The Pawns that Gleam [Bk 3]

ch.47 I won't allow it

"Harry!" I shouted.

Harry blinked.

"Calm. Down" I nodded slowly.

Harry took a deep breath. We all sat down on the couches and everyone crowded around me, Harry, and Darcy. Harry looked down at Darcy in his arms and carefully handed her to Danny.

Danny held Darcy in his paw-like hands and his eyes light up. Darcy wrapped her fingers around Danny's pinky. He stared at her as if in shock that she was really in his hands. That, and he was terrified of hurting her if he held her too tightly or too loosely and she fell.

"Just. Be. Careful" Harry spoke tersely.

Danny nodded. He rested Darcy close to his chest and she mumbled softly.

"She's precious" Danny gasped. His voice cracked slightly and I wanted to kiss his hard cheeks because not only was he an uncle, he was a proud uncle. 

"Aww look at her big gween eyes and her widdle blonde curls" Gemma squealed. She reached for Darcy and Danny handed her  over gently.

Gemma was less careful and more excited. She played with Darcy's tiny hands and held her up, pretending she was dancing.  

Harry held his breath as Gemma held Darcy up above her, like Simba. I took Harry's arm to calm him down. 

"She's beautiful, Harry" Gemma nodded. She kissed Darcy's cheeks, making her smile softly. "Make sure those pre-school boys don't bother her" Gemma teased as she rubbed her nose against Darcy's.

"I will be the only man in her life until she's atleast 37" Harry declared. 

We all burst into laugher, but Harry kept a straight face.

Becky nodded a bit nervously. She had successfully avoided her Karter for the past few days but that didn't mean she was completely safe or that Karter should get the chance to leave with no repurcussions of what he had done to his own daughter. 

I looked up at Harry. The veins in his arms expanded and contracted as he tried to contain the urge to hold Darcy until she was way past 37 and  he could barely hold her. 

"My turn" Tony grinned. He wiped his hands on his pants when Harry glared at him.

"Careful" Harry spoke up. 

Tony took Darcy and his eyes widened as he looked at her tiny body in his hands. He patted her cheek with his thumb and she stared up at him.

"You should have named her Harriet" Tony smiled. He pushed back one of Darcy's curls. "She looks exactly like you, Harry" Tony shook his head in disbelief.

"She's like a blonde, baby girl version of Harry" Becky nodded. She loosely braided Darcy's three curls and kissed her baby dimples.

Everyone looked at Darcy's round green eyes, her tiny dimples, and her soft, few tufts of curls. Then, they stared at Harry's darker, fuller curls, his deeper dimples, and his same, round green eyes.

Nonna laughed, breaking the silence.

"As I said last night, Darcella is definitely Aroldo's baby girl" she nodded.

Harry grinned proudly. He reached for Darcy but nonna hadn't gotten her full turn, neither had Zayn or Niall.

Nonna kissed Darcy's cheeks and held her against her soft chest. She held her head and Darcy looked up at Zayn and Niall, who were making faces at her. She open and closed her fists, reaching for their fingers. 

"Come on, nugget" Niall grinned. He reached for Darcy and squeezed her cheeks. He forgot to hold her head and Harry reached over hurriedly and helped him.