Polt panted for breath as she jogged slowly towards where she was meeting Caboose for their nightly run, though not from exhaustion. The full moon shone directly above her, filling her body – and the body of every demi-human across the planet – with a burning need. Most had their own ways of controlling it – or not – when this came to pass, and Polt was no exception. She'd already built her planned 'demi-human health spa' to the point the pool was complete, and all it would take was turning the temperature down to exactly the level that would cool the heat in her body while still being comfortable for her. A long naked swim would leave her relaxed, refreshed, and calm once the full moon passed.

But just as she'd been about to jump into the pool, Caboose had called her. She'd been dreading that. She didn't want to be near him while she was like this. Not that she didn't like him that way, far from it. In fact, it was because of how she felt about him that she didn't trust herself near him under the full moon. Sure, owning her own business and not requiring a homestay relaxed quite a few restrictions regarding intimacy so neither of them would get in trouble if anything happened, but Caboose was such an innocent! He'd eagerly go along with whatever Polt asked when they were together, whether he understood it or not. Polt couldn't take advantage of him like that; she'd hate herself if she did.

As such, she'd picked up the phone ready to tell Caboose she couldn't meet him for their run, but…

"Polt!" Caboose greeted happily. "You aren't at our usual meeting place! No walkies tonight?"

Polt's heart fluttered at Caboose's name for their runs together. She knew he never meant to imply she was like a pet to him…even if there were times when that appealed a little too much, like just now. "I-I don't think I should tonight, Caboose," she managed to say, despite every bit of her body screaming to promise to be right at his side as soon as she could…and all sorts of other things.

"Oh, okay," Caboose allowed a little sadly. "It's just I had something really important to talk to you about…oh! I can meet you at your place! Where are you?"

Polt felt her heart race, panic gripping her mind as anticipation gripped her loins. To be alone with Caboose in an enclosed space when he'd have to have no nose to not smell how eager she was for him… "W-what did you need to talk about?" she stammered out, hoping to delay saying no long enough to have a good explanation.

"Marriage," Caboose responded immediately.

Polt's brain promptly abandoned all attempts at reining her heart in as it – and her loins – seized her reins and whipped. "I'll be right there!"

And here Polt was, jogging slowly and panting with every breath as she kept as much of herself exposed to the cold night air as decency would allow. She was wearing a skimpier sports bra than normal, which showed off a good deal more cleavage, and had traded her sports shorts for a bikini bottom. She'd forgone shoes to use the cold pavement to cool her from her pads up, not having realized at the time that every step would send a shock of wild sensation straight through her body. But nothing would turn her back now, not until she met with Caboose. Still, she gathered her mind, determined to have some control when she met with Caboose. She prayed that her ancestor, Falkor the Luck Dragon, would be with her this day and that her story would continue happily.

Finally, she caught up to Caboose. "Hey!" she called out, managing to stabilize herself somewhat.

"Polt!" Caboose called out happily as he waved to her. His enthusiasm seemed to dwindle as she approached, however. "Are you okay? You don't look well."

"Just a little hot," Polt answered quickly. "You can touch and find out." She snapped her mouth shut as that blatant innuendo slipped out. She was going to have to keep better control of herself-

Her blood pressure skyrocketed as Caboose placed his hand on her forehead. "You are hot!" he commented in surprise.

"You finally noticed." Curse my loose tongue! Oh please don't catch that!

"Well I always figured you were hotter than other girls with all that fur," Caboose agreed, "but this is too hot! We need to find someplace to sit down so you can cool off." Turning, he began leading her away as he searched for a bench.

Polt followed readily, falling into step right at his heels. "You said you wanted to talk to me about…marriage?" she coached, hoping to get answers while she still had coherence.

"Yes!" Caboose confirmed. "Scary Smith Lady brought it up."

"O-oh," Polt replied, feeling her heart starting to sink. It was too much to hope for that this wasn't something official, she supposed. Still, that would make it easier to control herself-

"I didn't understand it all at first, but apparently marriage involves staying together forever, and other stuff!" Caboose continued. "And something about being sexiful. And that's when I decided I wanted to marriage all my friends!" He paused thoughtfully. "Well, not Tucker. I saw him naked once on Chorus. He is definitely not sexiful, no matter what he says."

Polt couldn't stop the giggles from pouring out of her. She'd read every bit she could about the Reds and Blues since meeting Caboose, and had reveled in his tales of their adventures together. She'd come to the conclusion that Tucker was an excellent fighter, probably an okay parent, but not someone she wanted to meet without Caboose nearby. Her amusement vanished as her somewhat addled mind parsed the rest of what was said. All my friends… "Caboose…are you saying…?"

"Yes!" Caboose confirmed. "I want to marriage you! I knew when I made the decision, I had to talk to you about it immediately!"

Polt felt her heart beat accelerating again. "Caboose…does that mean…you…love…"

For some reason, Caboose began bobbing his head like a bobble head. "What does love, got to do, got to do with it?" he asked curiously.

"You shouldn't have marriage without love, Caboose," Polt explained, struggling to find a way to explain herself when her own brain wasn't working right.

Caboose was silent for a time as he kept walking. "…is love when you're super happy to see someone, desolate when they leave, terrified when they're hurt, feel safe in their arms, and know that nothing can go wrong as long as you are together?"

Polt felt her heart skip a beat. "Y…yes…"

"Oh, good!" Caboose responded happily. "Since marriage needs love, I just thought about how I feel about all the friends I want to be marriage friends, and hoped that was this love thing. It's a nice feeling." He turned to face her. "I love you, Polt."

Polt felt her heart stop. She felt tears in her eyes as she threw herself forward, hugging him tight.

"Did I say something wrong?" Caboose asked, afraid.

"No," Polt reassured him. "You said something…very, very right. I love you too."

"Yay!" Caboose cheered happily.

After a time, Polt pulled back. As much as she wanted nothing more than to stay in that embrace all night – well, assuming she got his armor off first – the second half of that thought made her realize something else she had to explain to him. "Caboose…marriage also means…making babies together," she managed to say with a blush.

"I will enjoy making babies with all my marriage friends, and be the best Dad I can be!" Caboose promised.

Polt smiled, her face turning bright red with pleasure and embarrassment. With how sweet, genuine, and overall good Caboose was, she wouldn't mind sharing him. Not at all.

"So what store do we go to?" he asked as he turned to lead them on, still searching for a bench.

"Store?" Polt asked in confusion.

"For the baby making kit," Caboose explained.

Polt promptly tripped and landed flat on her face. She really should have seen that coming.

"Are you alright, Polt?" Caboose asked worriedly as he immediately turned and helped her to her feet.

"I'm okay," Polt explained. "It's just…you don't go to a store to make a baby."

"…special order, then?" Caboose asked curiously. "Requisition to command?"

Polt groaned softly, not wanting to explain this part.

"You really aren't well!" Caboose deduced. Without warning, he scooped Polt into his arms, carrying her bridal style.

"C-c-caboose!" Polt gasped out, feeling her entire body heat up at the closeness…and other sensations she was glad Caboose did not understand.

"I need to find you somewhere to sit!" Caboose insisted. Moving swiftly, he found a bench and set her down gently. "Now you can get better!" He leaned over her worriedly.

Polt felt her breath accelerating, and clutched at her belly as her need spiked.

"Polt?" Caboose asked, worry and fear strong in her voice.

"It's…the full moon," Polt explained.

"The moon is hurting you?" Caboose gasped in shock. "Then I shall kill the moon!" Turning, he pointed his hand out towards the moon. "MOON!" he proclaimed at the top of his voice.

Polt stared in awe and fear, wondering what was about to happen.

Nothing happened. Caboose turned his arm to stare at his palm. "Odd. That worked for Piccolo. …oh yeah! Piccolo had eye beams! I'll call Freckle to kill the moon!"

"The moon isn't hurting me!" Polt called out quickly. She was not about to underestimate alien tech, especially not the Caboose-brand bootleg version. "This is perfectly natural…just not entirely comfortable…"

"Oh!" Caboose allowed, turning back to her. "That's a relief. Is there anything I can do to make you comfortable?"

Polt wondered if her cheeks would become permanently stained pink at this point. "T…there is…but I don't-"

"Tell me, please," Caboose pleaded. "I want to help you."

Polt whined deep in her throat, the need overpowering at this point. She hoped he would forgive her…and that she'd forgive herself. "Could…could I see you without your armor?"

Caboose hesitated. "People act strange when they see me," he began softly. "It made me uncomfortable. I haven't taken my armor off since I put it on."

"…please…"

Caboose was silent for a time, then reached up and unclasped his helmet. When Polt saw what was beneath, she found she had no words and almost no thoughts…though for some reason, a song clip from Young Frankenstein played in her head.

Caboose then reached out to touch her cheek. "Tell me what to do," he whispered softly.

Miia, Papi, and Cerea were in a state of abject panic. Caboose had gone out without them on the night of a full moon after declaring that he intended to marry all of them. Miia and Papi were both determined to go after him, but Cerea – despite her own upset – was insistent on keeping them all at home. "Caboose has stated he intends to talk with Polt," Cerea insisted firmly. "We will allow them the privacy he desires for their conversation!"

"But what if this Polt steals him away from us?" Miia countered angrily. "She's a kobold, and kobolds go absolutely crazy under the full moon just like us!"

"I want Husband!" Papi wailed out angrily. "I want Husband!"

"We will stay!" Cerea snapped, drawing her sword as she blocked the front door. "Freckles, Freckle, please assist me in giving Master Caboose his privacy!"

[Request for assistance acknowledged,] Freckles declared as the ground shook with his steps. [Lieutenants will remain in the Base until Captain Caboose returns.]

"But what about-" Miia began.

A shockingly loud and long howl split the night air, echoing through the neighborhood.

"Werewolf!" Papi wailed out in despair.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Cerea snapped. "There are no such creatures as werewolves! That's just human myth!"

"Yeah!" Miia insisted. "No demi-human explorer has ever come with reports of werewolves!"

"So…no one who's seen a werewolf has come back?" Papi asked in terror, an expression soon mirrored on Miia and Cerea.

Polt lay back on the bench, panting as she felt the heat in her body subsiding. She felt so…wonderful. So content, so alive…so exhausted. She lazily turned her eyes to the end of the bench, where Caboose was carefully pulling on his boots. "That was amazing…" she purred softly. "You're a natural, Caboose."

"I just did what you told me to do," Caboose offered helpfully. "What was that?"

Polt hesitated. "Umm…that was…making love," she explained.

"Making…oh! Barbecue combo plate!"

Polt blinked. "What?"

"Burnt chicken burnt cow," Caboose explained happily.

Polt let her head fall back as she laughed softly. Caboose was certainly still Caboose. That was a relief for her. "Thank you, Caboose…"

"That was fun!" Caboose declared happily. "Can we do it again sometime?"

Polt smiled widely. "I'd like that. …do you think I could crash…sleep at your place for a while? I…want to be close to you."

"Okay!" Caboose declared happily, standing up.

"Carry me?" she asked her armored lover, holding her arms up beseechingly.

"Okay!" Caboose agreed readily, lifting her bridal style and turned towards his Base.

Polt smiled up at him, nuzzling in. She knew what was beneath that armor now…and she couldn't wait to see it again.

Freckles watched carefully, blocking the door as the Lieutenants went into full panic mode. Freckle was patrolling the windows to make sure they didn't slip out. Both machines were eager for the return of their Captain, desperate for the calm relief he would bring.

Thankfully, it wasn't long before Caboose arrived, a girl identified by Caboose's helmet log as Polt in his arms. As soon as he entered the door, the girls rushed up to him.

"Husband!" Papi called out in terror. "Werewolf!"

"Where?" Caboose asked angrily, spinning to protect his girls.

"We heard a loud howl!" Miia called out. "And it's the full moon-"

"Oh, that was Polt!" He gently lifted Polt a bit to call attention to her. "I made her howl like that. She's going to be my marriage friend, too! She's going to stay with us for a while." He paused, looking back and forth. "I'll put her in my bed! We need more rooms." With that said, he made his way towards his room.

All three girls watched in dead silence. "You smell that?" Miia hissed.

"Husband mated…" Papi whimpered softly.

"Well, we should respect his choice-" Cerea began.

"I'm not letting another new rival swoop in and steal my Darling away from me!" Miia roared out, swiftly moving to pursue Caboose.

Freckles sighed. [This team is difficult…]

[Confirmed,] Freckle agreed.