Pinky made googly-eyes at the baby, sending her into a fit of giggles. He cooed over her, scooping her up into a spinning hug. Once he got too dizzy to continue, he held her up to his eye level and rubbed his nose against hers. She squealed in delight, then grabbed onto his ears and tugged.

"Look, Brain! She's tugging on my ears just like you do sometimes! Narf!" Pinky tried to get his friend's attention, but Brain was busy constructing a harness for Pinky to wear as he put up the fliers. He needed something to carry both the papers and the baby. "Ow! Oh, dear. Poit. That's a little too hard, baby."

"Pinky, hush." Brain snapped, his patience worn thin. Pinky had been playing with the child all day, while still taking care to hide her from the scientists. Brain shuddered at the thought of what those ridiculous humans would assume if they saw a new, baby mouse in their cage. He held up the harness, it appeared decent enough. "Put this on, Pinky, then you'll go out and try to locate her parents, understand?"

"Right-o, Brain!" Pinky saluted, holding the baby with one arm wrapped around her middle. Brain eyed this position warily, one wrong move and she'd overbalance, falling to the ground and landing on her head most likely.

But she didn't fall, Pinky's grip was secure enough. He set the mouse down and let Brain help him strap the contraption on over his winter coat. Brain gave a few experimental tugs before picking up the child, holding her under her arms and as far from him as possible, and attaching her to Pinky's chest. With that done, he popped the rolled up flyers into the container on Pinky's back.

"Now, make sure you put these up in noticeable places." The Brain instructed, sticking a roll of tape around Pinky's neck. "And try to refrain from folding them into 'pretty little birds', there are at least three dozen copies, and while that may be a bit excessive, we need to cover a lot of ground. Can you do that, Pinky?"

"You can count on me, Brain!" Pinky giggled, the baby on his chest laughed also.

Brain rolled his eyes, as if one incoherent, babbling mouse wasn't enough. No wonder Pinky got along with her so well, he wasn't that far ahead of her development-wise. "Keep an eye on her as well, and don't remove her from the harness. You'll never be able to get her back in on your own, you need two pairs of hands to properly strap her in."

"Don't take her out of the dingle-majigger! Got it!" Pinky skipped off towards the window, waving his arms around wildly.

Brain watched with some interest as he stopped to massage his arms for a moment before resuming his happy frolic. He'd been holding the baby almost nonstop since they'd found her, her weight must have been taxing on her arms. While not something he'd willingly do otherwise, he supposed he could carry her around a bit when they returned to give Pinky's arms a reprieve. Only because he needed his friend at his best to assist him with his plans, yes, of course.

As the two mice left, Brain relished the quiet and sat down to draw up some plans for the night.

#

Pinky sang to himself, and the baby, as he danced around in the snow. They twirled and whirled, only pausing to tape up a flyer or two along the way. He blinked up at one he just taped to the base of a power line. It read:

Found Infant Mouse. Female. Approximately one week old. White fur, pink eyes. Discovered in downtown on the corner of Main and Eleventh St. If she belongs to anyone, please come to ACME LABS and see The Brain regarding her.

Pinky sighed, his breath forming a cloud. The little mouse giggled and reached up to swipe her paw through it. Pinky blew more puffs of breath on her as he continued trekking through the snow. "It's just not fair. Finders keepers, right? Narf! They shouldn't have lost you anyway!" Pinky declared, indignant as he raised a fist above his head.

Over the course of an hour, he put up most of the posters. He debated on hiding some of them, but the thought of all Brain's hard work going to waste kept him from doing so. The cold and guilt sent him back in the direction of the lab. He'd started thinking bad thoughts and needed something to distract him from them, like the TV or his wheel. For as he looked at the last poster he put up, he'd hoped that her parents wouldn't come. And that wasn't very nice at all.

#

Several days passed with no appearance of the child's parentage.

The Brain puzzled over this development as he poured over his seventh fool-proof plan for world domination that he'd created since Pinky found the baby. He did not trust to leave the two of them alone in the lab, Pinky moreso than the baby, and he also required Pinky's assistance for a good deal of his ideas. Bringing an infant along would hinder them, not to mention put her in a considerable amount of danger. There were few, if any, schemes where they emerged unscathed.

But confining themselves to the lab was becoming tedious. They could only carry out so many plans without stepping foot outside. After the first three failed spectacularly, Brain deduced that he was only wasting their time with these schemes, and focused on devoting his full attention to masterful schemes, even if they took place outside the lab. He could wait a night or two to take over the world... maybe... well, he'd been fine the first night, but on this present night, he was growing increasingly aggravated.

Pinky's uncontrollable laughter rang in his ears, disrupting his train of thought. He glanced over towards the cage, the pair of simple minded mice had been playing in front of it last he'd checked. Pinky was sprawled out on his back, tongue lolling out as he smiled up at the baby. She was balanced on his feet, his legs straight up in the air, bending down to let their noses touch before sending her up again.

How tragic to be so terribly amused by such a thing.

Although, he had to admit, it was nice for Pinky to have someone to play with. It kept him out of his hair while he pondered and also kept him from making too much noise. The laughter he could handle, to an extent. Still, it was not reason enough to even entertain the idea of letting the child stay should her parents never come calling. Pinky could play with her, yes, but being a good playmate didn't make a good parent.

The Brain refused to acknowledge that his companion had done much more than simply play with her. Pinky single handedly took up all the tasks of a parent. He fed her regularly with his makeshift bottle, he rocked her to sleep, bathed her, and he did it all with a smile and a 'narf'. Shaking his head, he suppressed a growl. Just because he could do it now didn't mean he wouldn't get bored or distracted later on. Pinky's knack for distraction was uncanny.

The only reason that it hadn't occurred with Roman simply came down to the fact that their clone had developed rather quickly and didn't require as much mothering as Pinky seemed willing to give. His heart sank a little as he recalled how completely despondent the taller mouse had been after Roman left, surely the same would occur this time around.

Brain turned to watch the pair once more, Pinky was standing up and hugging her tightly to his chest. This could not go on any longer, he was getting too attached. "Pinky, come here."

"Yes, Brain?" Pinky skipped over, smiling bright and looking to his friend for instructions as he held on to the little mouse. "You know, I came up with some really good names! Like Pocket! And Gooseberry! Or Cheese! I love cheese. Zort! But then I might get confused between her and the food..." Pinky scratched his head until Brain bopped him on the head with his pencil. "Poit! Ahahaha, good one, Brain!"

"Cease the movement of your mouth, Pinky. The sounds it's emitting are disturbing." Brain grumbled. When Pinky did so, he continued. "To address your concerns, no. I told you, no names." Pinky had been attempting to name her all day, Brain was growing weary of having to continuously explain it to him. "I called you over here because I think you need to take a break."

"Why would I want to take something that's broken?" Pinky inquired, his nose suddenly yanked down by Brain.

"You're going to stop taking care of the baby for now and go run in your wheel or watch TV or some other 'fun-fun silly-willy' inanity. You understand?" He instructed carefully, even taking the time to use Pinky's colloquialism.

Pinky's eyes screwed up as he gave it a once over. Or possibly a thrice over, knowing him. "Oh, no, Brain. I can't. If I don't take care of her, who will?"

Brain released his grip on his friend's nose and gestured to himself. "I'll take over the responsibilities of her care for the evening. You're becoming too enamored with her, some time to yourself would behoove both you and myself for when the time comes to bestow her upon her family."

"Bu-but, haven't I been taking care of her real good?" Pinky held her close to his chest, angling her away from Brain. "I didn't mess up or anything!"

With a sigh, Brain placed his hand on Pinky's arm. "You've been doing a splendid job, Pinky. Now it's just time to play by yourself for a little while."

Blue eyes glanced between the baby and The Brain, but finally he handed her over. "Okay, Brain. Troz. I'll be right over in the wheel if you need anything."

"I'm well-aware of how to locate you, Pinky." Brain rolled his eyes, adjusting the weight he now carried to make it as less annoying as possible. "Not that it will be necessary."

"Bye bye now!" Pinky waved at the little mouse and gave her head a kiss before Brain shooed him away.

If Pinky could get back to a semblance of his normal routine, perhaps the parting would not be as painful. However, this now left him with quite the distraction. Brain held her up to eye level to examine her. Her pink eyes stared at him curiously, not used to being held by anyone other than Pinky. He raised a brow, slightly impressed that she could recognize a change in caretaker. Perhaps there was hope for her feeble mind yet.

He dismissed that notion when she reached out and squeezed his nose in her tiny fist. After dislodging himself from her grip, he scowled at her which only served to send her into a fit of giggles. "I fail to understand the source of your amusement. Pinky's influence must be responsible."

She simply smiled at him, then waved her pudgy little arms up and down. "Bah!"

Raising a brow, Brain stared at her quizzically. "'Bah'? What is that? No doubt another nonsensical syllable Pinky has created."

He set her down on the counter top, leaving his hands free to make notes on his growing list of plans for world domination. When he looked back up to check on her, she was no where to be found. His eyes grew wide and he panicked momentarily. You couldn't just go around losing babies, though he had no idea this little rugrat was mobile, Pinky never put her down. Luckily, she hadn't gone far. She'd crawled over to a nearby beaker, captivated by her reflection. She attempted to sit up, to get a better look at herself, but could not compensate for the weight of her head and began to topple backwards. Brain placed a paw at her back and nudged her upright.

"While Pinky may benefit from bops to the head, you would not handle such a blow quite as well." He advised her, despite knowing she had no idea what he was saying.

Certainly enough, she clapped her paws together and laughed, then pointed at their reflections. "Bah!" She cheered.

"Yes, of course." Brain rolled his eyes before scooping her up. "You can play with the shiny toy later." It was just as bad as dealing with Pinky. He was even more determined to be rid of her as soon as possible. He couldn't be expected to take care of them both! The world would never be conquered with both beasts distracting him endlessly. Plopping her down in front of his blue prints, he sat behind her to keep her from tumbling backwards again. "Now stay."

She listened for a second, until she decided to tilt forwards instead. Brain growled, grabbing her around the middle with one arm and holding his graphite in the other. While not his preferred method of working, as he had to keep a wiggling baby from disturbing his writing, it served as a temporary solution. However, only a few minutes into his work, he sensed eyes on him.

Brain sighed; he appreciated Pinky's silence, but he was well-aware the taller mouse loomed behind him. "Pinky... what did I say?"

"Poit..." Since he'd been found out, Pinky strolled up beside Brain, his hands clasped behind his back. "Sorry, Brain, but you both looked like you were having so much fun."

Brain set the graphite down and set his gaze on Pinky. "I'm working, Pinky, not having fun."

"Oh! Well, then, I'll just take the baby then so you can focus better on your world domination thingies! Zort!" Pinky perked up immediately, reached out to snatch the infant mouse from his friend, only to have his hands slapped away. "Ow!"

"Nice try, Pinky." Brain pointed to the wheel. "Now go play."

Pinky's ears wilted and his eyes became 'all wibble-wobble', it really was the only accurate way to describe this reaction, as much as Brain despised that Pinky's vocabulary was forming it's own dictionary in his head. "But... please can I sit with you, Brain? I won't be a bother! Promise!"

"You being a bother is not the problem this time, Pinky." Brain replied, though knowing his simple friend he wouldn't hold true to his promise no matter how hard he tried. He always found some obscure way to be a bother. "It's for your own good, my friend." He needed to remain firm, even if he wanted to hand the baby off to Pinky, he'd only go back to mothering her and slipping even further into his delusion that he was her parent.

"If you say so, Brain..." Pinky sniffled, dabbing at his eyes with his tail. "Will you come play later?"

"Weren't you listening, Pinky? You're not to play with her until tomorrow." He really should be used to repeating himself, but sometimes it did astound him.

Pinky twisted his tail between his paws, his brow creasing in confusion. "I know. Poit. But I was asking if you would play with me." At Brain's own perplexed expression, he continued. "Well, we haven't tried to take over the world in a while, and you've been over here and I've been over there and we haven't done anything in the same place in ages!"

It was true. Other than sleep, which Pinky didn't get much of because of the baby, they hadn't really spent much time with each other. Brain sighed. "Alright, Pinky, you and I can do something once I put her to bed."

"Oh goody!" Pinky clapped. "I'll get the checker board and the gelatin!" Pinky's strange game concoction also involved several other questionable items.

Brain glared. "We're not playing your insipid version of checkers."

"What do you want to do then, Brain? Oh, I know! Narf! Let's take a bath! Ow!" Pinky clutched his head and laughed as a well-aimed eraser conked him. Brain couldn't exactly get up in time to properly bop him with the baby on his arm.

"Please, Pinky. Not in front of children." He chose to ignore his friend's presence for now and get back to work. "We'll decide what to do with our free time at a later hour. For now, go amuse yourself elsewhere."

"Okie dokie, Brain!" But Pinky didn't leave just yet. "When you put to bed, make sure you rock her sideways first. She likes that. And read her 'Pat the Bunny'! She can't sleep without a bedtime story. And the green blanket is her favorite today, she liked the yellow one yesterday and the red one before that, but now it's green!"

Brain growled, nearly snapping his graphite in half. "Pinky! I can manage! It's a baby, not a quantum chemistry electronic molecular Hamiltonian! Procedures can be altered!" The baby giggled as he made the comparison and he rolled his eyes. "Superb. She finds my usage of 'big words' as entertaining as you do." That reminded him... "And Pinky, try not to babble your inane phrases around her. She's picking up on them already. A child's mind is like a sponge, they'll absorb anything."

Pinky scratched his head. "Whuu... I don't know what you're talking about, Brain. Sponges can't absorb an armchair."

"No, Pinky. What I'm attempting to convey to you is that your 'narfs' and 'poits' and 'egads' are worming their way into her vocabulary." Brain clarified.

"You mean she's talking?" Pinky gasped, immediately darting down to look her in the eyes. "Oh, she's all grown up! Bit small still, like a ripe kiwi."

Brain shifted her to his other arm, away from Pinky. "I wouldn't label it as talking. Though I would like to know when you started using the syllable 'bah'. Did you read that "Simon the Happy Sheep" book again?"

"No, umm, I didn't." Pinky shook his head. "And I don't say that. Poit."

"Well, she must've picked it up from somewhere. She's been saying it all night."

Pinky stood back up and shrugged. "I haven't heard her say anything, Brain. I didn't think she could yet."

"You don't usually think, Pinky. I'm sure you're just out of practice." The shorter mouse deadpanned. "Still, it would behoove the child if you tried to limit your... exuberant exclamations."

"Sure thing, Brain! Narf! I'll get right on that!" Pinky waved as he danced away. "Zort!"

Clearly he hadn't understood a thing The Brain just said. At his side the little mouse laughed, waving her arms and looking up at him. Children certainly were perplexing creatures, so easy to amuse.

"Bah!" She pointed at his notes, specifically the quick sketches he'd drawn to makes his plan easier for Pinky to digest.

"Quite." Brain sighed. This was going to be a long night.

Poor Pinky doesn't want to give up his baby snow mouse :(

But we've also got Brain bonding with the baby! Sorta... in his own special way xD