This may be the last chapter, or the second to last one. We'll be wrapping up everything and getting ready for the Das Finale fic, as well as working on some shorter little one shots

Joshua Whitman was currently being choked.

Thanks to an invitation to the Nishizumi Estate this evening, Miho had become an absolute perfectionist about everything, despite Maho's assurances that their mother wanted it to be 'casual'.

"You remember the lyrics to Panzerlied right?"

Joshua rolled his eyes; "Yes, I remember"

Miho nodded her head, before fussing over his uniform more. His had been special ordered, with Miho enlisting the help of the History Club to help create the dress uniform. Erwin's input was particularly useful, and he wore a short, Eisenhower-inspired jacket in olive drab, with matching trousers. The unit patch was replaced with an Oorai emblem, and the rank insignia had a subdued version of his tanks Kodiak bear on it. his peaked cap had fretting on it in Oorai Green, personally made by Erwin.

For her part, Miho wore her Panzer jacket from Sensha-Dō, with some medals and emblems on it, with a tight fitting, knee length pencil skirt of the same color. She also wore a garrison cap on her head, with Oorai Green piping along the cuffs and collar. Her Anko on the back was replaced by the Oorai ribbon, but other than that she remained more or less the same.

"W-well, I guess that's as good as it's going to get... remember, please! Mother was always strict with guests, and the customs and everything of dinner..."

Joshua kissed the top of her forehead, "It's gonna be fine, baby. Besides, we've already met before."

Miho sighed, "That's what I'm afraid of... And hey, I told you not to call me that!"

As she weakly smacked his shoulder, the dressed up American laughed and pulled her close, waiting for Erika and Maho in the Drache to arrive and ferry them to his doom

At least I'll look snazzy...

Shiho Nishizumi was someone most people would call 'predictable'. She adheared very strongly to the Nishizumi Style, following its core tennants to a fault. She was mired in tradition and history, expecting her daughters to do the same. Under such parentage, it was a small wonder that a free soul like Miho had felt stifled.

Shiho Nishizumi was also, however, someone who could learn and adapt. Her youngest daughter's victory over Kuromorimine had refreshed that lesson that she had been taught as a girl; Flexibility was the mother of victory. Shiho had become... complacent. But she would some to correct that complacency; Already she had been reviewing the German style.of Blitzkrieg, the tactics that had won them so many early victories.

Allocating objectives to individual unit commanders, who disseminated them down into individual tasks, who were given free reign in their own areas of tactical operations. Micro operations, working together to achieve results on a macro scale.

This lesson in history would currently be lost on everyone (save perhaps Erwin) when Shiho Nishizumi opened the door to the Nishizumi Estate wearing khaki shorts and a yellow button up top.

The gathered tankers were in a state of shock. Shiho Nishizumi, standing at her door, in casual attire, greeting them. Most shocked were Maho and Miho; The two girls had never before seen their mother act like this. Such... normalcy, was quite the abnormality, and the Sisters Nishizumi were left flapping their mouths in an uncharacteristically hilarious manner

Meanwhile, Erika and Joshua were of the same mind, a thought that they'd never imagined entering into their minds

Holy crap, Shiho is hot!?

There was no doubt; Years of Sensha-Dō had left the Nishizumi mistress a toned, attractive figure, and her facial resemblance to her daughters both teens found oddly attractive. Beckoning the group inside, Shiho spoke first

"Welcome, welcome. Miho, Maho, it's very good to have you back. Erika, Herr Whitman, a pleasure of course."

The perfect smile she plastered on her face only served to unnerve her guests more, and the foursome headed inside.

Erika Itsumi was currently using every single last ounce of discipline to not wolf down the delicious hamburger steaks that had been prepared with perfection; The only thing keeping her going was not wanting to embarrass herself in front of her Kommand- Maho, she called her Maho now!

Fortunately, Herr Whitman wasnt doing much better it seemed. He was visibly struggling to not eat his food in one large mouthful; It seemed the Nishizumi Style also practiced good culinary skills.

Their musings were interrupted by Shiho

"So tell me, Herr- That is... Joshua... What... what is it you do in your free time besides Sensha-Dō?"

Joshua, for his part, looked bewildered, but struggled to answer

"Uh, I uhm, I... like to work on engines. And uh... Hiking when we get the chance, I like hiking."

The Nishizumi Matriarch nodded, "And what is it you were hoping to study in university?"

"I was... actually kind of hoping to go to college on a Sensha-Dō program, and study... Engineering. Work on Tanks, train with them, there's actually a pretty good program in Kumamoto I've been thinking of applying to"

"Oh, well... if you're interested, I happen to know a few of the people on the admissions board. Id be more than happy to introduce you"

Maho and Miho had stopped eating completely; Seeing Shiho in such a... casual state, asking Joshua about his interests was too surreal for them to handle.

"Oh, uhm, thank you ma'am, i-"

"Please, call... me Shiho."

The words even sounded as if they were bitter coming out of her mouth, but the woman's face betrayed no expression other than a mother interested in her daughters new boyfriend

"Oh, uhm, sure Shih-"

The American was interrupted by the opening of the main door to the Nishizumi Estate, with a loud accented voice calling out his arrival

"Shiporin! I'm home!"

Joshua Whitman was astoundingly confused at the moment, and yet, also not at all. Miho's father had been everything he'd expected, and nothing at all what he'd imagined. Standing at a towering 6'1, the dark haired man had decidedly European features mixed in with his Japanese complexion, and carried with him the teasing nature he had become so familiar with in Miho over the past several months

The man had sat down for dinner with the family, greeting each of his daughters with a massive hug and looking amused at Shiho's current change in attitude. Erika had met the man before in passing, but he was usually working on a Panzer when she went to call on Maho, and so didn't interact with her much.

Five minutes in, and the man had decided that making the American as uncomfortable as possible was his new favorite pass time, a fact reinforced by his decision to lead Joshua away for some "Man to man" talk

It was here that Joshua found himself sitting across from his girlfriend's father, alone in the study as the man seemed to appraise him before he broke the ice

"So... Here Whitman, I take it?"

"Uh, yes sir..."

"Ah, please, call me Tsuneo! I'm not nearly as formal as my wife is about these things. But I do want to know.. what exactly are your intentions with my littlest girl?"

Swallowing, Joshua found himself struggling to meet the man's steely eyes

"I, uh well... We're, uh, dating..."

Tsuneo raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Yeah... Actually, yes, sir. We've been dating for a few months now, we met on the Sensha-Dō team. We,- I, well. I like Miho alot. She's... fun to be around. She's funny, and I... well, I hope we see each other for a long time. Sir."

The man simply stared at Joshua for a minute, before breaking out into a grin and laughing

"Hah! That's the best answer I've heard so far! Don't worry son, really- Miho's chosen you already, this whole shebang is more of a formality. I trust her to pick the right kind of man for her. Besides, I think my wife wanted a word alone with her anyway, eh?"

The last part was said leaning in and mock-whispering, causing Joshua to crack a grin as well.

"Yeah, haha. Actually, she seems alot more.. uh, laid back than the last few times I've met her"

Tsuneo held up a finger, reaching for the end table and pulling a book out

"Oh, yeah! That would be this things doing. See, Shiho, much as I love her, she has... trouble expressing herself sometimes. Not for a lack of want, mind you, but it can be hard for her to figure out the best way of going about it. Hence, books. Books she takes too far, sometimes" He muttered, tossing the book to the American

Joshua read the title, stifling laughter

"How to Be Casual Around Your Daughters: For Beginners"

The American simply stared at the cover, baffled, before turning back to the mechanic with a questioning look

"Oh yeah, she read that thing cover to cover trying to connect with Miho these past few days. Not sure if it's working out, but hey, she can try. Oh, I saw your match! I gotta say, it's great seeing my old Hetzer out there!"

"W-wait, that was your tank?!"

"Eh, not exactly mine, per say..."

The man fixed Joshua with a grin, the Nishizumi glint in his eye

"But I did write and patent the Pz38 (t) to JagdPanzer 38 (t) conversion kit!"

Joshua was floored; Historically, it was impossible to actually convert an active Panzer 38 (t) to a JagdPanzer 38 (t). How this man had figured it out was an absolute mystery, and spoke volumes of his skill

"Wow... I had no idea"

Tsuneo shrugged, "Eh, not that hard once you look into it. The hardest part was strengthening the suspension for the frontal weight from the armor. Shiho isnt the only brains in this partnership, you know!"

Joshua laughed at that; Between him and Miho, she was definitely the brains.

"... Oh, that reminds me, I hope youre not too attached to that last name of yours."

If hed been drinking something, Joshua would have done a spit take worthy of a late night comedy session

"W-what- we- I- THATS A REAL THING?!"

Tsuneo threw his head back in laughter, and Joshua couldn't tell of he was joking or not. Something in his gut said he wasn't, though

Upstairs, Miho was currently thankful (and a little surprised) that Mother had left her room so pristine and untouched.

"I hope you like it. We've kept all of the... decorations, as you had them"

Miho looked around in shock; Her Bokos were all still sitting on the shelves, posters up on the walls; Even the blanket she likes so much was neatly folded at the foot of the bed!

"Mother... Thank you..."

Shiho coughed, looking away

"Y-yes, well... As I said before, we um... that is to say, I... have... missed you quite a bit, Miho..."

Miho couldn't hide it anymore; She ran up to her mother and threw her arms around her, hugging her with tears in her eyes

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!! This means so much to me mother, I just... I missed you all so much!"

Shiho held her daughter close, "We did too, little cub... I owe you an apology... I thought that without the Nishizumi Style, you... well, I was blind. A fool. But you've kept our family name, you've proven yourself strong. I'm sorry I couldn't offer you that at Kuromorimine..."

Miho just nuzzled deeper into her mother's shoulder

"It doesn't matter now! Mother, I found my own Sensha-Dō. I found it! And Iove it so much now, and-and Joshua helped me so much, and..."

Shiho shook her head

"Ah, that's right... While I'm glad you've found your own way, Miho, remember to be cautious around this boy..."

"Joshua isn't like that! He's sweet, and caring, and-"

"... And remember to always use protection, until you're ready for an heiress yourself. Then, you can simply seduce him, and at the end hold him with your leg-"

"MOTHER!"

Miho was as red as Saori's hair, cheeks burning with shame

"That's not what I meant at all!"

Shiho blinked, "But... Oh. Well, I just thought, since me and your father were always-"

"AHHHHHH!!!!"

Miho's face was unreadable now, screaming as she was into the pillow, as Shiho silently laughed to herself. Looking up, she saw Maho holding her hand in front of her mouth, before putting a finger to her lips and walking off.

Shiho cleared her throat; "Well, in any case, he seems to be a good fit for you, daughter. I'm... I'm very glad you've found friends in Oorai. I'm glad you can enjoy Sensha-Dō now, on your own terms. I hope... we can be closer again. I've missed this, more than I thought..."

Miho shook her head, rising from the pillow before sitting straighter

"We will Mother! We can go out to dinner tomorrow, or to the Boko Museum!!!"

Shiho cringed inwardly; She'd never understand her daughters obsession with that bear.

"Y-yes well, in any case, we have a few days, and of course you're welcome to stay here during your time"

"I'd love to! B-but, where would Joshua stay?"

"And you're absolutely sure she's ok with this?"

Miho shrugged; It seemed a bit odd to her as well that her own mother would be alright with Joshua spending the night; Even more so that he'd be welcome to stay in her room. In fact, Shiho had nearly encouraged it, stating that Nishizumi women never let their man stay anywhere but by their side; Tsuneo and Shiho had shared a bed nearly from the outset.

Miho wasn't too sure about the validity of those claims, but she couldn't deny she was excited about the prospect; She'd loved spending nights at Joshua's apartment, and he'd stayed over quite a few nights himself. They hadn't done... that... But Miho was feeling more and more like it was something she wanted to do

"So how'd it go?"

Miho couldn't keep the joy out of her voice

"It went... it went great, actually! Mother, she... she seems to want to get closer. And I do too! Joshua, I haven't felt this happy in a long time here... I found my own Sensha-Dō, my family is coming back together, and-and everything is just... it's perfect!"

Sliding into bed with her boyfriend, she made to kiss him goodnight. Chaste kisses deepened, and before they knew it the tankers began a routine make-out session.

The American caught his breathe when he felt Miho's hands reach for the hem of his shirt, lowering his hands on her own body. He pulled away, and saw that same gleam in her eye that meant she was up to no good, but saw genuine contentment there too

"A-are... are you sure baby?"

Miho silenced him with a kiss, pulling back and resting her forehead on his own

"...told you not to call me that. Now, panzer vor!"

The teammates lost themselves in eachother, and Joshua's last coherent thought was about how much he desperately wished that Miho's Boko dolls didn't have those creepy eyes surrounding the bedroom on every wall

Joshua had always heard about the awkardness of the dreaded "Morning After". He'd also always assumed that, being mature, close, and (he hadn't said it out loud yet, but knew it was true) very much in love with his girlfriend, they wouldn't have any of that afterwards.

For the most part, he was right. Waking up next to Miho, remembering the night, all very fairy tale. It was when she woke up and both of them lie there, staring at the ceiling, blushing like mad and thinking of ways to break the ice.

Joshua decided decisiveness was the better part of valor, and true to his nature, said the first thing that popped into his head

"I uh... never knew you spoke German..."

Miho looked away, biting her lip in embarrassment

"Well... You n-never asked..."

It started with a small chuckle, quickly rising in volume to a laugh, and before long Miho was joining in as the two tankers broke out in laughter together, before cuddling close as it died down

"I um.. hope you don't have any regrets?" Joshua asked, suddenly nervous beyond belief

Miho sighed in contentment, tightening her arms around her boyfriend

"No. In fact, this whole year, I don't think I regret a single thing!"

Joshua Whitman had to say he agreed with that.

This will conclude our journey in this particular story. I wanna thank you all for reading and bearing with me through all this, it's been a wild ride, and I hope you enjoyed.

And yes, I made it happen in the end.

I may go back and do some proofreading, but this story is well and truly complete, I think. Not to say we won't hear any more from our favorite Garupans, but we'll see when I get the time for all that. So, read, review, tell your friends. And without further ado...

Panzer, Halt.