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Almost all of them are sexual in nature, too.", "count": "22", "submission_left_submission_id": "427199", "submission_left_file_name": "551054_Fritti_020_-_all_is_cleared.doc", "submission_right_submission_id": "427211", "submission_right_file_name": "551069_Fritti_hugs___tugs_01_-_sex_ed.doc", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/551/551069_Fritti_hugs___tugs_01_-_sex_ed.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/551/551069_Fritti_hugs___tugs_01_-_sex_ed.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/551/551069_Fritti_hugs___tugs_01_-_sex_ed.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "196", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "196", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "118" } ], "description": "Whoo! The last one for now! And actually, the last one for ever! I more or less stopped writing Care Bear fanfics after this one (save from two cub ones featuring Hugs and Tugs), even despite me having a couple of ideas noted down for future stories. I just never got to writing those stories, and what with my other projects, I don't think I ever will.\n\nThis was originally story number 20; a second anniversary, for which I decided to pull out the last surprise I had in store for our time-line! Again this is a rather long story, and like the title mentions, it denoted the end of the emotional events and the beginning of our resuming the fun stuff in the time-line. And, like I said, one last big surprise! (okay, and one somewhat smaller one, too)\nFeaturing Frolicheart Puma and Proudheart Cat, with cameo apearances for Feralheart Vixen, Fearlessheart Fox and Gentleheart Lamb.\n\nOf course, the Care Bears, Care Bear Cousins, Care a Lot, the Forest of Feelings, the entire Kingdom of Caring and all associated things are not mine but © Those Characters From Cleveland; I just borrowed them for some fun >~.^<\n\nAnd if you don't want your childhood raped; [b][i]don't read this![/i][/b]\n\nAlso;\n\nFrolicheart Puma is © me\nFeralheart Vixen is © me\nBest-of-Both-heart Kitten is © me\nFearlessheart Fox is © David Lazerous and used with permission", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Whoo! The last one for now! And actually, the last one for ever! I more or less stopped writing Care Bear fanfics after this one (save from two cub ones featuring Hugs and Tugs), even despite me having a couple of ideas noted down for future stories. I just never got to writing those stories, and what with my other projects, I don't think I ever will.

This was originally story number 20; a second anniversary, for which I decided to pull out the last surprise I had in store for our time-line! Again this is a rather long story, and like the title mentions, it denoted the end of the emotional events and the beginning of our resuming the fun stuff in the time-line. And, like I said, one last big surprise! (okay, and one somewhat smaller one, too)
Featuring Frolicheart Puma and Proudheart Cat, with cameo apearances for Feralheart Vixen, Fearlessheart Fox and Gentleheart Lamb.

Of course, the Care Bears, Care Bear Cousins, Care a Lot, the Forest of Feelings, the entire Kingdom of Caring and all associated things are not mine but © Those Characters From Cleveland; I just borrowed them for some fun >~.^<

And if you don't want your childhood raped; don't read this!

Also;

Frolicheart Puma is © me
Feralheart Vixen is © me
Best-of-Both-heart Kitten is © me
Fearlessheart Fox is © David Lazerous and used with permission", "writing": "By the way the smiling yellow sun rose over the Kingdom of Caring, with a very wide smile from side to side, it seemed like it was going to be an extraordinarily wonderful day in the cloudly kingdom. In the trees, the birds woke up and started cheerfully chirping at the smiling sun in greeting. All over Care a Lot, Care Bears woke up and opened the curtains and windows of their bedrooms, leaning out to call a happy greeting at the sun. A little further down, in the Forest of Feelings, the Care Bear Cousins were doing the very same. Except for a few. In an almost ritual usualness, Swiftheart Rabbit had already been up since the first crack of dawn to do her steady morning jog around the forest. And on a clearing in the forest, where two large buildings were accompanying a cloud cottage, two specific Care Bear Cousins also had been awake for quite some time.\n\nOf course, the familiarity of that specific spot already made everyone know that those two Care Bear Cousins in question were the two felines who loved each other so much and were living together for quite some time already. Indeed, it were Proudheart Cat and Frolicheart Puma. From the moment the gentle silver moon had started to descend from her highest point up in the dark nightly sky, the two feline Care Bear Cousins had been lying on the roof of their cloud cottage, happily together, sharing the indefinite love they felt for each other, the indescribable feelings they had of being happy just to be in each other's presence, to feel the touch of the other's soft body, the steady soft caress of their breath-rates and the calm, content rate of their heartbeats coming and going in time.\n\nAs the smiling sun rose, her warm, gentle rays filtered through the foliage and stroked over the two felines lying on the roof of their cloud cottage, looking at the dawnbreak from the embrace of each other's arms. Proudheart was lying on her side a bit, leaning up against Frolicheart's body, her head resting on the fawn puma's chest and her arms around his shoulders. A soft, happy purr ceaselessly rolled from her soft throat the whole time as she lay there in content bliss, her eyes half squeezed. Frolicheart also had his arms lovingly folded around the orange kitty's shoulders, his head resting atop of Proudheart's head, his orange heart-shaped nose pressed against one of the kitty's soft ears and a gentle purr rising from his own throat as well. Star-buddies that floated by chittered cheerily at seeing the scene of utter serenity, and quickly floated on to leave the two felines to their happy, blissful moment. The way they were lying there, it seemed like nothing could touch them, like the influence of time went by them, like everything around them had ceased to exist. It was as if their whole world consisted solely of the embrace they held each other in. They didn't speak, they hardly even breathed, the feeling of their bodies against one another's and their respective gentle purrs saying all that needed to be said.\n\nUnnoticed, with so slow and gentle and fluid movements they were indiscernible, the fawn puma's soft paws tenderly caressed Proudheart's soft, plushy body, running in a smooth, steady rhythm from the base of her ear down along the side of her head, across her shoulder and down along her flank to her hips, and then ever so slowly and gently back up again, only to retrace the very same path, over and over again. Purring in delight, Proudheart kept herself snuggled up tightly against Frolicheart's body, her arms around his shoulders, one of her paws tenderly scritching at the base of one of his ears. Every now and then, the very softest of giggles mingled with the orange kitty's smoothly rolling purrs, since Frolicheart had closed his lips over one of Proudheart's ears and was gently suckling at it like an infant would suck its thumb. She never altered her position, feeling way too comfy in the position she was lying in, and she delighted in the tender nibbling and soft suckling on her ear. She didn't even complain that Frolicheart's gentle actions were making her ear get slightly wet eventually, for she enjoyed it herself way too much to complain about it. It was such a sign of affection, such a story of loving, and each touch of the puma's lips, tongue or teeth on her ear made Proudheart shiver with pleasant delight and sigh contently with the loving flutters tingling through her body. It was an action that, when the mood was right, could even arouse the orange kitty.\n\nIn fact, if one would look closely, one could tell that even now, at the breaking of morning, in that so loving and tender embrace on the roof of their cottage, Proudheart's arousal was slowly rising from Frolicheart suckling and nibbling her ear. As she lay against the fawn puma's soft body, nuzzling into his fur and scritching at the base of one of his ears with one paw, her sleek orange tail flipped left and right in slow, languid motions, curling around her waist and resting on Frolicheart's lap, then once more flipping to the other side and curling around one of her legs, only to eventually uncoil from her leg and flip back to lie over her own waist and Frolicheart's lap. At the same time, her smoothly rolling purrs ever so slowly and gradually increased a little, while her calmly swelling breasts started very softly pressing into Frolicheart's chest a little. Imperceptably, the path that the fawn puma's paw described along the side of Proudheart's plushy body very slightly altered in direction, gradually going from running from the base of her ear along the side of her head and across her shoulders to a little more across her chest, his fingers ever so gently brushing over the soft mounds that had risen in the orange kittie's white chest fur. Each time Frolicheart's soft fuzzy fingers found and tenderly ran around and across one of the little perky nipples that crowned Proudheart's soft little breasts, the orange kittie let out a happy sigh between her rolling purrs and snuggled even closer into the fawn puma's fur, very soft, almost indistinguishable shivers coursing through her plushy orange body and making her sleek tail flip around again.\n \"Mmmmmrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, I... I love you so, Frrrrrolichearrrrrt...\" she churred under her breath, with her face buried in the fawn puma's chest fur and her eyes happily closed.\n \"I know, pussycat, I so know...\" Frolicheart murmured softly, keeping his head rested on Proudheart's, his nose pressed against the ear he had been softly suckling and nibbling on and his eyes squeezed contently.\n\nProudheart let out a long-drawn, happy sigh and cuddled up against her feline lover once more, running her nose through the puma's soft chest fur with a deep purr of delight. She softly kissed and licked at his chest and his throat, every now and then tenderly nibbling at his chest fur or nipping his throat affectionately. His purrs steadily growing deeper, the fawn puma let his soft fuzzy fingers trail along the outlines of Proudheart's fluffy little breasts, tenderly stroking them, caressing each of the perky little nipples every time his fingers found them. At each gentle touch, Proudheart's shivers of delight grew stronger and her tail swished more intensely, her purrs reverberating in her quivering throat and her trembling whiskers lightly tickling Frolicheart's chest and throat. Getting more and more caught up in the moment, the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin continued to run his gentle paws along and across his kitty-lover's soft little breasts, his fingers describing small, slow circles around her tingling, erect little pink nipples and very softly rolling them against Proudheart's warm skin. Proudheart crooned and churred delightedly and nibbled more and more on her lover's throat, her tail continually flicking around and stroking Frolicheart's hips and legs.\n\nBringing his other, so far stationary paw up along his pussycat's delighting body, Frolicheart gently ran his fingers across Proudheart's fuzzy tummy, tenderly scritching in slow circles that gradually reached lower and lower, until his fingers were running through the dense orange fur of the kitty's plushy thighs, making Proudheart quiver with delight and purr loudly into his chest fur while nipping his throat tenderly. The fawn feline Care Bear Cousin's gentle smile grew when his fingers registered the radiating warmth that escaped the secret crevice between his feline lover's perfectly soft thighs. While his one paw continued to treat Proudheart's soft little breasts to the tenderest, most loving touches he could give her, expressing his special love for those two wonderfully soft, silky little mounds on his pussycat's delicate chest, his other paw very slowly started to slide up and down along the insides of Proudheart's plushy orange thighs, his fingers softly tickling through her glossy orange fur, the tips of them every now and then brushing slightly over the gradually swelling lips of the orange feline Care Bear Cousin's outer labia. At each touch, a soft moan of delight escaped Proudheart's quivering throat, and she squeezed her eyes. Her supple thighs almost automatically parted a little, allowing Frolicheart's caressing and slightly teasing paw easier access to her sensitivity. Her tail swishing around again, the sleek, tenable extremity coiled itself around Frolicheart's wrist, almost seeming to beg the fawn puma to not remove his paw from that area in a silent but well-understood gesture. Nibbling tenderly on his whiskers, Proudheart's quavering purrs told her gentle lover the exact same thing.\n\nSmiling and nibbling still on Proudheart's ear, Frolicheart let his one paw ceaselessly caress the soft little mounds of plushy fur and tender flesh on his lover-kitty's chest, while his other paw very calmly and smoothly moved to propitiate the desire that Proudheart was wordlessly enunciating to him. Running incessantly through the waves of glossy, silken orange fur on Proudheart's thighs, the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin's proficient fingertips more regularly brushed ever so slightly over the warm, fluffy lips of the orange kitty's longing love-spot. More and deeper quivers of delight and pleasure tingled through Proudheart's slender body at every light touch of her expert tomcat's fingertips, her eloquent tail curling and coiling around his legs and his arm, her fur rippling at every delightful shiver. Her rolling purrs gradually changed into pleasurable sighs and quiet moans, muffled by Frolicheart's dense white chest fur, as the fawn puma improved his slightly teasing actions by running the tip of one of his fingers across the damp crevice between the swollen outer lips of the orange feline Care Bear Cousin's quivering pussy. Pressing herself up against Frolicheart's soft body as tightly as she could, Proudheart quietly whimpered out her pleasure in chirping little mewls, her sexual dampness steadily growing into a warm wetness. At each soft touch of her lover-cat's gentle fingers, she lifted her hips a little, pressing herself against Frolicheart's fuzzy paw, her longing, her desire speaking from each trembling stir of her plushy body. Time went by unnoticed to the two feline Care Bear Cousins as the warm, tingling atmosphere of love and pleasurable desire enveloped them more and more at each action and reaction of their bodies to each other's.\n\nExulting in the pleasurable shivers and delighted moans and whimpers his tender fingertips drew from his lover-kittie, Frolicheart recommenced to administer each loving touch his paws and fingers could induce, lifting his beloved Proudheart ever higher into the downy clouds of delectation. Her soft, slender body shuddered and trembled against his, her whimpered moans growing stronger into his throat fur as the enjoying orange kitty kept lifting her hips to meet Frolicheart's fingers. The warm wetness between Proudheart's soft thighs grew even more, and her swollen orange pussy quivered with the trembling of her muscles as an exhilarating climax started building up inside of her. Still muffling her moans and whimpered mewls of desire and passion into Frolicheart's throat fur, the orange pussycat stretched and parted her legs, her tail rigid behind her and her paws squeezing the fawn puma's shoulders when her pussy trembled hard and clenched around Frolicheart's finger as it released a warm flow of sticky love-juices. For a moment, Proudheart's breath stalled and all her muscles went taut, a deep, quiet moan dying in Frolicheart's throat fur. Then the orange feline Care Bear Cousin slowly relaxed and sank down limply against her lover's body, breathing deep, trembling purrs with her eyes still closed contentedly. As the flames of passion inside of Proudheart died down into warmly glowing embers of satisfaction, she slowly opened her eyes and cast them upon Frolicheart's face. The twinkle that brightened up her pretty amber eyes and made them sparkle like deep yellow topazes in the dawn's early light said everything that mere words could not express as their gazes locked onto each other, and without a sound, they leaned their heads towards one another's and pressed their lips onto each other's, sinking away into a deep, loving kiss. Slowly crawling over Proudheart, laying down on her and sinking into her, Frolicheart completed their moment of tender love-making in the unique manner that only his one and only true love could bring out in him.\n\nAn hour or two later, when the daily routine of Care a Lot and the Forest of Feelings had already well gotten into gear, the two felines were found in their front garden, or more specifically both in the same hammock hanging between two of the trees standing a little at the side of their cloud cottage. Frolicheart was lying on his back in it, his tail calmly dangling over the side, while Proudheart had snuggled herself onto his chest and tummy, her face buried in the soft fur on the puma's throat. They had their arms around each other again, and a soft, content two-voiced purr gently reverberated through the still morning air as both feline Care Bear Cousins lay there basking in the warm loving glow of each other's presence. However, this blissful moment seemed not made to last. After some time, Frolicheart opened his eyes a little and flickered one of his ears when a soft sound nearby attracted his attention. With his arms still around his beloved pussycat, trying not to disturb her peaceful position, Frolicheart rose up slightly and raised his head a little, looking around him at what it could have been that had made the sound which had roused him from his blissful slumber. A moment later, his eyes found the source of the sound. Coming from the rainbow path, bashfully looking around her, it was Feralheart Vixen who was hesitantly approaching the felines' cloud cottage. Not really wanting to do it but having no real other option at the moment, Frolicheart brought his paws to Proudheart's shoulders and very gently lifted the purring pussycat a little off his chest. Roused by the movement, Proudheart opened her eyes and looked down upon Frolicheart with a soft smile.\n \"Is something the matterrr, Frrolichearrrt?\" she asked purring.\nFrolicheart nodded smiling and motioned with his head towards the rainbow path.\n \"Feralheart is coming, and it seems like she's needing us.\"\n\nProudheart also looked around and smiled again when she saw the shy, secluded vixen slowly making her way towards the driveway of their cloud cottage. With a movement so smooth the hammock barely reacted to it, the orange kitty airily leaped out of the hammock and shook herself slightly after her feet had touched the clouds. Frolicheart also climbed out of the hammock and ran a paw over the tuft of fur upside his head, smoothening it a bit. Joining paws, the two cats stepped around the cottage and onto the driveway, walking out to meet Feralheart. Seeing them approaching, Feralheart stopped and twirled her paws into each other behind her back, her head slightly canted downwards, her eyes directed at the clouds below her feet.\n \"Good morning, Feralheart,\" Frolicheart greeted the vixen in a friendly voice. \"Is there anything we can do for you?\"\nFeralheart nodded slowly, her eyes still cast down. Slowly, however, she looked up a bit to meet Frolicheart's gaze.\n \"I... I was out at the end of the forest yesterday, Frolicheart,\" she started. \"And... I came to that place where you found Fearlessheart, after he had been gone for so long a time, do you remember?\"\n\nFrolicheart nodded, a bit gravely. He remembered finding his best friend back after a long time of absence alright. It was not the most pleasant of his memories, since it included the terrible vision of Fearlessheart being emaciated and drawn back into a primeordeal state of mind, resulting in Frolicheart having to deliver a hard fight with his best friend. And it also included the horrifying memory of Fearlessheart bringing out a Japanese sword with the intention to take his own life with it.\n \"I do remember that, Feralheart,\" he said quietly. \"Why is it you came to ask me that?\"\n \"Well...\" The vixen shuffled a little with a foot, looking down at the clouds again with her paws still twirled into each other behind her back. \"I've... I've been around that spot, and I saw... I saw that... that... terrible, [i]knife[/i], is still sticking into that poor tree.\" Feralheart slowly looked back up at Frolicheart's face, and in her eyes lay a desperate plea. \"I could not remove it myself, Frolicheart,\" she said in a soft voice. \"It is in too deep; I could not get it out. So... I, uh... I wanted to... to ask you, would you please, [i]please[/i], go there as soon as you can and get that dreadful thing out of that poor tree? Please?\"\n\nDespite the serious, almost anxious look in the nature-bonded vixen's eyes, Frolicheart could not help letting out a very soft chuckle, although he was careful not to let Feralheart notice. Behind him, also Proudheart placed a paw over her mouth to hide the fact she was letting a slight giggle escape herself at the vixen's question. Regaining the control over his amusement, Frolicheart looked at Feralheart with a smile.\n \"I will go right now, Feralheart, don't you worry. I'll get Fearlessheart's sword out of that tree, and I promise I'll be as careful as I can, okay?\"\nFeralheart looked up at the fawn puma with a look of relief and gratitude.\n \"Thank you, Frolicheart, thank you so much,\" she said softly. \"I'm sorry to bother you with this, but... but I just couldn't... I just couldn't stand the sight of that... that knife in that tree.\"\n \"I understand, Feralheart, and again, I promise you I will go to remove it right now,\" Frolicheart smiled.\n\nFeralheart nodded gratefully and slowly shook Frolicheart's paw before shuffling away and disappearing between the trees again, as silent and inconspicuous as she had arrived. The fawn puma looked after her for a moment, then turned around to meet Proudheart's twinkling gaze. The orange kitty was still holding her paw over her mouth, her entire facial expression showing the amusement she was feeling. Frolicheart stepped up to her, took her head in both his paws and leaned in to press a soft kiss on her lips, after having pulled down her paw.\n \"Well pussycat, seems like I have a little chore to do right now, so I hope you're not too disappointed we'll have to interrupt our nap for a little while?\"\n \"Hmmhm, no... no, not at all, sweethearrrt,\" Proudheart said with a slight giggle. \"I can... I can so underrrstand Ferrralhearrt's concerrn about that poorrr trree.\"\n \"Right,\" Frolicheart chuckled. \"Well, I'd better be off then.\"\n\nHe kissed Proudheart again. Then he walked back to the driveway and got into his silver-colored 1980 Pontiac Phoenix, starting the engine and driving off with a cheery wave at Proudheart looking after him. With the windows open and the radio softly playing, Frolicheart drove through the Forest of Feelings calmly, enjoying the lovely weather. His drive took him through the entire forest, all the way to the northern end where it tapered into a point that led into the no man's land between the Forest of Feelings and professor Coldheart's icy kingdom. Driving a bit slower, the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin looked around him while slowly driving in the direction of the large mountain that formed a frilly horizon to the north. He softly shook his head over the memories that rolled through his mind at seeing the familiarly desolate landscape around him. After some time, he arrived at a large prickle bush, the same prickle bush he had found his best friend's black Dodge Challenger in when he had been looking for him. Stopping the car, Frolicheart got out and looked around him. The lonely cry of a bird high in the sky above the mountain sent an involuntary shiver down his spine as he tried to locate the exact spot where he had prevented Fearlessheart from carrying out the most gruesome ritual he could ever imagine. It wasn't before too long when the fawn puma noticed the tree in which the Japanese Tanto blade had planted itself after he had kicked it from Fearlessheart's paw a long time ago.\n\nShaking his head once again, Frolicheart stepped over to the tree and looked at it. The sword was buried up to the half of the blade into the trunk of the tree, quite high up. Standing on the tips of his toes, the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin just managed to reach the hilt, and he took it firmly in both paws, tugging at it. The sword, however, did not budge. Frolicheart kept trying, tugging and yanking at the sword, but he didn't manage to pull it out of the tree's trunk. After some time, Frolicheart gave up and leaned against the tree for a bit to catch his breath.\n \"Sheesh!\" he panted. \"No wonder Feralheart couldn't get it out. [i]Man[/i] is that thing wedged in tightly!\"\nHe drew a couple of deep breaths and once more gathered his strength to try again. This time, he yanked and tugged at the hilt of the sword, trying to wriggle it so it might get a bit more loose, however with still not very much result.\n \"Good... stars..!\" the fawn puma gasped while pulling at the sword. \"This... almost seems like... the legend... of King Arthur..! Whoever manages... to pull the sword out... of the stone, or... in this case, tree... will become the... king of... England..! Almost makes one... wish the dude was... here right now to... lend a hand..!\"\n\nAgain, the puma sank down against the tree gasping and panting, sweat running down his face. He sat down on the clouds, with his back against the tree, and leaned his head in his paws, breathing deeply. Every now and then he twisted his head and looked upwards at the unwilling sword, and suddenly a grim frown formed upon his face. He rose up again and rubbed his paws together, obviously determined not to let himself be put down by a silly sword. Once more grabbing the hilt in both paws, Frolicheart pulled himself up and placed his feet against the trunk of the tree, arching his back and using his entire body as leverage to put as much strength as he could behind his pulling and tugging. Squeezing his eyes and clenching his teeth, Frolicheart pulled for all he was worth. Very slowly, he felt the sword giving way just a little bit. Encouraged, he drew a deep breath and put all his strength into pulling one last time. Very unexpectedly, the sword flew out of the tree trunk, providing a spectacular scene. With all his strength put into the pulling, Frolicheart was suddenly catapulted backwards, his paws with the sword in it flying over his head as he flew backwards from the tree. As he landed on his back on the clouds, the Tanto flew from his grip and propelled through the air. Frolicheart shook his head a bit and grinned softly at his sudden unexpected success, but he looked around at the sound of a blunt smack somewhere behind him.\n \"Oh good grief, would you [i]believe[/i] the [i]stupidity[/i]!\"\n\nThe displeased exclamation from the fawn puma was more or less justified. In a freak coincidence, as the sword had flown from his paws when he had suddenly pulled it free from the tree, it had flown through the air and planted itself into the trunk of another tree standing a little way off. Rising up from the clouds, Frolicheart stepped over to that tree, muttering something under his breath. He rubbed his paws together again and made a gesture with his paws along his arms as if rolling up his sleeves, then firmly grabbed the hilt of the sword in both paws and gave a tremendous yank at it. Luckily, since the sword had only freshly been placed into the tree, it let itself be removed rather somewhat more easily than from the first tree. Huffing softly while catching his breath, Frolicheart started walking around slowly with the sword in his paw, his look directed at the clouds. After some time, he located the metal tube the sword was supposed to be sheathed in, and the fawn puma did just that. Then he walked back to his car, tossed the sword on the backseat and got in behind the wheel. For some time, he just sat there, the driver door open, his legs dangling outside of the car and his head resting in his paws as he took deep, slow breaths to regain the control over his short, gasping breath-rate. When he had, he twisted around in the driver's seat, closed the door, started the engine and drove back into the Forest of Feelings. A couple of hours later, he was back at his cloud cottage. As he got out of his car with the sword, he smiled deeply when he saw Proudheart lying in the hammock by herself, snoozing delightedly. At the fawn puma closing the door of his car, however, Proudheart looked up and around, and hopped out of the hammock with a smile when she noticed her lover stepping up to her.\n \"I see you completed yourr chorrre with success?\" she asked with a smile.\n \"Indeed I have, but [i]please[/i] don't ask me how,\" Frolicheart smirked.\n \"Hm? Why?\" Proudheart asked, a little bit surprised.\n\nFrolicheart told her what had happened, his first fruitless attempts to pull the sword out of the tree, and then the dumb coincidence of it getting stuck in another tree when he finally managed to pull it out of the one it was originally stuck in. At the end of the puma's story, Proudheart leaned her head in her neck and laughed heartedly, very much amused. Frolicheart smirked again, laying the sword down on a garden table.\n \"Oh sure, laugh at me, why don't you!\" he grinned. \"Whatever happened to a little sympathy for me poor boy who had such trouble on a chore a friend asked him to do?\"\n \"Ha ha ha... oh... oh, I'm... I'm sorrry, sweethearrt..!\" Proudheart hiccuped with laughter. \"But it's... it's just so... hilarrrious! Ha ha haaa!\"\n \"Hilarious, huh?\" Frolicheart grinned. \"Well, you just wait! Come here you, I'll teach you to laugh at me!\"\n\nHe jumped at Proudheart. The orange kitty let out a cheerful squeal and ran off. Frolicheart commenced pursuit, and for some time the two felines playfully chased each other around and around their cloud cottage. Finally, Frolicheart managed to overtake Proudheart and jumped at her again, making them both roll over and over on the clouds, playfully cuffing and nipping at each other like a pair of exuberant kittens, laughing happily. Eventually, Frolicheart pinned Proudheart down against the clouds and started mercilessly tickling her. The orange feline Care Bear Cousin squealed and giggled and squirmed, trampling with her feet and trying to get Frolicheart to stop tickling. After some time he did, and they just lay on top of each other, looking at one another with loving twinkles in their eyes.\n \"There, I hope you've learned your lesson now, missy,\" Frolicheart grinned, pressing his orange heart-shaped nose against Proudheart's. \"You'd better not laugh at me, because then I'll [i]get you[/i]!\"\nProudheart breathed deeply and folded her arms around Frolicheart's shoulders, smiling warmly.\n \"You... you surrre do, loverrrboy,\" she giggled softly. \"Mee-yow, just look, you got me all hot and sweaty.\"\n \"Gee wiz, you're right,\" Frolicheart grinned, kissing Proudheart's forehead and nuzzling her ears. \"Now what should we do about that?\"\nProudheart stuck her tongue out with a giggle and wriggled out from underneath Frolicheart's body.\n \"A bath seems in orrrderr, methinks.\"\n\nShe scrambled up and walked towards the cottage, swaying her hips and swishing her tail in a seductive manner. With a grin, Frolicheart also scrambled up and quickly followed Proudheart into their cottage. Going straight up to the bathroom, Proudheart drew a nice warm bath, pouring in a generous gush of jasmine-scented bubble bath. Frolicheart grinned slightly at the mountain of foam that formed on the surface of the water. They stepped into the tub, and the fawn puma pushed the rich foam a bit apart so he could keep his beloved pussycat in sight. Proudheart, being in a slightly teasing mood, started washing herself while pretending she did not notice Frolicheart was there in the tub with her at all. She simply took a sponge and cleaned all the sweat off her slender orange body, humming a cheerful tune to herself. Grinning, Frolicheart first took a little time to wash the sweat left all over him by the intensity of his work to get Fearlessheart's sword out of that tree off himself, and then he just sat in the tub, leaning against the rim of it with his back, looking at Proudheart washing herself with an air of not knowing he was there.\n\nWhen the kitty was fully done with her wash, she rose up in the bath tub and reached over Frolicheart's head for the shower that was on the wall behind him. As she was still pretending not to know the puma was there, Frolicheart rose up a little with a grin and teasingly poked Proudheart's tummy with a finger.\n \"Say pussycat, are you going to ignore me for very much longer?\"\n \"Hmm?\" Proudheart giggled softly, looking down. \"What arrre you talking about, Frrolichearrrt? Me ignorrring you?\" She put up an innocent face. \"I'm not ignorrring you. I was just verrry busy getting myself clean. You should know how meticulous we felines arrre in that.\"\n \"Oh sure, sure,\" Frolicheart grinned, again softly poking the kitty's tummy with a finger. \"So are you done now, or what?\"\n \"Almost, my dearrr boy, almost,\" Proudheart giggled. \"I just need to rrrinse myself off still.\"\n \"Of course,\" Frolicheart chuckled.\n\nNot answering, Proudheart turned her look back at the shower head and turned on the taps. As the warm water cascaded down upon her, the orange kitty raised her arms into the air and let the water flow down her body, taking all the foam with it. With a soft grin, Frolicheart helped along a bit by running both his paws along Proudheart's body, stroking the water down her slender flanks and over her soft chest and tummy. When all the foam had landed in the tub and Proudheart's fur was all glossy orange and white again, the kitty turned off the taps and let out a cheery squeal of happy surprise when Frolicheart teasingly prodded his finger at the susceptible spot between her plushy legs.\n \"Mmm, look at that, lovely,\" the fawn puma grinned. \"All nice and clean. I just looove a hygienic pussy.\"\n \"You do,\" Proudheart giggled.\n \"Ohh you better believe it, pussycat,\" Frolicheart grinned.\n\nHe folded his arms around Proudheart's waist and softly pulled her closer towards him, nuzzling his face between her wet thighs. Proudheart let out another cheery giggle and leaned with her paws against the wall, placing her head in her neck and closing her eyes when the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin's tongue darted across her damp orange pussy, soon making it become wet with quite something else than the water that had run down her body from the shower. Soft moans and purrs of delight came from the kitty's throat as Frolicheart rubbed his paws over her soft butt and caressed the base of her sleek tail, his tongue slowly running all over and between the puffy lips of her orange pussy, teasing Proudheart to the upper peaks of lust and desire very quickly.\n \"Mmmmm... yesssss... please, give it to me, loverrrrrboy...\" Proudheart crooned with her head in her neck and her eyes closed. \"Ohhhhh... you'rrre so... so good... Ahhhhh... please, don't stop...\"\n\nShe grabbed the bar of the shower to keep herself upright on her feet in the bath tub, her legs trembling and her wet, sleek tail swishing to and fro, sending droplets of water flying around the bathroom. Never stopping his soft caressing of Proudheart's soft butt and the base of her tail with his paws, Frolicheart buried his muzzle between his lover-kitty's silky thighs and slipped his tongue inside of her, teasingly twirling it around to caress each and every sensitive part of Proudheart's tender fleshy vaginal walls. His orange heart-shaped nose rubbed up against the kitty's sensitive, swollen clit, sending sparks of sensual electricity shooting through her body ever faster and intenser. Adding the trembling sensation of a soft purr to the pleasure he was giving Proudheart, the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin brought Proudheart to the heavenly mountaintops of pleasure, and the orange kitty squealed out her lust when she flew down from them in a sensational free-fall, her enjoying pussy tightening around the puma's tongue and releasing a warm flow of sticky juices into Frolicheart's mouth. Slobbering happily, the fawn puma lapped up all the sweet nectar his purrfect lover gave him, his heart-shaped orange nose still non-stop running over her throbbing clit in a gentle rhythm.\n\nWhen finally Proudheart had come down from the peaks of her climax, she slowly sank down into the bath tub, chest to chest with her wonderful feline lover, until her lips found Frolicheart's and locked onto them in a passionate kiss. Purring happily, Frolicheart answered the kiss, his paws slowly running up from Proudheart's soft butt to her shoulders, and folding around them to hold his pussycat in a loving embrace while they kissed. Right at the moment Proudheart opened her eyes and sent Frolicheart a loving look, the phone in the living room rang. Shaking her ears and running her tongue across her lips, Proudheart drew a deep breath and looked around with a soft giggle.\n \"Wouldn't you know, always when you'rrre in the tub.\" She looked back at Frolicheart and pressed a soft kiss on his nose, smiling. \"Well, at least it's timed rratherr well. Thank you everrr so much forr that incrredibly wonderrrful pleasure, my sweethearrrt, but beforrre we continue I think we could betterr see who is meaning to disturrb ourrr fun, hm?\"\n \"Yes, I think we'd better, otherwise we would just get annoyingly distracted by that ringing,\" Frolicheart chuckled.\n \"How verrry trrue,\" Proudheart chortled.\n\nAfter another soft kiss on the puma's lips, she rose up and stepped out of the bath tub, finding a towel and rubbing the worst of the water off her fur. Frolicheart followed her example, and they both wrapped their towels around their waist before walking down the stairs to the living room. The phone was still ringing, indicating that whatever the message from the other end of the line was, it most probably was quite important. Frolicheart took the receiver off the hook and held it to his ear with a smile and a wink at Proudheart.\n \"Yeeess?\" he said in a slightly drawling voice. Very soon, however, his eyes widened a bit, and he rose up a little more. \"What? Really, now? I may hope that it will be for good news? Uhuh... uhuh... yes, of course, I understand. We're on our way.\" He put the phone down and smiled at Proudheart, who was looking at him wondrously. \"The Care Bear Council wants to see us both, pussycat. They're waiting for us in the Hall of Hearts. C'mon, we'd better not keep them waiting too long.\"\n\nProudheart nodded in agreement, and the two felines climbed the stairs again, returning to the bathroom. While Frolicheart drained the tub and took another towel to rub his fur dry, Proudheart got out a blowdryer and blowdried her fur quickly. When they both had also brushed their fur so they looked all neat and glossy again, they went back down the stairs and got into the silvergrey Pontiac. Frolicheart quickly drove them to Care a Lot, parked at the Hall of Hearts, and while holding paws the two feline Care Bear Cousins went inside. At the large heart-shaped symposium table, the Care Bear Council was waiting for them, consisting this time of Tenderheart Bear, Trueheart Bear, Grams Bear, Nobleheart Horse and Braveheart Lion, indicating that it was about a really important matter, since the five of them were about the most important Care Bears in the whole Kingdom of Caring.\n \"Ah, Fjolicheart, Pjoudheart,\" Tenderheart said when the two felines entered the room. He motioned with a paw. \"Please do have a seat, we wish to speak with the both of you about your request to the Council for pejmission to get married.\"\nFrolicheart and Proudheart sat down opposite the three Care Bears and the two Care Bear Cousins, looking at them with slightly tense, expectant looks, holding paws. Trueheart rose up a little and looked back at them with a soft smile.\n \"We were quite surprised, Frolicheart, Proudheart, to learn of your desire to wed,\" she said. \"I take it that you two are really serious about this?\"\n \"As serious as we have ever been about anything, Trueheart,\" Frolicheart nodded.\n \"You do realize what an important commitment this is?\" Nobleheart said.\n \"It is no morrre imporrtant a commitment than ourr tasks in the Carrre Bearr Family, Noblehearrrt,\" Proudheart said with a smile. \"We so verrry much love each otherr that this is not so much a commitment rratherrr than a consummation of ourr love, and we just want to show to everrryone how deeply we love each otherrr.\"\n \"That sounds just about right,\" Braveheart nodded with a smile.\n \"Do you know you two will be the first ones of the Care Bear Family to get officially married?\" Grams spoke up smiling.\n \"We do know that, Grams, and although it did slightly surprise us that no one else so far has taken this step, it did not hold us back for one second to undertake it ourselves,\" Frolicheart smiled.\n\nGrams, Trueheart, Nobleheart, Braveheart and Tenderheart looked at each other smiling and softly nodding with their heads. Then Trueheart turned back to face Proudheart and Frolicheart.\n \"It fills us with happiness that you are so eager to officiate the bond there is between you, my sweethearts, and there is nothing else I can say that not only you have our permission, but we all hope you two will be happy together for ever and ever.\"\n\nAgain, Nobleheart, Tenderheart, Braveheart and Grams nodded in agreement, and Proudheart let out a happy squeal and flung her arms around Frolicheart's neck, kissing him deeply. When she had let go, the three Care Bears and the two Care Bear Cousins leaned over the heart-shaped table to shake paws with the two felines, and they once again wished them all the good luck in the world. For some time, they sat together to speak some more, discussing a number of arrangements that should be made, and both Proudheart and Frolicheart expressed their wish that the news was held a secret to the rest of the Care Bear Family until the actual day, for they wanted it to be a surprise. Of course, that promise was made, and an hour or two later, the two feline Care Bear Cousins left the Hall of Hearts in high spirits, now not holding paws but with an arm around each other's shoulders, pressed closed together.\n\nAs they arrived at their cloud cottage in the Forest of Feelings and got out of the car, Proudheart again hugged Frolicheart tightly and pressed herself against his body as they walked up the driveway to the front door. They went inside and sank down on the sofa, holding each other and happily cuddling. Proudheart brought her mouth to one of Frolicheart's ears and softly nipped it before whispering into it.\n \"Oh sweethearrrt, I'm so happy!\" She let out a very soft giggle. \"And they still don't even know the extrrra rreason why we asked them this.\"\n \"Yes, are we good at keeping secrets or what?\" Frolicheart grinned softly, running a paw over Proudheart's tummy.\nThe orange kitty giggled softly again and placed her paw over the one Frolicheart was stroking her tummy with.\n \"Well, so farrr we can still manage to keep it a secrrret because it doesn't show yet, but I suppose they will guess what is going on when I starrrt swelling up.\" She buried her face in the fur on Frolicheart's shoulder and sighed happily. \"Ohh, but I'm just so incrrredibly happy that we will be going to have a kitten togetherrr, Frrolichearrrt.\"\n \"So am I, pussycat, so am I,\" Frolicheart murmured into Proudheart's ear smiling. He leaned his head back a little and put a finger on the kitty's orange heart-shaped nose. \"And you know something else? It'll be extra special even, because our kitten will be the very first actual newborn in the Kingdom of Caring.\"\n \"Mmmmm,\" Proudheart murmured happily. She looked up with a deep smile. \"I do know that, my love. Even Hugs and Tugs werrre not borrn herrre.\" She sighed deeply and happily, burying her face into the fur on Frolicheart's shoulder again. \"Hmmm, but I don't mind about how special it is forrr the Kingdom of Carrring, I only carrre about how special it is forrr us, sweethearrrt.\"\n\nFrolicheart nodded softly, leaning his head sideways to softly kiss Proudheart's ears. Both felines sank into a content silence, which was only broken by both their happy purrs as they lay on the sofa in each other's arms, once more taken up into the indescribable atmosphere of love between them.\n\nThe next morning, after breakfast, the smiling sun found the two feline Care Bear Cousins sitting on the large porch swing, holding each other with a purr. After some time, however, Frolicheart let go of Proudheart and rose up, stepping inside his cottage after a soft kiss on the kitty's orange heart-shaped nose. Some time later, he came back outside again, holding a small carrier bag with something in it. Proudheart canted her head a bit and looked at the carrier bag with curiosity.\n \"What is that you have therrre, Frrolichearrrt?\"\nWith a smile, Frolicheart opened the carrier bag and took out the sheathed Tanto blade he had retrieved from the tree it had been stuck in the previous day.\n \"Just this, pussycat. I'm going to visit Fearlessheart and return this to him. It [i]is[/i] his, after all.\"\n \"Don't you think...\" Proudheart started.\nFrolicheart shook his head.\n \"No, pussycat, I don't think he will do anything silly with it, and I trust him. I want to go show him just how much I trust him by giving him this sword back.\"\nProudheart smiled and rose up from the swing to hug Frolicheart.\n \"You'rrre so sweet.\"\n \"I know that,\" Frolicheart grinned, hugging Proudheart back.\nThe orange feline Care Bear Cousin giggled and playfully ruffled the tuft of fur between Frolicheart's ears with a paw.\n \"Well, you rrun along then, boy, I'll just go sit herrre and enjoy the sun.\" She giggled softly and winked at Frolicheart. \"Oh yes, [i]and[/i] I will call Gentlehearrt and ask herr to come overrr so I can ask herr a cerrrtain question.\"\n \"Yes, you do that, pussycat,\" Frolicheart smiled. \"I won't be long.\"\n\nHe softly kissed Proudheart again, and then set off for Gentleheart Lamb's cloud cottage, where his best friend Fearlessheart Fox also lived in. Being in a very unusual mood this morning, Frolicheart decided not to take any of his cars, but walk through the forest to Gentleheart's. Oh well, but it was a very nice day after all, and despite his love for cars and driving them, Frolicheart did enjoy a leisurely stroll every now and then. He hummed a merry tune to himself while walking down the rainbow paths, sometimes whistling softly, or calling out a cheery greeting to any of the other Care Bear Cousins he came upon during his walk. For a few moments, he stood still and looked in silence, with a smile, as he came at the spot where Proudheart used to live in the forest, looking at the beautiful cottage he had built there for the orange kitty after her original cottage had been washed away by the flood Noheart had once unleashed upon the Forest of Feelings.\n '[i]A shame that we never got to using it[/i],' the puma thought to himself with a smile. '[i]It looks really beautiful, if I may say so myself. Hm, ah well, I'm sure we'll find a destination for it sooner or later[/i].'\n\nHe shrugged slightly and continued on his walk. It was quite a way from his cloud cottage to Gentleheart's, a distance justifying taking a car for, actually, but Frolicheart didn't mind at all walking all the way now. He just enjoyed the lovely weather and the sounds of the forest around him as he continued walking. After some time, he left the main rainbow path and turned onto a narrower one which led him between the trees, and he calmly walked over to the secluded cloud cottage at the far end of the narrow rainbow path. As he came closer and got the cottage in view, he held in his pace for a second and smiled at what he saw ahead of him. There was a Cloudsmobile on the driveway, with the hood standing open, and a fox was half buried in it, the fluffy white-tipped brush tail languidly swinging a little from left to right.\n \"Fearlessheart, what [i]are[/i] you doing in there?\" Frolicheart asked when he had stepped up to the scene.\nFearlessheart got out from under the hood, rose up and looked around. He smiled.\n \"Oh, hi Frolicheart,\" he said. \"I was just trying to figure out how these things work. Maybe I can do something to get a little more power out of them.\"\nFrolicheart smiled at the vulpine Care Bear Cousin.\n \"You never could resist tinkering, could you?\"\n \"Nah, I just can't help it,\" Fearlessheart responded with a shrug and a grin.\n \"Does Gentleheart know what you're doing?\" Frolicheart asked.\nFearlessheart grinned a bit wider.\n \"Are you nuts? If she knew what I was doing with her car, she'd kick my fuzzy butt from one end of the forest to the other. Besides, I'm only looking, I haven't touched anything yet.\" He winked slightly, grinning. \"And besides again, she got a phone-call just now and told me she had to leave for a little while, and I only started looking at this here car [i]after[/i] she had left.\"\n \"I see,\" Frolicheart said, trying to restrain himself.\nFearlessheart grinned even that much wider, and in order to try and draw the fawn puma's attention away from the car, he nodded at the small carrier bag Frolicheart had with him.\n \"So, what's that you have there?\"\nFrolicheart looked down at the bag, and then back up at his vulpine friend. A wide smile decorated his face.\n \"A little gift for you. Listen, Feralheart came to me yesterday, and she told me something, and then asked me a favor. Out in the no man's land, near that mountain where you've been hiding yourself for a while, was still something that belongs to you. I went to pick it up, and...\" He held out the carrier bag to Fearlessheart. \"As I said, for one thing, it's yours, and for another, I'd like to show you with returning this to you that I trust you enough to know you won't be using it for anything stupid anymore.\"\n\nWith a little surprise, Fearlessheart accepted the bag, opened it and looked in it. His eyes widened for a moment, and he slowly reached into the bag, pulling out the twelve-inch-long round tube with a handle protruding from it. It was that very same Japanese Tanto blade that the fox had once almost used to take his life with. For a while he looked at it in silence, but then he looked back up at Frolicheart.\n \"Come inside with me for a moment, Frolicheart,\" he said softly. \"I wanna show you something.\"\n\nThis time it was the fawn puma's turn to be slightly surprised. He followed Fearlessheart into Gentleheart's cloud cottage. The fox led the way to the very back, to the little spare room where the boxes with his belongings had been stored after he'd moved in with Gentleheart. When the two Care Bear Cousins were standing in the little room, between the boxes, Fearlessheart pointed at one of them. With a black felt-tip marker, the words \"my collection\" had been written on that box. Frolicheart knew what to expect inside that box. Before the serious trouble had arisen with Fearlessheart, which had led to the fox leaving the Forest of Feelings for some time, Frolicheart had been in the cloud cottage where Fearlessheart lived in a couple of times, and he had seen how his vulpine friend had a whole collection of Oriental swords and daggers and such, each of them representing a certain era in Oriental history, one of the interests of Fearlessheart. Without a word, the orangy red vulpine Care Bear Cousin now opened the flaps of the box and motioned for Frolicheart to look into it. Doing that, Frolicheart drew a deep breath of surprise. The box was empty. Looking back at Fearlessheart, the fawn puma found the fox smiling weakly at him.\n \"I got rid of each and every one of them, Frolicheart,\" he said in a soft voice. \"I realized just how destructive a hobby it has been of mine, a hobby that not only almost cost me my life, but even worse, it almost cost me our friendship. So I got rid of them.\" He looked at the Tanto he still held in his paw, and reached out that paw to Frolicheart. \"You take this one, my friend. Do with it what you see fit to do with it. See it as a token of my desire to let you know I will never, [i]ever[/i], try something so stupid again. Okay?\"\n\nSilently, Frolicheart accepted the Japanese sword. For a while, he looked straight at Fearlessheart, and the fox looked straight back at him, not saying a word. Then Frolicheart wrapped his arms around the fox's shoulders, pulled him close and patted his back. When they broke apart, the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin sent Fearlessheart a very deep smile.\n \"That is one of the greatest things I have ever heard you tell me, my dear friend,\" he smiled. \"I am [i]so[/i] happy about this.\" They started walking towards the living room. \"So, on another topic, have you decided what to do with the money from parting out the Dodge... or what was left of it, anyway?\"\n \"Yeah, I did,\" Fearlessheart nodded. \"I've decided that for everyday driving and whatnot, I'm just going use a Cloudsmobile like everyone else.\" Frolicheart looked a bit crestfallen; he hadn't expected that from his car-enthusiastic friend. Fearlessheart smiled a bit at the fawn puma's expression. \"But, for emergencies I have something a little sportier than a Cloudsmobile,\" he continued. \"Follow me.\" Fearlessheart led him through the corridor to the kitchen, and from there out of the back door and to a shop out back, behind the cottage. \"Gentleheart let me build this back here so I have a place to tinker and leave her alone to enjoy her books. It works out well, Brightheart helped me to soundproof the walls so I could make as much noise as I want and Gentleheart'd never hear it.\"\n\nGoing into the shop, Frolicheart saw it to be the typical shop of any serious mechanic. Wrap around air supply for air tools, a large roll-away tool chest, and even a car lift right behind the large shop door. His look around was a bit jealous even. Fearlessheart's workshop looked more professional as his own, even though he often worked on multiple cars in his. In any way it looked way more organized. Standing in the middle of the shop was what looked like a car covered with a white tarp, which right away attracted the fawn puma's attention.\n \"What's that?\" Frolicheart asked, very curious.\nFearlessheart smiled again.\n \"Well, I was going to wait until I had it finished before I unveiled it, but I suppose you can see it now since you're here.\"\n\nStepping over to the tarp-covered car, Fearlessheart pulled the cover off to reveal a 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge. The large, low car was fox-orange from bumper to bumper. Opening the driver door and reaching inside, Fearlessheart popped the hood to reveal the 455 cubic inch big block engine. Frolicheart stood there, slack-jawed.\n \"It's... it's... it's...\" was all the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin could manage.\n \"It's something alright, isn't it?\" Fearlessheart asked him with a grin.\n \"Well, yeh!\" Frolicheart suddenly burst out enthusiastically. He eyed the mechanical candy again. \"One question though? Where's all the intake parts? There's no carb, no intake manifold, nothing.\"\n \"Oh, I took all that off,\" Fearlessheart shrugged airily. \"I had to, really, to make room for this.\"\n\nFearlessheart wheeled over a cart from the corner. It contained a chrome-plated B&M supercharger with dual Holley 750 carburators. Frolicheart looked from the supercharger, to the car, to Fearlessheart, with wide eyes. He slowly pointed a finger at the fox's heart-shaped nose.\n \"I hate you.\"\nFearlessheart just smiled one of his big toothy grins.\n \"Thanks, I'm glad to have you for a friend too.\" He wheeled the cart with the supercharger back to its corner of the workshop. \"Well, apart from hating me, did you come by for anything else as well perhaps?\"\n \"Well, I [i]did[/i] actually come here to ask you a favor,\" Frolicheart said with a smile.\n \"Sure, ask away,\" Fearlessheart said.\n \"Let me start by asking you if you can keep a secret, Fearlessheart,\" Frolicheart said.\nNoticing the slight look of seriousness on the puma's face, Fearlessheart closed the hood of the GTO, sat down on it with his feet leaning on the front bumper, and he patted the hood of the car with a paw.\n \"Come sit with me, Frolicheart, and tell me what's on your mind,\" he said. \"Your secret is safe with me, trust me.\"\nWith a smile, Frolicheart also sat down on the Pontiac's hood and leaned his feet on the front bumper, and he turned to Fearlessheart a bit.\n \"Well, you see, the thing is, Fearlessheart, Proudheart is pregnant, and...\"\nHe didn't get any further, for the fox had already jumped up.\n \"What?!\" he shouted. He hugged Frolicheart. \"Oh wow man, that's so great! I'm happy for you! Congratulations!\"\nWith another smile, Frolicheart freed himself from Fearlessheart's embrace.\n \"Let me finish, please,\" he smiled. \"As I said, Proudheart is pregnant, and therefore we have decided to get married. We've spoken to the Care Bear Counsil, and we got permission.\"\nAgain the fox squeezed his half red-orange, half brown arms around Frolicheart's body in a tight embrace.\n \"Oh man, that's so great [i]too[/i]!\" he said, nuzzling the puma.\nGrinning, Frolicheart once more pushed Fearlessheart away from him a bit.\n \"I'm still not finished, my friend. I still have a favor to ask of you.\"\n \"Oh, of course, yes,\" Fearlessheart said, regaining his composure. \"So what did you want to ask me?\"\n \"Well, I have this nice 1958 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith Park Ward to get Proudheart and myself to the Hall of Hearts, where the ceremony will be, but I still need a driver, [i]and[/i] I still need a best man, and I was hoping that maybe you...\"\nHe didn't finish the sentence, this time not because Fearlessheart squeezed the wind out of him in an enthusiastic hug, but because the fox was staring at him with his lower jaw almost hanging between his knees.\n \"Do you... do you... [i]mean[/i] that?!\" Fearlessheart gasped. \"You... you want me to drive... and to be... your...\"\nFrolicheart merely nodded, smiling. And this time, Fearlessheart -did- once again embrace the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin so tightly he almost squeezed the wind out of him. \n \"Oh man, I... I don't know what to say!\" the fox gasped, his voice a bit choked. \"I... I... I'm so honored you ask me that!\"\n \"I take that as a yes,\" Frolicheart said with a mild grin, softly patting Fearlessheart's shoulders.\nManaging to get a bit of control over himself again, Fearlessheart let go of Frolicheart, rubbing at his eyes with the back of a paw.\n \"Yes, Frolicheart! Yes, I would be proud to!\" he said.\n \"Proudheart will be happy to hear that,\" Frolicheart smiled. He put his paw on the red-orange vulpine Care Bear Cousin's shoulder again. \"But as I said, please keep it a secret for the time being, okay? So far, only you, Proudheart, myself and the Care Bear Counsil know of this, and we want to keep it that way for now. Nobody else safe for Take Care Bear even knows yet that Proudheart's pregnant, let alone that we have wedding plans, and we want to try and keep it a surprise to the last minute if possible.\"\nFearlessheart nodded, rubbing the back of his paw along his eyes a last time.\n \"Of course, you don't have to be afraid Frolicheart, I won't say a word to anyone.\" He took a deep breath and managed a grin. \"Damn, now look what you did, you got me so emotional that I can't possibly get back to work on my car again!\"\nFrolicheart laughed.\n \"I'm truly sorry, Fearlessheart! Would I make that up with the offer to get your fuzzy butt over to my place to look at the latest project [i]I'm[/i] working on?\"\n \"That would help, yeah,\" Fearlessheart said with another grin. \"Hold on a sec.\"\nLeading the way for Frolicheart out of the workshop, he closed the door of that and walked back to the front of the cottage again. He closed the hood of Gentleheart's Cloudsmobile and held out the keys.\n \"You wanna drive her, Frolicheart?\"\n \"Nah, you do it,\" Frolicheart smiled, hopping into the Cloudsmobile on the passenger's seat.\n\nFearlessheart shrugged a bit again and got in behind the wheel of the Cloudsmobile, starting her up. As they drove away from the little cottage, Frolicheart leaned back, let his right arm dangle over the edge of the passenger door and closed his eyes.\n \"I want you to tell me right away when you've found a way to soup one of these up, pal,\" he smiled from behind his closed eyes. \"I got one too when I was taken up in the family here, but I've never used it, and I've spent many many hours figuring out how to make it perform better, but I haven't had any luck so far.\"\n \"So much for that renowned intelligent, keen feline mind,\" Fearlessheart grinned, steering the Cloudsmobile down the rainbow path with one paw on the wheel, his left arm leaning on the edge of the driver door.\nFrolicheart grinned behind his closed eyes.\n \"Mind your words, fox. Don't make me run my transport truck over you.\"\n \"You have a transport truck?\" Fearlessheart asked.\n \"Not yet, but I would get myself one to run you over with if you don't watch your mouth,\" Frolicheart said with a grin.\n \"Ahh, right,\" Fearlessheart said grinning.\n\nHe calmly steered the Cloudsmobile further down the rainbow path, until they reached Frolicheart's cloud cottage. As the fox pulled up the driveway, parking the Cloudsmobile behind the silvergrey 1980 Pontiac Phoenix hatchback, he was a bit surprised to see Gentleheart sitting next to Proudheart on the porch swing.\n \"Hey, Gentleheart? I didn't know you were here?\" he said a bit surprised, getting out of the Cloudsmobile. \"What are you doing here?\"\nGentleheart jumped up happily and ran up to the fox.\n \"Oh, Fearlesshea-ea-eart!\" she bleated happily. \"You won't believe wha-a-at Proudheart just a-a-asked me!\"\nFearlessheart caught Gentleheart in his arms and looked around, meeting a very wide grin from his fawn feline friend. He turned back to Gentleheart.\n \"Somehow, I have an idea,\" he said. \"Kinda the same thing Frolicheart came to ask [i]me[/i].\"\n \"Wha-a-at?\" Gentleheart said. \"Do you mea-ea-ean..?\"\n \"He came to ask me to be best man at his wedding with Proudheart, yes,\" Fearlessheart said smiling.\n \"Oh, ho-o-ow wonderful!\" Gentleheart cried out. \"Proudheart a-a-asked me to be her ma-a-aid of honor!\"\n \"And by the looks of it, I'd say you accepted, Gentleheart,\" Frolicheart smiled. \"I'm really happy about that.\"\nProudheart stepped off the front porch smiling.\n \"And I do rrreckon you didn't say no eitherrr, rright Fearrlesshearrrt?\"\n \"What did you think?\" the fox smiled, letting go of Gentleheart. \"Of course I wouldn't say no to something like that!\"\n \"We thought so,\" Proudheart smiled, giving Fearlessheart a kiss on the cheek. \"We'rrre verrry happy that you both accepted.\"\n \"I did get this wussy here to tears with the question though,\" Frolicheart said with a grin, softly stomping Fearlessheart's shoulder with a fist. \"Even so bad that I had to promise him to let him look at my latest project to make up for that.\"\n \"Oh, did he sho-o-ow you his new ca-a-ar too?\" Gentleheart asked.\n \"Yeh he did,\" Frolicheart said with another grin. He turned to Proudheart. \"Yeesh pussycat, you wouldn't believe what he has stashed in his workshop now!\"\nProudheart smiled sweetly while waving a bit with a paw.\n \"Sorrry sweethearrt, you know me, I don't even want to know about that; it doesn't interrrest me a bit.\"\n \"Well, then I'll just only tell you that he even got me darn jealous with the thing he showed me he's planning to slug into the darn car,\" Frolicheart grinned.\n \"Rrreally?\" Proudheart said with a giggle. She softly ruffled the tuft of fur between Fearlessheart's soft, pointy vulpine ears with a paw. \"Well, congrrratulations then, it must be rrreally something if it gets my tomcat jealous.\"\n \"Ooh, you better believe it is,\" Fearlessheart grinned. He turned to his fawn feline friend. \"Well buddy, how 'bout you now show me what you promised to show me?\"\n \"Sure, come around back to my shop,\" Frolicheart said.\n\nLeaving Gentleheart with Proudheart, Fearlessheart followed Frolicheart around his cottage to the garage at the back. The fawn puma opened the doors to the workshop that was built onto the garage and led the way inside. Fearlessheart grinned a bit. For a feline, Frolicheart was sure not keeping his workshop very decently organized. In fact, the very first word that sprang to the fox's mind when he entered Frolicheart's workshop was; \"sloppy\". In one corner stood a half disassembled, very old four-cylinder flathead Ford engine block that had come out of the 1930 Ford A Fearlessheart had seen parked just inside the garage, against one of the walls was leaning a number of different hoods and doors, a large workbench was littered with tools and loose cylinders, carburators, two cam-shafts and several boxes holding sparkplugs and wires and such. Against the far wall were the bodies and chassis of a 1975 Buick Skyhawk and a 1972 Chrysler Newport, completely stripped of all sheetmetal and resting on blocks instead of wheels, and next to those was a pile of rims, either with or without tyres around them, reaching up to almost the ceiling. However, between the disorganized mess, Fearlessheart could still tell that this still was the workshop of an experienced car restorer. In another corner for instance stood a large machine which, at a closer look, Fearlessheart recognized as a device for plating metal with chrome, copper, zinc or whatever one would choose to plate metal with, against the wall opposite the workbench were standing a large air compressor for air tools and large bottles and welding machines for both electrodic welding and MIG welding, and there were more things like that. Slightly left-off-center from the doors also was a car lift. It was completely lowered, and on it was standing a rusty 1972 Sunbeam Rapier H210, while on the large two-car ambulance that was parked next to it was standing an evenly rusty 1965 Sunbeam Tiger series I, convertible. The orangy red vulpine Care Bear Cousin nodded appreciatively when seeing the two British cars.\n \"Nice,\" he said. \"I especially like that Tiger.\" He turned to Frolicheart with a smile. \"Where'd you get these?\"\n \"Let's just say I have my sources,\" the fawn puma said with a soft grin.\n \"Well, as I said, I really like them,\" Fearlessheart said.\n\nUnable to resist, he stepped over to the two rusty British cars, popped the hood of the Rapier, lifted it and looked at the engine. Every now and then he reached into it with a paw, nodding to himself and letting out a soft hum of appreciation. Frolicheart leaned against the car ambulance with a smile, looking at it, and after a while the vulpine Care Bear Cousin rose up again and turned to Frolicheart.\n \"Not bad, not bad at all,\" he grinned while closing the hood of the Rapier. \"Decent vintage British workmanship, and with plenty of potentials. I take it you're going to make them really fast eventually?\"\n \"That Rapier, yes,\" Frolicheart nodded with a grin. \"I was indeed thinking of making that one a worthy drag-strip runner. This here Tiger, however...\" He tapped a knuckle on the rusty car behind him with a smile, \"...is more going to be a retro project, getting to be restored to her original state with not much more speed-inducing frills, but more to use for a leisurely cruise or something.\"\n \"Or for a romantic spin in the moonlight, to some secluded spot, with your wife-to-be, huh?\" Fearlessheart grinned.\nFrolicheart laughed and patted Fearlessheart's shoulder.\n \"A very good idea, my friend, although it does put rather some pressure onto my shoulders to get this car restored before the actual day of our wedding, so that Proudheart will actually still [i]be[/i] my wife-to-be when we go for a romantic spin.\"\n \"Yes, about that, have you two already picked a date for the wedding?\" Fearlessheart asked.\nFrolicheart nodded.\n \"It'll be in about two weeks from today, so that we have the time to get all the preparations in order.\"\n \"I see,\" Fearlessheart said. He patted Frolicheart's shoulder with a deep smile. \"Well, once again, I am so very happy for the both of you, my friend, and I am more than happy to act as your best man.\" He winked. \"And who knows, maybe some time into the future you'll get to do the same for me.\"\n \"I would also be more than happy to, Fearlessheart,\" Frolicheart smiled warmly.\n \"I know that you would,\" Fearlessheart smiled back.\n\nFor some time more, the two friends stayed in Frolicheart's workshop, talking a bit about the project cars (Fearlessheart, for instance, did not really understand what in heaven's name Frolicheart was going to do with that rather tame '72 Chrysler Newport), and they also went into the fawn puma's garage to have a look at the cars that were parked inside there (and where Fearlessheart got quite the dribbles when he noticed a 1958 Corvette parked between the other project cars, and he jealously asked Frolicheart what the puma was planning to do with that one. Frolicheart was mysteriously vague about that, however). After a while, they walked back around the cottage to the front patio, joining Proudheart and Gentleheart on the porch. With some cool drinks, the four Care Bear Cousins sat together for some small-talk, one of the main topics of conversation of course being the wedding to come.\n\nThe whole following week, life in the Kingdom of Caring went on as it always had, but after that week the atmosphere started slightly and gradually changing. It was obvious something festive was coming up from the bustling of the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins. Still, there were only a very few ones who knew what the actual festivity was, but all the others helped along with the preparations just as happily as they would have done for any kind of festivity. In fact, it was the whole sense of mystery that hung around the festivity to come that lent it something extra-special, and the air in the Kingdom of Caring was just sizzling with anticipation. Near the end of the second week, an announcement was made all over the Kingdom of Caring that on the coming Friday, there was gonna be a huge party in the Hall of Hearts, a party like the Kingdom of Caring had never seen before.\n\nOn that specific Friday, the entire Care Bear Family had gathered at the Hall of Hearts, excitedly talking to each other about what could be so very special about this party. For as far as anyone knew, there wasn't any kind of anniversary to celebrate, and Birthday Bear could vouch for the fact that it was no one's birthday. So everyone was talking to one another, wondering and speculating on the special reason for this big party. The Hall of Hearts had been decorated as festively as possible, and each and every member of the Care Bear Family was standing outside of it, talking so animatedly and so busily speculating that they didn't even notice that certain members of the family were absent. It wasn't before too long, however, when a hush fell over the large group of Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins, the moment a beautiful, two-tone silver 1958 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith Park Ward slowly and solemnly pulled up to the Hall of Hearts. All Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins looked at it with a slight bit of surprise, some already suggesting that the party had something to do with Frolicheart, as the ownership of that car was quite obvious, but a hush of impression fell over the group when the doors of the majestic car opened. From behind the wheel came Fearlessheart Fox, and the vulpine Care Bear Cousin was dressed in a clear white tuxedo, complete with white bow-tie. From the passenger side came Gentleheart Lamb, and she was dressed in a clear white satin dress. Fearlessheart opened the left rear door, letting out Frolicheart Puma, who also was dressed in a clear white tuxedo with white bow-tie, and from the right side emerged Proudheart Cat, dressed in the whitest of satin dresses, with a long white silk train. Gentleheart held that up as she escorted the happy orange kitty and Fearlessheart escorted the fawn puma into the Hall of Hearts.\n\nAll members of the Care Bear Family got inside as well and found themselves a seat. At the lectern was Love-a-Lot Bear, waiting with a deep smile, and a paw resting on a large book. The pink bear had experience in this, since of course once before she had acted as the speaker for a marriage. Of course that time had been at the fake wedding between Professor Coldheart and Auntie Freeze, which had been nothing more but yet another trick from the icey cold professor to destroy Care a Lot, but before that came out Love-a-Lot had done a wonderful job, and as being the Cupid of Care a Lot of course no other bear was more fitting for this kind of occasion.\n\nAhead of the happy couple, Hugs and Tugs walked down the isle, sprinkling rose petals (or well, flinging rose petals everywhere around, covering not only the floor of the isle but also the heads of the bears and cousins sitting closest to it since they were rather over-enthusiastic, but hey, who could blame them?). Hugs was wearing a large red bow on top of her head, and Tugs had a white bow-tie under his chin. Behind the two younger Care Bears came Frolicheart and Fearlessheart, who both took their position at the lectern with a deep smile. At a nod from Tenderheart Bear, Harmony Bear, who was sitting at the huge organ, started playing \"Here comes the bride\". At that, Proudheart happily strided down the isle, while Gentleheart still held up the train of her dress. Holding the orange kitty by an arm was Nobleheart, who, as the inofficial father of all Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins, was more than happy to give her away. When the two felines were next to each other and the last notes from the organ had died away, Love-a-Lot took the book from the lectern, opened it and looked at the two feline Care Bear Cousins with a smile.\n \"Dear and beloved members of our Care Bear Family,\" she started. \"We are gathered here today on this beautiful, beautiful day to witness the marriage of these two kitty-cats, who will today be joined in holy matrimony before the eyes of all of us, and the grace of the Great Wishing Star. For the first time in the beautiful history of our Kingdom of Caring, these two of our good friends and beloved Family members will plight each other their eternal troth. And honestly, what could be more beautiful than two loved ones who fortify their love for each other in that way?\" The romantic pink Care Bear let her eyes wander over all the other Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins, smiling deeply. \"The usual sentence of anyone thinking there should be a reason why these two lovers should not be bonded by marriage having to speak up now or forever hold their tongue is one of the most inappropriate sentences I can think of in this speech I am doing, for I am certain that there is nobody among us who thinks there could be any reason at all why these two happy Care Bear Cousins should not be bonded. I shall therefore skip that sentence and immediately move on to the vows.\" She turned her look back to Frolicheart and Proudheart in front of her, smiling. \"Frolicheart Puma, do you take Proudheart Cat to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish, for ever and ever, for better or for worse, in good times and in bad, in sunshine and in rain, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?\"\n \"You bet I do,\" Frolicheart said with a smile.\n \"Of course you do,\" Love-a-Lot smiled. She turned to Proudheart. \"Proudheart Cat, do you take Frolicheart Puma to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to cherish, for ever and ever, for better or for worse, in good times and in bad, in sunshine and in rain, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?\"\n \"Oh yes I do,\" Proudheart said with a deep, happy smile.\n \"I would have expected nothing less,\" Love-a-Lot smiled. \"Then now, by the powers of love vested in me, and by the grace of the Great Wishing Star, I pronounce you husband and wife.\" She closed the book, put it back on the lectern and giggled softly. \"Well, go on Frolicheart, what are you waiting for? Kiss her already.\"\n\nFrolicheart smiled, turned to Proudheart, embraced her lovingly and pressed his lips on hers. Cheers and applause erupted from all the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins in the Hall of Hearts, and Trueheart rested her head on Nobleheart's shoulder, holding one of the purple horse's paws in both her own and happy tears rolling down her cheeks.\n\nAfter this official part of the ceremony, both feline newlywed Care Bear Cousins got a whole lot of hugs and pawshakes and congratulations to process, after which the entire Care Bear Family went into the main hall of the Hall of Hearts and sat down around the large heart-shaped symposium-table. At the head of it Frolicheart and Proudheart were seated, with next to them Gentleheart and Fearlessheart, and next to them Nobleheart and Trueheart. All the others just found their usual seats around the table. The air was just filled with happiness. At some point Nobleheart rose up, drawing the immediate attention of everyone, since he was apparently going to say something.\n \"My dear Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins,\" the purple horse started with a smile. \"I just can't let this festive occasion run on without expressing the feelings of both Trueheart and myself. Although it will be very hard, for words cannot express the joy, the happiness we feel at what has happened today. Of course, in a place such as our Kingdom of Caring, where we all live close together, it is no more than normal that such wonderful feelings of love blossom between any of us, but Trueheart and I are happy beyond comprehension that there now are two of us who have taken so official a step to show all of us just how deep their love for each other is. As Love-a-Lot Bear said, they are the first to do so, but I wish to say that both Trueheart and I hope that they will not be the only ones.\" He turned to Proudheart and Frolicheart with a smile. \"Proudheart, Frolicheart, all that I could say would not do credit to the feelings we have, but let me still tell both of you that we are proud and happy beyond compare of and for you, and we wish you all the good and better things that we could possibly wish you.\"\nEveryone cheered and applauded as Nobleheart shook Frolicheart's and Proudheart's paw, and as the purple horse sat down again, the fawn puma rose up.\n \"Thank you very much, Nobleheart, for the words you have tried to express with the way you feel,\" he smiled. \"I know that it is almost impossible to express these feelings in words, because I realize that no words can be distinctive enough to say just what you feel. I know this, because I have these exact problems. My life has been rocky in the widest sense of the word, I have had it hard beyond comprehension before I was re-found and re-taken up in this wonderful family, in ways I cannot describe with mere words. And in that same way, there are no words that could possibly begin to describe the way I feel about Proudheart, who turned out to have the ability to wash away all the pain of the hardship of my kithood with just a simple smile that tells me of her love for me.\" He looked around at all the Care Bear Family members looking at him with a smile. \"I shall therefore not try to describe these feelings I have. There is just one more thing I would now like to do. There is one very special announcement Proudheart and I wish to make. Nobody in this room besides her and me know of this, besides two others. We have wanted to keep it a secret until the proper time, and we have managed this even without the help of Secret Bear.\" Everyone laughed and giggled, and Secret Bear gave the fawn feline a cheery 'thumbs-up'. \"However,\" Frolicheart continued. \"Some secrets are not to be kept forever, and the appropriate time has come to let you all know what I am talking about.\" He held out a paw. \"Pussycat, if you will..?\"\nWith a deep smile, Proudheart rose up and looked around the table at everyone.\n \"Yes,\" she smiled. \"As special as everrrybody may think this day allrrready is, therrre is something my dearrr Frrolichearrrt and I have to sharrre with you that will be even morrre of a surrrprrise. Overrr time, ourrr Family has grrown with the discoverrry of cerrtain family memberrrs that had been lost in the earrrly days when Noblehearrrt and Trruehearrrt brrought us all to this wonderrrful Kingdom of Carrring to become Carrre Bearrs.\" She wrapped an arm around Frolicheart's shoulders. \"We would now like to tell all of you that once morrre, the Family will be expanding, but this time not because a lost memberrr of ourr family has been found back frrrom a place on Earrth wherrre he orr she has lived. This time, ourrr Family will expand in the way any family norrrmally expands.\" She smiled very deeply. \"I am morrre than happy to tell all of you that I am expecting.\"\n\nThe happiness-filled air in the Hall of Hearts was drawn in with a gasp by each and every member of the Care Bear Family except for Fearlessheart and Take Care Bear. Proudheart and Frolicheart looked around at all the bears and cousins looking at them with open mouths and looks of surprise stamped on their faces, both smiling deeply. Very slowly, Trueheart rose up, with her eyes once more filling with happy tears.\n \"Proudheart...\" she said softly. \"Are you saying that... you are... you are pregnant?\"\nThe orange kitty nodded happily.\n \"Yes, Trruehearrrt, that is what I am saying,\" she smiled. \"Frrolichearrrt and I will be having a kitten soon.\"\n \"Oh my stars!!\" Trueheart burst out crying, kicking back her chair and flying up to Proudheart to hug her tightly. \"My sweetheart!! I am so happy for you!!\"\n\nThe air in the Hall of Hearts once more exploded with happiness. All Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins jumped up from their seats and started excitedly talking to each other and congratulating Proudheart and Frolicheart. The outburst of extreme surprised happiness lasted for a number of long, cheerful moments, then it slowly died down as the incredibly unexpected news gradually sank down and settled into each and every mind. Excited conversations of how very special this was for the entire Kingdom of Caring - the very first actual newborn since the cloudly kingdom had been founded, after all - were heard all over the Hall of Hearts, and almost each and every member of the Care Bear Family asked the two feline newlyweds if they knew what their child was going to be, a boy or a girl, and if they had already thought of a name, and all those sort of questions. Never losing their happy smiles, Proudheart and Frolicheart answered each of those questions with the same answers: no, we don't know if it'll be a boy or a girl yet, and no, we haven't decided on a name yet. That second answer also drew a lot of reactions, since almost everyone seemed to have a good suggestion for a name. The two feline Care Bear Cousins each time said with a smile that they would think about it.\n\nThe festivity lasted till deep in the night. When eventually the huge wedding cake provided by Birthday Bear was completely devoured, the huge bowl of fruit punch made by Share Bear had been totally emptied, and the two nightshift Care Bears had to leave for their nightly rounds on Earth, the party was cheerfully ended, and all Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins went home, still talking excitedly about what had happened that day, and what was still going to happen with Proudheart in the future. The two newlywed feline Care Bear Cousins got back into the beautiful two-tone silver Rolls Royce, together with Gentleheart Lamb and Fearlessheart Fox, who drove them back to their cloud cottage. Arriving there, Fearlessheart parked the Rolls and cheerily shook Frolicheart's paw, while Gentleheart kissed Proudheart, an they left the two cats with a grinned warning to not do anything they wouldn't do. Frolicheart gave Fearlessheart a merry stomp against the shoulder, and with one arm around each other's shoulders they waved after Gentleheart and Fearlessheart when the two Care Bear Cousins drove home in their Cloudsmobile. Then, Frolicheart happily swooped Proudheart up in his arms and carried her into their cloud cottage, traditionally. After kicking the door shut behind him, the fawn puma carried his orange kittie wife right up to the bedroom and gently laid her down on the bed. With a giggle Proudheart rose up and got out of her beautiful wedding dress, carefully hanging it in a closet, while Frolicheart did the same with his white tux. Proudheart smiled deeply and pulled the fawn puma onto the bed in a deep embrace.\n \"I'm so happy,\" she sighed, kissing Frolicheart.\n \"I couldn't be happier myself,\" Frolicheart replied with a loving smile, answering her kiss.\nProudheart wrapped her arms around Frolicheart's shoulders and happily rolled over on the bed with him, lying on top of him and leaning over him, her amber eyes sparkling.\n \"Take me, my love,\" she purred excitedly. \"Make my wedding night.\" She giggled softly and put a finger on Frolicheart's orange heart-shaped nose. \"But do be a bit carrreful, will you? Rrrememberr I'm carrrying young.\"\n \"I'll be as gentle as I've ever been, pussycat,\" Frolicheart smiled with a very soft grin.\n\nHe pressed his lips upon Proudheart's, taking her into a loving kiss, his soft paws calmly running up and down her back, softly caressing the base of her sleek tail each time they reached it. The orange kitty purred happily and let one silky paw slide between their bodies, running over Frolicheart's tummy and reaching for the fawn puma's member. Frolicheart grinned very softly again over Proudheart's straightforwardness, and he kept his soft paws on the orange kitty's plushy butt, his fingers tickling through the fur on the base of her tail and every now and then gently sliding downwards along her thighs. His fingertips very softly ran along the outer lines of Proudheart's longing orange sex, drawing quivering gasps of purred excitement from the feline Care Bear Cousin. She wriggled a bit on Frolicheart's body, slowly rising up further and further, until she eventually had to break the kiss. Her other paw joined her first in caressing the fawn puma's erecting member, and she pushed out her soft butt to meet her lover's teasing fingertips. Crooning delightedly, Proudheart kept pushing out her butt ever further when Frolicheart's fingertips stopped their teasing and started purposely running over the soft puffy lips of the excited kitty's orange quim, picking up all the small droplets of warm juice it was slowly releasing and gently rubbing them all over the soft orange lips.\n\nLeaning her head in her neck with her eyes squeezed, Proudheart shivered with passion and stopped caressing Frolicheart's dick, using both her paws to hold herself up while she kept pushing out her soft plushy butt with rhythmic shocks, her sleek tail swishing from side to side. Soft crooning purrs rolled from her mouth, and the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin's fingers felt how Proudheart's vaginal muscles reacted intensely to his soft rubbing, clenching and quivering at each soft stroke. When Frolicheart's fingers found Proudheart's erect, longing clit and tenderly rolled it, the orange kitty couldn't hold herself in any longer, the highly built anticipation making the flames of lust and passion roar out of control inside her fluffy orange body and burning her up in a fiery orgasm. She let out a loud squeal of lust, her swollen pussy tightening around her feline lover's fingers and letting out a rich flow of warm, sticky Care Bear Cousin cum. Shocking and shivering, Proudheart only barely managed to keep herself upright on her quaking arms as the climax rolled through every last inch of her fluffy body. She only slowly relaxed, letting her head sink down between her shuddering arms and pressing her orange heart-shaped nose onto Frolicheart's. The deep, passionate, moist kiss she took him into told the fawn puma of her desire wordlessly, and while she maintained the kiss, Proudheart slowly rose up a little again, slightly crawling forwards a little on her lover-cat's body and straddling his hips. One of her paws once more slid between their bodies, her soft fingers finding Frolicheart's dick again and taking it, directing the head to the dripping wet opening of her slippery lust-cave. Slowly sinking down, Proudheart let out a muffled moan of lust when her slimy pussy eagerly slurped in the fawn puma's hard cock, taking it in inch by inch, until the kitty's tummy was resting against Frolicheart's.\n\nMuffling his grunt of passion in the kiss Proudheart was still holding, Frolicheart let his soft paw slide back to the orange kitty's plushy butt, softly gripping the fluffy cheeks, his fingers going back to scritching the base of her sleek, swishing tail. He lifted his hips slightly, rubbing his tummy against Proudheart's, his throbbing member slowly swirling around in the orange feline Care Bear Cousin's slippery cunny. Proudheart moaned deeply into the kiss, squeezing her eyes. Her fingers dug into Frolicheart's shoulders, and very slowly she started moving her hips, gently rocking her body over Frolicheart's, delighting in each movement of her feline lover's hard flesh inside her sensitivity. Her silky vaginal walls clenched around the warm rod inside of her, gently squeezing and caressing it, drawing soft grunts of lust from the fawn puma. Ever so gradually, Proudheart started quickening her pace, lifting and lowering her hips, sliding her swollen, slippery sex up and down over Frolicheart's hard dick, her warm slimy juices coating it and making soft slurping sounds at each of her slow strokes. Holding his paws on Proudheart's soft butt, Frolicheart let his lover-kitty set the pace, let her ride herself to the peaks of her desire on him as fast or as slow as she wanted. He tried to lie as still as he could under Proudheart, only lifting his hips up every now and then to meet the orange kitty's enjoying strokes, his fingers ceaselessly scritching and caressing the base of her wildly swishing tail, adding little sparks of pleasure to the sensation Proudheart was delivering herself on her lover-cat's fleshy rod.\n\nHer breath getting shorter and quicker by the minute, Proudheart sped up her pace ever more when another thundering climax started brewing in her fluffy orange body. She sopped her dripping pussy over Frolicheart's pulsating dick with ever increasing speed, her paws cramping on his shoulders, and not too long after she once again leaned her head in her neck with her eyes squeezed tightly and her mouth wide open, yowling out her lust and passion when a second flaming orgasm crashed through her nerves and senses, making all her tingling muscles stretch and convulse and her swollen pussy clench hard around the fawn puma's rock-hard dick. She slammed herself down on Frolicheart's tummy hard, twisting her hips, mashing her quivering, flowing cunny over his crotch, her hot, slimy cum seeping out and slowly dripping down Frolicheart's tummy and thighs. For a few moments she stayed in that position, her breath coming out in short, delighted gasps, her eyes still squeezed tightly and her tongue slipping out of her mouth. Only when the washing waves of orgasm subsided again did she open her eyes and lower her head, once more pressing her nose against Frolicheart's and locking her lips onto his in a passionate kiss. When she had her breathing a bit under control again, she stared into Frolicheart's soft green eyes, her own amber eyes sparkling happily, and she softly ran a paw through the tuft of fur upside the fawn puma's head.\n \"Ohhhhhh... Th-that was... so good...\" she breathed smiling. She pressed a soft kiss on Frolicheart's lips. \"And now, it's yourrr turrn, my love.\"\n\nSoftly wriggling her hips over Frolicheart's, Proudheart wrapped her arms around the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin's shoulders and rolled over with him, bringing her lover-cat in the top position. With a smile, Frolicheart brushed a few drops of sweat from Proudheart's face and gently kissed her again. Still gazing into his eyes, Proudheart smiled lovingly and opened her legs, giving Frolicheart the freedom to move as he desired. Coiling his tail into Proudheart's, the fawn puma slowly lifted his hips a bit, pulling back until his hard dick almost slipped out of Proudheart's dripping wet, puffy quim. When only the head of his throbbing cock was caught between the swollen, slippery lips of the orange kitty's wet sex, he very slowly lowered himself again, resting his tummy on Proudheart's, and then repeating the motion. Very smoothly, he increased the speed of his movements, his chest resting on Proudheart's and his lips smothering both his own passionate growls and the orange kitty's lustful moans. Moving slightly quicker with each enjoying stroke, Frolicheart gradually built up a new wave of passion in his lover-kitty's quivering body as well as his own. Maintaining the kiss as best as he could, the fawn puma couldn't help breaking it eventually when the rising passion shortened both cats' breath, and instead Frolicheart hung his head across Proudheart's shoulder, tenderly nibbling the orange kitty's neck while he sped up his thrusting ever more.\n\nProudheart crooned and moaned into the fur on Frolicheart's shoulder, her tail gently squeezing the fawn puma's tail as they were coiled into each other, her hips lifting with soft little shocks to meet each of the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin's thrusts. Her cramping fingers drew light furrows through the fur on Frolicheart's back and shoulders as his calm yet passionate motions started leading the orange kitty once more to the heavenly heights of a soaring climax. Feeling the passion rising out of control in his own body as well, Frolicheart moved in time with Proudheart's motions, his speed still increasing as he reached for both their orgastic relief. Each of his moves was a seamless reaction to those of the enjoying orange feline Care Bear Cousin under him, making both of them hover through the clouds of delight, fly to the mountaintops of desire, flawlessly reach for the ultimate completion of their passion. Unable to help herself, Proudheart started softly biting Frolicheart's neck, her fingers digging hard into his shoulders and her breath coming out in short, soft wails of lust as her quivering pussy tightened around the fawn puma's cock, its frantic squeezes speaking of its desire to be filled with Frolicheart's warm seed. Raising her hips with a last desperate shock, Proudheart sank her teeth in Frolicheart's neck to muffle the cry of lust she emitted when once again she was pushed over the edge of endurance and thundered off the cliffs of passion, a wild orgasm wreaking havoc in her trembling body as she squirmed and writhed underneath her feline lover. Her wild movements shattered Frolicheart's last bit of self-control, and he also sank his teeth in Proudheart's neck, muffling his yowl of passion when the climactic waves of sexual relief roared through him and made him shoot his load of warm Care Bear Cousin semen deep into the eager love-tunnel of his orange feline lover under him. Shocking and shuddering, the two Care Bear Cousins lay atop of each other, trembling at each contraction of their spasming muscles, teeth in each other's neck, breath short and gasping as their combined orgasm kept lasting, fueled by the highly built passion and the deep love they felt for each other.\n\nOnly after minutes of enjoying convulsions did the two felines gradually relax, their muscles slowly going limp and making them sink down on top of each other in a deep state of happy relaxation. Their oral grips to each other's neck loosened, and for yet another while they pressed their noses together and stared into each other's twinkling eyes, kissing tenderly and satisfiedly. Words were useless, their looks said all that was needed to be said. Relaxing into each other's arms, the two feline Care Bear Cousins lay contentedly basking in the afterglow of their passionate love-making, slowly but steadily regaining enough control over their short breaths to join each other in a calm rate of happy purring. Snuggling up against each other, they lay in the warm glow of each other's presence, gradually regaining their strength to repeat their sweet ritual of making passionate love, only stopping eventually when the smiling yellow sun rose above the trees and the birds started chirping in greeting to the new day.\n\nLife continued calmly in the Kingdom of Caring for the weeks that followed. Going about their daily routines and their caring missions, nothing even really showed of the official bond of matrimony between Proudheart and Frolicheart. The only thing that started to differ from their normal life in the following weeks was Proudheart slowly beginning to more and more show the evidence of the new life growing inside of her. The pink star with the red heart inside of it on her soft tummy seemed to grow in size as the orange kitty's tummy swelled up gradually. After a couple of weeks the orange feline Care Bear Cousin was excused from her caring missions, not only because she started getting more trouble getting around, but also a little bit because her nipples swelled and were almost continually visible between her white chest fur. The biggest change in Frolicheart's behaviour was the fawn puma relinquishing from working on his cars, spending all the time between his caring missions with Proudheart, taking care of her and fulfilling her every need and desire with a love and patience only a Care Bear or Care Bear Cousin can bring up.\n\nBeing excited, and even slightly nervous over this big new thing about to happen in the Kingdom of Caring, Trueheart and Nobleheart often came visiting the two felines, inquiring about Proudheart's feelings and health, and offering all of their help and care. It was accepted gladly, for it provided Frolicheart with a very secure and comforting feeling that the two parental Care Bears were watching over Proudheart while he was away on a caring mission. However, nothing really happened. The orange feline Care Bear Cousin went through her gestation in all the usual manners, many of which Frolicheart remembered from the female pumas of the clan he once used to live in, so he wasn't really all too worried about it, knowing it was normal. Of course, Proudheart suffered from mild forms of discomfort, especially when she neared the end of her pregnancy, but she never complained, or at least as little as possible. And Frolicheart took real good care of her, serving to her every need, and even her every whim. Not the slightest complaint was heard from him either, not even when Proudheart had him running the most idiotic of errands for her. Which she never really intended to, but well, who could blame the pregnant kitty for her hormones acting up every now and then?\n\nAfter a number of weeks, also Frolicheart was excused from his caring missions, being given all the time to attend to his expecting lover fully and undividedly. He ran for her, he flew for her, he made sure she was as comfortable as possible all the time, bringing her what she wanted, even if it was coffee with salt and icecubes in it and a slice of lemon on the side. And really, her desires became crazier and crazier as she came further towards the end of her pregnancy. One day, she had Frolicheart actually going to the kitchen to fetch her a batch of dill pickles in curry sauce, topped off with whipped cream. Not even asking but just doing what Proudheart had asked him, Frolicheart walked to the kitchen, although inwardly grinning to himself over what his lover-kitty had asked him to get. Just as he opened the refrigerator, however, he looked up with a shock when a mewl rang out from the living room. He rushed out of the kitchen and into the living room, seeing Proudheart lying back on the sofa, gripping an armrest with one paw while holding her other paw on her bloated tummy.\n \"Pussycat!\" he said. \"Everything okay?\"\n \"It's... it's time,\" Proudheart said with a moan, squeezing her eyes. \"It's coming, Frrolichearrrt.\"\n \"Oh... wow,\" the fawn puma said. He softly stroked Proudheart's ears. \"Don't worry, pussycat. Everything will be just fine. Come on, I'll get you to Take Care.\"\n\nHe helped the orange kitty up from the sofa and supported her outside. Getting into the first car they came upon on the driveway, Frolicheart made sure Proudheart was as comfortable as she could get in the passenger's seat, got in behind the wheel and rushed over to Care a Lot, driving as fast as he could while making sure the movements of the car would not hurt Proudheart. At the Hall of Hearts, he found the large heart-shaped doors standing wide open, and without even thinking about it, the fawn puma drove the car right into the Hall of Hearts. Tenderheart jumped back with a startle when the car came to a stop inches away from the heart-shaped symposium-table, but he immediately understood what was going on when Frolicheart jumped out of it. Without the fawn puma needing to say anything, the brown Care Bear ran to the medical wing, returning moments later with Take Care, who was pushing a wheelchair along. With the red-orange medical Care Bear's help, Frolicheart got Proudheart out of the car, into the infirmary, and into one of the beds. Tenderheart left again and closed the door to the infirmary behind him, knowing that firstly, he wasn't needed in there, secondly, he most probably wasn't even wanted in there, and thirdly, he would have to ward off all the other Care Bear Family members who would most likely be coming to the Hall of Hearts to ask what was going on. Some of the Care Bears, who had seen the car driving straight into the Hall of Hearts, were indeed already gathering in there, curious of what was happening.\n\nIn the infirmary, Take Care Bear was checking Proudheart's swollen tummy with her stethoscope, while Frolicheart held one of the orange kitty's paws in both his own. A concentrated frown rippled the red-orange medical Care Bear's face, but those ripples slowly melted into a smile, and she hung her stethoscope around her neck.\n \"Any minute,\" she smiled. \"That little one in there is just dying to get out.\"\n \"It... it won't hurrrt too much, will it?\" Proudheart said softly.\nTake Care smiled again.\n \"Honey, I wish I could reassure you, but I can't. I have no experience with giving birth whatsoever. I have never done it myself, and I have never even had to help anyone deliver, since you're the first of the Family to get pregnant... and actually seeing it through,\" she added after a moment's thought, remembering the problems she'd had with Cheer Bear.\n \"Don't worry, pussycat,\" Frolicheart said soothingly. \"I'm right here with you, and I won't leave your side for a single second. Just squeeze my paws, alright? And I don't even mind if you break my arm again. I mean, hey, after all Take Care is here, she can mend it again.\"\nProudheart managed a soft giggle.\n \"I sincerrrely hope it won't be necessarrry.\" She reached out with the paw Frolicheart wasn't holding and softly touched his face. \"I love you.\"\nBefore Frolicheart could reply, Take Care spoke up with a smile.\n \"Save your breath, Proudheart, because I do believe you will be needing it.\"\n\nProudheart nodded with a smile, bringing up a paw to rest it on the paw Frolicheart was softly stroking her cheeks and whiskers with. Take Care Bear gathered everything she'd be needing and put it within reach around the bed Proudheart was lying in. She also placed a clear white sheet over the kitty's chest and tummy, as was usual with someone who was going to have a baby. Frolicheart pulled up a chair and sat down next to the bed, holding his kitty's paw with one of his own, using his other paw to ceaselessly rub Proudheart's shoulder. The orange feline Care Bear Cousin did her best to control her breathing, and every so many minutes she cramped and gasped and puffed at a contraction waving through her. Take Care Bear monitored everything closely, reassuring Proudheart that everything was going just fine and perfectly naturally. It was the slight stressing of the word 'perfectly' that managed to make Proudheart smile through her discomfort.\n\nAfter about an hour had passed, Take Care checked on Proudheart and found the kitty's dilatation was good enough for her to try and get the actual work done. Frolicheart kept holding her paw and rubbing her shoulder, every now and then bending over a bit to tenderly kiss away some beads of sweat that formed on Proudheart's face. With that, he noticed with a little bit of surprise that the orange feline Care Bear Cousin's breasts were quite swollen. Doubting that it had anything to do with sexual excitement, he asked Take Care about it in a whisper, receiving a whisper back that also that was purely natural, seeing as that Proudheart was of course gonna need to be able to feed her kitten. Frolicheart nodded in understanding, and Take Care, having her attention drawn to it now anyway, right away did a check on Proudheart's nipples between two of the kitty's contractions to see if she would lactate properly. Finding also that in order, the red-orange medical Care Bear turned her attention back to Proudheart's underside, gently keeping her legs apart and her tail out of the way. At a new contraction, Take Care put a paw on Proudheart's thigh and smiled at her.\n \"Alright now Proudheart, this is it. Push, honey. Push as hard as you can.\"\n\nProudheart did as she was told, squeezing her eyes and pushing with all her might. She also squeezed Frolicheart's paw quite hard, and a low, guttural moan issued from her throat. Losing her breath, Proudheart sank back down on the bed, panting and sweating. Take Care softly rubbed her thigh.\n \"Beautiful, Proudheart. That's the way. You'll get through this just fine if you just follow my instructions.\"\n \"It's... it's... hurrrting,\" Proudheart moaned softly, keeping her eyes closed.\n \"I never said it would be completely painless, honey,\" Take Care smiled comfortingly. \"But if you just do as I say, you'll get through this the easiest.\"\n \"Just trust Take Care, pussycat,\" Frolicheart said with a smile, gently dabbing Proudheart's face with a slip of the bedsheet. \"She knows what she's talking about.\"\n \"I... I know,\" Proudheart breathed, managing a smile.\nShe right away squeezed her eyes when another contraction rippled through her body.\n \"Okay Proudheart, push!\" Take Care said. \"Come on honey, give me a nice big push here! You can do it!\"\n\nThe orange kitty again did as she was told, arching her back and clenching her teeth, crying out. Frolicheart also clenched his teeth a bit, since he found Proudheart could muster an unnatural strength in her paws apparently, judging by the way she almost squeezed his paw to mulch. When the cramping subsided, Proudheart fell back in the bed with a soft thud, tears rolling down from her closed eyes.\n \"Take... C-C-Carrre, I... can't do this,\" she panted.\n \"Yes you can, honey,\" the red-orange medical Care Bear said reassuringly. \"Come on now, don't go to pieces on me, okay? I know it must be hard, but you're really doing great, Proudheart.\" She thought for a moment. \"But do you maybe want a local to dull the pain a bit?\"\n \"Yes please,\" Proudheart moaned.\n \"Do you have one for me too, Take Care?\" Frolicheart said with a grin, fluttering his mashed paw back and forth a bit. \"Boy can that girl squeeze hard. I really never knew she was [i]that[/i] strong.\"\nTake Care Bear giggled softly while injecting a painkiller into Proudheart, and the orange kitty managed a smile.\n \"I'm sorrry, sweethearrrt,\" she gasped.\n \"Hey, it's okay, don't worry,\" Frolicheart smiled, gently dabbing her sweating face again. \"I already told you that you could even break my arm. I guess I just hadn't expected that you'd actually be [i]able[/i] to.\"\n\nProudheart managed another smile, and she relaxed a bit when the painkiller started to kick in. Yet, Take Care had made sure she didn't give the kitty too large a dose, because that would probably hinder her in performing the way she should to get her baby out properly. Therefore Proudheart did again cramp at the next contraction, and she again squeezed her eyes and Frolicheart's paw. Take Care placed both her paws on the kitty's bloated stomach now, encouraging her.\n \"Push, Proudheart! Nice and hard, honey! It's coming now! Come on, give me your very best!\"\n\nArching her back, tears and sweat rolling down her face, Proudheart gave it all she had, crying out hard. Take Care didn't give her the time to relax now; she kept encouraging the orange feline Care Bear Cousin to keep going. Proudheart gathered her last strength and screamed out when she felt like she was splitting open. But very suddenly, a wonderful wave of relief spread over her, and she sank down on the bed in relaxation, panting deeply, her face wet with her tears and her sweat. The next moment, Take Care rose up from under the sheet, smiling at the soft squeaky mewls coming from the tiny bundle of wet fur she was holding. After having done the necessary cleaning, the red-orange medical Care Bear stepped up next to the bed and handed Proudheart a tiny little kitten wrapped in a clean sheet.\n \"Congratulations, honey,\" she smiled softly. \"You've done wonderfully. Look, here he is, your son.\"\n\nWith tears of happiness rolling down her face, Proudheart accepted the bundle of sheet with the tiny kitten in it, resting it on her chest. Its eyes still closed, the newborn kitten, coral red of fur with a light yellow star-shaped patch over the left ear and eye, squeaked softly and stirred a bit, rubbing its petite muzzle against one of Proudheart's breasts and closing its tiny lips over her nipple, starting to drink. Proudheart cried softly and happily at this new and wonderful feeling, holding the bundled kitten in one arm, her other arm wrapped around her lover's shoulders. Frolicheart was leaning on the bed a bit, rubbing the back of a paw along his eyes with a smile.\n \"He's beautiful,\" he whispered. \"Congratulations, pussycat. I'm so happy.\"\n \"Me too,\" Proudheart sobbed softly. \"I've neverrr been happierrr in my life.\"\n\nTake Care smiled at the two of them and calmly stepped over to the door leading into the Hall of Hearts, wiping her paws with a towel. She opened the door, stepped through it and closed the door behind her again, and then she turned to look into the Hall, still wiping her paws a bit. Not surprised to see the entire Care Bear Family gathered right outside the infirmary door, she let her eyes wander over all the faces that were looking at her expectantly. Purposely dragging out the tension for a little while more, the red-orange medical Care Bear first finished wiping her paws with the towel, looking down at what she was doing and taking a particular interest in it. Only when she couldn't get her paws any cleaner or drier, she looked at all the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins again, finally speaking the words that relieved their tension.\n \"It's a boy.\"\n\nInstantly, the Hall of Hearts was filled with happy cheers. When the noise had died down, some questions were fired at Take Care, which she was happy to answer.\n \"Did everything go well?\" Braveheart asked.\n \"Everything went fine,\" Take Care answered smiling. \"Proudheart had it a little hard, which was logical, but she pulled through just fine.\"\n \"Is she oka-a-ay?\" Gentleheart asked.\n \"Mother and kitten are okay,\" Take Care nodded with a smile.\n \"And what about Frolicheart?\" Fearlessheart asked with a smile.\n \"The father's also fine, boy, don't worry,\" Take Care grinned softly.\n \"Can we come in and see?\" Tenderheart asked.\n \"No,\" Take Care said, authoratively now. \"Proudheart badly needs her rest, so no visitors. Except...\" She pointed at Trueheart, Nobleheart, Fearlessheart and Gentleheart. \"You, you, you and you, you four can come in for a moment. The rest of you can go home and be patient. You can come visit some other time, because I will be keeping Proudheart here for a couple of days to make sure everything is well and stays well. So that's it, everybody. The four of you can come in for a little while, all the rest of you can come back some other time.\"\n\nEverybody nodded, and they all filed out of the Hall of Hearts in twoes and threes, chatting excitedly over this wonderful new happening. Take Care opened the infirmary door again, leading the way inside for Trueheart, Nobleheart, Fearlessheart and Gentleheart. The five of them stepped up to the bed where Proudheart was lying in, nursing her newborn son with a deep smile, purring happily. They all smiled at seeing Frolicheart still leaning over to her, a paw resting on her shoulder while he tenderly ran a finger over the tiny little ears of his son drinking at Proudheart's breast. Both felines looked up when the two Care Bears and three Care Bear Cousins stepped up to the bed, and smiled at them. Trueheart rubbed her eyes with the back of a paw, smiling deeply.\n \"Beautiful,\" she said softly, doing her best to keep her voice from trembling. \"Just beautiful.\" She took a deep breath. \"I don't know what else to say, my sweethearts. It's just... beautiful.\"\n \"Thank you, Trrruehearrrt,\" Proudheart purred with a happy smile.\nNobleheart put one paw on Proudheart's shoulder and his other on Frolicheart's, smiling deeply too.\n \"Congratulations, Proudheart, Frolicheart,\" he said softly. \"I'm so happy for you both.\"\n \"Yeah, same here,\" Fearlessheart smiled, putting a paw on Frolicheart's other shoulder. \"That's one wonderful little kid you have there, my friend.\"\n \"Thanks, both of you,\" Frolicheart said with a smile.\nGentleheart was kneeling at the other side of the bed, one paw on Proudheart's other shoulder, looking at the drinking kitten with a smile.\n \"He's so lo-o-ovely,\" she said softly. \"A-a-and so little.\" She bent over a bit to press a soft kiss on Proudheart's cheek. \"You must be so ha-a-appy.\"\n \"Yes,\" Proudheart purred smiling. \"Yes, I am.\"\n \"Okay, that's enough now,\" Take Care said smiling, but again with that tone of authority in her voice. \"Proudheart really needs to rest now, so please leave, okay?\"\n\nThe three Care Bear Cousins and the one Care Bear nodded in agreement, and after a last look and smile at the new parents and their baby, they got out of the infirmary and went home, respectively Fearlessheart and Gentleheart, and Nobleheart and Trueheart, holding paws and talking to each other about this magnificent new event. In the infirmary, Take Care Bear readied a bed for Frolicheart, since she expected nothing else but the fawn puma wanting to stay by Proudheart's side for the whole time she would keep the kitty in her infirmary. And of course, the red-orange medical Care Bear was fully right about that.\n\nFor a course of a full two weeks, Take Care Bear kept Proudheart in her infirmary, doing daily checks on both mother and kitten, recording everything meticulously for any future reference, and in general being very content over how well everything went. The little kitten was as healthy as could be, taking good sleep, taking good meals, and just plain simply looking like a perfectly healthy Care Bear Cousin cub should. After the first week, both Proudheart and Frolicheart as well as Take Care Bear noticed with some joy that already, on the kitten's little white tummy, a symbol was forming, as his heritage was crystalizing inside of him, determining what his eventual caring mission was going to be and showing the reflection of it on his outside features. After that first week, also, Frolicheart went home every now and then, making everything in order in his and Proudheart's cloud cottage for a little kitten to be raised in. He changed the little spare room at the front of the house into a nursery, with a little crib, lots of push toys, and a glow-in-the-dark star mobile Bedtime Bear gave him. Most of the plush toys, also, were given to the new parents by the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins that came visiting in Take Care's infirmary, so Frolicheart every time had two armsful of playthings to take with him when he went home each day to work on preparing his cottage. Finally, he had everything in order by the end of the second week, which was about the time that Take Care Bear decided that it was safe enough for Proudheart to take her kitten home with her. She had found that the orange kitty was a purrrfect mother, and knew that neither Proudheart nor the newborn kitten needed her undivided medical attention anymore.\n\nSo, on a specifically sunny and cheerful Saturday morning, the medical red-orange Care Bear saw the two feline Care Bear Cousins out of her infirmary, Proudheart carrying the kitten bundled in a sheet in her arms. Just outside the Hall of Hearts, where Frolicheart had a car waiting, Take Care couldn't help giving them both a lot of last-minute tips and suggestions, plus the advice to right away call her, at any time of the day or night, when something seemed to be out of the ordinary. Both felines promised to do so, smiling, and they cheerily waved at Take Care when Frolicheart drove them away from the Hall of Hearts and to their cloud cottage in the Forest of Feelings.\n\nNot much more than three days later, a card was delivered at each and every cloud cottage in the Kingdom of Caring. It showed a picture of a tiny kitten, coral red of fur, with a large pastel yellow star-shaped patch over the left ear and eye, and a cloud-shaped pastel yellow patch over the back, right hip and the base of the tail. Careful observers could make out a small symbol on the kitten's white tummy, which showed a set of scales in perfect balance, with a smiling heart-buddy on one end and a smiling star-buddy on the other end. The picture was accompanied by the following text:\n \"Father and mother Frolicheart Puma and Proudheart Cat are proud and happy to announce the birth of their son, born on August 18th. We are calling him Best-of-BothHeart Cat.\"", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "By the way the smiling yellow sun rose over the Kingdom of Caring, with a very wide smile from side to side, it seemed like it was going to be an extraordinarily wonderful day in the cloudly kingdom. In the trees, the birds woke up and started cheerfully chirping at the smiling sun in greeting. All over Care a Lot, Care Bears woke up and opened the curtains and windows of their bedrooms, leaning out to call a happy greeting at the sun. A little further down, in the Forest of Feelings, the Care Bear Cousins were doing the very same. Except for a few. In an almost ritual usualness, Swiftheart Rabbit had already been up since the first crack of dawn to do her steady morning jog around the forest. And on a clearing in the forest, where two large buildings were accompanying a cloud cottage, two specific Care Bear Cousins also had been awake for quite some time.

Of course, the familiarity of that specific spot already made everyone know that those two Care Bear Cousins in question were the two felines who loved each other so much and were living together for quite some time already. Indeed, it were Proudheart Cat and Frolicheart Puma. From the moment the gentle silver moon had started to descend from her highest point up in the dark nightly sky, the two feline Care Bear Cousins had been lying on the roof of their cloud cottage, happily together, sharing the indefinite love they felt for each other, the indescribable feelings they had of being happy just to be in each other's presence, to feel the touch of the other's soft body, the steady soft caress of their breath-rates and the calm, content rate of their heartbeats coming and going in time.

As the smiling sun rose, her warm, gentle rays filtered through the foliage and stroked over the two felines lying on the roof of their cloud cottage, looking at the dawnbreak from the embrace of each other's arms. Proudheart was lying on her side a bit, leaning up against Frolicheart's body, her head resting on the fawn puma's chest and her arms around his shoulders. A soft, happy purr ceaselessly rolled from her soft throat the whole time as she lay there in content bliss, her eyes half squeezed. Frolicheart also had his arms lovingly folded around the orange kitty's shoulders, his head resting atop of Proudheart's head, his orange heart-shaped nose pressed against one of the kitty's soft ears and a gentle purr rising from his own throat as well. Star-buddies that floated by chittered cheerily at seeing the scene of utter serenity, and quickly floated on to leave the two felines to their happy, blissful moment. The way they were lying there, it seemed like nothing could touch them, like the influence of time went by them, like everything around them had ceased to exist. It was as if their whole world consisted solely of the embrace they held each other in. They didn't speak, they hardly even breathed, the feeling of their bodies against one another's and their respective gentle purrs saying all that needed to be said.

Unnoticed, with so slow and gentle and fluid movements they were indiscernible, the fawn puma's soft paws tenderly caressed Proudheart's soft, plushy body, running in a smooth, steady rhythm from the base of her ear down along the side of her head, across her shoulder and down along her flank to her hips, and then ever so slowly and gently back up again, only to retrace the very same path, over and over again. Purring in delight, Proudheart kept herself snuggled up tightly against Frolicheart's body, her arms around his shoulders, one of her paws tenderly scritching at the base of one of his ears. Every now and then, the very softest of giggles mingled with the orange kitty's smoothly rolling purrs, since Frolicheart had closed his lips over one of Proudheart's ears and was gently suckling at it like an infant would suck its thumb. She never altered her position, feeling way too comfy in the position she was lying in, and she delighted in the tender nibbling and soft suckling on her ear. She didn't even complain that Frolicheart's gentle actions were making her ear get slightly wet eventually, for she enjoyed it herself way too much to complain about it. It was such a sign of affection, such a story of loving, and each touch of the puma's lips, tongue or teeth on her ear made Proudheart shiver with pleasant delight and sigh contently with the loving flutters tingling through her body. It was an action that, when the mood was right, could even arouse the orange kitty.

In fact, if one would look closely, one could tell that even now, at the breaking of morning, in that so loving and tender embrace on the roof of their cottage, Proudheart's arousal was slowly rising from Frolicheart suckling and nibbling her ear. As she lay against the fawn puma's soft body, nuzzling into his fur and scritching at the base of one of his ears with one paw, her sleek orange tail flipped left and right in slow, languid motions, curling around her waist and resting on Frolicheart's lap, then once more flipping to the other side and curling around one of her legs, only to eventually uncoil from her leg and flip back to lie over her own waist and Frolicheart's lap. At the same time, her smoothly rolling purrs ever so slowly and gradually increased a little, while her calmly swelling breasts started very softly pressing into Frolicheart's chest a little. Imperceptably, the path that the fawn puma's paw described along the side of Proudheart's plushy body very slightly altered in direction, gradually going from running from the base of her ear along the side of her head and across her shoulders to a little more across her chest, his fingers ever so gently brushing over the soft mounds that had risen in the orange kittie's white chest fur. Each time Frolicheart's soft fuzzy fingers found and tenderly ran around and across one of the little perky nipples that crowned Proudheart's soft little breasts, the orange kittie let out a happy sigh between her rolling purrs and snuggled even closer into the fawn puma's fur, very soft, almost indistinguishable shivers coursing through her plushy orange body and making her sleek tail flip around again.
     "Mmmmmrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, I... I love you so, Frrrrrolichearrrrrt..." she churred under her breath, with her face buried in the fawn puma's chest fur and her eyes happily closed.
     "I know, pussycat, I so know..." Frolicheart murmured softly, keeping his head rested on Proudheart's, his nose pressed against the ear he had been softly suckling and nibbling on and his eyes squeezed contently.

Proudheart let out a long-drawn, happy sigh and cuddled up against her feline lover once more, running her nose through the puma's soft chest fur with a deep purr of delight. She softly kissed and licked at his chest and his throat, every now and then tenderly nibbling at his chest fur or nipping his throat affectionately. His purrs steadily growing deeper, the fawn puma let his soft fuzzy fingers trail along the outlines of Proudheart's fluffy little breasts, tenderly stroking them, caressing each of the perky little nipples every time his fingers found them. At each gentle touch, Proudheart's shivers of delight grew stronger and her tail swished more intensely, her purrs reverberating in her quivering throat and her trembling whiskers lightly tickling Frolicheart's chest and throat. Getting more and more caught up in the moment, the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin continued to run his gentle paws along and across his kitty-lover's soft little breasts, his fingers describing small, slow circles around her tingling, erect little pink nipples and very softly rolling them against Proudheart's warm skin. Proudheart crooned and churred delightedly and nibbled more and more on her lover's throat, her tail continually flicking around and stroking Frolicheart's hips and legs.

Bringing his other, so far stationary paw up along his pussycat's delighting body, Frolicheart gently ran his fingers across Proudheart's fuzzy tummy, tenderly scritching in slow circles that gradually reached lower and lower, until his fingers were running through the dense orange fur of the kitty's plushy thighs, making Proudheart quiver with delight and purr loudly into his chest fur while nipping his throat tenderly. The fawn feline Care Bear Cousin's gentle smile grew when his fingers registered the radiating warmth that escaped the secret crevice between his feline lover's perfectly soft thighs. While his one paw continued to treat Proudheart's soft little breasts to the tenderest, most loving touches he could give her, expressing his special love for those two wonderfully soft, silky little mounds on his pussycat's delicate chest, his other paw very slowly started to slide up and down along the insides of Proudheart's plushy orange thighs, his fingers softly tickling through her glossy orange fur, the tips of them every now and then brushing slightly over the gradually swelling lips of the orange feline Care Bear Cousin's outer labia. At each touch, a soft moan of delight escaped Proudheart's quivering throat, and she squeezed her eyes. Her supple thighs almost automatically parted a little, allowing Frolicheart's caressing and slightly teasing paw easier access to her sensitivity. Her tail swishing around again, the sleek, tenable extremity coiled itself around Frolicheart's wrist, almost seeming to beg the fawn puma to not remove his paw from that area in a silent but well-understood gesture. Nibbling tenderly on his whiskers, Proudheart's quavering purrs told her gentle lover the exact same thing.

Smiling and nibbling still on Proudheart's ear, Frolicheart let his one paw ceaselessly caress the soft little mounds of plushy fur and tender flesh on his lover-kitty's chest, while his other paw very calmly and smoothly moved to propitiate the desire that Proudheart was wordlessly enunciating to him. Running incessantly through the waves of glossy, silken orange fur on Proudheart's thighs, the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin's proficient fingertips more regularly brushed ever so slightly over the warm, fluffy lips of the orange kitty's longing love-spot. More and deeper quivers of delight and pleasure tingled through Proudheart's slender body at every light touch of her expert tomcat's fingertips, her eloquent tail curling and coiling around his legs and his arm, her fur rippling at every delightful shiver. Her rolling purrs gradually changed into pleasurable sighs and quiet moans, muffled by Frolicheart's dense white chest fur, as the fawn puma improved his slightly teasing actions by running the tip of one of his fingers across the damp crevice between the swollen outer lips of the orange feline Care Bear Cousin's quivering pussy. Pressing herself up against Frolicheart's soft body as tightly as she could, Proudheart quietly whimpered out her pleasure in chirping little mewls, her sexual dampness steadily growing into a warm wetness. At each soft touch of her lover-cat's gentle fingers, she lifted her hips a little, pressing herself against Frolicheart's fuzzy paw, her longing, her desire speaking from each trembling stir of her plushy body. Time went by unnoticed to the two feline Care Bear Cousins as the warm, tingling atmosphere of love and pleasurable desire enveloped them more and more at each action and reaction of their bodies to each other's.

Exulting in the pleasurable shivers and delighted moans and whimpers his tender fingertips drew from his lover-kittie, Frolicheart recommenced to administer each loving touch his paws and fingers could induce, lifting his beloved Proudheart ever higher into the downy clouds of delectation. Her soft, slender body shuddered and trembled against his, her whimpered moans growing stronger into his throat fur as the enjoying orange kitty kept lifting her hips to meet Frolicheart's fingers. The warm wetness between Proudheart's soft thighs grew even more, and her swollen orange pussy quivered with the trembling of her muscles as an exhilarating climax started building up inside of her. Still muffling her moans and whimpered mewls of desire and passion into Frolicheart's throat fur, the orange pussycat stretched and parted her legs, her tail rigid behind her and her paws squeezing the fawn puma's shoulders when her pussy trembled hard and clenched around Frolicheart's finger as it released a warm flow of sticky love-juices. For a moment, Proudheart's breath stalled and all her muscles went taut, a deep, quiet moan dying in Frolicheart's throat fur. Then the orange feline Care Bear Cousin slowly relaxed and sank down limply against her lover's body, breathing deep, trembling purrs with her eyes still closed contentedly. As the flames of passion inside of Proudheart died down into warmly glowing embers of satisfaction, she slowly opened her eyes and cast them upon Frolicheart's face. The twinkle that brightened up her pretty amber eyes and made them sparkle like deep yellow topazes in the dawn's early light said everything that mere words could not express as their gazes locked onto each other, and without a sound, they leaned their heads towards one another's and pressed their lips onto each other's, sinking away into a deep, loving kiss. Slowly crawling over Proudheart, laying down on her and sinking into her, Frolicheart completed their moment of tender love-making in the unique manner that only his one and only true love could bring out in him.

An hour or two later, when the daily routine of Care a Lot and the Forest of Feelings had already well gotten into gear, the two felines were found in their front garden, or more specifically both in the same hammock hanging between two of the trees standing a little at the side of their cloud cottage. Frolicheart was lying on his back in it, his tail calmly dangling over the side, while Proudheart had snuggled herself onto his chest and tummy, her face buried in the soft fur on the puma's throat. They had their arms around each other again, and a soft, content two-voiced purr gently reverberated through the still morning air as both feline Care Bear Cousins lay there basking in the warm loving glow of each other's presence. However, this blissful moment seemed not made to last. After some time, Frolicheart opened his eyes a little and flickered one of his ears when a soft sound nearby attracted his attention. With his arms still around his beloved pussycat, trying not to disturb her peaceful position, Frolicheart rose up slightly and raised his head a little, looking around him at what it could have been that had made the sound which had roused him from his blissful slumber. A moment later, his eyes found the source of the sound. Coming from the rainbow path, bashfully looking around her, it was Feralheart Vixen who was hesitantly approaching the felines' cloud cottage. Not really wanting to do it but having no real other option at the moment, Frolicheart brought his paws to Proudheart's shoulders and very gently lifted the purring pussycat a little off his chest. Roused by the movement, Proudheart opened her eyes and looked down upon Frolicheart with a soft smile.
     "Is something the matterrr, Frrolichearrrt?" she asked purring.
Frolicheart nodded smiling and motioned with his head towards the rainbow path.
     "Feralheart is coming, and it seems like she's needing us."

Proudheart also looked around and smiled again when she saw the shy, secluded vixen slowly making her way towards the driveway of their cloud cottage. With a movement so smooth the hammock barely reacted to it, the orange kitty airily leaped out of the hammock and shook herself slightly after her feet had touched the clouds. Frolicheart also climbed out of the hammock and ran a paw over the tuft of fur upside his head, smoothening it a bit. Joining paws, the two cats stepped around the cottage and onto the driveway, walking out to meet Feralheart. Seeing them approaching, Feralheart stopped and twirled her paws into each other behind her back, her head slightly canted downwards, her eyes directed at the clouds below her feet.
     "Good morning, Feralheart," Frolicheart greeted the vixen in a friendly voice. "Is there anything we can do for you?"
Feralheart nodded slowly, her eyes still cast down. Slowly, however, she looked up a bit to meet Frolicheart's gaze.
     "I... I was out at the end of the forest yesterday, Frolicheart," she started. "And... I came to that place where you found Fearlessheart, after he had been gone for so long a time, do you remember?"

Frolicheart nodded, a bit gravely. He remembered finding his best friend back after a long time of absence alright. It was not the most pleasant of his memories, since it included the terrible vision of Fearlessheart being emaciated and drawn back into a primeordeal state of mind, resulting in Frolicheart having to deliver a hard fight with his best friend. And it also included the horrifying memory of Fearlessheart bringing out a Japanese sword with the intention to take his own life with it.
     "I do remember that, Feralheart," he said quietly. "Why is it you came to ask me that?"
     "Well..." The vixen shuffled a little with a foot, looking down at the clouds again with her paws still twirled into each other behind her back. "I've... I've been around that spot, and I saw... I saw that... that... terrible, knife, is still sticking into that poor tree." Feralheart slowly looked back up at Frolicheart's face, and in her eyes lay a desperate plea. "I could not remove it myself, Frolicheart," she said in a soft voice. "It is in too deep; I could not get it out. So... I, uh... I wanted to... to ask you, would you please, please, go there as soon as you can and get that dreadful thing out of that poor tree? Please?"

Despite the serious, almost anxious look in the nature-bonded vixen's eyes, Frolicheart could not help letting out a very soft chuckle, although he was careful not to let Feralheart notice. Behind him, also Proudheart placed a paw over her mouth to hide the fact she was letting a slight giggle escape herself at the vixen's question. Regaining the control over his amusement, Frolicheart looked at Feralheart with a smile.
     "I will go right now, Feralheart, don't you worry. I'll get Fearlessheart's sword out of that tree, and I promise I'll be as careful as I can, okay?"
Feralheart looked up at the fawn puma with a look of relief and gratitude.
     "Thank you, Frolicheart, thank you so much," she said softly. "I'm sorry to bother you with this, but... but I just couldn't... I just couldn't stand the sight of that... that knife in that tree."
     "I understand, Feralheart, and again, I promise you I will go to remove it right now," Frolicheart smiled.

Feralheart nodded gratefully and slowly shook Frolicheart's paw before shuffling away and disappearing between the trees again, as silent and inconspicuous as she had arrived. The fawn puma looked after her for a moment, then turned around to meet Proudheart's twinkling gaze. The orange kitty was still holding her paw over her mouth, her entire facial expression showing the amusement she was feeling. Frolicheart stepped up to her, took her head in both his paws and leaned in to press a soft kiss on her lips, after having pulled down her paw.
     "Well pussycat, seems like I have a little chore to do right now, so I hope you're not too disappointed we'll have to interrupt our nap for a little while?"
     "Hmmhm, no... no, not at all, sweethearrrt," Proudheart said with a slight giggle. "I can... I can so underrrstand Ferrralhearrt's concerrn about that poorrr trree."
     "Right," Frolicheart chuckled. "Well, I'd better be off then."

He kissed Proudheart again. Then he walked back to the driveway and got into his silver-colored 1980 Pontiac Phoenix, starting the engine and driving off with a cheery wave at Proudheart looking after him. With the windows open and the radio softly playing, Frolicheart drove through the Forest of Feelings calmly, enjoying the lovely weather. His drive took him through the entire forest, all the way to the northern end where it tapered into a point that led into the no man's land between the Forest of Feelings and professor Coldheart's icy kingdom. Driving a bit slower, the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin looked around him while slowly driving in the direction of the large mountain that formed a frilly horizon to the north. He softly shook his head over the memories that rolled through his mind at seeing the familiarly desolate landscape around him. After some time, he arrived at a large prickle bush, the same prickle bush he had found his best friend's black Dodge Challenger in when he had been looking for him. Stopping the car, Frolicheart got out and looked around him. The lonely cry of a bird high in the sky above the mountain sent an involuntary shiver down his spine as he tried to locate the exact spot where he had prevented Fearlessheart from carrying out the most gruesome ritual he could ever imagine. It wasn't before too long when the fawn puma noticed the tree in which the Japanese Tanto blade had planted itself after he had kicked it from Fearlessheart's paw a long time ago.

Shaking his head once again, Frolicheart stepped over to the tree and looked at it. The sword was buried up to the half of the blade into the trunk of the tree, quite high up. Standing on the tips of his toes, the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin just managed to reach the hilt, and he took it firmly in both paws, tugging at it. The sword, however, did not budge. Frolicheart kept trying, tugging and yanking at the sword, but he didn't manage to pull it out of the tree's trunk. After some time, Frolicheart gave up and leaned against the tree for a bit to catch his breath.
     "Sheesh!" he panted. "No wonder Feralheart couldn't get it out. Man is that thing wedged in tightly!"
He drew a couple of deep breaths and once more gathered his strength to try again. This time, he yanked and tugged at the hilt of the sword, trying to wriggle it so it might get a bit more loose, however with still not very much result.
     "Good... stars..!" the fawn puma gasped while pulling at the sword. "This... almost seems like... the legend... of King Arthur..! Whoever manages... to pull the sword out... of the stone, or... in this case, tree... will become the... king of... England..! Almost makes one... wish the dude was... here right now to... lend a hand..!"

Again, the puma sank down against the tree gasping and panting, sweat running down his face. He sat down on the clouds, with his back against the tree, and leaned his head in his paws, breathing deeply. Every now and then he twisted his head and looked upwards at the unwilling sword, and suddenly a grim frown formed upon his face. He rose up again and rubbed his paws together, obviously determined not to let himself be put down by a silly sword. Once more grabbing the hilt in both paws, Frolicheart pulled himself up and placed his feet against the trunk of the tree, arching his back and using his entire body as leverage to put as much strength as he could behind his pulling and tugging. Squeezing his eyes and clenching his teeth, Frolicheart pulled for all he was worth. Very slowly, he felt the sword giving way just a little bit. Encouraged, he drew a deep breath and put all his strength into pulling one last time. Very unexpectedly, the sword flew out of the tree trunk, providing a spectacular scene. With all his strength put into the pulling, Frolicheart was suddenly catapulted backwards, his paws with the sword in it flying over his head as he flew backwards from the tree. As he landed on his back on the clouds, the Tanto flew from his grip and propelled through the air. Frolicheart shook his head a bit and grinned softly at his sudden unexpected success, but he looked around at the sound of a blunt smack somewhere behind him.
     "Oh good grief, would you believe the stupidity!"

The displeased exclamation from the fawn puma was more or less justified. In a freak coincidence, as the sword had flown from his paws when he had suddenly pulled it free from the tree, it had flown through the air and planted itself into the trunk of another tree standing a little way off. Rising up from the clouds, Frolicheart stepped over to that tree, muttering something under his breath. He rubbed his paws together again and made a gesture with his paws along his arms as if rolling up his sleeves, then firmly grabbed the hilt of the sword in both paws and gave a tremendous yank at it. Luckily, since the sword had only freshly been placed into the tree, it let itself be removed rather somewhat more easily than from the first tree. Huffing softly while catching his breath, Frolicheart started walking around slowly with the sword in his paw, his look directed at the clouds. After some time, he located the metal tube the sword was supposed to be sheathed in, and the fawn puma did just that. Then he walked back to his car, tossed the sword on the backseat and got in behind the wheel. For some time, he just sat there, the driver door open, his legs dangling outside of the car and his head resting in his paws as he took deep, slow breaths to regain the control over his short, gasping breath-rate. When he had, he twisted around in the driver's seat, closed the door, started the engine and drove back into the Forest of Feelings. A couple of hours later, he was back at his cloud cottage. As he got out of his car with the sword, he smiled deeply when he saw Proudheart lying in the hammock by herself, snoozing delightedly. At the fawn puma closing the door of his car, however, Proudheart looked up and around, and hopped out of the hammock with a smile when she noticed her lover stepping up to her.
     "I see you completed yourr chorrre with success?" she asked with a smile.
     "Indeed I have, but please don't ask me how," Frolicheart smirked.
     "Hm? Why?" Proudheart asked, a little bit surprised.

Frolicheart told her what had happened, his first fruitless attempts to pull the sword out of the tree, and then the dumb coincidence of it getting stuck in another tree when he finally managed to pull it out of the one it was originally stuck in. At the end of the puma's story, Proudheart leaned her head in her neck and laughed heartedly, very much amused. Frolicheart smirked again, laying the sword down on a garden table.
     "Oh sure, laugh at me, why don't you!" he grinned. "Whatever happened to a little sympathy for me poor boy who had such trouble on a chore a friend asked him to do?"
     "Ha ha ha... oh... oh, I'm... I'm sorrry, sweethearrt..!" Proudheart hiccuped with laughter. "But it's... it's just so... hilarrrious! Ha ha haaa!"
     "Hilarious, huh?" Frolicheart grinned. "Well, you just wait! Come here you, I'll teach you to laugh at me!"

He jumped at Proudheart. The orange kitty let out a cheerful squeal and ran off. Frolicheart commenced pursuit, and for some time the two felines playfully chased each other around and around their cloud cottage. Finally, Frolicheart managed to overtake Proudheart and jumped at her again, making them both roll over and over on the clouds, playfully cuffing and nipping at each other like a pair of exuberant kittens, laughing happily. Eventually, Frolicheart pinned Proudheart down against the clouds and started mercilessly tickling her. The orange feline Care Bear Cousin squealed and giggled and squirmed, trampling with her feet and trying to get Frolicheart to stop tickling. After some time he did, and they just lay on top of each other, looking at one another with loving twinkles in their eyes.
     "There, I hope you've learned your lesson now, missy," Frolicheart grinned, pressing his orange heart-shaped nose against Proudheart's. "You'd better not laugh at me, because then I'll get you!"
Proudheart breathed deeply and folded her arms around Frolicheart's shoulders, smiling warmly.
     "You... you surrre do, loverrrboy," she giggled softly. "Mee-yow, just look, you got me all hot and sweaty."
     "Gee wiz, you're right," Frolicheart grinned, kissing Proudheart's forehead and nuzzling her ears. "Now what should we do about that?"
Proudheart stuck her tongue out with a giggle and wriggled out from underneath Frolicheart's body.
     "A bath seems in orrrderr, methinks."

She scrambled up and walked towards the cottage, swaying her hips and swishing her tail in a seductive manner. With a grin, Frolicheart also scrambled up and quickly followed Proudheart into their cottage. Going straight up to the bathroom, Proudheart drew a nice warm bath, pouring in a generous gush of jasmine-scented bubble bath. Frolicheart grinned slightly at the mountain of foam that formed on the surface of the water. They stepped into the tub, and the fawn puma pushed the rich foam a bit apart so he could keep his beloved pussycat in sight. Proudheart, being in a slightly teasing mood, started washing herself while pretending she did not notice Frolicheart was there in the tub with her at all. She simply took a sponge and cleaned all the sweat off her slender orange body, humming a cheerful tune to herself. Grinning, Frolicheart first took a little time to wash the sweat left all over him by the intensity of his work to get Fearlessheart's sword out of that tree off himself, and then he just sat in the tub, leaning against the rim of it with his back, looking at Proudheart washing herself with an air of not knowing he was there.

When the kitty was fully done with her wash, she rose up in the bath tub and reached over Frolicheart's head for the shower that was on the wall behind him. As she was still pretending not to know the puma was there, Frolicheart rose up a little with a grin and teasingly poked Proudheart's tummy with a finger.
     "Say pussycat, are you going to ignore me for very much longer?"
     "Hmm?" Proudheart giggled softly, looking down. "What arrre you talking about, Frrolichearrrt? Me ignorrring you?" She put up an innocent face. "I'm not ignorrring you. I was just verrry busy getting myself clean. You should know how meticulous we felines arrre in that."
     "Oh sure, sure," Frolicheart grinned, again softly poking the kitty's tummy with a finger. "So are you done now, or what?"
     "Almost, my dearrr boy, almost," Proudheart giggled. "I just need to rrrinse myself off still."
     "Of course," Frolicheart chuckled.

Not answering, Proudheart turned her look back at the shower head and turned on the taps. As the warm water cascaded down upon her, the orange kitty raised her arms into the air and let the water flow down her body, taking all the foam with it. With a soft grin, Frolicheart helped along a bit by running both his paws along Proudheart's body, stroking the water down her slender flanks and over her soft chest and tummy. When all the foam had landed in the tub and Proudheart's fur was all glossy orange and white again, the kitty turned off the taps and let out a cheery squeal of happy surprise when Frolicheart teasingly prodded his finger at the susceptible spot between her plushy legs.
     "Mmm, look at that, lovely," the fawn puma grinned. "All nice and clean. I just looove a hygienic pussy."
     "You do," Proudheart giggled.
     "Ohh you better believe it, pussycat," Frolicheart grinned.

He folded his arms around Proudheart's waist and softly pulled her closer towards him, nuzzling his face between her wet thighs. Proudheart let out another cheery giggle and leaned with her paws against the wall, placing her head in her neck and closing her eyes when the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin's tongue darted across her damp orange pussy, soon making it become wet with quite something else than the water that had run down her body from the shower. Soft moans and purrs of delight came from the kitty's throat as Frolicheart rubbed his paws over her soft butt and caressed the base of her sleek tail, his tongue slowly running all over and between the puffy lips of her orange pussy, teasing Proudheart to the upper peaks of lust and desire very quickly.
     "Mmmmm... yesssss... please, give it to me, loverrrrrboy..." Proudheart crooned with her head in her neck and her eyes closed. "Ohhhhh... you'rrre so... so good... Ahhhhh... please, don't stop..."

She grabbed the bar of the shower to keep herself upright on her feet in the bath tub, her legs trembling and her wet, sleek tail swishing to and fro, sending droplets of water flying around the bathroom. Never stopping his soft caressing of Proudheart's soft butt and the base of her tail with his paws, Frolicheart buried his muzzle between his lover-kitty's silky thighs and slipped his tongue inside of her, teasingly twirling it around to caress each and every sensitive part of Proudheart's tender fleshy vaginal walls. His orange heart-shaped nose rubbed up against the kitty's sensitive, swollen clit, sending sparks of sensual electricity shooting through her body ever faster and intenser. Adding the trembling sensation of a soft purr to the pleasure he was giving Proudheart, the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin brought Proudheart to the heavenly mountaintops of pleasure, and the orange kitty squealed out her lust when she flew down from them in a sensational free-fall, her enjoying pussy tightening around the puma's tongue and releasing a warm flow of sticky juices into Frolicheart's mouth. Slobbering happily, the fawn puma lapped up all the sweet nectar his purrfect lover gave him, his heart-shaped orange nose still non-stop running over her throbbing clit in a gentle rhythm.

When finally Proudheart had come down from the peaks of her climax, she slowly sank down into the bath tub, chest to chest with her wonderful feline lover, until her lips found Frolicheart's and locked onto them in a passionate kiss. Purring happily, Frolicheart answered the kiss, his paws slowly running up from Proudheart's soft butt to her shoulders, and folding around them to hold his pussycat in a loving embrace while they kissed. Right at the moment Proudheart opened her eyes and sent Frolicheart a loving look, the phone in the living room rang. Shaking her ears and running her tongue across her lips, Proudheart drew a deep breath and looked around with a soft giggle.
     "Wouldn't you know, always when you'rrre in the tub." She looked back at Frolicheart and pressed a soft kiss on his nose, smiling. "Well, at least it's timed rratherr well. Thank you everrr so much forr that incrredibly wonderrrful pleasure, my sweethearrrt, but beforrre we continue I think we could betterr see who is meaning to disturrb ourrr fun, hm?"
     "Yes, I think we'd better, otherwise we would just get annoyingly distracted by that ringing," Frolicheart chuckled.
     "How verrry trrue," Proudheart chortled.

After another soft kiss on the puma's lips, she rose up and stepped out of the bath tub, finding a towel and rubbing the worst of the water off her fur. Frolicheart followed her example, and they both wrapped their towels around their waist before walking down the stairs to the living room. The phone was still ringing, indicating that whatever the message from the other end of the line was, it most probably was quite important. Frolicheart took the receiver off the hook and held it to his ear with a smile and a wink at Proudheart.
     "Yeeess?" he said in a slightly drawling voice. Very soon, however, his eyes widened a bit, and he rose up a little more. "What? Really, now? I may hope that it will be for good news? Uhuh... uhuh... yes, of course, I understand. We're on our way." He put the phone down and smiled at Proudheart, who was looking at him wondrously. "The Care Bear Council wants to see us both, pussycat. They're waiting for us in the Hall of Hearts. C'mon, we'd better not keep them waiting too long."

Proudheart nodded in agreement, and the two felines climbed the stairs again, returning to the bathroom. While Frolicheart drained the tub and took another towel to rub his fur dry, Proudheart got out a blowdryer and blowdried her fur quickly. When they both had also brushed their fur so they looked all neat and glossy again, they went back down the stairs and got into the silvergrey Pontiac. Frolicheart quickly drove them to Care a Lot, parked at the Hall of Hearts, and while holding paws the two feline Care Bear Cousins went inside. At the large heart-shaped symposium table, the Care Bear Council was waiting for them, consisting this time of Tenderheart Bear, Trueheart Bear, Grams Bear, Nobleheart Horse and Braveheart Lion, indicating that it was about a really important matter, since the five of them were about the most important Care Bears in the whole Kingdom of Caring.
     "Ah, Fjolicheart, Pjoudheart," Tenderheart said when the two felines entered the room. He motioned with a paw. "Please do have a seat, we wish to speak with the both of you about your request to the Council for pejmission to get married."
Frolicheart and Proudheart sat down opposite the three Care Bears and the two Care Bear Cousins, looking at them with slightly tense, expectant looks, holding paws. Trueheart rose up a little and looked back at them with a soft smile.
     "We were quite surprised, Frolicheart, Proudheart, to learn of your desire to wed," she said. "I take it that you two are really serious about this?"
     "As serious as we have ever been about anything, Trueheart," Frolicheart nodded.
     "You do realize what an important commitment this is?" Nobleheart said.
     "It is no morrre imporrtant a commitment than ourr tasks in the Carrre Bearr Family, Noblehearrrt," Proudheart said with a smile. "We so verrry much love each otherr that this is not so much a commitment rratherrr than a consummation of ourr love, and we just want to show to everrryone how deeply we love each otherrr."
     "That sounds just about right," Braveheart nodded with a smile.
     "Do you know you two will be the first ones of the Care Bear Family to get officially married?" Grams spoke up smiling.
     "We do know that, Grams, and although it did slightly surprise us that no one else so far has taken this step, it did not hold us back for one second to undertake it ourselves," Frolicheart smiled.

Grams, Trueheart, Nobleheart, Braveheart and Tenderheart looked at each other smiling and softly nodding with their heads. Then Trueheart turned back to face Proudheart and Frolicheart.
     "It fills us with happiness that you are so eager to officiate the bond there is between you, my sweethearts, and there is nothing else I can say that not only you have our permission, but we all hope you two will be happy together for ever and ever."

Again, Nobleheart, Tenderheart, Braveheart and Grams nodded in agreement, and Proudheart let out a happy squeal and flung her arms around Frolicheart's neck, kissing him deeply. When she had let go, the three Care Bears and the two Care Bear Cousins leaned over the heart-shaped table to shake paws with the two felines, and they once again wished them all the good luck in the world. For some time, they sat together to speak some more, discussing a number of arrangements that should be made, and both Proudheart and Frolicheart expressed their wish that the news was held a secret to the rest of the Care Bear Family until the actual day, for they wanted it to be a surprise. Of course, that promise was made, and an hour or two later, the two feline Care Bear Cousins left the Hall of Hearts in high spirits, now not holding paws but with an arm around each other's shoulders, pressed closed together.

As they arrived at their cloud cottage in the Forest of Feelings and got out of the car, Proudheart again hugged Frolicheart tightly and pressed herself against his body as they walked up the driveway to the front door. They went inside and sank down on the sofa, holding each other and happily cuddling. Proudheart brought her mouth to one of Frolicheart's ears and softly nipped it before whispering into it.
     "Oh sweethearrrt, I'm so happy!" She let out a very soft giggle. "And they still don't even know the extrrra rreason why we asked them this."
     "Yes, are we good at keeping secrets or what?" Frolicheart grinned softly, running a paw over Proudheart's tummy.
The orange kitty giggled softly again and placed her paw over the one Frolicheart was stroking her tummy with.
     "Well, so farrr we can still manage to keep it a secrrret because it doesn't show yet, but I suppose they will guess what is going on when I starrrt swelling up." She buried her face in the fur on Frolicheart's shoulder and sighed happily. "Ohh, but I'm just so incrrredibly happy that we will be going to have a kitten togetherrr, Frrolichearrrt."
     "So am I, pussycat, so am I," Frolicheart murmured into Proudheart's ear smiling. He leaned his head back a little and put a finger on the kitty's orange heart-shaped nose. "And you know something else? It'll be extra special even, because our kitten will be the very first actual newborn in the Kingdom of Caring."
     "Mmmmm," Proudheart murmured happily. She looked up with a deep smile. "I do know that, my love. Even Hugs and Tugs werrre not borrn herrre." She sighed deeply and happily, burying her face into the fur on Frolicheart's shoulder again. "Hmmm, but I don't mind about how special it is forrr the Kingdom of Carrring, I only carrre about how special it is forrr us, sweethearrrt."

Frolicheart nodded softly, leaning his head sideways to softly kiss Proudheart's ears. Both felines sank into a content silence, which was only broken by both their happy purrs as they lay on the sofa in each other's arms, once more taken up into the indescribable atmosphere of love between them.

The next morning, after breakfast, the smiling sun found the two feline Care Bear Cousins sitting on the large porch swing, holding each other with a purr. After some time, however, Frolicheart let go of Proudheart and rose up, stepping inside his cottage after a soft kiss on the kitty's orange heart-shaped nose. Some time later, he came back outside again, holding a small carrier bag with something in it. Proudheart canted her head a bit and looked at the carrier bag with curiosity.
     "What is that you have therrre, Frrolichearrrt?"
With a smile, Frolicheart opened the carrier bag and took out the sheathed Tanto blade he had retrieved from the tree it had been stuck in the previous day.
     "Just this, pussycat. I'm going to visit Fearlessheart and return this to him. It is his, after all."
     "Don't you think..." Proudheart started.
Frolicheart shook his head.
     "No, pussycat, I don't think he will do anything silly with it, and I trust him. I want to go show him just how much I trust him by giving him this sword back."
Proudheart smiled and rose up from the swing to hug Frolicheart.
     "You'rrre so sweet."
     "I know that," Frolicheart grinned, hugging Proudheart back.
The orange feline Care Bear Cousin giggled and playfully ruffled the tuft of fur between Frolicheart's ears with a paw.
     "Well, you rrun along then, boy, I'll just go sit herrre and enjoy the sun." She giggled softly and winked at Frolicheart. "Oh yes, and I will call Gentlehearrt and ask herr to come overrr so I can ask herr a cerrrtain question."
     "Yes, you do that, pussycat," Frolicheart smiled. "I won't be long."

He softly kissed Proudheart again, and then set off for Gentleheart Lamb's cloud cottage, where his best friend Fearlessheart Fox also lived in. Being in a very unusual mood this morning, Frolicheart decided not to take any of his cars, but walk through the forest to Gentleheart's. Oh well, but it was a very nice day after all, and despite his love for cars and driving them, Frolicheart did enjoy a leisurely stroll every now and then. He hummed a merry tune to himself while walking down the rainbow paths, sometimes whistling softly, or calling out a cheery greeting to any of the other Care Bear Cousins he came upon during his walk. For a few moments, he stood still and looked in silence, with a smile, as he came at the spot where Proudheart used to live in the forest, looking at the beautiful cottage he had built there for the orange kitty after her original cottage had been washed away by the flood Noheart had once unleashed upon the Forest of Feelings.
     'A shame that we never got to using it,' the puma thought to himself with a smile. 'It looks really beautiful, if I may say so myself. Hm, ah well, I'm sure we'll find a destination for it sooner or later.'

He shrugged slightly and continued on his walk. It was quite a way from his cloud cottage to Gentleheart's, a distance justifying taking a car for, actually, but Frolicheart didn't mind at all walking all the way now. He just enjoyed the lovely weather and the sounds of the forest around him as he continued walking. After some time, he left the main rainbow path and turned onto a narrower one which led him between the trees, and he calmly walked over to the secluded cloud cottage at the far end of the narrow rainbow path. As he came closer and got the cottage in view, he held in his pace for a second and smiled at what he saw ahead of him. There was a Cloudsmobile on the driveway, with the hood standing open, and a fox was half buried in it, the fluffy white-tipped brush tail languidly swinging a little from left to right.
     "Fearlessheart, what are you doing in there?" Frolicheart asked when he had stepped up to the scene.
Fearlessheart got out from under the hood, rose up and looked around. He smiled.
     "Oh, hi Frolicheart," he said. "I was just trying to figure out how these things work. Maybe I can do something to get a little more power out of them."
Frolicheart smiled at the vulpine Care Bear Cousin.
     "You never could resist tinkering, could you?"
     "Nah, I just can't help it," Fearlessheart responded with a shrug and a grin.
     "Does Gentleheart know what you're doing?" Frolicheart asked.
Fearlessheart grinned a bit wider.
     "Are you nuts? If she knew what I was doing with her car, she'd kick my fuzzy butt from one end of the forest to the other. Besides, I'm only looking, I haven't touched anything yet." He winked slightly, grinning. "And besides again, she got a phone-call just now and told me she had to leave for a little while, and I only started looking at this here car after she had left."
     "I see," Frolicheart said, trying to restrain himself.
Fearlessheart grinned even that much wider, and in order to try and draw the fawn puma's attention away from the car, he nodded at the small carrier bag Frolicheart had with him.
     "So, what's that you have there?"
Frolicheart looked down at the bag, and then back up at his vulpine friend. A wide smile decorated his face.
     "A little gift for you. Listen, Feralheart came to me yesterday, and she told me something, and then asked me a favor. Out in the no man's land, near that mountain where you've been hiding yourself for a while, was still something that belongs to you. I went to pick it up, and..." He held out the carrier bag to Fearlessheart. "As I said, for one thing, it's yours, and for another, I'd like to show you with returning this to you that I trust you enough to know you won't be using it for anything stupid anymore."

With a little surprise, Fearlessheart accepted the bag, opened it and looked in it. His eyes widened for a moment, and he slowly reached into the bag, pulling out the twelve-inch-long round tube with a handle protruding from it. It was that very same Japanese Tanto blade that the fox had once almost used to take his life with. For a while he looked at it in silence, but then he looked back up at Frolicheart.
     "Come inside with me for a moment, Frolicheart," he said softly. "I wanna show you something."

This time it was the fawn puma's turn to be slightly surprised. He followed Fearlessheart into Gentleheart's cloud cottage. The fox led the way to the very back, to the little spare room where the boxes with his belongings had been stored after he'd moved in with Gentleheart. When the two Care Bear Cousins were standing in the little room, between the boxes, Fearlessheart pointed at one of them. With a black felt-tip marker, the words "my collection" had been written on that box. Frolicheart knew what to expect inside that box. Before the serious trouble had arisen with Fearlessheart, which had led to the fox leaving the Forest of Feelings for some time, Frolicheart had been in the cloud cottage where Fearlessheart lived in a couple of times, and he had seen how his vulpine friend had a whole collection of Oriental swords and daggers and such, each of them representing a certain era in Oriental history, one of the interests of Fearlessheart. Without a word, the orangy red vulpine Care Bear Cousin now opened the flaps of the box and motioned for Frolicheart to look into it. Doing that, Frolicheart drew a deep breath of surprise. The box was empty. Looking back at Fearlessheart, the fawn puma found the fox smiling weakly at him.
     "I got rid of each and every one of them, Frolicheart," he said in a soft voice. "I realized just how destructive a hobby it has been of mine, a hobby that not only almost cost me my life, but even worse, it almost cost me our friendship. So I got rid of them." He looked at the Tanto he still held in his paw, and reached out that paw to Frolicheart. "You take this one, my friend. Do with it what you see fit to do with it. See it as a token of my desire to let you know I will never, ever, try something so stupid again. Okay?"

Silently, Frolicheart accepted the Japanese sword. For a while, he looked straight at Fearlessheart, and the fox looked straight back at him, not saying a word. Then Frolicheart wrapped his arms around the fox's shoulders, pulled him close and patted his back. When they broke apart, the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin sent Fearlessheart a very deep smile.
     "That is one of the greatest things I have ever heard you tell me, my dear friend," he smiled. "I am so happy about this." They started walking towards the living room. "So, on another topic, have you decided what to do with the money from parting out the Dodge... or what was left of it, anyway?"
     "Yeah, I did," Fearlessheart nodded. "I've decided that for everyday driving and whatnot, I'm just going use a Cloudsmobile like everyone else." Frolicheart looked a bit crestfallen; he hadn't expected that from his car-enthusiastic friend. Fearlessheart smiled a bit at the fawn puma's expression. "But, for emergencies I have something a little sportier than a Cloudsmobile," he continued. "Follow me." Fearlessheart led him through the corridor to the kitchen, and from there out of the back door and to a shop out back, behind the cottage. "Gentleheart let me build this back here so I have a place to tinker and leave her alone to enjoy her books. It works out well, Brightheart helped me to soundproof the walls so I could make as much noise as I want and Gentleheart'd never hear it."

Going into the shop, Frolicheart saw it to be the typical shop of any serious mechanic. Wrap around air supply for air tools, a large roll-away tool chest, and even a car lift right behind the large shop door. His look around was a bit jealous even. Fearlessheart's workshop looked more professional as his own, even though he often worked on multiple cars in his. In any way it looked way more organized. Standing in the middle of the shop was what looked like a car covered with a white tarp, which right away attracted the fawn puma's attention.
     "What's that?" Frolicheart asked, very curious.
Fearlessheart smiled again.
     "Well, I was going to wait until I had it finished before I unveiled it, but I suppose you can see it now since you're here."

Stepping over to the tarp-covered car, Fearlessheart pulled the cover off to reveal a 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge. The large, low car was fox-orange from bumper to bumper. Opening the driver door and reaching inside, Fearlessheart popped the hood to reveal the 455 cubic inch big block engine. Frolicheart stood there, slack-jawed.
     "It's... it's... it's..." was all the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin could manage.
     "It's something alright, isn't it?" Fearlessheart asked him with a grin.
     "Well, yeh!" Frolicheart suddenly burst out enthusiastically. He eyed the mechanical candy again. "One question though? Where's all the intake parts? There's no carb, no intake manifold, nothing."
     "Oh, I took all that off," Fearlessheart shrugged airily. "I had to, really, to make room for this."

Fearlessheart wheeled over a cart from the corner. It contained a chrome-plated B&M supercharger with dual Holley 750 carburators. Frolicheart looked from the supercharger, to the car, to Fearlessheart, with wide eyes. He slowly pointed a finger at the fox's heart-shaped nose.
     "I hate you."
Fearlessheart just smiled one of his big toothy grins.
     "Thanks, I'm glad to have you for a friend too." He wheeled the cart with the supercharger back to its corner of the workshop. "Well, apart from hating me, did you come by for anything else as well perhaps?"
     "Well, I did actually come here to ask you a favor," Frolicheart said with a smile.
     "Sure, ask away," Fearlessheart said.
     "Let me start by asking you if you can keep a secret, Fearlessheart," Frolicheart said.
Noticing the slight look of seriousness on the puma's face, Fearlessheart closed the hood of the GTO, sat down on it with his feet leaning on the front bumper, and he patted the hood of the car with a paw.
     "Come sit with me, Frolicheart, and tell me what's on your mind," he said. "Your secret is safe with me, trust me."
With a smile, Frolicheart also sat down on the Pontiac's hood and leaned his feet on the front bumper, and he turned to Fearlessheart a bit.
     "Well, you see, the thing is, Fearlessheart, Proudheart is pregnant, and..."
He didn't get any further, for the fox had already jumped up.
     "What?!" he shouted. He hugged Frolicheart. "Oh wow man, that's so great! I'm happy for you! Congratulations!"
With another smile, Frolicheart freed himself from Fearlessheart's embrace.
     "Let me finish, please," he smiled. "As I said, Proudheart is pregnant, and therefore we have decided to get married. We've spoken to the Care Bear Counsil, and we got permission."
Again the fox squeezed his half red-orange, half brown arms around Frolicheart's body in a tight embrace.
     "Oh man, that's so great too!" he said, nuzzling the puma.
Grinning, Frolicheart once more pushed Fearlessheart away from him a bit.
     "I'm still not finished, my friend. I still have a favor to ask of you."
     "Oh, of course, yes," Fearlessheart said, regaining his composure. "So what did you want to ask me?"
     "Well, I have this nice 1958 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith Park Ward to get Proudheart and myself to the Hall of Hearts, where the ceremony will be, but I still need a driver, and I still need a best man, and I was hoping that maybe you..."
He didn't finish the sentence, this time not because Fearlessheart squeezed the wind out of him in an enthusiastic hug, but because the fox was staring at him with his lower jaw almost hanging between his knees.
     "Do you... do you... mean that?!" Fearlessheart gasped. "You... you want me to drive... and to be... your..."
Frolicheart merely nodded, smiling. And this time, Fearlessheart -did- once again embrace the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin so tightly he almost squeezed the wind out of him.
     "Oh man, I... I don't know what to say!" the fox gasped, his voice a bit choked. "I... I... I'm so honored you ask me that!"
     "I take that as a yes," Frolicheart said with a mild grin, softly patting Fearlessheart's shoulders.
Managing to get a bit of control over himself again, Fearlessheart let go of Frolicheart, rubbing at his eyes with the back of a paw.
     "Yes, Frolicheart! Yes, I would be proud to!" he said.
     "Proudheart will be happy to hear that," Frolicheart smiled. He put his paw on the red-orange vulpine Care Bear Cousin's shoulder again. "But as I said, please keep it a secret for the time being, okay? So far, only you, Proudheart, myself and the Care Bear Counsil know of this, and we want to keep it that way for now. Nobody else safe for Take Care Bear even knows yet that Proudheart's pregnant, let alone that we have wedding plans, and we want to try and keep it a surprise to the last minute if possible."
Fearlessheart nodded, rubbing the back of his paw along his eyes a last time.
     "Of course, you don't have to be afraid Frolicheart, I won't say a word to anyone." He took a deep breath and managed a grin. "Damn, now look what you did, you got me so emotional that I can't possibly get back to work on my car again!"
Frolicheart laughed.
     "I'm truly sorry, Fearlessheart! Would I make that up with the offer to get your fuzzy butt over to my place to look at the latest project I'm working on?"
     "That would help, yeah," Fearlessheart said with another grin. "Hold on a sec."
Leading the way for Frolicheart out of the workshop, he closed the door of that and walked back to the front of the cottage again. He closed the hood of Gentleheart's Cloudsmobile and held out the keys.
     "You wanna drive her, Frolicheart?"
     "Nah, you do it," Frolicheart smiled, hopping into the Cloudsmobile on the passenger's seat.

Fearlessheart shrugged a bit again and got in behind the wheel of the Cloudsmobile, starting her up. As they drove away from the little cottage, Frolicheart leaned back, let his right arm dangle over the edge of the passenger door and closed his eyes.
     "I want you to tell me right away when you've found a way to soup one of these up, pal," he smiled from behind his closed eyes. "I got one too when I was taken up in the family here, but I've never used it, and I've spent many many hours figuring out how to make it perform better, but I haven't had any luck so far."
     "So much for that renowned intelligent, keen feline mind," Fearlessheart grinned, steering the Cloudsmobile down the rainbow path with one paw on the wheel, his left arm leaning on the edge of the driver door.
Frolicheart grinned behind his closed eyes.
     "Mind your words, fox. Don't make me run my transport truck over you."
     "You have a transport truck?" Fearlessheart asked.
     "Not yet, but I would get myself one to run you over with if you don't watch your mouth," Frolicheart said with a grin.
     "Ahh, right," Fearlessheart said grinning.

He calmly steered the Cloudsmobile further down the rainbow path, until they reached Frolicheart's cloud cottage. As the fox pulled up the driveway, parking the Cloudsmobile behind the silvergrey 1980 Pontiac Phoenix hatchback, he was a bit surprised to see Gentleheart sitting next to Proudheart on the porch swing.
     "Hey, Gentleheart? I didn't know you were here?" he said a bit surprised, getting out of the Cloudsmobile. "What are you doing here?"
Gentleheart jumped up happily and ran up to the fox.
     "Oh, Fearlesshea-ea-eart!" she bleated happily. "You won't believe wha-a-at Proudheart just a-a-asked me!"
Fearlessheart caught Gentleheart in his arms and looked around, meeting a very wide grin from his fawn feline friend. He turned back to Gentleheart.
     "Somehow, I have an idea," he said. "Kinda the same thing Frolicheart came to ask me."
     "Wha-a-at?" Gentleheart said. "Do you mea-ea-ean..?"
     "He came to ask me to be best man at his wedding with Proudheart, yes," Fearlessheart said smiling.
     "Oh, ho-o-ow wonderful!" Gentleheart cried out. "Proudheart a-a-asked me to be her ma-a-aid of honor!"
     "And by the looks of it, I'd say you accepted, Gentleheart," Frolicheart smiled. "I'm really happy about that."
Proudheart stepped off the front porch smiling.
     "And I do rrreckon you didn't say no eitherrr, rright Fearrlesshearrrt?"
     "What did you think?" the fox smiled, letting go of Gentleheart. "Of course I wouldn't say no to something like that!"
     "We thought so," Proudheart smiled, giving Fearlessheart a kiss on the cheek. "We'rrre verrry happy that you both accepted."
     "I did get this wussy here to tears with the question though," Frolicheart said with a grin, softly stomping Fearlessheart's shoulder with a fist. "Even so bad that I had to promise him to let him look at my latest project to make up for that."
     "Oh, did he sho-o-ow you his new ca-a-ar too?" Gentleheart asked.
     "Yeh he did," Frolicheart said with another grin. He turned to Proudheart. "Yeesh pussycat, you wouldn't believe what he has stashed in his workshop now!"
Proudheart smiled sweetly while waving a bit with a paw.
     "Sorrry sweethearrt, you know me, I don't even want to know about that; it doesn't interrrest me a bit."
     "Well, then I'll just only tell you that he even got me darn jealous with the thing he showed me he's planning to slug into the darn car," Frolicheart grinned.
     "Rrreally?" Proudheart said with a giggle. She softly ruffled the tuft of fur between Fearlessheart's soft, pointy vulpine ears with a paw. "Well, congrrratulations then, it must be rrreally something if it gets my tomcat jealous."
     "Ooh, you better believe it is," Fearlessheart grinned. He turned to his fawn feline friend. "Well buddy, how 'bout you now show me what you promised to show me?"
     "Sure, come around back to my shop," Frolicheart said.

Leaving Gentleheart with Proudheart, Fearlessheart followed Frolicheart around his cottage to the garage at the back. The fawn puma opened the doors to the workshop that was built onto the garage and led the way inside. Fearlessheart grinned a bit. For a feline, Frolicheart was sure not keeping his workshop very decently organized. In fact, the very first word that sprang to the fox's mind when he entered Frolicheart's workshop was; "sloppy". In one corner stood a half disassembled, very old four-cylinder flathead Ford engine block that had come out of the 1930 Ford A Fearlessheart had seen parked just inside the garage, against one of the walls was leaning a number of different hoods and doors, a large workbench was littered with tools and loose cylinders, carburators, two cam-shafts and several boxes holding sparkplugs and wires and such. Against the far wall were the bodies and chassis of a 1975 Buick Skyhawk and a 1972 Chrysler Newport, completely stripped of all sheetmetal and resting on blocks instead of wheels, and next to those was a pile of rims, either with or without tyres around them, reaching up to almost the ceiling. However, between the disorganized mess, Fearlessheart could still tell that this still was the workshop of an experienced car restorer. In another corner for instance stood a large machine which, at a closer look, Fearlessheart recognized as a device for plating metal with chrome, copper, zinc or whatever one would choose to plate metal with, against the wall opposite the workbench were standing a large air compressor for air tools and large bottles and welding machines for both electrodic welding and MIG welding, and there were more things like that. Slightly left-off-center from the doors also was a car lift. It was completely lowered, and on it was standing a rusty 1972 Sunbeam Rapier H210, while on the large two-car ambulance that was parked next to it was standing an evenly rusty 1965 Sunbeam Tiger series I, convertible. The orangy red vulpine Care Bear Cousin nodded appreciatively when seeing the two British cars.
     "Nice," he said. "I especially like that Tiger." He turned to Frolicheart with a smile. "Where'd you get these?"
     "Let's just say I have my sources," the fawn puma said with a soft grin.
     "Well, as I said, I really like them," Fearlessheart said.

Unable to resist, he stepped over to the two rusty British cars, popped the hood of the Rapier, lifted it and looked at the engine. Every now and then he reached into it with a paw, nodding to himself and letting out a soft hum of appreciation. Frolicheart leaned against the car ambulance with a smile, looking at it, and after a while the vulpine Care Bear Cousin rose up again and turned to Frolicheart.
     "Not bad, not bad at all," he grinned while closing the hood of the Rapier. "Decent vintage British workmanship, and with plenty of potentials. I take it you're going to make them really fast eventually?"
     "That Rapier, yes," Frolicheart nodded with a grin. "I was indeed thinking of making that one a worthy drag-strip runner. This here Tiger, however..." He tapped a knuckle on the rusty car behind him with a smile, "...is more going to be a retro project, getting to be restored to her original state with not much more speed-inducing frills, but more to use for a leisurely cruise or something."
     "Or for a romantic spin in the moonlight, to some secluded spot, with your wife-to-be, huh?" Fearlessheart grinned.
Frolicheart laughed and patted Fearlessheart's shoulder.
     "A very good idea, my friend, although it does put rather some pressure onto my shoulders to get this car restored before the actual day of our wedding, so that Proudheart will actually still be my wife-to-be when we go for a romantic spin."
     "Yes, about that, have you two already picked a date for the wedding?" Fearlessheart asked.
Frolicheart nodded.
     "It'll be in about two weeks from today, so that we have the time to get all the preparations in order."
     "I see," Fearlessheart said. He patted Frolicheart's shoulder with a deep smile. "Well, once again, I am so very happy for the both of you, my friend, and I am more than happy to act as your best man." He winked. "And who knows, maybe some time into the future you'll get to do the same for me."
     "I would also be more than happy to, Fearlessheart," Frolicheart smiled warmly.
     "I know that you would," Fearlessheart smiled back.

For some time more, the two friends stayed in Frolicheart's workshop, talking a bit about the project cars (Fearlessheart, for instance, did not really understand what in heaven's name Frolicheart was going to do with that rather tame '72 Chrysler Newport), and they also went into the fawn puma's garage to have a look at the cars that were parked inside there (and where Fearlessheart got quite the dribbles when he noticed a 1958 Corvette parked between the other project cars, and he jealously asked Frolicheart what the puma was planning to do with that one. Frolicheart was mysteriously vague about that, however). After a while, they walked back around the cottage to the front patio, joining Proudheart and Gentleheart on the porch. With some cool drinks, the four Care Bear Cousins sat together for some small-talk, one of the main topics of conversation of course being the wedding to come.

The whole following week, life in the Kingdom of Caring went on as it always had, but after that week the atmosphere started slightly and gradually changing. It was obvious something festive was coming up from the bustling of the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins. Still, there were only a very few ones who knew what the actual festivity was, but all the others helped along with the preparations just as happily as they would have done for any kind of festivity. In fact, it was the whole sense of mystery that hung around the festivity to come that lent it something extra-special, and the air in the Kingdom of Caring was just sizzling with anticipation. Near the end of the second week, an announcement was made all over the Kingdom of Caring that on the coming Friday, there was gonna be a huge party in the Hall of Hearts, a party like the Kingdom of Caring had never seen before.

On that specific Friday, the entire Care Bear Family had gathered at the Hall of Hearts, excitedly talking to each other about what could be so very special about this party. For as far as anyone knew, there wasn't any kind of anniversary to celebrate, and Birthday Bear could vouch for the fact that it was no one's birthday. So everyone was talking to one another, wondering and speculating on the special reason for this big party. The Hall of Hearts had been decorated as festively as possible, and each and every member of the Care Bear Family was standing outside of it, talking so animatedly and so busily speculating that they didn't even notice that certain members of the family were absent. It wasn't before too long, however, when a hush fell over the large group of Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins, the moment a beautiful, two-tone silver 1958 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith Park Ward slowly and solemnly pulled up to the Hall of Hearts. All Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins looked at it with a slight bit of surprise, some already suggesting that the party had something to do with Frolicheart, as the ownership of that car was quite obvious, but a hush of impression fell over the group when the doors of the majestic car opened. From behind the wheel came Fearlessheart Fox, and the vulpine Care Bear Cousin was dressed in a clear white tuxedo, complete with white bow-tie. From the passenger side came Gentleheart Lamb, and she was dressed in a clear white satin dress. Fearlessheart opened the left rear door, letting out Frolicheart Puma, who also was dressed in a clear white tuxedo with white bow-tie, and from the right side emerged Proudheart Cat, dressed in the whitest of satin dresses, with a long white silk train. Gentleheart held that up as she escorted the happy orange kitty and Fearlessheart escorted the fawn puma into the Hall of Hearts.

All members of the Care Bear Family got inside as well and found themselves a seat. At the lectern was Love-a-Lot Bear, waiting with a deep smile, and a paw resting on a large book. The pink bear had experience in this, since of course once before she had acted as the speaker for a marriage. Of course that time had been at the fake wedding between Professor Coldheart and Auntie Freeze, which had been nothing more but yet another trick from the icey cold professor to destroy Care a Lot, but before that came out Love-a-Lot had done a wonderful job, and as being the Cupid of Care a Lot of course no other bear was more fitting for this kind of occasion.

Ahead of the happy couple, Hugs and Tugs walked down the isle, sprinkling rose petals (or well, flinging rose petals everywhere around, covering not only the floor of the isle but also the heads of the bears and cousins sitting closest to it since they were rather over-enthusiastic, but hey, who could blame them?). Hugs was wearing a large red bow on top of her head, and Tugs had a white bow-tie under his chin. Behind the two younger Care Bears came Frolicheart and Fearlessheart, who both took their position at the lectern with a deep smile. At a nod from Tenderheart Bear, Harmony Bear, who was sitting at the huge organ, started playing "Here comes the bride". At that, Proudheart happily strided down the isle, while Gentleheart still held up the train of her dress. Holding the orange kitty by an arm was Nobleheart, who, as the inofficial father of all Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins, was more than happy to give her away. When the two felines were next to each other and the last notes from the organ had died away, Love-a-Lot took the book from the lectern, opened it and looked at the two feline Care Bear Cousins with a smile.
     "Dear and beloved members of our Care Bear Family," she started. "We are gathered here today on this beautiful, beautiful day to witness the marriage of these two kitty-cats, who will today be joined in holy matrimony before the eyes of all of us, and the grace of the Great Wishing Star. For the first time in the beautiful history of our Kingdom of Caring, these two of our good friends and beloved Family members will plight each other their eternal troth. And honestly, what could be more beautiful than two loved ones who fortify their love for each other in that way?" The romantic pink Care Bear let her eyes wander over all the other Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins, smiling deeply. "The usual sentence of anyone thinking there should be a reason why these two lovers should not be bonded by marriage having to speak up now or forever hold their tongue is one of the most inappropriate sentences I can think of in this speech I am doing, for I am certain that there is nobody among us who thinks there could be any reason at all why these two happy Care Bear Cousins should not be bonded. I shall therefore skip that sentence and immediately move on to the vows." She turned her look back to Frolicheart and Proudheart in front of her, smiling. "Frolicheart Puma, do you take Proudheart Cat to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish, for ever and ever, for better or for worse, in good times and in bad, in sunshine and in rain, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
     "You bet I do," Frolicheart said with a smile.
     "Of course you do," Love-a-Lot smiled. She turned to Proudheart. "Proudheart Cat, do you take Frolicheart Puma to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to cherish, for ever and ever, for better or for worse, in good times and in bad, in sunshine and in rain, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
     "Oh yes I do," Proudheart said with a deep, happy smile.
     "I would have expected nothing less," Love-a-Lot smiled. "Then now, by the powers of love vested in me, and by the grace of the Great Wishing Star, I pronounce you husband and wife." She closed the book, put it back on the lectern and giggled softly. "Well, go on Frolicheart, what are you waiting for? Kiss her already."

Frolicheart smiled, turned to Proudheart, embraced her lovingly and pressed his lips on hers. Cheers and applause erupted from all the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins in the Hall of Hearts, and Trueheart rested her head on Nobleheart's shoulder, holding one of the purple horse's paws in both her own and happy tears rolling down her cheeks.

After this official part of the ceremony, both feline newlywed Care Bear Cousins got a whole lot of hugs and pawshakes and congratulations to process, after which the entire Care Bear Family went into the main hall of the Hall of Hearts and sat down around the large heart-shaped symposium-table. At the head of it Frolicheart and Proudheart were seated, with next to them Gentleheart and Fearlessheart, and next to them Nobleheart and Trueheart. All the others just found their usual seats around the table. The air was just filled with happiness. At some point Nobleheart rose up, drawing the immediate attention of everyone, since he was apparently going to say something.
     "My dear Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins," the purple horse started with a smile. "I just can't let this festive occasion run on without expressing the feelings of both Trueheart and myself. Although it will be very hard, for words cannot express the joy, the happiness we feel at what has happened today. Of course, in a place such as our Kingdom of Caring, where we all live close together, it is no more than normal that such wonderful feelings of love blossom between any of us, but Trueheart and I are happy beyond comprehension that there now are two of us who have taken so official a step to show all of us just how deep their love for each other is. As Love-a-Lot Bear said, they are the first to do so, but I wish to say that both Trueheart and I hope that they will not be the only ones." He turned to Proudheart and Frolicheart with a smile. "Proudheart, Frolicheart, all that I could say would not do credit to the feelings we have, but let me still tell both of you that we are proud and happy beyond compare of and for you, and we wish you all the good and better things that we could possibly wish you."
Everyone cheered and applauded as Nobleheart shook Frolicheart's and Proudheart's paw, and as the purple horse sat down again, the fawn puma rose up.
     "Thank you very much, Nobleheart, for the words you have tried to express with the way you feel," he smiled. "I know that it is almost impossible to express these feelings in words, because I realize that no words can be distinctive enough to say just what you feel. I know this, because I have these exact problems. My life has been rocky in the widest sense of the word, I have had it hard beyond comprehension before I was re-found and re-taken up in this wonderful family, in ways I cannot describe with mere words. And in that same way, there are no words that could possibly begin to describe the way I feel about Proudheart, who turned out to have the ability to wash away all the pain of the hardship of my kithood with just a simple smile that tells me of her love for me." He looked around at all the Care Bear Family members looking at him with a smile. "I shall therefore not try to describe these feelings I have. There is just one more thing I would now like to do. There is one very special announcement Proudheart and I wish to make. Nobody in this room besides her and me know of this, besides two others. We have wanted to keep it a secret until the proper time, and we have managed this even without the help of Secret Bear." Everyone laughed and giggled, and Secret Bear gave the fawn feline a cheery 'thumbs-up'. "However," Frolicheart continued. "Some secrets are not to be kept forever, and the appropriate time has come to let you all know what I am talking about." He held out a paw. "Pussycat, if you will..?"
With a deep smile, Proudheart rose up and looked around the table at everyone.
     "Yes," she smiled. "As special as everrrybody may think this day allrrready is, therrre is something my dearrr Frrolichearrrt and I have to sharrre with you that will be even morrre of a surrrprrise. Overrr time, ourrr Family has grrown with the discoverrry of cerrtain family memberrrs that had been lost in the earrrly days when Noblehearrrt and Trruehearrrt brrought us all to this wonderrrful Kingdom of Carrring to become Carrre Bearrs." She wrapped an arm around Frolicheart's shoulders. "We would now like to tell all of you that once morrre, the Family will be expanding, but this time not because a lost memberrr of ourr family has been found back frrrom a place on Earrth wherrre he orr she has lived. This time, ourrr Family will expand in the way any family norrrmally expands." She smiled very deeply. "I am morrre than happy to tell all of you that I am expecting."

The happiness-filled air in the Hall of Hearts was drawn in with a gasp by each and every member of the Care Bear Family except for Fearlessheart and Take Care Bear. Proudheart and Frolicheart looked around at all the bears and cousins looking at them with open mouths and looks of surprise stamped on their faces, both smiling deeply. Very slowly, Trueheart rose up, with her eyes once more filling with happy tears.
     "Proudheart..." she said softly. "Are you saying that... you are... you are pregnant?"
The orange kitty nodded happily.
     "Yes, Trruehearrrt, that is what I am saying," she smiled. "Frrolichearrrt and I will be having a kitten soon."
     "Oh my stars!!" Trueheart burst out crying, kicking back her chair and flying up to Proudheart to hug her tightly. "My sweetheart!! I am so happy for you!!"

The air in the Hall of Hearts once more exploded with happiness. All Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins jumped up from their seats and started excitedly talking to each other and congratulating Proudheart and Frolicheart. The outburst of extreme surprised happiness lasted for a number of long, cheerful moments, then it slowly died down as the incredibly unexpected news gradually sank down and settled into each and every mind. Excited conversations of how very special this was for the entire Kingdom of Caring - the very first actual newborn since the cloudly kingdom had been founded, after all - were heard all over the Hall of Hearts, and almost each and every member of the Care Bear Family asked the two feline newlyweds if they knew what their child was going to be, a boy or a girl, and if they had already thought of a name, and all those sort of questions. Never losing their happy smiles, Proudheart and Frolicheart answered each of those questions with the same answers: no, we don't know if it'll be a boy or a girl yet, and no, we haven't decided on a name yet. That second answer also drew a lot of reactions, since almost everyone seemed to have a good suggestion for a name. The two feline Care Bear Cousins each time said with a smile that they would think about it.

The festivity lasted till deep in the night. When eventually the huge wedding cake provided by Birthday Bear was completely devoured, the huge bowl of fruit punch made by Share Bear had been totally emptied, and the two nightshift Care Bears had to leave for their nightly rounds on Earth, the party was cheerfully ended, and all Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins went home, still talking excitedly about what had happened that day, and what was still going to happen with Proudheart in the future. The two newlywed feline Care Bear Cousins got back into the beautiful two-tone silver Rolls Royce, together with Gentleheart Lamb and Fearlessheart Fox, who drove them back to their cloud cottage. Arriving there, Fearlessheart parked the Rolls and cheerily shook Frolicheart's paw, while Gentleheart kissed Proudheart, an they left the two cats with a grinned warning to not do anything they wouldn't do. Frolicheart gave Fearlessheart a merry stomp against the shoulder, and with one arm around each other's shoulders they waved after Gentleheart and Fearlessheart when the two Care Bear Cousins drove home in their Cloudsmobile. Then, Frolicheart happily swooped Proudheart up in his arms and carried her into their cloud cottage, traditionally. After kicking the door shut behind him, the fawn puma carried his orange kittie wife right up to the bedroom and gently laid her down on the bed. With a giggle Proudheart rose up and got out of her beautiful wedding dress, carefully hanging it in a closet, while Frolicheart did the same with his white tux. Proudheart smiled deeply and pulled the fawn puma onto the bed in a deep embrace.
     "I'm so happy," she sighed, kissing Frolicheart.
     "I couldn't be happier myself," Frolicheart replied with a loving smile, answering her kiss.
Proudheart wrapped her arms around Frolicheart's shoulders and happily rolled over on the bed with him, lying on top of him and leaning over him, her amber eyes sparkling.
     "Take me, my love," she purred excitedly. "Make my wedding night." She giggled softly and put a finger on Frolicheart's orange heart-shaped nose. "But do be a bit carrreful, will you? Rrrememberr I'm carrrying young."
     "I'll be as gentle as I've ever been, pussycat," Frolicheart smiled with a very soft grin.

He pressed his lips upon Proudheart's, taking her into a loving kiss, his soft paws calmly running up and down her back, softly caressing the base of her sleek tail each time they reached it. The orange kitty purred happily and let one silky paw slide between their bodies, running over Frolicheart's tummy and reaching for the fawn puma's member. Frolicheart grinned very softly again over Proudheart's straightforwardness, and he kept his soft paws on the orange kitty's plushy butt, his fingers tickling through the fur on the base of her tail and every now and then gently sliding downwards along her thighs. His fingertips very softly ran along the outer lines of Proudheart's longing orange sex, drawing quivering gasps of purred excitement from the feline Care Bear Cousin. She wriggled a bit on Frolicheart's body, slowly rising up further and further, until she eventually had to break the kiss. Her other paw joined her first in caressing the fawn puma's erecting member, and she pushed out her soft butt to meet her lover's teasing fingertips. Crooning delightedly, Proudheart kept pushing out her butt ever further when Frolicheart's fingertips stopped their teasing and started purposely running over the soft puffy lips of the excited kitty's orange quim, picking up all the small droplets of warm juice it was slowly releasing and gently rubbing them all over the soft orange lips.

Leaning her head in her neck with her eyes squeezed, Proudheart shivered with passion and stopped caressing Frolicheart's dick, using both her paws to hold herself up while she kept pushing out her soft plushy butt with rhythmic shocks, her sleek tail swishing from side to side. Soft crooning purrs rolled from her mouth, and the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin's fingers felt how Proudheart's vaginal muscles reacted intensely to his soft rubbing, clenching and quivering at each soft stroke. When Frolicheart's fingers found Proudheart's erect, longing clit and tenderly rolled it, the orange kitty couldn't hold herself in any longer, the highly built anticipation making the flames of lust and passion roar out of control inside her fluffy orange body and burning her up in a fiery orgasm. She let out a loud squeal of lust, her swollen pussy tightening around her feline lover's fingers and letting out a rich flow of warm, sticky Care Bear Cousin cum. Shocking and shivering, Proudheart only barely managed to keep herself upright on her quaking arms as the climax rolled through every last inch of her fluffy body. She only slowly relaxed, letting her head sink down between her shuddering arms and pressing her orange heart-shaped nose onto Frolicheart's. The deep, passionate, moist kiss she took him into told the fawn puma of her desire wordlessly, and while she maintained the kiss, Proudheart slowly rose up a little again, slightly crawling forwards a little on her lover-cat's body and straddling his hips. One of her paws once more slid between their bodies, her soft fingers finding Frolicheart's dick again and taking it, directing the head to the dripping wet opening of her slippery lust-cave. Slowly sinking down, Proudheart let out a muffled moan of lust when her slimy pussy eagerly slurped in the fawn puma's hard cock, taking it in inch by inch, until the kitty's tummy was resting against Frolicheart's.

Muffling his grunt of passion in the kiss Proudheart was still holding, Frolicheart let his soft paw slide back to the orange kitty's plushy butt, softly gripping the fluffy cheeks, his fingers going back to scritching the base of her sleek, swishing tail. He lifted his hips slightly, rubbing his tummy against Proudheart's, his throbbing member slowly swirling around in the orange feline Care Bear Cousin's slippery cunny. Proudheart moaned deeply into the kiss, squeezing her eyes. Her fingers dug into Frolicheart's shoulders, and very slowly she started moving her hips, gently rocking her body over Frolicheart's, delighting in each movement of her feline lover's hard flesh inside her sensitivity. Her silky vaginal walls clenched around the warm rod inside of her, gently squeezing and caressing it, drawing soft grunts of lust from the fawn puma. Ever so gradually, Proudheart started quickening her pace, lifting and lowering her hips, sliding her swollen, slippery sex up and down over Frolicheart's hard dick, her warm slimy juices coating it and making soft slurping sounds at each of her slow strokes. Holding his paws on Proudheart's soft butt, Frolicheart let his lover-kitty set the pace, let her ride herself to the peaks of her desire on him as fast or as slow as she wanted. He tried to lie as still as he could under Proudheart, only lifting his hips up every now and then to meet the orange kitty's enjoying strokes, his fingers ceaselessly scritching and caressing the base of her wildly swishing tail, adding little sparks of pleasure to the sensation Proudheart was delivering herself on her lover-cat's fleshy rod.

Her breath getting shorter and quicker by the minute, Proudheart sped up her pace ever more when another thundering climax started brewing in her fluffy orange body. She sopped her dripping pussy over Frolicheart's pulsating dick with ever increasing speed, her paws cramping on his shoulders, and not too long after she once again leaned her head in her neck with her eyes squeezed tightly and her mouth wide open, yowling out her lust and passion when a second flaming orgasm crashed through her nerves and senses, making all her tingling muscles stretch and convulse and her swollen pussy clench hard around the fawn puma's rock-hard dick. She slammed herself down on Frolicheart's tummy hard, twisting her hips, mashing her quivering, flowing cunny over his crotch, her hot, slimy cum seeping out and slowly dripping down Frolicheart's tummy and thighs. For a few moments she stayed in that position, her breath coming out in short, delighted gasps, her eyes still squeezed tightly and her tongue slipping out of her mouth. Only when the washing waves of orgasm subsided again did she open her eyes and lower her head, once more pressing her nose against Frolicheart's and locking her lips onto his in a passionate kiss. When she had her breathing a bit under control again, she stared into Frolicheart's soft green eyes, her own amber eyes sparkling happily, and she softly ran a paw through the tuft of fur upside the fawn puma's head.
     "Ohhhhhh... Th-that was... so good..." she breathed smiling. She pressed a soft kiss on Frolicheart's lips. "And now, it's yourrr turrn, my love."

Softly wriggling her hips over Frolicheart's, Proudheart wrapped her arms around the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin's shoulders and rolled over with him, bringing her lover-cat in the top position. With a smile, Frolicheart brushed a few drops of sweat from Proudheart's face and gently kissed her again. Still gazing into his eyes, Proudheart smiled lovingly and opened her legs, giving Frolicheart the freedom to move as he desired. Coiling his tail into Proudheart's, the fawn puma slowly lifted his hips a bit, pulling back until his hard dick almost slipped out of Proudheart's dripping wet, puffy quim. When only the head of his throbbing cock was caught between the swollen, slippery lips of the orange kitty's wet sex, he very slowly lowered himself again, resting his tummy on Proudheart's, and then repeating the motion. Very smoothly, he increased the speed of his movements, his chest resting on Proudheart's and his lips smothering both his own passionate growls and the orange kitty's lustful moans. Moving slightly quicker with each enjoying stroke, Frolicheart gradually built up a new wave of passion in his lover-kitty's quivering body as well as his own. Maintaining the kiss as best as he could, the fawn puma couldn't help breaking it eventually when the rising passion shortened both cats' breath, and instead Frolicheart hung his head across Proudheart's shoulder, tenderly nibbling the orange kitty's neck while he sped up his thrusting ever more.

Proudheart crooned and moaned into the fur on Frolicheart's shoulder, her tail gently squeezing the fawn puma's tail as they were coiled into each other, her hips lifting with soft little shocks to meet each of the fawn feline Care Bear Cousin's thrusts. Her cramping fingers drew light furrows through the fur on Frolicheart's back and shoulders as his calm yet passionate motions started leading the orange kitty once more to the heavenly heights of a soaring climax. Feeling the passion rising out of control in his own body as well, Frolicheart moved in time with Proudheart's motions, his speed still increasing as he reached for both their orgastic relief. Each of his moves was a seamless reaction to those of the enjoying orange feline Care Bear Cousin under him, making both of them hover through the clouds of delight, fly to the mountaintops of desire, flawlessly reach for the ultimate completion of their passion. Unable to help herself, Proudheart started softly biting Frolicheart's neck, her fingers digging hard into his shoulders and her breath coming out in short, soft wails of lust as her quivering pussy tightened around the fawn puma's cock, its frantic squeezes speaking of its desire to be filled with Frolicheart's warm seed. Raising her hips with a last desperate shock, Proudheart sank her teeth in Frolicheart's neck to muffle the cry of lust she emitted when once again she was pushed over the edge of endurance and thundered off the cliffs of passion, a wild orgasm wreaking havoc in her trembling body as she squirmed and writhed underneath her feline lover. Her wild movements shattered Frolicheart's last bit of self-control, and he also sank his teeth in Proudheart's neck, muffling his yowl of passion when the climactic waves of sexual relief roared through him and made him shoot his load of warm Care Bear Cousin semen deep into the eager love-tunnel of his orange feline lover under him. Shocking and shuddering, the two Care Bear Cousins lay atop of each other, trembling at each contraction of their spasming muscles, teeth in each other's neck, breath short and gasping as their combined orgasm kept lasting, fueled by the highly built passion and the deep love they felt for each other.

Only after minutes of enjoying convulsions did the two felines gradually relax, their muscles slowly going limp and making them sink down on top of each other in a deep state of happy relaxation. Their oral grips to each other's neck loosened, and for yet another while they pressed their noses together and stared into each other's twinkling eyes, kissing tenderly and satisfiedly. Words were useless, their looks said all that was needed to be said. Relaxing into each other's arms, the two feline Care Bear Cousins lay contentedly basking in the afterglow of their passionate love-making, slowly but steadily regaining enough control over their short breaths to join each other in a calm rate of happy purring. Snuggling up against each other, they lay in the warm glow of each other's presence, gradually regaining their strength to repeat their sweet ritual of making passionate love, only stopping eventually when the smiling yellow sun rose above the trees and the birds started chirping in greeting to the new day.

Life continued calmly in the Kingdom of Caring for the weeks that followed. Going about their daily routines and their caring missions, nothing even really showed of the official bond of matrimony between Proudheart and Frolicheart. The only thing that started to differ from their normal life in the following weeks was Proudheart slowly beginning to more and more show the evidence of the new life growing inside of her. The pink star with the red heart inside of it on her soft tummy seemed to grow in size as the orange kitty's tummy swelled up gradually. After a couple of weeks the orange feline Care Bear Cousin was excused from her caring missions, not only because she started getting more trouble getting around, but also a little bit because her nipples swelled and were almost continually visible between her white chest fur. The biggest change in Frolicheart's behaviour was the fawn puma relinquishing from working on his cars, spending all the time between his caring missions with Proudheart, taking care of her and fulfilling her every need and desire with a love and patience only a Care Bear or Care Bear Cousin can bring up.

Being excited, and even slightly nervous over this big new thing about to happen in the Kingdom of Caring, Trueheart and Nobleheart often came visiting the two felines, inquiring about Proudheart's feelings and health, and offering all of their help and care. It was accepted gladly, for it provided Frolicheart with a very secure and comforting feeling that the two parental Care Bears were watching over Proudheart while he was away on a caring mission. However, nothing really happened. The orange feline Care Bear Cousin went through her gestation in all the usual manners, many of which Frolicheart remembered from the female pumas of the clan he once used to live in, so he wasn't really all too worried about it, knowing it was normal. Of course, Proudheart suffered from mild forms of discomfort, especially when she neared the end of her pregnancy, but she never complained, or at least as little as possible. And Frolicheart took real good care of her, serving to her every need, and even her every whim. Not the slightest complaint was heard from him either, not even when Proudheart had him running the most idiotic of errands for her. Which she never really intended to, but well, who could blame the pregnant kitty for her hormones acting up every now and then?

After a number of weeks, also Frolicheart was excused from his caring missions, being given all the time to attend to his expecting lover fully and undividedly. He ran for her, he flew for her, he made sure she was as comfortable as possible all the time, bringing her what she wanted, even if it was coffee with salt and icecubes in it and a slice of lemon on the side. And really, her desires became crazier and crazier as she came further towards the end of her pregnancy. One day, she had Frolicheart actually going to the kitchen to fetch her a batch of dill pickles in curry sauce, topped off with whipped cream. Not even asking but just doing what Proudheart had asked him, Frolicheart walked to the kitchen, although inwardly grinning to himself over what his lover-kitty had asked him to get. Just as he opened the refrigerator, however, he looked up with a shock when a mewl rang out from the living room. He rushed out of the kitchen and into the living room, seeing Proudheart lying back on the sofa, gripping an armrest with one paw while holding her other paw on her bloated tummy.
     "Pussycat!" he said. "Everything okay?"
     "It's... it's time," Proudheart said with a moan, squeezing her eyes. "It's coming, Frrolichearrrt."
     "Oh... wow," the fawn puma said. He softly stroked Proudheart's ears. "Don't worry, pussycat. Everything will be just fine. Come on, I'll get you to Take Care."

He helped the orange kitty up from the sofa and supported her outside. Getting into the first car they came upon on the driveway, Frolicheart made sure Proudheart was as comfortable as she could get in the passenger's seat, got in behind the wheel and rushed over to Care a Lot, driving as fast as he could while making sure the movements of the car would not hurt Proudheart. At the Hall of Hearts, he found the large heart-shaped doors standing wide open, and without even thinking about it, the fawn puma drove the car right into the Hall of Hearts. Tenderheart jumped back with a startle when the car came to a stop inches away from the heart-shaped symposium-table, but he immediately understood what was going on when Frolicheart jumped out of it. Without the fawn puma needing to say anything, the brown Care Bear ran to the medical wing, returning moments later with Take Care, who was pushing a wheelchair along. With the red-orange medical Care Bear's help, Frolicheart got Proudheart out of the car, into the infirmary, and into one of the beds. Tenderheart left again and closed the door to the infirmary behind him, knowing that firstly, he wasn't needed in there, secondly, he most probably wasn't even wanted in there, and thirdly, he would have to ward off all the other Care Bear Family members who would most likely be coming to the Hall of Hearts to ask what was going on. Some of the Care Bears, who had seen the car driving straight into the Hall of Hearts, were indeed already gathering in there, curious of what was happening.

In the infirmary, Take Care Bear was checking Proudheart's swollen tummy with her stethoscope, while Frolicheart held one of the orange kitty's paws in both his own. A concentrated frown rippled the red-orange medical Care Bear's face, but those ripples slowly melted into a smile, and she hung her stethoscope around her neck.
     "Any minute," she smiled. "That little one in there is just dying to get out."
     "It... it won't hurrrt too much, will it?" Proudheart said softly.
Take Care smiled again.
     "Honey, I wish I could reassure you, but I can't. I have no experience with giving birth whatsoever. I have never done it myself, and I have never even had to help anyone deliver, since you're the first of the Family to get pregnant... and actually seeing it through," she added after a moment's thought, remembering the problems she'd had with Cheer Bear.
     "Don't worry, pussycat," Frolicheart said soothingly. "I'm right here with you, and I won't leave your side for a single second. Just squeeze my paws, alright? And I don't even mind if you break my arm again. I mean, hey, after all Take Care is here, she can mend it again."
Proudheart managed a soft giggle.
     "I sincerrrely hope it won't be necessarrry." She reached out with the paw Frolicheart wasn't holding and softly touched his face. "I love you."
Before Frolicheart could reply, Take Care spoke up with a smile.
     "Save your breath, Proudheart, because I do believe you will be needing it."

Proudheart nodded with a smile, bringing up a paw to rest it on the paw Frolicheart was softly stroking her cheeks and whiskers with. Take Care Bear gathered everything she'd be needing and put it within reach around the bed Proudheart was lying in. She also placed a clear white sheet over the kitty's chest and tummy, as was usual with someone who was going to have a baby. Frolicheart pulled up a chair and sat down next to the bed, holding his kitty's paw with one of his own, using his other paw to ceaselessly rub Proudheart's shoulder. The orange feline Care Bear Cousin did her best to control her breathing, and every so many minutes she cramped and gasped and puffed at a contraction waving through her. Take Care Bear monitored everything closely, reassuring Proudheart that everything was going just fine and perfectly naturally. It was the slight stressing of the word 'perfectly' that managed to make Proudheart smile through her discomfort.

After about an hour had passed, Take Care checked on Proudheart and found the kitty's dilatation was good enough for her to try and get the actual work done. Frolicheart kept holding her paw and rubbing her shoulder, every now and then bending over a bit to tenderly kiss away some beads of sweat that formed on Proudheart's face. With that, he noticed with a little bit of surprise that the orange feline Care Bear Cousin's breasts were quite swollen. Doubting that it had anything to do with sexual excitement, he asked Take Care about it in a whisper, receiving a whisper back that also that was purely natural, seeing as that Proudheart was of course gonna need to be able to feed her kitten. Frolicheart nodded in understanding, and Take Care, having her attention drawn to it now anyway, right away did a check on Proudheart's nipples between two of the kitty's contractions to see if she would lactate properly. Finding also that in order, the red-orange medical Care Bear turned her attention back to Proudheart's underside, gently keeping her legs apart and her tail out of the way. At a new contraction, Take Care put a paw on Proudheart's thigh and smiled at her.
     "Alright now Proudheart, this is it. Push, honey. Push as hard as you can."

Proudheart did as she was told, squeezing her eyes and pushing with all her might. She also squeezed Frolicheart's paw quite hard, and a low, guttural moan issued from her throat. Losing her breath, Proudheart sank back down on the bed, panting and sweating. Take Care softly rubbed her thigh.
     "Beautiful, Proudheart. That's the way. You'll get through this just fine if you just follow my instructions."
     "It's... it's... hurrrting," Proudheart moaned softly, keeping her eyes closed.
     "I never said it would be completely painless, honey," Take Care smiled comfortingly. "But if you just do as I say, you'll get through this the easiest."
     "Just trust Take Care, pussycat," Frolicheart said with a smile, gently dabbing Proudheart's face with a slip of the bedsheet. "She knows what she's talking about."
     "I... I know," Proudheart breathed, managing a smile.
She right away squeezed her eyes when another contraction rippled through her body.
     "Okay Proudheart, push!" Take Care said. "Come on honey, give me a nice big push here! You can do it!"

The orange kitty again did as she was told, arching her back and clenching her teeth, crying out. Frolicheart also clenched his teeth a bit, since he found Proudheart could muster an unnatural strength in her paws apparently, judging by the way she almost squeezed his paw to mulch. When the cramping subsided, Proudheart fell back in the bed with a soft thud, tears rolling down from her closed eyes.
     "Take... C-C-Carrre, I... can't do this," she panted.
     "Yes you can, honey," the red-orange medical Care Bear said reassuringly. "Come on now, don't go to pieces on me, okay? I know it must be hard, but you're really doing great, Proudheart." She thought for a moment. "But do you maybe want a local to dull the pain a bit?"
     "Yes please," Proudheart moaned.
     "Do you have one for me too, Take Care?" Frolicheart said with a grin, fluttering his mashed paw back and forth a bit. "Boy can that girl squeeze hard. I really never knew she was that strong."
Take Care Bear giggled softly while injecting a painkiller into Proudheart, and the orange kitty managed a smile.
     "I'm sorrry, sweethearrrt," she gasped.
     "Hey, it's okay, don't worry," Frolicheart smiled, gently dabbing her sweating face again. "I already told you that you could even break my arm. I guess I just hadn't expected that you'd actually be able to."

Proudheart managed another smile, and she relaxed a bit when the painkiller started to kick in. Yet, Take Care had made sure she didn't give the kitty too large a dose, because that would probably hinder her in performing the way she should to get her baby out properly. Therefore Proudheart did again cramp at the next contraction, and she again squeezed her eyes and Frolicheart's paw. Take Care placed both her paws on the kitty's bloated stomach now, encouraging her.
     "Push, Proudheart! Nice and hard, honey! It's coming now! Come on, give me your very best!"

Arching her back, tears and sweat rolling down her face, Proudheart gave it all she had, crying out hard. Take Care didn't give her the time to relax now; she kept encouraging the orange feline Care Bear Cousin to keep going. Proudheart gathered her last strength and screamed out when she felt like she was splitting open. But very suddenly, a wonderful wave of relief spread over her, and she sank down on the bed in relaxation, panting deeply, her face wet with her tears and her sweat. The next moment, Take Care rose up from under the sheet, smiling at the soft squeaky mewls coming from the tiny bundle of wet fur she was holding. After having done the necessary cleaning, the red-orange medical Care Bear stepped up next to the bed and handed Proudheart a tiny little kitten wrapped in a clean sheet.
     "Congratulations, honey," she smiled softly. "You've done wonderfully. Look, here he is, your son."

With tears of happiness rolling down her face, Proudheart accepted the bundle of sheet with the tiny kitten in it, resting it on her chest. Its eyes still closed, the newborn kitten, coral red of fur with a light yellow star-shaped patch over the left ear and eye, squeaked softly and stirred a bit, rubbing its petite muzzle against one of Proudheart's breasts and closing its tiny lips over her nipple, starting to drink. Proudheart cried softly and happily at this new and wonderful feeling, holding the bundled kitten in one arm, her other arm wrapped around her lover's shoulders. Frolicheart was leaning on the bed a bit, rubbing the back of a paw along his eyes with a smile.
     "He's beautiful," he whispered. "Congratulations, pussycat. I'm so happy."
     "Me too," Proudheart sobbed softly. "I've neverrr been happierrr in my life."

Take Care smiled at the two of them and calmly stepped over to the door leading into the Hall of Hearts, wiping her paws with a towel. She opened the door, stepped through it and closed the door behind her again, and then she turned to look into the Hall, still wiping her paws a bit. Not surprised to see the entire Care Bear Family gathered right outside the infirmary door, she let her eyes wander over all the faces that were looking at her expectantly. Purposely dragging out the tension for a little while more, the red-orange medical Care Bear first finished wiping her paws with the towel, looking down at what she was doing and taking a particular interest in it. Only when she couldn't get her paws any cleaner or drier, she looked at all the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins again, finally speaking the words that relieved their tension.
     "It's a boy."

Instantly, the Hall of Hearts was filled with happy cheers. When the noise had died down, some questions were fired at Take Care, which she was happy to answer.
     "Did everything go well?" Braveheart asked.
     "Everything went fine," Take Care answered smiling. "Proudheart had it a little hard, which was logical, but she pulled through just fine."
     "Is she oka-a-ay?" Gentleheart asked.
     "Mother and kitten are okay," Take Care nodded with a smile.
     "And what about Frolicheart?" Fearlessheart asked with a smile.
     "The father's also fine, boy, don't worry," Take Care grinned softly.
     "Can we come in and see?" Tenderheart asked.
     "No," Take Care said, authoratively now. "Proudheart badly needs her rest, so no visitors. Except..." She pointed at Trueheart, Nobleheart, Fearlessheart and Gentleheart. "You, you, you and you, you four can come in for a moment. The rest of you can go home and be patient. You can come visit some other time, because I will be keeping Proudheart here for a couple of days to make sure everything is well and stays well. So that's it, everybody. The four of you can come in for a little while, all the rest of you can come back some other time."

Everybody nodded, and they all filed out of the Hall of Hearts in twoes and threes, chatting excitedly over this wonderful new happening. Take Care opened the infirmary door again, leading the way inside for Trueheart, Nobleheart, Fearlessheart and Gentleheart. The five of them stepped up to the bed where Proudheart was lying in, nursing her newborn son with a deep smile, purring happily. They all smiled at seeing Frolicheart still leaning over to her, a paw resting on her shoulder while he tenderly ran a finger over the tiny little ears of his son drinking at Proudheart's breast. Both felines looked up when the two Care Bears and three Care Bear Cousins stepped up to the bed, and smiled at them. Trueheart rubbed her eyes with the back of a paw, smiling deeply.
     "Beautiful," she said softly, doing her best to keep her voice from trembling. "Just beautiful." She took a deep breath. "I don't know what else to say, my sweethearts. It's just... beautiful."
     "Thank you, Trrruehearrrt," Proudheart purred with a happy smile.
Nobleheart put one paw on Proudheart's shoulder and his other on Frolicheart's, smiling deeply too.
     "Congratulations, Proudheart, Frolicheart," he said softly. "I'm so happy for you both."
     "Yeah, same here," Fearlessheart smiled, putting a paw on Frolicheart's other shoulder. "That's one wonderful little kid you have there, my friend."
     "Thanks, both of you," Frolicheart said with a smile.
Gentleheart was kneeling at the other side of the bed, one paw on Proudheart's other shoulder, looking at the drinking kitten with a smile.
     "He's so lo-o-ovely," she said softly. "A-a-and so little." She bent over a bit to press a soft kiss on Proudheart's cheek. "You must be so ha-a-appy."
     "Yes," Proudheart purred smiling. "Yes, I am."
     "Okay, that's enough now," Take Care said smiling, but again with that tone of authority in her voice. "Proudheart really needs to rest now, so please leave, okay?"

The three Care Bear Cousins and the one Care Bear nodded in agreement, and after a last look and smile at the new parents and their baby, they got out of the infirmary and went home, respectively Fearlessheart and Gentleheart, and Nobleheart and Trueheart, holding paws and talking to each other about this magnificent new event. In the infirmary, Take Care Bear readied a bed for Frolicheart, since she expected nothing else but the fawn puma wanting to stay by Proudheart's side for the whole time she would keep the kitty in her infirmary. And of course, the red-orange medical Care Bear was fully right about that.

For a course of a full two weeks, Take Care Bear kept Proudheart in her infirmary, doing daily checks on both mother and kitten, recording everything meticulously for any future reference, and in general being very content over how well everything went. The little kitten was as healthy as could be, taking good sleep, taking good meals, and just plain simply looking like a perfectly healthy Care Bear Cousin cub should. After the first week, both Proudheart and Frolicheart as well as Take Care Bear noticed with some joy that already, on the kitten's little white tummy, a symbol was forming, as his heritage was crystalizing inside of him, determining what his eventual caring mission was going to be and showing the reflection of it on his outside features. After that first week, also, Frolicheart went home every now and then, making everything in order in his and Proudheart's cloud cottage for a little kitten to be raised in. He changed the little spare room at the front of the house into a nursery, with a little crib, lots of push toys, and a glow-in-the-dark star mobile Bedtime Bear gave him. Most of the plush toys, also, were given to the new parents by the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins that came visiting in Take Care's infirmary, so Frolicheart every time had two armsful of playthings to take with him when he went home each day to work on preparing his cottage. Finally, he had everything in order by the end of the second week, which was about the time that Take Care Bear decided that it was safe enough for Proudheart to take her kitten home with her. She had found that the orange kitty was a purrrfect mother, and knew that neither Proudheart nor the newborn kitten needed her undivided medical attention anymore.

So, on a specifically sunny and cheerful Saturday morning, the medical red-orange Care Bear saw the two feline Care Bear Cousins out of her infirmary, Proudheart carrying the kitten bundled in a sheet in her arms. Just outside the Hall of Hearts, where Frolicheart had a car waiting, Take Care couldn't help giving them both a lot of last-minute tips and suggestions, plus the advice to right away call her, at any time of the day or night, when something seemed to be out of the ordinary. Both felines promised to do so, smiling, and they cheerily waved at Take Care when Frolicheart drove them away from the Hall of Hearts and to their cloud cottage in the Forest of Feelings.

Not much more than three days later, a card was delivered at each and every cloud cottage in the Kingdom of Caring. It showed a picture of a tiny kitten, coral red of fur, with a large pastel yellow star-shaped patch over the left ear and eye, and a cloud-shaped pastel yellow patch over the back, right hip and the base of the tail. Careful observers could make out a small symbol on the kitten's white tummy, which showed a set of scales in perfect balance, with a smiling heart-buddy on one end and a smiling star-buddy on the other end. The picture was accompanied by the following text:
     "Father and mother Frolicheart Puma and Proudheart Cat are proud and happy to announce the birth of their son, born on August 18th. We are calling him Best-of-BothHeart Cat."", "pools_count": 1, "title": "The start of happily ever after", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "application/msword", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "4", "name": "Sexual Themes", "description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "284" }