"You're sure she wouldn't like a danish?" Richard's mother asked as their son lead them through the hospital toward the room where Clara and his newly born cubs were resting.
"Mom, she's a mountain lion," Richard answered, "like I am now. In fact she is the one who made me like this. While I'm sure the danish tastes great, she can't eat it..."
The arrival of Rob, Michelle, Hilary, and William had come just in time for his parents to arrive. The hospital hadn't released Clara and the cubs to come home, yet, and so, after picking up his parents, Richard brought them by. Clara was recovering quite well and was even managing to discuss some things with Robbie over the phone in addition to looking after the four newborns. In that, Richard didn't see too much trouble in introducing Clara to his parents and them to their grandchildren.
"But there must be something we can do..." his mom spoke, sounding frustrated, "She's helped you and made you happy... and together you've given us grandchildren to spoil... There's got to be something we can do."
"Just be kind and I'm sure you shouldn't have a problem," Richard answered as he looked over his shoulder to see both his parents following him. Their faces were a mixed look of being happy, proud, and curious. In that he felt quite pleased at the fact that he had changed his species as part of Project Phoenix and joined Animalia had not hurt family relations. Hopefully things would go well with regard to meeting Clara and saying hello to his cubs.
They made their way quietly until they came to the room where Clara was resting. Richard carefully knocked on the door and waited for an answer.
"Yes?" came Clara's voice from inside.
"It's me, dear, my parents have come to meet you and the little ones," Richard spoke as he opened the door to look in on Clara laying her bed and with a special bed on a stand next to her, "I hope you don't mind."
"So long as there is no throwing of my cubs into a nearby body of water, we will be fine," Clara looked up with a small smile.
"If they were just born, it'd be a bit early to teach them to swim," Richard heard his father say.
Richard let his parents enter as Clara sat up in bed and while Richard moved to stand by Clara's side and behind the bed that the quads were resting in. They were presently dozing slightly, though he could see enough movement in their tails that they weren't quite asleep yet. He then gestured to both his parents to introduce them to Clara and Clara to them.
"Mom, Dad, this is Clara... the Mountain Lion who healed me in many ways and with whom I've found love," Richard spoke as he gestured to Clara with one hand.
"You look good, dear," Richard's mother said to Clara, "far better than I would after having four babies at once..."
"Well... Mountain Lions would normally have a litter," Clara said slowly, "and so far Animalians seem quite... healthy."
"Still, you look good," Richard's mother spoke as Richard's father approached Clara's bed and reached for her hand.
"Thank you for helping our son," Richard's father said to her with great sincerity as they shook hands.
"It was my pleasure," Clara answered, "and thank you for being supportive of him."
"He is our boy," Richard's father answered, "some things we may do or have done may seem odd to you, but know that we love him. Always have, always will."
"Clara, these are my parents, my father Franklin and my mother Peggy," Richard introduced them.
"A pleasure to meet you," Clara spoke, "and again... thank you for being supportive of Richard joining Animalia."
Peggy nodded, "He's our boy. We always wanted to see him happy and healthy."
Clara watched as both Peggy and Franklin smiled. In that she felt welcome, and Clara smiled in return.
"I suppose you came to meet your grandchildren," Clara said slowly and looked over to the bed. Despite their conversation, the quads had drifted off into dreamland, with their eyes shut. With that, Clara figured it best not to wake them up. So instead she beckoned Richard's parents forward. As they approached they soon saw the four Mountain Lion Animalian cubs. They were sleeping under colored blankets, two pink and two blue. The blankets covered their bodies with only their heads and the end of their tail's visible.
"They have spots," Peggy said slowly.
"Yes," Clara nodded, "they will have spots while they're young. For non-Animalian Mountain Lions, this is necessary to help protect them. Bears, wolves, and wolverines, and even male mountain lions wouldn't be above killing cubs if they come across them. The spots help them hide. As these four grow up, their spots will fade to a solid brown, like my and Richard's coats."
"Well... they do look cute, though how you two are going to manage chasing four kids around when they start to get more mobile than they are now," Franklin commented.
"I'm sure we'll manage," Richard answered, "besides I'm sure these four will be well behaved."
"What are their names?" Peggy asked.
Clara pointed to each cub and then said the name as they pointed to them, "This is Robert, Hilary, William, and Michelle."
Peggy and Franklin both smiled. For them, the meeting was about more than just meeting their grandchildren, but being able to see their son and the woman who'd helped him. Seeing him happy and healthy and happy with Clara, brought some warmth to their hearts.