mememaster | BABIES

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

Show her the cow.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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?

[Jim wonders, as he watches the little girl, if Bones misses his own daughter. He must, but he's hardly heard the man talk about her. It's not like the doctor is terribly private about much... does he miss her that much? Does it hurt to talk about her?

Jim's only known this little girl half a day and he already can't imagine giving her up. Bones must be beside himself, sometimes.

He scoops up the little girl, and she promptly tries to offer him the cow.

...By mashing it against the side of his face.]

I could use some guidance, Bones. This is the first baby I've ever even held. So I have no idea about feeding or changing or any of it.

[McCoy smothers a smile as the girl mashes the cow against Jim's face. She wants him to play with it, too, spit-soaked head and all.]

It's all easy enough once you get the hang of it. Bet she hasn't eaten yet; want me to show you how to do it?

[Jim smiles, even as the baby keeps pressing the cow against his jaw and cheek--honestly, Jim, what's so hard about this, play with the cow.]

Yeah, I'd like that. She would, too, I'm sure--she hasn't eaten since I found her and I don't even know how long it was before that.

May I?

[He holds his arms out for the baby - and it's likely he doesn't take notice of the flickers of longing in his eyes, like seeing her there and not being able to hold her aches.]

[Jim takes note, though. He hands the baby over at once, without comment, though he files that observation away. Bones misses his little girl. Misses being a proper daddy, probably.

That breaks Jim's heart, a little.

The baby, however, thinks this is the best thing. It's that other guy! The one that clearly knows what he's doing, he's not all afraid about holding her (not that the first guy isn't cool but it's clear to her he doesn't know what he's doing yet). HEY maybe this guy also knows how to play!

She attempts to find out, by reaching up and mashing the cow right into McCoy's mouth.]

[McCoy rears back, keeping the cow out of his mouth, but when he speaks, it's not with the usual hard-edged tone that always seems to line his voice.]

Thanks, darlin', but I think you oughta hang onto that one for now. Let's get you some food, huh?

[She flails the toy, attempting to shove it into McCoy's mouth again, but he dodges, grinning a little.]

[Jim chuckles, rounding the exam table to join them on the other side, to make sure he doesn't miss anything.]

She's very determined about what she wants. I like that.

You would.

[Dodging the cow again, McCoy makes his way to the door. He isn't going to feed her food from the replicator - it's fine for adults, but shit for growing minds and bodies.]

Coming?

[Jim catches up with them as McCoy walks out into the corridor, and he falls into step beside the doctor, though his attention is still mostly on the baby he's carrying.]

Where are we going?

Mess. Like he -

- like heck am I feeding her anything from the replicators.

[Jim actually, legitimately stops in his tracks, startled. Did Bones... seriously just not swear?]

...Bones, I'm sure she doesn't understand what you say.

...Does she?

She will eventually. Bad habit to get into.

[MARCHING. NOT LOOKING BACK. so not awkward.]

[Jim has to scramble a bit to catch up; when he falls into step with Bones once more his hand goes up to the baby, unthinking, resting gently on the little girl's back.]

I'll try to mind my language.

[They reach the mess hall... and are promptly set upon by several female officers, as soon as they realize McCoy is holding a baby. There is a lot of cooing and fussing over her as Jim patiently explains where she came from.]

Don't crowd her. I said, don't crowd her. She's still getting used to being here.

Jim - here, take her. I'm going to go up front and see what we can get her.

Jim patiently answers all their questions, and lets the baby be fussed over for a bit. By the time Bones returns, he's taken a seat at a table.

He wasn't sure what to do with her, so for now, the baby is sitting on the table, facing him, with his hands securely around her waist, his body close enough that her legs are resting against him and she can't fall. She's trying to mash the cow into his face again, and he pretends to bite its head every time she does, which makes her squeal and try again and again.

And he is completely oblivious to the fact that most of the other people in the mess hall are watching them, either amused or completely unsure what to make of their captain right now.

That feeling, that McCoy just experienced? That sudden rush of warmth through his chest and down into his stomach? The one that makes his lips curl up involuntarily and his step slow, the one that makes him watch his captain and the little girl he's holding with such a softness in his gaze that any crew at the nearby table suddenly realize why the CMO has never hit on Nurse Chapel.

It's his heart melting, again, for the second time in an hour.

He shakes it off, comes to the table and sets the tray down. There's real food for him and Jim, and a bottle for the baby.

"You've made a friend."

Most people wouldn't catch the expression on his face in the moment before he shifts his attention from the baby to McCoy, but in that half a second it's clear that Jim wants that statement to be true, so very desperately. But by the time he's focused on McCoy, his usual mask of devil-may-care-brash-but-kind-underneath is right back in place. He shrugs.

"I guess. At least somebody around here thinks I'm funny." And then he spies the bottle. He shifts, so more of his arm is around the baby, freeing up a hand to reach for it. "Okay, so I know the theory--hold the baby, hold the bottle. But is there a specific technique?"

Meanwhile, it's clear she knows what's about to happen. She drops the cow and it lands in Jim's lap as she flails out an arm, trying to grab the bottle.

Leonard's lip quirks slightly, both at Jim's question and the baby's flailing. "It might be a little easier to show than tell." He picks up the chair from the other side of the table and sets it down next to Jim. "D'you mind?"

"Please." He hands over the baby, and the bottle, and he turns in his chair so he can watch.

McCoy shifts the baby in his arms easily, settling her against his chest and supporting her head against his arm. He takes the bottle in his other hand and tilts it, gently stroking the nipple of the bottle against her cheek. She opens her mouth, and he lets her have the bottle.

"See? It's easy, just hard to explain."

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