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"... and that's when your patrol found me." The soldier told us, finishing his oral debriefing, "The rest of it, along with the finer details, is in the written report I prepared." He finished, handing us a folder holding a mass of binder books.

My jaw dropped, how had he written so much so quickly? It has only been two days since he regained conciousness.

Crystal said, "Thank you Staff Sergeant, we will go over this and get back to you in regards to what use we can make of your" She flipped quickly through the binder, his oral report had already told us so much of what he could do. Marine trained scout sniper, he had been in our country training troops in his trade when the change happened. He had been out on a training run when all his students had vanished, he had survived a full year out here, in this harsh environment, with nothing more than his rifle, a few cases of ammunition and two days of rations. "talents. Until then, Mr Hicks, enjoy the camp, get some good meals into you and if you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to contact one of us."

He saluted, it was all that you could do with Crystal when she used that voice on you, "Yes Sir!", and at her return salute, left the building.

"There goes one of the most useful assets we could have found, that man has forgotten more about observation and evaluation than we will ever likely learn." Captain Nicols said, "I knew he was here, some of our SAS boys were going to train with him." He shook his head, "If we can get him to train just one person here, it would be a miracle, the standards for that kind of work are beyond most people." The big werewolf said again.

"Am I hearing right? The big bad wolf, the toughest training sergeant ever to have his feet in a pair of boots is putting that man on a pedestal?" I asked, unable to hold back a bit of sarcasm.

He turned to look at me, "Yes Fox, if he is the man he seems, he is indeed that good at his job."

I just hummed and tried to look thoughtful, it didn't work too well, I know, everyone knew I was here because I was part of the only reconnaissance unit we had that required meat as fuel.

"Oh, Fox, I think Gwen O'Brian was after you, the Sergeant said she had something to talk about." Hellen said, all but pushing me out the door so they could discuss what they really wanted out of the 'new recruit'.

"Sir, if I may, can I have a moment of your time." He asked, looking a little confused.

"Of course Sergeant, drop the 'Sir', I am not a soldier, just a very enthusiastic amateur." I replied.

He chuckled at that, "You make a better soldier than a few officers I could name." He had relaxed visibly at my revelation, "Its Robert by the way ma'am."

"Well Robert, you already know me as 'Fox', and to be honest, these days thats all the name I seem to need." I replied to his veiled question.

"Fox it is then ma'am. Thing I wanted to ask, informally if possible?" He paused slightly and with my nod he continued, "What is the status of my home country? How has the USA faired in all this?"

"We had our last reports six months ago Robert, we had contacted their military, who were coping much as we were, lacking a lot of officers and even more control. The higher rate of gun ownership, they reported, had helped keep most of the citizens who survived safe, unfortunately it also meant small misunderstandings were a lot more hazardous." I reported. He nodded along, marking off points as I stated them.

"We were on the verge of organising some kind of trade schedule when the Quickening happened, at that time all the birds" I pointed upward, indicating the satellites, "suddenly went dead silent, we have had no communications outside of the country since then." At mention of the event he looked a little puzzled. "Oh, the Quickening is what we called it when all the other races turned up, the Kitsune" I gestured to a few walking around camp, "elves, and others. They sprang into being with all this history and such, almost as though they had always been. Some had started appearing before then, but in very isolated cases, had some nasties down south, and of course Drathnial." At his name my voice softened, I couldn't help it, at the same moment his awareness stirred in me, acknowledged there was no threat and settled again warmly. I wouldn't give up that feeling of closeness for anything in the world.

"So the world has turned into something from a story book?" The Marine Sergeant asked.

"Yeah, something like that, we, that is all the human survivors, had changed into creatures that are now known to exist. We have had some diplomatic issues, but are in the process of securing ties with 'local' races with agreeable culture." I explained the Elf problem and solution.

"Your saying you met a god? And you, you arm wrestled him?" His eyes were wide, I guess the last twelve months and further the last two days with us could tear the disbelief from the biggest sceptic.

We had been wandering in the direction of that event, and I gestured him to the little pedestal that still stood. "I know your still recovering, but would you like to challenge me for second place?" I offered with a grin.

He replied by rolling up the sleeve on his right arm and kneeling down at the little alter. "My unit wouldn't let me live down refusing a challenge from a girl." He softened the implied insult with a grin.

I knelt opposite and simply braced my shoulder, I could feel him pushing hard against me, but even with the tiny leak of power I normally let flow through my muscles I could hold him.

"We done yet?" I asked coyly, I was getting better at 'coy' but still didn't have it perfect.

I just leaned into his arm lightly, pushing our fists back and down slowly to tap the table softly.

"Damn. Was He much stronger than that?" The guy asked, getting to his feet and dusting down his pants.

I chuckled, "More, much much more. Come with me, we picked up your rifle and gear, its at stores at the moment, they didn't want to touch it, no one had worked with that model rifle before and knew you would be displeased if it was damaged."

"That would be an understatement." He replied, following.

As we passed the motor-pool, I casually reached over to one of the ten-ton trucks parked there, making sure to have firm hold of a lift point, I raised the front of the vehicle off the ground.

"Hey Fox, hold that one for me can you? Just got to get these under it." Private Burks, our impromptu mechanic asked.

"Sure mate, let me know when." I replied, standing there, letting a little power leak into my muscles.

"Ok, yeah, you have made your point." Hicks said with a chuckle, "Is there anything apart from 'near godlike strength', maybe something more measurable, that you can claim as your maximum?" He asked curiously.

I hummed, "Well, one of our C130 Hercs overshot a runway and had one of its side landing gear buried in sand. They set up a pile of metal planks for me, I lifted it and pushed it back to the runway. That wasn't anywhere near what He had made me do, but it was starting to get to a decent weight."

"Ok ok, I give up, your stronger than anything I have encountered. You said you were helping the army, what were you doing? Moving their canons around?" He asked jokingly.

"Ok Fox, set it down slowly, thanks for that." the human mechanic interrupted.

I lowered the vehicle down onto the stands he had put under it and resumed our walk to stores.

"I am generally stronger, faster and I can, well, 'toughen' myself to be able to take more hits before things get damaged or sore." I drew my ever present bayonet from its sheath, "This is mostly all I need, although Nicols made sure I was proficient with most of our standard guns too."

"A captain trained you?" He asked.

"Oh he was promoted by Jennings and Crystal to Captain recently, most people already treated him like an officer, it just made it more official. He used to be a training Sergeant for our special forces, the SAS that is." I replied.

He seemed to ruminate on that for a moment, then said, "Those kids, the ones you had on patrol, they seem to have their heads screwed on right."

"Yeah." I confirmed, "Lyl and Bri have been with us a fair while, saved all our arses at one point. Ryst joined us a month or so ago, his people asked us for protection, I went and... well they had a differing culture view of a women's role in society. One of them... well he raped me, using his magic. I dragged every woman who was willing and all their children away from them. Ryst was the eldest male I brought back. I was worried at first he would take more after his father, he was the one who" at the Sergeants nod I got back to the explanation, "... and well, it seems Brianna has managed to single handedly cure him of his misconceptions. His attitude seemed to rub off on the younger males too, and they quickly abandoned their imposed attitudes. Since then we have had a report that the ones I left behind have met an end, can't say I am really choked up about it."

I don't know why I unloaded all that, I guess he was just easy to talk to, he listened when you talked to him and he was the first person who didn't try and stop me with 'I know's and 'You can stop dear's.

He looked at me, no trace of the pity I feared in him, "Sounds like some heavy shit miss, if'n you don't mind me saying so, how you dealing with it?"

I sighed, relief pouring through me, "I am doing well, I guess, Crystal, she would never stop loving me even if I grew horns and" I grinned, "a tail. And Drath-" I began

"Wait, the dragon and you are..." He replied, sounding sceptical.

"Yeah, not physically, but we are linked, here" I tapped my head, "and here." I tapped my heart, "When he found a mate, well, my mind and soul went along for the ride, lets just say 'its complicated' ok?" I grinned.

"Sounds like you have a whole lot of people who love you need your love back." He said.

"Yeah, when it all went down, Drath made sure the guy will never be doing it again, and I guess that and liberating the rest of the village from that hell gave me a lot of closure." Explaining it, like this, to someone completely removed from the situation settled something in me. I would never be able to forget what happened, but I think I may have just gotten past it.

It was then Sergeant Gwen O'Brian caught up with us, of course being head of stores, and greeted us, "Hey Fox, this the new-comer the pack brought in a few days back? The owner of that fine piece of rifle?"

"Yeah, this is him, Staff Sergeant Robert Hicks, this is Sergeant O'Brian, in our quartermaster here.

The next moment was comical as both saluted each other as senior soldiers.

"With all due respect Sergeant" The American said, "not only is this not my chain of command but its not my army, as a civilian here you are my superior. Sir." He finished with a sideways grin.

"Your half right." I said, "This wasn't your army but the way I see it we are all in this together, as far as I am concerned you can have your rank while with us, you have earned it by taking the shots for our patrol." He looked a little confused, he knew I wasn't military here, so obviously wasn't sure how to take such a proclamation from me.

~"I heard Fox, and rest assured, the brass is all in agreement with you."~ The warm presence of the General was there for a second then gone.

"Sir!" O'Brian began, "You may not know but Fox's word carries a lot here, she has saved everyone many times over, if she says your a staff sergeant, your a staff sergeant. Sir."

He chuckled, "Ok then, now where's my baby? She will need seeing to.".

Once shown his rifle and gear he sat down at a bench and began cleaning them, O'Brian tugged me away for a quick talk.

"Its good to have more soldiers here, but that's not what I wanted to see you about Fox." She began once we were out of ear-shot of the Marine. "You might not know, but I, I was a practising Wiccan before all this started."

I raised an eyebrow, "'Was'?" I asked.

"Yeah, well of late its gotten more complicated." She said, raising one hand, palm upwards.

A soft white-green light flowed over her palm, it caused me no fear, despite my recent bad run-in with magic, somehow it radiated peace.

"It seems the goddess I worshipped for many years has come back and she made it known to me that there is a gift she has for you." And without further words she brought her hand to my stomach and I felt the warmth of the that light pour into me.

"I... I" I stammered after the light had faded, "What the hell was that?" I asked, no heat in the words, something felt too 'right' for me to be angry.

"She said, 'The two who have loved each other so strongly and yet denied their right to have children by the quickening, shall not be denied this right any longer'. From what I understood, the next time you and Crystal, uh, have sex, you will conceive."

I looked at her dumbfounded, she could not have known it was the one gift I had wanted to give Crystal, the one thing I thought denied me forever.

Without further thought, I fell to my knees and concentrated on the feeling that had been in me just before the light had faded.

"Thank you." I said so softly, none but those intended would hear it.

I felt the warmth fill me again, not as strongly as the light had, but just a little.