Disclaimer: I don't own any of the ducks that were on the show, ever. Let's just leave it at that.

Author's note: Chapter two… It's not getting any better.

Chapter 2

Duke was in his room, looking at a picture of him and Mallory in their wedding day, when his com beeped. He expected it to be Wildwing or Razorwing. He was very surprise to hear his wife over his com.

"Hey Duke."

"Mallory! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Emerald said I should call you if I have anything to say to you,"

"I was afraid that you were hurt or in trouble!"

"No, nothing like that. I just called to say I love you, and that I wish you were here now, with us. You never know when our little bundle will arrive."

"Any word from him or her?"

"Other than a few kicks, not much. Itching to get out though, I can tell." After a few seconds of silence, Mallory said "Duke, if I do have the baby while I'm still in Minnesota, I'll try to contact you in any way I can, as soon as I can."

"I hope nothing keeps you from telling me if it's a girl or boy. I'd be content with either, you know."

"I know. But if the dream is right, it's most likely a girl."

"You be careful over there, OK? I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you, you were the one that has died twice."

"OK, yea, you're right. I was the one that died twice. For you."

Mallory smiled. "I'll be calling you once in a while, so I can tell you how our little bundle is doing."

Duke smiled. "I'll be waiting for the call."

"OK."

"Love you, bye."

"Love you too, bye." Duke shut his com with a sigh. He hated not being with his wife when she needed him. His only family was halfway across the country; the rest were dead. He was sure of that. He watched as Dragaunus killed what was left of his biological family. His brother. The last of the Kolan name. His only living relative, before Mallory, anyway. He watched as Dragaunus shot the aircraft his brother was in. he watched as the aircraft crashed, smashing into the ground. It exploded in an array of crimson and orange. He didn't watch as fellow members of the military tried to find the pilot. He already knew, he was dead. He couldn't survive such a blast. The impact alone would have killed him, the explosion would have charred him so bad he would have been unrecognizable. As soon as Mallory has their child, Duke will have more than one family member. That is alive, anyway.

-

When the airplane landed, the girls and Nosedive hailed a few cabs and drove them to a small rental house and they rented it. They stayed there for a day, then the next day Veranda and Nosedive went to the local ice rink so Veranda could practice her figure skating until the tryouts later that day. When they arrived, a man met them at the door. He was wearing a pair of plain slacks, white shirt, and had a pair of glasses on his face. He shook hands with both Nosedive and Veranda and introduced himself as Steve, the owner of the rink. He gave them a small tour, showing them where the changing rooms, the bathrooms, and the basement.

"Emergency supplies are down there, just in case," he told them. He looked at his watch and said "I'm going to be out for just a minute, you think you could handle watching the place?"

"I think we could handle it," said Nosedive.

After he left, Veranda changed into her figure skating outfit and warmed up with a few laps. She just finished a triple axle when Steve returned. Nosedive just turned on the music Veranda chose for her routine, Beethoven's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy". Steve took a seat on the bench next to Nosedive.

"Something special, isn't she?" Steve asked him. Nosedive nodded. "She your girlfriend?" Steve asked.

"Yep. We met about a year ago."

"I remember when I was your age, I had my own sweetheart. She sure has changed though."

"What happened to her?"

"I married her."

"Oh."

"So, do you have any other family?"

"Well, I have my brother, he's a few years older than me. Then there's my sister-in-law, and my niece and nephew. Both of them are a year old. Veranda, she also has a family. Her brother is married to a gal that has four other sisters, and a daughter. None of the sisters are married, though."

"Your brother, he's the team leader, Wildwing, right?"

"Yep. He's probably practicing for the game later this week right about now."

-

Back in California, the team wasn't practicing for the game. They were at the Navy base at the coast, again fighting off Chameleon, Wraith, and Siege. Of course, at the end of the battle, the Saurians disappeared. Just as the Arowing got up in the air, an explosion rocked the aircraft.

"What was that?" asked Wildwing.

"Sensors show a Saurian near a rocket nest," said Canard.

Sunstar looked out the window. "It's Chameleon! He must have changed into something so we wouldn't shoot at him!"

The next rocket blast caused the warning siren to go off. "Right wing has taken 50 damage," reported Skystar. Another rocket blast, this one on the left side of the Arowing. "Right wing 50, Left has taken 30."

"Let's get out of here, before we take any more damage. Full power to thrusters," ordered Wildwing.

When they got back to the Pond, Skystar gave the Arowing a look over.

"Well?" asked Duke.

"Not good. Just the right wing would take a week."

Wildwing frowned. "Hopefully nothing happens in Minnesota."

-

Some time later in the afternoon, Duke received another call from Mallory.

"Duke, it's me."

"Hey sweetheart. How's our little bundle doing?"

"It's been kicking more often. I think that…" Mallory's voice was drowned out for a second by the sound of static. "Mallory? Mallory, what's happening?"

"I-Oh no,"

"What? What happened?"

"Duke, my w…" At that second, the connection went dead.

"Mallory? Mallory?!?" He ran to the Ready Room to find Skystar on Drake1. "Skystar, look up news in Minnesota!"

"Why?"

"Because I think they're in trouble."

Skystar typed up a few commands and looked at the results. "Relax Duke. It's only a small thunderstorm. It should go away in an hour or so."

-

An hour later, Skystar looked again at the updated results. Her knees weakened. Her thoughts raced onto her friends and family in Minnesota. She nearly fell over as she opened her com. "Duke, Wing, oh Drake please be there!"

"We're here, Skystar. What's wrong?" answered Wildwing.

"They've got trouble in Minnesota."

"What kind of trouble?" asked Duke.

"A twister!"

"A WHAT?"

"A TWISTER! THEY'VE GOT A HUGE TORNADO ON THEIR HANDS OVER THERE!"

To be continued...

Author's note: Pathetic mini-climax. Ugh.