Dr. McCoy and Dani - Swimming

[x-mirage.livejournal.com]

Relaxing in the pool on Friday before Forge's accident, Dani and Hank discuss family and how much they do or don't think they need it and how glorious the pool is and how almost-glorious Hank's bathtub is.




Dr. Bartlet was right, Dani thought sinking into the water a little more, the pool did make her feel better. Lighter with that not-quite gravity that water did. Closing her eyes against the sun, she was grateful for the pool. And the noodle-float-thing that was holding her head out of the water.

"Good day, my dear." Hank crouched beside the pool, smiling down at her. "Would you mind if I joined you? The water looks very nice, and I'm not shedding at the moment." It happened twice a year, and was distinctly embarrassing.

Cracking one eye open, Dani floundered off her noodle, surprised at how close Dr. McCoy was! Coming up for air, Dani spluttered standing upright. The water where she was was still fairly shallow. "Hey, Dr. McCoy! Come on in."

"I shall!" He had planned on swimming, before seeing her, and was already wearing his favourite swimming attire - orange with electric-blue stripes down the sides. Dropping his towel on a convenient chair, he slid into the water, grinning a little. "but don't laugh. I look a bit odd when my fur's all wet."

Dani gave him a Look that was something between 'I would never laugh at you' and 'why should I care?' In the grande scheme of things, how he looked in the pool was not important. Not compared to having the sun finally warm and the water. Never forget the happy waters. "Ain't like you can look worse than me," she replied after a minute, indicating her black tankini dress-thing. There were not words.

"You look delightful," Hank said firmly. Which she did. "Of course, as a newly prospective father, I am admittedly biased in favour of the beauty of your condition." He smiled. "But you do look charming. And I trust the water is helping your back?"

Dani nodded, happily. It was about time something did. She'd even found a body pillow and was sleeping alone in her own proper bed every night and while they helped, they did not help enough. "I might not leave the pool. Ever."

"If you wish, you're welcome to borrow my bathtub if you need it," Hank offered, flipping over to float on his back... well, to try to. His mass was so great that he tended to sink. He always tried, though. "It's big enough that you should be able to get all of you into it, and a warm soak before bed might help."

Oooh tempting. She'd taken a bath while he had been sick, but that had been months ago. And not a good time, really. "Nah, I better not," Dani declined, not wanting to impose. "I got a bath and shower in my room, ain't it?"

"Yes, but my bathtub is at least twice the size of yours," Hank pointed out. "Dani, given how much time we're going to be spending together in the future, because of the baby - and probably in my suite, at that - you might as well get used to it now."

She sighed, knowing he was right. She could feel that he thought he was right at the very least, which at the moment was almost enough. "I just...Dr. McCoy, you do so much for everyone, you ain't gotta do all that for me all the time. You spoil me."

"Dani..." Hank reached out, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "You're giving me something I've wanted all my adult life, something I thought I was never going to have," he said softly. "No matter how much I do for you, it can never equal what you're doing for me."

That wasn't a fair arguement and he knew it. Even if he believed every word and meant it. "Yeah, okay. Bathtub sometimes." she made a mental note to bring him a nice bowl of fruit salad soon.

"Good." Hank smiled at her. "I will hold you to it... especially those weeks when I'm on night shifts and the suite is entirely empty and unused."

Of course he would, which meant she couldn't fake using it either. Not that she would per se, but it made it sound like he would be checking. "I said I would..." Dani protested, snagging a kickboard to lean on. Oooh, laying on her stomach in the water was good.

"You don't have to," Hank said, realizing that she might feel as if he were pushing. "I just... want you to be as comfortable as you can be. Both of you." He touched her stomach with a gentle fingertip. "And since I can't really do anything for the baby, yet, you're going to get a double share of fussing over."

"I ain't used to people fussing, Doctor. What you assume everyone has, I still think are luxuries...makes me wonder sometimes how we managed to live at all, ain't it? If something needed doing, you did it, regardless of whether you were pregnant, because it needed to be done. Here, tweleve people jump down my throat....I know you mean well, it's just odd," Dani wasn't angry, she was just trying to explain. A few months at Xavier's had not changed how she thought that much, even if she was more open to new things and some pampering. "You told your parents yet?"

"Not yet. We have a regular Sunday phonecall, I'm going to tell them then." He smiled. "They're going to be ecstatic. You can expect care packages to start arriving from my mom in a couple of weeks."

"Care packages?" she squeaked, startled.

"Yes, care packages. Food, socks, that sort of thing. I still get them occasionally myself." He smiled. "It's her way of welcoming you, by proxy, to the family."

Eh? Family? That was...unexpected. "Family?" she repeated dumbly. Her family was dead and her tribe had essentially cast her away, despite her insistance to Manuel that Xavier's was her tribe she wasn't always convinced of it.

"Of course." Clearly she hadn't thought of this. Hank smiled. "The baby is going to be their grandchild, after all. And you're his or her mother. That makes you family as well."

Dani's mouth formed an O but no sound came out.

Hank tilted his head, giving her an inquiring look. "You hadn't thought about that, I take it? You know, co-parenting will make you and I family, in a fashion, since we'll both be the baby's family."

"I hadn't...thought...I mean...you're gonna be..." Dani gulped. "Family?"

"Yes. Family." Hank reached out to give her hand a gentle squeeze. "Given that I will be the child's father, and you are his or her mother.... well." He gave her an encouraging smile. "And as the eldest member of our little family, it will, of course, fall to me to look after the others."

Eyes narrowing, Dani cocked her head to one side and glared, "I don't need anyone to look after me." she informed him, "I can do it fine. I was took care of my grandparents for years and myself."

Hank waved a finger at her. "Uh-uh-uh," he said, grinning impishly. "No arguing with the technically-elder, young lady." He shook his head, smiling. "More seriously... I know that you are, for the most part, entirely capable of caring for yourself. But there are times when everyone needs someone else, and, as family, it's my job to be there when you need me."

"I..." Dani began to protest again, but something about how the older man was feeling stopped her. "Okay," she said simply, accepting it. "But only if I can take care of you sometimes too, that is...er...if Dr. Bartlet doesn't mind."

Hank blushed, very hard. And although the blush might be invisible to sight, the empath could certainly tell. "Well..." he said sheepishly. "I am... very fond of Madelyn. But I'm sure she wouldn't object to another adopted family member looking after me now and then. And we are very compatible in that respect... you cook, and I need to eat a great deal, and often forget to do so."

"She's nice," Dani pronounced, unconcerned with his relationship with her. They were adults. "Mmmm, think it might be time to get out," she said, gesturing to the clouds covering the sun. It was suddenly much colder in the water, at least to her.

Hank nodded. "If you wish. I'll swim a little longer." He grinned. "And at the risk of sounding as if I'm being suggestive, which I promise I'm not... my bathtub is always open to you, unless I'm in it."

Nodding, Dani climbed out of the water wringing the water out of her hair. "Thank you."

Hank nodded. "I know it's frustrating, my dear, but do take care of yourself," he said gently. "It won't be for very much longer."