#CS family

[everything-person]

Kazoos Advent Calendar

@kazoosandfannypacks Day

Todays gift is art inspired by the movie Prancer. Hope finds a reindeer and is convinced it belongs to Santa and with her Uncle Leo hides it in her grandpas barn. Until her letter to Santa is let out, makes headlines in the Storybrooke Daily Mirror, and her parents find out along with the rest of the town.

[cssecretsanta2020]

SO MANY SANTAS! But there is always room for more!

You can sign up to be a secret santa HERE

Already a secret santa? Check to make sure you made the list HERE

Being anonymous and having to figure out what to make too much? Try CS Gift Exchange where you’ll get to pick the gift you make. Sign Up HERE

Can’t commit to an event this year but still want to support? Read about being a Santa Helper HERE

[csgiftexchange]

SIGN UPS ARE OPEN

You can fill out the sign up form HERE

Sign up will be open until November 26. 

This event happening is determined by the number of people that sign up. That being said it will happen even if there are only 4 of us this year. So please don’t be discouraged give this event a shot and sign up.

This event is happening along side Captain Swan Secret Santa. You can sign up for both or pick one. That being said once Sign Ups are closed you cannot switch events if you only signed up for one. Dropping out of event LAST MINUTE or failing to give a gift will automatically make you not eligible for next year.

[middlemistcs13]

@sotangledupinit Happy Holidays! Here is a little fic for my part in the CS Gift Exchange! @csgiftexchange

“The Festive Faculty Holiday Party”

Words: 6K

Rating: G

_____________

“So Killian, are you bringing your girlfriend to the faculty holiday party?”

“Beg your pardon?” Killian said.

Ashley turned around from walking out of the conference room, completely oblivious to Killian’s confusion. “Your girlfriend. The cute blonde in all of your Facebook posts. You should bring her to the holiday party. Everyone else is bringing their partners! We hardly know anything about your life Killian!”

“Oh! Uh… I’ll have to see if she can make it.” Killian said while scratching behind his ear, a tell-tale sign that he was nervous to anyone who actually knew him. Emma would know he was nervous.

“Great!” Ashley said, satisfied with his answer. “See y’all tomorrow!” She practically skipped down the empty university hallway. Killian and Belle waved their goodbyes before heading down a different hallway towards their offices.

“Killian, why didn’t you tell her the truth?” Belle inquired.

“The truth?” Killian scoffs. “Oh Ashley, sorry to disappoint, but the lovely blonde woman in several photos on my Facebook is not actually my girlfriend, just my best friend who I happen to have a crush on and we spend most nights together and I watch her son when she’s running late from work but she is oblivious to my feelings. So no, I don’t have a girlfriend and I’ll be showing up to this year’s faculty holiday party as I have every faculty party since working at this University, alone. I don’t think so Belle.”

“Well what are you going to do about Emma?” Belle asked.

Killian sighs. “I suppose see if I can bribe her to come as my pretend date. I’m not sure what all I’ll have to do to convince her it’s just fake.”

“Well, and I know I am being quite the romantic here, but you could always ask her out, like for real. This doesn’t have to be fake Killian. I am not nearly as close with Emma as you are, but I know she cares about you. She just might not know how because she’s scared. I mean the two of you practically raise her son together. I know you would do anything for Henry, and so does Emma. A few months ago you literally saved his life. I don’t think there’s much Emma wouldn’t do for you either. Maybe you should just ask?” Belle suggested.

Killian felt hope grow in his stomach, maybe those were just butterflies thinking about the possibility of actually dating Emma. He had known her for nearly two years since she moved into the apartment next to his. He had seen a couple helping her move in, and then a few days later he saw her again but she was trying to get a mattress into her apartment by herself. Killian, ever the gentleman, introduced himself and helped her get the mattress up the stairs and into her apartment. He ended up spending the rest of the afternoon helping her around her new apartment- putting together her bed frame, setting up her TV, helping her hang things on the walls- the works.She ended up asking if he wanted some pizza for his hard-work, which he accepted as a way to continue to hang out with the intriguing woman who was now his next-door neighbor.

He saw her a few times after that outside their apartments or on their patios, but their friendship actually began when she knocked on his door one evening asking if he wanted cookies. She looked like she had been crying, and he quickly ushered her into his apartment, hoping she would open up to him.

“You didn’t have to let me into your apartment, I was just going to give you the tray of cookies” she had said sheepishly.

“Nonsense love, you look like you could use a shoulder to cry on.” Killian had said. At her raised eyebrow, he clarified, “Well, you’re something of an open-book love, and I can tell something is on your mind. I would love nothing more than to listen to whatever is ailing you.”

She sniffled before mumbling something Killian couldn’t quite make out. “Beg pardon?” he said.

She took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes, before blurting out that she was pregnant.

“Oh, and the baby’s father?” Killian had asked, dreading the answer.

“Doesn’t know. It was my ex- the one I moved away from when I moved here. He already has a new girlfriend from what I’ve heard, and we broke up long before there was a baby involved. I made cookies because my foster mom always used to make cookies when something was upsetting us. It makes me feel better most of the time, but I didn’t want to sit in my apartment with three dozen cookies thinking about how I’m all alone and pregnant anymore, which is how I ended up here. Sorry to bother, I just-” Killian interrupted her with a hug, inhaling her eucalyptus shampoo and the slightly cinnamon-essence of Emma.

They became fast friends after that. He learned about her upbringing- her parents abandoned her off the side of the highway in the middle of nowhere Maine. She bounced around from foster home to foster home, similar to he and Liam once they were in the States after their father abandoned them. She was finally adopted by a woman named Ruth, and Emma gained an adoptive brother, David, whom she worked with. She also has David’s wife, Mary Margaret, who Emma claims has always been more of a mom to her than a sister-in-law. Besides the three of them, Emma didn’t have any family. And besides Liam and Elsa, Liam’s wife, Killian didn’t have any family either. Though Emma was scared of trusting people and being abandoned, somehow she let Killian in, and Killian couldn’t be more grateful. He was by her side through her pregnancy, and was even the one who drove her to the hospital and stayed with her through the birth of her son, Henry. Killain’s schedule as a university history professor was much more reliable and consistent than Emma’a job as a police detective for NYPD, so sometimes Emma would call him in a panic needing someone to relieve Henry’s babysitter because she caught a case. Killian was more than happy to step in and watch Henry, and he and Henry formed quite a close bond.

_____________

“So, do you have anything going on on the evening of December 13th?” Killian asked Emma that evening while making dinner in her apartment.

“Hmm, I mean I don’t think we have any plans because the Christmas gathering at David and M’s is on the 24th and it’s not like I have other family to have plans with.” Emma said while adjusting Henry in his baby rover as the packaging called it. “I mean I figure you and I will hang out between now and Christmas because you get off soon for the holidays right?”

“Yeah, on the 13th actually is when we finish. The faculty have a holiday party to celebrate the end of the semester every year, and I am going to go obviously because I always go and well Belle and Graham are going to be there and-”

“Killian, you’re rambing. And you’re scratching behind your ear. What’s wrong?” Emma interrupted.

“Wow you are quite the detective love” Killian laughed nervously.

“Killian.” Emma said more sternly.

“I was wondering if you would go with me. To the holiday party I mean. Everyone always brings their partner and this will be my seventh year at the University and I have never brought anyone. Some of my colleagues were nagging me about it, and it was assumed that I had a girlfriend. A girlfriend who I was bringing. To the holiday party. A blonde girlfriend who happens to appear in quite a few of my Facebook photos.” Killian spilled nervously, going back to mixing the rice and meat concoction for his and Emma’s quesadillas. “It would be fake, I just need you to pretend. It’s just for the evening Emma, but if you feel uncomfortable, then you don’t have to do it.”

Killian missed the disappointment in Emma’s eyes as he clarified the evening being a fake date as he was busy with dinner, but he was relieved when she agreed. “Of course I’ll go with you Killian. I’ll just see if David and M’s can watch Henry for the evening and we should be all set.”

Killian breathed a sigh of relief before smiling at Emma, and plating their dinner.

_____________

“What am I supposed to wear to the party?” Emma called from the bathroom where she was giving Henry a bath. Killian walked in from the living room so they weren’t yelling across the apartment.

“It’s a semi-formal evening, and something you already have should work. I don’t want you to have to purchase something new.” Killian replied.

“Well what if I want to buy a new dress? I mean I haven’t really had a formal occasion to dress up for since I had Henry and my undercover ops don’t count. I honestly don’t know if I even fit in some of my nicer dresses from before I was pregnant with Henry. Is there like a color I should keep in mind?” Emma asked while rinsing the shampoo out of Henry’s hair. Killian walked closer to the tub and bent down to play with Henry. At the sudden change in caregivers available to him, Henry squealed and ended up splashing both Emma and Killian.

“I think he wants to call you something, but he just doesn’t know what.” Emma smiled at Henry, wiping the water out of his eyes.

“Hmm?” Killian didn’t understand where she was going with the abrupt change in topics.

“Henry I mean. He’s been calling me ‘Mama’ pretty consistently in the last like two weeks, so I am sure he’s getting ready to say another word. You are the next closest to him for sure, I mean he loves you. Don’t tell M’s that, she’ll get upset.” Emma and Killian both laughed at her comment. “I think he wants to call you something, but he’s nearly 13 months old. He’s not about to call you ‘Killian’. He reaches for you every time he sees you, and he always babbles at you. I just think he doesn’t know. It’s not like he has someone else he’s calling ‘dada’ or anything. I know I’m rambling, but maybe you had something in mind for him to call you? I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it for a few days now.” Emma finished.

Killian studied Emma as she continued washing Henry. She looked genuinely nervous about bringing this up to him, and it suddenly dawned on Killian why. “Emma, love, I’m not going anywhere. You have to know that right?” Killian asked.

Emma wiped away the beginnings of tears forming and laughed nervously. “I’m just afraid, Killian. But I know you, and I know you are not going to leave right now, but-”

“Never, Emma. I am not ever going anywhere. I will always be here for you and Henry. Always.” Killian said. He watched a few tears make their way down Emma’s cheeks as she nodded, and he could tell she wanted to say something else, but he didn’t push her any farther.

_____________

“Killian told me it didn’t matter what color dress I wore to the holiday party.” Emma said, frustrated without any further instructions from Killian.

“Yeah, because Killian knows nothing about fashion and honestly could care less.” Elsa said while pulling into the shopping center. Emma asked Elsa to come with her to dress shop. Emma met Elsa a few months after knowing Killian, and the two have been close friends since.

“I guess I’ll just have to see what dresses they even have and which ones fit. I know I’m not going to wear like orange or hot pink. Probably not pink at all, it’s not really my color.” Emma said.

“I’m just excited you asked me to come! I haven’t had any “girl” time in a while between work and taking care of Liam. I swear he is so dramatic when he’s sick.” Elsa said, making both women laugh.

Two hours and four stores later, Emma came out of the dressing room finally feeling confident in her dress. Between being a larger size because of her pregnancy and low-cut skimpy looking dresses, she hadn’t had much luck and was starting to feel defeated.

“Wow, this has got to be the dress Emma! You look stunning!” Elsa exclaimed before Emma was fully out of the stall.

“Do you really think so?” Emma questioned, suddenly feeling nervous under Elsa’s gaze.

“Absolutely! Killian will have to finally ask you out on a real date after he sees you all dressed up!” Elsa exclaimed!

“I don’t want him to feel forced Elsa, that’s not why I agreed to go with him and that’s not my intention.” Emma said.

“I know that isn’t your intention Emma, but I promise you he likes you too. You guys just need to stop dancing around each other.” Elsa assured Emma.

“I don’t know Elsa. If he actually liked me more than just a friend he would have just asked me instead of making a big deal about how it was all just fake.” Emma sighed.

“He’s a bloody idiot Emma. He’s been hurt before too, and I know he thinks you don’t like him back.” Elsa said.

Emma looked skeptical. “Well do we think this dress is fine for this party?” Emma asked.

Elsa just nodded her head, knowing Emma was uncomfortable facing the truth about her and Killian.

_____________

“Alright little lad, let’s get you out of your car seat aye?” Killian said to Henry as he worked to unbuckle him from the car.

“Killian I want to put his little hat that Granny made him on!” Emma said, coming around the car to assist Killian. Although he only had one functioning hand and a prosthetic, he did a pretty remarkable job doing everything he needed for himself, and Henry.

“Alright love, I’ve got him steady so you can put his hat on.” Killian said, turning around with Henry in his arms. Henry was happily babbling and surprisingly let Emma put his hat on.

“Okay kid, let’s also get this coat zipped up. It’s freezing out here.” Emma said, blowing raspberries on Henry’s cheeks as she zipped up his small puffy coat. Henry broke out into giggles in Killian’s arms, causing Emma and Killian to join in on the laughter. They started walking towards the store, and Henry was content as could be in Killian’s arms, even snuggling his face into Killian’s neck when the wind began to blow. Henry’s cuddles amused Killian, so he started tickling the toddler who erupted into more giggles.

“Killian?!” A shrill female voice called, breaking the three out of their laughter. There was a small, petite blonde woman who stood a few feet away from them with a few shopping bags in her hands.

“Hey Tink, what brings you out to the stores today?” Killian greeted his colleague.

“Just some last minute Christmas shopping. I found out I was supposed to buy some gifts for Jefferson’s parents who are coming into town for the holidays. How about you guys? Oh, and this must be-”

“Emma! Killian’s girlfriend.” Emma interrupted the smaller woman.

“Oh Emma, nice to meet you. I’m Tink, or really Rose, but everyone calls me Tink. I work with Killian in the history department at the university. Are you coming to our faculty holiday party with Killian?” Tink asked.

“Yeah! I’m really looking forward to meeting all of Killian’s coworkers.” Emma smiled.

“And who is this little guy? I didn’t know you had a child, Killian!” Tink exclaimed.

“Oh he’s actually Emma’s son, I am-”

“Raising him as if Henry was his own. Killian’s a really stand-up guy. And Henry absolutely loves him as you can tell.” Emma interrupted. The three adults turned their eyes towards Henry, who suddenly was shy with all of the attention and turned his face into Killian’s neck once again.

“Aww, Killian, that is so sweet! And he is just adorable! You guys are so lucky to have each other!” Tink gushed.

“Yeah, we really are,” Emma said, sliding her arm around Killian’s back. Killian looked alarmed at Emma’s sudden change in behavior, but Emma just smiled to reassure him.

“Well, you two lovebirds have a great day out shopping! And I look forward to seeing you again at the holiday party Emma! Bye Killian!” Tink called, before walking away from the pair. Both Killian and Emma said their goodbyes before continuing walking towards the store.

“She’s cute,” Emma commented, finally untangling herself from Killian’s side.

“Hmm?” Killian questioned. He attempted to put Henry in the shopping cart, but Henry was not budging from Killian’s arms. Emma instead grabbed the cart as they continued on into the store.

“Tink. She’s cute. She’s friendly. She’s nice. She’s bubbly. I’m just surprised you’ve never asked her out or anything.” Emma said, fighting the jealousy she felt coursing through her veins. Killian abruptly stopped in front of Emma and the cart, causing Emma to run into him. “What?” Emma questioned his facial expression and abrupt stop.

“While Tink might be those things, she is nothing compared to you Emma.” Killian said sternly.

“What?” Emma asked, completely dumbfounded by Killian’s confession.

“Emma, surely you must know.” Killian quietly said.

“Know what? Killian, you aren’t making any sense.” Emma said, quieting her voice as well.

“You are simply stunning love, and no other woman could possibly compare to you.” Killian whispered.

“You think I’m stunning?” Emma said, holding back tears in her eyes. Emma didn’t often feel pretty or beautiful, let alone stunning. But maybe Killian telling her as if his life depended on it would make her believe that she was stunning.

“Of course love. How could you ever question such a thing?” Killian sighed, nearly exasperated that he had to spell out things about Emma that he thought were obvious.

“I mean, not a single person in my entire life has ever said anything like that to me before. And even if someone had said something remotely similar, it’s not like I trust a lot of people.” Emma said.

“Hey! Get out of the aisle! This is not a place for deep conversations! Go home for that!” A short and stout middle-aged man yelled from behind them. Upon looking at the man again, his name almost could be ‘Grumpy’ Emma mused to herself while she and Killian moved to the side of the aisle, letting the man pass. The grumpy man growled at them as he passed, which Henry tried to imitate. Both Emma and Killian apologized and tried to get Henry to stop growling, effectively breaking up their little moment. They both laughed at Henry, before continuing on their shopping trip. While neither spoke of their conversation again, it was in the back of their minds for the rest of the day.

_____________

“Yeah, we should be by to drop him off around 5:30. I’ll bring his pack ‘n play and all of his stuff so he can stay with you guys for the night, and I’ll be there to pick him up for his morning feeding tomorrow.” Emma said to David, while standing in his office at the precinct.

“Sounds great Emma. Mary Margaret and I are looking forward to some quality time with our little man.” David smiled, patting Emma on the back. She smiled and thanked him before heading out into the bullpen. It didn’t take a detective to realize that Emma and David had a special bond outside of work, but the detectives that were in their unit knew better than to comment on any conversation Emma and David had that wasn’t about a case. Emma’s partner Ruby was the only one to sometimes nag Emma over her conversations. This being the perfect time for Ruby to pry into her normally closed-off partner’s personal life. Ruby smirked at Emma as she left David’s office, and Emma just shook her head.

“Spit it out, Ruby.” Emma said with a smile.

“Dropping the little monster off at David’s? That must mean you actually have plans on a Friday night. Who are you?” Ruby teased.

“I actually do have plans on a Friday night. I know, shoot me.” Emma played along to Ruby’s questioning.

“And what might the normal home-body be doing on a Friday night that Henry can’t come and is going to stay the night at David’s?” Ruby pried.

“Going to a holiday party. You don’t really bring a one-year-old to holiday parties.” Emma said.

“Holiday party? Without David and Mary Margaret? And it’s not like we have a holiday party outside of having pizza delivered. Emma Swan, what holiday party are you going to?” Ruby asked.

“It’s with Killian’s coworkers. I get the lovely opportunity to be his ‘fake date’ for the evening.” Emma sighed, still wishing Killian would have just asked her to go with him as an actual couple.

“Oh. He didn’t ask you to be his real date?”

“No. He made himself very clear that it was just a one-time thing as his fake date since he always goes to the holiday parties alone and his coworkers mistook me for his girlfriend because I’m in some of his Facebook posts.” Emma said.

“Well, maybe it’s time you took this problem into your own hands and asked him out yourself. I mean, Killian practically fawns over you every time I have ever met the guy. And goodness knows you are head over boots for him.” Ruby said.

“Head over boots?” Emma questioned.

“We all know you don’t wear heels Emma Swan. Don’t take me for a fool.”

“Oh, well I plan on wearing heels tonight. I have no idea how that’s going to go.” Emma stated.

“Girl, you better make him swoon! Do you need help with your hair and makeup?” Ruby asked, suddenly very excited to see her partner and friend all dolled up for an evening out.

“No, I don't need any assistance. I know how to apply make-up, Ruby. I wear some every day.” Emma said.

“Alright alright, fine. You don’t need any help. But girl you better have him as your man when you come back to work on Monday!” Ruby excitedly said, before Emma’s desk phone started ringing.

“Detective Swan,” Emma answered, relieved to be through with the conversation with Ruby.

_____________

“Alright kid, I’ll see you in the morning, okay? You be good for Uncle David and Auntie M’s alright?” Emma told Henry, giving him one more kiss on the head before putting him down on the ground to toddle around. She gave David and then Mary Margaret a quick hug while thanking them again.

“You know we love watching him Emma! Go, you two have fun! Can’t wait to hear about the party over breakfast tomorrow morning!” Mary Margaret beamed.

“Breakfast? I was planning on just dropping by to pick him up.” Emma questioned.

“Oh, I figured we could go to Granny’s for breakfast so we can hear everything about how it went!” Mary Margaret exclaimed.

“Just for the record, some of us don’t want to hear everything.” David grumbled.

“David! Stop being the protective big brother! Your sister is a grown adult and can manage herself just fine!” Mary Margaret scolded David.

“Thanks M’s. And Dad, we’ll be fine. Thanks for watching Henry, but we really have to get out of here if we are going to make it on time.” Emma said, before ushering her and Killian out the door and into Killian’s car.

“Sorry he’s weird. He just worries about me since the whole being-left-alone-and-pregnant thing. I mean, he’s worried about me since Ruth adopted me when I was seventeen, but it’s gotten worse since I got knocked up.” Emma said.

“It’s alright love. I know he’s just looking out for you.” Killian smiled. Emma had been through a lot of her life alone, but Killian was glad to know she had more than himself to care about and look after Emma. They drove the rest of the way in peaceful silence, before walking into the hotel where the holiday party was being held. They got on the elevator and headed to the 13th floor, where the actual party was being hosted in the event space in the hotel. Once on the elevator, Emma threaded her arm through Killian’s and gave him a soft smile.

“I never got to tell you that you look stunning, Swan.” Killian stated.

Emma blushed, before attempting to respond. “And you look…”

“I know. And thank you again for coming tonight. I hope you can marginally enjoy yourself. I mean, at least you know Belle and Graham.” Killian said.

“Yeah.Plus I met a few of them last year at your little birthday gathering. I know it’s been a while. Also, today at work Graham seemed pretty excited that I was going with you. I think he was dreading not knowing anyone but you and Belle.” Emma said as the elevators opened.

The first person Emma recognized upon walking out of the elevator was Will, Killian’s good friend and fellow history professor. Will helped throw Killian’s birthday celebration, so Emma had met him before.

“Killian! Emma! It’s bloody fantastic to see you two here!” Will said in greeting.

“Will, good to see you.” Emma said while giving him a side-hug. “How have you been?”

The party continued as well as could be expected for both Emma and Killian. No one seemed to think the pair weren’t together, besides the few that knew it was fake- Belle, Graham, and Will. Emma met all of Killian’s coworkers through the course of the night. Killian’s least favorite colleague- Walsh, was just as stuck up and obnoxious as Killian had warned. His wife Zelena, who was a physics professor, was also particularly unpleasant. Emma met Regina, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. They ran into Tink and her boyfriend Jefferson, and Emma didn’t feel any jealousy at seeing the woman again. Tink asked a lot of questions about Henry, which Emma was happy to talk about. Emma also met Ashley, or “Cinderella” as Killian called her. Ashley and her husband Sean were kind, and Ashley seemed particularly excited to see Emma in the flesh. Ashley promptly invited Emma and Killian to come to the New Year’s Eve party she was hosting at her apartment. There was also Lancelot, a professor who focused on the history of the Middle Ages and the Medieval Time Period. Lancelot’s girlfriend Mulan used to teach history, but now focuses on her love for sports and is the Director of Athletics at the university.

Most of the evening was spent near Belle and Graham, who is a detective in Emma’s unit. Emma had introduced Belle and Graham after meeting Belle, and she was happy to see that Belle and Graham were happy with each other. Will also hung around them for most of the evening, as he was one of Killian’s closest friends and knew Emma. Most people were drinking a decent amount of alcohol, but Emma hadn’t had more than a glass of wine, and Killian had only had a glass of rum. Will, however, was quite intoxicated by the end of the evening. He was telling stories about Killian which made Killian blush and Emma laugh. Will was so caught up in his story and his alcohol that he slipped up and blabbed about Killian’s secret love for Emma.

“Yeah, well we thought Killian had grown a pair since then, but he had to beg Emma to come as his date because he won’t be a man and actually ask her out like he wants to.” Will slurred.

“Will!” Killian scolded, quickly getting up from his chair to try and stop Will from speaking.

“He’s so in love with Emma that he can’t see that maybe-” Will started again. Killian grabbed Will and physically dragged him out of Emma’s vicinity before any more damage could be done. Emma tried to ignore Will’s comments and act natural, tuning back to Belle and Graham. Not knowing what else to talk about, Emma asked Graham about the case they had been working on. When Killian didn’t come back to the table after a while, Emma excused herself to go find him. She thought he might be at the bar, downing some rum after Will spilled Killian’s secret.

After checking the bar, Emma noticed Killian was sitting at a table out on the patio, so she went outside to join him. Emma knew he could hear her approaching- her heels were not quiet- yet he didn’t turn around. She pulled out the chair that was next to him and sat down, staring out at the New York City skyline.

“You love me?” Emma questioned quietly after several moments of silence between the pair.

“Yes.” Killian responded, just as quietly as Emma. “I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, but you and Henry mean everything to me Emma. I didn’t mean for this to go like this, I just-”

“Why didn’t you ask me out? We’ve been friends for what, nearly two years? You could have asked Killian.” Emma interrupted.

“I couldn’t risk that you didn’t feel the same. So, I have worked hard since I realized I was in love with you to pretend like I wasn’t, because I will gladly sacrifice my feelings for continuing to be friends with you and close to Henry.” Killian said with tears starting to form. He ran his hand down his face before taking a deep breath and looking at Emma. She looked surprised, and also looked like she had some tears forming.

“You traded your happiness for me?” Emma asked.

“Aye,” Killian responded matter-of-factly, nodding his head slightly to emphasize his point. Emma slowly leaned closer until her face was inches away from Killian’s, before leaning the rest of the way in and kissing Killian. After running out of breath, Emma pulled away shyly with a blush on her cheeks.

“I love you too.” Emma said simply.

“What?” Killian asked, stupefied.

“I love you, and I have spent the last two weeks wishing you would just ask me to come to this stupid party as your actual date. I don’t trust a lot of people, and I’m not good with words. But, I know that I can’t lose you like I’ve lost other people. I’ve been so afraid that you didn’t like me as more than a friend, and I was scared. But I’m not scared anymore Killian. I love you, and I-” Killian cut her off with a kiss of his own. The two embraced each other and reveled in their newfound intimacy. Eventually, the DJ of the faculty party announced that there would be one more slow song of the night, and the announcement effectively broke the couple’s passionate kiss.

“Care to dance, Swan?” Killian asked while offering Emma his hand.

“You know how to dance or whatever it is you’re supposed to do?” Emma asked.

“Of course.” Killian responded.

“Well, I’m taking off these shoes first,” Emma stated while unclasping her heels. “What am I supposed to do?” Emma asked after standing up.

“There’s only one rule: Pick a partner who knows what he’s doing.” Killian smirked. Emma blushed and smiled, but allowed Killian to dance and twirl her around on the patio.

_____________

“Hey, we have to check out a few addresses before I can get out of here. Do you think you could relieve the babysitter and watch Henry for the rest of the afternoon and evening?” Emma asked Killian over the phone.

“Of course love. I told you to let me watch him when I’m home, especially now that I’m done for the semester.” Killian replied before getting up from his chair and putting his shoes and coat on, preparing to go over to Emma’s apartment.

“I know, but just because we are dating now doesn’t mean you have to always watch Henry. He’s not your responsibility.” Emma said.

“He might not be my responsibility, but you must know that I love spending time with the lad. And watching him is not any trouble, love. I’m heading over now to relieve the babysitter. Text me when you are on your way home.” Killian replied.

“Okay, thanks Killian. I owe you big time. Love you,” Emma said. Killian smiled before telling her he loved her as well and ending the call.

_____________

Emma sighed as she made her way up the stairs to her apartment. She ended up staying an extra six hours trying to catch their perp before they finally caught him hiding out in an abandoned storefront. She smiled to herself knowing that Killian and Henry would be waiting for her once she got home. She quietly unlocked the door, making sure not to make too much noise in case Killian was putting Henry to bed or had just put him to bed. Emma heard Killian’s faint voice reading aloud upon entering her apartment, and followed his voice down the hall to Henry’s room. Both of her boys were so entranced by the book Killian was reading- “Papa, Please Get The Moon For Me”- that neither heard her standing in the doorway. She listened as Killian read, and saw Henry’s eyes start to droop. Just when Emma thought Henry was going to fall asleep, he suddenly pointed to something in the book.

“Papa.” Henry said.

“Aye lad, that is Monica’s Papa.” Killian responded, keeping Henry engaged in their conversation. Henry looked at Killian curiously for a minute before smiling wide.

“Papa!” Henry exclaimed, only he wasn’t looking at the book anymore. Henry’s sole focus was on Killian. “Papa!” Henry excitedly said again, before snuggling into Killian’s torso.

“That’s right Henry, that is your Papa. He’s the best Papa, isn’t he?” Emma said, making herself known to both Henry and Killian.

“Mama!” Henry squealed upon seeing his mother.

“Hey kid, I missed you today.” Emma greeted. Henry extended his arms asking to be picked up by Emma and she obliged, needing some Henry cuddles after her long day at work.

“Mama Mama Mama!” Henry babbled while snuggling his face into Emma’s neck.

“Yeah, Mama’s home Henry. Mama’s home.” Emma sighed, closing her eyes for a minute.

“Mama?” Henry said.

“Yeah kid?” Emma replied. Henry turned his head so he was looking at Killian before pointing at him.

“Papa. Mama, Papa!” Henry said.

“Yeah Henry, he is your Papa. You want to give Papa a few more snuggles before bedtime?” Emma said, trying to hold back tears that Henry finally called Killian by ‘name’.

“Papa Papa Papa” Henry babbled, reaching for Killian. Killian was silent through the entire interaction between Emma and Henry, but he was crying by the time Emma placed Henry back in his arms. Henry quickly snuggled up to Killian before falling asleep.

“Hey Papa. How was he?” Emma asked, letting her own tears fall freely at this point.

“He was good as always Swan. He called me ‘Papa’.” Killian said.

“Yeah, he did. And I can’t think of a more perfect title for you Killian. You know, you’ve been his ‘Papa’ in my eyes since the day you saved his life.” Emma said.

Emma had never felt fear like she did the day Killian called her, frantically informing her to meet him at the Children’s Hospital Emergency Room. Killian had thankfully been in his apartment that day, or Henry would have died. The babysitter was working on getting Henry to eat some soft foods, but turned away to cut another piece of banana and didn’t see Henry shove too much banana in his mouth. Henry started coughing, but ended up lodging a chunk of banana in his throat.

The babysitter had no idea what to do, and ran to Killian’s door with Henry, screaming for help. Killian immediately opened the door, saw Henry choking, and safely performed the Heimlich. The maneuver is different for an infant over an adult, and the babysitter didn’t have any training in the Heimlich for children. Killian, seeing the worry and stress in the babysitter’s face, told her to go home for the day and Killian assured her that he would take Henry for the rest of the day until Emma got home.

Once the babysitter left, Killian still felt uneasy about Henry in the aftermath of the choking incident. To be sure, he decided to take Henry to the children’s ER and called Emma on his way to the hospital. Emma immediately left work to go be with Henry and Killian at the hospital, and Emma was so relieved to find out that Henry was okay. Emma knew Killian had single-handedly saved Henry’s life, and she was not soon to forget it. From that day forward, Emma knew Killian would do anything for her son, and although she hadn’t actually talked to Killian about it, she began viewing Killian as Henry’s father.

“And, I know I told you a million times, but I feel like I never got to thank you, Killian.” Emma smiled. She walked over to where Killian was sitting in the rocking chair with Henry before leaning down and pressing her lips to Killian’s.

Killian smiled at her, before teasing Emma. “I could get used to that kind of thank you.”

“I’ll kiss you any time, but let’s not have another hospital incident. I don’t think I could handle it.” Emma said, stroking Henry’s soft light-brown hair. .

“Me neither love. That was one of the worst days of my life.” Killian reflected.

“Oh mine for sure. Let’s get this little man to bed and then I’ll really thank you.” Emma smirked.

_____________

“Mama Mama Mama!” was the first thing Emma heard in the morning. She rolled over to see the baby monitor and noticed Henry was contentedly babbling her name while sitting up in his crib. She looked at the time-6:45- an hour later than Henry normally slept in. It truly was a Christmas miracle. Emma quietly extracted herself from the strong arms around her torso and out of the bed so as not to wake Killian. She quietly made her way down the hallway to Henry’s nursery, where he was now babbling both “Mama” and “Papa” hoping for someone’s attention.

“Hey kid, good morning!” Emma greeted in a whispered sing-song voice.

“Mama!” Henry exclaimed as Emma lifted him out of the crib and snuggled him.

“Hey my baby. How’d you sleep?” Emma said, placing Henry down on his changing table so she could change his diaper. “Let’s get you cleaned up, huh?” Henry continued to babble to her, and Emma dutifully nodded her head along and responded to some of his more question-like babbles. After changing his diaper, Emma pulled out a new Christmas onesie from the drawer.

“I think we should surprise Papa and put your new PJs on that he got you. How about thar? Should we surprise your Papa?” Emma asked Henry.

“Papa! Papa Papa!” Henry squealed.

“Yeah, I think Papa would like that too.” Emma replied, before putting his new PJs on. Once Henry was changed and clean, Emma carried him to the kitchen to turn the kettle on the stove on to make hot cocoa in a little bit. Then, she brought Henry back down the hall towards her bedroom and lightly set Henry down on her bed just as Killian opened his eyes.

“Well good morning little lad!” Killian greeted Henry.

“Papa!” Henry squealed before crawling across the bed towards Killian. Emma and Killian smiled, still not over Henry calling Killian ‘Papa’. Emma slipped back into bed under the covers before snuggling up to her boys.

“I figured we could cuddle some before starting our big day- Henry’s second Christmas.” Emma told Killian.

“That sounds like a lovely plan, Swan.” Killian smiled before pulling Emma closer to him and Henry.

“Merry Christmas, Killian. I am so glad you are here with us.” Emma smiled.

“Merry Christmas, my love. There is no place I would rather be than right here with both of you.” Killian replied. After some babbling for attention from Henry, both adults laughed.

“Merry Christmas to you too, kid. I am so glad I get to be your Mom.” Emma said, feeling more content than she had in quite some time.

----------------------

Happy Holidays @sotangledupinit !!! 🌲⛪⛄❄️☃️

I hope you enjoyed your CS Gift Exchange Fic! This was my first fanfiction that I've written in many years so hopefully it's not too bad! Hope you have a lovely New Year and have been having Happy Holidays!!

[aesthetic--mood]

The Chronicles of Narnia Spring Aesthetic

[bonefall]

BB!Moonpaw's Family

So, I don't rewrite arcs until they're done BUT!! HAVE NO FEAR IM HERE TO FIX IT.

You may have heard that Moonpaw's canonical family has been confirmed, Thriftear x Bayshine, and that it makes her a real doozy of inbreeding. The most important thing being that she is the product of a first cousin pair because Thriftear's father Fernsong and Bayshine's mother Sorrelstripe are full siblings.

But I am the family tree trimmer and I'm here to do a little pruning!

First of all, I've already done significant work in overhauling the ThunderClan Family Tree. Today I've made a more lightweight chart for showing off the options better, but please do go and check out the full version if you'd like to see the generations further back. It also has a link to my "diagnosis," which is handy for comparing my fixes to the problems with the canon tree.

So just to nip this in the bud; Thriftear and Bayshine are no longer first cousins in BB.

That's already fixed! I'm going to change it anyway but I just want that to be like, the first thing you know going in.

Second of all, now's a good time for a little refresher on my Three Strict Rules. These are the rules I use for overhauling the family trees; determining when cats are far enough apart, preventing one bloodline from getting too prolific, and when a fix is required.

Like before, click the link to see the rules more in-depth. Put simply, these rules are;

Three Generation Separation Cats must be three or more generations removed in order to be eligible as partners. That means they cannot share a simple grandparent, banning 1st cousin pairings. Further than that is typically allowed-- Clan sizes are too small to be more restrictive. ADDENDUM: Onestar's Exception. This rule applies to an extra generation, the great-grandparent, if one or more simple grandparents are alive to connect them all. This bans 1st cousins once removed (FCOR), like what Breezepelt and Heathertail are in-canon, and usually second cousins if I can help it.

Two Kit Max Any given pairing may only have two kittens who have successful grandchildren. If three or more kids have grandkids, one of the bloodlines will have to be pruned in some way. This is to prevent "superparents" who decimate the diversity. ADDENDUM: This applies per-Clan. Cats can leave their birth Clan and not contribute to their parents' "limit." Dovewing is now in ShadowClan and does not count towards the rule.

One Parent Litters Invoking the Queen's Rights allows for a cat to have kittens without a second parent. Sometimes these kittens are fully adopted. ADDENDUM: This is an in-universe rule. Ergo, other cats can and will have feelings on a cat who invokes this. That said, I don't always decide who that secret parent is beforehand!

With all that said, let's talk about the relevant differences in BB vs Canon, and the three options for who Moonpaw's parents are going to be...

Relevant Differences

So that we can narrow in on the ancestors that are relevant, I've gone and made a little version of my bigger tree.

Everyone in YELLOW is active in ThunderClan. PINK indicates that they may or may not remain there past ASC, either because they'll move or because they'll die. The ORANGE line tracks cats that are counted as Firekin.

(Note: Sunbeam, Twigbranch, and Finleap were left off this list since they're not relevant atm)

Spiderleg, Toadstep, Hazeltail, Sorreltail are still alive in BB.

However, in exchange, Molewhisker, Brackenfur, and Thornclaw are dead.

Cinderheart is off on adventures with Fallenleaf, who went through a whole thing

Mousewhisker and Nightheart will probably end up in RiverClan by the end of ASC.

Rosepetal will probably end up dying somewhere near the end of ASC OR in the BB overhaul of Ivypool's Heart. She will likely be Squirrelstar's first deputy.

Fernsong is an ex-kittypet. His name was Fiddles.

Because of a change in who dies in The Battle of the True Eclipse, Sorrelstripe is named Duststripe.

Because Ferncloud is the one to confront Ashfur in the Dark Forest instead of Graystripe, Graypaw is named Fernpaw.

Squirrelflight is infertile and unable to have bio-kits. Bramblestar disowned his children with her when the secret was revealed, and had a litter with Jessy. Sparkpelt is not Firekin-- her mate was.

Ivypool and Dovewing were swapped for Spotfur and Duststripe to keep the Firekin family consistent.

Larksong and Hollytuft have been fused into the same cat; Hollylark.

Hollylark was a poorly understood magical being. Xeir death prompted xeir parents, Cinderheart and Fallenleaf, to go on their journey.

Eaglewing, Honeyfur, and Leafshade are in my back pocket in case I need them elsewhere.

Snowbush, Dewnose, and Ambermoon were surrogated for cats in other Clans, but I still haven't placed them yet. Icecloud, now born AFTER the Battle of the True Eclipse, is taking any relevant roles for them.

Duststripe had kittens with an unknown sire, invoking the Queen's Rights to do so. I haven't thought about who this secret father is.

SO, as you can see, this tree is already significantly less tangled than canon's. If I just went with Thriftear x Bayshine, their last common ancestor was a great-great-grandmother (Frostfur), making them third cousins. On the other side, they share a great-great-great-grandmother (Nutmeg), making them fourth cousins.

These are both so far removed that most people don't even actually know their 3rd and 4th cousins. This is more than distant enough to not trip Rule 1.

That said... no 💕I don't care for this coupling 💕They haven't even talked in canon I am simply going to veto it 💕

Personally I've always seen Bayshine and Thriftear as being gay, so I'm going to move ahead with that in mind because it's MY AU and I get to homo the sexuals.

OPTION 1: BAYSHINE REMAINS I simply swap out Thriftear for her brother, Flipclaw, making Moonpaw into a FlipBay kitten.

This is the most canon compliant fix I can make. This is probably what I'm going to settle on as a default, unless and until we learn more about Changing Skies. OR, of course, someone makes a convincing and juicy argument.

Thoughts;

This closely matches canon. They can't possibly throw a curveball at me that I can't fix with Thriftear lesbianism. YOUR MOVE, WORKING PARTNERS.

I need more MLM ships, I'm actually really lacking those, so this would be a good opportunity.

BB!Bayshine and BB!Flipclaw will actually have really nice chemistry. Flipclaw's a silly boy who's known as the one example of a Firekin cat who can't live up to the legacy (something that likely used to cause him to quibble with Nightheart, back in the day). Bayshine is kind of a worrywart who actually appreciates Flipclaw's sense of humor and prefers a mate who doesn't give him heart attacks via heroics.

I feel like that'll bounce nicely off Moonpaw as well, since she's probably going to have a very serious story attached. It'll be nice to just write her having very supportive parents who listen and care.

Plus with her parents being Mr. "Always Worried" and Mr. "Fire Failure," I don't have to worry too much about legacy or status while still keeping her a Firekin. These two guys don't have a lot of power to leverage to help her get the Clan to believe her, if I need to keep a plot point.

OPTION 2: THRIFTEAR REMAINS I do some tweaks to put her with Plumstone, making Moonpaw a PlumThrift kitten.

More of a tinker than a tweak, but something I'm at least considering. I've been outspoken about how much I like PlumThrift, so I absolutely want to make it canon to BB. That said, I do like the idea that the two of them just don't have kids. Not all mates HAVE to have kittens.

Plus, it would come with restrictions anyway becaauuuuseeeeee,

It trips Rule 2, the Two Kit Max.

If Shellfur and Fernstripe have kittens, which I HOPE they do because good lord Canon!TC needs it, I couldn't let PlumThrift Moonpaw go on to have successful kittens of her own. Blossomfall's kittens would start to take over ThunderClan.

This is especially strict in BB because there's no way in hell I'm not going to have Shellfur and Fernstripe have some kittens. So help me god, I will pull Leafshade, Honeyfur, and Eaglewing out of my back pocket.

Moonpaw not having kittens isn't a bad thing, though. I'd happily do it, it's just that I'm trying to anticipate canon throwing a curveball at me.

BB!Plumstone and BB!Thriftear would probably have a more strained dynamic to their daughter, which might match canon very well if the team goes for the angle of having Moonpaw resent how she's seen as very special.

Both moms are overachievers, and very ambitious warriors. Thriftear is Firekin and living up to that legacy, and Plumstone is probably gunning for one of the head positions in the Clan.

It's not that they're mean or bad to her, it's that they'd have high expectations which might cause friction. Again; depends on where canon goes with Moonpaw's story.

Honestly, knowing them and what they want out of their lives, I can kinda see Moonpaw being something they didn't plan. Like she was an abandoned kitten they found and felt like it was a sign from StarClan, or somehow one of them accidentally got pregnant.

Which could be super interesting, honestly.

Option 2 might end up revealing itself to fit better than Option 1, but I need to see what the arc has in store first.

OPTION 3: TOTAL PARENT CHANGE Moonpaw is given to a non-Firekin couple that could have kits

This is the biggest change, but one I'll do if it's an important plot point that she's NOT Firekin by canon's wahoo logic. I already killed the inconsistency with MY family tree fixes, but the writing team seems to only count Firekin down from Squirrelflight's biokids.

So if I have to comply with that for some reason, I'll shuffle her over to one of these two couples;

She could either become the daughter of Stormcloud and Cherryfall, OR Shellfur and Fernstripe.

StormCherry:

Stormcloud actually got a massive glowup in BB lmao

Cherryfall and Stormcloud were previously sort-of-courting, probably-dating, in a weird situationship sort of thing. Unofficial only because they never made it official.

If Moonpaw is their kid, she'd definitely be what makes it official.

I feel like Stormcloud is better suited to being the Mi, but Cherryfall would insist that she acts as it instead. And Stormcloud knows better than to argue with her, she's the most stubborn thing you've ever met.

She's a knucklehead. He's a gentle giant. I feel like they'd be fun as parents.

But also a bit more absent compared to the other options, which could be good if that's a plot point... but seems unlikely, considering Moonpaw was apparently named because her parents believe she's special.

This one's the MOST clean of any bloodline Moonpaw could be wriggled into. It would actually be super useful going forward honestly. StormCherry kits are compatible with all of the cats of the next generation except Firekin.

If Moonpaw has a ton of siblings I might put them all here just for that... but something tells me she's going to be a singlet tbh.

ShellFern:

I have a weird fondness for these two tbh. Can't explain it. I like grumpy assholes and their sweethearts.

It's super unlikely that these two don't get kittens of their own at some point, but it wouldn't be too big of a problem if I did shuffle Moonpaw in as their first child.

I would enjoy having a little window into their relationship, I used ShellFern for an example of what a post-Lake Aftergathering looks like once just because I like writing about them.

They wouldn't "get in the way" of the plot, either. Shellfur and Fernstripe are both pretty standard warriors, not super ambitious, they have hobbies but they're not reaching for a high status or anything.

If Moonpaw ends up being a little bit of a snarky character, it would be fun if she got that from papa Shellfur lmao.

Aaaand that's it! I don't rewrite arcs until they are done, and as of writing this, even ASC isn't totally completed yet! But there's the pre-emptive options for a fix that is definitely going to happen.

This poll isn't binding because I really need to see which of these options will FIT the best, but I'm curious,

[whitechocolateanti]

samtory as sydina from ianowt ft. miguel as stanley, probably kyler as bradley, and peyton's short hair in school spirits cs the vibes just match idk i never watched it but lord give tory a bisexual bob 2024 the girls that get it get it.

[whewchilly]

carlossainz55 Another season done! Massive thank you to everyone at @.scuderiaferrari. We are still not where we want to be but everyone at the track and back at Maranello have pushed like crazy and I’m very proud of our team! Let’s keep it up! 2024 is around the corner! 🚀

[grahamcarmen]

local girl still obsessed with red crackle and currently a card game </3

*these aren't the final versions i'm still polishing them up,

[tumbleweeddesktop]

Addams Family AU Wriolette... Their house is Meropide but above grounds

[everything-person]

Kazoos Advent Calendar

@kazoosandfannypacks Sorry for the back up but just think now you get to open multiple gifts at once. Day

Todays gift is Captain Swan Living Room decorated for Christmas.

[cssecretsanta2020]

SIGN UP ARE OPEN

You can fill out the sign up form HERE

Sign up will be open until Nov. 26th

[csgiftexchange]

Now that signs ups are closed I’m sure there are a lot of questions on how this works and what are the rules.

First how it will work:

Tomorrow Wednesday November 30th at roughly 1pm Central standard time USA. I will make a post with everyone’s gift wants and don’t want.

Ex: Giftee 1 would like a Friends with benefits au, sharing one bed, established relationship fluff. Doesn’t want character death, smutt, Neal.

Giftee 2 would like a season 3-4 missing scenes, holiday family fluff, fic art. Doesn’t want whump, Regina as a friend, au.

And so on and so forth. Everyone participating will be tagged in this post. If I see a tag not working I will message that person that the post is live.

Once you decide what gift you want to make you will message (not send an ask) this page saying which giftee you want. I will edit the post so it will be crossed off to show that giftee is taken. The post will be live until every gift is taken. If you ask for a giftee that is already taken I will tell you to pick another one.

Rules:

You do not have to be anonymous for this event. Though you can if you so chose.

You do not have to make all the gift ideas. You are only required to make one. Though you can use all the gift ideas if YOU so chose to.

You do have to abide by the DONTs if someone doesn’t want a certain thing in there gift please do not put it in. If you do you will not be allowed to join this event next year.

You do not have to contact your giftee until you post your gift. Though you can if you so chose.

If you need to drop out for whatever reason PLEASE CONTACT THIS PAGE! If you drop out with no communication you will not be allowed to join the event next year.

I would prefer if everyone posted their gift 24th, 25th, and 26th of December but the deadline is the end of December. If you have not given your giftee a gift by then I will assume you dropped out and will replace you and you will not be allowed to join next year.

[ziashetalia]

ヘタリアろぐ3 Pixiv ID: 55531912 Member: 2520598 - じめつだ

※Posted with the artist’s permission ~Please ask the artist first if you want to repost the artist's art~

[rueitae]

I love that Carmen, a strong, independent, and capable woman who saves so many people through what she does, is allowed to be saved herself by others in the narrative. She is human too, and worthy of being loved and cared for.

And the whump that comes out of it is fantastic.

[indigos-stardust]

Work In Progress

garden party after honorific ceremony for the "Knights of the Four Sword"