AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Happy New Year! Are you keeping your resolutions so far? Too bad this website is not having a good year so far in terms of the review posting functionality. Hopefully the problem will be corrected soon, and we can once again read what we and other reviewers post on the Reviews page of a story.

A big thank-you to the commenters on my last chapter: Princess Bunny, FirstFandomFangirl, NinjagoMasterOfTheForce, MMM, and Naruby7!

And since I have not previously done so, I also wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge the commenters on the final two chapters of my first fanfic The Fire Within a Ninjago Cowboy. I received a kind comment on Chapter 41 last week from a guest named KaitheHotHead1, so I wish to publicly thank this commenter along with the other commenters: FirstFandomFangirl, Kai's Girlfriend, kairocksrainbow, lovesgod12, MMM, Naruby7, Princess Bunny, and Yuki.

Now in the chapter that you are about to read below, the Walkers are going to tell their friends that a little shaver (a term used to affectionately describe a small child as a little chip or shaving off the original, i.e. their parents) is on the way. There will also be a bit of discussion about the subject of a baby Smith...and about the possibility of war...


Chapter 9 - Saturday in Early May

The weather on Saturday evening turned out to be quite pleasant, which meant that the guests were able to enjoy their refreshments outdoors on a picnic table on the front lawn of the cottage of Jay and Nya Walker.

In attendance at the gathering were the residents of Garmadon Ranch: Mr. Wu, the ranch owner; Miss Gayle, the housekeeper who lived in the main house; Bo, the gardener who lived near the property line separating the Garmadon Ranch and Double S Ranch; and Jay's fellow ranch hands - Zane, Kai, and Cole, along with Kai's wife, Sam, and Cole's new bride, Brooke. Cole and Brooke had gotten hitched just a month ago.

A canine resident of the ranch, Blaze, was also in attendance to visit Flash, his brother. The two animals were born nearly eight months ago from the same litter of Australian Shepherd dogs. Blaze, a companion to his mistress Sam, was red with a white chest and two white front legs.

Flash and Blaze entertained themselves during the evening by going around to each human, each carrying a stick found on the ground. If they were fortunate, which they were a majority of the time, the human would play a short game of fetch.

Jay and Nya would have liked to invite their friends who lived beyond the boundaries of Garmadon Ranch, but given how Nya was feeling, Jay felt that they should limit the guest list to a small gathering so that she could conserve her energy.

Before the church service tomorrow, they would inform Pastor Neuro of their happy news, so that when it came time in the service to make announcements of general interest to the church members, the pastor could tell the whole congregation all at once.

Tonight, Nya's beautiful blueberry pies were proudly displayed in the center of the picnic table. She had found enough ripe berries to make three of the sweet desserts. The lattice crusts looked perfect, just like the crusts on the pies she made for the memorable supper party last summer.

Mrs. Walker was showered with compliments on her culinary creations.

"She be taught by a good baker," Miss Gayle declared. She was the supervisor of the pie baking for last summer's supper party and had to re-teach Nya some baking skills that the raven-haired beauty had forgotten from her childhood.

"But what happened with me then?" Sam joked, making everyone laugh. The cherry pies she had made for that same supper party had been described as looking "interesting" by Nya and having "character" by Kai - not exactly ringing endorsements of their appearance.

"Both of ye be bakin' good-tastin' pies. Taste is what be matterin' most," Miss Gayle said with a smile.

Cole nodded. "I agree with that!" He remembered saying that to Sam and Kai at the supper party.

From the front porch, Jay tapped a spoon on an unused pie tin. "Hey, pardners!" he called out to get everyone to look at him. "Before we start dipping our eatin' irons into these splendiferous pies, Nya and I want to make an announcement."

Nya came up on the front porch and stood next to Jay. He put his arm around her waist.

"In late November or maybe early December, Nya and I are going to be the proud mama and daddy of a new little shaver," he announced with a wide grin.

Sam's heart leaped at the wonderful news for her friends. She jumped up from her seat to be the first one to congratulate and hug the raven-haired beauty and her husband who wore a blue kerchief. "I'm so happy for you both!" she exclaimed.

She then stepped to the side to allow the other guests to express their sentiments of happiness to the expectant parents.

Sam felt much joy for Nya and Jay, but she had to admit she felt a tiny twinge of envy. She wanted to have a baby, too. Hosting two of Brooke's cute younger sisters for a week last winter was so much fun and fueled her desire to become a mother. She was starting to wonder if the fact that she and Kai had not yet conceived a child in over eight months of marriage signified proof of a medical issue. Perhaps if no baby was on the way by the autumn, she would speak to Doc Julien about it.

Sam did not realize she was standing quietly off to the side with a pensive look on her face until Kai sidled up to her and put his arm around her waist.

She hoped that he wouldn't guess that she was thinking about their own future child, but he did.

"Don't worry, Sam," he assured her quietly, giving her a squeeze as they watched the others. "We'll have our turn soon."

"Oh, I know we will," she replied, flustered that her thoughts had been so transparent. She quickly squeezed him back to let him know she really was not unhappy about anything. Kai was such a good husband and she couldn't ask for a better man. With him, and their dog Blaze, she felt blessed.

"I have an idea," he whispered into her ear. "Let's work on it tonight when we get home!"

He began to laugh while he watched her blush. He knew she hoped no one else heard his brash comment.

Then she laughed as she playfully jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, so he knew he wasn't in trouble with her.


The first two blueberry pies were gone, with the crumbs going to the canines. The men were sitting around the picnic table working on devouring the third pie as they conversed about the Purples. The ladies went into the cottage to help Nya keep things tidy, so she wouldn't have as much cleaning to do once the guests had left.

"Those boys," Nya said, rolling her eyes. "There they go, talking about the Purples just like everyone else in town and across Ninjago is doing. I wish people would stop talking about them. If the Purples get the gumption to actually take over Jamanakai Village like they're threatening to do, then our side will need to take back the village, which basically means we'll have a war. And I don't want a war to start, especially now that I'm not feeling too well!"

Brooke agreed. "I don't want a war to start, either. Cole and I just got hitched barely a month ago, after waiting for three months. I don't want to be separated from him again so soon!"

"And if our boys go off to war, how will Mr. Wu manage the ranch?" Sam wondered.

Miss Gayle remained uncharacteristically silent. The lassies' concerns were all valid, but they seemed to be forgetting a very big problem with wars.

People get killed.


For a while, the men forgot they were at a party and instead had a serious discussion.

"So, boys," Mr. Wu began, "Seems like our side is being called the Yellow side, since Yellow is the opposite color of Purple. Can't say I'm fond of being called yellow, but - by gum! - I sure stand for anything opposite of what the Purples believe!"

He took a sip of tea and turned to the gardener. "So Bo, I'm not gonna ask you this question, 'cause I doubt they'd take you due to your bad ear."

The ranch owner turned to the cowboys. "But I need to ask you boys...If war does break out, are you joining the Yellow Army?"

"Definitely!" Zane announced.

"You bet!" Cole chimed in.

"For sure!" Kai declared.

"I'm in!" Jay exclaimed.

Mr. Wu took another sip of tea. He had another question which he would have liked to ask all four of them, but Zane had not yet found a special girl, and he had heard privately that Sam's attempt to match him with one of her old friends had failed because the friend had already married someone overseas.

"I applaud your patriotism, boys. But I have another question for you three with wives. Shouldn't you ask them how they feel about you joining before you actually sign up?"

Kai, Jay, and Cole looked a little sheepish.

"Sure," Jay said slowly. "I reckon it's just that we've figured that the Purples are just a bunch of locos..."

"...and if they cross into Ninjago, the Yellow Army would whup 'em right quick..." Cole added.

"...and we'd be back home before the end of strawberry season!" Kai finished.

"Well, just be sure to talk to your women first," Mr. Wu admonished them. "But if you four have plans to join the army, then I'll need to make some alternate plans for tending the cattle. Bo, you might have to put down your hoe and be a cowboy for a little while."

"Whatever you want, boss," Bo concurred.

Mr. Wu drank the last sip of tea from his cup and looked over at the front porch, where the ladies were occupying the porch swing and the front stoop. They were giving unhappy looks to the men seated in the front yard around the picnic table.

"You got your harmonica, Cole?" he asked.

"Always do," the black-haired cowboy responded, patting the pocket in which he kept the small instrument.

"How about playing some tunes, and let's dance with the ladies. Zane, why don't you dance with Brooke," Mr. Wu suggested. He realized they were neglecting the women, and he never wanted to get on a lady's bad side.

"Ladies," he called. "Come join us in the front yard here for some dancing. I need to work off all that delicious pie I just ate!"

Flash and Blaze barked happily, wanting to participate in the fun, too.