#cssv 18

“I know…” Emma soothed, reaching up to gently brush some of the hair back from his eyes. “I’m sorry this happened. I’m still not even sure how it all happened so fast.”

Killian wanted to agree, but he unfortunately could recall every vivid detail. Standing just outside Swan’s backdoor, not a damn care in the world - certainly no excruciating pain trying to split his skull in half. They’d been discussing lunch, Emma just inside in the kitchen. There’d been joking about missing whatever weird restaurant Mary Margaret had convinced all their friends to try that afternoon, an outing they’d weaseled their way out of with their varied excuses (Henry needs help with a project, the Jolly needs a bit of maintenance…). And then, out of nowhere, Henry was shouting about Chewie escaping just past Killian’s ankles.

Off Killian had gone, scrambling to catch the little demon hellbeast that had never taken much of a shine to him. Around and around they’d gone, over toys and lawn furniture, under and through bushes. Emma and Henry had come outside to help, and they’d almost had the damn creature cornered and on the verge of capture when it shimmied its way between Killian’s legs, causing him to lose his foot and…

Faces and concrete decks were not made to meet.

“S’alright, love.” Killian shifted, cringing with the movement, but still reaching out for her hand with his free one. “Not your fault… or Henry’s.” He attempted a reassuring smile despite the pain it caused him. “Though I am now damn convinced that cat is trying to destroy me.”

Emma snorted. “He does really hate you.”

“Well, feelings mutual then.” His smile had grown sarcastic. He watched Emma roll her eyes, still offering her own small smile. It quickly faded into a slight frown as her gaze dropped to stare at the white sheets on his bed. “Swan?”

She glanced up sharply. “What are we,” She bit at her lip and shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “You… what are you gonna say happened? And how you managed to drive yourself to the E.R.?”

Killian had been so wrapped up in… well, being in blinding pain, that he hadn’t even stopped to consider the story he’d have to come up with. They stared at each other a second, slight panic passing between them, before Killian shook his head as much as he could without hurting himself.

“Don’t worry about it, love.” He pulled on her with their still connected hands. She rose from her seat, stepping closer to him. “I’ll figure something out, like always.” He shrugged. “Can say I took a nasty tumble on the Jolly’s deck. Wouldn’t be the first time…” Killian lowered the ice pack so he could very gently press his forehead to hers. She pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. “Nobody need know I was bested by your son’s hellcat.”

“Oh.”

Henry’s voice from the doorway drew their attention. They saw the boy standing there with the guiltiest look on his face. And just behind him, a red-faced David Nolan and a wide-eyed Mary Margaret looking on in shock.

“I sorta already told Aunt M we were here?” Henry confessed.

Emma took a small step away from Killian, who sat frozen under the angry glare his best friend was giving him. “Oh…” She said in a tone similar to Henry’s from a moment ago. “Henry, that’s-”

“What the hell?!” David brushed past his nephew, stalking up to the foot of the bed. “You’re dating my sister?!”

Killian felt his hackles rise at the overly protective tone of his friend’s voice. “I’m quite alright, Dave. Thanks for asking.” He smiled sassily, being sure to give Emma’s hand a squeeze just for good measure.

“You won’t be when I’m done with you.” David snapped, causing shouts from both his sister and his wife. Who stepped into the room to come between her husband and his best friend.

“I’m sorry, he’s had a bit too much wine at lunch.” Mary Margaret sighed before turning a glare on David. He still appeared ticked off, but buckled under her scrutiny and stomped towards the window, crossing his arms in a huff. “Happy to see it’s nothing too serious, Killian. All Henry said was you were in the emergency room with him and his mom, and that you’d been hurt. David,” She looked to her husband pointedly, who refused to meet her gaze. “Was frantic to get here and see that you were alright.” She glanced between Killian and Emma. “We tried calling your cell phones, but neither picked up.”

It was Emma’s turn to wince. “I think we might’ve forgotten them at home?” She gave Killian a look between guilt and affection. “He just smacked the ground so hard and his nose was bleeding and he was in a lot of pain...” Her green eyes found Mary Margaret's again. “I was just frantic to get Killian here and looked at.”

“Maybe if he was on his boat like he said he was gonna be, he wouldn’t need to be looked at.”

Killian rolled his eyes, the same pain every time he’d done it before flaring up yet again.

Emma was quick to turn on her brother this time. “David, I swear to God-”

“That’s okay, Emma.” Mary Margaret grit out, trying to sound understanding despite her husband’s attitude. “There’s clearly a lot that we need to talk about, but I think I should go take David to get some coffee and have a cool down, yeah?” She stepped back, once more glaring at David as she held out her hand to the open doorway.

David grumbled but started moving. Mary Margaret had almost managed to usher him out of the room when he stopped again and turned to point at Killian. “You and me are having a serious discussion later.”

“I gathered…” Killian replied, feeling both defensive and guilt-ridden. He watched as Mary Margaret shoved him out into the hallway and towards the commissary. His one open blue eye found Henry, who had slumped in the chair near the door.

She wasn’t the Savior anymore. She was just Emma Swan. Well, Emma Swan-Jones. 

The past four months since their wedding had been some of the best of her life. Spending an entire summer wrapped in Killian’s arms was the best therapy around and she needed a lot of it after the last couple years. After their honeymoon it took a while to get used to routine again. It took a while to be normal. To understand what normal feels like. 

Tuesday mornings were their days together. In fact, it was the only day during the week that she knew they would wake up together and spend 24 hours doing whatever they wanted. Which mostly included sipping on hot cocoa at Granny’s or walking along the docks with Henry after school. Whatever they decided to do, the day always started with pancakes and caramel coffee. 

Killian’s snore brought her out of her thought process. The man slept hard. It was quite impossible to get him out of bed in the morning so she always steered clear of him until there was coffee brewing and pancakes cooking. She pulled the covers off of her, grabbed her robe and tip-toed out of the bedroom. 

Emma had never made homemade pancakes in her life. The most she had ever done was add chocolate chips to the box mix. Honestly, Aunt Jemima should be praised for her pancakes, considering the amount of times Emma had used the mix during their first months of marriage. Hmm, I wonder why? Emma chuckled. Probably because they smell so dang delicious.

She flipped the pancakes in the pan, grabbing her phone to play some music. As much as she enjoyed a quiet house, she loved acoustic music a little more. She clicked on her morning playlist, “Banana Pancakes” by Jack Johnson filled the kitchen, giving her a pep in her step as she flipped pancakes and scrambled eggs. The rain coming down made the song even more fitting. 

September had been filled with muggy temperatures and more rain than usual. It was something that Emma took with happiness since Storybrooke was always colder and snowier than most cities. She wanted to hold on to the summer memories for just a little bit longer. Henry only had two years of High School left and she was trying to make as many memories as possible with him before he left. And this summer was one of the best yet. After Emma and Killian’s honeymoon to Europe (the Jolly Roger being their main source of transportation) Henry joined them for two months traveling all around the world. After spending an entire summer just the three of them, it was weird to now have it just be her and Killian most of the time. 

“Mom?” Henry’s voice made her turn around, but didn’t make her stop dancing. “What are you doing?” He smiled.

“Just the normal chocolate chip pancakes Tuesday dance,” she laughed, spinning around the kitchen and tapping her feet to the song. She held out her hand to him, he took it hesitant, but he loved his mom to much to decline. Together they danced in the kitchen, their laughs filled the room as they sang the song together. 

They didn’t have a normal mother/son relationship. She understood that. Most kids that are adopted don’t hop on a bus searching for their birth mother at eleven years old to tell her that their family is trapped in a dark curse that only she can break. Those kinds of things just didn’t happen. Their story was obviously very different. 

But she was so thankful to that small eleven year old boy.

Once the initial shock of everything passed, she had grown to love and cherish the brown haired little boy more than anything. He had filled a certain void that she never knew she had. 

And then Killian came along. 

She so desperately wanted to cling onto the thought process that she didn’t have any room in her heart to love someone outside her family and that the hurt she experience had left her too bruised to ever be loved by another man again. But he had proved her wrong in the best way. 

Henry snuck his way out of Emma’s morning song by grabbing a plate and quickly placing some fresh pancakes on his plate, “Sorry, mom,” He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, “School soon,” he mumbled through a mouthful of pancakes, syrup dripping from the corners of his smile. 

Emma chuckled tending to the pancakes and eggs, her feet still tapping to the song and her body swaying, “Just eat, kid.” 

As one song ended, another began. This one was one that Emma hadn’t heard before. Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Wendy Darling, even ... wait ... Captain Hook you are my perfect storybook. 

Emma and Henry both locked eyes and burst into laughter.

“Henry, how did this become our life?” she mumbled laughter through her fingers. Grabbing her phone to change the song, the boy just shrugged and shoved his fourth pancake into his mouth. 

She took a moment to actually think about that question. How did this become her life? The characters that so many love songs talk about are actually all real and they’re her family. Her son’s family. How does Peter Pan become your son’s great-grandfather? And Captain Hook your husband? 

Sometimes she still felt like the past five years had all just been a dream and at any moment she would wake up from the longest nap of her life. So until that day, she wanted to make the most of the beautiful life that Captain Hook had given her. 

She couldn’t help but laugh at the way her life turned out. But she wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

Emma heard footsteps shuffling down the stairs. She wondered how the grumpy, one handed pirate would feel about the current situation of Henry scarfing down the pancakes faster than Emma could make them. She poured a cup of coffee and placed a plate of pancakes at a spot next to Henry at the island. 

“Morning, love,” Killian’s voice sounded scratchier and quieter than normal as he placed a kiss on her cheek as he made his way towards Henry. He patted his back and grabbed the cup of coffee. Emma stood across from them leaning up against the countertop, holding her coffee cup with both hands, hoping to warm them. She loved being able to watch them together, Henry and Killian. She knew Henry loved him. The summer they spent together grew their bond just by being surrounded by each other all the time. They took up a drawing hobby where Killian would draw whatever came to mind and Henry would create a story from it, she was sure this would happen this afternoon at the docs as Emma immersed herself in a good book. 

Yep, Tuesdays were definitely her favorite.

Henry checked his watch, “Hey, I gotta head out,” he finished the last bite of his sixth pancake. “But I’ll see you both at dinner tonight.” Emma grabbed his plate from him and placed it in the sink. 

“Sure, maybe we can head to the docks so you can write.” Henry nodded, throwing his backpack over his shoulder and shutting the door behind him. 

Emma popped a piece of pancake in her mouth and started to clean up the kitchen. The music still echoed through the kitchen, the only other sound being Killian’s fork hitting the plate each time he went for more food. She didn’t mind the silence between the two of them. It was comforting to know they could enjoy each other’s presence and not need to talk to fill the silence. 

She wondered what was happening down at the station. Were there any big calls coming in? Was David doing okay by himself? What if something came up that he needed backup for and it was just him there? No. He handled an entire summer of being sheriff without needing her once. He could handle her having the day off. 

“Hey, love,” Killian’s arms wrapped around her waist, his lips finding her neck. “What do you want to do today?” 

She hummed wanting to feel the lingering of his lips on her neck a little bit longer, “Anything I want?” 

“I mean there’s a whole lot of pancakes left and I feel like I didn’t get to enjoy them all so there’s that option.” His lips made their way to hers, and as he said the words Emma giggled against his lips. 

“Pancakes,” she pushed her body a little bit closer to his. “Pancakes always sound good.” They both laughed, crushing their lips together. Killian’s hand and hook found the back of her thigh and hoisted her legs around his waist. He had gotten quite good at navigating her body with only one hand, especially when it came to lifting her up. 

She never understood how he could be so passionate, but so gentle at the same time. His left hand consisted of a hook that could easily injure her if he made one wrong move. But he never did. 

He had always been a man with no fear. Until he met her. The fear would come in waves, threatening to pull him under, wondering if some day she would question everything and leave. But then she would be there beside him, soothing his fears without even realizing his thoughts were burying him. Each day that passed with no magical beings showing up, the fear became less frequent, less harsh. 

And having Emma in his arms every day made the fear less and less. 

There was a time when Killian Jones wasn’t sure if their story was going to continue. When Pan’s curse came around he was sure that she was lost to him forever. He had spent so many months traveling throughout the Enchanted Forest trying to find a magic bean, and for months he had no luck with only his thoughts to keep him company. It was one of the most terrible years of his life, but it was also filled with a substantial amount of hope. He knew he would find a way back to her - eventually. He had hope that their love was strong enough to make it through a year apart. Even if she hadn’t acknowledged it yet. And the minute the door to her apartment swung open, he knew it was always going to be her forever. 

Oh, how he loved her. He loved her more than the stars in the sky and the sand on the beach. There were no words for how much he loved her. 

There was never a specific moment when he realized how much he loved her, there were continual moments throughout the times he spent with her that he realized how much she meant to him. 

One of those moments was tonight. 

When they had gotten back from their honeymoon, Emma was insistent on buying a hammock. 

“But why?” Killian laughed, thinking her idea was quite silly to be honest. 

“Because, Killian,” Emma sighed, “It makes me feel like I’m on the Jolly Rodger. It’s so calming. And besides I’m thinking about reading through multiple book series’ over the next couple months. What’s the book with the kid who has magic and gets sent to a school with ‘warts’ in the name?” Emma shuddered at the word. 

“Harry Potter?” Killian cocked his eyebrow, “You do know it’s time to expand your knowledge on books when your fairytale husband knows about Harry Potter and you don’t.” He chuckled kissing her forehead. “Of course we’ll find a place for a hammock.”

And that he did. With the help of his gracious father-in-law they were able to build a patio for a hammock in two days. Emma decorated her knew hideaway with outdoor Christmas lights and tiki torches to keep the bugs away. 

So that’s where they were spending their night. After a long walk along the docks with Henry, he was cooped up sitting on the patio furniture under the lights with his laptop writing away and Emma and Killian were wrapped in a blanket, swaying in the hammock watching the twinkling lights and enjoying each other’s presence. She was so thankful the butterflies she had for him had never gone away. 

“Hey, love,” Killian brushed Emma’s cheek with his thumb. 

“You know,” Emma sighed, “I heard a song this morning about Peter Pan and Neverland. And I couldn’t help but chuckle.” For a moment, Emma was lost in his bright blue eyes. She never understood how he seemed to look deep into her soul every time he looked at her. “I don’t understand how this is my life. I wonder if I’m dreaming sometimes.” Emma’s fingers intertwined with Killian’s. “There are times when I’m just so scared, Killian. I’m scared that I’m going to wake up someday and realize that you’re not real and finding my family was never real,” her voice broke. Wondering how her life turned out this way. 

“Love,” Killian cleared his throat, hoping to offer some kind of comfort, “When we first met, I thought the same of you. I wondered how after three hundred years I had never found a woman quite like you. I wondered if you could see past the man I had been and love me for the man I now was. And then we shared that kiss in Neverland. And I knew it right then,” he paused, brushing a stray piece of hair behind her ears “I knew that you were the woman I was going to chase after. The woman I was going to marry.” 

He had never told her that before. She had never known that the Neverland kiss had meant so much to him. Looking back, she could see it. The way she felt his body close to hers, the way he pulled her neck towards him, that’s the moment everything changed. The moment they both realized they could love again. 

“Now, I know that may not help your anxiety about whether or not this life is real, but,” Killian twisted a small piece of skin on her arm, at which she squealed. “I hope that can ease your mind in the slightest, knowing that you’ve been pinched and nothing has happened.” They both chuckled as Killian ran his hand up and down the spot where he pinched her. “I’m sorry,”

Emma grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled his lips to hers. He tasted so good, like rum and cinnamon coffee cake. She couldn’t help but want so much more of him. She wanted to feel his skin against hers, feel his legs intertwined with hers, she wanted so much more of him than she could get in their backyard hammock with their son within twenty feet.

Until everything came to a crashing halt as Killian was groaning underneath her. “Swan,” he mumbled. The hammock swung in the air above them in the most taunting way. “That got a little bit too crazy,” 

Emma smiled, repositioning herself so her legs were right next to his waist. Her hair fell in his face as they laughed, “Doesn’t it always?” she teased.