It wasn't supposed to be like this. He was meant to be helping Captain Avery and his men clear the escape shuttle that the madwoman was supposedly going to try to use. He led the way, but paused when the most important sound in the universe reached his ears for the very first time.
A baby crying.
His baby crying.
"We'll take care of this," said the understanding Captain, glancing at his own child briefly as he waved the Centurion off.
Rory ran, following the sound of his baby until it led him into a corridor. The foul woman put down the covered carrier holding his flesh and blood, intent on trying to take his child once more from him, before he heard the robotic command.
"Airlock engaged. Shuttle ready for boarding."
"No," he declared firmly, his sword pressed unwaveringly to her throat. That oh so precious cargo belonged to him, and she would not pirate it away. He smirked when the true pirates revealed their part in this rescue.
He spent only a moment more being torn between wanting to take this woman to her fate with the Doctor and wanting to rush to that covered carrier and finally glimpse at what- who- had been whole focus of his world ever since he'd found out about Amy's pregnancy and labour.
"We'll handle this, son," the Captain assured, his men hauling the woman away as Rory stared down at the white container that currently held the most important, terrifying, miraculous, precious thing he would ever know. The Captain gave a gruff laugh, staring at the petrified soldier who had just helped raise an army and led them into battle without thought for his wife, but who currently stood frozen in fear when faced with his child. He remembered that feeling well. "I think someone's waiting to meet you. Best not keep them waiting." He slapped him good-naturedly on the back, shoving Rory forward into action. Avery chuckled and left with his men.
Rory tentatively pulled back the lid, his sword forgotten on the floor somewhere, and the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen stared back at him. He carefully lifted the whimpering baby out of the carrier and into his arms, and he found himself sniffling. He took a deep breath, shoving down the urge to cry. He was going to be cool about this. Another deep breath when his baby stopped fussing in his arms.
He down looked at the child he was holding, so tiny and so light and so beautiful and so...perfect.
"Hi," he finally got out when he found his voice again.
A cold fear settled into his stomach- they'd taken his wife and baby for something, as he began unwrapping the swaddling around the small infant in his arms. Each new discovery brought sighs and smiles and lightened his heart more than he thought possible.
He lightly caressed each tiny arm, each hand leading down to one, two, three, four, five! delicate, tiny fingers. He uncovered more of the blanket and found ten perfect toes attached to two perfect feet at the bottom of two beautifully baby-chunky legs. He lifted the small top, scouring the now- slightly squirming body for the tiniest hint, the smallest detail that someone on this base dared treat this perfect creature with less than the absolute adoration they deserved. Finding no bruises or any other signs of maltreatment, he took the pulse, relaxing when it was normal. For extra reassurance, he brought his ear down to the small body, breathing a long sigh of relief when he heard a strong and powerful heartbeat pounding faithfully in his child's chest. Then he carefully uncovered the rest of the tiny body, lovingly and protectively scrutinizing every single particle of his baby...girl.
He had a daughter.
"Hello, princess," he found himself sniffling out, biting his almost-quivering lip before whispering reverently. "I'm your daddy." Then he laid a delicate kiss on his daughter's forehead. He let his lips linger there, soaking in the smell of the new person in his arms, and then he pulled back and smiled. "I'm so, so happy to finally meet you." He kissed her again, whispering more promises into her skin, soaking in as much of her as he could, amazed at how easy it was to forget about his life before she was in it, remembering even an hour ago as a dream of a man who-once-used-to-be.
A man who wasn't a father.
"And I will never, never let you go again," he concluded, holding her close to his own heart as he remembered to grab the sonic and prepared to thank the person who had made his whole life complete, constantly surprising and humbling and loving him every day.
"Now, let's go rescue Mummy."
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