Chapter 15: A Family Meal

Leon sat back, trying to take in what Sarah had said. How do you respond when someone tells you that they're descended from a mass murderer, who rampaged almost unchecked across most of the known world, and a person who controlled minds for fun?

"Well," he stammered after a couple of minutes. "That does explain a few things."

Sarah looked up at him sharply. "Such as?"

"Vega's skills, your lovely hair…" Leon flushed a bright red again. He couldn't believe he'd said that!

Sarah reached up and brushed a stray lock back. Now that she thought about it, it did explain an awful lot. Neither of Sarah's parents had such hair, so she had always wondered where she had gained the permanent dye-job. But if she was descended from Reese, the blue haired Ancient Zoidian, then it could be that her hair colour was a latent gene, one that was passed down underneath everything else. Rarely showing, but always there.

It also explained Vega's incredible latent piloting skills. Raven had been considered the best zoid pilot ever, with his rival Van Flyheight sometimes just above or just below him in skill. Depending on whom you asked.

"…But try to remember. While you may look like them, you're not them. Raven's life does not have to be Vega's, and you don't have to terrorise people." Leon pushed on past his slip of the tongue. "Just because you share their blood and features, does not mean you are destined to become them."

"But we already have, haven't we?" Sarah asked quietly. "Our time with the Backdraft…"

"Is over now. Okay, Raven may have destroyed dozens, hundreds of military base, killed hundreds of people. But he settled down and lived a peaceful life, in the end." Leon gently interrupted. He took one of Sarah's hands. She looked up into his eyes sadly. "There is always hope. The trick is to hang on to it."

She sighed in resignation. "Your right, it's just… my life has been anything but hopeful. I lived one day at a time, even after I was taken in by Stoller." She looked down at Vega, who looked up at her with a child's love.

"Well, you won't have to any more." Bit stated from the doorway. He quickly stepped though from the hanger, followed by Leena and Jamie. "Once we start winning again, no-one here will be deprived again." Bit's supreme confidence and belief touched everyone in the room, even Leena, who was tempted to argue with him. She was going to remind him that the ZBC still had to agree for Sarah and Vega to join the Blitz team – her own doubts had been laid to rest over the course of the evening – but the look on Sarah's face after Bit's prediction silenced her.

Shaking her head, she noticed Bit was about to slump in the couch besides Vega. She cleared her throat loudly. As he looked up at her, she gestured to his clothing.

"Don't you think you should wash up first? After all, we do have guests."

Bit looked down at himself, before looking up with a rueful grin. "Oops. Excuse me Vega, Sarah, but I need a shower…" And with that he dashed down the hall.

Sarah softly laughed as Leena shock her head again. "Is he always like this?"

"All the time." Leena answered, almost wistfully. Sarah glanced at Leon, who grinned slyly back. Once Leena set off after Bit, Sarah leaned closer to Leon.

"Do you suppose…?"

"No bet." Leon stated. "They like each other, despite the constant fights, chases, theft of food treats…" His grin dropped slightly. "They just don't realise it yet."

"And even if they did, nothing may happen." Jamie put in. "Leena such a volatile person that I'd always expected most men to run screaming after the first time they annoyed her. But Bit just keeps on driving her up the wall. He's childish in so many ways…" He sighed.

Sarah sat back, feeling oddly at home. Despite only being here for a few hours, she already felt that here was the place to be. Even from her brief insights into each person, she could tell that none of them were cold or cruel hearted. Each was just and fair, who would put others before themselves, despite what they may say. Clearly there was rarely a dull moment, which would be godsend. Sarah had had her fill of dull, monotonous days over the last three months. She needed some spice in her life.

"So Jamie, how'd the Ligers modifications go?" Leon asked.

"Well, we've got the new parts installed. Everything went in reasonable cleanly. It's a case now of seeing if the Ligers systems accept or reject the new parts. Bit's convinced the Liger won't reject anything."

"How does he know?" Leena asked. She had changed her clothing back to her usual yellow top and short skirt, and had cleaned up enough to be presentable. As she sat down, Leon glanced at her then nodded towards the corridor. "Dad's okay. He's playing with his models again." Leena told him, looking troubled by something.

"Bit and the Liger were nattering away like anything. Mostly the Liger was, speaking, but Bit got really into their discussion." Jamie didn't let on how much of the conversation he'd overheard or how intelligent he'd realised Bit really was. Certainly the Bit Cloud that nearly everyone saw was little more than skin deep. Beneath that was someone with a lot of brains to match his humanity.

Sarah chuckled as Vega started talking about his talks with the Fury. Yes, moving in with the Blitz Team could be the best idea she had ever heard.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Brad sat there, trying to read the paper he'd found. But compared to that waiting room, the Blitz Team base was like a morgue. People constantly moving to and fro, talking and yelling. Babies cried, while kids screamed and charged about without control.

And everywhere people recognised him. Some just stared, others asked for autographs. Still more wanted their picture taken with the most famous mercenary on Zi. Brad was quickly losing his patience here.

After one particularly bad burst of children rampaging, Brad had had enough. He quickly shouldered his way to the main desk, where the women he'd seen Naomi walk off with had returned.

"Where is she?" He asked roughly.

The women looked up, and understanding filled her eyes.

"Can't take the waiting anymore huh?"

"Nope. The kids are annoying, but all those people fawning over me…" He pulled a face. "…Makes we want to either puke, or blow up that room with my zoid."

"I felt the same way for my first few months. Eventually I got used to it. Sometimes it's worse." Brad's face got even darker.

"Nasty. Look, where is Naomi, 'because I want out of here."

"Hmmm," the woman thought for a second. "Let me check…" She picked up her handset again. Rapidly punching in a number, she sat and waited.

"If their busy we might… Oh hello Pete." She quickly started talking into the phone. "Fine. Listen, remember that nice young lady I brought up…" She nodded. "That's her." Pause. "Oh she is? That's great! She on her way down again?" another pause. Brad's thoughts were spinning rapidly. Why would the receptionist be happy about a positive result from a doctor? "Great. Seems her male friend here…" she winked at him. "…Can't stand the crowd down here any longer." She listened again, before laughing. "No I don't blame him. All right, thanks again for your time." She replaced the receiver before looking up at Brad again.

"She's coming back down now. Should be down here in a couple of minutes."

"Thanks." Brad managed to say, before he drifted back to the main doors. At least here most of the people were mainly leaving the building. Very few stood around the doors.

Within five minutes he spotted Naomi's tall figure striding towards him. As she got close he could see that she was holding a small envelope, and had a mixed expression on her face. When he stepped up to her, he realised she was on the verge of tears.

"Oh Brad…" She gasped before she collapsed into his arms, sobbing.

Brad confused and more than slightly embarrassed gently led her out to where he had parked the jeep. Once there he tried to calm her down. "Na', what is it?"

"It's… Brad, get us home."

"Naomi, what is the matter?" Brad was beginning to get annoyed.

"Just drive." She answered, getting into the passenger seat.

Brad fumed as he drove the jeep away. All the while Naomi sat there, tears in her eyes, staring out over the plains that made up this area of Europa. Brad had to just sit there, unable to figure out what was going on. The result was positive, so she had something, but why had the reception woman been happy? And why was Naomi avoiding answering him?

Finally he had had enough. He quickly pulled off the road and shut the engine off. He turned to her as she realised that they'd stopped.

"Naomi, now listen here. I've done everything you've asked tonight, driving you out to the hospital, sat in a noisy, crowded waiting room while you see some nice doctor, and now you won't even tell me what the hells going on?" She looked at him, her eye's liquid in the moonlight. Almost like they'd been a month ago.

"Oh Brad, how can I tell you…?"

"Tell me what?" Brad thundered. He was rapidly losing his cool.

"I'm…"

"YOU'RE WHAT?" He yelled, grabbing her arms as he did so. "ANSWER ME NAOMI!"

"I... I'm pregnant." She answered in a small voice, her head hanging.

Brad let go of her, every drop of anger gone. He stared at her, but thinking nothing. He was as stunned as he would be if someone had dropped a pile of bricks on his head. "Pregnant?" He repeated.

"Yes." She whispered, falling forward into his arms. He gently held her, unsure how to act.

"Ho… How long?" He was almost dreading the answer.

"Just under a month." She looked up at him, pleading him to understand.

Brads mind exploded in wonder. "That means…"

"Yes, Brad. That night. You're the father. You're the only one who could be."

He sat there, relief coursing though his veins. He had never thought of her to be one to sleep around, but to hear it from her own lips still elated him. Their love was unspoiled by others.

Slowly he began to bring his mind to life again. He and Naomi had conceived a child, without planning to. A new life that was part him, part her. Slowly all the other pieces fell into place. Her morning bathroom runs, her general crankiness. Mood swings and all the other small changes that had come over her. Now that he thought about it, it seemed so bloody obvious that he wondered why no one had thought of it before! But then, they had known her for quite some time now. She had always been in control of her life. To have something like this happen, without meaning to, was so unlike her that it was no wonder they hadn't suspected.

He realised also why she had been reluctant to broach the subject before. She had not been sure before the visit, so she had been covering herself if she'd been wrong. But there was another side to the coin: how would he react? Clearly she had been worried about his reaction to this news, since how he responded would affect all three lives.

Slowly, Brad began to smile. A child. Born of the passion from their first act of love. Such things were written about in stories as the best kind, but they so rarely happened. He thought about how their lives would never be the same again. Here at last was the means to show that he was not the money grubbing mercenary that many thought of him. Here was the chance to live out a dream he had never allowed himself to have: settle down with a fine woman that he loved deeply, and raise a family.

"That conniving bitch."

Naomi looked up again. "Who?" She asked worriedly.

"Sarah. She knew, but couldn't resist dropping hints that I couldn't see." Brad's voice and expression showed however that he felt no ill will. "When she said that she had gone though the same things you had, and later on talked about her past, I should have picked up on the fact that she never mentioned a disease. Just her having a child." He looked down at Naomi's tear streaked face.

"She told you, didn't she?"

"She suspected, and raised the idea. It was her who suggested a trip to the hospital at some point." Naomi shrugged. "I decided that it was for the best to get it done with today." She looked up at him anxiously. "Is this going to change our relationship?"

"Of course it will." She gasped.

"Don't you want me anymore?" She was on the verge of tears again.

"I'm not going anywhere if that's what you mean…" He stated gently. Raising her chin, he looked into her eyes again. "In fact, I think I'll be moving even closer…"

Tears started to flow from her eyes, but they were of joy. "Oh Brad…"

He silenced her with a long, passionate kiss.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Jamie was just laying the table with that night's meal when Brad and Naomi returned. Steve had finally been released from his room, under the promise not to attempt to buy anything with money the team did not have. Soon he, Sarah and Leon got into a friendly banter about zoid consciousness and zoids in general. Bit and Vega compared notes about their respective Ultimate X's, while Leena sat slightly to one side, listening and watching her friends bond. The more she watched and listened to Sarah and Vega, the more she realised that she had been wrong about them. Sarah began to show a side of herself that appeared to amaze even her, while Vega was like a younger, raven haired version of Bit. Even though Jamie apologised for the poor standard of food that was going to be served – answered with groans from Leena and Bit – Sarah had been courteous, and had even offered to help. It turned out she had been living on the food they hated for the last three months. But with less money, she had had to be even more frugal than Jamie.

Now as they gathered round the table, talk turned to Brad and Naomi.

"Wonder what's taking them so long…" Bit muttered aloud as Jamie carried out a tray. Sarah smirked. If she had read both of them right, then those two would be delayed not at the hospital, but on the way home.

At that point they walked in. Cheers went up at their safe return, but were quickly muted. It was clear that Naomi had been crying, and even Brad looked damp around the eyes.

"What's wrong guys?" Bit asked, his concern mirrored by almost all the people around the table. Sarah already knew the answer, while Leon, with his long experience at seeing what was hidden and reading people, could tell the difference between sad tears and tears of joy. His heart leapt when he realised that both Naomi and Brad had small smiles on their faces. What ever it was, it would be a cause for celebration.

"We now know what's been affecting Naomi for the last month…" Brad began. He paused; letting the others imaginations run wild. Leon looked closely at them, thinking hard. They were happy about this disease, which was linked with Brad… Leon's eye's shot open even before Naomi began to speak as he suddenly realised what had been happening.

"I'm pregnant, with Brad's child."

Both her and Brad burst out laughing at the stunned looks on Bit's, Leena's, Jamie's and Steve's faces. Both Bit and Leena sat there, their mouths agape, eyes wide. Jamie had been in the process of dishing himself some rice. Now the spoon hung suspended above his plate, forgotten. Steve was the first to recover.

"Well!" He beamed, standing up. "I guess congratulations are in order here!" He swept them both up into a hug. "Well done!" he whispered in Brad's ear.

"Damn!" Bit exclaimed, his trademark grin returning. "Brad shots and scores! Great work man!" He shock Brad's hand warmly.

Leena saw Sarah standing too, a look of joy in her eye. "You knew, didn't you? Before they said anything?"

Sarah shrugged. "I strongly suspected, given what Naomi told me earlier. Remember," she looked down at Vega, mussing his hair. "I've gone though the whole thing before."

"And I'll need your help when the time comes." Naomi put in. She hugged Sarah warmly. "Thank you for helping me earlier." Sarah could only blush in reply.

The evening meal turned into a celebration dinner. Brad and Naomi sat side-by-side, while the others talked and continued to congratulate them both. Steve looked wistful.

"Will you stay here when the time comes?" he asked.

They both looked at each other. "We haven't really thought that far ahead." Brad answered truthfully. "I suppose so. This team brought us together, so why would we abandon it now?"

"Course, we'll need more room." Naomi put in. "But since the base will need expanding anyway, what with new team members joining…" She glanced across at Sarah and Vega.

"Gladly!" Steve cried happily. "Ah, the sound of little feet running about is one of the best…" He sighed in contentment.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Later on after the meal, Sarah and Vega had to leave. They all felt sad, but Sarah had been told to return to her home within a certain time, so she had to obey.

As their Gustav pulled away, Leon found himself thinking about Sarah a lot. He found her one of the most interesting people he had ever met. Given the way things had turned out, he was very grateful that she had the chance to join the team. He was looking forward to seeing her again…

Conversely, Sarah Obscura found herself thinking about a certain Blade Liger pilot more than any of the others. She had liked what she had seen in them all, and was happy for the expectance couple, but Leon intrigued her the most. So focused was she on him she nearly ran into a large boulder.

"Mom! Watch were your going!"

"Oh! Sorry. I was just thinking about the Blitz. Their nothing like the Backdraft lackeys said they were."

"Yea. They're everything the Backdraft weren't." Vega watched his mother, a slight smile on his lips.

"That Leon was really nice…"

"Yes, he was…" Sarah didn't notice the flush that crept up her face.

Vega smiled happily. He knew his mother had never dated anyone. She had thrown herself into her work and raising him, excluding her own needs. Now that he was grown up, maybe she could finally find her own life, her own happiness.

Moonbay: Ah, lots of nice little romantic moments... (sniffles)

DR: Indeed. Till next time!