Queen's note: …a bunch of wild fires, asthma attacks and stress later... I return! Have the impending doom of MORE calves coming, this time moose calves. Fun fact: the moose are all based on horses my sister and I have and had lost this year. Buck is in honor of Todd, who had a stroke after I posted the last chapter. soo...yeah.

Hopefully Todd is able to stretch his old bones like new, steal beer and eat all the yummy things he wants, and watch over his person.

Welcome to the Wasteland

Chapter Eighteen:

House Work

All things considering it was an early night for them. No more hard labor as their shipping trailer was safely sunk into the ground between two buildings. That set up, plus the fencing would keep the bigger animals safe and in a shelter for now. Almost exactly like what they had done at the Abernathy farm, only slightly modified with the hill side. The bull moose could possibly jump the fence but did not seem to want to as Buck had already grazed and seemed just as tired as the people. Walking around in a slow pace.

It was a lot of work they got done that day, and with the semi wild brahmin cows, that drifted into the Co-op had been giving birth a few hours apart from one another… everyone was tired. At least the firewood for that night was cut and neatly stacked both inside and outside of the cabins thanks to Fredrick. The Mr. Handy had been quite busy too.

The most Lana had done after Blake and his family left with the youngest kids, was to take Abby and Megan down hill to the bunker, check on the smaller animals and those still recovering in there. Making sure nothing had gotten through the main entrance, or anyone else was out that way. The small animals would likely still be staying inside the bunker for another few days. Though the rabbits seemed to be charming the... refugees.

They just dished up the soup and restarted the fire for the night when Buck gave a warning sound before a new voice called out to the cooking fire.

"Hello the fire!"

Jake chuckled softly as he saw Lana give a deep sigh after freezing for a moment. "It might be something good."

The young woman tried not to sigh again before calling back out, only after checking that her pistol was still on her leg. "Hello the traveler."

"Come over if you're friendly," Jacky called out, voice rasping a bit more than normal from the constant communication that day, checking that his own firearm was in reach and hidden from view.

"There's me, my fellow guard, a trader and the pack brahmin." The male voice warned before coming into better view of the moon light, out of the trees and the edges of the firelight on the far side from the cafeteria building.

"There's a few brahmin here," Lana warned as she listened to the sounds of… two others moving carefully in the dark. "Including an intact bull."

"We have a cow," the guard stepped into the pool of light Fredrick turned on and drifted closer, slinging his rifle up to a shoulder to be polite, "Thank you mech."

"Not an issue sir," Mr. Handy offered the light to those that are down slope, but not at the new brahmin, just at the ground to give the other two humans some sight for the stable footing. "There we are, watch the loose rocks and come this way."

"I didn't know anyone was living up here since last summer." The first guard said as he came to the fire, eyeing the large pot on the fire grate. "I have some squirrel, wild onions and such to add to the pot if you might be willing to share?"

"I think we can do that," Lana said after looking at the scarred men beside her. "There's an empty stall right now over here, and you can put your cargo in this main building beside us, or that empty cabin over there. It's just us, night watch and some friends up north a bit more."

"Just don't put the Brahmin in this bigger run, different creatures." Jake warned as he motioned to the massive black outline of Buck walking to get a good look at the other humans.

"Good gods…yeah not in there." The senior guard balked at the sight of the massive Moose.

Lana tilted her head as she eyed Buck, noting how he was pacing far more than normal. She scanned behind him and frowned a moment noting the younger of the two moose cows, Luna was starting to lay down. It attracted Buck's attention to go over and start sniffing around.

"Uuuuuh, uh oh." Lana sat up, scanned back over at the trader and his, or her guards. "Let's get you guys settled, I think I need to turn Buck out… I'm going to be helping the moose give birth tonight."

"Moose?" An older woman's tired voice asked as she came into the fire light. Despite the road-wear, and greying, short hair she seemed pretty strong in her strides. "Who has moose this far east?"

"That would be me, have you heard of them?" Lana said and asked as she got up, smiling in the firelight.

"I came from the north-central of the old states. I've seen moose in the wild and only a few tamed. Good guard and burden beasties only if they like you." The older woman scanned around, smiling at seeing the crop plants started around in the dark, and then blinked at the nearest blanket of moss on the cafeteria building's wall. Confused but shrugged, she had seen moss used to plug up all sorts of holes and cracks in homes outside of the Commonwealth, or around the edges of the western and northern areas.

"I've raised my bull there from...well, from the moment his mother pushed him out." Lana said getting up, offering her untouched bowl to the nearer senior guard but at a head motioned set it on the small table she had been sitting near. "Lets get your brahmin settled and your guys before I let Buck out. Don't want him trying to mate while Luna is giving birth."

"It looks like you have a good herd there." The older woman said as she peered through the dark at the other side of the Co-op, spotting another outline of fencing and large, dark forms standing to feed restless calves, or laying down to dose and graze.

"It is," Jake nodded as he stretched out his left leg with a wince. "We got most coming for attention and then the rest after that last big rad-storm."

"The bull is over there, on the south side by that cabin," Jacky pointed out the building, and then turned to point to where another cabin was, "That cabin there by ours is empty, and I just fixed the porch the day before."

The trader glanced at the big moose as he trotted past, getting an excited pace. Then she nodded, "How much to rent a cabin?"

Lana shook her head as she came over, offering a hand to the nearer head of the new Brahmin to stiff and lick, "For tonight you can stay no charge. We can do some trading in the morning. But if you have any anti-septic I might need that tonight."

"I do have some," The trader paused and turned back to the younger woman, holding out a hand, "Name's Darla by the way, these are my guards, Richard and Eric."

"Nice to meet you Darla, I'm Lana, these are our uncle's Jake and Jacky." Lana motioned to each scarred man in turn and then scanned around. "Valory is… somewhere on night watch, or hunting still. The others are asleep."

"No loud sounds." Darla nodded, understanding that, no need to make a host settlement grumpy, more so one that is not charging a night to stay.

Jacky motioned the group to follow him, "Come up here, so we can get the bull moose out. The brahmin bull is right there, up wind."

He added that last part seeing one of the new cow's heads sniffing around.

"Yes, can you help unload and pack things inside boys?" Darla asked as she glanced around to her caravan guards.

Eric nodded in the firelight, "Yeah boss." He smiled a bit as the idea of her willing to completely unload meant their boss was willing to stop for a few days.

"I'll bring back the food stuff." Richard added to Lana as he left with the others, Jake walking with.

"All good, I'll go get a stud chain…." Lana waved Fredrick to go with them with the light until a lantern was set up at and in the empty cabin. It would even out the numbers in a just in case way, but really the light was the main reason.

Lana grabbed one of the lanterns by the fire, going into the cafeteria building where she set up her saddles and other moose related things for now. Including the chain that hooked up to Buck's halter, more to just remind him to behave rather than hurt, not unlike how things worked with horses back in the pre war days.

Lana paused in the semi dark, wondering really for the first time where the wild mustangs were, she'd seen burrows on the trip out here to the east coast, and mules. Horses could not be fully extinct if there were mules out and about right?

Maybe she should really look into that on the way back home when she and Valory end up going that way.

She wondered what horses smelled like, what the fur was like. If it was like or unlike the moose's thick pelts.

Lana shook herself and scanned around for the outline of Valory. Catching the glimpse of gold shine up the hill that let her focus and see the familiar bulk...and another, darker form resting daring few feet away. Eyes shining silver or white with the moonlight. It had the young woman grinning, before going to get Buck's attention.

It took a few minutes to catch then quickly slip the stud chain through the halter on. Good thing she had not taken that off yet. Leading the bull moose out of the fenced area Lana could have sworn she heard the older cow heave a sigh of relief.

"How goes it?" Lana called into the semi warm night as Buck snorted restlessly, all but prancing in place.

"Almost done Miss Lana!" Fredrick called back first.

"We're unloaded and putting the cow in the pen," Richard added, "we'll be back at the fire in three minutes."

"Okay, I'm going to walk out and turn Buck out to have a hormone night, so he'll be bleeting and howling until I can breed him tomorrow." Lana warned as she shook the lead line and chain for attention and started walking towards the lake.

The young botanist used her lantern and led the bull moose as far as she dared at night, down to the dam and lake, stopping halfway across the bridge to unhook him.

"Hut-hut!" Lana yelled, swinging the line and chain. Buck snorted, shaking his head as he turned away and charged out across the rest of the way, frustrated from smelling the birthing hormones of his own breed. She hesitated, keeping feet planted while making sure Buck would not come running back when her back was turned.

There was a dark shape of the bull moose working around the lake, making a racket and then startling some feral dogs. Who he ended up chasing off, needing to protect his cows and offspring after all.

"Oof... yeah, once he calms down in the morning I'll see if Grace will let him mount." Lana said aloud to herself as she walked back to the Co-Op, to check on the cows and newcomers. She heard voices of the carpenter Uncles and the older trader woman talking back by the fire.

"There's another kid in Diamond City that shares my name, but she's not related." Darla was saying as she finally sat and took the offered bowl. "Do you have any family still there?"

Jake shook his head, "No, our descendants are out a little more north from here in what used to be our summer villa we built over by Parsons."

"It's a safe community, and under good protection." Jacky smiled fondly, glancing over as Fredric moved to give Lana some more light as she hiked back. "Sounds like he'll be keeping busy. Will Valory be okay?"

"Oh yeah she knows how to handle Buck as well as I do." Lana snorted, pausing as she eyed the soup, then peered into the chain link pen. Noticing that Luna's darker form was slowly laying down to stretch, Grace seemed to be giving comfort. "Did you say you had some antiseptic handy?"

"Yes, it's only a gallon." Darla stood back up, holding out a glass jug with a cork of wax. "It is for brahmin though "

"That should work, I just don't want the umbilical cords to get infected." Lana reached for the jug, "I'll dig out caps in the morning."

"Don't worry about it, you're letting the three, four of us stay the night, considered it a thank you." Darla said as she finished her bowl of soup, standing to get one of her own lanterns. She glanced up as the clouds shifted to let more moonlight shine down. "Nigh births are hard enough, let's get some more light up for you. Is the birthing possess like the brahmin cows?"

"So far yes, I've hadn't had to reach up and turn a brahmin calf around in the birth canal yet...but mostly they're alike," Lana nodded, grateful for someone else willing to hold up the lights. They could see the contractions already starting in Luna's sides. "Not that that happens a lot to moose but it's always a hazard I think no matter what animal or person."

"True enough...my, they are marvelous creatures," Darla agreed then breathed in awe, while Jacky joined them to help. "Do they give birth to one or two calves?"

"Two on average, Luna here might have three as it's in her family history." Lana explained as she stopped to give comfort and reassurance to the darker cow as Luna lifted her head to her person. "Her last brood was two, and the first time three. Good girl momma, Buck won't bother you anymore tonight."

"Will the other cow give birth now that's Luna is?" Jacky asked as he hooked up a lantern to the now opened up trailer. "Like the brahmin cows all did these last few days?"

"Probably," Lana smiled up at the other moose as she stood near enough for comfort, but not too close now that the labor was happening. Standing guard in a sense, mostly watching out for buck, and the rare chance something slipped past him.

Then again, Grace could smell the Pack Matriarch nearby, knowing Valory's scent very well. As well as many others from the Pack in their home. The older Moose grew up with the pack and trusted them enough to watch out for their group, and any young ones.

The storm was over, and Grace felt...safe. Her person was here and happy and with Luna feeling safe enough to start giving birth. It was a good time. Spring was well underway and there should be plenty of time for calves to get strong before the next storm, just as the adoptive deer fawn were now.

The morning would be better.


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justsomerandombastard: Thank you! hopefully this chapter is okay too n.n