[Tags: Clean, M/F, dog, golden retriever (M), cat (F), love, family life, slice of life, pregnancy, pregnant, drama] Prologue: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/23671187/ Chapter 1: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/23875926/ Chapter 3: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24402960/ Chapter 4: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24623668/ Epilogue: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24765232/ Knock knock. "Ugh...30 seconds of peace, might be a new record," Kyrie grumbled before calling, "yeah?" "Phone call," Mike's voice replied back from the other side of the bathroom door. Sighing, Kyrie replied, "Just a minute!" as she hurried to finish her business. "Why didn't I just install an intercom in the bathroom when I was pregnant with Freya?" the cat muttered to herself. A thump to her gut from within her gently but undeniably rounded tummy answered for her. "Oh yeah, because I wasn't expecting you," she replied to her passenger. In short order, her reprieve was over and she was in the store again. Heading to the back, she got a hand signal for "line two" from the raccoon who had brought her out of the bathroom and who was on the phone while working on someone's hard drive. She took a seat at her desk and picked up the phone. "Markov Fixed-Uppers, thank you for waiting, this is Kyrie." "Hi, Kyrie!" came a chipper woman's voice. Kyrie slumped a bit, her fur frizzing in irritation as she forced herself not to sound how she felt. "Desiree, hiii," she said back to the other mom. "What can I do for you?" "Well first of all, how [u]are[/u] you?" "About the same as when you asked me that this morning," the cat said. "Sorry! You just know how psyched I am for you!" the salamander on the other end chirped. Kyrie took a moment to remind herself that Desiree's overly friendly attitude was an advantage, not an annoyance. "So, we've established I'm as good as a 7-months-pregnant woman can be, with all the lovely ups and downs that come with it." "Are you-" "Now, what can I do for you?" she interrupted, knowing how long this could take if she let Desiree get any momentum going. "Oh! Right, yeah, just wanted to remind you I'm coming by to get Freya in an hour, if she's ready." She glanced at the clock on her desk: Saturday, April 15, 2:01 PM. "Yeah, I told her to be ready by 3. She's been pretty excited for this, she's probably already done." "I know, right? Her and Ellen's first Paw Scout campout," Dez said cheerfully. "Ellen can't wait either." "They, uh, they do grow up fast, don't they?" she asked, not sure how to continue this chat when she had things to do. She sighed wistfully. "Hahhh, yeah. Just wait until they start telling us to stay out of their rooms, then wanting to date, then wanting to drive," she joked. "Hmhmhm, yeah," Kyrie chuckled. "Now, sorry but I'm kinda working so I don't have a lot of time for chit-chat, sooo...anything else I can do for you?" "Oh, sorry, I think that'll do- wait! Something I wanted to ask about the baby." "Mm hm?" "There's a small betting pool with the other moms of what you're gonna name her, and I'm...a little too nosy for my own good." Kyrie wondered if the salamander could hear her roll her eyes. "Yeah?" "Won't you please tell me?" she pleaded. "Nope. My little but growing secret," she replied, patting her belly. "I promise if I win I'll split the pool with you." "Not even Jeremy or Freya know. You can wait another ten-odd weeks just like them," she said. When Dez sighed, she added, "And if you're lucky enough to guess right, you should be playing the lottery, not betting on baby names." "Okay, okay," she conceded. "Guess I'll letcha go." "See you in an hour. Bye." Hanging up the phone, Kyrie rubbed her eyes. Nice lady, but niceness needed limits. A few nudges from her second daughter made her nod with a little grin. "I know [u]you'll[/u] never tell her I think she needs to reel it in," she muttered. "At least you're fun to tell secrets to." Ah well, that was done, now back to work. Speaking of, she looked back at Mike as she heard him end his phone call, and as if he expected it, the raccoon looked over his shoulder nervously at his boss, who gave him a frown that asked "did you mean to do that?" without words. "Sssorryyy," he said, "but she's very insistent." "You couldn't just take a message and say I'd call her back?" "I um, I tried but I had someone on the other line so I was in a hurry and she called my bluff." The cat nodded, her frown softening. "Having to use the bathroom all the time is one of the sometimes-many downsides of being pregnant, but part of my job is to turn broken things into useful things, and it works out nicely that all those bathroom breaks are an excuse to catch my breath, if you know what I mean," she said, getting a nod back from him. "Anyway, I need another minute, I'm gonna check on Freya." When he nodded again and turned back to his work, she stood and headed for the stairs, pausing when she was standing behind him. "You're already forgiven," he said, not looking up. "But I'm still sorry. You're a really honest guy and I appreciate that," she apologized. "No problem." "Sorry to talk about my bathroom habits too," she added. He chuckled. "To keep being honest, there's a lot about pregnancy that's kinda...blech, to me, so I kinda...tune that out." She smiled and nodded. "Believe me, I agree it's not always fun. Y'know, you [u]can[/u] just tell me to shut up if I'm grossing you out, not like you're here to listen to it." "I'm tougher than that, and it's gotta be better for both of us than you talking to the wall," he replied, getting a chuckle back. "Well, keep up the good work," she finished as she resumed walking. Unlocking the door at the top of the stairs, she stepped inside and called, "Love?" "Yeah?" her older daughter asked as she stepped out from her room. "Mrs. Parker just called. Are you gonna be ready in an hour?" "Yeah." "'Kay." She smiled at the young cat, asking, "So, just so we're clear, you promise to do what you're told?" "Yes, Mom." "And you won't go wandering off on your own?" "No, Mom." "And you'll be careful?" Freya smiled at her mom, giving her a Paw Scout salute. "Come on, the Paw Scouts are always careful," she said proudly. Kyrie nodded, smiling wider. "You're a good kid, you know that?" The girl folded her hands behind her back. "Yeees, Mooom," she answered. "Just like reminding you. I'll see you in a bit, 'kay?" "M'kay." With that out of the way, she went back to the shop, just in time for Mike to flag her down. Hoping it wasn't another call from Desiree, she held in a sigh of relief when he said, "Lilly's in the front. She's looking for you." Walking out front, Kyrie waved at the ferret browsing the merchandise. "Heeey, Lilly," she greeted her frequent customer. "Hiya," Lilly said back with a returned wave. "So what can I do you for?" "Wellll, I'm in the market for VHS players." "VHS, you say..." Nodding, Lilly explained, "Me and my brother were helping clean out my parents' old place, and we found some tapes in the attic they wanna take with them so they can watch 'em. But of course, not a lotta people have something that can play 'em anymore." Kyrie drummed her fingers on her thigh before snapping them. "Y'know what, I got a little TV that has a built-in VHS player. Haven't worked on it yet, but I can make that a thing on my list," she said with an inquiring smile. "Yeah, I think that's doable," she replied. "Hah, the store lives up to its reputation again." The cat nodded proudly. "That's why we're Markov Fixed-Uppers, not Markov Junk Store." "...You call it a junk store more than anyone else," she noted. "Uh huh, I know, I was just telling someone that it makes me feel proud that I can take junk and either fix it up or turn it into something useful. Anyway, stop by the counter and we'll get you set up." "All right," the ferret said before her eyes trailed down to Kyrie's midsection. "I still wonder, how do you do it?" Kyrie set a hand on her belly, saying, "Well you see, honey, me and Jeremy love each other very much..." with a smirk. "Hmhm, I mean," she gestured around, "how do you keep this up with having a kid already? Let alone another on the way." "I may not be a [u]single[/u] mom anymore, but I'm still a mom...who's run this small business since she was 18 and has another bun in the oven. I kinda stopped getting days off about 15 years ago," she said with a chuckle, followed by, "and I have some great people to help me." "Guess you know how to find the right people," she agreed, her gaze drifting to the engagement ring on Kyrie's finger for a moment. "You look great, though, so if you're worn out, you're hiding it well." The cat shrugged. "I think it's just, I'm a hard worker, so when I'm tired, you can't tell the difference anyway," she said, moving her hand a bit as the baby kicked her palm. Lilly's eyes lit up. "Ooh, is she moving?" she asked, reaching out to feel for herself. Her hand was caught by Kyrie, who firmly but gently held her wrist and moved it away, her smile remaining steady. "We've been over this. You can touch the store's merchandise, but this isn't for sale," she reminded her customer. "Aww...what if I said 'please?'" "That would help." "Then please-" "Well it won't help [u]now[/u]." She thumbed towards the front counter as she let her hand go. "How about we both get back to business?" "Okay, sorry," Lilly said as she turned around. Kyrie also turned to be on her way. "That helps, too," she said over her shoulder. When she stepped out of sight of her customers, she let out a sigh, nodding down at her belly as she felt another few kicks. "Just wait until you're out of me. Then the baby talk starts," she muttered with a roll of her eyes. Oh well, she had work to do, and she'd feel better if she felt productive. She could start on Lilly's job once the specifics had been settled. For now, she took a seat at her workbench to pick up where she left off before she needed yet another bathroom break. As her baby kept nudging around, she smiled and told her, "Well, if you're gonna be bugging me, I'm gonna need some music." Reaching up to the shelf, she adjusted a few dials on a small electronic box before resting her finger on its "On-Off" switch. "Gimme a beat, Bob," she said before switching it on. The steady rhythm of Bob the Homemade Metronome's quiet hums and "doot"s had her nodding her head to the beat-keeping device. She hummed a melody more or less in tune with the beat, taking a little time to get a positive attitude before she got back to work. "Oof," she grunted at a hard kick. "Hmhm, y'know, your dad likes music games, and I like to make up music while I work. Could you be a budding musician?" With a smile and a shrug, she opened her to-do list. [b]An hour later[/b] "FREYA!" Kyrie shouted upstairs. "What's the holdup?!" "I said I can't find my flashlight!" Freya shouted back. "You were supposed to be ready 5 minutes ago!" "I thought I was!" "Then take one from down here, Mrs. Parker is waiting for you!" "Just-" "Now, Freya!" In short order, the girl was barreling down the stairs, a camping backpack on as Kyrie waited for her, a flashlight in hand. Freya grabbed it as she ran past her as if it were a racing baton. "ThanksMomseeyoutomorrownight!" she blurted out as she hurried through the front of the store to the waiting van. "Remember to be good!" Kyrie called after her. Once Freya was in the car and they drove away, Kyrie rubbed her temple and said to herself, "So much for always being prepared." [b]Later still[/b] 6:30 PM rolled around, and the shop closed for the day. With everyone gone, Kyrie stretched her arms with a grunt and then a loud yawn. Fatigue: Just one more wonderful thing about being pregnant that years of physical and mental training couldn't do much about. Ah, screw it, she'd get Jeremy to do her share of the cleanup tomorrow. He was off too, and Freya wasn't coming back until the evening. The right pleading and a few choice promises would get him to do anything. Especially when they were alone and she could promise more, she remembered with a grin. Still, she took the time to at least tidy up her workbench. Dusting the counter, shelving her tools, logging her progress on her work, putting everything away... And when she was finishing that last task, she found something while putting a container of batteries back where it belonged: A flashlight that was supposed to be in her daughter's backpack, only it was tucked a little out of sight on the shelf instead. She must've forgot it here somehow when getting batteries. "Huh. Well, I know where you belong," she said to herself as she picked it up and headed upstairs. After the door was locked behind her and her shoes were kicked off, the cat rubbed her eyes. Eh, she was tired and sore and hungry, and that was without stacking 7 months of pregnancy on top of that, so if no one was around to see her, why not get comfortable? She headed to her room and let herself in, tossing off her shirt and sliding off her pants, replacing the former with one of Jeremy's button-up shirts and the latter with, what else, a pair of sweatpants. Looking at herself in the mirror, Kyrie snickered at what Jeremy would say when he got home tonight. They said some men liked it when their women wore their clothes, and she learned a while ago he was one of them. "Maybe I should start negotiating like this," she purred at her reflection, leaving the bottom of his shirt unbuttoned to let her tummy show. She noticed the flashlight sitting on her bed in the reflection. Oh yeah, might as well put that back before crashing. She took it to Freya's room, setting it on her desk and noticing she left her diary up on her computer. Well, Freya let her read it when she wanted to, as long as she promised not to try to unlock her locked entries, and it had been a couple weeks since she read it. Might as well read what Freya was up to lately, she figured as she took a seat. [i]Saturday, April 15 Mom told me Im' a good kid a little bit ago. she does that a lot. She does it more since she got pregnant. I think its how she wants me to feel like I'm not being forgotten. I know she doesnt meant it but now it just hurts cause shes wrong. I wanna be good, but a good kid would be happy, and I don't know how I feel but its not happy. I don't hate you or my sister but I hate this.[/i] ... What...the Hell...was that? Kyrie's smile was gone and her protective instinct was in full swing. That instinct's grip tightened when she noticed that this was a locked entry, and if she could see this one, maybe that meant the rest of her diary was unlocked. It was. As she read through the locked entries, what had started as a smile transitioned to a frown, and then into pure worry. Her ears splayed against her head and her hand covered her mouth as she felt her eyes watering from learning how much Freya had been hiding from everyone, and even she, her own mother, didn't suspect it. Her eyes didn't leave the screen as she took her phone from her pocket and speed dialed a number. "Helping Hands Birth-" "Hilda, it's Kyrie. Is Jeremy there?" "Oh, hi, Kyrie. I'm sorry but he left about-" "Then sorry but I have to go." She abruptly hung up and speed dialed another number. "Come on, pick up pick up pick up..." "Hi, Kitten." "Jeremy, where are you?" "If you must know, I'm getting food for us." "Forget the food, I need you here." "But you told me to-" "Come home, now." There was a pause on his end, followed shortly by the jingle of what she assumed was the bells of a store door opening and closing, and then by his voice, calmer but firmer, saying, "Kyrie, please tell me what's wrong." "It's Freya." "What happened?" "She's in trouble." She heard a car door open and close as he continued, "For what?" "I mean, she needs our help. Just, come home, I found something you have to see." "I'm coming now." His car's engine started as he continued, "Do you need me to stay on the phone?" "N-No, I'm...just, I need you here." "All right. I'll be there soon." He hung up in time for her to blink a pair of tears from her eyes. Now it was like she was reliving one of her scariest memories. Almost 7 years ago, when she had been about 5 months pregnant with Freya, she almost lost her, and it involved a phone call to Jeremy when she needed help. She didn't know what they would do about this scare, but just like back then, she knew she needed him with her. [u]Strained Promises[/u] Chapter 2 Pregnancy is rarely easy, and not just for the mother. My sidequest to counterbalance the overabundance of happiness in the "pregnancy" section continues. Fun little fact for this chapter: As I've said before, Kyrie, Freya and their home are sort of a composite of Temmie Village and its delightfully weird inhabitants. They've drifted from their roots, but I still try to bring this up subtly here and there. One example: Flyingwolf once told me he thought the music that plays in Temmie Village is actually happening in-game, with Bob providing the beat, the Temmies as the "doot" chorus, whatever's in the egg chirping, and the Shop Temmie singing the higher-pitched "doot" lyrics. That sounded like the sort of thing this game would do just to turn your expectations on their heads again. Bob the Homemade Metronome was born of this idea. Prologue: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/23671187/ Chapter 1: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/23875926/ Chapter 3: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24402960/ Chapter 4: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24623668/ Epilogue: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24765232/ Uses characters and ideas inspired by or based on Undertale, which is (c) Toby Fox. Thanks also to :iconflyingwolf: for getting me that game and for being my other main source of inspiration. This story's copyright policy: "Sharing is caring." Do what you like with this story, not like I can do anything to stop you, in fact I'd be flattered you'd want to share it or save it so you can read it whenever you want. All I ask is that you link back to the original source.