I did some minor and major spelling updates. Also I'm actually working on a second chapter... so if you liked this little piece, follow for more :)Please consider that english isn't my native language so please forgive me my mistakes (but feel free to show them to me!).
Have fun reading!
Scott couldn't believe the little ass-kicker was already one year old. Time flies by when you're busy making homeworlds for everyone, he thought, but Jill and her boy already found that home on Eos. She was a great single-mom but sometimes Scott wondered if a baby and her work and Kett and dangerous sandstorms weren't a bit too much for her to handle, but fortunately Scott and Gil were there to „uncle the shit out of this kid."
Which was exactly what Gil was doing right now, while Jill took a bit time for herself and Scott watched.
He wasn't that good with kids. He didn't want one himself, he knew that the moment Jill had that strange request, specially not with being the Pathfinder. What good were two dads who couldn't be there for the child?
Truth was, it wasn't only that . When Scott told Jill back on Eos that Gil was his boy, not hers, it was meant as a joke. But part of Scott was pretty serious about that. Did he envy their relationship? No. Well, maybe he did. Point was: He didn't want to share his guy. Not even with Jill. But watching Gil playing with the kiddo made him realize that his boyfriend wanted a family. Even if Gil never said a word, Scott could see it everyday he played with his godchild. Well maybe someday, when years passed by, things settled down and he wasn't that busy in his Pathfinder-Job anymore. They could adopt a child, get a house on Kadara, raise an Adhi, and- who was he even kidding. That time would probably never come.
"Gil", Scott said, "We need to be on Elaaden soon. Distress call. Morda asked me to check in on that. Guess we need to go for now."
"Yeah, one moment." Gil took the boy in his arms. "Say good bye to your cool uncle Gil and his lame sidekick, will ya?" - "Oy! Not fair! I'm not a lame sidekick, I'm the human Pathfinder!" - "Ahh shhh. What good have you ever done, Mr. Meridian?", Gil said with a grin. Scott gave him a half-smile.
"Come on. The Tempest needs your nimble hands." Gil gave the child back to Jill, who just showed up to wave good bye.
"Not only the Tempest, I say", he murmured, passing Scott.
Elaaden was so freaking hot.
That was all Scott could think about right now, roasting in his heavy HyperGuardian armor.
"Why are we here again?", he said, standing in the middle of nowhere, the Nomad not far from them.
"Distress call", Drack reminded him, "Krogans went missing."
"Why doesn't Morda check this herself?", Scott wondered. He didn't want to be here right now. Voeld would be nice...
"Because pirates from Kadara may be involved", Drack said.
"And if Reyes has something to do with it, we need to know...", Vetra said, "... also you clearly wouldn't want Morda to handle this, when there's really a problem between Kadara and Elaaden."
"Reyes?", Scott huffed, "I can give him a call right now. Ask him. Then we know! We don't need to be here..."
"Ryder." Vetras sharp voice of reason got to him.
"Yeah, fine. Guess you're right. No one wants a war between Kadara and the Krogan", he sighed and started to check the dunes nearby with the help of SAM.
Krogan settlers where supposed to be here. Scott wondered why anyone would want a village right in the sand dunes. But that wasn't his problem. His problem was, that the Krogan settlers went missing and also their stuff. Morda suspected outlaws and pirates but also said someone that organized must come from Kadara, probably sent by the Charlatan himself. Scott doubted that. Reyes Vidal, the Charlatan, may be a shady bastard (a handsome one), but he wasn't crazy. Or an idiot. Or a crazy idiot. He wouldn't start trouble with the goddamn Krogan.
While he searched the ruins of the small settlement for clues, SAM found a small lifesign in the ruins.
"Scott", the AI mentioned, "Lifesigns are weak. And... krogan."
"What?!" It was Drack who was faster than anyone else to pull away the debris. But it was hard to come by and in the end Scotts biotic made way.
What the three of them found left them totally speechless. It was SAM who spoke first.
"Scott, this seems to be a living krogan baby."
"You. Don't. Say" Scott finally said and pulled the weak creature out of sand and debris.
"Unbelievable", Drack whispered in awe and stroke the small thing gently. It made a weak noise. "It's about to die", the old Krogan said.
"Then what are we waiting for? Tempest, we need an evac, immediately. And say Lexi to prepare for... I don't know how she can be prepared for that... well a damn living krogan baby", Vetra ordered.
"SAM, are they any other lifesigns? The parents maybe...?", Scott asked, scanning the area. His hopes weren't high.
"Negative", the AI said.
Scott took a sad look at Drack, when he saw the Tempest at the horizon.
Scott was watching the baby for about two hours now. He didn't left his side at the med bay, even though Lexi said it was out of danger for now. What to do with a krogan baby? What to do with the offspring of a species who was on a blink to extinction due to Genophage? What to do with this little, scaled wonder?
„What kind of ugly tomato is that?"
Scott turned around, when the mechanic came through the door.
„It's a baby, Gil."
„No shit, then why doesn't it look all cute and shit?"
„It's... a krogan baby, maybe they don't mean to look cute, to... what-do-I-know, scare away predators or something?"
"Poor fella. All alone on Elaaden and then born to be that ugly. What are we gonna do with him?"
Scott shrugged.
"We should give him to Morda I guess."
"Don't", he heard Dracks rough voice behind him. Scott startled. Why did everyone sneak up on him today? He and Gil turned around. "Well... why not?", the Pathfinder wanted to know.
"Because he's weak. They won't accept him", Drack explained and walked past the two men to watch the sleeping baby. Like when you found Kesh as a baby, Scott thought but kept his mouth shut.
"You mean they would let a baby die because it probably won't become a shit-strong-badass Krogan one day? What's wrong with you guys, I thought you wanted offspring!", Gil said blank.
"What's with you, Drack? Or Kesh?", Scott offered.
"I'm too old for that. Can't handle a baby anymore. I could ask Kesh, though", Drack answered, still focused on the kid.
"I can handle a krogan kid", Gil suddenly said. For a moment the other two just stood in silence. Then Drack started to laugh.
"Gil – what", Scott said blinking. "Thought and attention. You remember?"
"Well maybe I thought it through. Probably since a year."
Scott raised his eyebrows. Drack meanwhile knew when he had to go and took his leave.
"You thought about having a krogan baby since a year."
"No... not that. But you know how I feel about being... a dad."
Ouch. Yes, Scott did know. Even though Gil never said a word 'til now.
"Look. Gil. You know how I think about tha-"
"Yeah, yeah I know. No pressure. We do decisions like this together, nothing changed on that, handsome. But Scott, this baby here is helpless. It needs us."
"I... I don't know, Gil, I mean what do Krogan babys even eat, and dear god I don't know how they even mature, I mean you know how old Krogans get...", Scott stuttered.
"Bet Drack and Kesh will help with that", Gil just said.
Then a small noise took the attention of the two men.
"Looks like our tomato awoke", Gil said softly. The little Krogan gave a tiny "Skreee!" - it was unbelievably adorable, Scott thought. He smiled.
Gil was a bit surprised when Scott took his hand all of a sudden.
"You're right, you know...", Scott said and that one time Gil was humble enough not to say of course I am, "... he needs our help. And hey... we defeated the Archon, how hard can it be to raise a krogan?"
Gils smile formed into a grin.
"Scott?" - "Hm?" - "I love you." Scott smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss. "I love you too." Gil took a look back at the krogan baby. Then he said with a wide grin: "He has your eyes, you know?"