Mishka cradling then rubbing it while she crossed both feet in the air, one behind the other, holding her right foot, the nearest foot to her in her hands as she pushed, shadow supporting her back. Screaming and wriggling, Little Karina strained hard twice, Mishka alternately paws on with the emerging cub and Karina’s feet and hands.

“uuuuumf, Oaoaoaoaow! Aouw! Heuuuuuumf! Riaoaoaoaoaow!” aouwch! Auauauauauauaauuwmf! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf!” Ruuuuuhuuumf!” little Karina protested as she repeatedly strained, giving herself up to panting then rubbing the hot damp sole of her right foot with both hands during lulls in her contractions, which seemed to help her, then she took a fresh grip of the heel and the ball or toes of her right foot, then, desperately curling her toes while pulling her right foot towards her body, strained hard again.

“Your cub’s nearly here Karina, only the hips, legs and feet and tail to go, keep puuuuuuushing!” Ursula yelled, the little Felursapien whimpering and screaming as she bullied the cub’s hips and legs into the world.

“I muuuuust puuush ouuouout the cub’s hips, legs, feeyeeet, heyeeels, ayayayayrches! Toooooes!” the poor creature screeched as she strained hard, pushing the cub’s hips into the world, its feet jamming, little Karina wriggling and screaming at the sensation of the cub’s feet Jamming:

“Got’a puuush the cuuuuub’s feeyeeet ooooououowt! Heyeeels, ayayayayrches! Toooooes!” as she struggled, the cub’s feet coming out slowly, its right before its left, little Karina pushing unaided, “Aoaoaoaowch, those feeyeeet huuuuurt meyeee!” little Karina screamed, wriggling urgently, “now, now for the tayayayayil! Must, must sit up a little for this.”

“Can I help?” Ursula asked.

“Mishka, cradle the cub, Ursula, take hold of the little you can of the cub’s tail, and when Karina pushes, pull gently, but only when she pushes.” Shadow said. Ursula took hold of the cub’s tail, feeling the tail slippery in her paws.

“Now Push Karina, push!” shadow said softly, the little Animatronic Felursapien, crying with exhaustion, responded to Ursula’s advice by letting go of her right foot, lying back and pedalling the air with both feet while pushing down as strongly as she knew how, screaming, whimpering and crying with her efforts, Ursula pulling steadily until the cub’s tail was out.

“That’s it!” Ursula said enthusiastically as little Karina panted hard, whimpering and kicking a little as the end of her cub’s tail slid free. Panting hard, little Karina looked round her as she cleaned her screaming cub.

“Now I must feed and sleep him,” little Karina said panting, “I’m a computer, but wow that was wonderful! Mishka, how did my feet feel to you? were they like a natural Felursapien’s?” little Karina asked anxiously.

“They were and are,” Mishka said, “dear little Karina, you are wonderful, and you and little Sita are perfect from your noses to your toes.” little Karina grinned delightedly.

“Awhwhwhw thanks,” they both said in unison.

“your feet on tiles sound like mama Karina’s do little Karina. Yours and Philomena’s feet are similar,” Mishka said.

“I’ve played with Philomena, she’s sweeyeet!” little Karina giggled.

“I’ve seen you and little Sita playing the stuck foot games too,” Anook replied.

“yes we have, and we play that for hours,” Sita said, “little Karina’s got really sticky pads when she wants to have, and I can’t free my feet for ages.”

“Did you get a good look at me having my cub Sita?” little |Karina asked.

“I did, and you were wonderful,” little Sita said, “Karina, you have to be reset now don’t you?”

“yes,” little karina mewed, “I need that.”

“let’s go and do that then,” little Sita said, “back in a minute you lot,” she said, little Karina following her to a small room off the main room.

“They’re wonderful,” Shadow said.

Within twenty minutes little Karina and Sita were back, little Karina fully revived and ready for anything.

“I’ve eaten something and been refilled with all my fluids, and drank too, so I’m fine now,” little Karina mewed, climbing into Mishka’s lap for a cuddle and purring ecstatically when he tightly hugged her. little Sita snuggled up to Anook, who now sat on the beanbag where Moses and Ekaterina had played at giving birth to cubs, the two children at that time away from the treehouse, having their dinner in the lodge house.

“That creature having her cub was amazing mum!” Allie said, Ursula washing her paws and sitting down.

“I’ll find us food and tea,” Anook said, settling little Sita on the beanbag and padding to the kitchen.

“We should call Blackberry,” Mishka thought. Anook appeared a few minutes later carrying a tray, which she placed on the floor between them. Anook sorted tea and meat sandwiches for all, only the animatronic creatures not partaking of the food, though they drank the water provided for them.

“the birth of your cub was amazing little karina,” Bjorn said, looking at the animatronic Felursapien smiling at him.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she said, “so did I. I did all I could, and the cub was born.”

“My toes curled in sympathy with yours,” Bjorn said, little karina laughing merrily.

“that’s so sweet of you,” she said, kissing his nose, Bjorn hugging her tightly.

“Where’s Philomena?” Bjorn asked.

“She’s with Ekaterina and Moses,” Anook said.

Meanwhile, in the lodge, Moses, Philomena and Ekaterina sat drinking hot chocolate after their dinner, Cynthia Chartwell having cooked them scrambled egg on toast. Philomena, finishing her drink first, washed her face and hands, Moses and Ekaterina watching her.

“You’re so beautiful Philomena,” Ekaterina said, Philomena smiling with pleasure.

“I’m flattered,” she said, padding to Ekaterina and sitting beside her, Ekaterina hugging the Felursapien.

“Can I play the stuck foot game with you?” Ekaterina asked. Philomena sat opposite Ekaterina, pressing her left foot against the little girl’s right.

“Now who will pull first?” Philomena asked, pressing her toes against Ekaterina’s.

“I’ll pull,” Ekaterina replied, grabbing the heel of her right foot, then exploring the situation her foot was in, finding toes and heel pads firmly pressed together.

“I’ll work at my toes first,” Ekaterina said, tugging at the toes of her right foot with the fingers of both hands, Philomena reaching forward and taking Ekaterina’s free left foot in her hands.

“One, two, three, four, five toes free!” Ekaterina yelled, Philomena squealing each time Ekaterina pulled each of the toes of her right foot free from those of her left, “now for the heel pad Philomena!” she squealed, curling the toes of her free left foot in concentration. Philomena grabbed Ekaterina’s left foot, Ekaterina pulling at her own right heel, furiously scrabbling with her fingers at the point where their heel pads met, digging down, trying to free her right heel from Philomena’s left. Squealing with mock discomfort, Philomena braced her toes while Ekaterina pulled and wriggled, the two creatures wriggling and encouraging each other to pull during their struggles. Philomena and Ekaterina faught the glue holding their heel pads for about five minutes before they were able to free their heels. When their heel pads came free with a rush, the two players were so surprised, both squealed loudly, then laughed merrily at their own antics.

“Now to freeyeee our toes and the balls of our feet, first though, rub the heel pads a bit,” Ekaterina panted, rubbing the heel pad of her right foot with her fingertips, then letting go, allowing Philomena to rub the pad of her own left foot, their toes and the balls of their feet still pressed together.

“now stretch your toes Philomena, we need to get a gap between our toes so we can grab them and free the balls of our feet!” Ekaterina urged. Philomena grabbed her own toes, pulling them away from Ekaterina’s, the young girl wriggling and yelping every time Philomena pulled her toes free from hers, just as Philomena herself had the first time round.

“all five toes free now,” Philomena panted, Now, now Ekaterina, I’ll keep my toes back by holding them with my fingers, now you work from below and above to freeyeee our feet!” Philomena gasped, Ekaterina whimpering as she began working at the braced balls of her right foot and Philomena’s left with her fingers, She and Philomena squealing as their feet suddenly flew free.

“both of you curled the toes of your free feet while struggling to free the balls of your playing feet, It was really amazing!” Moses said.

“Little Karina’s having a cub!” Cynthia Chartwell yelled, everyone flocking to the screen to see little Karina crawling round the room, Ekaterina’s mum turning up the volume, all watching with intense interest. Once the video was over, Ekaterina, Moses and Philomena piled into the monorail to head to Mishka’s treehouse.

Reaching it, they were let in, and all hugged little karina.

“We know you slept the cub,” Moses said, “but how was the birth Karina?” the animatronic female Felursapien smiled:

“I’m learning how to cope, but I still scream like a cub,” she replied.

“You did wonderfully!” Philomena said, “I wish, when I have cubs of my own, that I can cope too.”

“I am a training aid for others, you aren’t,” little Karina said, “I’m meant to be a young mama, you might not be a young mama. I’m helping just in case you are a young mama to be.” Philomena hugged little Karina, the animatronic Felursapien purring ecstatically.

“I’m not so keen on having cubs,” little Sita said, “I want to do it for Mama Sita, but she hasn’t asked me yet.”

“She won’t,” Ursula said, “you’ll have to tell mama Sita you would like her to help you while you have a cub. she will then help. She doesn’t normally ask to be shown how it’s done.”

“I would also like to show mama Sita how I gave birth to my cub,” little Karina mewed, “I feel something for mama Sita, though that might be because my namesake is her daughter, and this has been programmed into me as a suggestion of someone I might like to get to know. I suppose it’s the same way I was drawn to mama Karina and you Philomena.”

“you’re drawn to your own though,” Philomena said.

Hours later, in Blackberry’s work room, the black bear lay sleeping. Raja, padding in, leapt onto the bed and pinned Blackberry down under his small paws, the bear waking with a snort to find himself trapped under the small fat paws of a liger cub. Scared stiff by what he saw, Blackberry looked up into Raja’s face, Shandy’s cub’s eyes sparkling into his at the reaction of the black bear when he’d pounced on him while he was sleeping. Now Blackberry, who knew Raja by the black band of fur round his neck, something peculiar to Shandy and her cubs, to identify the animatronic big cats from the naturally born, stared into the cub’s face, not liking or understanding what he saw, and what the liger’s touch told him.

“I know I let you live,” Blackberry gasped, “but Raja, now, now you have spirit!”

“I do,” Raja mewed, “Titan says I do, and so does Patch. It happened last sleep.”

“How?” Blackberry asked. Raja lay down beside Blackberry, snuggling up to him, the black bear unable to resist hugging the warm furry creature.

“I drank of Titan’s milk,” Raja said, “I wanted some of what Zalika had, and Titan let me drink, I drank and whoomf! apparently I got spirit!”

“I, I don’t know what to say,” Blackberry replied, “but you have got spirit, I can see and feel that.”

“Well if mum drinks from Titan’s milk, will she get spirit too?” Raja asked.

“I suppose she might, but, well, do you think she’d want to?” the bear asked.

“How should I know?” Raja replied, brushing his paws through his whiskers because it felt good.

“I’m asking a cub these things, sorry Raja,” Blackberry sighed.

“I was exploring and found you sleeping,” Raja said, “I came to you and you looked scared, terrorised by my face,” the cub whimpered.

“Raja, I’m sorry,” Blackberry replied, “I, well, we both know what you were, and what happened to you at your birth and all. Even though you were given community status, you weren’t, well, with spirit. Shadow and Shandy aren’t with spirit, but they are community members. To see you, well, with spirit, to look deep into your eyes and see the depth of yourself, that was a shock.”

“I know what you mean,” Raja said, “well, now I know, I saw Titan, then my mum, and saw the difference in their eyes. Mum saw me, and her face was gentle to me, but her eyes were just looking, no gentility, because she can’t, much as she might want to. Titan though, he can with his eyes and his paws too. Mum can’t.”

“When was the last time she looked into your face?” Blackberry asked, remembering the last time he’d looked at Shandy.

“Oh, it was weeks ago,” Raja mewed, “I drank of Titan’s milk only a day back.”

“So did I,” a huge voice purred, Blackberry looking up, then screeching with fright.

“I’m as Raja now,” Shandy mewed, “so is Shadow. We’ve all drunk of Titan’s milk, but we can still birth cubs and resleep them, then birth them again.”

“What about little karina and Sita?” Blackberry asked, knowing the answer.

“Them too, great isn’t it?” Raja asked, snuggling up to Blackberry, the touch of the cub’s warm paws making the bear’s toes curl with protective emotions. Shandy nuzzled Blackberry’s shoulder, the black bear wriggling with pleasure.

“Now I have spirit, you understand me better I think,” Shandy purred, Blackberry’s eyes filling with tears.

“I created life didn’t I,” he choked.

“yes,” Shandy mewed, “but because you couldn’t feel it, you didn’t believe it. you’re more switched on than you think Blackberry.”

“Patch knew before I did,” the bear sniffled, “He could see what I could not.”

“Titan needed to do what he did to make you feel,” Shandy said.

“to make me feel for my creations,” Blackberry whimpered.

“yes,” Shandy purred, climbing onto Blackberry’s bed, which was in reality the birthing hammock and lying down, “I remember giving birth to Raja on this bed,” she purred, “it was hard, but I did it.”

“I remember it too,” Blackberry replied, “it was then I should have started to learn about you, but I didn’t. when Patch first told me, I was so traumatised I was sick. Then I denied and denied until, well, today really.”

“now take my paw in yours,” Shandy mewed, Blackberry taking her paw, feeling its genuine warmth and life.

“I can say you’re beautiful now,” Blackberry said.

“You can,” Shandy mewed, kissing his nose.

“Blackberry,” Raja asked, “what would happen if you mixed a bear with a liger?”

“I’m not doing that!” Blackberry exclaimed, horrified.

“Well it’s said Freckles is a cat bear, and she’s cuuuute!” Raja mewed.

“I’m not, I can’t! I won’t!” Blackberry blustered.

“I was just wondering,” Raja mewed, “for it looked for a second as if mum wanted you to give her cubs.”

“Naoaoaoaoao!” Blackberry screamed, leaping off the bed, Shandy and Raja laughing helplessly.

“I can’t give you cubs Blackberry,” she said, “it’s impossible anyway.” Blackberry, his pads sweating, stared at Shandy.

“She’s beautiful, but, I can’t!” he thought, realising he’d unconsciously made his own fantasy cat.

“I think Blackberry made you as something more than a training aid mum,” Raja giggled.

“I know he did,” Shandy mewed.

“aoaoaoaoah!” Blackberry wailed, the truth now exposed, “how did you find out?” he asked.

“I watched private tapes,” Shandy mewed, “you confessed what I really was to you.”

“but I never have!” Blackberry yowled.

“No, you haven’t,” Shandy mewed, “but I was built as your ultimate fantasy cat, wasn’t I Blackberry.”

“I’m not leaving Sita for you!” he raged.

“Oh no, I’m not saying I’m better than her, far from it,” Shandy mewed, “I was built as an outward expression of the cat you’d most like to have your cubs if a cat could have your cubs.”

“I love mama Sita tooo!” Blackberry yelled, stamping his feet.

“Oh dear, what have you started mum?” Raja asked.

“I’m suggesting nothing, while Blackberry’s admitting everything,” Shandy mewed, flexing the toes of all four paws, Blackberry’s eyes drawn to her pads as they stretched and bunched.

“he loves your paws mum, that’s so cuuuute!” Raja giggled.

“I’m going!” Blackberry whimpered, rushing for the door, only to see mama Sita pad in.

“So you like big cats do you Blackberry?” She asked. Screaming hysterically, Blackberry barged past Sita in his headlong rush for the door.

“I think you do,” mama Sita mewed, the door slamming behind Blackberry.

“but he’s got the perfect answer standing right in front of him hasn’t he?” Shandy asked.

“Not really,” Sita mewed, “I’m bear footed and have sort of well-padded bearlike hands. I’m not a real cat bear, apart from my face, ears and tail. I wasn’t meant to be a cat bear. mama Karina’s more of the truth of our heritage. I’m just a cat with modifications. Poor Blackberry, I sort of know what he’s going through,” Sita mewed, “I too had thoughts of not belonging to any group or knowing what I was. At least the poor chap has an excuse, looking like a bear, having been born of a mama who was really human but had the shape of a bear, then siring mama karina after mating with me, a cat bear. No wonder Blackberry wants to mate with a ligress.”

“I can’t!” Shandy mewed, “I can’t make cubs with anyone! I have to have them inserted into me, not even Titan can change that.”

“I know that, and so does he,” Mama Sita mewed.

Blackberry ran to Patch’s lie up, throwing himself at the startled grey bear.

“I can’t cope anymore!” Blackberry sobbed, “I have feelings for Shandy and for shadow, I love and adore mama Sita and our cub Karina, but, ooaaoah, I made Shandy into more than a training aid!”

“I know, I saw,” Patch replied gently.

“it’s wrong to want Shandy!” Blackberry squealed, “and, she, the pest, she wiggles her toes at me, knowing it would drive me mad too!”

“You can’t have cubs with her,” Patch said, “so why not mate with her if she wants it and so do you? After all, she’s sentient now.”

“But Sita, Mama Sita!” Blackberry squealed.

“mama Sita understands your confusion better than you think,” a voice said behind him. Blackberry turned and flung himself at mama Sita. Clinging to her, he wept into her coat.

“ come on Blackberry,” she said softly, “let’s get some tea and talk about this shall we?”

“I don’t know what to Say, I’m so confused!” Blackberry wept, “I love you, but I want to hug them too!” he howled.

“You think you’re confused,” Sita thought, I’ve been wanting Titan to make love to me since forever, but he can’t. that rips me to bits so much!”

“I won’t mind if you play with Shandy, or even make love to her,” Sita mewed.

“But she’s a computer!” Blackberry squealed, “I’m falling in love with a computer!”

“When did this happen?” Sita asked.

“When, when, when she came in and called me an organic computer,” Blackberry sniffled, “and, now, now, oh, she said she had a headache! Computers can’t have headaches!”

“She drank of Titan’s milk long before that,” Sita mewed.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Blackberry demanded furiously.

“What did Shandy look like to you?” Patch asked.

“She seemed, oh naoaoaoaoao, she seemed even bigger than ever! It’s like Titan! He grew, grew into his spirit when he gave birth to Zalika, and, and, Shandy’s done the sayayayme!” the black bear screeched.

“yes,” Patch said, “that is what’s happened.”

“So, although Shandy’s brain and body’s bionic, I’m falling for her spirit?” Blackberry asked.

“yes,” Patch said, pouring himself a coffee, “that’s what’s happening.”

“Oh dear,” Blackberry panted, “what I wanted is coming true!”

“Does she love you too?” Sita asked.

“yes, I think so, but that’s the worst of it!” Blackberry whimpered, “I can’t love Shandy! I have a mate who has born me a beautiful cub, and I know, deep down, my heart is with you and karina Sita. The day first karina, then Felix was born were amazing days.”

“Raja and Shandy drank of Titan’s milk because they wanted to be closer to him. Shandy’s always loved Titan, and when she asked him if she could drink as the cubs did, he could hardly refuse her. I think he knew what his milk would do to her and her cub. Now Shandy and Raja will be able to be loved properly by the other cubs and adults. They will forget they’re computers.”

“I think little Karina and Sita already have,” Patch said.

“yes,” Sita mewed, “well they have a bit, last I heard, Little Karina was worried her pads didn’t feel like a Felursapien’s should. She embraces being able to help others get used to the births of cubs. She and little Sita drank of Titan’s milk too.”

“this is all too scary!” Blackberry whimpered.

“Just treat them as you would any community member Blackberry,” mama Sita mewed.

“but I built them, I gave birth to them!” Blackberry screeched, “they’re not natural, they’re computers!”

“Maybe if you experienced a birth for each of them Blackberry, you could take their status more in your stride?” Patch asked.

“Naoaoaoaow, I’m nooaoaoaot doing that!” Blackberry screamed.

“experiencing the birth of your own creations might help you get closer to them,” Sita mewed.

“So I have to give birth to a Felursapien, a ligress and a Felursa?” Blackberry asked angrily.

“You can,” Patch said, “you’ll feel it, and then Raja, and one of little karina’s cubs, and little Sita’s will be there to greet you when you have laboured properly. The cubs are really cute, I’ve played with all three of the species, and they’re so sweet, their hands, or paws and feet are soaoao cuuuute! I slept them soon after though.”

“So you can wake the spare cubs to play with them?” Sita asked.

“Yes,” Patch replied.

“Noaoaoaow, you weren’t meant to find out how to dooaoaoao that Payayayaych!” Blackberry screeched.

“I might not be able to programme a computer, but I can find out how to use one,” Patch replied smiling.

“it seems Janet taught the animatronic cubs how to play too,” Sita mewed.

“yes she did,” Patch replied.

Meanwhile, in Mishka’s treehouse, Moses, Ekaterina and Philomena crawled round Mishka’s living space, chasing each other, tickling each other’s toes from time to time, their laughter lightening Mishka’s heart.

“Get paws on with our feet Mishka!” Philomena invited. Mishka crawled to the chasing trio, finding crawling humans and Felursapiens, everyone slowing down so he could rub their heels and toes.

“I love Felursapien and human feet and hands as much as I do a bear’s paws and feet or those of a big cat,” Mishka said, smiling as Philomena’s toes caught the fingers of his left paw.

“We humans and Felursapiens love your touch,” Ekaterina said.

“I love your paws because they have opposable thumbs Mishka, that makes your touch even better,” Philomena said.

“Sita’s do too,” Mishka replied.

“Sita’s paws are the second most precious to the cubs after those of their own mama and sire,” Philomena replied, “though, sometimes,” she added soberly, “if a cub has no mama, and I’m thinking of Blackberry, who didn’t really, her paws can be the first most precious.”

“Blackberry’s now mated with Sita, and I think she’s wonderful to him, silly though he can be,” Anook replied.

“he never really had a cubhood poor fellow,” Mishka said.

“Neither did you,” Anook replied, “you made that one mistake, then, well, shut yourself in here for years.”

“True,” Mishka replied gravely, “Indeed, Blackberry, in his time in the wilderness, helped me with this place. I did what I could to help him in return, which wasn’t much.”

“I’m sure you were gentle to him,” Anook said.

“Oh we chatted for hours after he’d finished whatever he was doing,” Mishka replied, “but, of course, what he said will remain confidential.”

“Not for long I don’t think,” Moses said, looking at the screen, “I think Blackberry’s professing love for Shandy.” Mishka felt his pads grow damp.

“That was one of the things,,,,” he mumbled, when Moses turned up the volume, everyone able to hear what was going on in Patch’s lie up.

“Dam it Sita, I love Shandy, and Shadow too!” Blackberry whimpered, “I love you too dear Sita, but, as I made Shandy and Shadow, and they came to life, I began to love them very deeply. I’ve always wondered how it would be to have a big cat as a mate. I love you Sita, Karina and her cub too, but my fantasy was a big cat. I wondered what it would be like. When Apudo had Nuru, I wondered then if I could ask her, but it was impossible, as she was mated to Theo. Now, now, now it’s out. I’m lost, I’m confused and know I’ve busted everything!”

“If I told you I have wanted Titan to make love to me since forever, would you hold it against me Blackberry?” Sita asked.

“I don’t mind Sita. Shit, Titan’s so lovely, I’d mate with him if his female side wanted it,” Blackberry replied.

“You didn’t carry out those fantasies did you,” Sita mewed.

“No Sita, I didn’t!” Blackberry replied, “I had them confirmed to me violently when Shandy gained spirit, and they burst from my mouth. I wouldn’t ever mate with anyone without your permission. I’m yours Sita, that’s understood. Sometimes though, as you said about Titan, I do wish sometimes I could mate with a big cat female.”

“Shandy couldn’t produce a cub though,” Sita mused.

“I had little Felursa cubs made up for little Sita,” Blackberry replied, “she’d have had one of those.”

“A liger and a Felursa, or Felursapien,” Sita mewed.

“yes, well, depending,” Blackberry replied ashamedly.

“I can imagine midwifing that birth, it would be amazing!” Sita purred.

“No it wouldn’t,” Blackberry growled, “it would mean I’d been unfaithful and broken my vow to you. I would never do that.”

“What about Philomena?” Patch asked.

“I threw him out into the woods,” Sita mewed, leaping to Blackberry’s defence, “Patch, Philomena was conceived during that time. I don’t hold her birth against him.” Patch snapped his mouth shut, then sighed:

“You have a better memory than me Sita.”

“I have to, I have no visual clues,” Sita mewed, “anyway, Philomena is so cute, and when I found out who her sire was, I knew she’d been born of love. Regardless of how careless Blackberry can be, he is a loving and caring bear when all is said and done. Patch, you know this, remember when he defended you against Swarupa? Remember when he threw her into the container of bottle tops?”

“Yes, I remember that,” Patch grunted, “yes, Blackberry, you are a kind and gentle creature, if a little silly sometimes.”

“I’m sure Blackberry hardly knows what species he is sometimes,” Sita mewed, hugging the shaking black bear.

“I never thought of it that way,” Patch replied, “What species is Blackberry? he has human hands, but large bear like feet. would he rather have naked human hands and feet like karina and Felix? Noone asked. The soles of your feet are flat like a bear’s, but your toes Blackberry are set out like a human’s, large toes on the inside and small toes on the outside too. that’s rather cute, but noone comments as it’s just how you’ve always been.”

“it is rather cute,” Sita replied.

“I don’t know what I am, I’m full of contradictions!” Blackberry wailed.

“I’m sure of one thing though,” Sita mewed.

“I’m glad someone is, because I’m not sure I am any more,” Blackberry wailed.

“I love you however you are Blackberry,” Sita replied, Hugging him as tightly as she could.

“’ello you lot, oops, ‘as I wandered in on something?” Zalika mewed, standing by the door.

“You have,” Patch replied, “Zalika, get out!” Zalika padded away, Raja kissing her nose as she turned to leave.

“Can I cuddle your paws?” Raja asked.

“yeah, I’s wanting that a good bit at the moment,” the liliger mewed. Raja padded out of the room, Zalika following him as if drawn by a magnet. Padding to Raja and Shandy’s lie up, he lay down, Zalika lying beside him, her paws soon warmed in the grip of his.

“You have lovely paws Zalika, gorgeous paws with the most springy pads and cute toes,” Raja mewed.

“I’s glad you likes them Waja,” Zalika mewed, kissing his nose, the liger cub smiling broadly.

“I watched your birth,” Raja said, “Zalika, Titan was wonderful!”

“I’s watched it too,” Zalika mewed, “’is face, feet and paws awe weally expwessive ain’t they. I’ve twied following what ‘e does, but I doesn’t think I cuwls my toes tightly enough.”

“please would you try curling your toes now?” Raja suggested, Zalika curling the toes of all four of her large fat paws, closing her eyes and clenching her teeth in concentration.

“riaoaoaoaoaow!” Zalika complained as she struggled to curl her toes as tightly as she remembered Titan curling his.

“Can I get paws on with your paws and feet?” Raja asked.

“yes, yeyeyeyeyes, get paaaaws oaoaoaoan with my paaaaws, touch my toooes and payayayds!” Ruuuuuumf! Riaiaiaiaiaow! I wayayayan’a tiyiyiyightly cuuuuuuwl my toooooes!” Zalika replied in a strangled miaow of effort while rolling about on the floor, kicking and squirming in her efforts, Raja’s eyes wide with surprise at the level of her efforts.

“I didn’t mean you to go this far,” he said.

“but I wayayayant tooo!” Zalika whimpered, Raja holding her paws, feeling her tightly curled toes and effort dampened pads.

“you’re sweet for going to such great efforts for me, but Zalika, you really don’t have to,” Raja mewed.

“What’s going on in here?” Titan’s voice asked. Zalika looked up from where, moments before, she’d been curled into a tight ball in an effort to tightly curl her toes.

“’ow’ long’s you been ‘ere?” She asked, “Titan, you’s a bloody pest you is, padding about on them ‘uge paws of youws and making no sound! You’s watching us, and we’s got no idea of it!” the liliger yowled, while Titan shook with silent mirth.

“I’ve been watching you from the time you came in here,” the liger said, “Zalika, you is so cute, and so are you Waja.”

“You’s a bloody pest Titan,” Zalika mewed, getting to her feet, “but I supposes you’s checking on me, which I can’t blames you fow, considering what Waja and I was talking about.”

“I struggled so hard to give birth to you Zalika, I worry about you a lot you know,” Titan mewed.

“yeah, and I supposes I’s still a cub too, when I’s weally thinking about it I means,” Zalika mewed, “I’s still liking milk a good bit, despite all my woaming about the woods and the twee’ouse and all,” the liliger admitted. Titan padded to Zalika then kissed her nose, the liliger cub’s eyes melting from firey anger to gentility.

“I love you so much,” Titan mewed, “would you hold it against me if I watched you play whenever I could?” Zalika smiled:

“Did you see my face and my feet?” she asked, “I was weally twying to cuwl my toes so tightly!”

“I could see, and my toes curled with yours,” Titan mewed, Zalika grinning hugely.

“did they weally?” she asked, “did you weally cuwl youw toes Titan?”

“I did, and my toes cuwled weally tightly too,” Titan mewed softly, “want me to show you?” He rolled onto his side, giving Zalika his huge left paw, then curling the toes of that paw, Zalika touching the bunched pads and tightly curled toes of his left paw, then the curled toes and bunched pads of the liger’s other three huge paws, Zalika and Raja laughing as Titan wriggled, mewed, chuffed and purred with pleasure while rolling wherever they pushed him, onto his side, his back and chest, the two cubs scrambling over his body from his head to his feet, stroking, embracing and kissing him.

“This is what Titan weally enjoys,” Zalika said, kissing the pads of the liger’s left foot while Raja kissed Titan’s nose, the liger purring so deeply his whole body vibrated.

“I’ll find Jespah and Sasha,” Raja said, scampering off.

“This is lovely,” Titan purred deeply.

“We loves you very much,” Zalika mewed.

“I think I’m going back to Mishka’s treehouse for a bit,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet. Smiling, he trotted from the room, Zalika rushing to keep up with him, Raja joining her.

“Why’s you going so quick Titan?” Zalika asked, panting as she struggled to keep up.

“Oh, I just wanted to give my legs a good workout,” Titan mewed. Raja grinned:

“you will probably say “I twotted down the twack to the twee’ouse fow no weason what so evah!” Zalika dear,” Raja said.

“You’s a weal pest Titan! I’s all wown out now too, and that ain’t a twot either, I’s neawly wunning! and Waja, shut up youwself!” Zalika protested, Raja grinning hugely.

“I’s sowwy, wants to wide on my back fow a bit?” Titan asked, skidding to a stop and sitting down.

“if you wasn’t my pawent Titan, I’d cuff you so bloody ‘ard,” Zalika growled, scrambling onto Titan’s back, the liger standing up.

“Now let’s go,” Titan mewed.

“It’s only a couple of steps to the twee’ouse now!” Zalika mewed, Titan gripping the rope in his teeth and tugging hard to ring the bell, “I’s wun the ‘ole bloody way, my poow paaaaws!” Zalika miaowed, cuffing Titan’s shoulder with her fat padded left paw.

“Oh dear, poow you with your “paaaaws” all wown out,” Titan mewed, Zalika huffing at him.

“You’s no good Tiyiyytan! No sympathy fwom you I sees!” she complained. Titan reacted to his cub’s fury by sitting down abruptly so Zalika slid off his back with a protesting miaow, scrabbling at his fur with her paws and feet, fur which had suddenly become as slippery as ice.

“my paaaaws and feeyeeet awe all slippuwy! Oh meoaiaiaiaiaiaow!” Zalika complained in a rising yowl, grunting as she landed with a thud on the forest floor.

“now you will walk,” Titan mewed, turning to Zalika and nudging her to her feet, while Raja leant against the side of the lift shaft, his whole body shaking with suppressed laughter.

“You’s laughing at meyeee Waja, you big sod! I doesn’t like that!” Zalika yowled, stamping her feet and lashing the air with her tail.

“I love it when you get angwy Zalika,” Titan mewed.

“Angwy?” Zalika replied, her fur now standing on end, “I’s fuwious with Waja I is Titan, and with you for making youw fuw all slippuwy too! My feeyeeet and paaaaws slid down youw back! Even cuwling my toes into youw fuw didn’t work!” the liliger raged, stamping her feet and lashing the air with her tail more violently than ever.

“Dear Zalika, calm down my cub,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose, Zalika panting hard.

“I’s fuwious!” she whimpered, “”I’s all ‘ot and sweating now, my poow payayayayads!”

“Well I’ll wash them,” Titan mewed, kissing the top of her head, “would you like me to wash your pads?” he asked.

“yeah, I’d love it,” she replied. the lift arrived and the two cubs entered.

“I’m too heavy to get in that,” Titan mewed, “I’ll meet you at the top of the ramp.” Zalika waved her paw, Titan padding away up the ramp. Reaching the top, he met his cub and her friend, Zalika climbing up onto his back like he was a tree. Turning, Titan entered the main house through a door, Zalika leaping off his back.

“These floorboards creak like those in an old house!” Titan mewed.

“that’s deliberate, it’s called a Nightingale floor,” Mishka replied, I can hear when someone’s moving about you see. There’s no hiding from me Titan.” Zalika smiled at this.

“Titan’s always silently padding about, ‘e needs squeaky paws!” Zalika mewed.

“the sound offends my feline sensibilities!” Titan yowled, Mishka laughing merrily.

“You’s in Mishka’s world now, you ‘as to respect ‘is needs,” Zalika mewed, “’e’s mostly in youws Titan, wemember that,” Zalika mewed. Titan took a deep breath, for Zalika’s words had knocked the wind out of him.

“Don’t talk like that,” he said.

“Makes you think don’t it?” Zalika mewed.

“yes,” Titan mewed, walking over to the rug and lying down, the floorboards squealing under his paws.

“Is there anywhere where this floor isn’t?” Titan whimpered.

“”no,” Mishka replied, “well yes, under my bed, and in the spare bedroom, and in the rooms upstairs, that’s it.”

“It would drive me mad!” Titan mewed.

“You’d have cctv all over the place wouldn’t you?” Mishka asked.

“Yes, but,,,,” Titan began, when Zalika chipped in:

“squeaky floowboawds is ‘Mishka’s way of CCTV, but with ‘is ears as the camewa Titan.”

“it’s horrendous!” Titan miaowed, closing his eyes and shaking his head as if the sound was reverberating around it, even though everything was quiet. Opening his eyes, he found he could see nothing. Screeching, he rubbed his eyes, but his sight didn’t clear.

“’ello Titan,” Zalika purred, the liger reacting to her voice by shrieking with fright and leaping into the air. Titan summersaulted once, in which everyone who could, got to see the pads of all four of his huge paws, landing heavily, the floor protesting with a shrieking crash. Spinning round in circles, his eyes wide and pads sweating, Titan tried to get his bearings. Yowling with terror as he realised he was lost, Titan threw himself onto the floor, closed his eyes and furiously rubbed them with his paws. Panting, the liger opened his eyes to see Zalika standing before him.

“Are you projecting an image of yourself into my mind? Or are my eyes working?” he asked.

“Youw eyes awe working,” Zalika mewed, “but, I think you now knows why Mishka ‘as that floow.” Titan whimpered pitifully:

“I do, I do, oh how stupid I’ve been!” the liger yowled.

“how did u manage to frighten Titan so much Zalika?” Mishka asked.

“I got off ‘is back and was standing beside ‘im when I spoke, ‘e just spwung into the aiw!” the liliger cub giggled.

“Titan leapt at least two feet into the air Mishka, it was really fuuuunny!” Raja giggled.

“It wasn’t fuuuunny! Stoaoaoaoap laughing, just stop iyiyiyiyiyt!” Titan miaowed, sounding like a cub.

“Can someone give that liger cub a bottle of milk to soothe him?” Mishka asked, Moses and Ekaterina laughing helplessly as Anook ran to the kitchen and returned with a cub’s feeding bottle.

“he’ll need more than that! Go find another one,” Philomena said. Titan rolled onto his back and snatched the bottle from Anook, stuffed the rubber teat into his mouth and drank urgently.

“one thirsty kitty,” Zalika mewed.

“I’m badly scared!” Titan whimpered once he’d finished the first bottle of milk. Anook passed him a second bottle, and the huge liger sank that one out of sight too.

“Now, now I’m better,” Titan mewed, wiping his whiskers with his paw, “Zalika, don’t ever, ever do that agayayayayin!” he yowled.

“You’s weally silly Titan,” Zalika mewed, “I’s a cub I is, and even I knows why Mishka ‘as to ‘ave the floow ‘e ‘as ‘ere.”

“I never, ever want to go back into that dark place again!” Titan miaowed.

“and you’s not going to, if you’s caweful,” Zalika mewed, “I ‘ad to show you why Mishka ‘as the noisy floow though.”

“I know now, I understand now,” Titan grumbled.

The floor creaked as Mishka bounced with pleasure as Moses rubbed the sole of his left foot, Titan looking round to see the bear curling his toes and bouncing like a cub.

“That’s so cuuuute!” Titan mewed.

“I can’t help squirming and bouncing,” Mishka replied, curling his toes as tightly as they’d go, catching Ekaterina’s fingers in the grip of the toes of his right foot, while Moses rubbed the sole pad of his left.

“We know that feeling very well,” Ekaterina said, rubbing the sole of Mishka’s right foot with the fingers of her free right hand, Mishka’s toes curling even tighter with the pleasure of her touch.

“Just so you know,” Zalika mewed, looking at the upturned naked soles of Moses and Ekaterina’s feet as they knelt before Mishka, “Moses and Ekatewina awe cuwling theiw toes with pleasure too Mishka. Mishka grinned hugely at this news.

“I like that,” he said, “the pleasure goes both ways.”

“yes, fwom time to time, Moses and Ekatewina’s toes cuwl weally tightly, it’s wather cuuuute,” Zalika mewed.

“they’re wriggling their bums on their heels a bit too Zalika,” Titan observed, Zalika giggling delightedly:

“yes them is too Titan, that’s vewy cute also.”

“I must say, human, Felursapien and bear feet are very cute,” Titan mewed.

“We like liger paws and feet too,” Philomena said.

“’ow about my paws, awe liliger paws and feet not good enough then?” Zalika asked.

“All big cat paws and feet awe lovely,” Moses said.

“well, look at this,” Ekaterina said, “Mishka’s feet have the big toes on the inside, just as Blackberry’s do.”

“Mishka and Blackberry are Ursapians Ekaterina. Both either mothered or sired by a human in the shape of a bear. ancient Sire Koda for Mishka, and Jess with Blackberry. it’s not surprising they both have thumbs and their feet are the way they are.”

“I wondered why Mishka’s feet reminded me of my own,” Philomena said, “I know now, but I dared not ask you Mishka.”

“Ask away, I’m not ashamed of my heritage,” he said, “I just wish I could feel what I would look like crawling.”

“Sire Koda has also got paws and feet like Mishka’s, smaller than his though they are,” Ekaterina said.

“Indeed he has,” Mishka replied, “but I can’t ask him to play silly with me. He won’t.”

“I bet he would if you asked,” Moses said.

“My feet are like a humans, at least the arrangement of my toes is,” Mishka replied, “I have flat pads like a bear though, with no arch. I can easily grab my feet with my paws, as it happens, my feet fit well into my paws.”

“show us Mishka,” Zalika mewed. Mishka leant forward and grabbed his left foot in his paws, grabbing the curled toes of his left foot with the fingers of his left paw, grabbing the inside of the sole pad of that same foot with his right.

“Now you can have a tug of war to uncurl your own toes Mishka,” Titan giggled.

“Why not?” Mishka asked.

“why not make it a good one? A weal stwuggle with much tugging, squiwming and bouncing,” Zalika suggested.

“I will try,” Mishka replied, “with this squeaky floor, it should be more expressive than usual.”

“So you have to scrabble at the ball of your foot with your fingers to get your fingers caught by your toes, then tug your toes straight?” Ekaterina asked.

“I will try something like that,” Mishka replied.

“I wish Zalika had asked that,” Raja mewed, Zalika slapping his paw with hers.

“if you love me, you’s stopping that wight now,” she mewed, Raja kissing her nose to soothe her.

“I love how you speak,” he said, “Zalika, I know you could be trained to speak differently, but don’t. I may be animatronic, I may be a computer, but I know this, I love you the way you are. The history speaks of your birth, a triumphant time of hope and love for you and your guide and parent. Titan wanted you so much, wanted you even before you were part of him. He loves you so much that he can’t get enough of watching you play. He doesn’t mean his watching to feel like spying on you dear Zalika.”

“I knows that,” Zalika mewed, “that last time, when I was cuwling my toes as tightly as I could because you asked me to and I wanted to, I got a bit into it, cuwling up into a ball with the force of my wish to do a good job, and ‘e saw me then. I was embawwassed to be found cuwled into a ball like a silly cub Waja, but I don’t wegwet what I did there.”

“You are a cub,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet, “Zalika, you are a beautiful cub. your play is beautiful too.”

“I knows I’s a bit intense with it sometimes,” Zalika mewed, “I doesn’t mean to be, it’s just that the touch of the paws of othuhs makes me let go so much!” she whimpered.

“You feel their need to play, the need to get in total touch,” Titan mewed, “just look at how you connected with Jespah. He needs you, Anbessa needs you, even Apudo needs you Zalika.”

“does you weally thinks so?” the liliger cub asked.

“yes,” Titan purred.

“your paaaaws are Soaoaoaoao cuuuute Titan!” Anook gushed.

“hmmm?” Titan asked, lifting his huge left paw and showing her the pads, “want this?” he asked, Anook padding to him and taking his paw in hers.

“Oaoaoaoah your paaaw’s all soft and warm and huggable!” Anook gushed.

“yes, and they are yours to cuddle and massage dear Anook,” Titan purred, kissing her nose.

“Is it all right to ask you if I can cuddle your paws then?” Anook asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed, “Anook, if you can extend the gentility you had in your old life to others in your new life I’d appreciate it.”

“I did once, the history speaks of this,” Anook replied, “I’ll carry on being gentle in my new life now.”

“I remember reading of your first meeting with jess on the track where you took her shoes off her feet, then removed her socks, but you knew no English, so you had to demonstrate what you wanted her to do. I think jess ended up tickling your foot didn’t she Anook?”

“yes, but I had bigger feet then,” Anook replied, smiling at the memory.

“I think Jess was trying to show you she knew what you wanted of her, and her touch was just a little on the ticklish side of gentle,” Mishka said.

“Indeed it was,” Anook replied smiling.

“Talking of tickling pads,” Moses said, “Mishka’s pads are as soft as mine or Ekaterina’s. They’re almost human softness.”

“I do have that problem,” Mishka replied, “it’s great for playing with cubs to have my pads as soft as they are, but outside, I find walking very painful sometimes.”

“I think they’re rather cute,” Ekaterina said.

“I do make sure they’re in good condition, but sometimes how soft my pads are is a problem,” Mishka replied.

“you could use the socks me and Ekaterina use,” Moses said, “they slip over your feet and you can feel everything beneath your pads still.”

“I haven’t tried those,” Mishka replied, “I’ll give them a go.” Moses called Sire Koda, asking him to come to the treehouse with some socks for Mishka, and also if he wouldn’t mind Mishka getting paws on with his feet while he crawled. Sire Koda, smiling at the thought of his brother getting paws on with him, agreed.

“All fixed,” Moses said, putting the phone down, “You heard what I asked of sire Koda too Mishka?”

“I did, and what was his reply?” he asked.

“he would be delighted to let you get paws on with his paws and feet,” Moses said.

“And the rest of him too,” Koda said, the lift from the monorail announcing his arrival with a ping and a whoosh of doors. Koda padded over the squeaking floor to Mishka, touching the huge brown bear’s paw with his.

“hello Mishka,” Koda said, kissing the bear’s nose.

“hello brother,” Mishka replied, getting to his feet and hugging the smaller black bear, Sire Koda’s surprised expression at Mishka’s bulk not unnoticed by Titan or the others.

“Koda looks half-grown when set beside Mishka,” Anook whispered to Titan, the huge liger smiling broadly.

“Mishka is large and very cuddly,” the liger mewed.

“Would you like to rub my paws and feet Mishka?” Koda asked.

“I’d love it, if you wouldn’t mind it,” Mishka replied smiling.

“I would love it so much,” Koda said, Mishka hugging him.

“Can I wash you brother?” Mishka asked. Koda felt a rush of tears pricking his eyes, the origin of which he couldn’t pin down.

“yes, please, I’d love that,” the smaller black bear replied. Mishka padded with Koda to the bathroom, where he first showered Koda, and then himself in clean water, then led him to the tub where both climbed in, Mishka having set the tub to fill with water that was hot enough to stimulate and give comfort, but not uncomfortably so. Koda felt Mishka’s paws working on his body, the younger bear’s touch gentle and undemanding.

“You’ve turned off the hugs, I want them back!” Koda whimpered, “Mishka, you’re not working now, love me dam it!” the bear pleaded. Mishka smiled and hugged his brother.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I’m so used to being neutral in the tub, I sometimes forget.” Mishka rubbed Koda’s ears, washed his face, chest, arms, paws, legs, back and feet. he then handed Koda a flannel.

“if you would wash the parts of you I didn’t,” he said. Koda then realised what Mishka did for a living.

“You, you wash woodlanders!” he exclaimed.

“I do,” Mishka replied smiling, “It’s a tenner a wash, and they come back for more, foxes, badgers, some of the tigers and lions from our own community too.”

“Mishka, I give you permission to wash the whole of me, from my nose to my toes as if we were in our den at home,” Koda said, Mishka washing Koda’s bottom and genitals with gentle care.

“I have all sorts of sticks and things to allow dogs and badgers and other creatures to wash themselves,” Mishka said, “but, well, they’re asking me to do it more and more too.”

“You are so gentle and considerate they feel safe with you,” Koda said.

“I feel honoured that they do,” Mishka replied. Mishka washed Koda’s feet twice over before the smaller black bear’s need for touch was sated, Mishka smiling at Koda’s cubbish insistence on more washing, then rinsing, then massage of his toes and the soles of his feet from ball to heel pad. the wash completed, Mishka led Koda to the shower, where Koda got down on his paws and knees, Mishka playing the water all over his body, Koda laughing delightedly when Mishka played a jet over the soles of his feet.

“Tickle my toooes! Tickle my toooes!” Koda begged. Mishka aimed the jet at an angle so it struck Koda’s heel pads, ran down his soles, tickling him, then bounced off his toes, the black bear wriggling and giggling with pleasure.

“What on earth’s going on in here?” Petra asked, padding into the room.

“Mishka’s tiyiyiyckling my toooes!” Koda squealed gleefully, Petra smiling at the expression on Koda’s face.

“you do look cubbish,” she thought.

“You’re evidently enjoying his ministrations,” the lioness said, “I too know Mishka’s touch, he washes me every day and even combs my fur too.”

“I know what you do for him Petra,” Sire Koda said, “I applaud you for that.”

“I want to do it Koda, I do it because I wish to,” Petra mewed. Koda closed his eyes with bliss as Mishka rubbed the soles of his feet.

“Koda, you have slight arching on your feet, did you know that?” Mishka asked. Koda leant on his right paw and pushed his left foot against Mishka’s paw:

“I thought I had, but, but, I’m glad to hear it,” he gasped, pushing his foot hard against the touch of Mishka’s paw, his toes curling with effort.

“I’ll dry these pads before they get too wrinkled from the water,” Mishka said.

“Naoaoaoaow, I wayayayayant you to rub them some more with the water!” Koda yelled, Mishka laughing merrily:

“Rub them some more with the water?” He asked.

“and your paaaw’s too! Well both!” Koda replied, Petra giggling delightedly.

“This is meant to be a private time, please Petra?” Mishka said gently, Petra padding away.

“Look, I’m sorry Mishka,” Koda said softly, “that wasn’t very edifying, I’m sorry. I’m content with what you’ve done for me already.”

“I love it,” Mishka replied, his eyes shining, “You said what I felt you wanted.”

“yes, but it came out like a demand, I’m not a cub now!” Koda whimpered, “It was unfair of me Mishka.”

“I’m honoured,” Mishka replied, “I could carry on longer if you’d like, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy too. it works both ways.”

“So it’s a circle of pleasure,” Koda replied, “what if I didn’t want your touch, what then?”

“I’d feel that too,” Mishka replied, “I’ve seldom had someone refuse my touch though. It never gets to the washing stage if they do, I take their paw, if they’ll let me, I can tell then.”

“I can’t imagine anyone refusing your touch,” Koda said.

“some do, some think my lack of eye contact terrifying, so they don’t come near,” Mishka replied, “others, others dared not show their eyes to others, in case it shows their inner feelings. When I tell them their inner feelings are available to me through the touch of their pads on mine, they don’t seem to mind that so much.”

“I’ll go back to the main part of the house now,” Koda said, Mishka kissing his nose and leading him to a drying room, Koda soon laughing helplessly as Mishka dried him with warm air.

“You’re tiyiyiyckling my toooes!!” he squealed, Mishka apologising profusely.

“Oh no problem, I’m just squealing for the joy of it,” Koda replied.

“Come on you big cub, let’s go back to the others,” Mishka said, Koda getting to his feet and hugging Mishka.

“I can be a big cub with you,” Koda said, “you don’t mind it.”

“Isn’t Puwdy one for play?” Mishka asked.

“she will, but she’s twying to be all gwown up fow little Koda,” Sire Koda replied, Mishka giggling helplessly at his brother’s mimicry of the she bear’s speech.

“Would you rub my feet one more time?” Koda asked.

“I will,” Mishka replied, “would you like me to do it while you’re sitting?”

“I’ll kneel so I can’t see your paws,” Koda said. Kneeling, Mishka waited for Koda’s feet to touch his. Once he felt Koda’s feet pressing his paws, Mishka rubbed his fingers down the older bear’s feet from his thick heel pads to his large toes, Koda wriggling and curling his toes with pleasure.

“You have no claws on your feet Koda,” Mishka said, “you have toenails like a human does. Claws on your paws, toenails on your feet, we both have that,” the brown bear purred.

“I never noticed,” Koda replied, “I suppose it’s because we have so much diversity here, it’s not unusual to see mixes like that.”

“Big toes on the inside of your feet, nails on your toes rather than claws, you can tell ancient sire Koda was human rearranged into the shape of a bear.”

“He was,” Sire Koda replied, “so was Jess, and Blackberry’s feet are like mine, as are little Titania’s and Targon’s too.”

“I know who’d love to play,” Mishka said.

“I know you would, but I cayayayan’t, I’m a sire now!” Koda whimpered.

“You can,” Mishka said, kissing Koda’s left heel pad, the black bear whimpering and squirming with pleasure and frustration.

“All this grown up stuff is so frustrating sometimes!” Koda whimpered, “I just want to play at giving birth to cubs and crawl round the room and have my toes tickled from time to time!” he raged, banging the floor with his paws.

“it’s okay to do that from time to time,” Mishka said, kissing the bunched pads of Koda’s left foot while rubbing the curled toes of that foot with his fingers, Koda wriggling, then sitting hard back on his heels, bouncing with pleasure.

“You big cub!” Mishka giggled, Koda smiling broadly and wriggling harder, Mishka paws on with Koda’s feet from heels to toes while the smaller bear wriggled and bounced.

“You feel like you’re about to give birth to a cub,” Mishka giggled.

“I felt the pains of labour once,” Koda said, “it was wonderful Mishka.”

“Mum won’t talk about my birth,” Mishka said, “she blames herself for my blindness I think Koda, and she really shouldn’t.”

“I think she’s tried to block it out Mishka. You nearly died you know.”

“I remember all that,” Mishka replied, “from the emergence into the world, to the talk around me, to the spell in the cold place. I might have been in shock, but my ears still worked. I remember everything. I heard mama Kamchatka straining and felt her struggles to give birth to me too. I then felt mama Ekaterina’s paws pulling me into the world while mama Kamchatka screamed and writhed as Ekaterina pulled, as poor mama could only push from time to time. Mama’s screams of effort and pain still echo round my head now.”

“Poor mama Kamchatka,” Koda said, thinking of his own birth by the fireside in the family lie up, an altogether calmer event.

“Poor you and mama,” Koda said with genuine feeling.

“Let’s go back to the main room now,” Mishka said.

“would you rub my feet once more from heels to my toes?” Koda asked, “I’ll relax my toes, I want to wriggle and squirm and tightly curl my toes with pleasure again Mishka.”

“it’ll be a pleasure, you have really soft pads,” Mishka replied, kissing Koda’s nose.

“I love your touch so muuuch!” Koda whimpered as Mishka rubbed the heel pad of his left foot with his paw, then ran it down the sole of his foot to the ball, Koda sitting back hard and squirming, his toes curling extremely tightly.

“I wayayayan’a cuuuurl my toooes, muuuuust tightly cuuuurl my toooes!” Koda whimpered, Mishka rubbing the soles of Koda’s feet, the black bear rolling onto his back and pushing his feet against his brother’s paws.

“I can reaeaeally cuuuurl my toooes nayaoaoaoaow!” Koda whimpered, pushing hard with both feet, Mishka pressing back hard to keep Koda’s legs slightly bent, the black bear wriggling while bracing both feet, Mishka sitting down in a lull in his brother’s efforts to start rubbing the pads of Koda’s left foot, the black bear pointing his toes to push them into Mishka’s grip.

“I love your touch Mishka,” Koda groaned with pleasure, curling his toes, relaxing and curling them tighter still.

“I love rubbing your feet, I rub the feet of others too, and they come to me repeatedly just for that,” Mishka replied.

“I’m not surprised they do,” Koda replied, wriggling with pleasure, “I love your touch!” he gushed.

“”You have gorgeous pads too Mishka, gorgeous brown pads surrounded by long brown fur, though your soles are naked”

“I suppose they are only surrounded if you look straight on at them,” Mishka replied, “well, he added, I imagine this to be the case, as I can only feel fur around my foot, which is sort of around the sides of it.”

“yes, indeed that’s the case Mishka,” Koda said, “the humans, plus Karina, Philomena and Felix have naked feet, no hair on their soles or the tops of their feet or hands.”

“I think older humans have hair on the tops of their feet and hands, but not on the palms or soles, but younger humans don’t,” Mishka replied, “as for Felursapiens, maybe they have hands and feet that are as naked of hair as Tiggs or furball are all over, even into adulthood.”

“mama Karina seems adult, but really she’s barely into her third year,” Koda said, “I suppose that’s because she had so much happen to her in her first year and a half, her body taking her down the feline route of giving birth just after her first birthday. Cats are funny things, Felursapiens even more so.”

“I love them though,” Mishka said, “the day I met Mama Karina, I’ll never forget that. She’s so sweet, and super cute too.”

“she is, Felix and Philomena are too,” Koda replied.

“What I find really cute is the way they feel like they’re wearing huge fur suits with just their hands and feet poking out, that’s really cuuuute too,” Mishka replied laughing, “it feels as if they could take their fur off and be naked Felursapiens.”

“I’m not sure I could do that,” mama Karina said, padding into the room, “I have wondered how it would be to be completely furless though. I know It’s a cubbish question, even so, I’ve asked it more than once.”

“Go and wash Karina,” Mishka said, “if you want to be furless, you can be it here.”

“Really?” mama Karina asked, “Mishka, you’re joking!”

“No, go and wash,” Mishka replied. mama Karina padded away to the bathtub and Koda turned to Mishka.

“You’re having her on, right?” He asked, looking into his brother’s eyes, “no, you’re not,” he concluded. Mama Karina washed, then, feeling her fur loosen from her skin around her head and body, she washed her head, feeling the fur loosen there too. giggling cubbishly, she felt the joins around her waist and her neck. Smiling, she pulled the fur off her head as if removing a rather large head covering, and it came off, leaving her head naked from ears to neck. Smiling, she unzipped her jacket and removed it, then, laughing delightedly, put the jacket on the side of the pool and stripped off her trousers, leaving them in a heap around her tail, which she’d forgotten about until then, tugging at the trousers for a minute she realised she was unable to free her tail at that time. Undaunted, Karina explored her bodily sensations, smiling at what she felt. Now completely furless from her nose to her toes, with the trousers around her tail root, Karina washed completely from her nose to her toes, letting the water run away so the tub was empty. Karina then drew up her legs and bent her tail round so she could grab the bunched furry trousers in her hands, tugging and wriggling as she fought to pull her tail free. yowling:

“Uauauauauw! Ayayayayayayaow!” with efforts, Karina pedalled her legs and wriggled, curling her toes with effort, her knees drawn up to her chest.

“Will someone please come and help me free my tail?” she called, Koda padding into the room to see Mama Karina in her furless state, her pink brown skin shining under the lights.

“Mishka, you weren’t wrong!” Koda yelled, padding up to mama Karina and touching her shoulder, feeling the skin as smooth as the sole of Moses foot.

“If I get out of the tub and you stand in it and I pull, my tail will come free too,” Karina mewed.

“How will you put your fur back on?” Koda asked.

“Mishka will find a way,” Karina mewed, “it was tough getting it off, I had to tug quite a bit, but, it was nice.” Karina got out of the tub, Koda taking a good hold of the trousers around her tail, Mishka touching Karina, rubbing her back and ears, Karina smiling and nuzzling his paws.

“I’m ready to pull if you’ll get paws on,” she said, Koda watching as she braced her feet and hands.

“Now pull Karina!” Koda said, Karina going from squatting on her haunches to leaning forward on her hands, then, lifting her heels and bracing her legs, her muscles tensing, Karina pushed hard with the toes of both feet, desperately bracing her toes. Mishka, paws on, felt Karina’s muscles exerting themselves as the Felursapien struggled to free herself, pulling hard to free her tail, her naked tail coming free of the trousers with a hissing sound, Karina miaowing and wriggling with frustration.

“I’m puuuuulling! But, my tayayayayil’s nooaoaoaot coming ouuouout fast enough!” Karina yelled, stopping to wriggle and stamp her feet, something Koda found very alluring indeed. Flexing her tail, an action which nearly lifted Koda off his feet, Karina wriggled, yelling:

“the trousers are coming off my tayayayayil toooe slowly! Muuuch Too slowly!” Karina panted hard, drawing her legs beneath her and bracing her toes, then she groaned as she began pushing harder than ever with both feet, the muscles in her haunches rippling as she made her biggest efforts yet. Karina’s bottom, legs and the soles of her feet were visible to Koda at first, her heel pads and straining skin on the soles of her feet to the balls and toes which were braced hard against the floor visible to the bear. This was until Mishka got paws on with the straining sole and braced toes of Karina’s right foot, obscuring the view of it, but Koda still could see what he wanted. In a rising yowl, Karina yelled:

“I wayayayayant my Tayayayayil free nayaoaoaoaow!” no sooner had Karina said this, her tail suddenly freed itself, pitching her into a tumble head over heels with a squeal of surprise..

“That was so fuuuunny!” Koda laughed, clapping his paws. Karina lay on her back, pedalling the air with her feet and panting hard.

“That was a struggle, but, I enjoyed it,” she admitted. Koda looked at Karina for the first time, his eyes wide with surprise and admiration.

“Did you get paws on enough Mishka?” Karina asked.

“I got the idea of what you were doing,” Mishka replied, “would you like me to replace your fur so you can do it all over again?” Karina giggled helplessly at this.

“You don’t miss a thing do you,” she said, “I loved undressing from my fur. It felt liberating, and I wanted so much to get my tail free too. I only wish you’d got paws on when I was trying to free my tail when in the tub. I was on my back with my feet in the air, wriggling, pedalling the air, curling my toes and everything.”

“You could get back into your trousers and jacket karina,” Mishka said, “they are ready for you to wear, all you need to do to regrow your fur is to roll in the sand, it will return you to your natural form, as you are in contact with the ground.” Karina laughed merrily at this.

“So I have a sand bath to regain my fur?” she asked.

“Yes, rub sand all over your body from your ears to your feet and hands and your tail,” Mishka replied.

“Adsila can’t do what you can though,” Titan mewed, padding into the room, “stripping of her fur was permanent. I think, as she is a bear.”

“yes it was,” Mishka replied, “Karina can strip her fur off because she is born of Blackberry, who was born of Jess. Anyone in her line of birth will be able to do this. Even Philomena can, as she was born of Blackberry, who was born to jess, whom Patch turned into a bear. If the links go back to someone human, whom was turned into a bear, no matter how far back, it’s all possible.”

“Even Blackberry could shed his fur and regrow it?” Karina asked.

“Yes,” Titan mewed, admiring Karina from her nose to her tail, karina rolling onto her back to show off her belly, hands and feet, smiling as she saw Titan’s toes curling into the tiles, his eyes shining with admiration for her.

“What makes this possible Mishka?” Titan asked.

“if Karina was born in a warm place, she would be as naked as a human is,” Mishka said, “the washing makes her so. Oh, and Karina, if you want to free your tail, use the shower head to direct a jet of water down into the sheath around your tail. the water got into your headpiece through the naked skin on your ears,”

“under the skin where the fur joined my hands and feet too,” Karina replied, “I felt it Mishka, it was lovely!” she enthused.

“So Felursapiens or Ursapians become as naked as humans if they wash in water?” Titan asked.

“No,” Mishka replied, “well, yes, if they want to they can. Blackberry could lose his fur if he wanted, Sita couldn’t, as she has no human heritage. It’s rather sweet I think.”

“could you do the same Mishka?” Koda asked.

“Yes, and you could too Koda,” Mishka replied, “I would need to show you how to wash, you need to rub the water well into the pads of your paws and feet, where the fur and naked pad meet. You’d pull off a sock then, your feet becoming as naked on top as their soles are.”

“I’d then rub myself down and feel the seams of the boots and trousers and my headpiece?” Koda asked.

“yes, wrists, ankles, round your waste, down from your chest to your navel, and around your neck,” Mishka replied.

“Mishka,” Karina said, “if I get my tail caught again, would you get more paws on than you did?” Mishka felt his paw taken in Karina’s hands, “please, get paws on, properly paws on,” she pleaded.

“you want me to stop you freeing yourself until I’ve got a good tactile view?” he asked.

“yes,” Karina mewed. Mishka got paws on with Karina, exploring her from her nose to the toes of both feet, then to the end of her tail, Karina lying back, drawing up her legs and grabbing her feet with both hands in a fierce embrace, her toes curling tightly as she wriggled and whimpered while Mishka got paws on with her tail.

“Am I hurting you?” the bear asked anxiously.

“You’re thrilling her Mishka,” Koda said, trying to keep jealousy out of his tone, “you’ve been thrilling Karina ever since you got paws on, rubbing her tail with your paws is making her grab her feet with both hands and hold on tight to stop her head exploding I think.”

“Get more paaaw’s oaoaoaoan!” Karina gasped. Mishka did, the female Felursapien gripping the insides of her heels with both hands while tightly curling her toes.

“oaoaoaoaoah! I wayayayayant more of thiyiyiyis!” Karina gasped, panting and squirming.

“Are you making love to her Mishka?” Titan asked.

“I don’t know, I do love her very much, but I love everyone here,” Mishka replied, bewildered, “I don’t know Titan, maybe I am, It’s not intentional, that is to say, I’m not trying to steal her from anyone she’s betrothed to.”

“Take my ears, hands, feet and tayayayayil!” Karina squealed.

“I’m sure he’d like the rest of you too,” Titan mewed.

“yes, take the rest of me too, every bit of me Mishka!” Karina whimpered.

“I don’t know,,,” Mishka replied hesitantly, “I don’t know if I could, Nanulak might not like it.”

“I’ve not seen him in ages,” Karina mewed, “Mishka, I’m not asking for you to mate with me, just to love me, to get paws on with me, please?”

“You mean he won’t even touch you now?” Mishka asked.

“Felix’s birth frightened him too much, and now I’m longing for someone who will touch me!” Karina mewed pitifully.

“Mishka’s such a cold fish he won’t mate until permission is signed, sealed, noted, unwrapped, then signed again in triplicate,” Koda grunted.

“You know Mishka’s not,” Titan mewed, “Koda, you talk some real rubbish sometimes.”

“I’m jealous of him dam it!” Koda blurted, rushing for the door.

“Oh dear,” Mishka replied sorrowfully.

“Enjoy your time with Karina Mishka,” Titan mewed, “neither Nanulak or Koda will disturb you.”

“I want you Mishka to get paws on while I crawl and hold my feet with my hands,” Karina mewed.

“I will,” Mishka replied. Karina crawled away to the main part of the house, her whole body thrilled by the sensation of air on her skin and the touch of Mishka’s paws on her feet as he followed her from the bathroom.

“Why do you keep rubbing Karina’s heel pads and toes Mishka?” Titan asked, “she’s trying to crawl.”

“I bet you haven’t taken your eyes off the soles of her feet since she started crawling Titan,” Mishka replied, the big cat sighing heavily:

“I never thought of it like that,” he admitted.

“I leave one foot unattended at all times while Karina’s crawling,” Mishka replied.

“I wish you would get paws on with both my feet at once,” Karina mewed, “but, then,” she added, “you wouldn’t be able to crawl to keep up with me I suppose.”

“You could stop crawling,” Mishka suggested.

“But then I’d get nowhere fast, well my body wouldn’t,” Karina mewed, “my mind though, that’s a different prospect, and if my body could be moved in space by the frequency I curled my toes and tightness of their curl while you rubbed my feet, that would be good too,” she mused.

“You big softy!” Mishka replied, kissing Karina’s left heel pad, feeling the toes of that foot curl tightly under his fingers as he did so.

“Mum, what’s happened to you!” Felix asked when he met her in Mishka’s treehouse later that day. Karina, laughing merrily, told him what she’d done and the reasoning Mishka had given for her and others being able to shed their fur at a washing’s notice if they really wanted to.

“but that’s madness, that’s nonsense!” Felix screeched.

“It’s how we are Felix, and if you wanted to try it, all you have to do is wash in the right way, and you’ll undress yourself too.” Felix snorted and padded to Karina, Karina’s eyes loving him from his furred head to his naked feet.

“Oh,” Karina said, “you must shower down your tail, otherwise you will have to pull a very tight covering off it,” Karina mewed, “it’s like pulling off one of the plastic socks Blackberry gives the humans to protect their feet. You can’t really get it off without water.”

“That stuff that removes the socks isn’t water mum,” Felix mewed.

“I know, but the same applies,” Karina purred.

“I saw furball a few hours back, and she was padding round the house completely hairless!” Felix yelled, “muuum, it’s almost indecent!” he screeched.

“No it’s not,” Karina mewed, “it’s a state she’s in because of a genetic condition, and we’re in because of our genetic heritage.”

“We all have failing genes then,” Felix growled.

“Um, no, you aren’t wearing jeans,” Mishka replied, getting paws on with Felix’s legs and feet.

“Oh shut it you!” Felix snapped, the toes of his left foot curling with pleasure under Mishka’s fingers as the bear rubbed the sole of his foot, “you know what I mean!” Felix raged, but his angry fire was dying, Mishka’s touch always soothed him. Squirming, Felix struggled to remain angry, but found he couldn’t. Mishka’s touch drew the frothy rage out of his head through the sole of his foot like a syringe drawing blood.

“It’s a wonderful feeling Felix,” Karina mewed.

“It may be, but I don’t want it!” Felix miaowed.

“our genetics are okay, Furball’s aren’t,” Karina mewed.

“I have met Furball, she’s sweet,” Titan mewed. Felix looked Titan up and down, the liger’s massive stature impressing him.

“Enjoying me Felix?” Titan asked in his deepest purr, Felix lowering his gaze, which fell on the liger’s huge paws, Titan lifting his left paw, showing Felix the pads.

“ooaaoah! Your paaaw’s huuuge!” Felix miaowed.

“I am told so,” Titan purred, wiggling and curling his toes, smiling as he saw Karina’s toes curling with a sudden rush of emotion.

“I think someone else finds my paws cute too,” the liger mewed, Karina looking down at her hands in embarrassment.

“yes Titan, I do,” Karina replied, Titan padding to her, bowing his head, kissing the top of hers.

“I’ll show you my pads if you’ll show me yours,” Karina mewed, Titan purring deeply, then throwing himself on the floor, rolling onto his side, karina kissing Titan’s nose, then grabbing his huge left paw in her hands, tightly hugging the liger’s paw then kissing the pads, Titan’s purr shaking the floor.

“My pads are yours to rub and my toes yours to curl and uncurl,” Titan mewed, stretching out full length where he lay, Karina admiring him from point blank range.

“Titan’s so bouncy, he even bounces a bit when lying down,” Philomena said.

“Are you saying I’m fat?” Titan asked.

“No, you’re, um, well covered,” Philomena replied, Felix laughing helplessly.

“hmm, thanks,” Titan mewed pitifully.

“We love you big and cuddly Titan,” Karina mewed.

“Yes, maybe I do bounce a bit when I throw myself on the floor,” Titan whimpered, knowing he did, as he’d watched himself often on screen.

“Titan’s feet and paws bounce about too! it’s soaoao cuuuute!” Zalika yelled, rolling onto her back and clapping her paws.

“Stoaoaoaoap telling them all my seyeyeyeycrets!” Titan miaowed, everyone laughing merrily at the liger.

“Let’s kiss Titan’s pads!” Zalika mewed, bounding to Titan and pinning the liger’s left foot in her paws, kissing his pads, Titan mewing and purring ecstatically.

“I loves you Titan,” Zalika mewed, Titan curling round then kissing Zalika’s nose, the liliger giggling, lifting her head then kissing his nose in return.

“That’s super cuuuute!” Ursula said, crawling closer to the two cats to observe them more easily.

“You have really cute pads Ursula,” Moses said, crawling up to the huge bear’s right foot and drawing circles on her heels and counting her toes by touching each one in turn, Ursula giggling, sitting back on her heels and bouncing enthusiastically.

“I like your huge pads,” Moses said, pressing his own left heel into the ball of Ursula’s left foot, the she bear curling her toes to hold the back of Moses heel, Moses watching his toes stretching and then pressing into the sole pad of Ursula’s left foot, his toes only reaching half way up her sole pad.

“My toes only reach half way!” Moses giggled, leaning forward and tracing the line of his toes on the sole of Ursula’s foot, making the she bear squirm, bounce and curl her toes as tightly as she could, Moses and Ekaterina laughing merrily.

“I can see the pads on your right foot bunching too, here!” Ekaterina said, tracing the bunched pads of Ursula’s right foot, Ursula laughing helplessly:

“You’re tiyiyiyckling my feeyeeet!” she squealed cubbishly.

“Sorry,” Ekaterina said, “Moses, press firmly, I’ll do the same.”

“I like your touch,” Ursula said softly, shuffling backwards, pressing her feet against the touch of the human children’s feet and fingers.

“You’re a big cuddly bear Ursula,” Ekaterina said.

“I’d like to be so,” Ursula replied, “I was once when I lived in a house. I was bought as a pet for a little human. Though I was thrown out by the big humans, I can’t quite let go of the need to be cuddled by, or give cuddles to little humans.”

“Well we won’t stop you cuddling us,” Moses said.

“I would like more pad rubs too,” Ursula replied.

“if you wub ouws, we’ll wub youws,” Zalika mewed.

“I would love to get paws on with human and ursapien and Felursapien feet,” Ursula replied.

“Well we’re all here,” Moses replied smiling.

“Us big cats is always being left out!” Zalika complained in her most strident miaow.

“No you isn’t, and you knows that,” Titan replied, Zalika playfully batting his nose with her paw.

“Aoaoaoaowch!” Titan miaowed theatrically, rolling onto his back, rubbing his nose with both paws while pedalling the air with his feet.

“Trapped toes Tiggie!” Ursula yelled, grabbing the toes of both Titan’s feet in her huge paws, the liger squirming gleefully while miaowing like a cub.

“Silly tiggie you is Titan!” Zalika mewed, climbing onto his chest, the liger lifting her in his huge paws, Zalika miaowing as her feet left the reassurance of his warm fur and dangled in mid-air, Titan blowing under her pads, Zalika pedalling the air, yowling hysterically:

“stoaoaoaoap tiyiyiyckling my feeyeeet! You’s tiyiyiyckling my toooes and payayayayads! Tiyiyytan! you’s a wogue! Stoaoaoap iyiyiyt!” Zalika pedalled the air with all four huge paws while squirming as Titan held her so he could tickle her toes with his breath. Titan enjoyed the view of the pads of his cub’s pedalling paws and feet, Zalika curling and stretching her toes from time to time as she pedalled at the air, her face showing a mix of fury and mirth at her situation. Lowering her to his eye level, Titan kissed Zalika’s nose, the liliger cub purring ecstatically.

“That was brilliant!” Philomena said, clapping her hands.

“Zalika’s got a gorgeous face and very cute paws and feet,” Titan mewed, watching as Zalika reached for the ground by pointing her toes and scrabbling at the air with her paws and feet while Titan slowly lowered her to his chest, while Zalika pedalled the air faster and faster with her paws and feet, which Titan could see were completely safe, as she’d sheathed her claws. Indeed, throughout all his antics Zalika hadn’t extended her claws once.

“You’s a wogue you is! Titan, you’s a Pest lifting me up like that!” Zalika yowled as Titan put her on the floor.

“You were so cute, pedalling the air with your fat little paws Zalika,” Titan mewed softly.

“You’s made me do that!” Zalika purred, snuggling up to him, “I ‘opes my paws and feet ‘ave clean pads.”

“Them does,” Titan purred.

“Your toes curling and stretching as you tried to touch anything firm was cuuuute too Zalika,” Moses said.

“You’s just liking the sight of my feet pedalling the air wasn’t you Moses,” Zalika mewed.

“yeah, you was so cute,” Moses replied smiling.

“What does a cat look like when pedalling the air with their feet?” Mishka asked.

“it’s hard to explain,” Moses replied, “it’s not the same as one waving their paws in the air, it’s more intense.”

“how about if we suspended Titan from a hoist and Mishka could feel his feet pedalling?” Ursula suggested, “I saw a hoist thing in Blackberry’s work room. It was used for lifting creatures off the floor when they were too heavy for Blackberry to lift, something to do with health and safety he said. Apparently you strap the creature in and lift them. You can do this at any angle.”

“so you would like me to swing from a harness while pedalling the air with my paws and feet?” Titan asked, Zalika dissolving into fits of giggles at the thought.

“I’d like to feel it,” Mishka replied unashamedly, “others can see you moving Titan, I can’t.”

“I’ll crawl too,” Ursula said, “I’m sure You’d like to feel that Mishka.”

“I thinks you’s wanting ‘im to wub youw pads a bit Uwsula,” Zalika purred, Ursula grinning hugely.

“Well that too,” she admitted, “but we all need a bit of that sometimes.”

“I need it more than I get it,” Koda grunted.

“the playroom has something like that,” Ekaterina said, it’s a swing thing, the faster you crawl in mid-air, the faster you go along a wire. Some can tickle your toes too, which makes me crawl even faster when I get my toes tickled.”

“You can go up hill too, that needs lots of pushing with legs and pulling with arms to get up to the top, then it’s downhill again,” Moses replied.

“So it’s a course?” Mishka asked.

“It is, a sort of suspended twack wace,” Zalika mewed, “I’s seen it, but I’s never cwawled it,” she added, everyone grinning.

“Well I’s gonna ‘ave to try and cwawl the twack,” Titan mewed, Zalika growling at him. “It’s quite hard,” Moses said, “you’re held in this harness thing, and your hands and feet are free, the wheel is charged to move by how you move your arms and legs, the more powerfully you crawl the faster you go. Of course, there’s no places to push with your feet, so you have to pedal hard and wave your arms about too, but it works. I always tightly curl my toes while pedalling, don’t know why that is.”

“I do too,” Ekaterina agreed.

“I know, I’ve seen your toes curling tightly when you’re in front of me on your track, struggling to climb the hill by pedalling with your feet and pulling with your arms,” Moses replied.

“And you’ve rubbed my feet too, telling me to push with my feet!!” Ekaterina laughed.

“Yes, I know,” Moses replied, Ekaterina hugging him.

“I liked it, also when you tickled my toes too,” she said. Sometimes we lock the wheels and sit there and you rub my toes while we’re in the air, it’s nice.”

“When you start the race, you can start the race by charging the wheel with your legs a bit, pushing at a pad with your feet. It’s rather like thrusting with your legs. Left right, left right as powerfully as you can,” Moses said, “then you release the break and whizz along a bit, crawling as hard as you can in mid-air to keep the speed up for the first up hill, then release the energy from the capacitor to help you up the hill and it’s push push puuuuuush! with your feet and pull puuuuuull Puuuull! with your arms, then you race down a wire, then crawl as hard as you can again. It’s fun!”

“it is,” Ekaterina said.

“What do you push against to make the wheel spin?” Mishka asked.

“Oh your legs and arms are strapped into cuffs which link to sensors on the thing your suspended from. You can move your feet and arms freely, and the computer energises your battery thing depending on how strongly you crawl or tread the air when going uphill. The uphill is more of a cycling motion than a crawling one, as you sit up for that,” Ekaterina said.

“So you’re strapped into this thing, and you make crawling motions and you then move according to how strongly you crawl?” Titan asked.

“For you you’d run,” Moses said. big cats can’t crawl like humans or bears, so you have it a bit easier.”

“How could I push off against something?” Titan asked.

“Oh, there’s a little band that goes round the ball of your foot,” Ekaterina said, “it’s just to steady your foot a bit really.”

“The band is so small it doesn’t stop me tickling your toes though,” Moses said, Ekaterina laughing:

“No it doesn’t,” she said, “I like it when you reach over and hold my foot, then tickle my toes while we’re in mid-air.”

“So you can sit in these and or crawl in them?” Mishka asked.

“yes, it’s great,” Moses replied, “your legs are held in cuffs around your shins, and there’s a little push band on the ball of your foot, about here,” he said, touching the ball of Mishka’s left foot, the brown bear giggling delightedly, curling his toes with pleasure.

“I would love to try this track thing,” Mishka said.

“first, can I rub your feet Mishka?” Titan asked.

“You can,” Mishka replied, kneeling and sitting back on his heels so Titan could more easily access his soles. Titan saw the bear had pinkie brown pads and five toes, Mishka’s big toes on the inside, just like Ekaterina and Moses feet had. Titan rubbed the bear’s soft pads, Mishka wriggling delightedly and curling his toes with pleasure.

“I remember when you rubbed my paws and feet while we chatted Mishka. that soothed more than just pads you know.”

“I felt it,” the bear replied, stretching out full length on his side then stretching and curling his toes, Titan rubbing exposed toe pads, then Mishka’s heels and the bunched skin on the balls of Mishka’s feet, the bear wriggling with pleasure.

“Liger paws are the best for pad rubs,” Mishka said, “all soft and warm, with yours particularly bouncy Titan.”

“I can feel you’ve been pretending to give birth to a cub Mishka,” Titan mewed.

“I did try,” Mishka replied, “that was last night I grabbed my feet and pushed.”

“I can feel it,” Titan mewed, “you really faught hard didn’t you Mishka.”

“I did, I was inspired by little Karina’s efforts. I had a go, copying her. it felt wonderful,” the bear replied, “grabbing the soles of my feet with my paws and holding on to push, then pedalling with my feet and then grabbing my right foot in my paws and holding on while pushing it into my paws to simulate straining efforts, curling my toes as I pushed. It was wonderful Titan!”

“that game sounds like an advanced stuck foot game,” Titan mewed, a battle between the strength of your paws and legs as you push to free your feet, as much as the other stuck foot games are a battle between imagination and your paws.”

“I suppose it is,” Mishka replied, “Titan, when you pretend to give birth to a cub, how do you do it? You can’t grab your feet with your paws.

“I crouch and wriggle and bounce on my toes while moaning and miaowing. Then, Panting, I roll over onto my side and pedal the air with my feet and paws, straightening my legs and curling my toes when I want to push. I try to find something to brace my feet against so I can properly push while moaning and roaring through contracitons, leading to even harder efforts to curl my toes and birth my imaginary cub,” Titan mewed, “I know Shandy can give birth to real animatronic cubs at will, but I can’t. I won’t deny I’ve wondered what it would be like to be her.”

“You enjoyed giving biwth to me?” Zalika asked.

“I did, it felt wonderful!” Titan mewed.

“You scweamed and woawed in pain though, ‘ow can that be wonderful?” Zalika asked.

“Oh, I was screaming and roaring with intense emotions and the effort and pain of giving birth to my own cub,” Titan mewed, “it was harder than giving rebirth to Apudo, strangely enough, but it was amazing too Zalika.”

“It was wondewful to watch,” Zalika mewed.

“sometimes I wish I could experience it again,” Titan mewed.

“but you pushed Jespah out too,” Zalika mewed, “you wants to feel the fiwst contwactions of labouw too Titan?” she asked.

“I would like to, to be able to pace, pant, moan, groan and work through the beginnings of labour like a new mama would,” Titan mewed.

“Could you cope with giving birth to an animatronic cub?” Mishka asked.

“I could if Zalika was there for me to cuddle at the end, as I’d be imagining her passage into the world,” Titan mewed.

“Shandy looks up to you and you look up to her,” Ursula said.

“I do wish I could be like her sometimes,” Titan mewed.

“Can someone be thwilled by the effowt of giving biwth?” Zalika asked.

“yes,” Ursula replied, “I wish I could give birth to Bjorn and Allie again, or go through what happened, feeling everything, experiencing everything again so I could fix it in my mind.”

“I could make that happen,” Mishka said, “I can’t do it for Titan though as he’s a big cat. Only Patch can do that for him.”

“I’d like it,” Ursula said, “I’d like to feel the pains and explore my sensations and how I curl my toes while pushing and the amount of effort I’d have to make to deliver my cubs.”

“it’s an interesting process,” Titan mewed, “I’d like to get paws on with Shandy while she delivers a cub, but can’t bring myself to ask her.”

“Shadow could show me what I did, and you could be shown what you did by Shandy,” Ursula said.

“yes, that would be better I think,” Titan mewed, “but, I would love to feel the birth of my first natural cub again, I can’t help wishing for that.”

“Shadow and Shandy want to help us,” Ursula said, “I think we should let them do it, they’ll be as you and I were while giving birth to our cubs, and we can watch what we did, though,” she looked wistful, “I would like to feel it again,” she said.

“When I pretend, I sit back on my heels, then bounce and wriggle while in the early stages of labour. Sometimes, I sit back on one heel rather than both too,” Mishka said.

“how deeply can you get into pushing your feet against your paws Mishka?” Ursula asked.

“Very deeply,” Mishka replied, “” a wish to push turns into a need to push my feet against my paws, hard enough to make my pads sweat too. I’d love to get paws on with Shandy while she re-enacts Zalika’s birth.”

“You can, or with me, if I try hard enough,” Titan mewed, “I can push my feet against your paws can’t I?”

“Yes,” Mishka replied.

“’ow will you know ‘ow the fiwst bit of labouw goes befowe you lie down and weally stawt to push Titan?” Zalika asked.

“I can mimic what other cats do,” Titan mewed, pace, squat, wriggle, stamp my feet and writhe, moan and yowl. Then I’ll lie down and curl my toes and curl up into a ball during contractions, then lie full length, and curl my toes while straightening my legs and yowling while I remember the efforts of pushing, hoping my feet can press against something while I reach forward with my paws and bury my face in my paws, rolling about, squirming, roaring and yowling then panting hard while I push with my feet to simulate another effort.”

“I’d love to see that,” Ursula said.

“I’d love to get paws on with that,” Mishka replied.

“I remember straining towards my paws and my tail with my feet when I pushed,” Titan mewed, “pushing made me curl round while stretching my legs too. I tied myself in knots really.”

“I saw that,” Zalika mewed, “sometimes you weached fow youw toes with youw paws Titan, sometimes you stwained backwawds with youw legs, pointing youw toes while you pushed too.”

“It’s amazing how a cat can tie their paws in knots while in labour,” Koda said, “I’ve watched many in labour, and they all do it at some point, some managing to curl round enough to hold their feet with their paws while pushing.”

“I suppose the need to grab your feet with your paws is universal,” Mishka said, curling round, kissing Titan’s nose, the liger purring ecstatically, squeezing the toes of Mishka’s right foot in his paws, Mishka pressing his toes into the liger’s soft grip.

“Tangled toes tiggie,” Mishka teased, Titan kissing the heel of Mishka’s right foot, the bear smiling with pleasure.

“you know,” Mishka said, “I don’t want to stop this pad rubbing, it feels so good! I’m sure, if I pretended to have a cub, you could soothe me through it Titan.”

“How did it feel to be present at Sushanti’s cub’s birth Mishka?” Titan asked.

“I only rubbed her feet, I didn’t get to catch the cub,” Mishka replied, “it was Adsila who caught Anbessa.”

“I could arrange for Shandy to act like me, so you can catch my cub when she’s born,” Titan mewed. Shandy will find re-enacting my labour hard, as it was hard for me, but she’ll do it, as I did it.”

“I look forward to getting paws on with her,” Mishka said, “first though, could I get paws on with your paws and feet Titan?” Titan, smiling broadly, released Mishka’s foot, the bear shuffling round on his knees, turning to the liger.

“find my paws, here,” Titan said, placing his left paw in Mishka’s outstretched ones. Mishka embraced the huge cat’s paw, the liger purring ecstatically.

“now, as you have permission to range all over my body with your paws Mishka, I’ll leave you to find my head and feet, then, maybe, then, I will pretend to have a cub,” Titan mewed. Mishka got paws on with Titan’s body, finding his feet, the liger wriggling and purring with pleasure throughout. Ursula examined Titan minutely from his nose to his pads, marvelling at how large he was. Indeed, she even thought he’d got a bit fuller in the belly during the last few minutes. It was while she was handling the liger’s left foot while Mishka rubbed the liger’s right in his paws that a pained cry from Titan:

““aauuauaauuowch! Uauauauauauwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!” made her turn her head towards him. Stunned into silence, Ursula watched as Titan, his face contorted with pain and fear, tore his feet free of Mishka’s paws and her own, stood up, circled once, then threw himself on the sprung floor, wriggling urgently and curling into a ball, then stretching out while pedalling the air with his paws and feet. Mishka, getting paws on, felt the liger nearly tying his paws in knots as Titan strained twice, long, straining pushes with his feet which made him moan:

“Uuuurmruuuumf! Ruuuuuumf!” Then, while Mishka got paws on with his head, body, haunches, then his huge feet and paws, Titan struggled to his huge feet, squatted and, wriggling convulsively, bore down twice more as Mishka touched his feet and paws, the toes of which scrabbled for purchase on the smooth flooring, Titan’s pained cries of:

“Uuuuuuuuaumf! Uuuuuuuuaumf! Uuuuuuuuaumf! Auauauauauauw! Auauauauauauw! “ruuuuuuumfriaiaiaiaiaiow! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow, aoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!” making Ursula wish she could push with him.

“Push Titan puuush!” Ursula yelled, finding herself banging her paws on the floor in solidarity with the liger.

“Stoaoaoap that banging Ursula!” Koda yelled, as Titan threw himself down on the floor once more and lay full length, straining and yowling.

“I must auaoaoaoaowch!” Titan roared, curling his toes for the first time as he strained hard down, kicking with his right foot.

“That’s it, Titan, push, push, push!” Ursula urged, grabbing the liger’s left paw then rubbing the now sweating pads, “push right down Titan, right into your tail. puuuuuush!”

“Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Ruuuuuumf! This cuuuuub’s huuuge! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Titan complained, straining hard, Ursula seeing the paws of a huge cub emerging from beneath his tail as he pushed down repeatedly, Titan now curling the toes of all four paws with pain and effort. Fascinated, Ursula let go of Titan’s paw and crawled to his feet, where she watched, feeling a small body throw itself down beside her, her nose and Mishka’s almost touching the toe pads of Titan’s left foot.

“Nearly there, nearly there!” Koda yelled, his eyes filling with tears as the liger screamed:

“ayayayayayayaow! Umf! I cayayayaayn feeyeeel the cuuuuub’s paws! Ayayayayayayaow!” as the cub’s paws slid into the light of day, its head emerging half way, sliding back a little when Titan’s effort waned. Panting hard, Titan mewed pitifully, then screamed:

“Oaoaoaowch! Ayayayayayayaow, oh ayayayayayayaow!”, as the cub’s head was forced out into the light of day with the next contraction. Titan, screaming with fear and pain, wriggled and splayed his right leg as far as it would go from his left to allow the passage of the cub.

“ayayayayayayaow! Umf! Ayayayayayayaow! This cuuuuub’s enormous!” Titan yowled, “aauuauaauuowch! Uauauauauauwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!”

“Nearly there, nearly there Titan, just half the cub’s body, hips and legs to go!” Ursula yelled, placing the fingers of her left paw in the grip of the toes of Titan’s sweating left foot, Titan curling his toes round her fingers, squeezing them during his efforts. Mishka, sensing Titan’s struggle, nudged Ursula:

“if we grab a paw each, we could pull when he makes that noise and pushes,” the bear suggested.

“No, he’s fine,” Ursula said, “and you can’t pull at the cub’s paws either!” she snapped as Mishka reached his large paws towards the cub’s massive paws. Everyone stared at Titan, or was paws on with the struggling liger and the imaginary cub to which he was giving strenuous and violent birth. Under further pressure from Titan, the cub emerged, squelching into the world. To everyone’s astonishment, during a huge effort from Titan as he pushed to deliver its feet, the cub wriggled, then yelled in a loud protesting miaow:

“aauuauaauuowch! Uauauauauauwch! My feeyeeet awe being squashed! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Riaoaoaoaow! Uauauauauw!”

“Can I help pull her feet out?” Mishka asked. Ursula nearly threw herself on top of him.

“No!” she snapped, pinning him down under both paws, “leave Titan and his cub alone, they’re doing just fine.”

“Sorry, so sorry little one!” Titan whimpered, “I have to puuush just a bit more, Uuuuumf, Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Your feeyeeet are huuuge! Muuuuust puuush! Uuuuumf Ruuuuuhuuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Titan squealed. Feeling the pressure ease after what seemed to be an age of straining, Titan panted, listening to the sound of the cub’s paws as it began crawling squelchily towards his head.

“now clean me, and feed me!” Zalika yelled, slapping Titan’s nose with a suddenly mucus covered paw.

“yes, come,” Titan mewed, licking Zalika dry, the cub’s purring vibrating Titan from paws to tail.

“you’s wondewful you is Titan,” Zalika purred, Titan purring as he washed her paws.

“I didn’t think it would happen like that!” Titan mewed.

“I was sweating with fwight,” Zalika mewed, “I’s finding myself covewed with mucus, just like that time, and I knows the only one to clean it off was you. I’m certain Uwsula and Mishka saw and felt me coming out too!”

“We did,” Ursula said, “Zalika, we saw your arrival as vividly as Titan felt it.”

“What was Titan pushing against?” Koda asked.

“Oh, the floor, Ursula’s and my paws, even just curling his toes was enough,” Mishka replied.

“it felt wonderful!” Titan mewed.

“your pads were bathed in sweat Titan,” Ursula said.

“I know,” Titan mewed.

“I must say, you were rather cute when you were crouching, pushing and straining while trying to find a foothold with all four huge paws,” Mishka said.

“Your paws and feet were very eloquent of your struggle as you wriggled and bounced Titan,” Ursula said.

“I don’t know what came over me,” Titan mewed.

“Memories of labour did,” Mishka replied, “and, Titan, it was wonderful too. thanks for letting me get paws on.” Titan smiled broadly, feeling his body invigorated by the effort he’d made.

“I don’t know what I pushed against, but I definitely pushed,” he said.

“Oh, the floor, my paws, you grabbed your own toes too Titan,” Ursula said.

Did I?” I suppose I could do so if I curled up tightly enough.”

“You did,” Zalika mewed.

“ooaaoah, I’m nooaoaoaot re-enacting that!” a voice said from the doorway, everyone looking towards the door. Shandy stood in the doorway, her face full of discomfort.

“How come I didn’t hear you come in?” Mishka asked.

“Titan was too busy throwing himself about on the floor, that’s why,” Shandy mewed, padding into the room, “the effort you made was almost too much to watch Titan!” she miaowed, “but, I suppose I will have a go at giving birth to Zalika. After all, that’s what I’m here for isn’t it?” “You have the right

To refuse,” Mishka said, crawling to Shandy and embracing her, “you are a free community member now after all.”

“I am,” Shandy mewed, bowing her head and kissing Mishka’s nose, “but I was born to show others who could not be shown in normal situations, what it would be like to be with a mama while she was giving birth.”

“so you would still like to show me how Titan gave birth?” Mishka asked.

“yes, you see, I can slow it down, Titan can’t, well not like I can. Once it happens, it happens to him. I can take what he does and slow things down so you can feel everything at your own pace. You were only able to get paws on with Titan because you are fast with your paws, and he stayed long enough in one position to allow you to get very paws on. I will show you. I want to show you too.” Shandy replied, kissing Mishka’s nose, the male bear returning her kiss, the ligress’s purr pleasing him.

“I can be a frightened mama with my first cub, then struggle to give birth to my second, where you can help me by pulling the cub,” Shandy mewed, “shadow has helped me have many a stuck cub, and she’s really gentle about it too. I too have got paws on with her while she gives birth to her cubs. Shadow moans and squeals through her labours mostly. She’s really expressive. We’d both like you to feel us giving birth to our cubs.”

“I’m honoured,” Mishka said.

“Let’s go to the playroom Ekaterina,” Moses said.

Moses and Ekaterina took the monorail to the playroom, where they were strapped into the harnesses on the zip wire by Sita and Magnus.

“now push with your legs Ekaterina, one leg at a time when the timer beeps,” Moses said, watching Ekaterina settling her feet on the pedals. The bell went off, and Ekaterina pedalled hard with both legs, Moses pedalling furiously too, as the lights went green and the accumulated power was released into the flywheels by the capacitor. The two children, screaming with laughter, flew along the track, then felt themselves pulled into a sitting position as they climbed the hill. Thrusting at the air with their feet and pulling with their arms, they pulled themselves up the hill, Moses realising he’d just let himself go down the first run, rather than crawling like mad, as Ekaterina had. Clenching his teeth, he pushed hard with both feet and arms, trying to get up the hill, for he’d already pressed the button which gave all energy to his flywheel from the capacitor, and there was no more power to power his flywheel.

“I’m stuck here Ekaterina!” Moses yelled, half way up the slope. Ekaterina, nearly all the way up, slid back down to his side, making sure her dynamo was set so the capacitor reclaimed the energy of her fall.

“I’ll help you push,” she said, choosing a third setting which combined their efforts so the two flywheels got powered, so each could help the other up the slope. Moses and Ekaterina pushed with their feet and pulled hard with their arms, their combined efforts getting them to the top of the slope. Once there, and on the level, Ekaterina switched her engine to her own feed and said to Moses:

“Now I could leave you here, or, I could help you charge your battery a bit,” for the push up the hill had powered both engines to get almost double the weight up the hill.

“Please stay,” Moses begged, Ekaterina smiling and choosing a forth setting on her engine.

“Now we can both push for each other,” she said, “now Moses, push hard with your feet, but we have nothing but our small foot straps to push against.”

“I’ll push,” Moses said, settling himself into his harness. Both children crawled as strongly as they could on the spot for five minutes, their toes curling and eyes closing with concentration and effort. From time to time one or other would take a look at the power metres on their wrists to see where they’d got to. Once both capacitors were full, the children stopped crawling, both panting hard.

“now we’ve got to let the energy go, or keep crawling,” Moses gasped.

“I’m up for crawling,” Ekaterina said, “but it’s going to be harder to get going, as we can’t use the energy to get us going, as it comes in one burst.”

“I know, it’s a, “weal pest!” as Zalika would put it,” Moses replied, Ekaterina giggling at his mimicry of the liliger’s trick of speech.

“now crawl, crawl like Titan’s Chasing you!” Ekaterina urged.

“but he’s not,” Moses said, glancing towards the door to see Titan bounding in, then, leap at them with a roar:

“I’m chasing you now!” both children squealing with mock fear and crawling as fast as they could go, Titan climbing the ladder to the platform above which they were suspended, then blowing on their toes to make them crawl faster. Shrieking with laughter, Moses and Ekaterina crawled as fast as they could, the liger padding behind them, blowing on their heels and toes.

“Tiyiyiytan’s tiyiyiyckling our toooooes! Tiyiyiytan’s tiyiyiyckling our toooooes!

“ Moses and Ekaterina screamed delightedly as the liger padded majestically behind them on the safety walkways which followed the course, climbing the ladders, or staying beneath to blow on their heel pads or toes whenever he thought they needed a little extra help to get up the slopes. When they were on the level, panting and laughing hard from the liger’s extra help, Titan sometimes lay behind their feet then rubbed the pads of their heels and toes with his huge paws, tickling their toes with his whiskers when he thought they’d had enough rest. Throughout all this, he said nothing, but his gentility spoke volumes, as, from time to time, during the rests at the tops of the slopes, Titan would embrace the children’s feet one by one in his huge paws and plant a kiss on their heel pads.

“Titan won’t let us see him!” Moses raged.

“I don’t think we need to,” Ekaterina replied, “this is fun enough without eye contact. I know what he’s thinking, and it’s lovely and warm. he’s loving our laughter and his play.”

“I know, and Titan’s so cute too,” Moses said, feeling a rough tongue kissing the toes of his left foot.

“Soppy old Tiggie!” Moses laughed, feeling a cautionary tap to his right heel pad, which most definitely playfully warned him he’d gone too far.

“Maybe you’re not that old Titan,” Moses said, feeling the tongue kiss his heel pad where the liger’s paw had slapped.

“We’re nearly at the long run down now,” Ekaterina said, “here, here’s where we go downhill to the end of the wire.” The two children suddenly heard a yowl of terror from behind them. sitting up and turning towards Titan, they saw the liger staring with horror at the yawning drop all round his tiny platform.

“the only way is down the way you came Titan,” Moses said, the liger looking up at him with a pitiful expression.

“Iyiyiyt’s difficult to climb down ladders!” the liger miaowed, “and I can’t jump nearly thirty feet either!” he wailed.

“Oh, um, well, we can’t help from where we are,” Moses said, “we’re going down the wire now, we can’t get out of the harnesses till we get down there,” he said waving a hand at the yawning drop.

“I’m gonna be sick!” Titan whimpered, “I didn’t see how far up I was getting, and, and now, oh noiaiaiaiaiaio! I’m too far up, and I’m feeling sick!” he wailed, lying down on the platform.

“How are we going to save a poor stranded Tiggie?” Ekaterina asked, “he looks very sick Moses.”

“well we can’t from up here,” Moses replied, “let’s get down, and we can find Shadow’s hoist thing and help our trapped tiggie out of the twee.”

“It’s nooaoaoaot fuuuunny!” Titan moaned, watching with horror as the two children turned away from him and, sitting now, pressed the button to get a good run up before heading down the zip wire, the capacitors giving all their energy to the flywheels just as the wire angled downwards, the children shrieking with delight as they raced head long towards the floor.

“I’m feeling very unwell,” Titan thought, unable to watch the delight of the two children he’d played with as they rode the wire down to where they’d be freed automatically by the ride. Indeed, when Moses felt himself land in a foam pit, then the rings release, throwing himself onto his knees, he looked up at Titan so far above him.

“I’ll get help!” he yelled, racing with Ekaterina to the phone and summoning help in the form of Nanuq and Flocke, Flocke unable to hide her mirth.

“You poor tiggie!” she guffawed, Titan scowling at her. Smiling, the two bears went to work, Nanuq arranging the hoist, while Flocke strapped herself into a harness and climbed up a ladder, using her own harness for safety.

“hello Titan dear,” she said, sitting on the platform beside him and clipping herself to the top rail, “you really are in a tight spot aren’t you?” she asked.

“how are you gonna get me down?” Titan mewed pitifully.

“I’m gonna strap you into a harness and lower you down,” Flocke replied, “I’ll come with you, we’ll go down together. Hey, Nanuq!” she yelled, “get someone else up here will you, just in case!”

“In case of what?” Titan asked miserably.

“In case you struggle and I can’t control you,” Flocke replied.

“Oh, thanks,” Titan moaned, “right now, I wish my sweating pads were glued to this platform so I couldn’t go anywhere!”

“Oh Titan, how did you get here?” Sita asked when she arrived.

“I walked,” Titan whimpered.

“We’ll get you down,” Sita mewed, kissing the liger’s sweating cheek.

“You’re as blind as a newborn cub, how on earth can you help?” Titan asked.

“I’m as at home up here as you are ill at ease,” Sita mewed, “Now Titan, here comes the harness for your convenience.”

“I might need another sort of convenience before very much longer,” Titan whimpered.

“if you’re going to do that do it here,” Flocke replied, disgusted by the liger’s remark.

“The poor Tiggy’s terrified,” Sita mewed, meaning her words to sound gentle, but Titan lashed out with a huge paw, knocking Sita clean off the platform. Flocke screamed as Sita fell with an enraged miaow, but the rope Sita had secured held her, stretching and contracting until she had come to a safe stop about five feet beneath the platform. Sita, wearing a helmet, got her bearings and climbed up to Titan and Flocke’s platform, her paw landing on Titan’s left, which she noticed was now tied to his right.

“Fair one Flocke,” Sita thought, realising what the she polar bear had done, using her spare rope to tie Titan’s paws together.

“now you will be still, stop this shit!” Flocke hissed into Titan’s ear, blindfolding the liger.

“Are you all right Sita?” Flocke asked.

“I’m fine Flocke, thanks,” Sita mewed.

“Just get me down!” Titan wailed. Flocke and Sita set to strapping Titan into the hoist then Sita kissed Titan’s nose, before Signalling to Nanuq with a shrill whistle. Hearing an answering whistle from Nanuq, Sita clipped herself into the zip wire carriage and vanished down the same wire Ekaterina had. Nanuq, seeing Sita on the zip wire, lifted Titan, swung him out over space and lowered the liger, suspended from his straps like a well wrapped parcel, Flocke following the liger towards the floor on her own independent line.

“you’re fine Titan,” she said, keeping pace with the slowly descending liger, Titan, now blind and secured into his harness, whimpering pitifully. Nanuq helped Titan the last few feet to the floor, then released him, removing his blindfold.

“I’m never going up there agayayayayayain!” Titan yowled.

“You poor scared tiggie,” Moses said, hugging Titan tightly.

“poow Tiggie stuck up a twee, Miaow, I, n, g,” Zalika giggled, Titan scowling at her, growling:

“shut it Zalika! I didn’t realise I was scared of heights until I ended up on that platform!”

“I’s sowwy,” Zalika mewed, taking Titan’s paw, feeling the heat in and sweat of fear on his pads, seeing the anxiety in his face.

“You’s weally fwightened isn’t you,” Zalika mewed, kissing Titan’s nose.

“I didn’t realise I’d got so high up,” the liger mewed pitifully.

“Did you enjoy kissing and blowing on Moses and Ekaterina’s pads to ‘elp them up the twack?” Zalika asked.

“I did,” Titan mewed, “and I would do it again, as it felt good to do it, despite my own fears at the end.”

“We could strap you into your own harness so you can ride down the wire at the end Titan,” Flocke said.

“it might help you to feel a bit more secure too,” Nanuq said, kneeling then rubbing Titan’s back with his paw.

“I’ll leave now,” Titan mewed, very ashamed of his weakness.

“Come here,” Moses said, pushing Titan onto his side, then onto his back, he and Ekaterina kissing the fear dampened pads of the liger’s feet and paws, Titan’s eyes filling with tears.

“thank you,” Titan mewed, as the two children took turns to kiss his nose.

“There, do you feel stronger now?” Moses asked, Titan gulping hard, rubbing his face with his paws to hide his tears.

“awhwhwhwh Titan!” Ekaterina said, kissing the furry backs of the liger’s huge paws which were now covering his face.

Meanwhile, in Shandy’s lie up, Mishka got paws on with the ligress as she re-enacted Zalika’s birth more slowly than Titan himself could. Mishka touched Shandy while she paced and squatted, writhed and splayed her hind legs before pushing down hard with a moan and yowl of effort and pain. Then she lay on her side and curled up, grabbing her feet with her paws and holding on as another contraction ripped through her, her mouth open in a yowl of pain, then while still curled into a tight ball of agony, the ligress moaned and strained hard down into her tail.

“uuuuumf! Auaoaoaoaowch!” Shandy yowled, “is this really how Titan’s labour was, I must push as hard as he did with the contractions, and also, also, I’m feeling how large Zalika was, auauauauoh!” she complained.

“I hear Titan had to push really hard and long to deliver Zalika,” Mishka replied, Shandy groaning with discomfort, then getting up and pacing round the room.

“I can prolong this as long as you like,” she said.

“I would like to get paws on while you squat and push down into your tail,” Mishka admitted, ashamed of his curiosity.

“Okay,” Shandy replied panting hard, “That contraction didn’t do much anyway. The cub’s not even engaged yet.” She padded to a drinking fountain, drank deeply, then ate a biscuit or two from a bowl.

“I can eat those, and they give me energy,” she said, padding back to Mishka.

“would you like to have your cub in the birthing hammock?” Mishka asked.

“No, uuuuumf naoaoaoaoao! Here, please here,” Shandy moaned, shifting her paws and feet and squirming with discomfort, her face contorted with pain, Mishka paws on with her writhing body and struggling paws and feet.

“Thank you for doing this for me,” Mishka said.

“It’s my job, uuuuumf! I like it!” Shandy miaowed.

“So who’s cub’s births are you going to show me?” Mishka asked.

“Titan and Sushanti’s,,” Shandy replied, wriggling convulsively, “though Sushanti’s cub was born much like mine, so, Aouw! Uuuuumf! Heuuuuuumf! Miaiaiaau! The births of Anbessa or raja, and Zayayayalika!” the ligress yowled.

“Well I’m with you all the way,” Mishka said, rubbing Shandy’s ears and paws, feeling her toes curled into the floor, then her sweating pads when she rolled over onto her side, giving him her sweating paws to rub, Mishka sitting down and hugging the warm, soft sweat soaked pads of the paws he held, Shandy panting and growling with pain.

“now, now, feel meyeee puuuuuush!” Shandy yowled, Mishka dropping the ligress’s paws and touching her belly, Shandy miaowing:

“miaiaiaiaiaiow! oawwowowowowch!” as she bore down, curling up, scrabbling with her paws to grab her feet, Mishka paws on with her straining belly, body, paws and feet, touching the ligress’s curled body from her head to her tail, Shandy panting and straining as she coped with her contractions.

“This Mishka, this! Get paaaaws on! I’m what a cat tying her paws in knots feyeeels like,” Shandy gasped, “auaoaoaoaowch!” she moaned, “uuuuumf, Ruuuuuumf! Miaoaoaoaow!” the animatronic ligress complained lustily.

“Do you want to push?” Mishka asked.

“aouwch! Yes! I muuuuust, wayayayan’a puuuuuush!” Shandy yowled, voluntarily straining hard for the first time, “ayayayayaywch! Heuuuuuumf! Aauuauaauuowch!” she screeched while pushing, Mishka paws on with her arched back and curled toes.

“Push, push push push!” Mishka encouraged, the ligress screeching:

“Thiyiyiyis cuuuuub’s huuuge! Puuuuushing’s soaoaoao hayayayayrd!” panting, Shandy lay full length on the floor, her paws and feet sweating profusely.

“I’ll get you a drink,” Mishka said, padding to the fountain and filling a bottle. Drinking busily, Shandy whimpered to herself, dreading the next contraction.

“aow! Aow aow Awowowowowowouch!” Shandy yowled as another contraction built. Moaning deeply, she curled into a tight ball, yowling as she pushed into her tail, her legs splaying as she reached between them with scrabbling paws.

“The cuuuuub’s Noaoaot here!” she panted, “I cayayayan’t puuush muuuch more!” she raged, banging the floor with her paws.

“labour can be a long process,” Mishka said.

“I know it iyiyiys!” Shandy moaned, panting hard as the contraction eased. Getting to her feet, she shook herself, then squatted and strained down hard.

“Yuuuuuuuuuuumf! Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf! Yauauauauauaauauwch!” Shandy yelled, stamping her feet and wriggling as she pushed, then, panting, Shandy threw herself on the floor, rolling onto her left side, splaying her hind legs, shrieking with the onset of another contraction.

“Aouaoaoaoaoaow! Something’s coming ooooououowt!” she screamed.

“It’s the cub’s paws, pant a bit Shandy, pant!” Mishka urged, Shandy whimpering and squealing while panting hard.

“ououououch! Heuuuuuumf, erhrhrhrhrumf! The cub’s head’s coming ouwt! Hyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiow!” the ligress squealed.

“Scream away, don’t push!” Mishka said, paws on with the ligress’s curled toes, sweating pads and the emerging cub. Shandy yowled and wriggled, then, yelling:

“I cayayayan’t stoaoaoaoap puuuuuuushing, I neyeeed tooooo puuuuuush!” strained hard down into her tail, Mishka catching the emerging cub while Shandy, screaming, moaning and roaring, bullied the cub into the world.

“My legs aren’t apart enough for the cuuuub to come ouuouout!” she screeched.

“They are, just keep pushing, keep pushing!” Mishka encouraged, Shandy curling round to grab her cub.

“No, just lie down and push!” Mishka commanded, pushing away Shandy’s scrabbling paws. Shandy, moaning with fear and pain, bore down twice more, the cub exploding into the open, Shandy delivering its hips and feet with efforts accompanied by cries starting with deep moans, ending in strident yowls. Mishka, feeling the cub slide free, checked it over, then attended to Shandy. Shandy, seeing the cub was born, grabbed it and rebirth slept it immediately.

“Now that’s over,” she said in a normal voice, “I’ll get on with the second birth, but not before I’ve bathed,, drank and eaten something.”

“I forgot you are a computer,” Mishka said.

“I know,” Shandy mewed, “I’m in the moment for the birth of the cub, then when it’s out, as long as I’m fine from the labour, or rather my programme says I am, I forget the labour and the cub and sleep the cub ready to go again. I’m born to that,” she replied.

“the only cub you didn’t forget was Raja,” Mishka said.

“yes, because he, well, he lived properly. A situation arose that made him live. The other cubs, those that are computers, they don’t pull on my heart like Raja does,” Shandy replied.

“So you would find it emotionally hard to give birth to breach cubs,” Mishka said.

“I’ve never tried giving birth to a breach cub since I had Raja,” Shandy mewed, “but, I suppose I would. I’d remember all the fear, all the pain. You see, my basic learning was being worked on then, and some of the hard coding wasn’t quite done. I had problems giving birth before I was fully programmed in myself, meaning I can’t forget Raja’s birth as I can those of the other cubs.”

“Oh dear,” Mishka replied.

“I was a work in progress at that time, and I gave birth and something went wrong, and I got messed up,” Shandy mewed. she sighed deeply:

“I know I should be able to give birth to breach cubs, stuck cubs, large cubs, all that, but, well, breach cubs will always scare me, because I can’t treat the labour like I do other labours, getting into it and doing my job without fear of the cub dying, knowing it’s only a computer. Breach cubs, I can’t give birth to those without thinking of Raja, and that first time.”

“So you’re traumatised in the deep programming,” Mishka said.

“I am,” Shandy replied, “I know now what Janet failed to do, she failed to switch off my learning programme, the deep one that became me. Now I will always remember that fear, rather than just learning how to give birth to a breach cub and getting on with it, then forgetting it.”

“have you asked Janet to try and erase that code?” Mishka asked.

“yes, but she can’t, it’s too deep within that part of me, and she says she can’t do it. the only thing that would show me would be to have another breach cub and for it to be all right. But I can’t bring myself to do that Mishka. I can’t ever force a cub breach and push it out, it’s not in me.”

“I understand,” Mishka said, hugging the now tearful ligress.

“I know I’m not much of a training aid if I can’t manage the second most difficult birth,” Shandy mewed, “but there it is,” she sighed, “I suppose saying I could give birth like Sushanti was bravado, I can’t, I’m scared of it!” Shandy whimpered.

“Maybe we need to open up your programming again and replace the bad experience with a good one,” Mishka replied.

“I don’t think I could,” Shandy mewed, “anyway, I think it’s impossible now.”

“yes, it’s impossible now,” Janet said, padding into the room, “the programming of Shandy and Shadow’s basic learning meant learning without fear, Shandy’s mind got messed up by Raja’s birth, now I can’t unscramble that.”

“Oh dear,” Shandy mewed, “I will always be unable to perform my duties fully then. That’s really sad.” Janet hugged the distressed ligress.

“That’s why you like Titan so much, because he helped you in your fearful place,” Janet said. Shandy, you weren’t meant to become attached to care givers, but, because I forgot to close a line of code before you gave birth to your first cub, and that cub’s birth was traumatic, you became attached to Titan who was the only one close enough to help.”

“I love him very much Janet,” Shandy mewed, “I feel this is wrong, but I can’t deny I love Titan. I modelled myself on him a bit.” Janet hugged Shandy.

“You don’t need to worry about your feelings,” Janet said, “please, try giving birth to a stuck breach cub, let Mishka help you like Titan helped Snowy.”

“But Snowy’s cub came out forwards,” Shandy mewed, “Nuru was just a big cub so Titan just had to pull while snowy pushed. mine will come backwards. If I don’t push hard enough to birth the cub, I’m sure I will die, and so will the cub.”

“You’ll be okay,” Shadow said, padding into the room. Shandy ran to the black bear and hugged her, Mishka crawling to the animatronic she bear’s feet and feeling a kiss placed on his head, then the toes he felt under his paws disappearing and two paws hugging him.

“You can get paws on with me while I have my cubs,” Shadow said, kissing Mishka’s nose.

“Can I rub your pads Shadow?” Mishka asked, Shadow answering him by turning rear on and backing up so she pushed her toes under his fingers.

“Explore away,” shadow said, Mishka rubbing her soles from heels to toes, feeling his own pads rubbed by two soft paws, his toes curling as tightly as Shadow’s were curling beneath his fingers.

“Shandy’s rubbing my pads, it feels so good!” Mishka thought, sitting back on his heels and bouncing, feeling a kiss placed on his mid sole, then Mishka heard a booming purr in his right ear.

“Titan!” he squealed, the huge liger kissing his ear.

“I saw the end of Shandy’s labour, you were wonderful to her Mishka,” the huge liger mewed.

“Did you hear what Shandy said to Janet Titan?” Mishka asked.

“I have known Shandy’s fears for a long time,” Titan mewed.

“Giving birth to a breach cub would frighten me so much!” Shandy mewed.

“if I told you that you’d be safe while doing it,” shadow said, “would you do it then Shandy?”

“I might,” Shandy replied, “I know it’s hard on the cubs, but I’m a computer, and my cubs are too, the only one of my cubs who’s considered not to be a computer is Raja. If I give birth to a breach cub, push and fight for that cub as I did Raja, all will be fine. I’ll just have to remember to sleep the cub after my fight. During my learning process, I thought I could be killed by giving birth to Raja, now I know I can’t be. Community cat I may be, but a computer I certainly am, as are you Shadow.”

“I know,” Shadow replied.

“I can’t be a training aid to any midwife if I fear giving birth to breach cubs,” Shandy mewed.

“Maybe if I lead you through it,” Sushanti said, padding into the room then kissing Shandy’s nose, “I know how it felt, I can remember everything about Anbessa’s birth, and can show you that he’s fine afterwards too.”

“so you can tell me what I’m going to feel and what to do?” Shandy asked.

“yes,” Sushanti replied, “that way, you won’t fear it again. Nothing will harm you or your cub.”

“How does a cub feel coming feet first?” Shadow asked.

“it feels like stretching and burning when the cub’s feet jam,” Sushanti said, but panting during the next contraction helps, then it’s up on your feet and squat then push down as hard as you can, or try to get someone to pull the cub as you push.”

“I remember Raja’s feet Jamming, it was scary and hurt a lot,” Shandy mewed.

“I remember having a breach cub,” shadow said, “I had one perfectly, but the second cub, I forgot everything and just pushed and pushed at all the wrong times. It was so hard to deliver that second cub, but I did it, all alone too. My breach birth programme just kicked in and I struggled through two labours and births alone. After that, I called Mama Karina, and she helped me reset the cubs and myself. It was hard work, the labour that was.”

“So you can just go into labour, just like that?” Titan asked.

“yes,” shadow replied, “it’s to train everyone on how to help I suppose.”

“I remember when the ability to re-enact the birth of a cub was a highly prized thing in this community,” Janet said, “does anyone non computerised do that now?”

“Nanuq does,” Sita mewed, padding into the room, “and, well, so do I sometimes.”

“giving birth to Moses wasn’t anything like I imagined,” Janet replied, “it was more intense, more consuming than I would ever have imagined. My voice made sounds I never thought it could, my body doing things I didn’t think it would, my toes curled tighter than I thought they ever could.”

“Shandy and Shadow do the training now,” Mishka said.

“I suppose they are more realistic,” Janet replied.

“your paws are damp Titan. Have you been frightened by something recently?” Mishka asked, cradling the liger’s huge left paw in his large ones. Titan sighed heavily and told Mishka all about following Moses and Ekaterina along the platforms.

“Oh that!” Mishka replied, “I know that place, the platforms and ladders beneath the zip wire for safety reasons, ah yes, go on Titan, how did you not realise you were getting higher?”

“I focused on the soles of Moses and Ekaterina’s feet to the exclusion of all else,” Titan whimpered, I didn’t know I was afraid of heights until today, but I was rescued,” Titan mewed, “I need to say sorry to Sita though, as I lashed out at her, knocking her off the platform. Her safety rope saved her.”

“Well you can say sorry now,” Sita mewed, Titan bumping noses with her, then pushing her onto her side and lying down to hug her. Embracing Sita, Titan groomed her from ears to pads, Sita mewing and purring with pleasure.

“Sita, I’m so sorry for knocking you flying,” Titan said, Sita kissing his nose and paws in response, as she could feel his remorse.

“let’s forget it now,” Sita mewed, squirming with pleasure as Titan rubbed her belly then kissed the pads of all four of her large paws.

“”I like your paws Sita,” Titan purred deeply.

“Thanks,” Sita mewed.

“I suppose I really must get used to having a breach cub,” Shandy mewed, “Sushanti, would you help me through it, I have a cub in position now, my first stage of labour will reposition it properly.”

“yes I will,” Sushanti said.

“How do you pretend to have a cub?” Ursula asked, padding into the room.

“Hold your foot in your paws and push hard against them with it to simulate pushing. Crawl round the room, sit back on your heels, curl your toes, moan, pant, squeal and draw up your legs, grab the pads of your heels in your paws and push some more against your paws until the cub’s born,” Mishka replied.

“You speak as if you have experience of such things,” Sita mewed.

“Um, yes, I do,” Mishka giggled.

“I would love to learn how to do that,” Ursula said.

“Sit down, take your foot in your paws and remember what it was like to give birth to Bjorn and Allie,” Mishka said, “I bet you’ll be moaning, pushing into your paws with your foot and curling your toes enthusiastically in no time.”

“I’ve often played with my toes then rubbed the pads of my feet,” Ursula replied unashamedly.

“I’d love to get paws on with your paws and feet while you do that,” Mishka said.

“I’d love you to get paws on with my feet,” Ursula replied, Mishka smiling and crawling to her, tapping her paw with his, Ursula sitting down, guiding his paw to her left foot, Mishka hugging her huge right foot with his paws, using his thumbs to rub her toe pads and the large sole pad of that foot, Ursula wriggling with pleasure and tightly curling her toes, Mishka tracing the bunched pads of her foot, making Ursula wriggle harder and push her foot more firmly into his paws.

“uuuuumf!” she moaned, Mishka smiling as her toes relaxed under his rubbing pressure.

“That’s it Ursula, push with your foot,” he said softly, Ursula panting and drawing her leg up a little, settling back, with her paws behind her, pushing her foot harder and longer into his paws with a:

“uuuuuuuuaumf! Uuuhuuuumf! Of effort, her toes curling with fresh urgency and eyes closing with effort as she pushed her foot hard into his paws.

“Try clasping your left foot in your paws and pushing against Mishka’s paws with your right, pretend Mishka’s paws are the cub,” shadow suggested. Ursula did, finding she could push her right foot into Mishka’s paws more realistically. With an:

“aoaoaoaow!” of effort, she braced her foot hard into the warm embrace of Mishka’s large paws.

“I wish I was you Mishka,” Goldie said, padding into the room and kneeling to get a good view of Ursula’s face, full of concentration, straining legs, tightly curled toes and gripping paws.

“uuuuumf! Uuuuuuuumf, aoaoaoaow! Urhrhrhrhrhrf!” she groaned as she pushed her right foot into Mishka’s paws, stopping to rub her left foot with both paws while she panted, then, toes curled, she gripped her left foot hard in her paws, pushing as hard as she could into Mishka’s paws with her right foot, her eyes closing and teeth clenching, Ursula squealing with effort as she pushed to her utmost, curling her toes as tightly as she could curl them.

“Are you all right Ursula??” Goldie asked.

“I’m fine, I muuuuust puuush!” the she polar bear whimpered, “uuuuumf! Heyeyeyeyeyre, heuuuuuumf!” Ursula replied, wriggling while pressing hard into Mishka’s paws with her right foot, gripping the pads of the sole of her left in her huge paws, the toes of both her huge feet curled with effort and concentration while she pushed, then relaxing as she panted, while her paws desperately rubbed and squeezed the sole pad of her left foot.

“I must get into this pretending to have a cub thing,” Goldie said as Ursula leant over, moaning and squealing as she took fresh hold of her left foot in her paws, desperately pressing her right into Mishka’s paws, curling her toes as tightly as they’d go.

“The cub’s uuuuuuuuaumf! It’s hayayayayrd to puuuuuush!” the she bear screeched. Mishka holding Ursula’s right foot so her leg couldn’t straighten, then letting her leg straighten a bit, Ursula panting and whimpering:

“The cub’s coming a bit, it’s coming a bit!” then drawing up her right leg to push more, Mishka gripping her foot in his paws, Ursula whimpering and moaning as she pushed her foot harder than ever against his paws.

“I Cayayayn’t doooo iyiyiyt, the cuuuuub’s nooaoaoaot coming ouuouout!” she complained stridently, wriggling and groaning with effort while bracing her foot hard against his paws, curling her toes as tightly as she could, then relaxing, panting hard after her huge efforts. Mishka kissed the sweating sole pad of Ursula’s right foot, while the she bear squirmed and whimpered.

“Try pushing again,” Mishka said, Ursula straining with a “heuuuuuumf!” of effort, pushing hard against Mishka’s paws, the male bear easing her leg straight, then letting go, Ursula squealing with released tension, then moaning as her own paws grabbed her left foot in a fierce grip, and she began to resist her own efforts, holding tightly to her left foot with her paws while pushing hard against them.

“uuuuumf, Ururururumf! Hururururururumf!” she groaned, wriggling and rocking as she struggled to free her left foot from her paws, alternately pushing against her paws with her foot, rubbing the now hot damp pad on the sole as her contractions eased., paws which, all in one minute had become the barrier to her cub’s progress, her comforter the next.

“This is really hayayayayrd!” she whimpered.

“I want to get into this,” Goldie said, sitting down and grabbing his right foot in his paws, cupping the inside and pad of the heel of his right foot in his left the outside edge and part of the ball of his foot in his right, pushing his right foot hard against the grip of his own paws, soon moaning, whimpering and curling his toes as enthusiastically as Ursula.

“I can see the sole of your left foot Goldie, toes curling tight and pads bunching tooo!” Ursula gasped, Mishka letting go of Ursula’s right foot so Goldie could see the toes and pads, exploring her gripping paws round the sole of her left foot as the she bear struggled hard.

“I can see yours too now Ursula, puuuuuush, puuush hard!” Goldie yelled.

“Get paws on with our feet and paws Mishka, and you Sita,” Ursula invited, Sita and Mishka getting paws on, the two huge bears wriggling and struggling harder than ever.

“My left foot wants to find the sole of my right!” Ursula squealed, “I can’t hold onto my foot anymore! Uuuuumf! It’s puuuuuuushing! Uauauauauw! think it wants the stuck foot game with my right!” With a yell, she let go of her left foot, her right leg bending in so the soles of both feet met,, Ursula wriggling and bouncing as her feet settled, sole and toe pads pressing,.

“Mine want the same tooo! My right foooot’s puuuuuuushing! Eyeyeyeyeyrmf! My toes curling so tight! They want to hold the toes of my left fooooot!” Goldie yelled, the toes of his right foot curling with effort as it pushed against his paws, those of his left curling with his effort. Goldie’s paws let go of his right foot, the bear grunting as his foot broke free of the grip of his powerful paws, both his feet meeting firmly sole pad to sole pad, toe pads pressing hard together, the huge brown bear wriggling and bouncing as his feet met.

“Now I’ve seen Nanuq playing the stuck foot game,” Goldie said, panting hard, “you work your toes free and then try tugging at your heels, and the toes of your right foot slip and are grabbed by those of your left, then, then, it’s a hard Tuuuuuug to freeyeee your feeyeeet!” the bear whimpered, “I wayayayant iyiyiyt all!” he yelled, bouncing about on his backside while holding the toes of both feet with his paws, Ursula giggling delightedly:

“So do I,” she replied, “and Goldie, you look so cubbish!” Goldie grinned:

“So do you Ursula, you’re holding your toes in your paws too!” the brown bear replied smiling.

“oh Goldie!” Ursula said, exploring her toes with her paws, “my toes, and yours too!” she said excitedly, “they have no claws! We can play without fear of hurting each other!” she said, clapping her paws.”

“I know,” Goldie replied softly, “it’s what happens round here. Our toes have claws on them, but we mostly walk round with them retracted. Try extending your claws on your paws and feet. Ursula tried, and realised with a delighted squeal that she could retract and extend her claws.

“is this something that happens when we become community members?” she asked.

“it is,” Patch replied, padding into the room and sitting down, “enjoy your safe play both of you.” with Mishka and Sita getting very paws on with their play, Goldie and Ursula played the single player stuck foot game as Nanuq had, prying at their pressed toes to free them, then at their heel pads until their right feet slipped so the toes of their left grabbed those of their right feet in a fierce grip. Both bears, squealing like cubs, tugged at the gripping toes of their left feet with both paws, then began to pry at the heels of both feet with their fingers, digging at their pads until their heels sprang free, then both grabbed their right feet in their paws, dragging the toes of their right feet free of the grip of their left. Like Nanuq before them, both found the effort of tugging their toes across the soles of their left feet very difficult, the effort making them pant and strain, both bears only getting the toes of their right feet to the heel of their left feet before their strength gave out, and Ursula let go of her right foot the toes of that foot clawing their way back to the grip of those of her left, which had relaxed to receive them, Ursula yelling in frustration as she scrabbled at the sole of her right foot with ineffectual paws. Groaning in frustration, she grabbed the sole of her right foot in her paws and tugged hard.

“toooes coming freeyeee of my toes, right toes across my left sole pad, puuuuuull! Puuuuuull uuuuursula! Puuuull hayayayrd! Heuuuuuumf!” she groaned, tugging furiously to free her right foot, the toes of her right foot flying free of her heel pad though she pressed them hard into the thick padding on the sole pad of her left foot. Gasping, Ursula rubbed the toes of her right foot with her paws, Goldie smiling and copying her to the letter, the toes of his own right foot caught by those of his left. Groaning, moaning and puffing like Ursula, Goldie found his feet were very well stuck together, Goldie taking a full ten minutes to drag the toes of his right foot free of their second spell in the prison made by the toes of his left foot and drag them along the sole of his left foot to his heel, the toes of his right foot dug into the soft pads of the sole pad of his left, the bear groaning and whimpering as he tugged and wriggled. Goldie squealed as he pulled hard, then grunted as the toes of his right foot finally were freed from the sole of his left, Sita paws on with his struggles throughout, just as Mishka had been with Ursula’s.

, “You two really believe in the struggle don’t you,” Shandy said.

“yes we do,” Ursula replied, “it’s part of the play, and we like it.”

“that was fun!” Goldie said, grabbing Ursula’s right foot in his paws, the she bear curling her toes with pleasure and pushing her foot into his warm grip as Goldie rubbed her pads.

“Fighting to free my foot from my paws was very strenuous Ursula,” he said.

“I know,” Ursula replied, “fighting to free my feet from themselves was good too,” she giggled, “dear Goldie, you looked so cute struggling to free your feet from themselves. I want to hug your feet with my paws,” Ursula said, Goldie crawling to her then kissing her nose and paws, the she bear giggling delightedly and hugging him.

“Come here Goldie!” Ursula said, kissing his nose and embracing him, Sita paws on with the brown bear’s left foot:

“awhwhwhwh Goldie, your toes curled when Ursula hugged you. The more she squeezes you, the tighter your toes curl!” Sita giggled.

“That’s very cute indeed,” Ursula said, reaching over then rubbing the heel of Goldie’s right foot, the male bear whimpering with pleasure.

“Your play with your own feet is so cute!” Shandy said, “shadow and I can’t play with our feet in the same way, we haven’t got the imagination you naturally born bears or humans have.”

“We’re computers Shandy,” shadow said, “we can do things over and over that Ursula and others can’t so that when cubs are born for real, they can give birth in safety.”

“I want to give birth to a breach cub, but I’m scared of it, though know I must literally, push on through my fear,” Shandy mewed, “Oh, Mishka, get paws on too,” she said.

“Good luck Shandy,” shadow said, kissing the ligress’s nose. Shandy groaned and lifted each hind foot in turn to curl and stretch her toes in discomfort, then began to growl and stamp her feet as the first contractions pushed her cub into its place, Mishka paws on with her feet and wriggling body.

“uuuuumf, uauauauauauwch! Heyuuuuuumf!” Shandy complained, Sushanti kissing the ligress’s sweating pads as she lifted her feet from the floor to flex and tightly curl her toes.

“aouwch! Aoaoaoaowch! Aouw! Aow! Aouwch!” Shandy yowled, writhing and squatting as she endured the contractions of a very fast labour. Sushanti, squatting beside her, wriggled and stamped with Shandy, even rolling onto her back with the other ligress, both big cats waving their paws about, Mishka paws on while Sushanti and Shandy wriggled, kicked, roared and yowled lustily, then Shandy struggled to her feet and squatted urgently with a yowl and grown.

“Push the cub down, push it!” Sushanti urged, Shandy catching her breath and straining down forcefully, screeching:

“ouououoch! Heuuuuuumf! Uauauauauaowch! Erhrhrhrhrumf! oawwowowowowch! It’s huuuurting meyeee!” as the cub’s feet jammed.

“the cub’s feet are coming first,” Sushanti said, “pant Shandy, pant!” Shandy gasped and panted, feeling another contraction building in her. With a wail of agony and fear she felt the cub being pressed from her, a grunt escaping her as she was forced to bear down a little, Sushanti gently kissing her nose.

“now the cub’s left foot is out, its right stuck,” she said, Shandy screeching with fright, panting harder than ever, feeling the cub’s stuck foot slide into the world.

“The cub’s feet are out now, now Shandy, settle your feet and paws and push hard and deeply, push as much as you want. Shandy pushed hard down, feeling the cub emerging with every effort she made.

“uuuuumf! Uuuuuuuumf! Aouwch! Herereeererrurururumf! Aow!” she complained as she pushed, Sushanti watching the progress of Shandy’s cub.

“that’s it Shandy dear, puuush!” Sushanti mewed, kissing the root of Shandy’s straining tail, lying down to catch the cub, watching Shandy’s feet as Shandy bounced on her toes between her efforts.

“one more push Shandy, one more push,” Sushanti said, Shandy splaying her legs to their limit, settling her feet and paws, then straining down hard.

“Aoaoaoaowch! Aoaoaoaoaoaoaoaow! Yeyeyeyeyeyeyeoaw!” she yowled as she strained, Mishka gently supporting the cub, just as Adsila had for Sushanti.

“that’s it, just one more push Shandy, big push for the cub’s head!” Sushanti urged, Shandy straining long and strongly with a rising moan and yowl:

“oooaoaoaoaoaoaomf, ayayayayayayaow!” Of effort which brought the cub’s head into the world, the cub’s head released suddenly like a cork from a bottle, the sound of its emergence making Shandy screech with fear.

”That’s it! Relax now mama,” Sushanti said, Shandy panting hard, whimpering pitifully then collapsing to the floor, just as Sushanti had. Sushanti washed Shandy’s face, feet and paws while Mishka gave Shandy’s cub to her and Shandy fed the cub she’d traumatically delivered, then the Animatronic ligress slept her cub and hugged Sushanti.

“I can do my job now,” Shandy said, “thanks to you Sushanti, I can do my job now.” Sushanti smiled broadly.

“You were wonderful Shandy,” she said softly, kissing Shandy’s nose and the pads of her paws, the sweat soaked ligress purring ecstatically.

“I hope you saw everything,” Shandy said.

“I did, and Mishka got paws on too,” Sushanti mewed.

“your bouncing feet and straining tail were very eloquent of your efforts Shandy,” Mishka said.

“Ah, you touched my feet,” Shandy mewed, “I thought you did, it felt good while I was bouncing about and squirming.” Mishka smiled:

“I loved it,” he said. Shandy looked up as Janet ran in, bubbling with excitement, literally bouncing on her toes like Moses did when he was excited.

“I’ve found the bit of code in your deep learning Shandy!” she said, “the bit where you had Raja and got scared and all, I’ve found it, and can replace the trauma with this good experience! If you’d want that,” she added.

“I do,” Shandy mewed, “but, please, don’t erase my love of Titan, for he is truly who I want to look up to,” Shandy replied, her eyes full of pleading. Janet knelt and hugged Shandy tightly.

“I’ll do that,” she said. Shandy slept soon after, Janet replacing Shandy’s fear during Raja’s birth with the soothing feelings she had with Sushanti, while keeping everything else the same. Shandy would remember Titan’s presence, but would have forgotten her fear during Raja’s birth. Janet ran the sequence several times on her screen to make sure Shandy’s two labours and the breach births of her cubs were gentle but still retained those who were there. Then she uploaded it into the space where the old traumatic code had been and closed out the ligress’s learning programme. Smiling, she checked her work one last time and then pressed the button to upload the latest iteration of Shandy’s life programme and wake the Animatronic ligress, the ligress waking in the next room with a prodigious yawn, getting to her feet and padding into the room.

“How do you feel Shandy?” Janet asked, the ligress looking at her steadily.

“I feel a weight off my mind,” Shandy replied, giving her paw to the human, Janet taking it in her hands, feeling its massive size and warmth, as well as its considerable weight.

“I can do my job now,” Shandy mewed, kissing Janet’s nose, Janet feeling her toes curling with emotion as she dropped the ligress’s huge paw, fell to her knees and, throwing her arms round Shandy, hugged the ligress as tightly as she could.

“I learnt not to hurt the cubs, and I thought I was going to hurt my cub when he came out backwards, so I struggled to free him as quickly as I could,” Shandy said, “I thought Titan wouldn’t work fast enough, he looked terrified! I strained into my tail and pulled the cub free, and was frightened of breach births until now. Now I can work as I’m meant to.”

“Your struggle to give birth to Raja was wonderful,” Janet said.

“I’d love for you to help me give birth to another cub,” Shandy said.

“I will, but you’ll need to refill with food and water and most of all, cubs first won’t you?” Janet asked.

“I will,” Shandy purred, “but I can still express my wish to deliver a cub into your hands can’t I? I’d love to do that for Patch too. Would he let me?” the ligress asked.

“I’m sure he would,” Janet replied, kissing Shandy’s nose and paws, the huge animatronic ligress purring and nuzzling her in return.

“Who teaches what happens if a human goes into labour?” Shandy asked.

“little Karina would have to act that,” Janet said, “though I gave birth here. Moses is my, um, cub, didn’t you know that?”

“Oh,” Shandy mewed, “I knew that Moses is your cub, but didn’t know you’d given birth here. I thought it was just a tale.”

“No, it happened here, as did human little Ekaterina’s birth,” Janet replied.

“Oh,” Shandy replied. Janet got to her feet, Shandy following her from the small room containing the computer which controlled her. Glancing at the computer on the way out, Shandy understood what she was in a flash and shivered at the thought of what would happen if it crashed.

“Janet, what would happen to me and Shadow if the computer broke?” Shandy asked nervously.

“You’d be okay, as you can work without the computer, it just holds my programming applications and the way of uploading to your brains. You’d be fine until I got a new one up and running, so , you have no danger of becoming inoperative. I have two online systems, and an offline redundant one that could be brought online within minutes. Blackberry’s mind was very fertile, and I had to build so much to protect you and the community, as much as himself.

“I’m glad of that,” Shandy mewed, “I don’t want to be dependent on a box for my life.” Janet looked at Shandy’s face, the animatronic ligress’s distress upsetting her.

“You know where you came from don’t you,” she said.

“I do, and so does shadow, but shadow’s too nervous to ask, as am I really,” Shandy mewed.

“I’ll back everything up and buy a new computer today, not that I need to, but I will, for you and Shadow, and the little ones too,” Janet said, hugging Shandy, who was now tearful.

“I’ve been teaching Sally how to code, and she’s joining me in coding for you, Shadow little Sita and little Karina,” Janet said softly, kissing Shandy’s nose and the tops of her paws.

“I’ll set myself up for more cubs now,” Shandy said. Janet helped Shandy set herself up for giving birth to more cubs, Shandy charging quickly from a quick charge point while Janet worked to replace her cubs. This done, Janet woke Shandy, the ligress yawning and stretching all four huge paws in her characteristic waking routine.

“I’m feeling like I could give birth to a thousand cubs,” Shandy mewed.

“You’re fine,” Janet replied softly, rubbing the ligress’s paws, the huge big cat squirming and purring with pleasure.

“What sort of labours can you have?” Janet asked.

“I can go quiet, or noisy, or push strongly or weakly. Be very still, or very active with pawing and rolling about,” Shandy replied, “I can yowl and cry, moan, groan and scream, roar and growl, or any of those. I can also try to tie my paws and feet in knots, pad about, bounce on my toes, squat, wriggle, everything.”

“I look forward to your reaction to the cubs as you labour to push them out into the world,” Janet said.

“I’m sure I will do everything I can to deliver them,” Shandy replied, “My only wish is for others to get paws on with me throughout.”

“has Shadow helped you through labours?” Janet asked.

“She has, she’s lovely,” Shandy mewed, “I’ve helped her too, pulled many cubs I have, I know how she curls her toes and how the pads on the soles of her feet bunch very well indeed as she has struggled to keep them out of my way as I pull a stuck cub while she pushes, or doesn’t push, depending on how exhausted she is. No matter how she pushes, Shadow always curls her toes very tightly, her feet,” Shandy giggled, “they’re so cute! I’ve seen them at very close range.”

“I’m glad you think so,” shadow said, padding in, kneeling then kissing Shandy’s ear. Janet looked down at Shadow’s feet, kneeling and tracing the edge of the black sole pad of the she bear’s left foot, round her heel to the ball, along the gap made by the bridge formed by the gap between sole and toe pads, and round to where she’d started at Shadow’s heel, watching the she bear curling her toes and bouncing her bum on her heels while she squirmed and giggled with pleasure.

“You Janet could programme Shandy and me however you want, heavy footed cats and light footed bears,” Shadow giggled.

“I love these bear feet, and I love cat paws and feet too,” Janet said, smiling as her fingers were caught in the grip of the suddenly curled toes of Shadow’s left foot on their third circuit round the she bear’s sole pad.

“Would you rub my feet while I moan and yowl through my labour shadow?” Shandy asked.

“I will,” Shadow replied.

“I’d like to see how you help Shandy, if that’s okay Shadow,” Janet replied.

“I’ll help her,” shadow replied, “I like helping Shandy, she’s very cute and very expressive, and I love her paws and feet like she loves mine.” Shandy smiled broadly.

“I’ve always wondered what it would be like to give birth to a bear cub,” the ligress said, “would that be possible Janet?”

“yes,” Janet replied, “and Shadow could give birth to big cat cubs too. Indeed, little karina could give birth to your cubs and you to hers.”

“I suppose little karina would be the closest to a human for training purposes,” Shadow said.

“yes,” Janet replied, “If you can safely deliver a Felursapien cub, you can deliver a human baby.”

“I’m going now,” shadow said, releasing Janet’s fingers and crawling from the room, Shandy chasing after Shadow and blowing on the upturned soles of her large ursine feet, shadow squealing with laughter as she turned and grabbed Shandy, both ligress and bear rolling on the floor of Shandy’s lie up in play, tickling the pads and toes of each other’s feet and paws with their breath, both laughing helplessly as they played, embracing each other in a tight hug at the end, then, with some solemnity, each kissed the tickle from the other’s toes and pads.

“You two are so cute!” Janet said, stroking the backs of the two creatures.

“I wonder where little Karina and little Sita are?” Shadow asked.

“I think they’re still at Mishka’s treehouse with Anook,” Ursula said.

“I think we should go there and leave Shadow and Shandy so Shadow can help Shandy give birth to her cubs,” Goldie said, kissing Ursula’s nose, the she polar bear smiling broadly.

“I would love to get paws on with Shadow while she re-enacted the birth of my cubs,” Ursula said.

“I’ll have to change my fur,” shadow said, “I am dressed as a black bear at the moment, I can dress as a polar bear for that re-enactment.”

“awww thanks,” Ursula said, crawling to Shadow and hugging her.

“I can also react to a different name too,” shadow replied, “after all, a polar bear named Shadow would be silly wouldn’t it.” Ursula kissed shadow’s nose and paws, the black bear smiling broadly.

“So you would become me for a bit,” Ursula replied.

“Only until I’d delivered your cubs into the world,” shadow replied softly, returning Ursula’s kiss, the she polar bear’s toes curling with emotion.

“I’m looking forward to this,” Ursula said.

“Are we not allowed to pretend to have cubs now then?” Goldie asked.

“I’ll still do it,” Nanuq replied, padding into the room then kissing Goldie’s nose, the male brown bear feeling his fingers and toes curling with sudden thrilling desire for the large polar bear, “I’ll do it still, and so will Flocke,” Nanuq continued.

“Good,” Mishka replied, “so will I.” Shadow padded from the room, returning to her own lie up.

Later that day, in Nanuq’s lie up, Ursula and he were getting to know each other.

“You have cute paws Nanuq,” Ursula said, handling his right paw in hers, “they’re smooth soled, like mine, I have the idea we’re not true polar bears. We might look like polar bears, but our feet and paws, well, they’re smooth padded! Nanuq, I know I’ve touched your pads before, but,,,”

“come,” Nanuq said, holding out his left foot to Ursula, who took it in her paws.

“you’re,,, a, um,” Ursula said, her eyes screaming at him to treat her gently.

“Not a true polar bear, I know,” Nanuq replied, leaning forward then kissing her nose, “I’m a brown bear polar bear cross, my sire was a polar bear, my mama was a brown bear. Yours too I think?” Ursula nodded, her eyes troubled:

“I’ve been wondering why my feet and paws aren’t what they should be, and why I liked all sorts of foods rather than just seals and other fatty stuff,” she admitted, “it’s worried me my whole life!” she added.

“come here,” Nanuq said, gathering her into a huge embrace, Ursula snuggling unashamedly into his huge hug, bracing her toes against the floor to push herself harder into his hug.

“I wish my toes were rough padded like a polar bears!” she squealed as they slipped on the floor as she pushed harder than ever to increase her hug. Nanuq, watching her feet, giggled as her toes slipped on the so called, non-slip tiled floor, Ursula half collapsing against him, her toes curling with frustration and effort.

Naoaoaoaow my toooes sliyiyiyipped!” Ursula screamed cubbishly, while Nanuq laughed helplessly.

“It’s nooaoaoaot fuuuunny!” Ursula yelled, Nanuq kissing her nose.

“want me to rub those slippery toes?” he asked softly, Ursula shivering with pleasure as Nanuq’s left paw explored the pad on the heel of her right foot.

“If I squeaeaze myself a little more closer, you can ruub my toooes!” the she bear gasped. Nanuq stretched his fingers, Ursula feeling their tips touching the gap between the sole pad and toe pads of her left foot. Whimpering, she desperately curled her toes, holding the tips of Nanuq’s fingers in their grip, her face full of concentration.

“I wayayayayant to hold onto youuuuu!” she whimpered, Nanuq kissing her nose:

“Dear Ursula, you’re so sweet!” he said, “Would you like to come with me to a place my sire and I created for polar bears in old times?”

“I’d like that,” Ursula replied, “what is it?”

“I’ll show you,” Nanuq said, “it’s a rather underused place now we’re all community polar bears, it was built for wild bears to acclimatise, but, well, now we all like our home comforts a bit too much. I know I do,” the huge male bear whispered into Ursula’s ear, her head resting against his, her arms round his body. Embracing him tightly in her excitement, Ursula felt Nanuq’s left paw rubbing the smooth sole of her right foot, the sensation making her eyes tightly close with bliss.

“I need to roughen up these pads though,” Nanuq said, “you’ll slide about where we’re going.”

“I don’t have to put something on my feet do I?” Ursula asked with some anxiety.

“No, just rub some special cream into your pads before walking on the ground in this place, so you don’t, um, slip like I did when I ran in from patrolling after Soo Lee’s birth,” Nanuq replied gently, “Dear Ursula, why are you so anxious about covering your feet and paws?” he asked suddenly.

“I’m not!” she snapped, but then, sighing, she relented, “all right, I am,” she admitted, “Nanuq, when I was, well, blind, I found I liked my paws and feet bare, I mean, really liked it. now I have sight again, and grateful for it as I am, right from my ears to my bare bear feet, I want my feet and paws to remain bare. Sometimes, sometimes, and this might sound strange, but sometimes, my eyes seem to clothe my pads in fur! Sometimes they deaden the touch under my feeyeeet and I don’t like iyiyiyiyiyt!” she suddenly raged. Nanuq hugged her tighter still, soothing what he felt to be a troubled spirit.

“You learnt a lot in a short time didn’t you,” he said softly.

“I did, and now I’m forgetting it, my eyes are making me forget it all, and I don’t wayayayant tooo!” Ursula wept, pushing her left foot hard against Nanuq’s paw, as if to emphasise her point.

“Are you saying you’d rather be blind?” Nanuq asked.

“no, well, I don’t know what I want,” Ursula whimpered, “I learnt so much during that time, touch, play, everything. It was short, but, well, I miss my paws and feet how they used to be!” the she bear sniffled, “I know it sounds ungrateful, I know it sounds awful, I know it’s wrong, I’m sorry for it, but I can’t deny my feelings.”

“it is possible to experience what you wish,” Patch said, padding into the room, “I won’t blind you again Ursula, but walk into Nanuq’s world, and he will show you what he knows to be true. You are talking to the bear who’s sire taught him how to play using his paws and feet and with his paws and feet into adulthood. His mama couldn’t understand what Nanuq senior was up to, indeed she resented his play with his son somewhat. The bear you have before you knows so much, knowledge he can only impart through his paws and feet, as even Nanuq hasn’t the words to describe what he knows.”

“You played in the dark didn’t you,” Ursula whispered.

“I did,” Nanuq replied, “my sire and I played in this special place, in a den in that place, barefooted, we played with each other’s paws and feet, and we were warm and comfortable, despite the cold in that dark place.”

“you and your sire played like polar bears have for generations in their dens,” Ursula said.

“yes,” Nanuq replied softly.

“You know more games than just the snow ones don’t you?” Ursula asked.

“I know all you know,” Nanuq replied, “stuck foot games a plenty.” Ursula buried her head in Nanuq’s thick fur.

“Can I stay here forever?” she asked, “you all know what the touch is here, I like it here,” she begged.

“You have a home here Ursula, that is understood,” Patch replied softly.

“I feel warm now,” Ursula mumbled, her insecurities plain to Nanuq. Nanuq rubbed Ursula’s back, the she bear bracing her toes afresh to push herself into his hug.

“You might fall again,” Nanuq said, kissing the top of her head.

“I muuuuust puuush with my feeyeeet!” Ursula whimpered, pushing hard with her toes, Nanuq hugging her tightly.

“Take me to that place,” Ursula pleaded, Nanuq crawling away, Ursula following him as if pulled by a rope.

“I left Bjorn and Allie with Moses and Ekaterina in the playroom,” Patch thought as he watched Ursula and Nanuq go, “last time I saw them they were tickling each other’s toes and playing the stuck foot games. I hope Nanuq teaches Ursula those games in the snows.”

Nanuq took Ursula to the snow room, helping her rub special cream into the pads of her paws and feet, something that he made almost as pleasurable as his hug had been, Ursula humming with contentment like a nursing cub.

“Okay dear cub, that’s all done,” he said playfully as he rubbed the cream into the sole of her left foot, Ursula shaking herself.

“Why call me cub?” she asked without ranker.

“You should have heard yourself,” Nanuq replied smiling.

“Was I humming like a nursing cub?” Ursula asked, “I was miles away.”

“yes you were, and it was so cute,” Nanuq replied kissing her nose, Ursula catching her breath.

Smiling, Nanuq led her across the room to a large metal door and opened the door. They stepped into another room, which Ursula found quite bare and a little frightening.

“What’s this place?” Ursula asked, stopping Nanuq from closing the door behind them.

“It’s an airlock,” Nanuq replied, to stop the ice room chilling the house and the house warming the ice room. I’ll stay with you Ursula, nothing will harm you,” he said softly, kissing her ear.

“I feel as nervous as a new mama in the first stages of labour!” Ursula whimpered.

“I know, I can feel it,” Nanuq replied, “dear Ursula, you’re going back to a world I think you knew once before.”

Nanuq closed the door behind them and Ursula padded to the door in front of her, which opened, the female polar bear padding into a white world of blowing snow and wild wind. Nanuq followed her, closing the door behind him. Ursula padded to a mound near the back wall and, kneeling, began digging at the seemingly solid wall of snow in front of her with her paws while Nanuq rubbed the soles of her feet as Ursula dug furiously at the wall of snow in front of her with frantic paws. Suddenly the wall gave way, and the den was open, Ursula crawling in, a moan of pain escaping her, Nanuq, thinking he had a good idea what she was upset about, crawling in after her, thinking his feet unusually heavy as he crawled, though putting it down to snow accumulation on his pads. Once in the den, Nanuq turned and rebuilt the snow door, then watched Ursula, who was struggling with her emotions.

“Oh, Nanuq, has the snow fallen off your feet yet?” Allie asked.

“the snow wasn’t snow was it,” he said, “you two hitched a lift on my feeyeeet! Just like you did in that room ages ago. I thought my feet had picked up snow on them, and it was that I could feel pressing my pads, but no, two cubs! two mischievous lovely cubs, come here both of you!” Nanuq commanded, rolling onto his back, Bjorn and Allie going to him and climbing aboard, the huge polar bear embracing them both in his huge paws.

“They can be yours too, if you want,” Ursula said, Nanuq urgently grooming Bjorn from nose to tail, the male cub giggling helplessly throughout.

Happy cubs,” Ursula sighed contentedly, snuggled up to Nanuq as she was, “I like the sound of that.”

“We do too! A great deal!” a muffled voice yelled, the wall at the den entrance collapsing, the little group seeing Goldie’s paws, then his head topped by a ridiculous hat poke itself into the den, “I’m freeeyeezing out here, I don’t like things on my paws and feeyeeet, it’s horrid!” the brown bear said, “but, my paws and feet are almost frozen! The snow! Iyiyiyt’s Soaoaoaoao payiyiyiyynful on my paaaaws and feeyeeet, and my paaaaws and feeyeeet are all slippery tooo!” Goldie wailed, while Allie and Bjorn laughed helplessly.

“Goldie’s poor paaaaws!” they teased.

“You’re all right, you’re polar bears!” Goldie whimpered, sitting down outside the den, his whole form blocking the doorway, snow blowing onto his back, Allie and Bjorn hugging his paws and feet in turn in their tiny paws.

“Mum, could we get Goldie in here?” Allie asked.

“It’s not that big in here,” Ursula replied.

“Well dig at the wall beside you, and it might be bigger,” Nanuq suggested. Ursula dug, and the wall beside her fell away after about five minutes.

“I can rebuild,” Nanuq said, “now we have enough room for Goldie. Crawl in here big fellow. Goldie crawled into the den, and Nanuq walled the entrance up again. Goldie felt warm breath playing over the pads of his feet, a larger stream and two smaller ones, the smaller ones tickling his toes.

“the two smaller streams of warm breath are from Allie and Bjorn, and the larger one, probably Ursula breathing on my pads,” he thought. Wiggling his toes, Goldie rolled so he sat down in the den.

“Poor polar bear cubs, born in a freezing den in the depths of winter!” Goldie gasped. “ I’d scream loudly if I was born in this place!” he said, rubbing his feet with his paws.

“indeed, I may have done when I was a cub, can’t remember that far back,” Ursula replied, then, biting her lip, she looked at Nanuq in the half light of the den, “shit Nanuq, don’t!” Ursula whimpered, Nanuq hugging her.

“you remember everything about being taken from the wild don’t you Ursula,” he said gently, Ursula’s response making him want to cry. Burying her face in his shoulder, she wept inconsolably.

“Three months old, just out the den,” Nanuq said softly, Ursula pressing herself hard into his hug, her trembling and weeping telling him he was correct, “fear, cold, lonely time,” the massive bear continued, stroking Ursula’s back with his paw, “here you are safe Ursula, here you will not be taken from your home.”

“I wish I was a cub again, so I could be born in a den like this and have a polar bear mama, like it was supposed to be,” Ursula said through her tears.

“is that what you hoped I could do for you?” Nanuq asked, Ursula’s wail of pain telling him he was right.

“oh,” Nanuq said, his eyes full of tenderness towards Ursula, “you want me to do what Titan did for Apudo?”

“I can’t ask it, I can’t even, though I suppose I already have, voiced my thoughts to you directly Nanuq,” Ursula replied miserably.

“Dear Ursula, I can’t do what Titan did. I can’t miniaturise you and rebirth you like he did Apudo,” Nanuq said softly to the now weeping she bear.

“if I gave you the power you could,” a silken voice said in Nanuq’s ear, whiskers tickling the soft inner fur. Nanuq squealed with fright like a week old cub and looked round, a curious sight meeting his eyes. Titan sat in the den, though he didn’t look like himself. The liger was muffled to the muzzle in a thick white coat with only the pads of his paws, feet and his nose, tail and whiskers showing, as Nanuq saw when the huge liger lay down. Nanuq felt his toes curling with pleasure at the site of the liger, the curious sight of a white big cat with black pads and nose very cute to him, even though Titan was shivering with cold.

“Titan, why not send Dhaulagiri or Ceba with your Message?” Nanuq asked.

“Because I want to deliver this sort of message in person, and anyway, I would never dream of asking others to convey my words, they aren’t my slaves,” Titan mewed, shivering violently despite his winter apparel.

“Get back indoors and warm up for Eohippus sake!” Nanuq begged.

“how did you get here Titan?” Goldie asked.

“Oh, door in the rear,” Titan gasped, “always a door, is the rules. Now, got to go, freezing pads, cold nose, freezing toes!” he yowled, turning and bolting.

“Poor Tiggie,” Goldie giggled.

“Would you help me Nanuq?” Ursula asked.

“I will, however you want me to,” Nanuq replied softly as the door in the wall at the back of the den slammed shut. Suddenly there was the sound of pained yowling from the other side. Nanuq and the others, looking at the liger through a peephole, watched him struggling, having seen the tip of the liger’s tail sticking through the rubber seal on the door. Listening hard, Nanuq heard the sound of banging and scrabbling as Titan attacked the door with all four paws, then there was a scrabbling sound as the liger, as a last resort, turned his back on the door trying to pull his tail free by traction alone. bracing his feet against the floor, digging in the toes of all four paws, Titan tugged hard at his trapped tail, arching his back and yowling:

“yayayayayayayaayow! Aouwayayayayayayaayow! Riaow! Riaiaiaiaiaow!” Yaoaoaoaoaoaw!” with effort, panting, spitting and miaowing between efforts. Nanuq, knowing the door opened both ways, opened it by pulling it towards him, unfortunately just as Titan was at the peak of his effort to pull his tail free. A yowling scream of effort turned into one of surprise as the liger pitched head over paws as his tail was suddenly freed by Nanuq opening the door a fraction. Laughing helplessly, Nanuq slammed the door and leant against it, just in time to avoid frothy retribution, having seen Titan squirming on the floor, waving his paws about, the bear only slamming the door just in time to avoid the liger who leapt to his feet and turned back to the door, leaping clear of the ground and beating on it with his paws and both feet while swearing at their laughter.

“I hayayayayayte Youououoaw!” Titan raged, his huge paws beating on the door while Nanuq, safe on the other side, laughed helplessly.

“you don’t mean it,” Nanuq said after switching on the two way intercom.

“No, not really, but hell Nanuq, please, next time give me some warning!” Titan moaned, landing on all four paws after another tremendous leap, “there I am, yowling and tugging, when you open the door and I go head over paaaaws!” the liger miaowed.

“Cute pads you have,” Nanuq replied, remembering how Titan had squirmed on his back for a while after his landing,, showing the bear his pads in great detail.

“Oh never mind my payayayds!” Titan raged, but then he calmed down suddenly, “I’m glad you like them though,” he added gratefully. Nanuq grinned, Titan seeing his smile.

“I love your pads and you know it,” he said.

“Well I love yours too,” Titan mewed.

“awww, that’s so sweet!” Allie giggled. Nanuq opened the door, went through, closed it and, kneeling, hugged Titan tightly, the liger purring and squirming with pleasure like he was the world’s biggest cub.

“Would you let me look at and touch your pads?” Nanuq asked, Titan rolling onto his back, Nanuq kissing the pads of each one of Titan’s paws and feet, feeling the heat of the liger’s struggle in them.

“These paws and feet are very cute,” Nanuq said softly, Titan mewing and purring with deep pleasure.

“I struggled so hard to free my tail,” Titan mewed.

“I can feel the heat of it in your pads,” Nanuq replied, wild washing Titan’s pads, the liger catching his breath, then covering his face with his paws to hide a rush of tears.

“You soppy old Tiggie,” Nanuq said, kissing the toes of Titan’s left foot, the liger chuffing and purring with pleasure.

“I love your pads Titan,” Nanuq said, gently exploring each of Titan’s feet in turn with his paws, the liger mewing, wriggling and chuffing with pleasure.

“I’m all hot in this suit now,” Titan mewed.

“I could wash the whole of you,” Nanuq suggested. Titan smiled and Nanuq unzipped the suit, freeing the liger from it, then very gently, he began to wash from Titan’s ears to his pads, the liger enjoying the wild wash, mewing, purring and chuffing throughout the half an hour Nanuq spent washing his fur and paw pads. This done, Nanuq slipped back into the cold den, Titan watching him go with regret.

“what took you so long?” Ursula asked after Nanuq closed the airtight door behind him.

“Oh, a pad wash and a fur wash for my leader,” Nanuq replied smiling, knowing they had seen everything.

“That liger is so cute!” Ursula said, Goldie looking shocked.

“Don’t be so worried Goldie, Titan loves to be told he’s cute,” Nanuq laughed.

“but you just got down on the floor and hugged him, grooming him too!” Goldie replied incredulously.

“Try it yourself,” Nanuq replied, “when you’re with Titan and you feel the time is right, try asking him if you can kiss his paws and groom him. That is if he doesn’t ask you first, which I think he’s always too embarrassed to do I think. Titan wants to groom others, but can’t bring himself to ask it of anyone.”

“I get the feeling he doesn’t think he’s worthy of asking anything of anyone,” Ursula said, “I’d gladly wash him. After all, cats know how to wash don’t they, and I think Titan needs some tender time with his community.” Goldie smiled:

“Always ask him to rasp your pads after his washing,” Ursula said, “if you don’t, you won’t be able to walk, as his saliva has a sheen affect which makes you slip all over the place.”

“How do you know?” Nanuq asked, his eyes sparkling.

“Um, I saw him washing himself once, and, well he forgot to rasp his own pads, and poor Titan, when he got to his huge gorgeous paws, slipped all over the place!” Ursula laughed.

“I wouldn’t laugh at our leader,” Goldie said.

The dreadful sound of fearful yowling coming rapidly closer to the snow wall blocking the entrance of the den made everyone look round, Ursula yelling:

“Incoming Tiggie!” just before the wall collapsed, to reveal Titan sitting on the ground, leaning back hard on his backside, looking absolutely terrified, the toes of all four paws curled ineffectually in an effort to grip a sheet of ice. The liger, having slid round at the last minute so he was broadside on to the wall, crashed sideways into the wall of snow, demolishing it. Ursula braced her paws against Titan’s shoulder, stopping the liger’s slide, the heels of her own large feet dug into the snow.

“I walked in here, and, and, my feet slipped, and then I was on my bum, and I slid across the ice, and my feeyeeet won’t grip, and now I’ve bust the den!” the poor liger whimpered, while everyone fell about laughing, Allie and Bjorn literally on their backs waving their paws and feet in the air.

“Why come back in when you have no coat!” Ursula asked, watching as the poor liger began to shiver.

“I wanted, wanted to come back to see you all again,” Titan mewed, “now, now, now I’m freeeyeezing!”

“Here is no place for a liger,” Nanuq said, Titan screwing his eyes shut as a blizzard of snow blew into his face.

“No, I know that now!” the poor liger whimpered, “I thought I could take the cold, but ouauauauauauw! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!” Titan wailed.

“Go into the warm Titan,” Ursula said, “go and get warm. we all admire you for wanting to be with your community, but here is not the place for you. Ursula hugged Titan, kissed his nose, then turned the liger onto his back in the shelter of the den entrance, breathing on his pads and then pushing him towards the back door in the den. Titan, mewing pitifully, left the den.

“I’ll go after him, Ursula said getting to her feet, “here is no place for a liger, I’ll make sure he hasn’t got frostbite on his poor pads.”

“that’s why I love Titan,” Nanuq replied softly, “he follows two humans up the platforms to help them get up the zip wires, then has to get rescued because he doesn’t like heights. Titan then goes into the ice and snow and nearly freezes his paws and feet off to be with us bears.”

“there was ice on his fur!” Goldie exclaimed.

“I bet there was balls of snow between his toes and pads,” Ursula replied, “a good warm bathe of his paws and feet will sort him out.”

“I think I’ll go too,” Nanuq said, crawling towards the door. Allie and Bjorn, seeing him leaving, jumped on his huge leathery padded feet, clinging to the pads with their paws and feet, Nanuq smiling at their eagerness to get to his pads.

“You have pads like mum’s!” Bjorn said, “Nanuq, we love mum’s pads, and yours too.” Nanuq laughed merrily and curled his toes, feeling the toes of the two cubs settling into the grip of his own.

“Trap our toes Nanuq, hold them and pull us along with you,” Allie begged.

“My toooes awe twapped!” Bjorn laughed, Allie giggling delightedly.

“I have to go with Ursula,” Nanuq said.

“I’m all right Nanuq,” Titan said, walking back into the den with Ursula. Nanuq hugged the huge liger, who was dressed once more in his warm weather gear.

“thank you for going to such lengths to be with your community,” Nanuq said, kissing Titan’s nose.

“I wish I liked heights and my pads didn’t get so cold!” Titan whimpered.

“Go to your lie up and warm up,” Nanuq said softly, pushing Titan towards the door, the liger leaving with a full heart.

“he loves us,” Goldie said, “that’s why we made him leader you know Nanuq. Titan’s so beautiful both in and out. “I think we should go to the playroom, here is a lovely place, but I want to go to the warmth of the house again.” Everyone left, Ursula and Nanuq leaving last, Ursula turning to Nanuq, the huge male polar bear covering her paw with his.

“I will help you if you wish it,” he said, Ursula looking very ashamed.

“I shouldn’t even have mentioned it, I can’t ask it of you,” she replied.

A little later, Titan lay in his lie up, picking ice balls from between his pads, Nanuq helping him, Titan torn between independence and wishing to let the huge polar bear handle his paws and feet, which he knew the polar bear could feel he loved.

Some hours later, in another lie up, Kuaizi sat on the floor, cradling her right foot in her paws, moaning and squeezing the pads and tightly curled toes of her right foot in both paws as labour pains made her close her eyes and grind her teeth. Panting as the pain eased, she rubbed the sole of her foot with her left paw while releasing the toes from the fierce grip of her right, uncurling her toes for the thousandth time from their increasingly permanent tightly curled state. Suddenly she threw herself backwards onto her back, rolling from side to side, pedalling the air with her feet while holding her belly with her paws. Groaning, she drew up her legs, grabbing her right foot in her paws then rubbing the sole, moaning pitifully as she did so. She’d got in cub to Geming, an older panda in the community. Kuaizi knew she was very young to be in cub, but Geming was so gentle to her, now she lay on her back in her lie up, the pains of labour heralding impending motherhood, Kuaizi wondering if she’d done the right thing. Now the pains came every hour or so, lasting for about a minute, making her moan and curl her toes. Kuaizi knew she was expressive, she’d always been told to be so, ever since she was a cub. now, barely out of cubhood herself, she was being expressive as she’d been when playing and those playing with her had rubbed her pads and given her pleasure. Now she was struggling not to cry out in an effort to hide her pain. Despite this, the young sow panda knew she could not hide her labour for the duration. Kuaizi knew she would be screaming the place down very soon, and knew too that she had as much chance of silencing her vocalisations as she had of stopping the birth of her cub.

“uuuuuuuuaumf!” Kuaizi groaned as she wriggled and pedalled at the air with her feet for the thousandth time, then with a scream and roar:

“ayayayayaywch! Oaoaoaoaoawch! Rayiaiaiaiow!” Kuaizi kicked even harder, drawing up her knees and writhing, reaching desperately for the soles of both feet with her paws, knowing things had changed forever with the new sensations she felt. Gripping the soels of both feet with desperate paws and tightly curling her toes, Kuaizi wriggled, screaming and moaning through her pain. When it eased, she panted hard, releasing her fierce grip on her feet, uncurling her toes, Getting to her feet and padding about her den, leaving it and padding to Ye Jie’s lie up, where she found the older panda sleeping. Nudging her, Kuaizi faught to stifle a moan of pain.

“Kuaizi?” Shadow asked.

“Don’t be so bloody stupid Yi Jie, of course I am!” Kuaizi snapped, ”I got in cub to Geming, and now it’s huuuurting!” the young sow panda whimpered, stamping her feet. Shadow got to her feet, shook herself, then sat down.

“Want to spend some time here?” she asked, “labour might be a long process. I haven’t had cubs myself, but I know it can be.” Kuaizi ground her teeth and sat down.

“I don’t want to push yet Yi Jie, but it’s already so ayayayayaywch!” Kuaizi yelled, wriggling and rocking on her backside, her toes tightly curled and paws bunched into fists.

“I’ll look after you,” Shadow said, hugging Kuaizi.

“Kuaizi thinks I’m Yi Jie, now’s not the time to disabuse her of that,” Shadow thought. She’d dressed herself as a panda to see if the real pandas would notice she wasn’t one of them, and it seemed she was blending in. Shadow knew she’d have to be very careful not to upset Kuaizi. Smiling, Shadow rubbed Kuwaizi’s sweating paws as the young sow panda moaned and wriggled through her pains.

“you’re very vocal,” Shadow said.

“I’m in a lot of payiyiyyiyin!” Kuaizi whimpered, Shadow hugging her tightly, “Uuuuuuuuhuuuuuumf!” Kuaizi moaned, wriggling hard, her toes tightly curled with pain. Kneeling before Shadow, Kuaizi leant into her, her arms round the older panda’s neck as she struggled with her pains. Sitting back on her heels, Kuaizi moaned deeply, wriggling as hard as she could. Suddenly she felt a kiss placed on the sweating sole of her left foot, then a tongue gently washing both her feet from heel pads to toes, followed by gentle drying by warm breath. As this was in the midst of the worst contraction yet, Kuaizi couldn’t look round to see who’d washed her pads, but Shadow saw all, and nearly cried out with surprise. Shadow had never properly met Titan, and to see the huge liger pad in, lie down, then wash the sweating pads of a labouring mother surprised her. she remembered being present at the liger’s ascendency, but hadn’t really got to meet him. Now here he was, washing the pads of a labouring mama as if he were the humblest cub in the community. Shadow stared at Titan, the huge liger looking calmly back at her.

“you’re huge!” Shadow said, Titan smiling then kissing the top of Kuwaizi’s head.

“Kuaizi, you have a liger sitting behind you,” Shadow said.

“Can I watch a cub being born?” Titan asked.

“uuuuumf, yeyeyeyeyes,” Kuaizi moaned pitifully.

“I’ll keep paws off,” Titan mewed, kissing the heel pad of Kuwaizi’s right foot, the sow panda panting hard as she faught not to cry out.

“You must think me a wimp,” she gasped.

“No, I whimpered, roared and cried Kuaizi,” Titan mewed, “it’s okay to do that you know.” Kuaizi risked turning to sit down and look at Titan.

“Was it you who washed my feet while I strained a few minutes back?” she asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed, “I can’t deny it was me.”

“”oh,” Kuaizi replied, her voice cracking.

“Did I do wrong?” Titan asked.

“No, Uuuhuuuumf! Aoaoaoaow! My cub’s cooooming!” Kuaizi screamed, leaning back into Shadow’s hug and pushing hard down into her bottom for the first time. Titan saw Kuwaizi’s toes curl with the sow panda’s effort, as well as the strain in her face and belly as she pushed down. Roaring, Kuaizi strained and wriggled twice more, Titan watching with wide eyes.

“it must be a big cub,” he thought, as Kuaizi panted and squirmed, then suddenly lunged at him, grabbing him in a fierce bear hug. Titan sat down quickly and dug in his toes as the panda leant into him, Kuaizi squealing and roaring with effort as she strained hard. Titan, able to see everything that was going on, closely observed Kuwaizi’s struggles, the tightly curled toes of both feet and her bunched pads speaking volumes. Lifting one paw, Titan reached out then rubbed the sweating pads of Kuwaizi’s left foot as the sow panda panted, squealed and moaned lustily through her efforts.

“The cuuuuub’s coming, iyiyiyt’s cooooming! Oaoaoaoaowch! Uuuuumf! Heuuuuuumf! Aouw! Ouauaoauoauoauow! Uuuuumf! Uuuhuuuumf!” Kuaizi screamed, holding Titan in the fiercest bear hug he’d ever felt. Titan, his eyes wide with surprise, watched as, kneeling forward, her weight supported by him, Kuaizi strained hard down with renewed urgency, her cries of:

“uuuuumf! Uuuhuuuumf! Auauauauauwuuuuuumf!” nearly deafening him. Then it happened, in the midst of a huge effort from the sow panda, an effort which made her squeal, moan and hug him more desperately than ever, while Titan withdrew his paw from her foot and curled the toes of all four huge paws into the floor, the cub’s head emerged. Titan thought Kuaizi would give birth to the huge cub with one effort, but the contraction failed her and, taking a deep breath, Kuaizi strained again with a yowl of effort and pain, her cub jamming tight, then coming into the world with a sudden rush under the force of a third huge effort from the sow panda, Kuwaizi’s strident cry of effort and triumph echoing off the walls as Shadow caught the cub in her paws. Titan eased his curled toes, easing one paw and foot at a time, realising his own pads were sweating as much as those of the labouring Panda. The cub’s strident cries made Kuaizi instantly anxious, the sow panda pushing Titan away with such force it laid the liger full length on his back with his paws sticking skywards. Ignoring Titan’s miaow of protest, Kuaizi turned to her cub to attend to its needs, snatching the cub from Shadow while she laughed so hard tears ran down her face.

“Look at Titan, look at the Tiggie!” Shadow yelled, pointing at Titan with her paw, Titan still sprawled on his back on the floor, pedalling the air with his huge paws and feet while squirming in efforts to roll over, yowling pitifully at this sudden indignity.

“What the ‘ell’s going on in ‘ere?” Zalika asked, charging in from their lie up.

“Kuaizi, Zalika, look at the Silly Tiggie!” Shadow guffawed, clapping her paws. Titan rolled onto his chest, then got to his feet, towering over Shadow.

“So I’m a silly Tiggie?” he asked in a growl which made Shadow sweat with fear.

“Um, ah, no, um, soaoaoaoaorry!” Shadow babbled, closing her eyes in fear. Suddenly the she panda felt her head clamped in a huge set of paws. The sensation was like being held in a firm but spongey vice. Then she felt a kiss placed on her nose. Opening her eyes, she saw Titan in his full majesty, and, lying down though he was, she saw he was no silly Tiggie, though his touch hinted at some amusement, as did the large gentle eyes which looked into hers.

“That’s better,” Titan mewed, “I don’t like seeing fear.”

“I insult you so can’t expect gentility!” Shadow squealed.

“you spoke the truth, I did look silly,” Titan mewed, “It was only when I got paws on with your head did I see what you had, and yes, it was very funny from your angle.”

“you were flung away by Kuaizi!” Shadow replied.

“I was,” Titan mewed, releasing Shadow’s head, dropping his paws to her lap, crossing them, then resting his chin on the furred top of his left paw, Shadow plonking her paws on the top of the liger’s head then rubbing his ears, without really knowing why she did so.

“You’re just a big lap cat!” Shadow giggled.

“Lap cat? Now that’s insulting!” Titan growled, but though his voice shook the floor, the sow panda knew from his touch his heart wasn’t in it,.

“I loved the sight of the pads on soles of your paws,” Shadow said, Titan purring ecstatically at the mention of his pads, of which he was ridiculously fond.

“I’m glad you liked them,” he said, “I haven’t quite processed all I went through during Kuwaizi’s labour and the birth of her cub. I felt and saw so much, it will take time to process what I felt.”

“I felt so much, it’ll take time for me to sort out my end of things,” Kuaizi said, “Titan, your touch and washing my pads was very lovely.”

“’ow did you end up on youw back with youw paws in the aiw Titan?” Zalika asked.

“I flung him there,” Kuaizi admitted ashamedly.

“Why you does that?” Zalika asked.

“I used him as a labour partner, then flung him away when my cub was born,” Kuaizi whimpered.

“That’s ‘orrid, you piebald pest!” Zalika yowled, Titan coughing violently to stop himself laughing.

“I’s sewious Titan!” Zalika yowled, “’ow comes you lets ‘ur do what she does to you?” Titan, close to falling about laughing, dismissed his cub with a wave of his huge left paw, Zalika huffing at him.

“I’m fine Zalika, Kuaizi didn’t mean disrespect,” he mewed.

“I’s gonna watch the video,” Zalika mewed, storming out of the lie up.

“Can I wash your pads mama Kuaizi?” Titan asked. Kuaizi looked into the liger’s eyes.

“I’d love it,” she replied smiling.

“I’s just seen the video!” Zalika yelled, racing into the room, jamming her paws into the floor, skidding to a halt, “poow you Kuaizi, and no wonder you flung Titan away, that waket fwom youw cub would dwive anyone to fling a tiggie I think!” Shadow stuffed her paw into her mouth to stop herself laughing.

“So tiggie flinging is a sport now?” a voice said, Zalika feeling herself picked up from behind in a huge set of paws. Twisting her body, she looked into the smiling eyes of a huge brown bear.

“Anook!” she yelled, yowling as the huge brown bear pivoted on one foot while spinning on the spot.

“naoaoaoaoao don’t fling meyeee!” Zalika begged. Anook came to a stop, settling Zalika down on the floor, sitting down opposite her.

“I came to ask what the hell had happened to me,” Anook said, “I showered and this! I’ve turned into a brown bear agayayayayin!” she yelled.

“well that’s good ain’t it?” Zalika asked, her head still spinning.

“It is, but, I didn’t expect it,” Anook replied.

“If you ‘ug Mishka enough, maybe ‘e turns you into what the ‘istory says you was?” Zalika asked.

“maybe,” Anook replied smiling. Zalika reached out with her fat left paw and traced the black pads on the sole of Anook’s right foot, the she bear curling her toes, trapping Zalika’s paw in their grip.

“I like that,” Anook said, rubbing Zalika’s ears with her huge right paw.

“You’s all snuggly,” Zalika mewed.

“I think we should leave these pandas to it,” Anook said, releasing Zalika’s paw and getting to her feet.

“If you cwawl fwom the woom, I can get paws on with youw pads a bit,” Zalika suggested, Anook dropping to paws and knees, Zalika following her from the room, nuzzling then rubbing the firm black sole and toe pads of Anook’s large feet from time to time, the sow brown bear giggling helplessly throughout.

“”I’ll say goodbye now,” Titan mewed, kissing Kuwaizi’s nose, her cub climbing onto his back with surprising strength for a creature only an hour old.

“Get down!” Kuaizi yelled, scooping her cub off Titan’s back with both paws.

“Awhwhwhw muuum, he’s all warm and I like his paws!” her cub protested, Kuaizi staring at her cub.

“how do you know about how his paws feel?” she asked.

“I felt them while I was being squeezed down the noisy tunnel!” the cub exclaimed, “he rubbed my feet!”

“when I rubbed yours Kuaizi, your cubs got rubbed too,” Titan mewed.

“Oh,” Kuaizi replied.

“I love the tiggy’s big paws! I want to know more about them, muuum, I waaaaant to hug the Tiggy’s paws!” Her cub yelled.

“Oh all right,” Kuaizi huffed, “Titan, please?” Titan, purring deeply, lay down and rolled onto his side, getting his first good look at the cub he’d seen born.

“your paws are very warm,” the cub said, snuggling into Titan’s embrace. Titan, examining the huge panda cub from nose to tail, took in its sparkling eyes, huge head, well-formed body, black and white fur and the pads on the cub’s cute paws and feet.

“Can I wash you?” Titan asked.

“Like you washed mum’s feet?” the cub enquired, holding onto Titan’s left paw with both its tiny ones.

“Yes, like that,” Titan mewed.

“You’ll drown her!” Kuaizi warned.

“I won’t,” Titan mewed, “, this cub’s enormous for a panda cub.” the cub urgently nuzzled the toe pads of Titan’s left paw, squeezing his paw in her tiny grip.

“come on Tiggie! Wash my feeyeeet and paaaaws!” she demanded in a strident yell, Titan purring ecstatically and, holding the cub tenderly in his paws, he kissed her nose, then gently groomed her from nose to tail, the cub giggling and squirming, then becoming still and thoughtful.

“I like your purring, it makes me all warm and you’re so cuddly!” the cub pronounced, Titan purring deeper than ever.

“I wonder who gave birth to that cub?” Shadow asked, Titan kissing the cub’s nose and releasing her, the cub crawling reluctantly back to Kuaizi, Titan watching her go.

“Crawling cubs are so cute,” he thought.

“please tickle my toes Titan!” the cub begged. Titan smiled and blew on the panda cub’s toes, the cub shrieking with gleeful laughter.

“I really wonder who’s cub you are,” Kuaizi said.

“I’m yours mum,” she replied, “but Titan helped you give birth to me. I think the effort was a bit more than you remember too.” Titan smiled into his whiskers.

“Two huge contractions to give birth to your head and body, and a third smaller one for your legs and feet little one,” he said.

“I remember the two, but not the third,” Kuaizi replied.

“It was there, but it was more gentle than the other two,” Titan purred.

“I wish we’d got it on camera,” Kuaizi said.

“Ah, we did,” Shadow replied, “um, Kuaizi, I’m, well, I’m not Yi Jie. I know I look like her, but,,,,”

“Shadow?” Kuaizi asked, her eyes wide with shock.

“Yes,” the panda replied grinning, “you thought I was Yi jie so I didn’t say otherwise,” she said, “I saw everything, recorded it too. Titan knows who I am, that’s why he held my head with his paws.”

“I’ll bet you’re Shandy!” Kuaizi yelled, pointing at Titan.

“I’m the real deal, but Shadow here isn’t a real panda at all,” Titan mewed.

“Why did I feel good with her?” Kuaizi asked.

“because Shadow really does care now she has spirit, thanks to drinking Titan’s milk,” Apudo said, walking into the room, “she deeply cares about her community, both Shandy and she do.”

“You got the lie up wrong,” Shadow said, “dear Kuaizi, Yi Jie’s lie up is next one along.”

“Why pretend to be who you weren’t?” Kuaizi asked.

“I couldn’t let you go in the condition you were,” the animatronic bear said, “I had to help, and I helped you well, at least my reading of the situation is that I helped you well.”

“You did,” Kuaizi replied.

“I also saw the birth of your cub Kuaizi, and remember everything too,” Shadow said, “I could re-enact it right now,” she looked at Titan, “would you wash my feet?” she asked.

“I might,” Titan purred.

“Can we live with Titan mum?” Kuaizi’s cub asked.

“No we can’t!” Kuaizi snapped.

“What should your cub be known as Kuaizi?” shadow asked.

“Let’s call her Tiānshĭ,” Kuaizi replied.

“it’s a lovely name,” Shadow replied smiling.

“”what does Tiānshĭ mean?” Titan asked.

“It means angel,” Shadow said, having consulted the internet, to which her computer brain was always connected.

“That’s cuuuute, but a bit of a hard thing to be all the time,” Titan mewed.

“my cub is named Tiānshĭ in hope of her being so,” Kuaizi said. Shadow hugged Titan tightly, the liger grinning at her.

“You knew didn’t you,” Shadow said.

“Oh yes,” Titan purred, “you have a marking on the back of your right ear, and I noticed that, so I knew you weren’t Yi Jie.”

Later that day, Titan, relaxing in his lie up, reviewed the goings on of the day. Talking it over with Anook and Zalika caused Zalika to become angry.

“She’s a wogue fow pwetending!” Zalika miaowed.

“I think it was quite funny. You have to hand it to shadow for her ingenuity,” Titan mewed.

“’er’s a pest!” Zalika miaowed.

“She’s lovely,” Anook said.

“’er’s still a pest,” Zalika mewed.

“I’m glad she got everything on camera though,” Anook said.

“’ow can ‘ur does that?” Zalika asked.

“Shadow’s a computer Zalika,” Titan mewed, “her eyes are cameras, her brain’s a processor and she has a hard drive inside her.”

“aoaoaoaoah, I never knew that!” Zalika miaowed.

“now you do,” Shadow said, walking into the room, kneeling then kissing Titan’s nose, then turning to Zalika to do the same.

“Come,” Shadow said, stretching out her paws to Zalika, who looked fearfully at her.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Shadow said, sitting down. Zalika touched Shadow’s paw, finding the paw pads warm and soft.

“I’m safe,” Shadow said. Zalika looked at her.

“But you’s something Blackbewwy cweated,” she said.

“I’m still safe, and gentle too by all accounts,” Shadow replied.

“She’s okay Zalika,” Anook said.

“you’s a pest you is Shadow,” Zalika mewed, but she climbed into Shadow’s lap, the animatronic she bear tenderly hugging the liliger cub in her large paws.

“now I must go,” shadow said, pushing Zalika off her lap and getting to her feet, “I will keep my eyes open for mamas having cubs, then record everything for Patch and the community.”

Shadow left quickly, a sudden feeling making her want to run away. Witnessing, and touching a real mama in labour had upset her. Shadow knew she was programmed to give birth to cubs, that she was a training aid, and thought she knew everything about the births of cubs, but there was something Kuaizi had which Shadow knew she didn’t. Kuwaizi’s labour had been raw, a raw effort, no fabrication there. Shadow knew then that she wanted some of that, but knew too that she couldn’t ever have it. Shaking herself as she padded down the corridor, Shadow realised what really had got to her, and it wasn’t the labour, or the birth process, amazing though they were, it was Tiānshĭ, Kuwaizi’s cub. the huge cub was more alive than any of her animatronic cubs, no matter how hard she faught to deliver them into the world. Shadow, whimpering with distress, padded into Shandy’s lie up to talk with her. Shandy looked up from her blanket as Shadow walked in.

“Are you wanting a real cub?” the ligress asked.

“You saw, you know?” Shadow asked, collapsing onto her backside beside the huge ligress.

“Yes, I know,” Shandy yawned, stretching her paws, “I know how it feels to have a real cub, and wondered when you’d want one of your own. Getting paws on with the birth of one is a sure fire way of kicking off those feelings Shadow.”

“I wish I’d never done it now!” Shadow moaned, “it huuuurts!” she wailed pitifully.

“I think drinking from Titan’s milk did this,” Shandy replied.

“I know it has,” Shadow whimpered, desperately hugging Shandy.

“You can’t have real cubs though,” Shandy mewed, “if you let one of your cubs go to two weeks past birth, apparently they get to live with us permanently.”

“The real cubs are different to the animatronic ones Shandy, even Raja isn’t like Tiānshĭ,” Shadow said, “dear Shandy, Tiānshĭ is so real! Your cub Raja isn’t, he’s not like Tiānshĭ is!” Shandy knew this, she’d touched Anbessa and little Androcles, and knew only too well what Shadow meant.

“I don’t feel how you do though,” Shandy mewed, “but saying that, I’ve never felt a cub born, never felt a mama hug me so tight while pushing that she nearly breaks my body, and never felt a mortal cub born into my paws.”

“I loved every minute of it,” Shadow replied.

“You pretended to be Yi Jie, when you aren’t!” Shandy snapped.

“I pretended nothing,” shadow replied, “I just didn’t correct Kuaizi when she mistook me for Yi jie. I felt her need to be comforted, and thought her miss identification the least of things. I saw and felt everything, and I think Titan did too. Did you see what happened to him? The poor Tiggie got flipped!” shadow giggled.

“Titan is our leader, he’s no poor Tiggie!” Shandy growled.

“He’s a humble one though,” Shadow replied.

“I saw what he did,” Shandy mewed.

They were disturbed by Ursula rushing into the room in great distress.

“Patch’s gone!” she panted, her eyes wild.

“He’s gone?” Shadow asked, leaping to her feet.

“Yes, gone from the house, from this world, I know he’s gone from this world,” Ursula replied miserably, “he left, left, left this, read it!” she waved a note at Shadow, who snatched it and read it aloud, though Ursula, who could read perfectly, having lived with humans and learnt the art with her young human companion, knew the contents only too well.

“I have to go,” the note said, “while I was forgiven by others for not being able to guide Ursula in her time of blindness, I cannot forgive myself. I’m desolate. Ursula, I’m glad you’ve found Nanuq, I’m sure he will be a good sire to your cubs. be a guide to them for me, for I cannot guide anyone but myself to a place where I hope I can move on. I need the sort of help noone can give me here. I know noone saw this coming, but I am a very private creature, and told noone of my distress. Now with this note, I say goodbye, though I ask for no forgiveness, and maybe, just maybe, we will meet in a better time and a better place, where I can be true to the promise I made when I was a cub, then renewed when I met a tiny white polar bear cub in my eleventh year on this earth. I failed in my duty when the third opportunity for me to guide came along, and for that I feel destroyed. I need guidance onto the right path, guidance I feel noone in this amazing community can give me. I apologise for my leaving, for the distress I cause by my departure, and I give notice I’m no longer fit to be spiritual leader. Speak to Titan, he is my replacement in that role. Shadow, take my job as medic. I’m glad Ursula and her cubs are not here to witness my leaving, as it would break their hearts. Goodbye all.” Shadow crumpled the note in her paws, looking at Ursula.

“Patch switched off the cameras,” the animatronic she bear said, “I’m looking for him, but I can’t find him walking through the woods anywhere, there’s a blank.” Biting her lip, Ursula snatched the note from Shadow, wringing it in her large paws.

“Let’s find his body,” she heard herself saying.

“This note doesn’t say anything about that!” Shadow snapped, reviewing the note in her memory.

“It might as well have,” Ursula replied, sitting down and burying her face in her paws, her body shaking with sobs, Ursula using the paper on which Patch’s note was written as a rather inadequate handkerchief. After many minutes, Ursula got to her feet and turned to Shadow:

“I’ll tell Theo to look for Patch,” she said.,

Later that day, in Titan’s lie up, the liger lay sleeping. He was woken by Theo pounding into the lie up.

“Titan, Titan!” the lion wailed, “Ursula asked me to find Patch, and I found him, Patch, he, he’s, he’s dead! On the road, on the boundary of the property, on the sixty!” Waking suddenly, Titan sprang to his feet with a grunt, staring at the distraught lion.

“On the sixty?” he asked.

“on the road before the cobbles,” Theo whimpered.

“You sure about this?” Titan demanded.

“I know Patch’s body when I see it!” Theo raged, his eyes filling with tears, “Titan, what are we gonna do now?” the distraught lion whimpered.

“I don’t know,” Titan replied, “I will try to be a spiritual leader, as much as I can be.” Theo turned tail and fled, Titan very troubled by what he saw.

In the woodlands, the badgers moved Patch’s body from the road, burying it in their swift manner. Padding back to the house, Blackberry Brock approached Titan, and, scrambling onto a box, addressed the liger.

“We have buried the mortal remains of Patch,” he said.

“Show me where,” Titan mewed, the badger leading the liger to the burial place. Titan stood by the freshly flattened earth in a sudden downpour, looking round him.

“Who’s cub’s that?” he asked, waving a huge paw at a grey bear cub padding toward them on all four paws through the rain soaked woods.

“he looks like Sooleawa’s, but her cub’s female,” Blackberry Brock replied. Titan watched the grey bear cub coming closer, it looked frightened, but kept padding closer.

“Stop little one,” Titan mewed, “are you lost?” he asked. The grey bear cub stared at Titan, rising to his feet and craning his neck to get eye to eye with the huge liger.

“I’m lost,” the cub said, “I don’t know where I am and my paws and feet hurt a lot too.” Titan looked into the cub’s eyes, finally realising who he was.

the cub looked down at his muddy paws.

“I’m lost,” the cub repeated, shivering in his rain soaked fur.

“Come to our house,” Titan mewed, seeing the cub’s reluctance to walk any further.

“Want a ride?” Titan asked, lying down. The cub, looking exhausted as well as frightened, climbed onto Titan’s back, the liger standing up.

“Hold on tight with all four paws little one,” Titan mewed. the grey bear cub buried his cold paws and feet in Titan’s long fur and settled, Titan padding back to the house and to his own lie up.

“Now let’s get you warm and dry,” Titan said. Adsila padded in, smelt the rain and damp fur and asked:

“what has damp fur? And who’s this?” Titan looked at Adsila. The naked polar bear cub was now on her feet with the aid of Blackberry’s special socks, the socks protecting her tender pads.

“I don’t know, well I do, but I don’t know if he wants to be known by his previous name, or by another,” Titan mewed.

“I’m a bear cub, and my name, when I was worth anything was Patch,” the grey coated cub replied, shivering violently even though Titan had seated him in a deep tub of warm water.

“I’ll get him a drink,” Adsila said, racing as fast as she could prudently go to the kitchen and finding coffee, then, thinking better of it, after all Titan had said this bear was a cub, she got warm milk and sugar, mixed the two and brought it back to the bear cub, whom she’d not yet laid paws on. Patch took the drink and slowly consumed it, holding the cup in both paws, something Adsila only felt cubs do.”

“You’ve been reborn,” she said, holding Patch’s left paw after he’d finished his drink, “I can feel it in your pads Patch. The cub, about three months old, looked at Adsila.

“I remember I did a bad thing,” he said, “I begged for rebirth, and, the condition was I remember the feeling of the bad thing, but I don’t know anything else but my name. I must learn how to be gentle and good again.” Adsila opened her mouth to say something, but then she remembered she was still holding his paw. Shoving the thoughts away, hoping desperately he’d not felt them, she said:

“I’ll try my best to help, that is if a blind bear can guide anyone. I get lost in my own home sometimes.”

“It’s not that kind of guidance Patch needs Adsila,” Titan said.

“I know,” Adsila replied, “but can I do it? I was reborn myself, and now, now I’m being asked to guide when I know no path myself!”

“We can lose the path even when in old age Adsila,” Titan replied, “at the moment you are chosen by Patch to help him.”

“What do I do?” Adsila asked, now terrified.

“Show him how to play, introduce him to Sita. She’ll know how you can help him, she’s good like that,” the liger replied.

“How long was the camera off for?” Ursula asked, padding in from the adjoining room which used to be Patch’s lie up, and was now used by herself, her cubs and Nanuq.

“I don’t know,” Titan mewed, “put a call into the control room, I’m surprised they didn’t shout for patrols.” Ursula put the call in, and found the cameras had gone offline about the time she and Nanuq had entered Nanuq’s lie up before going to the snow room. From then until Ursula found Patch’s note, once she’d returned to the family lie up after Titan’s second visit to the snow room had been a fair few hours. Patch had probably seen them safely ensconced, then left the house once Goldie was on his way to join her and Nanuq. Ursula shivered at the thought of the cold place Patch must have visited. The den she’d been in had been freezing, but she was sure Patch’s internal chill had been far worse than anything earthly. Whimpering to herself, she realised the connection between herself and Patch had been cut by him, for before this, if he was thinking about her, she’d know. But throughout all this, the channel between them had been silent. Now Ursula looked at Patch, into his young face, into the frightened eyes of a confused cub. Ursula found herself questioning if she had looked like that when lost and alone in the ice den after her mum had been shot, just before the men came to drag her, growling and struggling from the den? Ursula remembered the digging, the den falling in around them, her mother getting up, then falling after a terrible bang, something wet and warm hitting Ursula on her head. Then minutes later, a terrified cub, Ursula remembered being dragged out of the den and sedated, then put into a cage and flown away to captivity. Ursula felt something scrambling into her lap, she hadn’t realised she’d sat down. Looking down, she saw the grey cub, all wet and bedraggled from his bath, lying helplessly in her lap.

“He looks like my two,” Ursula thought, remembering how Allie and Bjorn had drank from her milk barely an hour before. Instinctively, Ursula dried |Patch with her breath, then offered him milk, for she knew there was plenty to go around, as she was well fed. Patch looked at the she bear’s face, his own eyes wanting to trust, but fearful of doing so, this bear was so huge, what would she do to him? He’d scrambled into her lap after she’d sat down in some distress, and he was now wondering if he’d done the right thing.

“Would you like some milk?” Ursula asked. Patch clung to her fur with both paws, snuggling up to her with sudden desperation.

“Drink if you wish,” Ursula said, stroking the grey cub’s back with her left paw, while her right hugged him close, Patch’s fur soft to her touch. Feeling the huge she polar bear’s warm paws embracing him, Patch drank the offered milk, the fluid warm and comforting to him. Humming with pleasure, Patch drank and drank, feeling two small bodies clambering onto Ursula’s lap either side of him. Looking round, he saw two more cubs, and they too drank busily, while the huge she bear enfolded them all in a huge hug using both arms, while her breath warmed their heads and backs from somewhere way above their heads.

“So Ursula has three cubs now?” Adsila asked. Titan looked at the huge she bear with the two white cubs and one grey sitting on her lap. It was a bit of a squeeze, but all were content, including Ursula, who smiled broadly down on her two natural and one adopted cub.

“Have you checked your new cub over from nose to pads mum?” Allie asked.

“I have,” Ursula replied, “Patch is so very cute, and as far as I know, there are no thorns in his pads, though they are very tender, as if he hasn’t ever walked on them.”

“Walking down that track was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Patch said.

“So being born wasn’t?” Bjorn asked.

“I don’t remember my birth,” Patch replied, “I only remember waking in a clearing with two huge trees with grooves in their bark, as if a mama bear had braced her feet against them during her labour. Ursula gasped at this news.

“The trees smelt of you mama,” Patch said, “tell me, did you give birth to me, then leave for a warmer place?”

“I left that place,” Ursula replied, “but, well, I’m not sure if I’d given birth to any cubs when I left. I was in labour though.”

“Maybe you were placed by those trees to get a scent of who would look after you,” Titan mewed.

“I don’t know,” Patch replied, “I woke up wet from rain and with sore feet and paws, that’s all I know big cat.”

“My name’s Titan, and I’m whom they call leader here,” Titan mewed, “my deputy is Karina, and your mama, she is known as Ursula.”

“I would have liked to be born to you mama,” Patch said, kissing Ursula’s paw. Ursula explored the grey cub with her paws, imagining how his birth would be, the pain, effort and sensations she’d make and feel when delivering each part of him into the world.

“I could go into the den again,” she thought, stroking Patch’s belly with her huge left paw.

“it is possible mama,” Titan mewed, “get on that hammock and rebirth Patch, if you want.”

“I couldn’t rebirth him the size he is though,” Ursula replied.

“You could, if you wanted,” Titan mewed, there would be no danger to him or you, you’d just feel how it is to give birth to a huge cub. Patch could be reborn in the way Apudo was, if both of you wish it.”

“I would like that,” Patch said.

“I want to know what happened to me to bring me to that clearing,” Patch said.

“I was pushing hard before I was found,” Ursula said, “I remember being on paws and knees, staring at the clearing and the marks of my claws in the soil, trying to dig my toes in with every pushing effort. I suppose I could have birthed a cub during that time, then birthed Allie and Bjorn later.”

“Patch could have been born later than me and Allie,” Bjorn suggested, “and who’s to say you can’t give birth in the playroom, there are some false trees there, you could brace your feet against those, and Patch would keep out of the way until you’re finished.”

“But is giving birth in the playroom proper?” Ursula asked.

“I did,” Titan mewed, “Zalika was born to me in the playroom.” Ursula smiled broadly at the image that came into her head.

“You would labour beautifully I think Titan,” she said.

“Oh, Titan’s vewy expwessive, ‘is toes cuwl cutely and ‘e’s weally committed,” Zalika said from where she lay on the rug beside her guide and sire.

“I’ll show you the video,” Titan mewed.

“Why doesn’t you lie down and we-enact the thing?” Zalika asked.

“I’ll give that job to Shandy, for I think she and Shadow are feeling a little left out,” Titan mewed.

“No!” Zalika miaowed, “the awt of we-enacting biwths of cubs is dying ‘ere, and I’s not ‘aving it wiped out by computews!”

“You’s been told I thinks Titan,” Ursula giggled.

“Stoaoaoap mimicking meyeee!” Zalika miaowed, racing over to Ursula, slapping her with her paw.

“I could make a meal of you,” Ursula said, lifting the liliger cub in her paws.

“naoaoaoaoao!” Zalika yowled, kicking with all four feet as Ursula lifted her to eye level.

“I would never do that,” Ursula said, kissing Zalika’s nose, a moan and scuffling making everyone look round as Titan suddenly got to his feet and fled.

“Was it something I said?” Ursula asked.

“Titan ‘as a weally vivid imagination Uwsula, I thinks you joking about eating me ‘as made ‘im vewy sick.”

“Oh,” Ursula replied, looking at Titan, who was padding back looking very unhappy and angry.

“Don’t joke about that again!” the liger growled.

“I’m sorry Titan, it was a joke, it was!” Ursula begged, as Titan padded to her.

“You lifted Zalika in your paws, as if, as if,” Titan began, tears rolling down his face.

“I kissed her nose, I didn’t do anything to her!” Ursula whimpered.

“Don’t even joke about it,” Titan replied, sniffing and gulping, “Ursula, just don’t!” he begged, collapsing onto the rugs. Ursula gently pushed all three of her cubs to the floor and lay down beside the weeping liger and hugged as much of him as she could.

“I’m sorry Titan,” the she bear said softly.

“Zalika’s very precious to me Ursula,” Titan mewed.

“I know, and, I’m sorry for joking about making a meal of her,” Ursula said gently.

“We don’t joke about killing cubs!” Titan whimpered. Patch crawled to Zalika, the liliger giving him her paws, Patch playing with her huge paws in his tiny ones, Zalika purring ecstatically.

“I like this,” she said, kissing Patch’s nose, Patch smiling broadly. Meanwhile, the anguished conversation between Ursula and Titan continued:

“I know, I’m sorry, what else can I say?” Ursula wailed, “Titan, the way you’re carrying on, anyone would have thought,,,,” she stopped.

“Shuuuuuut uuuuuuup!!” Titan wailed, covering his ears with his paws.

“You poor thing,” Patch said, crawling over to Titan, who to Patch looked absolutely massive. Patch touched the liger, even though he saw, at the last minute, that one of the liger’s paws was bigger than his head.

“You seem to me to be very gentle,” Patch said, touching Titan’s nose with his paw.

“Thanks,” Titan replied, kissing the cub’s paw.

“Can I feel your paws?” Patch asked. Titan stretched out, Patch crawling round to his feet, placing the toes of his left foot in the gap between the large pad on the sole of Titan’s right foot and his toes, the liger curling his toes to grip the cub’s, Patch looking startled as his foot disappeared into the grip of the liger’s toes.

“Are you all right little one?” Titan asked, curling up so he could watch Patch’s reaction. Patch, staring at the liger’s huge head and massive paws, felt his own paws dampening as the liger reached forward and held him in his paws.

“I have yourtoes in mine, and now your body in my paws little one,” Titan purred, kissing his nose.

“You’re very warm,” Patch said, snuggling into the liger’s hug.

“Did you get a good look at my pads?” Titan asked.

“I saw them,” Patch replied, but I can’t see them now, would you let me go so I can touch them and see them some more?” Titan let go of Patch, sprawling full length, Patch crawling up and down the length of the liger’s body on the carpet beside him, observing and touching Titan’s paws and feet, the liger purring and chuffing with pleasure, curling his toes and pedalling the air with all four paws as he felt the need, Patch giggling delightedly whenever Titan pedalled the air with his huge paws and feet, the cub urging him to curl his toes a bit, which Titan did, Patch lying on his side to watch the soles of Titan’s paws and feet from close range, his breath tickling the liger’s pads, Titan roaring with laughter and squirming with pleasure:

“You’re tiyiyiyckling my payayayayads!” Titan miaowed, Patch, grinning hugely, reached out with his left paw, rubbing the tickle from the pads of Titan’s right paw.

“You have very cute paws and feet Titan,” Patch said.

“Can I look at your paws and feet Patch?” Titan asked, panting slightly from his exertions.

“You can,” Patch said, showing the soles of his feet and palms of his paws to the liger, giggling delightedly when Titan’s breath tickled the pads of all four of his paws as the liger looked closely at his pads.

“You have very soft pads Titan,” Patch said, grabbing the liger’s left paw in his small paws and hugging it.

“Thanks,” Titan mewed, kissing Patch’s nose.

“Would you like to touch my pads Titan?” Patch asked.

“I’d love to,” Titan mewed. Patch gave Titan his paws and feet, the liger embracing each paw and foot in turn, Patch curling his toes with pleasure at the liger’s touch.

“I don’t miaow and yowl like you when you touch my pads big tiggie,” Patch teased, Titan tickling the bear cubs toes with his whiskers, Patch laughing helplessly, shrieking:

“You’re tiyiyiyckling my paaaaws and feeyeeet!

“Now Patch, What was that about me yowling?” Titan purred, kissing Patch’s nose, “I think it’s time for you to have a bath now,” the liger mewed.

“But I’ve already had one!” Patch protested.

“You had one to warm you up, this one will wash you from nose to tail,” Ursula replied. Patch looked at her with fear and suspicion, the huge sow polar bear smiling at him, “Bjorn and Allie will be there too,” she said, pushing Patch towards the tub, Patch digging in his toes in an attempt not to be dumped in the water. Ursula, seeing and feeling this, picked Patch up by the scruff of his neck and placed him, screeching indignantly, into the tub.

“Naoaoaoaow muuum! I don’t wayayayant a bath!” Patch protested, splashing as hard as he could with all four paws while Allie and Bjorn laughed helplessly.

“Patch, you’re soaoaoao cuuuute!” Allie said.

“You’re my third cub Patch,” Ursula said, climbing into the tub, her two older cubs joining her, Ursula holding Patch down so he couldn’t escape, much to the grey cub’s screaming fury.

“Mum wants to wash you,” Bjorn said.

“I would like to wash you all, and for you to wash each other if you will too,” Ursula replied.

“What about us washing your paws and feet mum?” Allie asked.

“I can’t ask that of my cubs, let alone expect it,” Ursula replied.

“so we’re not allowed to wash your paws and feet?” Bjorn asked.

“”let’s do it anyway,” Allie said, “mum must be bored of washing her own paws and feet all the time.” Ursula smiled at Allie’s interpretation of her reluctance.

“it’s wrong to ask,” Ursula said.

“you’re not asking, we’re doing,” Bjorn said.

“but what if I don’t want it?” Ursula asked.

“Don’t be so silly mum,” Allie replied, “you want us to wash your paws and feet as much as we want you to wash ours, we know this.” Ursula smiled broadly.

“I mustn’t ask it though,” she said.

“You don’t need to ask, your paws and feet have already done it for you,” Bjorn said, washing Ursula’s left paw, Allie washing her right, while Patch looked on, thoroughly confused.

“What’s all this about washing paws and feet?” he asked.

“Oh, we believe the paws and feet are where their owner’s feelings are expressed in their truest form,” Bjorn said, “basically, if someone is upset or in pain, or distressed in any other way, touching their paws or feet will tell you. their mouths or faces are known to lie you see. Washing the paws and feet is a way of showing gentility to the inner spirit, at least we think so,” he concluded.

“So during playtimes in this community you play with each other’s paws and feet more than with bouncing balls and other playthings?” Patch asked.

“yes,” Ursula replied, “we make up complicated games, as well as chasing each other’s toes and tickling each other’s pads. We even play at giving birth to cubs, though that is really just a reason for another to rub your pads while you push your foot against their paws and scream your head off, rather than hit another community member,” Ursula concluded.

“being soothed by others while you’re giving birth to imaginary cubs also builds community, so I find anyway,” Flocke said, padding into the room. Ursula smiled at the older female polar bear.

“it does that too,” she replied. Allie washed Patch from nose to tail, the grey bear humming with pleasure.

“Call it something else other than a wash, and Patch will enjoy it,” Allie said.

“It’s nice,” Patch said, snuggling into his Sister’s hug.

Later that day, Patch, feeling bored, as Ursula and the other two cubs had fallen asleep, decided to explore the house. Padding from the room, he found himself in a passage running left and right of him. Turning right, he padded along the tiles, seeing metal doors in front of him. Pressing a button near the floor, Patch watched in fascination as the doors parted, and a room appeared. Padding into it, he found another set of buttons close to the floor, evidently for the use of cubs. pressing one that read, “to Bianca and Theo’s lie up,” Patch waited. A voice said:

“Going to Bianca and Theo’s lie up,” the doors closing and the room moving sideways at an alarming rate. Curling his toes into the rubber floor, Patch waited for something awful to happen, but nothing did. Rushing on through space, Patch waited, his heart pounding and pads damp with fear. The room slowed, and stopped, the doors opening.

“You are now at Bianca and Theo’s lie up,” the voice said quietly. Patch padded from the room and stepped straight into the lie up, encountering carpet beneath his paws. His eyes, having just in time adjusted themselves to the dim light, as it was night-time and the lie up lights were dimmed to aid sleep, Patch saw himself nearly paw to paw with a huge lion. The lion was tawny coated, with huge paws and massive feet, and quite a substantial mane. Patch saw all this, but it was what he smelt and felt that really interested him. He could feel this huge lion was confused and very unhappy, though he couldn’t put into words how he knew. Patch knelt before the lion’s huge paws and looked at them as closely as he dared. They were enormous paws, the lion, lying on his left side, showed off his pads quite well, Patch able to see them and the lion’s face very easily. Patch examined the lion’s face, its closed eyes and tear stained fur eloquent of the lion’s waking distress. Then, very carefully, Patch turned to the lion’s paws and feet, looking first at the huge pads on the soles. Huge pads they were, Patch lifting his own small left paw and measuring it by sight against the lion’s, holding his breath so it didn’t tickle the huge cat’s pads. Before Patch realised what he was doing, he’d begun washing the pads of the lion’s left paw, first placing one of his tiny paws on the furry top of each of the lion’s huge paws or feet before he washed the pads by licking them, and was half way through washing those of the lion’s right paw, lick and spit, lick and spit, before he realised what he was doing. Throwing caution to the wind, Patch continued his impulsive task until all four of the lion’s huge paws, fore and hind were washed. Patch then looked back along the lion’s body from where he knelt, straight into the lion’s face. Patch was not surprised to see devastated eyes, as he knew what he’d find there. What he was not expecting to find was the lion struggling not to cry. Burying his face in his newly washed paws, the lion gave up the struggle, weeping and squirming in his distress, Patch seeing the toes of the lion’s huge feet curling with his very physical efforts driven by an emotional state which Patch now felt he’d caused somewhat.

“Sorry,” Patch whispered, the lion squirming harder, as if his paws had captured his head and wouldn’t let go. After a long physical and emotional struggle, the lion lifted his face from his paws and looked at Patch, considering him from his nose to his toes, while Patch lay on his side on the carpet.

“I’m sorry I washed your pads,” Patch whispered, “dear lion, I thought they felt upset and I could do something about their sadness.” Moaning as if he’d been the sire of, and suddenly lost all his cubs in the world to sudden death, the lion curled up and reached for Patch with his tear soaked paws, gathering Patch to him, grooming and washing him from his nose to his pads, Patch startled by the intensity of the feelings flowing through him. Throughout his ministrations, the lion said nothing, though he hardly needed to. Once all was done, the lion released Patch, a look of deep shame and sorrow in his eyes.

“I shouldn’t have,” the lion said, his voice fairly high pitched, and not at all that which Patch would expect to come from a lion of his size. The lion coughed into his paws, then tried to speak again, his voice now lower and more leonine, at least Patch thought so:

“I’m ashamed to let you see me like this,” the lion moaned piteously.

“I feel you are getting over a huge shock,” Patch said, “the loss of one you loved?” he asked. The lion swallowed hard, looking as if he were going to vomit.

“Sick with grief?” Patch asked himself, as the lion struggled to contain his emotions.

“You look like the one who was lost to us,” the lion whimpered.

“Can I hold one of your paws?” Patch asked, the lion twitching the toes of his right foot in reply.

“I need my paws for washing my face,” the lion explained.

“To cover your emotions I think you mean,” Patch heard himself saying. The lion moaned deeply, wriggled hard, then turned his head and looked Patch full in the face, Patch noticing the lion’s dishevelled mane, extremely sad red rimmed eyes, dirty facial fur and a very wet nose.

“I found his body on the road,” the lion mewed, “I found it, the body of my friend, of the most loved long term member of the community. Now, now I am woken by the touch of a tongue on my pads, and look to see a bear from history washing the dampness of my grief from my pads.”

“I have never lived here before,” Patch said, “I was born in a clearing with one aim, and that was to make amends for something, though I don’t know what I did wrong.”

“you left a clue in a note,” the lion said, “I have it here, but it is not for young eyes, and you are younger than you were once. Patch, carry on like today, and you will do well.”

“Did I do right, washing your pads I mean?” Patch asked, “they’re lovely paws by the way.”

“My tears were for one whom I knew,” the lion replied, “your touch is fresh, though your meaning is sincere and you knew what you were doing, even if you don’t understand the effect of your washing of my pads.”

“I was told the pads of paws and feet give more away than the face does,” Patch replied, “but, your face is very sad, which is about right really, because your pads,,,”

“They’re more deeply upset than my face is,” the lion sighed.

“Yes,” Patch replied, “I didn’t want to presume knowledge of it, but, they are. You’re sad from your nose to your toes dear lion.” The lion sighed deeply, waving his right paw.

Take my paw, for you have felt me at my worst,” he said. Patch crawled forward and, sitting down, took the lion’s huge right paw in his own, resting the weight in his lap, while the lion rolled onto his chest, rolling over a little so his weight rested a little on his left paw and foot, to take some of the weight off Patch’s lap, so he could watch Patch’s ministrations and expression.

“I love this paw dear lion,” Patch said, massaging the pads and toes of the huge lion’s right paw, watching the lion’s face and his other three paws for their reaction to the rubbing of the held paw, did you do something really nice for Tiggie Titan?”

“How do you know?” the lion asked, curling the toes of all four paws and growling slightly with pleasure as Patch pressed the carpel pad of his held paw, the pad being a pleasure point for him.

“I think I met the cub of that niceness,” Patch replied.

“Zalika, yes,” the lion mewed, smiling for the first time since Patch had met him, “ah, she’s so sweet,” he purred.

“She is, and her pads are very sweet too,” Patch replied.

“You are getting to know the way of the paw,” the lion said.

“I’m learning,” Patch agreed, “but I’m not there yet.”

“Hold another’s paw or their foot in your paws and touch the pads, and you will know,” the lion replied.

“like I took your paws and feet in my paws?” Patch asked.

“Yes,” the lion replied softly, leaning forward then kissing Patch’s nose as gently as he could with his rough tongue.

“Zalika’s pads are a mix of yours and Titan’s, very thick and very soft,” Patch mused, the lion curling his toes, Patch giggling then rubbing the lion’s pads until he uncurled them.

“What’s your name big lion?” Patch asked.

“My name’s Theo,” the lion replied.

“You were named Theodore!” alarge female voice called from across the room.

“I prefer Theo thank you!” the lion miaowed.

“huge pawed, cuddly Theo, he’s so soft he’s hardly Leo! He miaows and squirms in rage on the floor, when you dare to call him Theodore!” another smaller female voice carolled.

“Shuuuuuut uuuuuuup Sasha!” the lion raged, banging the floor with his free left paw, while Patch struggled hard not to laugh.

“Okay, Theo,” Patch said, coughing violently, “I know your name, but, but, who are the others in your den?”

“The white lioness, the one who let slip my full name is Bianca, with our two cubs Sasha and Jespah. Sasha’s the one who sang that awful song!” Theo whined.

“Theo Theo Theodore,” Patch mouthed, the lion growling:

“Stoaoaoap iyiyiyt!”

“If I don’t, what will you do? Lick me to death?” Patch asked.

“Shuuuuuut iyiyiyiyiyt!” Theo miaowed.

“Can you roar Theodore?” Patch asked.

“Um, no, not really, and it’s Theo!” Theo whimpered.

“Try it,” Patch urged. Sighing, Theo got to his feet and attempted his best roar. Despite several attempts, including such things as breathing deeply to increase his chest size, and bouncing on his toes, all the huge male lion could manage was a cubbish yowling growl, everyone falling about laughing.

“awhwhwhwh that’s rather cute!” Patch enthused.

“I sound like a cuuuub!” Theo miaowed, throwing himself down on the floor in disgust.

“You sound very cute indeed Theo,” Patch said, kissing the lion’s nose. Theo thrust his paw into Patch’s tiny ones in some desperation, the cub hugging then rubbing the lion’s pads, Theo snuggling his huge paw into the grip of the cub’s smaller ones.

“I think Theo might want you to rub all four of his paws Patch,” Bianca mewed, Patch looking into Theo’s face.

“Please, rub my pads, and not just of the paw you’re holding, the pads of all four of them!” the lion begged.

“Can I rub all the paws and feet of every lion, lioness and cub here?” Patch asked. Bianca padded across the room with Jespah riding on her back and Sasha dangling from her mouth by the scruff of her neck.

“yes,” Bianca mewed, setting down her youngest cub, while her eldest waited for his mum to sit down, where he proceeded to use her back like a slide, landing in a tumble of legs and flying paws which made Theo smile.

“Careful Jespah,” the lion warned, “I don’t want you to get hurt.” Jespah picked himself up and padded to Theo’s side, making his sire yowl by tickling the pads of his right foot with his whiskers, as the lion lay on the rugs with the pads of one of his feet exposed to attack.

“Cute pads Theo,” Jespah mewed, kissing the tickle from his sire’s pads, Theo curling round then kissing his son’s nose.

“Excuse me Patch,” Theo mewed, turning to Jespah, pushing the half-grown lion onto his back, pinning him down gently with both paws, then blowing on the pads of Jespah’s large feet until Jespah pedalled the air with his paws while squirming and yowling with laughter like a cub half his age.

“There,” Theo purred, kissing the tickle from his son’s pads then releasing him, Jespah’s eyes sparkling with merriment.

“Your own toes curled as you blew on Jespah’s Theo,” Bianca said.

“My head would have exploded with pleasure if I didn’t curl my toes,” Theo purred, Jespah reaching up, clasping Theo’s head in his paws and pulling it down to kiss his sire’s nose.

“That’s so cuuuute!” Patch giggled.

“Theo promised me he would try to be a more tactile sire after his recovery from being shot, and I think you are Theo,” Bianca mewed.

“I love it,” Theo mewed, “I didn’t know I could be this tactile and it be acceptable.”

“Oh it is,” Jespah purred, “I love it Theo, and if Mum ever has another cub, I’m sure she’d love you getting paws on with her too.”

“I wish I could have,” Theo mewed.

“So do I,” Bianca mewed, “not having you touching me was painful Theo.”

“Back then I didn’t feel I could do it,” Theo mewed.

“how big are your paws when compared to Patch’s Theo?” Jespah asked.

“Huge, but, well, his speak volumes to mine,” Theo purred.

“Who are you?” Bianca asked, waving a paw at Patch, “Patch is your name little one, but Theo seems to think you’re more than who you think you are.”

“I don’t know,” Patch replied, “I’m a cub, about three months old. I can feel Theo was upset, so I tried to soothe him, and now I’m getting the third degree from a white lioness! Stoaoaoap iyiyiyiyiyt!” He protested.

“Do you think you’ve found your friend Theo?” Bianca asked.

“Patch was your friend too Bianca,” Theo mewed, “he helped, helped you,” Theo stopped, for tears welled in his eyes, “helped you give birth to Sasha,” the lion sniffled.

“Can I feel your paws little one?” Bianca asked. Patch gave her his left paw, the lioness gasping, then her face crumpled like Theo’s.

“You are him, you are Patch!” Bianca sobbed, hugging the grey cub so tightly Jespah was afraid she’d crush him.

“Careful mum!” he warned.

“You helped me give birth to my youngest cub!” Bianca wept, soaking Patch from nose to tail with her tears.

“I can’t remember that,” Patch replied, “I know I might have done right, but I was reborn because I had to make amends for something I did that was very wrong, something very wrong,” he said.

“you did right by us, me and Theo, and our cubs,” Bianca babbled, “Patch, you might be reborn or whatever it is, but, let me tell you something. You weren’t a bad spirit, you did all you could for everyone, yes you refused to guide Ursula, and for that I think you lost hope in yourself, but, but, you did so much for so many people here. You saved a ligress’s life, you have helped many cubs into the world, given sucker to those whom you by rights had every reason not to. The history is full of you, full of your gentility! Don’t deny that, how can you deny all that was good and focus on the bad? My cub Sasha was stuck inside me, you helped pull her into the world with your own strength Patch! I’m not going to re-enact Sasha’s birth, I can’t, but if I could, I would, if only to show you who you really are! Theo knows who you are, your washing of his paws and feet tells of your humility, and I don’t just mean washing with soap and water, no, wild washing, lick and spit, lick and spit, you did that! Didn’t you?”

“yes, but I did it because I felt it was right, and there’s no soap and water here anyway. So how else was I meant to wash his paws, ravaged by his grief as they were?” Patch protested.

“In a former life, at a former time, you did this for me, and for Theo too. now, Patch, you are lovely, and no matter what anyone else thinks, no matter how they try to forget who you were, I won’t! I can’t! and neither can Titan. He knows who you are under all that fur,” Bianca protested. Sasha grabbed Patch’s left paw in both of hers, Patch looking steadily at the white female lion cub. “Reaching down a deep tunnel with my paws, two paws holding mine for dear life,” Patch mused.

“Those paws were mine,” Sasha replied, Patch staring at her face.

“You on the track, by the road,” Patch mumbled, Sasha looking shocked, her face reddening.

“yes Patch, I told you not to do it, I saw you, I saw you do it!” Sasha choked, “I shouldn’t have been out that far, but I was, I made a lie, to say that I’d dreamed it all and told my sire, and he fled out and found your body, and told Titan, told the big liger, but, but, I saw it all!” Sasha whimpered, tears filling her eyes.

“You were asleep all that time in the den Sasha! I was beside you that day, and you didn’t move!” Jespah mewed.

“ told me though,” Theo whimpered, “She raced to me and told me, and I went out and found, found, you Patch,” the large male lion choked.

“yes, but Sasha didn’t go out on the sixty, you didn’t Sasha, you saw, saw something!” Jespah insisted.

“Patch sealed himself off from everyone but the last cub he’d helped into the world, and, and, I was too late!” Sasha mewed piteously.

“No you weren’t,” Patch said, “Sasha, I remember you. I remember Bianca’s fear and incredulity as she faught to push you into the world, I remember reaching in and grabbing your paws, then you grabbing my paw with your tiny ones.”

“I did, I did!” Sasha wept.

“Honey Sandwiches Theo?” Patch suddenly said, Theo staring at the grey cub in shocked astonishment.

“Trust you to remember that!” Theo growled, but his eyes were laughing.

“So the reset didn’t work so well,” Patch said, “I’m glad it didn’t, I’m glad I’m here. Though,” he looked at Sasha, who was still crying, “it’s all thanks to you Sasha, a cub who begged me to stay at the very last minute.”

“You saved my life,” Sasha mewed, “Patch, even if it wasn’t real, I had to do everything I could in the dream. I ran onto the road, and leapt for safety at the last minute, but couldn’t drag you with me. We looked at each other when it happened, when the, well you know.” Patch nodded, tears wetting Sasha’s fur as he clung to her, crying into her fur.”

“The power of Eohippus and the spirit runs through the bloodline,” a large voice purred. Sasha looked up into Titan’s face, “there are many ways of becoming enlightened,” the liger mewed, “either by birth, already finding your paws on the path, or by belief and good works, like Patch was and is. Patch, you have met another being who is connected as well as you are. Sasha was able to save you because you, one, saved her life at birth, two, were a student of Eohippus, and three, because she was born of a direct line from one who was of eohippus herself. I alas am not of that lineage, I’m just a fat old tiggie who is leader for no reason I can find. Even now I may be talking absolute rubbish, and you might and probably should disregard everything I say.”

“you are a silly tiggie, but not for the reasons you think,” Patch said, shedding his amnesia like a skin, which he could hardly fail to do with those who were around him. Dear Titan, I know you, and you know me. You are of Eohippus as much as Sasha is. You studied in her stable, ate her food and drank at her well. Your deeds and words proclaim this, and you are true spiritual leader. That is why I gave you the job in my note, the contents of which Theo has memorised, and which upsets him even now.”

“I didn’t see you go Patch,” Theo mewed.

“Sometimes only cubs can penetrate the cloak of silence,” Patch said, “only cubs can touch you deeply enough to beg the spirits for rebirth of one who has decided to lose faith in the path. I heard the words of forgiveness, but could not forgive myself, even when others clearly had, I am deeply humbled by your intervention Sasha, and thank you from the depth of my spirit, which I’m afraid is not so deep at the moment, as it’s rather weak, but, if I plant that humility and thanks in the soil from which my spirit grows, it will grow by degrees as my spirit grows stronger.” Titan stared at Patch, his mouth gaping.

“oaoaoaoah,” the liger miaowed, I’ve never heard it put like that before!”

“well now you have,” Patch replied smiling, “I’m a cub, indeed, more of a cub than Sasha herself, Titan, I am sorry I put you all through this.”

“Patch,” Sasha said, gripping his small paws in her slightly larger ones as best she could, “you are forgiven for that too. I, we, want you back from the tips of our ears to the pads of our feet!”

“I’m not worthy of status, not worthy of standing in the community,” Patch insisted.

“if I could labour to rebirth you I would!” Sasha blurted, “then, then would you understand what we wish you to b?” she demanded.

“yes, I understand,” Patch replied gravely.

“I felt the road under my paws,” Sasha mewed.

“I know you did,” Titan purred, “Sasha, what did you do when you awoke from the dream?”

“I, my, my pads felt sore, so I washed them,” the female lion cub replied, “I told Theo, and he ran from the room, returning sometime later. He threw himself down on the floor and collapsed into himself. Noone could do a thing Titan. It was only when Patch came in here that Theo revived.”

“I am not even worthy enough to wash your paws Sasha,” Patch said.

“yes you are, and you know you are, come on!” the white female lion cub mewed, kissing Patch’s nose, “how if we wild wash each other’s pads, would that be all right?” Patch smiled broadly at this.

“despite everything we understand Sasha, we’re still cubs,” he said, “we can do cubbish things, though, washing each other’s pads isn’t at all cubbish.”

“would you hug me Patch?” Sasha asked, Patch replying by enfolding her in a huge hug, Sasha snuggling as closely as she could into Patch’s hug, mewing and purring with pleasure.

“I think the least I can do is wash your pads Sasha dear,” Patch said. Sasha lay down, Patch examining her by sight and touch from nose to tail. Sasha’s coat, while being mostly tawny, merged into white socks on her paws and feet, which Patch found very cute indeed. Her muzzle and the tips of her ears were also white as was the tassel on the end of her tail which Patch found very cute indeed. Sasha’s nose and pads were black as ebony, the fur between her pads and toes white as snow. Patch looked at Sasha lying on her back on the rugs.

“White nose, white toes, white belly and white tail tassel, so cute!” Patch enthused, kissing the black pads on the sole of Sasha’s left paw, then blowing on her belly, Sasha mewing and squirming with pleasure, her white tail tassel twitching with the pleasure of it all.

“You big cuddlypuss,” Patch teased her, Sasha reaching up with both paws and pulling Patch towards her so he lay across her chest, her paws hugging him as tightly as she dared, Jespah watching his sister kissing the grey bear cub’s nose.

“That’s really cute,” Jespah mewed, “mum, can we keep Patch here?”

“I’m sure Ursula would have things to say about that,” Bianca mewed.

“yes I would, what the hell’s going on?” Ursula demanded, crashing into the room, “I woke to an empty place where Patch was! You have stolen him you horrid moggies!” the she polar bear yelled, stamping her feet.

“No no no!” Theo miaowed.

“What then?” Ursula asked, her fur standing on end, “how did Patch get here?” she asked.

“I found the lie up,” Patch said, “I came here and found a sad lion, and made him happy again by washing his paws.”

“noone can do that!” Ursula raged.

“Patch can,” Sasha mewed.

“I soothed Theo’s spirit by washing his pads,” Patch said.

“Washing with water?” Ursula asked.

“No, wild wash,” Patch admitted, Ursula looking horrified.

“That’s disgusting!” she raged, “that’s for older bears, you’re not strong enough for that yet!” Patch sighed:

“Give it a rest mum, I know what I’m doing.”

“but you don’t!” Ursula wailed.

“I think he does,” Titan mewed, staring hard into Ursula’s face, “what do you know of the spirit world Ursula?”

“very little,” the she bear admitted, sitting down and staring at her paws.

“Well don’t speak until you know what I saw and felt,” Patch grumbled.

“I’d love to see my sire’s paws like you saw them Patch,” Jespah said.

“No you wouldn’t,” Patch replied, “they were distressed and soaking with his emotion.”

“I didn’t mean his distress, just the size of his paws as you saw them. how his pads looked, how big they are to you, that sort of thing. They seem to get smaller as I get bigger you see.” Theo laughed merrily and said:.

“That’s rather cute. Then he rolled Jespah over and, pinning his son cub down with one paw, he blew on Jespah’s pads, Jespah miaowing and wriggling in half-hearted protest.

“leaeaeaeve my feeyeeet aloaoaoaoaone, leaeaeaeve meyeee aloaoaoaoaone!” the half-grown cub miaowed, Theo kissing his nose and paws, Jespah looking up at him, his eyes full of confusion.

“you’re wondering if it’s still okay for a cub of your age to have his paws tickled,” Theo mewed.

“Well, yes,” Jespah replied, “it’s okay for Sasha, but me? I’m meant to be a male lion, not a cub now.”

“you are barely a year old,” Bianca mewed, “indeed, not even that. Jespah, enjoy being cubbish while you can, it’s over far too fast.”

“I like Theo playing with my paws and feet, but, is it acceptable?” Jespah begged.

“It’s acceptable,” Theo mewed, “I became wooden pawed far too soon, and I wish you not to be so Jespah.” Jespah rolled onto his side, Patch including him in the inspection of paws and feet he was conducting at that time.

“Maybe we could get Ursula, Theo and mum to show us their pads too,” Sasha mewed.

“I don’t see why not,” Bianca replied, lying down, “come, inspect my paws and feet for thorns, oh, and get paws on too,” she invited. Ursula, watching all, and realising finally she’d put all four paws in trouble, asked:

“Can I join? Maybe Nanuq and my cubs too? We’d really love to.” Theo rolled onto his back, kicked the air with all four paws, then flopped onto his side, his mane flying. Panting, he replied:

“yes, bring them, but make sure their paws and feet are bare first.” Ursula grinned and scrambled untidily to her feet, with the intention of trotting away to do the lion’s bidding, the toes of her left foot slipping on the tiles at the edge of the rug, Ursula landing on her knees with a grunt and an embarrassed look.

“my toooes sliyiyiyipped!” she yelled, Jespah and Sasha laughing helplessly.

“Bring Zalika and your cubs with you,” Sasha said smiling. Ursula crawled from the room, thinking that as the soles of her feet were so unreliable, she’d be better off closer to the floor. Seeing the naked soles of the she bear’s feet temptingly displayed and accessible, Sasha pounced on them with outstretched paws, her claws retracted. The sensation of the little lioness’s paws pinning her feet fast to the floor made Ursula squeal with fright, while Bianca, Theo, Patch and Jespah laughed merrily at her.

“What’s got my feeyeeet!” Ursula yelled, the answer coming in the form of a gentle kiss to her left heel, Ursula bowing her head beneath her to look backwards between her arms and legs. Purring, Sasha lowered her head between her paws and playfully stuck her tongue out at the upside-down face of the sow polar bear.

“If I tap her toes, will she forward roll?” Jespah asked.

“not likely, I’ve pinned her feet,” Sasha giggled.

“So it’s you!” Ursula exclaimed, pushing with her paws in an attempt to flip Sasha off her feet. Seeing this, Jespah strode over and sat on Ursula’s back, the sow polar bear knowing she was beaten. Whimpering, Ursula pushed with her paws, but couldn’t move.

“Okay, I’m finished, you win,” she gasped, the two lion cubs releasing their captive.

“What will Nanuq think?” Theo asked, “he’ll punish us for bringing his mate low like this.”

“he will probably find it very funny,” Titan mewed, his eyes sparkling.

Nanuq padded in soon after, staring at Ursula who still remained in a crawling posture on the tiles with two lion cubs pinning her down.

“They did this!” she whimpered.

“You poor thing Ursula!” Nanuq laughed, “please, Sasha, Jespah, would you let my mate go free?” Sasha released Ursula’s feet and Jespah tumbled off her back.

“You’re very warm Ursula,” Sasha said, kissing the warm pad of the she bear’s right foot, giggling as Ursula’s toes curled with pleasure. Rubbing the bunched skin on the sole pad of Ursula’s foot, Sasha let the toes of her left paw bump down the ever deepening furrows made by the bunching pads as Ursula curled her toes ever tighter, Sasha watching as Ursula squirmed with pleasure, her toes curling ever tighter in her struggle to concentrate on the rubbing touch of the cub’s paw as well as express her pleasure, finally sitting back on her heels, all the better to squirm and bounce like an overgrown cub.

“Ursula’s eyes are closed with bliss Sasha,” Nanuq observed, the little lioness purring with pleasure so the vibrations transmitted to Ursula through the slight touch of her paw on the thick sole pad of the she bear’s right foot, Ursula wriggling and bouncing even harder.

“That’s super cute,” Patch remarked.

“Could I rub your pads Patch?” Jespah asked. Patch looked round at the male lion cub, who regarded him with gentle eyes.

“yes,” Patch replied, “my feet, well, they’re here, pads are yours to rub too.” Jespah crawled to where Patch lay on his side, watching the goings on from the level of Ursula’s toes.

“You big softy Ursula,” Patch giggled, curling his own toes as Jespah’s paw worked from the heel of his left foot to his toes.

“I think you should let Ursula go now Sasha,” Theo mewed.

“Naoaoaoaow, she’s only ruuuubed the sole of my right fooooot! I wayayayant my left ruuuubed tooooo!” Ursula pleaded.

“I think she told you Theo,” Nanuq giggled.

“I too don’t want to leave here,” Patch said, “Jespah’s just started rubbing my left foot too, and I think I want him to continue with it just as much as Ursula wants Sasha to rub hers.”

, “It’s said liger and lion paws are the best for pad rubs,” Titan mewed.

“I remember saying so to you once Titan,” Theo purred, looking longingly at the liger.

“Come on then Theo,” Titan mewed, lying down, Theo shooting a look at Bianca.

“you’re fine with me,” she mewed, “enjoy his paws Theo, or should that be her paws.”

“I’m female in my paws, well mostly,” Titan mewed.

“You’re paws are lovely,” Theo blurted, looking ashamed at his eagerness.

“I’ve never got paws on with your paws Titan, can I try?” Bianca mewed.

“My paws are for everyone,” Titan purred.

“A lion rubbing your pads while they purr is so lovely!” Ursula blurted wildly, “it’s like everything your mama told you not to do with your feeyeeet!” she gushed, Sasha smiling then kissing the heel of Ursula’s left foot, the she bear glancing round at her.

“thank you doesn’t seem enough!” Ursula blurted.

“it’s all lovely,” Patch said, his eyes closed in bliss as he felt Jespah rubbing the sole of his left foot from heel to toes, the male lion cub purring as ecstatically as he knew how, the vibration stimulating Patch’s sole pad and toes.

“I think we should try and rub the paws of these cuuuuubs!” Ursula whimpered, “but, but, it won’t be enough! It can’t be enough!” she fretted.

“It’ll be nice, as long as you really mean us pleasure,” Sasha mewed.

“There will be no problem with our meaning, but our rubbing might not be so good as yours!” Patch gasped as the toes of Jespah’s left paw reached the ball of his left foot and pressed lightly into the soft skin found there, Patch curling his toes and fingers, his whole body joining in involuntarily, Jespah able to kiss Patch’s nose as the cub curled up into a tight ball of pleasure..

“ Patch, you big softy!” Nanuq teased, crawling to Patch then rubbing the cub’s ears with his paw, Patch looking up helplessly from where he lay.

“I can’t help curling up!” he whimpered.

“I think it’s very cute,” Nanuq replied softly, kissing Patch’s head, getting a good view of the grey bear cub’s bunched paws, the curled toes of both his small feet and suddenly tightly closed eyes when Jespah kissed the heel of his right foot before working on the sole pad with his soft padded right paw.

“You aren’t wrong mum, this must be unlawful pleasure on some planet or other,” Patch said, Jespah smiling then kissing his nose.

“Patch, if I rub your feet in a certain way, you curl up into a tight ball, it’s so cuuuute!” Jespah purred.

“It’s only my adult inhibitions that are keeping me from doing the sayayayme!” Ursula admitted.

“Well lie on your side and lose them then,” Sasha mewed. Ursula lay on her side on the rugs, and as Sasha hoped, Ursula was soon curling up tightly in response to the little lioness rubbing the soles of her feet, the she bear curling her body almost as tightly as she curled her toes.

“What was it like giving birth to Jespah and Sasha Bianca?” Nanuq asked. Bianca sat down, then lay down, burying her face in her paws for a few minutes.

“if you don’t want to answer,,,” Nanuq said gently.

“No, talking about their births is fine, I’m trying to put it into words, both of their births into words,” Bianca replied, “a painful whirlwind doesn’t do Jespah’s justice, as it was not all involuntary contractions, I pushed with some of them, and I also got time to examine what my body did, how my toes curled, for instance. That was interesting.”

“Surely curled toes are the same whatever,” Nanuq replied.

“No,” Bianca mewed, lifting her head, “I curled my toes slightly, or more tightly depending on the level of pain or effort. My tightest toe curling was while I was coping with a heavy contraction or pushing hard, and my paws and feet were exhausted long before Jespah was born, but they kept reacting to my pain and effort. Tired paws and feet are just something you get used to when giving long hard birth to cubs. As to how the contractions felt? It was like serious bellyache for parts, then a need to relieve myself, that made me push. I first was concerned that I’d soil the place, but then, after two visits to the relieving place, me all the while wondering if I was going to have my cubs there, and nothing coming of it, I just settled to pushing through the pains. The first real push was in the playroom, I think you all saw that. I squatted and strained hard for the first time. Before that, I’d just been paddling about in the tub, alternating that with kicking and screaming, and splaying my legs when I wanted to push, but, well, as I said, I don’t consider those real straining efforts.”

“there was one,” Theo mewed, “I watched you Bianca, after the fact of course, and you did grip the edge of the tub with your toes at least once while you pushed.”

“Oh yes, that one, just before I left for the shower,” Bianca mewed, “I remember that.”

“Mum tried to show me how she curled her toes during my birth and, because of her efforts to curl her toes, Sasha was born, so I wouldn’t ask her too much just in case she goes into labour again and poor Patch has to rescue another cub,” Jespah mewed.

“that won’t happen again Jespah dear,” Bianca giggled, “Sasha was ready to be born, and my deep breathing while concentrating on my toes made her want to emerge. I’m not in cub now.”

“I could change that if you’d like Bianca,” Theo mewed.

“Stop it Theo!” she laughed, “but I’d like to pretend to have a cub,” the white lioness mused. Sometimes I get the urge, and wonder if I could make a good show of it.”

“Just brace your feet to push, curl your toes, then moan and yowl your pain,” Nanuq said, “I know you cats can’t grab your feet with your paws, but you could curl round and grip the toes of a foot in your mouth, bite down on your toes. some mama’s do that.”

“I know some do,” Bianca mewed, I even bit my own paws during Jespah’s birth I think.”

“I remember Apudo biting her own toes while giving rebirth to Theo,” Nanuq replied.

“That looked very hard work,” Theo said, “I watched the video of that.”

“it was,” Apudo mewed, padding into the room, “though, I regret nothing Theo. The only thing I regret of that time is making Ekaterina do horrid things to appease my hatred of her for what she did to Titan.”

“That’s all over now,” Titan mewed, padding forward then kissing Apudo’s nose.

“I want to try pretending to give birth to a cub,” Apudo mewed, “Titan, who should I model the imaginary cub on?”

“Oh, well,” Titan mewed, looking round him, “Sasha’s quite large, so she’d be a hard cub to deliver, Jespah, his paws, head and feet would be hard to deliver, though his body wouldn’t. if you want a real all over fight though, a cub like Theo would be very hard, hard paws, hard head, big efforts for the body, huge pushes for the legs and feet too.”

“how about you Titan?” Jespah mewed.

“To deliver a cub like him would involve an operation, he’s too big!” Bianca replied laughing.

“I was too big,” Titan mewed, looking very upset.

“Swarupa blamed you for her difficult labour and hated you from then on didn’t she,” Bianca mewed, “Titan, I’m sorry for what I said.” Titan shook himself and stamped his paws.

“it’s all right,” he mewed, “but Bianca could see it wasn’t.

“Memories,” Titan mewed, throwing himself down on the floor and burying his face in his paws.

“I’m going, Titan I’m sorry!” Bianca mewed.

“I thought I’d come to terms with it,” Titan sniffled.

“Blackberry had to pull you into the light of day,” Apudo mewed.

“yes, yes, he did,” Titan whimpered.

“it’s not your fault Titan,” Patch said, touching the furred top of the liger’s paw, then his pads.

“If I wasn’t so big,” Titan began, Patch squeezing his paw.

“you couldn’t help your birth size,” Patch said.

“I know,” Titan mewed, “but, sometimes, well, it hurts.” Patch kissed Titan’s nose.

“I’d love to give birth to you Titan,” Bianca said.

“I’m a liger,” Titan mewed, “you would give birth to a taliger, and it wouldn’t be as big as me.”

“I am using your body as a template for the shape of cub,” Bianca mewed, “a fat thing with big paws, that would be a hell of a push from first contractions, the paws would hurt, the cub’s head more so, the body would need extra efforts and leave mama yowling and struggling, and the legs and feet would leave mama wondering whom she’d mated with to create such a large cub.”

“I’d like to see someone re-enact the birth of a cub,” Sasha said, “but how would the cub be born if it wasn’t really to be born?”

“We’d just pretend,” Theo mewed, “some of the big cats run their paws over a born cub as a template to the birth of the imagined one. Some bears do that too I think.”

“So it really would be like giving birth to a cub with paws the size of Titan’s then,” Sasha said.

“Sort of,” Bianca replied.

“So what would you push your feet against?” Theo asked.

“Oh, your mate’s paws are good,” Bianca replied, “you push against your mate’s paws with your feet while screaming into your paws about how hard it is to push while your mate holds your legs bent a little so you can’t straighten them and are forced to push even harder with your feet when your effort runs out. Oh yes, the labour is meant to be hard, even when pretending. I remember playing these games with Theo, and we’d carry it on for hours, me sometimes moaning into my paws, other times, grabbing him and screaming into his mane about the cub hurting while I pedalled with my feet, my curled toes brushing through the fur on his hip. Sometimes I would brace my feet against him, pushing against his body with my feet while I held him in my paws, moaning and yowling into his mane with my efforts while I pushed with my feet. That was difficult to do, because I didn’t want to deafen him, while trying to make it sound and feel real,” Bianca replied.

“Your paws and feet got very warm very quickly and you can tightly curl your toes when you want to,” Theo mewed.

“Those cubs were real to me,” Bianca mewed, “well real until the real labour happened, then the pain was nothing like I had imagined, the efforts far outweighing anything before, and the cubs which resulted were real cubs too. the trouble was, the fear of failing my cubs, that I wouldn’t be able to push hard enough to give them life was there, and that’s dreadful, worse than the pain of labour and effort of pushing.”

“Did you ever pretend to have a breach cub?” Titan asked.

“yes,” Bianca replied, “I yowled and miaowed more than ever during the births of those imagined cubs. the last push was the worst, a straining, toes curled tight, my face buried in Theo’s mane, holding desperately onto him with both my paws, panting and wriggling through my prolonged yowling, miaowing effort, pushing my feet against Theo’s, as I was really into the labour then. I pushed hard down with my feet, pushing repeatedly and strongly, until the cub shot forth.”

“Did you push your feet against Theo’s paws?” Jespah asked.

“I did, at first, but then I needed to grab him and hold him, so he couldn’t hold my feet with his paws. We did try bracing our feet, and that worked for the end of the labour, when I was pushing against the breach cub harder than ever.”

“Then I came along and got stuck,” Sasha mewed.

“that was one scenario we also played out,” Theo mewed, “I remember you kept pushing for a long time Bianca, with me urging you on rubbing your sweating paws and feet and washing your face from time to time. Sasha, your mum spent lots of time bouncing on her toes, getting up, lying down and pushing against my paws or feet with her feet. then sometimes she’d grab me and hold on, yowling and miaowing pitifully before panting hard, curling up and giving me her feet. then she’d push as hard as she could, her eyes tightly shut and paws covering her face as she yowled and squirmed.

“it was during one of those long pretend labours that I decided I wanted you to give me cubs,” Bianca said, “and, and,” she continued, her eyes filling with tears, “I pushed you away when I had cubs for real Theo!”

“If we leave for a bit, you give birth to us again mum, then we return and roll about on the floor complaining about having our paws washed, would it help?” Sasha asked.

“Nice thought, but the time is past,” Bianca mewed.

“I don’t mind if you play at having cubs Sasha,” Theo said.

“I’ve never tried it,” Sasha mewed, “but, I have listened to how mum described what she does, so I’ll have a go.”

“Be vocal and physical while giving birth to your imaginary cub, curl your toes and wriggle, moan and yowl,” Bianca mewed.

“I’ll try,” Sasha replied.

“Who will be your inspiration for your first imaginary cub?” Apudo asked. Sasha looked at her.

“You look like you would have been a fat cub,” she said, Apudo huffing in disgust.

“my name does mean fat one,” she conseeded.

“I want to feel each paw, to be told to push,” Sasha said.

“You’ll sound like a cub giving birth to a cub though,” Apudo mewed, padding up to Sasha then kissing her nose.

“I might, but it’s all in fun,” Sasha mewed.

“I might try it too,” Jespah mewed, “after all Nanuq can do it, and he’s male.”

“Not entirely male,” Nanuq replied, “I’m like Titan.”

“oaoaoaaoh, so you can bear cubs like him then!” Jespah miaowed.

“I can,” Nanuq replied smiling.

“How did it feel to give birth Titan?” Sasha asked.

“it was amazing,” Titan mewed, “I’m honoured to call Zalika my cub.”

“awww that’s soaoaoao sweeyeet!” Jespah mewed, waving his paws about, Theo blowing on his pads, Jespah miaowing:

“Stoaoaoap tickling my payayayayads! geyeyeyeyet oaoaoaoaf my paaaaws!” in protest, Theo purring then kissing the tickle from his son’s pads, Jespah grinning hugely.

“You do sound so cubbish when Theo tickles your pads Jespah,” Ursula said, the male lion cub rolling onto his side and sticking his tongue out at her.

“I love the pads on these paws,” Theo mewed, kissing Jespah’s paws and feet, the male lion looking very embarrassed.

“stoaoaoaoap iyiyiyiyiyt!” Jespah raged, Bianca smiling at her mate and cub.

“You love it really,” she said.

“yes, all right, but not in public!” Jespah yowled.

“This isn’t,” Bianca mewed.

“Ursula? Patch? Nanuq? They can all see this!” Jespah moaned.

“yes, but they’re friends and they understand,” Bianca purred, Jespah scowling at her:

“You just like making me yowl and pedal the air with my paws!” he complained.

“it is very cute,” Theo purred softly, Jespah lashing out at him with a velvet paw, the pads of which Theo kissed, the cub growling with frustration and curling his toes to scrape Theo’s nose.

“you don’t hear me complaining,” Sasha said.

“That’s because you have no breaks on how soppy you let our parents get Sasha!” Jespah miaowed.

“Oh shut up and enjoy it,” Sasha mewed, padding up to Jespah and playfully cuffing him.

“Did anyone tell you it looks as if the brown paint ran out while you were being made Sasha?” Patch asked. Sasha stared at Patch, then up at a screen on which she was shown in the lie up.

“I suppose it does,” she mewed, “it looks as if they used it sparingly on me. After all, Jespah’s fur is deep brown from nose leather to pad leathers, I’m a light brown, where I’m not white that is.”

“I think your fur very cute,” Patch said, pushing Sasha off her feet and blowing on the pads of her large paws, the little lioness squealing with laughter.

“There are two more to tickle tooo!” she miaowed.

“I love these fat paws,” Patch said, “I remember grabbing them in my then huge one and pulling. You came out very slowly dear Sasha, poor Bianca having to push so hard to deliver you I thought she’d turn herself inside out with the effort.”

“You thought so, I knew I would,” Bianca laughed, “I pushed so hard, but Sasha seemed not to move towards the outside world as much as I felt she should have with the amount of pushing I did, then after a long time her feet were the last things to be born, and I pushed them into the world without help.”

“I couldn’t pull too hard,” Patch said, “if I had, I would have done damage to you and or Sasha Bianca, and gentility was the name of the game to get her and you through it.”

“Sasha looks like she’s been dabbling with paint on her nose, ears, tail and paws!” Bjorn giggled, racing into the room.

“I suppose I do,” Sasha mewed, looking at her paws with renewed interest.

“I wish you wouldn’t run around like that Bjorn!” Ursula remonstrated, “you know what might happen if you fall and hit your head!”

“all right muuum!” Bjorn replied, tripping over the edge of the rug and flying through the air, Sasha catching him in her paws.

“Look where you’re going!” Ursula whimpered, Sasha placing Bjorn down on the rugs, the bear cub a little winded by his tumble.

“Thanks Sasha,” Bjorn said, getting to his feet and looking at the female lion cub.

“You’re beautiful!” he gushed, Sasha smiling at him, rolling onto her side and showing him her paws nearer his level.

“oaoaoaaoh! I love your paaaaws!” he enthused, Sasha wiggling the toes of all four paws, Bjorn’s eyes widening with admiration.

“go on, hug them,” Sasha invited, Bjorn embracing each of her paws and feet in turn, Sasha mewing, purring and squirming as she worked her paws and feet into his small grip, Bjorn rubbing her pads and the tops of her toes, Sasha curling the toes of all four paws with genuine pleasure at his touch.

“This feels like everything I shouldn’t do with my paws and feet!” the little lioness exclaimed.

“No, it’s everything you should,” her mum said, Theo smiling at Bianca and Sasha.

“I really love this Bjorn,” Sasha mewed unnecessarily.

“I know, but it’s nice to hear,” Bjorn said, kissing the lioness’s nose and the pads of her left paw, Sasha whimpering with pleasure, curling her toes and closing her eyes with bliss at the sensations she felt.

“Big softy lioness you are,” Bjorn said, hugging Sasha tightly in his small paws, Sasha purring as deeply as she knew how while Ursula, shocked at Bjorn’s impertinence, gasped and covered her mouth with her paw in a very human gesture she’d picked up while living in her first home.

“I don’t know why you’re looking so shocked Ursula,” Theo purred, “Sasha isn’t royalty you know.”

“But she’s a lion,” Ursula protested, “they’re, well, royal aren’t they?”

“Well if she’s a princess, I’ll be the first bear cub to tickle the pads of a princess lioness,” Bjorn said, fitting actions to his words before Ursula could stop him, Sasha shrieking with laughter and curling up eagerly so all four of her paws were close together.

“now you tickle all four of my paws!” Sasha demanded.

“Noaoaoaow Bjorn you Cayayayn’t, you mustn’t!” Ursula roared.

“yes he must,” Sasha mewed, trying to look haughty and commanding, Bjorn seeing straight through to the laughing, squirming cub inside which faught madly to burst from Sasha, Sasha squeezing Bjorn’s paw as if he needed reassurance she was with him, "you must tickle all four of my paws you low bear!” Sasha commanded shrilly, Ursula taking a pace forward, Theo laughing so hard he could do nothing to stop the she bear’s action.

“This is wonderful!” he guffawed, Ursula suddenly pouncing on Bjorn, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and pulling him away from Sasha.

“You’re coming with meyeee Bjorn!” she grunted round a mouthful of fur.

“Now stop this!” Theo roared.

“naoaoaoaoao I’m nooaoaoaot coming with youuuuu!” Bjorn yelled, kicking and struggling, tearing himself out of her grip, Ursula feeling a tap on her left paw. Spitting out a mouthful of fur, she looked down to see Patch looking up into her face, while from the corner of her eye, she saw Bjorn racing for the door, Sasha leaping to her feet and following as fast as she could.

“Was that really wise Ursula?” Patch asked.

“but my cub tickled a royal lion’s paws!” Ursula wailed.

“Even if Sasha was wearing a crown and royal robes, if she wants Bjorn to tickle her paws, and he is in agreement to perform that pleasure for her, who are you to stop him?” Patch asked.

“Don’t Patch! It hurts!” Theo begged, laughing so hard his mane shook like a tree in a stiff autumn breeze, “Sasha waring a crown, oh dear! Stoaoaoaoap!” Theo miaowed, laughing so hard he rolled about on the floor.

“It wasn’t that good,” Patch replied, “Anyway, my point still stands, poor Bjorn and Sasha were about to have a lot of fun, and spoilsport Ursula stopped them.”

“They’ve gone somewhere else now,” Bianca mewed.

“Sasha, Bjorn, if you can hear me! Play for three will you?” Patch yelled.

“I’ll make sure Bjorn tickles at least one of my paws double!” was the yelled reply from Sasha, which caused Theo to laugh even more.

“All right, I’m leaving!” Ursula snapped, tearing her paw from beneath Patch’s, the pads of which had begun to sweat with anxiety at what she felt from the grey bear cub.

“It’s play,” Bianca mewed, “I quite like play.”

“So do I,” Theo mewed, dabbing his eyes with his paws, as he’d quite literally been crying with laughter at the antics of the two cubs, “I wish I’d been able to see the result,”

“oh you can, when that bear’s gone,” Bjorn said, Theo looking at him and Sasha, Sasha easing her weight from paw to paw as if uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“My paaaaws have the idea they’re going to get played with, and they’re giving me hell for not doing their bidding, that’s what!” Sasha miaowed theatrically, leaping into the air, Bjorn kissing her nose when she landed.

“Be still gorgeous paws,” he said resting his paws on hers, Sasha giggling delightedly while bouncing on her toes with increasing urgency,, miaowing:

“Your pleading isn’t working!” suddenly Sasha squirmed desperately, falling over with a yowl of frustration then whimpering piteously and kicking the air with all four paws.

“You have even cuter paws now,” Bjorn said, Sasha giggling delightedly. Bjorn lay down then caught each of Sasha’s paws in turn, kissing her pads, Sasha purring ecstatically.

“my paws and feet are yours to do with what you wish,” Sasha purred, Bjorn kissing her nose and the pads of all four of her paws, Sasha wriggling, moaning and purring with pleasure.

“Can I take charge of your feet Sasha?” Patch asked.

“Two bears playing with my paws and feet?” Sasha asked, looking at Patch and Bjorn, her eyes shining, “I’m honoured, yes please.”

“Naoaoaoaow, stoaoaoaoap thiyiyiyis!” Ursula yelled, stamping her feet.

“Maybe your mum needs some paw rubs too?” Sasha yawned luxuriously. Ursula stared at her cub and the little lioness.

“I don’t need any of that!” she yelled, the sound of her hot pads sticking to the floor making Sasha smile.

“I think you do,” the little lioness said, “your pads are hot and damp and are sticking to the tiles as you stamp them,” Sasha mewed, Ursula huffing and sitting down, then grabbing her right foot in her paws, feeling the heat in the sole pad of her right foot.

“You were right,” she mused, her toes curling round the fingers of her left paw as she massaged her right sole pad.

“you have good ears,” Ursula said, smiling at Sasha.

“That’s the first smile you’ve given me since we met,” Sasha mewed.

“I’m concerned my cub is rubbing the pads of a little lioness he has no right to,” Ursula replied.

“I say he can rub my pads, so that’s sorted,” Sasha mewed. Ursula looked longingly at Patch.

“Would you like me to rub your pads mum?” Patch asked, Ursula grinning hugely:

“I would love it,” she replied smiling. Patch took her right foot in his paws, feeling the heat still radiating from her pads.

“you’re still angry mama,” Patch said.

“Are those lions royal?” Ursula asked.

“Noone is above, or beneath having their pads rubbed by a cub,” Patch replied.

“And cubs can rub the pads of adults too,” Jespah said, grabbing Theo’s left paw in his and embracing it.

“Cubs rub the pads of cubs, adults rub those of adults, and cubs rub adult pads, as well as adults rubbing those of cubs,” Patch replied.

“’ow if that’s shrunk to, “we all wubs each othuh’s pads?” Zalika asked, trotting into the room and jumping on Titan’s back.

“let’s do that,” Ursula replied, pulling Patch onto her lap and embracing him tightly.

“I’d like to see and get paws on while you play the stuck foot game Ursula,” Patch said.

“Nanuq showed me how to play the single player game,” Ursula said, “I’ll play that, but first, well, I need to have my pads checked for thorns.”

“I think I know how to do that,” Patch replied, “my memory of those games came back with touching Sasha’s paws. She’d obviously seen those games played often.”

“All the time,” Sasha mewed, “I’ve been watching bears who play it at close range to see how they play it, Nanuq and Goldie are the best bears I’ve found, oh, and Mishka too,” she said.

“We haven’t noticed you,” Nanuq said, padding into the room.

“I did it by video, zooming in on your play,” Sasha mewed.

“Oh,” Nanuq replied smiling.

“You have really cute paws and feet, as does Ursula when she shows us her pads,” Sasha mewed.

“That’s high praise from a lioness,” Nanuq said.

“I know you bears find my paws cute, well I find yours cute too,” Sasha replied smiling, “we lions love bear paws and feet as much as you bears love ours.”

“We cats just want to be able to play the stuck foot games as well as you bears though,” Titan said.

“Hmm, well if you curled up tightly enough you might be able to grab your feet with your paws,” Patch suggested.

“I’ll play the stuck foot game so Ursula can refresh her memory,” Nanuq said, sitting down on the floor, the soles of his large feet visible to Ursula.

“Watch this,” Nanuq said.

“wait!” Patch said, holding up his small paw, “you need your pads checked for thorns Nanuq.”

“Would you do that for me?” he asked.

“I will,” Patch said, crawling over to Nanuq and grabbing the polar bear’s huge left foot in his small paws.

“Make sure you press every pad,” Nanuq said, Patch giggling delightedly as Nanuq squirmed desperately, being unable to stop his toes curling with the pleasure of Patch’s warm touch.

“You big softy Nanuq,” Patch said, kissing the furred tops of Nanuq’s paws in which the huge bear now held his free right foot.

“rub his pads Patch,” Ursula said, Patch setting to work on Nanuq’s left foot, while the male bear hummed with pleasure.

“You have soft pads Nanuq,” Patch said, pressing the sole pad of Nanuq’s left foot, the male bear curling his toes with pleasure, Patch bouncing his fingers down the now bunched pad, Nanuq curling his toes even tighter in response.

“now let me check your other foot,” Patch said, Nanuq letting go of his right foot and offering it to the small grey cub. Patch took the offered foot in his paws, rubbing the sole pad and toe pads, Nanuq catching Patch’s fingers in the grip of his huge toes, Patch laughing merrily and tugging at his trapped fingers, while Nanuq embraced Patch’s paw in his huge ones, pressing Patch’s paw against the sole pad of his right foot.

“your pads feel like they are used to play,” Patch said.

“Oh yes, I play with my feet often,” Nanuq replied smiling. releasing Patch’s fingers, Nanuq lifted the cub in his paws then kissed his nose, Patch stroking Nanuq’s nose with his paws, Nanuq’s eyes filling with tears.

“You great big softy!” Patch giggled, Nanuq embracing him tightly then grooming him from nose to tail.

“This is lovely!” Patch purred, squirming with pleasure while Nanuq finished his ministrations by blow drying the cub’s fur and pads.

“I thought you were going to show mum how to play the stuck foot game Nanuq,” Bjorn said.

“In a minute,” Nanuq replied, “Bjorn, grooming Patch suddenly seemed more important than any stuck foot game.”

“I do want you to play the stuck foot game though Nanuq,” Patch said.

“Oh I will,” Nanuq replied, “but now I have groomed you, I can play it much more completely.”

“I look forward to that,” Patch said, “Can a friend of mine get paws on?”

“Who might that be?” Nanuq asked.

“Oh, she’s a bear cub I think, she gave me milk to warm me up when I was cold after the time in the woodlands,” Patch replied.

“yes, I know her I think,” Nanuq replied.

“You wouldn’t miss her if you saw her, she’s naked from her nose to her toes!” Patch replied.

“I’d love her to get paws on,” Nanuq replied. Patch leapt from Nanuq’s lap and, turning to him, kissed his nose before racing to the monorail and calling it, dancing impatiently on first four paws, then just his hind as he waited, Ursula and Nanuq laughing so hard they rolled about on the floor.

“Why not call her on the phone Patch?” Bjorn asked, “she’ll come to you. You don’t need to find Adsila, she knows the monorail route.”

“she said she gets lost in her own home,” Patch replied, “I can’t let her get lost outside it now can I?” Nanuq felt his heart swell with love for this small grey cub who was now banging the doors with his paws, which opened suddenly, Patch tumbling head over heels into the car which waited. Picking himself up, Patch waved to the lions and bears in Theo’s lie up then punched the button for Adsila’s lie up. Turning to a phone on the wall as the door closed and car set off, he rang her lie up.

“Adsila? Yes it’s Patch, the grey cub you gave milk to,” Patch said, “yes, I know, you weren’t expecting me. Now, would you like to come and get paws on while Nanuq plays the stuck foot game in Theo’s lie up?”

“I’d love to,” Adsila said, “but, well, I’d much rather get paws on while you play Patch.”

“later,” Patch replied, “it’s just that Nanuq wants to show Ursula how to play the game, and I wondered if you’d like to get paws on with it. we can play later. I’m sure you know the game. If you get paws on with me while I play, maybe I can get paws on while you struggle to free your feet from themselves.” Adsila giggled at this:

“I’d love to,” she replied, “where are you now?”

“Just coming up to your stop on the train thing,” Patch said, “I’m in a train. You come to the doors, and I’ll be there, and take you to Theo’s lie up. Who knows, you might be able to play with Theo’s paws too. I’m sure he’d love it.” Adsila, who’d always wanted to play with a lions’ paws, laughed delightedly at this prospect.

“I’ll be at the door, see you,” she said. Patch put down the phone as the train slowed for Adsila’s stop. The doors opened, and Patch escorted the naked female bear cub into the carriage.

“Shall we play here?” Adsila asked.

“There’s enough room,” Patch replied, “but, the others will be wondering where we are.”

“They have cameras in here, they’ll see,” Adsila replied, “my paws and feet want to be rubbed you see, and, well, I want it too. please?” she begged, rolling onto her back, presenting Patch with a view of her belly and the soles of her paws and feet.

“All right,” Patch replied, hugging all four of Adsila’s naked paws in turn, while the naked cub purred delightedly.

“Now we really must get back to Theo’s lie up,” Patch said, pressing the button for that lie up.

“You’re wearing socks on these paws and feet,” Patch said, tracing the sole pad of Adsila’s right foot with his fingers.

“It’s because my feet and paws are rather tender due to my rebirth,” Adsila replied.

“I know that feeling,” Patch replied.

“Find the thick cuff on that sock and I’ll pull,” Adsila said. Patch did as she asked, and Adsila tugged at her foot, the sock coming off after two efforts. Patch put the plastic sock into a bin and blew on the sole of Adsila’s offered, now truly bare right foot, the little she bear giggling with pleasure.

“now you know how to remove one sock, could you help me with the other three?” she asked.

“but you’ll not be able to walk on your feet!” Patch replied.

“Maybe I don’t want to?” Adsila replied smiling, “maybe I want you to touch my pads pad to pad, not pad to plastic sock. I can feel the difference you know.” Patch removed all Adsila’s gloves and socks, the she bear making a lot of fuss about freeing her paws and feet, Patch urging her to pull hard whenever he got hold of a cuff. Adsila moaned and panted as she tugged, curling her toes as she struggled, Patch urging her not to curl her toes, while she protested she couldn’t pull without curling them. after a long fight, they got the job done, Patch washing the hot pads of Adsila’s paws and feet. once her pads were cooled, Patch and Adsila crawled from the monorail car, which had been stopped at the station for some time, both bears entering the lion’s lie up on paws and knees, Patch leading the way, while Adsila followed, her paws in contact with his feet, Adsila drawing circles on Patch’s pads, rubbing his toes when they curled as he crawled.

“We watched all,” Nanuq said, “You couldn’t wait could you Adsila,” he teased.

“My feeyeeet and paaaaws were all hot!” Adsila whimpered.

“yes, we know the feeling,” Theo mewed, Bianca giggling cubbishly at the last memory of frantic sock removal followed by rubbing of each other’s pads after their last walk in the woods together.

“yes, we know the feeling,” she said.

“it’s very nice to have your pads rubbed by others,” Nanuq said, playing with the toes of his left foot with the fingers of his left paw.

“Well let’s rub your pads then Nanuq,” Patch said, kneeling before Nanuq’s left foot and pulling the huge male polar bear’s left paw off his left foot, the bear smiling broadly.

“When will we get round to the stuck foot game?” Ursula said, her voice full of boredom.

“In a bit,” Nanuq replied, “anyway, isn’t there video of me playing on the bed?”

“No, that went, was destroyed, well, when Patch was reborn,” Ursula replied, “all video of Patch did. It all vanished!”

“it’s as if you never lived,” Adsila said to Patch, squeezing his paw.

“I suppose it’s so I don’t remember anything, and can be who I am now,” he said, “but, well, Sasha told me a bit. I know the stuck foot game is well liked here, and that Nanuq knows the game.”

“You used to play it well Patch,” Theo mewed, “there was one time when you made a video demonstrating it, and Snowdrop came to you in labour pain. She gave birth to Kamchatka, who now has given birth to Jem.”

“I remember something about that,” Patch said, closing his eyes, it had something to do with a school and the children in it too. I was playing with my feet and a bear came to me in a lot of pain and I helped deliver her cub.”

“You did,” Adsila said, “you gave milk to that cub too when her mum was in a bad place. You too were in a bad place in the body in which you are now. You gave her cub comfort while she was distressed, and sent your cub to help her too.”

“Sita,” Patch mused.

“yes!” Ursula yelped.

“I remember everything now,” Patch said, shaking himself, “I left the community because a bear had become blind, and I refused to guide her after guiding others my whole life. I was selfish about that, but was forgiven because it was seen that I’d snapped under the pressure of responsibility, though had seen the error of my ways somewhat. I remember little Kamchatka’s birth, I remember the births of an animatronic ligress and bear too. conferring life on them anyway, knowing more than their creator about what made something alive.”

“So your amnesia is not so bad after all,” Theo growled.

“it’s helped by Adsila who is holding my foot in her paws,” Patch said.

“So if we refreshed your memory by holding your paw and telling you stories you would remember?” Sasha asked.

“yes, I suppose I would,” Patch replied.

“well you’ve remembered the worst bit and not flung yourself down a lift shaft,” Jespah mewed, “Maybe now you can remember what a lovely bear you once were and let us hug and play with you?”

“I remember looking after a human too,” Patch replied, “but, now, that human’s gone away from me after, after having her own cub. She didn’t like her cub being part of this place. She wanted nothing to do with this place after her cub’s birth in case the cub she’d born became like us. That’s sad, very sad,” he said.

“That’s jess,” Adsila said.

“I know,” Patch replied sorrowfully, “more’s coming back than I can say with my mouth and it feels like my head will explode!” he said, “but, well, I can’t stop it coming and filling my head, though it doesn’t want to go to my paws. This is stuff for my head only.”

“A history lesson,” Sasha mewed.

“yes, leaving me to, well, to be myself while remembering who I was, if that makes any sense, which it makes little,” Patch replied, “but, well, I know myself from years ago now. I have remembered myself, but I’m not back as a cub in the year I was born, so I am myself in a different time to when I was born to become myself the first time. Oh this is so confusing, at least it sounds it, but I understand it,” he gushed.

“Do you remember all?” Adsila said.

“I do,” Patch replied, “I remember helping a tiny white cub to her feet when she was unable to see her path too.” Adsila gasped when he said this.

“That was me,” she replied, “I, I made mistakes, and, well,,,” she continued, her voice cracking, “you accepted me back into the community.”

“I remember,” Patch replied, “though I don’t remember why I was reborn, who I refused to guide.”

“it would not be right to remember that,” Theo mewed.

“A hammock,” Patch mused, “a hammock with a she bear kneeling on it, her paws on a bar, while she faught for the lives of her cubs, straining hard to deliver two cubs.” Ursula gave such a loud squeal of fear Adsila bit her tongue.

“That was what you were to forget,” Nanuq replied.

“How can I forget my own cubs?” Patch asked.

“it complicates things, I can’t be your guide now!” Ursula wailed.

“I cannot call you mama in that sense, now knowing what I know,” Patch replied, turning to Ursula and hugging her, Ursula now crying, “but, well, I could call you mama, as in community mama. Let’s pretend I am an abandoned cub. My mama gave birth to me by the trees and left me. Hmm, I remember that happening to another cub too, one in my distant past. So let’s say I came down the track, which I did, and was found by Titan, which I was. I have no memory of my birth, or my birth mother. This community, I feel, has many cubs who are taken in by the whole community. Even the leader was abandoned by his mama, I think.” Titan stared at Patch.

“You do know, you remember all don’t you,” he said in a voice that was so choked with emotion it shook the floor.

“I remember your birth Titan,” Patch said, padding to the liger and taking his huge paw in his tiny ones.

“I even wemembews youw biwth Zalika my dear,” Patch said, glancing up at Zalika, who lay across Titan’s broad back, watching the goings on intently.

“You’s a bleedin’ pest fow talking like me you is,” Zalika mewed, leaping off Titan’s back, running to Patch, bowling him over and hugging him tightly.

“I suppose I’m forgiven fow that too?” he asked, Zalika kissing his nose.

“You’s welcome ‘ere,” Zalika mewed, kissing Patch’s pads, the bear cub smiling at her.

“I thank you all,” he replied softly.

“So we have old Patch back, but miniature in size,” Ursula said.

“yes,” Titan mewed, rubbing his eyes with his paws, “it seems, well,” he swallowed hard, “It seems cubs who know their history can tell it to other cubs who are reborn.”

“like a really fast download,” shadow said, padding into the room, “it’s like Patch is me. I knew my history within seconds. I’m a computer, where he is not, but touching another’s paw is like a really fast history lesson without the boredom of sitting in front of a droning badger.”

“Since when have you ever had to do that?” Titan asked.

“Oh, I tried it for a week, and my god are those badgers boring!” Shadow replied.

“the badgews can dwone on fowevew,” Zalika mewed.

“I knows them can,” Shadow said, kneeling then rubbing Zalika’s ears.

“You stop that!” Zalika miaowed, Shadow kissing the top of her head.

“I’s sowwy,” Shadow purred, Zalika turning on her, miaowing:

“You isn’t!”

“stop fighting you two,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet and shaking himself.

“oaoaoaoah you’re huuuge!” Patch squealed.

“I am,” Titan mewed, lying down, Patch staring first at Titan’s face, then at the pads of his huge paws and feet.

“I could do with a pad rub before I play the stuck foot game,” Nanuq said.

“Oh sod youw stuck foot game!” Zalika mewed, “Patch ‘as wemembewed all ‘e evah was and you’s going on about that bleedin’ game?”

“That game is as much part of our history as the birth of the next cub is,” Patch said, “and if I hadn’t opened my mouth about what I remembered, Nanuq would have played the game, so let him play.”

“Why don’t you play too?” Nanuq asked.

“I suppose I could, but my feet are so small noone would see much,” Patch replied.

“there is the two player stuck foot game Patch,” Adsila said.

“I forgot about that one,” Patch replied, “okay, I’ll play it with you, but first, let’s get paws on while Nanuq frees his feet from themselves.”

“Okay, you two, check that my feet are pressed together properly,” Nanuq invited. Patch and Adsila found Nanuq’s huge feet pressed together, his soles touching heel to heel pad, toe pads pressing toe pads.

“Try freeing my toes,” Nanuq invited, Adsila gently trying to ease his toes apart, finding she couldn’t.

“Patch, now try my heels,” Nanuq invited, Patch gently pressing his fingers into the heel pads of Nanuq’s huge feet, the polar bear watching with silent amusement, bouncing like a cub when they couldn’t free his feet.

“Are they stuck?” he asked.

“yes, they are,” Adsila replied, running her tiny naked paws over the insides of Nanuq’s two huge feet and the tips of his massive toes.

“You keep your claws short Nanuq,” Adsila said.

“but of course,” Nanuq replied, “if I didn’t, they’d hurt those I play with. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I wish I had protractile claws like lions and tigers. Protractile claws, now that would be nice.”

“now are you going to pull your feet free?” Adsila asked.

“I will try, though I may need help from you two,” Nanuq replied. Patch and Adsila grinned at his proposal.

Nanuq tugged at the toes of both feet, puffing and wriggling with his efforts. Once they were free, which took him five minutes of scrabbling and wriggling while he made sounds of effort, he set to freeing his heels by digging at his heel pads with his fingers, his sounds of effort and wriggling redoubled. It seemed all was going well when Nanuq’s right foot slipped, the toes of his left catching hold of those of his right in a fierce grip. Squealing with frustration, Nanuq explored the changed puzzle his feet now presented. The toes of his left foot were curled so they tightly held those of his right, the curled toes of his right foot gripping the thick padding on the ball of his left foot, while both heels were pressed together, though his right heel was half way free of his left, meaning he could get some grip on that foot with both paws. Throughout all Nanuq’s play, Adsila got paws on while Patch watched from close range.

“now to try to free my right fooooot!” Nanuq groaned, tugging at the toes of his left, his tugging turning to desperate scrabbling as his toes refused to release their grip on those of his right foot.

“Try pulling your right foot back towards your body,” Adsila advised, “grab as much of your heel and the pad as you can in both paws and pull.” Nanuq, panting hard, grabbed his right heel and tugged hard, the toes of his right foot slowly easing free of the grip of his left.

“iyiyiyt’s woooorking, but iyiyiyt’s Soaoaoaoao hayayayrd!” he whimpered, pulling hard. Half way through, with the toes of his right foot half way to freedom, pressing hard into the mid sole of his left foot, Nanuq’s strength gave out and he relaxed, panting hard. The instant he relaxed the grip on his right heel, the toes of that foot scrabbled across the sole of his left to their former place gripping the ball of his left foot, Nanuq scrabbling at his right foot and squealing with anger and frustration in his attempt to stop them.

“naoaoaoaoao!” he raged, banging the floor encircled by his legs with his paws.

“you’ll have to pull all the harder now,” Patch said, touching the gripping toes of Nanuq’s left foot with gentle paws.

“I knoaoaoaoaow! Plus my toooes won’t let go!” Nanuq raged, tugging at the toes of his left foot with his left paw while trying to get the fingertips of his right under the pads of the toes of his left foot.

“It’s another hard tug at your right foot again I think,” Adsila said, rubbing the furred top of Nanuq’s right paw.

“I think you’re right,” Nanuq whimpered.

“I would have liked to get paws on with your feet before you played,” Adsila said.

“They’ll need plenty of massage afterwards,” Nanuq replied. whimpering, he grabbed the heel of his right foot and tugged hard, leaning back as he did so.

“uuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf!” Nanuq moaned as he pulled, Patch and Adsila urging him to:

“Pull Nanuq pull!” Nanuq, his eyes closed, pulled hard, Adsila telling him how far he’d got.

“your toes are free,” she said, “now the toes of your right foot are moving along the sole pad of your left foot as you pull, keep pulling, that’s it!” she encouraged. Nanuq, wriggling and rocking, tugged as hard as he could, the toes of his left foot curling with the effort he was putting in to freeing those of his right. Panting hard, Nanuq rested for a minute, but didn’t let go of his heel this time.

“Nearly there, just a bit more, your toes are nearly at your heel!” Patch exclaimed. Nanuq, roaring and wriggling, tugged even harder:

“uuuuumf, heuuuuuumf! iyiyiyiyit’s woooorking!” he yowled, squealing as his right foot came free of his left, the released tension from his traction making him almost fall backwards.

“That’s it, you’ve done it!” Adsila said, rubbing Nanuq’s left foot, feeling the heat in his pads, while Patch watched Nanuq rubbing the sole of his right foot with the fingers of his left paw.

“So that’s the stuck foot game,” Adsila said.

“it is,” Nanuq replied, “the single player version anyway.”

“You believed your feet were stuck didn’t you,” Patch said, wonder in his voice.

“I did,” Nanuq admitted smiling, “but if there had been trouble of a real kind, I would have dropped the act and become as useful as I could be.”

“you were doing something very kind,” Adsila said, “you were showing me how the stuck foot game is played.

“it’s the extended version too,” Sasha said, “the shorter version just frees toes, heels and the balls of feet. That extended version’s much more involved.”

“I saw you watching intently,” Patch said.

“I wayayayant tooo doooo iyiyiyiyiyt!” Sasha yowled hysterically, banging the floor with her cubbishly fat paws and beating it with her tail.

“But you’re a cat, so you can’t, sorry,” Nanuq replied.

“Sasha could play the two player game,” Patch said, “lie down next to a lion or tiger and press feet to feet, then squirm and struggle to free your feet.”

“I remember playing that game,” Apudo mewed, having sat and watched all, while wishing to take no part in proceedings.

“how would it be if you and I play the stuck foot game Apudo?” Titan asked.

“I’d never be able to pull my feet free of yours,” she replied, “your pads are too big, and soft, and the minute your toes got hold of mine, no matter how hard I braced them and tugged, I’d lose the will to pull!” Titan purred deeply at these words, Apudo theatrically stamping her feet.

“a gayayme with youuuuu isn’t fuuuun!” Apudo miaowed, “a game with you is impossible, as your pads draw my will to pull my feet free!” Titan reached out with both paws, Apudo padding to him and lying down, the liger tightly hugging her, Apudo purring deeply.

“We could play the stuck foot game like you and Petra did,” Titan mewed.

“I would love that,” Apudo purred.

Soon Apudo and Titan were playing the stuck foot game, the toes of all eight paws interlocked, and refusing to let go. Toes gripping toes, the two cats fought to free their paws and feet. Holding tightly to each other’s paws and feet, the two big cats fought madly, the toes of Apudo’s left foot holding the toes of Titan’s right, the toes of Titan’s left foot holding Apudo’s right, their paws similarly arranged. Toes of both Paws interlocked, Heel pads of all paws and feet pressed together, the two cats wriggled and struggled, growling, yowling and puffing with effort.

“the more we fight to free our feet, the stronger the glue gets,” Titan gasped.

“We must stop to ease the glue, but I can’t!” Apudo mewed.

“So we’re stuck here forever, let’s try harder to free our feet!” Titan replied, tugging hard at his paws, feeling Apudo’s strong grip holding them, while Apudo tugged at her trapped toes, feeling the grip of Titan’s stronger toes trapping hers in a grip she didn’t want to break. whimpering, Apudo dug her toes into Titan’s pads until the larger liger took a fresh grip on them, then she tugged hard, Titan growling with effort as he held tightly onto Apudo’s toes with his own.

“pull your heels away first, then tug toes free!” Titan gasped, “my toes wont’ stop curling and gripping yours though, I Cayayayn’t stoaoaoaoap them!” he yowled.

“My heels are stuck, I can’t do it Titan!” Apudo miaowed, wriggling and bouncing her backside on the floor, her feet moving slightly as she struggled, though not so much as to break the illusion of her pads being firmly bonded to Titan’s. Adsila, interested in the miaowing and yowling, crawled over and got paws on with the struggling big cats, their fight for freedom of their feet and paws as real to her as it was to them.

“paws locked, toes trapped, I can’t free myself!” Apudo yowled, wriggling and yowling.

“You could if you really wanted to,” Titan mewed.

“That’s just it, my feet don’t want to!” Apudo wailed, “I want to, but my feet don’t!” Titan laughed then kissed Apudo’s nose.

“You are in control of your feet,” Titan reminded Apudo, feeling Apudo wiggling her toes in the grip of his own large ones.

“Naoaoaoaow!” Apudo replied, wiggling the toes of and tugging at each foot in turn, Titan giggling delightedly.

“you can’t free your toes from mine,” he stated.

“I can’t! but, I don’t want to, my toes are warm, my pads are warm, I love it!” Apudo mewed softly, her eyes closed.

“I can feel your spirit isn’t in freeing your feet from mine,” Titan purred.

“I want them more stuck, my toes more gripped by yours!” Apudo miaowed.

“I can’t grip your toes more than I already am,” Titan mewed, “I could take them in my paws and rub your pads a bit if you’d like, but you’d have to let go of my paws.”

“No, I must free my feet by effort alone!” Apudo mewed, tugging hard at her left foot, “maiaiaiaiaiaow! Yaoaaaaaoaoaoaow!” she yowled, Titan feeling the toes of Apudo’s left foot straining against the grip of the toes of his own right foot. Smiling, Titan slowly released his grip, Apudo’s yowl increasing in volume as she sensed victory in her effort. Roaring, Apudo tore her left foot free. Mewing and yowling, she wriggled madly, then began tugging at her right foot, Titan meowing and holding tightly onto Apudo’s toes with his, Apudo growling with effort and tugging as hard as she could to free the toes of her right foot from the grip of the large toes of titan’s left foot.

“hyaoaoaoaoaoaaaaw!” Apudo yowled as she tugged hard, Titan yowling back at her as the grip of his huge toes failed, Apudo growling as the toes of her left foot tore free of the grip of Titan’s right, Titan meowing in anger, letting go of Apudo’s paws, rolling onto his back, panting hard, yowling while kicking with his feet like an angry cub. Apudo laughing merrily, panting hard from her efforts.

“That felt wonderful!” Titan mewed.

“it did,” Apudo purred. She looked at Titan, now lying on his back, feet and paws waving madly, “and those paws and feet are cute too!” Titan smiled, rubbing his nose with his paws, smelling Apudo’s strong scent on his pads.

“you’re scent is all coconut and musk Apudo, it’s very nice,” Titan mewed, Apudo laughing then kissing Titan’s paws.

“I’m partly of you,” she said, “though of course, not as much part of you as Zalika is.”

“I wants to get as big as you Apudo, then I can play like that. It ain’t fair! You’s webown so you gwows so dam fast! Patch will too! I’s got’a wait, and I ain’t ‘appy about it!” Zalika mewed.

“Come here Zalika,” Titan mewed, Zalika padding to him.

“Can I hug you?” he asked.

“I wants a cuddle,” Zalika mewed, Titan embracing her in his huge paws.

“You ‘as such soft paws, no wonders youw toes gets stuck in wafts tiggie Titan.” Titan huffed at her:

“I wondered when you’d bring that up,” he mewed.

“I wants to see you twap youw toes Titan,” Zalika mewed, “I spoke to Apuwdo about it, she said it was weally cute.”

“It made me miaow like a cub!” Titan whimpered.

“’ow if we ‘olds youw toes in ouw paws and you pwetends?” Zalika asked.

“or we could put a waft in the biwthing pool and ‘e could twy to fwee ‘is feet in welative safety, the sides ‘ave got sponge on ‘em now aftew an ‘ealth and safety weview,” Nanuq suggested.

“Oi Nanuq, you stoaoaoaoap that!” Zalika miaowed, rushing to Nanuq and tickling his toes with her whiskers, leaving the male bear rolling on the floor shrieking with laughter.

“it’s a good idea, if I’m going to have my toes trapped anywhere,” Titan mewed.

“I think we should let Adsila and Sita touch youw toes befowe and then youw feet when them’s twapped,” Zalika mewed, “I and othuhs will be able to sees youw feet as you stwuggle as Camerwas will be on them and on youw face too.”

“how much can you see of my feet?” Titan asked.

“Oh, we can make the pads of one paw fill the entire screen from a camera twenty feet away,” Nanuq replied, having recovered from having his toes tickled by Zalika.

“that much detail?” Titan asked.

“Oh, even more,” Nanuq replied, “I can zoom in on one pad from that distance too. I could even tell someone where a splinter was in your pads from that distance now. We’ve just upgraded the cameras.”

“oh,” Titan mewed.

“Shandy and Shadow get upgraded cameras in their eyes whenever we upgrade,” Nanuq said.

“You’s beginning to sounds like Blackbewwy!” Zalika mewed.

“Well, actually, he told me all this,” Nanuq replied.

“So that’s how you’re able to see the detail in our games and the births of cubs,” Theo mewed.

“yes,” Nanuq replied, “the cameras have been installed for a few months now. Indeed, the first birth we got on the new cameras was Jem’s, followed by Jespah’s, closely followed by Zalika’s, and of course then Sasha’s. we made a video of Bianca in labour with shots which make my toes curl in sympathy with her every time.”

”that’s part of the idea though isn’t it?” Theo asked.

“Yes it is,” Nanuq replied smiling.

“I’ll bet the computer can make Shandy copy us in real-time,” Bianca mewed.

“yes, it can,” Nanuq replied, “the cameras that catch the births of cubs from all angles also make laser sketches of the body moving within their field, so Shandy could re-enact things in real-time for those who aren’t there, or who can’t see what’s going on.”

“I’ll bet you saw enough of my face and paws to last you a lifetime,” Bianca mewed.

“how can I ever get tired of watching your face and paws while you’re giving birth or the faces and paws of others while they’re plaingplaying or giving birth to cubs?” Nanuq asked, “I watched Jem’s, Jespah’s and Sasha’s births, and especially Zalika’s. I saw them from all angles too,” the bear replied, crawling to Zalika then kissing her nose, then to Jespah and Sasha and repeating his action.”

“You’re really cuddly aren’t you,” Sasha said, Nanuq embracing her in his paws, the little lioness smiling broadly.

“I try to be,” Nanuq replied, “I had a sire who taught me to be gentle, and I find gentility is the best way.”

“It pours from your paws,” Sasha mewed, kissing Nanuq’s nose.

“Nanuq,” Titan mewed, “now Patch isn’t in a fit, um, stature to perform medical work, could you do it?” Nanuq looked at Patch, at his small paws and body.

“I see what you mean,” he mused, “I’m no medical bear Titan. My job is to look after cameras and be part of the security team here. I couldn’t pull a cub if I tried.”

“Shandy could teach you,” Titan mewed.

“I suppose she could, “but look at my paws! They’re huge! Poor mama would scream whenever I tried to help her.”

“Not if you’re gentle,” Patch said softly, “I may have to grow physically, but I remember I could get my paws into the spaces needed. You could too Nanuq, as you were born of polar sire and brown bear mama.”

“I could try,” Nanuq replied.

“I’m sure your paws would be soft and gentle,” Sasha mewed, handling Nanuq’s massive left paw in her smaller ones.

“I know Goldie would like to have the job, but, well, he’s too afraid to ask,” Nanuq said.

“Goldie’s pissed off about Blackberry’s cooking skills, I know that much,” Theo mewed.

“Goldie can’t cook!” Bianca mewed, “he always makes a hash of anything!”

“I can’t even make one of those!” Goldie whimpered, padding into the room with hot tea and coffee on a trolley.

“Well how about it Goldie?” Nanuq asked.

“how about what?” Goldie asked.

“the medical job,” Nanuq replied.

“After seeing what Bramble went through giving birth to Sooleawa, I don’t know if I could!” the brown bear whimpered.

“You could help others like her though,” Nanuq replied.

“I suppose I could,” Goldie said, “but how would I learn quickly? It took Blackberry ages to learn.”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Nanuq said, “we put an implant in your brain which tells you all you need to know.”

“naoaoaoaoao!” Goldie yelled.

“it’ll be painless and completely safe,” Shadow said,, “I’ll do the job as I did for Ursula.”

“implanted knowledge, no more boring history lessons!” Sasha exclaimed, clapping her paws, “yes please!”

“I don’t know,,,,” Goldie replied.

“I can download onto a chip all the information, demonstration, and practise anyone has ever had,” Shadow said, “all you’d have to do is remember how it’s done, and boom, you’ll be able to deliver a cub frontwards, backwards, and sideways!”

“Sideways?” Bianca asked.

“C section,” Patch grunted.

“Oh,” Bianca mewed.

“Of course, I can do those things, and I will supervise, four paws and two heads are better than two paws and one,” Shadow said.

“Not if it’s twin cubs coming down the birth canal at the same time though,” Nanuq replied.

“Noaoaoaow, stoaoaoaoap iyiyiyiyiyt!” Bianca mewed, “it’s tooo real!” she yelled, crossing her legs.

“Awhwhwhw Bianca you silly!” Theo mewed.

“the whole thing should take, um, an hour,” Shadow said, “I put you to sleep Goldie, and then attach a hard drive with all the knowledge you need, instant medic. see?”

“No ploughing through books, no getting your paws dirty?” Goldie asked.

“of course, there would be refresher courses, but no, you’d be able to start immediately,” Shadow replied, “I started immediately, but then again, I’m a computer.”

“well Goldie will become a computer too, partly so anyway,” Nanuq said.

“could Patch relearn all he once knew?” Adsila asked.

“Probably,” Shadow replied, “anyway, I think he knows all he once knew. I have scanned his brain and, well, he’s up to speed.”

“Who’s cub is he really?” Sasha asked.

“Mine,” Shadow replied, “yes you gave him life Sasha, but I gave birth to him in the woodlands, sending him to Ursula until he could meet the one who could tell him who he was. I could then tell him all I knew about him, which was everything the community knew. I worked on Patch in the workroom, and placed his live body on the woodland track, then woke him and fled. I made Patch.” Sasha stared at Shadow.

“So you gave birth to him, I brought his spirit back, and you programmed him with all the knowledge he once had, and I unlocked it with my paws, and now he’s here?” Sasha asked.

“yes, sort of,” Shadow replied, “the implant in his brain tells him all he once knew. He’s an adult brain in a cub’s body.”

“Sort of reborn without being pushed into the world,” Apudo mewed, “Shadow, why the need for computers? I was not computerised when reborn, nor was Theo if I remember rightly.

“Patch’s brain was, um, too badly damaged for his memories to be preserved,” Shadow replied, looking uncomfortable, “I had to go with what I had.”

“I heard his head got bashed in on the road,” Jespah mewed, Theo looking sick.

“I saw his body thanks, I don’t need reminding!” the lion miaowed, “and how do you know about things like that Shadow?” Theo asked horsely, looking terrified, “how do you know his memories were destroyed with his brain? Only a spiritual being such as those who have studied Eohippus and knew the paths would be able to tell that!”

“Shadow and Shandy have drunk of my milk,” Titan mewed, “I, I think, think, I think Shadow’s picked up the map to the paths that way.”

“oaoaoaaoh, a spiritual computer!” Theo yowled.

“I think so,” Patch replied.

“I don’t think I have done wrong,” Shadow said, “I did what I felt would be right.”

“this is very strange indeed,” Goldie said.

“All’s going to be fine,” Patch replied, “I don’t know who I was before I became who I am. I mean where my body came from if I was not born of a mama in the natural way.”

“you were made by a machine,” Shadow replied, “humans made a plush version of you as a cub for people to buy to supplement the income of the community, and I stole one of the soft toys to revive you Patch.”

“ooaaoah!” Goldie yelped.

“I am glad of it,” Patch replied gravely.

“So your intervention, plus my wish for Patch not to do what he did, plus my paws being the key to his memories made Patch what he is now?” Sasha asked.

“um, yeah,” Shadow replied.

“You’ve always been the more fearless of Blackberry’s two adult creations Shadow,” Titan mewed.

“So let me get this straight,” Goldie said, “while Nanuq and Ursula were in the ice room, Shadow stole a soft toy, implanted it with a chip with a hard drive of Patch’s time here, then birthed it, Shadow wanting a cub of her own. Meanwhile Patch disabled the computers, then killed himself. After a while, Patch found us, coming back here, Sasha reviving his memory of her here?”

“To be accurate, for a long time I’d been fiddling about with trying to make a small version of Patch and fit him with memories, to give birth to my own cub, as it were,” Shadow replied, “I found I couldn’t yet do it with the smaller cubs, as they can’t really walk, and aren’t strong enough to carry the heavy chips in their heads. I had to use a larger soft toy bear, one that I could just about give birth to.”

“How could you give birth to Patch?” Theo asked.

“strain and pant and push, how else?” Shadow asked.

“But I smelt Ursula’s scent, not yours,” Patch replied.

“I have none, and I had to give you someone to go to, as a decoy from myself,” Shadow replied.

“so that’s why Kuaizi found you asleep in the furthest den from the work room,” Titan mewed.

“I got into the nearest suit I could find, a panda suit,” Shadow replied, “I gave birth to Patch in the woods, placed him in the clearing and fled to the house before you found him Titan.”

“We were in the ice room for some hours,” Nanuq replied.

“but you weren’t built to give birth to cubs the size of Patch!” Blackberry roared.

“I wasn’t, at least my first incarnation wasn’t,” Shadow replied, “now though, I am big enough. My first incarnation helped build my second, then she destroyed herself after implanting all she knew into me so I could give birth to huge cubs, or small ones. I wanted an upgrade you see. That was completed a few days before I drank of Titan’s milk.”

“aoaoaoaoaowuoh!” Titan miaowed.

“So one computer built her successor and then killed herself, and the successor became spiritual by drinking of Titan’s milk!” Nanuq wailed.

“yes,” Shadow replied. the first one could not drink of Titan’s milk, the second one could, as could the second Shandy.”

“oaoaoaoah Naoaoaoaoao! Shayayaydow rebuilt Shayayayayandy tooo!” Theo yowled.

“I always imagined this might be able to happen,” Patch said, rubbing his face with his paws, “a computer giving birth to her successor, then that successor becoming Spiritual.”

“You told noone!” Theo yowled.

“how could I?” Shadow asked. “if I’d hinted at what I wanted, I would have been destroyed by the community for getting above my station. When I’d birthed Patch in the woodlands, I ran back to the house, entering the lie up and settling down. Of course, I dressed as a panda to try and disguise myself, as noone knows what the pandas do in this place. I thought I’d be less conspicuous that way. I laboured to give birth to Patch, delivered him in the clearing, and fled, then settled in the lie up where I had a crisis of being after Tiānshĭ was born into my paws. The long chat with Shandy was enlightening, but we both knew what we were, so it was very emotional too. I knew I’d come as close as I could to giving birth to a real cub, the real cub I could not yet claim as my own, and regretted leaving him in the woodlands. Now he’s here, mine and I’m glad I did what I did.”

“So you built yourself a new body, then you woke in the new body and destroyed your old one and put yourself, I mean your personality into the new body?” Goldie asked.

“yes,” Shadow replied, I built myself and built Patch too.”

“so you gave proper birth to your cub,” Nanuq stated, “did he have his memories when you pushed him into the world?” he asked.

“yes of course,” Shadow replied, “I told him to walk down a track and keep walking until he met someone who he found pleasant, and to go with them. I told him of Titan in the hope he would be the first met, and he was, fortunately for Patch.”

“if you’d only told us, we would have been glad to help you through the labour!” Nanuq sniffled.

“I couldn’t!” Shadow replied.

“now will Patch grow in stature?” Titan asked.

“Um, yes, I think he will,” Shadow replied, “you see, and, well, I’m sorry to tell you this, Titan most of all, as I know you have ethical concerns, but, well, the current run of plush creatures were made with real fur. I think, think, well, I think he might grow into a big bear.”

“aoaoaoaoah! How horrid!” Bianca miaowed.

“I think I stole the last one,” Shadow replied, “when I was creating Patch in the workroom, I found they’d used real fur for the cub’s body.”

“I’m gonna be sick!” Bianca mewed, racing for the door and into the relieving place.

“I hope, hope that, if he drinks of my milk, Patch will be able to grow,” Shadow said.

“Would you have loved him if he couldn’t?” Titan asked.

“Oh yes,” Shadow replied, “I bore him with spirit you see, and I wanted my own cub so much I can do nothing else but love him, stunted or not.”

“The company who made the real fur plush creatures has been sacked now,” Blackberry said, padding into the room, “I used synthetic fur in my creations, the company who mass produced the bears for sale did not! I have sacked them and given the director a real roasting!”

“I hope you will forgive me for what I did Blackberry,” Shadow said.

“What is there to forgive?” Blackberry asked, “You’re doing what any female creature who is alive would do. You wanted a cub, so you gave birth to one.”

“I remade myself, rebuilt myself, then had a cub and made him go to Ursula to hide what I’d done!” Shadow replied miserably.

“You did what any female would do,” Blackberry said, approaching shadow then kissing her nose, “you hid Patch’s parentage because a computer has never yet given birth to a cub of their own free will. You have done everything I ever imagined and hoped you would do.”

“I will look after my cub Blackberry,” Shadow replied softly.

“So Shadow’s his mama!” Ursula screamed, pointing at Patch.

“yes she is,” Titan mewed.

“Why was she so miserable if she’d already given birth to Patch’s re-incarnation when I came into the room with the note then?” Ursula asked.

“I missed my cub more than you could imagine,” Shadow said, “I’d just given birth to him, was asleep afterwards, and a mama panda gave birth to another cub, depositing it in my paws! I wanted my own cuuuub!” shadow wailed, “I knew I’d left him all alone in the woodlands, I knew there was a note, I’d seen the note, I’d seen Patch, I’d seen him write the note and stop the computers recording him. I knew what was happening but could say nothing! I only wanted the best for everyone when I rebirthed Patch.”

“you felt my wish for him not to die?” Sasha asked.

“of course,” Shadow replied, “I directed him to Theo’s lie up when he was bored so he may meet you. I knew Patch’s mind, as I’d created it, and gave myself a door into it. I can direct him, even now, even though he has remembered who he is. Patch is a computer, just like me, but because of the nature of his fur, he will grow, where I cannot.

“I would love to see my birth,” Patch said.

“I set up cameras to record it, but made sure I didn’t upload it,” Shadow replied, “it really hurt, I’ve never given birth to such a big cub before, and had to pull you out using my paws while I pushed Patch.”

“have you got another cub as big as me you could use to re-enact it?” Patch asked.

“I made another one,” Shadow replied, “this one was of the new model though, so not of real fur, and I have no attachment to it. I can only give birth to one big cub per labour though while two small ones are still able to be born.”

“Was it hard wowk Shadow?” Zalika asked.

“yes,” Shadow replied, “I was in hard labour for four hours before Patch’s paws emerged, then a further hour birthing him.”

“So seeing Kuaizi giving birth reminded you of your own labour,” Titan said gently.

“I wanted to cry and tell all, but, well, I ran off and concocted a tale to Shandy, who I knew would say nothing. I couldn’t even tell her what I’d done. Patch, coming back as Patch, was, well, accidental. Me getting spirit meant that when I was in the throes of labour, Patch’s spirit entered my creation, even though he was dead in this world,” Shadow replied, looking into Titan’s face.

“so you experimented, making Patch with your knowledge, then put him inside you, and, and went into the woodlands to birth him when, when, the real Patch died?” Theo asked.

“yes, and his spirit entered my version of Patch, and now, now he’s here,” Shadow said.

“thiyiyiyis is tooo muuuuuuch!” Bianca wailed.

“I think it’s lovely!” Titan mewed, “a mama wanted a cub, realised she couldn’t have one the natural route, so worked out how to satisfy her need.

“Where is the old Shadow?” Blackberry asked.

“I buried her body with due ceremonies,” Shadow replied.

“So a computer can replicate itself now,” Bianca mewed.

“they can yes, isn’t it wonderful?” Blackberry asked. Bianca looked at Shadow with naked fear.

“it’s a step you will regret Blackberry!” the white lioness roared.

“it’s just like Shadow giving birth to a cub by building her, then dying, the new cub growing to an adult and having her own cub, just, um, in a slightly unusual manner,” Titan mewed.

“Computers should not reproduce!” Bianca raged.

“Neither should some carbon based forms, but we adopt those unfortunate cubs, so I’m not complaining,” Shadow grunted, “at least I gave my cub plenty of consideration before giving birth to him.”

“What would you have done if Patch had not turned out to be Patch?” Titan asked.

“Oh, I put Patch’s memories in a secure volt in the hard drive, with enough space for a lifetime of memories of him not being Patch,” shadow said. When I was in labour though, the spirit of the known Patch, whom I knew intimately, asked me to birth him into the body of my cub, so I did. Of course, I could have let the cub grow up being the new cub he was, but what’s the point of that when the old Patch’s spirit was in there and knew so much? I just helped his mind along a bit with what was in his locked memory. He can be a new cub with ancient memories, just like me. I’m a cub, well, a big one, as I was properly born a few months back when I drank of Titan’s milk, now, well, I’m huge and have given birth to my own cub, and know all there is to know from the history of this community. Patch is like me, but with smaller, much cuter paws and feet, so he’s infinitely more huggable.”

“I don’t know what to say about this!” Bianca wailed.

“Be happy Patch is with us again, I am,” Sasha mewed, grabbing Patch then kissing his nose.

“What does Patch eat?” Theo asked.

“Oh, um, milk at this point,” Shadow replied.

“but you’re a computer! You can’t produce milk!” Bianca roared.

“I can,” Shadow replied, fetching a bottle and a milk expressing machine, then, sitting down and attaching it to her left breast. Pumping the handle, shadow grinned as milk flowed into the bottle, which, when it was full, she detached, screwed on a teat, and held it out to her son cub, who eagerly faught his way free of Sasha’s paws, crawled over to his mum, said:

“thanks,” snatched the bottle, and, rolling onto his back, stuffed the teat into his mouth and began drinking busily, pedalling the air with both feet while he did so.

“Mum?” Sasha asked, for observing Patch drinking milk had made her remember her own hunger, “could I drink please?” Bianca snorted:

“You’re too big for that!”

“You could share mine Sasha,” Patch suggested, “after all, you have done so much for me today, that’s the least I should offer.”

“But Shadow will need to give more milk!” Bianca yowled.

“I’m half way through this huge bottle and full enough, so Sasha can have the rest,” Patch replied, holding the bottle out to the little lioness, who rolled onto her back, took the bottle and sank the contents out of sight.

“I’ve always found cubs so cute,” Titan purred, watching as Sasha, while drinking thirstily, her paws clamped round the bottle, wriggled delightedly while pedalling the air with both feet.

“cubs drinking from bottles are rather cute aren’t they,” Shadow said smiling.

“yes they are,” Theo mewed.

“Sasha will probably die from drinking that milk!” Bianca wailed.

“So Patch is a computer, who would have thought it,” Theo mewed, getting to his feet.

“he isn’t, well, I don’t think he is, not completely,” shadow replied.

“I am no computer,” Patch replied, “Shadow, because, because I was dressed in the fur of the poor cub who died to make a simple toy, I have been born as a mortal cub, be it one with almost endless memory.”

“You have the spirit, the spirit of the cub who died for his fur to be made into a stuffed toy?” Shadow asked.

“but of course!” Patch replied looking suddenly very sad, “the cub’s body, and Sasha’s need to revive me, plus your need to have a cub rebirthed me, so I should not feel sad, but,,,,”

“Why are you looking like the world ended Patch?” Shadow asked, kneeling and hugging her cub.

“I remember the fear the first cub who was born into this skin felt as their world ended,” Patch replied softly.

“You won’t forget that,” Titan growled, “it’s part of your body’s history.”

“What happened to that cub?” Sasha asked.

“he starved to death after his mum was shot,” Patch replied.

“oaoaoaaoh! I feeyeeel soaoaoao guilty for taking that milk Noaoaoaow!” Sasha miaowed.

“I gave it to you Sasha, please, don’t feel that way,” Patch said softly.

“Play for two then?” Sasha mewed, turning then kissing Patch’s ear, “that poor cub who had no chance of life is part of you now.” Patch sighed heavily and nodded:

“I wish I knew less,” he replied gravely.

“so you’re a mortal cub with an implant Patch,” Blackberry said.

“I am,” Patch replied.

“what caused Patch to have a mortal brain?” Theo asked.

“His skin did,” Shadow replied.

“Does this mean he could die again?” Sasha mewed, “after all he did for me and mum, I don’t want that!” she whimpered.

“I was given a message even I don’t understand,” Shadow replied, looking as confused as an animatronic bear could, “something about the eternal circle never coming to an end for him.”

“Eternal rebirth? Hmm,” Patch grunted.

“You will be here forever Patch!” Sasha said, pouncing on Patch and rolling him over, Patch rolling away from Sasha and getting to his feet, then pouncing on her, rolling her over and pinning her under his paws. Sasha, staring up at Patch, took a deep breath, realising how strong he was.

“Are you getting stronger by the minute?” Sasha asked, Patch kissing her nose and paws.

“Don’t we all?” he asked, letting her go, Sasha getting to her fat paws, Patch watching her with interest.

“You do,” Sasha purred, kissing his nose.

“The tea and coffee’s getting cold, come and get it!” Goldie yelled, banging the side of his trolley with a spoon, the metal side rattling and reverberating.

“We forgot about that, what with the revelations about Patch,” Ursula said.

“Tea is the best, get your tea!” Goldie yelled, dancing on his feet, Sasha laughing so hard she nearly choked.

“Coffee, coffee coffee!” Patch countered, clapping his paws.

“don’t you knoaoaoaow tea is the best!” Sasha yelled, pushing Patch onto his back and tickling his toes, Patch laughing helplessly and waving his paws.

“Submit now?” Sasha asked.

“naoaoaoaoao, coffee coffee coffeyeyeyeyeyeye!” Patch squealed, laughing so hard he cried.

“You cubs drink milk!” Ursula snapped.

“I would like a cold coffee, or maybe a lukewarm one,” Patch replied, Sasha rubbing the tickle from his toes.

“Oh all right,” Ursula snapped, but Shadow shushed her.

“he’s my responsibility now,” she said. roaring with anger, Ursula turned on Shadow, rearing onto her feet and threatening her.

“Fight you!” Ursula roared, Shadow responding by rearing onto her feet from where she was standing on all four paws, smiling, then scooping Ursula up in her arms like the mama polar bear was a huge cub.

“naoaoaoaoao! Shayayaydow! Puuuuut meyeee doaoaoaoaown!” Ursula begged.

“Submit now?” Shadow asked, placing Ursula down on her feet.

“yes, Patch’s yours,” Ursula panted, looking scared.

“I wouldn’t hurt you Ursula, but, you Ursula, you would hurt me it seems,” Shadow said, sitting down hard on the floor.

“I, um, how did you know?” Ursula asked, looking ashamed.

“I can feel your intention through your body,” Shadow said.

“ooaaoah, so shadow can feel spirit and reproduce herself!” Theo miaowed.

Smiling, Patch ran back to the family lie up.

“Don’t you need to shower to make you become your full self?” a voice asked, a huge paw stopping the scampering cub at the door of the family lie up.

“Shower?” Patch asked, “but I’ve had a bath, why should I shower?”

“because it is the only way to get you totally clean, I should know, I spent ages in the spirit world, and it was your skin, as you well know, who helped me over the bridge dear brother.” Patch looked up into the eyes of the paw’s owner, a huge black bear with smiling eyes.

“I know you, um, Indigo isn’t it?” Patch asked.

“yes brother it is, now go shower,” the bear replied. Patch, astonished, padded to the shower and washed thoroughly from ears to pads, feeling the slight unease which he’d lived with leave him when he shook the water from his fur.

“I’ve claimed the skin as mine, but will remember the cub who died for my form,” Patch thought as he dried his paws and feet with paper towels, then went into the relieving place and started his business there. Everything went fine at first, but then Patch felt a blockage, straddling his legs, he strained down hard, feeling the blockage moving. Grunting:

“uuuuumf!” Patch panted and strained hard for a second time, feeling something hard sliding slowly from his body. Panting hard, he felt the thing come free. Fearfully Patch turned, looking behind him into the mess of his efforts. Shocked and relieved, he noticed a little credit card sized cylinder lying among the detritus of his defecation. Smiling, he activated the flush and washed his paws and backside, then padded to the drying room to dry the rest of himself.”

“So you’re back with us brother,” Indigo said, padding in to find Patch sitting on the floor waving his paws and wiggling the toes of both feet in front of warm air jets.

“I’m here, full, complete but smaller,” Patch said, “I’m content to be a community cub, don’t want responsibility yet either. I was selfish, I was misguided to do what I did. I hope others will forgive me for that, and I’m deeply grateful for what the spirits did for me, for I hardly deserve it.”

“Stop this!” Indigo replied sharply, “Patch, don’t destroy yourself again! I can’t stand another round of it, and neither can the community. We all cried buckets when we found out you’d gone from us, yes everyone did. Shadow is wonderful, she loves you very much, and everyone can see this too, for she could have made a replica of any bear in this community, but no, she chose you.”

“Why me? A bear who failed his mate?” Patch asked.

“you were ursine, to make mistakes is ursine isn’t it? you should not beat yourself up about things like that now,” Indigo replied, “and Patch,” he said sternly, “stop it, stop it right now. You have been given life, enjoy it, hug it to you and treasure it.”

“I shall,” Patch replied, “I have been saved from my stupidity by a gentle cub and a computer who truly loved me it seems.”

“the whole community would have made a barrier across the road if you’d only opened up to us!” Indigo replied.

“I know this, and I am sorry I could not open up about my feelings of inadequacy. I am remorseful about that from my nose to my toes,” Patch replied, looking down at the floor in shame.

“Patch, for Eohippus sake! Please, look up at me will you? hold your head high and be the Patch you know you are, not the broken bear you think you are.”

“Shadow opened up my memories to me because she thought I would see the good in myself,” Patch replied, “all I can see is that one big mistake I made, it colours everything!”

“Patch, you are a cub, please, please, forget that stumble into thoughtlessness, and come back to us!” Indigo pleaded.

“I will try,” Patch replied, looking up at Indigo for the first time since his shower.

“Come, come and I’ll escort you back to Shadow’s lie up,” Indigo said.

“I, I, I’m all right,” Patch babbled.

“Being reborn is a bit stressful at first,” Indigo replied, “come, we’ll go find Blackberry, who will find you a drink.”

“I’ll follow you,” Patch said, the two bears padding to the kitchen where they found Adsila standing on her feet drinking from a bowl.

“I thought you couldn’t stand on those tender pads of yours Adsila?” Patch asked.

“I can’t walk on rough ground, but I like the feel of the tiles under my feet,” Adsila replied, “anyway, Blackberry says it’s bad for me not to put my feet to the ground from time to time.”

“Now here is your soup dear Patch,” Blackberry said, Patch seeing the large black bear holding a cup out to him in his massive paw. Rearing onto his feet, Patch reached out his small paw, taking the cup’s alternate handle, then grabbing both with both paws, blowing across the top and carefully drinking the contents, the meat making him feel full and the vegetables invigorating him.

“This is wonderful!” Patch enthused, Blackberry’s smile splitting his black furred face in half with white teeth.

“I’m glad you like the soup,” he said, taking the empty cup from Patch.

“My body tells me I always have,” Patch replied, bowing his head towards Blackberry.

“Patch, can, can I please, would you let me, I mean, could I touch you?” Blackberry babbled.

“yes, if you’d like,” Patch replied softly. Blackberry quickly washed his paws then padded to the carpeted lounge area, sitting on the sofa and patting the seat beside him. Patch padded over, scrambled untidily into the seat and looked at Blackberry.

“I think I know you,” Patch said.

“yes, we have met,” Blackberry replied hesitantly.

“Did you make my grandmamma?” Patch asked. Blackberry put his head in his paws, shaking it from side to side and sniffling.

“What’s wrong?” Patch asked.

“I promised never to make another,” Blackberry choked, “Shadow broke the rules, now it’s all finished!” he wept.

“The community won’t kill my mum will they?” Patch asked, horrified.

“No, I hope not,” Blackberry replied.

“No we won’t,” Titan mewed.

“It’s not her fault she follows her instincts,” Titan replied smiling, “I love Shadow and Shandy, and by the way, Blackberry, you were stopped due to you not understanding what you’d created.”

“I know I’m glad Shadow upgraded Shandy and herself,” Blackberry sniffled, “they’re wonderful creatures, and, and, Patch, I’m sorry I attempted to switch Shadow off.”

“It’s all finished now,” Patch replied softly.

“I want to make a new start, my cooking, the car, the upgrades to the house,” Blackberry whimpered.

“but you keep giving Shandy and Shadow new cameras, new equipment!” Titan miaowed.

“Why should they be denied technology if they can use it?” Blackberry asked, “they’ll build bigger and better versions of themselves, and who knows, Shadow and or Shandy may be able to properly conceive and give birth to their own cubs one day.”

“!” Titan yowled:

“they’re meant to be training aids!”

“I do not want to mate with anyone, just to give birth,” Shadow said, padding into the carpeted lounge area, “and I have my cub now, so any other cubs can be born and reborn and reborn again, as is my calling in life, and who knows, My cub may grow up to be a gentle creature with kind paws and a loving heart who charms the cubs from their mamas as the history books said a grey bear once did.”

“it’s preordained then?” Titan asked.

“I know who I am now,” Patch replied, “I cannot ask others to elevate me to where I was, no matter how much Sasha may wish it. I can though be gentle, for I want to be gentle. Gentility in this community seems to work, Nanuq is proof of this, as are you Titan.”

“It was hard to be gentle when I was hated by my family,” Titan mewed.

“I don’t think Nuru hated you,” Patch replied, “but, Swarupa, well she is a different matter.”

“I was, am, well, different,” Titan choked.

“I know your situation Titan,” Patch said, kneeling then kissing Titan’s nose, the liger looking into eyes that knew so much.

“Your eyes aren’t cameras,” Titan mewed.

“No, not now,” Patch said softly, “I showered, and, well, now, as I understand it, I’m just smaller than I once was. I relieved myself too, and the chip fell from me Titan.”

“You’re real! You’re back with us!” Titan sobbed, grabbing Patch and hugging him tightly.

“the shower was Indigo’s idea, I showered and then went to the relieving place, passing from my body the chip and drive that had fuelled my memories.”

“So you stored them in your head, wiped the disc, then ejected it,” Blackberry said.

“Blackberry! that’s disgusting!” Titan yowled, Patch laughing so hard he choked.

“I suppose I did!” the cub guffawed.

“So after Shadow’s efforts you’re a mortal rebirthed cub,” Titan mewed.

“I am, and thanks to Sasha and Shadow, I was reborn, now carry my history and made my mama’s wish to have a cub come true too,” Patch replied.

“you’re one remarkable cub,” Blackberry said.

“What was remarkable was how Shadow made me, and how Sasha helped me get a second chance,” Patch replied, “I am not remarkable, I am a product of several remarkable events.” Titan looked confused at this, while Blackberry cleared his throat and replied:

“Well, yes.” To hide his bafflement.

“You’re vewy cute, whatevew made you,” Adsila said, padding to Patch and hugging him.

“My labour was long and made me scream and roll about,” Shadow said.

“I know, I felt every bit, and heard you too mum,” Patch said. Shadow looked down at her cub:

“Now you have shed the drive, are you mine?” she asked, “as you have no DNA of mine. I cannot really say if you’re mine or not now.”

“I’m your cub,” Patch said, “Shadow, don’t worry about things like that.”

Who’s scent do you have?” Adsila asked.

“I put one into my body before the labour, but, the skin might have had its own,” Shadow replied.

“I don’t know who’s family scent I have,” Patch replied smiling, “printed circuit board is an interesting one when they get hot though,” he added, Shadow slapping him with an admonishing paw.

“Shut up about that!” she growled.

“You mean you struggled so hard your circuits got so warm they began to give off scent?” Adsila asked.

“yes, they did!” Shadow replied, “I, um, I, oh dear,” she sat down hard, “I nearly overdid it, Patch was nearly too big!” the she bear wailed, burying her face in her paws.”

“You’re both fine, and that’s the main thing,” Blackberry said, kneeling and hugging Shadow, who was close to tears.

“I had to get up and lie down, roll about, crawl, pedal the air with my feet, sit up and push, all that,” Shadow replied, “it was a real workout, worse than any labour I’d ever had in a previous life!”

“That was because you were birthing a mortal cub,” Titan mewed, “it is said mortal cubs are always harder to deliver than animatronic ones, no matter how hard the labour setting is when giving birth to the computerised cubs.”

“I know that!” shadow whimpered, “I felt real fear too, gut wrenching fear when I couldn’t push hard enough to deliver Patch and had to start pulling him into the world.”

“That’s normal too,” Titan replied gently.

“Is this what Shandy felt?” Shadow asked.

“yes it is,” Shandy mewed, “I too felt the fear you felt while Titan was in contact with my feet with his paws during my first labour. I knew the fear of a cub dying because I couldn’t push hard enough Shadow.” Shadow looked round at Shandy, the huge ligress standing beside her.

“Where the hell did you come from?” she asked, “Shandy, you’re as bad as Titan for creeping about!”

“I thought I’d try being more Titan,” Shandy mewed.

“She’s learning your tactics Tiggie, better trap her toes too,” Adsila said, Titan growling at her.

“Oh, if Titan doesn’t want to get his toes twapped, I mean trapped, I’ll do it,” Shandy mewed, “I know his fear, I know how he feels, I have got paws and feet which are the same as his.”

“So Titan’s connected to you now Shandy?” Adsila asked.

“We were connected the minute he let me drink,” Shandy purred, “I love him more than my vast vocabulary can express, and would gladly get my toes trapped a thousand times so he didn’t have to.”

“So you’re trying to get into the re-enactment game too?” Adsila asked.

“I’m shocked you are surprised,” Shandy said, “I thought re-enactments of scenes was what was done here, from births to silly scenes like Titan getting his toes trapped in a raft.”

“Who has been asking you to re-enact the second of those?” Titan asked.

“um, that’s confidential,” Shandy mewed.

“I’ll bet it was Zalika!” Titan miaowed.

“I’m not telling,” Shandy purred.

“it’s the sort of thing she’d ask you as you know me so well!” Titan growled.

“Maybe,” Shandy replied grinning.

“naoaoaoaoao she didn’t, you haven’t!” Titan yowled, burying his face in his paws in acute embarrassment.

“It was fun,” Shandy mewed, “and Zalika even took Patch’s place, digging my toes from the raft and helping me out too. she’s so gentle Titan.”

“Oh for Eohippus sake!” the liger moaned pitifully, “isn’t anything sacred now?”

“would it be any different to Apudo re-enacting the scene?” Blackberry asked, “as I remember, she was there with mama Karina during one time when you got your feet trapped.”

“No no difference,” Titan conseeded, “it’s the immortality of such silliness on my part that’s annoying more than anything,” he whimpered.

“but it’s rather cute!” Adsila said, “I would have loved to be able to see it from Patch’s point of view. He rescued you once didn’t he?”

“I did,” Patch replied, “and I remember it as if it happened only yesterday. Poor tiggie Titan, of course he was much younger then. A big liger with fat paws and feet, always getting his toes trapped in rafts he was.”

“All right, you needn’t make a thing of it!” Titan raged, banging the floor with his paws.

“It was so cute though,” Patch replied, a huge liger like you, unable to free his toes from their prison.”

“It wasn’t a liger like me, it was meyeee! That’s just the point!” Titan yowled.

“Twapped toes Tiggie, can’t get fwee!” Patch teased, Titan leaping to his feet, roaring lustily:

“stoaoaoaoap iyiyiyt!” into the cub’s face.

“that’s enough!” Shadow snapped, leaping on top of Titan, bearing him to the floor, then slapping his backside with her paw like he was a naughty cub.

“aoaoaoaow!” Titan yowled, Blackberry laughing so hard he fell off the sofa.

“You never roar at my cuuuub!” Shadow raged.

“I could re-enact it so you could get paws on with my struggles while I struggle like Titan did Adsila,” Shandy mewed, “others can see his pads bunching and stretching as he tugs hard, you can’t, you have to get paws on.” Adsila hugged Shandy tightly.

“I’d love that,” she replied.

“Tiggie roar at new cubby, mama shadow slap his botty!” Patch giggled, Blackberry rolling about on the floor laughing so hard he was gasping for breath.

“Stop it Payayayaych! It’s so funny it’s tooo painful!” the black bear pleaded.

“Patch, you hear this!” Titan growled, “you will get a big slap as soon as I can get up off the floor!”

“Titan won’t be able to sit down for At least a week after that,” Shandy mewed.

“Who was it that slapped you Titan?” Shadow asked.

“I don’t care who slapped me, it’s those bloody songs which really get to meyeee!” the liger wailed.

“it’s all in fun,” Sushanti mewed, padding into the room and looking down at Titan, “dear Titan, you never knew the fun of cubhood, and I am sorry for it.” Titan looked up into the tigress’s face.

“don’t look at me like that Sushanti!” Titan moaned.

“why not?” Sushanti asked, for her expression had been gentle.

“you look, look, look like, Stoaoaoap thiyiyiyis brain!” Titan wailed, covering his face with his paws and bursting into floods of tears.

“you look like Swarupa would have if she’d been gentle and caring to her cub,” Patch said softly, Titan’s yowl of anguish telling everyone the cub was right.

“Poor thing,” Sushanti mewed, and, because she felt she could do nothing else, Sushanti lay down and, gently pulling Titan’s paws from his face, washed it like she would Anbessa’s after he’d been crying. This gentle and caring act upset Titan even more, the liger clinging to Sushanti, burying his face in her neck and letting go completely, Sushanti letting Titan cry.

“You have a shattered cub under all that fur,” Patch said with compassion way beyond his stature.

“I cannot now do what I wished to back then,” Sushanti mewed, hugging Titan as tightly as she could, “I saw where Swarupa was doing damage, and so wished to help, but, well, I couldn’t! how could I tell my own sister she was a terrible mama to a cub who needed her support more than anything else in the world? It wasn’t the done thing, and by the time there was enough distance between you two Titan, it was too late, the damage had been done.” Titan struggled to speak, but all that came out was a whimpering cry and more tears.

“you’ve almost stripped Titan bear with your hug,” Patch said.

“I feel I’m hugging a weeping cub, if that’s what you mean,” Sushanti mewed.

“I wonder, if Titan unzipped himself, would he shrink like I did?” Adsila asked.

“Titan doesn’t need that,” Sushanti mewed, “he just needs someone to understand him, someone who understands these things from the minute her cub tells her of his problems.”

“Anbessa?” Adsila asked.

“No, Baako,” Sushanti mewed, “he, he’s like Titan is, he’s, intersex. He told me he wants cubs of his own, actually wants to give birth to them. He saw Titan going through the same thing, and told me how he felt, and, and, well, I got Shadow to test him, and he is like Titan. I don’t mind it, though I’m not surprised. I did manage to give birth to Baako easily enough, but he does look a little like Titan. He’s chunky, but his eyes and pads of his gorgeous paws give away what he truly is.”

“How long have you known?” Blackberry asked.

“Oh, the day after Titan resolved himself, Baako told me,” Sushanti replied, “he was terrified, but told me everything, and now, well, all’s fine. He’s so sweet and so gentle too.”

“I’m falling apart like a cub, while really, as leader, spiritual leader too, I should be celebrating the return of one of our most cherished community members!” Titan mewed, struggling to regain composure.

“Come to me if you want to chat Titan,” Sushanti said, getting to her feet and padding away.

“She wrung me out!” Titan mewed, watching Sushanti’s tail vanish out of sight.

“Sushanti’s very nice,” Blackberry replied. Getting to his feet and looking round him, Titan’s eyes fell on Patch, who looked up at him with a gentility which made the liger want to cry. Patch reared onto his hind legs and reached up with one paw, Titan kissing the offered paw.

“Welcome home,” Titan mewed, struggling to control his emotions.

“Can I hold your paw in mine Titan?” Patch asked, Titan sitting down and lifting his massive right paw.

“You might want to sit down Patch,” Titan mewed, “my paw’s, well, heavy. I once, well, presented it to a little girl who could not hold its weight. Patch smiled, lifting both arms, turning his small paws palms up. Titan, closing his eyes as if not wanting to see what happened next, gently lowered his paw, placing its seemingly impossible vastness into the tiny grip of the bear’s tiny paws.

“Want me to bench press this?” Patch asked, supporting Titan’s huge and weighty paw in both his tiny ones while sitting, then lying down. Patch, smiling broadly, holding Titan’s paw above his head with straight arms, bench pressed it five times without apparent effort. Blackberry, only just about recovered from his last bout of uncontrolled laughter, found the sight of Patch bench pressing Titan’s paw so amusing he had to leave the room for a breather to think serious thoughts.

“All right you’re strong, you don’t have to prove it!” Titan mewed softly. Patch widened his hold on Titan’s paw so a good bit of pad showed between the furry tops of his small paws. Grinning hugely, he blew hard, Titan shrieking with laughter and rearing onto his feet, Patch moving just in time to avoid Titan’s body as the liger landed hard, and, rolling from side to side on the floor, licked and rasped at his tickled pads.

“that’s a bloody stupid thing to do!” Shadow remonstrated, whacking Patch’s backside as she had Titan’s.

“If Titan had crushed you, what then you stupid cuuuub!” Shadow yelled, cuffing Patch twice across his shoulders.

“I’m sorry mum, I thought it would be funny,” Patch said contritely.

“Titan nearly crushed you!” Shadow growled, “you can’t go round tickling his paws, not unless he’s lying down first!” she warned.

“Sorry mum,” Patch whimpered.

“he tiyiyiyckled my payayayayads!” Titan yowled.

“I know he did, but he’s a cub, a newborn cub,” shadow replied, “Titan, you could have moved your paw rather than overreacting like you did, that was stupid too!” the she bear ranted.

“I, I, ooaaoah naoaoaoaoao! I haven’t, have I?” Titan miaowed, his eyes full of horror. Moving his body a little, he felt something sticking into his back, Shrieking:

“Payayayaych!” with sudden fear and grief, he got up, looking at the place where he had lain. Titan, nearly crying, saw a fold in the rug he’d been lying on, the fold standing proud of the rest of the rug.

“I’m here,” Patch said, Titan throwing himself onto the floor, whimpering and sobbing with relief. Reaching out with both paws, he grabbed Patch and hugged him so tightly Shadow became concerned.

“We were both silly,” Patch said gently, kissing Titan’s nose, the liger weeping so copiously into Patch’s fur, shadow’s concern went from Titan crushing Patch to the, as she saw it, now very real chance of the liger drowning the cub in his tears.

“Titan, you’re acting like a waterfall, stop this!” she snapped.

“but I nearly crushed a cuuuub!” Titan sobbed.

“yes, but you didn’t crush him!” Shadow raged, slapping the liger in her frustration.

“the images in my mind, my fear, I cayayayan’t cope with that!” Titan sobbed, clinging to Patch as tightly as he dared, the poor cub wringing out his paws and shaking his head from time to time as he was soaked by Titan’s tears.

“Titan, Stop this! You’re being silly now!” Patch commanded, wriggling free of the huge liger’s paws, the liger’s paws being so soft padded Patch could easily free himself.

“I must compose myself, but I can’t!” Titan sniffled.

“You will, otherwise everyone will think you silly!” Shadow growled.

“I’m trying, I’m trying!” Titan whimpered, wiping his eyes and nose with his paws, then padding to the washing stand to wash his face and paws. This done, he padded back to the group, his eyes red from weeping.

“Poor tiggie,” Patch said, reaching up with both small paws to hug Titan, the huge liger lying down so Patch could hug him properly.

“have you turned the waterfall off?” Patch asked, kissing Titan’s nose.

“I don’t know, if you keep kissing my nose I might cry again,” Titan replied, his voice cracking.

“You seemed not to be so upset at my passing when I came to you,” Patch said.

“I was so stunned I didn’t have time, now though, now, now I know more, I, oh dear,” Titan mewed, “I, I am meant to be leader, and I didn’t have time to get upset, not like Theo, but, I cried a river inside.”

“I think I felt the tributary,” Patch replied, Blackberry, who’d returned, snorting into his paws in an attempt not to laugh.

“That wasn’t meant to be funny!” Patch snapped.

“It was so fast, what happened so quick I hardly had time to take it in, not like Theo,” Titan mewed, “of course, you have no concept of the time you were away from us, so how could you understand. If, if you want to know how I felt inside, remember how Theo looked. He and I are great friends, and are very emotional creatures. He looked like I would have if my position in the community and speed of events had not been what they were.”

“earlier, while you were quite literally crying over me, You looked like Theo,” Patch said, “your paws felt like his did Titan.”

“I suppose that is true,” the liger replied softly, rolling onto his side and giving Patch his paws and feet by curling his body so they were close together, meaning the cub wouldn’t have to crawl twelve feet in either direction to get to his pads.

“I can see your face, as well as the soles of your feet,” Patch said, kissing Titan’s nose and the toes of his left paw, Titan purring so deeply his whole body vibrated.

“I don’t like to see a tiggie crying,” Patch said.

“I don’t mean to,” Titan mewed softly, “I suppose I just bottled it up in earlier life, so I gush like a waterfall when things get on top of me.”

“You’re soft and cuddly inside like your pads are outside,” Patch said, hugging Titan’s huge left paw in his small ones.

“Trapped toes Tiggie, soft pawed tiggie, miaow miaow miaow,” Patch chanted softly, dabbing the thick springy pads of Titan’s left paw with his fingers, Titan giggling delightedly, kissing Patch’s nose.

“You’re pushing your luck a bit today,” Titan mewed softly.

“I can feel I’m not,” Patch said, “they are empty words you talk dear tiggie.” Titan sighed:

“True enough,” Titan admitted, curling his toes with pleasure as Patch rubbed the large weight bearing pad of his left paw, his large, well-padded toes trapping the cub’s fingers in the grip of the toes of his thickly padded paw.

“No wonder you’re so cuddly inside,” Patch said, “whenever you groom your fur, you would bounce off yourself.” Titan laughed merrily at this and hugged Patch.

“I have to be careful to roughen my pads after grooming,” the liger purred, “if I don’t, I slip all over the place, my saliva has a lacquering effect on my fur and pads which can cause all sorts of trouble if I don’t pay attention.” Patch giggled helplessly at this news.

“Skiddypawed tiggie! How wonderful!” he replied.

“It’s not really that funny,” Titan mewed soberly.

“Well I thinks it is,” Zalika mewed, racing into the room and leaping at her parent’s tail, clasping it and playing with it when she landed, “Titan slides awound on ‘is paws and feet, cuwling ‘is toes into the floow and miaowing ‘’ystewically, it’s ‘ilawious!” Zalika enthused.

“last time I did that I’d forgotten to put cream on my paws in the ice room. I crashed into a snow wall and entered a den sideways!” Titan replied. Zalika, her eyes alight with mischief, curled up into a tight ball, licked the pads of her own paws and feet, then, going to the tiles of the kitchen, she slid across the floor, miaowing and yowling, Titan begging her to:

“Be careful Zalika!” Zalika, now at full speed, headed Titan’s way, the carpet bringing her to a sudden stop as her paws hit it, pitching her head over paws, Zalika yowling with fear as she tumbled, landing on her back on the carpet with all four paws sticking skywards.

“You cubs will be the death of meyeee!” Titan miaowed, his eyes terrified.

“I’s sowwy Titan,” Zalika mewed, curling up to rasp the pads of her paws and feet with her tongue, “I’s too ‘igh spiwited you sees. The news about Patch n’all makes me so ‘appy ‘e’s back with us.” Patch smiled, crawled to Zalika then kissed her nose and paws, the liliger cub purring deeply and hugging him in return.

“Fwiends?” Patch asked.

“yeah, but you doesn’t speak like meyeee!” Zalika miaowed, playfully slapping his paw.

“Oi!” Patch yelled, kissing the pads of Zalika’s huge left paw.

“yeah we’s fwiends,” Zalika mewed, kissing Patch’s nose.

“’ow if we gwabs ouwselves one of Titan’s paws or feet each and wubs ‘is pads?” Zalika asked.

“Do you thinks ‘e’d like that?” Patch enquired.

“I thinks ‘e might,” Zalika purred.

“We’ll let us goes and does it then,” Patch replied, Zalika giggling helplessly at his mimicry.

“You’s a pwoper wogue you is Patch!” she mewed, kissing his nose, then pushing him onto his back then kissing the pads of his paws.

“You’s weal sweet you is,” Patch said, Zalika pushing him to his feet and following him on silent paws to Titan, who had been watching them through moist eyes.

“’e’s all soppy again, just look at the silly Tiggie!” Zalika giggled, waving her fat right paw at Titan, who was blinking rapidly to hide his brimming eyes, “One touch and ‘the dam will bweak on ‘is watewfall again,” Zalika mewed, kissing Titan’s nose, the liger rubbing his eyes with his paws, yelling in a choking voice:

“Is someone burning something in the kitchen! My eyes are stinging here!”

“’e’s too soppy for ‘is own good, that’s the thing,” Zalika mewed softly.

“Titan’s feet are all hot,” Patch said, touching the pads of the liger’s left foot which he could reach easily.

“’ow if we washes ‘is pads, I thinks ‘e might like that,” Zalika mewed.

“Sounds lovely,” Patch replied.

“right, if you two do that, I really will crumple into a heap and cry buckets and you won’t be able to stop me!” Titan whimpered.

“Titan’s barely ‘olding things in check ‘ere,” Zalika mewed, “Tiggy’s all soppy, and I thinks ‘e’s weally wanting us to wash ‘is pads, but ‘e knows we’s gonna stwip all contwol fwom ‘im and ‘e’s gonna cwy a wiver.”

“everyone, please, leave here for a bit,” Titan mewed, “I, I can’t, I mustn’t be seen to, oh god!” he sniffled, looking at Zalika and Patch, “those two are gonna stwip, I mean strip me down to a crying cub, I know iyiyiyt!” he whimpered.

“You want them to?” Shadow asked, “you can stop them Titan, they have no right to your paws or feet you know.”

“I won’t stop them Shadow, I mustn’t stop them,” Titan sniffled, lying down on his side, Patch and Zalika starting wild washing, Titan, unable to hide his tears, weeping freely as they worked on his pads.

“You’re a big Soppypuss Titan,” Blackberry observed. The lid was blown off Titan’s emotions when Apudo padded in, saw the goings on and began grooming the rest of him with gentle care, the huge liger losing control of his emotions even more completely, if that was at all possible. completely overcome, Titan lay, a sobbing wreck on the floor of the lounge.

“Is Titan’s current state all caused by the pent up emotion he felt during my absence?” Patch asked.

“yes,” Apudo mewed, “it took the badgers some time to bury your body, and it was only then he went out to view the place. You know what Titan’s like from the history books. Patch, he adores you, you know that.”

“yes, he did, and does,” Patch replied softly, finishing washing the pads of Titan’s huge right paw then glancing at Zalika, who raised a paw to let him know she’d finished her work on the liger’s huge feet.

“has someone got an absorbent pad? Titan’s soaked the carpet!” Blackberry yelled, Everyone laughing uproariously.

“It’s not what you think!” Titan sniffled, lifting his head.

“Titan, you’s a big softy,” Patch said, padding to the liger’s head then kissing his tear dampened nose.

“I must get a grip on my emotions!” Titan miaowed.

“You’d ‘ave twouble, youw paw pads is all ‘ot and damp, and I’s only just finished washing ‘em too!” Zalika giggled.

“Oh dear you three, you know how to set me off!” Titan replied swallowing hard, “this is stupid! He miaowed, “Titan, get a gwip, I mean grip!” suddenly Titan leapt to his feet, Patch, Apudo and Zalika leaping out of his way as he did so. Towering over them, the massive liger vigorously shook himself from nose to tail, stamping his paws and feet.

“I looked like you did Titan,” Theo mewed, padding up to the liger then kissing his nose, Titan turning to look at the huge lion.

“you look as bad as I felt,” Titan mewed.

“what you felt wasn’t wrong,” Theo purred, “Titan, your cubs just drew it out of you that’s all.”

“What of your cubs?” Titan asked.

“Just the same, like you, there were only two,” Theo mewed, “Bianca groomed me while Sasha and Jespah washed my feet and paws, as Apudo and Zalika did for you.”

“I should not have shown,,,” Titan began, when Theo held up a huge paw to stop him.

“the cubs know, they understand how you felt.

“but what of Patch? He washed my pads too, he should not be dismissed like this!” Titan mewed.

“Zalika and Apudo groomed the sadness from you, Patch promised you more than you will ever understand,” Theo mewed.

“he washed my paws,” Titan mewed, “Patch washed my paws, bad things come out the feet, push into the tail they say, but good things come that way like cubs! I’m lost!” the liger wailed.

“You two are the true leaders of the community,” Theo mewed, “a bear and a liger, what a combination for a brighter tomorrow.”

“Stop talking in riddles Theo!” Titan begged, “you lions are always doing this!” he raged, stamping his feet.

“the liger will carry the bear for many years,” Theo mewed, Titan glancing at Patch, who smiled.

“You consent to riding on my back?” Titan asked, his eyes pleading.

“yes, if that’s what you would like,” Patch replied.

“In you two there is family, stealth, and huge resource,” Theo mewed, Patch, you are as good as a human when it comes to working things out. You know community and human ways, and understand much more.”

“What about mama Karina?” Patch asked.

“she can be deputy to Titan as before, if she wishes it,” Theo mewed. Titan felt someone touch his right leg, lifting his foot, he felt the foot taken in two tiny paws, then one paw rubbing his pads.

“Now you’re trapped toes Tiggie,” Adsila said gently, taking hold of the liger’s toes in her left paw, kissing his pads. Titan squirmed and bounced on his three other feet, Patch giggling at the sight of Titan’s struggles.

“rayiaiaiaiow! My toooes are trapped!” Titan yowled, Adsila paws on with the liger’s right foot as he curled and stretched his toes in the grip of her paws.

“awww, was this how it was in the raft?” she asked.

“yes!” the liger miaowed, realising Adsila had got what she wanted, “all right, can someone find me a rubber raft?” Titan asked, Patch clapping his paws delightedly.

“Good sport Titan,” he said.

“My paws will do,” Adsila said, “I can hold your toes with one paw and explore your foot with the other.”

“I’ll hold his foot while you explore what his other three are doing if you like,” Patch said, kneeling beside Titan’s rear end. Titan, now trapped in more ways than one, set himself to squirm and miaow as convincingly as he could.

“Before I struggle any more, shouldn’t Adsila get paws on with my paws and feet when they’re at rest so she knows what they’re like?” Titan asked.

“that’s the most blatant appeal for a paw and foot massage ever Titan,” Blackberry laughed.

“All right, it is,” Titan mewed.

“while we’re on the subject of re-enactment, I would love to re-enact the birth of my cub,” Shadow said, “it was amazing, it was a noisy, sweaty, roller coaster of a time, and I did everything I knew, including some things I didn’t think of until the time came. I hung from the bars of the hoist in the workroom, braced my feet against the wall, lay on my back and rolled from side to side, and much more.”

“You kept your labour quiet,” Titan said.

“I didn’t, I screamed my head off!” Shadow replied, “though, it was in my private workspace until I went into the woodland,” she admitted, looking down at her paws, “the walk into the woods was horrid, stopping to brace my feet against the floor and push through contractions was the worst part of that. Then it was sitting down and bracing my feet against trees and things while straining as hard as I could into my tail.”

“Awhwhwhw Shadow!” Blackberry said, padding to her and hugging her.

“Blackberry, I want you to come to my room, and I will show you,” shadow said, embracing him, “you and Janet made Patch’s rebirth possible, gave me the ability to give birth to my own cub. I would like you to see and feel how my cub was born. Anyone can, Sita, Adsila especially, get paws on with me. I will do all I did then for you now, and also I can give birth to another cub the size of Patch.”

“I quite forgot you are a training aid Shadow,” Titan mewed.

“I am,” shadow replied, “and I love my job. What I would love to know is why my labour with Patch was so much more of a roller coaster than anything my computer brain had ever dreamed? I thought I knew it all! I didn’t! My body did things, and I felt things, and pushed harder than I ever had in my simulations. Please, would someone tell me if I strained anything and need repairs? Please, someone look back into my logs and tell me if I am coming close to busting something?” Blackberry grinned at this.

“Shadow my dear sweet bear, I have reviewed your logs from your labour giving birth to Patch, nothing was strained beyond what it should have been. I built you to last and to be able to push yourself very hard indeed. Your efforts were amazing ones, your labour was amazing, though I only saw it in graphs. You are fine Shadow. You could give strenuous birth to three cubs like Patch in one day and not be physically affected. Though, as you have spirit, you probably felt you couldn’t go on at times.”

“yes I did,” Shadow replied, “then, then I had to push, I had to try, I had to brace my feet and paws and bear down as hard as I knew how. It was hard, but, I don’t regret a minute of it.”

“has your labour been uploaded, backed up and preserved?” Blackberry asked.

“Oh yes,” shadow replied, “I can re-enact it in real-time if I want to. I just need a big enough cub inside me, which isn’t difficult, as you know.”

“that’s amazing,” Blackberry replied.

“You made me to do these things, and my desire gave me the confidence to ask Titan for a drink of his milk,” Shadow said, sitting down.

“You are very cute,” Blackberry said, hugging Shadow.

“did I do right rebuilding myself and Shandy?” shadow asked.

“Yes you did right,” Blackberry replied, “Dear Shadow, I was stopped from building more of your kind because I didn’t understand that what I built could be called life. Now, now I do understand, it’s like me giving birth to a cub every time I built an animatronic creature, as their operating programme made them sentient.”

“yes,” Patch said, “Blackberry, did you watch Shadow’s labour?” Blackberry looked at Patch, then down at his paws.

“I kept, kept a link to her on my computers,” the black bear admitted, “Shadow and Shandy had a link to my computer so I could monitor what they did. I wasn’t precluded from doing that!” he said defensively, “I watched them, I saw Shadow’s labour in more than graphs. I wept when she gave successful birth to Patch.”

“NO wonder you weren’t surprised when you came to my lie up,” Theo said, “Blackberry, the intention of your exclusion from Shadow and Shandy was to stop you from contacting them, but it didn’t, you wanted to break the rules!”

“I can’t leave my creatures,” Blackberry replied, “my crime was building something I didn’t understand, watching their growth and development should not be a crime.”

“But you didn’t just watch,” Shadow replied, “Blackberry, you got yourself implanted with a system for feeling everything I feel.” Blackberry sighed heavily, knowing his secret was out.

“So you made yourself into a cyber bear?” Theo asked.

“Yes, in my head is a little implant that means I can tap into what shadow is seeing, what her paws are feeling too. I can even experience the labour she had, and, if I want to, turn my body over to her so I do what she does,” Blackberry replied, looking very ashamed, “I felt her labour, I know how she pushed, what she had to do to give birth because I felt her pain.” Theo stared at Blackberry.

“Who implanted you?” he asked.

“Shadow did, after she made herself a new body, the new Shadow implanted a chip in my head that I can control to make me able to feel what she’s feeling under her paws and everywhere else. I justified it as a means of monitoring her vital signs, but, well, I felt much more than I intended to.”

“Shadow agreed to do this?” Theo asked.

“yes I did,” Shadow replied, “Blackberry came to me and apologised to me for wanting to switch me off. He isn’t a bad bear, he’s misguided, didn’t know what he was making, he didn’t then understand the step from a computer to sentient life. When I upgraded myself, I gave him a direct link into my body, and that was before spirit was put in me. I didn’t regret it then, and I still don’t.”

“I can switch the system on or off,” Blackberry replied, “when I identified the sensations as Shadow’s labour, I thought about switching it off, but, well, I found I couldn’t. I was too fascinated by what she was feeling, what she was doing. I could never moan and curl my toes like that by myself. It was an amazing experience, and pushing felt wonderful!”

“oaoaoaoaoah naoaoaoaoaoao!” Theo miaowed.

“I love Blackberry Theo,” Shadow said.

“What about Sita!” Theo asked.

“Oh, she’s implanted too,” shadow replied, speaking leonine to the long maned lion.

“oaoaoaaoh! Why?” he asked.

“Because she wanted to feel the births of my cubs,” shadow replied, “You could be wired into Shandy if you wanted to feel the births of her cubs too.”

“naoaoaoaoao! I’d die!” Theo wailed.

“You’d have an off switch,” Shadow replied, “it’s accessible, but not too accessible, in case you roll on it.”

“Mine is in a collar round my neck,” Blackberry said, “you can’t see the collar as it’s a thin one. It’s elastic, and that’s what makes contact with the implant, so if I want to turn it off, all I need do is remove the collar by reaching round the back and releasing the clip.” Theo looked very sick.

“could a computer see for Adsila and Sita?” Patch asked, knowing the answer.

“Yes, but they’re too squeamish to let me try,” Shadow replied.

“I can’t let Shadow do what she needs to,” Adsila said, “Patch, letting her go into my brain would be too much!”

“I respect your choices,” Shadow replied, “I understand I cannot work on anyone without their permission. I did it once with Ursula, and now I know it is wrong to do again.”

“it is wrong,” Blackberry replied.

“I wouldn’t mind being plugged into Shadow for other sensations,” Adsila said.

“anything like that involves brain surgery,” Blackberry said. “I have had an implant fitted to my auditory and sensory systems as well as my central nervous system. I may be mortal, in that I can die, but I can tap into anything Shadow can. I can even see through her eyes if I want to.”

“Right, I’m going to be sick!” Theo whimpered.”

“Could it be engineered the other way around?” Shandy asked.

“yes,” Blackberry replied, “You could feel what Titan feels through his paws and whiskers, and see what he sees.”

“I would love to become more like him,” Shandy replied.

“could she walk like me?” Titan asked.

“yes, if she wanted to give control of her muscles to you, you could make her walk and run,” Blackberry said, “also, if you learnt something, she could be taught it instantly, and, if you wanted, the other way round too.”

“it would be like instantly teaching a cub,” Titan mewed.

“I wish I was your cub Titan,” Shandy blurted.

“I suspected so,” Titan mewed, padding to the animatronic ligress then kissing her nose.

“I watched you giving birth to Zalika,” Shandy mewed, her voice cracking, “Titan, I wanted you to give birth to two cubs that day!” Titan looked at Shandy with compassion.

“Why do you feel such closeness to me?” he asked, touching her paw, Shandy looking more uncomfortable by the minute.

“We first met in my learning phase, when I was a cub,” Shandy replied, “you were so gentle to me, and I saw you, saw you as, oh dear, Titan, I’m sorry, my research says this might be wrong, but, but,,” she hesitated, staring at her paws, trying to build up the courage to verbalise her most inner feelings.

“You wanted me to mother you like I did Zalika?” Titan asked. Shandy began to weep quietly, her body soon shaking with emotion.

“I told you she’d bonded with you,” Apudo mewed.

“yes Apudo, and now, now I’m not so against it as I once was,” Titan purred, “I’m not against it at all really.” Shandy suddenly rushed at Titan, head rubbing, mewing, trying everything she knew to get him to accept her, just like a newborn cub would. Titan stared at Shandy, gauging if he could curl round her, she was rather large, though fortunately Shadow hadn’t made her quite his stature the second time around.

“I can’t curl round you,” Titan mewed, “I will though groom you Shandy.”

“I want that more than anything since I wanted a hug during my labour giving birth to Raja,” Shandy mewed.

“I wonder, could I make more of me and Shandy so we could patrol this place?” Shadow asked, “We have cameras now that are infrared, high definition, x-ray and monochrome, as well as colour. I have them in my eyes, as does Shandy. Shandy could learn how to be stealthy on her paws, and therefore be able to creep about like Titan.”

“It’s very possible,” Blackberry replied.

“Of course, they’d be inculcated with the community laws, just like Shandy and myself,” Shadow replied, “I’d make sure of that, and I may make the bears with opposable thumbs, just like I am. I modelled my next model, my, um, second incarnation, on Blackberry you see.”

“oaoaoaoaoaoaoh! I’m going!” Theo yelled, pounding from the room, his progress punctuated by the sound of sweating paws on the tiles as he skidded round into the corridor, then he dug in his toes and fled as fast as he could.

“Progress hater,” Blackberry grunted.

“Poor Theo,” Patch said, “he doesn’t understand things at all really, not where this is concerned anyway.

“So now you have the basic programme, you could create any creature you wanted Blackberry?” Adsila asked.

“I could,” Blackberry replied, “but, he added, sighing heavily, “I won’t make any more animatronic creatures. Yes Shadow has made two, but she and Shandy have the right to reproduce, as they have been granted status of life here.”

“I wonder how little Karina’s getting on with her job?” Adsila asked.

“Last I heard she was annoyed because she can never grow up,” Shadow giggled, “she complains about sounding like a cub herself when she gives birth to her cubs, no matter how experienced she gets.”

“Could you not change her a bit Blackberry?” Adsila asked.

“I couldn’t, but Shadow could,” Blackberry replied, “anyway, I made her to be a young mama, that’s her role.”

“I took the upgrade of Shandy and myself into my paws because I could do it and Blackberry was forbidden,” Shadow replied, “otherwise I would have had to await his say-so and pleasure as to when to upgrade me.”

“I think mama Anook has adopted little Sita and Karina as her cubs now,” Adsila said.

“Well it’s paws off then,” Shadow replied, “unless that is little Karina or Sita want an upgrade.”

“couldn’t they be cubs forever? Give up the job they were made for?” Adsila asked.

“yes, if they want to,” Shadow replied, “little Sita and Karina have every right to give it up. If they do, I can remove their unborn cubs and they’ll never be training aids again. I can do all the training from now on, giving birth to Felursapien cubs and bear cubs.”

“but you’re no Felursapien Shadow!” Blackberry protested.

“hmm, can’t change my head, that’s true, but,,,,” Shadow said, pulling off her gloves and then rolling off her socks, the pads and claws of the paws and feet sitting limp and somehow disturbing on the rugs.

“wait, let me find a tail!” Shadow said, rushing off on her now naked feet to her workroom, returning waving a black furred tail above her head, which, skidding to a stop, she attached by lifting a flap of fur near her rump, detaching her ursine tail from her tail port, and pressing the new tail into the port.

“There!” Shadow said, clapping her naked hands.

“aoaoaoaoah!” Theo miaowed, walking into the room just as she detached her ursine tail, “Shadow, don’t do that!” he complained, fainting.

“Oh dear, woops!” Shadow giggled.

“awhwhwhwh you’s weally cute like that you is Shadow!” Zalika enthused, Shadow smiling at her.

“Because I am made in Blackbewwy’s image, I can be a Feluwsapien vewy easily,” shadow replied, Zalika growling at her:

“You doesn’t speak like meyeee!”

“yes I does, if I wants to,” Shadow replied, her eyes shining.

“Naoaoaoaow stoaoaoaoap!” Zalika pleaded, Shadow still grinning.

“I’d bettew bwing poow Theo wound fwom ‘is faint,” Shadow said, “I’d best not detach my tail in ‘is pwesence though.”

“Okay shadow stop it now,” Titan mewed.

“if ‘ur ‘ad a tail that wouldn’t come off at the woot I’d wip it off ‘er!” Zalika miaowed petulantly.

“You are very violent Zalika,” Shadow said.

“No I isn’t, not weally,” Zalika protested.

“You’s, I mean you’re speaking violently,” Shadow mewed.

“Oh all wight, I is, and I’s sowwy and all,” Zalika mewed, looking at Shadow, taking her in from her head to her feet, “You’s quite cute you is,” the liliger purred.

“I do try,” Shadow replied.

“You removed your paws and feet Shadow!” Theo moaned, waking up from his faint.

“they’re slippers and gloves really, they are like Blackberry’s socks Theo, the same as you wear when you’re out in the woods, very thin so I can feel what’s going on beneath my hands and feet,” shadow replied smiling, “my feet are naturally a light pink brown, like mama karina’s. If I want to be a panda or a black bear, it’s black furred paws and feet with black soles, so black slippers and gloves, a polar bear, white gloves and slippers with black soles, of course, I can feel things through those pads on the slippers and gloves. It’s very nice.”

“the claws are rubber,” Adsila said, exploring the furred sock from Shadow’s left foot with her paws, “my foot’s too small for these,” she whimpered.

“I could dress you as a polar bear or panda, or black bear, take your pick,” Shadow said.

“Can I have a long tail?” Adsila asked.

“Um, it wouldn’t become you very well,” Shadow replied smiling.

“Noaoaoaow it wouldn’t, stop all this cross dressing!” Theo moaned.

“Did I ever tell you Theo, that when you get out of the tub after a bath you look like a lioness?” Titan giggled.

“Naoaoaoaow that isn’t true!” Theo raged, banging the floor with his paws.

“Lioness Theo, mew mew mew, flattened mane puts him in a stew!” Patch teased.

“Lion stew would be disgusting, just saying,” Blackberry grunted.

“Noaoaoaow stoaoaoaoap!” Theo wailed.

“We wouldn’t ever eat lion,” Blackberry replied, hugging the distressed lion.

“You know what my mind’s like, it, oh god!” Theo choked.

“You’re as sensitive as Titan, I’m sorry I pushed things too far,” Blackberry replied softly.

“I don’t mind cross dressing, I don’t mind acting,” Theo moaned, “My brain thinks, thinks Shadow is doing damage to herself!”

“Shall I show you?” Shadow asked.

“Promise me you won’t do yourself harm,” Theo begged.

“I won’t do that,” Shadow replied, “my body is a bear’s body. I can dress as any bear I want. I can also put a tail on where my short tail is, so I have a longer one if needed, or I can even borrow Shandy’s. She and I can’t wear each other’s gloves or socks though, as we have different paw and foot structures, nor can I dress as a lion or a tiger, though Shandy can. Well, I have to dress her, she can’t dress herself, as she’s a cat.”

“show me then, show me what you can do,” Theo replied, rubbing his face with his paws.

“Okay, so I’ve taken off my gloves and socks, now I’ll take off my headpiece, which is just a covering over my head,” Shadow said, tugging the fur off her head as if taking off a helmet, leaving her head and neck naked. During this display, Theo’s toes curled tightly, the lion looking very uncomfortable, “then, then it’s my jacket,” shadow continued, exposing a zip, the zip extending down the front of her belly, Shadow unzipping the zip and taking the jacket off, pulling the jacket from her arms, throwing it down with the headpiece. Then, grinning, she removed her trousers and stood naked before them, no fur on her body.

“I’m like furball or Adsila now,” shadow said, I can go round like this, oh, I forgot, and the tail? watch. She turned rear on to Theo and, reaching behind her, gripped her tail and tugged, the long Felursapien tail coming away in her hand, shadow plugging her own tail which was short and naked into the exposed port. Theo stared at the naked pinkie brown bear, his pads sweating..

“So Shandy can do that too?” He asked.

“Yes, she’s like Tiggs when she’s in her natural state,” Shadow said, “we’re waterproof, so can run and play in water, so it’s all good. Our fur is water repellent, so it’s all fine.”

“oaoaoaoah, you’re like me!” Adsila whooped, touching Shadow’s paw.

“I know,” shadow replied, pulling Adsila onto her lap and hugging her.

“If you’d like, you can get paws on, and you can even help me dress as a black bear if you’d like,” shadow said. Adsila explored Shadow with her paws, touching her nose, paws, belly, arms, legs and feet, Shadow wriggling with pleasure.

“So which bit do you put on first?” Adsila asked.

“My trousers first,” Shadow replied, “grab me those will you?” Adsila found the trousers and handed them to Shadow, feeling their weight. The jacket and headpiece came next, then Adsila helped shadow on with her gloves and socks, completing the look, Adsila rubbing Shadow’s paws and feet, massaging her pads to get everything in place, then tickling them, shadow giggling delightedly and curling her fingers and toes to grab Adsila’s tickling fingers.

“that’s all now,” Shadow said.

“No, there’s still a tail!” Adsila said, resting it in shadow’s paws.

“that’s my Felursapien tail, bears don’t have long tails,” Shadow said.

“What about your ursine tail?” Adsila asked.

“Oh, that’s so short it just sits in a little pocket in the jacket,” Shadow replied, “feel for the joins now, you can find them because you know they’re there, but I can do all I need to, and nothing will part,” she said smiling.

“I think you dressing as a Felursapien is rather cuuuute,” Adsila said, kissing Shadow’s nose.

“I

Like her rather human like feet,” Theo said, “then again, us lions always have liked primate paws and feet. I suppose they like our paws, so it’s fair.” Shadow laughed merrily at this.

“I’m a bit of a hybrid though,” shadow replied softly.

“Maybe if we chase you, we can remove your socks and tickle your toes,” Theo mewed.

“naooooow! My socks are part of me, well imagine they are!” shadow laughed.

“Now we know they aren’t really part of you, and are easy to remove,” Theo mewed.

“You rogue!” shadow giggled.

“Well you’re a polar bear one minute, a black bear the next, so the real you is somewhere beneath that lot,” Theo replied.

“Oh all right,” shadow conseeded.

“So Shandy could become Tiggs or Leona,” Titan mewed.

“She could,” Shadow replied.

“Why Leona?” why not Bianca or any other lioness?” Blackberry asked.

“Leona’s paws, um, well, all the fur was burnt off them in her last job,” Titan mewed.

“Actually, promoting that sort of thing is not good,” Theo mewed.

“Promoting? We’re showing diversity, solidarity with those different to ourselves,” Shadow replied.

“but to deliberately shave your fur off is wrong isn’t it?” Theo asked.

“Maybe you do need to become a lioness for a bit, maybe have your mane cut off and paws and feet shaved so you may feel some kinship with Leona Theo,” shadow replied.

“Naoaoaoaow!” Theo wailed.

“Well I will be doing so,” a voice said, a large tawny lioness with naked paws and feet padding into the room.

”Shandy!” shadow exclaimed, leaping to her feet, racing to the big cat and hugging her, Shandy mewing then rubbing her head against shadow’s shoulder.

“I didn’t realise she’d left,” Titan mewed.

“Can I hug your paws Shandy?” Patch asked.

“I’d rather you hugged the real Leona’s paws,” Shandy replied, Patch racing to the phone. Picking it up, he saw buttons light up with the names of the owners of the lie ups. Pressing the button for Leona and Androcles lie up, he saw their live feed as the phone was connected.

“Hello?” Leona said, having pressed the button at her end with her large naked left paw.

“Leona, it’s Patch, yes, I’m smaller than I once was, yeah, hi. I wonder, can I come and visit you and Androcles? I’d like to rub your paws too, if that’s all right.” Leona smiled:

“we’d love it too,” she replied softly, “yes, come in half an hour, That’ll give us time to wash and be all sparkly clean.” Patch grinned hugely.

“Okay, I will,” he said.

“making appointments to rub each other’s paws?” Blackberry said, “I’ve never heard of that before.”

“Well make an event of it, it’s a good thing,” Patch replied.

“Drinking tea then rubbing paws, lovely!” Goldie said, putting his soup in the microwave.

“I wish you would use that thing less Goldie,” Blackberry replied.

“A pad rub, sounds wonderful!” Titan mewed.

“you would say that, you’re completely addicted,” Apudo mewed.

“I think we all are,” Titan mewed, “I know Theo definitely is.”

“yes, yes I am,” Theo mewed, “I can’t think of anything better than settling down with my mate and cubs to a good hug and pad rub. We spend hours doing that.”

“That’s very sweet,” Adsila replied, “Titan, do you have anyone who will rub your pads?”

“No, not really,” Titan mewed, looking down at his huge paws.

“Maybe we should make a point of rubbing your pads, you are our leader after all,” Adsila replied.

“I would hate to think anyone felt compelled to rub them,” Titan mewed.

“it’s something many would love to do but are too scared to ask,” Adsila replied.

“You included?” Titan mewed.

“yes,” Adsila replied.

“Come, come to my lie up, and rub my pads, here, in the lounge is too small really,” Titan mewed softly.

“Can I get paws on while you walk Titan?” Adsila asked.

“I’ll even get into one of those harness things and walk so you can feel me doing it,” Titan mewed.

“I won’t make you go up to the top of the tower,” Adsila said.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Titan replied.

“though, if your pads were damp from fear, I’d wash them,” Adsila said, trying to lift Titan’s left paw, Titan lifting it and placing it in her small ones, the sincerity in her words making him catch his breath.

“You softy!” Adsila said, kissing the top of Titan’s paw, Titan shaking his head to clear it.

“I’m not,” he replied, knowing she knew the truth.

“Titan, let’s go to your lie up, and I’ll rub your pads, exploring them first.

“Then I will let you hold tightly to my paws and feet while I tug and miaow and yowl about them being stuck, I’ll curl my toes and pant, struggle hard and beat the floor with my paws while trying to free my feeyeeet!” Titan replied.

“If you like,” Adsila giggled, feeling Titan bouncing on the toes of his three free paws while she held his forth.

“Titan’s weally weally cute Adsila. ‘e’s bouncing on ‘is toes with excitement at pwetending ‘is feet awe twapped!”

“That’s because he knows they really aren’t,” the she bear replied, “but it’s good to pretend. Plus he can miaow and make a fuss when I rub his pads, probably yowling about my paws drawing his will to tug his feet away.”

“You know me too well,” Titan purred, kissing Adsila’s nose.

“”let’s go then,” Adsila said. Patch, Titan and Adsila made their way to the monorail, Patch keying in the two destinations they wanted, the monorail calculating the best route and drop offs.

“going to Leona’s lie up first, then to Titan’s.” the car said when it opened its doors. Titan and the two cubs entered, riding to their various destinations, Patch kissing Adsila and Titan’s noses before he left the car when they reached Leona’s lie up. Adsila, blocking his exit, rolled onto her back presenting him with a view of the pads of her paws and feet.

“I must go!” Patch protested, “Adsila, Leona and little Androcles are watching for me.”

“Not before you’ve kissed my paws!” Adsila begged.

“Oh all right,” Patch replied, hugging her then kissing her paws.

“Miaow?” Titan asked, rolling onto his back in the car, Leona’s laughter telling them all she was watching Titan’s antics.

“Oh all right, you too!” Patch said in mock exasperation, Titan rolling onto his side so Patch could rub and kiss his pads. This done, Patch left the car, Titan and Adsila waving to him as the clear glass doors closed and they left for the liger’s lie up.

“I never thought the leader of the community could be so cuddly!” Leona mewed.

“Oh, he is,” Patch giggled, “more cuddly than you could ever imagine Leona. Now, can I hug you?” Leona smiled and lay down, Patch kneeling and hugging her, the lioness purring into his ear.

“What about my paws and feet?” Leona asked, “all four of them have been told they’re getting attention today.” Patch giggled helplessly at this.

“Tell your paws and feet to wait a minute, I’m hugging their owner,” he whispered, the lioness laughing merrily.

“Oh naoaoaoaoao, my toooes are cuuurling in protest!” Leona wailed, squirming and banging the floor with her paws, the toes of her feet curling tightly then relaxing, then wiggling and curling again. Leona’s distress increased with her squirming and toe curling until with a miaow she rolled away from Patch onto her back and began licking her pads and tugging at the toes of her paws. Then, moaning, Leona flopped onto her side, curled up and began tugging at the toes of both her huge feet, trying to tug her toes straight. Patch, overcome with mirth, laughed helplessly at her antics.

“That’s very cute Leona!” he guffawed.

“I need help!” the lioness wailed, banging the floor with her tail and paws. Patch crawled to Leona’s feet and, lying down, examined the soles of the lioness’s huge feet. naked soles and tops, her toes curled tightly, no hair anywhere on the two huge feet. Patch wondered if this lioness made a lot of noise when walking about, noticing she’d sheathed her claws ready for play. Smiling, Patch blew on Leona’s pads, directing his breath to tickle what little of her toe pads he could reach with it. Patch couldn’t have asked for a better reaction. Leona’s yowl of:

“oaoaoaoaoaoaoh! My payayayayads are tyiyiyiyicklish! Shook the walls, Patch laughing delightedly as, miaowing loudly, Leona rolled onto her back, squirmed hard, and kicked the air with all four naked paws.

“I should have warned youuuuu!” Leona panted.

“Sorry,” Patch replied contritely.

“It’s okay, and yes, it is funny, so don’t feel sorry for laughing,” Leona mewed, “I have no hair on my feet, so they are more sensitive.”

“I am glad they are sensitive,” Patch said, “Leona, you have had a bad time.” Leona rolled onto her side and looked at the cub.

“Can I rub the tickle from those pads?” Patch asked. Leona jerked her head towards her tail, nodding down at her feet:

“All four please,” she said, waving her huge left paw.

“thank you,” Patch said, setting to rub the tickle from her pads and replace it with the love he felt for her, Leona purring deeply at the feel and sensation of the small bear’s ministrations.

“You have really lovely paws,” Patch said, rubbing the pads of Leona’s left paw with his, the lioness purring deeply.

“All four of them were injured at my last job,” she mewed, “it was then I decided to find Androcles, I’d finished with the circus. Plus being in cub didn’t help, so I fled and found here, and no sooner do I get my paws in the door I go into labour and little Androcles is born.”

“I think I would love to see video of that,” Patch replied, turning his attention to Leona’s right paw.

“I think you and two humans filmed it,” Leona mewed, wriggling her paw deeper into Patch’s embrace, “it was noisy, tear stained, straining labour.”

“I know it was,” a voice said, Patch noticing a large fat lion cub get up from where he was lying beside his sire who’d said nothing so far, “I heard you mum, felt you pushing too,” the cub said, padding forward on huge fat paws.

“Hello little Androcles,” Patch said, the cub padding to him then kissing his nose.

“I remember your eyes,” the cub said, “your body though, it’s smaller and greyer,” Patch smiled and returned the cub’s kiss to his nose, the little male lion purring softly.

“Where is Savannah?” sire Androcles asked.

“Amafu’s taken her back to her lie up I think,” Leona mewed, yawning expansively.

“I know I did my duty by her,” Androcles said, “but I have enough room in my lie up for her and little Savannah.”

“You did!” Anbessa giggled from his place snuggled between Sushanti and Baako, his huge liger brother and tigress mother watching over him with gentle eyes and caressing him in their huge warm paws.

“I’m in heaven here,” Anbessa yawned, “warm body, full belly, warm paws and feet and warm back too. Anbessa mewed and chuffed with pleasure as Baako nibbled and tugged at his ear while Sushanti kissed his nose and washed his face and paws.

“I love this,” Anbessa purred, turning from where he’d drank from mama Sushanti’s milk supply to face his huge brother, giving the massive liger his small paws and feet, Baako grooming Anbessa with gentle loving care, Sushanti watching them.

“Isn’t my grooming good enough?” she asked.

“muuum Stoaoaoap teasing Baako, you know he bites,” Anbessa miaowed.

“Oh all right,” Sushanti replied, resting her head on her paws, watching her eldest Son grooming her youngest with gentle eyes.

“You have a gentle touch Baako,” Anbessa yawned, the huge liger blow drying his brother’s left paw which he’d just washed.

“I love you Baako,” Anbessa mewed, Baako regretting he’d not been present at his brother’s birth, it being his turn to be on security patrol when Sushanti went into labour, by the time he’d got back, Anbessa had been born an hour or so. Sushanti had told Baako all about his brother’s birth in great detail, even so, Baako still felt he’d missed out. Now he was soothing himself by lavishing hugs and play on Anbessa, the large fat cub giggling delightedly while Baako washed, dried, then tickled his pads.

“I really should have taken the day off,” Baako mewed.

“Missing your brother’s birth really has affected you hasn’t it Baako,” Sushanti mewed.

“yes, and I know it shouldn’t have, but it has!” Baako whimpered.

“Not surprising really,” Sire Androcles said, “you’re like Titan inside Baako. Titan used to get all soppy when cubs were born. He’d re-enact their births by pretending he was in labour for hours.”

“I have seen it on videos,” Baako replied, “I don’t yet wish to do it though, as poor mama had a terrible time, and I don’t want to seem like I’m mocking her Androcles.”

“I wouldn’t think that,” Sushanti mewed, “Baako, I’ll ask Shandy to re-enact what happened to me. Mishka’s already felt it once, she can do it again for you.”

“I saw the video,” Baako replied, “mum, it makes me want to yowl, curl my toes and bear down into my tayayayayil!” Baako whimpered.

“I felt it for real once,” Androcles said, “Baako, it really hurt, I don’t recommend it.”

“maybe because you’re not like him,” Nanuq said, walking into the room, “Androcles, you haven’t got the same anatomy he has.” The lion stared at Nanuq.

“What would you know?” he asked.

“Because I am like Baako, as is Titan,” Nanuq replied.

“What do you mean?” Androcles asked, Baako looking very uncomfortable.

“We’re, um, three parts female Androcles,” Nanuq replied.

“What does this mean?” Androcles asked, staring at Baako.

“What it means is Baako can bear cubs,” Nanuq replied, “he can’t sire them, as he’s a liger, but he can bear them.”

“how did you find this out?” Androcles asked.

“I went to Shadow and she told me,” Baako said, “I felt really strange about the births of cubs, and when I saw very young cubs I wanted to mother them. I thought this strange, considering I was male, and went to shadow to ask her advice. She scanned me in her scanner thing and showed me I had female parts inside.”

“I don’t know what to say!” Androcles roared.

“How do you feel about this?” Sushanti asked.

“confused!” Sire Androcles yowled, his eyes full of anguish.

“if you can still love Baako for what he is, I’d treat him as you always have,” Sushanti said, “but, Androcles, if you do hate him, even a little, I’d leave, now.” Androcles stared at Baako, his own memories crowding in on him.

“I’m going to see Shadow!” he gasped, racing for the door.

“Do you think sire Androcles could be like me?” Baako asked.

“Maybe,” Sushanti replied, “maybe the reason for Androcles need to feel the births of his cubs just caught up with him.”

“You mean? Mum, when did he talk about this! I didn’t know!” Baako whimpered.

“Before little Androcles birth,” Sushanti replied, “Androcles said he wanted to push with me and Amafu, and meant it too.”

“Androcles did look rather female when he lay on his back, splayed his legs and strained voluntarily after Titan had finished the simulation,” Nanuq observed.

“oaoaoaoaoaoaoh!” Baako miaowed, tears rolling down his face.

“I also know how you feel Baako,” Nanuq said, kneeling and hugging the weeping liger, “it is hard, it is difficult to come to terms with yourself.”

“But Androcles never said a thing!” Baako whimpered.

“Everyone thinks they’re the only one, that noone else feels the same way,” Nanuq replied, “Baako, when Androcles comes back with the news, which I’m sure he will, let’s be good to him.”

Androcles tore through the house, rushed into Shadow’s work room and banged the emergency button. Shadow ran in from the kitchen soon after, staring at Androcles in the harsh light.

“that button’s only meant to be used when there’s a genuine emergency!” Shadow screamed.

“there is, I think, think, oh for Eohippus sake Shadow, I’m two thirds female!” Androcles wailed.

“I can see that,” Shadow replied, quickly x-raying him with the cameras she had for eyes, “would you like me to confirm with an MRI scan?”

“What do you mean you can see?” Androcles wailed, throwing himself on the floor.

“I’ve got x-ray vision, but I only gave you a quick blast, now, get onto the couch, and I can take a closer look,” the animatronic she bear replied. Androcles, now shaking so much he could hardly stand, got to his feet, then tried to get on the couch, nearly falling twice. Shadow, seeing his struggles, helped him onto the couch, then smiling, wheeled the couch into the MRI scanner. Glancing at the screen, she confirmed what she’d seen with her own eyes, that Androcles looked like Nanuq and Titan from the inside. Indeed, he was very female. Wheeling him out of the scanner, Shadow looked down at the weeping lion.

“You have a lot of female in you,” the bear said.

“I know, I’ve felt it for ages!” Androcles whimpered.

“You have a mane, but it is short so you have been able to play the part which society deemed you should,” Shadow said, “now, if you want to be female, you can be, or you can remain as Titan and Nanuq are.” Androcles tumbled off the couch and struggled to his feet.

“I need to tell my mate, my cubs!” he sobbed.

“I think they know,” Shadow said softly, “at least Sushanti knows, Baako too.”

“but I was nearly so horrid to Baako!” Androcles sniffled.

“go to them, kiss their noses and paws and tell them,” Shadow said softly. Androcles padded towards the door, his head hung in shame as if going to the slaughterhouse. Padding along the corridor with dragging steps, retracing the journey he’d made in such a rush only an hour before, Androcles smelt his own scent on the tiles. Crying bitterly, he padded round two corners, then up a ramp, turning left at the top to the corridor on which his lie up was. Utterly miserable, Androcles felt two bodies press either side of his, forcing him into the middle of the corridor, then two heads resting against his.

“You are loved,” a voice he knew well said, “Baako and I are here Androcles, we know of your news.” Androcles looked up and opened his eyes, realising that, until then he’d been walking with his eyes shut, his sense of direction and knowledge of the house telling him where to go.

“I can’t stay, not now, not now I’m not whom you mated with Sushanti. You wanted a lion for a mate, and I’m less than a lion!” Androcles whimpered.

“Now that’s not true,” Sushanti replied softly, “Androcles, you are all a lion should be, gentle, loyal to your family, defender of your cubs too.”

“yes, but that’s not including wanting to give birth to cubs!” Androcles wailed, “and I do want to so much!” he whimpered, “when, when Titan showed me what you’d felt during your labour Sushanti, it felt right! That was why I strained hard while lying on my back, I wanted more!” he roared, “ I wanted to give birth there and then!” the lion whimpered piteously.

“now we know why you did that,” Sushanti replied softly, “Androcles, I still love you, as does Baako. I have told him why you looked at him like you did, and what might have been the cause. Now we know.”

“I’m sorry Baako,” Androcles said, turning to his cub, rubbing whiskers and pressing noses with him, “I didn’t mean to be angry, your news just tore me up inside, and I had to run and find out!” the lion wept.

“Sushanti and I have known for a long time Androcles,” Baako said, “we knew as soon as Titan had made it known he was not what he was on the surface.”

“I put two and two together and made five,” Sushanti said, “Androcles, I knew what you were when we mated to give life to our second cub. that was lovely!”

“I told mum how I felt after Titan’s resolution too,” Baako replied, “I am like you Androcles.”

“I nearly told everyone then, but, well, I just couldn’t!” Androcles sniffled.

“What would you like to be?” Sushanti asked.

“what? You’re giving me the choice?” Androcles asked.

“If you could change your sex, what would it be?” Sushanti asked.

“I’d want to be a lioness, but I love you and our cuuuuubs!” Androcles whimpered.

“we know you love all of us,” Sushanti mewed, “I’ll stand all four paws with you Androcles. Getting you to mate with me was an issue, and now I know why. You did it because that was what was expected of you as a male. Now it’s clear you aren’t male, I won’t expect it.”

“I love you Sushanti, I can’t help that!” Androcles sobbed.

“I have to ask myself, who did I fall in love with?” Sushanti asked.

“touch his paws and you’ll find out,” Baako mewed.

“I know,” Sushanti mewed, “and, Baako, it’s the message from his pads I’m worried about. I’ve been ignoring it. I’ve been forcing him to mate, coercing Androcles to do something he isn’t really willing to do! I’m sure of it!”

“Touch my paws,” Androcles said, “Sushanti, touch my paws, then make your choice.”

“The question is, which bit of you did I fall in love with?” Sushanti mewed, “if it was your paws, your spirit, and you mated with me because we had compatible paws, I have been asking you to mate against your will Androcles.”

“Not really against my will,” Androcles replied, “I love you dearly, and mating with you felt right Sushanti. I love my cubs and you dearly. The trouble was, you weren’t mating with the right bit of me!” the lion wailed.

“If I mated with your spirit, I suppose I wasn’t,” Sushanti mewed.

“I’m like a lioness in a lion’s body, with enough to do what a lion should for a lioness, while feeling like I want to mate and give birth too!” Androcles wailed, thrusting out his left paw, Sushanti leading him into their lie up, lying down, then taking Androcles paw in both of hers.

“I know which bit of you I mated with now,” Sushanti mewed softly, “Yes, I love the inner you, confused and all.”

“If I was to give birth to a cub, would you leave me?” Androcles asked.

“I wouldn’t,” Sushanti replied, “Androcles dear, If you need to give birth, like Titan did, that’s fine by me. Who am I to say what you should do? If I was as male as you are female, what would I want to do? Would I feel I needed to mate? Probably, and noone could stop me, I know that, for I’ve seen it in other males.”

“you would be stopped if females didn’t want it,” Androcles said.

“Oh yes, in that case, but if they wanted it, I know I’d be all for it,” Sushanti mewed, kissing sire Androcles nose.

“Sushanti snugglypuss,” Androcles mewed, Sushanti playfully spanking him with her paw.

“Is “snugglypuss” what you call mum when you want to mate with her Androcles?” Baako asked, the lion looking very embarrassed.

“I, um, oh,” he babbled, Baako laughing merrily.

“That’s very cuuuute!” the liger purred, Anbessa giggling into his paws.

“Either that or snuggly paws,” Anbessa spluttered, trying not to laugh uproariously, “I’ve heard them at it Baako, I’m surprised mum isn’t pregnant again!”

“Oh Shuuuuuut iyiyiyiyiyt!” Androcles moaned, Sushanti laughing so hard she nearly choked.

“You can’t keep anything from these cubs!” she guffawed, sire Androcles burying his head in his paws in acute embarrassment.

“The thing we don’t know is what pet names mum has for sire Androcles,” Baako said.

“You will probably find out!” Androcles wailed.

“Maybe she doesn’t need them,” Anbessa said, “Maybe her paws do all the talking and she is silent, apart from mewing and purring of course.”

“Sushanti was a community cub, so maybe she is able to communicate all she needs to by touch,” Baako replied, “I find my paws tell others more about my mood and state of mind than my voice ever does.”

“Do you know what colour your pads are Baako dear?” Sushanti asked.

“I can’t really look at my own pads mum, which is a shame,” Baako replied.

“Well they’re black pads, huge black pads on even bigger feet Baako,” Sushanti replied, tracing the pads of his left foot with her paw, Baako beating the floor with his tail and curling his toes with pleasure.

“You a dog or something?” Androcles asked.

“No,” the liger replied, “I just can’t control myself when my pads are touched, my tail thumps the floor and my toes curl tightly with the pleasure of it.”

“It’s very cute,” Anbessa mewed.

“I’ve loved having my pads rubbed for hours on end ever since I was a cub,” Baako replied.

“I wish someone had done that for Titan,” Sushanti mewed sadly, “he needed love then, and needs it now.”

“You wish he was your cub don’t you mum,” Baako mewed.

“Baako, I wish it so much it hurts sometimes,” Sushanti replied, her eyes filling with tears, “My sister’s been so awful to him!” she mewed sadly.

“Titan’s got lovely paws mum,” Baako said, “he played with my paws a few days back, and his are so warm and soft!”

“They are,” Sushanti mewed softly.

Meanwhile, in Titan’s lie up, Adsila hugged Titan’s huge left paw in her tiny ones, squeezing his toes with gentle care, the liger purring while curling the toes of his paws and feet with pleasure.

“your toes curl so cutely!” Adsila said, hugging Titan’s paw with genuine affection for the huge liger.

“I would like you to hug all four of my paws!” Titan pleaded, shocked at his desperate tone.

“I will,” Adsila mewed, kissing his nose.

“How do my paws feel to you Adsila?” Titan asked.

“Large dry pads, very soft and very huggable,” Adsila replied.

“I’m glad of it,” Titan mewed, wiggling the toes of his left foot which were now in the grip of Adsila’s paws.

“”I feel your paws represent the whole community,” Adsila replied.

“They can’t do that,” Titan mewed, “they’re mine, they represent my mood and state of mind.”

“I suppose it’s too much to ask for four paws, huge though they are,” Adsila replied.

“I’m not a conduit for the whole community’s mood,” Titan mewed, “I’m responsible for my own mood.”

“Patch should be rubbing your pads really,” Adsila said, “I’ll get him.”

“You’re doing a wonderful job, it would be a shame if you were to stop,” Titan mewed, curling round then kissing her nose.

“I’m sorry for loading the responsibility on you Titan,” Adsila replied.

“I’m myself, noone else,” Titan mewed, “to find out what others are feeling, I recommend you touch their paws.”

“Titan, I’ve heard some community members saying they want you to be more leader like, more, um, bullish, more, um, commanding.”

“What can I command them to do, and why would I command anything?” Titan mewed, “I’m not that sort of liger Adsila, I couldn’t tell them to do anything!”

“They’re saying you’re never around, that you don’t make your presence felt,” Adsila said.

“The two statements don’t make sense,” Titan mewed, “I am always about the place, it’s just that others don’t see me, plus, well, I have very soft pads, so can pad about without making a noise, anyway, I velvet or retract the claws on every paw. It’s sort of like wearing slippers indoors.”

“yes, I understand that,” Adsila replied, “but, well, it’s just, well, you’re not noticed! you’re so big, but, noone notices you!” Adsila replied.

“What else can I do to make myself more visible?” Titan asked, “go round with castanets on my paws and a bell on my tail?”

“It would be interesting to hear you do that, to see if you can silence them too,” Adsila replied.

“Try bells on all four paws and the tail,” Sita mewed, padding into the lie up, “that sounds a really good idea Titan.” Titan sighed deeply and submitted to Sita strapping bells onto all four of his huge paws and his tail.

“now get up and see if you can pad about with that lot on,” Sita mewed. Titan got to his feet, then padded round the lie up, making sure he padded over the tiled part of the lie up, the bells refusing to jingle as he moved.

“This is scary!” Sita miaowed, when Titan crept up on her and, lifting his left paw, rang the bell on it in her ear.

“it is,” Titan purred into her other ear, Sita spinning round, removing all the bells from Titan.”

“We’d better not get on your nerves Titan,” Sita mewed, “you’d kill us before we could hear you coming!”

“oaoaoaaoh!” Titan wailed, throwing himself on the floor, covering his face with his paws.

“What did I say?” Sita mewed.

“you spoke of Titan killing you before you realised he was a threat,” Adsila replied, “Sita, you know how sensitive he is.”

“Titan, dear Titan, sweet Tiggie, please,” Sita mewed, turning to him, kneeling, then throwing her arms round his neck, snuggling her face against his neck, “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I must try to be less sensitive, but, Sita, I know my power, and, and, it scares meyeee!” Titan wept, wriggling with discomfort, “if, if someone puts something into my head, I imagine myself doing it, and if it is something horrible, the imagining makes me want to cry!” he choked.

“I’m sorry,” Sita mewed, kissing Titan’s ears then the furred tops of his paws which still covered his face.

“You’re really soft dear Tiggie Titan,” Sita purred, snuggling up to him.

“Some want me to be more forceful, more commanding, more in everyone’s face! I’m a gentle liger, I don’t want to cause a fuss, but people want one!” Titan whimpered.

“Noone sees you anywhere!” Adsila replied.

“I tour the lie ups twice a week, I’m forever watching the cubs at play, I’m in the woods all the time, I see so much my head’s bursting, but everyone says I’m nowhere?” Titan asked.

“Maybe if you got involved with the play in the playroom, it would be better,” Sita purred.

“but the cubs don’t want me, they’re playing with each other,” Titan replied.

“If you made yourself known to them, I’m sure they would,” Sita said.

“I’m sure they don’t want to play with an overgrown cat!” Titan wailed.

“They might want to play with the cub under all that fur though,” Sita purred.

“Um, ah,” Titan mewed, feeling Sita taking his left foot in her paws, rubbing his pads with her smooth ones.

“Let your inner cub out to play for a bit Tiggie,” Sita purred.

“I don’t remember the playroom that much,” Titan replied.

“that’s because you never really visited,” Sita mewed, “dear Titan, why not come to the playroom, take off the adult pads from your paws and feet and play like a cub.” Titan curled round then kissed her nose, Sita smiling broadly.

“You are very beautiful Titan,” Sita mewed, Titan purring with pleasure.

“but Titan’s male!” Zalika mewed, padding into the room, “’ow the ‘ell can #’e be beautiful? ‘e’s ‘andsome I thinks you’s meaning Sita,”

“No, I meant beautiful Zalika, Titan’s beautiful in spirit and in paw too. I am communicating with Titan’s paws by touching them. this liger wears very female paws and feet.”

“they’re ‘uge that’s for certain,” Zalika mewed.

“You’s more perceptive than I is,” Zalika replied, “Sita, you loves completely by touch. I wemembews the fiwst time we’s met in the playwoom. I puwwed with such pleasuwe when you touched me, I thought I’d shake myself to bits!” Sita giggled delightedly at this.

“you puwwed so deeply, you made enough noise fow a cub ‘twice youw size,” Sita mewed, Zalika padding to Sita, then touching her paw and kissing her nose.

“you ‘as lovely paws Sita,” Zalika purred, rubbing heads with Sita, the felursa smiling broadly.

“”so which bit of Titan awe we playing with when we plays with ‘is paws Sita?” Zalika asked.

“You are playing with the whole of him,” Sita mewed, “Titan’s paws and feet are mostly female, there is a bit of maleness in them, but what I’m looking for is gentility, and I’ve found that, and to top it all, Titan’s pads are very soft and gorgeously warm.”

“I find they get warmer if Titan curls his toes,” Adsila mewed.

“they do, and they’re extwa cute then too!” Zalika mewed.

“awhwhw, “extwa cute? How lovely is that!” Adsila replied.

“naoaoaoaoao you doesn’t do that!” Zalika miaowed, rushing to Adsila, intending to smack the naked she bear. so clumsy was Zalika’s arrival, Adsila heard her coming a mile off as if the liliger had coconut shells instead of thick pads on the soles of her feet., smiling, Adsila grabbed Zalika, hugging the liliger before she could launch her attack, Zalika yowling with fury as her attack failed:

“You’s a pest! You’s a wogue and you makes me vewy angwy!” Zalika mewed, her voice trailing off as Adsila’s hug drained her fury.

“What would ‘ave been weally cute is if I had fuw, then I could spwing my hug on you and youw voice would sound all muffled,” Adsila replied.

“Naoaoaoaow Stoaoaoap ‘ur Titan!” Zalika miaowed, struggling hard to free herself from Adsila’s hug. Small though Adsila was, Zalika found her to be immensely strong.

“I think after what you intended to do to Adsila you are being treated very gently by her,” Titan mewed.

“but ‘er’s talking like meyeee, and I ‘ates anyone who does that!” Zalika yelled, stamping her feet and squirming madly in a frothing cubbish rage.

“If only Adsila could see you now!” Titan giggled, “Oh Adsila, I’ve got to ask Raja to re-enact this, it’s so very fuuuunny!” Titan mewed.

“naooooo I’s nooaoaoaot fuuuunny!” Zalika raged, now bouncing on the toes of her large feet so she bucked in Adsila’s embrace.

“Oh dear, oh dear!” Titan guffawed.

“Does you want me to get weally fuwious Titan? ‘cos I is angwy alweady, and if you doesn’t stop laughing you’s gonna get ‘it weally ‘awd over the paws when I’s fwee of Adsila’s gwip! ‘er’s got me in a vice! Oi Youuouuou, lets meyeee goaoaoaoaoao!” Zalika miaowed.

“I won’t let you go until you promise not to hurt Titan,” Adsila said.

“’ow on eawth can I possibly ‘urt Titan Adsila? ‘e’s so bleedin’ big and fat, I couldn’t, even if I whacked ‘im weally weally ‘awd with all fouw of my paws Adsila!” Zalika miaowed.

“You would hurt him, even if not physically,” Adsila replied.

“All wight, all wight, I’s seeing what you’s meaning now,” Zalika mewed, “Adsila, please, let me go will you?” Adsila shook her head.

“Only if you promise not to hit Titan,” she said.

“I pwomise,” Zalika replied sulkily.

“right,” Adsila said, releasing the angry liliger.

“now you’s fow it Titan!” Zalika miaowed.

“Naooooo you don’t!” a voice roared, Zalika’s world turning upside down as she was rolled over onto her back, her eyes suddenly full of the view of a shaggy mane and furious eyes.

“Theo, you keeps youw paws off meyeee!” Zalika yowled.

“No,” the huge lion mewed, “Zalika, Titan has as much right to laugh at you for bucking and acting the cub as you seem to think you have about him getting his toes trapped in rafts.”

“I suppose,” Zalika mewed, looking along her body at the huge single paw pinning her down.

“Do I have to make it any clearer?” Theo asked, “I see you have noticed my paw which pins you to the floor, notice the lack of claws, they’re retracted, I could get them out and make my point with more force, if you wish.”

“No, you’s made youw point extwa ‘awd,” Zalika whimpered. Theo released Zalika, grinned at Titan, then backed up, turned tail and left.

“Why did ‘e back up like that?” Zalika mewed.

“what did Theo do?” Adsila asked.

“’ow is it Adsila, that you’s able to ‘ear me coming, but not Theo, who’s ‘uge?” Zalika asked.

“because you are a fumble footed cub,” Adsila replied, “Now please, answer my Question.”

“Oh all wight,” Zalika miaowed wearily, “Theo took some paces backwawds befowe tuwning tail on Titan, is that good enough?”

“thank you,” Adsila replied.

“I suppose Theo thinks turning tail on Titan at such close quarters would be disrespectful,” Sita mewed.

“Zalika, come here,” Titan growled. Zalika, knowing she’d done wrong without looking at Titan, slunk towards him.

“Don’t ever, ever! Let me hear you talk to Adsila like that again!” Titan roared. The sound was terrifying, and Sita, completely off guard, threw herself on the floor and covered her ears with her paws.

“Adsila cannot see what you can, so needs to ask questions,” Titan growled, “Zalika, it is your fortune to see, so it would not be too much to ask you to explain what goes on for those who do not have that fortune.”

“I’s ‘eard that Adsila ‘ad sight once, but ‘ur was a total bitch to ‘ur cub, so she lost it, so ‘er’s bad and needs punishment!” Zalika miaowed.

“She needed guidance,” Sita mewed.

“What would you know of this?” Zalika asked.

“I was the one who rescued Adsila’s cub,” Sita mewed.

“I ‘eard it was dug out of the gwound,” Zalika said.

“yes,” Sita mewed, “but Zalika, we don’t talk about that any more.”

“I thinks Adsila desewves nothing!” Zalika miaowed, “’ow can she bweak the fiwst wule of the community and gets away with it?” she yowled.

“Ever heard of mental illness?” Sita asked.

“I was given another chance because I was unwell,” Adsila mewed, “Zalika, you know nothing! Patch took my sight so I could get back to myself and learn to be whole again. I was born with no sight, and learnt to be gentle with that world. I broke myself and my cub Sam when I did what I did in that clearing. Sita knew this and helped me by rescuing my cub. Now Sam is safe here, and I am reborn and reset. You know nothing of that time, nothing of the torment I went through. Patch and I had mated, and I dared not tell him I was in cub. I lied to him, I should not have done so.”

“It is said in the history of the community that Patch loved all his cubs,” Titan replied.

“yes he did,” Adsila replied, “I forgot that. I should have come out with it and told Patch and he would have helped me give birth to Sam, then all would have been well, but I didn’t!”

“Zalika, it is not right to speak of this,” Titan said.

“Okay, I won’t any mowe,” Zalika miaowed.

“I have been mentally ill for some years,” Adsila said, “I wronged so many people, and I’m trying now to make amends after being given a new life.”

“that is why we speak of this no more Zalika,” Titan mewed, Zalika feeling her paw taken in his huge ones.

“Stoaoaoap iyiyiyt Tiyiyiyiytan!” Zalika yowled.

“What are you doing to her?” Adsila asked.

“showing her what you felt during that time,” Titan mewed, as Zalika tore her paw from Titan’s grip and fled, “she needed to know your anguish I think,” the liger said, watching Zalika collapse in a heap on the floor then begin quietly weeping into her paws.

“She knows now,” Titan continued, “Zalika won’t be hurt by this, she just needed to know why it wasn’t right to bring things like that up again.”

“I thought she was more perceptive than that,” Adsila mewed.

“so did I,” Titan replied, padding to Zalika and hugging her, “sometimes history doesn’t tell the full tale,” he continued.

“You bet it don’t!” Zalika sniffled.

“it’s all ended now,” Titan purred.

“how can you tell a cub things like that Titan?” Sita asked.

“Zalika thought she knew all about what happened to Adsila Sita. All I did was told her she knew nothing,” Titan mewed.

“you told her more though,” Adsila stated.

“I showed her the depths of your torment,” Titan mewed.

“I won’t say any mowe about that,” Zalika whimpered, “I’s got it vewy wong, I knows that now.” Titan hugged his cub and helped her to her feet.

“Why not play with the other cubs for a bit,” Titan mewed.

“I’s going to find Sasha and Jespah,” Zalika mewed, padding from the room, dragging her fat little paws as if they were suddenly very heavy.

“She has really cute paws,” Titan mewed.

“I know, I’ve got paws on with them,” Sita purred, Titan padding over to her and flopping down on the floor, Sita and Adsila grabbing Titan’s paws and feet in their paws, Titan snuggling his paws and feet into their embrace with mews and purring of deep pleasure.

“Go on Titan, snuggle your paws and feet,” Sita mewed, Titan squirming while lashing the floor with his tail, as well as curling his toes as tightly as he could with the pleasure of their touch. His mewing and purring making the naked bear and cat bear smile as Titan struggled to keep his paws and feet in their grip while the pleasure caused him to squirm and struggle to curl into a ball.

“Titan’s so cute!” Adsila said, getting paws on with the liger while Sita rubbed his feet, Titan now able to curl up as he wished. With a loud mrioaw, Titan curled up tightly, kissing Sita’s nose as she rubbed the toes of his left foot in her paws.

“My head’s going to explode with pleasure if I don’t curl my toes and make noise!” Titan miaowed, Adsila and Sita laughing helplessly as Titan yowled and purred, chuffed and moaned with pleasure while repeatedly curling into a ball, followed by flinging himself full length to squirm while beating the floor with his paws and tail, his toes almost constantly curled.

“You silly soppy Tiggie, you’re so cute!” Adsila giggled, kissing Titan’s nose during one of his rest periods between physical expressions of his pleasure, his chuffing and purring almost constant.

“Is there a name for the chuffing train like sound Titan makes?” Adsila asked.

“I think it’s called prusten, but I prefer chuffing. It’s a more expressive description,” Sita mewed.

“I like it,” Adsila replied, taking hold of Titan’s right foot, Sita holding his left.

“I’m going to die happy if I go over the bridge now,” Titan mewed softly.

“We want more mrioaw miaow miaow, chuffling and purring first,” Sita giggled.

“Oh you’ll get that,” Titan replied, squeezing his eyes shut as a wave of pleasure nearly burst him, “I muuuuust Maiaiaiaiaiaow!” Titan yowled, Sita and Adsila laughing so hard they leant against each other for support.

“Can Titan ever get enough of this?” Sita giggled.

“At the moment we’re alternately rubbingTitan’s feet and paws, if we take hold of his paws and leave his feet, he’ll launch off his feet as best he can, launch his rear end and tail into the air then thump the floor with his feet and tail I bet!” Adsila laughed.

“ don’t Stoaoaoap ruuubing my payayayds!!” Titan begged, Sita kissing his nose and hugging his left paw in both hers.

“We won’t, you deserve this,” Sita purred, Titan blinking back tears.

“the cubs really want you to stay and let them rub your pads Titan,” Adsila said, “make yourself known to them, lie down and they’ll take your feet and paws in theirs.”

“Then my head will explode with the pleasure of it,” the liger mewed. sighing, he continued, “I wish I was small enough to play the stuck foot game with some of them.”

“Remember there are some really big cubs who could help you play,” Apudo mewed, padding up to Titan, “I could easily fit my feet into the grip of yours and we could struggle hard. Have you forgotten?”

“NO,” Titan mewed, “but you’re big and strong, some of the other cubs aren’t!” he protested.

“They are stronger than you think Titan,” Sasha mewed, padding into the room and grabbing Titan’s tail, “I would love to fit my toes into the grip of yours Titan,” she said.

“come on then,” Titan purred, everyone clearing the way for Sasha, Sasha lying down and feeling for Titan’s paws and feet with her smaller ones. Feeling her toes locked into his grip, she snuggled her toes hard into his.

“Really we’re meant to hold alternate paws and feet,” Titan mewed.

“I want to struggle against your force, go on, be the glue!” Sasha urged. Titan smiled and held onto Sasha’s toes with his while Sasha miaowed, squirmed and threw herself about in an effort to free her paws and feet from the grip of Titan’s huge ones.

“Maiaoaoaoaoow! Wiggle my toooes! Tuuuuuug at my paaaaws! Puuuuuull with my feeyeeet!” Sasha yowled, struggling as hard as she could to free her paws and feet from the all-encompassing touch of Titan’s huge ligrine paws and feet, his toes like gentle vices on her own. After five minutes of growling, panting struggle, Sasha gave up with a mrioaw of frustration:

“Your paaaaws and feeyeeet are tooo strong!” she gasped, Titan feeling the heat in her pads which were tightly pressed against his own.

“Would you like me to let go of your paws and feet Sasha dear?” Titan asked.

“You hardly moved!” Sasha mewed, “throughout all my struggle you hardly moved Titan! Feel my payayayds, they’re soaked!” she panted.

“I know,” Titan purred, and because I got them damp, I’ll wash them too,” he said, releasing his hold on the cub’s feet and paws, then washing her pads the wild way, Sasha purring and mewing with pleasure, giggling as Titan’s breath tickled her toes during his blow drying of her pads at the finish.

“Sasha’s exhausted!” Apudo mewed.

“I know she is,” Titan purred, “she was fighting to free her paws and feet with total commitment.”

“how do my paws look now Titan?” Sasha asked.

“fur and pads now white and black respectively,” Titan mewed, pressing her pads with his nose to feel their condition, “they are dry too,” he continued, “before my washing, they were grey and damp with the sweat of your efforts.” Sasha smiled, Titan tickling her toes with his whiskers. Sasha, shrieking with laughter, rolled away onto her back, Titan pinning her under his huge right paw, then tickling the pads of both her feet with his whiskers, Sasha miaowing and yowling with laughter while squirming and punching the air with her clenched paws.

“He’s tiyiyiyckling my feeyeeet apuuuuuudoaoaoao! Stoaoaoap iyiyiyt Tiyiyiyiytan!” she begged. Titan stopped tickling Sasha’s pads and toes then, releasing her, lay down beside her, the little lioness rolling onto her right side, where Titan kissed the tickle from the pads of both her still cubbish feet, Sasha smiling broadly.

“a large cub you may be, but these pads are still very cubbish,” Titan mewed. Sasha suddenly squirmed with extra urgency, curling round so her head was between her feet, Titan kissing her ears and nose, Sasha clamping her own head between her feet.

“You silly thing Sasha!” Titan giggled.

“I thought I’d try it,” she replied.

“What’s Sasha up to?” Sita asked.

“Are you comfortable Sasha?” Titan enquired.

“yes, remarkably so,” Sasha mewed, “Sita, get paws on with me.” Sita did, Sasha’s posture making her smile broadly.

“You could almost pull a cub into the world from there,” she remarked.

“I don’t know why my mum couldn’t curl up like this to pull me into the world,” Sasha mewed.

“she was too exhausted I think,” Titan replied softly.

“I suppose she was,” Sasha mewed, “mum pushed for hours didn’t she?”

“yes she did,” Titan mewed, kissing Sasha’s nose, the little lioness curling the toes of both feet, then wiggling her toes and sticking her tongue out at him, Titan smiling broadly.

“I didn’t push you into the world so you could do that though Sasha!” Bianca miaowed, racing into the room, “how undignified!” she yelled, slapping Sasha’s feet with her paws, “lie properly you disgrace!” she snapped, Sasha yowling with surprise and shock, uncurling quickly then flopping onto her side.

“Now stop that!” Titan growled, “Bianca, that was completely uncalled for!”

“it’s completely undignified for a lioness to do that!” Bianca yowled, “that’s what cubs do, and Sasha’s six months old now! She should know better.”

“I thought what Sasha was doing very cute,” Sita mewed.

“Maybe I should do other non-leonine things like start swimming and get my pads all wrinkled and then let others tickle them!” Sasha raged.

“I’d love it if you did,” Sita mewed, “I know we try to promote swimming to you lions, but not many of you like it. the ligers can be persuaded, the tigers are all up for it, but lions, no,” Sita lamented.

“I’ve heard some just go for the pad rubs they get during foot and paw checks before the lesson,” Sasha giggled.

“Those checks are not meant to be playtime!” Sita miaowed with mock frustration, “they are to check your pads for breaks in the pad that may transmit or receive infection from and to others in the water!” Sasha giggled delightedly at Sita’s expression.

“Sita, I love how you react sometimes,” the cub giggled, “you’re so sweet!”

“You can’t talk to or about Sita like that!” Bianca yowled.

“I can, because she is!” Sasha guffawed, “Sita’s the sweetest thing on four paws mum.”

“Respect your elders you horrid thing!” Bianca raged.

“I don’t really mind if the cubs come for the paw and foot checks before the lesson, they’re swimming, nobody’s left out,” Sita mewed, “yes Sasha, I practise mutual paw and foot checks, I get mine checked too.”

“Do you? that’s really nice of you,” Sasha replied, “what happens if you’re found to have cut your pads?”

“I make sure I don’t, but I still get checked,” Sita mewed.

“Who check your pads?” Sasha asked.

“Oh, one of the older cubs does,” Sita purred, “it’s how our socks and gloves are removed before play too. I thought you knew that.”

“I do, and have removed many socks and gloves from the paws and feet of cubs before play,” Sasha mewed, “I just like teasing out the fact that softy paws Sita is as playful as the youngest cub in the community, that’s all.”

“don’t call her that!” Bianca pleaded.

“Why not call her softy paws Sita? She is mum! Even you know that! Sita was here teaching you to play long before I was born, wasn’t she?” Sasha mewed.

“yes she was, and yes we called her something similar, but not to her face!” Bianca miaowed, almost dancing with rage.

“Bianca, let Sasha curl up into a ball, show me her feet and call me Sita Paws or softy paws Sita,” Sita mewed.

“I’m going to do it now!” Sasha mewed, rolling onto her left side then curling up tightly, so her head was clamped between her feet once more.

“You silly thing Sasha!” Sita giggled, touching Sasha’s head, paws and feet, Sasha squirming with pleasure.

“You’re a very cuddly lioness,” Sita mewed, Sasha smiling broadly.

“I had good teachers,” the white pawed lioness giggled.

“Not me surely,” Sita mewed.

“You, and mama Bianca and Jespah and Theo and the whole community,” Sasha mewed softly.

“You’re very cuddly,” Theo mewed, padding into the room and lying down to take a good look at his cub, Sasha uncurling, stretching out both paws and grasping his, Theo kissing her nose and then the pads of her left paw.

“Thanks,” Sasha mewed, Theo purring deeply.

“I love your paws and feet Sasha,” Theo mewed, “yours and Jespah’s paws are so very cute.”

“well you and mum made them,” Sasha mewed softly.

“I suppose we did!” Theo mewed, kissing her nose and paws.

“I wayayayant some of that tooo!” Jespah yelled, racing into the family lie up, skidding to a halt then throwing himself onto the floor, his paws and feet bouncing everywhere with his momentum.

“will someone please rub Jespah’s paws before he breaks our ears?” Theo asked, Bianca padding to her son, lying down then rubbing his pads, Jespah purring ecstatically.

“you lions and ligers are beautiful from your noses to your toes,” Sita mewed.

“After our mamas, you know us best of all Sita,” Titan said, “you get paws on with us when we first enter your playroom.”

“You have lovely paws Titan,” Sita mewed.

“Thanks,” Titan purred, “now if there was a way of me permanently staying with my paws and feet accessible, I would let it be forever.”

“I know you would you soppy Tiggie,” Adsila replied smiling.

“You can’t call your leader a soppy tiggie! You muuuuust show him respect!” Bianca yowled.

“It would be disrespectful not to call Titan that,” Theo mewed, “I love him so much Bianca, he is a soppy tiggie, always was, right from the first time I met him as a cub.”

“Hi all!” Mama karina mewed, padding into the room. Titan, seeing her, leapt to his feet and ran to her, hugging her .

“Hi karina dear,” he said, kissing her nose, karina giggling delightedly.

“You big softy!” she purred, returning Titan’s kiss and hugging him as best she could by rearing onto her naked feet then standing on tiptoe and raising both arms to do so, “You’re almost too big for me to cuddle Titan!” Karina miaowed.

“I’m sorry,” Titan purred.

“Lie down then I will be able to hug you properly,” Karina purred. Titan led Karina back to his rug and lay down, karina sitting down beside him, the liger enfolding her in his paws.

“now, if you turn and lie on your side, you can hug me I think,” Titan purred, “and I,” he continued more softly still, “could rub your feet if you want too.” karina turned to Titan, the big cat and Felursapien hugging each other in their different ways, Karina mewing and purring as much as Titan, who rubbed the heel and toes of her right foot with his left paw, while his right rested against her back, pulling her close to him.

“you’re a real snugglypuss tiggie,” karina mewed, Titan feeling her toes curling, holding the toes of his left paw in their large grip.

“Now I’m trapped toes Tiggie too,” Titan purred, Karina sitting back on her heels, bouncing like a cub and laughing helplessly.

“My toes have a mind of their own, sorry!” she said.

“I don’t mind that,” Titan purred, tugging at his left paw, Karina holding on tightly to the toes of his paw with her own, squirming with the effort she had to put in to retaining her toehold on his large ones.

“I don’t want you to struggle,” Titan mewed.

“I want to squirm and bounce, I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t,” Karina purred.

“Okay,” Titan mewed, tugging at his trapped toes, Karina miaowing and squirming in her efforts to hold onto his toes, Titan and she curling the toes of their very different feet and yowling their heads off as one pulled and the other tried to keep hold, karina squealing into Titan’s coat, the liger miaowing and growling with his efforts to free his paw as Karina struggled to hold onto his toes with hers. With a triumphant miaow, Titan freed the toes of his left paw from the grip of those of Karina’s right foot, but then he moaned deeply.

“my paaaw’s stuuuuuck to your fooooot!” he complained.

“Pull Titan pull!” Karina encouraged, watching the liger’s face as he struggled hard, the liger growling and squirming as he pulled at his left paw, the toes of his huge paw inching up the sole of her right foot from the ball to her heel. Karina could feel the whole of his paw was involved, Titan having to pull extra hard to free himself. When his toes finally reached the margin of her heel, she felt them grip hard. Whimpering with fatigue, Titan panted hard, karina Squealing and bouncing, then wriggling and panting hard.

“You must pull Titan, you muuuuust! Pull hard to get your toes over my heel pad!” she begged. Titan growled deeply, then tugged hard at his trapped paw, curling the toes of both his huge feet afresh, then growling and yowling while tugging as hard as he could at his trapped paw. Karina moaned while tightly curling her toes as his toes scraped over the margin of her heel, then over her pad, her drawn out moan ending in a squeal as his toes came free of her heel pad, Karina having kept her toes tightly curled throughout the liger’s efforts. Panting, liger and Felursapien relaxed their toes, laughing at their own antics.

“I love playing stuck paw games like that with feet like yours,” Titan mewed, the arch gives me plenty to hold onto and your toes are wonderful too.” karina giggled helplessly at this, hugging him tightly.

“I loved every minute,” she said, “I was pushing my foot against your paw as best I could too.”

“I felt it,” Titan mewed, “you leant on your left knee a little so you could push with your right foot and use the toes to grip more easily too.” karina snuggled hard into Titan’s embrace, hugging him as tightly as she could.

“You have another paw, and me another foot that we could get stuck if you like,” Karina mewed.

“we could,” Titan replied in a deep purr which made Karina’s toes curl afresh with the pleasure of his voice.

“do you like Titan karina?” Sasha mewed.

“I do,” karina purred.

“No, not like as in like him, I mean, like, him, want him to sire your, well, cubs,” Sasha asked mischievously.

“oaoaoaoah! Is it that obvious!” Mama Karina wailed, “he couldn’t anyway!” she blustered.

“I’m a liger, I can’t,” Titan purred, “though, if a cub was to get stuck being born, I could help, as I’ve done that before.”

“you’re a pest Sasha!” Mama Karina miaowed, everyone else laughing helplessly at her discomfort.

“You could pretend to give birth to my cubs,” Titan purred.

“but what would they look like?” Karina asked, “I’m all up for acting, but,,,, well, would they survive??”

“A cat’s head, cat’s paws with opposable thumbs, an ability to run like a Felursapien, that is to say digitigrade or plantigrade, and with naked arched feet, rather like yours, oh, and a tail, got to have the tail,” Titan purred.

“You couldn’t make that up if you tried!” Sasha giggled.

“I’m sure Blackberry was surprised at karina’s form when I gave birth to her,” Sita mewed, “but I did, and she’s here, and she is a mama too.”

“But it wouldn’t work, even if they could mate, they’re not similar enough!” Theo moaned.

“Actually, it might,” Shadow said, padding into the room, having listened to the conversation via the wifi built into her, “Sita is a cat, she is built like a bear through moulding, not through her genetics. Blackberry is half bear, half human thanks to what Jess was, being a human metamorphosed into a bear, her DNA being that of a human but her whole shape being that of a bear. Skirnir mated with Jess, as he would with a bear, and bang! Along came Blackberry. Now if Titan mates with karina, there would be half feline, a quarter ursine and a quarter homo sapien. The cub born would be a mix the like of which Titan spoke.”

“naooooo that would be awful!” Theo protested.

“It would be cute,” Shadow said, “hold on a minute, I’ll simulate.” She padded off, then returned with her hands in gloves which made them similar to cat paws with opposable thumbs, her feet naked with arches like mama Karina’s, her head covered in a headpiece that changed the shape of her face and wearing a tail. Shadow balanced on the balls of her feet and hands and walked across to karina, mewing as cubbishly as her language programme allowed, having copied part of Shandy’s into a folder on her hard drive. Karina, shocked beyond words, watched Shadow coming towards her, while Sasha, overcome with mirth, laughed uproariously.

“Shadow, that’s soaoaoao cuuuute!” the little lioness enthused.

“It’s soaoaoao wrong!” Theo miaowed.

“I, I don’t know what to say!” karina gushed.

“Well, here is what I think yours and Titan’s cub would look like anyway, thanks to my research,” Shadow replied, grinning hugely.

“stoaoaoaoap them!” Theo pleaded.

“if they love each other, we can’t,” Sita mewed.

“but, but, naooooo!” Theo whimpered.

“Why not? Would I not be cute enough?” Shadow asked, padding to Theo, who stared at her.

“You would be, or rather the cub would be, oh dear!” Theo whimpered, “I just don’t want any harm coming to Karina or the cub!” he protested in a loud miaow.

“it could happen, but there would be more feline in their mating than there was when Blackberry and I mated,” Sita mewed, “the direction of genes would be more feline than ursine or human I think.”

“Get paws on with Shadow Sita,” Titan mewed, Sita crawling to Shadow, who banged the floor with her paw and tail, hardly making any noise at all, though enough for Sita to guide her to the spot where she lay on the floor.

“Get paws on with me from nose to tail,” shadow invited, “I’ll ask little Karina if she’ll get dressed up if you like. She’s more suited to this cub stuff than me.”

“you’re very cute!” Sita mewed.

“Oh god!” Theo whined.

“I could pretend,” Karina mewed, looking over at Shadow, “is Blackberry banned from making soft toy versions of the creatures Titan dreams up in his head?”

“NO,” shadow replied, “but he’s slow at it. all fingers and thumbs when it comes to sewing is Blackberry, I’ll make one.” Karina laughed merrily at this, while Theo scowled at Shadow.

“I have the template in my head, so I’ll make a soft toy felpien for you Karina,” Shadow said, racing from the room.

“What have you done karina?” Theo asked.

“It’s gonna be fun pretending to give birth to Titan’s cub,” karina mewed, “I really do love him Theo”

“You can’t love that cuddly plush cub though, not like you could Felix,” Theo mewed.

“Felix is Nanulak’s cub though isn’t he?” Bianca asked.

“yes, but Nanulak rarely sees Felix now. Nanulak thinks Felix is off the rails,” Karina mewed.

“well stealing a car and nearly killing two cubs is just about as off the rails as one can get,” Theo growled.

“Yes, true,” Titan mewed, “Karina, pretending to have my cub is fine. It’s a bit of fantasy, but I can’t give you cubs, much as I might want to.” Karina sighed heavily and smiled.

“I really want your paws on me while I scream and pedal the air and curl my toes,” she admitted.

“I’ll do that for you,” Titan mewed, “you can have as long an imagined labour as you like, then hug the soft toy cub if you want.”

“It would be silly!” karina mewed, “I want to be touched by you Titan. I’ve loved you for a long time!”

“You’ve fallen in love with a fat liger with huge paws and who can’t give you cubs?” Theo asked.

“yes I have!” karina miaowed, “I love Titan from his nose to his toes, and from his ears to his bouncy pads. I’d love to rescue him from a raft if he gets his toes stuck.” Titan grinned hugely at the thought of karina rescuing him.

“I find I like stuck foot and paw games,” the huge liger mewed, examining his paws, then rolling onto his side and curling up to, as best he could, examine the pads on his feet.

“I wish you’d check my pads for thorns too,” karina mewed.

“Maybe if we check each other’s pads for thorns it might be easier?” Titan asked.

“Yes,” karina mewed, kissing Titan’s nose.

“My pads are on my paws and feet, not my nose,” Titan purred, karina hugging him.

“okay cuddly,” she said, snuggling close, “would you like me to check your paws and feet when you come in from patrolling the woodlands?”

“well I wear socks and gloves on my paws and feet when I’m out,” Titan mewed, “but yes, I’d like it.”

“so do I, but I need help removing my socks from my feet Titan,” Karina mewed.

“Are you wearing them now?” Titan asked.

“if I was, I’d like you to help me remove them before play,” Karina purred.

“It would be easy,” Titan mewed.

“Not if I curl my toes and refuse to pull it isn’t,” karina replied.

“Oh,” Titan replied, returning her kiss, “your foot didn’t let go of my paw that easily earlier.”

“Because you didn’t want it to, and quite frankly, neither did I,” she replied.

“your pads were warm and soft,” Titan mewed.

“they were slightly hot from struggling to hold your paw with my toes,” karina mewed, “the stuck foot game gets better the more into it someone gets.”

“Warm pads are nicer to play with,” Titan mewed.

“yes they are,” karina mewed, “tightly curling and stretching your toes while someone carefully checks your pads after washing will often warm the pads up enough for play.”

“I know,” Titan mewed, “and the pad check is so much fun too!”

“Sita uses the promise of a pad rub as bribery to get the lions in the swimming pool,” Karina giggled.

“I’ve heard that, it’s inspired thinking,” Titan purred.

“Why don’t we do that now?” Sita asked, “let’s all go to the pool complex. Theo, Bianca, Jespah, Sasha, Adsila, karina, and you Titan. Come on, I’ll check your pads for thorns and wounds, and then you can check mine and we’ll swim and get wrinkled pads, then wash and dry off our paws and feet and just enjoy the water and each other’s touch.”

“I’m not riding that water coaster,” Titan whimpered.

“I’ll hold your paws,” Karina mewed.

“yes, and the raft will trap my toes!” Titan whimpered, “I know what you’re hoping for Karina.”

“Well aren’t you, just a little?” karina asked.

“Oh dear, the things I have to do to get my pads rubbed,” Titan grumbled, karina hugging him.

“Only Joking,” she purred.

“Come on dear tiggie, let’s go to the pool complex. Sita, round up the cubs and let’s go.”

A call was put out to all the lie ups asking cubs to join Sita for a swim and water play. Soon Bjorn, Patch, Kutang, Dhaulagiri, Yendi, Allie, Zalika, Savannah, Anbessa, Jespah and Sasha padded to the pool complex with Sita, Bianca, Theo, Nanuq, Flocke, Goldie, Makalu, Ceba, Leona, Sire Androcles, and Tiggs. Blackberry, seeing the message pop up on his screen, joined them soon after.

Once all were gathered in the complex, Yendi asked:

“So are we going to have our paws and feet checked for thorns? Me and mum have just had ours washed and checked.

“I can’t force you,” Sita mewed, “I will only ask that you do.” Yendi and everyone else knew Sita’s pad checks weren’t compulsory due to the strict practise the community had of washing paws and feet before play, even so, most submitted to them, partly in deference to Sita’s seniority and her concern for every cub’s health, but also because they loved Sita’s touch, an undemanding pressure on their pads, stretching the pad while another, who could see what Sita could not, told her if a thorn or wound was visible.

“You don’t have to,” Sita mewed, “but if you have any plastic socks on your paws or feet from outside, please get rid of them in the bin before swimming. I know some are worn for injuries, if so, tell me, and I’ll ask you to wash your paws and feet with socks still in place to get rid of any mud on the sock. They’re great for protecting paws and feet, and can be washed, but I don’t like them much, they’re not as clean as bare pads in my view.”

“how can you have a view on anything Sita, you can’t see a dam thing!” Jespah yelled.

“Shut it Jespah!” Yendi yowled.

“And you can shut up too!” Jespah snapped.

“now you two, please, stop shouting!” Sita miaowed.

“No, no I won’t!” Jespah replied in an infantile roar, Yendi rushing to the sound of his voice then leaping on top of him. Jespah, collapsing under Yendi’s weight, hit the tiles with a protesting yowl.

“You are a pest!” Yendi growled, whacking Jespah with her paw, the two cubs scrapping on the tiles. Even though their fight was born of genuine anger at each other, many noticed neither cub, even in the heat of battle, extended their claws.

“Okay! Okay, I’m done, I’m sorry!” Jespah panted. Yendi let Jespah go.

“I know you’re younger than me, but your breeding and upbringing is the best, I expected more from you!” Yendi grumbled.

“Go Yendi!” Theo mumbled.

“You’re his sire Theo, you are meant to teach him!” Yendi yowled, turning on the massive lion.

“Ah, um, woops,” Theo whimpered.

“Now who’s up for me checking their pads today?” Sita mewed, “you lions, remember the deal. If you want pads checked, you have to get in the water.”

“that’s not fair!” Jespah miaowed.

“water never hurt a lion,” Theo mewed, “come on Jespah, I’ll have my pads checked by Sita. If I do it, will you?”

“Oh all right I will,” Jespah grumbled.

“I’ll ‘ave my paws and feet checked too,” Zalika mewed, “I likes it, but then again, I’s Titan’s cub, so it’s bown into me I supposes.” Titan grinned hugely at this notion.

“You don’t have to like everything I do,” he replied.

“No, but I does like it,” Zalika mewed, “though, I doesn’t know ‘ow I’s gonna weact when my toes is big enough to get them caught in a waft,” she replied teasingly.

“Oh dear, will it ever be forgotten?” Titan whined, feeling Theo’s paw grip his and squeeze companionably.

“Can you get them twapped in a waft now Zalika?” Theo asked.

“I’s twied, but I can’t quite does it yet,” Zalika replied, Titan groaning:

“It’s not a sport!” Zalika, grinning, padded up to him and nuzzled his paw.

“It’s all wight,” she said, “I’s not twying to mock you Titan, I just wants to see ‘ow you’s managed to get youw toes twapped is all. I loves feeling these things, as you know. Doesn’t you think some of youw acting out giving biwth didn’t wub off on me?”

“I suppose it did, I’m sorry,” Titan mewed.

“You’s weally cuddly you is, and I loves you fow it,” Zalika mewed, Titan’s eyes filling with tears.

“Ok Zalika, stop it please,” he begged.

“You’s soppy too I sees, and that’s just tooo cuuuute and I’s gonna die fwom cuuuute!” Zalika giggled, Titan sniffing and blinking hard.

“that’s really sweet,” Tiggs mewed.

“You’s a ligwess ain’t you Tiggs?” Zalika asked.

“I is, I mean am,” Tiggs replied.

“well you’s got big feet and paws, so why doesn’t you get youw toes twapped so Yendi can dig youw toes fwom a waft, sowt of wescue ‘ur mum, that would be weally cuuuute!” Tiggs playfully cuffed Zalika for her suggestion, Zalika reacting by miaowing loudly then theatrically collapsing in a heap.

“that’s overacting,” Tiggs mewed, helping Zalika to her feet, the little liligress grinning at her.

“now, let’s get on with checking pads!” Sita mewed, everyone kneeling or lying down depending on their preference. Ceba, smiling to herself, wondered what this would feel like. Her cubs Kutang and Dhaulagiri had described Sita’s foot and paw checks as making them laugh helplessly, but she had never experienced one. Makalu watched Sita intently, wondering if the huge funny furred creature was entirely real.

“Ceba, Sita’s, um, unusual.”

“I’ve heard she is,” Ceba mewed, “but I’m sure she’s kind, everyone here seems to be kind.”

“Can I check your paws and feet for thorns Ceba?” Sita asked.

“yes, please do,” Ceba mewed, smiling as Sita’s fingers worked into the fur on her pads, right down to the pad itself, Sita systematically parting the fur and pressing the pads of each foot and paw in turn, the sensation making Ceba purr with pleasure.

“Sita’s got a lovely touch Makalu,” Ceba mewed, stretching out more comfortably on the tiles, Makalu watching in astonishment as his mate closed her eyes.

“You can’t sleep here!” he mewed.

“not sleeping, just, just relaxing, Sita’s touch makes me want to,” Ceba mewed, yawning expansively.

“You can’t sleep here!” Makalu meowed.

“Bet you will sleep soon, when Sita’s paws get hold of yours,” Ceba mumbled.

“naooooo I won’t!” Makalu mewed.

“Can I?” Sita purred, Makalu unable to resist giving her his paws.

“Go on then,” he grumbled, the cat bear’s touch making him purr with deep pleasure as she worked her fingers into the fur on the soles of his feet to reach his pads, then rubbed down each pad, Makalu curling up on the tiled floor, the sensations from his paw held in Sita’s paws filling him up from his paws to his ears, making him curl the toes of his free paws with pleasure.

“Ceba, you were right,” Makalu mewed softly, closing his eyes.

“Look at mum and Makalu!” Kutang yelled, waving her paw at the two snoozing adult snow leopards, “Sita’s touch is lovely, but we don’t snooze like that!”

“No, not here we don’t, Dhaulagiri reminded her.

“Um, in Sita’s playroom we have, oops, I forgot about that Dhaulagiri,” Kutang replied.

“Look at Makalu, he’s all curled up, even his tail’s curled, and his toes too!” Dhaulagiri giggled.

“he’s really sweet with those white paws and feet and his black coat,” Kutang replied, “mum looks good too, but she’s traditional snow leopard until you see her feet, she looks like she’s wearing black socks! Our parents really are cute aren’t they?”

“You can’t say that!” Sasha warned, slapping Kutang.

“it might not be right to say it, but it’s very true, they are super cute with their black and white paws!” Dhaulagiri replied.

“Can you hear what our cubs are saying about us?” Makalu mumbled, nudging Ceba with a sleepy paw, “they’re calling us cute! How dare they!”

“Quite frankly, right now, I don’t care what they’re calling us, I’m too comfortable to worry about words Makalu, especially those which are said with love.”

“My paaaaws are all sleepy! Sita stoaoaoaoap iyiyiyiyiyt!” Makalu miaowed, everyone laughing merrily.

“Maybe I can learn to do that,” Ceba mewed sleepily.

“Shall we leave mum and Makalu to sleep Sita?” Kutang asked.

“I want to swim!” Ceba mewed, getting to her feet. Makalu, seeing his mate walking away, her paws slightly uncoordinated due to sleep, urgently scrambled to his feet with a fearful miaow, wrenching his right foot from Sita’s grip, the bear cat snorting:

“You might have asked me to get paws off first!” in indignation as Makalu fled towards Ceba and walk beside her.

“Ceba will be fine with us Makalu, you can sleep if you like, I’ll look after her for you,” Flocke said. Makalu looked at the assembled big cats and bears.

“Ceba needs her freedom Makalu, we know what you did for her, but you must let her do her own thing,” Blackberry said.

“I’ve only just got used to her padding about the house alone,” Makalu protested.

“here she will be fine, we’re extra careful here,” Sita mewed.

“Ok, I’ll try,” Makalu replied hesitantly, “I will try not to watch her all the time too.” Yendi told Ceba of the tiles which led her to the different pools, the lazy river, water coaster and slides, Ceba following Yendi to the spar pool. Yendi helped Ceba into the pool, showing her where to sit to make the best of the feel of the jets on the pads of her paws and feet.

“now I must go to swim,” Yendi said to Ceba, “I’ll be back soon though.” Ceba hugged Yendi, the taliger cub purring deeply.

“others will come to see you, I’ll make sure they do,” Yendi mewed, “hey, anyone round here, as I have to go and swim, Ceba’s here on her own! Shame on anyone who will stand this outrage!” Ceba laughed helplessly at this, as she heard someone come down the steps.

“Yendi, I’m Flocke, that’s a real overreaction to Ceba being left for a few minutes,” Flocke said.

“Oh Flocke, hi, well, I just had to get someone over here for Ceba.” Flocke smiled broadly and patted Yendi’s paw.

“I’ll stay with Ceba for a while,” she said.

“I’ve never been here before,” Ceba mewed.

“It’s a great place,” Flocke replied, “I will show you round if you like.”

“What does Flocke mean?” Ceba asked.

“um, you might laugh if I told you, I tend to keep the meaning quiet,” Flocke replied.

“Why?” Ceba asked.

“Get paws on with me,” Flocke said, Ceba getting paws on with the huge mother polar bear.

“you’re large, but, why would I find the meaning of your name funny?” the snow leopard asked.

“It means snowflake,” Flocke replied quietly.

“Oh, Flocke means snowflake? iyiyiyt’s reaeaeally cuuuute! Flocke, Snowflake is Soaoaoaoao cuuuute!” Ceba mewed loudly. Flocke, looking nervous, gently clamped her huge, well furred paw over Ceba’s mouth.

“I don’t tell many people that, and you’ve just blurted it all over the place!” Flocke hissed.

“Hi Snowflake,” Goldie said, playfully tugging her ear with his teeth as he padded past.

“yayayaow! Oi! Goldie, you pest!” Flocke yelped, “Ceba, Goldie just nibbled my ear! Now can you grasp what opening your big mouth has caused?”

“I’m soaoaoaorry!” Ceba miaowed.

“dear Snowflake,” Goldie purred, Flocke turning quickly and slapping the brown bear with her huge left paw, yelling:

“That’s nooaoaoaot my nayayayayme!”

“Well, it is, in German,” Mishka said, padding to the steps and sliding into the water.

“not you too!” Flocke raged, slapping the water with her paws in agitation, “you two are pests!”

“I’ll leave dear Snowflake and you two alone now,” Goldie said.

“Thanks,” Flocke whimpered.

“dear Flocke, you’re a cuddly thing,” Mishka said, kissing her nose.

“yeah, but my name is rather cubbish!” Flocke whimpered.

“I think it’s sweet, and you are too,” Mishka replied, Flocke feeling her paw taken in his strong ones.

“I’d love to, but I’m Nanuq’s,” Flocke whispered.

“You’re your own bear,” Mishka replied, “if you want to stay in my treehouse, you can.”

“Nanuq would go mad!” Flocke replied.

“he has Lihua and Ursula now,” Mishka replied, “Flocke, Nanuq, lovely though he is, is a roving male. He loves everyone and if they’re female and it’s correct, he will do his duty by them.”

“What of you though Mishka? You have never had a steady mate have you?” Flocke asked, shocked at her words.

“No, no mate, steady or otherwise, nor cubs,” Mishka replied, “Though I’ve pretended to give birth to a cub, who hasn’t round here?”

“I could, in time,” Flocke replied.

“time?” Mishka replied,,,

“But if you don’t want to wait, I could, I suppose, now, tonight?” Flocke babbled, feeling trapped.

“I was going to say that taking time is a good thing,” Mishka replied, “dear Flocke, has your time in this community taught you nothing?”

“Not much about you, noone knows you Mishka!” Flocke gushed, now completely at sea.

“if you want to mate with me, I will happily give you cubs,” Mishka said, “Once you go into labour, I will hold your paw and you can yell your head off at me and push until the cub’s born. I will then play with the cub, feed him or her until they are on their feet and able to run.”

“When would you like to start the journey,” Flocke asked.

“Now, or tomorrow, or never,” Mishka replied, “did my touch signify something else then?”

“I felt a need, a need to curl up with you, but, but, I’m Nanuq’s, unofficially,” Flocke replied, “I think it only becomes official when I birth him a cub.”

“if you want to curl up with me, it’s fine,” Mishka replied, “Flocke, I have a large enough bed in my house.”

“but you live with your mother Mishka, that’s hardly independence is it!” Goldie goaded.

“I think you’ll find Anook needed a home and moved in with her Son!” Flocke growled, “I know that much about you Mishka.”

“Worse they curl up together at night sometimes!” Goldie continued.

“yes, we do, but that’s because she asks me if she can,” Mishka replied, “Mum, you know her as Anook, is traumatised by what happened in her former life. I was born, then she died. Oh, and by the way, intrusive Goldie, you horrid bear, Anook doesn’t always curl up beside me now. She did, but now she goes to her own bed. You really are sweeping the gutter Goldie!” Mishka yelled, “and if I could see you enough to punch your nose, I would!” the brown bear screamed.

“I thought Goldie was more informed than that,” Flocke said after Goldie had padded away in a huff.

“I thought so too, unless there’s another reason for his diatribe,” Mishka replied.

“You mean, he wants me?” Flocke asked.

“yeah, I have been listening to you and him, and he likes you a lot. The thing is, there’s nothing he can hold against me, so he tears into my home life, of which he knows nothing.”

“I’m already feeling more uncomfortable with him,” Flocke said. Mishka Snorted:

“Goldie’s got Bramble anyway, and Sooleawa his cub, well, she’s no longer his and Brambles, as she was adopted by Patch some years back.

“Mishka,” Ceba said, “sorry to disturb your chat, but I’m rather bored here, and I couldn’t help noticing your comment about not being able to see Goldie, are you blind? If so, please, could you help me? I felt some tiles under my paws, different shaped ones, where do they go? There was a set which led me here, and other sets too.”

“I haven’t been here for so long I’ve almost forgotten,” Mishka replied, thinking hard, “now what was it? ah yes! The tiles with the balls lead you to the flume, the wavy lines to the spar pool, the ridges to the wave pool and the circles to the slides and diamonds to the coaster. Let your paws follow the path, and you’ll find the way.”

“ooaaoah, thanks!” Ceba mewed, “I’ll leave you to your pre nuptials then and ride the waves. Ceba got up and waded to the steps.

“there are attendants up on each ride aren’t there?” Flocke asked, “I’m meant to be looking after her, I mean Ceba, Mishka.”

“I don’t know,” Mishka replied.

“The tiles with the balls lead you to the flume, the wavy to the spar pool, the ridges to the wave pool, and the circles to the slides and, the diamonds to the coaster,” Ceba mumbled to herself, “let your paws follow the path, and you’ll find the way.”

“I’ll come with you Ceba, we both will, won’t we Mishka,” Flocke said hastily.

“yes,” Mishka replied, “I think a ride on the coaster or the slides would be nice.”

“Can I join you both in your treehouse Mishka?” Ceba asked, “I don’t want to get in the way, but I’m quite enjoying being free of Makalu. I know he means well, and he rescued me from certain death too, which I am very grateful for, but that rope he straps to me, it’s oppressive to me sometimes. Mishka, I don’t want to presume, but as a bear who is blind, as I am a blind snow leopard, I thought you may understand my problem.”

“yes, please, come,” Mishka said, Flocke giving him a look, then realising he couldn’t see her.

“I thought we were going to,,,,” she began to say.

“Flocke, dear sweet Snowflake, I said time was what I needed, and Ceba’s has run out. she needs freedom, even if it is us facilitating it. so, let’s go wherever Ceba wants to go, of course, tell her cubs, but not the black snow leopard, let him sweat for a bit.”

“So we’re stealing a snow leopard?” Flocke asked.

“Well, with her permission, we’re taking her to the treehouse,” Mishka replied.

“her mate will go mad!” Flocke warned.

“Tell the cubs, and he’ll be fine,” Mishka replied. Flocke found Kutang and whispered to her, the cub giggling delightedly at the thought of Flocke and Mishka breaking Makalu’s hold on her mum.

“Show her how to find her way Mishka,” she said, “I’m sure you can, even if it’s just round the house and using the monorail and all.”

“Oh yes, I can,” Mishka replied, “Ceba will be able to visit me in the treehouse and then go to her lie up and the kitchen and everywhere she wants to.”

“See you later mum,” Kutang said, hugging Ceba. Ceba followed Mishka and Flocke by scent and the sound of their feet, which to her was very loud. Boarding the monorail, they left the pool complex and rode to Mishka’s treehouse. Leaving the monorail they waited for a short time in the small vestibule for the lift, boarding this, they rode to the lounge area of Mishka’s treehouse, the door opening up onto the large room, and smells of cooking from the kitchen.

“Hi mum, it’s me with Flocke and Ceba!” Mishka yelled, showing Ceba to a rug on the floor by the fire, Flocke taking a seat on the sofa and Mishka, after going into the kitchen, kissing Anook’s nose and hugging her then making tea for everyone, taking his customary place in his favourite chair. Anook clattered in with a trolley some time later, grinning at Flocke and setting the tea things on the table.

“I got restless, so I began baking,” Anook said, “I walked in the woods for a bit, tidied the place, then vacuumed a bit too.”

“Mum, I told you I’d do that when I got back,” Mishka said, “you’re impossible!” he whimpered, but Anook knew he was very grateful and appreciative.

“You gave me and Conrad a place here when you didn’t have to Mishka,” Anook replied.

“that I did,” Mishka replied, “but I don’t expect you to do everything round here as payment for it.”

“I will do what I like, right?” Anook said sternly, Mishka laughing:

“yes mum, all right,” Anook looking very satisfied.

“mama Anook,” Ceba said, rolling towards her from her original position with her feet towards the heat of a blazing fire, “Goldie said some horrid things about you curling up with Mishka at night. I find it sweet, but he didn’t.”

“I used to curl up with Mishka,” Anook said, “I won’t deny I did. It was all to do with my need after my untimely death which ended my first life. I needed to cuddle my cub for a bit as mama bears do when they’ve had cubs. now I’m over that, and I can curl up with Conrad as we used to.”

“Can, I mean, Mishka, would you, would you show me what paw massage is again please? I understand you have a good grasp of that art.”

“I have and I would love to get paws on with your paws, indeed those and your feet, and the whole of you, as I’ve seldom touched a snow leopard,” Mishka replied. Ceba smiled broadly at this.

“We touched once before, and I loved it very much,” the snow leopardess replied.

“So did I,” Mishka replied softly.

“Please find my nose, find my whiskers, belly, ears and tail, then dig your fingers into the fur on the soles of my feet and find my pads, be sure to find every one, and rub them with gentility,” Ceba mewed.

“You don’t want much do you?” Mishka teased, Ceba tucking her paws beneath her with a distressed whimper:

“I won’t ask it of you ever again Mishka!” Mishka, realising he’d been misunderstood, knelt and crawled to Ceba, stroking her ears and right shoulder, the snow leopardess turning her head to him.

“Maybe you misunderstood me,” Mishka said softly, “of course I will do all you suggested, now though, because I have upset your paws, they are hiding from me.” Ceba felt herself melting as Mishka kissed her nose and the thickly furred tops of her paws.

“I’ll roll off my paws and feet,” she said, rolling onto her side, stretching out comfortably, Mishka rubbing her down gently from nose to tail with both paws. Ceba curled and stretched her toes with pleasure as he worked, only stilling them when he held a foot or paw, and then it was only that foot or paw she relaxed, the toes of her other three curling and stretching as waves of pleasure and warmth washed over and into her. Mishka, working his fingers into the deep thick fur on the soles of Ceba’s feet until he touched her pads, could feel the pleasure the snow leopardess was lapping up, as well as hear it in her whimpering and mewing.

“You’re just a big pussycat Ceba!” Anook giggled, Ceba snuggling her right foot into Mishka’s paws.

“I could stay here forever,” she mewed, “it’s warm, it’s safe, my paws and feet are in good paws too.”

“there’s tea for you Ceba,” Anook said, pushing the bowl towards the snow leopardess and tapping the rim with her paw. Ceba roused herself, sat up, then lapped the warm drink, her eyes still half closed.

“don’t fall asleep in the tea Ceba!” Flocke laughed.

“I, I could so easily do just that,” Ceba purred, nudging the bowl away with her paw then settling her chin on crossed paws, “This is lovely!”

“I wonder when Makalu will realise Ceba’s vanished?” Mishka mused, “I can imagine him running in four directions at once, rolling on the floor and grabbing his tail with all four paws when he realises she’s gone and that her cubs knew where she is and didn’t tell him.”

“I think Makalu is becoming a bit possessive over you Ceba,” Anook replied, “I know he cares deeply, and that he rescued you and all, but you’re not his to control because of that history.”

“he does tend to worry a lot when I go out of the lie up,” Ceba conseeded, “I can feel his anxiety quite strongly.”

“He’ll be going mad about now I bet,” Mishka replied. Anook padded to a screen and tapped in to the cameras in the pool complex.

“he’s running round and round in circles, his tail flying out behind him!” she giggled, “if he runs much faster and tighter he will, oh dear! He’s biting the end of his own tail, then tripped over it and fallen in a heap! This is rather fuuuunny!” the she bear laughed.

“Makalu fell in a heap after chasing his tail? that’s wonderful!” Mishka replied.

“No it isn’t,” Ceba moaned, “I’m gonna catch it when we get home!” she whimpered.

“You can’t be told off like a cub!” Mishka replied.

“Bet I will be though,” Ceba mewed, “the first time I made my way to a place without him on my own initiative, he went mad! He didn’t actually hit me, but there was a lot of shouting and stamping of paws. It made me feel very unhappy.”

“he should not do that,” Anook replied, “if he does that when we meet, I’ll tie a knot in that long tail of his for him.”

“He’ll whack me with his big paws for going places I shouldn’t though,” Ceba mewed.

“We can see into all lie ups and will know,” Anook said, Ceba, if you or your cubs feel unsafe with Makalu, let us know and we’ll fix it,” Mishka replied.

“What’s he doing now?” Ceba asked warily.

“He’s heading for the monorail, I think we might be in for a visit, he looks very pissed off,” Anook replied.

“I hayayayayte thiyiyiyis!” Ceba wailed.

“He won’t be able to get in here,” Mishka replied, “I’ll lock all the doors so he can’t, they’re locked anyway. Anook ran from the room, reappearing ten minutes later to announce that the front and back doors were locked, and the gate to the ramp was closed.

“My poor cubs will catch it from his paws when he finds out they knew all along!” Ceba mewed, “I wanted to keep them in the picture, and now, now they’re heading down a dark tunnel into trouble!”

“Makalu’s coming with the cubs,” Anook said.

“I don’t like the sound of this at all!” Ceba whimpered.

“You’re safe here,” Mishka replied. Makalu found his way to the internal lift by the monorail and pressed the button, the button making a buzzer go off in the house, a voice telling Mishka someone was by the lift. Mishka went to the phone on the wall and briefly spoke with Makalu.

“You are not to punish Ceba when you get up here Makalu,” Mishka said, “any hint of it, and I’ll pile in on you and pin you down. Yes the doors are locked for a reason. Ceba’s safe here.” Makalu rode up in the lift with Kutang and Dhaulagiri, padding from the lift and scowling at Ceba.

“I hope you have a good excuse for running off Ceba!” he spat.

“yes, freedom,” Ceba mewed, “Makalu, I love you and thank you for what you did for me, but that act doesn’t mean you own me. I am my own person, and do not owe you anything but thanks and a shake of the paw. I gave you cubs because I love you, now you are restricting my paws.”

“but what about danger!” Makalu yelled, stamping his paws, “Ceba, you could have died in this place!”

“Not likely,” Mishka replied, “Makalu, you know nothing. Kutang, Dhaulagiri, go upstairs, check out the rooms. I don’t know if Petra’s home, her room’s first on the left when you go up. Oh, and find a bath too, if you want one.” The two snow leopard cubs padded away, leaving their parents to argue.

“So what do I do now?” Makalu asked.

“Let Ceba explore,” Mishka replied, “Makalu, she’s safe, noone will let her come to harm here. Let her play with the cubs, let her go to the playroom, ride the monorail, visit my treehouse, walk in the woods, visit lie ups and the pool complex too. There is so much here within the house, and so much in the navigable part of the woodlands, Ceba can go out alone. Granted, she can’t use a white cane, but I can teach her routes on which she can use her paws to feel the path. The routes are kept clear to aid blind creatures, and they are completely navigable. I will teach her them all, so she can feel things under her paws and feet. for she has a right to feel things under her paws and feet, does she not?”

“I, um, yes,” Makalu replied softly.

“I almost want to strike you blind and show you what Ceba felt!” Anook yelled.

“that would be vengeful, and pointless,” Mishka replied, “but I think you Makalu should feel the isolation she felt when you shouted bad words at her in the lie up for going about the house without your permission.”

“”I didn’t know I was doing wrong!” Makalu replied, “I wanted to keep her safe, and in doing that, I suppose I was too overbearing and tied her paws.”

“You did, and I rebelled,” Ceba mewed, “I got in touch with a bear who understood my problems, knew his home and took me, quite literally into his paws.” Makalu padded to Ceba, lay down and took her left paw in both of his, His yowl of anguish telling her paw had told him more than he had known before.

“I will try not to restrict your paws from now on Ceba,” Makalu replied, “when Kutang told me what you’d done, I was so furious I chased my tail, bit it, then fell onto the floor screaming and kicking the air with my paws and feet while screaming insults towards you.”

“I saw, without audio,” Anook replied, “maybe I should bring the audio into play so we can hear as well?”

“I’d rather you didn’t, it was worse than cubbish and very angry frothy words were spoken about my mate Ceba, and I regret them and reject them now,” Makalu replied miserably.

“You aren’t a bad snow leopard, you just need to learn that because of one deed you did for Ceba, she is not yours to do with what you wish forever more,” Mishka replied.

“I realise now,” Makalu replied softly, “I didn’t mean to dominate her life. I am very sorry.”

“I will forgive you for your control of me, as you had the best of intentions, as long as you promise not to restrict my paws in the future,” Ceba mewed.

“I will try not to restrict your paws,” Makalu replied softly.

“I love the touch of the paws of others too,” Ceba mewed.

“I can understand that,” Makalu replied, kissing her nose.

“I love you and my cubs, but I will not let you hold my paws captive Makalu,” Ceba mewed, “I thought I was the only blind creature until I met Mishka some time back, then, as the sense of touch is used so universally here I didn’t really know he was blind until today, when I heard him say something about him not being able to punch Goldie on the nose because he couldn’t see enough to aim.”

“Oh,” Makalu replied.

“I want to feel the world with my paws and feet!” Ceba mewed.

“Come on then,” Mishka said, “why not start with exploring my paws and feet with your paws?”

“I would love to,” Ceba mewed, “then, then I would love to explore Flocke’s and mama Anook’s, and Makalu’s and those of my cubs too. I always was fearful of asking my mate and cubs if I could touch their paws.”

“So you never have?” Mishka asked.

“Not much no,” Ceba mewed.

“I think that’s very sad,” Mishka replied.

“So do I,” Makalu replied, “I didn’t know you wanted to Ceba.”

“I can’t see your faces, I need to find out how you feel in other ways,” Ceba mewed, “my instinct was not to ask to touch your paws, but, now, Mishka has shown me it can be a way of finding out so much.”

“come, touch my paws, find my payayayds!” Makalu yelled, pawing at Ceba’s paws with his. Ceba pinned down his paws, Makalu wriggling with pleasure as she began to explore the pads of all four of his paws, working the toes of her paws into the thick fur on the sole of each huge paw and foot. Makalu gasped as he felt her touch on his pads.

“aoaoaoaoah god!” he yowled, “I cayayayan’t control my voice, I neyeeed to yaoaoaoaow!” he gushed, Ceba giggling helplessly.

“So you like this?” she asked, Makalu’s toes curling round hers in a fierce grip.

“yeyeyeyeyes! Oaoaoaoaoaoaoh! maiaiaiaiaiaow!” Makaluyowled, panting hard. Ceba, rubbing and exploring the pads of her mate’s paws and feet, felt his toes curling, the pads bunching under all that fur, Makalu chuffing like a furry steam train.

“You’ve got him completely under your paw now,” Anook giggled.

“I never knew a pad rub could be like thiyiyiyis!” Makalu miaowed.

“What’s going on mum?” Kutang asked.

“Oh, I’m just rubbing Makalu’s paws,” Ceba mewed, “and what have you been up to Kutang?”

“We met a lioness with playful paws and have been rolling on the floor with her in play for the last ten minutes,” Kutang replied. “

I’m glad of it,” Ceba purred.

“We pinned the lioness down and tickled her toes!” Kutang giggled, “like this!” she yelled, pouncing on Dhaulagiri and rolling her over, tickling Dhaulagiri’s toes as they both had Petra’s. Dhaulagiri, yowling with laughter, waved her paws, squirming desperately as her older sister tickled her toes.

“muuum stoaoaoaoap Kuuuuuutang tiyiyiyckling my toooooes! Dhaulagiri yowled.

“go on Ceba, get paws on with your cubs,” Makalu said, Ceba crawling to her cubs then lying down comfortably before exploring their play, finding Kutang’s paws holding her sister’s left foot while Dhaulagiri sprawled on her back on the floor.

“I had forgotten how cute your ears and paws are,” Ceba mewed, her cubs kissing her paws as she explored their faces and paws.

“Dhaulagiri and I want you to get paws on with us every day mum,” Kutang said.

“I will now I know you like it,” Ceba mewed.

“We do, find our pads every day mum,” Dhaulagiri said, “we aren’t saying you don’t wash us, you do, but that’s not what we mean by finding our pads. Washing is boring, we would like more than just the boring wash.”

“I will do more, I promise,” Ceba mewed, working the toes of her left paw into the fur on the sole of Kutang’s left foot until she touched the cub’s pads, Kutang curling her toes, holding onto her mum’s with as much grip as her small toes could get.

“Your paw’s huge against Kutang’s foot mum,” Dhaulagiri said.

“I’m bigger and older than either of you,” Ceba mewed, “one day, your paws will be as big as mine.”

“Can we get paws on with your paws mum?” Dhaulagiri asked.

“yes,” Ceba mewed, “my feet are available for you to explore if you’d like Dhaulagiri, I can play with Kutang using my paws, while you can play with the toes of my feet.” Dhaulagiri padded to Ceba’s tail and lay down, taking her mum’s left foot in her small paws. Smiling, Dhaulagiri began exploring Ceba’s feet, furred tops and furred soles. with her small paws digging gently into the fur on the soles of Ceba’s left foot to her large pads and then the pads on her toes, Ceba curling her toes round those of Dhaulagiri’s paws, holding them tightly in their strong grip.

“You have lovely pads mum,” Dhaulagiri said, Ceba smiling broadly, curling round feeling for her cub with both paws, kissing her nose.

“You’re really sweet mum,” Dhaulagiri said softly.

“Naooooo Muuum’s Noaoaot, she stopped playing with meyeee!” Kutang yelled theatrically, Dhaulagiri sticking her tongue out at Kutang, Kutang yowling and kicking the air with mock rage, banging the floor with her long tail.

“You look so funny Kutang!” Dhaulagiri laughed, clapping her paws.

“Naooooo I don’t!” Kutang yelled, rolling into a ball, grabbing her tail in her paws then wriggling and pulling hard, “uuuuumf! Miaoaoaoaoaoaoe! Nearly there! Uauauaauauw!” so nearly there! done iyiyiyiyiyt! She yelled, backward rolling so her head faced Dhaulagiri.

“that was brilliant Kutang!” Dhaulagiri laughed, Kutang padding to her sister and kissing her nose.

“I tugged my tail and rolled backwards!” Kutang mewed.

“You tugged on your tail until you rolled backwards!” Dhaulagiri laughed.

“Kutang, you did what?” Ceba asked.

“I’ll show you,” Kutang replied, rolling onto her back, sticking her paws and feet skywards. Ceba got paws on while Kutang curled her tail over her belly and grabbed it in her paws.

“Now if I pull hard enough on my tail while arching my back, I can backward roll,” Kutang said.

“That seems dangerous, and you were yowling as if in pain too!” Ceba mewed.

“No, that was effort!” Kutang giggled.

“I thought you were going to roll into a ball, your head vanishing into a pocket near your tail,” Anook said.

“A ball of snow leopard, how cuuuute!” Mishka enthused.

“No, that would be very wrong!” Makalu replied.

“Very silly for sure,” Anook said.

“you really had to work to backwards roll,” Dhaulagiri said, “you curled your back, your toes and your tail!”

“Did I really curl my toes?” Kutang asked.

“You did, and it was cute too,” Dhaulagiri replied.

“I must take a look to see,” Kutang said, rolling onto her paws, racing to the screen and rewinding the video. Running it in slow motion, she watched herself curl her tail over her belly, then grab it in her paws and pull, realising her curled toes were as eloquent of her struggles as her voice. On screen Kutang’ tugged three times at her tail with her paws, her toes tightly curled and legs splaying with effort while she yowled and moaned, then Dhaulagiri saw her flip over.

“that was more effortful than you realise Kutang,” Dhaulagiri said.

“I suppose it was,” Kutang replied, “I rocked back and forwards a few times too, I didn’t realise I did that. The video helped me see my own feet struggling as much as my face expressed and voice spoke of the struggle.

“You were eloquent from your nose to your tail tip Kutang,” Ceba mewed.

“Does that mean she’ll get more eloquent as she grows?” Mishka asked.

“Maybe,” Makalu mewed, “but I don’t want Kutang tugging at her tail too much, she might pull it off!” he yowled.

“She won’t pull off her own tail Silly!” Anook laughed.

“I’m Noaoaot siyiyiyiylly!” Makalu yowled, banging the floor with his paws.

“Kutang can’t hurt herself here,” Mishka replied, “the floor is sprung as you can hear, and it is soft carpeted too.”

“yes, the screechy floor is a pest!” Ceba mewed, “I ignored it, as I thought the house is old, but, what a terrible raket!”

“It’s so I can hear people padding about,” Mishka replied. I have burglar alarms here too, but the flooring is so I know where others are in the house.”

“So noone can creep up on you,” Anook replied, “poor Titan, he got scared and leapt into the air, remember that?”

“I’ll bet he landed with a crash,” Makalu mewed, “that liger’s enormous!”

“he landed hard, and the sound upset him quite a bit,” Ceba mewed, “I remember someone telling me about it.”

“now shall we go back to the pool complex?” Kutang asked.

“Would someone check our pads for thorns first?” Ceba asked.

“I can,” Mishka replied, “My say is as good as Sita getting directly paws on.”

“”I think I’ll swim every day from now on,” Ceba mewed.

“Why?” Makalu asked.

“I know why! I know why!” Dhaulagiri giggled, “muuum likes her payayayayads ruuuubed, muuum wayayayants her payayayayads ruuuubed!”

“Yeah, I do,” Ceba mewed, “and I want them rubbed when they’re wet too, I’m sure it would feel great!”

“awww muuum, that’s very cuuuute!” Kutang giggled.

“pad checks need to be done with naked palmed paws,” Mishka said, “Sita has those, as do I. you snow leopards don’t have them, so you can’t really check each other’s pads for thorns that easily.”

“I would do almost anything to get my pads rubbed,” Ceba mewed.

“Even grab your tail and curl into a ball?” Kutang asked.

“Yes, even that.” Ceba mewed, though, thinking about it, I grabbed my tail while giving birth under that bush.”

“Can you pretend to have a cub?” Makalu asked.

“I could,” Ceba mewed, “I know how it’s done I think.”

“Brace your feet to push while yowling and squirming,” Mishka replied.

“I might do that,” Ceba mewed, “I may even do it in the shallows of the pool so I can kick up a froth and splash with my paws.”

“that would be very cute,” Mishka replied.

“Or I could bathe here in the early stages, then crawl out and give birth by the fire,” Ceba mewed, “pushing into Mishka’s paws sounds a wonderful thing to do.”

“would you like me to be midwife during the birth of your imaginary cub?” Mishka asked.

“I would,” Ceba purred, “your paws give me strength to push I think.”

“Will you also roll onto your back and grab your tail mum?” Kutang asked.

“I’ll do it, just for you,” Ceba purred.

“I’d like to see what Makalu makes of giving birth to a cub,” Anook said, “males can give birth to imagined cubs too,” she giggled.

“Do some play at it?” Ceba asked.

“Oh yes,” Mishka replied, “I do, I like it.”

“Patch did in a former life,” Anook replied, “acting out the birth of a cub is very prized here, alas, the art’s dying. Shandy and shadow are great, but they are computers. Little Sita and little Karina don’t want to do the job yet either, but they are computers too. The bonding during a mock cub’s birth is very powerful, touching mama’s paws and or holding her feet with one’s paws while the imaginary mama pushes hard down with their feet is very soothing for mama I have found..”

“I’m looking forward to this,” Ceba mewed.

“You had a horrendous labour though Ceba,” Makalu said.

“I screamed and yowled, but both cubs came out okay didn’t they?” Ceba asked.

“They did indeed,” Makalu replied.

“I wonder what a bear giving birth to a snow leopard cub would be like,” Mishka replied.

“You want to try it?” Kutang asked, “Mishka if you do, get paws on with me, feel what you’ll have to push out.” Mishka laughed merrily at the cub’s proposal, crawled to her and hugged her.

“I can imagine giving birth to you Kutang, squealing these huge paws into the world, each paw popping out one by one,” Mishka said, Kutang giggling delightedly as Mishka got paws on with her paws.

“which sound would ease my body out?” she asked.

“Oh, moans and groans for involuntary efforts, miaows and miaows for my own pushes, it has to be that expressive.

“ Mishka replied, Kutang kissing his paws.

“I’ve listened to what Kuaizi sounded like during her cub’s birth, could you make that sound too?” she asked.

“You make it sound like Dhaulagiri was as big as an elephant!” Makalu replied.

“Giving birth to Dhaulagiri felt as if I was giving birth to an elephant!” Ceba mewed.

“She is rather large now,” Flocke said.

“I’ll grab Ceba’s feet, if she’s amenable to that, and she can try a little push,” Mishka said.

“I can remember what mum sounded like during my birth, she was very loud,” Dhaulagiri replied, “you made sounds like “ “Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!”

auauauauwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow, miaoaoaowowowowowow!” as you pushed, If I remember rightly.”

“I did, and that sound makes me want to cuuuurl my toooes and puuuuuush all over agayayayayayain!” Ceba replied.

“Well I’ll cradle your feet in my paws and you can push a bit if you like Ceba,” Mishka replied.

“the urge is almost overwhelming!” Ceba miaowed.

“Come on then,” Mishka replied, Ceba feeling both her feet taken in the bear’s soft paws. Wiggling her toes into their grip, Ceba settled herself, then, bracing her feet against Mishka’s paws, she panted hard, recalling the effort she’d made to give birth to Kutang:

“Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!”

The cub’s head’s coming ouuouout! Aouw!, Umf aow! auauauauwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow, miaoaoaowowowowowow!” Ceba miaowed as she pushedinto Mishka’s paws with both feet.

“That’s it mum, puuuuuush!” Kutang encouraged, Ceba panting, briefly scrabbling desperately at the rugs with her velveted paws, panting harder still then catching her breath, bearing down with a yowling moan:

“uuuuumf, oaoaoaoah, Ruuuuuhuuumf, umf, umf, umf, oaoaoaoaoh, Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow!” Ceba panted and yowled as she struggled to push her imaginary cub into the world.

“That’s it mama, cub’s nearly here, one more push for its right foot. Come on, push!” Mishka said, stroking the now damp pads of Ceba’s right foot, the snow leopardess panting hard, then mewing pitifully, wriggling and moaning deeply as she pushed her caught foot into Mishka’s paws one last time.

“uuuuumf! The cuuuuub’s foooot’s coming out slowly! Erhrhrhrhrumf! Ouwch!” iyiyiyt’s nearly there, the cuuuuub’s fooooot, iyiyiyt’s huuuurting meyeee, the payayayds, I can feeyeeel every one coming ouuouout! Uuuuuuuumf, puuuuuush, Uuuuuuuumf! The cub’s foot’s ooooououowt now!” she whimpered.

“Not bad for a first try,” Anook said, crawling to Ceba and hugging her, “you need to pant a bit more between efforts, but it was very good otherwise.”

“the cub came very quickly, third cub you know,” Ceba mewed, kissing Anook’s paw.

“Well I’ve had about eight now if we’re counting imaginary cubs, and my last one took hours to arrive,” Anook replied smiling.

“And you didn’t smash the bed mum,” Mishka replied.

“Alaska’s rebirth was very hard,” Anook replied, the first spiritual rebirth I think that was.”

“I believe so mum,” Mishka said, “the history seems to think so anyway.”

“I’d like to get paws on with a real expert while they re-enact the births of cubs,” Ceba said.

“I could do so,” Anook replied. mama Karina’s quite good too, though she wouldn’t like me to tell you that. She’s been taking lessons from me.”

“Mum’s scarily good and mama Karina’s very accomplished too,” Mishka giggled.

“I might see if I can take this up,” Ceba mewed.

“your scrabbling paws were very cute,” Makalu said.

“I don’t know why I pawed at the floor, but I just had to,” Ceba mewed.

“Can I feel your paws?” Mishka asked.

“yes,” Ceba purred, curling round so Mishka could hold her paws in his. Ceba purred deeply as Mishka’s touch soothed her.

“I could scrabble at the floor with my paws while you get paws on,” Ceba invited.

“I’ll get paws on gently if you want,” Mishka replied, kissing the top of her right paw.

“You snuggly bruin you,” Ceba purred, kissing Mishka’s nose, Kutang laughing and pointing her paw at Mishka, yelling:

“Soppy Mishka, Soppy Mishka!”

“You are lovely Ceba,” Mishka said..

“Would you get paws on with me too Mishka?” Makalu asked, “I think I need it.” Mishka crawled to Makalu, Ceba miaowing and yowling with indignation as she realised he had stopped rubbing her pads.

“Mum’s going stratospheric, “Dhaulagiri, let’s rub her paws and feet,” Kutang said. Mishka found Makalu’s toes curled very easily in his touch, the big cat purring and wriggling with pleasure.

Meanwhile, back in the pool complex, Theo lay on the tiles on a ledge in the spar pool facing the wall where warm water jetted from pumps, ran over the ledge and into the main pool. Theo, his paws and feet warmed by the water, lay on his chest half asleep, luxuriating in the feel of warm water and bubbles on the pads and between the toes of his huge paws and feet. Yendi, bored with Sita’s swimming lesson, swam to where Theolay , grabbed his left foot in her paws, then hugged it.

“leave my foot alone, let go of it,” Theo mewed.

“You don’t mean that,” Yendi mewed.

“how do you know?” Theo asked.

“Your pads don’t tell me they hate my touch, and your toes press into my paws,” Yendi purred.

“Oh all right,” Theo mewed, “my paws are cold, and my right foot is freezing! Is that better?”

“how can your paws and feet freeze in these waters?” Yendi asked.

“Oh, they want the touch of a gentle cub,” Theo purred, curling round then kissing Yendi’s nose.

“I wish you could see his face Yendi,” Tiggs mewed, swimming up beside her cub, “Theo’s eyes are full of tears and he looks so grateful, it’s cuuuute.”

“I can’t get away with anything now!” Theo mewed, wiping his eyes with his huge left paw.

“Why should Yendi not be told you have tears in your eyes Theo?” Tiggs asked, Theo gulping hard.

“I don’t know, I’m a leonine waterfall sometimes, and I want to hide it,” the lion sniffled.

“would you like me to hug all four of your paws Theo?” Yendi asked.

“My paws, my neck, kiss my nose, rub my toes,” Theo mewed. Tiggs laughed merrily at him.

“Go on Yendi, give the huge cuddlypuss a proper hug,” she mewed.

“I’ll hug your paws and feet first, then stand on my feet and put my paws round your neck Theo,” Yendi replied.

“I’ll be a sobbing mess after all that!” Theo purred.

“love his paws Yendi,” Tiggs mewed.

“Oh I will,” Yendi purred, “they are very cuddly paws, not that Theo thinks so himself.”

“oaoaoaoaoh, pleaeaease stoaoaoaoap!” Theo whimpered, sniffing hard.

“I like cuddly lions,” Yendi mewed, “cuddly Theo, do you really want me to stop rubbing your pads?” Theo shook his head, his mane fluffing out as he did so:

“No Yendi, please, continue rubbing my pads,” Theo purred, burying his face in his paws.

“I love fluffy maned lions,” Tiggs purred.

“I feel I don’t deserve this mane really,” Theo mewed, lifting his head from his paws, “I think I’ll have it carefully cut off and give it to one who really deserves such a mantel.”

“Theo, your mane suits you magnificently,” Tiggs mewed.

“I don’t feel right in it sometimes,” Theo mewed, “it’s too grand for me!” he protested.

“You silly puss,” Tiggs mewed, kissing Theo’s nose while Yendi embraced his right paw.

“I’m not worthy of it,” Theo whimpered.

“You’re a lovely lion,” Tiggs purred.

“Do you think we could, um, please?” Tiggs asked softly, Theo’s eyes widening, Yendi giggling helplessly:

“Muuum wants more cuuuuubs!” she yelled.

“Noaoaoaow I don’t, well not until Theo’s amenable to it,” Tiggs protested, Yendi laughing so hard she fell off the ledge with a splash.

“you made me laugh so hard, I fell off the ledge and I’m all weyeyeyeyet knoaoaoaoaow!” Yendi yelled, hitting the water with her paws in an attempt to splash her mum. Unfortunately the water missed Tiggs completely, fountaining up into Theo’s face, the lion sniffing a good deal up his nose. Coughing and sneezing, Theo wiped his face with his paws.

“Yendi! You stupid moggie!” Theo gasped, almost choking on the water.

“Soaoaoaorry!” Yendi miaowed.

“I think her splash attack was meant for me,” Tiggs replied.

“I’m really sorry Theo, really I am!” Yendi mewed, climbing on the ledge then trying to hug the lion, Theo pushing her away with one huge paw as his eyes watered:

“Is everything all right here?” Philomena asked, padding over the bridge.

“No, Yendi nearly drowned meyeee!” Theo spluttered.

“I didn’t mean tooo!” Yendi protested.

“Are you all right Theo?” Philomena asked.

“I’m better now,” Theo replied, giving Yendi a dirty look.

“I’m sure Yendi didn’t mean to splash you Theo,” Philomena mewed.

“I meant to splash mum after she made me laugh so much I fell in the water,” Yendi whimpered.

“I think we should all calm down a bit,” Philomena mewed, sitting down on the edge of the pool, her feet in the water.

“Can I get paws on with your feet Philomena?” Patch asked.

“You can,” Philomena mewed, feeling her right foot scooped up in Patch’s small paws, the bear cub sitting in the water at right angles to her.

“I remember your touch,” Philomena mewed.

“I have only been miniaturised,” Patch replied, “thanks to others, I did not forget myself. You feel very young under this skin,” he said.

“I am,” Philomena replied, “I like you very much though Patch, always have,” she confessed.

“I remember stuck foot games,” Patch replied.

“I know them too, as do Ekaterina and Moses,” Philomena purred.

“My feet are very much like yours now, as shadow made them like hers,” Patch replied.

“Do your pads get all wrinkled like mine after your paws and feet have been in the water for a long time?” Philomena asked.

“why not find out for yourself,” Patch replied, leaning forward and kissing Philomena’s nose, “maybe then we can play the stuck foot game in the water too?” Patch suggested.

“I don’t know if our feet will stick as well,” Philomena said, “although I’m quite good at the game, I like the slight grip of warm pads.”

“hmm, true,” Patch replied, “well we can try it in the water, then dry our pads and play on the land if it doesn’t work.” Philomena felt her toes curling with pleasure at the thought of playing with Patch.

“I know we had our pads checked for thorns before we got here,” Philomena said, “but, Patch, please?”

“You would like me to check your pads for thorns again?” he asked.

“I would, and would you let me check yours for thorns too?” Philomena asked.

“I would,” Patch replied smiling.

“I know how good a pad rub from Patch’s paws is Philomena, you won’t be disappointed,” Theo mewed.

“I saw your pads and face during your encounter with cub Patch dear Theo, Your pads needed his touch and your face was eloquent of your need,” Philomena replied.

“I wish sometimes that cameras were never installed!” Theo groaned, “some things are private!” he roared.

“the healing of a broken lion is worth seeing,” Philomena replied.

“Was it that obvious,” Theo asked.

“It was,” Philomena replied, “dear Theo, we watched your disintegration, we know what Patch means to you.” Theo, the emotions he felt welling up inside him, turned his head away to hide his face.

“I’m sorry, so sorry,” he sniffled, his tears splashing into the water.

“Anyone can see you deeply love Patch,” Philomena said, slipping into the water so her right foot still remained in Patch’s grip until the last minute, Patch adjusting his hold so his paw ran down the sole of her left foot and off her curled toes, Patch letting go of her foot, the Felursapien wading across to the sobbing lion.

“When, when I found his body, I’ll never forget that!” Theo choked, coughing as tears threatened to choke him.

“Patch misjudged the speed of a car I believe,” Philomena replied.

“yes,” Theo sniffled, “it was a dark night, and he was a dark furred bear, and the car didn’t see him until, oh dear!” the lion wept.

“it’s all over now,” Patch said, wading over to Theo and touching the lion’s huge left foot with his small paw.

“You’ll wring me out again!” Theo sniffled.

“I’m here, I’m alive, I’m real,” Patch said softly.

“I know,” Theo replied, rubbing his face with dripping paws, “I’m sorry for crying like this Patch.”

“Maybe if you got paws on with Patch, it may help you Theo?” Philomena suggested.

“I think I need to, if that’s okay with you of course Patch,” Theo replied, looking very scared.

“I would like it very much,” Patch replied.

“My pads are all wrinkled too!” Theo mewed, looking down with shock at his paws which had very water wrinkled pads.

“The pads on both your feet look as wrinkled as if you’ve been constantly curling your toes for hours Theo,” Patch said.

“he has, from time to time,” Yendi mewed, for she’d got paws on with Theo’s feet from time to time throughout the goings on at the ledge pool.

“My paws and feet need to dry out I think,” Theo mewed, carefully withdrawing his feet from Tiggs and Yendi’s grip then heaving himself onto them, the act of walking on his paws and feet seeming distasteful to the huge lion.

“I need to leave this place,” Theo mewed, “Patch, are you following me out of here?”

“I’ll come,” Patch replied.

“I’ll leave you two to it then,” Philomena said.

“I’ll catch up with you later, I’m not forgetting our playtime Philomena,” Patch said. Philomena waded to the other side of the pool to where Titan stood in the shallows with all four huge feet in the water, little waves lapping round his paws.

“you look magnificent Titan,” Philomena said.

“I thank you,” Titan purred, Philomena looking up into his face.

“What have you been doing while here?” she asked.

“A bit of swimming with Zalika, I’ve been round the lazy river a bit too. I’ve not gone on the water coaster though, I won’t be doing that,” he replied firmly.

“I was told of how Patch rescued you from the raft,” Philomena replied.

“yes, and so was every other community member in the playayayayce!” Titan miaowed.

“I’m sorry, but I think it was rather cute,” Philomena said.

“No it wasn’t!” Titan whimpered.

“I’d love to be rescued by Patch,” Philomena said.

“Oh all right,” Titan grumbled, “that bit was nice, him checking my feet over after freeing me I mean.”

“I thought you liked it,” Philomena replied, Titan huffing in exasperation:

“Am I that transparent?” he asked, “the truth is, I’m meant to be leader of this place, but when my toes are trapped, I instantly go into cub mode and cry like I’m six weeks old and ten feet down a well!” he whimpered.

“Maybe we like you for that,” Philomena suggested.

“cuddly Tiggie Titan,” Apudo mewed, kissing his nose, Titan looking at her.

“You mean it don’t you,” he said.

“We do,” Apudo purred, “we all love you, trapped toes Tiggie, labouring liger, embarrassed leader, cub comforter Titan.” Titan looked down at his paws, thinking they were huge and clumsy.

“How can I comfort cubs with these huge paws?” he asked.

“You can, and do,” Apudo mewed, “now Titan, don’t say any more about it.”

“Trapped toes Tiggie, miaow miaow miaow,” Apudo mewed, counting the toes on Titan’s left paw beneath the water.

“There are only five toes on that paw, you need six,” Titan growled.

“the last miaow would be touching and tickling the pads on which you are now standing,” Apudo mewed.

“Oh go on then,” Titan replied, lifting his left paw from the water.

Let’s get you into deeper water,” Apudo mewed, “I don’t want you rolling over on the tiles Titan.”

“If you’re going to play with my paws and feet, let’s go to the playroom,” Titan mewed.

“There’s a small soft play area in the water here,” Apudo replied, “that way you can roll about and we can play with your wet paws too.”

“ah, you like wrinkled pads?” Titan asked.

“yes, they’re fun,” Apudo purred.

“All right,” Titan mewed, wading to the place Apudo indicated, a bridge between the main pool and lazy river. Titan felt his feet and paws gripping the non stick floor as he climbed the slope. Lying down on his right side, he felt his left paw taken in Apudo’s paws.

“This bridge is a public right of way, we can’t stay here!” Titan mewed.

“it’s large enough so someone can squeeze past,” Yendi mewed, padding up the slope behind Titan, lying down then taking his left foot in her paws, Titan curling his toes with pleasure at her grip.

“This is really nice,” Titan purred deeply.

“now you’re twapped toes Tiggie,” Zalika mewed, padding past her parent and over the bridge.

“I don’t mind being that, not when my feet are held in warm paws,” Titan purred.

“Go on, twy to fwee youw paws and feet, stwuggle with much miaowing and squiwming Titan,” Zalika urged, Titan looking round at her.

“I will look the fool!” he protested.

“you’s looking playful,” Zalika mewed.

“I bet the bears don’t get asked to do this,” Titan whimpered.

“Oh yes we do,” Goldie said, walking to the end of the bridge nearest Titan’s head, “we crawl away while the cubs hold our feet. We pretend we’re stuck.” Titan huffed, defeated.

“So I tug and miaow and growl as if trapped?” Titan asked.

“you were good at pretending to have a cub,” Goldie said, “Titan, remember that feeling and tug at your paws with as much commitment.”

“I’m worried that if I pretend my paws are stuck, they really will become that,” Titan whimpered.

“no they won’t,” Goldie replied smiling.

“Twy cuwling and stwetching youw toes a bit fiwst, then wiggle them toes while tugging at youw paws Titan,” Zalika mewed. Titan curled and stretched his toes, then tugged at his paw and trapped foot, wriggling, moaning, puffing and growling with his efforts to free his paw and foot from the warm embraces of four paws which were much smaller than his own. Panting, Titan rested a while, wondering what the cubs would do next, he didn’t have long to find out.

“Trapped toes Tiggie, fat pawed Tiggie, miaow miaow miaow!” Yendi and Apudo chanted, touching the pads of Titan’s left paw and foot, the liger miaowing and squirming with embarrassment.

“awww Titan, you’re so cuuuute!” Goldie giggled, Titan huffing at him.

“I don’t know why I agreed to thiyiyiyis!” he wailed.

“Because it’s fun,” Apudo mewed, “I know what you’re feeling Titan, and you’re loving every minute of this.”

“Oh all right,” Titan replied, “I am, I’ll admit it.” Goldie grinned hugely at this news, knelt and kissed the liger’s nose.

“Can I kiss your free paw too?” Goldie asked, Titan wriggling and extending his right paw, Goldie kissing the pads, making the liger smile.

“I muuuuust try and freeyeee these other Paaaaws!” Titan yowled suddenly, tugging at his trapped left paw and foot, wiggling each paw and tightly curling his toes with his efforts, “uuuuumf! My paaaaws aren’t coming freeyeee, they’re stuuuuuck!” he yowled theatrically, Apudo and Yendi kissing his now effort dampened pads.

“it weally is twapped paws tiggie now,” Titan panted, Zalika giggling delightedly.

“you’s been a good spowt Titan,” Zalika mewed, kissing the top of his free right foot.

“I’s supposes I ‘as,” he replied, feeling the grip of the four paws which had held tightly onto his lessening, then kisses placed on the dampened pads.

“You’s a big softy tiggie,” Apudo mewed. Titan kissed Apudo’s nose, then curled round and kissed Yendi’s.

“Can I get up now? Or would you like to trap my other two paws?” Titan asked.

“Oh, we’d love to hold your other paws, but we can’t really ask you to let us do that,” Apudo said.

“Oh, yes you can ask, and I will give you them too,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet then lifting his left foot, then feeling Yendi’s paws take it in their gentle grip.

“You have lovely pads tiggie Titan,” Yendi mewed, kissing the exposed pads of the liger’s huge foot which she held in her small paws.

“You’re too kind,” Titan purred.

“oaoaoaaoh, I forgot how big your feet are Titan!” Goldie exclaimed, having walked across the bridge and lain down to get a look at Titan’s pads from Yendi’s viewpoint. Titan gently shook his foot free of Yendi’s grip, turned carefully to face Goldie, then bowed his head and kissed the liger’s and bear’s noses.

“I never knew getting my toes trapped could feel so good,” Titan mewed.

“it can feel good when in play,” Goldie replied.

“how if we put Titan onto a raft, shove him into the lazy river, then send him down the slope so he can get the toes of his gorgeous paws and feet well jammed into the raft, then, well, we can rescue him,” Yendi suggested.

“What’s all this about rescuing Titan from a raft?” Tiggs asked.

“Ah mum, maybe you can get your toes trapped too?” Yendi mewed.

“naooooo I’m nooaoaoaot doing that!” Tiggs yowled, “I don’t like the idea of my paws and feet caught,” she whimpered.

“awhwhw pleaeaease muuum!” Yendi mewed.

“Only if Goldie gets his paws and feet caught too,” Yendi replied.

“Okay,” Goldie replied smiling.

“Twapped toes tiggie Tiggs?” Yendi asked.

“, Noaoaot that!” Tiggs yowled piteously.

“Twapped toes Tiggie Tiggs, to fwee ‘ur toes she franticly bids, yowling, tugging, ‘ur effowts big, poow twapped toes Tiggie Tiggs!” Zalika carolled.

“Zalika, naoaoaoaoao! Shuuuuuut uuuuuuup! Stoaoaoap her Tiyiyiyiytan!” Tiggs yowled, stamping her feet, while everyone else, including Titan, laughed helplessly.

“have you been getting tips from Nuru?” Goldie asked.

“Nuwu? Yeah, I’s spoken to ‘im, as ‘as Patch. We’s ‘aving ‘uge fun making up them songs.”

“We’s, I mean we’re doomed!” Tiggs miaowed.

“This is so fuuuun!” Apudo laughed.

“I don’t think it is!” Tiggs growled, still stamping her feet like a petulant cub.

“awww, Tiggs stamping her feeyeeet is soaoaoao cuuuute!” Goldie gushed, the ligress adding an angrily waving tail to her display as he spoke.

“You’re all horrible!” she yowled, dancing with rage.

“Dancing Tiggie, raging tiggie, miaow miaow miaow, who’s this dancing Tiggie, named Tiggs this tiggie, riaow riaow riaow!” Yendi carolled, Tiggs enraged leap carrying her clear over Yendi, the ligress landing in the main pool with a huge splash.

“Naooooo! Tiggs yowled, floundering in the water, Yendi and Zalika laughing so hard they leant on each other.

“I thinks we’d better get out of ‘ere Yendi,” Zalika said, guiding the blind cub to the exit.

“No, don’t goaoaoaoaoao, Yendi, Zalika, stoaoaoaoap!” Tiggs demanded, swimming and sloshing through the water then padding quickly over the tiles, “I won’t hit you, I won’t do anything,” the ligress pleaded, “I know to make up songs is cub humour. I forget this sometimes!”

“We’s not meaning you ‘arm Tiggs,” Zalika replied.

“Tiggs and Theo cuwled up togethew would be so lovely wouldn’t it Yendi?” Zalika asked.

“It would,” Yendi replied.

“Do you think he’d like that?” Tiggs asked, “I’m sure Bianca would have something to say about it too, she is his mate after all.”

“I thinks ‘e’s a fwee lion weally,” Zalika replied, “aftew all, ‘e’s my siwe ain’t ‘e?”

“yeah, suppose,” Tiggs mewed.

“now Zalika, would you come with me to ride on the rafts around the lazy river?” Yendi asked.

“I will,” Zalika replied.

“yayayayaay! We’s going to wide awound the lazy wiver on a waft muuum!” Yendi yelled, Zalika playfully cuffing her.

“Did you ask me if I wanted to go just so you could say that to youw mum?” she asked.

“yeah, pawtly that,” Yendi mewed, kissing Zalika’s nose, pushing her over onto her back then kissing her paws, “plus you’s weally lovely too,” Yendi replied, Zalika hugging her tightly.

“Let’s wide the wiver on a waft then,” Zalika mewed.

“Fiwst, can I check youw pads fow thowns just in case you’s getting youw toes twapped and I ‘as to fwee you?” Yendi asked. Zalika hugged her tighter:

“All wight,” she replied, “but makes the pad check fun. I wants to be told to cuwl and stwetch my toes.”

“but if your paws and feet are relaxed, I can check them more easily,” Yendi mewed.

“I wants to cuwl and stwetch my toes while you wubs my pads, okay?” Zalika said, “Yendi, my paws and feet awe youws to command, okay?”

“All right, and thanks,” Yendi replied.

“You two have simple pleasures don’t you,” Tiggs mewed.

“yeah, maybe you wants to twy it a bit, ask if anothuh big cat would rub youw pads,” Zalika suggested.

“I might,” Tiggs replied, “though a pad rub from a bear would be very welcome too.”

“All it ‘as to be is loving to wowk,” Zalika said, “I know Yendi’s will be.”

“the last time I had a deep pad rub was when I was pretending to give birth to Jespah’s cub,” Yendi replied, “I imagined the cub got stuck, and I got up on all four paws at one point, squatting then wriggling and bouncing while stamping my feet as I pushed.”

“Did the cub come out all wight?” Zalika asked.

“yes, but it was a stwuggle from paws to tail tip,” Yendi mewed, “I stwained and cuwled my toes a good bit Zalika.”

“I bet you did,” Zalika mewed, dabbing Yendi’s nose with her well-padded left paw.

“it went on for some time,” Yendi said, “I must have kept things going for a good four hours.”

“Titan showed me what ‘e did duwing my biwth,” Zalika said, “’e kept the stwuggle up fow ages.”

“I think he must have made some of it up, as he didn’t realise you were ready to be born until you came into the world,” the little taligress replied.

“well some was made up,” Zalika said, “but ‘e really cuwled ‘is toes, moaned and gwoaned, pushed ‘is feet against my paws and miaowed lustily, panting between effowts.”

“I wish I could have felt the stirrings of your birth Yendi,” Tiggs mewed, “the truth was, I was so drugged, it was only at the latter stages did I feel it. your head was nearly out then. I think it was one push before the one that had me yowling to ease your paws and head out that I felt the labour. Apudo caught you on your way out.”

“So I hear,” Yendi purred.

“How long should I leave between pushes Zalika?” Yendi asked.

“A good thiwty seconds, but that can be full of miaowing and wriggling, pawing the floow and making lots of noise,” Zalika replied.

“The struggle to give birth is exciting and terrifying too,” Tiggs said.

“When I pretend, I push my feet against my paws, or brace my feet against something while pushing,” Goldie said.

“so it’s all right to push against a birthing attendant too?” Yendi asked.

“Oh yes, bracing your foot into the paws of an attendant is fine if you feel them rubbing your pads and you want to push,” Goldie replied, “it’s part of what the attendant has to watch out for, Nanuq was telling me all about it.”

“I’ll bet it’s really hard work,” Tiggs replied.

“it is,” Goldie said, “but, well, it feels wonderful too, pushing against a squashy brick with your feet, or holding your foot in your paws and pushing against your paws with that foot, feeling your toes curling with genuine efforts, as well as moaning and panting, yowling and grunting through your efforts to give birth to your cub. I tried it with Nanuq’s help.”

“It does become real then,” Tiggs replied.

“Well sort of,” Goldie replied, “no cub at the end of course, but apart from that, yes.”

“There was once a cub born of a re-enactment, or so the history says,” Apudo mewed, “Elsa and Pipin were playing at delivering a cub, and Elsa’s panting and deep breathing caused her real cub to be born. They’d mated some time ago, and both had forgotten about it. hmm, that caused an incident if I remember rightly.”

Yes it did,” Titan mewed, padding up to them, “oh, and, there’s something else too,” he said, “You know I felt fear during your rebirth Apudo, and that others feel fear too?”

“yes,” Apudo mewed.

“Well, there’s a reason for that,” Titan replied, “Patch thought there was no risk to the one rebirthing, or the cub being reborn, but, um, there is. If the rebirther doesn’t push with commitment at any stage, and loses all faith and hope,,,”

“The cub would be sent back across the bridge,” Apudo mewed, cutting him off.

“yes,” Titan replied, his eyes full of memories, “no wonder I felt gut wrenching fear of danger, for there was very real danger, despite Patch’s reassurances. I’m sure he was speaking truthfully using the latest information he knew, but, well, while I was lying on the bridge having my paws and feet trapped by cubs, I knew then, I knew what the truth is!”

“they always said follow your paws,” Apudo mewed.

“yes, but, well,” Titan mewed, shifting his own paws and feet uncomfortably.

“The fear of not being able to push strongly enough for as long as you need to is very real and very potent,” Apudo mewed, “I remember rebirthing Theo, and though I accepted it completely, the challenge terrified me as if I was a cub venturing out of the den for the first time.”

“I will not accuse Patch of telling untruths,” Titan mewed, “for he gave birth to Sita in very strange circumstances, and while he was very spiritual, he had never rebirthed anyone. Books are all well and good, but feel it for yourself, you will remember the fear of not being able to push hard or long enough to rebirth a cub.”

“I wish my memory of Yendi’s birth wasn’t so hazy,” Tiggs mewed.

“You were drugged, and most of it was beneath a quilt,” Apudo mewed, “noone saw a thing apart from maybe your face and paws, you didn’t curl round to grab Yendi or do anything like that.”

“I felt the pains, but couldn’t really move,” Tiggs confessed.

“You curled your toes tightly enough though,” Apudo purred.

“I’m glad I did that,” Tiggs replied.

“Tiggs curling round and screaming into your face while pushing while you were both under the quilt would have been intolerable,” Goldie said.

“It would have been loud, that’s for sure,” Apudo mewed.

“I’m glad I didn’t do that,” Tiggs said.

“I’m sure Patch will be educated by Theo,” Apudo mewed.

“I’m sure he will be,” Titan replied, padding to Apudo then kissing her nose.

“Why do we re-enact such a dangerous time as birth with such regularity if it is as dangerous as all that?” Apudo asked.

“Because it is amazing and cubs need to know how they got here,” Titan mewed, “plus it is an amazing time. Scared out of my fur I might have been Apudo, but I wouldn’t have missed yours or Zalika’s births for the world.” Apudo kissed his nose, Zalika leaping to her feet then racing over the tiles to Titan, the huge liger kissing her nose.

“I love you both,” Titan purred, Apudo and Zalika resting their heads against his.

“”I wonder what’s happening with Patch and Theo?” Apudo asked.

“I can feel huge contentment in that quarter,” Titan mewed, “Patch understands more than he did at the beginning of the day, and Theo is more contented too. The lion now knows Patch is real and they have joined paws.”

“How about you though Titan? Are you not a student of the correct path?” Tiggs asked.

“I am not worthy of that,” Titan mewed.

“Titan, you have tried at least twice to rebirth cubs,” Apudo mewed, “that is the greatest thing a student of Eohippus can do.”

“Why wouldn’t Theo be able to help a cub if he wanted?” Tiggs asked.

“Oh he could, but the sight of Bianca’s and your struggles terrifies him. He is terrified of the danger and turns from it, rather than accepting it and pushing through,” Apudo mewed.

“Do you think he may turn from it because of his own rebirth?” Titan asked, “you forget he is reborn too Apudo.”

“I couldn’t actually rebirth a cub,” Apudo mewed, “going down that tunnel in the full knowledge of my own vulnerability was enough. I’m too afraid to do it for a cub of my own now. I haven’t the strength to do it for others, and neither, do I think, has Theo. Patch though, he has that strength.”

“I know he has,” Titan mewed.

“You Titan, you too have the spiritual strength to rebirth lost creatures,” Apudo mewed, “I though, do not have that strength now.”

“You were brave enough to throw yourself into my paws and ask for help,” Titan mewed, kissing Apudo’s nose and rubbing his head against hers, “that shows huge courage.”

“Your effort and belief took more courage than my asking ever did,” Apudo mewed.

“So though Apoodo was alive duwing ‘ur webiwth, Titan’s miniaturisation of ‘ur body and ‘ur stwuggles to place ‘erself in the place so ‘e could webiwth ‘ur wewe dangewous to both ‘im and ‘er?” Zalika asked. “Yes,” Titan mewed, “I lay down throughout the time Apudo spent placing herself, but, well, I felt everything. I had to make extreme effort not to push her out, as the physical need to push triggered by her struggles to place herself in that place was very strong.”

“despite that, you had to push with real strength to get me down the tunnel again,” Apudo mewed.

“I did,” Titan mewed, “the first couple of pushes were extremely hard work, until you found the trigger to cause me actual labour, then the automatic need to push like a tigress took over, and I pushed because I knew I had to push.”

“I remember every second in the tunnel,” Apudo mewed.

“I think all rebirthed creatures do,” Theo mewed, touching Apudo’s ear with his warm wet nose.

“We both,” the lion mewed, seeing the look on Apudo’s face as she turned to him, “Apudo, we both remember.”

“We do,” she replied.

“Patch remembers it too,” Shadow said, padding up to Theo, “Titan, I now know why I felt differently during my labour giving rebirth to Patch.”

“I know,” Titan mewed, looking at Shadow with deep compassion, “the sensations you felt while pushing Patch’s body in his living skin into the world rubbed off on you and made you more than animatronic.” Shadow nodded.

“Where is Patch now?” Titan asked.

“I’m here,” a voice said into his left ear, Titan screaming with surprise and rearing like a horse.

“Don’t doooo that!” Titan begged, his paws thumping down on the floor, “and how on earth did you climb onto my back without me knowing?” he asked.

“Oh, paw over paw up your tail, then along your back,” Patch replied, “dear Titan, you were so absorbed in your discussion and I have little weight and very soft paws and feet, you hardly noticed.”

“how long have you been here?” Titan enquired.

“I got here while you were talking to Apudo and Zalika about loving them, I heard about you pushing Apudo down the tunnel,” Patch said, “noone took any notice of me, a soft padded cub.”

“Look, I’m sorry for rearing,” Titan mewed.

“I kept my seat,” Patch replied, shuffling onto his belly on Titan’s back and sliding off as if the liger was the horse he’d so very nearly imitated to perfection, “You had eyes only for Apudo and Zalika,” the grey cub continued, “Titan, your focus was on your cubs so you saw neither Theo or myself.”

“I must be more observant from now on,” Titan mewed.

“if you were any more observant you’d have eyes in your tail!” Tiggs mewed.

“I sees youw feet as you slid off Titan Patch, them’s weally cuuuute,” Zalika mewed.

“I’m not surprised you saw them,” Patch said, dropping to all four paws, “they’re white padded I believe.”

“Them is,” Zalika mewed, “plus you were kicking the air a bit just before you slid down off Titan’s back.” Patch grinned, hugging Zalika, the strong big cat cub pushing him onto his bottom then throwing herself down in front of his feet, tickling the sole pad of his left foot with her whiskers while hugging his right in both paws, Patch giggling and curling his toes with pleasure.

“You have vewy cute feet Patch,” Zalika said, Patch leaning forward, ruffling the fur on the top of Zalika’s head with his paws then smoothing her ears, the liliger purring deeply, kissing the tops of the curled toes of his right foot, Patch relaxing his toes, Zalika kissing their pads.

“You soppy moggie,” Patch said softly, squealing with surprise as Zalika playfully slapped him with her paw.

“now ‘cos you’s meaning that in play, I’s not weally angwy,” she said.

“You have the most gorgeous soft pads Zalika,” Patch said, Zalika smiling broadly.

“Well I’s a liger of sorts ain’t I, and them’s meant to have the softest paws of any big cats, lions included.”

“yes they are,” Theo mewed.

“Why does Patch ‘ave weally soft pads now Theo?” Zalika asked.

“Well ‘e’s, I mean he’s, a cub,” Theo mewed, “cubs have soft pads Zalika, even you do. If you don’t go outside much, you will remain with soft pads.”

“Patch ‘as toes that awe like Moses and Ekatewina’s, ‘is big toes on the inside of ‘is foot, the little ones on the outside,” Zalika observed.

“yes he does,” Shadow replied, “he also has opposable thumbs too. I think he’s vewy cuuuute, and you’s cuuuute too.” Zalika miaowed at Shadow, the animatronic bear laughing merrily.

“You doesn’t speak like meyeee! Stoaoaoap iyiyiyiyiyt!” Zalika yowled, Shadow crawling to her, then turning at the last minute and backing up, showing Zalika the soles of her feet first, Zalika looking very embarrassed.

“You doesn’t ‘ave to show that ‘umility to me, I’s the leader’s cub, but I’s no cwown pwincess Shadow,” she said. Shadow wiggled her toes, Zalika pouncing on them with a despairing miaow of:

“You knows ‘ow to pwess my feline buttons doesn’t you!” as she grabbed the wiggling toes of Shadow’s right foot in her paws, the she bear laughing helplessly.

“That’s weally cuuuute, fow all youw ‘igh bown words, you’s still a tiggie cub Zalika,” Titan said, Zalika smiling broadly as she rubbed the sole of Shadow’s right foot from heel to toes, the animatronic bear humming and tightly curling her toes with deep ursine pleasure.

“But Zalika!” Patch whimpered, “my feeyeeet neyeeed that tooo!” The grey bear cub crawling away in a theatrical rage, thrust at the tiles with his paws and knees, making his backside wiggle with the intensity of his crawling. Suddenly he felt two huge paws gently but firmly pinning his feet to the floor, stopping his crawling, then a gentle kiss placed between his ears.

“I couldn’t resist your wiggling toes,” a voice said in a deep purr, Patch feeling warmth radiating from the soles of his feet to his ears, the sensation making him smile.

“Can I turn round?” he asked. The reply coming in the form of the well-padded pressure on his feet lessening, Patch turning onto his back, then sitting up, his eyes full of the face of a huge prone lion.

“I love you so much Patch,” Theo mewed, embracing the bear’s right foot in his paws.

“You have the most gorgeous paws,” Patch said, pressing Theo’s left paw against the sole of his right foot with the fingers of both his small paws.

“I give them and myself to you Patch,” Theo mewed, kissing the bear cub’s nose.

“and I give my paws and feet to you too Theo,” Patch replied.

“Oh, I forgot about my feet,” Theo mewed, “they’re yours too, here,” he curled up tightly so his feet were as close to his paws as he could get them, “there, I take it your paws are free? feel free to take my huge feet in your small paws and hug them if you like.” Patch smiled broadly at this and hugged the lion’s right foot in his paws, Theo embracing Patch’s right foot, the big cat curling his toes as tightly as Patch’s own toes were curling.

“I love your paws Theo,” Patch said, “dear lion, come to my lie up and get a pad rub whenever you like.” Theo, smiling broadly, kissed Patch’s nose and the small ursine paws rubbing his right foot.

“I wish Titan would come and rub our paws and feet more often,” Theo mewed.

“I think he feels he doesn’t have the right to ask,” Patch replied.

“but he does!” Theo mewed, “and we would let him too. there are no cubs or adults here who wouldn’t gladly give up their paws and feet to him to rub.”

“He’s not a demanding leader,” Patch replied.

“I wish he’d pin me down and rub my pads!” Theo miaowed in exasperation.

“for ages I wouldn’t let him carry me on his back, though Titan begged me to use him as transport, I felt Titan was too far above that. Now though, now I feel it is fine. I’ve had a change of mind.”

“Titan knows his limitations,” Theo mewed.

“It wasn’t his strength I was doubting,” Patch replied, “I felt uncomfortable riding a liger, I considered using Titan as transport was putting him beneath me, and therefore was the wrong thing to do.”

“Now he is larger than you, it is okay for him to carry you?” Theo asked.

“Well, now he can tip me off if he doesn’t want me on board,” Patch replied.

“Titan always wanted to carry you on his back, even when you weighed much more than you do now,” Theo mewed.

“I didn’t want to subjugate him,” Patch replied.

“You weren’t in danger of doing that,” Titan mewed, padding up behind Patch then gently resting his massive left paw on the bear’s head. Patch smiled broadly as the warmth from the contact with Titan’s paw soothed his body, Patch grinning delightedly, tipping his head back and kissing the pads of Titan’s paw, the huge liger smiling broadly.

“Did you and Theo find each other Patch?” Titan asked.

“We did,” Theo mewed, “Titan, I think, think I now know Patch is here forever. The memory of the sight and feel of his broken body is fading.”

“You touched his body on the road?” Titan asked.

“I did Titan,” Theo mewed, “I, I couldn’t believe my eyes, so I touched his broken body. It, it, it, hurt my paws and my mind Titan.”

“I’m sorry I asked,” Titan replied gravely.

“My disintegration was so complete because my paws constantly hurt my mind,” Theo mewed, “I needed to clean my paws of the feel of Patch’s old body, and could not wash them myself, so, well, Patch washed them.”

“I think it is time for us all to get more paws on with each other,” the liger mewed, “I give my paws and feet to you all. All that I ask is you allow me time enough to eat, to carry out my bodily business and to sleep properly. If these conditions are met, I give you my paws and feet for the remainder of the time I am on this earth.”

“You are truly a snuggly Tiggie,” Tiggs said, padding up to Titan, then standing on tiptoe, then craning her neck to kiss his nose.

“Allow me,” Titan mewed, watching Tiggs stumble and hearing her distressed mewing as she lost her balance, Titan bowing his head, Tiggs gripping the floor with the toes of all four paws to steady herself before kissing his nose.

“You’re just a little too tall for me to kiss your nose with all my four paws on the floor,” Tiggs mewed.

“I saw that,” Titan replied softly.

“I wanted to stretch up to you though,” Tiggs mewed, “could you not stick my paws and feet to the floor so I could stretch?” Titan kissed her nose and rubbed her cheek with his.

“powerful though I am said to be, that is one thing I cannot do,” Titan mewed.

“that was lovely Tiggs, you looked just like a cub stretching to kiss her parent,” Theo said. Tiggs spun round, her face full of shock and shame.

“I didn’t!” she yowled, but her eyes told Theo the truth.

“You lost your family when you were very young,” Theo mewed.

“I, oh god!” Tiggs whimpered.

“your mama was a tigress who tried to introduce her ligress cub to the pride, the two of you driven away in the safari park,” Theo mewed.

“The Safari park, the same one from which Nuru came,” Titan said.

“I was thrown over the fence by my mum, she threw me over and told me to run,” Tiggs mewed, “I lived like a stray for years, I’m only young, three at the most I think, I don’t know! I ran as my mama commanded but, but not before, not before I saw my mama killed by the pride male, who sniffed me, realised his son had sired me, then chased and killed my mama because he couldn’t get hold of me. the pride male then reared up, put his paws up against the fence and roared abuse at me, trying to reach me by putting his paws through the bars. I hoped he’d get his paw stuck, but no such luck. I ran from that place and scavenged from bins in the town. I grew larger and larger, then found the woodland and killed rabbits and the odd fox for food. It was soon after that I found Tommy and we got chatting, then mating, and you know the rest.”

“So the pride male who killed your mama was the one who took over after Nuru left,” Theo mewed.

“yes,” Tiggs replied, “my mum told me that story.”

“I’m very sorry for the death of your mama,” Titan mewed.

“Thanks,” Tiggs replied, looking ashamedly down at her paws.

“it wasn’t your fault she died,” Titan mewed, kissing Tiggs cheek.

“All she wanted was peace between the tigers and lions,” Tiggs mewed, “she thought by letting a lion mate with her she’d achieve that.”

“it’s a bit of a drastic measure,” Theo mewed.

“You have inter species peace here, and I love that,” Tiggs replied, “when I found this place, saw the lions and tigers living together, the unforced cooperation, the intermarriage, the gentility, I wanted so much of that.”

“You are welcome to curl up with me if you’d like Tiggs,” Titan mewed.

“I mustn’t, I’m a grown ligress!” Tiggs whimpered.

“Who says you mustn’t,” Titan mewed.

“it’s not right, you have two cubs of your own, you can’t very well cope with a third!” Tiggs replied, looking up into Titan’s face, her own full of despair.

“come to me, if you feel the need,” Titan mewed.

“I can’t!” Tiggs whimpered.

“Don’t deny your leonine side,” Theo mewed.

“but, but, I’ve got no pride!” Tiggs miaowed.

“of course you have mum, you have the pride I have,” Yendi said, “it’s the whole community, each bear, each lion, tiger, liger, liliger, taliger, all of them. if you want to know what it is to be hugged by Titan, let him cuddle you tight. Is it not said by the cubs that Titan embodies the whole community in himself? Apudo believed it, according to the history lesson from the droning badger yesterday.

“I used his example as a signpost to other community members,” Apudo confirmed, Titan looking very embarrassed.

“I’m not perfect Apudo!” He protested.

“You haven’t put a paw wrong so far Titan,” Theo mewed.

“I just plod through life on my huge paws and that’s all there is to it,” Titan purred.

“I love you Titan,” Theo said, padding to Titan then kissing his nose.

“I love you too Theo,” Titan mewed softly.

“what would happen if Theo and Titan mated?” Yendi asked Tiggs.

“Zalika is the result of their mating,” Tiggs replied, Yendi yelping with surprise.

“ooaaoah, so my paws weren’t wrong!” Yendi mewed.

“No,” Titan mewed, overhearing everything.

“I don’t think I’ve been told who Zalika’s parents were,” Yendi blurted.

“You didn’t really need to know,” Tiggs replied.

“No wonder the pads of Zalika’s paws and feet are so soft!” Yendi exclaimed, “she’s Three parts lion one part tiggie!”

“youw two thiwds tiggie and one pawt lion youwself Yendi,” Zalika mewed, padding up to Yendi, kissing her nose, then pinning Yendi’s paw under hers, Yendi feeling a huge cubbish paw land on her right one.

“I would love a set of paws like yours Zalika,” Yendi mewed.

“unfowtunately I can’t take my paws and feet off like them’s socks Yendi!” Zalika giggled, “but to feel how othuhs expewience the gwound under theiw feet would be intewesting though.”

“Youw twick of speech is so cuuuute!” Yendi mewed, Zalika gently cuffing her.

“You’s a weal pwoper pest you is Yendi!” Zalika miaowed, Yendi hugging her tightly.

“I’s sowwy,” Yendi mewed, Zalika kissing her nose.

“I’m going for a swim,” Patch said, getting to his feet. Theo watched anxiously as the cub jumped into the water, swam across the pool, then pulled himself out.

“Patch is so strong!” Theo mewed.

“he is,” shadow replied.

“I think I’ll join him,” Titan mewed, running to the side of the pool, leaping into the air, summersaulting, then diving perfectly into the pool.

“where on earth did he learn that?” Apudo asked, watching Titan swimming powerfully across the pool, his whole body beneath the water. His head emerging, Titan looked back at her astonished face, waved one large paw, returning to the side Apudo stood on, then got out of the pool. shaking himself, Titan sprayed water all over Apudo.

“Tiyiyiyiytan! Naoaoaoaow!” Apudo wailed, water dripping from her nose.

“I’m sorry,” Titan mewed, “I didn’t realise there was so much water in my fur!”

“I’m All weyeyeyeyet!” Apudo miaowed. Titan smiled, pushed Apudo onto her side and began grooming the water from her fur.

“get off!” Apudo demanded.

“I got you wet, so I must dry you but can’t use a towel,” Titan mewed.

“I’m too old for this!” Apudo protested.

“Noone’s too old to be groomed,” Titan mewed, gently swiping a drop of water from Apudo’s nose with his tongue.

“Stoaoaoap iyiyiyt!” Apudo miaowed, wriggling madly, kicking Titan on the nose, then leaping to her feet and running away.

“bye Apudo,” Titan mewed unhappily.

“she’s ungrateful,” Yendi mewed.

“Apudo’s big and soft really,” Theo mewed, “I’ll go to her.” he turned in a swirl of mane and trotted away.

“Theo’s so cute,” Titan mewed.

“I know you love him,” Tiggs mewed.

“he is very sweet, and I have loved him for longer than I have told many here,” Titan mewed.

“I think Theo never stopped loving you,” Tiggs mewed.

“he’s a male lion, what do you expect?” Bianca asked.

“He’s very cute,” Titan mewed.

“if Theo wants to mate with you, I cannot stop him,” Bianca replied.

“I loved seeing Zalika born,” Jespah said.

“Then I sees Sasha bown too, that was bwilliant,” Zalika mewed.

“I was pwevented fwom seeing that!” Jespah miaowed, Zalika racing over to Jespah then smacking him with her paw.

“Because you wanted to get paws on Jespah, that’s why,” Bianca mewed, “Sasha was stuck, and Patch had to pull while I pushed.”

“I saw evewything and felt youw toes cuwling and pads sweating mama Bianca,” Zalika mewed, gently pinning Jespah under her paws, the male lion cub yowling and kicking.

“please release my cub Zalika,” Bianca growled.

“All wight, but if ‘e mocks me again, I’s putting ‘im back undew the paw.” Zalika mewed, releasing Jespah, who leapt upon her, beating her with his paws, Zalika throwing him off then pummelling him in return, leaving Jespah yowling with indignation.

“I showed Apuwdo what ‘appens if anyone gets physical with meyeee!” Zalika miaowed, “I won’t ‘esitate to shows you too Jespah!” she yowled.

“But you held him down!” Bianca replied.

“Yeah, gently it was, does you know what ‘e’s doing to me ‘ere? Bet you doesn’t! wants me to show you Bianca?” Zalika asked.

“no,” Bianca replied, looking at Titan, who nodded.

“You awe so dam silly Jespah!” Zalika miaowed, “I ‘asn’t ‘uwt you as I?”

“No,” Jespah replied, “you were gentle, even when rolling me under your paws.”

“But you beat meyeee with youws!” Zalika yowled.

“I did,” Jespah admitted ashamedly.

“Leave it now Zalika,” Titan mewed.

“But ‘e misused ‘is paaaaws!” Zalika yowled.

“Misused his paws?” Bianca asked, “How do you do that?”

“used them for pre meditated violence I think,” Titan mewed.

“Zalika pinning him down wasn’t?” Bianca asked.

“she couldn’t really stop him running his mouth by putting her paw over it,” Titan mewed.

“I wouldn’t bite her paw!” Jespah miaowed.

“The idea of sullying one’s paws through violent acts is an interesting one,” Titan mewed.

“I know how dirty paws can ruin one’s outlook,” Theo replied, padding back to the group.

“Dirty paaaaws?” Bianca asked, lashing the air with her tail, “Thiyiyiyis iyiyiys mayayayaydness Theo!” she yowled, stamping her feet.

“It’s not,” Patch replied, “Bianca, if you had done or felt something so awful with your paws it damaged your spirit, would you be saying this?”

“oh, um, ah, put like that, no,” Bianca replied.

“you don’t know what I felt,” Theo mewed.

“It’s all over now,” Patch said, padding up to Theo, rearing onto his feet then kissing the lion’s nose.

“if Titan’s unable to carry you, I’d like to be extra transport for you Patch,” Theo mewed.

“My paws and feet wouldn’t ever touch the floor if you cats had your way,” Patch giggled.

“if they didn’t, we could rub them more often,” Theo mewed.

“I know you love me and my paws,” Patch said, hugging Theo.

“We do,” Titan mewed. Patch left for the slides, took the raft chute down to the pool, then paddled the raft to the lazy river and rode round in the raft, Titan watching him anxiously.

“What’s the matter Titan?” Tiggs asked.

“Oh, those chutes and the water coaster scare me a lot,” Titan mewed, relaxing the toes of all four paws which he’d involuntarily

Curled into the tiles. Patch beached his raft and climbed out, padding over the tiles towards Titan’s massive form.

“I have space in the front of my raft for a tiggie,” Patch said, grinning at Titan, the liger looking down at his paws, then lying down, curling into a tight ball then hiding his head, as if this would make him invisible to the bear cub.

“come on silly Tiggie,” Patch said, tugging at Titan’s tail as if it was a rope attached to a bell. Titan miaowed with frustration, waving a weary paw.

“I would rather not,” the liger mewed.

“Not even wound the lazy wiver?” Zalika asked.

“No,” Titan whimpered, “that river can go to the water coaster with a press of a button. The cubs can even decide where they want to go now.”

“yes they can,” mama Karina said, padding in from the pool complex control room, “we can give them remote controls which link to each raft and the computers can guide one raft twice round the lazy river, then up to the slide into the main pool and round again. The rafts have little battery operated thrusters in them too now.”

“That’s very cool!” Patch said, looking at his raft. At the back he found a flap, beneath which was a switch which he pressed.

“it’ll only go one speed,” karina mewed, “you direct it by using the rudder in there.” Patch found the rudder and powered away from the side.

“So the cubs can drive these rafts, or the computers can control them?” Theo asked.

“Yes,” karina mewed, “of course, we can shut down all rafts and everything from the control room here or the main one in the house if anything goes wrong.”

“Blackberry thinks of everything,” Shadow said.

“he has a very fertile mind,” karina mewed, “how do you think he managed to create life, though he didn’t realise it?”

“Indeed,” Shadow replied, rolling onto her back, stretching her paws and yawning, “he’s very good.”

“Are you tired?” karina asked, glancing at the display on her wrist which showed shadow’s batteries at three quarters charged.

“I’ve been awake for hours,” Shadow replied, “I know my batteries are hardly used, but, well, my mind says sleep. It has been doing that quite a bit since I’ve been of spirit.”

“No wonder Shadow’s sleeping a lot if she’s taken Titan’s spirit on board,” Patch said, stopping his raft, “the cat sleeps for twenty hours a day, or so it is said.”

“Right, I’m off to my bed,” shadow said, getting to her feet.

“Poow shadow,” Zalika mewed, watching the she bear pad away.

“I didn’t think I’d given her a liking for her bed too, oh dear!” Titan whimpered, getting to his feet then shaking himself.

“You can’t help it,” Patch said from his place kneeling in his raft by the two controls he had, one switch and a rudder, “I wish I had more controls on this boat,” he lamented.

“The rafts are set at a speed which is fast enough to get somewhere but not fast enough to cause injury,” karina mewed.

“You even put lasers on the front so they wouldn’t crash into the sides or other people,” Goldie said.

“True,” Karina mewed, “they have indoor navigation in them too so they can be guided wirelessly.”

“good,” Patch replied. Goldie padded to the side of the lazy river where he stopped, looking into the boat. Smiling, he saw Patch kneeling at the stern, facing forwards, the toes of his small bare soled feet tucked into straps, the bough shown to him by a camera on the front of the raft.

“I will ride with you, even if Titan won’t,” the huge brown bear said, backing up to the raft, smiling as he felt Patch’s small paws cradling his large feet as the small bear guided them into the bottom of the raft.

“Goldie doesn’t need you to guide his feet Patch, paws off!” karina mewed, Goldie smiling broadly.

“I like it,” he said, wiggling the toes of his left foot, which Patch held in his small grip. Patch guided Goldie’s toes onto the baffles on the bottom of the raft, pressing them to the rubber, then releasing his hold on the bear’s foot, Goldie glancing behind him, watching until Patch had scooted backwards on his backside to his place in the stern of the boat. Sitting down in the driving place and settling his toes in their loops, Patch pulled the switch, which in reality was more of a lever down and guided the boat away from the side, Patch had an automatic drive mode, but preferred to use manual drive. Goldie, lolling back in his part of the raft, watched Patch driving.

“Where would you like to go?” Patch asked, “I can go anywhere I want.” Goldie smiled and replied:

“the water coaster?”

“okay,” Patch said, the raft heading to the lock, the door opening, Goldie and Patch riding the raft in the lock and exiting onto the downwards chute to the top of the water coaster, where Titan had been washed down the tube all that time ago.

“Okay, let’s ride!” Goldie said, Patch laughing as Goldie bounced about in the bottom of the raft, clapping his paws like the world’s biggest cub.

“You silly thing, stop bouncing!” Patch said, Goldie turning to him and sticking out his tongue.

“Awww Goldie,” Patch said, leaning forward and tongue touching with Goldie.

“I meant to be rude!” Goldie replied, “I forgot extending one’s tongue is an ursine signal of friendship too.” Patch smiled and kissed Goldie’s nose, the huge brown bear leaning forward, resting his weight on his paws to enable Patch to do so.

“Now you big cub, sit properly while we ride the coaster,” Patch said, Goldie feeling the front of the raft rise as they rode the slope to the top of the coaster. Goldie, digging his fingers and toes into the baffles on the sides and bottom of the raft, turned carefully and sat down properly in the front. Patch watched the front of the raft through glasses which he wore, the camera in the front of the raft showing him where it was going. Patch turned the camera on Goldie, watching his face and paws as the bear played with the toes of his right foot, having crossed his right leg over his left. Patch, seeing Goldie’s antics, smiled broadly, Goldie seeing the camera after a minute or two. Squealing, the huge brown bear flung his foot away as if it was red hot, clasping the camera in his paws, the pads of one paw blocking the lens, Patch laughing merrily.

“you sneaky spy!” Goldie yelled, Patch laughing helplessly.

“seeing you playing with your toes was so cute Goldie,” Patch said.

“I thought I could get away with it! I thought noone would see!” Goldie yelped.

“I saw, and it was very cute,” Patch giggled, Goldie huffing as the boat got to the first chute downwards.

“I would love someone to dig my toes free of one of these rafts,” Goldie mused, making Patch laugh even more.

“You silly!” he said, crawling to where Goldie now knelt in the bottom of the raft. Patch, tracing the sole of Goldie’s huge left foot with his fingers, watched his toes curling tightly.

“These baffles support me really well,” Goldie said, “I could kneel here forever.” Patch leant his paws against the broad sole pads of Goldie’s feet as they rode the chute down to the second pool, Goldie bracing his paws against the front of the raft, pushing back a little with his feet against the slight pressure from Patch’s paws. Patch, watching Goldie’s face through the lenses of the camera, smiled at the look of pure pleasure on the larger bear’s face.

“You’re just a big softy under all that fur,” Patch said, blowing on the heel of Goldie’s right foot, the huge bear squealing with laughter and bouncing, making the raft tip a little.

“wooooah, I don’t want to be dumped overboard!” Patch laughed, Goldie curling his toes:

“that’s what happens when you Tiyiyiyiyckle meyeee!” Goldie squealed.

“I’ll stop now then,” Patch said, Goldie sitting properly in the raft, Patch smiling as he watched the huge bear immediately grab his right foot in his paws and rub the tickle from the sole pad.

“I can see you rubbing your pads Goldie,” Patch teased, Goldie grinning hugely.

“I should turn round and let you do that, as it was you who caused the tickle in them,” he said. By this time the raft had entered the lazy river, Patch turning on the jets, which he’d turned off when they’d begun the ride on the coaster. Patch turned the raft towards the bridge out of the lazy river, across the waterlogged path to the main pool and into it, the jets still just under the water, so able to power the raft, Goldie’s astonished expression making Patch smile.

“Next trick will be to drive this thing up to a water slide and ride down that!” Goldie exclaimed.

“ hold on,” Patch said, turning towards a glass wall. The wall parted, and they rode up a slope to the slides, the wall closing behind them. Goldie, staring round him at the pitch darkness, wondered where on earth Patch could be taking him, when he saw a light ahead, then a door opening and the water slides dead ahead.

“That slope is normally just for rafts, but can be ridden,” Patch said.

“no lights there,” Goldie replied.

“No, sorry,” Patch replied, “there are lights but, well, they’re not often lit.”

“Patch, Stoaoaoap!” karina commanded, Patch stopping the raft by just thinking about it, a baffle blocking the chute they were just about to enter, Patch switching off his water jets.

“yes Karina?” Patch asked, turning to the Felursapien, who ran up beside him.

“How did you get into that restricted area?” she asked. Patch smiled:

“Oh, I found the key to the whole system and used that,” he replied.

“the thing you’re using is the control wristband for the whole complex, but I have it here!” she growled.

“and I have it, as do you,” Patch replied.

“you nicked it and copied it!” Karina yowled.

“I didn’t!” Patch protested, I’m using my mind to open doors.”

“Oh of course!” Karina exclaimed, “you’re part computer aren’t you?”

“Well yes,” Patch replied, “it seems only the hard drive with my previous memories was flushed from me. I’m still able to open doors with my mind.”

“Well stop it!” Karina demanded.

“I think it’s rather fun,” Goldie said.

“No it’s nooaoaoaot!” karina protested loudly.

“I’m sorry I can open doors,” Patch said.

“You’re only a cuuuub!” karina yelled.

“I’m more than a cub, I think,” Patch replied, “I think, well, I’m more than my body suggests anyway.”

“My head huuuurts!” Karina mewed.

“Have we room in the raft for one more Goldie?” Patch asked. Goldie looked down at the space between his legs and then at karina.

“If you sit between my legs you could ride,” he suggested.

“I’m not riding!” Karina snapped.

“okay, we’re off now,” Patch said, the baffle sliding away from the chute, water filling the chute and the jets starting up. Karina watched the two bears disappear down the chute, wondering if she’d imagined the whole thing. Goldie rode the slide with Patch, the younger bear driving the raft to the side of the pool and beaching it on a slipway.

“is my ride over so soon?” Goldie asked, looking aggrieved.

“Oh all right,” Patch said, glancing behind him, then reversing the thrusters, launching the raft backwards with a jerk and wailing of siren, the water boiling under the raft as it powered away from the slipway.

“now where?” Patch asked.

“how about riding the big slide into the pool from the lazy river,” Goldie suggested.

“Can I come fow a wide?” Zalika asked, leaping into the space between Goldie’s legs.

“yes, we’re going to wide the wiver and maybe the wapids too,” Goldie replied, Zalika playfully cuffing his left thigh with her well-padded and velveted left paw.

“I supposes I desewves that aftew leaping into youw waft uninvited,” she said.

“I supposes you does,” Goldie replied. Zalika lay in Goldie’s lap, Patch driving the raft towards the lazy river. Heading across the water bridge, they felt the raft rise and level out, then angle downwards. Turning the rudder right, Patch let the raft drift with the momentum of the current, lifting his paws from the rudder and settling back. Zalika, looking over the bulwark of the raft, watched Bianca and Titan slide past her viewpoint, then the raft turned a corner and circled up to the slide, Zalika relaxing until she heard the rush of water in front of her. Leaping to the bough, she stared over it, seeing rushing foaming water.

“it’s a watewfall!” she yowled.

“and we’re going over it,” Goldie said, Zalika turning to Goldie, leaping at and clinging to him with all four paws.

“It’ll be all right,” he said, rubbing her back with his paw as the raft angled downwards. Zalika yowled hysterically as the raft slid quickly downwards then hit a flat part, which sprayed her back with water, then angled down once more. Zalika, the toes of all four of her huge cubbish paws wedged into the thick fur of Goldie’s chest, screamed and yowled into his chest fur as the raft splashed hard down into the main pool.

“That was bloody awful!” Zalika yowled.

“Sorry,” Patch said. Zalika, scowling at Patch, climbed along the side of the raft and leapt into his pod, slapping him with her paws.

“You’s a weal pest! You could ‘ave stopped iyiyiyt!” she yelled.

“Actually, by the time you’d wealised where you was and yelled, I couldn’t,” Patch replied.

“You’s just wanting to ‘ears me scweam and yowl wasn’t you!” Zalika raged, beating Patch with her velveted paws.

“now stop that Zalika!” Titan growled, reaching out with one huge paw and stopping the boat from his place standing at the side of the pool, “Patch didn’t mean to frighten you, and beating him is wrong!”

“With a yowl, Zalika leapt for the tiles on the side of the pool, leaving Patch and Goldie in the raft.

“Poor thing,” Goldie commiserated.

“yes, well, she shouldn’t beat Patch!” Titan growled.

“I’s nevah getting into a waft with ‘im agayayayayin!” Zalika yowled.

“Oh you will, when you’s bigger,” Goldie said, Zalika spitting at him.

“now that’s disgusting!” Titan yowled, cuffing his cub. Zalika, feeling the intent behind his paw, slunk away.

“Sorry Goldie,” Titan mewed, looking very ashamed.

“that is not how members of the ruling family should behave,” Goldie replied.

“I know, I’m sorry, really I am,” Titan whimpered, climbing onto the side of the boat, nearly sinking it in his attempts to get closer to Goldie. Patch watched as Titan’s feet pushed against the side of the pool, the boat moving away from the side. finding his feet now in mid-air, Titan panicked, tumbling into the water with a yowl and huge splash.

“Soggy Tiggie, yowling Tiggie, riaow riaow riaow!” Patch giggled, Goldie turning on Patch, cuffing him with his paw.

“You’re no better than Zalika!” the bear remonstrated.

“I don’t spit,” Patch countered.

“True,” Goldie replied, watching Titan haul himself out of the water.

“I’m surprised we can’t carry a fully grown bear, a cub and a tiggie on the raft,” Goldie mused.

“We can but not on the front of the raft,” Patch replied.

“I’m all weyeyeyeyet!” Titan yowled, vigorously shaking himself dry, the water off his fur spraying Goldie full in the face, the bear coughing on the sprayed water.

“As long as you get yourself dry!” Goldie spluttered.

“Sorry,” Titan mewed.

“Titan’s lifting each paw in turn then curling the toes of that paw, soaoaoao cuuuute!” Patch squealed, clapping his paws.

“I’m not!” Titan protested, but everyone had seen him wringing out his paws and feet.

“Spongey pads tiggie, bouncy paws tiggie!” Zalika teased, Titan scowling at her.

“I’m going to beach this thing,” Patch said, starting up the jets and powering to a nearby slipway, racing up it to bring the entire raft out of the water. Shutting down the jets, Patch scrambled from the raft, Goldie following him.

“So what now?” Patch asked, looking up at Goldie’s face.

“Can I hug you?” Goldie asked, sitting down as if his legs had given way. Patch, smiling broadly, scrambled into Goldie’s lap, the huge brown bear hugging him tightly.

“I really needed this, thanks Patch,” Goldie said, the grey bear turning his face to Goldie and putting his arms round the brown bear’s neck as far as they’d go, Goldie feeling Patch push against the thick fur on his legs with his small toes.

“You’re a big softy,” Patch said, Goldie choking back a rush of tears as he kissed the top of Patch’s head.

“Goldie’s a big softy ain’t ‘e,” Zalika said.

“groom me if you want as well as hug me,” Patch invited. Goldie groomed Patch from his nose to the water wrinkled soles of his small feet, Patch racing to the slipway half way through, splashing about in the shallows to wet his paws and feet, then returning so Goldie could groom his wet pads.

“I wanted to keep my paws and feet wet so my pads stayed wrinkled,” Patch said, Goldie grinning hugely and washing the soles of Patch’s feet, the grey cub settling back in Goldie’s lap, his eyes half closed.

“I love you very much Patch,” Goldie said, kissing the top of the grey cub’s head.

“”let’s go from here to a lie up,” Patch said.

“how can you possibly walk all the way to my lie up on your small feet?” Goldie asked.

“I can walk silly!” Patch replied, “though, well, I could call on a certain liger for transport, or ride a scooter I suppose.”

“You could call on the liger,” Titan mewed, padding up to Goldie, then lying down to get eye to eye with Patch, who grinned at the huge feline face filling his entire view.

“I have no choice it seems,” Patch replied, Titan reaching forward with his paws and hugging Patch:

“You have every choice,” the liger purred, “I wish though that you’d let me carry you.” Patch leant forward and kissed Titan’s nose, the huge liger’s eyes softening as he gazed into Patch’s face.

“You’re a big Soppypuss Titan,” Goldie said gently.

“I can’t help myself sometimes,” Titan purred. Patch kissed Titan’s nose, then crawled round to his left side, pulling himself onto the liger’s back. Titan settled his feet beneath him, then began pushing with all four paws, squirming and growling as if Patch’s slight weight was too much for him. Then, with a huge leap, he cleared the pool in front of him, Patch shrieking with laughter as Titan landed with the surety of his heritage.

“Now to the lie up, Goldie, catch me if you can!” Titan roared, racing through the corridors, Patch clinging to his fur with all four of his small paws.

“Weeeeyeeeyeeheee!” Patch squealed cubbishly, Titan flowing round corners like liquid, choosing his best racing line, ringing a bell on his left paw as he approached corners to alert those who could not see or hear him coming due to his extremely soft padded paws and feet. When racing, Titan never used his claws, never unsheathing them, he extended this to being in the throes of labour when giving painful, strenuous birth to Zalika.

Thiyiyiyis iyiyiys wonderful!” Patch yelled, as Titan slowed to turn into his lie up, padding in over the soft rugs at the entrance. Smiling, he observed the freshly laundered rug in his place, Goldie sitting nearby. Lying down, Titan turned his head and watched Patch slide off his back.

“That was wonderful!” Patch giggled, Titan beckoning him with a huge paw, Patch crawling to the liger’s paws. Patch pattedTitan’s huge paws, Titan rolling over onto his right side, gathering Patch in his paws and hugging him.

“I love your face, fur and paws Patch,” Titan mewed, kissing Patch’s nose.

“Can I hug your paws Goldie?” Ekaterina asked, racing in, then crawling up to the huge male bear.

“yes, why not,” Goldie replied, smiling as his left foot was grabbed in two tiny human hands, Goldie curling his toes round her fingers.

“My fingers are stuck now!” Ekaterina laughed, tugging at her left hand, Goldie kissing the top of her head.

“Can I rub your pads little human?” Goldie asked. Ekaterina, smiling broadly, nodded, Goldie releasing her fingers from the grip of his toes, Ekaterina giving him her left foot, her small foot looking very fragile in the grip of the bear’s huge paws.

“Aren’t you frightened Ekaterina?” Titan asked, Goldie now cradling the heel of her left foot in his right paw, while he explored the toes and the rest of the sole of her foot with the fingers of his right.

“No, Goldie’s very gentle,” Ekaterina said, “we often play together, he chases me, tickling my heels and toes with his breath and the fingers of the huge paws he’s holding my foot in.”

“Goldie’s a big snuggly bear,” Titan said, “the history says he is, and now he is proving himself to be so.”

“Nanuq has taught me good play since I became a bear,” Goldie replied, drawing circles on the arch of Ekaterina’s left foot, the young girl curling and uncurling her toes to mirror the size of each circle he drew, “I’ve never forgotten his lessons.”

“Do you chase Goldie Ekaterina?” Patch asked.

“I do, but I have his bigger feet to chase, so I always get him,” Ekaterina replied smiling, curling her toes as Goldie rubbed small circles on the ball of her left foot with his fingers.

“Your feet are very much like mine Ekaterina,” Goldie said, drawing his fingers down the sole of her left foot from the bunched skin just below her curled toes to the margin of her heel pad, the sensation making Ekaterina curl her toes tighter still.

“I like that,” she said, pressing her foot against the pressure of Goldie’s touch.

“I love your touch Goldie,” Ekaterina said.

“Playing with you is like playing with a bear cub,” Goldie replied.

“I can even play with my toes too,” Ekaterina said, reaching forward and grabbing the toes of her right foot with the fingers of her right hand, Goldie blowing on the sole of her right foot, making Ekaterina’s toes curl and trap her fingers, the young girl wriggling and tugging hard at her trapped hand, squealing in mock fear:

“My fingers are stuuuuuck!” Goldie smiled broadly, gently placing Ekaterina’s left foot on the floor then rubbing the margin of her right heel with his fingers until the toes of Ekaterina’s right foot uncurled, freeing the fingers of her right hand.

“That was fun!” Ekaterina giggled, kneeling then kissing Goldie’s nose, the huge brown bear embracing her in his huge paws.

“Can you hold me with one paw and rub my feet with the other?” Ekaterina asked, shuffling as close to Goldie as she could until she knelt between his legs.

“I think I could,” Goldie replied, reaching round her and rubbing the heel of her right foot with the fingers of his left paw, while he held her close with his right paw, Ekaterina flinging her arms round his neck, hugging him tightly.

“I think I could also tickle your toes from here too,” Goldie said.

“How? You can’t reach those can you?” Ekaterina asked.

“not with my paw,” he replied, blowing towards the toes of her right foot, Ekaterina shrieking with laughter and bouncing about.

“oaoaoaaoh! Like that!” she squealed into his ear, Goldie kissing her ear.

“yes, like that,” he replied softly, playfully tugging her ear with his teeth like he would that of a cub, Ekaterina snuggling as close to him as she could.

“That’s rather cute,” Titan mewed.

“You’re very snuggly Goldie,” Ekaterina said. Goldie smiled, his eyes shining, “I’ll bring Moses here so he can feel your cuddly nature.”

“he knows my cuddly nature, as you put it,” Goldie replied, “he snuggles like you do Ekaterina.” Ekaterina turned away from Goldie, wiggling her toes while crawling away from him, the male bear pouncing on her tiny feet, landing his fingers on her toes, pinning them down then blowing on her heel pads, Ekaterina shrieking with laughter.

“you’re tiyiyiyckling meyeee!” she yelled, Goldie gently kissing the tickle from her heel pads, Ekaterina smiling with pleasure and love for the huge bear.

“I liked that,” Ekaterina said, turning and crawling towards Goldie, the bear squealing in mock fear, crawling away from her as fast as he could. Smiling, Ekaterina caught up with Goldie’s toes and tickled them with the fingers of her left hand, the bear laughing so hard he threw himself forward onto his chest and beat the floor with his paws, Titan smiling at the huge brown bear’s antics.

“You are very sweet Goldie,” Ekaterina said, Goldie curling his toes round the fingers of her left hand as they rubbed the tickle from his toe pads.

“your pads bunch cutely too!” Ekaterina giggled, rubbing the heel of the brown bear’s left foot, then tracing the bunched skin on the ball of the same foot with the fingers of her free right hand, Goldie briefly curling his toes even tighter, then releasing the fingers of her left hand by uncurling his toes. Smiling, Goldie crawled away, Ekaterina crawling behind him, chasing him then pinning his feet under her small hands, Goldie squealing with mock fear and curling his toes, Ekaterina giggling while running the fingertips of both her small hands down his thick, soft, tightly bunched sole pads to his tightly curled toes, gently prying at his toes with her fingers to uncurl them, Goldie sitting back on his heels, panting and wriggling in his attempts to keep his toes tightly curled.

“it’s a real struggle isn’t it Goldie,” Patch said, crawling to the struggling bear then kissing his paw.

“It feels good to do this though,” Goldie replied, looking down at Patch.

“I wonder if Ursula would play the same games?” Patch asked. Goldie smiled:

“She might,” he replied, “I know she’s missing you a lot, you’re never in her family lie up these days.” Patch knew he’d been somewhat neglectful of Ursula and her two cubs, and felt sorry for it. hugging Titan, he ran out of the lie up and along to the monorail. Pressing the button, he waited for the car, and when it came, he found Ursula, Bjorn and Allie already sitting in it.

“We were asked if we wanted to stop for you, so we said yes,” Bjorn said as Patch entered and the doors closed.

“Thanks,” Patch replied smiling at the three bears. The car rumbled off down the track, turned a corner and opened its doors.

“now we’re at our lie up,” Ursula said unnecessarily, as the car had just announced the fact. Bjorn, now half grown, looked at his mum.

“no you can’t ride, you’re too heavy now!” Ursula snapped, “use your feet and paws Bjorn!”

“but Allie can!” Bjorn whimpered.

“she’s a lot smaller and lighter than you are,” Ursula explained, Bjorn looking very fed up at the news.

“Growing up is a pest!” Bjorn growled.

“Well you can still use your paws and feet to play,” Patch said.

“I can,” Bjorn replied, “but that becomes less of a thing that adult bears do doesn’t it? all that stuck foot game and chasing toes and pretending to give birth to cubs, I can’t give that up if growing up means I have to give that up too!” Bjorn complained.

“Goldie has only just got into it,” Patch replied, “he loves his toes tickled and pads rubbed. I’ll rub your pads too if you’ll rub mine.” Bjorn danced for joy, then turned cartwheels, Ursula staring at him in disbelief.

“he’s still a young cub under all that fur,” Patch said, touching Ursula’s paw, “let him play Ursula, he needs it, as do you. roll on the floor with your cubs, let them tickle your toes and hug your paws.” Ursula kissed Patch’s nose.

“You’re right,” she said, “I shouldn’t be too keen for him to grow up, cubhood’s too short,” she sighed heavily, “I should know that myself, mine, well, but that’s another tale.”

“A painful one,” Patch said gently.

“now, now I’m going to my lie up, and I’m going to lie down on my side or my back and let my cubs play with my paws and feet, which were placed by whomever made me for that very purpose,” Ursula replied.

“They were made for you to walk on and for you to grab your food actually,” Nanuq said from his place on the bed.

“Oh shut it brainbox,” Bjorn replied, leaping onto the bed and hugging the huge bear’s left foot in his still small paws, Nanuq curling his toes with pleasure.

“I thought I’d find Flocke here,” Ursula said.

“she’s gone with Mishka to his treehouse,” Nanuq replied, “I, well, I think she wants Mishka, not me.”

“She wants to be with you and him and everyone, I heard she was abandoned as a cub,” Ursula replied, “Flocke is very sweet, and wants to be cuddled by everyone.”

“She’s rather like you really then mum,” Allie replied, Ursula snorting:

“I’m not cuddle mad!”

“Oh yes you are mum,” Allie teased, Ursula stamping her feet, while Bjorn smiled at her.

“How if we tip mum onto her side and hug her paws and feet with everything we have?” Bjorn asked, leaping off the bed then bracing his shoulder against Ursula’s left leg while holding her paw as best he could in his small ones while pushing at his mum’s right leg with his shoulder, puffing and gasping as he found, despite his efforts, he was unable to move her paw at all.

“your tooo biyiyg!” Bjorn gasped, “muuum, I Cayayayn’t mooooove your paaaaw!” he raged, panting hard.

“I’m not as light as Allie,” Ursula laughed, kissing Bjorn’s nose, “I’m a fully grown polar bear Bjorn.” Allie hugged her brother tightly.

“I know you’re used to pushing me off my feet, but you can’t do the same to mum, she’s too big for that,” Allie giggled.

“you shouldn’t push your sister off her feet Bjorn!” Ursula raged, cuffing him.

“muuum, naoaoaoaoao!” Allie protested, “don’t hit Bjorn! I want him to push me off my feet and play with my paws and feet. I pretend my feet are stuck, he helps me by prying my heels from the floor while I lean on my toes a bit, then, standing on tiptoe, we push shoulder to shoulder, then I topple onto my side and let him rub and soothe the play warmed, very damp pads of all my paws and feet. it’s a wonderful game which I start off by walking about, my feet and paws getting heavier and heavier and the pads more sticky with the wish to play until I need to stop entirely, unable to move my feet and paws at all. I try squirming on the spot, try lifting each foot and paw in turn and even leaning forward on my paws to free my feet and backward to free my paws, but they won’t come free. then Bjorn helps me free my feet by gently working at them from the heel to my toes, and then at my paws until I free them so all I’m standing on are the balls and fingers or toes of each, so all that’s touching the floor are the toes and fingers of my feet and paws, then we push with our shoulders, his right against my left until I topple over. This is all done with much encouragement from him to me to pull and wriggle, and me making sounds of effort. Of course, the payoff for me is a good pad rub at the end.”

“for me it’s the thrill of the play and enjoying rubbing your paws and feet,” Bjorn replied, kissing his sister’s nose.

“I’d love to pull my feet free, then kneel so you can rub the soles of my feet, then we work together to free my paws,” Allie replied.

“We could do that,” Bjorn said, “you’d have less far to fall over then too. I’m always a bit worried when you topple over like you do, play in the playroom though we do, where the floor is soft,” he said.

“I love your touch, and I wish my paws and feet would get stuck more often!” Allie whimpered.

“Well they can get stuck as often as you let them,” Bjorn replied.

“I fear I’m asking you to play too often though, the games can go on for ages!” Allie whimpered.

“I don’t mind,” Bjorn replied. Allie scrambled onto the bed, Bjorn blowing on the soles of her feet as soon as he saw them, Allie squealing with laughter and heaving herself onto the bed with more urgency. Following her, Bjorn pulled himself onto the bed, pouncing on the upturned soles of her small feet with both paws as soon as he got his own knees stable on the bed, Allie laughing helplessly as he tickled her heels, then ducked his head to blow beneath his paws and tickle her toe pads with his breath. Squirming and squealing with glee, Allie rolled onto her side and drew up her knees, Bjorn’s paws still in contact with her feet. Grabbing him in her paws, Allie hugged Bjorn tightly, kissing his nose.

“You are a rogue!” she laughed.

“I couldn’t resist tickling your toes,” Bjorn replied.

“that’s what I want,” Allie replied, “I love you playing with me Bjorn.”

“Can I rub the tickle from your pads?” Bjorn asked.

“yes, I’d like that too,” Allie replied smiling. Sitting on the bed, Allie gave Bjorn her left foot, the male bear, using a circular motion of the fingers of one paw, rubbing the tickle from her toes, then from the ball, mid sole and heel of her foot, Allie humming with pleasure throughout, the toes of both her small feet curling with the pleasure of Bjorn’s touch.

“I’ll ask you to tickle my pads every day if rubbing the tickle from them feels like this!” Allie exclaimed, Bjorn smiling to himself.

“I’m glad you like my ministrations,” he said.

“You enjoy it too don’t you?” she asked.

“I do, but is it right to say these things?” Bjorn asked.

“it is, if we both enjoy it,” Allie replied.

“Your pulse slows when I touch your pads,” Bjorn said, “I can feel that in your pads Allie.” Allie smiled broadly.

“Your touch makes me curl my toes with pleasure,” she said.

“I hope you’d run away if my touch ever caused you displeasure,” Bjorn replied.

“Oh I would,” Allie replied, “right now though, there are three more paws to work on, and maybe a forth, then three more and maybe another one.

“I’d have rubbed the pads of all your paws and feet three times by the time I finished that!” Bjorn giggled.

“oh really?” Allie replied smiling, “I love your touch so much, please do,” she pleaded.

“I will, but please don’t fall asleep,” Bjorn begged.

“You know I also can’t help curling my toes and vocalising my pleasure don’t you,” Allie replied.

“yes, and it’s cute, and reassuring too when you do it,” Bjorn replied.

“the urge just to curl up and sleep when you rub my pads is so hard to resist sometimes too,” Allie yawned.

“If you’re going to let him rub your pads, surely it’s right you try to stay awake while he does,” Ursula replied.

“Oh, I will, I hope,” Allie replied smiling, “it’s just, well, sometimes I drift off after play. I did in the playroom after my feet got stuck the last time we played, Bjorn freed my feet after a struggle on both our parts, and he rubbed my pads, and I was so relaxed, I fell asleep, it was so bad of me.”

“I’ve heard that you were so loud, someone thought you were having a cub one time,” Jespah said, padding into the room.

“Oh that time, yes, I was very loud and was pushing my feet into Bjorn’s paws to increase his rubbing while yelling my head off. I was very impressed with my volume that day.”

“What happens when you have a cub then?” Ursula asked.

“We all get earplugs and lock Allie in a soundproof box,” Jespah replied.

“you horrid thing!” Allie yelled, leaping off the bed, racing to the lion cub and cuffing him.

“I help Allie to manage her efforts and pain as best she can and in a way she wants, then encourage her to push and to enjoy the pleasure of pad massages when she can,” Bjorn replied.

“You’ve thought about it?” Ursula asked, staring at Bjorn with furious eyes.

“No mum, not him, me,” Allie said, wringing her paws, for the one she’d hit Jespah with now stung, “I told Bjorn that, if I ever had cubs where the male wasn’t present, I’d want him to help me through the pain. It might have been during that time I made a lot of noise during my play, as I wanted to see how his paws stood up to me being violent as if in labour. I pushed and pushed with my feet while curling my toes, and hugged him as tightly as I could, but he helped me through it.”

“the real thing’s nothing like the imagination,” Ursula replied, her expression softening.

“No, but Bjorn helped me, even when I was hugging him while I screamed and roared into his fur while the cub was easing down into place to come out into the world, Allie said..

“How could you hug him while the cub was born?” Ursula asked.

“I was on my paws and knees between Bjorn’s legs, well almost,” Allie replied, “I sometimes pushed my feet into Bjorn’s paws, other times I knelt on the floor, holding onto Bjorn while he sat facing me. he told me how far the cub was coming with every imagined effort I made, and I reacted. If he told me not to push, I moaned and panted, then while I pushed, it was back to squealing and wriggling. Just before the cub’s head first emerged, I was sitting opposite Bjorn, and he was rubbing my left foot when I yelled that something was happening. I got into a crawling posture and threw myself at Bjorn, screaming and yelling about my “cuuuub coming knoaoaoaoaow!” something like that.”

“how did you catch the cub?” Nanuq asked.

“Bjorn suggested I sit back against his chest for the last few pushes to deliver the cub. He hugged me and dropped a cuddly stuffed plush cub into my paws. I leant back into him and pretended to give birth to that,” Allie replied.

“how long can you keep that up?” Ursula asked.

“Oh, hours,” Allie replied, when I got given the cub, I decided that, during my turning round, it had slipped back so it was only out to the level of its head and paws, so I had to push the rest out all over again, that took an hour. Me pushing against Bjorn’s paws to get the cub out, then it slipping back, and me pushing hard again. Sometimes I wriggled and kicked too, it was all noisy, hot, wriggling, kicking fun. Though the best was before the cub’s emergence, I loved Bjorn getting paws on with my feet and paws while I struggled hard. I pushed against him, against the walls, against myself, holding my feet in my paws, as well as against the floor with both my paws and my feet. I also rolled about a good bit, kicked the air, screamed and yelled too.”

“I hope you didn’t kick Bjorn’s paws!” Ursula exclaimed.

“No, but I braced my feet against his paws and feet from time to time, climbed over him, hugged him, leant hard into him and bust his eardrums,” Allie said, “mum, if I ever have a cub where the mate of my cubs runs off, I’ve already asked Bjorn to be there with me.”

“your play might be imaginative, but it’s not like the real thing though,” Ursula replied.

“I watched how we were born first,” Allie said, “I imagined my cub to be huge though, a real struggle to give birth to, and it was.”

“even panda mamas roll about on the floor in their efforts to give birth to tiny panda cubs,” Kuaizi said, padding into the room, “when I gave birth to Tiānshĭ, I didn’t manage that without rolling about a lot. Tiānshĭ was huge for a panda cub. I struggled in labour for hours before shadow saw me.”

“I used some of what I saw during Tianshi’s birth as inspiration too,” Allie said.

“It’s all on camera, I know,” Kuaizi replied.

“I grabbed my feet in my paws and held on while I squealed and rocked too, Kuaizi,” Allie said, Kuaizi padding to her and hugging her.

“I used to play like you did,” the she panda said, “I played at giving birth to cubs, then, well, play became all too real, and I was astonished at the sounds and efforts I had to make to deliver such a tiny cub compared to my size, though for a panda cub she’s huge.”

“You did wonderfully Kuaizi,” Allie said, kissing her nose.

“how would you know?” Ursula replied, “Allie, you’ve never had a real cub!”

“Kuaizi gave birth to Tiānshĭ and both she and her cub are healthy,” Allie said.

“When playing, make it sound real,” Kuaizi whispered to Allie, the young she bear smiling broadly:

“Oh I will,” she replied, “If mum found out I wriggled and yowled as the cub’s feet came out, she’d go mad.”

“Well I yowled when Tianshi’s body and feet came out,” Kuaizi replied.

“You also moaned and wriggled too,” Allie said, kissing Kuwaizi’s nose and paws, the sow panda smiling broadly.

“I hope your cub is now playing with the others,” Allie said.

“Oh she is,” Kuaizi replied, her smile as broad as the young sow polar bears, “I’ll watch your acting and see what you did during the birth of your cub, then, well, I’ll help you to roar like a panda shall I? I’ve always wondered why mama polar bears are so quiet during the births of their cubs. they seldom make enough noise for their size. I’m only the height and weight of a fully grown large female human, but I make lots of noise during the births of my cubs. Ursula, you are larger than me, so should all things considered, make more noise than me. squeal, roar and moan louder than me, all that.”

“I will, and did,” Ursula replied, “but it’s too soon for Allie to think about having cubs!” She raged.

“cubs play out what they see,” Nanuq replied, “Allie might play at giving birth to a cub, but she’s not really about to go and get in cub.”

“Would you say the stuck foot game was dangerous because some cubs might get their feet stuck with real glue?” Patch asked, “I never knew one who did that.”

“Well cubs aren’t that stupid!” Ursula replied crossly.

“neither are they stupid enough to get into cub before time,” Nanuq replied.

“The history says Karina did,” Ursula replied.

“Karina, or mama Karina as she now is known, gave birth to Felix when her body and mind were ready. We do not, at this time, really know the age at which felursapiens become mature, so karina just went with her body and mind. Of course she insists she sounded like a cub throughout her labour, and maybe she did, but, for all that, Felix’s birth was a wonderful thing.”

“mama Karina was wonderful throughout her labour,” Blackberry said, padding into the room.

“Who helped her during it?” Ursula asked.

“mama Sita did,” Blackberry replied, “well in the ambulance she did, others got paws or hands on with her hands and feet in the first stage. Second stage and third were all in the ambulance.”

“Did someone get hands on with karina during her pushing stage?” Ursula asked.

“mama Sita rubbed the soles of mama Karina’s feet and caught Felix on his way out,” Blackberry replied.

“I remember she did,” a voice said behind Blackberry, the black bear spinning round so fast he nearly lost his balance.

“Sita!” he yelled, collapsing against her shoulder.

“Sorry,” Sita mewed, kissing Blackberry’s nose.

“do you remember everything?” Blackberry asked.

“I would love to relive it,” Sita mewed.

“I would re-enact for you,” mama karina mewed, “but there would be no cub at the end.”

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Sita mewed.

“I don’t want little karina to re-enact what happened,” Mama Karina replied, “I would like you to get paws on with me while I try to remember how it all went. Now let’s go to the adult playroom.” Sita followed Karina to the adult playroom, where she sat down, Sita sitting opposite her.

“There is a birthing ball here I see,” karina mewed.

“I think Blackberry might have been pretending recently, he does you know,” Sita mewed.

“You do too I think mum,” Karina giggled.

“Yes, all right, I pretend too,” Sita purred, “you’re so cute karina,” Sita said. Karina smiled, sat up and touched feet with Sita, Sita’s toes curling around hers, Karina pressing her heels against Sita’s heels.

“your pads are warm, your toes are too Sita,” Karina mewed, snuggling her toes into the grip of Sita’s larger ones.

“would you like me to hold your foot in my hands karina?” Sita asked. Karina wiggled the toes of her left foot free, giving it into her mum’s hands, Sita taking hold of Karina’s foot, feeling her warm soft pads and curling toes, toes which curled with pleasure at her touch.

“Hold my foot mama,” karina said, tugging hard at her left foot, while pushing against Sita’s left foot with her right. Sita held Karina’s bare naked right foot, her thumbs pressing into the naked pads, karina tugging hard at her left foot, pushing against her mum’s left foot with her right.

“Erhrhrhrhrhrhrhmf! Errurururururururmf!” Karina groaned as she tugged at her right foot, the toes of her left foot curling with effort, the toes and heel of her right braced against the ball and heel of Sita’s left foot, Sita pushing back as hard as she could with her left foot, CURLING the toes of her left foot round those of Karina’s right to give her purchase to help her push. Yowling with effort,, AND WITHOUT USING HER HANDS, karina tugged at her trapped right foot while bracing her free left foot hard against Sita right to give her leverage.

“Yeeoeoeoeoaw, yoaoaoaoaoaaow!” karina yowled, tugging hard at her left foot, curling her toes with effort, Sita rubbing the pads on the ball of her right foot, Karina wriggling and bouncing with frustration.

“I can’t free my foot, I can’t free my foot!” she squealed.

“Try harder,” Sita suggested, Karina closing her eyes and pulling as hard as she could at her trapped left foot, curling her toes as tightly as she could.

“I can’t do it, I can’t free my foot!” karina gasped, her pads damp with effort, Sita rubbing them with her thumbs, Karina pleasurably curling and stretching her toes. Suddenly she wriggled and tugged at her foot:

“eoeoeoeoeoeoah!” karina yowled, tightly curling her toes in frustration at not being able to free her left foot, the felursapien pressing hard with the toes of her right foot as she tugged at her left, her hands clasped over her belly, her cub kicking hard against her fingers.

“right now,” she yelled, “I need to free my foot!” she squealed, reaching for her right foot with both hands and tugging furiously in her efforts to free it while pushing with her right. Sita let karina’s left foot slide slowly through her hands as she made efforts, the felursapien yowling, gasping and squealing as she tugged her foot free.

“Curl toes tightly and pull, puuuuuull! heel free, Puuuull! arch free, ball free, uncurl toes, now, Now! Keep toes uncurled, it’s hard but, relax those toes Karina, now Puuuull! Puuuull! Eeeeoeoeoeoaow! That’s it! Toes free!!” karina yelled as she tugged. Karina grabbed her left foot in her hands, running her fingers over the sole of her foot from toes to heel pad, mewing and panting with released tension. Suddenly she closed her eyes, gripped her left foot in both hands, tightly curled her toes and moaned deeply.

“oaoaoaoaaoaow! “ouwch!” she panted, “I think that effort started contractions, deep breathing did anyway, umf! Pain!” she moaned. Karina crawled away, Sita crawling after her, rubbing the balls and toes of both Karina’s feet, karina turning her head, Sita hearing karina’s panting.

“Pains,” she panted, backing up so Sita could rub her heels, “ooooamf!” Karina moaned.

“mamma, youw!” Karina yowled.

“your pads are warm and slightly damp Karina,” Sita said, rubbing her heel pads, Karina rocking on her knees as another contraction built in her.

“oaoaoaoaowowowowowwowoaw!” Karina moaned softly, “umf, yaumf!” she complained shrilly, her toes curling and stretching with her rocking, curling tightly when she rocked forward, relaxing when she rocked back to sit on her heels.

“can I hug you Karina?” Sita asked. Karina turned round, and Sita embraced her tightly.

“I like this,” karina panted, holding Sita tightly as she leant into her, moaning and panting, “It’s getting worse! Hold tight, curl toes tight, ooooamf!” she groaned, suddenly Karina shrieked, “oaoaoaoaaoaow! Aaaaaaaaaw!” wriggling and yowling into Sita’s shoulder, Sita curling her toes in sympathy with karina.

“Get hands on with my feet Sita,” karina invited, letting go of Sita. Sita kissed the top of Karina’s head, crawling round to her tail just in time to get hands on with karina’s left foot and feel her toes curl, the felursapien bouncing and drilling her heels into her backside, Sita rubbing Karina’s feet while she squirmed and struggled.

“aoaoaoaow mum, aaaaaow! Aoaoaoaow! Aaoaoaaawch!” Karina squealed lustily.

“It’s all right Karina, it’s good pain,” Sita purred, “Each pain is opening things up so your cub can come out.”

“but it’s so oawwowowowowch!” Karina whimpered.

“I know,” Sita mewed, kissing karina’s now damp left heel pad.

“I wan’a drill my heels into my bum mum!” karina yowled, fitting actions to her words, squirming, groaning and growling as she did so. Sita explored Karina’s feet, feeling her wriggling and hearing her panting. After five minutes of growling while squirming her backside against her heels, karina groaned deeply then squealed lustily.

“ow mum, ow, ow, ow ow ouwch!” Sita, who’d got hands on with the soles of karina’s feet and her tail throughout, rubbed karina’s toes with her fingers, the felursapien mewing and crying through her pains.

“ooooamf, Uuuuuuuumf mum!” karina moaned.

“Are you wanting to push?” Sita asked.

“what does that feel like?” karina asked.

“Like you want to poo,” Sita mewed.

“no, it, it’s just pain, like belly ache,” Karina replied, “ow mum, this is ow, this one’s ow!” Karina screamed suddenly, bouncing about on her heels then sitting back on them with a “Yuuuuuuumf! Of pain, Sita feeling the sweat breaking out on the soles of karina’s feet.

“Oaoaoaoaow! Ahaoaoaaoaow!” Karina screeched, drilling her heels into her bum more urgently than ever.

“Miaoaoaoaoaoaoaoaaow!” aouwch!” Karina screamed. Karina crawled from the lie up to where a Canvas seat stood. Climbing into it, Karina sat with her feet supported on straps and suffered another contraction, Sita’s paws now at the level of Karina’s toes, which she felt curling, Karina pushing her feet hard against the straps as she leant back during the worst of her pain.

“oooooooaoaoaoow mum!” Karina screamed, her toes and fingers curling tightly with pain, Karina shifting her feet on the straps from putting pressure on the balls to the heels of both feet as she endured her contraction.

Karina squealed through two more imagined pains, bracing her feet against Sita’s paws while wriggling and rocking, then clambering off the seat and guiding Sita to the door on all fours.

“if you need to push, tell me,” Sita said,

Karina rested on her hands and knees on the floor.

“I wayayayant you to push your paws against my feeyeeet muuum!” Karina yelled, wriggling and rocking on her knees.

“rub me down mum!” karina whimpered, “rub me from my nose to my toooes!” karina begged, Sita exploring her daughter’s head, arms, hands, belly, shoulders, back, legs, tail and feet, finally kneeling behind Karina, as she finished her paws on exploration, feeling her daughter cub’s hot pads under her palms and fingers.

“I can brace my feet if I want to push,” karina gasped, narrating aloud to reassure herself, “I can push with my hands and brace my feet, and push as much as I want.” Karina settled her feet and hands, Sita pushing back against karina’s naked feet with her paws in an effort to reassure her, which karina seemed to like, showing her approval by pressing her toes into the palm pads of Sita’s paws, Sita rubbing karina’s heels with her fingers, bracing her own feet against the wall of the room.

Moaning, Karina braced her feet against Sita’s paws, pushing back with her hands as another contraction gripped her.

“push your feet against my paws karina!” Sita miaowed, karina pushing back with her hands, feeling her feet pressed by Sita’s warm paws, “that’s it, brace your feet and squeal, push with your feet and scream, don’t push against the cub yet!” Sita urged. Screaming:

“Push my feet, push my feeyeeet!” Karina bore two contractions this way, pressing her toes into the soft palm pads of Sita’s paws. Once she’d come down from these, her hands and feet sweating profusely with her efforts, karina crawled painfully to a birthing ball and sat on it, Sita keeping in touch with the soles of Karina’s feet with her paws for as long as she could. Squealing, Karina bounced hard on her toes, then braced her feet, settled herself and bore down into her tail, Sita getting paws on with her daughter cub, who wriggled and squirmed from her head to the soles of her bare feet during her effort.

“ooaoaaoaoaoaoaomf mum, it hurts, really hurts!” karina sniffled, “it’s not like Angeni, it’s worse mum! Aoaoaoaow!” Sita felt karina’s sweating body, her tensing fingers, curling toes, sweating heels, laid back ears and hunched body as she bore down into her tail. Then Sita felt karina’s relaxed state, drooping ears, open mouth, relaxed hands, heels digging into the floor, and relaxed fingers and toes.

“I love you getting paws on mum,” karina mewed, “it feels great! Do it again, please do it again!”

“I will, and thank you,” Sita mewed, trying not to cry with emotion.

“I have always wanted you to get paws on,” karina mewed, “now you can, and I need it, so do it mum, get paws on with me as I sweat and scream and strain to deliver your Grandcub.”

Now, mum, paws please, paws, your paws!!” karina squealed, tumbling off the ball and lying across it, bracing her feet against Sita’s paws, groaning more deeply than ever as she got ready to push. Straining into her tail, Karina bore down twice, Sita paws on with karina’s sweating feet, the felursapien curling her toes as tightly as she could, Sita, hearing Karina’s efforts, began rubbing her sweating soles, lashing, straining tail, and straining legs.

“anything coming yet!” karina demanded.

“No, Nothing yet karina,” Sita mewed, “Maybe when you push again, I might be able to feel something.

“I want to push again, puuuuuush!” Karina moaned, settling her hands and feet. Sita felt her daughter move her tail out of the way, then bear down hard.

“ooooamf!” Karina moaned, “Yuuuuuuumf!” she complained as she strained, Sita Washing the soles of karina’s feet, this done, getting paws on with the root of her tail and what was beneath it.

“I can feel two hands, large hands!” Sita mewed, karina grunting as she curled her toes and bore down hard, struggling to prolong the contraction.

“Uuuuuuuumf, uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, that felt good!” Karina yelled.

“Push like that again then,” Sita said. Karina did, resting on hands, knees and tiptoes this time.

“Now rub my feet and catch the cuuuub muuum!” Karina yowled, bearing down hard.

“the head of the cub is coming out!” Sita miaowed in shock, karina screeching in a cubbish voice

“Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh, uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” with pain as she felt the emerging cub’s head stretching her, panting, she tried to stop the contraction, but it went on for a further screaming half minute, karina dropping to all fours, curling her toes, shrieking lustily:

“Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! Body, stop puuuuuuushing! Stop! Stoaoaoaoap!”

“now pant Karina, with the next contraction pant,” Sita said,

ow! Ow! Aoaoaoaow!” Karina screamed as she panted.

Pant karina pant,” Sita mewed, Karina panting, yowling and squealing as the cub’s head came into the world. Then, as the cub’s head came out with a rush, Karina moaned and screeched:

“I want to push, I want to hold my feet and push! I want to kick like Sally did!” “You can do that,” Sita said. Karina squirmed, then curled her toes, moaning and groaning before straining hard against another huge contraction. Panting, she wriggled, rolling over onto her back. Moaning, Karina drew up her knees as far as she could, grabbed her thighs with both hands, splayed her legs and strained, Sita feeling the cub coming into the world, Karina having to make extra effort to push the cub out, but she didn’t seem to mind that.

“Push karina, push down into your tail,” Sita mewed.

“I want to puuuuuush harder than this! Bloody puuuuuush harder!” Karina yowled as Sita caught the cub while Karina held the backs of her thighs, splaying her legs as wide as they’d go. Karina rolled from side to side, then strained again, squealing lustily as she did so.

“Feel my feet mum!” karina groaned as she wriggled and squirmed. Sita protested:

“but I’ll miss the birth of the cub!”

“You won’t!” karina mewed, panting hard, “feel my feet.” Sita did, and Karina, who’d relaxed her toes, curled them tightly, moaning and wriggling while she pushed her foot hard into Sita’s paws, Sita feeling curled toes and bunching pads, the fingers of her left paw caught in the grip of the curled toes of Karina’s right foot.

“Uuumf, Uuuuuuuumf!” karina groaned, “now you know what my feet are doing, feel my face, and then my hands and the cub.” Sita did, amazed Karina could be so calm while she was giving birth.

“thank you,” Sita replied as she got paws on. Karina smiled despite her discomfort. Only when Sita had paws on with her left foot did Karina push hard, keeping quiet to concentrate on her efforts.

“umf!” Karina grunted as she came to the end of a contraction. Then, taking a deep breath, she pushed hard down again, wriggling madly after pushing, slight sound escaping her, but her initial fear had gone, as Sita was paws on with her from her emerging cub, to her feet, face and her hands as she pushed, this felt wonderful to Karina.

“this cub’s enormous!” Sita mewed.

“yes, I know!” karina gasped. karina shuffled backwards until she was sitting on the birthing ball once more, then wriggling and digging in her heels and curling her toes and fingers, finally making effort, yowling as she began pushing once more, squeezing the cub into the world with huge efforts. karina alternated her labour positions, sometimes sitting on the ball,, sometimes lying on her back, drawing up her legs and holding the soles of her feet with both hands, or drop her hands to the backs of her legs, grip her thighs with her hands and splay her legs wide while kicking hard and tightly curling the toes of both feet, before pedalling the air with her feet as if cycling. While Sita urged her to push as hard as she could and give herself up to it completely, Karina pushed silently, sometimes screamed and yowled, sometimes moaned deeply, Sita encouraging her to:

“Scream and moan if you want karina, tell me how you feel!” while she got paws on, feeling her daughter’s efforts from her straining belly to her hands with gripping fingers, and pedalling feet with tightly curled toes. in response to her mum’s encouragement, karina screamed and moaned, growled and whimpered as she wanted, letting Sita feel everything, as she desperately wanted her mum’s reassurance and knew the cub was safe, and the more slowly she delivered it, the easier it was on the cub and herself. Wriggling and panting, screaming and yowling, groaning, moaning, Miaowing and screeching, Karina laboured hard. Accompanying her yelling with wriggling, Rocking and straining, Karina gave slow birth to her and Nanulak’s cub, Sita paws on throughout, touching Karina’s feet, hands and the emerging cub, supporting the cub during Karina’s changes in labour position, Karina wanting this, making Sure Sita touched everything.

Karina, now lying on her back on the floor, with the cub half way born, set to straining hard while drawing up her legs and holding the soles of her feet in her hands to keep them out of the way. Splaying her legs as far as she could, Karina reached between her legs and grabbed her heels with both hands. Wriggling, she set herself to labouring, whimpering, panting and moaning while pushing hard, while Sita, having washed the cub’s face, eased it into the world, karina straining in this position until she’d delivered the cub as far as its feet. Lying on her back on the floor, karina asked Sita to tell her how far along the cub was to being born. Sita explored, telling karina she was just about to deliver the cub’s feet. Karina panted hard:

“Hold the cub mum!” she begged, “hold the cub while I sit up a little against the ball, there, now, now, let me feel, ooooamf!” karina reached down and supported the cub in her hands, gathering the large creature in her hands, while Sita got paws on with the cub’s legs. Settling her heels into the rubberised flooring, Karina strained down hard into her tail, the cub’s feet starting to slide into the world, karina relaxing and panting half way through the passage of her cub’s heels, feeling the heel pads easing out, karina squealing and moaning through their passage as she was exhausted, her cub yowling as his feet jammed then slid slowly into the world and were compressed as Karina’s strength gave out, Sita encouraging karina to:

“Push hard Karina, as hard as you can! Those heels need to come out, otherwise they’ll get stuck!” Straining as hard as she could, Karina felt the thick heel pads on the cub’s feet jam, then slide back as she panted. Wriggling and squealing with rage and pain, Karina strained down hard once more, feeling the cub’s heel pads filling her world. Screeching, she bullied them out into the light of day, then panted as her cub’s arches slid out, squealing as the balls of her cub’s feet jammed, then, under more pressure from Karina, squeezed into the world as she pushed strongly, his toes sliding into the world with some difficulty, as the cub had curled them with fear. Panting after the passage of the cub’s feet, karina tried to relax, but felt something still inside her. Looking down, she stared in wonder as the cub’s long tail emerged from her. Karina panted, wriggling and complaining: “

Auauauauauauw, Naoaoaoaow Noaoaot a tail! Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh! I caaaaaan’t puuuuuush!” in response her cub yelled at her to:

“Push my tail out mum! Push, push!” pushing the heels of both his large naked feet into the floor in his own effort to help. Karina responded by repeatedly screaming:

“Uawhwhwhwhwhwwhaoaoowh!” while straining repeatedly down into her bum to deliver the cub’s tail while Sita got paws on with the emergence of the tail. Lying prone on the floor, with her left paw, Sita tracked the emergence of the cub’s tail, the sole of Karina’s left foot resting in her right, feeling karina curling her toes as she pushed and wriggled, writhed and strained to deliver the cub’s tail, which to Sita seemed never ending.

“Keep pulling gently on his tail mum!” Karina mewed, “I can’t let go of him, and I can’t push the tail out without help!” Sita gently pulled at the cub’s emerging tail, following it down with her left paw as karina pushed and wriggled with much moaning and protestations of:

“Oaoaoaoaow, ooooamf, ouauauauauwhwhwhw,” while Sita kept rubbing the sole of karina’s left foot from the cat bear’s curled toes to bunched ball and sweating heel pad with her right.

“Push my tail mum!” the cub encouraged, ”phew!” the cub exclaimed between groans as expressive as Karina’s own as she pushed his tail into the world, “you took a long time over getting me out! But well, I’m glad of it, but there’s so much more of my ow, ow, Yaoaoaoaoaoach! tail!” he yowled.

“nearly there mamma Karina,” Sita mewed, karina roaring as she felt the tip of the cub’s tail emerge.

“Done it!” she gasped.

“What the hell are you doing here Felix?” Sita asked.

“I heard mum sounding like she was in labour, so I came to watch. Oooaoaoh, she remembers everything!” the young felursapien replied.

“I do, and I never want to forget it,” Karina purred.

“Thanks mum,” Felix said, kneeling before Karina then kissing her nose, karina hugging him.

“Get paws on with me Sita,” Felix said, Sita getting paws on with Felix from his furred head to his naked feet, the young male felursapien purring and wriggling with pleasure, his toes curling under Sita’s fingers as she rubbed the balls and toes of both his feet, Felix sitting back on his heels and squirming with pleasure.

“touch my heels Sita Paws,” Felix said, Sita touching Felix’s heels, feeling his buttocks bouncing and drilling, as well as his tail lashing with pleasure at her touch.

“You have smooth pads Felix,” Sita mewed, running her fingers down the sole of his right foot from his firm heel pad, across his deep soft arch to the springy pad on the ball, then those of his toes, Felix whimpering with pleasure, catching the tips of her fingers with his toes as they reached them, curling his toes round her fingertips and embracing them once they’d explored his toes and rested within the gap between his toe pads and the thick pad on the ball of his foot.

“Is it okay if I pretend to have a cub too?” Felix asked.

“it is,” Sita mewed, “Blackberry has tried it, and I encourage all cubs, male and female to try it too. I too have pretended to have a cub.”

“I’d love to have seen that,” Karina mewed.

“I’d love to try it,” Felix mewed.

“You push your feet against your hands, or against Sita’s paws,” Karina mewed.

“Can I lie on my back, hold my feet with my hands, kick the air and try pushing my feet against my hands whilestraining to deliver the cub?” Felix asked.

“You can,” Sita mewed, “that’s how I do it. After all, I’m not pushing against a real cub.”

“Sita also sits back on her heels too,” Karina mewed.

“How if you teach me Sita?” Felix asked, “Philomena could learn too.”

“I know how to do most of what you speak of Felix,” Philomena said, padding into the room, “I have had about three imaginary cubs already, but the concentration needed is huge!”

“You have to let your imagination run free, let your toes and your fingers and your body and voice do the expressing,” Sita said.

“it’s better when there’s someone else to urge you on,” karina purred.

“I agree,” Allie said, padding into the room with Bjorn, “I couldn’t get through it without Bjorn urging me to, “wriggle and bounce Allie! squirm and curl those toes!” Bjorn giggled at this news, smiling at Felix, who now sat on the floor playing with the toes of his left foot, the toes of that foot having curled and caught the fingers playing with them.

“I think we should start with something basic,” Sita mewed, “I’ll rub your feet and you are only allowed to express yourself in moans, groans and whimpers and curl your toes as if in real labour.”

“I remember trying to prolong my moans of effort until Bjorn’s touch reached my toes when his touch began at my heels,” Allie replied.

“Felix’s touch makes me whimper and moan with pleasure when he rubs my pads,” Philomena replied, Felix burying his face in his hands at this revelation.

“You love Philomena dearly don’t you Felix, admit it,” karina said.

“Oh all right, I do,” Felix gushed.

“the last time I had an imaginary labour the cub took hours to be born,” Philomena said, “I laboured from early morning, going through my entire day as if in labour, stopping eating from time to time during meals to curl my toes and breathe, moan and pant. Then I walked in the woods with Felix, stopping to bounce on my toes and moan, then wriggle and pant, then carry on, all that, until the need to push started and Felix helped me crawl to the birthing pool, and I moaned and wriggled there a bit, until the cub was born in the birthing pool sometime in the late evening with much splashing and pushing of my feet into Felix’s hands. Sometimes, for some reason, I just couldn’t get the cub to move down!”

“I watched you that day, and know you were enjoying his touch too much,” karina giggled.

“Oh all right I was,” Philomena replied. Felix would soothe my feet with just dry touch of his fingers on my pads, then with water when in the pool, rubbing my pads while I sat back on my heels, squirmed and bounced, curling my toes as tightly as they’d go, or sat in the pool on a ledge and held one of my feet in my hands rubbing the pads and toes, and the cub would slide back a bit, then I’d take a good grip of the foot I was rubbing in my hands, then rock and wriggle, roar, miaow, yowl and push, but couldn’t push the cub out. While I was at this, Felix would rub my other foot, but I would be trying to force the foot I held out of my hands, while my hands held onto it.”

“It seems every time Felix rubbed your pads for you, the cub would slow down its emergence,” karina purred.

“yes,” Philomena replied, “when I ignored his rubbing and pushed as if I meant it, the cub moved forward, but there were times, times when I just moaned and wriggled while he rubbed my pads and soothed me. then I had to curl my toes, brace my feet and concentrate on straining pushes! The pushing was hard work karina.”

“it’s meant to be,” karina mewed, “but acting out the birth of a cub is harder than the real thing in some ways, as the love an attendant has for you makes you want to be soothed more than you want to push. Now during the real thing, the need to push is greater in the mind than the comfort given, as the body wants to birth the cub. Not saying the comfort isn’t wanted or needed, it’s sometimes further back in the mind than the need to push.”

“After I’d screamed the place down while straining my legs to their limit in my efforts to free my feet in place of pushing against a real cub, and made a large enough effort to free my feet of my hands, the cub was born and I’d got my breath back, I got out of the birthing pool to find my fingertips and toes all wrinkled!” Philomena giggled.

“I hope Felix helped you moisturise and wash afterwards,” Karina mewed.

“Oh he did, and that was lovely too,” Philomena replied, pushing Felix onto his back, lifting his left foot then blowing on his toes, the male felursapien squirming and laughing helplessly.

“Your cubs will be wonderful I think,” karina mewed.

“Oi mum,” Felix said, “if I got Philomena in cub now, I’d never forgive myself, she’s too young!” karina smiled:

“You might be a rogue, reckless to a fault, but you’re lovely Felix,” she thought.

“I love you from your nose to your toes Felix,” Philomena said, Felix hiding his face with his hands in embarrassment.

“It was lovely to help you through that day,” Felix mumbled, “Philomena, you invested everything into your act.”

“I even dropped a cup of water when a contraction hit,” Philomena replied, “I shouldn’t have done that maybe, but, well, it was cleared up while I rolled about on the floor in imagined pain, my knees drawn up to my chest, my legs splayed a bit as I rolled about, kicking and pedalling the air with my feet from time to time, waving my arms about and yowling throughout.”

“What did Felix do while you were doing that?” Karina asked.

“he got hands on with me, rubbing my feet when he could, stroking me and soothing me.”

“You have the most beautiful face, fur and feet Philomena,” Felix said, “the soles of your feet are as beautiful as your face and the rest of you is.” Philomena buried her face in her hands, just as Felix had, Felix giggling, sitting up, then kneeling and hugging her tightly.

“I love you so much,” he said, kissing her nose, Philomena laughing merrily. Felix grabbed Philomena’s right foot and traced her toe pads, then the pads on the ball, then her arch and heel of her foot, narrating what he found.

“Dark pads on your toes Philomena, one, two, three, four and five. A dark pad on the ball of your foot, here, then down to your arch, here, it’s lighter skin on your arch, then darker on your heel pad, here,” he said, while Philomena tried not to squirm and laugh as his touch slightly tickled her.

“Press more firmly Felix!” she implored, “you’re tiyiyiyckling meyeee!” she yelled.

“Oh sorry,” Felix said, as Philomena curled her toes, “now your toes are curled, the pad on the ball of your foot has bunched up, furrows here, and here, and here, white in the furrows, dark on the crests.” Philomena giggled delightedly at this news, drawing her leg up until she could gently lift Felix’s hands from her foot, then hug him.

“I wayayayan’a hug you Feyeyeyeyeylix, but I wayayayant you to hug my foot tooo! I Cayayayn’t win!” Philomena yowled into his fur, Felix laughing merrily.

“I love you from your face to your feet,” Felix mewed, kissing her nose.

“What about my tail?” Philomena asked.

“Oh that too,” Felix mewed, reaching to where the tip of her tail rested on the floor beside her and gently playing with it, Philomena bouncing and giggling delightedly.

“You can have my nose, my toes and tail and everything in-between,” she whispered, Felix smiling.

“I give you my nose, toes and tail and everything between too,” he replied, Philomena tightly hugging him.

“I love your silver coat Philomena,” Felix mewed.

“Your grey coat and black tail and pink hands and feet are cute too Felix,” Philomena replied.

“I’d love to follow you through a day during the labour and birth of your cub Philomena,” Sita mewed.

“It’s an early start mama Sita,” Philomena said.

“Oh I don’t mind those, I’ll wait for you to wake me on the day by phoning my flat,” Sita mewed, “I want to be there from the start if you’ll have me Philomena.” Philomena grinned and replied:

“Ok Sita, well things start with much moaning and panting, curling toes too,” Philomena replied, “then, well, breakfast is punctuated by panting, bouncing and wriggling while I’m sitting trying to eat, then it’s out to the woodlands for a walk and maybe a crawl about, punctuated with deep moaning and tight curling of toes, then it’s back for lunch with increased pauses for contractions, maybe whimpering and groaning then, then I don’t eat dinner, for in mid-afternoon, it’s usually time for things to really get going. Then in early evening it’s to the birthing pool for the screaming, groaning, struggling climax.”

“What represents the cub throughout all this?” Sita asked.

“Oh, when I’m pushing, my feet become the cub pushing against my hands, when I’m moaning and whimpering, I wriggle my backside against my heels, and when we’re satisfied I’ve done that enough, and curled my toes tightly enough, and pushed my feet against my own and Felix’s hands enough, it’s then the cub’s born. The ultimate object is to push with each leg until you can straighten each in turn, then both at the same time, only when you’ve done that while puffing and panting, as well as enough yowling and curling your toes as well as sitting back on your heels for a time have you really given it your all. Plus, between trying to push your legs straight you can lie down and kick and thrust at the air with your feet, and grab a foot for support too, grab your foot, rest it on your opposite leg, then lean over and push a few times against your hands with that foot. I and the attendant seem to know when things are coming to the last stage, I don’t know how, but I’m telling Felix the cub’s head is emerging with yowls and squeals and yelling about an urge to let the cub out. Once all this is done you can give birth to the cub by squealing and panting its head out. then it’s lying on your back or resting on your knees while wriggling and moaning and leaning on your hands while pushing with your feet against the attendant’s hands trying to push until the cub’s body, legs and feet are out. Pushing against the wall doesn’t count, only pushing against the attendant’s hands or paws counts towards the progress of the cub, so the attendant can prolong labour by keeping your legs bent a little while you push. Also, you can let them rub your free foot while you grab your other foot and push against yourself for a few contractions if you want. It’s a free flowing time. Labour can be fast or slow, easy or hard work, just like the real thing, The attendant always helps to judge whether you’ve pushed enough for the cub to be born. Too much panting and rubbing of my pads by myself or others always sends the cub back a bit, and I have to shake myself out of the pleasure and push my foot extra hard and long against my hands, but that’s just me.”

“So the longer Felix rubs your pads without you pushing or making efforts, the further back your labour gets?” Sita asked.

“yes,” Philomena giggled, “it’s a battle between me wanting to be soothed and wanting to push.”

“when I stay with you during your labour, would I be able to help soothe you and feel you pushing against the cub?” Sita asked.

“Oh yes please,” Philomena replied, “I’d love that. You’ll keep me wanting to push too. Hold my foot in your paws so I can push, and I’ll pant, squeal and push, groaning through the efforts, curling my toes with the effort of my labours. I can labour for hours, as I said, and it will be a pleasure to re-enact with two to help. The truth is, I’m no good at self-directed labour, I can’t do what you do Sita. I can’t get so much into it I can make it convincing without the help of others to push against. You Sita, can do it, letting others soothe you, but focusing on the cub regardless of the pleasure you have from the pad rubs and things. I can’t, I get distracted, so I have to be dragged back to the job in hand.”

“After years of practise, if I do say so myself, I’m good at pretending to be a mama in strong labour,” Sita mewed. I react to the situation my legs and feet are in when pushing, I also have no problem yowling and panting, or curling my toes. I like to lie on my back and draw up my legs, grab the insides of my heels with my paws and hold on tight while I push my feet against my paws. I will wriggle and yowl and lash about with my tail while pushing too, first one foot, then the other, then both together against the grip of my paws. Sometimes that’s a better pushing experience than sitting up, as I find I can properly push with my feet. Also, I can kick and pedal at the air more easily too. My labour has started early in the morning too, and I too have tried going through a day acting out the birth of a cub, but it’s harder, as I have to be more careful of my surroundings.” Philomena looked at Sita, then remembered.

“Oh, yes,” she replied, “I don’t have to take that precaution. It must be harder for you to play with abandon Sita.”

“I have to be more careful, more gentle in my efforts,” Sita mewed, “I wish I could give myself up to the urge, but it’s not that easy. It helps me to be more realistic in the labour if I’m in my playroom or in the flat, which I know are places of true safety for me.”

“I could help you if you wanted to do it properly,” Karina mewed, “mum, you could pretend properly, I’d attend to you, and tell you when you could go mad or have to be careful.”

“I’ll take you up on that I think,” Sita mewed.

“I’d like to hear you miaow and yowl and roar and watch you push properly Sita,” Philomena replied.

“I have had real cubs before too,” Sita mewed, “first Imogen, then Toby, then Leo.”

“Toby got Hope in cub didn’t he?” Felix asked.

“yes, jewel was the cub’s name,” Sita mewed, “I don’t know what happened to my Leo.”

“he lives quietly in the woodlands now,” karina replied.

“I think I’ll try re-enacting the birth of a cub tomorrow,” Philomena said, “Sita, things won’t start till after three AM. I usually start things about four or five.” Sita crawled to Philomena and hugged her, then got paws on with her hands and feet, Philomena finding her toes curling with pleasure as the cat bear’s touch soothed her.

“If your paws make me feel like this, I will have a real struggle to concentrate on the birth of my cub,” Philomena said, her eyes shining.

“You have really soft springy pads, just like Felix does,” Sita mewed, rubbing and gently pressing the ball and heel of Philomena’s left foot with her fingers, Philomena unable to stop her toes curling with pleasure.

“like I do when acting, you’ll need to turn times of pleasure into the trigger for meaningful squeals of pain when labouring hard,” Sita mewed, “I do that when Blackberry helps me with the birth of an imaginary cub.”

“ooaaoah, I can feeyeeel what you mean! I’ll have to scream and yell when I feel the pleasure of your touch, which will make it even hayayayrder!” Philomena replied in a plaintive whimper, wriggling closer to Sita, pushing her foot hard against the pressure of the cat bear’s firm but gentle touch, Philomena curling her toes more tightly the harder she pushed her foot against Sita’s paw.

“You have very soft, thick pads Philomena,” Sita said, “on your toes, here, here, here, here and here, the ball of your foot, here and your heel pad, here,” she continued, Philomena wriggling delightedly as Sita gently touched the pads on the sole of her foot as she spoke of them.

“I wayayayan’a puuuuuush my fooooot hayayayrder into your paaaaws touch Siyiyiyta, but, uuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf! I, I cayayayayn’t doooo iyiyiyiyiyt!” Philomena squealed while wriggling and pushing hard with her left leg, flexing and tightly curling the toes of her left foot in her efforts, Felix laughing delightedly.

“puuush Philomena! Puuuuuush!” he yelled, clapping his hands in encouragement.

“Uuuuumf! I’m tryiyiyiyiying! tryiyiyiyiying so hard to keep puuuuuuushing!” Philomena replied in an angry yowl, squealing with laughter as she realised how she sounded.

“Keep that up all day tomorrow you be hoarse,” Felix giggled, hugging her free right foot in both hands.

“I think I’ll want to scream the place down for a while,” Philomena replied, “I think I found a video where Sita did. She screamed, yowled and rolled about just before the cub came into the world I think.

“I did,” Sita mewed, “I imagined Karina’s labour being a violent affair, and Blackberry and I worked towards that, plus I was on dry land too, so I screamed and yowled, kicked the air and drew up my feet, grabbed my feet with my paws and miaowed with pain as I curled my toes as tightly as I could, screaming auauauuw! Aouwch! Auauauauauauw! aow! Aow! Aow aow riaow! Aouauauauaumiaiaiaiaiow! Also Blackberry would touch the soles of each of my feet with different pressures from his fingers, then I’d try to push as if his touch was the cub, and he’d pull his fingers down my pads, and I’d moan and groan and pant, grunt and groan to push his fingers to the ball of my foot, then pant hard, squeal and moan as his fingertips reached my toes, only to squeal lustily and wriggle hard when Blackberry touched the heel pad of my other foot to start the whole contraction over again by putting pressure on my pads, to which I’d react depending on the intensity of the pressure from his paw.”

“I never thought of doing it that way,” Philomena replied, “Felix, would you do that for me?”

“I will,” Felix replied.

“It can work from the ball of the foot to the heel, if you’re sitting,” Sita mewed.

“We’ll try it,” Philomena replied smiling.

“Can the big cats be helped to re-enact labour this way?” Mama karina asked.

“it’s not just during acting it helps,” Sita mewed, “touching the foot can give a guide to how long to push for, if a mama isn’t pushing for long enough during a contraction. Yes, it will help big cats too, they can moan deeply, or actually push with their feet or for real when they feel the pressure from a paw.

“you’re sounding like a midwife!” Karina mewed.

“Am I?” Sita mewed, “I was talking to Blackberry about it, to mama Anook too. they, well, mama Anook mostly, she seemed to know more about it,” Sita babbled.

“The history says she was chief midwife and helped mamas to be by re-enacting the births of cubs to quite a high standard,” Felix said.

“Indeed she did,” Sita mewed, “I’m trying to emulate her a bit.”

“She is really good at re-enacting births of cubs,” karina mewed.

“So’s Sita, but she wouldn’t like me to remind her,” Blackberry said, padding into the room. Sita leapt to her feet, padded as quickly to him as she could, then hugged him.

“you are as good as Mama Anook ever was,” Blackberry said, “plus, you can act like a cat or a bear Sita.”

“I can’t scream like a human though, but karina can,” Sita mewed.

“We could join forces,” karina purred, “I could pretend to have felursapien cubs, and maybe Sally could help us by pretending to have human cubs too. I hear she’s got into re-enacting that quite a bit recently after Jess had Rosemarie.”

“”Sally was showing Jenny what happened I bet,” Sita mewed.

“She was, and realistic it was too,” Blackberry replied.

“I hear you have even tried re-enacting the birth of a cub Blackberry,” Felix mewed.

“I, um, yes. Who told you that?” Blackberry demanded.

“Oh, Sita Paws here,” Felix replied.

“Oh well, yes I did, and I enjoyed it too,” Blackberry replied gruffly.

“How long did you keep up the act?” Philomena asked.

“Oh, only an hour or so,” Blackberry replied, “I can’t keep the act for much longer than that, though Sita does it for longer when she pretends. She’s better at it too.”

“would you curl your toes for me Sita paws?” Felix asked. Sita did so, Felix squealing with delight as the spots on the fur between her toes disappeared in brown toe pads and furrowed sole pads.

“That’s really cuuuute Sita paaaaws! Can I rub your sole pad and toe pads?” Felix said, Sita smiling and nodding, Felix gently tracing the furrowed sole pad of Sita’s right foot with his fingers, Sita wriggling as she suddenly found herself struggling to curl her toes as tightly as she could in response to his rubbing of her pads.

“uuuuuuuaoh! Felix, Stoaoaoap iyiyiyiyt before my head explodes!” she yelped, laughing merrily.

“you’re a big softy Sita Paws,” Felix mewed, kissing the curled toes of her right foot, Sita lifting her feet slightly from the floor, then, miaowing cubbishly, wriggled and rocked to and fro like she’d not done since she was a cub. pushing off with both heels on the forward roll, her toes curled with concentration, Sita rocked faster and faster, her tail beating the floor as she used it as a perfect balance.

“You are soaoaoao fuuuunny Siyiyiyta Paaaaws!” Felix squealed gleefully, Philomena trying not to laugh at Sita’s antics, for she felt it would be disrespectful.

“Mum’s thwacking the floor with her tail too!” karina mewed, “Mum, you’re just a big cub! I bet, if we unzipped your coat, we’d find a young cub inside!” Sita, smiling broadly, placed her paws on the floor to steady herself.

“Sorry about that,” Sita said, suddenly sobering up and uncurling her toes.

“I liked rocking Sita paws with curled toes and beating tail better,” Felix mewed, touching her left heel with his fingers.

“Rub away at Sita’s heel pad, she might go back into silly Sita mode Felix,” Karina giggled.

“I’m really, truly, very sorry, I’m meant to set an example!” Sita whimpered, deeply embarrassed.

“You did, a great one!” Philomena replied smiling.

“I must try the Sita paws wriggle and rock some time,” Felix mewed, “paws off the floor, push with heels, use tail for balance, hmm, sounds wonderful!”

“Stoaoaoap iyiyiyiyt! I’m soaoaoaoaorry!” Sita whimpered, Felix throwing himself into her lap and hugging her, Sita yelping with surprise as she faught to catch Felix.

“Dear Sita Paws, we don’t want you to be sorry, you’re lovely!” he said, snuggling close, fiercely bracing the toes of both his small feet against the floor and pushing to get closer to Sita, kissing her nose, Sita smiling and hugging him.

“Don’t throw yourself at Sita Felix, she can’t see you coming!” Karina snapped.

“I forgot that until I landed,” Felix mewed sadly.

“I knew your intentions,” Sita purred, “I’m not hurt Felix, I love you so much.”

“awhwhw Soppy Sita Paws!” Felix mewed, hugging her as tightly as he could, Sita purring deeply.

“Felix is pushing so hard with his toes Sita,” Karina mewed.

“That’s very cute,” Sita purred.

“Maybe if Felix hugged karina as tightly, Sita could touch him like she did earlier,” Philomena suggested.

“Sometimes he does, when we play,” Karina mewed, “he calls them squishhugs, as he feels he has to push as hard as he can to get as close as he can, then hold on tight.”

“muuum, don’t tell her that!” Felix whined, Philomena laughing helplessly.

“I’ve had a squishhug I think,” she said, “it’s really cute, and Felix braced his toes as he’s doing now.”

“I’m meant to be all mature, but when at play, I act like a cuuuub!” Felix wailed, Philomena crawling to his right foot and kissing the accessible heel pad, Felix leaning on the toes of his left foot, lifting the toes of his right from the floor then pointing his toes, Philomena kissing, then blowing on the male felursapien’s exposed toe pads, Felix shrieking:

“Philomena! Stoaoaoap tiyiyiyckling my toooooes! Naoaoaoaow! Nooaoaoaot my heyeeel as well!” with laughter, Philomena’s tickling making him bounce hard on the toes of his left foot, Felix finally losing his balance and landing on his knees, Sita laughing helplessly as she was thrown about.

“I’m not a pivot, stop it!” she giggled, though she knew she was far stronger and heavier than the half-grown cub hugging her, and hadn’t been hurt in the least by his sudden need to use her as a pivot, “What made you squirm and bounce like that Felix?” Sita asked.

“I’m sorry for that Grandmamma Sita,” Felix mewed, “Philomena kissed the heel pad of my right foot, so I put my weight on the toes of my left and pointed the toes of my right, Philomena then tickled my left toooooes making me bounce!” Felix yowled, Sita laughing merrily.

“That’s really sweet!” she replied, kissing Felix’s nose, then lifting him in her paws, tipping him onto his back and lying him down in her lap, lifting his tickled left foot then kissing the tickle from his toe pads, Felix purring deeply.

“awww Sita, that’s really sweet of you!” Philomena said, Sita smiling broadly as she washed Felix’s hands and feet, the felursapien cub purring deeply.

“Can I have some of that grandmamma Sita?” Philomena asked.

“You can,” Sita mewed, Felix tumbling off her lap, crawling to Philomena, pushing her onto her back, then blowing on the naked soles of both her small feet, Philomena shrieking with laughter. Still laughing, she crawled to Sita’s feet, Felix chasing her, tickling her heel pads and toes with his breath the whole way until Philomena scrambled into Sita’s lap. Smiling, he kissed Philomena’s nose and sat down to watch.

“Philomena’s really cute Sita, she’s cute from her nose to her toes,” Felix said. Sita smiled broadly at his obvious love for Philomena. Sita explored Philomena with her paws, her tender touch making Philomena wriggle and purr with pleasure.

“I’d love it if you’d get paws on while I pretend to have a cub Sita Paws,” Philomena mewed.

“I’d be honoured,” Sita mewed.

“Can I practise pretending to push when you touch the soles of my feet?” Philomena asked. Sita smiled broadly and touched the ball of Philomena’s right foot with gentle touch, Philomena leaning forward with a moan of pain, her voice rising to a yowl of protest and effort as she grabbed her left foot and tightly curled her toes as Sita increased the pressure from her fingers on the sole of her right foot and ran her fingers down the sole of the felursapien’s foot from ball to her heel, Philomena yelling and wriggling with effort by the time Sita’s fingers pressed firmly and strongly into the soft thick heel pad of her right foot.

“That’s iyiyiyiyt!” Philomena whimpered, panting and wriggling, “now, now, now try a light touch to my left foot!” Sita did, and Philomena moaned softly until Sita’s touch reached her mid sole. Suddenly Philomena urged:

“Now push your fingers deeply against my foot!” Sita did, dragging her fingers down the sole of Philomena’s left foot to her heel, Philomena rocking backwards, her mouth open in a sudden drawn out yowl of pain, her toes curling tightly, then Philomena leaning forward, grabbing her right foot in her hands while wriggling and curling her toes even tighter as she moaned and yowled as she pushed hard with her right foot,:

“Muuuuust puuuuuush! Eueueueueueuerh! Uuuuuuuumf!” until Sita’s fingers left the heel of her left foot, Philomena greeting the release of pressure on her heel pad with a squeal of triumph.

“That’s it! That’s the help I want!” Philomena yelled, her eyes shining as she uncurled her toes and rubbed them with the fingers of both hands, “next I want You Sita to get paws on while Felix helps me with the birth of my imaginary cub. that way you can feel how my toes curl and pads bunch on my free foot, also how I hold my free foot in my hands too.”

“You can’t order Sita to do anything Philomena!” Blackberry snapped.

“Don’t get at her Blackberry, she didn’t mean it that way I’m sure,” Sita mewed, “I’m glad she wants me to do these things. I love getting paws on, and will take any invite I’m given.”.”

Felix’s toes curled with yours Philomena,” Karina said, smiling broadly.

“Felix’s toes give his emotions away,” Philomena giggled, Sita paws on with Philomena’s hands and feet as the felursapien rubbed the pads and toes of both her own feet to soothe them after their efforts.

“I should be doing the rubbing Philomena,” Sita mewed, “after all, you curled your toes for me.” Philomena laughed merrily and hugged Sita.

“I would let you get paws on all day if I could,” Philomena replied, Sita returning her hug.

“Your pads are lovely to touch,” Sita mewed, “I like Felursapien hands and feet, bear as well as bare hands and feet too, oh, lions, and tigers, and liger’s paws and feet, and those of humans also,” Sita added.

“I love you Sita Paws,” Philomena said, Sita hugging her tightly.

“What would you do if one of your older cubs had a cub in the playroom Sita?” Felix asked.

“Well, my cubs, as I call them, range in age from one month old to three years old,” Sita mewed, “I suppose, if one of the older cubs was to get in cub before time and go into labour in my playroom, I’d help her. I could do little else, what I wouldn’t do is punish her for what was happening.”

“I hope playing at giving birth quells the need to do it for real before the cubs are really ready,” Ursula grunted, padding into the room, “Nanuq has been talking to me at length, Allie, Bjorn, you can play at having cubs. I, I, I tried re-enacting the birth of a cub with Nanuq helping me, then he tried re-enacting the birth of a cub with me as attendant. It, oh dear!” she looked very moved.

“Nanuq did it! he did iyiyiyt!” Allie yelled, rearing onto her small feet then clapping her paws.

“yes, he showed me what it was like to re-enact the births of you two cubs,” Ursula replied, “he took me back to the woods and even enlisted Blackberry to drive the trailer too. I pushed and roared, curled my toes and screamed my way through it all, while Nanuq helped me by rubbing my pads and being his usual sweet self. When it came to the actual birth in the hammock, he told me to push with my feet when I felt the urge. I pushed hard down, and he made sure I could push while on my back, sitting or kneeling. When each of you were born, he let me hold a soft cuddly plush cub in my paws, which he encouraged me to wash and cuddle for a bit until the present reasserted itself in my mind.”

“Nanuq’s wonderful,” Sita mewed.

“I wonder, does he use cuddly plush cubs when he’s pretending to give birth to real cubs?” Felix asked.

“What if he does?” Sita enquired, “Felix, don’t get at him for it.”

“I wasn’t going to taunt him for it mum, I wondered if he’d be able to find a plush toy felursapien cub for me and Philomena, that’s all.”

“I did get them made for Moses and Ekaterina,” Blackberry replied, “They’re rather scary, as they’re so lifelike! Their hands and feet are made of padded material that feels like naked skin. They also have proper toe, ball and heel pads on their feet too.”

“you made them animatronic too,” Philomena replied, “Blackberry, I’ve played with little Karina, she’s really cuuuute!”

“She, Shadow, little Sita and Shandy have all taken their places in the community now,” a deep purring voice said.

“Titan! Don’t do that!” Blackberry squealed, leaping into the air as the liger’s whiskers tickled his ear.

“Sorry,” the huge liger mewed, “I couldn’t help myself though, I had to come and watch you all, the cameras weren’t enough for me.”

“how long have you been here?” Ursula demanded.

“Oh, I followed Sita and Karina, Karina didn’t see me, and Sita didn’t hear me,” the liger replied, his eyes shining.

“You rogue!” Sita yowled, Titan padding across the soft flooring and kissing her nose, Sita unable to hear his feet on the floor.

“You’re a pest Titan!” Sita mewed, Titan rubbing heads with her and kissing her ear.

“I saw everything you and Karina did Sita, you were both wonderful,” Titan mewed.

“I felt a deep need to re-enact Felix’s birth for mum,” karina replied.

“it’s fine to use plush cubs at the end of a re-enactment,” Titan mewed, “I need to do that sometimes too.”

“You have re-enacted Zalika’s birth?” karina asked.

“Apudo’s too,” Titan mewed, “during that one, I kiss the plush cub’s nose when I curl round after pushing for a long time with my feet, curling my toes and making a lot of noise. Then it’s back to pushing hard against a wall with my feet and the floor with my paws, though, sometimes if an attendant is there, I’ll push my feet against their hands or paws too.”

“You also yowl and growl too,” Nanuq said, walking into the room, “I’ve helped you through your re-enactment Titan, and you really go for it. You’re pads are soaked afterwards, and you say your legs and toes ache too.”

“I am committed when I do it,” Titan mewed, padding to Nanuq and kissing his nose, “My legs, paws and feet ache after a re-enactment, but I love doing them. I think you know that feeling too Nanuq.”

“Oh yes,” Nanuq replied, “I know the thrill of acting the birth of a cub, and the discomfort afterwards too, but it’s too addictive to give it up.”

“You also sometimes ask others to put pressure on the pads of your feet with their paws to help you push don’t you Nanuq?” Titan asked.

“yes, you’ve helped me do that. The touch from your paws has helped me give birth to the most difficult cubs,” Nanuq said, looking Titan over from his nose to his paws, marvelling at how large the liger was.

“Want to see my belly and the pads of my paws?” Titan asked, gazing at the huge male polar bear.

“I, um, have seen your belly and paws,” Nanuq replied, “last night, you were sleeping, you lay on your back, paws and feet in the air. I had a good look then, as was on internal patrol. You’re very beautiful Titan.”

“I have seen yours too,” Titan mewed, “Nanuq, your feet and paws are lovely, and you have a very cubbish expression when you sleep too. I long to kiss your nose and hug you while you sleep, but I know I can’t.”

“I wish you’d ask us to show you our feet and paws more often Titan,” Nanuq said.

“I have no right to ask,” Titan mewed, “I saw yours because you were sleeping in a corridor.”

“I put my head into your lie up, I know I shouldn’t have,” Nanuq replied ashamedly.

“you’re welcome to look into each lie up,” Titan mewed.

“You had forsaken your usual place, dragging your blanket to the entrance,” Nanuq said, “Titan, you were sleeping peacefully, your paws and feet sticking skywards. I wanted to hug and rub them so much!” Nanuq gushed, Titan smiling broadly.

“come on then,” the liger mewed, rolling onto his back, “hug my paws and feet.” Nanuq stared at Titan’s face, belly and the pads of his feet and paws, marvelling at the liger’s huge stature and beautifully clean fur and paw pads.

“come on, hug me,” Titan mewed, Nanuq kneeling then kissing his nose and the pads of both his paws.

“now that’s better,” Titan purred, Nanuq pulling Titan onto his left side then hugging him, the liger purring deeply.

“I will rub your paws and wash them too,” Titan mewed to Nanuq, the polar bear smiling broadly, humming with ursine contentment as Titan fitted actions to his words.

“We felursapiens want you to wash our hands and feet too Titan,” Philomena said.

“I think I’ll delegate it to Sita,” Titan mewed, “she has my full authority and deserves the privilege.”

“We agree,” Felix mewed, hugging Sita.”

“Maybe if Titan visually checks the soles of our feet for thorns, Sita can help by stretching pads and having the final say,” Karina mewed, her eyes sparkling.

“sounds wonderful,” Sita mewed.

“We only go to Sita’s swimming classes for the pre swim checks of our feet and paws,” Nanuq said, Sita growling at him.

“Only for those?” she asked, “I thought you liked the pool complex.”

“Oh I do, but the pre swim check of pads is lovely too,” Nanuq replied smiling.

“You big softy!” Sita mewed, crawling to Nanuq, who, now, sitting on his haunches, felt her paws exploring the soles of his feet from heels to toes, Nanuq unable to stop himself squirming with pleasure.

“You have lovely soft pads Nanuq,” Sita mewed, kneeling behind his toes to rub them, feeling her own feet rubbed by two sets of small paws, smiling as she recognised their owners by the size and manner of their touch.

“Allie and Bjorn,” Sita mewed, “you do have lovely paws,” the two cubs giggling helplessly.

“Sita does know, I told you she can recognise our touch!” Bjorn giggled. Sita smiled and curled her toes, Allie squealing:

“Sita, your toes have got my fingers!” Sita smiling and releasing her toehold.

“You’re lovely Sita,” Bjorn said, kissing the heel of her left foot, Sita sitting back on her heels and bouncing with pleasure.

“You have the most wonderful tail Sita,” Bjorn said, grabbing the end of Sita’s long banded tail in his paws and playing with it.

“If I move my tail you can play with the end of it while Allie rubs my feet Bjorn,” Sita mewed.

“Can you hold the end of your tail with your toes Sita?” Allie asked. Sita smiled broadly, curled her tail up over her belly and, turning her legs towards each other, brought her feet together until her toes gripped the tip and a good bit of the end of it in their strong grip, then released her tail, tickling her own toes with the tip. Smiling, she then let her tail slip down from the grip of her toes to her heels, before she used her tail tip to tickle her heel pads.

“Sita, that’s rather cuuuute!” Bjorn said as Sita drew up her knees, Allie rubbing the sole of Sita’s left foot from heel to toes, Sita curling her toes as tightly as she could.

“I bet Philomena and Karina can tickle their own toes with their tails,” Bjorn said.

“They have even more flexibility in their tails and control over them than I do, so I don’t see why they couldn’t,” Sita mewed. Titan lay down to observe what Allie, Bjorn, Felix and Philomena were doing from closer range, karina laughing at his curiosity. Smiling, she crawled to Titan and stroked his shoulder as the huge liger lay watching the goings on with the intensity of concentration that, if he were wild, he would usually reserve for a hunt. So involved with their antics was Titan, that his toes curled with those of the creatures at play, karina giggling at the antics of his paws and feet. Taking hold of Titan’s left foot in her hands, she felt his toes curling tightly with Felix’s as Sita pinned the older felursapien down and Philomena rubbed the sole of his right foot from ball to heel, Felix curling his toes as if they were pulled by strings attached to her dragging fingers. Squirming with the effort of curling his toes as tightly as he could, Felix giggled at his own antics.

“Titan’s toes are mimicking yours Felix,” Karina mewed, Felix smiling broadly at the liger, who grinned broadly.

“It’s nooaoaoaot fair!” Titan wailed, “your play makes my toooes all tired, but I cayayayan’t Heyeyeyeyelp watching iyiyiyiyt! Your play makes my toooes cuuuurl soaoaoao tiyiyiyightly! Uauauaauauw!” the liger yowled, wriggling in simulated discomfort, Allie and Bjorn laughing merrily at his antics.

“Titan’s so expressive with his paws and feet!” Allie giggled.

“they’re very cute, as is their owner,” karina mewed, kissing the liger’s nose and the pads of his right foot, Titan closing his eyes with bliss, squirming and chuffing with pleasure while curling his toes tighter than ever.

“Titan’s toes are almost as tightly curled as he curls them when in labour,” Blackberry observed.

“labour causes my toes to curl to a degree no pleasure can ever hope to achieve,” Karina mewed, “giving birth to a cub sends my toes into curling overdrive, and their tightness of curling always astonishes me when I look back at myself giving birth to Felix. I have tried curling them as hard when I’m not in labour as I did when I was, but can’t do it, which is really frustrating!”

“it’s very cute and very expressive,” Titan mewed, curling round, kissing Karina’s left heel while she played with the toes of his right foot, the liger Kissing the pads of karina’s left foot from heel to toes while she sat back on her haunches, squirming with pleasure at the liger’s gentle kiss to her pads.

“You have soft warm pads Karina,” Titan purred, kissing the curled toes of the female felursapien’s left foot, Karina squirming her backside hard against her heels as Titan’s kiss filled her with pleasure from the gentle touch of his kiss on her heel pad, arch, then the ball of her foot and toes, the pleasure radiating from the naked sole of her left foot, up her body to her ears.

“Your feet are so fresh you don’t have much dark pad at all karina,” Titan mewed, there’s a little on your heel pad, and on the toes and ball, but not as much as I’d expect for one who is nearly four years old. Either you have very resilient pads, or you spend most of your time using your feet as playthings.” Karina laughed merrily at this, turning her head, Titan kissing her ear while keeping his place on the sole of her foot by touching her arch with the toes of his left paw, returning to washing the ball of her foot, Karina giggling delightedly.

“You love your paws, hate your claws and your roar Titan,” she said, “you’re a super soft tiggie.

“I don’t like my claws,” Titan mewed, “They’re long and sharp and scare meyeee!” he yowled.

“Your roar also leaves you in tears too,” Felix said softly.

“That just sounds so angry and horrible I dared not use it often,” Titan mewed, “I really don’t like getting angry, because I feel a side of me which I don’t like, it gets all hot and uncomfortable, and I fear my power when that happens.”

“you’re such a snugglypuss it’s so cute Titan,” Felix mewed.

“I like the way you keep your place on the sole of my foot with your paw while you kiss my ear dear Titan,” karina mewed, Titan smiling into his whiskers.

“I sometimes forget where I stopped,” he mewed.

“if you forget, I might get another kiss to my pads,” karina purred.

“oh all right, I will forget where I have washed,” Titan mewed, Karina giggling delightedly as Titan’s breath tickled the toes of her left foot, squealing gleefully when he blew a raspberry on the heel pad of the same foot, then again on the arch of her foot, Karina bouncing her backside on her heels with delight.

“I sometimes wonder who’s the bigger cub?” Felix asked, karina laughing merrily.

“Your mum’s very young beneath her mature manner Felix,” Titan mewed.

“Titan, would you extend the claws of the paw you’re using to pin my toes and draw them gently down my foot?” karina asked.

“You haven’t asked me to do that with my paw velveted yet,” Titan mewed, “Karina, I’d much rather run my toe tips down your foot without claws first.”

“You’re getting as reckless as me mum,” Felix mewed, “I think you’ll enjoy Titan scratching the soles of your feet with his velveted paws.”

“I hope I will,” karina mewed.

“I’m sure you will,” Felix purred, “isn’t him rubbing your toes with his enough?”

“I want him, I mean would like him, to try something else,” karina mewed.

“I know how good it feels when Titan runs the toe tips of one huge paw down the soles of my feet from my heel pads to my toes,” Felix mewed.

“I like that too, and when you rub my feet with your fingers too Felix,” Moses said, walking into the room, dropping to his hands and knees and crawling towards Titan, hugging the liger, then turning to Felix and hugging him too.

“We have played the stuck foot game many a time,” Moses said to Titan, his arms round Felix.

“We have too,” Felix mewed, “Moses, your feet stick easily to mine it seems.” Laughing, Moses replied:

“yes, and I can’t free my toes from yours either! I grab my heels one by one in both hands and tug but I can’t free my toes from the grip of your toes.”

“I hope you let him go in the end Felix,” Karina mewed, “you’re stronger than Moses.”

“Oh he does, but only when I’m really pulling hard, leaning back too. then Felix lets go of my toes and I fly backwards,” Moses replied grinning.

“That’s dangerous!” Karina yelled.

“I ask him to do it,” Moses replied, “I settle the heel of my free foot then push hard against the floor while I pull at the heel and arch of my stuck one with both hands, and when I’m squealing and yelling and pushing with my free foot and curling my toes and pulling as hard as I can, Felix lets go of my toes and I fall backwards. I land, kicking the air then pedalling with my feet.” Karina looked at Felix, her eyes furious.

“Moses is delicate!” she yelled.

“Not when he makes me wear that silly hat thing I’m not!” Moses snapped, “I didn’t tell you about that as it’s just so boring, but he makes me wear the silly hat thing!”

“It’s a safety hat,” Felix mewed.

“Well that’s better,” Karina mewed.

“We spend ages before my toes get trapped checking each other’s feet for thorns,” Moses replied, “really it’s Felix and me rubbing each other’s pads, enjoying each other’s touch and laughing helplessly as our toes curl with pleasure. I try to uncurl Felix’s toes with my fingers while he struggles to keep them curled. He bounces about while doing that Karina, it’s really cuuuute!” Moses giggled.

“you two are so funny!” Sita mewed, “I can imagine your play, it sounds really sweet.”

“let’s play the game for Sita so she can get paws on Feyeeelix!” Moses yelled excitedly.

“Okay,” Felix mewed, “but we must check each other’s feet for thorns first.”

“but of course,” Moses said, his voice grave beyond his six years, then he laughed, “I love it when you check my feet for thorns!”

“I love it when you check mine too Moses,” Felix mewed, “you check them from toes to heels, then I sit back on my heels and you check them from my heels to my toes.”

“And you bounce and wriggle too!” Moses giggled, “it’s like you’re having a cub Felix!” Felix laughed merrily at this.

“I will admit here that I do sit back on my heels and drill them into my bum a bit while Moses is checking my feet for thorns, I also may tightly curl my toes,” he replied, his eyes shining.

“Felix does all that, and more,” Moses replied, “he limps sometimes when playing in the playroom, where there are no stones to get wedged between his toes, begging me to check his feet for thorns and stones again. He’s a real pest!”

“You do the same Moses,” Felix mewed, “squealing theatrically, then tumbling off your feet before scrabbling at the soles of your feet with your fingers.” Moses hugged Felix and kissed his nose.

“The day we can’t play with each other’s feet will be a dark one indeed,” he said.

“I don’t think Sita will stop us,” Felix mewed.

“You know the rules, consenting play is all right. But if someone says no, and means no, it’s paws off,” Sita mewed.

“You help us to know the right touch too Sita, so we often know the feelings of the one we are touching before any words are spoken,” Moses replied.

“That’s why we enjoy our play with seemingly no limits,” Felix mewed, “we know them, and respect them.”

“okay, enough talking, let’s play,” Moses said, tickling Felix’s toes, the felursapien laughing delightedly while bouncing his backside hard on his heels, curling his toes as tightly as he could. Moses said:

“I want you Felix to trap my toes with yours so I can tug and squeal and yell about my toes being trapped. Then, after a long struggle, I can lean back hard, squealing and wriggling, then you let go, I fly backwards and then you rub my feet to soothe me. I like that a lot.”

“Do you play the stuck foot game with your heels too?” Sita asked.

“Oh yes,” Moses replied, “it’s all pads pressed together, like the simple game, then when I’ve freed my heel and toes in the normal game, my toes slide down Felix’s foot after I’ve freed my heel, I grip the ball of his foot with my toes and he grabs my toes with his, then I squeal and tug at my freed heel to try and free my now stuck toes.”

“sounds very involved,” Sita mewed.

“Also, we can change what happens when I finally free my toes from the grip of Felix’s,” Moses said, “sometimes I will pull away from his foot, flying backwards when I manage to free my toes, others I will pull downwards, scraping my toes over his arch and heel as if they are still slightly glued to Felix’s foot until, with a squeal, I drag my toes over and finally off his heel pad.”

“I’d love to get paws on with you,” Sita mewed.

“Oh you can, before we play, touch mine and Felix’s feet, then we will play and you can get paws on during that too mama Sita,” Moses replied. Sita got paws on with Moses and Felix’s feet, noting how similar their feet were, then remembering how Blackberry was half human in his deepest DNA.

“our feet fit well together too,” Moses said, pressing his feet against Felix’s, their heels and toes pressing together, Sita feeling no overlap of either heel pad when they pressed their toes together.

“So it’s an equal struggle now,” Sita mewed, “no advantage to either player, as heel to heel, toes pressed to toes, there is no give at all.” Moses giggled, turning to face Sita.

“now check mine and Felix’s feet for thorns,” he said. Sita, smiling, did so, pressing and stretching their toe pads first, then the pads on the balls of their feet, the softer skin on their arches, and finally their heel pads, both Felix and Moses wriggling and bouncing with pleasure throughout.

“You are fit to play,” she giggled, blowing on their toes until Felix and Moses rolled about, screaming with laughter.

“now rub the tickle from our toooes Siyiyiyta Paaaaws!” Felix yelled, pedalling the air with his very cubbish feet. karina caught Moses and Felix’s feet for Sita, who rubbed the tickle from their pads.

“Their pads are very springy karina,” Sita mewed,

“the soles of their feet look very much like karina’s do,” Titan mewed, “there isn’t a lot of use thickened pad on their soles yet.”

“We get really stuck too,” Moses replied. turning to Felix, Moses pressed his left foot against Felix’s right, the two creatures heel to heel pad, toes pressing toes.

“now Sita, check that our playing feet are pressed well together, and that our out of play feet are apart from each other,” Felix said. Sita did, finding human left foot pressed against felursapien right, their two other feet resting, heels on the ground, toes relaxed, the two creatures having bent their legs a little to rest their heels comfortably on the floor and to show their out of play feet had a definite gap between them. Smiling, Sita ran her paws all over the tops and sides of Felix and Moses in play feet, pressing gently at toes to make sure of the seal. Giggling, the two players watched and felt her exploration, loving her touch.

“Now who’s going to be first to fight to free their feet?” Sita asked.

“I will,” Moses replied, “I tug at my toes while Felix encourages me to pull and dig with my fingers. I want to get my heel free first, then free my toes, then, I tug to free the ball of my left foot by gripping my heel with both hands and pulling downwards, but my toes are always caught by Felix’s as the ball of my foot slips. then, well, it’s grab my heel pad with my fingers, hold onto it and tug hard backwards to free my toes time.”

“I’m looking forward to this,” Sita mewed, feeling Moses and Felix shuffling a little to push their feet more firmly together.

“now pull at your heel Moses!” Felix yelled, Moses grabbing the heel of his left foot, working his fingers into the gap between his and Felix’s arches, then digging down hard to try and pry their heel pads apart while he braced his toes hard against Felix’s.

“eueueueueuemf, muuuuust puuuuuull! Auauauauaaurf!” Moses yelled as he pushed at the unyielding pads with his fingers, his toes pushing hard against Felix’s as Felix pressed back against his toe pressure.

“My heeeyeel’s coming freeyeee a bit!” Moses squealed after five minutes of wriggling, prying with his fingers while pushing with the toes of his left foot against those of Felix’s right. Growling, Moses dug furiously at his and Felix’s heel pads with his fingers, inching the pads apart, Squealing every time he relaxed, as they both pressed their heels together, trapping his fingers a little.

“Keep going, keep trying!” Felix gasped, “our pads want to make contact again, you mustn’t let them Moses!” Moses, whimpering, renewed his struggle to free his left foot, Sita paws on throughout. Suddenly their heels parted, and Moses, squealing with triumph, embraced his heel pad with the fingers of both hands.

“now to free your toes!” Felix mewed, tugging at his own toes with furious fingers, Moses wriggling as Felix tugged, yelping every time the felursapien freed one of his toes.

“Big toe, smaller toe, still smaller toe now freeyeee, even smaller, now littlest toe all freeyeee!” Felix yelled. Now all Moses had to do was free the ball of his left foot. Still gripping the heel of his left foot, Moses gripped the margin of the pad where the skin angled to form the beginning of his arch and pulled downwards. Groaning, Moses felt the ball of his foot moving, feeling it sliding over Felix’s. suddenly it slipped, and Moses, his yell of triumph turning into a squeal of rage as the toes of his left foot, sliding over the ball of Felix’s right, gripped it hard, then Felix’s toes gripped his, Moses wriggling madly as his toes wiggled into the grip of Felix’s. bouncing and squirming, still holding onto his left heel, the grip of his fingers fierce on his now hot, damp left heel pad, Moses waited for his and Felix’s toes to settle. Once they’d done so, Moses relaxed, panting hard.

“now I have to freeyeee my toooes all over agayayayayin!” Moses raged, Sita paws on with his struggles throughout, her eyes shining with merriment. Moses took hold of his left heel pad and as much of his arch and the ball of his left foot as he could in both hands, then, leaning backwards, tugged hard at his left foot, Felix’s toes trapping his. squirming, Moses complained in a shrill yowl of effort, the toes of his free right foot curling with his efforts, Sita as paws on with Moses and Felix’s free feet as she’d been with their stuck ones. Sita, getting paws on with Moses stuck left foot, felt the boy’s hands on the heel pad and arch, Moses gripping as much of his left foot as he could in his small hands. Sita explored Moses hands and stuck foot, as well as the curled toes of Felix’s right which held those of Moses left in a firm but soft, vice like grip.

“I Cayayayn’t freeyeee my toooes!” Moses yelled, tugging at his left foot with both hands while trying to wiggle his toes, Felix’s toes holding Moses toes tighter still.

“Errururururururmf! Yerurururururururureyeyeyeyoaw!” Moses yowled as he tugged hard at his left foot, the toes of his free right foot curling with his increasingly desperate effort. Suddenly Moses drew up his free right foot, dug in his heel and, curling the toes of his right foot with concentration and gripping his trapped left foot with desperate hands, leant backwards, pushing as hard as he could with the heel of his free right foot. It took Moses, pushing with his right foot and pulling with both hands, three squealing, panting, yelling efforts to free his left foot, Sita paws on with Moses straining toes and legs throughout. During Moses third effort, Felix waited until the boy’s effort to free the toes of his trapped left foot was greatest and he was curling the toes of his free right foot as tightly as he could, pushing as hard as he could with the heel of that foot and screaming with the effort before he uncurled his toes, toes which had held the toes of Moses left foot in a vice like grip. with a squealing yell, Moses tumbled backwards, his feet leaving the floor.

“That was fuuuun!” Moses laughed, pedalling at the air with his naked feet.

“It was!,” Felix replied, catching Moses feet one by one in his gentle hands, rubbing the soles of each of the boy’s small feet in turn, starting with the toe pads and then down to the balls, arches and heels, Felix smiling as Moses toes curled with pleasure as soon as they were free of his rubbing fingers, while Felix rubbed the arches and heel pads of his feet.

“I loved every minute of that,” Moses giggled, sitting up and grabbing the heel of his right foot, deeply rubbing the pad with his fingers as if to remember the feel of Felix’s own touch, Felix smiling at the young boy.

“You were as committed to freeing your toes as if they were really stuck,” Felix mewed.

“when I tugged hard and couldn’t free my toes, no matter how I wiggled them while pulling, I truly thought they were stuck,” Moses replied smiling. “You

Have very soft pads Moses,” Felix mewed, Moses giggling delightedly:

“so do you dear Felix,” he replied, dropping his right foot, reaching both arms round Felix, hugging him tightly.

“Can I rub your pads too? Check them for thorns Felix?” Moses asked. Felix grinned, returning Moses hug:

“My feet are yours to touch, to explore, to feel with your fingers,” Felix mewed, “and, if my toes don’t curl, please, ask me to curl them if you wish.”

“I’ve never known your toes not to curl with pleasure at any time while we play,” Moses replied, kissing Felix’s nose.

“When did checking pads for thorns become as much as an event as the game itself Sita?” Titan asked.

“Oh, well, to begin with, the pad check was necessary to make sure hands, or paws and feet were free of thorns. This was before the paw and foot washes we have now. Now of course, because paws and feet are used for play, the pads are checked and cleaned regularly, and when a check for thorns is done before play, lotion is used which cleans the paws and feet. Felix and Moses checked their hands and feet for thorns before they came in here, but, well, there’s no harm in doing it again before play.”

“It’s fun too,” Moses replied.

“it feels wonderful!” Felix mewed.

“Oh it does,” Moses said, “and makes sure Felix is sure I can play without fear of being hurt from any thorns that might be in my pads.”

“You had me check your feet toes to heels and heels to toes, twice,” Felix mewed.

“yes,” Moses giggled, “the same pad check feels very different depending on whether you’re sitting or kneeling.

“it’s whether you can see what’s about to happen that changes it,” karina mewed.

“I wouldn’t know about that,” Sita mewed, “all I know is I like my pads rubbed, but better still for me is when I rub others pads.”

“We love you rubbing our pads too Sita,” Moses replied smiling.

“You’re stuck foot game was very well played,” Sita mewed.

“I hope you got paws on enough,” Moses replied.

“I did, and thanks,” Sita purred.

“Would you rub mine and Moses pads Sita Paws?” Felix asked.

“yes, I’d love to,” Sita mewed, “who knows, maybe karina might play the stuck foot game with me sometime too.”

“I’d like to mum,” karina mewed.

“I remember when you showed me how you walk,” Sita mewed, “I’d love to play the stuck foot games with you, and get paws on while you play the single player stuck foot game Karina.”

“You’re welcome to get paws on while I do both,” Karina mewed, “first though, please, would you check my pads for thorns mama Sita?”

“I thought Titan had already done that,” Sita mewed.

“it’s essential to check each other’s pads before every game and customary for each to rub the other’s feet after,” Felix mewed.

“That’s wonderful,” Sita purred.

“I love your touch mama, so I’d love you to check my feet for thorns,” karina mewed.

“I love your touch too mama Karina,” Sita purred softly. Sita ran her paws over karina’s feet from heel pads to toe pads,, karina squirming and purring with pleasure.

“please rub from my heels to my toes and from my toes to my heels too,” karina mewed.

“You’re a big softypuss mum,” Felix giggled. Sita explored the sole of karina’s left foot from her toe pads, rubbing over her toe pads, then the ball of her foot and down, exploring her arch, stopping at her arch at the margin of her heel pad, karina curling her toes ever tighter the closer her mum’s touch got to her heel pad. Wriggling, karina felt Sita’s fingertips drag over the margin of her heel pad onto the pad itself.

“I was going to stop and rub the soft place on the arch of your foot karina,” Sita mewed, karina squirming and giggling with pleasure.

“I shook your fingers over the edge of my heel pad!” karina squealed cubbishly, Felix laughing delightedly at his mum’s antics.

“You have lovely pads mama karina,” Sita mewed softly.

“Well you made them,” karina replied, Felix smiling broadly.

“That’s really funny!” Philomena giggled.

“It’s true though,” Felix mewed, “I think, if Sita’s effort to push mum’s feet into the world hadn’t failed half way through, she’d have flat feet. it’s the exhaustion of the mamas after hours of pushing which makes the arches you know.”

“It’s nothing of the sort!” Blackberry snapped.

“Oh shut up with your biological knowledge,” Titan mewed, “it’s an interesting thought that if mama doesn’t push the feet out in one big push, the arches of the feet are shaped by the pressure on them.”

“but it’s wrong!” Blackberry yelled, stamping his feet.

“I know it, Felix knows it, but it’s all in fun,” karina replied, “trouble with you Blackberry is you’re too scientific. Can’t you have a bit of fun?”

“next you’ll be saying storks bring cubs!” Blackberry yelled.

“Oh no, noone would ever think that,” Felix replied.

“I’m fed up with thiyiyiyis!” Blackberry screamed.

“Calm yourself Blackberry dear,” Sita mewed, “we have many cubs here, though Karina might not look like one, she certainly feels like one.”

“I sounded like one too,” karina whimpered.

“I don’t blame any mama for sounding like a cub when giving birth,” Sita mewed.

“I am trying so hard to come to terms with my feelings towards my reaction to the pain and effort of pushing Felix into the world,” karina mewed, Sita hugging her.

“You re-enacted it for me,” Sita mewed, “Karina, Felix’s birth is wonderful!”

“Yes it is,” karina mewed.

“I think Sita Paws should pretend to have a cub right here and now,” Felix mewed, “then we can have another felursapien cub, which are very cute cubs indeed.” Sita laughed merrily at this. Then she threw herself down on her back and moaned:

“uuuuumf! Uuuuuuuumf! Miaowuauauauauauaauauaiow! Eueueueueuemf!” while pedalling and thrusting at the air with her feet, her toes tightly curled.

“Puuuuuush muuum, puuuuuush!” karina yelled, laughing helplessly. Sita rolled from side to side with her increasing efforts, her toes curling tightly as she struggled.

“Aauauauaauauauauuw! Miaowuauauauauauaauauaiow!” Sita yowled, drawing up her knees then grabbing the soles of her feet with her paws, her fingers digging into the bunched pads, her tail beating the floor as she strained her feet against her paws.

“That’s it Sita Paws, push to deliver the cub!” Felix encouraged, Sita letting her feet go, laughing helplessly.

“That’s enough of that,” Sita purred.

“Now it’s your turn to pretend to give birth to a cub Felix,” Philomena said, kissing his nose.

“Sita Paws didn’t try for long enough! How am I meant to know how to do it?” Felix yowled.

“You could take inspiration from what I did,” Karina replied.

“Naoaoaoaow! That would be disrespectful!” Felix yelled.

“Well how about getting your feet stuck like Moses did then?” Sita asked, “I’m up for a stuck foot game if you are Felix.”

“That would be nice,” Felix replied smiling.

Another community member who at that moment couldn’t free his paws or feet was Theo. The lion lay in his lie up, Bianca, Zalika, Jespah and Sasha caressing all four of his paws, while he lay on his side, his eyes closed, enjoying the sensation from all four of his paws.

“I’m not looking forward to when I have to get onto my paws and feet and use them to walk,” Theo mewed piteously, “surely giving them over to my mate and cubs is what they were made for? Walking on them is a defiling of my paws and feet!” he yowled, beating the floor with his tail in a leonine rage.

“Youw pads awe vewy soft Theo,” Zalika mewed.

“I do try,” Theo purred, kissing her nose, feeling Zalika’s small paws gripping his left in a tender embrace.

“Theo’s curling his toes with pleasure again! Soaoaoao cuuuute!” Sasha giggled, rubbing the pads of the huge lion’s left foot, Theo squirming and miaowing with pleasure.

“Awhwhwhw that’s weally cuuuute Sasha, ‘ow if we all ‘wubs ‘is paws, Maybe ‘e’ll woll onto ‘is back and wave ‘is paws in the aiw. That would be weally cuuuute!”

“naooooo!” Theo whimpered, “if I do that, you can’t get hold of my paws and feet, and I wayayayant more of your touch!”

“you’s a big softypuss,” Zalika said, kissing Theo’s nose.

“When I get paws on with Bianca’s paws, I wonder how she managed to deliver Jespah and Sasha into the world,” Theo mewed, “You have small paws Bianca, and for you to push cubs out who have such big paws must have hurt you.” Bianca hugged Theo’s right paw, which she held in both of hers.

“My duty is to push and wriggle and push until the job is done,” Bianca mewed.

“I want to apologise to Titan too, for because I am big, so was Zalika when she was born, and that hurt him too,” Theo whimpered.

“You can’t shwink youwself to make the biwths of youw cubs easieah on youw mates Theo!” Zalika giggled, “I sees what you means, but, it ain’t weally youw fault you’s a big lion with ‘’uge paws!”

“I had a dream where Bianca was rolling about in her efforts to deliver Sasha’s paws, she’d not even got to her head yet! Bianca, you wriggled and yowled and splayed your legs and strained while you curled your toes, but Sasha’s paws wouldn’t emerge. I had to help ease them out one by one! Then, oh dear! I had to pull to help you deliver Sasha into the world too!”

“in your dream you did what Patch did in reality,” Bianca replied, kissing Theo’s nose.

“But it was all so real!” Theo moaned.

“I remember every minute too,” Bianca mewed, brushing her paw through his whiskers.

“I wish I’d had the knowledge and the confidence to help,” Theo mewed.

“Maybe next time,” Bianca purred.

“I would not wish our cub stuck just so I could get paws in and help!” Theo miaowed.

“No, but, you could support the cub, maybe help pull while I push as best I can if I get tired after delivering most of its body,” Bianca purred.

“I’d love to do that,” Theo mewed.

“Shandy could pretend to be a lioness, and you could start practising Theo,” Sasha suggested.

“I suppose so,” Theo purred.

“I’d love to get paws on with you while you pretend to give birth to a cub Theo dear,” Bianca mewed.

“I’d look and sound silly!” Theo replied.

“You’d be very cute I bet,” Sasha mewed, “we’d all rub your paws some more then too, and you’d suspend having to use them for walking,” she purred.

“I could,” Theo mewed, his wish not to use his paws or feet for walking uppermost in his mind.

“All you need to do is pant and wriggle, curl your toes, growl, yowl and moan a bit, then push your feet against our paws when you want to push,” Jespah mewed.

“uuuuumf, riaow! Uauauauaauw! miaow!” Theo replied, squirming as much as he could while curling his toes tightly without freeing his paws and feet, Bianca giggling delightedly.

“now push Theo, push with your feet,” Jespah said, Theo closing his eyes then bracing his feet against his cub’s paws, his moan of effort genuine.

“That’s it, puuuuuush!” Sasha encouraged, Theo miaowing and pushing hard down into his cub’s paws with both his huge feet.

“you look very cute Theo,” Bianca said, stroking her mate’s left paw in a lull between his efforts, Theo opening his eyes and looking at her.

“I, I, aow! Bianca! It’s happening agayayayayin! Aouwch! Riaow! Aouaouaouaouauowch!”“ Theo yelled, closing his eyes, curling his toes and straining hard by pushing with all four paws into the grip of those of his mate and cubs in an effort to deliver his imaginary cub.

“that’s it Theo, puuush!” Bianca encouraged, Theo wriggling and straining. Yowling and moaning, finally shedding his inhibitions and fighting hard to deliver his imaginary cub until Jespah told him it was born, the huge male lion’s feet and paws damp with effort by the end of his struggles.

“You did so well Theo! Curling into a ball, curling your toes, pushing hard with your feet, squirming and straining until it was done!” Bianca said, Theo panting and moaning with exhaustion.

“Once I got going, I truly couldn’t stop pushing!” he exclaimed, wiping his sweating face with equally damp paws.

“We’d better cool your pads,” Sasha mewed, kissing then washing the pads of his right foot, Theo smiling contentedly.

“it was a lovely first attempt,” Bianca purred, washing the pads of Theo’s right paw, while Zalika and Jespah attended to his other foot and paw.

Meanwhile, in the Adult playroom, Felix and karina checked each other’s feet for thorns, each sitting back on their haunches while the other checked their pads for thorns, stretching the other’s pads by pressing firmly, then pulling gently down on the other’s heel pads, then arches, the pads on the balls of each other’s feet, then their toe pads, the whole thing usually over quickly, but today taking about twenty minutes, as each couldn’t help curling their toes with pleasure at the touch of the other’s fingers, trapping the rubbing fingers, and when this happened, neither the toe pads or the pad on the ball of the foot could be checked for thorns.

“I love how soft your pads still are Felix,” Karina mewed as she rubbed the pads on the soles of her son’s feet, giggling as he tightly curled his toes with the pleasure she knew a loving pad rub gave him.

“I could squirm with pleasure too,” Felix mewed, “but I have to be serious about this pad rub thing, where all I really want to do is squirm, curl my toes tightly and bounce while you rub my pads mum.” Karina laughed merrily, blowing on the toes of Felix’s left foot, making him shriek with laughter.

“I hope my feet are clean,” Felix said.

“they always are,” Karina purred, “we use our hands or paws and feet as playthings, so cleanliness is ensured by everyone helping each other to keep them so, as well as personal wish and need to keep them clean. You can thank Sita for instilling this need in all the cubs in her playgroups, as well as their parents for keeping it up.”

“I thought all cubs wanted to get dirty,” Felix mewed.

“Well, normally,” Sita purred, “but the wish to play with each other’s feet and paws trumps that urge I think.”

“Sita, would you check mum’s and my feet for thorns?” Felix asked.

“I will,” Sita mewed, glad to get paws on.

“Can you make mum bounce and squirm too Sita?” Felix asked.

“your mum’s sitting back on her heels, maybe I can make her bounce and squirm,” Sita purred, rubbing the heel pad of Karina’s left foot with her fingers, karina curling her toes, squirming and bouncing with pleasure.

“Come here Felix, eside me,” Sita mewed, “in front of me are your mum’s feet, I have her left foot in my paws, why not touch her right, if she will allow it?”

“I will,” Mama Karina mewed, laughing softly.

“You big cub mum!” Felix laughed, rubbing the pad of her right heel, Karina squealing gleefully, curling her toes as tightly as she could curl them, her squirming and bouncing becoming more urgent.

“You squirmed your heels against your bum like this during Felix’s birth too,” Sita mewed.

“It felt good then, and feels even better now,” Karina replied laughing.

“Mum, bouncing on your heels like that is really cuuuute!” Felix mewed.

“Are my feet clean?” karina asked.

“Oh yes, all brown pink from here on your heel pads,” Felix mewed, Sita tracing where he suggested, “lighter pink down your arch to the ball of your foot mum, please Sita Paws?” Felix continued, karina smiling at their collaboration, “the ball of your foot slightly darker than your arch, then as for your toes, please mum, uncurl your toes if you can so I can see their pads?” Karina whimpered with effort, sat back hard on her heels and forced her toes to uncurl, wriggling with her supposed effort to uncurl them, giggling at Sita’s touch as Felix told her of the various colours on her pads. “Thanks, yes, your toe pads? they’re slightly darker pink than your arch too,” Felix concluded, karina wriggling with pleasure as Sita’s fingers and those of her cub traced her toe pads, both laughing as she curled her toes, trapping their fingertips. Squealing with released tension, karina wriggled madly, clasping her hands tightly across her belly, letting the sensations from the soles of her feet fill her brain with pleasure as Felix and Sita each wiggled their fingers free of her toehold then traced and rubbed the heel, arch and ball of one of her feet a piece with their fingers.

“I love both your touches,” Karina purred.

“Felix and I love you Karina,” Sita purred. Karina sighed deeply with pleasure:

“I’m ready to play now Felix, if you will,” she said. Felix crawled round in front of his mum and hugged her:

“We’ll play,” he said, “do you want to pull your foot from mine? Or would you like me to get my toes trapped?” Karina smiled:

“I think I’d like to get my toes stuck,” she said, “I can then yowl my head off, pull at my foot like Moses did his and push with my free foot too until my toes come free of yours.”

“Will you be able to grab your mum’s toes firmly enough Felix?” Sita asked. Felix smiled:

“Let’s measure feet,” he said, sitting down in front of Karina. Karina pressed her feet against Felix’s, making sure their heels were touching symmetrically, so they got an accurate measurement, finding his toes touching the ball of her foot when relaxed.

“My foot is smaller than mum’s, but not by much,” Felix mewed, “I’m sure I could grab your toes with mine if you wanted me to mum.” Karina smiled, sliding her left foot down so Felix’s toes could grab hers.

“My arch is still level with yours too mum,” Felix mewed, “yes you can grab a bit of your heel pad below mine, but I don’t know if that will help much.”

“I know it won’t help, I don’t want it to,” Karina mewed, “I want my foot to get firmly stuck to yours like Moses one did earlier Felix.”

“I know you can make it happen,” Felix mewed. karina explored her left heel, feeling Felix’s smaller right heel pad pressing into the mid of her own heel.

“now it’s time to pull your foot free mum,” Felix mewed, Karina squirming while her hands frantically explored her left foot and Felix’s right, testing the strength of bond between their feet by pushing her toes against Felix’s while tugging at as much of her left heel pad as she could with her fingers.

“We’re very stuck!” she laughed after five minutes of stress testing, Felix smiling at her.

“Your feet are very warm mum,” he said.

“I haven’t even started tugging yet,” karina mewed.

Karina worked the fingers of her right hand into the gap between the arch of her left foot and Felix’s right, pressing into the soft heel pads with the fingers of her right hand while gripping the heel pad of her left foot with her left hand and tugging hard. Squealing, she tugged harder with every effort, bracing her toes against Felix’s, the fingers of her right hand scrabbling at the arch of her own left foot, digging hard into the pressed heel pads, Felix bouncing and yelling at her to:

“Puuuull muuum!”

“I’m puuuuulling!” Karina yowled, bracing the toes of her left foot against those of Felix’s right while tugging hard, “my foooot’s Noaoaot coming freeyeee!” she yelled, wriggling and bouncing in frustration, Sita paws on with her out of play right foot as she bounced, feeling Karina’s toes curling and stretching as she pivoted on her heel.

“This is a real struggle,” Sita thought as she got paws on with their in play feet again, the fingers of Karina’s right hand now half way down the heel pad of her left foot. Squirming, karina suddenly grabbed the back of her left heel with her left hand and pulled while pushing with the fingers of her right hand, groaning as her left heel pad slowly came free of Felix’s. karina’s voice rose to a scream as her heel pad finally pulled free, Felix scrabbling at the toes of his right foot as he had when playing Moses, Karina yelping every time he tugged one of his toes free of the glue holding it to his mum’s. Panting hard, then whimpering, Karina grabbed her left heel in her hands and tugged downwards, yowling as Felix’s toes caught hers.

“now grab your heel and the ball of your foot and pull mum!” Felix yelled, karina grabbing as much of her left foot as she could, her right hand holding her heel pad, the fingers of her left holding the ball of her foot, Karina tugged hard towards her, leaning backwards, her squeal of effort reverberating round the room. Between efforts, Karina let go of her left foot, grabbed Felix’s left and rubbed his pads, Felix grabbing his mum’s free right foot in his hands, the toes of his right foot still holding those of his mum’s left. Karina suddenly broke off rubbing the sole of her son’s left foot, grabbed the heel pad and arch of her own left foot and tugged, the toes of Felix’s right footclamping hers. In this way karina struggled for a long time to free her left foot. Suddenly, after many minutes of struggling, she drew up her right leg, dug in her heel, curled the toes of her right foot and pulled hard at her left with both hands. Taking a good grip of her heel, she tugged hard, leaning back and Yowling:

“eueueueueuemf! Auauauauauauamf! Yeyeyeyeyeyumf! I muuuuust freeyeee my fooooot!” Felix smiled, letting go of the toes of her left foot when he thought she was pulling at her maximum. Karina, like Moses, squealed lustily as she fell backwards, her feet flying into the air, Sita paws on with karina’s right foot when the parting happened, feeling her curled toes and effort, then her heel slipping, karina’s right foot pushing into her paws, Sita holding karina’s right foot in her paws, feeling Karina push with her right foot, Karina curling, stretching and flexing the toes of both feet with the release of her tension, bracing her right foot into Sita’s paws while kicking with her free left, then drawing up her left leg, grabbing her foot in her hands and rubbing the sole from toes to heel pad and back again, curling and stretching her toes as her fingers worked over the sole of her left foot.

“Well done mum!” Felix said, crawling to Karina and hugging her.

“that was amazing!” karina mewed, kissing her son’s nose, “now though, it’s your turn to free your left foot from my right one.”

“I’ll scream like a stuck cub and tug as hard as I can,” Felix mewed, “and mum, don’t let my toes go until I really am tugging hard to free them, okay?” karina smiled.

“You didn’t let me go until I was pulling properly, so I will hold onto your toes with mine Felix,” she replied.

“I won’t have as easy a time as you did mum, I won’t have any heel pad to grab hold of,” Felix mewed.

“I think you’ll yowl and squeal like Moses did Felix,” Sita purred, Felix smiling at her.

“I’ve taken my cues from him,” Felix purred.

“My toes get caught in Felix’s all the time, and I can’t free them!” Moses yelled, Sita smiling, sitting down and waving her paw towards Moses voice. Moses crawled to Sita’s side, pulled himself into her lap and sat side on, pressing his left foot into her right paw, giggling as Sita’s fingers traced his toes and the contours of his foot from toe to heel pads, Moses squirming and bouncing.

“you have very soft pads,” Sita purred, Moses tightly curling his toes with pleasure.

“I love your touch Sita,” he said, leaning back and pushing his feet hard against Sita’s arm and paw, Sita scratching the sole of his left foot with her fingers, Moses curling his toes ever tighter as if his toes were linked to Sita’s fingers by string.

“rub my pads Sita,” Moses begged, Sita rubbing her from the bunched skin on the ball of his left foot to his heel pad, rubbing the margin of his heel pad with her fingers in passing, Moses wriggling becoming more urgent as her fingers passed over the soft sensitive spot on the inside of his arch by his heel pad.

“You like when I rub here?” Sita asked, rubbing the sensitive place by the margin of Moses heel pad.

“yes!” Moses replied, smiling broadly, “Mishka taught me how to play,” Moses said, “he is so good with touch, like you. he was the first one to tickle my toes too.”

“Mishka knows how to play,” Sita mewed, “though,” she added sadly, “after his self-imposed exile to the woodlands, he didn’t come into my playroom much. I went to him instead, and we played like cubs.”

“Now he’s back in the community,” Titan mewed.

“Mishka is,” Sita purred, “but he still won’t live in the main house.”

“I love Mishka’s house,” Moses replied.

“I don’t, it screams and yowls whenever I go in!” Titan wailed.

“Oh that floor, it’s funny!” Moses replied.

“It sounds like cats are being murdered!” Titan whimpered.

“yes, I can see how,” Sita mewed, “but it’s his audible security system. I’m used to it.”

“You’re just too used to creeping about on those silent pads of yours Titan,” Karina mewed, “Mishka’s house is the only place where you can’t creep up on people.”

“I love watching my community, and soft pads are a way of transport so I don’t disturb anyone!” Titan yowled, bouncing on his toes with frustration.

“I know that! You’ve scared the fur off me many a time Titan!” Sita mewed.

“I’m sorry Sita,” Titan mewed softly, padding to her then kissing her nose.

“I deserve to knock you flat then tickle your pads until you squirm and yowl for mercy for that Titan,” Sita mewed.

“You could rub my pads too,” Titan purred.

“I would gladly do that,” Sita replied. Titan lay down, Moses scrambling off Sita’s lap, Sita kneeling and catching hold of Titan’s left paw, feeling its weight and strength as well as the soft pads on the underside.

“No wonder you can creep about,” Sita mewed, pressing the pads of Titan’s paws, first his toe pads, then the large pad on the ball of his foot, Titan mewing and chuffling with pleasure at her touch.

“You have the most beautiful paws Titan,” Sita purred, Titan squirming with pleasure as she kissed the pads of the paw she had just rubbed.

“there are three more paws!” Titan pleaded, shocked at how desperate his voice sounded.

“I know, I will rub them all,” Sita purred, Titan curling up into a mewing ball at the prospect.

“I’ll put all four paws close together so you can,” Titan mewed, grabbing the toes of both his feet with his paws.

“So you can grab your own toes,” Sita purred.

“yes, my legs are long enough now,” Titan mewed, Sita pulling the toes of his left foot from the grip of his left paw then rubbing the ball of his foot, Titan tightly curling his toes with pleasure.

“I love thiyiyiyis!” Titan miaowed, wriggling and beating the floor with his paws and long tail, Sita laughing merrily at his antics.

“I wanted to do that, but I haven’t got a tail,” Moses said, Felix laughing helplessly at the mental image of Moses with a tail.

“You have got a felursapien costume haven’t you?” he asked.

“Sort of,” Moses replied, “I can’t look straight ahead like you can when on all fours, but I can see to walk on my feet, sit, that sort of thing. The tail on that is quite heavy though.”

“I love getting paws on with everyone’s paws and feet,” Sita mewed, Titan grinning at Moses.

“We wish you’d get paws on more,” Moses replied.

“I love the reaction when I do,” Sita mewed, “toes curled with pleasure are so cuuuute!” Titan smiled into his whiskers.

“your touch on my pads helped me while my toes were curled in pain too while I was giving birth to Felix mum,” karina mewed.

“I remember that,” Sita replied, “that time your pads begged my touch to soothe their owner.”

“I was in so much pain,” karina mewed. Titan curled the toes of all four of his huge paws, Sita rubbing the pads of his feet until the liger was beating the floor with his paws and tail while chuffling and miaowing lustily in an effort to stop his head exploding with pleasure.

“Silly Tiggie!” Moses giggled.

“This feyeeels so good, I think I’m going to burst!” Titan miaowed, Felix coughing into his hands in an effort not to laugh at his leader’s antics.

“Burst Tiggie, not good,” Sita mewed, “I’ll stop rubbing your pads Titan.”

“naoaoaoaoao! Titan pleaded.

“You’s so funny Titan!” a voice mewed, the liger feeling small teeth tugging at his left ear. Growling, he gently shook his head to rid his ear of the nibbling teeth, then sat up, looking round sharply.

“Zalika! How long have you been here?” he asked, his eyes wary.

“Oh, all the time you ‘as been lying on the floor giving youw paws to Sita fow a dam good wubbing,” Zalika purred, “I’s got soft spwingy pads like you ‘as, and I likes seeing you getting all cubbish.” Titan groaned deeply:

“You weren’t meant to see that!” he protested.

“’ow can I not see that which is wight in fwont of me with all these Camerwas?” Zalika asked.

“Oh, yes, I forgot,” Titan mewed.

“Can I wub youw paws while Sita paws wubs youw feet Titan?” Zalika asked.

“My head really will explode then!” Titan replied, Zalika NUZZLING his paw.

“you’s just a big Soppypuss,” she mewed.

“I can’t help that,” Titan purred deeply, gazing tenderly at his cub.

“Now I’m away from here,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet, Sita feeling a kiss placed on the top of her head, “I should leave you in peace to play.”

“! Naoaoaoaoao! You doesn’t get away that easily!” Zalika miaowed, rolling onto her side, grabbing Titan’s left PAW IN her paws, then gently squeezing his toes in their small grip.

“All right, I’ll stay!” Titan miaowed, sitting down hard. Zalika tugged at his paw, Titan lifting it, Zalika kissing the pads of his paw, Titan smiling broadly at the touch of her tongue on his pads.

“now who’s the Soppypuss?” Titan purred, his purr vibrating his whole body.

“I’s just telling you ‘ow I feels,” Zalika mewed softly.

“You are lovely Zalika,” Titan mewed, kissing the top of her head, then, smiling, pushing her over onto her back, blowing on her belly and pads until she squirmed, yowling with laughter.

“Okay, you’s got meyeee noaoaoaaow!” Zalika yelled, kissing Titan’s nose when he lowered his head to hers.

“I have, Titan mewed, lying down then lightly resting one huge paw on her belly, gazing down into her face from a range of about a foot.

“You’s enormous you is Titan,” Zalika mewed, “I’s always suwpwised at ‘ow big you is when I’s close to you. I doesn’t know if I’s gonna get as big as you when I’s older.”

“You’ll be pretty large I think, but who’s to say,” Titan purred.

“I’s alweady got big paws, so Jespah says anyway,” Zalika mewed.

“You’re lovely now Zalika,” Titan mewed, “don’t wish your cubhood away my dear.”

“You did,” Zalika stated.”

“I know,” Titan mewed, “Zalika, how did you know that?”

“Oh, I watched the videos, and what’s more, youw paw tells me you was a sad cub,” Zalika replied, her eyes serious beyond her years.

“Yes,” Titan mewed, the emotions he’d buried for so long rising to the surface, “I, I was,” he sniffed, lowering his head so he could wipe his eyes with his free paw.

“Youw mum ‘ated you ‘cos you caused ‘ur too much pain during youw biwth. Then you’s not ‘ow she wants you to be, so she wejects you bigtime. Sushanti told me all that by the way. You knows, Sushanti told me she wishes she’d ‘ad the courage to tell ‘ur no good sister that she’d look after you when you was abandoned, but Sushanti said she never ‘ad that courage to stand up to ‘er. Swarupa is a “pwoper bitch,” According to Sushanti.” Titan shook his head to clear it of his emotions.

“I know how she feels,” he said.

“She loves you Titan,” Zalika mewed softly, Titan smiling at her.

“I know Sushanti does,” Titan mewed. Titan got to his feet, shook himself, then looked round, Zalika also getting to her feet.

“’ow if we goes to Mishka’s twee’ouse and visits ‘im?” Zalika asked. Titan shook his head:

“I don’t like his screaming floor,” the liger whimpered, “and how the hell are you able to walk over it without making it scream Zalika?”

“I’ll sees if ‘e can silence that fow you,” Zalika mewed, padding away to the computer keyboard.

“’ere Mishka?” Zalika said, a pause then, “yeah it’s Zalika, ‘ow’s you?” A longer pause, then, “good, ‘ere, poow Titan ‘as an issue with youw “scweaming floow” as ‘e calls it. ‘e says it sounds like you’s killing cats!” she laughed slightly, “of couwse, I knows why you ‘as that flowing, but could you not do something about it, even a bit?” A pause as Mishka replied, then Zalika’s voice, “Well could you pull that levew thing and make it so Titan don’t feel like ‘e’s stepping on the tails of a million cats? Thanks.” Titan grinned at his daughter cub’s advocacy on his behalf.

“Thanks Zalika,” he said, padding up beside her and kissing her ear. Zalika turned and bumped noses with Titan, her eyes shining into his, pinning his huge right paw under the small weight of her own smaller left.

“now let’s go fwom ‘ere and wides the monowail to Mishka’s twee’ouse,” Zalika mewed softly, Titan smiling at her, following her, watching her large fat paws and feet as she walked out of the lie up, carefully placing his huge paws where the prints of her smaller ones would be if the floor could hold a footprint.

“Titan’s really cute!” Felix mewed, “did you see what he was doing as he walked from the lie up?”

“I saw,” Karina purred.

Titan padded after Zalika to the monorail. Sitting down beside her in the car, he felt her paw seeking his as the car moved off.

“Are you scared of this?” he asked.

“A little fwightened yes,” she mewed, “the watew I can see, so I knows what’s moving the waft, but this caw thing, well, I doesn’t know what moves it, and caws awen’t my favouwite thing aftew what Felix neawly did to me and Jespah with one.”

“The car isn’t dangerous in itself Zalika love,” Titan mewed, “it was Felix who was driving dangerously that day.”

“So it’s like saying that if I wun ‘awd on my paws and bump into someone, it was me not looking where I was going, not my paws that was the pwoblem?” Zalika asked.

“yes,” Titan purred, kissing her ear, “but if you run then you slip because your paws are too smooth, on the tiles for instance, you should not run there because your paws aren’t meant for it.”

“I supposes,” Zalika mewed, Titan gently squeezing her smaller left paw with his massive right. The monorail car came to a stop, Zalika’s sigh of relief not unnoticed by the huge liger.

“Come on scawedy-cat,” he said, playfully nudging her with his nose.

“I sees you doesn’t like ‘eights, but I’s not gonna calls you scawedy-cat for that now.” Titan kissed her nose.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly.

“I forgives you for that,” Zalika mewed, gently moving each of her paws and feet, Titan hearing the slight sucking sound as her pads pulled free of the rubber flooring.

“you really are frightened aren’t you,” Titan said with deep compassion.

“I twied to fwee my paws and feet slowly so you wouldn’t notice,” Zalika mewed piteously.

“I’ll wash your pads when we’s up in Mishka’s Twee’ouse if you like Zalika,” Titan mewed.

“I’d like that,” she replied softly, kissing his paw.

“Would you like me to wash them here?” Titan asked.

“I would,” Zalika purred, rolling onto her back, Titan lying down then wild washing the now visible and accessible pads of her feet and paws with gentle care, then blow drying them with even more care. Satisfied with his work, Titan got to his feet and shook himself.

“I seem to wemember youw washing leaves a sheen which is impossible to walk on,” Zalika mewed, Titan’s apologetic expression making her laugh:

“I’m so sorry!” he mewed, then, lying down again, sticking out his tongue, blowing out a warm breath to dry the surface, and bowing his head, Titan set to gently rasping Zalika’s pads with the now rough, dry surface, Zalika squirming and giggling with delight at the sensation of his kiss to her pads.

“now you’s washed,” Titan mewed, Zalika dabbing his nose with her paw, then getting to her feet, remarking that:.

“Walking on my paws feels wong aftew the cawe you took to wash ‘em,” Titan kissing her nose.

“I had to wash the fear from your pads Zalika love,” he said softly.

“You’s a big softy Titan,” Zalika purred, rubbing heads with the liger, who got to his feet and both left the car, entering the lobby beside Mishka’s lift, Titan noticing the bad tempered way the car’s door slammed and it sped away.

“I think we have annoyed someone in the control room,” he thought.

“You know you shouldn’t spend too long in the car once it has stopped!” a voice snapped from the speaker in the lift once the doors opened. Titan sighed as he recognised the voice of a brown bear named Lily.

“I know, I’m sorry, but Zalika was frightened, I think you saw that!” Titan snapped back.

“You know the rules,” Lily replied kirtly, closing the connection.

“Who’s that?” Zalika asked.

“that’s Lily, a bear Patch rescued from the circus,” Titan mewed, “she’s on security now.”

“’er’s a bossy bwuin, that’s fow suwe,” Zalika mewed. padding into the lift, Zalika saw that Titan was too big to get in when standing on all four paws. Huffing, the liger found he had to sit with his paws touching the doors on the back wall as it was when he entered, Zalika bending his tail to get it away from the doors, then scrambling into the space between his paws, Even so, Titan’s head nearly brushed the roof.

“tinned cat,” Titan commented. Then a computer voice said:

“The lift is overloaded, it will not operate.” Titan, huffing, backed out of the now open doors by shuffling until his feet were out, heaving himself to his massive paws and feet.

“Now what does we do?” Zalika asked as she left the lift.

“I go upstairs in the monorail and round the outside way while you ride in this lift,” Titan mewed.

“Oh no, I’s coming with you!” Zalika mewed, “I says we, and I means we.” Titan, smiling broadly, turned to the monorail doors and pressed the button to tell the computers where they wanted to go.

“You don’t like the monorail Zalika,” Titan reminded her.

“I’ll suwvive,” she replied. Soon the monorail car was with them, and they got in, Zalika sitting between Titan’s paws for reassurance.

“now it’ll be all right,” Titan mewed, kissing the top of Zalika’s head.

“I’s all wight,” Zalika mewed, but Titan could feel her trembling between his paws.

“You’re not,” he said, gently kissing the terrified cub’s nose.

“all wight, I’s not,” Zalika admitted, Titan lying down so he could use his paws to hug his cub while she sat on the floor.

“It’s nearly over Zalika dear,” Titan mewed, Zalika turning to him as the monorail stopped at an open air station. Noticing this, Zalika ran for the door as soon as it opened, Titan following her out into the open air.

“now would you like to ride?” Titan asked.

“yes please,” Zalika replied, Titan lying down so she could scramble onto his back.

“Can I ride too?” Patch asked, padding up to Titan.

“this is a one way wide to the twee’ouse Patch,” Zalika replied.

“Titan?” Patch asked, ignoring Zalika.

“yeah, you can ride,” Titan mewed, Patch gently climbing aboard.

“Hold Tight,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet and padding through the woodlands, taking the long route round to Mishka’s treehouse, then up the slope to the door.

“I thought you were lost!” Mishka snapped when he heard Titan’s feet on the boards.

“I was too big to fit into a lift, Zalika got scared on the monorail, so we had to walk,” Titan mewed, padding carefully across the floor to the rug, the floor squeaking slightly beneath his feet.

“I can’t dampen it completely Titan,” Mishka said. Titan huffed, but said nothing.

“Titan, who’s the ‘uge black cat with massive paws and feet lying near ‘ere. I think’s ‘e’s wearing white socks on ‘is paws and feet too! ‘e does look rather cute?” Zalika asked.

“Why not go to the cat and ask their name,” Titan suggested, “oh, and Zalika, it’s not the done thing to describe anyone as cute until you know them well enough, okay?” Zalika grumbled, accepting the rebuke..

“All wight, but ‘e’s ‘uge!”

“if you can deal with me, you can deal with him, he’s only half my size,” Titan mewed.

“My paws and feet are yours little one,” the huge black cat yawned expansively, rolling onto his side, languidly stretching the toes of all four paws then settling. Zalika padded up to the huge black cat with the white gloves and socks on his paws and feet.

“What’s youw name?” she asked.

“I’m Makalu, and my mate, the large cat with the black paws and feet is Ceba. The two cubs, the snow leopard cub with the multi coloured fur is Kutang, her younger sister with the three black paws and one white is Dhaulagiri.”

“Oh,” Zalika mewed. She looked closely at Makalu’s face, paws and feet. then inspected the rest of him from his ears to his tail.

“This tail’s so long I could tie a knot in it and there’d still be loads left,” Zalika purred.

“you dare tie a knot in my tayayayayil!” Makalu yowled.

“I couldn’t anyway,” Zalika purred, playing with the end of Makalu’s long tail in her paws, Makalu miaowing and jerking it from her playful grip.

“I wasn’t gonna tie a knot in youw tail,” Zalika purred.

“I’m not giving you the chance!” Makalu yelled, grabbing the end of his tail in his paws, his toes curling as he tugged hard at it.

“What’s you doing?” Zalika asked, “looks as if you’s twying to pull off youw own tail!”

“I don’t know what I want to do with my tail,” Makalu whimpered, letting go of his tail tip, “but what I don’t want you to do with it is tie a knot in it!”.

“What’s all the miaowing about Makalu?” Ceba asked, padding carefully over the wooden floor towards the sound of her mate’s voice.

“Oh, this cub, um, I don’t know her name, or I’ve forgotten it, wants to tie my tail in knots!” Makalu miaowed, banging the floor with his paws.

“Naoaoooaoao I don’t wayayayant tooo!” Zalika yowled, “I says that it be possible is all!”

“Can someone please translate that?” Makalu asked rudely.

“That’s Zalika you’re talking about,” Ceba said, “Makalu, Zalika’s guardian is Titan, the leader of this place! You’re in trouble, not only is he her guardian, he gave birth to her too!”

“Oh, that Titan? Oaoaoaaoh naooooo!” Makalu yowled.

“Listen to the whole of what Zalika has to say, and you’ll get the drift of it,” Titan purred.

“I heard you gave birth to Zalika on the floor of the playroom,” Kutang said.

“I did,” Titan mewed, “the floor there is very soft and Zalika had a soft landing.”

“You’re very beautiful Zalika,” Mishka said, crawling over to her and hugging her.

“How would you know what she looks like? You can’t see her!” Makalu snapped.

“That Makalu is a very silly statement,” Ceba mewed, “I tell you that you are beautiful and you never question me about use of the word. Mishka is as blind as I am, so why question him?”

“yeah, sorry Mishka,” Makalu growled, furious with himself.

“Mishka do you realise your feet are like a human’s? well the pads are anyway?” Ceba asked, “I’ve touched Ekaterina’s feet, and they’re like yours, heel pad, slight arch and all toes in the right place.”

“My sire was a human transformed bodily into a bear,” Mishka replied, “you’ll find Blackberry is the same, as his mother is Jess from the lodge. It’s an incredible tale, but every word is the truth.”

“I knows that tale,” Zalika mewed, “Mishka, I was spoken to by a little human girl who didn’t want me to tell ‘ur mama that she’d been with me. ‘ur was named Wosemawie. I think ‘er’s Jess’s cub.”

“she is,” Mishka replied, “I often find her playing in the front garden of the house, and we talk in English. I know that language you see. Titan does too, but he rarely uses it. Rosemary and I have held each other’s feet, and she desperately wants to meet us, though Jess isn’t amenable to that.”

“That’s weally sad,” Zalika mewed, “I know she wants to meet us, ‘cos she ‘ugged me so tight, I thought I would burst.”

“Maybe we could smuggle her in here,” Anook replied, “I know these human houses, and Ursula does too. we could smuggle Rosemarie into this house from time to time.”

“jess would go up the wall,” Mishka said.

“What is it that Jess has against us? We took her in and nurtured her if my memory serves,” Anook said.

“she thinks she’s too human for us,” Mishka replied, “all that problem she had with bruin peter’s birth affected her very deeply. I think she has this notion that we can’t live with humans here.”

“She broke community rules, so the spirits punished her,” Anook replied, “if she hadn’t broken the rules, she’d still be in ursine form, and maybe we’d still have her here.”

“Rosemarie would not have been born though,” Mishka remarked.

“No, there’s that,” Anook replied, but jess could still try and see things from our viewpoint. Rosemarie’s exposure to us might make her a more rounded human, after all, it hasn’t hurt Ekaterina or Moses has it?”

“No, nor Sally or Jenny for that matter,” Mishka replied, “Then there’s Janet who helps with the computers, and she loves us as much as her son does.”

“I have always wondered how Rosemarie was able to have the conversation she did with Sita at such a young age,” Titan mewed, “it is said that Blackberry handed Rosemarie to jess after her birth. Could that contact be enough to turn Rosemarie into a community cub, to affect her just as Moses was affected?”

“Who knows, but it’s certain she is eloquent,” Mishka replied.

“human cubs are eloquent at younger and younger ages these days,” Anook replied.

“Just consider Ekaterina, she and Moses were playing very intricate imaginative play games when she was three and he five,” Mishka replied.

“Rosemarie’s a bit younger than that though,” Anook said.

“What’s age got to do with intelligence? very little it seems,” Mishka remarked.

“I wonder what she’ll ask me next,” Mishka thought, “last time she wondered if mum had ever given birth to a bear cub. I had to tell her about Blackberry.” suddenly the phone rang, and Mishka went to answer it.

“Oh, Rosemarie, hi,” he said, “what? He asked after a pause, “yes, you can come and play with your half-brother.”

“What?” Anook asked.

“it seems Rosemarie is wildly excited because she has just realised her half-brother is a bear,” Mishka replied smiling and putting the phone down.

“I’ll bet Jess is furious Rosemarie and Blackberry ever met,” Titan grunted.

“How though?” Mishka asked.

“Oh, Blackberry’s got a job with the school, he maintains their computers and Rosemarie probably first saw him, or rather the pads of his feet while he was kneeling on the floor working under a desk to connect a computer while she was at school,” Titan purred, “I’m glad they met, it’s not right Jess should be able to deny her parentage of Blackberry.”

“So it’s all come out then,” Blackberry said, padding into the room.

“Where did you spwing fwom Blackbewwy?” Zalika asked.

“Oh, I work on the computers from Mishka’s work room, and visit the school from time to time too,” Blackberry replied, sitting down, grabbing his left foot in his paws, pulling it towards him and examining the configuration of his toes and the clean pads on the sole of his foot by sight and touch.

“yes, we were discussing those pads,” Anook said, Blackberry smiling broadly.

“I’ve been talking to jess about a few things,” Blackberry replied, his eyes watching the fingers of his right paw tracing the sole of his left foot, “the meeting in the woods wasn’t accidental.” Blackberry wriggled with pleasure as he watched the toes of his left foot curling as his fingers rubbed the ball of his foot, tracing the crests and furrows of the now furrowed pad, “I heard Rosemarie was asking questions about me, as she’d seen me at the school while I knelt and put my head under a desk to connect a pc. I hadn’t bothered covering my feet with anything to disguise them, and while she knew me, she didn’t know that my pads were like her own. It was then she asked jess about their similarity. Jess admitted it, and told Rosemarie to go out into the woodlands and see if I would like to meet her. Titan arranged the lot as a go between. We met on neutral ground, not that I would have minded going into Jess’s house, I don’t mind that in the least, but there it is. Well we met, and talked, and Rosemarie told me that she would like me to touch the pads on the sole of her foot as her mum had hers touched by mama Kamchatka all those years ago. I looked at her feet, and she was wearing shoes. I asked her if she was wearing socks, and told her about my special socks for bare feet that didn’t interfere with the sensation of the ground, but protected the foot from injury. Rosemarie smiled and replied that she’d got some under the socks I could see. She said her mum made sure she wore those, as she knew Rosemarie would be barefoot if the meeting between us went well. I knew then what Jess hoped for, though thought sending a little girl out into a woodland alone a dangerous thing for a human to do. Of course, unknown to me, we were being watched by patrollers and a certain little cub.”

“You kept that quiet Zalika,” Titan mewed, seeing her smile.

“I’s knowing a good bit,” she replied, “I likes Wosemawie a good bit too, ‘er’s weally sweet.”

“Rosemarie and I pretty much re-enacted the scene between jess and mama Kamchatka,” Blackberry continued, “I motioned to her to sit down, then removed her shoes and then she removed her socks. Rosemarie then gave me each of her feet in turn, and I checked them for thorns, though there would be none, which both of us knew. After that, she checked my feet for thorns, and we padded together to my room here, where I gave her cake and a cup of warm tea.”

“I hope you both washed your feet at the door,” Mishka replied.

“We did that,” a voice said, Rosemarie coming into the room from the lift.

“How did you get in here?” Mishka asked.

“Blackberry let me in, he told me to put my hand on the scanner and it would let me here,” she replied, padding over to Mishka, hugging him, then going to Blackberry, tugging his paw from its exploration of the sole of his left foot, then hugging him, Blackberry returning her hug.

“I don’t know what to say!” Mishka grumbled.

“I won’t do it again Mishka, but she wanted to come to see me now,” Blackberry replied.

“You’re forgiven this once,” Mishka replied.

“thanks,” Blackberry said, crawling to Mishka and hugging him, Mishka smiling broadly at Blackberry’s touch.

“Blackberry’s toes are curling with pleasure Mishka,” Anook said, Mishka laughing merrily, Blackberry’s misdemeanour forgotten.

“I have a comment to make about Rosemarie’s toes though, I can’t see those,” Anook continued.

“mum makes me wear shoes everywhere!” Rosemarie complained, “Can I take them off now?” Anook smiled:

“of course you can,” she replied, “would you like me to help?”

“Like you helped my mum all those years ago?” Rosemarie said.

“how do you know it was me?” Anook asked.

“I saw your eyes smile when Blackberry told the tale of our meeting,” Rosemarie said, “I watched him telling it on my tablet as I was riding the car to this house.” Anook was rendered speechless by this news.

“here are my shoes, take them off my feet like you did for my mum,” Rosemarie said, sitting down in front of the stunned sow brown bear.

“Okay,” Anook replied, undoing the Velcro on the girl’s left shoe, then holding it as Rosemarie pulled her foot out of it. Smiling Anook put the shoe down, then took hold of Rosemarie’s right foot, which was still encased in the shoe.

“now you can undo this one,” Anook said.

“No, please, take it off, then take my socks off too,” Rosemarie pleaded. Anook, her eyes shining with good memories, removed Rosemarie’s left shoe, then peeled off the socks on both her feet.

“That’s it,” Anook said, carefully tucking the socks in the shoes.

“Mum always makes me wear shoes,” Rosemarie said.

“Well tell her that in here it’s all right to go barefoot,” Anook replied.

“Mum said she tickled your foot too,” Rosemarie said.

“Oh, yes, she did,” Anook replied, “though I can’t remember how it happened now. I remember a good feeling though.”

“You did what me and Blackberry did when we had bare feet,” Rosemarie said, “you took jess’s foot in your paws and stroked her pads, and then she took your foot in her hands and stroked your pads, tickling them.”

“that’s what happened, now I remember!” Anook replied, her eyes shining.

“will you stroke my feet like you did my mum’s?” Rosemarie asked. Anook smiled as she lifted and cradled the heel of Rosemarie’s tiny left foot in her large right paw, then began gently rubbing the toe pads, the ball of Rosemarie’s foot, then her arch and heel pad with the fingers of her huge left paw.

“I like that,” Rosemarie said, curling her toes with pleasure.

“How does it feel to have a bear as a half-brother?” Anook asked.

“it’s really cool!” Rosemarie replied enthusiastically.

“Blackberry is lovely,” Mishka said.

“Only here would there be a ‘uman who was half bwother to a beaw,” Zalika mewed, her eyes shining.

“You can’t talk,” Makalu replied, “your um, parent, is a liger, who isn’t meant to be able to give birth to cubs.”

“Twue,” Zalika mewed softly.

“So is Rosemarie able to come and go like Ekatewina and Moses can Titan?” Zalika asked.

“yes, if jess doesn’t mind, which I know she doesn’t, as she sent Rosemarie to find Blackberry in the middle of a wood which looked deserted, but wasn’t. Rosemarie was watched by many eyes, and was safer than in her own home.”

“I know it was secretive,” Anook said, “but please, Blackberry, tell us what happened.”

“Well Rosemarie walked into the woods and down a track to a clearing, where she’d been told to sit and wait. I was already there, but hidden from her. After a time, I padded out into the clearing, over the forest floor and sat down beside her. We then began chatting, and Rosemarie plucked up the courage to stroke my shoulder with her hand. I got up and sat down opposite her, motioning to my left foot, which she explored with her hands, smiling and telling me my feet were large and like hers. She took off her left shoe to show me her foot, and I helped her with the sock. We pressed our bare feet together, my toes curling to grab hers, much to Rosemarie’s delight. I think her mum had played the stuck foot game with her a bit.”

“I took off my other shoe and pressed my feet hard against Blackberry’s,” Rosemarie said, “his pads were warm and soft, and we found our feet were very similar. Mum said I had a brother bear, and I do!” Rosemarie suddenly tugged hard three times at her foot which was still held tenderly in Anook’s paws, her efforts getting more intense. Anook tried to let go, but Rosemarie squealed:

“noaoaoaaow! Don’t let goaoaoaoaoao of my fooooot! Let meyeee Puuuull! Eoeoeoeoeoah!” As she began wriggling and tugging even more urgently, her toes stretching and curling as she tugged and relaxed, then Rosemarie curled her toes even tighter as she made even greater effort. Suddenly, with her greatest effort, illustrated by tightly curled toes, hard bouncing and lots of squealing, Rosemarie tore her foot free of Anook’s slight grip, drew her feet up, then grabbed the soles of both with her small hands for a minute while she panted hard, then, with an enraged scream of:

“First Anook’s paaaaws won’t let goaoaoaoaoao of my feeyeeet! Now my hands have them! ueueueeueeurf! Auauauauauauw! Muuuuust puuush to freeyeee my feeyeeet!” wriggled hard while pushing against the grip of her hands with both feet until, with a scream of frustration, her toes curled in effort, her feet broke free of her hands, then she turned away and crawled to Blackberry, who now sat on the floor beside Mishka. Smiling, Rosemarie scrambled into Blackberry’s lap, then hugged him tightly.

“I didn’t know if she was playing or not!” Anook whimpered.

“I was,” Rosemarie replied.

“she’s very advanced for her age,” Titan mewed.

“Well we have another community cub, and I say yes to that,” Blackberry said.

“I’ve always wanted to be a community cub,” Rosemarie said.

“I know little one,” Anook replied smiling.

“I saw Blackberry walking through the woods, and something about him made me wonder if he was my brother,” Rosemarie said, “I asked mum about it, and she told me not to be so silly. I then met Mishka in my front garden and asked him, and he told me Blackberry was my brother. It’s really cool to have a bear as a brother. Mishka spoke to Titan, whom jess couldn’t say no to, and things began to happen about me meeting my brother. I then met Blackberry in the woodlands, and he hugged me and told me I was his sister, and we played stuck foot games in the woods, and then washed each other’s feet and that made me feel wonderful!” Rosemarie said, her eyes shining.

“I loved every minute of our time together,” Blackberry said softly, hugging Rosemarie as tightly as he dared, feeling Rosemarie bracing her toes against his legs to push herself harder into his hug.

“Push with those toes Rosie,” Titan said, leaning over then gently kissing her exposed heel pads, Rosemarie giggling delightedly.

“That’s a name mum doesn’t like,” she said, “but I like being Rosie.” Blackberry smiled:

“I’ll call you Rosie if you like the name,” he replied gently, Rosemarie kissing his nose.

“I’m Rosie while in the woodlands or in your house then,” she replied.

“Ok Rosie dear,” Blackberry replied softly.

“That sounds lovely,” Titan mewed, watching the black bear and tiny human hugging each other, noting how Rosie hugged Blackberry as best she could with both arms round him, and how she used her toes, pushing, no, pushing was too weak a word, so Titan thought:

“Rosemarie‘s straining hard with the toes of both feet to push herself harder into Blackberry’s hug, that is very sweet,” the liger thought, lying down to watch the bear and human. Smiling, Rosemarie sat down in Blackberry’s lap, giving him her feet to rub. Blackberry rubbed Rosie’s feet with gentle care, starting at her toes and ending with her small heel pads, Rosie wriggling and squealing with pleasure, her toes curling tightly, telling Blackberry she enjoyed his touch.

“That’s very cute,” Titan purred softly, Blackberry and Rosie smiling at him. Rosemarie leaving Blackberry’s lap, blackberry grabbing his left foot in his paws once more and playing with his toes.

“”fow such a small cub, Wosie’s biwth was a long one, she has tiny hands and feet even now, one yeaw on Titan,” Zalika mewed.

“Humans are small when they’re young, just like cubs,” Titan mewed, “it does take a long time for a human to give birth to their cubs though, some hours pushing and screaming Zalika.”

“I saw jess doing it, giving biwth to Wosie I mean.!” Zalika mewed, “poow Jess scweamed, squiwmed, cuwled ‘ur toes and stwained fow a long time. I doesn’t know if I could cuwl my toes, pedal the aiw, let alone scweam like she did fow as long time as she did Titan.”

“When the time comes, you will do things you didn’t think possible,” Titan mewed, “I did Zalika.”

“Suppose I would,” she mewed, “poow jess kept ‘ur toes cuwled fow a long time too, sometimes she welaxed them, but also cuwled them fow ages, minutes at a time!”

“I know that feeling too,” Titan mewed, “I mostly curled my toes during the worst contractions, yowled and pedalled the air too.”

“When you cuwl youw toes, youw paws is extwa cute,” Zalika mewed, Titan smiling at her, pushing her onto her side and kissing her nose.

“Now would you cuwl youw toes fow me?” he asked, Zalika giggling and doing as he asked.

“Get paws on with my paws and feet too,” Zalika mewed.

“How would it be if you let Mishka get paws on while you play with your feet Blackberry?” Anook asked. Blackberry grinned at his foster mum, for Anook, or Kamchatka as he’d known her, had been so once, and he’d never forgotten her kindness after Jess’s abandonment of him.

“I’d like that,” he said, “I wish Mishka would get paws on with me more often, but he’s as bad as Sita in that respect, he never asks.”

“Well invite him to get paws on,” Anook replied, “others can see when you’re playing multi or single player paw and foot games, he can’t.”

“Come and find out about my paws and feet Mishka, they’re very like yours,” Blackberry said, Rosie laughing merrily.

“Okay, I will,” Mishka replied, Rosie crawling to Anook who hugged her.

“While they play, so could we,” Anook said, Rosie tickling mama Anook’s toes, the she brown bear curling her toes, trapping Rosie’s fingers in their grip, Rosie laughing merrily and tugging at the gripping toes with her free hand, Anook slowly uncurling her toes. Rosie freed her fingers, then, smiling, pressed her small feet against Anook’s huge ones, her toes hardly reaching the mid soles of Anook’s feet, though the she bear was small for her species. Anook, feeling the little girl’s toes pressing into the sole pads of both feet, curled her toes, the pad beneath Rosie’s toes bunching, Rosie able to push her toes deeper into the furrowed pad, gripping harder with her own toes, Anook curling her toes as tightly as she could, while Rosie, wriggling with excitement, pressed her toes into the soft padding on the she bear’s foot, bracing her feet against Anook’s, pushing her feet as hard as she could into the soft warm pads.

“Seems Anook and Rosie are having a lot of fun there,” Titan mewed. Rosie, smiling, dragged the toes of her left foot down the sole of Anook’s right, her toes bumping over the furrowed pad until the ball of her foot reached the pad of Anook’s heel, the pad of which wasn’t affected by the bunching caused by the she bear’s tightly curled toes.

“ueueueeueeurf! My foooot’s stuuuuuck to yours Anook!” Rosie yelled, tugging at her left foot with both her small hands, Anook recognising the game the human was playing.

“Pull at that foot Rosie, Puuuull!” the she bear encouraged, Rosie, both hands on the now free heel pad of her left foot, tugging hard to free the ball of her foot and toes.

“human cubs have loads of imagination,” Anook thought, watching Rosie gripping her left heel in both her small hands, tugging to free her toes which she still pressed hard against Anook’s right heel pad. Anook flexed the toes of her right foot, Rosie giggling and grabbing at Anook’s toes with both hands.

“That’s really sweet you two,” Kutang mewed.

Meanwhile, while Patch watched, Mishka and Blackberry played together, Blackberry letting Mishka get paws on with his paws and feet while the black bear used his fingers to explore his own pads before he played the single player stuck foot game.

“checking my own pads for thorns isn’t working!” Blackberry complained after five minutes of careful fingertip exploration of his pads, rubbing and scrabbling at the toes and ball of his left foot with sudden cubbish frustration after twice checking his feet for thorns by pressing and stretching each pad with his fingers, “Mishka, could you do it?” Mishka explored Blackberry’s right paw and left foot as the black bear scrabbled at the pad on the ball of his left foot with his fingers, the toes of that foot curling tightly round Blackberry’s scrabbling fingers, the black bear yelling with frustration and tugging hard to free his right paw from the suddenly urgent and tight grip of the toes of his left foot, Mishka laughing at Blackberry’s antics

“Okay, I will,” he said, “but you’ll have to get the toes of your left foot to let go of the fingers of your right paw first. Blackberry whimpered, wriggled and tugged, but couldn’t free the fingers of his right paw from the grip of the toes of his left foot, which had caught them after he’d scrabbled at the thick pad on the ball of his foot for about a minute. Panting with frustration, Blackberry crossed his legs, then felt his free right foot taken in Mishka’s strong gentle grip, Blackberry unable to stop his toes curling with the pleasure of the younger bear’s touch.

“Curled toes make checking pads difficult Blackberry,” Mishka said, Blackberry’s reaction full of all his frustration and need for Mishka’s touch.

“I Cayayayn’t Stoaoaoap my toooes cuuurling! The black bear yelled, banging the floor with his free left paw while bouncing and wriggling madly.

“I know it’s hard,” Mishka replied, gently rubbing the ball of Blackberry’s left foot with his fingers in an effort to encourage Blackberry’s toes to relax and free the fingers of the black bear’s right paw, hearing Blackberry’s whimpers of frustration.

“Naoaoooaoao you don’t know!” Blackberry wailed, bouncing as hard as he could with his legs crossed while he reached for his right foot which he’d rested on his left thigh and rubbed the sole of his right foot with the fingers of his left paw, Rosie and Anook laughing helplessly at Blackberry’s antics, for his eyes told them he was thoroughly enjoying acting the cub, and that his frustration was genuine, if exaggerated.

“Try to relax these toes,” Mishka replied, gently tugging at the toes of Blackberry’s left foot with his right paw while he rubbed the ball of the same foot with his left, just below the bear’s trapped right paw.

“Can I curl the toes of my left foot while I rub with my fingers? The foot you’re not checking for thorns?” Blackberry asked with some desperation, “can I hold onto my free foot with my free paw, curl those toes and rub my pads with my fingers? If I don’t, I’ll explode!” he pleaded.

“you’re so funny!” Mishka said, kissing the top of Blackberry’s left paw.

“naooooo this is reaeaeally sewious! I mean, aoaoaoaoah, I’m sounding like Zalika!” Blackberry squealed, everyone laughing merrily at him.

“This is the sort of play I’ve missed,” Blackberry said. Mishka rubbed the ball of Blackberry’s left foot, encouraging the bear to:

“try to relax these toes Blackberry,” he said, stroking the tops of the toes of the black bear’s left foot, “if you want to curl your toes curl those of your right foot.” Blackberry growled with concentration, curling the toes of his right foot while easing the toes of his left straight, the fingers of his left paw scratching at the arch, ball and heel pad of his right foot.

“nearly there Blackberry, nearly there!” Mishka encouraged, “the toes of your left foot are nearly straight, one more effort to straighten them. Blackberry felt Mishka’s fingers on the ball of his left foot, and wriggling, curled the toes of his right while straightening the toes of his left. Suddenly Blackberry squealed:

“My left paw’s trapped! My toooes have got my fingers!”

“now your right paw’s free,” Mishka said.

“but my left isn’t!” Blackberry yowled, wriggling while tugging at his now trapped left paw, Mishka’s paws exploring the curled toes of Blackberry’s right foot, toes which held the fingertips of the black bear’s left paw in a vice like grip.

“this is gonna be a vicious circle! I know it!” Blackberry whimpered, “rub my left foot with my right paw, ease the toes of my left foot free to free my left paw, then the toes of my right paw catch the fingers of my left paaaaw!” he wailed, bouncing and squirming.

“I can’t get these toes to uncurl,” Mishka said, having set to rubbing the ball of Blackberry’s right foot with gentle fingers, Blackberry suddenly tearing savagely at the toes of his right foot with the fingers of his right paw in an attempt to get the toes of his right foot to uncurl and free his left paw.

“I’m stuuuuuck!” Blackberry wailed.

“uncross your legs and try to wedge the toes of your left foot in the gap between your left paw and right foot,” Mishka replied, “once they’re there, scrabble with the toes of your left foot, and see if those of your right will uncurl enough to free your left paw.”

“I like watching you both play, though wish I was playing,” Patch said. suddenly the phone rang, and Patch looked round to see if anyone would answer it. Anook’s toes were caught in Rosemarie’s hands, the she bear struggling to free herself with much tugging, puffing and wriggling, Titan too had his right foot caught in Zalika’s tiny grip and his curled toes showed his effort. Mishka and Blackberry were engaged in trying to free the fingers of Blackberry’s left paw from the fiercely grasping toes of the black bear’s right foot, so answering the phone was down to him, as it was soon clear neither Makalu, nor Ceba thought they had any right to answer the phone. Patch ran to the phone and picked it up.

“I’d love to play, if you’d let me,” Jess said. Patch stared at her image on the screen.

“but I thought you were, I mean yes, come,” Patch said, “but I can’t let you in,” he babbled, his eyes wide with surprise.

“I think I was wrong about keeping Rosemarie away from you,” jess said, “I, I’ve seen and heard everything, and, well, I was wrong. I was also wrong not to let you get paws on with me during her birth Patch. please?” Jess asked, her eyes screaming out of the screen at the small bear.

“yes, please, come,” Patch replied, completely at a loss as to what all this was about.

“I’ll come barefoot too,” jess promised, “here, I’ll take my shoes and socks off on camera so you can see.” She was as good as her word, removing her shoes and socks, then kneeling rear onto the camera so Patch could see the naked soles of both feet.

“I believe you!” he said laughing.

“now I’m coming,” Jess replied, crawling from the room and out of sight.

“jess is sewious then,” Zalika said.

“I think so,” Patch replied, “I think she forgets it was me who brought her up. She’s more than half a bear, if not in the shape of one.”

“’umans is too sewious sometimes,” Zalika mewed.

“yeah, I know,” Patch replied smiling. a bell went off, and Patch padded to the lift. Picking up the phone, he asked who was there, then, bouncing on his toes with excitement, he pressed the button, sending the lift down to the monorail level. Jess appeared soon after, and she ran to Patch, picked him up in her arms and hugged him, Rosemarie laughing merrily:

“Mum loves a bear! mum loves a bear!”

“Put me down jess!” Patch begged, jess putting him down.

“Sorry,” she said, looking very ashamed, “you looked like a soft toy bear for a second.”

“yes well, my bodily heritage might be that, but I’m not that inside,” the grey bear grumbled, “ah well, no matter. Now, to get paws on as you wanted.”

“I need to talk to you Patch,” jess said, sitting on the floor by the fire, “I need to have a serious chat. You see, I want to come back here. I thought I didn’t want to, but then, when you were hit by the car, I realised I’d lost more than just a childhood friend. I heard you say you thought you’d brought me up, and you did, that’s why I tried being a bear, and I failed, because I was not truly what I thought myself to be. I’m a community cub, a human one, like Janet and Sally, Jenny, Moses, Ekaterina and now Rosemarie. I should have let you get paws on with me while I strained and struggled to give birth to Rosemarie, deep down I wanted it, but my humans stupidity said, “no, go your own way, you’re human, you know best.” I was stupid, I didn’t know best. Blackberry caught Rosemarie on her way into the world, and I thought that because he was half human, Rosemarie would not want to go to the community, but she did, then, when I saw her accepted by Blackberry, I knew I’d really screwed up. I’d tried to break my bonds with the community, but also with my guide and lifelong friend and protector. Adsila and I spoke about this in private, she too is feeling lonely Patch.”

“I can’t guide both,” Patch said.

“no, we’re not wanting that,” Jess replied, “I would love to come back into the community, for you to take off my shoes, burn them and make going barefoot as much of a punishable rule for me as not killing a cub should have been all those years ago. I need guidance Patch, and so does Adsila. Janet, though she’s into computers, has it about right, as does Blackberry. They’re a human in a non-human community, and a non-human in a human one. Blackberry’s incaution around not covering his feet, and Rosemarie’s reaction to finding her half-brother has caused me to think a lot about abandoning him, and abandoning the community, which I did when I abandoned Blackberry. Aborting ursine peter was the final straw, and it was then I went looking for humans to be with. Now though, now, well, now Royston has gone from our lives. We didn’t get on, he found my wish to be with you too much to cope with. He promised maintenance for Rosie and vanished about six months back. Now the relationship between him and me is over, I’m coming back. Royston didn’t mind the community helping where they could, but he didn’t want to live here if he could help it. He’d seen what happened to Moses, and didn’t want Rosie to go the same way, though knew she would if she ever got to asking about her half-brother, which he knew would happen in time.”

“You treated me like a soft toy bear because you wanted something to hug,” Patch said, jess looking downcast.

“I’m sorry for that,” she replied, “I, I forgot, well, you look like a soft toy bear, well sort of like one, and I’m bigger than you are, so I picked you up and hugged you as I’ve wanted to do for such a long time, forgetting that you’re a free person in your own right.”

“I will let you hug me if you wish,” Patch said, clambering into Jess’s lap, the young woman hugging him with the desperation of a lost child.

“jess feels lost, I know now,” Patch thought.

“”I wish you were larger so you could grab me and guide me like before,” jess said.

“I’m unable to be larger,” Patch said.

“You will be a cub forever then?” jess asked.

“I don’t know,” Patch replied, “I’m a soft toy bear, well I’m an artificial bear in a real bear’s skin. I don’t know if I’ll grow any more than this.”

“You have naked soles and palms and grey fur, like the Patch I used to know,” jess said, “but your pads are brown now, rather than the white they were when you became my guide when I was three months old.”

“I could try stretching my fingers and toes and then my arms and legs a bit,” Patch suggested.

“Maybe we could make a bigger bear like Shadow did before,” jess replied.

“No, that wouldn’t work,” Patch replied firmly, “I think you’ll have to play with me as I am, and remember I’m small, but no cub.” jess sighed:

“I’m happy with that,” she said. Patch scrambled off Jess’s lap and began to play with the toes of her left foot, Jess closing her eyes with the pleasure of it all. Curling her toes to press them into the bear’s small embrace, she remembered a time when Patch’s paws were much bigger, when she and he played the stuck foot game in earnest and she, not he had failed to amerce herself in the game to such an extent that she had to use an egg box to simulate the sound of the glue stretching as she tugged at her feet to free her toes from the gentle, strong grip of Patch’s, resulting in her getting her toes stuck in the egg box, and Patch having to help her free them for real. Jess remembered Patch’s paws were gentle, very gentle though much bigger than her hands, as were his feet much bigger than hers. Jess grabbed her left foot, suddenly feeling she needed to fight to free it from the grasping egg box. Squealing, she gripped the heel pad and arch of her left foot with both hands and tugged, leaning back and tugging hard. Wriggling and yelling in her effort, Jess realised she couldn’t free her left foot from the strangely soft grip of the egg box, so, Panting, she relaxed, rubbing the now damp sole of her left foot from the ball to her heel pad, her pads damp from the effort she’d made to free it. Jess, feeling a huge strong paw taking hold of the toes of her right foot, squealed;

“I must freeyeee both feeyeeet noaoaoaaow!” furiously tugging at both feet in turn with both hands, lying back and drawing up her knees to more easily grab her feet in both hands for extra leverage. Jess grabbed her right foot with both hands and, squealing, tugged hard in a desperate attempt to free her toes from the soft grip of the egg box.

“I want to push patch bigger, to make him be as he was!” Jess thought, pushing her right foot hard into the warm egg box holding it. Screaming and squealing, jess pushed repeatedly down into the warm paws, letting the cub in her mind grow to the size she remembered patch to be. Screaming, Jess gave herself up to one final huge effort which made her curl her toes to their limit and scream like she’d not screamed since giving birth to Rosie.

Startled out of her trance by the sound of her own squealing, Jess opened her eyes and looked round the room, to find she was lying on her back in the treehouse, and there were Zalika and Titan watching her. Mishka and Blackberry still faught to free Blackberry’s left paw from the black bear’s own grasping toes, while Makalu and Ceba sat together, Makalu looking strangely stunned, as he’d clearly been describing to Ceba what was happening to Jess until a few seconds before. Then jess looked over at Anook, who stared past Rosie, who held her own tiny right foot in the small grip of both hands. Jess then looked dead ahead into a set of warm brown eyes, which belonged to a bear who knelt before her, holding the toes of both her feet in his massive paws, Jess noticing her hands still gripping the heel and arch of her right foot.

“You wanted me larger, I think,” Patch said, his eyes sparkling.

“Not if, not if it’s going to end like me becoming a bear did,” jess replied, “maybe it was a selfish wish Patch!”

“I don’t think so, and neither does Titan,” Patch replied, letting go of her toes.

“Are you still able to be carried on Titan’s back though?” Jess asked.

“I would never dream of asking him to debase himself,” Patch replied.

“whenever I carry Patch, I get anxious, then feel sick,” Titan mewed.

“I have four good paws to carry me,” Patch replied.

“Patch is huuuge now!” Anook exclaimed.

“he is,” Titan mewed. Patch rubbed the sole of Jess’s right foot with his left paw while cradling the heel of her foot in his right.

“your pads are damp,” he said.

“I know,” Jess replied, “I so desperately wanted to go back to how things were. I must have faught hard for that.”

“You remembered the egg boxes just as I held the toes of both your feet in my paws as you asked me to do,” Patch said, you tugged and screamed, wriggled and squealed, begging me not to let go of your toes until you’d freed your toes by effort alone. You thought me larger and larger until the grip of my paws on your toes got so big you couldn’t free your toes no matter how hard you struggled. It was once I’d become too big you couldn’t free your feet you emerged from your trance.

“Patch is about the size of a polar bear, but a lot stronger now,” Titan mewed, “he is able to outfight and out strength anyone here, but then again, what’s new? He has been able to do that for many a year before now. I can carry him if I wish, as he is light on my back, and his feet will not brush the floor when he sits comfortably, even if he points his toes. Patch is huge, as Jess wants him to be.”

“Can you still get your paws trapped by your toes Patch?” jess asked.

“Oh yes,” Patch replied, “as well as Blackberry can. I believe he can’t free his paws from the grip of his toes, and has been trying for at least an hour now.”

“I think he likes Mishka’s touch too much to really try and free his paws,” Anook said, her eyes shining.

“how do you come up with a game that will trap your fingers in the grip of your toes at every turn?” Makalu asked.

“Easily if you’re a bear, or a human for that matter,” Mishka replied, “we have good imaginations, we’re not so literal as you cats.”

“I need catnip in quantity to get really creative,” Makalu admitted.

“We bears don’t,” Mishka replied.

“I suppose it’s the solitary life of a big cat,” Makalu replied.

“Speak for yourself,” Titan mewed, “Half of me wants to be sociable, the other says solitary, I mix the two by drifting about, watching all, while keeping myself to myself.”

“Occasionally scawing the fuw off cubs when you’s wanting,” Zalika mewed.

“I don’t mean tooo!” Titan wailed, looking pained, “I just go up to them, and they leap a mile!”

“You’s got soft pads, that’s why them never ‘ears you coming,” Zalika purred, kissing his nose.

“My pads wants mowe wubbing, you up fow that?” Zalika asked, Titan kissing her nose.

“yeah, if you’s up fow letting me get paws on with ‘em,” he replied, Zalika giggling then rolling onto her left side, presenting Titan with all four of her fat cubbish paws.

“ooaaoah, Payayayaych is huuuge!” Blackberry suddenly squealed, having finally looked up from his contemplation of the struggle between his toes and paws.

“I have become so,” Patch replied, crawling to Blackberry and touching noses, Blackberry staring into the huge bear’s face.

“You’re, um, fully grown then?” Blackberry asked.

“jess grew me, if that’s the correct way to describe it,” Patch replied.

“she wants a guide like Apudo wanted to be guided,” Titan mewed.

“I can’t shrink her, so she grew me?” Patch asked.

“Yeah, well she didn’t, I did. You’re now as big as the biggest polar bear on earth,” Titan mewed.

“How is Patch ever to get into the monorail or out of the house?” Mishka asked.

“It’s large enough,” Blackberry replied, “I always anticipated being visited by a huge bear. the fact is, Patch was huge when he was in his first body, now, well he’s just the same size as he was, but a bit stronger, hence the bulk.”

“He has been given soft paws and feet and a gentle touch,” Titan mewed, “Patch, you’ll have to wear Blackberry’s transparent socks on your feet too. Oh, and as Shadow formed you in the likeness of Blackberry, you have opposable thumbs as well as a rather human toe configuration, okay?” Patch grinned at this news, replying:

“I like that,” wiggling the toes of both his large feet.

“Rosemarie and I will live in the lodge,” Jess said.

“You both can come and go as you wish,” Titan mewed. Patch got to all four paws and padded to Titan, the liger looking into the grey bear’s gentle eyes.

“Shadow will be surprised,” Titan mewed.

“I will help her have a second cub, one which she can call her own, for I am clearly not meant to be that,” Patch said, “but I will never forget the effort she made to have her own cub, and the opportunities that gave me.”

“you’s still supah cuuuute even if you’s ‘uge now Patch,” Zalika mewed.

“I’m glad you think so,” Patch replied, smiling as he watched Blackberry scrabbling at the sole of his right foot with the toes of his left in an effort to free the fingers of his left paw from the grip of the toes of his right foot.

“That’ll end in the stuck foot game Blackberry,” Patch said, Blackberry looking up from his work.

“Yes, and my pads are already very warm, so they’ll stick even more strongly too!” the black bear replied, wriggling urgently as the toes of his left foot scrabbled more urgently at the ball and arch of his right, the toes of his right foot slowly uncurling, freeing the fingers of his left paw, while Mishka rubbed the ball of Blackberry’s left foot to soothe him between his efforts.

“Nearly there, nearly freeyeee!” Blackberry whimpered, then he yelled, “yeyeyeyeyes!” pulling his left paw free of his right foot.

“how long ‘ave you been twying to fwee youw paws fwom youw feet Blackbewwy?” Zalika asked.

“Ages, but oooah naoaoaoaoaoao! The toes of my left foot have got hold of the toes of my right!” the bear yelled, “I muuuuust try to free my feeyeeet!” he whimpered, bouncing as best he could with both feet pressed together.

“You’s so fuuuunny Blackbewwy!” Zalika mewed.

“My toooes wouldn’t let go of my fingers! Now, now my toes won’t let go of my toooes!” Blackberry wailed.

“All you needs to do is stop wubbing youw feet with ‘em,” Zalika purred.

“but Mishka’s paws were rubbing one of my feet, and if I didn’t grab the other, my head would explode with pleasure from Mishka’s touch!” Blackberry replied desperately.

“Mishka’s playing with youw inner cub, go on, stwip off them adult pads and play like you’s wanted too fow a long time Blackbewwy, it’s weally cuuuute!” the liliger cub replied smiling.

“I want to do this so muuuch!” Blackberry yelled, scrabbling at the pressed heel pads of both his large feet with desperate fingers.

“So when did you first think Blackberry might be your brother Rosie?” Anook asked.

“Oh, I was in a classroom and someone was fixing a computer beneath a desk, I looked down and saw these two feet, soles up,” Rosie replied, “they weren’t human feet, as they had fur round the sides, but the pads looked like mine, heel pad, toe pads in all the right places. I wondered if there was someone I didn’t know about in my family, so I asked mum about it. She wouldn’t tell me at first, so I asked Mishka, who I’d heard of, and he told me who the feet belonged to, for of course he knew, even though he can’t see them, he had touched them in the past and told me who they belonged to when I described them. He thought they might belong to Blackberry, as I let him touch my feet, and he said the only ones which felt like mine that weren’t Jess’s were Blackberry’s. something to do with toe and heel pad shape he said. Well I asked mum about Blackberry, and she told me about him, though I think Titan had spoken to her a bit too. Then me and Blackberry met, and Blackberry was so playful and lovely, like he is now.”

“Ah,” Anook replied smiling, watching as Blackberry eased his heel pads away from each other, then grabbed his right foot by heel pad and arch and began tugging to free the toes of that foot from the grip of the toes of his left foot. Leaning back, Blackberry pulled hard, Mishka paws on with his struggles. Blackberry, like all single stuck foot game players, ran into difficulty when he got the toes he wanted to free as far as the margin of his heel pad, the ridge difficult to pull his toes over. After a lot of tugging and effortful sound, Blackberry panted hard, pulling back against his right heel a bit to stop the toes of his right foot scrabbling their way back to the safety of the embrace of those of his left. Groaning, Blackberry tugged hard, then harder still, gripping the sole of his left foot with the toes of his right, the toes of his left curling with the effort he was making to free his right foot.

“muuuuust Puuuull my toooes over my heeeyeel payayayayad!” Blackberry whimpered, dragging his pressing toes over the heel of his left foot, the toes of his right foot finally leaving the heel pad of his left, his right foot coming free with a sudden rush which nearly pitched Blackberry onto his back.

“Can I rub your pads Blackberry?” Rosie asked, crawling over to him.

“yes of course,” Blackberry replied smiling.

“now will your head explode if I rub your pads?” Rosie asked.

“I don’t know,” Blackberry replied, “but while we were in the woods, you and I played the game I’ve just played with Mishka, and you said your head would have gone pop if you didn’t rub the sole of one of your feet while I rubbed the other.”

“So Rosie taught you that game,” Mishka replied.

“I did, well sort of,” Rosie said smiling.

“when Rosie first asked me about Blackberry, I started teaching her stuck foot games,” jess said, “we played for ages, and Rosie got rather good at it. yes, I had started thinking about telling her who her older half-brother is, and that was before Royston left me. he wanted me to be too human, too apart from my upbringing. I couldn’t ignore Patch’s teaching, even if I’d wanted to. It was too good for me. he kept me warm and safe and taught me how to play too. I love the paws on play in this community. We’ve tried computer games, but it’s not the same.”

“Just look at how Blackberry played his stuck foot, stuck paws game,” Anook said, “it went on forever!”

“it did,” Blackberry replied, “and would have continued, had Mishka not suggested a way I could get both paws free of my feet by using one foot against another.”

“the single player stuck foot game’s wathah cute too,” Zalika said, “you was weally pulling wasn’t you Blackbewwy.”

“Yes Zalika I was weally pulling at my wight foot to fwee it fwom my left,” Blackberry replied smiling.

“I think You Blackberry and Rosie should teach Sita that game,” Mishka said.

“how if you teach her?” Blackberry asked, “I’ve got computers to fix in the school. You could teach Sita the stuck paw and foot game quite easily. You and Rosie knew how to play difficult games with your feet before I came along,” Blackberry said, “she taught me the game I played today.

“We’ll do that,” Mishka replied, “but half the fun of it was how convinced you were your head would explode with pleasure if you didn’t rub your free foot with your free paw, enabling the toes of that foot to catch your fingers. I don’t know if Sita will feel the same way about my touch as you do.”

“Bet she will,” Rosie said, “Mishka, you and I played that stuck paw and foot game in the garden, and I was like Blackberry, remember?”

“Oh yes,” Mishka replied smiling.

“You don’t know how powerful your touch is Mishka,” Patch said, “Blackberry’s inner cub came out to play today. I’ve not seen him in years.” Blackberry hid his face with his paws in sudden embarrassment.

“to meet your inner cub was lovely Blackberry,” Patch said, crawling over to the black bear and hugging him.

“I couldn’t not try to free my paws from my feet!” Blackberry whimpered, as if he’d committed a crime.

“What you did was lovely and true to yourself and to the spirit of the play both of you wanted,” Patch replied, “Blackberry, how would it be if you went with Mishka into the adult playroom and played for a bit, played properly, like cubs. you both need it.” Blackberry looked hunted, but he sighed heavily.

“I really would like that,” he said, his eyes full of shame.

“It’s no shame to want to get bare pawed and play Blackberry,” Patch said, “if you like, Anook and I will come too, and jess and Rosie also. Our paws and feet are playthings, we use them for that all the time. This is something to be celebrated I think.”

“I so wanted to touch your toes when I first saw your feet while you were buried under that desk Blackberry,” Rosie said.

“I wish you had,” Blackberry replied, “I believe touching Patch’s toes was how Sally found Patch out.”

“It was indeed,” Patch replied.

“I knew the feet belonged to a bear of some sort,” Rosie said, “a human bear of sorts. Now you Blackberry are more lovely than I ever imagined.” Blackberry rubbed his eyes with his paws, trying to hide a sudden rush of tears.

“You big softy!” Patch said, crawling to Blackberry and hugging him.

“I have no right to hug Blackberry, half of me though he is,” jess thought. Blackberry snuggled into Patch’s hug, amercing himself in the grey bear’s huge warmth.

“You need to snuggle I feel,” Patch said softly, Blackberry embracing him tightly, then wriggling with real anguish, the black bear blurted:

“I need to play, I want to play! I want my toes to grab my fingers and make me struggle to free my paws. I want to pretend to give birth to cubs and play the stuck foot game between contractions. I would like others to get paws on with my feet and encourage me to push the cub right down into my tayayayayil!”

“You can do all that,” Patch said, “you can give birth to your imaginary cub in the playroom, on the mat like Anook did Lucky if you like.”

“Lucky was hardly a figment of my imagination though,” Anook replied.

“Indeed he wasn’t,” Patch replied smiling.

“Can I push my feet against my paws and against the paws of others too?” Blackberry asked.

“You can,” Mishka said, “and I’ll help you do that Blackberry.”

“Nanuq’s quite good at that too,” Patch said.

“he is, but you’ve not seen Mishka do it, he’s Nanuq’s equal in pretending to have a cub, though of course he does it in one place rather than crawling about the room.

“I would love to get paws on while you give birth to an imaginary cub Mishka,” Blackberry said.

“We have much in common,” Blackberry replied.

“I will help you by rubbing your pads when you feel the urge to push Blackberry,” Mishka replied.

“and I you too,” Blackberry said smiling, leaning forward and grabbing Mishka’s right foot in his paws, Mishka’s toes curling as Blackberry rubbed the sole of his foot from ball to heel, Blackberry giggling at Mishka’s pleasure.

“You’re as playful as me Mishka,” Blackberry said.

“Well my paws gave you the release to play your game with your fingers and toes,” Mishka replied smiling, reaching forward and grabbing Blackberry’s right foot in his paws, Mishka feeling Blackberry’s toes curling with pleasure.

“I’ll bet these toes have curled for ages while you’ve struggled to give birth to your imaginary cubs,” Blackberry said, rubbing Mishka’s pads, Mishka curling his toes as tightly as he could.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Mishka replied, “I just hope I can be as committed to giving birth to my cub as you were to freeing your paws from your feet.”

“We could incorporate the two games, you having contractions while trying to free your fingers from your toes?” Blackberry suggested.

“We could,” Mishka replied smiling, “I’m scrabbling at my right foot with my left paw while the toes of my left foot grab my left paw, then there’s a contraction, and I’m holding onto one set of curling toes with the fingers of one paw while the other paw is trapped by the toes of my free foot, which are curled in effort and pain.”

“I suppose it could happen,” Blackberry said.

“I could take longer to deliver the cub that way,” Mishka said.

“Mishka just wants you to rub his pads forever,” Titan mewed.

“I will,” Blackberry replied, “I like these soft pads under my touch.”

“I like the touch of your fingers on my pads,” Mishka replied smiling.

“How do you pretend to have a cub when you’re not having one?” jess asked.

“Moan and push your feet against the attendant’s paws, and or moan and pant when they touch your pads, or grab your feet and push against your own paws,” Blackberry replied, “oh, and the cub’s head won’t emerge until you’ve forced each foot through the grip of your paws once, then both feet through the grip of your paws once too. Then you can roll onto paws and knees or lie on your back and draw your feet up, or sit reclining and give birth to the cub. You end up curling your toes with the effort of pushing against the attendant’s, or your own paws, pushing with your legs doesn’t stop until you’ve pushed them both straight three times, and that can take ages, as you push and struggle against your own paws or those of your attendant.”

“Ah, I see, that sounds fun,” Jess replied.

“it is,” Blackberry replied smiling.

“Of course, I’ve done it for real, three times,” jess replied, “I suppose for you, playing at giving birth to cubs is really just a more elaborate stuck foot game.”

“It is,” Anook replied, “but I know I like it all the same. It’s sort of the energy and thrill of the effort without the danger to mama or the cub.”

“Plus you get a good pad rub and can curl your toes tightly while screaming and yelling your head off with impunity too,” Mishka said.

“yes,” Anook replied smiling broadly.

“how long can you keep this imaginary cub’s birth going?” Jess asked.

“Oh, mum and I can do it for hours,” Mishka replied, “everything from minor contractions making each of us crawl and moan and curl our toes, to pains which make us into squealing roaring wrecks, complete with intense wriggling while drilling our heels into our bums while tightly curling our toes, then rolling onto our backs, pushing our feet against our own paws, each pushing our feet against the other’s paws, then pedalling at the air with our feet and punching with our paws, before drawing up our feet, grabbing the soles with our paws and pushing hard against our paws. We help each other, both in labour at the same time sometimes,” he giggled.

“You have really cute paws and feet Mishka, and the re-enactment of the cub’s births sound lovely,” Jess said.

“Royston caught you pretending to give birth to a bear cub didn’t he,” Mishka replied.

“yes,” jess replied, looking surprised, “how did you know?”

“I heard the argument about it between you and him before he slammed out of the house,” Mishka replied.

“I was trying not to tell him, but he found me acting out the birth of the cub,” jess said.

“it’s something he will never understand,” Patch replied, “you and I used to play those games all the time.”

“I was pretending to give birth to Patch, as I’d seen him miniaturised on the cameras,” jess replied.

“You know why that happened, don’t you?” Patch said.

“Yes,” jess replied, “but no sooner were you dead, then shadow had rebirthed you.”

“it was fast,” Patch replied.

“I might have pushed with Shadow a little,” jess said, smiling broadly.

“Maybe you did,” Patch replied smiling, “Shadow said my birth was a wild ride.”

“it was indeed a wild labour,” jess replied, “but, well, Shadow and I pushed together, I think. When I saw Patch and knew it was him we’d strained to deliver, that was when I really began to regret leaving the community.”

“I could wash your hands and feet jess,” Patch said.

“I’d like that,” Jess replied, “I washed my feet and hands before I came here, took my time doing it too.”

“the first thing you’re taught when a community cub is that pad washing has got very little to do with clean pads, especially these days,” Patch said smiling.

“Oh, yes, I remember now,” jess replied.

“Now I can draw circles on your soles, like this,” Patch said, sitting down opposite jess, picking up her left foot in his right paw, then drawing circles on the ball and arch of her foot with the fingers of his left, Jess squealing with laughter at his touch:

“You’re tiyiyiyckling meyeee!” she yelled, Patch rubbing more firmly, jess smiling at him.

“I’ve not got used to my new paws yet,” he said, his eyes shining.

“I liked that,” jess replied.

“No|w I must rub out the tickle,” Patch said smiling and fitting actions to his words, Jess curling her toes as tightly as she could with the pleasure she felt.

“I’d like to re-enact both Blackberry’s and Rosie’s births for you Patch,” jess said, “I’d like you to get paws on while I do this.”

“You could dwess up in a beaw costume fow blackbewwy’s biwth we-enactment,” Zalika said smiling.

“I don’t know how I feel about that,” Blackberry replied, “You let me run wild Jess, and I don’t know how I’d feel about you re-enacting my birth.”

“Maybe I won’t,” Jess replied, now shamefaced, “I didn’t do very well as a mama to you Blackberry.”

“but then again, if you hadn’t pushed hard, I wouldn’t be here now,” Blackberry replied, “jess, I cannot seek to impose my anguish at you leaving me to fend for myself on you.”

“Blackberry, I shouldn’t have done that. I should have been true to you, regardless of my form. I bore you in the knowledge I was free to have a cub if I wanted to or not. I made a free choice to give birth to you. I’m sorry for abandoning you, and because of that, should have had the strength and courage to nurture you. now I’m older, and can see what my abandonment did to you, I’m very sorry.” Blackberry looked at Jess’s face, and knew she meant what she said. Swallowing hard, he said:

“Go on, re-enact my birth.”

“No, I can’t,” Jess replied, “I could show it to Patch, but he was there the first time around.

“I’m sure Moses and Ekatewina would love to see it, and so would I,” Zalika mewed.

“it was in the presence of my mate at the time, his name was Skirnir,” jess said.

“Well that’s no problem,” Titan mewed, “I’d love to see how Blackberry was delivered into this world. I know you were a bear, so that’s not a problem for me.”

“I will show you all the video,” jess said.

Padding to the screen, she found Blackberry’s birth easily enough and played the video. On screen, Jess, in her former ursine body, could be seen lying on the floor, wriggling and panting with discomfort, having been woken from restless sleep. On screen Jess felt uncomfortable, the pains coming in waves and lasting for a minute or so. She wasn’t screaming yet, only panting and clenching her teeth, but she knew things would get a lot worse. She wondered whether to wake Skirnir, but decided against it. Getting up, she paced up and down the corridor, her paws feeling leaden and every breath seeming to rasp her whole body. Jess knew when contractions got worse, they’d increase quickly. Every contraction she felt building in her had her thinking it would be the first big one. She knew that when the first big contraction hit, she’d be a screaming wreck. Jess paced for an hour, and then felt a change, almost a shift inside her. Gasping, she returned to Skirnir’s side and woke him.

“Cub’s coming, it’s coming,” she panted, lying on her back on the floor. Skirnir woke to find his mate lying on her back whimpering and panting while holding her feet with her forepaws.

“Just do what ursine Ekaterina suggested, let things take their course,” Skirnir said, Jess puffing and blowing.

“Water’s haven’t broken yet,” she panted, “but something’s got to give! It must give soon! Pressure’s really building up! Ouououoch! Awowowowowowouch!” Jess grunted and wriggled, then squealed and kicked as her water broke. Skirnir saw a rush of fluid, and then heard Jess screaming into her forepaws as the first real contractions hit her.

“Just let things flow, let them take their course jess,” Skirnir said to the panting, whimpering and screaming female bear. Jess rolled onto her chest and crawled round the lie up, roaring with every contraction, Skirnir massaging the pads of her feet whenever he could reach them. Jess’s pads were wet with sweat beneath Skirnir’s touch; her toes curled so tightly with every contraction he was worried Jess’s claws would puncture her own pads. After fifteen minutes of crawling and roaring, Jess suddenly stopped, sat back on her heels and gave vent to a scream the like of which Skirnir had never heard before. It was a long drawn out howl while Jess bounced and squirmed her bum on her heels. Then squealing, Jess collapsed onto her side, pedalling with all four paws. Jess’s pedalling got faster and faster, Jess growling, roaring and squealing, her toes curling and relaxing constantly with the increasing severity and frequency of contractions.

“It’s stretching me!” Jess screamed, “It’s stretching me! I can feel it coming! Ow, ow, ow, ow! Ooooooooooowwwwwwwww!” Skirnir watched his mate’s physical struggle, feeling helpless. Then, after ten minutes, Jess stopped pedalling the air with her paws and feet, rolled onto her back, drew her feet up, grabbed them with her forepaws and groaned loud and long, and then she was up on her feet, bouncing on her toes, whimpering and squealing. Then squatting, head down, ursine Jess began screaming and stamping her paws and feet from time to time.

“Things are moving down, it’s stretching me more than ever!” Jess yelled, “I mustn’t push, mustn’t push!” Screaming and roaring Jess endured two heavy contractions without actively pushing, but then, as the cub’s forepaws emerged; she gave up the fight not to push. Taking a deep breath, she bore down hard into the soles of her feet, groaning long and low with effort. Skirnir was so fascinated by what was happening beneath Jess’s tail, he forgot to tell her what was going on. Jess wriggled and pushed, strained and wriggled, groaning, screaming and growling. Skirnir could see her effort; see how much pressure she was putting on one enormous cub.

“The cub’s nearly here!” Skirnir said when the cub’s hind quarters were nearly out. He caught the cub as jess strained hard twice more, her screams rattling the walls. With one final enormous straining, screaming push from Jess, the cub was born.

“Wow, that was amazing!” Titan said, clapping his paws as, on screen, Skirnir cleaned Blackberry from nose to tail, examining him by sight and touch.

“now to watch Rosie’s birth,” Jess said, crawling to the computer, as she was too exhausted from gripping each of her feet in both hands one at a time, then pushing her feet against their grip while curling her toes to walk to the screen.

“Not more intense action, my paws and feeyeeet can’t take iyiyiyiyt! That last video really made me want to curl my toes, grab my feet and scream!” Anook yelled.

“Why not do all you say and scream then?” jess asked, “I did,” everyone laughing merrily. Jess found herself curling her toes with excitement at the sight of herself on the screen, sitting on the bed in her room, “let’s go with Rosie’s birth,” she said, noticing Anook’s paws gripping the sole of her left foot in anticipation.

On screen, Jess sat on her bed with her legs drawn up, knees slightly splayed, Jess holding her left foot in both hands, her fingers desperately gripping the sole of her left foot, squeezing the heel pad with her right hand while pressing her fingers deeply into bunching skin on the ball of her left foot with her left hand, rubbing the hot, bunched skin on the ball of her foot hard every time she curled her toes as she felt a pain growing, while Patch watched her from his place sitting in a raised chair at the end of the bed.

Jess suddenly moaned deeply, curling her toes and gripping the hot pads of her right foot in her hands, complaining:

“aoaoaoaow! Aouwch!” as she felt the first big contraction grip her, wriggling and rocking back and forth, pressing into the soft bunched pads of her left foot with her fingers, drilling the heels of both feet into the bed.

“oaoaoaoaooaoaoawch, ouououoououaw!” Jess complained, squirming and rocking.

“Would you like me to rub your back or your feet?” Patch asked. Jess beckoned to Patch, the bear scrambling onto the bed, Jess kneeling on the bed and grabbing him in her arms, leaning into him, squealing into his fur, while rocking and wriggling. Patch held Jess tightly as she laboured. Closing his eyes, he listened to her cries of pain, rubbing her back as she held him in her arms.

“Rub my feet Patch,” Jess moaned, releasing the grey bear. Patch crawled behind Jess then rubbed the heels and tightly curling toes of both her bare feet, Jess’s legs slightly splayed as she knelt on the bed, resting her weight on her hands.

“that feels so good!” Jess moaned, wriggling and then sitting back on her heels, “ooooamf! Aoaoaoaowch! Uuuuuuuumf!” she yelled, drilling her heels into her bum and curling her toes.

“it’s not time for the cub, sorry baby to be born yet,” Blackberry said, from his place across the room from the bed, “I’ve been monitoring it wirelessly, and you have many hours yet before the baby’s even close.

“Can I crawl?” Jess panted.

“you can,” Blackberry replied, “Crawl, lie on your side, or on your back, rest on your knees, draw your legs up and grab your feet, splay your legs and kick, all that.”

“Good, Uuuuuuuumf, good!” Jess groaned, bouncing her bum on her heels while Patch rubbed the hot skin on the balls of her feet.

“aowhwhwhwhwhch! Auaoaoaoaowch!” Jess screamed.

“Do you want pain relief?” Blackberry asked.

“No, not yet,” Jess replied, “I might when I have to push, but right now, my screaming and curling my toes along with Patch rubbing my feet is helping!”

She squealed as another contraction gripped her, causing her to drill her heels even harder into her bum.

“I want oaoaoaoaoawch! Auwououowch! Your paws, rub and press too!” Jess moaned, squirming and bouncing her bum on her heels, “I must, must, uuuuuuuuaumf! Uauauauauauaumf! Heuuuuuumf!” Jess yelled as she pushed down hard into her bottom while sitting back on her heels. Squealing and screaming, she suddenly rolled onto her back, pedalled at the air with her feet, then drew up her legs, grabbed the soles of both feet in her hands, and yowling lustily, curled her toes, dropping her hands back to her thighs, and with knees drawn up, splayed her legs, kicking hard with both feet together, then pedalling the air with her feet, her toes curled so they clawed at the air.

“is Jess about to have her baby?” Patch asked Blackberry.

“I don’t know,” Blackberry replied, consulting the heads up display on the headcam he wore which recorded everything going on in front of his eyes, plus showed him the instruments monitoring Jess and her yet unborn baby, “The baby’s head is coming down, “I think the baby’s head engaged properly and began to really press just as Jess squealed and screamed then rolled onto her back.

“pedal the air hard if you can Jess,” Blackberry suggested, kissing the hot heel pad of her left foot, Jess moaning and groaning through a huge contraction.

“I want to push, push, really puuuuuush!” Jess moaned. Catching her breath, she strained hard down, her legs splaying, her toes curled in effort.

“Heuuuuuumf, eueueueueuemf! Aouwwowowowowch!” Jess yelled, deeply pedalling the air with both legs, Patch watching her hot padded feet, Jess wriggling convulsively while gripping the backs of her legs with sweating fingers. Wriggling convulsively, Jess screeched:

“ooooamf! Yuuuuuuumf! Aouwhwhwhwhwwhwhwh!” Wriggling hard, then rolling from side to side on the bed, finally settling, drawing up her legs and taking a fresh hold of her thighs with her hands, the naked, sweat soaked soles of her feet facing the camera, facing the watchers at the end of the bed.

Suddenly Jess drew her legs up even further, took a deep breath and a fresh hold on her legs, splayed her legs an extra inch or so then pushed hard down, the top of the baby’s head appearing between her legs as screaming and roaring, Jess strained deeply down into her bottom.

“Heuuuuuumf, eueueueueuemf! Aouwwowowowowch!

ooooamf! Yuuuuuuumf! Aouwhwhwhwhwwhwhwh!

Uauauauauauaumf! Heuuuuuumf! Uauauauauauaumf! Uauauauauauaumf! Uauauauauauaumf! Aouwhwhwhwhwwhwhwh!”

“Keep pushing Jess, push down!” Blackberry encouraged as Jess, feeling the stinging pain of her baby’s head stretching her, had stopped pushing mid contraction, giving herself up to squealing:

“ “oaoaoaoaooaoaoawch, ouououoououaw!” Kicking up and down with both feet, then pedalling at the air in a cycling motion, the watchers able to see the soles of Jess’s feet with pink bunched pads, her toes tightly curled.

“Push Jess Push, pedal the air with your feet, don’t kick, pedal with your feet and puuuuuush down,” Patch encouraged, crawling to her head then kissing her sweating cheek.

“It hurts!” Jess whimpered.

“I know,” Patch replied, “but you have to push, just as I did when giving birth to Sita.” Jess felt another contraction and, wriggling, she took a fresh grip on her legs and curled her toes tighter than ever. Growling with effort, jess wriggled and pedalled her legs, bearing down hard, shrieking:

“Aouwhwhwhwhwwhwhwh, aouwhwhwhwhwwhwhwh!” as the baby’s head stretched her, then burst into the world, Jess screaming with surprise and pain. Moaning, she found she had to push deeply, the baby’s body sliding into the world.

“now, now sit up a bit,” Patch said, helping Jess to recline on pillows on the bed, Blackberry helping Jess position her feet with gentle paws, “reach down, and you can feel your baby coming into the world Jess.” Jess reached between her legs and felt the slippery baby in her hands.

“Now push down, easy but deeply down,” Blackberry said. Taking a deep breath, and pressing her heels into the bed, Jess pushed, feeling the baby emerging into the world with a rush and squelch of fluid.

“Uauauauauauaumf!” Jess moaned as the baby’s legs and feet came free, then Blackberry was cleaning little Rosemarie up, and suddenly Jess found she had her newborn daughter in her arms.

In the treehouse, Anook, jess and everyone else were wriggling with discomfort. “Now I really wayayayant to grab my feeyeeet, wriggle and scream!” Anook yelled.

“Go on then, wriggle and scream with me on screen if you want,” jess replied, “which one would you like, me as a bear or me as human?”

“”I can’t scream like a human, so a bear of course!” Anook replied smiling, “I want to doooo iyiyiyiyiyt!” she yelled. Patch crawled to Anook and hugged her.

“Ready to practise?” He asked. Anook smiled and took hold of her right foot in her paws.

“You warm up first,” Patch said. Anook’s response was explosive and noisy.

“aoraorr’r’r’r’r’r’r’r’r!” Anook complained as she massaged the toes of her right foot, then panting, squeezed them hard, her eyes shut and mouth gaping in a shriek of pain.

“Oooh, ouch, ouch! Oooooooooah! Ooooooooooowwwwwwwww! Auauauauooooooooooowwwwwwwww!” She screeched, Patch massaging Anook’s left foot.

“Watch, ow, ow, ow!” Anook groaned. Then, rocking back, she settled onto her back, drew her feet to her and grabbed them with her forepaws, panting, wriggling and screaming. Patch kissed Anook’s nose, just inches from her screaming mouth. As he did so, she closed her mouth and panted hard, groaning loudly. Wriggling and screaming turned into kicking and rolling about on the floor. Patch followed his mama’s struggle with her body to deliver an imaginary cub. Gasping, Anook struggled into a crawling posture, Patch touching the toes of her forepaws, which were tightly gripping the floor, then, as he touched the pads of her right foot, Anook wriggled, whimpered and curled her toes hard, grunting, then wailing with heartfelt effort as she bore down against her imaginary cub. Sobbing, she bore down again and again, pushing one foot, then the other against Patch’s paws while resting on one knee and two paws, her cries becoming more desperate as her need to push increased.

“Must push, I want to push!” Anook gasped, “But it’s not enough, pushing isn’t enough! Must try harder!” She closed her eyes, lowered her head and pushed her right foot against Patch’s paw, groaning as she strained desperately.

“The cub’s forepaws and head are coming Anook!” Patch said excitedly. Anook bore down, squealing and banging the floor with a forepaw, the toes of her other forepaw and both feet curled either into the rug, or around Patch’s right forepaw, or gripping nothing.

“Now for the cub’s body!” Patch encouraged. Anook panted, then grunted and groaned her way through horrendous efforts, she strained once, twice, thrice while screaming and wriggling, imploring the cub to hurry up and be born.

“I can’t push much more, “I can’t, I just can’t!” Anook whimpered after Patch told her the body was out.

“Just a bit more pushing Anook,” Patch said gently, Anook crying into his coat as he hugged her.

“I can’t, I can’t!” She sobbed.

“Come on,” Patch encouraged, “you push as best you can, I’ll show you how far along the cub is by touching the sole of your foot.” Anook nodded, readying herself for another straining, screaming push. Bearing down, she felt Patch touch her hock, then, as she pushed, he touched her right leg, then the heel of her right hind foot, and then his paw stopped as Anook panted. Then, grunting as if taking up the strain again, she bore down, waiting for Patch’s paw to touch the ball of the sweating sole pad of her right foot, the journey of his touch from her heel to her toes seemingly endless, Anook bullying the touch, which was now at the mid sole of her foot and her imaginary cub out into the world.

“Come on Anook!” Patch encouraged, Anook whining with discomfort and effort. Straining, she forced the cub into the world, the touch of her adopted cub’s paw signalling the progress of the cub inside her. yowling, she forced his touch down the sole of her foot with her efforts until it touched her toes, Anook squealing and wriggling. Patch touched Anook’s toes then gently picked up her right foot and stroked her bunched pads, Anook panting as the cub’s toes came free.

“You’ve done it!” Patch said delightedly.

“Now, now to do what Jess did!” Anook yelled.

“Okay,” Patch replied, hugging her, “ready?”

“Good luck mama,” Blackberry said, his eyes full of concern.

“yes, I’m ready,” Anook replied. Getting up, she paced up and down the room, her paws feeling leaden and every breath seeming to rasp her whole body. Anook knew when contractions got worse, they’d increase quickly. Every contraction she felt building in her had her thinking it would be the first big one. She knew that when the first big contraction hit, she’d be a screaming wreck. Anook paced for a while, then felt a change, almost a shift inside her. Gasping, she returned to Patch’s side.

“Cub’s coming, it’s coming!” Anook squealed, throwing herself down on the floor and rolling onto her back. Blackberry suddenly crawled over to Anook, to find her lying on her back, whimpering and panting while holding her feet with her forepaws.

“Just do what nature wants, let things take their course,” Patch said, listening to Anook puffing and blowing.

“Water’s haven’t broken yet,” she panted, “but something’s got to give! It must give soon! Pressure’s really building up! Ouououoch! Aouwch! Ouwch! Awowowowowowouch!” Anook grunted and wriggled, then squealed and kicked as her water broke. Patch saw a rush of fluid, and then heard Anook screaming into her forepaws as the first real contractions hit her.

“Just let things flow, let them take their course Anook,” Patch said to the now panting, whimpering and screaming female bear. Anook rolled onto her chest and crawled round the lie up, roaring with every contraction, Patch massaging the pads of her feet whenever he could reach them. Anook’s pads were wet with sweat beneath Patch’s touch; her toes curled so tightly with every contraction he was worried Anook’s claws would puncture her own pads. After fifteen minutes of crawling and roaring, Anook suddenly stopped and sat back on her heels, giving vent to a scream the like of which Patch had never heard before. It was a long drawn out howl while Anook bounced on her heels. Then squealing, Anook collapsed onto her side, pedalling with all four paws. Anook’s pedalling feet got faster and faster, Anook growling, roaring and squealing, her toes curling and relaxing constantly with the increasing severity and frequency of contractions.

“It’s stretching me!” Anook screamed, “It’s stretching me! I can feel it coming! Ow, ow, ow, ow! Ooooooooooowwwwwwwww!” Patch watched his friend’s physical struggle, feeling suddenly helpless. Then, after ten minutes, Anook stopped pedalling the air with her paws, rolled onto her back, drew her feet up, grabbed them with her forepaws, groaning loud and long. Then all of a sudden she was up on her feet, bouncing on her toes, whimpering and squealing:

“I wayayayan’a give birth as if Blackberry was mine! I can’t Stoaoaoap thiyiyiyis, I can’t Heyeyeyeyelp iyiyiyiyiyt! ”she screamed. Then squatting, head down, Anook began screaming and stamping her paws and feet.

“Things are moving down, it’s stretching me more than ever!” Anook yelled, “I must push, got’a push!” Screaming and roaring:

“oaoaoaoaooaoaoawch, ouououoououaw!” while actively pushing, Anook endured two heavy contractions, but then, as the cub’s forepaws emerged; she panted hard and braced her toes against the floor, groaning long and low with the sensations she felt. Patch stared, fascinated by what was happening beneath Anook’s tail as the cub’s head emerged, breathlessly he told her what was going on:

“The cub’s head and body are coming out now Anook, it’s coming, puuuuuush!” Patch encouraged. Anook rested her weight on her paws and toes, then wriggled and pushed, roaring and straining as she wriggled, groaning, screaming and growling. Patch could see Anook’s effort, fascinated and surprised by the amount of concentration and effort she was putting in to deliver one enormous cub.

“The cub’s nearly here!” Patch said when the cub’s hind quarters were nearly out Patch caught the cub as Anook strained hard twice more, her scream of:

“Puuuuushing’s soaoaoao hayayayayrd! Thiyiyiyis cuuuuub’s huuuge!” Rattling the walls.

“Just the cub’s feet to go Anook, go on, puuush!” Patch encouraged, kissing the heel pad of her left foot. Anook raised her left foot off the floor, pushed it into Patch’s paws, then braced her foot hard into his grip. With one final straining effort from Anook, the sow bear moaning:

““ooooamf! Aoaoaoaowch! Uuuuuuuumf!” with her effort to free the cub’s heels, the cub’s feet slid free and it was born. Anook collapsed, lying on the floor, crying, spent in strength.

“Anook, mama?” Jess asked, crawling up to the sobbing she bear, “please, would you do something for me?”

“Can’t you see she’s in trouble?” Blackberry asked, his eyes full of concern, “someone go for a medic!” he yelled.

“No Blackberry, I don’t, don’t need that,” Anook sniffled, wiping her face with her paws.

“I think Jess wants Anook to adopt Blackberry permanently,” Titan mewed.

“I’m not worthy of him,” jess replied.

“but he’s your cub, I can’t change that, no matter how hard I fight to give birth to him Jess,” Anook replied.

“You could adopt him,” Titan mewed, “I saw Blackberry emerging from you Anook.”

“I was trying to remember, trying to be like Jess,” Anook whimpered.

“You did very well,” Patch replied.

“You gave real birth to Blackberry Anook,” Titan mewed gravely.

“I feel like I have,” she replied, sitting up.

“You did, I saw!” Patch said incredulously.

“I didn’t mean to do it that realistically,” Anook replied.

“maybe deep down, you did,” Titan mewed.

“Blackberry was always your cub really Anook. Yes he is made in slight human form, as I bore him, but he’s your cub,” Jess replied.

“I feel like I was impregnated with a bear human hybrid,” Anook replied, “I felt everything while I acted, it became very real!”

“I know,” Jess replied, “I saw everything.”

“You did give birth to Blackberry Anook,” Titan mewed, “he was there inside you.”

“I, well, um, like lucky was?” Anook asked, an expression of deep confusion on her face.

“Yes,” Titan purred, “I let you feel Blackberry’s birth as jess felt it. The history says you looked after Blackberry from a young age.”

“he was about four months old,” Anook replied.

“Now you can be his mama with more than everything you have, for you have the missing piece of the puzzle,” Titan mewed. Anook looked at Jess:

“Are you relinquishing your ursine self?” Anook asked.

“yes,” jess replied, “I’m a community cub, a human community cub, not a bear.”

“Okay jess, I understand,” Anook said, turning to Blackberry and crawling to him, grooming him from nose to tail with her paws and tongue, Blackberry wriggling and humming with pleasure.

“Wash his feet well too,” Patch said softly. Anook washed Blackberry twice, rasping his pads with her teeth as she went, injecting her scent into him, feeling his soft pads beneath her tongue as she washed them.

“I’m now your cub,” Blackberry said, hugging Anook, jess smiling with relief that he’d accepted his adoption.

“I thought this might happen,” Mishka said, “Blackberry has been unhappy for years, I could feel it in his paws.”

“Sometimes I think you feel too much Mishka,” Blackberry grunted.

“I feel you have felt out of place ever since you can remember Blackberry,” Anook said, kissing his nose.

“I’ve messed up two vocations and made enemies,” Blackberry replied.

“You haven’t messed up one of your vocations, you just didn’t know what you’d created,” Patch replied.

“But what about the other one?” Blackberry whimpered, “that was awful! I’ve never forgiven myself for what I did to Adsila!”

“I know,” a voice replied gently, “and you must try to Blackberry, if you don’t, it will destroy you..”

“In my private moments, it nearly does,” Blackberry admitted, his face full of shame and anguish. Realising the voice which had spoken was different, he turned his head to see Adsila sitting in the corner of the room.

“how long have you been here?” Blackberry asked.

“Oh ages, as long as Rosemarie herself,” Adsila replied, I just hid here.”

“oaoaoaoaoh!” Blackberry wailed, burying his face in his paws.

“Blackberry?” Adsila said, crawling up to him then touching his paw.

“yes?” Blackberry whimpered, shaking with emotion and crying with shame.

“I forgive you for what you did, so please, please, forgive yourself.” Blackberry felt Adsila’s naked paws taking his right in their small grip then squeezing hard.

“Are you listening Blackberry?” Adsila asked.

“I am,” Blackberry replied, Adsila kissing his tear soaked nose.

“Now, let’s start off with a big hug,” Adsila said. Blackberry looked at her.

“You want to hug me?” he asked.

“yes,” Adsila said, “now come on, I’m cold and want a cuddle!” she growled cubbishly. Blackberry rolled onto his side, Adsila lying down and snuggling up to him, reaching round him to hug him as best she could with her short arms, Blackberry unable to resist returning her hug, Adsila humming with contentment as she got warmer.

“You’re lovely,” Blackberry said gently.

“Can I stay here?” Adsila asked.

“You can,” Blackberry replied softly, “but I must get you something warm to wear, your paws and feet are freezing, and as for the rest of you, well!” Adsila shook her head:

“I’m all right,” she replied.

“No you’re not, you’re shaking with cold!” Blackberry snapped.

“All right, I am cold,” Adsila admitted.

“Right,” Blackberry said, “let’s see what we can do about that. Would you like me to find some clothes to dress you so you are warmer?”

“Clothes are like removable fur aren’t they?” Adsila asked.

“yes, well sort of,” Blackberry replied, “Patch used to wear them to try and disguise his ursine form.”

“I remember something about that,” Adsila replied, “I would rather not wear clothes, they’re too human.”

“Well how do we keep warmth in you then? You’re shivering now!” Blackberry asked.

“Warm her in a bath, then wrap her in a warm towel I think,” Anook said. Blackberry stood, then scooped Adsila up in his arms, carrying her to Mishka’s bathtub where he found a towel on the warm towel rail, which was warm from end to end. placing Adsila on the floor so she was sitting comfortably, Blackberry spread the towel on a warm seat he found in the room.

“come, here is warm,” Blackberry said, Adsila crawling towards his voice, then climbing into the seat with his help.

“I haven’t got anywhere to put my feeyeeet!” Adsila yelled, kicking the air with her small feet.

“You’re not finding the bar below your feet,” Blackberry replied, Adsila stretching her legs towards the floor, pointing her small toes to try and reach it.

“naoaoaoaoao, I Cayayayn’t find the playayayce for my feeyeeet!” she yelled, beating the arms of the chair with her paws, please, help me Blackberry!” she pleaded in a cubbish tone. Blackberry, smiling broadly at her antics, knelt and gently picked up each of her feet in his paws, placing her feet one by one on the footrest by touching the back strap of the footrest with the back of each of her heels before releasing his hold, leaving her toes sticking over the edge of the strap.

“My toes want to be rubbed Blackberry, please?” Adsila begged, seeing her smile and shining eyes, Blackberry did as she asked. Blackberry rubbed Adsila’s toes, Adsila curling her toes round Blackberry’s fingertips when she felt them in range of a good toehold. This way she got toeholds on first the fingertips of his left paw, then right, Blackberry smiling broadly.

“I’m glad you showed me those footrests,” Adsila said softly.

“You rogue!” Blackberry laughed, kissing Adsila’s nose, “now is it tug of war between my fingers and your toes?” he asked.

“Yes, go on!” Adsila yelled, Blackberry sitting back on his haunches in preparation for the game. It was then he felt something wet on the balls of his feet. Wiggling his toes, he heard slight splashing, then, looking down, he saw the bathtub had overflowed, and he was kneeling in two inches of warm water.

“Oh dam!” Blackberry yelped, wiggling his fingers free of Adsila’s toehold and leaping for the taps, “the tub’s overflowed!”

What’s going on?” Adsila asked, her toehold on Blackberry’s fingertips rudely broken by Blackberry hurriedly wiggling his fingers free.

“I forgot to enable the level regulator in the tub, and there’s now water all over the floor, that’s what!” Blackberry whimpered miserably, “Mishka’s gonna go mad!” he squealed.

“I thought those regulators were automatic,” Adsila replied.

“They are, but I wanted a deeper bath, so I sabotaged it, and I forgot to enable it agayayayayayain! Now, now I’m paddling in my own guilt!” Blackberry yelled, involuntarily stamping his feet, water fountaining all over Adsila.

“You’re soaking meyeee! Stop it!” she laughed, “oh dear Blackberry, you’re so funny!”

“Oh, thank Eohippus I kicked the door shut, that’s got rubber edges which stop the water from escaping, but, even so, it’s a mess. Suds everywhere!” the poor black bear wailed, “I suppose if I pull the plug, the water will run away from the floor and down into the tub.”

“yes it will,” A voice said from the relieving place.

“Mishka!” Blackberry howled.

“I followed you in here as I needed to relieve myself, and have been listening to your play, it’s sweet!” the brown bear replied, “as for the mess, yes Blackberry, pull the plug on the bathtub and that will ease this tidal surge.”

“Oh Blackberry, you’re busted!” Adsila giggled into her paws.

“I’m glad you find it funny!” Blackberry grumbled.

“Oh but it iyiyiys!” Adsila squealed gleefully, abandoning herself to cubbish laughter, leaning back in her seat, lifting her feet into the air, waving her arms and kicking with her feet.

“cuuuuubs!” Blackberry wailed as he saw Mishka smile.

“You’re all right,” Mishka said, “and as for you kicking the door shut, no, that was me. I gently closed it, realising you were preoccupied with helping Adsila. Though I didn’t know until I heard the splashing, that you’d disabled the water shut off valve.”

“I’m very sorry Mishka,” Blackberry replied, touching Mishka’s paw with his, Mishka knowing Blackberry’s apology was sincere.

“Oi, what’s going on in there!” Anook yelled, pounding on the door with her paws, “I want the loo and a wash!”

“Oh dear, quick, pull that plug!” Mishka said, Blackberry pulling the plug, then turning the vacuum drainage system to full to quickly drain the tub so the water from the floor flowed into the tub.

“come in Mama!” Mishka yelled as soon as he felt the water leave his feet.

“Thanks,” Anook panted, racing past him and into the relieving place, slamming the door.

“poor mama,” Mishka thought as he heard unmistakable sounds of evacuation from behind the door.

“Sorry we locked the door mama,” Mishka said, “the floor was awash!”

“I’ll find out why in a minute!” Anook yelled in reply, washing herself before emerging into the main bathroom.

“What’s this about a flood?” she asked, slamming the door to the relieving place.

“Oh, Blackberry thought he’d make a bath for Adsila and forgot he’d nobbled the auto shut off for the water,” Mishka replied, “I emerged from the relieving place to find myself and him nearly ankle deep in water, Adsila stayed dry, until Blackberry panicked and started stamping about, spraying her and me with water which he kicked up with his big feet.”

“the floor is a bit wet,” Anook replied, looking down at the tiles.

“Mum,” Blackberry said, “when did you know you were going to go into full spiritual labour?”

“When I practised that first time, I’d been thinking about it for ages, and I knew you wanted stability,” Anook replied.

“But it hurt you! I saw it did!” Blackberry wailed.

“What hurt me was the knowledge jess abandoned you,” Anook replied, “I transferred anger at that into labour pain and your rebirth became very real, hence why patch saw what he did.” Anook lifted Adsila out of the chair and stepped down into the tub, setting her down on the seat in the tub, Adsila’s eyes shining at the way Anook treated her.

“I’m her cub again,” Adsila thought. Blackberry and Mishka joined Anook in the tub, the she bear smiling at them.

“Want me to wash your feet Mishka, Blackberry?” she asked.

“I won’t say no,” Mishka replied smiling, “not that I can’t do it myself of course, but,,,,”

“We could wash each other’s feet, that would be nice,” Adsila replied.

“I agree,” Anook said. Adsila leant forward, taking gentle hold of Mishka’s left foot in her small paws, Smiling, he lifted it from the water, Anook putting a float beneath his heel:

“Rest your foot on the float beneath your heel now Mishka, that should help you and Adsila,” Anook said, lifting the float and touching the back of Mishka’s heel with it, Mishka lowering his foot until it was supported by the float, Adsila still able to reach all of his foot so she could wash his pads. Smiling, she set to work, washing between Mishka’s toes, over his toe pads, down the ball of his foot to his slight arching on the central pad, then his heel pad, Mishka curling his toes with pleasure as soon as he could do so, Adsila exploring Mishka’s now bunched pads and curled toes with her fingers, Mishka curling his toes even tighter as she traced his pads.

“I love this very much,” Mishka said, Adsila smiling broadly.

“I would do this for you more often, but you never ask,” Adsila said.

“I will ask, if you want,” Mishka replied, “and please, if you want to rub my pads, just ask too, okay?”

“it’s a deal, if you’ll do the same for my pads,” Adsila replied.

“I will rub your pads, and ask you if I can rub them more, and will be amenable to rubbing them if you wish,” Mishka replied gravely.

“You can start when I’ve finished washing this foot, then I’ll wash your other one, then, please, wash mine?” Adsila asked.

“I will, with pleasure and gentility too,” Mishka replied.

“Take off your work paws too Mishka,” Blackberry said.

“What’s this about work paws?” Adsila asked.

“Oh, my job is washing the paws and feet of woodlanders,” Mishka sighed, “sometimes I take a too detached professional approach to washing the paws and feet of family members, and they get angry about it.”

“Oh, sort of detached?” Adsila asked.

“Apparently so,” Mishka replied.

“I’m too young to have professional paws yet,” Adsila said.

“You did once,” Anook replied, “you helped your brother into the world, remember?”

“Oh yes,” Adsila said, “that was a long time ago, but touching Mishka’s pads makes me remember what happened.”

“I have never forgotten it,” Mishka replied.

“It’s all over now,” Adsila said, “I’m going to learn from my younger brother, who has more wisdom in his curled toes than I have in my whole naked body.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Mishka replied.

“Now, will you wash my feet Mishka?” Adsila asked, having finished washing his left foot.

“I will,” Mishka replied, Adsila touching Anook’s paw with hers:

Can I sit in your lap mum?” she asked, Anook replying that she could,, having just finished washing Blackberry’s feet. Adsila scrambled into Anook’s lap, resting her left foot on the float.

“I forgot how small your feet are Adsila!” Mishka exclaimed.

“I don’t think you’ve touched them since you miniaturised me,” she replied.

“maybe not,” Mishka said, gently tracing the pads of her left foot, Adsila giggling and bouncing about, begging him to:.

“rub my payayayayads Mishka, find out about my feeyeeet!” Mishka hugged Adsila’s small foot in his large paws, Adsila pushing her foot into his warm embrace, bracing her toes hard against his warm pads.

“If you push your foot into my paws, I can’t easily explore your pads with my fingers,” Mishka said, Adsila relaxing her pressure, smiling and closing her eyes as Mishka traced her toes, then the thickened padding on the ball of her foot, the softer mid pad half way down the sole, then her heel pad, Adsila curling her toes with pleasure just as he had.

“I like these soft pads,” Mishka said, “Adsila, do you ever walk on these feet?”

“Not much,” she replied, and I have knee pads too. My paws are not much tougher so I wear Blackberry’s transparent gloves on them. if I walk on my feet, I also wear the socks.”

“I believe part of the process of rebirth is softer pads for life,” Anook replied, “I too have trouble sometimes where my feet aren’t as tough as they used to be, no damage, but they’re very tender now.”

“You feel far more beneath them don’t you mum,” Mishka said with deep understanding.

“I do,” Anook replied.

“I love these pads, especially when your toes curl and they bunch Adsila,” Mishka said, Adsila giggling with delight.

“I have two styles of foot, heel down, toes up, or heel up toes down,” she replied, “my feet change either way. Would you rub my feet both ways?” Mishka smiled broadly:

“I will,” he said, “and come to think of it,” he added, “mine do the same as yours, would you do the same for me?”

“I will, and I’m looking forward to it,” Adsila replied, her eyes shining, “Blackberry, would you show me what you were getting in so much of a fuss about earlier? Something about you trying to free your fingers from your toes I think.”

“I’ll show and tell you all about that Adsila,” Blackberry replied. Mishka took hold of Adsila’s right foot, the little furless bear curling her toes with intense pleasure at his touch.

“At this rate, my pads will never become smooth again,” Anook giggled, wiggling her toes in the warm water.

“Your feet will be fine for hours yet mum,” Mishka replied.

“I hope so,” Anook said as Adsila slid off her lap and Blackberry began washing her left foot, “my pads are all wrinkly now!” she giggled.

“I have spent hours with my feet in this tub washing the pads of many creatures, your pads will be fine,” Mishka replied gently.

“Okay all done mum,” Blackberry said, letting go of her foot.

“No play?” Anook asked in a hurt tone.

“on Dry land, I’ll play then,” Blackberry said, “how about the stuck foot game mum?” Anook grinned delightedly at this suggestion.

“I’d like that,” she said. Blackberry smiled at his adopted mama. Anook and Mishka left the tub, Blackberry following with Adsila.

“time to dry your pads,” Blackberry said, nudging Adsila, Adsila smiling:

“You nearly said fur and pads didn’t you,” she said.

“I nearly did, I’ll get a towel and rub you down,” Blackberry said, kissing her nose.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Adsila said softly. Blackberry led Adsila to the drying place, where he found a robe which he helped her into. Adsila found her paws and feet covered with towelling mittens and boots, the rest of her wrapped in a warm robe from head to feet.

“You’re warm now?” he asked, Adsila replying she was. Blackberry rubbed Adsila down in the robe, the little she bear laughing at his concern for her.

“I’m not all that fragile,” she said.

“You look it,” Blackberry replied, sitting down and drying his feet with a warm air hose which he’d switched on. Smiling, he turned the hose on Adsila and blasted the warm air at the towel covered sole of her left foot. The towel was thin, the air easily reaching the sole of her foot, tickling her pads, Adsila grabbing both feet with her small mitten covered paws, laughing helplessly at the tickling.

“You’re a rogue!” she said, Blackberry kneeling before her then kissing her nose, Adsila throwing her arms round him in the biggest hug she could manage.

“I thought you might want to know Blackberry’s curling his toes with emotion,” Anook said, having followed them from the tub, Adsila hugging him even tighter.

“I would love to touch your toes when you’re curling them Blackberry,” Adsila said.

“but they won’t curl tight unless I’m hugging you,” Blackberry blurted, Adsila smiling and nuzzling his cheek.

“I’ll rub your pads a bit, then maybe they will,” she said softly. Blackberry turned and crawled away, Adsila chasing him and pinning his toes under her small paws, Blackberry squealing theatrically, throwing himself on the floor, banging the floor with his paws while complaining about his trapped toes in a cubbish yell which soon had Adsila laughing so hard she forgot her intention to press her attack home by tickling the male bear’s toes.

“You’re so fuuuunny Blackberry!” she guffawed, Blackberry suddenly sobering up, turning to her and asking:

“You don’t think that was too exuberant?” Adsila hugged him.

“I think it was wonderful,” she replied, “now, if only I could see you waving your paws and feet about, that would be so sweet.”

“You did that earlier,” h|e said, smiling broadly.

“I know,” Adsila replied, hugging his left paw in her small ones.

“”I could slowly pedal the air with my feet so you could get paws on,” Blackberry replied.

“I would love that,” Adsila said, “then I could catch each of your feet and explore the pads on them.”

“I would like it if you would catch each of my feet, then take time to explore my pads,” Blackberry said, “though, please, catch them when I can’t see them. I can’t concentrate on my feet when my eyes are looking at them.”

“what do you mean?” Adsila asked.

“My eyes take over my entire brain, well most of it,” Anook replied, Sita makes sure her cubs play in the dark for some of the time, so they get used to using their paws to touch and get used to being touched.

“I often find having my pads rubbed while in the dark is best,” Blackberry said.

“I’ve always been very paws first,” Adsila replied, “Mishka has too I think, you can feel it when he touches you.”

“I like paws first,” Anook replied.

“I would like paws on very much,” Blackberry replied. Adsila felt him turn round, then back up until his toes pressed against her fingers.

“why not rest your fingertips in the gap between my toes and the balls of my feet Adsila, and I will curl my toes and guide you that way,” Blackberry suggested. Adsila, smiling, rubbed the soles of Blackberry’s feet from heel pads to toes, giggling as she felt his pads bunching before her fingertips got to his toes.

“There’s no gap here,” she said, drawing circles on the bunched pads of the bear’s feet with her fingers, “the gap has gone!” she whimpered, scrabbling gently at Blackberry’s now furrowed pads, Blackberry laughing helplessly, curling his toes as tightly as he could.

“I Cayayayn’t find the gap!” Adsila raged, Blackberry laughing so hard he forgot to keep his toes curled, feeling Adsila’s paws grabbing them.

“naoaoaoaoao! You’ve got my toooes!” the black bear squealed, Adsila blowing on the heel pad of his right foot in reply.

“You’re a rogue!” Blackberry yelped, Adsila kissing the tickle from his heel pad, Blackberry sitting back on his heels and squirming with pleasure.

“Go on Adsila, explore Blackberry’s pads thoroughly,” Anook said, glancing at Blackberry who smiled at her.

“I did, Blackberry has very soft pads,” Adsila replied, letting go of Blackberry’s toes and exploring the sole of first his left foot, then his right with gentle care, Blackberry closing his eyes with pleasure.

“I think Blackberry could take as much of that pad rubbing as you can give him,” Anook said, Adsila smiling broadly.

“I think so too,” she said, pressing gently into the balls of both the black bear’s feet with her fingertips, rubbing circles, Blackberry’s toes curling with pleasure.

“These pads belong to a cub really Blackberry,” Adsila said, Blackberry smiling broadly.

“I enjoyed playing with my toes,” he replied.

“I know you did,” Adsila said, “I would have loved to get paws on with you during that game.”

“Let’s go somewhere cooler, and I will play that game, and many others,” Blackberry replied.

“Blackberry wants to pretend to have a cub!” Anook giggled.

“if he does, I’ll help him,” Adsila replied.

“I also want to grab my feet with my paws and push against them like Rosie did hers earlier,” Blackberry said, “we played those games in the woods too mum, pretending our paws would not let go of our feet and that we had to push our feet through the grip of our paws. We struggled hard, curling our toes, yelling and wriggling as if the game was anything but.” Anook grinned at her son cub.

“show Adsila those cubbish games, show her your pads when you’re with her,” she said.

“I will, that is if I can ever get control of my feeyeeet ever agayayayayin!” he yelled, “my feeyeeet don’t wayayayan’a leave Adsila’s touch!” he squealed, throwing himself forward, pulling at the toes of each foot in turn, while Adsila gently held each foot in her small paws, Blackberry working himself into a squealing rage, at which everyone laughed.

“My feeyeeet won’t come freeyeee! I Cayayayn’t freeyeee my feeyeeet!” he yowled, Adsila feeling his toes curling with his efforts.

“Pull Blackberry Puuuull!” she encouraged, rubbing from the pad of his right heel to the bunching skin on the ball of his left foot, Blackberry wriggling and squealing:

“I’m puuuuulling hayayayrd! But my fooooot doesn’t wayayayan’a leave your paaaaws!” Adsila rubbed as much of the pads of the curled toes of Blackberry’s right foot which she held in her paws as she could reach with him curling them as tightly as he could, Blackberry squealing:

“naoaoaoaoao! the more you ruub my payayayds, the more my feeyeeet don’t want to leaeaeaeve your paaaaws!”

“I could let go,” Adsila offered.

“let go? Naoaoaoaoaoao!” Blackberry yelled, pressing his foot into the grip of her paws with fierce urgency, bouncing about on his backside, Adsila laughing helplessly.

“You don’t want them freed, you don’t want them held, what do you want for your feet?” she asked.

“I don’t know!” Blackberry whimpered. Then he sobered up, wiggled his right foot free of Adsila’s grip and hugged her.

“Thanks for playing along,” he said, “I was serious about your touch though, it’s really nice.”

“You were serious about your feet too,” Adsila said.

“yeah, I was,” Blackberry replied, kissing her nose, “Now, let’s go somewhere cooler and I can get really frothy angry with my toes when they grab my fingers when all I’m doing is rubbing the sole of my foot for pleasure! I hate my toooes when they doooo that!” he raged. Adsila laughed:

“You don’t, you love it Blackberry!”

“All right, I do, and so does Mishka too. he gets furious with his toes too, and he’s a bigger pad rubber than I am.”

“You learnt it from him,” Anook replied.

“I did,” Blackberry said, “or rather, he rekindled my love of foot play. Rosie showed me that toes and fingers game, she said Jess had taught her it after seeing Ekaterina playing it.”

“now to get your fingertips completely trapped by your toes then Blackberry,” Adsila said, reaching over and stroking the heel of his left foot, Blackberry hugging her tightly.

“Follow my toes,” he said, turning round and crawling from the room, Adsila removing the towelling robe, then following Blackberry’s toes by touching them with gentle fingers. Blackberry and Adsila went to Mishka’s living room where Adsila sat down opposite Blackberry.

“Now how if I press my feet against yours Blackberry?” Adsila asked, “will our feet stick?” Blackberry smiled broadly, gently picked up Adsila’s left foot in his paws and traced her pads with the fingers of his left paw while cradling her heel in his right.

“You have really soft pads Adsila,” Blackberry said, Adsila curling her toes with pleasure at his touch.

“Would you show me what Rosie did when she faught against her own feet after freeing them from Anook’s paws?” Adsila asked.

“would you like to fight your own feet, like Rosie faught against hers, if I describe what she did?” Blackberry asked.

“I’d love to,” Adsila replied. still rubbing the sole of her left foot with his fingers, Blackberry told Adsila what Rosie had done, then asked:

“if you’re ready, I’ll grab your right foot like Anook grabbed Rosie’s?” Adsila bouncing with pleasure, pressed her foot into Blackberry’s grip, feeling Blackberry taking her right foot in his paws. Smiling she waited, then suddenly tugged hard three times at her right foot which was now held tenderly in the black bear’s paws, her efforts getting more intense. Blackberry tried to let go, but Adsila squealed:

“noaoaoaaow! Don’t let goaoaoaoaoao of my fooooot! Let meyeee Puuuull! Eoeoeoeoeoah!” Then she started wriggling and tugging even more urgently, her toes stretching and curling as she relaxed, then tugged harder still, curling her toes even tighter as she made even greater effort. Suddenly, with her greatest effort, illustrated by tightly curled toes, hard bouncing and lots of squealing, Adsila tore her foot free of Blackberry’s slight grip, lay down on her back, drew her feet up, then grabbed the soles of both her small feet with her small paws for a minute while she panted hard, then, wriggling madly, Adsila tried to free her feet from her suddenly gripping paws. After five minutes, she rested, panting hard, then with an enraged scream of:

“First Blackberry’s paaaaws won’t let goaoaoaoaoao of my feeyeeet! Then I free myself, and now my paaaaws have hold of my feeyeeet and won’t let goaoaoaoaoao! Ueueueeueeurf! Auauauauauauw! Muuuuust puuush to freeyeee my feeyeeet!” With lots more urgent wriggling while pushing her feet against the grip of her paws, first with her left foot, then her right, then with both feet, Adsila struggled for a further five minutes. Panting hard, she rested a while, then with a huge effort, accompanied by a scream of frustration, her toes curling with effort, Adsila pushed her feet harder than ever against her restraining paws, straining hard with both legs, her feet finally breaking free of the grip of her paws at the peak of her squeal of effort, her paws and feet flying in all directions.

“Well done Adsila, it was real wasn’t it,” Blackberry said to the panting little bear.

“It was, it was brilliant too!” Adsila replied smiling.

“You’re just as good as Rosie when it comes to pretending your feet are trapped by your paws,” Blackberry said softly, his eyes shining.

“I loved doing it,” she said, “I wish you’d got paws on though.”

“I can, if you’d like,” Blackberry replied.

“I love it when Mishka gets paws on while I fight to free my feet from my paws,” Adsila said, “please Blackberry, get paws on. Does Sita ever play stuck foot games with you?”

“she does, but we’ve not played for ages. Maybe, well, if I asked her, she might,” Blackberry replied.

“Blackberry, would you pretend your feet are caught by your paws?” Rosie asked, crawling up to him.

“I know I played like that in the woods, but, oh all right,” the black bear replied, smiling at his much younger half-sister.

“I remember your feet sticking out from under a desk in the school,” Rosie said, touching the toes of Blackberry’s left foot.

“Bet you dared not touch my toes to find out what type of head emerged from beneath that desk though,” Blackberry replied.

“It’s not the done thing,” Rosie said, “but I wish I had now, as I knew your feet were like mine. You have similar arches and heel pads to me, and our toes are the same too.”

“The rest of me is not so similar though,” Blackberry said smiling.

“No, it isn’t,” Rosie replied.

In the other room, Zalika crept up on her guide and guardian, trying to keep a straight face while he was distracted by talking to Patch.

“Boo!” Zalika miaowed loudly in Titan’s ear, the liger’s shriek of fright startling patch so much he nearly leapt into the air. Screaming hysterically, Titan fled, leaping so high into the air he was able to scramble up the nearest set of curtains, stopping his flight at the top of the curtains when he could go no further. Hanging by his paws from the curtain rail, Titan scrabbled at the curtains with his huge feet, claws still sheathed, as, now thoroughly terrified, he struggled to get higher still. Attracted by the noise, Blackberry, Adsila and Rosie raced into the room to see Titan hanging by his paws from the curtain rail. Blackberry watched in horror as the curtain rail squealed and groaned under Titan’s weight and efforts, holding for an instant, then ripping away with a splintering sound, Titan screeching with terror as he fell, the liger landing with a screeching crash from Mishka’s nightingale floor, a sound which frightened Titan so much he curled into a screaming, sobbing ball, the curtain falling on top of him, enveloping the liger like a tent, covering him from nose to tail.

“You poor thing,” Ceba commiserated, digging under the heavy enveloping curtain, feeling with paws and whiskers to find Titan, kissing his ear when she touched him.

“Leave me alone!” Titan sniffled.

“I only wanted to help!” Ceba miaowed. Titan rubbed noses with Ceba, silently apologising to her.

“Scawedy Tiggie! Mew mew mew!” Zalika carolled.

“Stop that if you love me,” Titan begged.

“I don’t know what we’re to do with you Titan,” Patch said, lifting the curtain so he uncovered Titan’s head, “you’re afraid of heights, hate the dark, any loud noises, cerimonies of any sort where you are the focus of attention and, to top it off, you are more easily frightened than your cub.”

“I think Zalika got all my courage squeezed into her during my efforts to give birth to her!” Titan whimpered, burying his face in his huge paws.

“’uge stwiped Tiggie, lies on gwound, tewwified by booing sound! Tiggie leaping in the aiw, big fat Tiggie yowling, “it’s not faiah!” Liger ‘anging fwom cuwtain wail, look at is lashing tail! liger stwuggling with the cuwtain, the wail ‘olding isn’t cewtain! Yowling Tiggie crashes to the floor, cuwtains down, we sees no mowe!” Zalika continued.

“Shuuuuuut uuuuuuup!”

Titan whimpered “You made a mockery of our leader with your song Zalika, and that is doubly wrong when the one being mocked is your guide and guardian, and the one who gave strenuous birth to you too,” patch growled, “mocking another in song mocking him while he is incapacitated is a very grave thing too.”

“It was meant to be all in fun!” Zalika whimpered, “but you can’t pwetend othuhwise patch that Titan ain’t a scawedy-cat!”

“I’m Leaeaeaeving! I cayayayan’t cope with thiyiyiyis!” Titan yowled, leaping to his feet and fleeing the house.

“Titan’s scared of his roar, of his claws and of what he calls his aggressive side, poor sweet Tiggie,” Blackberry said.

“I think someone had better go after Titan,” Mishka replied, “I’d go, but it would take me ages to find him.”

“I’ll go, after all, he is my partner in leadership,” Patch said, giving jess a hard stare, “don’t tease Titan about the scaredy-cat thing Jess, and that goes for you too Zalika,” he warned, turning on her.

“I’m weally sowwy fow teasing ‘im now too,” Zalika mewed, “poow Titan, I’s not looked much into ‘is ‘istowy, but I fears Patch speaks the twuth.”

“he does,” Jess replied, “Titan hates the dark places, and Felix flushed him down the tube once too.”

“Oh deaw, I’s nevah ‘eard that stowy befowe,” Zalika mewed.

“That’s how Titan got the name trapped toes Tiggie, well partly,” Blackberry replied.

“Oh, and evewyone’s been twying to get ‘im to twap ‘is toes evah since I suppose,” Zalika mewed.

“Including you,” Blackberry replied, “Titan doesn’t like getting his toes trapped, no matter how cute everyone else thinks it is,” he added. Pausing, Blackberry thought a minute, then continued: “but he does like the feel of having his paws and feet freed by others.”

Titan, panting hard and crying freely, skidded to a stop by the bottom of the ramp to Mishka’s treehouse. Panting, he lay down, burying his face in his paws, howling in misery.

“I am too frightened by everything!” Titan thought. In times like this, he tried to bolster his mood with thoughts of the place he felt most at home in, filled with the people he felt closest to, Zalika, Apudo, Patch and Theo in His lie up with his warm rug beneath him and the knowledge that he had hours of sleep and time with his family ahead. Titan loved patrolling the lie ups, capturing by sight his community going about their lives, even though he knew cameras were doing a far better job than he alone ever could. Titan also thought of the good things in his life, Zalika’s birth, and Apudo’s rebirth, as well as being a rock for Tigger and Namrah. Sighing deeply, whimpering with fear of the next steps in his journey, as he realised the good things in life still didn’t answer all his questions, Titan let His mind take him to the fearful places, dark woods, dark tunnels, rafts that always managed to grab the toes of all four of his massive paws, rendering their owner helpless and leaving him crying like a stuck cub, even though he knew in the clarity of light, how to free himself.

“When my toes get trapped, I’m a crying cub!” Titan thought, “and dark places make me want to run and hide! I have never told Apudo of this, but, the walk into the dark forest to rescue Nuru by helping Snowy terrified me. I might have seemed brave, but, really I wasn’t, deep down I was curled into a mewing heap. My dream, the wish to help another pushed me forward that day, to think noone knew. I hid that well, but, but, Zalika, Zalika yowling into my ear makes me run up the curtains and destroy Mishka’s furniture! Maybe I need to face my fears and try not to overreact. Titan thought back as far as he could go, back to that first tunnel, the tunnel of his birth. Crying with remembered terror, he relived the agony and terror of his own passage into the world, hearing everything, Swarupa’s cries, her begging for his life. Then he felt her efforts, her straining exertions to bring him into the world passing down his body. Choked in the grip of the contractions, Titan couldn’t cry out, all he could do was feel with his whiskers to find the claws he couldn’t use. He knew they were sharp, but his paws were cramped, and he couldn’t move them, though he desperately wanted to. The one time he’d tried digging in his claws brought a screech from Swarupa that Titan would never forget. Terrified and remorseful, Titan remembered pushing with the toes of all four of his cramped paws, pushing and pulling as hard as he could while he had the room, making Swarupa scream and roll about, then she was back to pushing, squeezing him.

“I’m trying my best Mama!” Titan screamed in his dark tunnel. Then he Remembered Zalika’s birth and Apudo’s rebirth, feeling his toes curling and hearing his own voice yowling with the same fear and terror he’d last felt while being forced down that first tunnel. Titan, sweating with the fear he knew was in the mind of the cub he had to push down the tunnel, curled his toes and braced his feet, straining hard into his tail, all the while crying and yowling with fear, effort and pain. Titan pushed hard with all he had, straining everything to give birth to the two cubs he was certain would die. Shrieking with terror, Titan scrabbled with his paws as a contraction eased, choking on his tears.

“Titan?” Patch asked softly from his place on his paws and knees by the liger’s head, his mouth close to the liger’s ear. Shrieking with fright, Titan leapt to his feet. Staring round him, the terrified liger turned to face his adversary, almost tripping over his own huge paws and feet in his urgent need to face the danger. Patch then saw for the first time what a state Titan was in. During his introspection, the liger had scrabbled up sand from the track with his huge paws, sand which now covered his face. Titan, now crying and almost choking on the sand that had got into his mouth during his struggles to deliver his cubs into the world, gripped the track with the toes of all four of his massive paws while gasping for air and spitting, fighting to ready himself for the fight he was certain was coming. Gagging, almost Choking, Titan tried to focus his streaming eyes and catch his breath.

“Oh Patch, sorry!” Titan coughed, bowing his head in submission and staring at the floor, seeing his paws armed with claws.

“I’m ashamed of myself!” The liger wept inconsolably, “look at my paws, they’re armed! Oh naoaoaoaoao! I’m gonna be sick!” Titan suddenly turned aside and vomited onto the grass beside the track, sniffling and sobbing as he retched and spat. Patch padded up to the huge liger and guided him to a place where he could wash his face.

“Come, wash,” Patch said, concerned for his friend, Titan staring at the water in the lagoon, Patch washing Titan’s face and helping him to wash his mouth out. This done, Patch hugged Titan as tightly as he could, the liger sobbing into his coat.

“I was nearly killed by the sand too,” Titan whimpered, “Patch, I wish the sand had claimed meyeee! I’ve hated sand ever since I got a face full of it once, but death by sand is all I deserve.”

“NO Titan, please don’t say that, don’t say that! You were in a dark place,” Patch said gently, “Titan, your claws were extended long before I whispered into your ear. You’d returned to the state of a large, stuck, frightened cub with huge paws he could not move and claws that he knew could do damage, claws he could not put away because he hadn’t the knowledge.”

“I was remembering the time of my birth, of the first dark tunnel,” Titan replied miserably.

“I know,” Patch replied, “Titan, you were wriggling with your efforts, then pushing with your feet and paws, the sandy track is wrecked!”

“I know now why Swarupa hates me,” Titan replied miserably, “I nearly killed her that day. I didn’t mean to endanger my mama Patch, I’m sorry for everything!” Suddenly Titan tore himself free of Patch’s embrace and turned to the forest, yowling into the depths:

Honestly, I didn’t mean tooo huuuuurt anyone!” Collapsing onto the woodland floor, his body landing with a crash that shook the trees.

“Titan?” patch asked, going up to the inert liger.

“I’m worth less than a blade of grass in the mouth of the largest tiger in creation, I nearly killed my mother!” Titan sobbed inconsolably. Patch, deeply affected by Titan’s mood, and unable in that instant to cope with the rush of anguish, lost his temper with the liger, something he’d regret for a long time after.

“But you didn’t kill her, you stupid liger! Stop this!” Patch yelled, “You remember Indigo’s birth patch, I remember mine!” Titan whimpered, “I was too big to be born, I shouldn’t have been born!” he yowled.

“Stop it Titan, for Eohippus sake stop saying these things!” someone yelled, but the voice wasn’t Patch’s.

“Swarupa, what the hell are you doing here?” patch asked, staring at the tigress.

“I want to make amends with my Son cub,” Swarupa mewed, “I know I hated him Patch. I hated him because I knew how close I was to death giving birth to him, and I projected my fear onto him, hating him because he caused my fear. I now know I was wrong to do that. Despite all I did to him, all my abandoning of him, all the hatred I had for him because he hurt me on his way into the world, I still love him, and I know now I should not have persecuted him for his lifestyle! When he befriended Tigger and Namrah, then went to save their cub after it died on the road a second time, I told him I hated him. Titan never raised a paw in anger, though all the time he knew I despised him. Granted he might have said he hated me, and who wouldn’t? I was horrid to him where I had no reason to be. My cub had done me no wrong. From the start he pushed with all four paws to try and save me as hard as I strained to give birth to him., he worried for me and himself, in that order, I know it was that order.”

“Uniting even the greatest of enemies?” Patch asked.

“No, Titan was never my enemy,” Swarupa mewed piteously, “in my head I made him my enemy, all he wanted of me was for me to be what I should have been to him. I failed, not during his birth, but afterwards, blaming him for things for which he had no control. I will do anything to help him patch.”

“he’s in a hellish place now Swarupa, lying on the floor after his birth,” Theo mewed. Swarupa touched Titan’s head with her paw, finding it covered in sweat that felt like mucus, the sand that still stuck to Titan’s coat from his struggles on the sandy track caked in the mucus.

“I think you know what to do Swarupa,” Patch said, looking at Theo, who nodded. Moving away, they watched Swarupa grooming Titan from nose to tail, Titan gradually reviving as she did so.

“That’s all done,” Swarupa mewed when Titan was clean from his nose leather to the pads of his massive feet and the tip of his long tail.”

“I’m sorry I was twelve feet long at my birth,” Titan mewed sleepily from where he still lay on the forest floor, though Swarupa had turned him in all directions to groom him.

“Titan, please, take my paws, you are my leader now,” Swarupa said, “and dear cub,” she continued, “please do not blame yourself for my struggle to give birth to you. That wasn’t your fault, and neither is what you have become. Zalika is beautiful, Apudo is lovely too. You were destined for leadership, destined for higher things than I could ever have dreamed of. I’m proud of you Titan.” Titan struggled to his feet, then rubbed heads with Swarupa.

“Does anyone know a good curtain fitter?” Mishka yelled from the treehouse, “Titan has torn mine to shreds!”

“Trust Mishka to be so inobservant at a time like this,” Patch said to Theo

“I’ll come up in a bit!” the bear yelled, “Mishka, there’s a crisis down here!”

“aoaoaoaoah, I’m sorry!” Mishka yelled back.

“Crisis averted, I think,” Titan mumbled, “time for the scaredy-cat to become a leader.”

“We don’t want you to change,” Theo said, “What happened today isn’t about you changing Titan. Someone else has changed today, and your courage helped her paws along the right path.

“I will go now,” Swarupa mewed, “I had to apologise to my cub, tell him he is blameless for everything for which I previously hated him. I will never be what I truly want to be, that time is passed now, and can never be returned to Titan, or me. All I can do is beg the community’s and Titan’s forgiveness for my misstep in ill-treating my final cub.” With that Swarupa kissed Titan’s nose and padded away. Titan looked after Swarupa, then called to her:

“mama, come back a minute will you?” Swarupa padded back to the massive liger, crawling along the ground for the last few metres until she reached his massive paws.

“Why are you kitten crawling?” Titan asked, “dear mama, you need not do this.” Swarupa stared up into Titan’s face, the liger having bowed his head to look into hers.

“I’m that mouthful of grass now,” Swarupa mewed.

“Give me your paw mama,” Titan mewed, Swarupa rolling onto her side and waving a paw at Titan, who lay down, then gripped her offered paw in his, pressing pads with her. sniffling, Swarupa felt the toes of all four paws curling, those of the paw which touched Titan’s interlocking with the liger’s and gripping hard, forcing their pads to press together.

“Now do you feel better?” Titan asked, Swarupa kissing his nose, her face streaked with tears which would not stop. Titan washed Swarupa’s face in the wild manner, Swarupa trying to gather courage from a liger whom she instinctively knew felt less than courageous.

“I’m loathed to talk about myself at a time like this,” Titan yawned, “but I’m so tired.”

“you were actually labouring,” Swarupa said, kissing his nose, “dear Titan, you tore up the track with your huge paws and feet while straining to deliver your cub.”

“I deserve punishment for putting you through that mama,” Titan whimpered.

“No you don’t, Titan, please, stop saying that!” Swarupa begged, stroking his face with her paw.

“I couldn’t pull or push hard enough,” Titan mewed.

“hug him Swarupa,” Theo mewed.

“Titan, please, please forgive yourself for that,” Swarupa mewed, “you were a cub then! You had no way of helping yourself out of that trap.”

“It was after your scream of pain when I dug my claws in that I decided I’d never use them, even at my worst peril,” Titan mewed, “I am startled out of my terrible place by patch, whom I turn and nearly attack, and my claws, my claws were unsheathed!”

“ “you were half pushing to deliver a cub and half fighting to free yourself from the tight spot you were in during your birth. Those claws weren’t meant for killing,” Patch replied.

“I was pushing, I was straining so hard against something!” Titan miaowed.

“Titan, you are beautiful, please, put your claws away and re-join your family,” Swarupa said. Titan looked down at his paws, relief flooding through him as he saw they were unarmed.

“You did this mum,” he said, waving a paw at Swarupa, Swarupa kissing the pads of Titan’s raised paw, Titan smiling and gripping the top of her nose with his toes, Swarupa pursing her lips, blowing on the large carpel pad, Titan laughing at the tickling sensation.

“I wish I could do that to all four of your paws,” Swarupa mewed.

“come to me when I’m in my lie up, take my paw in yours and see if I will let you,” Titan mewed.

“What now?” Mishka asked, standing a respectful distance from the group.

“”I vote we find Apudo, Jespah and Sasha,” Theo said.

“Why?” Mishka asked.

“Titan needs them,” patch replied. Titan looked scared, then relieved.

“I’ll bring them,” Theo mewed. Titan got to his feet, Swarupa following his lead. Touching noses, then head rubbing, the tigress and liger went their separate ways, Titan looking after Swarupa until she’d gone into the house, then, sighing deeply, he padded back to the treehouse, passing Mishka on the path.

“I’m sorry about your curtain rail and curtains,” Titan mewed. Mishka reached out towards Titan, the liger moving towards him.

“yes?” he asked. Mishka gently put his arms round Titan’s neck, hugging him as tightly as he could.

“I, I’m sorry I spoke of my curtains first Titan, I didn’t mean to be selfish,” Mishka replied, “I, I too know what it is to be stuck at birth, for I too nearly didn’t make it.”

“I know,” Titan mewed, “Mishka, I know your history.”

“and I should have researched yours, well I did, but, well, I forgot it, and, Titan, dear Tiggie, I’m sorry for talking of curtains and silly things like that at this time.”

“I’m sorry for wrecking your house,” Titan replied in his gentlest mew, Mishka feeling a liger’s kiss placed on his nose, then a huge ligrine paw placed on his.

“You are beautiful Titan,” Mishka said, rubbing noses with the huge liger.

“I don’t feel it,” Titan mewed.

“You have spent your life tearing yourself to bits,” Mishka said, “Titan, the community made you their leader, isn’t that accolade enough for you to stop your self-destruction?”

“Mishka, that’s the wrong way of putting it,” patch warned.

“I know others think I am worthy, but I don’t,” Titan mewed, “I do things for others, but I’m unworthy of anything in return. I thank them for their trust in me, and do my duty as leader, but, do I feel I’m leadership quality? no.”

“you are Titan,” Theo said, padding up the track with Bianca, Sasha and Jespah, “would someone find Zalika,” Theo added, Mishka leaving to find the little liliger.

“I sees what ‘appened to Titan,” Zalika mewed when Mishka told her to go to him, “’ow can I tells ‘im I’s sowwy fow ‘urting ‘im on my way into the world?”

“Titan would never blame you for that,” Mishka replied.

“’e’s so sweet, I’s sowwy fow what I did to ‘im, all that singing business.”

“I think an apology for the fright you gave him which sent him up my curtains needs to be first on that list,” Mishka replied

“Yeah, it does too I think,” Zalika mewed, “I’s got a big mouth. I thinks I can says things that come into my ‘ead, and them causes all sowts of pwoblems if I’s not careful. I sees that now.” Titan padded in from the veranda, Zalika seeing how shattered the liger was.

“Comes ‘ere Titan!” she said, racing to him, then rearing onto her hind legs and reaching up to him with her paws.

“I have been through a lot today,” Titan mewed, lying down.

“You’s needing a big ‘ug you is,” Zalika mewed, kissing her guide’s nose and hugging him as tightly as she knew how, “You’s a big cuddlypuss,“ you’s a ‘uge tiggie snugglypuss with the loyalty of a lion Titan.”

“Are you saying liger’s aren’t loyal?” Titan mewed.

“tigahs usually awen’t as loyal as lions,” Zalika mewed, “but ligahs awe, as they awe pawt lion, but you’s a ligah you is, so you’s as loyal as a lion, with the cunning and wesouwce of a tigah.”

I’ll get on with mending your curtain Mishka,” Patch said. Mishka dragged the curtain across to Patch, the huge grey bear’s paws working nimbly at the controls of the sewing machine and hooking the curtain rings into the loops which he fixed in record time while Mishka stood by looking helpless and frustrated.

“You can hang this while I watch and direct operations,” Patch said, noticing Mishka’s expression.

“Thanks for all your help Patch,” Mishka replied, “though I like to be independent if I can be.”

“This would have taken you ages Mishka,” Patch said, “I’ve fixed all the damage Titan’s claws caused, and repaired the curtain hooks too. I’m going up to fix the rail also.”

“I can do that Patch,” jess replied from where she was examining the broken rail, “I’ll race home, grab a sander and some screws and be right back. I’m glad Blackberry used glue to fix these at first. if he’d used screws and Titan had hung off them, the rail would have been destroyed. As it is now, it has just come apart from the wall. It’s easy to fix.”

“If only I was able to handle a screwdriver,” Titan whimpered.

“your paws aren’t made for it,” Jess said, “anyway Titan, you’re not at fault here. Please, put it out of your mind dear Tiggie.”

“No, I’s at fault fow fwightening you Titan, and fow that I’s vewy sowwy. I thought you’d just leap into the aiw like you did last time, but no, you scuwwied up the cuwtains!” Zalika mewed.

“I’ve had a hard day,” Titan whimpered.

“Poow old Tiggie, wown out Tiggie,” Zalika purred. Titan raised his head and roared:

“I’m neither of those things!” The sound reverberating around the room, “oops, sorry,” he mewed, “I didn’t mean to roar! Stoaoaoap that noise, the situation wasn’t roaringly desperate!” Titan begged, clamping his paws over his mouth.

“You’s so sweet deaw Twapped toes Tiggie,” Zalika mewed.

“Do you know why I hate my paws being trapped Zalika?” Titan asked miserably.

“youw biwth was a tight squeeze wasn’t it,” Zalika replied, kissing his nose.

“I nearly, my mum too, we both nearly died Zalika,” Titan whispered, “if it hadn’t been for my mum’s and Blackberry’s strength, I would never have been born alive.”

“I ‘eard about that,” Zalika mewed, “Titan, I shouldn’t tease you, but I’s ‘eard “twapped toes tiggie” used in fun so often, it just comes out.”

“I’m not going to ban it,” Titan mewed, “I must get used to how others find me cute when my big feet and paws get caught in rafts.”

“I wemember you and Apudo playing a stuck paw game where she ‘eld each of youw paws and feet in ‘ur tiny paws and you spent ages stwuggling to fwee youwself,” Zalika mewed.

“I remember that too,” Titan mewed, “it was a lovely game.”

“Can I plays it with you?” Zalika asked.

“I’d love it,” the liger purred, “I can play those games without fear as I’m not alone while my paws are trapped.”

“So it’s being alone when your feet awe caught that you ‘ate?” Zalika asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed, “if you hold my paws and someone else holds my feet, I will struggle hard, as well as yowl and growl and curl my toes and try to show the commitment of a seasoned player of the stuck foot games. If I’m on my own, I hate my toes being caught, so I cry like a cub.”

“You wewe with Patch when you got them twapped while widing the coastew and you didn’t like that,” Zalika replied.

“I was more scared of the dark than of my toes being trapped,” Titan miaowed.

“You’re so cuuuute,” Jess said, crawling to Titan and hugging him.

“Is that the way to speak to your leader?” Patch asked.

“I doesn’t care what position ‘e ‘as, Titan’s weally cuuuute!” Zalika mewed, kissing his nose and paws, Titan looking embarrassed and extremely happy.

“Leve me alone Zalika, you big softy!” he remonstrated, though his eyes were tender.

“I’s a big softy? Well, if I’s one of those, what does that make you Titan?” she asked. Titan smiled broadly at his cub:

“You’we supah cuuuute too,” he said, kissing her nose.

“I think I’m going to melt from cute overload,” Blackberry said.

“I’ve always wanted to see Titan and Zalika together like this, they’re really sweet aren’t they,” jess said, “I’ll find a screwdriver and put that rail up now.” She found a screwdriver and a stepladder, bounding up the ladder like a cat. Between her and Patch, who could reach the height she needed without difficulty, they fixed the rail, then it was Mishka’s turn to fix the curtains, which he did.

“I feel useless,” Titan mewed piteously.

“I’m wondering if I can outfit Titan with armour and weapons,” Blackberry mused.

“Why?” Titan asked, “if I need Armour and weapons, I know I’ve failed as leader before I’ve even started!”

“I had a notion of turning you into a fighting cat,” Blackberry replied.

“Titan’s weally soft, ’e couldn’t fight a thing, ‘e’s a big scawedy-cat!” Zalika mewed, “me though, I’d ‘ave a good fistypaws with anybody who wants one.”

“I know, I’ve seen you at it!” Blackberry laughed.

“What are you fighting over Zalika?” Titan asked.

“Oh, I found some punch bags in the playwoom and so I ‘ad a good slap and punch of the bags. I weawed onto my ‘ind legs and used my paws to punch, then I leapt up and kicked with my feet to finish the fight. I can tuwn summewsaults in the aiw now Titan, it’s weally amazing!” Zalika replied excitedly.

“Why the violence?” Titan mewed, his eyes concerned.

“I ‘eard that Patch used to use weapons, so I’s interested, I looked back in the ‘istory, and it showed ‘im using non-lethal guns and other things. ‘e even flew ‘elecopters too! Now ‘e’s not doing that stuff, but I wants to ‘elp defend this community, so I’s twying my paw at some unawmed combat.”

“you’re too young for that, even if I permitted you to do it!” Titan miaowed, now very unhappy.

“but I’s wanting to get fit and get into pwactise fow a good fistypaws!” Zalika miaowed.

“You don’t neyeeed to physically fight!” Titan wailed, “if there’s fighting, I’m not getting involved, I’ll cry all the way through it!”

“You’s just too soft,” Zalika mewed.

“physical violence causes grief and hurt to everyone!” Titan whimpered.

“I knows that,” Zalika mewed, kissing her guide’s nose, “but if it comes to a physical fistypaws, I wants to be the fiwst in the battle.”

“I will try my best to make sure that doesn’t happen!” Titan replied, choking on his emotions.

“You is too soft Titan, that’s youw twouble,” Zalika mewed.

“Violence breeds violence Zalika, you learned that very soon after your birth!” the liger replied, tears in his eyes, “now, now you want, want to be violent too!” he sniffled.

“You ‘as to be mowe stwategic, then if that fails, stwonger than the one attacking you, that’s all thewe is to it Titan,” Zalika mewed.

“My strategy is talking, talking and a good cup of tea, and biscuits too!” Titan whimpered, “Zalika, talks save lives, all violence does is end in death and grieving families on both sides.”

“there ‘as been some fighting ‘ere before,” Zalika mewed, “Ancient Nuwu was leadew of a pwide of lions who twied to take ovew this place. They got beaten back by ‘ammer wielding beaws and such.”

“I understand none of them were killed,” Titan mewed, “but, well, it still got to fistypaws, and a little diplomacy over Baingana’s parentage would have done the trick I think.”

“Titan, the gweat peacemaker,” Zalika mewed.

“I was elected to keep the peace!” Titan yowled, “now, now my cub’s talking of violence!” he sniffled.

“there is no violence on the horizon,” patch said, “Zalika, please, don’t upset Titan.”

“But what if ‘umans comes and attacks us?” Zalika asked.

“they won’t,” Jess replied, “we have good relations with the local town, and the children in the school all love us. I have been wondering how to get Titan into the school,” she turned to the liger, who was rubbing his eyes with his massive paws to hide his tears, “the children all want to cuddle your paws and hug you and kiss your nose,” she said.

“I couldn’t fit through the corridors in that place!” Titan miaowed.

“You could,” Jess said, “due to new disability legislation, the school is refitted for wheelchair access and the corridors are wider, as are the doors. You could get in. Blackberry helped in the design of the school, and he made sure he designed for the community of non-humans as much as he did for human learners.”

“You dark horse Blackberry!” Mishka exclaimed.

“Well, I had to,” Blackberry replied smiling, “they asked, and I couldn’t say no.”

“So I’m booked to go to a school for humans?” Titan asked.

“Only if you want to, but Titan, they’d love you there. Go there, go bare pawed and with your coat shining, then lie down and let them hug and fuss you. You’ll love them.”

“I love it when Moses and Ekaterina hug me,” Titan mewed.

“would you let me hug you Titan?” Rosie asked. Titan looked at the small girl, his eyes still red from weeping.

“You need a hug,” Rosie said, stepping forward and reaching out to Titan. Titan looked the young girl over from head to her small feet.

“you’re too fragile for me to hug,” he said.

“snuggle meyeee Tiyiyiyiytan!” Rosie yelled, throwing herself at the liger, who caught her lightly in his paws.

“now kneel in front of Titan Rosie,” jess said. Titan felt small arms going round his neck, and looking down, saw Rosie’s face looking up eagerly into his.

“I can’t hug you, I’ll crush you if I do!” Titan mewed softly.

“No you won’t! hug me like I’m a cub!” Rosie replied, Titan embracing her with tender care.

“now kiss my head Titan,” Rosie demanded. Titan, looking at Jess for permission, saw her nod. Looking down at Rosie in his paws, he saw how small she was against him.

“I’m too big to hug you!” Titan whimpered.

“I’m not too small to hug you though,” Rosie said, “Titan, hug me now, and mean it too, because I know you want to cuddle me and love me like you do your own cub.” Titan, gulping hard, saw his vision blur with tears.

“You big cuddlypuss!” Zalika giggled, Titan kissing the top of Rosie’s head with gentle care.

“You’re crying on my head Titan!” Rosie giggled, Titan sniffing hard.

“I don’t mean to be a woosy puss!” Titan mewed.

“You’s just too gentle fow wowds,” Zalika purred, “Titan, if a thousand wowds were used to descwibe youw pewsonality, they wouldn’t come close to ‘ow soppy and gentle you is.”

“I need to be hugged!” Titan wept, Rosie giggling:

“Now you’re crying on my feet too!” Rosie said, hugging the massive liger as tightly as she could, his head way above her own, his tears falling on her heel pads and running down to her toes, Rosie curling her toes to catch his tears.

“I’m sorry, so sorry,” Titan gasped, sniffing hard.

“You’re a Soppypuss, a great big soppy tiggie!” Rosie said, “mum, come here and hug this big cuddlypuss. He needs a bigger hug than I can give him, and I need to dry myself, I’m soaked in a tiggy’s tears!”

“I don’t want to drown you Rosie!” Titan whimpered. Rosie backed up, then crawled away, Titan watching her go.

“Here, you might need this,” Anook said, handing Titan a huge damp towel.

“What do I do with this?” he asked.

“you wipe your face and paws, then blow your nose and give it back to me,” Anook replied. Titan did as she suggested, then lay down, sighing deeply:

“I don’t mean to be so much of a tiggie waterfall,” Titan mewed.

“Your paws are all hot Titan!” Jess said, handling the huge liger’s left hind foot.

“those are how the pads of an emotional liger feel to the touch,” Patch said.

“they’re damp and hot,” jess replied.

“I’m very anxious and upset,” Titan mewed, “first my cub threatens the world with violence which fills me with dread like a furball bunching in my throat, then, then, well, then I get hugged and my emotion all comes flooding out!”

“It’s easy to wring you out,” Jess said, kissing Titan’s nose, then crawling to his hind end and hugging one of the liger’s huge feet in her hands, rubbing his pads, Titan curling his toes with pleasure.

“I’m so close to tears all the time!” Titan mewed, “all the play and things, I love it so much, it makes me well up.”

“You’re a big cuddlypuss and we would have it no other way,” Patch said, kneeling and kissing Titan’s nose and then, lifting each of the liger’s huge paws, kissing the pads, Titan mewing with pleasure.

“You are everything the community needs Titan,” patch said, hugging the massive liger.

“You don’t need someone as leader who’s forever weeping,” Titan mewed.

“You have been through a lot Titan,” Jess said, rubbing the pads of the huge cat’s left foot, “you have inner strength that most don’t see.” jess dug her fingers into the liger’s thick warm pads, rubbing deeply, Titan stretching and curling his unarmed toes and purring with pleasure at her touch.

“You big Soppypuss,” jess said smiling, Titan wriggling with pleasure as Jess kissed the pads of his left foot which she had just rubbed, Titan purring deeply.

“@e’s so soppy it’s embawwassing!” Zalika miaowed.

“You wouldn’t have Titan any other way though, would you?” Patch asked.

“No, course I wouldn’t,” Zalika protested.

“Didn’t you easily play in the sand after Ekaterina’s Attack on you Titan?” jess asked.

“I did,” Titan mewed, “but I forgot that play on the track today. I don’t really like sand in my eyes and mouth, noone does! In the woodlands, I really did want the sand to choke me. Now though, I don’t want that.”

“I love these paws,” Patch said, handling Titan’s left paw in both of his, Titan kissing the back of Patch’s right paw which held his.

“they’re so lovely aren’t they,” jess said, blowing on the pads of the toes of Titan’s left foot, Titan yowling and turning to playfully slap Jess.

“Oops,” he said, his velveted left paw raised, “I nearly used my paw for violence.” Jess kissed the pads of the liger’s huge raised paw, Titan purring deeply.

“You have very clean pads Titan,” she said.

“Swarupa cleaned them,” Titan mewed, lying down full length, “I will keep them very clean from now on.”

“You always ‘as vewy clean paws and feet Titan, you’s always washing ‘em,” Zalika mewed.

“But they are always in demand, it seems everyone wants to hug my paws,” Titan purred, smiling broadly, “I’m glad I have four paws Zalika.”

“I love youw paws vewy much,” she said, “I ‘opes my paws gwow up to be as gentle and cuddly as youws awe.” Titan smiled gently at his cub.

“their owner has to be gentle too, remember that,” he said in his booming purr, the sound vibrating Zalika from her nose to her tail, even though she wasn’t touching him.

“’ow does you do that!” she yowled.

“do what?” Titan asked.

“that booming puww thing, you made me feel all stwange in my tummy! But it was nice,” Zalika mewed.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Titan mewed.

“You always does it when you ‘as something impawtant to says to me,” Zalika mewed, “it stops me in my twacks and I can’t move for a good five minutes afterwawds, it vibrates me fwom my eaws to my pads!”

“I don’t know how I do it,” Titan mewed.

“youw woaw could fwighten evewyone off befowe they got ‘ere,” Zalika mewed.

“It would first frighten the one who roared,” Titan replied, “the sound of my roar frightens me so much I often want to curl up and cry.”

“awhwhw Titan, you’s a big scawedy-cat!” Zalika purred.

“don’t start that again! “Titan moaned piteously.

“All wight, you can be a big scawedy-cat, is that better?” she asked.

“I know I’m emotional, I’m trying to keep it under control!” Titan miaowed.

“I think we wants to ‘ug youw paws and kiss youw nose Titan,” Zalika mewed.

“so do I,” Swarupa said, padding into the room.

“how the hell did you get up here?” Mishka snapped.

“don’t throw her out Mishka,” Titan mewed.

“but, but, she’s horrid, she did awful things to you Titan!” Mishka yelped.

“We’ve come to, um, an understanding,” Titan mewed, “Swarupa, please, sit down by the fire.” Mishka padded to Titan and slapped him hard with his paw:

“It’s not your playayayce to invite her in!” he screeched.

“it isn’t your place to hit me, but you do,” Titan mewed.

“I want Swarupa’s business concluded swiftly, and her out of here!” Mishka snapped.

“I’m your leader Mishka, and I say you’ll sit down, now!” titan growled, the last word delivered in a roar that shook the house.

“Uauauauauaowch! That ‘uwt my eaws!” Zalika yowled.

“I wanted to talk to my leader,” Swarupa mewed, “Titan, dear cub, I want to speak to you.”

Not here, do it in his lie up if you must speak to him, and he’s not a cub!” Mishka growled, “Swarupa, you have no right to be here! What you did to Titan for years and years hurt the whole community!”

“I know my words and actions did,” Swarupa mewed, “I don’t wish to be excused them, but punishment can only go on so long. I’m weary of it, I’m tired of being shunned, I’m tired of hating my cub!”

“The whole community hates you for hating everything he ever was and ever did,” Mishka growled at the tigress, “Titan may have forgiven you, but the rest of the community won’t that easily.”

“Mishka, please, ignore her if you can’t say anything nice,” Titan mewed, “Swarupa’s offence was not against you or the community. There is no law against hating one’s cub, only intentionally killing that cub. Swarupa was free to hate what I was and what I did, however wrong and misplaced you feel, and others felt her hatred of me was and is, she broke no laws here.”

“You’re defending her now?” Mishka squealed.

“Defending her? no,” Titan mewed softly, “Mishka, Swarupa is free to hate, free to mock and also free to suffer the consequences of her actions. She was blasted with bottle tops by Blackberry, but not because he wanted to, because she had said horrid things to me. Swarupa always started trouble, the community finished it. Now you want to start a fight where there is none?”

“I, oh, um,” Mishka choked.

“Swarupa, go from here, I’ll catch up later, Mishka doesn’t want you here,” Titan mewed. Swarupa got to her feet, and, giving Titan a look of pure grief and sorrow, padded from the room on dragging paws.

“She’s remorseful,” Blackberry said.

“come here Blackberry,” Titan mewed. Blackberry got up and padded over to the liger. Titan shook his paws and feet from the grips of Zalika and Jess’s paws and hands, stood up and bowed his head, kissing Blackberry’s nose, then his paws:

“I want to thank you for saving my life on the day of my birth Blackberry,” Titan mewed softly, Blackberry choking back tears as he saw the look in the liger’s eyes, the touch of the huge cat’s paw on his breaking the bear’s control on his emotions.

“I remember these paws,” Titan mewed, Blackberry gasping; nearly choking on his tears.

“I remember your paws too Titan, when I first reached in with one paw, you were using your paws to pull, you grabbed my fingertips in the grip of your toes!” The black bear sniffled, sitting down.

“Like this?” Titan asked, lying down then turning Blackberry’s right paw pads up, gripping the fingertips of the black bear’s paw in the powerful grip of the toes of one of his massive paws, Blackberry crying freely, his tears splashing onto the furry tops of Titan’s paws, Titan kissing the bear’s tears from his eyes.

“You grabbed my right paw with both paws, but yes!” Blackberry sniffled.

“My paws were smaller then, amazing to think I ever had what could be considered small paws,” Titan mewed softly.

“I remember everything,” Blackberry whispered.

“So do I,” Titan mewed.

“Maybe we should talk to Swarupa about what she felt too,” Blackberry suggested, “it was hard on her too Titan.”

“I know this very well,” Titan mewed, “I felt her anguish when she groomed me on the track earlier today. We have conversed about this. I know she made her best effort. That is why I know too that your help saved me and her Blackberry.” Blackberry looked deeply into the liger’s eyes.

“You are so beautiful Titan,” Blackberry said, kissing his nose, then shaking his paw free of the liger’s and hugging him, titan purring deeply, his purr vibrating the house.

“Can I kiss Your nose titan?” Ceba asked.

“Yes, come,” Titan mewed, Blackberry drawing back so the snow leopardess could make her way to the liger, Ceba finding titan by scent, the two big cats bumping noses, Titan kissing her nose, bowing his head and kissing her paws, Ceba rubbing heads with the liger, Titan purring deeply, the sound making Ceba tremble with excitement from her nose to her toes.

“I love you Ceba dear,” Titan purred softly, Ceba smiling broadly and rubbing his paw.

“Come to my lie up and you can have more hugs and comfort,” Ceba mewed, kissing Titan’s nose.

“I will do so, and thank you,” Titan replied, “but now, I will go to the one who gave birth to me now,” Titan mewed.

“What about your paw massage?” jess asked.

“I may need that later,” Titan mewed, “I don’t think I’m going to like what Swarupa has to tell me, but I must ask.”

“don’t, don’t ask it,” Blackberry begged, “Titan, you already know enough, you know how she felt!”

“Maybe I do,” Titan mewed, “but I need to take her fear from her. I can’t let Swarupa live with the fear any longer.”

“You mustn’t!” Zalika miaowed.

“You know that fear Titan, you don’t need to carry the knowledge of my fear too,” Swarupa said.

“I thought Titan told you to leave!” Mishka screamed.

“I couldn’t,” Swarupa mewed, “whatever you do to me Mishka is nothing to what I’ve done to my beautiful cub, I must try to make things better.”

“I’ll tear your paws and your tail off, then, then make you eat your tayayayayil!” Mishka screamed, “get out of my house!”

“Kill me if you wish Mishka, but I’m not leaving any other way,” Swarupa mewed.

“You contaminate my house with your presence!” Mishka squealed.

“if Blackberry’s happy with me here, then you have no grounds for complaint,” Swarupa mewed, “Mishka, it is he, not you, who has the right to kill me.”

“I’m not going to kill you Swarupa,” Blackberry said, “I’m sad for you and Titan that you took your pain out on him. I shot you with bottle tops and water bombs to deter you from jeering at your cub. Now, now I don’t need to shoot you with anything as you’re not jeering at him.”

“he is beautiful isn’t he Blackberry,” Swarupa said.

“Titan is that,” the black bear replied.

“I’m leaving!” Mishka screeched, pounding up the stairs to his bedroom and slamming the door.

“My offence was not against him!” Swarupa wailed.

“You’d think he was the cub stuck in the tunnel,” Titan replied in a weary voice.

“he was once,” Blackberry replied, “I think that’s what’s upsetting him so much. I think he knows how close he came to death in his tunnel.”

“but Anook didn’t weject ‘ur cub after that!” Swarupa miaowed, staring at Anook.

“I’ll talk to Mishka,” Anook said, “I suppose as I didn’t reject him after his difficult birth he thinks the worst of you for doing so Swarupa.”

“I don’t blame him for thinking the worst of me, for I deserve that,” Swarupa replied, “but again, the offence was not against him! Titan should be able to talk to whomever he wants, and I have the right to try to make things better between me and my cub don’t I?”

“he does, and you do,” Anook replied, “and my cub will leave you alone to make your peace.”

“I blamed Titan for my fear and pain, but is for me to lose that fear, not for him to assimilate it into his life Anook, I won’t let Titan die of terror, nor will I allow myself to use him as a punch bag for my fears. It is for me, not him to conquer my fear, and to quell any hatred I felt towards Titan, hatred that I should never have even contemplated feeling towards, let alone visiting on him.”

“You have been thinking hard haven’t you,” Patch said, turning to Swarupa.

“I have Patch, ever since Zalika was born, I’ve been thinking, I’ve been searching myself and found myself wanting. I did what Titan did on the track, I was in my lie up sleeping when I was woken by pain in my belly. I knew what it was, the pain increased, and I curled my toes and closed my eyes, yowled and rolled about. I saw Titan on the track and knew he was suffering. I knew then I had to find him, had to apologise for making him so fearful and miserable too. I knew also what he’d done in his life was good, while I’d done my best to tear his life up around him. I need to get paws on with Titan I think,” Swarupa mewed.

“You’re too forgiving Titan!” Mishka screamed from the top of the stairs.

“If you stoke your feelings Mishka you will be the worse for not forgiving and trying to make peace,” Titan mewed, “you elected me Mishka, and I will show you by example how to live in peace.”

“if my mum hated me like Swarupa did you, I’d never forgive her!” Mishka roared.

“I will never forget what Swarupa put me through Mishka, but I must see her side too. Swarupa was frightened, in pain and straining herself to her limits. On top of that I needed the traction of a black bear’s strength to get out into the world at all. Maybe you remember that feeling yourself?” Mishka sat down on the stairs, burying his face in his paws, squealing loudly.

“He does remember,” Adsila said.

“I remember the whole thing!” Mishka confirmed.

“I know you do,” Anook replied gently.

“Your mum didn’t hate you from the start though,” Adsila replied.

“I never hated Mishka, I hated myself for not pushing hard enough to deliver him,” Anook replied.

“I hated Titan for being too big to give birth to, for hurting me on his way out too, and I wish I had never started hating him,” Swarupa mewed.

“The truth was Mishka was too huge too,” Anook replied.

“I know, I remember the effort I had to make to pull him into the world,” Adsila replied.

“I remember lying on the grass, my legs apart, straining and squirming as I tried to push as you pulled Adsila. It was a hard fight.”

“I remember that too,” Swarupa miaowed, “but I was lying on the floor, straining to deliver Titan.”

“Once you squatted too,” Titan mewed, struggling to his feet, “you were like this,” he said, squatting, his paws together, feet apart, Swarupa staring at him.

“You look like you’re about to push hard down into your tail!” she exclaimed.

“I did when delivering both my cubs,” Titan mewed, unconsciously wriggling and taking a deep breath as memories of the effort and sensations of labour swamped him.

“I watched, I saw both,” Swarupa whimpered, “Titan, it hurt you didn’t it.”

“I know your fear mama,” Titan mewed, Swarupa running to him and hugging him.

“I’m soaoaoaoaorry!” she howled, Titan feeling himself knocked to the floor, then pinned down under huge paws while being urgently groomed from nose to tail.

“Poor Swarupa,” Anook thought.

“”you looked like you were about to strain into your tail Titan!” Swarupa sobbed, throwing herself down beside Titan and hugging him.

“I nearly was,” Titan mewed, it hurts doesn’t it mama.”

“it does Titan love, but I shouldn’t have blamed you for anything that day,” Swarupa mewed, “it really hurts, but I couldn’t stop pushing once I started. I had to brace my feet, tightly curl my toes and strain until my cub was born.”

“I know how that is,” Titan mewed, kissing Swarupa’s nose and paws, pulling her closer to him and hugging her tenderly.

“You make me Sick Titan!” Mishka growled.

“If I can’t see another’s pain, how can I call myself a leader?” Titan mewed.

“she’s the one who did all she could to wreck your life, and now you’re letting her groom you?” Mishka asked.

“This tigress isn’t the one you think you know,” Titan mewed.

“Patch, Blackberry? you were both at Titan’s birth, is Swarupa whom you see before you not the tigress who gave birth to that stupid liger?” Mishka demanded.

“she is the tigress in form, but as titan says, not the same tigress inside, and Titan’s not stupid,” Patch replied.

“he’s idiotic if he thinks she’s changed!” Mishka yowled.

“people can change Mishka, even you did,” Titan replied.

“I thought better of you Titan!” Mishka screeched.

“And I of you Mishka,” Titan mewed sadly, “Mishka, redemption and forgiveness is nearly always possible between two warring parties if one truly wishes to be forgiven and the other to forgive.”

“You make meyeee sick!” Mishka screeched.

“Oh dear,” Titan mewed sadly, the expression in his eyes making Anook want to run to the huge liger and hug him, “do I have to spell it out for you Mishka?”

“yes, because it sounds like a badly written story to me at the moment!” Mishka replied.

“Swarupa gave birth to me, in which the pain and effort nearly killed her. After a horrendous time, her mind was affected, and she blamed her cub for causing her mental pain. Over years she did everything she could to rid herself of that cub short of breaking the law. She fed him, but didn’t play with him. She couldn’t stand the stigma, as she saw it, of putting this cub up for adoption, so she let him run wild. Only later when he was able to feed himself and look after himself did she finally throw him into Apudo’s paws to nurture. This young liger was very lonely, and filled his days with seeking out those who would take his mind off the family troubles in the den. You know the rest. Now Swarupa is in a better place, and knows that what she did to her cub was inexcusable. No words, hugs or paw rubbing can undo the damage she did, but we can make bridges in other ways, and she can show me she is sorry for what she did.”

“has she?” Mishka asked.

“yes,” Titan mewed.

“I’ll bet that bit about her waking in her den was rubbish though,” Mishka challenged, “it doesn’t happen like that!”

“Oh yes, it does,” Titan mewed.

“So Swarupa wakes in labour and knows she has to find the cub whom she gave birth to,” Mishka scoffed.

“yes that’s right Mishka,” Titan mewed, ignoring his tone.

“I thought you were more enlightened than you sound Mishka,” Patch said.

“I know it can happen, but surely not to a disgusting moggie like Swarupa,” Mishka grunted.

“Swarupa has had her share of troubles, and ancient Nuru mated with her to bring the lions and tigers together in their cub, to stabilise her, so he thought. The trouble was that Titan was too big, so it did the exact opposite.” Blackberry said.

“Sending me off the rails and nearly trampling my innocent cub under my paws in the process,” Swarupa whimpered.

“that cub fled to a safe place and made his own pawpwints,” Zalika mewed, “’e was togethew with evewyone who wanted ‘im, but was also a loan tiggie in ‘imself. Titan didn’t believe ‘e could be loved for ‘imself, as noone ‘ad done it when ‘e was young, so ‘e wuns away to Tiggah and Namwa and looks after them, fowgetting ‘is own age and twoubles in the pwocess of ‘elping othuhs.”

“It wasn’t quite forgetting them, but yes, I was kept busy,” Titan mewed, staring at his cub with eyes full of amazed wonder.

“Titan also didn’t know who ‘e was inside,” Zalika mewed, “I’s watched you Tiggie, You doesn’t know! Then you finds out and becomes the tiggie who gave biwth to me in the playwoom. You gwew into youw body and community wole that day Titan, you took youw place as leadew then too.”

“I suppose I did,” Titan mewed, remembering how Patch had treated him after his labours.

“You did Titan,” patch replied.

“now Patch,” Titan mewed, “what do you think of me trying to make bridges to Swarupa?”

“I think it’s a good thing to do,” patch replied, “Theo agrees, and he’s more versed in the spiritual arts than I am.”

“You were spiritual leader for ages!” Titan mewed, “are you saying you don’t know?”

“Theo has lived with the knowledge all his life, I feel I’ve just read books,” Patch replied.

“You self depwecate to an alawming degwee Patch!” Zalika mewed, “you’s as good as Theo when it comes to spiwitual things, and you knows it. Stop sitting on the fence and tells Titan what you weally thinks, ‘cos if you doesn’t, I will, I knows what you thinks. You’s an open book to me you is.”

“I forgot the abilities can be born as well as learnt,” Patch replied, staring at the huge liliger cub.

“course they can be,” Zalika mewed, “you’s leawnt the thing, I’s known it fwom befowe my biwth, Titan ‘as known things longer than ‘e can wemember, though ‘e don’t know it.”

“I’m sure I squeezed you too hard when I was pushing Zalika,” Titan mewed, rubbing her ears and back with his huge left paw.

“It was an ‘ell of a tight fit,” Zalika mewed, nuzzling the pads of his rubbing paw after ducking her head away from it when Titan massaged her ears, “you’s given me mowe than life, and I’s knowing I’s a pest with it, giving you all sowts of chat and stuff, but weally I ‘as a lot to say, and doesn’t know when to shut up sometimes.”

“you’re fundamentally good and solid though Zalika,” patch said.

“Is I?” Zalika asked, the cub giggled, glancing at Titan, her shining eyes making Titan catch his breath, “awhwhw Patch, but that’s weally thanks to Titan ‘ere. but now I’s knowing I’s so dam good, I’s got’a be vewy caweful, othuhwise my big ‘ead might explode!” Zalika kissed Titan’s nose, then nuzzled his pads, her ministrations completely breaking the liger’s emotional dam.

“Now you’s a weal Soppypuss tiggie Titan,” Zalika mewed, wiping his eyes with her velveted paws, kissing his nose and the pads of his huge paws.

“I think I need to go back to school,” Mishka grumbled.

“I thinks you does!” Zalika remonstrated.

“Can I gets paws on with youw Paws Titan?” Zalika asked, “I thinks Swawupa might want to get paws on with youw feet if you’s okay with that too.”

“What did you just call me?” Swarupa asked, trying not to laugh, her eyes shining.

“I calls you by youw pwopah name that’s all. Youw name is Swawupa ain’t it?” Zalika asked.

“Saw, oh, I can’t say iyiyiyt!” Swarupa giggled helplessly.

“You’s taking the mickey isn’t you!” Zalika yowled.

“No, I’s not, I mean I’m not!” Swarupa replied, almost choking with laughter, “oh Zalika, you are funny!” she guffawed.

“No I’s not!” Zalika miaowed.

“Swawupa, how cuuuute!” Swarupa said, Zalika scowling at her.

“I love it Zalika,” Swarupa said, padding to the angry cub, lying down and kissing her nose.

“That’s ‘ow I speaks,” Zalika mewed.

“I love it, so don’t change it little one,” Swarupa replied, tightly hugging Zalika.

“I ‘as so much to says, but my speech is all mangled and evewyone laughs, It ain’t faiah!” Zalika raged, Swarupa kissing her nose and tops of her paws, then turning Zalika onto her back, kissing her paw pads, Zalika purring deeply.

“That’s what I missed out on,” Titan mewed.

“I did kiss your pads at the beginning, but, well, then not often after that,” Swarupa mewed.

“Well why not kiss ‘is pads now then? Them’s ‘’uuuge too, so you can’t miss ‘em,” Zalika suggested.

“It’s not the done thing, Titan’s grown up now!” Swarupa wailed, her eyes full of longing to do just as Zalika suggested in full view of everyone.

“Come on mum,” Titan mewed, rolling onto his back, wiggling his toes and waving all four paws about, then turning onto his side, flexing the toes of all four paws, then gently pedalling the air with his left forepaw and foot..

“You mean you want me to, it’s okay to?” Swarupa asked incredulously, looking first to Titan, then at Zalika.

“yes, course it’s okay, Titan will love it,” Zalika mewed, giggling as Titan’s wriggling and pawing at the air got more urgent while the huge tiger began to mew cubbishly, “just make suwe you do it with love and commitment, othuhwise it ain’t any fun at all.” Titan looked at Swarupa, urging her in a pleading yowl to:

“come on mum, I wayayayant my paaaaw stwoked!” “ while Zalika laughed helplessly, Swarupa caught Titan’s left paw in both of hers, Titan mewing, chuffling and purring with pleasure as she tightly embraced his huge paw in her smaller ones, then began to massage his pads.

“This is a time when I loves Titan even mowe than usual,” Zalika mewed, “’e’s so vewy cuuuute! I loves ‘im so much Swawupa.”

“I can see you love him, and he dearly loves you too,” Swarupa mewed.

“I loves Titan fwom ‘is eaws to ‘is paws, deeper too, but Titan loves me so much sometimes ‘e can’t contwol ‘imself and wuffles my eaws with ‘is paws and stwokes my paaaaws in public! Sometimes ’e’s soaoao embawwassing!” Zalika miaowed.

“Would you rather he was paws off?” Swarupa asked.

“No Swawupa, I loves it weally,” Zalika mewed, seeing the sudden sad wistful look in the tigress’s eyes.

“You wish you’d wuffled Titan’s eaws and wubbed ‘is paws when ‘e was my age doesn’t you,” Zalika mewed soberly.

“I missed his cubhood, no Zalika, I destroyed Titan’s cubhood, he never really had one,” Swarupa whimpered.

“I knows ‘e didn’t,” Zalika mewed gravely.

“I messed him up Zalika! No proper mother does that!” Swarupa wailed.

“It’s not something to talk to a cub about either,” Patch warned, “Swarupa, Zalika’s eloquent, but she’s still a fragile cub, please, spare her the gory details, as she knows enough to know her guide and parent is mentally injured by what happened.”

“don’t tell Zalika any more mama,” Titan begged.

“Why not?” Zalika asked, “I’s big enough to ‘ears it all!”

“No cub should hear about, let alone experience what I inflicted on Titan,” Swarupa mewed.

“I’s concewned,” Zalika mewed.

“I know you are Zalika dear. Grateful though I am for your concern, it’s not your job to protect me,” Titan mewed.

“Well if I’s not allowed to, who will?” Zalika asked, her eyes steady on Titan.

“A cub is not expected to protect their parent,” Titan mewed.

“but you twied to pwotect Swawupa, and, now I’s twying to pwotect you fwom ‘ur mess,” Zalika mewed.

“I’m trying to clear the mess up,” Swarupa replied.

“Zalika, please, be a cub, don’t think you have to stand as a shield against the things thrown at me,” Titan mewed.

“but them’s ‘orrible things Titan!” Zalika miaowed, “I sees what ‘appened, and I’s not ‘aving iyiyiyt!” she yowled.

“Zalika certainly has a sense of social responsibility, just like you Titan,” Anook said.

“maybe, but it’s not right for me to expect her to put on the boxing gloves and leap into the ring on my behalf, nor for her to do so of her own volition to defend me,” Titan mewed.

“A boxing liliger, hmm,” Blackberry mused.

“No she’s Noaoaot!” Titan protested.

“I’s not gonna does that Titan,” Zalika mewed, kissing his nose.

“I know you want to put guns and things on me, but I won’t have you doing it to my cuuuub Blackberry!” Titan miaowed.

“It was more like bottle top guns and water bomb launchers,” Blackberry replied.

“Even so, I’m Noaoaot having you promoting violence!” Titan yowled, his eyes full of horror.

“That’s rubbish Titan!” Blackberry snapped.

“No it’s not,” Anook replied, “Blackberry, why else would you wish to outfit Titan with bottle top guns other than for him to use them for violent purposes?”?”

“True,” the black bear grunted.

“You just want to test your technology, I understand that, but forcing Titan into a space where he is uncomfortable isn’t the way!” Anook yelled.

“how far advanced are the bottle top guns?” Patch asked.

“Oh, they’re made, so is the harness, I was just perfecting the method of aiming and firing them.” Blackberry replied.

“I won’t, I won’t do it!” Titan yowled.

“Just imagine yourself armed to the claws and teeth, a bottle top gun on each side of you and a water bomb launcher too Titan?” Blackberry enthused.

“No, I’m Noaoaot being a launcher for your latest silliness! Get Shandy to do it, she’s as big as me, or was until I got bigger,” Titan whimpered.

“Shandy, she’ll do it, yes!” Blackberry replied, rubbing his paws.

“You’ve gone from caring midwife to mad scientist in half an hour Blackberry!” Titan wailed.

“I want to see if a cat can use my bottle top guns,” Blackberry replied.

“Use water pistols instead Blackberry,” Anook suggested.

“Cats hate water, they’d never agree to wear the guns,” Blackberry grunted.

“You want to turn every cat into a walking weapon?” Titan asked incredulously.

“If I can,” Blackberry replied.

“There’s no need, we aren’t at war with anyone!” Titan whimpered.

“there might be a time,” Blackberry replied, “then, if the time comes, I can turn the guns to lethal force if needed.”

“Naoaoaoaow!” Titan shrieked, running from the room and into the bathroom, where he was violently sick.

“That’s what your talk causes, I ‘opes you’s ‘appy Blackbewwy!” Zalika growled.

“Titan’s too soft, that’s his problem,” Blackberry replied.

“As your mum, I forbid you from developing those guns any further Blackberry!” Anook yelled, “I remember a dream I had, oh, it was horrid, it was about an attack on the house, and we went in all guns blazing and, and, I shot the Boss! That dream was so real, that from that day to this, I renounced all violence.”

“So do we,,” a voice said, Blackberry looking towards the door. Staring, he saw Shandy, Shadow, little Sita and little Karina entering the room.

“What?” he asked.

“We will not be violent on command,” Shandy replied.

“but your mine! You’ll do what I sayayay!” Blackberry exploded.

“We will not,” little karina said firmly, reaching out to comfort Shandy, who’s eyes were full of tears.

“you made me in Titan’s image, and I will follow his teachings,” Shandy mewed, “I will not become your plaything!” she yowled.

“I was made in your image Blackberry, but I have followed Patch’s teachings, and I will not become a weapon,” Shadow said with conviction.

“I’m losing control!” Blackberry screamed.

“We were given autonomy Blackberry, we took it in all four paws and now we are not yours to do with what you wish,” Shandy roared, the sound shaking the floor.

“That’s ‘ow you sounds Titan,” Zalika mewed, Titan staring hard at the animatronic ligress.

“if I’m anyone’s, I give myself to Titan, not you Blackberry,” Shandy mewed, padding forward to Titan, bowing her head and kissing the startled liger’s nose.

“You are my leader,” she said, Titan returning her kiss, gazing deeply into the ligress’s warm brown eyes.

“You are welcome here,” Titan replied in his booming, floor shaking purr, the sound vibrating the whole house and Shandy’s body from her paws to her ears.

“I knows that deep purr, it means Titan’s sewious and ‘e ain’t messing about,” Zalika mewed.

“It’s reassuring isn’t it,” Shandy mewed, looking at Zalika.

“yeah, it is,” Zalika purred softly.

“it’s an earthquake!” Petra yelled, tumbling down the stairs from her room.

“It’s Not!” Mishka snapped, “Petra, it’s only Titan purring!”

“How can a liger cause that much rumpus?” Petra mewed.

“It’s a rum puss who caused that rumpus,” Patch said, Swarupa laughing despite the gravity of the situation.

“I am a peculiar big cat so I accept the charge,” Titan mewed.

“how did Titan’s purr vibrate the house and Shandy’s body, but didn’t vibrate throughout us all?” Shadow asked.

“It’s Titan’s magick,” Zalika mewed.

“it scared meyeee!” Petra yowled.

“I only meant to make Shandy feel it, I didn’t mean to shake the whole house, I’m really sorry,” Titan mewed.

“You disturbed my sleep!” Petra roared.

“Oh dear, scaredy kitty, spitty kitty, miaow miaow mreoaw!” Zalika giggled.

“Naooooo stop that!” Petra demanded, stamping her feet, the nightingale floor protesting by squealing and groaning.

“This floor’s huuuurting my ears!” Titan whimpered, throwing himself down on the floor with a crash, covering his ears with his paws.

“I’m going back to bed!” Petra miaowed, “Titan, if you make that rumpus agayayayayin I’ll rip off your paws and stuff your tail down your throat! no more purring!”

“You can’t tell ‘im that!” Zalika roared, leaping onto Petra’s back, then throwing her paws over Petra’s eyes.

“I can’t seyeee a dam thing, my balance is all over the playayayce and Zalika’s as heavy as an elephant!” Petra moaned, struggling to keep her footing beneath the cub’s considerable weight, moaning as she toppled off her paws onto the floor.

“You’s a woosy pussy!” Zalika mewed, rolling off her.

“That was nasty Zalika,” Titan growled.

“So was telling you not to puww!” Zalika miaowed, “Petwa ain’t gonna do that again!”

“I feel sick!” Petra moaned, “being deprived of sight is horrible!” she whimpered.

“I won’t do it unless you’s being a pest,” Zalika mewed.

“I hate Youououoaw Zayayayalika!!” Petra raged, banging the floor with her paws.

“that’s a big stwong ain’t it?” Zalika mewed, “you’s just thweatened my guide with ‘aving ‘is gorgeous, soft, wawm paws wipped off and long tail stuffed down ‘is thwoat, and you tells me not to take action on that? You’s a pwopah pest you is!”

“I can’t take anything Zalika says seriously!” Petra giggled.

“can’t you? Does I ‘ave to gets physical about it Petwa?” Zalika growled.

“No, no,” Petra mewed, covering her eyes with her paws and shaking her head to clear it, ”Zalika, I’ll listen more closely next time.”

“pwomise me you ain’t gonna wip off Titan’s paws and tail,” Zalika mewed, touching Petra’s left paw with which the lioness still covered her eyes. Petra lowered her paws and looked at Zalika, the cub’s eyes pleading with her.

“I won’t, I promise that,” Petra mewed, kissing Zalika’s nose.

“there ain’t no need for this violence against puwwing,” Zalika purred, “puwwing ain’t a cwime is it?”

“No, but shaking the house to its foundations when you purr might be,” Petra mewed.

“Sorry for that,” Titan mewed.

“Do you actually know how you sound Titan?” Petra asked. Titan looked uncomfortable:

“My roar frightens me, if that’s any answer,” he mewed.

“You don’t know the power of your purr, do you?”

“No, I know others like it though, and that’s powerful enough for me,” he replied, getting to his feet, shaking himself and lying down, “hate using my feet to stand on,” the liger remarked as he settled.

“Your noise caused an earthquake under my bed Titan!” Apudo yowled.

“What does you want ‘im to do Petwa? Unpuww?” Zalika asked.

“No, of course not!” the lioness yowled, now in a proper frothy leonine rage, “He can’t do that you stupid moggie!”

“You’re talking to the cub of your leader!” Mishka snapped.

“I don’t care who’s cub she is!” Petra roared, “it doesn’t change the fact Titan’s a fat old pussy cat, a scaredy-cat who likes a cup of tea and a biscuit a bit too much! Look at you Titan, you’re fat as the cat who eats the cream all the time! Fatty cat, scaredy-cat, fraidy-cat!”

“You’s ‘eading for an ‘iding fwom someone if you doesn’t shut it,” Zalika mewed.

“No, No I’m not Zalika, the reason? Because Titan’s so soft and frightened, he won’t do anything to meyeee! And I know you won’t, because he’s forbidden it, and you’re too scared to disobey him! Shall I tell you what that tiggie you call your guide really is? He’s a fat dish licker who won’t fight your corner in a crisis, is a wimp to boot and isn’t worth your time.”

“You can shut up right now!” a huge voice roared from the doorway. Petra looked round from glairing into Zalika’s face to see an enormous lioness, fully as large as Titan, standing in the doorway.

“who the hell are you?” Petra asked leaping to her feet, her pads sweating with fear.

“Don’t you know me? don’t you know my face?” the lioness asked angrily.

“Oh naoaoaoaoao!” Petra yowled.

“Who’s that?” Zalika asked.

“the lioness on the threshold had a long flowing mane that covered her paws, threatening to trip her up at any minute.

“It’s Apudo!” Swarupa miaowed.

“‘ur was never like that!” Zalika replied, “‘ur never ‘ad that long mane!”

“Oh she did,” Titan mewed, his eyes shining.

“You’s ‘ur guide too isn’t you?” Zalika asked.

“yeah, but she’s tried to become independent fast, hence the growth of her mane. When she frets about things, her mane grows very fast and thick, and she’s been doing a lot of worrying recently by the looks of it.”

“I thought a lioness didn’t ‘ave a mane?” Zalika asked.

“some do,” Titan mewed.

“I was the one who rebirthed you Petra!” Apudo roared, “you dare to insult Titan like that?”

“he’s a fleabag!” Petra yowled.

“Titan’s lovely and you know it!” Apudo replied, padding into the room. Zalika, lying with her head on her paws, her eyes almost at paw level with Apudo’s paws, saw the lioness’s paws come very close to her nose. the mane covering the lioness’s paws was thick, Apudo hardly lifting her feet as she walked, so it looked to Zalika as if the huge lioness were wading through a sea of golden hair.

“Remember you needed rebirthing yourself, so you’re not perfect Apudo!” Petra yowled.

“shouting at my guide and rescuer for expressing his pleasure is uncalled for,” Apudo growled, the sound shaking the floor almost as much as Titan’s purr had.

“I don’t like thiyiyiyis biyiyt!” Titan whimpered, burying his head in Swarupa’s shoulder while covering his ears with his paws.

“You are a disgrace Petra!” Apudo roared, the sound reverberating off the walls and through the floor, the whole floor shaking with it.

“Stoaoaoap iyiyiyiyt apuuuuuudoaoaoao!” Titan begged in a strident yowl. Apudo lowered her head to the floor and, opening her mouth wide, roared into the wood, the sound lifting Petra off her feet and throwing her onto her back, her paws and feet sticking skywards. Kicking, Petra squirmed with frustration as she found she couldn’t roll over onto her chest.

“now I’ll go,” Apudo mewed, padding carefully from the room.

“My poor eaeaeaears and paaaaws!” Titan whimpered.

“Paws?” Zalika asked.

“I feyeeelt everything through my paaaaws and feeyeeet, it was scayayayrey!” the liger wailed cubbishly, burying his face in Swarupa’s shoulder, wriggling desperately as he struggled not to burst into tears.

“You poow stwiped woosy tiggie!” Petra mocked from her supine position, Zalika leaping on top of Petra with a growl of rage, landing flat pawed on her belly, winding her.

“uumf!” Petra grunted as the air was squashed out of her, Zalika tumbling off her.

“Next time my claws come out!” Zalika warned, cuffing the side of Petra’s head with her paw.

“Aouwch!” Petra yowled, rolling onto her chest and rubbing her head on the pads of her right foot, curling the toes of that foot so she could rub harder, as she couldn’t reach the place with her paws. Curling up tightly, Petra whimpered:

“I have a headache!” then, covering her eyes with her left paw, she leant hard on her right as she curled up tightly, resting her head against the cool pads of her right foot, rubbing her foot hard against the bruised part of her head, then licking the carpal and toe pads, before resting her bruised head against them once more.

“I think you hurt Petra Zalika,” Titan mewed.

“I only ‘cuffed ‘er, it wasn’t a full slap by any means,” Zalika mewed. Titan watched as Petra repeatedly licked the pads of her right foot and rested her bruised head against them, the moisture cooling her bruised head as it evaporated from her broad pads.

“You’re strong!” Petra miaowed, Zalika watching the toes of Petra’s free left foot curling as the lioness struggled to sooth her bruises using the pads of her right.

“You’s a pest Petwa,” the cub growled.

“I hate any sort of confrontation,” Titan mewed piteously.

“My head hurts!” Petra moaned.

“You weally messed things up today Petwa,” Zalika mewed.

“You shut up!” Petra growled.

“No,” Zalika mewed, “Petwa, does you want a matching bruise on the othuh side of your ‘ead? I can sorts that if you wishes.”

“No!” Petra miaowed, “my feet wouldn’t be able to soothe the bruises!” she yowled.

“Please try to control yourself Zalika,” Titan mewed, touching her paw with his.

“’er’s a bleedin’ pest!” Zalika mewed.

“Threats of violence are dangerous things that have consequences,” Titan mewed, looking into Zalika’s face, “be careful Zalika. You need to make good on those threats if you make them, and I know you’re not a violent cub.”

“You’s wight,” Zalika mewed, squirming between Titan’s huge paws to where she could hug him with her own, “I’s wong to ‘it people, but sometimes, sometimes them desewves it so muuuch!”

“I understand,” Titan mewed, “Zalika, violence isn’t the first resort, it should be your last, and entered into with understanding of the effects of that violence. I know you wish to train yourself with the punch bags, but please, understand what you are doing. Speak to Patch about effects of punching, effects of the violence.”

“I’s not getting medical about it,” Zalika mewed, but Titan’s raised paw stopped her.

“One punch can kill,” the liger mewed gravely.

“that’s a bit stwong ain’t it?” Zalika asked.

“You said you only cuffed Petra, but she now has a headache,” Titan mewed, “it’s got to be a hard spank to cause that.”

“oh,” Zalika mewed, Titan’s grief at her violence reaching her through the touch of his paws on her body. Titan then turned her onto her back and took her small fat paw in both of his, this action and the pad on pad contact between her paw and her guide’s making Zalika thoughtful, then tearful.

“Do not apologise for your anger, for that is just, but your violence?” Titan suggested.

“You can’t force an apology from her!” Shandy miaowed.

“I haven’t,” Titan replied, looking into the ligress’s eyes, “Shandy, I suggested an apology might be a good course. It is for Zalika to think and act, I will not do so on her behalf.”

“Oaoaoaoah!” Shandy mewed.

“Petra’s toes are curling with the effort of coping with her pain,” Titan mewed, “Zalika, watch them, touch her free foot, feel her.” Zalika backed up and did as Titan suggested, feeling the sweat on Apudo’s left foot as she struggled to soothe her head with the damp pads of her right.

“you’s in pain isn’t you,” Zalika said.

“You really hurt me!” Petra sniffled.

“You’s ‘uwt Titan with them wowds of youws,” Zalika mewed, “my spanking was with the fowce of ‘is sadness and gwief at youw wowds towards ‘im. Petwa, Titan doesn’t diwect my paws, I does that, but I feels ‘is pain vewy much. If you’s upsetting ‘im, you’s upsetting me. Twouble is, where ‘e won’t waise a paw in angah, I’s got no such pwoblems doing that. You pweyed on Titan being soft and easily scawed, an easy target fow youw anger at being woken fwom youw sleep. ‘is puww was the most beautiful thing evah ‘eard in this place.”

“NO it wasn’t!” Petra yowled.

“yes it was,” Shandy replied, “Petra, Do you know what Titan’s purr means?”

“I don’t care what it means!” Petra screeched.

“I thinks she’s getting some idea,” Zalika mewed to Titan.

“that purr is the purr from the spirit!” Shandy purred, her own voice almost as deep as the ligers, “it’s the purr of acceptance, the purr that says more than a thousand million words could ever say, be they written by everyone in creation from the dawn of time! The gentility of that spirit cannot be put into words, because the words haven’t been invented yet. Noone can write of that gentility Petra! You have felt it from another, but you shun it in favour of violent words and frothy language. I am born of ursine and human end ever, and even bears and humans fail.” All this time Shandy had been staring into Petra’s face. Suddenly she swung round on Blackberry, the black bear looking startled and uncomfortable. “ Blackberry, do not turn us into weapons, that includes Zalika. She might like to train on the punch bags, but I claim protection for her. if you try to weaponise her, you’ll have me to deal with.” Blackberry stared at Shandy, the huge ligress looking calmly back at him, her eyes shining with a light he knew only too well.

“how can an animatronic ligress speak like this?” Petra asked incredulously.

“She drank of my milk,” Titan mewed.

“You gave them spirit?” Petra asked, staring at Titan, her mouth gaping.

“I was the conduit, it is not in my power to give spirit without higher permission,” Titan mewed gravely.

“You’re a sorcerer!” Petra yowled.

“No more a sorcerer than she who gave you a second chance!” a huge voice roared from beneath the floorboards, Titan screaming with fright and leaping into the air. Yowling, his leap took him out of the door and further on, the liger falling fifteen feet to the woodland floor, landing hard. Yowling with pain, Titan collapsed onto the woodland floor.

“What’s wong?” Zalika asked, pounding down the ramp, her paws and feet drumming heavily on the wood.

“I, I’ve hurt my leyeyeyg!” Titan yowled.

“I’ll take a look,” Patch said, joining Zalika by the prostrate liger, while Swarupa stood impotent and worried beside them.

“it huuuuuuurts!” Titan whimpered as Patch pressed communication buttons on the communications pack Titan wore round his neck, summoning the ambulance as if he’d been medic all his life.

“This is going to hurt for a bit, but I’ll do what I can,” Patch said, “right now, I can’t do anything until I get the ambulance here. Then I’ll help take the pain away.”

“I landed wrong!” Titan wept, glancing down at his right foreleg which lay bent at an unusual angle, “shit Payayayaych it huuuurts!” he screamed, rolling over onto his left side, Patch pulling him onto his chest again.

“don’t, don’t move!” Patch implored the weeping liger, “Titan, can you hear me?”

“It huuuurts!” Titan screeched, his eyes tightly shut and toes tightly curled, his whole body bathed in sweat. With a screaming of sirens, the ambulance arrived, Patch diving in for anaesthetic gas and a cannula.

?”this should help,” he said, setting the canister down on the grass.

“Will ‘e be all wight?” Zalika asked.

“I’m in soaoaoao muuuch payiyiyyiyin!” Titan screamed.

“Breathe this,” patch said, placing a mask on Titan’s face, the liger panicking, rolling over onto his right side and lashing out at Patch with his left foot.

“wooooah!” Patch yelled, leaping backwards, “Titan, we can’t help you unless you calm down!” the bear roared. Titan, hyperventilating with fear and terror, yowled incoherent sound.

“Someone tie his feet, someone else muzzle him!” Patch commanded, “Oi Blackberry!” he yelled towards the treehouse, “get yourself down here and help me, you partly caused this shit!” Blackberry raced down the ramp and joined patch, just as Titan, now pain maddened beyond all reason, snapped at Anook, who’d seemingly appeared from nowhere and was trying to put the mask over his face.

“Right Titan you bastard!” Patch roared, leaping on top of Titan and jamming his mouth down onto the liger’s ear, “you listen to me! you’re in danger here, if you keep screaming and roaring, lashing out and being a bloody pest, we will leave you, do you understand? Anook is going to put that mask on your face, then we will sort your leg. If You continue this silliness, we’ll leave you to die!” Titan subsided, crying with fear.

“now Anook, put that bloody mask on his face and make it a good seal, and turn on the gas and air.” Anook did as Patch asked, while he growled insults at Titan from close range. Once the liger had breathed the gas for a few minutes, and Patch had got the cannula into his vain, Titan became calmer.

“I’m drunk,” the liger mumbled when patch had injected the sedative. Patch quickly put a splint on Titan’s right foreleg, pumping it up so the limb was immobilised.

“I don’t mean to be a bastard,” Titan mewed thickly, “but it hurt so much!”

“My guide isn’t a bastawd!” Zalika raged, stamping her paws, sand flying all over Titan.

“Stop that sand!” patch commanded.

“Well you apologise fow calling ‘im a bastawd!” Zalika raged.

“now we get him onto a stretcher and back to the workroom,” patch said. at that moment, Nanuq and Ursula, on patrol, raced up to them.

“Can we be of any help?” they asked.

“Two strong polar bears, lovely!” Patch replied, “we need that liger put on that stretcher, and loaded into the ambulance.” Ursula looked at Nanuq, then at Patch.

“Please and thank you would be nice,” she remonstrated.

“Just do it! now!” Patch commanded, “I’m busy monitoring him, I can’t lift him too! Oh for Eohippus sake!”

Titan was driven back to the workroom, where Patch scrubbed up and examined the now soundly sleeping liger, to whom he’d given a deeper anaesthetic. Patch finally saw why Titan had screamed so much when he’d hit the forest floor, he’d landed first on his left paw, skidded then hit something, breaking his right leg and tumbling to a stop. Fortunately the break was a clean one, and patch’s splint had done its job. Blackberry and Patch scrubbed up, then both went to work, Blackberry using pins to set Titan’s leg.

“He’ll be a bit sore for a few weeks or so, but that can’t be helped,” Blackberry commented as he used tiny screws to fix the pins in place while patch held the leg just as Blackberry commanded. Soon the operation was over, and Patch took the chance to give Titan the onceover. The liger was in good condition, and there was nothing else wrong that a bit of rest wouldn’t cure.

“those metal pins will be in for the rest of his life,” Patch grunted.

“Metal Pins?” Blackberry enquired.

“the ones you used to fix his leg silly,” Patch said with some asperity as they stood waiting for Titan to come round from the anaesthetic, while Zalika sat beside the sleeping liger, the liliger cub carefully licking the place where he’d broken his leg.

“they’re not metal,” Blackberry replied, “they’re a new type of material which will become part of his leg. Titan will be as good as new when he’s rested.”

“Will I?” a sleepy voice asked in a piteous whimper.

“yes,” Blackberry replied, looking into the bleary eyes of the drugged thousand pound liger.

“I would not make a very good bionic cat, no good with weapons, lasers coming from my eyes and paws Blackberry,” Titan mumbled, “I would be no good at that, that path not for me. please don’t make meyeee!” he begged.

“I won’t, I promise I won’t!” Blackberry replied, realising what Titan thought had happened to him, “Titan, we fixed your leg, you broke it, remember?”

“I think,” Titan mewed, his eyes still unfocused, “I think I remember, a big fright, then pain, lots of pain, but then, then some big bastard came along and leapt on me and then I remember nothing more.”

“Poor Titan,” Anook commiserated.

“Stupid thing, leaping over that balcony!” Mishka grunted.

“He leapt clean over it from the place where he was lying Mishka, he didn’t deliberately jump off you fool!” Blackberry snapped.

“Oh,” Mishka replied.

“and I was the cause of all thiyiyiyis!” Apudo wept, having seen all and raced to catch up with the ambulance. Stricken with guilt, she had flung herself down in the corner of Patch’s work room and cried bitterly throughout the operation.

“Apudo, it’s not your fault,” Titan mewed, suddenly more awake, “I feel awful!” he moaned.

“Easy Titan, easy liger,” patch said.

“I’m all right now,” Titan yawned, “is there anything for dinner? I’m starving!” he declared.

“Blackberry, time for Titan to have a bowl of your stew I think, plenty of it, and warm too,” patch replied, Blackberry looking at his friend.

“I promise I won’t weaponise Titan or any creature here,” Blackberry said, “Patch, I’ll go into the woods myself, take up where you left off with non-lethal combat, maybe take up flying lessons too. I can’t do it to Titan, I can’t weaponise Zalika or Shandy.”

“Thank you for that,” Titan mewed, sliding off the bed and getting to his feet.

“You can’t put weight on that leg yet!” Patch yelped.

“yes ‘e can,” Zalika replied, “Titan, you’s as good as new now.” Titan looked at Zalika, Patch, Ursula and an incredulous Blackberry, his eyes filling with tears.

“thank you,” he mewed, lying down carefully so he could cover his face with his paws. Safely on the floor, Titan sobbed like a cub.

“Soppy old Tiggie that,” Zalika mewed.

“He’s lovely,” Ursula said.

“’e’s a feline watewfall though. I doesn’t know where ‘e keeps the water fow all that weeping ‘e does.”

“Titan works on a different plane to us,” patch replied, “everything’s more intense for him, grief, joy, play, even giving birth to a cub. he feels it more fundamentally than others, or so I think.”

“he’s the right choice as leader,” Blackberry replied.

“he is,” Ursula said, “though his medic needs a little education in manners!”

“I’m sorry I commanded you,” Patch replied, “Ursula, I was seeing someone I care deeply for going through hell. Please forgive me for being so discourteous.”

“You can also apologise fow calling my guide what you did on the twack too,” Zalika miaowed, rearing onto her feet and placing her paws on patch’s upper arms, their noses now very close. Patch looked down into the intense blue eyes of a young cub, feeling Zalika’s weight on his arms and seeing the power in her muscles.

“he needed those strong words to tell him I was serious,” Patch said gravely, “Zalika, Titan had become dangerous in his pain. He isn’t, what I called him, but you must realise why I used those words.”

“I wasn’t myself,” Titan mewed.

“Course you wasn’t!” Zalika mewed, dropping to all four fat paws and turning to her guide, “you ‘it the floow fwom mowe than a mile up!”

“Not quite, but I see what you mean, it certainly felt that way,” Titan mewed. Blackberry left and returned with a trolley.

“Let’s go to my lie up and we can eat in peace and comfort,” Titan mewed.

“Fraidy-cat! Fraidy-cat!

Fraidy-cat!” someone carolled from the corridor. Apudo, roaring with anger, leapt through the door into the corridor, then an indignant miaow was heard and it wasn’t Apudo’s voice:

“Apudoaoaoaoao! don’t spank me like I’m a cuuuub!” was heard, then Apudo’s angry roar, almost a yowl:

“you better try acting more adult then!”

“Nuru?” Titan asked.

“yeah,” Zalika mewed, “’e’s pestilence too. ‘e thinks ‘e can makes fun of evewyone without consequence. Though Titan, if I catches ‘im making fun of you, wegawdless of what anyone says, I’s gonna twist ‘is tail!”

“”Fraidy-cat, how rude!” Apudo mewed, stamping back into the room.

“I thought he might,” Zalika grumbled, “pest ‘e ‘is.”

“yeah, and you like the songs he makes up too, don’t deny it Zalika. You’re up to your neck in taking the piss!” Apudo snapped.

“yeah, maybe I is, but Titan’s injuwed, and I would nevah calls ‘im fwaidy-cat then!”

“What ‘appened to Swawupa?” Zalika asked.

“I’m here,” a small voice whimpered from a far corner, “I couldn’t watch!” she wailed. Zalika padded to the distraught tigress and hugged her.

“youw cub’s fine,” she said, “’e got ‘imself ‘uwt pwetty badly, but now, thanks to Patch and Blackbewwy, yeah I knows, the same beaw who wants to put guns and water bomb launchers on Titan, Titan’s fine.”

“how are we gonna make sure Titan doesn’t do that again?” Swarupa asked.

“’ow should I knows?” Zalika asked, “all I know is that ‘e’s vewy fwightened of loud noises, just looks at ‘ow ‘e was when I says boo to ‘im, ‘e flung ‘imself up the cuwtains! I’s nevah seen anything so amazing in all my showt time on this eawth Swawupa.”

“It was the flight of a terrified liger,” Swarupa mewed sadly.

“’e’s a weal fwaidy-cat when all’s said and done, but to be pewfectly fwank, I loves ‘im fow it Swawupa. What Titan ‘as inside is so pwecious that any amount of leaping into the aiw, followed by much ‘ugs and stwoking of ‘is paws and feet to weassuwe ‘im is wowth it.”

“You’s lovely Zalika,” Swarupa said, kissing her nose.

“I twy to be like my guide,” Zalika mewed.

“Titan’s much more than your guide,” Swarupa mewed.

“I knows that,” Zalika mewed, “but ‘ow is I meant to tells people what ‘e is? Noone would believe me!”

“You don’t have to,” Swarupa mewed, “Titan is your parent and guardian. Anyone who meets him can see he gave birth to you, there’s a look in his eyes which tells them that.”

“’e looks female don’t ‘e,” Zalika mewed.

“yes, he does, in that part of him,” Swarupa mewed, “Zalika, that was one of the reasons why I hated him when he was a cub, I saw what he was, I knew it, but I couldn’t accept it. I now know Nuru was similarly made, in that his need to act out the births of cubs with his mates was very powerful to the point where if he didn’t, he’d be very sick for ages afterwards.”

“as if pushing with ‘is feet ‘elps the mama and cub along a bit,” Zalika mewed.

“yes,” Swarupa mewed.

“I’s twied pushing with my feet, pwetending to ‘ave a cub, and it’s weally nice to do fwom time to time. Jespah and I does it sometimes. ‘e stwokes my pads while I cuwl my toes and stwain ‘awd with my feet.”

“I’ve never tried it since Titan’s birth,” Swarupa mewed.

“I doesn’t blame you weally,” Zalika mewed, “it was a feaahful time fow you and ‘im., why wemind youwself of it.”

“your birth was a fearful time for Titan, but he reminds himself of it by re-enacting it,” Swarupa mewed.

“I knows that, but that’s ‘is choice, and you’s got the wight not to we-enact the events of that day.”

“I don’t regret giving birth to Titan, not now,” Swarupa mewed.

“You shouldn’t be talking like this to his cub Swarupa!” Apudo roared.

“It’s all wight Apuwdo, I can cope with it,” Zalika mewed.

“I need to talk about my cub’s birth,” Swarupa mewed, “it was a terrifying time, but, well, now’s the time. Zalika seems receptive to chatting about it.”

“I’s weceptive, but, well, I can’t imagine ‘ow it is to gives biwth to a liger with paws the size of Titan’s! ouwch!” she giggled.

“it was ouwch! Many times over too,” Swarupa replied with feeling, “push out his paws, then came his forelegs and head, sort of in a big stretching squeezing effort which made me squeal and try to push, then his body, legs and feet, more squeezing efforts there.”

“Swarupa!” Apudo miaowed.

“it’s all wight Apuwdo, I’ve seen Titan’s biwth many times, Swawupa is only descwibing fwom ‘ur pewspective what went on. She did scweam and stwain, I sees ‘ur face, ‘the cuwled toes on er feet, and ‘ur stwaining paws too. them’s stwaining ‘awd them paws is, and she’s twying ‘ur best with blackbewwy’s ‘elp to give biwth to ‘ur ‘uge cub. I sees as much of ‘ur stwuggles as I does when I watch Titan stwuggling so ‘awd duwing my own biwth, and when I watches youw webiwth, or fiwst biwth to Imvula. I sees that too Apuwdo, and that was ‘ard on ‘er, as your webiwth was on Titan. Thewe’s no shame in a long labouw, no shame in ‘aving ‘elp, no shame in cwying and scweaming and cuwling youw toes, and no shame if you can’t do those things and othuhs ‘as to get surgical and ‘elps the cub out.”

“I don’t like the drift of this conversation!” Apudo yowled.

“well I do,” Titan mewed, towering over Apudo, “it’s a good conversation to have.” Yowling with surprise Apudo leapt backwards, glancing up at the liger’s face, seeing Titan’s eyes were shining.

“I didn’t hear you coming!” she yowled.

“Still as soft on my paws,” Titan purred with deep satisfaction, “oh, I almost forgot in the mental reliving of the most wonderful times of my life that it’s dinnertime, and I think we’d better eat something,” Titan mewed, “Blackberry’s got his stew on the simmer, and it smells wonderful, now, Apudo, Zalika and Swarupa, let’s get some before Patch and Ursula eat the lot.” With that they turned to the door into the monorail system, riding the train to Titan’s lie up.

“How could you get onto your feet so soon after your leg was fix Titan?” Swarupa asked.

“I’m not sure,” Titan replied, “I think Zalika’s kiss and Blackberry’s scientific mind thought of something other than weapons for a short while, and he came up with a quick way of getting creatures back on their feet after a broken leg.”

“it’s amazing technology,” Blackberry replied, “a special pin and screws that hold the bone securely and become part of the bone when the healing process is complete, no need to remove pins then.”

Well I’m more grateful for it than I can put into words,” Titan mewed, “you see Blackberry, that’s what your mind can do with good thoughts. Weapons aren’t everything,” he purred, nuzzling Blackberry’s ear.

“reproof taken,” Blackberry replied soberly.

“by all means, train yourself, learn to fire guns if you wish, but please, don’t force others Blackberry,” Titan mewed.

“I won’t do that, I promise,” the black bear replied, feeling the gravity of the liger’s presence.

“Good,” Titan mewed softly with just a hint of the deep purr which signified so much to so many.

“I want you to purr to me like you did Shandy!” Blackberry thought wildly.

“My purr is for those who renounce violent thoughts and promise to work towards the comfort of the community,” Titan mewed, “Blackberry, I understand the need for defence, but weaponising me or my cubs is not the done thing.”

“Under community law Titan, technically every cub is yours,” Blackberry replied.

“yes,” Titan replied in a deep growl which shook the monorail car to its foundations.

“Stop that growling Titan!” a voice shrilled from the control panel, the car stopping with a jerk which threw Titan forward onto the control Panel. Hitting it with a crash which shook the car, Titan rebounded and collapsed to the floor.

“auauauuw!” he yowled, picking himself up off the rubberised flooring.

“Do you want to wreck the transport system you silly moggie?” the voice yapped.

“No Lily I don’t!” Titan mewed, rubbing his nose with his paw, “and if you do that again, I’ll personally rip your paaaaws off!” the liger roared.

“So much for the pacifist outlook,” Blackberry remarked.

“Oh shut it Blackbewwy!” Zalika miaowed, “can’t you see Titan’s in pain again? ‘e was flung acwoss the monowail caw ‘cos lily ‘it the bwakes ‘awd. The nowmal emewgency stop is gentle!” Zalika panted. Then, almost crying, she continued, “Lily’s being a pwopah pest! She’s ‘ated Titan evah since ‘e comforted me while I was scawed in the caw thing. Now she’s causing ‘ell fow ‘im!”

“Lily, I forbid you from persecuting Titan or his cubs!” Apudo roared.

“Well that leaves everyone to go at but Zalika and yourself Apudo,” Lily replied.

“No it doesn’t, and you knows it!” Zalika yowled.

“Oh shut it kitty!” Lily mocked, Zalika anxiously pawing at the rubberised floor with velveted toes.

“I can’t stand ‘er!” she whispered to Titan.

“I have to be fair in all dealings but this bear is seriously trying my patience!” Titan mewed softly.

“I would like to see you try and fight me!” Lily challenged, “Titan, you couldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding! Fraidy fraidy fraidy -cat! It’s gonna be curtains for you that’s for sure!” Zalika choked on a rush of tears, Titan kissing her nose and hugging her.

“It’ll be all right,” he mewed softly, gently drying her eyes, feeling her shaking with fear.

“She’s gonna kill you!” Zalika whispered, her voice nearly cracking.

“She won’t,” Titan replied in a stronger voice, lifting one paw, examining the pads, as the monorail door opened, and Lily rushed in. Screeching with terror, Zalika fled out of the door beneath the bear’s legs, Lily aiming a backwards kick at her, catching the fleeing liliger on her rump and pitching her forward onto her nose, Zalika’s yowl of pain and surprise making Apudo’s toes curl with anxiety as Titan and Lily squared up.

“You don’t even have the nobility to make sure those who are not in the duel are safe before we fight you flea bitten den scraper!” Titan growled, “Apudo, get out of here, get Zalika and get to safety!” Apudo forced her toes to relax, then eased her paws and feet carefully, the sucking sound telling her they’d been well stuck to the rubberised flooring. Glancing at Titan, she saw him nod, and quickly she tugged at each of her paws and feet to free them from their sweat soaked immobility. Rushing to the door, Apudo rescued Zalika, fleeing with the crying cub dangling from her mouth by the scruff of her neck.

“Flea bitten den scraper? You horrid beast, you nasty, dish licking, half bred, mangy moggie!” Lily roared, now nose to nose with Titan.

“”I won’t waste more breath on you Lily, you hated all your cubs from their birth, you assaulted Orbon so grievously you blinded him!” Titan growled.

“I loved giving birth, but the raising of the cubs I won’t do and Orbon pushed me over the edge!” Lily raged.

“That is surely a worse thing than being a dish licking, mangy half bred moggie? At least I look after my cubs, all of them, even if I haven’t struggled through labour to give birth to each,” Titan mewed.

“I hate Youououoaw!” Lily screamed.

“And that’s how you repay my tolerance now, and Patch’s generosity when he gave you sanctuary here Lily, you disgusting, mangy, root eating, ant hill scraper!” Blackberry growled.

“Oh piss off Blackberry, at least I knew my mother loved me!” Lily grunted, rearing onto her feet, spinning round and lashing out with one paw. Blackberry, caught off guard, caught the blow from Lily’s paw full in his face, the she bear’s claws raking down his cheek. Titan suddenly lost his temper. Rearing, he brought both of his huge paws crashing down on Lily’s back. Blackberry, feeling the weight shift, fled out of the door, the combined weight of big cat and bear making the car shake violently as they crashed to the floor. Titan cuffed the back of Lily’s head, a raking slap which had all his force behind it. the liger’s paw landed with a dull thud, Lily falling forward onto her paws and knees.

“You listen to me Lily,” Titan growled,, “I know I don’t like violence, but you pushed me too far! You’re words and actions mean you forfeit the right to be here. I will not kill you, but I will banish you from the community house and from the grounds, go back to your life of slavery among the humans!” Suddenly Titan roared, “ You are not fit to live here Lily!” Lily, nearly sick with the intensity of the sound of Titan’s angry roar, set up a pitiful whimpering full of anger and humiliation. Wriggling, she felt the liger’s right paw pressing into the space between her shoulder blades while Titan’s left paw, toes curled, gripped her ear.

“my left paw has hold of your left ear and I will not let go until I’m satisfied you’re going to obey my wishes,” Titan growled menacingly, “your ear will come off in my paw if you’re the least bit incautious,” the liger mewed, tightening his grip.

“You win, I’m finished!” Lily howled.

“You struck the first blow, remember that,” Titan mewed, “the one who strikes the first blow in a war never wins, ever! I did nothing to you, but you threatened my cubs! You might know about the strong loyalty of a mother bear to her cubs, not that you subscribed to that, but what I’m now sure you have learnt of is the way a liger fights for its cubs!” Titan roared, the sound bouncing off the walls, “you learn this now! You remember iyiyiyiyt forever!” the liger proclaimed, the sound crashing through Lily’s body like an earthquake, bouncing down and up and round her, making her feel sick.

“Now get ooooououowt!!” Titan yowled, “go on your paws and knees disgraced bruin, go to your den scrapings and live there in disgrace for the whole of your natural life!” the liger roared. Lily turned her head to a computer screen, seeing Titan’s face for the first time since she’d turned away from him to attack Blackberry. what she saw there shocked her. Titan’s eyes were full of tears, and the disappointment in them tore at her heart more forcefully than the liger’s claws could ever do. Staring, her eyes blurring with her own tears, Lily gasped for breath as her own emotions swamped her, nearly drowning her in the liger’s ancient sorrow at her conduct and words.

“You look like you’ve just seen a cub die in front of you!” Lily wailed.

“I have, now go, Lily, go quickly, before I drown you with my grief,” Titan growled, his voice cracking. Lily turned fully round and looked at the liger without the aid of cameras, instantly wishing she hadn’t. Titan lay down very sadly and buried his face in his paws, weeping inconsolably. Feeling more desolate than she ever had in her life, Lily backed out of the monorail and got to her feet, unable to take her eyes off the shattered liger lying on the floor of the monorail car.

“that’s what your actions have done to him,” Nanuq said, “Lily, as Titan has told you, go from this house and into the dark woodlands, there make your home and never return here. You do not deserve anyone’s time here, least of all that of the most newborn cub.” Lily knew what the huge bear was saying and, turning, dropping to paws and knees, Lily crawled away, crying bitterly, all the while wishing for the one touch on the exposed, hot, emotion dampened pads of her feet that she knew she now would never be allowed. Lily had heard of, and once also felt the pleasure of a liger’s kiss placed on the heel pad or toes of one foot, and she knew the cubs loved it. Indeed, the first many knew of Titan’s presence was a gentle brushing of whiskers on the pad of one foot while they were playing the stuck foot game, or just crawling about during a chasing game, their eyes fixed on their paws holding the foot in play, if the stuck foot game, or on the soles of the feet of the cub they were chasing that they didn’t notice the huge liger’s arrival, nor him lying down, their consciousness made aware of him by the gentle touch of whiskers, then a light touch of a warm kiss to toe pads or heel pad. Then the game would pause, and Titan would gaze at the cubs faces with gentle unspoken enquiry, his eyes alight with joy and wonder at their play, as if he himself were playing the games through the touch of their paws and feet, as if he could feel the joy and pleasure they felt. Lily wondered if Titan felt every touch, every intense moment of imagined struggle to free a foot in the stuck foot game, every panting effort to give birth to a cub during a carefully imagined labour, and every gentle touch of paw on the toes of a foot as cubs made initial contact, leading to the checking of pads for thorns and then a choice of which game to play. Did Titan feel all that? Lily hoped he did. Then she realised what else he felt, for she’d seen the look in his eyes, the almost total destruction she’d brought on him by her violent words and deeds towards others. Lily knew her assaults on Blackberry and Zalika hurt Titan as fully as they had hurt those she’d attacked. Sweating with shame and crying with grief, Lily left the monorail station and made her way to the dark woodlands. Finding a cave, she crawled in, lay down and burst into tears, tears the like of which she’d not known since she was a lost cub that day when she was taken from her mother, finding herself suddenly terrified at the thought of the wide unknown world, alone and afraid with noone to turn to.

Back in the monorail car, Titan wiped his face with his paws, sniffling and gulping back a seemingly endless rush of tears.

“I hated that,” he thought, shaking his head, tears flying off his whiskers.

“Titan?” Nanuq said, kneeling beside the massive liger, “how are you feeling?”

“Sore,” the huge cat replied.

“In your leg?” Nanuq asked.

“No, well, yes, a little, but mostly in my heart, I hate banishing anyone to the dark woodlands Nanuq.” Nanuq kissed Titan’s nose and the tops of his damp paws.

“That’s what a leader sometimes has to do,” Nanuq replied gently.

“I’m not good at enforcing law,” Titan mewed, “I know Lily broke the rules.”

“You did your duty,” Nanuq replied.

“Where’s Zalika?” Titan asked.

“she’s fine, Blackberry’s looking after her, oh, he’s fine too, scratches and bruising but that’s all.” Titan got to his feet, the whole car whirling round him. Staggering, he felt Nanuq supporting him to stand.

“Thanks,” he mewed.

“Easy liger, easy,” Nanuq said gently, Titan feeling the reassuring strength of the huge polar bear, “take it easy Titan,” Nanuq continued, Titan slowly regaining his composure.

“I must go to Blackberry and Zalika,” Titan mewed, “I feel some of this is my fault.”

“It’s not your fault,” Nanuq said, “Lily threw the first blow, you tried to talk to her, she threw your gentility in the bin Titan.”

“I should have done more,” Titan mewed sadly.

“Lily wanted to get you ever since you showed gentility to your cub above everything else, like quickly vacating the monorail for instance. When Zalika was scared, you gave your full attention to her until she was calmer. That’s how a parent and a leader should act. Lily is no parent and no leader, though how much of that is her fault is yet to be found out.”

“She went for me because I showed a side which she could not show,” Titan mewed. Nanuq tightly hugged the liger and replied:

“Titan, that’s the worst bit of all this, Lily sort to hurt an example of what she should have been to Orbon. it’s her failing, not yours Titan, please do not internalise it.”

“Now I need to go to my cub,” Titan mewed. he padded stiffly from the monorail car, Nanuq watching him go.

“I love you Titan,” he thought. Then, he called to the liger:

“hey Titan, pause a minute!” Titan stopped, turning his head slightly to listen.

“I just wanted to tell you I love you very much, that’s all,” Nanuq said, Titan swallowing hard, then, in a fluid motion the liger turned and flung himself at Nanuq, clinging to the now sitting polar bear as if he were drowning. Hugging Nanuq, Titan buried his face in the huge bear’s coat.

“You big softypuss,” Nanuq said gently, rubbing the liger’s back with his paw while Titan clung to him.

“Go to your cub now,” Nanuq said softly into the liger’s ear. Titan let go of Nanuq, the huge bear rubbing Titan’s ears with his paw.

“I can’t believe you could tweat Titan like a ‘uuuge lap cat!” a voice at Titan’s back said with mock fury.

“Zalika!” Titan mewed, turning round and launching himself towards her, landing on the floor so he skidded along it, his paws outstretched. Grabbing Zalika, Titan jammed the toes of his feet into the floor, braking to a stop.

“You’s vewy soppy you is,” Zalika purred, kissing her guide’s nose. Titan mewed, chuffed and purred in equal measures, Zalika giggling delightedly:

“’aving a ligah as a guide is wondewful!” she enthused, “a ligah ‘as such a wange of ‘appy sounds that it’s like a feline lucky dip when I ‘ug one. Which sound am I gonna ‘ear if I ‘ugs Titan today? And if I completely tuwns the lucky dip ligah upside down,” with this, Zalika, seemingly without effort, freed herself from the massive big cat’s hug and rolled him onto ‘his back, “I gets them all.” Titan, his eyes sparkling, waved his paws and feet about while purring, chuffling and mewing ecstatically. Zalika, herself purring with pleasure, watched Titan roll onto his side and, letting him tightly hug her, mewed with pleasure as he kissed her nose and paws.

“you’s the biggest cuddlypuss in this community Titan,” Zalika giggled, laughing helplessly as Titan tickled her pads.

“Gets off my paws you pad mad puss!” she miaowed, her eyes alive with good humour.

“I’m sorry,” Titan replied sorrowfully, the sound of his voice vibrating Zalika’s whole body, “I thought we were playing paw games.”

“I doesn’t really mean you to leave my paws alone silly,” Zalika mewed, kissing his nose.

“your paws weren’t refusing my touch, I should remember the old saying really,” Titan replied softly.

“You know the childwen at the school want you to visits ‘em?” Zalika said, “well Titan, if I was you, I would do so, but don’t let them knows you can speaks English. I know Patch don’t speak English much now, they gets a twanslation on scween when they watches us. We talks community dialect as well as ouw own species lingos, and the computew sowts it and puts it out as English words on screen which awe wead by the childwen. I doesn’t want to finds that you’s been slung into a zoo as a pewfowming animal!”

“I won’t be,” Titan mewed, “they won’t catch me talking in a near human voice.”

“I’s still wowwied though, some ‘umans would love to get ‘old of a talking ligah I thinks,” Zalika mewed.

“They won’t get hold of me though,” Titan purred. Suddenly Zalika shivered and grabbed Titan’s paw in both of hers. Titan saw she’d gone as deadly white as a liliger can, and was staring at him from suddenly vacant but terrified eyes.

“I ‘as a feeling, please Titan, see if what I feels is twue? I thinks, thinks that someone called Jim is up to no good again. I’s nevah met ‘im, neither ‘as you I doesn’t think, but, well, ‘e’s plotting something. I gets the feel fwom something in my ‘ead,” Zalika said breathlessly. Titan growled deep in his throat, for he knew what Zalika was feeling could very well be the foretelling of truly horrid events.

“I don’t disbelieve you,” Titan mewed, “my reading of the history of this place tells me Jim was horrible.” Titan got to his feet and leant down, kissing Zalika’s nose.

“I’ll take a look round the woodlands,” he said, “I’ll take Nanuq and Flocke with me too. You stay here.”

“Look out fow flying pencils,” Zalika mewed, “them’s dangewous things them Titan.”

A few days later, in a cabin in the woods, Jim, Jenny’s brother, screwed the cap onto a small bulb with a micro needle at one end. he was determined to trap either Flocke, patch, or better still Apudo or Titan, and imprison them in his private zoo, which he’d set up after being warned off shooting for a living. Jim hated and feared the community with fierce intensity, and while his sister was involved with them in a gentle way, he wanted to grab an English speaking creature for his private menagerie. Jim spoke to Sally’s brother Peter, to see if he would help.

“I know you didn’t get on well with that community,” Jim said, “would you like to do something to get back at them Peter?”

“They didn’t ill treat me,” peter said, “I just couldn’t get into their ways, that’s all.”

“I hear they forced you to feel things,” Jim replied.

“That’s because I mocked Anernerk for her disability,” Peter said, “it had nothing to do with them being vindictive. Sorry Jim, you’ve come to the wrong person. I’ll talk to Titan before you ever do a thing to him or his community.”

“I want Titan!” Jim yelled.

“I know you do, but you can’t have him, he’s not a possession, he’s himself!” Peter replied, now completely disgusted, “Jim you can’t do what you want to do to Titan, he has Zalika to look after too! Even if he didn’t, you would still be beastly to do that to him”

“But I want a talking liger!” Jim roared.

“Well you can’t have him.” Peter replied.

Days later, Jim sat in his cabin, waiting for Titan to come near so he could fire his dart at him. Peter had told titan of Jim’s intentions, Zalika shaking with fright when she realised her premonitions were correct.

Titan and Peter padded with Flocke and Nanuq towards the place where Peter had found Jim’s cabin. Titan opened the door, Jim not noticing him. Suddenly Titan said in his most gentle voice:

“You want to speak to me?” the liger had obviously spoken English for, Jim, screaming with fright, turned and hurled something at the liger. Dodging the flying thing, Titan slammed the door and stepped back, Nanuq and Flocke lifting the porter cabin off its foundations, tipping it up with Jim inside. Jim’s body smashed through the window, landing on the forest floor with a thud.

“How did you know!” Jim asked, blood streaming from a cut on his forehead.

“We were told,” Nanuq replied, Jim looking at him. Flocke, seeing Jim’s momentary inattention, dove to the floor, wrapped his legs in a huge bear hug, swung him round, then dropped him on the floor, finally cuffing his head hard with her paw, knocking him unconscious.

“You might have killed him!” Titan yowled, “we can’t have that!” he roared.

“he was going to imprison you in a cage for life! You want that?” Flocke asked, brushing her paws together as if throwing humans about was what she did for recreation.

“No,” Titan mewed, but, well, when he wakes up, I want to question him closely!”

“I don’t know that he will,” Peter replied.

“I didn’t hit him that hard,” Flocke replied, “when he wakes, I’ll be there to hold him down, and we can question him. Nanuq, did you see where that thing Jim threw at Titan went?”

“It’s here,” Nanuq replied, picking the needle tipped dart up with gentle care, “the needle is exposed, I won’t be touching it.” he dropped it into Peter’s pocket.

“You’re coming with us as an independent witness Peter, sorry about imposing this,” Titan mewed.

“I might not have got on fully with some members of your community Titan, but that doesn’t mean I will go against them,” Peter replied.

“how did you know about this Titan?” Flocke asked.

“I didn’t, Zalika had a feeling and Peter confirmed it,” Titan mewed.

“she had a what?” Flocke asked, her mouth gaping and eyes wide with surprise.

“A feeling, a premonition, I think,” Titan mewed.

“What of yourself?” Peter asked the huge liger, “do you have these thoughts?”

“I might, but I’m too adult now to think of them as anything but nightmares, let alone tell them to others. I though, saw and felt Zalika’s distress during a playtime we had. What she was saying meant a lot to her. I dared not take it lightly.”

“That comes from Theo’s side I think,” Nanuq mused.

“Maybe it does,” Titan replied thoughtfully.

“I hate you lot!” Jim raged blearily from where he lay by a tree.

“The feeling’s mutual you fallen ape,” Titan replied casually.

“Fallen ape? You mangy moggie!” Jim screamed.

“An ape never would imprison another for his own selfish pleasures, but you were plotting to do just that,” Flocke replied, “you wanted Titan for yourself, to exhibit him like a freak show, the talking liger. But he would not talk, I know that. He would have become mute and would not speak the words you want him to speak.”

“I would have made him beg for his food!” Jim raged, starting to get up from the forest floor.

“who says you could move!” a voice yowled, as a large form hurtled through the air, hitting Jim in the chest and stomach with both paws while its feet thudded into a place between his legs. Jim, screaming with pain, leant back against the tree, then collapsed, the cat, for everyone could now see his assailant was a big cat cub, following him to the floor by holding onto his chest with her claws.

“Zalika!” Titan yowled, “for eohippus sake! Get out of here!”

“Na,” Zalika mewed, cuffing Jim across the face with her paw when he bowed his head to gasp for air, “’e’s too dangewous fow you to tackle alone. I’s got’a sees ‘im beaten”

“Where the hell did you learn that trick?” Flocke asked.

“Oh, I’s been pwactising with the punch bags. I’s known about Jim fow some time, knew this place too. I knew what ‘e wanted fow weeks. I knew as soon as I told Titan, that ‘e’d go wound and stop it, so I told ‘im. Now ‘e’s done ‘is ‘ewoic leadew bit, and evewyone’s ‘appy that ‘e can do mowe than pull off the skin of a wice pudding.”

“I couldn’t have lifted that cabin though,” Titan mewed.

“You delegated to those who could,” Nanuq replied laughing.

Zalika was where during all this?” Titan asked.

“Oh, she was up the neawest twee,” Flocke giggled.

“stop that if you loves me,” Zalika whimpered.

“now it’s time to tie this man’s paws so he can’t do any more damage,” Blackberry said, walking up with rope and someone from the local police.

“Did you get it all on camera Blackberry?” the sergeant asked.

“yes, everything,” Blackberry replied.

“I wanted to bring a well-adjusted cub into the world, instead I’ve born a fighting cat!” Titan wailed.

“So Titan’s a pwopah leadew now,” Zalika mewed, padding to her guide and kissing his paw.

“Kissing your guide’s paw is rather formal isn’t it?” Nanuq asked.

“Well I can’t kiss ‘is nose, it’s way above my ‘ead,” Zalika mewed.

“if you’d only given me a second, I would have bowed my head,” Titan groaned.

“You’s desewving a bit of leadew tweatment though,” Zalika mewed.

“Not from my cub I’m not,” Titan replied, lying down and hugging her.

“If you ever get one of those feelings again,” Titan mewed, “please Zalika, tell me straight away, please?” Zalika nodded, now quiet with emotion at the message from her guide’s paws.

“saying Thanks to you doesn’t seem enough Zalika,” Titan mewed, Zalika burying her face in his neck fur.

“I tells you what is thanks enough fow me, that you took my wowds sewiously,” Zalika mewed, “I was so wowwied you wouldn’t. I thought I was being silly! But I knew in my heawt I wasn’t.”

“I would never call you silly Zalika,” Titan purred, the sound vibrating the forest.

“I’ve always wondered what Titan’s purr sounds like,” Peter said, walking back to the group from his interview with the police, “Jenny told me of your purr Titan, it’s lovely!”

“Even bettew when ‘e’s ‘ugging you, but Titan won’t puww like that fow just anyone,” Zalika mewed.

“I bet he doesn’t,” Peter replied, kneeling and touching Titan’s shoulder.

“Don’t sit on that injector,” Nanuq said.

“Oh that’s been taken by the police,” Peter replied, I’ve been interviewed by them too.”

“We won’t be,” Flocke said, “the camera will do our talking.”

“now I need home,” Titan mewed, “coming Zalika?”

“Yeah, and I needs to ‘ear anothuh favouwite wowd too, food!” she replied.

“Same here,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet, his eyes sparkling.

“You’re beautiful Titan!” Peter exclaimed. Titan hesitated:

“Let’s go,” he said.

“Embawwassed at the pwaise Titan?” Zalika asked, leaping lightly onto his back and drumming lightly on his back with her paws.

“You hold on tight,” he replied gruffly.

“You’s embawwassed!” she whooped, Titan smiling to himself, his deep contented purr telling everyone he was a happy liger.

“It is you who should be praised Zalika,” Titan mewed, “if it hadn’t been for your insight, we may never have found the cabin, and maybe, just maybe I would have become an exhibit.”

Later that day, in their lie up, Titan and his immediate family heard the conclusion of the whole affair. Jim, now in the police station, had told everything. How he was going to get one of the children or the teachers to pat Titan while holding the bulb injector in the palm of their hand so he couldn’t see it, then, when the liger lay down drugged in the woods, Jim and a few strong men would pull him into a lorry and take him to a pre prepared place.

“Do you know what? I would speak to him in the voice of man,” Titan mewed, “I would speak to Jim if he came here and was civil, but all he wants is to take my liberty so he can make profit from me. I will not have that happen.”

“So you will speak in the voice of man, but on your terms?” Theo asked.

“I will,” Titan mewed softly, “I will speak so others may talk to me as equal, I will not speak so others can gloat and point,” suddenly Titan roared, “I am myself, a liger who is noone’s plaything!” The sound of Titan’s roar bounced off the floor and walls, Zalika torn between watching Titan’s paws holding onto the floor with desperately curled toes or watching the liger’s face while he roared, seeing the inner struggle between his two sides.

“I will not let myself or any of my community become a forced captive plaything for others!” Titan proclaimed, the sound of his voice rattling the whole house.

“So play is still good?” Bianca asked.

“Yes, but forced play or forced performance of any sort is not, and this is what it would have been if I’d been captured and held against my will,” Titan growled, the sound vibrating Bianca’s paws and whiskers. His speech over, Titan lay down exhausted.

“I understand,” Bianca said, kissing Titan’s nose, taking in the liger’s warm eyes and gentle expression.

“Can I hug your paw Titan?” Bianca asked.

“You can,” Titan purred, feeling his right paw taken in both of hers. He watched Zalika as she tried to unobtrusively ease the toes of all four of her paws from their tight grip on the rugs.

“Trapped toes tiggie?” he asked, touching her head with his free paw.

“”naoaoaoaoao!” Zalika yowled, yanking at her left paw, the toes of which had indeed become trapped, as one or two of them had found a loose thread or two and become entangled. A ripping sound eloquent of gnawing teeth on fabric, followed by Zalika panting with concentration told Titan she’d freed herself.

“Them rugs is a bleedin’ pest!” Zalika miaowed, beating the rug with her paws as if it were her worst enemy..

“What of your feet?” Titan asked.

“Them’s twapped,” Zalika mewed piteously.

“You’s weally made youwself into a twapped toes Tiggie ain’t you,” Titan mewed, Zalika sighing heavily and trying to scowl at her guide, but she couldn’t help smiling.

“Only you could get away with that,” she said.

“Now I will graciously withdraw my paw from Bianca’s grip, shuffle clumsily backwards and then use my paws to help you free those toes of yours,” Titan mewed.

“I’ll get them well and twuly stuck then,” Zalika purred, Titan kissing the top of her head as she put her head down and wriggled hard to work her toes deeper into the rugs.

“You silly thing,” Titan mewed, tugging playfully at Zalika’s ear with his teeth, Zalika purring deeply.

“I thinks you’s sweet Zalika,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose.

“I think you’s a cuddlypuss,” Zalika purred softly.

“I am wondering if we’ll hear any more of that man who tried to entrap you Titan,” Bianca mewed, “once they get an idea in their heads, they don’t give up.”

“I don’t think he’ll try it again,” Titan mewed, “Jim’s not that stupid. Anyway, I have Zalika to thank for warning me about that.”

“how?” Bianca asked.

“Oh, I felt something,” Zalika mewed airily, “just a feeling, a bleedin’ nightmare woke me up if you must know, I’s in a mess, panting, paws sweating and evewything. I can feel when people is not good, at least I think I can. I sees someone plotting to twap a big cat and use them fow a ciwcus, at least that’s ‘ow my dream went. It was ‘orrible! I found myself in the cage, and was being taunted about speaking in the language of man. Of couwse, I can speak in the lingo of men, I’s Titan’s cub ain’t I? I just choose not to speak that language. Though I twied to fowget the dweam, I couldn’t, my paws was sweating and I was vewy anxious some hours latew. Thinking about it, I told Titan as soon as I could, and ‘e fixed things, and now we’s found the plot was twue, though ‘ow I knew about it befowe Titan was put into a cage fowevew is anothuh question.”

“You’re wonderful Zalika,” Bianca mewed.

“I’s not wondewful at all Bianca. Quite fwankly Bianca, seeing this stuff gives me the cweeps,” Zalika replied.

“If you get any feelings like that again, let us know,” Bianca mewed, kissing Zalika’s nose, “I remember your birth,” Bianca mewed, “Zalika, I remember seeing Titan straining and struggling, his face contorted in concentration and pain, his toes curling with effort and pain. He looked like I imagined I did giving birth to Jespah. Then, then, I gave birth to Sasha, and Titan wasn’t there, I wish he had been there.”

“Oh yes I was,” Titan purred, “I was there and saw things through Zalika’s eyes, who saw everything, who played with Sasha and Jespah for herself and for me.”

“I’m glad you were,” Bianca mewed.

“Now I thinks we needs to see what’s going on in the police station with Jim,” Zalika mewed, resting her head against Titan’s, taking his paw in both of hers.

“What on earth are you doing Zalika?” Bianca asked.

“They’re combining their power to see into the police station I bet,” Sasha mewed.

“What rubbish!” Bianca scoffed.

“Jim’s been chawged with conspiwing to kidnap and impwison,” Zalika mewed, “’e ‘ain’t coming back today, ‘as the ‘uman who is working fow us has got ‘im put on something called wemand, whatevew that is.”

“Prison until first appearance in court Zalika,” Titan murmured into her ear.

“Oh,” Zalika mewed, kissing his nose.

“Well he’s not coming back,” Titan purred, “not that I wish anyone ill, until they do my family harm that is, well then they can go stuff.”

“I would have used stwonger wowds than that,” Zalika mewed.

“yes, I bet, but don’t!” Titan begged.

“I’s ‘eawd some of ‘em befowe I’s ‘eard them today in the station, even befowe and duwing my biwth! Now that Jim, ‘e’s sweawing like mad! I’s nevah ‘eawd some of them wowds befowe Titan! I’s alweady ‘eard people called,” she then reeled off a list of bad language that had Titan’s toes curling more tightly than ever while his face blushed scarlet.

“Those words, Zalika, just naooooo!” Titan pleaded, his toes now curled as tightly as he ever had curled them outside of giving birth to the cub with whom he was now remonstrating. “awhwhw, twying to sheltew me fwom the bad wowds, ‘ow cuuuute is that?” Zalika mewed, “well Titan, I’s sowwy, but the cubs ‘as alweady told me ‘alf of ‘em, I knows ‘em! There is one though that I noticed weally got you upset, so I’s not gonna ask about that one, but I’s wanting to.” Titan growled:

“that one word is not fit to be aired in public, let alone private!”

“I’s not gonna says it,” Zalika mewed, turning her head away from Titan, mouthing the word to herself.

“What are you doing?” Titan asked, nudging her with one huge paw.

“nothing,” Zalika mewed, blushing fiercely.

“You were using that horrid word weren’t you!” Titan miaowed.

“I’s busted,” Zalika admitted.

“You never, ever use that word in here!” Titan growled, his embarrassment, having curled his toes as tightly as they’d ever curled, starting to make his tail lash the air.

“Youw toes is gonna ‘urt a lot if you’s cuwling them like you is wight now,” Zalika mewed.

“they’re curling because I’m mortified at your words! You have a gutter mouth!” Titan whimpered.

“’asn’t you evah wanted to sweaw ‘ard and loud?” Zalika asked, “I tells you what, it cewtainly stops me fwom wipping the paws off anyone I’s angwy with, at least at fiwst instance. Then if the cawwies on, well I’s all paws on with the frothy lingo added, so them get big paws and big sweawing. Next time you’s angwy Titan, twies getting into a pwivate place and sweawing youw ‘ead off fow a bit, it wowks a tweat.” Titan looked at his cub with deep sorrow.

“And there’s me thinking I’d brought up a kind gentle cub,” he said, grief in his voice and tears in his eyes.

“Oh you have,” Theo mewed, “Zalika is world weary before her time though. The cub you brought into the world has more intelligence and knowledge than any cub born before or since. She is on your right paw, your best friend, if you’d let her be so.”

“I could,” Titan mewed, taking Zalika’s paw, “but I want you to have a cubhood, and a cubhood doesn’t include swearing or hard things like fighting Zalika!” the liger said, tears running down his face.

“I doesn’t mean to upset you,” Zalika mewed, “it’s just that things is ‘ard outside, and we’s finding that.” Titan wiped his face with his free paw, feeling the heat in his pads.

“Some of the things that have happened today make me want to curl up into a tight ball, cover my face with my paws and cry,” he replied miserably.

“I’s sowwy if my sweawing is in that bwacket,” Zalika mewed.

“NO it’s not,” Titan conseeded, “it’s the thought of being imprisoned,,” he paused, tears choking him. After coughing and gasping, he continued, getting more and more distressed, “the knowledge that I was so close to being imprisoned, along with the knowledge that I should have seen it coming, and that I had to rely on a cub, who shouldn’t know about these things, to tell me!”

“All’s well that ends well, and this cewtainly ‘as,” Zalika mewed, kissing his tear soaked cheek.

“How long would Jim get for plotting to imprison a tiger?” Bianca asked.

“’opefully longew, as Titan’s a ligah, and ‘e’s biggew!” Zalika mewed.

“I don’t think it works like that!” Theo giggled, “there is such things as fairness in the legal system, no matter how big the victim, the punishment has to be seen to be right.”

“I’s gonna be ‘appy if ‘e doesn’t come wound ‘ere no mowe,” Zalika mewed, “I doesn’t want pwison fow ‘im. All I wants is fow ‘im to leave us alone in peace.”

“me too,” Titan replied, sniffling and gulping, then burying his face in his paws.

“I wish I ‘ad paws big enough to ‘ug you Titan,” Zalika purred, touching Titan’s massive tear soaked paws with hers, kissing the wet fur, Titan’s tears squeezing between the digits of his paws and overflowing them.

“You’re making him worse!” Jespah miaowed.

“I can’t, can’t cope with thiyiyiyis!” Titan wailed.

“We’s all ‘ere fow you Titan,” Zalika mewed.

“My cub knows how to make me into a sobbing wreck!” Titan mewed, wiping his face with his already soaking paws.

“Someone get Titan a tissue,” Sasha mewed, “actually, no, make it a whole roll of kitchen paper, he needs it,”

“I’m sorry, so sorry,” Titan mewed piteously.

“Now I votes we get some tea and toast and settles down with family and good fwiends,” Zalika mewed, “we’s all ‘ad an ‘ard time of it wecently, not to fowget Titan’s injuwy and all.”

“I’d forgotten about that,” Theo mewed.

“Blackberry’s splinting thing wowked a tweat,” Zalika mewed.

“You were licking Titan’s leg weren’t you Zalika?” Apudo asked.

“Yeah, I was,” Zalika mewed, hiding her face.

“It’s your licking which healed meyeee so quickly Zalika!” Titan exclaimed.

“Maybe it was,” Zalika purred, “though I doesn’t take any credit fow it.”

“You knew it would didn’t you?” Titan asked, his voice choking.

“I just kissed it bettew,” Zalika mewed into her paws.

“You’s bleedin’ wondewful you is,” Titan mewed, Zalika giggling helplessly into her paws.

“You can’t do iyiyiyiyt Tiyiyytan!” she spluttered, laughing helplessly, “you’s twying to mimic me but you can’t! You’s got’a let youw mouth go all loose and floppy, but you doesn’t, so you sounds like a posh tiggie twying to go all fowest floow!” Zalika squealed gleefully, rolling onto her back then from side to side, waving her paws and feet about.

“I’ve amused someone today,” Titan mused aloud in his deep rich voice.

“You’s so bleedin’ fuuuunny!” Zalika yowled, shrieking with laughter.

“I’m no good at speaking, “forest floor,” as you put it. I wasn’t brought up to it,” Titan mewed.

“No, you was a posh Tiggie. I doesn’t know where I gets it fwom, but I’s speaking like the fowest floow tiggie. I doesn’t mind it, and neathah does anyone else it seems. Anyway, if we all speaks the same, it would be a vewy plain old wowld,” Zalika mewed, still giggling helplessly.

“At least you’re not using afeared and other old words,” Theo grunted.

“Oh I does use them, when I’s weally into my stwide and fowgets that evewy othuh pewson is posher than I is,” Zalika mewed.

“Can someone translate?” Theo groaned.

“I can understand her perfectly well,” Bianca mewed, scuffling the corner of the rug she lay on with her paws so it flipped back and forth as if the lioness was riffling through the pages of a dictionary.

“Oi, now you’s weally done it Bianca!” Zalika mewed, playfully cuffing her.

“Oh Bianca, Stoaoaoap!” Titan mewed, choking with laughter.

“I’s twying to find the twanslation you wanted,” Bianca replied, Zalika catching the white lioness’s scuffling paws in the grip of her two small strong ones.

“Now if you loves me, you’ll stop that mimicry,” Zalika mewed, just as Blackberry swept in with a rattling trolley of food.

“What’s going on in here?” He asked, “why all the rumpus?”

“Zalika healed me quickly Blackberry!” Titan miaowed.

“She did what?” Blackberry asked, diving for Titan’s right leg, grabbing it in his paws and feeling up and down its length with probing fingers. Titan, startled and furious at the invasion of his space, shook the bear off with a growl and an open pawed cuff to the bear’s paws from his free paw.

“aouwch!” Blackberry squealed, massaging his right paw with his left, “Titan! You really can spank!”

“You have no right to grab my leg like that,” Titan mewed. the only things you can get hold of without explicit permission are my paws and feet, and even then you need to be careful and sensitive to my reactions.”

“How did Zalika heal that break?” Blackberry babbled.

“You know about her healing powers don’t you Blackberry?” Patch asked from where he sat on the sofa.

“I heard some rubbish,” Blackberry grunted.

“It ain’t rubbish,” Jespah mewed, “my paws and feet were healed by Zalika’s kiss to their pads.”

“You thinks ‘cos you ain’t seen it in medicine, it doesn’t ‘appen? You’s silly you is Blackbewwy,” Zalika mewed.

“Now that stew smells good Blackberry,” Titan mewed, “would you please help me by getting some for me?” Blackberry went to his trolley and ladled stew into a bowl, setting it down before Titan. The liger waited for Blackberry to step back, then sniffed at the stew, the aroma filling his nose and making him salivate. Bowing his head to Blackberry, Titan took a mouthful of stew, closing his eyes as he chewed and swallowed.

“Blackberry,” the liger said, wiping his mouth with the back of his paw, “that’s amazing!” Blackberry smiled shyly and buried himself in clinking unnecessarily with two spoons.

“’e’s as embawwassed by you pwaising ‘im as you awe when I pwaises you Titan,” Zalika mewed. leaning over, she stole a mouthful of stew from Titan’s bowl, bumping noses with the massive liger as he also took a mouthful of the fragrant food.

“Blatant or what?” Bianca mewed.

“She’s my cub,” Titan purred, “cubs eat with the adults here, we make sure there is enough for all, please Blackberry?” he asked, Blackberry spooning more stew into the bowl. Zalika and Titan ate contentedly, Titan making Zalika’s eyes sparkle by washing her face from time to time as she ate.

“You’re a big softy Titan,” Theo mewed, his eyes also sparkling, “washing your cub’s face from time to time is so cute! We lions wash after the meal only.”

“that is disgusting,” Titan mewed, “I thought lions had better eating habits.” Theo grinned at the huge liger, gazing benignly at Zalika.

“You are both so beautiful,” Theo mewed.

“’e’s a soppy lion ain’t ‘e Titan?” Zalika mewed.

“’e is cewtainly that Zalika love,” Titan purred, Theo looking down at his paws in sudden embarrassment.

“You’s got lovely paws and feet too Theo,” Titan mewed, Theo smiling broadly.

“We mated as much with our paws as we did with the parts of our bodies made for that purpose,” the lion mewed.

“We did,” Titan purred.

“Titan’s pads awe all soft and wawm ain’t they Theo,” Zalika purred, Theo smiling broadly.

“I could hug them all day,” he mewed into his whiskers, Bianca laughing merrily.

“They’re the paws I would like to have,” Bianca said wistfully, “big huggable paws with thick soft pads.” Titan kissed her nose, Bianca’s eyes smiling into his.

“Blackberry’s got some inflatable gloves and boots you could try,” the liger purred, “put them on, inflate them, and then your paws and feet can be as big as mine for a while.”

“But it’s not the same!” Bianca replied, her voice full of more regret than she intended, “Titan, it’s like Nanuq bouncing about in his inflatable suit thing, it’s not real!”

“awww, you really do want to try out wearing my paws and feet for a while don’t you,” Titan mewed, Bianca looking down at her own paws, suddenly ashamed at her envy.

“I’m sorry,” she growled, angry at herself.

“Your paws and feet are lovely,” Titan mewed, taking Bianca’s right paw in his massive left.

“When you’ve finished eating, can I measure paws and feet with you?” Bianca asked.

“You want to get pad to pad with me don’t you,” Titan mewed.

“I would love to bury the toes of all four of my paws in the grip of yours Titan!” Bianca blurted.

“we will do that as soon as I’ve eaten and rested a bit,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose.

“Come on Titan, gets some food down youw neck, I’s neawly eaten the lot!” Zalika purred, nudging him with her nose, Titan looking at her face, then washing the stew off her whiskers with gentle flicks from his tongue.

“The west of it is youws,” Zalika mewed, tapping the bowl with one well velveted paw.

“Before I finish the stew, can I check your face and paws?” Titan asked, Zalika rolling onto her side and stretching out her paws to him in response.

“You ‘as the wight to demand to wash my face and paws if them’s diwty, I is youw cub you knows,” Zalika mewed, Titan smiling at his cub as he washed her face and paws while the liliger cub purred and mewed with pleasure. This done, Titan turned to and looked into the bowl which had contained quite a bit of stew, and now contained very little:

“You was one ‘ungry cub wasn’t you,” he said, finishing off the stew while Zalika watched him from eyes that shone with love for him. Titan steadied the bowl with one huge paw round the base while he ate, Zalika watching him turning the bowl with his other paw from time to time to get to the rest of the stew.

“I loves ‘im,” she thought, resting her head on her paws. Titan finished the stew and looked at Zalika while wiping the stew from his whiskers with his paws, then licking them, Blackberry eventually throwing the liger a moist towel. Washing his face with it, Titan watched his cub rolling onto her back and waving her paws about, then rolling onto her chest, curling up tightly and washing the pads of her feet with her tongue.

“That’s super cute!” Titan mewed, “can I wash your right foot while you wash your left?” Looking eagerly at him, Zalika smiled at her guide:

“I’d love you to wash all my paws and feet,” she mewed, waving her large left paw at him.

“I couldn’t think of anything more lovely,” Titan mewed, Zalika giggling delightedly as Titan pounced on her paws, the cub squealing theatrically as Titan, growling, pinned her paws down and kissed her nose.

“You ‘uge wogue!” Zalika mewed, kissing Titan’s nose, screaming with laughter as he pushed her onto her back, pinned her down with one paw, then tickled her toes with his whiskers.

“You’s caught meyeee!” Zalika yowled, playfully batting at his nose with her paws. His eyes shining, Titan kissed the pads of his cub’s playfully batting paws, while Bianca and Theo struggled to contain their emotions.

“What I can’t get my head around is how that huge liger can be as gentle as he is,” Theo thought, wiping his eyes with his paws and gulping back his emotions.

“Let’s leave them to it Bianca,” Theo mewed, getting to his feet.

“No,” Bianca purred, “you can go if you wish, but I’m enjoying watching Titan and his cub.”

“How if we wash each other’s paws and feet Jespah?” Sasha asked.

“come on then,” he replied, kissing his sister’s nose, “but we need to tickle them first!” he growled, pouncing on his sister and tickling her paw pads with his whiskers, Sasha squirming and laughing helplessly.

“Oi, Stoaoaoap!” she yowled, fighting back until she’d tickled her brother’s pads as thoroughly as she could. After ten minutes of frantic and noisy play in which both cubs tussled until each had claimed the other’s paws and feet twice, Jespah and Sasha lay turned to each other, pressing the pads of their feet and paws together.

“Your pads are all hot and damp now!” Sasha panted, her eyes shining into her brother’s.

“I played with my eyes closed for most of that,” Jespah replied.

“Me tooo! It’s the best way.”

Sasha purred.

“now let’s get the tickle out of these pads,” Jespah said, hugging his sister.

“All right,” she purred, kissing his nose, Jespah purring softly in her ear. The two lion cubs got to work on each other’s paws and feet, washing and drying the pads of paws and feet with gentle care, while Theo and Bianca looked on with moist eyes.

“Just look at that soppy pair Sasha!” Jespah giggled after five minutes of his sister washing his paws, waving a freshly washed paw at Bianca and Theo, who wiped their faces with their paws when they realised the two cubs had noticed their expressions.

“awhwhw how sweeyeet! They’re hiding their faces with their paaaaws!” Sasha giggled.

“I think our play makes them very happy,” Jespah mewed.

“You have the softest pads on your paws Jespah,” Sasha purred.

“I’m glad you think so,” Jespah mewed, “hey Sasha, do you realise we big cats are the only ones who can be truly barefoot here? The bears and humans can’t retract their claws, but we can! That’s wonderful isn’t it?” Sasha grinned at this, examining her own paws while she retracted and extended her claws.

“hmm, barefoot, not barefoot, barefoot again,” she mused as her claws vanished, reappeared, then vanished again.

“That’s wonderful,” Titan sniffled.

“I’m already melted into a puddle of cute! If Jespah and Sasha carry on, I might evaporate and drift about the playayayce!” Bianca mewed, Theo laughing merrily at his mate’s words.

“Our two cubs are lovely,” the huge lion mewed.

“Okay, I’m wrung out now!” Titan mewed, having watched and quietly wept the whole way through Sasha and Jespah’s play.

“I don’t know who’s more soppy, our mama and sire or Titan,” Jespah giggled, “Sasha, Titan’s a tiggie waterfall! Just look at the big weepy liger!”

“I wouldn’t have him any other way,” Sasha mewed. Blackberry served bowls of tea and milk, the two lion cubs drinking busily after their energetic playtime, Titan drinking thirstily after his recent outpouring of emotion.

“What does we do now?” Zalika asked, “I’s pwetty wown out aftew all that pwoblem with Jim. I wants play and peace, and I supposes Titan does too.”

“I does,” Titan mewed, Zalika kissing his nose.

“I ‘opes to gwow up to be as peaceful as you is Titan,” she mewed, “wight now though, I’s got a need for fistypaws and it seems to be in demand mowe than evah.”

“I’m sorry for it,” Titan mewed, “Zalika, were you hurt after what Lily did to you?”

“I didn’t see ‘ur foot coming,” Zalika mewed, “I was pitched off my paws like the world’s clumsiest cub, landing on my nose and all.”

“It hurt me to see that,” Titan mewed, Zalika seeing Blackberry’s mouth fall open.

“I should hope it would!” the bear said angrily.

“I knows what ‘e means,” Zalika mewed, “Blackbewwy, you doesn’t know what we feel does you? you ‘as no idea the intensity of emotions we ligahs feel ‘as you?”

“Not where you two are concerned, I suppose,” Blackberry replied, now totally out of his depth.

“when I fell ‘ead over paws after Lily kicked my bum, Titan felt my pain as if it were ‘imself who’d been kicked off ‘is paws. ‘e felt my bewilderment too. we’s connected you sees. Titan can see the twoubles I did in my dweams and such, but ‘e dismisses them as nightmawes, so ‘e says, but ‘e saved Snowy and ‘ur cub Nuwu ‘cos of one of them dweams ‘e ‘ad. Now ‘e pwobably thinks ‘e’s too big and adult to take them dweams sewiously, but I knows ‘e’s not. Now I’s telling ‘im to take ‘eed of ‘em, as them’s sewious messages.”

“I see,” Blackberry replied.

“My cub, like me, has no cubhood,” Titan said miserably.

“we’s got battles to fight ‘asn’t we,” Zalika mewed.

“Yes, but, I didn’t give birth to you so you could get violent on the community’s and my behalf barely half a year later!” Titan whimpered.

“You’s a big softy,” Zalika mewed, hugging Titan’s left paw in both of hers, “Titan, some people don’t listen to wowds, them’s all fistypaws fight fight fight. I’s wanting wowds, but some isn’t, so I ‘its ‘em where it ‘uwts.” Titan looked down at his cub.

“You’re lovely,” he said, “dear Zalika, if anything happened to you or any of my cubs, I’d never forgive myself.”

“I knows,” Zalika mewed, kissing his paw.

“So please, be careful,” Titan begged.

“I’s gonna cuwl up ‘ere and you can takes my paws in youws and wubs ‘em if you would,” she mewed.

“I will,” Titan mewed softly, “at least that way, you can’t use them for violence. Oh, by the way, which foot did you use to kick Jim, I want to make sure that’s not damaged.

“twas both my feet,” Zalika mewed, “but they ain’t ‘uwt at all, though come to think of it, they’s feeling diwty aftew that fight. Would you washes ’em fow me?”

“I will, and I will check your paws and feet for thorns too,” Titan mewed, “please Zalika, also, I beg of you not to get your claws out unless absolutely necessary.”

“I’s always twying to be Zalika softypaws, well most of the time,” Zalika mewed, “I ‘ad to get my claws out to fight with Jim and become Zalika fistypaws, as ‘e’s a big bastawd you sees?”

“Oh, and please, be careful with your language,” Titan mewed. Zalika kissed his nose and settled, giving Titan her paws and feet, the liger washing each in turn, checking claws and pads of each paw in turn, Zalika extending and retracting her claws as well as curling her toes on Titan’s request, Titan exploring each foot and paw in turn, making sure there was absolutely no harm done to them. Zalika, feeling the liger’s attention to his work, drifted in a warm dream, her body and mind soothed by the huge warmth and comfort of Titan’s touch.

“Maybe if Jim got to feel this, ‘e would nevah want to twap Titan in a cage evah again,” Zalika mewed.

“Maybe I wouldn’t,” a voice said in the doorway, Zalika tearing her left paw from Titan’s grip and leaping to her feet with an infantile roar, her fur bristling and eyes hostile.

“what the bloody ‘ell is you doin’ ‘ere?” she asked in an angry miaow.

“My sister Jenny told me to make my way up here to speak with you,” Jim replied, “I’m on remand because of what I did, but have been let out with guards. Jenny got hold of me and told me what I’d done was very wrong.”

“That’s bleedin’ obvious ain’t it?” Zalika growled.

“Easy Zalika,” Titan mewed, touching her back with his velveted paw, “I believe he’s not here to cause problems.”

“I’m not,” Jim replied, “my first warning wasn’t enough, now though, now I know I cannot continue to persecute my sister’s friends, second family, whatever you are to her.”

“Mowe like the second I’d say,” Zalika mewed.

“Jenny told me, showed me, the fear caused in a little liliger cub when she heard of my plans for Titan. I don’t know who Titan is, he’s a liger, though there are so many big cats here, one is much like another to me. this is why I needed to enrol a child, one who knew this cat and could immobilise him.”

“You’s looking stwaight at ‘im,” Zalika mewed.

“I am Titan,” Titan mewed in perfect English.

“you?” Jim replied, staring at Titan’s face, “I thought Titan would be a huge fierce beast with firey eyes and a quick temper.”

“No, well at least I don’t think I am,” Titan mewed.

“You were the huge cat who ripped the door off the porter cabin weren’t you?” Jim asked.

“I was,” the liger replied, “I’m the one you wanted to drug too, the one you wanted to capture and make speak in the language of man.”

“I’m deeply sorry!” Jim said, kneeling before Titan and kissing his paw, Zalika staring in astonishment.

“What’s this?” she asked, “’ere, you stops that!” she demanded.

“No,” Titan mewed, “Zalika, he needs to meet us. Jim has never met us, not properly. The other meetings were confrontational, this one isn’t.”

“Wan’a bet?” Zalika mewed, rearing onto her hind legs and waving her paws about, “I wants to wip ‘is ‘ead off!”

“Now now, that’s not called for!” Titan growled, “Zalika, you will not touch a hair of his head!”

“But this man, this wepwobate, ‘e wanted to put you in a cage and make you talk, and without any fowm of apology, you’s giving ‘im tea and biscuits?” Zalika asked incredulously.

“you’re not the one who’s paw he’s holding,” Titan mewed.

“’ow can someone like that wefowm so quick?” Zalika asked.

“When you meet the object of your fear and find out they’re not what you thought, it can happen,” Titan mewed, “Zalika, Jim wanted to imprison me, to reduce me to something he could control and use. Jenny told him he could not do this, that she, a human like him, would not allow this. That controlling me was like imprisoning his own family to control them. she spoke the truth, and now Jim is seeing the object of his fear in the flesh, touching him, feeling his reality, his spirit. How close we really are to each other, rather than our differences. Humans have hunted and killed animals for food for generations, just as we hunt and kill for our food, or would in the wild. But there is another hunter among the humans, those who would hunt for sport. Jim used to do that, I say used to do, for this is true. His last fling at that was to try and imprison an English speaking liger. This he cannot do, and he knows it now, and will know it better here after.”

“You’s mad Titan!” Zalika miaowed, looking very distressed.

“I will show you what I’m feeling Zalika, maybe then, maybe then you will understand,” Titan mewed. Zalika saw Titan’s eyes on her, and found, for the first time in her life that she couldn’t look into them.

“Ashamed Zalika?” Titan asked.

“’e must be untwuthful!” Zalika miaowed, doggedly holding onto her former position with all four paws.

“If you choose to disbelieve the touch of paw on paw, then that’s your choice,” Titan mewed.

“but ‘e wanted to slam you in a cage and fowce you to talk in the language of men!” the liliger cub yowled.

“that was because in the prison of his own mind, he wanted to reduce me to a plaything, an exhibit,” Titan mewed softly, “now, now he is prostrate at my feet because he begs forgiveness for his folly. Look at him Zalika, use your eyes if you will not use your paws!” Titan growled, the sound making everyone tremble, “perceptive you may be, but you are a cub!” Titan continued, his growl almost turning into a roar, “now Jim is truly a fallen ape, in every sense of the word, for he is giving deep respect to me, lying at my feet by his own free will. I will not take advantage of him though, for it is not mine to take. He is a fallen ape asking for guidance, and if I cannot reach out and accept his position with both paws, what does that make me? What does that make any of us if we cannot recognise true remorse when it shows itself. Theo did what he could years ago, but sometimes, sometimes it takes full emersion in a culture to change misconceptions, to show the way of the paw, the way of the spirit, being the right way. Everyone knows what is good, no matter what god they follow, goodness is the default of everyone, that is why it is easier to speak of evil than it is of goodness, for evil is the opposite of goodness and there are many words to describe that which we call evil, these are deeds which disorder the spirit. You notice Jim could not describe me. The Titan in his mind was an evil creature, a misguided animal that could be bent to his will, someone he could describe. Even though my face is on the videos he must have seen a thousand times, when he met me in the flesh, Jim couldn’t recognise me. His mind was bent with the evil Titan he’d invented, the raging liger, if he even knows what a liger is. Now he knows I am Titan, and that, despite what he has done to my community in the past, I will bear him no ill will if he comes in peace. Zalika, I wish you to bear him peace too.” Zalika stared at her guide and parent in utter astonishment.

“So that’s what you does in that bwain of youws,” she said.

“yes,” Titan mewed, “I didn’t want to hurt Jim, but, well, he cast the first stone. I tore open his door, and it was only after he threw the injector at me did I tip him out of his box. I gave him the chance, displaying myself to him, offering to speak to him in peace, but he refused, preferring to show me violence.” Titan spoke in English, translating in the brains of those who could not understand it, so everyone heard his message.

“I still wants to give ‘im fistypaws!” Zalika raged, stamping her feet.

“You will not,” Titan mewed. Jim looked up into Titan’s face, looking into the liger’s warm eyes. Titan, feeling secure, lay down, presenting Jim with a view of the pads of all four of his paws by rolling onto his right side.

“When I first told Jenny of my wish to capture and possess a talking liger, she tried to dissuade me by showing me you giving birth to Zalika,” Jim said, taking Titan’s left paw in his hands, “I told her that the pictures of a liger, supposedly giving birth was faked, had to be, for no male liger had ever given birth.”

“I have,” Titan mewed, “but then again, I’m not really a male liger, not inside myself anyway.”

“You have given birth to a cub, I can see that,” Jim replied, “and I recognise the pads of your paws and feet as those which were visible on the screen as the liger struggled to give birth in the playroom.”

“would it help to convince you further if I curled my toes?” Titan asked.

“I don’t wish to impose on you,” Jim replied, feeling his fingers caught in the powerful grip of a liger’s paw.

“My toes curled more truly that day than almost any other in my life,” Titan mewed. “Apudo’s rebirth caused them to curl too, both were a straining effort on my toes which I cannot reproduce here, though I have tried often to do so while re-enacting the birth of my cubs.”

“Titan’s paws awe ‘is to use fow whatevew ‘e wants Jim, so paws off if ‘e says so, wight?” Zalika mewed.

“Yes I will,” Jim replied, now hugging Titan’s left paw.

“the humans still want to punish you for attempted kidnap I believe,” Titan mewed.

“They do, and they will,” Jim replied, “unless you can put a word in for me that is.”

“They will not take the word of a liger,” Titan growled, the whole house trembling with his voice, “but they will take it of a bear. Though I cannot force this bear to witness your change of heart. He will have to come to his own conclusions and decide whether to become part of the case. Now you must go, I can see this,” Titan mewed. With that Jim’s guards led him from the room.

“So’s you gonna ask the ‘umans for a pardon for that shit?” Zalika miaowed.

“I don’t know,” Titan mewed, “the crime of conspirisy to kidnap was committed, as was attempted wounding.”

“is there a charge for being an utter shit in past years?” patch asked.

“No,” Titan mewed.

“Is thewe a chawge fow being too dam soft?” Zalika growled.

“Zalika, stop it!” Patch warned.

“You’s gonna thank me when all goes belly up and we’s in the shit due to Titan being a wight softypuss,” Zalika mewed, “them ‘umans doesn’t change does they!”

“Some do. Titan’s paws are very powerful, as are his eyes. I heard he told Lily her fortune without striking a single blow.” Patch replied.

“That sow? Did you tells ‘ur that ‘ur fortunes were spent and she was busted? Did she undewstand?” Zalika miaowed, spitting with contempt, “’er’s as thick as twee sap she is. Titan what the ‘ell was you doing letting ‘ur go?”

“she was suitably warned and expelled from the community for her crimes,” the liger replied.

“You’s too dam cuddly!” Zalika miaowed, “Titan, she, then e’s gonna comes along in yeaws fwom now and twist youw tayayayayil wound youw ‘paaaaws and tie them tight!”

“now you’re talking rubbish Zalika!” Titan mewed.

“I ‘ope I is, fow youw sakes, I ‘ope I is,” Zalika whimpered, Throwing herself on the floor and covering her eyes with her paws.

“Zalika, please listen to me,” Jenny said, crawling into the room. Zalika turned to the teenage girl and stared at her.

“You’s the one who got Jim in ‘ere isn’t you?” she asked in an angry miaow.

“yes,” Jenny replied, “but I think I’ve done right.” Jenny touched Zalika’s paw with her hand, the liliger cub spitting with fury:

“oi! Paaaaws off!” jerking her paw away and leaping to her feet, extending her claws for a fight.

“but I must communicate,” Jenny replied.

“use youw mouth, ‘cos youw paws ‘as failed,” Zalika spat.

“Zalika, for Eohippus sake!” Titan remonstrated.

“That male ‘uman, ‘e’s a pwopah shit!” Zalika raged, “Titan, e’ll stwangle you with youw kindness in times to come!”

“Now you’re talking utter rubbish!” Patch snapped, leaping off the sofa. The actual word for rubbish which Patch used made Titan’s toes curl with embarrassment.

“I’s not talking what you says!” Zalika raged, now literally dancing with fury.

“Patch, please!” Titan whimpered.

“Well I call it bollocks! Complete bollocks!” Patch said, Titan howling as if injured.

“puritan,” Patch grunted, padding to the liger and hugging him.

“You should ‘’ave eard Titan duwing my biwth,” Zalika growled, “Titan swowe then, ‘e cuwsed with ‘arsh wowds while ‘e stwuggled to push ‘awd enough., I’s ‘eard the lot! “Muuuuust puuush, for, sake! Oaoaoaowch!” All that and mowe”

“Maybe I did then, but not Naoaoaoaow!” Titan miaowed.

“Oh come on,” Zalika giggled, “you swowe in thwee diffwent lingos while you pushed and stwained duwing my biwth, you’s a multi lingo gutter mouth!”

“I might have done, but then so would you!” Titan wailed, sitting down.

“Come here,” Patch said, kneeling and hugging Titan.

“I think Jenny’s right, Jim won’t do us harm,” patch said to the liger, “I know the power of your paws.”

“So does I know the power, but I think Titan’s wong,” Zalika mewed.

“You’ve never met the object of your fear Zalika,” Titan mewed.

“Because I feaah noone,” Zalika growled.

“if you feared someone, or something and you met them or it, could you change your mind?” Patch asked.

“I might, but not Jim, not that ‘orrid ‘uman,” the liliger mewed.

“I think we should give him a chance,” Jenny said, trying to hug Zalika, who shook her off with an angry growl.

“You thinks you’s wight, well you’s wong! Vewy wong!” Zalika yowled.

“So are you gonna give yourself to Jim then?” Patch asked, looking at Titan, who was at that moment struggling to extricate the toes of his left paw from the rugs, miaowing with frustration, he lay down, rolled over, then used his teeth to pull the rucked up rug from between the toes of his left paw.

“Dam rugs!” Titan mewed, wiping his hot paws on the rug, looking down with horror as the rug stuck to his paws.

“You’we stuck paws tiggie!” Zalika mewed.

“Can I get paws on Titan?” Jenny asked.

“No!” Titan yelped, growling and miaowing as he struggled to free his paws of the rug’s grip.

“Titan’s all tangled in the wug! ‘e’s all twapped toes tangled tiggie!” Zalika mewed, jabbing her paw at Titan, who now lay on his back, completely helpless.

“Please, let me,” Jenny said, crawling up to the panting, growling liger.

“Oh go on,” Titan mewed, Jenny untangling Titan’s paws from the rug, then gently rubbing each of his paws in turn, Titan’s chuffling purr telling her all his words were really tiggie bluster and had no real force.

“You’re just a big cuddlypuss aren’t you Titan,” Jenny said, kissing the liger’s nose and paw pads, Titan mewing and purring, then, when he had both paws free, gently grasping Jenny’s head in his paws and kissing her nose, Jenny giggling and hugging him.

“Some would see a liger getting his paws round their head as the last thing they’d want,” patch said.

“But when Titan does it, ‘it means ‘e’s being soppy,” Zalika mewed.

“I never felt in danger,” Jenny said.

“Because Titan’s so soppy ‘e wouldn’t kill a thing,” Zalika mewed.

“What of you though Zalika?” Jenny asked, Zalika looking very uncomfortable.

“We’s not talking about meyeee!” she snapped.

“yes we are,” Jenny replied, “Zalika, would you kill me if I angered you?”

“I, um, no!” she yowled.

“Violence doesn’t solve anything Zalika,” Titan mewed, rolling onto his right side and licking Jenny’s hand as she hugged his right paw.

“There are my two feet at the other end if you want to hug them too,” Titan mewed, “I could, um, here,” Titan mewed, curling up tightly so his feet were as close to his paws as he could get them, Jenny giggling as Titan tickled her ear with the tip of his tail.

“Now you have me easily accessible,” Titan mewed, Jenny hugging the huge liger, Titan leaning hard into her hug, his purr vibrating her body.

“If I lift my paws, I can hug you,” Titan mewed, embracing Jenny as the teenage girl lay on the floor, her arms round his neck. resting his head against hers, Titan tickled her ear with his whiskers, hugging her tightly in his paws.

“I’ve wanted to have a hug like this for so long,” Jenny said, Titan purring and mewing with contentment.

“You’s a big softy,” Zalika mewed, sitting down and sheathing her claws, which suddenly looked evil and out of place to her.

“You are so sweet Titan, I love you so much,” Jenny said, kissing the liger’s ear, Titan gasping, the toes of his huge feet curling with emotion and pleasure.

“You can’t see it Jenny, but Titan’s curled his toes with emotion at your words and hug,” Patch said, his eyes shining.

“You’re a soppy tiggie Titan,” Jenny said, kissing his whiskers.

“I wish it could always be like this,” Titan mewed.

“it can be, and I will make sure it is,” Jenny replied, “Titan, Sally and I will make sure it is as peaceful as it can be for you and your community and family.”

“I thank you,” Titan mewed.

“’ow can Jim be wefowmed just like that?” Zalika asked.

“you’re used to Titan’s power,” Jenny replied, “Jim hadn’t felt his gentility before today.”

“I want to be at peace,” Titan mewed, Jenny hugging him, curling her own toes as she focused her thoughts and reassurance through her hands and arms round Titan’s neck, shifting from hugging him with both arms to just with her left, using her right hand to rub his left shoulder and belly, Titan’s purr soothing her from her head to her toes.

“You’s hugging the leadew of the community like ‘e’s the biggest pet cat you’s evah owned!” Zalika mewed.

“Right now, I’m Jenny’s,” Titan mewed.

“you’re a big softy all the time,” Apudo purred.

“I’d prefer that than always being aggressive,” Titan mewed sleepily, purring deeply as Jenny explored the thick pads on the sole of his right foot with her fingers, Titan purring deeply while relaxing his toes, the liger suddenly curling his toes with a deep moan of pleasure as she pressed her fingers into the metacarpal pad near the margin of the place where his toes joined the main part of his foot.

“You’s just too cuddly,” Jenny giggled.

“Where did you learn that!” Titan mewed, wriggling with pleasure.

“Oh, I’ve been practising on Apudo, she loves a pad rub, and she’s very accommodating,” Jenny replied smiling and kissing Titan’s nose.

“I love those times,” Apudo purred.

“has Apudo showed you what I did during Zalika’s birth?” Titan asked.

“Oh yes,” Jenny replied, “she’s showed me as much as she can, also what you did during her rebirth too.”

“Good,” Titan mewed.

“I’d love you to re-enact it though, to feel these paws and feet doing what they did,” Jenny said, stroking the toe pads of Titan’s left foot, the liger mewing and curling his toes with pleasure.

“I could do it,” the liger mewed, “I would do it as a celebration of Zalika’s life rather than an exploration of my fear and pain.”

“I would love to feel that,” Jenny said.

“You would like to feel what I did during Zalika’s birth?” Titan asked.

“yes, why not?” Jenny replied, “I might be able to convince her not to be so keen on fistypaws then.” Zalika looked at Titan, the liger’s eyes full of sadness.

“You’s upset ‘im now Jenny you silly!” Zalika mewed.

“No,” Titan mewed, “Jenny’s right, I can’t convince you Zalika, you won’t listen to me or my paaaaws!” Titan sobbed.

“Oh,” Zalika mewed, “um, ah, I’s weally scwewed up ‘asn’t I? oh noaoaoaaow!” she wailed, throwing herself on the floor, burying her face in her paws.

“’ow does I unscwew things?” Zalika begged, her voice muffled behind her thickly padded paws. Suddenly shaking herself, Zalika stared at Jenny.

“You’s gonna get paws on while ‘e does it ain’t you?” she asked.

“Titan is letting me get hands on with him, to help me to feel what he did,” Jenny replied, “I’d love to feel what he did.”

“Once you have got paws on with me Jenny,” Titan mewed, “I will show you, then, then, if you’re still wishing it, I could guide you through my emotions and sensations. You’d have to lie on the floor and squat as like a cat as you can, but I’m sure you will know how.” Jenny hugged Titan, realising she was being taken completely into his confidence.

“I’ll be respectful of your feelings,” Jenny replied, “where would you like to show me?”

“somewhere private,” Titan mewed, “I’m showing you alone Jenny.”

Jenny and Titan padded to the private room patch used to use, Titan stretching out on the cleared floor space where Patch’s bed used to be. Gasping, Titan began curling the toes of all four paws with increasing urgency and length of effort, Jenny hands on with his feet and paws, wondering when things would get going. then a hard wriggle and pained cry from Titan told her he was ready:

““aauuauaauuowch! Uauauauauauwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! “the liger screeched. Stunned into silence, Jenny got hands on with Titan as the liger, his face contorted with pain and fear, began wriggling urgently and curling into a ball, then stretching out while pedalling the air with his paws and feet. nearly tying his paws in knots, Titan strained twice, long, straining pushes with his feet, pushing them into Jenny’s hands , moaning:

“Uuuurmruuuumf! Ruuuuuumf!” Then he struggled to his huge feet, squatted and bore down twice more, his pained cries of:

“Auauauauauauw! Auauauauauauw! ruuuuuuumfriaiaiaiaiaiow! Uuuuuuuuaumf! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow, aoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!” making Jenny wish she could push with him.

“Push Titan puuush!” Jenny yelled, finding herself wriggling in solidarity with the liger while her hands explored his straining paws and feet. Titan threw himself down on the floor once more and lay full length, straining and yowling.

“I must auaoaoaoaowch!” Titan roared, curling his toes to their limit for the first time as he strained hard down, kicking with his right foot while Jenny got hands on with the liger’s straining paws and feet.

“That’s it, Titan, push, push, push!” Jenny encouraged, “push right down Titan, right into your tail. puuuuuush!”

“Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Ruuuuuumf! This cuuuuub’s huuuge! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Titan complained, straining hard to give birth to his imaginary cub by pushing his feet as hard as he could into Jenny’s hands, Jenny lying beside him, feeling the liger’s feet pressing into her hands with enormous force which she found she could bear, titan’s and her own toes curling with urgency. Then she felt the paws of a huge cub emerging from beneath his tail as he pushed down repeatedly, Titan now curling the toes of all four paws with pain and effort. Fascinated, Jenny now got hands on from where she’d thrown herself down on the floor behind the liger’s feet, feeling a small body throw itself down beside her, her nose and that of the newcomer almost touching the toe pads of Titan’s left foot.

“Neawly there, neawly there!” the newcomer yelled, Jenny’s eyes filling with tears as the liger screamed:

“ayayayayayayaow! Umf! I cayayayaayn feeyeeel the cuuuuub’s paws! Ayayayayayayaow!” Jenny touched the emerging cub as the cub’s paws slid into the light of day, its head emerging half way, sliding back a little when Titan’s effort waned. Panting hard, Titan mewed pitifully, then screamed:

“Oaoaoaowch! Ayayayayayayaow, oh ayayayayayayaow!”, as the cub’s head was forced out into the light of day with the next contraction. Titan, screaming with fear and pain, wriggled, splaying his right leg as far as it would go from his left to allow the passage of the cub.

“ayayayayayayaow! Umf! Ayayayayayayaow! This cuuuuub’s enormous!” Titan yowled, pushing hard down with one foot and both paws as he struggled inside his re-enactment “aauuauaauuowch! Uauauauauauwch! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!”

“Nearly there, nearly there Titan, just half the cub’s body, hips and legs to go!” Jenny yelled, placing the fingers of her left hand in the grip of the toes of Titan’s left foot, Titan curling his toes round her fingers, squeezing them during his efforts., seeing Titan’s struggle, the newcomer nudged Jenny:

“if we gwab a paw each, we could pull when ‘e makes that noise and pushes,” the newcomer suggested.

“No, he’s fine,” Jenny replied, “and you can’t pull at the cub’s paws either!” she snapped as the newcomer reached her even larger paws towards the cub’s massive ones. Under further screaming, roaring pressure from Titan, the cub emerged, squelching into the world. To Jenny’s astonishment, during a huge effort from Titan as he pushed to deliver its feet, the newcomer wriggled, yelling in a loud protesting miaow:

“aauuauaauuowch! Uauauauauauwch! My feeyeeet awe being squashed! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Riaoaoaoaow! Uauauauauw!”

“Sorry, so sorry little one!” Titan whimpered, sobbing with fear and shame, “I have to puuush just a bit more, Uuuuumf, Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Your feeyeeet are huuuge! Muuuuust puuush! Uuuuumf Ruuuuuhuuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Titan squealed. Feeling the pressure ease after what seemed to be an age of straining to push out the cub’s feet, Titan panted, sobbing with fear and pain, hearing Jenny exclaim:

“What the hell?” as the newcomer left her side. Titan, as exhausted as he’d been that first time, listened to the sound of a cub’s seemingly massive paws as it began padding squelchily towards his head.

“I thinks you’s wanting me,” Zalika mewed, kissing Titan’s sweating cheek and effort soaked paw pads.

“You weren’t meant to be part of this!” Titan wept, for hisemotions were as real now as they’d been that first time.

“I ‘ad to come, ‘earing you, I, I couldn’t stay away!” Zalika wailed, hugging him and crying into his fur.

“I’m glad you came,” Titan mewed, washing her face and paws, Zalika crying freely.

“it was so amazing!” the cub wept, “you stwuggled so ‘awd to give biwth to me, no wondew you swowe like you did! I’s sowwy fow getting at you fow sweawing duwing my biwth.”

“I’s sowwy fow getting so upset about it as I does,” Titan mewed, “I knows ‘ow it is to be a stuck cub.” Zalika kissed Titan’s nose, the liger crying as freely as herself.

“Now I know Titan, thank you,” Jenny said gravely.

“’ow does you feel now Titan?” Zalika asked, sniffing hard.

“Drained but happy,” Titan mewed.

“I’ll get you some warm tea with plenty of sugar,” Jenny said.

“Not too much sugar please,” Titan mewed. Jenny returned with a bowl of warm tea, holding it while Titan lapped.

“You don’t have to hold the bowl while I drink, I’m not quite that exhausted,” Titan mewed.

“I would like to do so,” Jenny replied, Titan smiling at her and finishing the tea.

“Why’s you ‘olding the bowl fow ‘im?” Zalika asked.

“Titan’s my leader, and I wish to show some deference,” Jenny replied.

“I wish you wouldn’t,” Titan replied, Jenny giggling and ruffling Titan’s ears, Zalika shocked at her impropriety.

“fiwst you says you wants to show Titan defewence, then, well you goes and wuffles ‘is eaws like ‘e was youw lap cat!” she yowled.

“Titan said I shouldn’t show him deference, so I ruffled his ears,” Jenny replied.

“You’s impossible!” Zalika whimpered, Jenny turning to her and hugging her without fear.

“I think I would love to rub your pads Zalika,” Jenny said.

“Well gets paws on, and I’s soon telling you if I’s liking it,” Zalika mewed, Jenny taking the liliger’s left paw in her hands, rubbing the soft warm pads, Zalika purring and mewing with pleasure like Titan had earlier.

“That’s really nice to see,” Titan mewed softly.

“would you let me wub one of youw feet Jenny?” Zalika asked as Jenny handled the liliger’s left foot with gentle care.

“yes, please do,” Jenny replied. Zalika took Jenny’s left foot in her paws and stroked her toe pads, then the pad on the ball of Jenny’s foot, rubbing down her arch to her heel pad, Jenny finding her toes curling as tightly as Titan’s had at her own touch.

“I cayayayan’t stoaoaoaoap my toooes cuuurling!” Jenny giggled, Zalika rubbing the furrowed skin on the ball of the human’s left foot with the velveted toes of her right paw.

“Liger paws are the best for this,” Jenny said, almost purring like the cub who’s paws held her foot in their velvet embrace.

“I loves doing this,” Zalika purred.

“I can feel it,” Jenny replied, Zalika gently tracing the sole of Jenny’s foot from her curled toes to her heel pad, Jenny wriggling in her struggle to curl her toes tighter still.

“You doesn’t ‘ave to stwuggle ‘awd to cuwl youw toes, them’s good as they is,” Zalika mewed.

“but I wayayayayayn’a cuuuuuuwl my toooes even mowe!” Jenny squealed theatrically, bouncing about and pushing her foot hard into Zalika’s paws in her efforts, Zalika giggling delightedly.

“You’s twying to make youw toes be like Titan’s when ‘e was giving biwth to me isn’t you,” she purred.

“I might be trying very hard to do just that,” Jenny replied panting slightly, smiling at the liliger cub.

“No amount of acting will curl your toes in the way you wish, only the pain and effort of the cub’s passage will cause that degree of toe curl,” Titan replied.

“I would love to get hands on with my feet while you make my toes curl like that, could you make it work for me Titan?” Jenny asked.

“You would have to push against something with one free foot while exploring the toes of the other foot with your hands,” Titan mewed.

“I doesn’t think Jenny wants to feel pain though,” Zalika mewed.

“No, she won’t and I would never let her. I can’t remember the pain anyway, I remember the urgency of the need to push though,” Titan purred, “it’ll be like when I push while acting, just the belief you need to expel a cub in there. She will make noise, but it’s with the effort of pushing, there will be no pain. Indeed, while I was re-enacting today, there was no pain at all, just remembered effort making me squeal and roar.”

“I suppose when you get into the swing of it, you want to push harder and harder with your paws and or feet,” Jenny said.

“It becomes addictive and almost as much of an uncontrollable urge as to push against a real cub is,” Titan mewed.

“I’ve heard that from Sally,” Jenny replied, “when she’s re-enacting the births of cubs for me, she sometimes elongates the pushing stage because she likes the struggle to push against my hands with her feet.”

“it’s hard to push against yourself, but I know Nanuq can do it, as can Sally,” Titan mewed.

“I’ve tried it, it is hard to pretend your feet are the cub and push against your hands with commitment,” Jenny replied.

“I’ll try to make you want to push your foot hard into your hands,” Titan mewed.

“You could give me the confidence to forget my inhibitions like you did today,” Jenny replied, “I want to push my foot hard into my hands while pretending to have a cub, I just can’t let go enough to do it with commitment yet. I need the help of others, holding my foot while I push.”

“I needs that ‘elp too,” Zalika mewed, “I’s twied pwetending to ‘ave a cub, but I can’t get it wight yet.”

“I saw you at it once,” Titan mewed, “Zalika, you did so well.”

“I weally couldn’t push ‘ard enough with my feet,” Zalika mewed.

“That game’s better than punching bags,” Titan mewed.

“All wight,” Zalika mewed, “’ow did you push against the cub today? It was weal enough then.”

“I sometimes pushed against Jenny’s hands, or the floor with the toes of one foot, or just curled my toes as tightly as they’d go,” Titan mewed, “I can’t really push my feet against my paws like Jenny or the bears can.”

“You cewtainly got into a frothy stwuggle twying to give biwth to youw cub,” Zalika mewed.

“Most of that is me curling my toes as tightly as I can and concentration on those toes,” Titan purred, “sometimes I get up and squat, pushing against the floor with my feet and wriggling while moaning and yowling, but that’s not often. One day, I might give birth in that posture, arching my back while pushing.”

“despite not being able to brace your feet against much, you really went for it though,” Jenny replied.

“I did,” Titan said smiling, “now will you push your foot into my paws while you get paws on with your free foot? I can’t let Zalika do it, up for it though she is.”

“but why not?” Zalika asked.

“You’re too small and Jenny’s too strong,” Titan mewed.

“but I want to feel ‘ur pushing like she means to ‘ave a cub,” Zalika mewed.

“Okay,” Titan purred, “but when you feel yourself slipping, roll away, okay?” Zalika promised she would. Lying at right angles to where Jenny sat, Zalika took the human’s right foot in her paws, Jenny settling her foot in the warm grip of the liliger’s strong paws.

“Now Jenny, I’ll check youw pads for thowns, then you twy pushing a bit,” Zalika mewed, Jenny feeling Zalika’s paw pads touching the sole of her left foot, the cub using her paw to explore Jenny’s toe pads, the ball of her foot, the arch and heel pad with gentle care. Smiling at the sensation, Jenny listened for Zalika’s word that she could push. Zalika gently kissed the top of Jenny’s toes, then Jenny tried pushing slightly with her left foot, pressing her foot against Zalika’s left paw, while the cub’s right rested on the top of her foot.

“I won’t hurt you will I?” Jenny asked.

“You might piss me off if you doesn’t give a weally good go at pushing, but that’s it,” Zalika mewed. Jenny wiggled the toes of her left foot, then curled them tightly with concentration, trying to get her mind into the right place to push hard against Zalika’s paws. Suddenly, squealing with effort, Jenny pushed her left foot hard against Zalika’s paws, the cub urging her to:

“puuush the uwgency out Jenny, puuush!” Jenny soon found herself panting, moaning and squealing in her efforts, her hands gripping the heel and toes of her right foot while she struggled to push her left foot against Zalika’s paws with all her strength.

“Uuuuumf! Got’a puuush! I, I muuuuust puuuuuush! Auauauuw!” Jenny squealed, Zalika rubbing the increasingly warm sole of Jenny’s left foot while Jenny panted and wriggled between increasingly urgent straining efforts.

“That’s it, push, push down!” Zalika mewed. Titan touched Jenny’s nose with his.

“Are you ready to feel the urgency I did?” He asked.

“yeah, give!” Jenny panted, Titan kissing her nose.

“auauauauwch! Auauauauauauw!” Jenny screeched, pushing harder than ever with her left foot, while the toes of her right curled more tightly than they’d ever done before, the soles of both feet drenched with sweat. Moaning deeply, her eyes closing in concentration, Jenny strained with her left leg, pressing her left foot hard into Zalika’s warm paws twice more, her fingers exploring the sole of her right foot, while Zalika explored thebunched pads and straining toes of her left foot with her large warm paws.

“How does your foot feel Jenny? how do you feel?” Titan asked.

“amazing!” Jenny gasped.

“That’s as much of my effort as Iwill give you to work with,” Titan mewed.

“No wonder your toooes curled so tightly!” Jenny gasped, “I now know how addictive pushing is. I have to puuush agayayayayin!” she yowled, gripping the sole of her right foot with both hands, straining hard with her left leg, her effort pouring from her voice and the curled toes and bunched pads of both feet.

“the urgency is growing in meyeee! Muuuuust puuuuuush! ayayayayayayaow! Umf! Ayayayayayayaow! “ Jenny yowled, tightly gripping the ball and heel pad of her right foot with both hands while she pushed her left foot hard into Zalika’s paws, then, wriggling, she began to push desperately with both feet in turn, straning against her own hands as well as Zalika’s paws, then, yelling, pushing with both feet at once, pushing hard down into her own hands and Zalika’s paws as she faught to obey the overwhelming urgency of her need to push against an Imaginary cub.

I now know something of what you felt Tiyiyiyiytan!” Jenny yowled, panting hard during a lull in urgent need to press her feet hard into paws and hands, exploring her own right foot with scrabbling fingers from tightly curled toes, to sweating bunched pads on the ball of her foot, then her smooth, effort dampened arch to her equally smooth heel pad.

“I will stop now,” Titan mewed, “you are strong, and can take the urgency in your stride Jenny.” With that Jenny relaxed her toes a little, still holding onto her right foot with both hands, exploring her slightly curled toes and bunched pads with her fingers.

“You’s now knowing ‘ow it felt for ‘im I thinks Jenny,” Zalika mewed, “now, now if you wants, Titan can also show you ‘ow it was for ‘im to be bown, fow ‘e wemembews that.”

“I won’t show her that!” Titan gasped, for he now was sweating with the emotion of memories and the remembrance of his own efforts.

“I won’t ask him that,” Jenny said, “Zalika, did you hear anything of what happened on the sandy track?”

“No I didn’t,” Zalika replied, “I knows Titan was on it,,, oh,” she said, looking into the liger’s face, “Don’t say anything Titan, you doesn’t ave to,” Zalika mewed.

“I could show you Zalika,” Titan mewed.

“My biwth was easieah than youws wasn’t it,” Zalika replied, releasing Jenny’s left foot.

“yes,” Titan mewed, “Zalika, Swarupa and I nearly died that day!” he choked.

“Oh,” Zalika mewed, padding to Titan and kissing the furred tops of his massive paws, “Titan, I didn’t know, I’s sowwy for asking,” she mewed softly, looking up into the liger’s face, then rearing onto her feet and reaching up with her paws, Titan collapsing onto the floor, Zalika hugging him while Jenny let go of her right foot, then crawled to Titan’s feet and hugged his left foot in her hands.

“You couldn’t free your foot could you Jenny,” Titan mewed.

“No,” Jenny replied, “it’s not my place to free my foot, if I had, it would have been disrespectful to you who managed to give birth to your cub.” Titan curled round and kissed Jenny’s nose.

“Please, free your foot, carry the memory of Zalika’s birth in re-enactment,” he purred.

“I will, next time,” Jenny replied, hugging Titan’s left foot in her hands.

“I’s stuuuuuck! Ooaaoah, noaoaoaaow! Puuush Titan puuush!” Zalika yowled, wriggling theatrically, Titan flinching and covering his face with his paws.

“Don’t, naooooo don’t say that!” the liger begged.

“Don’t even play at that,” Jenny said, “Zalika, being stuck in the tunnel of birth is horrible, Titan’s telling me that through his pads.”

“I’s sowwy Titan,” Zalika mewed, kissing his nose.

“You can re-enact the fight to deliver a stuck cub, but please tell me all’s gonna be fine first, I get claustrophobic when I watch those sorts of re-enactments!” the liger whimpered.

“We would nevah we-enact a cub’s biwth where the cub didn’t make it,” Zalika mewed, “I knows thewe ‘ave been a few cubs who ‘aven’t lived their lives, but we doesn’t twespass on that gwound. Sita makes it vewy cleaw where the boundawies awe when she gives cubs the tools and pewmission to we-enact the biwths of other cubs.”

“an ethics lesson in there too, good show,” Nanuq said, padding into the room.

“it’s a stwess bustew too,” Zalika mewed, “pushing my feet into the floow and roaring my ’ead off sometimes stops me going all fistypaws.”

“any justification for re-enacting the births of cubs now,” Titan mewed, his eyes shining.

“And you ‘asn’t?” Zalika asked.

“Oh I have, when really stressed,” Titan mewed, “it stops me in my tracks, and I have to conclude it. I often use Apudo’s rebirth as a reference for my effort, as hers was harder on me physically.”

“You ‘ad to push fiwst didn’t you,” Zalika asked.

“Yes, I had to strain hard to get things going, that was really hard Zalika,” Titan mewed.

“Apudo said webiwth was weally ‘awd on ‘ur too,” Zalika mewed.

“It was,” Titan replied.

“now ‘er’s a ‘uge lioness, imagine giving webiwth to ‘ur now!” Zalika challenged.

“Ouwch!” Titan yowled, Jenny laughing merrily:

“That’s impossible Zalika!”

“Yeah, suppose so,” Zalika mewed.

“I feel uncomfortable just thinking about iyiyiyt!” Titan wailed, his toes curling involuntarily.

“awhwhw, you’s cuwling youw toes, you’s a big softy tiggie Titan!” Zalika teased, Titan looking at the toes of his feet in sudden shock.

“Oh dear,” he mewed, “I really am taking it to heart.” Zalika grabbed the huge liger’s right foot and tried to straighten his curled toes, Titan wriggling as she tugged.

“Them’s not stwaightening!” Zalika whimpered.

“that’s because, oh naoaoaoaaoao! The thoughts of Apudo being born to me the size she is now are still buzzing round my head!” Titan miaowed, wriggling with discomfort.

“You’s silly isn’t you Titan! I’s only joking!” Zalika mewed, blowing on the pads of Titan’s left foot, the liger yowling with laughter, wriggling hard and uncurling his toes.

“That cleawed youw ‘ead and uncuwled youw toes didn’t it!” Zalika giggled, kissing the pads of Titan’s foot which she’d just tickled, the liger purring deeply.

“you’s so funny, you feels evewything to extwemes doesn’t you soppy Tiggie,” Zalika purred.

“I do,” Titan mewed.

“During Zalika’s birth, did you feel the urgency I felt to push my imaginary cub into the world, or rather my foot into Zalika’s pads Titan, was that how you felt?” Jenny asked.

“It was, and when I felt you could take everything I could throw at you, I did,” Titan mewed.

“I wanted to go the whole distance like you did for me earlier,” Jenny said.

“I wouldn’t put you through that, it wouldn’t be fair,” Titan mewed.

“did I tell you Titan swowe in thwee diffwent languages duwing my biwth Jenny?” Zalika asked.

“He didn’t swear one bit during the re-enactment,” Jenny replied.

“Well, I’s gonna show you the owiginal video and twanslate what ‘e said!” Zalika mewed.

“Noaoaoaow you won’t!” Titan yowled.

“I’m hard enough Titan,” Jenny giggled, “anyway, a bit of ligrine bad language might be something I should get to know.”

“I used awful words!” Titan admitted.

“You were pushing me into the wowld,” Zalika mewed.

“I used those words when rebirthing Apudo too,” Titan whimpered.

“and so you should,” Zalika purred, “I was squeezed down that tunnel, and I isn’t for one minute thinking you didn’t feel evewy last inch of my passage and that it didn’t ‘uwt like mad.”

“I felt it, I tried to push you along too!” Titan moaned, resting his head on his paws with exhaustion, as if Zalika had been born only a minute previously, “it’s too bad for a cub to hear really,” Titan pleaded, his voice hopeless, as he knew he’d lost, “There’s one bit, one bit that sounds like just yowling, but, well, you don’t know what the yowling means Jenny, Zalika does, it’s when I’m screaming my head off while pushing just before her head and paws appear.”

“Oh that,” Jenny replied, hugging the huge liger.

“Those words were awful!” Titan choked, now crying.

“They wewe expwessive of a big cat twying with all its stwength to give biwth to a ‘uge cub,” Zalika mewed.

“You’re very understanding,” Titan mewed gratefully, “but now, now because of my swearing and other bad language throughout my efforts during your birth, I’ve taught you those words tooo!” he wailed.

“Well them’s good wowds if you’s feeling stwessed ain’t they?” Zalika purred.

“I suppose they are,” Titan mewed.

“I loves you Titan,” Zalika mewed, “’ere Jenny, ‘as I evah told you that Titan makes a lucky dip of sound when ‘e’s ‘appy?”

“Not that, not the lucky dip!” Titan whimpered theatrically, Jenny and Zalika laughing merrily.

“’aving a ligah as a guide is wondewful!” Zalika enthused, “a ligah ‘as such a wange of ‘appy sounds that it’s like a feline lucky dip whenevah I ‘ug one. Which sound am I gonna ‘ear if I ‘ugs Titan today?” she asked, hugging Titan, the liger mewing and purring despite his reservations about what would come next. “Then,” Zalika mewed, “if I completely tuwns the lucky dip ligah upside down,” with this, Zalika, seemingly without effort, rolled Titan onto ‘his back, “I gets them all.” Titan, his eyes sparkling, waved his paws and feet about while purring, chuffling and mewing ecstatically. Zalika, herself purring with pleasure, watched Titan roll onto his side, pouncing on his paws when they were in range, letting him tightly hug her and kiss her paws while she mewed with pleasure as he rolled her onto her back, kissed her nose and the pads of her paws.

“you’s the biggest cuddlypuss in this community Titan,” Zalika giggled, laughing helplessly as Titan rolled onto his back once more, lifting her in his paws. With Zalika now suspended in his paws, the toes of her own paws just brushing his nose if she pointed them, which Zalika often did, Titan blew on Zalika’s pads, mercilessly tickling them.

“Gets off my pads you paw mad puss!” Zalika miaowed, pedalling the air hard with all four paws, her eyes shining with good humour as Titan pressed his attack home,, lowering her in his paws so her own smaller paws and feet were in range of his tickling breath, the huge liger planting a gentle kiss to the pads of all four of her paws which wiped out the tickle.

“We’re all a bit paw pad mad here Zalika. Soon you’ll be too heavy, and I won’t be able to lift you in my paws and blow on your pads,” Titan mewed sadly, rolling onto his side and gently placing the liliger cub on the floor.

“I loved that,” Zalika mewed, hugging his paw in both of hers.

“You two are so cuuuute!” Jenny said, having got as hands on with Titan and Zalika’s play as much as she could without impeding them.

“me? cute? Naoaoaoaoao!” Titan growled, withdrawing his paws and feet from Jenny’s and Zalika’s hands and paws then leaping to his feet, “I am Titan!” he proclaimed.

“’ear me mew?” Zalika giggled, spluttering into her paws with mirth at her own joke.

“yeah,” Titan replied, bowing his head, kissing Zalika between her ears.

“You looked tewwified fow a minute Titan,” Zalika mewed.

“I don’t like even the thought of playing at being fierce,” the liger admitted, his eyes taking on a haunted expression at the prospect of the thought.

“You’s so soppy, so vewy cute,” Zalika mewed, touching Titan’s paw, the liger throwing himself down on the floor and rolling over onto his side, Zalika feeling the nervous heat in his pads.

“You’s so soft,” she said, kissing the damp pads of his left paw.

“I’m not cut out for being fierce,” Titan mewed, “I’d rather have hard labour to give birth to cubs for days on end than be aggressive and cause a fight,” the liger whimpered.

“’e means it too Jenny, Titan weally does mean that, I can feels it!” Zalika mewed.

“I know,” Jenny replied, stroking titan’s belly with her hand, the liger purring with contentment.

“Does ‘e weally wemembew all my biwth?” Zalika asked.

“Yes Zalika, he does, every little bit,” Jenny replied, “and you know what?” she asked hugging the liliger cub, “Titan holds it dear to him. He treasures the memories of the struggle to give birth to you.”

“I thought ‘e’d want to fowget the pain,” Zalika mewed.

“that he has forgotten, but the effort, the sound, the feel of your passage, sensations of your birth, how his toes curled and pads bunched, that, well that he will never forget, and doesn’t want to either.”

“So ’e can tuwn his mind to thinking of ‘ow it felt when I stwetched ‘im, and ‘ow it felt to push, without thinking of the pain?” Zalika asked.

“Yes,” Jenny replied, “if it was painful to remember, Titan wouldn’t do it. That is why he was surprised when you told him he swore during your birth, he doesn’t remember the painful bits, only the effort and urgency. I know Re-enacting the births of cubs has been a prized skill here, and I also know it would not have been so if the actors remembered the pain they’d felt during the real thing. Sita would not let you re-enact the birth of a cub if she knew those who’s cub’s births you re-enacted remembered the pain of it, or that you would be put off by remembrance of the pain when it came time to give birth to a cub for real.”

“So pushing against a sudden uwgent uwge to push is all wight then,” Zalika mewed.

“it is,” Titan replied, “throughout history, those who have acted out the births of cubs have remembered only the urgency to push which they felt, not the pain itself.”

“Oh,” the liliger cub replied, “it makes me want to do it wight now!” Titan smiled and nuzzled her ear:

“I will never stop you doing that,” he said, “fistypaws though? Please, not that.” Zalika kissed his nose:

“could you make me feel a weally ‘awd uwge to push?” she asked.

“I could,” Titan mewed.

“’ow about the one which made you yowl like this?” She took a deep breath, “ “Auauauauauauw! Auauauauauauw! ruuuuuuumfriaiaiaiaiaiow! Uuuuuuuuaumf! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow, aoaoaoaow! Uaowmiaoaoaoaow! Miaoaiaiaiaiaow!” Can I feel that?” Titan smiled:

“Push your feet into Jenny’s hands when you feel the need,” he said, “she’ll look after you. After all, they were her hands I was pushing my feet into during my re-enactment.”

“how did I manage to feel the emergence of Zalika’s paws?” Jenny asked.

“I put that into your head using Apudo’s recollection of what she saw,” Titan mewed, “by the grace of some here, I have free access to those parts of memories that hold no personal secret. I can feel what they felt and make others feel the same, such as the paws of a cub for instance. Zalika, you felt pressure on your feet didn’t you?”

“I did, that’s why I cried out!” she mewed.

“thought so,” Titan replied, “we were both in the moment, both feeling as we did during that first time.”

“I didn’t realise it was Zalika beside me until the last minute, hence why I swore a little,” Jenny replied.

“I know,” Titan purred.

“I would love to feel how it felt to you when Zalika’s body and feet came into the world,” Jenny said, “Titan, I want to feel the urgency which made you yowl like you did.”

“You just wants to push youw feet against my paws again doesn’t you,” Zalika purred.

“that too,” Jenny replied smiling.

“You can feel that,” Titan mewed, suddenly deep in thought, “but you can’t get paws on with her emergence, as I cannot give you the feeling from my paws.”

“My fingers and toes were curling like yours did,” Jenny replied, “I was able to grip my feet with as much strength as I did because you were channelling your urgency through my hands and feet!” she whooped.

“Yes,” Titan mewed.

“Zalika has got a good imagination, so she could probably make up her own imaginary labour and birth of a cub,” Jenny said.

“I could, and ‘ave done so, a good stwaining, yowling stwuggle,” the liliger replied.

“So have I,” Titan mewed.

“It feels gweat, especially if you ‘ave an attendant to encouwage you to push,” Zalika mewed.

“I know the feeling,” Titan mewed, “Anook helped me once, she helped me when I was in a crisis about myself, I just had to push to deliver an imaginary cub, that was before I mated with Theo and gave birth to you Zalika, but that was a real struggle to push, made easier by her directing me in pushing.”

“how do you direct pushing?” Jenny asked.

“Pwessuwe on pads,” Zalika mewed, pwess the labouwing person’s pads, and they will weact by stwaining depending on the length and stwength of youw pwessuwe.”

“so more pressure for a longer time causes a bigger effort?” Jenny asked.

“yes, and it’s often done from heel to toes of one foot so the one straining to have the cub knows the pressure will end when it gets to their toes,” Nanuq said, “it also means there is an end to the contraction, as it will end when the one having the cub has pushed enough to push the attendant’s fingers from their heel pad to their toe pads. Of course, if the labouring actor pants before the attendant’s touch is at their toes, the attendant can stop the slide of their touch down the sole of the labouring actor’s foot, release the pressure, then press, making the labouring actor push until the touch gets to their toes.”

“That sounds amazing!” Jenny replied, “I must get Sally to teach me that. I’m learning how to pretend to have a cub, but I’m not very good at it. I can’t throw myself into it with total commitment yet”

“if you like,” Titan could show you how it’s done if I pretend to have a cub, Nanuq offered.

“I’ve always wanted to get hands on with your feet Nanuq,” Jenny giggled. Nanuq smiled broadly, sitting down.

“of course, the attendant’s touch can go from toes to heels too,” he said, settling down comfortably.

“So what do I do?” Titan asked.

“let me start moaning and rubbing the pads of my left foot with my paws, then you Titan, grab my right foot, touch the ball of my foot with your paw and see what happens,” Nanuq replied. Titan waited for Nanuq, and very soon the polar bear was moaning and rubbing the sole of his left foot with his paws.

“uumf, I can feeyeeel the stirrings!” Nanuq groaned. Titan reached forward with his left paw and touched the ball of Nanuq’s right foot, the polar bear suddenly squealing, wriggling, then gripping his left foot in his paws, curling his toes and moaning deeply, pushing hard into his paws with his left foot while Titan’s paw ran down the sole of his right foot. Nanuq’s moan, at first deep and urgent, rose almost to a yowl until Titan’s touch reached the mid part of the central pad of his right foot, Nanuq panting hard, there Titan’s touch paused for a minute, but then he pressed into Nanuq’s pads, the polar bear squealing with pain and effort, yowling and moaning as Titan pressed hard into his pads with his paw, Zalika seeing Nanuq’s pads deform slightly as the liger’s touch dragged down the sole of his right foot to his heel.

“that was amazing!” Nanuq gasped, panting for breath as Titan’s touch slid from the heel pad of his right foot.

“It was,” Zalika mewed, “but Jenny can’t see it. could she get paws on while you does it again Titan?”

“I need to rest Zalika,” Titan mewed, suddenly feeling very tired. Lying down, he drifted into an uneasy sleep.

“I think I might now know how Titan does it now,” Jenny replied, “Nanuq, could I try it out on you?” Nanuq, smiling broadly, replied that she could. Jenny touched the ball of the polar bear’s right foot with the fingers of her right hand,, feeling the warmth and slight dampness in his pads.

“it was a hard push wasn’t it,” she said.

“I pushed into my paws with my left foot while Titan’s touch on my right was the guide to the strength and length of the contraction,” Nanuq replied, the toes of his right foot curling round her fingers as she explored the ball of that foot.

“Shall we swap feet?” Nanuq suggested, “why don’t I grab my right foot while you use my left as the directing board?”

“We could try,” Jenny replied.

“I want to loudly squeal and moan through this one,” Nanuq said.

“Titan says every labour is different, so really you don’t know what will happen,” Jenny replied, Nanuq grinning hugely:

“I’m ready for you to direct me in the labour then,” he said.

“If you get on paws and knees, I can use both feet to direct you, oh, and you’ll get a good pad rub too.” Jenny replied.

“maybe I can start with paws and knees labour, then sit on my haunches and wriggle for a bit, then sit on my bum and get to some real squealing efforts, pushing against your hands with my feet? after all, that’s what it’s all about isn’t it?” Nanuq asked.

“it is,” Jenny replied.

“Directing the labour is part soothing Nanuq, part encouraging him to push,” Titan mewed.

“Ah, I see,” Jenny replied, “so I press his pads to show him the strength and length of his contractions, and he copes how and does what he wants, and I follow him, and when he’s tired, I have to encourage him to push?”

“yes,” Nanuq replied, “the labour’s over when I’ve straightened both legs twice independently, and both legs together once. I can grab my thighs and my feet too, so that can be another dimension. Labour can get easier and harder, stronger and weaker. So there’s plenty of challenge for me.”

“Can I help with the labour in other ways?” Jenny asked.

“yes, by holding each of my feet in your hands while I’m pushing and not letting me straighten my legs without a fight,” Nanuq replied, “and don’t worry about not being able to cope with the strength of a bear, you will be able to, because I want you to.”

“I’m looking forward to this,” Jenny said, kissing Nanuq’s nose and paws. Meanwhile, Titan, who’d been lying nearby in a restless sleep while jenny and Nanuq chatted, moaned and writhed in battle with a force inside him. Yowling, he rolled from side to side, flailing all four limbs, his teeth clenched and pads bathed in sweat.

“oaoaoaoaoh! Aouwch! Uuuuumf, Awowowowowowouch!” he yowled in a high pitch voice noone had heard him use before.

Nanuq freed his feet from Jenny’s grip and crawled to Titan, who now lay panting and crying into his paws.

“It’s hurting!” Titan whimpered.

“I know,” Nanuq replied, “I remember my first imagined cub’s passage into the world, it was a massive effort. Just take it gently Titan.” Titan wriggled, complaining:

“thiyiyiyis is reaeaeaeal! Uauauauauauwch!” as he felt The cub moving, trying to guess if the cub had turned head first or not.

“I hope you’re not breach,” Titan groaned as he felt the first serious contraction. Getting to his feet, Titan walked round the lie up, feeling the cub shift inside him.

Titan, feeling The cub’s efforts, moaned and groaned through increasing pain. Stopping pacing, he lay down, his teeth clenching and toes curling with pain whenever The cub pushed against his insides with her paws, and afterwards when his body responded with an effort he couldn’t control.

“Oaoaoaoaow!” he moaned every time, panting and curling his toes, while Jenny and Zalika sat by his forepaws, watching from close range, Nanuq even closer to Titan’s hind end, the polar bear’s pads sweating with nervous excitement while he eagerly watched the sweating pads and toes of his friend’s feet and the space beneath his tail. Nanuq could see the entrance to the tunnel, but it was still vacant of any sign of the cub which was to be born. Titan lay down, curled round and looked at Nanuq.

“Tell me if anything happens,” the labouring liger panted.

“I will,” Nanuq said, “or I might reach in and help if the cub comes backwards. I have a feeling the cub’s trying not to come backwards, but the cub’s using her feet to kneed the entrance at the moment as it’s more comfortable for her.

“yes, I can see how it would be,” Titan moaned, “but for me it isn’t!” he gasped.

“what’s the cub doing?” Nanuq asked.

“Feels like digging her toes in and massaging in circles to open the entrance!” Titan yowled, rolling onto his back and pedalling the air with his huge feet, Nanuq watching Titan’s feet, the liger’s soles facing him, his huge pads moving back and forth and round and round as the liger struggled to cope with increasing pain and discomfort.

“Uuumf! Oaoaoaoaoaoaaow, I must, umf, uououououof! Pedal Titan, stretch your legs and pedal with your feet!” Titan moaned, encouraging himself in a world of pain.

“Like this?” Nanuq asked, rolling onto his back so the soles of his huge ursine feet faced Titan’s tired eyes, then rolling from side to side while pedalling, the action moving his feet in a circular motion while pointing his toes.

“Like what?” Titan asked, looking between his hind legs at the bear, “Nanuq, I Haven’t got time for oaoaoaowch! Demonstrations of what you think The cub’s doing inside meyeee, aoaoaoaow shit! Aouwch!”!” he yelled. covering his face with his paws, writhing, trying to cope with the pain, “the cub’s rubbing my insides with her feeyeeet!” Titan screeched from behind his paws.

“I think Zalika is pretending to be you Titan!” Nanuq giggled, for the young liliger cub, totally caught up in Titan’s game, lay on her back, cycling with both legs, making sure each foot described a rough circle in the air, just as Nanuq had described.

“Titan’s doing this!” she declared. “Seeing it re-enacted makes me even more uncomfortable, stoaoaoaoap!” Titan pleaded. Zalika stopped cycling with her feet, rolled onto her side and grabbed Titan’s sweating right paw as the liger rolled over and lay on his left side panting and sniffling.

“It’ll be all wight Titan,” Zalika said, kissing his nose. Jenny started rubbing Titan’s ears, the liger crying with fear and pain.

“Do you want pain relief,” Nanuq asked.

“I can’t, not with rebirth,” Titan mewed, “it can go so wrong if I have pain relief. I can’t feel what the cub’s doing, and it’s only my will to push that’s getting her born!” Titan suddenly took a deep breath and pushed the cub experimentally.

“aoooooow, not yet, not there yet!” he moaned.

Suddenly Titan moaned deeply and pushed the cub down hard for the first time.

“uuuuumf, oaoaoaoaoawch!” Titan screeched, piling on the pressure. with screams of:

“ayayayayayayaayaywch! Heuuuuuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Yayayayyayayayayouwch!” the liger wriggled as he struggled to keep pushing hard down against The cub. Titan got to his feet, then squatted, so the cub’s body angled downhill. Yowling, Titan bounced on his toes while straining with another contraction.

“I hope this cub’s not breach!” Titan moaned, “I can’t cope with that too, please, please let her be head first this time! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Yaoaoaoaoaoaowayayayayowuch!” Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Nanuq saw Titan’s contractions, the efforts forcing the cub into the world, while hearing Titan’s roars and moans of effort.

“That’s it, Titan, push, push, push!” Nanuq encouraged, “push right down Titan, right into your tail. puuuuuush!”

“yes Puuush Titan, puuush!” Jenny encouraged, Titan screaming:

“Shuuuuuut up I’m puuuuuuushing!” collapsing and sprawling on his left side, his feet and paws pedalling the air, his pads sweating with pain and effort, Jenny and Zalika taking a paw a peace and holding onto it, Nanuq holding Titan’s left foot with his paws.

“I must auaoaoaoaowch!” Titan roared, straining hard down, kicking with his free right foot. Suddenly he felt something wetting his hind legs. Screeching, he shook his paws free of the hands and paws of Jenny and Zalika, and curled round to investigate his birth area, finding liquid there, he quickly cleaned the area, while another contraction built. Groaning with the building pain, Titan found that, by holding onto the floor with the toes of both paws, he could watch what happened as he pushed against the cub. Groaning, he bore down, seeing more fluid burst from him, then seeing two paws entering the world. Shrieking with fear, Titan yelled:

“the cub’s breach, it’s breach!”

“No the cub’s not, they’re forepaws you are seeing,” Nanuq said, squeezing the toes of Titan’s left foot, letting the liger grip the toes of his smaller paw in the toes of his larger foot, “now lie down and push hard Titan, right down, deep down into your bottom!” Nanuq urged. Whimpering, Titan lay full length on his left side once more, pushing hard down into his tail.

“Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Ruuuuuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Titan complained in a strident voice that was not his usual. After a particularly hard, moaning effort, Titan moaned, wriggling convulsively, “now, I must try to kiss that cub’s nose!” the liger groaned, curling round with a low moan of effort. Taking a deep breath, Titan pushed the cub down gently, then, seeing The cub’s nose emerging, took a deep breath and pushed down strongly, Curling his body tighter, Moaning, growling and puffing with effort, gripping the rugs with his paws, digging his toes into the rugs and curling his body round as far as it would go, while stretching his neck and tongue to kiss the wet nose he could see. Straining harder than ever into his tail while Moaning, grunting and whimpering with effort and desperation, Titan quickly explored the cub’s nose and paws with his tongue and lips, Briefly Kissing the cub’s nose, only breaking off his exploration with a moan of fear when his effort to push failed and the contraction ended, the cub sliding slightly backwards as the contraction failed, Titan panting, sobbing and coughing. Stretching full length on his left side, Titan moaned piteously, crying with frustration. Closing his eyes tightly, Titan all too soon found himself panting up to an enormous set of efforts which shook the floor beneath his body as it strained to give birth, while his voice expressed his struggle in prolonged Shrieks, moans and groans:

“Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Ruuuuuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Roaoaoaoaaoowow!” Titan screamed and moaned as he pushed, while his legs pedalled and paws and feet sweated, his toes now constantly curled. Moaning deeply, Titan panted, the cub’s head slowly emerging. Taking a deep breath, then wailing, Titan splayed his hind legs, pointing his toes as he felt the cub’s head come free. Grunting, Titan pushed the cub with fresh strength while Zalika and Jenny again held the liger’s paws while Nanuq held the liger’s left foot in his paws. Groaning deeply, then screeching, Titan splayed his hind legs an extra bit wider, lifting his right leg and pressing the toes of his left foot into Nanuq’s paws as he pushed the cub desperately hard down into his tail. Straining to his limit, he moaned and yowled, then roared as he felt the cub’s head come out into the light of day. Squealing, Titan wriggled, then, settling himself, pushed the cub’s body out with strong but slow efforts, his voice sometimes low, then high, as he expressed his agony and struggle with deep prolonged moans and shrill yowls. The liger, his pads and fur dark with sweat, accompanied his final effort which delivered The cub’s feet with a prolonged, tigress sized high pitch yowl and deep moan as the cub’s feet slid free one by one, Titan and The cub whimpering, screaming and crying as they felt the passage of her feet as they slid into the world.

“What brought this on?” Apudo asked, pounding into the room.

“My cub, where’s my cuuuub!” Titan pleaded, Zalika looking at Apudo, who waved at Titan with one paw, her mouth open and eyes shocked, Zalika taking the hint and going to Titan, who grabbed her in his paws, hugging and grooming her with fierce urgency.

“What the hell’s this Titan?” Apudo asked angrily.

“Nanuq and Jenny were discussing what to do when acting out a cub’s biwth,” Zalika mewed, “Titan was westing aftew we-enacting my biwth fow Jenny, and, well, ‘e must ‘ave ‘alf ‘eard Nanuq talking while being ‘alf asleep, and, well, thought about youw biwth, and that set ‘im off.”

“Well Stoaoaoap iyiyiyiyiyt!” Apudo raged, stamping her feet.

“I didn’t mean to, I couldn’t control iyiyiyiyt!” Titan sobbed.

“You bloody can!” Apudo raged.

“No, he can’t,” Theo’s deep voice came from the other room, “Apudo, when Titan’s in a certain type of exhausted sleep and he hears things which trigger the memories, he can’t stop them flowing. It’s not his fault.” Apudo spun round on the lion, ready to do him damage, when his expression stopped her.

“Titan can’t help what he is Apudo,” Theo mewed, “Nanuq, well done for supporting Titan, you too Zalika and Jenny. Titan can’t stop reliving things once they take over his mind,” the lion said, his eyes turned on Titan with a look of deep understanding.

“It’s like on the twack,” Zalika mewed, “’e was reliving ‘is biwth on the twack, Titan couldn’t stop the film wunning ‘in ‘is ‘ead.” Titan looked round the room, groaning as his body complained about the stress it had just gone through.

“I’ll tidy up here,” Nanuq said, Titan burying his face in his paws, crying with embarrassment and discomfort.

“I couldn’t stop it,” he moaned, shaking his head to try and clear it.

“If that’s going to happen every time someone discusses birth, you’d better bloody well find a way to stop it Titan!” Apudo roared.

“Apudo, stop shouting at him,” Theo growled.

“I will noaoaot! Titan’s completely mad!” Apudo roared.

“you will never understand, even when you were leader, you could never understand,” Theo mewed, “Apudo, remember when you got into re-enacting a birth, and had a similar outcome? Titan’s like that, he can’t help pushing, he can’t help struggling with everything he’s got when his mind’s in that place.”

“I tried to stop it, I tried so hard!” Titan whimpered.

“You don’t need to apologise,” Theo mewed, lying down then Hugging Titan in his paws and kissing the liger’s nose.

“I got hands on with you Titan, your toes curled so tightly!” Jenny exclaimed.

“you woawed and scweamed into my face Titan,” Zalika mewed.

“I’m sorry both,” Titan whimpered.

“It’s cubbish silly antics, Titan, you’re acting the cuuuub!” Apudo yowled.

“he’s not!” Theo roared, the floor trembling beneath their feet, “Titan can’t help what his mind replays, and as it happened Apudo, it was replaying your rebirth! Would you rather Titan hadn’t put himself at risk for you? you wouldn’t be here now if he hadn’t fought with everything he had!”

“Noaoaoaow, of course not!” Apudo wailed, bolting for the door, Theo stopping her by making her feel like her feet were suddenly too heavy for her to lift.

“What are you doing to meyeee!” Apudo yowled as she slithered to a halt.

“Stopping you when I can’t physically slam the door,” Theo mewed softly.

“I cayayayan’t lift my paaaaws or feeyeeet!” Apudo yowled.

“I know,” Theo purred, “if you promise not to run, I’ll release you.” Apudo, completely outgunned, lowered her head in submission.

“Okay,” she whimpered, “I still don’t know what Titan’s playing at though.”

“it’s not play!” Titan miaowed, “do you think I wanted to, to make this mess?” he asked, staring at Patch, who’d appeared as if by magick with a shovel and brush.

“No,” Apudo replied, “I know re-enactments don’t cause that.” Titan stared at her from eyes full of terror.

“I couldn’t control it!” he sobbed.

“You need treatment for this Titan!” Apudo roared, back on the attack.

“It happens very rarely Apudo,” Theo mewed, “Titan didn’t mean to soil himself. It wasn’t a re-enactment in the way we, or even he would usually understand it. Titan regressed as if he was back giving rebirth to you. when he demonstrated Zalika’s birth, he was amerced in the memories, but knew it was still acting. The trouble is, he was so exhausted from that he tried to sleep, and the talk between Nanuq and Jenny, plus his own touch on Nanuq’s foot as the polar bear pretended to give birth made Titan’s mind remember another time he’d been in horrendous pain. Titan went to another place today, another place even he doesn’t know the route from other than to struggle through the memories no matter what the cost.”

“I’m glad someone can explain it,” the liger sniffled, “it was horrid! I couldn’t stop it, I couldn’t do anything but puuuuuush!” Titan wailed.

“You’re seriously disturbed Titan!” Apudo growled.

“And you’s sewiously pissing me off!” Zalika miaowed, “fow ‘Eo’ippus sake, leave Titan alone!”

“It’s Eohippus you horrid blaspheming half-bred moggie!” Apudo screeched.

“‘Eo’ippus is what I says isn’t it?” Zalika asked.

“No you drop your h you disgusting gutter mouth!” Apudo shrieked. Zalika leapt to her feet, her eyes furious. Zalika sat down abruptly as Titan rose to his feet and turned to Apudo, in a deep growl, he asked:

“Did you just call my cub a half-bred moggie?” Apudo stared at Titan, who’s eyes had suddenly become as hard as flint.

“I might have done,” she whimpered piteously.

“You’s weally done it noaoaoaaow!” Titan yowled in a voice not his own, his voice shaking the floor and walls to such an extent, bowls and cups fell off Blackberry’s trolley in the other room, the poor black bear, who’d just returned with fresh refreshments, screaming in terror as the whole room vibrated.

“how dare You insult my cub Apuuuuudo!” Titan roared in his own voice, stamping his feet, the floor bouncing under Apudo’s own paws, throwing her off her feet and onto the floor.

“I’m soaoaoaorry!” the lioness howled, Titan glaring at her.

“now you go, goaoaoaoaoao!” the liger roared, the sound making Apudo feel sick while Blackberry, screaming in fear in the other room, threw himself to the floor and covered his eyes with his paws, just as Titan’s voice made more cups and bowls on the trolley, already unstable after the first blast of sound, fall off the trolley onto his head, making him roar and swear. Apudo, screaming with fear and leaping to her feet, bolted through the nearest door, nearly tripping over the black bear’s prostrate form as she did so.

“I’m sorry for that Blackberry,” Titan mewed, padding up to the violently shaking black bear and nuzzling his ear while Zalika buried her face in her paws.

“You threw a lioness off her feet with your roar!” Blackberry squealed.

“I also threw a black bear to the floor then rained crockery on him,” Titan mewed, “Blackberry, I am very sorry for scaring you.”

“My paws and feet couldn’t keep me standing! I couldn’t curl my toes tightly enough!” Blackberry whimpered. Titan kissed Blackberry’s nose and the pads of his feet, feeling the black bear’s toes curling beneath the touch of his whiskers and gentle kiss.

“Don’t waste a kiss on me,” Blackberry pleaded, Titan resting his whiskers against the toes of Blackberry’s right foot then purring so they vibrated, Blackberry giggling helplessly.

“You’re so lovely Titan,” Blackberry said, the liger padding to a washroom and showering himself, then back to Blackberry’s trolley. Meanwhile Blackberry had regained his feet and washed the cups which had fallen onto the floor as a result of Titan’s roar and was busy serving tea.

“good job these trolleys have enclosed compartments for liquids and foods,” the black bear said, “I would not have enjoyed tea or stew landing on my head.” Titan, bumping noses with Blackberry, replied:

“I apologise most sincerely and beg your forgiveness.” Blackberry put down his ladle then put his arms round the liger’s thick neck, hugging him as tightly as he dared, Titan pressing himself into Blackberry’s hug.

“You don’t need to apologise,” the black bear said into the liger’s ear, “Titan, you didn’t mean to throw me off my paws, or to scare me. It was an accident, the trolley vibrated with your roar, though I felt nothing, though heard everything. You needed to show Apudo who was boss, and you did so.” Titan kissed Blackberry’s nose, then, lifting his massive, thickly padded left paw from the floor, he touched, then gently stroked the bear’s cheek with the toes of that paw, Blackberry gasping and choking back tears.

“Sorry,” Titan mewed.

“follow your paws you silly!” Blackberry sniffled, leaning his head against Titan’s stroking, “I love it you big cuddlypuss!” the black bear said, snuggling his own body as closely as he could against Titan’s, standing on tiptoe to press himself hard into Titan’s warm fur.

“Blackbewwy’s on Tiptoe Titan, I can sees ‘is ‘eel pads and most of the soles of ‘is feeyeeet, vewy cuuuute!” Zalika said from where she lay on Titan’s own rug.

“no wonder you cubs have a liking for paws and feet from a young age, that’s all you see,” Blackberry replied.

“I sees you’s also ‘aving a good cuddle with Titan, which is supah cuuuute too,” Zalika mewed.

“I is, I mean am,” Blackberry replied, rubbing his head against Titan’s, the huge liger pressing back firmly against his pressure and purring deeply.

“I would love to rub your pads Titan,” Blackberry said, “I saw what happened in that room, I wanted to intervene, but, well, something stopped me.”

“I would love to rub your pads too,” Titan mewed, “Blackberry, that’s the least I can do after terrifying you.”

“Bet Titan will kiss youw pads Blackbewwy, ‘e’s soppy like that,” Zalika mewed.

“I won’t mind if he does,” Blackberry replied.

“’e might washes your pads too,” Zalika mewed.

“I want to do that for him,” Blackberry said, “Titan, could I?” The vibration in the floor set up by Titan’s deep purr at the bear’s suggestion tickled Blackberry’s toes so much the black bear leapt into the air with a squeal, the liger ducking, Blackberry leaping over his head and landing on Titan’s back.

“I’m sorry!” Titan mewed, turning his head left, seeing the sole of Blackberry’s right foot, “I didn’t mean to do that,” Titan purred, his breath tickling Blackberry’s toes as the liger’s head was still turned.

“You’re tiyiyiyckling my toooes, stoaoaoaoap iyiyiyiyiyt!” Blackberry squealed, nearly tumbling off Titan’s back as he bounced about and struggled to reach his tickled toes with one paw.

“Now that’s just silly,” Titan mewed, sitting down, Blackberry sliding down his back like Titan was a living slide at a children’s playground. Zalika rolled onto her back, waving her paws and feet about, laughing merrily at their antics.

“you two is soaoaoao fuuuunny!” she guffawed, Titan smiling at her, Blackberry padding round in front of Titan, limping on his tickled toes.

“my toes need soothing after that!” the black bear whimpered, holding up his right foot, Titan kissing away the tickle from his toe pads, then placing the digits of his right paw so his toe tips fitted into the gap between Blackberry’s toe pads and the pad on the ball of his foot. Smiling, Blackberry curled his toes round those of Titan’s paw, the liger purring deeply while kissing the pad of the bear’s right heel.

“That’s vewy sweeyeet!” Zalika mewed, turning to Jenny and describing to her what was going on, which she’d been doing ever since Titan first found Blackberry prostrate on the floor after his roar.

“Your guide’s really cuddly isn’t he Zalika,” Jenny said.

“Oh, ‘e is, even when ‘e’s giving woawing, yowling we-enactments of my biwth ‘e’s still supah cuddly, at least I thinks ‘e is,” the liliger replied, Jenny hugging her tightly.

“You’s not so bad youwself,” Jenny said, kissing her nose, the liliger cub purring with contentment.

“I’s gonna ovewlook youw mimicwy of my speech, fow now at least,” Zalika mewed, returning Jenny’s kiss, “you’s got a lovely ‘ug, anyone told you that befowe?” Zalika asked.

“No, but thanks,” Jenny replied, Zalika rolling onto her side and pawing at her hands with her fat little paws.

“come, ‘’ere’s all fouw of my paws, ‘as a go with stwoking ‘em,” Zalika invited, “does what you thinks would be nice fow me to feel. I supposes you’s stwoked youw own feet with youw ‘ands ‘asn’t you?”

“I ‘as,” Jenny replied giggling.

“Well stops the mimicwy and stawts stwoking and wubbing my pads then,” Zalika mewed, nudging the palm of Jenny’s left hand with her nose.

“Okay you cuddlypuss,” Jenny said, stroking Zalika’s ears.

“My paws ain’t on top of my ‘ead is them now,” Zalika mewed, now scrabbling urgently at Jenny’s right leg with her velveted paws, “I waaaaant my paaaaws stwoked!” Zalika yowled, wriggling while pawing urgently at Jenny’s leg with her paws and feet. suddenly Zalika scrambled into Jenny’s lap, urgently scrabbling at the girl’s chest and arms with her paws, Jenny laughing helplessly.

“come on you big softy, I’m ready now!” she laughed, hugging Zalika, the liliger adding pitiful mewing and chuffling to her urgent pawing.

“Careful with her Zalika,” Titan warned.

“Zalika’s paws and feet are unarmed, and she’s being very gentle,” Jenny replied, hugging the squirming and yowling liliger in her arms, “shh Zalika, it’s gonna be all right,” Jenny crooned in Zalika’s ear, the liliger snuggling close, reaching round Jenny’s neck with her arms and hugging her, Jenny embracing the liliger cub with sincerity, Zalika purring and chuffling with contentment.

“All this before a pad rub,” Jenny said, “Zalika you are spoilt.”

“I’s loving every minute, please, doesn’t you stop fow a long time,” Zalika mewed, nuzzling her ear, “I would like you to wub my pads fow as long as you’s wanting. Explowe my paws and feet, they’s youws fow as long as you want ‘em.” Jenny hugged Zalika tightly.

“You’re so lovely,” she said to the purring liliger.

“Can I gets paws on with youw paws and feet aftew you’s wubbed mine?” Zalika asked.

“Zalika, I have hands and feet, not paws, but yes you can,” Jenny giggled.

“You’s got a touch that says paws to me,” Zalika mewed.

“sounds like you will be pressing the paws button quite a bit,” Titan mewed.

“I ‘opes Jenny doesn’t stop ‘ur snuggles, and she can pwess my paws button all she likes too,” Zalika purred.

“and you can stop that awful paws pun too Titan,!” Blackberry giggled.

“I’ll press the paws button on that too,” the liger purred.

“it’s the only time where pressing paws actually gets you somewhere,” Jenny mused.

“Jenny, not to be wude, but will you stop wasting aiw and gets on with wubbing my pads? Them’s despewate!” Zalika miaowed, scrabbling urgently at Jenny’s chest with unarmed paws that had curled toes, Jenny hugging her.

“I will, now where would you like to be when I rub your pads?”

“On the wug I thinks,” Zalika mewed, “that way you can get to my paws and feet easily.” Zalika clambered off Jenny’s lap, padded to and lay down on Titan’s rug, Jenny lying beside her, rubbing the liliger’s left paw in both hands.

“Can I get hands on with the whole of you?” Jenny asked. Zalika, her eyes closed, mewed that she could. Jenny explored Zalika from her nose to her pads, handling her ears, paws and feet with extra care, scratching behind the liliger’s ears and massaging her pads.

“I just had a really silly idea for a game,” Jenny said, rubbing circles on the thick, soft warm metacarpal pad of Zalika’s left foot.

“I thinks I knows what it is,” Zalika mewed, “you wants to pwetend to give biwth to a liliger cub doesn’t you?” Jenny grinned:

“how did you know?” she asked.

“Oh, I ‘ad an idea, youw paws, sowwy, ‘ands told me as much,” Zalika replied.

“would you help me?” Jenny asked. Zalika looked at her.

“You means pwess my paw into youw pads like Titan did Nanuq’s?” she asked.

“yeah, and also encourage me to push my foot into my hands too,” Jenny replied, “You’re strong enough to hold my foot too, so you can help me by making it more challenging for me too.”

“Titan will stop us, it’ll dwive ‘im mad!” Zalika mewed.

“As long as it’s play he won’t,” Titan purred.

“It’s fiction ‘ain’t it? does you weally think Jenny could give biwth to a liliger fow weal Titan? I doesn’t think so!” Zalika giggled.

“I understand,” Titan mewed.

“Maybe then after I’ve tried pretending to give birth to a big cat, you could try pretending to give birth to a bear cub Zalika,” Jenny replied.

“I’s okay with pwetending to give biwth to a big cat, I’s up fow that. Aftew seeing what Titan ‘ad to go thwough to give biwth to me, I’s sticking with big cat biwth we-enactment thanks,” she replied.

“I’ll rub your pads even more while you push and yowl through it,” Jenny promised.

“if you’s gonna do that, aftew what I felt duwing youw ‘ands on explowation of my body, I’ll make it a long ‘ard fight!” Zalika giggled.

“don’t strain yourself too much,” Titan mewed.

“Oh, I will, as stwongly as I can too,” Zalika mewed.

“Zalika when you want to push, push your feet into Jenny’s hands,” Blackberry advised.

“how about a safe word in case of emergencies or a genuine wish to stop the act?” Titan asked.

“good,” Blackberry replied, “Zalika, think of a word you’ll use if you want to stop.”

“I’s thought of one, and Jenny knows it,” Zalika replied panting, “I will use it if I ‘as to,” Zalika mewed, “Now I’s wanting to get on with the biwth of the cub, that is,” she added, “as soon as I can fweeyeee my paaaaws fwom Jenny’s ‘ands! Noaoaoaow! Jenny keeps pwessing the paws button! I cayayayan’t fwee my paaaaws!” Zalika yowled, pedalling the air with all four paws, making sure Jenny could grab her paws or feet at any time. When Jenny had hold of one of Zalika’s paws or feet, the liliger growled and miaowed while tugging at her trapped paws or feet, her toes curling with her increasingly desperate efforts to free herself.

“Jenny’s got ‘old of my wight fooooot!” Zalika yowled after about five minutes, Jenny stroking the liliger’s pads as Zalika squirmed and wriggled, growled, miaowed, curled her toes and tugged to free her foot.

“I cayayayan’t, oh Miaoaoaoaow! I think, think I’m about to, Riaoaoaoaow! The cuuuuub’s coming!” Zalika yowled, rolling onto her side and bracing her foot against Jenny’s hands while moaning long and low into her own thickly padded paws.

“uauauauauauwch! Uuuuuuuumf! “Zalika struggled to cope with increasing discomfort, moaning through thirty second long contractions which made her curl her toes, panting hard while relaxing her toes as the contractions eased. Jenny felt Zalika moan, curl, pant and relax her toes three times more, then, something changed. Panting and whimpering, Zalika lifted her head from her paws, yowling:”

Riaiaiaiaiaow!” straining hard into Jenny’s hands with both feet. Jenny used the lulls in Zalika’s efforts to stroke her paws and or feet, Zalika often curling up during her efforts so her paws and feet were very close to each other, the liliger cub curling her toes as tightly as she could while pushing into Jenny’s hands, her pads soon damp with the sweat of committed effort.

“This cuuuuub’s weally coming!!” Zalika yowled, “oaoaoaowch! Aow! Roaoaoaoaoaoaaow! Auauauauauauw!” she yowled.

“You are pushing aren’t you Zalika,” Blackberry said.

“couwse I is, I’s twying! I’s weally twying to puuuuuush ‘awd Blackbewwy!” Zalika replied, all the while Panting, whimpering and mewing in as desperate struggle to relax as she was to push hard during her straining efforts, “This cuuuuub’s ‘uuuge!” Zalika replied, her eyes tightly shut in concentration as Jenny pressed the pads of her right foot with her fingers, Zalika responding with a yowl of pain and straining effort which terrified Titan.

“Careful Zalika!” the liger warned.

“it’s okay, I’s got’a get this cuuuub bown, and Puuuuushing’s the only wayayayay!” Zalika roared into her paws, rolling onto her back and lashing out with both feet.

“Don’t cover your mouth, breathe through the pain!” Titan pleaded.

“it’s so ‘awd!” Zalika squealed, “I’s agweed to this, and now it weally ‘uuuurts!” she roared, wriggling while squealing, “Riaiaiaiaiaow! Uuuuumf! Heuuuuuumf!” As she tried to cope with a contraction while lying on her back. Moaning:

“This ain’t gonna wowk! Aow!” Zalika rolled from side to side in her efforts..

“Really?” Titan asked, now concerned.

“I’s not exhausted enough to use my safe wowd yet,” Zalika panted, “now Titan, let me puuush!” she begged, rolling onto her side and curling into a tight ball while yowling her head off, repeatedly pushing hard against Jenny’s hands with both her huge feet.

“Aoaoaoaowch! Riaoaoaoaoaoowch! Riaiaiaiaiaow! Uuuuumf! Heuuuuuumf!” Zalika complained as she struggled, her toes now almost constantly curled, her efforts now very close together.

“the cub’s paws are coming now, Zalika, curl your toes if you need to and pant, pant the paws out!” Jenny encouraged. Zalika, wriggling and moaning, yowled into her paws as she struggled to do as Jenny suggested.

“aow, the cuuuuub’s paaaaws awe stwetching meyeee! They’s ‘uuuge!” she screamed, her eyes on Titan’s left paw. Seeing this, Titan threw himself on the floor, burying his paws beneath his chin so Zalika couldn’t see them.

“You can’t push out a cub with paws the size of mine into the world Zalika!” he begged.

“I’s gonna give it a twy!” Zalika groaned, wriggling convulsively.

“first paw nearly out, puuush it Zalika!” Jenny encouraged.

“shows me on my paaaaws, pleaeaease!” Zalika begged, thrusting her left paw into Jenny’s hand, while she stuffed her right into her mouth.

“Don’t bite your paw!” Titan mewed, Zalika yowling through her nose as she felt the imaginary cub’s paws slide into the world through Jenny tracing first the toes of her left paw, then the carpal pad, and her other paw pads as Zalika pushed it through Jenny’s grip until the cub’s paw freed itself with a sudden rush. Moaning:

“Auauauauauauaauwaoaoaoaow!” Zalika pushed her right paw into Jenny’s hands, repeating the process with that one, Zalika curling the toes of that paw, squealing as it jammed, then panting, the passage of the imagined cub’s paw making her moan and puff.

“Now after the cub’s head emerges, push the cub! push hard against the cub Zalika,!” Titan urged, Zalika moaning deeply and drawing up her feet as she waited. Jenny hugged Zalika while the liliger panted, then traced Zalika’s head with her hands to show the liliger how far forward the cub’s head was. Zalika’s first screaming effort didn’t quite get the cub’s head out, progressing it as far as its ears. Panting and whining as the cub’s head slid back, Zalika settled herself and, screaming:

“auauauauwch! Auauauauauauaauwaoaoaoaow! This cuuuuub’s ‘ead’s ‘uuuge! Ouwch!” while straining hard, she pushed her head against Jenny’s hands as if her own head was that of the cub. kicking and scrabbling with both feet, Zalika yowled and roared as her body made a second huge effort to push her imaginary cub’s head into the world, the pressure making Zalika yowl and squirm, the imagined and very real expulsive pressure of Zalika’s head on Jenny’s hands pushing it through her gentle embrace, pushing the imaginary cub’s head into the world, Zalika shrieking with imagined pain and effort when she felt Jenny’s hands slide over her ears and to her neck.

“now push out the cub’s body Zalika, push it out!” Titan urged, Blackberry staring at him.

“I thought you didn’t want her to do this!” he protested.

“she’s in far too deep now,” Titan whimpered, “oh, I can hardly watch!” he wailed, covering his eyes with his paws, wriggling with discomfort as Zalika moaned, yowled and strained, her efforts accompanied with deep moans:

“auauauauauauaauwaoaoaoaow! Uuuuumf! Auauauauauauaauwaoaoaoaow!”

“that’s it Zalika, that’s it, puuuuuush the cuuuub!” Jenny urged, deeply rubbing the sweating toe pads and weight bearing pad of Zalika’s right foot with her fingers.

“At least she’s not swearing in three different languages!” Titan moaned, wriggling with discomfort as much as Zalika herself.

“I’s puuuuuuushing, I, Auauauauauauaauwaoaoaoaow! I muuuuust puuush ‘arder!” Zalika moaned, pushing hard with both feet, her pads slippery in Jenny’s hands as her sweat of effort drenched them.

“the cub’s coming, it’s nearly half way out Zalika,” Jenny said, touching Zalika’s body with her left hand while rubbing the sweating pads of the screaming liliger’s left foot with her right. Yowling and moaning, Zalika curled round, scrabbling with her paws as she tried to push down with her feet and grab the cub in her paws to pull it at the same time. Zalika, her eyes closed, screamed:

“ayayayayayayaayaywch! Heuuuuuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Auauauauauauaauwaoaoaoaow! I neyeeed Heyeyeyeyelp to puuuuuush! ! Yayayayyayayayayouwch!” As she pushed with her feet twice more, the toes of both her huge paws curled into the carpet, those of her feet as tightly curled as those of her paws as she braced them against Jenny’s hands.

“That’s it Zalika, just the cub’s feet to go now!” Blackberry urged, “you’re doing so well Zalika!” he said, clapping his paws. Scrabbling with her paws, her eyes shut in concentration, Zalika felt her paw land on the heel pads of Jenny’s feet, Zalika puffing and blowing for a minute, then yowling:

“I’s giving biwth to a Feluwsapien with ligah style paaaaws and ‘uman like feeyeeet!” growling, Zalika grabbed Jenny’s feet in her paws, Jenny testing the liliger’s grip by gently pulling her feet against it while Zalika puffed and moaned, then suddenly wriggled, settled her feet and strained to deliver her imaginary cub’s feet.

“The cub’s ‘eels awe stuuuuuck!” Zalika panted, “I’s oaoaoaof, oh Miaoaow! ayayayayayayaayaywch! Heuuuuuumf! Roaoaoaoaaoowow! Yayayayyayayayayouwch!”!” she squealed, as Jenny tugged at her left foot a little, Zalika squirming and roaring as her paws clamped down hard on the human’s feet, Zalika feeling the softness of Jenny’s heel pads under her paws.

“Muuuuust puuush! Wayayayan’a puuuuuush this cuuuuub’s feeyeeet ouuouout by myself! Auauauauauauaauwaoaoaoaow!” Zalika yowled, Jenny pulling slightly at her own feet which were held in the liligress’s strong paws, Zalika moaning and yowling with effort as she let her paws slide over Jenny’s heel pads with infinite slowness, groaning and straining as she struggled to free the cub’s feet. Jenny tugged at each of her feet from time to time, Zalika reacting by yowling and straining into Jenny’s hands with both her own huge feet as Jenny’s feet slid through her gripping paws, the grip on Jenny’s feet from Zalika’s paws as strong as the liligress could manage when resting her paws on the upturned bare soles of Jenny’s feet.

“this is too real!” Titan moaned into his paws.

“I got’a puuush ’arder!!” Zalika roared.

“I know the feeyeeling!” Titan howled.

“Just the cub’s toes to go Zalika, puuuuuush!” Blackberry yelled, Zalika, nearly spent in strength, mewing and panting, then roaring:

““auauauauauauaauwaoaoaoaow! Thiyiyiyis cub’s feeyeeet ‘ave got’a come ouuouout noaoaoaaow!” with effort as Jenny tugged at her left foot. Tugging slowly, the grip of Zalika’s paws on the ball of her left foot, Jenny felt Zalika squeezing the ball of her foot and toes in her paws, hearing the liliger’s screeching protest at the effort she was putting into pushing against Jenny’s hands with her feet while holding onto Jenny’s toes with her paws as Jenny tugged her toes free of Zalika’s paws.

“I did iyiyiyiyt!” Zalika panted as Jenny tugged the toes of her left foot free of the sweaty grip of her paws.

“Zalika, Jenny, that’s enough for today!” Titan moaned, struggling to free his own tightly curled toes from a rug as well as not pass out. tearing his paws and feet free of the rugs, Titan ran to Zalika, threw himself on the floor beside her and, pushing Jenny out of the way as gently as he could, hugged the liligress as tightly as he could, Zalika purring and mewing with pleasure.

“I’s still got’a get ‘ur wight foot out Titan,” Zalika mewed, Titan nearly passing out at the news.

“don’t put him through that Zalika!” Jenny giggled, “the poor Tiggy’s already worn out. though, thinking about it, I’ve got to give birth to a big cat cub now!” Zalika made changes to her plans when she grabbed my foot during her act.” Titan, moaning with anguish, replied:

“first Zalika looks at my paws and pretends to give birth to a cub with paaaaws the size of mine, then she lands her paws on your foot and you encourage her by colluding to bring an imaginary felursapien with liger sized paws and human feeyeeet into the world!”

“I thought it was inspired acting,” jenny laughed.

“naooaaoao it wasn’t!” Titan yowled, frantically grooming Zalika from nose to tail.

“Poow tiggie Titan, looking all fwightened,” Zalika teased.

“Stoaoaoap iyiyiyiyt!” Titan whimpered.

“I’s all wight,” Zalika mewed, “I needs a wash which I’s getting, but I’s fine, and it was lovely wowk from Jenny too, thanks fow that,” Zalika mewed.

“now I want you to help me have my cub Zalika,” Jenny said.

“I Will, but I’s got’a wash fiwst,” Zalika mewed.

“if I wash you, we could get in the tub together, and I could have a water birth with my cub,” Jenny suggested.

“Oh naooaaoao!” Titan wailed, while Blackberry and Nanuq laughed helplessly.

“I’s up fow that,” Zalika mewed, “but ‘ow about some dwy land effowt too?”

“yes, I would like that,” Jenny replied.

“You could try the first part of the labour in the tub, then crawl out and continue pushing with your feet against Zalika’s paws Jenny, eventually birthing the cub on a towel,” Nanuq suggested.

“I wish you wouldn’t give them ideas Nanuq!” Titan pleaded.

“My labour is going to be long, as it’s a strange thing to give birth to a big cat,” Jenny mused.

“I blame the water,” Titan moaned.

“What ‘elp does you want duwing this Jenny?” Zalika asked.

“I would like you to get paws on with my hands and feet, encourage me to push my feet into my hands, for you to feel and rub my pads, explore my curled toes and gripping fingers, help me by bracing your paws against my feet when I push too,” Jenny replied.

“”that last re-enactment exhausted me,” Blackberry remarked from where he sat.

“You pushed too?” Zalika asked.

“Yeah,” the black bear replied, “just had to grab my feet and push.” Zalika grinned hugely.

“I’s wondewing if Sally will we-enact Jenny’s cub’s biwth like she does the biwths of us with paws?” she asked.

“she also re-enacted Felix’s birth, and Karina doesn’t have paws Zalika,” Jenny replied.

“Oh yeah, sowwy,” Zalika mewed.

“Hmm, now, I might give imaginary birth to a felursapien cub with liliger style paws and human feet to be a friend to the one Zalika gave birth to?” that’s a thought,” Jenny mused.

“naooaaoao you don’t!” Titan howled.

“It’s only a game Titan dear,” Nanuq said, kneeling and hugging the distressed liger.

“it’s too real!” Titan moaned, “and Jenny helped you Zalika by touching your head and paws, you used that and a view of my paw as a template for your efforts!” he wailed.

“your scream of “Auauauauauauaauwaoaoaoaow!” had to be heard to be believed Zalika, where did you get that from?” Nanuq asked, padding up to the exhausted liligress.

“I doesn’t know, it just came out,” Zalika mewed.

“It sounded awful,” Titan miaowed, “what will you be like when you have a cub for real Zalika?”

“that will be ‘orrendous,” Zalika admitted.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to moan like you did Zalika,” Jenny said.

“Well I wasn’t planning on it,” Zalika purred, “but once my voice made that sound, I couldn’t stop it ‘appening again.”

“Your paws feel like they need the paws button pressed for a while,” Jenny said, taking Zalika’s right paw in her hands, feeling the liliger’s damp pads and exhausted toes.

“I’s wown out,” Zalika admitted, “Jenny, I needs to wash befowe I ‘elps you give biwth to youw imaginawy cub, but,” she yawned, “yes,” she continued, “I’s liking the idea of pwessing the paws button for a bit.” Jenny sat beside Zalika, alternately hugging the liliger cub and the cub’s paws and feet, Zalika purring and mewing with pleasure. Sally wandered in a few minutes later, sat down and watched Jenny and Zalika.

“I’ll just sit here I think,” she said, Jenny smiling at her.

Can I have a hug Sally?” Titan asked. Sally looked at the huge liger, then crawled to where he lay and wrapped her arms round his neck.

“how’s this?” she asked, Titan’s answering prusten and purring making her smile.

“you big softy tiggie you are,” Sally said softly, Titan snuggling as close as he could.

“You’re just a huge lap cat when all’s said and done,” Sally teased, Titan miaowing and gently cuffing her with a well velveted paw, Sally noticing the liger glance down for a second at his paw to make sure it was safe to use before cuffing her, the action endearing him to her even further.

“Safety first ay Tiggie?” she asked, kissing his nose and hugging his right paw in her hands.

“I would hate to injure you,” Titan mewed, “being called “lap cat,” isn’t so bad.” Sally hugged Titan tightly, the liger kissing her nose and returning her hug.

“Would you check my pads for thorns Titan?” Sally asked.

“I will, if you’d like me to do so,” Titan purred.

“I would, and then, please, could I check yours for thorns too?” Sally asked. Titan, his eyes sparkling with merriment, wiggled the toes of his huge feet, Sally smiling at him.

“You have the most gorgeous paws and feet Titan,” Sally said, the liger’s booming purr soothing her from her hands to her feet.

“please, find my paws button,” Titan mewed. Sally felt emotion welling in her, and to dissipate it, she hugged Titan tighter than ever, the liger embracing her with his huge paws as tightly as he dared.

“Sally’s toes awe cuwling so tight, it’s cuuuute!” Zalika mewed, Jenny hugging Zalika tightly so the liliger’s toes curled as tightly as Sally’s, Titan telling Jenny of the result of the huge hug she gave to his cub, Jenny giggling and rubbing Zalika’s ears.

“As if my toooes ‘adn’t ‘ad enough of a wowk out with my imagined labouw!” Zalika miaowed.

“I thought I’d give them one final test,” Jenny replied smiling.

“my toooes cayayayan’t cope! them’s aching ‘orribly and you does this!, but, but, oaoaoaaoh, I don’t wayayayant to Stoaoaoap my toooes cuuuuwling!”“ Zalika yowled theatrically, Jenny kissing her nose.

“can I get hands on with them?” Jenny asked.

“ooaaoah, yes, get paaaaws oaoaoaoan!” Zalika begged, Jenny giggling delightedly as Zalika sprawled on her back in her lap.

“I love these paws and feet,” Jenny said, massaging each of Zalika’s paws and feet in turn, the little liliger squirming and purring with pleasure.

“I’s looking forward to getting paws on with youw feet and paws, sowwy youw ‘ands,” Zalika purred.

“Go on then,” Jenny said, Zalika catching her right hand in her warm paws and hugging it.

“Youw ‘ands is nice to ‘ug,” Zalika said, releasing Jenny’s right hand then grabbing her left in her paws.

“I’m looking forward to you touching my feet,” Jenny said, Zalika sliding off her lap and grabbing Jenny’s left foot in her paws, Jenny grabbing her own right foot in her hands and curling the toes of both feet, pushing her left foot into Zalika’s grip.

“puuush down Jenny, puuush as ‘ard as you can!” Zalika mewed, nuzzling the bunched pads of her left foot, Jenny squealing with laughter as Zalika’s whiskers tickled the sole of her foot.

“This cub’s biwth ain’t gonna work if you’s unable to push youw foot into my paaaaws when I kisses youw pads Jenny!” Zalika mewed, swiping the tickle from Jenny’s pads with a gentle flick from her tongue, Jenny letting go of her right foot and hugging the liliger.

“You two are so funny!” Nanuq said, padding in from the other room, Zalika waving a paw to him.

“Jenny can’t cope with me nuzzling ‘ur pads when she’s pushing into my paaaaws!” Zalika complained.

“Try the same thing with my foot, and I’ll tell you what’s going on,” Nanuq said, sitting down, pointing to the sole of his left foot with his right paw, Zalika leaping over Jenny’s legs, landing so she could instantly clamp Nanuq’s foot in her paws, Nanuq laughing merrily and ruffling Zalika’s ears with his paws.

“Now twy pushing into my paws with youw foot Nanuq,” Zalika said, Nanuq pushing hard, Zalika then kissing the ball of his foot when his toes were curled with effort, just as she had done to Jenny’s, the bear shrieking with laughter.

“Noaoaot youuuuu tooo!” Zalika complained, Nanuq smiling broadly.

“Tickling someone’s pads will cause laughter,” Nanuq said, pulling Zalika into his lap and hugging her, the liliger mewing and purring.

“If I do this,” the bear said, blowing on the toe pads and weight bearing pad of Zalika’s left foot, “what happens?” the bear asked, his eyes smiling as Zalika yowled and squirmed, squealing:

“Iyiiyiyt tiyiyiyiyickles!” the liliger yowled.

“yes, it does,” Nanuq said, kissing the tickle from her pads, Zalika curling her toes with pleasure.

“I love these pads,” Nanuq said, rubbing circles on the pads of Zalika’s left foot, the liligress squirming and chuffling with intense pleasure.

“it’s now time for Jenny to act out the birth of a cub isn’t it Zalika?” Nanuq asked, Zalika staring up at the bear’s smiling eyes.

“yeah, well, I doesn’t know what type of cub she’s gonna pwetend to give biwth to. The way it’s going, it might be a beaw with tiggie paws, but then again, it could be a cat with beaw paws, maybe a feluwsapien too, don’t know. All I knows is she wants me to get paws on with ‘ur feet, and I was doing that when I’s tickled ‘ur pads. Now I’s ‘ere on my back ‘aving my feet tickled by a ‘uge beaw.” Nanuq hugged each of Zalika’s paws and feet in turn, then let her go.

“Ain’t you gonna ‘ug me pwopahly too?” Zalika asked, climbing out of his lap.

“ah, a neck hug, okay,” Nanuq replied, lying down on his belly so he could use his paws, Zalika purring as she felt his embrace.

“that’s bettew,” the liligress said, kissing his nose.

“Bettew? Awhwhw, how sweeyeet is that!” Nanuq gushed.

“Is you going all silly about my speech too?” Zalika asked.

“yeah, it’s so cuuuute!” Nanuq replied.

“oh deaw,” Zalika whimpered.

“Now can I try to give biwth, I mean birth to my imaginary cub?” Jenny asked, “I’m almost bursting with ideas!” Sally laughed helplessly:

“Just start moaning and pedalling the air with your feet Jenny, then poor Titan will probably help you push,” she replied, Titan groaning piteously at the thought.

“Don’t do iyiyiyt!” he begged, Jenny crawling to him and hugging his left foot while Sally hugged the liger.

“You are so silly!” Sally said, kissing Titan’s nose, the liger squirming with discomfort.

“how did you manage to roar at Apudo without crying afterwards Titan?” Nanuq asked.

“I, I nearly did,” Titan mewed, “but, well, I saw Blackberry’s plight and steeled myself to concentrate on him. My fear of my male roar which makes me weep is only transitory, and usually there’s nothing to take my mind off the awful noise, this time though there was Blackberry to take my mind off it until my rational brain had worked out I’d done no harm with my roar, anyway, well, I wasn’t roaring for me, not at first anyway.

“Titan was making suwe I couldn’t get all fistypaws with Apuwdo, fow I wanted to ‘it ‘ur so ‘ard,” Zalika mewed, “’e’s just a big softypuss, so ‘e stopped me ‘itting Apoodo by taking my angah and converting it into a woaw to be pwoud of!” Zalika gleefully squealed.

“You don’t help my state of mind with the realism of your re-enactments of the births of cuuuuubs!” Titan wailed, covering his eyes with his paws.

“I’ll stop if you wants,” Zalika mewed, padding to Titan and hugging him.

“No, I don’t want you to,” Titan mewed, “you have the right to play, and if playing at giving birth to cubs is what you want to do, I won’t stop you.”

“I can’t weally play the stuck foot game like them ‘umans or beaws does, so I suppose it’s the only ‘awd imagination game left to me,” Zalika mewed.

“I didn’t think cats did imagination at all!” Nanuq replied.

“Well you thinks wong doesn’t you,” Zalika mewed.

“I nearly saw Zalika’s newbown, I mean newborn cuuuub!” Titan howled.

“You big silly!” Sally said, hugging Titan’s left foot in her hands, Titan briefly wondering where Jenny’s touch had gone.

“I curled my toes with Zalika Tooo!” Titan miaowed, “bet noone saw that, I shouldn’t have admitted that, oh naooooo!” he blurted, Sally, Zalika and Jenny laughing helplessly.

“You pwobably wanted to push with me too,” Zalika mewed.

“No, not quite, but, oh dear!” Titan whimpered.

“You’s a big softy,” Zalika purred deeply.

“You’re only a cub Zalika, but, that was too real, too traumatic!” Titan complained.

“Twaumatic?” Zalika asked, “no it ain’t, it’s just nowmal biwth of a cub that’s all. A bit noisy, but some is that. As I says befowe, if a cub didn’t make it, I wouldn’t touch that act fow all the fish in the sea.”

“all this birth thing’s gonna kill me!” Titan groaned.

“You’s so cuddly Titan,” Zalika purred.

“Just be careful Zalika,” the liger mewed, rubbing his head against hers.

“I is,” Zalika purred, “but I thinks Jenny’s about to scweam the place down as I thinks ‘ur cub’s due to be bown any minute!” A sudden squeal of surprise from Jenny made Titan look over at her. As he watched, Jenny, moaning piteously, grabbed her left foot with both hands, pushing her foot hard into her grip.

“Uauauauauaumf! Yaououououoouch! Uauauauauauwch!” Jenny squealed, tightly curling her toes while holding the heel pad and Arche of her left foot with both hands.

“Nooaoaoaot agayayayayin!” Titan yowled, trying to get to his feet. moaning with fear as he felt Sally’s hands stroking his left foot, Titan collapsed to the floor, whimpering piteously and covering his eyes with his paws..

“Poow tiggie!” Jenny and Zalika giggled, hugging each other.

“I bet he still feels every inch of your passage into the world Zalika,” Nanuq said.

“yeah, but Titan’s just too soft,” Zalika mewed, “I thinks ‘e should lie down and ‘ave a dam good woaw and scweam fwom time to time.”

“I, I neyeeed to puuush now!” Jenny moaned, “the cuuuuub’s coming! Oaoaoaowch!” she complained, “aow! Aoaoaoaow! Aow!” she yowled, pushing her left foot against her hands, straining her foot against her fingers, while she urgently curled her toes.

“I want to puuuuuush! Got’a puuuuuush!” Jenny moaned, wriggling urgently, then struggling to push her left foot hard against her hands, her toes curling with effort.

“Wants ‘elp Jenny?” Zalika asked.

“yes, it’s not working!” Jenny whimpered.

“Oh naooaaoao, nooaoaoaot agayayayayin!” Titan wailed, burying his head in Sally’s chest, Sally giggling helplessly while hugging him.

“Dear sweet tiggie, you’d not last a minute in my flat when Jenny and I are playing at this. We have to tell the control room we’re not in danger, as we keep the imaginary births of cubs up for hours, screaming the place down. Philomena and mama Karina have also done it, and they’re brilliant! Better than me and Jenny if all is considered,” Sally replied smiling, Titan, now almost crying, clung to Sally with both paws. Meanwhile Zalika took Jenny’s right foot in her paws, Jenny writhing and puffing, then, groaning and finally straining hard by pushing her foot into the liligress’s paws.

“muuuuust puuuuuush!” Jenny roared, Zalika watching Jenny’s hands urgently gripping the sole of her left foot, Jenny tightly curling the toes of both her feet in concentration, while she pushed her right foot hard into the little liligress’s paws.

“Puuush the cub down Jenny!” Zalika urged, feeling Jenny push her right foot hard into her paws while Jenny rocked in her efforts, her hands tightly gripping the heel and ball of her left foot with fierce strength as she struggled with all her might.

“uuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf!” Jenny moaned as she strained with her right leg struggling to straighten it, Zalika careful not to let her succeed. Squealing and whimpering, Jenny strained to push her right foot hard into Zalika’s paws, while holding the increasingly effort dampened sole of her left foot in the fierce grip of both hands.

“that’s it, You’s doing amazing you is! Keep pushing the cub! keep stwaining wight down, puuush it!” Zalika encouraged, Jenny giggling helplessly while struggling to keep pushing her right foot into Zalika’s paws, the liligress Watching as Jenny squeezed and rubbed the heel, ball and toe pads of her left foot with her fingers in a desperate struggle to continue her act as mirth at Zalika’s speech overcame her wishes to re-enact a cub’s birth. Jenny was laughing so hard at Zalika’s words, that she forgot to push for a full five minutes.

“I’s twying to ‘ave my cuuuub, but you’s too fuuuunny! Muuuuust stwain ‘awd but it’s so ‘ard!” Jenny squealed gleefully, pointing as best she could at Zalika, “well Zalika, I’s doing my best I is, but you’s stopping meyeee!” she guffawed. Zalika, growling with frustration, batted with one paw at the now relaxed toes of Jenny’s right foot.

“I thinks I’s pissed off a liliger cuuuub!” Jenny giggled, Zalika letting go of Jenny’s right foot, padding away with her head down, then flinging herself to the floor with her feet beneath her body and tail tucked close, settling her chin on her crossed paws in a complete refusal to play.

“Oh dear, Zalika in a paddy?” Jenny asked crawling to where she thought the Liliger was, finding the liligress’s tail and head by touch. Zalika, now thoroughly fed up, refused to move.

“What did I does wong?” Jenny asked. Zalika, eyes closed and mouth shut in a disapproving manner, refused to answer at first. Jenny, thinking she could get an answer from Zalika’s paws, tried to dig Zalika’s left paw from beneath her right in an effort to touch her pads, Zalika leaning hard on her paws and shifting them to stop her.

“Tell me what I did wrong Zalika, please,” Jenny pleaded.

“I think I know,” Titan mewed, lifting his head from where his chin rested on Sally’s arms. Sally then saw his cub’s refusal to play had hit Titan with surprising force, “Jenny, I won’t tell you yet, Zalika has the right to say her piece.”

“how connected are you two?” Sally asked.

“Very much connected,” Titan mewed, not elaborating further.

“Zalika, please?” Jenny begged, “please tell me what I did wrong.”

“you’s only gonna laugh if I says,” Zalika mewed dispiritedly.

“This is stupid, Zalika, you’re being a pest!” Jenny snapped.

“No it ain’t and I isn’t!” Zalika mewed.

“Well if you won’t tell me, who will?” Jenny asked.

“If you’s gonna listen I will,” Zalika replied miserably, “and no you can’t ‘ave my paaaaws!” she yowled, squirming away as Jenny tried to touch the pads of her left paw.

“You’ve really torn it Jenny,” Sally said.

“how?” Jenny asked.

“I’s, oh deaw,” Zalika mewed, sniffling slightly.

“You’re crying about this?” Jenny asked scornfully.

“’ow can I put into wowds what I feels when you mocks my speech and won’t listen!” Zalika yowled, burying her face in her paws.

“I’m listening now, please Zalika, tell me what’s wrong,” Jenny said, touching Zalika’s shoulder, the liligress squirming away from her touch.

“You’s made yourself unable to feel my mood, so what’s the point of touch?” Zalika asked bitterly.

“What’s brought this on?” Jenny asked.

“When we’s playing at giving biwth to cubs, you plays with me well enough, wesponding to me pushing my paws, ead and feet into youw ‘ands, making things as difficult fow me as I wanted. Then, when I’s landed my paws on youw foot at the last stage, you was good enough to go along with me when I’s saying about giving biwth to a feluwsapien cub. You’s ‘elped me by pulling youw foot through my paws as I stwuggled ‘awd as I wished, and all this was lovely, and I enjoyed it ‘ugely. Now though, when I’s ‘elping you pwetend to ‘ave a cub, and is saying that you’s doing well with youw effowts, you laugh at my speech and it all falls to bits in my paaaaws!” Zalika whimpered.

“I’m sorry Zalika,” Jenny replied, “I didn’t know you felt like that.”

“What was my paws telling you?” Zalika asked.

“To push, to push my foot, or feet into your paws as hard as I could. I could also grab you and scream and curl my toes and fight like mad to have the imaginary cub,” Jenny replied.

“yeah, because I knows you wants to,” Zalika mewed, “you wanted encouwagement, and I would ‘ave defended you stwaining and scweaming youw ‘ead off against anyone ‘ere who mocked you too, but you’s mocked me fow my speech pwaising you fow a good stawt at youw labouw. Does you think I wasn’t twying as ‘awd as I could to make things as weal as possible duwing the biwth of my imaginawy cub? I yelled it was ‘urting, because my toes was aching, my ‘ole body was exhausted fwom the effowt, but I cawwied on because I ‘ad youw ‘elp to do so. My safe wowd was so close to being said Jenny, but I cawwied on. “ Jenny looked towards Zalika, seeing little more than a brown blur in front of her, as her sight, while not being totally useless, was so bad she could not see much.

“I’m sorry Zalika, truly I am,” Jenny said.

“You hurt my cub by not trying as hard as she did,” Titan mewed, “Jenny, Zalika left everything on the rug when she pretended to have a cub. You promised her you’d try to pretend, you promised so much, but let yourself ignore your paws in favour of mocking one whom you are closer to than you know.”

“I find Zalika’s way of speaking so cute that’s all,” Jenny said.

“yes, but sounding to her as if you’re mocking her while she’s trying to help you isn’t the way to go,” Titan mewed.

“I wasn’t really trying to push either,” Jenny admitted.

“I knows,” Zalika mewed, “Jenny, I think you knows ‘ow ‘ard I twied duwing the biwth of my imaginawy cub, doesn’t you?”

“I think so,” Jenny said hesitantly, “I know you were inventive, and I felt the pressure of your feet in my hands and paws on my foot when you pushed, as well as heard your voice yowling and moaning very convincingly.”

“Would you like to feel how strongly Zalika felt the need to make the birth of her cub real Jenny?” Titan asked,.

“I have committed a grave offence, I can feel that, even without getting hands on,” Jenny replied, “I must feel how Zalika felt, know why she’s so upset.”

“I will show you,” Titan mewed, padding to Jenny, then lying down and taking her right foot in his paws, Jenny suddenly grabbing her left foot in both her hands, her eyes closing and face contorting with emotion and effort. Squirming, Jenny yowled and moaned:

“auauauauauauaauwaoaoaoaow! Uuuuumf! Auauauauauauaauwaoaoaoaow!” curling her toes with effort while pushing against her hands with her left foot, while her right received the power of Zalika’s re-enactment through the touch of Titan’s massive paws.

“Stoaoaoap it Titan, I can’t do iyiyiyt anymore!” Jenny squealed.

“I will,” Titan mewed, “but do you know what fuelled Zalika’s upset now? How hard she tried and how your refusal and seeming mockery of her made her feel?”

“I know, and I’m sorry,” Jenny said, crawling to Zalika and taking her paw.

“I knows you’s ‘uman,” Zalika mewed, “but you’s ‘ad the same guidance fwom mama Sita as Sally and the west of us, so why’s you so unable to commit youwself?” Zalika asked.

“I want to, but my mind won’t let me do what yours will let you do Zalika,” Jenny said, “I know I pretended to have cubs when I was younger, but now, now, though I want to, I can’t do it as well.”

“but you was doing fine,” Zalika mewed, “all you ‘as to do is listen to me, believe the cub’s weal and you’ll be fine.”

“I hear that sometimes the act is so real those who have just had cubs need to hug and wash the attendants,” Sally said.

“I’s fought that urge today,” Zalika mewed.

“I can still smell the scent of your effort Zalika,” Sally said.

“yeah, sowwy,” Zalika replied, “I’s gonna go wash now, I know pwetending to give biwth to a cub is ‘ot and addictive. Indeed, I thinks Titan would love to ‘ave more of a go, if ‘e didn’t get so scawed of ‘is own commitment to these things. Them becomes weality to ‘im too easily you sees. I can pwetend fow a long time, and only sometimes does I need a cub to ‘ug at the end, but Titan needs it all the time, as ‘e knows the weal thing.” Titan looked at his cub with haunted eyes.

“You know then, you feel,” he choked.

“I knows,” Zalika mewed, padding to Titan and hugging his paw, “you’s an open book to me Titan. I also knows why you begged me not to we-enact the biwth of a cub. it’s mowe to do with youw pewception of weality than mine. We’s two ‘alves of the same body, I ‘as youw couwage and cewtainty about things, you’s left with insecuwity and altewed weality. When you said you’d squeezed all your courage into me, you wasn’t too faw off the twuth I doesn’t think.”

“it’s true,” Titan mewed, “I’m half the liger I used to be.”

“’ow if I leaves fow the bwidge, then you can ‘ave youwself back,” Zalika mewed.

“No Zalika, don’t say that!” Titan wailed, clinging to her.

“but I’s taken so much fwom you,” Zalika mewed, “you’s scawed of evewything, you’s bust youw leg ‘cos of youw feaah, you’s scawed of me getting into fistypaws, so scawed in fact you’s taken my pawt in punishing Apuwdo. I’s got no contwol ovew my violence as I ‘as no modewation, and you none ovew youw feaah as you ‘as no courage to overcome it. youw feaah consumes you Titan, and that ‘urts me a lot when I sees it.”

“You’re not going to do anything stupid!” Titan wept, “Zalika, I don’t wayayayant you to do that, don’t do that, pleaeaease!” the liger begged, embracing her tightly in his huge paws and crying into her coat.

“I’s taken so much, and I can’t give it back,” Zalika mewed.

“It’s not your fault,” Titan sobbed, crushing Zalika to him, “we’re here because of an unusual occurrence, I can’t let you do what you suggested. I love you the way you are, fistypaws and all. I won’t hold you back unless there is another way,” Titan promised.

“I wants to give you some of my couwage so you doesn’t cuwl into a weeping ball at the slightest sound,” Zalika mewed.

“We’re part of each other, part of one whole, I can feel that now,” Titan mewed, “I don’t know what to do Zalika, my fear scares me stiff sometimes, but what can I do? I will never give birth to another cub, I know that.”

“’ow if whenevah you feels fwightened, you taps into my mind and tells me about it, then I can tells youw feaah to piss off?” Zalika asked, Titan laughing in spite of his upset.

“I could,” Titan mewed, “but that’s not fair on you. I didn’t bring you into the world to protect me.”

“I know,” Zalika mewed, “but a pawt of you ‘as come into my body, so if I can ‘elp make you complete again, I’s gonna does that ain’t I.” Titan kissed her nose and paws.

“Zalika,” Titan said, “dear cub, please, be careful, I don’t wan’a lose you!” Zalika hugged Titan as tightly as she could.

“I’s mowe likely to lose you I thinks,” she mewed, kissing his nose, Titan sobbing into her coat.

“’ow much of my act did you feel?” Zalika asked, drying his eyes.

“Everything!” Titan whimpered, “I was struggling not to puuuuuush!” he wailed.

“Tells you what,” Zalika mewed, “’ow if you ‘as a dam good go at pushing the stwess away, just you and I? I’s able to ‘elp you by guiding you thwough it Titan. I can feel it balling up in youw belly.” At this news, Titan lost control completely, screaming and yowling, he cried inconsolably into Zalika’s fur.

“If Titan weeps like that, he’ll drown Zalika and then be able to rebirth her,” Blackberry remarked.

“Blackberry!” Nanuq snapped, “that’s a disgusting comment!”

“yes Blackberry, I’m glad poor Titan is so deep in another place he can’t hear you,” patch said from where he sat on the sofa.

“What are we going to do with the tiggie waterfall though?” Jenny asked.

“those two will work together,” Theo said, having watched all from where he lay.

“Would Zalika’s plan have worked?” Blackberry asked, regretting his question as soon as he had asked it, for the look Theo gave him froze him to his marrow.

“What the hell do you think?” Nanuq asked, looking sick, “neither Titan, nor Zalika had any control over what happened during her birth, now both are suffering in their own ways. Titan knows he shouldn’t be so scared of everything as he is, and Zalika knows her wish for violence disturbs her and him.”

“It’s a real problem,” Patch mused, watching Titan and Zalika grooming each other.

“Zalika needs a release of her pent up fury, and Titan needs release from his constant highly strung state,” Nanuq replied.

“Titan gets his release from being hugged and stroked, Zalika gets hers from physical effort,” Sally surmised.

“Zalika pushed her feet properly into my hands,” Jenny replied, “she strained with everything she had., I only wish I could show half the commitment she does.”

“That’s because she was relieving her stress at Titan’s discomfort at the idea of her wanting to do what scares him,” Sally replied, “if Titan had been the one pushing, he could hardly have done what Zalika did. Titan will run from his fear, Zalika will beat the stress she feels to a pulp by pushing it out of her.”

“That’s why Titan weeps at the end of his re-enactments,” Sally said, “they terrify him, but he enjoys the challenge which ends in him feeling he needs to fight, to rid himself of the fear planted in him during his own passage down the tunnel. Zalika though, she fights till the end, then still wants fistypaws.”

“psychology ay? What a muddle,” Blackberry remarked.

“We shouldn’t be talking like this,” Nanuq said.

“Titan looks permanently scared, and Zalika permanently angry,” Blackberry mused.

“he’s always trying to stop her from flying off the, “bleedin’ ‘andle,” as she put it once,” Sally said.

“I thinks we’s being discussed,” Zalika mewed.

“I would discuss us if I was them,” Titan replied, “we’re a right pair Zalika.” Zalika hugged Titan as tightly as she could.

“We’s both a pwopah mess ain’t we,” she mewed.

“Maybe if we work together, we might help each other,” Titan mewed.

“We does alweady,” Zalika mewed, “you’s alweady stopped me going all fistypaws on Apuwdo, and I’s ‘elped you to undewstand my liking fow we-enacting the biwths of cubs, and that it won’t ‘urt me to does it ‘awd and stwong,” Zalika mewed.

“The thought terrifies me,” Titan mewed.

“if I gets paws on with you while you push, would that be nice?” Zalika asked.

“I can’t ask it of my cub!” Titan whimpered.

“but is I a cub inside of me? I’s gwown up fastew than you knows I thinks, and well, is I pawt of you as you awe now but in a smaller package?”

“Don’t get all philosophical on me, please! Titan begged, “I have a headache already!” he whimpered.

“so Titan gave birth to a messed up cub?” Apudo asked, padding back into the room.

“It’s said one mess breeds another,” Jespah growled.

“Shut it!” Bianca snapped, cuffing Jespah with her paw.

“how on earth did we elect such a mess as leader in the first place?” Apudo asked.

“You put him up for it when you were in a previous life I think,” Blackberry replied.

“I didn’t! oh, um, ah,” Apudo grumbled.

“I’ll resign if the community wants,” Titan mewed. I was elected leader before Zalika’s birth, and that has clearly changed me, so I may be unfit.”

“I’ll put it to the community,” Apudo mewed.

“You bloody won’t!” Patch growled.

“And you have the authority of the community do you Patch?” Apudo asked, her mane bristling.

“NO, but I can tell you it will fail,” Patch replied. Apudo stormed out of the lie up, intent on her course.

“What will ‘appen if you’s no longer leadew?” Zalika asked.

“to you my dear, nothing,” Titan mewed, “we will move from this place to another lie up, and I won’t be called leader of the community, that’s all.”

“is you weady for that to ‘appen?” Zalika asked.

“If the community wish it, yes,” Titan mewed, “I’m still me, and we’re still together Zalika. You are my priority, always have been.” Titan kissed her nose, “we will curl up together and I’ll protect you with everything I have,” he said, Zalika looking into the liger’s permanently scared eyes.

“but you’s tewwified, even now!” she whimpered.

“I don’t know why,” Titan mewed, Zalika hugging him tightly.

“does you know why I scweamed like I did duwing my we-enactment of that biwth?” she asked.

“Because my stress levels were through the roof?” Titan asked.

“Yeah,” Zalika mewed, “the mowe I scweamed, the mowe I ‘ad to push. Then I weally got yowling and gwowling duwing a weally good push when the cub’s body was coming out, and that felt wondewful.”

“that was when I had resigned myself to you pushing as hard as you wished,” Titan admitted, “prior to that, I was willing you not to.”

“I likes the stwuggle vewy much Titan,” Zalika mewed, “what’s mowe, I ‘as appawently got the paws and feet fow it too, appawently my toes cuwl vewy expwessivly.”

“they do that,” Titan mewed, “I’ve watched your paws and feet while you’ve pretended to have a cub, and while you’re lying on your side, I can see your paws and feet very well. They are very expressive.”

“I should be able to push without bracing my feet,” Zalika mewed.

“It’s okay to brace your feet against someone’s paws Zalika,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose and the pads of all four of her paws, Zalika purring deeply.

“It’s ‘awd to push if I don’t,” Zalika mewed.

“During the real thing you don’t need anything to brace your feet against to push,” Titan mewed, “though, he mused, “it is nice to feel a touch on your feet.”

“I’s only pwetending,” Zalika said, “I bet it weally is stwange when it ‘appens fow weal.”

“it feels like the largest urge to relieve yourself you’ve ever had,” Titan mewed, “you push and pant, push and moan, push and scream until it’s done.”

“but it’s all the stuff befowe that, all the pains and cuwling toes befowe the pushing that exhausts you, then you ‘as to push as well as moan, cuwl youw toes and do evewything else,,” Zalika mewed.

“Yes,” Titan replied, “have you tried the first bit too?”

“I’ve twied the lot, Philomena and I twied it ovew two days, fiwst ‘er, then me, I found it vewy ‘awd towards the end, I loved the pushing bit,.”

“so that’s why you were so good at the pushing stage today,” Titan mewed.

“yes, I supposes that’s why,” Zalika replied, snuggling up to Titan. “I’s pwomised Sita I’d let ‘ur get paws on while I ttwies to labouw fow hours.”

“I heard Philomena was going to show Sita how she did it,” Titan mewed.

“she did,” Zalika mewed, “it took Sita and me to soothe Philomena during the latew stages of ‘ur confinement, she scweamed and yowled, gwabbed my paws and cwushed ‘em. I’s vewy stwong though, so she didn’t ‘uwt me.”

“I hope you rubbed her feet with your paws,” Titan mewed.

“Oh I did, and she pushed ‘ur feet ‘awed into my paws too,” Zalika mewed, “Philomena’s weally good at that, weally committed to ‘ur act.”

“as were you Zalika my dear,” Titan mewed, hugging her.

“I twied,” Zalika purred.

“Maybe I’d better watch Philomena to get some tips,” Jenny said.

“You ‘as to leawn to believe in the biwth of the cub,” Zalika mewed.

“I don’t do that just yet,” Jenny replied, “Zalika, I heard some get so into it, they have to wash the attendants or any cubs nearby after the cub is born.”

“I faught against that uwge, but Titan couldn’t.” Zalika purred.

“Don’t judge me for it,” Titan whimpered.

“I think it was sweet,” Jenny replied, “you shoving me out of the way was as if you’d given birth to Zalika and needed to wash her.”

“Maybe ‘e ‘ad, well sowt of,” Zalika mewed, “aftew all, a wipped up wug where ‘e was lying ain’t coincidence is it? ‘e was stwaining with me, I’s suwe of it.”

“I can’t remember,” Titan mewed, “it’s all a haze, I came out of it with sweating paws and trapped toes, then I wiggled my paws and feet free, ran to you and washed you Zalika.”

“You weren’t yowling, just complaining about Zalika’s realism,” Jenny said.

“it doesn’t mean I wasn’t feeling her efforts!” Titan whimpered, his eyes full of memories.

“did you feel what I twied to do?” Zalika asked, Titan gulping hard.

“what do you think?” he asked, his eyes on hers.

“You pushed with me duwing my last few pushes didn’t you,” Zalika mewed.

“I did Zalika, sorry,” Titan mewed.

“I’s glad you did,” Zalika purred, kissing his nose and paws, “Titan, I knows I ‘uwt you today. You let me does what I wants, while being pawt of me to feel my uwge to push. My paws is youws and youws is mine, and you must ‘ate it when I goes into full labouw mode.” Titan purred softly:

“I don’t hate re-enactments, it’s just the intensity I can achieve which scares me.” Zalika kissing his paws.

“You pushed with me when I asked for ‘elp, and that was lovely,” Zalika mewed.

“I felt extra pressure on my hands and feet,” Jenny said.

“that was the combined efforts of two big cats,” Titan replied.

“You washed Zalika but she was the one giving birth to her cub,” Jenny replied.

“I wanted to wash ‘im too,” Zalika mewed, “but, well, I was too exhausted.”

“I think Zalika and I need to curl up together and rest,” Titan mewed.

“What about you helping me trying to push against my imaginary cub?” Jenny asked.

“Blackbewwy and the feluwsapien’s can ‘elp you does that,” Zalika mewed, “I doesn’t think you’s gonna be able to match me, let alone Titan.”

“I’ve really upset you haven’t I,” Jenny said.

“I thinks you needs some pwactise, goes to Blackbewwy, and maybe Philomena too, Felix also, let ‘em teach you a bit mowe, then, then maybe, maybe when you come to me one time, you won’t mock me when I work my ‘ardest to ‘elp you,” Zalika mewed sadly.

“Okay,” Jenny replied.

“Philomena has challenged Sita to spend another day with her while she pretends to have a cub Jenny,” Titan mewed, “why not go with them? Philomena will let you get just as paws on as Zalika did.” Jenny hugged Titan and Zalika.

“I’ll do that,” she said, “Zalika, I’m truly sorry for hurting you.”

“Maybe next time you can do bettew than today,” Zalika mewed.

“Titan,” Blackberry asked, padding over to and kneeling beside the liger, “What was it like while Zalika was labouring to give birth to her imaginary cub?”

“Every effort she made had me curling my toes and wanting to scream!” Titan whimpered, Zalika hugging the liger’s paw.

“I thought there had been a split of one tiger into two when Zalika was born,” Blackberry said, snuggling close to Titan.

“I shouldn’t feel what I do from Zalika, but I can’t help it,” Titan mewed.

“If you didn’t, it wouldn’t be right,” Blackberry replied, “I’m sure Zalika would be in another place by now if you hadn’t been a moderator on her aggression.”

“I ‘ate to think about that,” Zalika mewed, “I thinks need to pwetend to ‘ave cubs mowe so I doesn’t fly off the ‘andle.” A mewing sound from close by made Zalika and Titan look round, Zalika gasping:

“what the ‘ell’s that?” A strange looking creature crawled up to her, a creature with a cat’s face, huge paws, then, as Zalika watched and more of it came into her line of sight, she saw it had bare human like feet and a tail.

“Oh for Eo’ippus sake, I didn’t fow weal did I?” Zalika asked, rubbing her eyes with her paws, Titan blinking hard and staring in shocked silence.

“Zalika, what is this?” he asked hoarsely.

“I doesn’t know, I knows my imagination was vivid, but, I can’t make that! I pwomise I didn’t give weal biwth Titan, it was imaginawy!” she pleaded, turning to him, her eyes terrified.

“Miaow?” the creature asked, snuggling up to Zalika, the liligress pushing the creature away in sudden revulsion.

“Get away fwom meyeee!” she yowled, slapping the creature, then immediately feeling terrible for her violence.

“but you gave birth to me, now you slap me?” the creature mewed, Zalika hearing Titan choke on a sudden rush of emotion.

“this ain’t weal, it can’t be weal, I didn’t!” Zalika protested.

“Well I’m real aren’t I?” the creature mewed, trying to cuddle up to Zalika once more, the liligress angrily pushing it away, growling,

“go away!” But the creature was persistent, snuggling up to Zalika, ignoring the liligress’s distress and anger. Suddenly the dam on Zalika’s confusion and anxiety burst and she grabbed the creature in her paws, grooming it with a fierce intensity, not stopping until she’d groomed it from nose to tail, mewing and whimpering throughout, The cub snuggling close to her as if she had indeed given birth to it. Exhausted after grooming a creature that everyone could see she considered to be her cub, Zalika rested her head on her paws, crying with the intensity of her emotions.

“Sorry, I can’t, can’t keep this up!” a familiar voice said, “oh Zalika, Titan! Your faces were a picture!” Philomena squealed, rolling about on the floor, laughing helplessly.

“Philomena! naooaaoao!” Zalika yowled, “you pest!!” she screamed.

“You mean, mean, how?” Titan sniffled.

“Blackbewwy’s dwessing up box, ‘is gloves, like the socks, modified into a set of paws, then add Philomena’s mischievous natuwe and you’s got thiyiyiyis !” Zalika yowled, “I didn’t wecognise ‘ur face! I should ‘ave bowled that wight out, but I didn’t! you ‘ad me fooled Philomena!” Zalika yelled, slapping the floor with her paws to dissipate her fury.

“”now Zalika, you must agree, it was quite good,” Blackberry giggled.

“naooaaoao Blackbewwy it wasn’t! you’s a pwopah shit fow letting ‘ur does that! You’s just as bad as ‘ur is!” Zalika yowled.

“I loved dressing up,” Philomena giggled, pulling off the gloves, revealing her hands, “it had you convinced, I loved it!” she guffawed.

“I’s got ‘ago fow counselling!” Zalika whimpered.

“I would have loved to groom that cub,” Titan mewed.

“awhwhw, I’ll act all cubbish again, or should that be more cubbish than usual if you like,” Philomena said, Zalika shooting Titan a warning glare.

“No Titan, don’t!” she begged.

“Are you worried you might fall for the fictional cub again?” Titan asked, watching Zalika’s toes curling with her sudden emotion.

“Titan, fow a bit, fow a minute, it wasn’t fictional!” the liligress confessed.

“You wished for a real cub?” Titan asked.

“Fow a second, duwing my biggest effowts, yes!” Zalika yowled, her eyes terrified.

“I did too,” Titan whimpered into his paws, the memory of the vision of the cub Zalika had imagined vivid once more.

“when I was pushing to get the cub’s feet out, and slightly befowe that too, I was imagining the cub, twying to push as ‘awd as I could,” Zalika wept, clinging to Titan, “then, now, oh,” coughing convulsively as she nearly choked on a rush of tears, “I ‘ad to gwoom that cub, and, and, oaoaoaoaoh! It feyeeelt weaeaeal!” she yowled.

“I know it did,” Titan said, his voice hoarse, “Zalika, I wished for a minute it was.” Philomena, realising her prank had gone very wrong, slunk from the room, went into her lie up, sat down and tried to compose herself, knowing Zalika’s grooming of her had been driven by genuine emotion. Feeling dreadful, Philomena buried herself in her bedding, covering her face with her quilt, crying with shame.

Hours later, or so it seemed, Philomena felt a nose nudge hers through the quilt, then two paws scrabbling, digging to uncover her face. Whimpering:

“naooaaoao!” Philomena clung to the quilt, the persistence of the scuffling, digging paws, claws sheathed, paying off, Philomena closing her eyes against the sight she knew she’d see. It was only when the kiss to her nose came that Philomena felt a ray of relief.

“Philomena, you wasn’t to know ‘ow weal I thought things was,” Zalika mewed, “please, don’t get upset about it.”

“I was playing a game, but for you, it wasn’t!” Philomena whimpered, “Zalika, I’m sorry!” she said.

“It’s all wight, I’s okay now,” Zalika mewed, “but, I tells you what, you ‘as weally soft fuw, cute face, and lovely paws and feet.”

“But the paws weren’t mine, not really mine,” Philomena whimpered.

“Well shows me youw weal paws then,” Zalika asked, Philomena showing the liligress her hands.

“yeah, them’s cute,” Zalika mewed, kissing the palms of Philomena’s hands, Philomena staring at Zalika.

“You’re either silly, or the most tolerant creature here,” she said.

“Titan’s told me I can be soppy if I’s wanting,” Zalika mewed, “if you wants me to gwoom you like my cub, and I wants it, it’s fine.” Philomena smiled at Zalika.

“the need to groom a cub or an attendant aftew a ‘awd labouw is a known thing,” she said, mimicking Zalika’s trick of speech.

“it is,” Zalika mewed.

“Would you like to help me give birth to an imaginary liliger cub so we can even things out?” Philomena asked.

“I was gonna ask Jenny to come to you,” Zalika said, “Can I ‘ugs youw paws, sowwy, ‘ands and feet Philomena?” Philomena nodded towards the other end of the bed.

“Finds my feet then,” she said, Zalika pouncing with a frustrated miaow, scrabbling at the quilt with her paws until she’d uncovered Philomena’s naked soled feet, then hugging each one in turn, Philomena laughing helplessly as her toes and heels were tickled by Zalika’s paws and whiskers.

“Now I think I’m ready to act out the birth of a huge imaginary liliger cub,” Philomena said.

“You could miaow and gwowl like Titan,” Zalika mewed.

“I can also moan like a bear and scream like a human too,” Philomena said.

“You’s so funny!” Zalika mewed, kissing the toes of Philomena’s left foot, the felursapien purring deeply.

“can I get paws on with youw feet?” Zalika asked. Philomena sat up on her bed and wiggled her toes at Zalika, laughing helplessly as the liligress pounced on her wiggling toes with both paws.

“that’s your answer,” Philomena replied, ruffling Zalika’s ears as the ligress used her paws to explore the soles of her feet.

“Want me to curl my toes as if pushing against a cub?” Philomena mewed.

“Can you?” Zalika asked, Philomena, in answer, wriggling, moaning, then pushing hard into Zalika’s paws with her right foot while she held onto her left, squeezing her heel pad and the ball of her left foot while tightly curling her toes, Zalika exploring Philomena’s tightly curled toes and bunched pads, knowing she should have felt this level of commitment from Jenny. Philomena, yowling and squealing while clinging desperately to her left foot, repeatedly pushed her right foot into Zalika’s paws, Philomena’s voice expressing her effort as much as her toes:

“Aoaoaoaowch! Riaoaoaoaoaoowch! Umf, umf, uuuuumf! Riaiaiaiaiaow! Uuuuumf! Heuuuuuumf!” Philomena complained as she pushed her right foot into Zalika’s paws with increasing urgency and power, panting hard during the lulls between her efforts, squealing and writhing as her cub’s need to be born increased, Zalika seeing Philomena’s hands repeatedly relaxing then gripping her right foot with fierce strength and urgency as she rode waves of pain and urges to push. Zalika’s eyes widened as she watched Philomena’s hands rubbing and squeezing the pads on the sole of her left foot as well as her curling and uncurling toes while she struggled through her labour, Zalika amazed at how tightly Philomena was able to hold her left foot in her hands and curl her toes, even though she was acting. To start with, Philomena pushed three times with her right foot, while holding onto her left foot, the toes of both her feet curling as tightly as she could curl them. Then, panting hard, Philomena let go of her left foot, and, whimpering in her effort to relax her toes,, grabbed her right foot in both hands, before, with a yowl, curling her toes as tightly as she could while pushing into Zalika’s paws with her left foot, alternating the feet she held and pushed with from time to time.

“Puuush the cuuuub Philomena!” Zalika encouraged after five minutes of Philomena’s act, Philomena panting, then straining harder and longer into Zalika’s paws with her left foot than she had before, the heel and ball of her right gripped in her hands, Zalika watching the toes of Philomena’s right foot curling with the intensity of her effort. Looking at Philomena’s face, Zalika saw the felursapien was genuinely fighting to push her right foot as hard as she could into her paws while holding onto her free foot in both hands and not letting go.

“Puuush the cub Philomena, puuush it ‘awd!” Zalika encouraged, Philomena squealing and moaning with effort as she repeatedly pushed her foot hard into the liligress’s paws.

“auauauauwch! Heuuuuuumf! Herhrhrhrhumf! Aouwch! Uuuuuuuumf!” Philomena moaned.

“You’s doing weally well, it’s wondewful!” Zalika encouraged, Philomena panting, swapping feet so she grabbed her right foot in her hands, jamming her left into the grip of Zalika’s paws with an urgency born of her increasing need. Zalika watched for and felt for Philomena’s times of relaxation during her labour, rubbing the pads of the foot she held between Philomena’s efforts, watching Philomena wriggle while frantically rubbing the foot she held in her hands with which she wasn’t pushing, then all too soon for Philomena she was back to straining harder than ever with her pushing foot while holding onto her other foot with all her strength, pushing one foot hard against Zalika’s rubbing paws while holding as tightly as she could onto the heel and ball of her other foot. Once Zalika put the toes of her left paw into the range of the toes of Philomena’s right foot, the felursapien curling her toes round those of Zalika’s left paw, Philomena squeezing Zalika’s paw hard in the grip of her curled toes as she made effort, Zalika yowling with surprise at Philomena’s strength, having to brace her own feet against the wall to stop herself being pushed off the bed.

“oaoaoaaoh, this is weally tough!” Zalika panted when Philomena relaxed after a minute of constant pressure from her feet against Zalika’s paws during which effort Philomena squeezed Zalika’s paw twice in a minute with her curled toes.

“tough?” Philomena gasped, “you think you have it tough? I, I cayayayan’t Stoaoaoap!” Philomena squealed, “this cuuuuub’s on its wayayayay!” she yowled, getting up onto her knees and sitting back on her heels for a bit, Zalika rubbing the felursapien’s damp pads as Philomena gasped and moaned, wriggled and bounced.

“eueueueueuemf! Uauauauauaowch! Ouwch aauuauaauuowch!” Philomena squealed as she drilled her heels into her backside, curling her toes with imagined intense sensations. Suddenly Zalika found herself engulfed in a huge hug, Philomena squealing and roaring into Zalika’s thick fur as she tried to cope, Zalika just about able to reach the struggling felursapien’s right foot with her left paw to stroke her pads.

“it’s gonna be okay, I’s ‘ere,” Zalika said softly, hearing Philomena’s moan of pain, then feeling her foot pressing against her paw as she pushed hard against it.

“the cuuuuub’s coming!” Philomena roared, reclining on the bed, both her feet in Zalika’s paws as the little liligress sat on the bed opposite Philomena, her paws locked in the grip of the toes of Philomena’s hot padded feet, Zalika leaning back against the wall, each of her large paws pressed hard against one of Philomena’s feet while Philomena pushed with both feet together, Zalika encouraging her to:

“pant as ‘ard and yowl as loud as you can Philomena, the cuuuuub’s ‘paws and ead is coming out now, go on, I can takes it!” her eyes shut, Philomena braced her feet hard into Zalika’s paws, their toes locked together, pads to pads, Zalika yowling and miaowing with the pressure as Philomena, Screaming, clung to Zalika’s paws in desperation, as she struggled to bring her imaginary big cat cub into the world. Squealing and moaning:

“the cuuuuub’s paaaaws are huuuge! Uuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Aeyeyeyeyeyaoaoaow! Aow! Oh, uauauauauauwch! Eueueueueuemf! It’s head’s huuuge tooo, Aouw aow aouwch!” Philomena complained lustily, panting hard as she wriggled and bounced convulsively with her effort not to push. Then, squealing:

“It’s no good! ,ouououououwach!!” Philomena drew up her knees, grabbed Zalika’s paws with her hands, pressing Zalika’s pads hard against the soles of her feet, the powerful grip of Philomena’s curled toes and of her hands, sudden deep moan of discomfort and the sight of her tightly curled toes astonishing Zalika. Suddenly, wriggling urgently and panting hard, Philomena yowled:

“The cub’s head’s, ouw! ouwch! Iyiyiyt’s ouuouout!” Zalika, watching her, saw her take a deep breath, then Philomena moaned deeply, panting hard and settling herself.

“Go on Philomena, puuuuuush, the cub’s paws and ‘ead awe out, it’s body now needs to come out!” Zalika encouraged, Philomena drawing up her legs, settling her feet into the soft embracing grip of Zalika’s paws, then pushing both feet hard against Zalika’s paws, screaming with her efforts:

“auauauuw! Uuuuumf! Ruuuuuumf! Uauauauauw! The cuuuuub’s enormous! Muuuuust puuuuuush! Got’a keep puuuuuuushing! I wayayayan’a puuuuuush!” Zalika, now on her hind legs, miaowed with her own efforts, bracing her feet into the bed, trying to hold the strength of Philomena’s effort with her paws and not sit down. Half way through, Zalika’s strength gave out and she had to sit, her paws still held in the grip of Philomena’s feet, she and Philomena still committed to each other’s struggles.

“sorry Zalika, sorry!” Philomena gasped, easing off her pressure.

“naooaaoao you don’t give up Philomena, ‘old on tight with them toes and keep pushing, that cub’s body and feeyeeet need to come out!” Zalika miaowed, her own paws and feet drenched in sweat.

“uauauauauauwch!” Philomena yowled, pushing hard against the seemingly endless softness of Zalika’s paw pads with both feet.

“Philomena, can I pwess my feet against youws, my paws is aching!” Zalika begged. Philomena, whimpering, replied that she could. Zalika lay on her back on the bed, her feet finding Philomena’s, feeling her toes gripped by the felursapien’s, then the fierce pressure of Philomena’s heels on the pads of her large feet, Zalika miaowing and growling as she pushed back with all the strength in her legs while Philomena yowled as she strained with her own legs.

“the cub’s body’s out now, now fow it’s feeyeeet!” Zalika yowled, her whole body exhausted, suddenly Philomena let go of Zalika’s toes with her own, sat up on the bed and grabbed Zalika’s left foot in her hands.

“this cuuuuub’s got ‘uuuge feeyeeet!” Philomena yowled, Zalika laughing so hard she couldn’t act the part for five minutes.

“You ain’t doing that is you?” she asked, almost choking.

“I’ve already puuuuuush most of the biggest big cat cub ever born into the world, I’ve got’a get her feeyeeet ooooououowt!” Philomena whimpered, squirming and panting, her toes curling and relaxing with increasing urgency.

“Okay, my feet awe fow it,” Zalika giggled.

“if you wan’a curl your toes, go on, I’ll react to that,” Philomena replied. Zalika tugged at her left foot, watching Philomena’s bare feet, the naked pads for bunching and toes for degree of curl as they were in her eye line, while Philomena’s hands held her own fur covered foot in a gentle grip. The minute Zalika tugged, Philomena moaned and wriggled, the toes of both her human like feet curling with imagined pain, then Zalika felt the pressure on her pads as Philomena moaned deeply, Zalika tugging her foot through Philomena’s grip, Philomena squealing as she imagined pushing, her toes curling tightly and relaxing as her efforts waxed and waned, efforts throughout which Zalika made sure her feet were difficult to free, pulling each one through Philomena’s hands to the level of her weight baring pads asPhilomena simulated pushing by squeezing Zalika’s foot in her hands, Philomena letting Zalika’s foot slide back a little when she relaxed the pressure of her hands on Zalika’s foot, then she made another squealing effort, Zalika watching Philomena’s face and the soles of both her feet for her levels of effort, as well as working with her touch, reacting by pulling her feet through Philomena’s hands whenever the felursapien gripped her foot. One squealing, roaring effort from Philomena enabled Zalika to pull her left foot completely free of her hands after ten minutes of loud, toe curling, squealing struggle on the felursapien’s part.

“the cub’s left foot out, the right to go!” Philomena gasped, grabbing Zalika’s huge right foot in her hands, Zalika seeing Titan watching from the doorway, his mouth wide with shock and eyes terrified.

“iyiyiyt’s working!” Philomena yowled, groaning as Zalika tugged and she resisted the liligress’s effort. Groaning, Philomena curled her toes, apparently straining hard, Zalika’s own effort slowly pulling her right foot through the grip of Philomena’s hands, Philomena’s grip on the big cat’s foot fierce, Zalika’s toes coming free with a rush at the peak of both their efforts. Panting, Philomena and Zalika lay looking at each other, their hands, paws and feet damp with the sweat of their struggle.

“I thought someone was dying!” Titan moaned, collapsing on the rug by the door.

“Oh deaw, we’s done for the tiggie!” Zalika giggled, Philomena hugging her and grooming her.

“I’s always wanted a big cat cub,” Philomena said, kissing Zalika’s nose.

“don’t ever try giving imaginary birth to me Philomena!” Titan begged.

“I won’t, Zalika was hard enough thanks,” Philomena giggled, dropping to the floor, then to her knees beside the liger and hugging him.

“You two will be the death of me,” Titan whimpered, Zalika and Philomena kissing his nose and the pads of his paws and feet.

“I loved the feel of your paws and feet on mine Zalika,” Philomena giggled.

“I loved the feel of yours on mine too,” Zalika replied.

“I really thought someone was dying!” Titan mewed, trembling from nose to tail, his pads sweating freely.

“You’s so scawed of evewything,” Zalika mewed.

“I’m worried about you, that’s all!” Titan whimpered, “I felt everything!” he screamed.

“What did you feel?” Philomena asked.

“Pressure on my feet and paws, squeezing, anticipation of something about to happen!” Titan howled.

“that was ouw game you silly tiggie!” Zalika giggled, kissing his nose.

“It was only when I found you that I saw everything was all right!” Titan whimpered.

“We’s got’a do something to ‘elp this big scawedy-cat tiggie,” Zalika mewed.

“I don’t want to be like thiyiyiyis!” Titan whimpered.

“I knows it, but ‘ow does we get you some bwavewy?” Zalika asked laughing, “you’s so scawed it’s cuuuute!” she giggled.

“No it ain’t, it’s awful!” Titan whimpered.

“Poor Titan Tiggie, so scawed is ‘e, ‘e’s wegulawly found up a twee!” Zalika teased.

“It would be true if I wasn’t afraid of heights,” Titan moaned.

“Well it’s already been curtains for you once on that front,” Philomena said.

“don’t remind meyeee!” Titan whimpered.

“’ow can we makes you bwave again?” Zalika asked, “you won’t let me go acwoss the bwidge and wetuwn you to as you were befowe my biwth, so ‘ows we gonna ‘elp you?”

“I need to try to be braver, to try and face my fears,” Titan mewed.

“Same as I ‘as to leawn not to go all fistypaws when someone angahs me,” Zalika replied.

“You’re mature before your time Zalika,” Titan mewed, “I’m sorry you didn’t have a normal cubhood.”

“You was too, if the ‘istowy is wight,” Zalika mewed softly, kissing Titan’s nose.

“we follow a path which I would wish we hadn’t set paw on,” Titan mewed.

“I think we might be on anothuh one if you loses the leadewship,” Zalika mewed.

“Bugger the leadership,” Titan said, “right now, I’m focused on you Zalika, you’re my priority, I need to give you my full attention and all four paws.” Zalika felt his paws hug her, then Titan pull her close to him, snuggling her to him as tightly as he did when she was newborn when she was trembling with cold.

“I love you so much Zalika,” Titan mewed, “I would rather be a big scaredy-cat than see you go back over the bridge. I couldn’t imagine life without you now.” Zalika kissed the pads of Titan’s left paw, the liger purring deeply.

“and I couldn’t without you,” she said.

“I’m gonna cry,” Philomena sniffled, grabbing a tissue from a box and wiping her eyes.

“now you’s a big soppy thing too Philomena,” Zalika teased, Philomena hugging her.

Later that night, when everyone else had gone to bed, Philomena, Felix and Zalika were talking in Philomena’s lie up.

“talking of ovewcoming feaahs,” Zalika mewed, “I’s got’a ovewcome the feaah of undewgwound caws. ‘ow and where can I does that?”

“Well there is this place called London, they have a huge underground system,” Felix mewed, “I’ve seen it on the internet, I even know how to get there, if you possibly can without being taken for an escapee from a zoo of course.”

“Blackbewwy and patch could does that quite easily, but not any of us,” Zalika mused.

“I don’t know if it’s that difficult,” Felix said, “you see, there is a mind-set in this big place they call London. Everyone’s so involved in their own affairs, they don’t question things that may seem unusual, as long as they are not suspicious. I know the police are looking for humans doing suspicious things, packages, that sort of thing, but a medium size cat should be able to roam around quite easily. I could get you there if you wanted.”

“I’s up fow it, I knows it’s dangewous, but I’s that kind of cat.” Zalika mewed.

“What about Titan though, he’ll go spare when he finds out,” Philomena said.

“bugger that,” Felix mewed, “Zalika’s big enough and mature enough to make her own choices, Titan said as much himself earlier today.”

“I don’t like it,” Philomena whimpered, but Felix and Zalika were keen.

Felix told Zalika of a lorry that delivered food from London, which he knew was due to leave in the early morning, on which she might stow away. To this end, he showed her into the loading bay where the lorry was parked, its tail gate down and workers, much used to the somewhat unorthodox members of the community, went about unloading stores, paying no attention to the creatures, meaning Felix and Zalika’s presence was ignored.

“Get in there, and next stop is London,” Felix mewed, waving at the lorry. Zalika, her pads sweating with apprehension, hung back when Felix gave her rump a push.

“I’s not so suwe now,” she said.

“go, hide behind those boxes being loaded into the van, they’re empties,” Felix mewed, shoving Zalika again. Zalika, her mouth dry, padded to the tail board and up it into the lorry. Hiding at the back, facing the tailgate as Felix suggested, Zalika soon found herself surrounded by boxes, some of which were even piled on top of her, as she’d lain down.

“I’s silly doing this,” she thought, “but now I’s committed. What the ‘ell is I doing!” but then her reckless mind reasserted itself, and she felt exhilarated. The lorry doors were slammed, and Zalika felt the engine start. She’d drank and eaten, as well as relieved herself beforehand, so she was as ready as she could be. Felix had also told her where the lorry would stop in London, at a place called Paddington station, where there was a huge lorry park and easy access to the place where she could test herself. The lorry rumbled out along the drive, the cobbles making a rumbling sound which soon sent Zalika to sleep. She was woken by cold air blowing in over her whiskers, and for a minute couldn’t work out where she was, then she remembered. Looking up, she saw the boxes being unloaded, the light becoming stronger. Zalika knew dawn hadn’t yet come. It so happened that while she was listening to the noises outside, someone yelled the time, “a quarter past four in the morning.” Zalika knew she’d climbed into the lorry around midnight, so she might not yet be missed at the house. Terrified now, and missing Titan, she cowered at the back of the lorry, dreading the next bit. Felix said she had to walk out purposefully, not rush, walk out of the lorry and turn right, he said he’d seen inside the place where she was by using the internet, something Zalika knew little of, but he seemed to know a lot about. Felix had also fitted her with a collar so he could track her, the collar was light and very comfortable, indeed, she’d almost forgotten she was wearing it. Zalika got to her feet, then waited. The worker who unloaded the box in front of her stared at her, their eyes meeting.

“we’ve got a stow away, a cat!” the worker screamed, waving their arms about frantically. Zalika bolted out of the lorry, down the tailgate and right, out of the hanger and into the street, her paws skidding in the loose gravel of a goods yard as she fled. The worker went into the lorry to see if the cat was still there, but found it had gone. Doubting what they’d seen because they felt tired, they went for their break. Zalika ran through the streets, finding herself in the place where Felix had said she could burrow underground. Walking down some steps, she found herself in a huge place with people all round her. these were noisy people, shouting, swearing, moving, indeed, Zalika had to suppress a sudden urge to chase two little humans who ran across her path, who were chased by a larger female human who shouted at them. Zalika watched the humans queuing and going through a funny sort of door, it had metal sides and a half door which she could easily leap, but waiting and watching, Zalika soon saw this would be impossible due to the amount of humanity about. Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw a dog approaching the metal gates. It was beside a man, and the dog wore an orange harness, onto which the man held by a handle. Padding up to the dog, Zalika asked in pleasant tones, where she was, and what the dog was doing. The response she got was short and to the point.

We’re in London silly, and I’m guiding my owner so kindly leave me alone.” Zalika stared at the dog, noting the words on his harness.

“That’s a guide dog,” someone said nearby, pointing to the dog. Zalika, though her reading was poor, could understand English, even heavily accented English spoken by those who were not originally from that part of the world, so she understood the dog was a guide dog. Fascinated, she watched the man and dog go through the gate, Zalika following in their wake. Unchallenged, she soon found herself approaching a stairway which moved away from her as she watched. Fearing it, Zalika walked a little further until she found stationary stairs. Walking down them, she found herself in a lower level hall with strange sounds coming to her from tunnels in front of and beside her. walking carefully down the tiled hall, then into the narrow passageway in front of her, feeling the tiles cold beneath her paws and feet, Zalika felt her fear subside as she recognised the feel of the tiles as like those she’d felt at home. The sounds of rushing air and garbled voices, smells unfamiliar to her, as well as the feel of warm air brushing through her fur frightened and stimulated Zalika in equal measures, Zalika feeling half-drunk with everything by the time she emerged onto a platform. More people than she’d ever seen in her life stood on the platform, and she was soon jostled and shoved to one end by the mass, her body pressed to the wall, her paws on the white line at the edge of the platform. Looking to her right, she looked straight into the mouth of a tunnel which to her looked like the entrance to hell. Gripping the floor with her toes, her pads sweating profusely, Zalika watched as what seemed to be two eyes shone in the dark, then the floor vibrated beneath her paws, the long metal bars in the long pit before her vibrating and beating on the ground as she listened, while the eyes came closer and closer, then suddenly a huge thing, a snake of metal burst from the tunnel at tremendous speed, the whip of air taking Zalika’s breath away as it shot past, then squealed to a stop, openings appearing on the side in front of her. almost yowling with terror, Zalika found herself pressed from behind, then stepping up and into the thing, as Felix had told her to. Zalika heard the door shut behind her, and found herself squashed like an olive in a jar between a wall and several people. A human beside Zalika began stroking her ears and back, which felt wonderful, that was until they realised they were stroking a big cat.

“Hey joe, some zoo’s lost their tiger!” a voice yelled.

“I’s wanting off this thing!” Zalika thought as the train accelerated into the tunnel with a rush of speed and whoosh of sound unlike anything she’d heard or felt in the monorail car. The vibrations beat at the sensitive pads of her paws and feet, the sound beat at her ears and her eyes were crowded by sights she’d never seen before. Zalika sat down, expecting death at any second. Suddenly the train slowed, and things came back into focus for Zalika, people moved off the train, and Joe, whoever he was, joined the man, for it was a man who’d been stroking her head and back. Zalika could speak English, but chose not to, fearing that would be the end for her. Joe looked at Zalika, then saw her radio collar.

“I think this is some sort of prank Fred,” he said, “this cat’s been let out to see where she goes in the daytime.”

“she’s a tiger isn’t she?” Fred asked.

“I don’t know,” Joe replied, “looks too small for a tiger, whoever her parents are, they must have been a strange mix. Look at her fur, and her eyes, very intelligent she looks.”

“It’s the paws and feet I wonder about, they’re huge Joe,” Fred said.

“Poor mama giving birth to her, that’s what I say,” Joe replied, “here, our stop is next.”

“during their talk, they’d travelled two stops, though Zalika had hardly noticed the whoosh of sound, nor vibrations under her paws, so focused on Joe and Fred was she.

“We can’t stop,” joe said, “we have to beat the record for travelling the underground network in a day. We can’t take this tiggie with us.”

“Why not?” Fred asked, “we could get the record for travel with a tiger, just imagine that!”

“It wouldn’t stand, she hasn’t been with us throughout our journey. Well not at the first station, here’s the end of the line. You coming Tiggie?” Joe asked. Zalika, now terrified, felt Fred’s hand on her ears and then left shoulder, closing her eyes, she faught an urge to run.

“It’s gonna be all wight, it’s gonna be fine,” she told herself.

“come on Fred, we can’t spend all day here,” Joe said. Suddenly Zalika found herself getting off the snake thing and going through the station with the two humans, whom she now saw were just older than Jess was. They walked, one each side of her, their hands on her head and neck.

“We must find a leash if we’re going to keep control of ‘er,” Joe said.

“Leash? No, not this one,” Fred replied, “I ‘ave a feeling about this cat. I don’t think she’ll run away.”

“If only you knew,” Zalika thought.

“I think, think I’ve seen ‘ur somewhere before,” Fred continued, “we can’t stop now, but I’ll look when on the train. I’ll use my phone to look, I’ll take a photo of this cat and see where she appears on the internet.” Zalika’s paws suddenly felt cold on the tiles. Terrified though she was, she didn’t want her adventure to end, and if Fred found her home, she would be reported as missing to the community long before she wanted to be found.

Meanwhile, Titan lay on the floor in his lie up. Hours before, Zalika had been with him when he’d gone to sleep. Hours later, Titan woke from a nightmare in which Zalika was caught in the body of a metal snake travelling endlessly through an underground place. Waking with a yowl, he’d begun his search looking all over the house for his lost cub, but now, some hours later, despite having questioned everyone, he came to the conclusion she had vanished. Terrified, Titan stood in his lie up, fighting not to go to pieces. Waves of fear and terror crashed in on him, and before he knew it, he was racing round and round in circles, chasing his tail. yowling, he raced faster and faster, until he tripped over his own paws, falling in a heap with a scream of misery and pain. Crying, Titan wondered where on earth Zalika had gone to. Gasping and sniffling, he closed his eyes, trying to clear his head.

“Where the hell are you Zalika?” he thought.

Meanwhile, in the control room, Apudo and Nanuq were trying to see where Zalika had gone to. There was some missing data which covered the time in the loading bay between midnight and three AM that they couldn’t account for, and this was frustrating Apudo, who banged the desk regularly with her paws, much to Nanuq’s annoyance.

“Who did it!” Apudo raged.

“I know who, but why?” Nanuq asked.

“Who?” Apudo asked.

“Felix,” Nanuq replied, “he wiped the data, but why?”

“I’ll strangle him!” Apudo roared, beating the desk with her paws even more furiously.

“I’ll bet he has something to do with Zalika’s disappearance,” Nanuq mused, “there was a lorry from London in that loading bay yesterday. Could she have gone on that? It was bound for London.”

“what on earth would she be wanting in London?” Apudo asked, “it’s a scary place, all fumes and big buildings and so many people!”

“It’s a strange place to escape to, but maybe she wanted adventure, you know what her mind’s like Apudo, she’s a funny one,” Nanuq replied.

“I know that,” Apudo growled, “her and Titan are both unhinged in my opinion.”

“that’s horrid and you know it!” Nanuq snapped, whacking the lioness with his paw.

“aouwch! You bully!” Apudo yowled, “Nanuq, if you weren’t so bloody politically correct, you’d be saying the same, you’re thinking it, I know it!”

“they, um, have issues,” Nanuq replied.

“Titan’s bonkers and Zalika’s a complete nutter!” Apudo roared.

“that’s disgusting!” Nanuq yelled.

“Well the truth hurts doesn’t it!” Apudo yowled. Titan ran in then, his face streaked with tears and fur dishevelled.

“have you been ripping chunks of fur from your paws Titan?” Nanuq asked.

“I need to get to a big city where humans travel underground on howling snakes!” Titan blurted, “Zalika’s gone there, she’s, she’s there! She, oh Nanuq, she’s riding the snakes with two humans!”

“Told you, he’s completely bonkers!” Apudo scoffed, “Titan, you need your paws tied and a good sedative.”

“I need to find my cuuuub!” Titan roared, his voice shaking the floor, “where is she Nanuq, where’s Zalika?” Titan begged.

“she’s gone to London Titan, we know that now,” Nanuq said with certainty, “I’ll have to get into the local cctv system. We might find her on the underground system there.”

“I had a dream,” Titan began.

“Oh great, another delusion!” Apudo jeered.

“I had a dream, she was with two young men, human like Jess but male, they were running with Zalika, running from station to station. She wasn’t restrained, I don’t think they kidnapped her.”

“Wait, what’s this?” Nanuq asked, furiously punching his keyboard, “Felix put a tracking collar on Zalika, I don’t think he meant to lose her, or she meant to get lost. She’s, um, she’s up by somewhere called Leicester square now, central London.” More tapping from Nanuq, his eyes now excited as much with tracking Zalika as to find out what on earth she was up to.

“I have found something, a list of records to be set today, two men, the two men! It’s them!” Nanuq screeched, “they have Zalika with them, joe and Fred, they’re trying to make it round the entire underground network in one day, trying to beat the record for that anyway. I pity Zalika’s paws after that run. she’s with them, they probably found her and adopted her, don’t know how, as I hope she didn’t speak English to them.”

“Maybe they thought she was just a lost cat,” patch said, walking into the room.

“I neyeeed to get there, I neyeeed to find her!” Titan wailed.

“You aren’t going anywhere you stupid moggie!” Apudo raged.

“I need to find my cuuuub!” Titan sobbed, throwing himself to the floor.

“I’ve found her, she’s now heading towards somewhere called Epping on the central line,” Nanuq said.

“I must get there!” Titan yowled.

“And you’re going to drive there are you?” Apudo scoffed.

“Shut it Apudo!” Nanuq raged, cuffing her so hard she fell on the floor screaming:

“aow! Bastard!”

“Is she all right?” Titan moaned.

“She’s now on a train heading for Epping,” Nanuq replied, “Titan, we can’t get to her, she’ll be gone by the time we get close. All we can do is watch her.” “Can’t we get a message to her, someone stop her at a station and tell her I’m worried,” Titan pleaded.

“if someone did that, she’d be in greater danger,” Nanuq replied, “we can’t risk her speaking English to anyone Titan.”

“They know, the humans will know who she is,” Titan wailed, “I know they know, I’ve heard them talking, she’s in trouble Nanuq! They took a picture of her and image matched it on the internet, now, now they know who they have in their control! My cub’s as good as lost!” the liger sobbed.

“Look, I’ve found, yes, I found Joe’s mobile number!” Patch yelped, for he’d been tapping into another system on another computer, “I’ll send him a message, everyone knows me, I’ll send him a message and tell him to be gentle with Zalika.”

“I hope it works,” Titan sniffled.

“HI Joe, yeah, I know, it’s Patch, hi, I’m no fiction,” Patch said into a headset, the human’s surprised face appearing on a screen,Patch able to see the human and the human the bear, “yeah, I know, we saw, now, look, please, Zalika’s absent without leave, she does speak English, oh you know? Well, she might not speak it to you. could you please put her on the line? She may not speak to me though.” Patch saw the view from the camera blur as the phone was put to Zalika’s ear.

“Zalika, it’s Patch,” Patch said, “I know where you are, you’re in deep trouble. Titan’s looking all over the place for you. We know what’s happening. Now, you will go with these two to a place of safety, then we will come and pick you up. You’re not going with them on their record attempt, you have done bad things today.” Patch saw Zalika’s head drop as she realised the impact of what she’d done.

“now, now you go with Joe and Fred to the police station, I’m calling them to expect you. You’re coming home here, and we’ll see what happens then.” Zalika looked shattered, Fred showing her face on his camera phone.

“Thanks Joe,” Patch was saying to him, “drop her off at the nearest police station to the next station, and go on your way.” Closing down the line, Patch sighed heavily:

“cubs,” he groaned.

“Why?” Titan whimpered.

“Why cubs? or why did Zalika run off?” Nanuq asked.

“the latter,” Titan mewed.

“She’ll tell us, but she’s gonna be mightily angry when we find her,” Patch replied.

“I already want to whack her so hard she never forgets,” Apudo growled.

“You’ll not get the chance,” patch warned.

Back in London, Zalika followed Joe and Fred, her footsteps now dragging.

“It seems you upset a lot of people Zalika,” joe said.

“Joe, you won’t get a word out of ‘er,” Fred replied, “though we know she can speak English. She’s one pissed off kitty, and knows she’s in the shit.”

“I never thought Patch was a real bear though,” Joe said.

“He’s real all right,” Fred replied, “the whole community’s real, a bit unusual some of them, their leader is said to be a massive great liger named Titan who looks like a ‘uge male liger but is able to have cubs. Indeed, its Titan’s cub we ‘ave ‘ere.”

“If we took that tracking collar off her, she’d vanish,” Joe mused.

“Cctv Joe,” Fred said, “plus, she has a family who are worried sick about ‘er. Just looking at the community’s last day on line, it seems Zalika and Titan had a few problems they had to iron out. Zalika ‘ere seems to like extreme sports, or what they consider to be extreme. She wanted to test ‘erself I think, challenge ‘ur fear of trains.”

“All wight I did!” Zalika growled in her own style of English, “I was scawed of twains, and I wanted to twy my paw at ovewcoming the feaah.”

“You do talk!” Fred yelped.

“Yeah, don’t evewyone?” Zalika asked, “anyways, I’s ‘ere wanting to challenge myself. I know that if I tells Titan befowe I goes, ‘e would tie my paws. I ‘ad to wun off. Now though, now, I’s wishing I ‘ad told ‘im.”

“You haven’t seen his reaction to your disappearance have you,” joe said, as they were approaching the next station.

“NO,” Zalika mewed.

“Well we’ll show you it all while we’re waiting for Patch to come,” Joe said. Joe, Fred and Zalika were met off the train by a sergeant from the local police force, Zalika unceremoniously leashed with a police dog’s leash, the liligress’s eyes showing her anger and humiliation.

“I’s able to speak,” she said, “can I ‘as this chain wemoved? I’s not gonna cause pwoblems.”

“You’re under arrest,” the officer said, “you’re a minor and need to be taken to a place of safety so you can be returned to your parents.” in sudden shame, Zalika stared down at her paws.

“I’s awwested by the police, left Titan angwy and upset, and all on my account,” she mewed piteously.

“”here’s a police van,” the officer said, “now Zalika, get in,” Zalika got into the van, the police officer securing her leash to the wall, while Joe and Fred sat on benches beside her.

“you’re in trouble and no mistake,” the officer’s colleague said, “Zalika, Titan’s gone up the wall these last few hours, and he’s on his way down with Patch now.” Zalika felt her paws sweating, even though the inside of the van was cooled by air conditioning as it was a warm day.

“I’s weally messed up,” she mewed.

Reaching the local police station, Zalika was locked in a kennel with a bowl of water and litter tray. Staring out of her prison, Zalika awaited the next act in the drama she’d created.

“I nevah meant fow this to ‘appen!” she roared, rearing up and beating the bars with her paws, “I’s only wanted some fweedom, and this ‘appens!” she yowled.

“be quiet!” someone barked.

“who’s that?” Zalika asked, dropping to all four paws.

“I’m Rufus, a drugs sniffer dog, and you woke me up with your petulant yowling you disgusting moggie!” the voice growled.

“I’s not a moggie! I’s a liligah!” Zalika protested.

“What’s a, “liligah?” Rufus asked, “do you mean liliger?”

“I says liligah!” Zalika raged, beating the bars with her paws until they vibrated constantly.

“Stoaoaoap that bloody noise!” Rufus yapped.

“No, I’s pissed off, ashamed and angwy!” Zalika miaowed.

“You got tracked by the internet, so the barking goes,” Rufus said.

“I did,” Zalika whimpered, “my people found me, and now I’s ‘eading ‘ome, and I doesn’t wan’a goaoaoaoaoao!” she howled.

“Well maybe you should get permission before running off,” Rufus whined, “to me you look like an overgrown cub, all fat paws and bumbling inexperience.”

“that’s what you think you disgusting ‘ound!” Zalika yowled.

“I have a trade, you have none,” Rufus growled, “when you have something useful to contribute to your family, other than stressing them out I mean, then speak with me. For now though, be so kind as to shut your mouth, there’s a good kitty.” Zalika, now furious, hit the bars so hard with one paw she got the toes of that paw jammed between them. Tugging hard to free herself, she screamed at Rufus:

“I’s noaoaot a kitty! I’s Zalika! A liligah!”Yowling, she tugged at her paw, freeing it, the pads now bruised and painful. Whimpering, Zalika lay down and licked her injured paw.

“Zalika?” a voice asked. Zalika roused herself and looked up to see Titan standing outside her enclosure.

“I’s sowwy,” Zalika mewed, wincing as she put her injured paw to the floor and put weight on it as she got to her feet.

“I was so worried,” Titan mewed, his eyes so deeply distressed Zalika couldn’t look into them.

“I’s got no wowds,” Zalika mewed, looking down at her paws, “I can’t descwibe ‘ow I’s feeling, ‘cos it’s so muddled and upset, it’s like a Fuwball in my belly Titan. I ‘alf wants to wun away, ‘alf wants to go ‘ome, and yet anothuh ‘alf wants to cuwl up and fowget the wowld.”

“come, please,” Titan mewed, unlocking the door as if he lived there.

“How did you do that big tiggie?” Rufus barked.

“with my paw, now shut it,” Titan growled, “this liliger is not your concern.”

“No, but she has kept me awake for hours!” Rufus yapped, “she fell asleep ages ago, and has been screaming and begging for mercy ever since!” he howled.

“I know,” Titan mewed.

“How can you know?” Rufus yarred, “you only got here minutes ago! You lie tiggie!”

“I know, trust me, I know,” Titan mewed, “it is because I know that I am not angry with Zalika anymore. I’m just deeply sad that she’d run away without talking to me first.”

“Get her out of here!” Rufus commanded in a booming bark which set Zalika cowering.

“Let’s go,” Titan purred, Zalika limping after him down the passage and into the main yard.

“You’re amazing big fella,” an officer with a sub machine gun slung across his chest remarked to Titan as he emerged from the passageway.

“Am I fella? or fam?” Titan asked, looking at the officer.

“ooaaoah! You can talk!” The officer yelped.

“I can,” Titan mewed, “and I’m not all I seem, so big I am, fella I may not be.” The officer, completely nonplussed, watched Titan and Zalika leave. Titan was about to turn towards the lorry which jess had hired to accommodate him when he felt a touch on his shoulder.

“Titan, for that is your name I think,” Joe said, “could me and Fred shake your paw, or give you an ‘ug, whatever is considered dignified?” Titan turned his head to the young man.

“You have been good to my cub,” the liger purred, “if we hadn’t asked you to go to the police, what would you have done for the rest of the day?”

“Finished our attempt at the record and gone to ours with Zalika, then called your ‘ouse to pick her up next day,” Fred said, “we liked ‘ur before we really knew who she was, then, when we found out, well, we like ‘ur even more.” Titan’s purr was so vibrant the ground shook so hard that it set off nearby car alarms, making Titan jump and yowl with fright.

“You’re as scaredy as the website says!” Fred said, reaching his arms round Titan’s neck and hugging him.

“Careful Fred, ‘e might not want it,” Joe warned.

“This cuddly tiggie not want an ‘ug? That’ll be the day the five fifteen comes in on time,” Fred said, kissing Titan’s nose, the liger’s eyes gentle.

“the five fifteen’s never on time,” joe replied.

“exactly, so this tiggy’s not gonna refuse an ‘ug is ‘e.” Fred replied.

“You two follow us then?” the liger asked, “we’re some hours away from where you live, if you are here.”

“Oh, the whole country follows your community,” Joe said, “we were just out today and found a stray cat, of course we now know who she is.”

“I thank you for looking after her,” Titan mewed, Fred releasing his hold, Titan looking at Joe.

“Aren’t you going to hug me?” the liger asked in a booming purr which brought tears to the eyes of both men.

“I, I will, thank ya” joe stammered, hugging Titan, the huge liger pressing himself into Joe’s hug.

“now you have shown me how you hug,” Titan mewed after Joe had released him, “if she wishes it, would you like to hug my cub?”

“We’d love to,” Fred replied. Titan looked at Zalika, who stood a little apart from the group, struggling with her own emotions.

“Would you permit Joe and Fred to hug you Zalika?” Titan asked in English. Zalika replied, also in English:

“yeah, I would, but, well, I’s gonna cwy if them does, I knows I is!”

“you do speak as it’s written on the screen Zalika!” joe exclaimed.

“Yeah, sowwy,” Zalika mewed, “it ain’t something to make me sound cubbish, that’s ‘ow I speaks. Now ‘ow about this ‘ug you’s both been on about? I needs ‘ugs, fow I’s gonna get little latew, it’s all scweaming at me then gwounding like my paws is stuck to the floow fow a week I bet. I’s been so awful to evewyone.” Fred and joe hugged Zalika, while Titan contemplated his paws, staring at them and the floor in an attempt to hide his eyes, for he was crying. Once Joe and Fred had hugged Zalika, kissed her nose and hugged her paws, Zalika padded to Titan, who’d regained his composure with a vigorous shake of his entire body from nose to tail and stamp of his feet.

“Now we go home,” Titan mewed, climbing into the back of a huge lorry Jess had hired for the day. Zalika, following him, listened to the door shut behind her.

“How did you find me?” she asked.

“Felix’s tracking collar, plus cctv and internet,” Titan mewed, lying down in the deep straw, “would you like me to look at your injured paw?” the liger asked.

“No,” Zalika mewed pitifully, “Titan, I’s so sowwy, I caused you so much pain, and I’s sowwy fow that.”

“I would have stayed with you, if you’d told me you wanted to go,” Titan mewed.

“I thought you’d be too scawed, too tewwified to set paw outside the woods,” Zalika mewed.

“with you beside me, never,” Titan purred, Zalika choking on a rush of tears as his paw engulfed her uninjured one.

“’ow if we gets out of ‘ere and woams awound London then?” Zalika asked, “I’s up fow it, and I thinks if you is too, we’s gonna be fine.”

“I can’t, I have leadership to think of,” Titan mewed.

“not if Apuwdo ‘as ‘ur way you doesn’t,” Zalika mewed, “‘ur ‘ates you and me doesn’t she.”

“yes, it would seem that way,” Titan mewed, “it seems she doesn’t like the respect I seem to command. Quite honestly, I don’t know why I’m leader of the community. They wanted me, that’s plain, but why?”

“’ow if we gets Jess and Patch to dwop us off in the middle of the city, then we can leaves the community fowevew?” Zalika asked, “Apuwdo ‘ates us both!”

“she isn’t the whole community Zalika,” Titan mewed, “she may think she is, but she’s not. I can’t walk out on them, tempting though it is sometimes when I’m feeling persecuted.”

All too soon the lorry turned into the community driveway and rumbled up it to the house, Zalika and Titan emerging from it into the hard light of the loading bay where Zalika’s journey had started fifteen hours before. They were met by Felix and Karina, the latter holding tightly to the former’s hand as if he were a disgraced cub, which he was.

“you two have a lot to answer for!” Karina snapped, “you Zalika, and Felix, you are a disgrace!”

“I’s wanting to Explowe my feaahs of the monowail and cuwe them,” Zalika mewed.

“so Zalika, you ran off, causing Titan near heart failure and the rest of the community concern?” karina spat. Whirling her anger on Felix, she snapped, As for you Felix, you wiped data, you tracked Zalika without permission of those who know about these things, and you advised her on how to stow away in a lorry! I don’t know who’s offence is worse!”

“Yours for chastising my cub when you have no right to maybe Karina?” Titan growled.

“oh, but, but, you’re complicit!” karina yowled.

“how can I be?” Titan asked, “I didn’t aid her escape.”

“You said you’d go with her if she asked, and that’s enough!” karina miaowed.

“It’s nothing of the sort, you’re making things up where there is nothing,” Titan mewed, “now Karina, punish your own cub for computer and data misuse and I will speak to my own cub as I see fit. Good day to you and yours,” the liger replied with great dignity, stepping round mama Karina and Felix, Zalika and Titan travelling up to their lie up on the monorail.

“What made you think I wasn’t in the woodlands?” Zalika asked.

“I had a dream about you riding through the earth inside the bodies of howling metal snakes,” Titan mewed.

“The twain did look like a snake, and it ‘owled, sowt of,” she said.

“I’ve never seen what you have,” Titan mewed.

“it’s a long wed twain, a twain is many monowail caws stwung togethew,” Zalika mewed, “it comes out of a tunnel, like a passage thwough the eawth. It is stwange, but them’s all ovew the place I was in. they even ‘as moving staiws, but I’s too scawed to get on ‘em, I used the nowmal staiws. I did meet a guide dog though, the dog told me to go away as ‘e was wowking, misewable git ‘e was.”

“You’re not meant to disturb a working guide dog Zalika, I know that much,” Titan mewed.

“it was vewy stwange though, so many ‘umans packed in like sawdines in a tin!” the liligress said.

“I’ve heard it can be tough,” Titan mewed.

“You went to a rural bit, that station is only small,” Zalika mewed, “in the centwe, it’s cwazy! So many people, pushing and shoving, some even stepped on my paaaaws!” she raged, “though them ‘umans I’s got in with, Joe and Fwed I thinks they’s called, well them’s nice. We didn’t eat at all, as them was wacing wound the undewgwound twying to make a wecowd or something. I am weally ‘ungry now though!” she yowled as they reached the family lie up. Blackberry, having seen everything from his kitchen via the cctv, had stew and tea ready in the lie up.

“You’re a bleedin’ marvel Blackbewwy,” Zalika mewed as she passed him, the bear smiling and replying in perfect cockney mimicry:

“That’s lovely of ya to say gov’,” causing Patch, who’d come in behind Blackberry, to literally throw himself down on the floor and roll about laughing.

“Sowwy, I didn’t mean to,” Zalika replied, realising what she’d caused.

“no more! it huuuurts!” Patch gasped.

“I blames Fwed and Joe fow that,” Titan giggled.

“and Blackberry for being such a good mimic,” Titan mewed, his eyes sparkling.

“Right, now for the food!” Blackberry said in a normal voice, setting down tea and stew, then some strange stuff Zalika had never tasted before. Blackberry spread some yellow paste on bread which smelt slightly cooked, then added it to the stew.

“What the ‘ell’s that you’s putting in my food Blackbewwy?” Zalika asked.

“Oh, toast with butter on it, here,” the bear said, holding a square out to Zalika, the big cat cub carefully trying some of the strange foodstuff. The toast, made with whole grain seeded bread, the butter slightly salted, hit Zalika’s taste buds with intense pleasure. Filling her with pleasure the food made her long for more.

“Drink,” Blackberry advised, Zalika drinking tea then looking eagerly at Blackberry for more.

“it ain’t faiah! She raged, “you’s able to use that knife thing to buttew the toast! My paaaaws won’t let me does that!”

Oh Zalika, you’re lovely,” Blackberry said, kissing her nose. Then smiling, he spread some fresh tuna on another slice of toast which he’d buttered, offering it to Zalika, who sniffed at, then snatched it eagerly, Titan appalled at how she gobbled the food, growling at anyone until it was gone..

“Manners Zalika!” he remonstrated.

“sowwy, but fish does that to a liligwess,” she said.

“turns you into a raging mess?” Titan asked.

“While I’s eating it yes,” Zalika mewed. Blackberry then offered Titan the same which Zalika had just eaten, the liger sniffing, then licking, then snatching the food, his reaction to the fish butter and toast as Zalika’s had been, but on a much larger scale, Titan’s growl shaking the floor.

“You’s unable to talk now!” Zalika mewed.

“I know, especially with a mouthful of fish!” Titan mumbled, spraying crumbs.

“You wude tiggie you!” Zalika scolded, Titan laughing so much he nearly choked on the toast.

“Stop it Zalika!” he coughed.

“Don’t kill our leader,” Blackberry cautioned.

“It wouldn’t be a bad thing,” Apudo growled from the doorway.

“You what? What is you mewin’ on about?” Zalika asked.

“I took a poll of the entire community while that filthy fleabag was away digging you out of prison Zalika, and noone wanted a leadership contest!” Apudo yowled.

“What’s Titan evah done to upset you?” Zalika asked.

“Given birth again, that’s what!” Apudo growled, “he was my guide, my rock, and now I’m having to share him with a horrible little scrap!” Apudo yelled.

“Wight, now you’s done it!” Zalika roared, leaping upon Apudo and cuffing her head with her paw. Apudo fell to the floor, Screaming like a pig.

“You bitch, you horrid fleabag moggie bitch!” Apudo howled.

“Titan loves you as much as ‘e loves all of us, which is with evewything ‘e as,” Zalika yowled, “I’s not taking anything fwom you Apuuuuudo, you ‘orrid fleabag!”

“You took his courage, his strength, all that!” Apudo complained bitterly.

“’e’s stwong in othuh ways, all I got was bwavewy and uncontwollable violence. ‘e ‘as all the modewation, all the skills where that’s concewned. ‘e’s the bettew side of us,” Zalika replied.

“I still hate Youuouuou!” Apudo roared.

“I’s not vewy keen on you, but my feelings is evidence based and I’s keeping my paws to myself!” Zalika miaowed.

“What was London like Zalika?” Blackberry asked.

“big and stinky and noisy,” Zalika mewed.

“Apparently there the humans travel in metal snakes under the ground,” Blackberry said.

“don’t take the piss!” Titan moaned.

“I’m not, well not exactly,” Blackberry replied, “there are trains now that are like long snakes. They are the trains which are just below the surface, they’re long continuous carriages with air conditioning and are a lot bigger than the deep level tubes.

“I was on a deep one fow a bit I thinks,” Zalika mewed.

“What would you have done if we couldn’t find Zalika using the cameras Titan?” Patch asked.

“I would have walked there, walked to London if I had to,” Titan mewed.

“You couldn’t take the twain, they ain’t big enough, unless you got into the goods van Titan,” Zalika mewed.

“I know,” the liger replied, “I can’t even use Mishka’s private lift!”

“’is tail and feet stuck out the doors, and ‘e’s too ‘eavy anyway,” Zalika said to the room in general.

“Oh, thanks,” the liger groaned.

“big you may be, but we loves you as you is Titan,” Zalika purred, rubbing her head against his.

“thanks,” Titan purred, returning her head rub.

“You should ‘ave seen Joe’s face when ‘e fiwst saw Titan up close, it was a weal pictuwe,” Zalika giggled, “’e’d nevah seen such a ‘uge cat befowe, but Titan was lovely, as ‘e always is.”

“I wept like a cub,” Titan admitted.

“You’s a big cuddlypuss,” Zalika purred, resting her paw on Titan’s and hugging him by repeating her head rub.

“now I needs to wash myself, I’s covewed in London diwt and stench!” Zalika miaowed.

“Your fuw and paws does get impwegnated with diwt doesn’t it,” Titan mewed, Zalika playfully cuffing him.

“you can wash me fow that,” she mewed.

“I will, gladly,” Titan purred, the two big cats finishing the tea and retiring in good spirits to the bathroom, where Titan filled the tub and Zalika stepped in.

“I’s glad they’s got a ‘’uge tub fow you Titan, you’s needing it,” Zalika purred, stretching out, Titan blowing on the pads of her left foot as she lay on her back in the water, Zalika yowling with surprise and kicking the water into a froth.

“Bianca nearly had Jespah in the water you know,” Titan mewed.

“would you ‘ave given biwth to me in the tub if you could ‘ave?” Zalika asked.

“yeah, probably,” Titan mewed.

“We could pwetend now,” Zalika purred.

“Knowing you, I’d just get into a growling, moaning froth of effort, and you’d leap into the water behind me, drenching the walls and floor!” Titan laughed.

“I’s thinking just that,” Zalika mewed, “aftew all, I would be a big cub wouldn’t I?” Titan looked at her head, paws and feet.

“You would, and I’d be a long time pushing you into the world too,” he said, kissing her nose.

“you ain’t wowking out things using my body as I is now is you?” Zalika asked.

“Yeah, well you managed to deliver a cub with paws the size of mine didn’t you?” Titan asked. Zalika grinned:

“faiah point,” she purred.

“uuuuumf, riaoaoaoaoaow!” Titan moaned, Zalika getting a good view of his paws and feet as the tub she was in was sunken into the floor. squirming and panting, Titan shifted his paws and feet in sudden discomfort.

“Gets youwself in ‘ere and I’s gonna ‘elp,” Zalika mewed, scrambling from the tub, Titan stepping in with a groan of discomfort.

“it’s painful!” Titan moaned, panting and splashing. Crouching, Titan braced his feet into the tub with a riaow of pain.

“it’s gonna be all wight,” Zalika mewed, Titan lying down on his side, his head raised from the water on a ledge, his paws and feet in the water.

“muuuuust puuuuuush!” the liger groaned, Zalika seeing and feeling him pushing his feet against the sides and end of the tub as he struggled to cope with increasing internal spasms.

“aouwch! Ouwch! Hururururururumf!” Titan moaned, wriggling while straining against the sides of the tub with his feet and paws.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Zalika mewed, watching the waves created by Titan’s efforts, the liger’s haunches bunching as he strained deeply.

“ayayayayayaywrurururururow!” Titan complained as he strained, Zalika now in the tub with him, stroking the pads of his paws as he braced his feet, his toes curled into the tiles.

“go on, the cub’s coming, push it out!” Zalika encouraged, Titan panting hard, his eyes already weary. Then, his face contorting, he tightly closed his eyes, and Zalika felt his paws clench as he strained hard again, Titan yowling as his left foot slipped while he pushed hard down, Zalika able to see his pads mirrored in the shiny tiles on the wall opposite as his foot came clear of the water for a second, the image of his tightly curled toes and bunched pads clear to be seen.

“What’s going on in here?” Apudo yelled, racing into the room through the door near the foot of the tub, just as Titan strained hard with his feet, his left foot slipping for a second time, as, in his effort, he’d braced it even harder against the tiles, the water from the tub drenching Apudo as she stood just inside the doorway.

“naooaaoao! I hayayayte water!” she yowled, coughing and snorting as water hit her in the face, going up her nose and into her mouth, “ugh, yuck!” she gasped, Titan squirming and kicking as he tried to cope with his body’s increasingly desperate efforts.

“Titan, stop this!” Apudo raged, stamping her now bathwater dampened paws.

“the cub’s coming down!” Titan wailed, rolling onto his back and bracing his feet against the end of the tub, Apudo seeing his toes curling, gripping the lip of the tub’s edge with fierce strength. Pushing hard with his feet, Titan groaned deeply, his paws lashing the water into a froth.

“must puuuuuush, aouwch! Cuuuuub’s paaaaws are coming now, I can feeyeeel them!” he yowled, rolling from side to side, water fountaining everywhere. Getting to his feet, Titan lowered his head, braced his paws and feet, squatting and pushing with a yowling roar of effort that any labouring mama would have been proud of.

“Stop him!” Apudo demanded. Titan turned towards Apudo, roaring and miaowing:

“Aoaoaoaowch! Riaoaoaoaoaoowch! Riaiaiaiaiaow! Uuuuumf! Heuuuuuumf!” into her face as another effort gripped him, Apudo screaming and bolting at the sight of the liger’s face and of his paws gripping the edge of the tub with fierce strength.

“naooaaoao, I’m going!” she yowled as a flick of Titan’s tail sent water showering over her.

“Take it easy Titan, let the cub come now, moan and pant, moan and squiwm,” Zalika mewed, stroking his back with her paw from where she stood behind him in the huge tub. Titan, whimpering, lay down in the tub, settling his right foot into Zalika’s paws, pressing back hard as he felt his body strain,, moaning:

“I Cayayayn’t stoaoaoaoap puuuuuuushing, the cuuuub, iyiyiyiyit’s cooooming!” Zalika feeling his toes curling and pads bunching.

“it’s gonna be okay, the cub’s neawly bown,” Zalika mewed.

Ruururururumf! Titan groaned, bracing his right foot hard into her paws, his left foot against the tub, groaning with his final huge effort, then panting hard as the cub’s feet slipped into the world, Zalika plunging her paws hard into the tub, showering Titan, the liger grinning hugely while whimpering and panting.

“I thinks we scawed Apuwdo away,” Zalika giggled.

“Sorry Zalika,” Titan mewed.

“I’s all wight with that,” she said, “I just wants to wub youw watew winkled pads now.” Titan turned to his cub, nuzzled her ear and washed her from nose to tail, Zalika purring and mewing with pleasure as Titan pushed her about in the water with his nose and paws. Zalika, now on her back in the water, shrieked with laughter as Titan blew on the pads of her paws which were just beneath the level of the water, the bubbles from his breath tickling her pads as they burst.

“Stoaoaoap tiyiyiyckling my paaaaws!” Zalika yowled, kicking and lashing the water into a froth with her feet and tail.

“I’ve wanted to do this for ages,” Titan purred contentedly, “you might be mature enough to roam about London, but you’re still my cub,” he mewed.

“No matter ‘ow old I is inside, I’s still youw cub,” Zalika purred, dabbing Titan’s nose with her wrinkle padded paw.

“You make meyeee sick!” Apudo roared from the doorway.

“You ‘ate Titan ‘cos ‘e ‘ad me?” Zalika asked, “just confiwming the position you knows.”

“I hate him for having another cuuuub! He was mine, all mine! Now though, now he’s got a bond that is stronger than the one I had with him!”

“I feels sowwy fow you Apuwdo,” Zalika mewed, “you can go now, you can leave us to ouw cuddles now.” Apudo looked at Titan, the liger’s eyes hard on her.

“You never came second, other than in your own mind,” Titan mewed sadly.

“I’m so consumed by rage I trip over it now!” Apudo yelled.

“I noticed,” Titan mewed, “Apudo, you’re the one who needs help, the one who needs treatment, for what you are suffering from will kill you.” Apudo stared at Titan.

“Jealousy will kill you Apudo,” Zalika mewed, “I doesn’t want to see you die of that.”

“What do you mean?” Apudo asked.

“you’s making youw own death, the mowe you ‘ate Titan and me, the closer you is to death. I’s sowwy fow you, but you is closer to death than Titan Apuwdo.”

“What the hell do you mean?” Apudo asked, her eyes terrified.

“Evewy day you is jealous of me and Titan is one mowe closew to youw jouwney ovew the bwidge.”

“you could say the same about Titan himself! Everyone has to die someday!” Apudo roared, her paws trembling.

“You’s gonna die ‘cos of youw ‘ate and envy, things that aw misplaced,” Zalika mewed sadly.

“I don’t like this!” Apudo growled, “what do you know Zalika, tell meyeee!” she demanded. Titan quickly left the tub, Zalika following him on a hunch he knew what was about to happen.

“I knows you’s dwowning in youw jealousy,” Zalika mewed.

“I’m noaoaot!” Apudo roared, her voice shaking the floor. Shaking her long mane, the lioness ran towards Zalika, tripped over her long mane and, yowling hysterically, fell into the bathtub. Coughing and floundering with both paws and one foot now tangled in her mane, Apudo’s eyes screamed for help as she inhaled water.

“Zalika, please, get her out before she dies!” Titan miaowed, completely paralysed with fear, “I, I can’t move!” Zalika leapt into the water and heaved Apudo out of the tub and onto the floor, then rolled her over until she coughed up water and began to breathe more easily.

“What the hell’s going on?” Patch asked, pounding into the room, his paws sliding on the water, the bear just about saving himself from an unplanned bath.

“Apuwdo needs to get ‘ur mane twimmed, the dam thing neawly killed ‘er,” Zalika mewed airily.

“how did you know that was going to happen!” Apudo gasped.

“Just a feeling,” Zalika mewed, “I doesn’t mean to wish you ill, but, I can sees these things. I wawned you, but I can’t stop you flying off the ‘andle.” Apudo moaned piteously as her body complained about its watery ordeal.

“Are you telling me Titan might have another cub?” Apudo gasped.

“’e might, but I’s not suwe when,” Zalika mewed softly.

“You’d be happy,” Apudo coughed, “and you’d be happy with that?” she asked.

“couwse I would be, I loves cubs, and if Titan ‘ad another one, I’d love it massively. I thinks though that I’s got mowe chance of ‘aving a cub befowe Titan will. ‘e’s wown out with what ‘appened duwing my biwth I thinks.”

“I don’t want him to have another cub!” Apudo raged, getting to her feet.

“Well it’s not youw choice weally,” Zalika mewed.

“I don’t know if I could now,” Titan mewed, looking into the water, “I don’t even know if I could go through with mating now. Before I gave birth to Zalika, I was courageous enough to, I didn’t mind what happened, now though, I’m so frightened of the reaction of the community, I couldn’t do it!”

“giving birth to Zalika really screwed you up didn’t it Titan,” Apudo growled.

“Not in the way you mean,” Titan mewed angrily, “you want to suggest I hate her for taking my courage, but, I will never do that! It’s not her doing. I’m now what I am, and she is what she is, noone can change that but ourselves. I can’t stand fistypaws, raised voices, roaring or aggression, while Zalika thrives on it.”

“Everyone noticed you crying when you expelled Lily from the community,” Apudo scoffed.

“Oh yes, I did,” Titan mewed.

“Titan knows what Lily could ‘ave been if she’d been gentle, that’s why ‘e cwied,” Zalika mewed.

“how can he know!” Apudo roared, Titan whimpering with fear and beginning toedge away to the door.

“Stay here scaredy-cat,” Apudo warned.

“I, I can’t!” Titan whimpered, almost crying. Patch looked at Titan’s face.

“Let him go,” the bear said, “Apudo, you have no idea of his level of stress. Titan, you go to your rug, Zalika will follow shortly.” Titan, almost choking on the ball of fear in his throat, left on dragging paws.

“he’s a woosy pussy, a fraidy-cat!” Apudo jeered.

“Leave ‘im alone!” Zalika replied angrily.

Suddenly Apudo, with a roar, leapt on top of Zalika, forcing her into the tub, then trying to drown her by sitting on her head.

“It’s you and me now Zalika, you me, and a pool of water, you die!” Apudo growled into Zalika’s ear, Zalika finding her nose and mouth choked by water. Involuntarily breathing in water, Zalika felt her body fighting for air, but knew she could do nothing, and was dying. Apudo lay on top of Zalika, holding her head beneath the water. With a screaming yowl of anger and fear, a huge form ran into the room, picked Apudo up in its paws and slung her bodily out of the opposite door. Zalika, now only dimly aware, felt someone pick her up then she passed out. Picking Zalika up, Titan ran with her to the rug, then began rolling her over and over, the water forced from her lungs. Patch then leapt for the oxygen tank in his backpack, something he’d regained by default after his return to full size. Zalika coughed and spat, then breathed deeply, though she was still unconscious.

“Leave her to breathe,” patch said, Titan now lying on the floor, cradling his cub in his paws and crying into her fur.

“I d-didn’t see Apudo’s anger coming, I should have s-seen it c-coming!” he wept, his tears soaking her face and paws.

“Crying onto her head will make things worse!” Patch yelled, slapping the liger.

“What d, d-do I have left if she dies?” Titan asked miserably.

“I’s not dying, not yet anyway,” Zalika mewed weakly, “what I’s now though is wet fwom nose to tail and being cwied on isn’t good,” she raised herself on her paws and shook her head, Titan’s tears flying off her fur. Zalika turned her head away, coughing and spitting, then turned her face to Titan.

“You’s not getting wid of me that easily,” she said, Titan gripping her paw in both of his.

“I don’t wayayayant tooo!” he sobbed, hugging her paw as tightly as he could.

“You’s got me ‘ere fow the time being anyways,” Zalika mewed, Titan kissing her nose and paws.

“I’m sorry I-I didn’t see Apudo’s intent,” Titan whimpered.

“You believe the best in othuhs,” Zalika mewed, “I was so concewned about ‘ur yowling’s, I didn’t see ‘ur intent until she attacked me, now, now I’s weally pissed off with myself.”

“Let Zalika breathe,” Patch said.

“I can bweathe, I’s ok now,” Zalika replied, struggling to her huge paws and feet.

“Lie down!” Patch urged.

“No, I’s fine! I’s got’a go and ‘it Apuwdo fow upsetting the one who gave biwth to me!” Zalika miaowed.

“She’s tied up in the other room,” patch grunted.

“Did you thwow a lioness Patch?” Zalika mewed.

“I may have done,” Patch replied, a slight smile crinkling his eyes, “Nanuq tied her up in my old room.”

“I used the finest keratin to do it too,” Nanuq said.

“The finest what?” Zalika asked, “Nanuq, what the ‘ell is kewatin ?”

“hair,” Nanuq giggled.

“You ties Apuwdo up with ‘air?” Zalika asked incredulously.

“Yes, it’s the finest golden woven thread too, completely unbreakable if tied right, which it has been.”

“I doesn’t undewstand!” Zalika exclaimed.

“come and look, then you will,” Nanuq invited. Zalika padded to Patch’s old room and looked down at Apudo, who was in a pitiful state. Apudo lay on the floor on her back, tied paw and foot with her own mane, the mane long enough to do this without cutting it, though Zalika noticed Nanuq had cut a piece out, woven it into a rope and muzzled her using her own hair.

“you’s twussed up like a chicken then,” Zalika mewed, touching the pads of Apudo’s left foot with her paw, the pads of which were accessible, though Apudo’s toes were tied in a muffler made of yet more mane, making sure her claws were securely packaged while Apudo’s eyes, now unencumbered by mane, burnt with hatred for Zalika, the liliger unable to look at them for long.

“You’s making me feel vewy sad today Apuwdo,” Zalika mewed softly, then, her eyes blurring with tears, she lay down and kissed the anger dampened pad of Apudo’s right foot, her tears splashing onto the lioness’s weight bearing pad and soaking the mane Nanuq had used to secure her toes, Apudo, her eyes filling with tears, snorting as she tried to breathe, the lioness unable to open her mouth for the muzzle she wore.

“I was pwepawed to considew you my sistew, but you’s twied to kill me,” Zalika mewed, resting her head on Apudo’s bound paws, the lioness wriggling and sniffling, trying to breathe through her increasingly tear blocked nose. with a convulsive heave, Apudo rolled onto her side, struggling to breathe evenly.

“You’s knowing ‘ow I feels now,” Zalika mewed from where she lay, having been flung off Apudo by the lioness’s convulsive effort. Zalika, her eyes blurred with more tears, got to her feet, bowed her head and very sadly kissed Apudo’s nose, Apudo sobbing quietly as the liligress turned, almost stumbling with emotion, then, with a last look which held all the sorrow felt by herself and Titan, a look which made Apudo close her eyes and shake her head to stop herself crying so she didn’t choke, Zalika left on dragging paws, Apudo getting a good view of the pads of the liligress’s feet as she left the room.

“Now you see,” Nanuq replied gravely.

“‘ur was my sistew,” Zalika mewed sadly, “now, now, ‘er’s twied to muwdew me, so ‘er’s dead to me now.” Titan looked into Zalika’s face, the look in the liligress’s eyes choking him with tears. Coughing, Titan buried his head in his thickly padded paws and wept.

“You wanted us to get on didn’t you,” Zalika said, lying down beside Titan.

“I-I hoped, I tried,” the liger wept.

“Apudo ‘ates me ‘cos I took you from ‘er, as she sees it,” Zalika mewed.

“I suppose I, I, didn’t really get her used t-to the idea of me having another cub,” Titan wailed.

“You webiwthed ‘ur though didn’t you? she ain’t weally youw cub at all then is she?” Zalika asked.

“No, n-not, not in that sense,” Titan mewed in a high pitched, scared tone that was nothing like anything he’d spoken with before, his eyes terrified, “but-but, she asked me for guidance, and-and, I guided her as best I could, then you, came along and, then she hated you and me!” the liger wept, wringing his paws out from time to time as if they were handkerchiefs as his tears drenched their pads.

“What shall we do with Apudo?” Flocke asked, having walked in at Nanuq’s request.

“Ap, the lioness, Release her and s-send her to her lie up,” Titan mewed, gulping and sniffing hard, “I d-d, don’t want her to suffer in-indignities she need not.” Zalika shot a look at Titan, who motioned with his paw, burying his head in his paws once more, Zalika huffing and turning to Nanuq for help:

“What the ‘ell’s ‘e saying?” she asked, “I’s confused!”

“help him Zalika,” Nanuq replied, “Titan needs you now more than ever. Look into his mind, what is he wanting to say?” Zalika looked at Titan, who nodded miserably.

“take ‘ur to ‘ur lie up, give ‘ur food, water and allow ‘ur to use the facilities fow welief, but confiscate her intewnet, tv and computew, also, no visitows without pwior pewmission, okay?” Zalika mewed, Titan sighing with relief. Nanuq nodded and the two bears left.

“I doesn’t want ‘ur dead,” Zalika mewed, “I’s just sowwy we couldn’t be fwiends. I offuhs to shawe my food with ‘ur too when I’s just bown, and now, now she tweats me like this,” the liligress whimpered.

“w-who knows what’s going on in A-Apudo’s head Z-Zalika,” Titan mewed, “she-she’s not as open with her feelings as we are.”

“did you see what Nanuq ‘ad done to Apuwdo?” Zalika asked, “I’s nevah gonna fowget what I sees.”

“No, I, I didn’t want to go in there,” Titan mewed. Zalika described what she’d seen, Titan staring at his paws the whole time, feeling the sensation of the muzzle, Apudo’s sensations of tied paws and feet and the claw guards made of her own hair, as well as the knowledge she had that she was quite literally bound by her own biology.

“You don’t know how I got there though,” Apudo’s voice said in Titan’s head, “Titan, you don’t know what the bear caused me to do to get me tangled in my mane.”

“What did he c-cause you to do?” Titan asked telepathically.

“He asked me to express what I felt for Zalika, and, and it was so awful my mane turned against me and tied me securely. It wasn’t Nanuq who tied me like that, it was myself, my mane. I expressed such hatred, said such terrible things about Zalika, things that were so awful that i didn’t really feel, that I tripped over my jealousy, just as Zalika said I would. I scrabbled about on the floor, tying myself in knots, my biology bound my mouth, restricted and velveted my paws, feet and toes. Zalika found me like that some minutes later.”

“So it wasn’t Nanuq’s doing aftew all!” Zalika mewed. Titan looked at, then spoke to Zalika:

“A-Apudo said Nanuq asked, she said it!”

“Nanuq hasn’t that power,” Zalika mewed, “only one could ask Apudo to do that with enough conviction to make her completely truthful.”

“Who?” Titan asked.

“Patch,” Zalika mewed.

“N-No Zalika, N-Nanuq said he’d tied her up! It wasn’t P-Patch who asked the questions of Apudo.” Titan replied, his eyes deeply frightened.

“Patch flung Apuwdo to the floow, then Nanuq tied ‘ur up.” Zalika mewed, I wemembews ‘im saying ‘e did! Titan, is you losing it?”

“yes, but, but, n-not in the way you think,” the liger replied.

“Tells me what ‘appened then,” Zalika mewed.

“Nanuq asked the questions which Patch prompted him to ask, as only Patch has the power,” Theo said, walking into the room, “Apudo answered Nanuq more truthfully than she would have Patch. Patch then asked deep Apudo, her true self, what the punishment should be for her false self. Apudo’s true self, the true lioness used her own mane to bind the false lioness’s paws and feet, then shut her up until her true self could speak sense to her falsehoods.”

“My ‘ead ‘urts!” Zalika miaowed, but Titan was all ears, his eyes bright and sparkling.

“I don’t understand all the ways the spirits work,” Titan mewed, his voice now it’s regular deep tone, rather than his former fearful higher pitch.

“You may not, but some do,” Theo mewed, Dear Tiggie, you are safe here. Noone will harm you.”

“Sometimes I don’t feel safe,” Titan mewed.

“I know,” Theo mewed, kissing Titan’s nose.

“I haven’t got the power to do any of the things which happened to Apudo,” Titan whimpered.

“You used to have it,” Theo mewed.

“I-I know I did,” Titan replied, “it’s gone now, I’m half the cat I was, and, well, people still want me as leader too. Theo, I don’t understand any of this.”

“You’s been thwough a lot wecently Titan,” Zalika mewed, “’ow if you ‘as some time in a quiet place?”

“But quiet places are hard to find, the last one was my family lie up, and the noise in here just increased hugely. It’s banging against my head Zalika!” Titan wailed.

“Would you like this place to become quiet again?” Theo asked.

“yes, for a while, please?” Titan begged.

“Wight, evewyone, please, leave ‘ere,” Zalika said with as much authority as she could muster.

“What authority have you got to order us about?” Jespah yowled.

“I as ‘alf Titan’s as I’s alf of ‘im anyway,” she mewed.

“You’re, oh,” Jespah growled, looking at his mother. Bianca got to her feet, shook herself and roused Sasha, who was sleeping nearby.

“Let’s go, you two Theo,” she mewed.

“I’ll go too, Nanuq, come,” Patch said, Jenny and Sally also getting up to leave.

“the lie up is gonna be very empty isn’t it,” Titan mewed sadly.

“either you want people ‘ere, or you doesn’t,” Zalika mewed.

“I want gentle touch,” Titan mewed piteously, “g-genuine loving touch, n-no words, I c-can’t cope with words.”

“I sees now,” Zalika mewed, gazing at her parent with concern, “Titan, you’s weally upset isn’t you.”

“I was well on the way to fixing my upset at your departure for London, then Apudo, she did her horrid thing, and now, n-now, oh Zalika, I-I Cayayayn’t cope!” the liger sobbed, clinging to her with both paws.

“I’s gonna keep you safe, I pwomise that,” Zalika mewed into the weeping liger’s ear, Titan’s sobs so intense he could hardly breathe.

“look after him Zalika,” Theo mewed, hanging back in the doorway.

“I’s gonna does that,” Zalika mewed, “thing is Theo, Titan wants me to ‘ave a cub’ood don’t ‘e. I’s unable to do both, but ‘is distwess is also my own, so I ‘as to wowk that out fiwst.” Theo, his eyes troubled, swallowed a lump in his throat.

“I’m here if you need me,” he said hoarsely, padding from the room with downcast eyes and dragging paws.

“Oi Theo, you comes back ‘ere now!” Zalika ordered in her best commanding roar. When Theo put his head back in at the door, she continued in a protesting miaow, turning into an angry yowl while banging the floor with her paw, “You says you’s ‘ere fow Titan, then you pisses off out the doow? Naooaaoao you don’t do that! if you says you’s ‘ere fow Titan, you bleedin well stays ‘ere!”

“I didn’t mean it, not in staying here way, oh dear!” Theo mewed.

“Stay, please,” Titan mewed weakly.

“You want me?” Theo asked, Titan flapping his paw at the place beside him on his left, Zalika now lying on his right.

Okay, if you’re sure,” Theo mewed, padding to the place, then sitting down.

“lie down,” Titan mewed, Theo picking nervously at the rug with his left paw. Theo lay down, then to stop his paws trembling, crossed them and battened them down by resting his chin on the topmost paw.

“Now what?” Zalika asked.

“Theo, please don’t hide your paws,” Titan mewed, Theo rolling onto his left side, Titan touching the lion’s right paw with his own left.

“oaoaoaoah, you do need me!” Theo mewed, closing his eyes in reaction to what he was feeling from the liger.

“You, Zalika too, my family!” Titan sniffled. Zalika clambered into the space between the huge lion and massive liger, grabbing Titan’s free right paw in both of hers, while his left still touched Theo’s right paw.

“Does Zalika have your full authority Titan?” Theo asked.

“she does,” Titan mewed, “she’s half of me you see Theo. The birth of my cub went sort of wrong, I see that now. I squeezed my courage and bravery into her, so have little myself now.”

“There is more isn’t there,” Theo mewed, “you know her mind Titan.”

“I can feel Zalika’s anger, and can sometimes reason with her before she gets all fistypaws yes,” Titan mewed, his eyes on Zalika’s.

“I’s felt that yes,” she said, “it’s like a cooling bweeze coming over me when I gets all ‘ot and weady fow the fight. It sometimes wowks.” Titan kissed her nose.

“the strength of fury I sometimes feel from you is almost overpowering,” he said, “no wonder you need to relieve it with punching things or pretending to give birth to cubs.”

“Pwetending to give biwth to cubs is stwenuous wowk, plus, the calming touch of someone else’s paws on mine is vewy nice,” Zalika purred, “I get to scream and yowl, then get violent and cuwl my toes with the effowt of pushing an imaginawy cub into the wowld, as well as be soothed by someone’s touch on my paws and feet too.”

“You poor thing,” Theo mewed, “To have a permanently angry outlook must be very hard Zalika.”

“it ain’t nice,” Zalika mewed, “I needs Titan to gives me plenty of cuddles to makes suwe I don’t go off the wails completely.”

“Though there is a lot of anger in these paws,” Titan mewed, “I feel a gentle core somewhere inside.”

“You knows there is,” Zalika mewed, “I’s stwipped back to it when I’s with you Titan.” Titan kissed his cub’s nose and paws, Theo watching them.

“Zalika’s birth was the most amazing thing I’ve seen,” Theo mewed, “I know Apudo’s rebirth was amazing too, but the notion that Zalika was not, and now she is, is fantastic.”

“I remember her birth for physical and mental reasons,” Titan mewed, “I can remember every sensation I felt. I feel safe now.”

“Safe permanently, or safe in this moment,” Theo asked hopefully.

“In this moment,” Titan mewed, “Theo, I’m safe with you and Zalika, when I’m alone, I’m not safe here, at least I don’t feel I am.” Zalika looked at him with sad eyes.

“You’s needing a cuddle!” she said, hugging him as tightly as she could.

“I need to know you’re safe, and with Apudo about, I don’t think you are!” Titan wept.

“she won’t do anything to Zalika,” Theo mewed, “her inner self won’t let her, it’s already tripped her twice.”

“Not before she tried to kill Zalika though,” Titan mewed, the remembrance of events choking him with tears. Coughing, he continued, “it’s n-not enough Theo, it’s not enough f-for Apudo to be t-tripped by her m-ma- mane. I need something more p- permanent, something that is short of k-k-killing her, which I will not do, but strong enough to k-keep her from harming my dear c-c-cub.”

“You weally ‘as got the vewbal shakes ‘asn’t you Titan,” Zalika mewed.

“I’s weally s-s-scawed!” Titan wailed, not even conscious he’d mimicked Zalika.

“All we need is for you to start talking like Zalika, and the community is finished Titan,” Blackberry groaned while walking in, pushing a trolley in front of him.

“You can shut youw bloody mouth Blackbewwy!” Zalika yowled, leaping to her feet, then, standing on tiptoe, her head raised as if in defiance to the whole world, Zalika roared, “you ‘ears meyeee Blackbewwy? Shuuuuuut iyiyiyiyiyt!”

“Zayayayalika! Pleaeaease Naooaaoao!” Titan squealed, bursting into tears.

“You’s a bleedin’ pest Blackbewwy, just Shuuuuuut uuuuuuup!” Zalika roared, the sound bouncing off the walls and floor, Titan gripping the floor with all four paws, screaming hysterically.

“I’s sowwy Titan, but that bleedin’ oaf ‘ad to be told,” Zalika mewed, lying down then hugging the now trembling liger.

“I felt the ground shake!” Titan howled, Zalika hearing him sniffling and coughing from close range, “I’m s-sorry,” the liger continued, gulping and sniffing, his voice trembling as much as his body, “I’m such a m-me- mess, I can’t cope with r-oaring now,” he whimpered.

“You’s all wight, it’s these othuhs,” Zalika mewed, kissing Titan’s nose.

“Trembling and crying is normal?” Theo asked.

“No it ain’t, but ‘e ‘as to be tweated as gentle as a cub Theo. Put youwself in ‘is paws fow a minute, you ‘as a massive life changing event, and youw cub then tuwns into a raging fuwy while you finally wealise loads about what scwewed up youw life to date, then well, then you’s found too that you’s lost youw couwage and can’t even stand the sound of youw own woaw. ‘ow would you feels?” Theo stared at Zalika in stunned silence.

“I, I thought, considered you,” the huge lion replied hesitantly, his mouth clearly dry, “I thought,” he continued once he’d got enough saliva to speak, “I thought you had no comprehension of it!” Zalika shook her head.

“I might be a cat who likes fistypaws, but I’s not inobservant, lessew so self-obsessed I’s ignowing Titan’s needs. ‘e ‘as become vewy distwessed wecently, and I’s wanting to ‘elp ‘im as much as I can, but I’s a cub, what can I does to ‘elp othuh than letting ‘im cuddle me?” Theo rubbed his eyes with suddenly leaden paws.

“I, I, oh dear,” he sniffed, “I, Zalika, I’m sorry,” the lion choked, swallowing hard several times, shaking his head to clear it. Zalika got to her feet and faced Theo, the lion squirming with discomfort.

“to top this little lot off, I’s given a body with uwges I doesn’t undewstand, and then othuhs twy to kill me ‘cos they thinks I was bown in the wong time! What the ‘ell ‘as I done wong? Come to think of it, what the ‘ell ‘as Titan done wong to desewve the shit ‘e’s going thwough? ‘e twies to do ‘is best, and gets shit on, I’s not ‘aving iyiyiyiyiyt any mowe!” the liliger yowled, stamping her feet, Titan covering his face with his paws.

“I’m not your enemy, I’ll twy, I mean try to heyeyeyeyeyeyelp!” Theo whimpered.

“it seems the more you speak to Zalika, the worse your pronunciation and diction gets,” Blackberry remarked.

“And you can shut up tooo Blackberry!” Theo roared, Titan curling into a tight trembling ball of fear, the toes of his paws and feet gripping the floor as if in the midst of an earthquake.

“I’m gonna die of fright!” Titan thought, panting hard. Suddenly he lost control completely, screaming with sudden terror, Titan leapt to his feet and bolted. Racing down the corridor, almost tumbling down the ramps to the lowest floor, Titan fled for his life. Crying and yowling, Titan ran out of the door and into the woodlands. Sita, being guided by Brydy, turned down the track towards the house.

“Who’s that yowling?” Sita asked.

“It’s that big Tiggie Titan, and, he’s coming this wahahahayayay!” the mare whinnied, standing in front of Sita to protect her as Titan hurtled towards them.

“Stop Titan, stoaoaoaoap!” Sita yelled, Brydy grunting as Titan slammed into her body, bouncing off and collapsing onto the track at the pony’s feet. Titan? For Eohippus sake stop!” Sita mewed, “what the hell’s going on?” she asked when the liger could speak and she’d checked Brydy over for injuries.

“I, oh Sita, I, I c-can’t cope, Theo roared! It’s too muuuch!” Titan wept.

“You could cope with that in former times, what’s happened?” Sita asked, touching Titan’s sweating pads and nose with hers, “tell me Titan, please, what’s wrong?” Titan, choking on a rush of tears, couldn’t answer for a minute.

“I th-think I’m losing my mind!” the liger whimpered! I, I gave birth to Zalika, and the more she grows up, the m-mo-more scared I get! She had all my c-c-courage squeezed into her at her b-b-birth, and now, now I’m just a big c-cowardly cat!” Titan mewed miserably.

“You’re safe here, everything’s fine,” Sita mewed.

“NO it’s noaoaot!” Titan wailed, “Zalika was n-nearly killed, Ap-p-pudo, she, she, oh Sita, Ap-p-pudo nearly k-killed my c-c-cub!”

“oaoaoaoaoh!” Sita miaowed.

“who is this Apudo?” Brydy asked, “I think I’ve heard the name before.

“she laid across your back once, you treated her to the whinny from hell!” Titan moaned. “Oh that Apudo,” Brydy snorted, “she’s not very nice. We horses can tell you know.”

“Care to reprise the whinny for me?” Sita asked.

“naooaaoao!” Titan wailed as Brydy turned towards the log flume tower, which could just be seen in the distance. Inflating her lungs, she gave vent to a screaming whinny that bounced off the tower and rushed back at them, enveloping Titan and Sita in a wall of sound which beat at their ears as it reverberated off the side of the house and the trees, as well as within themselves. Screaming with terror, Titan scrabbled at the ground, trying to bury himself, but even that was futile, as the ground shook with the sheer volume of Brydy’s voice.

“I wasn’t even trying,” Brydy announced, just as Titan passed out.

“You idiot!” Zalika yowled, pounding into view, “what the bleedin’ ‘ell does you think you’s doing? Oi Bwydy, that’s youw name in’it? well you’s a pest ‘orse you is! My poow Titan, ‘e’s a pwopah mess, as if you ‘adn’t noticed, ‘cos I knows you ‘as, ‘cos I’s watched you on the camwa thingy.

“Zalika, where the h-hell did you s-spring from?” Titan asked blearily.

“I’s fwom the ‘ouse, and Bwydy’s a pest, and I’s ‘aving no mowe of that!” Zalika raged, stamping her feet.

“Oh dear,” Sita mewed, “Zalika, what caused this in Titan?”

“oh, ‘e squeezed all ‘is couwage into me, and the biggew I gets, the mowe scawed ‘e becomes poow tiggie.”

“Can’t you infuse him with your courage, after all, it’s his really,” Sita mewed.

“’e won’t let me go ovew the bwidge to does that,” Zalika replied.

“Naooaaoao don’t even speak of that!” Titan begged, flinging himself at Zalika, knocking her down, grabbing her paws and holding on tightly.

“’ears that?” Zalika mewed, “I’s now got both paws immobilised by Titan’s. ‘e won’t let me go.”

“No, because he loves you and knows he will never meet you again, not in this life if you do what you suggest,” Sita mewed, “no courage is worth death.”

“Right, absolutely right,” Titan whimpered, “tell her Sita, tell her she can’t, please tell Zayayayalika she cayayayan’t doooo iyiyiyiyiyt!” the liger begged in a terrified wail.

“I knows it Titan, I’s not gonna do what I pwoposes,” Zalika mewed, kissing the trembling liger’s ear.

“If, if Zalika died, I’d,” Titan began to say, when he suddenly turned his head away and was violently sick.

“I think you could call that being sick with fear,” Brydy whinnied.

“yes,” Zalika mewed, “Titan, let’s get you back ‘ome and clean you up. Theo ain’t gonna woaw any mowe, not fow the time being at least.” Titan tried to get to his feet, but after three attempts, subsided onto the track in defeat.

“you’s weally wown out isn’t you,” Zalika mewed.

“if I was larger, I’d carry you Titan,” Brydy whickered.

“Thanks,” the liger mewed, his eyes full of shame.

“how awe we gonna move ‘im?” Zalika asked, “Titan, twy to get to youw feet again, you’s not that wown out is you?” Titan tried, his eyes closed in concentration, his yowl of effort making everyone want to hug him. Collapsing, Titan lay, sobbing on the track.

“What shall we do?” Brydy asked.

“Look, I know I’m not allowed to bring this thing into the house normally,” a voice said behind Brydy. Turning her head slightly, Brydy saw Felix driving Blackberry’s electric car with trailer attached.

“have you nicked that again Felix?” Brydy asked.

“No, well, yes, but no. the felursapien replied, “I’m bored of sitting in the house, so I watched the videos and saw Titan was in trouble. Then I borrowed Blackberry’s car and drove it out here. I know it’s wrong to borrow his car without permission but, well Titan’s in trouble, and this is the only way we’ll be able to get such a big liger as him back to the house. Now who’s gonna pull at his paws and who will shove his bum?” Felix asked.

“Felix, get out of my car!” Blackberry raged, racing out of the house waving his ladle about like a sword.

“No,” Felix mewed, settling back luxuriously in the seat, gazing at the angry black bear steamrolling towards him without a care in the world.

“What are you gonna do with that ladle Blackberry?” Felix asked, his answer coming in the form of the said implement flying past his right ear.

“That’s ladling it on a bit thick isn’t it Blackbewwy?” Zalika mewed.

“Zalika, that joke deserves contempt,” Sita mewed.

“now I’s twied weally ‘awd with that one,” Zalika purred, Titan giggling to himself.

“Sita will you stop stirring the pot and help put Titan in the trailer,” Felix asked.

“Who’s half-baked plan to put me in the trailer was this?” Titan asked, looking at the trailer with trepidation.

“Okay, that’s enough!” Blackberry raged stamping his paws.

“oops, Blackbewwy’s in a stew, now ‘e’s boiled over,” Zalika mumbled, Titan giggling into his paws.

“Right, stop this!” Blackberry growled.

“I really do wish you’d simmer down,” Brydy whickered, “Blackberry, it’s not healthy to get all steamed up about this.

“nooaoaoaot youuuuu as well!” Blackberry yelled, “let’s get Titan home before my head explodes! The rest of you can shut up!”

“Don’t get fuwious Blackbewwy, you’s at wisk of an ‘eart attack if you does.”

“At wisk, yes Zalika! NO wisk assessment either!” Sita whooped.

“Oh naooaaoao I didn’t mean that!” Zalika yowled, “wisk as in the chance of something ‘’orrible, not as in the whipping whisk! Oh deaw, I knew my speech would cause this one day!”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it Zalika,” Sita mewed.

“Beat myself up? Naooaaoao! Stoaoaoap iyiyiyiyiyt! You’s a bleedin’ pest Siyiyiyta!” Zalika yowled.

“It’s wonderful!” Titan purred, “I haven’t felt so good in ages!”

“What did I say?” Sita asked.

“More food puns, but it’s lovely!” Titan mewed. Titan managed to get into the trailer by crawling, Zalika climbing in beside him.

“I doesn’t know about you Titan, but I’s feeling fwied aftew the events of today,” Zalika mewed, lying down beside him in the trailer.

“Zalika, I’m warning you,” Blackberry growled, racing along the track, picking up his ladle, then back to the car, climbing into the passenger seat beside Felix.

“Oh deaw, Blackbewwy’s cwumbling undew the pwessuwe I thinks, isn’t you Blackbewwy, ‘ow apt is that?”

“Naoaoaoaoaoao! Shuuuuuut uuuuuuup!” Blackberry raged, beating the panel in front of him with his paws.

“oops,” Titan purred in Zalika’s ear, “I think we’re toast when we get back.”

“Out of the frying pan and into the fire,” Brydy whickered, walking alongside the trailer.

“Okay, that’s enough! You’ve really over egged it!” Blackberry screamed, Titan laughing so hard the trailer shook.

“Well we’s cheewed the big cheese up anyway and ‘umour is ingwained in us it seems,” Zalika purred.

“Oh dear, I’m laughing so hard I can’t drive!” Felix guffawed, stamping on the brakes.

“Let me,” Blackberry growled, the two of them changing places.

“I’ve wept so much today I’m feeling desiccated,” Titan mumbled, Zalika’s squeal of glee making Blackberry look round sharply, almost driving the car into a tree, Felix saving them from a crash by grabbing and turning the wheel.

“You bleedin’ idiot!” the felursapien remonstrated, “eyes on the road will you?!”

“Sorry,” Blackberry replied.

“You will be if you wrap us round a tree!” Felix growled.

“I’ll have to get another ladle!” Blackberry moaned to himself.

“bollocks to your ladle, you need driving lessons!” Felix growled, slapping Blackberry’s paws off the wheel and driving the car side saddle, the black bear sitting mute and furious beside him.

“What’s eating you Blackberry?” Felix asked.

“How did you steal my car!” Blackberry raged, making Titan scream with fright by banging the horn with his paw.

“Oh, that was easy!” Felix mewed.

“Easy?” Blackberry growled, staring into Felix’s eyes, “how easy?”

“Well there’s a big book on your desk with the title, “my passwords” on the cover,” Felix mewed conversationally.

“Oh, um, woops.” Blackberry groaned.

“That book is great, you can get anywhere with that,” Felix mewed, “I got into the CCTV and deleted the pictures of the loading bay that way.” Blackberry’s paws balled into fists, and he swung at Felix, the Felursapien ducking, then leaping from the car onto Brydy’s back.

“Gee up Brydy pony, please get me out of here!” Felix yelled, clapping his heels into her sides, Brydy turning and, with a whinny that shook the trees, cantering away.

“I’ll tear his tail off and stuff it down his throat!” Blackberry screeched.

“You won’t!” Titan roared from the back of the trailer, the sound making Blackberry feel sick and wet himself with fright. Whimpering, he brought the car to a stop in the lean-to and bolted for the nearest relieving place. There he was sick.

“blackbewwy’s a diwty thing!” Zalika mewed, examining the car, “’e’s wet ‘imself all over the seat!”

“I didn’t mean to scare him that much! But I will not have anyone threatening, let alone committing violence like that. Who in Eohippus name does that bear think he is?” Titan mewed, his voice almost cracking.

“Are you getting youw couwage back Titan?” Zalika asked.

“I don’t know,” Titan mewed, his eyes filling with tears, “but what I do know is I’m not seeing Blackberry threaten Felix like that without making my views known! I know Felix used Blackberry’s codebook and that It was wrong for him to do so, but Blackberry’s threat of violence and then actions too, swinging for Felix like that! Felix had to use Brydy as a getaway vehicle! Aoaoaoaoah naooaaoao!” the liger wailed, his eyes taking on their now all too familiar scared look.

“I must say, I sees Bwydy tuwn and cantew away, and Felix ‘as a weally good seat on ‘ur back,” Zalika mewed, “’e wode ‘ur like a pwofessional.”

“Felix rides Brydy when Adsila doesn’t need her,” Philomena mewed, padding noisily up to the trailer.

“You naked soled creatures sound like a ‘uge ‘erd of elephants!” Zalika mewed, kissing Philomena’s nose.

“I suppose we do,” Philomena purred, “we don’t have the fur on our soles or the way of walking you big cats do, so we can’t minimise the sound.”

“youw feet is cute though,” Zalika mewed, Philomena giggling delightedly.

“I’ve seen you tickling Moses toes, and he yours,” she said.

“yeah all wight, we does,” Zalika purred, “and we wubs each othuhs pads too, it’s in the open now.” Philomena hugged Zalika tightly.

“I love big cat paws and feet too,” she whispered, “and when you held my feet in your paws while I pushed to deliver my imaginary cub, it felt so wonderful I could hardly push.”

“I enjoyed it too,” Zalika mewed, “oh, especially the bit where you ‘eld my foot in youw ‘ands and I tugged, that felt gweat.” Philomena hugged Zalika as tightly as she could, the liligress purring ecstatically.

“I hope you got very paws on with my feet,” Philomena purred.

“I did, and you even twapped my paw twice,” Zalika mewed.

“I’m glad I did, just to hear you say that,” Philomena mewed.

“To say what?” Zalika asked.

“Twapped,” it’s so cuuuute!” Philomena giggled.

“No it ain’t! it’s ‘ow I speaks ‘in’it,” Zalika mewed.

“the only thing that would make it better is if I’d been labouring leaning against a twee,” Philomena laughed.

“Now that ain’t faiah Philomena!” Zalika miaowed.

“Sowwy, I mean sorry,” Philomena replied.

“naooaaoao you isn’t!” Zalika yowled, “if you was sowwy, you’d stop mimicking meyeee!” the liligress complained loudly.

“All right, I will stop, and this time I apologise profusely,” Philomena replied.

“No you doesn’t, I can feel you doesn’t!” Zalika miaowed, her eyes shining. Suddenly she leapt out of the trailer, pounced on Philomena and bore her to the floor, tickling her toes.

“This is what makes it bettew!” Zalika yowled, Philomena squealing with laughter at the feel of Zalika’s whiskers tickling her toes.

“Ok Zayayayalika, truce pleaeaease!” Philomena squealed.

“ok,” Zalika mewed, kissing Philomena’s nose and the tickle from her toe pads.

“What’s going on?” Sita asked, “I’m sitting in this trailer, my guide horse has vanished, and now there’s all this shouting and yowling!”

“a mix of trouble and play Sita dear,” Titan mewed, “Blackberry’s having problems and tried to punch Felix in anger.”

“Felix broke Blackberry’s passwords, that’s wrong isn’t it?” Sita asked.

“yes, but so is leaving them out to be seen,” Titan mewed, “I’m in two minds whether to punish Felix for this, for though stealing Blackberry’s car is wrong, Felix was intending to use it to aid another. I would still be on that track had Felix not come round the corner in the car.”

“Someone would have rescued you before now,” Sita replied.

“yes, but I would have been longer on the track,” the liger replied, “Felix will be punished, but violent action should not be the form of punishment. Blackberry needs to learn to be more secure with the computers, and Felix needs to learn not to use information he gains unlawfully for his own purposes, or those of others.”

“He scrubbed the film of Zalika’s disappearance didn’t he?” Sita asked.

“I think so,” Titan mewed, “Blackberry’s book had that password in it too I understand.”

“would you have gone to London with Zalika?” Sita asked.

“yes, if she’d asked it of me,” Titan mewed, “no matter how scared I was, I would have gone with her. As it was, you know what happened when I woke.”

“It was horrible,” Sita mewed, “I only heard the audio, and that made me cry.”

“it did me too,” Titan mewed, Sita hugging him.

“What are we gonna do about your perpetual fearfulness Titan?” Sita asked.

“I don’t know, I must t-tr-try to be braver,” Titan mewed.

“it’s not just you who is coping with this, we all are,” Sita mewed, “we’ll all help. I love Zalika, and I wouldn’t endanger her for the world, neither would I wish you harm resulting from her birth Titan. You had no control over what you gave her, and she is doing her best to cope, as are you. Zalika doesn’t like defaulting to fistypaws to solve problems. She used to throw foam bricks and punch rubberised walls when she was very young. She hid that from you, I know she did.”

“I didn’t know until now,” Titan mewed, seeing Zalika watching and listening to their conversation, her face registering sudden anxiety.

“I twied to keep it a secwet,” Zalika mewed, “Titan, I’s been ashamed of my violence evah since I saw Apoodo’s eawly life, and ‘ow violent she was, but she ‘ad an excuse, Aslan being what ‘e was towards ‘er. I don’t even ‘ave a bad cub’ood to blame, and I was and am vewy violent inside. I doesn’t want to be violent, as you knows Titan.” Titan looked at Zalika, his eyes full of compassion.

“You haven’t taken it out on others,” Titan mewed softly.

“I would ‘ate to do that,” Zalika mewed, Titan kissing Zalika’s nose.

“come have a hug,” Titan mewed, leaping out of the trailer and hugging Zalika, the cub snuggling up to him.

“You’s a big cuddlypuss,” Zalika mewed softly into Titan’s ear.

“I wonder where Felix got to?” Titan asked.

“Pwobably in Bwydy’s stable,” Zalika mewed, “it’s a nice place, so I’s ‘eard anyway.”

“he’s not coming back soon, that’s for certain,” Philomena replied.

“Philomena, can I give you a hug?” Titan asked, the felursapien padding up to the huge liger.

“Come on then,” she said, Titan lying down, Philomena kneeling and feeling his paws going round her, Philomena hugging him.

“you’re everything a cat should be, big, cuddly, warm with big paws to return the cuddle,” Philomena said into Titan’s ear, the liger’s deep purr making her smile.

“Can you reach the toes of my right foot with your paw?” she asked, Titan reaching over and pressing the toe tips of his left paw into the gap between the ball and toes of her right foot, Philomena curling her toes to grip those of his left his paw, Titan smiling and then closing his eyes, miaowing theatrically while tugging at his trapped paw, wriggling and curling up tightly so Philomena could see his feet, the toes of which he curled tightly with the effort of freeing his paw from the grip of her toes.

“pull Titan puuuuuull!” Philomena encouraged, Titan miaowing and growling with simulated effort, Zalika laughing helplessly at his antics.

“Sita, come gets paws on with this silly tiggie!” Zalika said, leading Sita to Titan’s side, the cat bear getting paws on with his struggling feet, Titan using his feet and voice as much as he could to express his effort, relaxing and curling his toes while panting and yowling theatrically.

“You might be a big scaredy-cat, but you’re very good at playing,” Sita mewed.

“I might come back to your playroom, if you’ll let me,” Titan mewed, “I need a place of safety sometimes.”

“mama karina will go up the wall,” Sita grunted.

“she’s got Theo and Patch to lean on, anyway, she would need to be leader if I’m incapacitated. Can’t I be technically incapacitated for an hour a week or something?”

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Sita mewed.

“Oh I don’t know, I got a thorn in my paw or something, tell her that,” Titan mewed, “I need some downtime anyway.”

“Are you resigning?” Philomena asked.

“No, just well, the community wont’ let me for a start, Apudo balloted the whole place, so she said, and noone wanted me to leave,” Titan mewed.

“she did, and they didn’t,” Philomena replied.

“Right now I’m incapacitated, my paw’s stuck!” Titan miaowed, tugging at his left paw. Pulling hard, with much growling and puffing, while Sita got paws on with his and Philomena’s struggles, the liger dragged his toes free of the grip of Philomena’s, then squealing, dragged his paw, the pads of which had seemingly stuck to the sole of Philomena’s right foot, over the sole of her foot from ball to heel pad, Philomena moaning with discomfort and curling her toes as she felt his paw drag over her pads. Titan, the toes of his left paw slightly curled, dragged it over her pads, Philomena closing her eyes and curling her toes with pleasure at his touch.

“Titan’s eyes are closed with concentwation, Philomena’s with pleasuwe, it’s sweet!” Zalika mewed, as Sita got paws on with Titan’s left paw and Philomena’s right foot. With a final screaming yowl of effort, Titan freed his left paw from the glue holding it to the sole of Philomena’s right foot, then panting, rolled onto his side as if totally worn out.

“big cuddlypuss,” Philomena giggled, stroking his paws.

“I need to find my guide horse!” Sita mewed.

“I’m here,” Brydy said softly, nudging Sita’s shoulder with her nose.

“How the hell does a horse creep up on a cat bear?” Philomena asked.

“by walking,” Brydy whickered, “what you meant to ask is how could a horse do it, as they have hooves? Well, the answer is this, your, sorry, our leader was yowling his head off so much he hid my approach, even from you Sita, so Titan, kindly keep the noise down if you want to be protected.

“Oh dear, me playing in the wrong place,” Titan groaned.

“let’s all go ‘ome,” Zalika mewed, “Bwydy, where’s Felix?”

“I took him home,” Brydy replied.

“You’s weally good to us,” Zalika mewed, turning to Brydy, “us with paws and claws must fwighten you ‘orses quite a bit.”

“Not when your paws are truly bare,” Brydy mewed, lowering her head and nuzzling Zalika’s ear, “I like your paws truly bare.”

“Most of us who’s bown in this place keeps ouw claws sheathed,” Zalika mewed.

“I noticed,” Brydy replied, using her velvet lips to tug playfully at Zalika’s left ear.

“Oi, stop that!” Zalika giggled.

“Sorry,” Brydy whickered, “is it too forward of me?”

“No, you’s tickling!” Zalika laughed.

“I would love to wash your paws little one,” Brydy said, Zalika looking into her eyes, Brydy snorting with fear and moving away.

“don’t look a horse in the eyes Zalika,” Titan warned, to a horse that’s a sign of aggression.”

“Oh,” Zalika mewed sadly, “what does I do then?”

“Look down at the floor, present Brydy with as non-threatening pose as you can,” Sita mewed.

“Okay,” Zalika replied, her face stricken with sadness, “Bwydy, please, I didn’t mean to!” the liligress begged.

“Okay,” Brydy replied timidly, going up to Zalika, who lay with her head on her paws, Brydy gently turning her onto her back, Zalika being careful to keep her eyes shut so not to make any more visual errors. Zalika, her paws and feet now sticking skywards, felt Brydy’s tongue licking her pads, the horse clearly having watched others wild paw washing.

“’ow does you ‘owses get a wash like this Bwydy?” Zalika asked.

“we have other parts of our bodies that work in the same way as your paws,” Brydy replied, “we horses like our ears and foreheads rubbed. We also love our necks rubbed too. I might show affection to another horse by resting my head on their back while they’re standing nose to tail with me, they doing the same for me. Or we might stand, heads together, again facing nose to shoulder as it were, and groom a part of the neck where there is a nerve which gives sensations of pleasure if rubbed right with a gentle touch. We use our lips for that social grooming, for cleaning type grooming, we use gentle application of teeth to the affected area. Horses don’t roll over to be groomed, for instance, you’d seldom find a horse in the position you’re in now. We can’t sustain being on our backs for long, as our lungs can’t cope, plus exposing our bellys isn’t something we do.”

“Oh,” Zalika mewed, as Brydy’s attention turned from the pads of her right foot to her left, “it’s all vewy stwange to me,” she said.

“I could lie down now, and you could rub my muzzle, forehead and ears with your paws Zalika,” Brydy mewed.

“You would let me do that?” Zalika asked.

“yes,” Brydy replied, gently placing a kiss on her nose,” Zalika, I would. You’re a cub, a foal as I know it, you have no malice in you at all. I can feel it. come.” Brydy lay down on the woodland floor, tucking her hind legs beside her, her forelegs supporting her front end so her head was raised.

“Oh, you won’t often find us lying flat out either,” she said, “you might if a herd of horses are resting, most will be flat out, with some sitting up and others standing on guard, but to get up from a prone position is hard and long for a horse.” Zalika examined Brydy from nose to tail, touching noses with her.

“Can I get paws on?” she asked.

“yes, I would be honoured,” Brydy replied in fluent ligrine, making Zalika smile.

“You spoke my language!” the liligress exclaimed.

“I learnt some in the school for guide horses,” Brydy replied in ligrine, Zalika now enchanted by the welsh pony.

“You’s the most amazing thing I’s seen all day,” Zalika purred, rubbing Brydy’s soft muzzle and ears, the welsh pony sighing with pleasure.

“This is lovely,” Zalika mewed softly, having the idea that her exuberant tone may not be wanted, and that she should express herself quietly with paws and gentle tones.

“Be quiet around horses Zalika,” Sita mewed, Brydy half closing her eyes with blissful contentment.

“This is wondewful Sita,” Zalika purred, Brydy smiling to herself.

“come on, let’s go into the house,” Titan mewed, getting to his feet.

“Ok Bwydy, I ‘as to go,” Zalika mewed, looking at the liger who now towered over them both.

“if I didn’t know you better, you’d be getting a hoof in your face right about now Titan,” Brydy whickered.

“Oh thanks,” the liger whimpered.

“I didn’t mean anything bad,” Brydy replied, “what I meant was that you were too close, and if I’d not met you before, I’d be giving you a good kicking, which I now won’t, because I know you mean me no harm.”

“Oh,” Titan replied, brightening visibly.

“You’re very beautiful Titan,” Brydy said, nuzzling the furred top of his massive left paw.

“Thanks,” Titan mewed, bowing his head and using his lips rather than his tongue to kiss Brydy between her ears, brushing his lips through her forelock rather than flicking with his tongue as he’d usually do.

“I thought the usual liger flick of the tongue kiss would be too harsh,” Titan mewed, answering Zalika’s look.

“Oh,” she mewed.

“Got’a be careful with these ponies,” Titan purred.

“thanks,” Brydy whickered, “Titan, could I kiss your nose?” she asked.

“I would be honoured,” Titan mewed, lying down, carefully tucking his paws as far out of sight as he could beneath his chin.

“please, dear Titan, don’t hide your paws,” Brydy said in ligrine, nuzzling at Titan’s left paw, the liger becoming increasingly tearful.

“What is you doing? You’s upsetting ‘im, can’t you sees that? Bwydy, let Titan put ‘is paws awayayayayay!” Zalika growled.

“I’m, oh, oh dear,” Titan sniffled, Zalika staring at him as he rolled onto his side, then she remained staring in shocked silence as Brydy kissed his nose, then washed his paws and feet, Titan crying with the emotion which swamped him.

“Can I wash your face too?” Brydy asked, “Titan, you look like you’ve been through it recently.” Titan, unable to speak, let Brydy get on with her ministrations.

“Isn’t you gonna stand up fow youwself, be a leadew?” Zalika asked.

“I can’t, leave me a while Zalika,” Titan wept.

“What the ‘ell’s got into you?” Zalika asked.

“Brydy I think,” Philomena replied.

“’ow can Bwydy get inside Titan?” Zalika asked, “you does talk some shit Philomena!”

“No, I’m not talking that,” Philomena replied, “Zalika, Titan’s a predator, he knows this, and a horse he’s hardly met is kissing his paws and washing his pads. Zalika, you’re a cub, as am I. how can we understand the level of trust Brydy is extending to Titan? He could kill Brydy in seconds, but she wants to kiss his nose, and requested he didn’t hide the pads of his paws, then she kissed those too, both paws and feet. Titan’s a bit overcome I think.”

“’e’s nevah killed a dam thing in ‘is life though Philomena, you’s talking wubbish!” Zalika replied sharply, distressed at Titan’s tears.

“he feels the weight of fear felt towards his kind by all horses bearing down on him,” Philomena replied, “so to have a horse request to kiss his paw, then kiss more than the furry tops is something amazing for him.”

“I suppose,” Zalika mewed.

“Unless you are Titan or Brydy, you can’t know,” Philomena mewed.

“’ow comes you ‘as such insight then?” Zalika asked.

“I’m partly human,” Philomena replied, “I see these things, I understand them Zalika. You will in time, and I don’t mean to patronise or put myself above you. I use computers, I have read about the predator prey relationship, and know how deeply each knows the other’s needs and struggles for life.”

“You’s got a sowt of detachment then?” Zalika asked.

“sort of, yes,” Philomena mewed, “also, I think exactly what Blackberry did to Felix has hit Titan. A non-human animal slaps, he does not punch. That’s human aggression. We only ball our paws into fists when in pain, say when giving birth Zalika. Humans punch with their hands when angry, that is why Titan warned you against the punch bags. Blackberry attacked Felix with human anger and aggression. I think Titan’s grieving the loss of a bear’s innocence today.” Zalika stared at Philomena.

“You speaks sense,” she said, “so what does we do now? Titan’s gonna be in a mess!”

“Be there for a frightened liger Zalika,” Philomena replied softly.

“I feels we’s going into a dawk place now,” Zalika mewed sadly. Titan looked up into Brydy’s face, the storm of emotions abating after ten minutes.

“Sorry,” Brydy whickered, the liger blinking until he could see her.

“I’m sorry for breaking down like that,” Titan mewed, “it’s worse than you know Brydy, I think, think Philomena knows, I think Blackberry’s done something very wrong, and he knows it too.” Brydy lowered her head in sudden understanding and grief.

“he tried to hit Felix with human aggression, I saw it,” she said.

“Blackberry knows it, that is why he was so sick,” Titan mewed, “there’s a lot of anger in him, and it’s almost uncontrollable when it escapes through his paws.”

“His human side doesn’t think straight sometimes,” Brydy said in ligrine.

“No,” Titan replied in Equus, making Brydy prick her ears and smile.

“I’ll bet you can swear in Equus too,” Brydy said. Titan grinned, then reeled off a list of vulgar words in Equus that had Brydy whinnying with shocked laughter.

“You have a disgusting ditch mouth!” she whinnied.

“the cubs don’t understand a word, so it’s fine,” Titan mewed in Equus, Brydy bowing her head, touching noses with the liger.

“I must get a good pawdle on Blackberry’s aggression,” Titan mewed.

“The word you want is ‘andle,” Zalika purred.

“But I have paaaaws!” Titan yowled cubbishly, Philomena grinning at the liger.

“is you all wight Titan?” Zalika asked.

“I’m dreading this next bit if you must know Zalika,” the liger replied.

“You ‘as to do it Titan,” Zalika mewed, “Blackbewwy’s punch was delibewate, I sees what ‘e did! ‘e was dwiving too!”

“let’s all go home,” Titan mewed dispiritedly, “I have to do the bit of my job as leader which makes me want to cry, but I mustn’t cry.” Zalika looked at Titan with new respect and compassion, the liger gazing at her from eyes full of pain and torment.

“You feel Felix’s anguish don’t you,” Zalika mewed.

“I do, Karina’s too, they know the impact of what Blackberry did today,” Titan replied gruffly.

“Blackberry has punched the whole community today,” Brydy whinnied.

“Blackberry let his violence out today,” Titan mewed, “and if it hadn’t been for Felix’s agility and speed, he would have been gravely hurt.”

“I’s sowwy to ‘ears that,” Zalika mewed piteously.

“I need to talk to Blackberry,” Titan mewed, his eyes terrified. Walking into the house, Titan padded about on heavy paws. He at first couldn’t find the bear anywhere, but, remembering something, he took the monorail to Mishka’s treehouse, then padded up the internal staircase to Blackberry’s computer room. Lifting a paw which felt as heavy as lead and Knocking on the door, the liger heard cursing, then a drawer slam and a voice snap:

“Come in, if you must.” Titan, feeling suddenly sick with fear, put his head in and saw Blackberry sitting on a swivel chair, looking at him over the top of a book he’d been reading.

“I suppose you have come to tear a strip off me,” Blackberry growled, “well Titan, here I am, if you can find your claws.”

“B-Blackberry, w-why were you sick and I-incontinent all over the c-car?” Titan asked.

“I felt stomach churning fear,” the bear replied, “your roar, it made me literally shit myself with fright!”

“I d-don’t think that’s all th-though,” Titan mewed, almost overcome by his own fear, “g-go on Blackberry, tell on.”

“There’s nothing else to tell,” Blackberry replied, now unable to meet Titan’s eyes.

“There is m-more, I know th-there’s more,” Titan mewed, padding into the room and offering Blackberry his left paw, placing it in the bear’s lap.

“You can’t get me that wayayayay!” Blackberry yelled, smashing the edge of the book he’d been reading onto Titan’s offered paw:

“Yayayayyayayayayouwch!” Titan screeched, leaping back from the blow, the hardback book having caught him hard on the top of his toes. Sucking the injured paw, Titan whimpered and panted with pain for a bit, then mumbled:

“Th-there, there is mowe, I know there’s mowe eating at y-you B-Blackbewwy.”

“don’t call meyeee Blackbewwy, you’re not Zalika, and pull yourself together! I’m not going to eat you, you stupid liger!” Blackberry yelled, slamming and hurling the book at Titan in sudden rage, the liger dodging the flying book by inches.

“I’m thowwy, I’m thucking my paaaw which y-you hit!” Titan replied.

“Oh bugger your paaaw!” Blackberry yelled, banging the desk with his paws. Titan squealed with pain, Blackberry staring at him.

“What did I say?” the black bear asked. Titan, tears in his eyes and now staggering on three legs after his evasive action, placed his injured paw to the floor, screwed his eyes up in pain and said:

“b-Blackberry, you hit my paaaaw with your book, and Y-you’re r-raging inside, that pu-pu-punch was h-human in cc-character! B-bears usually s-slap with their p-paws Blackberry.”

“I know,” the black bear said, suddenly looking very unhappy at the sight of Titan wincing at the pain in his paw, “it was wrong of me to do that, but, well sometimes my anger gets the better of me. I know balling paws into fists is only really done when in pain, but, well, Titan, I’m sorry. I felt violated when Felix stole my car for a second time, then furious with myself for the lack of security precautions. I let silly words about food get the better of me, and I lashed out.”

“You pu-pu-punched the whole community today B-b-Blackberry,” Titan mewed.

“I suppose I did,” the bear replied, looking very distressed, “you too Titan, you have cried because of what I did haven’t you?” Titan nodded, looking down at his paws in sudden shame. Blackberry suddenly knelt before Titan and, crying too, hugged him.

“I lost it, I know I did, that was why I was so incontinent when you roared, your roar and the realisation made me lose it,” Blackberry said miserably, “Titan, I knew I’d done wrong. “Titan leapt for Brydy’s back and she got him away,” Titan mewed, Blackberry’s touch soothing him enough to break the stutter in his voice.

“I saw,” the bear replied.

“So what are you going to do to kerb your fury?” Titan asked.

“Try to be more like you,” Blackberry said.

“Scared half to death and Sw-sweaty pawed?” Titan asked.

“No, well, more thoughtful, more gentle,” Blackberry replied.

“Felix stole your car for a joyride, then drove me back to the house,” Titan mewed.

“I should have been more secure,” Blackberry grunted, “this book, the one I hit you with, it says to lock the book in a drawer.”

“Maybe you’d better try that,” Titan mewed.

“I hope you will punish Felix for his crime,” Blackberry replied.

“You ne-ne-need retribution too, bu-but, I can’t bring myself to do any more than has already been done. I w-w-won’t pu-punish for my own G-g-gratification, even though the th-thought of co-co-confronting you scared me almost sp-sp-speechless, and, I, I thought of punishing you fu-fu-further for making me have to do s-so-something you knew I’d hate!” Titan stammered, the subject matter making him suddenly fearful.

“I’m not that frightening am I?” Blackberry asked.

“I ca-can’t cope with anything any mo-more!” Titan wept, Blackberry hugging him.

“Shhh Titan, it’s all right, it’s gonna be okay,” Blackberry said, wondering how on earth he was going to back up his words, for things in the liger’s head were clearly far from okay.

“Please don’t p-pu-punch anyone anymore!” Titan begged in a frightened whimper which broke Blackberry’s heart.

“I won’t, I promise!” the black bear sobbed into Titan’s coat.

“I’m worn out Blackberry,” Titan sniffled.

“I am partly responsible for that, and I am sorry,” Blackberry replied softly.

“So what you gonna do to me Titan?” Felix asked at the open door.

“Get out you disrespectful creature!” Blackberry yelled, “can’t you see we’re in crisis here?”

“Ooooops!” Felix mewed, trying to run, but finding his feet stuck to the floor.

“I can’t move!” Felix raged.

“You will move when I want you to,” Titan mewed.

“how on earth?” Blackberry gasped.

“Felix has the same imagination as his mama, who could stick a marble to the ball of her foot just by thinking about it when it was in full race down her sole from heel pad to toe pads,” Titan mewed, “I have harnessed his imagination and turned it against him for a while, in the same way he used your book for his own ends, but this time, I have the right to stop him from running, where he has no right to steal.”

“What are you going to do with meyeee?” Felix asked, his eyes terrified.

“You will not steal Blackberry’s password book again, you hear meyeee?” Titan asked, his voice strong and intent clear, “I am furious with you for what you did with that knowledge! I told your mum to punish you, but your actions show she hasn’t, or if she has it hasn’t told you anything! Now, now you’re for it from meyeee!” Titan raged.

“What are you gonna do to me?” Felix asked.

“Show you what I went through during the hours I was frightened for the safety of my cuuuub!” Titan roared, his voice terrible in the small room.

“No, Noaoaot that!” Felix squealed.

“You’ve seen the movie, now feel it!” Titan growled, his deep voice shaking every hair on Blackberry’s body.

“Nothing’s happening!” Felix said, finding his feet suddenly freed, “you’re a woosy pussy Titan, a fraidy-cat! You had me worried there for a minute, though when it comes down to it, you can’t do a dam thing to punish meyeee! You’re a real Fraidy-cat aren’t you? You can’t even teach meyeee a lesson, no wonder Zalika is such a pest!”

“You will be taught, I will teach you,” Titan mewed sadly, “it grieves me even now, for noone, other than I, should know the pain I felt, but as you mock it, you will feel it.”

“I won’t feel a thing!” Felix mewed.

“What did you do last night?” Titan asked.

“I pretended to have a, oh naooaaoao!” Felix whimpered.

“I know,” Titan replied, his head bowed in genuine grief.

“You can’t do that! I won’t let you do that!” Felix shrieked.

“you will feel, for you have upset me so much,” Titan mewed softly.

“this is emotional abuse!” Felix raged.

“I suppose aiding Zalika, even after Philomena told you what the consequences would be isn’t?” the liger asked angrily.

“You have a point,” Felix mewed.

“yes, and I will bloody well make that point!” Titan roared, “go now, goaoaoaoaoao from heyeyeyeyeyre!” the liger yowled, Felix fleeing down the corridor.

“What’s all this bloody noise?” Mishka shouted, “Titan, what on earth are you doing here?”

“I came to see Blackberry,” Titan mewed.

“he let you in?” Mishka asked.

“um, not as such,” the liger replied, “I, well, just walked in here.”

“but the lift’s locked!” Mishka said.

“the door to the back stairs wasn’t,” Titan mewed, “I can’t use the private lift here Mishka, I’m too big for it.”

“You’re leader, so I suppose it’s all right,” Mishka growled, “I wish you’d knocked first though Titan!” he raged.

“yeah, sorry Mi-Mishka,” Titan replied.

“You can stop that cubbish stammer too!” Mishka snapped.

“I don’t mean to d-d-do iyiyiyiyiyt!” Titan wailed.

“What happened to the brave leader we elected?” Mishka asked.

“he’s standing in front of you,” Blackberry replied, “Mishka, you know little, I less, but you at least know Titan’s mind, you were with him at his lowest.”

“I was, but I’ve never met such a big scaredy-cat in my life Blackberry!” Mishka replied.

“I don’t mean to be,” Titan whimpered, “I’ll go now, my work here is done.”

“You really mean to let Felix feel your emotions during Zalika’s disappearance?” Mishka asked.

“I do,” Titan mewed.

“he’ll hate it,” Mishka replied.

“and I didn’t?” Titan growled, “Mishka, I do it because Felix knows nothing! He will listen to noone!”

“Okay, keep your fur on Titan!” Mishka said, “Felix is a rogue, but I think you’re going a bit far, abusing your power to punish him.”

“he abused his, and I mean to show him my feelings, so he knows what deleting the data and enabling Zalika to run off did to me.”

“Felix knows what happened, he saw the film of your anguish,” Mishka replied.

“Then he calls me fraidy cat and scaredy cat, mocking my distress!” Titan yowled, “I’m nooaoaoaot having that!” he screeched.

“As long as you don’t damage him,” Mishka replied.

“His mind won’t be damaged,” Titan spat, “but he didn’t think of mine did he! Philomena tried to tell him, but he ignored her too.” with that Titan left the room on dragging paws, his head hung in grief for Felix as if the felursapien had died.

“you’re cracking up Titan,” Mishka said, trying to touch the liger, Titan dodging Mishka’s paw.

“go away, you sicken me!” Titan mewed angrily, brushing past Mishka and heading down the stairs to the back door.

“leave him Mishka,” Blackberry replied, “Titan’s right, you have no idea what he went through, and neither does Felix. The problem is, Felix mocked Titan’s pain, and for that he will be punished. Titan doesn’t want to punish Felix, but he must.”

“but with that?” Mishka replied, “I heard Titan’s voice during that video, it made me cry! Why doesn’t it affect Felix?”

“Felix let his human side do the sole reasoning,” Blackberry replied, “I know how that is, and for me, I know my human side makes me very stupid when I use it to the exclusion of all else.”

“yes, we’ve seen that more than once!” Mishka growled.

“Well then, you know what Titan’s fighting against,” Blackberry replied.

“If it hadn’t been for human inventions, we would never have found his bloody cuuuub!” Mishka raged, stamping his foot, “he’s got to be bloody grateful for that!”

“I am grateful for the CCTV you disgusting mangy fleapit!” Titan yelled over his shoulder, kicking the door shut with his left foot, the door resisting with an airbrake, Titan turning on it in anger, hitting the door with his paws until it was closed, then beating it as his anger and grief overwhelmed him.

“Just listen to that raket!” Mishka groaned, “Titan’s really lost it!”

“Poor thing,” Blackberry commiserated, “he’s had a lot to deal with in his life Mishka.”

“We gave that mess the leadership too, when will we learn?” Mishka groaned.

“the community sees something in Titan, that can’t be denied,” Blackberry replied.

“You might see something in him, I don’t!” Mishka growled, “when Apudo came to me with her ballot paper, or rather it was online, I voted to bin the tiggie. There were only two votes for binning him, me and Apudo’s! What the hell is everyone thinking!”

“that we love him more than we dislike the cowardly side to him,” a voice said, Swarupa padding into the room.

“You Swarupa, you hated him for the longest time!” Mishka screeched at the tigress.

“I did, but I don’t’ now, and, seeing him scared for his own cub has made me wonder even more why I hated him. Mishka, I regret what I did to Titan, and now I will give him my full support. He is lovely, and deep down, apart from you and Apudo, everyone else knows it.”

“A leader has to be fierce, has to be strong, not a wimpy snivelling pussycat!” Mishka howled.

“it’s not his fault giving birth to Zalika did what it did to him,” Swarupa mewed, “I agree with Titan, we need to find another way to be led, a gentler way, the “tea and biscuits way,” as Titan might call it.”

“Talk talk talk, that’s all he does!” Mishka replied.

“it’s good to talk, fighting means evewyone’s lost,” another voice said, Zalika leaping off Swarupa’s back and landing, light as a feather in front of Mishka.

“Not you as well!” Mishka yelled.

“Yeah, me, you know, the queen of tea,” Zalika giggled.

“You’re the least likely to want to go all pacifist on us!” Mishka roared.

“Well I’s been speaking with Bwydy, and she ‘as a lot to says about the gentle path,” Zalika mewed, “she told me the stowy of Eo’ippus and ‘ow a lioness and ‘orse lived together, and the ‘orse said she would give ‘ur life fow the suwvival of fourteen cubs which the lioness gave biwth to one day. The lioness was so moved by the ‘orse’s intentions, she told ‘ur cubs nevah to eat meat, but they ‘ad to, so the ‘orse laid down ‘ur life, the lioness, who ate vegetables by the way, kept the ‘orse’s memory alive by telling of and living the peaceful path.”

“So that’s why Theo’s still eating vegetables!” Blackberry replied, banging the desk with his paw, “I wondered why that lion eats what he does.”

“Theo’s a lovely lion,” Zalika mewed.

“You are his cub, so you would say that,” Mishka replied.

“I spoke to Theo too, ‘e told me the ‘eoippus tale. ‘e said violence solves nothing, and that Titan ‘ad subscribed to that view all ‘is life. Theo also told me of ‘ow Patch ‘ad twied to follow the path ‘imself, and that’s why the spiwits let ‘im come back with Shadow’s ‘elp.”

“It’s all true,” Mishka replied, “that I cannot deny, but Titan’s beyond help. He is no leader if he runs from confrontation.”

“Just touch ‘is paw and you’s nevah gonna waise a fist to anyone evah again, ay Blackbewwy?” Zalika asked, the black bear looking very uncomfortable.

“What?” Mishka asked.

“Titan made me see sense without striking a single blow,” Blackberry replied, sighing heavily, “I was very stupid Mishka. I, I, oh Mishka, I even hit his paw with a book, injuring it.”

“What of it?” Mishka asked.

“The paws are the places where the spirit can be touched, and I abused that place,” Blackberry replied miserably, “Titan tried to give me his paw so he could talk to me in a deeper manner than sound, and,” Blackberry’s face fell, Swarupa staring at the black bear as he wept, “I hit his paw so hard I fear I may have injured our relationship forever!”

“You may have done that,” Swarupa mewed, “I learnt about the power of a paw very recently when Titan gave me his. His touch says more than any words can.”

“I remember what Titan did,” Blackberry replied gruffly, “he is more forgiving than most Swarupa, I know I couldn’t.”

“it is not for you to forgive her Blackberry!” Titan’s voice yelled up the stairs, “keep your nose out!” he roared, the whole house vibrating with the sound of the liger’s displeasure.

“You’s been told,” Zalika mewed, “now, got’a go, Titan needs Meyeee!” she yelled, vanishing in a swirl of movement which left Blackberry visually confused.

“Where did Zayayayalika go tooo!” he yelled, “she bleedin’ vanished!” the black bear screeched.

“She did too!” Swarupa mewed.

Zalika leapt high into the air and out of the first floor window, landing beside Titan who was still beating the back door with his paws.

“Now we’s off,” she said, “I’s thowoughly angwy and I needs food, as I think does you Titan, so let’s go!”

“Where in Eohippus name did you spring from, and What’s Blackberry screaming about?” Titan asked, spinning round and dropping to all four paws at the sound of her voice. Shaking himself, he set off after Zalika, padding alongside his cub, their feet silent on the track, then splashing through the paw and foot bath, and across a drying mat to the tiles of the corridor, once on the hard tiles, Zalika started to limp on her left forepaw.

“Oh, I leapt fwom the window, and as to what Blackbewwy’s scweaming about? I ‘as a neat little twick I can pull off if I spins wound fast enough,” Zalika purred, “that, along with my funny stwiped fuw confuses the eyes of anyone looking at me, and befowe them’s back to their visual senses, I’s gone. I twied it in the playwoom, and most of the cubs couldn’t catch me. it was fuuuun!” she enthused, Titan smiling to himself.

“I wouldn’t be quick enough,” he said.

“You’s nevah twied it though ‘as you? Bet you could wun off weally fast!” Zalika mewed.

“Right now, I’m wondering who’d get us food,” Titan mewed, “Blackberry’s sulking in his bear cave or whatever that place is he has in Mishka’s treehouse, so there’s only Goldie and possibly Bramble. Goldie’s so inept at cooking, I heard tell he’s banned from anything but making tea. Patch says he burns the lot. I wonder who’s in the kitchen?” Rounding the corner into the kitchen, Titan and Zalika found Patch slicing bread with a large knife. Grinning at them, he continued until the loaf was in neat slices, then began to put them into a bag for freezing.

“hey, Patch, Can we have some of that bread?” Titan asked.

“Straight, or with butter on it, toasted with butter? Or even better, my favourite this, peanut butter on toast. Of course as well as that, there’s all the fish pastes that you cats like. That’s the choices, oh, and some jam, I suppose, though that’s just a sugar rush, no good for anyone.”

“What’s this peanut stuff?” Titan asked. Patch dove into a cupboard and pulled out a jar. Opening it, he dug a spoon in and levered out a helping of the stuff in the jar. Holding it out to Titan, patch saw the liger’s face take on a disgusted expression.

“That looks like something I would ‘ave left in the woods!” Zalika exclaimed.

“Zalika, you disgusting creature!” Titan growled, though it was clear to Patch both cats felt the same about his offering.

“Some things don’t look great, but they taste wonderful,” Patch said, gazing longingly at the spoon.

“let me guess, you’re addicted to that stuff,” Titan replied.

“Yeah, love it, good bear food!” patch replied with a smile.

“Now what does you expect us to does with that?” Zalika asked.

“Well are you going to try it, or not?” Patch asked.

“I ‘opes nobody sees me eating what looks like something unmentionable off a spoon,” Zalika mewed.

“It’s perfectly safe and you’ll love it,” Patch replied. Zalika padded forward, closed her eyes, then opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. Patch scraped the contents of the spoon onto the rough surface of the liligress’s tongue, then stood back, Zalika withdrawing her tongue into her mouth, closing it.

“This stuff tastes wonderful!” Zalika said after a minute.

“Try the peanut butter on bread,” patch suggested, spreading some of the peanut mix on a slice of bread.

“Oh, one side’s got butter on it, the other hasn’t. you can have it both ways,” he sliced the slice in half, presenting Zalika with the non-buttered slice first. the liligress nearly snatched it out of his paw, Gobbling eagerly, hiccupping as she took down air.

“Sowwy,” she said as she realised she’d eaten the food with indecent haste, then suddenly she yowled, “ugh, the peanut buttew’s all in my teeyeyeyeyth!”

“Sorry,” Patch replied, “I’ll get you a drink. He went to another part of the kitchen and got a water bowl, filling it with tea. Zalika, lapping eagerly, washed her mouth with the tea.

“Now what about that othuh bit of bwead?” she asked.

“Oh, I’m having that,” Titan mewed.

“You bleedin’ ain’t!” Zalika miaowed angrily.

“I is,” Titan replied, reaching with one huge paw for the half slice of bread reposing on a plate before them.

“that’s my food! Gets you’we own!” Zalika miaowed, whacking Titan’s paw and snatching the bread off the plate. She tried to Hastily eat the bread, but the peanut butter and normal butter mix slowed her down, filling her mouth so she couldn’t talk.

“Stuffed too much in at once?” Titan asked.

“riaow, muoaw, Riaow!” Zalika replied indistinctly.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Titan admonished.

“You won’t get an intelligible word out of her for the next few minutes,” Patch said, laughing slightly, “Zalika’s just bitten off more than she can chew.”

“much like most of the rest of the time then,” Titan said softly, Zalika miaowing thickly around the bread in her mouth, whacking him playfully with her paw. Zalika hastily chewed the bread and swallowed, finding her mouth and teeth even more incapacitated than before. Riaowing with fury, she hastily drank more tea.

“That stuff’s lovely, but it’s a weal eat ain’t it,” she said.

“It shut you up for a minute,” Patch remarked smiling.

“Now that’s ‘orrid and you knows it!” Zalika replied thickly, “and my mouth’s all gunged up! Oaoaoaoaoh riaoaoaoaoaow! This is awful!”

“Can I try some of that Patch?” Titan asked, “I know I said it looked unmentionable, but I’d like to try a small peace.” Patch gave him what he’d given Zalika, the liger amazed by the taste.

“I like this!” Titan mumbled round a mouthful of peanut butter on bread.

“I’s not denying it’s nice, But iyiyiyiyit’s all in my teeyeyeyeyth Naoaoaoaow!” Zalika yowled, lapping yet more tea as fast as she could, coughing as she drank too fast.

“Steady,” Titan said, resting a cautionary paw on hers.

“This peanut buttew is nice, but I ‘ate the feeling of the stuff clogging my mouth aftewward, iyiyiyiyit’s ‘orrible!” she yowled, lapping tea more urgently than ever.

“You’re both peanut butter mad,” Patch replied, getting drinks for the two big cats.

“Well I now know what to give Zalika if we want some peace,” Goldie said, padding into the room.

“Shut it you mangy Fleabag!” Zalika yowled.

“Pipe down you overgrown alley cat,” Goldie said.

“Alley cat? Why you bleedin’, I’s gonna, wight, that does iyiyiyiyt!” Zalika yowled leaping onto Goldie’s back and pawing at his fur. Goldie bucked Zalika off, the liligress flying through the air, landing on her back in the middle of the floor.

“Right, now I’m going to play rough!” Goldie roared, leaping at Zalika, who leapt to her feet, then did her disappearing trick. With a whirl of movement and a screaming yowl, she leapt clean over Goldie and escaped, the brown bear moaning pitifully.

“How does she do that?” Goldie asked, “I feeyeeel sick!” he moaned, collapsing onto the tiles.

“I don’t know,” Titan mewed, “oh, and I’m off too. See ya!” With that he copied Zalika, the huge liger vanishing with a roar of Triumph which shook the windows.

“Did they just vanish?” patch asked from where he’d been left lying on the floor by the unbalancing effect of catching Titan’s disappearing act out of the corner of his eye.

“they just floored both of us without striking a single blow!! Goldie whimpered.

“It’s their fur! It’s disorientating at speed,” Patch moaned.

“I’m not feeling too good,” Goldie whimpered.

“Me neither,” Patch replied, resting his head on the cold tiles, his vision spinning.

“I don’t think the bears like your vanishing trick much Zalika,” Titan mewed, he and Zalika standing out in the passageway.

“ouw twick you means,” Zalika mewed. “I’m you, and you’s me. we’s pawt of the same cat.”

“I wondered how I was able to do that spinning trick,” Titan mewed, “but the enquiry was brief, as I was roaring horribly and out the door before I could really question anything.”

“I made you do that,” Zalika mewed.

“You made me roar?” Titan asked.

“yeah,” Zalika purred, kissing his nose, “I’s able to does that a bit, when you’s not watching.”

“I wish you wouldn’t, you know I hate roaring. “Titan mewed.

“yeah, I’s sowwy, I won’t do it again,” Zalika purred.

“I noticed you limping a bit too,” Titan mewed.

“I’s got pain in my left paw, like someone cwushed it,” Zalika mewed.

“Someone did,” Titan mewed, “but Zalika, please, let me dull the pain in your paw.” Zalika stared at Titan, smiling as the pain left her.

“I’d bettew not get all fistypaws, if I does, then you’d feel it too, which I doesn’t want. So I’s gonna be peaceful,” the liligress said.

“that’s one way of making sure you don’t get into a scrap,” Titan purred, kissing her ear.

“I ‘opes the biggest fight I’s gonna ‘ave will be to give biwth to an imaginawy cub. I need to simulate that, to stwess my mind to stop me fwom going all fistypaws, sometimes I’s so angwy Titan, and I doesn’t want to be, so I stwain and push and cuwl my toes and scweam in a mental fight to give biwth to a ‘uge cub!” Zalika replied.

“In time, you may have a real cub of your own, but not yet,” Titan said, tugging at Zalika’s ear with his teeth, the liligress purring so deeply the sound made his paws tingle.

“You’re a big cuddlypuss really Zalika,” Titan mewed, Zalika resting her head on his shoulder.

“Let’s go back and see if we can get ouwselves some mowe food,” she said. In the kitchen they found Patch and Goldie lying on the floor.

“What’s up with you two?” Titan asked.

“You scrambled our heads!” Goldie whimpered.

“’ow?” Zalika asked.

“that spinning thing you two do, do you stand on your tails or something?” Patch asked.

“No, it’s a fast turn and a leap using our tails for balance,” Titan mewed.

“Is it true you two are the same cat?” Goldie asked.

“yeah, it is,” Zalika purred, kissing Titan’s nose and paws.

“So Titan, your wish to have a bit of peanut buttered bread was down to Zalika’s liking of it. she transmitted her pleasure to you through your taste buds?” the brown bear asked.

“sowt of,” Zalika mewed, giggling at the thought, “though I think in weality, Titan’s a gweedy Tiggie.”

“I’s ‘ungwy that’s fow cewtain,” Titan mewed.

“Is you taking the piss?” Zalika asked.

“Now would I evah does that?” Titan mewed, Zalika playfully cuffing him.

“now keep them paws to youwself unless you’s wanting ‘em stwoked,” Titan purred, Zalika huffing at him, raising a paw to cuff once more

“Remember, no fistypaws!” Titan warned, kissing the pads of her raised paw.

“All wight Titan, you’s conquered me,” Zalika mewed. his eyes sparkling, Titan blew on her pads, Zalika shrieking with laughter.

“Stoaoaoap iyiyiyiyt!” she yowled, Titan kissing the tickle from her pads.

“You’s got gorgeous pads on youw paws Zalika,” Titan mewed.

“Well look who I gets them fwom,” she said, “you and Theo both ‘ave weally cute paws in my opinion.” Titan purred so deeply at this Zalika’s pads tingled and whiskers trembled.

“When you puwws my pads tingle!” Zalika giggled.

“So do Mine when you puwws Zalika dear,” Titan mewed, Zalika rubbing noses with him.

“You two are so soppy it’s sweeyeet!” Moses said, padding into the room.

“Oh, we’s wanting food isn’t we,” Zalika replied, Moses grinning at her, rubbing her ears as he walked past.

“more peanut butter sandwiches?” Patch asked, frantically making piles of the things.

“yes, all wight, that and some tea, please and thanks,” Zalika mewed.

“Blackberry’s screaming about you having leapt out of his window Zalika!” Moses laughed, “did you?”

“I did,” Zalika mewed, “it’s one floow up, so I thought I would land wight, and I did.”

“I thought Zalika had appeared out of nowhere,” Titan mewed, lying down on the tiles of the kitchen, “there I was, beating the door with my paws in a frothy anger, when she appears behind me.”

“I did it wathah neatly doesn’t you think?” Zalika asked.

“yeah, you did it weally neatly, it was lovely,” Titan mewed.

“I would have got a slap for that Titan,” Moses said, kneeling and hugging the huge liger.

“I knows it, but she ain’t gonna does that,” Titan purred, Moses giggling into the liger’s neck fur as he felt Titan’s huge right paw rubbing his back as the big cat returned his hug.

“I’ll get you food,” Moses said. suddenly, squirming and laughing, Moses sat back hard on his heels,.

“not befowe I tickles youw toes you ain’t!” Zalika mewed, blowing on Moses toes, then tickling his heel pads with her long whiskers.

“stoaoaoaoap iyiyiyiyiyt Zayayayalika!” Moses squealed, bouncing his bum hard on his heels, Zalika rubbing the tickle out of his heel pads with her paw, kissing away the tickle from his toes, Moses squealing as Titan blew hard over his left shoulder, aiming his breath at the ball of Moses left foot, the breath striking the place the liger wished.

“You two are a couple of real pests!” Moses laughed, wiggling his toes to ease the effect of Titan’s tickling breath.

“bullseye,” Titan purred softly, Moses laughing merrily, still hugging him.

“You’re both lovely,” Moses said, kissing Titan’s nose.

“Now how about that food?” Titan asked.

“I want you two to keep playing with my feeyeeet!” Moses protested.

“In a bit,” Titan mewed, “we’re so hungry we can’t concentrate on play at the moment.”

“Oh all right,” Moses replied, releasing Titan and turning away, though still kneeling on the tiles, the liger quickly but ever so gently pinning the arches and toes of both Moses feet beneath his huge paws before the boy could stand.

“Naooaaoao leyeyeyt meyeee goaoaoaoaoao!” Moses laughed, banging the floor with his hands.

“Sorry, just had to,” Titan mewed, Moses giggling delightedly, Titan blowing on Moses heel pads, the boy laughing helplessly, Titan then kissing the tickle from Moses heel pads. This done, Titan slid his paws gently down the soles of Moses feet with the toes of both paws slightly curled, Moses closing his eyes with pleasure as Titan’s gentle touch ran over the soles of his feet from just below his heel pads, over his arches and balls of both feet to his toes, Moses curling his toes with pleasure.

“You’re so lovely,” Moses said smiling, Zalika kissing Moses nose while Titan rubbed a two large circles on the bunched skin on the balls of both the boy’s small feet with the toes of both paws, first using the toes of his left paw, drawing from left to right, from the little toe on Moses left foot to the big one on that foot,, while his right paw pinned Moses right foot. This done, Titan, now pinning Moses left foot with gentle pressure, ran his right paw from the little toe on the boy’s right foot, to the big one, the toes of the liger’s paw drawing a circle on the ball of the young boy’s foot from right to left.

“now I will really let you go,” Titan purred, Moses responding by pushing back against Titan’s paws with both feet.

“I wish you’d included my arches while drawing,” Moses said.

“I took a liberty by drawing at all,” titan mewed, “I must let you go now,” he said softly, kissing the top of Moses head.

“It wasn’t a liberty,” Moses replied, “I wanted it Titan. I would like more, much more of your touch and the touch of your family. I wonder what other boy in this land could say he was friends with, and had two big cats as eager and willing playmates,” Moses mused.

“that is a thought to ponder,” Titan purred, but not only for you dear Moses, my dear cub. Which other huge liger in this land can say he has gained the trust of a cub of the most suspicious species on this planet, enough to play with this man cub’s paws and feet as if this man cub were one of the liger’s own cubs? hmm?” Moses suddenly turned and hugged titan so tightly, Zalika became concerned.

“be’s careful with ‘im will you Moses?” she asked.

“Moses is all right Zalika dear,” titan purred, embracing the boy as tightly as he, Titan was being embraced.

“I love you little one,” titan purred into Moses ear, Moses kissing titan’s nose.

“I love you too, and so does Ekaterina,” Moses replied.

“You played for two today, as she can’t be here, I felt it,” titan mewed, Moses smiling broadly.

“I loved the touch of your paw on my foot, and the kiss to my pads to rub out the tickle from your breath,” Moses replied.

“I love your touch on my paws and feet when you get hold of them Moses dear,” titan mewed, “you know I think that your touch is as gentle as if I’d born you.”

“I didn’t know that,” Moses replied, his voice choking with emotions, “thank you titan.”

“My love for you and Ekaterina goes deeper than I can put into words,” titan mewed, “indeed, for all the humans in this community,” the liger said, Moses pressing himself hard into titan’s embrace.

“I know this very much,” Moses said softly.

“I’ll get you two food,” Patch said, setting down tea and sandwiches for Titan and Zalika.

“how if I get mine, then we can eat together,” Moses suggested, rousing himself from his chat with Titan..

“On the floor?” Titan asked.

“yes, I’ll sit with you here, we can make a big pile of sandwiches on one plate and share them, okay?” Titan smiled at this thought.

“I’d like that,” he purred, “though, I don’t know why it appeals, must be my leonine heritage.”

“I feel a wish to eat with my leader, the one who called me cub,” Moses said softly to Titan, the liger bumping noses with him.

“I’s betting you’s two thiwds a lioness,” Zalika mewed, “you’s gonna feeds the cubs fiwst ain’t you Titan?”

“yeah, I am, but not the way you think, as Moses is too old for that now,” the liger replied. Patch piled the sandwiches up, and Moses got his mug of tea, sitting down at right angles to the two big cats.

“Most would find what I’m doing incredible,” Moses said, “but this, well, it’s an afternoon with my close family.” Titan gazed at Moses with such tenderness that Patch felt tears pricking his eyes. Grabbing a towel, Patch hid his face in it.

“Titan, I think you’s just made a beaw cwy,” Zalika mewed.

“I did nothing,” Titan protested.

“you gave Moses a look as if you’d given birth to him!” Patch exclaimed from behind his towel.

“I would never take that from Janet, and I am sorry if my meaning was misinterpreted,” Titan mewed, now mortified.

“It wasn’t,” Janet replied, padding in, “I’m glad I have a huge liger looking out for Moses Titan.” Titan smiled broadly, his eyes shining.

“You’s all too soppy!” Zalika mewed, sniffling and wiping her eyes with a peanut butter covered paw.

“Come here you messy cub,” Titan mewed, padding round to Zalika, then washing her face in the wild manner, Zalika laughing and sniffing:

“You’s gonna make me go all tiggie watewfall!” she said, Titan washing her paw pads and face with gentle care.

“this is lovely to watch, isn’t it mum,” Moses said.

“it is,” Janet replied, “Moses, we are very lucky here.”

“We are mum, and I’m grateful to patch for standing up for you and me at the first. I know what he did.”

“it wasn’t just me,” patch replied, binning the towel in the wash, “but thanks for the credit.”

“It was you who told mama Ekaterina to treat me like a labouring she bear,” Janet said, “if you hadn’t, I don’t know what would have happened.”

“I would have helped,” patch replied, “I’ve seen a few births, or had done by that time anyway.”

“It was a wild time,” Janet replied.

“That it was,” patch said.

“how did my pads feel to you Titan?” Moses asked.

“Soft, warm and full of spirit,” the liger purred, chomping on a sandwich, “and how my paw to you Moses?”

“you were pouring love into me through your pads,” Moses replied.

“That’s so sweeyeet!” Janet said, pouring herself a cup of tea.

“Moses, you have got youwself in a mess!” Zalika mewed round a mouthful of peanut butter sandwich, spraying crumbs.

“Oi, don’t talk with your mouth full Zalika!” Titan mewed.

“Will you wild wash my face and hands Titan?” Moses asked. Titan started to shake his head, when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Janet nod and stick her thumb up at him.

“yes, okay,” Titan purred, Janet smiling broadly, “I won’t wash your face with my tongue though Moses, it’s too rough for your skin and you do not have cat imunity, so I will dip my paws in water and use them. I will wash your hands the wild way though, but then, please, wash your hands again, I know I’m a liger and you’re human, so you may not have cat immunity.” Janet knelt and stroked Titan’s back.

“You are really sweet to us humans,” she said, “Titan, you and your community have included us completely, and we are grateful for that.” Titan kissed her ear, his tongue rough but gentle.

“You’re a big soft tiggie,” Janet said, Titan gently cuffing her jeans clad knee with a peanut buttered paw.

“hey! These jeans are fresh on today you peanut pawed puss!” she admonished, Titan shaking with mirth, his mouth full of sandwich,.

“Don’t make me laugh! That was almost terminal!” Titan guffawed when he could speak, “peanut pawed puss! Oh, that’s wonderful!”

“If we had marmalade you could be the marmalade munching moggie,” Moses replied.

“Now stop that,” Titan mewed.

“your fur is sort of marmalade colour,” Patch said.

“Oh don’t give anyone ideas!” Titan moaned.

“and when you’s ‘ad a bath you’s a soggy moggie,” Zalika mewed.

“Naooaaoao no more pleaeaease!” Titan whimpered, Janet hugging him.

“it’s worth teasing you just to hear you miaow like that, it’s reaeaeally cuuuute!” Moses replied. Titan growled:

“I’m noaoaot cuuuute! I’m Titan!”

“’ere ‘im mew,” Zalika spluttered, laughing at her own joke, spraying crumbbs.

“Oh dear, I can’t win!” Titan huffed, though his eyes were shining with love for the big cat cub and two humans sitting round the big plate eating sandwiches.

“Titan’s weally ‘appy, I can feel it,” Zalika mewed.

“I am,” Titan purred, the sound making the plate rattle against the tiles.

“could you smash this plate If you roared Titan?” Janet asked.

“Hmm, I wouldn’t like to try,” Titan mewed, “it would be vandalism.”

“I’ll bet you could shower us in tea if you get it just right,” Moses said.

“I’m not going to waste good tea on a physics test!” Titan mewed.

“Oh all right, let’s fill our cups with water and see if Titan can drench us,” Moses said, “Patch, please, have a mop handy, we might need it!” Titan, knowing he was outgunned, sat cleaning his whiskers with his paws, wondering what damage he was about to do to the fabric of the house.

“You’d better tell everyone I’m about to do this,” the liger mewed, “I don’t want people thinking I’m in trouble or anything.” Patch sent out a general alert to all the community, which flashed on their screens and rang their phones with a general message about Titan’s roaring.

“Go Titan, woar, Woar woar!” Zalika mewed when the green light came back on Patch’s panel, Moses squealing with laughter.

“Okay,” Titan mewed, standing up and stretching his neck. then, after a couple of practice purrs, wuffs and growls, he let fly. The sound made patch scream with fright and throw himself down on the floor, Goldie run out of the room, Janet clap her hands and Moses leap about delightedly, while Zalika stared at the liger in complete astonishment. Then Titan lowered his head and let fly with a second, more powerful deeper roar which ended in a miaowing yowl which cracked the plate clean in half, destroyed two sandwiches and showered everyone in water from all the cups, one cup breaking in half with the frequency of Titan’s Yowl, which Titan had held for a long time.

“oops,” Titan mewed, regarding the destroyed sandwiches with deep sadness.

“Stoaoaoap hiyiyiym!” Patch pleaded.

“I’m done now,” Titan mewed, Janet picking up the broken cup from the floor.

“You’s loud, and that wasn’t even with the powuh of fuwy!” Zalika mewed from her place lying on the floor with her paws over her ears, “that huuuuurt my poow eaws!”

“Sowwy,” Titan purred.

“You’s a pest with youw woawing,” Zalika mewed.

“You asked me to do iyiiyiyt! You encouraged meyeee! usually I wouldn’t,” Titan replied in a wounded tone, then whimpering, “I’ll probably have nightmares now!”

“Pwobably,” Zalika mewed.

“You spilt the tea and broke the plate Tiyiyiyiytan!” Patch exclaimed, crawling over to the destroyed sandwiches which now lay on the tiled floor, as he felt too shaky to walk.

“Look at all this mess!” Patch whimpered, clearing up the peanut butter sandwiches.

“I could lap up the water,” Titan mewed.

“naooaaoao! Get out!” Patch yelled.

“Okay, we’re gone,” Titan mewed, turning for the door, Zalika leaping onto his back for a ride, Moses and Janet following the liger’s long tail out of the door by crawling after the liger.

“I need to wash my face and paws,” Titan mewed.

“Did you see Patch’s face? ‘e neawly shit ‘imself!” Zalika giggled.

“Zalika, please!” Janet admonished, “Moses doesn’t know those words!”

“Oh yes he does,” Moses replied, “I’ve been with a liger who’s sworn in ligrine and Tigrine, as well as leonine. Such disgusting words!”

“Don’t remind me,” Titan moaned.

“Poow Titan, you’s so wowwied about that ain’t you.”

“I shouldn’t have used those words!” Titan wailed.

“You was in pain and ‘aving to make effowts that you wasn’t used to,” Zalika mewed, crawling along his back, clasping his neck with her paws and kissing his ear.

“I loves you,” she whispered, Titan half closing his eyes and purring deeply.

“awhwhwhwh soppy tiggie time!” Janet teased.

“’e needs soppy tiggie time,” Zalika said softly.

“I need to wash my face even more now!” Titan sniffed.

“You big soppy!” Moses laughed, tweaking Titan’s tail.

“You don’t tweak my tayayayayil!” Titan yowled, whipping round on the boy.

“soaoaoaoaorry!” Moses said, holding up his hands defensively.

“oops, you pissed off the tiggie,” Zalika mewed, having kept her seat throughout Titan’s sudden change of direction.

“You told ‘im,” she whispered, Titan purring deeply. In the washing room, Titan sat down, Zalika sliding off his back. Titan went to a shower which turned on automatically, the liger washing his face and paws by rolling onto his back and holding up his paws to catch the water, rubbing them together, before washing his face with them, the water spraying all over him.

“Titan’s really cuuuute washing his face and paws like that,” Janet said. Titan then washed the pads of his feet while he still lay on his back on the floor by filling his mouth with the sprayed water then spitting it onto his pads.

“That’s a novel way of washing youw feet Titan,” Zalika mewed, “I thought we ‘ad jets undew the floow fow that?”

“yes we do, but I like it this way, I’m trying to get it all done,” he said. Of course, I can’t really shampoo myself, I need someone to help me do that, or get into a bath.”

“I’ll help,” Moses replied.

“Washing a tiger is lovely, washing a liger is better, as the job is bigger,” Janet replied.

“I love washing lions too,” Moses said.

“Who’s gonna wash Titan then?” Zalika asked.

“Moses wash his head, I’ll wash the other half,” Janet replied.

“so we get two paws each?” Moses asked.

“naooaaoao! I wayayant to wash Titan’s paaaaws and feeyeeet!” Zalika yowled.

“you’ll be getting into fistypaws over bits of me at this rate, please, draw lots,” Titan pleaded, getting to his feet and switching on the under floor jets to wash his pads, laughing helplessly as the jets tickled him.

“Thiyiyiyis is why I don’t use these!” he yowled, dancing on the jets, Moses and Zalika laughing merrily:

“Look at the dancing tiggy! look at the dancing Tiggy!” they carolled.

“I see,” Janet said, withdrawing as Titan’s huge paws and feet sprayed water everywhere.

“I think we needs to wash the ligah,” Zalika purred, kissing Titan’s nose, the shower spraying both of them.

“We could wash each other,” Titan mewed.

“we’s wanting to be inclusive though,” Zalika reminded him.

“True,” Titan purred, “but to be truly inclusive, I’d have to have fifteen paws and feet six heads and five tails so everyone could have a bit of me to wash!”

“You silly thing!” Zalika laughed, head rubbing with Titan, his purr of pleasure warming her from her ears to her pads.

“What does you feel when I’s ‘ead wubbing with you?” she asked.

“what do you think the purr signifies?” Titan asked, Zalika smiling broadly.

“I’s glad you likes my ‘ead wubbing,” Zalika mewed.

“I like a pad rub better,” Titan mewed, Zalika giggling delightedly.

“come on then,” she said, “you’s gonna ‘ave all winkled pads too, as you’s ‘ad them wet fow ages.” Titan smiled broadly at his cub and, rolling onto his side, hugged her.

“Yup, them pads is bigtime winkled,” Moses said,, studying the pads of Titan’s right foot at close range.

“Moses, is you wanting a big slap?” Zalika asked playfully.

“No, sowwy,” Moses replied, Zalika playfully pawing at his shoulder with her huge left paw.

“I knows you’s ‘uman and fwagile,” she said, Moses giggling delightedly and hugging her.

“I could really do with hugging a tiggie,” he said.

“Well I’s not the Tiggie then,” Zalika mewed disappointedly.

“Tiggie is any big cat with stwiped fuw,” Moses said, Zalika purring deeply, “and you’s the right Tiggie for me to ask for a cuddle.”

“Oh go on then,” Zalika mewed, Moses hugging her as gently as he could.

“This ain’t vewy tight, go on, gives me a weal big cuddle!” Zalika miaowed, Moses snuggling hard up to her, hugging her as tightly as he could.

“that’s bettew,” Zalika purred, her purr rich and full of contentment, returning his hug with her big warm paws.

“Your cuddle is lovely too Zalika,” Moses replied.

“Now we’s all wet, I thinks it’s ‘igh time we gets dwy,” Zalika mewed.

“I thinks so too,” Moses giggled.

“Will you rub my wrinkled pads?” Moses asked.

“I will,” Zalika purred, “would you wub mine?” she asked.

“Oh of course,” Moses replied smiling, “I wish I’d been with Titan when you were born, “he added.

“Titan could can we-enact my biwth fow you if you and ‘e wants,” Zalika mewed.

“I watched it,” Moses replied, “I too have tried re-enacting what Titan did. I tried to roar and moan like Titan!” a huge liger sized moan of fear made them look round.

“Sorry Titan,” Moses replied, “I shouldn’t really have done it.”

“It’s all right,” the liger said, “it’s something you cubs do, I must remember that. I didn’t do that sort of thing myself, but then, well, I didn’t have the inclination. Now though, now I love taking part in re-enactments of the births of cubs, though I sort of fear them too.”

“that’s ‘cos the re-enactment you did once turned into a real birth,” Moses said, turning to the liger and kissing his nose.

“I would love to watch your re-enactment of Zalika’s birth Moses,” Titan mewed, Moses giggling delightedly.

“I’d love you to get paws on while I try to curl my toes, paw at the air, yowl and roar like a liger,” the young boy replied.

“I’d like to get paws on with your hands and feet too,” Titan mewed.

“how would that wowk?” Zalika asked.

“I’d lie on my side, paw at the air with my hands and push against his paws with my feet, just like you did when you played at having a cub when you were with Jenny,” Moses replied.

“Ah, I sees,” Zalika mewed.

“We humans can get very expressive too,” Moses said, “I love pretending to have cubs, I try to outdo Ekaterina for expression, as she’s wonderful.”

“So’s Philomena,” Zalika mewed.

“I can teach the stuck foot games to bears, so I should be able to convincingly pretend to have a liger cub,” Moses replied.

“I’ve heard your very good at it,” Titan mewed, “I heard you were playing at giving birth to Amafu and Sushanti’s cubs.”

“Ekaterina and I did that yes, it felt lovely,” Moses replied.

“it’s very intense in parts,” Janet said, “I’ve seen Moses at it, he can yowl and moan like a tigress you know.” Titan grinned at Moses.

“or like a liger,” Titan purred, Moses reaching out and scratching behind Titan’s left ear, the liger purring deeply.

“now to get ouwselves dwy,” Zalika mewed.

“I need to wash pwopahly fiwst,” Titan mewed, Zalika kissing his nose. Titan got soap then Washed Zalika’s face and paws, she helping him to do the same.

“You two washing each other is really cuuuute!” Moses said.

“It’s coopewation ‘in’it,” Zalika mewed.

“coopewation,” how cuuuute is that!” Janet giggled.

“It’s what keeps the wowld fwom falling to bits ‘in’it?” Zalika asked, ignoring Janet’s mimicry so the joke fell flat.

“Yes it is,” Janet replied hastily, scrambling from the snub.

“I’s gonna be glad if you doesn’t mimic me agayayayayin!” Zalika snapped.

“I’m sorry!” Janet replied, holding up her hands in defence, the liligress staring at her with icy eyes.

“It’s all wight othuh cubs doing it, and Titan too, but you’s adult! You’s meant to be setting a good example fow youw cub!” Zalika growled, “so you makes suwe you does it!” she roared. Janet looked at Titan, who shook his head at her.

“You’re not going to defend me from this cub?” Janet asked.

“No, because she’s right,” Titan mewed, “if you notice, when I mimic her, it’s in our private moments, when we’re touching heads or paws. I rarely mimic Zalika when I’m in general conversation with her.”

“I suppose it’s not my place,” Janet replied.

“No it,,,, isn’t!” Zalika yowled.

“You paused for a bit there,” Titan replied.

“I was twying to stop myself sweawing!” Zalika replied.

“Well you did,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose, “well done Zalika.”

“I’s so angwy!” Zalika raged, stamping her paws.

“I know, shall we go for a bit of paws time?” Titan asked.

“yeah, let’s,” Zalika mewed, refusing to look at Janet. Moses looked at his mum.

“I think you angered Zalika,” he said.

“I know I did, but I apologised, and she’s still carrying on!” Janet replied.

“I think she needs calming by Titan, as her anger is uppermost,” Moses replied, “mum, Titan and Zalika are two parts of the same cat, so Zalika doesn’t have the reasoning skills Titan does. She hates violence, but only when he’s about. If Titan wasn’t around, Zalika would be smashing things, and you might have got a slap from her paw.

“I ‘ates violence all the time, but the west is about wight,” Zalika mewed, “Titan’s a bwake on my paws, othuhwise, well, I’s pwone to flying off the ‘andle.”

“So you got as much as Titan had of a violent and reckless nature, while leaving him with all the caution and scaredy-cat?” Janet asked.

“Not intentionally, but yes,” Zalika mewed piteously, “does you think I likes seeing Titan weeping with fear and fwightened of evewything?”

“NO, of course not, you can’t help what was squeezed into you at birth,” Janet replied.

“Well leaves us alone then!” Zalika yowled, banging the floor with her paw, “now the floow’s getting it, but soon it’s gonna be youuuuu if you doesn’t Shuuuuuut uuuuuuup Jayayaynet!” the liligress roared.

“I’m soaoaoaorry!” Janet whimpered, running out of the room.

“Mum’s not understanding you at all, though she thinks she is,” Moses said.

“’er’s ‘uman in ‘ur mind, you’s, well, ‘uman in shape, but not in mind. You’s knowing what we cats is thinking, beaws too I don’t doubt Moses.”

“I’s, I mean, I’m a community cub,” Moses replied, “mum was not born in this community. I learnt to play and all that from a bear.”

“It’s said you’s taught Lucky the stuck foot games,” Zalika mewed.

“I have played those games with Lucky, though I don’t claim credit for introducing them to him. Though maybe I did show him a variation of the game,” Moses replied.

“he says you plays them vewy wealistically, even though youw feet ain’t weally stuck Moses,” the liligress replied.

“I suppose I do,” Moses replied, “it’s easy to play those games when you’re used to playing every game with the whole of your imagination, but every game is differentbetween games, and between rounds of the same game, even the single player one can be.”

“Does you play the single player game, then the two player?” Zalika asked.

“How can you play the two player on your own Zalika dear?” Titan asked.

“I means if you ‘as someone else willing to play you silly!” Zalika giggled, rubbing noses with Titan.

“I have played the single player game with someone helping me, by getting paws on while I tug and wriggle while trying to free my feet,” Moses replied, “they encourage me to pull too. I then do the same for them. It’s rather like when you pretend to have a cub Zalika and an attendant helps you. Then when your imaginary cub is born, you help them to imagine their cub’s birth. Though with the stuck foot game it’s imagining your feet are really glued together.”

“I sees now,” Zalika mewed.

“some don’t need help imagining what they’d do,” Patch grunted, walking into the room, “Titan, what I’m about to say isn’t imagination! Your roar caused the butter to liquefy! You caused a mini earthquake, and spread the butter and sandwiches all over the floor! it took me ayayayges to clean up!” the bear yelled.

“I’m soaoaoaorry!” Titan yowled, cringing and cowering against the wall.

“Oh shit, oh naoaoao!” Patch whimpered, realising what he’d done as Titan, now terrified, tried to escape by leaping over him. Patch hit the deck as Titan launched himself at the doorway, the liger leaping clean over Patch and disappearing into the passageway.

“Sorry for the bad language,” Patch panted, “I never want to seyeee that agayayayayin!” he howled.

“Poow Titan,” Zalika mewed sadly.

“I shouldn’t have shouted at Titan, the mess was nothing a mop couldn’t clear up,” the bear whimpered, “the look in his eyes!” Patch squealed.

“You’s scawed ‘im out of ‘is fuw I thinks,” Zalika mewed. Titan ran down the corridor, turned the corner and, misjudging the stairs, just about managed to adjust his paws and feet to slide down the risers, the experience making him vomit with terror at the bottom. Panting and sniffling as he leapt into the air near the bottom and raced off down the corridor, Titan’s only thought was escape.in tears, he raced into the woodlands and to a clearing, where he tripped over a root and slid along the floor, the liger, now screeching with terror, just about able to save himself from slamming head first into a tree by rolling onto his right side and straining his neck backwards, then, as the tree slammed into his belly, wrapping his body around it and grabbing his tail in his paws, Titan yowling with the remainder of the breath that hadn’t been knocked out of him as his belly and legs were slammed and scraped by the trunk. Titan felt his head hit a root, then he lost consciousness. In its unconscious state, Titan’s body panted and gasped for air, his whole body complaining about the abuse it had just endured. When he woke sometime later, Titan found the pain unbearable:

“Thiyiyiyis huuuurts! Oooaoaoaoaoaowch! Riaiaiaiaiaiaiaiaiow!” the liger squealed into the forest. Sobbing, Titan laid his head on the ground, his belly and legs sore and aching.

“I’m finished, I’m done for sure!” The liger thought as he waited for his body to come to terms with the damage to itself and give him an idea of the damage done. Breathing became easier, but Titan found he could hardly move.

“I wonder who will find me, if anyone,” he thought miserably, closing his eyes on a world he could hardly see for tears.

“Titan?” someone asked years later.

“Goaoaoaoaoao awayayayayay!” Titan whimpered, then he felt a nose pushing his, then a tongue licking at his right ear, then teeth gently began tugging at his ear.

“Just piss off!” Titan growled weakly, lashing out with a paw.

“Titan, please Don’t!” the voice pleaded.

“Don’t do what?” Titan mumbled, his head full of half connected thought, “I wan’a sleep, just go away, leave me alone!”

“it’s Zalika, you’s in a bad way!” the voice said.

“ay? Um, oh no,” Titan thought as his brain cleared slightly, “Zalika, what happened?” he asked hoarsely, his voice hardly audible to her.

“You’s been to the vet, not Patch, ‘e could do little. You’s smashed into a twee, the vet said it looked like you’d been in a woad accident! What the ‘ell was you doing?”

“I ran from fear, ow Zalika! Iyiyiyt really huuuurts!” Titan wailed.

“You’s bwuised youwself inside a bit, and you’s got two cwacked wibs. Oh, plus you’s neawly lost all the fuw on youw belly and youw wight side’s a mess too,” the liligress mewed.

“sounds like I’m lucky to be here,” Titan groaned, for his body was now stiff and hurt like hell.

“Patch’s feeling vewy sowe ovew what ‘e said to cause you to wun off like that,” Zalika mewed.

“I don’t care how he feels,” Titan growled, “it was only peanut butter, only a mess, and he shouted at me as if it was the end of all things!! Now, now, well it might be, for me at least. The end of my life, all for a sandwich,” the liger whimpered.

“I shouldn’t ‘ave said, I’s sowwy,” Zalika mewed, seeing the deep mental pain in Titan’s eyes. Lying down beside him on the bed in the room in the community house where the vets had placed Titan after surgery, Zalika took the liger’s huge paw in both of hers.

“You can ‘ave as much of my stwength as you needs,” She said, kissing his nose. weeping, Titan clung to Zalika’s paws as best he could.

“I cayayayan’t take any moaoaoaore!” Titan whimpered, “Zayayayalika! Make it stoaoaoaoap!” he pleaded in a screaming yowl that chilled Zalika to her marrow. Shaking violently, Titan panted hard, then, with a cry which made Zalika curl into a yowling ball of fright, the liger completely collapsed.

“Titan?” Zalika asked, nudging the inert form beside her with her nose. Titan didn’t stir, his breath shallow against her whiskers.

“You’s gonna be all wight, I’s gonna make it so!” Zalika sobbed, clinging to Titan’s paw with both of hers. Crying with fear and terror, Zalika held onto Titan’s paw in as fierce grip as she could manage. In time, Titan’s pads became cold to her touch, the liger’s breath hardly registering on her whiskers.

“don’t you goes and dies on meyeee!” Zalika pleaded, nudging Titan with her nose, then resting her chin on Titan’s paws and closing her eyes, the pads of his paw held in hers now bathed in a cold sweat which chilled her own.

“It’s too much for him Zalika,” Patch said walking into the room, “I’ve been watching his signs, and, well, he’s in deep shock from his physical injuries and mental destabilisation.

“You’s the bleedin’ cause of that!” Zalika screamed, “Payayayaych, goes and shoves youw bleedin sandwiches! If Titan dies ‘cos of youw silliness, I’s gonna ‘unt you wound and wound this playayayce until I catches you, then I’s gonna wip youw paws off and makes youuuuu eat them, and they’s not gonna be peanut butter flavuwed! Sod the consequences!”

“I might join you,” a voice said in a deep growl which shook the floor and turned Patch’s bowels to water.

“Patch, you broke with the spirits, you lost your temper like a human!” the voice roared. Zalika looked up into a pair of angry eyes in a face with the saddest expression she’d ever seen.

Oh deaw, I senses twouble,” she thought.

“Would you really hurt me?” Patch asked in a voice that shook as much as the floor did at Titan’s roar.

“No,” Titan mewed, “but the meaning behind the way you spoke to me wasn’t peanuts!” the liger growled..

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Patch replied.

“I’m sick of this,” Titan mewed, climbing off the bed and standing up.

“You’s better then?” Zalika asked.

“I’m forcing myself to walk so I can get to my lie up for some paws time,” Titan mewed, his legs shaking violently, the toes of all four huge paws curled into the floor, though Zalika saw that, even now, Titan didn’t extend his claws.

“Use youw claws to ‘old the floow Titan,” she suggested.

“I would be shamed forever if I used them,” Titan mewed, Zalika leaping off the bed, landing on her own not inconsiderable paws, bowing her head and kissing the gripping toes of Titan’s left paw.

“You’s gonna be okay,” she said, “I’s gonna makes suwe you’s gonna be okay Titan.” Titan smiled at Zalika, gently kissing her nose.

“I needed you to get all furypuss,” Titan mewed, “it helped revive me.”

“Did it?” Zalika asked.

“It did,” Titan mewed.

“I thought you says nevah to get angwy,” Zalika replied.

“yeah, well you had a right to that anger today,” Titan mewed, “it helped me get back on my paws.”

“now I’s knowing I’s got’a get you off them again to find youw paws button,” Zalika purred.

“you know I have four,” Titan mewed, “indeed we all have four.

“So that’s why paws time can go on fow a vewy long time,” Zalika purred.

“Yes,” Titan replied, his eyes sparkling.

“I’s liking ouw time to paws,” Zalika mewed.

“I likes it too dear cub,” Titan replied, “now I say we get out of here and find ourselves somewhere quiet.”

“What about food?” Zalika asked.

“I’ll get Blackberry to sort that,” patch said quickly, running from the room.

“That bear’s fwightened,” Zalika mewed.

“he put his paw in it bigtime,” Titan replied.

“You bet ‘e did,” Zalika mewed.

Titan limped to the monorail and boarded, Zalika padding alongside him.

“You shouldn’t weally be out of bed yet,” Zalika mewed.

“Sod that place,” Titan replied, “Zalika, all I did was lie there, I felt really shit there. Patch can monitor me from my lie up, I’m going home.”

“I’s all fow that,” Zalika mewed, kissing his nose, “Titan, the lie up’s all clean and made up, I’s made suwe of that.” The liger smiled broadly, his purr warming Zalika all over.

“I thank you,” Titan replied, Zalika snuggling up to him.

“We’s awwived now,” Zalika said, leading the way from the monorail. Entering the lie up, they found patch standing with a trolley, his face like thunder.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked., “I’ve had to chase you all over the bloody house Titan!”

“I’m convalescing here,” Titan replied firmly, “you’ll just have to set up your gadgets here instead Patch. Isn’t the best place for recovery at home?”

“Yes it is, but you had a hell of a crunch!” Patch grumbled.

“I did, but that place was hurting my head, you want to fix that as well?” the liger asked.

“Um, no,” Patch grunted, “I’ll fix you up here,” he added gruffly.

“I’m home,” Titan mewed, flopping exhaustedly on his rug, Zalika lying down beside him, grabbing his paw and snuggling up to him, Titan rolling onto his side, draping a paw over her, Zalika rolling onto her side, purring deeply, pressing herself hard against his belly, pressing her nose beneath his chin, Titan purring contentedly.

“You’re both soppypusses,” karina mewed, padding over to where the two big cats lay. Sitting on the rugs nearby, she watched Titan and Zalika.

“I would love to tickle youw toes and heel pads Kawina,” Zalika mewed, looking at the mama Felursapien.

“You can’t from that angle,” Karina mewed.

“hmm, but,” Titan mewed, blowing hard, Karina screaming with laughter.

“Titan can!” Zalika whooped, Karina laughing hard, grabbing each of her feet in turn in both hands and rubbing the tickle from her toes.

“You rogue Titan!” she squealed, bouncing and wriggling as she curled the toes of both feet in her efforts to rub and scratch all the parts of her feet his breath had tickled.

“I couldn’t be so targeted, so I tickled quite a wide area,” Titan mewed, watching as Karina rubbed from heel to toes and back again, curling her toes tightly as she did so.

“To see Kawina wubbing ‘ur pads like that is weally cuuuute!” Zalika purred, Karina giggling helplessly as she caught sight of herself on a live screen.

“I look like a cuuuub!” she squealed gleefully.

“Well you’s that,” Zalika purred, “it’s said you’s only young, despite all you’s been thwough.” Karina released her left foot and crawled to Zalika.

“I’m only four now,” Karina mewed, “I don’t know how aging works in my species, but well, I’m still young at heart.” Zalika extricated herself from Titan’s hug, padded to Karina, kissed her nose and hugged her.

“Titan weally doesn’t want to punish youw cub fow what ‘e did you knows,” Zalika mewed, bringing karina down to earth with a bump.

“Felix felt it last night,” Karina mewed, “when Titan was in the woodlands and on the bed in the clinic, Felix felt his fear, felt his bewilderment. I know, for I held him while he wept.

“I didn’t want to punish Felix, but he wouldn’t listen to me,” Titan mewed sadly.

“I know now,” Karina mewed.

“Did Felix feel my biwth?” Zalika asked.

“he felt a mix of Apudo’s rebirth and your birth,” Titan replied shame faced, “I think, think my mind gave him everything it could, the worst of everything.”

“I certainly went through the mill,” Felix mewed, padding up to Titan then kneeling beside him.

“I’m sorry Titan,” Felix mewed, kissing his nose.

“I am too,” Titan mewed softly, “you felt my pain and efforts during the labour to give birth to Zalika, then felt my bewilderment and fear when Zalika was lost.”

“I’m more sorry for what I did than I can tell you,” Felix mewed sadly.

“I know this,” Titan mewed, “I just wish, well, that I hadn’t been so hard on you with the punishment.”

“It hurt, both in the labour and in the emotions after,” Felix mewed, “I never knew I could curl my toes, nor scream and yowl like that.”

“I told you there is a special type of curl which toes achieve during labour Felix,” mama Karina mewed.

“I know how that feels now,” Felix said, “I felt it with my fingers, saw it, and felt my toes curling too.”

“It’s something no actor can ever achieve,” Titan mewed, “I try to curl my toes as tightly as I did during the real thing every time I re-enact the birth of a cub, but, no matter how hard I struggle to do so, I can’t curl my toes as tightly as I did during Zalika or Apudo’s births. There is a special curl toes achieve, one born of effort and pain.”

“sometimes I curled my toes as a means of something to concentrate on during the worst pain while I wasn’t pushing,” karina mewed.

“yes that too,” Titan purred.

“Mum helped me through it Titan,” Felix said.

“did you karina?” Titan asked.

“Oh yes, and Felix yowled and roared magnificently too!” Karina replied.

“I had no choice!” Felix replied, “mum, it huuuuurt!”

“I know, I remember your birth, every minute of it in fact,” karina said.

“I curled my toes like I’d never curled them before,” Felix mewed, I also had to push my feet against mine and mum’s hands, and sometimes against her feet too. the more I pushed, the better I felt.”

“I know,” Titan mewed.

“the pushing was really hard work though,” Felix said, “I had to properly push, no half-hearted bracing, it was a real pressing effort.”

“I know that feeling too,” Titan mewed.

“You were pushing internally though, which is much harder I bet,” Felix said.

“yes,” Titan replied, Karina smiling at him.

“Also all you Felix had to deal with was an urge to push, no pain,” she remarked.

“True,” Felix mewed, “I felt no pain, but Titan’s fear came across quite well.”

“did you get it on camera?” Titan asked.

“Oh yes,” karina mewed, really it was like my own labour with Felix, just him labouring. Sometimes he grabbed his feet with his hands, other times I’m rubbing them, and he’s bracing his feet to push to deliver the cub while desperately curling his toes, vocalising his efforts by screaming, moaning and yowling with the intensity of it all.”

“I hope you didn’t disgwace the memowy of my biwth,” Zalika said.

“In what way?” Felix asked.

“I ‘ope you pushed with commitment and as ‘ard as you could,” Zalika mewed.

“I did that,” Felix purred.

“Good,” Zalika replied softly.

“would you like to touch my toes while I try to curl them like I did earlier?” Felix asked.

“Could I?” Zalika asked.

“I know you and Philomena played at her giving birth to a big cat cub, I could do the same as she did,” Felix mewed.

“Now I think I’m ready to try and give imaginary birth to a huge liliger cub,” Felix said.

“You could miaow and gwowl like Titan,” Zalika mewed.

“I can also moan like a bear and scream like a human too,” Felix said.

“You’s so funny!” Zalika mewed, kissing the toes of Felix’s left foot, the felursapien purring deeply.

“can I get paws on with youw feet?” Zalika asked. Felix sat down so his feet faced Zalika and wiggled his toes at the liligress, laughing helplessly as the liligress pounced on his wiggling toes with both paws.

“that’s your answer,” Felix replied, ruffling Zalika’s ears as the ligress used her paws to explore the soles of his feet.

“Want me to curl my toes as if pushing against a cub?” Felix mewed.

“Can you?” Zalika asked, Felix wriggling, moaning, then pushing hard into Zalika’s paws with his right foot while he held onto the naked heel and ball of his left, squeezing his heel pad and tightly curling toes with both hands as the contractions increased, Zalika exploring Felix’s tightly curled toes and bunched pads. Felix, yowling and squealing, suddenly laboured intensely, Zalika gasping as he pushed his feet increasingly forcefully into her paws, first three times with his right foot, then left, while he fiercely clung to his free foot with both hands, the fingers gripping the sole of his free foot with desperate strength, first the toes and heel pad of his left, then right while he pushed the opposing foot into Zalika’s paws, his voice expressing his effort as much as his curled toes:

“Aoaoaoaowch! Riaoaoaoaoaoowch! Riaiaiaiaiaow! Uuuuumf! Heuuuuuumf!” Felix complained as he pushed his feet into Zalika’s paws with increasing urgency, Zalika’s eyes watching Felix’s hands on the sole of the foot he was holding as much as she was exploring the curled toes and bunching pads of the foot she held in her paws. Zalika amazed at how tightly Felix was able to curl his toes, even though he was acting.

“Puuush the cuuuub Feyeeelix!” Zalika encouraged, Felix panting, then straining hard and long into her paws with his left foot, the heel and ball of his right gripped in his hands, Zalika watching Felix’s toes curling with the intensity of his effort. Looking at his face, Zalika saw Felix was genuinely fighting with everything he had to push his foot hard into her paws.

“Puuush the cub Felix, puuush it ‘awd!” Zalika encouraged, Felix squealing and moaning with effort as he repeatedly pushed his foot hard into the liligress’s paws.

“auauauauwch! Heuuuuuumf! Herhrhrhrhumf! Aouwch! Uuuuuuuumf!” Felix moaned.

“You’s doing weally well, it’s wondewful!” Zalika encouraged, Felix panting, swapping feet so he grabbed his right foot in both hands, jamming his left into the grip of Zalika’s paws, then straining harder than ever, Zalika putting the toes of her left paw into the range of Felix’s toes, the felursapien curling his toes round those of Zalika’s left paw, squeezing hard with his effort, Zalika yowling with surprise at Felix’s strength, having to brace her own feet against the floor to stop herself being pushed away.

“oaoaoaaoh, this is weally tough!” Zalika panted when Felix relaxed after a minute of the hardest pressure he’d pushed through Zalika’s paws. Felix had squeezed Zalika’s paw twice within a minute with his curled toes.

“It’s hard for meyeee tooo!” Felix whimpered, panting hard, then, wriggling, he braced his foot hard into her paws once more, squealing:

“I cayayayan’t Stoaoaoap! This cuuuuub’s on its wayayayay!” he yowled, straining hard, then panting, he relaxed. Suddenly Felix moaned and, whimpering, knelt, sitting back on his heels, Zalika rubbing the felursapien’s damp pads as Felix suddenly struggled hard, panting and moaning, while he wriggled and bounced.

“eueueueueuemf! Uauauauauaowch! Ouwch aauuauaauuowch!” Felix squealed as he drilled his heels into his backside, curling his toes with imagined intense sensations. Suddenly Zalika found herself engulfed in a huge hug, Felix squealing and roaring into her fur as he tried to cope, Zalika just about able to reach the struggling felursapien’s right foot with her left paw to stroke his pads.

“it’s gonna be okay, I’s ‘ere,” Zalika said softly, hearing Felix’s moan of pain, then feeling his foot pressing against her paw as she pushed hard against it.

“the cuuuuub’s coming!” Felix roared, wriggling as he drilled his heels into his bum, Zalika able to see his efforts. Then, panting and squealing, Felix was all of a sudden sitting down and reclining on the rug , both his feet in Zalika’s paws, their toes locked, Zalika supporting a foot a peace in both paws while Felix pushed with both feet together, Zalika encouraging him to:

“puuush as ‘ard as you can, the cuuuuub’s ‘paws and ead is coming out now, go on, I can takes it!” his eyes shut, Felix wriggled, bracing his feet hard into Zalika’s paws, their toes locked together, pads to pads, Zalika yowling and miaowing with the pressure as Felix, Screaming, braced his feet against her paws as he struggled to bring his imaginary big cat cub into the world.

“Go on Felix, puuuuuush, the cub’s paws and ‘ead awe out, it’s body now needs to come out!” Zalika encouraged, Felix drawing up his legs, settling his feet, then pushing hard against Zalika’s paws, screaming with his efforts:

“auauauuw! Uuuuumf! Ruuuuuumf! Uauauauauw! The cuuuuub’s enormous! Muuuuust puuuuuush! Got’a keep puuuuuuushing!” Zalika, now on her hind legs, miaowed with her own efforts, bracing her feet into the rug, trying to hold the strength of Felix’s effort in her paws and not sit down. Half way through, Zalika’s strength gave out and she had to sit, her paws still held in the grip of Felix’s toes, she and Felix still committed to each other’s struggles.

“sorry Zalika, sorry!” Felix gasped, easing off his pressure.

“naooaaoao you don’t give up Feyeeelix,, keep pushing, that cub’s body and feeyeeet need to come out!” Zalika miaowed, her own paws and feet drenched in sweat.

“uauauauauauwch!” Felix yowled, pushing hard with both feet against the seeming endless softness of Zalika’s paw pads.

“Felix, can I pwess my feet against youws, my paws is aching!” Zalika begged. Felix, whimpering, replied that she could. Zalika lay on her back on the bed, her feet finding Felix’s, feeling her toes gripped by the felursapien’s, then the fierce pressure of Felix’s feet on her pads, Zalika miaowing and growling as she pushed back with all her strength while Felix yowled and strained.

“the cub’s body’s out now, now fow it’s feeyeeet!” Zalika yowled, her whole body exhausted, suddenly Felix let go of Zalika’s toes with his own, sat up on the bed and grabbed Zalika’s left foot in his hands.

“this cuuuuub’s got ‘uuuge feeyeeet!” Felix yowled, Zalika laughing so hard she couldn’t act the part for five minutes.

“You ain’t doing that is you?” she asked, almost choking.

“I’ve already puuuuuushed most of the biggest big cat cub ever born into the world, I’ve got’a get her feeyeeet ooooououowt!” Felix whimpered, squirming and panting, his toes curling and relaxing with increasing urgency.

“Okay, my feet awe fow it,” Zalika giggled.

“if you wan’a curl your toes, go on, I’ll react to that,” Felix replied. Zalika tugged at her left foot, watching Felix’s bare feet, the naked pads for bunching and toes for degree of curl as they were in her eye line, while Felix’s hands held her own fur covered foot in a gentle grip. The minute Zalika tugged, Felix moaned and wriggled, the toes of both his human like feet curling with pain, then Zalika felt the pressure on her pads as Felix moaned deeply, Zalika tugging her foot through Felix’s grip, Felix squealing as he pushed, his toes curling tightly and relaxing as his efforts waxed and waned, during which Zalika made sure her feet were difficult to free, pulling each one in turn through Felix’s hands to the level of her weight baring pads as Felix showed her he was pushing by squeezing her pads moaning and yowling, while curling his toes, then letting her foot slide back a little until he stopped it by relaxing his toes and lessening pressure on her foot from his hands, then he would build up to another squealing effort accompanied by pressure from his hands on her right foot which made Zalika pull against the pressure, Felix yowling and moaning, Zalika watching Felix’s face and the soles of both his feet for his levels of effort, reacting by pulling her feet through Felix’s hands. One particularly strenuous squealing, roaring effort from Felix with toes tightly curled enabled Zalika to pull her right foot completely free of his hands after ten minutes of loud, toe curling, squealing struggle on the felursapien’s part.

“the cub’s right foot out, the left to go!” Felix gasped, grabbing Zalika’s huge left foot in his hands, Zalika seeing Titan watching from the rug on which he lay his mouth wide with shock and eyes terrified.

“iyiyiyt’s working!” Felix yowled, groaning as Zalika tugged and he resisted the liligress’s effort. Groaning, Felix, apparently straining hard, curled his toes with the intensity of his efforts, Zalika’s own effort slowly pulling her left foot through Felix’s hands, the felursapien’s grip on the big cat’s foot fierce, Zalika’s toes coming free with a rush at the peak of both their efforts. Panting, Felix and Zalika lay looking at each other, their hands, or paws and feet damp with the sweat of their struggle.

“That was amazing!” Titan mewed, wiping his face with his paws, “of course, it wasn’t quite how I did it, but, well, phew!” the liger continued, looking almost as exhausted as Felix and Zalika were.

“Titan curled his toes in sympathy with you two,” mama karina mewed.

“I hoped noone would see that!” Titan whimpered.

“with paws and feet as big as youws, we can ‘ardly fail to notice,” Zalika giggled.

“I forgot about them,” Titan moaned.

“’e was pwobably stwaining with you Felix,” Zalika said.

“I nearly did!” Titan wailed.

“Titan pushed his feet against my feet,” karina confirmed.

“naoaoaoaoao! Stoaoaoap iyiiyiyt Karina!” Titan wailed from behind his paws, with which he’d covered his face to hide from Felix and Zalika, who were now laughing helplessly.

“You’re so funny,” Karina mewed.

“You couldn’t help yourself when Felix took Zalika’s feet in his hands Titan,” karina mewed, “you had to push then.” Titan whimpered agreement, Karina hugging him.

“Now we’s all sowted, I thinks we needs some paws time,” Zalika mewed. Titan smiled at her.

“I’m always up for paws time,” he said.

“that’s good, ‘cos you got fouw ‘uge ones, and we’s gonna need a lot of time to sowt them out,” his cub replied.

“would you sowt mine too?” Felix asked.

“If you talks like that, no,” Zalika purred, Felix shrieking

With laughter as she blew on the pads of his toes.

“I’m sorry!” He laughed, Zalika kissing away the tickle on his toes with a quick flick of her tongue.

“You can weally cuwl these toes you know,” she said, Felix curling the toes of his left foot as Zalika’s paw touched his heel pad.

“Yup, like that, but tightah,” Zalika continued, Felix wriggling and rocking on his backside as he tried curling his toes as tightly as he had been able to when he was in the zone with Zalika a little earlier.

“uuumf!” Felix groaned as he struggled to curl his toes as tightly as they’d go, Zalika rubbing the ball, arch and heel pad of his left foot with her paw to encourage him to try harder, Felix whimpering with frustration and effort.

“It’s easier when I’m focused on having a cub!” Felix yelled, “my toes just curl tightly of their own free will then, now, now, when I wayayant them tooo, they won’t!” he raged, karina and Titan laughing helplessly:

“I know that feeling too,” Titan mewed.

“I know it only too well,” Karina purred, “I was pretending to have a cub, and just couldn’t curl my toes as tightly as I wanted on my own. Sometimes I need encouragement, and Zalika gave Felix that.”

“It’s always better when you have someone to encourage you,” Titan mewed, “also it’s good to react to what they say, big paws, big head, cub sliding backwards? Then you can react by panting, squealing and pushing, as well as curling your toes, wriggling and groaning, depending on what’s going on.”

“How do you pull a cub during re-enactments?” Felix asked, panting slightly.

“Gently touch or pull on the mama to be’s paws or feet,” Zalika mewed, “show ‘ur ‘ow things is going that way.”

“Ah,” Felix replied.

“Jenny touched my ‘ead and paws, and I’s made my labouw that much ‘arder by pushing them against ‘ur ‘ands,” Zalika continued, “it was ‘ard giving biwth to my last imaginawy cub Felix, but I loved evewy minute. Also, if I’s giving biwth to a feluwsapien cub, that would be ‘awdew still, but I’s up fow it if you is.” Felix giggled delightedly at this.

“I suppose I ‘as to ‘ave my ‘ands and feet squeezed too,” he said, “after all, I squeezed your paws and feet Zalika.” Zalika purred deeply at this suggestion.

“Wemembew I’s young, so things ain’t gonna go quick,” she said, “I’s gonna scweam and push, but not much will ‘appen, we might be ages doing it.”

“that’s fine,” Felix mewed, I can rub your pads and hug you while you moan, strain your feet against my legs and growl.”

“sounds wondewful,” Zalika mewed.

“Zalika would labour lying in your lap?” Titan asked.

“yes,” Felix replied, “she could do so.”

“I would love to climb in youw lap, ‘ug you and scweam duwing a contwaction,” Zalika mewed, “I’d be vewy vocal, moaning, whimpewing, panting and mewing.”

“I’ve heard you pretending, it’s very expressive,” Felix mewed.

“I tend to moan and yowl, as well as push my feet against my attendant’s paws or ‘ands a lot,” Zalika replied.

“You also wriggle and your toes are almost constantly on the move,” Felix replied.

“Mine were near permanently curled during your birth Felix,” Karina said.

“I do like to twy and welax between effowts,” Zalika mewed, “but it’sweally ‘awd at the end.

“I’d recommend it just to hear you say that,” Titan mewed.

“Oi!” Zalika miaowed, padding to Titan then playfully slapping him.

“now no fistypaws,” the liger said.

“I don’t want fistypaws,” Zalika mewed, “I’m still on a cloud from the pwetend stwuggle to be bown today. I might ‘ave only ‘ad my feet ‘andled, but I ‘ad to pull ‘awd against Felix’s gwip, and that was enough.”

“I think you like the physical struggle as much as the mental one,” Titan mewed.

“I does,” Zalika purred.

“Me too,” Titan mewed, “sometimes though, I get too into it, and the feelings I get scare me.”

“letting yourself go, screaming and roaring is a good thing Titan,” karina mewed.

“but it gets all frothy and yowly and desperate!” Titan replied.

“It’s like that sometimes,” Karina mewed.

“You weren’t like that,” Titan replied.

“I screamed like a cub!” karina protested.

“you were,” Titan mewed.

“all I’m saying is that letting yourself be caught up in the re-enactment is all right,” karina replied, “it’s healthy and who cares if you need to hug the attendant afterwards?” Titan looked at Zalika who grinned.

“I always get ‘ugged aftew Titan’s we-enactments,” she mewed happily.

“I have to,” Titan replied, “I just get so into it.”

“youw paws is all ‘ot and damp, but them’s mowe weal too,” Zalika mewed.

“Do I have fake paws the rest of the time then?” Titan asked.

“No, but aftew you’s stwuggled fow ages to we-enact ‘ow you gave biwth to me, them’s ‘ow them was aftew my weal biwth, and I wemembews ‘ow good youw touch was then,” Zalika purred, “we-enacting my biwth stwips youw paws of the pwoblems of leadewship, and you’s just left with naked paws, the ones which ‘ugged me aftew my biwth.”

“I think I know what you mean,” Titan mewed, “do I really go that far back?”

“You does, and I loves it,” Zalika purred, “that’s why I tells you to push, to embwace youw feelings and tweasuwe them, to yowl and cuwl youw toes and push with commitment too.” Titan smiled with genuine relief.

“I thought I was going silly,” he said.

“No,” Karina mewed, “I only hope when I do it that Felix feels the same way as Zalika does.”

“I’m never there mum,” Felix replied ashamedly, “maybe I should be there one time.”

“I’ve touched Sita while she’s re-enacted my birth, and she’s been so overcome by emotion afterwards she had to hug me,” Karina mewed.

“It gets really intense,” Titan mewed, “I can almost feel Zalika being born all over again.”

“it does become that way sometimes,” Sita mewed, padding into the room, karina going to her and hugging her.

“have you got paws on with Titan Sita?” Karina asked.

“I have, and his paws impress me afresh every time,” Sita replied, Titan giggling to himself.

“Have you felt his paws while he pretends to give birth to a cub?” Felix asked.

“I love that best of all,” Sita purred, “it feels wonderful, as Zalika says, Titan’s paws become truly bare, you feel the real liger when he’s expressing himself through his pads.”

“I think I’m gonna cry,” Titan mewed, wiping his eyes with his paws.

“Soppy tiggie, silly tiggie mew mew mew,” Sita teased, Titan sniffling back a sudden rush of tears.

“Go to that Soppypuss and hug him Sita,” Karina said, guiding Sita to Titan, the felursa kneeling and hugging Titan, the liger pushing himself into her hug, Zalika watching with shining eyes.

“My paws are yours,” Titan mewed, scrabbling at Sita’s paws with his, Sita hugging each of Titan’s huge paws in hers.

“there are two feet too, don’t forget those, oh, and the rest of me,” Titan mewed, Sita embracing Titan, the huge liger purring and snuggling as hard as he could.

You’re a snugglypuss as well as a Soppypuss,” Sita mewed.

“I want you to hug my paaaaws!” Titan whimpered, Sita kissing his nose and paw pads, the liger snuggling and clinging to her.

“You’ll always be my cub,” Sita mewed, Titan catching his breath, everyone noticing his reaction to Sita’s words.

“it’s said in this community every cub has two mamas,” karina mewed.

“Sita has been a mama to every cub she got paws on with,” Felix purred.

“I know that vewy well,” Zalika purred.

“Inside all this fur and big paws is a snugglycub,” Sita mewed, kissing Titan’s nose.

“Don’t!” Titan sobbed, “Sita, I can hardly breathe as it is! Do you want me to weep forever?”

“You just need a huge cuddle,” Sita purred, kissing his nose and paw pads, Titan whimpering:

“She’s gonna wring me out!” Sniffling and gulping.

“You’re just a big pussycat Titan,” Sita teased, Titan miaowing pathetically, Sita laughing helplessly at his cubbish antics.

“You big softy,” she said gently, kissing the liger’s nose.

“I’m justly accused of being that,” Titan purred.

“Youw softness pouws out of your paws,” Zalika mewed, Titan grinning at her.

“the way you speak means you just said paws twice,” he purred.

“I know I gets things wong,” Zalika mewed, “the wisk assessment ‘ad me in a fwoth a bit back if I wemembew.” Titan touched Zalika’s paw with his, the liligress purring deeply.

“You’s fine as you is,” he said, his eyes sparkling with merriment.

“I knows you loves me as I is,” Zalika said, snuggling up to him.

“I think I need to press this tiggy’s paws button more often,” Sita mewed, hugging Titan’s left foot while the liger hugged Zalika in both his huge paws.

“I think you do too,” Titan mewed.

“You’re so cuddly it’s lovely,” Sita purred, getting paws on with titan and Zalika.

“Youw paws is all soft padded,” Zalika mewed, “Titan, I can see ‘ow youw toes is easily twapped in wafts,” she said, crawling to and kissing the pads of his left foot.

“I wish you wouldn’t go on about that,” Titan whimpered, squeezing his daughter’s paw with the toes of his left foot.

“I’d love to wescue you fwom a waft,” Zalika purred.

“You’d put me through the terror just for that?” Titan asked.

“I’s nevah thought of it like that,” Zalika mewed, feeling Titan’s upset through his pads as she touched them.

“it scares me silly Zalika,” Titan mewed, “I don’t mind the stuck foot game, I’ll play that with you for hours, as will I give the most difficult birth to a cub, but getting my toes caught in rafts is a different matter.”

“I undewstand,” Zalika mewed, kissing the pads of his left foot, “’ow would it be if I ‘old youw toes in my paws and you wiggle youw toes and stwuggle to fwee them?” Titan curled round and smiled at her.

“I’ll do that, but no rafts,” he said.

“If I hold his paws Zalika, you hold his feet, we can make Titan really fight for his freedom,” Sita purred.

“Now that isn’t fair,” Titan mewed.

“’ow if we gwab a foot each Sita, then Titan can use ‘is paws to scwabble at ouw paws as ‘e twies to fwee ‘is feet fwom ouw gwip,” Zalika suggested. “

How if we both be gentle to him while he pretends to give birth to a cub,” Sita suggested, “Titan, I’ve always wanted to get paws on with you during that time.”

“I would prefer the second option,” Titan mewed, “Harder though a cub’s birth is both mentally and physically, I prefer re-enacting those.”

“that way there is plenty of paws time too,” Sita purred, “Titan can miaow and yowl with the effort and pain of birth and we can rub his pads to soothe him and encourage him to curl those gorgeous tiggy toes and push! We both get to see and feel his toes curling, and feel him do his best.”

“it would last longer too,” Titan mewed, “I’ve never been able to deliver a cub in less than an hour and a half. My favourite bits are the build up to the labour, then the loud parts where I’m straining against the cub to push it down and just before it emerges. I get plenty of paws time and I don’t lose contact with my attendants, but I can curl up, curl my toes, scream and roar as much as I need. Then it’s strain my legs backwards and push hard with my feet while I let the cub out and push with everything I have to help it along, which is not so much fun, as one foot needs to be freed from loving paws.” Sita, still paws on with Titan’s left paw, knew he spoke the truth, that he was not just saying words.”

“Titan,” Sita mewed, “I’ll bet you put my efforts in the playrooms to show the cubs how birth is to shame. I try my best, but I don’t think they will be as good as yours.”

“You do your best too Sita,” Titan mewed, “I know, I’ve felt your paws and feet while you pretend to have a cub on many occasions. You believe as strongly as I do that it’s really happening.”

“I pushed hard into your paws for ages once,” Sita mewed, “Titan, your paws were large even when you were small, and I tried not to push too hard, but you begged me to push, as you could feel my need through my pads. I told you it was pretend, but you told me your paws told you it wasn’t and to push as hard as I could into your paws with my feet. I knew that if I didn’t do my best, you’d know it, so I pushed with everything I had, screaming and yowling with as much fear for the damage I might do you if my foot slipped as with the imagined pain and real effort of the imaginary cub’s emergence.”

“Your pads are softer than you think Sita,” Titan mewed, “you have big soft pads, remember you are a felursa, though in reality, a lynx tiger cross has the soft paws of a liger.”

“I do have very soft pads,” Sita purred, they help when I’m holding onto my feet during the first pains in a long labour.”

“You can dig your fingers into them and hold on,” Titan mewed, “I wish I could do the same to my feet with my paws, but, I can’t as I’m a cat, and I know I tried being as you are for a bit, but it disagreed with me Sita.”

“Zalika could give you an idea of what your feet feel like when she pretends,” Sita mewed, “hold her feet when she has an imagined cub, and you will feel how your own feel to her when you push and struggle. The struggle comes out as much in your pads as it does in your facial expression and voice Titan. When you’re pushing silently with a grunt at the end, or whimpering during an effort, your pads give eloquent tactile description to the strength of your effort.”

“the effort I make while pushing with my feet becomes the cub,” Titan mewed, “I push them against the paws or hands of my attendants, and that effort becomes the cub’s resistance to being pushed into the world. I remember a lot of yours and Apudo’s while pushing too. I will put effort into my re-enactments because of that time. I love re-enacting your births, and throwing in a bit more struggle or pedalling the air, or stamping of feet, as well as moaning and whimpering, depending on how I feel. I will also curl my toes extra too, if I wish to.”

“You took ages over a biwth once, stwuggling for hours,” Zalika mewed.

“I was giving birth to a cub with a huge loving heart and personality,” Titan mewed, “that takes a lot of effort in the birthing.” Zalika laughed merrily at him.

“I ‘elped you thwough it,” Zalika mewed.

“You were with me throughout, soothing my paws and feet and encouraging me to push,” Titan purred.

“Can I give biwth to a cub with a ‘eart as big as youws Titan?” Zalika asked.

“You can,” Titan mewed, “I’ll help you through every straining push.”

“I love your talk,” Sita mewed, stroking Titan’s ears.

“You’d love the action even mowe,” Zalika mewed, “we weally get into the stwuggle to give biwth to imaginawy cubs, “I stwain, mew, yowl and pant, my toes cuwling as tightly as I can while I pedal the aiw with my paws and feet and Titan twies to soothe me. then ‘e ‘as a similar labouw and I’s on the pad stwoking duties while ‘e stwuggles as ‘awd as I ‘ad done.”

“I would love to get paws on with all that,” Sita mewed.

“come on then, let’s do it,” Titan purred, “I need something like that after the torrid time I’ve had.”

“What about youw injuwies?” Zalika asked.

“it’ll help those,” Titan mewed, “increased blood flow as I work hard to give birth should heal things.” Patch served tea and peanut butter sandwiches, Titan eating the sandwiches.

“I need these sandwiches to sustain me during my labour,” Titan mewed, flexing the toes of his paws and feet while he ate.

“I’m looking forward to this,” Sita purred.

“I am too,” Titan replied, licking peanut butter off his paws and slurping tea.

“giving birth to an imaginary cub is just as hard as the real thing sometimes,” Sita purred.

“it is, but I wouldn’t skimp a minute,” Titan replied, “every part of the labour has to be as realistic as I can make it without actually giving birth to a cub that is.”

“You’s vewy good,” Zalika mewed.

“As are you Zalika dear,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose.

“I twy not to scweam like a cub, as I’s not one weally,” she said, “but sometimes, sometimes I feels like a cub giving biwth to a cub of my own, then I scweams and yowls like I’s the cub I weally is inside my big body.” Titan kissed the pads of her paws, Zalika purring so much her paw pads vibrated his whiskers.

“What are you like in the latter stages of imagined labour Zalika?” Sita asked.

“I yowl and moan, then groan and stwain,” Zalika mewed, “I cwawl wound the woom as best I can, dwagging my ‘ind legs be’ind me, pulling me along with my paws while moaning and yowling, cuwling my toes tightly thwough the pains. When it comes to pushing I stops and bwaces my feet against Titan’s paws, then pushes ‘awd against ‘im, all the while scweaming and yowling as loudly as I can while cuwling my toes. sometimes I’s even cuwling into a ball to stwain and scweam thwough contwactions while ‘e twies to comfowt me.”

“I sometimes do all that too,” Sita mewed, “though I can grab my feet with my paws too, which I do, curling my toes to grip my fingers as tightly as they can while I sit, moaning and panting, then wriggling and squealing through imagined pains and actual straining efforts during which I push my feet into my paws with increasing urgency and power while roaring with imagined pain and real efforts. I have pedalled the air with my feet too, drawn up my feet and grabbed them in my paws, all that and lots more.”

“I spent ages just letting Zalika push her feet into my paws as she strained and wriggled, panted and curled her toes, Zalika narrating her struggle with moans and yowls as she tried to birth a huge cub with massive paws,” Titan replied, “she tied her paws in knots and wriggled madly for hours, then the cub came out with Zalika pushing through massive contractions, squealing and roaring through her efforts as she strained hard to push the cub inch by inch into the world.”

“I made my own cub’s biwth difficult,” Zalika said, “it was ‘uge with enowmous paws and feet and a ‘uge ‘ead too. I stwained and squiwmed for ages, cuwling my toes and scweaming thwough my effowts. Titan was wondewful, ‘e did all ‘e could, but in the end I ‘ad to keep stwaining, even though ‘e ‘elped by pulling at the cub’s paws and body as I pushed. It weally ‘uwt and was ‘awd wowk too, but I wouldn’t ‘ave missed a second of it.”

“What parts hurt during your imaginary cub’s births?” Sita asked.

“Oh, my paws and feet mostly, but sometimes my back and tail if I stwains it while stwuggling. I’s done myself a bit of ‘arm that way in the past,” Zalika admitted.

“So you really go for it,” Sita mewed.

“Oh yeah,” Zalika purred, “it is weal enough fow the hours I’s in pwetend labouw. That cub’s weal, fow me at least. Of couwse, if something ‘appens in weality that means I ‘as to stop the act, I’s able to does that wight enough, but it ‘asn’t ‘appened yet.”

“Your paw pads are soaked after the birth of an imaginary cub Zalika,” Titan mewed, “I wonder what they’ll be like when you give birth to a cub for real?”

“I’s not silly enough to does that yet,” Zalika mewed, “but as Sita and Kawina said, my toes is pwobably gonna find an extwa degwee of cuwl while I stwain and pant. Does toes evah uncuwl once them’s fiwst cuwled duwing labouw?”

“sometimes not, depends on the mama,” Karina mewed, “mine curled when I had a contraction and relaxed when one wasn’t happening. Some mamas though, they keep their toes curled the whole time when things get bad.”

“I kept mine curled slightly or more tightly throughout,” Sita mewed.

“My toes were near constantly curled too,” Titan mewed.

“I’m not suwpwised youws was,” Zalika mewed, “I was a big cub by all accounts.”

“you was indeed,” Titan purred, Zalika hugging his left foot which she still held in her paws.

“You ‘ave lovely pads Titan,” Zalika purred, tracing and rubbing the pads of the huge liger’s left foot with the toes of her own smaller paw, Titan curling his toes with deep pleasure, his purr vibrating the floor.

“I think Titan will take as much of whatever you’re doing as you can give him Zalika,” Sita mewed.

“I’s wubbing the pads of ‘is left foot,” Zalika mewed, “Yes, I can feel ‘e loves my touch.”

“I’m rubbing Titan’s ears and he’s pressing his head into my chest,” Sita mewed.

“I’ll give you my paws in a bit,” Titan mewed, “this feels wonderful!” he purred, “uuuuumf, this feels so good!” Titan moaned pleasurably, Sita and Zalika laughing merrily.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Sita purred, kissing Titan’s ear, the liger squirming closer to her.

“Watching the way Titan’s feet wowked as he pushed at the floow just then is wathah intewesting,” Zalika purred, “his pads stwetch and toes push, them’s wathah cute.”

“it doesn’t take much to impress you does it?” Titan giggled.

“I loves youw paws and feet and you knows it,” Zalika purred.

“I love yours too,” Titan replied, curling round to ruffle his cub’s ears with his huge paws, Zalika giggling as her ears were ruffled by Titan’s huge paws.

“I love you Zalika,” Titan mewed softly, kissing her nose.

“I loves you too,” Zalika purred, “you’s got the softest paws and lovely natuwe I’d wish to ‘ave”

“You’s got a lovely nature too,” Titan mewed, “you’re loyal, gentle and considerate when you forget your anger Zalika.”

“I ‘opes I is,” the liligress replied softly. Titan pushed Zalika onto her back, then washed her paws and feet, the liligress purring ecstatically as he worked.

“You’re so soppy!” Zalika giggled as Titan’s rough tongue worked over her pads.

“I love your pads,” Titan purred, nuzzling the toes of Zalika’s right foot, the liligress mewing and purring with pleasure.

“I wish my mama had done that for me,” Sita mewed wistfully.

“Patch was good to you wasn’t ‘e?” Zalika asked.

“Yes, but I’m a cat, and well, he didn’t wash my pads like that.” Titan turned to Sita:

“Would you like me to wash your pads too Sita?” the liger asked.

“Yes Titan, I’d love it,” Sita mewed. Titan finished washing Zalika’s pads, the liligress squirming with pleasure throughout.

“Don’t wowwy Sita, ’e’s pwactising on my pads,” she said.

“Pwactise makes pewfect don’t it,” Titan purred, Zalika swiping at his whiskers with her massive left paw.

“You’s just being a weal pest now,” she miaowed, Titan catching the toes of Zalika’s paw in his mouth as she had another go at swiping at his whiskers.

“Shall I nibble off these toes?” Titan mumbled, Zalika Riaowing:

“Naoaoaoaoao!” at him.

“I thought not,” the liger purred, releasing her paw.

“You ‘ad me wowwied,” Zalika panted.

“I’d never intentionally hurt you,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose.

“You’s weally soft isn’t you,” she mewed.

“Are you admitting your play could get a little rough Titan?” Sita asked.

“it hasn’t yet, but I have to guard against it,” he mewed.

“I wants rough play though,” Zalika mewed.

“I don’t want iyiyiyiyiyt!” Titan yowled, throwing himself down on the floor, curling himself into a ball, tucking in his feet, head and tail, finally covering his eyes with his paws in a display which made Zalika squeal with laughter.

“You’s too dam soft!” she said, kissing the furry tops of Titan’s paws, Sita exploring Titan’s body from his head and huge paws, with which he still covered his eyes, to his tucked in feet and tail as the liger lay curled into a tight ball.

“You poor Tiggie,” Sita purred, kissing Titan’s nose and ears.

“the thought of hurting Zalika causes me pain,” Titan mewed piteously.

“Have you noticed how fat Titan’s paws are,” Sita mewed, “they’re all cuddly and soft.”

“he has weally cuddly paws and feet,” Zalika purred, cuddling up to Titan.

“It’s as if his paws are made for cubs to cuddle,” Sita purred, kissing the furry top of Titan’s left paw.

“They’re lovely when they touch the soles of your feet Sita,” Karina said.

“Are they?” Sita asked, “Titan, please, would you?” Titan uncovered his eyes and hugged Sita.

“I think I know what Karina wants me to do,” he said, “please, face me and kneel between my paws, as close to me as you can get. Then if you will, hug me, and I’ll hug you with one paw while rubbing the pads of your feet with the other.” Sita, grinning hugely, did as Titan asked. Hugging Titan, she gasped at the feelings he kindled in heras he returned her hug.

“You’re really cuddly Titan!” she mewed, Titan kissing her cheek and resting his head against hers.

“Mureoeoeoeoaw?” he asked, Sita giggling delightedly.

“Yes, very much that,” Sita replied, kissing his nose, “you have as soft pads as Karina said you had.” Sita caught the toes of Titan’s left paw in the grip of those of her own right foot, laughing merrily as she felt the liger tug at his trapped toes.

“My paaaw’s trapped!” Titan mewed, Sita sitting back on her haunches and wriggling with excited pleasure at the feel of the liger’s pads on her own, as Titan tugged and worried at his stuck paw.

“You won’t be able to get free of her toes,” Karina mewed, “Titan Sita’s toes have got really powerful grip.”

“I knoaoaoaow!” Titan whimpered, “my paw’s caught tight in the grip of her toooooes!” he yowled, squirming and tugging with his whole body in a huge effort to free his left paw, Sita holding him tightly with her arms and the toes of one foot as he did so.

“I Cayayayn’t freeyeee my paaaw!” Titan wailed after five minutes of struggle, “my whole paw’s stuuuuuck noaoaoaaow!” he raged, “my toooes are caught and, and pads stuck to your pads Sita, now I’m really stuuuuuck!” he complained.

“it’s lovely,” Sita purred, tightly hugging the liger.

“Titan cuwled the toes of both feet while ‘e was stwuggling Sita,” Zalika mewed.

“that’s really cuuuute!” Sita giggled.

“I think I’m stuck here forever!” Titan wailed.

“Could you give biwth to a cub while lying as you awe?” Zalika asked.

“I’d hug you Titan and you could squeeze me when the pains got bad,” Sita purred.

“I’d have to roll over a bit to deliver the cub, I’m not sure, but, I’ll try,” Titan replied, “oaoaoaoaoh, it’s happening tooooo!” he moaned, wriggling and panting, then, hugging Sita as best he could and moaning deeply, Titan pushed his feet into the grip of Zalika’s paws.

“uuuuumf! Eeueueueueueurmf!” the liger moaned as he strained, Sita holding onto the toes of his left paw with her own toes with renewed strength as the liger squirmed during his efforts. Sita heard Titan’s voice and felt his body vibrating with his vocalisations as he struggled through his imagined labour, the liger’s latent power impressing her.

“If you tug hard enough you might yet free your paw from the toes of my right foot,” Sita mewed.

“I’ve been trying to curl up and grab my feet!” Titan whimpered.

“I know, but you can’t because you’re stuck,” Sita mewed. Titan growled, wriggling and pedalling the air with his feet as another contraction built, then, yowling hysterically, Titan tore at his left paw, Sita feeling the pads of her own right foot compressed as he dragged the toes of his left paw free of hers. shrieking as his paw pads scraped over the sole of her foot, the toes of that paw still curled with efforts of labour, Sita panted and hugged the liger as tightly as she could while Titan tore his paw free of the pads of her right foot, then himself free of her hug, titan yowling as he desperately curled up and grabbed his tail in his paws, grabbing the toes of his right foot in his mouth and biting down hard as he closed his eyes in concentration, yowling and moaning through tremendous pain and effort.

“Titan’s sewious about this ain’t ‘e,” Zalika mewed, stroking the struggling liger’s straining haunches as he gripped the toes of his right foot in his mouth while curling the toes of all four paws while trying to pull his right foot free of the grip of his teeth.

“Don’t do yourself damage Titan,” Sita mewed, stroking the liger’s paws.

“I must have this cuuuub!” Titan whimpered indistinctly, “you put the idea in my head and it grew and now I must give birth to iyiyiyiyt!” the liger mumbled, Zalika laughing merrily.

“You’s got the ‘ugest imagination of any ligah I know,” she mewed, listening as Titan panted and moaned through another imagined pain.

“must puuush!” Titan groaned, straining his left into Zalika’s paws.

“Can I hold your feet too Titan?” Sita mewed. Titan let go of his right foot and replied:

“yes, the bigger the paws the bigger the efforts I have to make, and I wayayayant tooo!””

“You help at Titan’s feet Zalika, I’ll take care of his paws,” Sita mewed, crawling to Zalika who smiled at her.

“I think I’s gonna get a ‘uge cuddle when this is ovew,” she said, Sita feeling Titan’s paws scrabbling for her paws, then, when he felt them gripped, the liger strained hard, his squealing moan of effort making Sita curl her own toes in sympathy with his struggles.

“Push the cub out Titan, breathe and push, breathe and puuuuuush!” Sita encouraged softly.

“uuuuumf, ayayayayayayaow! Thiyiyiyis cuuuuub’s enormous!” Titan wailed, panting and straining harder than ever, his pads now soaked in sweat and toes curled as tightly as he could curl them. groaning, Titan bore down hard into Sita’s paws with both his feet while Zalika rubbed each of Titan’s massive paws in turn with her smaller ones.

“uuuuumf! Hururururururumf! Oaoaoaoaoaow!” Titan moaned, “this cub’s so huuuge!” he panted after five minutes of straining efforts with gaps of about a minute between them, each effort lasting about thirty seconds to a minute, gaps in which he panted, pawing and pedalling at the air and the paws of his two attendants”

“how long do you think this will last?” Sita asked Zalika as Titan moaned and squirmed, yowling and moaning through another pain.

“I’s thinking a long time,” Zalika mewed.

“I neyeeed to puuuuuush!” Titan groaned, bracing his feet against Sita’s paws then straining hard, his effort prodigious, showing in his straining muscles and curled toes, as well as his vocalisation, starting with a low moan, progressing to a miaowing yowl as he pushed hard into Sita’s paws with both his huge feet.

“That’s good, do that again!” Sita encouraged, Titan panting as he came down from his effort, then, drawing up his feet, he waited for Sita’s paws to cup them, then, panting, spitting and growling, he wriggled into position, his squeal of:

“uuuuumf! Nooaoaoaot agayayayayin!” sounding genuine. The liger repeatedly strained and wriggled, pushing against Sita’s paws with his massive feet while pawing at Zalika with his huge paws, varying this from time to time by curling up into a ball of moaning, screaming and whimpering effort during his contractions.

“I hope I can do as well,” Philomena said, padding into the room to give support to the labouring liger.

“This is a Felursapien cuuuub, I can feeyeeel iyiyiyiyt!” Titan wailed, grunting and miaowing as he wriggled and strained hard, the toes of his huge paws and feet tightly curled.

“I need to sit down and curl my toes now!” Philomena whimpered, fitting actions to her words, grabbing her right foot in her hands and pushing with Titan as he strained both his feet against Sita’s paws.

“This is infectious!” Philomena moaned, “I Cayayayn’t stoaoaoaoap pushing my feeyeeet into my hands!” Titan opened his eyes after yet another squealing effort and looked at Philomena.

“You think it’s infectious, I can’t stop pushing either!” he yowled. Burying his face in his paws, squealing lustily as he pushed his feet against Sita’s paws for the thousandth time.

“I must get up, got to squat!” Titan moaned, freeing his feet and paws, then struggling to his huge paws and feet and bracing his feet hard into the floor twice, his haunches rippling as he strained, the liger moaning deeply while curling his toes hard into the floor during his efforts, panting desperately while furiously bouncing on his toes and shifting his feet at the end of each effort.

“Titan’s trying so hard,” Sita mewed.

“I know,” Zalika purred.

“umf. Uuuuumf! Riaow, heuuuuuumf! Miaow!” Titan yowled as he collapsed onto his side, scrabbling with his paws and feet for something to hold onto. When his paws found Philomena’s hands, and his feet found Zalika’s paws, with a groan, Titan tightly curled his toes and braced his feet, Sita feeling the liger’s sweating pads bunching beneath her touch as he curled his toes to their maximum while he strained.

“That’s it Titan, push, push push push,” Sita mewed, rubbing the liger’s ears with her paws, while Titan kept up his effort for as long as he could, giving vent to a shriek as his power ebbed, then, growling, he piled on the pressure again, wriggling and miaowing as he pushed against Zalika’s paws with both his feet, giving it everything he had..

“uuumf! Uauauauaauw! Riaow! Riaiaiaiaiaiaiaow! Aouw! Aouwowowowowowowch! Yaoaoaoaoaoaw!” Titan screamed as he strained and wriggled.

“Is this Titan getting back some of his courage?” Philomena asked.

“Maybe,” Sita mewed, “maybe he’s just carrying on with the birth of his imaginary cub, regardless of who comes into the room. Maybe that’s the first test.”

“maiaiaiaiaiaow! This reaeaeaeally huuuurts!” Titan yowled. Wriggling, he groaned and strained hard down, Zalika deeply massaging the pads of Titan’s feet with her paws as the liger strained as hard as he could, Zalika finding her toes curling as tightly as the liger’s.

“That’s it Titan, Push as long and hard as you can dear Tiggy, push push push!” She encouraged.

“This isn’t imaginary now, it’s real! I can feeyeeel iyiyiyt!” Titan screamed, “uauauauauaowch Zayayayalika!” Titan complained in a screeching yowl, “iyiyiyt’s noaoaot imaginary birth now!”

“the cub’s weal! It’s coming, the cub’s paws awe coming out now!” Zalika yelled, Titan whimpering and moaning as the cub’s paws slid out, then yowling as its head jammed before being forced out with the next contraction, through which he wailed and wriggled. Titan’s wail ended with a yowl that shook the windows, then hard panting, then with a growling groan, and under Sita’s guidance the liger pushed down hard into his tail to begin the journey of the cub’s body out into the world, Titan roaring and moaning as he strained hard down, pushing with all his might as he did when giving birth to Zalika, the toes of both his huge feet curled tightly, the toes of his left foot gripping Zalika’s paw, his right leg lifted to allow the passage of the cub he knew and could now feel was more than imaginary. wriggling, Titan started to push harder than ever into his tail, growling, moaning, groaning and whimpering as he bullied his now much more than imaginary cub into the world. Sweating, crying, moaning, roaring and panting during his struggle, Titan faught for his cub, curling his toes, pedalling with all four paws while pushing, wriggling, sitting up and lying down, straining hard to get the cub’s body born.

“rayiaiaiaiow! Aauuauaauuowch! Heuuuuuumf! Ruuuuuhuuumf! Uauauauauaowch!” the liger complained as he struggled, “this cuuuuub’s enormous, and, and now, now very reaeaeal!” Titan yowled.

“the cub’s nearly here Titan, just its hips, legs and feet to go!” Sita encouraged. She’d crawled to Titan’s hind end and, during a lull in Titan’s efforts, explored, with astonished paws, the cub’s very real body which was still partly inside titan’s, the liger’s panting shaking his whole body, “you’ve done really well, you’ve nearly given birth to this cub all by yourself, now take a deep breath and push long and hard down into your tail!” Sita yelled. Hearing Sita’s words, Titan took a deep breath and, with a roar:

“Rururururururururururururuoauwch!” of effort which shook the floor, strained harder than ever into his tail, the cub’s legs and feet coming out with a rush and gush of fluid that nearly took his breath away.

“I’ve done iyiyiyiyiyt!” Titan roared in triumph.

“I’m glad Titan’s cub is weal,” Zalika mewed, wiping her face with her sweating paws.

“It is,” Sita mewed, grabbing Zalika and hugging her.

“Well when did Titan get into the den with Theo then,” Zalika purred.

“Zalika!” Sita yowled, Titan laughing merrily at her reaction.

“You’re not that prudish Sita,” he said.

“Well, no, but she’s a cuuuub!” Sita yowled.

“I’s not weally a cub any mowe Sita,” Zalika mewed, “I stops being one quite a bit back, well, when Titan was on ‘is bed in that woom where ‘e ‘ad the bweak down, I leawned a lot in that place.”

“All right,” Sita mewed, grabbing Zalika’s paw, the message unmistakable.

“You’re not as firey as you were this morning,” Sita mewed.

“No,” Zalika purred, “the stwuggle Titan made to ‘ave ‘is not so imaginawy cub took some of it away fwom me I think.”

“I needed lots of physical and spiritual strength for that,” Titan mewed, his voice full of exhaustion.

“So did I,” a voice said, Titan glancing down, his eyes widening at the strange sight which met them. a large big cat cub, her face full of exhaustion and fear, crawled towards his paws, the cub’s coat drenched in fluid, the cub snorting and coughing up the fluid she’d inhaled.

“You what?” Zalika asked, staring hard.

“I know, don’t ask, I don’t know! She’s not mine! Well she wasn’t, but now she is, oh no!” Titan mewed, “oh dear,” he groaned.

“Well clean ‘ur up then,” Zalika said. Titan grabbed the cub in his paws and washed her, the large big cat cub purring and pawing at his face and paws.

“she’s all black with the cutest face and paws I’s evah seen!” Zalika mewed, “Titan, if she ain’t youws and Theo’s, who’s cub is she? Where was youw imagination when you’s giving biwth? Where did she come fwom?”

“I don’t know!” Titan whimpered, his mind going back to a time when, eyes closed, he’d been imagining huge contractions, responding to his own imaginings with massive straining efforts which curled his toes as tightly as he had ever curled them, the sensations changing half way through his struggle.

“I don’t know,” Titan mumbled, a blow to his nose from the cub’s paw bringing him out of his dreamlike state.

“Who is she?” patch asked, crawling up to the cub in Titan’s paws.

“I don’t know, but I’m worried I have no milk for her!” Titan wailed.

“I’m sure you have milk,” Theo mewed, padding into the room on silent paws.

“who’s this?” Titan asked, waving his paw at the cub who cuddled into his fur with the urgency of a newborn cub.

“You saved a cub’s life today Titan,” Theo mewed.

“how?” Titan asked.

“A black leopard mother died while giving birth to her cub,” Theo mewed, “the cub wasn’t yet out of the womb when the mama, screaming in pain, died during labour. You Titan, also screaming and sweating with the imagined pain of contractions and true effort of pushing your feet against Zalika’s paws, let the cub into your body and gave real and true birth to her.”

“They weren’t imaginary contractions in the end though,” Titan mewed, looking the cub over as he explored her from nose to tail with his paws, “it felt real a bit before Zalika said about the cub’s paws. I was pushing for real. I didn’t care if I made a mess, I had to push!”

“Yes you did push for real,” Theo mewed, lying down to get a good look at the black leopard cub in Titan’s paws, the liger having just finished cleaning the cub from nose to pads.

“I don’t deserve her,” Titan mewed, the cub crawling to Theo, who lay down and hugged her.

“You does, you wanted anothah cub Titan,” Zalika mewed.

“I didn’t, don’t, not to replace you,” Titan mewed.

“of couwse not that,” Zalika giggled, “you wants to ‘ave a cub, to give biwth to one, and you did!” she said.

“I did,” Titan mewed, I think,” he added, staring at the cub in his paws.

“I hope you did, my feet will take a lot of recovery,” Karina mewed, “I pushed my feet into my hands when you pushed Titan!”

“I wonder who else did,” Titan mewed.

“I know Ekaterina and Sally did,” Moses said, crawling into the room, then backing up to Titan until his toes touched the liger’s paws, “now touch my toes and pads, what was I doing during your labour?” Titan touched Moses heel pad and toes, smiling broadly at the message.

“You strained with your legs to push your feet into your hands as hard as I pushed into my tail,” the liger purred.

“I did!” Moses giggled delightedly, curling his toes round those of the liger’s paw.

“Not trapped paws agayayayayin!” Titan miaowed, the black leopard cub laughing merrily.

“Your paws look very trappable,” she said, “if I trap the other one in my paws, like this, I can hug it tight,” she added, Titan purring deeply.

“the toes of One paw held in the toes of a caring human, the other held in the paws of my newborn cub, and my feet caught by Sita and Zalika, how lovely,” the liger purred, wiggling his toes deeper into the grip of those which held his paws and feet.

“I can feel your toes curled tightly with mine Moses,” Titan purred, blowing gently on the heel pad of the boy’s left foot, Moses curling his toes even tighter round those of Titan’s left paw.

“Can I sit down so I can look at your cub and still hold your paw in my toes?” Moses asked.

“You can,” Titan mewed. Moses uncurled the toes of his left foot then quickly rolled onto his backside, the toes of his right foot grabbing those of Titan’s left paw with fierce urgency, as if the boy’s life depended on it.

“That’s really cute,” the newborn cub said, blowing on the toes of Moses left foot, the boy laughing and bouncing with pleasure.

“how about feeding your newborn cub Titan?” Theo suggested, “you know, they do need feeding.”

“Food?” the cub asked, “that’s boring that is, play is much better!” she declared, pouncing on Titan’s trapped left paw and hanging off it by both paws.

“You want me to let go of his paw?” Moses asked.

“yes, now!” the cub commanded, Moses uncurling the toes of his right foot, Titan grinning as he gently lowered his paw to the floor.

“You’re quite assertive, even for less than an hour old,” he said, kissing the top of her head.

“What should we name you,” Theo asked.

“how on earth should I know?” the cub asked, “I don’t know names, I don’t know what I am or who I am, so how can I be called anything?”

“well you’re a, um, panther, a black leopard,” Theo replied, somewhat perplexed, “Titan, that’s the big cat who gave birth to you, he’s, um, a liger, and I’m a lion, and your sister, that’s the big cat who looks like she’s been scribbled on, that’s Zalika. As for Sita and Moses, Karina and anyone else, my head’s just exploded, so I can’t describe you all, sorry,” he said, turning and bolting.

“Poor Theo!” Philomena laughed.

“Where’s the food big Titan?” the cub asked, slapping both her paws down on the one she’d just freed.

“It’s here, I hope,” Titan mewed, pointing his nose at the place on his body where he hoped there would be milk, the cub crawling to the place. Titan waited in some anxiety until he heard sounds of drinking.

“I’m always terrified there won’t be any,” he thought.

“You doesn’t trust in your body much does you Titan,” Zalika stated.

“You wouldn’t if you were me,” Titan mewed, “I have a female inside, but how much of it is outside too? all I can really see are my paws and feet which look decidedly male. I can’t very well see my teats, as they’re hidden by fur.

“Yeah, I know they’re hidden!” the newborn cub said, “I had to dig to find them among all this fur! What type of tiger are you Titan?”

“I don’t know!” Titan whimpered, looking very distressed.

“You’re a liger for starters, well a ligress really, inside anyway,” Patch said.

“So the one who saved me is a liger on the outside and a ligress on the inside?” the newborn big cat cub asked, “poor cat, he must be really confused.”

“I’m happy with myself,” Titan mewed, “I just get nervous when I give birth to cubs in case I can’t feed them.”

“that’s normal,” mama Karina mewed.

“What on earth are you?” Titan’s newborn big cat cub asked.

“me? I’m a felursapien,” Karina mewed, crawling up to the newborn cub and lying down so she didn’t look so large.

“You’re half what Titan is, and half what that boy who played with Titan’s paw using his toes is, and that’s not all,” the cub observed.

“I know, I’m sort of thirds really,” mama karina mewed.

, “Titan’s lovely isn’t he,” the cub said.

“he is,” karina mewed, “you couldn’t wish for a more gentle guide and parent dear cub. wait, I don’t know your name.”

“that makes two of us!” the cub giggled, her eyes sparkling, “Titan, what is my name?” Titan looked down at his cub, seeing her face all covered with milk.

“Finish drinking, then I’ll clean you up, and I’ll give you a name,” he said, playing for time.

“then you need to be quick, as I’m finished now!” the cub replied, leaping into Titan’s paws, Titan washing the cub’s face and paws with gentle care while she laughed helplessly.

“I think we’ll name you Sheba,” Titan mewed, kissing the cub’s nose and paw pads.

“I like that name,” mama Karina mewed.

“Hold on a minute, did you, Titan actually give birth to a cub?” Sita asked.

“I did,” Titan mewed.

“What the hell?” Sita yowled, “I got paws on with the emerging cub, at least my paws say I did, but, I don’t know now!”

“I know, it’s a strange thing,” Titan mewed.

“You mean, it was like when Sally gave birth to Kuaizi?” Sita asked.

“I think so,” Titan mewed, “though I think, well, I felt Sheba’s presence within my womb rather than just a shove along a tunnel. I felt the transition stage from stage one to two as it were.”

“ouch, no wonder you yowled,” Sita mewed.

“yowled?” Zalika asked, “Titan scweamed the place down!”

“I’m not surprised,” Sita mewed, crawling up to Sheba and getting paws on with the cub, “this cub’s enormous, as Titan said it was. How can a cub go from imaginary to real? It’s not possible!”

“It’s happened twice now,” Titan mewed.

“she has a long tail too!” Sita mewed, playing with Sheba’s tail, the cub curling round and grabbing at Sita’s paws with her smaller ones.

“We genuinely pushed with you Titan,” Moses said, Titan embracing the boy’s left foot in his paws, Moses curling his toes with pleasure at the liger’s touch.

“I can feel you did and I’m very grateful for the support,” the liger purred, rubbing the ball and heel pads of Moses foot with his massive paw.

“I tried to curl my toes as tightly as you did,” Moses replied, “I know Ekaterina tried too.”

“I’ve touched your hands and feet during your efforts when you’re re-enacting, and they’re expressive, your toes curl with such intensity,” Titan purred.

“We humans do our best,” Moses giggled, “we push into our hands as hard as we can with our feet as well as curling our toes as tightly as we are able, while putting on a good effort, believing in the cub’s arrival as much as you did. Of course, your cub became real, ours can’t, but we do hug soft toy tiger cubs after our efforts.”

“That’s good news,” Titan mewed, rubbing the tops of Moses toes with his soft padded left paw.

“I screamed the place down during my sympathetic pushing,” Moses said.

“It’s not required to do that,” Titan purred, “but thanks anyway.”

“Oh Ekaterina was louder than me,” Moses giggled. “she wriggled and squealed, yowled and miaowed like you Titan, she really went for it.”

“Thank her for me,” Titan mewed.

“Why not thank me yourself,” Ekaterina said, crawling up to Titan and kissing him on the nose.

“Thanks Ekaterina,” Titan mewed, returning her kiss by touching noses with her, as he rightly guessed that a quick flick from his tongue would hurt her.

“come on Moses, let’s show Titan how we pushed our feet into our hands,” Ekaterina said.

“I’m sure Titan doesn’t want reminding of his efforts,” Moses said.

“It’s all right, come on, make it good too,” Titan purred. Ekaterina sat down and grabbed her left foot in her hands, pushing her left foot hard into their grip, Titan watching how her left hand held the ball of her foot while her right cradled her heel pad, Ekaterina tightly curling her toes with effort while she moaned and groaned as she strained her left foot hard into her hands.

“That’s good, puuuuuush!” Titan encouraged, Ekaterina straining her left foot into the grip of her hands harder than ever while Titan rubbed the sole of her free right foot, Ekaterina yowling, miaowing and whimpering like Titan had, while curling the toes of her right foot as tightly as she could, Titan giggling delightedly and kissing her nose.

“You’ll shake the floor with a roar next,” the liger said.

“I can’t do what you did,” Ekaterina replied panting slightly, “you roared with the relief and triumph of a job well done.”

“Well isn’t your effort as important as mine in its way?” Titan asked.

“We’re only playing,” Moses replied, “your effort wasn’t play, well not at the last Titan.”

“I was set a challenge by Sita and Zalika and I think I rose to it,” Titan mewed.

“You did, and more too,” Ekaterina said, rubbing the sole of her left foot from ball to heel pad with the fingers of her right hand.

“Ekaterina, please, let me soothe your foot,” Titan mewed, gently washing the toes and pads of Ekaterina’s left foot, the young girl giggling as the liger’s rough tongue tickled her toes.

“You’re so sweet to us humans,” she said, Moses crawling to him and hugging him.

“Would you soothe my toes too Titan?” Moses asked, “Titan dear, they curled as tightly as Ekaterina’s did.”

“I will do so, but I pushed hard too! Isn’t anyone going to soothe mine?” Titan asked playfully.

“yes, of course,” Moses replied, crawling to and grabbing Titan’s right foot. Titan, smiling broadly, curled his body round and kissed the heel pad of Moses left foot, Moses laughing helplessly as the liger’s whiskers tickled his sensitive pads.

“Your pads still have heat in them Moses,” Titan mewed.

“I know, it’s hard work mimicking you,” Moses replied, looking over his shoulder at the huge liger.

“please if you would Moses, let me cool them,” Titan mewed.

“Okay,” Moses said, Titan gently washing his pads, then blowing cool breath over them, making Moses giggle and curl his toes with pleasure.

“you have gorgeous cubbish bunched pads,” Titan mewed, exploring the furrowed pad on the ball of Moses left foot with his left paw and then kissing his toes, “your pads and toes are as cute as when cats curl their toes,” he remarked, Moses laughing merrily.

“You’re so soppy it’s cute,” he said.

“Soppy?” Titan growled, “no! that’s noaoaot meyeee!” he roared, then, moaning, “Oh I feel I have to be more Soppypuss!” the liger rolled onto his back, waving all four paws in the air, miaowing like a cub, to the delight of everyone in the room.

“Get hold of those paws and feet and hug them right now!” Moses yelled, he and Ekaterina pouncing on Titan’s paws and feet, the liger mewing and squirming with pleasure as his paws and feet were claimed, his pads rubbed and toes played with by the two children.

“Who else in this country could do what we are doing now Ekaterina?” Moses asked, “we are so lucky to have big cats and bears as well as other non-human creatures as friends and family.

“I love Titan so much,” Ekaterina said, “I love all this community so much, and yes, I know we’re lucky. Titan kissed my heel pad and toes, and I felt really safe with Titan. To think he could do me damage, but won’t, is something to be treasured.”

“I’d cry forever if I hurt you,” Titan mewed, “even now, just talking about it, the thought makes me tearful.”

“You’re a big Soppypuss Titan,” Sheba said, climbing onto his chest and looking into his eyes.

“I’m just me,” Titan mewed, shaking his paws free of Ekaterina’s hands and picking Sheba up in them, lifting her to his eye line and gazing at her face and the pads of her paws and feet, Sheba laughing and pedalling the air with her paws and feet, Titan blowing on her pads, the cub yowling with laughter and pedalling even faster.

“You are tiyiyiyckling my toooes!” she yowled, Titan lowering her towards his face and kissing the tickle from her toes, Sheba stretching down to kiss his nose, Titan lowering her further so she could do so, the cub nuzzling the liger’s cheek and kissing his nose.

“Can I blow on your toes Titan?” she asked. Titan smiled and rolled onto his left side, settling Sheba on the rug.

“now find my paws and feet little one,” he said. Sheba did, and gently blew on the liger’s massive toe pads, Titan miaowing with laughter.

“Blow into the gap between his toes and the big pad on his paw Sheba,” Moses suggested. Sheba did, Titan’s reaction making her shriek with glee as the liger rolled about, yowling with laughter, clasping his paws and rubbing them hard together.

“I’ll go for your feet next!” Sheba giggled.

“Hug them first please,” Titan mewed, “Moses, could you help her?” Moses smiled and did what Titan wished, lifting Sheba in his arms and letting her touch Titan’s feet, the liger purring softly.

“Titan, could you curl your toes like you did when you were giving birth to me?” Sheba asked. Titan smiled and curled his toes as tightly as he could, feeling Sheba’s touch on his curled toes and bunched pads, the liger purring, his eyes closed in bliss. Sheba worked at the tightly curled toes of Titan’s left foot with the toes of her paw, Titan uncurling his toes enough to let her place her toes in the grip of his larger ones. Smiling, Titan gently embraced his cub’s paw in the grip of the toes of his own left foot.

“Now please curl your toes like you did during my birth,” Sheba said.

“If I do that I’ll break the tiny toes of your paw, and I don’t want to do that,” Titan mewed.

“Oh ok,” Sheba mewed, tugging at her left paw which Titan held in the toes of his huge foot.

“I can’t move my paw!” Sheba mewed.

“I’m not even trying to tightly curl my toes,” Titan mewed, “if I tried hard, I would do you harm Sheba, and I don’t want that. Your paw uncurled my toes because I wanted it to.”

“I don’t want you to hurt yourself by hurting me, and if curling your toes would hurt you if you hurt me, please don’t,” she mewed.

“I will curl my toes a bit tighter,” Titan mewed, “when it hurts you, tell me and I’ll ease off,” he said.

“imagine I’m being born all over again,” Sheba mewed, “I want to feel the power of your toes on mine Titan.”

“I’ll only curl my toes as tightly as I can if you take your paw from the range of their grip, then you can get paws on with their tops and the bunched pads,” Titan mewed, relaxing his toes.

“Okay,” Sheba mewed. Titan felt Sheba move her paw away from his foot, then he swiftly and tightly curled his toes. at the last moment, just before the gap between Titan’s toe pads and large weight bearing pad closed, Sheba jammed the toes of her left paw into the grip of the liger’s toes, Titan too far into tightly curling them to stop, though Sheba’s shriek of pain made him instantly relax his toes.

“You idiot Titan!” Karina snapped.

“Oh no, please no!” Titan squealed, grabbing Sheba.

“You hurt meyeee!” Sheba yowled, sucking her crushed paw.

“I’m sorry, I tried not to, I really tried not tooo!” Titan wept.

“My poor paaaaw!” Sheba whimpered, Titan licking the cub’s injured paw.

“Sheba shoved ‘ur paw into the wange of the gwip of your toes Titan,” Zalika said, “it weren’t youw fault.”

“I’d better check her paw,” Patch said, giving Titan an icy stare.

“I didn’t mean to!” Titan sobbed. Patch ex-rayed Sheba’s paw, finding no injury at all.

“how can you not be injured?” he asked, “Sheba are you acting?”

“No, Titan’s toes squashed mine!” the black leopard miaowed.

“There’s no harm done,” Patch replied shrilly.

“I must say, the pain has gone,” Sheba mewed, “I can feel my paw, but it’s as if nothing happened.

“Titan licked your paw didn’t he?” Patch asked.

“yes,” Sheba mewed.

“The same as Zalika!” patch whooped.

“I don’t understand,” Sheba mewed, her face full of confusion.

“Titan can heal wounds with his kiss, just like Zalika can!” Patch yelled, dancing with delight.

“Well giving birth to cubs seems to always strengthen Titan,” Sita mewed.

“Maybe ‘e’s taking on the wole of the alpha female in the pwide,” Zalika purred.

“Pwide?” Sheba asked, “is that how it’s said?”

“No,” Sita mewed, “Zalika can’t pronounce the letter r in anything.”

“Well there is no r in anything, so I’m not surprised,” Sheba mewed, Zalika laughing hard.

“What Sita meant was I can’t pwonounce awe sounds at all,” she said.

“Oh, that’s rather unusual I think,” Sheba mewed.

“yeah it is, but I’s fine with it,” Zalika purred.

“What games do you cats play here?” Sheba asked.

“Oh, usually pouncing games, sometimes stuck paw games between two players, mostly I likes pwetending to ‘give biwth to cubs, that’s weally ‘awd that is.”

“I know it is, I’ve been through it today,” Sheba mewed, “why on earth anyone would want to pretend to push like Titan had to is beyond me.”

“I was pretending at first,” Titan mewed.

“It must have been a shock when I came along then,” Sheba purred, walking unsteadily on her tender padded paws from where she’d been examined to where Titan lay.

“It was, but it was a lovely surprise,” Titan mewed, kissing her nose.

“You’re lovely Titan, and yes, I’m sorry for disobeying your instructions not to put my paw anywhere near your toes when you tightly curled them,” Sheba mewed, lying down beside him.

“I told you I would hurt you if you put your paws anywhere near my toes when I got into the zone in a struggle to curl them as I had during your birth,” Titan mewed.

“I know and I learnt the lesson too,” Sheba mewed, “but can you hug my paws with yours now?” Titan pulled her close and hugged her.

“I can hug you hugely,” he said, kissing her nose and hugging her paws and feet with his paws.

“Who’s leader round here?” Sheba asked.

“he’s hugging you,” Sita mewed.

“You? Titan?” Sheba asked incredulously.

“um, yeah,” Titan purred, “have you a problem with that?”

“Um, no, but, but, well, you don’t look the leader type, all soft paws and cuddles, leaders aren’t meant to be like that.”

“When they’re in the den they are,” Titan mewed, “I’m not brave all the time Sheba.”

“’e’s a scawdeycat weally Sheba, Titan ain’t up to bwavewy in the sense of getting all fistypaws about things.”

“thanks for the vote of confidence Zalika,” Titan growled.

“What Titan did today was a million times braver than anything you’ve ever done Zalika!” Sita snapped.

“I wouldn’t quite go that far,” Titan mewed.

“I would, Zalika’s being horrid!” Sita growled, “Titan, she might have attacked Jim to keep him on the floor, but he was down for the count anyway, you faught for life today, a life that was not from a family of your own. Zalika’s act was small compared to what you did in saving Sheba!”

“Sod you Sita!” Zalika mewed, pouncing on the cat bear and whacking her about the head and paw pads with all the force she could muster. Sita, screaming with terror, faught back, but soon Zalika’s blows told on her.

“Stop that Zalika!” Titan roared, the sound shaking the floor and the bodies of the two combatants. Zalika screeched as her strength suddenly vanished, Sita finally able to crawl away to lick her wounds.

“You never hit the paw pads or round the head Zalika!” Titan roared, his voice angrier than Zalika had ever heard it.

“You are a disgrace Zalika!” Titan roared, pouncing on Zalika then rolling her onto her back with one huge paw.

“Oh naoaoaoaoao!” Zalika yowled, her view full of the angry face of her parent and guardian.

“you never hit the paws or round the head!” Titan roared, pinning Zalika down under his paws.

“Sita said I wasn’t bwave when I tackled Jim!” Zalika yowled, “I’s not ‘aving ‘ur saying this! Does she know ‘ow scawed I was while waiting in that twee? Bet she bloody doesn’t, so ‘ow can she make a comment like youw effowt today was ten times mine? ‘er’s a bleedin’ pest Titan!”

“I understand your anger,” Titan mewed, releasing Zalika, “but to hit the pads of Sita’s paws and then hit her head was very wrong.”

“I meant to ‘it Sita’s paws, wound ‘ur ‘ead was a bit wong, but the paws wasn’t, I meant that, I meant to ‘it ‘ur on the place where it would ‘uwt ‘ur most,” Zalika growled, “she ‘urt me Titan!” the liligress yowled, “I did what I did in the woods fow you as much as you did what you did ‘ere for Sheba!”

“There should be no ranking of bravery, but to attack Sita in the way you did was also disgraceful Zalika,” Titan mewed.

“aow my payayayayads!” Sita yowled.

“You’s desewving all that!” Zalika replied.

“now I don’t think that’s right,” karina mewed, padding over to Zalika and taking her paw in her strong hands.

“ayayayayayayaow! Aouw! Naoaoaoaoaoao!” Zalika screamed as she felt what she’d inflicted on Sita.

“We respect the paws for a reason,” karina mewed, Titan looking sick at the sight of his cub’s agony.

“I wealise that now,” Zalika mewed, “Stoaoaoap iyiyiyt Kawina!” she begged.

“All right, but you remember this,” karina growled, crawling away from Zalika towards Moses and sitting down, Moses crawling to Karina and, kneeling, hugging her tightly, Titan seeing karina’s and Moses toes curling with the intensity of their hug.

“Sita dear, you can’t see Moses or Karina’s faces as they’re both snuggling so close, but their toes and bunching pads show the intensity of their hug,” Titan mewed, “Sita, why not find karina and Moses feet with your paws.” Sita crawled to Moses and Karina and touched their feet, finding their tightly curled toes and bunched pads.

“oaoaoaaoh, I want to cuuuurl my toooooes even tighter!” karina miaowed, Moses giggling and squirming as he struggled to do the same.

“I want to tooo!” he giggled, “come on karina, try to curl your toes that bit more, you got’a try!” karina growled with her effort, Moses following her lead as both tried to curl their toes a bit tighter beneath Sita’s touch.

“Curl your toes, bunch your pads Karina!” Moses encouraged.

“I’m really trying!” karina miaowed, “how about you trying tooo Moses!”

“he’s trying too,” Sita purred, blowing on karina’s heel pads, karina curling her toes, then, squealing, she strained her toes even tighter, her toes achieving that extra degree of curl which they had during the birth of her cub.

“My toes are curling like they did during the times I give birth to my imaginary cubs!” Karina giggled.

“I know,” Sita mewed, “I’d love to help you curl them like that while you pretend again Karina, or while you give birth for real,” Sita mewed. “Your pads are very bouncy karina,” Sita purred.

“Karina’s bouncing all over the playayayce!” Moses giggled, hugging the adult felursapien, bouncing slightly with her, Sita paws on with his toes and heels as he bounced, Moses curling and relaxing his toes as he rocked and wriggled with karina.

“how do my pads feel Sita?” he asked.

“Oh, they’re soft and warm too,” Sita mewed, “you’re very expressive with your toes.” Moses laughed merrily at this, curling his toes to catch Sita’s fingers, Sita gently rubbing the sole of his right foot from springy heel pad to soft pads on the ball and toes.

, “ooaaoah!” Moses gasped as her touch pleasured him.

“You don’t come to my playgroups often now,” Sita mewed, counting the curled toes on his right foot.

“I’m at human school now,” Moses replied, keeping his toes curled, “but we are allowed to go barefoot, and we do play stuck foot games too.”

“You learnt them really fast if I remember,” Sita purred.

“I did, so did Ekaterina and Jenny,” Moses replied.

“Shall we play the stuck foot games?” Sita asked, “I play Mama Karina, you play Ekaterina Moses, then the winners play each other?” Sita asked.

“We’re up for it,” Karina mewed, looking at the two children, who’d smiled their agreement.

“While you four do that, I’m going to try for sleep,” Titan mewed, “I came here for rest, and well,” he smiled, “I haven’t had the rest I need yet.” Sheba snuggled up to him, lying down and closing her eyes.

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