"You sure about this, Cass?"
 
"Positive! Cale will love this!"
 
"Mommy! Daddy! Aunty Icy's takin' me to school!" The lab door flew open and little five-year-old Cale ran in, her light blue backpack bouncing up and down as she ran to her parents.
 
Tech discreetly slid the papers he and Cassidy had been looking over under another stack of papers and smiled at hsi daughter. "Have fun, Princess."
 
Cale carefully climbed into Cassidy's lap. "Mommy, how much longer until little sister is born?" She asked, placing her hand on her mother's large belly.
 
Cassidy giggled. "I told you this yesterday, Rosebud, two more months." She gave Cale a kiss on her forehead. "Now, off to school with you!"
 
"Okay!" Cale hugged Cassidy's stomach once more before jumping into Tech's lap and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Bye Daddy! Bye Mommy! Bye little sister!" She the jumped down and took off out of the room.
 
 "Hey Squirt! Ready to go?" Icy asked, taking her neice's hand.
 
 "Yep!" Cale nodded.
 
.BLUE TRIANGLE.
 
Tech chuckled. "She knows what we're up to."
 
"Yep. And she's trying to find out exactly what." Cassidy sighed happily before slowly getting to her feet. Tech quickly stood up and took her arms, helping her stand. She smiled at him. "I can stand on my own..."

"I know that, but I want to help you.."
 
The two then walked out of the lab and into the main room of HQ, where Duck was watching the news with Seth and Quick nearby, cuddling. Duck didn't need to ignore them, because his full attention was on the weather reporter. Cassidy saw this and frowned. Coming up behind him she gave him a swift slap on the back of his head. "Duck! I cannot believe you sometimes!!! What about Mairi!!??"
 
"OOwww!!" Duck whined, rubbing his head. "What about Mazz? Is it her birthday?" He asked, completely blind to Cassidy's point.
 
Cassidy rolled her eyes. 'Poor Mairi.... She deserves better than him...' 
 
Speak of the devil.
 
"G'DDDAAAAYYY!!!" An accented female voice rang throughout HQ as an extremely tall lyre bird suddenly burst through the door. "Where is she?!" She demanded.
 
"Sorry, Mazz, missed her again!" Cassidy laughed. "Icy beat ya to it!"
 
Mairi snapped her fingers. "That sheila's quick! But I'll get her next time!"
 
Suddenly, Zadavia's hologram appeared. Even though Mairi has been hanging out around the Loonatic's HQ for the past several months, the lyre bird still jumped in fear whenever it appeared. "Loonatics, we have a small problem.."
 
Once Zadavia had given the gang the information on the problem, Ace, Lexi, Quick, Seth, Duck, Slam, and Tech quickly set off in the direction their boss had told them, that is, after picking up Icy on her way back from dropping Cale, Vanessa, and AJ off at school.
 
Mairi decided to stay at HQ to keep Cassidy company. Being seven months pregnant, the young coyote often got restless, bored, and lonely, and all of that, mixed with preggo-horomones, as Duck refered to them, made her quite cranky and moody. At least with Mairi around, she did not get lonely at all.
 
Mairi sat down beside Cassidy. "Cale's birthday's in a couple more days!!!" She sang out.
 
"I know." Cassidy smiled. "Tech and I have been planning the party for a while now!"
 
"I'm invited, right?!"
 
"Of course! The party wouldn't be the same without Cale's Aunty Mairi around!"
 
"Deadset!" Mairi shouted happily.

A couple hours passed, and the girls spent the time cleaning, chatting, and generally goofing off. That is, until the sound of the holo-phone cut off their fun. Cassidy answered it. "Mrs. Malemony?" It was Cale's learning-to-read teacher.

"Hello, Cassidy. I'm sorry to call you to say that I have a little girl who is not feeling very good today. I think she'd better go home and get some rest."

"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Malemony." She turned to look at Mairi. "Would you mind to pick Cale up, Mazz? If Tech sees me driving he'll tie me up until the baby's born." She rolled her eyes.

"Uhhhhh... Cassss.........." Mairi's eyes were wide in fear. Cassidy had forgotten one of her freind's biggest fears ever. Driving.

"..........Oh. I forgot.... Oh well, even if Tech catches me, I can always escape." She shrugged. She turned back to the hologram. "I'll be there soon, Mrs. Malemony!"

A few minutes later, Cassidy returned to HQ carrying little Cale in her arms. Cale's eyes were closed and her arms wrapped around her mother's neck.

By now, the team had returned to HQ from their mission, successful as usual. Tech was immediately at her side. "Cass! What were you doing driving?! What if you had-"

Cassidy used her free hand to clamp Tech's muzzle shut. "Cale's teacher called. Cale wasn't feeling good." She answered in a hushed voice.

Tech nodded and took Cale from Cassidy. The two walked to their bedroom and tucked Cale under the blankets before Tech took her temperature. "108... That's high, even for her..." Tech mumbled. Cale, having Cassidy's fire powers, also had the unusually high normal body temperature. 108 was not dangerous for the little girl, as her body was made to resist such high temperatures.

Tech and Cassidy left the room for a minute, and Tech returned with a bottle of medicine and Cassidy with a damp cold cloth. Tech gently shook Cale awake. "Wake up, Princess.."

"Daddy??" She whimpered, sitting up.

"Hey Cale.... you have to take some medicine right now, honey." Tech spoke softly, holding out the spoon for the little girl. Cale, being too tired and sick to resist, swallowed her medicine obediently, then layed back down so Cassidy could place the cloth on her forehead.

Cassidy kissed her cheek. "Get some sleep, Rosebud. You're gonna want to get better soon."

Cale smiled. "My birthday party?" She asked, her voice was slightly rough.

Tech nodded, smiling back at her. "Yep." He gave her a kiss as well.

"Okay...." Cale yawned before closing her eyes and snuggling into the blankets.

Tech and Cassidy then silently stood up and left the room, hoping Cale would get better soon...

.BLUE TRIANGLE.

"Cale okay?" Icy asked as Tech and Cassidy came back into the main room of HQ.

"For now, yes. It looks like just a simple old cold, thank goodness." Tech said.

"I was wondering... She seemed a little spaced out this morning."

"I just hope she'll get better in time for her birthday..." Lexi added.

The next day, Cale was about the same, and Tech and Cass had her stay home. They brought her out to the couch so she wouldn't be bored. The girl was very upset. Her birthday was now tomorrow. She needed to get better today! She sat there, watching the Roadrunner Show on tv, the most bored she'd ever been. She glanced at Duck, who sat on the other couch. "Uncle Duck?"

Duck glanced in her direction. "Yeah, kiddo?"

"...Are you bored too?"

"....Welll...... yeah, I am."

"Do you wanna play a game with me?"

Duck shrugged. "Why not?"

And so, Duck spent the next two hours playing the game that Cale taught him. No one knows how to play it except Cale and Duck now.

The next morning, Tech and Cassidy made sure Cale slept in. They were worried, their daughter was still sick. The cold was hanging on tight.

Finally, they made the decision. They called everyone together. "Guys..." Tech started.

"We're just gonna have to postpone Cale's birthday party." Cassidy finished.

"She's almost worst than yesterday... she won't be up to a party for a few more days..."

"Are you sure there is nothing I can do?" A little ferret, who was riding on Icy's shoulders, raised his paw. Ozzie was his name, and he claimed to be an elf that had been turned into a ferret. The gang had run into him while at a fair several months ago. After rescuing him and dozens of other animals who were being mistreated by Otto the Odd and Ringmaster, Icy had volunteered to take charge of the fer-elf, afraid of what would happen if his ability to talk, along with his 'magic stone' on the collar around his neck, were exposed to the public. In fact, she was still chasing Tech off, who wanted to examine the little guy.

"Positive, Ozzie. I know you healed Rev when he got shot, but Cale is completely different from Rev. She's a little girl, half Earthling and half Sarian. We have no clue what affects your healing magic could have on her and we're not about to let her be a guinea pig." Tech assured him.

"Okay... but I can help you two look after her, right?" The ferret had a soft spot for his 'neice.'

"Of course!" Cassidy smiled.

"We should go check on her now.." Tech and Cassidy stood up and walked to the bedroom.

Ozzie jumped off of Icy's shoulder to follow them, but was held back by a hand on his tail. "Hey!"

Icy held a finger to her lips. "Shush. Stay here. I have an idea...."

.GREEN TRIANGLE.

Cale blinked and half-sat up when her parents came into the room. Cassidy cradled her gently. "Hey Rosebud.."

"Do I get dressed for my birthday party now?" Cale asked, her voice was getting worse.

"No.. no, not yet..." Tech replied. "Cale.." He sighed. "We have to wait a few days for your party..."

"But why?!" Cale cried, sitting up suddenly and making herself cough.

"Honey, you're too sick to be up and about yet.... It's just a few days..." Cassidy stroked her head.

Cale sat back and pouted a little. Snowy, who had been sleeping at the foot of the bed, moved closer and licked Cale's face gently, knowing she was upset. Cale wrapped her arms around her puppy and hugged tightly.

"You know what?" Cassidy said. "We'll stay with you tonight.. okay?"

Cale nodded, smiling a little. "Okay.." With that, she, and Cassidy, and Tech, and Snowy layed down and snuggled. Tech grunted a little and pushed Snowy off of his stomach. Snowy got up and walked around to behind Cassidy and layed down again. Cale was snuggled up against Tech's chest and Cassidy was cuddling her daughter from behind. Several minutes passed before the bedroom door opened slowly.

Tech groaned. "Duck. GET OUT."

"Hey now, is that any way to treat your daughter's aunt?!" Icy's voice replied.

"Huh?" Tech and Cassidy sat up, only to see Icy, Rev, Ace, Lexi, Quick, Seth, Mairi, Duck and Slam armed with presents, and cake.

"Guys... we were gonna wait until Cale was feeling better!" Cassidy scolded them.

"We know, we know!" Quick replied. "But Cale IS six now... and what's better than a birthday party in bed?"

Duck snorted. "I agreee..."

Mairi smacked him upside the head, hard. "Not in front of Cale, Bubby!!"

Cale blinked, waking up. "Aunty Icy? Uncle Rev? Uncle Ace? Aunty Lexi? Aunty Quick? Uncle Seth? Aunty Mairi? Uncle Duck? Uncle Slam? What are you doing?"

 "Throwing you a birthday party, hun!" Seth said.

 "Really?!"

 Ozzie hopped down from his perch on Icy's head. "You bet, kiddo! No little cold's gonna get in the way of your sixth birthday!"

Cale smiled. "Thank you Mr. Magic Ferret, thank you Aunty Icy, and Uncle Rev and Uncle Ace and Aunty Lexi and Aunty Quick and Uncle Seth and Aunty Mairi and Uncle Duck and Uncle Slam!!!" She whispered as she scooped Ozzie up into a tight hug. "I love you."

THE END.

Ozzie is actually a character from the book series Avalon: Web of Magic. Serenity kinda adopted him as a part OC on LUO. He belongs to the author of Avalon. Not me, and not Serenity!

I hope you enjoyed this!