Chapter 8: A Day of Surprises

"Open mine next!" Kabae almost shouted as she nearly shoved her gift box in front of Retsuko. All around the pregnant Red Panda sat her mother, Haida's mother, Gori, Washimi, Fenneko, Tsunoda, Puko, and the members of OTM.

"Arigatogozaimashita." Retsuko sweatdropped nervously as she took the gift package and slowly opened it. Retsuko nervously glanced at Kabae, Tsunoda, and Fenneko. She hadn't actually invited them to her baby shower, her mother had. Of course, Retsuko considered inviting Fenneko and Kabae, but as usual her mother made the decision for her.

The party was held in Retsuko and Haida's new house located on the base he worked at. It was considerably larger than their old apartment and much more suited for kids.

Retsuko finished unwrapping the gift to see a white and red box with the word diaper genie on it.

"Eh?"

"Surprise! It's a diaper genie!" Kabae shook the house while she jumped around full of glee. Retsuko, however, continued to sweatdrop.

"Diaper genie, you use it to store dirty diapers." Haida's mother explained it to Retsuko.

"In other words, there'll be so many dirty diapers that you won't have time to simply throw them all away." Fenneko said while picking it up.

"This appears to be made for one baby, and you have three." Fenneko came close and spoke in her intense voice as Retsuko began to tremble.

"Gross! I couldn't imagine that! A mountain of dirty diapers! The smell alone. "Tsunoda cried as Retsuko began to twitch.

"Ohh, that brings back memories, very bad memories. Sometimes it felt like more came out than in." Kabae added.

"Rage."

"I get it!"

Gori and Washimi saw all three nosey women surrounding Retsuko and nearly got up to intervene. However, Yuuri beat them to her.

"Retsuko, why don't you come and see Tatsuya and my gifts." She said in a warm and comforting tone. It reminded Retsuko of how her own mother could calm her down as a child.

The hyena helped her daughter-in-law walk to a bedroom near her and Haida's.

"Don't let them rattle you up like that. You're going to be a great mother." Yuuri assured Retsuko. However, the red-panda looked less than convinced. Retsuko's mother, Gori, and Washimi, saw her anxious expression get worse. It was a week before the babies would come, and Retsuko's nerves only got worse daily.

Yet once again, Yuuri beat them to the punch and put her hand around Retsuko's shoulder.

"Every first-time parent feels that way. I was even younger than you when Tatsuya and I had Haida. He was only a first lieutenant, and I was out of work. It seemed very scary at the beginning, especially since Tatsuya was very busy with his duties, but whenever his duty hours ended, he devoted every moment to being a father."

Retsuko noticed Yuuri's smile widen with a look of passion and fond memories as she thought back to when Haida was a little boy.

"I thank God that he and Haida are on better terms now. They were so close when he was growing up."

"Haida." Retsuko thought. She wasn't alone in this. She had Haida, and perhaps more than him.

Retsuko slowly looked up at Yuuri with a slightly less nervous expression.

"Yuuri. If we ever needed help-" Retsuko started.

"Then I'm right here." Retsuko began to smile again and looked back at her own mother. Despite all the harsh lessons and stress she'd brought her over the last eight months, her mother was there for her, and she knew it.

Finally, they reached the babies' bedroom and saw three rather expensive looking baby cribs.

"Ehhh!" Many in the party shouted in disbelief. Retsuko's mother sprinted forward and trembled as she caressed them.

"I've seen these in a catalog, three of them cost over 477523 yen!"

"477523 yen!" Most of the guests shouted.

Yuuri kept smiling and caressed Retsuko's shoulder again.

"These are our first grandchildren." She said.

A few minutes later, Retsuko sat back on the couch and noticed Yuuri in a deep conversation with her mother.

"Geeze, did you luck out with her as a mother in law." Puko said while stretching on the couch beside Retsuko. The red-panda finally didn't look stressed and slowly nodded.

"Still, this whole situation seems way too stressful for me. I'm glad Tadano doesn't want kids." Puko said in her usual carefree tone.

"I'm sorry, I haven't been able to visit your shop lately."

"It's fine. We've been quite lucky. The economic downturn hasn't hit us. Tadano really knows how to run a business." Roughly a year earlier, Retsuko set up Puko with her ex-boyfriend, and so far, the two seemed to be getting along quite well together. Retsuko knew it was for the best. Puko was far more compatible with Tadano's life goals.

"Geeze, are you going to spend the entire party on your phone?" Manaka asked Fenneko as she pressed the keypad like a pianist would keys.

"Mind your own business." Fenneko responded.

"Mind your own business?" Retsuko muttered with a slightly crestfallen expression.

"Woah! Who's this?!" Migi snatched Fenneko's phone, nearly sending the fox into a frantic state.

"Give it back!" Fenneko screamed like Retsuko never imagined the nosey fox would. Puko and Retsuko looked closer and saw Fennko's background was of her and a cheetah in glasses with their arms around each other as they stood on a bridge. In the picture, Fenneko looked to be as lovestruck as Retsuko was during her earlier romances.

"Look at all these texts!" Manaka laughed as she took the phone while Hidarin and Migi held back Fenneko.

Retsuko and Puko saw what Fenneko wrote to her new boyfriend and nearly broke into laughter.

Puko wasn't the only one who'd been set up by Retsuko and Haida.

In Haida's parent's house, Akira Yanagida blushed uncontrollably while holding his phone and awaiting a reply.

"You and Fenneko are hitting it off well, I see, Akira." Haida laughed as he put his hand on the cheetah's shoulder.

"Ehhh! I wasn't, I-" Akira almost dropped his phone after Haida startled him.

Haida sat in his father's small bar-esk den with Anai, Tadano, Retsuko's father, his father, and a few of his father's friends from the army's upper echelon, including two Colonels, another general, an admiral, and two American Army Generals. All of them enjoyed sake from Tatsuya's reserve.

"Man, look at them go!" Anai almost shouted as he, Haida, Tadano, and Akira watched One of the GSDF Colonels and the Admiral get into a drinking contest with the American Generals.

Haida noticed Retsuko's father, Shoji, a coyote, sit next to him while still watching the drinking contest. Haida hadn't spent a great deal of time with his father-in-law since marrying Retsuko. They met from time to time, but most of his interactions were with Retsuko's mother.

"I have to give you credit. Living with my wife for so long without having a nervous breakdown."

Haida did his best to smile while concealing the stress from months of living with her.

"She just really cares about us."

Shoji nodded.

"That she does." The coyote took a deep breath.

"Sometimes my wife cares a little too much. I've told her a dozen times to ease up on Retsuko and let her live her life. But maybe she just wanted her to be as happy as we are."

Haida looked back at Shoji who's smile widened.

"You should have seen her when we were younger. Her parents hated my guts but she wouldn't let me go."

"How about me?" Haida asked with a smile.

"I'm glad I don't have to deal with hating who my daughter loves. Though from what I understand you had quite the trouble courting Retsuko."

Haida didn't stop smiling but took a deep breath.

"You could say that. It took me almost six years."

"Six years!? You're persistent, I'll give you that." Shoji laughed.

"Why not give up and move on?"

Haida took out a picture of him and Retsuko.

"She's worth it."

"She is." Shoji added.

"Come on Domon. You're representing the GSDF here!" The other Colonel screamed along with a series of curses. Despite this, the American Generals put down shot glass after shot glass as if it were water.

"Damn you!" The admiral cursed one of the Americans before he collapsed.

"My, that looks like a whole lot of fun." Tadano muttered with his relaxed smile.

Yanagida looked more overwhelmed about being around so many career officers, let alone when they were drunk.

"Anyone else want a repeat of WWII!?" The Bald Eagle American Brigadier General laughed.

Haida saw his father's cocky expression as he growled and sat down across from his American friends.

"Lieutenant, Asami! Front and center!"

"Yes, sir!" Haida rushed over and sat beside his father as they faced the bald eagle and grey wolf.

Both hyenas smile while nodding to each other.

"Ehhh!?" Akira and Anai cried.

Tadano clasped his hands together before taking out his phone."

"ENI-O. Start recording."

"Yes, sir!"

The other GSDF general began pouring more sake with a giddish look.

"You don't stand a chance, Tatsuya. Frank and I passed Ranger School!" The Wolf laughed.

"We'll see."

"Start!" Haida snatched his shot glass with his father and downed the liquor within a moment before setting it down alongside Tatsuya.

"Yanagida, get over here and help me pour!" The other General barked.

"Yes, sir!" Akira nearly tripped over himself while rushing to help the Goose General.

Anai trembled when he saw the sake bottle go from almost full to half-empty in a matter of minutes.

"Amazing, be sure to send Puko a copy. She'll love this." Tadano chuckled.

"Of course, sir." ENI-O responded.

"I don't see Haida enough." Retsuko's father muttered as he saw him down glass after glass.

Finally, the Americans slunk over in their chairs. Both looked ready to pass out while Haida and his father sat up strong.

"Had enough?" Tatsuya asked.

The wolf growled.

"We already had a lot to drink."

"So did we." Haida replied.

Tatsuya took his son's hand and held it up.

"Victory is ours!"

"Glory to the GSDF!" Akira cried as he came to attention.

Haida sat back down and lost himself to the alcohol's sensation and fun time with his father. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so relaxed around him.

"So, Lieutenant, I hear you're doing quite well in your first post. Perhaps I'll take you as my aide-to-camp." The goose general said as he came closer.

"No way, sir. I'll make him my executive!" One of the Colonel's shouted.

Haida took a deep breath until he noticed his father get up with a smile that reminded him of their relationship when he was a boy.

"Let's not talk work right now." Tatsuya said.

"Huh!" Haida nearly fell out of his chair. Haida thought Generals and Colonels arguing over who would take him under their wing would have been his father's top priority. Instead, he came out with Haida's guitar.

"As I understand, my son is pretty a pretty good musician." Tatsuya placed the instrument in Haida's hands and sat down beside him.

"Let's hear it, son." Haida trembled and nearly felt himself cry when he heard his father ask him to play.

"Definately." Tadano added.

Taking a deep breath, Haida closed his eyes and began to play, losing himself to the music while the others listened in amazement. Tatsuya saw how happy and enraptured his son looked when he played and took a deep breath.

"This is who my son is then. Perhaps that's not so bad."

Back at the baby shower, Retsuko unwrapped a gift from all of OTM.

"Ta da!" Manaka shouted when Retsuko saw a karaoke machine designed specifically for signing to children.

"I love it!" Retsuko hugged all three of her former band members.

"Retsuko, it's a crime you stopped singing! Come on, let's hear you go one more time!" Migi shouted while handing her a microphone.

"I'd like to hear it too." Yuuri said. Retsuko saw all her friends and family smile towards her with looks of encouragement. No longer stressed, Retsuko took the microphone and was about to sing before noticing her guests' expressions change to unrelenting horror.

"Eh?" Only then did Retsuko notice her skirt and leggings were dripping wet.

Retsuko's eyes turned white.

"Ehhh!"

Back at his father's house, Haida sat with him as they drank more sake.

"I never knew you played so well."

"Yes, you did. I showed you plenty of times in high-school."

"Hmp, I suppose I just wasn't listening closely."

Haida sat back with a nervous expression.

"...Do you think I'm going to be a good father?"

"Probably better than me."

Haida looked at his father with interest.

"It's like I said at your commissioning. You put your family ahead of everything else. Including your happiness."

Haida began to smile again.

"I recall you canceling many important meetings and appointments when I needed you."

"Perhaps. But still, perhaps I was too harsh on you."

Tatsuya put his arm around Haida's shoulder and smiled.

"I accept who you are Haida. Therefore, I'm ok that you'll probably only be a Colonel some day."

Haida chuckled.

"How about a Lieutenant Colonel?"

"Don't push it."

Tatsuya sat back with a hopeful look.

"Three grandchildren at once. By the time they're old enough to start school, I might be retired. I'm sure I can ensure at least one of them carries on the tradition."

"Ha! I'm starting a new tradition! No more military service!" Haida laughed.

Tatsuya still smiled but narrowed his eyes.

"God, be with you, my son. Grandpa Tatsuya will entice them with all kinds of stories."

Haida chuckled some more before he heard his phone go off. Tatsuya's rung as well, and they answered together.

"Ehhhh!"