Isabelle was walking back to Ratigans place, grumbling from under her umbrella as it poured around her.
For the first time in weeks, they both had no jobs and Ratigan let his men have a week off, so it was just her, Ratigan and Lizzie. It's been while since the three of them had a quiet evening for themselves.
Her thoughts were broken when she heard something like mewling and as her hearing strained, she heard loud cries. She walked to the source of the sound, seeing it coming from a trashcan. Hesitantly, she lifted the lid and gasped in surprise.
Inside was a newborn rat, crying as though in pain. She that he was bundled in rags and also noticed that it was covered in blood. It took her a minute to realize it was afterbirth and to her horror, she saw its umbilical cord was still attached.
She carefully picked the baby up; mindful of the cord and saw it was a boy. She crooned to the baby as she rocked him.
"Shhh, you gonna be ok." She crooned, "You gonna be ok."
Ratigan was quietly reading in his den with Lizzie sleeping on his lap when the front door slammed open and Isabelle frantically calling his name. He quickly got up and went into the dining room, with a groggy Lizzie following him.
"Isabelle, what is it?" he yelled as he entered, seeing Isabelle holding a bundle.
"Padriac, give me that towel and lay it on the table! Lizzie, get me some string and scissors!"
Lizzie ran off to get the items as Ratigan put the towel on the table.
"I found this baby in the garbage outside." She said as she laid the baby on the table, removing the rags. Ratigan pulled back in revulsion as he saw the baby's condition and then a somber gaze came over his face when he saw that the baby was a rat.
Lizzie came with the string and scissors, but when she saw the baby, she froze. Isabelle took them from Lizzie and she tied the string around the base of the cord.
"Hold the cord up." She said to Ratigan; the professor obeying. As she held up the scissor, Lizzie looked away as Ratigan cringed as she cut the cord. She sighed as she threw it the garbage and picked up the crying babe, wrapping him in the towel.
"I'm going to give him a bath. You should ring up Sarah; he needs to be looked over."
Ratigan watched her retreating form and then shook his head.
"Wait, don't I have any say in this?"
"No!"
"Figures" he grumbled as he went to get Sarah.
Ratigan and Isabelle watched as Sarah examined the baby rat. He found it odd that the composed lady rat was friends with the vivacious thief. But they were; he usually saw them talking at the corner of the saloon; with Sarah laughing quietly while Isabelle laughed raucously. His attention diverted when Sarah stood up.
" ?"
"Well, he's only a few hours old. He is sick, but I think its mostly because he was abandoned so callously."
"So, what should we do, Sarah?" Isabelle asked.
"He needs to be constantly rocked and fed every two hours. I also think he needs a lot of care and love to pull through." She said as she handed the baby to Isabelle.
"I don't understand why anybody will throw him away." Isabelle said in an angry tome, making Sarah and Ratigan look at each other with a sigh.
"Isabelle, it's because he's a rat. Nobody will want him." Ratigan said, making Isabelle narrow her eyes.
"Fuckers." She cursed under her breath, making him chuckle.
"Well, he was lucky. After all, you are the one that found him." Sarah said.
Ratigan found Isabelle hours later, pacing as she rocked the baby. He could tell she was exhausted and was about to fall asleep standing up.
"Isabelle, get some sleep. I'll take him." He said, making Isabelle look at him with doubt.
"Don't you trust me?" he said with a chuckle.
"With my life Padriac. But with a baby…" she said trailing off, making him look at her in bemusement.
"I'm so glad for your trust." He said with sarcasm as she gave the baby to him, making the baby cry as he was being transferred to unfamiliar arms. Ratigan stood paralyzed, not knowing what to do with the squirming thing in his arms.
"Oh for God's Sake!" Isabelle said as she started to unbutton his shirt.
"W-What are you doing?"
"Just give me a minute." She said as she unbuttoned the first four buttons, showing his broad chest.
"Ok, now put him against your chest." She said, with him obeying and the child settled down almost instantly. Ratigan looked at her with a questioning look.
"Babies like skin to skin contact. And also like the sounds of a heartbeat." She explained, making him nod, wondering briefly of his own mother ever did this for him.
"Well, I'm going to bed. Wake me up in two hours." She said, heading to the bedroom. He looked down at the baby, taking in his appearances for the first time.
The baby had gray fur, like most of the rats in London, a patch of black hair and intense blue eyes. The child looked at him with wide eyes, as though he was examining Ratigan.
"You know…" he started to say, "You're very lucky she found you. She has a habit of bringing in strays. Me, Thomas, Lizzie…she took us all in and loved each of us. You will be happy here."
A week has passed and couple was sleep-deprived; they all took turns rocking and feeding him. Lizzie also helped, learning how to feed and changed him. The little mouse had a fierce protectiveness over the babe, claiming him as "her baby".
Now they were all sitting on Ratigans bed, the three of them gazing at the now healthy baby, sucking contently at his bottle.
"You know, Neil is gonna kill me when he sees him." Isabelle said with a smile.
"Ah well, there is nothing you will do that will surprise him." Ratigan said.
"So does that mean we're gonna keep him?" Lizzie asked.
"Of course, Elizabeth." He said, "We haven't been doing all this for nothing."
That comment got him elbowed by Isabelle, which made Lizzie giggle.
"So, does that mean we could name him?"
"I think that honor should go to the one who found him." He said, looking at his lover, "Isabelle?"
Isabelle looked at the gurgling baby on her lap, his blue eyes staring back at her dual colored ones. He then smiled, grabbing her finger and sucking it. The gesture made her smile softly.
"Vincent." She said, looking at Ratigan and Lizzie, "His name should be Vincent."
Ratigan smiled as he nodded.
"Vincent…it means conqueror." He said, "I think he is aptly named."
The small family smiled at the newest member, ready to welcome him to the rest of the family.
AN: Heres an one-shot with one more person joining the Cassidy gang.
Someone said that I should bring in a rat kid in the family and I thought about it and I liked the idea, so I made this.
I thought Isabelle finding a newborn in the trash will be very good for her, since she hates when anyone hurts children or hurt rats, so you could guess she's pretty pissed. She knows some info about babies since she came from a big family. I like how I put Ratigan is just so clueless what to do and how he comments with her bringing in strays. Lol. Lizzie is just going to be the best big sister ever.
FairyTales And Pixie Dust OC, Sarah, has a cameo here as a friend, who also helps as a nurse as well. She gets along quite nicely with Isabelle.
Ok, I name the baby Vincent, it has nothing to do with Vincent Price, at all. I gave him that name because it means conqueror and that is what this little guy just did.
Anyway, enjoy and comments are loved! I don't own GMD, just Isabelle, Lizzie and Vincent! Sarah belongs to FairyTales And Pixie Dust!
