DR: Here we are, Chapter 6. For those of you re-reading this, this is about where the changes really start to occur. Enjoy!

Zeke: OWW! Shadow, get of my foot!

Shadow: Well move it then!

Moonbay: Quiet you two, it's starting!

Chapter 6: Night & Morning

As the truck hurtled into the night, Bit once again sat in the driving seat. He had purposely stayed mostly sober since he wanted to keep an eye on Leena, to ensure she didn't get into trouble. Besides someone had to drive back, and he did have far more experience at driving this vehicle than any of the others.

He quickly looked over his shoulder at the others. Steve Toros sat back in his seat, a gentle smile on his face. Brad and Naomi sat side by side, snuggled together. Jamie sat across from them, his face as red as her Gunsniper as he stared out the window. Leena was sitting besides Leon, and was using his shoulder as a pillow. She had fallen asleep almost as soon as they had set off.

'An evening full of good food, wine and dance will do that to anyone.' Bit thought as he concentrated on the dirt road ahead. Even with the trucks lights on full, the darkness outside was almost complete. There was only a vague shape of the surrounding landscape against the night sky. Luckily Bit had always had a talent for finding his way around even in the pitch black of a Zi night. Soon ahead he could see the shape of the entrance to the valley were the Blitz Team was based. Within a half hour the lights of the base were shining up ahead.

The Doc raised his remote as they approached the hanger doors. Upon pressing a button, the door slowly opened enough to allow the truck to pass though with room to spare. Bit quickly pulled over to his usual spot. As he climbed out, he looked up at the Ligers head high above.

"Hi partner, we're back." A gentle growl was his reply.

Back in Romeo City, Leon had made the call that he and Naomi would spend the night with the Blitz before heading back to their base the next day. After taking one look at Brad and Naomi, Steve had agreed. Now the whole group made their way into the human section of the base.

"I'm afraid the spare rooms aren't set up…" Began Steve

"That's all right dad. I'll sleep on the couch." Leon answered, a yawn punctuating his reply.

"But what about…" The Doc trailed off as Brad and Naomi continued to walk into the sleeping corridor without letting go of each other. "…Never mind." He turned to Bit.

"Bit, umm, would you mind carrying Leena to her room?" He asked hesitantly.

"Sure Doc." He replied before scooping up the sleeping redhead from the couch. Terrified of waking her, he gently carried her to her room.

Once inside he gently lowered her down onto the bed. A part of his mind noted that he had never been in her room before, and that he should be taking a good look around. But he ignored that small voice. He gently brushed her hair back.

"Good night Leena." He whispered, before ever so gently kissing her on her forehead.

As he left, he didn't notice her roll onto her side and whisper something so quietly that most people wouldn't have heard it unless they had their ear next to her head.

"Bit…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Later that night, only one person was still awake; Brad. He sat with his back leaning on the headboard. Naomi lay snuggled in next to him, her head on his bare chest. Their clothes lay scattered on the floor. Brad noticed with some amusement that her 'fire' dress glowed in the pale moonlight as it filtered though the window.

He looked down with a teasing remark on his lips, but she was fast asleep. Gently caressing her bare shoulder, Brad watched as she slept.

It hadn't been planed, it had just happened. Neither had come back here with the intent to sleep with the other, but once they had arrived at the Blitz base it had seemed like the most natural thing in the world. They had come together, each stoking the others passion, till they had been consumed by it. The moonlight had played across their bare skins as they had entwined together, words no long needed or wanted. They had both desired the other, and nothing else would have done. They had come together with their blood afire, until they were one single being. Each caress had been electrical, each kiss a flood. They had become a living, breathing monument to passion. The feel of her bare skin, her gentle warmth, had driving him to give his all until he had nothing left.

Brad had never experienced anything like it before. While he wasn't inexperienced, and he guessed Naomi must have had partners before, that night had been far more powerful than anything that had come before. Both of them had been shocked at the level of passion they felt, and had felt more complete that at anytime in the past. Brad's mind still reeled from the feelings that she had awakened within him.

All his life Brad had been a loner. While he was everything but an assigned member of the Blitz team now, Brad still thought of himself as a mercenary. He had a home here, but it was by no means permanent. If someone were to offer him a better rate of pay, he would take the offer very seriously.

But deep down, he knew that he would not take the offer. The Blitz Team had its faults, but nothing happened around them that were dull or boring. The Blitz had as much action and adventures in a single week as most other teams got in a whole year. The Blitz always attracted the greatest challenges, the best fights, and the most danger. Although Brad was mainly in the business for the money, he was also in it for the thrills. He never let it show, but during tough battles his blood sang. The feeling of battle with a worthy opponent was one that until tonight was unmatched in his broad experience.

Brad again looked down at the sleeping beauty besides him. He gently kissed the top of her head. Moaning slightly in her sleep, Naomi shifted so that she was even more pressed against him, one leg thrown over his. Smiling to himself Brad laid back.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The Blitz team were slow to wake up the next morning. Last nights event had drained a lot out of all of them. The sun was well up before Bit staggered up. Holding his head in his hands, Bit tried to fight down the pounding headache he had. 'Man, they weren't kidding when they said that punch had one hell of a kick…' Seeing how mental effort alone was failing to ease the hangover, Bit decided to use other means to combat it. Grabbing his towel, he made his way to the bathroom. As he stood beneath the shower, Bit could feel the water wash away his hangover. Sighing with relief, he began to wash. Though the hall had been cool, he had built up an amount of sweat from all the activity.

Feeling refreshed and more human once the shower was done, Bit walked though to the kitchen. To his surprise, no one else was up yet. Normally either Jamie or Brad would be up by now.

Bit chuckled. Jamie had been careful, but he was short, so any alcohol would have affected him longer than other people. And Brad had 'company' with him. Bit doubted that either Brad or Naomi would be seen for some time yet.

Fixing himself a hot chocolate, Bit wandered back into the central lounge. Sitting down on one sofa, Bit glanced at the sleeping form of Leon across from him before grabbing the latest paper from the delivery tray. Sipping his drink, he scanned the headlines.

Not surprisingly, the Chairman's announcement last night was making the front pages. Bit read with amusement the articles that questioned the ZBC boards' judgement, stated the Backdraft was finished, and discussed the pros and cons of gambling. The central pages were dedicated to the whole set of new rules the ZBC was going to use for their trial this year. Bit read that section very carefully.

As he read, he began to see the great care and intelligence that had gone into crafting these rules and safeguards. The core idea was simple; the amount one could wager over the whole year was a percentage of your income, adjusted by your holdings. The theory was that people with higher incomes or had large savings could afford to risk more, while the poorer people – who were more likely to become trapped in the failings of gambling – could only afford a lesser sum. The safeguards put in place were clearly set up to protect the punters. It would also create a whole set of new jobs in the ZBC, though the person behind these safeguards did stress that the selection process had to be very strict, to ensure that only the right type of people were put in those positions, since they would have open to them the chances to bypass the rules. 'Only those with a large amount of Moral Fibre should be considered for these posts, and only those who are strict with themselves should get the offers.' The paper didn't go into the full details, but the bits they did showed just how carefully this system had been planed. It also, unsurprisingly, showed where the money the punters lost would go. The ZBC would get a modest chunk, but the majority was to be sent straight to charities, research centres and schooling. It was an ironic twist that lost wagers would be used to pay for children's education and the continued studies about the ancient zoidian race.

Bit began to wonder about just 'whom' had written these rules when Leon stirred. Yawning widely, he sat up slowly, the light blanket he had been covered with falling to his waist. He turned so that he was sitting straight on the couch as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Morning Leon." Bit said brightly. Leon simply groaned in response.

"Rough night?" Another groan.

"Want some coffee?"

Leon groaned again, this time with a positive note. Laughing quietly, Bit stood up and returned to the kitchen to set the coffee machine going. A lot of coffee was going to be in demand before the morning was over.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Naomi slowly drifted awake. Her dreams had been wonderful, but reality proved to be much better. She found her head resting on Brad's chest; their body's entwined after the greatest night of passion she had felt ever. She twisted enough to look up at his face.

"Morning sleepy beauty." He teased. She simply stretched up to quickly kiss him in reply.

After they parted, Brad had an amused expression on his face.

"I thought the prince had to kiss the girl awake?"

"Who said we have to stand on tradition?" She smiled back.

Brad couldn't think of a come back for that, so he did the next best thing. Bending over, he gave her another kiss. This one lasted a lot longer than the last, and began to fire their passions again.

"Brad…" Naomi murmured around his mouth. "…Do we have to get up today?"

He looked over at the clock on the bedside. "Not for a while at least…"

That was enough for her. Wrapping her arms round him she dragged him back down to her.

X-X-X-X-X-X

It was getting on for midday when all the sleepers were out and about. After fixing some coffee, Bit had dressed before taking the Liger for a run. Leon had sat with his mug held in both hands, letting the steam caress his face. It could have been burning his eyebrows away for all he cared since it tasted wonderful and did wonders for his head.

Later on Jamie had staggered though from his room, followed closely by Steve. The Doc had gone straight for the coffee while Jamie had decided to work off the fog in his head with the last of the paperwork that needed to be completed before the start of the season. Leena had emerged from the shower soon after, wrapped in a fluffy dressing gown. She had grabbed a cookie from her store before plonking down besides Leon. "That was some night…" She started.

Leon, now fully awake, nodded. "Sure was. I'm glad you invited me little sister."

She grinned back. "Brad and Naomi sure enjoyed themselves. They still in there?"

Leon nodded again, a grin spreading across his face.

"Should have known. She really went all out last night…" There was genuine respect in her voice. It surprised Leon since Leena had never really got on with his boss, though fortunately Naomi did not reciprocate the feelings. And to be fair it had generally been about battlefield tactics rather than personal interests. Leon suspected that having Naomi around a bit more would have a positive effect on his sister. She had never really had a chance to get to know their mother, and that must have affected her deeply.

"Mind you, I almost fainted when I woke up this morning."

"Huh? Why?"

Leena rolled her eyes. "I'd forgotten that I'd worn that dress! Why did I? I mean it's so not me!"

"I don't know, you wore it very well…"

"That's not the point! I never dress up like that for anything!" Leena exclaimed. "Why on Zi would I wear something that…"

"Suggestive?" Leon joked. Then he realised that might not have been such a good idea.

"Leon!" Leena snapped, her face bright red, before clouting him hard across the shoulder. The force from the blow nearly knocked him out of the couch. Jamie raised an eyebrow before stepping into the kitchen. He'd decided not to bother with a breakfast and instead simply produce a larger, slightly early lunch. Certainly Leon and Naomi would want something before leaving.

"Maybe you were trying to impress someone?" Leon suggested, rubbing his shoulder.

"Maybe…" she mused. "But who, and why?"

"Well, I could make a few guesses…" Leon began, but the look on her face stopped that line fast. However Leon had the experience to see that Leena wasn't just annoyed. She was embarrassed. Leon suspected he knew the answer, but she would never admit it readily.

Just then, the faint sound of the Liger's roar came from the hanger. Bit was back. Leena looked at the clock, then to the kitchen. "Just in time for lunch, as always…" She muttered her face still red tinged.

Bit soon stepped though from the hanger, greeting those who had been asleep when he left. He was all fired up and full of energy, which didn't go down so well with Steve or Leena. Leon did notice that when she thought no one was watching her Leena would follow Bit around with her eyes.

Leon was about to comment, despite the pain it would cause, when the final two partygoers drifted in. They had an arm round each other, and Leon noted that Naomi was wearing what must have been one of Brads T-shirts. She certainly didn't have one of those with her last night. Brad had changed back to his regular clothing.

"Ah, the love birds finally grace us with their presence." Bit joked, grinning from ear to ear. "So Brad, what happened?"

"None of your business Bit." Brad shot back, his eyes never leaving Naomi's. Bit's face fell.

"Wha-at? You're not going to share any tales with us?" He stammered. "No scandalous gossip?"

Naomi shrugged before turning to Bit. "Here's a tale you'll be interested in. It concerns a blond haired pilot of a certain white Liger who asked too many questions…"

Bit clearly got the hint. "Okay! I'll shut up!"

"Wise choice."

Before anything else could be said, Jamie stepped out of the kitchen. He carried a tray covered with small plates of cold meat and bread. There were also two mugs with steam rising from them. Setting it down on the central table, he pushed the mugs towards Brad and Naomi. "Hope you like it strong at this time, since we're all out of milk."

"That's fine. If you hadn't done some already, I was going to ask for really strong coffee anyway." Naomi thanked him before hefting her mug and taking a delicate sip. Her eyes closed and she sighed loudly. "Ohh, that's better…"

Brad meanwhile drained his mug in one single, slow draught. The others gathered round watched spell bound as he downed an entire mug of steaming hot coffee with as much ease as lifting a paper. Finally he lowered the mug, before holding it out to Jamie.

"Thanks, I'll have another of those."

Leon's jaw was hanging, while Jamie simply shook his head before taking the mug back to the kitchen for a refill. After working his jaw a few times, Leon was able to speak again. "And I thought you were bad about coffee boss…" Naomi just smiled sweetly.

Soon Brad's display with the coffee faded from thought as the gathered pilots nibbled the food before them. They were still a little full from the feast the previous night. Soon they began to discuss the up coming season and things that had cropped up. A couple of hours passed before anyone noticed. Even Bit and Leena were able to discuss something without tempers – or rather Leena's – flaring. Naomi and Brad generally kept quiet, content simply to sit together. During a break Steve noticed the main screen had a blinking light again.

"Hey, we've got mail again!" Quickly he stepped up to the console and punched in commands. The mail unfolded into the standard ZBC issued notice of a scheduled battle. Attached was an extra document.

"We've got our first battle! It's against…"

"Derek Calisto's Raider team, on the Garla Dunes in a little under three days." Bit interrupted excitedly. When he saw everyone looking at him, he frowned. "What? I met him at the dinner last night. He told me himself. Said official notification would be coming though soon."

Doc nodded. "That's correct. It's a 0982, and the zoid limit is four. Jamie, you'll have to polish up on your flying en-route."

"Okay."

"So how much are we getting for this battle? And just where are the Garla Dunes?" Brad asked calmly. He winked to Naomi, making sure that only she could see.

"The winner's prize is… 8,000 credits." Leena and Leon whistled. That was almost four times the amount handed out in Class A. "And the Garla Dunes…" Steve pulled up a map from the database. It quickly located the spot, and calculated a travel time based on the Hover Cargo's best average speed. "…Is out here. We'll have to leave before tonight to make it on time for the match."

"Drat." Brad cursed under his breath. He had been hoping to spend a little more time with Naomi before the season started.

"Well team, we'd best start packing!" Doc Toros was all happy now the season was starting.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Later that day both the Hover Cargo and Naomi's jeep left the Blitz Team base. The Hover Cargo turned south towards the distant Garla Dunes, while Leon turned the Jeep northeast, heading back towards the Fluegel team's home. Naomi sat in the passenger seat, one again in her fire dress with jacket, watching the massive Hover Cargo disappear over the horizon. She sighed deeply.

"Don't worry about Brad." Leon reassured her. "He can take care of himself."

"I know he can…" Naomi replied quietly.

"And besides, with all that happened last night, I doubt he's going to look for another woman to sleep with…" Leon grinned, as Naomi swung round to face him.

"He'd better!"

"Naomi, lighten up. Brad's coming back to you."

On that note, she turned back to the desert. The Hover Cargo had disappeared behind a ridgeline, but she still stared anyway.

Moonbay: ahh... that's so sweet...

DR: Next chapter, we'll have the event you've all been waiting for: The Blitz Vs the Raiders!