Seeing that Tats was pregnant, Joko had thought that this was the perfect excuse to go shopping with the multitude of vouchers that he had gotten from various social media sites since it transpired that transferring Matoki money into Earth currencies was something of a complicated task unless you happened to run it through several pressing machines first. Plus he was pretty sure that the parents to be would far more appreciate a selection of pre-bought items rather than the usual crazy assortment of handmade items which he had bestowed on Toto over the years. Not that anything he ever gave the youngster was dangerous of course, but after Tats had yelled at him for the better part of an hour for making a bed out of a defused torpedo Joko got the impression that such things would not settle in the slightest for the baby.

So waking early one morning, Joko activated his ‘human’ body and headed out of the ship. His first problem would have logically been the public transport or getting around the planet in some other method but the genius just grinned and tapped onto a device which looked like an innocent watch with his fingers. Instantly he was in the alley behind a store which his internet research had pretty much confirmed was the type of place that he needed and he slipped out. A few girls gave him curious looks but Joko ignored them as he headed into the large dual named Toys R Us and Babies R Us.

The Matoki had an idea of what to expect when he headed into the store but he was secretly glad that he did not have Toto hanging off his arm right at this second because he was damn sure that the little tyke would be trying to grab everything going. There were more toys, games and dress up things here than what was in Toto’s room and that was before he got to the baby section.

See Joko had presumed that this trip would be quite easy because he just wanted some basics and then he could build up the rest of the room as he went along once they had confirmed the of the child. Secretly he was hoping for a girl because it had been too long since he had had one to fuss over and at times he missed his large family back on Mato.

But when he had gotten to the dedicated section he had found that there were a whole host of different types of cribs. There were wooden ones, ones that looked like baskets, metal ones, ones that turned into beds for toddlers, a different type of wooden one that could be folded down for storage and that was just the start. There were several different types of high chair on display, full changing stations that ranged from what looked like a table with drawers to a full on complicated looking tool set to the inventors eyes and then there were the swings, specific toys and a whole selection of clothes, feeding devices and shoes that he did not know where to start.

“Can I help you?” a cute assistant with red hair asked him politely.

Joko blushed, “Err yeah...I’m just looking to buy a crib for my...” he paused and tried to think how best to describe Tats and Shishi because he was sure using the term Commander was going to be way too complicated to explain, “Brother and his partner. They’re expecting and I thought that it would be nicer than making them one.”

“Making them one?” the woman enquired softly.

Joko grimaced, “I tend...to blow things up,” he said shyly, rubbing the back of his head in nervous habit.

The woman accepted his explanation and just smiled beginning to show him the different styles and telling him about how they were put together and a whole lot of different pieces of knowledge. In the end Joko went with a plain wooden crib and bought some blankets and a couple of baby grows for the new arrival in gender neutral colours though he did add a pink teddy bear to the purchases and he made sure to grab a new toy for Toto too.

When he got back to the space ship, he was tired but happy and not surprised in the slightest to find Tats hovering around the door in a pink piny looking flustered, “Joko! Where have you been all day?”

“Shopping,” Joko grinned as he deposited his purchases down and nimbly caught Toto who came running up towards him, “We’ve got a lot to prepare for with you being pregnant so I thought it best to make a start for my new niece unless you want to end up in the same situation we had with Toto.”

Tats grinned and watched as the youngest matoki squeed happily at getting a new toy, “He was unexpected...wait niece?”

Joko blushed and shrugged, “Had to come up with some form of thing in the shop so I claimed you and Shishi to be my brother and his partner.”

Shaking his head, Tats waited until Joko was back in his normal form before hugging the other fondly, “Welcome to the family then Joko. Now give me a hand to put this all away will you?”