He opened the door to see two women standing there, one in her thirties, the other in her mid-forties. They were both dressed in white blouses, maroon cardigans pencil skirts down past the knee with black buckle shoes. Badges on the cardigans marked them, stamping Nanny Brigade on their left shoulders.
“Mr. Riovas? My name is Donna, this Andréa We are here on behalf of the UAO, you asked for a certified nanny?” the older woman spoke in a clear concise tone that reminded Thomas of a sister he had as a teacher in catholic school.
The idea of said sister seeing him now made him fight down a giggle. “Yes, I did, please, come in.” He stepped out of the way to let the women in. the older woman walking in without pause, but the younger woman slowed down, and peered at the bundle in his arms. Crouching slightly she smiled at the baby and wiggled a finger at her, and the chewing stopped. He could feel his gift from haven thinking about if she could get away with taking a chunk out of said finger. He pulled back and shifted the baby so he could give her a glare.
Then when the baby looked properly abashed, he turned his attention back to the women looking at him, the younger looking confused, and the older one looking like she approved at his rebuke of his child.
“Good way to handle that. I am impressed Mr. Riovas. Andy, if you are going to work with vampire children, might I suggest not tempting them with digits?” the younger woman looked stunned for a moment, then, like something had just clicked, she straightened up with a snap, and again Thomas had to stifle another giggle.
The older woman shook her head smiling gently “I am sorry Mr. Riovas, she is still rather new to this. I take it that this is the child you need help with?” Donna’s tone was warm, and calming, her eyes set softly but firmly on his daughter.
Thomas nodded. “I need someone to watch her for a little while every day. She gets antsy when she is left alone.”
Donna took a step toward him, and looked at her, before extending her arms toward Leila. “May I hold her?” while her tone was the same, the question was anything but calming. Thomas looked down at his daughter and felt a tiny shiver at the idea of giving her over to someone else, even for a few moments. No one aside from him had ever held her; he had only recently even told his own parents she was alive. Ally’s family… well they weren’t around anymore.
Donna smiled and lowered her arms. “Well, Mr. Riovas, I think we know our first step here. We need to get your daughter accustomed to strangers, and you to letting someone else take over.” Thomas nodded, feeling a bit thrown off at feeling so over protective of Leila all of a sudden. He wouldn’t have called these women if he thought he was just going to do things just as before only with an audience.
“I- I don’t know what she will do. No one but me has ever held before, I- it makes me nervous, I guess.” Thomas walked over to Donna, and started to adjust the baby so he could hand her over. Leila looked confused, looking form him to Donna and back again. He smiled, trying to look reassuring, but the baby seemed to remain unconvinced.
Donna took her from him, and Leila looked alarmed for a few moments. Donna bounced her lightly, humming in a deep tone that Leila seemed to enjoy. Leila wiggled, then settled in the older woman’s arms, and Donna smile broadened. “She seems to be a good judge of character. Where is her cradle?”
“She had a crib in the office, and in my bed room, she just got up a little while ago, plus she doesn’t sleep much.” Donna opened her mouth to point out his little girl was sleeping now, when a little peep from inside the blankets disproved her. Thomas peered into her bundle, and Leila giggled.
“Like I said, she doesn’t sleep much." Thomas smiled, and Donna scowled at him. He went on “she also doesn’t like being out of her blankets, or being put down. I don’t know why, but she always gets super upset when I have to change her diaper… speaking of…” He hadn’t noticed until now, but a coppery pungent smell had started coming from the bottom half of the bundle that was his daughter. Donna made a face, and took a sniff and nodded, handing her back to him. Thomas took his daughter over to the old broken down plastic covered changing table and unwrapped the bundle.
Thomas had gotten very good at changing diaper since Leila had first broken down into hysterics the first time he fumbled it. Whenever he unbundled her he noticed the odd way she was growing. Muscled and taught legs and arms growing faster than her torso, making her long and lanky for a baby for her age.
Donna looked down at Leila and made a face, “what curse is your wife inflicted with.”
Thomas shifted, feeling the still painful sting of her loss. “She was a Natur. She passed away while giving birth to Leila.” he finished putting the diaper on diaper and then redid her blanket, holder her ageist his chest until he felt her relax.
“Well, I can say she is one of the healthiest Damphers I have seen. She is very normal for a half Natur baby. Normally the baby would hang on the mothers back for the first year of life, bundled in her wings. So a little odd looking for a human baby, but perfectly healthy.”
Thomas's grip on his baby tightened slightly, something about knowing that his little girl was fine took him both off guard, and took a huge weight off of his shoulders without even realizing it had been there. Then he heard a soft rumble from his chest and he looked down at Leila, who looked back up at him and peeped gently. He smiled, and kissed her tiny head.
A soft throat clearing made him turn, and his eyes meet with Andréa’s. “What is a Natur?” she asked in a soft voice, as if she was embarrassed to admit that she didn’t know. Donna shook her head. “What are they teaching you at the main office? Natur are natural born vampires. They were the first vampires and are physically the biggest. They can shape shift into a form that look like humans, their second form looks like a bat version of a gorilla. They can fly, and get bigger with age. They are mostly in the colors of gray or a mottled brown, depending on where they are from. How big was your wife, Mr. Riovas”
“10 feet 8 inches, gray with a brown stipe down her back. Really, if you are going to interact with vampires, I would suggest a Natur, they are a lot nicer than some of the others, from what I am told. Are you just shadowing, or are you going to be here permanently?”
“I am going to be Donna’s partner, when she can’t be here, I will take over, but most of the time I will just be helping out.”
“Ah…well, do you want to hold her as well? Like Donna said she needs to get used to being held by others.”
She nodded, and walked over to him, putting her arms out tentatively toward Leila. She slowly brought the weight off of his arms, and Thomas took a step back to give the two of them to some space. Andréa looked down at his little girl, and Thomas couldn’t help but smile. If Ally had lived, he felt this is what they would have looked like. Her with eyes full of wonder at the little life snuggled in the blanket, and the baby looking up at her like her world had just gotten a little bit bigger.
After a few minutes, Leila squirmed and began to squeak. It was a sound Thomas knew well, and he walked into the kitchen to start making the formula. “Andréa, just dance around with her, she’s just hungry.”
“Got it.” The sound of his baby seeking changed, from a steady peep to sounding like a squeaky toy down an escalator. She had good instincts; Leila loved dancing around like that. Thomas opened the generic looking canister and shook his head as the unpleasant copper smell came up with a small poof of powder that always happened when he opened the thing.
The powder was a pinky green color, and smelled like a milk truck exploded in a copper mine. He shook his head to forget the smell and put two plastic scoops into the baby bottle and added water he always had heating for his daughter unpredictable apatite. The powder became a pinkish white concoction and he gave it a hard shake for 10 seconds.
After a quick check on his wrist, he brought the bottle out back into the main room. Andréa was still dancing around, her body going around in a circle while going up and down. Donna had taken a set in one of the large chairs that Ally had picked out for a peer one sale. He went over, and then paused, and then held the bottle out for Andréa.
She stopped dancing and looked at the bottle, and then at him. then nodded, as if she was confirming something in her head. She took to bottle, and then made a face as she looked at Leila face and noticed the pacifier. Thomas took the little now teeth marked piece of plastic, and Andréa offered the little girl the bottle. The baby took the nipple with what looked like glee, and she ate happily while the three adults looked on with silent appreciation of her gusto.
“How often does she eat?” Andréa’s gently rocked the little girl back and forth, and Thomas gently poked the bottle “about every 2 or 3 hours, she never eats very much; sometimes she doesn’t even finish the bottle.”
“So she eats like a kitten?” Andréa smiled at him, and a purr came from the bundle of blankets. Thomas poked the bottle again, smiling himself now. He had a feeling that was going to stick, kitten. She rumbled, squeaked, cheeped and purred. It was odd how he had never thought of giving her a nickname before, but this one seemed to fit.
Then, as the last of the pinkish white liquid vanished from the bottle, the sound of rubber being chewed started. Andréa gently tugged on the bottle, and as the baby released to nipple, Thomas gave her back her pacifier. She started chewing pacifier, and Thomas shook his head.
“Mr. Riovas? My name is Donna, this Andréa We are here on behalf of the UAO, you asked for a certified nanny?” the older woman spoke in a clear concise tone that reminded Thomas of a sister he had as a teacher in catholic school.
The idea of said sister seeing him now made him fight down a giggle. “Yes, I did, please, come in.” He stepped out of the way to let the women in. the older woman walking in without pause, but the younger woman slowed down, and peered at the bundle in his arms. Crouching slightly she smiled at the baby and wiggled a finger at her, and the chewing stopped. He could feel his gift from haven thinking about if she could get away with taking a chunk out of said finger. He pulled back and shifted the baby so he could give her a glare.
Then when the baby looked properly abashed, he turned his attention back to the women looking at him, the younger looking confused, and the older one looking like she approved at his rebuke of his child.
“Good way to handle that. I am impressed Mr. Riovas. Andy, if you are going to work with vampire children, might I suggest not tempting them with digits?” the younger woman looked stunned for a moment, then, like something had just clicked, she straightened up with a snap, and again Thomas had to stifle another giggle.
The older woman shook her head smiling gently “I am sorry Mr. Riovas, she is still rather new to this. I take it that this is the child you need help with?” Donna’s tone was warm, and calming, her eyes set softly but firmly on his daughter.
Thomas nodded. “I need someone to watch her for a little while every day. She gets antsy when she is left alone.”
Donna took a step toward him, and looked at her, before extending her arms toward Leila. “May I hold her?” while her tone was the same, the question was anything but calming. Thomas looked down at his daughter and felt a tiny shiver at the idea of giving her over to someone else, even for a few moments. No one aside from him had ever held her; he had only recently even told his own parents she was alive. Ally’s family… well they weren’t around anymore.
Donna smiled and lowered her arms. “Well, Mr. Riovas, I think we know our first step here. We need to get your daughter accustomed to strangers, and you to letting someone else take over.” Thomas nodded, feeling a bit thrown off at feeling so over protective of Leila all of a sudden. He wouldn’t have called these women if he thought he was just going to do things just as before only with an audience.
“I- I don’t know what she will do. No one but me has ever held before, I- it makes me nervous, I guess.” Thomas walked over to Donna, and started to adjust the baby so he could hand her over. Leila looked confused, looking form him to Donna and back again. He smiled, trying to look reassuring, but the baby seemed to remain unconvinced.
Donna took her from him, and Leila looked alarmed for a few moments. Donna bounced her lightly, humming in a deep tone that Leila seemed to enjoy. Leila wiggled, then settled in the older woman’s arms, and Donna smile broadened. “She seems to be a good judge of character. Where is her cradle?”
“She had a crib in the office, and in my bed room, she just got up a little while ago, plus she doesn’t sleep much.” Donna opened her mouth to point out his little girl was sleeping now, when a little peep from inside the blankets disproved her. Thomas peered into her bundle, and Leila giggled.
“Like I said, she doesn’t sleep much." Thomas smiled, and Donna scowled at him. He went on “she also doesn’t like being out of her blankets, or being put down. I don’t know why, but she always gets super upset when I have to change her diaper… speaking of…” He hadn’t noticed until now, but a coppery pungent smell had started coming from the bottom half of the bundle that was his daughter. Donna made a face, and took a sniff and nodded, handing her back to him. Thomas took his daughter over to the old broken down plastic covered changing table and unwrapped the bundle.
Thomas had gotten very good at changing diaper since Leila had first broken down into hysterics the first time he fumbled it. Whenever he unbundled her he noticed the odd way she was growing. Muscled and taught legs and arms growing faster than her torso, making her long and lanky for a baby for her age.
Donna looked down at Leila and made a face, “what curse is your wife inflicted with.”
Thomas shifted, feeling the still painful sting of her loss. “She was a Natur. She passed away while giving birth to Leila.” he finished putting the diaper on diaper and then redid her blanket, holder her ageist his chest until he felt her relax.
“Well, I can say she is one of the healthiest Damphers I have seen. She is very normal for a half Natur baby. Normally the baby would hang on the mothers back for the first year of life, bundled in her wings. So a little odd looking for a human baby, but perfectly healthy.”
Thomas's grip on his baby tightened slightly, something about knowing that his little girl was fine took him both off guard, and took a huge weight off of his shoulders without even realizing it had been there. Then he heard a soft rumble from his chest and he looked down at Leila, who looked back up at him and peeped gently. He smiled, and kissed her tiny head.
A soft throat clearing made him turn, and his eyes meet with Andréa’s. “What is a Natur?” she asked in a soft voice, as if she was embarrassed to admit that she didn’t know. Donna shook her head. “What are they teaching you at the main office? Natur are natural born vampires. They were the first vampires and are physically the biggest. They can shape shift into a form that look like humans, their second form looks like a bat version of a gorilla. They can fly, and get bigger with age. They are mostly in the colors of gray or a mottled brown, depending on where they are from. How big was your wife, Mr. Riovas”
“10 feet 8 inches, gray with a brown stipe down her back. Really, if you are going to interact with vampires, I would suggest a Natur, they are a lot nicer than some of the others, from what I am told. Are you just shadowing, or are you going to be here permanently?”
“I am going to be Donna’s partner, when she can’t be here, I will take over, but most of the time I will just be helping out.”
“Ah…well, do you want to hold her as well? Like Donna said she needs to get used to being held by others.”
She nodded, and walked over to him, putting her arms out tentatively toward Leila. She slowly brought the weight off of his arms, and Thomas took a step back to give the two of them to some space. Andréa looked down at his little girl, and Thomas couldn’t help but smile. If Ally had lived, he felt this is what they would have looked like. Her with eyes full of wonder at the little life snuggled in the blanket, and the baby looking up at her like her world had just gotten a little bit bigger.
After a few minutes, Leila squirmed and began to squeak. It was a sound Thomas knew well, and he walked into the kitchen to start making the formula. “Andréa, just dance around with her, she’s just hungry.”
“Got it.” The sound of his baby seeking changed, from a steady peep to sounding like a squeaky toy down an escalator. She had good instincts; Leila loved dancing around like that. Thomas opened the generic looking canister and shook his head as the unpleasant copper smell came up with a small poof of powder that always happened when he opened the thing.
The powder was a pinky green color, and smelled like a milk truck exploded in a copper mine. He shook his head to forget the smell and put two plastic scoops into the baby bottle and added water he always had heating for his daughter unpredictable apatite. The powder became a pinkish white concoction and he gave it a hard shake for 10 seconds.
After a quick check on his wrist, he brought the bottle out back into the main room. Andréa was still dancing around, her body going around in a circle while going up and down. Donna had taken a set in one of the large chairs that Ally had picked out for a peer one sale. He went over, and then paused, and then held the bottle out for Andréa.
She stopped dancing and looked at the bottle, and then at him. then nodded, as if she was confirming something in her head. She took to bottle, and then made a face as she looked at Leila face and noticed the pacifier. Thomas took the little now teeth marked piece of plastic, and Andréa offered the little girl the bottle. The baby took the nipple with what looked like glee, and she ate happily while the three adults looked on with silent appreciation of her gusto.
“How often does she eat?” Andréa’s gently rocked the little girl back and forth, and Thomas gently poked the bottle “about every 2 or 3 hours, she never eats very much; sometimes she doesn’t even finish the bottle.”
“So she eats like a kitten?” Andréa smiled at him, and a purr came from the bundle of blankets. Thomas poked the bottle again, smiling himself now. He had a feeling that was going to stick, kitten. She rumbled, squeaked, cheeped and purred. It was odd how he had never thought of giving her a nickname before, but this one seemed to fit.
Then, as the last of the pinkish white liquid vanished from the bottle, the sound of rubber being chewed started. Andréa gently tugged on the bottle, and as the baby released to nipple, Thomas gave her back her pacifier. She started chewing pacifier, and Thomas shook his head.
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