#slight emma swan mention

[jrob64]

Long Overdue Conversations - Part 4 (Emma & Killian) A OUAT missing scene

Here is another conversation I feel should have taken place in Once Upon a Time. This one occurs immediately after the 'You traded your ship for me' scene at the end of season 3.

THIS PART IS RATED M!

Previous installments can be found on Tumblr: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

All parts can also be found on Ao3 & FFN

Special thanks to @hookedmom who always makes my stories better with her beta skills and suggestions for making this scene better (and hotter!)

*********

“You traded your ship for me?” Emma asked, amazement evident in her voice.

Killian gave a slight nod. “Aye.”

Then she was kissing him. Not a bruising and frantic kiss like the one in Neverland, but a tender, passionate one that took his breath away all the same. At one point, he had to draw back to look at her, just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. When she smiled at him and rested her forehead against his, he caressed her cheek, running her silky hair through his fingers, before capturing her willing lips once again.

Their moment was interrupted when Leroy and one of his brothers came bursting through the door of Granny’s, drunkenly singing. It was all Killian could do to keep himself from throttling the dwarfs, but Emma simply squeezed his hand and gave him a soft smile.

“If you don’t have your ship anymore, where are you staying?” she asked.

“The widow Lucas granted me a room at her bed and breakfast.”

“Hmm…” Emma hummed in thought.

Killian tilted his head, waiting for her to continue. After a moment of silence, he asked, “What’s on your mind, Swan?”

Leaning in, she brushed her lips across his cheek. “Give me a minute to say goodbye to my family. I’ll be right back.”

He watched her rise from her seat and ascend the steps into the diner. Before disappearing inside, she turned and smiled at him reassuringly.

While he waited, he touched his fingers to his lips, just as he had after their first kiss. He loved the feeling of Emma Swan’s lips on his and wanted it to linger. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to wait nearly as long to feel them again.

Sooner than he expected, Emma was back out the door. When she reached him, she took him by the hand, encouraging him to get to his feet. “Come on, pirate.”

“Where are we going, Love?”

She gave him a secretive smile. “To your room.”

In a near state of shock, he followed behind her as she led the way, still gripping his hand tightly. When they entered the lobby, Emma asked, “What’s your room number?”

“Um…four,” he stammered.

“Seriously? That’s the room I had when I first came to town.”

“Aye, the widow Lucas did mention that fact when she gave me the key.”

He trailed closely behind her up the stairs, his hand on the small of her back. He was hesitant to break physical contact with her, for fear she would suddenly disappear. It was Storybrooke, after all.

When they reached his door, he fumbled for the key. Finally withdrawing it from the inside pocket of his leather duster, it slipped from his fingers, clattering to the floor.

Emma bent down and picked it up, smirking as she held it between her fingers. “Nervous, Captain?” she asked, before inserting it into the lock and turning it. The door swung open and they quickly crossed the threshold.

“I’m still trying to determine if this is indeed real, or simply my imagination,” he said. He closed the door and leaned back against it, gripping his belt buckle as he looked up at her through his dark lashes.

“Have you imagined this?” she asked, batting her own lashes at him.

He poked his tongue into his cheek, then ran it over his bottom teeth before answering. “Perhaps.”

Stepping closer, she leaned up to whisper in his ear. “Move away from the door.”

Quirking a curious brow at her, he did as instructed. She held her hands up with her palms flat and facing the door. Closing her eyes, she concentrated until a soft glow emanated from them. Then she moved them slowly to trace around the entire frame of the door.

When she finished, she dropped her hands and turned to face him. Seeing the slight confusion on his face, she explained, “Silencing spell. Granny has supernatural hearing, remember?”

“You’re bloody brilliant, Swan.” He closed the distance between them, reaching up to sift her blonde locks through his fingers, his deep blue eyes boring into hers. “Now that we’re alone…”

Emma shrugged out of her leather jacket and let it drop to the floor, then ran her hands up the front of his vest and under the shoulders of his heavy, leather coat. Understanding her intention, he pulled his arms free when she pushed it off of him.

“Just how much does that thing weigh?” she asked. “And how the hell do you wear it around all the time?”

He grinned at her. “Is that really what you want to think about right now, Love?”

“You have a point. Besides,” she said mischievously, “I’m sure you’ve carried rum barrels heavier than that, right?”

His brows furrowed. “Come again?”

“Just something your former self said when he was carrying me onto his…your…ship.”

“Bloody wanker,” he grumbled. “I should have hit him harder.”

She began undoing the fasteners on his vest. “Is that really what you want to think about right now?” she asked, echoing his words.

“Too right, Love.”

Once the vest joined his coat on the floor, he removed his hook and placed it on the dresser. Then Emma slid his suspenders off his shoulders and started working on the tiny buttons of his billowy, black shirt. “How do you manage these things with one hand? I can’t unbutton them with two.”

“I don’t mess with the buttons. I simply slide it on over my head.”

“That explains why it’s always open practically to your waist.”

“You’ve noticed that, have you?” he asked with a knowing smirk.

“Kinda hard to miss it, with your whole chest on display.” Lifting her eyes to meet his, she abandoned the buttons and slowly ran her fingers through the hair on his chest that had been teasing her ever since she met him in the Enchanted Forest. Hearing him gasp at the contact, she added, “I’ve been wanting to do this for a very long time.”

As her fingertips continued to explore, he dipped his head to capture her lips, his own calloused fingers finding their way under the hem of her turtleneck. He caressed the soft skin he found there, and she moaned into the kiss, “Killian…”

The breathy sound of his name from her sweet lips had him growing hard in an instant. “Swan,” he mumbled, “are you…are you quite sure about this, Love?”

She pulled back to look at him, her pupils dilated with desire. “I told my parents I wouldn’t be home tonight, brought you up to your room, and used magic to make sure no one would hear us. Does that sound like someone who isn’t sure?”

“You told your parents you were going to be with me tonight?”

“Yes. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about them anymore.”

“Agreed,” he chuckled. “Where were we?”

“Right about here,” she said, crossing her arms to grab the bottom of her sweater, then pulling it over her head.

Killian could feel his heartbeat increase as his eyes roamed over her newly bared skin. He would be lying if he said he hadn’t longed for this scenario, but never could he have imagined the absolute perfection of Emma Swan.

“Your turn,” she said, grasping the hem of his shirt to tug it over his head. He tried to stand still as her hands explored the expanse of his chest, moved over his shoulders and down his arms.

He was so busy enjoying her touch and taking in her beautiful form, he had forgotten about his battered, leather brace. When her fingers found it, he involuntarily took a step backwards, pulling his arm away from her.

“Hey, it’s okay,” she said soothingly. “It doesn’t bother me.”

His hand rubbed absentmindedly over the brace. “It…it’s ugly, Swan. It’s been a very long time since I’ve allowed anyone to see it.”

“You don’t have to hide it from me, Killian. It’s part of you and I…well, nothing about you could make me…care for you any less.”

Slowly, he stepped back into her space, his eyes never leaving hers. With practiced fingers, he deftly undid the buckles. After hesitating a few moments, he grasped the brace and twisted it off of his arm. Emma took it from him and laid it on the dresser beside his hook, as he removed the protective cloth covering his stump.

She locked eyes with him again, before dropping her gaze to his arm. Placing one hand under his elbow, she lifted it up while the fingers of her other hand gently traced the raised, jagged scars. “It must have been so painful,” she said quietly.

He swallowed hard, his jaw clenching at the memory. “I…I don’t remember feeling pain when he…when he cut it off. I’d just witnessed him murder Milah and that pain overshadowed everything else. It wasn’t until later, when a crew member cauterized it, that I finally realized how much it hurt. By that time, my grief and anger had taken over and all I wanted to focus on was plotting my revenge.”

Emma bent to press a kiss to the end of his wrist. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Killian.”

“It’s long in the past, Love. I would much rather look toward the future.” Using his finger to lift her chin, he gave her a smile. Then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. “A future that includes you, I hope.”

In answer, she fused her lips to his, her hands beginning to roam freely over his body. When she slid her hands down inside the back of his trousers and squeezed his ass, he sucked in a ragged breath. “Bloody hell, Swan,” he growled.

“What’s the matter, Captain? Can’t you handle it?”

Before she could utter another word, he skillfully flicked open the button on her jeans and unzipped them. “Let’s see who can’t handle it, shall we?” Then his hand was inside her panties, cupping her mound.

  Her surprised gasp turned to a moan of pleasure as his long fingers slid through her slick folds. “I’ve barely touched you and you’re already this wet?” he asked, his voice low and husky in her ear.

“I…I’ve wanted this ever since…” She stopped talking and bit her lip.

“Since when, Swan?” he queried.

“Since…Neverland,” she admitted.

Hearing her finally confess her feelings made his own surge through him in a hot rush. He withdrew his hand and lifted her off the floor. Carrying her across the room, he deposited her on the bed. “Take off your boots,” he commanded, beginning to toe off his own.

She happily complied, then began pushing her jeans down her legs. When they reached her knees, she looked up and felt like all of the oxygen had been sucked out of the room.

Killian was standing in front of her, arms crossed over his chest, dressed in nothing but his leather pants. They were straining against the huge bulge that was right at her eye level. Without conscious thought, her hands reached for him, rubbing his rigid member through the leather.

He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, exhaling the words, “I’ve wanted this for a very long time, too, Emma.”

“Then let’s not wait any longer.”

Her fingers set to work unfastening his pants to free his cock, which she promptly began to stroke. At the same time, he reached behind her and worked at the hooks of her bra. When they were undone, his hand and wrist tugged on the straps and her hands left his shaft long enough to wiggle out of it.

While she resumed her exploration of his sizable cock, he fondled her breasts - squeezing, pinching, rubbing and caressing them, murmuring words of praise for their perfection.

Killian suddenly realized how quickly they were working each other up, and put his hand over Emma’s to stop her stroking. “Can we…can we slow down just a bit, Love? I don’t want this to be over too soon.”

“Yeah, okay,” she said breathlessly. “Why don’t we finish getting undressed?”

“Aye,” he agreed.

Both of them removed their remaining clothes and as Emma laid down in the middle of the bed, she pulled Killian down beside her. He pushed himself up to lean on his left elbow, his fingers dancing along the skin of her belly. “Gods, Love. I’ve never seen a more beautiful woman than you. You’re absolutely stunning.”

Her hand moved up his forearm and bicep, tracing the hard muscles. “So are you, Killian.”

They explored each other’s body with their hands and mouths, whispered words spoken against skin, between kisses, licks and nips. When Killian’s fingers found their way once again to Emma’s most intimate place, she bucked into his hand, clearly craving more.

He nudged her legs further apart with his knee, then slowly slid one finger into her warm, wet channel. “Tell me how that feels, Love,” he implored.

“Feels…amazing,” she complied, her eyes closing of their own accord and her breath coming out in short gasps.

After gliding in and out of her a few times, he pulled his eyes away from the sight to look up at her. “Are you ready for more?”

She nodded her head, biting her lip in anticipation.

On the next pass, he added a second digit. “So bloody perfect, taking me like that, Swan.”

“Killian, I’m going to…you’re going to make me…” she muttered, trying to speak a coherent sentence.

“Don’t hold back. Just let it happen and enjoy it, Love.”

She took his advice and soon she was clenching tightly around his fingers, the evidence of her orgasm further slickening his fingers. As she throbbed around them, he sought friction by rubbing his hard erection against her thigh, then sucked one of her nipples into his mouth.

“Killiannn…” she moaned throatily.

He withdrew his fingers and chuckled lowly against her breast over her huff of annoyance. “Patience, Love. I have something much more…fulfilling…for that greedy quim.”

Instantly, she shifted onto her side and reached down to grasp his cock. “I’m ready when you are,” she breathed hotly into his ear.

With a growl, he flipped her onto her back, causing her to let out a little yelp of surprise. Then he swung himself over her body, hovering over her. Nuzzling into her neck, he murmured, “I don’t know if you noticed, but I was quite taken with that dress we pilfered during our adventure.”

“You mean the one…that made me look like…a bar wench?” she gasped, enjoying what his mouth was doing to her collarbone.

“Mmm, aye,” he hummed. “It certainly made you quite…distracting. And very enticing. I wanted to bury my face right here.” He licked up between her breasts, chuckling again when she uttered a curse.

Emma’s hands slid between them and wrapped around his girth. Widening her legs, she dragged the tip through her soaked folds. At his groan, she whispered, “You did promise to fulfill me, so fill me, Captain.”

He lifted his head to look into her face, giving her a grin. “As you wish.”

Her hand guided him to where she was aching for him and he slowly pushed into her, inch by glorious inch. Her legs wrapped around his hips, hands moving to scratch along his back, which added to the pleasure he was already experiencing from being buried inside the woman for whom he’d been yearning for months. He dropped his head to her chest, giving her a moment to adjust to him, while getting himself under control so he wouldn’t be on the verge too soon.

When he finally began to move, it was at a slow, steady pace. Experimenting with different angles, he took note of what brought the most response from her.

After several blissful minutes, she murmured, “Killian…”

“Yes, Love?”

“Make me see stars,” she requested breathlessly, reaching behind him to squeeze his buttocks almost painfully.

He kissed her and grinned slyly, determined to meet her challenge. Dropping to his elbows on either side of her, he began thrusting faster and deeper, until he was plunging into her with abandon, eliciting a loud exclamation from her each time he filled her.

He was getting close to his peak, but didn’t want to reach it before she did, so he caught her nipple in his mouth again, alternating flicking it with his tongue and sucking hard. His actions had the desired effect and soon she was screaming through her release, her head thrashing on the pillow, while her throbbing cunt rippled along his engorged cock.

“Bloody…fucking…hell,” he grunted, thrusting eratically, until he exploded, filling her with streams of his hot release. Not wanting to crush her, he rolled them over, sprawling her sweat-slicked body over his own.

Neither knew how long they laid there, trying to get their breathing and heart rates under control. He heard her mumble something into his chest, but couldn’t make out the words. Raising his leaden arm, he brushed her hair away from her face. “What did you say, Love?”

She lifted her face to peer into his. “You did it.”

“Did what?” he asked, thoroughly puzzled.

  “Made me see stars…and several planets.”

He laughed, then pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. “I’m glad to hear it, because you definitely did the same for me.”

“Good thing I soundproofed the room, huh?”

“Aye, Love. I don’t think I would be able to meet Granny’s eyes tomorrow morning if you hadn’t.”

It was her turn to laugh. As they lay in silence, she skimmed her fingers through the hair on his chest, enjoying the sighs of pleasure from him.

After several peaceful minutes, Emma said, “Killian?”

“Hmm?”

“I would have chosen you.”

He opened his eyes to see her looking at him earnestly. “Chosen me for what?”

“Remember back in Neverland when you told me I would have to choose between you and Neal?”

“Aye.”

“Even if Neal hadn’t…died, I still would have chosen you.”

He lifted his head from the pillow to peer at her more closely. “Truly?”

“Yeah. Well, to be honest, it wasn’t ever a contest between the two of you.” She watched him studying her closely, before adding, “Is that difficult for you to believe?”

“I saw how much his death impacted you and thought perhaps, given the chance, the two of you might have rekindled your relationship.”

“We actually had a really nice conversation just before I realized he was sharing a body with his father, and I felt like we were in a good place with each other at the end. Neal will always be my first love and Henry’s father, so he has a special spot in my heart; but…after what he did to me, I would have never been able to completely trust him. You, on the other hand, have never given me any reason not to trust you. You’ve proven time and time again that you’re in my corner, that you believe in me…”

“Of course I do, Emma. You’re the most determined and assiduous woman I’ve ever met. I trust you with my life…and my heart.”

She tilted her head and smiled softly. “I trust you with mine, too. I think you know me well enough to know I didn’t come to that decision lightly.”

He reached up to twist a lock of her hair around his finger. “Aye, that I do. I feel incredibly honored to hold your trust, Love, especially when not so very long ago, you chained me at the top of a beanstalk because you didn’t trust me.”

“That’s not why I chained you there.”

“No?” he questioned.

She shook her head. “If you recall, I told you I couldn’t take the chance of being wrong about you. Even then, I sensed I could trust you, and that scared the shit out of me.”

“That’s because you thought I was nothing but a pirate, as did the rest of your family. Your father used those exact words in Neverland.”

“Yeah, well, you proved us all wrong.” She cupped his face in the palm of her hand. “You’re a good man, Killian Jones.”

He smiled. “During our adventure back in the Enchanted Forest, when Dave didn’t know who I was, he told me your parents would be crazy not to approve of me as your suitor. I told him I hoped he would remember that.”

“He’s coming around. Give him time and you’ll probably end up being his best friend.”

He wrapped his arms around her more tightly, taking advantage of having her naked form pressed against him. She laid her head on his chest, humming happily.

Later, when they were cleaned up and she was asleep in his arms, wearing nothing but one of his thin black shirts, their conversation ran through his mind again. When Neal died, he saw how grief-stricken Emma was, and assumed she would have chosen the other man, had he lived. He was Henry’s father, after all, and Killian thought that connection between Emma and Neal would be enough for her to try to make their relationship work.

Hearing her say she would have chosen Killian made him happier than he had been for centuries. He fell asleep with his nose buried in her hair and a smile on his face. Tomorrow, they would probably face some sort of crisis, but tonight, Emma Swan was his and hopefully would remain his for the long haul.

*********

I hope you agree that this is a scene we all needed!

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[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Season 3 Rewatch Drabble: 3x15 Quiet Minds

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: 674

Other Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26) (27) (28)

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

“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Emma asked as she stepped out of Baelfire’s hospital room and rejoined her parents and Hook.

Killian saw the hints of agitation on her face and wondered just what had transpired between her and Bae after he’d asked for a moment of privacy with her.

Nothing pleasant, that was for sure.

The selfish part of him felt a kind of sick satisfaction at the fact, but his better nature–blessedly the part that was firmly in control at the moment–felt only concern for her, and even some manner of concern for Bae.

“Is everything alright, Swan?” he asked gently.

She looked at him, and for the briefest of seconds, she let him see her agitation and discomfort before firmly shutting it down.  “It’s fine,” she bit out, “but time’s wasting.  We need to find Gold. Now.  So again, what’s the plan?”

Killian wanted to argue, knowing everything clearly wasn’t alright, but he knew Swan well enough by now to realize any further insistence would be met with intractable denial.

“Well, your mom and I figured the best place to start the search would be the woods,” David said.  “No real reason to think he’s there, but we know he didn’t go to his shop or his house, and the last place we know he was was in Zelena’s cellar, so…” He shrugged.

“Great,” Emma said.  “Dad, you and I will head there.  Mom?”

Snow White sighed.  “I know,” she said. “I’ll be no help on the search in my very pregnant state.  I guess I’ll…stay with Belle and watch over the homefront.  I can still wield my bow and arrow.”

“Sounds good, and Hook?” She said turning to him.

“I’ll accompany you,” he said, his look encompassing both Swan and the prince.  “After all, we can’t be too careful with the witch about.”

Snow and David shared a look.  “Actually, Hook,” David said, “we were thinking it might be better if you stayed here.”

He protested vehemently at the suggestion, but Swan stopped him with a gentle hand to his arm.  “He’s right,” she said. “We need someone here with Neal.”

“You think he needs protection?”

She snorted.  “Well that, and there’s also the fact that he needs someone to stop him in case he does something stupid. Not like that’s unusual for him.”

“Emma!” her mother chided.

“I just mean something like leaving the hospital against medical advice,” she said. “You know, trying to come after his dad himself.”

“Aye,” Killian agreed, as a new possibility occurred to him, “not to mention the fact that we don’t know how much we can trust him.”

Snow White gave him a look that was so reminiscent of his own mother rebuking him when he was a small lad that he nearly squirmed.

“Consider what little we know thus far,” he said. “I’ve no doubt Bae is sincere in his allegiance to the side of the heroes, but we’ve yet to learn what precisely he did to resurrect his father.  It is a safe bet that it was both exceedingly reckless and at least marginally unsavory.  It would not hurt to have someone about to protect him when the price he undoubtedly owes for such dark magic comes due.”

“Okay, sounds good,” Swan said after a moment.  “Let’s get to it, then.”

“Swan,”he called after her as she and her parents started toward the hospital entrance.  She turned back to look at him. “Be safe,” he answered, unable to stop the slight hint of concern for her welfare from his voice.

Her eyes softened, and she smiled slightly at him.  “Always am.”

With that, they were off, and Killian was left standing alone in the hospital corridor.  He took a step toward the cafeteria in search of that “jell-o” he’d been served.  It had been far too sweet for his taste and the texture was…unusual to say the least, but he gathered it had great medicinal properties and as such it would be as good an offering to Bae as anything.

NEXT CHAPTER->

[countrymusiclover]

2 - Gut Feeling About Him

Part 3

His Golden Princess

@fanficismydrug @misskitty1912-blog @alanaangie24

Emma had went in search of Henry when we got released from jail this morning in Storybooke. Shrugging on a tank top I decided to stroll the town while we were here for a day or so. Last night Henry talked about the storybook more saying that everyone else in this town was a cursed fairytale character. Except for me, Emma and himself of course. That they weren't allowed to leave the town or something bad would happen to them. Glancing around the street I had passed a dinner called Granny's but something makes me stop outside a pawnshop called Mr. Gold's. The wind blows my hair in front of the eyes when someone stops a few steps away from me. "Would you care to look inside, dear. It would be much easier." Spinning on my feet I parted my lips eyeing a man up and down. He wears a black tux with a red tie, walking with a cane. He has shaggy brown hair that has some grey in it with brown eyes. "The name's Mr. Robert Gold. May I know yours lass?" He opened the shops door letting me inside first.

"Astrid, Astrid Swan. It's nice to meet you Mr. Gold." I stepped foot in the shop hanging my mouth opened at all the different things he had inside. He had the typical stuff like cups but there's a glass unicorn baby mobile. Alongside things like swords you would see in midevil plays or something like that. Mr. Gold closed the front door walking around a glass counter watching my movements. Raising my brows I could feel his eyes trained on me. "What is it you're looking for, Mr. Gold?" He chuckled bending his head down with a slight smile. Moving over to a painting on the wall he pulled it away from the wall holding something in his freehand before closing it back. "I'm not sure why but I think this would suit you, lass. I'd let you have it. Free of charge." Glancing over my shoulder with my blonde hair falling over I caught sight of a unique necklace. The necklace is shaped like a tiny dagger colord silver. I moved my hair back allowing him to clasp it around my neck. Looking at myself in the mirror on the wall I must admit the jewelry was beautiful, and I have never seen any type of jewelry like it before.

Glancing over my shoulder Mr. Gold rests his hands on his cane for balance raising a brow. "What do you think?" Walking up to him I lift it up with my freehand giving him a gentle grin back. "It's beautiful. How much do you want for it?" I reached down about to get my wallet from my back pocket but he gently grabbed my wrist stopping my efforts. My eyes locked onto his where I get the feeling I recognized the deep brown from somewhere. I just can't put my finger on it exactly. "There's no charge, lass. All I ask in return is that you allow me to take you out to Granny's diner. If you decide to stay of course." Reaching up I begin playing with some of my hair which has been a nervous habit of mine when I would get embarrassed as a child. "Are you always this nice and forward with your customers?" I tilt my head to the side with a playful smile to the pawnshop owner. Gold reaches up moving his hair that had fallen in front of his eyes clearing his throat looking nervous at my question.

"Well I must be honest most people in this town and I don't have the best relationship. I haven't seen you around so I felt I should make a good first impression. If that makes sense, Ms. Swan." Holding my hands up I throw them down chuckling with a sigh. "Please just call me Astrid. We're not in a business meeting with each other anymore. Are we Gold?" He chuckled giving me a smile until I felt my phone going off inside my pocket so I held a finger up answering it. "Hey sis. What's up?" Emma's voice came through the phone mentioning an inn. "Hey, Henry convinced me to stay for a week. So meet me at Granny's inn. It's the same woman who owns the diner." Hanging up the phone I put it away heading to exit the door explaining to the man watching me. "That's my sister, Emma. I have to go but hopefully I'll see you again." He nods giving me a wave bye when the door closes behind me. Walking down the street I play with the necklace feeling my eyes trailed up to the clock town. The time froze on 8:15 never moving according to Henry. The sun has set by the time I reached the small in walking up the wooden porch stairs meeting my sister inside.

Emma stands at the front desk with an elderly woman and her young granddaughter who eyes me from her spot in the corner. Closing the door behind me I tapped her shoulder before the front door opened revealing Mr. Gold. "Emma. What a lovely name." He stared at the elderly woman who nervously hands him a roll of cash which was probably the rent. My sister voices with a small smile towards the man. "Thanks." Gold blinked his eyes at me a couple times reaching for the door handle sending me a wink. "See you soon, Lady Astrid." I felt my cheeks turn bright red remembering that nickname from the figure in my dreams that was Rumplestiltskin. Shifting my eyes sharply to Gold it makes a shiver run down my spine seeing the same brown eyes. "So how long will you two be with us?" The elderly woman named Granny broke me from my trance asking my sister. "A week. Just a week." The woman smiled handing her a key replying. Emma took hold of the key where we walked into our room setting in for the night. Emma layed down in the bed as I sit resting my chin on my arms looking out the window playing with the necklace again. Still hearing the words Gold had said. "Lady Astrid...How on Earth would he know that nickname?" I mumbled to myself falling asleep.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[realmyths]

@nosestealer continued from here

if there's one thing that eleusine has learned in the past twenty-eight years, it's that everyone has a plan from miss mayor - the evil queen herself - to mister gold, the pawnbroker. snow white and her prince charming do too; even emma swan, the savior herself, has plans. the type of plans depend on the day and the weather: sometimes it's to stop regina and mister gold, other times it's to help them. eleusine knows the stories. all of them are true, with slight variations here and there. it's all in the telling, anyway. perhaps little lizzie gold is not the best person to have this back and forth with. but then again, little lizzie gold's probably one of the few who truly understands where the anger underneath elle's skin comes from. is it better to live a fake-life for twenty-eight years or is it better to be trapped outside the looking glass, never once able to join in?

"i knew. i knew it was a curse. that none of it was real. but i couldn't do anything. i had no magic. i didn't have anything; i didn't have anyone. everyone thought i was as mad as, well, the hatter." a soft sigh escapes her lips, however, when elizabeth asks if it's all part of the plan: "but perhaps madness is exactly what we need to see this plan through. magic is back in storybrooke now. and i did not spend twenty-eight years without my magic and without my loved ones for nothing. so yes. this is all part of the plan. and speaking of which: you're up, darling. give 'em hell."

Liz frowns. How had she known? Of course, Liz had known. But that had been thanks to her father. She hadn't exactly advertised the fact to the other residents of Storybrooke, though. When she mentions that she didn't have magic and didn't have anyone, that everyone thought she was as mad as the Hatter, Liz's frown deepens. "I'm sorry. I wish I could've told you. But my dad wouldn't have liked it. And I wasn't sure if you'd believe me, anyway. I didn't know if you would've thought I was as mad as the Hatter."

When she tells Liz to give them hell, Liz can't help but chuckle. "I always have. And I always will. I hope you can reunite with your loved ones." Now that the curse is broken, her parents are reunited. She's finally getting to know her mother, and she loves her. Finally, Liz has someone to talk about books with. And her mother is just an amazing woman. Liz can't believe she survived without her for this long. She had always missed her during the curse, of course. But her father had always comforted her with the knowledge that they would all be a family one day. And now they are. Liz just wants the same for Eleusine.

"If there's anything I can do to help you find them, let me know." Now that magic is fully back, the sky is the limit. And Liz would be happy to help the other person. "And who exactly should I give the most hell to? Just so I know." She smiles. Though she takes after her mother in looks and in her love of reading, she definitely inherited her father's mischievous streak along with his powers. Though she's glad she doesn't need to be the Dark One to have these abilities. Thanks to her father's spell that he put on her when she was born. He's not all bad, like the stories paint him. He's actually rather kind once you get to know him. And though she knows her father isn't perfect, he has his flaws, who doesn't? Nobody is perfect. So why hold anyone to a standard they can never meet?

[girlswithambition]

OUAT Fic Draft part 1 - Explicit, White Swan

Emma Swan/Snow White/Mary Margaret

Bittersweet, smut, angst, a good kick in the feels (hopefully).

Context: Before the first curse broke, Emma slept with her then-roommate Mary Margaret. After the curse broke, she fought a dragon and realized her roommate had known her in an entirely different context. Emma takes this news as well as you might imagine.

Content warnings: accidental consanguineous sex; purposeful later on. Mentions of system-typical child abuse and neglect.

Comments or whatever you please is greatly appreciated from the bottom of my heart - and you don't even need to pull it out of my chest!

Emma fought a dragon. She drove her own father’s sword into an honest-to-forsaken-God, this-is-not-Jurassic-Park Dragon. She woke an entire town from a nigh-30 year curse, restored fairytale identities to each of its residents, and saved her son with a True Love’s Kiss. And most importantly, Emma fucked her mom.

The revelation came some time after the fanfare of the broken curse. It took a few moments to let the reality of her parentage sink in, and then the horrible realization of what she had done with one half of that parentage.

Emma promptly ran to her apartment (her mom’s apartment, fucking hell), locked the front door behind her and barely had time to slip and toss off her leather jacket before she locked the bathroom door for good measure and sank helplessly onto the mat by the sink, her head in her hands.

Goosebumps spread on her now-bare shoulders. A tank top wasn’t exactly fit for this weather but if Emma couldn’t shed her own skin, the jacket would have to do. She heard the crumpled noise of it sliding to the floor from wherever she’d tossed the thing in haste, but otherwise the whole apartment was silent. At least for now.

Emma had hid herself for most of her twenty-eight years, and this hadn’t been one of her better ideas. Someone would come for her. 

Emma heard the sound of keys rattling desperately against the front door. As if her stomach hadn’t already fallen to the floor, it did again.

“Emma?” asked Mary Margaret. Snow White.

Her mother.

Emma listened for the noises outside the door. Footsteps drawing away from the bathroom, and the slip of Mary Margaret picking up the leather jacket to hang it back up–not on the chair, but with a more faraway sound like on the coathanger. Only a moment of thoughtful silence followed before the footsteps beelined to the bathroom door.

A firm set of knocks. “Emma?”

Snow rattled the locked doorknob, pushing only slightly, but it met enough resistance to give away Emma’s position. Even if Emma only uttered a tiny gasp, the still-locked but threatening door stilled. There was no more searching necessary.

“Emma, are you all right?” Pleaded the voice behind the door. “No one knows. Only–”

A pause. Your father was probably Mary Margaret’s thought, as Emma listened to her mother carefully consider her words.

“--only David. And he understands. His phone is on for whatever you need.”

Emma had no words to fill space in the apartment. She heard the clicking of the ancient (or cursed) radiator, but that was the only thing. She wondered if Mary Margaret could hear her breathing behind the bathroom door. Probably. Mayor Mills wouldn’t have passed up an opportunity to curse her with thin walls.

Snow’s voice behind the door carried conviction even beyond the slight waver. “Listen. If you want me to go, I’ll go. I love you with everything I have left. If that means letting you go again, Emma, I will.”

Still, Emma had nothing to say. 

Snow’s tone softened.

“I can move away from the door. Otherwise it’s the other door…or the window. I can’t stop you, but you should know that’s a tough drop. If you’re gonna do that, please reach for that ash tree–”

“--and roll it out. Yeah, bail bondswoman, remember?”

Emma could hear the smile in Snow’s voice. “Bandit. Formerly. But really, Emma, I’ll move. You don’t need to end your day with two broken ankles on my account.”

“I don’t know, Mary Margaret.”

Emma looked at the bathroom window and its tacky bird-themed curtains hiding the worn, chipped paint on the pane. She could slip right out and walk out of her mother’s life forever. She could take Henry, or better yet (given what she’d done) talk with Regina about how Mayor Evil Queen was the only acceptable mother figure for him.

Snow interrupted her consideration. “Did you lock both doors, Emma?”

“No.”

“Did you want to?”

Emma’s admission came out so quietly that she wondered if Mary Margaret had heard it from the other side of the door.

“No.”

Evidently she did, because Emma heard some shuffling noises she couldn’t quite place until Mary Margaret opened the second bathroom door. She held a mug in her hand hastily piled over with ice cubes.

Mary Margaret locked the other door behind her. Now it was only them, taking up space in a tiny apartment as they had been before they knew who they really were.

“A glass of water. If you want it.” Mary Margaret put the glass down beside Emma, but didn’t reach for her beyond that. She sat on the mat against the tub.

Emma’s mouth was dry, so she took it and sipped. It gave her something to do other than looking at her mother.

Still, Mary Margaret broke the silence. “I asked David to text if he’s on his way back. He’s watching Henry.”

“Door’s locked?” Emma heard Snow lock the other bathroom door, but she meant the front door. No stranger could come in and no David or Henry could either. Emma didn’t need to specify, though; Snow understood.

“Yeah.”

“Fuck, I shouldn’t have done this. Shouldn’t have done any of this. I am so sorry, Mary Margaret.”

“There’s nothing you have to apologize to me for, Emma.” Unlike Mary Margaret’s, Snow’s gaze held firm and sure. Emma remembered her in Mary Margaret fashion, curled on her back and bucking her clit against Emma’s thumb while still unsure what to ask for.

“Can you really tell me that this was what you wanted?” Emma asked to keep her mind away from what had happened between them.

“No. I wanted to raise you in the palace, away from the–away from Regina. You would have been safe and I could have seen…everything. But that’s not what happened, Emma. I can’t wish for the past to change.”

“Isn’t your whole thing wishing?”

“Sure it is.” Snow shrugged, her warm embrace of a smile fading to an ember, just on the edge of a frown. It couldn’t go out entirely, even with sadness behind her eyes. “But sometimes we can’t reach all the things we wish for.”

Emma had nothing left to fill the silence that followed. She’d already discarded her jacket to escape every sensation she remembered, but the crisp Storybrooke air swept goosebumps on her bare arms. Cursed radiators didn’t exactly heat efficiently.

Emma sipped from the mug Snow gave her, and didn’t stop her mother when she moved next to her on the bath mat, leaving space for the mug between them. Emma kept it in her hands.

She wasn’t sure what to do in this proximity to someone. Emma was never really sure. Fucking would be easy enough, but just sitting with Snow felt more present than Emma had ever been comfortable with. 

Snow must have sensed that, too. “Does this feel okay?”

Emma took a few seconds to deliberate, but nothing really came to mind. This wasn’t the time for the polite ‘yeah it’s fine.’ Snow genuinely asked. What her mother wanted was her honesty, and somehow that had buried itself deep in her heart without Emma wanting to lie.

“It doesn’t…feel not okay. Not really.” She paused, the words swimming in her mind without quite making it out of her mouth. “It didn’t feel not okay.”

“You’re gonna have to see me after class for that string of double negatives. I’m almost impressed.”

Snow extended her hand, which Emma took.

Just hand-holding. Emma tried to sort through how exactly she felt, but found that more difficult than it really should have been. It was only hand-holding. 

And how reverently Snow held her hand.

Emma had never taken the time to really see Snow’s gentleness without pretense or ulterior motive. Even as Mary Margaret, Emma had felt how genuinely she cared. Her mother was not the soft-spoken witch waiting in the woods, but the piece Emma had been missing for so long.

“Are you cold? You’re cold. Let me get you a towel.”

“Oh no, Mary Margaret, it’s fine, I–”

But her mother wouldn’t be dissuaded and had already begun fishing in the bathroom closet for the basket full of clean but yet-unfolded laundry. There were plenty of folded towels on the shelf, so this confused Emma until she saw Mary Margaret return with a familiar knitted blanket that she draped around Emma’s shoulders.

A warm, all-encompassing weight washed over Emma. Snow’s hand pressed softly between the other-worldly yarn and her shoulder. It was softer now, freshly-laundered, and smelled faintly of lavender.

“I washed it. You kind of drool when you sleep, just like Charming.” Snow sat back down beside her. “And yes, you do sleep with it. I’ve known for a while.”

“You realize how fucked up this is, right?

“I was beginning to think about it when, I don’t know, the twenty-eight year town-wide curse broke and I was no longer a schoolteacher. Or tragically heterosexual. Minus that one time.”

“Oh, God, stop. Okay, fine. But David can’t possibly be whatever he is about this.”

“And why wouldn’t he? He knows. He understands. It’s not what he expected, but he’ll talk on his own terms and yours.”

“What if I don’t know what my terms are?”

Mary Margaret sighed. “Well, we can start smaller. How are you feeling right now?”

Feeling seemed to come so easily to Snow. It ran in the family, apparently, and skipped over Emma herself. As a bail bondswoman she prided herself on her suspicion, knowing whether some jerkass was a flight risk so she could tell the DA “I told you so.” That line of judgment hadn’t served her as well in being intimately, painfully close to someone.

Emma couldn’t find pain in her mother’s arms, or even the obligation to share anything at all in frustrated silence.

“I mean the shock hasn’t exactly worn off, and there’s the whole fairytale curse thing. Other than that…” Emma sighed, racking her brain for anything Snow asked of her. “It’s a pretty blank page. Sorry. I don’t have anything else.”

“Any bad feelings? Uncomfortable ones?”

Emma shrugged. “I don’t think so. It’s all shock, really. I can do shock. The magic is a bit of a surprise but so is your average day in Tallahassee.”

Once she got past the whole magic thing, Emma had seen worse in Florida.

“Sounds like an uncomfortable feeling to me.” Snow said. “Just because you’ve experienced it before doesn’t mean it’s easy. And if you don’t believe me, believe your goosebumps. Or your thousand-yard stare. Your voice changes when you’re scared, too.”

“I’m not–” Emma knew exactly the type of horseshit she was about to spin for her mother, and Snow did too. 

Emma relented, clinging tighter to the mug in her hands. “Fine. I am a little scared, I guess. You’re too good at this.”

Was that a Snow thing, a Charmings thing, or a mother thing? Maybe all rolled into one–Emma couldn’t yet tell. Her mother’s perceptiveness pierced right through her ribcage, and yet beside Emma’s lonely foster memories was a more recent past, just as real, of lying in bed clinging to Mary Margaret while her fingers tangled through sweaty, blonde waves. No curse had done that. They had.

She had.

While Emma considered the weight of her realization, Snow broke the silence beside her.

“Do you want me to hold you?”

[priscilla9993]

Killian Jones and Alcoholism

This is mainly a summary of things relating Killian/Hook to alcohol/rum. It was done for a college paper and is very long, therefore it’s under the break. To warn you, it is going to be mainly Wish Hook based since I needed to narrow it down and it was easier to show how he handled alcohol as a recovering alcoholic. Enjoy!

The character in question for this case study is Killian Jones, well known by his more colorful moniker of Captain Hook, as portrayed from the ABC TV show Once Upon A Time. He lives in a region of a fantasy realm known as the Enchanted Forest. He used to be a Royal Navy Lieutenant with his older brother Liam, straight-laced on being good and not getting into trouble in any way, especially after getting somewhere in life and no longer subjected to being an indentured deckhand like when their father abandoned them as kids. During a daring quest to Neverland to find some medicine for the king, Peter Pan said they had been tricked to bring back a poisonous plant called Dreamshade, meant to be used as a weapon against unsuspecting enemies. Killian was wary, ready to denounce his service to the king, but his brother was willing to have faith in a noble king and country. With one swift motion of the plant’s prick hoping to prove otherwise, Liam began dying and realized his mistake. Recruiting the help of Pan and some magical water, Liam was cured but soon died in Killian’s arms on the voyage back to the king, the price of the magic being death if Liam ever left Neverland with the water running through his veins. His brother’s death made Killian vengeful at his king and country as his brother had been noble until the very end and everyone else was corrupt, playing noble, proving to him that the world was at fault. From that day on, he took over the ship and decided to be a pirate named Captain Jones, pursuing freedom, and throwing away all he’s ever known because being noble didn’t serve justice. This starts his life of thievery, promiscuity, and never-ending drinking. His coping solutions to deal with his emotional pain only gets worse when he loses his hand, first love of his life, Milah, and his honor after losing a duel against Rumplestiltskin, a coward turned into a powerful Dark One; which leads him on a path of revenge to kill the Rumplestiltskin, “the crocodile”, to avenge Milah and his pride. This leads him to makeshift a hook for a hand and him going by the nickname of Captain Hook, leaving the last piece of his past behind and never letting himself be vulnerable again.

Throughout the series, whenever he or someone in his vicinity is having a rough time, his solution is to pour out some alcohol and drink his feelings away, acting like an egotistical flirt rather than expressing himself and wallowing in misery. His choice of alcohol happens to be rum, a hard liquor. The acute symptoms he has in the show are the loss of judgment, a reddened face, confusion, potentially heightened sexual desire, and sometimes blackouts/unconsciousness. There are multiple times where he’s in a tavern, pouring doubloons into drinks for his crew, rum for himself, and flirting with women/barmaids to have a nightcap with. From here on, I will refer to him as Hook unless stated otherwise. On one occasion of his usual proclivities displaying or implying such symptoms, Hook tries to seduce a woman named Emma. She manages to use his habit of drinking to her advantage, making him jolly and willing to take her back to his ship for the said nightcap; her actual objective was being a distraction while his future self did recon for info on how to get back to their timeline in a Back to the Future sort of way. He continues heavily drinking on the way back with Emma without a care for his health. As soon as the plan goes awry with Hook seeing double, Emma not realizing Future Hook was still doing recon, he gets knocked out for good measure and partial jealousy. Future Hook justifies this, saying his past self was “asking to be knocked out, will wake up upset, and blame the rum.” The lines construe how frequent the drinking was for his future self to determine Hook’s ill-mannered disposition while drunk. 

Eventually, in a parallel way that stems from drunk Hook, is a feeble and spent pirate coined as “Wish Hook”. I have and will be focusing on this iteration for the whole of the paper, but what was written before was his younger self’s background. Wish Hook is the same guy as Hook, but years older down the line, differing paths from Future Hook as he never found love again with someone like Emma and had let his grief and alcohol from more recent negative events consume him. Wish Hook had lived out most of his lifespan, having been a sober father, but cursed to be poisoned any time he drew near his daughter after a witch encounter. Haunted by his regrets and somber circumstances, he turned back to an alcoholic, spending his days eased by rum. His body and actions in this form show the physical and mental effects of chronic alcohol consumption. About ten years or less had passed between his younger self and he had become an experienced middle-aged man with a complicated history, yet he looked far older than his years and decrepit. Without a doubt, by looking at him, people could assume he was an old drunk, his liver and heart having gotten fatty and overworked from the alcohol catching up to him. His belly was rotund, his hair disheveled and gray with streaks of white, his stance crumbling to nearly falling over with each step, and clothes dirtied with filth and old rum stains. Wish Hook still had a flirty and dramatic personality to cheer himself up and mask his turmoil, rum making him courageous and numb, while his actions told another story. He didn’t have sexual desires or try to provoke anyone by that point, just wanted to drown himself in alcohol. His words typically came out slurred, his movements sluggish and unrefined, and he had low problem-solving skills when it came to formulating a plan based on anything other than motive.

In the Enchanted Forest, alcohol like rum is not hard to come by as long as money is involved. Killian Jones/Captain Hook as a pirate drinking rum all the time did not affect him negatively socially or career-wise. If anything, it boosted his status and reputation. For him to be mingling in bars asking for expensive hard liquor and fine women to spend time with was a pleasantry. Bar owners got money, the crew got free alcohol, the women got paid, and he got to immerse himself in pleasure rather than thinking about trivial or serious things. Hook was the life of the party as a pirate captain, seen as a person with good tastes and great to have a fun time with when it came to alcohol. However, when it came to settling down and being a father later on in his life, Wish Hook reserved himself back to his more vulnerable side, caring about how his alcoholism could affect his parenting or child’s perspective. There are moments like that where he’s introspective and wants to do better by others that look up to him or who he cares about. In the show, when he is parenting, there is never a time where he has a bottle or flask of rum stashed nearby or is drinking. Wish Hook deems alcohol as the problem when it affects his judgment or his perceptions on how he could hurt the way people he loves view him. Love in any form brings him back to his core of being the best person he can be.

Killian Jones’s problem originates in nurture rather than nature because his alcohol problems started after he needed a reliable coping mechanism to lean on to deal with grief and anger. Although both nature and nurture influence him, for argument’s sake, nurture has the upper hand. Growing up, his father was a person he looked up to and wanted to be like, but that changed when he found out his father was a criminal who sold him and Liam to pay a route for a selfish escape. What little of his parents shown on-screen left betrayal or sadness in him, not the desire to drink. His parents weren’t clear on alcoholics or drug users as far as it goes. The only things he inherited from nature were probably his mischievous personality, temper, looks, and a high tolerance for alcohol. Living on a ship and being a poor deckhand, Killian didn’t seem to be the kind of guy to squander his savings on alcohol or other frivolous means. However, he would be on a ship constantly surrounded by adults who drank with a captain who cared more about money rather than morals, feeling squandered by his oppressed freedom and building resentment for authority. Without his brother steering him on track, Killian was no more than a young man with impulsive rebellious nature. When Liam went to get them navy papers to earn them their freedom from Captain Silver, it took Killian an offer of temptations from Silver, as much alcohol as he could drink and a bet on his money, for him to fall hook, line, and sinker; no pun intended. Alcohol and gambling meant a reprieve from thoughts, a chance at earning more than what he had before, and the same social standing as the other men aboard the ship. Perhaps, as much as he wanted to be strong as his brother, one good force cannot shield against all of the negative parts of society and adulthood. From Captain Silver, Killian got his first taste of alcohol and his desires did the rest, leaving him blackout drunk and penniless for Liam to find. As he grew older and slowly became Captain Hook, there was nothing about pirate life, being an adult, or people to keep him from drinking. He needed people to talk to, who supported him and he could feel vulnerable in front of, but the few people he trusted in his life were dead. As anyone knows, pirates steal treasure, so they’re not exactly the forgiving or down-to-earth types. Instead, rum became the solution to drown or fuel his emotions, being the substance of celebration and de-stressor.  

Hook’s rum/alcohol addiction would fall more on the dependence spectrum rather than abuse. What had started as a small reprieve to the woes of life became a daily saving grace when he was wracked with loneliness or anger. He depended on the rum to mask his disposition of physical pain from his missing limb as well as emotional pain having experienced love and loss. Abusing alcohol meant that it would put him into dangerous scenarios, have little to no commitment to change his habits to improve his health, and he’d put off important social aspects. If it was alcohol abuse, Hook wouldn’t try changing his habits when he sees it affects others or his relationship with those he loves. Sure, he spends most of his life binge drinking and making merry with the tides of life, but when given the chance and support to abstain from alcohol, he takes it in a heartbeat. For Wish Hook, the thought of being a father who abandons his child or messes up under hazy judgment didn’t add up to him. With the birth of his daughter, Alice, he made a vow to stay with her as long as he could and to be the person he thought she could be proud of. Nevertheless, when he had lost purpose in life by something he had no control over (via death, distance, or curse), his first reaction was to either turn back to alcohol or solve his problems. Sadly, after he had spent a couple of years looking for a cure for his poison heart curse, he gave up hope and chose to go from sobriety back to alcoholism, into a form of regrettable self-destruction. Hook knew that it was not the way to go about life but he felt he had no other choice and had nothing left to lose, leading him to further prioritize and depend on rum to continue living. He built a tolerance to it, needing a copious amount to get drunk, and potentially suffering withdrawals from it after getting in too deep. From the state he was in by the time he gets old and portly, being a nearly homeless drunkard, it can be assumed that he spent most of his days looking for money to acquire more alcohol so he could feel okay.  

Finally, by the end of the series, Killian Jones had managed to go through all the stages in the Stages of Change Model. He was in the Precontemplation stage as a pirate and Captain Hook as he didn’t see a problem in his daily rum and alcohol festivities, making no commitment to change his ways. By the time he gets to be Wish Hook and becomes a father, hesitant about settling down, he could be in the Contemplation stage. He’d want to do something about his alcohol problem and not be stuck relying on it but doesn’t know how to go about it or why he should, therefore staying stagnant to change. When he has his daughter, Alice, in his arms for the first time, we see him in the Preparation stage, planning to give up his ship, sea life, status, and most importantly, rum. Hook gives himself time to think of why he would do so and how he’d commit to it, eventually telling his crew the news. By the time he is taking care of her, he has already taken the actions needed to wean himself off alcohol and apply himself towards abstinence, taking him through the Action and Maintenance stages. There is a relapse back to the Contemplation stage in the paragraph before when he becomes poisoned and loses hope. Even so, the silver lining is that he had made the hard journey back into the Maintenance stage with the help of Ariel detoxing him and others giving him a magical second chance of bodily time renewal, sparking the hope to reunite with Alice and find a cure for his poisoned heart.  

Plans go awry on this end as we get to his final iteration as he is teleported and cursed into our modern day and age as Detective Rogers. Although his memories of what happened in the past as this persona are fuzzy, he is shown to stick to his renewed alcohol abstinence and maintains that in many ways, just like when he was Wish Hook. His habits become integrated as a function rather than a hindrance as part of the Maintenance stage. As Rogers, we can see him frequent bars such as Roni’s or Flynn’s Barcade when he is invited out with others. He is shown to let others know what to get him, as a regular or not, something non-alcoholic. This usually shows up as sparkling water or regular water with a lemon slice in it. His friends and work partner continue to support his sobriety through friendly acceptance and never forcing him to drink alcohol along with them. Rogers is tempted by alcohol again when he believes a missing girl from a cold case, one he was responsible for since he was drinking on the night she went missing, is dead. He sits on a park bench alone grieving, a full bottle of rum next to him, ready to drink. As Rogers gives it a whiff, he is disgusted at himself for getting back to this state again and slams the bottle down on the bench in frustration, not even having taken a sip. He came too far that doing so again would be meaningless and would get him nowhere. Even though he is in situations full of temptation, he makes huge strides to not relapse and maintain his sobriety, with the hopes that it will eventually lead him back on the right path of happiness and belonging. Fortunately, his actions have positive consequences that ring true when the curse breaks and he gets reunited with his daughter and has the strong support of friends and family. In conclusion, Hook is a flawed human being that is more complex and his struggle with alcohol/rum is just a part of him, one he will never lose but continues living with.

[angelmavmurdock]

Our Little Secret: Part Eight - A.R.

LAST OF THE SERIES

Word count: Summary: 5 years later...

-

WARNINGS: MENTIONS OF MURDER AND SEXUAL ASSAULT (basically everything Arvin and the preacher did in the movie is touched on).

-

5 years later

"Well, y/n, your application is outstanding. We'd love for you to work here." The headteacher spoke to me from across his desk.

"Really? Wow! Thank you so much!" I beamed.

"The new school term starts in August and the kids really need a well-taught, professional, young teacher who can help them grow as children. I think you're perfect for the job."

"Thank you so much, that means a lot. I can't wait to start."

Teaching. Teaching year 1. It was my dream to work with kids and now finally after 4 years of college I could do it.

I've been living in Cincinnati since I left high school 5 years ago. I needed to get out of that town as soon as I could. Everywhere I went it would remind me of Lenora...and Arvin.

I kept in touch with Emma, though. We still chatted at least a few times a month on the phone and she told me every time how much she missed Lenora and how much she missed Arvin. Though it was easier with Lenora because she knew what had happened to her - well, not fully - but she knew that she was gone. With Arvin, she didn't know why he was gone, what he was doing or had done and if he was still even alive. I didn't tell her about what Arvin told me on our last night. I promised him I wouldn't.

But every time I called her it was like I was being set back on my journey of grief and getting over him. I was with a lovely guy called William and we've been together since my last year of college. He didn't know about Lenora or Arvin or the Russell's.

But he did come with me to my father's funeral a few months ago.

Daddy had gotten worse and worse since being in New Coal Creek. We thought he was going to get better once we got him into hospital but it didn't make a difference. And when I moved to Cincinnati, I hardly ever saw him and Ma and I's row got in between Daddy and I's relationship.

So I went to his funeral feeling like the worst daughter on the planet. And I felt as if I was losing everyone I had ever truly loved.

Will was lovely and he worked in the same position Daddy used to work at. We had a house together and we lived there comfortably. It's much like how I grew up living. A big house with no one to fill it with. We didn't even have a dog or a cat because of his allergies. We were engaged to be married and he had bought me a very expensive and big diamond ring which was nice but I had no interest in.

Of course, I accepted. But as soon as he asked me the million dollar question, the first person that popped into my head was Arvin. And then Lenora. And then Daddy.

Wedding planning was very stressful when you don't have many friends or family around to help.

And after my meeting with the headteacher I was heading into town to find my wedding dress.

I was dreading it.

Ma was coming down to help and we'd meet at the place.

I thanked the headteacher and walked out excitedly, ready to start my teaching career. I got in my car and I drove into town. The closer I got, the worse I felt. I didn't want to get a wedding dress and I didn't want to get it with Ma either.

I parked outside of the dress shop and reluctantly got out. The shop was extravagant and elegant. I dreaded going inside. But my feet took me in as my brain lusted for home.

"y/n!" Ma exclaimed, shuffling up to me, already carrying dresses in her arms.

"Ma, hi." She nearly winded me as she embraced me.

I lightly put my hands around her but she tore away quickly.

"This place is just wonderful! I've already found a few you'd look great in!"

"Ma, I'd love if I was the one who would get to pick out my own weddin' dress." I raised a brow.

She sighed, "Fine. Yes, of course. Go into the changin' rooms and I'll follow."

I rolled my eyes and walked to one of the rooms where a consultant with a pearly white smile greeted me.

"Miss y/l/n, lovely to meet you. I'm Angela and I'll be helpin' you today! Are these the dresses you'd like to try?" She chirped, referring to the dresses in my mothers arms.

I sighed, "Yes."

"Great! Come on in."

-

I stood on the podium in front of the wall-length mirror with the fourth wedding dress on. It was a column dress that fell straight down with only a slight cinch at the waist. It had long sleeves and a high neck and lace covered the bodice. It was not my style.

"You look beautiful!" Ma complimented.

"I don't like it, Ma." I shook my head, twisting and turning to look at it.

"It's your fourth dress and you haven't liked any of them."

"They're just...not my style." I sighed.

Ma rolled her eyes and stood next to me, "It's not about your style. It's about looking gorgeous on your wedding day."

I furrowed my brows, "It's my wedding dress and it's my wedding. I want to love my dress."

"Well you are not the one paying for it." She brushed over my hips.

I felt rage bubble inside of me.

"Fine. We'll take this one then." I stated with a scoff and returned to the changing room in a huff.

-

"Okay, your fitting will be next month and that's when you'll get your dress home, alright?"

"Thank you." I smiled weakly at the consultant.

"You're welcome. Have a nice day!"

We waved goodbye and began walking out the shop. I placed my white gloves on and adjusted the white hat ornamented with a flower on my curled hair. I smoothed out my white and pale blue polka-dotted dress and adjusted the sky blue belt around my waist. Ma opened the door for me and I thanked her before leaving and hearing the click of my heels on the ground.

"y/n, I won't keep you long, but...you're a woman now. You're 23, you're getting married, you live away from home, you're getting a job. You're a woman. But just because you are older, does not mean I stop being your mother. I will always be your mother whether you like it or not and you have to treat me as such." Ma said, folding her arms over her red, floral tea dress.

I took a deep breath and looked at her.

"You took away my freedom when I was a teenager and because of that, I lost time with - not only Lenora - but Arvin, too. I don't know where he is now. No one does."

Just as I was about to talk about our last night I remembered she still didn't know I snuck out.

"I lost my best friend and the love of my life in the space of weeks and you kept me locked away until there was no one left. I'll never forgive you for that." I said, my head held high.

Ma took a few seconds to process the information and then nodded.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. I had no idea. I love you, y/n. I will always love you, alright?" She held my shoulders.

I swallowed and nodded, not looking at her.

"Congratulations on your new job, honey. I'll see you soon." She leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek then turned and walked away.

I took a few deep breaths as I watched her, guilt and anger washing away gradually. Part of me didn't want to go home. I wanted to escape for a while. I didn't want to have to go back and sit alone in a huge house I didn't like and I didn't want to wait up for a phone call from Will. I wanted to be by myself. I needed to. I looked around and at my car before deciding I'd go into town for a while.

I left the car and stuffed the keys further into my handbag. I clicked down the pavement until I reached the main road of shops, leading to a lake and a park where families would walk and eat ice-cream.

It was summer, so the sun was out in full, the trees swaying in the warm breeze and the sound of a few buskers playing accompanied by the noise of town people roaming around filled the warm air.

I smiled and said good mornin' to people as I walked by, waving at a few kids and cooing at some babies. I'd never really spent much time in town. I was always working or at the house with Will. It felt good to be out and alone. I wandered around, looking in some shop windows and wishing for the dresses but deciding against it.

It wasn't until I passed a shop and briefly glanced in it that I actually stopped to look closely. I took a double take and stood in front of the window, looking up at the displayed mannequin. It was a white blouse paired with a white tennis skirt and blue ribbon tied around the neck. A fond grin grew on my face. It reminded me of high school. Though I never wore mine on my neck, I still wanted it. I never wore ribbons in my hair anymore.

I couldn't help myself but go in. I entered the seemingly quiet shop and found the nearest shop consultant.

"Hi! I love that ribbon you have on show, is it for sale?" I asked with a smile.

The woman looked almost confused, "It's a ribbon...it's for decoration?"

"Oh...well, I'd still love to buy it. Name a price." I smiled again.

She looked at me dumbfounded for a moment but then shook it off and walked to the mannequin. She untied the silk and walked back over with it, placing it into my hands.

"It's free." She smiled.

"Thank you so much. I love it." I grinned.

"Have a nice day, now."

"I will." I beamed, walking out the store.

I felt giddy with nostalgia and excitement as I pulled my hair back under my hat and tied it with the ribbon, giving it a delicate bow. I checked it in my compact mirror and smiled with joy. I felt closer to myself.

I continued walking down the road and then to the lake. I stood and leaned against the railing, watching the elegant swans float by, their white feathers contrasting beautifully against the dark blue of the water. I watched them for a while, probably for about 10 minutes before I felt a light tug on my dress.

I got a fright and looked down where a young girl was standing next to me. I immediately smiled with relief and stood back.

"Hello," I waved.

"You're very beautiful, ma'am." She complimented in a strong southern accent.

"Why thank you, Mrs." I grinned.

"Would you like some bread to feed the swans?" She offered, holding up a chunk of bread.

"I would love some. Thank you." I graciously accepted the bread, holding it in my gloved hands.

The girls' mother called her back. She looked up at me and waved.

"Bye!" She said, before running off to her mum.

I smiled and laughed a little before turning back to the swans. I broke a piece of bread off and threw it in the water. I threw some more pieces in and watched as they all swam to the food, fighting over who got what.

Once I was out of bread, I sighed, leaning against the railing by my forearms. I took in my surroundings. I looked to my left where children were playing with each other as parents stood or sat on benches, resting. A few elderly couples walked by, hand in hand, arm in arm, chatting about everything and nothing.

A girl on a pink bike caught my eye. She was gorgeous and sat atop the seat with joy and pride as she rode by. My eyes followed her as she rode behind me and kept going.

But my eyes shifted focus when she rode by someone.

Someone who looked eerily familiar.

He had brown, woven, checkered trousers on and a white dress shirt with sleeves that were rolled up to his elbows. Brown suspenders hung over his shoulders and a white vest peeked out from the unbuttoned shirt.

But the dark eyes with the brown, slicked back hair and the cigarette in his mouth gave him away.

He was already looking at me, however. Like he had been for hours. I turned slightly, feeling my heart beat rise as he threw his cigarette on the ground.

It can't be him. It's just a lookalike. It's because I've been thinking about him today. It's not him. He's not here.

He walked closer to me but stopped about 2 metres away, hands in pockets with his chest rising and falling as rapidly as mine.

I could feel my chest heave against my dress as I stared at him, trying to decipher if that was truly him or if I was just dreaming.

"y/n?" He finally said, unsure of whether I was who he thought I was.

"A-Arvin?" I whispered.

A smile began to grow on his face and I knew it was him. It was him. Arvin.

I dropped my handbag and ran towards him, throwing my arms around his neck a our bodies collided, nearly setting us back.

His arms wrapped around my waist and lifted me up, making my legs pop up. He still smelled the same and he still felt the same. He felt like home.

"I can't believe you're here." I whispered, feeling a tear fall down my face.

He placed me back on my feet and I looked at him, cupping his face with my hands. He held them, stroking my thumbs with a smile.

"Why are you here?" He asked softly.

"I-I live here. I have since...since high school." I gulped.

He raised his brows, "I've been here for four years, y/n."

My mouth dropped open, "What?!"

He grinned, his hands squeezing mine, "We've both been livin' here for four years but not ran into each other."

I stuttered, "Wh-what? How is that- oh my gosh." I laughed, bringing my hands away from his face.

"I can't believe you're here, Arvin." I gulped, my chin quivering slightly.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again." I bit my lip, trying to stop myself from crying in public.

"Hey, shh." He brought me into him, cradling my head against his chest.

"We're here. I'm here." He said softly.

-

We decided to walk around the park to catch up which seemed both amazing but alien at the same time. We were still us but we had changed so much.

"Still wearin' ribbons I see." He grinned.

I laughed, "Don't make fun of me."

"I'm not. I always loved them." He smiled.

I blushed and looked to the ground.

"So, why Cincinnati?" Arvin asked.

I sighed, "I couldn't live there anymore after school." I gulped.

"It was just too hard. And I got accepted into college here so I decided to move."

"You'll be finished school now, right?" Arvin queried.

"Yeah. I just finished and I actually just got a job today, so." I smiled.

"That's amazin'. I'm happy for you." He grinned.

"Thank you..."

We walked in silence for a little longer than I would have hoped. But he broke it again.

"Why're you in town today, then? Considering I spend every day here and I've never seen you leads me to believe you don't come here often." He chuckled.

I nodded, "Yeah, I never get the chance too. But I was uh...I was actually in town for a dress fitting." I coughed, looking down at the floor.

"Goin' somewhere nice?" He asked.

I scoffed a laugh and looked up at him, "My wedding."

He stared at me in surprise, eyes wide and mouth open, soaking in the information.

"Y-you're engaged?" He croaked.

I nodded, removing my left glove to show the sturdy ring that sat on my finger.

"W-wow. I mean...he must be rich if you got a ring like that." He swallowed, looking down at his shoes.

"I mean...yeah, I guess." I shrugged awkwardly, putting the glove back on.

"How long have you been-"

"Uh, since last year. We met in college. He was doin' finance and Daddy actually put in a good word for him and he got his old job."

"He got your daddy's old job?" Arvin repeated.

"Yeah...yeah once uh...once he passed, they needed someone to fill his shoes so." I gulped.

Arvin stopped, "Your Dad passed? When?"

I chewed the inside of my lip, "Earlier this year."

"y/n, I am so, so sorry." He placed a hand on my arm.

"No, don't be silly. It's fine. He just never got well after he took a turn in Coal Creek." I said, beginning to walk again.

"I remember how sick he was..."

My chest fluttered. It was as if our past was an alternate universe. Like we never really lived it. It was just a different version of ourselves that did. Because now, we were here and it didn't feel the same. Not completely.

"So...should I ask how you ended up here?" I asked cautiously.

He tilted his head from side to side as if trying to figure an answer out himself.

"I don't think you'd like the details." He stated, reaching into his pocket for another cigarette.

"Did you..." I stopped, looking around us before lowering my voice.

"Did you do what you implied you would?" I asked, looking into his seemingly innocent eyes.

He inhaled some smoke and then exhaled, turning away for my sake.

"I did what I implied." He stated simply.

My stomach turned. I kept chewing my lip with nervousness, looking into his eyes. He didn't seem like a killer. He wasn't a bad person. I knew him. I knew who he was. And a murderer was not in his description.

I wanted to know about it. About him. I needed to know. So, impulsively - a word I hadn't used since our last night in Coal Creek - I invited him back with me.

"Would you come home with me? I live 15 minutes out of town and I'd really like to talk but I don't think a public park is appropriate." I said in a hushed tone.

He thought about it before nodding, "Sure."

-

The drive to my house was a little awkward. The radio played at a low hum while we sat in near silence, only the sound of the wind and other cars passing by filling the air.

"Used to be me drivin' you everywhere." Arvin commented with a chuckle.

I smiled, "Oh, how the tables have turned."

He laughed and so did I, then we resumed our mutual silence.

When we got to Will and I's estate, I drove through the gates of the house to the driveway where at the top, a large house sat - much like the one in Coal Creek.

"Our drivin' might've changed but this certainly hasn't." Arvin sighed, almost as if he was disappointed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked with a raised brow.

He shrugged, "Feels all too familiar, that's all." He said before getting out the car.

I screwed my face up at his comment but decided to let it slide. I got out of the car and locked it before following Arvin who seemed as if he knew the place, up the steps of the porch.

"Is your fiancé home?" He asked the ground, hands in pockets.

I shook my head, "He's out of town for a weekend with work."

I stuck the key into the lock of the wide, white front door and opened it. I walked inside then held it open for Arvin.

He walked in and looked around, taking in his new surroundings.

The hallway was wide and white, only paintings filling the wall space and a large staircase to the left winded up to the next floor.

"Wow...I mean, you've done well for yourself." Arvin scoffed a laugh.

"Thank you." I smiled weakly, taking my hat from my head.

He looked up at the high ceilings, appreciating the chandelier that hung above the doorway.

"Come on through. Do you want tea? Coffee?" I offered, walking down the hallway and into the open kitchen/living room area while taking my gloves off.

He walked in behind me, looking around the new room he was in before following me into the kitchen.

"How about a scotch?" He asked with a smirk.

I smiled, "That'd be appropriate, I think."

I got the crystal decanter and two glasses from the tray that sat atop the kitchen table. I poured us two glasses and then handed Arvin one. I brought the decanter with us as we migrated to the couch.

I slipped my heels off before sitting down, my dress puffing and fanning out over my lap. Arvin sat opposite me, his ankle resting on his knee comfortably.

"So..." I started.

"So." He repeated.

"I think I might have more questions about you than you do about me." I smiled weakly.

He nodded, "Probably right."

I took a deep breath before asking any questions.

"Who got Lenora pregnant?" I asked.

I thought that would be a good starting point. It was what started everything.

"Reverend Teagardin. The new preacher that came to town." Arvin answered.

My eyes widened, "What?!"

"He took Lenora - and other girls - into the woods," Arvin began to explain.

He stared at the crystal in his hands and the liquid floating inside of it. He didn't once look up at me.

"He'd make them pray before they got started and he'd take advantage of them."

"Didn't he have-"

"A wife? Yeah. But he was abusin' her at home, too." He gulped.

"Oh my god. That's horrible." I sighed, my stomach feeling uneasy.

He finally looked up at me and I could feel his curiosity burn into me.

"Do you...do you still talk to Grandma?" He asked, his voice slightly shaky.

I smiled and nodded, "Yeah. I talked to her last week."

A slight smile grew on his face with relief, "How is she?"

"She's okay. She always talks about you and Lenora. Mostly you now, though. I mean, I never told her a thing about our last night and she still doesn't know about Lenora's pregnancy. She knows just as much as when you left."

He licked his teeth and nodded, "Thanks for keepin' in touch."

"Of course. I said I would, didn't I?" I grinned.

He nodded with a smile.

"So how about you? Livin' here in this big house with a big-shot fiance. Must be nice." He quirked his brow, taking a sip of his drink.

He was trying to pry something out of me, I could feel it.

"It's good. He takes care of me and we're happy." I stated.

"It's not boring?"

"No." I lied.

He tilted his head, "I can tell when you're lyin', y/n."

I scoffed, "You haven't seen me in five years and you think you can just come back here and tell me you know me so well? Don't start with that bullshit, Arvin."

He furrowed his brows, "Are you mad at me? What did I do?"

I rolled my eyes, "You don't know me, Arvin. So don't act like you do."

I sat my glass down and swiftly stood up from the couch. He did the same.

"I might not have seen you in years but I think I know you better than anyone on this planet. Am I right?" He asked, watching as I paced up and down in front of him.

I scoffed and shook my head.

"You're tellin' me that this guy- this guy - knows you better than I do?" Arvin lifted a picture of Will and I up to demonstrate.

"Yes. He does."

"Bullshit." He spat.

"You don't get to say shit like that Arvin. You know why?" I challenged, standing close to him with my hands on my hips.

"Why?" He retorted.

"Because you left! You left to murder someone! You'd have rather been a killer livin' with guilt for the rest of your life than to be with me." I shouted.

I didn't notice how close we were until he laughed and I could feel his familiar breath on my face.

"I had to do it. That preacher was no good. And neither was that cops sister and her dirt-bag husband." He snapped.

I blinked at him in confusion.

"Wh-what do you mean the cops sister and her husband?" I asked in a soft tone.

He looked away from me and gulped.

I gasped and held my hands over my mouth, "Did- did you-"

He grabbed and held my hands, "They were gonna kill me, y/n. They would take hitchhikers and murder them to take pictures with their dead bodies. I wasn't about to be the next one."

I widened my eyes, "They did what?!"

"And then I got caught out by the cop...his sister was the wife. He followed me to Knockemstiff and tried to shoot me with a shot gun. I had to, y/n. He was gonna kill me I-"

I could see the tears and the panic in his eyes. I just reached my hands up and wrapped them around his shoulders, bringing him into my arms. His face went into my neck and I could feel tears drip onto my skin. I threaded my fingers through his hair.

"I'm a bad person, y/n. I killed four people..." He sniffed.

"Arvin, look at me." I tugged him from my neck and cupped his cheeks.

"You are not a bad person. You were just caught up in some twisted shit and you had no other way. You are a good person, Arvin." I said sincerely, feeling tears spring into my own eyes.

"I lost you because of it, though I just- I can't-" He cried.

"I know." I sniffled, feeling a tear drip down my face.

I looked at him; teary, eyes swollen and red, complexion pale. I didn't know what else to do.

"You're a good person, Arvin." I said again, leaning up on my tip-toes to kiss his cheek.

He hummed at my touch and I kissed his other cheek, "You did nothin' wrong."

I went back to his right cheek and kissed it again like I needed to feel his skin on my lips once more.

Just as I went to kiss his other cheek, he leaned forward and caught my lips with his instead.

I gasped, pulling away from his body and looking at him, touching my fingers over my lips.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. You're an engaged woman and I-"

I launched forward, wrapping my arms around his neck and crashing my lips to his. It took a second to make sure it was real. But as his hands slid effortlessly onto my waist, I knew.

"You're the love of my life, Arvin. You always have been and always will be." I whispered, pulling away briefly.

He stared into my eyes but didn't say a word. But I knew what he was thinking. He kissed me again, our lips moved over each other's with fervour and passion, the excitement and thrill of tasting each other again for the first time in years. In too long. He felt and tasted the same but more mature and wiser.

He pushed me back by my waist until my back hit the wall. I let out a moan of surprise and pleasure. He smirked against my lips before devouring me again. His tongue slipped easily into my mouth and I hummed, fully tasting him. My fingers ran through and tugged at his hair, and his hands ran up and down my sides and my back.

His touch felt nostalgic but euphoric and in the heat of the moment, everything was perfect.

"Your lips taste amazing," He said breathlessly between sloppy kisses.

"So do yours." I replied.

He wrapped his hands around my back and skilfully unzipped my dress. It fell to the floor in a pool around my ankles. I brought my hands to his shoulders as our kiss got heavier, teasing his suspenders before sliding them off his arms. I began unbuttoning his shirt in a hurried fashion as his lips started trailing down my jaw to my neck. I was finally able to push the fabric from his shoulders and then pulling his vest over his head.

And as his hands came down to my thighs to lift me up and around his torso, and as he carried me up and into my bedroom; I knew that he was it. He was the person I was destined to be with. He was the love of my life.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

5 years later

(Play ‘That Old Feeling’ by Doris Day now)

I placed the needle carefully onto the record and turned it up.

I walked through the house and got to the porch where I looked out and saw Arvin and Jack playing catch. I stood with a grin as my husband and 4 year old played enthusiastically - the old baseball still intact and very much in use.

I crouched down and placed the 2 year old who rested on my hip, onto the ground. She wobbled slightly but quickly got up and running. She made her way to the stairs which I quickly intervened and grabbed her hand to help her down onto the soil.

"Go get Daddy, Charlotte. Go!" I laughed, pointing to Arvin.

She squealed happily and ran towards her Dad, arms flailing clumsily as she sprinted. Arvin stopped the game of catch briefly as he saw his daughter coming towards him.

"Hey princess!" He grinned, crouching to his knees and grabbing his daughter.

He lifted her up and sat her on his knee, handing her the ball.

"Throw the ball to Jack, Charlotte!" Arvin prompted, pointing to the blonde haired boy who stood confidently.

She babbled a few words and then threw the ball onto the ground. At least she attempted. I whooped and clapped as I walked over.

"Good job, baby!" I praised in a baby voice.

Arvin stood up, letting Charlotte run around with her brother for a while, the dog joining them, enthusiastically bounding around them.

"Hey, handsome." I grinned as I reached Arvin.

"Hey, beautiful." He smiled.

He wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed me, tongue briefly slipping into my mouth. I hummed in surprise and pulled away.

"Careful, Arvin or you'll be makin' another one of those tonight." I giggled.

We stood side by side, an arm wrapped around each other's back as we watched Jack attempt to play catch with his sister.

"Why don't we make another one, then?" Arvin suggested.

I looked at him with raised brows, "If you want to push one out of your ass, then by all means let's do it."

He chuckled, "I'm serious, y/n."

I turned to face him and he wrapped his arms around my waist while I played with the bottom of his hair.

"Another baby girl or boy? With a dog?" I laughed.

"Yeah...I mean it's crazy but it's our crazy." He smirked.

"Hmm, depends how nice you treat me tonight." I bit my lip.

He held back a shit-eating grin, "Oh...you're so gettin' knocked up tonight."

I gasped, smacking his chest with a laugh.

"I love you." He smiled.

"I love you, too."

"Forever?" He quipped.

"And ever." I smiled.

And we meant it.

-

A/N: oh my god. that's the mini-series done! i loved writing for Arvin it was fun with the southern dialogue and the 60s time period! i hope you all enjoyed reading as much as i enjoyed writing. If you'd like to request any one shots, head over to my instagram @tomholland1510 to request!

ALSO!! bonus points to anyone who understands the easter eggs in the kids' names! do they seem familiar? ;)

-

{Tags: @notandordinaryprincess96 @imagine-yourself-happy​}

[iverna]

Tactical Magic (7/8)

Emma Swan is a witch, still new to the job and determined to stop Zelena after almost falling victim to her machinations. When she summons a spirit to help her, she gets Killian Jones, demon of vengeance, who has grown extremely weary of helping people with their petty revenge schemes. Neither of them is best-pleased with this turn of events.

Emma is out for more than revenge. But maybe, Killian has more to offer. And together, they might just be able to make it work.

Written for @cssns​ 2018. Catch up on Tumblr or on ao3!

Rated M | ~6,100 words | read on ao3

Chapter 7: Reunions And Regrets

“Emma?” Regina’s voice sounded from the front door as she let herself in to Emma’s apartment. “Emma!”

“In here!” Emma was sprawled on the couch, staring at the Netflix menu screen. She’d been trying to decide whether she had the focus for a movie; the fact that the decision had taken her ten minutes so far was making her think the answer was no.

She looked up as Regina leaned around the door. For once, Regina did not look haughty or annoyed. She reminded Emma of Ruby when she was holding a present behind her back. Her eyes were sparkling. “I have some good news for you.”

Emma’s first thought was of Killian, though she was careful to keep that from showing. “Yeah? What?”

Regina’s smile was triumphant, and just a little smug. “We got her. Zelena.”

Emma sat bolt upright. “Really? How?”

“Your boyfriend,” Regina said, and for once, there was no annoyance in her voice at the mention of Killian. “He turned himself in and gave us all the evidence we needed. Clever play. I didn’t think he had it in him.”

Emma’s first reaction was delight, but Regina’s choice of words gave her pause. “What do you mean, he turned himself in?”

Regina tilted her head, a slight frown on her face. “I thought you might’ve been in on it.”

“I—well—sort of,” Emma said. “Maybe. What did you mean?”

“Well, Zelena cursed his lips,” Regina said. “Pretty clever how she did it, actually, she—”

“Cursed him?” Emma demanded, her heart tripping.

“His lips,” Regina repeated. “So that if he kissed you, your magic would be taken. Like I said, clever. But he turned himself in, and of course that gave us all the evidence we could’ve hoped for. There’ll be a trial, of course, but no one can deny that it was her spell or who it was intended for. You might be called to give more evidence, and I’m pretty sure the court will believe your story now.”

Emma nodded vaguely, a bad feeling in her gut. “What about Killian?”

“Oh, he’s back in Neverland, but they’ll call him back up if needed,” Regina said.

“What?!”

“For the trial,” Regina clarified.

“No, I meant—” Emma shook her head. “Why did he... Regina, is he in trouble?”

“In trouble?” Regina raised both eyebrows. “Emma, he was an accessory to Zelena’s attempt to steal your magic. The Coven isn’t exactly thrilled with him.”

“But he did it to help me,” Emma said.

Regina shook her head. “He confessed. He submitted to all the tests. It’s proven. Even if he did it to set Zelena up, it’s still against the law, and he’s not a detective. He’s a demon. He can’t just do that.”

“So, what, they’re punishing him for helping me?” Emma demanded.

Regina rolled her eyes. “Not punishing, Emma. He’s been sent back to Neverland, that’s all.” She huffed out an impatient breath. “Which was always going to happen anyway, since that’s where he lives.”

“Yeah, but—” Emma cut herself off, shaking her head.

“What’s the problem?” Regina was back to her usual annoyed impatience. “I thought you wanted Zelena locked up.”

“Yeah, I did, but—” Emma got to her feet. “I’ll talk to the Coven. I’ll explain.”

“Don’t you dare!” Regina burst out. “Emma. You aren’t allowed to play detective any more than he is. If you tell them you were involved, all that’ll happen is that they might decide you’re guilty too. You won’t help him.”

Emma stared at her, arguments rising in her mind and sinking back down under the knowledge that Regina was right.

After a moment, Regina pursed her lips, looking briefly away before meeting Emma’s eyes again. “I’m sorry.”

I’m sorry. Those were two words that Regina almost never said, and it was that that made it sink in for her. Killian had done what he’d said he would do—he’d set up Zelena, and got her convicted. He wouldn’t have deviated from the plan without good reason, although Emma suspected that Zelena might have forced his hand.

But he had seen it through to the end. Zelena was in jail, and not getting out.

Emma had thought she’d feel triumph once she had accomplished that. Or relief, at least. And she was relieved, knowing that Zelena couldn’t pull her tricks on any more innocent magic users. Mostly, though, she just felt empty.

“Emma.” Regina looked hesitant, like she wanted to offer comfort but didn’t know how. “I’ll just… I’ll send Ruby over. Yeah?”

Emma almost told her no, but thought better of it. She could use a hug and maybe even a listening ear, and she wouldn’t get either from Regina. She nodded wordlessly.

By the time Ruby arrived half an hour later, Emma had given up on Netflix and turned to books instead. She had a few magic books, mostly gifts from Regina that she’d barely glanced at, some left by her mother. Not many of them had any information about demons or summoning; those that did now sat in a small pile on her coffee table.

Ruby’s eyes flicked to them as she came into the room, a gentle smile on her face. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Emma put down the book she’d been leafing through, and looked up.

The look was enough. “Oh, Emma,” Ruby breathed, and sank onto the couch beside her, pulling her into her arms. “Regina told me what happened.”

“It was always gonna happen,” Emma said as matter-of-factly as she could. “I knew he wasn’t going to stay. It just doesn’t seem right, you know?”

“I know.” Ruby tightened her hold, stroking soothingly along her arm like she always did. “But you took down Zelena, right? That’s awesome.”

“Doesn’t feel awesome,” Emma admitted.

Ruby was silent for a moment. “Do you love him?”

Emma huffed out a laugh. “No.”

But she could have. They just fit in a way she’d never experienced before. And maybe that was pathetic, that the only man she’d ever known who ticked all the boxes for her was a demon, but there it was. She’d been well on her way to falling for him, and she knew it. If Pan hadn’t taken that away from her… She didn’t even know if he’d done her a favour or not. Would it have hurt more?

It hurt enough as it was. If she had known the victory would come with this price, she wasn’t sure she would have paid it.

The moment she thought that, she was ashamed of it. Killian had known the price, too, but he had paid it anyway. For her. She needed to honour that, not regret it.

Easier said than done.

“But you wanted to?” Ruby prompted gently.

The tears came then. Emma nodded, and buried her face against Ruby’s shoulder, and cried.

 *  *  *

 Neverland was, if possible, even more dreary and miserable than Killian remembered. The place hadn’t really changed, of course; it was the memory of Emma’s apartment, of waking up to sunshine, that made it seem worse.

Though, if he was honest, it was Emma’s absence more than anything else. He missed her. It was as simple, and as complicated, and as heartbreaking, as that.

But he’d done what he’d set out to do. Zelena was locked away. Emma had got her wish.

One of them, anyway. One down, one to go.

Killian had long since fallen from Pan’s favour, and he wasn’t likely to regain it anytime soon. Certainly not within a mortal’s lifetime, and he couldn’t wait that long.

It meant that his own means of locating David Nolan were limited, and he quickly realised that he was going to need some help.

Luckily, he knew where to find it.

Tinkerbell was still living out in the jungle, away from Pan’s castle. It was a mark of her own power that she was almost independent, and Killian had to admit to being impressed by how long she’d managed to hold onto it. He himself had lost his privileges long ago.

But then, Tink had always been better than him at keeping her head down and playing the game. Her delicate, pixie-like appearance belied a core of steel and ruthlessness that far surpassed his.

She was sitting in the tree house she called home, her legs dangling off the side, as he approached.

“Still alive, then?”

He tossed her a salute as he came to a stop in what passed for her front garden. “As much as I can be.”

“And the girl?”

Killian could have sworn that he saw some concern in Tink’s face. She’d never admit it—another thing she was far better at than him—but she still cared, too. It was one of the things that had brought them together. It was why she was the only person in this thrice-cursed place he considered a friend. And she considered him one too, even if she would never admit that either.

He leapt up to join her on the balcony. “Alive and well.”

“So she really got you out,” Tink said, nodding. “I wasn’t sure she had it in her.”

“Aye, she did,” he said. “You should give people more credit.”

Tink laughed softly. “Give her more credit, you mean.”

He couldn’t quite stop himself from saying, “She’s a remarkable woman.”

She looked up at him and heaved a sigh. “Oh, Hook.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” he said, a warning in his voice. “I made my choices, and for once, I don’t regret them.”

Tink’s smile was knowing, and a little wistful. “Always knew that heart of yours would get you in trouble eventually.”

“It already did,” Killian said, unable to keep the testiness from his voice. “That’s why I’m here, if you’ll recall.”

“And you learned nothing.”

“I learned something,” he countered. “I learned it still works.”

She rolled her eyes—at his sentimentality, he knew, although he also knew that she wasn’t gloating. Her exasperation was all because she couldn’t save him from himself.

Because he didn’t need saving. He’d rather have a broken heart than a dead one.

“In any case,” he went on, “I’m not here about that. I need your help.”

“With what?”

“I need to find her father,” he said. “I promised to help if I could, and we’ve learned that he’s somewhere in Neverland, under a sleeping curse. Pan traded for him, and I reckon that you probably have a guess as to where exactly he’s being kept.”

He purposely didn’t say David Nolan’s name; names had power around here, and he didn’t need Pan finding out about this. Even so, he could tell that Tink knew who he meant. “Maybe,” she allowed. “But that doesn’t mean I’m telling you. You might be dumb enough to get involved in things that don’t concern you, but I’m not. I mean to survive, Hook.”

“As do I.” He shrugged, and played his ace. “Of course, that would be a lot easier if a certain wellspring of power that reinvigorated our dear leader a few years ago were... removed.”

He didn’t need to explain. They both knew that Pan had twisted Neverland to his own ends, rather than simply guarding and guiding its power, and they both knew that while it made him the most powerful person here by far, he also needed a constant supply of stolen power to keep things that way. Tink was the one who had told Killian that, countless years ago when he’d begun to earn her trust.

She knew at once what he was talking about. Her eyebrows shot up. “The Dark Curse?”

“That’s the one,” he said, casually cheerful. “I assume you know the target. The man I’m looking for is her husband. As in, her true love. As in, the one man who might be able to break her curse.”

Tink stared at him. He smiled, knowing that he had her. “Still not interested?”

 *  *  *

 Emma couldn’t bring herself to let it go. She borrowed books from Regina and another Coven member, Belle, and over the next few days, she learned more about Neverland and demons than she’d ever learned to date.

None of it was helpful.

“I told you,” Regina said impatiently when Emma asked her again. “Pan has sealed off access for me. And for you.”

“How can he do that?” Emma demanded. “Can’t we get someone else to—"

“You want to drag more people into this?” Regina glared at her. “For what, Emma? To see him? Talk to him? Pan isn’t letting him go, and even if he did, the Coven would send him right back.”

“What about my mom?” Emma asked. “And my dad? They’re in Neverland too.”

“I’m working on that,” Regina admitted. “I haven’t found where David is yet, but we know where Snow is, and if we can get to her, maybe she can find him. I’m pretty sure I can duplicate the spell your mother used, or imitate it... it’s a form of mirror magic that I’m not familiar with, but I’m working on it.”

That gave Emma hope, but it was only two days before Regina dashed it again. “It doesn’t work,” she said, frustration written all over her face. “Pan must have blocked it completely. You try it. Maybe with your blood connection, you can get through.”

Emma tried it, and for once, she paid attention to more than just the instructions. With her new knowledge of Neverland and a new determination and focus, the spell began to make sense to her, its logic settling into her brain.

It didn’t work. She could feel the barrier that repelled her magic, but there was no pushing past it, no evading it. After three attempts and twice as many hours of effort, she conceded defeat.

Or rather, she conceded a break. She was not giving up, not now that she knew where her mother was. She finally had some answers, some real leads. She was going to find a way.

She didn’t regret what she’d done, not really. She caught herself wishing that she’d spent more time with Killian instead of focused so much on her vendetta against Zelena, but then again, she would never have met him if she hadn’t been so determined to stop her. And now Zelena was behind bars, where she couldn’t prey on magic users like herself anymore. She had done the right thing.

Now it was time to do the selfish thing. She wanted her parents back, and she wanted to see Killian again.

She went to fix herself some dinner and a cup of hot chocolate. It had been a long day of fruitless magical endeavours, and she was ready to veg in front of the TV for a while, let her brain relax for an hour or two.

She was debating whether to watch The Mummy or the third Harry Potter movie when a low, rushing sound made her jump and drove Brendan Fraser right out of her mind. At first, she thought the pasta was boiling over, but a quick glance at the stove confirmed that nothing was going on there.

The sound continued. It sounded for all the world like waves hitting the shore, and it might have been soothing if it wasn’t so out of place.

It was coming from… her feet?

She looked down, flinching—and stared.

There, on the slightly stained lino of her kitchen, glowed... a map.

It had to be a map, although it looked nothing like any she’d ever seen before. But she recognised the outline of North America, right there to the left. Beside it were symbols, scribblings that might have been a spell or a math equation. Co-ordinates. A key for deciphering—no, for calculating which times coincided with which co-ordinates. And, at the other end, a destination.

The overall effect was rather like an old seafarer’s map. Emma’s heartbeat picked up as every instinct she had told her who was drawing it. Or rather, sending it.

Killian.

She frowned at the destination. Her knowledge of geography wasn’t the best, but it didn’t look like any place she’d ever seen on a map.

But she knew a little more about crossing from this realm to another now, and looking at the equations… it had to be Neverland.

It wasn’t the same place she’d been before—she might not recognise the map, but she knew a little more about Neverland now, and this was not the way to get to where she’d met Tinkerbell.

Was Killian not there anymore? Or was he sending her somewhere else? But that begged the questions of where else he could possibly want her to go. Had he escaped somehow? It was supposed to be impossible.

The scribbled instructions continued. A remote part of Neverland, locked out of time and away from the world. Warded and guarded, a prison of sorts.

And, belatedly, Emma understood.

Her hands shaking, she fumbled for her phone. It took her three tries to activate the camera. She took several photos, hoping that one of them wouldn’t be blurry.

But the markings didn’t fade like she’d feared. They stayed there, glowing brightly, seeming to wink at her.

Showing her the way to her father.

 *  *  *

 Killian knew better than to hope that his message had gone unnoticed by Pan. It was clear that Emma was under observation, and channels to her were too.

He couldn’t suppress a whisper of fear when Pan summoned him. His last stint in the dungeon had left its marks, much as he hated to admit it, and he didn’t much fancy a repeat.

“Captain,” Pan said, walking right up to him and prowling around him like a predator. Killian forced himself to stay still. “You’ve broken the rules again.”

“What rule is that?” He needed to play this right—Pan knew he’d sent a message, but with any luck, he didn’t know what the message had said.

“What did you tell her?” Pan asked.

Killian shrugged. “That’s private.”

“Nothing is private,” Pan said coldly. “Not between you and me. Not between me and anyone. I own you.”

Killian glared at him. “You have a leash on my soul,” he said. “You don’t own the rest of me.”

Pan’s hand shot out, grabbing Killian’s jaw. “You have two choices, Captain. You can tell me, or I can have Felix beat it out of you. He’s looking forward to it.”

“Not doing your own dirty work?” Killian taunted, the words coming out a little mangled by Pan’s grip.

Pan smiled. “I suppose I could,” he said. “Maybe I’ll send Felix to pay Emma a visit instead.”

Killian couldn’t shake his head, though he tried. “You can’t.”

“Of course I can,” Pan countered. “If you don’t care for the rules, why should I?”

Killian let some of the fear in his heart show on his face. “She can defend herself.”

“Against a whole group of my Lost Boys?” Pan asked. “Maybe. But maybe not. Shall we find out?”

Killian swallowed. “Don’t.”

“Ah...” Pan smiled, and stepped back, releasing his hold. “Now we’re getting somewhere. What did you tell her?”

“Nothing—it doesn’t matter.”

“On the contrary, it matters a great deal,” Pan said. “That’s the second time you’ve broken the rules for her, Captain. You care. Don’t insult me by denying it.”

Killian swallowed, and hesitated just long enough to—hopefully—sell it. “Please,” he said. “I just wanted to—I needed to talk to her, to—I just needed her to know that I never meant to leave.”

Pan’s eyes lit with that dangerous gleam. “Why?”

“Everyone left her,” Killian said. “And I know how that feels. I know how she feels. I didn’t want her to go through that again.” He bowed his head. “I didn’t want her to think me a blackguard.”

He knew it was a risk—Pan did not abide “sentiment”, and he’d been willing to kill Killian for it before. But he’d do far worse if he found out that Killian had told Emma how to reach her father. The path he and Tink had worked out would take her past Pan’s wards, but only if he remained unaware. If he found out, Emma would never get her father back—or worse, walk straight into a trap.

And it was too late to warn her.

“You care,” Pan said softly. “You realise you’ll never see her again. I’ll make sure of that.”

It wasn’t hard to look upset at that prospect. Killian felt his jaw clench, the unfairness of it all stirring his blood, calling to his temper. “I know.”

“And I’m not losing one of my best men to pining and heartbreak,” Pan went on, his eyes hard. “We’ll have to cure you of that.”

Killian had expected that; or rather, of all the possible outcomes, he knew this was the best he could expect. Cure implied life.

Emma would have added that life implied hope. Killian wasn’t so sure about that, but it did at least mean not giving up.

“And we certainly can’t have you sending any more messages,” Pan added. “Felix, take the captain to the dungeons. Put him in solitary for a couple of weeks.”

Killian didn’t bother hiding his reaction to that, either. His gut churned as Felix seized his arm and led him away. “Solitary” was Pan’s euphemism for the cells run by his Shadows. Mindless creatures, they were devoid of light and energy, and fed on that of the people around them. The cells existed for one purpose: to break a man’s spirit, to siphon away every happy thought and every bit of energy until all that remained was bleak hopelessness. He knew from experience that the only thing it couldn’t take away was his rage.

He tried to focus on that as Felix shoved him into the cell. He was not going to let them break him. They hadn’t before, and they wouldn’t now.

He’d do what he always did: survive.

 *  *  *

 Regina still didn’t like the plan, and wasn’t shy about saying so, but Ruby and Emma had overruled her. Emma had a way into Neverland—to her father—and she was going. She couldn’t wait, and there was nothing to be gained by waiting anyway. If anything, the longer she put it off, the higher the chances that Pan would do one of the many things that Regina was worried about.

Pointing this out hadn’t helped with Regina’s scowl.

But she’d helped, and now Emma stood at the edge of the circle she’d drawn, knife in her hand. Ruby smiled at her and gave her a quick hug. “Good luck.”

“You’ll need it,” Regina muttered. “Any sign of trouble, you come straight back, got it?”

“Yes,” Emma said, feeling like a needled teenager. “I got it the first time.”

She took a deep breath, and set the knife’s blade to the back of her arm.

One of the first things she’d learned as a witch was that cutting yourself was not nearly as easy as the movies made it look. Her skin resisted, and so did her muscles.

The other thing she’d learned was never to cut your palm. It looked badass, but it hurt like hell and impeded a hand you’d probably need later.

She gripped the knife a little harder, gritted her teeth, and cut.

Blood dripped onto the circle, and light flared up along the lines. Emma took one last look at Ruby, got a reassuring if slightly worried smile, and stepped forward.

She’d expected something like Snow’s circle, but this was more disorienting. Magic flared around her, and she had the distinct impression of passing through something. Her head spun, blackness encroaching on the corners of her vision, and her stomach threatened to rebel. She smelled brine. Somewhere in the distances, waves broke against a shore.

She widened her stance, trying to recover her balance as the light and noise around her faded. Ordering her stomach to behave, she took a deep, steadying breath and looked up.

She was in a huge chamber. The vaulted ceiling was a good five meters above her, supported by elaborately-carved pillars. It was silent, a deep, echoing silence that felt like it would swallow any noise. She could sense magic all around her, dark and malicious—Pan’s, she thought. There were wards all around this chamber. Killian’s directions had brought her straight past them, a delicate bit of magical navigation that she knew had to be lot harder than it might look.

Hardly daring to breathe, Emma took a step away from the circle whose imprint was fading on the flagstones. She had arrived in the middle of the chamber, and her first turn brought her facing a massive stone door. Turning the other way, she saw a raised dais surrounded by faint silvery light.

On it lay the still figure of a man. He might have been a statue, had it not been for the very slow, steady rise and fall of his chest.

Hardly daring to breathe herself, Emma hurried forwards as quietly as she could. Her boots made the softest of sounds as she made her way over the flagstones; she hoped that the noise wouldn’t carry outside the chamber, but the door seemed massive enough to block it.

She almost stumbled as she made it to the wide, shallow steps that led up to the dais, crept up them... and looked down at her father.

He looked exactly like she remembered him—tall and broad-shouldered and fair-haired, like the hero from a story. His mouth was slightly open in sleep, and his eyes were closed, but she knew when they opened they would be blue, and full of warmth.

“Dad?” she whispered.

He didn’t respond. She hadn’t really expected him to. That wasn’t how this worked.

She reached out to touch him, laid her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart beat there, faint but definitely there. He was alive. She just had to wake him.

She leaned down, squeezed her eyes shut, and kissed his cheek.

She’d meant to keep her eyes shut, but as a weird sort of pulse went through her, they flew open just in time to see coloured light fade around her. But her father didn’t move. Emma held her breath, fighting her doubts, her impatience, the dawning thought that it hadn’t worked, it wasn’t enough, her love wasn’t enough, or maybe it had been too long, maybe he no longer loved her—

And then he stirred. A deep breath, a little turn of his head, and Emma leaned back to watch as he opened his eyes.

He blinked up at her, his brow furrowing. “What—?”

“Shhh,” she said, as her eyes stung and her cheeks hurt because she was smiling at him like an idiot. “We have to be quiet.”

He struggled to sit up, confusion all over his face, and it hit her that he probably didn’t recognise her. She had to explain—he’d last seen her when she was eleven, he couldn’t know who she was, he—

He was staring at her. And then he whispered, “Emma? Is that—Emma.”

Her vision blurred as tears flooded her eyes, and then she was laughing silently, and he was beaming, and he pulled her into his arms and hugged her to him while she cry-laughed and felt the weight of seventeen years without him slide off her shoulders.

“Hey,” he said, his voice a whisper but so familiar. This was the voice that had told her stories in their blanket fort, the one she’d heard almost every night as she drifted off to sleep as a kid. “You found me.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry it took so long—”

“That’s my girl.” He hugged her a little tighter. “You did great. Amazing.”

Emma huffed out another laugh that threatened to become a sob. She’d done it. She had her father back.

 *  *  *

 She wanted to stay here, like this, forever—she’d forgotten how it felt to be in her father’s arms like this, safe and loved. But she pulled away, trying to focus. Neverland. The mission. The curse. “Listen, Dad, we need to get out of here.”

David looked around, frowning again as he took in his rather foreboding surroundings. “Right. Uh, where is here?”

“Neverland.”

His eyes shot wide. “Neverl—”

“Shhh!” Emma hissed. “I got in, but no one can know that I’m here. If they hear us, or—it’d be bad.”

David nodded. She didn’t have to explain Neverland to him; he might not have magic of his own, but he knew enough about it to be on his guard at once. “Okay. What’s the plan?”

It was something she’d never appreciated as a kid—he was immediately down to business, everything else pushed aside for now.

Emma hesitated. She was supposed to leave the way she’d come, the faster the better. So far, the plan had worked flawlessly. But it hit her quite suddenly that she was in Neverland.

And while she didn’t know exactly what part of Neverland her mother was in, she did know how to get there. Pan had blocked the way, but had he blocked it from within Neverland, too?

“Dad...” she whispered. “I found Mom.”

David’s eyes widened. “What? Where is she—is she okay? How—?”

“She’s trapped,” Emma said quickly. “Cursed. Long story. But she’s somewhere in Neverland too.”

He looked horrified at that, and she hurried on. “I don’t know where exactly. But maybe Regina’s spell will work.”

David’s eyes narrowed like they always had when he’d suspected that she was hiding something. “This isn’t part of the plan, is it?”

“No.” Emma knew better than to try and lie. He might not have magic, but her father had always had a near-mystical ability to see right through her lies. “I just thought—it might be our best shot. If I can open a portal to her, and you can get to her, you can break the curse, with—”

He was nodding. “True love’s kiss. You know how to open the portal?”

She nodded. “In theory. Pan blocked it, but that might not count from here.”

“Do it,” he said. “And then go straight back home.”

She should have seen that coming. “Can’t. You’ll need me to get back.”

He hesitated. She raised her eyebrows, giving him her firmest look. “Dad, I’m not a little girl anymore. I can handle it.”

He swallowed, and huffed out a sigh. “All right. Let’s try it.”

The spell Regina had concocted was tricky, but Emma had memorised it well with all the times she’d tried it. She also had a bit more of a feeling for Neverland now, an instinctive sense of how things worked around here. Deciphering and following Killian’s instructions had helped too.

She drew the circle, cast power into one of the little mirrors she still carried in a pocket, and focused on her magic. It was still difficult, especially with the turmoil that her father’s reappearance had caused. Instead of trying to shove it all aside, Emma embraced it: the relief, the love, the hope, even the sadness at the missed years. Power flared up inside her, and she directed it into the circle.

It wasn’t a transportation circle. Instead, a doorway appeared in midair above the circle.

Beyond it lay fire.

“Oh,” she muttered. “That.”

She’d been hoping that the fire was metaphorical, but it sure felt real; even from here, she could feel the heat of it. She looked up at her father, and he looked back, his jaw set. Firelight cast his features into relief, shadows flickering. “Stay here,” he said.

“I should—”

“No,” he cut her off. “Emma. Stay here, keep the portal open. I’ll go get your mother.”

Emma knew it made sense—he could break the curse, she didn’t need to go with him, and this way, she could guard the exit and be ready to go—but there was a part of her that didn’t want to accept it. The part of her that remembered being eleven, and watching her father leave for the last time. “I just got you back.”

“I know.” He hugged her to him, his hand cupping the back of her head like he’d done when she was little. “I’ll be back. I’ll find her, and we’ll both come back. I promise.”

“Promise,” she echoed, just to make sure.

He put his hand on her shoulder, leaning down to meet her gaze, his blue eyes steady on hers. “I swear it.”

Emma swallowed, and nodded, and let him go. She stood back as he squared his shoulders, took a breath... then gave her one last reassuring smile, and strode into the fire.

It was the longest wait of her life. She stood there, staring into the portal, unable to see anything except flames. Trying not to think about everything that could go wrong. Trying not to imagine both of her parents lost to that awful place. She’d already lost them once. She’d lost Killian. She couldn’t lose any more. She couldn’t.

Could her father even find her mother in there? Would the curse really break with something as simple as a kiss? She’d just seen it work, but that had been a simple sleeping curse. She knew that rule was supposed to apply to all curses, but the Dark Curse was serious business.

Maybe it wouldn’t break. Maybe the fire went on for miles, with her mother somewhere within it. Maybe they’d both be trapped. She should have been more careful. She should have double-checked with Regina first. She should have—

There was a flash, bright enough to drown out the flames for a moment. Coloured light—red, green, purple—washed over the fire, a silent, brief explosion. Emma took a step towards the portal, squinting into the heat, wishing she could see.

“Emma!”

Her father’s voice, shouting. Emma caught sight of a blurry silhouette somewhere in the flames, moving towards her. “Go!” he yelled. “We need to go!”

Emma didn’t question it. She dropped down, re-drawing the circle that would take her back home. She had memorised Killian’s instructions; now she ran through them backwards.

She was almost finished when the door burst open.

Several young men burst through it, led by the blond one she recognised from before. Felix. The one who’d dragged Killian to his feet.

He looked just as incensed to see her as she felt at the sight of him. He yelled something, pointing at her.

Emma didn’t think. She conjured a fireball and sent it flying towards him. He managed to dodge it, but it gave her a few seconds’ grace as the Lost Boys dived out of the way.

There was more noise to her right, and then her father was there at her side. “We got it. Just get us out of here!”

A figure moved in between Emma and the attackers: a slim woman wearing a frayed pink cardigan. She waved a hand, and a shield charm flickered in the air before her. Then she drew back her hands as though she held a bow, and a bow appeared, made of green-blue energy. Arrow after arrow appeared, too, as she let them fly towards their attackers.

Emma didn’t watch any more. She focused on the ritual, cursed as she fumbled a movement, cursed again as she almost forgot a rune—and then the portal flared to life.

Her father pushed her into it and held her tightly to his side, as if he could shield her with his arms. The woman—her mother—kept firing as light flared around them, and the by-now familiar swooping sensation threatened to make Emma throw up once again.

She didn’t lose her balance this time; her father was holding her tightly enough to form a vacuum weld, steady and strong. When the light faded this time, she found herself back in her kitchen—her blessedly cool, quiet kitchen.

At least, it was quiet until Ruby and Regina had recovered from their surprise. But Emma barely heard their exclamations. Her mother had whirled around, was standing in front of her, and her father let her go.

“Emma,” Snow said, her voice trembling.

Emma tried to say, “Mom,” but the word wouldn’t come—nothing would.

And then her mother’s arms were around her, and her father’s wrapped around both of them, and Emma was finally home.

*  *  *

Tag list: @optomisticgirl @mariakov81 @courtorderedcake @tomeandflickcorner @spartanguard @snowbellewells @karl0ta @heavenlyjoycastle @queen-serena88 @stahlop @inkerii @therealstartraveller776 @bubblegum1425 @iamanneenigma @elegies @itsfabianadocarmo @winterbaby89 @kday426 @sals86 @superchocovian @pirateherokillian @laschatzi @scientificapricot @kmomof4 @thisonesatellite @ilovemesomekillianjones

[jrob64]

One Thrill Ride Leads to Another - Chapter 1 (A Bold Move) A CS Modern AU story for @snowbellewells

Happy birthday eve @snowbellewells​​! You actually gave me the idea for this story yourself when we were at the Ark Encounter and you saw the man helping everyone board the bus pull his sunglasses down and look over the top of them. You mentioned that you could see Killian working at an amusement park and doing that and, well, I took the idea and ran with it! Of course I had to work Graham into it somehow, too and he’ll show up in the next chapter. I hope you have a very lovely and wonderful birthday, because you are lovely and wonderful yourself and you deserve it! I also hope you enjoy the story and the art! 

Special thanks to @kmomof4​​ who helped me plot this story as we spent hours in the car driving to her house, provided me with specifics of Universal’s Islands of Adventure, CityWalk and Disney Springs, and also read over the story as I wrote it to make sure it sounded right.Thanks, as always, to my beta @hookedmom​​, who jumped onboard for yet another one of my stories! 

Story summary: While working at Universal Islands of Adventure, Killian Jones meets Emma Swan, slips his name and number into her phone, and later sends her a text asking her out. His snap decision could lead to her blocking his number, or to an adventure much more thrilling than a ride on a roller coaster. 

Rating: M (for smut in future chapters)

Words in Chapter 1 of (probably) 4: 5549

Also found on ffn and Ao3

*********

“The line is moving, Em,” Ruby Lucas pointed out to her friend, who was busy talking on the phone.

Emma Swan nodded, but didn’t interrupt her conversation as she took a few steps forward. Ruby elbowed her and pointed to the lockers where they were to put any belongings that could be lost while riding the Velocicoaster. At Emma’s questioning eyebrow raise, Ruby pointed to the speakers above their heads, which announced the purpose of the lockers on a loop.

“Of course we miss you, M’s,” Emma assured their friend, while slipping her small purse over her head, placing it and her sunglasses in the locker along with Ruby’s things. “But you wouldn’t have been able to go on most of the rides since you’re pregnant, so it wouldn’t be very much fun for you.”

Ruby closed the door of the locker and urged Emma forward again. They continued to shuffle through the maze of metal bars, until they finally approached the loading zone. “Tell her we’re getting on the coaster soon,” the brunette mouthed to her blonde friend.

Emma nodded briefly. “Okay, I’ve got to…” Her words came to a screeching halt as she looked up to see the amusement park worker in front of her. The man was the embodiment of sexiness, and her eyes slid down his form to take in his sky blue polo, snug jeans, and navy blue Vans. When she scanned back up to his face again, he was sliding his sunglasses down his nose and peering at her over the top of them with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. “...go,” she finally finished, not taking her eyes off of Mr. Gorgeous, while tapping her thumb against her phone screen, hoping she hit somewhere in the vicinity of the red button to end the call.

“You were supposed to leave your phone in the locker, lass,” he informed her, and fucking hell, he had an accent too.

“Oh, uh, s-sorry. I was, um…” Every word in the English language exited her brain at that moment, as she did her best deer-in-the-headlights imitation.

The man - his official Universal’s Islands of Adventure nametag declared his name to be Killian - smiled and held out his hand. Emma was halfway to placing her hand in his, before her brain cells reactivated and she realized he was asking for her cell phone. Blushing furiously, she placed it in his palm. “You’ll end up right back here, so I’ll hold onto it until you disembark,” he reassured her.

Emma mumbled, “Th-thank you,” and managed to give him a slight smile, then felt Ruby grab her arm, leading her into a stall to wait for the arrival of the coaster. She craned her neck to follow his movements, as he continued looking for other people who had inadvertently forgotten to secure loose items in the lockers.

“Did you see that guy?” she asked Ruby.

“You mean the hunk of hotness you were trying to undress with your eyes? Nah, I barely noticed him.”

Emma smacked her friend’s arm with the back of her hand. “I was NOT trying to undress him!” she hissed. “But I have to admit, he is pretty…”

“Yes, pretty is a good word for him,” Ruby interrupted, “along with about fifty other adjectives that all mean ‘sexy as hell’.”

Their conversation was cut short by the Velocicoaster arriving back into the station. Emma scanned the wide-eyed, windswept riders and crossed her arms. “I hope I live to regret letting you talk me into riding this thing.”

“C’mon, Em - it’s gonna be fun and exciting. All of these people survived, so odds are, we will too.”

Emma rolled her eyes, then followed her fearless friend into the car and sat down, lowering the lap bar as soon as she was settled. Workers moved along both sides of the coaster, making sure all of the bars were locked into place.

Glancing around the platform as she waited for the safety procedures to be completed, Emma caught a glimpse of Killian, who flashed her a brilliant smile and gave her a thumbs up, just before the roller coaster shot out of the station.

*********

Killian turned to watch the train take off along the tracks, the blonde ponytail of the woman seated in the third row flying out behind her. He glanced down at her phone in his right hand, his thumb in the middle of the screen keeping it from automatically locking. Working quickly, he tapped on her contacts icon and hit the plus sign. When the new contact screen came up, he typed in his first and last name, phone number, added ‘the Velocicoaster guy’ in the Company space, and hit ‘done’ before he could rethink it. Then he went into her settings to find her name and phone number, which he added to the contacts in his own phone. The whole procedure lasted less than the two minutes it took for the coaster to return.

As he slid his phone into one of his back pockets, he considered what he had just done. He knew it was an invasion of her privacy, but something about Emma Swan - which was a perfect name for such a beautiful woman - made him take that risk.

“Hey, Scarlet. Switch me spots,” he shouted to his co-worker, who was standing on the platform close to the tracks, ready to help the passengers disembark.

“Why?” Will Scarlet questioned.

Killian was standing next to him by this time. “Because I need to return a phone to one of the passengers.”

“Just tell me what she looks like and where she’s sitting and I’ll do it.”

To Killian’s relief, the rumble of the returning train reached their ears. “No time,” he stated.

“Ugh, fine. I’ll be the ‘loose items’ police for a while,” Will grumbled, pushing past his co-worker who took his place. Killian turned expectantly, smiling as he spotted Emma Swan - disheveled, flushed, and beautiful - and nervously rubbed his thumb over the screen of her phone.

*********

Emma spent the entirety of the ride trying to catch her breath, and she knew for a fact it wasn’t just because of the thrilling twists, turns, and loops of the Velocicoaster. The man who was currently holding onto her phone was literally breathtaking. When she closed her eyes before they traveled down a particularly high hill, she saw the image of piercing blue eyes and unruly dark hair imprinted on the back of her eyelids.

As they coasted into the station, she saw him standing on her side of the platform, his sunglasses back in place. The coaster jerked to a stop and she attempted to shove some strands of hair loosened by the ride behind her ears. Before she could even reach down to push her lap bar up, he was there, raising it for her.

“Thanks,” she gasped, breath knocked out of her all over again.

“Here you go,” he said, handing her phone to her.

“Thanks…again,” she said, wanting to facepalm over her inability to say more than two words in his presence.

He grinned, before moving on to the car behind her.

“Uh, Em? You have to get out of the roller coaster now,” Ruby called from where she already stood on the other side of the platform, breaking Emma out of her daze.

She crawled out of the car and brushed past her friend, who laughed when she heard Emma actually growl at her.

*********

Killian rethought his decision for the next twenty minutes, until it was time for his break. While he sat at a table in the break room, he pulled out his phone and called his best friend, David.

“Hey, man! What’s up?” David’s voice came through the phone, before Killian even had a chance to get it up to his ear.

“I think I did something stupid.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it, but what is it this time?”

“You see, there was this girl…”

“Ah, well, now I’m sure of it!” David snickered.

Choosing to ignore him since he only had a fifteen minute break, Killian went on. “She still had her phone with her when she got ready to board the roller coaster, so I had to hold it for her.” He paused briefly, taking a deep breath before continuing, “And I put my name and number in her contacts.”

“You did what, now?”

“Not only that, but I went into her settings and looked up her information and added it to my contacts.”

“What made you decide to engage in that breach of security?” David asked in a more serious tone.

“It was a spur of the moment decision. She was…you should have seen her, Dave. She looked like one of those Greek goddesses we had to study about in that ridiculous elective class we took our Sophomore year.”

“That doesn’t give you permission to encroach on her privacy, Killian!”

“I know, I know, but I’ve already done it. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Now I’m not so sure. What should I do? I know this is a long shot, but do you think it would be okay for me to ask her out?”

He heard his friend blow out a long sigh on the other end of the phone, then waited impatiently for several seconds. Finally, David began to speak slowly. “I suppose you could try. She can always block you, and if she does, you’ll know her feelings on the matter. If not, just play it as it comes.”

“Okay, thanks mate. I needed somebody else’s opinion on the matter, and I knew Will Scarlet wouldn’t be any help at all.”

“Yeah, I can definitely understand that!” David chuckled. He had heard many hilarious stories about Killian’s co-worker during the months his friend had worked at the theme park. “Good luck and let me know what happens.”

“I will. Thanks again, Dave.”

Killian sucked in a calming breath once he disconnected the call, then pulled up his contacts and hovered his finger over ‘Emma Swan’. After curling and uncurling it a couple of times, he tapped the screen at last and chose the message option.

It took him another couple of minutes to compose the text. Hello, Ms. Swan. This is Killian Jones, the person who held your phone at the Velocicoaster. If you don’t think this is too creepy, I’d really love to buy you dessert at the Chocolate Emporium on CityWalk. My shift is over at 8:00 and I can arrive by 8:45. I hope to see you there.

Closing his eyes, he said a quick prayer that she would accept, then opened them and punched the little blue arrow to send the message.

*********

After collecting their belongings from the locker, Emma and Ruby found two rides with short lines, then decided to get something to eat. Settling down at a picnic table with a large umbrella providing shade, they spread out their food and drinks and Emma pulled out her phone.

“Mary Margaret probably sent me some messages since I had to cut our call short. I really hate that she couldn’t…WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL?”

“Whassa matta?” Ruby asked, her mouth full of the bite of cheeseburger she had taken.

“There’s a text here from that Killian guy!”

Ruby quickly finished chewing and swallowed. “The sexy one from the roller coaster?” At Emma’s stunned nod, she continued, “What does it say?”

Emma flipped the phone around to allow her friend to read the screen. After scanning it, Ruby’s mischievous grin stretched across her face. “Oooh, girl! Dessert at the Chocolate Emporium? I’ve heard that place is fantastic! Play your cards right and afterwards you can work off some of the calories with him!”

“Ruby!”

“What? Have a piece of cake, then have a piece of ass. It’s a classic combination!”

Emma pulled a hand down over her face. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Why not? We’re on vacation, Em. Squeeze every possible ounce of enjoyment out of it!”

“He put his contact info into my phone and found out my name and number. Don’t you think that’s a little weird?”

“So? The guy took a chance. What’s wrong with that?”

“I’ll bet he does that all the time. He probably hooks up with a different girl every day.”

“And your point is…?”

“I am not gonna be another notch in his bedpost.”

“Okay, so don’t sleep with him, but at least meet him for dessert.”

“By myself? No way! He could be a serial killer for all I know.”

“You’ll be in a public place! You’ll be completely safe.” Ruby thought for a moment. “What if I come along? Will that make it better?”

Emma chewed her lip thoughtfully, before rolling her eyes. “Why am I even considering this? It’s crazy!”

“Because the man is a walking billboard for male perfection, and you need to live a little. Take a risk. What will it hurt? If he’s a jerk, block his number, then go home in three days and forget about him. If he’s great, have a good time, then go home in three days and dream about him.”

“I don’t know, Rubes…”

Ruby’s hand shot out. “Give me the damn phone - I’ll send him a message myself!”

Emma yanked it out of her friend’s reach. “Fine, I’ll send one! Just give me a minute!”

“You have exactly three. If you haven’t sent one by then, I’m gonna do it.”

Emma’s brows knit together as her thumbs hovered over the screen. After contemplating for nearly thirty seconds while Ruby tapped her fingernails on the table, she finally began typing. She paused twice to gather her thoughts before completing the text. Raising her eyes to see her friend glaring at her, she heaved a sigh and sent it.

“Well, what did you say?”

“I told him I would meet him, but you will be coming with me.”

“Good enough. We’ll see how he responds to that.”

Emma turned her attention to her food, but found she was suddenly not very hungry anymore.

*********

Killian checked his phone every chance he got, his nerves jacking up a notch each time. It was nearly an hour before he saw a little red circle by his text message icon. Knowing the train was due back to the platform in less than twenty seconds, he opened the app to see that it was a message from Emma, but stuck it back in his pocket before reading it.

It seemed like the people disembarking and boarding were moving in slow motion, and he grit his teeth in frustration when one of the lap bars took longer than usual to lock. When the coaster was on its way at last, he grabbed the phone out of his pocket and read the text, sagging in relief at what he saw.

His fingers flew over the keyboard as he composed his response. I understand why you want your friend to come along, and it’s perfectly fine. I’ll see you at 8:45. Enjoy the rest of your day at the park!

He had a huge smile on his face for the remaining two hours of his shift.

*********

Emma wasn’t as stealthy as she thought. Or maybe Ruby just had a sixth sense for knowing when her friend was going to chicken out of the ‘date’ with Killian Jones. Every time she tried to take her phone out to sneak a text to him, Ruby wrangled it out of her hands and threatened to stomp it to pieces on the concrete. She even forced Emma to hand it over before she went into the restroom, blocking the doorway and refusing to let her pass until she did. The mother trying to enter with her toddler was not amused.

She wasn’t sure what possessed her to accept his offer. Now nervous, she dragged her feet like a petulant child as they left the park.

“Emma Swan, I swear if you don’t start walking faster, I’m going to come back there and kick your ass!” Ruby fumed, glaring at her from three full sidewalk squares ahead.

“It’s been a long day and I’m tired, Rubes. Can’t we just go back to the hotel and forget about this?” Emma whined.

Ruby stomped back to stand in front of her, arms crossed over her chest and a frown on her face. “No, we cannot. We’re going to meet this guy if I have to drag you kicking and screaming every inch of the way!”

“Why are you so insistent that I do this?”

Ruby dropped her arms and moved a step closer, her voice softening a bit. “Because you’ve been handed a golden opportunity to meet someone who could turn out to be a really nice guy, and I’m not gonna let you squander it. Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve been overly cautious when it comes to men, and look how it’s worked out for you. Maybe it’s time for you to start putting some notches in your bedpost.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “You know I’ll never be like that.”

Ruby shrugged. “Alright, so not multiple notches, but one is better than none.”

Emma widened her stance and put her hands on her hips. “No notches, Ruby. I’ll meet this guy and have some dessert, but that’s as far as it’s going to go. I don’t want you saying anything to give him the idea that it’s gonna be more than that, got it?”

Ruby grinned at her.

“I mean it, Rubes. Promise me you’ll behave or I’m not going.”

“You’re no fun at all, Em.”

“Exactly, and that’s how it’s going to stay. Unfun Emma. Now promise me.”

Ruby threw her head back and sighed theatrically. “Ugh! Fine! I promise I won’t say anything to give this guy the wrong idea about you. Happy?”

“Not especially, but I’ll take what I can get.”

Glancing at the time on her phone, Ruby stated, “We’ve got less than ten minutes. Now, put a smile on your face and pick up the pace.” She pocketed her phone and looped her arm through Emma’s.

“You know I hate it when you rhyme,” Emma mumbled, garnering a laugh from her friend.

*********

Killian walked quickly along the sidewalk leading to the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, took a deep breath and scanned the crowded area in front of the popular restaurant. He almost wilted with relief at seeing Emma Swan near the hostess stand on the front steps, wringing her hands nervously, while her dark-haired friend stood beside her with a huge smile on her face.

He took the steps two at a time to reach them, weaving his way through the other people who were waiting. “Hello ladies,” he greeted, showing his own nerves by rubbing a finger behind his left ear.

“You changed shirts” Emma blurted, mentally kicking herself for making such a lame opening statement.

He dropped his eyes, glancing down at his midnight blue polo as he explained, “Yeah, uh, I had an extra one in my locker and since I worked in the other one all day, I thought, um…”

“Hi, I’m Emma’s friend, Ruby Lucas,” the brunette said, stepping forward boldly to interrupt his stammering.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Ms. Lucas,” Killian said, offering his hand.

She reached out to shake it, while admonishing, “Oh, please. Call me Ruby and call her Emma.”

“Noted. I, uh, I made reservations for us, so we should be able to go right in.”

“That was a good idea. They told all these people they’ll have to wait at least an hour,” Emma said.

“It’s a perk of being an employee of the park,” he explained with a smile, then went to check in with the hostess. As soon as she collected three menus and told them to follow her, Killian gestured for Emma and Ruby to proceed ahead of him into the restaurant.

“Such a gentleman,” Ruby whispered as she walked beside her friend.

Emma didn’t acknowledge the statement, keeping her eyes straight ahead. When they reached the booth, she slid in first, Ruby sat beside her and Killian dropped down into the high-backed seat across from them.

Before they had a chance to open the menus the hostess left on the table, Killian cleared his throat. “I…I wanted to apologize for taking the liberty of putting my name and number into your phone, and for using it to find out your information. I’ve never done anything like that before…”

Emma’s eyes shot up, the skepticism easily apparent in them. “Really?”

Killian felt heat creeping up his neck into his face, but didn’t break eye contact with her, willing her to see the honesty in his gaze. “I assure you this is the very first time, Emma. I don’t know what came over me, but I just…I felt like we had a…a moment, and I didn’t want to take the chance of never seeing you again.”

Ruby watched her friend carefully. Emma had a penchant for knowing when someone wasn’t being truthful, which Ruby had found out the hard way numerous times. The fact that Emma hadn’t immediately wanted to leave must have meant she hadn’t detected a lie in anything he’d said so far.

“A moment?” Emma questioned. “We only said about five words to each other. How does that constitute a moment?”

His finger went to work behind his ear again. “I don’t know how to explain it, but it…I…”

“I thought there was a moment, too,” Ruby jumped in, earning a glare from her friend. “Boy meets girl, boy thinks girl is beautiful, girl thinks boy is…”

“Ruby!” Emma growled, digging an elbow into her ribs.

Killian gave a low chuckle and started to speak again, when the waiter arrived to take their drink order, which reminded them that they needed to actually look at the menu. After ordering ice water all around, they flipped to the dessert page and studied it in silence for several moments.

“Have you eaten here before, Killian?” Ruby asked.

“A couple of times with some co-workers. There’s a dessert called Chocolate Brownie Bark that I’ve always wanted to try, but haven’t because I heard it’s huge. I could never eat it all by myself.”

Emma scanned the menu to find it, her eyes growing wider by the second as she read the description. “Are you kidding me? Listen to this: chocolate ice cream, chocolate brownies, chocolate whipped topping, chocolate sauce, chocolate brownie bark and chocolate sprinkles. That’s enough to put somebody into a sugar coma for a month!”

“Sounds perfect!” Ruby spouted. “We can all share it!”

“What do you say, Swan?” Killian asked, turning his eyes to her.

Her brows climbed up her forehead. “Swan?” she questioned.

The tips of his ears turned a deeper shade of red than the streaks in Ruby’s hair. “Sorry. I, um, it’s just such a fitting name for you and…”

“Why do you say that?” Emma asked.

“Well, you know, swans are beautiful and graceful and…”

“And fierce as hell,” Ruby threw in. “He’s right, Em. It describes you perfectly.”

Emma sat looking between the two of them, her mouth slightly open.

Killian cleared his throat. “Anyway, I didn’t mean to offend you, Emma.”

“You…you didn’t. I, um, I really don’t mind at all. The way you say it sounds nice. ”

“She’s right,” Ruby agreed. “What kind of accent is that?”

“Irish,” Emma and Killian answered at the same time.

“That’s quite impressive, Swan,” he praised. “Most people tend to think it’s a British accent.”

“I studied abroad for a semester and traveled to England and Ireland, so I got pretty good at recognizing the differences between the two accents,” she explained, a small smile of pride turning up the corners of her lips. Killian returned it with one of his own.

Ruby looked back and forth at the two of them and bit down on her bottom lip to keep from blurting out how well suited they were for one another. There definitely seemed to be a spark between them, and he appeared to be a genuinely nice guy. She just hoped Emma would be willing to give him a chance to prove it.

Their drinks arrived and the waiter took their order for the Chocolate Brownie Bark. Ruby sipped her water as she watched the conversation continue between the other two.

“Are you still in college?” Killian asked.

“No, I graduated last year.”

“Where did you go to school?”

“The University of Maine. Go Black Bears!”

He laughed. “What was your area of study?”

“Journalism. I write for a couple of different college sports websites.”

“That sounds interesting. Do you specialize in any particular sport?”

“Not really, but I probably like writing about volleyball and baseball the most. What about you? How long have you worked for Universal?”

“I worked here during the summer between my Freshman and Sophomore years, but had internships the past two summers. After I graduated this past spring, a friend of mine had three months left on his lease and he was moving to Colorado, so I came back here to work to finish it out for him. I’ll start going to grad school to earn my master’s in the fall.”

“What did you get your degree in? And where?”

“Marine Engineering at Florida Tech.”

“Is that like designing ships?”

“That’s one aspect of it.”

“That sounds interesting.”

“I’ve always been intrigued by ships and sailing, ever since I was a lad.”

“Did you come to America to go to college?”

“We moved here to live with my uncle when I was twelve, after our mum passed and our father left us.”

“You have siblings?”

“One brother - Liam. He works with my uncle at the docks in Boston Harbor.”

The two women exchanged surprised looks, but when Ruby started to say something, Emma shook her head slightly, giving her a meaningful look. Ruby snapped her mouth shut and reached for her glass of water instead.

Emma was enjoying chatting with Killian and was beginning to relax, but she wasn’t comfortable enough to reveal where she lived at this point.

“You still have a pretty strong accent after living here all this time,” she commented.

“It’s actually lessened a bit, but I’ve yet to shake it completely.”

“Don’t,” Ruby said simply.

Emma nodded her head in agreement, but before she could add to Ruby’s remark, their dessert arrived.

“Wow! That is massive!” Killian said.

“What are you two going to eat?” Ruby asked, plunging her spoon into a heap of chocolate whipped topping.

“You’ll have to excuse Ruby,” Emma said dryly. “She’s very shy.”

Killian laughed and Emma felt her stomach do a funny little flip, which she knew wasn’t due to the small mountain of chocolate in front of her. The man was affecting her in ways she didn’t really want to admit to herself.

“Ohmigod,” Ruby mumbled, her eyes rolling in pleasure over the gooey goodness in her mouth.

Emma and Killian watched her nearly obscene expressions of delight for a few more seconds, then looked at each other. “Shall we?” he asked, one eyebrow quirked up in question.

“We better, before she eats the whole thing,” Emma answered. Both of them stuck their spoons into the decadent dessert, then let out soft moans when the chocolate hit their tongues.

“I know, right?” Ruby grinned. “I would say it’s better than sex, but let’s be real!”

“Jeez, Ruby!” Emma exclaimed, using her free hand to cover her face in embarrassment, while Killian chuckled.

They continued devouring the confection in front of them, making comments now and then, but mostly just enjoying the deliciousness.

After Emma took a bite of a brownie dripping with chocolate sauce, Killian noticed a bit had landed on her chin and reached over to remove it with his finger. As soon as he touched her, she gasped, her mouth falling open slightly.

He didn’t seem to notice her reaction as he drew his finger back and licked the sauce off of it, but Ruby did. She eyed her friend keenly, taking in the flush on her face and the look of astonishment in her eyes, and smirked knowingly. She knew Emma better than just about anyone else did, and she had never seen her react to a guy like she was doing tonight.

When the dessert was gone, the trio chatted while waiting for the check.

“Did the two of you go to college together?” Killian asked.

“Yeah, we met our Freshman year at the Student Union when this one was having a meltdown,” Ruby answered, pointing at Emma.

“I wasn’t having a meltdown, I was just upset about my roommate.”

“Her original roommate was an absolute nightmare,” Ruby explained. “She was such a prima donna and an all-around bitch of the highest degree. After Emma survived the first semester with her, M’s and I squeezed her into our room without the university being any the wiser. We ended up living together until we graduated.”

“M’s would have been with us on this trip, but she found out about a month ago that she’s pregnant,” Emma added. “She knew she wouldn’t be able to go on any rides, so she decided not to come.”

“I doubt she and her boyfriend would be able to last a week without each other anyway. Those two are as sickeningly sweet together as that dessert we just ate.”

“In a good way,” Emma threw in. “We love her boyfriend, too.”

“In a platonic way. Nothing kinky,” Ruby said, causing Emma to cover her face with both hands.

Killian laughed again, thoroughly enjoying the conversation. “Do you still live together?”

“Ruby and I do. M’s pretty much lives with her Prince Charming.”

The waiter brought the bill and Killian placed his credit card on the tray. “We can help pay,” Emma protested.

“Oh, no, I won’t allow that. I was the one who asked you to join me, so it’s my treat.”

After he signed the receipt and got his card back, they left the restaurant and stood on the sidewalk in front of it, not quite sure what to say or do.

“How much longer are you ladies on vacation?” Killian finally asked.

“Two more full days, then we fly home Thursday afternoon,” Emma responded.

Killian hummed and rubbed at the back of his neck. After several moments, he spoke haltingly, “It’s, um, it’s still early. Would you…be interested in going to one of the clubs on CityWalk?”

Emma exchanged a questioning look with Ruby, then turned her eyes back to him. “Do you mind if we discuss it first?”

“Absolutely not. I’ll just step over there,” he said, pointing to a lamp post several yards away. He walked over and leaned against it, fidgeting anxiously. He truly hoped they would take him up on his offer. He didn’t want the evening, and his time with Emma Swan, to come to an end just yet. She was as amazing as he thought she would be when he had his brief encounter with her that morning, and he longed to get to know her better.

Once he was out of earshot, Ruby said, “What’s to discuss, Em? You seem to be having a good time with him.”

“Yeah, but having dessert with him is one thing, going to a nightclub is something else entirely.”

“Why?”

“Because maybe his strategy is to get us drunk or slip drugs into our drinks…”

“Oh, come on, Emma! Do you really think this guy is capable of doing something like that? He’s a big ol’ sweetheart.”

“Or that’s what he wants us to think.”

“You don’t believe that and you know it.”

“Sometimes you’re too trusting, Rubes. Bad guys do exist and I don’t know if it’s worth the risk.”

“You pride yourself on being able to tell when someone is lying. Have you sensed any insincerity in him at all tonight?”

Emma hesitated. Her friend had a point. She was usually very perceptive about whether or not she could trust people, and her warning bells had remained silent when it came to Killian Jones. Still…

“I agreed to have dessert with him, that’s all. Going somewhere else afterwards wasn’t part of the plan.”

“What else do we have to do? I’d kinda like to take in some of the nightlife on CityWalk. Aren’t you even a little curious how he acts in a setting like that - if he continues to be a gentleman or turns into a jerk when he gets a couple of drinks into him?”

Emma studied her sandals, uncertain about what to do. Lifting her eyes, she swung them in Killian’s direction. He was pacing back and forth between two lamp posts with his hands jammed into the front pockets of his jeans. As he drew near the pole closest to her, he glanced up and caught her gaze. His face brightened and he flashed her a sincere smile, his dimples showing just above his neatly trimmed scruff and his blue eyes sparkling.

Turning back to face Ruby, she conceded, “Fine, let’s go to the nightclub with him, but on one condition. If I start to feel uncomfortable around him at all, we’re leaving, okay?”

Ruby grinned. “Deal!”

*********

Thank you for reading, liking, commenting and reblogging. Please join me in wishing Marta a very happy birthday tomorrow!

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[apiratewhopines]

Subterfuge

Chapter 13/22 (updating daily)

Story Summary: When his brother’s best friend calls in desperate need of help, mercenary Killian Jones will stop at nothing to save the woman from his old enemy. Flying halfway across the world to meet Emma Swan was all part of the plan, falling for her not so much.

Between deadly inventions, criminal masterminds, and his feelings, he soon realizes he may be in over his head.

That’s just the way he likes it, really.

Rating: M

Thanks to @motherkatereloyshipper for reading this over and making it better!

“Bring your broken heart

And put it in my chest”

-Night Like This, Daydream Masi

The sound of the old-fashioned rotary phone was like nails on a chalkboard as far as Killian was concerned. He wasn’t ready to return to the real world. He wanted to stay in bed with the woman he was rapidly falling in love with and forget someone was trying to kill her.

There was something about the scent of a sleepy woman that he had always found attractive and he had never encountered a woman as irresistible as Emma Swan. The combination of being in the perfect place with the perfect person had him chasing her warmth as she shifted to answer the unwelcome intrusion.

“Hello.” Her drowsy voice made him smile into her bare back, his lips finding the silky skin between her shoulder blades. “Yes, it is.”

He took it as a personal affront that she was still able to form coherent words as he traced the delicate line of her spine with his mouth. Killian allowed his fingertips to tiptoe softly around her waist and drift to the place he learned last night was guaranteed to drive her crazy.

He felt her stiffen but instantly knew it wasn’t from his amorous attentions. She practically vibrated with stress, her body tense like a bowstring. It was enough to penetrate his early morning glow. As her whispered midnight confession echoed in his mind, he wondered who had known to call the room they paid for in cash, sliding a hefty bonus under the table to underscore how little they wanted to be disturbed.

Of course, Liam and the team knew their location now. Having touched base with them all at The Magic Bean, his temporary address had been the price of getting away without Liam tagging along. His brother may want to cut his time short with Swan, but he would have just pounded on the door. It wasn’t in his nature to be so polite as to allow someone to ignore him by calling ahead.

He wouldn’t have been at all surprised if David or Will were currently camped out in the parking lot or surveilling their room from the diner across the street. While he typically would have chafed at being babysat, the fact Hyde was after Emma made him consider suggesting Robin join them as well.

“No, he didn’t mention that.”

Dread settled like ice in his stomach. Though she gave nothing away, he knew she was talking about him. And she was not pleased with what was being communicated from the caller. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed and continued to eavesdrop with increasing frustration.

“Seems he left out a lot of important information.”

Eyes narrowing, he knew a second before she attempted it that she would try to get away. Everyone had a tell, and Emma’s was a slight squaring of her shoulders before she did something she wasn’t looking forward to but was unavoidable. He wondered if this would be the last time he got to witness it firsthand.

He grabbed the receiver from her while his hand caught her calf mid-flight as she tried to roll off the mattress. If they hadn’t drifted to his side of the bed during the night, he probably would have had to drop the phone to keep her at his side. Luckily, his iron grip shocked her enough to slow her retreat.

Returning the glare she threw at him over her shoulder, he growled into the phone menacingly, “Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

“You sound terrible, Baby Jones. Rough night? I bet it’s about to get rougher,” Agent Mills taunted through the phone line. “It’s not nice to lie to your latest conquest. You didn’t even tell her what happened to the last woman you tried to help. I do believe you’re going to have some explaining to do.”

“What do you want?” He adjusted his hold on Swan, watching as she battened down the proverbial hatches. He may be able to physically keep her there with him, but emotionally she was already thousands of miles away.

“The same thing I’ve always wanted. For Jones Consulting to stop acting like they are above the law. You put two of my agents in the hospital, but you waltz around like you’re untouchable. I may not be able to bring any charges against you, but I can make your life a hell of a lot harder.”

To his great annoyance, that was precisely what she did. And her timing was impeccable as always. If she had gotten to Swan a few days ago, they could have gotten past the fact he lured her into working with him under false pretenses. A few days later and he would have already explained everything himself. But as usual, Mills managed to be the sharpest thorn in his side.

“You’ll regret this,” he promised. “There’s going to be blood on your hands.”

“Hmm, then maybe I’d have the credentials to work for your brother too,” she retorted. “Have fun getting out of this one and remind Miss Swan that my offer stands. She’d be safer working with me.”

He stretched across Swan to hang up the phone and had to tamp down the urge to slam the receiver a few extra times for good measure. He wasn’t sure how Emma accomplished it, but she managed to sink into the mattress and avoid all contact with his body as he hovered over her.

Trying for his most charming smile, he commented dryly, “I’m sure you have questions.”

Read the rest on AO3

@teamhook @jrob64 @kmomof4 @klynn-stormz @stahlop @xarandomdreamx @xsajx @tiganasummertree

[sailtoafarawayland]

The Daughter You Have (Not That Girl)

Summary: “Take me home,” she whispered against him, and when she pushed onto her toes and hungrily met his lips with her own, pressing every bit of the things she wasn't ready to say yet into him, he knew that she wasn't just talking about a place.

Rated: T 

(This is an edit of my very first story published over on FF way back in 2015, but new to AO3. I've corrected some grammar and fixed a few errors, but have kept it true to what my intentions were at the time. It follows "There's No Place Like Home", but continues as if neither the urn nor Marian returned to Storybrooke)

- AO3 - 

Chapter 1/1

It was a little thing, nothing more than a gentle touch on his wrist, that opened Emma's eyes fully to something she had a feeling her subconscious had been protecting her from up until that point. David and Mary Margaret were disappointed with her. The signs had been there from the beginning – they were so obvious now that she was looking back – but it had been the family dinner at Granny's that had made their feelings perfectly clear.

Things had changed for Emma after she and Hook traveled through Zelena's time portal – a lot had changed, and when they'd finally gotten back, she knew what it was to return home. This was the town where her family was, where her heart was. The entire adventure had also opened her to other possibilities, things she had been eager and uninhibited in exploring since their return.

So when her mother called to let her know they were all meeting at Granny's for dinner, it hadn't occurred to her to do anything other than show up with the person she'd been spending her evening with. After all, they'd intended to eat at some point, so even though the family dinner would shorten other activities they'd had planned, Emma knew they'd make up for the distraction later.

The scene when she and Hook entered the diner was something that tugged at her heart. Every year when she was a child, she'd wished for the same thing on her birthday – to not be alone, to have a family. To have one now and really know that they weren't going to give her up, it was something she'd never thought she could have. So it was understandable, as caught up in the emotion of it all as she was, that she didn't notice the slight fall to Mary Margaret's face when they stepped inside, or the almost imperceptible tightening of David's mouth.

Placing a light kiss on Henry's forehead as he smiled up at her, she took the empty chair alongside him, the familiar heat of Killian beside her as he pulled out the chair at her right side, the comforting weight of his hook resting easily on her leg beneath the table.

She'd smiled at him, his own bright grin contagious beneath his flushed cheeks.  

The two tables pushed together were crowded, Regina, Robin, and Roland being a natural extension of the weird, extended family they'd all fallen into, but everything felt perfect to Emma in that moment.

She was happy.

That's why it was so jarring when it happened.

They'd gone through the tedious chore of ordering food, Roland unable to decide between chicken fingers and pizza, and the conversation was light and easy. Laughing at a quiet comment Henry had made, she'd turned to share it will Killian, knowing he would enjoy the quick-witted remark. Henry had been enjoying spending quite a bit of time with the both of them lately, and clearly the pirate's verbosity had worn off on him. She'd leaned into him, the action intimate and familiar, her arm crossing his body to gently squeeze his hand as she whispered in his ear.

It was a small gesture of affection, an easy expression of her happiness, and if she hadn't happened to look across the table at the exact moment she did, she wouldn't have seen it, but she had, and she did.

Mary Margaret's quickly stifled sigh, the slight flare of David's nostrils.

In that moment, Emma didn't need to ask them if they disapproved of her relationship with Killian, to test their words and weigh them as truth or lie – she read it on their faces as easily as if they had sent her a text.

“I don't feel great,” Emma cut in, interrupting the flow of conversation as she stood abruptly, the legs of her chair stuttering against the floor. “Sorry, kid, but I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Henry shrugged, already turning his attention to the dessert menu he'd been eyeing up. “Feel better, Mom.”

She squeezed his shoulder once, a tight smile on her face, and turned toward the door, needing to get out of the diner that was suddenly too small to hold the frustration and anger coursing beneath her skin.

Killian rose with a bit more grace than she'd been able to muster, his words charming and polite despite the concern she could read beneath them.

Emma didn't go far, simply taking the few steps she needed to get away from the glare of the diner's lights before waiting for Killian to join her, immediate relief folding over her as she was enveloped by the scent of leather and salt – the mark of the sea far too ingrained in everything he wore to ever fade. The heat from her breath clung to his jacket as she pressed herself into his embrace, needing the closeness.

“Talk to me, Swan. Are you unwell?”

She didn't want to talk.

She didn't want to do anything other than run away from the fact that her parents were far from happy about her happiness. She just wanted to wrap herself in his body, finding peace in the friction between them that always brought her to completion so perfectly. She wanted to feel the slide of his fingers, rough and calloused, over her skin, the hard chill of his hook at her back.

She was happy, and they didn't want that for her.

If she didn't soothe the wound that realization left on her heart, she wasn't sure what she would storm back in there and say in front of everyone.

“Take me home,” she whispered against him, and when she pushed onto her toes and hungrily met his lips with her own, pressing every bit of the things she wasn't ready to say yet into him, he knew that she wasn't just talking about a place.

* ~ * ~ *

As Emma lie in his arms that night, listening to the slow creaks and moaning pipes that ran behind the walls of Granny's, her thoughts traveled back through the days and weeks since their return from the Enchanted Forest. She tried to remember how her parent's had been from that first moment until now.

There had been relief etched on their faces as Emma recounted their adventure, and gratefulness when they thanked Killian for not letting her go alone and keeping her safe. They had been friendly even, for once acting as if he belonged in Storybrooke, as if he had a place there and was more than an unwanted outsider looking through the window – but apparently their good will had an expiration, and that was as soon as they realized that they weren't the only reason she'd stayed instead of running back to New York.

All that time as her relationship with Killian progressed, she hadn't noticed their disappointment in the fact that it was growing and deepening rather than fading, a one time thing – because that was what she had seen on their faces in the diner, and it had shattered her.

She burrowed closer to Killian as he held her, his face serene and relaxed in sleep. She was thankful for that, knowing that some nights his old demons haunted him more deeply than others. It warmed her heart to know that those nights were becoming farther and fewer between. She didn't want to leave him when the sun came up, would miss the strength of his arms around her, the confidence that came so easily when he was at her side, but she knew she had to talk to her parents.

She knew what she had seen, but she had to hear it from them.

* ~ * ~ *

David's face moved quickly between his easy, morning smile to surprise as the door opened, then more slowly to the grim look of resolve. For a second, Emma couldn't figure out why she'd surprised him, and then she realized it was because she'd knocked. The realization left a small ache in her chest, the significance not lost on either of them. Though she'd been spending most nights at Granny's, up until last night, this had still felt like home.

“Who is it, David?”

She heard Mary Margaret's voice chime from the other side of the loft, the soft tapping of her shoes drawing closer.

“It's Emma,” he muttered, opening the door fully and waving her inside, his movements stilted.

Mary Margaret was smiling when she finally popped into view, but Emma could see the anxiety flickering in her eyes as she stepped through the door and closed it behind her, facing the both of them with more than a hint of discomfort in her stance.

“Henry didn't stop in, did he?”

He'd been staying most nights with Regina and Robin, enjoying spending time with Roland, but sometimes he would still swing by the loft in the mornings to meet her before they went to Granny's together for hot cocoa.

“He did, but we mentioned you weren't here and he said he'd wait for you at Granny's,” her mother said. “Did you want to head over – ”

“No,” Emma rushed, cutting her off and interrupting the motion Mary Margaret was making toward the door, her hand falling back to her side. “I need to talk with the both of you, about last night.”

“Emma, if this is about Hook – ”

“It's not...well, not directly. It's about me.”

Emma watched them uncomfortably, suddenly unsure of how to begin now that she was actually standing in front of them, David with his questioning eyes, and Mary Margaret with her hands twisted together in front of her waist. She was supposed to be able to do this. She'd broken a curse, fought a dragon, stood up to Cora, and fought to bring down Zelena. She was the Savior, she was supposed to be able to do everything, including confront her parents.

A longing to have her pirate standing beside her hit, his hand resting gently on her shoulder for support, but even though she knew she needed to do this alone, the brief flash of him in her mind was enough to spur her on.

He was worth fighting for.

“I saw the way you looked at us last night,” she began, the hurt obvious in her voice, no matter how steady she tried to make it. “When I touched his hand, I looked across at you, and you guys couldn't stand to see it.”

“Emma, you have to understand, we appreciate everything Hook did to help you get back home to us. We see that he's changed, please don't think we're blind to that,” Mary Margaret sighed, her eyebrows knit with concern.

“But you still don't think he's worthy of your respect, your trust...that he's worthy of me?”

“We do respect him, Emma, we really do,” David interjected, scratching the top of his head as he met Mary Margaret's eye, “but you have to understand, we never wanted someone like him for you.”

“Someone like him?” Her voice crept up in volume, ringing with disbelief.

“You deserve better.”

“Better than someone who has come to my rescue time and time again? Better than someone who gave up his actual home for a chance – no, less than a chance even – that he might be able to save me, to save all of you? Someone better than that?”

“You're forgetting all of the other things he's done, Emma – his past. We wanted something different for you, someone like your father, Not a – ”

“Not a pirate,” David snapped, unable to keep the vitriol from his tone.

“How dare you!” There was a venomous edge to her voice now, low and quiet. “How dare you think you have any right to an opinion on this. Are you kidding me? You dropped into a magic tree – and I get it, I understand that you had to, and that it broke your hearts, but now you need to understand something...”

She paused, taking a breath as she tried to loosen the tight fists she'd balled her hands into “All of those hopes and dreams you guys had for me, the things you envisioned shaping me into the woman you wanted me to be, they didn't go through the wardrobe. It was just me, all by myself. Whatever plans you've made for my future, they're for a person who doesn't exist. They're for the daughter you wanted, not the one you've got.”

“But the daughter you've got,” she continued, “she's pretty damn happy as she is. I didn't grow up in some fairy tale. I grew up in the real world. I was abandoned, betrayed, disappointed and left behind my entire life. I've got more bruises, and scars, and flaws than most people, but because of Killian, I've learned to accept them and move on, because all of them together put me right where I am today. You might not like the rough, gritty parts of him, his past, the hook, but I do. I love every part of him, and I will not sit here and let you treat this like I'm settling, because he is everything I need, and everything I want.”

She found herself nearly breathless after her rant, fists shaking at her sides as she stared at her parents wide-eyed in front of her. She had hoped the weight on her chest would lighten once she put everything she felt out into the open, but instead she was faced with a lingering tightness that wouldn't budge, suddenly aware that they may have considered all of those things and still disapproved.

“Emma,” Mary Margaret sighed, locking eyes with David before reaching forward and taking her daughter's clenched fists in her hands. “You may have grown up here, but you were born in the Enchanted Forest, a princess and the product of true love. If you're destined to have a True Love of your own, then surely it's not someone – ”

Emma didn't give her a chance to finish her sentence, tearing her hands free and throwing the door open, the heavy wood bouncing off the wall as she stormed out without a backward glance. The resounding thump of the door falling back into place and closing behind her somehow trickled through the roar of anger thumping in her ears and she paused, pressing her forehead and hands against the cool wall down the hallway.

“You alright there, love?”

The rage she'd been feeling slipped away from her at the sound of his voice, her legs suddenly shaking and less steady than they should have been for someone who was stone cold sober. Thankfully, he was at her side the minute she turned from the wall that had been lending her a little support, his arms catching her as they sunk to the floor together, his leather jacket splayed across the rug as he knelt, arms circling around her as she tucked her head into his chest and closed her eyes.

Her heart ached in a way she hadn't expected to feel again, in the same way it had when the cop told her to turn around and she'd realized someone she'd counted on had let her down.

It ached until he whispered against her hair, soothing noises and assurances that everything would be well, the timbre of his voice bringing her peace.

“What are you doing here?” Emma whispered, wondering how he'd known to look for her at her parent's loft, and suddenly very glad they hadn't decided to follow her into the hallway. She had no idea how she'd react seeing them again so soon after what Mary Margaret had just been about to say. She needed time, and they probably did as well.

“I will admit I was adrift when I woke without you this morning, Swan,” he confided, placing another soft kiss to her hair, “but I thought perhaps you'd been craving some of that chocolate concoction you like, so I went to Granny's, wondering if that's where you'd run off to.”

“It's called hot chocolate. Did you see Henry there?”

“Aye, the lad was showing me something in a book about the stars that Belle had given him. He thought perhaps you'd gone to see if he was at the loft.”

Emma sat up quickly, leaning out of Killian's lap so she could search the stairwell below, her chest tightening painfully at the thought of Henry overhearing what had gone on with her parents.

“He's not here, Swan. I had a feeling there was something that needed addressing between you and your parents after last night.”

“How did you know?”

“I'm a pirate, love. We've a keen sense for danger – a word that would fairly describe your temperament a moment ago.”

“Where is he?”

“Ah, I sent him over to our room to retrieve the sextant I'd told him about the other day. I thought it would be useful for him to see how it works for the paper he's writing.”

“That's good,” she murmured, settling back into his lap. “I wouldn't him have wanted him to hear me that upset with his grandparents.”

“Aye, angry is what you were a moment ago, but how do you feel now, Swan?”

“Blood spectacular,” she laughed, snuffing her nose that she hadn't realized was now stuffy, her eyes burning slightly at the tears she wouldn't shed.

She felt the absence of Killian's arm around her as he reached up and scratched behind his ear, a nervous habit she thought was pretty cute.

“Well, in that case, what do you say to a change of scenery, a leisurely stroll, perhaps?”

“Your legs are numb, aren't they?”

“Aye.”

* ~ * ~ *

Days had passed since Emma confronted her parents, and still she hadn't asked him the question he'd been dreading. He had expected it right away, and she'd surprised him by not seeming the concerned in the least that may have overheard her conversation. His Swan, still managing to surprise him even after how much they'd learned of one another. Perhaps now that they'd grown closer than he had ever hoped was possible, she had no words left to hide from him.

They spent those days enjoying the company of one another and the continued absence of any threats to the town. Walks with Henry to the dock were frequent. The lad had developed a true curiosity about everything to do with the sea, and though he no longer had the Jolly with which to entertain the boy, he never regretted it – though Emma often gripped his hand more tightly whenever they passed by the spot where she had once anchored so long ago.

She'd asked him only once if he regretted it, and he'd been able to look her in the eye and speak honestly.

Never, not for a second, Emma.

Hours spent twisted among his sheets were also frequent, his fingers never tiring of their play across her body, but his Swan was quite perceptive, and he knew she felt the subtle change in his demeanor that had plagued him ever since that morning at her parent's loft.

When it had lingered for more than a week – his breath hitching in his throat as he watched her fall asleep, thinking she was too far gone to notice, she finally asked him.

“Killian, will you please tell me?”

A part of him wanted to sweep her into his arms, fingers threading through her hair as he grinned, disarming her with some witty banter about how the only thing bothering him was her state of dress, mainly that the shirt she'd donned was too much, but the smile wouldn't come to his lips, and he had no desire in his heart to lie to her.

“Your mother, Emma...what she said. Surely it's the truth.”

She stiffened against him and pulled away, the immediate distance she's placed between them striking his chest with both fear and pain, though it was the reflection of both in her eyes that injured him most. His words had hurt her, but neither could he lie. She would know, and it would pain her just the same.

“What do you mean?”

“She told you no untruths, love. You were born a princess in the Enchanted Forest, the daughter of heroes and a Savior in your own right – someone destined to have a true happy ending.”

“What I was supposed to be doesn't mean anything, you and I both know that, Killian.”

“But what if she's right?” he nearly whispered, dread thick on his tongue as his sea-blue eyes bored into her own. “What if it means everything? What if there is true love waiting for you, a man destined for you – a man who never killed because he could, nor lived solely for vengeance until it blackened his heart?”

“I believe that, Killian – ”

Her words were a frigid wave of his deepest fears washing over him, the doubts he was voicing suddenly far more substantial than when they'd haunted his dreams.

“ – a part of it, that is,” she continued, sliding closer in his bed and running her fingers through his inky, dark locks. “I believe I have a true love. The only difference, you idiot, is that I know I've already found him, so don't do this to me. Don't doubt me now when you never have before. After all the chasing, just because I finally stopped running doesn't mean it's your turn.”

The tips of her fingers stroked through his hair, returning softly along his jaw and cupping his face. He reached out for her then, twirling a strand of her golden hair around his finger, his heart leaping as he took in every curve and peak of her face as she smiled. He wanted to have her faith, to believe as she did that he could be her everything – because was certainly everything to him.

Slipping easily onto his lap, the sheets pooling around their waists, she rested her forehead against his, moving to wind her fingers in his own, her other hand firmly grasping his stump, loving every part of him. His heart ached with how much he loved her in return.

“What do you say, Killian. Can you take that leap of faith with me, that no matter what, from here on out it will always be us?”

And because she asked and he trusted her implicitly, believed her in the very core of his being, he could. His lips crashed against hers, rocking them both back onto the bed as they shared each breath, passion and love and a feeling of rightness brightening each move they made. Her hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, needing to vanish any breath of space between them. Possessiveness and need slowly rolled into the slow rise of tenderness and longing, their bodies moving and melding seamlessly as they poured their commitment into each shuddering breath. When they finally broke apart, their heated bodies resting atop the sheets, he knew in his heart how true her words had been, because he could never leave this miraculous woman who'd brightened his life, who'd chosen to be his. He loved her too greatly, too deeply, and every day till his very last he would choose her.

“It will always be you,” he whispered against her neck, clinging to her as if she was the only thing keeping him afloat in an endless sea, and perhaps she was. “Always, Emma.”

Tagging: @justanother-unluckysoul @kmom0f4 @the-darkdragonfly @teamhook @zaharadessert @xarandomdreamx @jrob64 @wefoundloveunderthelight @tiganasummertree @pirateprincessofpizza @lfh1226-linda @alexa-fangirl-forever @alifeofdreams @superchocovian @donteattheappleshook @hollyethecurious @caught-in-the-filter @snowbellewells 

[captcas]

Worth Fighting For [12/?]

WORTH FIGHTING FOR by capthamm

Killian “Hook” Jones is a dominate up and comer in the UFC while Emma “The Savior” Swan’s career was cut short. When Hook’s manager moves up and the office brings in UFC’s youngest legend to keep him in check, will either of them be able to handle it?

read on ao3 // tumblr: ch 1/ ch 2 / ch 3 / ch 4 / ch 5 / ch 6 / ch 7 / ch 8 / ch 9 / ch 10 / ch 11 [Chapter 12/?]

The three weeks between that and Killian’s fight flew at lightspeed. Between training (together), press conferences (together), and general life (also, together), Emma found herself spending almost every moment with Killian without really knowing what hit her.

He wove himself into her life with an ease she would’ve found scary if she wasn’t so damn happy.

After meeting, Killian and Henry begged to be together daily. It started with short bursts– lunch here, a trip to the park there– and eventually it became week long movie nights with the three of them cuddled up on the couch. Any thought she had of slowing things down was abruptly erased by Henry’s overall excitement just to be with Killian.

The night the two of them fell asleep together in Henry’s bed mid-bedtime story was the proverbial nail in the coffin.

That’s how she finds herself sitting outside the locker room killing time before Killian has to prep for weigh-ins. Henry was already in their seats, Ruby keeping an eye on him while he oogles at the stage being constructed. Emma has been able to mostly ignore the reality of tonight– and tomorrow night– by managing Killian’s social accounts and keeping Regina off her back. (Let’s just say her boss doesn’t know the full extent of their relationship and Emma would like to keep it that way at least until this weekend is over and not just because even she doesn’t know the full extent.)

Emma hears the announcer call for fighters to the locker rooms and it snaps her out of her own thoughts. 

Killian has to go. They– mostly Emma– have been dreading this night since the moment they found out it was Neal. It was only three weeks ago, but somehow everything has changed and it feels like a different lifetime. Killian must have resigned to his fate as well, “Duty calls, love.” He kisses her on the forehead and she leans into the contact. Emma nods but is reluctant to remove her arms from their comfortable spot on his hips. She’s about to wish him luck when he pulls a long silver chain from his pocket. Dangling from the end is a beautiful ring– rubies set with diamonds across a twisted silver band.

Oh shit.

“Whoa. Whoa, whoa, wh–”

He rolls his eyes, “Calm down, Swan. I’m not proposing.”

She nods with a tight smile, ignoring the rush of disappointment that floods her mind. It’s barely been a month, she should not be disappointed. He smirks, probably reading her like a book per usual, but continues anyway, “You know I’m good at surviving the octagon, yeah? Well, this ring is why. I’ve had it for many years, it’s the reason I’m alive. The reason I’m here today.”

“Killian–”

“I want you to have it this weekend. Keep a piece of me with you. Tomorrow may be a bloody awful night for me but I can’t imagine the war raging behind those beautiful eyes of yours, love.” He brushes a small piece of hair off the apple of her cheek before placing the ring carefully in her hand. She clutches it tightly before pressing up on her toes to place a gentle kiss against his lips.

“Thank you.”

He smiles, something bright and happy that reaches his eyes but is reserved for her, “Don’t mention it, Swan. I’ve got all the luck I need right here.” He squeezes her waist, eliciting a small giggle as he focuses in on a slight ticklish spot. Killian kisses her temple once more before they finally part.

“Go get him, Jones.” She can’t help the grin that spreads across her face despite the potential danger Killian is walking into.

He turns back to respond, “Aye, love. Tomorrow night, that’s the plan. It’s only weigh-ins, what could go wrong?” With a wink and a smirk he heads into the locker room and Emma notices the ring still clutched tightly in her fist. Taking it gently, Emma places it over her neck, the weight of the ring heavy atop her chest.

It feels like a lifeline.

Emma takes a deep breath before cracking her neck and slipping into her very real position as Killian’s PR manager. Henry is here tonight, so despite her job, she figures she should check on him first– that is if he hasn’t already tried to come find her. As she walks out from behind the stage she bumps into someone solid. Nausea hits her like a freight train as a familiar scent takes over. The hands on her shoulders seer like fire and she looks up only on instinct.

She swears her blood runs cold at the sound of his voice, “Ems?”

Before she can react, another familiar voice cuts through blood rushing in her ears, “Mom?”

Emma can feel the indent of the ring carving itself into the palm of her hand as she realizes what’s about to happen. Maybe lifeline was an understatement? She reached for the ring instinctively as she realized the moment she had hoped would never come was hovering right in front of her.

She closes her eyes and hears Killian’s voice in her head, “ You can do this, Swan.”

Somehow that’s all the push she needs. Turning to Henry, she ignores the close proximity of his father. “Henry! You were supposed to wait by the seats.”

Her eyes never leave her son. “I was going to but Ruby said I could get popcorn and when I heard them call Hook back I figured you’d be coming out soon so I figured I’d wait for you.” He turns to Neal. “Oh my god, you’re The Fire !!!!”

Neal looks like he’s been tased. Emma pleads with him telepathically to ignore the fact that this is his unmistakably his son.

She never was good at telepathy.

“I am! And you must be Henry.” Neal smiles at him and then turns to Emma for confirmation– she nods slightly despite him barely deserving that. Henry’s eyes light up.

“Did Hook tell you about me?! Mom, do you know Neal Cassidy, too?!” Neal’s eyes turn from amusement to confusion before he turns to Emma.

“Hook?” The word sounds like poison as it cuts across the space between him and Emma.

Henry speaks before Emma can form an explanation, “Yeah! Killian is my mom’s client. She helps him run his Twitter and stuff. Does she do that for you too?”

Oh yeah, client, right.  

Neal gives her one more look before turning back to Henry, “Nope, not for me. Your mom and I are just old friends.” Acid. He sounds like he’s spitting acid. Emma has to choke back a scoff.

How did Emma ever fall for this shit?

“Oh, Killian and mom are friends too. He’s over pretty much every night. I think he likes me better though.” Emma can’t stop a smile from breaking out across her face. She grabs Henry and pulls him in for a hug.

“I think you’re right, kid.” Emma’s eyes meet Neal’s and he’s about to speak when a trainer comes up behind him and whisks him away. Something in his gaze tells her that this conversation isn’t over, but he says bye to Henry who waves before completely moving on to the veteran athletes he saw while waiting in the concession lines. Once he’s out of sight Emma takes a moment to focus her breathing— the cool temperature of Killian’s gift against her thumb effectively grounding her.

This ring really is a godsend– or maybe that’s just the man who gave it to her.

. . .

Killian is sitting in the middle of the sparring gym when he hears his moniker called by an unfamiliar voice. Whoever it is sounds angry. It’s weigh-ins so this level of hostility is usually a show for the cameras, but it’s also usually reserved for fighters who actually know each other.

“Killian Jones.” The use of his full name causes Killian to stand, coming face to face with Neal. He’s only seen him in photos and on tape, but he’d recognize him anywhere. Ice fills Killian’s veins before turning to white hot rage. He’s got half a mind to knock him flat on his arse but knows better than to fight outside the ring.

He opts for civility instead, “Ah, you must be Mr. Cassidy.” Killian squares with him, sizing him up. Despite his clearly trained stature, Killian knows Neal is a coward.

No man who gives up a boy like Henry could be anything less.

“Stay away from my son.”

That was not what Killian expected, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Neal is fired up for some reason or another. Killian can’t imagine why, unless– Emma .

Neal must’ve ran into Emma and Henry before coming back. Killian drops the niceties, “ Your son? I believe there’s a hefty packet of legal papers that says quite the opposite, mate.”  

He watches the rage fill up Neal’s face and his arm begin to form a fist. As Killian responds, Neal’s trainer is coming up behind him. “Not here, Cassidy. Save it for the octagon.”

As the trainer pulls Neal away, Killian doesn’t let the wash of relief exit in a sigh, but he feels it all the same. Neal turns to him once more,“We’ll settle this tomorrow, Jones. You don’t get to steal my life.”  He clearly has a compulsory need for having the last word.

Too bad so does Killian.

As Neal approaches the door separating their designated gyms, Killian calls out once more, “It’s not stealing when you give them up in the first place. Finders keepers, mate.” He winks as Neal crosses into the other room, his trainers keeping him pointed in the right direction.

That’s when Robin walks up behind Killian, “What the hell was that about? I thought you two didn’t even know each other.”

“A man unwilling to fight for what he wants, deserves what he gets, Robin. It seems Mr. Cassidy is regretting his choice not to fight.” Killian turns to his best friend and finds only understanding in his eyes.

Robin claps his hand onto Killian’s shoulder, “Kick his ass, Jones.”

Nodding, Killian straps his gloves on. “My plan precisely, boss.”

...

@mariakov81 @kmomof4 @superchocovian @pirateherokillian @teamhook @bawley-bug @let-it-raines ​

[karlyfr13s]

Helping Destiny Along

A fluffy CS one-shot for the lovely @teamhook

Thank you @veryverynotgoodwrites for being one heck of a beta, and @the-darkdragonfly for your brainstorming powers!

Summary: Henry Mills has a theory: for each Captain Hook, there must be an Emma Swan. Well, he found Princess Emma Nolan at long last and is determined to bring her together with Killian Jones now that he's back in the Wishverse version of the Enchanted Forest.

Read it on AO3

At nineteen, Princess Emma Nolan believed in True Love. After all, her parents had found each other, and everyone knew theirs was a legendary love worthy of poetry and song. She watched for a prince from the high windows of her tower bedroom, waiting for someone tall, dark, and handsome to sweep her off her feet. He would be bold, romantic, dashing, and kind-hearted—she just knew it.

At twenty-two, she concluded that such a love was rare and that her parents may be the only two people with a Capital-T, Capital-L True Love, so she started looking for the more run-of-the-mill variety. Instead of waiting for someone to ride up to the castle gate and court her, she took a more active approach and sought her love by traveling and meeting new people. When that didn’t work either, Princess Emma tried for mutual attraction, which was fun at twenty-four, but grew stale by twenty-five. So she resigned herself to loving her kingdom and her people.

At twenty-eight, a man knocked on the door and utterly transformed her life. To be clear, she did not love that particular man. Henry came from a faraway land and told her fantastic tales that seemed beyond the reach of even her magic, and while she did not love him, he told her somewhere out there in a world beyond her grasp there was an Emma Swan who was his mother, and who loved him ferociously. For days, she and her parents welcomed Henry to stay in their home and share meals at their table, and for days he regaled them with stories of his world and of other versions of each member of the Nolan family. They were spellbound by his narratives. He was a gifted storyteller, and as if he’d known this was too fantastic to be believed, he came with something called photographs that showed a still window into his world. She saw a version of her mother, Queen Snow, but much younger and with close-cropped dark hair instead of the silvery tresses she was accustomed to. Her father was another surprise--he looked barely older than Emma herself, sandy hair where now there was gray, and while she knew her father was still a strong and capable swordsman, this version of King David seemed able to challenge even the mightiest ogre.

Princess Emma Nolan even saw herself, but not herself. They looked identical, she and Henry’s mother, and while her style was different from this unknown twin’s, she couldn’t help but notice some similarities. Emma Swan was often pictured in a short red leather coat, while Princess Emma Nolan’s favorite doublet was a rich blue leather. When she commented, Henry told her they both wore them like armor, gesturing to the bruise on his shoulder from their earlier sparring session in the yard. Emma Swan liked to pull her hair back, wearing it high on her head much like Princess Emma Nolan when she wasn’t expected at court or in her regal finest. Henry even had a picture of his mother with a sword--is she trained as well? She’d asked, and Henry grinned at the question, answering with another tale of his mother besting a pirate in single combat!

“I’m pretty sure that fight was rigged though,” he admitted as they walked the castle gardens one afternoon. “And that’s part of why I’m here.” He stopped and faced her, saying he hoped she could believe one more outlandish story before he had to return to his world.

“You seem to come well-armed with evidence, Henry. I don’t see why I should doubt you at this point.”

“My mother, Emma Swan, is an incredible woman. It took her a long time, but she found her True Love, and I think you can find yours. When I learned there was a version of her--of you--here, I had to find out if you were with him too, and when you weren’t…” Henry trailed off, frowning at the ground. He was quiet for a long while, and Emma ran through his words over and over. Henry thought he knew who her True Love was? How? How could he know that his mother and whoever she was with were one another’s True Love?

“I know he’s here now--I’ve met him before, and back in my world--”

“What? Then how can he be my True Love if he’s from your world?” None of this was making sense, and for the first time she doubted Henry. It seemed he could see the uncertainty within her, and he steered them to a bench to sit and talk as he clarified this man was not from his world, but had been brought there by a curse. The same curse that separated Henry from his own family.

“I know you understand curses and magic,” he began and she nodded at his words. “So when I tell you he was swept up in a curse and brought back in time to my world, that should make sense, right?” She nodded again, wondering who could have cursed two men from different worlds at the same time. Someone powerful and dangerous. Henry sighed and continued. “His name is Killian Jones, and he’s the best man I know. He’s my father in every sense of the word, and while there’s a version of him who is my mother’s True Love, I know there is one who is also yours. He has to be.”

Henry told her a lengthy story about a witch who ensnared a group of people from this kingdom, trapping them in a place called Hyperion Heights. He spoke of a coven leader who cursed Killian Jones so he could never be in contact with his daughter—a child she had abandoned him with after tricking him into spending a night with her. “But you see, Emma, you can break that curse. Your love--yours and Killian’s will break that curse. You will have each other and Alice--hell, and Robin! I haven’t even told you about Robin,” he was lost in thought again after that. Emma waited and tried to make sense of all she had learned.

Is it possible? In some way, his tale made sense. If what he said about the curse was true, it would explain The Gap. Emma had never mentioned The Gap to Henry, though he may have learnt of it through other means. It was rarely spoken of, but everyone in the Enchanted Forest shared one simple truth: there was a block of time no one could account for. Whenever Emma or her parents tried to focus on that space, thinking back to her twenty-sixth birthday, there was a strange void where there should be at least some memory of the year. She could remember the celebratory ball and the night of her birthday, but every time she tried to focus on what came next it only earned her a persistent headache.

“Please don’t hate me, Emma,” Henry put a hand on her shoulder, bringing her back to the present. “I told him to meet me here three days after I arrived. That’s tonight. He’ll be here, and he knows what I believe about you two because he also knows my mother and her Killian. He’s, uh...not entirely convinced. He’s been through a lot, but…” He shrugged and gave her a lopsided smile.

“It’s his story to tell, so I won’t go into detail, just...go easy on the guy. He might be a little gun shy—uh, guarded,” he quickly clarified when he saw her blink in confusion. “I don’t think he’s seen anyone since that witch who duped him, led the coven, and tried to destroy Hyperion Heights. Think that might do a number on a guy.” He looked so sincere, so much like he did when telling all his other tales that Emma chose to believe. Henry hadn’t lied to her before, so what would the motivation be to do so now?

She chewed at her lip, fretting over what to do and how to greet someone who might be a part of her very soul--someone who had been through tricks and curses, and had suffered real loss. She couldn’t simply turn him out in the night, that was unthinkable, but what do you say to the other half of your heart? If that is what he is. This had to have been simpler for her mother. At least she’d simply caught her father in a net after robbing him. That seemed easier than calmly welcoming fate to dinner and introducing the man to your parents on day one.

“Well,” she got up and dusted off her breeches, “I suppose we’d best let my parents know we’re expecting another guest. And I may need to change as well. I think I’d rather not smell worse than the stables when I meet him.” Emma faltered on the last word, not knowing how to address Killian Jones. Henry smiled and followed her lead.

-----

One thorough and contemplative bath later, Emma emerged in a blush pink gown that shimmered softly in the waning sunlight. It had taken her three other dresses before she settled on this one. It was simpler than what she wore to galas and State events: tea length and embroidered in sheer flowers. She knew it would glow softly under the lights of the candles and torches at dinner, and Princess Emma Nolan found herself hoping he would like it.

When he arrived, it was Henry who greeted Killian Jones first, clasping the man’s hand and giving Emma a moment to simply observe. His smile was warm, a bright white flash of teeth and Emma noticed the slight creases at his eyes as well. An authentic smile, she noted, enjoying the genuine moment between the two men. He was dashing there was no other word for it--dressed in black and rich crimson, rings and charms gleaming in the firelight, their glimmer echoed in the silver strands that threaded here and there through his otherwise coal-black hair. Where his left hand ought to be, Emma found instead a polished silver hook and she remembered whispered gossip of a pirate captain referred to only by the moniker Hook. Once a fearsome leader of a brutal band of thieves, he had all but vanished into lore years ago. She realized too late that she’d been staring, and cleared her throat softly before curtseying to cover the awkwardness. Henry took the moment to introduce them, “Captain Killian Jones, may I present Emma Nolan, Princess of Misthaven.”

She offered her hand and Killian took it up, placing a chaste kiss across her knuckles. His eyes met hers, their brilliant lapis blue making her breath catch in her throat. Regardless of the formality of their meeting and the fact Henry, her parents, and several serving staff looked on, she felt the pull immediately. From the moment her hand was in his, it felt right. She wanted to keep hold of him more than she’d wanted anything in her life, wanted to memorize the rough calluses formed by his years at sea, but she forced herself to maintain propriety and brought her hand back to her side. Emma reminded herself they did not know one another, to not get swept up in Henry’s notions without evaluating the truth of the situation. Though she saw in his gaze a strange flicker of recognition, a brief knitting of his brow that asked a silent question she could not interpret, she let the moment pass and returned to her expected duties.

Emma introduced him to her parents, watching her father’s scrutinizing gaze contrast with her mother’s brilliant smile. No doubt her father was riddling out Henry’s purpose in inviting this man to dinner, though she couldn’t fathom him guessing the truth. All through dinner, Emma could barely take her eyes off Killian. He shared a few stories from his days at sea, talking of far-off kingdoms and uninhabited islands, and Emma felt a longing take hold of her as he spun a tale of a snow-covered northern kingdom where they carved elaborate ice sculptures, held firelight festivals, and celebrated the beauty of winter rather than fearing its chill. His voice was low, its velvet warmth wrapping around her and pulling her from all sense of time. The evening passed quickly, and long before she was ready, Emma’s parents stood to signal the end of the affair.

“It’s far too late for you to make a return journey, Captain Jones,” Queen Snow spoke. “We welcome you to stay as a guest in our home. We will have a room made up for you at once and hope you will accompany us for breakfast in the morning.” At his thanks, the Queen turned to Emma, “Oh, and Emma, darling?”

“Yes, Mother?”

Emma approached and her mother drew her in for a close hug, whispering softly, “See to it that Captain Jones can find his way. Most of the staff have already retired and I’d hate for him to get lost in search of rest.” With that, the Queen turned and gently tugged her husband toward their own chambers, leaving Emma to escort their two guests.

She could hear her father grumbling about leaving Emma unchaperoned, but Snow’s voice echoed back, “David, she’s twenty-eight, not sixteen, she’ll be fine. Our daughter is perfectly capable--” Their voices were lost as they rounded a corner, and Emma suppressed a smile. It didn’t matter that she was a full grown woman, her father would always be protective of her.

When she turned around, Emma realized Henry had vanished. Someone seems to think himself a matchmaker, she mused and as her eyes fell upon the man who waited by the fireplace she could understand why Henry had made himself scarce. Deep breath, Emma. He’s simply a man like any other. If she tried very hard, she just might convince herself of that. Well, unless she stopped to listen to the way her heart raced when the corner of his mouth ticked up in a smile.

“Did you want--that is,” she faltered and tripped over her tongue, coming to stand near him where he leaned against the back of a chair by the hearth. “I don’t know how long a trip you made today, and so…” Why was this so hard?

“I’m quite alright, Princess. Would it be terribly inappropriate of me to ask you to keep me company and perhaps share a drink?” She smiled in response, slipping a large book from a shelf over the mantle after pointing out where her father kept a set of glasses on a shelf nearby.

“He thinks I don’t know about this,” she opened the volume to reveal a bottle. “Rum he had imported from the south--is that acceptable, Captain?”

“Aye, that will do nicely. Bit of a pirate in you isn’t there, Princess? Pinching a man’s rum while he’s fast asleep.” They shared a conspiratorial grin as she poured and each took up a chair near the fire. “To what shall we toast, love?”

She hummed in thought, considering the man before her. The pull was still there like some invisible thread entwining the two of them and she hoped it wasn’t only she who felt it. “To new beginnings,” she offered, holding her glass aloft. He echoed the sentiment and crystal clinked as their eyes met over the rims of their glasses before both looked away shyly and took a sip. The warmth and spice slid down her throat, settling in her stomach and making her shiver. They were quiet for a time, simply sharing the space while they glanced at one another, eyes never quite meeting, nor acknowledging they were both performing the same dance.

“I take it dear Henry shared his theory with you?” Killian broke the silence, addressing the weight that had settled in the room. She confirmed he had shared that along with several other stories, asking if it were true he’d been swept away to a land without magic. “Aye, and for some time I had no memory of myself or this place. When the truth finally came back to me it was...difficult to deal with. Did he...mention Alice?” He swirled the rum in his glass, eyes flicking up to meet hers.

“Yes, he also mentioned a curse is keeping you apart,” she reached across the small distance that separated them, hand resting on the brace that held his hook. “Killian—if I may call you Killian,” she felt herself flush at the informality and he nodded encouragingly. She said it once more, feeling the musical quality of it as she continued. “What kind of monster keeps a father from his daughter like that?”

His shoulders sagged as he said the story of Gothel was one for another day, that it was a story filled with dark shadows he dare not conjure without the sunlight to dispel them. “I only mention Alice because...well, given what Henry has told both of us I have been...” his brow furrowed as he searched for a word, and she leaned forward, absently running her hand over his sleeve and feeling where the firm leather of his brace ended and the warmth of his arm began. His gaze dropped to where her hand rested and she looked up, watching his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard. “Concerned,” he finished at last. “That is, I’d thought perhaps because I have a child with someone else, and because I am obviously older than you are, that you might feel...or not feel a certain…not that I think Henry is necessarily right…”

His words tapered off and she became very aware they were both leaning in now, the distance between them nearly closed. She could see the silver in his hair glinting in the firelight, the strands at his temples more greyed than the rest. Greedily, she took in all she could in this moment. The heat that radiated from where her hand still rested atop his arm, the scents of leather and petrichor that clung to him were so close she could nearly roll them on her tongue. When she searched his eyes she saw a lingering hurt, but behind that was what appeared to be cautious hope. Setting her glass aside, Emma brought her hand up, allowing herself to do what she’d been wanting to all evening and running her fingers through his hair. He held her gaze, eyes wide and uncertain and she realized his past hurts ran deep enough that he wouldn’t act on that hopeful glint she’d seen moments ago. She would have to be brave for both of them.

With a whisper of his name she closed what little distance remained between them. She’d intended a light brush of her lips, had simply wanted to know what may lie between them, but the moment their lips met Emma knew she would never be satisfied with so little. She poured herself into the moment, moving to grip the front of his shirt and pull him tightly to her. He followed her lead, their kiss deepening as he tilted his head, the two of them moving as though they had done this a hundred times before. She heard her pulse pounding away in her head, felt his breath ghosting over her lips as they breathed into one another for a moment before he captured her lips again. Something shifted then, like the single beat of a massive heart, a shockwave rippled outward, though neither could be bothered to break this moment. Finally, the two pulled back, eyes searching one another.

“Was that?” Emma asked, not knowing how to complete the thought. Her parents had told her their story several times: the kiss that broke the curse. The kiss that radiated out from them in a burst of force and light. The kiss that sounded an awful lot like what she had just shared with Captain Killian Jones.

Killian rested his forehead against hers, breathing out slowly before replying in a soft voice, “Aye love, I think it may have been.” She asked how that was possible, neither naming it yet and both quaffing their rum before leaning back in their chairs. “Years ago,” he began, “I ran into a fortune teller on the docks. He told me I would find my happiness though it was presently locked away in a tall tower. So, when the time came and I found myself facing a witch and finding a woman locked away in a tower I had thought my moment had come. Instead, I found Gothel and her tricks. I brought a daughter into this world only to have her freedom snatched away by the cold-hearted woman who bore her.”

Emma watched him closely, he seemed far away and lost in another time. “Tonight,” he continued after several beats, “when I saw the westward tower of this castle I had to stifle my hope that perhaps after so long--what is that tower to you?” He leaned toward her suddenly, his sapphire eyes searching hers as though he could read the truth within them.

“My bedroom,” she admitted. “My parents thought it would keep me safe. With only one known entrance and exit, it was easy to post guards and easy to know who sought my attention. Of course, there is another exit, but no one other than me knows of it. I devised it when I was sixteen and desperately wanted a way out without the entourage of guards.”

He fell silent, his forehead creased in thought as he tapped a finger against the bow of his lips. The mantle clock’s rhythmic ticking was nearly deafening as Emma waited through each drawn out second. Mesmerized by the path he now traced along his bottom lip, her mind drifted back to the soft press of his mouth against hers and she wished fervently to undo whatever had him so lost in his own thoughts. Come back to me, Killian, she sighed aloud and he snapped to attention. “My apologies, love. I believe I may be in need of rest.” His explanation rang hollow and she leveled a gaze at him, knowing this wasn’t the full truth.

“I swear to you, Princess, I will make my theories known. I do not intend to hide anything from you.” He stood then, stretching languidly before offering his arm and waiting for her to rise. She acquiesced if only for the chance to feel the warmth of him once more before she retired for the night. She tried to stifle her yawn behind her hand and heard him chuckle low in response. “It seems I may not be the only one in need of sleep. Lead the way, love.”

She led him to one of the guest rooms not far from Henry’s. As she bid him goodnight, Killian leaned down to brush a featherlight kiss across her lips, wishing her sweet dreams. Emma felt as though she floated on air the whole way up to her room, content to leave him to his musings tonight and trusting he would speak his mind soon enough.

----- The morning saw Emma waking earlier than usual, calling a chipper “Good morning” to her sleep-rumpled lady’s maid before dismissing her and attending to her own routine. Still abed at this hour? It seems dear Tink has been keeping late hours herself. She let herself ponder whose affections might be persuading the spunky blonde to be less than punctual, smiling at her reflection as she brushed out her golden tresses.

Once ready, Emma hummed to herself, making her way down the innumerable stairs in search of breakfast, her parents, and Killian--the thought made her grin. His sudden shift into contemplativeness notwithstanding, he had been the perfect gentleman last night. Thoughtful in their discussion at dinner, genuine and curious without overstepping, and then there was the kiss. She flushed, pausing before the dining room doors to gather her thoughts and put on what she hoped was a soft smile rather than the doe-eyed look she’d undoubtedly been wearing since she woke.

Her parents, Henry, and Killian were already seated when she entered--the latter both rising and inclining their heads in deference. “Good morning, Princess,” they intoned in unison. She laughed, insisting they sit and continue the conversation she had interrupted, taking her place at her father’s right hand and quietly thanking the servingman who filled her cup with coffee and cream.

“Killian, you were asking about the tower, yes?” Queen Snow offered an encouraging half-smile before sipping demurely at her tea. At this, Emma heard her father mutter under his breath about the Captain inquiring about his daughter’s bedroom.

“Yes. You see, Your Majesty, I can’t help but notice it is nearly identical--from the outside,” he clarified at her father’s rapidly reddening face, “to one I encountered years ago. That particular structure was the residence of a rather powerful witch.”

“Gothel,” her father spat, and all eyes shifted to him. Emma saw Killian’s jaw clench at the name and he gave a single, curt nod in affirmation.

With her mother’s hand resting on his shoulder, her father began the story she’d heard many times over the course of her life. The story of how Gothel heard the regents were expecting and deduced there would be a child born of the most powerful magic in all realms: True Love. That she knew as well that child would have light magic, and that even if it never manifested there would be power in their blood. It was the story of why Emma’s parent’s fortified their home so heavily once word of Gothel’s covetous wish reached them, and why they insisted she train with sword and bow.

“It’s why my little girl was taught to ride like a soldier and not a courtier. Hell, it’s why I gave into her frankly dangerous wishes and allowed her to learn to sail--in case she needed to escape quickly.”

“Does it help to know Gothel can’t harm anyone anymore?” Henry offered helpfully, trying to lighten the weight that had settled on the group. There was general agreement at the table that, yes, it did help. Quite a lot, in fact, and it felt as though the sun broke out from beneath the clouds as they returned to their breakfast.

“Is that what you were concerned about, Captain?” Emma caught herself in time and used his title, not yet ready to have that discussion with her parents.

“The thought had crossed my mind, Princess, but it seems your own construction must have inspired hers for some reason.” He dismissed the thought, though she could practically hear the gears of his mind grinding away. The conversation returned to banal pleasantries about the weather and what game was in season. Her father consulted Killian on the conditions at sea, and in general the rest of the meal was like any other. Like any other meal you share with your family, a new friend, and the man you just shared True Love’s Kiss with less than eight hours after meeting him. Perfectly normal. Emma put on her court smile and commented politely, waiting for her moment to pounce.

“Join me for a walk in the gardens, Captain?” The moment arrived after a lengthy debate about the benefits of traveling by horse in comparison to ship. Thank the gods for the momentary lull as her father’s cup was refilled yet again - Emma didn’t think there was enough coffee in the whole of Misthaven to keep her alert on this topic.

“Of course, Princess.” He smiled bashfully, running his hand through his hair and standing as she rose. “May I?” He offered his arm and she accepted, the two making a long overdue exit.

The grass was still damp as they walked the grounds, the morning sun hinting at a warm day to come despite the slight chill that had Emma leaning in close, basking in the warm line of contact with Killian. “So, what was it you held back up there?” She broke the silence and watched the arch of his brow as he glanced at her. “I’ve always known when people are dishonest, or not fully honest in this case,” she explained. “It’s a feeling, sort of like a rock settling into my stomach. I don’t know if it’s part of my magic or something else,” she shrugged at this and watched his expression shift from curiosity to contemplation. No doubt he was thinking up a way to explain whatever was plaguing his mind.

He remained in that state as they passed her mother’s bed of crimson roses and all the way through the lilies that always made her nose twitch, their heady scent overpowering. Spotting the bench she and Henry had sat on—was that only yesterday?—she took the lead, turning to face him as they sat.

“There are some strange coincidences,” he began. Their knees brushed and she leaned into the contact, hoping her touch might ground him in the present. His past included darkness, and here in the bright morning sun amongst the flowers she hoped to keep those grim memories at bay.

“The tower is the first of them, and I’ve no idea which came first. Given Gothel’s numerous deceits, I’m not inclined to believe any of her tales nor any of Belfry’s—the woman who claimed to be the missing princess, Rapunzel,” he clarified when he saw her puzzled look. “Did you know the witch?”

She shook her head, “Only what my parents told me: that she was interested in my magic and had a reputation for taking what she desired by force.” He expressed clear agreement, and when his focus became distant Emma took hold of both hand and hook. “Whatever it is, that doesn’t change who we are to one another, Killian.”

That must have heartened him, for it earned her a gentle smile. “Aye, love, I suppose you’re right. You see, the other strangeness was Gothel’s impersonation. I’ve never given it much thought, but why should she play at being a princess? I’d no notion who the woman was, yet she changed her appearance, her voice, her name. Why?” He hypothesized then that either Gothel bribed the fortune-teller, planting the man in Killian’s path with a bogus story about happiness in a tower, or that she somehow knew Emma would be important and hedged her bets by occupying her own tower and putting herself in Killian’s path.

“You see, I’ve considered the strangeness of these overlaps and in part I wonder if one of the gifts she or a fellow witch of her coven acquired was prophecy. She seemed to know far more than anyone ought to, and perhaps thought to entrap me and use me to get to you.

“If she knew we were, uh,” he gulped, and flushed a charming shade of pink all the way to his ears. “Destined for one another, then it would be well within her character to exploit that. To make me think she could lead me to my happiness, then snatch you away for her own nefarious purposes. As well, I’m starting to suspect the unaccounted year the townsfolk allude to may well have been a longer span of time than any of you realize.”

It made sense in a way, and while they couldn’t be certain of Gothel’s intentions, Emma was definitely grateful the woman was gone and could do them no further harm. As far as The Gap was concerned, she supposed there was no real way of knowing how much time had passed, only that it seemed like a year. Had she slept as Aurora once had? Every answer seemed to lead to more questions, but Emma resolved herself to focusing on what mattered most first: reuniting Killian with his Alice.

“Despite her purposes, Killian, whatever they may have been,” she reached up and cupped his cheek. His eyes were blue as the sea and she let herself fall into their depths as she brought him back to the present. “Last night, Killian, True Love’s Kiss is potent magic and I think—I’m almost certain, actually—that we broke your curse. We can find Alice, and you can finally hold your daughter in your arms again.”

“We?” He grinned at her, nuzzling against her hand before turning to kiss her palm. “Then you’ll accompany me, love?”

“Of course! I know we’ve only just met, but I think it’s more than obvious how I feel about you given the fact we broke a witch’s curse with our first kiss.” They shared a laugh, shifting so she could rest her head against his shoulder as he draped his arm around her.

“She’s a bit different, my Alice,” he cautioned.

“And we aren’t?” she challenged. “Tonight at dinner, let me handle my parents. We’ll tell them what happened and make plans to seek out Alice. Henry said she’s with someone called Robin—does that name mean anything to you?”

“Aye, that’s Alice’s love. I know where to find them.”

“Then that’s our next course. Reuniting you with your daughter is the first step toward, well, I guess…” she paused, pulling back to meet his gaze again. “I guess toward becoming a family, right? I mean, my parents will have questions and all things considered, I guess we have other planning we’ll need to do in the future, but—“ he cut off her monologue with a kiss. It was sweet and slow, like he was trying to memorize the feel of her lips on his. His tongue flirted with her bottom lip and she twined her fingers in his hair.

Pulling back to meet her eyes, Killian smiled. “I love you, Princess Emma Nolan,” he whispered.

She felt warm all the way to her toes, grinning as she replied, “I love you, Captain Killian Jones.” The two shared a lingering kiss, the spell suddenly broken by a loud whoop of excitement.

“I told you both!” Henry hollered, emerging from his hiding place behind a large oak tree and performing some bizarre dance Emma had never seen. The three laughed, Henry congratulating them on their newly blossoming relationship while Emma and Killian thanked him for the unlooked-for but welcome help.

“What can I say except: you’re welcome.” His smile was bright at the sun and he slung an arm over both their shoulders, walking between them as the three returned to the house and, for Emma and Killian, toward the start of a new life together.

Tagging the usual suspects: @kmomof4, @teamhook, @veryverynotgood, @caught-in-the-filter, @hollyethecurious, @laschatzi, @donteattheappleshook, @lonelyspectator12, @the-darkdragonfly, @zaharadessert, @winterbaby89, @jrob64, @wefoundloveunderthelight, @ultraluckycatnd, @stahlop, @alexa-fangirl-forever, @superchocovian, @monosalvatore16, @snowbellewells, @batana54

[wefoundloveunderthelight]

Void of Extinction by GleefullyCaptainSwan

Chapter 6/9

Read on AO3: | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

Or on FF

Stacy's Tortured Crew: @teamhook @kmomof4 @stahlop @lfh1226-linda @ilovemesomekillianjones @itsfabianadocarmo @mariakov81 @qualitycoffeethings @zaharadessert @jrob64 @jonesfandomfanatic @natascha-ronin @tiganasummertree @xarandomdreamx @therooksshiningknight @batana54 @superchocovian @onceratheart18 @ultraluckycatnd @snowbellewells @karlyfr13s @the-darkdragonfly @xsajx @deckerstarblanche @jonesfandomfanatic

Chapter 6: Wave of Remembrance

Emma paced the small room, chewing wearily on her lip as she watched the man on the bed in front of her. She felt her entire body freeze the moment Killian hit the ground, his eyes blank, staring into the sky. Her immediate fear was that she had shared too much information and overloaded him. But once she got to his side and realized he wasn’t breathing, she was terrified she had killed him.

She was grateful to Mary Margaret and her quick thinking; her medical staff was by his side almost instantly. By the time they got him breathing again, Emma was certain her own heart had stopped beating in her chest.

He groaned from his place on the bed and Emma rushed to his side, pulling his hand into hers as he blinked his eyes opened and closed.

“What happened?”

“I’m so sorry, Killian, I knew I shouldn’t have told you too much at once, dammit, I thought I had lost you.” She said through tear-soaked sobs.

He reached across his chest, wiping tears from her face. “There, there Lass, there’s no need to worry about me. I’m a survivor after all.”

“Don’t ever scare me like that again.” She sobbed through half a smile.

“I apologize, Swan.” He grinned. “Won’t happen again.”

“What did you call me?” She paused, recognizing his use of her last name, something Killian used frequently when referring to her, she didn’t want the hope to soar in her chest.

“Uh, is Swan not your last name?” He asked in confusion. “I was sure I heard it mentioned.”

She frowned, “Yeah I guess so.” She said sadly.

“Have I upset you?”

“Of course not, no it’s nothing. I’m just glad you’re alright.” She stepped away from him and he grabbed her hand, pulling her back toward the bed. As soon as he did, he dropped her hand, staring directly at her.

~*~

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are, my gorgeous Swan?”

“Yes, but you can tell me again.”

“When all of this settles and the walls come down, I’m gonna buy you a house on the ocean, and we will sit out on the porch and watch the ships come in until the sun sets over the water. And then I’m going to take you into the house and make love to you until the sun rises.”

“When will we sleep?”

“Who needs sleep when I have you, love?”

“Are you alright? Dammit, where’s the doctor?” He could hear Emma’s raised voice as his vision swirled. Reaching out he took her hand again.

“I’m alright.” He groaned. “Just another vision. Honestly, I’m fine, it didn’t hurt as bad this time.”

“You just told me you wouldn’t scare me again.” She scolded and he found himself laughing at the anger on her face. He sat up on the edge of the bed, stretching his back as he stepped down on the ground, ignoring Emma’s constant pleas for him to sit down.

“I’m fine. I’m not going to lay in that bloody bed anymore.”

“Why are you always so goddamn stubborn.” She yelled.

“Stubborn? I’m not the one insisting that someone else has stolen my life.” He returned her fire as she stood with her mouth open.

“Why is it such a bad thing for you to have his life?” She asked loudly, tears forming again at the corners of her eyes.

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, he didn’t want to yell at her, none of this was her fault. “I’m sorry Emma, it’s not my intention to hurt you.” He didn’t know how to stop her from crying, instead he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her body and holding her against his chest as she cried into him. Instinctively his hands found her hair, brushing the strands with his fingers. “Please don’t cry, love.”

She sniffled under his chin, her hands resting on his chest. He could get used to holding this woman, even if it wasn’t his right to do so.

“I miss you so much.” She said softly, before he felt her mouth against his chest, her hot breath causing a slight groan to get stuck in his throat.

“Emma…” He breathed the warning into her hair the moment he felt her mouth languidly move to his jawline. His eyes fell closed as her teeth skimmed his flesh.

“Come back to me, please.” She begged, a stray tear dripping from her face onto his skin. He couldn’t breathe, his heart was pounding through his chest, the pain traveling up his back as he groaned in discomfort and she pulled away from him, her face puffy and red, her eyes wide. “I’m sorry, oh God, Killian, I’m so sorry.”

He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing through his nose as the pain subsided. When he was able to see through the slanted space of his narrowed eyes, he focused in on her face, the sadness across her features, the way she bit her lip to stop the tears from flowing, he would do anything to stop her pain. Anything.

Before his brain caught up with his body, he had pulled her into his arms again, his lips latching on to hers, a squeal of surprise escaping her open mouth. The moment she returned the kiss, his entire world exploded into light around him. It was as if the pull of her gravity had suddenly swallowed him whole. Everything else ceased to exist except for him and the woman in his arms.

His Emma. His world.

Visions invaded his thoughts, a wave of remembrance.

His mother cradling him in her arms as she sang a soft lullaby.

Mourning at the gravesite of his lost brother.

Being sworn in as an officer of the law, David Nolan standing before him as he placed his hand on the bible.

Emma Swan wrapped in a sheet, standing at the edge of his bed, staring out the window at the world below them.

Watching Emma walk away from him as he swore he would see her soon.

Standing there as Neal Cassidy stepped out of the shadows of his apartment, a gun in his hand.

Being placed in a machine as he screamed Emma’s name before the door slammed shut and the blackness took him away, burying his thoughts in the recesses of his mind.

It all came back to him in a heartbeat, an instant of pain and then nothing but the feel of the woman in his arms.

He pulled away from her, his palm resting against her cheek. “Emma?” He felt the tears pooling, blinding his vision, as her green eyes, eyes he wanted to be lost in for the rest of his eternity, stared up at him. “You’re alright!”

“Killian?” She said with a gulp as he nodded his head, pressing his lips to hers once more, he felt her entire weight push toward him, knocking him back against the wall with a laugh. Suddenly she was peppering him with kisses on his cheek, his jaw, his forehead. “It’s you.”

“Aye love, it’s me.” He said, resting his head against her forehead. “Sorry it took me so long to find you.”

She smiled at him before launching into his arms again. “I missed you so much.” She breathed against his neck, her hands fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. He reached up, cupping a hand against hers, stilling her movement.

“Shouldn’t we inform the others?”

She bit her lip and he melted. “We can tell them in the morning.” The moment she smiled with a mischievous gleam he lifted her off her feet and carried her to the bed.

“As you wish, M’lady.” He teased as he deposited her onto the bed.

He kissed her as if it were the first time their mouths had touched, like rediscovering something you thought you once lost. Holding her in his arms, their bodies sliding against each other in a mixture of heat and sweat, he swore to her that he would never leave her again. When she fell over the edge, his name on her lips, he wasn’t sure how he had survived without her for so long.

As they lay together in the dark, her heart beating against his chest, her eyes sought his as if she had something she needed to say, something weighing on her heart.

She sat up, the sheets pooling around her waist. “Killian, there’s something I need to tell you.”

He sat up, pressing his mouth to her shoulder. “You can tell me anything, love.” She turned toward him, letting the sheets fall around her.

Suddenly the door to the room swung open and Will stepped through the archway. “Emma…Oi.” His hand went to his face. “I uh…”

“Would you please wait outside.” Emma said, swearing under her breath.

“Yup, can do. Sorry ‘bout that…”

“Get out Will!” She shouted, trying to pull her sheet against her chest.

As soon as the door closed she fell against his chest. “He’s never going to stop talking about this.” She groaned.

“Go see what he wants.” He smiled. Kissing her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’d better not.” She smiled, sliding out from the sheets as he leaned against the wall, watching her dress, happy to once again feel like himself.

~*~

Emma stepped outside the door, Will was leaning against the wall.

“Oi, I told you that man would fall for you in any reality, but that didn’t mean I wanted to witness it.”

“Next time try knocking.”

“He was out cold, how was I to know you two would be shacking up right after he almost died.”

“He remembered.” She said suddenly. “That was Killian, not James.”

“Wait, what? Are you serious? And your first thought was to give him a proper shag before you let the rest of us know?”

She rolled her eyes. “We were going to tell everyone in the morning.”

“Plans changed. Mary Margaret wants to see everyone now.”

“Why? What’s happened?”

“Well, if you’re done having sex with your boyfriend, perhaps we could all find out.” She slapped him on the shoulder and retreated to the room. “We’ll be right there.”

When she entered, Killian was still sitting on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “Mary Margaret wants to see everyone now. I’m not sure what’s going on, but Will seemed to think it was important.”

He stood from the bed, gathering his clothes from the floor. “Did he say what the urgency was about?”

She shook her head and continued dressing herself, trying not to let her nerves get to her. “No, just that she wanted to see everyone right away.”

He paused, stepping closer to her, stilling her in her place as he lifted her chin, pulling her eyes to his. “Whatever it is, we’ll face it together. You and me, love.”

“God, I missed you.” He bent slightly to kiss her lips, letting her continue the task of pulling her clothes on. They walked hand in hand toward the control center, smiling at each other before entering the room.

“Together.” He reminded her before stepping through the door.

~*~

The door opened and Killian stepped through the opening, his grip on Emma’s hand tightening. He didn’t miss the way everyone gawked at them, whispers rumbling through the group.

Mary Margaret stepped toward them, pausing as she stared at their entangled hands. “It’s a pleasure to final meet you, Lady Nolan. David mentioned you in passing more than once.”

“Killian?” She exclaimed.

“Aye, seems the fog has lifted.”

“Thank God.”

“What’s going on?” Emma interrupted.

“David called me an hour ago. He’s on his way with Regina to the Eastern border. He said they got a call about a body, a man named Felix Croft.”

“He worked for Neal.” Emma said nervously. “He attacked me on the pier, he might have killed me if Ruby hadn’t taken him down.”

Mary Margaret frowned, “They are pinning it on Killian.”

“What?”

“David told me that an eyewitness put you at the scene and that they saw you kill the man.”

“Clearly it’s a lie.” Emma squeaked.

“I’m not concerned about Felix.” Mary Margaret shook her head. “David told me that he was going to be out all night as they investigated the scene. So that means that both Regina and David will be indisposed this evening, now is our time to get to the data port. But we don’t have a lot of time. We need to move now.”

“How are we going to get into Regina’s office?” Emma asked.

“You tell me.” The woman looked in his direction. “You had a plan previously, how were you planning to get into her office.”

“There’s a thing about Regina that not a lot of people knew, there had been a few death threats on her life, so she had a secret entrance built into her office, very secure and only a select number of people know the code to access it.”

“How does that help us, Mate?” Will interjected.

“Because I was one of those select people.” He said with a wink.

“Ok, then we have our way in.”

“How? The minute they see Killian on the streets they will alert Regina. Did you forget about the shoot to kill order?”

“That’s why Killian isn’t going.” Mary Margaret announced.

Killian’s heart sank. “If you think I’m letting Emma do this alone, I can assure you that you are wrong.”

“It’s too dangerous, if you go, we’ll be caught immediately. The only chance we have is if you stay behind.”

“She’s right.” Emma said softly beside him. “You’d never make it past the walls.”

He turned toward her, “We said we would do this together.”

“Killian, you put your life on the line to protect me, it’s time for me to return the favor. I can do this.”

“You’ll still be helpful from here.” Mary Margaret assured.

“How exactly would I be of help from the underground? Babysitting?” He said sarcastically.

“I can’t take Henry with me.”

“I was talking about Will.” He added, a small pout on his face that slowly turned into a smile.

“Cheeky bastard.” Will swore, sitting down at the table across from him.

“You’ll be on the communicator, you have the code, we’ll be your eyes, but you need to talk us through how to get to the office. We still need you.”

He nodded at the dark-haired woman standing in front of him. “Aye, then when do you leave?”

~*~

Emma cooed softly with her son in her arms, rocking back and forth in the middle of the room. “Baby mine, don't you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes. Rest your head close to my heart. Never to part, baby of mine.” She ran her hand across his chubby little cheek as his bright blue eyes smiled up at her. She felt a tear slip onto her cheek.

“If anything goes wrong, promise me, you’ll take care of him.” She spoke softly, trying to keep her voice calm as she spoke.

“Love, nothing is going to go wrong. You get in, enter the code, upload the information, and get out.”

She looked up at Killian and smiled nervously. “I know, but just in case. Promise me.”

He stepped beside her and wrapped his arm around her, bending to place a soft kiss against her brow. “I will protect him with my life.”

“Thank you.” She smiled down at Henry as she placed him into his bed. Turning she wrapped her arms around Killian’s waist, enveloping herself in his scent as he pulled her against him.

“Stay close to Will.”

She laughed. “You know I could kick his ass, right?”

“For me, please, I need you to come home to me.” He almost begged, his voice cracking as he spoke. She melted into his embrace, feeling the gravity of the situation before her. She was so close to completing her mission, she wanted it to be over, to finally feel safe. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

She heard a knock on the door causing them to break contact. “It’s time.” Will announced, sticking his head into the crack in the door.

She lifted her jacket from the chair beside her and pulled her arms through the sleeves. When she turned she saw Killian leaning over to pick Henry up from his bed. She held her breath, watching as the boy leaned his head against the man’s broad chest.

“Killian…” She said softly. “When I get back, we need to talk.”

His eyes met hers, full of worry and anxiety. “I've found when a woman says that I'm rarely in for a pleasant conversation.”

“Emma, we need to go.” Will pushed the door further open, stepping inside. “Sorry.”

“Go love, we’ll talk when you return.” He said with a smile and Emma crossed the room to press a kiss to her son’s head, leaning up on her toes to then meet Killian’s lips.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“I know you will.” He said with confidence before clearing his throat. “Stay close to her.” His remark was directed across the room to Will.

“I won’t let anything happen to her.” He said with a nod.

“I meant that so she could protect you.” He chuckled.

“Bugger off.” Will grumbled as he walked out of the door with Killian and Emma close behind.

Emma followed the group through the maze of dark halls until they reached a giant hanger with the sound of water all around them. Sitting at the end of the room was a small boat.

“Alright, we get in and we get right back out. That’s it. We have no room for error.” Mary Margaret stated firmly. “We can’t make any mistakes because we only have a few hours before David comes back to the office with that bucket of rust.”

Emma turned and wrapped her arms one more time around Killian’s neck, running her hand along the back of her son’s head. Leaning against his ear she whispered, “Take care of him, Henry.” She kissed her son and then smiled at Killian. “Be right back.” She stepped onto the boat and sat down in between Ruby and Will.

The boat pulled away from the bunker and she watched as Killian stood at the edge of the water, her son wrapped protectively in his arms, until the fog overtook them, and she was surrounded by darkness.

[hookedonapirate]

Miss Fix-It

Summary: Miracle worker. Relationship Guru. Savior.

These are just a few of her monikers, but most people have taken to call her Miss Fix-It. Helping broken-hearted women get back together with their former boyfriends is her specialty. How does she do it, you ask? Simple—she becomes his date from hell so he’ll realize what a catch he had before he let her go.

Emma Swan is an expert at fixing relationships, it’s just too bad she’ll never have one of her own.

Her particular set of talents is tested, however, when a cheating ex-girlfriend requests her services. Emma’s reluctant at first. It’s not an easy task to make someone seem like a catch when they’ve cheated, but the potential client is an emotional wreck desperate to get her former boyfriend back before he heads back to England. Besides, Emma Swan never backs down from a challenge. They don’t call her Miss Fix-It for nothing. She’ll find a way to make him wish he was back in his ex-girlfriend’s arms, no matter what it takes. If only she can squash the feelings she develops for him and stop breaking her rules.

My Best Friend’s Girl meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 days.

A/N: A big shout out to @ultraluckycatnd for beta reading and to @onceuponaprincessworld for letting me share my ideas with her! 

Wow, I hadn't realized how long it's been since I updated this story until I saw the date I last posted, which was May 2020!!! I'm so sorry it's been so long. A lot has happened since then and I know I've probably lost some readers, but for those of you who have stuck around, thank you so much for your patience. I hope you enjoy the chapter ♥️

This is now part of the Captain Swan Movie Marathon collection, as it is primarily based on the movie Mr. Fix-It. Thanks @csmm for putting this together!

Also available on: AO3 l FF.N

Catch up: Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4

Chapter 5

“Hold on, love.” Killian steps back as he eyes Granny’s diner like he’s staring his worst nightmare in the face. He glances at Emma as confusion furrows her brows. “This is where you’re taking me?”

She nods. “Yeah. They have the best strawberry cheesecake pancakes. Trust me—a sugar coma is way better than an alcohol coma.”

His expression clouds with hesitation as he shakes his head. “I can’t go in. Ruby works here.”

“Not tonight.”

Killian lifts a brow. “How do you know?”

Damn. 

Emma curses herself as she keeps a straight face. Killian’s not the one who told her he went to her apartment to drop off her things; David did. “Because in the several texts Mary Margaret sent me, she mentioned Ruby was helping her with the invitations. Ruby needed a distraction.”

“Oh.” The creases in his forehead deepen. “Then why does Mary Margaret need David’s help, too?”

“I don’t know,” Emma snaps, louder than intended. Good God, this guy asks a lot of questions. “Probably because when Mary Margaret freaks out,” her eyes widen and she makes hand gestures for emphasis, “she freaks out.”

Killian scratches his ear as he looks inside the diner. “Still, I’m sure everyone who works here has heard the news and I’m not sure I want to—”

Emma grabs his hand and pulls him inside, not willing to argue about it, mostly because she doesn’t have a back-up plan. She didn’t want to make it seem like she pre-orchestrated this whole thing. He relents reluctantly and lets her lead him to a booth. “I’m not taking no for an answer. If you’ve ever had their strawberry cheesecake pancakes, you would understand.”

“I’m afraid I haven’t.”

“Well, you’re in for a treat. It’s good comfort food.”

They sit across from each other, and when Ashley tries to give them menus, Emma holds up her hand to reject them. “We already know what we want. I’ll have my usual hot cocoa and he’ll have an order of strawberry cheesecake pancakes with extra everything and chocolate milk.”

Killian doesn’t argue with her about it.

“Okay.” Ashley puts on a smile which fades when she looks at Killian, her eyes clouding with sympathy. “I heard what happened between you and Ruby. I’m so sorry.”

Killian pins Emma with an “I told you so” glare. She offers an apologetic smile in return. “Thanks, Ashley, but I’m fine.”

“Really? Because you don’t look—”

“It’s okay, Ash,” Emma interjects, waving off Ashley’s words with her hand. “He just needs to shove down his emotions with a heaping plate of sugar and shame, wash it down with chocolate milk, and then he’ll be perfect.”

Ashley glances between them suspiciously. “Wait, is this your way of getting back at Ruby?” she asks Killian as she points at Emma with the menus in her hand.

“No, I’m not getting back at Ruby,” he grumbles through gritted teeth. He looks at Emma. “She’s a friend.”

She’s not sure why, but her heart warms at the sentiment.

“Oh, I didn’t realize you two knew each other.”

“Why wouldn’t we?” Emma asks defensively. “It is a small town, and well, we both know Ruby.”

“True, I’ve just never seen you together.”

Emma refrains from sighing in exasperation. Why is everyone a fucking detective all of a sudden?

Maybe Killian was right—they should’ve gone somewhere else.

“We just met tonight,” Killian says. “She works at the Rabbit Hole, now.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” Ashley says in surprise.

“Can we get that hot cocoa and those pancakes now?” Emma asks impatiently, growing frustrated and a little panicked. This is exactly why she always meets her targets outside of town where people don't know her and won't ask a bunch of prying questions.

“Of course. Coming right up,” she assures before walking away.

Ashley returns a moment later with their beverages. Killian just stares blankly at his chocolate milk as Emma dips her finger in the whipped cream from her hot cocoa and brings it to her mouth, sucking off the sugary substance. Expecting Killian to watch her, she’s kind of disappointed when he doesn’t. Licking the whipped cream off her finger is a foolproof tactic that always garner’s the guy’s attention no matter what. But apparently not with Killian. Instead, he leans his elbows on the table and looks around like he’s afraid Ruby will suddenly pop into the diner at any moment.

This is going to be harder than she originally speculated.

“Look, if it really bothers you to be here, we can go somewhere else,” she sighs in retreat.

“No, it’s fine,” he says gloomily. “It’s just…” His words trail off and the earlier despair she’d witnessed on his face reappears. “This is where Ruby and I met,” he explains with a sad smile. “I came here after moving into my new apartment all day and she was my waitress.” His eyes shine with unshed tears as he recalls the night he met her like it were yesterday. “I’d had the worst day; nothing went as it was supposed to. But when I sat down at this exact booth, Ruby came over to me with the brightest smile on her face and she instantly cheered me up.” A tear slips from Killian’s eyes—a tear she could tell he was trying to fight back. “And um, we just hit it off. Her shift was ending soon, so after she clocked out, she sat across from me and we talked for hours.”

More tears slide down his cheeks. “I’ll never forget that night, no matter how much I want to forget it. No matter how much the image of seeing her with…” He pauses, his hands fisting on the table, his teeth gritting, “with my best friend.” An unexpected sob escapes him as he drops his face in his hands, and Emma scans the diner, wondering if anyone heard, but only a few customers glance over and then return their attention to either their food or the person sitting in front of them. 

When Killian cries into his palms, Emma’s heart breaks for him. He really liked Ruby—or loved; she doesn’t really know—but she could sense how torn up he was over being cheated on by her. His cries become louder and his body jerks and trembles as inhuman sounds wretch from his throat. Emma’s heart is gripped with emotion; she can feel the sadness he’s expressing from across the table. She hates seeing him like this, and it has nothing to do with the show he’s displaying for the diner patrons. 

Responding on instinct, she jumps from her seat, hurries to his side of the booth, and sits next to him, rubbing his back in soothing circles. She looks around, giving the customers who are staring a slight, apologetic smile. Normally she would never dream of sitting on the same side of the table with someone while the seat across from them is empty, but this is one of those rare exceptions.

Killian takes her off guard when he thrusts his head against her chest and winds his arms around her, sobbing into her shirt. Emma’s eyes widen in shock as she brings both hands to his back, one giving him a gentle pat. Other than that, she has no idea what to do. What do you tell someone you just met that will make them feel better when they’re sobbing uncontrollably? She can’t tell him everything will be okay, can she? 

She peers down at him, wondering how things escalated so quickly. She’d brought him to this diner specifically so the memories of Ruby would unleash the emotions he hasn’t yet expressed, hoping he would open up to her. She expected a current and maybe a little mist, but she didn’t expect the fucking dams to break. 

Emma’s blouse and chest become damp from his tears as she cards a hand through his hair, feeling him tremble in her arms. She had unfastened the first few buttons a while ago, so her chest is soaked too, and his head is cradled just above her breasts.

Not that she’s complaining.

Emma gently turns her head to look for Ashley, not wanting her to freak out over seeing him break down like he is, and when she sees their server approaching, she whispers to Killian, “Ashley’s coming over here.”

He sniffles and lifts his head, wiping the tears from his face and whispering a thanks.

Emma picks up a wrapped silverware set and removes the napkin, offering it to Killian.

“Bloody hell, love. I’m so sorry,” he mumbles in apology as he wipes his tears with the napkin.

Ashley arrives at their table, dropping off the plate of pancakes. “Strawberry cheesecake pancakes with extra everything. Anything else I can get—” She pauses when she catches Killian’s face. “Are you okay?”

He nods and wipes under his eyes with the napkin. “Aye. I’m fine. Just got something in my eye is all.”

“Uh-huh,” she says, obviously not believing him. And judging by the stink-eye Ashley’s giving her, Emma can tell she doesn’t believe she and Killian are only friends.

“He’ll be fine once he eats his pancakes,” Emma assures her.

“All right, well, let me know if there’s anything else you need,” she says directly to Killian.

“Thanks, lass,” he murmurs, staring blankly at his plate. After Ashley leaves, Emma grabs a fork, scoops up a bit of pancake and brings it to his lips. “Here, try a bite.” She thinks he might refuse it, but instead, he reluctantly opens his mouth, allowing her to feed him.

Wow, this is the weirdest date she’s ever been on.

If you can even call it a date.

Surprisingly, he chews the food in his mouth and licks his lips.

Oh my.

Emma has to look away and clench her thighs, trying to rid the thoughts of other things he could be doing with that tongue. Specifically, things he could be doing to her.

“You were right, love. These pancakes are actually making me feel better.”

His statement throws her for a loop, and she whips her head toward him, lifting a brow. “Really?”

He offers a small smile. “A little.” He takes the fork from her and stabs at another piece. “But I’ll probably stop feeling better once it’s gone, so maybe you could ask Ashley to keep the pancakes coming?”

Emma manages a small laugh. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’ll end up feeling worse than you already do.”

He frowns. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

Emma sighs into her hot cocoa and takes a sip.

Yep, she certainly has her work cut out for her.

Emma tries to change the subject by asking what his favorite bands are, but then he veers right back into the subject of Ruby when he recalls how he went to her place to return her things, which included her CDs. He mentions it because he also had his CDs at her place, but she refused to hand them over until he was willing to let her talk. But he didn’t want to talk. He just wanted to get his things and leave, but instead, he stayed and argued with her until they were both blue in the face.

Nevertheless, Emma gives him her undivided attention as he rambles on, so he feels comfortable enough to open up to her.

When he finishes the pancakes, he was right about feeling miserable again and tries to order more. Emma pays the bill before he can, and has to drag him out of the diner.

“Are you okay with driving home?” she asks when they return to the bar.

“Aye. Another benefit of having pancakes instead of rum is I can’t get drunk from pancakes.”

“Well, unless they were rum pancakes,” she points out.

His eyes light up with curiosity, and Emma gets the feeling she's created a monster. “Rum pancakes? Do they make those?”

She laughs. “Not sure, but I think the best thing to do now is sleep.”

He frowns. “I don’t know if I can. Every time I close my eyes, I picture her with him, and I can’t…” His voice cracks, and his eyes well with tears again.

Emma’s heart breaks. She knew he was torn up, but she really had no idea just how torn up he was. The old pancake trick didn’t work, all it did was make him want more pancakes, so she knows she’ll have to resort to drastic measures. Emma grabs his hand and hauls him down the sidewalk.

“Where are we going, love?” 

“You obviously need to release some major stress, and I know the perfect place where you can do that.”

Thankfully, he doesn’t argue—she doesn’t think he has enough energy to argue with her if he wanted to—and soon they’re standing in front of a building with a big sign above the door that reads, “Break Room Therapy” in bold blue letters and features an illustration of a pair of crossed sledgehammers.

Killian furrows his brows. “What is this place?”

Emma’s mouth falls open in shock. “I thought you lived in Storybrooke, and yet you’ve never been here?”

He shakes his head. “I see this place all the time but never knew what it really was. I always see women going in here, so I didn’t think it was a place for a lad like myself.”

Emma shakes her head. “This is a place we can go where no one will think we’re crazy if we break some shit, but it’s not just for women. We’re not the only ones who need to let off some steam sometimes.”

He cocks a brow. “Break some shit? What kind of shit?”

Emma smirks and opens the door for him, gesturing inside. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

He’s hesitant, but steps inside and she follows behind him. They approach the desk where her friend, Archie, is sitting, his face buried in a book. His office has the appearance of a typical break room, a collection of Star Wars Funko Pops on his desk, a water cooler and a life-sized statue of baby Yoda standing on a mini-fridge and holding a sign that reads, “Welcome to Break Room Therapy.”

“Appointments only,” Archie says as he lifts his eyes from his book to greet the incoming customers. His lips form a big smile when he sees Emma. “Oh, hi Emma. My apologies, I didn’t realize it was you,” he says, setting the book down and rising from his seat.

“Hey, Archie,” she greets with a smile.

“Back again so soon, I see?”

Emma nods. “Uh, yeah, but not for me. She grabs Killian’s arm who has his hands shoved in his pockets, still standing by the door with an awkward look on his face. “This is my friend, Killian. He needs to use one of your rooms.”

“Oh, right, of course.” He gestures toward the chairs in front of the desk. “Please have a seat.”

Killian still looks unsure, but complies anyway, slumping into a chair next to Emma as Archie reclaims his seat across from them.

“So what brings you in tonight?” he asks Killian.

“He got cheated on by his girlfriend,” Emma answers when she suspects Killian doesn’t want to.

His face clouds with sorrow as Archie’s saddens. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Well, this is the right place for you, then.”

Killian furrows his brows and looks around. “What exactly is this place?”

Archie exchanges a look with Emma before returning his attention to Killian. “This is a place where you can release some of that pent up anger you’re feeling right now.” Archie looks at Emma. “Will you be joining him?”

She nods. “Yes, please.”

He prints some papers and gives Killian and Emma both a copy, pointing out for Killian with a pen where to sign and date.

Killian scans over the forms, his forehead wrinkled in confusion as he reads a line out loud. “I hereby consent to medical treatment, which may be advisable in the event of an injury?” He looks up from the document, his face awash with confusion. “Why would I need medical treatment?”

Archie casually waves a hand. “Oh, don’t worry…as long as you follow the rules and wear the protective gear properly, you should be completely fine.”

The furrow in Killian’s brows deepens. “Why would I need protective gear?”

“To protect yourself so you don’t get broken shards in your eyes or skin, of course.”

Killian’s eyes flicker with panic. “Why would I have to worry about that?”

“Just sign it, Killian,” Emma huffs in irritation as she hands Archie her signed papers.

He puts up a hand of dismissal. “Now, now, Emma. Killian must consent to the terms voluntarily.”

“This is supposed to help me feel better?” Killian asks, still uncertain about this entire thing.

“Yes, just trust me. I come here all the time to release stress. It works like a charm. And it’s a lot of fun.”

Killian considers her words and scans over the documents once more before scribbling his signature. “Fine. I can’t possibly feel worse than I do already.” He hands Archie the signed papers.

“That’s the spirit,” Emma chants, clapping her hands.

“Excellent,” Archie says with a grin. “Let’s get you suited up.”

They rise, and Archie leads them to the equipment and protective gear. After some quick instructions, he asks them which weapons they prefer.

With each of them wearing a face shield, Killian holding a sledgehammer and Emma carrying a baseball bat, they head to one of the rooms.

“Have a smashing good time,” Archie quips and closes the door, standing outside the caged window to monitor and take pictures. The walls are made of OSB and the floor is marked up with black duct tape. There’s a round table in the center of the room with a flatscreen computer monitor situated upright.

“After you,” Emma says, gesturing toward the monitor.

Killian looks at her, still unsure. “I just smash it?”

She gives a nod. “You just smash it.”

Killian raises the hammer into the air with both hands, and with a shaky breath, he strikes the monitor with hesitant force, barely making a dent.

“Come on, Killian, you can do better than that. Just think about how angry Ruby made you when you saw her fucking your best friend. Just let yourself feel that rage and release it.” Before Emma’s done speaking, he smashes the computer again with a more powerful force than before.

“That’s it. Just let it out!” she encourages.

So he does. He turns the monitor over, so the screen is facing the ceiling, and strikes it with the sledgehammer, smashing the screen with a groan. He shatters the rest of the glass into a million pieces, much like Ruby did to his heart. But he doesn’t stop there; he strikes the computer over and over and over again until it’s nothing but a mangled and mutilated piece of scrap.

He has to pause to steady his breathing.

“Feel better?” she asks with a laugh.

“Actually, yes, that does feel quite good. What’s next?”

“Easy, tiger. It’s my turn.” Emma sets down the bat, grabs a plate from the crate of breakable items and tosses it across the room, the dish shattering into the wall with a satisfying smash. Killian follows suit and sets down the hammer to pick up a glass bottle, tossing it at the wall, watching as it disintegrates into a thousand tiny pieces.

A hint of a smile appears on his lips. “This is fun, love.”

“I told you.” She tosses another plate against the wall like a frisbee.

They each take turns, smashing items with a sledgehammer or bat, or throwing them against the wall, the room filled with sounds of heavy panting, grunts and glass breaking or plastic being obliterated. While Killian releases the whirlwind of emotions resulting from his breakup and takes out his rage for Ruby and Victor on electronic equipment, Emma takes hers out on multiple dishes for having to lie to Killian, and for feeling pressured by her best friend and Ruby to do this job in the first place. She’s spent a lot of time in this same room, but most of the time she acts out the rage she will always feel for the bastard she married and trusted before he broke her heart into a million pieces.

When they’ve gone through all the items in the crate, they both have to catch their breaths, adrenaline pumping through them, Emma’s heart pounding mercilessly in her chest. For acts that may seem so violent, smashing items with someone else feels very intimate and exhilarating for reasons she can’t really explain. They both expressed a side of each other they don’t normally show.

“Wow, that was…” he breathes, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“A good way to work off those pancakes while releasing some steam at the same time, huh?”

“Aye, it really was,” he chuckles.

They leave the room and remove their protective gear. 

“Thanks, Archie, that was a blast...or should I say, smash!” Emma quips.

“Aye, thank you,” Killian says to him appreciatively. “That actually helped a lot.”

Archie grins. “Good, I’m glad. Come back anytime.” He waves at them as they head out the door.

“Wow, that really was therapeutic,” Killian says as they reach her car, both of them facing each other. “Thank you for bringing me there. And for the pancakes.”

“Of course. What are friends for?” she adds with a wink.

“No, really, I mean it,” he says sincerely. “I felt like complete shit tonight and you managed to make me smile and laugh and feel like myself again.”

She waves off his words. “It was nothing. I’m just glad you feel better than you did.”

“I do, thanks to you.”

“Killian—” she attempts in a tone that is meant to tell him he really doesn’t have to thank her.

“Seriously, Emma, I could kiss you right now,” he chuckles. “I mean, I haven’t felt this good in a long time.”

Emma gulps as she stares at his lips, wondering what they would feel like if he did kiss her. She immediately squashes the thought and lifts her eyes to gaze into those crystal blue orbs instead. “Well, I’m happy to help.”

Killian steps into her space and raises a hand to her face. Her breath catches when his thumb caresses her cheek. She thinks he might actually kiss her. “Do you believe in fate?”

His question throws her for a loop and she opens her mouth, uttering a nonsensical sound as she tries to figure out how to respond to that. “Um, no, not really.”

“Well, I do. I believe we were destined to meet.”

Guilt flares inside Emma, her throat closing up. If only he knew this wasn’t destiny or fate or a fortunate stroke of serendipity. Well, meeting him at the elevator a couple of months ago was a sheer coincidence, but tonight was pre-orchestrated, and not by the universe; it was planned by her, and if he found out, she doubts he would want anything to do with her. It pains her to know he’ll hate her guts after this is all over. But she won’t blame him one bit. 

Before she gets the chance to respond, he leans in and kisses her cheek.

All the air leaves her lungs when his lips touch her skin, her brain becomes mush and she closes her eyes, trying not to dissolve into a puddle.

“Can I see you again?” he asks, his voice cracking, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

“But if us meeting each other was actually part of some predetermined plan, then wouldn't we run into each other again without having to make plans?”

He chuckles. “Perhaps.” He becomes quiet as his eyes grow serious. “But maybe I'm not willing to take that chance.”

Her throat becomes dry as sandpaper. She was not expecting an answer like that. He's the one who brought up the possibility of fate being on their side, yet he's not willing to take the chance he's wrong. Even though he knows where she works and where her friends live. 

Now she knows why Ruby fell for him. Well, she kind of already figured it out, but now she knows it was more than just his charming good looks, his boyish grin or his penis size.

“Um, yeah. Okay,” she answers against her better judgment. This is all going faster than she’d expected. She meant to part ways without making plans, and instead run into him “accidentally” again, but now she’s finding it impossible to deny his request. Besides, if they did run into each other “accidentally” then, for him, it would only solidify his belief that fate brought them together, and she'd feel horrible about that. Even more horrible than she already feels. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

He offers a sly grin, his tongue flirting with his lips. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

She shakes her head and smiles. “Well played.” She reaches out her hand. “Let me see your phone.”

He takes it out and unlocks it before handing the device to her without hesitation.

She plugs in her phone number and sends herself a text so she’ll recognize the number when he calls. She hands it back to him. “There, now you have my phone number, and I have yours.”

“Thanks, love.” He tucks his phone into the pocket of his jeans.

“Are you good to drive?”

He laughs. “Are you kidding? Smashing that computer sobered me up real quick. But I didn’t have a lot to drink to begin with, thanks to you,” he adds with a smirk.

She nods and feels her cheeks warm at the way he looks at her. “That’s true.”

He goes around her to open the driver’s door. God, this guy really knows how to make a woman feel special, even one he's not dating.

“This isn’t even a date and you’re still a gentleman,” she teases with a playful smirk.

“I’m always a gentleman,” he says with a cheeky grin. A grin so cheeky, her heart staggers. “Goodnight, Emma. Thanks again for tonight.”

“Night,” she murmurs, her heart clenching at the thought of leaving him. When he shuts the door, their eyes are still locked through the window, and the door that separates them doesn’t seem to help her at all, because her heart is pounding, and her breaths are shallow as his eyes pierce right through her.

He waves, and she waves back at him before starting her car. He finally turns and walks to his truck, his hands in his pockets as she watches him. Her heart squeezes in her chest when he increases the distance between them. She has to leave so he doesn’t think she’s just sitting there staring at him, which she definitely is.

She pulls away from the curb and drives away, hating herself for leaving him. But she has no idea why it hurts so much. She just met him a few hours ago. Well technically she met him a couple of months ago, but that’s neither here nor there. The point is, this guy is already clawing his way inside her heart, trying to make a home there and making her second guess her decision to help Ruby out. Why is it the one time she finds a guy she actually likes, he has to be one of the guys she’s trying to get back together with his girlfriend?

If destiny actually does exist, then it must be mocking her. 

Or perhaps this job is destiny’s way of helping her protect her own heart. Because if she can’t have anything real with him, then she can’t actually get hurt.

Right?

@onceuponaprincessworld @teamhook @artistic-writer @ilovemesomekillianjones @hollyethecurious @gingerchangeling@ultraluckycatnd @kmomof4 @searchingwardrobes @snowbellewells @let-it-raines @wellhellotragic @itsfabianadocarmo @lfh1226-linda @sophiaaz @becausetheyrehappythisway @thislassishooked @hookedmom @resident-of-storybrooke @kateroselin @chamomileandmint @kday426 @sals86 @lawgeeks @yasbio2015 @xsajx @delightfully-difficult-pirate @snowbellewells @wanderingjpg @squidvisious @tenaciouskittynight @biefaless @animatedshorts @lassluna @ejunkiet @melsbels @meat-pie-with-sauce @roseyflush @ivalane @tiganasummertree @nowforruin @qualitycoffeethings @nikkiemms @oncechicagolove @theonewiththeory @lostinwonderland314 @darkcolinodonorgasm @arshini01 @companion-mala @carpedzem @youareafeverdream @maguilar1028 @mayquita @courtorderedcake @shady-swan-jones @timeless-love-story @laschatzi @officerrogers @spartanguard @andiirivera @ouatpost @jarienn972 @winterbythesea @winterbaby89 @distant-rose @xhookswenchx @tiganasummertree

[defenderrosetyler]

A Prince and His Swan Chapter 3

The Time has come for chapter 3! Thank you to @flamencodiva​ for helping Beta as usual; There is a small warning in here is a character death, minor language, things like that.  WC:  2465 There is also a companion series with this by flamencodiva as well, The Frog Prince which can be found HERE Storybrooke “Good Morning Samuel.” Mr. Gold says, not looking up from his work as the bell above the door chimed, signaling a person's entrance into his store. “Gold,” Sam says, letting out a huff of annoyance. If Gold was going to question him the same as Henry was about his mood? This wasn’t going to be a pleasant visit. Mr. Gold, being the wealthiest man in town, knew almost everything. Including the town gossip.

“Judging by the sound of your mood, it's safe to say you and Y/N had another argument this morning, didn't you?” He says, dark brown eyes looking at the younger Winchester brother. “How are your parents, by the way? Your relationship with Ruby?” “Ruby is none of your concern.” Sam snapped. “Oh, come now, is that any way to talk to a man who helped you and your family?” He says, giving his response in a calm, low tone .”I could go to Rowena and be in charge of all of those finances?” Mr. Gold took a step closer to Sam, giving him a slight glare, “After all, it was originally my contract you destroyed, Boy. But I can make sure to take it back and have you start at square one all over again.” Sam held up his hands, not wanting to argue with the man, “Is it just me, or was the clocktower moving this morning?”

This made Gold raise a confused brow at Sam. This was not the first time he’d heard this rumor, especially with the talk of the new person that had arrived in town, even staying at Granny’s B and B. The bell rang a second time that morning, sounding another patron entering the shop's entryway.

“Good Morning, gentleman.” Sheriff Graham says from the doorway, his hands in his pockets. Cleaning his throat, attempting to diffuse the tension between the two lawyers in the room. 

“Good Morning, Graham.” “Sheriff.” Both men, who seemed to be in a standoff, greeted the Sheriff of Storybrooke. Refusing to turn to look at him. “Would you gentleman be interested in a job? I have a client who needs a lawyer, and you two are the only ones I know.”

 “Well, Samuel, I think this makes for an interesting deal between us. Let's put that brain of yours to the test. I want to see how well you're able to keep our newest capture in her cell. If you can keep her behind bars, I’ll give you a raise in your salary. This would allow you to pay back Rowena a lot sooner and allow you to save up for any possible future you and Miss Ruby may have.” Sam gave him a look, waiting for the rebuttal of what would happen when he ends up losing. Which Sam had no intention of losing. He wanted to show up Gold. Stand up to him. “If I end up winning and our new friend is freed from her cage?” he says, a wicked look in his eye. “I’ll have you work double shifts here, receiving the same amount of pay. Possibly less, I haven’t fully decided yet.” Sam blinks as he lets his words echo in his ears.  Thrusting out his hand for Gold to take, a smirk on his face, “Done.”

Enchanted Forest

“Samuel! We weren’t expecting to see you.” Charming says, greeting his friend from the throne room of his castle. It was full of guests coming to see the newly wedded couple. Then again, the arrival of a royal baby was cause for celebration. Sam smiled, hugging Charming. 

“Congratulations on the new arrival on the way.” He smiled, glancing over to see Snow approaching them slowly. “Samuel,” Snow White greeted, making her way towards him to envelope him in a tight hug. “We heard about Odette. Have you found anything?” “I don’t think you’d believe me,” Sam sighed, looking at his friends.  “I think I know of someone we can talk to that may be able to help you out,” Charming says, looking over at his wife, who also nods, having come to the same idea as her husband.

The Blue Fairy.

Sam watched as the Fairy approached, feeling wary of her. Dean had mentioned Amaya had been cursed by a fairy, but if Snow and Charming said that she was someone they trusted, he could trust her, couldn’t he?

“Nice to meet you,” Sam says, remembering his manners. Telling the Fairy about Odette and her curse.

 “Oh, I know all about her curse, sweet one,” She says sweetly to him. This made Sam blink. Had he told her all of this for nothing? The Fairy let out a sigh. “As much as I’d like to offer my assistance, Rowena’s curse is pretty straightforward in how to break it.”

“Paid in blood,” Sam scoffed, “Charming, I’m not about to let anyone die because of someone I love!” He says, angry at the situation. He wasn’t about to lose Odette. This wasn’t going to end in bloodshed. The translation echoed in his ears, making Sam feel anxious. ‘never shall she be with the ones she loves, until true loves confession be spoken with blood.’ Feeling frustrated, Sam left the throne room, heading to the dungeons. Sam knew that Snow and Charming had Rumplestilskin in their dungeons. Maybe he could help him break the curse from Rowena or at least offer some sound advice. Then again, the man was dark and evil. “No...No, this is foolish,” Sam muttered under his breath. “Nothing is foolish, dearie,” Rumple said from his cell. “Especially if it keeps that little swan of yours safe.” “You don’t get to talk about Odette as if you know her!” Sam snapped, walking up to the bars of his cell. Face red with anger, chest rising and falling in rage. “Who am I kidding? You're just a waste of my time. Arguing with you isn't gonna help me save Odette.” Rumples' maniacal laugh echoed in the dungeons as Sam made his way back to his own castle. There was a ball to prepare for.

Storybrooke “What do you mean you backed out of the challenge?!” Ruby snapped as she looked over at her fiancé. She had been pacing in their living room ever since Sam returned later from home than usual. As Sam sat down, telling her the events of the afternoon, she was growing angrier and angrier. “I mean exactly that, Ruby!” Sam snapped, feeling frustrated and tired of her questioning his every move. His eyes filled with rage, glaring at her.  “I don’t care about you anymore!” He says, voice rising as he grew angrier. “If you don’t like my work ethic, then there’s the door.” Ruby blinked, hearing Sam’s sudden outburst. He’d never raised his voice like this to her before. What was coming over him? Sam sighed as he ran a hand over his face. He had to clear his head. Maybe some coffee and sleep would be best for him. The following day, Ruby’s things were all packed, making it clear she was leaving. Sam headed over to the jail with a resounded sigh to say good morning to Graham and check in on things there. Emma Swan was causing quite the gossip around town. What was so special about her anyway? Seeing Emma released from the prison made Sam smile a little. Knowing if he’d kept his bet with Gold, he would have lost. As he made his way over to his office, a voice calling his name caught his attention. “Henry? Shouldn’t you be in school?” Sam scolds him gently, arms crossed against his chest. Henry looked slightly embarrassed. “I wanted to see if you could teach me horseback riding.” Sam raised his eyebrows at the request. “It's just-” “Henry, for the tenth time, I am not a prince in that special book of yours,” Sam says, cutting him off. “Please, Sam?” Henry practically begged. Sam held up his hands, not wanting to argue. Henry grinned excitedly. Then a thought came to his mind. “Henry, we don’t have any horses in town, do we?” Henry nodded, heading to a small ranch in town that Sam didn’t know was there. Then again, Sam didn’t travel much. Mostly, he was occupied with work from the law firm or doing work for Mr. Gold. When not spending time at his place of employment, Sam spends a lot of time at home or even sharing a meal with his brother at Granny’s diner. How else would he know that Singer Ranch even existed? “Henry! Nice to see you, kid!” An older man chuckled. “Hi, Mr. Singer!” Henry greeted, “Sam and I came to ride a horse!” “Mr. Singer,” Sam also greeted, holding out his hand for the elder stablemaster to hold. “Henry’s told me a lot about you, Sam. Let me guess, he thinks one of my horses are yours then?” Sam nodded, clearing his throat. Bobby led them to the stables, where there were three horses. One seemed to catch Sam’s eye. A black horse, the tallest of the three with a beautiful black mane. “That there is Onyx.” Bobby says,  “Got him all saddled up for you.” As Sam approached the stable door, Onyx let out a loud knicker. Causing Sam to chuckle, brushing the horse’s nose. “See? He recognized you!” Henry cheered. This made Sam blink his eyes and back up a little. “Henry, I’ve never seen this horse in my life.” He says, trying to argue. “Bet you can ride him though.” Henry says, “Besides if you’re teaching me, you should show me what to do first, right?” This kid was not letting up. Apparently, Sam wasn’t the only one Henry had been pestering. Henry had been pressing Dean too. Making him show off archery lessons when he went to sub as a gym teacher for the day. Sam raised a brow at Henry after looking at Onyx. “If I can ride him properly around the arena, I’d like to know more about Y/N. Clearly, she dislikes me, and I’d like to know why. If I’m truly a prince, then maybe she’s a princess?” “If you can ride Onyx, Henry won’t be the only one impressed. Can’t seem to get anyone to calm him down to ride him. If anything, he tolerates me at best.” Bobby added under his breath. Stepping into the stall, Sam sighed, holding out his hand. The horse had to trust him first before he decided to jump onto his back and ride around the area Bobby had. “Easy boy,” Sam whispered softly. “I’m not gonna hurt you, see? You're not so bad, are you, Onyx," Sam said. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath, letting it out slowly. He's never been close to a horse before, and yet, this horse seems to trust him. The hose gave a soft snort, his nose pressing into Sam’s hand as a sign of acceptance. Moving slowly, Sam placed his foot in the stirrup, pushing off the ground, swinging his leg over, and securing himself on the saddle. Henry noticed Sam shaking his head. Sam still felt Henry was still out of his mind. Sam wasn’t in some fairytale. He lived in the real world. Cleaning his throat, Sam nodded to Bobby, allowing him to open the stall door. “I’ll be damned,” Bobby says in surprise. “That horse barely tolerates me.” “That's because he’s Sam’s horse!” Henry says, trying to stress the point. Placing his book on a stool, flipping to find the page of Sam riding Onyx through the woods. This was crazy. Sam had never ridden a horse in his life, yet he knew how to approach Onyx? Sam gave a gentle click of his tongue, followed by a soft kick to Onyx’s side. Sam wanted to take things slow. Just send the horse on a peaceful walk. Apparently, Onyx had other ideas, moving into a trot instead. Sam gives him a swift kick. “I said walk.” He muttered “I thought you said you never rode a horse before Sam?” Bobby questioned him.  Sam blinked, looking over at the older man. “You made him stop on a dime since he wasn’t listening to ya. Only a rider who knows his horse would know how to control him like that.” Onyx was still not pleased with being told what to do, even if being ridden by Sam. He’d been cooped up in the stall for far too long. Onyx broke out into a full canter within a moment’s notice, rushing him and Sam into the woods outside of town. “Damn it, Onyx, slow down, would ya?!” Sam shouts, feeling frustrated and irritated. Why wasn’t the horse listening to him? It was clear the horse wanted to go running, to feel free and run. Sam desperately tried to gain his control back. While he was away, Henry and Bobby talked while looking over his storybook. Bobby was apparently in his book too, but Bobby was willing to sit and listen to Henry. Henry was just a boy. He needed friends to talk to instead of people brushing him off. “Onyx, I said slow down!” Sam snarled at the horse and gives it another firm kick to his rib area. Trying to make the stallion listen to reason. This time, after past attempts of misbehavior, Onyx finally slowed down to a trot then over to a walk. As sunset approached, Sam decided to climb down off Onyx and lead him back to the stables where he’d be in Bobby’s care once again. Offering to walk Henry home before choosing to walk home himself. He really didn’t want to head back to his apartment, didn’t want to face Ruby. She had given him enough of a headache and didn’t want to cause another one. Sam always knew he was welcomed at Granny’s for a meal. Even if he and Y/N weren’t on speaking terms. As Sam made his way into town, though, he heard screaming coming from the jail. It wasn’t anyone he knew, but the woman shouted a name he knew, making Sam feel sick to his stomach. “Graham...” Sam breathed, rushing over as fast as he could to help Emma. “Emma, Emma, what happened?” “I-I don’t know….” Emma stammered. “I….I think he’s dead….” She whispered, in a state of shock. With a frown, Sam leaned over to check Graham’s pulse on his neck then his wrist. With tears brimming his eyes, he rushed over to Granny’s for help. Y/N had just made her way inside from running an errand for Granny, noticing the look in Sam’s eyes. She slowly reached to place a gentle hand on his arm.  “Sam? What is it?” she asked. A lonely tear fell down Sam’s cheek.  “Graham’s Dead.”