A/N: For Marvel-Tolkien Fangirl. :)
The soft twitter of birds greeted the approaching twilight outside as Cal came home from the clinic, wiping his feet on the mat before opening the front door of the little house that was his family's personal sanctuary. He hung his jacket, removed his shoes, then stepped into the bathroom to wash his hands thoroughly.
It had been a rewarding day at the clinic: one minor surgery and a number of illnesses to treat, all of which had proceeded successfully. There was little he enjoyed more in life than bringing healing where there was pathology. And while he missed Jiaying's presence beside him in his work, the work in which she was presently engaged was better by far.
In his eagerness to see them, he pulled the towel off the rack and took it with him down the hallway, humming contentedly to himself as he peeked through the doorway to their bedroom.
Jiaying was in the rocking chair, swaying gently back and forth as she nursed their baby girl, the last rays of sunset enveloping her like a halo as they washed the room in golden light. She looked like an angel. And she was. They both were.
Jiaying's smile lit up the room even more brightly as Cal entered, still drying his hands. "She is just finishing," she said quietly, tenderly smoothing down their daughter's shock of dark hair.
Cal set down the towel and came close, kneeling beside the rocking chair as the little girl pulled off and rolled half onto her back, her rounded cheeks tinged pink and her eyes half-closed in blissful satiation. Cal's smile was wide as he reached in to ruffle her hair, soft as feathers. "Hello, little one."
Her eyes opened at the sound of his voice, and she gazed up at him raptly, as if drinking in the details of his face. Her eyes were still that deep, cloudy blue they had been when she was born, but Cal had no doubt they would one day darken to a rich chocolate brown.
Just like her mother's.
"Hello, Angel Eyes," he said softly, stroking her cheek. Her tiny mouth stretched into a toothless smile at his touch.
"She loves you," Jiaying observed affectionately. "She is always calm with you."
"Well, the sentiment is mutual," Cal replied, pride bringing a flush into his cheeks. He looked up at his wife. "How was your day?"
"Fine," she answered with a radiant smile. "We missed you, but our daughter is growing well, and she is very proud to know that her father spends his days helping people." Jiaying lifted a hand to Cal's cheek, her gentle caress expressing her own pride in his work.
Cal took her hand in his and kissed it, then leaned against her, one hand still ruffling their little girl's hair as the baby's eyelids drifted lower and lower.
The light dimmed as the sun sank fully below the horizon, and Cal reached over to switch on the lamp.
"I heard back from the Genetic Council today," Jiaying remarked mildly. "They said that, when she gets to the appropriate age, she will be a good candidate for passing through the mists."
A deep, quiet thrill coursed through him. "And will you want her to do so?"
Jiaying's answer was hesitant. "I do not know. She can change, but given that she is half human, I worry that the results might be unexpected. And it can be traumatic..." Her face was troubled as she gazed into the distance, seeing shadows of memories Cal had only ever heard about.
"But we can trust the Council," he reminded her gently. "And even the most difficult transformations are worthwhile in the end. We must not deprive her of the opportunity, if it is available to her. It is her destiny - to become something more."
Jiaying smiled at him weakly, and Cal leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. "She will be beautiful," he murmured. "Just like you. And she will have you to walk her through it."
Jiaying's eyes cleared, and her smile strengthened. "She will always be beautiful."
They both gazed in awe at the little piece of perfection falling asleep in her mother's lap, her arms and legs twitching gently, faint sleepy smiles blossoming across her face. Cal's heart felt so full it might burst. His daughter. She was, truly, the most exquisite thing he'd ever seen. Of all the gifts he could give to the world, he never imagined he'd bequeath to it anything as lovely as this.
Eventually, the little girl settled into deeper, stiller sleep, and Cal managed to tear his eyes away from her. "I'll go start on dinner," he said softly.
Jiaying smiled. "Thank you, love. I'll get her settled."
As Cal straightened up and turned to leave the room, he heard his wife begin to sing quietly. The sound filled him with a sense of joy and contentment.
"Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do..."
All was right with the world.
A/N: I don't love where Cal is at on the show right now, but I find him to be such a compelling and sympathetic (in the sense of inducing sympathy) antagonist. His is a tragic story, and I hope for good for him eventually.
What did you think? Too flowery? :)