(Untitled)

[1000_cranes]

She's exhausted and she's hurting in ways that she never expected. She's close to tears, through exhaustion or high emotion or both, but her daughter is here, in her arms, safe and whole and perfect. It's something that Charlie never expected to happen, not for her. It feels like she's been waiting for this for a very, very long time

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[coffee_sir]

Ianto had heard stories about the horrors of childbirth and read up on it, but nothing could have prepared him for the real thing. He stood his ground and held Charlie's hand - when she wanted him to - through the whole thing, and felt it a little unfair that he would walk away from this only with cuts in his hand from her fingernails.

Some women did this eight times or more. Were they all mad?

It was worth it to see their daughter safely ensconced in Charlie's arms. For the moment, Ianto felt no uncertainty, no doubt, no worry about whether or not he was ready for this or whether or not he would be just like his father. All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around his wife and child and be happy in that moment.

He got an arm around Charlie's shoulders and kissed her forehead, pulling back to wipe the tears away from her cheeks. "I still can't believe it," he said, voice a little shaky, as he brushed his thumb very, very gently against Cadi's cheek. "We did it. You did it."

[1000_cranes]

"We did it," echoes Charlie, and she wants to look up at him, she does, but she can't tear her eyes away from the baby in her arms.

"Cadi suits her, doesn't it?" she says, finally. "That's definitely her name."

[coffee_sir]

"Definitely," he agreed. "Pure as the driven snow." She looked it too, despite needing a proper bath. All pale, pink skin and wisps of red hair.

"Wait until she's crying in the middle of the night though," he said lightly. "Then we might want to call her something else."

[1000_cranes]

"I guess we'll figure that out when we get there," she says, cradling the top of Cadi's head with one hand.

"You want to hold her, Daddy?"

[coffee_sir]

And then the doubt flared up, just for a second. What if he dropped her? What if he held her wrong? What if she started crying the second she was in Ianto's arms, just knowing something was wrong? Stupid, ridiculous fears that he tamped down on immediately, but they were there nonetheless.

"Of course," he said, covering up the insecurity with a touch of a laugh. Despite the worry, he really did want to hold his daughter.

[1000_cranes]

Charlie turns, surpporting Cadi's head with one hand; Paul had been really careful to show her how before he'd left them alone for a while. "You're going to be fine," she says, eyes on his face.

[coffee_sir]

Ianto nodded distractedly, focused more on supporting Cadi's head, making sure he held her comfortably. He thought maybe to say something, but couldn't, the words catching in his throat as the small weight settled in his arms.

This was his daughter. He had helped make this life. He had never felt so small.

[1000_cranes]

Watching the love of her life hold their daughter, it's almost more than Charlie cna bear. A wave of emotion hits her and she sags back against the pillows, tears standing in her eyes. It really does feel like they've been waiting for this for a long time.

"How's that feel?"

[coffee_sir]

Still at a loss for words, Ianto nodded again, watching his little daughter yawn and shift minutely in his arms. Words couldn't have described how this felt.

"Good," he said finally, his voice shaking with that single word. "Good."

[1000_cranes]

She hurts, in weird ways, and Charlie shifts her hips and lets her head rest against the pillow. "I need to feed her, but then I might try and sleep for a while, if you think you can hold the fort without me, Mr Jones."

[coffee_sir]

He nodded still, but really did hear her. The shock wore off the longer Cadi was in his arms, but the awe remained. "We'll be fine while you sleep," Ianto said, looking up to smile at his wife. "We'll just stay right here."

[1000_cranes]

"You're going to have to hand her back to me," says Charlie, still smiling. "I know you're superman, Ianto Jones, but I'm pretty sure you haven't figured out breast-feeding yet."

[coffee_sir]

"Oh, just give me time," he teased right back. With great care -- maybe a little too much care -- Ianto handed their daughter back to Charlie. "I'll get there yet."

[1000_cranes]

It takes her a moment to rearrange herself, shifting her close, shifting the baby, until they're comfortable and Cadi's feeding. Charlie smiles up at Ianto.

"I love you, you know."

[coffee_sir]

"I love you too," Ianto said quietly, bending to kiss Charlie's forehead again. It felt like something was starting, like he should be running and doing, but he didn't want to move. There wasn't anywhere else he wanted to be than right there, with his wife and child. His family.

He would hold onto the moment for as long as he could.