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

[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.

[aviophobia]

Hopefully we'll hear something back soon. Maybe she comes from a big family.

[captaincocksure]

Yeah. Hopefully we can get her back to her family.

[The little girl stirs, and she starts to cry quietly as she wakes up. Jim reaches down, splaying his hand across her body, speaking softly.]

Hey, hey. It's okay. I'm right here.

[aviophobia]

[McCoy steps back to let Jim handle this, but he can't help speaking, quietly:]

Show her the cow.

[captaincocksure]

[Jim glances up at McCoy, eyebrows raised, but then he does as he's told. He picks the cow up from where he'd left it at her side, and he shakes it, gently--it rattles, god bless it.

The sound catches the little girl's attention, and she stops crying, eyes focusing on the toy. Little arms flail up, and Jim guides the cow into her hands. She all but snatches it, examining it for a long moment before pulling it close, the top of its head going right into her mouth to be sucked on.]

Good call.

[aviophobia]

[He's quiet for a long moment, watching her latch onto the toy, and there's a sad tinge to his brief smile.]

Jo was the same way. She'd wake up a little fussy, but get her a toy and she was the happiest girl on the block.

[captaincocksure]

[Jim looks up again, almost guilty. He hadn't thought about McCoy being a father, having his own little girl he doesn't get to see. He feels bad for putting his CMO in this position, but he knows apologizing might just make him feel worse.

But he holds McCoy's gaze for a long moment, nodding. He's not going to say anything out loud about it, not make it a big deal, but he knows. He understands. And he's sympathetic.]

I was real attached to that cow, my mom says. Wouldn't take a nap without it. One time, it was in the wash? She couldn't get me to sleep. So she bought up every last one in the county.

[aviophobia]

[McCoy's willing to meet Jim's gaze for as long as the captain holds it, but then he looks down again, watching the girl suck on that cow, and his heart hurts. He misses Jo. He misses being a daddy, he misses being able to tickle a little tummy with impunity and that Jo would always stop crying as soon as he picked her up. He misses swinging her around and hearing her laugh.

He makes a note to tell her he loves her, when they have their weekly vidchat. Even if she's nearly ten now and getting to the point where, when he tells her he loves her, she rolls her eyes and says god, dad.

It's easier to look back at Jim when the other man makes his admission, and he grins a little, crooked.]

That picky even then, huh?