Steb never thought that he would have a child.

Not biologically, of course. He had no interest in a relationship that wasn’t going to last forever, and those were hard to come by... though he had to admit that it would be nice to have a few little guppies running around. Little mini-Stebs that he could spoil and cherish. Janna above, he really would like that.

But as the years progressed, and he became an Enforcer, disappointing dates turned into lonely nights.

It wouldn’t bother him so much if he just had something to love. Hell, maybe he needed a pet.

And then, late one night on his way home from regular patrols, he finds you.

A little street-urchin, likely having crawled up from the Undercity. Clad in rags, underfed and scrawny. All tiny, stick-thin limbs and big, frightened eyes. You clutch a tattered teddy in one hand. Instead of shoes, your little feet are wrapped with scraps of cloth bandages, despite the chilly air of the oncoming winter.

Steb is torn. Legally, he should bring you in for child protective services to handle. You might even be a spy!

Don’t be silly, Steb. It’s a child.

You hunker down under his piercing gaze, shivering. You’re looking around as if to find an escape route, and Steb realizes that you’re reacting based on his Enforcer’s uniform. You’re from the Undercity, of course you’d be scared of him. Enforcers brought nothing but trouble to Zaun.

Slowly, so as not to spook you, he eases down to one knee, reaching out a gloved hand.

“Hey, little guppy,” he says softly, using the affectionate nickname that his mother had once called him. “What are you doing out here, all alone? It’s cold. You’re going to get a chill.”

You peer up at him with those big, hungry eyes. Like you’re starved for attention, not just food.

Steb fishes out a piece of granola bar he’d had tucked away in his pocket, offering it to you. “Here. It’s okay, you can take it.”