A/N: I'm back! Here's another comedy fic with the StarFox gang! This is the beginning of a series of stories I have planned revolving around Wolf and his relationship with Marcus. Hope you all enjoy!

Characters and places belong to Nintendo.

Uncle Wolf: Hard Labor

"Let's go, Fox! I could've been drunk by now!" Falco called out from outside the bathroom door.

Fox merely rolled his eyes and fixed the loop in his tie. Straightening out his navy blue dinner jacket and taking a look into the mirror, the vulpine couldn't help but be impressed. He was no egotist but even he had to admit that he looked rather dashing even if he did hate getting all dressed up. The famous Fox McCloud was never very comfortable in in such expensive and designer clothes like the current ones that covered him head to toe. He was always more of a t shirt and jeans kind of guy.

"But that's the price of fame I suppose." He sighed to himself.

Giving one more look over to assess that everything was nice and tidy; Fox finally opened the door of the bathroom to find his teammates waiting for him in the hotel room.

"Bought time. Did a tampon get stuck or something?" Falco jested with his trademark smirk as he leaned his back against the wall. The brash pilot had a similar suit on as Fox but his was all black, even the undershirt. Fox frowned at him but then offered a smirk of his own. "Sorry, Falco but not all of us get up at six in the morning and spend three hours to make sure our hair is just right." He said.

"Hey, it's a lot of effort to look this good, furrball." The avian responded, running his hands through his head plumage. Fox chuckled and looked to the bed where Slippy sat at the moment, standing out in his bright yellow suit, a hand held video game occupying his plump hands.

"Are you sure you want to wear that suit, Slippy? The white one looked really good on you." Fox told him, trying not to grimace at the toad's choice of colored attire.

"Yeah I'm sure. It's my favorite color. Are you saying I don't look good in it?" Slippy asked, his eyes leaving his game and meeting Fox's green ones. "No, not at all! You look great!" Fox quickly exclaimed, not wanting to hurt his friend's feelings. Falco on the other hand was never that thoughtful.

"Yeah, it looks great if you never want to get a woman for the rest of your life." He snorted.

"You know I have a girlfriend, Falco. We've been over this." Slippy tiredly replied.

"Oh right, your imaginary one."

"You've met her!"

"I don't recall any chick hanging out with Slippy, do you, Fox?"

"Are you sure she's not made up?" Fox asked.

"Her name is Amanda! She was there for the Anglar Invasion! SHE SAVED US AT ONE POINT! YOU HAVE ALL MET HER!"

"I'm drawing a total blank here, Slip." Fox told him, his face completely written with confusion. Slippy let out a yell and fell backwards onto the bed in frustration. Fox and Falco just looked at each other and shrugged. The door to the room opened up and Peppy walked in, struggling with his bow-tie. Fox couldn't help but laugh at the old hare's own choice of attire. A bright red bow-tie with a yellow undershirt, complete with a tweeted jacket and dark brown pants.

"You look like a school librarian, Peppy." Fox snickered. Peppy narrowed his eyes at him from behind his glasses, still working with his tie.

"Keep laughing, Fox. One day you're going to end up looking like this, especially with that kid on the way." He shot back. "If that happens, kill me." Fox whispered to Falco.

"Will do." His fellow pilot said with a mock salute. Peppy, finally getting his tie just right, looked to his former teammates and let out a tired sigh.

"We aren't meant for this, huh?"

The other three merely exchanged glances and there was a silent agreement that they were not. Peppy groaned and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I'm really sorry guys. These ongoing political meet and greets are the last thing I want any of us to do, especially for you, Fox with Krystal being pregnant and all. But those bigwigs won't shut up about it and…" Peppy rambled on but was cut off by Fox.

"Easy old timer. I know how it is. No need to explain, right guys?" He asked, turning back to the other two. Falco simply grunted, one of his many subtle ways of expressing agreement. "Fox is right, Peppy. We know what we're in for every time we save the Lylat System. Say, Peppy, you know my girlfriend Amanda right?"

Peppy stared at him for a moment then frowned, his eyes focusing back on Fox and Falco. "I told you not to get him that blow up doll." He scolded.

"AMANDA! YOU KNOW HER! SHE'S BEST FRIENDS WITH YOUR DAUGHTER!"

"Please, Slippy, no more jokes. We're going to be late." Peppy said, waving off the mechanic's outburst. Slippy just slapped his hands over his face, his entire body shaking with rage.

"Peppy's right. The sooner we get this over with the sooner we can get back to Corneria." Fox said, tugging at his cufflinks. Peppy simply nodded and headed out the door with the others in tow. Slippy mumbled something under his breath and pushed past Falco to the exit. The falcon watched him go and looked to Fox with pleading eyes.

"Make him change, Fox, it's ridiculous."

"Go, Falco." Fox sighed, pushing his friend.

"Seriously, it looks like someone pissed all over him."

"Just relax, Falco. We'll play that game where we see how long it takes for his sweat stains to start coming through." Fox told him as he shut the door behind him.

Back on Corneria, in a much more rural section of the city, the McCloud household was relatively silent on a nippy and cloudy day. There was the occasional creak and grunt of the house settling but nothing out of the ordinary. Up the stairs and through the hall that lead into the master bedroom, a certain blue vixen slept peacefully on the bed she shares with her husband. Krystal snoozed quietly, her tail occasionally twitching or flipping from side to side. Her relaxing nap however was suddenly disturbed by a loud boom of thunder. The noise caused her eyes to fly open and quickly she propped herself up on an elbow, her other hand reaching for the blaster Fox leaves under his pillow for whenever he is away. Once her eyes had scanned the room and realized what had awoken her, she let out a relived sigh and fell back into her pillow.

"Fox was right. Those mercenary instincts never really leave you." She thought to herself with an amused grin. Yawning, she rolled out of bed and stretched her arms above her head. She lowered them down to her stomach which, in the last nine months, had grown quite large. Krystal stroked it lovingly, whispering sweet comforts to the precious treasure inside. With another sigh, this one of happiness and tenderness, she went to her dresser and pulled a shirt over top of her, the end of her belly poking out from underneath and an old pair of sweatpants.

Sometimes she couldn't believe that this was her life.

So many years of combat and war. It was always an invasion here or a terrorist threat there. It was so much that Krystal believed that that would be her life until she died. At least she would have Fox with her. That was until a year before the Anglar Invasion.

The vixen sighed as she did not wish to be reminded of such an emotional and unpleasant period. It took it's toll on her and while her stay with StarWolf and to a lesser extent, Panther, wasn't an unpleasant one, it wasn't what she wanted. She wanted her old friends back. She wanted her old mercenary life back.

She wanted Fox back.

The hurt and anger she felt did not make it easy for her to speak to him however when they decided to join forces against the Anglars. It was a trivial thing as the biggest issue at the time was trying not to get killed. It was a terrifying and hellish battle, one where she thought that they would be doomed many times. But like always, Fox would come blazing through the skies like something out of a story book and turn the tide. He would plunge into certain death head first only to save the day while their enemies would be destroyed. Despite the cheering, despite the swarm of people from Corneria who wanted to thank their savoir, Fox only wanted to talk to her.

The sun setting on Sauria was something she would never forget.

She was still mad at him. Still hurt. But the look of regret and sadness in his face was undeniable as he spoke words that broke down the barrier she had built around her heart. He reminded her why she had fallen in love with him in the first place and the ache and longing for him was too much to bare that she jumped into his arms before he was even done apologizing. But it didn't end there.

The minute he went down on one knee it was as if time itself was slowing down.

The way he spoke, a nervous tremor the whole way and when he pulled out the ring he had bought just before their separation, she was almost blinded by it's reflection in the sun's dying rays. His emerald eyes shinning with fear as he stared up at her after just popping the question. Krystal could only stare at him with an open mouth to a point where Fox thought she was rejecting him. Her cries of jovial acceptance rang throughout Thorn Tail Hollow and the rest, as they say, is history.

So here she was.

Married to a wonderful man, blessed with amazing friends, living in a nice home and Fox's pension to take care of them well after he retires. A life she wasn't sure was possible after the destruction of Cerinia and the Anglar threat. But perhaps even more unbelievable was that in a few weeks, she would be holding her baby. Her son. The very thought of it threatened to bring tears to her eyes. She couldn't wait for him to finally be here.

The vixen walked down the hall, passing a room that was newly painted and filled with toys and a large crib. She knew that she would be spending many days in that room and it thrilled her to no end. Walking down the stairs, Krystal came into the kitchen where she fixed herself a bowl of oatmeal and a few slices of apple. She ate her meal quietly while reading the paper, skimming through the stories of the week. To her left, she noticed her cell phone which was currently lit, indicating she had a voice mail. Grabbing the device, Krystal hit play while taking another bite of oatmeal.

"Hey, Krys, we just checked into our hotel and we'll be going to bed pretty soon. I just wanted to call and tell you that I love you and I can't wait to get off MacBeth and see you and our little roommate who's renting out your womb. Bye, beautiful."

Krystal giggled at her husband's message and shook her head. She continued to eat but suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She placed her hand over it and softly sang a song in Saurian, trying to comfort the toiling baby inside her. It worked as the ache soon faded and she gently patted her belly.

Standing up, Krystal took her dishes to the sink and began to wash them. She hummed a song to herself as she did, her braided tail swinging back and forth lazily. As she scrubbed the bowl, something suddenly felt very wrong to her. The feeling made her stop what she was doing and caused the bowl and scrubber to fall out of her hands and into the sink with a loud clatter. Krystal turned around slowly, hands gripping the edge of the sink and looked over to the mirror just outside the kitchen that led into the hall. The front of her sweatpants were soaked.

Her water had just broke.

"Tall girl? Pink? Toad? Any of this sinking in?"

Fox, Falco and Peppy all rolled their eyes at Slippy who was still hell bent on trying to convince them of his 'very real' girlfriend. Falco shook his head and leaned back in his chair.

"A tall pink toad brave enough to mix spit with you is something I would have remembered, pond face." He told his friend. Slippy banged his head on the table a few times before slumping in his chair in defeat. Fox usually would have been amused by such antics but to be honest, he was downright bored.

The StarFox team sat a large table that was surrounded by high class officers and political power houses. Many other high esteemed guests were there as well, all drinking champagne and dressed to the nines. The vulpine grimaced at the horde of people that occupied the banquet hall who all wanted a piece of StarFox. Some of these very same people were the ones that tried to get the team disbanded years ago, when they were, as they put it, 'mercenary scum for hire'. Now here they were, all trying to play kiss ass now that they had saved their bacon AGAIN.

Fox's loathing for the men and women that surrounded them was put to a halt when he felt his cell phone vibrate in his back pocket. Looking at it, his eyebrows rose up in surprise to see his wife's number. Excusing himself from the table, Fox found himself a secluded area where he could have some privacy.

"Hey, gorgeous, what's up?" He answered, excited to hear her voice.

"Fox?" She replied, her voice shaking and soft. Fox felt his chest tighten at her response. Something was wrong. "Krystal? What's wrong? Are you okay? Did something happen?" He practically shouted, panic taking over his mind.

"Fox…my water broke." She said.

"What…what do mean your water just broke?" Fox managed to squeak out. "I think it means the baby is coming, love." Krystal said through clenched teeth. She suddenly let out a short gasp as a sharp pain erupted inside her.

"And he wants out NOW." She moaned. Fox had to grab the side of the wall for support his legs feeling like rubber. "I'm on my way home now, Krystal." He said, regaining his composure and practically running back to the table.

"That's great, Fox but transport back from MacBeth is over six hours. I don't think waiting around is the best idea."

"I know, I know. Just breathe like we practiced and call Katt to take you to the hospital."

"Katt's not home. She's doing training exercises on Katina with Bill." Krystal hissed as another stab of pain hit her again. Fox stopped and slapped his hand over his face. "You gotta be kidding me. What about the neighbors?"

"Not home."

Fox lowered the phone and wanted to scream. How could this be any more of a nightmare? Krystal wasn't supposed to be due for another two weeks. It just figures that when he's thousands of miles away, his kid would decide to start making his way into this world. He brought the phone back up to his ear.

"Fox?" He heard his wife choke out.

"I'm right here, Krystal. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm scared. I need you here, now." She whispered, her voice shaky and full of fear. Fox could feel his heart being ripped in half at the sound of Krystal's desperate plea. "Don't worry, beautiful, I'll be there. But I need you to stay strong, okay? For the baby and for me. I'm going to get a hold of someone who will take you to the hospital right now but until then promise me that you'll be strong." Fox told her as he spotted his team at the table.

For a moment there was a silence that made Fox's blood run cold but finally her sweet voice graced his ears again.

"Okay…I promise." She said softly.

"That's my girl." Fox told her with a small smile. "You know, it's that smooth talking of yours that got us into this predicament in the first place." She said with a stressed chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's my fault." He joked.

"Please hurry, Fox." Krystal whispered and with that she hung up the phone. Fox shoved his cell into his pocket, blowing past on lookers who stuck out their hands to meet the mercenary leader. He came to a stop at his table where Peppy was conversing with three well-dressed gentleman. He saw that Fox had returned and gestured with his hand.

"And here he is now." Peppy said with a smile. "Fox, I'd like you to meet-"

"Krystal just went into labor." Fox said quickly, cutting him off. Peppy's smile vanished and Falco and Slippy looked up at him with wide eyed faces. "What? I thought she wasn't due for another two weeks!" Peppy gaped.

"My kid got tired of waiting. I'm on the next shuttle out of here."

"Well what the hell are we doing hanging around these assholes then? Let's go!" Falco proclaimed a little too loudly, standing up from his chair. Slippy followed suite and nodded towards Fox that he was with him. Fox looked towards Peppy who stood awkwardly by the frowning and confused bigwigs.

"Peppy?" He asked hopefully. He knew he was asking a lot from the hare. This was his career and he could seriously be jeopardizing it by leaving. But Fox needed him.

Peppy looked to his suit wearing compatriots beside him then back to his team. With a slow and gentle smile, he too nodded to the vulpine. "Let's haul our butts if we want to make that ride." He said.

Fox smiled at him and the StarFox team was off like a shot, loosening ties and cuffs as they sped down the hall. The four companions that Peppy had brought over all watched them disappear around a corner, as did most of the guests. It was silent for a moment until one of the suits, a lion, spoke up.

"Okay, I wasn't the only one who thought that somebody pissed on that toad right?"

Somewhere in the downtown area of Corneria, in a tight and somewhat dirty district, a weathered old apartment building stood tall against the cloudy sky. Up on the fifteenth floor was apartment number thirty five. Home to one of the most notorious former space pirate the Lylat System had ever seen.

Wolf O'Donnell.

With his vicious temper and ruthless aggression, he created fear in the hearts of transporters and wealthy convoys alike. He could walk into a bar and on a single night, drink ten people under the table, win six fights and take three women home to bed. He ate blaster fire for breakfast and shaved with the claw of a Titanian Razor Back. Wolf was a legend in his own right.

But it is how you say, 'that was then and this was now'.

The currently retired Wolf O'Donnell was sprawled over his messy bed, snoring loudly. One leg was propped up on his side dresser, an arm slung over his face and his other hand nestled comfortably inside the crotch of his boxers. A legend indeed.

The sudden pierce of a telephone ring caused the one eyed lupine to stir, a low growl emanating from his throat. His arm flopped over off his face and fumbled around clumsily, searching for the phone. He knocked over a lamp and a few bottles of rum and vodka in his search but eventually found the phone.

"What?" He mumbled, eye still closed.

"Wolf. It's Fox."

"What do you want, prick?" Wolf growled, unhappy his sleep was disturbed by his least favorite person in the world.

"I need your help, Wolf."

"You don't say? Well I'm pretty busy not giving a damn. Where's your little rag tag group of heroes? Why don't you call in some favors from them?"

"Damnit, Wolf, could you stop being such a dickhead for one minute and just listen!?"

"Well now you've hurt my feelings. Goodbye, jerkwad." Wolf spat back and was about to hang up when Fox's voice called out loudly from the receiver.

"Wolf please! It's Krystal! She's gone into labor!"

Wolf paused and his eye opened. He sat up groggily and brought the phone back up to his ear.

"Take her to the hospital then, dumbass. Why the hell are you talking to me for?"

"She's early. I'm stuck on MacBeth, trying to get on a shuttle back but it's a six hour trip. All of our backups aren't even around. Wolf…I need your help." Fox said the last part with a pleading and desperate tone in his voice.

Wolf dropped the phone and looked out his dirty window to the clouds outside. He looked back to the phone staring at it as if he was trying to make up his mind. While he and Fox were technically on good terms, he still wasn't fond of him. He could admit that if Fox hadn't used his leverage as a national hero, Wolf would never had been able to get the authorities off his tail and able to live somewhat of a normal life. He told them something along the lines of Wolf paying his dues and helping save the Lylat System more than once.

Hell, McCloud even helped him find a job when his flying license was revoked to avoid any relapses back into the criminal lifestyle. A license never stopped him before but Wolf was older now, not a broken down old man or anything but it was just too damn tiring to keep up with his old habits. That being said, Fox had gotten him employment at a company that used his more than formidable combat skills and all around intimidation factor as security or private bodyguard work. It kept him in shape and every now and then he got the satisfaction of breaking someone's nose from time to time.

It was a kind thing to do, especially for an enemy but as far as Wolf was concerned, it made them even. Wolf had saved his ass twice during the Aparoid and Anglar invasion so that didn't just qualify for an immediate friendship to start.

But Krystal on the other hand…

Wolf liked the girl during her brief stay with StarWolf. She had guts and could dish out the sass just as well as him. He could trust her to watch his back in a dogfight and she knew how to follow an order. It didn't hurt that she was quite the looker as well.

"Wolf? Are you still there?" Came Fox's nervous voice from the receiver. Wolf pinched the bridge of his muzzle and brought the phone back up once more.

"Alright, McCloud. I'll do this. But let's get this straight. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for Krystal, got it?"

"I got it. Thank you, Wolf. I'll let her know you're coming. We'll meet you at the hospital."

"Whatever." Wolf grumbled and hung up the phone. Sighing, he got up and started to slip on some clothes.

This was not the beginning of the day he was hoping to have envisioned.

A/N: The madness begins. We'll see you in Chapter 2!