"Isaac... do you think I'll be a good mother?" Shinano asked softly as her head rested against his. They had spent almost an hour looking at the black tailed child from Isaac's memory and could not get over how much she looked like both of them.
"Why wouldn't you? You are quite a powerful Kansen, but you are also very kind and wise. Our daughter will be raised well." Isaac assured her.
"I don't think I will... I was only put to sea once and was sunk on my first mission. What if my failure there translates to me being a bad mother?" Shinano asked.
"Shinano. Raising a child is not a battle you have to win. It is a learning experience." Isaac said as he rubbed Shinano's belly.
"Are you sure?" Shinano asked.
"I am sure, Shinano. Yume will grow up strong, healthy and happy. And when this war is over, she can live with us... wherever we end up." Isaac said as he scratched his head.
"Isaac~~ I know a little shrine by Kyoto. We can live there if you wish. You'll be free of the stigma of the Union and you'll be free to live our your life in peace." Shinano said.
"You sneaky little fox. Does this shrine have the ability to house everyone who wishes to join us?" Isaac asked as he ruffled Shinano's hair.
"Maybe not... I was thinking of just us three, but if we are making room for everyone, maybe Tokyo would be a better choice." Shinano said as she put a finger to her lips.
"If the views of Tokyo are anything like you've shown me, it wouldn't be a bad place. But we should keep in mind that maybe not all of the others wish to be in such a... lavish environment." Isaac said as Shinano looked at him.
"Oh? Are you talking about Friedrich and the other Ironblood girls?" Shinano asked.
"Yeah. Ironblood doesn't feel like they'd feel at home with something as lavish as a home in Tokyo." Isaac elaborated.
"What do you think, Isaac? Where should we raise our daughter when this is all over?" Shinano asked.
"You mean if we survive?" Isaac asked.
"This one has seen a great many things. But this path we walk, is the one to victory. What we do from here on, will only contribute to our victory in the end." Shinano said.
"Really? We haven't done much of anything." Isaac said.
"I cannot elaborate further, but this exact path has a high possibility of ending with us being victorious." Shinano said softly as she looked into his eyes.
"I ask again, Isaac Garner... Where should we go? You have a fleet that will follow you anywhere and do almost anything. There is no place that is inaccessible to you." Shinano reiterated.
"What about... Barbados? It's an English speaking island in the Caribbean." Isaac suggested.
"That sounds... nice. It feels rather close to the Union, though." Shinano admitted.
"It is. But we are also in the direct vicinity of the Panama canal. So should something ever happen and god forbid we need to be reactivated for any reason, we won't be cut off again." Isaac said.
Shinano smiled and sighed.
"Even in your dreams, you are still in Shikikan mode. Does it worry you that we may be dragged into another war?" Shinano asked.
"No. I feel that the world has seen enough war for a while. And with all of us united under the same goal, I hope we can all find common ground aside from the Sirens to bring us closer to peace. You girls deserve it. You all have been fighting for so long, you all deserve a nice long retirement." Isaac said.
"Retirement, papa?" A soft voice asked.
Shinano and Isaac both jumped and looked to Isaac's left, seeing the black tailed girl sitting next to them. Isaac looked back at the background and saw that the girl from his memory was in fact gone and sitting next to him.
"Uh..." Isaac said, unsure of how to react.
"Papa?" The child asked.
"Are you... Yume?" Shinano asked in her native tongue. The child nodded softly.
"How is this happening?" Isaac asked as Yume looked up at him.
"Well... this is a dream... maybe little Yume is dreaming and got brought in with us, Isaac." Shinano said, acting as if speaking with their unborn daughter was normal.
"Shinano... I know you are special with your abilities, but to be this out of touch? Our unborn daughter is sitting next to me talking to us like she's been here the whole time..." Isaac said, his tone still one of disbelief.
"Papa? I told you I would see you soon." Yume said softly as she gingerly grabbed at Isaac's arm and leaned against him.
"You did... but I didn't even think I was seeing that properly. You really weren't kidding." Isaac said as he scratched his head.
"Of course not." Yume said shortly as Shinano smiled a bit.
"You seem pretty advanced for someone who has yet to be brought into the world." Shinano said as she rubbed her belly.
"Mama?" Yume asked as she pointed at Shinano, who nodded at her assumption.
"And Papa." Yume said as she pointed at Isaac.
Isaac and Shinano smiled softly as they warmed up to the fact that Yume was there with them for the moment.
"I guess this is a good way to get introductions out of the way." Isaac said with a chuckle, causing Yume to squeak with a soft laughter.
Shinano smiled a bit wider as she reached out and petted Yume's ears, causing the young Kitsune to squeak and turn bright red.
"Mama!" Yume cried as both of her small hands clasped onto Shinano's.
Isaac laughed as Yume hopped into his lap, escaping the head pats from Shinano.
"Papa, what is retirement?" Yume asked, going back to her original question.
"Well, it's when you stop working and go back to just living your life." Isaac explained briefly.
"Work?" Yume asked.
"Work for us means fighting bad... people. We fight bad people and save good people." Isaac explained, not entirely sure she knew good and bad.
"Well... if Papa is fighting, then Papa should wake up." Yume said softly.
"Well... I would if I could. But with an injury I sustained, I was put to sleep so I can heal." Isaac said.
"Papa is hurt?!" Yume asked, looking to Shinano who nodded.
"I'll be okay. Just a few broken bones." Isaac said as Yume looked about ready to cry.
"But... Papa is papa! Papa can't be hurt." Yume cried softly.
Isaac choked back tears as her sheer adorableness brought tears to his eyes.
"Papa isn't invincible, Yume. Papa is a human who is weaker than we are." Shinano said softly.
"Hu-man?" Yume asked.
"It's not easy to explain. But just know that Papa is very fragile." Shinano said as the dark interior space of their dreamscape began to lighten.
"Yume, be a good girl for Mama, okay?" Isaac asked.
"Is it time for Papa to wake up?" Yume asked.
"I believe so. Looks like the morphine is wearing off." Isaac said as he looked down at the black furred Kitsune and kissed her forehead.
"I can't wait until you can greet the world, little Yume." Isaac said softly.
Yume nodded as Shinano kissed Isaac's cheek before the dreamscape went white.
"He's waking up!" Penny exclaimed, waking Arizona in the process.
"Oh god, Commander! Are you alright?" Arizona asked as she immediately checked his arm.
"She's going to be a good mother." Isaac said absentmindedly.
"Mother?!" Penny and Arizona exclaimed.
"Commander, are you truly awake yet?" Alice asked.
"No, I need to know more about this!" Penny spoke as she grabbed Isaac's good arm.
"Who is going to be a mother?!" Penny cried as she shook Isaac's arm.
"Pennsylvania!" Alice spoke sternly, removing Penny's hand from Isaac so he could focus his vision and come back to the waking world.
"It's Shinano. Isaac managed to get Shinano pregnant." Alice answered as Penny looked at Isaac and then at her own body.
"We can get pregnant?" Penny asked as Alice showed Penny the notes from her visit to the Shinano.
"Where is Odin?" Isaac asked as Alice allowed him several long sips of water to wet his throat.
"In port ensuring that the injured are being tended to and that the dead have been properly laid out for burial." Norfolk said as she knocked on the door of the medical bay.
"Ah, Norfolk. What brings you here?" Isaac asked as Shinano, Akagi, Kaga and several other girls made their presence known outside the door.
"Shikikan, you have a lot of explaining to do." Akagi said as the girls filed their way into the room.