5: Responsibilities
Heavy smiled as he carried a still somewhat drowsy Fluttershy back to the kitchen the following morning, Sasha strapped to his back. Fluttershy was still wrapped up in Scout's jacket, though she had one hoof out to pat Sasha. Heavy had tucked her in along with his mini-gun, and had rolled over several times to pet her each time her sleep began to be disturbed, lulling her easily back to sleep. Such instincts were ingrained in him after years taking care of his family back in the frozen regions of far northern Russia. He was rather surprised to find seven of his eight colleagues waiting for them in the kitchen. He wasn't sure if the bigger surprise was how patiently they were waiting for him, or the fact that Soldier was conspicuously absent.
As Heavy walked in, Engineer gently took Fluttershy from him and placed her in a carefully configured high chair, letting her sit comfortably while bracing herself on the food shelf that kept her in place. "Nice chair," Heavy said approvingly.
"Built it after you put her to bed," Engineer replied. "Thought it'd be a good place to feed her.
"Speaking of," Medic asked, "have we a plan on what we will feed her?"
"Got it covered!" Scout spoke up. "Check it out!" He pulled two large bags out of the fridge. "The food resupply showed up in the night, and it included some stuff for her!" He pulled out the contents of the bag. "Vegetarian baby food, and...goat's milk?"
"A good choice," Sniper spoke up. "While we don't know her exact natural diet or dietary needs beyond not eating meat, goat's milk is a good go to for any animal still needing mother's milk. It's milder than cow's milk, and has a good nutrient mix for any nursing critter."
"How you know all that?" Demoman asked.
"I used to hunt big game," Sniper replied. "Best way to learn that is to learn their behaviors. Talked to a few groups that took in orphaned critters to hand raise for zoos."
Spy smiled. "I didn't expect Mann Co to approve my request. I am pleasantly surprised."
Grunting happily through his mask, Pyro waved a huge package of diapers and a bag of baby bottles.
"All of it, it seems," Spy marveled.
"I know," Scout added, shaking his head. "And the other foodstuffs are like, 20% better at least. The lettuce is actually crisp!"
Heavy finished filling a baby bottle with goat's milk, capped it with the nipple, and scooped Fluttershy into the crook of his arm. "Drink up, Fluttershy!" he directed happily. Fluttershy, for her part, locked her mouth around the nipple and drank eagerly.
Medic finished opening and prepping a serving of the baby food. "Where do we keep the spoons?" he asked.
"Here," Spy said calmly, fishing a spoon out of a drawer. He paused to scrub it extra clean. He then handed it to Medic.
Fluttershy, meanwhile, had finished her bottle of goat's milk. Heavy then put her to his shoulder and gently rubbed and patter her back with a single finger. She let out a quiet burp. Sniper then took her from Heavy and quickly put her into a fresh diaper before setting her down in the high chair. At first, she wriggled a bit, not really liking the baggy limp on her rear end, but was quickly distracted by the spoonful of baby food Medic held out to her.
Medic smiled as she eagerly gobbled down the small mouthful. "So cute," he marveled quietly.
"Hey! I want a turn!" Scout complained, taking the spoon and scooping another mouthful for Fluttershy, which was just as eagerly accepted.
The spoon passed from hand to hand as each of them took a turn feeding Fluttershy. She plainly enjoyed every minute of it. Oddly, she was the only one who didn't jump at the sudden shout.
"What do you no good layabouts think you're doing?" Soldier bellowed as he came into the room. He glared around at them all. "I know I said we'd look after Fluttershy, but does it really take 8 grown men to feed one tiny filly? Are you all that incompetent that it takes all the brains the eight of you have put together to figure out how to work a bottle, a high chair, and a spoon? Besides that, do you really want to give her so much excitement that she returns her breakfast to you?"
The men gathered around the high chair actually managed to look abashed. While they had been excited about taking care of Fluttershy, Soldier was actually right that this was a bit over the top. Scout was the first to speak. "You're just upset you haven't got a chance to feed her yet," he quipped halfheartedly.
Striding forward, Soldier took the spoon from Demoman, spooned up the last bit of the food, and slipped it into Fluttershy's eagerly awaiting mouth, hiding a smile at the excited buzzing of her wings. "Any personal desires in the matter are entirely irrelevant. The point is that we need to be responsible in tending her, which means not having all of us hovering over her 24/7. Besides, we still need to protect and patrol the fort!"
"You are suggesting we work in shifts," Spy deduced.
"That's right! We each take care of her at different times, making sure she spends time with everyone. No one shirks duty on my watch! Not even doody duty!"
"I think Pyro and I could handle all diaper changes, whichever of us is available," Sniper spoke up. "Ever since I trained in Jarate, smells don't bother me at all. And Pyro's already got his gas mask." Pyro nodded eagerly in agreement.
"And I will handle disposing of the soiled ones," Medic spoke up. "The more samples I can get, the more I can learn, and the better we can take care of her."
"Right!" Soldier asserted. "Then those will be your duties at all times, should the need arise. The rest of us should take shifts-" He noticed Scout waving his hand. "...Scout, are you actually waiting for your turn to speak?"
"Well, if I interrupted you, you'd start yelling, and that'd upset Fluttershy," Scout pointed out logically.
Soldier stared for a time. "Go ahead," he said.
"Well, I know we're worried about Fluttershy being overstimulated, but she got really happy when you came in. I think she really likes having all nine of us around." He pointed to how Fluttershy was bouncing happily, buzzing her wings as her eyes swung from one to the other. "So maybe we should schedule in the shifts a time where all of us took care of her?"
Demoman grinned. "A sort of Family Time?" he suggested.
"Yeah," Scout said, obviously a little weirded out by thinking of the group as a family. A quick glance showed he wasn't the only one. "Maybe an entire day where we all take time for her?"
As everyone else nodded, Soldier spoke up. "Not a bad idea. We need her to be completely comfortable with all of us, and being completely comfortable with each other would be a good start to that. That leaves six days a week to divide into shifts. If we divide each day into three shifts, each of us can take a shift twice a week." As everyone nodded in agreement, Soldier marveled that - for once - they were working together outside of combat as a cohesive unit...a family, as Demoman had put it. "I suggest a morning, a midday, and an evening shift."
"One problem," Heavy countered. "Fluttershy sleeps cuddled up to Sasha. That mean I wake her up and put her to bed."
Soldier frowned. "I don't see the problem."
"Fluttershy is baby. She wake up when she wake up, sleep when tired. How we schedule shifts around random?"
Soldier blinked in response. "A valid point." He rubbed his chin in thought.
"How about we work with a three week schedule?" Engineer suggested. "With one day a week to Family time, that leaves 18 days to divide up between the nine of us. Two each."
Grinning, Soldier pulled out a notepad and began drawing up the schedule. He quickly filled it in before showing it to everyone. "Seem fair?" he asked.
They all looked at it for a time. They all eventually nodded. Spy spoke up. "I notice you scheduled today as the first 'Family' day," he commented, remaining silent on the fact that Soldier had actually labeled it that.
Soldier shrugged. "Well we're already doing that," he pointed out. "Might as well make it the full day."
Gurgling happily behind his mask, Pyro tied on an apron that read "Kill the Cook" and began preparing food for everyone from the new supplies.
Soldier glanced at his masked comrade nervously. "Can he actually cook?"
"Quite well, actually," Spy commented. "He is truly an artist of the flame."
"I know that, but what about food?"
Sniper chuckled. "No worries, mate. He'll do alright."
Nodding, Soldier sat down at the head of the table, idly lifting the now well fed Fluttershy from the high chair and wiping her face with a handkerchief. She giggled and nuzzled into his chest.
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Now thats a hard question. I'm going to go with.. Demoman.
Heavy.
Demopan, definitely.
Medic vote.
Civilian. Hah! JK.
Please be Scout. Also, nice chapter.
...Spy...
cdn.derpiboo.ru/media/BAhbBlsHOgZmSSIkMjAxMi8wOC8wNy8wMV8zNF81NF8yODRfNjg3MTBfXwY6BkVU/68710__safe_fluttershy_crossover_animated_team-fortress-2_smoking_spy_artist-alphanite_blue-spy_red-spy.gif
This makes me want to play TF2... like a lot... if only I had the strength to get up and get my mouse...
Still got the comics though...
scout
Spy playing Hide-and-seek with her.
I think it would be interesting to see Fluttershy interact more with Spy.
Heavy.
I'll say spy. I'd be interesting.
Engineer. He doesn't get nearly enough love from the interwebs.
Spoo.
Or spycrab.
D-D-D-DEMOKNIGHTING!
Because obviously, we need a big, strong knight to protect the little dragon.
So
Demo: 3
Spy: 5
Heavy: 2
Scout: 2
Engineer: 1
Medic: 1
And I vote for pyro
Pyro: 1
Medic. Why? Aha, I have no idea!
Demooooo
I vote Heavy. He and Fluttershy just do well together!
My dumb ass forgot to favorite this fic after reading through the chapters.
As always, the cuteness is out there, and the bonding is heartwarming
Well, Soldier, you'd be happy to know that it takes a village to raise a child.
Love the headcanon that Pyro's a good cook
MAGGOTS, SHE NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO DISCIPLINE OTHERS!
Soldier.
4530096
He knows. And he knows they should all work together to raise her.
But not all at the same time.
4530142 Yeah, I suppose.
By the way, I vote Engineer.
Medic
Pyro
I vote for soldier
4530083 screw heavy! I vote Intelligent Heavy! RedShirt gave me the idea with the Painis Cupcake suggestion, except I decided on a naturally friendly freak, and besides, while have regular heavy when you can get a smarter one to pop out of nowhere?
I vote Pyro
I vote Demo my good sir
Pyro or soldier.
4530454 my good sir, is that a picture of gentleman cho'gath pony? I most definitely approve.
Meeeeeeeem/Medic
fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/207/c/e/medics_rape_face_by_haydenm14-d58rkt0.png
4530503 Why yes it is jolly good show old bean
PYRO!
snipa
Pyro for me.
Awww, this was so adorable!
Soldier keeps his character well, even though he has to figth with the almighty power of cute!
I vote for him to start - or be the closest to the first, if an other class takes that place.
-Zeph
Adorable story is adorable.
Vote...? eh...
Spy!
Medic. He was the one who found her so, he should go first.
I figure I will take the liberty and let you know that equines physically cannot vomit, in case you planned on any such instances.
...the next TEN chapters?
4530739 However, we saw Pinkie vomitting once.
Start with Pyro
I choose Demoman, it will be funny to watch. Also, good job on translating how each class works well together in the game into how they act here in the story. Gives it a real sense of togetherness.
Cute... so cute!
Id like to see Pyro with her next chapter
Demoman and Eyelander, gotta have the sword involved too
So how much longer until BLU inevitably tries to attack again, only to be rudely sent back since they're disturbing Fluttershy?
Scout
Definitely the Pyro. And it's not just my avatar pic talking, I legitimately want to see how Pyro's delusion will work around having Fluttershy there. You got how his delusion works perfectly the first time, which is amazing. Keep up the great work!