#the poptart cat speaks

[poptart-cat-78]

THE FACT “LOST CONSTELLATION” AND “NIGHT IN THE WOODS” BOTH HAVE THE PHRASE “Pretty great to be something at least” IM 😭😭😭

[sansa-of-oldstones]

We’ve had at least one cat since we’ve lived together, and it STILL surprises my husband how loud they can be lol

The first morning we had two cats, Ron and Mason (RIP sweet boy) were so loud while waiting for their morning noms that my husband joked that he was suspicious I had acquired more cats in the night.

When Ron had some tummy troubles, and needed a bath, my husband said Ron sounded like he was being murdered while I was bathing him. In Ron’s mind, he was.

When we were moving recently, he had them in the back seat of his truck. He called me so I could hear them yelling from their carriers. Their tummies are upset, and they hate being confined. They’re gonna yell about it. In THIS car, your son just had a meltdown because he dropped all of his goldfish trying to annoy his sister. (he would keep showing her a goldfish and tell he it’s Nemo, and she would get annoyed because THATS NOT NEMO! Abbey, he’s TWO. Now I’m wondering if she knocked the container out of his hand) anyways…husband was still, somehow shocked at this point.

This morning, I was preparing morning noms for our three cats while he let the dogs out into the backyard. When he came back inside, he let me know he could hear my “army of cats” yelling. So do our kids when they’re hangry lol

It’s been YEARS, my dude. It shouldn’t surprise you that cats can be loud. Your dog knows how to do the super BORK from Bolt, and I love him anyway.

[kmomof4]

A Christmas Surprise: Ch. 4

It's the 🎶final chapter🎶 (yes, I know I'm really dating myself with those notes, but I don't care. I just have to...) and all the happy endings are here!!! Thank you all so much for reading and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Summary: Elsa Jones enlists her friend Emma Swan to come up with a scheme to surprise her niece Alice Jones when her Papa, Killian, returns from deployment just in time for Christmas.

From the beginning on ao3/ Current ch

Rating G Total Christmas fluff ahead!

Words: Almost 6200 of 18,5K

Tagging the usuals. Please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed.

@jrob64 @teamhook @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @artistic-writer @xarandomdreamx @undercaffinatednightmare @the-darkdragonfly @stahlop @superchocovian @pirateprincessofpizza @tiganasummertree @anmylica @cosette141 @motherkatereloyshipper @zaharadessert @jonesfandomfanatic @ultraluckycatnd @jennjenn615 @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 @kymbersmith-90 @booksteaandtoomuchtv @wistfulcynic @mie779 @snowbellewells @lfh1226-linda @aprilqueen84 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @pirateherokillian @elfiola @ilovemesomekillianjones @justanother-unluckysoul@poptart-cat-78 @myfearless-love @goforlaunchcee @searchingwardrobes @gingerpolyglot @gingerchangeling @djlbg @cocohook38 @cs-rylie @thisonesatellite @donteattheappleshook @deckerstarblanche @veryverynotgoodwrites @wefoundloveunderthelight @fleurdepetite @alexa-fangirl-forever @bluewildcatfanatic @qualitycoffeethings

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

The month had flown by, and Killian was due to report back in Boston in less than a week. He wasn’t anywhere near ready to say goodbye to Alice and Emma, even if it was only during the work week. Since Alice was in the middle of the school year in a school she loved, Killian didn’t see the need to bring her to Boston with him when he was planning on being in Storybrooke every weekend anyway. There was no way he was going to stay away from Emma from the first of February to mid April, when he’d finally be separating from the US Navy. 

While January had been a desperately needed respite from his normal duties in the Navy, that didn’t mean he’d been idle. He’d spent every minute he could with Emma, falling more and more in love with her as he did, in between sitting for his licensure exam that he blew out of the water, and pursuing the job opportunity in Storybrooke that looked better and better every day. Nemo had said, even before he’d submitted his résumé, that he didn’t foresee any problems bringing him on, but they were now nearly to the target date Nemo had mentioned for having an offer in hand, if he were to be hired.

Killian was making himself an afternoon snack when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

“Hello?”

“Killian?” 

Killian’s heart rate sped up when Nemo spoke on the other end of the line.

“Yes, sir,” he greeted the man that he hoped would be his boss in a few months.

Nemo chuckled and Killian’s hope soared.

“Well, there’s no real reason to beat around the bush,” the older man said. “The job is yours if you want it.”

Killian held the phone away from his mouth for a moment as he silently crowed at the ceiling and raised his fist in the air, before drawing it sharply back down in a ‘YESSSS’ gesture.

“I definitely do, Sir.” There was no need to talk to anyone about the decision. He knew he had Liam and Elsa’s full support to pursue and accept the offer when it came, and he’d had enough discussions with Alice to know that she desperately hoped he’d get the job as well. And Emma’s words on New Year’s Eve were the final green light he needed to accept the proposal.

“Excellent,” Nemo said. “You’ll be leading the department. With your experience in the Navy, I can’t think of anyone better suited to do so.”

Killian was stunned, and had to snap his hanging jaw shut before speaking. “Th- Thank you, Sir,” he stammered. “I’m honored.”

“When is your retirement date? I have it here somewhere…” Killian could hear papers rustling over the line and chuckled.

“April 10th is my last day of duty and the ceremony is on the 11th.”

“Very good. How about you start the following Monday, the 16th?” he asked. “That’ll give you a few days of downtime with your family, and to decompress a bit before we throw you in the deep end.” They both laughed at Nemo’s choice of words.

“Good thing I’m in the Navy, then,” Killian quipped. “I’m used to swimming in deep water.” Nemo laughed good naturedly.

“Did you have any other questions for me that we haven’t already addressed? The official offer will be emailed to you in a few minutes. Just for you to have for your records. Can you come in on Monday to get your paperwork squared away and meet a few folks?”

“Yes, I can, Sir,” he replied. “And I don’t have any questions. The offer is very generous, and I’m excited to be leading the team.”

“It’ll be good to have you, Killian. Come in Monday anytime after ten.”

“I will do that, Sir. Thank you.”

Killian hung up his phone and immediately checked his email. There it was. The employment offer that was going to make all his dreams come true. Killian could have leapt with joy. 

After another fist pump, Killian ran for the stairs to go tell Liam and Elsa. He would have preferred to share the news with Alice and Emma first, but Alice was at dance class for a little while longer and Emma was at her house. There was no way he’d be able to contain his excitement until he could tell them, so he had to go with who was readily available. Liam had come home early for some reason and had immediately gone upstairs without so much as saying hello when Killian passed him on his way to the kitchen. 

He came to a stop outside their bedroom to see Elsa sitting on the end of the bed, her head in her hands, Liam sitting next to her rubbing circles into her back. His excited words died on his lips completely.

Liam looked up at him. His eyes were slightly glazed, and Killian wondered if he really saw him standing there. He looked completely shell shocked, and Elsa’s posture was no better. She rubbed both of her temples, and Killian could just hear low mutterings coming from her mouth.

“Hey, guys,” he said, coming in slowly. “What’s wrong?”

Elsa raised her head, and threw it back laughing. It had a manic quality to it that made Killian even more nervous.

“Your brother,” she began, pointing at Liam who still sat on the bed, his hand on her back.

“M-, ME?!” Liam sputtered.

“Yes, you!”

“Last I checked, babe, it takes two to tango.”

Killian’s confusion suddenly cleared and he moved to the bathroom to see a little white stick sitting on the vanity. PREGNANT showed clearly in the tiny window. Killian had to press his lips together hard to keep from laughing. It may have been a lot of years since he’d had to concern himself with women’s cycles, but it wasn’t rocket science to figure out that his brother and sister-in-law had made fireworks of their own on New Year’s, and this was the result. 

“Congratulations,” Killian said, coming back in the room, smirk planted firmly on his face. He could understand their shock and surprise. Elsa was closing in on forty, and Liam was well past that milemarker. Plus, the twins were thirteen years old, and would be fourteen before their new sibling made their appearance. They obviously needed some time to themselves to come to terms with the hard left turn their lives had just taken. But he still wanted to share his own news with them. “I have some good news of my own, if you’re ready to hear it.”

That got both their attentions. Their countenances cleared and a wide smile broke on Elsa’s face.

“Did you hear from Nemo?” Liam asked.

“I did.”

Elsa let out a loud whoop and launched herself at him. But before she reached him, her hand flew to her mouth and she ran for the bathroom instead. He could hear her retching as he followed his brother who’d rushed after her. Killian stood in the doorway to see Liam hovering, and Elsa waving him away.

“This is all your fault,” she said in between heaves, a petulant whine in her voice. “Get away from me.” She disappeared behind the wall separating the toilet from the rest of the bathroom again; whatever she’d eaten earlier making another appearance. “Congratulations, Killian,” she wheezed when she was done. She made it to her feet, slapping Liam’s hand away as he tried to help her up. “Did you tell us first?” she asked. “It’s almost time to go pick up Alice! She’ll be ecstatic!” Killian turned to go, when Elsa spoke again. “Don’t say anything to the kids about this yet.” She waved her hand around in an aimless gesture. “We’ll make an announcement… sometime. Soon.”

“Just the kids?” Killian asked. 

“Ohhhh,” Elsa said, realization coming over her. “Yeah, go ahead. You can tell Emma.”

Killian smiled at them both and all but ran from the room.

~*~*~

Killian grinned widely when Alice came out of dance class. As soon as she was in her booster in the back seat with her seatbelt on, Killian turned to her.

“So, you want to stay in Storybrooke, Starfish?”

Alice’s eyes got as big as saucers. “Did you get the job at Uncle Liam’s, Papa?”

“I did,” he replied. Alice’s shout was loud enough to burst his ear drums. “He called a little bit before I came to get you. I’ll start on April 16th.”

Alice unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned across the front seat to hug him as tightly as she could in the awkward position.

“I’m so excited, Papa!” she exclaimed. “So what does that mean? What’s going to happen?”

“Just like what we’ve talked about, Starfish,” he reminded her. “I’ll be heading back to Boston on Wednesday night after you go to bed. I’ll be there Thursday and Friday before coming back Friday night to spend the weekend with all of you. Then I’ll be going back to Boston again Sunday night for the whole week, and I’ll be here on the weekends. I’ll do that every week until I retire on April 11th. You’ll be staying here while I’m there, living with Uncle Liam and Aunt Elsa and your cousins, going to school and dance and all the things you normally do.”

“And after you retire, we’ll still live with Uncle Liam and Aunt Elsa?” she asked.

Killian chuckled. “Oh, no. We’ll move into our own home after I retire.” Killian thought about the house Liam had told him about. It was still on the market, but Killian hadn’t wanted to really look at it until he had the offer in hand. And now that he did, he could begin seriously looking for a home that would accommodate him and Alice and perhaps a couple of others, as well. Killian couldn’t keep the smile off his face if he tried.

“Yayyyy!!!” Alice shouted again, bouncing in her seat.

“Now I want to go see Emma and tell her,” Killian said. “Do you want me to take you home or do you want to come with me?”

Alice bounced in her seat again. “Come with! Come with!”

Killian chuckled and turned the car on. “Alright then. Let’s go.”

No sooner had Killian brought the car to a stop in Emma’s driveway than Alice was out like a shot, shouting as she ran for the front door.

“Miss Swan! Henry! Papa got the job! We’re staying in Storybrooke!”

Killian knew his smile was ridiculously wide with how much his cheeks were hurting, but he couldn’t begrudge his daughter being the one to break the news. He caught up to her as she banged on the door, opened moments later by Henry, followed closely by Emma.

“What?” asked Henry, his own smile taking over his face.

“Papa got the job!” Alice repeated. “We’re staying in Storybrooke!”

Emma’s face looked like the sun coming out from behind the clouds after a storm. She ran for him, and he caught her in his arms, spinning her around as she hugged him tightly and showered kisses all over his face. 

Once he put Emma down, Henry and Alice scurried off to his room to play and Emma showed Killian into the living room.

“I’m so happy for you, Killian,” Emma said, sitting down next to him and holding his hand tightly.

“Me, too,” he agreed. “It’s a relief to be sure.” Killian looked her full in the face. “And now that I have the offer in hand, I can start moving forward into this next phase of my life.” He paused and scratched at the spot behind his ear, his eyes skittering away from hers for a moment. He took a deep breath, and met her gaze again, his eyes full of love and hope. “A phase that I hope I’ll have a companion for.”

Emma gasped. They had of course talked about the job and the opportunity it would present for him and Alice, but they’d been careful to steer away from what it might mean for them. But now that the job was certain… 

“Calm down, Swan. I’m not proposing.” Emma hoped she kept the surprise and slight disappointment off of her face, but wasn’t sure she succeeded when he winked at her. Or attempted to, anyway. “You’ll know when I do,” he assured her. Emma giggled. “Anyway,” he continued, “I’ll need to start looking for a house for myself and Alice to move into once I’m here permanently. And I was hoping you might join me in that search.  To help me find a house for all of us. Where we can be a family.” He paused again, giving her a moment to absorb everything he’d already shared. 

“I love you, Emma.”

A gasping sob escaped her and she grabbed him around the neck and pulled him to her until their lips joined in a joyful expression of love, both felt and reciprocated. When air became necessary, she pulled back.

“I love you, too, Killian.”

Killian surged forward and captured her lips with his own, pushing her back on the sofa until she was reclined and every part of her body was fully lined up to his. The passionate kiss they shared was making his head spin, but he knew they couldn’t go any further, not with their children in the next room. Very reluctantly, he pulled back.

“We have to stop, Swan,” he said, “As much as I don’t want to.”

“I know,” she agreed, her own reluctance on full display. 

Killian rolled off of her, tucking himself between her and the back of the sofa. “I just had a thought. What would you think about coming down to Boston the Thursday after Valentine's Day? We could have a nice dinner without fighting all the Valentines’ crowds and you could spend the night?” It was a question, and she knew exactly what he was asking. She had to admit, it was something she’d definitely thought about and he obviously had, too.

“I think that sounds like a fine idea, Captain.” She lifted up slightly and kissed him.

“Then I could take Friday off and we could do some touristy things around town before coming home a bit earlier than I normally would.” Emma smiled in agreement.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you.” 

“What?”

“You remember what I walked in on on New Year’s?”

Emma’s eyebrows shot up, her cheeks flushing with secondhand embarrassment. “Uh huh.”

“Well, Elsa’s pregnant.”

Emma’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened so much that Killian couldn’t hold back his chuckle.

“Are you kidding me?” She was stunned and couldn’t pretend otherwise.

“Nope,” Killian assured her. “She found out this afternoon. She must have called Liam to come home early. When I came up to tell them about the job, she was…” Killian trailed away, searching for the words. “A bit hysterical? Extremely annoyed? Both? Yes.” He nodded decisively. “Both is good.”

A snort laugh burst out of Emma. “Bless her so much.”

“She said I could tell you, but she doesn’t want to say anything to the kids, just yet.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Emma said, pursing her lips and miming locking them and throwing away the key. “My lips are sealed.”

Killian chuckled. “I can think of another way to keep those lips busy,” he said, eyebrows waggling.

Emma grinned at him. “A method I highly approve of,” she said, before drawing him down into another kiss, celebrating all the news of the day.

~*~*~

The next day was Saturday, and Emma and Elsa were finally enjoying their joint spa day. After the news she’d received the day before, Elsa was especially ready and thankful for it.

Once the ladies were gone, Liam joined Killian in the kitchen where he was just finishing his coffee.

“You ready?”

Killian took his last swallow and got up to put the mug in the sink. “Yep. Let’s go.”

When he had come back home yesterday after giving Emma the news, Killian asked Liam if they could go look at the house he had told him about while the ladies were occupied Saturday morning. Liam’s grin was blinding as he made all the arrangements. 

Now they were pulling up in front of a beautiful Nantucket style three story home. It was sky blue with a huge wraparound front porch and a three story turret anchoring the front facade.

Killian’s jaw hung open slightly as Liam opened the gate of the white picket fence on the edge of the sidewalk and moved toward the steps leading up to the front porch. He couldn’t take his eyes off of it as he followed Liam, almost in a daze.

Once inside, Liam took him through the house, from the basement to the finished third story that would be ideal for an office or a game room when the kids were a little older. Or, and a small smile turned up his lips at the thought, perhaps another bedroom, if needed. But as it was, the house was beautiful, inside and out, with all the room they needed for a growing family. The price was a little higher than he wanted, but it had been on the market, sitting empty, since autumn, so Killian was hopeful the sellers would be willing to come down a bit in order to get it off their hands. 

Killian’s excitement was sending his heart rate into overdrive. This house was perfect in every way, but he needed to get Emma’s input as well. If she was going to be a part of his life going forward and a part of his family in the not-too-distant future, she needed to be on board with whatever home he bought. The ladies would be done with their pampering about one o’clock; maybe he could bring her over afterward to have a look at it. 

“Could I bring Emma back this afternoon when they’re done to have a look?” Killian asked his brother. “I love it. It’s perfect. But I can’t in good conscience make an offer on a place that I would hope will be a home for all of us without getting her opinion first.”

“I completely understand, Brother. And I agree,” Liam said. “Let me let the seller’s agent know, and I’ll give you the key.”

Killian nodded and turned around in a full circle looking at the main floor of the house. He imagined moving into this beautiful home- Emma, Alice, and Henry with him- filling it with love and laughter for a lifetime.

~*~*~

A few hours later, he parked his own car in front of the house and looked at Emma in the passenger seat. Her face was very much like his when he’d seen it for the first time earlier. Killian couldn’t keep the grin off his face if he tried.

“What do you think?”

“It… it’s gorgeous,” she breathed. “Have you…?”

“Swan! No!” he exclaimed, completely shocked she would even ask him that. “I’d never make that kind of decision or make a purchase like this without talking to you first.” He took her hands in his and looked her right in the eyes. “Not if we’re going to have a future together.”

Emma’s heart completely melted. She already knew she loved him, but this was just another confirmation that her heart and soul had found a haven in his. She reached up and pulled him to her in a kiss that he eagerly reciprocated and that quickly turned heated.

“Come on,” he said, pulling away some moments later. “Let me show you the inside.”

Emma followed Killian through the gate and up the front steps. It was the most beautiful house she’d ever seen, the wraparound porch a feature that she’d always wanted in a home. When she’d bought the house she lived in now, her budget didn’t come anywhere close to affording a house with a porch like that. But, she had to try to keep her excitement in check. Killian obviously wanted her honest opinion on the house that he hoped would be a home for all of them, and she couldn’t let her immediate affection for the exterior drive that opinion. The house would have to meet certain thresholds in order to be something they could all live in for many years to come.

And as Killian took her through the house, it became quite obvious that it met every single one of those thresholds. A wide open floor plan and tall ceilings weren’t necessary, but were very welcome additions to the generous square footage, ample storage, kitchen and bath upgrades that thrilled Emma to no end, large bedrooms and even enough room for any future children they might have.

Emma looked at Killian, a soft smile on her face as she imagined moving into this beautiful home with Killian, Henry, and Alice by her side. It was everything she could have hoped and dreamed of.

“So what do you think, Swan?” Killian asked, love and hope in his eyes.

“I love it, Killian,” she said sincerely. She stepped toward him and took his hands in hers, her gaze meeting his. “I can see us, all of us, living here for many, many years. Many happy years.”

The relieved grin on Killian’s face, made her own smile bloom before she drew him into another kiss. When they separated, Killian wrapped his arms around her as they both turned and looked out the back window to the large backyard where the kids would no doubt spend many hours playing.

“I didn’t even ask,” Emma began. “What are they asking for this place?”

“It’s a little more than I can afford,” Killian said, “but it’s been sitting empty for four months, so I’m hoping they’ll be a little more motivated to come down on their asking price.”

“With my income, you could probably afford it,” she suggested.

“Yes, but we’re not married yet, and that will create all kinds of complications that we really don’t need to deal with right now,” he explained, kissing her on the tip of her nose.

“Hmmm, yes, that’s true,” she agreed, smiling at the tender gesture.

“I’ll talk to Liam, make them an offer, and see what they say,” he continued. “Wouldn’t it be great if we could have this squared away before I go back to Boston?” The hope in his eyes made her smile and matched the joy in her own.

“Yes, it really would.”

~*~*~

Retirement day had finally arrived. His last two months, one week, and two days of duty were over and all that was left now was the ceremony that would signify his official separation from the United States Navy. He couldn’t believe how quickly the time had gone. Living it day to day, he didn’t think this day would ever get here, but looking back, the time really had flown by.

The offer he’d given Liam for the house back at the end of January had been eagerly accepted by the sellers, even at significantly below their asking price. His offer wasn’t unfair, but he’d fully expected them to counter, and when they didn’t, he was stunned. They’d closed on the house on Saturday just a couple of weeks ago, to accommodate Killian’s work schedule, and he and Emma had been busy both weekends since, moving boxes and some furniture into it, so they’d be able to fully move in tomorrow. The movers would be collecting the rest of his and Alice’s furniture in Boston tomorrow and bringing it all to Storybrooke. He hoped to be fully moved in and unpacked before he started at Storybrooke Real Estate on Monday.

After Emma visited him in Boston in February, they figured it was time for him to meet her parents. Mary Margaret Swan had immediately welcomed him into their family with open arms. It took just a little longer to win David over, but now the bromance between him and David flourished after Killian assured him of the honor of his intentions.

He peeked through the curtain to see all his loved ones arriving en masse and making their way to the front of the room. As the family members of the retiree, they had reserved seating. Seeing Emma there surrounded by his family and hers, sudden inspiration hit him. There was only one thing missing that would make this day truly perfect. When she spotted him looking at her through the curtain, he signaled her to join him. She turned to her mother for a moment and then started toward the podium and backdrop.

Emma came around the edge of the curtain where Killian waited for her to join him before gathering her into his arms and planting a kiss on her lips that wasn’t nearly enough, but would have to be, given their present location.

“Emma,” he said, sinking down on one knee, “I know you probably didn’t expect this today, but when I saw you come into the room, all I could think of was that I wanted you by my side today as my fiancée, not my girlfriend.” He pulled a small, black velvet box out of his dress blues pocket. Emma gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “These last four months since we met have been the best of my life. I love you more than words can express, more than I ever believed possible. Would you make me the happiest man alive and consent to be my wife?”

Emma’s eyes were filled with tears and she could barely see straight to nod and hold her hand out for him to put the beautiful round diamond solitaire on her finger. She knelt in front of him, taking his face in her hands. The tears escaped her eyelids and rolled down her cheeks as she pulled him to her and kissed him with all the love in her heart.

When they pulled back, she touched her forehead to his, tears still streaking down her face.

“I love you, Killian,” she whispered. “And yes, I want nothing more than to be by your side today as your fiancée.” They were both quiet for a moment, just enjoying the love between them. “I should probably go back out there. They’ll be wondering what’s going on.”

Killian chuckled. “Don’t say anything. Let’s see if anyone notices. If they don’t, we’ll announce it at the reception.”

Emma smiled her agreement. They got to their feet, and Emma moved around the curtain to go back to her seat. Killian peeked through the drape again and saw her sit down on the front row, Elsa on one side of her, Mary Margaret on the other. Killian grinned and pulled back from the drape only to hear twin squeals from the other side of the curtain. He moved back, a wide grin spreading on his face as he saw his fiancée showing off her ring to her best friend and mother.

It was going to be quite a party this afternoon, and he couldn’t wait.

~*~*~  

Emma sat before the vanity on her wedding day, watching as her mother gathered her hair into an elegant bun at the nape of her neck and tucked the comb holding her veil underneath.

Everything was ready for her to join her life with the love of her life, Killian Jones.

She rose from her stool and turned to face her mother, best friend, and daughter.

“Oh, Mama,” Alice breathed. “You look so beautiful.”

Emma smiled at the child, her heart swelling with love for her. Once school let out last May, Emma and Killian had both initiated adoption proceedings for Alice and Henry, with Emma’s adoption of Alice going through in August and Killian’s adoption of Henry finalizing just last month due to residency requirements.

“Thank you, baby,” Emma said, opening her arms for her hug. She felt the tears fill her eyes as she looked at her mom and Elsa. Elsa’s own eyes glistened with tears as well. She was radiant in the ice blue gown she wore. You couldn’t even tell that she’d given birth three months ago to a daughter, Lila Emily Rose. 

When they first talked about dates for the wedding, Killian had suggested August, thinking that would be plenty of time for the planning, but Elsa, Mary Margaret, and Emma herself had loudly protested that it wasn’t nearly enough time. Plus there was the fact that Elsa didn’t want to be walking down the aisle as Matron of Honor nine months pregnant. And so December 15th was chosen, one year to the day since their meeting.

“You look so beautiful, too.” She stepped back, holding Alice’s hands, then releasing one as Alice spun a perfect pirouette under her arm, the skirt of her dress, a smaller version of Elsa’s, flaring out before settling back around her ankles.

“Your father is gonna cry,” Mary Margaret said, completing the teary eyed trio. “We’re so happy this day has finally come. You’re marrying Killian, joining together to create a new family.” Mary Margaret sniffed, and Elsa handed her a handkerchief. 

“One year ago today, I saw something that I’d despaired of ever seeing- my brother-in-law, Killian Jones, noticing a woman,” Elsa said, her smile nostalgic as she remembered Emma and Killian’s first meeting. “He’d been alone for six years, but he was smitten with you from that very first moment, and my heart rejoiced. And now here you are, a year later, about to join your lives together, forever.” Mary Margaret handed the handkerchief back to Elsa when a tear escaped and ran down her face. Emma chuckled and then wiped away her own tears. 

Outside the room, they could hear the organ beginning to play Sheep May Safely Graze, the last piece before Mary Margaret was to be seated. They moved from the Bride’s Room to the vestibule, where Emma’s dad, Liam, and Henry waited for them.

Elsa and her mother took their places on either side of Liam, and Alice took Henry’s arm, making Emma’s eyes fill with tears yet again. Henry was growing up much too fast. Holding his arm out to his best friend and now sister, just like a little gentleman, made her realize just how quickly time passed. She shouldn’t be able to see glimpses of the man he would one day become, not yet. She looked at her loved ones, meeting their eyes in turn, accepting the love and joy they all had for her on this special day. Having them all here on the happiest day of her life- loving and supporting her, loving and supporting them- made the day perfect. In every way.

“I’ve waited for this day for years,” David whispered. “In the sense that I hoped you’d one day find someone to love. Someone to love you and Henry the way you deserve. Someone to walk beside you through all the ups and downs of life. Killian is everything a father could want for his daughter and I cannot be happier.” The smile on his face was happy and sad at the same time, and Emma could no longer hold back her tears. She moved toward him, hugging him tightly, his hand coming up to cradle the back of her head.

“Thank you, Daddy,” she whispered. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

Emma pulled back and took a deep breath, accepting the now ruined handkerchief from Elsa to dab at her own eyes. Pachebel’s Canon in D was beginning, and Liam led Mary Margaret from the vestibule into the sanctuary. She carried two tall taper candles that she’d place on either side of the Unity candle Emma and Killian would light toward the end of the ceremony. In the absence of Killian’s own mother, he’d asked her if she would step in and fill the role.

Only a few minutes later, Liam and Elsa walked down the aisle, followed by Henry and Alice.

Emma felt David turn toward her, so she raised her eyes to meet his. Tears glistened in them and his smile trembled slightly at the corners.

“This is the… third best day of my life,” he said. “First was marrying your mother. Second was the day of your birth. And now today.”

Emma had nothing to say, so she simply rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. 

“Are you ready to give me away, Daddy?”

David nodded. “Let's go.”

The doors to the sanctuary opened as the opening bars of the Trumpet Voluntary began to play. She and David entered, and her eyes immediately landed on Killian. He wore his Navy Captain dress blue uniform, and Emma caught her breath at how handsome he was. 

She couldn’t take her eyes off of him as they continued moving forward. He beamed as he watched her, his smile lighting up his eyes and his entire face with profound love and unspeakable joy.

When they reached Killian and Liam, the four of them faced the vicar. 

“Welcome everyone, to the wedding of Emma Swan and Killian Jones,” he began, addressing the small congregation. He turned his eyes upon David. “Who gives this woman in marriage?”

“Her mother and I do,” David answered. He turned to Emma and placed a tender kiss on her cheek before turning to Killian and placing Emma’s hand in his. With a nod and smile of approval and affection, David turned and took his place next to Mary Margaret to watch the rest of the ceremony. 

Emma, Killian, Elsa, and Liam followed the vicar up the steps to the stage before he turned to them and began the ceremony.

Killian couldn’t take his eyes off of his bride. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, period, but today, she was literally breathtaking. She wore a simple gown in a slimline style with a sleeveless deep v-neck wrapped bodice with a satin skirt. Her hair was pulled back into a soft bun, her veil trailing down from the bun almost to the floor. He’d never beheld a more exquisite sight. He missed what all the vicar was saying, simply soaking in the vision that was his almost wife, until he announced it was time for the vows.

“Emma Swan,” he breathed. “I think I may have fallen in love with you on the very day we met. I knew that day my life was about to change for the better, and that sentiment has been proven correct many, many times over. You’ve made my life complete, Emma. I can’t imagine loving you more than I do right now, although I know I will as we walk through life together, because my love for you has grown every single day already. This day do I pledge thee my troth, to share everything in life, the good and the bad. No matter what the future holds, I want you to be certain that I will always, always be by your side. I love you, Emma.”

A hiccupping sob escaped Emma’s lips as she prepared to share her own vows.

“Killian, the day I met you, I had a feeling that there were many wonderful things to come. To look forward to, having you in my life. And it was hardly any time at all before I knew that I loved you and wanted to spend my life with you. Killian, you are the best man I know and I love you deeply. Truly. This day, in the sight of God and our dearly loved friends and family, I promise to love you. To honor you, respect you, cherish you. Walking through life together, the ups and the downs, will be a great adventure with you by my side. Until death do us part.”

Killian swallowed heavily. “And I promise to love, honor, respect, and cherish you, Emma, until death do us part.”

Once the vows were spoken, they exchanged rings, solid white gold bands, the vicar speaking a blessing over the rings. As they moved to light the Unity candle, the vicar read from the Book of Ruth, the passage speaking of never leaving the other, as long as they both shall live.

They returned to the vicar at the foot of the stage where he proudly proclaimed, “Killian, you may kiss your bride!”

Killian grinned, his eyebrows waggling as he took Emma in his arms and dipped her back before joining his lips to hers. The congregation around them erupted into shouts and cheers, but they were oblivious to all of it, simply soaking in the love they had for one another as their lips moved together. 

Long moments later, he finally raised them back up and they turned toward all their loved ones as the vicar announced them.

“Presenting Captain and Mrs. Killian Jones!”

The congregation again erupted in cheers as Emma and Killian proceeded back down the aisle, followed by Liam and Elsa, then Henry and Alice.

And they all lived happily ever after.

The End

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing! I'd love to know what you think! Merry Christmas!!!

[innytoes]

make more dark fantasy AU. please. pretty please. sugar please. there are children crying. Its me im children crying

I mean same, anon.

-Caleb just being completely obsessed with the jazz beat Alex showed him. He's pretty sure that's why it took so 'long' for the fairy to turn on him, he loved jazz.

-Alex was supposed to learn the drums to play in a nice, wholesome, Christian marching band and do the military drum beats for the army parades and scouts stuff but he learned the Fun Cool Music on the sly.

-The first several years Alex was in the fairy realm, he and Willie never exchanged a word. Like, when he was still having a good time, he'd spot Willie from across the room and think he was pretty, but he was always whisked away by a fairy who wanted to dance with him or Caleb who wanted him to play drums.

-Once he realises he made a big mistake, and it's too late to run, and his feet keep moving without his permission, his face in a smile that isn't his own, that's when he and Willie finally make contact. Every time he's nearing his breaking point and thinking he's going to go insane, Willie is there, whisking him out of someone else's arms, feeding him honey cakes, dancing with him to a song he hums in Alex' ear, slow and sweet and not at all what the music around them is, and he's practically holding Alex' body up, letting him rest.

-It's not until Caleb and the faeries disappear on some kind of hunt, who knows how long after, and he finally has control over his own limbs again, that Willie speaks. And then it's only a "come with me" as he leads Alex away, gently holding on to his fingers. And what is Alex going to do, not follow?

-They end up in some kind of room with a bed made out of moss. One of the musicians he saw was also there, already asleep, and oh god, there's more humans here? Willie just urged him into the bed and gently tucks him in and curls around him, and he's not sure how long they sleep but when he's woken up it's frantic and the boy with the lute - Luke, he introduces himself hastily - is dragging him up and away because its best not to keep Caleb waiting and he shouted he wanted music.

-Over the months, years, decades, he can't tell, he slowly learns more about who Luke and Willie are. Other humans come and go, and Alex sees just what can happen to the ones who do not stay on the fae's good side.

-Let's just say Caleb does Not like disco.

-Willie gets away with a lot more than the other humans can. And some of the lower ranking fairies seem to be almost afraid of him. Alex can never figure out quite how Caleb sees him though. Sometimes he acts like Willie is his child - usually when he wants affection or admiration - sometimes like Willie is a pet, and sometimes, the worst times, he takes his anger out on Willie in a way that is sometimes subtle, sometimes overt, and always terrifying.

-Once they live with the Molinas, Reggie is just dying to introduce the guys to things like Pizza and Poptarts and poprocks.

-The boys have very fucked up sleep schedules. Sometimes they don't sleep for days. Sometimes, worryingly, they do. Sometimes they sleep for 12 hours, raid the fridge, and go nap for another four.

-Willie biting into a pear and realising pears and pixie pears taste VERY different: excuse me but what the fuck is this?

He makes Reggie taste it and Reggie is like: yeah sorry buddy that's just what pears taste like here.

-On the other hand, pineapple is a new and exciting thing. For Luke, too, honestly.

-Carlos introduces him to Pixie Stix which have nothing to do with actual pixies but are Really Good and if you have 15 of them you have So Much Energy!!!!

-Willie being a Disney Princess. He can talk to birds. He makes friends with neighbourhood cats. Ray has a long conversation about how animal friends are outdoor friends after he came downstairs to find Willie on the sofa petting a raccoon in his lap and sharing a carrot with it.

-Look, Ray isn't saying now that he knows his kids have some kind of fairy changeling lineage that he's noticing things but... sometimes they are weirdly lucky, just like Rose was.

-And he's never had a green thumb... Rose's plant wall in the studio was close to death, until Carlos started going into the studio again. And they didn't truly perk up until Julie started playing music there again.

(Or maybe that's because Ray stopped overwatering the plants after Willie talked to him.)

-Reggie knows that he's not the only one with nightmares and trauma, okay, he knows that, but none of the other boys were hunted for sport and none of them have his weird aversion to horn sounds and bows and arrows. It makes things really awkward when Julie tries to show him nerdy movies he missed, like Lord of the Rings or the Hunger Games.

-Ray reads a lot of books and guides and studies on trauma informed parenting and how to help the boys, because he's pretty sure telling a therapist 'I was kidnapped to the fairy realm' is not going to give the kids the help they need.

-When Luke and Julie start dating, he's happy for them, though he does do the strict dad routine. Even though Luke is very old fashioned in a way that is charming and a little hilarious at times, given that his perception has been warped by hundreds of years of fae revelries. (Orgies? Eh, whatever. Getting to hold Julie's hand? Life changing, huge step.)

-The other guys seem happy for him. But the first time Luke falls asleep in Julie's room - innocently song writing, but he hadn't slept in two days and Julie's voice was so pretty and her bed was so soft - and she lets him stay, he wakes up to find the other boys demonstratively piled up on the floor around Julie's bed.

-Because Willie can't sleep without Luke there, so he bodily carried an already sleeping Alex to Julie's room. He was just about to go back for Reggie, but Reggie doesn't like sleeping alone either so he followed, dragging one of their blankets with him. And yeah, Julie has some explaining to do to Ray when he finds them like that the next morning. (The door was open! Luke was on top of the covers and she wasn't! They weren't even facing each other, dad!)

-Willie not quite knowing what to feel because on the one hand, relationships were very fluid among the fae and it's not like he has issues sharing. He never minded sharing Luke with Alex or Reggie. But then they were all together, and now, Luke and Julie keep disappearing together.

-And he's had Luke in his life the longest, and he doesn't know what to do with this new feeling inside him that makes him want to grab Luke and keep him away from everyone except his boys. And then he has a realisation that he's just like Caleb and he maybe hides out in the loft of the studio until Alex and Reggie find him and coax him down.

-Alex soothes him that he's nothing like Caleb, that being a little jealous when one of your friends pulls back because he's head over heels for someone is normal. That's the word for his feelings. Jealous.

-Reggie is very silent, and Willie flops on him and stares at him until Reggie starts petting his hair. And he realises that maybe Reggie is also jealous of Luke and Julie. And then he thinks back at how many times he and Alex have gone off on their own and thinks maybe Reggie is jealous of him and Alex as well. There's no more revelries where they are all together anymore. He should fix that. He doesn't want Reggie to feel what he's feeling.

-He makes extra sure to cuddle Reggie during that night's 'watching the tellyvision'. It also distracts him from wanting to hiss at Julie when she snuggles up to Luke and pull him away.

-Asking Ray about hosting revelries goes badly. He's pretty sure the modern human word for it is 'buzz kill'.

-As a compromise, Ray hosts a 'pizza party' which Willie is pretty sure is not comparable. He wants to pout, but then Ray mentions you can put pineapple on pizza and he's distracted.

-He talks to Alex about it all, because Alex is better at feelings and thinking. Reggie says he's better at Overthinking but Willie is pretty sure he's just jealous Alex can think of all the bad outcomes of their plans before they do them. (It doesn't stop them, but sometimes Alex does get to say 'I told you so', which is funny.)

-Alex tries to explain that things are different in the human world, that romantic and sexual relationships are between two people, usually. Alex is very cagey about answering Willie's question about whether or not he misses the other two boys, but finally Willie drags it out of him that yes, he does. But he also wants to be normal, and being with four people isn't normal, and he loves Willie and what they have.

-In response Willie pushes him through a wall, just to remind him they're Not Normal, and says they should kiss Reggie and Luke at the pizza party.

-Alex splutters and says they should ask first. He is also very insistent that there will be Nothing More Than Kissing at the pizza party, and Willie pouts. Ray already had that talk with him, thanks. Humans were so weird, they invented the most amazing ways to have fun (skateboards! Tellyvisions! Dubstep!) but were so boring in other areas.

-The pizza party was a success. He and Luke were Very Excited about the Pineapple Pizza. Reggie looked in heaven. Even Alex seemed to forget he was nervous about tonight as he stuffed an entire slice of pizza into his face. Alex was so talented.

-So around the last slice he asks Reggie if he can kiss him, and Reggie splutters and is confused, and Willie says he misses him, and Ray won't host any revelries and he wants to kiss him and Alex said he had to ask first.

-And Reggie looks at Luke and Julie and he looks conflicted and for a moment Willie is scared that Reggie doesn't actually miss them at all, he just wants Luke and Julie, and he's ready to teleport away and hide when Reggie says yes.

-The kiss is sweet and tastes vaguely of pizza. They have a very long talk and Reggie admits he'd missed them too but didn't want to intrude. He'd come to them last, he understood if Willie chose Alex, and Luke and Julie were clearly meant to be.

-Willie cuts him off and pulls him close and is like: you're ours and we're yours.

-Luke is looking very, very conflicted, and Julie looks like she's trying to understand, like when Willie tried to teach her a fae dance. He knows he should not anger their hosts, that's like the first thing he learned, but he can't help it and pouts over Reggie's shoulder: "Julie, you need to share."

-And Julie paused, and then nods. "Okay."

-And Luke is shocked, and Reggie and Alex seem shocked, but Willie is just pleased, and he leans over so he can kiss Luke as well, and finally the tight, sour feeling in his chest goes away and all is well.

-And if a few weeks later, Julie comes into the studio holding Reggie's hand and declaring Willie has to share, Willie is fine with that.

[denis-local]

a few asks... again... grahahah

1. can pilby fly

2. on a cat chomnk scale (that one meme) what level is gnarpy

3. what games does kasper play now that he's 💖yassified💖

4. what items DOES enphoso sell for the 💖yassified💖

5. instead of stealing coins, would cashier chuck lipstick at stealers/thieves in the store

6. how devastated was drretro when poob got 💖yassified💖

7. does fleshcousin speak differently now that they're 💖yassified💖

8. how in the lords name did william get 💖yassified💖

9. in this au is poptart alive I NEED TO KNOW (bonus to this question, what happened to them how did they go missing)

10. is fafa 💖yassified💖

11. does (un)pleasant try to interact with kasper or nah

IM SO SORRY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS BUT IM JUST SO CURIOUS

Mmm I love questions so dw haha

(Cut off for people who don't wanna scroll eee)

1. Yes it took them a while before they could learn though haha

2. I'd say after the infection, xe would be a hefty chonk but it'd all mostly be fur haha

3. Same games, but he'd probably revisit GirlGoGames.com (iykyk)

4. A LOT of new stuff, but mostly still trinkets and stuff like small packets of makeup, probably a pink version of that one item that screams and turns you yellow, and a LOT of Fizz Up. For some reason the infected LOVE drinking Fizz Up so he's ready to supply.

5. No that'd be a waste of merchandise! But he is always tempted to do so.

6. I'm guessing you're referring to the hc that DrRETRO is Poob's mom ans I'm not sure if I wanna add it to the AU, but if I were to she'd be extremely devastated let's just say that.

7. It probably speaks the same, but since it mimics things they hear from other people it does say a lot of new words haha

8. Nobody knows, but he seems to really be enjoying himself!

9. Got eaten by Unpleasant, but since I love cats too much I think it probably spit Poptart back up and they just ran away. Probably on a different floor, they didn't mean to actually go that far they just somehow ended up in the elevator.

10. Yes. A different version at least which Enphoso sells in the fruit section. If you bite it, you immediately get yassified.

11. I like to imagine they did before the infection and now it does try to interact a lot more (much to Kasper's dismay)

Mmm yummy questions hehe

[kazoosandfannypacks]

summary: when a demeter camper falls for an ares camper, carnations and crocuses aren’t too far behind, whether they like it or not. word count: 4173 words a/n: hey guys! i know y'all liked my last story so much, and i had so much fun with it, that i wanted to do another one! and yeah, i've never seen anything anywhere about the power i gave the demeter kid, but it i just kinda made it up and it works well for this story. enjoy! taglist: @poptart-cat-78 @fynn-arcana @babsbabbles @laughingphoenixleader {if you’d like to be added to my halfblood 5&1 taglist/pjo taglist, let me know!}

also on ao3!

five flowers ares girls don't appreciate (and one that they really, really do)

~oliver's third summer~

 Oliver McAdam had a rare blessing from his godly parent, and it was the bane of his existence.

 For some people, sometimes being a demigod meant you could do really cool things. A few of Hermes' kids were able to run fast enough, they may as well be teleporting. Apollo's kids sometimes had prophecy, or the ability to bend light. Some of Aphrodite's kids could control you with their voice like a Jedi mind trick.

 Oliver, however, a child of Demeter, possessed an ability none of his siblings— or anyone else he'd ever met— did. He'd first noticed it on his father's farm, when orchis started growing in the pumpkin patch, and he found osmunda in his window box of violets, but it wasn't until the tulip tree sprouted in the bathtub that he realized these flowers weren't random— he was creating them.

 Different flowers came from different moods. Daffodils and daisies bloomed when he was happy. Black dahlias surrounded him when he was anxious. Hyacinth grew when he was sorrowful. Sometimes fruit would graft itself from a nearby tree when he was hungry. That one wasn't so bad, of course, but he could do without the rest of them. The trail of flowers that followed his emotions made him feel like a freak, even by demigod standards.

 One of his little demigod half-sisters, Calla, had done extensive research on Victorian flower language, and thought it was the coolest thing ever how the blossoms that surrounded him followed him and responded to his mood exactly, speaking a language that florists had spoken for more than a century. She'd always been able to read his flowers like a functional mood ring, and sometimes she'd explain them to him when he didn't understand them.

 But he didn't need her to tell him what the sweet-brier blossoms growing at his feet were about, because even though they sounded pleasant enough by name, well, a sweet-brier by any other name could still spell terror. As it was, he was quaking in his boots. It was his day to check the cabins, which wasn't ever so bad in and of itself, until he got to Cabin 5. The Ares cabin was bad enough to look at from the outside, but to go inside the house of horrors? That was terrifying.

 He approached the cabin nervously, glancing down at his clipboard and praying no more sweet-brier planted itself on the cabin doorstep.

 Someone in front of him opened the door, and he froze with fear. The only thing scarier than Ares' cabin was Ares' kids, and though he didn't know which of them would be at the door, he could guarantee he didn't want to find out.

 The camper in question, apparently, hadn't seen Oliver standing there, but she became very aware of his presence when she ran into him.

 "Watch it, punk." she said.

 "I'm sorry," Oliver said, his voice squeaking as several flowers cropped up around him, "I didn't mean to…."

 If there had been more to that sentence, Oliver forgot it when he looked up at her. He'd never dared get this close to an Ares kid before, but if anyone had told him they were this pretty, he would've much sooner. Her eyes were the color of freshly upturned soil, her skin like a field of ripened wheat touched by a sunrise, her hair the same shade of black as the leather jacket with the ripped off sleeves she wore over her Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.

 "You'd better not've," she said, pushing past him.

 Oliver barely had time to notice the crocus that sprouted between them before she pushed past him and stepped on it on her way out of the cabin.

~oliver's third summer~

 By the end of that summer, Oliver had gathered that the beautiful child of the war god was named Emilia, and he recalled her claiming a couple summers ago after a divisive and merciless Capture the Flag victory. Oliver hadn't been outgoing even then, and Emilia hadn't exactly ever played nice, so he'd had no problem avoiding her.

 But now, that was the last thing he wanted to do.

 As he packed up at the end of the summer, he kept an eye out the open door of his cabin, watching Cabin #5 more closely than ever before.

 Most of his siblings had already left by the time he decided it was time to go, a couple ox-eye daisies budding around his suitcase. He saw in the distance as Ares' cabin door opened and Emilia left. Oliver had planned and timed this, quickly grabbing his suitcase and hoping he could make it look like an accident that he happened to leave at the same time as her.

 "See you next summer," he called across the distance, waving at her, "have a great school year!"

 "Get lost already!" she grumbled back.

 The last two times he'd tried to talk to her, she'd ignored him entirely, so he took her upset response as a good sign, hoping she wouldn't see the snowdrops that blossomed around him.

~oliver's fourth summer~

 When you feel refreshed by time out in the garden, winter lasts an eternity. Just when you think there's hope for the browns and grays around you to awaken into green again, they're buried in another layer of heartless white.

 But, just as hope comes to fruition from the darkest souls, so springtime blooms out of winter's chill, and soon it was spring at McAdam farms, and Oliver was soon busy helping his father on the farm. The past few years, he'd done as much as he could in the spring and fall, wondering how his father even got on through the summer while he was away at camp.

 And once again, his father would have to manage, as Oliver found himself in the familiar fields of Camp Half Blood.

 In the past four years, Oliver had gotten better and better at controlling his emotions and their telltale flora. He still couldn't stop himself from growing monkshood in moments of panic or control what plants he created, but for the most part, he had a handle on his feelings in the minutiae of day-to-day life.

 That is, until he sat down for his first dinner of the summer at Camp Half-Blood, and saw Emilia at her sibling's table across the pavilion, laughing with a violent excitement at being together again. Oliver's life wasn't very exciting in the offseason, so one of the biggest points of interest that year had been the thought of Emilia.

 Despite his best attempts at restraint, his plate was soon covered in yellow blossoms, blooming out of his chicken nuggets in a feat of nature that would've been incredible if it wasn't so incredibly annoying.

 "Tarragon?" Calla asked, taking a seat next to him, "funny, I prefer ketchup on my chicken nuggets, myself."

 "Are you sure you don't want to try it?" Oliver joked, as he started to pick the flowers off his plate, hovering a few over her dinner plate as a taunt.

 "Oh, I'm good," she giggled.

 He looked up across the pavilion again, and saw that Emilia was looking at him. Granted, most of the camp was looking at him, almost as though they'd been awaiting the first of his accidental flowerings this summer. He only really noticed Emilia though, and how she smiled a little and rolled her eyes.

 Oliver didn't care that her smile was meant to taunt him, that she was laughing at him and not with him— he still saw something warm in it, and her smile made him smile.

 Unfortunately, her smile also made him sprout, a yellow tulip blossoming— not in front of him, but at the longest distance away he'd ever gotten a flower to bloom: right out of Emilia's blood red glass of cola.

 He looked back down at his food quickly as her siblings began laughing and her face flushed as red as her cola. When an Ares kid gets into a rage, you don't want to find yourself in their warpath, and Emilia was no exception. Oliver looked up, only a little, to see the crumpled tulip land on his dinner plate, though he knew that if flowers were a better projectile, she definitely could've taken his head off with it.

 "I guess I'm eating salad," he muttered, deadpan, shrugging as he stabbed at the head of the tulip and pretended to eat it.

 His siblings laughed, and he looked up to see Emilia, still upset, and he tried to convince himself that she didn't look cute when she was angry like that. He wasn't sure how she'd respond if his feelings accidentally covered her table in red roses, but he didn't want to find out, especially once she'd remember that roses have thorns.

 Instead, he kept his mind occupied by his quest to remove the plants from his dinner.

 "Don't think I don't know what that means," Calla whispered to him.

 "I know you do," Oliver said, without looking up.

 "Tarragon is for lasting interest," Calla said, "and even though everyone thinks yellow flowers just mean friendship, the yellow tulip goes deeper. It actually means 'there is sunshine in your smile." Isn't that so dreamy?"

 "I guess," Oliver chuckled.

 "You've had a crush on her since last summer?" she whispered. He looked up at her with a glare, "what makes you say that?"

 "It's so obvious," she said, "does she know?"

 He looked down at the crumpled tulip on the table.

 "I sure hope not."

~oliver's fourth summer~

 It wasn't uncommon for Ares kids to challenge each other to combat. Sometimes it was to air grievances, and sometimes it was to let off some steam, but usually it was just for fun.

 Oliver had never found it fun to fight or to watch fighting, but he was excited to watch the fight that broke out between Emilia and the new girl, Clarisse. Clarisse was young, but still a terrifying force, and Olilver wouldn't've wanted to face her, even before she'd gotten a month and a half of half-blood combat training.

 But Oliver was still rooting for Emilia. She was still older than Clarisse by a few years, and was one of the most formidable fighters at camp.

 "You think she's gonna win?" Calla asked, coming up behind Oliver and standing next to him as they watched this fight.

 "Who?" Oliver asked, without looking back at Calla, taking advantage of this chance to stare at Emilia.

 "The Easter Bunny," Calla said, sarcastically, then clarified, "Emilia."

 "Yeah," Oliver sighed, "isn't she so cool? She's such a talented fighter, and she knows exactly what she's doing, and her moves are so graceful and calculated, and…."

 "You need to get out of here," Calla's voice was suddenly serious.

 "What do you mean?" Oliver asked, but before the words were out of his mouth, he saw Emilia fall to the ground, having tripped on something. Clarisse was quickly at the ready, with a sword pointed at her neck before she had a chance to get up. He then noticed what she'd tripped on— dozens of trailing alyssum plants had grown at her feet.

 "Was that me?" Oliver asked.

 "No, it was the Easter Bunny again," Calla said, "you'd better run. If you're here when she gets up…" "Yeah, I know," Oliver said, taking off for his cabin, hoping Emilia wouldn't join the trail of peony that followed him away.

~oliver's fourth summer~

 Oliver tried to ignore the flowers at his feet as he sat on his cabin's steps. Over the last few days, Emilia had made it clear that she didn't want him, or his pity apologies and peony powers, within two hundred yards of her.

 But even two yards from her would've been too far for him, and no matter how physically distant he was, his crumbled heart was still with her.

 "Red carnations?" Calla interrupted Oliver's brooding silence.

 Oliver didn't respond.

 "Do you need me to tell you what that one means?"

 Calla sat down next to him. "'Alas, for my poor heart!' I always thought that was a strong sentiment for one plant to carry, but I get it now, mopey."

 "She won't even talk to me," Oliver shook his head, "I mean, she never talked to me, but she won't even let me apologize."

 "It probably wouldn't've worked out anyways," Calla said.

 "What's that supposed to mean?" If anyone would've understood his feelings, it was her. He sometimes wondered if his little sister had been misclaimed by Demeter, and if Aphrodite was her mom instead. She saw the potential for a relationship in anyone.

 "I mean, her dad's the god of war," Calla said, "our mom is the god of wildflowers."

 "The opposite of that," Oliver shook his head, "the harvest. Things we plant."

 "So, gardening."

 "Have you ever started a garden?" Oliver asked. When she shook her head, he continued, "you look at a piece of land, and you say, 'this is mine.' You mark off a territory, and you fight for it. You rip it apart by the roots, you make it yours, and you don't show mercy to any weeds or wildflowers that stand in the way. If you let your guard down for even a day, the enemy will choke you out. You have to keep fighting. Gardening is war, and if anyone could understand that…."

 He shook his head as his voice trailed away.

 "I didn't know you were such a fighter," Calla smiled, then nudged him, "and I bet Emilia doesn't know that either."

 Another red carnation sprouted at the mere mention of Emilia.

 "And she never will," he half laughed to shrug off the pain.

 "Not with that attitude," Calla said, "but maybe if you show her?"

 "How?" 

 "Maybe start with flowers," Calla suggested, motioning to the DIY bouquet at their feet.

 "Give her these?" Oliver asked.

 "It's a start," Calla said.

 "I can't do it."

 "You have to try."

 "No I don't."

 Calla shook her head and got up.

 "And here I thought you were a fighter."

 "So?" Oliver asked.

 Calla smiled and shrugged, "so fight for her."

 Oliver looked down at the flowers at his feet and knew exactly what to do.

 🥀

 He watched her cabin from a safe distance. He'd seen his brothers leave flowers for the Aphrodite girls all the time, but he had a feeling Emilia wouldn't respond the same way. It was just a simple bouquet with a note that said "I'm sorry," but he hoped the rich hue of the red flowers would appease her, like a sacrifice painted in the blood of her enemies.

 He watched as she opened the cabin door and picked up the bouquet, then re-entered her cabin.

 Did it work? Would she hear him out? Would she at least treat him civilly?

 He watched again as she left her cabin, holding the flowers upside-down, a lighter in her other hand (and where she got a lighter at camp, he didn't want to know.) The flame quickly licked up the plants, and she left the charred husk that remained on her cabin steps as a reminder.

 Oliver didn't need to hear that message twice. If his poor heart ached when he saw that happen, he wouldn't give her the flowers to prove it.

~emilia's third summer~

 Emilia had had just about enough of this flower boy, and it took her every last ounce of restraint to keep from burning down his cabin instead of just the red flowers he'd left at the doorstep yesterday. She couldn't imagine what would've happened if any of her siblings saw them before she got rid of them. They'd already given her a hard enough time about the tulip soda at the start of the summer and losing in battle to the new girl last week, she didn't need this ruining her image either. When would this pansy stop trying to embarrass her already?

 She smiled as he cowered away when she saw him at breakfast that morning. She'd put him in his place. Nobody, nobody makes Emilia Alvarez look stupid and gets away with it.

 🥀

 Emilia had been cornered by a lot of people in her life. Even mortals like her siblings back home and the bullies at school had seen her as easy prey for years— though the older she got, the less she let them give her problems. And demigods? Most of them would steer clear of her with just a glare, and the ones that didn't quickly learned their lessons.

 That's why she was so thrown off today, when a girl grabbed her by the arm and growled her name like it was some kind of curse.

 Emilia turned to see a girl ten inches shorter than her, with flowers braided in her hair and a necklace made of plastic daisies.

 "What's your problem?" Emilia asked.

 "No, what's yours?" the flower girl sneered.

 "Hey, I'm not usually in the mood to bust someone's nose right after eating," Emilia threatened, "but you wouldn't be the first, and you won't be the last."

 "Take your best shot," she said, "you could stand to lose dessert privileges the next few days."

 Emilia frowned, then smiled and pulled back to punch, but stopped when she saw the fear in her eyes.

 "I recognize you," Emilia said, "you're the one always hanging out with that punk."

 "Calla," she said, "and 'that punk' has a name— it's Oliver— and if he didn't care so much about you, I would've flattened you myself by now."

 "Back that train up," Emilia crossed her arms, "'Oliver' doesn't care about me. He's been using his flower powers to make me look stupid all summer."

 "I didn't know he goes for stupid," she sighed, "but he's absolutely crazy about you, so…."

 "'Crazy's' a good word for it, runt."

 "You don't understand," Calla said, "he hasn't been trying to make you look bad at all."

 "Well, he's got a funny way of showing it," she rolled her eyes.

 "He can't control it."

 "Can't control what?"

 "The flowers," Calla said, "they just kind of happen. He doesn't cause them— deliberately."

 "I don't buy that," Emilia asked, "you've got ten seconds to scram before I bash your brains in."

 "It's true!" she said, apparently undeterred, "they respond to his emotions. Like the tulips when someone's smile reminds him of the sunshine."

 "What?" Emilia asked, recalling the soda blossom at the start of the summer.

 "And the alyssum you tripped on?" Calla said, "when he likes someone for who they are, more than just their beauty." "Beauty?" Emilia asked, "He thinks I'm pretty?" "More than that," Calla said, listing a few things off on her fingers, "a skilled fighter, a queen on earth, the pride of Camp Half Blood. He won't shut up about you."

 Emilia tried to pretend that the red she could feel creeping across her cheeks was from anger, not because she was blushing. She tried to change the subject.

 "So you expect me to believe the bouquet of flowers with an apology note was an accident too?"

 "That one was my idea," Calla admitted, "a foolish attempt to get you to talk to him— but it was only flowers he'd already grown, borne of heartbreak. He's devastated, Emilia, and it's because of you."

 "Good," Emilia said.

 "I know you don't really think that," Calla said.

 "You don't know me." 

 "I know you would've pulverized me by now if you were glad you hurt him."

 Emilia could've pulverized her. She could've punched the smug grin off the flower child's face. She could've flattened her before she got a chance to turn heel and leave. She could've yelled a few insults, or chased after her and beat her down. Instead, Emilia stood in silence as she walked away.

 🥀

 Everything felt different as Emilia walked across the camp. Her heart raced like she was preparing for war. She smiled like she'd completed some conquest. Somehow she felt a little bit invincible— was this what love feels like?

 She started to notice things more too— most prominently, she noticed a trail of red flowers, just like the ones she'd burned yesterday. Now that she realized that was a declaration of love and not of war, she almost felt guilty crushing his heart in response. In fact, she did feel guilty— and she needed to make it up.

 She followed the trail of flowers to the shade behind cabin #4, where she saw Oliver sitting against the wall, lost in thought. She approached him with military stealth, and he didn't even notice as she stood right over him.

 "I thought I'd find you here," Emilia said.

 He looked up at her, startled, though she couldn't tell if it was a general startle or if it was because her presence had that effect on people.

 "Then again, the carnations gave you away."

 "Emilia!" he said, nervously jumping to his feet as though he were about to make a hasty escape, "don't worry, I'll, I'll get out of your way."

 "Not so fast, punk," Emilia said. She grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him back, turning him around and pushing him against the wall in front of her, her arm pressing against his collarbone, "I had a talk with your little friend."

 "What about?" he asked, fear swirling in his eyes.

 "Something about you having a little crush on me," she narrowed her eyes, "is that true?"

 He looked down at the ground for a moment, then back up at her, meeting her eyes with his.

 "Yeah," he said, followed by a quick, "please don't kill me."

 For a moment, before his face washed with fear, she saw a confident determination, like a soldier prepared for war. She liked that more than she normally would've admitted. She also liked the fear in his eyes too— actually, maybe it was just that she liked his eyes, and the rest of his face as well.

 "Oh, don't worry," she said, pushing him harder against the wall, "I wouldn't do that. I can think of something a lot better to do with your face than pulverizing it."

 "Like what?" his voice squeaked.

 "Like this," she smiled.

 She leaned toward him and planted a kiss on his trembling lips, which stilled themselves as the world did, stopping itself and starting itself all over again.

 She pulled away, and he blinked a few times, stupefied. She ran a range of emotions she couldn't begin to place names to. He must've as well, because as she looked down at their feet, there must've been a dozen different flowers growing around them, entangling their roots, planting them both to the spot.

 But one flower stood out most to her, a couple bright orange blossoms she couldn't stop herself from picking.

 "Nasturtium," she said.

 "What?" Oliver asked, breathless, still clearly trying to regain his senses.

 "These grew back home," Emilia said, lost for a wistful moment as she twirled the buds between her fingers, "when I was a little girl, back in Chile."

 She met Oliver's eyes.

 "Know what this one means?"

 He shook his head.

 "Conquest," Emilia said, "victory in battle."

 She didn't explain how she knew, but he seemed too shocked still to even bother to ask.

 "I think I'll keep this one," she said, tucking the flower behind her ear, "if that's okay with you."

 "Yeah," he whispered.

 She could tell he was still processing, trying to figure out what was going on, and if there'd been a flower for confusion, it would've been in the garden growing between them. It might be best to give him time to weed out his thoughts— pun literally intended.

 "I'll talk to you later, okay?" she said.

 He started to say "yeah," but she planted a kiss on his cheek first, which apparently flipped a reset switch in his brain all over again.

 As Emilia walked away, she brushed her fingers along the flower behind her ear. She knew her siblings were gonna give her a hard time for it, but she'd give it right back to them. As much as she hated them picking on her, she'd tolerated it— but somehow she knew that if any of the others started poking fun at Oliver, she'd personally arrange a meeting between their head and a toilet, complete with a black eye as a parting gift.

 She'd heard someone on TV say that love was strength, and maybe they were right. As much as she'd always fought for herself, she was twice as prepared to fight for Oliver.

 Especially that day at lunch, when he gave her a whole bouquet of those bright orange nasturtium flowers, and though he was still apparently too tongue-tied to get out anything more than a "these are for you," the note he'd written on the card said it all in just how he addressed her: "to the champion who conquered my very heart"

[1nf3ct3d-x3]

so kaspy, your cat is missing. teechnically speaking though, poptart could've been eaten, by unpleasant, but no one really knows. unpleasant's been coughing up hairballs for a while which is why people think that. thought u should know, since you're like, back n control of ur body or whatever.

...i really don't think he'd do that.

[nscafe-firehose]

15 years of disability

Here we are, on the an anniversary I never wanted,  March 24, 2008.

15 years since acquiring tardive dystonia.

Let’s catch up a bit then, shall we?

First thing; still happily married to the same person, who has also became my primary caregiver.

Which leads me into, yup, I still very much have tardive dystonia and it hasn’t gotten any better. I have good days and bad days. But I’m safe and taken care of.

I also found out that I have an inoperable osteochondroma (bone growth) on my right tibia that has given me no end of acute chronic pain from apparently my early teen years onwards.

I smoke 120g of cannabis a month to manage both the tardive dystonia and acute chronic pain (and the accompanying depression, or whatever having no functional dopamine to speak of is, that goes with such things)

We currently have one cat, her name is Mystique and we’ve had her for a while now. Both Poptart and Charlie passed.

We live on the western end of downtown Calgary, in the Beltline. Great place to be. 

COVID-time has compelled me to pretty much stay inside (aside from vaccinations+boosters, doctors appointments, voting and rare time of eating outside or in very well ventilated areas) and while she has to go out to work and deal household related activities, she (and we) both wear masks when we’re not in the apartment (including the hallway to the elevators). We’ve never had COVID and if we continue to be careful, then we may get through this without acquiring it. We’ve forsaken a lot in order to not get sick. We’re getting updated boosters on Sunday!

For my particular point of view, I’m back to living like I was up in Falconridge. Stuck.

We moved, in large part, to the Beltline to not be stuck. At least we’re staying safe.

And if you want to reach out and say hi again, you can ask for my email...

[lets-summon-demons-666]

I posted 91 times in 2022

41 posts created (45%)

50 posts reblogged (55%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@sistertosleeep

@icantleave

@tori-springs-diet-lemonade

@satans-poptarts

@mitskifenatic

I tagged 18 of my posts in 2022

#dead poets society - 6 posts

#neil perry - 3 posts

#todd anderson - 3 posts

#wolfstar - 2 posts

#my chemical romance - 2 posts

#cats - 2 posts

#good omens - 2 posts

#supernatural - 2 posts

#the umbrella academy - 2 posts

#fall out boy - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 69 characters

#guys im a mermaid my tail is blue and pink and i can speak to animals

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

WHY IS KLAUS CHUGGING FLOOR CLEANING LIQUID

13 notes - Posted June 28, 2022

#4

I feel like we don't explore the fact that there is a chance that Remus literally could have seen dead poets society

14 notes - Posted September 25, 2022

#3

found THE iconic neil perry green jumper in primark today. Gay rights.

15 notes - Posted September 23, 2022

#2

“This summers gonna be a movie!” Yeah Dead Poets Society (the last 30 minutes)

189 notes - Posted June 13, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

KLAUS AND DIEGO USED TO HUFF PAINT TOGETHER I CANT BELIVE THIS

197 notes - Posted June 22, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[poptart-cat-78]

I’ve just caught up on both the PJO series and FNAF Help Wanted 2 and UGGGHHH THEYRE SO GOOD!!

[dollfishu]

MOST URGENT (LISTED TO BE EUTHANIZED) CATS 5/8/22 - DEVORE ANIMAL SHELTER

There is only one open kennel in the room where the “Rescue Only” cats are held, so there is a very real possibility we will lose some cats today if none are rescued. 😞

These cats may be euthanized at any time, but being on the Urgent list does not guarantee they will be euthanized today. Most require a rescue group with pull rights at the shelter. They are Rescue Only.

Please share and tag rescue groups!

Benbow #A763750 Fluffalo #A763752 Cly #A763773 Vosh #A763820 Vernis #A763821 Yassu #A763822 Darkon #A763823 Tilsit #A763845 Shambala #A763892 Sharona #A763895 Javelin #A763898 Poptart #A763771

Momma Gwenifer #A763756 - Friendly medical waiver

Location:

DEVORE ANIMAL SHELTER 19777 SHELTER WAY SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92407

(909)386-9820 - press 2 for Devore Shelter, then press 3 to speak with a shelter agent (rescues press 1 to speak with a rescue coordinator)

[kmomof4]

Into the Light: A Vampire Fic for @cssns

Ch2 From Shadows Into Light

And here is Ch2!!! Thank you all so much for your love and enthusiasm for this fic!!! All your comments have thrilled me to no end!!!

More thanks and love to @snowbellewellsand @jrob64 for their outstanding beta services, @hollyethecurious for her encouragement and brainstorming partnership, and to @zaharadessert @stahlop and @grimmswan for their help early on in the writing process.

And last, but certainly not least, to @motherkatereloyshipper for the artwork above that STILL leaves me absolutely speechless when I look at it!!!

Thank you all so much!!!!

Fic Summary: The move to Storybrooke, Maine might have been intended as the beginning of a new life for Killian Jones and his older siblings Liam and Belle, but there's a darkness over the town that threatens the small family's happiness, as well as the girl and small boy Killian has taken a liking to from his school. Killian is determined to help Emma and Henry get out of the situation they are in, but those dark forces in and around town have another plan altogether.

Ch Summary: The SHOWDOWN!!!

Rating: T for non graphic violence and subject matter.

Words: Approx 6700 of 16,500

Tags: Vampires, Inspired by The Lost Boys, CSSNS23

On ao3 / From the Beginning

Tagging the usuals. Please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed.

@teamhook @winterbaby89 @xarandomdreamx @undercaffinatednightmare @the-darkdragonfly @superchocovian @pirateprincessofpizza @tiganasummertree @anmylica @cosette141 @jonesfandomfanatic @ultraluckycatnd @jennjenn615 @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 @kymbersmith-90 @booksteaandtoomuchtv @wistfulcynic @mie779 @lfh1226-linda @aprilqueen84 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @pirateherokillian @elfiola @ilovemesomekillianjones @justanother-unluckysoul @poptart-cat-78 @myfearless-love @goforlaunchcee @searchingwardrobes @gingerpolyglot @gingerchangeling @djlbg @cocohook38 @cs-rylie @thisonesatellite @donteattheappleshook @deckerstarblanche @veryverynotgoodwrites @wefoundloveunderthelight @fleurdepetite @alexa-fangirl-forever

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

Ch. 2 From Shadows Into Light

Killian awoke to what sounded like a knock on his window. The emotional outpouring must have exhausted him enough, he didn’t even realize he’d fallen asleep. He sat up and turned around toward the window, straining to hear whatever it was that woke him.

A moment later, the knock came again, along with a low call.

“Killian. Are you there? Please answer me, if you are.”

It was Emma and he hurriedly pulled up the blinds and opened the window.

“Emma,” he called. “I’m here.”

Her breath of relief was audible as she placed her hand over her heart. Henry was with her.

“What are you doing here?”

“I needed to make sure you were okay,” she said, desperately. “Can we come in?”

“Yeah, hold on.”

A minute later, Killian quietly opened the front door and ushered Emma and Henry inside. He led them to his bedroom and shut the door firmly behind them before joining them on the bed. Emma gently traced the slope of his forehead, running her fingers through his hair before speaking.

“You’re alright?”

“You knew what their plan was, didn’t you?” She swallowed hard and nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me?” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized what a dumb question it was. He rolled his eyes at himself. “Sorry. It was just the first thing that popped in my mind. You tried to tell me. I didn’t believe you. I thought I’d misheard.”

“I mean, who could blame you? Who would believe vampires were real, in the first place, and then that they were interested in making more like them?”

Killian shook his head and looked down at his clasped hands. “Certainly not me.” He looked up at her again. “What about you?” It had just occurred to him- the falling asleep in class, not sleeping at night, the sunglasses. “You’re one, too, aren’t you? And Henry?”

Emma nodded. “Neal enthralled Henry to drink the blood in order to get to me. I didn’t want to have anything to do with him. I knew something was off about him, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He threatened Henry if I didn’t join him.”

Killian’s blood boiled. Now all her non-verbal signals when around Neal made perfect sense. And Henry’s, too, for that matter. They’d both been coerced into taking that first step to becoming something truly horrific.

“You have my word, Emma,” he said, placing his hand on her arm and then glancing at Henry, who was already fast asleep, curled up under his covers. “I’ll help you get away from him.”

“We have to kill him,” she whispered.

Killian nodded. “Stake through the heart? Holy water?”

Emma nodded. “Yes, to both. Sunlight will also destroy them.”

“What about us?”

Emma turned her head to the side, uncertainty in her gaze. “I don’t think anything should happen to us. Killing the head vampire… should make us go back to normal. Since we haven’t made our first kill.” She turned wide, fearful eyes on him. “You didn’t kill, did you?”

“No, no, no,” he assured her, shaking his head. “I was too… overwhelmed. Disgusted. Horrified. They took me with them to a small cove near the cottage.”

Emma nodded.

“There was a group… five? Ten? Maybe?” He shook his head, trying to dispel the memories coming back. “They killed them all, Emma.” He looked back at her, tears gathering in his eyes. “I was so sick. I couldn’t do anything.” He began to sob again, and Emma wrapped her arms around him and lay back on the bed, Killian’s head laying on her chest. She held him as he cried, running her fingers through his hair, humming a soft tune under her breath he could barely hear. He tried to smother the sounds coming out of him into her skin, not wanting to wake the sleeping Henry.

Long minutes later, his grief abated and he looked up into Emma’s eyes. Her own sorrow was reflected in their jade depths as her gaze met his.

“I’m sorry, Killian. I never meant for this to happen. But I had to keep Henry safe. I’m all he has.”

“Of course you did,” he agreed. “I don’t blame you at all.” He laid his head back down on her chest, his arms holding her tightly around the middle.

“He told me to invite you to the beach party.” She was still running her fingers through his hair, and he could feel the tendrils of sleep starting to wrap around him. He rested his chin on her sternum, looking at her face.

“That’s why you were looking at him kinda confused. When he pretended not to know who I was,” Killian said. Emma nodded. “I noticed and knew something wasn’t right. The way you were acting, I knew something was wrong, and I promised myself then that I’d help you, help you both get away from them.”

A tremulous smile broke over her lips and she raised her head slightly from the pillow it rested on. Killian lifted himself up, propping himself up on his elbow at her side before leaning down slowly and touching his lips to hers.

A soft moan came from her, and he felt her fingers fully delve into his hair as she opened her lips to him. He accepted her invitation and gently probed the depths of her mouth. His unoccupied hand moved to cup her face as their tongues began to dance together. He rolled on top of her and settled between her legs, his hands gently cupping her face as he released her lips and placed light teasing kisses to her jaw and then down the slope of her neck. Emma threw her head back, granting him more access, a breathless moan escaping her lips as her hands roamed up and down the planes of his back.

Before they could get carried away, Killian pulled back and looked down into her eyes. She was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. Her skin was flushed, her hair tousled, her lips red and kiss swollen, her green irises almost completely overtaken by her pupils. He was sure he must look the same.

“We should stop,” he whispered, glancing over at Henry who snored softly on the other side of the bed.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “We need to come up with a plan.”

He rolled off her again, settling himself between her and Henry. “We wait until morning,” he said, “Then we go to their lair and kill Neal. Do you know where they sleep during the day?”

Emma nodded. “The cottage. On the beach.”

Killian was taken aback. It seemed to be too obvious since that was where they hung out at night. “Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes,” she assured him. “Henry and I both spent the day there the first night I…” She trailed away and couldn’t meet his gaze. He realized immediately what she meant.

“When he made you drink it.” She nodded. “Ok. You said holy water, sunlight, and a stake through the heart would do it.”

She nodded again. “There was another one, earlier in the summer that didn’t make it back to the cottage in time. Neal locked him out to face the rising sun.” She shuddered at the memory. “He was nothing but ash in moments.” Killian gathered her in his arms, offering her what comfort he could.

“If only there was a way to get them out of the house and into the light of the sun without waking them,” he mused.

“What if we opened the curtains on the windows? Or the blinds,” Emma suggested.

“Will that do it?” he asked. “With the glass in between the direct sunlight and them?”

“I think so,” she said. “Neal is very careful to keep all the curtains and blinds tightly shut once the sun rises. He won’t go anywhere near a window during the day.”

“Then opening them in the room where he’s asleep will disorient him enough that we can move him into the sunlight, and poof, no more Neal.”

“But we should probably have stakes with us and holy water, just in case.”

“Absolutely,” he agreed. “Because if we’re wrong about the sunlight, we’ll need the backup. Will you be able to stake him, if you have to?”

A hard look came into her eyes, and Killian caught his breath as a sudden realization came over him. This girl was the most beautiful, loving, smart, and fierce woman he’d ever known, and he knew his heart wholly belonged to her.

“After everything he’s done to me? To all of us? Happily. And with a smile on my face.”

Killian kissed her hard at her declaration. “Sounds like a plan,” he said, after releasing her. “We should sleep for a little while. We’ll go by St. Andrew’s on the way to get the holy water and Ace Hardware for stakes. Henry can stay here and sleep.”

Emma nodded and moved closer to him, her arms wrapping around his middle. Killian lay back, one arm around her shoulders. She snuggled closer and lay her head on his shoulder, placing her hand over his heart. He placed his other hand over hers and closed his eyes, thankful they were safe for the moment, thankful to be holding the woman he loved in his arms, thankful they had a plan. All they had to do now was carry it out. And they’d all be free.

~*~*~

Several hours later, Killian and Emma entered the cottage by the sliding glass doors that led to the beach. The sun was shining brightly outside in the September morning, for which they were both grateful. They crossed the kitchen silently, both armed with three stakes tucked into the waistband of their jeans and a travel cup filled with holy water. They were both dressed in dark clothing to make it easier to hide in the shadows with nothing hanging loose that any of the monsters in the house might be able to exploit to their advantage- their shirts were fully tucked in, and Emma’s hair was gathered up and under the ball cap she wore. They were fully aware they might not make it out alive and were determined to do everything they could to ensure their success.

They planned to sneak into the room where Neal slept and open the blinds over his bed. Hopefully that was all it would take to destroy him. But if it wasn’t, the holy water would burn his skin and give one of them the chance to drive the stake into his heart- freeing them and destroying the other vampires.

They climbed the stairs, Emma pointing out the squeaky step to avoid on the way up. Emma motioned to the first room on the right at the top of the stairs. Killian nodded his understanding and held his breath as she carefully turned the knob.

The room was shrouded in darkness, but Killian followed Emma inside as she moved across the room to where the outline of the window could just be discerned in the gloom. He stood over the figure on the bed, stake in one hand, cup full of holy water in the other and nodded at her.

She jerked on the pull string, lifting the blinds in one smooth motion, the morning sunlight pouring into the room and filling every corner. Felix bolted upright on the bed, his mouth open on a high pitched scream that threatened to break the windows. They both clapped their hands over their ears to try and shut out the piercing tone, but the sound only grew in volume and pitch until as suddenly as it began, it was gone. As was Felix, only a pile of ash on the bed where he’d been asleep.

There was no time to contemplate why Felix was in this room instead of Neal. They both ran for the door, their attention captured by the other two vampires who’d just stumbled out onto the landing from their rooms. They were both disoriented enough that Killian and Emma had time to run down the stairs before the other two even realized their sanctuary had been breached. But as they raced across the kitchen to the sliding glass door, Neal screamed at them from the bottom of the stairs. How he’d moved so fast given the circumstances, was beyond Killian’s comprehension.

“I see you!” he screamed. “And I know where you live.” He kept screaming at them as they ran, safe now that they were in the sunlight, but still so full of terror at what had just transpired, they couldn’t stop. “I’m coming for you, Killian Jones. Tonight, you diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!”

~*~*~

It was nearly dusk and Emma and Killian were ready. With Felix dust, all they had to worry about tonight was Neal and Peter. Surely they’d each be able to handle one with either the stakes or the holy water.

“You stay in here, Henry,” Emma admonished him seriously. “You’ve got snacks and Killian’s video games to play.”

“You don’t leave this room until Emma and I come back,” Killian added. “Do you understand?”

They’d decided to keep their plans from Henry in case something went wrong, but now Killian was second guessing the decision. For Henry to understand why it was so important for him to stay in his bedroom, he had to know the reason why. Killian knelt in front of the boy.

“We’re going after Neal tonight, Henry,” he said. “Do you understand what that means?”

Henry nodded slowly. “We’ll be free of him?” he asked, his voice small and tremulous, but also full of belief and hope.

“Yes,” Killian assured him. “That’s exactly what it means. And you have to stay safe until Emma and I come back. Do not leave this room. We shouldn’t be long.”

Henry nodded again and sat down in Killian’s gaming chair while Killian booted up his computer. As soon as Henry was occupied, Emma and Killian slipped out of the room to find Liam coming down the hall.

“Where are you heading, Liam?” Killian asked.

“Nemo called,” he said, rubbing his hand down his face. “There’s a bluefin tuna catch coming in that needs to be recorded, and he’s in the middle of something urgent that he can’t leave, so he asked if I could take care of it. Where are you two off to?”

“Oh, just dinner and a movie on the boardwalk,” Killian said, taking Emma’s hand. She looked at him and smiled, a soft blush on her cheeks. “I thought it was time for us to go on a real date.”

Liam smiled. “Good for you. Have fun but don’t be out too late,” he said, reaching for the front door. He opened it to find Robert Gold standing on the front stoop. His hand hung in the air, just about to knock.

“Oh, Robert,” Belle exclaimed, coming into the foyer from the kitchen. “You’re a little early. Won’t you come in?”

Gold’s eyes flicked to Liam at Belle’s words. “I believe I should request an invitation from the man of the house,” he said. “Since he’s the one I would be seeking a blessing from at some point in the future.”

Killian’s eyes widened in shock. Was he serious? He expected to marry Belle someday?

“Very well, then,” Liam said, his face a mask, revealing nothing of his thoughts or feelings about Gold’s declaration. “Please, come in.”

“Thank you.”

As Belle showed Gold in, Killian, Emma, and Liam all left, going their separate ways. Emma and Killian had decided to go back to the beach house, to draw Neal away from Killian’s house, with Henry, Belle, and Gold inside. Hopefully, they’d catch him before he left to come looking for them, giving them a slight advantage.

They arrived at the house to find it dark and eerily silent. The sun was barely gone, so they thought they’d catch Neal and Peter just waking up. But as they entered the house the same way they escaped that morning, all they heard was silence.

That silence was suddenly broken by a chuckle that sent a bolt of terror down Killian’s spine.

“Well, well, well,” a voice said. “Neal was right.” The white, almost ghostly face of Peter emerged from the shadows underneath the stairs, looking like an untethered balloon as the rest of his form was still concealed in the darkness. “I really didn’t think you’d be bold enough to come back, not after what you did to Felix.”

“And what we’re about to do to you,” Killian said, taking a step forward, his voice firm and brooking no argument. His heart was absolutely racing with terror at facing these creatures, but at least there was only one, at the moment, instead of both.

“Where’s Neal?” Emma asked, stepping up next to him.

Peter chuckled again. “Oh, he’s just gone to pick something up,” he said, the grin on his face sending prickles of unease through Killian. “A little surprise, if you will. He told me to wait here for you.”

“So, what?” Killian asked, “We’re just supposed to sit around and wait? Engage in friendly banter with you?”

Peter’s face changed before their very eyes, his terrifying full vampire visage now in view. “Your protection has been revoked, Killian, so we have free rein to do with you as we please. And I please… to enjoy my meal.”

Before Killian could blink, Peter rushed toward him, Emma’s screams echoing in his ear. Emma was pushed to the side in the moment before Peter got behind Killian and pulled him back against his front. The monster’s breath tickled his neck, the same metallic scent of blood flooding his sinuses.

A split second later, a change came over Killian. The blood rushed in his ears and a haze came over his vision that sharpened everything. The shadows retreated, and objects were more defined. It was as if he suddenly wore night vision goggles. He could feel the points of his fangs against his tongue. It took only a moment to realize what was happening to him. It made him hope that he had a chance against the creature that held him.

Peter’s embrace was like iron, but the position of his arms around Killian’s shoulders and torso was awkward at best. Killian had just enough room to pull one of the stakes out of his waistband, and changing the angle of his arm after retrieving the weapon, he jabbed his elbow into Peter’s midsection. It was almost a futile hope with as strong as the vampire was, but if Killian could create the barest of spaces between them, he might be able to maneuver the stake into position to kill him.

A loud oof in his ear told him his blow had landed, and Peter’s arms loosened the tiniest bit. It was just enough for Killian to pull his arm out a little and jam the spike into Peter’s midsection. Blood poured from the wound and Peter’s howls of agony split the air.

But it wasn’t a fatal blow. Not yet. Killian jerked himself free of Peter’s embrace and pulled the second stake from his waistband. He plunged the deadly instrument into the monster’s chest, and Peter’s body completely disintegrated around it before Killian could even let it go.

It took Killian a few seconds to realize what exactly had just happened, staring at the pile of ash that just moments before had been a vampire trying to kill him. He shook his head and looked around frantically for Emma. Peter had tossed her aside before grabbing him, and Killian feared the worst.

She was just rising to her feet, her face pale and a nasty cut on her forehead that looked like it might need stitches. Killian’s jaw dropped as she moved toward him. The cut was disappearing before his very eyes.

“What?” she asked as she approached him. He couldn’t answer her or take his eyes off her forehead and she reached up to touch the area he was looking at.

“You had a long cut,” he breathed, disbelief coloring his words. “It disappeared. Completely. While I watched.”

“Oh, yeah,” she said with a shrug. “We can heal. I guess I should have told you.”

Killian looked down at the pile of ash again and kicked at it, scattering the fine dust. “As long as there’s no healing from that,” he said, smirking, “I’m good.”

“Yeah, no,” she returned his smirk. “There’s no coming back from that.”

Killian looked around, a bit at a loss. “So now we just wait for Neal to come back?”

“I guess so,” she agreed.

“I do so hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.” The disembodied voice floated to them from outside. They both spun around, only to find Neal standing on the deck with Henry held in front of him.

Killian gasped.

“No!” Emma screamed.

Neal grinned at them, a depraved and manic thing. But Henry didn’t move. Not a blink. Not a twitch of a muscle. Nothing.

“What have you done to him?” Killian shouted, realizing the moment the words left his lips what was wrong with the boy. He was enthralled. Killian ground his teeth together in fury. This bastard would do anything to win. He wouldn’t play fair. He had to have some kind of leverage to get what he wanted. Unfortunately, the leverage he held was powerful.

“Emma, all you have to do is join me. Fully. Now. And Henry goes free,” he assured them. “I’ll even remove the curse from him. He’ll be a normal little boy again.”

Something wasn’t adding up. Granted, Killian didn’t know much about vampires, but nothing he’d heard from Emma had even suggested that it was possible to remove the curse from them. Not without killing the head vampire.

Neal had no intention of freeing Henry. He was going to kill him. Once Emma agreed to be his, he had no more need of the boy. Killian couldn’t allow that to happen.

“I have your word?” Emma asked. “Henry goes free?”

“I swear it.” He held one hand out to Emma for her to take, still holding Henry securely against him.

“Don’t trust him, Emma,” Killian said as she took a step toward the deck. “Send Henry here, first.”

“I will as soon as Emma puts her hand in mine.”

Killian realized exactly what she planned to do in the moments that stretched between them. As soon as she was close enough to Neal and Henry was out of the way, she was going to stake him. Hers were hidden underneath the light jacket she wore. Emma took another step and opened the sliding glass door. Neal’s eyes flicked to Killian and he chuckled.

“Emma is mine, Killian,” he said, a gleeful note coloring his words. “You think I was just going to let you have her?”

“If you knew I cared about her, why didn’t you just kill me?” Killian asked. “Why go through all this, trying to make me a vampire, too?”

Neal sneered. “Because I was ordered to.”

Killian’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Ordered to? By who?”

“That’s not your concern,” he said. “If it was up to me, we’d have feasted on you that first night.” He shrugged, his face completely unconcerned. “Just another missing person in this town.”

Killian’s thoughts raced. Neal wasn’t the head vampire. Killing him wasn’t going to free them from this curse they were living under.

There was no way Neal should have been able to get to Henry. Without an invitation from someone inside the house, Neal wouldn’t have been able to enter. Someone, or something, would have had to get Henry from the inside. And that was Gold.

Gold. With the glittering eyes and the unnatural pallor of his skin. Gold, whose very presence made him uneasy. Gold and the weird disorientation Killian felt when he shook his hand on the first day of school. Gold used him to get to Belle. And now that Gold was close enough to her, Killian could be disposed of. It had to be him.

“Send Henry to Killian,” Emma said. “Then I’ll be yours. I promise.”

Neal chuckled. “You think me a fool?” he asked. “I’m holding all the cards here. And I’m not giving up my advantage.”

“Then you leave me no choice.” Emma pulled out the travel mug of holy water from her jacket pocket and pulled off the lid, tossing the water in Neal’s direction.

Most of the water hit Neal in the face, a loud sizzle emanating from where it landed. But some splashed onto Henry as well. It was enough to wake him from the enthrall, hissing in pain from where the water landed. They’d learned the hard way when they collected it that morning, that even being only half-vampires, they weren’t immune to the burn of the sanctified liquid.

Neal screamed in agony, releasing Henry.

“Go to Killian, Henry,” Emma cried, dropping the travel mug and grabbing one of her stakes. She drove it into Neal’s chest, the same thing happening to him that had happened to Peter just a few minutes earlier.

She turned back toward Killian and Henry, the little boy’s face pressed into Killian’s middle, his arms tight around his waist. Killian caught his breath. Imminent danger or blood lust must bring out the vampire within them. Emma’s eyes were gold, just like Neal’s and the others’ were when they were ready to feed, fangs sharp and gleaming in the light of the moon.

A moment later, her face fell, her eyes taking their normal jade hue back on, her fangs disappearing. “What? Why?” she cried, her voice full of anguish. “Why am I still…”

Killian took a lurching step toward her, Henry still wrapped around him like a baby koala, making it hard for him to walk.

“Neal wasn’t the head vampire, Emma,” he told her, his anguish matching her own. “I’m sorry.”

“Then who is?”

“I think it’s Gold, the headmaster,” Killian informed her. Emma’s eyes widened in alarm.

“And he’s at your house? He’s the one who got Henry?”

“Yes. We don’t have any time to waste. Let’s go.” He hoisted Henry up into his arms and they ran out of the house, down to the beach and the boardwalk as fast as they could. It took far too long to reach Killian’s house, both of them acutely aware that the longer Belle was in Gold’s presence, the closer she was to succumbing to him completely.

They pulled up in the driveway and got out.

“Stay in the car, Henry,” Killian said. “Crouch down in the backseat. You’ll be safe there.” Killian had no idea if his words were true or not, but he was glad when Henry immediately followed his directions. He turned toward the house to see Emma trying to get a look inside through the transom windows.

“I don’t see them.”

“Let’s just go in, like there’s no problem at all,” he proposed. “Just coming home from our date. If everything looks okay between them, we’ll go to my room to get my other stake then come take him out. If they don’t…”

Emma nodded her agreement. He opened the front door and heard music playing from the big screen in the family room. Just as they were about to head toward the dining room at the back of the house, Gold came in, leading Belle by the hand. There was no recognition in her unblinking eyes, and Killian knew that everything he believed about Gold was correct.

“Get away from my sister,” he yelled.

Gold’s mouth opened, his sinister laugh filling the room. Emma’s eyes flashed gold as she growled beside him. She grabbed her last stake and ran toward the monster, arms outstretched before her.

Gold grabbed her empty hand and the wrist whose hand held the raised stake. He lifted her as if she weighed nothing and threw her across the room. She hit the wall and crumpled to the ground, unmoving.

“What…?” Belle’s words weren’t much more than a whisper, and Killian felt the same transformation that had come over him when fighting Peter, happen again.

Killian rushed toward Gold, ready to tear him limb from limb if he had to, righteous anger and fear for his loved ones fueling his actions, completely forgetting that he was going up against a full blooded and likely ancient vampire.

Gold’s cane came out of nowhere, catching him on the underside of the chin. Pain exploded as his head jerked back and he fell to the floor, the room around him spinning.

A moment later, he was hauled up to his knees, Gold’s arm holding him securely around his neck. He was dragged around until they both faced Belle, her face a mask of horror and dismay.

“R- Robert?” she stammered, her breaths coming short and close together as she took in the scene in front of her.

“Oh, Belle,” he crooned. “My love.”

“Don’t listen to him, Belle,” Killian growled, barely getting the words out, scrambling at Gold’s arm as it tightened where it was, cutting off his air supply.

“Belle,” he said, again. Her name rolled off his tongue like a song, and Killian knew he was trying to enthrall her into accepting him.

Killian gathered all his strength and punched Gold in the back. His only reaction was a small grunt, but not a loosening of the arm around his neck.

“I’ve wanted you since the moment I met you, Belle,” he said, that same musical quality on the edge of his words, but not quite as potent as earlier. “I knew that you would be my queen. That your family and my family would be perfect together. I knew… that if I had Killian, you’d never refuse me.” Killian still struggled against the strength of the monster that held him, but it was a useless endeavor. “Killian and Emma may have killed my favored children, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still be one big, happy family.” Gold held his hand out to Belle, horror and revulsion still covering her features. “Be mine, Belle, and I’ll release Killian.”

Killian’s head spun as he struggled to remain conscious. He shook his head at her, no longer able to speak, begging her with his eyes not to give in.

Tears filled her own as she whispered his name- Killian- and extended her hand toward the demon.

~*~*~

A little over an hour after he’d left home, Liam had recorded the catch and emerged from the harbor master’s office to see his boss, Nemo, heading down the docks.

“Ah, Liam, glad I caught you,” he called as he moved closer. “Any problems with the catch? I’m sorry I couldn’t be here. Something came up that required my immediate attention.”

Liam waved away his apology. “It was no problem. I needed to make myself scarce anyway,” he explained. “My sister was cooking dinner for her headmaster. They’ve just started dating, and she didn’t want her older brother hanging around.”

Nemo’s brow furrowed. “Her headmaster? Robert Gold? From St. James Academy?”

“Yes, do you know him?”

“We have to go,” Nemo said, urgently. “Now!” He grabbed Liam by the arm and started dragging him toward the parking lot.

“Why? What’s going on?” Liam asked.

“Gold is a vampire and he’s after your sister!” Nemo shouted over his shoulder as he unlocked his Hummer and climbed in. “Get in!”

“What?!” Liam exclaimed. “A vampire? Vampires aren’t real!”

“They are in this town,” Nemo mumbled, turning the vehicle on.

Liam couldn’t get his head wrapped around Nemo’s words as they tore out of the parking lot. “What are you talking about, Nemo?” It had all happened too fast for Liam to even think about not coming along. Only the relationship forged between him and his boss the last several weeks kept Liam right where he was, riding shotgun in Nemo’s vehicle, racing toward his home. Nemo had filled a place in his heart and mind that had been empty the last four years since their parents had died. No matter what kind of insanity was coming out of his mentor and father figure’s mouth, he obviously believed Belle was in extreme danger and was determined to do something about it.

Nemo’s intense gaze never left the road, his knuckles white on the steering wheel as he began to speak.

“I’m a vampire hunter, Liam,” he said. “Believe me when I tell you, that vampires are very much real. Especially here. Storybrooke is a refuge for them. I’ve no idea why. I came here years ago but still haven’t found the head vampire. That’s where I was this afternoon. After dispatching a small coven, I couldn’t make it back in time to record the catch. That’s why I called you. All the vampires I’ve destroyed… it’s like a hydra. Cut off one head, two more take its place. If I could find the head vampire, all the others would die. I’ve recorded twenty-two covens of vampires in this town, ranging in size from five members to a hundred.”

“How do you keep yourself safe from them?” Liam asked, completely astounded at Nemo’s words. He couldn’t believe he was asking Nemo this question, but every word out of his mouth, as crazy as they sounded, was spoken by a man in firm control of his faculties. These weren’t the ravings of a lunatic.

Nemo tugged at the chain around his neck, pulling out a medallion with some ancient runes engraved on it. “This talisman should keep me safe. But I’ve never had to put it to the test. I’ve been able to keep my identity a secret from the hive, attacking during the day, and not leaving any alive to come after me.”

Liam’s eyes got bigger and bigger the more he spoke.

“But late last night, as I was leaving the office, I saw Gold feeding on the end of the pier. One of the homeless that live under the docks. I had never suspected Gold to be a vampire. When he was finished, he tossed the man into the ocean and took off flying. Only the oldest and most powerful vampires can fly. With luck,” Nemo’s eyes widened a bit at the implication- that Liam’s sister was being pursued by a very old and very powerful demon- “killing Gold will take care of all the rest of the vamps in this town.”

They pulled into the driveway behind Killian’s Chevelle, killed the headlights, and were just about to exit their vehicle when the face of a small boy popped up in the back window of Killian’s car. The child scrambled toward the door and all but fell out of the back seat before Liam realized it was Henry Mills running toward them waving his arms with tears streaming down his face. Liam jumped out of the Hummer and grabbed Henry in his arms.

“Henry!” Liam exclaimed. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s got her inside,” he sobbed. “Mr. Gold. Emma and Killian told me to stay out here and they went in after him. He’s going to kill them all!”

Liam lifted Henry into the vehicle and sat him in between himself and Nemo. “Let’s go,” Liam growled as Nemo cranked the Hummer, revved the engine, turned on the headlights, and hit the gas again.

~*~*~

Just as Belle placed her hand in Gold’s outstretched hand, a loud honk from outside drew everyone’s attention to the front door. Killian could barely make sense of anything, but he heard an ear-splitting crash, felt Gold’s arm around his neck loosen allowing him to finally take a deep cleansing breath, and saw a blinding brightness from the direction of the door. He surged to his feet, towards Belle and pushed her away from Gold. Something- he had no idea what- flew in between him and Gold from the front of the house. He followed Belle to the ground, covering her with his own body, waiting for Gold to come after him again.

But the moment never came.

Killian lifted his head, suddenly conscious of all the dust and debris filling the air, as well as utter silence. After the cacophony of the last few moments, Killian wondered if he’d been struck deaf.

The front of his house was gone. It was replaced instead by a huge truck of some sort. The headlights must have been the brightness he had seen as he lunged for Belle. He turned his head back behind him, where Gold had been, to see a huge support beam from the front wall embedded in the floor, surrounded by the same ash that Neal, Peter, and Felix had been reduced to when they’d met their destruction.

Robert Gold was dead.

He got up off of Belle, the sounds around him trickling into his consciousness.

“Emma!” he cried, seeing her arm moving out from under a huge piece of sheet rock that covered the rest of her body. He grabbed her hand, her own immediately grasping his, as he pushed the debris off of her. “Are you alright?” he asked. He couldn’t keep the panic out of his voice as he hovered over her, helping her sit up.

She winced, grabbing her ribs. Killian gently wrapped an arm around her and helped her to her feet. She looked around at the destroyed house, her eyes wide and disbelieving.

“Emma! Killian!” Henry cried, clamoring down from the truck. He ran toward them as fast as he could amongst all the rubble. Killian shifted slightly in front of Emma so that Henry would reach him first and not further injure her. She was going to need a trip to the Emergency Room. Soon.

Killian caught Henry with his free arm and hugged him tightly.

“Are you ok?” he asked.

“Yeah!” he shouted. “Liam let me ride in the… whatever it is! Isn’t it awesome?” Killian looked up at the vehicle where the front of his house was supposed to be. Liam and a tall olive-skinned bald man were helping Belle up and making sure she was alright. Killian, Emma, and Henry made their way over to them.

The other man smiled warmly as Liam gathered Belle in a bone-crushing hug.

“You must be Killian,” the man said with a smile, holding out his hand to shake. “Liam’s younger brother. He’s told me a lot about you.” Killian scratched behind his ear, suddenly bashful. “I’m Nemo, Liam’s boss.”

Killian took his hand and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, sir. Thank you. I don’t expect you knew what was going on, but…”

“On the contrary,” Liam interrupted, “He knew exactly what was going on.” He nodded at Nemo gratefully. “I’m just thankful that we made it in time and that no one was seriously injured.” He glanced at the support beam. “Besides Gold, of course.”

They all chuckled, but Emma shut her eyes and moaned in pain when she did. “That’s the proof that he was the head vampire, isn’t it?” she asked. “These ribs hurt like a bitch. I didn’t heal. I’m not… not…” she trailed away, too overcome to continue.

“That’s right, my dear,” Nemo said. “With Gold gone, all the vampires around here should be dust.” He smiled ruefully. “If my calculations are correct, the population in this town is going to be about half what it was.”

Killian’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

Nemo nodded solemnly. “Indeed. You noticed all the people at night on the boardwalk? You work at Any Given Sundae, right?” Killian nodded. “Most of them were vampires on the hunt for tourists. Storybrooke citizens know to stay indoors at night.”

“And now they’re gone. All of them,” Killian breathed, unable to hide his amazement. He turned to Emma and Henry. “We’re free,” he whispered.

Emma exhaled forcefully in relief. “Yeah,” she said, smiling up at him. He turned fully toward her and looped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him, mindful of her ribs.

He looked down into her eyes and saw a peace and relief there that he knew shone in his eyes as well. He lowered his head, intending to simply brush his lips across hers, but Emma was having none of it. She grabbed him around the back of his neck and captured his lips with her own. He had no idea how much time had passed and was lost in the flavor of her lips when a loud clearing of a throat entered his consciousness. He pulled back, heat flooding both their cheeks as he looked around at the various countenances surrounding them, sporting everything from wide smiles to knowing smirks.

Killian shrugged. “Well, I mean, can you blame me?”

Laughter erupted around them and he pulled Emma close again, stroking her hair and back, now fully convinced that this move to Storybrooke, Maine was the start of a new life for them all. A very happy beginning.

The End

~*~*~

Thank you so much for reading and reblogging! I'd love to know what you think!

[polafria14]

Marshmelo Clinic Episode 1 - Jazz facing Cat Punk Poptart - (Sweet Lil Thing by Radio Moscow)

So I (used to) read the New York Times a lot lol. And I was always intrigued about the hallucinogen treatments they now do in some psychiatric offices. Pretty much a shaman but in a white coat lol. Therefore, let me introduce to you my new episodes called: Marshmelo Clinic. Where we get high and face our inner callings. New episode is out now! PS - MAKE SURE TO TURN YOUTUBE CAPTIONS OFF THEY ARE ANNOYING! (I added the english subtitles when the cat punk poptart speaks in Spanish and you will get to see them with the Youtube CC turned off)

[twerkingoftheshrew]

My friend Valkyrie and I made lists of things that are "mecore" for fun. Here's mine.

TW: mention of self harm, NSFW as hell

Soxcore:

Silly knee socks, cannabis, gin and limeade, mismatched footie socks, foxes, fuzzy blankets, cute plushies, creepy plushies, stained glass, colored glass, granny aesthetic Halloween decor, big cocks, 2D muscle men, 2D hot twinks, 2D dommy mommies, cryptids (esp. Mothman), ghost sex, monsterfuckery, jean overall shorts with rainbow straps, band/punny/nerdy tshirts, silky fabrics, stupid adorable cats, mint and dark chocolate KitKats, sprite, original ramune, instant ramen, sailor moon, David Bowie, InuYasha, Fruits Basket, eeveelutions, pins and buttons, pet play, shibari, restraints, holding hands during sex, kitchen witchcraft, wholesome witchcraft, baking sweets for people you care about, one man show in the kitchen, rain in every form, distant thunder, reading smut, toe beans, male ahegao, soft yanderes (all yanderes), impressionist art, making a playlist for every occasion and mood, 2D simping, Ren faire, overcast days, having a moody day, spending the day in bed, cute shoes/boots/heels, rubber toe sneakers (high and low top), cardigan sweaters, nightmare before Christmas, dad hats, witch hats, flower crowns, silver or gunmetal jewelry, vampire movies, goth femmes from 90s cartoons, hugs, gentle casual touches, surprise kisses, tickles and cute pokes, tappy fingies, blushing, being flustered, being oblivious to flirting, being clumsy, being derpy, string led lights, cool spectrum colors (miss me with those warm tones), the sound of water (especially underwater sounds), the moon and stars, walking at night, soft nighttime breezes, running through the woods, shoulder freckles, weirdly good with animals, being shy but polite, being an open book in a comfortable conversation, constant body language, can always read their emotions plain on their face, hand gestures while talking/talking with hands, wild arm flailing (muppet flailing), muppets, tabletop gaming, spring, daffodils, hyacinths, lavender fields, heather meadows, orchids, weeping willows, big old trees, passionate infodumping, platonic cuddling and spooning, granny floral prints, paisley, tarot cards, reading tea leaves, reading runes, amethyst, goldstone, lapis lazuli, smoky quartz, geodes, found animal bones, fangs and claws, pointed ears, oddly shaped pupils, burying your face in things (pillow, crook of lover's neck, cat belly, etc.), early emo shit, random hodgepodge of different 90s aesthetic and nostalgia, those fuckin cups from the 90s with that purple and blue pattern, wildberry poptart colors, wildberry poptarts, smutty dating Sims, hot fictional men who will kill my character, dead doves, the most toe curling fucked up fanfics imaginable, romcom BL, crying a lot, crying from any intense emotional response even if it's positive, crying because of a piece of media, crying for release, crying in the shower, curling up on the floor and clutching yourself tightly while you sob, singing in the shower, singing around the house, singing to my fur children, a live narration of my actions done in song, changing song lyrics to be about silly things, doing character voices in everyday conversation, speaking in meme references, referencing old vines and then having to explain them because someone hasn't seen that one,

gin gins (ginger hard candy), being touch starved, touch as primary love language, sleeping while hugging a pillow, side sleeping, sleeping in, suddenly realizing you've been awake far too long, coming out of a hyperfixation like time travel and figuring out what year you're in now, surprise naps, nap roulette, garlic rye chips, cheese, cheesecake, baby, so so baby, masking mental health in public and to unfamiliar people, thinking no one would ever put up with you, cutting, cutting scars, tattoos that cover scars, piercings and body mods, Oreos, walking down train tracks with a friend, cosplay and LARPing, musical theatre, standing in the rain just to feel it on your skin, stretching like a cat, nose and feet are always cold for some reason, mushroom swiss burgers, psychedelics, MLP:FiM, beanies all winter, choker necklaces, space as an aesthetic, glass pipes and bongs, glassblowing, small venue punk and rock shows, the concert poster plastered bathrooms of a small punk venue, please pet me uwu, neon hair dye, anatomically inaccurate plastic Halloween skeleton animals, clingy but pushes it down, needy but won't ask for things, multiple texts in a row, reading constantly, crowd anxiety, corvids, cephalopods, freshwater shrimp, dying after a fat bong rip/fat dab, simping, passive darling, needing a caretaker relationship, Alolan Vulpix and Ninetails, Greek food, dumbass fudanshi, animal crossing, pop punk, early techno, sad indie, 80s-90s goth kid music, red bean ice cream, ramune flavored candy, Marius from Lez Miz, hobbits, DC, drawn/animated furries, hugging people in fur suits at cons, nigiri sushi, onigiri, the works of Neil Gaiman, femme authored classic literature, classic and modern poetry, occult nonsense, romantic literature, the works of D.H. Lawrence, fantasy fiction, bi panic, "you're so funny" thanks it's a coping mechanism, cast iron wood stoves, generational cast iron pans, family recipes, emerald and silver, dainty works of metal art like broochs, pins and hair pins, band and random sew on patches, night mist, kintsugi (using liquid gold to fix broken things), memories that are so obscure and buried in references and inside jokes it's almost a two person play to explain them,

looking like a Victorian ghost, looking like the host of a punk rock children's show, seaside cliffs, sea storms, Vicky's story in The Gargoyle, The Gargoyle, househusband vibes, chill edits of toonami anime, stupid puns and wordplay, over the shoulder glances, over the edge of sunglasses glances, not getting rid of plushies because you don't want them to be sad and miss you and you're worried about whether or not they'll have a happy life elsewhere, having spoiled fur children because you're a pushover, kissing while crying from happiness, walking arm in arm, face touches, hand on face, hand over hand on face, soft neck and shoulder bites, bite marks, hugging from behind and kissing the top of someone's head, headpats, rubbing your nose on soft things, judging a mug solely by how it feels in your hands, loose leaf tea, having a tea shelf/cabinet, a nice, comfortable pair of boots, lemon, vanilla, clove, sandalwood, sage, lavender, bed head, wants to make you breakfast, embroidering memes and shit posts, wooden rocking chairs, owns way too many accessories, various collections of seemingly mundane items that have more meaning than they should, casually sex/sexual health positive but shy about personal tastes, awkward creetchur vibes, gives genuine compliments to strangers often, always gassin up the homies, forced optimism, character/pop culture mini backpacks, sunglasses with colorful lenses, I like you so I did a deep dive of your Spotify, can and will remodel the house for you, "I can fix that", "please let me put together the furniture it's like a big puzzle!", painting/customizing bits of furniture or clothing because I got bored, making friends in the smoking area, smoke breaks because I'm anxious/overstimulated, telling the band "great show" at the merch table, things that glow in the dark, fireflies,  forest rivers and streams, moss covered stones, trees or tree roots that have a surprisingly comfy place to sit, reading a book outside, the smell of books, libraries, old libraries, book spines under fingertips, page edges and corners against fingertips, holding a book to your chest to feel the story close to your soul, overcast days that press down on your soul a bit and make everything feel slightly heavy and bittersweet, crock pot meals on cold days, clutching the edges of sweater or hoodie sleeves, frost covered grass, misty dawns, museum dates, chai lattes, nose boops, edible mushrooms, flowering trees, needing white noise/music to sleep, borrows your hoodie because it smells like you, walking through a cemetery together reading the stones and imagining the lives of the people buried there, "ooo they have a charcuterie board!", Ghibli food and domestic fluff vibes, will absolutely cook with you or for you, spooky cute, gently bonks my head against you like a cat, slow blinks/bleps of affection, book dragons, I really like this new song so I'm going to listen to it on repeat for hours on end, corner store snack runs, PS2 startup noise

[eristic-kaleidoscope]

The Results Are in! - Ch5 Trial Results 1/4

Calluna passed a look to An, considering commenting on some of what she’s said in response to others, but left it at a nod for now, before waiting the appropriate time before speaking again to call time.

“Well, that’s quite enough of that. Truly this trial was not for our own sake in the first place, so please don’t make inaccurate assumptions. But as 15 minutes have now passed, that marks the end of your voting period. Truly, things could have gone either direction before the very end, but the results are as such:

Erika N has 1 vote Akito has 2 votes

… And the one who’s netted the most votes with a total of 5 votes is Erisu Kabasawa, for the murder of herself.”

There’s a pause as she looks over all of you in the room, before ultimately nodding.

“Thankfully for one of you, at the very least, you are correct. And, might I add, this was always a special case given the circumstances, so the results of such will be different than they normally are.”

Upon the conclusion of Calluna’s results reading, An crossed their arms, clearly lost in thought as they read the results on their tablet repeatedly.

“... I get that you hate us and want to make everything harder for the two of us, but I thought that at LEAST enough of you liked–”

The rest of the proceedings were interrupted when a poptart cat smashed through a “shatter” on the screen of the northernmost wall, and several dozen copies of the long-forgotten meme invaded the screens around you, blasting Nyan Cat in 8K surround sound as you're subjected to yet another unexpected interruption. Amidst the chaos, a message appeared all around you, refusing to go anywhere despite the hosts' attempts to control the situation through their tablets.

"Hey, keep your hands off our problematic meow meows! They're under our AEGIS, and that means you're not allowed to fuck with them, arschgeigen! Hang in there, civilians, we're breaking in shortly!"

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

190 of 2023

Created by savannahelaine22

You are below 5'2". Your best school subject is English. You play fastpitch softball. You have a cat(s). You're the youngest of your siblings. Your parents are seperated/divorced. You have green eyes. You're relationship status is: complicated. You stress out over everything. Your best friend is of the opposite gender. Your favorite season, by far, is summer. You have an average body type. You love high school wrestling. Your favorite music genre is indie. Spiderman is the best superhero. You like Facebook more than Myspace. You own an iPhone. Your favorite color is yellow. You have never fake baked. (what is that even??) If you could travel anywhere, it'd be to Australia. You have read the "Pretty Little Liars" series. You used to be obsessed with The Sims. Your favorite holiday is the Fourth of July. Your birthdayfalls between the 1st and the 10th of the month. You don't like to paint your nails. You wear contacts/glasses/both. You NEVER use "lol" only "haha, lmao, lmfao". You can't wait for school to end. You've lived in the same house for 10+ years. You have had an expander. You live in Pennsylvania. You only wear black socks. You are brunette. One of your birthmarks is on your arm. You worry for no reason. Haunted houses terrify you. You trust a lot of people without thinking. You're in love. You live the Pittsburgh Penguins and/or Steelers. ♥ You are a freshman. You live in a small town. You usually do your homework. You stay up past midnight on school nights. You usually dress like a bum for school. You don't like to dance that much. You are a virgin. Your name begins with an S. (middle name) There are 5 letters or less in your last name. Your favorite number is between 1 and 25. You have never smoked a cigarette. You would love Monopoly if it didn't take so long. You have lost a friend recently. You were with a boy last night. You hate winter. You care about somebody more than life itself. You miss somebody who has passed away. You have regrets. You don't like basketball. You think sharks are sweet. There's nowhere in the world you'd rather be than the beach. The person you like/love is 3-5 years olders than you. You have been in a relationship for over 6 months. (XD six months is not even a relationship) You don't like horseback riding. Something on you is sore. You get A's and B's in school. You wish you could play the piano. You think Urijah Faber is the most gorgeous man alive. You can't cook. You are broke at the moment. You like classic rock music. You play volleyball. You have managed a high school sports team. You\'re a little insecure about your body. You hate hypocrits more than anything. All you want to do is have fun. You love poptarts. You own a pair of offbrand Uggs. Your favorite restaurant is TGI Friday\'s. The person you like/love does not go to your school. You can speak some Spanish. You\'re not a huge fan of dogs. You normally fall for athletes. You want a tattoo. People make fun of your height on a regular basis. You like tye dye. Your favorite card game is Rummy, Bullshit, or Spit. You favorite movie is an action movie. You like to scan the radio. You don\'t mind your first sunburn of the year. You only like snuggling if you REALLY like/love the person. You have been inspired by a motivational speaker. You still coloring in coloring books. You think relationships are hard. You own at least one thing that\'s Puma. You eat when you\'re bored. You take long naps at the worst times. You love stand up comedy. You drink energy drinks. You used to watch The Powderpuff Girls or Lizzie McGuire religiously You own a pair of nike or adidas slip ons. You could eat pizza anytime. You are listening to music right now. You have plans tonight. The person that you like/love has a first name beginning with M. It is past 2pm right now. You like Taylor Swift. You are wearing something brown right now. You have been to a drive in movie theater. You are going on vacation this summer. You have taken a picture of yourself today. Your favorite store is Pacsun. (never heard of it) Your most recent ex's name begins with a J. You have a half sibling. Your know somebody with the same middle name as you. According to your answers, you think we could be friends.