Title: Scenes set to Music
Author: AnitaB
Author's Notes: This started out as a shuffle fic, but some of the songs decided they were scenes from the same longer plot line. It's also tied to Gatekeeper's Leverage universe. I own nothing from Leverage and make no money. (Sigh, if only I got paid for fan-fic, my bank accounts would be much, much happier.) On with the story. Hardison/Parker romance ahead.
Scenes set to Music
By AnitaB
Macavity: the mystery cat, Andrew Lloyd Webber
He'd swear on his Nana's stack of bibles that one of these days Parker was gonna fly. The girl threw herself off the tops of buildings like gravity didn't matter. Arms flung wide, head tossed back, Parker always smiled as she dove off the roof's edge like she was on her way up instead of down. He knew from experience that her smile only got wider as she fell for dozens if not hundreds of feet until the rope caught her up in a sharp snap. Then she usually laughed, and even if the circumstances made her do it silently, it was still a wildly joyous expression that no one else would believe was possible on the cynical, former foster child, blonde little cat thief.
On more than one occasion, she'd literally leapt before she looked, diving head first out windows with no harness or ropes in sight. After the time Parker had stabbed her mark with a fork and leapt out the window in Europe, Hardison had decided to keep an eye on her: a few dozen GPS satellites anyway. Another time her blind leap had turned into a flying tackle as she landed on Elliot passing on the sidewalk below. A second earlier or later and Parker might have cracked her pretty little blonde head open on the concrete. And then he would have had to kill her, just for scaring him that badly.
She was every inch a cat burglar, from his transmitter in her ear, down the matte black vest and attached harness, to her tiny little black climbing shoes. Any day now he expected she'd have little black cat ears poking up out of her blonde hair, perfect to go with her 'cat that ate the canary' smile. It made him want to scratch behind her ears just to see if she'd purr and arch her back.
It made him want all sorts of things he really shouldn't be thinking about. Like how she'd feel clawing up his back, arching and crying out under him. The sight of those slim, strong legs not quite covered by his shirts as she made coffee in the morning. It made him wonder what that beautiful smile would taste like on his tongue, what that joyous laughter would feel like against his chest.
Shaking his head to clear his mind, Hardison tried to focus on the job and not how her harness outlined her curves against the glow of the twentieth floor windows. "What, Parker? Did you decide to take the scenic route? Stop levitating out there and get to the safe."
"Don't worry your little techno brain, computer-boy. I'll get the papers and be gone before Nate and Sophie leave the manager alone in the crowd of the party downstairs."
Witch Doctor, David Seville Dr. Demento
This job wasn't what she'd had in mind when she'd joined up with this crew, or any of the times she had decided to stay. And if Sophie wasn't already playing another role in the heist, Parker wouldn't be getting Voodoo priestess/Carnival fortune teller lessons from Hardison right now.
She also wouldn't be wearing this black wig or the thick, scratchy wool shawl that went with it. "What was wrong with that one, Hardison?" Parker thought she'd perfectly imitated the way his hands had moved over the giant glass bead in the middle of the card table.
"Here, watch closer." Hardison sat in the other chair, running every inch of his long, dark fingers over the *crystal ball* while his eyes lost focus and his voice changed tone. "Jou will meet a very talle, dark mon in an alley at midnight. Dis mon will bring jou much money if jou take a big risk." Then he dropped his chin onto his chest with a shudder and gasp. His hands folded on the table before he dropped character to look her in the eyes. "There, try it again."
Parker rolled her eyes behind their heavy eyeshadow and mascara. The rings on her fingers clinked against each other and the crystal ball as she mimicked his rubbing pattern. "You will meet a very tall man in an alley at midnight. He'll make you rich if you risk it all." She threw her head back for the rasping breath and fake collapse against the edge of the table before she looked at him again. "And who is this tall man? What idiot would follow some strange guy down an alley in the dark, anyway?"
"Parker,"
"No, Hardison, how about you wear the wig to play the fortune teller and I'll lead someone down an alley in the dark." Throwing the wig over the glass ball, Parker dropped the shawl to the chair and stalked away. "Damn witch doctor, carnival freak roles. Next job they'll have me making monkey noises in a cage."
Janie's got a gun, Aerosmith
It was beautiful. Now normally, she liked her ropes and harnesses better than guns. But this one was just so… pretty. Its matte black finish would make it nearly invisible against her black cat suit. It was small enough to fit comfortably in her hands, but big and impressive to look at. There was even a red laser sight on the barrel that was detachable for easy use. "Oh, Eliot, when Janie's done being the hired hit-woman on this job, can I keep the gun?"
Their resident hit-man rolled his eyes and ran the cleaning rod up and down the barrel. "Parker, you are Janie, like I've told you at least five times already. Now our mark is hiring you to kill his business partner because he's sleeping with the guy's wife."
"The guy's much younger, trophy wife. Men are such dogs. Can I have the gun, please, Elliot?" When he gave her a weird look, Parker responded with her best 'How may I help you?' Secretary's smile. "Please,"
"I don't think I wanna hand you a gun when you're smiling like that, Parker. Do you know how play a hit-man?" Elliot ran his fingers through his hair and leaned a little away from the little blonde across the table.
"Hit-woman. And I've played roles a lot weirder than an assassin. I can make this guy think I'm worth more than the 50 thousand we're charging him." Parker gave him a real smile and politely reached for the gun. "Janie really wants to play with her new gun now. Hand it over, Elliot."
"You are Janie, Parker." He unloaded the gun and checked the chamber before handing her the gun. "Don't shoot anyone with it."
"At least not yet." Parker stroked a fingertip along the laser sight and down the trigger guard. "No, we're not gonna shoot anybody just yet."
Elliot decided that it was time to go… somewhere else right about now. And it might not be a bad idea to take that full clip of ammo on the table with him for now.
Shadow of a doubt, Roxette
He was getting too close. Parker knew it. She should run. It was always safer to run when anyone started getting too close. Usually she was out the door and three states away under a new name before anyone even thought about thinking about her twice.
Really she should have run months ago. Parker shouldn't have stayed even one job after that first one. She worked alone. That was safe. No one could hurt you if no one knew you. No one tried to leave you if you left first. When you worked alone, no one put trackers in your shoes. No one cared where you were, no one noticed if a job got to you, no one touched you and seemed to mean it.
And it wasn't safe to care. It wasn't safe to hope… for anything, ever. She shouldn't let herself notice the way he watched her. She shouldn't let herself miss those eyes when he looked away. And she shouldn't, under any circumstances, think about killing any woman who touched him.
Hardison wasn't hers. He wouldn't ever be hers. She didn't want or need anybody. That was safer.
None of them were. This group of people were not, could not be her family. She didn't have a family. She'd never had a family. And that was the way it was supposed to be. People like her were meant to be alone.
She stood at the edge of the roof and lifted her face into the breeze. It would be so easy. Something she'd done dozens if not hundreds of times. All she would have to do is walk away. Step off this ledge. Ride her ropes safely to the ground, unhook the harness and just walk away. She should just pick a direction at random and never look back. Within two miles she would have found herself a set of wheels. Before she'd traveled more than ten miles, she could tap one or more of her secret caches for money, identity papers, and anything else she'd really need. Before dark, she'd be on a plane, bus or train, already across state lines. Within a week, she'd be set up somewhere new and scouting out a new job.
If only out of boredom. Parker could at least admit to herself that she would be bored without these people in her life. It was fun watching Sophie and Nate dance around their semi-declared relationship. It was fun training and bickering with Elliot. It was fun teasing Hardison and watching his fingers fly across a keyboard.
She'd never had as much fun in her life as she did here, in this job, with these people… in this little hand-picked family.
And that more than anything meant it was so long past the time to go that she shouldn't even be thinking about it.
Footsteps behind her opened her eyes but didn't make her turn. "Parker?" Of course it was Hardison. No one else would have that ability to hit all her nerves with just that little bit of heat and hesitation in his voice. If she turned around he'd be wearing that soft look of invitation. The one that made her remember that undercover kiss in the museum basement. The one that was now irreversibly connected with a craving for pretzels.
"What is it, Hardison?"
"Nate's got a new client, he needs us downstairs."
If she didn't step off the ledge now, she wouldn't be able to leave until after the next job was over. Maybe then she'd been strong enough to leave.
Maybe then she'd be able to walk away. "Be there in a minute, Hardison." Maybe then she could convince her stupid heart that it was safer not to feel like it did.
Another sad love song, Toni Braxton
She was haunting him. Every moment it seemed that something reminded him of her. Even the music on the radio. Parker. Pretty Parker. His pretty Parker. But she wasn't his, not yet. Hardison needed to do something, some big romantic gesture to get through to his beautiful oblivious girl that he wanted her, that he wasn't leaving, that he was serious. And that he knew exactly what he was doing, that he knew her.
He needed to do something special, something different. Parker stole her own jewelry, she would probably be horribly offended if he bought her something like that. She loved money, but that wouldn't show that he really knew her. Anyone could give someone money. His gift needed to say something more than that.
Hardison adored his weird little cat burglar. He knew her better than anyone. He could read her when even the other people in their odd little family just rolled their eyes. But how to show her his feelings without scaring her away.
He knew that Parker wasn't really open with her emotions, knew that her first reaction was usually to run away. And that wasn't okay this time. Hardison wasn't about to let her steal the amazing future they were supposed to have… together. He needed her to feel as safe and free in his arms as she did in her favorite harness.
/That's it,\\ Hardison couldn't help smiling as he turned to his laptop. He knew exactly what to get for her present. He thought it would be perfect. It would show he knew the real her, wanted the real her, and didn't want to cage her. They would need to be high-end, versatile, and long enough for the tallest building his little cat burglar could want to sink her claws into.
Soon. Soon his Parker would know just how much he cared. And maybe, just maybe, she'd cared about him too. /I'm coming for you, Parker. I want this.\\
My world, Avril Lavigne
She didn't fit in. She'd known that for as long as she could remember. Parker had never fit in anywhere, not once, not ever, not for a single moment in time. No one chose her, not for long enough to make any kind of difference. She'd been turned back in by so many foster parents she couldn't keep count and stopped trying well before she left the system entirely and made her own way. Not fitting in was her normal. Her world had always been built for one. And frankly that was the way she'd liked it. It was only pain and madness to try to fit into anyone else's space and no one had ever shown any real interest in fitting into hers.
Not even the only person she'd ever considered family. Even _ had known that to take her home to his real family was insane. She was his trainee, not his daughter. Everyone knew better than to include her.
Until Alec fucking Hardison. He broke all the damn rules. He never made sense. Not with those little signs of care and concern. Not with his hidden trackers in her shoes. And don't even think she didn't know about the ones he'd planted in her watch and about half of her harnesses. Every time she left anything in that damn van of his, it came back out with a few extra wires tucked away inside. By now she didn't even remove them anymore.
Not that she'd ever tell him, but Parker sorta liked knowing that someone else knew where she was. Who she was. How she was. He had even tracked down her real address after she'd moved… again. He'd shown her that by the delivery of a new set of simply perfect rappelling ropes to her doorstep under her "Alice" persona.
Until Hardison, no one had cared about her at all except when she was on their job. Once their precious object of choice was broken out of its security system and delivered, she wasn't important any more. That was what she was used to.
She had no idea what to do next. Parker had never wanted anyone close before. How should she show Hardison that she didn't mind his trackers, or his words, or even the way he touched her every now and then.
She shook her head, letting the breeze off the roof ruffle through her hair. She had to do something, but what? Checking her rigging one more time, Parker stepped off the ledge and laughed her way down 30 stories while she thought about it. The ropes he'd bought for her worked perfectly, pulling her to a safe stop right where she wanted them to. By the time the winches had pulled her back up to the roof she had an idea. Now she had a little leg work to do gathering the pieces for this new job.
Always be my baby, Mariah Carey
She hadn't let him close in three days, twelve hours and thirty five minutes. He was going mad. Something was up with Parker. Every single time he'd tried to approach her since he'd sent her those ropes, she'd up and disappeared. Now even Elliot was giving him the 'what the hell did you do?' look, of course touched a bit with the feel of 'damnit, Hardison' attached.
What had he done wrong? She hadn't ditched even one of his trackers in over a month, and he knew she was aware of most if not all of them. She hadn't even moved after she'd gotten his present at her current "home." He thought that those and a dozen other little signs meant she was alright with him trying to get closer. But today, Parker wasn't even speaking to him in complete sentences. The most he'd gotten were quite a few weird looks, and several "Later"s.
Part of him was almost to the point of handcuffing her to his wrist and demanding an explanation. But he knew he'd only get about three seconds before she picked the lock and dropped out of sight. And maybe then she wouldn't resurface where he could find her again.
Maybe it was time to back off. Parker was like those feral cats that Nana fed. They only let you get close on their terms. If you pushed too hard and too fast, all you got was a bloody scratch and one less kitty visitor to the food bowl. If you sat still and waited patiently, you might be allowed to scratch behind a feline ear, maybe even hear a few seconds of purring.
Hardison retreated, hiding in a two liter of orange soda and a bag of gummy frogs over the new program he was writing. This one would let him hack into city utilities in half the time when he got it finished.
The laptop beeped at him that he had messages before he even got the right file open. The sender was unknown, some anonymous server they'd used before. All the subject line said was 'Thank you.' Hardison, his Nana didn't raise no fool, ran a few checks before opening the message and a few more before opening the attached file.
"What the…." It was a series of photos and newspaper articles, all of them at least five years old. The articles were unsolved thefts and break-ins. The photos took him only a few seconds to make the connection. That tiny little blonde thing of various ages had to be his Parker. At least a few of the pictures were stills from security cameras. One was a mug-shot, she must have been about eight at the time. Another was a posed shot of an even tinier Parker with a family of brunettes. They were all smiling at the camera while she stared at her hands where they were folded in her lap. At least one shot was Parker so young that she was still in diapers and the cutest frilly pink dress.
Parker had given him something beyond words, beyond precious. This was… something he wasn't about to let her avoid. Not for one second longer. Hardison abandoned his computer and went looking for Parker. He found her in front of the TV with a bowl of her favorite cereal. He stopped mere inches in front of her toes and took the bowl from her hands. Once it was sitting on the coffee table, Hardison pulled her to her feet and into his arms. He caught her face in both hands and leaned down to claim her lips with his own.
After only a second or two of stiffness, Parker melted. Tiny hands fisted in the cloth over his chest as sweet lips opened under his. His Parker was kissing him back, rising on her toes to deepen this perfect kiss. Hardison curled both his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, adoring the little sound she made as her arms slowly wrapped around his neck.
Only when air was absolutely necessary did he pull back at all. And even then, he only pulled back enough to rest his forehead against hers with a groan. "Thank you, Parker." Her gorgeous eyes met his silently. But then she nodded and reached for another kiss. That was more than enough for him. Hardison knew his Parker was a girl of actions, not words. And he was more than happy to show her how he felt in this or any other way she wanted.
Anything for more of his Parker. Hardison willingly lost himself in her kiss.
Whenever you call, Mariah Carey
The first time she called him, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest to flop about madly on the floor. Parker had called. Parker had called for help. Parker had called him for help. Parker had called him, Alec Hardison, aka computer-boy, for help and it wasn't for her broken electronics.
When his phone had rung, Hardison expected Nate, Sophie, or even Elliot with the news that he was needed at headquarters for a new client. He wouldn't have bet a dime that Parker's voice would be the one he heard saying his name. Or that she'd sound almost like she'd been crying.
"Hardison?"
"Parker, honey, what's wrong?" He barely managed not to crack his phone's housing at the sound of crying. Not in her voice but in the background. "What happened, sweetheart?"
"What happened?" Her voice took on a note of laughter, albeit a little angry. "What happened…sweetie… is that Nate shoved a baby in a blanket into my hands before he ran out to play his role in the job. And now his little… darling… is acting very un-doll-like!" The crying got just a little louder and he could almost see her shifting the baby awkwardly in her arms. And no one could love her like he did and not hear the sarcasm in her endearments. Not and live. "He promised me that someone would get back to take over before it woke up from its nap." Her footsteps changed direction and the baby's crying changed as if she was trying the slight bouncing that usually calmed the girl. But it clearly wasn't working. "And if you haven't noticed, it isn't asleep."
"She, Parker-baby, not it. Lily must want something if she's awake that much earlier than normal."
"Well, duh, genius-boy, even I know that. But what does it want?" He found himself smiling at the plaintive note in her voice. She must look so damn cute right now. All flustered with a baby in one arm and the phone clutched in the other. And she'd killed him if he ever said so. "I've tried her bottle, that ratty teddy bear, and the sucking thing already. Couple times each. She cries if I hold her and if I put her down. Nate knows I'm a thief right, not a babysitter? He knows better than to put me in charge of his kid, right?"
Her footsteps were getting faster in perfect time with the small girl's cries. Parker had called him for help. Not Sophie, Mandy or Elliot, all of whom had more experience with babies. "Hold on for just a little longer, baby, I'll be there to help you with the babysitting in less than five minutes."
"Hurry, Hardison. I don't want to hand the kid back broken or something." He made it there in four minutes to have two teary-eyed little girls tucked against his ribs. Parker blinked blue eyes at him before she buried her nose against his throat and put Lily into his arms. "Fix her."
"She's not broken, Parker. She's just a baby." Sliding one arm around Parker's waist, Hardison looked down at Lily, red-faced from crying but otherwise fine. "Come on, baby girl, why don't you tell us what's wrong, sweetie?" Lily, far too young to talk, did get quieter at the sound of his voice. "That's my pretty girl, smile for your uncle Hardison. What's my baby girl need?"
Parker sniffled just a little against his shoulder, but moved enough for him to wrap both arms around the baby. "Even I know they don't start talking yet."
"Doesn't mean they can't hear." Hardison kept his voice soothing and crooned to the little girl staring up at him with wide, dark eyes. "Babies recognize voices before they do faces. And my pretty baby girl likes my voice doesn't she?" The baby calmed even more against his chest. "You've seen her stop crying when Sophie sings to her."
"So sing to her, already." Parker slid one arm around his back and rested the other hand over his on Lily's back. "If she likes your voice, maybe she'll stop crying."
Hardison shifted both his precious girls closer and started one of the songs that Nana had used on him and the younger kids, singing as much for the blonde as for the brunette. Both of his girls went quiet and pressed closer. Now it made perfect sense to him why Nate was smiling so much more since his baby girl was born. Someday he was going to be holding his and Parker's kids and singing to them just like this, with Parker cuddled just this close.
He'd decided that's exactly what he wanted. It was a question of when he'd be holding his girl and their daughter close, not if. Someday, hopefully sooner than later Parker would be the mother of his children. Hardison smiled, leaned down and planted a quick kiss on Parker's lips. "I love you, Parker."
"You're not as smart as you look if you don't know I love you by now, Hardison." His girl gave him a soft, sweet kiss before putting her head back down on his shoulder and gazing down at the infant in his arms. "It's pretty cute when it's not crying."
"She, Parker, not it."
Jailhouse Rock, Elvis
Nate certainly knew how to throw a party. And that's all a wedding reception was, a big involved party. Music was blasting out of speakers hidden around the bar. The food and drink was delicious and plentiful. And everyone that mattered in his life was in this room to help him celebrate the happiest day of his life so far. Hardison lifted a glass to his lips within minutes of surrendering his new bride for the daddy/daughter dance. Of course Nate was playing father in his crisp, Italian tux, leading a laughing Parker around the bar in her wedding dress.
Damn his girl was beautiful and he had Sophie to thank for part of that, but only part. Their family's defacto mother had been heavily involved in the planning of the ceremony and the selecting of the dress. And it was gorgeous. The bodice was fitted around her slim curves, weirdly it reminded him just a little of her favorite harness, but only to the waist. The skirt was nothing like anything she'd ever worn in all the years he'd known her. But every bride needed utterly fluffy and impractical layers of lace on her big day. Those skirts were flying around her ankles as Nate spun her in several tight little circles before leaning her back in a dip. His smile widened at the sight of Parker's hands wrinkling Nate's jacket.
His ring was on that finger and her ring glinted at him from his own hand during his next sip of champagne. Parker had actually married him today, under her real name and everything. That amazing woman had given him the best present any man could get; herself, lock, stock, and rappelling ropes. That beautiful woman was his bride.
While he was lost in thought and memory, Parker had changed arms. Elliot had claimed the new Mrs. Hardison for the next dance. And if anything she was laughing harder at his more athletic dance choice. Now her hemline was spinning up almost to her knees as she struggled just a little to keep up with their hitter through the far more complex steps and turns with a tight grip on both his hands.
A soft chuckle next to him finally pulled his eyes off the dance floor. "Isn't that a vision?"
"You should know, Soph, you picked out both their clothes." Hardison smiled at the grifter perched on the bar stool next to his. Sophie Devereux-Ford rested a hand on his arm, balancing a dark haired child on the other.
"And yours and Mandy's and Nate's." Her voice caught, but not out of emotion. Lily had put a knee into her mother's stomach somewhere in the middle of her father's name. "Here, take her, before she falls trying to get to you."
Hardison happily accepted the wiggling toddler trying to climb into his lap despite her mother's grip. "Come here, baby girl." Lily's hands loosened on his jacket once his arm was braced around the little girl's knees. Tiny fingers opened against his jaw before he was given a puckered little kiss. "What does my little girl want?"
"Dance wif me, Unca Har." Tiny arms curled around his neck as the little girl cuddled against his chest. "Want Auntie Park."
"Come on, baby girl. Let's go get your Auntie Parker." Hardison smiled at Sophie and set about stealing back his bride. He waited for a slow moment in the dance before tapping Elliot on the shoulder with a smile. "May we cut in?"
"If you must," Elliot dropped a kiss on Parker's cheek and spun her one last time, right into Hardison's arms. Now his girl was really smiling as he caught her up against his chest.
"Hi, Auntie." Lily smacked her lips against Parker's cheek and slung one arm around her neck. "Dance wif us, Aunt Park." With the little girl tucked safely between them, Hardison pulled Parker closer and stole a kiss. Dark hair tickled his cheek as Lily leaned in, trying to get in on the kissing. Exchanging a quick smile, the unspoken plan was made. A heartbeat later, Hardison was kissing his way down Lily's cheek as Parker dug tickling fingers into tiny ribs.
This day wouldn't be complete without this, all of this. He needed this precious little girl laughing in their arms. He needed Nate and Sophie smiling at them from the bar. He needed Elliot and Mandy dancing and laughing just a few feet away. Most of all, he needed Parker, always in his arms.
This was his family, with him on the best damn day of his life.
True to your heart, 98 degrees, Mulan
/God, baby…\\ He had never seen anything so damn beautiful in his life. Nothing came close, second place was miles behind and breathless from the running. And second place was still light years ahead of the rest of the competition. And despite his deep and timeless love of all things techie, there wasn't a single object with a microchip in the top twenty or thirty on this list. Everything thing on this list had her name attached to it. /Parker, my sweet Parker.\\
Considering all the swearing, yelling, and clawing she'd been doing just two hours ago, his Parker was amazingly peaceful and so gorgeous that his teeth hurt. He should try to get used to this feeling. It would be awhile before he could touch her like he'd gotten very used to doing on a daily basis.
It was worth it. It was more than worth it. Hardison would be celibate for years if it meant he got to sit here quietly with her hand in his and this sight before his eyes. The baby girl was curled up on her mother's chest, tiny lips pursed and little fists clenched in the cloth of her pink blanket. Hardison couldn't have wiped the smile off his face for his own life. They were just so damn pretty. His fingers were shaking as they stroked ever so lightly up and down her tiny back, feeling the rise and fall of each easy breath. His own breathing wasn't nearly as smooth as he helplessly leaned down to press a soft kiss to the curve of a tiny cheek.
"Thank you, Parker. Thank you so much for this." Hardison watched her lips quirk before he couldn't hold back. He needed a kiss from his wife and he needed it now. Letting go of her hand, he moved all ten fingers to tenderly cup her face and breathed her name into a soft, sweet, gentle kiss. Her response was just as precious as it always was, just as necessary to his heart. Weakly pulling back, he smiled down at her. "Parker,"
She bit her lip and nodded, slowly unlocking her fingers from the front of his shirt before reclaiming his hand. Her other hand was trembling just a bit as she curved it around the blanket-covered weight on her ribs. "It's not like I did it all on my own, Hardison. You helped." A tiny shifting of her body led one of his hands to slide over hers and onto their daughter. "And you better believe you're still helping from here on, too."
He imagined his future, his destiny. These two precious girls occupying his days, sleeping in his arms at night, and always, always as close as he was lucky enough to keep them. His heart climbed the back of his throat. "I wouldn't have it any other way, baby. You're mine, you both are. I'm always gonna be right here."
The look in her eyes required another kiss, a little harder this time at her insistence. "Good. Now get up here and hold us."
"Yes, ma'am." Hardison carefully slid onto the bed at her side, curving one arm under her neck and the other around his daughter. "Go to sleep, mama. Daddy's on duty right now." Pressing against her side, he watched her eyes fall closed and wound his fingers through hers. Another set of beautiful blue eyes opened for just a moment to look at him. Then tiny chocolate lips seemed to smile as his newborn daughter sighed against his wife's ribs and settled into sleep as well. "That's it, my sweet girls, Daddy's here. Daddy will always be here."