#anti neal

[ishoulddefbedoingotherthings]

I don’t like Neal.

(2nd installment of rants I should not be writing because I should def be doing other things)

Or in other words: The only bagel I’ll ever like is the New York style kind.

And it’s not even because I’m a CS shipper because when we first found out that Neal existed, Hook was in his womanizer mode (and yes I loved HIM but I didn’t ship CS quite yet, I did start immediately after tho, but that’s beside the point).

First, facts need to be pointed out. Emma was a minor. That’s not arguable, she was a minor and was 17 when she had Henry because she had just turned 28 when Henry was already 10, so there was an overlap when she was 17 and had a baby. So that means during her relationship with Neal, she was a minor.

According to Neal’s wanted poster, he was 23. A 23 year old with a 17 year old is not okay, and it’s logical to assume that Emma was 16 when she met him, but even then, NEAL WAS 22. THAT IS NOT OKAY. THAT IS IN NO WAY OKAY. And if we’re adding two hundred years to it, that’s even MORE not okay.

And I know there’s the argument that Hook is hundreds of years older too, but their age doesn’t matter, it’s their age in relation to EMMA’S. When Emma met Neal, she was 16/17. She was vulnerable and living on the streets and even if Neal wasn’t trying to, he took advantage of her naive state. All Emma wanted was a family, and Neal seemed to give that to her because she believed he was the first person to give a damn about her. When Emma met Hook, she was a mature adult and could properly assess a situation, a skill that she hadn’t yet mastered as a 16 year old. She literally couldn’t because our brains don’t fully develop until 25.

So that’s one thing. Neal took advantage of her. She was a minor, he was an adult. Any person that would condone that relationship AND SAY IT WAS HEALTHY is not okay in my book.

Again I repeat, the only bagel I like is that with cream cheese.

And now moving on: HE LEFT HER IN JAIL??? FOR HIS CRIME?????? WOMEN HAVE DIVORCED FOR LESS! MY MOTHER DIVORCED FOR LESS!

I feel like people brush past that way too easily. Because OUAT is a magical show people try to downplay trauma, but pregnancy is even traumatic for a woman that wanted the baby. Emma did not want to be pregnant. Nobody would want to be pregnant in that situation. She put her livelihood and her trust into Neal and he betrayed her all because of her so called “destiny”. Destiny is destiny. It would happen no matter what and he didn’t need to make her take the fall for his crime in order to get away from her. HE COULDVE CHEATED ON HER AND IT WOULDVE BEEN BETTER. And, he also didn’t want to see his father, which most definitely played a part in his decision to leave Emma. Neal suffered a lot because of his father, but if he loved Emma so much, it would’ve been worth it to stay with her, wouldn’t it??? Neal never chooses the hard path.

But back to the pregnancy thing. Not only is it traumatic for a fully grown woman, but she was a teenager!! A teenager that was alone and afraid in a jail cell, pregnant. That is terrible. That’s so astronomically terrible and I feel like people that love adult Neal don’t understand that. I love little Neal. Not adult Neal because he did that crap because Pinocchio told him to.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, he took the money for himself that was supposed to go to Emma. Imagine how much that would’ve helped her. Money can buy nice clothes and food and a hotel room. It could’ve gotten her a job (she did get one eventually) but that money could’ve helped her so much.

And then years later, when he gets the postcard that the curse is broken, he could’ve gone to check on her and he didn’t. Imagine how much that would’ve meant to Emma, that even after all he did, he was still willing to go back and see her because she meant that much to him. And he would be willing to face all the backlash she would give him because he knew he deserved it.

But he DIDNT. He didn’t come to check on her, he never would’ve gone to see her if not for Rumplestilskin’s deal, and that makes me hate him even more.

And uh HELLO? He also told her if he knew who she was he would’ve never gone near her. Imagine how much a punch in the gut that was for her. One of Emma’s main problems is that she felt like she was never enough for someone. And here Neal is, the first person she really loved and who she believed really loved her back, telling her that she would not be enough for him. She was not worthy of his attention because of where she was from and who she was. That is so terrible to say to someone. So very fricking terrible.

AND HE DIDNT EVEN APOLOGIZE. NOT ONCE. UM WTF? I REWATCHED AND HE DID NOT APOLOGIZE. He said he messed up. But he didn’t mess up, he fucked up. He fucked EMMA up. I am an Emma lover through and through. She is my baby and I will defend her to the ends of the earth. I don’t hate Neal because he ‘stood in the way of CS’ because let’s be honest, we all knew CS would be endgame when the first episode we got with them together was in direct contrast to Tallahassee, aka, Neal’s relationship with Emma. If that’s not foreshadowing I don’t know what is. No, I hate Neal because of how he treated EMMA. That poor innocent 17 year old that suffered so MUCH because of Neal’s actions, intentional or not.

I think the saying “it doesn’t matter if you mean well, it matters if you do well” completely sums up how I feel about that situation. Oh and even after he fucks her up, she goes to Tallahassee and waits for him FOR TWO YEARS because she’s hopeful that maybe it was a mistake, that he didn’t mean to leave her and that he still loved her. That little trooper. I want to give her blankets and hot chocolate and grilled cheese and therapy

There’s no doubt in my mind that Neal does love Emma because how can you not. She’s amazing. And I do believe that Emma loves Neal, but I think they were both in love with the idea of each other. They were each other’s first loves, and that is important, but have you noticed how surprised Neal looked when he learned all the new things about Emma? How he downplayed her superpower? How he didn’t believe her about Tamara when she was right? How he looked almost afraid and disgusted that she had magic? Magic that’s always been a part of her- that’s such a BIG part of her.

Neal loves Emma, but I think it’s startlingly clear that it’s not 28 year old Emma, but 17 carefree happy Emma. And Emma does love Neal, but I whole-heartedly feel like she loved the idea of him and how happy he used to make her before leaving her. And you know maybe I’m wrong, but the look Emma gives him a lot is only what I can describe as the look of a person trying to reminisce. A person trying to remember the good parts about someone after a decade of separation, and here they are a completely different person. I honestly don’t think Emma fully processed what Neal did to her, and that’s why all the feelings flooded to the surface upon seeing him after all those years because she never got closure.

And this actually happened to a friend of mine. He had broken up with his gf of a year, and he loved her a lot he just felt like it was toxic (and it was) and broke up, and then he dove into his work and didn’t think about it at all. Then work started to slow down a few months later and he had a lot of time to sit and think and he called me telling me that he missed his ex and that he wanted to get back together with her. I told him to wait a few weeks and process it to see how he felt before doing anything rash, and sure enough, a few weeks later he said that he didn’t want to get back together with her anymore.

Emma didn’t fully process that relationship for a decade. She hid behind walls and a red leather jacket because the pain was so intense. She told Neal she loved him in the portal because she thought he was going to die, but I really think she was talking to his past self, his past self that she loved and now she would never see that again. But at least now she could move on.

Then flash go echo cave. She literally tells Neal she wished he was dead. She said that she would always love him, but there’s a clear difference to loving someone than being in love with someone. Emma is not IN LOVE with Neal, she loves him, but she is not in love. And the reason for that is because all he put her through. All the pain and the torture that she didn’t want to go through again so she wished he was dead because it would’ve been easier for her to move on finally after all these years. I also thinks that she loved him because he gave her Henry. Emma loves her son. And Neal played a part in creating him so of course Emma would love him for giving her that, but she is not IN LOVE with him.

And I don’t blame Neal for wanting to fight for Emma (I would fight for Emma any day of the week) but I do think in that moment, and judging from her lack of reply, she knows that she is over with that romantic Neal titled chapter of her life.

(and it definitely didnt help that she got the daylights kissed out of her by a sexy pirate)

There are only two things that I respect about adult Neal.

1: he sent the dove to Captain Hook to get Emma back because he knew that he would fight to bring her home. I think that that is very admirable considering he act like a jealous asshole in neverland which really bugged me, and I thought it did develop his character well. He realized that Hook was not the same man he previously knew and I respect that.

2: the quote “I just want you to be happy, even if it’s not with me.” This is important to me because I feel like the writers could’ve portrayed him even further as a selfish person that he did appear to be (and that would’ve made it even easier for me to dislike him) but they didn’t. This was Neal recognizing that Emma moved on, something that she had been doing since Neverland, and commenting on that which I also admire because Emma deserves to be happy without something holding her down.

And honestly I do feel as if the only way she could move on entirely is through him dying because he would always be around, and she would always have that reminder of the most painful part of her life. I think JMO actually commented on that in an interview about how Neal would always be there because he was Henry’s father. And I think that even though Emma loved him, she felt a lot lighter once he died. I feel as if most of her grief was out of empathy for her son because he would have to live without a father just like she did, and she knew how painful that is. That grief was NOT because she would never get to be in a relationship with him because she had already moved on, and the people that can’t see that have not been watching the show, or are too much of a swanfire Stan to see that. And that’s perfectly fine, we’re all free to have an opinion, but Emma’s actions and words clearly showed that she moved on.

And you know, I deeply hated when he told Emma not to go after Hook because it was dangerous because I think it clearly showed the contrast between Emma and Neal and why they would not work out. Emma takes the hard way, Neal takes the easy way. Would it have been safer and easier for Emma to mourn Hook and move on? Yes. Was it more dangerous to go after him to right the wrong and injustice he faced, and to get her literal true love back? Yes, but it was the right choice. But every time Neal is confronted with a difficult choice, he takes the easy path. He could’ve stayed with Emma, he could’ve gone to her after the curse broke, and he could’ve offered a better damn date option than a ‘come to granny’s if you want’ which I can see how that would be respectful, but he also wasn’t fighting for her which is exactly what Emma needed someone to do for her. To climb past her walls and pull her out with them. That’s why I don’t like Neal. He did not treat Emma well, one way or another, his actions traumatized her and again, are you telling me you’d get back together with a person that did that to you? No? Well then why the hell should EMMA? Give the poor thing a break and let her move on.

(Also side note, am I the only one that thinks the ice cave in season four was a metaphor for Emma’s walls? Uhh hello? Impenetrable fortress? Turns a person cold and solid? Surviving not living? You couldn’t force them open with brute force (gold’s magic) because that may damage the person inside of them beyond repair, instead you need to encourage them to come out by themself while you simultaneously break it down so it makes the passage easier, and on the other side there is comfort and warmth. In season four Emma’s walls finally started to come down through her family and Killian and it’s literally shown through that episode. End of side note)

But yeah, I don’t like Neal, really deeply don’t. There are two things that I respect, and that’s it. And I didn’t even get to how he told Emma to lie to Rumple, knowing exactly what he does to liars, and how he was mad at Emma for not telling him about Henry when he left her in prison, and how he moved on way too fast from his FIANCÉ? Yeah she was evil but where were his residual feelings??? Even Emma had a bit with Walsh.

*big breath*

Thank you for coming to my second Ted Talk.

[momontheice]

Reblog if it's 2024 and you still despise Neal Cassady.

[saptaincwan]

me finding baelfire's storyline interesting and how it connects to rumplestiltskin's motivations as well as killian's vs me hatign neal's guts and simply not caring abt the guy

[notebook91286]

Rewatch OUAT 2X14

I have a problem with Neal in this. Generally his presence doesn't bother me, his arrival in the story really hit me, I'm not a fan of the second season, apart from a few episodes and a few scenes, it's not really my favorite season. I was saying about Neal, generally I tolerate him enough, but reviewing this episode it annoys me a lot, more than anything else it annoys me his attitude towards Emma.

They just met, Emma is distraught (Jen captured the mood perfectly), she feels hurt, she hasn't seen him in years, he is the reason she ended up in prison, he is the reason she gave up on Henry and what does he do? he attacks her accusing her of bringing her father there, which I found really unfair, considering that Emma had no idea what was going on and he did.

Here Jen was perfect, she made Emma's emotional state perfectly, she was on the verge of a panic attack, her voice was shaking, the reaction she has is devastating, and it is clear how painful all of this is for her. Unfortunately Snow is no help at all with this, she simply reminds her that Henry deserves the truth, and rightly so. But Emma just called Snow for support, to be calmed down, and she doesn't get it, just tells her to tell Henry the truth, and as if she doesn't feel Emma's pain or worse she underestimates her.

And that's one of the reasons I don't appreciate SwanFire, Emma just asked Neal not to break Henry's heart like he did hers, and he smiles, doesn't hang his head and say sorry, no, he just smiles and change the subject.

[happy-emmdings]

Listening to the song just a kid by Noah Vela and thinking how it’s about Emma Swan and almost crying in a café and getting very very mad at Neal Cassidy and Regina for ruining this angel’s life instead of working on the paper that’s due tomorrow is a mood…

[cosette141]

Lost and Found (OUAT CS fanfic) | Chapter Five

Fandom: Once Upon A Time

Author: cosette141

Words: 7k (this chapter) | 32k+ total (so far)

Summary: (Begin Again sequel) Emma had felt lost nearly her whole life, and Killian had lost everything he’d ever found. That is, until they found each other. With the Crocodile dead and Cora turned good, it seems happy endings have returned. However, new crises arise, threatening the budding family between them and Henry. But this is a family that always finds each other… and they have yet to fail. CS, Anti-Neal

AO3: ch1 | ch5 (this one)

big thanks to @sotangledupinit for reading this over for me! <3

Chapter 5 (under the cut!)

Peter Pan fixed a glare on the Lost Boys surrounding him.

He'd felt the weakening of his magic begin nearly a year ago. But as of late, it's gotten worse and worse.

And he knew it wasn't his magic, per say.

It was him.

Losing his magic was just a symptom.

Fusing back with his Shadow had helped marginally, but even that strength had waned. They hadn't had a new Lost Boy in ages, but Pan didn't care about Lost Boys anymore; he was bloody dying, and if he didn't get a heart, one powerful enough to save him, someone who has pushed off death more than anyone else in existence, nothing would.

He'd heard about the Savior from some of the mermaids—spies, really—and not only was she a Savior, she'd broken the Dark Curse with her belief. Belief, and True Love's Kiss, but that belief was what he needed.

Long ago, back when he first became Peter Pan, eternal life came with the threat of losing it, and needing to one day find the heart of the Truest Believer.

That day, has come.

He knew a mortal patsy would be no match for the Savior's magic, she needed to come here willingly. So when he learned she loved only one person—her son—his plan became clear.

What he hadn't expected was for Hook to return.

In the boy's place, no less.

Hell, back when Hook was in Neverland, he'd traded a boy for his own protection.

Even more, the idea that Hook had some sort of connection to this Savior, strong enough to lead her here after him, was curious.

Not curious enough to Pan to care much, but that meant that he now had a card to play.

The magic of a portal opening on Neverland was impossible to miss, so he knew she was here.

Where exactly on the island she was, was something entirely different.

Though the Savior was here, his magic was too faded. When he was once so intune with the island, he was essentially now blind to anything his eyes couldn't see. If only he hadn't already used up the pixie dust he's collected.

But Neverland was a land that was difficult to leave. So, essentially, a hostage in his back pocket or not, the Savior was trapped here. He would find her at some point. It was just a matter of time.

Time, however, that he was running out of.

"He's trapped," said a voice, as Felix walked through the trees. "Hook won't be going anywhere."

Had Pan been able to put a layer of magic on that cage, he'd be more confident in that. But Pan knew Hook; he was mortal and had no magic of any kind—not even a weapon, now—but he was irritatingly resourceful. So, leaving the pirate weak was for the best. The magic Pan had used to heal him—mostly heal him, anyway—nearly drained all of his strength. The moment Hook fell, Pan nearly did himself.

He's getting worse.

He needs that heart now.

So, he snapped up his eyes to the waiting Boys, eyes passing over Felix before the rest, the only one of them who knew the extent of his weakness, and Pan barked, "Find me the Savior. Now." But before they moved, added, "I need her alive. Her condition is of less concern."

After a half a second hesitation, the Boys gave a determined nod, readying weapons and split up, dispersing into the woodland.

-.-.-.-.

He's alive.

The two words have been something of a mantra in Emma's head with every footstep. It was a hope. A wish.

They'd been walking for what felt like hours. Neal was leading them, Emma somewhat behind him, and David and Mary Margaret a few paces behind her. The four of them traveled in relative silence, Neal being the only one speaking, warning them about what not to touch, and what really not to touch.

They'd not ventured inland yet, as Neal had theorized that the portal that took Killian would have probably let out on the beach. So, they followed the beach, the water unnaturally still beside them. Emma found her gaze wandering to it more than once, swearing she could see something move underneath it, and she was suddenly glad she didn't take up her prior theory that she could handle a mermaid.

The time on the island only served to make Emma's skin crawl, wondering how Killian spent centuries here and still managed to stay sane. Or Neal, for that matter, which was something she hadn't considered until now. The fact that Neal had spent hundreds of years here before meeting her was something she couldn't quite grasp, either.

Somewhere along the way, Emma had taken Killian's hook out of her pocket, her left hand curling around the steel. And it seemed to settle some of her nerves, like despite the coldness of the steel, it sent a warmth into her, something that made her feel like they were going to find him.

Something like hope.

But that didn't quite erase the panic sitting in her chest, twisting around her heart.

She'd relax when she was safely back in his embrace.

And he in hers.

Emma was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she nearly ran into Neal's back, who'd stopped.

"What—" began Emma, breaking the silence, when she saw Neal tense, as if he saw something.

But Emma's eyes looked over his shoulder, down a ways on the beach.

And there, was the outline of a body, silhouette black against the sand.

Unmoving.

So, unnaturally still.

Emma's breath caught with a sharp gasp.

"Emma—" began Neal suddenly, voice just as tight as her throat felt, and he moved almost to block her from the sight.

But Emma was already running, lungs burning because she couldn't breathe.

Killian.

Oh, god, Killian—

But as she got closer, she could make out the figure lying in the sand.

It wasn't Killian.

Emma nearly collapsed with relief.

She stopped, catching her breath, staring down at Greg Mendel.

He was lying on his back, an arrow in his chest, eyes shut, body still. He was more than dead.

Another breath released with relief at Emma's side, and she felt more than saw Mary Margaret and David staring down at him.

"Greg Mendel?" breathed David, bending down to look at the arrow in his chest, swallowing hard.

"This was the guy who did it?" asked Neal, to Mary Margaret's nod. Neal squinted toward the moon, then back to the beach. "The portal dropped them here then."

"And then someone killed him?" commented David.

"But if they both fell through… where's Killian?" asked Mary Margaret hollowly.

The entire rest of the beach was bare.

But Emma was numbly walking around Greg's body, to the sand that was dark with what could have passed as dampness from water in the darkness.

The sand was displaced, as if from an impact.

Emma slowly bent down, picking up some of the sand, lifting it to the light of the unnaturally full moon.

The sand was dry.

It wasn't wet, it was stained.

"He was here." she choked out tightly.

Soft footsteps approached her. "Is that blood?" asked David.

"He was here," was all she could say, feeling her heart pick up. She dropped the sand, eyes snapping up to the sand, the surrounding area. She felt the bail bondswoman in her, the sheriff attempt to gain control.

But she's never needed to look for clues and evidence amongst panic squeezing the air out of her chest, because where was he?

"Look."

Mary Margaret was a few paces away, bending at the sand. She looked at Emma. "Footsteps," she said, getsuring to what were clearly several sets of footprints in the sand. "And…" She swallowed, eyes dropping to the other marks in the sand.

But Emma saw what she did, feeling her chest burn. She walked over to her, staring at the markings in the dirt. "Someone was dragged," she whispered. That panic was making it harder and harder to breathe.

Neal stood from where he'd bent next to Greg's body, eyes on the arrow in the man's chest. "This arrow is from a Lost Boy."

"So…" David broke the tense silence.

"Pan found him." confirmed Neal gravelly.

Emma's breath hitched.

At it, Mary Margaret's hand reflexively moved toward Emma's shoulder, before stopping an inch away, pulling it back, like she wasn't sure if her attempt at comfort was welcomed or not.

Emma barely noticed.

She was staring at the dirt where Killian had been.

Killian was taken.

By the one person who hated him most.

And she still didn't know if he was even still…

Her eyes burned.

"Trust me, love."

Emma took a shaking breath.

Hope.

Hope.

"They took him," said Emma, voice unsteady as she lifted her burning gaze to Neal. "If he was…" Her voice caught, but she forced out, "Or if they wanted to k-kill him, they would have just left him here, too." Her gaze drilled into Neal's. "Right?"

Neal took a breath, seeming to read every unhinged emotion in her eyes. Slowly, he nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if Pan wanted to have a… word with Hook before he… you know."

Emma couldn't stop the flinch that time.

And, again, she expected Killian's fingers to find hers.

But they didn't.

And his absence only became more and more hollow and cold.

Emma took a shuddering breath, and tried to keep herself together.

"Pan's twisted as all hell," said Neal, "but he also likes his games. I wouldn't put it past him."

Emma took another breath, feeling the concerned gazes of David and Mary Margaret on her. She reached for some of that broken armor, holding onto hope as hard as she could. "Where would he take Killian?" she asked numbly.

Neal hesitated with a wince, like he knew where Emma was going with the question, and it was the utter last thing he wanted to do. He seemed to be just as, if not more, afraid of Pan than he had been of his own father. But after a few seconds, he relented: "Probably his camp; sort of like his headquarters on the island."

"Do you know how to get there?" asked Emma instantly, unable to keep the desperation out of her voice.

With even more reluctance, Neal shut his eyes before saying, "Just to clarify, you're talking about going up against Pan, someone who has magic—"

"Well, so do I," snapped Emma, though her feelings did not match the confidence her words held, as her control on her magic was practically nonexistent. But her magic had helped her save Killian from Cora; it was bound to help her against Pan, too.

That made Neal's brows shoot up. "You have magic?"

"It's part of the whole Savior, breaking-the-curse thing," muttered Emma.

Neal shook himself, like that was impossible to grasp. "Even so, Pan is—"

"You came here to help me save Killian," Emma cut in sharply. "If you don't want to face Pan like you didn't want to face your father—" Neal flinched. "—then just tell me how to get there, and I'll save Killian myself."

"No, you won't," said David firmly. "Emma, we're with you every step of the way. We agreed to save Hook, no matter the risk."

"We defeated Regina and Cora," said Mary Margaret just as firmly, meeting Emma's eyes. "We can defeat Pan, too."

Three sets of eyes turned to Neal, who let out a heavy sigh. But, he nodded. "Pan's camp is a ways away from here," he began, words so reluctant, it was like they were carved in stone. "Let's go."

Neal drew his cutlass, heading into the trees with another heavy sigh. Emma followed behind him, Mary Margaret and David behind her, and the four of them started their way into the heart of the island.

Emma kept one hand on the hilt of Killian's sword, determination and fear battling fiercely in her chest.

I'm coming, Killian.

-.-.-.-.

What must have been hours—but felt like days—had passed with the four of them, Emma, Neal, Mary Margaret and David, venturing further and further inland.

As they did, the vegetation became thicker and fuller, requiring Neal to cut them a path. Wordlessly, David had joined him at some point, when it was clear that it was no longer a one-person job.

The island grew even more silent the more they walked, and the hair on the back of Emma's neck had risen. There was no change at all in the sky, though Neal was using glimpses of it to keep track of where he was, in a way that Emma had seen both Killian and Henry do while sailing. The curiosity of how Neal and Killian knew each other was still somewhere inside her, but far too buried beneath fear to even bother wondering.

The more they were on the island, the worse Emma felt. At first she'd thought it was the panic in her chest, her worry for Killian, which certainly made her feel just short of crumbling, but there was something else. Something in the air that felt suffocating in a different way. It took her a while to place it, and when she did, a chill swept down her spine.

It felt lonely.

She hasn't felt this kind of lonely in ages. Not since the foster homes.

It was the distinct feeling of vulnerability and helplessness. Of… emptiness.

"I spent many years in Neverland, land of the lost and abandoned. The Lost Boys shared the same look in their eyes; the look you get when you've been left alone."

Killian's words from the Beanstalk flitted through her mind, and suddenly Emma's eyes burned, only missing him more. Only feeling more alone, despite the company she was in. Their company specifically made her feel even more alone; they were the three people who have hurt her more than anyone else in her life.

They were the three people who had her, and gave her away.

Emma tried her damn hardest to keep the emotions from prickling hotly at her eyes, and held onto that hope like it was a lifeline.

The four of them traveled in near-silence. Mary Margaret had slowly come up to Emma's side, glancing at her every couple of minutes. Emma could feel her desire to say something, but she didn't.

"No!"

Emma and Mary Margaret both stopped abruptly at Neal's low outburst, both their hands reaching for weapons.

But Neal had grabbed David's wrist, pulling his arm sharply back before David could chop through bushes laced with thorns.

David jerked against Neal's grip, but Neal pulled him back harder. "No," he repeated, harsher, and David yanked his wrist out of the man's grip, but didn't try to cut through again.

"I think I can handle some thorns," muttered David.

Neal bristled sharply at that. "It's not the thorns you need to worry about," hissed Neal. He gestured to it carefully. "It's the poison on them."

David, Emma and Mary Margaret carefully eyed the bushes, and Emma noted the black, ink-like liquid dripping from them.

"What is that?" asked Emma.

"It's called Dreamshade," said Neal, still glaring at David. "If that gets into your bloodstream, you're as good as dead." David glared back, but moved a step back from the bushes.

Without waiting for a response, Neal started cutting a path a safe distance from the Dreamshade. After a moment's hesitation, David joined him, and Emma and Mary Margaret followed behind.

"Are we close?" asked Emma.

"Yeah," said Neal, eyes warily scanning the darkness as he cut through. "Which is weird."

Emma's brows kneaded. "Why is that weird?"

"Because," said Neal, slicing through another plant. "We shouldn't have even been able to get this far inland without encountering a Lost Boy, or Pan himself." Neal paused for a second with his own musing, turning toward her. "And I can't help wondering why he would need to get some random guy to bring, um, Henry," he stumbled a little over the name with uncertainty, but rushed past it— "Pan sends his Shadow to kidnap kids. Something's… weird."

The mention of Henry sent a chill down Emma's spine, remembering how close she was to losing him.

But she shook it off, reminding herself he's safe, and tried to stay focused. "So, Pan's a lazy brat." she muttered.

Neal let out a breath, looking unconvinced, but continued cutting through the vegetation with David. After just a few swipes of their swords, the trees thinned out and opened into a clearing. Neal held back, breathing out, saying, "This is where his camp is."

Emma and Mary Margaret both drew their own weapons, and Emma felt herself hold her breath.

They stepped out, slow and careful, Emma's muscles taut with tension.

Except…

It was completely bare.

No one and nothing was in the clearing.

Neal stopped, lowering his sword. "This is where it was," he stressed, turning to them. "I swear—" He shut his eyes. "He must have moved it."

Emma felt her eyes burn. "You mean," she said slowly, "that you have no idea where his camp is now? You have no idea where he has Killian?"

"I haven't been here in a long time, and I've only seen his camp once!" Neal shot back. "I have no idea how often he moves it!"

Despair and hopelessness suddenly felt suffocating.

Emma stared at the emptiness of the area, feeling like it reflected every hope she had.

They had no idea, no idea, where to find Killian.

Killian, who was hurt, bleeding, dying—

"Trust me, love."

"I'm a survivor."

Emma shut her eyes at the echo of his voice, her fingers grasping the hilt of Killian's sword, her hope and hopelessness fighting each other to the death. Feeling every urge to shatter.

"Then we keep looking," said Emma firmly, opening her eyes, pushing the burning away as her hope pulled just barely ahead of the despair squeezing her heart.

She started forward, using Killian's sword to cut through the vegetation, creating a new path, feeling the others follow behind her.

And she wasn't going to stop until she found him.

-.-.-.-.

What must have been hours later of aching legs, feet and Emma's waning hope, the four of them had traveled to three other clearings where Neal had a hunch Pan would be, and every single one was bare.

Emma's eyes were burning again, with fear, hopelessness and exhaustion.

"We'll find—" began David, his tired mantra of we'll find him, but the words became emptier and emptier every time he said them to each dead end.

"We've been searching for hours," snapped Emma, voice rough with fear.

"I'm trying," began Neal, voice a little pained, and Emma huffed an anxious breath.

"I know," she said, because he was, and she could see his shoulders sag with every dead end.

"Emma," said Mary Margaret, voice tired but no less hopeful. "We'll—" But Neal suddenly hissed a sharp, "Shh!"

But Emma felt it, too.

The air became suddenly more still.

Tense.

They were being watched.

Both Mary Margaret and David seemed to feel it, too. The four of them scanned the darkness, and Emma slowly, silently drew Killian's sword. Mary Margaret swiftly grabbed an arrow from her quiver.

They were pin-silent for another long moment.

Until, something whistled through the air.

Neal reacted instantly, swiping his blade with a sharp reflex, cutting down an arrow from the air. "Lost Boys!" he hissed. "Their arrows are laced with Dreamshade; be careful—" he managed to get out before the Boy who had shot the arrow made himself visible, jumping through the trees. It struck Emma in an instant that the boy didn't look older than Henry.

"Emma, behind you!"

Emma whirled around at Neal's shout, seeing a different Lost Boy running at her, cutlass swinging toward her. She quickly jerked up Killian's sword to clash against the blade, her heart jumping into her throat. This Boy looked older than the first one, which certainly helped the moral pause of attacking what looked like a child.

Emma shoved hard, forcing the Boy to shift back, but he grinned, clearly finding this as sport. He swung the sword toward her feet, as if to trip her, and Emma barely jumped back before it sliced through her leg. The Boy's cutlass scraped the dirt, and Emma took the chance to swing Killian's sword at him, making him stumble back from the close call.

Encouraged, Emma swung it again with a growl, making the Boy shift back easily to avoid it, laughing at her, but her aim wasn't for his head, like he'd thought. Instead, it was for his hand, where he held his cutlass. He hissed as Emma struck his blade inches from his fingers, knocking it from his grip.

Apparently she was destined to win all swordfights by taking advantage of cockiness, then.

The Boy stared in shock at his cutlass in the dirt, but before he could grab it, Emma twisted Killian's sword in her grip, shoving the Boy harshly into the tree behind him, the blade under his chin.

"Where's Hook? Where is he?!" she demanded, panic and desperation fueling the angry words.

But the Boy just stared back at her, staring at the blade, then her, clearly not going to talk, but also clearly scared. Emma could feel how fast his heart was beating where her hand was pinning his chest into the tree. He stared at her in silence, eyes guarded by walls just as thick and strong as her were.

"They share the same look in their eyes; the look you get when you've been left alone."

Even amidst the clash of swords from the others, Emma could hear her own heart hammering in her head.

She slowly removed the sword from his throat.

The Boy sighed in relief, before Emma felt his muscles tense in preparation to attack.

He didn't get close.

She punched him, hard, watching him hit the dirt, unconscious.

Emma turned to help the others, who were fighting a Lost Boy of their own, yet seemed to be holding their own. However, before she could, a small but strong hand grabbed the back of her shirt, yanking her backward, pulling her into the trees.

Emma stumbled, a scream stuck in her throat, trying to regain her balance and shake off the grip as the arm pulled her. She gritted her teeth, twisting, swinging her sword toward—

"Wait, stop! Please!"

The youthfulness and the panic in the voice made Emma freeze, seeing a Lost Boy who looked even younger than Henry. Long dark hair that any parent would be brushing out of his eyes hung over his forehead, his eyes wide and his hands held out in front of him in surrender. "I want to help!"

Emma went rigid, Killian's sword held firmly in front of her. "What?"

"You're—you're looking for the pirate, right?" he stammered out. "Captain Hook?"

Emma's heart lurched. "Yeah," she found herself breathing.

"I know where he is," said the Boy, a little smile at his lips. "I can take you to him!"

Hope flared within her.

They had no idea where to look for Killian now, and his life was trickling away, second by second.

But Emma drilled her gaze into the Boy's, desperate hope held at bay, but her superpower remained silent. He did know where Killian was, and fully intended to bring her to him.

"He's right over here!" he shouted, turning and running further into the trees. "Hurry, before the other Boys see!"

Killian.

"Wait," called Emma, looking back toward the others. "Kid, wait—"

But the Boy didn't wait, running fast in the other direction.

Panic and desperation tightened her chest, making her heart pound.

With a wince, Emma made up her mind, tightened her grip around the hilt of Killian's sword, and ran after him, trying not to lose the Boy in the mass of leaves and darkness. The Boy was small and fast, looking back a few times to make sure she was following him, and she barely avoided the twigs and branches that scraped her face.

Emma finally found the Boy had come to a stop, and Emma looked wildly around. "Where is he?!" she breathed.

But… this area was just as bare as the last.

"I'm sorry, Savior."

Emma froze.

Instinct had her hand jerk Killian's sword in front of her, heart pounding as the Boy suddenly had a far less compassionate look in his eyes.

But before she could attack, the Boy swiftly pulled what looked like a straw out of his pocket, lifting it to his lips, making Emma recognize it as a blowdart half a second before he shot it.

Emma's eyes screwed shut, panic rushing through her—

—but suddenly, Emma felt a blast of warmth shoot through her body.

Her eyes snapped open, seeing a white-glow of her magic erupt like a shield in front of her. The dart struck it, an inch from her chest, and ricocheted, sending it straight into the Boy's shoulder.

He slumped to the ground, unconscious before he hit the ground.

Emma stared in shock as the glow shimmered out of the air, her body shaking with fear and adrenaline and magic.

She breathed hard, stumbling back, left hand settling over her pounding heart.

She shut her eyes, kicking herself.

Her superpower hadn't been wrong.

The Boy did know where Killian was, and was going to bring her to him.

Just not to save him.

But why the hell would he try to take her, rather than kill her?

Emma shook off the questions.

Still trembling from the incredibly close call, Emma suddenly remembered the others.

She ran back the way she came, hoping she hasn't been gone too long. The last thing she needed was to worry them and divert their attention from finding Killian.

But after what felt like the amount of time she'd chased the Boy, and the exact direction she'd come from…

…the clearing was nowhere in view.

Emma stopped, turning in a circle, trying to see through the dark trees for the clearing, trying to listen for the voices of the others.

But all she could see was trees, and all she could hear was silence.

Her heart picking up, she tentatively called, "Mary Margaret?" She started running again, feeling a horrible sense of fear creeping up her spine. "David?" she called, louder. "Neal?"

Nothing.

She stopped again, unable to hide the panic from her voice. "David?!"

Her voice echoed into the silence.

Emma felt her breath hitch.

"No, no, no," she whispered.

She could not be lost.

God, how could she have been so stupid?!

"Mary Margaret! David!" Emma tried again, voice cracking, a tear burning down her cheek because she wasn't scared anymore, she was terrified.

"Killian," whispered Emma, another tear burning down her cheek.

But still, no one replied.

She was alone.

And she was lost.

-.-.-.

Mary Margaret took down the last Lost Boy with an arrow to the chest, who had nearly taken off David's head. She let out a breath in relief, and David shot her a relieved look of thanks.

Neal hadn't understated just how savage the Boys were; Mary Margaret had fought less capable soldiers. The past several minutes were caught in a flurry of flying arrows and blades.

"Was that the last one?" asked David, out of breath, sword still branded in front of him. The Boys that attacked were all either downed or had fled.

"Yeah, I think so," said Neal in a low, breathless voice.

But Mary Margaret, spinning in a wild circle as she scanned the clearing, didn't share in their relief. "Where's Emma?" she asked, voice tight and pained, because the clearing was empty except for them.

Neal and David suddenly tensed, seeing the clearing as bare as she did.

"She…" began David hollowly. "I saw her fighting one of the Lost Boys, and then…"

"She took him down," agreed Neal, running to the downed Lost Boy on the other side of the clearing, where Mary Margaret had seen the flash of Emma's hair before a Lost Boy had attacked Mary Margaret.

The Boy was lying in the dirt, unconscious, a blackening bruise over his temple.

"Emma!" cried Mary Margaret, running into the trees behind the Boy, wildly whipping her head around, feeling panic consume her. She tried to catch the blond of Emma's hair, but there was nothing in the trees.

"Emma!" called David at her other side.

"Emma!" cried Neal.

But there was no response to their shouts, and Mary Margaret exchanged a panicked look with David.

"Split up!" said Mary Margaret, running in one direction, marking trees as she went, seeing David and Neal run in opposite directions, making their own markings. The silence of the area was broken with shouts of Emma's name, but still, no sign of her.

Mary Maragaret stopped, panic tightening her chest so much it was hard to breathe. "Emma!"

But still, nothing.

She turned around, heading back to the clearing, following the path she made for herself, begging that David or Neal found her.

But by the time she broke back through the trees and into the clearing, David and Neal were already there, panting, and looking just as desperately to her, like they'd hoped she'd be the one to have found Emma.

"Where is she?" breathed Mary Margaret, eyes burning. "David—"

"None of us saw what happened to her?!" exclaimed David, one of the few times Mary Margaret has seen him overwhelmed with panic. "She couldn't have just disappeared!"

"Did one of them take her?" breathed Mary Margaret, feeling her fear build.

"They have no reason to take her," said Neal exasperatedly. "They were trying to kill all of us! If she was hurt, she wouldn't have evaporated into thin air," he said heavily, eyeing them both. He hesitated, something sad and dark in his eyes. "She might not have been forced to leave." he said in a low, pained voice.

Mary Margaret felt cold shoot down her spine. "What?"

"She's pissed at all of us," said Neal. "She didn't want any of us to come with her in the first place, and my only idea of where to find Hook didn't work."

"What the hell are you trying to say?" snapped David. "That she left us?"

"I'm just saying that's what it looks like," said Neal.

"Yeah," David shot back, "doesn't surprise me that your first idea is that she up and left, because that's all you—!"

"Yes, I left her!" exploded Neal. "Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I regret that with every cell in my body? Why the hell do you think I'm here!?" Rawness broke into his words. "I made a mistake. And if I could go back and change it, I would. But I can't. And neither can you," he snapped, making Mary Margaret flinch and David tense. Silence spread for a moment before Neal took a breath, as if an attempt to steady himself, and said, "I'm just saying that there's no sign of a struggle. And… we can't blame her if she decided to go on her own to find the one person who didn't leave her."

Guilt that has been building more and more in Mary Margaret's chest felt like it was choking her. She thought her biggest regret of her life was telling Regina's secret; turning Regina into the person, the evil Queen, she became.

But now…

Now, she'd give everything to have made a different choice with Emma.

"You have no idea what I've been through! None of you do!"

Mary Margaret felt her eyes burn.

She and David had hated Neal for what he did to her, and though she still did, both he and Emma were right.

She and David left her, too.

And their reasons weren't much better.

But she tried to shake off the emotions—they needed to find her.

She scanned expert eyes over where Emma had been.

Yet… Neal was right; there was no sign of struggle.

But Mary Margaret knew Emma. At least, she knew the Emma she'd become friends with. She didn't know her daughter, not yet, but she knew her friend.

She shook her head. "No." she said firmly, eyes still burning. "Emma's smart; she wouldn't go off on her own, not without backup. No matter… no matter how she was feeling about us," she whispered. "That's why she accepted our help in the first place." She looked at David, confidence wavering. "...Right?"

David hesitated for a moment, looking like his mind was spinning over the same guilt and fear as hers. "I don't know," he admitted. He huffed a breath. "But I don't care how she disappeared; we're going to find her."

"We better," added Neal gravelly, "before a Lost Boy, or Pan himself does."

The fear that rushed through Mary Margaret's body felt like ice.

The three of them started through the woodland, three pairs of eyes scanning the trees for a flash of blonde.

"You found us."

Emma had waited for them to find her, her whole life.

Well, it was their turn, now.

It was their turn for a lot of things.

And Mary Margaret was not going to let her down again.

-.-.-.

Killian collapsed against the side of the cage for what felt like the tenth time after hours—days, for all he knew—of fighting the bloody cage. Because damn it, he needed his hook.

Most of the wall he'd been working on was cracked and weakened, but hell, so was he. He shut his eyes, wondering how long he's even been here. He was quickly remembering just how disorienting this island was, the forever night, the way time literally stood still. It could have been hours or days. It didn't help that the effects of his blood loss were not particularly healed from Pan's magic. He was bloody exhausted.

But one more thought of Emma out there, and Killian was forcing himself back to his feet.

Killian alternated slamming the heel of his boot and his shoulder into the weak spot of the cage, feeling it weaken more and more with every blow. He was sore and aching and a growl tore from him at a particular hard strike, but just as he rammed his shoulder into it…

…It broke.

The force of his hit had Killian collapsing hard to the dirt, swallowing the groan at the impact.

But he didn't bloody care.

His eyes snapped open, and he felt a tired, shaky grin at his lips.

He was free.

Killian didn't waste a second.

He forced himself to his feet, moving to run toward the trees, only for his eyes to catch the glint of something off the moon.

With a startled yelp, Killian threw himself backward, just as the swipe of a blade nearly took off his head.

The tip of the blade nicked his cheek, sending him stumbling back into the trunk of a tree, the cut stinging sharply. Killian breathed hard, snapping his head around, seeing someone he nearly hated as much as he hated Pan himself.

Felix.

Of bloody course they didn't leave him unsupervised.

The Lost Boy sneered at him, his blade held out in front of him as he grinned. "You're getting soft in your old age, Captain." With a growl, he swung the blade again, this time at his chest, and Killian dove quickly out of the way, hearing the sickening crunch of Felix's blade striking the trunk of the tree he'd just been leaning against.

Killian picked himself up, eyes scanning the area for a weapon, something, because he was bloody one-handed and weaponless.

But the cutlass was swinging at his throat again, and Killian stumbled back, his reflexes slowed with his exhaustion, barely avoiding the blade. Felix grinned, swiping the blade at him again, and with a hammering heart, Killian managed to catch the boy's wrist, using every ounce of his strength to hold him back. But one hand wasn't enough, damn it all, he needed his hook, and Felix overpowered him, shoving him to the ground. Killian kept a desperate grip on the boy's wrist, his arm shaking with effort as the blade hovered inches from his throat.

Bloody hell, he was not letting this brat kill him.

Nothing and no one—bloody no one—was going to keep him from getting back to Emma.

"Not so tough without the hook, are you?" sneered Felix, shoving harder, making Killian's arm shake harder with the effort, his left arm useless at his other side.

Or was it?

In one sharp movement, Killian jerked his right hand, as well as Felix's two hands on the blade, an inch to the side, throwing the boy slightly off balance.

And then, he used every ounce of his strength to strike Felix in the face with his left arm.

His left arm was far weaker than his right, especially without the hook, but he didn't need the hit to knock him out; he needed it to surprise him, and it did exactly that. Felix wasn't expecting a bloody thing from Killian's left arm.

Felix's head snapped back in surprise, his grip on the blade weakening enough for Killian's hand to twist Felix's wrist sharply until he dropped it with a cry, and ram his knee hard into Felix's midsection.

Felix fell to the ground, hands grabbing at his ribs, and Killian jerked off the ground, grabbing the discarded cutlass. He made it to his feet by the time Felix got back to his knees, and Killian swiped the blade under Felix's chin, making the boy's eyes snap open with shock and rage.

Breathing hard, Killian held him at swordpoint, and Felix glared at him.

He'd thought of killing this particular Lost Boy many times before.

But something in him, something that changed that day in New York, whispered that he didn't want to be the coldblooded killer he used to be anymore.

So, slowly, he lowered the blade.

Felix watched the blade lower with raised brows. Then, he lifted his gaze to Killian. "Coward," he hissed.

But Killian smiled, and slammed the hilt of the weapon into the side of Felix's head.

The boy slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"That felt bloody good," he muttered. Killian held his breath, listening and scanning the area for any other Lost Boys. But everything was still and silent. And if Pan left Felix, his best Lost Boy, Pan assumed he'd be enough to handle a weaponless, one-handed pirate.

Except, Pan happened to underestimate just how badly Killian needed to return to Emma.

Killian removed the scabbard from across Felix's chest and kept the cutlass, glad to have a weapon. He then ran into the trees, away from Pan's camp, as fast as he could.

I'm coming, Emma.

-.-.-.

Emma had no idea how long she'd been trying to find her way back to the clearing. It was terrifyingly clear that she was more than lost. There was still nothing but trees and silence.

She stopped to catch her breath, heart pounding from exertion and fear. The squeak of a bug sounded by her ear, making her flinch violently, hand tightening around the hilt of his sword.

And she was suddenly flashing back to the years she spent homeless, terrified of anything that moved, afraid to sleep, afraid of everything—

Emma started running again, desperation moving her legs, calling their names until her voice was hoarse.

But still, no response.

No clearing.

No one.

Emma stumbled to a stop, feeling the hopelessness, the loneliness.

She hasn't felt this lost since before she came to Storybrooke.

Since the foster homes.

Since Neal left her.

She sank down to the base of a tree, her hands shaking, panic filling her.

What if she never found anyone?

"I never want to see you again."

The words to Mary Margaret and David had been fueled with fear and hurt and anger—

But now…

She's lost Killian and her family.

Her heart pounded faster, feeling completely unraveled, feeling broken.

Her trembling fingers reached desperately for Killian's hook, like a reflex.

She needed him.

She grasped the metal tightly, eyes shutting against the onslaught of fear.

And Killian's hook did the same thing it's done every time she'd held it; it filled her with a warmth that spread through her, filling her with this hope, this—

Emma's eyes snapped open.

Warmth.

It wasn't metaphorical.

And it wasn't warmth.

She stared at the hook, eyes widening.

Every time she'd held it, she hadn't looked at it.

And all this time, she hadn't linked that warmth to what it really was.

It was her magic.

And there, she could see the faint white glow around the steel as it radiated her power.

That warmth had been faint when she held his hook on his ship.

She'd started to feel it more on the beach.

And as they walked through the trees, it got stronger—

Because she was getting closer to him.

Emma had read something in Henry's storybook, a story about her parents. Rumplestiltskin had used his magic to enchant their wedding ring, and gave it to Charming; it would glow brighter the closer he got to her.

If it was glowing, that had to mean he was still alive.

And by just how much it was glowing, that meant she was close.

A shaky smile slipped over Emma's face.

Her magic had somehow done it all on its own.

She shot to her feet, one hand still tightly holding Killian's sword, her other, his hook.

She tried to embrace that warmth, that magic inside her, and suddenly it felt like she could understand it even more. She followed it as it gently nudged her direction, like following a compass.

Hope was as desperate as her panic.

She was going to find him.

She was going to save him.

"I'll find you, Killian," she breathed, running faster as her magic grew stronger.

I will always find you.

tag list: @kmomof4 @klynn-stormz @stahlop @ilovemesomekillianjones @hookmecaptain @tiganasummertree @jadehowlettthewolf @jonesfandomfanatic @anmylica @pirateprincessofpizza @stahlop @snowbellewells @eddisfargo @motherkatereloyshipper @confessionsofthemword @killian-whump

[kazoosandfannypacks]

Baelfire was an incredible character, with compelling motives and great potential, but his character was doomed the moment they revealed he was Henry's father, not only because they'd already painted Henry's dad in such a negative light, but also because this pitted him directly against Killian Jones, whom the writers claimed to have wanted to end up with Emma "since the beginning."

This is nothing against Killian; Killian Jones is my favorite character, Captain Swan is my OTP, and I'm certainly not bothered in the slightest that Emma ended up with Killian.

However, I was also such a huge fan of Baelfire for the first season or two. He was an artist, he never gave up, he made lots of pasta, he was clever and resourceful, and he always saw the good in people. I would've loved to see him grow and develop as a character.

He always wanted a family, but he kept losing them. His mom left. His dad let him go. He sacrificed himself for the Darlings. He left Killian's crew. He didn't even become one of the lost boys- he spent centuries without hope of a family and never got one.

He also always wanted to be a hero, but he lost all chance of that when they made him Henry's father and set him up to fail.

It's hard to put it all into proper words- I'm not a huge fan of Neal Cassidy, but man, did I love Baelfire.

[motherjanerainy]

why did killing eve fans die out so quickly??? is it because people don't engage with wlw content long term or can i blame laura neal

[oautincorrectquotes]

Neal: *Pulls up in a random car*

Emma: Whos car is that?

Neal: I don't know, it wasn't locked.

[ouatsnark]

What happened to Emma Swan? DEBUNKED

Ever so often the Swan Queen fandom gets it in their heads to try & tear down Emma Swan's look and character development simply because she married a man… a man who treated Emma far better than their Queen. Their arguments prove that they lack the will to understand the writing as they blatantly twist canon to fit their narrative.

"What happened to season one Emma Swan? She went from happy to miserable because of Killian Jones" - Regina Apologists

This is a prime example of how Regina Apologists are so dishonest. The two pictures on the left are promotional shots from the show. The two pictures on the right are moments from Season 6 when Emma is in distress. The first image she is watching her parents sacrifice themselves for the good of Storybrooke (while Regina, who is at fault, does nothing). The second one is when Emma was having visions of her own death. These instances have NOTHING to do with Killian Jones! However, I can find plenty of times when Emma was in distress due to Regina Mills!

I have found so many examples of them pulling this crap. I would be here all day screen capping their dishonesty.

The truth: Emma Swan wasn't happy in Season 1 & that Emma wasn't the real Emma

Yes, you heard me. Season 1 Emma wasn’t the real Emma. The real Emma was hiding behind an armor of red leather jackets, fake eye-lashes and a chip on her shoulder to keep everyone at arms length. She put on a tough bravado as an armor to protect herself from the world because she'd been hurt too many times.

But as a time passed, Emma needed less and less armor. She became more trusting and more open to love, family and happiness. When she shed that armor she let herself be more vulnerable. She became more caring toward others. Which is about the bravest thing you can do.

The more and more we saw Emma opening up to love the less armor she used. And the less armor she used, the more we hear from the Anti-CaptainSwan crowd that...

How do you go from THIS to this??? - Regina Apologist

GASP! A woman didn’t put on a bunch of make up & doll herself up for you SO SHE MUST BE MISERABLE & has no agency because she’s at the mercy of everyone!!!

Imagine degrading a woman for not wearing make up or curling their hair? You have got to be kidding me.

Also, if you really believe this, then you should be looking more favorably on Killian Jones. He obviously loved Emma for who she was and not how much make up she is wearing unlike like you fools.

Never mind that once again they grab a screen cap of when Emma is going through a tough time...and why is she going through a tough time? BECAUSE OF REGINA MILLS! Yeah, Regina's other half is trying to hurt her parents and possibly kill everyone all because Regina can't stop wanting to be evil!

The Truth: Killian Jones made Emma Swan happy

It's literally in her wedding vows. And you can see it on her face whenever she looks at him. Killian Jones helped her trust in love and not be afraid of the future.

The truth: Regina is the cause of 99% of Emma's problems

I've seen Regina stans try to say that Emma looked miserable during her vows but they fail to actually listen to what she is saying. She is not only fighting tears but when she looks away, apparently sad, she is remembering her life before Henry. She is thinking about when Henry came to get her which wasn't a happy time at all really. She was thinking about what Regina did to her and her family.

But she looks at Killian with all the happiness in her heart.

"Emma went from a badass in Season 1 to a Stepford Wife" - Regina Apologist

I love how they continue to use promo shots and bts pictures.

It’s like the Anti-CaptainSwan crowd believes that there is only one way to be a strong woman: having a chip on your shoulder, being sarcastic to everyone, never needing anyone (especially a male) and being single (unless its w|w). They just don’t like the fact that Emma not only chose her own path but fights for everyone and not just their precious queen.

I have actually heard Rumple stans call Emma a Stepford wife as well because she chose Hook over Rumple's cowardly son Neal. Which is just hysterical since Belle is literally a Stepford wife. She ignores all of his abuse, his bad deeds and his manipulation and stays with him.

The Truth: Emma Swan was still a badass after getting together with Killian Jones:

S4 taking down dragon Lily

S4 telling grumpy to back off before she turns him into stumpy (hey you thought sarcasm was badass? there you go!)

S4 taking on the darkness to save the town

S4 defeating Cruella to save Henry

S5 going up against Nimue

S5 confronting Rumple about him being the Dark One again

S5 doing what she had to do and knowing she had to destroy Dark Hook

S5 telling Regina to fix her own damn problems for once cause Emma was done doing it for her

S6 going up against Wish Hook.

S6 going up against the Serum Queen

S6 sacrificing herself for Gideon and destroying the dark fairy

Furthermore, if Emma was that dependent on Killian Jones then she would not have left the Underworld without him. But she did leave him for the sake of Henry and others who needed her.

DEBUNKING MYTHS

Emma is complex but SQers fail to accept Emma’s evolution because it didn’t involve her becoming Regina’s doormat in every aspect of her life.

I know it's hard for Regina Mills stans to spot character growth, since their queen didn't have one, but Emma Swan and Killian Jones are where the most character growth happened. They evolved into much better people as the series came to a close.

Here are some things I've seen when talking about Emma's evolution or about her being worse off with Killian Jones than she would have been with Regina or Neal. And lets be real here, Emma was worse off with Regina as a friend. That is just a fact.

THEY NEVER ACKNOWLEDGE REGINA'S TRUE ROLE

I will see them talk circles around Regina's role in Emma's life to avoid putting blame where it should be and that is directly on Regina Mills. They will say things like "The Charmings abandoned Emma" but The Charmings didn’t just abandon Emma. THEY SAVED HER LIFE with the hope that Emma would return to save the entire kingdom FROM REGINA. Regina was going to murder infant Emma.

They will also go on about how Killian and Emma were enemies at first. Killian Jones was never as much of an enemy to Emma like Regina Mills was. Regina emotionally and physically hurt Emma and destroyed her life.

MYTH: EMMA WAS ONLY AT HER BEST IN SEASON ONE OR WITH REGINA

As mentioned above, they prefer closed off and alone Emma. However, Emma was at her best when she let down her walls & allowed herself to love. A heart full of love is beautiful. But love to Regina apologists only looks like Emma bowing to Regina. Well. Emma was closed off, negative, sarcastic & willing to overlook all of Regina’s shit for the sake of Henry. Allowing someone to put you down the way Emma allows Regina is NOT someone at their best.

Emma at her best understands sacrifices for the greater good, forgiveness, mercy & the strength of love. That was Emma during all 7 seasons. Actually, Emma showed Regina way too much mercy (Rumple too, in fairness).

MYTH: EMMA WAS FORCED TO CHOOSE HOOK

Anyone who says that Emma was forced to be with Hook because Killian & her parents "pressured her" or "made her" is hating Emma Swan. This is a bunch of fanon nonsense & not canon. No one was forcing Emma. You can’t point to a single scene or dialog that suggests that. Quite the opposite in fact.

You don’t fight for something as hard as Emma fought for her happy ending if it’s not what you want. Remember that Snow & David were against saving Hook in Camelot. They were more concerned about Emma. Hell, Killian Jones was more concerned about Emma's future than living! He wanted her to choose her life over his! It was Emma’s idea to go get Hook in the Underworld & everyone was against it at first (cause who just walks into the Underworld??). If Emma's parents were pushing her towards anyone it was Neal. So, no, no one was forcing Emma to be with Hook. When Charming gives his blessing to Hook he says that the final decision is up to Emma.

If you truly believe that Emma was forced to be with Hook then you don't understand Emma Swan. Emma didn't do anything that Emma didn't want to do. Remember when Emma was dead set on running back to New York in season 3? No one was going to change her mind. She had to find out on her own that life with Henry and her parents in Storybook was indeed home. Emma was perfectly capable of making her own decisions.

MYTH: GETTING MARRIED AND HAVING CHILDREN WAS NOT SEASON ONE EMMA'S HAPPY ENDING

Says who!? When did Emma say this? Emma didn’t want a family? GTFOH with that BS. More fanon that isn’t backed up by canon. She THOUGHT she wanted that life with Neal (re-watch Tallahassee). But after his betrayal she packed that side of her away for fear of being hurt again. You’re mistaking her protective armor for who she really is.

And furthermore proving that you don't know what character growth looks like. People change so characters should as well. Well written characters evolve.

MYTH: EMMA DIDN'T PUT HERSELF FIRST ANYMORE BECAUSE OF HOOK & WAS A SHELL OF HER FORMER SELF

Putting those you love first is a sign of unconditional love. I know that’s hard to understand since your queen is a self-centered bitch who never put anyone first… but Emma is different. And just because she wanted to be with her family doesn’t mean she wasn’t putting what she wanted first.

Emma being a shell of herself is a personal opinion. Emma evolved. She had many more layers by the time S6 rolled around. As I said above, her personality in S1-2 was a part of her armor as much as that jacket was. And to say she still wasn’t kicking ass in S6 is a lie. She sacrificed her life so a child would get his life back. Being a hero & putting others first is a strength of character. It’s honorable. Again, I know that’s hard seeing that Regina was 100% focused on her own happy ending but Emma was different. She is a character worth emulating because of her goodness, love and willingness to fight for others.

MYTH: THE CHARMINGS' & HOOK'S LOVE WAS CONDITIONED ON HER BEING THE SAVIOR AND BEING WITH HOOK

You just don’t like that she wanted Hook & not Regina. It’s also complete fanon that Emma’s acceptance depended on her being the savior & loving a man. The Charmings were too cautious about her relationship with Hook to be forcing that on her. They wanted her to be happy & when they saw she was, they accepted him. Also Hook’s love wasn’t dependent on her being the savior. Remember the scissors? Hook kept those suckers because her life meant more to him than her title.

[jrob64]

Silly Songs With Killian - a CS Modern AU One-shot

You can blame @sotangledupinit for this silly, but sweet, little story! She posted a prompt on Discord which caused my muse to jump to attention, and I wrote it in two days. If you're not familiar with the Veggie Tales videos, you'll still be able to enjoy this, but do yourself a favor and check out the songs on Spotify here. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy them and I guarantee they'll make you laugh!

Special thanks to Kit for making young Henry look even younger for the pic set, Mary for being my beta, and Krystal for being a second set of eyes for the Silly Songs lyrics and also for the pic set I created. It pays to have wonderful fandom friends!

Summary: After a frustrating and exhausting day, Emma Cassidy is relieved when her little boy, Henry, is entertained by a gorgeous musician at a restaurant, giving her a chance to sit back, relax, and enjoy the music (and the view!) It gets even better when the singer, Killian, sings some of Henry’s favorite Silly Songs from his favorite videos, Veggie Tales. 

Rating: T

Words: 3946

Also posted to Ao3 and ffn

*********

It’s been one hell of a day. It wasn’t supposed to be this exhausting, but of course my ex, Neal, had to complicate things.

I was looking forward to going wedding dress shopping with my future sister-in-law Mary Margaret and her other bridesmaids, sipping champagne and giving my input on each of the possibilities. It was going to be so much fun.

And then...remember the saying that was popular many years ago - shit happens? Well, Neal can be used interchangeably with shit - they’re one and the same.

It was his scheduled weekend with our three-year-old, Henry, which was one reason why Mary Margaret chose this day. Then on Friday, almost an hour after Neal was supposed to pick Henry up at my apartment, he sent me a text: Something came up. Can’t make it this weekend. Tell Henry I’m sorry.

Apparently he turned off his phone after sending it, because he didn’t answer any of my increasingly volatile texts - eighteen of them, to be exact - or phone calls. I had to sit Henry in front of the television so I could go into my bedroom to leave some choice words on Neal’s voicemail.

Fortunately (or unfortunately for my sweet little boy) Henry is used to being let down by his father. In the eighteen months since we called it quits, Neal has skipped out on more weekend visits than he’s kept. I guess being a lying piece of shit takes up way too much of his time and he can’t spare any for his son.

Also unfortunately, all of the people who usually babysit for Henry were unable to watch him. Most of them were included in the shopping trip, my brother David was busy because he was painting the living room of the house he and his fiancée just bought, and Ruby’s Granny was off bowhunting with her new beau. (Bowhunting with her beau has been a running joke ever since she left a week ago.)

So instead of enjoying a carefree day of shopping with Mary Margaret, Belle, Ruby and Elsa, I had to keep an active, inquisitive toddler entertained in one bridal shop after another. We were all relieved when he finally fell asleep in the third shop, until the manager woke him up by screeching about how he was going to drool on the green velvet upholstery. That cost her any business she might have had from us (though in all honesty, her gowns were all hideous and looked like something only the Wicked Witch of the West might wear.)

Eventually, Mary Margaret said ‘yes to the dress’ in the fifth shop late in the afternoon, then we all decided to get an early dinner at a nearby restaurant that serves kids’ meals and has outdoor seating. If Henry has to spend one more minute inside today, I think he might have a complete meltdown.

After placing my order and getting Henry situated with the provided coloring sheet and obligatory four crayons, I hear someone speaking into a microphone and look over to see a guy standing on a small stage with a guitar. A very, VERY attractive guy.

“Good evening, everyone,” he says, and my jaw drops at the sound of his British accent. “My name is Killian and I hope you enjoy the music tonight. I do take requests. Feel free to sing along or dance in this nice, open area in front of me.”

“Oh, wow!” Belle gasps. “He’s very handsome, isn’t he, Emma?”

My jaw snaps shut and I turn to look at her. Seeing her sly smile, I teasingly say, “Why are you asking me? We all have eyes, you know.”

“Yes, but we all have significant others, too,” Ruby adds, which is completely unnecessary but, sadly, also completely true.

While my self pity begins to set in, the guy - Killian - strums his guitar and launches into the Eagles classic “Take it Easy”. Henry, who by this point has scribbled all over the coloring sheet, somehow managed to break his crayon into at least four pieces and, judging by the color of his teeth, took a bite of it as well, looks up with bright eyes. Since I allowed him to kneel on a chair instead of trying to strap him into a booster seat, he takes advantage of it and hops down.

Before I can chase after him, he makes a beeline for the open space in front of the admittedly gorgeous singer and begins jumping around in what passes for a three-year-old’s version of dancing. I sigh and start to get up, but Mary Margaret stops me with a hand on my arm. “Let him go. He’s been very good all day and deserves to burn off some energy. Besides, he’s only a few feet away and we can see him clearly from here.”

It doesn’t take much convincing for me to heed her advice. If someone else can entertain Henry for a while, I’m not going to complain.

When the song comes to an end, Killian acknowledges the smattering of applause and plays the extremely recognizable first chords of “All Right Now”. Henry doesn’t miss a beat, throwing himself around like a rag doll while all of us at our table, as well as most of the other diners, laugh delightedly at his exuberance.

By the time Killian is in the middle of his third song, “Old Time Rock and Roll”, our food arrives and I face the dreaded task of dragging my son back to the table to eat. I nibble at my fish and chips until the song ends, then dash to the makeshift dance floor to cajole Henry. When he shows the expected resistance, Killian chuckles and helpfully says, “Go with your mum, lad. I’ll play a slow song that’s not as much fun for dancing.”

True to his word, he croons the song “Everything I Do, I Do It For You” as Henry acquiesces and comes back to his seat to shove French fries into his mouth as fast as possible. It might not be a good song for Henry’s style of dancing, but Killian’s smooth voice singing the beautiful lyrics is sending pleasant chills down my spine.

Another song with a slow tempo follows, during which my little man polishes off his fries. But when Killian starts “Footloose”, all bets are off and Henry is back on the dance floor with a chicken nugget squeezed into both of his chubby fists.

After we finish our meals, Belle, Ruby and Elsa leave to spend the rest of the evening with their boyfriends. Mary Margaret lingers, telling me she’ll stay to keep me company, because she’d rather not have to help David clean up his painting mess. We don’t want to take up a table, so we move to some empty seats along the edge of the patio from where we can still see my little dancing king.

“You’d think his battery would run down soon,” Mary Margaret comments.

“Are you serious? That kid is like the Energizer bunny, plus he’s been cooped up in stuffy dress shops all day. My money is on the singer wearing out before Henry.”

She’s uncharacteristically quiet for several minutes. When she finally speaks, she says quietly, “He really is very handsome and seems like a nice guy.”

Her statement is out of left field and I’m confused. “Who?”

“The singer - Killian,” she clarifies.

I narrow my eyes at her. “What’s your point?”

“No point. I was just making a comment,” she shrugs, all innocence.

I don’t believe her. Mary Margaret is the queen of set-ups and wears the crown proudly. She introduced Belle to Will, Ruby to Jefferson and Elsa, well, she introduced Elsa to Victor, but that didn’t work out very well. Elsa met Graham on her own.

“I’m not looking for someone to date, Mary Margaret. I’m still dealing with my idiot ex and trying to concentrate on raising my son not to follow in his father’s footsteps.”

“I understand, but…”

And it’s at this point I resign myself to the fact she’s going to spout some argument that’s going to weaken my resolve not to date.

“If Henry had a really good male role model in his life, it would help you in raising him to be a gentleman.”

“Seems to me David does a pretty good job of that, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“I know,” she sighs, “but between working, getting the house ready and planning the wedding, his time with Henry is very limited.”

“The house will be ready before you get married and the wedding is in less than five months. After the honeymoon, he’ll have more time.”

“Oh, but then we’ll have children of our own, and you know how much time that takes.”

“Is this your way of telling me you’re pregnant, Mary Margaret?”

‘’What?” she gasps. “No! I’m just saying…”

“I know what you’re saying and I hear you. If the right guy comes along, I wouldn’t be opposed to dating him, but I’m not gonna try to force something to happen.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a date for the wedding, though?” she presses.

“Henry will be my date. He’ll be very dapper in his little tux.”

“But…”

“No buts, Mary Margaret. I don’t want to be set up with someone just so I don’t look pathetic at your wedding.”

We both fall silent as we watch Henry continue to dance in front of the bemused musician. Glancing at the time on my phone, I realize he’s been at it for well over an hour and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. It’s beginning to get dark and I know I’ll have to wrangle him into the car before too much longer for his bath and bedtime.

I feel a little sorry for Killian, though. Nobody else has taken him up on his offer to dance, despite his repeated invitations. In fact, most of the diners aren’t paying attention to him at all. I hate to take his number one fan home, especially when I’m able to sit back and relax while listening to some seriously good music.

“I’m going to take a little break and then I’ll be back,” Killian announces, lifting the guitar strap over his head.

“Well, I guess that’s my cue to take Henry home,” I say to Mary Margaret.

“I suppose so,” she agrees. “Let me say goodbye to him and then I have to be on my way, too. According to his text, David is anxious for me to see how the living room turned out.”

We both stand up and move toward the stage, but I stop in my tracks. Killian is squatting down in front of Henry, listening to him with a huge smile on his face. I don’t know what Henry is saying, and I’m not sure Killian will be able to understand it anyway. Henry has an extensive vocabulary for a three-year-old, but I listen to him with ‘mom ears’, which means I can actually decipher what he’s trying to say.

When we reach them, Killian looks up at us and whatever I was going to say flies right out of my head. From a distance, the man is handsome. Close up, he’s nothing short of breathtaking. Carefully trimmed scruff covers a jawline sharp enough to cut glass, his cheekbones would put every male model to shame, and his dark hair is swept back from his forehead with a few rogue strands hanging down enticingly. Even his slightly pointed ears are adorable.

But it’s his eyes that shut down the functioning part of my brain. To say they are blue is like saying the sun is a tad bit warm, and the way the waning light catches them makes them shine like sapphires. I’m aware that my mouth is hanging open like a fish on dry land, but I can’t seem to make it form actual words.

“Hello, Killian. We’ve been thoroughly enjoying your music tonight, even if we haven’t been showing it as much as this little guy.”

Thank God for the natural chattiness of Mary Margaret.

Killian reaches out to ruffle Henry’s sweaty hair, then stands up. “I’m very happy to hear that,” he says in that beautiful, lilting accent. “I was just telling young Henry here that I’ll play some special songs for him after the break.”

I finally find my tongue. “Oh, but I was coming to tell Henry it’s time to go home.”

My little con artist turns his baby browns on me. “Please, Mommy. I be a good boy, I pwomise.”

That’s just great. Now if I take him home, I’ll have to forfeit my Mom of the Year award.

Mary Margaret laughs. “Well, Henry and Emma may be able to stay, but I really have to go.”

Why did she emphasize my name so much? As if I don’t already know.

She hugs Henry and me, tells Killian goodbye, and winks at me as she passes by. Even without trying to set me up, she’s setting me up.

I look back at Killian, who finishes chugging a bottle of water and grins at me. Reaching out to take my hand, he shakes it and says, “It’s nice to meet you, Emma, and little Henry.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Killian. Thanks for entertaining my son tonight.”

“It’s been my pleasure. I love how uninhibited kids are, and how joyful.”

“Well, his day certainly didn’t start out joyfully at all.” I shouldn’t have said it, but I’m still boiling about what Neal did to his own son, especially when this stranger seems so happy to spend time with him.

“No?” Killian questions. “May I ask what happened?”

I glance down at Henry, not wanting to bash his no-good father in front of him. He’s happily lining up little stones he collected along the edge of the patio, oblivious to the conversation going on above him.

“He was supposed to be with his dad this weekend, but he canceled. Again. So Henry was stuck shopping for wedding dresses with us all day.”

“I see.” He ponders for a second. “Would that wedding dress be for the lovely lass who just left…or someone else?”

“Yeah, it’s for Mary Margaret. She’s engaged to my brother.”

“I’m very glad I was able to make Henry’s day better, because his dancing did the same for me.” We watch Henry play, babbling to himself. “He seems like a happy little lad,” Killian observes.

“I do my best, but as a single mom, I make a lot of mistakes.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Love. All parents make mistakes. It’s a good thing kids have perfect aunts and uncles,” he says with a smirk.

“So, are you an imperfect father or a perfect uncle?” Am I really flirting with him right now?

“I have two nieces, so that would make me the latter.”

“Do you get to see them very often?”

“Aye, they live just a few miles from me, so I spoil them as often as possible. They’re my brother Liam’s girls.”

“Doesn’t sound like you’re originally from the U.S., if you don’t mind me saying.”

He chuckles again, rubbing his finger behind his right ear. “We were born in England and lived there until I was fourteen, then my father took a job here so we moved across the pond.”

“That explains the accent.”

He nods and checks his watch, blowing out a breath. “I should probably get back to my set. Will you allow young Henry to stay for a few more songs?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Sure. What’s another fifteen minutes in the grand scheme of things?”

A genuine smile splits his face. “Excellent! I think he’ll particularly like the next three or four songs I play.” He looks around and grabs a nearby chair from an empty table, setting it down beside me. “Won’t you please have a seat, Emma?”

“Such a gentleman,” I say, sinking onto the offered chair.

“Oh, I’m always a gentleman.”

Somehow I don’t mind him flirting with me.

He steps back on the stage, slips his guitar into place, and positions himself in front of the microphone. After giving me a wink, he announces in an overly accented, squeaky voice, “And now it’s time for Silly Songs with Killian. The part of the show where Killian comes out and sings…a silly song.”

I burst out laughing at the very familiar words. Henry is addicted to Veggie Tales, the wacky shows featuring talking fruits and vegetables. I love them because they teach good moral values; he loves them because they’re hilarious. His favorite part of every video is Silly Songs with Larry the Cucumber, which we watch over and over and over again. Apparently he conveyed this obsession to Killian.

Killian closes his eyes, somberly strums his guitar, and sings, “Oh, where is my hairbrush? Oh, where is my hairbrush? Oh where, oh where, oh where, oh where, oh where, oh where, oh where, oh where, oh wherrrrrrrre…is my hairbrush?”

Henry is jumping up and down like a kangaroo on a pogo stick, shouting, “Mommy! Mommy! It’s the Lawwy song! Keeyin is singin’ the Lawwy song!”

Wiping tears of laughter from my eyes, I look around at the half-dozen people at the tables, who are looking at the musician like he’s lost his damn mind. Bunch of sticks in the mud. Lighten up.

But Killian isn’t bothered by their response, or lack thereof. He smoothly transitions to another of Henry’s favorite silly songs. “Oh, everybody’s got a water buffalo. Yours is fast, but mine is slow. Oh, where’d we get them, I don’t know. But everybody’s got a water buffalo, oooooo.”

Henry is beside himself with excitement. He’s running around in a circle, waving his arms in the air in his best impression of a rabid chimpanzee.

Killian moves on to sing a few lines of “I Love My Lips” (I can’t help thinking I’m quite fond of them, too), followed by “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything”.

By this time, the diners have relaxed, laughing and clapping along with the crazy tunes. Meanwhile, my son has finally worn himself out, collapsing in a small heap in front of the stage, looking up at Killian adoringly.

“...and we’ve never been to Boston in the falllllll,” Killian concludes with a flourish and takes a deep, dramatic bow.

I dig into my purse and pull out a twenty dollar bill. I always try to watch my budget, but I’ll skip getting a chocolate caramel latte for a few days to compensate. It’s worth it for what Killian did for Henry tonight.

Walking up to the stage, I drop the bill into the tip jar, smiling up at the singer. He’s between songs, so I say, “Thank you so much, Killian. You’re my hero for entertaining Henry tonight. It was great and he loved it, didn’t you, kid?”

Henry jumps to his feet. “I weally did, Keeyin! I love Lawwy songs!”

“What do you tell him?” I prompt.

“Thank you, Keeyin,” he says obediently.

“You’re very welcome, lad. I play here again in three weeks. Perhaps you can stop in and see me again?” He’s talking to Henry, but he’s looking at me.

“Can we, Mommy?” Henry pleads.

I know we probably can’t. This restaurant is all the way across the city from where we live, plus it’s pretty expensive. Mary Margaret footed the bill today, but twelve bucks for a kid’s meal is a little steep and I won’t pay it. I don’t want to say any of this though, because my tired son is walking a thin line between lingering happiness and an emotional collapse. So I use the parental standard, “We’ll see.”

Taking Henry’s hand, I say, “Thanks, again, Killian. Have a good evening.”

Something that looks like slight panic flashes through those gorgeous eyes of his and he speaks into the microphone, “I’ll be back in five, folks.” He slides his guitar around to his back and steps off the stage, placing himself directly in front of me. “Emma, if I may be so bold, and if you’re not already dating someone, would you consider going out with me?”

“Wh-what?” Apparently, getting asked out by the most handsome man I’ve ever laid eyes on renders me a bit stupid.

He lightly wraps his hand around my wrist and pulls me further toward the side of the patio for some privacy. “Even though we just met, I would really like to get to know you better.”

“But…but you don’t even know my last name.”

“What is it?”

“Cassidy.”

“Mine is Jones, so now we know each other a little better already.”

I stare at him, trying to think of a single reason why I should say no to him. “I…we…um…Henry and I, we…uh…we come as a packaged set.” That’s the way, Emma. Use your kid to try to scare him off. And you did it so gracefully, too.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m really quite fond of your son. That’s not a deal breaker,” he states firmly. He still hasn’t let go of my wrist and now he’s rubbing his thumb over it. I find I don’t mind at all.

“I…”

“Mommy, potty!” Henry announces.

Oh, geez. Killian has to get back to his set and Henry has to pee. I’m running out of time.

Dropping Henry’s hand, I rummage through my purse, trying to find a pen. “Got a piece of paper?” I ask, mid-rummage.

Killian dashes to his guitar case and pulls out a piece of sheet music, returning with it just as I locate the elusive pen. He plants his foot on a chair and slaps the paper down on his knee so I can scribble my number on it.

When I finish, I lift Henry into my arms and take off to find a bathroom. Before disappearing inside the restaurant, I glance back at Killian. He’s still standing where I left him, a broad smile on his face as he grips the paper in his hand. Raising my free hand, I give him a little wave and he returns it.

After I’ve had time to think about it, I might regret giving him my number. Right now I just have to keep my kid from peeing down the front of my dress.

*********

A year ago, Killian Jones was my hero for giving me a chance to relax while he entertained my son. Five months later, he was once again my hero by being my date to Mary Margaret and David’s wedding. Today, he’s still my hero because he’s continuously proving that not all men are incomparable asses.

On the contrary, he’s everything I dreamed a man should be, once upon a time. Killian Jones is talented, intelligent, funny, considerate, masculine, caring, loving, passionate, and a great conversationalist, not to mention drop-dead gorgeous (if I didn’t mention that, it would be a crime.) He’s the total package and I’m head-over-heels in love with him.

Oh, and he’s a fantastic role model for my little boy. I usually hate to admit when Mary Margaret is right, but in this case, she was unequivocally correct. He and Henry absolutely adore each other and it makes my heart so happy. They do everything together - read books, play Star Wars with lightsabers, build block towers, climb trees, ride bikes, you name it.

And Henry loves singing silly songs with his soon-to-be stepfather. What more could a mother want for her son? Except, perhaps, a sibling.

Killian and I are working on that…and thoroughly enjoying every second of it.

*********

Thank you for reading. I hope it brightened your day!

Tagging: @hookedmom​​​​​​ @kmomof4​​​​​​ @cs-rylie​​​​​​ @qualitycoffeethings​​​​​​ @grimmswan​​​​​​ @wyntereyez​​​​​​ @the-darkdragonfly​​​​​​ @ultraluckycatnd​​​​​​ @paradiselady19​​​​​​ @xarandomdreamx​​​​​​ @motherkatereloyshipper​​​​​​ @julesep3026​​​​​​ @courtorderedcake​​​​​​ @lfh1226-linda​​​​​​ @pawshapedheart​​​​​​ @vampcoffeegyrl23​​​​​​ @tiganasummertree​​​​​​ @captainswan4life85​​​​​​ @bluewildcatfanatic​​​​​​ @eleveneitherway​​​​​​ @elfiola​​​​​​ @kday426​​​​​​ @julieenchanted-swans​​​​​​ @gingerchangeling​​​​​​ @andiirivera​​​​​​ @djlbg​​​​​​ @jonesfandomfanatic​​​​​​ @snowbellewells​​​​​​ @huntressandlioness1​​​​​​ @anmylica​​​​​​ @booksteaandtoomuchtv​​​​​​ @pirateherokillian​​​​​​ @cocohook38​​​​​ @ilovemesomekillianjones​​​​​​ @laschatzi​​​​​​ @zaharadessert​​​​​​ @jennjenn615​​​​​​ @yasbio2015​​​​​​ @lyssapup27​​​​​​ @nachocheese-itsmycheese​​​​​​ @singersdd​​​​​​ @mie779​​​​​​ @undercaffinatednightmare​​​​​​ @winterbaby89​​​​​​ @xsajx​​​​​​ @jackieorioncat​​​​​​ @teamhook​​​​​​ @bdevereaux-blanche​​​​​​ @soniccat​​​​​​ @searchingwardrobes​​​​​​ @jarienn972​​​​​​ @apiratewhopines​​​​​​​ @softkilly​​​​​​​ @goforlaunchcee​​​​​​​ @kymbersmith-90​​​​​​​ @captainswan217-blog

[momontheice]

Reblog if...

It’s 2022 and you still hate Neal Cassady with the fire of a thousand suns!

[justanoutlawfic]

"Everything okay?"

David knew Neal wasn't a threat to Emma's safety. He never treated him the same way he did Hook. If he truly thought Neal was bad, he would've threatened him here.

[roonil-wazlib-in-the-tardis]

Oh my God. Oh my God oh my God ohmygodohmygod am I in the upside down what the fuck is going on I'm in a OUAT Facebook group and there are people fighting for their lives in the comments to defend the fact that Neal, in his 20s, who is literally actually a couple centuries old, was in a relationship with 16 YEAR OLD EMMA.

She was 16

16

They keep whining about how it would be the same age gap if they were teenagers.

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO MINORS AND A GROWN ASS ADULT DATING A MINOR

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK

THEY ARE SHAMELESSLY DEFENDING PEOPLE IN THEIR 20S DATING MINORS.

WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK.

THEY'RE COMPARING IT TO CAPTAIN SWAN.

2.

GROWN.

CONSENTING.

ADULTS.

Anyway Neal Cassidy is actually scum and I can't believe that it's been like 10 years and we still have to have this argument.

[advluv4life]

Let me tell you that Rumblestiltskin's Baelfire will never be the same as Emma's Neal Cassidy to me. I love Baelfire so much, I adore him I would adopt him I want to give him so much affection & he deserves so much love ♡ But Neal? He is the one reason why I don't want to rewatch certain episodes of this show, the one aspect I dread every time he's in an episode.

It is so terribly conflicting that, even though I know the entire timeline of the show, I sit here and watch an episode and just cannot connect the two in my mind/heart because I feel so differently about them both.

They are completely separate people to me and I feel completely different ways about them. I don't care how long it's been. Her finding him had me in tears for her. My poor Emma... seeing the reunion and hearing her being so torn up breaks my heart.

[themeepyfreak]

One of the reasons that I could never warm up to Hook that is completely glossed over in the fandom is how much he screwed Baelfire over with seemingly no remorse. The narrative tries so hard to write off Hook as a good person and Baelfire’s friend in the later seasons that I don’t think people really don’t understand how despicable his actions were.

First, he either convinced Bae’s mother to leave her family or assisted in Bae’s mother leaving her family. I don’t blame Hook too much for that since the majority of the blame is definitely on Milah, but Hook didn’t need to antagonize Rumple and threaten Bae’s only other parent. (They did have Hook address that this was wrong of him on the show though which is more than they usually do.) And even if Hook told Bae that they wanted to go back for him, the truth is that they did not. Bae was 4-6 years old when Milah left, and Rumple killed Milah when Bae was 14 years old in London, so Hook and Milah were together for 8-10 years (common law married at the very least) in which they never actually came back for Bae or even informed him that his mother was alive. If Rumple hadn’t become the Dark One, Bae would have died fighting the Ogres, and there would have been nobody to come back to. I doubt they actually had any intentions of going back to Bae; Hook just said that to give Bae a more positive outlook on the mother that abandoned him.

Then, he built up Bae’s trust for the sole purpose of gaining information to kill his father. He did save Bae from the mermaids and sheltered him for a while, but all of his niceness (until he got attached to Bae) was to gain Bae’s trust so that Bae could give information on his father. Hook’s friendship with Bae that they boast about in later seasons was dependent on a lie and mostly faked on one side.

His main offense that is glossed over the most in canon is that he abandoned Bae and sold him out to Pan. This is debatably one of the worst abandonments in the show, and it is never talked about.

- First, Hook does this within the same day that Bae found out about his mom abandoning him and his dad killing his mom (rubbing salt into the wound). And despite how it appears in the show, this was not a split second decision since Hook (or his crew) had to physically call up the Lost Boys to get Bae. The Lost Boys were mainly on the island and didn’t lurk near the ship without being prompted (or else Bae couldn’t have been on deck when Hook was playing friends with him in fear of being seen). When Hook was giving his “I can change” speech to Bae, the Lost Boys were already called or else they wouldn’t have been there immediately afterwards. Maybe Hook would have hidden Bae if Bae agreed, but he had already sold Bae out by that point.

- Second (and why this abandonment is one of the worst), Hook intentionally sold Bae to a known psychopath that he knew would mentally, physically, and emotionally torture him. Hook knows the Lost Boys and how bad Pan is. That’s why he and his crew are always on the ship rather than on the island. That’s why he tries to avoid Neverland even if he is stuck in the realm. That’s why he hides Bae from the Lost Boys in the first place. Not to mention that selling Bae out was for a selfish reason (to be in Pan’s favor and gain access out of Neverland) and can’t even be argued as being in Bae’s best interests.

- Third, knowing where Bae was and that Bae was suffering, Hook left Bae in Neverland for centuries, perpetuating the initial abandonment. How do you think it felt for Bae to see Hook enter and leave the island/realm over and over again for hundreds of years, leaving Bae on Neverland over and over again? (Part of me wonders whether that’s why Pan let Hook off the island in the first place, to be able to lord about it to Bae.) I strongly suspect that Bae tried to petition to or stowaway with Hook (since he was trying to escape), but Hook refused him and turned him back to Pan (since Hook was in Pan’s employ) which had to hurt worse.

Maybe I could let it go if Hook showed remorse or it was addressed in canon, but instead, the opposite happened. Hook painted this picture of him and Bae as friends (even though most of their friendship was Hook using Bae for information) to bond with Emma after Bae “died”. He lied by omission of all the pain he caused Bae which is never clarified in canon. After Bae actually dies, he tries to rewrite his and Bae’s history again when describing their “friendship” to Henry. And the worst part is that nobody can contest it since Bae is dead in all of these scenes.

Not to mention that when they find out that Bae is alive in Neverland (which Hook did not seem happy about in the slightest), Hook decides to go after Emma, the woman that he knows Bae loves and that loves Bae (since Emma wasn’t quiet about that at all). They are trying to find Henry, and Hook is purposely baiting Bae with talks of his and Emma’s “dalliance” (which implies way more than a kiss). Hook makes it into a competition, as if Emma is a trophy, and continues pursuing Emma in front of Bae even though Emma said “No” countless times. And despite supposedly backing out of the competition after Neverland, he still continues to harass Emma until they kiss immediately after Bae dies and get together in the end. Whether you’re a Swanfire fan or not, the entire thing is rude and disrespectful to Bae.