Chapter 1: Welcome Home!
Ross's eyes blinked as he slowly woke up. He looked up at the ceiling and noticed it was grey and not white like the hospital room. He slowly sat up with a yawn and realized that he was in his bedroom at his dorm apartment and not the hospital. "Man… it's good to sleep in a bed again," he said as he stretched. He climbed out of bed and set the covers back in place. He stopped to look at the empty space where Natalie's co-sleeper had been. William and Joseph had thrown it out for him since it was covered in Natalie's blood and she was getting a little too big for it anyway. He shook his thoughts from his head as he collected some clothes from his dresser and went to shower.
He saw Joseph and William huddled around their kitchen island in the hallway. "Morning, what are you guys up to?" he asked as he stepped out of his room and closed the door behind him.
"Just another project!" Joseph exclaimed a little too quickly as he quickly stacked the papers on the counter and shoved them into his bag.
Ross caught a glimpse of the contents on one of the pages and raised an eyebrow at the various shades of pink on the paper. "What are you painting pink?" he asked with a little chuckle.
Joseph looked at William nervously before William spoke up. "Just planning a few paint jobs if we ever end up in a desert for a match," he answered calmly.
"Ah yes, Japan, famous for its deserts," Ross quipped with an amused smile, "I'm gonna shower quick and head to the hospital. Don't burn the place down while I'm out."
"You, um, you do that," Joseph replied, shuffling backward slowly, "I'm heading out now." He quickly rushed out the door as inconspicuously as he could.
Ross shook his head in confusion as Joseph left. "What's up with him today?" he asked.
William waved him off. "He's just excited for a personal project of his, but he's kinda embarrassed to show anyone other than me," he answered.
"I see…" Ross said, "well, what do you plan on doing for the day?"
"I'll probably head down to the HQ later. I think Yuzu needs help with team paperwork," William replied.
Ross nodded as he walked into the bathroom. "Tell Yuzu I say 'hello'."
William gave him a thumbs-up as he closed the door. He pulled out his phone after the door was shut and texted Joseph with a slight grin on his face. I don't think he suspects anything, just be a little more cool if you see him again.
Ross left his apartment after finishing his shower and getting ready for the day. Before he left, though, he made sure to grab the basket he used as a baby carrier. It had been sitting on the floor of his bedroom for so long, but he was happy to need it again. It was a fairly long walk to the hospital, but it was pleasant outside. The sun was shining but had some clouds to keep it from being too bright, and the temperature was pleasant. A little scent of sea salt filled the air as the Zuikaku rode through the waves of the Pacific.
When he reached the hospital, Ross approached the nurse's desk right away. "How's Natalie?" he asked.
The nurse typed on her computer for a minute and nodded. "She's doing very well. Her doctor has just finished up a final check up and he says he's happy with her progress. He also said to inform you that she can be released today. The doctor's office will call in her discharge papers as soon as they are ready and he'll be back around to her room to discuss the medication she should take and a follow-up appointment. You're welcome to go see her now," the nurse replied with a smile.
Ross thanked her and went to Natalie's room. He knocked on the door before stepping in. "Hello, Natalie. I'm back," he greeted as he walked in. The room was much different and far more pleasant than her old ICU room. It had more color and looked much less sterile and depressing. He didn't like the crib much though. It was raised to chest level and had white round bars that looked like a cage, especially when they were raised to the top, which was a clear plastic sheet draped over the top with pink edges. Of course, he understood why it was like that, to keep her safe and secure while being easily accessible, but he hated it all the same.
As he stepped up to the crib, he saw that Natalie was sleeping peacefully in her baby bed. She was back to wearing her pink onesies with a hood with rabbit ears on top of her head. He leaned against the bars, gently placing a hand on one of them. "Natalie," he whispered.
"She's been a good girl," a voice said from the side.
Ross turned to see Natalie's rehab doctor with his clipboard. "Yeah, she has. I'm glad," he replied with a smile.
"You must be proud of how far she's come. From the initial evaluation and follow-up visits, I have been very impressed," the doctor said as he continued to write something down on the clipboard.
"Thank you. It's not been easy, but I'm just glad she's okay. When can she be discharged?" Ross asked.
"I've just sent in the papers to the hospital office. Once they have everything in order, they'll call here to inform us. It shouldn't take too long, probably within a couple of hours," the doctor answered.
"That's good to know." Ross nodded. "And what about the follow-up appointment? When should we schedule that?"
"If you can make it sooner rather than later, that'd be best. We'll call you with a specific time." The doctor continued to write.
Ross looked back into the crib and smiled. "Thanks again."
"You're welcome," the doctor replied before walking out of the room.
Ross turned back to Natalie. "The doctor says you're almost all better. I'm glad to hear it," he said quietly. He smiled as he gently patted her cheek. "It'll all be over soon. Then we can go home."
Natalie stirred and cooed slightly before falling asleep again. Ross looked up at her crib and sighed. "I need to get a new crib. As much as I'd love to sleep with you in my bed, it's not safe. Like hell I'm going to let SIDS take you after how far you've come" he said to himself, "I hope there's a store with some avail-"
He was cut off when a pair of hands gently covered his eyes. "Guess who?" a girl asked from behind her.
Ross chuckled as he immediately recognized the voice and lifted the hands off his eyes to turn around and greet his girlfriend. As the girl placed her hands on his shoulders, their eyes met, and he immediately jumped back. "Jody?! What the hell?" he exclaimed.
Jody tried to contain her laughter, so she didn't wake up Natalie. "We got you, didn't we?" she managed to say with her hand over her mouth.
Miho stepped out from behind Jody with a giggle of her own. "Sorry Ross, but she made me do it," she apologized with amusement.
Ross shook his head and sighed. "Oh well. What are you doing here?" he asked, trying to hide his slight irritation.
Jody scoffed with fake agitation. "Can I not see my favorite niece on her discharge day?" she replied as she stood up straight and crossed her arms.
Ross rolled his eyes. "I would hate actually being related to you," he shot back playfully.
"So rude!" Jody gasped and clutched her chest.
"Rude? You guys scared me! You didn't have to scare me!" Ross argued.
"Oh you know I didn't actually scare you," Jody replied with a smirk.
"You know I'm still annoyed by it, though." Ross pouted.
"If I say I'm sorry, will you forgive me?" Jody asked as she stepped closer.
Ross smirked. "Nope, you're never allowed to see Natalie again," he jokingly declared as he stepped away.
Jody gasped. "Oh, no, you wouldn't."
Ross just gave a sinister smile and shrugged. "I might, you annoy me every time you see her. I'll have to be careful who I bring around my daughter in the future," he teased.
Jody was aghast as she gasped and put her hands over her mouth. "What?" she cried, "You don't mean that, do you? Ross! I might actually cry, you don't want me to cry!"
Miho rolled her eyes. "I think you two have had enough fun," she said as she walked over to Ross and kissed his cheek. "How's Natalie doing?" she asked quietly.
Ross looked at his girlfriend with a warm smile. "She's fine," he answered as he gently took Miho's hand, "she's just been sleeping the whole time, but the doctor said she's been good. Her follow-up appointment is after this, so I'm just waiting for her to get discharged."
Miho nodded with a smile. "I'm glad. It'll be nice to have her back home," she replied.
"Yes, it will." Ross nodded as he looked over at Natalie.
"So..." Jody began, drawing Ross' attention.
"No, you can't hold her," Ross quickly interrupted.
"Oh, I didn't even ask! Don't be ridiculous. I want to see my adorable niece." Jody rolled her eyes as she walked over to the crib. "Look at her. So precious." She leaned over the crib and looked at Natalie.
"Yeah... precious," Ross murmured as he looked at the little girl he loved so much.
"So you're gonna take her home soon, right?" Jody asked, glancing at Ross before looking back at Natalie.
"Yeah but she needs a crib," Ross replied.
"Oh? Have you checked out any yet?" Jody asked.
Ross shrugged. "I was going to check them out today," he answered.
Jody pulled out her phone after it vibrated. She smirked and winked at Miho as she replied to a text message she just received. She quickly stuffed the phone back in her pocket and looked up at Ross with a smile. "Well it's good that Natalie's almost better, but I have to go. I have to work tonight, so I can't stay long," she said before quickly leaving.
Ross blinked in confusion. "When did she get a job?" he asked Miho.
"Oh uh," Miho nervously started, "I think she got it to help cope with everything going on, you know, keep herself occupied." She hoped her little lie would slip past Ross.
Ross slowly nodded, before the door opened again, this time with a nurse with a folder of papers in her hand. "Excuse me," she said politely as she walked into the room, "I'm just here with discharge papers for Natalie."
Ross quickly straightened up and stood next to the crib. "Of course."
"Please come with me to my desk to sign these." She motioned to the desk in the hallway outside the door.
Ross nodded and followed the nurse, leaving Miho with Natalie.
After the nurse left the room, Miho turned back to the crib with a sigh. "Hopefully he doesn't suspect anything. I'm not good with lying like that," she murmured to herself, "I'm sure he'll like it though..."
Natalie shuffled in her crib and slowly woke up. Miho giggled as she saw her eyes light up at the sight of her mama. "I bet you'll like it too. Good morning sweetheart. Do you know what we're gonna do now?" she cooed as she picked up Natalie and held her in her arms.
Natalie smiled and cooed a happy sound.
"That's right. We get to go home today. Don't worry, you won't have to be in this scary place much longer. Mama's gonna take good care of you," Miho whispered with a smile.
Ross came back into the room, closing the door behind him. "They're printing out the papers. It should only take a few minutes," he explained as he walked over to Miho and Natalie. "Hi, baby girl," he said softly as he gently kissed her forehead. To Miho's surprise, Ross's eyes started to water.
Miho looked concerningly at him. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.
Ross quickly rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Yeah, I'm okay," he sniffled, "I'm just so happy and thankful to have her back with us. She almost left us, and I can't help but feel so sad knowing that. I was so scared, and I could barely function. I couldn't imagine what I would do if I lost her." His eyes started to water more as he looked at Natalie.
Miho hugged him. "Don't think about it anymore. She's here now. That's all that matters."
"I'll never take her for granted." Ross sniffled as he returned the hug. The three shared their sweet moment before the door opened again
"I'm so sorry that took so long, but here are your discharge papers. And here are your prescriptions for the next two weeks." The nurse handed over the papers and the bag of medications. "And then you can schedule her follow-up at the front desk. Goodbye!" she said with a bow before quickly leaving.
"Thanks again," Ross replied as he looked at the papers. He read them over and signed where he needed to. "Okay, I think we're all set. Let's get out of here." He picked up Natalie from Miho
Miho looked at her and smiled. "It's finally time to go home. I can't wait to have you back with us," she said to Natalie.
Natalie cooed a happy sound and held onto her mama's finger as Ross closed up the crib and they headed out the door.
After checking out of the hospital, Ross and Miho started heading home but stopped outside in front of the door as they saw the towering figure of the Panzer IV parked in front with four familiar faces at their posts. "I think you guys should ride home in style!" Saori called out from her hull hatch.
Ross and Miho turned to look at one another. Ross raised an eyebrow. "Did you guys plan this?" he asked.
"Maybe," Miho replied with a giggle, "come on, I'll help you and Natalie into the cupola."
"Do you guys need any help?" Hana asked from the gunner's hatch.
"I can hop out if you need me to!" Yukari offered from the loader's hatch.
"I think I've got it," Ross replied as he handed Natalie to Miho before climbing onto the hull. Miho carefully handed Natalie back to him and climbed on herself before climbing further onto the turret roof and taking Natalie. Finally, Ross climbed onto the turret before jumping down the commander's cupola and taking back Natalie. "Where are you going to sit?" Ross asked Miho.
"I'll be fine on the roof, don't worry about me," Miho replied with a smile.
"Alright, if you're sure," Ross said as he looked over his shoulder into the turret, "if it gets uncomfortable, just say something, and we'll take a break, okay?"
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Miho answered.
"Okay," Ross said, "we're ready if you guys are."
With everyone situated, Mako put the tank into gear and they started to drive from the hospital. As they passed the streets lined with shops, the tank received many friendly waves and thumbs up as the locals saw them. Most people were aware of the situation with Oarai and the Sensha-do tournament and were incredibly grateful for their victory that saved the school.
They finally made it back to the apartment building and parked at the curb. Everyone hopped out of the tank and they walked up to the building excitedly. Ross approached the door while Miho held it open. A million thoughts and emotions rushed through him. The last time he was in this building with Natalie, she was dying in his arms, before being pulled away by EMTs, but now he was here again with his family. Everything was going to be okay.
As he and Miho walked through the door, he turned to his friends. "Thank you all for helping us today," he said, "I appreciate all the support so much."
Everyone shared warm smiles. "No problem Ross, we were happy to help. We're glad she's back home safe and sound," Saori replied.
"We actually have one last surprise for you," Miho revealed with a giggle, "follow us." The girls stepped past him and he followed with a confused look on his face.
"What kind of surprise?" Ross asked as they led him to the stairs.
"Just wait and see!" Saori replied excitedly. They all rushed up the stairs to Ross and Miho's floor. As they approached Ross and his friend's apartment, William opened the door.
"Hi William," Miho greeted, "everything's ready?"
"Yep," William replied as he moved out of the way for them, "we have everything ready."
Ross gave him a quick confused look before following everyone inside. He immediately froze in the doorway as he saw everyone in his close friend group standing on the edge of the living room and kitchen with the furniture moved to the walls to create a large open space. Stretching across the back window was a banner that read, "Welcome home Natalie!" in bright pink with little Boko bears holding the letters up. But Ross's attention was quickly pulled to the center of the room where an adorable, handmade crib was presented. It was wooden with a pink coat of paint that also had little Boko bears painted all around the crib. Ross examined it quickly to make sure it was safe when Joseph spoke up, "before you ask, I followed all the laws, regulations, standards, and advice I could find making this. The wood is safely treated, the paint is non-toxic, the gaps are small enough so she can't poke her head through, the mattress is firm, waterproof, and has square edges so there are no gaps, and if there are any problems with it, I will gladly fix them."
Ross continued staring at it silently before he started to softly cry. "Y-you guys..." he mumbled, "it's perfect. You really did all this?"
"We did, everyone put their effort into it," Joseph replied as he smiled at the others in the room.
"And we wanted to do this because you're a great guy and a great dad," Saori said, stepping forward.
"We know that things have been rough for you lately," Jody began as she followed Saori, "so we thought we'd make you an unforgettable welcome home for Natalie. It's the least we could do for the best friend we have. You deserve this."
Ross could do nothing more than stare at everyone and cry. He was at a loss for words.
"I think that's enough," Miho said softly, stepping beside him, "come on, let's put her in her new bed."
Ross nodded as he followed her with Natalie still in his arms. They approached the crib and laid her down gently on the mattress. Natalie blinked her eyes before letting out a coo and giggled. She looked at Ross and Miho before reaching out her little arms and letting out another happy sound.
Ross smiled through his tears and kissed Natalie's forehead. "Welcome home sweetheart," he whispered before he picked her up again and held her. He looked back to his friends who had soft smiles on their faces. "I can't believe you all did this for me."
"You deserve it, Ross. We all want to be part of this, so if you ever need anything, just ask us. We're all here for you," William said, walking forward and putting a hand on his shoulder.
Ross smiled. "Thank you, guys. Really." He sniffled as he looked down at Natalie. "And thank you, baby girl, for giving us this wonderful homecoming. I'm so happy to have you home safe," he whispered before kissing her forehead again.
Miho leaned her head against his shoulder with a warm smile. "Welcome home."
000
Hi all, it's me again, sleep is overrated, here's some slice-of-life content! I felt it was kinda... off to just jump right into the action for Tank Aces' sequel, Girls und Panzer: Aces in Exile, just based on how Tank Aces ended so cathartically, so here's some more light-hearted stuff to transition away from that before we head into the meat and potatoes of my Der Film adaption.
Next time on Tank Aces: Summer Break
Chapter 2: You Two Have Never Gone on a Date?!