Fic: First Meeting
Title: First Meeting
Author: laughter_now
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 3149 words
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Star Trek Franchise. The only thing I own is my lost ability to write angsty things...
Summary: Eleanor meets a special someone for the first time.
Fill for the prompt "Love at First Sight" on my schmoop bingo card. And yes, I know it's the wrong square to get my first bingo, but it demanded to be written.
Once more, set in the ever-sprawling verse of one-shots surrounding the basic setup of Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder. One day, it's going to get a master post, I promise.
This one is set very early in the verse, set in between Secrets and A Brandnew Start. Eleanor was met first in No Second Chance for a First Impression, which somehow also fits into this verse. I just need to tweak a few of the details. ;-)
Enjoy!
The doorbell rang about five hours too early, and even before Jim went into the hall to open it, he was absolutely sure that it was no delivery-boy or messenger, and no random visitor who was dropping by. In fact, he was absolutely sure he knew exactly who was standing on the other side of that door, and he didn't need any psychic abilities to come to that conclusion. So it was with a wide smile on his face that Jim opened the door.
He really should have bet money on knowing exactly who their visitor was, but then again Bones probably wouldn't have been willing to bet against him.
"Hello Eleanor."
His mother-in-law was positively bouncing on the doorstep as Jim opened the door. It was a hilarious sight, really, to see a normally composed woman of her age to be driven by restless energy, but Jim knew better than to comment on it. He was fairly sure that Bones had a similar story to tell about Jim's own nervousness just a little over a week ago.
As soon as the door was open, Eleanor had engulfed him in a tight embrace.
"Jim!"
It had been just a few weeks since they had last seen each other, but still she clung to him as if it had been years since they had been together. He wasn't going to complain though, not about a hug from his mother-in-law. Eleanor was a great hugger, and Jim allowed himself that second or two of the feeling of simply being held. She held him tightly for a few moments, then released him, but not without pressing a firm kiss against his cheek.
"It's so good to see you, Jim."
Jim smiled at the eager glint in her eyes. "It's good to see you, too, Eleanor. And now come on in, I know exactly that you're not here because of me."
Eleanor stepped into the hallway and put down her bag as Jim closed the door behind her again. Her head was cocked slightly, as if she was listening for sounds from inside the house. Jim laughed and nodded towards the stairs.
"They're upstairs. Come on, I know you're dying to meet him."
Eleanor looked positively excited as she followed Jim up the stairs. The house was silent around them, but as soon as they stepped into the master bedroom, they could hear the soft murmuring of Bones' voice. Until now Jim had been leading the way, but it was as if the sound of her son's voice had been the signal Eleanor had been waiting for, and she quickened her steps and hurried past him. Jim was glad she did, because that way he could see her face as she stopped a few steps into the nursery, completely transfixed by the sight that greeted her there.
Jim understood her completely. He himself couldn't get enough of it, either. There was something about the sight of Bones with a baby - their baby - cradled against his shoulder, one large hand cupping the small head and holding him securely as he murmured soothing words into the tiny ear that made Jim feel suspiciously weak-kneed. One week now since they had brought him home, and Jim still couldn't believe it. Couldn't drink in enough of that sight.
Bones looked up as he heard the two of them enter the room, and a wide smile spread across his face at the sight of his mother.
"Ma!"
It was no shout, not with the little one held in his arms, but it was enough to get Eleanor moving. She was by Bones' side with just a few steps, puling him into a tight one-armed embrace as she kissed his cheek.
"Len."
"We didn't expect you until later."
Eleanor was doing that almost-bounce again, trying to get a glimpse of the baby's face against Leonard's shoulder.
"I caught an earlier shuttle. I was…I was at home all morning, anyway, and I didn't want to wait for any longer."
Jim stepped closer and wrapped his arm around Leonard's waist as his husband carefully lifted the baby off his shoulder.
"You're right on time Ma, junior here just woke up. You can have the full bottle and diaper experience right away, if you want."
Eleanor's eyes were glued to the baby's face the moment Leonard started to lift him off his shoulder. They had sent her pictures, of course. In fact, it had been nearly the first thing they had done once the adoption had gone through and they had brought him home, but still. Jim could relate to the feeling that it was something different to finally see the little guy in person. He himself had to check up on him regularly, just to look and make sure that it had been no dream, and he was really there.
Eleanor seemed a little startled as Bones held the baby out to her, but her hands reached almost automatically, holding the child under his head and his diapered bottom as she carefully pulled him against her chest. There was a completely awed smile on her face, one that mirrored exactly what Jim was feeling whenever he held his son in his arms. At that moment Jim was completely and absolutely sure that Eleanor was already falling for the little guy, and falling hard. She tightened her hold on him and made soft cooing noises when being handed over was accompanied by a small squawk of protest.
When Eleanor looked up at them, her eyes were shining a little, but Jim had known his mother-in-law for a couple of years now, and he knew better than to comment on it.
"So, are you finally going to tell me what name you decided on? You can't keep calling him 'junior', after all."
Bones looked at Jim then, and with a smile Jim tightened his arm around his husband's waist in a silent prompt to speak. Bones squeezed back and took a deep breath.
"His name is David."
Eleanor looked up at them, her eyes wide.
"David?"
Bones nodded, and Jim watched as a small smile started to spread on his husband's face. There was a hint of sadness in Bones' eyes, though, the memory of the person they had decided to name their son after closer to the surface in the presence of his mother than it had been before. Jim was convinced that the hurt wasn't going to last, but he also knew that for now, it was there, and it was something both Bones and Eleanor were feeling which he himself couldn't fully relate to.
"David," Bones confirmed. "David James McCoy."
"McCoy…" Eleanor turned towards Jim, brow furrowed in confusion. "Just McCoy? But what about…"
Jim just shook his head. He didn't think he could find the words right now to describe what it had been like to grow up with his name, and why he didn't want his son to go through the same. David would always know who he belonged to, they were going to make sure of that. There was no need for Jim's name behind or in front of a hyphen to signal that he was theirs. David's middle name had been Bones' insistence, but Jim didn't want for his son to grow up in the shadow of a name like he himself had been forced to. At one point he was going to give Eleanor that explanation, but now was not the time for it. Right now, he didn't know how to put it into words.
"Just McCoy," he assured her instead. "David McCoy. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
Eleanor blinked, looking back down at David's face nestled in the crook of her arm. There was a definite trail of moisture sneaking down her cheek, but the smile on her face was wide, and a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob tore free.
"It sounds wonderful." She gently traced a finger along David's cheek, and Jim felt Bones relax against him - just a little, but enough to prove that despite all his claims to the contrary, he had been nervous about his mother's reaction.
"Hello David," Eleanor said in a hushed tone. "I'm your grandma. I guess we're going to be seeing a lot of each other from now on."
If Jim was the one to judge, David didn't seem particularly fazed by or even interested in the introduction. He was beginning to scrunch up his face though, and his lips were starting to move in what Jim had already come to recognize as the first stages of hungry protest. The smile that had become perpetually etched onto his face since they had brought David home was there again; Jim felt it tug the corners of his mouth upwards as he disentangled himself from Bones' side and turned towards the bedroom.
"I'll fix him a bottle, otherwise he won't be this agreeable in a few minutes." In passing, he put a hand against Eleanor's arm and brushed a kiss against her cheek. "I'll be right back. You two get acquainted in the meantime."
It was one thing they had learned quickly in the few days since they had brought David home - as soon as hunger was involved, the time for being cute and acquiescent was over. So it was best to get the bottle ready before the full-blown wailing started. But other than that, Jim also wanted to give Bones a few minutes alone with his mother. Jim knew, or at least he thought he knew to some degree, how much his husband had loved his father, even though David had died before Jim had known Bones, and he had never had a chance to meet the other man's father. But he could see it every time Bones talked about his father, and every time the pain about his death and the circumstances surrounding it flared up again.
The pain was there now, too, and had been a little more constant ever since they had brought David home, even if it had been overshadowed by the absolute joy about this new addition to their life.
As much as he and Bones shared, Jim knew that this pain mixing in with the joy and excitement was something he couldn't relate to, and couldn't intrude on, either. Eleanor could, though, and Jim was even more glad for her presence if it gave Bones the chance to let go of some of the grief he was still holding on to. It was never going to vanish entirely, Jim knew that. Now that they had named David after the grandfather he was never getting to know, it was a lot closer to the surface. It was a loss Bones and Eleanor shared, and all Jim could do was give them a moment alone with each other.
He went down into the kitchen and fixed a bottle with formula. It was surprising how automatic the movements had already become, especially at night when he went through the motions with half his brain still fast asleep. He set the replicator for water heated at the right temperature, measured out the formula and shook the bottle until the powdered formula had dissolved completely. Once the bottle was ready, he picked up Eleanor's bags from the hall and carried everything upstairs.
A lesser man would have been intimidated by the sheer amount of luggage his mother-in-law had brought for what was supposed to become a two-day visit, but he wasn't worried. For one, Eleanor was welcome here any time, for as long as she wanted to stay. But even more so, he had the sneaking suspicion that a big part of the contents of those bag were for David rather than for Eleanor herself. She had been way too excited about finally becoming a grandmother to hold back on the spoiling in any way.
Jim deposited the bags in the bedroom across the hall from theirs and took the bottle into the nursery where Eleanor was still holding David in her arms. She was sitting in the old wicker rocking chair Winona had sent them that they had set up beside the crib. The chair was over half a century old by now, an heirloom on Winona's side of the family, and though it had spent the last couple of decades in a storage unit in Iowa, it didn't look or feel its age.
Winona, too, had been excited about the news of David's arrival. Right now she was still in space, but she had applied for extra shore-leave and would come visit them, too, within the next few weeks. Just thinking about that visit made Jim understand a little better how Bones must have been feeling for the past days. He had a lot more mixed feelings about the visit of his own mother than that of his mother-in-law. But he wasn't going to think about that now. Right now Eleanor was here, and they'd just have to take it one grandmother at a time.
Bones had pulled up a stool beside the rocking chair, and once Jim handed over the bottle to Eleanor, he stepped up behind him and put his hands on his husband's shoulders. Bones leaned back against him, one hand coming up to cover Jim's.
"I think we have a serious case of love at first sight here," he said, the smile obvious in his voice. Eleanor was talking softly to David as she fed him the bottle, either ignoring them or so absorbed in her grandson that she didn't even notice them. Jim chuckled and pressed a kiss on top of Bones' head.
"She's not the first one, I'd say."
Bones laughed, and his grip around Jim's hand tightened. "No, definitely not. I just get the feeling she's not going to let go of him for the next two days."
Jim knew the feeling of not wanting to let David go ever again, physically as well as in every other way, and he didn't begrudge Eleanor for it just one bit. Not if he could understand exactly what she was feeling.
He laughed and pressed a kiss against the back of Bones' neck.
"She'll have to, otherwise she won't be able to get the countless gifts out of her luggage. Those bags are huge, Bones. They couldn't be any larger if she wanted to move in here."
"I can hear you, you know?" Eleanor still wasn't looking up at them, and she was still smiling widely. "And don't worry, I'm not planning on moving in here. And I didn't empty any baby stores on my way here, either. It's just…" She looked up and tried to shrug nonchalantly, but Jim could see the sudden tension on her face. "I went through some of the boxes in the attic over the past week or two, and there were some things that shouldn't be collecting dust in the attic if there's a child around who can use them. The quilt my mother made for me when I was pregnant, some clothes and a few toys that survived the past decades unscathed, things like that. I thought you might want them."
Even Jim knew that there was a lot more to the notion of a southern lady passing on family heirlooms, even if Eleanor feigned nonchalance. Why the hell ever she thought they might not want the gifts she had brought was beyond Jim's understanding. Apparently it meant a lot more to her than she let on, and Jim felt a lump form in his throat the way it often happened when he was caught unawares by the realization of how easily and openly Eleanor had welcomed him into her family. Bones shifted under Jim's hand, leaning forward to press a kiss against his mother's cheek.
"Thank you, Ma."
There was a moist shine to Eleanor's eyes, and she quickly and expertedly shifted her hold on David and the bottle so that she had one hand free to surreptitiously wipe over her eyes before she teasingly swatted at Bones' arm.
"Now, enough of that. David and me, we've got this here covered. Isn't that right, sweetheart? So why don't you boys make yourself useful and look after lunch?"
Bones got up from his perch on the stool with a chuckle.
"See, Jim? Already she's monopolizing him."
"I'm trying to get to know my grandson, Len. I'm going to see him rarely enough as it is."
"You live less than an hour away by shuttle, Ma. More like half an hour, really, if someone is crazy enough to let you behind the wheel of a hovercar. You can come over whenever you like; it's not like we're living on another planet."
Eleanor put the bottle away and shifted David so that he rested against her shoulder, gently patting his back.
"Be that as it may, I'm trying to bond with my grandson here." David's shoulder's hitched slightly as he gave a small burp, and Eleanor pulled him away from her shoulder. "I think you need a new diaper, don't you? Yes, you do. Now, how about the two of us go and see if your Nana still knows how this works, and your Daddies go and make some food for us. Does that sound good? I thought so."
Eleanor moved over towards the changing table, keeping up a constant stream of conversation, no matter how one-sided it might have been, as she put David down and started to unbutton his clothes. Jim watched her for a few moments, then he reached for Bones' hand and pulled him out of the room.
"Come on, I think she's got this covered."
Bones allowed Jim to pull him along, but outside in the corridor he stopped and shook his head with a smile.
"She's completely besotted with him."
Jim laughed. "Can you blame her? Most adorable baby in the entire galaxy, as far as I'm concerned."
Bones leaned in until his lips were hovering less than an inch away from Jim's, his breath fanning warmly over Jim's face.
"Absolutely. And she thinks so, too. So I guess Ma's gonna be here as often as she can in the future."
There was a question in there somewhere, Jim knew. A question along the lines of if this was too much, too close, too big an intrusion into their small family bubble, even though Bones should know better by now. Wrapping his arms around Bones' waist, Jim pulled him flush against himself.
"Good. It's good to have the best babysitter live close by. In case we need some time alone, you know?"
If the way he pressed Jim into the wall as he kissed him was any indication, Bones knew exactly what Jim was talking about. And Jim most certainly wasn't complaining. Really, lunch could wait for a little while longer. Jim had some bonding of his own to tend to.
The End.
Thanks for reading. As always, please let me know what you think. Thanks a lot.
Author: laughter_now
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 3149 words
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Star Trek Franchise. The only thing I own is my lost ability to write angsty things...
Summary: Eleanor meets a special someone for the first time.
Fill for the prompt "Love at First Sight" on my schmoop bingo card. And yes, I know it's the wrong square to get my first bingo, but it demanded to be written.
Once more, set in the ever-sprawling verse of one-shots surrounding the basic setup of Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder. One day, it's going to get a master post, I promise.
This one is set very early in the verse, set in between Secrets and A Brandnew Start. Eleanor was met first in No Second Chance for a First Impression, which somehow also fits into this verse. I just need to tweak a few of the details. ;-)
Enjoy!
The doorbell rang about five hours too early, and even before Jim went into the hall to open it, he was absolutely sure that it was no delivery-boy or messenger, and no random visitor who was dropping by. In fact, he was absolutely sure he knew exactly who was standing on the other side of that door, and he didn't need any psychic abilities to come to that conclusion. So it was with a wide smile on his face that Jim opened the door.
He really should have bet money on knowing exactly who their visitor was, but then again Bones probably wouldn't have been willing to bet against him.
"Hello Eleanor."
His mother-in-law was positively bouncing on the doorstep as Jim opened the door. It was a hilarious sight, really, to see a normally composed woman of her age to be driven by restless energy, but Jim knew better than to comment on it. He was fairly sure that Bones had a similar story to tell about Jim's own nervousness just a little over a week ago.
As soon as the door was open, Eleanor had engulfed him in a tight embrace.
"Jim!"
It had been just a few weeks since they had last seen each other, but still she clung to him as if it had been years since they had been together. He wasn't going to complain though, not about a hug from his mother-in-law. Eleanor was a great hugger, and Jim allowed himself that second or two of the feeling of simply being held. She held him tightly for a few moments, then released him, but not without pressing a firm kiss against his cheek.
"It's so good to see you, Jim."
Jim smiled at the eager glint in her eyes. "It's good to see you, too, Eleanor. And now come on in, I know exactly that you're not here because of me."
Eleanor stepped into the hallway and put down her bag as Jim closed the door behind her again. Her head was cocked slightly, as if she was listening for sounds from inside the house. Jim laughed and nodded towards the stairs.
"They're upstairs. Come on, I know you're dying to meet him."
Eleanor looked positively excited as she followed Jim up the stairs. The house was silent around them, but as soon as they stepped into the master bedroom, they could hear the soft murmuring of Bones' voice. Until now Jim had been leading the way, but it was as if the sound of her son's voice had been the signal Eleanor had been waiting for, and she quickened her steps and hurried past him. Jim was glad she did, because that way he could see her face as she stopped a few steps into the nursery, completely transfixed by the sight that greeted her there.
Jim understood her completely. He himself couldn't get enough of it, either. There was something about the sight of Bones with a baby - their baby - cradled against his shoulder, one large hand cupping the small head and holding him securely as he murmured soothing words into the tiny ear that made Jim feel suspiciously weak-kneed. One week now since they had brought him home, and Jim still couldn't believe it. Couldn't drink in enough of that sight.
Bones looked up as he heard the two of them enter the room, and a wide smile spread across his face at the sight of his mother.
"Ma!"
It was no shout, not with the little one held in his arms, but it was enough to get Eleanor moving. She was by Bones' side with just a few steps, puling him into a tight one-armed embrace as she kissed his cheek.
"Len."
"We didn't expect you until later."
Eleanor was doing that almost-bounce again, trying to get a glimpse of the baby's face against Leonard's shoulder.
"I caught an earlier shuttle. I was…I was at home all morning, anyway, and I didn't want to wait for any longer."
Jim stepped closer and wrapped his arm around Leonard's waist as his husband carefully lifted the baby off his shoulder.
"You're right on time Ma, junior here just woke up. You can have the full bottle and diaper experience right away, if you want."
Eleanor's eyes were glued to the baby's face the moment Leonard started to lift him off his shoulder. They had sent her pictures, of course. In fact, it had been nearly the first thing they had done once the adoption had gone through and they had brought him home, but still. Jim could relate to the feeling that it was something different to finally see the little guy in person. He himself had to check up on him regularly, just to look and make sure that it had been no dream, and he was really there.
Eleanor seemed a little startled as Bones held the baby out to her, but her hands reached almost automatically, holding the child under his head and his diapered bottom as she carefully pulled him against her chest. There was a completely awed smile on her face, one that mirrored exactly what Jim was feeling whenever he held his son in his arms. At that moment Jim was completely and absolutely sure that Eleanor was already falling for the little guy, and falling hard. She tightened her hold on him and made soft cooing noises when being handed over was accompanied by a small squawk of protest.
When Eleanor looked up at them, her eyes were shining a little, but Jim had known his mother-in-law for a couple of years now, and he knew better than to comment on it.
"So, are you finally going to tell me what name you decided on? You can't keep calling him 'junior', after all."
Bones looked at Jim then, and with a smile Jim tightened his arm around his husband's waist in a silent prompt to speak. Bones squeezed back and took a deep breath.
"His name is David."
Eleanor looked up at them, her eyes wide.
"David?"
Bones nodded, and Jim watched as a small smile started to spread on his husband's face. There was a hint of sadness in Bones' eyes, though, the memory of the person they had decided to name their son after closer to the surface in the presence of his mother than it had been before. Jim was convinced that the hurt wasn't going to last, but he also knew that for now, it was there, and it was something both Bones and Eleanor were feeling which he himself couldn't fully relate to.
"David," Bones confirmed. "David James McCoy."
"McCoy…" Eleanor turned towards Jim, brow furrowed in confusion. "Just McCoy? But what about…"
Jim just shook his head. He didn't think he could find the words right now to describe what it had been like to grow up with his name, and why he didn't want his son to go through the same. David would always know who he belonged to, they were going to make sure of that. There was no need for Jim's name behind or in front of a hyphen to signal that he was theirs. David's middle name had been Bones' insistence, but Jim didn't want for his son to grow up in the shadow of a name like he himself had been forced to. At one point he was going to give Eleanor that explanation, but now was not the time for it. Right now, he didn't know how to put it into words.
"Just McCoy," he assured her instead. "David McCoy. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
Eleanor blinked, looking back down at David's face nestled in the crook of her arm. There was a definite trail of moisture sneaking down her cheek, but the smile on her face was wide, and a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob tore free.
"It sounds wonderful." She gently traced a finger along David's cheek, and Jim felt Bones relax against him - just a little, but enough to prove that despite all his claims to the contrary, he had been nervous about his mother's reaction.
"Hello David," Eleanor said in a hushed tone. "I'm your grandma. I guess we're going to be seeing a lot of each other from now on."
If Jim was the one to judge, David didn't seem particularly fazed by or even interested in the introduction. He was beginning to scrunch up his face though, and his lips were starting to move in what Jim had already come to recognize as the first stages of hungry protest. The smile that had become perpetually etched onto his face since they had brought David home was there again; Jim felt it tug the corners of his mouth upwards as he disentangled himself from Bones' side and turned towards the bedroom.
"I'll fix him a bottle, otherwise he won't be this agreeable in a few minutes." In passing, he put a hand against Eleanor's arm and brushed a kiss against her cheek. "I'll be right back. You two get acquainted in the meantime."
It was one thing they had learned quickly in the few days since they had brought David home - as soon as hunger was involved, the time for being cute and acquiescent was over. So it was best to get the bottle ready before the full-blown wailing started. But other than that, Jim also wanted to give Bones a few minutes alone with his mother. Jim knew, or at least he thought he knew to some degree, how much his husband had loved his father, even though David had died before Jim had known Bones, and he had never had a chance to meet the other man's father. But he could see it every time Bones talked about his father, and every time the pain about his death and the circumstances surrounding it flared up again.
The pain was there now, too, and had been a little more constant ever since they had brought David home, even if it had been overshadowed by the absolute joy about this new addition to their life.
As much as he and Bones shared, Jim knew that this pain mixing in with the joy and excitement was something he couldn't relate to, and couldn't intrude on, either. Eleanor could, though, and Jim was even more glad for her presence if it gave Bones the chance to let go of some of the grief he was still holding on to. It was never going to vanish entirely, Jim knew that. Now that they had named David after the grandfather he was never getting to know, it was a lot closer to the surface. It was a loss Bones and Eleanor shared, and all Jim could do was give them a moment alone with each other.
He went down into the kitchen and fixed a bottle with formula. It was surprising how automatic the movements had already become, especially at night when he went through the motions with half his brain still fast asleep. He set the replicator for water heated at the right temperature, measured out the formula and shook the bottle until the powdered formula had dissolved completely. Once the bottle was ready, he picked up Eleanor's bags from the hall and carried everything upstairs.
A lesser man would have been intimidated by the sheer amount of luggage his mother-in-law had brought for what was supposed to become a two-day visit, but he wasn't worried. For one, Eleanor was welcome here any time, for as long as she wanted to stay. But even more so, he had the sneaking suspicion that a big part of the contents of those bag were for David rather than for Eleanor herself. She had been way too excited about finally becoming a grandmother to hold back on the spoiling in any way.
Jim deposited the bags in the bedroom across the hall from theirs and took the bottle into the nursery where Eleanor was still holding David in her arms. She was sitting in the old wicker rocking chair Winona had sent them that they had set up beside the crib. The chair was over half a century old by now, an heirloom on Winona's side of the family, and though it had spent the last couple of decades in a storage unit in Iowa, it didn't look or feel its age.
Winona, too, had been excited about the news of David's arrival. Right now she was still in space, but she had applied for extra shore-leave and would come visit them, too, within the next few weeks. Just thinking about that visit made Jim understand a little better how Bones must have been feeling for the past days. He had a lot more mixed feelings about the visit of his own mother than that of his mother-in-law. But he wasn't going to think about that now. Right now Eleanor was here, and they'd just have to take it one grandmother at a time.
Bones had pulled up a stool beside the rocking chair, and once Jim handed over the bottle to Eleanor, he stepped up behind him and put his hands on his husband's shoulders. Bones leaned back against him, one hand coming up to cover Jim's.
"I think we have a serious case of love at first sight here," he said, the smile obvious in his voice. Eleanor was talking softly to David as she fed him the bottle, either ignoring them or so absorbed in her grandson that she didn't even notice them. Jim chuckled and pressed a kiss on top of Bones' head.
"She's not the first one, I'd say."
Bones laughed, and his grip around Jim's hand tightened. "No, definitely not. I just get the feeling she's not going to let go of him for the next two days."
Jim knew the feeling of not wanting to let David go ever again, physically as well as in every other way, and he didn't begrudge Eleanor for it just one bit. Not if he could understand exactly what she was feeling.
He laughed and pressed a kiss against the back of Bones' neck.
"She'll have to, otherwise she won't be able to get the countless gifts out of her luggage. Those bags are huge, Bones. They couldn't be any larger if she wanted to move in here."
"I can hear you, you know?" Eleanor still wasn't looking up at them, and she was still smiling widely. "And don't worry, I'm not planning on moving in here. And I didn't empty any baby stores on my way here, either. It's just…" She looked up and tried to shrug nonchalantly, but Jim could see the sudden tension on her face. "I went through some of the boxes in the attic over the past week or two, and there were some things that shouldn't be collecting dust in the attic if there's a child around who can use them. The quilt my mother made for me when I was pregnant, some clothes and a few toys that survived the past decades unscathed, things like that. I thought you might want them."
Even Jim knew that there was a lot more to the notion of a southern lady passing on family heirlooms, even if Eleanor feigned nonchalance. Why the hell ever she thought they might not want the gifts she had brought was beyond Jim's understanding. Apparently it meant a lot more to her than she let on, and Jim felt a lump form in his throat the way it often happened when he was caught unawares by the realization of how easily and openly Eleanor had welcomed him into her family. Bones shifted under Jim's hand, leaning forward to press a kiss against his mother's cheek.
"Thank you, Ma."
There was a moist shine to Eleanor's eyes, and she quickly and expertedly shifted her hold on David and the bottle so that she had one hand free to surreptitiously wipe over her eyes before she teasingly swatted at Bones' arm.
"Now, enough of that. David and me, we've got this here covered. Isn't that right, sweetheart? So why don't you boys make yourself useful and look after lunch?"
Bones got up from his perch on the stool with a chuckle.
"See, Jim? Already she's monopolizing him."
"I'm trying to get to know my grandson, Len. I'm going to see him rarely enough as it is."
"You live less than an hour away by shuttle, Ma. More like half an hour, really, if someone is crazy enough to let you behind the wheel of a hovercar. You can come over whenever you like; it's not like we're living on another planet."
Eleanor put the bottle away and shifted David so that he rested against her shoulder, gently patting his back.
"Be that as it may, I'm trying to bond with my grandson here." David's shoulder's hitched slightly as he gave a small burp, and Eleanor pulled him away from her shoulder. "I think you need a new diaper, don't you? Yes, you do. Now, how about the two of us go and see if your Nana still knows how this works, and your Daddies go and make some food for us. Does that sound good? I thought so."
Eleanor moved over towards the changing table, keeping up a constant stream of conversation, no matter how one-sided it might have been, as she put David down and started to unbutton his clothes. Jim watched her for a few moments, then he reached for Bones' hand and pulled him out of the room.
"Come on, I think she's got this covered."
Bones allowed Jim to pull him along, but outside in the corridor he stopped and shook his head with a smile.
"She's completely besotted with him."
Jim laughed. "Can you blame her? Most adorable baby in the entire galaxy, as far as I'm concerned."
Bones leaned in until his lips were hovering less than an inch away from Jim's, his breath fanning warmly over Jim's face.
"Absolutely. And she thinks so, too. So I guess Ma's gonna be here as often as she can in the future."
There was a question in there somewhere, Jim knew. A question along the lines of if this was too much, too close, too big an intrusion into their small family bubble, even though Bones should know better by now. Wrapping his arms around Bones' waist, Jim pulled him flush against himself.
"Good. It's good to have the best babysitter live close by. In case we need some time alone, you know?"
If the way he pressed Jim into the wall as he kissed him was any indication, Bones knew exactly what Jim was talking about. And Jim most certainly wasn't complaining. Really, lunch could wait for a little while longer. Jim had some bonding of his own to tend to.
The End.
Thanks for reading. As always, please let me know what you think. Thanks a lot.