When Stacker shows up to ask him to help save the world, all he can think about is the only thing he has left in this world. And what she would say if he asked her if he should go back to his old job. He knows what she would say. She would ask if it would make him happy and then she would ask him what Uncle Yancy would say about it. So he agrees to go, but when he tells Stacker there are conditions, the man just raises a brow at him. Then Raleigh makes the man fly him to his out of the way cabin where his whole world is being babysat by his nice older neighbor, Ms. Ellie.
Once Stacker lays eyes on the nearly five year old little girl, Raleigh sees something in the man's eyes that he has only seen when he was looking in the mirror. It's the look of a father and a look of understanding and fierce love. Stacker looks back to him and says that whatever he needs is done.
It wasn't really ideal to take a child into a very dangerous Shatterdome, but Raleigh couldn't bare the idea of leaving his baby girl behind.
When he walks hand in hand with his daughter towards the bay door to meet Miss Mori, the woman looks surprised to see the child but then seems to accept it just as easily as the handshake he gives her. Miss Mori even shakes his daughters hand but his little girl doesn't say anything when the woman tries to make conversation. He knew that would happen since his baby girl is very shy when it comes to new people but he has a feeling that the two will become fast friends. When he meets Newt and Hermann he finds them odd yet weirdly charming and he sees his little girl smile at how fast Newt seems to talk, he just hopes she doesn't have any more problems with her hearing aids so she can get what the man's saying. She always gets very sad and quiet when she can't understand someone since it's still hard for her to read lips.
When they continue through the Shatterdome with Miss Mori, a fat wrinkly bull dog trots over to them and Mori bends down to pet him. The dog makes his daughter break out into the biggest smile he has seen on her face in a while and when she turns to him and uses ASL to ask if she can pet him, he doesn't hesitate to nod and crouch down with her.
She giggles when the dog licks her chin and Raleigh smiles slightly at the sight.
Raleigh stills and straightens when he hears a familiar voice heading their way.
"Oi, Max. Stop attacking the new comers." Herc Hansen says and Raleigh takes the man's hand when it's offered to him. "Becket, it's been a while."
"Yes, sir." He says, a little nervous and heart racing. He wonders where Chuck is, just now realizing that of course he would be here too.
"And who's this?" Herc asks and the man manages a smile towards the little girl scratching Max's ears.
"This is Rachel, my daughter." Raleigh says and he hears some kind of loud clunk. He looks to his right where he suddenly swallows and he's afraid his heart is going to hop out of his chest. Chuck is off to the side, staring at him with a hard expression and Raleigh guesses that the clunking sound was Chuck's helmet as it met the surface of a tool chart.
There is a pulling on his sweater and he slowly takes his gaze off of Chuck in order to look down at his baby girl.
Her eyes are wide and glassy and the exact reproduction of Chuck's and his chest still aches to this day every time she looks at him with Chuck's green eyes. She brings her hands up and then her signing goes quicker than he has ever seen it before.
"That's my daddy, right papa?"
Raleigh swallows and crouches down to be at the same level as her.
"Yes." He signs and mouths the words as well though he doesn't speak aloud for anyone else to hear. "That's your daddy. And this man is your grandfather."
He gestures to Herc and her eyes widen even more before she nods and promptly tries to hide her tears by hugging Herc's legs.
Raleigh looks up at the older man and he looks confused and quite bewildered as to why a child would be hugging him of all people. But Herc must see something in Raleigh's emotional eyes because he pats the little girls head albeit awkwardly before rubbing her shoulder.
She sniffs as she pulls away and whispers, "Sorry."
"It's okay angel." Raleigh says aloud as he signs to his daughter out of habit and learning purposes.
She turns to him, her light freckles glistening from the dampness under her eyes. She then looks over at Chuck who has an even more confused expression than his father and Raleigh quickly wipes his eyes when his daughter dashes over to Chuck, her light auburn braid flopping back and forth as she rushes over to the other man and hugs his legs as best she can around the hard drivesuit. Chuck's arms instantly settle on her back because of the impact of her weight smacking into his knees and Raleigh closes his eyes for second, wishing that this wasn't happening right now. Wishing that things had gone differently and hoping that Chuck, or Herc for that matter, doesn't kill him.
The grip he has on his and Rachel's bags tightens when he opens his eyes again and Chuck is staring at him with so many questions running through his eyes that Raleigh has to tell himself to keep breathing and walk over.
And he does, he walks over with his head held as high as he can manage and in a quiet voice he leans towards Chuck and says, "Is there a place where we can talk?"
"Why the fuck would I want to talk to you?" Chuck hisses in a whisper even though his hands are still somewhat comforting on Rachel's shoulders as she continues to clutch him like he'll disappear.
"Because," Raleigh says hoarsely and a tear manages to slide down his cheek ever slowly and Chuck catches it with his piercing eyes before Raleigh can wipe it away. "I need to tell you why I left and why Rachel is clinging to you like you might run away from her."
Chuck clenches his jaw and his nose flares but he nods and Raleigh lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
Chuck had his drivesuit removed before leading both Raleigh and Rachel along with Max towards the barracks where they all will be staying. Chuck took them to the room Mori had assigned them, all the while holding one of Rachel's hands while Raleigh had hold of the other. It wasn't voluntary but Rachel wouldn't let go of him so he relented and Raleigh had to hold in a smile at the sight.
When they entered his and Rachel's room, he promptly set down their bags on one of the beds and got out Rachel's nebulizer for her daily treatment and he watched as his baby girl reluctantly let go of Chuck's hand before walking over and climbing up onto the bed in order to get her treatment over with.
"Right now?" She signs sadly.
And Raleigh nods before speaking aloud with his signing. "Yes angel. And I need you to do something for me."
She frowns up at him. "What?"
"I need you to turn off your hearing aids for a little while."
Her face turns sour and a flare of Chuck's stubbornness shines in her eyes for a moment before she sighs, her shoulders slumping.
"Alright."
"Thank you". He says and he watches her turn her ears off before he sets her breathing mask over her mouth and nose before turning her machine on. The noise may seem obnoxious to new people but Raleigh and Rachel are used to it and it serves a great purpose so it doesn't bother him. He kisses her forehead and she pats her leg to get Max's attention and the dog looks apprehensive of the machine but trots over and hops onto the bed with her in order to set his head in her lap.
Raleigh stands and turns to Chuck, seeing that the door is closed behind him, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable as he looks at Rachel as she's getting her treatment. Raleigh takes off his coat and drapes it over the desk between the beds before he shoves the sleeves of his sweater up to his elbows.
"It's good to see you." He says and Chuck whips his gaze over to him, his eyes heated.
"Wish I could say the same." And if it wasn't for Rachel and Max being in the room, Raleigh is sure that Chuck would be screaming at him.
"I know you hate me, and you have every right to, Chuck."
"Damn straight I do." Chuck growls.
"But you have to hear me out." Raleigh continues, pretending Chuck didn't just interrupt and admit to hating him. His chest aches and his throat feels like its closing up.
"Why? Just so you can tell me that you left me because you knocked some bitch up?"
"What?" Raleigh pales. "No! How could you think that?"
"We'll then explain her!" Chuck says and Raleigh sets his mouth in a stern line.
"Just look at her, really look at her, and try to tell me you can't see it."
"See what?" Chuck frowns.
Raleigh breathes out shakily and refuses to acknowledge the wetness in his eyes.
"The perfect combination of you and me." He says softly.
Chuck looks confused once again then Raleigh gestures to their daughter. "Please, just look at her."
Chuck shakes his head at him but walks over anyway in order to get a better look at the girl. He sees that she's watching him and Raleigh intently as she pets Max and he notices how familiar her eyes look. And then her light pattern of freckles across her nose and cheeks. And then the set of her nose is similar to Raleigh's as well as her chin. Then he looks at her hair and sees that it's almost the same shade as his.
He's not sure when he started breathing heavily, then not at all, but he gasps out and then promptly bites down on his knuckles and turns towards the door.
"Chuck-"
"I just-" Chuck breathes. "Just give me a minute, yeah?"
His voice is hoarse and his eyes are burning and he refuses to let anyone see.
"Okay." Raleigh whispers, barely heard over the sound of Rachel's machine.
Chuck opens Raleigh's door and steps into the hallway so the girl, HIS daughter, doesn't see him have a panic attack. He leans against the wall next to the open door and heaves out harsh breaths thinking that he might pass out due to lack of oxygen.
But he soon gets his breathing under control and he wipes his eyes with the hem of his shirt.
He has a kid. He has a daughter. There is a living breathing little girl with his eyes and his hair and his freckles. The same girl with Raleigh's chin and nose and smile.
He didn't know that this would happen to him; with the war and basically the end of the world, all he thought about doing was fighting in a Jaeger until he either ended the war or died in one.
But now, there is a little girl with his eyes and Raleigh's smile and he has no idea what to think anymore.
He steels himself before turning and walking back into the room, shutting the door behind him so they can have privacy. He's proud of himself for not punching something since given his luck; he would have broken his hand.
He looks at Raleigh who is sitting on the desk chair with his arms resting on his knees, next to Rachel who has her machine off and is lying down on the bed with Max. Raleigh stands back up when he walks closer and Chuck breathes for a moment before he speaks.
"How?" Is all he can manage to say but Raleigh starts talking frantically all the same.
"I knew that I was a carrier but we were always careful and I just never got to tell you. I found out I was pregnant a week before Knifehead and I was still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing and I only told Yancy. He was supportive and actually excited about the idea of being an uncle and he was even trying to sell me on names for the baby. But then Knifehead happened and Yancy was gone and I was in the hospital for a while because of the physical trauma. I almost lost Rachel three times, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing a piece of you and me along with Yancy so I did everything the doctors told me and I got away from the Jaeger Program. I wanted to call you and explain to you what was going on so many times during my pregnancy but I was afraid and stupid and I knew that you needed to be with your dad in order to fight the Kaiju. I didn't want to be a burden and didn't want to make you choose so I just stayed away. I was so heartbroken and stressed and still weak because of the accident and I had Rachel two months early. She was so small and sickly but she was a fighter, so much like you. And I still think that Yancy is watching out for her somehow because I almost lost her a few times while she was in the NICU. She was born with 70% hearing loss and she has severe asthma because her lungs weren't fully developed before she was born but she's the most perfect thing in the world Chuck. And she's half yours, she's ours Chuck, and I don't want her to spend one more day of her life without you. I don't want to either. I've missed you so much that it hurts to breathe being this close to you."
Raleigh's crying, sobbing almost and Chuck is too and he can't take being away from him any longer. He surges forward and wraps his arms tightly around Raleigh, breathing him in and clutching him ever closer. Raleigh holds him just as tightly and soon they are rubbing their faces together, then their noses are bumping, and then their lips meet. They taste tears and longing and desperation in each other's mouths and it is highly overdue.
Chuck hears a squeal from the bed next to them and he breaks the kiss but still keeps his hold on Raleigh as he looks over. Rachel is smiling and clapping her hands softly as she beams up at them and Chuck swallows. That's his daughter, he has a daughter.
"She's mine?" Chuck whispers and Raleigh nods his head against Chuck's cheek.
"Yes." He says. "She's wanted to meet you for a long time."
Chuck looks back at Raleigh, eyes wide. "So she knows that I'm her..."
"Yes." Raleigh says, then he signs something to Rachel that Chuck can't catch even though he's trying to read Raleigh's lips.
Chuck watches Rachel take out what he's guessing are her hearing aids and then put them back in. Then she grins up at him full-heartedly and with so much love in her eyes.
"Hi daddy." She says aloud and Chuck nearly chokes out a sob.
He wipes his eyes with one hand as the other grips Raleigh's tightly. Raleigh squeezes back before Chuck lets go and moves to crouch in front of Rachel.
"Hello love." He says softly and the next thing he knows is that his arms are filled with something precious and he's getting the life squeezed out of him by a tiny little thing with his eyes and Raleigh's smile.
He holds her tight but not too tight, afraid he might break her. And he lets the water flow from his eyes freely as he stands up with his daughter in his arms. He turns back to Raleigh and catches him wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater. Chuck adjusts Rachel so that he's holding her against his hip with one arm while the other opens for Raleigh. The man comes to them without prompting and clutches them both, his face settling into the open space on Chuck's neck while Rachel hogs the other side. Chuck breathes them in, his family.
God, he has a family. He has a daughter and he has the love of his life back and he's never going to let them get away again. He's never going to let go of them. Ever.