You can count on me for a helping hand.

[strikesachord]

From the moment the baby had born, Frizzle had become Gobo's pride and joy, and it really seemed that the feeling spread through all of the others, not just Mokey. And while Gobo appreciated everyone's love for their son, and all the help they offered, he couldn't help notice there was a bit less help when Frizzle woke up before dawn, screaming and crying.

He didn't blame them, honestly, but it would have been nice... Ah, well.

He and Mokey were quite tired after a particularly bad string of nights, and Gobo had insisted Mokey get some sleep now that the day had really begun. He'd take care of Frizzle, while the others were still catching up on their own sleep at the Manor. It wasn't even leadership duties... It was what a father did.

He was rocking Frizzle in his arms, hoping he could catch up on sleep as well, when he heard a knock on the door. Were the others back already- Maybe just Boober? Boober might knock, Wembley and Red never did.

"Come in!"

Comments

[gobetween]

The door opened and it was a Fraggle face that peered in, but none of the ones he might've been expecting. Spotting Gobo, he waved, voice quiet, not quite coming in yet. After all, he wasn't sure if the coast was clear.

"Hey! I was hoping to catch you before the others woke up..." Seeing Frizzle as well, there was a little sweetness to his smile, fingers wagging a bit even if he couldn't see him from there. God but the puffling was so adorable.

[strikesachord]

Gobo smiled, and jerked his head in a motion to indicate his friend should come inside. Frizzle peered curiously over to see what dad was looking at, but when he didn't see anything, he curled back up against Gobo's chest.

"Everyone but me an' Mokey are at the Manor for now, and Mokey's gonna be sleeping for a while, I bet," he explained in a soft voice.

[gobetween]

When indicated he stepped inside, carefully closing the door behind him. He walked over, cooed over Frizzle a moment, then took up a seat close by.

"Mokey must be pretty tired, eh?" He snickered some, though on second glance- "You look a bit wiped yourself."

[strikesachord]

Gobo's smile softened as he watched the other Gobo interacting with Frizzle... It was so sweet. Frizzle still seemed a little confused by someone who looked like dad but wasn't dad, but he wasn't upset by it, or anything. So there was no harm. "Yeah," Gobo sighed out, watching Frizzle settle back in, before he looked up quickly. "I mean, yeah, Mokey's pretty tired. I'm okay, though."

[gobetween]

"Mmkay, because you don't look it. You look worse than the day spent following Red's tattered shirt around."

He would know what a Tired Gobo looked like, and this one definitely looked pretty dragged down. True, he always kinda did, but it wasn't the lighting that gave him the shadows under his eyes or the lack of pop to his fur.

"When was the last time you got a good night's rest?"

[strikesachord]

Gobo blinked a few times, partially because he was trying to remember what the other was talking about, but mostly because dang it he didn't know the answer to that question. "Look, that's just how it is with a baby," he said after a while. "I told ya, I'm okay."

[gobetween]

"I remain unconvinced, Gobo." That felt a little weird still but, powering through. "That might be how it is with a baby but how're you gonna take care of him if you haven't slept?"

[strikesachord]

He winced a bit at that - a hit below the belt, to be sure, but not untrue. "Look, later, when someone else is awake, I'll get some sleep," he huffed. "It's not like I can leave him alone..."

[gobetween]

"You're not leaving him alone, though!" Oops, that was louder than he meant it to be. Wincing a little, he dropped his voice again. "You're not leaving him alone. I'm here, let me take care of him."

1/2

[strikesachord]

"Oh, well, I mean... Look, it's just that-" Gobo had began awkwardly explaining, but then he heard a confused, almost coo of a sound. He glanced down at Frizzle, but Frizzle was looking elsewhere with a smile of recognition. Gobo winced again, seemed like it was out of the frying pan and into the oven. He didn't even look over. He was suddenly uncomfortably aware of the fact that what he'd been doing - keeping this secret - was very dishonest.

"...Hey, Mokey," he sighed, closing his eyes.

2/2

[thewisdomwithin]

Mokey hadn't been quite able to really sleep, but she'd been dozing until someone had called out, and she went to investigate. Now, she looked from one Gobo to the other, before going to Fraggle she recognized as her Gobo. With a giggle, she scooped up Frizzle and rocked him from side to side as she addressed the other adults in the room. "Well, I didn't expect to wake up to this," she teased.

[gobetween]

At the first sounds from the hall he glanced up, then sat up with a startled inhale, tail flaring out behind him. He froze, which continued as Mokey walked over and picked up Frizzle. It wasn't until she spoke, and his eyes flicked to the other Gobo and back, that he finally moved.

"L-look, I- Uh-"

1/2

[strikesachord]

Gobo still felt guilty, but his concerns about Mokey being upset were gone when she picked up Frizzle, replaced with a level of relief that Mokey was the first of the others to meet the other Gobo. And yes, first, because now he certainly had to tell everyone, but... Mokey understood things, in her own way. Sometimes, things he didn't understand, himself. He chuckled, sleepy but pleased. "Moke, this is Gobo. Uh, also Gobo. You know how Lexi comes from another Duckburg? Well, Gobo here comes from another Fraggle Rock." When Mokey nodded and passed Frizzle back to him, he was absolutely sure he wasn't in trouble. So there was that, at least.

2/2

[thewisdomwithin]

Mokey approached Gobo - the other Gobo - and put her hands on his shoulders with a warm smile. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Gobo." She looked him over, then her gaze met his once more. "Would you like a snack?"

[gobetween]

He still wasn't sure of this whole thing, but he relaxed some as he watched her handle her child and the other Gobo. When acknowledged he smiled briefly, if sheepishly, then watched her walk over to him.

"Um- No, I ate breakfast before coming here, but thanks."

[thewisdomwithin]

Mokey frowned a little, but nodded as she stepped back. "Alright. Well..." She turned back to her Gobo. "Why don't you get some rest, darling? Your friend and I will look after Frizzle while we get to know each other, hmm?"

Gobo's response to this was to glance at the other Gobo a bit questioningly - would that be okay?

[gobetween]

He looked across to the other, then smiled and nodded, looking back at Mokey.

"Yeah, we'll take care of it." Smiling still, he turned to Gobo. "Look just trust me, eh? It'll be alright, you go get rest."

Emphasis on that one. No arguing here, Gobo.

1/2

[strikesachord]

"Yeah, okay. It looks like I'm outnumbered," Gobo snickered, passing Frizzle to Mokey, nuzzling his snout against hers as he did so. Then, a wave to the other Gobo, and off he went for bed - although he paused for a moment to glance back, and- "Thanks, you guys."

2/2

[thewisdomwithin]

Mokey watched him leave with a gentle smile, then took the seat he had been occupying and smiled across at the other Gobo.

"That was very sweet of you."

[gobetween]

He watched her, finding himself all of a sudden having to get used to a Fraggle he knew but didn't know all over again. In its own way this was even stranger than it had been with Gobo- he wasn't used to looking at himself, but he was used to looking at Mokey. But there were little differences, just slight things only someone who knew Mokey Fraggle as well as he did would recognize. Briefly there was a little twist in his heart- it'd been a long time since he'd seen his Mokey.... -but then he brushed it away with a smile.

"Aw, thanks but, just doin' what I wanna do to help. No one knows what a tired Gobo is like better than me, right?" A little laugh.

[thewisdomwithin]

If Mokey saw any signs in his expression of sadness, she didn't draw attention to it- But she did take a moment before speaking to pay extra attention to his hair, brushing it out of his face and fluffing it up a bit with a momentarily freed-up hand.

"That's true," she agreed, sitting back down. She hummed a bit to Frizzle, and to herself, and honestly to Gobo... Then she tilted her head to the side, curiously.

"What's it like? The world you're from, is it very different?"

[gobetween]

His eyes rolled up to watch her hand curiously, the floofing of his hair a bit of amusement. He listened to the humming, smiling lightly to himself. That was a nice sound that brought him back...

"Kinda, yeah. I don't have Fraggle Home or anything fancy like that. I live in the tunnels underneath Duckburg, alone, everyone else still lives at the Rock. Which is fine! I didn't leave until too long ago myself."

[thewisdomwithin]

Mokey nodded, letting Gobo finish speaking entirely, only occasioanlly looking away from him to dote on Frizzle. Fine, was it? She had her doubts.

"It's just you in the tunnels?"

[gobetween]

"Down in the tunnels, yeah. But I've got plenty of friends above! Like Lexi." He tried to hide it some, but it was hard to miss that rush of affection in his voice, there. "She's been teaching me a lot about Outer Space."

He paused, then snickered. "So far, I know I do not like cars."

[thewisdomwithin]

Ohhh. Well, that changed things a bit- Lexi was such a good friend to her Gobo, and clearly something in addition to that, to this Gobo. Her smile widened, became less sympathetic and more excited.

"Cars aren't very fun, no," Mokey agreed.