BABIES

[connike]

the babies meme

guidelines
→ Leave a comment with your character's name, fandom, and any preferences you may have.
→ Another character replies and suddenly you are a loving (??) couple with a child or multiple children!
→ Go from there! You can do literally whatever you want, from silly day-to-day domestic shenanigans to threads involving pregnancies to more serious topics. If you're short on ideas, you can look to other memes like The Domestic Meme or The Family Meme for inspiration.

Comments

[captaincocksure]

[Jim leans in, grinning as he gently coaxes the little girl's hand out of her mouth.]

It's okay, sweetheart. Dr. McCoy never lets me do anything fun, either.

[aviophobia]

Jim, you're a grown ass man, so if you want to suck your fingers, you can. But I don't want her teeth growing in funny because I did.

[captaincocksure]

[Awww, Bones is worried about her teeth.

...So is he.]

All right, all right, you gotta listen to your doctor. No putting those fingers in your mouth.

[So she wraps them around his finger instead and he just about throws the whole going-to-the-bridge thing out the window.

...No, no, duty calls.]

All right. I'll see you two in a couple of hours?

[aviophobia]

We'll be here. Say bye-bye to Jim, sweetheart.

[He takes her wrist between two of his big fingers, wiggles it gently so she seems to be waving.]

[captaincocksure]

[alkdjfkdjf his heart how can he leave :(

But he pulls it together, nodding.]

Bye. See you both soon.

[And then, with all the reluctance ever, he turns and leaves medbay, headed for the bridge.]

[aviophobia]

[And so McCoy settles her back in the bed, and he ends up ... just kind of ... checking in on her. A lot. He's worried, okay. And every time she starts to fuss, he'll come and see her, and she stops, just like Jo used to.

And he wonders, deep down, if he could give her up, either.]

[captaincocksure]

[Jim's back in just under three hours. He doesn't say a word when he arrives, striding through medbay. He makes a beeline for the bed where the baby is now sleeping, and he just stands there, watching her.

Can you even miss somebody after only a handful of hours? Jim now believes you can.]

[aviophobia]

[Footsteps catch his attention, and McCoy finishes tending to the sick ensign he's working with before he crosses back over sickbay to find Jim standing by the baby's bedside.]

Welcome back.

[captaincocksure]

Hey.

...She'd wake up if I pick her up, huh.

[aviophobia]

Probably.

But I'm guessing you won't be happy till you do, huh.

[captaincocksure]

[He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, and then back again, as if his whole body is in on this decision-weighing thing. And he lets out a sigh.]

No, but her being peaceful is more important than me being happy.

[Did that just... actually come out of his mouth. Yes, yes it did.]

[aviophobia]

...wow. I'm impressed, Jim. That's a good call.

[captaincocksure]

That's the way it should be, though, right?

[His gaze lifts for a moment to meet McCoy's, before it drifts back down to the little sleeping girl, a fond smile turning his lips.]

You put their needs first.

[aviophobia]

That's exactly the way it is. They come first. Sucks sometimes, but that's part of being a -

[daddy sticks in his throat. This isn't his daughter, and - God willing - they'll find someone in her family who can take her in. If not, then they'll find someone Earthside who can take care of her. The CMO of a starship that's constantly getting itself into trouble is not a candidate for daddy.]

- an adult.

[captaincocksure]

I think I learned that from my dad. I guess. That's what he did, and here I am.

[He leans forward a little, bracing himself on the bed's rail.]

I never knew him. But I guess if I become a father someday, maybe I can at least experience that relationship from the other side.

[aviophobia]

I think you'll be a good dad.

[The honesty of the statement even catches him off guard, but it's not like it's not true. The captain of a starship is sort of like its parent, and everyone on the ship - even if they don't like him - respects and admires him, and he does his best to know the face of every name on the roster, which endears him to people.

He will be a good dad. He'll be a great one.]

Either that or you'll be the dad who's teaching the kid the right grip to use on the tree when they climb out the window at night.

[captaincocksure]

[Jim looks up, startled. But it's clear, too, that he's moved by what Bones said, by that faith he has in Jim.]

Maybe I'll be both. I can try.

[aviophobia]

That's all any of us can do. Try and hope it worked out right.

[captaincocksure]

Yeah, I guess so.

[He leans over again, but this time one hand goes around to the back of his waistband--look, Starfleet uniforms don't have pockets, where else is a captain supposed to keep things? He doesn't come up with the communicator he usually keeps there, or the phaser that sometimes joins it; instead he produces a small cow made out of terry cloth, white with black spots, each of its four flat feet a different color and texture, like for teething. And it's been obviously well loved.

He steals a sideways glance at McCoy like he's just waiting for his friend to say something about this as he tucks the toy up against the little girl's side.]

[aviophobia]

[McCoy's eyebrows spasm. They go up with amusement, then shoot right back down because wait, that thing has to be over twenty years old and probably crawling with germs, then they join in the middle as he gets his tricorder out. It might be safe, but he'd rather double-check.

As he scans it, he says, casually:]

When were you gonna introduce us?

[captaincocksure]

I didn't see a need before==

Bones, what the hell are you doing? Moocow is not a sentient being, he doesn't need a medical scan.

[aviophobia]

Moocow might also be swimming with Earth germs that this little lady hasn't been exposed to yet.

lkjdfdkf that icon he;s all >:E HYPOSPRAY lololol

[captaincocksure]

I'm sure my mom washed them all before she sent them to me, but fine.

[He picks up the cow, holding it out]

If you gotta irradiate them or zap them or whatever it is you do, go for it. Do it before she wakes up.

one of my favorites :D

[aviophobia]

Can't hurt to be sure.

[He does a quick check of the stuffed cow, then nods, handing it back to Jim.]

Moocow is fine.

[captaincocksure]

You're lucky Moocow doesn't take offense easily.

[He takes the cow and nestles it against the baby's side again, watching her sleep.]

Spock says the outpost's computer records are destroyed, too far gone for him to extract any information. He's sent a request to Starfleet command for records.