randomplaces | Backwater. Jack's tiny house in the Subdivision. Baby mine, Baby yours.

((Jack found himself cramping Birdy the tenno girl's style with his parental fussing, so he researched and then went and got himself a Grogu from a reality where there was no Mandalorian to become the kid's dad. He's had the little guy for nearly a week, taken him nearly everywhere (including through a firefight), bought him a subspace playhouse and cartoon underpants, watched him get hauled off by Little Red and Hormah's kids, gotten him down off a roof the time the kids didn't, and now has finally invited Reinhardt over to sit on the deck and have notbeer. Reinhardt brought his adopted granddaughter Calamity.))

Reinhardt: *sitting on Jack's deck in the comfy darkness, watching Calamity put BuildaBear clothes on Grogu* So... haf you told Ana zhat you've become a papa?

Jack: *pretends he's too busy getting another bottle of notbeer to have heard that*

Gleam: XD

Reinhardt: You know she'll be upset if you vait a long time to tell her.

Jack: *pauses in the act of handing him another notbeer* ... *grumble* *looks over from calling Ana* Calamity, he's a boy.

Calamity: *looks at dress clad bitty green guy. Takes dress off*

Grogu: *huh? What?*

Jack: *gruffly* Ana, are you busy? I was wondering if you'd like to come meet someone.

Ana: *arrives a little later* Sunny stayed home to watch his cake bake.

Reinhardt: Oh, zhat's too bad.

Ana: ...Why are you grinning?

Jack: *frowns at Reinhardt, and then looks at Ana. Blandly* Gleam's a mother.

Gleam: *dots from where she's playing on her handheld, then* And Jack's a dad.

Ana: *glances toward the softly glowing Spazz virus, and then looks at Jack*

Jack: *sheepishly lifts up little guy who is sitting in Calamity's toy purse*

Ana: *surprised* It's a real baby!

Reinhardt: *snorted his drink and is now holding his nose as Calamity laughs at him*

Gleam: *sniggerfitdie*

Jack: ...Yes. He's a real baby.

Grogu: *cute little wave*

Ana: *surprised silence for a couple minutes, and then starts asking Jack and Gleam if they have all the baby things they need. Is carefully not fussing about not finding out till now*

Jack: *has turned baby loose. Yes, of course they have everything. He bought things before they even got the baby*

Ana: *listing baby things*

Jack: *yup yup yup. Like he said, everything. Whoops! Off the chair and dashing off the deck*

Ana: ...? *spots Jack scooping up nudie baby and starts laughing*

Grogu: *point point! Was going to get his cartoon shorts!*

Jack: *pants on baby as he talks to him. Grabs a little T-shirt and puts that on him. Then puts coat on him and goes looking for little shoes*

Reinhardt: *watching this with his mouth open*

Ana: *shakes her head. Gently, as something occurs to her* Jack, do you know how old that child is?

Jack: *no sign of shoes, hmmm* Nearly as old as us.

Ana: Do you realize he's not even going to be out of chewing on shiny things by the time you're gone?

Jack: *looks up with a frown*

Reinhardt: ... *oh boy*

Gleam: *worried frown*

Ana: *quietly* How will he feel when you go?

Jack: *protective hug that makes the baby look up with worried ears**

Gleam: Well there's no one to give him back to. The only person that wants him wants him dead.

Reinhardt: *thunder on his brow*

Ana: We could talk to your friend Keg.

Jack: *looks up, a little less worried and scowling*

Keg: *from out of the darkness of the Fire tribe's pasture* Hormah's been finding a baby to trade you, Jack.

Jack: *snort and a mutter about d-word busybodies, but he's sat down on the edge of the deck and is just holding Grogu as the little guy snuggles and tries to figure out what's wrong* It better not be one of those cat people. Brigitte would steal it.

Reinhardt: Vhat? She... uh. Might. *sheepish head scratch*

Jack: *smirks at him*

Keg: How about this? Hormah gets the little green guy, and you're uncle. *walking up so he's visible now, Little Red's eyes a soft gleam on his shoulder as the baby bot gnaws on it*

Jack: Surprised you're not running off with him. Red's carried him away enough.

Keg: Well, I already have Reddy, and sometimes Kia, too. I think that's all we can take care of, with how busy we are. *steps over the fence, then hunkers down and looks at his friend*

Little Red: *no comment. Just little chirps of squeaky sounds from the nomming on Daddy*

Jack: *can't seem to find his voice, and he doesn't snort when Gleam comes and gives him a hug, either*

Keg: *gently* Hey. He'll still be around.

Ana: *goes to sit on Jack's other side and hug also*

Reinhardt: *hiding his face. Nobody's crying, nope*

Jack: *finally looks up after a few minutes. Gruffly* So what's she got?

Keg: *tilts his head and listens to comms, then looks down again* Remember those little centaur-like dragon people you helped on Ddjina 3?

Jack: Yeah. *frowns*

Keg: She says she found one that's nearly green.

Jack: *there's the snort*

Grogu: *looks up with interest*

Jack: *looks down at him* You want to stay with Bbbrl for awhile?

Grogu: *ohthat'ssomuchfun! Bounces on his bum*

Keg: And besides. Hormah's better equipped for taking care of a kid that winds up on roofs and ceiling light fixtures.

Grogu: *looks innocent*

Jack: *snort! Hugs the little guy, and then gets up from between the two women* Good night. *into the house to pack Grogu's stuff and then go to bed. Will bring the little foundling to the sanctuary in the morning*