Continuation to Ecladow: Bad Intentions, requested by @2blue_4u. Warning for increased explicitness.

Shadow's POV:

I sit, perched on the edge of our bed, watching the three, dark gray eggs on their cushion as I wait for my call to go through. Next to me, Eclipse is wrapped in the blankets like a sleek cat, curled up against me in his usual possessive manner. Four months ago, his constant presence annoyed me to no end; now, I'm just used to it, having come to realize he means well in his own way.

Well, initially, I think he only watched over me because he was worried I'd pull a trick and escape our agreement. Now, though, he does it more out of affectionate habit.

Either way, I don't shift away, instead stroking his rough head as I wait for Rouge to pick up.

"Yes?" Her voice finally comes over the line, and I smile. "Hey, handsome, what's new?"

"Nothing much," I answer, my usual lie. She still doesn't know anything about Eclipse and I, since I know she would just worry; I'm going to tell her when Eclipse finally fulfills his end of our promise and joins G.U.N. as a protector of the world. "Only a month left."

"You'll be back on the team soon, handsome," she agrees, and I can hear her grin through the line. "It's been deathly boring this week, as usual. You better be doing some soul-searching off in those mountains--I need to know at least one of us isn't stagnating."

"Indeed," I smirk, deep voice rumbling in my chest. Eclipse, hearing it, nuzzles against me subconsciously like an enormous, affectionate kitten. "Nothing new from the Commander, then?"

"Nope. I think he's still irked that you never came in last month, but he's getting over it. He understands that you've got to be allowed your moods, too."

"I just didn't feel like it," I shrug, biting my tongue as I remember the real reason for my absence; I was heavily pregnant last month, showing obvious signs of the three eggs growing inside my womb, so going into G.U.N. for my monthly parole was not a feasible option. "I promise I'll be in soon, if that keeps him happy."

"Happy? You must be talking about a different guy," Rouge laughs, and I chuckle. "I'll pass it on, hun. Anything you want to tell me, or do you want to get on with your mysteriously fascinating life?"

"Preferably the second one," I reply, glad she hasn't been too intrigued by my 'mysteriously fascinating' absence. I made sure to visit her several times when Eclipse and I were trying to conceive, as I knew she'd pick up on signs of my being pregnant if I waited to talk to her after we succeeded. I explained I was going to go underground for awhile, told her I wanted to figure some things out for myself and that now was a good opportunity. Like the great friend she is, she accepted it, and she's only bothered me for weekly phone calls since.

"Alright, handsome. But, you know I'm here if you need me," she says, her usual reminder.

"Bye, Rouge," I respond, and she giggles.

"Toodaloo, stoic, dark, and handsome," she titters, and I hang up. A short, simple call like ours usually are, just enough to check in and no more. The perfect dose of socialization.

I glance down at Eclipse again, then look over at our eggs like I was before. They're due to hatch any day now, having been forced out of my very sore hips nearly two weeks ago. I didn't appreciate that experience by itself, but seeing the sheer, unadulterated excitement it brought Eclipse almost made it worth it.

Almost.

I grimace at the memory, as it had been incredibly painful to go through. We hadn't expected complications, me being the Ultimate Lifeform and all, but my thin hips were not made for laying eggs, especially not the large, fist-sized type that formed.

My only consolation was that I didn't have to experience a live birth, which I personally believe would have been even worse. As is, I've had a chance to recover--both emotionally and physically, as my body had changed quite a bit--and to forgive Eclipse for being the cause of all that discomfort. Now, I feel relatively prepared to raise our coming hatchlings.

Next to me, Eclipse shifts, and I sigh. It is pretty late in our time zone; we live a half dozen hours ahead of Rouge's club dwelling. I'm not sure I've quite adjusted yet, as Eclipse and I only moved into the well-furnished, commandeered cabin we now call home when I had our eggs.

I think for a moment, considering whether or not I'm tired, then give in. I might as well sleep with my mate instead of dozing off tomorrow. I slip under an edge of the blanket Eclipse hasn't yet entangled, breathing a sigh of relief as my eyes close for the last time tonight.

...

Scratch.

I come out of sleep slightly, suddenly aware of my surroundings again. My eyes blink once blearily in the darkness and close again, but my ears listen carefully, alert for whatever woke me.

Scratch.

My eyes open wide as I sit up quickly, looking around for the source of the noise. It appears to be before dawn; mist curls outside the window, pale blue beneath still-present stars.

Scratch.

My gaze flits to our eggs, and I freeze. It takes me a moment to comprehend what's happening, and then I'm shaking Eclipse awake, not caring about his grumbled complaints.

"They're hatching," I hiss at him, and he immediately ceases trying to knock my hand off, glowing eyes opening and staring in wonder even as mine do. Although he's impressively tangled up in the covers, he solves the problem with a quick teleport, crouching next to the cushion on the floor. Climbing out of bed somewhat nervously, I go to join him, cautiously approaching the quivering trio.

Stunned as he is, Eclipse's lips nevertheless pull into a fantastic smile as one of the eggs cracks. By this point, I've sidled up next to him, but I'm more worried than excited--I don't know what sort of children our alien genes produced.

Ignoring--or, perhaps, blissfully unaware of--my apprehension, Eclipse tugs me to him with an arm, hugging me close as we watch.

The crack widens.

I swallow. He grins.

A very tiny, two-fingered, gray hand slips through the crack, weakly clawing at the eggshell. Immediately, my mate leans forward and gently tugs on the crack, splitting the eggshell with careful motions.

Out tumbles the smallest being I've ever seen.

In a moment, I forget my trepidation. Whether it's through primal instinct or my engineered protectiveness, I feel a sudden urge to hold our alien child, to check it over and ensure it's healthy.

Reaching carefully forward, I scoop the infant into my hands, and Eclipse hugs me closer so the small creature is centered between us. I run my eyes over the form, not seeing any outer problems, and find myself cuddling it.

Not just a child. Our child.

The thought hasn't entirely sunk in.

"He's so precious," I murmur, voice raspy from sleep. Eclipse grins at me and the baby alike, visibly thrilled. At a sudden thought, I glance at the other two eggs, but they haven't begun to crack yet.

A small clatter at the door makes me look over, seeing that the Dark Arms have curiously come to see the source of the quiet commotion. I cradle our firstborn as Rhygenta moves over first, sniffing the baby in a friendly manner. I let each of the Dark Arms see our child, then sit back as they settle down to watch contentedly.

"I never thought I'd actually see the day," my mate confesses as I turn back, smiling almost sheepishly. "A new generation, that we parented. It's incredible."

"Well, this whole mess is your doing," I reply, but the taunt is more teasing than anything. I don't want to ruin his moment.

"Yes, I know," he smirks, unashamed. He sits on the floor, pulling me into his lap without resistance, and we cuddle our small baby as we wait for the other eggs.

The child in my hands has its eyes closed, with dark, slate gray skin that resembles a typical Black Arms soldier more than Eclipse's lighter gray, and its soft facial skin is green-tinted ivory. To my surprise, the baby has a short tail, like me, but that's not the only thing about its appearance that confuses me.

"Where are his crests?" I ask worriedly, referring to the red mineral growths that Black Arms always have as armor.

"They don't grow in until a creation nears adulthood," Eclipse replies in a similarly hushed tone. "We'll need to feed them Red Fruit so they get the minerals to grow them."

"Does Mobius not have the nutrients?" I question curiously, sitting sideways on his lap as I speak with him.

"Not in an easily accessible form, no," he answers, and I nod thoughtfully, looking at our baby again.

"Should we name him?" I ask, and Eclipse's brow furrows.

"Actually, I was thinking about that..." My mate looks down, frowning, and I blink--he doesn't usually act torn over questions, preferring clear answers. "We both have names that reflect our purpose, but is that a good way to name a child? Mobian names are given based on attributes of the child, and, while it's hard to admit, I think that's a better way to do things."

"So... No?" I question, wondering what he means.

"I think we should wait until they've shown a little personality to name them," he elaborates, and I nod in understanding.

"Alright. Well, he's our first child; let's call him One until we decide on something else," I suggest, and he smiles.

"Thank you for indulging me, Shadow," he says, nuzzling under my chin and tugging my hips a little tighter onto his lap. He breathes on my neck with a little too much enthusiasm, and I twist to glare at him.

"Our children are hatching," I scold him, and he blinks innocently.

"I'm not doing anything," he replies in a falsely confused tone, eyes gleaming with amusement, and I'm about to retort when a crack sounds from another one of the eggs.

We both look over, teasing forgotten in the resumed excitement of the moment. Sure enough, our second egg is in the process of hatching, and Eclipse helps it along again. This small, gray ball of adorable has red stripes reminiscent of my own, a great relief to me--I wasn't sure how we were going to tell them apart. Turning over the little one, I see he also has a long tail, which I guess will come to resemble Eclipse's in time.

Lastly comes the third child, who I'm amazed to see has Black Doom's blackish brown coloring instead of the previous babies' gray skin. The little tot is stripeless, like the first, with the same long tail as the second. I smile as I place him in our arms with his older brothers.

They're all hatched now. Eclipse and I are parents.

"Shadow..." I look over at Eclipse to see his eyes shining tearily with happiness, and I find myself sharing the heartfelt sentiment. He holds me around the waist, our three children clasped lovingly between us, and asks a genuine question full of love and devotion.

"Won't you help me make more?"

...

Later the same morning, I cradle our three sons--at least, we're treating them as sons--in a soft blanket while my mate nurses the broken jaw I gave him earlier. He was dismally shocked I wasn't too enthusiastic, but I very cheerfully informed him that I'd be happy to father him a litter of his own if he'd just bend over for me.

Unsurprisingly, he quickly backpedaled on the request.

"You three are adorable... So healthy, too," I hum as I poke Two's small muzzle; he's been the most active so far, wriggling all over no matter how I hold him. "I wonder if you'll all have the same eyes... Aren't you going to open them for me?"

Two squirms and squeaks, apparently hungry. I fed them earlier on a mixture of powdered milk and Red Fruit juice, seeing as how I'm not lactating, being as the Black Arms aren't mammals. Eclipse had mumbled something earlier through his swollen jaw about how I might lactate were I with a Mobian, but I'm not, so we had to find work-arounds.

I continue to coo at the three babies, making sure to use proper English so they pick up the correct concepts for adulthood, ignoring the presence of my sheepish mate who has just appeared behind me.

"Shadow?" He asks, still sounding a little pained, holding his jaw nervously. I finish tucking the three infants into their blanket in the living room, our improvised nursery, then turn around with a gleaming, toothy smile.

"Yes, sweetheart?" I inquire sweetly, and he winces.

"Are you still mad at me...?"

"Only enough to shove a Chaos Spear where the sun don't shine," I reply, false cheeriness fading as I turn to grumpiness. "My mistake. Where the sun doesn't shine. Don't want the kids learning things improperly, after all."

"I'm sorry," he says dejectedly, looking more hurt by my obvious frustration than by my threat. Makes sense, I guess--the only way I'd Chaos Spear Eclipse is if he allowed it, with that stupid blocking field of his.

"You should be," I mutter, crossing my arms and walking away from the woodbox we're using as an improvised cradle. "I went through a lot for you. The least you can do is appreciate it."

"I'm sorry, I was caught up in the moment... I only said that because I do appreciate what you've done," he stresses, and I close the nursery door softly, not wanting the babies to become distressed by our conversation. The Dark Arms can watch the kids while I have a talk with my apologetic mate. "You know I do, right? This means the universe to me."

"Yeah, well..." I respond, unable to form a come back to his sincerity. "It better."

"It does," he promises, and I allow him to softly hold me, only raising an eyebrow at him when he rests his face on my shoulder.

"You still want more kids, don't you?" I ask flatly, and he flushes green as he pulls back, a rare occurrence.

"Not now, no. Not for awhile. Actually, Shadow, if you're still upset with me..." He winces again, but I pay more attention this time as I realize he's not in pain from his jaw--he's struggling with something he's trying to say. "You can lead this time, if you want."

I stare at him, gears turning in my mind as I comprehend that.

"Just this once. To make up for it. And, if you really hated being pregnant, then I could carry any future kids," he continues with an ever-increasing blush, looking like the idea is on par with being forced to sing karaoke love songs to Commander Tower.

The thought almost makes me laugh.

A grin spreads across my face almost of its own will, and I lift my arms from my sides to grip the waist of my slightly taller, muscular mate, suddenly feeling a lot less mad and a lot more...heated.

"Well, I guess you are sorry, then," I purr silkily, smirking as I see the arousal alight in his eyes. "Just this once? Until we have more kids, you say? You know, I wouldn't mind more..."

He greens even more, tail lashing as he resists his instinctual urges, and I smile like a knife as I realize I get to explore mine.

This is going to be fun.

"Bed. Now," I say in my lowest register, and he shudders, golden eyes dimming as his Chaos is diverted to...other, less visible places. Following me to our room, he sits on our bed almost shyly as I shut this door, too, a sharp contrast to his usual confidence. Moving slowly, powerfully, I place a gloved hand on his chest and push him down onto his back, relishing in his dilated eyes and quickened breathing. His long tail curves out to the side, and I, struck by inspiration, grab it, wrapping it around my fist and using it to tug his hips toward me as I kneel on the bed in front of him.

He pants raggedly in sudden anticipation, becoming excited under my tutelage, muscular chest heaving and limbs shaking. His sharp claws grip the bed nervously as he quivers, suppressing the urge to resist his new, submissive position, and I smirk as I see the fruits of all my labour these past months laid out before me.

Time for some payback.

...

"Chaos, it hurts," my mate whines, gingerly sitting on the couch where I'm cuddling our babies. "Kry... Shadow, I can't even lift my tail! It's like a railway spike up my--"

"It was your idea," I reply cooly, smirking at the memory from just a few hours ago. What can I say? I enjoyed it.

And, despite his current complaints, I know Eclipse did, too. If we didn't live in the mountains, in the heart of nowhere, I'd be worried about noise complaints.

"I give up," he mutters, lying on his back on the couch, apparently finding it too uncomfortable to sit upright. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but couldn't you have been a little gentler?"

"I seem to remember getting some requests that suggested the last thing you wanted was gentle," I smirk again, and he flushes.

"I'm never living this down, am I?" He asks resignedly, and I shrug, watching as Two excitedly clambers over his face. Next to me, Rhygenta and Cregal are snuggled up happily to One and Three, eager to be near our new additions to the family.

"Seeing as how you did much a similar thing to me for a few months, I think you can survive the embarrassment."

"Fair point," he sighs, and I smile. I hadn't realized there was still tension between us earlier, but Eclipse's consent to give me some power in our love life really cleared the air. I don't feel nervous or resentful at all anymore, which is making me more optimistic about our future together.

Speaking of which...

"Eclipse, we need to go to G.U.N. about this soon," I say softly, not wanting to ruin our cheerful scene but knowing it needs to be brought up. "I can't not go in this month."

"What? But, the children aren't old enough yet!" My mate exclaims, sitting up to look at me and immediately regretting it with a small, pained moan that makes me smirk as I'm reminded once again of earlier. "We can't let G.U.N. know! They could take them..."

"If we wait until they're older, there's several things that are almost guaranteed to happen," I warn him, and he frowns, rolling onto his stomach so he can see me. "G.U.N. will pick up on their Chaos signals and raid this place, or the Commander will wonder why you and I are leaving so often, likely against his orders since you're not really a trusted guy, or Rouge will pick up on our dynamic and figure us out."

"What if I stay here with them while you go back for work? I have my dampening field, I could hide us," he says, obviously reluctant to go to the military organization.

"Eclipse, I'm not hiding this from the Commander or my friends," I reply sternly, and his tail curls around his leg, his equivalent of a nervous ear flattening.

"But, what if it goes wrong?" He asks quietly, golden eyes flitting to the striped infant crawling over his hands.

"I'm not going to let it go wrong. If G.U.N. tries to take my kids or my mate, they're going to be reminded why I'm the Ultimate Lifeform," I tell him seriously. "I lost a family once. I'm not losing one again."

"Well, technically, you lost a family three times," he mutters, but he nods when I raise an eye ridge. "Alright. I don't trust them, but I trust you. When should we go?'

'Two weeks. That's the longest I can wait before Spider Troupe's sent to drag me in," I reply, and he sighs.

"That's not much time..."

I shrug, looking down at the two babies curled up next to me. The orange sunlight shining on them draws my gaze to the window, and I find my voice as I look over the beautiful, jagged peaks that jut through the evening mist and into the sky.

"Maybe not, but it'll just have to be enough."

...

About a week and a half after I gave Eclipse the sorest tailbone of his life, our idiosyncratic family is all gathered at the wooden kitchen table. I don't know too much about cooking, having only lived on Mobius for two years and spent most of my time fighting and training, but I managed a pretty good meal out of the various plants and flickies Eclipse gathered today. We've been living off the land, since he can hardly visit the grocery store, and I'm still under the public radar. We're all eating, the three infants sitting on the table and the Dark Arms eating on the floor right by us.

Eclipse and I, dare I say, are becoming a pretty functional couple. We've been discussing baby names, though we haven't made any decisions yet. Our only complete consensus is that we want them to be named after space-related objects, a compromise because I don't want to use Black Arms' naming conventions and because Eclipse likes the theme.

Our babies are easier to tell apart, now that they've opened their eyes. To both of our surprise, each has a different combination of colors: our gray firstborn has Doom's eyes, smoldering red with glowing yellow sclera, while the striped middle son has Eclipse's exact eyes. Our last hatched broke the established mold, though, having Eclipse's amber irides and Doom's fiery yellow sclera to go with his dark skin. It's a bit blinding whenever he decides to wake up in the night, but it's a very striking combination. I've suggested things like 'Star' or 'Sun' for his name, while Eclipse is stuck on 'Supernova.' I argue that that name is too long, but he doesn't seem to see the problem in that.

"How about, 'Nova'?" I ask suddenly, looking at our youngest, and Eclipse looks up from his plate with a thoughtful face. "Like, the bright atmosphere that can gather on a star?"

"Actually, that's pretty good," he admits, nodding as he takes a bite of food. "Fits the theme. Yeah, I like it--let's go with that. Nova, how do you like your name?"

Nova lets out a happy baby squeal, sensing through the hivemind that we're talking about him. I'd been against exposing the babies to our thoughts at first, but it's been an enormous relief to be able to calm them easily and impress basic lessons without the barrier of them not understanding language yet. The only time we sever the connection with them is when we're having our couple time, and the Dark Arms watch over them then to ensure we're not interrupted.

It's certainly easier than Mobian couples have it, which almost makes me glad I'm mated to the world's most eccentric alien. Who, by the way, has been having his fair share of time on the bottom, much to my enjoyment.

"I'm not sure about 'Corona' for Two, though," Eclipse muses, bringing me out of my thoughts. "It's just... odd."

"I figured, because he has your eyes, why not an eclipse-based name?" I reply, twirling my fork as I look at him. He frowns, thinking, then shakes his head.

"No, that's almost as bad as naming a kid after yourself," he says, and we both lapse into silence. "Er... Well, I do like the star theme. Why don't we try to name each of them after things relating to stars?

"As in, types of stars? Like, White Dwarf?" I chuckle, and he rolls his eyes.

"No," he chortles, the deep guffaw I've now gotten used to. "You know more than I. Suggestions?"

"Er... Pulsar? That's a variable star, like his energetic personality. Or, that could work for the eldest," I suggest, and Eclipse wrinkles his muzzle, something he picked up from me wrinkling my nose whenever he said something idiotic.

"No," he says, apparently not pleased by the sound.

"Flare? Cepheid?" I ask, still thinking of variable stars and their types.

"Cepheid? Well, that's not bad."

"It's a unique name, that's for sure," I smile, and he shrugs.

"Well, alright. He does act pretty unique, doesn't he? Cepheid!" Our middle son blinks, stuffing his food-covered hand in his mouth, and Eclipse grins at his mini-me. I'm glad Cepheid has my stripes, or I'd be worried about when he grew up--his eyes really are an exact copy of Eclipse's.

"Alright, you're batting two for two," Eclipse says, looking at me expectantly. "Any other types of stars?"

"Uh... Honestly? Most of them aren't fit for names," I reply, thinking through the many things I've learned about space since my creation. I developed an interest for obvious reasons while I was on the ARK, and I pursued it as a hobby of sorts once I came to Mobius. This is one of the first times I've actually talked to someone about what I know, and, while not exactly how I was expecting the topic to go, I'm enjoying it. "Quasar?"

"Definitely not," Eclipse says, shaking his head like he's trying to rid his ears of the sound.

"How about naming him after a star, then?" I ask, looking at our eldest, whose eyes never fail to make me wonder what I'd look like if I was a bit more Black Arm.

"After a star? Maybe," Eclipse says doubtfully, and I shrug.

"Merak? That's a star in the big dipper," I offer, and he shakes his head. "Mizar?"

"No... I like the idea of picking an important star, but no 'M' names."

"Regulus? Well, actually, maybe we don't want to call him that," I correct, and Eclipse raises an eye ridge. "Not a good idea to be full of himself..."

"Keep trying, then," my mate replies, leaning on his hand.

"Er... Procyon?" I try, but neither of us is convinced by the sound, and I think through some more--wasn't Procyon a matched star to something? I could have sworn-- "Oh, Sirius!"

"Sirius?"

"The brightest star in the Mobian sky," I explain, and his eyes light up.

"Alright, that's not so bad," he agrees, grinning. "He is certainly a bright star in our lives."

"That's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard you say," I smirk, and he blushes. "Sirius it is. What do you say we clean these guys up and celebrate our accomplishment?"

"Well, it was mostly your accomplishment," he admits, scooping up the newly-named Sirius and cleaning his tiny, ivory face.

"I know," I reply, smirking darkly, and he stiffens. "I expect my reward."

"Hah... Again?" He questions, grinning nervously as he switches to Cepheid. "You got that just last night."

"I've earned it, haven't I?" I purr, walking over and trailing a finger down his chest. He swallows, tail lowering to the floor in subconscious submission, and I lift my lips to brush against his. "Besides, I know you like it."

"Yeah, well, you liked being bottom, too," he grumbles embarrassedly.

"Exactly. I'm just sharing the love," I respond, and he struggles for a reply before sighing, giving in to my advance.

"Fine... But, next time, I'm going to make you pay for this," he swears, completing the baby cleaning and scooping up the lot of them. "Mark my words."

"Next time's going to have to be in a few days, because even your healing factor isn't going to save you from my intentions," I say lowly, giving him a fierce smile as he turns around from putting the kids down for their nap. His cheeks tinge green, and I nearly pull him from the nursery, tugging his hips to mine to get him excited, too.

He groans softly, knowing I like the sound, and I lift my face to his neck, maneuvering around his guarding crest to nip at it. Biting isn't something I would have expected to like giving or receiving, but something about the primalness gets both of our instincts fired up. Now, it's just part of the ritual.

A particularly sharp nip earns me a gasp and a moan, and I deem my mate ready for action. A quick dual-teleport, and we fall onto the bed, Eclipse beneath me. Struck by a sudden idea, I lean close and softly order, "Turn over."

He does, breathing hitching as I grip his hips and wrap his tail around my waist.

"This time, why don't you help?" I ask pleasantly, and he lets out a whining moan, nevertheless tightening his tail in preparation. I grin, enjoying the effect I'm having on him.

Chaos, it's a good thing we use protection, or we'd be breeding like pre-Mobian rabbits, I think suddenly, almost laughing at the thought. Not one for waiting, Eclipse impatiently tugs my hips harder against his rear, and I suppress a gasp of my own.

...he's really asking for it, though. Guess he's not as hung up on being my prize as he pretended.

Heh, I'm gonna enjoy this.

Author's Note: I attached a quick sketch showing what the three kids look like without their crests for some reference, hope you like it. There is a second part to this! I sat down and started writing, and it just... kept going. xD I hope you enjoyed this, I'll update the second part in a few days. Also, all of you who have requested, have faith! Beyond this, I have SEVEN requests in progress right now, some almost done, and all the rest in line. So, get ready for a lot more of this book! And, feel free to to add more requests to that list!