"Do you need anything else before I get back?" Kix said, unable to stifle a yawn.
"You've done more than enough, vod, thank you," Hunter said with a grateful smile, "If there's anything we can do to repay you..."
"Don't mention it, honestly," Kix shook his head, "Call it a batch of Echo's cookies and consider the debt repaid."
"Consider it done," Echo smiled, "Thanks, Kix."
"I'm only a call away if you need me," Kix slung his kit over his shoulder, "She's lucky, got a good set of buire. Make the most of the sleep while you can, the sleepless nights will come with time."
"There's enough of us, I'm sure we can handle it," Tech said confidently. Kix couldn't help but laugh.
"Take care, vode," he hopped onto his speeder, and they all watched him go, all falling silent.
"So...what now?" Wrecker looked to his former sergeant.
"Well..." Hunter paused, clearing his throat, "We...we have a kid now."
"Everything's gonna change," Echo said quietly. He followed the others as they went back inside.
"Sure is!" Wrecker's laugh boomed, and all eyes turned to Crosshair and Omega, but neither even stirred.
"I'll finish up breakfast. We have a lot to discuss," Echo headed back to the kitchen.
"D'ya think we'll ever figure out who her father is?" Wrecker's voice was considerably quieter, looking over at the snoozing infant.
"Maybe, if her mother were to show up," Hunter shrugged lightly.
"All your dates are too close together to truly determine anything alone. But the fact that Omega is smaller than the average newborn, and we have no way of determining at what week of gestation she was born, Hunter is right. Unless..." Tech faltered, his expression thoughtful, "Unless we could analyse the mother's DNA."
"You alright?" Hunter frowned.
"I'm fine," Tech straightened up immediately, "Just tired. We've been up all night."
"And you were the only one who didn't even take a nap," Hunter raised an eyebrow, "You can turn in if you want. We've got things covered here."
"We have a lot to discuss," Tech frowned, "We should do that first."
"I assume that's no caf for you then, Tech," Echo smirked as he emerged from the kitchen, "Or we could all get some sleep and leave Cross on baby duty."
"Baby duty," Hunter chuckled, "That's a new one."
"Well, it's our new existence," Echo handed Wrecker his plate and turned back towards the kitchen, "Breakfast's up. Caf is ready for anyone that wants it, otherwise it's juice, fresh from my harvest."
"Is someone gonna take the little bundle of joy so I can eat?" Crosshair said quietly behind them. He was sat up now, stroking little Omega's back gently.
"Of course you woke up at the mention of food," Echo shook his head in amusement, sitting at the table, where Wrecker was already digging into his pancakes.
"We all have to eat," Hunter said with a smirk, "Put her in the crate."
"The crate?" Crosshair got to his feet, looking down at the baby on his chest, "Have they been plotting to pack you up and ship you off-world?"
"Until Wrecker and Hunter can construct a proper place for her to sleep, she has the crate to sleep in," Tech gestured to the small storage box filled with blankets, "Kix deemed it safe and comfortable."
"Alright," Crosshair knelt down, carefully laying Omega down in the crib and draping a blanket over her, so only her sleeping face was visible, "We'll be just over there, sweet."
"She alright?" Wrecker stopped eating for a few seconds to look back at the crate.
"Fast asleep," Crosshair said proudly, carefully carrying the crate closer to the table.
"You know, it's not advisable to fall asleep holding her, Crosshair," Tech said, his voice a little stern, "But I suppose it's fortunate that the rest of us are around in case of emergency."
"She seemed pretty relaxed to me," Crosshair said in a smug tone.
As the five of them settled to eat, the baby almost immediately began to fuss, letting out little whimpers and cries. All of them looked at each other, a little lost, until Wrecker finally got to his feet and knelt beside the crate.
"Hey, lil' tooka," he said, his voice extra soft and quiet, almost immediately starting to smile upon sight of her, reaching to hold her hand, "It's okay, we're right here, we've gotta eat somethin' too."
The baby began to quieten, and Wrecker's smile grew, "That's it, be brave. We're just over here."
They managed another few minutes before Omega started to cry properly.
"Perhaps she's too warm," Tech got to his feet, "It can't be time for another feed yet."
"I got this, Tech," Wrecker got up again, his plate already empty while Tech was still midway through his breakfast.
"C'mere then, little one," Wrecker plucked the baby up into his arms, blankets and all. She quietened almost immediately, "N'aww, I think she just got lonely."
"She'll never have to worry about being lonely ever again, that's for sure," Hunter said proudly, looking up at Omega nestled up in Wrecker's arms. She'd dropped off to sleep already. He let out a sigh, "How are we going to do this?"
"As long as at least one of us is home at one time, this will work," Tech said, "It may just take some collaborating on our working patterns. That being said, mine and Echo's work is at home, she can always be with us in the workshop, if need be."
"With your reckless technique?" Crosshair raised an eyebrow, "Poor kid will get her leg chopped off or something. That workshop is no place for a baby, it's a death trap."
"I object to your mistrust of me!" Tech snapped fiercely, letting out a sigh, "The workshop...admittedly it needs some...some adjustments to make it safe for an infant to be present. But to assume I would disregard Omega's safety-"
"Easy, Tech," Hunter said quietly, "We know you do care for her, and we can help make it safer."
"It won't take that much," Echo said, offering Tech a reassuring smile.
"I know. As long as there is a protective screen she can be behind, perhaps some eye protection, she will be safe," Tech said matter-of-factly.
"And as long as you tidy up after yourself," Echo raised an eyebrow.
"That...too," Tech nodded.
"As long as we all work together on this, we all put the effort in, we can do this," Hunter said firmly, "Cross, you're always home in the mornings and early afternoon, I'm normally finishing up and heading home just as you start your shift, same as Wrecker. Tech and Echo can finish for the day whenever they want. We can do this, we can be what she needs."
"You four can," Echo looked down, letting out a disappointed sigh, "I...I can't be left alone with her. I'm not sure I can even pick her up without help."
"Then we'll help you, whatever you do to help is appreciated, Echo. You can feed her, give her all the cuddles she could want. That makes you just as much her buir as we are," Hunter put a hand on Echo's shoulder.
"I've been continually working on an arm that will respond to your scomp, Echo," Tech said, "It's been quite the challenge, but I'm certain I can figure it out."
"I think that's Tech telling you you're not getting out of diaper duty that easy," Crosshair smirked.
"I am not, I'm-"
"Leave it, Tech," Echo laughed, "But for the record, being able to actually partake in diaper duty would be, well, great."
"I'm sure you won't be saying that after a while," Hunter grimaced for a moment, "None of you have had the chance to get what I mean yet."
"I'm sure she won't keep us waiting much longer for our next chance," Tech pushed away his plate and got up from the table, "I'm going to continue my research, I think it would be beneficial to understand the milestones Omega will be reaching, before she reaches them."
"So that's no sleep for Tech," Echo chuckled to himself, watching him settle on the couch with his datapad.
"When does he ever sleep?" Hunter shook his head in amusement.
It had been an eventful morning, Wrecker and Hunter had been busy at work on the crib while Tech continued his baby research, now with Omega asleep on his chest. He had come across an article about the benefits of skin to skin contact, and immediately decided to try it out. He had certainly confused his brothers by abruptly handing Omega to Echo, opening up his shirt without a word and carefully laying Omega on his chest with their bare skin touching. Their looks of alarm were enough prompt for him to relay all the details he had just read, and even suggested everyone tried it to help strengthen their bond with her. Even Crosshair couldn't find it in him to ridicule Tech any further, he'd never seen his usually so serious, steadfast brother look so happy and relaxed as he would regularly tear his eyes away from the datapad to look at the infant with a doting expression and loving smile as she slept peacefully. Amidst the blankets, only a little hand was visible, rested on his chest.
Crosshair made a start on lunch once the crib was constructed, and Hunter went to prepare a bottle for Omega.
"What else do we need?" Wrecker sat beside Tech, smiling as soon as he laid eyes upon Omega, "Who woulda thought such a tiny baby would need so much stuff?"
"I'm going to make her a place to put her if she's in the workshop with me, so she can be protected from...my work. It appears she has a strong preference for being held, but we can't do that all the time. Perhaps I could devise something that can simulate the sensation of being held. I should be able to construct a hoverpram for her at the least," Tech said with enthusiasm, looking down at the baby.
"May I give the little lady her lunch?" Hunter said softly, entering the room with the bottle in hand.
"I can-"
"Hey, you've had her long enough, I'm stealing her now," Hunter grinned, plucking the newborn up into his arms despite Tech's protests. The baby fussed from the disturbance.
"The problem with five buire is she's being passed around constantly, she needs to settle," Tech grumbled.
"I don't think she minds too much," Echo smirked, watching Hunter softly sooth her, bouncing her in his arms until she settled.
"That's my girl," he whispered, kissing her forehead before offering her the bottle. The baby began to feed almost instantly, her tiny hand on the bottle.
"Yes, well..." Tech faltered, and Echo laughed.
"You're just grumpy that your turn with the baby is up," he nudged Tech, "You'll get your turn again."
"Sounds like we have visitors," Hunter looked toward the door, "For you, Echo."
He'd barely finished his sentence before there was a knock at the door. Echo got up and headed to the door, to find his former Captain, and his closest brother.
"Fives-"
"Why wouldn't you tell me?" Fives demanded, in a tone that Echo struggled to determine was serious or not. Rex rolled his eyes.
"Uh..." Echo was lost for words at his brother's sudden outburst.
"I had to hear from Kix when he-"
"You mean, you overheard Kix telling Jesse when he got back, before he headed up to bed, and then you hounded him until he gave you all the details," Rex folded his arms, looking to Echo, "He's been unbearable since he found out."
"You should be too, Rex!" Fives said, the dramatics only increasing, "He didn't tell you either!"
"She turned up just over twelve hours ago, and we weren't exactly prepared," Echo shook his head in amusement.
"And you called Kix?"
"Yes. He's a medic, I'd say his knowledge was needed most when we find a baby left out in the cold at our door," Echo couldn't help but laugh, "I'm so sorry you weren't at the forefront-"
Echo yelped as Fives grabbed him up into a big hug.
"I'm just messing with you, vod!" Fives laughed, "So, where is she? Where's my little niece?"
"Hunter is feeding her," Echo pushed Fives off him with a smirk, "Once she's done I'm sure she'd love to meet her ba'vodue."
"What sounds better?" Fives frowned, "Ba'vodu Fives, or Uncle Fives?"
"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Rex gave him a playful shove, "Happy now? You'll be the first to meet her, besides Kix. Although everyone knows now, thanks to your hysterics. She'll have a line of clones waiting to meet her."
"You only came with me to meet her before the others too, Rex, admit it," Fives grinned, "Hey, does Cody know yet?"
"She arrived last night, Fives," Echo laughed, "Unless he heard you screaming about it from Coruscant, probably not."
"You coming to meet her or not?" Hunter approached the door, cradling the dark blue blankets with one arm as he continued to hold the bottle. All Fives and Rex could see was a little hand on the bottle. Hunter looked down at the baby with a smile, "All finished?"
Echo took the almost empty bottle from him and put it aside.
"I just need to-"
"Don't forget to wind her, Hunter," Tech said from the lounge, "So she-"
"Already on it, Tech," Hunter chuckled, resting Omega on his shoulder and gently rubbing her back.
"Can't fault his enthusiasm," Echo looked back at Tech, who was watching Hunter from the couch, "He really is fascinated by her."
"As a science experiment," Crosshair nudged Tech teasingly.
Fives was stunned into silence, he hadn't taken his eyes off the infant.
"Fives, speechless," Rex patted his shoulder, "Go on, go meet her."
"I promise she doesn't bite," Hunter's voice was soft, sing song, as if he were still talking to Omega. Fives approached cautiously, as if afraid of startling the baby. Tears sprung in his eyes upon seeing her face as she rested her head on Hunter's shoulder, blinking sleepily.
"She's perfect," Fives said softly, smiling as the pair of brown eyes focused on him, "Hello, mesh'la."
"This is your..." Hunter looked to Fives in amusement, "Uncle or Ba'vodu?"
"Whatever, they mean the same thing," Fives' voice cracked, and Echo laughed, patting his back.
"We've all been there over the last few hours," he smirked.
"Look at us, veterans of war, the things we've faced, brought down by one little girl," Rex wiped at his eyes.
"Ready to meet your ba'vodue?" Hunter kissed the baby's head.
"I should sit down," Fives said nervously, "So I don't drop her."
"Good call," Crosshair raised an eyebrow.
"Budge up, Tech, Cross," Echo waved them away, and they got up to allow himself, Fives and Rex to sit.
"Lucky for you, she's made it very clear that she hates being anywhere but in someone's arms," Hunter chuckled, gently passing Omega over to the former ARC trooper.
"Oh...wow," Fives said quietly, his arms becoming the perfect cradle for the baby, "Can't say I expected to ever find myself holding a baby."
"See? You're a natural," Echo said proudly.
"Look at those eyes," Rex's voice softened as Omega gazed up at Fives curiously, "Never thought those eyes could ever look so beautiful."
"She's going to grow up so loved," Fives whispered, starting to smile, "You're a very lucky girl, ad'ika."
He looked up at Echo, his smile fading, "If anything happens, Echo. Anything at all. I'm here. I will drop everything and care for her."
"I mean, I'd hope nothing will happen to take all five of us out," Hunter folded his arms.
"But the sentiment is appreciated," Tech nodded to him.
"Even if you just need a babysitter, I'll be right there," Fives said firmly, "Or failing that, Rex. Or...literally any of us."
"We get the picture," Crosshair smirked.
"Listen here, little angel," Fives looked at Omega, his expression melting entirely, "If someone even looks at you the wrong way, you tell your Uncle Fives right away. They'll be dealt with before you can say-"
"I think I got that covered," Wrecker grinned, getting to his feet and puffing out his chest.
"Well...you can always use some back up," Fives muttered, turning his attention back to the baby in his arms, "You've got millions across the galaxy to keep you safe."
"Millions that she will never know, nor know she exists," Tech pointed out, "She will likely have multiple half-siblings out there that she'll never get the chance to meet."
Omega yawned, her little arms reaching up towards Fives' face.
"She's got more than enough family here," he gently took hold of one of her hands.
"Yeah, all of them men, most of them with the same face," Crosshair shook his head, "Poor kid."
"There's Suu and Shaeeah, once they meet her" Hunter said, "Although the men still greatly outweigh the women."
"And Aola! She'll love her," Wrecker grinned, "She was asking me when I was gonna settle down and start a family just last week..."
"I expect there will be some way for her to have contact with at least some other clone offspring in future," Tech shrugged, "With the galaxy the way it is, the attitudes some hold, I am sure knowing others in her situation will be a good support system."
"She's gonna be just fine," Rex said softly, reaching to hold her other hand between his finger and thumb.
"Ready to meet Ba'buir Rex, sweetheart?" Fives grinned, and Rex rolled his eyes.
"Thanks," the former captain shook his head.
"Is that a grey hair I see amongst the blonde?" Fives pretended to study his hair, and Rex had to stop himself shoving him away. Not while he was holding the baby.
"These five will be the ones with the grey hairs, soon enough," Rex raised an eyebrow.
"Too late for Crosshair," Fives grinned.
"I think it suits me," Crosshair said, deadpan, chewing on his toothpick as he scowled at Fives.
"You look lovely, Cross," Wrecker grabbed him up into a bear hug and ruffled his hair, "So beautiful."
"Get off me, di'kut," Crosshair, surprisingly, was laughing, and jabbed Wrecker with the toothpick after a playful shove.
"Ready, Rex?" Fives held little Omega out to him, "She's light as a feather."
"If you can do it, I certainly can," Rex carefully took Omega into his arms, "All shiny and new, just like your Echo'buir, when I first met him."
"Echo'buir?" Echo faltered.
"Well, what do you want her to do, call all five of you Dad or buir, have all five of you running everytime she calls?" Rex stroked her little arm.
"I don't know, one of you be Dad, and the rest of you pick between Daddy, Papa, Pops and Father," Fives laughed, and Echo gave him a nudge.
"Yeah, I don't think so," Echo shook his head in amusement, "I hadn't even considered what she'd call us, it's hard enough to even process that she's here, let alone imagining her any bigger than she is right now."
"You'll be running around and getting up to mischief in no time," Rex smiled down at the baby.
"That's what makes her so fascinating," Tech said, stepping closer to Rex and Omega, "In a year's time, five years, a decade, she will change. She will become, well, the possibilities are endless. And the five of us will influence who she becomes, that's why it is so imperative we get this right. We give her everything she needs, we all have something different to contribute. She's fortunate in that sense."
"Careful, he's gonna cry again," Hunter teased, "Omega's softened you right up, Tech."
"Is that a bad thing?" Tech frowned.
"Not at all," Hunter patted his shoulder, a proud smile on his face, "Suits you."
Omega whimpered and started to fuss, her little hands curled into fists.
"Aw, is Ba'buir too scary?" Fives grinned, unable to stop himself laughing at Rex's bewilderment, "Give her here, vod, she likes me."
"She seems to like being laid on-" Echo began, watching as Fives carefully laid the baby on his chest, stroking her back as she began to quieten.
"I'm the favourite uncle already," Fives said with a grin.
"Oh, she loves you," Wrecker snickered.
"She's even left you a special gift to take home," Crosshair chuckled.
"Oh yeah, and what's that, little lady? Even more cuddles?"
"No, she's puked on you," Crosshair raised an eyebrow, "I'll get you a cloth."
"Well, you might wanna work on how you show your affection, but...thank you," Fives kissed Omega's head, continuing to stroke her back.
"She threw up?" Hunter sounded alarmed, "Is she okay? Did I feed her wrong, too much?"
"Let's not go calling Kix just yet, Hunter," Echo smirked.
"You fed her correctly, Hunter. It's perfectly normal for young infants to spit up their milk, no cause for concern," Tech said calmly.
"Should we feed her again?" Echo asked, as Crosshair handed Fives a cloth and lifted Omega up into his arms.
"Let's get you cleaned up, ma'am," Crosshair said softly, "Although you managed to get most of it on your Uncle. Good job."
"That's alright, at least it wasn't my Marshal gear, that could have been embarrassing."
"You'd be showing it off to Jesse and Dogma that it's your niece's first puke," Rex shook his head, "Speaking of, we're taking over patrols in less an hour, so we should get going."
"Already?" Fives sighed, "Surely getting such bombshell news like becoming an uncle warrants-"
"Nice try," Rex rolled his eyes, "They don't need you any more in the way on their first day as buire."
"Give us some time to adjust, then you can visit her whenever you like," Echo patted his twin's shoulder, "Go tell the others all about their new niece."
"But we'd really rather they didn't all turn up to see her at once," Hunter laughed to himself, "I'll make up another bottle for her."
Rex and Fives got to their feet, and Wrecker knelt beside Omega, nestled up on Crosshair's chest.
"Ya gonna say bye to Uncle Fives and Uncle Rex, lil tooka?" he said softly, taking hold of her wrist and gently waving it as she stared at her uncles.
"Leave her be," Crosshair chuckled, "Poor thing must be tired of being passed around and poked at."
"If you boys need anything, you know how to reach us," Rex nodded to them before turning to leave.
Tech didn't quite make it to lunch, having dozed off at the dining table mid-research. There was no point trying to move him, now he'd finally passed out he'd be unreachable until he woke again. If they did manage to wake him, though, he'd only end up extra cranky. He was used to sleeping in the most uncomfortable positions without complaint.
Omega managed a few hours tucked up in the crate with little fuss, with Hunter napping on the couch beside her. The other three were grateful for a short break, after a day of focusing on nothing but the new arrival, it was a relief to have even just a short break. Echo tended to his planets, while Crosshair went up to his bedroom to paint from his window. Wrecker sat nearby the crate as he started a new knitting project, a tiny hat in a light shade of blue with darker blue stripes and little tooka ears on top. He had searched through his wool stash to find the softest one he could. A small moment of normality after their entire world had taken a drastic turn.
"And this is where we eat," Tech woke to Wrecker quietly talking to Omega as he carried her around the house. He was giving her a tour of the entire homestead, "We'll have to make you your own chair so you can sit with us, and when you're bigger you can eat with us too. You can sit right at the head of the table."
"What are you doing?" Tech frowned, yawning.
"Wreck'buir's showing you around, right?" Wrecker said to the baby, "Showing you your new home?"
"I already told him, she can't understand a word he's saying," Crosshair smirked.
"You're right, her cognitive function is not yet developed enough to understand," Tech adjusted his goggles, noticing Wrecker's face fall, "But it's never too early to model language for her. The more we talk to her, the more she'll learn. That, and she'll find our voices comforting the more she hears them."
"Are you gonna say hi to Tech'buir?" Wrecker cooed, his smile returning as he waved Omega's little hand. Tech found himself waving back, her bewildered little face making him smile. The newborn made a tiny sound, barely a squeak, "Did you say it? Did she just say hi? Is that her first word?"
"It was another of what you call 'tooka noises', Wrecker," Tech started to laugh, "She won't be understanding at least basic words until she's around nine months, and her first word is likely to be closer to the year mark."
"Well, I think she was saying hi," Wrecker grinned, looking back to the baby, "I suppose we should say hello to grumpy Cross'buir too."
"I'm so sorry, ad'ika," Crosshair sighed dramatically as Omega's hand was waved at him. The infant let out an uncomfortable whine, "Oh, I know, sweet. He annoys us too, we're in agreement there."
"What does she have on her head?" Tech frowned, turning his attention to the blue striped hat with triangles stitched on the top.
"It's a hat!" Wrecker said proudly.
"I can see that," Tech rolled his eyes, "You made it?"
"Yup! While you were napping. It's a little tooka, just like her," Wrecker looked down at Omega, who yawned and began to doze off, "I can make her more stuff, maybe I can make her a lil tooka stuffy too, might help her sleep in her crib better if she has company."
"I think she would like that, young children often form attachments to a comfort object," Tech reached and took her hand between his fingers, "That's a very nice hat, Omega. I think it suits you."
"Shall we go look at everything else?" Wrecker said softly, bouncing the baby in his arms gently.
"She's asleep, Wrecker, she won't be looking at anything," Tech said, getting to his feet.
"Hunter and Echo are setting up the old storeroom to become her room, if you want to make yourselves useful," Crosshair folded his arms. The storeroom was next to Tech's room, intended to store any additional belongings they couldn't find a place for. It had been home to their armour, helmets, and was otherwise taken up by various mechanical parts that couldn't fit in Tech's room. Now he had his workshop, with a lot of additional storage space, the majority of the items in there had found a new home there. Their five helmets were displayed on a shelf above Tech's workbench, pride of place.
"We can finish the tour later then," Wrecker stroked Omega's back, kissing her hat, "Your new room is way more important!"
"I failed to consider any furnishings we might need when ordering in supplies" Tech sighed in frustration, "All she has is a crate."
"We have a carpenter and a builder in the house, she'll be fine," Crosshair patted his brother's shoulder, "She won't even notice."
"Are ya gonna paint the walls, Cross?" Wrecker asked, his voice purposely lowered, "She'd like that."
"I'll see what I can do," Crosshair tried to act unbothered, but in truth, the thought of decorating her room was an exciting one. Any excuse to paint something new.
"She should sleep in one of our rooms to begin with, I read that in my research," Tech said as they got into the old store room, the last of the items crammed into a storage crate to be sorted later, "At least for the first six months, she should sleep in the same room as her caregiver."
"Which one of us?" Wrecker asked.
"We can switch it up, to at least give us all a chance to sleep some nights," Hunter smiled at the sight of Omega, looking extra tiny cuddled up with Wrecker, "Although with your late shift patterns, you'd probably have to take her on your nights off, Cross."
"I can sleep late in the morning, I'm sure I'll manage," Crosshair shrugged, "We've all got to do our part."
"That's the spirit," Hunter looked around the cleared – but in need of a clean – room, "We've got a long way to go before this is ready for her."
"Well, like I said. She won't be sleeping in here for a few months, so it hardly matters. As long as her supplies are stored so they remain clean and suitable for use," Tech said lightly, "We can clean it now, the shipment is due soon."
After an hour or so of cleaning, tidying and sorting the leftover items, Tech's datapad bleeped to alert him that the shipment had landed at the starport in town. He headed out to the speeders, followed by Wrecker, who had reluctantly handed Omega over to another of her buir.
Tech and Wrecker returned with the crates of supplies to find Hunter deep in focus carving the newly built crib into shape, ready for the decorative patterns. It was Echo's turn with Omega, apparently, as he sat on the couch with the baby cuddled up on his chest, stroking her back gently. She was awake, but drifting off to sleep, tiny hands curled around Echo's shirt. What Echo wasn't aware of, however, was that Crosshair was sat sketching the pair of them, capturing the moment perfectly. He couldn't decide if he would gift Echo the sketch, or use the sketch as a basis for a painting.
"Special delivery for a little tooka," Wrecker said, carefully putting down the crate to not disturb her.
"This should have us prepared for at least a few weeks," Tech opened up the first crate, filled with cloth diapers, milk packets and other supplies, such as extra bottles, blankets and cloths, "The other crate should contain clothing, mainly. Babies have a rapid growth rate, so I got sizes to fit her up to approximately six months, or her predicted size at six months, which may not be accurate."
"Why did you leave Tech in charge of clothing?" Crosshair groaned.
"Because you were set on us not keeping her at the time of ordering," Tech said dismissively, "I'm not sure why I would have asked for your input, in that case."
"Poor kid," Crosshair picked up a set of plain rompers from the crate, in a soft light grey fabric.
"I don't see any functional issue with them," Tech frowned, "As long as they serve their purpose and protect her from the elements."
"Nothing is stopping you from getting Omega clothes of your choice, Cross," Hunter smirked, "But what Tech has got will do just fine."
"Besides, if her little gift for Fives tells us anything, It's that she'll end up getting them dirty eventually," Echo smiled as she clutched at his finger.
"From now on, I'm in charge of dressing the kid," Crosshair said in overexaggerated exasperation, "I dress the rest of...most of you as it is."
Picking out their own clothes was another novelty the clones had enjoyed upon their liveration. Customising their armour was one thing, but being able to pick out and own multiple outfits, was something clones revelled in. Most clones. Tech, in honesty, didn't see what all the fuss was about. He and Echo favoured function over fashion, the only major item Tech got excited about purchasing was a blast vest with multiple pockets and pouches, which he'd made good use of over the years. His utility belt from the war was still in use also, because according to him, you could never have too much storage.
Crosshair was the one who had spent the longest clothes shopping, and ended up giving the others unsolicited advice on their own style. All but Tech took any notice.
"I'm sure she'll be the best dressed little girl with your help, Cross," Hunter raised an eyebrow.
"You can count on it," Crosshair dropped the rompers back in the crate in disgust.
"And I can knit her stuff, like I said!" Wrecker said eagerly, "Easy!"
"Where's my datapad?" Crosshair got up, "She needs decent clothes and fast."
Echo's comm bleeped as they finished up storing away the supplies, startling all six of them. Thankfully, Omega stayed silent despite the disturbance.
"Kriff, that'll be 99, I was meant to-"
"Watch the language around Omega," Hunter said a little sharply, taking the baby into his arms.
"I can assure you that she doesn't know the meaning of the word-"
"Hey, 99, I'm so sorry," Echo stepped away from the others, "Something...came up, I got completely distracted."
"Not to worry, vod, I just wanted to check you were alright," 99 said, "We can reschedule if you'd like, I don't want to keep you."
"No, no, there's..." Echo glanced over at Omega, nestled up in Hunter's arms, "There's someone I want you to meet. We'll be right over, give us ten minutes."
"Oh, well, there's actually someone I'd like you to meet too...I'll get the cocoa ready," 99 chuckled, "I look forward to meeting...her?"
"We'll see you in a moment," Echo ended the call, turning back to the others, "So...I think 99 thinks he's about to meet my girlfriend."
"He'll be in for a shock," Crosshair smirked.
Hunter laughed, "Well, hopefully he won't be too disappointed."
"Will you come with me?" Echo looked to his former sergeant, "I can't take her alone, I can't carry her all that way."
"Of course," Hunter looked down at Omega and kissed her head, "99 will love you, ad'ika."
"I haven't had a moment to see 99 for at least a few weeks now, I'll join you," Tech said, and it seemed Echo didn't have much choice in the matter.
"Hey, why aren't I invited?" Wrecker frowned.
"All of you come with us, then," Echo laughed, "I just wasn't sure you didn't have other stuff to do."
"You should know better by now, Echo," Hunter said proudly, "We never turn down a chance to visit 99."
He looked in the crate of baby clothes, "Let's get you wrapped up warm to meet another ba'vodu, Omega."
"The snow suit should suffice. I expect snow isn't too far away," Tech picked up the – thankfully, light blue, much more to Crosshair's taste – thick, puffy snow suit with a hood.
"That's gonna swamp her," Hunter raised an eyebrow, bouncing Omega gently in his arms, "But it'll definitely keep you warm."
"We'll take the speeders," Wrecker said, rushing to grab his puffy winter jacket.
"We don't have means to transport Omega safely on the speeders," Tech said sternly, "We can't hold her while we drive, we have to walk."
Wrecker groaned, "But it's freezing."
"Then you take a speeder," Echo rolled his eyes, "It's barely a five minute walk, Wrecker, you'll live."
"Best keep that hat on, sweet," Hunter said as he and Tech got the baby into the snowsuit. Both of them smiled at the sight of her, a tiny face peeking out from the warm material, "oh, you look even tinier now."
"We'll take it off when we get back inside, so she doesn't overheat. She's too young to regulate her body temperature, so it's imperative we keep monitoring it."
Omega was tucked into Hunter's coat as they made the short trip over to 99's. The lake was calm as ever, but the water was grey like the miserable sky above. With these temperatures, it would likely freeze over during the night.
"Now there's a rare sight!" 99 smiled as he came outside to greet them, "All five of you at once."
"C'mere, 99!" Wrecker ran ahead and grabbed his brother up into a big hug, his feet leaving the floor.
"Great to see you too, vod'ika," 99 laughed, patting his shoulder, "I'll have to get some more cocoa going. Get inside, in the warm."
The five of them followed him inside, all beginning to shrug off their winter gear.
"Y'know, when you told me you had someone to see me, I didn't think..." 99 turned back just as Hunter took Omega out from under his coat, "I...think I have a lot of catching up to do."
"Just a bit," Tech adjusted his goggles.
"Get...get yourselves settled, I'll get the cocoa ready," 99 couldn't help but smile in the direction of the baby, looking so comfortable and content in Hunter's arms. He headed back into the kitchen, and Crosshair followed to lend a hand.
As the others hung up their coats and sat down in the living room, something jumped up onto Wrecker's lap. He cried out in terror, causing a streak of grey to dart from his knee and disappear under a cabinet. Unsurprisingly, Omega started wailing from the clear disturbance.
"Wrecker!" Echo shook his head, "What was that for?"
"What was that?" Wrecker's eyes were wide, and Hunter got up to walk Omega around the room in an attempt to soothe her.
"Shh, shh, mesh'la, you're alright. You're alright, sweet. Just Wreck'buir being a di'kut. Nothing to be scared of, nothing at all."
"Hevy! Is that anyway to greet our guests?" 99 said with a sigh, but chuckled as the small grey tooka emerged from its hiding spot. He put down the two mugs of cocoa, and immediately the young tooka jumped up into his arms. He glanced to Hunter, "Sorry, is-"
"She's alright," Hunter rocked her gently, "It's not the first time Wrecker was too loud around her."
"Hey, I'm trying not to," Wrecker said, a little dejected.
"So," 99 sat in his armchair with the tooka on his lap, once Crosshair brought out the last of the cocoa, "I should get my news out of the way first, as I know yours is going to be far more interesting."
Hunter continued to walk Omega around. She had since stopped crying, but he wanted to get her off to sleep.
"This is Hevy," 99 held up the kitten, "Found him outside in the cold yesterday, all on his own. He's already made himself at home, as you can see. It's nice, though. I enjoy his company. I think I'll like having him around."
"I'm sure Hevy would be honoured to have a tooka named after him," Echo grinned.
"So, your turn," 99 looked over at the bundle in Hunter's arms, "Where did you five find yourself a baby girl?"
"Well...that's the question of the year," Hunter said softly, "Her name is Omega, and...she's our daughter."
"You kept that one quiet," 99 chuckled, "But you say yours...all of your daughter?"
"Determining who fathered her is proving near impossible without any indication of her mother. Her likely time period of conception was around the time the annual culture festival was in town," Tech said matter-of-factly.
"That'll do it," 99 laughed, "You boys always...have a good time at that festival."
"Some more than others," Echo raised an eyebrow, glancing to Hunter, Crosshair and Wrecker, who all shifted uncomfortably.
"There are several potential mothers between the three of them, none of whom stayed in touch after...relations."
"Yeah, we get the picture-" Hunter tried to cut him off.
"That, and Liana broke it off with Crosshair just before the festival," Tech continued, "And he's had no contact since she left town."
"She wouldn't have dumped Omega on the doorstep without a word, like she was nothing," Crosshair said defensively, looking down with a sigh, "She would have told me."
"Whoever her mother is, I don't think she thought Omega was nothing," Hunter lightly rocked the baby in his arms, "She wanted her to be safe, and for whatever reason, she couldn't do that herself."
"Leaving a baby alone in the cold doesn't scream love to me," Crosshair muttered, "I-"
"Either way," Echo interrupted, "We're raising her together, the five of us."
"20% of a father each, if you will," Tech added.
"Well, she's lucky then," 99 said proudly, "She's in good hands. She's gonna be just fine."
Omega sneezed, a tiny, high pitched noise that made Hevy flinch. Tech handed Hunter a cloth to gently wipe her nose with.
"Want to meet her properly?" Hunter put the cloth aside, standing up again, "She loves nothing more than cuddles."
"Someone might have to take the tooka," 99 chuckled, "He's friendly, gentle, but might be a little too eager to meet her."
"Two little tookas, rescued from the cold by clones," Wrecker grinned, scooping Hevy up and giving him some fuss. The kitten purred and nuzzled against his hands.
"Your fourth ba'vodu since you arrived, ad'ika," Hunter said softly, "With many more still to meet."
"I think she has more than enough uncles without me adding to them," 99 chuckled, holding out his arms, "Let's take a look at you, little star."
"I don't understand what you mean," Tech frowned, "You said she has enough uncles without you...but you are our brother too, and we are her buire, therefore you're her uncle."
"I think I'd prefer to take on the role of ba'buir, though," 99 said thoughtfully, looking down at the baby, "She should have everything we missed out on. She has more parents and uncles than most, more than any of us ever had. I may only be a couple years older than you, but I certainly look old enough to be your buire. She deserves a grandparent figure to go with all those buire and ba'vodue."
"According to Fives, Rex is also ba'buir," Echo smirked, "But you're right, she deserves a grandparent figure."
"I don't think the Kaminoans would take to the role otherwise," Crosshair smirked, "They're the closest thing we have to parents. Imagine that, though. The offspring of an enhanced clone, she'd be a fascinating test subject."
"Then it's a good thing you're safe and sound here with your buire, isn't it?" 99 whispered, stroking the baby's head, "So many to keep you safe."
Tech's datapad beeped multiple times in rapid succession, and Crosshair groaned.
"Will you shut that thing off? Do you need it to beep for everything?"
Tech stared at the display for a few seconds before Echo gave him a nudge, snapping him right back to reality.
"Sorry," Tech said quietly, "Just a customer not...not happy with the delay to their repair. There isn't much left to be done on it, in fairness."
"You can head back if you need to get it done?" Echo frowned, studying Tech's expression, "We've got things covered."
"Yes, I should," Tech nodded, standing up, "Thank you for the cocoa, 99."
"Not a problem, it's good to see you, Tech. Don't be a stranger," 99 said, smiling down at Omega, "You'll be ready for more cuddles after he's finished all that hard work, I'm sure."
Tech nodded with a small smile, heading to grab his coat before venturing back out to the cold.
"Is he alright?" 99 frowned.
"Just a little shaken, I think," Hunter looked towards the door, "It took him a while to adjust to life post-war, I don't think he knew what to do with himself with all that sudden free time, to be honest. He's just settled into this new life, only for it to change drastically once again. It's probably only just started to hit him."
"He's been so fascinated with her that he probably failed to process that this is permanent, until now," Echo said, "But he'll adjust, he always does."
"Hey!" Wrecker yelped, and Hevy jumped off his lap and leapt back onto 99's lap, "He bit me!"
"Hevy!" 99 sighed, "I'm sorry, Wrecker, I haven't had the chance to teach him manners just yet."
"Should have called him Cutup," Echo laughed to himself.
"He shouldn't be near Omega," the anxiety in Hunter's voice was prominent, "Especially if he bites."
"It could have fleas," Crosshair grimaced.
"Fleas?" Hunter got to his feet in an instant.
"It's alright, I got him checked out. No fleas, no diseases, healthy as can be. He doesn't like being held so much, Wrecker, I expect that was his way of telling you." 99 said calmly, as the small tooka reached up to sniff the blankets, "Are you trying to say hi?"
"I don't know," Hunter said cautiously, taking a step closer. Hevy reached up to look at the baby curiously, letting out a soft mew as he sniffed her hand. He began to purr, settling down on 99's lap, one paw reached up and rested on the blankets.
"I think you just made a friend," 99 whispered to the baby.
"N'aww, look at 'em," Wrecker said, "Two little tookas."
"Relax," Crosshair pulled Hunter back to his seat, "Tech will detect any unwanted bacteria in her system and get it dealt with, I can guarantee it."
"He was already talking about making a monitor to keep with her, so we're aware of her heartrate, breathing, everything," Echo put down his empty cup of cocoa, "He also wants to analyse her cries to see if he can determine if she cries differently for different things."
"I think he's had the biggest change of you all," 99 said proudly.
"Him, or Crosshair," Hunter smirked, "Haven't seen either of them smile so much."
"Maybe I smile only for those who earn it," Crosshair finished up his cocoa.
"Well, perhaps some fruit pie will bring a smile out of you," 99 chuckled, "It should be just about ready. Take a slice back for Tech, won't you?"
"Of course we will," Hunter said, "I'll get it, we wouldn't want to disturb Omega while she's so comfortable."
The five of them tucked into the warm fruit pie, fruit mostly provided by Echo from his own plants. Baking was a hobby he and 99 had both come to enjoy and often did together. Their baked goods rarely lasted more than a few seconds before the tray was empty, and they would spend days baking up endless cookies and cakes for the annual culture festival.
Wrecker took Omega back after wolfing down his slice of pie, to allow 99 to taste his own work. Once they were finished, Echo took the plates to wash up, while Hunter helped Wrecker change Omega for the first time, not without Hevy trying to assist also. As the sky began to darken, they prepared to leave, the cold would only worsen as night drew in. Omega was wrapped up in her snowsuit and tucked into Crosshair's coat for the journey home, and the four buire headed back out into the cold, ready to start their first bedtime routine.
