After another hour of walking, Maika had come out of the forest to a small open pasture. Heavy clouds were beginning to set in as Maika rested for a little with the baby-ham.

"Look at the beautiful sun setting... It was only yesterday that I saw that same sun descend over the horizon... with the same red glow... but... it's not the same anymore... My Julia..." Maika was feeling a little depressed again, but he got up from the break and continued. The heavy clouds grew bigger and darker. Soon, they were caught in a rainstorm.

"It's getting pretty thick out here!" Maika thought to himself. "Darn, and there's no shelter in a place this open... I'll just have to keep running..." He gripped his food bag tighter and ran faster with the baby in his other hand. "With this mist I can't see anything! ...Wait, what's that ahead?"

A crack of thunder ripped through the clubhouse after a blazing ray of lightning flashed overhead. Panda had built a skylight above, positioned so that someone could see the sun shining in the afternoon, or the stars and moon at night. Tonight, there were two someones. A line of blue and white appeared as another bolt of lightning ran above.

"Eet iz marvelous, eh Hamtaro?"

Bijou and Hamtaro were laying on two couches pushed together so they could be side-by-side. A large bolt whisked through the night sky and Bijou gasped a little, being slightly afraid. "So beautiful, no?" Hamtaro glanced at Bijou's shimmering blue eyes. "Yeah, really beautiful..." Bijou turned her head and blushed. "Hehe, you are so silly sometimes... But that iz why I-" CRACK! - the thunder interrupted. "Why you what, Bijou?" "Ah, eet iz nothing..." They both smiled and continued to admire the evening.

A few seconds later, Bijou and Hamtaro heard a frantic banging on the clubhouse door. "What?" asked Hamtaro. "Is Boss home early from his little vacation?" Bijou looked a little worried. "I do not know, but eet sounds important!" Hamtaro rushed to the door and opened it, revealing a soaking wet ham-ham, a large plastic bag, and a baby-ham in his arms.

"Please, may we rest here for the night?"

"Ah... sure! That's ok, right Bijou?" Bijou hesitantly smiled and nodded her head. "Grr, my evening weet Hamtaro iz ruined!" she thought to herself. "Darn, there goes my alone time with Bijou..." Hamtaro similarly thought.

"Do you two have a bed I can sleep on somewhere?" asked the wet ham-ham. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Maika... and this little girl doesn't have a name yet... I just found her not too long ago."

"Heke?" Hamtaro looked at the little baby-ham. Bijou rushed over next to him. "Aww, she iz so cute! Oh, ze extra beds are upstairs, and so iz ze bathroom"

"Thank you," Maika replied. After a moment of pausing, he added, "you two seem like a very good ham-ham couple... I'll let you take care of the little one while I prepare myself for bed. Maybe think of a name for her if you like" Maika handed the baby-ham over to Bijou. After exclaiming "thank you again!" the weary Maika clumsily rushed upstairs.

"But we aren't a-" Bijou began to say, but she heard the upstairs door close. "I mean," she thought while looking at Hamtaro, "we aren't offeecial..."

"Let's sit back down," Hamtaro suggested. They both came to the couch and admired the little baby-ham. "Yeah, she's cute..." Hamtaro held on to the baby for a little while Bijou noticed what a kind father Hamtaro would make. "You look so happy holding her... like you really care for her as eef she was your own," Bijou softly told him. Hamtaro handed back the baby-ham to Bijou.

"What should we name her?" Hamtaro was looking at Bijou, and the question took her a little by surprise. "We?" she thought. "I really don't know, Hamtaro..." "Let's think of a good name then."

After thinking for a few minutes, the two heard a soft murmur coming from the baby-ham. It almost sounded like she was humming a song, but that would be silly for a baby to be humming. "I know that song..." Hamtaro began to say. Bijou looked back. "Yes, I think I know eet too... but I cannot remember..." They listened to the baby hum for a little, and then Hamtaro had a suggestion.

"How about we name her Melodie?" Hamtaro looked at Bijou for approval. "Hehe, I love that name! Yes, we will call zis leettle one Melodie. How do you like that?" Strangely, Melodie started to giggle as if she approved.

An hour later, Bijou and Hamtaro were still with Melodie. "Hmm... I could hold on to her for hours, Hamtaro." "Yeah, it looks like she's falling asleep in your arms. It's kinda cute..." Hamtaro blushed a little, looking at Bijou as a mommy-ham.

Bijou dazed off for a little, thinking of Melodie. She had always wanted a baby-ham to take care of, but it almost seemed like she would never have Hamtaro as her boy-ham as long as Boss was making jealous strides to separate the two. Silently, she said, "so cute... I want one..."

"Want one what, Bijou?"

"Oh, eet iz nothing..."

As Melodie fell asleep, Bijou rested on Hamtaro's shoulders and soon they were dreaming, too.

-end flashback-

(A/N) Hehe, I hope you liked the little HB there. I'll resume the real-time in the next chappy! Lots of awesome plot twists and a few romances to come!