Abandoned Angel
Part 43: Not Everything Changes
Robert led Erin to the garage to meet the new additions to his fluffy family. “This wasn’t my choice, remember that.” Erin nodded, looking quite somber. Erin took the whole Mary situation in stride, and Robert respected and appreciated her for that. He would have to do something nice for her, and soon.
Robert opened the door to the garage, to his new fluffies. Flame half darted when the door opened and stopped several feet from Rose once he saw Robert. Once Flame saw Erin behind Robert, he rushed towards the door, a loud clang resounding over the garage from the impact. Robert winced and Erin looked confused. “Just, well… talk softly and no sudden movements.”
He took a seat on the blanket near Rose and motioned for Erin to do the same. “Flame,” Robert called for the now only slightly dirty fluffy, “c’mere. It’s okay.”
Flame looked between Robert and Erin. Flame finally budged from the door and slowly made his way to Robert, but remained out of Robert’s reach. “Yesh, daddeh?” Flame lowered his eyes, then his head.
“Flame, this is Erin, say hello to Erin.”
“Hewwo, Ewen,” Flame didn’t raise his head or eyes, refusing to look at the new human in the room.”
“Hello, Flame. You sure are a pretty fluffy.” Erin smiled at Flame, trying her best to not look intimidating. Which was rather hard as she was petite and quite the opposite of threatening. “Would you like a hug?” Erin didn’t know much about fluffies, but she knew they loved hugs and spaghetti.
The fluffy shook his head and took a step back.
“Flame, Erin is nice. She won’t hurt you, or Rose. Remember my rules?” Robert had hoped Flame remembered, but fluffies were notorious for forgetting. Flame nodded, still not moving any closer. “Can we see your baby?”
Flame’s head shot up and his eyes went wide. He had, quite literally, shit himself at the question. Rose was oblivious, as she was on her back singing to the foal crawling through her fluff. He took a step back and with shaking hooves, he picked up the foal. As he carried the baby to Robert’s waiting hands, the foal squeezed out nervous chirps from the shaking hooves.
His hands were kept low in his lap, low enough for Flame to be able to reach in and take the baby back. Flame fidgeted and looked between Erin, Robert and the foal. He wanted to run, to protect the foal, but he also knew not to disobey. Erin slowly reached her hand out towards the foal and Flame panicked. “Nu… nu hewt babbeh! Ish gud babbeh!”
Erin lightly ran her finger across the baby, touching its black fluff gently. “I won’t hurt your baby.” The foal reached out and nuzzled its face into Erin’s finger. “It’s a very good baby. It’s a very pretty baby.” Erin smiled and pulled her finger from the foal. It chirped loudly and Flame rushed in to snatch the baby away. He ran awkwardly as he returned it to Rose, who didn’t even notice the foal had been gone.
Erin gave Robert a sad look. “We’ll talk about them later.” Flame returned to Robert, his shaking and fear seemed to abate. She reached out her hand towards Flame to give him a pet, but he shied away from her hand. “You’re a good daddy, Flame.”
The fluffy looked up at her with sad eyes and returned to Rose, not wanting to be any closer to the stranger. “Daddeh, wan Fwame make mo babbehs? Wan Fwame gib spechew huggies?”
“Nope, no more babies, Flame. No more babies.” The look of relief was unmistakable on Flame’s face. “Would you like some spaghetti for dinner?”
Rose perked up, “Wose wub sketti!”
“Wose neba haf sketti.” He looked up at Robert, “Fwame neba haf sketti. Buh… Fwame wub sketti… Daddeh gif sketti?”
“Not me. Erin will bring you spaghetti.” Robert stood and offered his hand to Erin. “Erin makes the best spaghetti.”
She couldn’t help but notice Runt, in his own area, blocked off from the rest. She had more questions, but this wasn’t the place. “Thank you for letting me meet your baby.”
Robert tried finishing up cooking, but Angel, Brave and Robin wouldn’t stay out of the kitchen. More than once he stepped on a tail. “Living room, now!” He bellowed, pointing. All three went running and giggling. The treat of spaghetti was too much, his anger did nothing.
Erin smiled while she watched Robert interact with his fluffies. “So, what’re you going to do with those three in the garage?”
He didn’t turn away from the stove as he answered her, “Well, Flame and Rose are going to be the easiest to deal with. Flame was terrified of me, and he’s already warming up. Rose is oblivious to everything. I don’t want to run a shelter, but Angel is knocked up too. But if I give them away, well, any shelter would put them down.”
“Have you talked to Susan?” She swirled the remaining beer at the bottom of the near empty bottle. “She would have resources you couldn’t imagine.”
“I kept meaning to call her, but… I’ve been a bit busy.” He finished up the sauce and began cooking the noodles. Six packs of noodles, enough to feed an army, or a small herd. “Runt is the problem though… The black Pegasus. His rear legs don’t work. His wings don’t work. And he only begs to be hurt. Last night he stomped Flame and Rose’s other two foals. Only the one you saw today remained. Flame tried to kill him.”
Erin nodded. Owning fluffies wasn’t all sunshine and happiness, no matter what people wished. As Robert strained the noodles the three fluffies were sitting at the edge of the kitchen, not crossing the threshold. All three were nearly drooling. It was nice to have a balance in the house. Erin tried to distract them, an impossible task. “Angel, who is the daddy?”
Angel blinked and tilted her head. “Daddeh ish daddeh… Siwwy Ewen.”
Robert choked back a laugh and Erin rolled her eyes at Angel. “I mean for your babies.”
“OH!” Angel tackled Brave, “Bwave gun be daddeh!”
Erin helped Robert scoop up eight heaping helpings of human size servings. Six for the fluffies, two for them. Robert laughed as Erin grabbed their two plates. “I’m not eating out of a fluffy dish.” She blushed and swapped them around. He helped her with bringing the dishes to the garage.
Flame dashed to the door as Erin entered first. She set the first dish next to the silent Pegasus. Runt didn’t even look at the spaghetti or thank her. Robert only shrugged. Two dishes were placed next to the bed for the new parents. Erin took a few steps back to watch as Flame went through the motions of moving the foal and rolling Rose over. Flame’s eyes met Erin’s, “Dank yu, Ewen.” And ever so slowly ate spaghetti for the first time.
They returned to the kitchen to feed the house fluffies. Erin gave each their own bowl. Robin hugged her leg and ate quite noisily. Angel thanked Erin and dove in, exclamations of best nummies for best babbehs. Brave sniffed at the spaghetti, but did not eat yet.
Erin raised an eyebrow, “What’s wrong, Brave?”
“Sketti gud, buh daddeh and Ewen-mummah betta dan sketti.”
Angel’s mouth dropped, spaghetti falling back to the dish. He did it again!