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‟Hmm. . . I’m just not sure.” Thomas said, with a playful wink over the kittens’ heads, and Duchess smothered a laugh. She let it free as the kittens suddenly grew louder, pleading hopefully, rubbing against Thomas’ legs and turning to her with wide eyes.‟Mother!” Toulouse began, bouncing on his front paws.‟Mother, please!” Berlioz sidled closer. ‟Don’t you think it would be good for our- our education?”Duchess tucked her nose lower in an attempt to hide her amusement, tail flicking as she let it unwind from around her paws.‟Yes! Oh yes!” Marie echoed swiftly, her clever little girl spotting leverage she thought useful. ‟It would be ever so educational!”‟Now, now, mon amour.” Duchess said, rising to her paws and moving closer with a swish of her tail; Thomas’ expression softened and his eyes were fixed on her face, shaded a little dreamy. It made her purr softly, deep in her throat. Even if he did look just a trifle . . . addled, at times, when he stared thus. It was adorable, for the most part, truly. ‟Don’t you think they are quite old enough for such a late night?”‟Yeah!” Toulouse shouted happily. ‟We are!”‟Well, ma belle,” Thomas said, shaking himself a little and patting at Berlioz’ hip, gently urging him aside, ‟if you say so,” he bowed shallowly, ‟you must be right.”Duchess laughed lightly and nudged her head against his, and Thomas purred, rubbing more firmly in return. Duchess sighed, relaxing against his shoulder, leaning into him and closing her eyes. He was steady and strong, shifting just enough to welcome her close.They teased the kittens, but truly her little ones were quite old enough for such things . . . they were almost grown, really. Duchess smothered a sigh. She was happy to watch her children grow up, to be sure, and they would always be her precious darlings - and certainly they still acted like her babies much of the time - but . . . she would miss these days.‟You’d best take a nap if you wanna make it tonight!” Thomas warned the kittens, and Duchess purred again, looking at her children.‟But only until the end of the fireworks.” Duchess warned primly. ‟Then you will all go to bed. All right, my darlings?”Toulouse huffed poutily, and Duchess tutted.Marie sniffed. ‟Yes, mother.” she said, fluffing her bow with a wriggle of her shoulders.‟We’ll take a nap before supper, right Toulouse?” Berlioz asked, and Duchess nodded approvingly. ‟Just like- just like Papa said!”Thomas’ purr hitched and roughened for a moment, and Duchess nudged her head against his throat, up under his chin, feeling him steady again. The kittens had taken to calling him that regularly around Christmas, and while he no longer froze or gaped, she wondered - with a warm curl of affection - if he would ever stop having that brief moment of shock at the address.Perhaps, she thought with fond amusement, he would even if they eventually had more kittens together.It seemed that parenting was not something Thomas O’Malley - Abraham DeLacey Giuseppe Casey, Duchess thought with a giggle - had ever expected to find himself doing. Still. . .Duchess lifted her head and licked his cheek up towards his ear as the kittens tumbled out of the sitting room chattering to one another, presumably off to take the promised rest. Thomas may never have anticipated being a father, but he had risen to the role beautifully. Even if he still sometimes gaped like a landed fish when the kittens called him Papa.‟And should we also take a mid-afternoon nap, mon amour?” Duchess asked affectionately, and Thomas rose, nudging along her side with a smile. He bowed, sweeping one paw before him, and Duchess paced delicately on ahead, curling her tail beneath his chin as she passed.‟I- Yeah, of course!” Thomas trotted after her, and Duchess looked over her shoulder at him, pausing and waiting for him to fall in at her side.They would wake the kittens in time for supper with Madame, of course, and her good friend Georges, and the whole of their little family would spend the evening playing games and dancing before the fireworks began at midnight.Duchess settled in cosily near the peak of the roof, watching with some relief as Thomas corralled the boys and shooed them back up towards her. The nap had left them well rested and ready for anything, and while they had spent a lovely evening with their family, their rich supper had refuelled them, and now it had settled they were very energetic.Marie was only being less troublesome, Duchess thought wryly, because she was once more in a phase of trying to be the very picture of a lady. Not that Duchess disapproved of the ambition, to be sure, but her daughter’s approach to it could be quite amusing.Duchess suspected Marie had her eye on one of the new young musicians Scat Cat had collected this past spring, and tried not to sigh over it too much. He was a mannerly tom, at least, for all he appeared to have been abandoned by his parents, and perhaps only a few months older than Duchess’ own kittens. Besides that, Duchess knew that neither Thomas nor indeed Scat Cat himself would stand for anything less than the utmost respect for Duchess or any of her kittens, not from anyone - and certainly not one of Scat Cat’s boys. It was only that Duchess wasn’t quite ready for them to be so nearly grown up, she thought, watching the boys tumble around Thomas’ paws and try to get their sister to play.Marie hissed sharply as Toulouse tried to bite her tail, and Duchess glared, scolding sharply even as Thomas picked him up by the scruff and tumbled him aside.‟Hey! Be nice to your sister!” Thomas insisted, then turned to Marie, shaking his head. ‟And you, princess, is that any way for a lady to talk?”Marie, who had been yowling at Toulouse even as he straightened himself up where Thomas had dropped him, froze with her mouth wide open. She snapped it shut swiftly and ducked her head, her tail curling tight around her paws, ears tilting downwards.‟Yeah, Marie!” Berlioz stuck his tongue out, and Thomas shook his head, tapping Berlioz lightly atop his head as well.Despite the scuffling, after a few minutes to calm down they all settled peacefully once more, curled together with Duchess. Thomas moved carefully as he joined them, and Duchess purred, twitching her tail out of the way and making room for him at her side, then leaning into him. The fireworks would begin very soon, and her kittens were delighted with the prospect.Thomas, she thought, was also rather excited; for all he had claimed to have all the best views of Paris, and travelled widely besides, she thought perhaps this kind of celebration of the day was new to him. She nuzzled his jaw affectionately, but tilted her head up as the first bloom of a brilliant white rocket soared into the air.For herself, Duchess enjoyed the display, but she was happier still for her family around her, content and flourishing . . . and noisily excited, she thought with a laugh, drawing back as Toulouse bounced to his paws, voicing loud booms and rough cracking noises as he imitated the fireworks, batting the air.Mostly grown her kittens might be . . . but not quite yet, Duchess thought fondly.They bounced around the roof for a short while after the fireworks ended - even Marie - but when Duchess rose and called for them, insisting it was time for bed, they didn’t fuss much. It had been a long, busy day, if one filled mainly by diversions and games with family, even with the nap they had all taken, and now the main excitement was over, the kittens allowed themselves to be shooed down through the attic window without protest.‟Come on Tiger, I gotcha.” Thomas said, corralling Toulouse with one paw as he yawned widely enough to make himself stagger. Thomas guided him through the window on Berlioz’ heels, and Duchess waited until Marie had cleared the sill as well, then followed them inside and led the way downstairs.All three of them settled cosily together - they might rarely consent to it for daytime naps, any longer, but they still curled together in a basket every night to sleep - and Duchess nuzzled each of her beloved children, wishing them sweet dreams before drawing away.They were already asleep before she and Thomas had made it out of the room, Duchess thought, glancing back with amusement.‟Shall we go back up under the stars for a little longer, mon bijou?” Thomas asked softly, rubbing his cheek along her own, and Duchess sighed, nuzzling him in return.‟Oh, let’s.” she agreed happily, winding close as Thomas ushered her along the hallway.As they reached the stairs Duchess allowed herself a little light playfulness as well, prancing ahead of Thomas, swishing her tail along his chest before breaking into an easy run, leading him upwards.Thomas laughed, startled, and chased at her heels all the way up to the roof.