Before Church could find the 'getting drunk simulator program' in his new body, however, the Banshee flying vehicle came in for a landing, the sound of its engines almost - but not quite - drowning out the sound of a heated discussion.
"Bla blargle!"
"I didn't say I didn't want something like that!" Tucker snapped out. "I said I wasn't ready for it! Heck, I was specifically the 'irresponsible Uncle' to Maud. I'm not cut out for parenthood!"
"Blagurle-"
"I'm sure I could adapt as a Father, but a little warning about also being a mother would have been nice!"
"...grblag?"
"No, human men don't carry the children! There's fairly strong sexual dimorphism in our species-"
"Blagalag!"
"...yeah, it probably isn't all that fair, but it's how we're designed, and it would have been nice to know before it happened that it wouldn't be the case with us! I mean, where's it even going to come out? I'm freaking out here and I haven't even started on mood swings!"
"...glab?"
"...you don't have those with your species?"
"Glurgle."
"...yeah, that's a valid point. You probably have more control of your hormones than I am and I can't believe I'm already calm about being pregnant!"
"...this has been a very awkward flight, Dad," Caboose commented dryly.
"...I can see that," Church allowed as calmly as he could manage. "Tucker! Atten-hut!"
"Oh get be-"
"Ahem," Maud interrupted calmly.
Tucker glanced at Maud, then turned back to Church. "I'm not saluting," he stated firmly.
"Didn't really expect it," Church allowed. "I just wanted to stop the discussion before it turned into an argument or traumatized anyone."
"Before it traumatized anyone?" Tucker demanded, outraged. "In case you missed it-"
"Do you love her?" Church interrupted, gesturing to where Ferdy seemed to be slumping in on herself.
"Wha-of course I do!" Tucker snapped out. "How could you even ask-"
"One, it's you," Church pointed out. "Two, you aren't acting like it."
Tucker pulled upright in shock. "...but-"
"Which would you rather do, Tucker?" Church pressed calmly. "Enjoy the future coming sooner than expected, or bemoan the consequences until you lose what makes that future worthwhile, leaving you a crushed, empty husk of who you used to be desperately trying to recreate what you lost only to endlessly fail and be constantly confronted with the shadows of your failure until it drives you insane?" Church hesitated. "...where did that come from?"
Tucker stared at him for a while. "...I'm not sure, but I get your point." He turned to Ferdy. "I'm sorry I got so bent out of shape and yelled at you over this. It...caught me off guard, and..."
Ferdy placed a hand/paw/claw to the side of his helmet. "Blah gurgle blagle..."
"It's alright," Tucker allowed. "You didn't know I didn't know. We'll just figure out how to deal with it...together."
"Gosh fraggit!" Andy snapped as the pair embraced. "I was enjoying that drama explosion! Why'd you have to go and stop it like that?"
"Because Maud you, that's why," Church quipped playfully.
"So I'm a curse now?" Maud asked curiously.
"Only to anyone you consider an enemy," Church corrected, leaning over to tousle her mane.
"So...how long is it going to be?" Tucker asked Ferdy in as calm a tone as he could manage.
Ferdy made an odd gurgling sound as she brought her hands/paws/claws together to stroke her chin/beak, plainly making some calculations. "Blgragle gla...bagugla...glurg...Blargh!"
"That...is quite a large margin of error," Tucker allowed.
"Blgurgle blag. Blagl gar."
"That's...that's good to know," Tucker responded worriedly. "I suppose-" His words suddenly cut off. "Excuse me!" He turned and dashed into the base, where the sound of retching could shortly be heard.
"Blarg!" Ferdy declared happily as her coloring shifted back and forth to signify her shifting her internals somewhat. "Blagurgle blagh!"
"That's good to-urk-know!" Tucker called back miserably.
"Do I...want to know?" Church asked Andy curiously.
"Just that Tucker's going to have a very interesting week," Andy purred wickedly. "This is going to be fun to watch."