DR: Seems my readers are a little muted.

Shadow: Well, you're only updating weekly. Maybe that has something to do with it.

DR: Maybe, butt I can't go any faster otherwise I'll be forced to post as I write, which ATM could be even longer...

Shadow: Oh well. Anyway, are we going to get some action now?

DR: Not quite. First battles chapter five. Just a little more stuff to get out of the way first...

Shadow: (sighs and curls up on the floor again)

Fiona: Anymore loving?

DR: A bit...

Fiona: (eye's light up) Oh goody!

Chapter 3: Prospect of New Life

Naomi sighed in contentment as she leaned back against Brad. "It's almost a shame we have to leave soon…"

Brad could only nod in agreement. Christian had dispatched a message to them while they had been eating breakfast. Jamie had received word of when the season was to restart. As such, the honeymooners had only a couple more days before they had to leave. He had 'suggested' that they make the most of the remaining time.

Exactly what Brad and Naomi were doing at that very moment.

Early on they had discovered the warm stream that ran past their cottage. At one point the bank was made up of smooth stones in a deep pool. The warm water combined with the solid bank created a natural hot tub, almost like their new Jacuzzi back home. Remembering that Naomi had loved sitting in that, letting the warm water caress her expanded belly, the pair of them had begun to spend a lot of time in that pool.

As before, Brad would sit on a submerged rock, the hard surface softened by a layer of moss. Naomi would then sit on his lap and lean back against him. The buoyancy of the water helped support her weight, while Brad had no complaints at all about the arrangement.

Right now she sat slightly askew, her left shoulder resting just beneath his ancestral necklace. Her head was tucked under his chin, and although she couldn't see his face from there, Naomi knew that he had a broad grin plastered on it.

Just like she did. Naomi focused again on her left hand as she gently stroked his upper arm. The ring gleamed in the morning light, a jewel on her finger. A part of her was still amazed that he had proposed, and she expected that there were an awful lot of people out there who felt the same way. Until recently, Brad had been the number one eligible bachelor in the zoid battle world.

'And now, he's all mine…' Naomi smiled happily as she recalled all the fun the two of them had gotten up to since just after she had joined the team. Although her pregnancy was beginning to seriously curtail their 'nocturnal activities', the passion and desire between them remain undiminished.

Brad for his part was almost as stunned that Naomi had wanted to become his wife. The only thing more stunning was that he had wanted it too! Although he loved her, he had not been sure about a lasting commitment. But then she told him she was carrying his child, and Brad was not too proud to deny that the thought of a child scared the hell out of him. It also raised an armful of questions, none of which were easy to handle alone.

The most pressing one really had to be: what was he going to do? Would he stay besides Na', and help raise their child together, or would he run away? Since they were both in the Blitz Team, he had known that running was impossible, so he had resolved himself to the uncertain future.

But then that raised other questions. How would their relationship change, since it would have to change after such an event like this? Brad had wrestled with this for a long time, always circling the heart of the matter but never really seeing it. It had been Christian's massive zoid Mnementh who pointed him in the right direction. That ancient, wise and telepathic zoid had – gently - given his mind a swift kick up the backside, which had at last cleared away the fog and revealed the truth.

And thanks to that zoid, he knew not only what his heart wanted; he also knew the gender of their unborn child…

His thoughts were interrupted by Naomi's sudden gasp.

"What is it? You all right Na'?" His voice was filled with worry for not only his beautiful wife, but also his unborn daughter. Naomi sat up a little straighter, her hand on her belly. But as she looked up into his eyes, he saw only joy and wonder.

"I think she just gave me a kick!"

"You sure?" Brads eyes widened in surprise.

"Feel for yourself…" Naomi pulled his hand up off her hip to rest on the expanded form of her belly. Brad half-closed his eyes as he concentrated on the feelings coming from his palm. He could feel her soft skin… wait.

There, a tiny impact. Small, but it was certainly there.

A grin spread across his face again, to match the one of pure joy on Naomi's.

"Certainly a lively one isn't she?" Naomi laughed gently with him.

"I wonder how she'll come out…"

"Well if she looks anything like her mother," Brad half whispered, half growled lustily. "She'll be the most protected and loved child on the whole of Zi."

"Oh Brad…" Naomi almost swooned. She knew that her marriage to Brad would break a lot of teenaged male hearts, but at that moment she didn't care. Despite the heaving weight in her belly and rapidly expanding waistline, Brad was somehow able to keep her feeling young and beautiful. She dragged his head down to kiss him.

Once more they renewed their passion for each other, eyes closed as they drank of the others presence. Brad brought his right arm up to cradle the back of her head, letting his fingers become entwined in her thick, rich dark red locks. Naomi for her part let her hands trail across his shoulders, feeling the rippling muscles beneath the skin, and the solid man under those.

Linked together at the mouth, both of them lost track of time as they sat there in the warm water, the small bundle of new life that they had created together somehow sensing the passions flowing from it's mother and ceasing it's actions for the time being…

x x x x x x

Back at the Blitz Base, Stroller sat in the Elephander, running another set of diagnostics. The Elephander had taken extreme damage in the final battle against the Death Saurer's Cybrid minions, and Stroller was still a little unsure whether the repairs were complete. The techs that had worked on the zoid said they were completely done, and the zoids own systems said the same. But still…

"Thought I might find you here." Stroller looked to his right out of the Elephanders cockpit to regard the owner of the voice, Pierce. A slight smile creased his face as he regarded the younger aerial pilot. She and Sarah were the little sisters Stroller had never had. He still felt a bit responsible for taking them into the Backdraft, and he had done all he could to protect them while he had been inside. But since the Backdraft had fallen… both women had flourished.

Sarah in particular had grown far beyond what Stroller had expected. He had somehow expected that she would recede quietly into the background, but then out of the blue she and Leon Toros had come together. At the time, Stroller had wished them all the best, but had been ready to step in if it looked like Leon was going to break her heart. Sarah was still a young girl in the ways of love, and Stroller doubted that she could have survived another heartbreak.

Fortunately, he had not needed to do so, and now the two of them were together, enjoying the last days of their honeymoon. Leon's shock proposal had stunned Stroller so completely that he had been barely able to string two words together that whole day. But as the shock had worn off, Stroller had realised that Sarah needed someone like Leon, a gentle and caring person with the heart of a gentleman. She needed a man capable, and willing, to let her be herself and find her own strength. Leon, having already fulfilled his own quest of self-discovery, was the perfect person for her.

And now before Stroller stood his other 'charge', Pierce. She too had come into the Backdraft under his wing, and had quickly earned respect from the others in that jaded organisation with her incredible piloting skills. Had she been a ground pilot, Stroller expected that she would have surpassed his own skills. Pierce was one of the few pilots who could handle the raw power and speed of the Storm Sworder, and bring the rare flying zoid to its full potential. That final dogfight over the city was ample proof of that.

But Stroller suspected that she had an extra source for her strength during that flight. And from the look on her face, Pierce had come to him about that.

"Hello Pierce. Something on your mind?" He asked politely. Pierce stood there for a second, tucking a strand of her hair back over one ear.

"Stig, I need your advice about something." Pierce and Sarah were the only one's on the Blitz who knew his nickname, and even then he had insisted that they only use it in private. Pierce's use of it now showed just how serious she was.

"What about?" Stroller asked as he turned to face her. As Pierce sat down on the rim of the gantry before him, she threw a glance towards the row of zoids on the other side of the Blitz Teams hanger. Stroller didn't need to follow her line of sight to know she had looked across towards the Raynos, stood next to her Storm Sworder. "It's young Jamie isn't it?"

"Yea…" she breathed, uncertainty in her voice. "Did you ever… feel the urge to, you know… settle down with anyone?"

Stroller had to sit there for a second, her question a little unexpected. He knew that Pierce and Jamie were attracted to each other, but he hadn't realised just how far things had gone.

"A couple of times…"

"Why didn't you?"

Stroller sighed. "Never really had the opportunity really. Besides quite often the other party was not interested in anything long term." A steel grey eyebrow rose. "Why, you getting cold feet?"

"NO!" Pierce countered hotly. "Just the opposite in fact…"

"Does he return these feelings?"

Pierce could only nod, her head tilted down to hide the flush that crept up her cheeks. Stroller looked at her for a long moment.

Personally he was not sure just what she saw in the younger lad, barely an adult. True he was quite mature for his age, and his alter ego was a master of aerial warfare, but Stroller had always figured that a real relationship needed to be based on something more substantial. He had seen the sparks that flew between them both lately, but he had figured that they were the result of coming down from the incredible rush of that climatic battle. Looked like he was wrong on that front.

"What do you think you should do?" He asked gently.

"Well… part of me wants to 'jump his bones' right now," Her voice was thick with embarrassment. "But the rest of me fears that with his age, anything I do could easily scare him off. And I fear that he'll never try anything himself…"

'"Jump his bones"? Now that's a phrase I haven't heard in a while…' Stroller only just managed to not chuckle at Pierce's choice of words. But it certainly was appropriate, considering their careers. And her concerns were definitely valid. Despite his grown up personality, Jamie was still only seventeen years old. There was no way he could be wise to the ways of the world yet. He had talked a bit with both Leon and Brad, and he had learned that Jamie had spent nearly his whole life with either his father or on the Blitz team. With the state of the team before the Royal Cup, Jamie had been forced to take on everything the others couldn't, or wouldn't, do. The poor lad barely had any life. If he were suddenly confronted by a lust filled women wanting him, he'd either run screaming for the hills or faint dead away. Neither result would do Pierce any good at all. Stroller remembered the time Leon had told him about how he had found Brad and Naomi together at the end of that pre-season ball. Jamie had flushed bright red during the tale. Clearly the young lad was still quite naïve.

"Mind if I ask, but how far have you two actually gone?"

Pierce's head hung a little lower. "We… we've kissed… and after I… saved him, he sat on my lap…" Stroller couldn't help but smile at the image of the short young lad sitting on her lap during the pitched dogfight.

"Have you told him you love him?" After a pause, she nodded. Her face was almost completely red now.

"Has he said the same?" Another nod.

Stroller had to sit back to digest this. Clearly the two of them were in love, but equally they were unsure of how to go from here. Stroller knew that Pierce, despite her outward appearance, was in fact a rather shy person at heart. She may have been around the world a bit longer and much further a field than Jamie, but really she was not much more experienced with matters of the heart than him. He knew about her stepfather, and how when she left home and joined the Backdraft, she had kept on seeing his type everywhere.

"I think you're going to have to work this one out with him Pierce." He said gently. "But I will stay this: go gently with him. What you do could make or break him. If – when - you 'jump his bones'…" Pierce smiled slightly even as she blushed a bit deeper. "…Then don't come on all at once. Give him an out, and let him set the pace, at least at first."

At last she was able to look up, a tear running from the corner of her eye. "Thank you Stig."

"Thank me after you're hitched with him." He waved her off as she blushed bright red again.

x x x x x x

Leena stood at the end of the path that led up to the cottages, her sight fixed on the small notch that marked the ravine where she and Bit had been staying. The last couple of days had been spent in an almost frantic amount of passion, as if they were stocking up against a long winter. A sigh escaped her lips.

"Sad to be leaving?" Sarah's soft tones bought Leena's head round. Sarah stood before her, a small smile on her lips. Further off Bit, Brad and Leon stood together, catching up with each other and speculating on the season. Naomi was sat a few steps away, a happy smile of her face.

"In a way, but at least he'll always be beside me." Leena answered as she turned to face Sarah. She was once again clad in one of her favourite sets of clothes, her 'battle uniform'. She had left the sky blue gloves off though, as she had no intention of covering her new ring.

"I can understand that." Sarah nodded as Leena took in the face of her new sister-in-law. Her long dress was a lighter shade of blue than her hair, which hug down her back in one long thick glimmering tail. Her face and exposed skin seemed to radiate happiness and love, while the dress clung to and empathized her womanly curves and slim figure. 'No wonder Leon was smitten…'

"You look like you've enjoyed yourself…" Leena teased, causing a slight blush to touch the older woman's cheeks.

"No more than you, my young friend…" Leena smiled happily as she recalled everything she and Bit had done.

"I mean it Sarah, you're positively beaming."

"Must be a trick of the light." Sarah said, the redness in her cheeks spreading. "I expected to look a little pale actually. We… didn't get out much."

"I can imagine…" Leena grinned conspiratorially. Sarah's smiled widened along with her.

"Look, there he is!" Bit's voice turned both women's heads. There, just cresting the ridgeline was the great and massive zoid Mnementh. Leena couldn't help but be awed as once more she set eyes on that colossal dragon zoid. As both the oldest and wisest zoid on Zi, Mnementh was certainly worthy of respect. And his power! Nothing else on Zi came close!

And yet, at the same time, he moved in ways that no other zoid. His wings flexed and twisted in such subtle ways that no one had even thought of. His legs were all tucked neatly to his body, and his tail was gently curved. If someone had managed to get a real dragon and coat it in form fitted royal blue armour, then the result would have been close to the awe inspiring creature that sailed towards them. The rising sun set a trail of fire running down his spine, the light reflecting off all the golden saw-toothed spikes that ran from the back of his head to the tip of his tail. Truly, he was a king of zoids, with all the majesty and presence that one would expect.

As the huge dragon zoid lazily swooped in, Leena couldn't help but take another look at Sarah's face. The older women's eyes were watching Mnementh, but they kept on flicking towards Leon. Now that she could look closely, Leena realised that it certainly wasn't a trick of the light. Sarah did seem to be radiating happiness and joy. A spark danced in her eyes whenever they alighted on Leon, and her lips seemed curved in a permanent smile.

Leena suddenly got a gut feeling. She didn't know how, but somehow she just knew what Sarah was thinking about. 'Could she be seriously considering having another child?' Leena's eyes narrowed. 'Does she suspect that she's already carrying one?'

At that moment Mnementh set down with such grace and skill that barely a tremor ran through the ground. As all four feet touched down, his great wings swung up and folded up, each plate that formed the massive span sliding over the next along like a pack of cards. It was an incredible display as those mighty wings collapsed into such a small space.

The great dragons head lowered, and with a barely audible hiss the canopy lifted. Leena watched as Christian stood up before climbing up over the rim of the cockpit and sliding down the outside. Despite his great age, he still looked barely thirty, and his motions were those of someone half that. As he landed, his legs folded at the knees, and the lower edge of his favoured leather coat barely kissed the ground before he straightened. Just like on the other times she had seen him informally dressed, he wore a pale shirt and rugged blue pants beneath that coat, clothing that seemed to suit him to a tee.

Christian looked over all six of the Blitz Team members before him as he stepped forward. In every face he saw pure happiness and contentment, but each person also had something else in the mix too. Naomi had a note of wonder as she rested a hand on her belly. If he remembered right, about now the child would start getting active. Leon, Bit and Brad were similar in almost all respects, but Sarah and Leena…

Leena looked full of life, but she also appeared to be startled. Christian noted that she had not put a fresh coating on her arm, and her eyes drifted towards Sarah a couple of times.

Sarah on the other hand… If Leena looked full, Sarah was positively beaming. Christian had seen a similar look so many times before; it was clear to him what was going on here. 'Looks like the next generation is forthcoming…' It also explained the look on Leena's face. Christian had long ago learned the power of women's intuition.

"Well, how are we all feeling?" He asked aloud. "Ready to return home?"

"I guess so…" Brad drawled, before joining in with the laughter of the others. It was the easygoing laughter of close friends, music to Christian's ears.

"Well then, all aboard the Dragon Express! Next stop Blitz Team base!" Even Mnementh laughed at the humour as he shifted one foreleg forwards to form a set of steps leading up to his cockpit with his three toes. To those not used to getting in there, it would be one heck of a struggle to do so unaided.

DR: I know that last bit of humour was a bit lame.

Shadow: a bit? .o

DR: I promise a battle is coming. Now, I have to go and write some more. Remember, If you read, review! (The more reviews I get, the more I'll try to set to and finish this story!)