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Chapter Text

It had all started when Eggsy had gotten back home after the pub. He could hear the yelling and screaming even before he entered the flat. Dean was yelling and his mother was screaming. Just as he opened the door there was a crash and more yelling but less screaming. He was not prepared to see his mother being held up in the middle of the living room with a hand on her face to stem the bleeding from a gash on her cheek.

“Oh look Mugsy home,” Dean sneered, one hand still gripping Michelle’s blouse. It was probably the only reason that his mother was still standing.

“Let her go,” Eggsy had no idea what he was going to do. He had never beaten Dean before but surely there must be a first time for everything.

Dean dropped Michelle and she whimpered and basically crawled to the corner of the room. “You wanna fight Mugsy,” Dean said walking towards him. The man was clearly drunk and high out of his mind but that had never held him back before.

Eggsy really did not want to fight but what other option did he have? Let his mother get the shit beat out of her? Eggsy walked forward and with a bravado he did not really have said, “a’ight, let’s go,”

Just like that it was over. Dean was wailing on him and it was all he could do to block the punches. Sure he had had training in the marines but everything that he knew went out the window. As soon as Dean raised his fists it was like Eggsy was back to being that ten year old kid who couldn’t understand why he was getting hit.

Dean landed a punch to his cheek and Eggsy’s head snapped to the side and he tasted blood. Dean followed it up with a series of punches to the gut which drove Eggsy’s to his knees. With one final hard kick to the chest which sent Eggsy sprawling backwards, Dean left the flat.

Eggsy slowly stood up when he was sure that Dean was gone for good. He was aware of his mother crying in the corner. But mostly he was concerned about Daisy. In all the chaos of the last five minutes he had not heard her and there was no way that she had slept through all of that. One hand rubbing the bruise forming on his chest, he scanned the room.

She was standing in her crib that was draped with drying clothes. She was absolutely quiet and still as she stared at him with wide eyes that were the same shade of blue as his own. She should have been wailing, she should be crying at all the loud voices and all the fighting but instead she was just quiet. She was just taking it all in and not making any noise.

He went a grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and the med kit before going to his mother’s side. She looked up at him and her eyes could barely focus. Great not only was she beaten she was high.

“Why do you let ‘im do this?” He asked as he dabbed the blood away from the gash that upon closer inspection seemed to have been made from a broken bottle of some kind.

“I love him,” She said shrugging her shoulders her eyes not focusing on anything.

“Well it’s clear ‘e don't love you,” Eggsy put two butterfly bandages across the cut.

“Eggsy, it isn’t as simple as that.”

“What about ‘aving both your kids watch you get the ever loving shit beat out of you? What is simple about that?”

She did not respond.

Maybe if it was the first time that he had walked in on Dean beating his mum. Maybe it it was the first time that he had been hit by Dean. Maybe if Dean was not a drug dealer. Maybe if Daisy was crying. Maybe Eggsy would not have said what he said next. But he looked over his shoulder and looked at his little sister who was still quiet and staring and something in him snapped.

“Mum, I love you but I can’t do this anymore. If you wont leave than I will. I’m getting Daisy out of this. If you want to join me you just give me a ring yeah?” He tried to smile but it did not quiet come out right. She didn’t say anything and her eyes were struggling to focus on him.

He left her huddled in the corner with her eyes staring at nothing and then grabbed the duffle that the Marines had given him. Packing mostly just clothes for Daisy and a few for himself, he wasted no time. Dean might be home at any moment. He pulled a book out from his shelf and emptied the secret compartment he had carved into it when he was eleven and realized everything that his step-dad could find his step-dad would take. It wasn’t a lot of money but it was better than nothing.

He walked back into the living room and saw that he mother was still sitting where he had left her. Placing the duffle beside’s Daisy’s crib, he started packing her diaper bag. He put literally everything they had bought for her, diapers, wipes, baby powder, pacifiers, and toys into the bag and when they wouldn’t all fit he jammed them into the remaining space of his duffle.

His chest was starting to hurt something fierce and he could feel the bruises that were forming on his face. “Ready to go on an adventure Daisy?” He said with a chipper tone that he did not feel. She just stared at him. He pulled the duffle over both shoulders and hefted the diaper bag on to his left shoulder before scooping her up and wrapping her up in a blue blanket.

He was almost out the door when his mother spoke again. “Where are you going?” She sounded so lost and confused. He wanted to take her with him but he knew she wasn’t ready to go. She wasn’t ready to leave Dean and would just end up back in this apartment if he took her with him. He would probably be dragged back as well because she would take Daisy with her.

“I’m leaving, Mum,” He walked out the door and closed it with a finality behind him. As soon as the door clicked behind him, he released a breathe he did not know he had been holding. Man did that hurt. Probably had a bruised rib. Just great.

He looked down at Daisy who was nestled against his right side. It had been weeks since she had made any noise louder than a whimper and even those were only made when she was hungry. It broke his heart. It meant that something was wrong and he needed to fix it.

He took a deep breath, and felt a sharp pain in his side, yeah a rib was most certainly bruised, and walked away from the flat and into the night. He had no idea where he was going but it was going to be anywhere but here.

At close to midnight he was knocking on Jamal’s door. He lived with his girlfriend, Tanya, and her father but it was better to wake them up than go to Ryan’s and wake up his whole clan.

Jamal’s girl opened the door with a yawn and in shorts that might as well not have existed and a tight tank top. “Yo’ Jamal get your ass up!” She yelled to a back room while motioning for Eggsy to come on into the flat. It was almost identical to his. The only difference was that the carpet was a deep blue instead of the rather sickly green that Eggsy’s was.

Jamal came out of one of the rooms and it was clear that he had been asleep. “What’s up?” He mumbled rubbing his eye.

“Eggsy’s here,”was all that she said as she pushed past Jamal into the bedroom before shutting the door behind her.

“I’m sorry to come over this late, bruv, but I don’t got much other options,” Eggsy said as he adjusted his hold on the now sleeping Daisy.

“No problem. Shit, what ‘appened to your face mate?” Jamal said as he flipped on the kitchen light.

“Dean ‘appened, which is kinda why I am ‘ere. I was wondering if Daisy and I could bunk with you for a couple of days.”

“Of course. You finally left then?”

“Yeah, don’t know what I am gonna do now, but its gotta be better than letting Daisy grow up there. My mum is always ‘igh and Dean is always drunk, that ain’t no way to raise a baby.”

“No it ain’t you are welcome to stay ‘ere as long as you need. I’ll get you some sheets for the couch.”

Eggsy set the diaper bag down at the end of the couch and managed to drop the duffle next to it without dropping Daisy. Jamal handed him the sheets and a blanket before he turned left Eggsy in the living room to go back to his own bed.

Placing Daisy on one of the pillows on the sofa he made up the couch. This was not how he planned on this day going and he had no idea where he was going to go from here but it had to be better than living with Dean.

He stayed with Jamal for two weeks. In that time he had applied for about a million jobs and deep cleaned the entire apartment so that he wouldn’t be seen as a bother by Tanya’s father who had made more than one snide comment about the boy who was sleeping on the couch.

But it could not last forever, one day at about ten at night there was a pounding on the front door. Jamal looked at Eggsy and Tanya with a ‘wtf’ look and then answered it.

“Where’s Mugsy at? I know ‘e’s ‘ere.”

It was Dean. Shit.

“I don’t know what you’er talking about, bruv,” Jamal said.

“Don’t lie you little shit. I know ‘e’s ‘ere. Rottie saw ‘im come in ‘ere this morning.”

“Well ‘e ain’t ‘ere now. Just stopped by for a second.” The door was mostly closed, the only open area was the two inches that the chain allowed and most of that was blocked by Jamal’s body.

Window? Eggsy mouthed to Tanya who nodded mutely before slowly getting up off of the couch which was just barely out of view of the door. Eggsy scooped up Daisy, for once grateful that she wasn’t making any noise and followed her to the room that had to be her father’s. It smelled like stale cigarette smoke and the window located over the bed.

He eased the window opened. He didn’t want to make any noise because he could still hear Jamal and Dean talking.

“Whatcha looking for ‘im for anyway?” Jamal asked.

“The little bitch took my daughter. ‘Er mother wants ‘er back.” Eggsy almost snorted at the statement. He knew that even if his mother was upset about them leaving she would leave well enough alone. She might be in love with Dean but over all she wasn’t stupid.

Eggsy crawled out the window and on to the fire escape. Fuck. Poodle was at the bottom. Not that the man had seen Eggsy yet but he was bound to especially if Eggsy decided to go down the steps. Tanya handed Daisy out to him.

“Thank you,” He whispered to her, clutching his sister to his chest. The February air was cold and he wrapped the blanket tighter around her.

It was at this moment that Poodle decided to look up.

“Oi! Eggsy!” the fat man yelled as he started heading up the fire escape.

Shit.

Eggsy raced to the top of the ladder. He had the advantage and they both knew it. As soon as he got on to the roof he started to run, jumping from roof to roof like it was nothing. His sister clutched to his chest the whole time staring at him with wide eyes. He kept off of street level for a couple of blocks until he had to go down and then he just ran.

He ran as fast and as far as he could. He ran until the estates were far behind him and he had no idea where he was. He ran in circles and down alley ways trying to loose any tail that may of may not be following him. He ran until he realized it was pouring down rain and he was shivering in a part of town that he had never seen before.

If he had thought things were rough before they certainly were rough now. Eggsy had no idea what to do. He had no place to go, and no way to take care of his sister. He knew that taking her away from Dean was the right move. He knew that no child should ever live in a place where they were afraid to make a sound for fear of getting hurt. He knew that.

But it didn’t make the options that he had in front of him look any better. He had no job and no hope of finding one. Who would hire a boy with no job history and an arrest record a meter long?

He could become a rent boy, he had done it before, but that would place him back squarely under Dean’s sphere of influence. He could go back to selling drugs but once again that put him back squarely into Dean’s world. Those were about his only options and they were not very good ones

Instead of making a decision, he walked. Tucked Daisy into his jacket and made sure that she was dry and warm and walked. He walked until the houses and streets of people who had better lives and better opportunities than him all blurred together. Walked until the rain made his bones ache and his teeth chatter. Walked until the only warm spot in his whole world was Daisy nestled against his chest with her hand wrapped around his dad’s medal that had escaped from under his collar when he was fleeing from Dean’s gang.

Ducking into a phone booth to get out of the cold, Eggsy bit back a sob. He had no options, no choices and no where to turn. Home was out of the question, he couldn’t risk running into Dean. He couldn’t go back to Jamal’s because even though he knew his mate would take a bullet for him in a heartbeat he would never put him at risk. Ryan’s wasn’t even an option, his old man was worse than Dean.

He was distracted by his thoughts as Daisy tugged at the medal around his neck in her sleep.

If he ever needed a favor now was the time

He juggled Daisy around in his arms so that he could get the proper amount of change out for the call. Feeding the coins into the machine, his fingers hovered over the keys. He pulled the phone out of its cradle and dialed the number that he had memorized almost as soon as he had received the medal. 12.19.97.
The day that his dad had died.

The call was answered on the first ring.

“Customer Complaints how may I help you?” A lady said with clipped tones.

“My name is Eggsy Unwin, sorry Gary Unwin, and I’m up shit’s creek. My sister and I have no where to go and my mum told me to call this number if ever I needed help and-"

“I’m sorry sir wrong number” the lady on the other end of the line said cutting him off.

“Wait, wait, oxfords not brogues?” Eggsy said hoping that he got the line that had been told to his mother by a man in a suit nearly seventeen years ago right.

“Your complaint has been duly noted and we hope that we have not lost you as a loyal customer.” The lady responded and then the phone line went dead with a click.

Well, bloody lot of good that had done. He was still stuck in the rain with a cold and silent ten month old with nothing but the clothes on his back and the twenty quid he had been able to nick off of a guy as the man had stumbled out of a pub.

Eggsy let out a shaky sigh and slid down the glass side of the phone booth.

He might as well go home now and get it rubbed in his face that he couldn’t hack it without Dean. He let out another sigh.

Fuck.

Chapter Text

At just past three in the morning, the glasses on Harry’s bedside table started beeping. Harry blinked the sleep from his eyes and shoved the glasses on to his face. Why were they calling him, it was his day off. It better be something important.

“Hello,”

“The Unwins have called in their favor, sir,” Morgause said on the other side of the line.

All of the scenarios he had just thought of were instantly scrapped because that had not even been on the list.

“They did?”

“Yes, sir, while the boy did any way.”

“What did they want? When did they call?”

“The call just came in and I am not really sure. The boy said that he had no where to go with his sister. I am currently locating him on CCTV. It will only take a moment.”

“Very well.”

Harry slipped the glasses off his nose and put them back on the nightstand. Quickly he dressed in a navy blue suit and hailed one of the kingsman cabs.

He put the glasses back on his face and instantly Morgause was chirping in his ear. “ He called from a phone booth, I am sending a location to your driver.”

“Thank you, do you have anymore information?”

“He looks to be in pretty bad shape Harry. He is soaked through and his sister looks to be less than a year old. I would tread with caution. Yes he called in the favor, but it looks as though he doesn’t expect anything to come of it.”

“I will take that into consideration. I have it from here Morgause, get some sleep.”

She laughed at this, “Galahad, don’t you know that handlers don’t sleep? We just run on coffee all the time,” But she disconnected anyway.

Another ding of his glasses signified that his cab was here. Harry grabbed Rainmaker on his way out of the house and entered the cab.

“Good morning Olwen,” Harry said as the cab pulled away from the curb.

“Morning Galahad. New mission already?” Olwen had been the one to drop him off at home less than four hours ago.

“No, no mission,” Harry just left it at that.

He had no idea what he was going to do or say when he saw Lee’s son. It had been years since he had cheeked in on the family. The last time he had looked at their file Michelle had just married her common law husband which had to have been five years ago. He had not known that she had had a baby.

What does one say to someone who’s misfortune you are indirectly responsible for? Hey I am sorry that it is raining and you are homeless but want to come sleep at mine?

Thankfully the ride was short so he did not have that long to ponder what he was going to say. In less than five minutes on empty streets the cab was pulling up to a well lit phone booth with someone sitting on the floor inside of it.

According to what Morgause had told him it had been fifteen minutes since the boy had called. Fifteen minutes that Lee Unwin’s son had been sitting on the floor of a phone booth.

Still not sure about the plan of attack that he was going to use Harry got out of the cab and opened his umbrella. He walked over to the phone booth and knocked on the door. The direct approach would probably be best.

The man inside scrambled to his feet and for the first time Harry could see the blonde curls of a baby poking out of the jacket’s collar. Rubbing his hand across his cheeks the man inside the booth pulled the door open. “Sorry, bruv, it’s all yours.” Eggsy made to push past Harry and back into the rain.

“Eggsy, would you like a lift?” Harry said, it was the first thing that he could think to say.

Eggsy back up out of the light of the phone booth and into the rain. “Who are you?”

“I gave you that medal.”

“That ain’t an answer,” Eggsy backed further into the darkness and looked as if he was preparing to run. Bugger, this could have gone better.

“My name is Harry Hart, and your father saved my life.”

The boy just stared at him as if he had grown another head. Well, at least he wasn’t running away anymore. That was something, right?

“So, Eggsy would you like a lift?”

Eggsy continued to stare at him with equal looks confusion and wariness. The baby in the boys arms moved a little bit which seemed to jolt him back to reality. “Sure, okay.”

Harry opened the cab door and shut it behind Eggsy before hurrying to the other side and climbing it.

“Back home, sir?” Olwen said which caused Eggsy to jolt a little bit.

It wasn’t like he had another plan, so home might be the best bet. “Yes, Olwen,”

“We’re going to your ‘ome, bruv?” Eggsy asked as the taxi pulled away from the curb.

“Ah, yes. Due to the late hour it seems to be the best choice. I will give you some dry clothes and prepare my guest room for you and we can talk in the morning.” It was as good a plan as any. God he could convince heads of state to give over classified information without breaking a sweat but apparently when confronted with a rain soaked boy and a baby he had no idea what to do.

Eggsy’s eyes narrowed and then he seemed to accept what Harry was saying. “A’ight,” Eggsy said and leaned back into the seat.

The ride was quiet and in less than five minutes they were both standing in Harry’s well lit entry way. Eggsy was shuffling awkwardly on the entry mat. The boy was literally dripping and his had a decidedly blue tint to them.

“Wait here a second while I go get you some towels and dry clothes,” Harry said as he toed off his Oxfords. Huryring through his house, he went to the utility room and found some freshly washed towels as well as pajamas and a tee shirt for the baby because he had absolutely nothing for a baby.

When he returned to the entry way, Eggsy had taken off his jacket and was holding it up next to him as it proceed to drip onto the mat, looking like it had personally offended him.

“The tag said that it was waterproof. Does that look like waterproof to you?” Eggsy said.

“No?” Harry was a bit thrown by the question. “If you follow me I’ll show you to the guest room.”

“I am gonna get water all over the floor, mate,”

“Don’t worry about.”

Eggsy shrugged and hung up the dripping wet coat and finally stepped off of the mat. His sister was sleeping soundly against his chest. She looked a whole lot warmer and dryer than her brother did.

Harry led them upstairs, showing Eggsy the bathroom and then opened the door to the guest bedroom.

“Here you are. Feel free to take a shower, there is soap and shampoo that you can use in there. If you need anything my bedroom is the next door so just knock.” He put the pile of towels and clothes on top of the dresser that was just inside the room.

“Thanks, bruv,” Eggsy said and shut the door to the guest room.

Harry went to his office and pressed the comm button on his glasses as well as powered up his computer.

“He is a pretty boy, Galahad,” was the first thing that Morgause said to him.

“Don’t you have a mission to be working on?”

“I am currently watching Bors do a recon mission in Australia. The most interesting thing that has happened is that he almost spilled his drink on to the mark’s daughter because he wasn’t paying attention. Which gives me plenty of time to watch you interact with the Unwin boy. His file should already be on your computer. Also I took the liberty of sending Olwen to get diapers for the baby and he should be back soon.”

“How did you know that was what I was going to ask for?And diapers?”

“Because it is what any Kingsman would want when they are letting strangers sleep under their roof and yes diapers. The baby is ten months old and I doubt that you have any hanging around your bachelor pad.”

“Right as always Morgause.”

“It’s my job. Now get some sleep, that last mission looked brutal.”

“Good night Morgause,”

“Good night Galahad”

The comms went dead with a click and Harry opened the file on Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin which had been so kindly placed on his desktop.

Harry was puttering around the kitchen making breakfast when his glasses began beeping. They certainly had been doing that a lot considering it was his day off. He sighed and pressed the button on the side of them. Eggsy was still asleep upstairs so he might as well answer.

“Hello,”

“I hear you have a guest.”

“Merlin.”

“Morgause showed me. He looks a lot like Lee,”

“Is this the reason you called me on my day off?”

“No, Lancelot was killed sometime yesterday. We are having the toast at ten am today.”

“Understood.” With that the line went dead and Harry was back alone in the kitchen.

He had barely had a moment to digest the death of his friend and fellow agent when Eggsy was walking into the kitchen with Daisy in his arms.

He put on a smile, “Tea?” He wasn’t a trained spy for nothing.

“Sure, bruv.” Eggsy said.

“Breakfast will be ready in a minute if you want to take a seat at the table,” Harry said as he passed Eggsy his tea.

“Thanks mate,” Eggsy sat down and settled Daisy on to his lap. The little girl grabbed for the hot mug but Eggsy gracefully moved it out of her reach. “Nah Dais’ it’s too ‘ot, you’ll burn yourself,” Eggsy said smiling to the baby who was simply staring up at him with big blue eyes.

In a few moments Harry was putting plates on to the table and sitting across from Eggsy and Daisy.

Daisy didn’t grab for the food on the plate as she had with the mug. Instead she just sat there with her big blue eyes focused on the plate but not moving. Her big brother spooned up some eggs and held them in front of her mouth.

“It’s all good, Daisy, promise,” Eggsy said and the little girl hesitantly opened her mouth to accept the spoon.

“Good girl,” he said as she started to grab at things on the plate. He moved some out of her reach, like the toast and bacon, but the rest he let her grab.

Harry watched the scene with curiosity. He had never really interacted with children and thus had had no idea what to do with one when the need arose, much less what to feed it but apparently eggs and fruit were far game.

“I assume you have questions?” Harry finally said breaking up the near silence of Eggsy and Daisy eating.

Eggsy chewed the toast he had just taken a bite out of and looked at him in a way that seemed like he was measuring something.

“Why are you doing this? What do you get out of it?” He finally asked after he swallowed the toast.

“I told you, your father saved my life. I am simply repaying the favor.”

“So was you in the army or something? Like an officer?”

“Not quiet,” Harry replied carefully.

“So where was you posted, Iraq or something?”

“Sorry, Eggsy. Classified.”

“But my dad saved your life, yeah?” Eggsy sounded thrilled at the notion.

“The day your father died, I missed something. If it weren’t for his courage my mistake would have cost the lives of every man present. So I owe him.” It was simple. A favor for the sacrifice.

Eggsy just stared at him, toast forgotten until his sister tried to pull it down to her mouth.

“Do you mind if I ask a question Eggsy?” Although he already knew most of the answers it was never polite to let people know that you knew basically everything about them.

“Go for it bruv,”

“How exactly did you end up in the situation that you found yourself in last night?”

Eggsy stilled, not like he had the other times where it was like he had been frozen in time but a more calculated movement. This stillness was based on fear rather than shock, Harry would bet the house on it. Eggsy stilled like a dear does when it smells danger, as if some how not moving would prevent the inevitable.

“I couldn’t stay at ‘ome anymore, and couldn’t leave my Daisy there,” Eggsy said sounding as if there was so much more behind the words than what he was saying. “ I was staying at a mates but then my step-da decided to turn up and I couldn’t stay there either.”

“You are welcome to stay here as long as you need to Eggsy,” Harry said.

Raising an eyebrow, Eggsy leaned back away from the table. “Because you owe my da?”

“Because neither you or Miss Daisy deserve to be out on the streets.” Harry did not wait for the words to sink in because he was distracted by the time, 9:50a. “Bugger. I’m late. If you do excuse me Eggsy I have to pop in at the shop for a tick. Just make yourself comfortable.”

Harry left Eggsy sitting at the kitchen table with Daisy as he hung up his apron and walked to the front door. Grabbing Rainmaker, he walked out the door.

“Arthur’s in the dining room, sir,” Dagonet said as Harry entered the shop. Since he was already a minute late he hurried up the stairs and pushed opened both doors to the dining room. Revealing a rather smug looking Chester King. Not that there was anything he had to feel smug about what with one of his agents dying but Chester King always looked smug.

“Arthur,”

“Galahad, the others were beginning to wonder if we were going to have a double toast.” Arthur said gesturing the the holograms that were sitting in their designated seats. It may have been his attempt at a joke but it was in poor humor.

As soon as Harry was seated, Arthur started.

“Gentlemen, I am thankful to say it’s been seventeen years since we last had occasion to use this decanter. Lancelot was an outstanding agent, and a true Kingsman. He will be sorely missed. To Lancelot.”

“To Lancelot,” the rest of them echoed as they each drank their brandy. Harry noted that Percival looked like he was barely holding it together.

Lancelot and Percival had been an item almost as soon as Lancelot was accepted to the round table. They had raised a baby girl and besides being spies had had a boring normal life. Not that Chester would ever acknowledge that the two men were anything more than close friends. It must hurt like hell to loose your partner and not even be allowed proper time to grieve.

“I intend to start the selection process for Lancelot’s replacement tomorrow. I want each of you to propose a candidate and have them report to UK HQ no later than nine pm GMT. Thank you,”

Just like that the knights around him started to flicker out. Harry was a little shocked at the abrupt turn around. Most of the time there was at least a month of there being a vacant seat at the table between the death of the knight and the start of the selection process. A day was incredibly quick.

A movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention just as Arthur said, “Merlin, come in.”

As Merlin walked into the room he started speaking, “Lancelot was investigating a group of mercenaries who were experimenting with biological weaponry.” He tapped something on the clipboard that seemed to be permanently attached to his hand, “Glasses gentlemen, please,”

Harry put the glasses that he didn't remember taking off on a looked as images of broken and beaten bodies filed the screen over the fire place.

“Uganda, 2012,” Merlin supplied, “synthetic cathinones. They put it in the water supply of a guerrilla army base. Rage, cannibalism, multiple fatalities.” The image changed to another one of carnage, “Chechnya 2013. Insurgents turned on one another. Indisputably, the work of our mercenaries, but no trace of any chemicals of any kind.”

“So what happened to Lancelot,” Harry asked even though he really didn’t want to know.

“He tracked them to this property in Argentina,” Merlin said changing the image on the screen to one of a house nestled on a snow covered mountain. “While he had them under surveillance he became aware that they’d effected a kidnapping. So he executed a solo rescue mission, which failed. This is his last transmission.”
Once again the image on the screen changed and this time it read KIDNAP VICTIM IS PROFESSOR AROLD.

“Who is he?”

“Some climate change doomsayer. Expounds something called ‘Gaia theory’ about the world healing itself or some such. But what is curious is that he’s not actually missing.” The image changed to some man wearing a cardigan. “This is Professor Arnold at Imperial College this morning.”

“It’s all yours,” Arthur said as if it was a present and not the case that had killed one of his dear friends, “And don’t forget your membership proposal. Try picking a more suitable candidate this time.”

Of course he would bring that up. Harry stood up. “Seventeen year and still evolving with the times remains and entirely foreign concept to you. Need I remind you, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for that young man? He was as much Kingsman material as any of them. More so,” Maybe he was defending Lee a little to much, but he did have the man’s son currently in his house so he did not feel out of line. He started heading out the door behind Merlin.

“But he wasn’t exactly one of us, was he? Let’s face it Galahad your little experiment failed.”

“With respect, Arthur, you’re a snob.” He heard Merlin snigger at that but thankfully Arthur didn’t seem to hear.

“With respect?”

“The world is changing. There’s a reason why aristocrats developed weak chins.” He said as he left the room, catching up to Merlin in the hallway.

“So how’s the Unwin boy?” Merlin asked as they fell into step.

“Remind me to never talk to Morgause again.”

“She just has your best interests at heart, as well as a soft spot for a pretty face. Tell me about him, Lee would never shut up about how great the kid was,”

“I wasn’t really pay attention to weather he had a pretty face, Merlin, a lot of time has passed since Lee. He is currently homeless with a baby sister.”

It was a lie. He had noticed just how beautiful Eggsy blue eyes were framed with golden lashed drenched with rain. How his lips were full and complemented the boy’s strong jaw line and arched brows. How he was all lean muscle and moved with a grace that didn’t fit with his chav exterior. Harry had noticed all of it and was never going to mention it to a single soul because that was ungentlemanly to be ogling a man half ones age especially considering that he had known the boy’s father.

“Ach, what are you going to do about that Harry?”

They stood outside the tailor shop. Both needing to go in different directions but neither willing to part until the conversation was finished.

“I haven’t quiet gotten that far. So far I have gotten to reading his file three times and feeding him and his sister breakfast but that is about all I have worked out at the moment.”

Merlin laughed at this, “The great Harry Hart doesn’t have a plan on how to deal with a boy and a baby.”

“I have never had to deal with a baby before and you know that. I am sure I will get it all sorted, but there are no societal norms to fall back on in this situation,” Harry said trying to explain why this all was so hard.

Merlin snorted, “Well keep me posted on the developments and donnae be late with your candidate this time.” With a smile Merlin turned and walked down the road.

Harry took a cab back to his house and was pleased to see that Eggsy and Daisy were still in residence and sitting on the couch. Harry toed off his shoes and then sat down in the chair across from the pair.

“I am sorry, I had to leave you like that Eggsy. I had an emergency meeting at my work.”

“Where do you work?” Eggsy said.

“I work at Kingsman tailor shop on Saville Row” Eggsy seemed to find this amusing but said nothing.

Daisy sat next to her brother, gnawing on his fingers and looking up at Harry with big blue eyes. Harry wanted to help Eggsy but the problem was that the boy was never going to ask for help. It seemed as if there was something in him that he wanted to accept the help but the other half was going to run away and burn everything down on the way out.

Then it dawned on him. The best way to help Eggsy was to have him help himself. He had been doing brilliant in the Marines before he had quit. He had had high IQ and had been the winner of regionals gymnastics two years running before Dean and come into his life. There was eve an impressive video of the boy at sixteen driving backwards through traffic with a cop car nearly nose to nose with him.

“How would you like a job?” Harry said.

The boy sat back and simply stared at him.

“A job.”

“There is an opening at Kingsman and they are starting application processes tomorrow. Would you like to be my candidate for Kingsman?”

“A candidate? To be a tailor?”

“A candidate for Kingsman agent.”

“Agent?”

“Yes, a suit is a modern day gentleman’s armor and Kingsman agents are the modern knights.”

“I don’t know if you ‘ave noticed, bruv, but I ain’t no gentleman.” Eggsy said scoffing and leaning back in the chair, the air of a chav he was trying to put off was ruined by the fact that Daisy was still drooling all over the boys fingers.

“The lack of a silver spoon has set you on a certain path, but you need not stay on it. But if you are prepared to adapt and learn, you can transform.”

“Like in My Fair Lady?” Eggsy asked a skeptical eyebrow rising.

“Well aren’t you full of surprises, yes like in My Fair Lady. Are you interested?”

“What would happen to Daisy? I can’t leave her.”

Harry once again looked at the girl who was still drooling all over her brother.

“I will take care of her.” Harry said, catching himself off guard. He don’t know why he said it but as soon as the words were out he could not take them back.

“Nah bruv, she is my responsibility. You don’t need to worry about ‘er.”

“Nonsense. You will not be able to take care of her during the training process and I assure you she will be well taken care of.”

Eggsy looked wary, as if he did not believe that. Harry did not blame him. It was not in Eggsy’s nature to trust given the life that he had been forced to lead.

“How about this. I will take care of her and make sure that you can see her as often as you are able.”

Eggsy relaxed at this. "This is bonkers mate. I don’t even know you. But a'ight, What have I got to loose?” He gave a rueful smile and still looked guarded but Harry felt as if they had made progress.

Chapter Text

“Do you have a phone I can barrow?” Eggsy asked after he and Harry had put Daisy down for a nap in the bed of the guest room.  He had basically agreed to hand his little sister over to a stranger, the least he could do was teach the man how to take care of her.

“Of course Eggsy, it is in my study,” Harry said motioning out of the bedroom and to the door which was at the other end of the hall.

Harry left him alone to make his phone call. He looked around the red room and wondered what all the newspapers meant as the phone rang.

“‘ullo,” Jamal answered on the third ring.

“‘ey bruv,”

“Eggsy. ‘Ow you doing mate?”

“A’ight. Did Dean’s goons give you too much trouble last night?”

“No more than normal. Glad you got away safe,”

“Me too. Look I’m gonna be away for awhile I need you to check in on my mum for me. You know make sure Dean ain’t beatin’ ‘er to bad.” He felt bad asking this of his best mate but he couldn’t just leave his mother with no source of protection from Dean’s fists.

“Of course cuz, anything wrong?”

“No, I just gotta go away for awhile.”

“A’ight,” Jamal said and it sounded like he didn’t really believe it. “Take care Eggsy.”

“You too mate, you too.”

The phone call ended with a click. Eggsy looked at the faded newspaper with the picture of Princess Diana and Prince Charles for a long while before he dialed again.

This one was answered on the fifth ring.

“‘Ello?” His mother’s voice filled the line. She sounded mostly sober.

“‘Ey Mum,” he said quietly.

“Eggsy, babe, where ‘ave you been? ‘Ow’s Daisy?”

“I’ve been around and she’s fine mum. ‘Ow are you doing?”

“I miss you two. It’s so quiet ‘ere without you.” She didn’t mention Dean and he probably wasn’t in the room if she was speaking above a whisper and still talking to Eggsy. He knew that if his step-da had been in the room he would be getting yelled at by the drunkard.

“I’m sorry, mum. I’m just calling to let you know you might not be ‘earing from me for a while, but Daisy and I are safe.”

“What’s wrong? Where are you going? Why won’t I ‘ear from you?”

“I think it’s best that I lay low for a while. I will call you when I can. Love you.”

He hung up the phone without waiting for a response.

The next thirty six hours were spent by teaching Harry how to take care of Daisy. The man looked so lost when he had to hold the little girl for the first time, like he was somehow going to break the little girl. Somehow that wariness made Eggsy feel more comfortable about leaving the light of his life with a man he barely knew.

He was laughing at the face Harry was making after Daisy threw her peas at him during lunch, when it hit him. The reason that he was so willing to leave her with a man he hardly knew was for the first time in recent memory, they were some place safe. Some place were Daisy would throw her peas and not expect to get yelled at. A place where he didn’t have to worry about Daisy being hurt or being around illegal activities that she could get caught in the middle of.

Before he knew it Harry was hustling both him and Daisy out of the house to the shop. Eggsy felt out of place amongst the bolts of fabrics that looked finer than anything he had ever owned lined the walls. He followed Harry warily into a fitting room. Harry placed his palm to the mirror and the floor beneath them shuddered as they began to sink into the ground. Eggsy listened for a while as Harry talked about the history of the organization that he was going to attempt to join. Over all it just sounded like a a group of posh gits who got bored and liked danger but he wasn’t going to say that.

“How deep does this thing go?” Eggsy asked when Harry stopped talking but they were still descending.

“Deep enough,”

Oh well was not that a brilliant answer that told him exactly nothing. Daisy was busy with clutching on to his polo shirt and staring at everything that was moving around them with wide eyes.

As they sank lower he started to fret abou what would happen to his baby girl the instant he left her. He was embarking on a dangerous path and there without him there was nothing that would stop her from going back to the estates. He had no leagal right to her and the only reason the police weren’t after them was because as soon as they started looking for Eggsy they would want to know all about Dean and his less than honest business.

When they finally exited the weird fitting room lift combination there was a bullet train waiting for them. Wordlessly Harry got into one of the seats and then motioned to the seat across from him. As soon as he sat down the train speed off and it was all Eggsy could do to stay in the seat at the first acceleration.

“Where are we going?”

“We are going to Headquarters it is located a ways away from the city.”

“Just promise me something ‘arry,”

“Anything,” Eggsy tried to ignore how that one word seemed to say more than what their relationship was.

“Just promise me that you wont sent ‘er back to my mum.”

“Of course.” Harry said and Eggsy believed him.

ooo000ooo

Harry took in the awe on Eggsy’s face as he took in the hanger before them.

“Your father had the same look on his face, as did I. Come on,” Harry led Eggsy to the dormitory and to Merlin.

“Galahad,” Merlin said his eyebrows raised as he took in the little girl that was staring at him with her head nestled on Eggsy’s shoulder.

“My code name,” Harry said.

“Late again, sir,” was the only thing that the Scotsman said.

Eggsy looked at Harry, “You’ll take care of ‘er yea?”

“I gave you my word. Good luck.”

Eggsy placed a kiss on the little girl’s head and then passed her to Harry.

“In you go,” Merlin said as he opened the door to the dormitory. As soon as the door was closed he turned on Harry.

“What exactly do you think you are doing?”

“I am taking care of Miss Daisy here until Eggsy either completes his training and is the new Lancelot or until he fails out of the program.”

“No Harry, what are you doing? You yourself are the one who made the rule about not recruiting people with families and here you are taking care of your proposal’s baby”

“It was the only thing I could think to do to help him.”

Merlin pinched his nose and sighed watching the little lass snuggle herself in Harry’s suit. “I hope you know how to take care of a baby.”

Merlin turned on his heel and walked into the dormitories. Harry heard the man start talking to the new recruits as he walked up to the main part of the house.

Harry watched the feed from the dormitories in his office. The stream was available to all members of Kingsman to see how the recruits were doing. He was babbling to the baby who was dozing on his chest as the water began to fill the room for the first test.

“Look at them. All panicking, Charlie seems to have the right idea with the snorkels though. That Roxy is going to be some tough opposition for your brother.  Look at him, all the others have opted to breathe and he is looking for ways out. That door isn’t going to work, there is to much pressure behind it.  All of them are looking at him like he has three heads, not a single one has looked at Amelia.

“Now Miss Daisy, if you look closely you can see Amelia is taking air in through the tube she has hidden under her shirt. We have to make them think that the test is real and the stakes are dangerous. No harm will come to your brother I assure you but limits must be tested. It is a shame that Amelia only comes in for the first test. She is great company.

“Looks like your brother has finally given up on opening the door. I wonder if he is going to spot the two way mirror or join the rest of them at the loos.  He is swimming over them guess he is going for the mirror then. It is a wonder that he decided to sleep shirtless considering the fact that he looks like post modern painting with all of the fading bruises and scars on his torso. All of the other candidates have taken note of it as well, I wonder what they will make of it. There goes the mirror. It only took him five blows to break it to.”

As the water rushed out of the dormitory, Harry changed the feed to that of the room behind the mirror with a click.  The recruits were all gasping in air, but Merlin started his after task pep talk, or anti pep talk depending on how you wanted to view it, without waiting a moment.

“Congratulations on completing your first task. Charlie, Roxy, well done. For those of you who are still confused if you can get a breathing tube around a U-bend of a toilet you have an unlimited air supply. Simple physics worth remembering. Eggsy, well done for spotting that was a two-way mirror.”

“He’s probably seen enough of them,” the one called Charlie, who was Arthur’s proposal, said with a smirk.

“Yeah, you can all wipe those smirks off your faces. Because as far as I'm concerned, every single one of you has failed. You all forgot the most important thing...teamwork.” Merlin finished and all of the recruits stood up and stared into the dormitory.

“Now Miss Daisy they are all looking at Amelia, they think she is dead. She isn’t. Not that you can tell anyone that, she works in our tech department in Berlin. She is a great agent and is currently using her training to hold her breath. Merlin will make sure that they all leave the room before they hit the five minute mark.

“There you have it, they all finished the first test. Now we should go home and get some rest before going to do some recon on Professor Arnold.”

Chapter Text

Harry and Daisy watched Professor Arnold for a two weeks. By all outward appearances it seemed as if he was just your standard university professor, and there was nothing incriminating in his financials. It was dull work, he went to his office hours, his lectures, a bar close to his home and his flat.

It was an easy task though which gave Harry time to make his house more hospitable for Miss Daisy. He turned the guest bedroom into a nursery. He bought more toys and clothes than any child would ever possibly need. Her favorite toy was a black cat stuffed animal with a golden bell on its collar. She rarely let it out of her sight. She was still as silent as she had been when he had first met her but he could tell that the little girl was relaxing around him.

Harry had also twisted Merlin’s arm into looking for a nanny for the little girl. He loved spending time with her but it wasn’t very practical to take her with him everywhere he went considering his line of work.

The time that wasn’t spent tailing Professor Arnold was spend watching Eggsy durning his first couple weeks of training. He was a quick study and was well on his way to becoming one of the top candidates. Though why he had wanted a bulldog was beyond Harry.

For the first three weeks there was no contact between the candidates and the agents who proposed them. Harry found himself waiting expectantly for those three weeks to pass so that he could talk to Eggsy instead of just watch a video feed with Daisy.

Before that could happen though, he would have to get some answers of Professor Arnold. Obviously watching the man was going to get him no where so it was time to try the direct approach.

“So it’s true,” Percival said as Harry walked into his office the next morning with Daisy, “I thought Merlin was pulling my leg when he said that you were caring for a baby but apparently not.” The man laughed walking around his desk to look at the little girl.
“Daisy meet Percival, Percival meet Miss Daisy.”

“Hello Daisy,” Percy said leaning down to look at the girl. “How are you today?”

The little girl just stared at him with wide blue eyes.

“I was wondering if you could do me a favor,” Harry said.

“Depends on what it is,” Of course nothing could ever be easy with Percival.

“ I was hoping that you could watch her for a few hours. I have to go rustle up an informant here in town but I think it would be for the best not to bring her along.”

“Of course I can. Don’t worry about it,” Percy reached for the baby and pulled her into his arms. “We are going to be best friends aren’t we Daisy. Go take care of what you have to do we will still be here when you get back,” Percy said smiling over his shoulder as he did that bounce step that one only does when one is holding a baby.

“Thank You Percival.” Harry said and walked out of the office. He really needed Merlin to get a lead on a nanny, handing her off to another knight whenever he had to go do something remotely dangerous was not a permeant solution.

When Merlin had told Eggsy to come with him, he was certain he was going to get kicked out of the program. He was not sure what he had done to merit it but he was certain it was coming. What he was not expecting was to see Harry Hart lying motionless in a hospital bed. There was another man in the room with them who Eggsy did not recognize.

“Is he going to be alright?”

“We need to have patience Eggsy but there is hope okay?”

Eggsy nodded staring at the immobile man before him. He was going to ask about his sister but saw a quick warning shot that Merlin gave him as the tech's eyes flicked to the unknown man in the room and then back to Eggsy.

“Wait in the hall for me lad.”

Eggsy could not drag his eyes away from the sight of Harry lying perfect still in the hospital bed with tubes coming out of him, Eggsy nodded. He exited the room and waited.

After what seemed like an eternity of staring at the white floor, walls, and ceiling of the informatory, Merlin and the unknown man exited the room. The older man with white hair gave Merlin a sharp nod, ignored Eggsy and headed down the hallway to the elevator.

“My sister, is she okay?” Eggsy finally asked when the elevator doors closed.

“Yes, she is being taken care of by another agent until he wakes up. If anyone asks she is Harry’s niece and is no direct relation to you.”

“Another agent? And why? Why does my connection to her have to be a secret?”

“Don’t worry boy she is in good hands. Percy did a pretty good job with Roxy and I’ m sure he will keep your sister safe. It has to be a secret because Arthur, the man who was just here, is rather set in his ways and would not look favorably on single parent.”

Eggsy really could not argue with either of those points. Roxy was pretty great so who ever raised her must be more than capable of taking care of his Dais. Merlin dismissed him and Eggsy headed back to the dormitories.

The candidates were supposed to be talking with the people who proposed them at the moment so he was surprised to see Roxy in her bed with her head buried in her poodle’s fur. He would have bet big bucks that she would have wanted to spend every minute she could with her mentor to try to gain at least some advantage on the other candidates.

“Everything okay Rox?” He asked closing the door, instantly regretting asking when she looked up at him with red rimmed eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks.

She started furiously brushing the tears off of her cheeks but it was no use she just kept crying. “I’m sorry,” she hiccuped between sobs. “I can’t seem to stop it.”
Eggsy just sat down next to her and pulled her into an embrace. He had not known her very long but it was the only thing that he could think of to so to stop her tears.

Slowly her sobs quieted down and turned into hiccups and then she was pulling herself away from him and whipping her eyes and nose with a handkerchief that was issued to every candidate.

“I get needing a good cry and all, but mind telling me what that was all about?” Eggsy asked when she looked more or less back to sane.

“My Papa died three weeks ago.”

“That’s terrible. Do you know what ‘appened?”

“It’s classified,” She said biting her lip to keep the tears in check.

“Classified?”

“Yes, you see my Papa was the last Lancelot and now here I am trying to get his job.”

“Wait I thought some bloke named Percy was your father.” Eggsy stated without stoping to think.

She looked at him, her green eyes looking as if they were going to pierce through his soul. “How did you know Percival was my Dad?”

“Merlin said something about ‘im doing a good job raising you,” Eggsy was hoping that she would let the matter drop at that but apparently if there was one thing that Roxy Morton was good at it was getting the answers that she wanted.

“Why would he have had cause to say something like that?”

Eggsy ducked his head down to avoid her gaze. “‘E is taking care of my baby sister for the time being and since I don’t know the fellow I was wary and then Merlin said he did a good job raising you so I didn’t ‘ave to worry about anything happening to Daisy.” He blurted it all out as quickly as he could because he really did not want anyone other than those who had to know to know about his baby sister.

Roxy’s face softened. “Yeah he is a good dad. He and Papa were the best,” she said on a smile.

“Well now I know that Daisy isn’t with some psycho I am very relieved,” Eggsy said.

Roxy laughed and Eggsy knew he had said the right thing.

Chapter Text

After those first few weeks, life settled into a sort of rhythm. Well as much as training designed to keep you sleep deprived and on your toes can fall into a rhythm. Charlie was an asshole, Digby and Rufus following in his footsteps and Roxy was cool. Eggsy accidentally picked a pug as his puppy but after a day or so he could not be bothered to care. The thing was cute and it needed him and he was always a sucker for things that needed him.

Once a week they would sit with their mentors for an hour or two. Eggsy spent half of the allotted time telling a comatose Harry everything that Merlin was putting them through and how his dog had to be the laziest thing he had ever seen. JB couldn’t even run a mile without sitting down and refusing to move any further. Pretty soon Eggsy was going to have to carry the dog and not just stuff him down his shirt because the pug was getting fat. (Which was not Eggsy’s fault).

The other half of the time was spent sitting in a corner of Percival’s office telling the exact same things to Daisy as she played with JB while Roxy and Percival were sitting in the other corner having their tea. Sometimes Daisy would be taking her nap when they had ‘mentor time’ as he and Roxy had dubbed it and he would have tea with Percival and Roxy. He kept telling Percival how grateful he was that the man was taking care of Daisy while he was busy and always in reply was always, “Oh it is nothing. You should have seen Roxy when she was that age,” and then he would tell a story about Roxy that would make her blush beet red and try to beat her Dad with a pillow.

Apparently Roxy had been more than a handful as a child, having two parents who were super-spies will do that to a girl. Apparently she had been able to pick locks at the tender age of seven and had used that skill to fill one of her more unpleasant classmates bathtub with toads while he and his family had been out. Unfortunately her Papa had found out and forced her to go and retrieve all of the toads. It had ended with both the former Lancelot and his daughter hiding in a closet with a box full of nearly twenty toads because the family had come home earlier than expected. Percival had laughed as he told the story but there was a sadness behind his smile that Eggsy had only ever seen on the few rare occasions he had forced his mum to tell him about his dad.

In exchange for the stories about Roxy he told them a few of his own. He told them about stealing Rottweiler’s stupid yellow car and the accompanying car chase where he had driven nearly ten blocks backwards through the streets of London. He told them that the reason he had crashed the car was because he could not run over the fox because it was not the foxes fault that Rottweiler was an ass and that the cops were chasing him because he had been driving the car too fast. Something passed over Percival’s face at this but it was gone before Eggsy could place it. Roxy on the other hand was laughing as he told her about the shocked look on the copper’s faces as he ran the car right into theirs. The only reason that he had avoided doing serious time was because he had technically still been a minor.

The weeks passed and more and more recruits left them until it was finally just Eggsy, Roxy, Hugo, Digby, Rufus and Charlie. Somehow Charlie had made it to the final six candidates. There was no denying that he was good at the skills they were being taught but his attitude left much to be desired. What with the water trick, all Eggsy wanted to do was knock him down a peg or two.

Whenever there was a spare moment, or there was a particularly difficult task to accomplish, he would go and talk to Harry. It was calming, especially because Harry didn’t ask any questions or expect anything out of him. It was nice just to sit with another person, that that person was someone who was had believed in him after so many people had written him off was a bonus.

Harry had woken up with a headache and no real idea how he had gotten from London Imperial College back to the infirmary at headquarters. When he had pressed the call button he had been surprised when the doctor had said that he had been in a coma for almost three months. As soon as the doctor had cleared him to have visitor’s he had called Merlin.

“Well it is good to see that you are finally awake. I was starting to think that we were going to have to start looking for someone to fill your seat as well.” Was the first thing that the Scotsman said as he walked in the door.

“Pleasure to see you as well. What happened?”

“Well, we don’t exactly know. It seems that someone had to go and make sure that all of his systems were un-hackable,” the words were supposed to be scolding but there was no bite to them.

“Oh sorry about that.” Harry at least had the decency to look chagrined at that information. “If you pass me the tablet I will let you in,”

“You should just share your password with someone. Anyone. We had our best techs working on this for three days and they did not ever get close to hacking it.”

“I will take that under advisement. Wait, if I have been out for three months who has been taking care Daisy? Did Eggsy fail out?”

“Don’t worry your boy is doing fine. The girl has been being taken care of by Percival. In fact I have heard that he has grown quiet fond of her and might not let you have her back, considering that you have no idea to how to raise a child.” Merlin said on a laugh.

“I told Eggsy I was going to take care of her so I am going to keep that promise,” Harry said.

“That is an argument that you are going to have to take up with Percival. In the mean time I am going to look at your footage. Do you want me to tell Eggsy you have woken up?”

“Not until I am no longer forced to lie in this damn bed.”

Merlin frowned at this, “You know he has been by your bedside nearly every moment of free time they get right?”

No, Harry had not known that. He did not even want to think about the implications that was going along with that statement. He also pointedly ignored the speculating look that Merlin was currently pointing in his direction.

“No, I hadn’t known that.”

“While he has. I don’t know what is going to go on with you two but whatever it is, make sure that Arthur doesn’t find out about it.”

“What does Arthur know?”

“That you proposed another candidate who is not from the upper class. We have made sure that he doesn’t know who Daisy belongs to. If anyone asks you are taking care of her for your niece who just got deployed overseas.”

With that Merlin turned on his heel and left the room.

The day after Harry was visited by Merlin, Percival came to visit him with Daisy. Percival sat the little girl down on the bed next to Harry’s feet. Daisy stared at Harry with wide blue eyes. Once she seemed to decide that Harry was safe she began to crawl all over him. He could not help but be infatuated with the toddler.

“Thank you for taking care of her.” Harry said as soon as she was done with her inspection of him and was sitting happily- albeit silently- on his left side.

“Don’t mention it. It has been nice to have someone besides me and the dogs at home,”Percy said his voice soft as he looked fondly at the girl who was beginning to look around the rest of the room. Percival took her off the bed and sat her down on the floor where she started to toddle around.

“In all the turmoil of those last seventy two hours I forgot to say I am sorry that you have lost James. How are you holding up?”

The man’s face stayed the same as he watched the little girl start to open up drawers, but his fond gaze turned closed off and he drew in a shaky breath. “It’s been rough, there is no denying that. I almost didn’t propose Roxy because of it. I don’t want to loose her the same way. The only reason I did was almost from the second we told her what we did for a living she wanted to be just like us.”

“And how is Roxy faring in the trials?” Harry asked as if he did not already know exactly what her scores were.

“She is doing great. Always vying with that boy of yours for top of the class. Once again you have picked an excellent candidate. From what Roxy tells me and what I have observed, he is better than Charlie, Chester proposal, in almost every possible way.”

Harry bit back a laugh, “Chester has always gone for the pedigree rather than character.”

“You are right about that.”

“I have to be getting back to work, but I will come back to visit you later.” He stands up and goes over to where Daisy seems to have pulled every popsicle stick out of a box that she had found, “It’s time to go poppet,” He says crouching down to her.

She looks up at him and drops a handful of popsicle sticks to take the hand he extends to her keeping a handful of popsicle sticks in the other. When she is told to wave bye bye to Harry she looks like she is lost for what to do because both of her hands are full. In the end she drops the rest of the sticks and wave at him as she and Percival leave out the door.

Harry smiles at the both of them and then goes back to the mission report that he was filling out before they had interrupted him.

Suddenly Percy is sticking his head back in, “Don’t wait to long, you never know when it’s gonna be the last time.”

Now what in the bloody hell was that supposed to mean?

When Merlin finally told Eggsy that Harry had woken up and wanted to see him, the boy practically ran to the room in the hospital wing, his fat little pug panting besides him. He then stood outside the door that he had gone into so many times but there had never really been anyone behind it. Sure Harry had been there but he had been unconscious and now he was awake and asking to see Eggsy. Also he was not sure if Merlin meant that Harry wanted to see him right now. He could have meant he wanted to see him later, or that he wanted to see him eventually.

Walking into the room like he owned it, Eggsy pushed aside his doubts and the door. Harry turned to him and damned if he didn’t look good. He was wearing pajamas and a red robe but he was freshly shaved and his hair was pushed back. It was a welcome sight from the beard that had started to grow on the man’s face. Sure the beard had been nice but it was not Harry.

“Ever heard of knocking?” was the first thing Harry said to him and Eggsy was just a little disappointed with this but tried not to show it.

“Only when I am a casing a place to rob,” Eggsy said and unfortunately it was not a lie, but he brazened on, “Merlin said you wanted to see me?”

“I hope JB’s training is going as well as yours is.”

“Sit,” Eggsy said with a little bit more force than was probably necessary but the little dog had a habit of not listening to him more than half of the time and he could not help it if he puffed out his chest a little bit with pride as the dog did what he was asked for once.

“Congratulations on making it to the final six candidates. Your test results are even better than I could have hoped. Falling only behind Roxy and, as I am sure you are aware, she has a certain edge. ” Eggsy puffed up a little bit more with that. “Percy has been doing well with Daisy.”

“Yeah ‘e is great with ‘er. ‘e keeps saying that after raising Roxy it is a piece of cake.”

“I would imagine, he and James would come in nearly every other day close to pulling out either their own hair or tying her up in one of the many safe rooms we have.” He said it with a smile.

“Besides her obvious advantage I am pleased that you are still ranking above the rest of them.” It was clear that Harry wanted to say more but he held his tongue in remembrance of the fact that the entire manor seemed to be covered in cameras with hardly any blind spots.

Before Eggsy could let the praise go to his head, there was a knock on the door and Harry pointed at it as if to say, ‘that is how it is done.’ “Come in.”

Merlin walked in holding his standard clipboard which held more tech than one would believe considering the fact that it is less than half a centimeter thick. He looked at Eggsy from behind his glasses with hazel eyes that always seemed to take up most of his face, besides his dark eyebrows of course. He raised an eyebrow at Eggy’s presence. “Eggsy, I need to have a private conversation. You are dismissed.”

“Nonsense,” Harry said with a wave of his hand, “ Let him observe, he might learn a thing or two.” Eggsy smiled at the faith that Harry had at him and looked at Merlin.

The man let out a long suffering sigh, “As you wish,” He tapped something on his clipboard and there was an image on the screen which showed a rather dowdy looking man being held by his ear. “Take a look at this.”

Eggsy watched in fascination as he heard Harry off screen say, ‘For god’s sake I’ve barely touched you man up.’ It was quickly followed by an explosion of the man’s head. Eggsy visibly recoiled at that and then looked around Merlin to stare at his mentor.

“That is rank Harry. You blew up a man’s ‘ead? It’s a bit much innit?” Harry just ignored the question and continued to look at the screen where Merlin was zooming in on a scar that was just behind the man’s ear.

“Actually the explosion was caused by an implant in his neck, here under the scar.” Merlin froze it as the tissue behind the scar glowed, just before the poor man’s head had popped off, complete with a poof of color.

Apparently this did not phase Harry too greatly because he simply asked, “Did my hardware pick up the signal that triggered it?”

“Fortunately yes. Unfortunately the IP addressed I traced it to was registered to the Richmond Valentine corporation. He has millions of employees worldwide.”

“That Richmond Valentine is a genius.” Eggsy said and was greeted with two identical expressions of bafflement. “Did you not see ‘is announcement today?”

Merlin furrowed his brow, “No,”

Eggsy grabbed the clipboard from the man and pulled up the press conference where Valentine had announced that he was giving free SIM cards to everyone in the world which would mean free internet and phone calls for everyone.

Merlin took his clipboard back with an indignant huff. Only to have it taken by Harry who zoomed in oh Valentine’s assistant. “Valentine’s assistant has the same implant scar. I think it is time that Mr. Valentine and I have a tete-a-tete.”

“He is having a gala dinner next week. I’ll get you an invitation.” Merlin said typing away on the clipboard that he had snatched away from Harry as a soon as he could. “Be careful, though. Since you’ve been out hundreds of VIPs have gone missing. No ransom note, exactly like Professor Arnold.”

“Then I suggest you make my alias somebody worth kidnapping,” Harry said and all Eggsy could do was gape at him. The man had just woken up from a three month coma and he was actually talking about setting himself up to be kidnapped?

“Will do. Eggsy be back to training in ten minutes.” Merlin said as he buried himself in his tablet, either setting up Harry’s alias or planning the next torture for the recruits. Eggsy’s was not quiet sure but he scarcely thought about it before turning to look at Harry.

“You just woke up.” It was obvious but if the man was going to act like he was invincible he probably needed a little bit of obvious right now.

“I did,”

“Now you are going to get kidnapped?”

“That is not plan A or even plan B, but if it is the only way to get information than yes I am going to get kidnapped.” Harry said all of this so matter of factly, like Eggsy was daft.

Eggsy bit his lip to stop from saying how stupid it was, how he could not just keep putting himself in danger like this, how Eggsy had barely gotten a chance to know him and now he was going to go away again. To stop from asking what he was going to do about Daisy, about Eggsy, didn’t he care for them?

He held all this back because it was not his place. He was nothing more than the fuck up kid of the man who had saved Harry’s life. Harry owed him no explanation of his actions, owed him nothing really. In fact he had already given Eggsy to much. Whatever happened to Eggsy and Daisy was none of the man’s concern so why would that factor into the decisions that he was making?

“Alright,” was what Eggsy finally settled on.

Chapter Text

In the week of rest that Harry had before the gala, he alternated his time reading over all the files that Kingsman had on Richmond Valentine and taking care of Daisy. She was now over a year old and was getting into basically everything. Harry had to lock every drawer in his house and office to make sure that she would not open anything dangerous. She was not speaking. It was not alarming because every child develops at different times, but it was a bit worrisome. She would make noises but none of them were words and none of them were loud.

Like Percival had said it was nice to have her around. She looked at everyone with big blue eyes that were exactly like her brothers with her thumb in her mouth, as if sizing them up to see if she could trust them. But apparently she trusted no-one. The only time her eyes were not as big as saucers staring at someone was when that person was either Eggsy or Percy. Harry knew that they were the ones that she knew best but he wanted, no had this need for the girl to be comfortable with him.

In the afternoons, after she had taken her morning nap and they had had lunch, he would take her to watch the training of the recruits. Her wide eyes would always be focused on Eggsy and her thumb in her mouth. Merlin would be talking to the little girl and telling them about the new ways that he had created to torture the recruits.

Currently Merlin was holding the girl and explain to her exactly what was going on during the mission. “We are just trying to see how they deal with a little bit of stress, lass. Look at Rufus he is about to crumple like a leaf. I placed my money on him being the first one to drop out of the final six. He may have the brains and the brawn but he does not have the nerve. He looks like he is going to pass out when ever I put even a little bit of a threat death in front of him. Just wait until I give them the parachute test. He is going to soil himself. “ The man laughed.
The recruits were currently hanging by one rope above a large ravine. The rope wasn’t going to break and it was securely attached to them. Their task was to get to the top of the ravine and no longer be hanging in the ravine by the end of one hour. They were almost half way through the time and the only two who were still hanging were Hugo and Digby. Eggsy had just climbed the rope like a monkey and walked across the rope like he was Buster Keaton. Roxy had gotten up by using her her own body weight as a pendulum and then climbing up the edge of the ravine to the top.

It takes until nearly the end of the timer for Hugo to finally pull his arse up to the top of the ravine. He wasn’t even the heaviest of the recruits he was simply the one with the least upper body strength. Harry had placed his bets on Hugo being the one to leave the final six first.

When it was time to talk to the recruits, Merlin handed the little girl back to Harry and caused Roxy to yelp a little bit, apparently she had forgotten that the handler was in her ear. He had muted both sides of the conversation but that was no excuse. She turned a quite fetching shade of pink as Eggsy nudged her and mouthed something that Harry could not quiet make out.

“I wonder what your brother said to her to make her turn that color,” Harry whispered into Daisy’s ear as the Scotsman soundly told off the recruits and told them that they needed to be back at the manor by six, which was an hour away, if they wanted any dinner,. With a groan the recruits picked themselves off of the ground and started to run the eight miles back.

“He is mean to them because he cares,” Harry says looking at Merlin with a rather exasperated smile. “If they are not trained right then they won’t be able to make it home.”

Merlin just snorts over at the computers and does not turn around. “I think that is our clue to leave, Miss Daisy.” Harry turned and opened the door leaving the wizard to do his magic with a little girl fading fast on his shoulder.

Eggsy was allowed to visit Harry before Harry went on his mission to Valentine’s Gala. He was confused because none of the other recruits were seeing their mentors today but here he was being sent to his mentor’s office at two in the afternoon.

He just waltzed into the room and wondered why his heart beat faltered a little bit when he saw Harry Hart dressed impeccably in a grey double breasted suit walking around his office, obviously talking with someone, with Daisy passed out on his shoulder with her hand fisted around his dark green tie. He shot Eggsy a smile and continued walking around the room, the arm that was not holding Daisy was stroking the little girls blonde curls. It was so domestic and just looked like it was meant to be. Like something he could walk home to every day and be happy to see.

Wait, What? There were many things that Harry Hart was but domestic and someone that Eggsy Unwin would ever come home to was not one of them. Sure he was gentle with Daisy and sure he had helped Eggsy out when he had needed it most but it did not mean anything. Harry was his mentor and he was someone that Eggsy trusted with basically everything in him but it was not anything more.

Harry’s glasses beeped and he turned back to face Eggsy. “I see that knocking is still a foreign concept to you,” Harry said but there was something almost fond in his tone.

“Of course, bruv,” Eggsy said on a smile.

“Merlin was wondering if he could barrow Daisy for the afternoon,”

Eggsy brow knit in confusion. “Why would Merlin want Daisy?”

“He said something about how Kay had had to deal with a baby in the field yesterday and he was more scared of the two year old he had to keep quiet and carry to safety than the Russian mobsters he took at last week.”

“So ‘e wants to use my little sister to train the agents on ‘ow to deal with babies?” Eggsy scoffed, “I trust you but not that much.”

“I believe he wants to use her with the recruits.”

“No, no way. Ain’t no way those wankers are touching my little girl.”

“I am not overly fond of the idea myself. He assured me that both you and him would be with her at all times. Also Roxy will be there and Percy will be overseeing the exercise. Nothing is going to happen to her, has assured me of that.”

“I want Merlin to tell me that ‘imself,” Eggsy said crossing his arms and trying to look as menacing as he could in a tartan onesie with a fat pug panting at his feet, which was honestly not at all that menacing.

“Very well,” Harry said and then promptly took off his glasses and handed them to Eggsy.

Eggsy knew the glasses were special made tech by Merlin himself but he had never seen them in action. It was intense, there was a green word saying transmitting in the upper left hand corner also the entire edge of the lenses were framed with green. He looked at Harry, “So ‘ow do these work? Do I just talk or is there something you have to press?”

“Eggsy,” Merlin said and no Eggsy did not yelp a little bit when he heard the quartermaster in his ear as clearly as if he was standing right beside him.

“Merlin?”

“You wanted to talk to me?”

“Yeah what do you want with Daisy?”

“We almost lost Kay last night because he could not calm down a toddler. I want to make sure that that does not happen again,”

“That doesn’t answer the question, bruv. What do you want with Daisy?”

“I would like to have the last six recruits spend the afternoon with that little bundle of joy and take care of her until it is time for you to go to bed.”

“That is it?”

“That is it.”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” The scotsman said and Eggsy believed him. No harm had come to her so far at the hands of the kingsman agents who had been taking care of her.
Eggsy sighed and uncrossed his arms, “Alright.”

“Thank you Eggsy. Give the glasses back to Harry and bring Miss Daisy down to the dormitories.”

“Yes, Merlin,” Eggsy replied and took off the glasses, folding them up and handing them back to Harry who just placed them on the desk.

“He won you over?”

“He promised it was just going to be taking care of ‘er and nothing more. If it is anything more I don’t care ‘ow much you all are offering I’m gone.”

“I will make sure to tell him that. Now, it is high time that I’m heading out,” Harry said carefully loosening Daisy’s grip on his tie.

“‘Ere let me ‘elp,” Eggsy said reaching to pull his sister away from where she looked so comfortable. He was gentle and kept his movements soft. Between the two of them they transferred the toddler to Eggsy’s shoulder with only a slight whimper of disappointment from Daisy. Harry smoothed his tie but there was really no hiding the stain that her sweaty little hand had left on Harry’s silk tie.

Eggsy’s looked at it with a soft smile; he did not even realize that he was staring until Harry cleared his throat. Eggsy felt himself flush red in embarrassment. He did not even know what had gotten into him lately. Harry was his mentor, an agent and a superior, he was also at least twice Eggsy age but that did not stop the thought from popping up in his head that he would love it if Harry were something more.

Eggsy headed to the east library as quickly as he could with a sleeping baby on his shoulder. Which was quiet a bit faster than it had been four months ago. When he got to there, the scene was eerily familiar. Merlin was standing in front of a shut door, behind which was a bunch of spoiled rich kids and Roxy, and he was expected to hand something over in return for his being able to enter. The first time it had been is own safety, this time however it was Daisy and for some reason that was so much harder for him to hand over than his own life.

He tried to intimidate the man in front of him, which would never happen because Merlin was honestly the most terrifying person he had ever met in his life. “If anything ‘appens to ‘er you are going to be in a world of pain, bruv.”

“I understand,” Merlin said looking down at his clipboard. “Now once again no one can know that she is related to you. I know that Roxy knows the truth but her father has already briefed her. Any questions?”

“Why ‘er?”

“None of the other agents have family.” Merlin finally looked up from his clipboard and looked Eggsy in the eye. “I think the last that even thought about children was Percival and the previous Lancelot. Not that having a family is a strike against you Eggsy, it is just that most agents choose to avoid such complications. Now let me have the wee lass.”

Eggsy reluctantly handed over his sister to Merlin and went into the library to study up on poisons like everyone else was.

Harry watched, bemused, as Eggsy stared at his tie. He cleared his throat and Eggsy turned a lovely shade of red. He didn’t know why the boy was staring until he boarded the plane. There plain as if she was still gripping it, was Daisy’s hand print on his tie. His lips quirked at that. He liked that the little girl had claimed him. Even if she would not stop staring at him with those wide blue eyes filled with apprehension when she was awake, in sleep she held on to him for support. Gripped him so hard that it left a mark.

When the plane was up in the air, Harry pulled up feed for the library where the recruits were. It took about five hours to get to Cyprus from HQ so he might as well watch them; he would reread his dossier when he got closer. He knew that Eggsy was extremely on edge about having his sister in the room with the candidates who were not Roxy but he was sure that his boy could do it. The test was just as much for Eggsy as it was for the rest of the recruits though his had different rules. While everyone else was being tested on their ability to keep a child calm, Eggsy was being tested on how well he was able to lie about his relationship to his sister.

Eggsy shifted uncomfortably in his chair next to Roxy for an hour. Her hand was on his knee, for some reason Harry did not like that. She kept looking over at him with worry etched into her brow. Eggsy was turning the pages of the book that he was reading but Harry doubted that he was retaining any of the information.

Eggsy sat furtherest from the door, almost blocked from the view by the rest of the occupants in the room by Roxy. As Merlin walked into the room with Daisy, Eggsy froze like nothing else in the room mattered besides his sister.

“Merlin, what in the bloody hell is this,” Charlie said looking between the tech wizard and the blonde child next to him. Eggsy looked like he wanted to deck Charlie.

“Oi, you will watch your tongue in front of wee Miss Daisy here,” Merlin said looking appalled that he even had to say that to a man that claimed to be a gentleman. “Your task until either you go to sleep or Miss Daisy does, is to make sure that she is well looked after and cared for. If she cries for longer than five minutes at any given time you all will have failed this task.”

“What is this about then? When are we going to ever have to take care of a baby?” Hugo asked from where he was sprawled in a very ungentlemanly manor in a chair by the fireplace.

“A Kingsman’s job is to be prepared for everything. Good luck,” Merlin said addressing the room at large, he then knelt down and whispered something to Daisy who nodded very seriously before he walked out of the room.

Harry watched as Eggsy bit his lip as he watch his sister just stand there silently in front of the room. She stared at them with wide blue eyes and the recruits looked back at her with similar expressions.

Finally, Charlie broke the standoff. “Well Roxy what are we supposed to with her?” Charlie finally said, looking at the only girl in the room with a little bit of a sneer that was always on his lips when he looked at her and Eggsy.

“You think I know because I am a girl? I have never been in the same room with any children this young for more than an hour since I was a child much less cared for one.” Harry could not see her facial expression her words screamed contempt.

“Bollocks.” Charlie said and started to walk up to the girl.

As soon as Charlie stepped forward, Eggsy was out of his chair like a shot. “Stop.” Eggsy said in a tone that Harry had never heard before.

Charlie did and sneered at Eggsy. “What you think you know something about kids? Got one yourself?”

“Nah, bruv, I ‘ave a little sister at ‘ome,” Eggsy replied moving to the front of the group.

“Well if you know what to do, than lead the way.” Rufus said giving him a mock bow and extending an arm towards Daisy.

“Watch and learn, cuz,” Eggsy said with a cocky smile. “First, remember they ‘ave a very small world at this age. Children ages nine months to fourteen months can recognize their primary caregivers and people that they ‘ave interacted with closely. If they don’t know you they are going to be scared and if they are scared they are going to cry. Treat them like you would a skittish dog or something like that. Move slow and be non threatening.”

Harry had known that Eggsy was more like Daisy’s dad than her real dad was, but he had not expected Eggsy to rattle off the stages of development like he was reading a book. The other male recruits eyed him skeptically as he walked up to Daisy and knelt down in front of her.

The library’s microphone did not pick up what he said to his little sister, but Daisy launched herself at Eggsy.

“No way,” Rufus said mouth open, “No way she just trusts you like that,”

Eggsy shrugged his shoulder, “She is the niece of my mentor,”

“So you have an advantage,” Hugo said, sitting up from where he had been sprawled.

“There is no advantage when it comes to children. You can read every book and know everything backwards and forwards and they will still do things that you are in no way prepared for.” He said and sounding very serious which changed into a light voice as he turned to address his sister, “Daisy are you ready to meet my mates?”

Turning the feed off, Harry opened his file on Valentine to go over it one more time.

The dinner with Richmond Valentine had been intriguing but over all a fruitless mission. He was only able to sneak a bug into the entry way and barely caught a glimpse of a piece of paper saying South Glade Mission Church. It was interesting that the man seemed to be on to the fact that he was a spy which always added a bit more danger any mission.

By the time he touched down at the air base at Calais, Merlin had not only cloned the nano tracker that was in his body but had created a way to suppress it. One of their techs was given the nano tracker and sent to London via Heathrow to stay in one of their safe houses and go to the shop in the morning. Harry was given the suppressant and went back to the manor to debrief with his handler. He would go to the shop and debrief with Arthur in the morning.

When Harry finally touched back down on English soil it was close to four in the morning. All he wanted to do was curl up in his bed and sleep. He spent twenty minutes in debrief and getting looked over. Sure the mission hadn’t been dangerous but it was standard protocol. His feet were nearly dragging when he made it to his room. He keyed in his code and pushed open the door.

Turning the lights on, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Lying in the fetal position, with his back towards the door was Eggsy Unwin. Harry suspected that if he had went to walk around to the other side of the bed he would see that Eggsy was curled around his little sister.

“Um, Merlin?” Harry whispered.

“Don’t worry about it. I let him in, the little lass passed out and I let him stay with her for the night.” The Scotsman said without any prelude, apparently he never slept.

“Very well, can you send me the code for Lancelot’s room?” The number popped up in the upper left hand corner of his glasses.

Somehow Harry did not mind being displaced for the evening. It seemed right to have both of the Unwins in his personal space. Harry toed out of his shoes and inched around the room. Eggsy looked so young in his sleep. It was all to easy to forget that the man was barely twenty three with the way that he carried himself , but in sleep he looked so young. He no longer looked like the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders.

Daisy slept on her back with her head on her fist locked firmly around Eggsy pointer finger. She always held on to something as she slept, sometimes it was a tie, a handkerchief, a set of plastic keys, but it was always something.

In sleep they looked peaceful. They no longer looked like they were running from something.

Eggsy had just passed out on top of the blankets in his training uniform. He picked up a blanked from over the back of the armchair and walked back to the bed. He spread it over Eggsy making sure that it was not over the Daisy’s face.

He picked up his shoes and headed down the hallway to Lancelot’s room, purposely ignoring how right it was to see Eggsy in his bed.

Eggsy woke up covered in a blanket that he did not remember putting on the night before. He almost had a heart attack when he sat up and saw that Daisy was missing, barely half a second latter he noticed a note on the bed next to him. It was type written and said Harry had come back during the night and taken her so that there would be no problems in the morning.

It was four forty-five in the morning when he snuck back into the dormitories. Fifteen minutes until they would be woken up by whatever noise Merlin decide to blare through the speakers today. He was hoping that no one would be woken up by his late arrival but he wasn’t that lucky.

Fortunately the person who was awake was Roxy and all she did was pull her her blanket up some more and glare at him as he scooped JB off of her bed and crawled into his own bed.

He laid in his bed looking at the ceiling with his dog curled up on his chest for those fifteen minutes. He didn’t even bother changing into his sleep clothes because there really was no point. The other recruits already knew that he didn’t sleep in the dorms last night.

He just laid in his bed, on edge for whatever Merlin was going to wake them up with and tried to relax. Today was the sky diving test and he wanted to be as alert as possible.

Chapter Text

Harry woke up when Merlin placed Daisy on his chest. He just raised eyebrow as Merlin just smiled and left the room. Daisy snuggled herself into his chest and Harry placed a hand on her back and went back to sleep with Daisy nestled under his chin.

The second time that he woke up was because Daisy was getting fussy and kneeing him harshly in her attempts to get up. He had never slept with her before but it was actually pretty comforting.

He took care of her and got ready for the day before heading down to Merlin’s lair to see what was on the agenda for the trainee’s today. As of this moment he was simply waiting for Valentine to make his move. Actually to make any move. There was nothing else to do. He had read all of the files that they had on all of Valentine’s operations, on the events that had happened before this year, on Gazelle and on Valentine himself.

Closing the door quietly behind him, Harry stood in a dark corner of the room. Daisy was wriggling in his arms and he put her down. Instantly she walked over to where Merlin was sitting and crawled her way on to his lap so that she was between him and the computer screens that were connecting him to the recruits HALO suits.
A litany of fucks was coming from Roxy’s com and Merlin placed his hands over Daisy’s ears to protect her from the foulmouthed recruit.

“What don’t like heights?” Eggsy asked. With Roxy no longer swearing Merlin removed his hands from Eggsy’s sister’s ears.

“Yeah, it’s okay. I’ve done it before, which is probably why come to think of it.”

“Hey, it’s gonna be alright. You’re top of the class.” Eggsy replied.

Merlin pressed the com button and talked into the microphone. “Listen up. Your mission is to land in the target without the radar detecting you. If I read you on the radar, or you miss the target, you go home. Is that understood?” Clicking off the comm and leaning back in his chair, he pulled Daisy more firmly into his lap.

“We always weed out the weak with this one Miss Daisy. It seems that no matter how skilled they may be with the other impossible tasks we throw at them this is always the one that people fail.”

“Eggsy, wait! Hang on!” Roxy said as all the rest of the recruits besides her and Eggsy jumped out of the plane.

“Roxy, just stop fucking about! Follow me, yeah?” Harry could almost see the cocky smile that Eggsy ended that sentence with. “Come on! Roxy, it’s now or never. Jump!” With those words the final dot left the safety of the plane and they were all plummeting towards the ground.

“Daisy it is going to get pretty intense sitting there in a few minutes. Go back to Harry.” He took her off his lap and pointed her in the direction of Harry. “Now there’s a good lass.”

Harry picked her up when she raised her arms up at him with a pout and got them so that they were in a better location to see the screens that were tracking the HALO suits.

“My, my you are all very cheerful,” Merlin said with a grin on his face over the whooping that was going on on the other side of the comms. “Did you really think it was gonna be that straightforward? Any idiot can read a heads-up display. A Kingsman agent needs to be able to solve problems under pressure. Like what to do when one of your group has no parachute.” They panicked as anyone would. “I told you. Aim for the target. Come in under the radar. And I hope not to be scraping one of you up. But if I do have to, and you are inside the target please know I’ll be very impressed.”

Merlin leaned back in his chair and looked like the cat that ate the canary. Harry kept his eyes focused on the screen as they listened to Eggsy come up with a plan and then Rufus soundly shoot that plan in the foot.

“It seems as if you won the bet,” Harry said.

“I always do,” Merlin replied.

Thankfully they come up with a new plan in less than ten seconds and soon everyone but him and Roxy had pulled their chutes and were flying in safely under the radar.
“Roxy, no matter what happens now, I’ve got you, all right?”

“Okay, Eggsy.”

“Your first, okay?” Of course Eggsy would pull his chute last. There did not appear to be a selfish bone in his body.

“Yep,”

They were dropping fast and when Merlin set down his coffee cup it shattered on the floor because he had not looked away from the read out that was saying that their two best candidates still had not deployed either chute at four hundred feet.

At three hundred feet Roxy finally deployed her parachute and there were suddenly swear words echoing around the office. Daisy buried herself into Harry’s sweater and belatedly he realized that it may not have been the best idea to bring her to this test.

“He is going to be alright, flower. Look he and Roxy just landed in the target and we can hear them breathing. We will go see them after Merlin dismisses Rufus and any others. Okay?” Harry said as he exited Merlin’s office.

Only to run directly into Percival.

“Please tell me you have more sense than to watch that test with her?” were the first thing out of the other agent’s mouth. Harry said nothing.

“You fool. Well since you know the results how did they do?”

“I left as soon as Eggsy and Roxy landed. They made it into the K and set a new record.”

“A new record?” Percy said his face a paling a little bit.

“They did not deploy until three hundred feet.”

“Oh god. I am so glad that I did not watch that.I might have actually had a heart attack.”

“I wouldn’t go in there right now. Merlin spilled his coffee.” Woe be it to anyone who talked to Merlin when he did not get to finish his cup of coffee.

“Thanks Harry. You ready for the train test tonight?”

“Yes, are you?”

“Ready to watch my little girl look like she is about to get run over by a train? No not really but I am sure that she will pass so it should be fine.”

Harry nodded and the two of them turned and went their own direction.

Eggsy, Roxy, and Charlie were all sitting in the dorm room watching the telly. They were not speaking at all instead preferring to watch the lady deliver the news in silence. It had been a stressful day what with dropping out a plane thinking they were sans parachute and going to be the new decoration for the Kingsman lawn.

It had taken Eggsy about three hours to get his heartbeat back down to pace that did not feel like it was going to burst out of his ribcage with all the adrenaline that had been running through his body. Even seeing Daisy for a few moments hadn’t calmed him down that much.

He was perfectly content to sit in front of the telly next to his best mate with his stupid dog on his lap for the rest of the night, but then Merlin had to come in and ruin it.
The three candidates moved to stand up.

“At ease,” Merlin said. They all fell gracelessly back into their chairs. “So you thought we were done for the day huh?” He handed them each a manila envelope. “Well we’re not.”

“A party?” Roxy said skeptically.

“Tonight in London.”

“Who’s this?” Charlie said holding up the picture of the blonde girl that was in the envelope that they had just received.

“Your target. Your mission is to use your NLP training to win over the individual on the photograph in your envelope. And when I say, ‘win over’, I do mean in the biblical sense.” Merlin told them.

Of course they were going to have to try their hands at a honeypot mission but why did it have to be a girl? Whatever, it wasn’t as though Eggsy was unpopular with the ladies, he attracted his fair amount when he had gone out with Jamal and Ryan but he had no interest in them and never took them up on their offers to come back home with them. Blokes were more his type, regardless he was in to win it.

“Easy.Posh girls love a bit of rough.” He said holding the picture up by his head and flashing a cocky smile.

“We will see about that, yeah,” Charlie said doing the same with his photograph.

“We certainly will,” Roxy said with a smile that said she was all too ready for this mission and frankly out of the three of them he bet his money on Roxy being the one to take the girl home.

They were given a budget and an hour time limit then dropped at a mall in the middle of London to buy their outfits for that evening. Charlie had instantly headed to Ralph Lauren while Eggsy and Roxy started off looking for shoes.

Eggsy just had to get the trainers with wings on them, there was nothing more chav and that was what he was going for tonight and also he fell in love with them at first sight. Roxy on the other hand bought a pair of sky high black stilettos that made her look a million feet tall. With that out of the way they started looking for clothes.

Eggsy was easy to shop for, he got a pair of jeans that were tight in all the right places, a black polo, and a gold and black jacket that he thought was fantastic but Roxy thought was obnoxious. To top it all off he bought a white snapback.

Roxy was harder, she tried on dress after dress but none of them seemed to do it for her. They had had barely ten minutes left of their allotted shopping time and she still only had the heels.

Finally with less than five minutes on the clock she slipped on a black lace dress that made her seem ridiculously thin and hung to her curves. It was elegant and refined but the back was low enough and the skirt was short enough that it was still club appropriate.

They were back at the bench they had been dropped off at where a bored Charlie was sitting just as the black issued Kingsman cab was pulling up to it.

They made one quick stop at the shop to change into their clubbing clothes and then they were at a posh looking club. They separated upon entering the establishment and recieved flutes of champagne. It was every man for themselves in this mission tonight.

Eggsy walked around the edge of the dance floor, his eyes constantly scanning the crowd looking for this Lady Sophie. She was a pretty enough looking bird and it would be easy enough task.

He took a swig of the champagne and instantly made a face. It was bad. Sure he had never had champagne before but this tasted more like the time that Dean had tried to drug him than he thought it was supposed to.

Soon enough he spotted her with both Charlie and Roxy on either side of her. Charlie was far to close for comfort and Roxy was leaning in conspiratorially. He might as well head over there.

“Is it just me or does this champagne taste a little bit funny?” Was the opener that he choose. He had no idea how the others had come on to the girl but it was the best shot that he could come up with at the moment due to the fact that champagne did indeed taste funny to him and he was starting to feel a bit sick.

“It’s an acquired taste, mate,” Charlie said with out taking his eyes off of Lady Sophie.

“I think it’s just cheap,” Roxy said taking a sip of hers. Of course Roxy would think that it was just cheap because knowing her dads she probably had been taught all about things like this from the moment she could drink.

“Try one of these instead. They’re delicious,” Lady Sophie responded taking a sip of her red drink which Eggsy had no idea what it was.

“If you are into seduction techniques, this guy is textbook. See what he just did? It’s called an opinion opener. He got you talking with a neutral question, got all of us involved in the conversation so that you craved individual attention.” Charlie said leaning in so that he was a scarce two inches from the poor girl’s face. Like seriously did he not notice that she was shying away from him.

“No, I’m just saying the champagne tastes rank.” Eggsy said.

“Lady Sophie Montague-Herring. Phone call for you at reception.” A waiter in a white jacket said from behind Eggsy.

The lady smiled at them, well she smiled at Roxy, and while she was getting up still had that smile in place,”Be right back.”

“We’ll see you in a bit, yeah?” Charlie called after her.

“See you in a bit,” Roxy echoed.

Eggsy said nothing because his stomach was starting to be more than just an annoyance. “Budge up, Rox. I’m feeling a bit rough.” He said as he basically collapsed on the sofa next to her.

“Are you alright?”

“No,” he said pulling a face.

“Sorry to eavesdrop but there’s a much easier way to guarantee getting someone home,” the waiter who was for some reason still there said, “Rohypnol, or even something stronger.”

Eggsy barely had a chance to think that he had been right about something being in the champagne , before Roxy’s head was on his shoulder and his own world went black.

Eggsy came too tied to train tracks and staring up at the waiter from the club. He tested the ropes as the man walked closer.

“Who the fuck are you? Where am I?” Eggsy said finding his voice.

“This knife can save your life,” was all the man said and he heard the unmistakable sound of a train coming down the tracks.

“Fuck,” he started actively pulling at the ropes that held him in place.

“My employer’s got two questions for you, Eggsy. What the fuck is Kingsman? And who’s Harry Hart?”

So this man was going to kill him for information on Kingsman and Harry? To bad he had never grassed on anyone in his life and was not about to start now. “I don’t know who the fuck that is! Shit!”

“Eggsy, I just killed two of your friends who gave me the same bullshit answer.”

“Fuck! Just cut the ropes please!” He was begging.

“Hey, Eggsy! Is Kingsman worth dying for?” The man asked.

Eggsy instantly knew that the answer was yes. With all that Harry and other Kingsman agents had done for Daisy, he would do anything to repay them. If they asked him to die for them than he would do it with only a few questions asked.

“FUCK YOU!” He screamed just as the train was about to hit him.

Only it didn’t hit him. It rattled over him and the trap door that he was apparently tied to. As soon as the train was gone he was back level with the tracks and Harry Hart looking down at him.

“Congratulations. Bloody well done.” Harry said looking down at him.

“How’d the other’s do?” He had to know how they did he had to expect that Charlie did not pass.

“Roxy passes with flying colors. Charlie is up next. Want to watch?”

Of course he wanted to watch that posh git get run over by a train, “Yeah, all right.”

Chapter Text

Eggsy came too tied to train tracks and staring up at the waiter from the club. He tested the ropes as the man walked closer.

“Who the fuck are you? Where am I?” Eggsy said finding his voice.

“This knife can save your life,” was all the man said and he heard the unmistakable sound of a train coming down the tracks.

“Fuck,” he started actively pulling at the ropes that held him in place.

“My employer’s got two questions for you, Eggsy. What the fuck is Kingsman? And who’s Harry Hart?”

So this man was going to kill him for information on Kingsman and Harry? To bad he had never grassed on anyone in his life and was not about to start now.

“I don’t know who the fuck that is! Shit!”

“Eggsy, I just killed two of your friends who gave me the same bullshit answer.”

“Fuck! Just cut the ropes please!” He was begging.

“Hey, Eggsy! Is Kingsman worth dying for?” The man asked.

Eggsy instantly knew that the answer was yes. With all that Harry and other Kingsman agents had done for Daisy, he would do anything to repay them. If they asked him to die for them than he would do it with only a few questions asked.

“FUCK YOU!” He screamed just as the train was about to hit him.

Only it didn’t hit him. It rattled over him and the trap door that he was apparently tied to. As soon as the train was gone he was back level with the tracks and Harry Hart looking down at him.

“Congratulations. Bloody well done.” Harry said looking down at him.

“How’d the other’s do?” He had to know how they did he had to expect that Charlie did not pass.

“Roxy passes with flying colors. Charlie is up next. Want to watch?”

Of course he wanted to watch that posh git get run over by a train, “Yeah, all right.”

Harry cut Eggsy out of the ropes on the train tracks. He was practically bursting with pride for the young man. After agreeing to watch Charlie’s train test Eggsy didn’t speak until they were practically in Merlin’s office.

“Harry, where’s Daisy?”

“She is sleeping in Merlin’s office with noise canceling headphones on.” It was the best solution. She could have been put in one of the agents bedrooms but once this was over he was taking both her and Eggsy to his house and it had been a long day and he didn’t want to have to go back up to the manor before coming back down to get on the bullet train.

Eggsy eyebrows rose at this, but he simply nodded as they walked into the office. Harry had though the young man would protest a little bit but over all he seemed to trust Harry which was a little unnerving to say the least.

Percival and Roxy were already in the room standing behind Merlin who was sitting at his computer. Daisy was sleeping on a cot in the corner of the room.

Harry nodded at Percival who in turn nodded back to him as they took their place on the other side of Merlin. Eggsy practically beamed at Roxy and Harry could not help the twinge of jealousy that that smile was not directed at him.

Charlie was already tied to the tracks and Chester King was standing in front of him with the face modifier firmly in place. All that they had to do now was wait for Charlie to wake up, which only took a few moments.

“Do you want to take bets on if Charlie will piss himself or not?” Merlin said conversationally without turning around.

“50 quid that he will but he will do so when he realizes he isn’t going to get cut from the tracks.” Harry said just as conversationally and quirked his lips at the disbelieving look that Eggsy shot him.

“I will put 50 quid on the fact that the he will do so as soon as he realizes that he is on train tracks with the train coming towards him.” Was Percival’s response.

“Very well gentlemen. I place my bets that it happens when he sees it’s Chester who interrogated him.” Merlin said with a smile.

“So none of you think he will pass?” Roxy said, the look on her face almost identical to the one that Eggsy was wearing.

“No,” all three of the agents said almost in unison.

At another disbelieving look from Eggsy, Harry found himself explaining. “None of Chester’s candidates have ever passed this test if they have made it this far.”

Eggsy nodded at him and turned back to the screen to watch.

In the end it was Harry who one the bet. As soon as he realized that selling out the organization and his godfather was not going to save his life the man had let out a little whimper and soiled himself as he shouted to be cut loose.

Merlin turned away from the computers as Chester gave Charlie as good dressing down. “Galahad, Percival, congratulations. Your candidates have reached the final stage of the testing process. As tradition allows, you now have 24 hours to spend with them.” He turned and looked at the side where Harry and Eggsy were standing, “Eggsy, you should know your father reached this point. From now on there are no safety nets, understood?” Eggsy and Roxy nodded. “Good. Dismissed.”

Percival and Roxy left the room with Roxy talking about how glad she was to be spending the night in her own bed. Harry went over to the cot and scooped up Daisy. She did not seem to be bothered by the movement all she did was make a little noise in the back of her throat and snuggle into his shoulder.

“Shall we go Eggsy?” Harry said turning to face him.

He was not prepared to see the completely besotted look that Eggsy was wearing. Like he was looking at everything he could ever want. Harry blinked his eyes to see if he was imagining it. When he opened them the look was still there.

He had to be looking at Daisy, not at Harry.

“Alright ‘arry,” Eggsy said smiling.

They walked out of the room side by side. Just before the door slammed closed behind them, Harry thought he heard Merlin let out a sigh.

Seeing the ease at which Harry had picked up Daisy had done things to Eggsy. He wanted to snog the man, which was totally an inappropriate thought to have. Also where did it come from? It was followed by the urge to hold on to both Harry and Daisy and never let them go. It took him a second to realize that Harry had asked if they should go.

“Alright ‘arry.” They left the room and Eggsy heard Merlin sigh behind them.

Why was Merlin sighing? The thought was quickly pushed out of his mind because Roxy and Percival were waiting for them so they could all take the bullet train back to London.

He and Harry sat across from Roxy and Percival. Even though the man was Roxy’s father he had never learned anything to call him by but his code name.

The train ride was a quiet affair. Percival seemed content to simply doze in his seat. Harry was reading something on his tablet. Roxy kept looking at Eggsy and then looking pointedly at Harry.

Eggsy just looked at her in confusion. What was she trying to tell him?

Eventually she sighed and gave up, leaning against her father and taking a nap.

Eggsy was exhausted but still to wired from almost getting run over by a freaking train to go to sleep. Instead he opted to steal glances at his mentor who was still holding his baby sister.

Harry’s chin was resting lightly on Daisy’s head as he read what ever he was reading on his tablet. She was nestled into him with one of her hands gripped around his tie. Looked like she belonged there.

Harry was focused on whatever he was reading and looked so beautiful. He looked just like he had on the day that he had picked up Eggsy in the rain.

His hair was perfectly parted, whiskey brown eyes focused. His jaw was still strong even though it was beginning to be softened by age. The sliver at his temples made him look distinguished instead of old. It did not diminish the effect that he had on Eggsy at all.

Harry looked like everything Eggsy would have dreamed of had he ever allowed himself to dream. Harry looked like home, and safety and love.
Wait, love?

Sure Eggsy loved how the man treated his sister. He loved how Harry sounded when he was proud of Eggsy. He loved how Harry never treated Eggsy like he was any less because he came from the estates. He loved Harry’s laugh and his smile. He loved just talking to the man and he loved…

Ah, fuck.

He loved Harry Hart.

Shit.

Harry could feel Eggsy eyes on him. It took all of his training to keep reading the article that Merlin had sent him. That man never seemed to sleep, probably just had coffee in his veins instead of actual blood.

Before she had drifted off to a well deserved nap, Roxy had been looking between him and Eggsy with a look of concentration. He had no idea why.

Daisy readjusted herself in his lap and his gaze flicked down to look at the little girl.

She looked so much like her brother. Her hair was the same golden shade as his and her eyes were the same blue. Her eye brows were arched exactly like his. There was no denying the familial connection. He wondered how much she looked like her mother and father. Wondered if she had inherited all of her looks from her mother or if there were any things that she took after Dean in.

Just the thought of that Daisy being anything like her father put a bad taste in Harry’s mouth. There was not a single redeeming quality about the man besides his little girl. Harry had looked.

Eggsy mumbled something that sounded a lot like shit. Raising an eyebrow, Harry turned his head to look at his protege.

Eggsy was staring at Roxy like he was willing the girl to spontaneously combust, his lips were pursed and his brow was furrowed to the point that there was almost no space between his eyebrows and his eyes.

Harry had thought that the two were friends, for the life of him he could not understand what would cause Eggsy to look at Roxy like that. He decided to let the matter lie and went back to reading.

He noted when Roxy woke up. A series of emotions flew over her face and Harry had no idea what to make of them. Surprise, confusion, understanding, pride and it finally settled on something close to glee before going back to a neutral expression.

Before he could really ponder it they were pulling into the shop. Percival and Harry stepped into the lift, Eggsy grabbed Roxy’s arm just before she could step into the lift.

“We will be up in a minute, bruv,” Eggsy said with a smile.

Harry looked at him in confusion and just simply let it slide as the fitting room lifted back to street level.

Eggsy had not meant to grab Roxy but he simply had to talk to her before going and spending a whole twenty four hours with Harry. Since they were not given any cell phones as part of their recruitment this was the only way.

“What is up, Eggsy?” She asked as if she did not know.

“I love Harry,”

“I know. It has been apparent for months,” She said and Eggsy felt his heart still.

“You know?”

“Well it was pretty obvious. The way you lighten up when he is around, how you can’t wait to see him, how you gush about how good he is with Daisy. You stare after him with the most besotted look I have ever seen on anyone on the face of the planet when he isn’t looking. If you were trying to hide it you did a pretty poor job.”

Eggsy felt himself pale. Roxy’s jaw then dropped and she all but gaped at him, “You didn’t know did you?”

He shook his head mutely. “I just realized it on the train,” He basically whispered.

She laughed.

“Roxy. What am I supposed to do.”

“Just act like normal. Maybe tell him you love him to the moon and back. Nothing has changed between you two.”

The lift slid back down to the level of the train station and they got on it.

“I don’t think I can act normal Rox.”

“Then act like it is a mission, like you have to keep the target from finding out.”

Eggsy nodded his head. That seemed doable. “I think I can manage that, but what if he sees through it Rox?”

“Then you have two options. Option number one is lie and say that you are fine. Option number two is tell him the truth.”

Eggsy nodded again. Hoping that he could do this, he did not want to ruin the second decent relationship that he had just because he had to go and fall in love with the man.