Chapter Text
All eyes were on Merlin as he walked back into the infirmary two hours later. Well, more specifically, all eyes were on Merlin and the tiny pup bundled in his arm. He’d first tried carrying the girl in the car seat he’d brought, but the moment he’d moved her Daisy had started screaming.
Panicked that he’d done something wrong. Merlin put the seat down and quickly pulled the pup out to inspect her more closely. The moment the girl was pressed into his arms, she immediately settled.
Merlin guessed the poor little dearie had just been unsettled by all the changing going on around her and wanted the comfort of someone holding her. So, Merlin had walked all the way from the garage, back into the infirmary with the little pup snuggled securely in his arms.
Morgana stared for only a moment more at the strange sight before she leapt into action. “You found his pup?”
“Young Miss Daisy Unwin,” Merlin introduced. “She was not safe. I believe that is why Eggsy was fighting his sedation.”
“That would make a great deal of sense. There are still many studies being done, but so far it is possible for an omega to sense the distress of their infants, although no one has ever been able to explain how.”
At the moment, Merlin was not worried about the how. He just wanted to make sure that the babe was alright and get her back to Eggsy as soon as possible.
“When I found her, she had been left alone for an unknown amount of time. I would feel much more at ease if you checked her over to make sure the lass is alright.” Merlin said.
“Of course, I would be happy to.” Morgana held out her arms as if to take her from him.
Merlin would never be able to explain the action if he could, but he shied back, holding the child firmer against his chest.
If Morgana had anything to say about it, she kept it to herself. She simply lowered her arms and gestured for him to follow her towards the exam rooms. “Well, since she’s so comfortable with you already, I would appreciate it if you would carry her for me.”
Merlin nodded, following her as he gently rubbed at Daisy’s back.
Morgana was gentle, if thorough in her exam of the young pup. She did a complete work up, most of which the results wouldn’t be back for a number of hours. “But the child is generally healthy. I think she could benefit from an increase in her diet and some extra supplements, but she’s within the realm of normal for her age. I’m not too concerned. Despite the situation you described it seems that the young pup has been loved, well scented, and cared for as any child her age should.”
Merlin imagined that had much to do with Eggsy. It was obvious in the way he had struggled to live, to make it back to his babe, that he loved her fiercely and would do anything and everything in his ability to care for her. Even her grandmother had appeared to care deeply, despite her circumstances.
“Would it be alright if I brought her to Eggsy then? I think having her scent near would help him settle so he can heal.”
“That should be fine. Though I do feel I should ask. Eggsy is going to be on the mend for a long time. It will take months of healing and physical therapy for him to get back to a point that he will be able to care for a young pup. What do you plan to do with her for the long term?”
That was a bloody great question.
Merlin had not exactly thought passed getting the girl out of the situation she had been in. If he handed Daisy over to the proper authorities, it would be unlikely that Eggsy would ever see her again. The documentation on her official file listed the girl as his sister, not his daughter. He would have no right to get her back. That was if she was placed with another family and not just handed back to the shit-stain Eggsy called a stepfather.
No.
He would not be doing that.
However, that left very few options.
Still, he was surprised by the words that came out of his mouth. “I do not think the bairn will be much trouble. I can care for her until Eggsy is back on his feet.”
Morgana stared at him. And stared. And stared before she finally was able to speak again. “You sir?”
“Aye. There’s not aught else we can do.” What he didn’t say was that after only an hour, he was reluctant to let the wee pup out of his arms, let alone his sight.
But for now, he would put all of that aside. He turned to head towards Eggsy’s recovery room. The lights were set low to allow Eggsy as much sleep as his distraught mind would allow him. Though even in the dim light, Merlin could see that his body twitched in sleep. His hands, grasping out for something he could not quite reach. Merlin walked across the room bringing Daisy as close to Eggsy as he could manage.
“See. I told you your da was alright. He’s a fighter this one. Betcha a quid your going to be exactly the same and drive him half mad with worry.” Merlin muttered gently to the little girl.
Merlin could tell the moment Daisy scented Eggsy. Whatever calm she had taken from Merlin’s presence was useless now as she fought and fussed to get to him. Merlin barely was able to hold onto the squirming child, and Eggsy wasn’t much better. At the sound of his pups cries he once again fought the sedation. This time however, he seemed unable to wake even to partial consciousness. Merlin had no idea what to do to settle them both.
“You can set her down on the bed next to him.” He hadn’t noticed that Morgana had followed him into the room. “Just be careful. His left side took the lease injury so there might be best.”
Following her direction, Merlin gently tucked the girl against Eggsy’s side. She immediately snuggled into him and drifted off to sleep once again. Eggsy to finally relaxed fully into sleep, though Merlin thought he caught the glint of a few tears in the corner of his eyes.
He didn’t remember reaching out to brush them away, but before he knew it the tears were on his finger tips. “I promised ya, didnae. I promised to save her and bring her right back to you. And I will do everything in my power to make sure she stays there.”
With that promise in mind, Merlin took a chair and pulled up his tablet. Morgana checked Eggsy’s vitals, and once she was satisfied, she left merlin to his work. She had just left when he found exactly what he was looking for.
Merlin had glanced over the pup’s birth records before, but he’d been in a hurry then. Merlin was in no hurry now. He poured over every detail. It had been a home birth that had been registered with a local GP, which explained some of how they had gotten away with lying that Daisy had belonged to Eggsy’s mother and stepfather. However, it did nothing to tell Merlin as to why they had lied. He would have to ask Eggsy that when he woke up.
For now though, all Merlin cared about was making sure that Dean had no legal right to the pup. When Eggsy was back on his feet, he deserved to be able to make whatever decisions he saw necessary for the safety of his pup.
Doctoring files was nothing new to Merlin. In fact, it was too easy for Kingsman’s wizard. Within under an hour, Daisy’s birth certificate read what it always should have read. That Daisy Unwin belonged to Eggsy Unwin, and Eggsy alone.
And if during that hour, Merlin might have ordered everything the young miss would be needing while he cared for her – a great deal of things as Merlin had not realized how much stuff pups needed – well then nothing was amiss as Daisy deserved to be properly cared for.
Speaking of Daisy, the young pup had decided she had napped long enough. She began to fidget at Eggsy’s side and wailed heartily.
“There now,” Merlin scooped the girl up and began to pat her back. “You must be getting hungry. I bet there is something in your bag for you to eat.” At least he hoped there was.
While holding the pup in one hand, he used the other to fish for something for the baby to eat. All he found was a can of powder. Weren’t pups of her size supposed to drink milk?
“Well, what the bloody hell am I supposed to do with powder?”
Morgana must have heard the babe crying. She chuckled at him. “You add water you dimwitted alpha.” She took pity on his confused look and reached into the bag herself to pull out a bottle. “You fill it up with about this much water.” She pointed to a small tick mark on the side. “Then add two spoonfuls of the powder inside and shake it until its fully dissolved.” Only when she took a closer look at the bottle she grimaced. “At least, you do after you’ve properly sterilized the bottle. My guess is this one was never cleaned. Give me two shakes to wash it up and I’ll show you how it’s done.”
“Thank you. Morgana. I know this is in no way within your usual job description.”
“Happy to help. You forget, you and Harry aren’t the only ones who owe their lives to an Unwin. If it hadn’t been for Eggsy’s father, I never would have met my wife, and I wouldn’t have the life I have now.” She smiled thoughtfully. “Be right back.”
And once again Merlin was left alone with Daisy. The pup was still crying softly, though she seemed to settle as Merlin rocked her back and forth.
“Da…Dai..sy?” The name was more like a puff of air escaping Eggsy’s lips than a word, but it was more than enough to have all of Merlin’s attention falling to the boy. His eyes hadn’t fully opened, but they sort of fluttered partly. His nose snuffled as if searching for a scent.
Merlin leaned down next to the bed so that Daisy was close enough for Eggsy to smell. “She’s alright. She’s safe and right here.”
Eggsy drew in a deep breath as if whatever he was smelling was lovely and sweet.
“Harry?”
Along with Daisy’s scent, he must have picked up the scent of alpha, though he couldn’t imagine it would have been enough for him to fully identify with it hidden under layers of blockers. As Harry would have been the most recent alpha who had approached him apart from his stepfather, it made sense that Eggsy would mistake Merlin for him.
“Nae, lad. My name is Merlin. I’m the one who found you in the alley. Remember?”
His face scrunched up like he was trying to think but found the action too painful. A tear fell down his eyes.
“I…I’m sorry,” he slurred.
“Nothing to apologize for. Right now, you need sleep, lad.”
“Daisy?” he moaned.
“Is safe. Just as I promised ye.”
“Safe.” He muttered. “Thank you, alpha.” Then his whole body relaxed back into sleep.
A warm shiver spread up Merlin’s spine at the way Eggsy called him alpha, even though he knew the boy was sedated out of his mind. It had just been a simple slip of a drug addled tongue. So why did it make him feel so right?