HAI GAIZ. Okay, here's Mallory's story (FINALLY). It took me awhile to come up with something that would sound like her, so I hope you guys like it.

P.S. This is a two parter. Since Wildwing, Nosedive, and Canard pretty much have something set up for them (unlike most of the others), I figured it'd be okay for them to have just one chapter

P.S.S. I did research on the Army to do equivalent stuff for Puckworld's Special Forces. Problem is, I'm more oriented with the Marines since I know only (current) Marines and an Army vet of WWII. So if I messed something up, please tell me and I'll fix it

Disclaimer: I don't own MD:TAS. If I did, I'd be rich

"When's Dad coming home?"

"I told you Mallory, he'll be home sometime today. I just don't know when exactly."

The ten-year old red-head sighed. She was sitting at the kitchen table as her mother was finishing the decorating of a special 'Welcome Home' cake for her father.

General McMallard had been away on a base a few towns over for a few months; it was required that he spend at least three months on base, helping train recruits and whatever else he did twice a year. Mallory hated it when he was gone; as much as she loved her mother, she missed her father a lot because he treated her like a daughter and a soldier, something her mom didn't really approve of since Mallory wanted to be in the Special Forces one day and her mother didn't want her only daughter to fight.

However, she was well on the path to the military, if not PuckWorld's Special Forces. The McMallard drake had already taught his daughter how to handle an arrangement of guns, including a rifle that could take out someone from over 500 feet away. Occasionally, when he took her to the local base, she would do the obstacle course that was there. Funny thing was that she held the record for clearing it the fastest; she had been seven when that happened, and so far, no recruits since that time had cleared her record.

So a then-seven year old had beaten hundreds of people that were at least twice her age. To this day, it remained a running joke in the family about-

A door creaked open from somewhere in the house. "Anyone home?" a deep voice called out.

"DADDY!" Mallory exclaimed, jumping from her seat. She ran to the front door and practically glomped her father.

General McMallard hugged his daughter tightly, smiling. "Hey there soldier," he said. Placing his daughter on the floor, he said, "Now close your eyes cadet and get ready for a surprise."

"What is it, what is it?" Mallory asked, hopping up and down slightly, an excited look in her eyes.

Her father laughed mildly before asking, "A recruit does what they're told, don't they?"

Mallory stopped her hopping-in-place and nodded, a smile still adorning her young face. "Yes sir," she said, closing her eyes as commanded.

She heard something…footsteps?…then the sound of the door closing.

After a minute or two, she heard, "Okay soldier, you can open your eyes now."

Mallory's eyes immediately flew open, then widened when she saw who was in her father's place. "Grandpa! Wesley!"

At the mention of them, Mallory's grandfather and twenty-five year old brother got their shares of hugs from the small girl. "How's my soldier-in-training?" Her grandfather asked. Mallory just nodded into his shoulder, glad to see the retired six-star general.

When she hugged her brother however, she was confused. "Why are you here Wesley?" Mallory asked. "I thought you still had to train recruits for another six months."

Her brother just smiled at her. "Even I need some time off," he answered. "The officers said I could take my leave now instead of waiting."

"Why?"

"Because I miss my little sister so much." With that, he got up to greet his mother, who was standing in the kitchen doorway, talking to her husband.

Wesley and Grandpa McMallard went over to the surprised Mrs. McMallard to talk as well, but as they did, Mallory couldn't help but notice something wrong with this picture.

Why had her brother looked sad when he had said that last sentence?

RVRVRVRVRVRVRV

Mallory couldn't sleep.

It was pretty late and she had gone to bed hours ago, but for some reason or another, she couldn't sleep.

She was so surprised to see her brother back home when they had met at the door. Her thoughts kept going back to why he was there. Wesley was supposed to be training the new cadets that had come in at the beginning of the year, and that wasn't even two months ago.

And why had he looked so sad when he said that he had missed her?

She wasn't sure, but if it was something important, she wanted to know about it.

Quietly, she climbed out of her bed, going out the door, and into the hallway. Honestly, she didn't know where to go exactly to learn the truth, but the best thing she figured to do was to ask Wesley now that it was so late.

So she headed in the direction of his room.

On her way, however, she was distracted by voices coming from the upstairs study. She quietly and quickly put herself against the wall next to the door.

"-the recruits had to get my superior officers Dad. What was I supposed to do, brush it off when they saw me?"

"…I know. You're right. A captain has to obey their higher-ups."

What did they see? Mallory thought, her curiosity peaking.

"I mean, one minute I was doing the morning inspection, then coughing up blood! I remember a recruit asked me if I was alright when I started, but the next thing I know, Major Peaks was next to me when I was on the floor."

Mallory froze as soon as she heard the words 'coughing up blood'. Wesley? What's wrong with you?

She then heard her grandfather speak. "Captain, it looks like you're running out of time. Two years ago, the medical team said that it would only get worse, and now that it has, what will you do?"

"…I don't know sir. The military has been my entire life, shaped who I am. I don't know what to do now."

Their father sighed, then asked softly, "How much time did they give you before you left base with me?"

"…about six months."

Mallory's eyes widened and she almost gasped, if she had not managed to take a hold of her own beak to keep her from doing so. Tears started to prick the corners of her eyes as she heard her father speak again.

"I think you need to spend your last days here. I'll take my leave now, that way we can all be together."

"Dad, you don't have-"

"If I don't, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

Mallory didn't stay to listen to anymore of the conversation. Instead, she went back to her room, climbed back into bed and fell asleep, crying into her pillow.

Okay, if you didn't know, from my first story "Every 1 in 15", I had made Mallory say "I wouldn't know since I don't have any siblings myself." But then I realized over the last few months how many stories fanfic writers have where she's the youngest in the family and has like, three or four older brothers. So I decided to take a spin on it.