Keith was giving Jackie plenty of space to think about her future. She lay alone on the grass, enjoying the sun and weighing the possibility of going home to Jack's human life versus joining Keith as Jackie the feral panthermorph.
Jackie found that the two most obvious considerations--gender and species--weren't really that important. She realized that she could enjoy life as either a male or a female, and that either way she would be the same person. The life of a panthermorph and that of a human were very different, but each had its unique joys and sorrows. She knew that as a human she would have found Park life boring with little to do, but somehow that didn't seem to apply to a panthermorph--she knew that animals were never really bored unless they were in captivity, and the same thing seemed to apply to anthros.
No, there were really only two considerations. One was Keith. Jackie had been wondering whether she was really in love with Keith or she had just imprinted on him as the first male panthermorph to pay any attention to her. But remembering how they had comforted each other over the last few days, how much his strength had helped her get through the shock of her transformation and then of her period, how she had helped him deal with the trauma of the conclusion of the tournament, she knew it was love. She wasn't infatuated, knew he wasn't perfect, knew that there were still issues from Cathy's life Keith would have to work out, but she loved him, and she knew he loved her.
And the sex was pretty good too.
The other consideration was the dangerous life that the Park seemed to be offering to ferals. She pictured a panthermorph with their gut torn open by the tusks of a wild boar, and no medical help forthcoming. It would be a hideous, painful death. And there were a thousand other ways to die with no aid from the park. Truly, ferals would be living like wild animals, and how many wild animals died of old age? Could she face that for herself? Could she face that for Keith?
Jackie padded over to the newshounds to get a break from going over the question endlessly. There she heard the big news that had been transfixing most of the Park's denizens.
"Wow" she told the male lynx. "Isn't Jeremy supposed to be going back with the rest of the fratboys? Is the fawn going to have a father?"
"No." replied the lynx. "The park has a special deal for pregnancies. The parents get extended stays with full benefits to deliver and raise their children. So both Jeremy and Leticia will be staying here for a while."
Jackie didn't hear the last sentence. She felt that she had been hit with a bolt of lightning. "So a mother and father can stay with full benefits?"
"That's what the huskies are saying."
"Un, thanks" said Jackie, and wandered off to confirm things with the huskies.
Once Jackie knew for sure that she and Keith could stay if she had kittens, she had to think about kittens themselves. She knew it would be wrong to bring children into the world just to benefit the two of them. Could she really commit to being a mother? Yes, she decided, she could. In fact, the thought of raising kittens with Keith was genuinely exciting.
Jackie went off to find Keith and see what he thought about the idea. *At least" she thought to herself *he should like the part about us needing to have a lot of sex.*
Jackie grinned.