She blinks… then nods hard.
And honestly? I don’t blame her. Maverick is one scary motherfucker. He’s even bigger than Tank, and that’s saying something.
Maverick softens, voice warm and patient in a way that makes the girl practically melt.
“Your friend told us you were in your lessons,” he says gently. “Did you learn anything new today?”
The little girl lights up instantly.
“YES!” she chirps. “Today we were taught aboutanimals in danger of extinction!”
Maverick gasps dramatically. “In danger?Oh no. Which ones?”
She holds up fingers as she counts. “Sea turtles… wolves… and the little foxes!”
“Foxes?” Maverick puts a hand to his chest like he’s devastated. “Those are my favorite.”
She nods proudly. “Mine too!”
“Well,” he says seriously, “you’ll have to teach me all about them next time I’m here. Think you can do that?”
Her eyes go so round they look like coins. “YES! I can teach you EVERYTHING.”
Maverick taps her chin lightly. “I believe you.”
She throws her arms around his neck in a spontaneous hug, nearly knocking him off balance with all thirty pounds of her enthusiasm.
He chuckles and hugs her back gently.
“Go find your mamma,” Enzo tells her softly. “Tell her you were very brave when you met the visitors in leather vests.”
“I WAS brave!” she shouts, then takes off running down the hall like a pink missile.
Tank smirks. “Kid’s adorable.”
Bones grunts. “Pretty sure she could destroy us with those eyes alone.”
“Probably,” Maverick says, pushing to his feet. “It’s the cute ones you gotta watch. They’re the ones that get away with murder.”
Tank glances over as we follow Enzo down the hall. “You were good with her. Real good. You been around kids enough to get you that soft?”
“He’s around Bree and Asher all the time,” I remind him. “And you, big guy, turn into a damn marshmallow the second either of them looks at you.”
“Fuck you,” Tank mutters, though he’s smirking. “I’m just saying…it looked like Maverick had practice.”
“Had a daughter,” Maverick mutters just as Enzo opens the front doors.
We all freeze.
Every single one of us turns back toward him.
He just stands there. Still. Solid. Face flat and unreadable.
But his eyes…yeah, those say plenty.
“You’re a father?” I ask, shocked. “Why the hell didn’t I know that?”
Spike steps closer, voice gentler than I’ve heard in hours. “Where is she? Why haven’t we met her?”
