the unforgiven | james hetfield [2]

thirty eight

chapter thirty eight: uncle kirk, uncle lars, uncle jase

Star squirmed as Iris tried to buckle her into the car seat, kicking her little feet in frustration and attempting to get out of the shackles of the car seat.

"Come on, it's just for a little bit, sweetie." Iris tried to calm her down, gently kissing her cheek to get her to stop fussing. She was only a sweetheart when she wanted to be.

James came by and put the small bag filled with her necessities beside her, making sure they were fully prepared for whatever she needed.

The band was having some sort of a rehearsal today and James thought it would be a good idea to finally introduce Star to the rest of the band. 

He wouldn't stop talking about her once he was born, telling the band all about how cute she was and how stressful things were lately. He even showed a few pictures of her that he managed to take.

Thankfully, the ride was short and sweet without much fussing from Star. Iris unbuckled her from the car seat as soon as possible, knowing she was getting tired of being in there.

As they entered the studio, Iris carried Star carefully, watching as the girl instinctively clutched her blanket and rested her head on her mother's chest, trusting to be in her care. 

She couldn't help but smile at the sight, how grateful she was to have Star. Whenever she looked at Star, it was always going to feel like the first time she saw her when she was born. 

Iris walked behind James, wanting to make it a bit of a reveal when he walked in first and announced her arrival. The band looked up once they heard the door open, seeing him first.

"Look who I brought with me." He announced proudly, stepping to the side to reveal Iris holding Star behind him, her wide eyes looking back at the rest of the band.

The three of them gasped as they looked at the tiny girl in front of them, looking all around the room before she looked at them. They seemed to be more amazed to see her than the baby was.

James came beside Star, cooing at her. "Those are your uncles, sweetie. That's Uncle Jase, Uncle Kirk, and Uncle Lars." He pointed to each of them as if the girl could understand. 

They all came forward, crowding around the little girl. The three of them were all waiting for the chance to meet her. Now they wanted to hold her and talk to her since she was there.

"One at a time! She's sensitive!" Iris scolded them, her motherly instinct coming out when they got too close for Star's comfort.

"Let me go first!" Kirk pushed past Lars and Jason, stepping forward with his arms out to hold Star. He came over cautiously, trying not to upset her.

She gently handed Star over to Kirk, listening to her slightly make a sound that sounded like she was uncomfortable for a moment, but settled into his arms quickly. 

Kirk held her close, gently rocking her. "Hi Star, I'm your uncle Kirk. It's so nice to finally see you." He smiled, watching as she curiously touched the ends of his curly hair.

"She always does that," Iris laughed as she watched on. "For some reason, she has a thing for hair." Star's hands gently gripped his curls, discovering the new sensation. 

Kirk passed Star off to Jason, who took her into his arms next. She started to giggle and kick her feet excitedly. Seems like she already knew who her favorite uncle was.

Jason laughed as he held her in his arms, pretending to play peek-a-boo with her. Every time he covered his eyes and uncovered them, she would squeal with delight. 

"Hope she doesn't cry when I give her to Lars. She might get scared." Jason joked, causing Lars to roll his eyes and open his arms out for her. 

Lars was the last one to hold Star, immediately softening up when he saw the way she outstretched her arms towards him. They all thought she was so adorable. 

"Jesus Christ, James. You didn't leave any trace of Iris in her." He said as he looked at her face, bright blue eyes staring back at him just like her father.

"That just means she's gonna end up being a daddy's girl." Jason laughed, giving James a playful nudge on his shoulder.

After talking with each other and getting to meet their new "niece" for some more time, the band decided to get their rehearsal underway.

Thankfully, there was a quiet space for Iris and Star to stay in while they were playing. She was sensitive to loud noises, so she stayed with her until they were done.

As she held Star and watched the band play along, she started to think about how the band seemed to change along with her and James.

It seemed like everyone and everything around them was changing for the better. For once in her life, she thought that maybe, just maybe, things would be okay. For good.

Maybe all it took after all this time was letting James back in, even if it took so many ups and downs. At the end of the day, she was proud of them. Proud of him.

Iris looked through the small window, pointing at James with one hand while holding Star in the other. "Look at dada. Doesn't he look so cool?"

Star looked through the small window, babbling as she pointed through the window, copying her mother's actions and trying to repeat the word "dada."

James spotted his two girls pointing at him through the window, blowing a kiss to them as a way of acknowledging them.

"God, how did I get so lucky," he thought to himself with a proud smile.