Queen's note: Ever have a chapter pop up that you weren't expecting? lol

Welcome to the Wasteland

Chapter Twenty Seven:

Good Morning!

"How did she manage to fit three of them in there?" Sturges asked, looking at the scene with a bemused expression as Mary was being groomed as much as the young deer. Glad he had found Preston late last night, and stayed with him in Concord.

As much as the pale young man was fond of the others from home, even the Abernathy's were nice but…

It was nice to just get away for a bit.

True there was a decent amount of people here at the museum, but with enough space they did not bother each other. Deegan's men seemed oddly relieved to get a full night's sleep. Finding the different rooms that Megan opened up for them to put sleeping rolls down, or in some cases on some of the couches. More so than normally how people would be happy in a safe place. Like they have not been getting good sleep for a long time and this was the first time in ages. Or, as Sturges heard two men talking about how nice the 'quiet' was.

Just another thing that was interesting for Sturges to think over.

Not to mention the other new things, like those fascinating birds. But coming into the museum in time to see a radstag… doe, giving birth in the early hours of the morning. But also learning the basics of how to help them do so?

"I'm more impressed that you know how to turn the fawn around inside." Mary added, bringing the engineer back into focus as she looked at Lana. She had only seen her mother do something like that once, long ago with Clarabelle. Mary was also sitting, relaxing back as the doe was cleaning the fawn by her with one head, the other reflexively trying to clean the young woman.

The doe was alternating with trying to groom the humans as much as her babies. Driven by instinct and inadvertently bonding a bit with said humans.

The other young woman made a face and then sighed, "The birth canal is basically the same as the moose. Just…smaller. Thankfully it wasn't hard to find the feet."

Lana looked at the sleeping fawn in her lap, it was dry now and had oddly soft fur. It was a lot shorter than the moose calves, yet thicker in the body than the brahmin. In relative comparison that is. It was also a completely different color then what Lana had seen yet, almost like her favorite rabbits with the gray blue. All three fawns were like that, instead of brown, tan or amber, the newborns were distinctly from a different line. Possibly like the other deer in the church now. Their sire buck may not have been around the local area?

Or just outside of the area?

Definitely as only the fawn Mary had was a bit mutated, with some extra non-useful limbs, yet all three had a single head despite mother having two. They took after their sire more and more, but Lana hoped the mother's calm demeanor would be dominant in their personalities. That blue shimmer in their fur was really pretty.

Preston looked up from staring at the small face he was petting, following the line between the white patches and the 'blue' base. Seeing the fresh bowl of razorgrain noodles and some sort of sauce that Megan made from the cream that Sturges brought last night. "Thanks."

"You kids need to eat something, and nap." Megan noted, feeling a little more confident as she passed out bowls of food to those in this room for an early breakfast.

Lana was rubbing a towel on her arms again, though they were dry once more. Taking her own bowl, and poking it with the spork inside. Finding the seasoned noodles thick and almost gnocchi-like. But they were quite nice to chew on with the sauce and leftover turkey meat from dinner last night. The noodles had been cooked in the same big pot and were… really good. All mixed together like this, with port tops to fill out proteins.

She was ideally wondering if thick cuts of squash or zucchini would work in a dish like this. Definitely onions cooked soft.

Lana made a face as the doe came over to her again, promptly sticking her nose into Lana's neck and working her way down the right arm. Able to smell the traces of birthing fluids and wanting to clean until her nose was gently guided to the sleeping fawn in Lana's lap.

"Definitely need to find a proper place for the rad stag to be safe will all the incoming babies." A rough voice said in a low voice, Winston was in the semi blocked doorway to the room that once held the wagon. The unofficial leader of the new group that came from Parsons, he had followed Megan down the mock stone hall to the room that was modified to have the smallest of the deer come in to give birth safely 'by herself'.

The scarred man was staying behind the water barrel that mostly blocked this doorway. Glancing at the other open door and finding they had just stacked wooden crates there with a few cinder blocks to help keep those boxes in place. Some grain was in another open crate with the shed razorgrain plant matter itself…this doe was going to be very spoiled.

Winston chuckled as the tired youths- they seemed so young to him, were waking up again. He had a mug with warm hub flower tea and felt much better than he had in a long time with a solid seven hours of uninterrupted sleep.

"We had an idea about that." Preston said as he stretched his back, coming out of the trance-like state he had almost been in. Looking back at Winston, the forming scar on his neck pulled a bit, but the young minutemen commander smiled, "There's a school nearby, it should still have intact fencing around the back."

"That…" Winston paused as he thought about that, remembering the old world schools and the high fences around the sport fields and playgrounds. "That's a good idea. It would need to be cleared out though, and checked over. Not many have

thought to use those old buildings."

"I was thinking that too, but a lot of buildings can still stand after all this time," Lana pointed out, and upwards as she was being molested by both of the doe's heads while trying to eat her food. Meaning the museum as well, "But yeah, we should clear any Lost Ones or animals that could be a hazard. Hopefully there's not too much, and we can do it soon, given the new herd and others."

"As long as Hue and his wife are safe, the rest of us can help." Winston said as he leaned on the door frame, smiling as Megan drifted closer to him. "We can likely clear it today. At least drag out the ferals, maybe not bury them today but clear the building."

"Is that possible?" Megan asked, surprised.

"They don't react to us very much, miss." Winston explained, remembering what Deegan had said about this woman. She had been pretty isolated from a lot of the outer world. "As long as we don't use too much gun fire, I think we can work through the school a room and hall at a time."

"I can help with quiet kills at least," Lana said, motioning with her bowl in one hand to her bow and quiver to the side. While using her other hand to try and get the doe's heads down to the fawn again.

"Edward was telling me you're a good shot." Winston grinned down at where the strawberry blond was sitting. "Can't wait to see it. Maybe I can get you to help brush up some of my men on archery? Later on of course."

Mary giggled as Lana flustered a moment, "She really is a good shot. No matter how oblivions she seems when playing with plants."

Lana puffed her cheeks out, "Hey…! Wait. no, hey!"

Preston grinned as he looked between the two, then back down at the little fawn. He looked up at his best friend as Sturges finally dared to kneel down and pet the fawn with the white patches on its head. Marveling at the velvety soft nose and face.

"Wonder where the patches came from." Sturges noted aloud, moving to sit as a bowl was given to him and Preston last. "Do you know if they are mage or female?"

"All little girls." Mary grinned, "big too now that I think about it, they have a few pounds more than the ones at home and the co-op."

"Once they're strong enough and I can find the right things," Lana added, nodding to the fawn sleeping on Mary, "We can amputate the residual limbs on that one. It does feel like bones probably grew in them, and I wouldn't want it dedicating extra energy to them or finding out the lard way and artery is in there too close to the surface."

Winston grunted as he winced, nodding his own agreement to that, "I know they do that to Brahmin, so I can see that."

There was a quiet pause before the ghoul man grinned wide, "So, who's ready to go to school?"

Winston laughed at the flat look Lana gave him as she was being groomed again.

"Oh come now, there's plenty of people that can stay with your girl, the band and the small herd. Make sure they don't hurt themselves." Winston waved back behind them, "The boys need to properly get in some activities, and this is a good warm up for the day. Plus Lyn and Hue need to fuss with their trees. Come on kids."

Preston was the one to sighed first, ignoring Megan giggling as the young man finished off his bowl of food. "Bathroom first, then hiking."

"Fuck that," Lana grunted as she eased the fawn off her lap with one hand. "We're taking the wagon and Buck."

She saved her bowl before the doe could get too interested and try to steal it. The young woman stretched her back and legs after the early morning adventure. Though she did get some good sleep the night before Megan woke up Lana and Many once realized the Doe was having a bit of trouble on the second fawn.

"Wonder how much Buck charmed the other does and babies through the window." Mary mused as she had to have help with her fawn once Preston came over to set his own near the other two.

"Hopefully a lot," Lana snorted as she finished what was left of her meal, reaching for her canteen on the way over to Winston and Megan. "Has anyone checked water for the other yet this morning?"

"I sent one of the boys before coming," Winston smiled, helping first Lana through the improvised barricade, then Sturges. Megan was staying to make sure the doe was distracted and content as the younger people were migrating out.

"It won't take too long to get Buck hooked up again." Lana said to Winston as she stretched. "So we can head out in…half an hour to hour?"

"Should be plenty of time," Winston nodded, and then moved to let the unaffected kids- erm, young adults through the hall. "Most of us already had a good sleep. And thanks to Megan and Lyn we had that amazing breakfast."

Mary stretched again as they entered the main hall. Arms over her head she used it as a way to playful sway into Lana and followed her outside to help with Buck.

Sturges grinned as he watched after before heading to the nearest working restroom. Letting Preston follow him as his friend was still waking up after getting roped into helping with the early morning birth. When the two came back out, they found several of the newcomers were already…ready.

Winston was strapping his chest plate back on as he noticed them, the ghoul man grinning wide. Wearing the old states equipment well, but also like he had it since before the bombs. Warn, weathered and patched, but also expertly cared for, from the underlying metal to the uniform itself. "Ready boys?"

"As we can be," Preston smiled back, shrugging his jacket on, glancing to the taller woman coming up behind him as she was getting into her own jacket, "Are you coming Clare?"

"Who else will keep you alive Preston?" the amazon like woman grinned as she checked her weapons. The rifle not only charged but slung on her back, and making sure she had at least two blades. Handing the third to Sturges.

"I'm leaving Rook here to watch Ly and her husband." Winston said as he checked his own shotgun, before making sure the sheath and blade on his left forearm was secured tight. "And miss Megan."

"We should swing by the Abernathy farm," Preston hummed thoughtfully, glancing at those that Deegan had scent over that were present. Not everyone, some likely either outside guarding, or at the bank washing things? "That way you know where to go if separated, the path to the Co-Op is marked pretty well now. I can also let Theodor know to come over and help with watching things here. Those turkeys are pretty valuable now, as well as what Hue and Lyn have."

"Good idea." One of the guards noted, he was brushing off his fedora with scarred hands. He was not in a full suit, but had neat enough clothes that were not just tailored to him, but also had been one of the first to get cleaned last night. He seemed to give off the almost deceptively casual air like the Good Neighbor Watchmen.

This man fitted his hat back on, checking the lining in his own jacket, it looked like some time of ballistic wear or Kevlar. Helping to fill out his lean build. "Boss was firm that this wasn't a paid vacation. That girl, miss Lana? We need to be sure she's protected as much as we can."

"Oh?" Sturges paused, looking up from looking over the pistol that Clare was lending him. Even if he'd likely stay by the wagon, having something to protect himself was needed.

Winston smiled at the three younger humans before him, standing up at his full height to stretch his back and settle his armor. "Deegon said to protect her, and what she invests in. Boss laid the law and we'll follow it. He thinks she's, and this deathclaw? Sister are important."

"So she's important." Another scarred woman chuckled before heading outside, a longer range rifle on her shoulder.

Sturges felt like he was missing something, as he looked at the thoughtful expression on Preston's face. Clare shrugged but followed the group outside as one of the smaller turkey's yelled at them from where it had woken up not in the nest but on the other side of the partition.

"Good morning!" Mary's voice drifted over as the main doors opened. Getting a few greetings back.

Preston blinked as he found something in his pocket, pulling out the rose hip from the evening before. He snorted and strode out first in his group.

Reviews!

Justsomerandombastard:
I think there would be some whales, there's defiantly something in the bigger dolphindy family that you see in the game on shores. But can you imagine post war, altered Orcas?

The sea panda-wolves are like, impossibly strong and impressive [and scary] now, but after possible changes?

...I might need to do something with then for the Far Harbor ark I want to do