#captain cobra swan

[naiariddle]

7x02: Family.

#captain swan #captain cobra #captain cobra swan #swan believer #hookedit #emmaswanedit #ouatedit #my edits naiariddle #7x02

[kazoosandfannypacks]

Emma, Henry and Killian all making sure their dream home has a view of the sea. ONCE UPON A TIME: 2.6, 3.20, & 5.8

#once upon a time #captain cobra swan #emma swan #henry mills #killian jones #captain swan #captain cobra #swan believer #tallahassee #kansas #birth #once upon a time season 2 #once upon a time season 3 #once upon a time season 5 #also i apologize for how crunchy these gifs look??? #i would like to say it is an intentional stylistic choice but that would be tacky and also a lie #if anyone knows how to fix this (i use shotcut for gifs) please let me know

[snowbellewells]

Self Promo Sunday: “Prestidigitorium!”

When I originally wrote this little one shot after Season 5′s premiere episode (5x01), I remember being both excited and anxious for what was to come for Emma and those who love her most. I couldn’t help wanting to write a bit of sweet fluff for them, in the midst of all the angst that I’m now sure is on the way. (Boy, we couldn’t have even guessed at how angsty Season 5 would really get, could we?) I loved that little Emma in the flashback was seeing The Sword in the Stone, and the title of this is from that movie’s song Merlin sings while showing Wart how to pack magically.

Also available on A03 or ff.net (As part of my One Shot Collection “Of Swans and Swords and Hopeful Hearts) if you prefer to read on one of those platforms.

Summary:  Canon Divergent 5a Missing Moment /// Sometime in what I hope is the near future, a simple family movie night after Emma has defeated the Darkness…

The little yellow cottage by the water seems lit from within on this chilly autumn evening as night begins to fall over Storybrooke, Maine. Though it hasn’t been home for long, Emma Swan’s first place of her own – that isn’t a tiny apartment in some huge, bustling city – is already exactly the cozy sanctuary she envisioned. It hasn’t been more than a couple of weeks since she moved her things in, settled into the space, and she is only now starting to feel that she really will be alright. She will be able to stay here in this little town, and she won’t have to fear hurting the ones she loves, because the darkness is finally, completely gone from inside her.

Most of that credit goes to her two True Loves seated right in front of her, part of the gathering in her little home tonight. Her sexy and sweetly devoted Captain, and her precious son who never stopped believing in her, are the ones who kept her fighting even when her battle against the Dark One curse began to feel hopeless – when she might have otherwise lay down in defeat and been subsumed by the horrific and overwhelming power that had coursed through her veins, aching to take her over.

Tonight is not about that though, even if she cannot help ruffling Henry’s hair with such an overflow of affection that it makes momentary tears well in her eyes as she pauses by the back of the sofa where he sits with little Roland Hood, waiting for everyone else to settle in with them to begin movie night. Killian is sitting quietly on Roland’s other side, clearly trying to appear extra calm and still, Emma can tell, because of the little boy in their care. Finally feeling like herself again, Emma had offered to babysit so Roland could join their little party and Regina and Robin could have a much-needed night alone to truly reconnect, talk, and heal. It made her feel even more accepted and restored to normal when Regina didn’t hesitate to accept her offer at all. Still, Roland hasn’t spent much time with any of them except Henry, and Emma finds it insanely adorable how hard her former pirate boyfriend is trying not to spook the child, to the point of keeping his hook shielded from view at his other side. As if sensing her thought, Killian tilts his head up against the back of the couch to look at her hovering over his shoulder.

“You’re thinking quite loudly, Swan,” he quips playfully, though she sees the unasked question in his eyes behind the jest. After all they have been through recently, he is especially attuned not to let her thoughts veer back toward guilt and fear over where she has been or what she has done, not if he can help it.

Emma bends down to kiss his forehead affectionately, happy to bestow any bit of encouragement or sweetness on him after the lengths he went to in order to bring her back and what he endured when she was not fully herself. She doesn’t want to dwell on those memories now, and so she keeps the kiss brief and innocent, standing again swiftly and shaking her head clear of the heavier thoughts. Tonight is meant to be happy – a celebration – and she intends to keep it so.

“How’s the popcorn coming in there?” she calls toward the kitchen where her dad is trying to work the microwave and prepare their snack, while keeping her little brother occupied as well.

“Yes, Dave, need a hand?” Killian quips, the old joke of his only having one to spare familiar and accepted between them.

“Everyone just needs to hold their horses a minute!” David admonishes, no real scold in his eyes though as he strides into the room, one arm holding little Neal balanced on his hip, while carrying two huge bowls of mouth-wateringly scented buttered popcorn, one in each hand. “I’ve got it under control.”

Henry jumps up quickly to take one of the bowls from his grandpa and allow the man a free hand. David settles into the recliner with his young son, digging into the popcorn for his own handful and his eyes widening in pleased delight. “Wow! This is incredible!”

Henry laughs aloud, and Emma shoots her father a knowing look from around the people sitting between them. “See? Didn’t I tell you so?” She nods with playful gratification. “You can’t have a great movie night without buttered popcorn.”

“One point to the modern world,” David acknowledges with a conciliatory nod.

Killian reaches over to the bowl, putting his own handful of the hot, salty treat in his mouth. His eyes widen comically as well, and he nods vigorously in agreement. “Oh, aye, this is something the Enchanted Forest should truly be sorry they are lacking!”

Everybody crams into the cozy, but admittedly small, living room of Emma’s waterfront cottage as Henry pushes play on the DVD player and the movie begins. He’s been going through the Disney classics with little Roland, who is still wide-eyed and amazed by so much in the modern world, but clearly adores both the real world magic of animation and a catchy song as much as any other child. The selection for tonight is The Sword in the Stone, and though both Killian and her father had started to protest, afraid their recent adventures and trials – and how different Arthur, Merlin, and Camelot itself had proven to be from the legend they had known – might be upsetting or painful for Emma and all of them, Emma herself had urged them to let the boys pick. She could see the appeal in comparing the made-up story to a place they had just been able to experience for themselves.

What she didn’t say aloud was that the real ache in her chest came not from remembering Arthur’s machinations and veiled treachery or the danger they had all faced, but from the memories of this movie being the first one she had ever seen in a theater, how she’d had to sit all alone with no one to buy her snacks, laugh along with her, or be sure she was enjoying herself. She remembered all too well having to walk past the popcorn in the theater lobby with no money of her own, and the way she had so easily filched a candy bar from that other theatergoer without thinking twice. Perhaps the Darkness had always been in there with her light, long before she could have possibly understood…

As the cartoon reached the spot where Wart wonders into Merlin’s cottage and the bearded old wizard is magically packing his entire home into a single bag with his “Higitus Figitus” song, Emma can’t help curling in a little closer to Killian from where she has already wedged herself onto the couch between him and the sofa’s arm, leaning her head sadly on his shoulder.

“Alright there, Lass?” he whispers, breath warm and soft on her forehead so as not to disturb their younger viewers.

“Fine,” she answers shortly, knowing she’ll tell him later about how that scene had only served to remind her of all the times she had been packed back up from a foster home and sent away again. For now she only wants to snuggle up to his warmth and be glad he is still here with her, despite what she had almost become.

However, when she gets up later to check on popcorn and drink refills, she simply has to bring the two boys candy bars when she returns, and somehow with their smiles and excited thanks, and the arm of her pirate wrapped around her once again, the void from so many years ago is finally filled.

Tagging: @jennjenn615 @searchingwardrobes @kmomof4 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @laschatzi @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight @xarandomdreamx @sotangledupinit @scientificapricot @winterbaby89 @teamhook @revanmeetra87 @cosette141 @anmylica @xsajx @donteattheappleshook @the-darkdragonfly @elizabeethan @stahlop @wefoundloveunderthelight @motherkatereloyshipper​ @kday426​ @gingerchangeling​ @gingerpolyglot​ @tomeandflickcorner​ @caught-in-the-filter @ineffablecolors @nachocheese-itsmycheese @tiganasummertree @optomisticgirl

#self promo sunday #cs one shot #ouat one shot #5a canon divergent ff #missing moment ff #prestidigitorium #emma angst #cs fluff #captain cobra swan

[happy-emmdings]

Hometown Goodbye

on AO3

Summary: The car ride from Storybrooke to Henry's new college is a chaotic experience worthy of their chaotic family. Even without the whole royal escort of his family accompanying him into the new environment, three parents and a restless toddler are already quite enough for one small car and a very long ride.

Word count: 3 026

Author’s note: Season 7 canon divergence, in the sense that it ignores the existence season 7. Hope ended up kinda stealing the spotlight in this but... good for her.

It was bound to happen. After years of discovering curses and fighting villains alongside his crazy fairytale family, it was time for Henry Mills to embark on a new journey, wherever it may take him. College life sure did sound like a whole new kind of adventure. He wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to stick to the plan. Now that the new chapter was just around the corner, the real world suddenly seemed more daunting than a trip to a land full of magical danger. But there is no use getting ahead of oneself, when every journey has to start first. Some start with a curse, some with a long family road trip.

He had already said a proper goodbye to his grandparents and his kid uncle in advance. Luckily, Emma had managed to gently relay to them that he wasn't comfortable with having a whole royal escort of a family accompanying him into the new environment and that yes, he'd remember to call. Three parents and a toddler were already quite enough, especially all in one small car.

"Alright, I think we're good to go," Emma announced as she slammed the trunk of her yellow bug shut.

"Are you sure you have everything, honey? Socks, all your chargers, toothbrush-"

"Mom!" Henry interrupted Regina's endless checklist that she already went over for the third time since she arrived in front of the Swan-Jones' grey house.

"I'm nineteen years old, I packed a toothbrush, okay?" he snapped.

"And your laptop?"

"Yes!"

"And your books?" Emma joined in.

"Yes!"

"And your sword?"

"Ye- No!"

Henry turned back to the house to see Killian descending the stairs with Hope and smirking at him with an amused twinkle in his eyes. He must have found the endless fussing amusing. Easy for him, when he wasn't the victim of it...

"No, Hook, I'm not taking my sword to college. Pretty sure that's not allowed. But I- shit!"

"Language!" both his mothers exclaimed at once as he suddenly bolted inside the house.

"My books," he grumbled hastily, slipping past Killian and running upstairs.

"You mean these?" Killian called after him, lifting up his left arm with a backpack hanging from his hook.

Henry turned around, already at the top of the stairs and rolled his eyes.

"Yep," he confirmed awkwardly and jogged back to take the heavy backpack from his stepdad.

"Thanks," he muttered, when Killian smiled and gave him a teasing wink.

“Now we're good to go!"

"Aye, just gotta put the little pirate princess into her travel throne," Killian said, tickling Hope under her chin, eliciting an adorable giggle and an even cuter attempt at a scary growl from the tiny girl. With almost theatrical courtesy he opened the car door for her, but then he suddenly swept her up without a warning and spun her around, while holding her under his arm like a sack of flour. Little Hope spread her arms and screamed in delight at her daddy's excess.

"Killian, she's gonna be dizzy," Emma protested, but she couldn't hide the soft look in her eyes and the smile that broke through her fatigue like a beam of sunshine hitting water surface and setting it alight with a thousand sparkles.

"Apologies, love," Killian smiled innocently as he finally put his daughter into the car seat and started working on strapping her in.

"If she throws up, you're gonna be the one cleaning it up," Emma added, crossing her arms.

"Are you actually wearing that thing?" Regina gestured to his hook, raising her eyebrows. "We're going to the outside world. Don't you have a fake hand or something?"

"Aye," Killian rolled his eyes and glanced over his shoulder with an annoyed look.

"But I can't do a bloody thing with that useless hand-shaped piece of wood. So forgive me if I prefer..." he used his hook to pull the seatbelt over Hope who was holding his only hand in her little fingers, trying to take his rings off "...to avail myself of the ability to handle things."

Regina shrugged with a quiet whatever and Killian raised his hook to tickle Hope with it, making her squirm in her seat. Her carefree laughter rang like chimes in the wind and Killian wasn't the only one whose face lit up with a wide smile at the sound.

"Besides, I haven't sharpened it in years," he added, nodding to the blunt tip of the curved appendage.

"Yeah, we all remember Captain Pacifier," Regina scoffed, evoking the memory of Killian's babyproofed hook. When Hope was just a baby, he started wearing a pink piece of plastic on his hook to make it harmless. It just so happened that it also became Hope's favorite thing to stick into her mouth.

"Oh yeah, that worked wonders," Emma sighed.

"That it did. But as proud as I am of my pacifying techniques, I never quite grew fond of that particular moniker." Killian shot them an irritated look, but Emma's innocent smile made his eyes soften.

"Okay. Are we ready to go?" Henry chuckled.

Killian sighed in frustration, when Hope managed to slide a black-jeweled ring off his index finger, and gestured for her to give it back. Instead, she raised it to his ear as if trying to see how it would look as an earring.

"Daddy, why you never wear your birthday eawing?" she pouted at him.

"I- uh..." Killian looked up at Emma with a silent plea for help.

"Daddy is saving them for a special occasion, sweetheart," Emma chimed in. "Give him his ring back, we have to go now. Henry doesn't want to be late."

"What is special occasion?" Hope crossed her arms.

"Um, it's when something important happens." Emma explained hastily. "We can chat on the road, baby."

"Today is impowtant," Hope insisted.

"I'd say she has a point," Henry teased, giving his stepdad an innocent smile.

"Daddy, please," Hope pleaded with big puppy eyes as she slipped the stolen ring back onto his finger.

"Love, I'd be delighted to but we don't have time to- oh okay-"

Killian watched the little girl clap her hands in excitement and reach into her pocket to pull out the kitschiest pair of earrings the pirate has ever set his eyes upon in his long life. They were two little silver princess crowns with sparkly hearts at the tips. That would not have been so bad if not for the even more sparkly unicorns dangling from the crowns on short little chains along with a pair of cheap-looking hot pink feathers. For some inexplicable reason, Hope thought they were very elegant and she had convinced Emma to buy them as a birthday gift for her daddy.

Surrendering to his stubborn baby girl with a deep sigh, Killian took off the black earring he was wearing and let her attach the atrocity to his ear. He waited patiently for her to find the hole in his earlobe after a few probing stabs. But he stopped her hand by gently catching it with his hook, when she reached for his other ear.

"I don't have my left ear pierced, darling. And I would prefer not to have it done by that earring."

"Oh… okay,” she shrugged, looking a little sad.

"Here," Killian smiled and carefully put the sparkly accessory on her right ear. "There you go, pirate princess. We're in this together."

"Now we're both pirate princesses," Hope beamed at him and leaned forward to plant a big loud kiss on his nose.

"Whatever you say, love," he smiled wearily and raised her tiny hand to his lips, before finally stepping back and closing the car door, pointedly ignoring the amused looks of the other adults.

"I think you look adorable," Emma teased with her arm around Henry's shoulder and a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Oh, save it, Swan. You know I love her to bits but how can my own blood have such an atrocious sense of style?" he sighed. "Of all the jewelry we could share..."

"She's three, babe. Style isn't necessarily what she's developing right now," Emma chuckled.

"I suppose you're right," Killian shrugged and tugged at the gaudy fake feather. "Let's depart then, shall we?"

"Are you really sure you want to spend hours inside that thing with a three-year-old that is going to get bored in ten minutes?" Regina raised her eyebrows at Emma and Killian.

"I did say we should take the Jolly Roger," Killian shrugged, raising an eyebrow at Henry as if to say the offer still stands.

"No offense to your ship, Killian, but this time it'd be easier to just park right next to the campus," Henry explained. Killian swallowed any offense he might have taken, simply nodded and got into the car.

"You can always take your own car, Regina, if it's a problem," Emma shrugged, "but I am not negotiating with her about this again."

Convincing the Charmings not to tag along was one thing, but trying to explain to a very stubborn toddler that she was most likely not going to enjoy a several hours long car ride proved to be rather impossible. She had already spent the entire previous evening crying because she realized that Henry going to college meant she wouldn't see him for months. She wasn't usually one to throw a tantrum but this time she made up for all the times she had been reasonable. It wasn't until Henry offered to let her come see where he was going to live, so that it wouldn't feel like he disappeared into a void, that her sulky pout turned thoughtful and she nodded her little head.

So now, Henry, his two moms, Killian and little Hope all squeezed into Emma's old yellow bug. Emma was at the wheel, of course, with Killian in the passenger seat. Henry sat in the back between Regina and Hope's car seat and they were on their merry way. Luckily, the Storybrooke's townline released them into the outside world with no side-effects.

"Remember when you brought me here, Henry?" Emma reminisced wistfully.

"Yeah," Henry smiled. "Feels like a whole another life now, doesn't it?"

"Ha! You bet! I can't believe you're all grown up now," she shook her head slightly.

"Me neither," Regina echoed.

"Call if you ever need anything, okay?" Emma said. "But even if you don't. Just call from time to time."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'm gonna miss you," Regina smiled at him and smoothed his hair.

"Guys, I'm not going to another realm. I'm gonna be home for Christmas," Henry rolled his eyes.

"Or for a weekend, if you want to visit sooner," Emma shrugged.

"It sure won't be the same, taking the Jolly out on the water without my trusted first mate," Killian said, turning in his seat to look at him with a little smile.

"Yeah, I'll miss that too," Henry assured him. "But I'll see you all before you know it. I'm ready for the next adventure now."

"Preferably one without evil witches or fairies," Emma scoffed.

"Or rogue authors," Henry added.

"Or nasty demon boys," Killian smirked.

"Or dragons or dark wizards," Regina continued.

"Okay guys, now you're making it sound boring," Henry frowned.

"If you ever miss haywire magic, you know where to find it, kid," Emma chuckled.

"I guess," Henry smirked. "Just don't get all cursed or something while I'm gone."

"We'll try our best, lad," Killian promised jokingly.

Even if the last few years had been rather peaceful for Storybrooke's standards, life was never entirely 'normal' in their small cursed town. Even without dark curses and grand evil schemes, magical shenanigans still kept the sheriff's department busy sometimes. However, nothing too life-threating has happened in the last five years, so what would once have been a real peril, was now easily converted into an inside joke. For a second Henry almost regretted making it though, as a quiet little voice in the back of his head whispered an anxious what if... But he shook his head and pushed it away. No, there have been enough curses already. They have won every fight so far and it was time for a peaceful chapter in their lives. His family would be just fine.

———

Despite their initial worries, Hope was enjoying the car ride more than anyone. She made up for not being able to run around with swinging her legs ceaselessly and when she wasn't chattering, she provided everyone with music. Hope, the self-proclaimed shanty girl, filled any moment of silence with one of her songs made up in the spur of a moment. Ignoring Regina's exasperated sighs, Emma praised Hope's singing voice. Even if it was getting a little tiresome, Emma still found it incredibly cute and the way Hope's little face lit up in the rear-view mirror at the words of encouragement melted Emma's heart. The lyrics were mostly nonsensical even from the start but after an hour, even her tireless creativity was running out and she simply started filling gaps in her songs with endless yo-ho-hos.

"Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum!" she added loudly to the end of her latest car shanty, clapping her hands on her knees and nudging Henry to do the same.

An unsure frown appeared on Emma's face as she titled her head thoughtfully. She glanced at her husband with suspicious eyes.

"Isn't that from the song about fifteen dead guys?" she whispered to him.

"You mean Fifteen Men on a Deadman's Chest, love?" he asked, innocently scratching behind his ear.

"Why do you sing about fifteen dead guys to our toddler, Killian?" Emma raised an eyebrow.

"I don't," Killian lifted his hand defensively.

"Yo, ho, ho, ho and a bottle of rum!" Hope shouted happily from the backseat.

"Maybe she heard you sing it in the shower," Henry suggested, leaning forward to join the conversation.

As if on cue, Hope clapped her hands. "Sing with me, daddy! Our song! Mommy you too!"

Emma gave Killian a pointed look before turning her eyes back to the road.

"Alright, I might have sung it a couple times," he admitted, his voice making a little squeaky sound as he put on an innocent smile.

"Don’t worry, she made some… adjustments to it," he added.

"Daddy, sing!"

“Please don’t,” Regina groaned silently.

Emma lifted her eyebrows again, this time with her eyes still on the windshield. The corner of her mouth quirked up a little in amusement as Hope began the song which consisted of mostly gibberish. Killian joined in for the chorus, which changed almost every time, one of the versions being:

"Fifteen beans in a princess chest Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum Sheriff star, sword and a pretty dress Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum”

Together, Killian and Hope made up a long list of various things that the princess had in her chest. Among other things there were fifteen rings, fifteen teeth or fifteen cats. Killian added a sextant, map and a gold compass, while Hope came up with strawberry ice cream ‘cause it’s the best, and of course yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum. “It’s the best” turned out to be her go-to rhyme. Emma started singing along with them and even Henry joined for the part of the chorus that remained the same.

“Careful before you raise an alcoholic,” Regina muttered, equally annoyed and amused by the situation.

“It’s just a song,” Emma waved her hand.

“She doesn’t want to drink rum, right love?” Killian said, looking at Hope over his shoulder.

“It’s bleh!” she shook her head furiously.

“I may or may not have tricked her into taking cough drops by promising her a real pirate’s drink,” Killian whispered into Emma’s ear. “Rest assured, her curiosity was sated.”

Henry caught that and made a mental note to replace the rum in Killian’s flask with cough medicine the next time he’d declare him a prank war. Emma shook her head with a chuckle.

“I thought you didn’t use trickery on women,” she quipped.

“Only when their little throats are sore and they refuse treatment,” he explained with a conspiratorial wink.

Eventually, Hope’s supply of songs was exhausted and she decided to occupy herself with trying to dismantle her doll. Henry started scrolling mindlessly through his phone with his thoughts wandering to the future of almost scary normalcy that awaited him at their destination. Every once in a while, he let his eyes get captivated by the landscape running past them outside the window in endless smudged stripes of green and grey and blue. He spun his pen between his fingers. He had a habit of keeping it in his pocket these days. Ever since he finally finished his second volume of Storybrooke’s history, he has had a strange itch to write something new, though he couldn’t figure out exactly what. He wondered if bidding his hometown goodbye was the answer or if there even was any inspiration for him in a world without magic. But perhaps it was precisely the lack of magic that had inspired him to first start seeking it out. Perhaps his own realm had its own lessons to teach him. He just still wasn’t quite sure how good he was going to be at being an adult in a normal world after growing up as a boy who’d been to Neverland and Camelot among other places. His fake memories of a normal life with Emma from the year after Pan’s curse felt more like a vague, distant, elusive dream, but he had some recollection of what it would have been like to have been a regular kid. But if the years that have passed since then have proved anything, it was that he was anything but. He just hoped he could find a way to fit in in his own world. He spun the pen again. Well, if he couldn’t, there were always other worlds to explore. And he just happened to know a town in Maine full of secrets and haywire magic that could be a gateway to any new adventure he’d pick.

#ouat fanfic #captain swan #captain cobra swan #swan jones family #emma swan #killian jones #henry mills #hope swan-jones #family fluff #nya writes

[sotangledupinit]

a little bundle of icing - My CS Gift Exchange Fic

Prompt: Giftee's Wants: Established relationship, cs family fluff, cs parents, modern au with established relationship. NO: character death, angst

SUMMARY: She thought the hardest part would be hiding the gifts from the (mostly) reformed pirate. In actuality, the hardest part has been wrapping them. For some reason, every chance she’s gotten has been foiled by one thing or another.// or Emma tells Killian she's pregnant.

RATING: G for General Audiences

WORD COUNT: 4,575 words

TAGS: Captain Swan, Christmas, Holiday fluff, Pregnancy

AO3

AUTHOR’S NOTE: this was fun to work with and try, as i haven't done much established relationship writing. hope everyone enjoys this!

hi @middlemistcs13​ ! i picked your prompt for the gift exchange! as you already know (and read), this fic has been up on AO3 for a few days but here’s the tumblr post to accompany it! yay! for anyone who hasn’t read this yet - i hope you enjoy!

***

“And this Santa Claus… your world doesn’t consider him to be flagrant?”

The answering huff of a laugh from Henry is loud, even from the other end of the table. “Dude. Of course not. He leaves presents for you to reward a year of being a good person.”

“But aren’t you required to cook for him as well?”

Emma’s eyes drift to the end of the table where Henry and Killian stand side by side, each holding a piping bag of icing, one red and one green. Sprinkles litter the table and powdered sugar is dusted across Killian’s leather vest, not that he cares much. Their sleeves are rolled up to their elbows and a mixing spoon is still taped to his brace (a brilliant idea that he and her son supposedly had; the mess they have yet to clean up says otherwise).

She tries hard to suppress her grin at the image but she knows she’s failing miserably so she ducks her head and kneads the dough beneath her knuckles, listening along.

“Well, not really,” Henry says. Emma feels his eyes on her for a moment but she pretends not to notice. “It’s more like a donation or a gift.”

“Ah ha!” Killian cheers, mixing spoon gesturing wildly as he points a finger at Henry. Some of the red icing drips from the bag under the pressure and lands with a plop! on the counter between the naked gingerbread people and sugar cookies. “So it’s not from the goodness of his heart!”

At her quick glance up, she catches Killian’s eye and he winks at her. Her kid can be too easy to rile up sometimes, something Killian likes to do to get back at Henry’s quips about his struggles with modern technology. She doesn’t always understand their relationship, the way they can rile each other up one moment and immediately slide into the caring, supportive step-father/son dynamic the next – but she’s grateful nonetheless to have them be so close.

Henry rolls his eyes. “Yes, it is. He’s basically our world’s Robin Hood.”

“Didn’t this world already have a Robin Hood?”

“Oh my god.” Henry groans and then calls out to Emma, a gallop of green icing landing on the face of a gingerbread man. “Mom, you need to divorce your husband.”

“No, you need to start decorating those gingerbread cookies instead of the table.” She thinks she succeeds in keeping the amusement out of her voice but Killian’s quiet snickering tells her otherwise. “And you,” she continues, aiming her glare at the husband in question, “have to clean up. I’m not letting you two leave without cleaning up first.”

“Are you positive you can’t to come with us, love?”

There’s nothing more that Emma would love to do than pick out a tree with Henry and Killian for their first Christmas in their house when there’s nothing going on. No foes, evils witches, or snow monsters appearing out of nowhere to ruin any holiday plans. Storybrooke has been blissfully peaceful for the most part for the last two years following the Final Battle.

Emma still knocks on wood when those thoughts cross her mind. Best not to jinx it.

Still, as much as she wishes she could join the boys on their tree hunt, she can’t as she has far more pressing matters to attend to. Those being trying to wrap Killian’s Christmas gifts without him finding out what they are first. She thought the hardest part would be hiding the gifts from the (mostly) reformed pirate. In actuality, the hardest part has been wrapping them. For some reason, every chance she’s gotten has been foiled by one thing or another.

Her first attempt was when Killian was going out for a day excursion on the Jolly Roger with Smee. She waited until she was absolutely sure the ship left the docks to pull out her gifts only for her sheriff’s beeper to go off. By the time she handled the situation and returned home, the Jolly had returned to shore and it was only a matter of time before Killian came back.

There were a few more close calls at home after that – enough to make her consider wrapping his gifts at the station. By the time she actually attempted it, David had barged through the front doors at such a speed that Emma’s surprised she managed to hide the gifts in time. Despite what most of the town believes about her mother, there’s no worse gossiper or meddler in town than her father. The only thing possibly worse than Killian discovering his gifts early is finding out about them from someone else.

After that, she assumed her luck had almost completely abandoned her. Christmas is coming up quickly and she can’t bear to give him his gifts without wrapping them. Last year he took so much pleasure in showing Henry how easily he could rip through the wrapping with his hook. She can’t take the idea of preventing the look of glee on both of their faces appearing again.

Plus, she wants to be able to watch Killian unwrap one of the most life-changing gifts ever, see the different emotions play on his face as the realization sinks in.

“I’d love to but I really can’t,” she answers honestly. “I have to handle security at the school’s Christmas fair today and we can’t keep putting off the tree. At this rate, we’d be getting it in January.”

“We’ll pick out a good one, Mom, don’t worry,” Henry consoles. He winks at her once Killian isn’t looking and his comforting smile only grows bigger.

It’s her own fault, really. One of her earlier attempts to wrap Killian’s gifts only resulted in Henry coming home from school to see them laid out on her bedroom floor when he went looking for her. The surprise that crossed his face quickly turned into pure joy and Emma unsuccessfully willed herself not to cry.

No bribing was needed to make Henry keep the gifts a secret. He knows how special this is for her.

For the second time in her life, Emma’s pregnant. For the first time, it’s with someone she loves – her True Love at that – and she has no fear of what the future might hold for her and their baby. She’s excited.

All she needs now is just ten minutes of peace with a guarantee of No Killian so she can actually keep it a secret until Christmas.

Killian and Henry are able to appropriately decorate the gingerbread and sugar cookies after a few elbow nudges are exchanged while she puts the last batch of cookies in the oven, though there are some close calls that Emma has to shut down the moment her eyes catch what one of them is trying to do. She does not want to deal with her father’s sputtering and mother’s giggles at the sight of any cookie decorated in any way less than a G rating.

By the time they’re leaving and Killian is warming up the bug, Henry pulls Emma aside under the guise of finding his missing shoe.

“You’re not really missing your shoe, are you? Because otherwise you’re going barefoot, kid.”

Henry rolls his eyes. “Chill, it’s in my backpack.” He hooks a thumb to gesture at the bag on his shoulders and Emma nods. “Grandpa’s already at the school and says he hopes you ‘feel better’. I’m planning to take my sweet time inspecting every tree with Killian. I’m gonna feed him a bunch of fake facts so that he gets really invested too. Should buy you like two hours.”

Emma worries her lip, shoving her hands in her back pockets so she doesn’t play with her ring, a sure sign that she’s hiding something if Killian sees her. “What if Killian’s researched about Christmas trees though? He may be a pirate but he’s also a nerd.”

Henry exudes a confidence that she doesn’t have, given her track record this season. “Trust me, I know how to rile him up.” She rolls her eyes goodheartedly at that. As much as Killian loved to tease and rile Henry up, her kid loved to do the same just as much. She worried at first that it meant the two didn’t like each other and couldn’t get along, but her worries were quickly tossed away when she saw the two sitting at her kitchen table as Killian spoke to Henry in low whispers, helping him with an issue in his friend group.

He treated Henry like an equal, let him know that everything he said, saw, and felt held value. A trust existed between them that Emma didn’t breach – not that she wanted to. She respected that as much as she wants to be able to do everything for her kid, sometimes he needs to seek out someone else and she’s thrilled that most times he chooses Killian. Ribbing on each other is just another way to show that affection.

Emma bids her goodbyes to the two. Henry’s hug leaves her feeling the warmth one only gets from being a parent, and Killian’s goodbye kiss sends tingles down to her toes. That tingling is the exact feeling that got her into this situation and if she hadn’t been already, the look he gives her as he shuts the door behind him would’ve done it.

She waits for them to make it to the tree farm, according to Henry’s location and update texts, checking in with David who’s covering her shift at the school’s Christmas fair. It is then and only then that she feels comfortable enough to wrap the gifts.

Hauling them out of the closet in no time at all, she makes quick work of wrapping them. Despite the assurances that no one would be bothering her, especially her husband, she still chances a glance over her shoulder every few moments, just to be sure. She’s come this far and she’ll be damned if letting her guard down ruins the surprise.

Wrapping goes seamlessly and Emma triple checks that she has gathered and wrapped all the gifts before she places them in the closet under the stairs with the others. One more thing she can cross off her list.

*

When Emma wakes up the morning of Christmas, it’s to soft humming against her neck, a Christmas song that’s been on the radio more often than not this last week. She’s just thankful it’s one of Kelly Clarkson’s songs and not Wham!’s Last Christmas.

“Merry Christmas, love,” Killian whispers to her neck before placing a light kiss there. He wraps his arm tighter around her middle, pulling her back flush against his front, and she feels her stomach erupt in butterflies. He doesn’t know it yet but his hand rests right where their kid is growing and she works hard to refrain her glee for the time being.

Instead, she focuses on the trail of kisses he places down her jaw until he leans over her side to plant one on her mouth. She hums contently into the kiss, turning onto her back so she can wrap her arms around his neck. “Merry Christmas indeed.”

They share a smile before he leans back in for a short kiss.

“How long do you suppose we have before the lad comes stomping down the stairs for his gifts?”

Emma considers his question, furrowing her eyebrows when she realizes she forgot to charge her phone overnight and it’s dead. “What time is it?”

“Nearly eight.”

She laughs and shakes her head. “It’s a matter of seconds then, not minutes.”

“Think we can distract him with his PlayStation?”

“Wait – PlayStation? Not ‘Playing box’? Not ‘Stationary play’?” He crinkles his nose at her poor imitation of his accent and shakes his head.

“Of course I’ve learned the names by now, Swan.” He ignores her interjection of ‘Jones’ though it does earn her a smile. “I’ve known them for quite some time. But Henry doesn’t know that and I quite enjoy annoying him with that bit.”

She laughs and runs her fingers through his hair, tugging lightly on the silky soft strands as her reprimand. However, his reaction shows it is anything but. “I don’t know which of you is worse. Honestly.”

The two of them lean in with the full intent to enjoy as much of a lazy morning in bed as possible on the holiday but their lips don’t even meet before it’s interrupted.

“Merry Christmas!” Henry yells as he comes down the stairs. His feet stomp on each step and Emma grins at the way Killian cringes. He pauses on the landing outside their door and shouts before hurrying down the steps with stomping feet again. “You’ve got five minutes before I force you out so get dressed!”

“Like a bloody ogre,” Killian mutters as he rolls off of her. Despite his grumbling, the smile he gives her as he helps her out of bed and pulls her close is soft. The walls between them disappeared long ago and neither of them are afraid of the openness that exists in their relationship. It’s another first for Emma, being able to be so unapologetically herself and so vulnerable with her emotions when before Killian, she’d always been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Never before him did she allow such a complete offering of herself to another person. With him, it doesn’t feel so scary.

It's also why she’s so excited to have this baby. Being with Killian makes anything they face not seem so bad.

The thought of what lies beneath their tree brings a giddiness to her movements that even her husband notices.

“What’s gotten into you this morning?” he asks as he puts on his brace. He sends her a wicked grin that has her toes curling as he attaches the hook – the same one he shined the night before so he could show it off to Henry in all its unwrapping glory.

“I’m just… really happy.”

“Aye,” he says once he comes close to her again, one hand on her waist and his lips descending upon hers. “So am I.”

Their moment is broken by Henry banging on their door, warning that they better come down that instant or he’s opening everyone’s presents. The notion gets a laugh out of her, knowing that despite his threats, her kid wouldn’t follow through with this one. Maybe.

Nervousness doesn’t come to her until it’s time to hand her gifts over to Killian. He sits in a pile of wrapping paper on the couch, the ‘Best Dad in the Universe’ mug Henry got for him sitting on the coffee table. Henry had been sheepish as he handed over the gift, calling Killian ‘Dad’ on occasion now and then, nowhere near a regular occurrence. Still, the sentiment behind the gift, and the true feelings it relayed, left both her son and husband emotional. They exchanged quiet words that left them both teary-eyed and Killian had wrapped it up by showing Emma the mug as if she hadn’t helped Henry design it online. He then sat it on the coffee table so gently like a prized trophy and couldn’t stop looking at it.

If he reacted this way to Henry’s gifts, she can’t imagine the emotion that’ll come with hers.

The two of them have led hard lives, obstacles in their paths trying to prevent them from wanting to push for the light at the end of the tunnel. But they both did, whether out of sheer stubbornness or resilience, she’s not sure, and it held it them together until they found each other. Then suddenly they weren’t navigating the ups and downs of life alone and everything became a bit more bearable day by day.

Fatherhood is something that always came natural to Killian, she could see, and something that he wanted. His pirating ways took him to many lands and realms but he’d gotten to the point where he wanted to settle down and have a family. To live a life of peace he was never granted beforehand. Villains didn’t get happy endings though so he assumed it was out of the cards for him.

Henry accepted him, made him part of their family, and looked to him as a father. The remaining Lost Boys sought out his comforting presence, a familiar figure, despite their tangled pasts or because of it, when they were feeling particularly lonely or destructive, and he provided a guiding hand back. Hell, even baby Neal latched onto him almost as quickly as he did her parents.

There was a contentedness to Killian when he stepped into the role of father-figure that she never saw before. It shined brightest with Henry but she always saw the longing look in his eyes when Henry left for a weekend at Regina’s or when they saw Sean and Ashley with their baby at Granny’s.

Her mother once said, “Happy endings always start with hope.” Their life together was the start. This is the continuation of it.

“Ready for my gifts?” Emma asks. She discretely wipes her sweaty palms on her thighs and takes the gifts from Henry’s outstretched hands. He gives her a reassuring smile and she can only manage a quick, tight but grateful grin in return.

“Thanks, love.”

Killian lifts his hook to open the smallest of the boxes when Emma shoots her hand out to grab his wrist, a loud ‘No’ leaving her lips before she even realizes what she’s done.

Concern fills Killian’s gaze as he leans closer. His eyes rove over her person, searching, cataloging, trying to get any hint of what’s happening. “Emma, what’s gotten into you?”

“Actually…” she starts with a sardonic laugh, tilting her head.

“Ew, gross, Mom,” Henry crimes in, face wrinkled in disgust.

She clears her throat while rolling her eyes and instead taps the biggest of the three boxes. “Open this first.”

“O-kay…” Killian eyes her as he gently, slowly, unwraps the biggest box. Instead it lies a photo album titled Daddy & Me. “It’s blank?” he asks.

“Yeah, it’s for you to fill it with photos.”

“Ah.” Killian turns to Henry. “I suppose we should start filling this up, aye?”

A quick moment of panic flashes across Henry’s face as he looks to Emma for guidance, both of them floundering. “Uh, yeah!” he says in a hurry. “I can help you fill it up.” He then gives Emma a pointed look, Killian none the wiser.

“Open your second one,” Emma encourages. Killian takes another hard look at the album, the content in his gaze soothing any nerves that remained from Emma’s anticipation.

Earlier, Henry laughed smugly as Killian ripped through about thirty layers of wrapping paper to finally uncover the mug. Henry encouraged him to really dig into it, something that flashes Emma’s mind back to the beanstalk and made her laugh. Killian had taken the message to heart.

Now, he uses the hook to lift the edges of the wrapping paper and gently unravels it. Beneath the paper is a box and Killian gives her a watery grin once he sees what’s inside.

His very first Christmas ornament – or at least the first that’s meant specifically for him – lays inside. It features a large brown bear holding a baby bear wearing a diaper. Beneath the figures is a banner that reads, ‘Papa Bear, Est. 2022”.

Emma expects the questioning glance he sends her way and the subtle, confused one he gives to Henry. However, he receives no answers and Emma finally taps the small box. “Now you can open it.”

She bites her lip and her and Henry share a reassuring nod as Killian opens the last gift. Sitting inside the small box, cleaned off and surrounded in tissue paper is a positive pregnancy test.

Killian picks it up with a cautionary gentleness that she hasn’t seen before. His mouth drops open as he stares it down and he mouths the word ‘Pregnant’ over and over again as his eyes get misty. “Is – is this real?” he asks, voice full of emotion. Emma nods, blinking back her own tears.

“Yeah, Killian, it’s real.”

“Gods, love.” Suddenly, Emma is pulled out of her chair and swept off her feet as Killian tugs her into a tight embrace. He kisses every inch of skin he can find, pulling back every few kisses to catch her lips before he embraces her again. His arms are bound around her tightly, the squeeze between them only getting tighter as Killian urges Henry to join their hug. “You’re going to be a big brother, lad. The best there is,” he whispers and Emma nearly lets out the croaking sob stuck in her throat.

As much as it is a monumental moment for Killian, he still includes Henry and still makes sure that he’s wanted around. The notion makes her heart burst. Once again, she’s aware that she never needed any official True Love test to give her confirmation that Killian is it for her. The way he acts proves it more than enough. It doesn’t make her any less emotional, especially as Killian whispers, as giddy as she’d been that morning, “We’re having a baby!”

“Yes, we are!” she whispers back excitedly.

The trio embrace for a few more moments before Henry’s phone rings and lets him know that it’s Regina reaching out. He congrats the two of them, tells them what wonderful parents they already are, and then bounds out of the room.

“Wow,” Killian says with the long release of a deep breath. “You’re pregnant.”

“I am,” she teases.

Killian’s wide grin matches her own and even though he leans in to kiss her, they aren’t able to do much as their smiles keep breaking through.

It’s not until Killian places a hand on her stomach that her breath catches and realization sinks in. They’re really doing this. They’re having a baby. She can’t explain it but she thinks she’s having a girl. Even Killian’s seemingly decided so as well, babbling on about their daughter despite the fact that they won’t officially find out until Emma’s next appointment in two weeks.

They will have a baby. Together.

They’re going to bring someone into this world that’s half him and half her and it’ll be their responsibility to not screw them up.

With Henry it was easier. He was already ten by the time he connected with both of them, respect and manners already instilled in him. All they had to do was encourage them to flourish. But with a baby, they’ll be starting from scratch. In all honesty, neither of them know much of what to do aside from the basics to keep a baby alive, but she figures they’ll approach it like they do everything else: together.

“You know, little one,” Killian starts as he leans down towards her stomach. “Your grandma is a very wise woman and she once told me that happy endings always start with hope.” He swallows, glancing up at Emma for a moment as his voice gets even quieter. “I’m excited to meet you, Hope.”

*

4 years later…

*

“No, no, no, love, not like that.”

Emma looks up from drying dishes and fixes her gaze on the other end of the table. Killian and Henry are bent over it, heads close together. Between them, Hope kneels on a chair and squeezes an icing bag with so much force that fat glops of red icing plop onto the cookies, nearly covering an entire group of gingerbread men. She watches the way Killian keeps the rounded curve of his hook, sharp tip pointed away, pressed against the center of Hope’s back to keep her steady, attempting to guide her in how to decorate the cookie while she just wants to mix colors together.

One of Henry’s hands holds a gingerbread man in place for her, fingers turning red from the icing that’s slipped over the side, and he’s quick to grab the green icing bag before Hope’s grubby little fingers can grab it. “Oh no you don’t, munchkin.”

“I’m not a munchkin!” Hope pouts. Her glare is fierce as she turns her attention to Henry, cookies completely forgotten as she stands from her kneeling position.

“Oh really?” he eggs her on, fighting to keep the grin off his face. “How come you’re on a chair and I’m still taller than you then? Munchkin.”

“Stinky nose!”

“Short stack.”

“Hairy back!”

A whistle breaks through their teasing before Emma can step in and all eyes go to Killian. He leaves his hook pressed against Hope’s back even as he straightens and stands tall. “Enough of this nonsense from me crew!” Hope stares at him with wide eyes and a dropped jaw, joy filtering its way into her features.

An aspiring pirate captain herself, the three-year-old takes great glee in seeing her father step into his, admittedly watered down, pirate persona. She turns towards Killian, bouncing where she stands in the chair. Her hands attempt to come together in claps but only succeed in dropping more icing all over her hands and Henry’s.

Killian plucks the icing bag from Hope and places it aside. “Now,” he starts, voice an octave lower. “This mess needs to be cleaned otherwise I’ll let Santa know to toss yer presents overboard! Aye?”

“Noooo!” Hope shouts. “He can’t do that!”

“He knows Santa,” Henry says. He nods to Killian as he catches the wet washcloth Emma tosses to him and begins to wipe his icing covered fingers. “He can totally make it happen.”

“Aye,” Emma adds, grinning wide at the way Killian’s nose crinkles. She holds a second wet washcloth in her hands and comes over to Hope, gently wiping her hands clean. “But perhaps me and Papa can clean up the kitchen while you help Henry put some tinsel on the tree instead. It’d be a big help.”

“Aye, aye, captain!” Hope tugs at her hands, pouting when Emma won’t let them free yet. However, once she’s able to, she turns and jumps on Henry’s back, already urging him towards the living room.

“You know,” Killian says, “you’ve just granted her permission to make a mess even worse than this one.”

Emma grins, “Are you saying you weren’t also desperate for five minutes to ourselves?”

Killian hums, giving her a grin that she knows so well. His arms come around her waist while hers wrap around his neck and their lips meet in a soft kiss. When he tries to pull away, Emma keeps him locked with her and the heat between them rises. So lost in the progressing passion of their kisses, she doesn’t even realize Killian’s lifted her onto the table until Henry voices his disgust.

“Gross, guys,” he says. “We eat there.” He shakes his head, shuddering at catching them mid-make out, and reaches for the extra bag of tinsel on the counter. He holds it up and points at it before he leaves. “For scarring me, I am not cleaning this up.”

A snort comes out of Emma before she can stop it and she closes her eyes, content as Killian presses a soft kiss to her cheek. His hand drifts down to rest against her stomach and she feels the butterflies of excitement start up again. Only two more weeks before they can share their big secret.

“This will be a fun Christmas, love.”

#captain swan #killian jones #emma swan #henry mills #captain cobra swan #swan jones family #a little bundle of icing #my fics #temporarystatus #captain swan fanfic #cs fanfic #cs ff #captain swan ff #holiday fic

[cosette141]

Lost and Found | OUAT fanfic | Chapter 13

Fandom: Once Upon A Time

Author: cosette141

Words: 74k total | 5k (this chapter)

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

AO3

Chapter 13 (under the cut!)

Walking out of Skull Rock was like walking into a brand new world.

Because it was no longer night.

The sky was bright blue, the shine of the sun casting warmth over the island that had felt so cold in so many ways. Seeing it in this light, it was the first time Emma actually saw beauty in the land.

Half the Lost Boys went off to get the flint they needed, and presumably to retrieve anything or any of their brothers that were still about the island. Two Boys stayed with Emma, Killian and her parents, watching them warily, like they still didn't know if they'd be left behind, no matter how many times Mary Margaret turned around to assure them they wouldn't be, her gaze always lingering on Emma, like the words were for her as much as for them.

Emma, Mary Margaret and David were still quite lost on where the ship was, but Killian seemed to know exactly where Neal had docked the ship. He led them, his hand tightly in Emma's, in a way Emma didn't think he would ever release.

Which was perfectly fine with her.

Emma could feel Killian's tension, a slight urgency in his pace, and she felt the same. She couldn't wait to get the hell of this island, Pan or no Pan. She just wanted to be back home with him, her parents and with Henry, whom she missed so badly it hurt.

They made it to the ship within an hour, and if not for the adrenaline still running through her, Emma would have collapsed from the exhaustion of both the hike and the past few days. Only minutes afterward, footsteps pounded up the gangplank, revealing the now-bigger group of Lost Boys who were severely out of breath.

"I got the flint," said the Boy who had spoken up in the caves. He hesitantly gave it to Killian, fingers shaking.

Killian smiled tiredly, visibly reluctant to remove his hand from Emma's to take it. Emma's hand felt instantly empty, and her fingers found his jacket, and if she wasn't mistaken, there was an ease in his face when he felt her grab it. Taking the flit from the boy, Killian said, "Aye, brilliant job, Slightly."

The Boy—Slightly—raised his brows in surprise at hearing Killian speak his name. But, a little delayed, the boy smiled.

"Would you and your brothers mind helping me with the gangplank and the sails?" asked Killian. He was given a nod, and the boys ran off to complete the tasks, looking like they were as eager to get off the island as Emma was.

Killian took a breath, then bent with a hiss, his hooked arm moving quickly to hug his ribs.

"Killian?" asked Emma reflexively, her other hand moving to help, but he gave her a winced smile, and used the flint to draw what looked like his own outline with the flint. And with a gasp, Emma watched his Shadow appear, separating from him. It was his own silhouette, even complete with the shadow of his hook.

"You know where to take us," said Killian to the Shadow, who nodded, and Emma could only watch in shocked awe. Killian's Shadow flew to the mast, hand and hook latching under one of the wooden rods and lifted. The ship was pulled out of the water, making Emma grab one the side of the ship with her free hand to steady herself, her parents and the boys doing the same. But soon, the ship had leveled off in the sky, and Emma would still never get quite used to the awe of magic.

"We should be back in Storybrooke within the span of a day," said Killian, who was still on one knee after removing his Shadow. He moved to stand, only to cringe sharply, groaning, a hand grasping at his ribs.

"Killian—" said Emma, quickly wrapping an arm around him, helping him stand. Huffing out a concerned, yet exasperated breath, she admonished gently, "I knew I should have just healed you back in the caves."

"I am in no danger other than comfort, love," said Killian, giving her a winced grin for good measure.

Emma didn't smile back. "Yeah, well that's what I was afraid of." She started to pull him to go below deck. "Let's go. I'm healing you now whether you like it or not."

"As you wish," said Killian, with a soft smile. "However, someone needs to keep an eye on the ship."

"I can do it," chimed in David. "Go rest, Hook." he said, with a touch of both exasperation and fondness, and Emma still couldn't believe that only days ago, David was punching Killian across the jaw and threatening to kill him.

It was still crazy to her how so much could change in such a small amount of time.

And even crazier that it all had changed for the better. Something that she was definitely not used to in her life

Namely, the most important of them being the man pressed to her side, whose jacket was still tightly clutched in her fingers.

Killian inclined his head, genuinely saying, "Thank you." Then, he cleared his throat, looking at both him and Mary Margaret. "Thank you both for aiding Emma in coming to rescue me," he said heavily, inclining his head. "I am highly in your debt."

Mary Margaret smiled. "After everything you've done for Emma, and for us, it's us who are in yours. You were only here because you saved Henry, after all," said Mary Margaret, tears in her eyes, making Emma's own sting, and her hold Killian a little tighter.

Killian, seeming unable to find words, nodded his thanks for the gratitude.

Leaving Mary Maragert and David to the helm, Killian's only instruction was to alert him when they saw the town, and that it would be a few hours before they did.

Emma helped Killian to his cabin, his pace far slower than it had been on the hike back to the ship, and Emma suddenly realized that his tension and stiffness earlier had been far less about urgency, and far more about hiding his pain.

She felt her own pained exasperation at the realization.

They reached his cabin, and Emma helped him lean against the pillows on his bed. The moment he did, he hissed sharply through his teeth, the knuckles of his hand even whiter than before, where he clutched his vest over his ribs, only proving more and more just how much he'd been trying to keep it to himself. Killian's eyes opened, breathing out, looking like he was finally experiencing some relief being off his feet. "I'm all right, love," he promised at her worried gaze.

"You should have just let me heal you," she chastised gently again, sitting down carefully on the bed next to him.

"You've done that enough, believe me," he said, voice soft, grateful, and like it was the last thing he wanted to ask more of.

Emma shook her head with an exasperated sigh, but smiled at him anyway. She started to pull the bottom of his shirt up to heal him, hoping her magic would work on command again, when a gentle hand suddenly touched her face, making her look at Killian. When she did, his eyes were on hers, the blue in his eyes vivid and strong. He gently pulled her toward him, meeting her lips, and Emma felt her eyes shut, felt the relief of a kiss that wasn't fueled by desperation. Her hand found his neck, fingers tousling in his hair, meeting his tenderness in the quiet moment.

It was the opposite of their kiss before going to face Pan; a kiss that had been fearful and passionate, a promise that it would happen again.

This was soft, it was slow, it was the fulfillment of that promise.

They pulled apart simultaneously, and Emma opened her eyes, surprised to find that a tear had fallen down her cheek, and even more surprised to find his eyes misty as well.

They both watched each other in the quiet, just reveling in the moment for what it was. They were here, safe, together.

Killian's thumb brushed away the tear on Emma's cheek, smiling at her, and Emma has never, not once, ever felt a softness like this—like him—before.

But Emma suddenly remembered he was hurt. "Will you please let me heal you now?" she asked with a smile, brushing her thumb across his cheek.

"I feel entirely healed already," he responded just as softly, and Emma didn't even detect a lie in those blue eyes. "However, if you insist."

She smiled, sitting up and lifting his shirt to display the dark bruising across his abdomen, making her brows crease. She lifted her hands, about to try to pull forth her magic, when she caught his expression, almost like he realized something that amused him.

"What?" asked Emma, pausing.

"I believe," said Killian, "that we have done this before, love." He smiled, though the amusement with the irony faded as his hand reached up to brush the back of his fingers over her forehead, and Emma knew it had been where Gold had given her the concussion in New York. Emma blinked, seeing him lying on his bed and herself perched beside him, realizing they were their own mirror of themselves from that moment she woke up on his ship.

"I much prefer it like this," said Killian softly, brows creased, like he was remembering when the skin he'd brushed over had been as broken as both of them had been, before they found home in each other.

Though warmth trickled through her skin from his touch, Emma didn't smile, remembering seeing him crumpled on the ground in the caves, imagining the worst. "Well, I don't." She gently touched her palms to his skin, whispering an apology when he jerked a little at the tender injury, and she shut her eyes, imagining him healed.

Her magic came at her wish, and she smiled as she felt it flow through her, opening her eyes to watch the white glow touch his skin over the bruising. Killian's eyes shut, lines of pain receding from his face as the bruising faded from black to blue to his unharmed, tanned skin.

And not a moment after the glow faded, his injury healed, his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her into him. He held her tightly to him, like it was something he had waited centuries to do, and Emma melted into his chest, shutting her eyes to the feel of his embrace.

Killian.

Emma felt another set of tears touch her closed eyes, her fingers finding his coat like they always seemed to, breathing in his scent, reveling in the movement of his chest, and the heartbeat beneath it.

She remembered like it was both yesterday and years ago, kneeling on the docks next to Henry, seeing the blood and imagining the worst. Feeling like it was a break her heart wouldn't survive.

But he was okay.

He was here, she was safely in his arms, and he was okay.

"Thank you, Emma."

His voice was rough like a ship that had finally passed into the eye of a storm, weathered but in reprieve. Damaged but still whole. Fearful, but safe.

Emma smiled against his chest. "You don't have to thank me for healing you," she said softly. "To be honest, I think I wanted it more than you did," she joked.

She felt his smile, and somehow knew it was strained. "Aye, of course, thank you for healing me," he said, and she felt his thumb brush her shoulder. "However… I meant…" His voice hitched a little, and Emma felt his heart stutter in his chest. "Thank you for… coming to Neverland," he said, voice so quiet, covered in disbelief like a forgotten room in dust. His arms around her tightened, this time a little less out of protection and care, and a little more out of fear. "Thank you for saving me, Emma," he whispered.

Emma lifted herself a little off his chest to turn to see his face, and he reluctantly loosened his hold on her a little to let her. She was startled to find a tear had fallen down his cheek.

Feeling so acutely aware of where they were, of the moment she'd woken up on his bed to concerned blue eyes, Emma smiled something broken and whole. "Thank you for saving me," she whispered.

She could still remember it, could still remember the pain, the fear, and seeing him knelt beside her in that apartment in New York.

In that moment, she'd been afraid of Killian. Or, rather, of Hook.

It was one of the most vulnerable moments of her life, and the most broken she's ever been.

He didn't have to save her.

He could have killed Gold and left her.

But instead, he killed his crocodile for her, and stayed to pick up her pieces, to put her back together again.

She'd broken in that moment, all at once, shattering like glass, and she could still feel him grab her, pull her into his arms, his embrace feeling like it was both foreign and like home.

"Don't leave."

"I promise you, Emma. I am not going anywhere."

And here he was, still here, still with her, keeping that promise as safe and whole as she felt here now, with him.

She went from being afraid of him, to being afraid to be without him.

From meeting his lie that day in the Enchanted Forest, to lying with his truth each night.

She went from just surviving her life, suffocating beneath her walls, to finding a reason to truly live, and it was him.

He not only saved her life; he brought her to life.

And somehow, she did the same for him.

Everything changed in one moment, in that apartment in New York.

The moment that Emma thought would be her last, became the moment her life truly began.

Killian's hand suddenly settled at her cheek, thumb below her ear, stroking her skin, and she nearly shut her eyes to the feeling. Part of his gaze seemed far away, and somehow Emma knew he was reminiscing their history, that day, just like she was. "That moment with you," he said softly, his thumb stilling just as Emma's heart did. A million emotions raced through his gaze, settling on relief. "Saving you," he said even softer, his own words making him smile a little, like it was his greatest achievement. "Everything we've… Emma, you…" The blue in his eyes was so vibrant, hidden behind nothing, a warmth elicited solely by her. "I've never felt anything like us before," he whispered.

Emma felt a soft emotion touch her heart. And with words her walls would have stopped her from saying in the past, she said, "Neither have I."

His gaze lingered on hers, so strongly, some emotion Emma couldn't place filling the blue like rays of sun through the clearest sea. He suddenly looked like he wanted to say something, something that skipped his heart and stilled his chest. Something that would put to words the look in his eyes as he watched her.

But a sliver of hesitation crossed that sea, like a cloud casting a shadow. He swallowed, seeming to alter the words he had wanted to say. "I am honored to have you, Emma Swan," he whispered, his thumb brushing across her cheek.

Emma felt tears touch her eyes, her hand finding his face to kiss him again, shutting her eyes with the overwhelming elatedness of hearing someone truly, purely want her.

"No more than I am to have you," she responded just as honestly.

He smiled, and kissed her again, both of them getting lost in it, in each other, the only kind of lost that has ever made her feel more found.

When they pulled apart, eyes on each other, Emma smiled.

She settled herself on his chest, her head on his shoulder, feeling the exhaustion from the past few days mix with the relief of it being over, and she shut her eyes, breathing out a sigh. His arm curled around her back, pulling her into him as he settled himself against his pillows, and somehow she knew his eyes were still on her.

He was here, his rising chest and beating heart proof he was safe, alive, with her.

They were safe.

They were together.

And though they weren't yet back in Storybrooke, they were home.

-.-.-.-.-.

Storybrooke.

Killian smiled when the little town came into view from where he stood at the helm, again still not believing that he would ever see this place again. He was still quite unable to believe he was even alive. The last time he was here, he was bleeding out on the docks to the sound of Henry's panic and anguish, fully believing that he would never see the boy—or Emma—ever again.

He still couldn't believe that all three of them were safe and unharmed.

But he needed to see for himself that Henry was unharmed before he could let himself finally relax.

And Killian knew Emma felt the same, if not even more so.

She was stood at his side, where she remained the past several hours of the journey. Some time ago they joined her parents and the Lost Boys on deck, Killian assuming his place at the helm, taking the responsibility from David.

Emma's hand was still in his, like it has been this whole time, and where Killian hoped it would stay forever.

By the time they touched down in the water, Killian wrapping his arm around Emma to keep her steady, he could feel how fast her heart was pounding, could see the relief and excitement in her eyes of being back, and of whom he knew was waiting for her.

Henry.

The Lost Boys worked to lower the gangplank, and Killian dropped anchor, securing the ship in place, feeling like securing himself all the same.

Half of Storybrooke was outside, crowded at the docks by the time the gangplank was released on the docks. Hoots, whistles and cheers erupted from the docks where a crowd stood, seemingly having seen the ship's arrival through the sky.

Filled with as much eagerness and desperation as she'd had when she found him in Neverland, Emma pulled Killian with her, nearly running once the gangplank was lowered—

—only for footsteps fueled by just as much desperation ran up the gangplank, as if they'd been waiting years to do so, pounding up the wood panels to reveal—

Henry.

Henry's head turned wildly, seeing David and Mary Margaret first, to whom he gave a quick relieved smile, until he turned his head again, to see Emma.

The boy's eyes widened, and his expression was the epitome of relief.

"Mom!" cried Henry, racing toward her, and Killian felt himself smile, easing a breath of relief, the last of his tension leaving him at seeing the boy all right.

"Henry!" cried Emma, releasing Killian's hand to meet her son halfway.

Henry crashed into his mother, and Emma embraced her boy, sinking down to her knees on the deck, tears falling down her cheeks, mirroring Henry's own. Killian felt his own smile grow, tears touching his eyes at the amount of love radiating from them. He caught David's and Mary Margaret's tearful expressions as they watched, lingering a moment before deboarding the ship with the Lost Boys, like they wanted to offer Henry and Emma their moment alone.

"Mom," choked out Henry from Emma's arms, eyes shut, tears falling beneath his lashes. "You're okay!" he breathed over her shoulder, his voice a half-hiccup, half-sob.

"Yeah, kid," said Emma, voice choked, and she smiled, shutting her eyes as she held him, so tight, like she never ever planned to let him go, and Henry her. Killian watched them both, another breath of relief eased from his own chest, feeling the same sense of relief he had back in New York, when he knew the Crocodile was dead, and Emma was alive and safe.

But Henry's eyes snapped open and he pulled sharply back from Emma. His eyes were wide with panic, gasping out, "Where's—?!"

The sheer fear in the boy's eyes, at the thought he wasn't there, made Killian's breath catch.

But Emma just smiled, another tear falling down her cheek, and she looked over her shoulder, where Killian was standing.

And Henry's desperate gaze followed hers, and he saw Killian.

His eyes widened.

For a moment, the boy looked frozen with awe.

And not a second later, Henry was crashing into his own arms.

For the first time, Killian was ready for it, catching him and pulling him to his chest, feeling Henry's face bury in his chest, his little hands crumpling his jacket in his fingers, clinging onto him just as tight as Emma had when she'd found him in Neverland.

"You're okay," said Henry into his chest, his voice just as fragile and relieved as he'd said them to Emma, and Killian didn't know how he deserved either of them.

"Aye, lad," said Killian, smiling. "I'm all right."

Henry pulled back, and Killian was surprised to see him hastily wipe tears from his face with the back of his hand, his other still not letting go of the front of Killian's coat.

"I was so sc-cared," stammered Henry, more tears falling to replace the ones he wiped away, making Killian's heart twist in his chest for being the cause of his pain, no matter how little choice he had. "I th-thought I'd n-never see you again," he whispered, his voice hiccuping again.

Killian felt both an agony and a warmth at Henry's words, not even able to comprehend how he managed to endear himself so much to the boy, but so grateful he had.

"And I you," admitted Killian softly, a tear falling down his own cheek, clear liquid pain that hurt far more than any crimson that had ever painted his skin. "But as I keep telling your mother," he said softly, smiling, "I'm a survivor."

Henry smiled too, something between a laugh and a hiccup, throwing his arms around Killian's neck again, hugging him almost too tight for Killian to breathe. But for Killian, it was hardly tight enough.

But after a moment, he felt Henry tense, and he pulled back from Killian, only tightening his hold on him when asking fretfully, "Wh-what about… about Pan?"

Emma knelt at Henry's side, wiping a tear from her face. "He's gone," said Emma, firmly and surely, like she was telling herself the fact all the same.

"He is?" asked Henry, so much hope in his eyes.

"Gone," said Killian, wiping away Henry's fresh tears with his thumb. "Pan is defeated and gone," assured Killian again. "You're safe. We all are," he said, those words filling him with more relief than he could say.

Henry let out a breath of his own relief, smiling again, and Emma and Killian mirrored it, like they were Henry's emotional reflection.

But Henry looked around again, a little bit of that tension still in his body, and he asked, "Where's… um…" he trailed off, looking around with unease, like he didn't know if he wanted to see who he was looking for or not.

And Killian, as well as Emma, by the fade of her smile and the tightness of her muscles, knew who he was referring to.

Baelfire.

A flit of pain, of guilt, of regret, of the past snuck into Killian's chest and burned, Bae's death still raw, like a bleeding wound.

Killian turned to Emma, hesitating, seeing pain in her eyes as well. A different pain from his, but just as deep.

Emma bit her lip, like she both didn't know what to say, or she didn't have the courage to say it. Wishing he had two hands, Killian rested his hook gently over her thigh where she was kneeling, watching some of the pain in her eyes recede when he did, his own when her fingers curled around the metal appendage.

"Your…" began Emma, hesitating on the title. "Neal," she amended, "he…" Her voice trailed off again.

But Henry, ever-perceptive, seemed to get where she was going with it, and Killian felt him still, where his hand was still on the lad's shoulder. "He's…?" whispered Henry, trailing off himself, but the unsaid word loud and clear, and enough to make Emma flinch a little at his side.

A tear fell down Emma's face, just as a chill ran down Killian's spine. But Emma smiled, despite another tear falling down her cheek. "He helped us save Killian," she whispered, glancing at him, the gratefulness shining in her eyes like light off diamond. "He…" Emma took a breath. "He took a poisoned arrow that was meant to hit Killian," her voice stuttered with the fear of the moment, just as Killian's heart did in his chest. "He pushed him out of the way," Emma went on, "and he saved his life, by sacrificing himself." Another tear fell. "It's because of Neal that we were able to come home to you," she said softly.

Henry stared at her, tears gathered in his eyes, so much shock in them, and such confusion, such mixed emotions that looked like a sea storm that no ship could survive.

Emma's hand gently touched Henry's cheek, holding his face, brushing away a tear that fell. "Earlier," she said gently, "you said… you liked it better when you thought your father was a firefighting hero." She smiled a little, despite the weather in her own eyes. "He wasn't a firefighter," she said. "But he was a hero." Another tear fell down her cheek. "He loved you Henry." She looked at Killian then, smiling something broken and whole. "He loved all of us."

Warmth filled the cracks in his heart at her words, and Killian felt his own sadness trail hotly down his skin.

Henry was quiet for a long moment, as if trying to sail those rough seas, to navigate his shock, his sadness, and most of all, his confusion seemingly of what to feel for the man he had never known, the father he had only rejected, however rightfully so in the moment.

But he swallowed, then he took a few steps toward the edge of the ship, looking out at the sky. And it was almost as if the floating clouds passing by slowed, as if to listen.

"Thanks, Dad," said Henry softly, as even the waves calmed to hear his words, like it wasn't only the sea and the sky that was listening to them. And turning back to Killian, Henry smiled, finishing, "For saving my dad."

Killian froze.

He heard a small gasp at his side from Emma, as the breath knocked straight from his own lungs.

Dad.

He felt tears sting his eyes.

And it was the first time, it was Killian who pulled Henry into an embrace, once that Henry returned just as tightly. A tear slipped down Killian's cheek.

"Dad," whispered Henry over his shoulder, with a touch of pain and relief, like the pain of never being able to use the word before, and the relief that he finally could.

"Aye, my boy," Killian whispered, confirmed, promised, only holding him tighter. He shut his eyes, his own arms around the boy, his boy, the two words flitting softly through his mind, feeling so similar to Emma's healing magic to his injuries.

Henry chose him.

Chose him.

It was an honor Killian didn't know how he deserved, and would guard with his life.

Killian's acceptance only made Henry's arms curl around him tighter.

Pulling back a little, Henry smiled at Killian's stunned, touched expression. "I have two moms," he said with a giggle. "It only makes sense that I have two dads, too."

Killian laughed, pulling the boy into him again, Killian holding him tight, another tear falling for the sheer love he had for the boy in his arms.

"You saved me," said Henry softly into his chest, only making Killian hold him tighter, a vow to do so, over and over and over.

"I always will," said Killian honestly. The words—the promise—made Henry's lip quiver, tears falling into the collar of his coat like rain on a desert.

And there was a flash to decades ago—to Bae.

"I can change for you, Bae."

Killian's eyes burned a little hotter, for the fresh wound of Bae's death.

He hadn't changed for Baelfire.

But…

"Captain Hook! I need you to help me!"

He had changed for Henry and Emma.

"Take care of them, Killian."

"I always will," repeated Killian in a whisper, to both boys at once.

Another set of familiar arms wrapped around him and Henry as Emma, fresh tears on her cheeks, embraced them both, her head finding Killian's other shoulder.

And Killian's eyes shut, holding them both, never feeling more whole in his life.

-.-.-.-.

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

#captain swan #cs ff #captain swan fanfic #captain swan fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #ouat #ouat fanfic #ouat ff #once upon a time #once upon a time fanfic #once upon a time fanfiction #killian jones #emma swan #emma and killian #emma and hook #captain cobra #captain cobra swan #henry mills #fluff #lost and found #begin again #cosette141 ffn #hurt/comfort

[gloriousfemaleworrier]

henry’s christmas presents for killian

#captain cobra #captain swan #cs #captain swan supremacy #captain cobra swan #yep this is how henry would act #also the first one is 10000% a big ol middle finger to Neal #honestly who needs neal #not me #that's for sure

[booksteaandtoomuchtv]

opinion on the Captain Cobra Swan dynamic? do you appreciate henry being part of the captain swan fanworks sometimes?

🏴‍☠️🦢❔🎅

Happy Saturday to you!!

I enjoy their dynamic. I'm such a sucker for these people who've always felt a wee bit deeply and overwhelmingly lonely suddenly being surrounded by almost too much love. Also, Killian taught Henry to sword fight, sail, etc which makes him the only? person that helped him on the path to become the hero he always wanted to be growing up.

Absolutely! I've got a few littles myself and a bit of a...rocky childhood. So, good father figures and family dynamics are always a bit of an extra swoony treat when they pop up. Also, I have a difficult time imagining Emma or Killian not being involved with Henry has much as possible considering how they both felt growing up and how little time there is left in his childhood..

I also don't mind when he isn't included. It just feels like an extra treat when he is.

#cssecretsanta #ouat #captain cobra swan

[stubblesandwich]

Picture this.

Killian, Emma, and Henry are settling in for a movie night. The DVD starts up, and this warning comes up on the screen:

Killian: ......

Emma: ......

Henry: ......

Killian: you know what ELSE isn't a victimless crime

Emma: oh God, here we go

Killian: feckless, coward kings who can't even amass the scrap of honor it would take to do their own dirty work--

Henry: make it stop

Killian: --and send innocent men to their deaths without so much as a sliver of--

Emma: *jamming the fast forward button on the remote as Killian goes on* It won't let me skip it!

#captain swan #captain cobra #ouat #ouat humor #killian jones #can an artist please draw this for me I just find it such a funny idea #like how long would he go on for? #how many times has Emma heard this rant? how many times has Henry heard it? #I need to know these things

[dinneratgrannys]

ONCE UPON A TIME REWATCH: 6.03, THE OTHER SHOE I feel like a fraud. This happiness is an illusion. I went and fought for everybody else's happy endings and then...I don't get mine.

#ouatedit #onceuponatimeedit #ouat #once upon a time #cinderella #emma swan #belle french #captain cobra #regina mills #prince charming #s6 #6x03 the other shoe #event: rewatch 22

[herhookedhero]

Jared proposed at Disneyland right next to the Snow White and Peter Pan rides… I mean… 😏😏😏

#once uopn a time #ouat #henry mills #jared gilmore #Captain swan #Emma swan #Killian jones #captain hook ouat #regina mills #ouat robin hood #outlaw queen #ouat snow white #ouat prince charming #mary margaret nolan #david nolan #ouat snowing #Captain cobra #captain charming #belle french #ouat rumplestiltskin #rumbelle #mr gold

[naiariddle]

6x03-7x02: Emma watching her boys swordfighting.

#captain cobra swan #captain swan #captain cobra #swan believer #ouatedit #my edits naiariddle #6x03 #7x02

[kazoosandfannypacks]

"Window Seat" by kazoosandfannypacks

Pairing: Captain Swan Rating: General Word Count: 3K Summary: Emma's son, Henry, befriends the man sitting next to them on an airplane- and Emma is impressed by how well the stranger bonds with him. Tags: au, fluff, captain swan, one shot, captain cobra swan Author’s notes: I've always loved interacting with children. They speak genuinely, they love life, and they ask questions that aren't (usually) too hard to answer. When I was flying back from my last vacation, I sat next to a four year old girl who was an absolute delight to talk with. (She once had a dream about zombie turtles! She invited me to play with her dollhouse sometime! She said the Obi-Wan keychain on my backpack looked like a monkey!) By the end of the flight, even though I'm six times her age, we considered each other friends. This fic is inspired by kids like her. Taglist:@zahara@kmomof4@jonesfandomfanatic@booksteaandtoomuchtv@jrob64@tiganasummertree@anmylica@teamhook@undercaffinatednightmare@gingerchangeling@lonelyspectator@caught-in-the-filter  @ultraluckycatnd  @cs-rylie @silver-the-phoenix @pawshapedheart  [if you’d like to be added to or removed from this list, hmu in my dms or askbox!]

Also on Ao3!

 Emma held her son's hand firmly as she walked to the back of the plane, trying to find their seat numbers. Navigating an airport was hard enough as is, but bringing a four year old boy with you makes it even more difficult, especially when you're managing him on your own.

 Fortunately, though it hardly felt that way, Emma was used to taking care of her son by herself.

 "Are we almost there?" Henry asked.

 "Our seat numbers are 83D and 83E," Emma said, "And here's number 80, 81," she counted and pointed them out to her son, "82, 83."

 "That's us!" Henry said.

 "Yup," Emma said, "your seat's the middle one in this row."

 She helped Henry take off his backpack and put it under the seat in front of him, then they both took their seats as Henry, in spite of being warned many times about strangers, introduced himself to the passenger next to him.

 "Hello!" Henry said.

 "Hello there," the man said, "looks like we're traveling buddies today."

 Emma had been distracted by switching her phone into airplane mode, but when she heard the stranger's accent, she looked up to see if his appearance was just as attractive- and was delighted to find that it was.

 "Have you ever been on an airplane before?" Henry asked him.

 "Quite a few times," he said.

 "Are you going to grampa's birthday party too?" Henry asked.

 "I'm afraid not," he shook his head.

 "Why not?"

 "Well for one thing, I wasn't invited," the stranger gave a good natured smile, "and another, I've never met your grampa."

 "My mom and I can introduce you!" Henry said, pointing at Emma, "and you can come with us."

 "Henry," Emma interrupted, "let's buckle your seatbelt, okay? And don't pester this nice man with so many questions; he probably wants to just take a nice, quiet flight to Maine."

 The reason Emma wanted Henry to keep quiet wasn't solely out of decency towards the other traveler, and it wasn't of a motherly caution about strangers either. She'd be lying to herself if she said it wasn't borne of not wanting to annoy one of the cutest strangers she'd ever met.

 "It's no trouble, really," he said, "I've never minded children; I was a camp counselor for quite a few years in my younger days."

 "Henry'll talk your ear off if you let him," Emma ruffled her son's hair before adjusting his seatbelt.

 "I don't take people's ears off!" Henry protested.

 "It's one of those expressions," Emma explained, "it means you talk a lot."

 "Oh yeah," Henry said, then turned back to the stranger, "are you friends with my mom?" The man looked up at Emma and smiled, his eyes a deep and overwhelming blue.

 "I don't know. I haven't met her yet," he said, not taking his eyes off her, "but maybe by the end of the flight we will be."

 "I'm Henry," Henry piped up.

 The stranger looked back down at Henry and held a hand out to him. "Pleasure to meet you Henry," he said, "my name's Killian."

 "I'm Emma," Emma said.

 "What a lovely name," Killian smiled.

 "Okay, so he's a bit of a flirt," Emma thought, though she didn't stop herself from smiling at his compliment.

 "Have you ever been on an airplane before, Henry?" Killian asked.

 "Nope!" Henry said.

 "Are you excited for your first flight?"

 "Yeah!" Henry said.

 Just then, the stewardess' voice came over the plane's speakers.

 "Okay Henry," Emma whispered, "we have to be quiet now, okay?"

 "Okay," Henry said.

 He tried his best to sit quietly, but four minutes is an eternity when you're only four years old. Every now and then he'd start to ask a question, and Emma would remind him to be quiet- and once or twice he tried to ask Killian something, which led to a similar gentle reminder to be quiet.

 Soon, they were allowed to talk again, and the plane began down the runway. Emma pulled a pack of gum out of her jacket pocket.

 "Here, buddy," Emma handed Henry a stick of gum, "remember what I told you?" "That my ears will pop off if I don't eat it?" Henry asked, already putting the candy in his mouth.

 "No, they'll pop," Emma corrected, "but the gum will help keep that from happening."

 She took a stick of gum for herself, then held the package out to Killian. "Would you like one?" she offered.

 "Thank you," he smiled, taking a stick of gum from the pack, "I certainly would hate for my ears to pop off."

 Emma giggled a little- only half a giggle, almost more like an annoyed sigh, but a giggle nonetheless, and a smile along with it.

 Henry was looking past Killian out the window, watching the runway as they drove across it.

 "Why are we still on the ground?" Henry asked.

 "It's like flying a kite," Killian answered, "you have to have a lot of room to run, so the kite is already moving fast before you let go of it, and then it gets into the air. The plane has to run really fast too."

 "Cool!" Henry said.

 They neared the end of the runway.

 "Here we go," Killian said.

 Henry let out a little squeal as the plane turned its nose up, and up they went. He looked up at his mom, and then at Killian, and then laughed a little.

 "We're really high now!" Henry said.

 "Indeed," Killian said, "look at the clouds!"

 Emma looked out the window as well at the clouds, which were now next to, then below them.

 Soon, the plane stabilized, and the stewardess announced they were free to roam about the cabin, if needed.

 Henry continued asking Killian question after question, probably more questions than the stranger was in a mood to answer.

 Emma pulled out her phone and opened Disney+, where she'd downloaded a few movies for Henry to watch on the plane.

 "Here, kid," she handed Henry her phone, then grabbed his backpack to get his headphones out, "do you wanna pick a movie to watch?"

 He looked at the downloaded titles- Treasure Planet, Peter Pan, Aladdin, and a few Lego Star Wars specials, before selecting Peter Pan.

 "That's an excellent choice," Killian said.

 "It's my favorite movie!" Henry said, as Emma put his headphones on his head.

 "It's one of my favorites too," Killian said.

 "Henry's been going through a bit of a pirate phase recently," Emma said.

 "Ah," Killian nodded, "I take it you've watched Peter Pan a few too many times recently, then?"

 "The things we do for our kids," Emma said, as Henry tried to lay down in his seat, resting his head in his mom's lap, incidentally kicking Killian.

 "Here, move your feet, Henry," Emma said, trying to move her son's sneakers off Killian's pants.

 "That's alright," Killian said, "I really don't mind."

 Emma gave up the losing battle of keeping Henry's feet to himself.

 "Do you have any kids of your own?" Emma asked.

 "Oh, no," Killian half laughed, "but I remember what it was like to be a kid. I was a rather talkative lad myself, much like your boy."

 Emma wrapped her arm around her son. "He's a pretty special kid," she said.

 "His parents are very lucky to have him," Killian said.

 Emma shook her head, "One of us certainly is."

 Killian raised her an inquisitive eyebrow. "His father's not in the picture?"

 "In the picture?" Emma rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't even say he's in the same gallery. He walked out before Henry even got to know him."

 "Well, he's missing out on a charming family," Killian said, "from what I've seen, you've raised a great son."

 "Thanks," Emma smiled, "I try my best."

 "Well, if you ask me, you're doing great," Killian said, "it can be hard to raise a kid on your own."

 Emma wrinkled her brow. "What do you know about raising kids?" 

 "I was on the other end of the equation," Killian said, "my mom raised three boys herself. My dad has been out of the picture since just before my little brother was born."

 "From what I've seen, your mom raised a pretty good kid," Emma said.

 "I try to be- my older brother was always the best of us though." Killian said, seeming a touch saddened, "he practically helped raise us. In my father's absence, he was the one who showed me how to be the man I am today."

 "I'd say he did a pretty great job at it," Emma said.

 "Indeed," Killian said, "I wish I'd told him that more."

 Emma wasn't sure why that question was so solemn, or why it was past tense, and was unsure how to ask what he meant, so she waited for him to follow it up.

 "He passed away this past week," Killian said, "that's why I'm on my way to Portland."

 "I'm so sorry," Emma shook her head, unsure how one could even begin to cope with that loss- if anything happened to one of her siblings, she'd be devastated.

 "Thank you," he said.

 "How're you holding up?" Emma asked.

 "As well as I can be," Killian shook his head with a sigh, "it's a weird feeling, really. He's just always been there, and now… now he's not. I used to say I didn't know what I'd do without him, and now- now I get to figure it out."

 "I'm so sorry," Emma said, "I can't imagine what this must be like for you."

 "I'm getting by," he said, "that's how you have to make it in this world, isn't it?"

 "You got that right," Emma said.

 "And being distracted from it helps," Killian said, "which is why I was delighted to have a seat next to your charming little chatterbox."

 Emma looked down at Henry, who had fallen asleep before the characters in his movie even made it to Neverland.

 "Seems the lad's a bit tuckered out," Killian said.

 "After the TSA line we went through and waiting two hours in a terminal at seven a.m.?" Emma asked, "I'm surprised I'm not 'tuckered out' myself."

 "Me too," Killian said.

 "He sure is excited to get to meet his grandparents," Emma said, stroking her son's hair a few times.

 "He hasn't met them before?" Killian asked.

 "We've called them once or twice, had a few video chats," Emma said, "but the trip from Tallahassee to Maine isn't one I can shell out very often. My dad insisted on seeing his grandson this weekend though- it's the only thing he wanted for his birthday, to have the whole family together."

 "How precious," Killian said, "your folks must be so excited."

 "It's all my parents have been able to talk about for the last year," Emma said, "my brother and sister both still live in the area, and they said Dad's more excited than they've seen him in years."

 "Does all your family live in Maine?" Killian asked.

 "Pretty much," Emma said.

 "Then what brought you to Tallahassee?"

 "Doesn't matter anymore," Emma said, "because I didn't find it."

 "Then why are you still there?"

 "I've never been one to stick around the same place too long," Emma said, "but that's no life for Henry. He needs roots."

 "I see," Killian said.

 "I take it your story's not much different," Emma suggested.

 "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

 "You're flying all the way from Tallahassee to Portland for a funeral," Emma said, "what's keeping you down there? Job? Friends? Girlfriend?"

 She hoped it wasn't the last one.

 He smiled, "Don't have a girlfriend, and friends are few and far between. I do quite enjoy the weather down south though, as well as my job."

 "What do you do?" Emma asked.

 "Captain of an authentic tallship," Killian said, "The Rolly Joger, a magnificent vessel- one of those little three-hour tour tourist traps."

 "Oh, that's so fun," Emma said, "Kind of like a real pirate." She patted her son's head, watching on the phone screen in front of him as Captain Hook's crew sang a little shanty.

 "Aye," he smiled, "once or twice she's even been booked for 'pirate parties,' where the kids all come dressed as pirates."

 "Oh, that sounds so fun," Emma said, "I wonder if Henry might like something like that for his birthday in a couple months. He's never been on a boat before either."

 "Well, you're always welcome onboard The Rolly Joger," Killian said.

 "We might just take you up on that," Emma smiled.

 "And what did you say do you do for a living?" Killian asked.

 "I work for Yellow Bug Bail Bonds," Emma said, "apprehending people who skip bail."

 "Like a modern day bounty hunter?" Killian asked.

 Emma laughed, "something like that."

 "That sounds exciting," Killian said.

 "It pays the bills," Emma said.

 She wasn't sure what to say, and apparently he wasn't either, as they were both quiet for a bit.

 Eventually, Emma pulled a book out of her carry on, not about to take her phone from Henry and risk waking him, but also not about to sit there doing nothing for the next few hours.

 "What are you reading?" Killian asked.

 "Oh, it's a book one of my friends is writing," Emma said, "he asked me to read through and give some feedback."

 "What an honor," Killian said, "what's it about?"

 "Some kind of historical fiction," Emma said, "fairy tale characters in the American Revolution, or something like that. I'm only a couple chapters in."

 "Sounds interesting," Killian said, "I'll, uh, leave you to it." 

 "Alright," Emma said.

 And even as she got lost in the world in her book, she found herself glancing more than a handful of times at Killian.

 A couple hours later, Henry woke up, and after a "good morning, sleepyhead" from both Killian and Emma, she restarted his movie for him- and this time he watched without falling asleep. Emma continued reading her book, engrossed in the character developments her friend August had intricately woven into his story.

 "Oh, Henry," Killian said, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention, "look at that view. You can see the plane's shadow on the clouds beneath us."

 Henry took off his headphones and looked out the window.

 "Woah!" Henry said, loud enough that Emma looked over as well- and she did so to see Henry throwing her phone and his headphones on the floor.

 "Henry!" Emma said, reaching over to pick them up off the floor- which was difficult, with her seatbelt still buckled.

 Apparently, Emma wasn't the only one who had a problem with seatbelts, because she looked back up to see Henry had unfastened his, and was now climbing onto Kilian's lap to get a better view out the window.

 She was about to stop him, but she was taken aback by how Killian responded- after an initial second of confusion, he put a hand on Henry's shoulder in case of unexpected turbulence, then pointed out the shadow of the plane, and a few other notable clouds next to them, talking with the boy like he wasn't an outgoing child who'd just overstepped his bounds, but almost like an equal, one who'd done nothing wrong as well.

 Something about the scene, and how the boys interacted, looked to Emma like something out of a storybook, or like the picture you'd find in the dictionary if you looked up the word "father."

 Then, Killian helped Henry off his knee and back into his own seat, and rebuckled him, reminding him that while the plane was in the air, it was probably a good idea to keep your seatbelt on and stay in your own seat.

 "I am so sorry about that," Emma said, then put a hand on Henry's shoulder, "Henry, you need to respect other people's space."

 "No worries, Emma," Killian said, "it's the price of having a window seat, I suppose."

 He didn't seem at all as embarrassed or annoyed with the entire ordeal as Emma was- and he then turned to Henry and added, "but not all strangers like it when other people get too close to them, Henry. It's a good idea to keep your distance from strangers."

 "But you're not a stranger anymore!" Henry insisted, "I think you're my friend."

 "Aye," Killian smiled, "I suppose I am."

 "If you come to my house sometime," Henry said, "you can play in my fort with me. I can show you my Legos too!"

 "If I ever do come to your house," Killian said, slowly, his words carefully selected, "I'd love to see your Lego sets."

 "I just got a really cool Star Wars set," Henry said, "it has Luke Skywalker, and his X-Wing, and Artoo Detoo!"

 "That sounds awesome, Henry," he said, "I hope I get to see it someday."

 "Oh yeah," Henry said, "It's really cool."

 "You know, I had some pretty cool Lego Star Wars sets back in the day too," Killian said.

 "Really?"

 "Oh yeah." Killian said, "I had this one set…"

 As Emma watched Killian and her son talk about Lego Star Wars sets, she put away Henry's headphones and swiped out of the movie on her phone, sensing Henry might be entertained for the rest of the flight with his new friend.

 Henry wasn't the only one entertained by Killian, though Emma's interest in him was for an entirely different reason.

 Henry's father had left shortly after Emma's pregnancy, not ready for the commitment of raising a family. After that, Emma had decided that all she needed was herself and her son. Between finding her job and raising her son, she hadn't had time for a boyfriend anyways, at least that's the excuse she used when her friends asked why she'd never gotten back out there.

 But deep down, Emma knew part of the reason she'd stayed single was Henry- any boyfriend for her was a potential father for Henry, and as rare as it was for her to find a date, it was harder to find a date who was comfortable with kids- and soon she gave up on dates altogether.

 She and Henry had always been content just to have each other- but as she watched her son talk with this man about Star Wars, Legos, and pirates together, she realized how much both she and her son would benefit from a guy like him in their life.

 As they walked off the plane, Emma and Henry stayed close to Killian, Henry still chatting away with him the whole time.

 "Alright, Henry," Emma said, once they got back into the terminal, "I think it's time to say goodbye to Killian."

 "Already?" Henry asked.

 "I'm afraid so," Emma said.

 Killian got down on his knees at Henry's eye level.

 "It was a pleasure flying with you, Henry," Killian said, "I hope I see you again sometime."

 "Me too!" Henry said.

 Killian held out his hand to shake hands with Henry, but instead Henry ran to his arms and gave him a hug. Killian looked up at Emma for her approval, and she nodded, so he returned Henry's hug.

 Once Killian stood back up, he held a hand out shake with Emma, and she half desired to respond the same way her son had. Instead, she took his hand and shook it.

 "It was a pleasure meeting you, Killian," Emma said.

 "The pleasure was mine, milady," he said, and he then brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

 "I didn't know you were so old fashioned," Emma said, in a voice that said that wasn't a problem at all.

 "I hope to see you again sometime?" he asked, letting go of your hand.

 "Yeah," Emma smiled.

 "Will you wanna come to my grampa's birthday party?" Henry interrupted.

 Killian and Emma's eyes met, like the meeting between old friends.

 "I don't believe I've been formally invited," Killian said, more like a question than an answer.

 "I could send you the details," Emma nodded, "if I had your number."

 "Yeah," Killian said, "I might be able to find time, uh, here."

 He handed her his phone, open to the contacts app. Emma quickly typed in her phone number and handed it back to him, and she handed him her phone too.

 "I'll text you later," she said, their fingers brushing against each other as she took her phone back from him.

 "Aye," he said, "Can't wait."

 "I'm really glad to have met you." Emma said.

 "Me too," Killian said.

 "Me too!" Henry said, "See you soon!"

 Emma took Henry's hand again, glancing back at Killian quite a few times as they headed their separate ways.

 "Mommy?" Henry asked.

 "Yeah?"

 "Are you and Killian friends now?"

 "Yeah, kid," Emma said, a smile spreading across her face, "I think we are."

#captain swan #once upon a time #killian jones #emma swan #henry mills #captain cobra swan #captain cobra #swan believer #once upon a time fanficton #cs ff #cs fanfiction #once upon a time season 3

[ishoulddefbedoingotherthings]

Listen, I’m in the “iffy about season 7” crowd, but the one thing that I absolutely love is that cursed Henry could’ve written himself a perfect family in his lil published novel (ik it’s not actually a novel but in his mind he wrote it), but instead he gave himself two moms, killed off his dad, and created a little bisexual leather wearing earring and silver adorned pirate to be his stepfather.

The cursed Henry purposefully did that.

He could’ve chosen anyone to be his step-father, but he chose Captain Hook and made him hot.

That is absolutely hilarious.

#once upon a time #captain swan #captain cobra #henry mills #killian jones #tell me that my cursed dude did not have some sort of mental problem to create an array of possible stepfathers and chose a bisexual pirate #With a drinking and innuendo problem #Love him for that

[jrob64]

Pet for Rent, Chapter 1/4 (The Meet Cute) A CS Modern AU Story

For those of you who read "Sowing Seeds of Trust", you might remember that my dog Zeke had a starring role in it. To my great heartbreak, he died of cancer last June. When we rescued him, the shelter had named him Ernie, and he will be referenced with that name in this story.

Life without a dog proved to be very lonely, so at the end of August, we rescued another dog. The sad story of the dog in this story is what really happened to our new dog. He was named Norman and we renamed him Winston, just like in the story. That's actually him in the pic set with his 'ducky'.

This was supposed to be a short, sweet story, but somehow turned into 4 chapters. Updates will be once a week.

Special thanks to my beta @hookedmom and also to @beckettj and @zaharadessert for helping me understand the football (soccer) system in England.

SUMMARY: Emma Swan tries to cheer up her heartbroken son by 'renting' a dog from the local animal shelter. When she attempts to do it a second time, she makes a mistake, and realizes the dog has been rented by someone else the same day - a very handsome man named Killian Jones.

RATING: M (for smut in the last chapter, which can easily be skipped if that's not your thing)

WORDS: 7754

ALSO POSTED TO A03 & FFN

Story begins under the cut

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Emma Swan flopped down onto her sofa with a sigh. Since their beloved dog Ernie died three weeks ago, she had come to dread her eight-year-old son Henry’s bedtime. Every night when he said his prayers, he ended with, “God, please tell Ernie I love him and miss him, and please send me another dog. Amen.”

Her son knew the chances of getting a dog were slim to none because of his soccer practices and games, and Emma’s schedule for her new job at the sheriff’s station. They had no time to train a puppy.

Understanding why he couldn’t have a dog didn’t make his heart hurt any less. Her heart was just as broken, knowing the sadness and loneliness Henry was experiencing.

After decompressing for a few minutes, Emma’s searching hand located her phone on the end table. She unlocked it and opened her Discord app, selecting the icon representing the parents’ group of Henry’s second grade class. Sitting up a little straighter, she typed a message: Does anyone have ideas of how to help Henry get over the loss of his dog? He keeps praying for a new one, but it wouldn’t be fair to the dog to get one with our busy schedule.

She watched the screen intently for a couple of minutes, but when no names appeared to show that someone was answering, she tossed the phone onto the couch and went into the kitchen to load the dishwasher.

Forty minutes later, after cleaning up the kitchen, going through her nightly routine and changing into her pajamas, she went back into the living room. Television held no interest for her, and realizing she finished her last library book the previous evening, she picked up her phone to mindlessly play a game. Upon unlocking it, her screen opened to the Discord page and she saw three replies to her question.

The first two simply expressed sympathy for the loss of Ernie, but the third one offered a helpful suggestion. Have you thought about ‘renting’ a dog for a day? The animal shelter just outside of town offers that option. We did it for my mother when her Maltese died. The post ended with the web address for the shelter.

Emma immediately pulled up the site and, after searching the homepage, clicked on the tab for ‘services’. Scrolling down the list, she saw ‘Rent-a-Pet’ and selected it. As she read the description of how the program worked, she idly twisted strands of blonde hair around her index finger.

It sounded like a great compromise for their situation. For a donation to the shelter in the form of money, bags of pet food, treats or toys, one of the available animals could come home with them for several hours. The dogs and cats were guaranteed to be docile and house-trained, and could be adopted by the ‘renter’, if desired.

Clicking on the link taking her to the bios of the pets currently housed at the shelter, she filtered it to include only canines. Pictures of nearly two dozen dogs filled the screen, each more adorable and aww-worthy than the last.

Quickly ruling out any that were guaranteed to shed fur all over her house or were bigger than her son, her search was narrowed to nine prospects. She knew her rambunctious son would be keen to play outside with the dog and walk him or her to Storybrooke’s dog park, so a tiny fru-fru pup was out of the question, too. That left six.

She selected one at a time, reading about their breed and temperament. When she brought up the picture of the fourth candidate, the big, chocolate brown eyes and happy expression nearly made her heart melt.

‘Norman’ was a mixed breed and very little was known about him, because he was found tied to a stop sign in the middle of Portland, Maine. He was guessed to be a cocker spaniel mix and was approximately 1-2 years old. His black fur looked sleek and Emma knew he probably wouldn’t shed. A short video showed him romping and playing with another dog in the fenced play yard of the shelter.

Saving the page, she brought up the calendar on her phone and checked their schedule for the rest of the week. Henry had an early soccer game on Saturday, which would be over by 10:30, leaving the rest of the morning and afternoon free. Switching back to the shelter website, she hit the ‘Rent-a-Pet’ button again and began filling in the information, selecting ‘Norman’ when it gave her the choice of animals.

She decided not to tell Henry about the plan, opting to surprise him with it instead.

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“Great game, kid,” Emma complimented her son, ruffling his sweaty hair. “Your pass to Avery was a nice assist. That goal turned out to be the game winner.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Henry grinned around his mouthful of granola bar. “That’s the first time all season we beat the orange team.”

“I know, and I think that calls for a celebration, don’t you?” Emma fished her car keys out of her jeans pocket, before picking up her lawn chair and water bottle.

“Are we gonna get ice cream?” he asked, before cramming the rest of his snack into his mouth.

“You just ate a granola bar and a banana, and lunch will be in just an hour or so,” she laughed. “I have something else in mind.”

“Whaisit?” he queried, the unswallowed food muffling his voice.

“Well, I know how much you miss Ernie, and Violet’s mom told me about a program at the animal shelter that lets you rent a pet for a few hours,” she answered slowly, watching his reaction out of the corner of her eye. “So, I signed up to get a dog for you to play with until three o’clock this afternoon.”

Henry stopped in his tracks, swallowing down the rest of his snack as his eyes grew wide. “Really? You can do that?”

“Yeah, we’re scheduled to pick him up at eleven. What do you think about that?”

His exuberant shout of joy and sprint to the car was all the answer she needed.

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Emma couldn’t keep up with her son once he unstrapped his safety belt, exited the car and bounded toward the front door of the shelter. He was already ringing the little bell on the counter for service before she made it inside and chided him lightly for not waiting for her.

A tall, broad-shouldered man with sandy hair and light blue eyes entered through a door, the barking of dogs stifled when it clicked shut behind him. He gave them a dazzling smile and greeted them warmly with a hearty ‘good morning’.

Emma reached forward to shake his hand. “Hi, I’m Emma Swan and this is my son, Henry.”

“David Nolan,” he responded, shaking her hand, then doing the same with Henry.

“My teacher’s name is Mrs. Nolan, the same as yours,” the boy told him.

“You wouldn’t happen to be in second grade at Storybrooke Elementary, would you?” David asked.

“Yeah,” Henry confirmed.

“Ah, well, that means your teacher is my wife!”

“Wow, cool!” Henry exclaimed. “She’s the best teacher I ever had!”

David’s grin grew even wider. “That’s good to hear. She tells me all about her students every evening and she thinks yours is the best class she’s ever had!”

“It’s quite a coincidence, meeting you here,” Emma commented with a smile.

“I’ll be sure to tell Mary Margaret I met the two of you. Now, what can I do for you today?”

Emma pulled her phone out of her purse, unlocked it, and tapped on the screen a few times. Then she laid it on the counter and turned it to show David. “I signed up for the Rent-a-Pet program. Here’s the email with my confirmation.”

David peered down at the screen and used his finger to scroll down a bit. “I see you chose Norman,” he commented, looking up at her.

“Um, yeah. Is he a good dog? I don’t want any messes in my house or car.”

“He’s a great dog,” he assured her, reaching back to the wall behind him to lift a leash off of a hook. “Gets along well with other dogs, seems to love kids, and is generally a very happy little guy.”

Henry bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. “Can we take him to the dog park? Ernie always loved going to the dog park.” His countenance dropped, a small cloud of sadness passing across his features.

David shared an understanding look with Emma. “Of course you can take him. I’m sure he will love it! Would you like to come back with me to get him?”

The boy turned to look at his mother. “Can I?”

“Sure, kid. I think I’ll come back, too, if Mr. Nolan doesn’t mind.”

“The more, the merrier,” David said cheerfully.

He waited until they joined him on the other side of the counter, then opened the door to the large room full of animal cages. Immediately, the sound of barking, howling and meows filled their ears.

“They get very excited when they know someone is coming back here. I think the animals closest to the door are spies and tell the others,” David joked, raising his voice to be heard over the din.

Emma walked behind Henry, watching him turn his head left and right to peer at the occupants of all of the pens.

“Aw, Mom, look at that little puppy! He’s so cute! Aw, that dog seems sad. I bet he doesn’t like being in a cage. Look Mom, they have cats here, too.” His litany was continuous as they slowly walked down the aisle between the enclosures.

Finally, David stopped in front of a pen and turned to them, gesturing toward the dog inside. “This is Norman. He has a sad story, but he’s kept his sweet temperament, haven’t you, boy?”

As if in answer, the black dog stood up, his tail starting to wag as he realized the man was talking about him. Henry dropped to his knees in front of the cage, placing his hands against the wire. “Hi, Norman! My name is Henry. Would you like to come home with us for a little while?” The dog’s tail was wagging so fast, his entire body wiggled. “I think he understands me, Mom!” Henry said excitedly.

As David slipped inside the pen to clip the leash to Norman’s collar, Emma asked, “Has he ever been rented before?”

“Several times,” David answered, straightening up once he had the leash attached. “He’s always done really well.” Opening the door of the kennel again, he allowed the dog to go ahead of him, out to where the boy still knelt.

“Hi, boy,” Henry crooned, running his hands over the dog’s head.

Emma bent down and stroked the sleek fur on Norman’s back and sides. “He’s so soft,” she commented.

“He appears to have the coat of a cocker spaniel,” David said, “but he’s definitely a mixed breed.” He watched the boy and dog interact for a few seconds before holding out the looped end of the leash. “Would you like to lead him out to the lobby, Henry?”

He looked up at Emma with hopeful eyes. “Is that okay, Mom?”

“How is he on a leash?” she asked David. “He won’t pull my kid’s arm out of the socket, will he?”

David laughed. “He does fairly well, but if he gets excited, he can get pretty rambunctious. He’ll be fine just going to the lobby, but you might have to walk him out to your car instead of Henry.”

“Sounds like a deal, kid,” she said, giving him a nod of approval.

Henry eagerly accepted the leash and started off down the aisle. “Come on, Norman. Come on, boy. You’re gonna like it at our house. We still have some of Ernie’s toys and balls.”

Emma and David trailed behind. “How long ago did you lose your dog?” he asked.

“Almost a month and Henry is really struggling with it. He and Ernie were best buds.”

“I’m sorry. That’s rough, especially for a kid.”

“And his mom,” Emma added. “I never realized how much I loved that dog, until he got sick and I knew we were going to lose him.”

“Hopefully, Norman will give you both a few hours of enjoyment and help ease the heartache a bit,” David said, before hurrying forward to pull the door open for Henry and the dog.

While David printed off the paperwork, Norman sniffed around Henry, who sat cross-legged on the floor, giggling when the dog licked his ears. “Ernie used to do that too, remember, Mom?”

Emma smiled down at him. “Yeah, you must have very tasty ears. Maybe you should start washing them better.”

“I won’t need to, after Norman washes them!”

She turned back to finish signing the papers. “It’s nice to hear him laughing again. He hasn’t done much of that lately,” she confided to David.

“I think this will be good for both of you and Norman. He really likes being around people. I’m very surprised he hasn’t been adopted yet.”

“Do you think there’s a reason for that?”

David shrugged. “This tends to be a slow time of the year for adoptions. Summer is over and school is back in session, so people don’t have as much time to welcome a new dog into their house.”

“That’s the boat we’re in right now,” Emma commented.

“Once it gets closer to Christmas, people will come in looking for pets to give as gifts. That’s good, but also bad, because about a quarter of them are brought back when they realize a pet is more work than they anticipated.”

“We got Ernie from the shelter when Henry was two. He was already five years old, house-trained and had all of the annoying puppy behaviors out of his system.”

“Most people want puppies instead of adult dogs, but there are a lot of advantages to getting an older dog.”

“Norman doesn’t seem to be very old.”

“I’d say at least two, but he’s pretty chill. Once he runs out of energy, he becomes a couch potato.” David collected the paperwork and tapped it on the counter to straighten it. “Well, that’s all I need from you. Norman is yours until three o’clock.”

“Yay!” Henry shouted, causing the dog to start barking.

Emma reached down to take the leash. “Don’t get him all riled up right before we put him in the car, kid.”

“Sorry, Mom,” Henry apologized. “I just can’t wait to get him home! Can he sit in the back with me?”

“Sure, but first you need to thank Mr. Nolan.”

Henry popped up from the floor and looked back at David. “Thanks, Mr. Nolan! I’ll take good care of Norman, I promise!”

“My pleasure, Henry. Have fun!” David grinned.

Mother and son exited the building, with Norman leading the way, tugging excitedly on the leash. “Slow down, pup,” Emma laughed.

Henry ran ahead to open the door of the yellow Volkswagen Beetle, sliding the front seat forward and clambering into the back. As soon as Norman reached the car, he hopped in and sat on the seat beside Henry like he’d done it every day of his life.

“Well, that was easy,” Emma commented, removing the loop of the leash from her wrist and tossing it beside the dog. After closing the door, she circled around behind the car to get into the driver’s seat. She looked into the rearview mirror and choked up at the sight meeting her eyes. Henry had his arms wrapped around Norman’s neck with his eyes closed and his head resting against the dog’s.

Emma was sure the time with Norman was going to be good for both boy and dog, but she couldn’t help but worry about what would happen when it came time to bring him back to the shelter.

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Emma was barely able to get Henry to eat when they got home, and had to reprimand him for sneaking Norman bits of his sandwich. The dog, for his part, sat politely while they ate, not begging or whining. She was impressed with his behavior, remembering how she had to break Ernie from begging at the table when they first adopted him.

Henry and Norman bonded quickly as they chased each other around the small backyard, playing with a tennis ball and squeaky toys from Ernie’s toy basket. Emma sat on their small patio, thoroughly enjoying the sounds of happy barking and her son’s laughter. She pulled out her phone and took a picture, posting it to the Discord group and tagging Violet’s mom to thank her for the idea of renting a pet.

  Just after two o’clock, Emma suggested taking Norman to the dog park before going back to the shelter. They played there for forty minutes, then the three of them returned home and piled back into the car. Once again, she caught sight in the mirror of her son hugging the dog and sighed, but instead of dreading Norman’s return, she decided to enjoy every minute of happiness it was bringing to Henry…and herself.

Their time with the dog was over all too soon. After Emma parked the car at the shelter, Henry got out of the car and trudged to the door with the leash gripped tightly in his hand. Norman seemed to sense the boy’s mood and walked slowly beside him, his head hanging low.

David was at the desk to greet them again, an understanding look at his face at the dejected look of all three of them. “Was he good for you?” he asked.

“He was great,” Emma answered, rubbing her hand soothingly over her son’s back. “Wasn’t he, kid?”

“Yeah,” Henry quietly agreed, his eyes trained on the floor.

“You know, you’re welcome to rent Norman, or any of our other dogs, anytime you want,” David said.

Henry looked up. “But what if someone adopts him?”

“Well, that would be a good thing for Norman,” Emma reminded him.

“I guess,” Henry sighed. He knelt down beside the dog, wrapping him up in another hug. “I’ll miss you, boy, but maybe I’ll see you again.” The dog licked his cheek, eliciting a small giggle. Then Henry stood and held the leash out to David. “Thank you, Mr. Nolan. I had a lot of fun with Norman.”

“I’m happy to hear it,” David said, accepting the leash and moving around the counter. Patting the dog on the head, he added, “I hope we’ll see you again, soon.”

Henry turned pleading eyes to his mother. “Can we do it again next weekend, Mom?”

“You have Avery’s birthday party next Saturday, remember?”

“Oh, yeah,” Henry nodded, then bit his lip in contemplation. “The next weekend, then?”

Emma laughed. “We’ll see.” She leaned down to pet the dog’s head. “Be a good boy, Norman. You’re welcome at our house anytime.”

After saying their goodbyes, they watched David take the dog toward the door leading to the back. Norman turned and gave them a sad look before following the shelter worker through it, tearing at Emma’s heart even more.

She swallowed hard and said, “Come on, kid. Let’s go home.”

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The sadness soon wore off and for the next several days, Henry talked almost incessantly about all of the fun he had with Norman. Emma checked their schedule and saw that Henry had another early game three weeks later, which would be the last game of the soccer season. She relayed that news to Henry, asking him if he wanted to rent Norman again that day, and was answered with a very enthusiastic ‘YES!’

She nearly forgot to make the reservation, only remembering three days before, while waiting to pick Henry up from practice. Quickly, she pulled up the website and filled out the form, glancing up often to see if Henry was coming off the field because she always liked to meet him as soon as he did, instead of waiting for him in the car.

Emma was especially glad they decided to rent Norman Saturday, since Henry’s soccer team lost their final game by one goal. His downcast look was soon replaced with excitement when she reminded him that they would be going to the shelter.

When they arrived, he bounded out of the car and waited impatiently for his mom to join him, before practically sprinting to the door. It took a couple of minutes before David emerged from the back, beaming a smile when he saw them waiting at the counter.

“Henry! Emma! I’m very happy to see you again!”

“We’re here to get Norman,” Henry said excitedly.

A puzzled look crossed David’s face. “I’m sorry, but Norman is already being rented by somebody else today,” he informed them.

“What?” Henry asked, a slight tremor in his voice. Then he turned to Emma. “But Mom, you said we would be getting Norman.”

Emma was already pulling the email up on her phone. “There must be some mistake, Mr. Nolan. I reserved Norman when I filled out the form. See?”

She turned her phone for the worker to see it. David looked at it carefully, then pointed to the screen. “It looks like you didn’t ask for a specific dog.”

“I didn’t?” she questioned, then looked at her phone more closely, her heart dropping when she saw the blank space beside the ‘requested animal’ inquiry. “Oh, Henry. I’m so sorry. I was in a hurry when I filled it out and I must have missed that question.”

“We have several other dogs,” David consoled. “I’m sure you’ll have just as much fun with one of them.”

“No I won’t,” Henry pouted. “I only want Norman.”

“Henry…” Emma started, but was interrupted when the door behind her opened.

“Good morning, Dave,” said a deep voice with a distinctive British accent.

Emma turned to see the newcomer and nearly swallowed her tongue. The man standing before her had to be a mirage, because surely someone that handsome didn’t really exist. He had a lean physique clad in dark jeans and a maroon henley, with a tantalizing view of chest hair peeking out of the unbuttoned neckline. A black leather jacket completed his ensemble. His chiseled jawline was covered with a pleasing amount of scruff and his dark, windblown hair was falling over his forehead. He sported a wide grin and, between that and his deep blue eyes, Emma was mesmerized.

She was suddenly very aware of her own appearance. Henry’s early game meant she had thrown on a pair of sweatpants, donned an old hoodie and stuffed a beanie over her barely brushed hair that morning. Her face was free of makeup, unless you counted a few stray flecks of mascara that stubbornly refused to come off when she washed her face the previous evening.

“Hey, Killian,” David greeted.

The man’s - Killian’s - eyes had settled on Emma, a glint of curiosity evident in them.

“Oh, um, come on Henry,” she said, after several moments of silence. “Let’s get out of this man’s way.”

“But Mommmm…” he whined.

Emma put her hand on his shoulder and guided him away from the counter. “We’ll figure something out, kid.”

“I’m in no hurry, Miss,” Killian began.

“No, it’s okay,” she hurried to assure him. “I’m afraid I created a problem that might take a while to straighten out, so please, go ahead.”

“In that case, thank you very much,” he smiled. Turning his eyes to David, he asked, “Is Winston ready?”

Emma was surprised to see the genial shelter worker furrow his brow at the other man. “Why do you insist on calling him that?”

Killian shrugged. “He looks like a Winston to me, and he answers to that name when he’s at my house.”

David glanced at Emma and Henry and opened his mouth to say something, but apparently changed his mind. Grabbing a leash off of a hook, he said, “Give me a minute,” then he pushed the door open and disappeared into the back.

“Are you adopting a dog today?” Henry asked Killian.

“Alas, no. I just moved into a small apartment here three months ago and am still trying to get everything organized and put away. Being in a new town has been a bit lonely at times, so I’ve been coming here now and then to borrow a dog for a few hours.”

“That’s why we’re here, but somebody is taking the dog I want,” Henry grumbled.

“Henry, that’s enough,” Emma reprimanded. “You haven’t even looked at any of the other dogs.”

“None of them will be as good as Norman.”

Killian’s brows raised. “Did you say Nor-”

Just then, the door behind the counter opened and David came through, trying to control a very excited dog.

“Norman!” Henry cheered, dropping to his knees. The dog started jumping toward him, wildly licking his face as soon as he reached the boy.

“I thought you said he was already rented today,” Emma questioned David.

“He is,” he replied, looking pointedly at Killian.

Emma followed his gaze and saw the other man watching the interaction between Henry and the dog with a sheepish look on his face. The pieces began to click together and she asked, “Wait a minute - is Norman the dog you’re renting today?”

“Aye,” Killian confirmed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Looks like we’re here for the same dog.”

“But you called him by another name,” Emma continued.

“He’s the dog I’ve rented every time and he just doesn’t seem like a Norman to me, so I started calling him Winston,” Killian explained.

All three adults stood looking at the whirlwind of fur jumping all over Henry, who was giggling so much, he could hardly catch his breath.

Finally, Killian spoke. “It seems as though Win-, I mean, Norman, has made his choice. Please let Henry and…his mother have the dog today, Dave.”

“Emma,” she informed him. “My name is Emma Swan, and you don’t have to do that. You had him reserved first. Besides, Henry needs to learn he can’t always have his way.”

“I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my time with the dog, knowing how sad it would make Henry,” Killian responded. He took a step forward and offered Emma his hand to shake. “I’m Killian Jones, by the way. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Emma.”

As they shook hands, David cleared his throat. “Um, I have an idea of how to work this out. It’s a nice day, so why don’t all of you take Norman to the dog park together?”

Emma and Killian both whipped their heads around to stare at him. He seemed to shrink back a bit before stammering, “I mean, that way you could all spend time with him and get to know each other at the same time. You’ve been saying you’d like to meet more people in Storybrooke, Killian, and that’s where Henry and Emma live.” Looking at Emma, he added, “I’ve gotten to know Killian pretty well because he sings in the church choir with me and Mary Margaret. He’s a good guy.”

Emma slowly turned her eyes back to the very handsome man whose hand she suddenly realized she was still holding. She dropped it quickly, as she felt a blush heating her cheeks. Then she looked at Henry, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor with Norman sprawled across his lap. He was looking up at her with hope in his eyes.

Meeting Killian’s gaze once again, she asked, “What do you think?”

“I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position, Emma.”

“You wouldn’t have to go all the way back into Storybrooke,” David said. “There’s a small dog park at the end of the walking path, where a lot of people take dogs they’re thinking of adopting.”

“Please, Mom?” Henry pleaded. “Norman would like that, wouldn’t you, boy?”

Emma took a look at the pair and groaned, “It’s bad enough when you use the puppy dog eyes on me, kid. Now you’ve got the dog doing it, too.”

Killian chuckled lowly, the sound of it making Emma’s stomach flip in a very pleasant way. “I would hate to disappoint the two of them, so I’m game if you are, lass.”

Emma chewed her lip in contemplation for a few seconds, before saying, “Okay, but on one condition - you let me pay half of the rental fee.”

“I already paid the fee online,” Killian said.

“So did I, so I guess that takes care of that.”

“Not really,” David said. “You both paid, but you’re only renting one dog. I should reimburse each of you half of the fee.”

“Keep it,” Emma and Killian answered at the same time, then both laughed.

“The shelter can always use a little extra money, can’t it, Mr. Nolan?” Emma asked.

“Please call me David. And of course we can, if you’re both sure you don’t mind.”

As soon as they affirmed their answer, David walked around the counter and picked up the end of the leash. Handing it to Emma, he said, “In that case, Norman-slash-Winston is yours for the next four hours. You can bring him back sooner, if you like, but I’m sure he’s going to love getting out for a while. Oh, and if you get hungry, there’s usually a couple of food trucks near the dog park on Saturdays. Have fun!”

Emma and Killian thanked him, then went out the door with Norman straining at the leash, and Henry skipping along beside him. They quickly found the sign marking the path and started walking it.

After several paces, Killian turned to Emma and asked, “Is it me, or do you feel like David just set us up?”

“One hundred percent,” Emma laughed.

“How long have you known him?”

“David?” she questioned. At his hum of affirmation, she said, “Henry and I rented Norman three weeks ago and that was the first time I met him. David, I mean, not Norman. Well, it was the first time we met Norman, too. His wife is Henry’s teacher. Again, I mean she’s David’s wife, not Norman’s.” She knew she was rambling, but the thought of spending several hours with the gorgeous stranger was making her nervous.

Killian laughed. “That’s a relief. I borrowed Win-, uh, Norman three times and he never once mentioned being married.”

It was Emma’s turn to laugh - mostly because what he said was funny, but also in relief that he responded to her embarrassing prattling with humor, instead of judgment.

“So, if Dave just met you, he probably doesn’t even know if you’re married or dating anyone. That was a little presumptuous of him.”

“Are you fishing for information, Mr. Jones?” Emma teased.

“Killian will do,” he grinned. “And…perhaps?”

Before she could answer, Henry ran back to join them. “Can I take Norman, Mom? He’s walking really well on the leash, so I don’t think he’ll yank my arm out of the socket.”

She looked at Killian, who raised an eyebrow with a bemused look on his face.

“That’s something I said when we picked Norman up the last time,” she explained. Handing the loop of the leash to Henry, she said, “Don’t get too far ahead of us, kid.”

“We won’t,” he tossed over his shoulder.

Emma turned her attention back to the man beside her. “To answer your non-question Killian, no, I am not married or dating anyone. It’s just Henry and me, and always has been. When I told his father I thought I might be pregnant, he didn’t even stick around long enough to find out if I was or not.”

Killian absorbed this news for a few moments before responding, “If you don’t mind me saying, it sounds as if the two of you might be better off without someone like that, anyway.”

“Oh, definitely. Henry is more mature at eight than his sperm donor was as an adult. I was young and foolish, but I had to grow up fast once I became a single mother.” She watched her son trying to get Norman to walk beside him, then turned to look at Killian. “Sorry, that is a lot more information than I’m sure you wanted to know.”

“No need to apologize, Emma. I did ask, in a roundabout way.”

“So what’s your story? Did you move here from England, or am I misreading your accent?”

“You got it right,” he chuckled, then took a deep breath. “There was nothing left for me in England. My brother moved here soon after our mother died two years ago, and once I found out my girlfriend was actually a married woman, I needed a fresh start.”

“Ouch,” Emma commented.

“Aye, and now I’ve probably shared more than you wanted to know.”

“We’ll call it even, and promise to talk about much lighter subjects for the rest of the day,” Emma said.

“Deal.”

“You said your brother moved here. Does that mean he lives in Storybrooke?”

“Aye, he followed his heart and it led him straight to this quaint little town.”

“Who does he date, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“He’s engaged to the town librarian, Belle French.”

“Liam is your brother? I guess I should have figured that out since your last name is Jones.”

“It’s a very common name, lass. Yes, Liam is my brother. I gather you know him?”

“Belle is one of my best friends, so I know him through her. She used to babysit for Henry quite often, when I was a waitress at Granny’s.”

“Ah, the famous Granny’s Diner!” Killian exclaimed. “I visit that establishment frequently. She makes the best lasagna.”

“I think you meant to say the best grilled cheese and onion rings,” Emma grinned mischieviously.

“I’ve yet to try those particular delicacies,” he smirked.

“Try them,” she advised. “I guarantee you’ll love them.”

Looking ahead, they saw they were nearing the dog park and picked up their pace. They caught up with Henry and Norman just before reaching the entrance. There were about a half-dozen dogs running around the park, some loose and others on leashes.

“I think it would be a good idea for Mr. Jones to take Norman before we go in,” Emma told Henry. “He’ll be able to control him better if he gets too excited.”

“Okay,” Henry said, willingly handing over the leash.

“Thanks, lad,” Killian smiled.

Henry went through the first gate, holding it open for his mom, followed by Killian and Norman. When they were all in the buffer zone, Henry opened the next gate leading into the main part of the park.

“You’re raising quite the gentleman, Emma,” Killian commented, after he entered with the dog.

“He has his moments.”

They all watched Norman as he began sniffing around excitedly, then pulling on the leash when he noticed the other canines sharing his space. He nearly yanked Killian off of his feet with his enthusiasm to meet new friends.

The next twenty minutes were spent chasing the dog and trying to settle him down. After a few of the other owners left with their animals, Henry found a tennis ball and engaged Norman in a game of fetch. The adults sat on a bench to observe the pair, laughing at the clumsiness of the dog.

Emma noticed Killian rubbing his shoulder. “Alright there, Jones?”

“I think he might have pulled my arm out of the socket, Swan,” he quipped.

“Very funny, smart guy,” she said, making him laugh again. They watched for a few more minutes before Emma asked, “Do you have a job in Storybrooke? I started working at the sheriff’s station three months ago and I don’t remember seeing you around town.”

“I’m an architect. I was able to keep my job with the firm in England by working online and attending meetings with clients and my colleagues via Zoom. All of my time is spent in my office at home. It’s not ideal, but I appreciate my boss being willing to make concessions for me.”

“Do you plan to get a job here eventually?”

“Aye, if I decide to stay.”

“You don’t sound very sure.”

“I’m used to the hustle and bustle of a big city. Living in Storybrooke has been quite an adjustment.”

“I get that. We moved here from Boston when Henry was two. Granny’s granddaughter, Ruby, was our neighbor there, and when she decided to move back, she talked me into coming with her. At first, I had a hard time getting used to the peace and quiet. That was one reason why I adopted Ernie - just to have a little more noise in the house.”

“Ernie?” Killian questioned.

“Oh, he was our dog. We had him for six years, but he died a couple of months ago.” She pulled her phone out of the pouch of her hoodie and swiped to reveal her lock screen. “This is a picture of Henry with him.”

“Beautiful animal,” Killian commented sincerely, taking in the photo of the brown and white spaniel. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks,” Emma sighed, locking her phone and returning it to the pocket. “Henry grew up with him and he’s had a really hard time with it. Someone suggested renting a pet from the shelter to help him work through it, and that’s how we ended up renting Norman.”

“They seem to really like each other.”

“Yeah, they got along great the first time. That’s why I signed up to get him again, but I was in a hurry when I filled out the form and forgot to ask for a specific dog.”

“Ah, that explains the mix-up,” Killian remarked.

Another half hour passed while they chatted easily, until Henry came over and flopped down on the ground, quickly joined by Norman. “I’m hungry, Mom. Can we get something to eat?”

“Sure, kid. Put Norman back on his leash and we’ll go find those food trucks Mr. Nolan mentioned.”

They soon located the food trucks just down the sidewalk from the park. After discussing their options, they decided to get pulled pork sandwiches from the barbeque place. It was obvious that people who took their pets to the dog park frequented the food trucks, because each one had bowls of water set out in front of them and containers of dog biscuits on their condiment tables.

While they waited for their food, Henry tried to teach Norman to sit, rewarding him with pieces of the biscuits when he obeyed.

“He’s very good with him,” Killian noted.

“He prays for another dog every night, but our schedule is so busy right now. Plus, it’s such a big responsibility and I’m not sure Henry is ready for it. I might be wrong about that though, seeing how he is with Norman.”

After eating, they followed the sidewalk a little further and spotted a playground. Emma and Killian sat on a bench, with Norman sitting between them as they watched Henry play on the equipment.

“You know, we’ve lived in Storybrooke for six years and I never knew this playground existed,” Emma commented. “We don’t come this way very often, because whenever we go out of town, we take the road going south.”

“It appears to be fairly new,” Killian observed. “Perhaps they constructed it when they built those apartments over there, because they don’t look like they’ve been there very long.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. I remember when they were being constructed a couple of years after we moved here, which means they’re less than five years old.”

They lost sight of Henry for a few seconds when he climbed a ladder up into a tower. Suddenly they heard him shout, “Hey, Mom! Look what I found!” and saw him coming down a twisting slide with his arms over his head, clutching a tattered looking soccer ball.

He landed at the bottom and came running over to them. “Someone must have forgotten this at the top of the tower. Wanna kick it around with me?”

“Sure, kid,” Emma answered, hopping up from the bench. “It looks a bit deflated. Are you sure it’s even going to roll?”

“It’ll be fine,” he assured her. Placing it on the ground, he gave it a kick and watched it roll across the grass. “See?”

A black streak flew past him, with Killian following close behind shouting, “Wins-, I mean, Norman! Come back here!”

The dog ignored him, but stopped when he got to the soccer ball. He was trying to pick it up in his mouth when the three humans reached him. Killian was able to kick it away from him, directly to Emma, who stopped it with her foot, then booted it over to Henry. Norman ran from one to the other, in hot pursuit of the elusive ball.

The ‘keep away’ game kept them entertained for a long time. They ran, shouting instructions to each other and laughing until all of them were completely out of breath. Norman was able to intercept some of their passes, but they always managed to get it away from him before he was able to pick it up and run off.

Finally, Emma declared that she had to take a break. Picking up Norman’s leash, she said, “I think we should take him back to the food trucks to get a drink and buy a couple of bottles of water.”

“Aww, Mom,” Henry complained. “I’m not ready to go yet. Can’t I stay here? Killian will stay with me, won’t you, Killian?”

“First of all, you should call him Mr. Jones, and secondly, you’re putting him on the spot, which isn’t cool,” Emma admonished.

Henry looked appropriately chagrined. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jones.”

“Thank you, Henry, but if I may be so bold, I don’t mind you calling me Killian. That is, if it’s okay with your mother.”

Henry looked to his mom, who considered for a few seconds, then gave him a nod of approval.

Killian put his arm across Henry’s shoulders and walked him the short distance to where Emma was standing. “I’d be happy to go get the water, Emma.” He took the end of Norman’s leash from her. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” she agreed. “If you’re sure you don’t mind.”

While he was gone, Emma sat on the bench watching Henry continue to kick the soccer ball around. Killian and Norman returned a few minutes later, handed her a bottle of water and sat down beside her.

“Do I owe you anything for this?” Emma asked, unscrewing the lid.

“Not at all. I think I can afford to buy a lovely lass a bottle of water.”

She refrained from rolling her eyes at his use of the adjective, still rueing the fact she met such a handsome man while looking like she just rolled out of bed. As she was getting ready to take a drink, Henry kicked the ball and sent it sailing over their head, causing Emma to duck and spill some of the water in her lap.

Henry ran over, stopping in front of her. “Oops. Sorry, Mom. I was trying to kick it at the teeter-totter.”

Emma brushed at the water droplets, looking around to locate the teeter-totter, which was at least twenty feet away from the bench. “Not even close, kid.”

Killian stood up. “Perhaps I could give you some pointers, lad. I was a rather good football player when I was younger .”

Henry’s forehead creased in confusion. “I play soccer, not football.”

Killian chuckled as Emma explained, “Killian grew up in England and over there, soccer is called football. They call what we play ‘American football’, don’t they, Killian?”

“Aye, lass. Sorry to confuse you, Henry.”

“Oh, I never knew that. So, how good were you?”

Killian rubbed a finger behind his ear, ducking his head a bit. “I played in a semi-professional league for a couple of years and actually tried out for a professional club, before I decided to go to Uni and become an architect instead.”

“Wow! Cool!” Henry exclaimed. “You probably know even more about soccer than my coach!”

Emma laughed. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure he knows a bit more than a volunteer coach for a youth league team.” She took the dog’s leash back from Killian. “Norman and I will sit this lesson out.”

Killian attempted to wink at her. “As you wish, Milady. Come on, lad. We’ve got work to do.”

She smiled fondly, watching the two of them passing the ball back and forth for a while, before pulling out her phone to catch up on her social media apps.

When she looked up a few minutes later, she saw Killian giving Henry instructions for controlling the ball as he dribbled it down the field. Apparently, they were using two trees as the goal and Henry was moving toward them quickly, while trying rather unsuccessfully to keep the ball under control. When he kicked it from quite a distance away, the ball hit one of the trees and ricocheted away.

Killian went to retrieve the ball and took it back to where Henry was waiting. He squatted down in front of the boy and began talking to him, gesturing now and then to different parts of the field.

Henry listened intently, nodding once in a while. When Killian finished speaking, he stood up and did a short demonstration of how to move the ball back and forth from foot to foot. Then he patted the boy’s shoulder, walked the ball further away from the trees and set it down.

Henry lined himself up behind the ball and looked up at Killian. After getting a reassuring smile from him, Henry started dribbling the ball across the ground with shorter, more controlled kicks, while Killian jogged beside him, shouting encouragement. This time, he got the ball much closer to the trees, before giving it a powerful kick that sent it shooting right between them.

Killian whooped as Henry raised his arms in victory, giving a triumphant cheer. What Emma saw happen next put a lump in her throat. Henry flung his arms around Killian’s waist, hugging him tightly, and Killian returned the hug, rubbing his hand over her son’s head as he looked down at him with a proud smile on his face.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

NEW TAG LIST:

@qualitycoffeethings @grimmswan @cs-rylie @wyntereyez @kmomof4 @hookedmom @ultraluckycatnd @paradiselady19 @xarandomdreamx @motherkatereloyshipper @lfh1226-linda @pawshapedheart @vampcoffeegyrl23 @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic @eleveneitherway @elfiola @kday426 @julieenchanted-swans @gingerchangeling @andiirivera @djlbg @jonesfandomfanatic @snowbellewells @anmylica @booksteaandtoomuchtv @cocohook38 @ilovemesomekillianjones @zaharadessert @lyssapup27 @undercaffinatednightmare @winterbaby89 @jennjenn615 @xsajx @jackieorioncat @teamhook @soniccat @jarienn972 @softkilly @kymbersmith-90

#pet for rent #jrob64 #csff #CS fluff #CS smut #CS modern AU #captain swan fanfic #art by jrob64 #ouat Captain Swan fanfic #Captain cobra

[pirateswhore]

In the aftermath, I'll hold you

in the aftermath of Emma taking on the darkness, Killian is the only one to comfort Henry.

Aka, these two just want their family back together

+ a little post s5 finale comfort to finish it off

Read on ao3 || Read below the line:

"What do you mean she's gone?" Henry grit his teeth, eyes darting across the adults standing in a circle around him.

He was told to go back to the apartment. That they would sort everything out and be home for hot cocoa.

The group did come home, his mum noticeably missing, everyone's heads hung low. Everyone avoided looking him in the eyes, even Hook. Eventually, his other mother had explained what happened.

"Henry..." his grandmother pleaded, reaching for his hand. Henry flinched, taking a step away from her.

"Answer me! What do you mean she's gone!"

"We told you, Henry, the darkness took her," his mother repeated her earlier words.

"Took her where!?" he snapped at her, eyes blown wide with tears stinging at the corners.

A moment of silence fell upon the apartment as everyone, once again, averted their eyes from Henry.

"Why won't no one tell me what happened to my mum?" he choked out, turning to Killian. The man was standing slightly behind Henry, off to David's side. His hook was dropped to the side, arm holding loosely to his belt. He lifted his head and looked at Henry. Brown locked with blue, and Henry saw his emotions reflected on Killian's face - fear, trepidation, agony.

Regina walked towards him, extending her arms out, to hug or otherwise hold him, but Henry slapped them away and cried out at her.

"Don't touch me right now!"

"Henry! Do not talk to your mother like that!" David cut in, fist slamming on the counter. Everyone in the room jumped, and Henry choked up a sob.

"Aye! Stop it, everyone!" Killian laid his hand on the prince's shoulder, trying to ease the storm currently brewing in the room. "We're all stressed and yelling won't help anyone." He turned to Henry, eyes weighed with unshed tears. He took a step towards Henry and the boy didn't move back.

"Lad, your mother took on the darkness, and it engulfed her. When the smoke subsided, she was gone, and all that was left was the dagger with her name on it. That's all we know."

Henry sniffled.

"Have you tried using the dagger to call her?" he asked, ashamed that he even thought of controlling his mother like that.

"Hook tried. She's not in this realm, as it didn't work." Regina stated. A muscle in Henry's jaw clenched.

"So he's the only one that even tried looking for her?"

"Henry!" his grandmother jumped, clearly offended at his statement.

"Don't Henry me! You should be out there looking for her! She's probably scared and alone, but none of you care!"

Mary Margaret glanced over at Regina, but said nothing.

"You never cared about her! You sent her away and I had to find her! When Pan's curse separated us, you didn't come looking, you went about your lives as if we didn't exist. It was Hook who came for us, and it wasn't even you who sent him!"

"I don't think Hook is a role-model for good behaviour." David sneered, shaking the pirate's hand off of his shoulder. Henry grit his teeth at the statement.

"At least he cares about her. You named your second kid after the man that hurt her! Do you even know what he did to her? And now she has to hear his name every day?"

His chest was heaving, angry tears rolling down his cheeks. He took a deep breath to steady himself.

"You never cared. She keeps breaking her back to help everyone else, but no one has ever tried to help her. She was left alone."

Regina shot him a glare. "Need I remind you that she left you as well?"

"She was a kid! Did you forget she was almost my age when she had me? She didn't have her mother there for comfort." Henry sniffed again, the words burning his throat. "And now neither do I."

He turned and buried himself in Hook's arms, head pressed into his chest as he let the sobs break from his own.

"Henry Daniel Mills!" Regina moved towards the two of them, brows furrowed in rage, but Hook shook his head and extended his namesake to stop her.

He turned him and Henry around, his back to the rest of the group. His arms came around the boy, hand stroking his soft brown hair. He held him for several long moments, until Henry's breathing evened out and his shaking sobs subsided. His arms were still gripping tightly to the lapels of Hook's jacket. Hook kissed the top of his head and whispered slowly.

"I know you miss your mother. I do too. But we won't do her any good if we run around town until we drop from exhaustion. We need rest," he tipped the lad's head up with his hook, "you need rest. We can make a plan in the morning and set right on finding her. Alright?"

Henry nodded, sighed, and rested his head back against his chest.

After a few more moments of silence, Regina spoke again.

"Well. The pirate's right with one thing, we should go to sleep now." She picked up her coat from the rack and looked over at Henry. "Coming?"

He shook his head. "I'm staying here."

Regina whispered "Suit yourself," and bid the others goodnight before leaving with Robin.

Henry stayed in Hook's arms for a little while longer, holding onto him as the rest of the world fell apart around him. His head was spinning, his legs and arms felt heavy, and there was a growing pit in his stomach. Eventually, Hook took a step back, arm and hook braced on Henry's shoulders.

"Let's get you to bed, lad. You're tired."

Henry just nodded, not wanting to fight back, and made his way upstairs. He changed into his pyjamas and crawled into the twin bed that was shoved into the corner of the room. He knew he wouldn't get much sleep, as tired as he was. He heard hushed whispers coming from below, but could only make out a few words.

"Let the boy be," Hook said, "he just lost his mother."

"That doesn't give him the right to speak to us like that." David pushed back, annoyance clear in his voice.

A moment passed.

"He was right, you know. About everything." Mary Margaret finally joined in. "Emma was alone all her life. We never made an effort to make up for that, we thought it was clear we were sorry, but now I know she needed more from us."

They continued their conversation, but Henry couldn't make out anything coherent past that. Eventually, someone stood up and made their way to the front door.

"I best be on my way," Hook said, "it's getting rather late."

"You should stay. Emma wouldn't want you alone on your ship"

Another moment of silence passed. Henry heard movement down stairs, and soon Hook was making his way up the stairs.

"Lad?" he whispered out once he reached the landing.

"I'm awake."

Hook sighed, and made his way to the main bed. He didn't say anything else, but Henry could tell he wasn't asleep. His breathing was too quick and shallow, uneven at times.

Hook taught him how to tell the difference between awake and asleep breathing. "Useful for checking if an enemy is open to a sneak attack," he'd said.

Henry stood and made his way to the corner of his mum's bed.

"Killian?" he called. Killian turned his head, eyebrow quirked up. Henry shuffled his feet. "Can I sleep with you tonight? While in New York, whenever I was upset, she'd let me cuddle with her."

Killian said nothing, simply pulled back the comforter and patted the bed next to him. Henry crawled in, laying face to face with him. They stayed like that for some time, neither speaking.

He liked Killian. He liked how relaxed he was around him, and often it seemed he was the only one that didn't baby Henry. And he tried to build a relationship with him, even outside his relationship with his mum. Killian was fun, he made his mum happy and he was always kind to Henry. The trio's weekly lunches at Granny's were one of the things Henry looked forward to the most. It felt right, the three of them together.

Henry didn't understand why everyone was so dismissive of Killian all the time. Yes, he'd done some bad things, but so did his other mother? And everyone seemed to forgive her easily. He was trying, but no-one except Emma ever supported him.

"We'll find her," Killian said eventually, "I promise you, lad.

Henry shifted, closer to Killian. He rolled onto his back and Henry set his head on his chest, knees tucked up to his chest. Killian's arm came around Henry, resting on the back of his head.

"I know, I know, I'm just..." Henry took a breath to steady himself. "I'm sorry about earlier, a lot of what I said was uncalled for."

"It's okay, lad. It's a stressful situation. I don't think anyone will hold it over you," Killian comforted.

"Thank you for being here. I know you and I can find her. We found her once already, in the alternate storybook. We can do it again."

"Aye. The three of us make quite the team, you know." He threaded his fingers through Henry's hair, in the same soothing motion his mother often used.

"Like a real family does." Henry couldn't see Killian's face, but he knew that the word had prompted a wide smile on it. Family. The three of them, together, against the world. He wasn't opposed to Killian being his step-dad. He's been acting like one already, picking him up from school when neither of his mums could, helping with homework, taking care of him. Henry has never had a father figure before, and Killian was as close as he'd ever get.

"Henry?" he whispered after a while. Henry hummed in response.

"I've been thinking. Well, your mother and I had been talking. We want to find a place for us." He looked down at Henry. "All three of us."

"Like an apartment?"

"Like a house. Maybe we could... Maybe we could find one she'd like? So we can surprise her when this mess is sorted?"

Henry propped himself up on his elbows. His face lit up. "Yes! It could be an operation!" He thought about a name for a moment. "Operation: Light Swan?"

Killian chuckled. "Sounds perfect."

They laid back down, snuggled more closely together now. They listed the features they would look for in their future home. It had to be near the ocean, have a big yard, and an open floor plan.

"How many bedrooms?" Killian's cheek and ear tips burned at the question.

"We, uh. Your mother and I never discussed that topic."

"I'm sure she'd be open to the idea."

"Aye?"

"Mhm. I can see how she looks at you when you're around me or baby Neal."

Killian smiled at that. "Well I'm sure that a few extra bedrooms wouldn't hurt."

The conversation continued, the excitement over the future easing the pain they both felt. Henry soon felt his eyelids drop, the drum of Killian's heart a low, steady rhythm under his ear. He was stroking his shoulder, drawing nonsense shapes into it with his fingers. Henry drifted off to sleep in Killian's arms, certain that the two of them would take the Darkness out of Emma.

And then they could finally be a family.

ccccccccc

"It's rather late," Emma yawned out, "we should go to bed.

They were sitting on the couch, all next to one another. The couch had more than enough room for them to sprawl out, but they all snuggled into the corner, Emma's back to Killian's chest, arms wrapped around Henry.

They came home from Granny's hours ago, having bid goodbye to the rest of the group. There was so much to be said between them, so much had happened, and none of them wanted to move on without addressing it properly.

Emma's Darkness. What she did to Henry and Killian. Why she pushed them away. Killian's Darkness. The betrayal he felt when no one believed he could fight it. His sacrifice. The race to get him back. The heartbreak Emma and Henry felt when he couldn't come with them. Henry's trip to New York and why he wanted to destroy magic.

They talked for hours, breaking down each and every wall that was still standing between them. Lots of emotions followed with tears, apologies, and hugs.

Henry stretched out, yawning. "Uh-huh. I'm sleepy."

They made their way upstairs, staying close together. They were reluctant to take their eyes off of each other, after being separated so many times already.

The master bedroom was the first bedroom to the left of the stair landing, and Henry's was across the hallway. He stopped, halfway in between the two bedroom doors, and turned to his mum and Killian.

"Hey," he said before they could even open the door. "Can I, can I sleep with you two?"

The two adults shared a confused look between them.

"I know, I'm 13 now, and I should sleep on my own, but..." he shook his head as memories of the past couple of months came flooding back once again. "Mum, I almost lost you to the darkness. And we just barely managed to drag Killian back from the dead. Surely I should be allowed to be a little clingy?"

Emma smiled at him. "After what we've been through, we're allowed to be as clingy as we want to be."

They went about their regular sleep time routine. Changing into pyjamas, brushing their teeth, the usual. Emma went to fetch an extra pillow for Henry, and Killian fiddled nervously with the brace in his arm.

"You can take it off. I don't mind." Henry had never actually seen Killian's scar, and a part of him was curious as to what it looked like. The one time they shared a bed before, after mum was taken, it was dark and Killian had kept the arm tucked under the pillow. He didn't see Killian any differently because of it - the teenager in him saw the hook as completely badass - but he knew that was a sensitive topic for him, so he never pressed him on it.

Killian looked at him, and his features softened. He undid the straps keeping the brace tight, and slid it off of his forearm.

Henry didn't stare much, not wanting to make Killian uncomfortable. The scar was mostly faded, and apart from it, his lower arm was devoid of any other distinguishing markings, including tattoos. A stark contrast compared to the rest of his body. Henry wanted to ask about the tattoos and the scars, the stories behind them, what they meant, and how he got them. Another time, he thought, there's no rush now.

Emma came back with the pillow, and the three of them climbed into bed. Killian was on the right side of the bed, leaning partially on his side. Henry cuddled into him, head tucked into the crook of his neck. Emma threw her arm around him, pulling herself close. Killian's scarred arm was wound beneath the two of them, the fingers of his other arm tangled with Emma's.

"Everyone comfy?" she asked.

"What if I told you I need to relieve myself, love?" Killian teased.

"Then I would send you right back to Hell."

"Underworld, technically." Henry and Killian corrected in unison, and the three of them burst out laughing.

This is good. This is how it was always meant to be. The three of them, together, happy, with their whole future in front of them. Henry sighed.

"You good, kiddo?"

"I'm happy."

Sleep took them swiftly, the last few weeks (months, really) having left their bodies desperate for rest.

Nothing would separate the Saviour, her pirate, and their son ever again.

#killian jones #emma swan #henry mills #ouat #captain swan #captain cobra #mostly caprain cobra #these 3 need an hour long hug and i gave it to them #this fic is more for me than anyone else tbf #chantecler writing #ouat fic #killian jones - protective dad mode activated 🔓