AUgust24 9 Accidental Baby Acquisition (Vandham, Lila Brown AU)

a/n: Commander Vandham and Lila Brown the OC NPC have had a thing since forever. Today, they get a baby.

Vandham pulled Lila into a narrow alcove beside the Interceptor's Hangout, a shallow space bordered with canvas and crates and filled with a slanting metal beam that supported the balcony above. "Hang on. Catch your breath. All I asked was did you think we had enough diapers." His bulk shielded her from view from the passing mechs and soldiers and technicians that filled the Administrative Drive day and night.

Lila Brown, in hastily chosen civilian clothes, jeans and a well-washed company sweatshirt, gulped and sniffled in his arms. Vandham had recognized her silence as something more than worry. "I know," she managed, "I know. But we ... we don't need ... we don't need diapers, not like we ... That's all over now."

"Hush," he rumbled to her. He gathered her up in his arms and for once she melted into him without resistance. He pulled her a little tighter. Usually the best he got to offer in public was a supporting arm that she only gingerly accepted. Today she snuggled without question, weeping into his signature tank top.

"Hush," he said again, rubbing the soft curve of her spine, taking a quick breath himself. "If we both show up in tears, there might be trouble. They'd like nothing better than to keep her as an experiment."

"I know, I know," she said into his chest. "I need to pull myself together."

"We have plenty of time," he said, dropping a quick kiss onto the top of her head. "The appointment isn't until 1500. Maybe we should have grabbed lunch."

"I couldn't eat," she hiccuped.

"Me neither, which is a new feeling. So what is it about diapers, exactly? Lots of things are different, including getting a baby this afternoon when feeding the cat was plenty at breakfast."

She sighed and shifted in his arms, returning his hug. She leaned her cheek against his chest and he was glad to hear that her voice was clear. "This program feels like the final acknowledgement that humanity is over. We'll never have the next generation. We'll never have natural children. Instead, we'll have artificial babies, made out of nanos and plastic and miranium. Goodbye Homo sapiens, hello Homo mimensis."

He growled wordlessly in response. They stood silently for a while, wrapped around each other, drawing comfort while fighting their undeniable grief. "It's messed up," he agreed finally. "All our work and sacrifices were wasted. Now we have to start over, find a new way to move forward."

"Is it even worth it?" She looked up at him, her face grey and pinched.

"What do you think?"

"There's a new little person in the MMC today," she said carefully. She tilted her chin in the stubborn way he adored.

"Yeah. A good person."

"Our little girl." She ducked her head against his chest, bumping it solidly.

"We can't go back to our old life, Lila," he said quietly, "but we can love the crap out of our new one."

"And have enough diapers," Lila agreed. She drew a deep breath and hugged him back hard enough to lift his heels slightly. He sometimes forgot that her day job at the refueling station involved shoving combat skells around until they were obedient. He squeezed her back until she squeaked. "Okay, I'm good, I'm good," she said. "Terrified but good."

"Sounds familiar. Let's go say hello to our kid. Are you still sure about the name?"

"Geoffrey Rita Vandham? Absolutely."

a/n: Early Vandham/Lila is found in The Lily and the BLADE. The cat, another breakup, and their slow reunion are scattered around elsewhere. Geoffrey exists in drafts.

Next up: Enemies to Allies. So many choices, so many choices.