1. A Baby
“Oh, ma Sunny, what have you been up to boy?” The Baron asked resting his weight on to his hand that was in a fist on his grand wooden desk in front of him. The same desk that had a thing that was out of place on it, invading all the space it had on it and the attention of the two men.
“Baron...I swear to you I did not know she even existed until this night.” Sunny shook his head, his words full of shock as he looked down at the tiny, tattered and tired human that he had helped to create.
“Most o’ de boys don’t ever know ‘bout de littl’ bastards they father, let alone care for ’em. Why d’you Sunny?” The Baron raised an eyebrow at the Clipper.
“Baron...the conditions she was living in were just,” Sunny shook his head as the image of the helpless baby crying all the tears it had in it’s tiny and delicate body on the floor of the filthy bedroom with nothing but a blanket to cover it.
“And her mother didn’t even care.” He added and rubbed his forehead.
“You care because she ya first one. No doubt ya last either Sunny. But you know you cannot raise ’er as you own.” He reminded Sunny, disappointed and slightly angry his young and talented clipper had broken one of his rules. One of his most important rules.
“I-I know Baron...” Sunny stuttered.
“But we can.” The voice of the Baron’s wife Lydia made the two men look up at her feminine figure that was at the door with her son Ryder beside her. His gaze was towards the small child on his father’s desk that his mother wanted to make his adopted sister.
“What?!” Sunny couldn’t believe what his baroness just said, and he started to hope they would since it would be the best life for his daughter.
“I beg yer pardon ma dear?” Baron Quinn chuckled at his wife’s words, thinking she was being humorous pitying the child.
“We can raise this littl’ one as our own Quinn.” She spoke strongly and strode over to her husband’s desk to inspect the child.
“This is not an orphanage Lydia.” The Baron frowned holding a hand on his waist.
“Oh quiet, we can manage. And where may I asked is this littl’ one gonna go if we don’t?” She dismissed her husband scoffing slightly at his comment while she stroked one of the cheeks of the child. She wouldn’t budge on this and the Baron knew it.
“Hmm, I suppose we could take her on.” The Baron shrugged admiring the now smiling sweet child. He tickled her bare tummy a little with his index finger making her giggle with her adorable toothless grin and kick her little legs around.
“But on one condition Sunny,” The Baron held up the same finger and turned to Sunny making the Clipper look at his Baron with his full attention.
“As far as ever’body outside this room is concerned, this baby’s parents were farmers that got killed by shady folks outside the fort. You found ’er on the roadside and brought her back. We adopted her as our own.” He pressed his finger to Sunny’s chest while he heeded his orders to him pointing at to his desk partway through. Sunny’s gaze looked to where his Baron pointed. His daughter. She was looking right at him with those honey and chocolate coloured eyes that were identical to that of her father’s very own. Smiling full of glee and seeming a lot calmer now that she was safe in the presence of people that were caring and a real family. That and the presence of her father calmed her. Even though her little mind had not yet registered that he was her father Sunny felt he knew this, and his thoughts fought violently in his head like two boxers that needed a referee, that came in the form of him speaking.
“Yes, Baron.” Sunny nodded obeying his Baron.
“Good boy.” The Baron replied the turned back to admire his newly adopted daughter with glee while his wife rocked her in her arms showing she was still a natural mother.
“You can leave now Sunny.” Ryder sharply dismissed the clipper walking past him to join his newly expanded family with a smug smirk.
“Yes, sir.” Sunny muttered holding his head low as Ryder past him. He kept his head low and his arms at his sides as he took a few strides forward to the door.
“Oh, and Sunny?” Sunny froze at the sound of the Baron’s voice. He turned his head to the right listening for what the Baron would say next, his gaze still lowered on the floor.
“She is never, and I mean never, learn the truth. You cannot be a father to her in any way and you can never do this again. Do I make maself clear?” The Baron warned. Sunny’s thoughts rioted again, begging him to say no and take the child to raise as his own, but he knew he couldn’t do that. Hearing his daughter make a few happy baby noises, he sighed knowing this was for the best and he had to do this.
“Yes, Baron. I understand.” He replied finally then walked out.
“Oh look at her smile! She’s like a ray o’ sunshine!” He heard the baroness gush on his way out.
Then the clipper couldn’t help but let a few baby tears fill his eyes. His sunshine had been taken away and he couldn’t get it back.
