Daughter
Chapter 2: Colleen
A/N: Been a while since I updated this but I didn't want to leave it abandoned so here's the next chapter. I have a plan for this story so please stick with me. And those of you who are fans of my other story "Alternate", don't worry, I should have the next chapter of that up sometime next week.
The security line was grueling but finally Daniel and Kate made it to the gate. The closer they got to the airplane itself the more Daniel began to fidget. No matter how many times he read about how much safer flying was than traveling in a car, he just couldn't relax. Of course he had flown many times before but each time had taken its toll on his nerves. This time was to be no different.
However instead of simply ruminating on the possibility of a fiery death, this time there were countless other worries to cloud his thoughts. He was someone's father now. That was both wonderful and terrifying. His talk with Kate had done little to ease his mind about his ability to be an adequate parent. There were so many factors to take into account, so many things to worry about. And these worries hounded him all through takeoff and through the better part of the flight.
Kate too was nervous. Though she was certain the news that Daniel had a child had been far more shocking to him, she couldn't help worrying. What if the baby didn't like her? What if Colleen somehow sensed the dislike Kate harbored for the infant's mother? What if every time she got near the baby the child screamed her head off. It was a terrifying prospect.
There was no doubt in Kate's mind that she wanted to help Daniel in any way she could. She loved him and she would love Colleen no matter what the child's feelings towards her were. But she and Daniel had only been together as a couple for three months. Would he be accepting of her help when it came to his child? Would she accidentally overstep her bounds right from the get go? She had a tendency to be overbearing.
It was one of the reasons she'd thus far prevented herself from accepting Daniel's invitation to move in. She was afraid her personality would somehow overrun his life. She was too independent for her own good, as Donnie had told her during the time they were married. She was terrified of the kind of havoc she might wreak on Daniel's life if they shared space for more than a night.
She looked over at Daniel and found him deep in thought as well. She tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to her and she smiled softly "You holding up okay?" she asked, hiding her own worries well beneath her genuine concern for him.
He offered her a tiny smile "I think I'll survive," he reached over and took her hand in his. "I'm so glad you're here," he told her.
She leaned against his shoulder "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
Daniel flipped up the armrest that separated them and pulled Kate into a loving embrace. As frayed as his nerves felt from the flight and his newfound fatherhood, with Kate Moretti by his side he almost felt as though he could take on the entire world.
They arrived in Paris after eleven at night. They hailed a cab and went straight to their hotel to drop off their bags. Daniel had phoned the children's' home that was caring for Colleen and discovered that one of the caregivers there, a miss Marie Manon, who had been informed that he would be arriving late in the evening, was able to meet with him and Kate to hand Colleen over.
As they waited in front of their hotel for a cab, Daniel couldn't stop pacing. Kate watched him, knowing that he was attempting to work off nervous energy. She did wish he could settle just a little, his obvious agitation was beginning to rub off on her. His pacing was interspersed with short periods of what appeared to be bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Kate could no longer stand still and she began pacing beside him. She reached down and wove her fingers through his in a silent show of support. Daniel gave her hand a grateful squeeze as they continued to pace.
"Where would you be without her?" Drexler postulated. He was leaning against the hotel's exterior wall, just to the left of the stairs that lead to the main entrance.
Daniel did his best to ignore his hallucination. His pacing slowed a fraction when he saw a cab approaching. The cab pulled up and they got in.
The short ride to the children's home was spent mostly in anticipatory silence. When they arrived Kate was halfway to the door when she realized Daniel wasn't beside her. She turned and found him standing stock still, gazing at the building with a mixture of fear and reverence.
She walked over and wrapped her arms around him "Hey," she whispered "You need a push?"
He chuckled nervously "Maybe..."
"We shouldn't keep your daughter waiting," Kate murmured.
"My daughter," Daniel said the words slowly, the knot in his stomach growing even tighter "My daughter is in there."
"Yep," Kate gave him a gentle peck on the lips before taking his hand and moving so that she was standing beside him instead of in front of him "You ready to meet her?"
Daniel closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He gave Kate's hand a tight squeeze as he opened his eyes again and took a step forward "Yeah," he remarked as they entered the building together.
Ms. Manon was waiting for them at the front desk. She smiled and shook hands with both of them before excusing herself to retrieve Colleen. Daniel found himself desperately wanting to begin pacing again. He felt a hand on his arm and flashed Kate a grateful look. She smiled and took a step closer to him.
"Remember to breathe," she whispered half jokingly.
He wrapped his arms around her and breathed. Then everything changed.
The first glimpse Daniel caught of his daughter was of a sleepy lolling head of brown hair, peering curiously out of a car seat. His first impression of the infant as Ms. Manon set the car seat on the desk in front of them was that she was perfect. Gently he reached into the car seat and lifted her into his arms.
The child raised her tiny hands to Daniel's scarf and began tugging on it, cooing happily. Gently he pried the fabric from her grasp so she decided to grab his fingers instead.
"She's beautiful Daniel," Kate observed quietly.
Daniel smiled at Colleen who replied with a toothless smile of her own "Hello," Daniel greeted "I'm your Dad."
Colleen babbled happily and attempted to pull his fingers, which she still held tight to, to her mouth.
Kate picked up the two bags Ms. Manon had set beside the car seat that contained all of Colleen's belongings not being held as evidence by the Paris police. Daniel set his daughter down in the car seat and together they made their way back out to where they had asked the cab driver to wait for them. Between them Daniel and Kate were able to secure the car seat in the cab.
On the way back they sat on opposite sides of Colleen, each smiling down at the child as her sleepy yet inquisitive gaze attempted to take in everything at once. At one point she reached out one of her small hands and yanked on Kate's long hair. Kate simply laughed before extracting the strands from the tiny fingers "Should have been more careful," she noted as she flipped the strands over her shoulder and out of Colleen's reach "Babies love to pull hair," she smiled at Colleen.
They returned to the hotel and Daniel paid the driver before taking Colleen's car seat and waiting on the sidewalk for Kate. His daughter had started to fall asleep and he found himself staring down at the tiny life he was now responsible for.
Kate came around the other side of the cab carrying the two bags. As she was about to step up on the curb she caught sight of a bicyclist heading up the sidewalk at incredible speed towards where Daniel was standing with Colleen. She leapt up and shoved Daniel out of the way just in time. She felt the bicyclist's arm brush her back as he passed. As soon as she was sure Daniel and the baby were unhurt she began screaming obscenities after the careless rider. Obscenities which, she realized with dissatisfaction, he probably didn't understand.
Her tirade had accomplished something else. Colleen had awoken and was now crying loudly. Kate turned to Daniel "Sorry," she murmured, feeling altogether foolish.
Daniel reached his free hand out to her "Don't be," he assured her. If he hadn't been so stunned by the appearance of the bicycle, he'd probably have been yelling in tandem with Kate.
Colleen was still crying as they entered the hotel lobby. Daniel set the car seat down on one of the lobby's sofas and lifted her into his arms. He suddenly felt very awkward as he tried to soothe her. After about a minute he looked over at Kate imploringly.
"What do you want me to do?" Kate questioned "I'm pretty sure she hates me."
"She doesn't hate you," Daniel countered as he took a step closer to Kate and attempted to hand Colleen to her.
"I hope you don't think I have some magic power over babies because I'm a girl," Kate dropped the bags on the sofa beside the car seat but did not take the baby.
"No," Daniel defended "But you have nieces... I was hoping you knew a thing or two..."
"I know a thing or two," Kate admitted "But I don't think I can be any help in this situation."
"Please Kate...?" Daniel looked so lost and forlorn holding his child at arm's length.
Kate reluctantly reached out and took the baby "Hey there," she bounced Colleen gently in her arms "I hope I didn't scare you," she smiled softly at the little girl "I wasn't mad at you," she assured as Colleen began to settle down.
The infant returned Kate's smile and babbled a string of nonsense before resting her head on Kate's shoulder.
Daniel came over and enveloped both of them in a hug "I told you she didn't hate you."
Kate smiled at him "I guess not," she admitted "Now let's get to our room so we can get her settled in."
The bicyclist came to a stop at the mouth of a dark alley. He got off the bike and left it leaning against the wall of a building as he went into the alley to meet with his contact.
"Did you confirm?" the contact inquired.
"Yes," the bicyclist responded. Both men spoke with American accents. "Pierce is here in Paris but he is not alone. There is a woman with him."
"A woman?" the contact questioned. He knew this woman was most likely Agent Moretti, Pierce's FBI friend who had arrived in Paris last time in time to get him out of a tough spot. But he told his underling none of this.
"Yes," the bicyclist replied "An American. She let loose a string of profanity when I narrowly missed hitting Pierce and the child."
The other man nodded silently. So Pierce had already taken custody of the baby. That could complicate things or it could work to his advantage. As for Moretti... well it was an opportunity to kill two meddling birds with one stone. "Follow them," he instructed the bicyclist "It will take several weeks for them to obtain a passport from the embassy for the infant. That gives us time to plan. I want photos and details of every place they go. Whatever you do, don't be as reckless as you were tonight. Keep your distance. Don't give them cause to suspect you of following them."
"Won't Pierce simply believe I'm a delusion?" the bicyclist asked.
The other man slapped him across the face "He might but the woman won't," he spat. He turned and walked away down the alley.
Things were finally coming together. After several months of laying low, evading French authorities, he had resurfaced only to be almost spotted by Miranda Stiles who had been out shopping with her infant at the time. He was quickly reminded of the numerous loose ends he had left behind.
He had followed Miranda home and before he'd killed her he had managed to get the identity of the baby's father from her. As he had hoped, it was Pierce. So no further trap needed to be laid other than to leave the child in her crib across the room from her murdered mother. Soon Pierce would come to him and if that woman got in the way... well he would remove two thorns from his side at once.