Hello! I recently introduced the new collection to you lovely shipmates. If you guys have questions ask away! Don't be shy!!
Do you have an old CS fic inspired by Castle?
Maybe humor is your thing and did a B99 CS AU.
Perhaps Lucifer and his devilishly good looks inspired a Captain Swan/Killian Jones version.
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I'm back with a new fic, inspired by the 1986 Eddie Murphy film, The Golden Child. It's been so much fun adapting it to the Once universe and I hope you like the result! All the love and thanks in the world to @profdanglaisstuff for beta services and @hollyethecurious for her never ending patience with helping me brainstorm plot points and all her encouragement!!! Also to all the ladies of the CSSNS and CSMM discords for sprinting appointments and all their encouragement!!!
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you'll let me know what you think!
Summary: A little boy with the Heart of the Truest Believer. Demonic forces will stop at nothing to possess it. It's up to Killian Jones, PI to find him and save him before it's too late.
Rating: T
Words: 463 of approx 15K
Tags: Inspired by The Golden Child, Kidnapping, Magic, Minor Character Death, Temporary Major Character Death, True Loves Kiss
Please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed.
Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.
Prologue
The cloud of grey smoke dissipated from around Rufio and his companion. He looked around and felt a wave of nostalgia that he hid with a sneer as he took in the obvious domain of a small boy. Disney plush toys shared space with fantastical Lego creations on the bookshelves that weren’t filled with books on all topics. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and other fantasy novels stood next to Star Trek comics and nonfiction titles on dinosaurs and volcanoes. As his gaze moved to the walls, Captain America and Iron Man dominated. Along with a signed poster of Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers. The nightlight sitting on the nightstand projecting the night sky on the ceiling of the room illuminated his sight just enough to take all this in before his gaze fell on the lump on the bed covered with a classic Star Wars comforter with only a mop of brown hair visible on the pillow.
He turned to Felix who raised his finger to his lips as they tiptoed closer to the bed. Just as he reached it, a small hand reached out from within and grabbed him around the wrist. He tried to jerk away before a profound sense of joy and peace flooded him. All he wanted to do was sit down on the floor, stare up at the ceiling, and remember his own dreams of exploring the cosmos from when he was a child. He turned back toward the other boy who was about to pounce on their target. Felix had pulled his knife out as well as the cuff that would prevent the boy from using his magic. With a loud hiss that he wasn’t even aware came from him, he threw himself at his partner, trying to disarm him. He couldn’t allow this little boy to be taken.
A burning sensation bloomed in his gut stealing his breath. He stumbled back away from Felix, who sported a manic grin on his face, and looked down. Blood poured from around the knife that was still lodged in his midsection. He fell to his knees and looked back up the other boy. Felix reached down and jerked the knife out, forcing a pained grunt out of him.
“I knew you were soft,” Felix whispered harshly. “And when he touched you, I was ready.”
Rufio fell to his side, his lifeblood spilling on the floor. He could hear rather than see the struggle that was going on above him. Felix hissed again for the boy to hold still or he’d kill him. His vision was starting to go blurry as the sounds of the fight suddenly stopped and a cloud of magic enveloped them all, transporting them back to the lair of the Dark One.
~*~*~
Thank you for reading and sharing. I’d love to know what you think! I hope to post ch1 by early next week and the conclusion next Thursday. Until then, y’all!!
I'm behind again due to my Lupus flare last week. Here's what's happening and what to expect :
Hallow updates tomorrow, with Emma seeking out Killian after her escape from The Cave of Wonders with Aladdin and Jasmine. She's got her memories and magic back, in addition to being furious at Jafar, Hades, and most definitely Arthur for taking advantage of her. They don't know what she's capable of, but they are about to learn.
Roses updates after that, on Saturday. We left off finding out that Killian has a long past with the property of Carterhaugh - and its mysterious family. The mistress of Carterhaugh still lives as the Fae queen, now more venomous than amorous for her banished lover. Killian is freed, but at a cost : on Halloween he will be sacrificed. Emma is on the verge of telling him everything, about Neal, about what he did, about his rings and the house with too many doors, about her missing friends and Tam, and about what she hallucinated on the night of the fire when Neal died. She knows that they both have secrets, but hopes that hers will not be too much for Killian to take - not knowing that her secrets are nothing compared to his, or what awaits them in their shortened future.
MTFB (Majestically too far Beyond) will be updated Tuesday, with hopefully regular updates every week on Tuesday. This week we finally meet Killian, and see the mysterious bond Emma and him share in action as they adapt to each other's lives.
CS Movie Marathon - Your Name premieres on the 28th, and follows the story of Emma and Killian mysteriously randomly body switching in a modern setting. Emma just wants to be free from her life on her family's rural farm, but does not believe she is worthy of starting a new life. Starting the day by waking up as some British dude was not in the plan. Killian is a struggling first year architect, barely making it as his boss dogs on him. He's even being a server in his spare time, even if more secretly that's just to be close to his crush, Tink. Waking up as a beautiful blonde woman who takes no shit is not a struggle he was expecting to add to his life. Is it fate? A trick of a cruel universe? Or is something more at stake?
Need - Semi Lt. Duckling ABO MC will be around for Cocktober. Expect lots of ABO tropes, filthy smut, and phucking pheromones.
Riptide Sequel is still in the works, but is so far much better than the original, which may also get a revamp this December. Because of time constraints, certain parts were scrapped that I think might be worth adding in after editing some parts that I no longer think are worded well. The villain needs to be explained more, and so does the violent nature of the world they live in.
Keep an eye out, and spare an R&R if you can, oh Fandom of plenty. The amount of amazing content this group of people produces never ceases to amaze. 💖
A Burlesque-inspired CS AU by @teamhook for @captainswanmoviemarathon
Summary: Small town girl Emma Swan moves to L.A. to follow her dreams. The best view on the Sunset Strip becomes her home. But is she bound to find true love in a dashing bartender?
Fic links: tumblr; AO3; FFN
It’s a life, it’s a style, it’s a need to read this amazing Burlesque-inspired CS AU written by @teamhook! She convinced me to watch the movie and got me hooked on the soundtrack (pun intended), and I couldn’t help but make a CS aesthetic for it which accompanies her wonderful story. Go check it out at the links above and give her and her fic some love!
Hello!! The struggle is real but I made a deal with @hookedonapirate. She knows what I’m talking about.
I want to thank my lovely beta @ultraluckycatnd and my lovely enabler dream team @karlyfr13s @veryverynotgood @apiratewhopines @hookedonapirate @batana54 and all the lovely ladies on the CSMM Discord for their support.
//AO3//://FFN//
A/N: Ser·en·dip·i·ty
The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
A chance meeting thousands of days ago led to a magical night between two strangers the universe insisted on bringing together. Could fate finally reunite them?
Five days before Christmas...
New York...
Bloomingdales...
Cashmere gloves are hanging from a hook. White, red, beige, and just appended by the sales clerk, one single pair of black gloves are added to the display.
Two different hands grab a glove each and pull. They find the other glove is attached to someone else.
The man asked, "I'm sorry lass, did you want these?"
The woman sighed. "Damn, it's the last pair."
The sales clerk walked by and they gained her attention to ask if they had more of the black gloves on display. The salesperson confirmed that they didn't have any more in the back.
They put the gloves back while they decided what to do.
A grumpy man grabbed them and the woman stopped him.
"Sir, we were discussing those!" The woman said.
"You two can discuss them all you want, but I will be the one paying for them."
"Sir, with all due respect. The lass and I were discussing what a perfect gift those gloves would be for -my girlfriend."
"-my boyfriend." The woman said at the same time as her partner in crime.
The old grumpy man stared at them with a scowl. "Are you saying that these gloves are for both your boyfriend and his girlfriend?"
The woman smiled sweetly. "Yes, right now he is my boyfriend but after the surgery..."
The younger man scratched behind his ear. "Aye, after the surgery she will be my girlfriend."
The grouchy man didn't believe them for a second and muttered that he had no time to argue and bid them Merry Christmas before moving on.
The pair laughed as the man left.
"Lass, you were bloody amazing!" he said in awe.
"Come on, you were right there with me. Let's just call it a team effort," she said with a smile.
"I don't mean to upset you, but I think we make quite the team."
She snorted.
He paid for the gloves and handed them to her.
"Well, I think it's only fair if I buy you a drink then," she said.
They ended up at Serendipity. The chocolate there was to die for and it was her favorite place.
"Tell me lass, how did you find this place?" he asked while drinking a blended coffee.
She moaned as she took a sip of her hot chocolate. "My mom. She loves this place."
"Oh, serendipity is one of my favorite words," he said smiling.
"Why is that?" the woman asked curiously.
"It's such a lovely word for what it means. A fortunate accident," he clarified.
"Oh, it does have a nice ring to it," she said.
"Except I don't believe in accidents. I think fate is behind everything," he replied.
"Wait, so if fate is behind everything, that would include the one pair of gloves?" she asked.
"That is my belief."
She shook her head. "Everything Is predestined and we don't have any choice? I don't know how I feel about not having control of my destiny," she said.
"Not exactly. I think we make our own decisions. I just believe fate sends us signs and it's how we read them that decides if we are happy or not."
"Little signals," she said hesitantly.
"Aye, fortunate accidents," he stated.
"Perhaps I should get going. Now I have to go find something
for my girlfriend," he said hesitantly.
She grimaced. "Oh, they were for your girlfriend. I'm sorry, are you sure you don't want them?"
"No, it's alright. I will find something. I do confess I have no regrets. Those gloves were lucky. I got to enjoy your company," he said with a smile.
"Thank you, good company is hard to find these days. I guess it's time to go," she replied.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you from meeting your boyfriend," he said.
"Oh no. I'm sure he is out doing the same thing you are," she said.
"Ohh, is he becoming smitten with someone else's lady love?"
he said with a raised eyebrow.
"No, he is buying a Christmas gift," she said with a light blush on her cheeks. "So what do you want for Christmas?" she asked to shift attention to him.
"I would love some golf clubs. I really enjoy the game," he said with a dreamy smile.
She paid the bill and they walked out of Serendipity. They both wanted to continue their night together, but it was obvious the timing was wrong since they both had somebody.
The woman smiled shyly at him and his hand went to scratch just behind his ear.
"Do you think exchanging names makes us horrible people?" she asked.
"I don't know," he said thoughtfully.
"Well, my name is Emma. Does that make you want to tell me something?" Emma said smiling.
"Merry Christmas, Emma," he said smiling. "It was a pleasure meeting you today, but it's not our time. It would be bad form to ignore the signs," he said as he signaled a cab.
Emma stared as he got inside the cab and disappeared.
Emma was disappointed, but she did have a boyfriend and what was she thinking? She had been so lost in the magic of the meeting. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was special. She was riding the train to go home and then noticed she didn't have the Bloomingdale's bag. She must have left it at Serendipity. She groaned and made her way back.
She asked the host if it was turned in and he said no, but that she could go check the table.
She arrived at the table and she was lucky to find the store bag underneath the table.
She sighed in relief.
Someone cleared their throat.
She looked up to find dazzling blue eyes. The same ones she had been staring at for hours.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked while picking up a black pashmina.
"I forgot my scarf," he said, pointing at her hands.
"Oh!" Emma said as she walked towards him and wrapped it around his neck.
His breath hitched at her proximity.
"We keep meeting," Emma said with a smile.
"Aye, it appears we do."
"Maybe we should do something?"
"Alright, what do you want to do?" he asked.
They end up ice skating.
Emma gracefully skated around him, giggling at his hesitant movements.
"So I need to know, are you here to marry someone for a green card?"
He laughed loudly. "No, lass. Did the accent give me away as a foreigner?"
"Okay, what do you miss the most about home?" she asked.
"That is easy, my brother."
"I'm sure he misses you, too. I would miss you," she said, smiling when she noticed the tip of his ears reddening.
"It's my turn to ask a question. What is your favorite movie?" he asked, shaking off the moment.
Emma stopped for a second. "That is an easy one. The Princess Bride." She shrugged. "What about you?"
"The Pirates of Penzance. It appears we have the love of pirates in common," he said.
"Yes, it does. Okay my turn, favorite New York moment?" Emma asked.
He pondered his answer for a minute. "This one is sailing to the number one spot."
She grinned and then she bit her bottom lip. "What is your favorite sex position?" she asked while raising her eyebrows.
He growled at her. "You are being very cheeky, lass."
She laughed, lost her balance, and promptly fell down.
"Lass, are you alright?" he asked as he helped her to her feet. He inspected her for any damage.
"I'm okay," she grumbled.
He gently grabbed her hand and noticed a deep slash.
"Oww!" she winced.
"Let's look at this." He guided her to the bench and sat down. He inspected the cut carefully. He reached into his coat pocket and took out a flask.
"What the hell is that?" Emma asked as he poured it on her injured hand.
"Rum," he said as he took his scarf and wrapped it around her hand slowly while staring deeply into her eyes.
Emma sighed.
He grinned and with difficulty turned his eyes away to inspect his handy work. He traced some freckles on her arm.
"What is it?" she asked.
"It's just that your freckles resemble the constellation Cygnus. Did you know Cygnus is associated with the myth of Zeus and Leda in Greek mythology? Its neighboring constellations are Draco and Pegasus, among others. Sorry, lass, I fail to recall all of them at the moment."
Emma was distracted by his soothing voice and how warm his fingers felt on her arm while he traced the freckles.
He cleared his throat. "Lass, perhaps exchanging contact information would be acceptable?" he asked, hoping she would agree.
She wasn't the type of girl to give a guy her information while dating another, but there was nothing wrong with making a new friend.
"Okay, can I borrow your phone?" she asked.
He patted his pockets and shook his head. "I must have left mine at home charging. I'm sorry, but I can enter my details in yours."
She smiled and searched for it in her bag but came up empty. "Damn it. I don't have my phone either. I hope you don't mind if we exchange information old school." She wrote down her name and phone number on a piece of paper and a gust of wind blew it away.
He huffed his disappointment and said, "Perhaps it was fate telling us to back off."
"I don't believe in fate. I can write it on something else," she said when she noticed his face.
He smiled. "I have an idea." He took out a five-dollar bill. "Write down your name and phone number."
She did as he told her and once she was finished, she handed the five dollar bill to him.
"Thank you, my lady," he said and walked across the street to a vendor's cart.
She eyed him curiously. He was so oddly refreshing.
He purchased some gum with the money and turned to wink at her as he walked away.
She jumped into action and walked after him. "Hey! What was that? I thought we were exchanging information."
"Lass, the signs point out it's not the right time, but when it is, you will hear my voice and then you will believe in fate."
She rolled her eyes. "You don't have an incredible night with a perfect stranger and leave it to chance? But what about me? Shouldn't I get the same opportunity to find something with your details? It would be the fair thing."
"You are right," he said as he found a table filled with books for sale. His eyes brightened when he found the perfect one and picked it up. "See this copy of JM Barrie's Peter Pan? I will write down my name and phone number and sell it to a used book store tomorrow. You will have to go in the stores and check to see if it's there."
The truth was that he wanted to ignore the signs. He smiled at Emma and pulled her inside the hotel they were in front of. "Lass, don't worry. I'm always a gentleman." He guides her to stand in front of the elevator, and he goes to the opposite side. "When the door opens you walk inside, and once the elevator door closes you need to press a floor number. Just don't think about it. Trust your instinct. If we pick the same floor, that means this is our time. If not, I will do as we planned with the book." Just as he finished his instructions, the elevator door started to close. "My name is Killian. Have a little faith in destiny."
Without thinking, Emma threw one of her gloves at him. The elevator closed, and Emma stared at the buttons. She took a breath and pushed the number 24 button while holding the bag close to her heart.
Killian pushed floor number 24 with a hopeful smile.
Emma rolled her eyes at the man's antics. No his name is Killian. Her elevator door opened and a man and small child entered. Her heart dropped as she saw the little kid press a lot of buttons at the same time. She still had hope that he would still be there, but once she makes it to the floor, Killian is nowhere in sight.
Killian had waited longer than he expected, but Emma never arrived. So he would wait to find her.
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Hello!! I have been struggling with my other WIPs but I thought it would be a great idea to start a new one. I want to thank my lovely beta @ultraluckycatnd and my lovely enabler dream team @karlyfr13s @veryverynotgood @apiratewhopines @hookedonapirate @batana54 and all the lovely ladies on the CSMM Discord for their support.
I thought it would be good to dedicate @apiratewhopines this fic for her birthday because she has been such a fan of the story.
FFN//AO3
Swan On A Wire:
The bright yellow beetle sputtered as it chugged the last of the gas fumes. The poor old car was running on empty. She managed to pull to the side of the road as it rolled on the gravel in order to avoid traffic if she got stranded. The radio played a soft melody. The blonde's tears blurred her vision. She couldn't accept the proposal of her longtime boyfriend on the spot. He had been patient with her, almost saintly. He had been with her throughout her mourning. She had lost her first love and their friend at the same time. That is why she was driving her old car. One last trip down memory lane. He had told her he could no longer live in the shadow of her lost love. So he gently placed the engagement ring on her finger and said, "Emma, I love you, but you need to say goodbye to him. If you come back to me wearing this ring, I will know your choice. If not, I will still be in your corner as your friend." It was a small break in their relationship for her to decide if she could finally move on or stay living in the past.
She knew it was time, but it was so difficult to say goodbye. She decided a road trip on her own would be the final hurrah. Yes, she wanted to reminisce one last time about her time with her beloved before she finally moved on with her life and put him to rest.
The bug finally stopped and her head slowly slumped and hit the steering wheel. She took a breath and exited the vehicle. She looked around and saw no cars coming; that was both good and bad. No traffic meant no help, but she wasn't going to cause an accident. She took out her phone, no signal. That was priceless. She walked to her trunk and opened it to see if she could find an old map from their old trips. He had collected so many maps. He would smirk and ask her, "What kind of navigator would I be if I wasn't prepared?"
She opened the trunk only to notice all his maps were gone. She didn't throw them out. It must have been either MM or David. She did notice, however, a brand new gas container and a box. She swiveled the gas container and it had gas. She opened the box and it was a GPS system with a note. "Emma, since we didn't know what route you were going to take, we thought this would help in case of an emergency. Be careful, love MM and David.
She smiled and at the moment loved her friends' overprotectiveness. She poured the gas in the tank and turned on the GPS. She had enough gas to get her to the closest gas station.
She arrived at a small, full-service gas station. She noticed a man in the mechanic shop. "Excuse me, sir?"
The man stopped working on the car and paused for a second, cleared his throat, grabbed an old worn-out cap from the table, and put it on. He slowly turned to face her with half his face covered from the cap and oil smudges.
With a lousy country accent, he muttered, "Ma'am?"
"I need to fill the tank; do I do that myself or will you? The sign says full service." She didn't want to upset anyone who was just doing their job. She looked at him and there was a familiarity. Her heart started beating faster. Familiar bright blue eyes. She looked at the dirty mechanic uniform for a nametag.
He noticed she was observing him. "I'll take care of it. Miss, you should get in your car."
He walked around her towards the car. His smile was completely missed by her. He pulled out the gas pump and went to fill the car.
She walked to the car, her heart pounding so fast.
He moved fast once the car tank was full. He washed the windows and once he reached the driver's window, he casually covered his lips with his elbow as he leaned on the car. "Your total is $23.32."
She smiled and handed him the money. "Thanks, Killian." She waited for his reaction.
He froze for a mere moment. "Ma'am, I'm sorry you've confused me with someone else. My name is James Rogers."
She stared at him and nodded. "I'm sorry, you just reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago."
He nodded and looked down at her left hand and noticed a big diamond. His heart dropped to his stomach. "No problem, good day Miss."
He turned and walked back to the mechanic shop. He closed the door and put the closed sign up.
Emma looked at the time. She was going to need to find a hotel. She put the car in drive and couldn't help but look in the rearview mirror.
Inside the mechanic shop, Rogers peeked out the window. "Bloody hell." He took out his phone and speed-dialed #1. "Keith, I need to be relocated. Again."
"What happened?"
"My ex somehow ended up at the gas station. She recognized me. I tried to convince her otherwise, but she is a stubborn lass."
As his conversation continued with his handler, Killian was running around grabbing essentials. He had his ever-handy backpack ready to go. Gods, he'd had to move so many times for different reasons.
Keith said, "I'm sending someone in the area to pick you up."
Killian couldn't believe his luck. He really liked the job and his boss the old man had been too nice to a scoundrel like him. He scribbled a brief thank you to the man.
Emma had driven away from the gas station unsure of what the hell just happened. She was sure it was Killian; his voice, she could never forget his voice. Emma arrived at her hotel dazed. Her heart was beating so fast. She was in danger of having a heart attack. She couldn't get the gas attendant out of her mind. He said his name was Rogers but in her gut, she knew it was her Killian. She needed answers. He left her behind after promising he would never leave her. Had he been in that town all this time? Did he know about Liam?
She parked outside her hotel and didn't get out. Instead, she made her way back to the gas station. It was too much. Her heart knew it was him. It didn't matter if he lied, he was not James Rogers, he was Killian. Because when you love someone, you just know and her heart was sure it was him. She needed to know why she had to grieve for him if he was obviously very much alive.
She drove back to the gas station, hoping he was still there. The street was dark. She parked her bug across the street waiting. She felt like a stalker. Was she one? If this man wasn't Killian she was going to be so embarrassed, but even the timbre in his voice was the same. The accent wasn't the right one but it sounded fake to her ears. She still had one last resort; he would have to show her he didn't have a swan tattoo covering his heart like a shield. She would not leave until he would let her see if he had it or not.
She was about to get out of the car but noticed the lights were off and the small building looked abandoned. She noticed a black SUV slowing down in front of the garage door.
::24 Hours Earlier::
The prison gate opened and a man emerged dressed in a leather jacket and faded jeans, quickly approaching the parked black vintage 77 Trans-am. He opened the door and sat down, turning his attention to the man in the driver's seat.
"No luggage?" the man raised a brow.
"Teach, shut up and drive."
"My, my, prison certainly rid you of your sense of humor," he said as he put the vehicle in drive and peeled off.
The ride was silent for miles.
"Did you find him?"
Teach kept his eyes on the road. "Silver, not yet but we will. My contact will let me know the moment he surfaces and when he does, we will finish this."
"He has to pay for putting me in that place. They fed us bologna sandwiches. That is disgusting!" Silver growled.
Teach couldn't help the snicker that left his lips. "We will do it ourselves."
Keith Nottingham sighed in defeat. His past had caught up with him days ago. He received a call giving him instructions to erase a witness; if not, his tainted past would surface. He would lose everything.
He cursed himself and did the only thing that ensured his survival and made the call after Jones reached out to him for relocation. The line rang once.
"Teach, I got him. He is working at a mechanic shop in a small town, and now we're done!" Keith growled. The line went dead after giving the location details.
If his old partner knew what he had just done, he would be disappointed in him. Nemo always saw the best in people. No one could ever know how low he had fallen, both in his past and just now. He had no choice.
Killian had been anxiously waiting for his contact for relocation to arrive. He liked the job and had worked out an agreement with his boss to stay in the small room above the garage. His boss occasionally stayed in the other bunk when they had a big workload. He couldn't risk Emma getting caught in the middle of the mess his life had become. Even after all the years that had passed, he still knew her, and she was still a stubborn lass that wouldn't give up easily. He was about to turn in for the night when he looked out the window and noticed a black SUV approaching the gas pumps.
Two men dressed in black got out and approached the door. Killian could see they were wearing suits as most agents did, but couldn't see their faces.
Killian opened the door wide enough to speak to the men. "I'm sorry, but the pumps are closed. They won't be running until early tomorrow."
"Interesting accent you got there," Silver said lowly.
Killian recognized the voice that ruined his life. He looked past behind the man to find his cohort glaring back at him.
Silver pulled out his gun and aimed it at Killian. "Any last words?"
Across the street, Emma had been watching the scene. Once she saw the gun aimed towards the man she believed to be her Killian, she reacted quickly. She did the first thing that came to her mind and pressed the horn until the men turned their attention her way before she sped away.
Killian made his move then; he ran inside the garage and slammed the door shut. He was frantic as he ran looking for his bag, but there was no time. He made his way to the back door. The narrow alley behind the shop was his best shot at escaping.
The dimmed alleyway clattered with discarded automobile parts. Killian cursed; he was supposed to clear that out, and now he was fighting to stay upright. He couldn't afford to trip and get caught.
He cleared the alley and reached the side street. He ran into the road, only to almost be run over by the yellow monstrosity Emma drove.
Emma slammed the brakes and pulled over. She stared at him through the window.
Killian winced as bullets missed him and hit the corner wall. He made his way to the car and tried to open the door as he felt a shot hit him in his butt.
"Emma, drive!" Killian groaned as he closed the door with a broken side mirror. He tried not to put his weight on his bum.
Emma hit the accelerator and they disappeared into the night.
Always, Always a Bridesmaid :: 27 Dresses Birthday CS AU
Hello! This is the final installment of my birthday fic for @ultraluckycatnd
Thank you to my beta @demisexualemmaswan
Much love and thanks for the help from @veryverynotgood and @karlyfr13s and the CSMM discord ladies that help with sprints and their encouragement.
FFN
AO3
The newly engaged couple wanted to share the joyous news right away with Mr. Goldman. The doting father was elated at the prospect of having his younger daughter back in town permanently. Emma’s obvious discomfort went unnoticed by her family. Midas without thinking passed down the bride-to-be her mother’s wedding gown, completely missing her fake smile. He was just happy at the thought of his little girl finding a good man and moving back to the States.
“Thank you, Daddy!” Kathryn said.
Graham smiled lovingly at his fiance as she showed him the gown.
Sitting across from the couple, Emma’s heart sunk even further. Not only had her sister swiped away her dream man but her mother’s beloved gown as well. She shouldn’t hold Graham against Kathryn because she didn’t know...but the dress was a different story.
Emma took a deep breath as she entered the bar. She still couldn’t believe she had taken the guy up on his offer for a drink. Who was she kidding? The moment Kathryn and Graham’s eyes met she had increased her alcohol consumption. She was not an alcoholic yet but she was enjoying the drink a little too often.
Killian waved at her from the bar.
Emma plopped down at the chair next to him.
“Hello, love.” Killian smiled widely.
Emma forced a smile. “Hello.”
Killian took a long, scrutinizing look at her. “I can’t help but wonder what deity I owe the pleasure of your company. Don’t get me wrong, love. I’m ecstatic, but you had been dodging my calls, and you suddenly called me to invite me out for a drink.”
Emma grimaced. “My baby sister is getting married.”
“Ah, before you.”
“That is not why I’m upset,” she defended.
“I’m afraid I don’t follow.”
Emma sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “You don’t know my sister. Kathryn is going to want me to do everything for her. I will not just be her maid of honor,” she said with exasperation.
“I don’t see the problem. You ‘love weddings’.” he reminded her.
“I do love weddings but I’m going to have to take care of everything .”
“Alright. How about you simply say, ‘No’?”
“What?” she asked confusedly.
“Love, you have said, ‘No’ to people before haven’t you?”
She scoffed. “Of course I have!”
Killian’s raised his eyebrow skeptically.
“Many, many times before but not in this situation.”
“But you want to say no this time?”
She nodded. “I wish I could. But I can’t; it’s my sister.”
“Alright. We are going to play this little game to practice saying ‘no’.”
Emma stared at him.
Killian took a big breath. “Emma, love, give me 50 dollars.”
“NO!” Emma said with a smile.
“Emma, darling. It’s only 50 dollars. I promise I’ll pay you back,” he said, holding his hand on his heart.
“No,” she said, proud of herself.
“Emma, love. I need you…” he said, licking his lips seductively, leaning closer to her, “To give me 50 dollars.”
“ No ?” she said hesitantly.
“Eh, not bad, darling,” he said proudly. “May I have your drink?”
“Yeah, sure,” she said as she pushed the drink to him.
He grabbed it and with a smirk.
“Wait, I meant no!”
Killian tsked. “You were doing so well. That's terrible,” he said as he enjoyed her drink.
“Mmhmm,” she sighed disappointedly.
The night came to an end not long after for the pair after the game.
Kathryn and Emma shared a walk through Central Park as they talked about wedding plans.
“Ems, did you go to the flower shop and order the favors?”
“Yeah.” She nodded.
“And the invitation mock-ups? Did you get those done?”
“Yes. Done.”
“This is so much fun!”
The girls kept walking.
“Oh, and I want you to ask your friend to be my bridesmaid. The rude one.”
“You want me to ask Ruby? My best friend.”
“Yeah, she is really pretty and she will not throw off the aesthetics. You know that I don’t have girlfriends. Girls, they don't like me.” Kathryn shrugged. “I just don’t understand why.”
Emma gave her an incredulous look with a raised brow.
Kathryn rolled her eyes. “Fine. I know why. Just ask her.”
“Of course.”
“I was thinking you should do a slideshow for the rehearsal dinner with pictures of Graham and me together and say funny things.”
“Okay, I will get the photos from Graham. I have our family photo albums.”
Kathryn squealed. “Before I forget, guess what.”
“What?”
“You know that writer you stalk…well, he called me because he wants to do a whole Commitments column on us for the Journal. Can you believe it?”
“Of course, at this point, I absolutely can. Why not?”
Kathryn stopped across the Boathouse. “I have been thinking and I think you are right. It would be a lovely wedding if I got married where mom and dad got married.”
Emma gaped at her sister for a second. “I didn’t think that was your style.”
“It isn’t but why not? I’m wearing mom’s dress,” she shrugged.
“You are always going on and on about how perfect it was. Tada!” Kathryn enthusiastically waved her hands in the direction of the venue. “We are getting married in three weeks.”
Emma gulped, “Three weeks?”
“Yeah. When I called they didn’t have any availability for 18 months. Then they called me to say they had a cancellation. So I had to take it. I know you can pull it together quickly. I don’t want to wait.”
Emma just forced a smile.
“I don’t get it. Emma, you could at least try to act like you are happy for me.”
Emma resorted to an old nickname from their childhood to appease her sister. “KitKat, you know I am…”
“I know that you wanted to get married at the Boathouse wearing mom’s dress but I’m really happy and I thought my big sis would be happy for me.”
“I am. I just didn’t know that’s what you wanted…”
“It is and you will get the dress after. Okay. Now can we talk about more important stuff?” Kathryn said as she resumed walking.
Emma stood on ceremony.
“Come on. Emma, you have a lot of work to do. I don't like the linens, and I think you need to rent new ones because they do not go with the color scheme that I picked out.”
The next day she met Ruby at the Yoga studio for their workout and she shared the news. She had to beg her to say yes to being a bridesmaid. She couldn’t be alone in this mess.
Finally Ruby relented only after being kicked out for talking.
“You want this cake in three weeks? Emma, I don’t know if I can do it. It’s just not enough time for what you want.”
“Tiana, I know you can do it. I wouldn’t ask otherwise. Do you remember the beautiful six-tiered heart-shaped cake that was commissioned by the Fisher’s or the tower of edible gifts for the Page-Booth outdoor fiesta. You can do anything, and we both know it.”
“ Three weeks?”
“Do it for your favorite maid-of-honor, please?”
Tiana caved with a smile.
“We have a cake.” Emma turned to her sister and Graham with a wide grin on her face.
The sudden clapping from the door alerted her of the newcomer.
“What are you doing here?” Emma asked, already exasperated by his presence.
“Hello. I’m James Rogers,” he said with a gleaming smile.
Emma’s mouth opened but nothing came out.
“Oh, yes. I’m Kathryn and this is my fiance, Graham.”
“Congratulations! Lovely to meet you both,” he said as charmingly as possible.
“ Thank you,” Kathryn and Graham replied together.
“Oh, and this is my sister, Emma. She is obsessed with your stories. She’s your number one fan. She is going to make a wallpaper with all your articles.”
Killian smirked at Emma. “Is that so?”
Finally, Emma found her voice, “Wait, you said your name was Killian. I’m confused.”
“Aye, my name is Killian. I use James for the byline so I don’t get stalked by the crazy brides,” Killian answered Emma.
Kathryn’s attention was focused on her phone.
Killian turned to Kathryn. “How did you lovebirds meet?”
Emma scoffed, “You are an asshole.”
“Emma!” Kathryn hissed.
“What? He is! He told me his name was Killian.”
“Wait, you two know each other?” Kathryn asked.
“We both work the wedding circuit,” Killian replied.
“Kathryn, can you give us one second? Tell Tiana what you want,” Emma urged her sister in the direction of her friend.
“I can’t believe it. You lied to me,” Emma accused.
“Ah, ah. Love, I told you I was a writer. Where is the lie in that? I just didn’t tell you what I wrote.”
“But…you write the most beautiful things. Which one is it? Do you only pretend to be a cynic… or are you a cynic who knows how to spin romantic crap for girls like me?”
Killian scratched behind his ear. “The second one, the spinning crap one as you so eloquently put it.”
“This is just great. I feel like I just found out my favorite love song was written about a sandwich.”
“James, can I steal you away for a second so we can talk about Graham and me?”
“Of course. That's why I'm here.”
Kathryn and Killian chatted away as they walked towards Graham, leaving Emma behind.
Killian walked with an extra pep in his step. He knew this story would get him out of the dreaded Commitments. He found the address that Kathryn gave him.
He knocked eagerly.
On the other side of the door. Emma groaned as she saw through the peephole. She opened the door just wide enough for her unhappiness to see him be on display.
“Kathryn is not here. You can go now.”
“I’m afraid I’m not here for her. I’m here to interview you for the piece.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Just go away, I’m not in the mood to talk to you.”
“Come on, lass. For Kathryn and Graham?” he asked, pouting.
Emma hesitated for a second. She knew Kathryn would be angry if she messed this up for her.
“Fine, let’s get this over with.” She opened the door wide for him to walk in.
Killian got his phone out and set it to record. “The maid of honor, although a lovely lass, is a little prickly. Emma, how do you feel about Kathryn’s whirlwind romance?”
Emma took a deep breath. “She’s my little sister. How do you think I feel? I taught her how to tell time, and how to ride a bike. I raised her. Please, don’t print that. It would break my father’s heart but to answer your question. I couldn’t be happier.”
Killian nodded as he listened to her but his attention wasn’t completely on her. His eyes roamed the apartment until they landed on the slightly opened closet. Love, what are those?”
Emma’s eyes followed his gaze and answered as she tried to make her way over to the closet to close the door and keep him away from her prized collection. “That’s nothing.”
Killian was giddy with excitement as he trailed right behind her. “Are those…”
“No!” Emma tried to keep him away by pushing him away from the door but she wasn’t able to keep him from opening the door.
“Bloody hell! Are these all bridesmaid dresses?”
“None of your business.”
“Good God, lass. Why? The closet is so full you can barely close the door.”
“I just have a lot of friends and I like keeping them,” she shrugged.
“Makes perfect sense because they’re bloody beautiful.”
“Some of them are not that bad.”
“I’d like to see one that is not bad.”
“Fine.” Emma started looking through the dresses, muttering not that one, or that one.
“Aha, this one is not bad.” She showed him a greenish dress.
“Love, we need to have those lovely eyes checked because that is the very definition of bad. What color is this? Vomit?”
Emma rolled her eyes. “No, it's an "olivey" green. The color is super flattering. I’m telling you. It looks great on.”
“I disagree. Love, that dress is one of the worst instruments of torture I have ever seen because the bride wants you to look ugly.”
“No, no. Ariel picked it because it looks good on everybody.”
Killian rolled his eyes. “The lass is delusional and believes anything anyone tells her,” he spoke to the recorder.
“I’ll prove it to you.” She grabbed the dress and headed to her room.
Killian kept skimming through the dresses, grimacing as he took them out to look at them. He kept taking pictures of the packed closet.
Emma came out of the room.
He had to agree the dress wasn't that bad but perhaps it was her .
“See?” she said, twirling.
He smiled. “You are right. The dress isn’t that bad but what about the color? He said as he took a picture and showed her the photo.
Emma groaned. “It’s your camera. It’s defective or something.”
Killian looked at her, unamused.
Emma sighed. “Okay, it’s not that good. Are you happy?”
“You look like a very beautiful shiny mermaid. You should be flattered.”
Emma bit her bottom lip. “It's really not the worst one.”
She went on to show him every dress in the closet and he took a picture of each one. They laughed and made fun of the themed weddings and the accessories.
“Love, you have twenty-seven dresses.”
Emma smiled and shrugged.
“I don't understand. You attend the wedding, why not throw the dress after? This is a huge closet.”
“I know you don’t believe me but I’ve had really good times in those dresses.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“It’s not about me. It’s about supporting them.”
“Alright, but how much time do you spend doing this for others? What about you?”
Emma sighed, “Someday… It will be my day and those people will be there for me.”
Killian’s camera flash took her by surprise. He couldn’t help capturing the image. The look in her eye spoke to his cynical soul. He thanked her for the hospitality but made his excuse to leave.
Emma arrived at Graham’s apartment. She could hear the loud music through the door. Emma rolled her eyes, Kathryn was too busy for the gift registry but she was okay taking full advantage of the fact Graham was out of town for business. She only hoped her sister wasn’t doing anything she would regret.
She rang the doorbell.
Kathryn opened the door enough to give Emma the list. “Here I thought you were going to wait for me downstairs.”
Emma knew her sister well enough to know she was trying to get rid of her.
Emma pushed past her. “Kathryn, what is going on here?” Her eyes landing on Henry vacuuming the living room.
Kathyrn scoffed. “What? He was looking for a part-time job to buy a new computer. He wants an Apple MacBook Air because he wants to be a writer.”
“You have a kid cleaning your fiance's apartment. Graham adores him. He has been his big brother for years.” Emma said in disbelief.
“It’s our secret. Henry’s and mine. Ems, don’t worry about it, okay. You should go, it’s getting late.”
Emma left, grabbing the list. She wondered if she told Graham the truth about Kathryn, what he would say. At the park, she had tried to make him see her sister’s lies but he was blind by his attraction for her.
Killian was looking through his notes and the pictures with a faint smile on his face.
Cora appeared at his cubicle suddenly, as if transported by magic.
A startled Killian snapped up from his computer screen. “Cora, did you need something?”
“The bridesmaid story you pitched, what do you have so far?”
“Ah, yes, it’s still a little rough. I’m working on it.”
“I want to see it now . Email it.” She said and walked away.
“Cora, it’s not ready! Bloody hell,” he muttered, Killian got up from his chair to chase after her after sending the email. She was a heartless woman and people had been fired for less. He had been lucky she had found value in him.
Cora was sitting down behind her desk when he arrived. “Cora, the email was sent with the draft. I hope you let me know what you think and just keep that in mind,” Killian said.
She just nodded a silent way to dismiss him.
“Hello, love. Did you miss me?” Killian whispered in Emma’s ear as she scanned the cookware.
Emma jumped a bit and almost dropped the crystal glasses.
She glared at Killian. “What are you doing here? I didn’t invite you. Go away, please?”
“Kathryn did.” He smiled. “I’m just doing my job. I have to see every aspect of the wedding.”
Emma rolled her eyes as she kept scanning things off of Kathryn’s list distancing herself from him.
“Your sister wants so many presents that she physically cannot register for them herself?” he asked when he caught up with her.
Emma stopped scanning and turned her attention to Killian. “It’s a short engagement so she is pressed for time.”
“How many casserole dishes does a person need? Kathryn doesn’t strike me as the cooking type,” he said as he trailed behind her again.
“This isn't just another vahze ." Emma turned to face him, annoyed at his comments.
“It’s called a vase,” he said matter of factly.
“You just don’t get it. These are the things you build a life with.”
“No, love. This is useless crap that the 70-billion-dollar-a-year wedding industry has conned you into believing that you need to have or you won't be happy.”
“No, you know what I think? I think that all your theories are just a smokescreen.”
“For what, darling?”
“Your secret, whatever it is. Maybe you haven’t found the right girl and you're afraid you never will.”
Killian sat down on a display couch. “And I think that you love weddings so much because you prefer to focus on everyone else’s Kodak moments rather than make memories of your own.”
“What do you want me to say? You're right? You are crazy. Weddings are the worst place to forget you are single.”
“Love, you want a wedding, not a marriage, a bloody wedding. The dress and the special day.”
“What is your problem, asshole? Let me guess you had a fancy wedding and your wife left you for someone else?”
Killian’s jaw ticked. “Aye, with my college professor by the way. They lived happily ever after with their son.”
“What? Oh, shit. I’m sorry. Killian, it was just a guess.”
“A good one,” he laughed bitterly. “For someone who has no insight whatsoever into herself, you nailed me right on the head.”
“Hey, do you want to find the ugliest stuff in here and register Kathryn for it?”
“Aye, let’s do it. I saw the most hideous crocodile gravy boat on the counter back there,” he said with a devilish smile on his face.
Killian walked to Cora’s office.
“Hey, you wanted to see me?” Killian asked as he opened the door and sat down.
“Wow,” she said.
“Cora, I told you I wasn’t done with it. I need to do some edits.” Killian said.
“Relax. I like it. It's a decent story. I have to admit, I was shocked. It’s smart and entertaining.”
“Thank you,” he replied.
“You really nailed this girl. We’re running the story Sunday, front page.”
“No, no. It’s not ready,” Killian insisted. “I still have some things to add and I know it will make it worth the wait.”
Cora crossed her arms over her chest and raised her brows. "You have been begging me for months for a chance. How about some gratitude?"
Mind reeling, Killian searched for any reason to stall Cora's decision. “I really want to get this right. Can you give me a week to make it perfect?”
“If I didn’t know you any better I would say you care for her. Did the girl get under your skin?”
He scoffed, “Of course not. I’m just trying to do my job. She’s more than this perpetual bridesmaid. There’s more to her tale. Just give me a week and you will not regret it.”
“Fine. Get out.”
Killian called Emma to see if they could meet to talk but was greeted with Kathryn’s voice instead. Kathryn had told him that Emma was meeting Graham to pick the menu for the reception. He truly wondered what she was doing for her own wedding. She was always doing something for her instead of for the wedding preparations. He understood what Emma had meant when she told him she would need to do everything.
Killian showed up at the restaurant and stopped in his tracks. Even from his spot, he knew the signs of a woman smitten with the man she was talking to. Emma was in love with Graham. Bloody hell, his stomach dropped for some unknown reason. She was smiling freely at something he said. He hadn’t dared to get closer to them. How could anyone else miss the obvious signs? How could he have missed it?
Emma and Graham were so busy in their conversation that they had not noticed Killian’s arrival. So he started to walk away.
After hearing Graham praising Kathryn, Emma wanted to tell him the truth. She is not who he thinks but stopped herself because he looked so happy. She will not be the one to break his heart.
“Emma, tell me what is your favorite part of a wedding?” Graham asked.
“My favorite part of the wedding is watching the groom’s face when the bride is walking down the aisle, and seeing the pure love on his face,” Emma said.
“I think it’s easy to look at your bride with love if she is like your sister. Kathryn is wonderful and I am very happy I found her,” Graham said with a loving gaze.
Emma smiled at him then lowered her gaze to her plate.
Graham turned away to get the waiter’s attention but noticed Killian walking away.
“Rogers, Is that you?”
Killian winced but forced a fake smile as he turned to face the table.
Emma glared at him as he approached them.
“What are you doing here?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“I have some more questions for you,” he said simply.
“You could email me the questions and I will return the email.”
“Where’s Kathryn?” Killian asked.
“She’s busy and couldn’t make it so she asked me to come in her place,” Emma said.
“Hmm. She couldn’t come to pick the wedding meal?”
“Emma is just helping out. Kathryn had a hair appointment; we are having dinner with my parents later,” Graham replied.
“I’m sure Emma was happy to oblige,” Killian said.
“Should we leave now?” Emma asked Graham.
“We should we're heading up to Rhinebeck to pick out
some linens from an antique store,” Graham said as he waved the waiter over.
“I have an idea, How about if I go with Emma in your place? I imagine you have things to do before your dinner.”
“No, no, that’s okay. We can make it back in plenty of time,” Emma answered quickly.
“I don't mind,” Killian said with a smile.
Graham nodded. “It would be a great help.”
“Mate, I insist,” Killian said.
Graham paid and went on his way.
Emma and Killian got in her dad’s car and drove away.
Emma was driving with a scowl on her face.
Killian laughed, “Of course you’re angry at having to plan your sister’s wedding to the man you love. The second I saw you mooning over him while you had your meal. It was like a bloody anchor was dropped. You won’t say anything because you are too used to facilitating others' happiness instead of your own.”
Emma scoffed. “You don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Hmm. You are miserable and unwilling to do anything about it.”
“You are crazy! I’m thrilled to be planning their wedding. She’s my baby sister like I have for every wedding that I've been a part of. You wouldn’t understand because you are cynical, mean, and dark. That’s your problem, buddy, not mine.”
“Buddy? Did you call me buddy?”
“I could have called you an asshole! Just shut up!”
“I understand you’re vexed. I ruined the day of you pining for somebody that will never be yours!” Killian roared.
“Stop!” Emma yelled back.
Killian’s attention turned back to the rainy road. Perhaps it wasn’t the best time to antagonize her.
“Love, you need to slow down so I can read the sign.”
The car kept picking up speed.
“Do you think you could slow down? Ease your foot off the accelerator.”
“Don’t you ever shut up?”
Killian checked his seatbelt. He should have waited to say his thoughts but she had given him the cold shoulder since they left the restaurant. He hadn’t noticed when the weather had gotten that bad. It was as if the rain was mimicking her mood.
“Emma, love. Slow down, we’re going to hydroplane,” he said in a soothing voice.
Emma rolled her eyes. “We are not going to hydroplane.” Her fingers squeezed the steering wheel tightly as she made a slight correction and the car started swerving out of control. “Shit, shit!! We are hydroplaning!!”
Killian hissed as he grabbed onto the armrest and gripped it as if his life depended on it. In a way it did, he supposed.
“Bloody hell! I told you to slow down! Lass, just calm down and ease your foot off the gas--”
“Shut it! I know what I’m doing.” She eased her foot on the break as she eased it off the gas like Killian suggested and maneuvered the vehicle to safety. “This is your fault if you would have stopped talking for a moment like I asked, I would have been able to focus on the road.”
Killian glared at her.
The car was stuck and they couldn’t get it out. It was too late for a tow truck and there was no cell phone service.
Killian spotted a bar not too far from them. “Come along, lass. Let’s see if we can get some help or at the very least get a drink.”
Emma hesitantly followed him.
The place was a small hole in the wall bar.
Killian found the payphone right away.
“You got anything?” Emma asked.
He shook his head no. “Mate, your phone doesn’t work,” Killian said to the bartender.
The man shrugged. “Nice detective skills. It has been out of service for a while.”
“Our car broke down and we have no cell service,” Emma told the bartender.
The man pulled out a phone from beneath the bar. “You will not find someone to come help you right now. The rain is bad and it’s getting late.”
Emma groaned.
Killian approached the bar. “Rum, three fingers, no ice, please.”He pulled a stool and sat down.
“What are you doing?” Emma asked, annoyed as she followed him.
“You heard the man, we are not getting a tow anytime soon. I’m going to enjoy a drink. There’s nothing you can do. You should have a drink.”
The bartender handed Killian his drink.
“Thanks, mate.”
Emma sat down next to Killian. “Fine, I’ll have one, let me have the same.”
After several drinks, Emma eyed him carefully.
“Jones, I have to know something. You once wrote a column that was so beautiful it made me cry.”
“Aww,” he mocked.
“The Zimmer-York article was full of emotion. It was the anniversary of the mother's death. The brother flew home from Afghanistan.”
Killian remembered the article but he would not admit it. “Sorry, I don’t recall.”
“How can you not remember it? You cannot fake emotion like that.”
“A talented writer like meself can.”
“You’re not that good.”
Killian signaled the bartender for another round of drinks.
“Be honest with me for once. What is your favorite part of a wedding?”
He stared at her. “My favorite part of a wedding is an open bar.” He smiled and waggled his eyebrows.
“No. Everybody likes that.”
Killian laughed. “Alright. The part when the bride is making her grand entrance. I like to glance back at the wanker getting married. He looks happy even though he is willingly entering into the last form of slavery.”
Emma’s eyes widened as he finished talking.
Killian scratched behind his ear nervously. “Why the bloody hell are you looking at me like that?”
“Are you serious? That’s my favorite part! I can’t believe it. We have something in common.”
“Aye, that must make us kindred spirits. Love, it was bound to happen.”
“Just admit you are a big teddy bear that the whole cynical thing is an act so you can seem wounded and mysterious… and sexy.”
“I’m sorry love, what was the last one?”
“ Huh ?”
“You think I’m sexy, love? I'm startling, aren't I? Some people say striking, but I will accept sexy.”
“No, I don’t. I think you think you are sexy.”
“Mhmm,” he said with a wide smile.
Emma’s cheeks blushed bright pink.
Benny and the Jets played loudly, filling the moment of silence between them.
“I love this song,” Emma said, swaying to the beat of the song.
“Aye, it’s a great song.” Killian hummed in tune then broke into song, “ Hey, kids shake it loose together… That's been known to change the weather.”
Emma snorts in an unladylike way. “Those are not the lyrics,” she giggled.
“Those are the lyrics. Alright, lyric police. What are the correct words?”
“You're gonna hear a handsome music… So the walrus sounds.”
Killian laughed. “Walrus sounds?”
Emma grinned and continued, “Say, Penny's no longer in a cement jet… Ooh, but you're so laced down.”
He shook his head, but joined her in the next line. “Buh, buh, buh, buh Bennie and the Jets…”
Emma continued belting out the lyrics, “O oh, in the wind and the waterfall… Oh, baby, she's a "revocaine"... She's got electric boobs.”
Killian laughed so hard with tears in his eyes. “Boobs?”
Sometime after, Killian found himself singing alongside Emma on top of the bar, dancing and enjoying the moment.
The crowd had become a rapt audience to the pair cheering them on after an encore performance.
Killian helped Emma get off the bar table. Once she was at eye level she was so beautiful. He blurted out, “I wept like a babe at the Zimmer-York wedding.”
Emma’s eyes widened at his confession and without thinking she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to her, melding their lips together. The kiss escalated fast as they found themselves in the back seat of her car fogging the car windows with their heavy breathing.
The sunshine woke up Emma from her sleep. She was trying to shake off the kinks. She looked around the scenery and decided that there are worse places to end up stranded.
“Morning, love. The tow truck is on its way,” Killian said as he handed her a cup of coffee.”
“Thank you, I just want you to know I never do this.”
“I know, lass, you kept saying that last night over and over.”
Emma groaned, her head pounded. Why was everything so loud? While Killian acted as if he was a two-hundred-year-old pirate with an endless supply of rum.
“I was wondering if you would like to grab something to eat while we wait for the tow truck?”
They found a small diner just down the block and placed their food order when one of the patrons from the bar last night approached them and reminded them of the rendition to Benny and The Jets. Emma grimaces at the thought of singing in public. The man left with a smile on his face while humming the song.
“Oh, why didn’t you stop me?” Emma asked Killian.
“I’m sorry, you looked so free.”
“Hey, you’re that girl! You’re famous.” A customer approached her with recognition in her eyes. “From the newspaper.”
Emma looked confused at the lady. “What paper?”
Killian groaned and muttered, “ Bloody hell .”
The woman had gone to find the newspaper for her to see.
"Always, Always a Bridesmaid by James Rogers? What the hell is this?” She asked, throwing the newspaper on his face. Emma got up from her seat and walked out.
Killian followed her after he paid the bill.
“Emma! Swan, please let me explain. I told my editor not to run it. Lass, no one reads it,” Killian said as he caught up with her and grabbed her arm to get her attention.
Emma whipped around and slapped him. She walked away toward the car leaving him behind.
Killian knew better than to try to talk to her again.
Killian stormed into work to confront Cora, she had lied to him. He had been blindsided when the article was mentioned. The look of betrayal he saw in her eyes made his stomach sour.
Cora’s door was open.
Killian didn’t even bother with any sort of civility. “What the bloody hell happened? I thought we agreed to hold it,” Killian accused.
“I thought the story was ready and I make the decisions here you don’t,” She said coolly.
“Cora, you don't understand. I didn't have time to warn her.”
“In case you forgot. You work for me, not the other way around. You should kiss my feet. I gave you 24 inches in the Sunday paper. Get out !” she said unamused.
Emma arrived at her place to be greeted with a string of shrieks and screams. “How could you let this happen?”
“I didn’t know he was writing a story about me,” Emma said.
“You?! Did you read it? If Emma is the typical, accommodating bridesmaid then her sister, Kathryn, is cast as the overbearing, overindulged bride-to-be who might start stomping around Manhattan at any moment."
“I’m sorry.”
“Emma, he called me bridezilla in the New York Journal!”
Emma stayed quiet as Kathryn scolded her, missing the hurt in her eyes. The phone rang interrupting her tirade.
“What?” Kathryn answered the phone.
“May I please speak with Emma?” Killian asked.
“Are you kidding? The only person you will be speaking to is my attorney! Asshole!” Kathryn yelled at the phone and slammed it down.
The week had started horribly for Emma. Kathryn hadn’t stopped her complaints about the article when all Emma wanted to do was forget about it. Not once had Kathryn shown her an ounce of sympathy there had been so many embarrassing pictures of Emma on the front page of the section. Kathryn had only been mentioned but no one knew what her face looked like. Emma however, was the damn star. Her head was starting to pound. She still had to face Graham. What if he felt like her sister?
Killian had been relentless with the calls and messages. Of course Ruby tried to cheer her up by making light of the situation but it didn’t help.
Graham called her to his office and was so caring and understanding that it made her feel as if someone had her back. He was right, no one read that section.
Emma had to rush to the bridal shop for her meeting with Kathryn.
“Johanna, can you hem this part? Emma, is that you?” Kathryn called out from the fitting room. Johanna went to do the alteration.
“Yeah, it's me,” Emma said as she walked to the back.
Emma sat down on one of the chairs.
“Emma, I have been thinking that it wasn’t your fault. You are just too trusting. I guess,” Kathryn said as she checked her list.
“Thank you. Wait. Is that your enemy list? The one from high school. Are you checking me off the list?” Emma said dumbfounded.
Kathryn gave her a small smile alongside a paper. “About the slide show, I want you to say that. Exactly as I wrote it, that is the script. Graham said he will give you all his photos.”
“Okay,” Emma said as she read over the script her sister gave her.
Johanna walked back in with the altered dress, “Hi, Emma.”
“Hi, Johanna,” Emma said with a welcoming smile and returning her attention to the scripted paper her sister gave her.
“Kathryn, here it is. Step in.” Johanna said as she helped Kathryn with the dress.
“Emma, what do you think?” Kathryn said, twirling in the dress.
Emma finally looked up to see the dress, expecting to see her mother’s dress with some slight changes but instead finding a completely different dress. “I thought you were wearing Mom's dress.”
“This is Mom's dress. Parts of it anyway. It was just too old-fashioned. We could just use a few pieces here and there,”
Kathryn said as she smoothed the material.
“I’m sorry... what ?” Emma asked as she approached her sister wearing a dress she no longer recognized. “You cut up Mom’s dress ?”
“Isn’t it pretty? You can wear it too. Technically Johanna cut it, not me.”
Emma didn’t think her sister could be any more selfish; she was proven wrong. “ No. No, no, no, no. No! God, you don't care. You only care about yourself, don’t you? I have made excuses for you since Mom died but enough is enough!”
Kathryn rolled her eyes. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
“I can’t fix the dress but I won't let you hurt Graham. He thinks he knows you but it's all a lie. You even had Henry keep a secret from him. Tell him the truth or I will.”
“I don’t have to tell him anything and you will not either. You are my sister, you definitely wouldn't do anything to hurt me.”
“No, today you're just some selfish bitch who broke my heart and cut up my mother's wedding dress. You didn't even have the decency to ask me about it! You knew how much that dress meant to me but you just didn't care. You could have easily just picked a brand new dress to match your taste. Kathryn, you only get this warning, tell him the truth or a will.” Emma left her sister just staring at her back as she walked away.
Kathryn just groaned as she made her way to change her clothes.
On the day of the engagement party, Emma had been jittery all day but she wouldn’t be deterred from what she had to do. She gave her sister a chance to do the right thing, to be honest. She hoped she had come clean with Graham.
Emma had been getting pitying looks, and dealing with passive-aggressive comments about how terrible it must feel that her baby sister was marrying before her.
The last straw had Emma replying with, “ Yeah, but at least I still get to have hot sex with strangers .”
The stunned look on the old woman's face had been priceless.
The night progressed and it soon would be time for the slide show. Emma had kept trying to talk to Kathryn but her sister avoided her feigning she had to play host.
Ruby arrived fashionably late as always but quickly found Emma, a drink already in her hand. “Hey, you clean up nicely! You look hot! I might be persuaded to change sides,” she said with a wink.
Emma didn’t react with a quip of her own, making Ruby since her friend wasn’t holding up as well as she thought. “Emma, how are you?”
“I’m okay,” she said with a tight smile, grabbing the drink from Ruby’s hand while drinking it in one gulp.
“Hey, that is not water,” Ruby said as she saw her friend finish up to the last drop of her drink.
Emma turned to the guy helping her set up her computer for the slideshow. “It’s under Kathryn and Graham.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yep, I’m fine,” Emma insisted.
Graham approached Emma with a reluctant fiance on his arm. “Emma, thank you for a lovely party. You have gone above and beyond. Hasn’t she, Kathryn?”
Kathryn nodded her agreement while avoiding Emma’s eyes.
Emma got the confirmation she needed with her sister’s attitude. “You guys should take a seat. I’m going to start the slideshow.”
The restaurant was packed with family and friends. Emma gave a lovely introduction as the images played in the background. It started with oohs and awws which morphed into gasps as Emma unmasked Kathryn from her preferred food to her dislike of pets which included Graham’s beloved dog Hunter. The final straw was Henry’s sell pitch for the cleaning business Kathryn was helping him, in which Graham’s home was the first customer.
Graham furiously got up from his seat and left with Kathryn following close behind trying to explain herself.
A crying Kathryn returned alone, walked up to Emma. “I hope you are happy. He broke off the engagement. The wedding is off.”
Emma saw as her sister walked away. Ruby nudged her shoulder. “What happened?”
“He deserved to know the truth.”
“I agree but perhaps you could have told him face-to-face when this mess started. I know that my moral compass doesn't exactly point due north but if I can see there’s something wrong, there’s a reason.”
“Ruby, you’re the one who is always telling me to be brave and stand up for myself,” Emma said, hurt at her friend’s attitude.
“Emma, hun that's not what you did. You unleashed years of repressed feelings in one night. I admit it was entertaining but if you were sure you did the right thing you'd feel better right now,” Ruby said honestly.
Emma walked out of the building, she heard footsteps approaching causing her to turn.
“Oh, my God. What do you want? Can't you take a hint? Why are you here?” she said, rolling her eyes at the intruder.
He shrugged, “Love, you wouldn't return my phone calls.”
“Haven't you ruined my life enough? Let me guess, you want another picture for your paper?”
“Emma, I’m sorry.”
“Please, Stop! You used me to advance in your career. At least have the decency to admit it but don’t try to act as you care about me.”
“I just saw what you did there and all I can say is it’s about bloody time!”
“Stop, I'm not doing this with you again.”
“Do you want to know the truth, why I came here? Alright, I knew this would be a difficult day for you, and for the first time in a long time, I wanted to look out for someone else. I know I was a damn fool. I’m sorry. I will vanish from your life but I want you to know that I think you are amazing, a marvel, and I think you deserve so much more than what you settle for. You deserve to be taken care of like the princess you are.” He turned to walk away but stopped mid-step. “Sorry, love. I forgot to give you this.” He hands her a package. “It’s just something to make your life easier. A new beginning.”
She took the gift hesitantly and watched him walk away.
Killian stared at his computer screen. He had hated walking away from Emma but it was clear she was not ready to forgive him.
“Killian, your little bridesmaid story got a phenomenal response. Looks like you finally did it, you got yourself bumped from Commitments,” Cora said.
“Lovely,” Killian said with a depreciating smile on his face.
“Killian, you should be happy. Isn’t this what you dreamt of?” Cora said as she walked away.
Killian knew she was right, he should be happy. He should be celebrating but it was a hollow victory.
Emma was surprised when her father called the day after and invited her over.
“Emma, you have got to work this out,” Midas said as he hugged her to comfort her pain.
“You two need to talk and fix this. Remember you love each other,” Midas said as if talking to two little girls with pigtails.
They stood stubbornly at opposite sides as their dad gave them privacy.
Emma had grown up looking after her sister. She had no idea what had caused Kathryn to become as selfish as she was. Kathryn had become the person that only looked out for herself. Emma had let go of her hurt over Graham because she had no idea of her feelings for him but the dress. The wedding dress was part of her dream wedding and she took it knowing so. Not only that but she shredded it without concerns about her feelings. But as Emma stared into her sister's eyes, she recognized the pain that had reflected in her own. She had done the unthinkable and caused pain to the one she had protected all her life.
“Kathryn, I’m sorry. I feel terrible.”
Kathryn’s mouth opened. “Sorry? You humiliated me in front of everyone!”
“I know but --” Emma stammered.
“Just admit it! You have always been jealous of me!” Kathryn yelled as she threw bags of chips and anything she could find at Emma.
Ducking and dodging various items being flung at her from the shelves, Emma became aggravated by Kathryn's child-like tantrum, but once she picked up a family-sized can of vegetables to throw, Emma snapped. “Stop it! Kathryn, I’m sorry but you could have been honest with Graham from the beginning. We wouldn't be standing here if you had. Did you even love him or was it just convenient?”
Kathryn huffed, “Get off your high horse. Sweet Emma, kind and smart. Perfect Emma. You always thought my life was perfect. The truth is you resent me because you had to braid my hair, go shopping for my prom dress, and make my Halloween costumes.”
Emma sighed. “No, Kathryn, I never did.”
“You think my life is so easy.”
“Kathryn, you never had a care in the world. You did as you pleased, never caring for the consequences. You are beautiful and fun. Your life is perfect.”
“You have no idea, Emma. Do you want to know the reason why I stayed home? I got fired from my job and James dumped me. Then I met Graham and he was nice to me. I just wanted to be someone worthy of him. I was trying to be you.”
Emma asked, confused, “Why would you want to be boring me when you get to be you?”
“Emma, you have taken care of me since Mom died. You stopped being my big sister and became my surrogate mother."
“I had to. You are my baby sister.”
"No, you didn't. I'm sorry about mom's dress. I know how much that dress meant to you. I wasn't thinking," Kathryn sighed. "I was too busy enjoying my happy moment. I didn't care about you or anyone. You were right calling me selfish. I just never thought I would hear those words coming from you. I will not lie and say it didn't hurt. In a way, I'm happy you finally started saying what you feel. I will always be your sister and I think it's time for you to stop taking care of everybody. It’s time to focus on you.”
"Kathryn, I am sorry for what I did. I never wanted to be the one to cause you pain."
The girls hug and start cleaning the mess.
Emma was at home cleaning out her closet. Finally taking the advice she had been given. She decided to start fresh.
The phone rang several times before she answered it. “Hello?”
The familiar voice on the other side greeted her warmly.
“Hi, Graham. I can do that. No problem. I'll be right there.” Emma rushed to get ready and meet Graham at the office. It was the least she could do after her stunt at the party.
Graham was sitting at his desk trying to find his speech for the benefit. He looked up and saw Emma walk in. She looked beautiful. He was not blind but he never wanted to cross that line.
“Emma, you look--great. Wow!” Graham said.
“Thank you,” Emma replied. “Before we go, I want to say sorry about last night. I shouldn't have done that.”
“Emma, you did me a favor. I was about to marry a woman I didn’t know. It’s not your fault I got swept away. Let’s forget about the whole thing.”
“Only if you’re sure.”
“I hate to ask for another favor but I need to print up my speech for tonight. I looked but I couldn't find the file.”
“Sure no problem. I can get it for you.” Emma walked to his desk to find the file.
Graham sighed in relief. “Emma, I’m so thankful I could call you tonight. I love that I can always count on you to never say no.”
Emma froze and looked at him. “What?”
“I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?” He asked, concerned.
Emma sighed. “Oh--”
Graham approached her with concern.
Emma stared at the computer screen. “Graham, I quit.”
Graham’s face turned confused. “What do you mean?”
“You hired me right after college. I was so blown away and caught up by the company and you. I never bothered to get my own life. Then I couldn’t leave because I was so madly in love with you.”
He takes one fluid step into her space. His right hand sliding to the back of her head pulling her into a kiss.
Emma froze for a second waiting for the fireworks to explode but it was a dud.
Graham noticed her reaction and backed away. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”
She looked at him with understanding. “It’s okay. I always wanted to know what it would feel like.”She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, but that's not what it's supposed to feel like.” Her phone ringtone to Benny and the Jets went off interrupting them.
He smiled warmly as he saw her face brightened up with realization.
She smiled and left him behind.
Emma found the building easily enough. She approached the receptionist's desk interrupting a group of people deep in conversation. “Excuse me. I’m looking for Ki-James Rogers.”
The person that replied was a classically handsome man with a boyish quality and fair complexion with a bright smile. “He’s at a wedding. Wait, aren't you the girl from the article?”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’m famous.”
Emma had been pleasantly surprised at how accommodating the guy, Victor, had been. He quickly provided the information to her with a smirk.
Emma ran out of the building hailing a cab.
The taxi came to a screeching stop.
Emma opened the door and got in. “Pier 17,” she said looking forward while waiting for the car to move.
The face of the cabbie that drove her the night she met Killian smiled through the rearview mirror. “I only have one dress tonight.”
The man grumbled in disappointment as the possibility of some extra cash disappeared and started driving.
They arrived shortly at the destination. Emma rushed out of the cab noticing the venue’s wedding sign, and asked the two valet workers to point her in the right direction.
Emma easily found the wedding on a ship and it was about to depart. Emma didn’t think twice and just jumped landing on the gangplank.
She landed safely, taking a deep breath and she started her search for Killian. The wedding was lovely. She was amazed by the magical feel of it.
“Hey,” a voice called out from behind her, Emma turned to face the voice.
The tiny blonde with a big smile greeted her. “I know you from the article. What are you doing here?”
“Yeah, that’s me.” Emma grimaced; she only hoped the bride was a romantic. “Long story short. There's this guy and he is here and I ...” Flustered at her own boldness Emma confided her story to the pixie bride who eagerly helped her.
Emma took the microphone nervously at the encouragement of her new friend.
“Hello. Good evening, I’m sorry to interrupt such a happy occasion. I promise this won't take long. I’m looking for someone, Killian? Killian Jones?”
The groom arrived and stood next to his bride, “Love, what’s going on?”
The bride said, “Shhh. Don’t worry, this is a good thing.”
Killian heard his name in a familiar voice and muttered, “Oh, bloodiest of hells…”
The Bride grabbed the mic from Emma’s grasp. “Can we have a spotlight, please? Killian Jones, come forward.” With an encouraging smile, she returned the microphone to Emma.
Killian begrudgingly stepped forward. The spotlight landed on him as the bride pointed him out.
Emma’s eyes met his and she continued to lower her armor. “I just wanted to say you were right about me. I wasn’t ready to hear it, especially not from you. I waited all my life for my prince charming. Then you showed up, a scoundrel, a pirate. The truth is, fighting with you is the best thing that ever happened to me. I think the chances of me falling in love with you are very good. That's all I had to say. I'll go now.”
Emma made her way through the crowd to meet Killian in the middle.
Killian smiled as she hesitantly arrived a few steps in front of him. “It’s about bloody time,” he said, pulling her as close to him as possible before he kissed her soundly.
After a few minutes of enjoying their kissing session, they are separated after hearing someone clear their throat.
“Little brother, I thought I taught you better manners. How about introducing me to the lovely lass that crashed my wedding to profess her feelings to you?”
“Leave them alone, Liam. They have a lot to talk about.”
“They can talk all they want but I feel like we deserve at least an introduction.”
Killian rolled his eyes as he hesitantly made space between Emma and himself. “Emma, this is my elder brother, Liam Jones. You have met my new sister-in-law, Olivia, but you can call her Tink.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry I interrupted your wedding. I wasn’t thinking. I never do stuff like this.”
Tink laughed, “It’s okay: you’re family.”
Killian shook his head. “Tink, I didn't know you were so intent on helping me find something as precious as my happy ending.”
A year later…
After quitting her job, Emma opened her wedding planner business: Savior Weddings. Soon enough, she found herself planning for a very special day.
You are cordially invited to the union of Emma Swan and Killian Jones.
Kathryn was the maid of honor, she smiled at her new boyfriend Frederick. A kind man that she met at her father’s store. He sat on the bride’s side.
Graham and his date Elsa arrived at the wedding with an excited Henry who happily tagged along for the special occasion. They were seated in the bride’s section.
Tink sat excitedly on the Groom’s side. She was so happy her brother-in-law found happiness.
Ruby smiled widely as she guided guests to their seats.
“Excuse me, what do you think makes this wedding special?” a voice got her attention.
Ruby turned to the source and smiled wolfishly. “And who are you?”
He smirked. “I’m the new writer of the Commitments column for the Journal, Victor Whale. I was hoping I could buy you a drink later.”
She laughed, “You do know it’s an open bar, right? I'll buy you a drink.” She winked and walked away. It was almost time for the ceremony to start.
Liam was happily standing next to his little brother as the music started. He joked saying he earned being the best man since his bride crashed his wedding.
Emma glided down the aisle. Her father proudly escorted her.
At that moment she didn't care if everything was perfect or not because the only thing that mattered was the way Killian looked at her, full of love. She looked at her bridesmaids. All twenty-seven of them were there to support her.
Once she arrived at her spot next to Killian he smiled lovingly as he asked her, “Is this moment everything you had hoped for?”
She beamed with happiness.“It’s so much more.”
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Emma Swan and Killian Jones in holy matrimony. Marriage is a cause for celebration… I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.
Hellol! Okay, before I go on. I swear this will be the last WIP I start. I had to. This story is for my favorite dork @hookedonapirate cause I love her to death. She had asked me to write it before but at the time I was writing the Forever My Girl CS AU.
Happy Birthday!! Hope you like your present.
Thanks to my beta @ultraluckycatnd she is the best!!
FFN
AO3
A love for music unites an unlikely pair. The rhapsody they unknowingly created will give life to the hope they still have in their hearts.
Killian Jones and his older brother Liam had arrived from London with nothing more than the clothes on their back to pursue a music career. The lives of the Jones brothers had been difficult since the beginning. Their mother died at a young age and their father had decided he was not made to be a family man.
The Jones brothers had formed The Outlaws with some fellow expatriates they met along the way. The venues they played weren't the best, but they managed to make a name for themselves enough to have steady gigs.
Emma Nolan had grown up with loving parents but after an unfortunate accident, she was left alone. Afterwards, her grandfather took her in. George Spencer was an ill-tempered man. He wasn't a doting person, which caused Emma to become closed off. She focused on solace in the cello. Thankfully, the man valued pomp and grandeur so, at the thought of his granddaughter attending Juilliard, he eagerly made it possible.
On a rare night out with her best friend Elsa, they decide to go to listen to a little-known rock band called The Outlaws they saw fliers for. It was love at first sight. The lead singer mesmerized the young cellist with his voice. The girls waited for the band to finish their set to introduce themselves to them. Elsa and Emma fit in with the band perfectly. The Jones brothers had quickly gravitated towards the blonde beauties.
Emma and Killian had slowly drifted away from the group. It ended up being the most magical night for the young lovers above New York's Washington Square.
Months later, Emma finds out she is pregnant. Somehow, she already loves her kid so much. Her grandfather makes his displeasure known, however, every moment of her pregnancy.
The day her life changed was gloomy and rainy. After an argument with George, Emma had gone to the store to buy some last-minute things for her baby. The drunk driver came out of nowhere. When she gives birth prematurely, her grandfather takes advantage while she is unconscious and gives the baby girl up for adoption. The moment Emma wakes up, she is told the news that her baby is dead. The news shatters her musical dreams and any hope of happiness.
You're not special. You're just like the rest of us... alone, nothing but an orphan.
The music... Can you hear it? Listen... I can hear it everywhere.
It's in the wind ...
in the light...
It's all around us.
All you have to do is open your heart and listen.
Sometimes the world tries to knock the hope out of you.
They tried to stop me from hearing the music...
I believe in music the way others believe in fairy tales. When I'm alone it builds inside me eager to erupt into a melody. I like to believe that what I hear came from my parents. That the music I hear is the same one they heard the night they met...
Maybe that's how they found each other and that's how they'll know I am theirs and find me...
Hope Swan had grown up in foster care. As a baby, she had been adopted but returned once the couple was blessed with their own flesh and blood. After that, she bounced from foster home to foster home.
In her shared room at the group home, she's currently at, Hope records herself humming a song that keeps playing in her mind, but is rudely interrupted by her roommate who mocks her. "You are not special. You're just like us, an unwanted orphan."
The girl walks away, slamming the door.
Hope's eyes water at the mean girl's words. She knows it in her heart that she is wanted and someday she will find her parents. She continues recording her humming of the song in her heart.
Hope is now eleven years old. She stands in the back of the group as one of the younger girls is adopted by a couple. Maybe she should be bitter and want to be adopted but if she was, she would never find her parents. They're out there and she will find them.
Hope runs away once more from her group home. Living on the streets she makes friends easily, but is still guarded. She knows that someday her parents will come looking for her. All she wants is to go home.
As she wanders the streets, runaway Hope Swan is getting closer to find her home. She knows she will find her family. All she has to do is listen to the music in her heart and follow it.
A kind man, Merlin, is assigned Hope Swan's case. She wasn't a trouble maker, but she was reportedly closed off with the couples. He is notified that she has run away. She has a history of running away. The picture of the young girl saddens him. He wishes he can find her and place her in a good home. She is a pretty girl, with blonde hair, vibrant sea-blue eyes, dimples, and a slightly dimpled chin. He posts her picture on the board.
Emma Nolan had moved away after losing her daughter. Her little girl, her grandfather told her the baby was a tiny girl. The heartbreak led her to become a music teacher to kids. She was always surrounded by children and music. That was the way she chose to honor her child. An unexpected call from her grandfather's doctor makes her break a promise she had made to herself years ago. He is the only family she has left.
Once she arrives at his house, she is summoned to his death bed.
His eyes tear up. "I thought you wouldn't come."
"I don't hate you Grandpa, but my heart hasn't healed. Time will never heal this wound," she sniffled.
He closes his watery eyes. "I think I can help with that."
Emma gets closer to his bed, confused. "How can you say that? My child is gone! You didn't want her, so you threw her away while I slept. You took that away from me. I couldn't hold her!"
"Emma, enough!" he screams, then immediately starts coughing from the effort.
"I'm sorry, I made a mistake. I know now that family is precious, that image doesn't matter. Emma, I have a confession. I hope it's not too late and that you will find it in your heart to forgive me."
Emma stares at him.
"She's alive. Your little girl is alive."
"What? How can you be so cruel and say that to me!" Emma says with disbelief and tears pooled in her eyes.
"Because it's the truth. She is alive. I gave her up for adoption, and I was the one who signed the papers. I was your next of kin since you weren't married."
Emma gapes at the old man as she let her limp body drop to the chair next to his bed. "You gave my daughter away as if she was property because I embarrassed you?"
George Spencer can't keep his eyes on his granddaughter. The once-proud man weakened by age and disease casts his eyes down in shame. "In my safe, you will find the documents."
"What good will that do me?" Emma asks.
"Emma, my attorney can help you find her," he says quietly.
"But-"
"Emma, if your parents were here, they would tell you that you should never lose hope," he says.
Emma stands up. "You're right, I'm going to find my daughter."
George sighs as he falls into a deep sleep, his machines flatlining. The nurse that had given them privacy to talk rushes in as soon as the machine goes off.
Emma finds the papers and with trembling hands, calls Mr. Gold, the attorney.
The man is a ruthless slimy bastard. He tries to convince Emma that her kid is better off where she is. Of course, he would say that seeing he had helped her grandfather do this to her; he was just covering his ass. She doesn't care about that. All she wants is to get her kid. She has a daughter and she is out there. She hopes to God that she is being taken care of.
Killian Jones had moved to California not long after The Outlaws broke up. He had given up his dream of singing, but somehow had managed to gain a thriving career as an agent.
He had also distanced himself from the memory of Emma. After the band broke up, his brother and former bandmates had moved to Boston. Killian thought the further away he could get would be better, though. He tried forgetting her, but he knew he could never forget her. It was only one night, but he would belong to her for the rest of time.
Liam had called him a few days prior to ask if he wanted to join them in a reunion of sorts. They were going to play at the little place where he had met Emma. The joint was going out of business so in an effort to raise money to save it, The Outlaws had agreed to come out of retirement for one night only.
Killian had yet to agree, but 'what if' rattled in his brain. Something inside him tugged at his heart. A man unwilling to fight for what he wants gets what he deserves, Liam had told him over and over. He decides he will do it. He will fly to New York and look for Emma. He prays to every deity he can that she is not married. It's a selfish thought, but he couldn't bear it if she isn't meant for him.
Killian picks up the phone and dials his brother's number. "Liam, I'll be there."
"Brother, you'll do it? What happened to never setting foot in New York?" Liam asks.
"Liam, are you going to question my decision? I thought you would be happy," Killian says through gritted teeth.
"I am, I am. I'm just surprised. Killian, this doesn't have anything to do with her, does it?"
"Brother," Killian sighs, "Even if it was, I don't have a way to contact her." Sure he was lying, but his brother didn't have to know all his reasons.
"We are driving out there," Liam says.
"I'll fly. I will text you the details once I've made arrangements," Killian says.
"Alright, see you then," Liam adds. "Brother, it's going to be good seeing you after so long. I miss you."
Killian sighs. "I miss you too."
The line disconnects. Alright Emma Nolan, what have you been up to? he thinks as he enters her name in the browser's search engine. He had thought of looking for her before, but he had never found any sign of her online. He knows her family has money but somehow she has managed to stay hidden. The only information that would come up was of her grandfather's business deals. His heart tells him that this time, though, things would be different.
Sure enough, he finds one headline: "George Spencer dies at home after a long battle with heart disease."
Killian reads the headline carefully and his heart sparks with hope to see Emma again. The newspaper lists her as the sole survivor of her grandfather's Estate. That means she would have to be at his home. He winces at the thought. He knows that his method to approach her while grieving will be considered to be in bad form, but if it is the only chance he has, he has to make the best of the situation. He takes a deep breath and alters his flight plans so he can arrive a couple of days earlier.
Mr. Gold had changed his tune when Emma didn't fall for his manipulations and offered his services. Emma reluctantly accepted his help. He told her to give him a couple of hours and at that time, he would have information to make her search easier. He quickly found out that her daughter had ended up in foster care. He gave her the name of the caseworker assigned to Hope Swan. That was her baby's name. Emma tries to ignore the fact that her daughter is in the care of the state. She wonders what she looks like? Does she take after her or him? Killian Jones, he had never left her thoughts, but before it was painful to think of him because inevitably her thoughts would end on her daughter. Emma smiles, realizing how fitting the name Hope was for their daughter. Emma thanks Mr. Gold and goes to see Merlin Wilde.
Emma arrives at the CPS office. Her nerves are getting the best of her. She approaches the information desk. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Mr. Wilde?"
The woman looks bored. "Do you have an appointment?"
Emma shakes her head. "No, I'm sorry. I must speak to him, though."
The woman rolls her eyes. "Fill out the sign-in sheet. I will see if he can fit you in today." She gets up and heads to a door behind her desk.
Emma is about to sit down when something catches her eye. Pictures of missing kids. Runaways. She gravitates to the board. Her heart is beating so fast as her eyes land on a name, Hope Swan. Emma smiles as she stares at blue eyes that reminded her of the pair that stole her heart all those years back. The sound of someone clearing their throat startles her.
"I'm sorry for startling you, Miss Nolan. I'm Merlin Wilde." He smiles at her as he looks over her sign-in sheet and signals for her to follow him.
"Oh, no it's okay. Yes, I wanted to speak to you in private. My situation is not a common story," Emma says as she follows him to his office.
They enter his office and he kindly motions for her to take a seat.
Emma looks around the office. She tries to get a feel for the man. He seems kind, but looks can be deceiving.
"Miss Nolan, how may I help you? Is there a child in a situation you are concerned about?"
Emma nods. "Mr. Wilde, yes, in fact, that is the reason why I'm here."
"Alright," he starts taking notes. "May I have the child's name?"
"Hope Swan," Emma says. "I'm her mother."
Merlin looks up from his computer. "I'm sorry," he says as he types rapidly on his computer keyboard, before looking up quizzically. "Her case says she is in the care of Mrs. Emerald."
"I'm afraid you misunderstood me. I'm Hope's biological mother." She takes a deep breath. "I was young and unmarried when I got pregnant with her, and my grandfather didn't think having a child was appropriate." Her eyes begin to sting because of the tears. "He took it upon himself to decide that giving my daughter away while I was unconscious because of an accident was the appropriate decision to make. Until recently, I thought Hope was dead. I'm here because I need your help getting my daughter back. I understand she is in foster care, so it shouldn't be a big deal, right?"
Merlin keeps his eyes on her and laughs. "She is a good kid, the people that had fostered her before never had a complaint about her. She loves music and she always hummed a melody to herself. She was just not open to letting them in. It's like she knew she didn't belong there. I'm afraid that has caused her to run away on several occasions. I was just informed she ran away from the last home."
Emma's eyes tear up. "I loved my daughter from the moment I knew she was there. I used to play a song on the cello for her that her father sang the night we met. Until the day I thought I had lost her, I played the same song. I need to find her."
"And we will, Miss Nolan. I have put up fliers all over the city."
Emma nods. "I will look for her myself. I plan on hiring a private investigator. Could I have a picture of her?"
"Of course, Miss Nolan. I will do all in my power to help get your daughter back. I'm going to go looking for her at Washington Square Park. That is a hot spot for runaways. If you would like to join me? We might get lucky," he says as he hands her the picture of Hope from her file.
Emma smiles. "Sure, I will. Thank you for asking."
Hope is sitting on a bench at Washington Square Park and then she hears some music playing. Instantly, she is drawn to it. A boy around her age is playing the guitar. She smiles wide and sits down to enjoy the show. People surround the boy as he plays and they drop change on a baseball cap on the floor. Once he finishes playing, the boy picks up his cap and puts the money in his pocket. He grabs his guitar and thanks the crowd before leaving.
Curious, Hope follows him to an abandoned theatre.
Killian arrives on the first flight of the day. He rents a car and makes his way to the Nolan Estate. He is a nervous wreck. What will Emma think of him showing up unannounced? He hopes she will be happy to see him.
The boy Hope was following introduces himself as Henry. She likes him. He is nice and he promptly explains that all the runaway children live there. They had been taken in by Walsh Oz, the "Wizard". The man provides a roof over their head and food.
"Don't worry, Hope. He will teach you how to perform in street corners to pay for your part. If you're lucky and any good, he will let you use one of the park's spots," Henry says. "When he gets home with food, I will introduce you."
Hope thinks to herself it couldn't be that bad. This way, she won't be picked on for playing music.
Henry smiles fondly at Hope. "So why did you run away?"
Hope smiles back. "I'm going to find my parents. How about you?"
"My adoptive mom didn't love me." He shrugs. "Hope, I know you will find them."
Hope beams. "Thank you, but how can you believe so?"
Henry smiles. "I have a feeling that you will find them and then you will have your happy ending."
The Wizard hadn't always lived in condemned buildings. He once had been a success in his art but lost it due to some scandal years ago, but he could still spot talent. The young girl Henry had brought to him had loads of talent. She had played a song that most of the other kids couldn't play. The girl was magical. She appeared to be a musical genius with savant-like abilities and perfect pitch. He knows he could make a good living off of that girl. He smiles wickedly as the girl plays with his prized guitar, Roxanne. "Well, looks like we found our top earner thanks to Henry," The Wizard says to the group. He pulls Hope to the side. "Alright, you are going to be in my old spot at the park and you will be using Roxanne." He scrutinizes her. "Now what should we call you?"
"My name is Hope," she says.
He walks back and forth contemplating and shaking his head. "I know, I shall call you Odette."
Emma and Merlin arrive at the park. They split up in the hope to cover more ground.
Merlin posts missing posters of Hope on every corner he can; he even hands some to the people walking by.
Emma is walking around the corner when something catches her eye. They have some posters for an upcoming event displaying some talent from Julliard. She smiles wistfully, she misses her music. She takes out her phone to call an old friend. Elsa had ended up at their old school as a teacher.
Somehow her connection is stronger now. She has a sudden need to play. She feels it will help her connect with her daughter.
