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wyntereyez · 9 months

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A Little Batty

Here it is... my @cssns contribution! It's late because I've been burned out, and it was originally going to have art by @spartanguard and be betaed by @ohmakemeahercules, but because I didn't get anything done until the last minute, I didn't want to impose.

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A Little Batty

Emma’s nights volunteering at the Storybrooke Bat Rehabilitation Center (locally referred to as ‘The Belfry’) weren’t something she’d ever imagined herself doing. She was no Disney princess; she didn’t have a natural rapport with animals. But The Belfry was her sister-in-law’s baby, and who was Emma to resist Mary Margaret’s pleading eyes? And she had to admit, any animal that let you roll it into a little burrito was cute.

Plus, her nights fell on the nights Henry was over at Neal’s. Though she didn’t think she was one of Those Moms who missed their children whenever they weren’t around, Emma admitted to herself that she was lonely when he was gone. Their creaky old house suddenly felt big and empty, and it became too much for Emma. At least at The Belfry, she could socialize without going to the effort of getting dressed up and going out in public.

Ruby was already there when Emma arrived. Unlike Emma, she did have a way with animals (“Not all animals; just creatures of the night,” she’d joked) and was the best at handling the animals when their cages needed cleaning.

And then there was Mary Margaret, who really was a Disney Princess, and you couldn’t convince Emma otherwise. All animals loved her, and she loved all animals.

They were gathered around Mary Margaret’s desk, discussing distribution of chores (Emma was not on cage-cleaning duty tonight, thank goodness) when they were interrupted by the arrival of William Smee, the man in charge of the local marina.

Emma thought at first he’d come specifically looking for her as sheriff, but he’d only nodded in greeting and headed straight to Mary Margaret.

He was wearing the thick gloves he used for dock work, and held what looked like a ratty old beach towel cupped in both hands. “Mrs. Nolan! I found a bat down at the docks. I didn’t know what else to do with him, so I brought him straight here.”

It was unusual for Smee to be working this late at night, especially past the tourist season, and Emma instinctively wondered why. She mentally scolded herself; she needed to stop being paranoid; not everyone did things for duplicitous reasons. Like her ex.

“Let’s see what you have,” Mary Margaret said. She opened the desk drawer and withdrew a set of the thick leather gloves they used when handling the bats. Smee pulled away the top layer of the towel, just enough to reveal his captive without releasing it.

Emma expected a large brown bat; they made up most of the local bat population, and thus most of The Belfry’s residents. She wasn’t prepared for when the towel fell away from a sharp, fox-like muzzle and huge eyes, topped with large, pointed ears.

It was a fruit bat. A rather large one, at that. It stared calmly back at them with its wide, dark eyes, and twitched its ears. It seemed completely unbothered at being a bat-burrito, suggesting it was accustomed to being handled. It yawned, exposing sharp canines, one of which had a small chip in it.

“Where did you find it?” Mary Margaret asked as she pulled on the thick leather gloves.

“He was down at the docks,” Smee said. “Nestled in a coil of rope. I almost missed him, but he squeaked at me. It’s like he wanted to get my attention.”

The bat squeaked, as though it were chiming in.

“He didn’t even put up a fight. He was easy to catch - you’ll see why,” Smee said as the last of the towel fell away, leaving the bat exposed in Mary Margaret’s hand. Annoyed, the bat spread its wings, and Emma ducked out of the way of the enormous right wing.

It was only after she righted herself that noticed his left wing, which Mary Margaret had caught and was gently holding. It was only half the length of the right, ending with a club of scar tissue just below what would have been the wrist. Mary Margaret was examining it critically, frowning.

“It’s an old injury,” Mary Margaret said, releasing the wing. The bat gave her a sour look and tucked it to his side. “No way he’s been living wild. He’s probably someone’s pet; a sailor, maybe, since you found him at the docks. He’s definitely used to being handled.”

He was also very obviously a ‘he,’ Emma couldn’t help but notice when the bat rolled over onto his back, his rear towards Emma. He looked towards her, gave a startled squeak, and wrapped his wings around himself.

Emma needed to stop anthropomorphizing the residents, because there was no way he could be embarrassed by accidentally flashing her.

“We’ll put him in one of the isolation cages for now,” Mary Margaret decided. “Just because he seems healthy now, doesn’t mean there’s nothing wrong with him. Ruby, I brought a banana for a snack; it’s in the break room if you could grab it for me, please?”

“Do you have any idea where he came from?” Emma asked Smee. Fruit bats were illegal to have as pets, and while Emma didn’t think the owner would get more than a fine, they could lead to a larger illegal animal trade organization. “Anyone new around the docks?” It was the wrong time of year for it, though; most of the boats that came to Storybrooke for the summer tourist season had departed in the last few weeks. It was possible one of them had left the bat, but that meant he’d been on the docks fending for himself for at least a week. He look too healthy for a pet that had been abandoned that long.

“We have one ship that’s wintering over for repairs, but he’s not the bat’s owner,” Smee said. He seemed very certain of this, but there was something shifty in his gaze as he said it. Emma prided herself at being good at detecting lies and Smee…wasn’t lying, not exactly, but he wasn’t telling the truth, either. Before Emma could pursue it further, however, Mary Margaret interrupted.

“Obviously, he can’t be released into the wild,” Mary Margaret sighed. “He seems pretty docile; we can probably put him in the bat educational program, assuming he’s healthy and remains easy to handle. Thank you for bring him, Mr. Smee. We’ll take good care of him.”

Smee took this as his cue to leave, but not without an odd backward glance at the bat.

Emma told herself the bat did not nod at Smee.

Ruby returned with the banana and began to peel it. At the sight of it, the bat began squeaking and straining towards it. “Someone’s hungry,” she cooed, and held it out. The bat’s mouth opened wide, and he tore off a chunk that looked like it should have been too large for him.

They let him eat as much as he wanted while Mary Margaret held him. When he was finished, consuming almost the entire thing (How? Emma wondered. Where did he put it all?), Mary Margaret said, “I need to feed the others. Emma, could you get some gloves and put this guy in the furthest isolation cage?”

Emma grabbed another set of gloves. “Isn’t he too big?” The cages were designed for much smaller brown bats; he’d be cramped.

“He should be okay for a few days. And since he can’t fly, we don’t have to worry about too little space. He should have enough room to spread his wings, at least.”

The bat chittered, and licked banana mush off its muzzle. “We’ll have more fruit for you tomorrow,” Mary Margaret promised. “A variety. How do you feel about strawberries?” She chattered on as she transferred him to Emma.

The bat squeaked excitedly.

Which was a valid reaction to strawberries, but couldn’t be in response to Mary Margaret’s words. Right?

Could bats pick up words, like dogs? Maybe he did understand ‘strawberries.’

Emma carried the bat to the back area, past the large, open enclosures that housed the permanent populations, as well as the wild ones that would be released as soon as they were ready. The isolation cages were smaller, designed to make it easy to catch a bat that would need constant care and observation.

She opened the door of the last cage, the largest, and gently lowered her hands. It took some prodding to move him off her palms, and at last he moved with great reluctance. He crawled across the floor of the cage to the bars, and immediately began to climb them to the top, unhindered by the missing finger bones of his wing, then crawled around the top until he found the perfect spot. He anchored his feet in place and dropped his body until he was hanging upside down, eye to eye with Emma. Then, with a great yawn, he pulled his wings around himself until only the tips of his ears were visible.

“Stay out of trouble,” she told him.

Emma could have sworn he’d winked at her.

~oOo~

Emma stopped by the marina at the end of her shift, curious if the bat’s owner had returned. Her attention was drawn to a ship she hadn’t seen before, a massive wooden ship that looked like it would be more at home in the Caribbean than in Maine. It was moored at the largest dock, and Emma saw it had no sails, nor any rigging. It must have been the ship Smee said was staying over for the winter, since that was the only reason to derig it. She hadn’t expected anything so… spectacular. The ship was gorgeous. She studied it curiously for several minutes, wondering who would own such a vessel, then shrugged and headed towards the main office. The door was locked, however; Smee had already left, and there was no one else on the docks.

She shrugged and headed to The Belfry.

Mary Margaret was already there, feeding the residents. It alway icked Emma out, to see her gentle sister-in-law feeding the ecstatic bats their mealworms.

“How’s our newest resident?” Emma asked.

“He was just waking up when I checked on him,” Mary Margaret said. “He looks alert, with no obvious signs of illness. The vet stopped by earlier to take some samples, so we should know soon if there’s any diseases we should worry about.” She frowned. “There was a bit of blood in his cage, but the vet couldn’t find any injuries. Did you cut yourself when you put him in the cage last night?”

“No,” she said, but examined her hands anyway.

“Huh. Well, if you’d like to feed him, there’s a bowl of fresh fruit in the fridge for him.” Mary Margaret grinned. “At least you’ll be able to feed this one without screaming,” she teased.

Emma scowled, because her revulsion to mealworms was totally valid, thank you very much.

Ruby had thrown a mealworm at her.

It had gone down her cleavage.

Emma was never going to touch a damn worm again.

Emma found the bowl of fruit, snagging a chunk of melon for herself before picking up the bowl and carrying it to the quarantine cage.

He was clinging to the bars of the cage when she arrived, his nose pressed to the fine mesh between the bars as though he’d been waiting for her. When he saw her - or, more likely, the bowl of fruit - he began to squeak excitedly.

Emma was charmed.

The name ‘Killian’ had been written on the paper taped to his cage, in fancy penmanship that Emma didn’t recognize.

“Killian, huh?” Emma asked.

The bat squeaked.

“Okay, if you say so.”

She snagged another piece of fruit - a strawberry this time, much to the bat’s indignation - then placed the bowl at the bottom of the cage. Killian quickly climbed down and hopped into the bowl, quickly losing himself in fruity bliss.

Emma laughed, then went to help Mary Margaret finish up.

“Who named him Killian?” she asked.

Mary Margaret frowned. “I thought you did. The name was there when I got here, and you were the last one to see him.”

“If I’d named him, it would be something like ‘Batty,’” Emma pointed out. “Or possibly ‘Dracula.’” She shrugged. “He seems to like it, so we may as well keep it.”

Mary Margaret gave her a strange look. “I’m sure he doesn’t care,” was all she said.

~oOo~

Killian’s test results came back clean. As long as his phlegmatic temperament continued, he’d be introduced to the other bats, though he’d be kept in a cage alone to accommodate his disability. He seemed fine with this; the smaller cage was beside the bigger one, so he could watch and communicate with the other bats if he chose. It also had bars that were easier to grip and climb. For a fruit bat with full, functional wings, it wouldn’t be ideal, but since Killian couldn’t fly, all he needed was enough room to stretch his wings to the fullest without touching the bars.

When he continued to be easy to handle, they decided it was safe to hold him without gloves. He seemed to like this, settling into Emma’s hands contentedly.

That was how she found out that bats purred.

“Oh,” Mary Margaret said. “He really likes you! Guess you’re his official caretaker from now on.”

Killian continued to purr in her hands. Emma decided maybe this wasn’t so bad.

Because he was so comfortable with people, even seeming to prefer their company, Emma took to carrying him around the sanctuary. Sometimes he’d be burritoed in a blanket, other times he’d drape over her shoulder, that incredibly long intact wing lazily hanging down. He seemed very curious about the computer whenever she played around with it at the desk (officially ‘doing paperwork’ for the sanctuary, but actually looking at memes) and she’d see his wide, dark eyes staring at the images.

He seemed especially interested in the staffing schedule.

Emma was also the only one he allowed to ‘fly’ him. It was something they did with elderly bats, holding them and carrying them around the sanctuary, wings spread, as if they were flying. Killian seemed bemused by the whole process, but allowed himself to be carried around.

Especially since the reward was always a bowl of fresh fruit - and gentle ear scritches from Emma.

~oOo~

Emma hadn’t intended to start dating again. Her divorce from Neal had been messy; he hadn’t been willing to let her go, despite his affair with his now-girlfriend Tamara. She thought she was done with men.

And then her sister-in-law introduced her to Walsh. They’d met when Mary Margaret had gone to the new furniture store in town, and she’d been charmed by his politeness.

Emma had tried to refuse Mary Margaret’s efforts to set them up, but then David had joined in. Her brother had thus far sided with Emma, and had talked Mary Margaret out of multiple attempts at a set-up. For him to approve of Walsh? That meant something. So Emma had reluctantly agreed to the date.

Walsh felt… safe. He was polite, respectful. Not particularly adventurous, which would have been a big turn-off once, but now it had appeal. Best of all, he didn’t argue with her every decision. She’d forgotten what it was like to be in a relationship with no drama.

One date became two, and plans were made for a third.

~oOo~

Emma arrived late to the sanctuary on the night of her second date. She hadn’t wanted to be out so late, but Walsh had admitted to being something of a night owl, and didn’t really eat until around nine in the evening. Emma had had to have a pre-dinner before dinner, because she knew she’d starve to death if she waited that long.

But she’d had more fun than expected. And eating later in the evening meant fewer diners, which had made the restaurant more intimate.

She’d liked it.

And the dim interior made it harder to maintain eye contact with Walsh. She’d noticed that he had a really intense gaze, and tried to meet hers as often as he could. It was… uncomfortable, for reasons Emma couldn’t really explain.

Emma put it out of her mind as she turned her attention on the anxious fruit bat, who was perched with his muzzle sticking out of the cage. At the sight of her, he gave several ear-piercing shrieks.

“Sorry! Sorry!”

Killian gave her a sour look.

“Hey! Don’t give me that! It’s not like you can tell time!”

He continued to glower.

“Okay, sorry!”

He tilted his head, considering. Then, with a sound that was almost a purr, he extended his right wing towards her thumb, snagging it with his clever little finger, and pulling her hand closer. He was about to pull himself onto her hand when he suddenly froze.

His nose twitched, wrinkled, and he bared his sharp little teeth. And then he did something he’d never done before.

He hissed.

Emma jerked her hands back. “Whoa! What’s with you today?”

He continued to stare at her as though she smelled rancid, and he wouldn’t come near her. Rather than stress him out further, Emma let him be. It wouldn’t hurt him to miss a night of flying.

~oOo~

A bat’s rejection shouldn’t have stung.

Killian continued to be edgy the rest of the night, so she left him alone.

After her shift, Emma realized she was too restless to sleep. Maybe it was a lingering excitement over the date, or maybe Emma really had taken Killian’s tantrum personally, but she didn’t want to go home. It was Neal’s weekend with Henry, and she couldn’t face being cooped up in that empty house.

So she went to The Rabbit Hole, Storybrooke’s only nightlife scene. She drew a few glances as she walked in, but they lost interest as soon as they saw she was off duty. She went straight to the bar and ordered a strawberry daiquiri, because apparently hanging around a fruit bat made you crave fruity things.

She’d been there maybe ten minutes when someone sat beside her. A richly accented voice that definitely did not send a shiver down Emma’s spine asked for a rum.

Emma waited until he’d been served his drink before turning to him and asking, “New in town?”

He turned, and Emma’s breath hitched when she met those blue, blue eyes. “What gave it away, Love?” he asked, amused.

English accents turned her into putty. Especially when combined with a smoldering gaze.

Mistakes had been made.

“I know everyone in this town,” she said. “You stick out like a sore thumb.”

“Oh? And who might you be?”

“I’m the sheriff,” she warned him.

“And you don’t take kindly to strangers ‘round these parts?” he mocked, adapting a twang.

“We’re fine with strangers - so long as they don’t bring trouble.”

He grinned, flashing sharp teeth. “And I look like trouble?”

Emma arched an eyebrow.

His smile widened. Oh, he knew exactly how he looked.

“Killian Jones,” he said, offering his hand. Emma lifted a brow when, instead of shaking, he brushed his lips across the back of her hand. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

She hmmphed, refusing to be charmed by his old world manners.

Emma’s eyes fell on his left wrist, where a thick leather brace supported a rather alarming looking metal hook. His gaze followed hers. “Forgive the hardware,” he said. “Crude, I know, but it’s far more useful sailing than a more delicate prosthesis or a false hand.” He pulled his arm closer to his chest, not quite hiding it, but at least making it look less threatening.

His name wasn’t the only thing he had in common with their fruit bat.

“Are you a sailor, Mr. Jones?”

“Killian,” he reminded her. “Or Captain Jones, if you prefer to be formal. And I’m actually a pirate.”

Emma scoffed, then realized, “That old-fashioned ship in the marina! It’s yours!”

Killian nodded. “Aye, the Jolly Roger,” he said. That seemed a bit too on point. “I do charter sails for history buffs, as well as doing movie and television appearances. You’d be surprised what people will pay for a two-week Caribbean cruise with a dashing rapscallion like meself.” He grinned, and once again Emma had the unsettling thought that his teeth were very, very sharp.

“And what brings you here, Captain?”

“My ship is in need of repair, so I’m going to winter over in your lovely town,” he said.

“Odd; Granny Lucas didn’t mention taking in any lodgers,” Emma noted.

“I’ve made other arrangements,” Killian shrugged.

Maybe he’d leased a place, then. The cottages were usually only available to lease to summer tourists, but she wouldn’t be surprised if one of the owners made an exception.

“You don’t happen to own a bat, do you?” she asked suddenly.

He blinked rapidly, blindsided.

He had beautiful eyelashes.

“Like…a baseball bat?” he asked slowly.

“Never mind,” Emma muttered. She pulled a couple of crumpled bills out of her pocket and set them on the bar. She stood up. “Nice to meet you Mr. - Captain Jones. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

“I didn’t get your name,” he said. It wasn’t a demand; rather, a polite inquiry. He was allowing her to be mysterious if she chose. Not that it would be hard to find out her name, since she was the sheriff. Still, she appreciated it.

“Emma Swan,” she said.

“See you around, Swan,” he said, low and throaty, and she totally did not shiver.

She left before she could embarrass herself.

~oOo~

Emma’s third date with Walsh led to a fourth.

After each date, Killian-the-bat would give her that angry hiss, and Emma wondered if he were somehow jealous that someone else was taking her time.

But he’d eventually get over it.

Which was probably a good thing, because they had their first school visit of the semester, and if he’d been cranky, he’d have missed out on having dozens of adoring children who cooed at him and gave him all the fruit he could ever want.

Though he wasn’t too crazy about being touched by their sticky fingers. But he allowed it, showing more patience than Emma had ever had.

She saw Killian-the-human several times over the next week; usually at the bar, once, coming out of the hardware store with items she assumed were for ship repair. Each time, he gave her a significant Look that she couldn’t read.

And then it happened, on a night when Emma was walking out of Granny’s diner with a bag full of carryout containers and a couple of donuts in preparation for an overnight shift at The Belfry.

After three weeks of casual conversation, Killian asked her out for a drink.

And Emma…she wanted to go.

Even though she barely knew him, she felt a spark with him, something that was more than just the thrill of his smoldering gaze.

“I’m actually seeing someone,” she said.

She hadn’t meant to sound regretful. She shouldn’t feel bad about dating Walsh, right?

“You don’t sound so certain,” Killian observed.

Dammit. “No, I am,” she said firmly. “He’s…nice.”

“All right,” Killian said. “I’ll see you around then, Swan.”

Emma released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. That had been harder than she’d expected. And a little part of her had feared he wouldn’t respond well to being ‘friendzoned.’

She watched him walk away, swaggering, then turned and stepped forward - into something very solid.

Walsh.

A deep frown was etched into his features. Emma wondered how long he’d been standing there in the dark, and if he’d heard everything.

“Who was that?” he asked.

Emma didn’t like his tone. Clearly, he had been eavesdropping.

“Just someone wintering over,” Emma said. “We talk occasionally.”

“He seemed to want to do more than talk,” Walsh said. His jaw was clenched, and Emma frowned. Oh, no. They were not going to do this.

“It doesn’t matter what he wanted,” Emma said coolly.

“Come to dinner with me,” Walsh said. It wasn’t a question.

Oh, hell no. She was not going to put up with this possessive bullshit.

“I have other plans,” she said.

“Like what?” he demanded.

“That’s none of your business,” she snapped.

Something flickered across Walsh’s face, then he abruptly deflated. “Sorry,” he said. “I know I have nothing to worry about. I just don’t want to lose you, Emma.”

Emma studied him, all senses on alert. But he seemed sincere enough. Still… “We’ll discuss this tomorrow,” she told him wearily. “Right now, I have to get going.”

She made it to The Belfry just as Ruby was leaving for the day. “I left some bags of popcorn for you for later,” she told Emma as she pulled on her coat. “There’s some Milk Duds, too.”

Emma grinned. “You’re the best, Ruby.”

“I know,” the other woman grinned toothily.

Nights at The Belfry tended to be long. Emma only over-nighted once a week, and she used the time to binge watch shows. The last time she’d done it, Killian-the-bat had sat on her shoulder and squeaked at the screen.

She’d just checked the bats and was about to put a bag of popcorn in the microwave when she heard the front door open.

Emma froze. She could have sworn she locked it.

And then a familiar voice called, “Emma?” and she relaxed. Marginally. Why was Walsh here?

“Walsh, hey,” Emma said cautiously. “We don’t really allow guests this late at night.”

“I’m not a guest, I’m your boyfriend,” he reminded her.

Emma went over to the front desk, sitting on the edge. Her hand crept over to the lamp on the corner.

“That doesn’t matter. You shouldn’t be here.”

“Why not? Is he here?”

Nope. Not doing this.

“Walsh… If you’re going to do this, then I don’t think we should see each other anymore. I’m not going to put up with someone who doesn’t trust me and stalks me at work.”

Walsh leaned back, staring down at her. But he made no move to leave. Emma braced herself for the inevitable meltdown.

Instead, he threw back his head and laughed.

At her shocked look, he said, “Did you think that would hurt me? It’s a relief, actually,” Walsh said. “Having to pretend to be interested in you is draining. You’re too abrasive, and you don’t trust anyone. Which, admittedly, was the right choice here. But it’s over now, and my master will reward me well.”

His eyes were red. Not bloodshot, but glowing a baleful crimson. “What the fu-”

Then their eyes locked, and Emma felt…something. It writhed around in her mind, clawing into her, leaving her feeling dirty. He was inside her head somehow, and she wanted him out, out, OUT!

Emma jerked her gaze away, and Walsh snarled.

“Why isn’t this working?” Walsh fumed. “You should be mine!” Then he smirked, showing off far too sharp teeth. “Guess we’ll have to do this the fun way, then.”

Emma reacted. Her hand flew to the heavy lamp on the desk corner, and she flung it at Walsh’s head. He didn’t react in time, and it hit him squarely in the forehead.

He didn’t even flinch.

It should have taken him down, or at least disoriented him long enough to continue attacking or escape. No man should have taken a direct hit to the head and just shaken it off.

He wasn’t normal.

He wasn’t human.

So Emma ran.

Her lunge to the side caught Walsh by surprise, and he didn’t immediately react. It bought her a few precious seconds to dart through the door leading towards the cage room.

There was an emergency exit in the back of the sanctuary. Emma sprinted towards it.

Walsh stepped out of the shadows, blocking her path.

How?! How had he gotten in front of her? It wasn’t possible!

“I’m not here to kill you, Emma,” Walsh said in exasperation. “I’m just going to take you to my master.”

Killian shrieked, beating his wings against the bars of his cage. Walsh ignored him.

“But…nobody said I couldn’t rough you up a bit.” His hands extended towards her, tipped in razor sharp claws.

Killian fell silent.

Emma dropped to the floor and kicked her leg out, hitting Walsh in the knee with bone-breaking force. It didn’t do more than stagger him, however, and he quickly recovered. Emma rolled away, but misjudged her direction and slammed into one of the cages. The bats inside fluttered their wings in agitation.

Walsh lunged towards her.

And then Walsh crashed to the floor. Something bumped and rolled across the floor, coming to a stop before Emma. Walsh’s head, the red fading from his eyes as they slowly dimmed.

Standing over the body was Killian, the human Killian, dressed in black leather and wielding what looked like a pirate’s cutlass. “Are you all right, Love?” he asked.

His eyes had the same red glow as Walsh’s.

“What the fuck?” Emma shrieked.

Killian gave her a crooked smile.

A fang poked out from behind his lips.

“Apologies, Love,” Killian Jones said. The red was fading from his eyes, though the sharp fangs remained. “I’ll clean up the mess.”

Emma just stared at his teeth.

One of them was chipped. Just like Killian-the-bat’s.

“You’re…you’re…”

“A vampire, yes,” Killian said. As if it were the most normal thing in the world. But Emma supposed that made more sense than what she’d been about to say: You’re my bat! “As was your…boyfriend.”

“He wasn’t my boyfriend,” Emma muttered. “It was just a couple of dates.”

“Mmph.” He crouched down, examining Walsh’s body. Then, to her horror, he dragged his finger through the small pool of blood and put it in his mouth.

“He’s a neophyte; probably not more than a year since he was changed. Which means his master has to be close by, because a vampire this young seldom strays far from his master.” Killian studied her closely. “Which means he was specifically sent to seduce you. I wonder why?”

Emma didn’t want to think about that. She didn’t know, she wasn’t special.

“You somehow resisted his attempt to control you,” Killian continued. “That’s a rare gift.”

”You should be mine,” Walsh had said.

“How can you be a vampire?” There was a shrill edge of panic to her voice. This was too much, far too much.

“It’s a long story,” he said. “I won’t get into that tonight. All you need to know is that I hunt vampires like him, those who break our laws and hunt humans.”

“But… I’ve seen you during the day.” Walsh, on the other hand, she’d never before sunset. She’d just assumed he was a night owl, not a freaking vampire

“I’m over 300 years old. I’ve developed an immunity to sunlight. I don’t like it, but I can go out in it.”

“Three hun-” Her brain stuttered to a halt. “Are you actually a pirate?”

Killian chuckled. “I have been called such, yes. I prefer ‘dashing rapscallion.’”

“You would,” she scoffed.

“There’s that spirit,” he said approvingly. “It’s a lot to take in, I know.”

She tried to back away, forgetting in her panic that the cage was behind her.

“I’ve been here over a month, and you haven’t had any mysterious deaths or illnesses related to blood loss, aye?”

There hadn’t been, actually. The town had been as calm as it always was after the tourist season ended. That didn’t mean Killian didn’t do his hunting elsewhere, but she hadn’t heard anything from the nearest towns, either.

“So…you’ve been living in town as a bat and a human for a month, and no one even noticed?”

“The werewolf knows, but she and I reached an understanding.”

“The…the werewolf…” Emma repeated faintly.

“The lovely Miss Lucas,” Killian said. “She figured out what I was fairly quickly, but we came to an agreement.”

“Ruby…is a werewolf…”

“Aye. She’ll probably be furious that I told you, but she will vouch for me. She knows our laws, and how strictly we enforce them.”

This was all too much. Emma had snapped. She blurted out the next thing that came to mind. “Shouldn’t you be a vampire bat?”

Killian looked pained. “I don’t have the most fearsome bat form, I admit.” And then his expression became lascivious. “But I’m certainly one of the biggest.”

Of course you are, Emma thought.

Emma’s hands were still shaking. She clenched her fists, hoping to hide the trembling.

He noticed, however, and his face softened.

“I mean you no harm, Swan,” Killian said softly. “I rarely need to partake in human blood, and then only with willing donors. This town is safe from me.” His gaze went to Walsh’s corpse. “His master, however, seems to have no such qualms. It appears we were right about his intentions.”

“Is…is that why you’re here?” Emma asked.

“To find his master, yes,” Killian said. “We suspected that a powerful old vampire was no longer keeping to our laws, and I was dispatched to track them. So I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for some time. Though I suppose you’ll want me to find other accommodations,” he added regretfully. “Pity; you have some lovely fruit.”

Emma assumed that was supposed to be an entendre, but when she looked at his expression, she realized that, no, he actually meant fruit. What kind of vampire fed on fruit? “You can stay for now, until you find something better,” Emma offered. “Although, you will have to put up with the Bat Education Program,” she finished apologetically. “Mary Margaret wants to make you the star. But somehow, I don’t think you mind being the center of attention.”

Killian grimaced. “I’ll tolerate it. But only if the children wash their hands,” he growled

“She’s calling you the ‘am-bat-sador,’” Emma warned.

”Bloody hell,” Killian groaned. “But it will help me guard the children. They’re preferred victims of rogue vampires,” he concluded grimly.

A shiver went down her spine, and this time it wasn’t because of his accent.

Something evil was coming to Storybrooke.

~fin~

#author: wyntereyez #fandom: once upon a time #captain swan #emma swan #killian jones #vampires #cssns #cssns23

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melloween-candie · 10 months

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Not another Cave [F]

Prompt: Yandere/Monster - #6 "cry all you want."

Requested // Request Rules // Prompt list

"prompt list “cry all you want.” Yandere with Felix??? If not that’s totally cool, this is emmaloo21 if it’s anon!! And if you could use your other headcanons and kind of add to the cave thing, that’s be great ((unless you want a diff scenario, ur the writer))"

Submitted by @emmaloo21

Warning! kidnapping, panicking, hyperventilating, false hope, spoilers

Word Count: 1,030

[SEASON 3 SPOILERS]

Yandere Felix Headcanon

Yandere Felix + Darker Side

(I'd recommend reading these two headcanons first. In that order)

Once Upon A Time Masterlist

Fandom Masterlists

/"Talking"//Thinking//Muttering-Whispering/

***Narrator's Pov***

"Cry all you want. You are not leaving." He said that with such a stern voice. His face was so close to yours. He was so serious about it, too. Perhaps that's why it made you cry even more.

You hated it there. It was cold and wet and no matter what Felix did, nothing worked. The blankets you placed on the floor eventually got wet, and the ceiling itself dripped water... it was constant moisture, and the mold... it grew so fast. You just absolutely couldn't stand it anymore.

No matter how many times you begged. How many times you tried to convince him. He'd always say the same thing- "Cry all you want. You are not leaving."

But this time... it was different.

***You're Pov***

You just sat there waiting for Felix to arrive like always. Then finally he arrived.

You stood up feeling somewhat delighted... man you must have been in that cave for ages to actually end up feeling happy to see Felix.

But, this time, he wasn't alone. Your eyes grew big to see the situation unfolding in front of you.

Felix appeared, but he wasn't alone... He was tied up. There was a black-haired woman who seemed to be the one who cast the bubble spell and a blonde lady.

Your heart was racing... could it be? I'm finally free?!

"So, this is the girl... that poor thing," The blonde lady muttered as she got closer to you. She told you that they all were leaving Neverland and that you could go home too.

You couldn't believe what you were hearing. You- leaving? It was like a dream come true. You couldn't even say anything. Your smile said everything for you.

Meanwhile, Felix just growled in the background. It was as if he was finally defeated. You didn't really know what was going on, but you were happy to leave none the less.

After all, it's only fitting. Felix never told you anything about the outside world. He never told you what day it was or how many years went by. He never told you what was happening, and even now he chooses not to utter a word to you.

He just let the ladies drag him as you happily followed along.

Short Time Skip!~

***Narrator's Pov***

You stood on top of a ship. You never thought in a million years that Peter and Felix would get defeated by pirates. In the end, you were glad. Little did you know, your happiness wouldn't last long.

Once you arrived at Storybrooke, you were told that you were free to do whatever you pleased and that the blonde girl, who you now know was named Emma, said that you could stay with her at her home.

Though she seemed Suprise when her son Henry said he wanted to stay with Ragina.

Overall, you had the best time ever, and not once did you see Felix. You genuinely thought that everything was over and that you finally got your happy ending, but you were deeply wrong.

Time skip!~

It was currently midnight. Emma told you that she was going to leave to go do work stuff. You didn't really pay attention since you were half asleep by that point.

Once she was gone, you went towards the bathroom to prepare for bed. You had the door shut, so you didn't realize that some snuck in...

Quickly and quietly, you shut all the lights and made sure the doors were locked. You quickly ran towards your bedroom because being in the dark 90% of the time can make you grow very paranoid, especially when you were kidnapped and abused for so long that you lose track of all time. It was clear why you'd be afraid of the dark.

Soon enough, you fell asleep... at least for a little while.

You woke up to a sound coming from your closet. This scared you very much. The wind was howling louder than usual, and the tree branches were hitting your window making a frightening sound.

All you could do was hide under your blanket and occasionally peek at the closet.

But what really got your heart pounding was when you took another peek at the closet door... it was opened this time.

You slowly looked around the room. It was too dark to see the details, but once you made a full turn, you saw him, and before you could scream, he knocked you out.

Time Skip!~

Once you finally came... the first thing you saw was a rocky, wet ceiling. You sat up to see that you were once again in a cave. It was different, bigger, and less wet, but still horrible.

You felt your heart start to panic once again. Realizing that everything was about to repeat itself. You turned around to be surprised... it wasn't a black, rocky wall behind you... It was freedom.

You looked around. He was nowhere to be found. Slowly, your steps started to speed towards the supposed 'exit.' Only to be severely disappointed.

There appeared to be an invisible barrier keeping you from leaving the cave. You cried and cried, trying to break it. With each punch, kick, slam- it became harder for you to breathe... You started hyperventilating. Then you heard something. A twig snapped. Quickly you looked outside.

You saw a shadow- before you could even think it through you started screaming- "HELP!" Slamming the invisible barrier once again. Trying everything you could to escape.

Then suddenly, you heard something once again. This time it was coming from inside the cave...

It was footsteps. You stood still in silence, fearing the worst was about to happen.

You slowly turned around. Your mouth was slightly agape. Your face was freshly covered with dried tears, and some of your saliva was dripping down your chin, but you didn't care. You slowly turned around hoping that the person you see wasn't who you thought it was...

Sadly, luck wasn't on your side anymore as another tear slid down your cheek.

"Cry all you want, Y/n. But like I said before, You. Are. Never. Leaving. Me. Not ever again."

#once upon a time #once upon a time felix #once upon a time yandere felix #ouat yandere felix x reader #yandere felix x reader #ouat season 3 #ouat season 3 spoilers #ouat felix x reader #once upon a time fandom #once upon a time fanfiction

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ouatsqincorrect · 7 months

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I still wonder why Emma's powers told her that Regina was lying when she said she loved Henry in season one. Is it because Regina didn't know what love really was at that point, and thought of Henry more as what she deserved, a representation of her happy ending, or because Regina doubted her own ability to love? Did she love him without realising it or was she subconsciously holding herself back from love?

My take on that scene has always been Emma actually did know that Regina wasn’t lying, but there was something so off about the whole situation that she had to stick around and figure things out. Because you know, you can love someone but not love them right.

But if we’re arguing that Emma’s superpower actually did go off, I think that would be more representing of Emma’s feelings than of Regina’s because there is no way Regina doesn’t love Henry. She may not be very good at love right now, and he might not feel loved by her, but he has been her entire world since the moment she brought him home (even when she tried to take him back, as if she could’ve ever actually gone through with that)

I think Emma’s superpower…well, it’s kind of shit sometimes. And I think it only works when her emotions are somewhat in check. We see this multiple times throughout the show, and Snow even reminds Emma that her superpower has been known to be unreliable

#ask

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ouatsnark · 1 month

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Hi. This isn’t an ask or anything, just me ranting since this is the only place for it tbh. I literally can’t find any OUAT blogs that have similar opinions 😢

Anyway on to the rant

I absolutely HATE that they didn’t do more with Henry’s character! Henry is my favourite character in the show for many reasons, the main one being that he is the backbone of the entire show in my eyes. Without him, Emma never would’ve gone to Storybrooke, and there wouldn’t even be a show at that point.

Henry was a child at the beginning of the series (10 or 11, I don’t remember) so it gave them a lot of room to basically do whatever they wanted with him. I personally would’ve loved to see him go dark, but maybe that’s just me. It would’ve been cool to mix it up seeing as many of the villains in OUAT had a redemption arc of some sort, so seeing someone go from good to bad, instead of good to bad to good again, would’ve been interesting. Again, maybe that’s just me lol.

My point is, Henry being so young at the beginning they basically had a blank canvas and could’ve painted anything on it. Instead he turned out to be a lot like David (one of my least favourites in the show) which kind of pissed me off ngl.

And in my opinion, it would’ve made a lot of sense for Henry to turn bad. Let’s face it, he was never exactly treated fairly to say the least, especially as a child. I know a lot of people like to try and sugarcoat this or just plain act like it didn’t happen, but Regina was awful to him. And so was Emma. I want to sit here and list out all the shit they did to him, but that would be way too long and would take forever, so go back and watch the show if you don’t remember. Let’s just say it includes years of gaslighting, manipulation, and being so ignorant to the point where he had to poison himself because no one would listen to him, and that’s not even the half of it.

Henry always came across as someone who would be pretty morally grey to me, even if he was technically on the good side. Remember his little run-in with Cruella in the Underworld? I haven’t watched the show in a while so correct me if anything is incorrect, but didn’t he literally agree to work with her for something? (I can’t remember what LMAO) Even though she’s a villain. Regardless of the reason for working with her, I doubt you’d see Snow/Mary Margaret or David/Charming working with her, or even Regina at that stage in the series.

Even if they didn’t make him evil, they could’ve done literally anything with his character besides making him a near copy of Charming. They could’ve at least given him his own storyline (I know he technically had his own in S7, but I don’t count that because it was shit lmao, it wasn’t even the same actor 😭). Those two episodes where Henry had to go into the Heroes and Villains book to save his family were the best episodes in the series for me and it would’ve been amazing to see more of it.

Anyway so sorry for the long ass rant 😭😭 Really hope you can post this to see other people’s thoughts, but no pressure since I know you’re not as insane about Henry’s character as I am lmao 💀

So what do you guys think? Leave your thoughts in the comments (or reblogs)!

I lost all interest in Henry once they retconned him and ignored Regina's abuse just so they could have her join team hero.

Personally, I have never had a need to see heroes go dark. There seems to be this huge obsession with that as of late and I honestly don't get it. Like people wanted to see Dark Swan go all the way and I am like "no, no it makes her special that she was able to resist. So no." But alas that is my opinion on that. We had enough villains. I didn't need to see Emma's son become one.

#ouat fandom rant #henry mills

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roseunspindle · 3 months

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I get the feeling Jack and Castiel's redone heaven is a very different thing, besides no walls...

Like, it gives you thing's you want right?

So Dean of course wants Sam so even though it didn't seem like a long drive at a simple bridge stop, Sam's there.

Cas and Dean meet up soon after as well. It's not totally clear what happens between them, but they are running bar together shortly after and have their own house. It's odder when Benny, who was pretty sure he was morosely wandering Purgatory, a tiny amazon child in tow, then their walking out of the endless woods and come upon a bar. Dean's smile is radiant when he see's Benny, and so many things when he see's little Emma. In short order Benny has a spot behind the bar beside Dean while Castiel entertain's Emma with colorful drink parasols. (Jack show's up because he wishes to meet one of his siblings.)

Dean is somehow not surprised when Sam show's up with (he mocks delightedly) a vertaible harem. Madison apparently knows asl a bit and she and Eileen haven't stopped signing yet (Castiel joins in) Jess and Sam keeping giving eachother goopy eyes while Amy and Gabriel chat verbally. (Sam admits he already got to see Sarah, but that obvoiously her husband and daughter are with her.) Dean wonders if it's very selfish of him to be glad Sam's Amelia is nowhere to be seen.

Amy never speaks to him or acknowledges his existance. He accepts that as his jus deserts.

He isn't upset, like he thought he might be when Hannah comes in. (He does make a face at Balthazar but Bathazar makes a face right back so he thinks that's cool)

Jimmy and Amelia show up, and Cas, Sam, and Dean are happy to regale the two of all they know of Claire's life and accomplishments. Sam being the most recently dead knows the most. He and Jimmy get especially soppy over memories (and pictures) of Claire and Kaia's wedding.

Time probably passes. Dean, Benny, Cas, Balthazar and Hannah, little Emma in tow go home and return. They go on walks and drives. Sometimes he and Sam get together for a "just us drive". Sometimes Adam comes with. It's...slow going, but Dean and Sam try and Adam tries...Adam becomes much, much happier when a morose and apologetic Michael shows up. Dean figures he can't throw stones about ones eternal partner...(but he really wants to) (granted he also wishes Gabriel would stop with the eyebrows. He doesn't care if Sam is technically and old man...that is his baby brother why are those eyebrows waggling!) (Lenore who has also come by, her own bar coming into being directly across the street from Dean's, does the same thing. Sam looks delighted and helpess at all his loves. Lenore is a love he didn't even ever consider...but she's hear now and Dean whines because he was the brother with the vampire significant other...Sam's just copying him...) (This doesn't stop him from teaming up with the former trickster for an epic prank war.)

Henricksen makes his way to the bar. Along with sweet Nancy. Dean actually squeaks a bit when Benny gestures her behind the bar. He thinks he feels something like twelve with his first crush with her. It's something so very new and he thinks he likes it. Henricksen "I think you can call me Victor these days" drops by every now and then. He's on Dean's team for the prank war. (Nancy and Hannah get along great)

Dean, Sam (and Adam once he's introduced) are giddy when Henry Winchester arrives.

The real Meg Masters comes in at one point. Sam and Dean thank her again for trying with her last breaths to help them, she tries to aplogize for her angry ghost self but gives up with a happy laugh when they stick their fingers in their ears and sing until she stops. She has nothing to ever apologize for.

John and Mary come in...things are strained between them all. A lot of hurt...a lot of disappointment clouds their interactions. Emma tries to bite John's ankle.

Ash opts to live part time and the roadhouse and part time at Dean's bar, which mysteriously named itself Thursday's Child at some point. Dean also obediently goes to visit the roadhouse at Ellen and Jo's demand. Jo never work's at Dean's bar...but she does eventually make her way home with him and the rest. (Sam points out that he can't mock his number of significant other's anymore.)

Andy Gallagher, when he shows up, shepherding a scowly blonde goth girl and a sweet looking girl in front of him, zeroes in on Sam. He becomes Lenore's bar's resident "guy who sleeps on tables" but often follows Sam home. Lily (who made Sam look like he wanted to cry until the girl awkwardly kicked his shin and told him he tried and it wasn't his fault) and her girlsfriend mostly hang out at Lenore's when they pass through.

One person who goes to Sam's house, not the bar is Barry, the boy Sam had been friends with at Truman, not looking much older than when they were there. It's heartbreaking to think on. Sam does cry, when Barry knocks on his door one day. Interestingly enough, when he heads out to spend time with his friend...Sam is a child again for that time.

One day, when Dean takes a walk alone, he meets a young man. He knows him. Amy Pond's son. Dean accepts his earned censure and if Amy and he are with Sam, Dean know's he won't be seeing his brother that day.

Crowley, really, Fergus Macleod, shows up. He's on a bit of a time share with hell, he can't always be in heaven, his past as a demon being a bit problematic, but gets visiting rights.

More people come, Claire and Kaia, Garth (Dean no longer has any reservations about hugging Garth). Bess, Gertie, Little Cas and Littler Sam, Little Dean...a variety of folks that the winchesters or other's they know drop in and out. It's often busy and crowded and Dean is never truly alone.

It's Heaven.

#supernatural #heaven #i have feelings #this is ridiculous #the barrier between purgatory and heaven is thin for those who...should totally be in heaven #so many pairings #accidentally turned into a fic #destiel #dean x benny #sabriel #saileen #sam x madison #samjess #dean x nancy #victor henriksen #garth fitzgerald iv #sam x amy #Emma Winchester

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c0dmic · 4 months

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REGINA MILLS ANALYSIS

I may get things wrong, so I'm putting information I know of or believe in the most. I still may get it wrong, so correct me. I'm going to talk about Regina's problematic actions, relationships she was in, and a bit of widely talked about topics. Also, most of the posts about her are outdated and later proven to be wrong. So I had to put points that are now and have been canon since the show ended.

CONTAINS: Opinions

Regina Mill's personality goes easier throughout the show. From being manipulative to caring but still having that s1 spark. She expresses her caring to her old enemies, aka, The Charmings.

From the flashbacks, we see Regina adopt a child named Henry. She went from having almost full vengeance and revenge still pent up in her heart to having a mix of both love and darkness due to Henry.

Yes, Regina was rude to her citizens of Storybrooke. But most of what she did (in later seasons) was use sarcasm. Let's jump into her actions.

Problematic Actions:

- R4pe (Graham Specifically) for 28 years

- Manipulate Henry for years ( calling his 'theory' of fairytales fake)

- Violence (to Villages and People)

---

Let get into the r4pe part first. Of course, even as someone like a Regina stan should not excuse this behavior. Me, aka a person who likes her but doesn't excuse and will NEVER excuse her problematic actions, especially this one in particular.

Regina had raped Graham for around 28 years.

One sentence that implies it, even for a little bit, is in the episode where Graham (huntsman at the time) meets Regina for the first time. She says

"Take him to my bedchamber,"

I know it's short. But why else would someone say that. Just think about that.

And also the fact that Regina most definitely (for the curse) made Graham engage with her romantically and sexually. Even though it was obvious that he didn't like her that way in the Enchanted forest or most likely ever. Not to mention she had his heart, and in ouat logic hearts are used to control people, so when doing stuff with Regina both romantically and sexually, he was forced to because Regina gave him orders.

Now we go to Manipulating Henry.

For ten whole years, Henry has lived and grew up with Regina. He loved his mother (even though she's not his bio mom). Until Henry got the book, and Emma had revealed that Henry had a book and kept on saying everyone in town are fairytale characters that are cursed (which ofc is true). Regina, unknowing of her sons correct theory /speculation/ belief, was visibly shocked. And when she found out that Snow (Mary) had given the book to him, she didn't want that at all. And even set up Emma into saying that Henry was

'crazy' when Henry was nearby. So that she can attempt to stop him from thinking of his speculation and them bonding.

All of this was to make sure Henry couldn't connect and hate his birth mother so that she could have him as his own. And also because Henry was right, and she didn't want her son of ten years to hate her for her sins.

Explaining the cause of her actions. NOT JUSTIFING HER PROBLEMATIC ACTIONS, IM JUST EXPLAINING WHY SHE DID THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Justify means to show or prove to be right or reasonable.

While to explain means to be the cause of or motivating factor for an action.

I know explain has many definitions or ways to explain what it means and one means to justify. While mine means to simply explain the cause or motivation towards the action.

There's no doubt Cora was abusive to Regina. And before you start, there's different types of abuse. The abuse Cora does to Regina is Mental and Emotional. Maybe physical but still very debatable and unclear.

For emotional, Cora visibly and directly shows that Cora wants to control Regina. She wanted Regina to do something Regina didn't want just so Cora could have what SHE wanted. And Emotional abuse means to, "target a person's feelings, it uses emotions to manipulate, punish, and achieve control." That heavily reminds me of Cora killing Daniel to gain more control of Regina. And if you didn't already know.

And there's scenes where Cora would grab Regina forcefully with vines to STOP Regina from moving or walking away from her. Cora said in one of the scenes, "Don't you dare walk away from me!" Then proceed to grab Regina using vines from her Magic. Also, her father, Henry, said to Regina that Cora wanted control over her and if Regina continues with her evil actions, her mother had achieved to controlled her. Because, everything Cora did to Regina was calculated. Daniel's Death, The marriage, the abuse, and it was all to get Reina to become evil. In s2 i think, (the Angstiest Regina Season), Regina goes to Archie upset and with TEARS in her eyes because, she used magic, because she used magic. And she Didn't want to use magic against Henry like her mother. After she did so, she was upset because she broke her own promise to not use magic against Henry. Also because it reminded her of what her mother did to her, and she did want to pass it down for Henry.

Also Cora in s2, came Storybrooke (her daughters town) not only to reunite with Regina but to BREAK HER... like wtf. And Regina is Already upset because Henry is growing distant to her. But Cora, literally

frames her own daughter for murder. While the whole fucking town is already against her.

For Mental, theres an episode where Cora forms Regina's thoughts by saying, "Sometimes I wonder if the people actually like you". And Cora seems to have an influence in Regina's world view, of Wolf and Sheep. Regina States in the episode where she meets the huntsman (Graham).

(Got the episode part from a Tumblr poster from ouatanalysis) aka:

Now back to what I was saying about Cora. Cora had forced Regina into marriage. BUT as you could tell as time went on Regina had decided to use her relationship with Leopold to gain control, because that's what her mother said, about something along the lines of, "power is useful" before she sent her mother through the mirror.

And her mother sent her to a marriage with a broken old ass man who was still grieving his wife. Which lead to the neglect from Leopold to Regina. It was stated by Regina herself that Leopold would often leave Regina by herself at the castle that at points she felt like the 'Queen of Nothing'.

And for me i feel like Regina (forgive me for wording this part wrong) was considered her as a mourning tool. Like, "Oh my wife died 8 years ago, lets get another one to help with and to deal with me". Yes he may have also gotten Regina because she seemed like a good mother figure fit for Snow, but still, most likely half the woman population of Leopolds age from Leopolds kingdom would save Snow from the horse in a heartbeat if they were there and they would show genuine feelings for Leopold. However, he chooses, a woman who's 18 and lives away.

Not only Cora and Leopold influenced Regina's bad perspective and actions, Rumple also did too.

Rumple saw Regina as a person wanting power and wanting to stand out and not seem as weak and took the opportunity as the dark one to turn Regina evil.

Regina at first was hesitant to say that she liked using magic due to her not wanting to be like her mother and also due to her mother's actions with her, with magic.

But time happens and Regina uses more and more of magic for evil and frightens villages and kills Villagers who helped Snow in the slightest bit.

I still stan her because she changed, she's reformed and she would never do that stuff again (r4pe, use magic against Henry or manipulate him, or m4ss murd3r).

ANYWAYS, this was heavily controversial. But if your going to criticize/correct parts, be respectful and mature about it instead of wanting to start a riot. Saying "Fuck you", "Go die in a hole", "Kys", "I hope your house burns down". And be respectful, if you want to critigue/correct me at certain parts, by all means, go ahead, but tell me what parts I went wrong instead of telling me to kms.

NOTE: This is from May 2023, but I just remembered this now. And parts didn't make sense so I changed it up to make it better.

#regina mills #anaylsis #tw: opinions #ouat #once upon a time #anti king leopold #storybrooke #this is so long #ouat s1 #ouat fandom

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happy-emmdings · 1 year

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Been enjoying your polls lately! do you have any headcannons on how you think cs live their married + family life? Like their habits, their kids, their jobs, their last names etc etc (also so happy you have asks now!!!)

Hi!!

Yes, I sure do have some! Maybe more then you asked for😅

But I have to say that I didn't watch season 7 and though I have a general idea what happens in it, I could not possibly be more confused about its timeline so... let's just say „I've elected to ignore it".

For their honeymoon, Emma and Killian go on a long cruise along the East Coast (there are many advantages to marrying the real Captain Hook), maybe to Florida and back and they make several stops along the way in different places. Killian explores more of the strange land without magic (and with way too much technology) with Emma as his guide and it’s very fun and wholesome

Of course, they inevitably interact with regular people and there is so much comedic potential in that. Obviously because Killian is 200-year-old pirate from another realm but it's time for Emma to realize that she's not the normal person constantly bewildered by the existence of fairytale characters anymore... she's one of the magic freaks now, she has to stop herself midsentence before she accidentally says something that would sound insane

Just imagine Emma and Killian finding themselves at a bar, getting to know some friendly strangers and they start playing Never have I ever... infinite possibilities how that could get increasingly weird

They have an adventure in the Bermuda triangle too, because nothing can be normal for Storybrooke's heroes

Hope Swan Jones is born 2 years after the end of season 6 and she adores her big brother Henry, even though their dynamic is still more like young uncle/niece because of the big age gap but they get full sibling energy when it comes to an argument

Swan is her middle name just to confuse everyone

I've always imagined Hope with dark hair and green eyes even though blond Hope seems to be much more popular. Now I'm contemplating the possibility of dirty blond

The jury is still out on whether or not they would have more than one kid but I suck at coming up with names so🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Emma continues to be Storybrooke's sheriff which at this point just means being the Savior. Let's be real Storybrooke hasn't enforced a single law since the first curse was broken and it’s not like deputy Captain Hook has ever had a lot of regard for law, but... They try to maintain order more or less. Things do get more peaceful, but it's still Storybrooke so of course stuff happens from time to time but nothing traumatizing or apocalyptic. Nevertheless, Emma and Killian solve occasional mysteries together and keep Storybrooke citizens safe

Killian is the first member of Belle's Book Club, because he supports his friend Belle when she decides to start organizing fun activities at the library. You just know he read the original version of The Odyssey. Other book club members include for example August, sister Astrid and Leroy (who is only there for Astrid and their will-they-won't-they non-discreet romance annoys Killian to no end because he's not a bloody matchmaker why are they asking him what the other thinks of them)

The Swan-Jones family goes sailing on their family vacations every summer!

Make it a joint family vacation with Belle and little Gideon. Belle finally gets to travel and Hope and Gideon become unlikely childhood friends.

There's also at least one Swan-Jones and Charmings camping trip that includes Snow teaching Hope and Leo how to make a fire and build shelter in the wilderness, sword duels with sticks, stargazing, campfire songs, so many campfire songs! (they all have such beautiful singing voices and they should use them) This is also time for Emma to bond with her parents and experience something she didn't have as a kid

"Eat some bloody vitamins" dad Killian vs. "Popcorn mixed with milk duds" mom Emma

Killian Jones cannot look at a child he has some connection to without being like "Welp looks like I have to teach this little pirate everything there is to know about sailing and navigating by the stars and secret maps, I simply must, it's the code..." So Hope can tie every kind of knot there is and becomes an expert in old timey boat stuff by middle school

She loves it because 1) it's a special thing she and her dad can bond over 2) it makes her feel cool and smart 3) she's a total nerd 4) she inherited the innate love for the ocean that runs in her dad's side of the family

Hope has magic but she's not super good at it, Emma helps her practice and sometimes pulling an innocent prank on dad or grandpa is part of the practice

Killian makes so many dad jokes. And so does Emma

Killian sings Hope to sleep when she's little and Emma reads bedtime stories to her

Sometimes she reads something like Winnie the Pooh and Hope asks if Winnie the Pooh is also real and Emma shuts the book and stares at the wall and has an existential crisis for a second because who knows at this point he might as well be??

So, these are some of them that I salvaged from the absolute chaos that is my notes app... Thanks for the ask❣️

#in my alternate season 7 henry goes to college #(and maybe drops out has a quarter life crisis and goes to some magic land to collect stories)#that might be similar to actual season 7 i guess #but i’d have henry meet sheherezade and they would be like story-collector rivals/partners/friends/maybe love interests #they’d just have a thing #that’s fully inspired by d20: neverafter btw #but without the horror stuff #putting this in the tags because its kinda off topic #i’m still developing this idea #captain swan #killian jones #emma swan #hope swan jones #the swan jones family #ouat headcanon #answered asks

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exhaustedpirate · 9 months

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parent for hire

Ready for the third chapter? hope so 'cause here it is! Again, if you'd like to be included in the tag list, let me know! And again, let us do the wave for @kmomof4 for being an angel sent from the skies!

Chapter Three - Oz

word count: 7,867 words

rating: Teen and Up

tag list: @cocohook38 ; @bluewildcatfanatic ; @piraterefrigerator

read on AO3 | prologue | one | two

"Killian, Killian, look!"

Henry's enthusiastic whisper, and subsequent shaking, woke Killian up in the gray light of dawn. He had fallen asleep! However, when his eyes fell on Emma, he felt a smirk grow on his face. She seemed to be waking up as well.

Her eyes went through the same surprise-to-chagrined expression he had. When her gaze caught on his, he flashed her a victorious grin. She rolled her eyes and he couldn't help the widening of his smile.

"Killian!" Henry's repeated whisper brought Killian's attention back to him.

The boy hadn't witnessed the interaction between them as he seemed to be focused on something else. Something worthy of waking everyone up.

A deer.

Since all of them had been asleep, the animal obviously hadn't considered them a threat and felt comfortable enough to pasture a scant few feet across from them. Even Henry's light steps didn't seem to startle the animal.

"I see, lad. It seems we'll have a feast today." He grinned. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Emma quietly nocking an arrow in the small bow on her wrist.

Henry's eyes moved between the two of them before they widened in alarm.

"No!"

His shout alerted the deer who took off running as Emma's arrow embedded itself in the tree trunk near where his head would have been. They both turned to the boy.

"Henry!" Emma sounded indignant.

"We couldn't eat her!" Henry's tone matched hers.

"Well, we certainly can't now!" Emma replied.

He sent a glare to the new addition to their crew before turning back to the boy.

"At some point, we might have to, Henry." Killian chastised lightly. His tone was calmer, confident in the fact that they still had rations in the satchel, even with the extra mouth to feed, but that wouldn’t last forever.

Henry's eyes seemed to shine and he could see the innocence and wonder behind them. That had been ripped from his eyes decades ago. It would be a tragedy to see that happen to the boy as well. From the corner of his eye, he watched as Emma's indignation deflated - perhaps thinking the same thing he was.

"We should keep going." Emma's voice was softer than it had been before and Henry seemed to take a deep breath.

"We need water. Do you want to go fill the canteens, lad?"

Henry nodded, filling his arms with the three canteens and making his way to the river.

"Don't start with your self-righteous bullshit, you were thinking the same." Emma had barely waited for the boy to make it past the treeline before she turned to him with crossed arms.

"I'm not starting anything," Killian started, matching her posture. "We know how the world works, Henry doesn't." He watched as her arms softened their hold. "We need to be gentle with him."

"You're not the boy's father, you know? You are just the navigator, he's going to leave." She paused for a moment. "They always do." Her voice was soft at the end, and Killian didn’t know how he knew, but he knew that while her words were harsh, there was something else she was holding back.

He took a deep breath, hoping his eyes reflected his feelings. He didn't know why it mattered to him that she knew but it felt like the same reason he wanted to protect Henry.

"I am aware. I simply don't want him to go through the same things I have." Killian watched as Emma's eyes widened a fraction proving him right. "If there's anything I can do to protect him, I will. I won't let some prophecy get in the way of that."

Her arms lowered to her sides as he spoke. Her eyes were shuttered, even if he had already seen the recognition, the sameness he expected to see.

"I've got them!" Henry's voice calling through the treeline broke through the tension between them. Killian helped the boy store the waterskins in their satchels.

"Let's keep going," Emma finally said, preparing her own things for the journey.

---

It was interesting. It should have been an awkward journey - two people who, just the day before, had been about to kill each other and a child who was very much not theirs. It should have been a silent journey full of tension.

Yet, Henry had all this charm, all this kindness and so much of his childish, innocent energy. And, despite their previous tension, he seemed to have already put it behind them.

"I thought I would fly, you know? All of the fairies flew, it made sense that I could, too." It was lucky that they were keeping such a calm pace or else Henry's animated gestures would have caused him to fall from atop Roger.

"I'm assuming you were unable to fly?" Emma's amused tone was a sight to see. For someone who appeared to be so single-minded - mostly toward killing him - it was clear that Henry brought out this new side to her.

"Oh, not at all! I tried jumping from a tree and if it wasn't for Silvermist, I would have gotten really hurt." Henry frowned. "She kept me under close eye for a whole moon. She was really angry."

"She was only trying to keep you safe, lad," Killian explained from the other side of the horse, where he held the reins.

"I know, I know." The boy sighed. "That whole time, there was fog and rain and-"

Killian paused, pausing Henry's story as well, Roger stopping along with him as he still held the reins. It took a moment before Emma noticed that they were stopped.

"Why did we stop?" Henry asked, leaning down to the horse's head to pet it.

He could feel Emma's questioning glance as well, but he wanted to be sure. Removing his map and compass from the satchel, he checked them. And checked them again. Confusedly satisfied, he looked at his companions.

"It seems we've reached Oz," Killian announced with a frown that the others matched.

Killian put away his tools before he urged them forward. He explained - he had heard stories of Oz's gleaming fields, grass like gemstones and a constant shining rainbow in the sky. What they were seeing, however, was not anywhere near that description. The skies were dark, clouds overshadowing the land. The fields were dulled, no life able to survive in it.

The only source of color in the overwhelming gray landscape came from the large castle far in the distance. It looked as he had heard from the stories he had been told, the ones he recounted to his companions, a castle made of the purest green stones. A beacon of light and hope. Now, it looked ominous in the oppressive foreground.

But Oz wasn't deserted, as they soon found out. Instead of the animated, singing Munchkins however, the people were quiet, functioning mechanically.

"Hi!" Henry called to the closest worker, Killian and Emma standing protectively on both sides of the horse.

Together, they watched as the Munchkin raised his head to look at them, alarm clear in his expression. He looked up to the sky as the other workers alternated between doing the same and looking at each other, whispering at the same time, making the trio uneasy.

The Munchkins contemplated them. Before Killian could make the decision to leave this uneasy situation, a screech a few miles away caught all their attention. Some of the Munchkins yelped in fear, all of them but the closest one resuming their work automatically as if they had never stopped.

"Follow the yellow brick road!" The words fell from his lips in a rushed whisper as he pointed with his head towards the beginning of a once golden brick road, but was now only a sickly, pale yellow with many bricks broken or missing completely. "Hurry!"

They watched as the worker focused back on the land. The screeches grew louder and, in the distance, they saw a large winged beast flying fast towards them.

"Come on, let's go." Killian pulled the reins towards the beginning of the road, Emma following.

As they made their way toward the road, they heard the workers begin singing. Their voices were far from the happy working song Killian expected from the tales he’d heard. It sounded more like a plea to anyone who would listen than anything else. Henry kept his eyes on the workers for a while until they were no longer visible. The creature didn't follow them but that didn't erase the eerie feeling Oz gave them. They made sure to keep a steady but rushed pace.

"Is it safe to assume that this road leads directly to that castle?" Emma asked from the other side of the horse, voicing Killian's thoughts. "I don't expect the royalty of a place like that to be particularly benevolent…" she added, pointing towards the castle in the distance.

"Cygnus directed us this way," Killian answered as if that was enough and not just a way to justify that they were headed towards danger.

"And these people need help," Henry voiced from atop the horse. "You saw how scared that Munchkin was."

Killian and Emma's eyes caught each other. A moment of understanding passed between them regardless of their animosity. It was unavoidable and they knew it. All they could do was make sure that they would leave victorious.

The landscape didn't improve the longer they followed the road. Houses began appearing - some abandoned, others trying to create some semblance of home in the depressing countryside. Most were a reflection of the fall of Oz.

As they continued walking, more Munchkins appeared in the fields and homes. All told them the same thing, to follow the yellow brick road. There was fear, worry, and yet, an overwhelming hope in their eyes. That seemed to make Henry more determined to save them all. Killian felt the weight of the responsibility for so many people's fates and he could feel Emma's discomfort as well.

The closer they got to the castle, the clearer he was able to see that what he thought had been birds flying around the castle's high towers were in fact the same winged beasts that had gone after the Munchkins in the field.

Halfway up the road's path, they heard a much closer screech. Instinctively, Killian grabbed Henry off Roger, holding him close to his chest. He heard a swish and a closer screech. Looking up, he saw the beast retreat.

"Are you alright, lad?" Killian asked after setting Henry down.

The child nodded, seemingly even more determined now.

"The welcoming party wasn't too welcoming," Emma huffed, closing the crossbow for a more comfortable fit on her wrist.

"What were they?" Henry asked, Killian's hand on his shoulder keeping him close.

"They had the bodies of monkeys but with wings," Emma answered.

"Bloody fantastic," Killian mumbled, handing the reins to Henry, hoping to keep both the boy close and his hand free in case of any more attacks. "Let's carry on before more of them decide to welcome us as well."

Out of some eerie luck, no more flying monkeys crossed their path even if their screeches could be heard close by. It seemed that whoever reigned in Oz now, had them under surveillance. A look towards Emma told him that she agreed with him - they were most likely heading towards a trap.

The shiny emerald castle rose ahead of them, making it clear to them that it was untouched by the destruction around it. As expected, the yellow brick road continued through ominous and suspiciously opened large emerald gates.

It was enough to have Killian and Emma slow their steps but Henry, unaware, pulled Roger forward. Killian placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and noticed Emma do the same, before following the boy.

Killian looked around them. The courtyard seemed deserted but that wasn't any relief. He could still see the beasts flying around the tallest tower clearly waiting for the signal to attack. There was an itch at the back of his neck. He felt watched.

"What is that?" Henry's question brought his attention back to the ground.

Someone had removed the bricks from the ground of the courtyard, a wide circle made of dirt instead of bricks in the center. They had carved a symbol on that circle, what looked like a strange compass.

Following Henry's pointed finger, he saw a large metal bowl sitting on one of the symbol’s points. There was a baby's rattle inside it, looking much too small for the big bowl.

"Another one, there." Emma pointed this time.

They noticed, then, that in three other points, the same type of bowls were placed. In one, there was a book - leather-bound, cracked and clearly aging. In the other, a broken bow and a bloodied arrow. And the last one, completely empty.

“That doesn’t bode well,” Emma murmured.

“Aye,” Killian agreed. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

"I see you're admiring my masterpiece." A voice sounded from the gemstone pillars startling them into action.

Emma unsheathed her sword at the same time as Killian, both turning to the voice and standing closer to Henry. A woman stood against the pillar, her nonchalant posture belied by the wicked grin on her face. She had vibrant red hair and her skin matched the green surrounding her.

"Who are you?" Emma asks.

"I should be asking you that, since you're the ones invading my castle." The woman was casual in her accusation, strutting a few steps forward.

"Your gates were wide open, I assumed it was an invitation." Killian hoped his unconcerned tone disguised the disconcerting feeling her unexpected presence gave him.

"As you can see, I'm not particularly welcoming." Her arm gestured towards the empty courtyard with a wide grin. "You don't become the Great Witch of the West by letting just anyone in."

"More like ‘Wicked Witch of the West’," Henry mumbled from behind the two adults.

But with the empty courtyard and the screeching flying beasts so high in the sky, his words were easily heard by the witch who cackled amusedly. Her eyes sparked as they settled on Henry. There was something about the predatory glint in them that disturbed Emma and Killian and they moved closer together, attempting to shield him.

"Don't hide now, dear." Zelena's grin widened as she took a few steps closer to the three of them. "I have been waiting for you."

It shouldn't have surprised any of them. Killian had been preparing for the possibility that they were heading towards a trap, regardless of the desperation in the Munchkin’s face and bolstered by the confidence that they would be victorious. But to stand face-to-face with it, knowing that he would have to fight against a self-proclaimed witch to protect the young child, unsure whether he could trust Emma in this situation, was an all-together different trouble.

"You'll find that getting to him won't be as easy as you think," Killian threatened, keeping his hooked arm in front of Henry.

"And here I was, worried that it would be." For a moment, Killian thought the witch's face would split in half from the wideness of her grin. "Let's spice things up, shall we?"

The witch raised her arms towards the sky and the circling beasts suddenly descended towards them. Their screeches quickly became deafening as they approached.

Focusing on the flying monkeys for only an instant, Killian saw the witch's hand twist and before they knew it, Henry had disappeared from their side in a cloud of green smoke.

"Henry!" Emma shouted, the worry in her voice matching the fear blooming in his chest. A moment later, her cry was overwhelmed by the noise from the beasts as they reached them.

Killian's focus was split - he was desperately worried for Henry but the onslaught of the flying monsters stopped them from making any sort of offensive move.

With a sword swipe at the beast closest to him, Killian stopped its charge at Emma. As soon as there was a break in the attacks, he focused on Henry, the witch holding his face in her hand, speaking close. Before he could make a move in his defense, a ball of white light struck close enough to the witch that she released Henry.

Killian turned towards Emma, her eyes ablaze with her hands held out. The air sparked around her, and he could see the same desperation to protect Henry in her eyes that he felt within himself. Perhaps he really could trust her.

The moment he was free, Henry ran towards Emma and Killian, dodging the attacks from the flying monkeys the entire way. Killian tried to make his way towards the child only to find his way blocked by more of the beasts.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Emma finally reach Henry. He was too occupied trying to protect himself from the monster’s aggression to help her, but he could just see her holding him close as she used her magic to defend him from the witch's magic.

A loud groan from his two companions distracted him from a flying monkey rushing at him. Before he could defend himself, the beast turned to dust in front of him. Once the dust settled, he saw a dark-haired woman where the creature had been with a sword in her hand. Not in attack, however, and he quickly realized that she had just saved him.

With a nod at his rescuer - that she returned - Killian focused his attention on Henry and Emma. They were both wielding their magic defensively against the witch. As much as he wanted to rush towards them, there was no respite from the flying beasts.

"Zelena!" The newcomer called out to the witch.

A wide wicked grin bloomed on Zelena's face, even as her attacks stopped, when her gaze landed on the young woman. "Miss Dorothy Gale has decided to join the party!" she cackled.

Clearly, they were at a disadvantage. The witch was easily blocking the bursts of magic from Henry and Emma - who had now abandoned her own in favor of her weapons - and there were still about a dozen flying monkeys hovering around the courtyard. Henry's eyes were tired, but Dorothy's unexpected presence brought an air of confidence to Killian and his companions that might just give them the drive they needed to win.

An arrow swished through the air, seemingly out of nowhere, turning a flying monkey to dust. "I'm not the only one wanting to end your reign of terror, Zelena." Dorothy grinned as another arrow found its target.

Before they could even take a breath, Zelena let out a shout of rage. A green blast from the witch threw everyone out of balance, the screeches of the flying monkeys becoming deafening.

"Oz is mine!" Zelena's scream rose over the cacophony.

Killian rushed towards Emma and Henry to protect them from the flying beasts, his sword cutting a path through his adversaries. Dorothy stood beside them, all their efforts in sync to defeat the witch and protect their little party.

He heard it before he saw it, one of the flying creatures dodging the arrows from Dorothy's archers was flying directly towards their new ally. He felt Emma at his back, her sword focused on the flying monkey hovering over Henry, who was using his magic to protect them against Zelena. Killian’s hand quickly reached for her free wrist, where she carried a crossbow. As if he knew exactly how to use it, he activated the mechanism, shooting an arrow right between the eyes of the flying monkey attacking Dorothy.

The screech behind him told him that Emma, despite the distraction, disposed of her own attacker. She shot him a glare at his action and he grinned right back at her.

"It seems we make quite the team."

"Watch out!" Emma's eyes widened as she pushed him away.

It all happened too fast. A green blast of energy flew inches away from his head, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Emma's arm in the talons of one of the beasts.

"Emma!" Henry cried, panic in his voice.

Emma's sword swiped back and forth, hoping to catch the animal. Killian moved toward where the beast was trying to fly away with her still in its clutches only to have to move back and protect Henry when another blast of energy nearly caught the both of them.

Both Killian and Henry let out a sigh of relief when Emma's sword finally caught its target and the creature dropped her to the ground.

"You all will regret this!"

Dorothy ran toward the witch, but his attention moved quickly to Henry when Zelena's attack was aimed directly at him. Without a second thought, Killian grabbed the boy in his arms and pulled him away, the blast catching his leg and making them both fall to the ground. Henry looked up at him, fear hidden behind determination, and nodded, silently telling him that he was okay.

A screeching yell called all their attention to the witch. For a moment, Killian expected to see her dead body on the ground, a feeling of regret in his chest at the thought that he wouldn't be the one to kill her. But instead, Dorothy stood over Zelena's kneeled form with what looked to be a necklace in her hand. Without hesitation, she punched the witch's face, toppling her to the floor.

With a victorious smile, Dorothy turned to the rest of the courtyard, fist raised high over her head. "The witch is gone!"

They might not have been able to see their hidden allies, but they could certainly hear the cheers from the castle's walls. With the witch defeated, what was left of her flying army fell one by one to the ground.

Killian helped Henry to his feet as he called out to Emma, rushing towards her as soon as he could. Killian followed, telling himself that he didn’t want to let the boy out of his sight, but the image of her being dragged away still replayed in his mind.

His leg was tender, making him limp to where Henry helped Emma to her knees. She held the boy's hands for a moment before running her own over his face.

"Are you alright, Henry? Did she get you?" Desperation colored her words and fear filled her eyes.

He couldn’t help but relate.

"I'm alright. I'm not hurt, just tired." Henry seemed to think that wrapping his arms around Emma's neck in a comforting hug would help. And, despite her initial shock and stillness, it did, her arms wrapping around him, too. "You both kept me safe."

Killian placed his hand on the boy's head when the hug ended. "It's as I said, we seem to make quite the team." He smiled at Henry before his eyes settled on Emma's.

They may not have known each other for long, but he thought he was beginning to understand her. Perhaps even understand each other. Relief, joy, and fear filled her eyes. He didn’t know what Emma had gone through in her past, but it seemed that whatever it was made her wary, afraid to trust. He knew it because he felt it, too. He never thought he would trust her, but as he watched her fight against this common enemy with the same determination that filled his chest, he now knew that he could.

"Thank you so much for your help." Dorothy's voice broke through their moment, Emma rising to her feet even as she kept close to Henry.

"We should probably be thanking you," Emma said, sincerely. Killian nodded in agreement.

"We've been waiting for the right moment to get to her and you guys provided it for us,” Dorothy explained. “Zelena's tyrannical reign is finally over."

"What will happen to her?" Henry asked with a concerned look towards the still unconscious witch.

Dorothy seemed to finally take notice of Henry, her eyes widening slightly.

"Oh, well, Glinda, the Good Witch, told us we needed to take Zelena's necklace since it was the source of her power," she explained as she held out the now-dull emerald gem for them to see. "Now that she's powerless, we'll keep her in the dungeons."

"And her magic?" Emma asked, nodding towards the necklace.

"I'm going to take this back to Glinda. She'll keep it safe."

The wariness Killian felt was obviously shared by his companions as they looked at each other. Dorothy noticed.

"This magic, for better or worse, is Zelena's alone. No one else can use it. Glinda and the other witches will keep it safe," their new friend and ally assured them.

It didn't exactly satisfy Killian to know that it wasn't going to be destroyed. Henry reached for the necklace as Dorothy pulled her hand away slightly. He didn’t take it, or even try to, his hand hovering over it. His nose wrinkled in disgust. "She's right, the magic can't get out without Zelena taking it." Killian's hand squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "Her magic feels funny."

"Who is he?" Dorothy asked, looking at Killian and Emma as if they were insane for bringing a child to a battle, as if they had had the choice.

"I'm Henry," the child answered with a bright grin towards Dorothy, pushing past the unpleasant experience of the necklace's magic.

Dorothy frowned, her eyes drifting to the adults perhaps hoping for a better answer. Killian and Emma shrugged with a grin.

"He's Henry," Killian confirmed, ruffling the boy's hair who grinned up at him. "I'm Killian," he continued, extending his hand to her.

Dorothy took his hand and gave it a firm shake. Killian worried that their insistence on mystery might cause them to lose an ally but they needed to keep Henry safe. Dorothy seemed to understand that. She turned to Emma expectantly.

"Emma," she answered, extending her hand to shake the other woman's but the movement made her wince. Pushing back her torn sleeve, they saw the deep scratches from the beast's talons.

"You guys are hurt, let us help." The young woman looked around, where Munchkins had begun to spread around the courtyard in celebration. She pointed towards two Munchkins who were disinfecting another one's wound by the gates. "Boq and Jinjur can help you guys." She paused for a moment as she turned her attention back to them. "We'll be having a celebration tonight. We want to thank you for your help."

"I think we should carry on our journey as soon as possible," Emma explained, looking around at the surprising amount of Munchkins warily.

"There will be food and drinks, you'll have fun. It's the least we could do."

"Food?" Henry's ears perked up from where he had been looking at all the newcomers. He turned towards the two adults with a wide grin and pleading eyes. "Please, can we stay? Please?"

Killian tried to hide his smirk as he turned to Emma who sighed in defeat. She turned to him as if asking for help, but he could only shrug.

"I would enjoy food that hasn't been in my horse's satchel for days," Killian answered, gesturing towards where Roger was being petted by Munchkin children.

"Alright, we'll stay," Emma acquiesced, turning to Henry.

Henry's cheers were echoed by the rest of the Munchkins and Killian could see that Emma smiled by the shape of her eyes, her care for the boy clear among the green.

---

"There seems to be some sort of disturbance in Oz, Your Majesty."

The voice from the circular mirror was enough to break the silence. The tall dark haired woman's attention stayed on the view from the balcony, the empty and destroyed landscape more interesting than the mirror's news.

"The whole place is disturbed, what's new?"

"It seems Zelena has been defeated."

That finally got the Queen's attention.

"Interesting… By who?"

The face in the mirror disappeared only to be replaced by an enraged Zelena sending a blast towards her adversaries. The green ball of magic was aimed at a dark-haired boy who escaped it with the help of an adult all in black. Regina watched as a brunette used Zelena's distraction to remove the glowing green pendant from her neck. Without her power, the screeches of the flying monkeys ceased and she fell to her knees, defeated.

"The peasant girl finally defeated the witch, I see."

The masculine face in the mirror nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"And who was the boy? And the man?"

There was a swirling motion on the mirror's surface. It finally settled on a better view of the man's face with a wide grin as he drug a handcuffed and ragged man into a building.

"Killian Jones, as I live and breathe."

"You need to give me more interesting bounties, Smee."

With that exchange, the mirror returned to its original state.

"I see. But why would a bounty hunter have such an interest in a boy's life?"

The situation was getting more and more intriguing.

"Zelena seemed to have an interest in the boy as well, Your Majesty."

"Oh?"

The mirror's surface focused on Zelena's deranged face inches from the frightened face of the child. The screeches of the flying monkeys almost impeded Regina from hearing what Zelena said to the boy. Almost.

"Finally, my spell will be complete."

"Let go of me!"

"The Heart of the Truest Believer… so close, within my grasp."

"You'll never win, villains never do."

Regina watched as the boy faked bravery in the face of such malice.

"The boy certainly has spunk," Regina said with an amused chuckle. "So that filthy pirate was speaking the truth, I almost feel bad about throwing him in the dungeons." Her faux-guilty pout was short-lived as she laughed.

The mirror laughed with her until a look from her silenced him.

"Just as well that she is gone, it would be a waste to have her hold that much power."

"The power should be yours, Your Majesty."

"You're damn right! But why worry about a one-handed bounty hunter when I can just be rid of him?" She shrugged as a mischievous grin widened her lips.

"Excellent idea, my Queen," the mirror bolstered.

With a twirl of her wrist, a puff of purple smoke revealed a glowing red heart in her hand. "Huntsman!" she called, her lips close to the organ.

It wasn’t long before a rugged-looking man appeared in the room with a reluctant bow towards the Queen.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" His voice was monotone, defeated, tired.

"I'm going to need you to get rid of someone for me." Regina pointed towards the mirror which showed a static image of the bounty hunter.

"How do you wish for me to do that?"

"A little gift from Wonderland." A jar appeared in her hand at her words. "Aim for the heart. It's a slow and painful poison and we want results, right?"

The Huntsman was silent as he tried to rebel against his captor. He was, however, brought to his knees when Regina tightened her grip around his heart. "Right, Huntsman?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." He spoke through clenched teeth before he grabbed the jar from the Queen's hands.

"Very good." She grinned at him, grabbing his chin to force his gaze upon her. "Make me proud. And bring me the boy."

The Huntsman averted his eyes as he stood up and left the room, Regina's sadistic laughter following him through the door.

---

Killian and Emma settled down on the edge of the courtyard with the Munchkins tasked with seeing to their wounds from the battle.

He noticed while they were being treated that Emma’s shoulders didn’t relax, despite their victory. Boq tapped at the scratches on her hand and arm with a soft cloth, both uncovered before him for the first time since he'd known her. Her sharp intake of breath brought his attention to her face.

She was in pain, unsurprisingly, but behind the pain, he saw apprehension. She was exposed - however limited - defenseless, a position she was clearly not used to. Her eyes found his when he too winced with pain at the treatment the other Munchkin applied on him.

"It seems gratitude is in order, Swan," he said, hoping to distract them both from the situation.

"For what?"

"For helping me protect Henry." The frown disappeared from her face.

"I told you that my job is to protect him. So that's what I was going to do." Her eyebrow rose as amusement filled her eyes.

"My apologies for not promptly trusting the person who had had her blade at my neck," he replied sarcastically, no accusation in it.

"I hope now we can learn to trust each other," she said, her eyes pensive and clearly wanting to follow her own advice. He couldn't help but agree with it.

Once the healers were done with them, they turned their attention back out to the courtyard. For all that Zelena's reign of tyranny had drained the life of many of the Munchkins, they put together their celebration quickly. There was no trace of the witch's hand on the courtyard. Or even the witch herself, for that matter.

There was a large fire where the strange carvings had been, warming up the clear and cool night. A few Munchkins were gathered between two emerald pillars, strange musical instruments spouting a tune of merriment and revelry. A large table was filled to the brim with sweet and savory food and drinks of all kinds - every Munchkin donating their efforts to their celebration.

The Munchkins called Dorothy to the fire and expressed their desire to make her their leader since she had saved them and also considered Oz her home. Her discomfort with all the attention was clear when she accepted to the loud cheers of the Munchkins, even as she looked upon all of them with affection.

Dorothy then extended her gratitude towards the trio who received their own round of cheers. Henry seemed to take it all in stride, smiling and waving at the surrounding Munchkins - his exhaustion after the strenuous magic use far from his mind after the short nap he had been able to take. Killian had simply nodded in recognition while Emma seemed to want to hide.

They got separated afterwards, Killian moving to Henry's side to make sure he was okay, while Emma was pulled into conversation with Dorothy. Conversation that both women seemed to enjoy. He watched as Dorothy spoke animatedly with her hands and Emma’s shoulders finally relaxed enough that she appeared to be enjoying the evening. Dorothy seemed to be a tenacious woman, hardened by her past. He had felt the same kinship with her as he had with Emma and Henry - it seemed orphans stuck together.

Killian couldn't help but feel this warm feeling in his chest at seeing Emma acclimating to their surroundings, at seeing her finding friendship with someone else. He tried to ignore the voice in his head that wanted her attention, that wanted to discover more about her.

His thoughts were interrupted by Henry sitting by his side.

"Nimmie gave me this for you." Henry held a warm beverage out to him, noticing how he had another, half-full, in his hand. "She says she made this one specially for you."

With a confused frown, Killian set down the cup he held and grabbed Henry’s, bringing it to his nose. A chuckle escaped him as he noticed the stinging smell of alcohol - not enough to overwhelm the taste of the chocolate drink but enough to warm his bones.

"Thank you, Henry." Killian smiled at the boy before catching Nimmie's eyes and raising the drink towards her. The Munchkin blushed with a smile towards him. "Cheers, lad." Turning back to Henry, they clinked their drinks together.

Taking a sip, the warmth filled him completely, fortifying him for the cooling weather. A sigh of satisfaction escaped him and then a chuckle as he saw Henry copying his action. When their eyes met, they both laughed.

A flash around Henry's neck from the firelight caught his eye at their shared mirth.

"What's that, lad?" he asked, pointing toward it with the hand still holding the cup.

Henry grasped the chain and blushed. "Oh," he said, a note of trepidation in his voice. "I, umm, I found it in your satchel…" Putting his drink down, Henry removed the chain from around his neck.

Killian put down his own drink and looked at the chain, now curled around Henry's small hand, the ring at the end almost glowing in the light from the fire. His breath hitched in his throat as he held out his hand for Henry to pass the ring to him.

"I'm sorry…" Henry said as Killian silently inspected the ring. "I just thought… it was so beautiful and it felt so warm and-"

"This was my mother's," Killian interrupted him quietly. He didn’t need the boy's apologies. He wasn’t angry. "I thought I'd lost it."

It had been missing since they started their journey to Oz. He thought he had lost it on the way.

"I'm sorry…" he repeated.

Killian couldn't handle Henry's guilt, not when he didn’t need to feel guilty in the first place. So he flashed the boy a weak reassuring smile, his emotions raging under the surface, hopefully not showing on his face. The boy quieted, hands fidgeting as he tried to still them between his knees.

"My brother gave it to me before he died,” he murmured. “It was the only thing we had of our mother… of our family." Killian could feel the emotions rolling off of the boy, if only because the air felt like it sparked. "He used to say that it would protect us… Our good luck charm."

The image of Henry in Zelena's grasp flooded his brain. He remembered how he had felt such crippling fear and the urge overtaking him to just hold the boy, making sure he was safe, once the witch was defeated.

He couldn't help but remember the storm. The one that took his only family away from him, and freed him from his owners. The one that ended up giving him his last shot at a family.

"Kil-" Henry interrupted himself as Killian held the chain in his hand and hook and threaded it over Henry's head.

"Keep it. It's yours."

Killian placed his hand on top of the ring where it lay on Henry's chest, looking at it with a longing smile. Henry's hand joined his.

"I'll protect it with my life."

A watery chuckle rose up in Killian's throat as he looked at the boy. He shook his head, the smile still on his lips.

"No, my boy. It's the other way around."

Killian moved away, intending to break the heavy moment, when Henry stopped him by wrapping his arms around his waist, his head buried in his chest. Killian's heart clenched as he wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulders.

"Thank you, Killian."

"You're quite welcome, Henry," he whispered.

Killian turned his head away from the boy, trying to get a hold of his overwhelming emotions. As he did, he noticed Emma turn her head back towards Dorothy. Had she been looking at them? Dorothy looked at him then and he certainly hoped that they wouldn't be able to see the wreck of emotions he tried to control. She seemed to say something to Emma causing her to look away. What were they saying?

Henry straightened up, effectively bringing his attention back to the boy, sitting back on his side.

He mimicked the boy by grabbing his drink again. Henry held out his drink this time and they clinked their cups together with an amused smile. It was a time for celebration, not heavy emotions. Regardless, his heart stuttered in his chest every time he noticed Henry's reverent hand on the ring.

The celebration continued long into the night, the moon rising higher and higher in the sky. After the years of Zelena’s dominance over the land, he could hardly begrudge the citizens their revelry, and he determined to enjoy himself as well.

---

"Where is the Swan taking us now?"

The map was familiar in his hands, the parchment folded and unfolded dozens of times already. Killian had checked and double-checked their route last night. He barely needed a proper look to know their newest trajectory.

"It's taking us Northeast."

Once more, he folded the map to store it in his satchel at Roger's side.

"Why is it always changing?" Henry asked as he patted the horse's muzzle, receiving a nicker in response.

"Nemo said that Cygnus would take anyone to where they need to be. I have to believe that it's all for a reason."

Henry seemed thoughtful as Killian stashed all their belongings back in the satchel. Rustling from the forest leaves caught Killian's attention. Assuming it was Emma, he turned towards it, unable to stop himself from searching for her presence.

There was nothing there. Not a shadow. No dark green hood emerging from the trees. Killian frowned.

"I believe, too." Henry's statement called his attention back and he smiled.

He would say afterwards that it all happened too fast, but in truth, it felt as if time slowed down, almost dragging its feet. Rushed footsteps echoed through the clearing at the same time the release of a bow string twanged.

A panicked call for his name had him turn his head in time to see a small arrow whizzing through the air towards him. A green figure flashed across his line of sight. There was a thud on the ground and a gasp.

"Emma!" Henry's cry drew his attention and allowed time to resume.

Emma lay on the ground, Henry’s hand on her shoulder.

"Swan!" Killian's tone matched Henry's as he knelt beside them.

The arrow stuck out from her back, a small thing. His eyes flew to the dense forest surrounding them. He could just see a figure, their armor reflecting the morning sun, before they ran away. He wanted to follow them, make them pay, but Emma's groan of pain pierced the fog of vengeance clouding his mind.

"It's gonna be okay, Swan, we’ve got you."

Looking towards Henry, the boy nodded and held onto her arms, keeping her still. The arrow came out easily. It was more stick than arrow - a hastily fashioned weapon. But it wasn't the craftsmanship behind the weapon that worried him, it was the yellow liquid that had stained the tip.

Emma seemed to take stabilizing breaths on the ground now that the arrow had been removed.

"Are you okay?" Henry's small voice caused Emma to smile reassuringly, a poor attempt regardless.

"It's going to take more than a little arrow to bring me down."

Her eyes found his and he could easily read her questioning look. He raised the arrow to her eyesight and her eyes closed in resignation. Yes, yellow viscous liquids weren't ever good news.

"We need to keep going," she said, trying to stand up with difficulty.

He dropped the arrow and held on to her arm, receiving a grateful look in response.

"Swan, we need to get you some help."

"Yeah! The quest can wait!" Henry's voice was worried, matching Killian's, his hands quickly latching onto Emma's free hand and arm.

"No, it can't." Her voice was breathless, determination sparking in her eyes.

Stubbornness, of course. Perhaps some resignation to her fate and lack of hope. They might not have known Emma for long but they certainly already knew that about her. Luckily for her, Henry and Killian were brimming with determination. And as for hope, Henry had more than enough to go around. Safe to say, Killian was receptive to it.

Killian and Henry’s eyes met, a stealthy nod shared between them.

"Alright," Killian said. That seemed to surprise Emma. She probably expected more of a fight. "We'll carry on, but you're taking Roger."

Killian could tell she wanted to argue but he could see the tiredness in her eyes, this poison, whatever it was, already taking effect. With a nod, she moved towards the horse.

"Henry, help me put our things away."

If the boy noticed that Killian clearly didn't need help with the one blanket that was still on the ground, he didn’t mention it. They huddled around it, keeping their voices low.

"I've heard tales of magical beings, healers that reside in a valley," Killian whispered.

"Where is it?"

"North. Cygnus is taking us close by." Henry seemed to frown at that, looking up at the blue sky. "What do you think, lad?"

"We need to keep it a secret, Emma's not going to like it."

"Aye." With another discreet nod and a determined look, they rose and made their way back to Roger and to an oblivious Emma.

---

"Swan!"

"What?!" Regina's grip on the Huntsman's heart was deadly, almost enough to crush it. "Get back here, now!"

She watched as the forest began to move quickly in the mirror - thanks to the reflective surface on the Huntsman's armor - before it returned to its natural state.

"Who was that?!"

The man in the mirror was baffled as he stuttered. "I-I…"

"Figure it out, now!"

"Th-They were wearing the Lost Ones armor, Your Majesty."

The mirror's surface rippled to reflect a dark sky with a verdant jungle below. Just on the bottom half of it, Regina could see a blonde figure standing on alert and a hooded figure desperately packing their belongings.

"Hurry, we need to leave." A feminine frantic whisper broke the natural silence.

"Yes, yes, I know," the hooded figure whispered back, a feminine voice as well.

The standing figure handed over a knitted blanket. "Don't forget this."

"Stop!" Regina's command was swiftly obeyed as the mirror's surface froze on the blanket's embroidered section. The name "Emma" was knitted in purple yarn.

"Emma…Where have I seen that before?"

"Your Majesty," The man in the mirror's face suddenly returned. "I believe I know."

"Then what are you waiting for?!"

Wanting to escape the Queen's wrath, the mirror once again swirled to reveal the backs of two familiar figures. Much to the Queen's distaste.

"Thank you for joining us in welcoming our daughter, Princess Emma!"

The crowd gathered below the castle window erupted into a loud cheer. Regina watched as the two rulers waved at their subjects. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before they turned and approached the middle of the room, the bundle in Snow White's arms more visible as her Prince Charming adjusted the blanket surrounding her. Regina could finally see that the blanket surrounding the newborn princess and the blanket the hooded figure packed away were the same.

The daughter of Snow White and her Prince Charming was, as her parents were before her, a thorn in Regina’s side.

"Will those pests never be gone for good?" Regina took a deep breath, a manic smile taking over her features. "Very well, let the poison take her on a painful trip to her mommy's arms."

#cssns23 #parent for hire #carolina writes #killian jones #captain hook #henry mills #emma swan #captaincobra #captainswan #captaincobraswan #zelena mills #dorothy gale #oz #munchkins #those damn flying monkeys

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bethanydelleman · 4 months

Text

Very, VERY minor

Context Below:

The young son of the Lucas family who says if he is was as rich as Darcy he'd drink a bottle of wine a day.

Unnamed woman who blocks Darcy from sitting beside Elizabeth post Lydia.

Baddeley is the butler, he clearly has beef with Mrs. Norris and it's funny.

Dick Jackson was going to "steal" some dinner according to Mrs. Norris and she made him cry.

Edward and then Robert's prospective fiance, according to Mrs. Ferrars

Robert threw all his building plans into the fire (allegedly) and told him to build a cottage

John Thorpe didn't want to drive around his sisters!

Sarah Morland is the one who says Henry doesn't need directions to the Allens even though he's clearly trying to get Catherine alone.

None of these last 4 characters appear on page but I think their descriptions should suffice. Dick Musgrove is the son who died at sea and was at one point under Captain Wentworth.

#polls #jane austen #pride & prejudice #mansfield park #northanger abbey #sense and sensibility #emma #persuasion

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whimsicallyenchantedrose · 1 month

Text

Season 3 Rewatch Drabbles: 3x22 There's No Place Like Home (Part 3)

Summary: A series of 100-500 word drabbles to accompany my rewatch of season 3 of Once Upon a Time. There will be a drabble–either a deleted scene, a “fix it” fic or a character musing for each episode of the season. Focus will be on Emma, Henry, the Charmings and Killian–with an emphasis on Captain Swan’s epic love story.

Word Count: 826

Other Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26) (28)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Notes: I knew there was no way I could stick to just one drabble an episode for the CS movie, so I didn't even try. There will be 2 drabbles for 3x21 and 4 for 3x22. They are all written, so the plan is to post one per day until they're all posted.

Now what?

Emma turned in a circle, looking around Rumplestiltskin’s vault–so tall and vast, she couldn’t see the ceiling. So compact there was no door or window. Had they fixed the past only to die of hunger, thirst or suffocation?

Could they ever get a break?

She turned to see Killian picking up an urn and perusing it, and her heart rate spiked. “Wait! Don’t touch anything!” she said insistently. “If Rumple’s afraid of this stuff, there’s gotta be a reason.”

He placed the item back on a shelf, and turned to her, arms wide in a placating gesture. “I’m just trying to figure a way out.”

He was always the optimist. Unfortunately, her optimism had all but run out. They were at the end of the line. “I don’t think there is one, and what’s the point? You heard what he said; he can’t reopen the portal.”

Killian stepped forward, and gave her an intense look–one filled with hope and belief. “But you can! All he said we need is magic. You’re the savior, Swan. You can do it.”

Her heart plummeted. He always had such complete and indefatigable faith in her, but in this instance, she knew that faith was misplaced. Her hands were tied, and she was of no more use in this situation than was the unconscious woman Killian had gently placed on the table.

“Not anymore. I lost it,” she said simply.

A hint of something else–desperation? Frustration? Irritation?-- crept into his eyes as he stepped forward and spoke again. “When Zelena died, all of her spells were undone. Your powers should have been restored.”

What was he implying?

“Believe me, if I could make it work, I would,” she said shortly. “You think I’m faking it?”

For the barest of moments, he hesitated, and she knew he was debating with himself whether or not to say what was on his mind. A look of determination came over his face, and she knew he’d made his choice.

“I think not having magic makes it a hell of a lot easier for you to run back to New York and pretend to be somebody else,” he said, stepping closer to her, “but listen to me Swan. You’re not. It’s time to stop running.”

It wasn’t fair of her after running so insistently from him and her real life for the past couple weeks; she knew that, but she couldn’t stop the frustration from mounting. “You think I don’t know that?” she bit out. “Yes, I run away; that’s how I’ve always survived, but believe me. I want this to work. I wanna go back; I wanna stop running.”

His eyebrows rose at that. “What’s changed your mind?”

Emma thought back to last night when they’d found her mother again and Blue had been able to restore her. She couldn’t hold herself back. The joy and relief had been so strong she couldn’t possibly do anything but take her mother into her arms, laughing and crying, as she held on, cupping the back of Mary Margaret’s head.

“You’re alive!” she’d nearly sobbed.

When the hug came to an end, she looked at her mother to see nothing but a look of confusion. “Thank you. It would appear so.”

Something inside of Emma had broken. Suddenly, in a moment of total clarity, she’d seen the truth.

She needed her family and she loved them more than anything. Everything else had fallen away, all the fear, all the delusion. She decided right then and there that whatever it took, she wanted to get back to her family–her current family, the ones who knew her and loved her and would be devastated if she left. She wanted to get back and she didn’t ever want to leave again.

She did her best to convey all of this to Killian, pouring out her thoughts and emotion. “Neal was right,” she finished.

“About what?” he asked, voice gentle.

“You don’t have a home until you just miss it,” she answered. “And being with my parents the last few days but not really being with them, I’ve never missed them more. Storybrooke is my home.”

It was the first time she’d spoken the words aloud, but she knew with absolute certainty that they were true. Home, the word, the concept, the fact that she was ready to embrace hers left her feeling such warmth and belonging that it was as if it were spreading through her veins, to her very fingertips.

Killian smiled down at her, and she couldn’t stop her answering smile. “What?” she asked.

“Look down,” he answered simply.

The wand she still held in her hand was glowing a bright, vibrant white, and Emma knew Killian was right. Her magic was back. All she’d needed to do was embrace it, embrace her home and family and destiny.

“I’d say you got your magic back,” he continued. “Now, should we go?”

Nothing in the world sounded better.

NEXT CHAPTER->

#season 3 rewatch drabbles #captain swan fanfiction #3x22 fanfiction #my fanfiction

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ultimateissuessimp · 15 days

Text

Hook's curse

One shot

Word count: 3,048

Warnings: Slightly depressing

Notes: This bitch LOOONG. Like I definitely had even more ideas to write in this bad boy, but I feel like that woudl be too much. Like this is already big and chonky.

Everyone knew they couldn't rest, even with Pan kept in the trap Gold, or rather Rumplestilstkin, kept in his possession, just to make sure his father didn't accidentally come out and run free again.

Yet they all longed for a moment of peace and quiet, so the group walked into Granny's and settled wherever they found it comfortable, Emma with 'Henry' and Regina at one of the booths, in the next booth Mary Margaret and David while the two pirates sat at the counter, feeling the need for a drink, maybe a heavy one at that.

While they ate, drank and conversed, Pan in Henry's body thought out his plan. Since the pirates have been reunited after the Evil Queen's curse, he felt as if it was his job to break them apart again, just to wound further on one of his longest enemies. He decided on adding one more thing to his curse, just so it provided him the wanted effect. He needed Felix to find something that belonged to Y/N and Killian, something that proved their love for each other. He hid the smirk behind his hand as he looked around before settling his eyes and ears back onto Emma and Regina.

Some time later, the curse was almost done. Yes, everyone found out about Henry being in Pan's body and Pan in Henry's at some point, but that didn't matter. His plan was perfect and he was ready to set it into motion. He was back in his own body, he had more freedom of action.

Everyone stood frozen in place in the middle of the street while Pan walked around them, the scroll with the curse in his hand. Snow and Charming close to each other, Neal, Henry and Emma next to one another while Killian hid Y/N behind himself, wanting to protect him from the flying forever young maniac. Peter did not care for Hook at the moment, but rather that somebody behind him. He observed Y/N and the drop of nervous sweat that ran down the side of his forehead and he smirked devilishly, but not in the good kind of way, no. A way that only spoke of harm.

-Well, since we're all gathered here like a good old family… No. We're not a full family, certain people are missing - Peter said, looking around with a smug smirk on his face. He knew eventually the coward that was his son had to show up. What he didn't expect was how exactly he would show up and with what.

-Looking for somebody, father? - Gold said, saying the word 'father' as if it was a disease and it left a bad aftertaste in his mouth. Maybe it did, but what mattered was stopping Pan from completing the curse. He took a step forward, knowing that there was no other way for ending this whole fiasco.

They talked for a brief moment before Rumplestiltskin took one more step towards Pan, acting as if his whole deal was to hug his father, yet he manifested out his dark one dagger and stabbed Pan's back, at the same time piercing his own chest, ending both of their lives. Belle's cries and wallowing could be heard as he saw her lover's body drop.

Regina swooped in and took the curse, putting alterations to it. She changed it as much as she could, but omitted one little thing that she at that point didn't notice. She put in that a true love's kiss would still work if needed and made it so that everyone from the Enchanted Forest would go back there. Well, not everyone. A certain pirate will be left behind, but they'll get to know about it when the curse sweeps them away into their world.

That meant that Emma and Henry had to leave. They'll forget everything that had happened, but Regina made sure to give them the best of, while fake, memories with each other. As much as it broke everyone's hearts, the two packed and got ready on the line of Storybrooke for departure from the town that held so many memories, literally and metaphorically speaking. They said their goodbyes with the green smoke on the horizont, swallowing everyone on its way and sending them back to the Enchanted Forest, before they got into the yellow beatle car and drove off over the line, forgetting everything and everyone but about themselves.

Y/N and Killian stood there, holding each other in their arms as they awaited the cursed green smoke to take them too. They shared a one, literally, last kiss before they too went back to their realm. Or so they thought. Everyone landed on the grass, not far away from where Aurora and her prince. They all stood there and thought what to do next since they're back again, go back to their old lives? Find a way back to Storybrooke? They needed to somehow get to Emma and Henry, they just needed to.

Killian looked around when he didn't find his husband next to him after appearing in the Enchanted Forest, calling out his name, hoping to hear his response and thinking, hoping, that it was just a minor separation due to the curse being chaotic and he was somewhere near, but when he didn't find him or hear his voice calling back to him, he started panicking. He ran up to Regina.

-Where the bloody hell is he, Regina?! - he questioned the woman that stood there on the side, back in her Evil Queen outfit, clearly standing out from the others. She looked at him weirdly. She didn't expect him to just shout at her when she saw him approaching.

-First of all, stop yelling at me or I'm going to deprive you of another part of your body, more specifically your tongue, second of all who are you talking about, pirate? - she asked him, a scowl on her face as she put her hands on her hips. Killian looked at her angrily, raising his hooked arm and pointing it Regina's way.

-Hold your threats, witch. What did you do to him, where's Y/N? - he questioned her further on, his voice raising more the angrier he got. He needed to know where his husband is otherwise he would to lose his mind. They got separated once and now they were separated again, he couldn't take it anymore. What if villains really couldn't have a happy ending?

-He's not here? He should be, I made it specifically so everyone who was from the Enchanted Forest would come back here! Did you look for him properly? - she asked the pirate, now getting anxious herself, but she couldn't help but still hold some snark to her tone, thinking that the man probably didn't look well enough and is creating chaos for nothing.

-Of course I bloody did! You think I'd come here if I hadn't done that already? - he snapped back at her, the scowl on his face deepening as he once more looked around in blind hope of seeing the face of the one he loved.

-Fine! I'll try and do a locating spell. Got anything of his? - Regina asked, pulling her palm in front of her towards the pirate, silently asking for the said thing and when he put the golden chain necklace with a matching in colour band caught through it into her hand, she inspected it before doing the spell as she said she would. The thing is that the spell didn't work.

-Why isn't it working? It should work, shouldn't it! What does that mean? - he started another series of questions, his nerves getting the better of him as he worried for his husband. What if he was all alone somewhere dangerous? Obviously he knew that Y/N could defend himself and kick some serious ass. That was one of the main reasons why he fell in love with him so hard, but he still couldn't help but worry for his lover. He wouldn't know what he'd do if something happened to his badass, but also sweet lover.

-It can mean a couple of things. I'm really hoping to cross one of them off. Are you sure this belongs to him and not you? - she asked, turning the chain around in her palm, observing it for any sign of the magic spell answering her call. Nothing.

-Obviously it's his, I've got mine here. He gave it to me during the trip to Neverland, he always does when we go to knwon to be dangerous adventures, saying that he 'would lose it during fighting or running' so I could keep it safe for him. I was supposed to give it back to him but I kept forgetting about it because of the whole situation with Pan and his damn shadow - Killian explained, frustrated out of his mind, he was so close to pacing around like a mother hen worried for her children. If the damn spell didn't work, he'll find him himself.

-Hook… You know that leaves only two options… He's either still in Storybrooke, not sure how, or he's dead - she said carefully. Despite not really being close to Y/N or to the one handed pirate, she didn't hold any grudges against him, he had never done anything to her, for a pirate he has been… Nice. She could also see the distressed look on Hook's face and certain memories came back to her. Memories she wanted to leave behind, she had to focus on Henry. That's why she told him a quiet and quick "I'm sorry" and left toward the forest that surrounded them.

Killian stood there, not believing even for a second that Y/N was dead. He just couldn't and would not, ever. Y/N was too strong of a bastard to just leave the mortal plane like that, leave HIM like that. Despite that, he couldn't help the feeling that told him that something bad had happened and that even if he thought of his husband so, even his headstrong lover wasn't able to fight and win with everything or everyone.

Months have passed as Killian continued his search for Y/N. He first searched the Enchanted Forest. No sign of his husband. He visited many kingdoms that they have ever traveled to together. Nothing. He even went back to the damn Neverland and he still came out empty handed. He was on the brink of tears as he held tightly onto the chain necklace that he so wished he could return to Y/N right now while leaning over the railing of his beauty of a ship. That's also when he got that bottle with a potion and a message to get it to Emma. He hesitated for a long time if he should be the one to find the saviour but his reasoning was that if he found her, maybe she would be able to help him in finding Y/N. So he traded his ship for a way to get to the other world where Storybrooke still existed. Oh if only his husband were to hear about this. Killian Jones selling their damn ship. He would probably murder him, but also understand that it was for 'the greater good', even though Killian thought that Y/N was the greatest good he could ever even get.

When Hook landed back in the realm where everyone he knew were just fairytales, right in the middle of some alley, but exactly where he needed to be since he just saw a flash of blonde coloured hair pass through one of the high story building's windows. Then he saw it again and sure enough, the saviour herself, while not remembering she was one, stood close to the glass pane, clearly talking to somebody, more likely Henry. He estimated what floor and which apartment they could live on before quickly getting inside into the building and knocking on the doors as quickly as he could.

He didn't know what he was expecting but getting kneed into his crotch area definitely wasn't it after he tried explaining everything of what happened and what needed to happen, adding the fact that he needed her help in finding Y/N. He didn't let that stop him though. He had to find you and Emma was his only hope.

-Swan, could you please just listen to me? And don't hit me! Your name is Emma Swan, your parents are Mary Margaret and David other known as Snow White and Prince Charming. You have a son, his name is Henry, but Henry also has an adoptive mother Regina who's the Evil Queen, but everyone right now needs you back in the Enchanted Forest. Please, you're the only one who can help, I'm not sure with what exactly, I just know that it's urgent - he explained quickly, putting his arms up in defeat and as a meaning of 'no harm', the dark blue bottle held tightly in his hand.

The woman looked at him before threatening him to call the police and slamming the door in front of his face. He sighed in annoyance and frustration but he didn't give up. He couldn't. So when he encountered her outside this time, he didn't waste time in trying again, but was baffled when Emma actually did notify the police and they took him to an arrest. Yet after some time, she came back and bailed him out, saying that she changed her mind when it came to pressing charges. He was surprised that she actually came back for him, but he still couldn't help from his salty remarks about it.

She agreed to drink the potion and when she did, regaining her memories back, she immediately pulled Hook into a tight hug and asking where Y/N was. When the man explained the situation, she had a mortified look on her face before quickly stating that they have to go back to Storybrooke. Emma and Henry packed, going back to the little town with Hook and even though nothing helped to break the new curse that has brought everyone back to Storybrooke, they didn't lose hope. Killian couldn't lose hope, he couldn't lose Y/N, he had to find him.

While Emma tried to regain Henry's memories, Killian looked everywhere for anything that would tell him where his lover could be. He had searched and searched, he had even read the kid's damn book with fairytales. Nothing. If he was able to, he would make a deal even with the Dark One himself if it meant finding you. And one day he did.

Regina broke the curse that was put onto the citizens' of the town, kissing Henry on his forehead, a sign of true love and when everything was back to normal, well, almost back to normal, they decided to help the pirate in his search for Y/N. They searched high and low, wanting to use the traditional methods first but when nothing worked, they decided to use magic first. This time Emma performed the locating spell.

-Killian, give me the necklace. I don't promise any results, but I'll try my best to help you find him - she said to the pirate as she took the necklace from him, trying to lift up his spirits after seeing that he truly was wearing himself thin while trying to get his husband back. Again.

When she used the spell, the necklace started levitating and quickly left Emma's hands, flying off into the direction of Gold's pawn shop. Everyone ran after it but nobody understood why it would go over there. They've already searched that place and there was no sign of you. Yet when they got inside and the necklace dropped into the case were they kept Pan, or rather Henry in Pan's body, everything clicked. Regina quickly opened the case with magic, letting Y/N's unconscious body fall to the ground.

-Y/N! - Killian shouted out, quickly dropping to his knees next to his husband, taking him into his arms and pushing away strands of his hair from his face. A face that he had missed so dearly. A face that he'd love to have staring back at him and not just rest under the sleeping curse.

-You know what you have to do Hook. I've already undo one curse. You have to undo yours. Let your love for him win over that fear of not being pure enough. Yeah, I know what you're thinking, but I believe that even if we're the villains, we can have a happy ending. So get yours while you can - Regina said to him, oddly sympathetic of her, saying out loud what he feared the most. He was scared that he wasn't good enough, that he wouldn't be able to wake Y/N up, but he had to try, even if it would hurt if the kiss wouldn't work, he still had to give it a go.

That's why he leaned down and softly pressed his lips to Y/N, pouring all of his love and longing for him into it, a tear even slipping from underneath his closed eyelids, landing right onto Y/N's cold oddly warm cheek. When nothing happened at first, he was heartbroken and his soul was crushed but after a second, a ripple of magic went through the whole town and the man of his life that he currently held in his arms opened his eyes. Killian felt a big surge of relief wash over him as he grinned with teary eyes at his husband who weakly smiled back at him before, not quite understanding why he was crying. Y/N put his hand on top of Killian's cheek and rose up a bit to press a sweet kiss of his own against his husband's quivering lips, wanting to calm him down and when he succeeded, he broke away from the kiss and sent him another loving smile, stroking his cheek before looking around and seeing the whole group containing Neal, David, Mary Margaret, Belle, Regina, Henry and Emma staring at them with equally relieved and happy smiles on their faces.

-So what did I miss? - he asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

#captain hook #captain hook x male reader #captain hook x you #killian jones #killian jones x male reader #killian jones x you #once upon a time #ouat #gay #lgbt #mlm #boy love

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staliaqueen · 1 year

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heartless | 14. the first

pairing: henry mills x oc a/n: been anticipating publishing this one. warnings: none. wordcount: 1990

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Henry dashed down the stairs as his family came in. "You were out all night!" he shouted. "Where were you? Granny wouldn't tell us anything! Did we miss it all?"

Max walked down behind him, yawning.

Mary Margaret exchanged a smile with her husband as they walked into the kitchen and started preparing cereal for everyone. "Rumpelstiltskin and Captain Hook had a fight and someone got hurt."

Emma jumped in on the joke, adding, "We weren't sure if Dr. Frankenstein could fix him, but he did."

Henry shook his head in amusement as he sat down by the counter and let his grandparents serve him breakfast, but his sleepover buddy did not find it as funny. Max had frozen in her place, eyes widening the second she'd registered Mary Margaret's words, all sleep cleared from her system in an instant. "Did you say Captain Hook?" she asked when she'd gotten her wits back. "Like Killian Jones? Captain of the Jolly Roger?"

Emma blinked. "Yes. How do you know his real name?"

Max grinned from ear to ear. Killian! He was here! She focused back on Emma again, who was staring dumbfounded at her, and realized she'd forgotten to answer her question. "I know him," she hurried to explain, resulting in shock spreading over everyone's faces. "We were... friends, I guess. I traveled with him and his crew for about a year. He taught me how to sail, navigate using the stars, and fight with a sword. Even the basics in horseback riding, when we had some rare time on land."

"What?" Henry's eyes were wide as saucers. "Since when?"

Max sighed. Her words clearly hadn't gotten across well to the family. She didn't know what interactions they'd had with him, but it was clear what they saw him as: a villain. "Look, I have a complicated past, and I wasn't always on the right side of... things. Things are obviously very different now, but my point is — I know Killian. And he's no less evil than I am. He's just a pirate. Who's kinda selfish. And who doesn't really have a problem with murder."

Emma scoffed. "Well, that sounds promising."

Max didn't have time to be mad at Emma for her snark, nor at David and Mary Margaret, who — judging by their remaining facial expressions — didn't waver in their views on the man either. She had more important things to worry about.

"Wait, how is he even here?" she asked. "I searched for him and found nothing. The curse didn't bring him over, Smee told me."

Mary Margaret cleared her throat. "Um, he was working with Cora when we were in the Enchanted Forest. He must've traveled here with her."

What? Max let out a deep sigh, bringing her hands up against her forehead. What had he gotten himself into this time?

The adults were mumbling to themselves and exchanging tense glances, but Max ignored them yet again. "Where is he now?" she asked.

"At the hospital," said David. "He got hit by a car."

Max's eyes widened once more, and she ran towards the door, pulling on her shoes and leather jacket.

"Where are you going?" asked Henry.

"I have to see him!"

–––

Being associated with the Charmings seemed to have its benefits. No one questioned Max as she ran into the hospital in nothing but her pajamas and oversized leather jacket, demanding to be told which room the one handed pirate that had been hit by a car was in. She got all the help that she needed, and was now leaning against the doorway of said man's hospital suite. Max's breath had caught in her throat when she'd laid eyes on him again, and she took her time taking in the sight of the man she hadn't seen in two years (or 32, if you wanted to get technical about it). She'd thought she'd never see him again, and now he lay only feet in front of her.

"You look terrible," she teased as she finally stepped into the room, altering the man to her presence. Killian's eyes tore away from the wall and landed on her. Soft, matching grins, filled with so much love, spread across their faces. Killian Jones was the closest thing Max had ever had to a real dad. Henry might've been the very best thing that had ever happened to her — but Killian was the first.

"Max," he beamed. "Look how big you've gotten!" His voice was groggy, but still undeniably cheerful.

She shrugged, sitting down in a chair next to his bed. "Well, it has been three decades." Max's insides filled up with warmth — this was already by far the best she'd felt since the curse was lifted. The myriad of problems from her past might not even be close to being solved, but she knew where Killian was now. He was safe. And he was with her. "How are you? Are you hurting?"

Killian shrugged the best he could, obviously having trouble moving. Despite that, though, he said, "This is nothin'. I've been through worse." His grin shifted into a smirk then, and he raised his eyebrows. "I hear you're friends with the savior's boy."

Max rolled her eyes. Of course Smee had snitched. "'Bout time I befriended someone my own age, don't ya think?"

Killian chuckled, and Max let herself laugh along with him. But she could only do so for so long, dreading the question ahead of her. The change in topic was the last thing she wanted, knowing it would completely change the mood of their so far happy reunion, but what Mary Margaret had told her wouldn't leave her mind, and she knew she needed to bring it up. "I hear you're friends with Cora..."

Killian's smirk disappeared. "We're not friends, really."

"But you're working with her."

He half-shrugged again. "I needed a way over here, she offered one. You know how it is. I'm not plannin' on sailing off into the sunset with her anytime soon. Besides... it's not like I didn't try to work with your new mates."

Max frowned. "What are you talking about?" she asked, and Killian's eyes narrowed.

"How much did they tell you, exactly?"

Max sighed, a silent anger settling over her again. "Nothing..." She shook her head. "They didn't tell me anything."

"Well, I guess I'll fill you in, then.." And then he told Max everything about his run in with Emma and Mary Margaret. How they'd captured him. How he'd made them a new deal, betraying Cora to work with them instead. How he'd done everything to help them and Emma rewarded him by handcuffing him to the top of a beanstalk, leaving him to Cora's mercy. And how lucky he'd been that she'd chosen not to kill him for betraying her. It all made Max's insides boil.

When he was done, Max sighed again, resting her elbows against her knees. "Well, it has been a while since I yelled at Emma. I was starting to wonder when she'd mess up again," she said to herself before turning to Killian. "Was this really just a one time ride or are you still working with Cora?" The switch in tones went almost jarringly from anger to concern.

Killian didn't answer, but his silence did the talking for him.

"You can't trust her," Max warned. "She's bad news."

"I'm bad news."

"But she's evil."

Killian smirked again. "I'm evil."

Max shook her head. "No, you're not."

The smirk he'd forced onto his face to deflect Max faded away at her serious answer. He looked down, avoiding her eyes, which were the only ones left among the living who had that ability to see through him — right to his soul.

Max sighed at the response, staring down at her lap as she fidgeted with her hands. "I just don't want to see you go too far on this revenge quest," she said gently. "Because if you do, you're gonna regret it."

Killian looked back at her. "What would be too far?" He asked the question like he was afraid of the answer.

"I think you just need to ask yourself one question..." she said, meeting his eyes again. "What's more important than your revenge? If the answer is nothing, then you're heading there."

Her statement hung heavy in the air. Neither of them said anything for a long time until Max finally broke the silence.

"I should go," she said. "You should get some sleep, anyway. Gotta let your body heal."

Killian nodded. "It was nice to see you again," he said, a smile pulling at his lips. Not a smirk. A smile.

Max smiled back. "It was nice to see you again, too. And don't worry," she teased, shoving his shoulder lightly. "I'm not gonna let that crocodile hurt you."

–––

"YOU DOUBLE CROSSED HIM AND LEFT HIM HANDCUFFED ON THE TOP OF A BEANSTALK?!"

Max stormed back into the apartment, interrupting whatever moment the others had had up until then.

Emma blinked, glancing sideways at Henry. "Max, I– I didn't know if I was gonna make it back to Henry or not. It was a dire situation; I couldn't take any chances. And he's a pirate."

Max laughed coldly. "Oh, so you were scared he was gonna betray you, so you betrayed him instead? God, I'm so tired of you doing this!" she shouted, clenching her fists in front of her face in frustration. "There are more important things in the world than your stupid trust issues! I can't believe you just sat there judging me for defending Killian when THAT'S what your run in with him was! Tell me, was he really the villain in that situation?"

"Max," Mary Margaret stepped in, a scowl of motherly protection on her face.

"Oh, I'm mad at you, too!" Max exclaimed, pointing an angry finger at the woman. "If you hadn't inexplicably decided to leave me out of the loop, I could've reunited with Killian two days sooner! And I know that might not seem like much to you, but it does to me, because he is the only thing I've ever had that's even been close to family! And without him, I don't have any!"

Mary Margaret just looked confused. Like she'd never had anyone cuss her out for mistreating them before. At least, not in a way she took seriously. That only made Max even more mad at her. "But you're part of this family, Max," she said.

A humorless laugh escaped Max's throat. "Oh, am I?" She turned to the rest of the group. "Did everyone here know that Cora was working with Hook except for me?"

Their silence was the only answer she needed. She shook her head. Done with every one of these adults, she turned towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I think I'll join Regina in her fortress of solitude," Max spat, reaching out for the door handle, but before she could open it, someone else did. There stood Rumpelstiltskin, with no idea of the commotion he’d just walked in on.

Seeing the Dark One did the opposite of cooling Max's temper. She locked her eyes on him in a glare as he stepped in, not even blinking — but he acted as if she wasn't even there.

Emma got off of her seat, approaching him. "Gold. We've all had a long night."

"You remember that favour you owe me, Miss Swan?" he asked, and the tension in the room doubled.

"...Yeah."

"I'm cashing it in."

Emma just stood there for a while as David walked up behind her. "It's not– a good–"

"You do honour your agreements, don't you?"

Emma fell silent again.

"I need to find someone, so we're leaving today. Pack a bag."

"Leaving?" asked Mary Margaret.

"Where?" asked Henry.

"Wait, find someone..." Emma started, "Who?"

"My son. And it has to be today, because every minute I'm here, is a minute closer to me killing Hook."

That's when Max stepped closer to him. "If you wanna kill Hook, you'll have to get through me first," she threatened, continuing to stare him down with her sinister glare that had repeatedly made grown men and women falter.

Rumpelstiltskin paused for a second to assess Max. "I don't know why you'd be so passionate to protect that scum," he finally said, "but I assure you that you won't pose much of a threat."

"Oh, I'm sure I won't, but do you really think Belle will ever love you again after you've killed an innocent fourteen-year-old girl?" Max challenged.

The Dark One stared her down with a sinister and murderous look of his own. If she wasn't so mad, Max would've laughed at how ineffective it was on her.

"See... you're trying to scare me," she said, "but it won't work. Because, buddy — I've seen scary. And you ain't got his smile." Her voice was neither sassy nor threatening, but completely unaffected. She wasn't smiling or smirking or glaring. Her face was simply completely neutral. Matter of fact. It was such a strange way to deliver such a cryptic message, it only served to cement what a complete enigma Max was. Even to the Dark One, who was supposed to know everything.

And just like that, Max left the apartment, not even giving him a chance to think of a response.

(not my gif)

heartless taglist: @clarasamelia @anonymousewrites

#once upon a time #ouat #rewrite #fanfiction #once upon a time rewrite #ouat rewrite #once upon a time fanfiction #ouat fanfiction #henry mills #henry mills x oc #henry mills x reader #henry mills imagine #henry mills imagines #henry mills fluff #henry mills angst #jared gilmore

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