Baby Got Back

[Joza Perl]

Joza practically snorted as she scooched into the seat of the cab, settling Alan on her lap. She’d made Elliot carry the baby bag given that she was saddled with said baby—it was only fair, right? Every time she went out with him she made sure she had diapers, changes of clothes, stroller, wipes, water, snacks, etc. Kids, as she’d discovered, needed a lot of accouterments when they were young.

“I’ll pay you back by buying your ticket. Especially when I had to rescue you.”

The diaper change had gone…less than desirable on all ends.

Snicker.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody struggle to diaper a toddler like that. Seems you’ve finally met your match.”

Her voice was thick with mockery and sarcasm of a good nature, though the child on her lap simply stared at Elly, one corner of his lips lifting ever so slightly.

Was that a smirk?

[member="Elliot Locke"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Elly briefly looked at Alan, before focusing his attention back to Joza.

"Alas, my special forces elite training have not prepared me for that kind of onslaught." A chuckle came next. "Don't tell the First Order, pretty sure they would weaponize that sort of... crap, if it meant winning."

He took offence to the suggestion he hadn't done a good job.

Sure, it could have gone better! Maybe with less crap flying around (literally) and less need for a shower, but this wasn't Elliot's real job! How was he supposed to know how to handle this.

The taxi went up in the air by this point, the driver trying very hard not to listen in on their conversation.

"So, which ride do you want to go first?"

 

[Kenth Typho]

i did an oops

 

[Joza Perl]

“Yes, I’m sure the First Order would wipe out SIS by releasing cranky toddlers in Alliance territory. Best not let them get that intel.”

All in all, he hadn’t done too bad given the fact that he hadn’t done this before. Which struck her as odd given that Elliot seemed to have his hands in everything at one point or another.

But hey, that was parenthood for you. As nervous and put off as she was at first, Joza found that she had no choice but to quickly adjust to all of the crying, basic demands and bodily fluids. Blood wasn’t as common with kids, but feces and vomit weren’t exactly rare.

Inching away from that subject much to the driver’s relief, Joza genuinely thought about what she wanted to do first.

“Probably something kid friendly. He’s never been to a place like this, so I’m not sure what he likes.”

Alan tried to squirm from her arms as she spoke, his mother half-heartedly trying to keep the tangle of limbs in place as the baby tried to make his way over to Elliot.

[member="Elliot Locke"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

Locke booped Alan's little nose to the delight of the little toddler.

Then he smirked at her, before picking the small person up and letting him bounce a bit on his knee. "Don't be too jealous, Perl, people can't help but like me. Ain't any different for the little ones."

For a brief moment Elly just looked at the little kid, cooing happily and any worries gone for now. This was why Elliot had no issue busying around with Alan - it was a consistent reminder of what he was fighting for. Lots of people forgot. They fought so long, their hearts grown cold and only ice running through their veins, because they couldn't cope any other way.

Not with the things they had done.

It was reminders such as these that kept Locke's heart beating warm.

It made it more difficult to do his job, true, how does one go from torturing a prisoner for vital information to... this without their minds bending in the pressure? From having to switch around one way or another depending on what the situation demanded.

"I am sure we will figure something out." A shrug. "After that, I am gonna get you into one of the rollercoasters though. You will love it."

Either they'd go together and leave Alan at the daycare, or he'd hold him while she went alone.

It wasn't something Locke would let her miss.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza released Alan to Elliot, satisfied that he’d chosen another lap to sit in and didn’t opt for roaming around the back of the cab—which she would not allow, clearly. Children were messy and who knows what had been in this cab before them!

“Hey, this is break time for me.” Resting her head against the seat, she turned it slightly and could only smile as Alan babbled away in Elly’s arms. It was mostly baby talk, but he was learning Basic at an alarming rate. Already he could say more than a few words. “Hey, little guy.” She cooed as Alan broke into smiles.

“Don’t worry though, once he’s tired or upset he’ll start reaching for me.” The baby was a delight when he was warm, dry and fed. His cranky state, as Elliot may discover, was inherited directly from his mother.

Her brows nudged inward at the mention of the roller coaster. “Yeah, sure. I used to go cliff diving as a teenager. Probably not much different.”

She’d still never been on one, though. Who knew what the sensation would be like.

“You sure you’re okay with him?”

[member="Elliot Locke"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Joza Perl"]

A shrug of the shoulders.

"As long as I can give him back, I am fine with him." Tongue-in-cheek and a smirk to finish it off. "Nah, he's a good kid,"

Brush of his head, before Alan started to reach for his mom again. Maybe the novelle was expiring or maybe he just missed Joza (even though she was right there), with a snort he placed the toddler back on Jozie's lap. "Break-time's over, princess."

Now it was Locke's time to rest his head for a little while.

"Hasn't thrown up on me... yet, so he's good in my book."

Surprisingly enough Elly had experience with that. This one time he had to escort (extract) a scientist out of Sith-controlled space, the maneuvers he had to make with his ship had been... intense. Ended up throwing up everywhere, the scientist, took him a week before he managed to get the smell out of his pants. That wasn't a pleasant moment.

Not as bad as crawling through a shite-pipe though.

 

[Joza Perl]

“He’s good when he wants to be.” Joza corrected with no small amount of humor to her voice. No sooner was the child settled onto her lap did he reach for the bag that Elly had presumably settled between the two. His mother let him rummage around in it for the time being, keeping an eye on any potential mess.

“Mhm, give it time.” She joked, one arm banded around Alan’s waist so that he wouldn’t fall off of her lap. “Have to watch him though, make sure he doesn’t wander off.” She’d never taken him to a populated placed like this and not had him in her arms or a stroller. He was a bit older now so he could walk around, but she still tensed up at the thought of losing him in a crowd.

Alan finally found what he was looking for, retrieving a plastoid container full of dry cereal that was shaped for easy of toddler grip and access. Reaching one tiny hand in, he grasped an awkward fistful of cereal and shoved what he could into his mouth.

A few pieces fell on the ground and Joza retrieved them without much thought.

“You must have experience with kids, right?”

[member="Elliot Locke"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

Locke nodded.

"Some." But his experience wasn't the good kind - it was the retrieval of kids out of crack-dens and worse, after a bloody shoot-out or smash/grab. They weren't pleasant moments and more often than not the kids were scarred. Mentally, physically, they were often dazed, bloodied, broken, needing healing of both body and soul.

That's how the SIS agent knew a couple of child psychologists and other people who could help. It's how he was able to offer his assistance when they both raided a slaver's compound, beating the crap out of each other.

"None of it gives me this kind of hands-on experience though." Tongue-in-cheek comment, trying to steer away from the dark thoughts and pondering.

"First time I had to change a diaper anyway." A smirk played now. He looked over to her. "Wasn't so bad with that in mind, eh?"

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“I’m sure you’ll be an expert by the end of the day, then.”

All in all she had to be a little curious as to how he’d fare on a day out with the baby. Granted she was there, but he could still be a lot of work for one person.

And he’d changed the baby’s diaper without bothering her shower so that did speak to his character—tackling a task he was unfamiliar with and ultimately coming out sort of victorious. She can’t imagine that any of her flings would do something like that, much less stick around to take the kid to a theme park. It should have struck her as weird, but to be honest she sort of enjoyed it.

That thought made her heart thud once and she nearly rolled her eyes had Alan not decided to repay his gratitude to Elliot by throwing a fistful of dry cereal at him with a happy squeal.

“Alan!” She gasped at the smiling child on her lap. “No, that was bad!” She admonished the child in her stern mom voice.

“No!” He repeated, unphased.

[member="Elliot Locke"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Joza Perl"]

A fistful of cereal was thrown in his face.

Locke blinked.

He blinked again.

"Lad's gonna be a great agent, already caught me off-guard and he can't even change his own diaper yet." Elly defused the situation with a snort and a laugh after that, rubbing some of the pieces away from his nose and lap, gathering it all up in his hand, before accepting a bag handed to him by Joza.

Putting it in there with a shrug. "Very active lad, aye? Plenty normal - can't recall how I was as a kid, but pretty sure I kept my ma up all night as well."

Alan giggled at him and Locke realized that he still had a piece on his ear, which also was taken off.

Then he flashed his tongue at the little toddler, which he seemed to like, giggling with even more delight.

 

[Joza Perl]

“No!” Alan repeated in response to Elliot, still smiling away with the sort of full-fledged happiness only a child could muster.

Joza sighed.

“Do you mean ‘yes’?” She ventured while extending the bag towards Elly with an apologetic look on her face.

“Yes!” Alan repeated, giggling.

Joza shook her head, mild frustration melting into a bit of an odd smile at seeing Elliot play along. “Sorry about that. Usually he’d better behaved but…” She couldn’t think of anything to follow-up the ‘but’ with, instead trailing off and leaning down to the child in her lap.

“We don’t throw cereal. That’s mean, and a waste of mommy’s money. Now tell Elliot that you're sorry.” If Alan knew what he had done he didn’t care, giggling away his mother kissed him on the cheek and Elly made a face.

"So-heee." He sounded out through smiles and chubby cheeks.

The speeder cab would reach their destination shortly and the three occupants disembarked while Joza asked Elliot for the stroller.

[member="Elliot Locke"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Joza Perl"]

With a relaxed glide Locke got out of the taxi and helped Jozie out with the kid.

"On it." Didn't even argue, instead he opted to go 'round and get the stroller out. Didn't take very long to strap Alan in for safety purposes, especially with him cooing and playing with the corner of his jacket, instead of trying to get out. Why the little lad was so fascinated with his jacket was anyone's guess. Before the driver could get the idea they were going to ditch him without paying, a credit chit was dispensed and only after that the taxi drove off.

The noises of the park were already reaching them.

He squinted his eyes against the sun, looking at the long line in front of the entrance.

"Feth, looks like the thing is popular." They would have to be here for an hour, if they want to get in by the looks of it. "Alright, hold on, I will be right back."

Before Joza could get a word in, he already brushed past her - his hand briefly wandering - before he disappeared into the crowd.

 

[Joza Perl]

As Elliot unfolded the collapsible stroller, Joza shouldered the baby bag and the baby it belonged to before handing over the child so that he could be secured in his stroller.

Alan seemed more interested in Elliot’s jacket than the lights and music in the distance, trying to grab and examine the corner of the coat whenever he got the opportunity. Joza could only smile, shifting the bag over her arm and watching the two boys interact. Once Alan was all buckled away, Joza stashed the bag in the under-netting of the stroller, raising her head while still in the bent position as she felt a hand brush against her backside and give the faintest squeeze.

Given that this was Elliot there was no need to wonder, a quirked brow in his direction said what it needed to as she righted herself once more and smoothed her hair out. She wasn’t sure where he was going, but knowing the SIS agent it was likely to pull some strings. Not that the park and the Alliance’s intelligence division were connected as far as she knew, but she wasn’t about to go probing around in his business because she was sure she wouldn’t get a straight answer.

“Alright, just don’t leave any witnesses.”

[member="Elliot Locke"]

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Locke snorted.

"I never do, darlin." Which was probably a bit more morbid than it had to be. But he hadn't actually been thinking too hard about it while saying it.

Too late to back-out now though.

About five minutes later Elly returned again with a smug smile. "Nobody got hurt in the progress of receiving these special VIP cards, disclaimer." From his pockets he retrieved two passes, that would get them anywhere they wanted inside the park. Well within reason of course.

They probably shouldn't try the staff lockers or anything like that.

"We good here?"

 

[Joza Perl]

Thanks to Elliot, the little group managed to get into the crowded park rather quickly. Alan was excited at first but quickly became overwhelmed with all of the lights and sounds and people—which was saying a lot given the planet he was growing up on! Needless to say Alana hadn’t visited any of his mother’s establishments (aside from the healthcare clinics) since he’d been in the womb.

The baby fussed for a bit before they moved him to a quieter area and fed him a snack, after which he became more lively. Joza even managed to take him on a few of the little baby rides which he seemed to enjoy (except for one where he wailed so loud that they had to stop the ride).

They settled down for lunch on a bench overlooking one of the park’s biggest roller coasters—all twists and turns and screams and whatnot. Joza looked on in distanced curiosity while she carefully picked off the breading from some fried nuna and feeding little pieces of the meat to Alan.

[member="Elliot Locke"]