#killian's backpack

[fionajames]

Ghost Hunters Club: Chapter I

The first chapter of a Colby Brock x Male! OC book.

A/N: Holy shit I need a coffee. This is over 7.3k words please send help im dying (/j)

This is based off of Sam and Colby's video about the Millenium Biltmore Hotel; The Terrifying Night We'll Never Forget | Haunted Biltmore Hotel.

Welcome, to Ghost Hunters Club.

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The doors of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel were gently pushed open as two boys strolled in, one clutching a camera, the other with a grin. The door closed behind them and they moved to the front desk, leaning against it to talk patiently when they realised it was unattended.

The younger boy wielding the camera had fluffy warm-toned black hair that had been tousled wildly in various directions and honey coloured eyes with flecks of gold swimming in them. He had pinkish vanilla coloured skin with a constellation of star-shaped freckles dusted over his cheeks and an obvious pink scar over the bridge of his nose.

He was wearing a loose cream, button-up t-shirt and baggy chocolate brown cargo pants with huge pockets. Many silver rings adorned his fingers and black fingerless-gloves that covered his wrists matched them. A singular bracelet of obsidian and labradorite gemstones adorned his left wrist. A silver chain hung from his neck as his silver moon and star chain helix and lobe earrings gleamed in the light.

Beside him the older beaming boy had thick curly ginger hair that looked like flames in the light, matched with shining blue eyes like the ocean. He had pink skin, covered in freckles like a scatter of paint, coating all of his face and dotted on the rest of his skin. 

He was dressed in a brown sweater with the collar of a cream shirt peeking out underneath with beige cargo pants, a singular gold bracelet attached to his wrist.

Both of them were clutching the straps of their backpacks which were slung over the shoulders, and the older had his ear pressed to his phone, listening intently to the person on the other side of the call.

The honey-eyed boy waited patiently at the desk, murmuring to the camera softly - which was pointed at the floor as to not grasp too many peoples’ attention. 

“So we’re just at reception now,” the younger mumbled into the microphone, glancing around through his lashes. He tapped his feet and shifted his weight between his feet. “No one’s here so we’re just gonna wait a bit.”

The fiery-haired boy continued nodding and talking to his phone, thrusting a hand into his pants pocket and pressing his back up against the desk. 

“Oh and I couldn’t bring Knox on this one,” the honey-eyed boy muttered, pouting childishly even though the camera couldn’t see him. “I know, I know. I’m really upset I couldn’t bring him but they don’t allow dogs here.”

At that moment a lady strolled up to the desk with a huge grin and acknowledged the patiently waiting boys. “I’m sorry for the wait,” she told them and the ginger boy murmured a ‘goodbye’ into the phone before hanging up. “Check in or out?”

“In,” the fiery-haired boy told her firmly, shooting her a short smile. He shuffled to the other’s side and ruffled the already tousled black hair even more. “We’re here to ghost hunt.” The older explained with a grin, doing jazz-hands as he spoke. The honey-eyed boy averted his gaze from the woman and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You wouldn’t be the first,” the woman told them kindly. “Name?”

“Caspian Killian,” the honey-eyed boy spoke up, his voice soft in texture but clear in tone. The woman nodded. 

“Alright, here is your key,” she handed the older - which mildly annoyed the younger - a door key and the fiery-haired boy nodded, pocketing it with a smile. “You’re on the eleventh floor,” she continued and quickly gave them directions.

“Thank you,” both boys chorused before leaving to find their room. 

Caspian sighed, holding the camera up higher to get a view of the hotel, running his unoccupied hand through his hair and messing around with it until he was content. “Smile, Lin,” he told the fiery-haired boy who shot the camera a huge grin before he pointed it away.

“I can’t believe we’re here,” the fiery-haired boy whispered as they admired the lobby, standing back to back.

“Well, you better,” Caspian whispered back.

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Caspian sniffed as he rubbed his pink-tinted nose with a grimace. The fiery-haired boy shot him a sympathetic smile. “Y’know, I really don’t think we should be down here,” he whispered as they roamed around the empty and eerie ballroom.

“The door was open, and therefore I can go where I like,” Caspian shot back with a cocky smile and the older laughed, throwing his head back.

“Aren’t you cops s’pposed to be all goody?” The fiery-haired boy asked, his grin glowing as he ran a hand down the fabric of a curtain, admiring the pattern.

Caspian’s nose crinkled playfully.

“I’m not a cop anymore,” he reasoned with a smile, lightly punching the older’s shoulder playfully. The older laughed and ruffled his hair. 

Then, the pair abruptly froze, fear coursing through them as they heard footsteps and voices, alongside a door closing. The fiery-haired boy darted behind one of the walls and tugged Caspian along with him, both of them pressing their backs up against the walls as they held their breaths.

The pair listened carefully before Caspian slowly dropped to the floor, sliding the camera along the carpet to record the people who had entered. “I think their filming,” he told the older softly, which earned him a glare to keep quiet. 

They waited patiently but petrified as the long seconds ticked by, slowly growing into minutes. The footsteps - although light - grew closer as they held their breaths. 

“So I wonder what ballroom we’re actually in,” a voice whispered quietly and Caspian’s eyes widened at how close the boy sounded. His brain had kicked into action and the subconscious police-routine of studying his surroundings and the people clicked into place. 

He could guess the boy sounded around his age and judging by the sound of the footsteps, he was one of two walking closer, but they’d left another two people near the door.

“Cause there’s multiple, right?” The boy continued, and the fiery-haired boy sucked in a breath as he began shuffling to the right - away from the strangers. He urged Caspian to follow, but the honey-eyed boy didn’t move. “Oh my God, this is neveren-” the boy cut himself off with a screech.

He’d walked past the wall where Caspian and the fiery-haired boy were hiding and turned to see them. The boy had short dark brown hair and bright, glowing blue eyes which were widened in bewilderment. He had light ivory skin and two stud earrings in, clutching the end of his black leather jacket as he’d been adjusting it when he’d frozen. Underneath the jacket was a black t-shirt and hidden was a black belt. Attached to the belt was a silver chain which was dangling by his right hip, contrasting well with his dark grey ombre jeans.

A few steps behind him was a boy with short blonde hair and glistening blue eyes, filled with intrigue. He had pinkish skin and was raising an eyebrow. He was wearing a black t-shirt with white symbols that Caspian instantly identified as someone’s merch - who’s, he didn’t know - and black fingerless gloves with the same white merch symbols, alongside clean black jeans and a black backpack.

“Hello,” the fiery-haired boy managed to squeak out with a grin as the blonde swivelled the camera to the pair. Caspian had to physically remind himself to move his eyes off of the brunette stranger, who seemed to be pulling him in. 

“Sorry,” the blonde addressed them with a smile, shuffling to stand beside his friend, who’s eyes hadn’t moved from Caspian. Not that the honey-eyed boy had noticed, as he was playing with his rings nervously, tapping the side of the camera. “You're filming too, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Caspian managed to say, practically choking on his own words. “We’re ghost-hunter-Youtubers.” The fiery haired boy let out a good-natured scoff.

“You are, I’m not.”

“Oh, so are we,” the brunette explained with a grin, his eyes still unmoving as he fell into a more natural stance, waving his hand as he spoke. “I’m Colby, this is Sam, and our friends somewhere over there are Corey and Jake.” He peered around the corner to try and catch a glimpse of the other two boys but to no avail.

“I’m Caspian and this is my cousin Roslin,” the honey-eyed boy explained, shifting his camera to his left-hand and stretching out his right. Sam shook it with a nod and Colby shook it with a smile. Roslin did the same.

“We should probably get out of here, and then we can talk,” Roslin whispered with a playful half-smile, gesturing to the door with a walking motion.

Caspian nodded.

So did Sam.

They made their way to the door and the other pair almost silently, all of them agreeing along the way to being filmed. Caspian glanced around nervously and Roslin gently rested his hand on his shoulder briefly, a reminder that the younger was okay. He shot him a grateful smile.

“This is Jake and this is Corey,” Sam introduced, gesturing to each person in turn. “Jake, Corey, this is Caspian and this is Roslin.”

Roslin gave a short cheerful wave that Jake returned as Caspian nodded his head upwards with a smile, before turning to glance backwards again. 

“Do you guys know which ballroom this is?” Colby asked and the fiery-haired boy nodded as the six began walking down the corridor - away from the door. 

“The Biltmore Bowl,” Roslin replied, gesturing with his thumb across the room where he and his cousin had been minutes before. “Said on a sign.”

“Oh,” Sam nodded as he passed the camera to Colby. 

Jake bit his lip nervously.

“Oh dude look,” Sam called as the group joined him, staring down at a set of red stairs leading downwards. 

As Caspian moved to get a good view, something dinged.

Jake froze in place and gestured with his thumb backwards, jaw slack in shock. “It dinged again.”

“Was that not your phone?” Colby asked and Roslin hummed in agreement.

“Wasn’t my phone,” Corey said, gesturing to his phone screen with no notifications. Caspian pulled out his phone quickly and shook his head at the empty screen. After Sam, Caspian and Colby quickly went to the door at the end of the stairs, the six began to head back to the door with Corey leading the way.

Just ahead of the door, he froze, eyes wide. “The lights are off,” he whispered, pointing at the ballroom they’d been exploring earlier. Caspian stepped in front and led them through the dark silently, unafraid of the limited light. He waited for the lights to flicker on - expecting them to be motion-sensed - but reminded himself that they’d already been on when he and Roslin had entered. 

The six of them quickly made it to the stairwell where Caspian closed the door. As soon as he let go of the door knob, it shook violently.

“Holy shit,” Sam muttered, staring at it.

The honey-eyed boy reached for the nearest person to tap when he heard footsteps growing closer - which happened to be Colby. He pushed the brunette’s shoulder hurriedly and he understood, as he too had heard the oncoming footsteps.

“Somebody’s coming, somebody’s coming,” Colby stated hurriedly and they all rushed up their stairwell, Caspian right behind the brunette. They ran up several floors with Colby muttering repeatedly ‘Someone’s coming’ before swinging left and calmly walking out the doorway.

“I heard them coming through, go right,” Sam whispered, gesturing backwards as Caspian pushed him forwards gently. They quickly walked through several corridors before letting their pace slowen. 

“My heart is beating so fast right now,” Colby stated with a grin, a hand on his chest as Roslin nodded, shaking his limbs out.

“Wait,” Sam paused and Colby urged him to keep walking, so he did. 

“C’mon, let's go in the bathroom,” Jake suggested and they quickly walked in, Caspian sniffling again as he rubbed his nose and cringing at the runniness. 

“Boys meeting,” Colby teased in an attempt to loosen the tension. “No girls allowed.” Roslin let out a chuckle and Caspian smiled. 

“Isn't it illegal to film in a bathroom?” Sam pointed out and Roslin glanced at Caspian, who nodded confirmation. Both camera-men stopped recording.

“Well that was intense,” Roslin murmured and the group all let out a chuckle, collapsing against the walls.

“So you’re ghost hunters too?” Jake asked the pair. Roslin shook his head with a smile, whereas Caspian nodded eagerly.

“Cass here is but I’m not,” the older explained, leaning against a wall and shoving his hands in his pockets. “He usually takes his dog with him but this place doesn’t allow pets so he had to resort to human companionship,” Roslin teased and Caspian let out a mockingly-offended gasp.

“It’s not my fault your shit company!” He exclaimed, shoving his shoulder playfully - yet a little too hard for it to be called lightly. “Knox is so much better than you at this.” Roslin gasped and gaped at him, holding a hand over his heart in mock-offence.

“You have a ghost-hunter dog?” Sam asked eagerly and Caspian nodded, sniffling again before resuming playing with his rings. Colby watched intently as the light reflecting off of the rings gleamed.

“He’s my best mate, so yeah,” Caspian explained and Sam and Colby exchanged delighted looks. “He’s around three years old now.”

“What breed?” Colby asked, resting his chin on his hands.

Caspian grinned. “Black and tan German Shepherd,” he replied. Roslin laughed as he reached over and ruffled his warm-black curls again.

“They go everywhere together, well, except for places that don’t allow it,” the fiery-haired boy explained and Caspian shot him a playful glare.

“Hey, since we’re all together now, do you guys wanna do a bit of ghost hunting together?” Sam asked, gesturing to the other five boys. Colby nodded eagerly and Corey and Jake followed suit. Caspian’s face settled in a thoughtful expression while Roslin turned to him with an arched brow.

“Yeah, if you want to,” the honey-eyed boy agreed and Colby cheered, leaving them all to laugh. “Do you guys wanna go to the second floor?”

“Hell yeah,” Sam replied, glancing to his three friends who nodded.

Roslin bit his lip. “I think I’ll stay in our room, if you don’t mind, Cass,” he explained. “I’m not really good with ghost hunting.”

“Sure, Lin,” Caspian responded, slapping his cousin’s shoulder lightly. “You go back, call if you need anything.” He made a calling gesture with his hand as he spoke and Roslin laughed.

“Same goes for you.”

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“Guys we’re tryna go to the second floor which is the haunted one and it won’t click,” Sam explained to the camera as he continued to press the button in the elevator. Caspian had also begun filming a few moments before as he nodded. They were a bit cramped in the elevator, but it didn’t bother them. “So like, no one can go to the second floor.”

“What if we go to the third floor and then go down the stairs?” Caspian suggested from beside Colby, who nodded. 

Sam pressed the button and they waited patiently for the elevator to arrive on their desired floor. When they did, Sam left first, and then Corey, but he stopped midway.

“Devyn just texted me,” Corey began, staring at his phone screen as he stood beside Sam. Colby quietly explained to Caspian that Devyn was Corey’s girlfriend. “And said Navi won’t stop barking at the wall.” 

“Navi’s Devyn’s dog,” Colby whispered to Caspian who nodded gratefully. 

“While you're gone, to the most haunted hotel in Los Angeles,” Sam stated, zooming in his camera. “That’s not weird.” 

The group laughed stiffly before making their way to the stairwell. They scrambled down the staircase and stairs until they reached the door to level 2. 

Jake reached the door first, just as Caspian and Sam began filming again. “Looks closed off,” Sam observed as Jake stepped away from the door, a frustrated look on his face.

“Locked,” he replied.

“Yeah, they did lock it,” Colby whispered as Sam reached the door, pushing down on the stiff handle pointlessly. “‘Photograph and release form’, they won’t even let you film here.” Caspian sighed as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration, explaining the situation to the camera. “We said tenth and eleventh were the most haunted, now it's the second?” Colby asked in confusion.

“No, no, no,” Sam began. “Tenth and eleventh are where, like, the most sightings are and most haunted this” he pointed to the sign saying level two, “used to be just covered with the nurse that was most haunted and they just needed to stop people staying here.”

“Listen, brother,” Jake intervened, stepping closer to Colby. He grabbed Colby’s shoulders and shook him once gently, putting on a strange country accent. “The whole fucking hotel’s haunted.”

Caspian snorted softly at the humour.

“This was haunted by a nurse a long time ago,” Sam explained, glancing at Caspian who was fiddling with his camera’s straps. “And they stopped letting people in.” 

“Who wants to go down to the dungeon?” Jake asked, pointing down the stairwell and Caspian gasped happily, rushing to his side to peer down.

They briefly talked about the camera blurring over Jake’s face as Caspian hurried down the stairs with his camera, grinning giddily all the way. Colby watched with a raised brow and piqued curiosity. Caspian seemed to be one strange person.

“This doesn’t look like a lobby to me,” Sam squeaked as he pointed the camera to a white corridor, Caspian hurrying towards it. “I dunno but the door’s open so that means it’s open to us.” 

They walked down the corridor quickly, following the childish Caspian who was practically squealing with joy. Sam wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the boy, who seemed so quiet yet so interesting. They finally reached the end of the corridor, which led to some sort of boiler-type room.

“The music is like, right there,” Colby stated, pointing down a thin corridor where quiet classical music was seeping from.

“We should probably go,” Corey suggested, patting Caspian’s shoulder gently when the honey-eyed boy let out a sad whine. 

Caspian froze after a second and began silently ushering Sam down the corridor they’d come through. “There's someone walking this way.” 

The group made their way back quickly. “Are you sure?” Colby asked, glancing back but still walking. They reached the stairwell again and Caspian rubbed his eyes, only half-paying attention to what the others were saying. They kept walking down - to Sam’s surprise, stating that the place seemed endless - before they reached a mysterious black door.

Caspian gasped eagerly again and hurried down to it alongside Colby, pushing the door open. It creaked as he did and he peered around outside, brows furrowed in confusion. He scrambled out, followed quickly by Colby, and spun in a circle when he recognised the lobby area.

The group quickly continued walking after Sam ushered them to move.

“We came out next to the security guard,” Colby muttered through gritted teeth and Sam laughed nervously. Caspian giggled.

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After conversing about what to do next, the group insisted Caspian stay with them for their next investigations, leading him to be collapsed on the couch in their room as the time ticked closer and closer to 1 o’clock in the morning.

Sam and Colby were talking to the camera about what they were doing and planning to do next as Caspian mindlessly opened his phone. 

“Is that your dog?” Jake asked from his place next to the boy, pointing at Caspian’s locked screen. The honey-eyed boy nodded tiredly. His lock screen was a picture he’d taken of Knox just after getting him, the puppy so visibly young in many ways including his singular floppy ear. Caspian smiled fondly.

“Yeah,” he replied, opening up his phone and the messages app, clicking the most recent conversation. He typed in a message to his best friend Debbie before closing his phone and burying his face into the sleeves of his hoodie, closing his eyes.

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It was nearing 2:30am when the group all settled on the couch with food and put on a show to watch, all of them paying attention except for Caspian - who was inspecting each person individually, trying to understand them.

At some point between 2:30am and 3am, a loud thud sound filled the apartment, coming from the level below. The group hurried to their feet and Sam grabbed his camera, Caspian doing the same.

“Guys, literally, we were not recording, there's something downstairs,” Sam hurried out as Corey turned the TV off. Caspian rolled his shoulders back and let the adrenaline wash over him, pushing away the sleepiness he’d felt before. “That was the elevator!” Sam exclaimed, repeating over and over about hearing sounds downstairs.

Caspian began making his way downstairs - seemingly calm compared to the others. Colby followed after him quickly, not wanting to leave the boy alone.

“What did you hear?” Jake asked and the group stopped to listen to Sam’s answer. 

“The elevator, the metal thing, downstairs,” Sam explained.

“What, you didn’t hear that giant thud?” Corey asked Jake and Caspian bit his lip. Usually, in these situations, it was just him and Knox, and he’d calmly and quietly go check what it was. Caspian was like that, self-less. “When you were asleep we heard the elevator door, like.” Corey cut himself off, unable to explain the sound.

“Let’s go,” Colby suggested and moved in front of Caspian to walk. Instantly, Caspian moved back ahead of him, telling himself that if there was an intruder in the apartment, he’d step between them and his new friends.

“What if someones here?” Sam desperately wondered, and Caspian shot him a gentle, soothing look. Sam couldn’t explain why, but he trusted Caspian entirely, even though they’d only met hours before. They hurried down the stairwell.

“The door’s open!” Corey gasped in shock as Caspian moved to it.

“Was that us?” Colby asked. Caspian shrugged.

“Wasn’t that closed?” Corey stammered.

“I thought we closed it!” Sam exclaimed. “We would’ve closed it, right?”

“I dunno, I mean, we didn’t check the footage, I’m not sure,” Colby replied as Caspian moved to inspect the door, gently moving it back and forth.

“No, no, no, we had to slam it closed!” Corey reminded them, as Caspian moved to the doorway of the elevator. He grasped the metal fencing and pulled it closed, and then opened it again.

“It sounded like that,” he observed, doing the motion again so Sam could hear it.

“It did!” Sam exclaimed, and Caspian could hear the panic in his voice. “It sounded like a deep thud, bro. Holy fuck.”

“Wait someone could be in here,” Colby pointed out and began moving to another room. Caspian was alert instantly, balling one hand into a fist and moving silently to check nearby rooms for intruders. His training was kicking in. “What else could it be?” Colby wondered as they searched.

Sam began quickly recapping to the camera what was going on as the others inspected the elevator. Caspian, however, moved from room to room with a quick walk, teeth gritted in concentration.

As the others tried to find an explanation for the sound, Caspian noticed how Colby was shaking from the adrenaline and fear. He quickly made his way to the other and switched how he was holding the camera to embrace him in a one armed hug. 

Colby sank into him instantly, trembling as he did and breathing in and out shakily. Just as the group was beginning to calm down again, another thud rang through the apartment, and something that sounded like the piano.

Caspian instantly darted to the stairs, gripping his camera so tight it turned his knuckles white. Colby raced behind him, but Sam overtook him.

“Yo, is somebody pranking us right now,” Colby wondered, desperate for an explanation as they reached the piano. Caspian gave Sam a half-hug like he had done to Colby upon seeing the blonde trembling too.

“Someone’s in here,” Jake spluttered, and Caspian wrapped a comforting arm around him too. They all felt oddly comforted by Caspian’s comfort, as he was the calmest of them all.

“That’d be illegal, if someone is screwing with us that's one hundred percent illegal,” Sam reasoned and Caspian stiffened at the mention of illegalism. Oh how he wished he had Knox with him. His dog made this stuff so much easier. “Check every room, check every room. No matter what, cause there is someone screwing with us right now.”

Caspian began swiftly checking the rooms again, but internally he knew that there was no way it was another person. He moved around to check over and over, only rejoining the group when he heard Sam cry out in panic.

“Dude, did you hear that?!” He sounded genuinely panicked, and Caspian moved to stand beside him. 

“What?” Jake asked.

“There were like, three cracks,” Sam explained. Colby muttered something. “Yeah, I’m freakin’ out, dude!” 

“But are you sure that was the piano, cause like,” Colby began, resting his hands on top of the piano. Caspian turned to Sam, before quickly striding to Jake upon seeing him in distress. He began rubbing a hand up and down Jake’s back soothingly.

“Yeah, it was, I’m pretty sure the camera even caught it,” Sam responded. “It was like a high-pitched sound.”

“I don’t feel good,” Jake whispered and Caspian nodded. The other boy turned to face him more and Caspian understood, wrapping him up in a much-needed hug.

“Okay,” Colby began, glancing to Jake over and over. “Maybe we take this time to be quiet and like, to see if anything else happens.”

“Dude, we heard something downstairs and up here, I swear to God,” Sam spluttered. 

“If we heard things on both floors,” Caspian began and the others all turned to him. “How did we hear both? We were standing by the stairwell on both occasions so no one could have snuck past.”

“I’m just saying,” Sam muttered. “What would that be? What is happening right now?!” Caspian let Jake out of the hug as he went to sit down. “Dude, how long has this been going on? My camera right now says 5 minutes and 16 seconds. It is 3:05 right now.”

“So we heard the noise right at 3,” Corey exclaimed, beginning to pace the room as Caspian watched calmly. Or at least, he appeared calm. Internally, he was panicked, wishing he had Knox beside him. Knox was his dog, his buddy, his ghost-hunting companion, and investigating without him felt unnatural.

“That’s fucking givin’ me chills,” Sam panted out as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Right before we were about to do our sèance, cause three am is the witch's hour,” Colby began, his eyes wide as he hugged himself. Caspian nodded confirmation, thinking about his Aunts as he did.

“We were gonna do the sèance right now, why did that happen right now?” Sam explained.

“So the first noise we heard was at three?” Colby confirmed and Sam agreed. “Dude I’m fucking shaking.” He moved to stand next to Caspian’s chair, who reached up to pat his back gently. “But I don’t know if I heard it again, that’s what's freaking me out.” He shot a forced, thankful smile to Caspian, who stood back up and gave him a hug quickly.

“I didn’t hear a piano, I heard was what I thought was like a fence,” Corey explained and Colby agreed. Sam began moving stuff around to try and identify the sound as Colby moved closer to Caspian and the boy’s safe aura.

“I didn’t hear the first sound but the second sound was the fucking piano,” Jake stated. As they were talking, the light on the wall suddenly intensified and Caspian flinched abruptly, spinning to see the previously turned-off TV on.

“No cuts, that's the remote,” Sam began, pointing at the remote on the desk, far away from all five boys. “We turned it off when we went downstairs, how did that just happen?”

“Are the workers fucking with us?” Corey exclaimed and Caspian moved to give him a hug. At first the boy flinched away, and then he relaxed into it, embracing the comfort. Apparently hugs were really soothing during strange paranormal times.

“It has to be, it has to be,” Sam agreed, trying desperately to find an explanation, any explanation. Caspian stood straight up when he heard something creak, and lunged away from Corey and towards the sound.

“Did you just hear that?” Corey asked and the others turned to him. “That sounds like a door opening, like a creeeeaaak. Caspian immediately headed down the hallway the sound had come from, and the others quickly followed. 

“Guys we can’t just follow every sound we hear,” Jake protested, and Caspian nodded. “Wherever we hear a noise, we’re not gonna find anything out from investigating, so we should just fucking chill.”

“I think we should do the sèance,” Caspian spoke up and they turned to him. “This place is clearly trying to tell us something, with the creaks and the weird energy.”

“What weird energy?” Colby asked and the honey-eyed boy tilted his head.

“Do you not feel it?” Caspian asked, his voice like silk. “The air feels thick.” 

The others shook their heads.

“I agree we should do the sèance now,” Sam insisted, changing the subject. 

Corey shook his head. “Fuck that.”

“I’m just saying, honest to God, we came here to find out if something was haunted and something is happening right now, like, wouldn’t this be the best time?” Sam explained and Caspian nodded, switching the camera to the other hand as he did. He began playing with his bracelet absent-mindedly, reminding himself of the protection it provided.

“If something’s fucking with us, we may as well try to fucking communicate with it,” Jake added and both Sam and Caspian nodded. “I don’t think we're gonna get physically hurt at all.” Caspian’s hand instantly moved to brush his arm instinctively.

“I dunno if I wanna do that, man,” Colby explained, rubbing his face with his hands.

“At three am?” Corey repeated. “Dude, great idea.”

 They moved back to stand next to the piano and both Sam and Caspian placed their cameras on top of the instrument. “Two seconds, before we make a decision, though,” Sam began. “What could that actually have been? Like, tryna debunk that right now. Are we just tired?”

“The TV,” Corey reminded them.

“Yeah, the TV, that just turned on, that I have no idea,” Sam agreed.

“Yeah, but the elevator, because we turned that on before, what if it just was one of those weird-” Colby explained, but Sam intervened.

“Like it was still on or something.”

“Yeah, like it shook or something,” Colby finished, nodding all the while.

“Yeah that could’ve been it,” Sam agreed.

“And the high-pitched noise, I don’t even know if that was the piano, I mean, that could’ve been anything,” Colby explained.

“That was the piano,” Jake insisted. “It was literally key by fucking key.” Corey re-explained what he’d heard before Jake continued. “It’s either a piano, or we’re going fucking crazy. It’s one of those two.”

“And it’s three o’clock in the morning, there's not someone just roaming around in the halls,” Sam reasoned. Caspian shivered as a chill went past his arm.

“Its either the piano went off, or we drank too many fucking chocolate frappés and we’re going crazy,” Jake stated and Caspian snorted lightly, before shivering again.

“I’m just saying, what's our plan of action now, we are not leaving - we made a pact,” Sam decided and Colby intervened.

“So let’s just, be quiet, like seriously, us talking isn’t gonna do anything,” Colby reasoned and Caspian pouted slightly. He wanted to do a sèance.

“It’s gonna be fine,” Jake began. “As long as we have each other’s back and we just chill, I think we’ll be fine.” 

“Oh, what the fuck, dude,” Corey sighed.

“That was too much, man,” Sam agreed.

Caspian shifted his weight from foot to foot before shooting his camera - still placed on top of the table - a grin and a thumbs up. Colby couldn’t help but smile at the childish action.

About a dozen minutes later, the boys had finished conversing on their next step and had set up for the sèance. Caspian was eagerly grinning, as he’d never done a sèance with so many people. Colby sat next to him and found himself seeking comfort from his new friend.

Caspian’s aura was so protective, safe, friendly and childish that all four boys felt pulled to him. He was like a flashlight in a dark room and they all sought that light. He was the calm in the middle of the storm, and he’d already shown his self-lessness time and time again.

Sam glanced to the honey-eyed boy, watching him pull a lighter from his bag, alongside four candles. He was grateful for Caspian and his calmness in their frightened state, and he could see they shared the same trait of wanting to learn more about the paranormal and push themselves. 

Colby basically hadn’t left Caspian’s side all night, courtesy of the strange connection pulling him towards the boy. It was a strange feeling that he didn’t really know how to explain, but everything about Caspian intrigued him. He wanted to learn more about him, understand his emotions, and be by his side.

Jake had been far too jumpy to embrace his usual funny self, but he had a feeling that if he and Caspian could talk outside of haunted buildings, they would connect quickly and easily. Caspian clearly shared some of the childish silliness he did, and he’d been desperate to find someone like that to befriend.

Corey had barely talked with Caspian, but not in an awkward way. He felt as though Caspian slipped so easily into their group that it just made sense. Corey hadn’t ever thought about a fifth member to their strange quartet, but now, it was beginning to feel inevitable.

They began filming quickly, Caspian agreeing that they’d just use Sam’s camera and they’d send him the footage afterwards.

“We promised in our last video that we would do a sèance,” Sam began with a pained smile as Corey lit the third candle. “And we’re gonna do a sèance.”

They all watched Corey attempt to light the candle in silence for a minute, before Colby sucked in a breath and turned to their camera with a sarcastic smile. “Do we wanna do a sèance?” Colby asked. “Not really.”

“Yes!” Caspian said at the same time and Colby chuckled.

“But if anythings gonna happen, it's gonna happen right now,” Sam explained, his voice strained with tiredness.

“So, how do we even start a sèance, like, what is the definition of a sèance?” Colby asked and Caspian impatiently wriggled in his seat.

“So,” Sam began, then reached into his pocket to grab his phone. “Let me read it off, just to make sure I’ve got this right.”

“I know,” Caspian intervened, and Sam froze, pulling his empty hand from his pocket. The others turned to the honey-eyed boy. “A sèance is a meeting of people who try to make contact with the dead, usually assisted by a medium!”

“So it’s very general,” Sam explained. “It’s really any way you want to contact the dead, however there are ways to make it better. One, being in a place where a lot of people have died aka this hotel. A lot of people that believe in the haunted.”

“If you make it seem welcoming, safe and comfortable spirits are more keen to communicate,” Caspian added and Sam nodded.

“And we’re literally in a home-looking hotel room with candles lit, very warm colours everywhere, we’re trying to make this very home-y,” Sam agreed.

“I’m scared bro,” Corey admitted. “I’m sorry bro, I don’t like this.”

“I honestly feel like this is a perfect setting though,” Colby agreed. “I mean, what else do we need?” Caspian bit back the urge to say ‘a medium’ as he played with his bracelet.

“No, I feel like this is some horror movie crap, bro,” Corey intervened, and they all turned to Jake, who was playing with the lighter.

Sam went to say something but before he could, Colby reached out and grabbed the lighter from the other’s hands, turned it off, and threw it across the room. “What if that had turned on when you threw it and you burned this entire place to ashes and dust?” Caspian whispered and they all turned to him with raised eyebrows. “What?” 

“When we did Queen Mary, I think we all agreed that there was some weird, like, level of comfort to it, like we weren’t scared,” Jake remembered and Colby quietly whispered an explanation in Caspian’s ear, who thanked him.

“Yeah, the reason why Queen Mary worked was we all believed, we were all comfortable, and we were all together with an energy, if we can make that happen again,” Sam explained, but was interrupted by Jake.

“That’s freaking me out,” Jake stated, pointing up at the chandelier which had been gently swaying back and forth with the occasional creak.

“Yeah but Queen Mary we didn’t light a bunch of candles and say a bunch of spells to get someone to talk to us,” Corey protested and Caspian stiffened instinctively, prepared for him to talk bad about witches or something. “Queen Mary just happened.” 

“But we asked it politely, so we’ve basically done a sèance before, just a very weird one,” Sam reasoned. Caspian raised his hand gently.

“I’ve done sèances before,” he interjected. “Ever since I was a kid.”

“What the fuck?” Jake asked in confusion and Caspian shrugged.

“My family just did that kind of stuff.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Jake told Corey. “You just have to be here.”

“Yeah like, you have the best paranormal energy so we just really need you to be here,” Sam confirmed, although he glanced at Caspian as he spoke. For some reason, he had a feeling that the ‘best paranormal energy’ of the group had changed.

Jake began explaining he’d heard something and Corey agreed, but Caspian was barely listening. His mind had zoned out as he stared at the corner, unable to reconnect. After a minute, he felt Sam shift to begin the sèance and instantly fell back into his body - or at least that's what it felt like. 

“We must say these words together,” Sam explained. “‘Our beloved blank’, so whoever’s spirit so Black Dahlia, anything we want to contact, ‘we bring you gifts from life, into death. Commune with us, and move along.’”

“What?” Corey gasped. “What do you mean ‘we give you gifts from life to death’?”

“We’re giving them a way to communicate by using our life energy from the dead,” Caspian explained.

“I’d like to say is there ‘someone’ here, like, let’s not call them spirits,” Jake offered. “Last time I think that's how we got to have Queen Mary, as we treated it just like another person.”

Caspian agreed hastily, as he’d been about to say the same thing.

“What if we say all together ‘if there’s anybody out here right now we invite you to use your energy and show yourself’ or something” Colby offered.

“To speak through us?” Sam asked and Colby nodded. “Okay, let’s do it. You guys ready?”

“I mean, I’ll sit here,” Corey agreed.

They all reached out and joined hands. 

“So together, what are we gonna say?” Sam asked.

“‘If there's somebody or there's someone here-” Colby began, but Corey interrupted upon hearing something again. Caspian felt himself zone out, but zone back in moments later. He shuddered at the strange feeling.

“If there’s someone here,” Jake, Sam, Colby and Caspian said altogether, all of their eyes closed as Corey patiently waited. “Please use our energy, to communicate with us.”

“Guys, its shaking,” Corey said, pointing up at the chandelier. Caspian looked up and spotted what the other was seeing. “Look! It’s shaking.”

“Should I grab the camera so it can see it?” Sam questioned, eyes fixated on the lamp. Caspian shivered as his eyes remained fixated on the chandelier, his ears tuning out the others’ conversation. He saw Sam get up and move the camera out of the corner of his eye, but couldn’t move his attention from the light.

Colby tapped Caspian gently, pulling him from his daze with a concerned look. Caspian shook his head when Colby went to ask. 

The boys rejoined their hands again after conversing quickly.

“Alright, close eyes,” Sam began and they all did. “Three, two, one.”

“If you are here,” all five boys began speaking in sync, and Caspian let his eyelids relax from their squeezed shut position. “Use our energy to make a sound or sign.”

Caspian breathed in and out deeply, eyes still closed before he felt something. Something in his mind, as though he could see something even though all he saw was black. He lifted his head and opened his eyes nonchalantly, his gaze connecting with Jake’s.

At the same time, both boys jerked back abruptly, and then all four candles flickered out.

“What the fuck?!” Colby exclaimed as they all pushed their chairs away from the table in a hurried panic, moving away so quickly that the camera fell. Or at least, that's what they thought the reason was.

Corey began quickly trying to leave whilst Sam protested, but all Caspian could do was stare at the candles. As the four began to argue, Caspian slowly shuffled closer to the candles, inspecting the wicks and the tiny, remaining flickering light on each. He licked his fingers and moved to snuff the candle, only for it to go out before he could even touch it. The honey-eyed boy flinched back in confusion, before moving to the next, and then the next, and then the next, but everytime he got close to snuffing the candles, they blew out.

Colby grabbed the camera as Corey continuously tried to get them to leave, all while Sam tried to debunk the situation. They hurriedly ended the sèance and the four boys moved to the living room, not even noticing Caspian who’d begun collecting the candles.

As the others moved around the hotel room and turned on all the lights, Caspian gathered his stuff. They chilled in the main living room altogether for an hour before Caspian stood up, all eyes turning to him.

“I have to go, Roslin and I need to be back by midday,” Caspian told them with a regretful smile. The boys gasped and Colby lunged to his feet, wrapping the honey-eyed boy up in a hug. The other three boys joined in almost immediately.

“Here’s my phone number,” Colby told him, handing a small, ripped piece of paper with a phone number scribbled on it. “Call me. I’ll give you the others later.”

Caspian nodded. “I’ll miss you guys.”

“Aww,” Corey cooed. “We’ll miss you too!”

“Yeah, we should collab again,” Sam insisted and all five boys nodded eagerly.

“Oh definitely,” Caspian agreed.

The group all bid their farewells and promised to collab again and talk later, before Caspian left with a sad smile. He made his way down the hallway to his room with Roslin, opening it with a sigh. Roslin looked up at him from his place on the edge of the bed.

“How’d it go?” The fiery-haired boy asked cheerfully, placing his phone down. Caspian groaned in response and slumped down against the wall. “That chaotic?” Caspian hummed in agreement. “Starbucks?”

“Fuck yeah, I need an iced coffee.”

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽⋆⋅☆⋅⋆☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

A/N: I seriously hoped you all enjoyed that because it took me days and I need just, pure espresso at this point.

I do requests, so please send those!

Love y'all!!!

Edit: its tmrw (the day after i posted this) and i got my iced coffee!!!! 🥳🥳🥳

#sam and colby #sam and colby oc #sam golbach #colby brock #colby brock x oc #colby brock x male! oc #caspian killian #lookatmetaggingmyownocs #millenium biltmore hotel #jake webber #corey scherer #jake and corey #xplr #xplr gang #ghosts #paranormal #iced coffee #espresso #sleep #ghost hunters club #ka’ra writes ❤️

[lunapriestess]

The Moonlight || Killian Jones x fem!reader

Chapter One: “That’s The Jolly Roger”

Also on Wattpad

After finding yourself in Storybrooke seeking a new adventure, your life gets flipped upside down after you find out that your new-found visions are more powerful than you could imagine. All you know is that an adventure in the moonlight is coming and for whatever reason, Killian Jones was at the heart of it.

A/N: Hi friends. I haven’t written fanfiction in about 10 years but here I am, obsessed with OUAT and Killian Jones. Please let me know if you like it. Trying to get myself back into writing

The cold sea air hit my face as I walked along the beach, watching the sunset over the gentle waves. God, it always looked so beautiful out there. My only complaint, the street light pollution kept the stars from shining their brightest. I’d only been in Storybrooke a few months, and the quaint little town still held so many surprises for me- things here weren’t like your average town in Maine. In the distance, I spotted my favourite seating place, a wooden mossy log worn down by the high tide. Sometimes, the high tide made sitting out here impossible, and I would have to take my walk up to the forest and skip the sand altogether, but not tonight; tonight, I managed to get my log, the moon above my head, and the sand beneath my feet. 

As I approached the log, I brushed off a few stray insects and crabs that had made the log their temporary home while waiting for the water to return to wash them away. Not tonight. Tonight it is just me, my log, and my notepad. I placed my backpack on the ground with a thud and retrieved the worn leather that was binding together the pages of my sketchbook. With nimble fingers, I flicked to a blank page that was just calling to be filled with another ocean sketch. There's something about blank pages that fill me with hope, the possibility of writing any story, creating any image, or bringing to life any possibility you desire. However, just for tonight, the object of my desire was the ocean. The waves lapping against the shore is the soundtrack to the pencil now sketching out outlines on the blank page of hope and tranquillity. I let myself get carried away in the sounds, the smells, and the sight of the ocean. I can feel it coming on, a vision. I found myself lost in my movements for what felt like seconds, but the dim moonlight, instead of peaceful dusk, told a different story. I return to my senses and look down at the art I have created.

Odd? A ship? I look back up at the water in front of me, but there is no ship to be seen. There's been no ship in this port since I arrived here. Strange. This ship looked breathtaking under the pencilled moonlight, almost like she commanded the wind beneath her sails. I know that my art sometimes tells stories; it’s always been a gift of mine, a future in graphite and pen ink that's due to be reality. Maybe a ship is due into port? I’ll be sure to ask Emma when I see her in the morning. 

Storm clouds crash above my head as a drop of water hits my page, almost bringing the shaded water into reality on the drawing. I knew it was my sign to get moving; as much as I hated to leave such a beautiful sight, not only did I have a job to get to in the morning, but I also had to finish up getting things ready for the fundraiser we have going on at Grannies next week. The sea is beautiful, but my commitment to fixing the school roof is more pressing. Placing everything neatly back into my backpack, I got to my feet and thanked the little insects for letting me borrow their log before turning on my heels and heading back home.

Walking home takes no more than five minutes on a clear night, but on a night like tonight, it would easily take another ten on top of that. The rain slows this little town down to a halt quite quickly. Taking myself past the port, I walk up the main high street. My path would take me past all of the main tourist spots if we were ever to get tourists in Storybrooke. Granny's Diner sat in darkness; I turned to look up at the clock tower. At this time of night, I’m not shocked. I should ask Emma if she wants to get breakfast tomorrow before work. I take a right at Mr Gold’s Pawn Shop, his light is still on in the window, and I’m not shocked. I don’t think Rumple sleeps, ever. At this point, I’m happy for the streetlights that grace our roads; between the rain and the wind, I wouldn’t be able to see anything without them. A few more moments pass, and I’m finally approaching Emma’s house. She doesn’t have Henry this weekend, so I’m not surprised to see the living room light still on as I put my key into the lock and let myself in.

“Jeez, (y/n). You’re soaked!” Emma looks at me with concern, and I let out a little laugh. 

“Trust me for forgetting my umbrella again”, I laughed as I took off my raincoat and placed it on the hook next to me.

“Were you out by the water again?” She asked, a smile on her face as she poured me a whisky, handing it to me. “This should warm you up a little”. I thanked her as I took a sip, the warm liquid encasing my throat and heating me from the inside out. 

“Yeah, I was out sketching again”, I answered her after savouring the sweet warmth for a moment. “I wanted to ask you about something,” I say as I reach into my backpack to retrieve the picture I drew earlier that evening.

“Another one of your strange drawing vision thingies?” Emma questioned as she made her way over to look at the artwork I captured at the harbour's edge. I flicked to the slightly damp page and entered the kitchen to place it on the countertop. Emma studied it for a second while I explained.

“One minute I was drawing the sunset, and then the next thing I know, it’s dark, and this image is on my page” Truth be told, I’m used to losing time to these ‘strange vision thingies’ so drawing a sunset and ending up with a full moon is not as scary as it sounds. 

The visions started when I first arrived in Storybrooke a few months ago. I’d been travelling the world, capturing beautiful images on paper from London to Tokyo, but I was searching for a new adventure and a new town to explore. Word gets around my small community of thrill seekers, and a friend of a friend had told me all about this cute little town in Maine that harbours the best stories and adventures. It’s like it was all one giant storybook; the name was just ironic. I was warned, though, not everyone that seeks Storybrooke can find it. If Storybrooke needs you, it will find you. So I took off, and I never looked back. When my visions started, I felt crazy, but I quickly discovered that I was one of the more normal people in town. My housemate was a saviour, the mayor was an ‘evil’ queen, and the shrink was a cricket. My visions had nothing on that.

Emma’s silence confused me; she knew more about this town than most, so seeing her study this paper was concerning. “Any ideas?” I asked with a hushed tone. She greeted my question with a nod before explaining.

“That’s the Jolly Roger,” She said, her voice flat. “Which means Killian Jones is coming into town.” Her hand reached into her pocket to pull out her phone, and she looked at the time. “Snow and David are going to kill me if I wake up Neal”, she growled before hitting the dial button. I stood there in shock. The ship looked so kind and warm under the moon. What was with the hostile reception?

“I’m assuming that’s not a good thing?” I mumble as I turn to watch Emma pace the living room back and forth on the phone to both of the Charmings; I can hear the faint cry of Neal in the background. Snow will not be happy, but forgiving is in her nature. I hear the affirmative ‘mhm’ and ‘yup’s’ leaving Emma’s mouth before she hung up. 

“Snow is letting Regina know, and I’ve got the night shift Deputy on patrol near the docs in case it happens in the night.” Emma jumped straight into saviour mode before stopping to look at me. “Do you have any idea when your visions happen? Like a time frame? Anything?” I shrugged. I’d never thought about it or even tried to develop my visions; all I knew was that they always came true. 

“No, sorry, they never come with a time or a date.” I apologise, looking at her with my half-dry hair still dripping onto the floor. “I better go dry off. Are we good for the night?” I ask as I pick up my sketch pad and walk towards the stairs. 

“Yeah, we’re good. Let me know if you get more of that vision or if anything happens overnight” Emma smiled as she took her seat on the sofa again. We said our goodnights and I walked myself up to my room, shutting the door quietly behind me.

#ouat #ouat fanfiction #once upon a time #killian jones #emma swan #killian jones x reader #snow white #henry mills #regina mills #jolly roger #captain hook #captain swan #swan queen #i'm just out here having fun tbh

[thegladelf]

An Open Heart is An Open Wound 13/?

Guess who's back! *nervous laugh emoji*

I know it's been a while. Life got busy and writing got hard, but uh, we've gone down another Captain Swan rabbit hole and that led to old fanfic and that led to me realizing that I still had at least a couple of chapters outlined. So I dunno if I have it in me to finish this fic, but I'm going to get y'all as far as I can. I've forgotten a lot of what I originally had planned, but luckily I have notes for some of it and the show for the rest. There's at least one more chapter coming after this and I know it's going to make a lot of people happy. (No beta to credit this time, we die like Liam Jones now)

Last Chapter | From Beginning | AO3

Summary: Killian was sent to our world to find a cursed town called Storybrooke, but his quest was derailed when he met Emma Swan. Drawn together by a past that is more similar than either of them realize. For a time, they were family. Then things changed and Killian left to complete his mission. Now, ten years later, Emma has come to Storybrooke and it’s Killian must decide whether he should pick up the pieces. (Alternate universe retelling of Season One.)

Word count: 10.8k

# # #

“Whatcha reading?”

“The Hulk versus Wolverine.”

Killian didn’t recognize the first voice at the end of the aisle, but the second was one he knew well. Not wanting to startle the lad, he ceased his perusal of the baking goods—he knows there are ready made breakfast foods, but he prefers making things from scratch and free of all those words he doesn’t know—peering over the shelf tops to find his son holding up a colorfully illustrated book for the inspection of a girl not too much older. She stood a bit taller than Henry, her hair cascading over her shoulders in golden waves. Her clothes echoed his school uniform, which made sense he supposed, as there was only one school that he knew of in this town and it got out a few minutes ago.

“I’m Ava,” the girl supplied.

As she spoke, someone brushed past Killian drawing his attention. Another child in a school uniform, this one a dark-haired boy with his arms full of toiletries. He strode casually past, seemingly unaware of Killian's presence. Killian noted the care in his step, his suspicion confirmed as the lad crouched down at the end of the aisle, quietly reaching for Henry’s backpack on the floor.

“I think I’ve seen you around school,” Ava continued as her accomplice slipped his items inside Henry’s backpack. “You’re in Miss Blanchard’s class, right?”

The second lad stood quickly, stepping forward. “Almost ready, Ava?”

A flicker of unease flashed across Ava’s face as she acknowledged the new boy. “This is my brother, Nicholas.”

Indecision stayed Killian’s hand for only a moment. He and Emma had used similar tactics on more than one occasion, and from the look of these children, they needed the items. But they were involving Henry in their actions and that he couldn’t let slide, no matter that he had been in their position on many occasions. Hadn’t he often nicked things while good, polished Liam distracted the cart owners?

“Hi,” Nicholas said, touching his sister’s arm. “Come on – let’s go.”

The girl smiled at Henry. “You want to come hang out?”

Henry’s bright reply stabbed at Killian’s emotions as he stepped forward, but the shop’s proprietor was eyeing the threesome with narrowed eyes—though that might just be the continual cold the balding man seemed to suffer from.

“Hold up just a minute there, mate,” Killian said, resting his hand on Henry’s shoulders. With his hook, he caught one of the many loops on Henry’s rucksack, sliding the zipper open to reveal the stolen goods. “I don’t think you want to be going anywhere with these two until they’ve returned these things.”

Ava stared up at Killian, like a rat caught in a trap, her fists balled at her sides. The boy — already halfway to the door — bolted the rest of the distance. His sneakers skidded against the tile floor as nasally challenged Clark slapped his hand over the door.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he demanded of Nicholas. He sneezed and dabbed at his nose with a crumpled handkerchief. “Don’t think I didn’t see you rob me.”

Henry’s lip trembled as he looked at the pair of siblings and despite Killian’s common experience with these waifs, he felt the flare of anger at how they had taken advantage of such a good heart as Henry’s.

“That’s why you were talking to me,” his son accused. “So your brother could put that stuff in there.”

Ava bowed her head, at least having the decency to be ashamed. Her brother glared at Clark, but remained silent.

Clark grabbed the boy by his arm, roughly pushing his toward the counter and his register. “I don’t know who you two think you are—don’t you go anywhere missy, you come right over here with your brother.”

He glared until she obeyed, though it wasn’t surprising, she didn’t seem keen to leave her brother. A trait she shared with Liam, he truly hadn’t known when to let Killian go either.

Clark grabbed a phone just to the side of the register. “I’m calling your parents—all of your parents,” he said, with a look at Henry. “And then I’m calling the sheriff.”

“Surely that’s not necessary,” Killian said. “It’s toilet paper and food stuffs. Certainly you can let it slide so long as the children put it back and promise not to engage in such activities again.”

“Certainly I will not,” Clark shot back. “I won’t stand for thieves in my store.” He schlumped around the counter, yanking the bag from Killian’s grasp. He threw it on the counter with a thunk. Carefully, he unpacked the bag, sneering at Henry’s school books as he called Emma and then attempted to call the children’s parents. From Killian’s side of the conversation, the former appeared more fruitful than the latter. The man tried to dismiss Killian, but as he showed no sign of releasing Henry as well Killian opted to stay.

Besides, he recognized the look in the children’s eyes. They might need a champion to plead their case.

Emma and Regina must have both been in their offices, for they arrived at nearly the same time. Regina’s black sedan whipping into a spot behind the curb, she was up and out of the vehicle, slamming the door behind her, as Emma’s cruiser pulled into the space behind her. Killian bit back a smile at the sight of her rolling her eyes as Regina stormed through the door.

“What’s all this about?” the mayor demanded.

The clerk pulled himself up to his full height, which was still several inches shorter than the mayor. “Well, I’m sorry, Madam Mayor, but your son was shoplifting.”

“That’s a lie,” Killian said. “I saw the whole thing myself. Henry had no idea.”

“See?” Regina said. She grabbed the olive bag, zipping it closed with finality. “We’re going.”

Emma breezed through the door in time to halt Regina’s progress out of the shop. She paused, her eyes sliding over the scene, taking in each person. Her jacket rode up on her shoulders as she propped her hands on her hips, finally zeroing in on their son.

“Henry.” She sounded surprised. “What happened?”

Regina sighed. “Miss Swan, must I remind you that genetics mean nothing.” She spoke forcefully, her arm curling around Henry’s shoulders and drawing him closer. “You’re not his mother and it’s all taken care of.”

Her words made Killian’s blood boil, but Emma didn’t even flinch. Her calm demeanor reminded him of their bargain. Though he wanted to, giving Regina the dressing down she deserved would only strain things between the two and they had Henry to think of. For his sake, there needed to be peace between his mother’s.

“I’m here because I’m the Sheriff,” Emma said, with a sarcastic tilt of her head.

“Oh, that’s right.” Sounding disappointed rather than humbled, Regina stepped back, nodding at the boy and girl. “Go on, do your job. Take care of those miscreants.”

Emma sighed, but said nothing else to Regina as she and Henry left to the chiming of the bell. Ava and Nicholas eyed Emma’s badge warily. Killian found he wanted to comfort them, offer some assurances that Emma would set things right. He kept silent though, it was not his place to make promises for her.

“Did you call their parents?” she asked Clark, fiddling with her keys.

“Uh, the number they gave me was disconnected,” Clark said. With an exasperated huff, he circled back around the counter and started packing the items into a little, blue shopping basket. Though he kept his head down, the tilt of his head made it clear he followed every word of the interrogation.

“Did you guys give Mr. Clark a fake number?”

The children shook their heads.

“Then why’s it disconnected?”

The boy hung his head and tears sprung into the girl’s eyes.

“Cause our parents couldn’t pay the bill,” Ava said, soft and broken.

Emma picked up the nearest item, a tube of toothpaste. She gave the small box far more scrutiny than it deserved. Remembering her own childhood, no doubt.

Emma met his gaze when she looked up, but focused on the children once again. “And you guys are just trying to help out, huh?”

“Please,” Ava whispered. “Please don’t arrest us. It will just make things worse for our parents.”

Clark sighed, setting the basket down on the counter with a thud. He leveled a disapproving glare at Emma.

“The items never left the store, Mr. Clark,” Emma said. “I think you can let it go this once.”

“And what about the next time?” the man asked in his nasal whine.

Killian shook his head. Henry hadn’t found the time to acquaint him with every character in the book—though he suspected that the lad had at last figured out who Mr. Gold was—but they had found a few stolen moments here and there for Henry to acquaint Killian with the people most pivotal with his grandparents' story. He couldn’t imagine anyone putting up with Clark for very long, let alone as long as Snow White and the other dwarves had.

“There won’t be a next time,” Emma said, fixing a stern look on the cowed children.

“And you’ll be compensated for the items,” Killian put in. He fished his wallet out of his jacket pocket, laying out the money that would have paid for the few items he needed. He could manage one more morning of only citrus for breakfast and come back tomorrow. “Ring them up.”

“Hook…” Emma said.

“No, I insist.” He smiled at the children. “I’ve been there a time or two myself. Their intentions are good, even if their methods are suspect.”

Emma smiled at that. “Can’t argue with that.”

“Fine,” Clark said and then sneezed.

The children glanced at each other, their mouths hanging open.

“Thank you, Mister,” Ava finally said. “We promise it won’t happen again.”

With a smile, Killian wondered if she meant they wouldn’t steal again or simply that they wouldn’t get caught.

# # #

“I could’ve taken care of all that,” Emma said as she watched Ava and Nicholas trot merrily up to her squad car.

Killian shrugged, letting the door swing closed behind him and cut out the jingling bell above it.

“My brother and I were very much like them, once upon a time. Though we didn’t have parents to go home to.” He grimaced, closing his eyes like he wanted to shut out a particularly painful memory. It was one of the most concrete details he had ever shared with her about his past. With a scratch behind his ear, he continued, “The kindness of a stranger could have changed both of our lives.”

Emma pressed her lips together. “Yeah, too bad there aren’t more strangers like you out there.”

He snorted. “That’s probably a good thing, Swan.” He threw a flourishing gesture toward the kids leaning against the car. “Would you like some help transporting them back home?”

“I’ll add that one to the list,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“What list?” Killian asked, brow furrowing.

“The list of people you think I can’t handle,” she replied, sticking her hands in her back pockets. Her eyes strayed down the street, eyeing the pawnbroker’s sign swaying in the wind. “Should I put preteens before or after middle-aged men who use a cane?”

Killian tensed. “That is hardly something to joke about.”

“Lighten up, Hook. I know you don’t like the guy, but I think I could take him in a fight.”

Killian grunted, staring so hard at the kids she thought he might burn a hole through Nicholas’ head.

“Hey,” she said. “I don’t like him either. And I don’t plan on looking for trouble. Though if he keeps showing up at work…”

“What?” Killian snapped, tearing his gaze from the children. “When?”

Emma held her hands up, more to tell him to chill out than to push him away. “Whoa. He was there the day after the election is all. Wanted to give me Graham’s jacket.”

“And you’re just mentioning this now?” he demanded. “What did he do? Did he threaten you?”

“Stop it,” she said, aware of the two kids watching not far away. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him a little further down the street, turning him so those flashing blue eyes wouldn’t get the kids all worried. She sighed. “He wanted to congratulate me or whatever. Apparently, my standing up to him was all part of some master plan to get me elected.”

She suppressed a shudder, remembering the silent way Gold appeared at her office door two weeks ago. She hadn’t even known he was there until he spoke and nearly scared her out of her skin.

“Emma,” Killian pleaded, “I need to know things like this.”

“No,” she snapped. “You don’t. Look, your problems with Gold are not my problems with Gold. I don’t know what happened between you two, but until you care to tell me what he did that was so awful, I’m going to handle him based on my own experience. Got it?”

Killian pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed, but he didn’t say anything.

“I’ll see you around,” she said, pushing past him.

The kids slid inside the car as soon as she popped the locks, setting the white plastic bag with the groceries Killian had purchased between them. Ava rattled off an address with a speed that stoked the burning suspicion already coiling in her gut.

Emma expected yellowed, peeling paint and maybe a boarded up window, but the house she ended up at was a calming blue and looked well maintained. The yard neatly cut and the steps leading up to the door swept clean. It was in better shaped than Ava in her ratty sweater and Nicholas with his shaggy haircut.

“This it?” she asked, throwing the gear into park. At the kids nod, she unhooked her seatbelt.

“Please, no,” Ava said, sinking into the backseat. Her fingers tightened around the belt buckle. “If our parents see you, they’ll be so embarrassed.”

Emma twisted, her jacket squeaking against the leather seat as she faced the kids fully. “Did Henry tell you about my superpower?”

Ava shook her head. “We just met him.”

“I have the ability to tell when anyone is lying.” Emma softened her voice, trying not to sound too harsh as she met first Nicholas and then Eva’s eyes. “Tell me the truth, money problems aside, is everything okay at home?”

They both nodded too vigorously.

“Yeah, we’re great,” Ava answered, but her words sounded hollow. Rehearsed. “Can we go?”

Emma contemplated calling them out, but thought better of it. Something was off for sure, but she needed to know more before she could decide what to do. “Alright.” She inclined her head toward the door.

Both of them flashed her relieved smiles as they piled out of the car, the bags in their hands. The sun caught Ava’s messy waves as they bounced against her back. The girl turned and waved to Emma from the top step, her smile bright and very, very fake. With a nod, Emma shifted the car into drive and pulled away from the curb. The kids watched her in the rearview mirror, so Emma kept going until she rounded the corner of the street and couldn’t see them anymore.

She parked against the curb and jumped out. Brittle, winter grass crunched under her boots as she crept through a yard, peeking around a bush just in time to see the kids disappear around the side of the house. Emma took off after them, careful to stay just far enough behind that they wouldn’t catch her lurking.

The pelted across a deserted street, leading her through an overgrown yard and past useless, rusting trucks. Finally, Nicholas tossed the bags to Ava and used a trash can to scramble over a fence. The girl did the same. Emma almost went after them, but decided against it, noting instead the dilapidated, white house that appeared to be their true home.

She circled around. The house was old and obviously abandoned. She wondered why it hadn’t been listed in the paper all those weeks back when she had been looking for a home. She probably could have afforded this one too, she thought and immediately scoffed at the idea. Emma Swan was not the type to own a house. Renting worked just fine for her, thank you very much.

Every window on this house was boarded up, but the front door had a simple lock. Biting back a smile, Emma knelt, making quick work of the lock. Dust littered the air when she entered and she suppressed a sneeze. Light filtered in through the old boards, landing on a trap door that led into the basement and the floor creaked loud enough to provide sound effects for the movie Twister. Emma paused, stepping down on the board that protested so loudly, making groan again.

That should do it, she thought.

Quickly, she ducked down a hallway and waited to see who would be the first up from the basement.

Before long, Ava and Nicholas came tiptoeing through the house, Nicholas holding on tightly to his sister’s hand. They missed Emma in her little corner, peering instead into the kitchen.

“Why’d you guys lie to me?” Emma asked, stepping out of the shadows. “Where are your parents?”

The kids spun toward her, eyes wide. Nicholas pressed his mouth shut tight, but Ava lifted her head, a hint of a challenge in her posture as she said, “We don’t have any.”

She knew she had recognized the look in their eyes. Now the questions was, what could she do about it?

# # #

After she escorted them down into the basement—which was in even worse shape than upstairs, despite the furniture crowded together in an attempt to create a home—Emma had the kids gather up all their things and marched them back down the road to her squad car. They went without complaint, both eyeing her warily, but seeming to accept the inevitable.

She knew what she should do. Cases like this were social services business not hers, but every time she looked in the rearview mirror and saw their dejected faces, it reminded her of what would happen to them if she made that call.

“What happened to your parents?” she asked.

“Our mom died a couple of years ago,” Ava, the appointed spokesperson for the pair, said. She fiddled with her hair, wrapping and unwrapping a strand around her finger with frenetic energy. Gone was the calm, cool exterior.

“And your dad?”

Ave just shrugged.

She knew what she should do, but that was exactly what had been done with her, wasn’t it? The people who had handed her from home to home were just doing their jobs. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened, what was it Killian had said about the kindness of strangers? Her life could have been so different if even one person had truly cared about her.

So she decided she would care about these kids. She was going to do her best to make sure they didn't get separated. Maybe she lacked any real idea of what to do exactly, but there had to be something.

“Hey, I need to stop by the station real quick to pick up some stuff,” she said, glancing up at them through the mirror. “But you’re not in trouble, okay? I’m going to take you to my house and get you some real food and then we’ll figure out what to do.”

Ava sighed, groping for her brother’s hand. “Thank you,” she whispered.

They opted to wait in the squad car, so she left the keys in the ignition and hopped inside for a few minutes as she searched through the records for anything related to them or their mom. She found a file, an autopsy report, with the name Ava had given her for their mother, but not much else.

The car was still there when she came back out and only then did it occur to her that they could have stolen it. Emma shook her head. Intentions aside, she needed to be a little more careful with these two.

Twenty minutes later found them back at the loft, a pot full of mac and cheese on the stove as Emma and the kids ate. Both children had tucked into their food with relish, shoveling it into their mouths like it might disappear.

“Hey,” she said, waiting for them both to pause and look up at her. “There’s as much of that as you want. I’ll even make another box if you’re still hungry, just don’t make yourselves sick.”

Nicholas swallowed, nodding. They both continued with a little more patience this time. Ava’s fork scraped the bottom of her bowl just as the apartment door opened and Mary Margaret walked in.

“So I hear that—” Mary Margaret froze, gaping at the two kids now sitting at her kitchen table.

Emma’s chair squealed against the floor as she pushed it back. “Guys, this is my roommate Mary Margaret. I need to talk with her for a minute.” She jerked a thumb back at the kitchen. “I won’t eat more than this, so you can have the rest if you want.”

Both kids jumped to their feet, bowls clutched in their hands.

Mary Margaret couldn’t seem to decide where to look. Finally, she said, “Uh, what did you need to talk about?”

Emma pulled her back into the bedroom, the file weighing heavily against her conscience. She knew how many rules she was breaking.

“They need a place to stay for a couple of nights,” Emma said.

“What? Why?” Mary Margaret hissed. “What happened to their parents?”

Quickly, Emma spilled the details of their little adventure at Clark’s store. Her roommate pressed a hand to her mouth as she listened to Emma’s description of the house they had been living in.

“They’re wearing the uniforms from your school,” Emma finished. “Do you know them?”

“I’ve seen them, but…: She shook her head. “I had no idea. None of us did.”

Emma sighed, a small part of her relieved that Mary Margaret hadn’t been close to these two. She didn’t know what she would have done if her roommate had had suspicions about the kids’ home life and said nothing.

“Ava and Nicholas Zimmer.” Emma opened the autopsy file again, her eyes scanning the documents. She saw no mention of the kids, just like she hadn’t found anything about them the first time she read through it. Mom had apparently passed from some form of cancer. “They said their mother was a woman named Dorrie Zimmer. She died a few years ago.”

Mary Margaret fiddled with one of the buttons on her blouse. “And the father?”

“There isn’t one. At least not one that they know.”

“What does, uh… What does social services say?” Mary Margaret asked. She took a step forward when Emma stayed silent. “You didn’t report them.”

Emma leaned in, lowering her voice even more. “I report them, I can’t help them. They go into the system.”

“The system that’s supposed to help,” her roommate countered.

“Yeah, says the woman who wasn’t in it for sixteen years,” Emma snapped in a hushed voice.

Mary Margaret stepped back, swallowing nervously.

Emma pushed on. “Do you know what happens? They get thrown into homes where they are a meal ticket, nothing more.” She peeked behind her again, glad to see the kids settled with their second bowls of cheesy goodness. She caught Mary Margaret watching too. “These families get paid for these kids and as soon as they’re too much work, they get tossed out and it all starts over again.”

“But they’re not all like that.” Mary Margaret shook her head.

“All the ones I was in.”

Pity filled Mary Margaret’s eyes, but not for the kids, this time she directed it at Emma. “What? We’re just going to adopt them?”

And there was the crux of the matter. There wasn’t room here, neither of them were exactly in the position to take on two kids. Emma had no delusions on that hand, she wasn’t even equipped to handle Henry. And Mary Margaret…well, she’d want kids of her own someday, there was no home for them with her. Maybe a few weeks ago she would have given up and consigned them to the system with a heavy heart, but standing in the kitchen she had remembered her argument with Killian. It took him only a few minutes to accept Henry as his son, only a few minutes to demonstrate just how wrong keeping it from him had been. What if Dorrie Zimmer had made the same mistake all those years ago?

“I want to look for their father,” she said. “They don’t know him. He may not know they exist.”

Mary Margaret’s eyebrows shot up. “And you think if he knows, he’ll want them?”

Emma wanted the answer to be yes. But she wasn’t, she couldn’t. Maybe Killian had proved her wrong—and the jury was still out on that one, because he could up and leave at any time—but she didn’t even know if she had ever met this other guy.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. Emma wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to think of cold hands and clothes that smelled like trash bag. “But what I do know is it’s hard enough finding foster families to take one kid that isn’t theirs, let alone two. It’s their best shot, or—”

A soft gasp burst out behind her. “We’re going to be separated?” Ava stared at them, her face red and tears in her eyes. Her exclamation had drawn her brother’s attention, he paused, spoon halfway to his mouth, eyes going wide.

“No,” Emma said, too quickly to think about what she was saying. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Please…” Ava’s lip trembled. “Please don’t let it.”

“Emma’s going to do her best, sweetie,” Mary Margaret said, with a hard look at Emma. “Now, as good as that dinner looks, I think it’s missing some dessert. Why don’t you help me bake some cookies while Emma tries to figure this out.”

Ava swallowed, but nodded despite tears still in her eyes.

The kids were reserved the rest of the night. Nodding and answering in monosyllables when they could. Despite all of Emma’s patience, they didn’t know any more about their dad than they told her in the squad car.

She let them take her bed, volunteering to sleep on the couch. Mary Margaret offered the other half of her bed, but that felt too…cozy for Emma. Too much like it meant something, like they were best friends who braided each other’s hair and swapped stories about boys. That made Emma feel guilty, because if it weren’t for Henry she would leave Storybrooke behind and never look back.

The kids didn’t have any real pajamas, they just apparently slept in their clothes and changed the next day, so Mary Margaret unearthed a couple of t-shirts and some sweatpants for them to sleep in. They disappeared upstairs with soft good nights after changing into the new clothes and handing over their old uniforms to be thrown in the washer with all their dirty clothes.

That would be a plus, at least, Emma thought as she tried for the third time to get comfortable on the couch. She remembered many, many days wishing she could do more than air her few outfits. Every now and then, she’d save up enough for a corner laundromat, but clean clothes were a luxury when you had to steal to eat.

Emma wanted to do better for them though. Better than a couple of meals and clean clothes and a night in a warm house. She pulled the blanket a little closer. She knew exactly what nights in that old house must have been like.

She would do better for them. They’re birth certificates had to be at city hall. She could start there. Maybe there would be something on their birth certificate or in the hospital records.

Yeah, there had to be something. She smiled. It sounded like something Henry would say.

She drifted off, thinking maybe, just maybe she could be the kind of stranger Killian mentioned earlier that day.

# # #

Ava nearly cried when Mary Margaret handed her a uniform smelling of Downy. Even Nicholas ducked away when he thought they weren’t looking and swiped at his eyes.

It was odd, having two near teenagers to get up and fed and ready for school all of a sudden and she couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to have Henry sitting around the table with them. To be handing him a clean sweater and telling him to hurry up in the bathroom. Both children tried to take their time in the shower, but Mary Margaret hurried them along with promises of letting them shower later that evening until the hot water ran out.

They went to school with her, while Emma headed over to City Hall, ready to brave the musty archives and hoping she might find something — anything — to give these kids a chance.

In a rather stereotypical fashion, the Office of Records was in the basement, tucked away down a practical labyrinth. Emma wandered into three other offices before she finally got directions to the right one.

A huge, oak counter stood between her and the rest of the room. Behind it was set after set of library style filing bins, all of them in the same matching wood. Every flat surface was covered in files and binders and odd papers. A man sat amidst the chaos, his attention on a computer that could probably give life advice to the ones at the sheriff’s station. Half bald, with a beer belly and a rumpled button-down shirt, he was oblivious to Emma’s arrival until she called out.

“Excuse me. Mr…” She examined the nameplate and made her best guess. “Krzyszkowski?”

The man let out a long-suffering sigh. “Yeah, it’s Krzyszkowski.” Pronouncing it like there was a ‘v’ at the end, though, there wasn’t. Emma checked. He stood, weaving around a table to get to the counter. “Everyone calls me K.”

“Mr. K,” she repeated, relieved to have a name she would be less likely to embarrass herself saying. “I am Sheriff Swan. I’m hoping to look at the birth certificates of Ava and Nicholas Zimmer.”

He reminded her a bit of a rat, with his beady, dark eyes. If Emma expected some curiosity or blustering, she would have been disappointed. Krzyszkowski reached for one of the papers behind the counter immediately and pulled up a handful.

“Alright, just, uh, fill out this form.” He slapped the papers onto the wooden surface, killing the small, foolish part of Emma that had hoped for just a moment it would be that easy. He lifted an industrial stamper, big enough to be a serious contender in a game of Clue and stomped it down on all three pages. “In triplicate.”

Emma blinked, surprised that it was that easy, despite her crushed—but unrealistic—hopes. The form only wanted basic information, record keeping for who saw what records she assumed, no signing over your firstborn or requests for certification.

“Okay.” She plucked up the first form. The desk had one of those ball-and-chain pens, the swinging chain causing her handwriting to wobble slightly.

“I’m so sorry,” the man said from his spot halfway across the room. He stood at one of the filing cabinets, his fingers still shoved inside a file holder. “Those documents have been recently removed.”

“By who?” Emma asked.

Somehow she already knew the answer.

“By the mayor,” he replied. He examined the one piece of paper that was in that file. “Just this morning actually.”

Of course.

Of course, Regina dug her fingers into this already. It was so like her, to want to meddle in something that had nothing to do with her whatsoever and step in to do Emma’s job when she was already doing it. Sort of.

“Thanks,” Emma said. “I guess I’ll just go see her about those then.” She left the forms sitting on the counter, one of them only half completed.

How had Regina known who to look for? Had she gotten their names before she left Clark’s shop yesterday? Maybe she’d been so offended that the kids tried to involve Henry she meant to give the parents a piece of her mind, or whatever it was suburban soccer mom types gave when they felt miffed.

Maybe Regina had planned to show up on their doorstep with a basket of apples.

Emma snorted at that, but reeled herself in quickly. Laughing would not get her into Regina’s good graces, and she needed to do that if she planned to help these kids.

The receptionist stopped her as she entered. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No,” Emma said, “but I need to talk with her about the Zimmer case. Tell her that.”

The receptionist stared for a moment, but when Emma didn’t budge, she got up and shuffled into Regina’s office, closing the door firmly behind her. Emma crossed her arms and resisted the urge to tap her foot. The woman returned shortly, the open door she left behind her the only sign that Emma had permission to enter. With a deep breath, she walked into the office, hands stuffed into her back pockets.

Regina shuffled papers on her desk, barely glancing at Emma as she entered. “Don’t worry, Miss Swan. You can relax,” she said, her hand resting on the file Emma needed. “I’ve contacted social services. Turns out these kids are on their own.” She grimaced, as though the thought pained her, though whether that was genuine or an act was hard to tell. “They need help.”

“Which is exactly what I’m trying to do,” Emma said. If they had an equal goal, maybe Regina could be reasoned with. After all, she had no connection to these kids other than their brief contact with Henry.

What did it matter to her what happened to them? “I’m trying to find their father.”

Regina sighed, handing over the file. “Well, he doesn’t exist.”

Emma took the file with a roll of her eyes. “He has to.”

“Well, of course, biologically he exists,” Regina said. “But there’s no record of him.”

Sure enough, where they would have put the father’s name, only the word “Unknown” was written. Disappointment hit Emma solid and low, but she tried not to react. Not in front of Regina.

The other woman fiddled with a pen. “Which means we have no choice.These children need a home, so they will be put into the foster system.”

Any part of Emma that thought Regina’s concern might be genuine vanished at the look of smug satisfaction on Regina’s face. Of course. If Emma was invested in this, Regina wanted to thwart it. And Regina had the law on her side too.

“Storybrooke has a foster system?” Emma waited, already knowing what Regina’s answer would be.

“No, but I’ve contacted the state.” Regina moved around the desk with more ease than anyone wearing a pencil skirt had a right to, speaking in flat, clinical tones. She lifted a pitcher of orange juice — probably hand-squeezed and organic if she was as strict with what she ate as she was with Henry — pouring herself a glass as she explained, “Maine’s group homes, unfortunately, are filled. But they put us in touch with two homes in Boston – a boy’s home and a girl’s.”

The steady thrum of unease that started with the mention of group homes exploded into full-blown dread.

“They’re separating them?” she gasped.

“I don’t like it, either,” Regina said, though her tone was hard to read. “But we’ve got no choice. You need to have them in Boston tonight.”

Emma’s stomach sank to her knees. “Me?”

Regina turned on her, sipping at her glass before speaking. “Well, you wanted to be Sheriff. This is what sheriffs do. Yes, you’re taking them.”

“No,” Emma said with full knowledge that she was being childish. Maybe she couldn’t stop them from being separated, but she would not be the one that delivered them to those homes. She never wanted to be within a mile of another group home for as long as she lived. “I promised them they wouldn’t be separated.”

“Well then, perhaps you should stop making promises you can’t keep.” Regina waited for a moment, her face softening as she approached Emma. “These children need a home. I’m just trying to find the best one.”

“So am I,” Emma retorted.

Regina shrugged. “He left them once. Even if you did find him, that’s not guarantee he’ll want them.” She set her glass down. “I see the appeal of the idea, Miss Swan, really I do. But better a sure home than letting them depend on a man we already know they can’t trust, don’t you think?”

Emma’s grip on the folder tightened. “Fine. I’ll do it. But they get to finish the school day first.”

“A wise decision,” Regina said, smiling coldly. “Best not to make a scene.”

“Madam Mayor.” Emma nodded and headed for the door, the file still clutched in her hand. Her spine crawled. Every step she was sure Regina would call for her to bring the file back, but no such call came. She got out the door and down the stairs and back to the station before she took a full breath, but no one stopped her. No one called her out for a liar.

Not that she had lied. School ran until two, so she had until then to figure something out.

# # #

“Any luck?” Henry walked into Emma’s office and her heart sank.

An odd feeling to associate with Henry. Until now, she hadn’t realized that seeing him usually made her day brighter. His arrival, however, signaled the end of the school day and — since Emma still had no plan — the end of her window to find Ava and Nicholas’ father.

“No,” she said, closing the file she was sifting through. She had all the records from the year Ava and Nicholas were born, searching through for any mention of Dorrie and her possible baby daddy.

Henry dumped his bag and set the storybook down with a thunk, heedless of the mess on Emma’s desk. “I know who they are. They’re brother and sister. Lost. No parents. Hansel and Gretel.”

For just a brief moment, her spirits lifted, until she realized just how ridiculous that was. Henry spoke of fairytale characters and they needed a real life, flesh and blood person. Still, he was trying to help.

“Anything in there about the dad?” she asked, more out of habit than hope.

Henry shook his head. “Just that he abandoned them.”

“Great.” Emma flipped his storybook closed, picking up her last file and heading to stash it back in the filing cabinet. A big bunch of dead ends. That’s all any of this was. “Sounds like a familiar story. Whoever this guy is, he could be in Laos by now.”

Henry followed her into the next room. “No, he’s here.”

Emma scoffed, her natural cynicism apparently untamable today. “Just how do you know that?”

“Cause no one leaves Storybrooke.” He leaned against a desk, tapping his fingers across the dark surface. “No one comes here, no one goes. It’s just the way it is.”

“I came here,” she tossed over her shoulder.

Your dad came here, she almost added, before she remembered she hadn’t told him about Killian yet. That idea made her insides twist. She was okay with Killian knowing about Henry and hanging out with Henry at this point, but every time he even hinted at spilling this secret, ice cold dread seeped into her bones. Sure, Killian was all fatherly and cool with it now, but what happened when he got bored and tired of having a kid hanging around him all the time? Right now, Henry would lose a friend  and nothing more.

“Because you’re special,” Henry said. “You’re the first stranger here. Ever.”

“Right, I forgot.” Emma shrugged it off. He might not remember any strangers coming to Storybrooke, but clearly that wasn’t true. She ran her fingers over the files, wishing she knew them as well as Henry apparently knew his book. The cool metal felt brittle as she slid the drawer closed.

For a brief moment, she wondered if there had ever been someone who felt this way about her. One of her case workers, maybe? Someone determined to help, but with their hands tied by laws meant to “protect” her. She wanted to keep looking, but she was out of time and out of ideas.

Henry came around the desk, hopping up to sit on it like he owned it. “Can you tell me about him?”

“Uh.” Emma blinked. “I haven’t found anything about him.”

“Not their father. Mine.”

He stared up at her with wide-eyed innocence, feet banging against the desk as he waited, completely oblivious to the way Emma’s stomach lurched down to her toes. The silence stretched.

“I told you about your parents,” he added, sensing her hesitation. “And now you’re even living with your mom.”

“Mary Margaret isn’t… She’s… Never mind.” Emma sank into the nearest chair, gathering her thoughts. What did she tell him? How much did she tell him? How did she avoid this subject completely? Killian wouldn’t leave him, a small voice said. But she had been so sure about Killian all those years ago and he left her then. He’d promised never to leave her and then he did.

“Please?” Henry begged.

Emma couldn’t say no.

“I was pretty young.” She sat back, pushing her hair away from her face as she thought. “I’d been dodging social services for a year and…” Emma paused, unsure of how much was too much. Henry already knew about her past, did he really need to know about Killian’s? “To be honest, your dad and I weren’t always on the right side of the law. I met him stealing the beetle.”

Henry’s mouth dropped open. “Really?”

Emma grimaced, maybe she shouldn’t have told him that. “Yeah.”

“Cool.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, well, don’t tell Regina you think that.”

Henry leaned forward. “What happened after that?”

“We were…family for a while after that,” Emma said with a shrug. It was true on her part at least. “And good for each other, I guess.” She watched the way Henry’s face lit up, the way his fingernails dug into the cuffs of his sweater, and she couldn’t tell him the truth. Even if she wanted to—she just couldn’t.

“We got real jobs, tried to put down roots. Mine was at this crappy twenty-four hour diner. And your dad, he got a job at the… docks. Long, hard days, but he’d always come in after work to sit with me until I got off.” She swallowed. That part, at least, was true. There had been a few odd jobs and Killian had hung around a couple of those places while waiting for her shift to end. “He’d order coffee and sit at the counter and complain about how we didn’t have pumpkin pie.”

“Did you get married?”

Emma tried not to blush. “No, we just…” Emma had no idea how much Henry knew about sex. He was nine. Was nine too young? Did it even need to be explained for this story anyways? “Uh, we watched each other’s backs for a while and…” She shrugged. “Eventually we grew apart. Life happened. His got better and mine got worse and…”

“And you met that other guy,” Henry said. “The one that got you sent to jail.”

“Yeah, something like that,” Emma said. She closed her eyes against that particular set of memories, breathing deep. More things he did not need to know. More things she did not need to think about. “Before I went, I… I found out I was pregnant with you. And I tried to contact him, and I found out that he’d joined the…army.” The idea of Killian in the military was laughable, but this was a way to kill two birds with one stone. She gave him a sad smile. “He died during the war, saving a wounded soldier. So, you think I’m a savior, Henry? He was.”

Emma leaned forward, taking his hand in hers. She was going to rot in hell for doing this, she knew. But she’d made her decision. This was safer for her son.

“Your father was a real hero.” She didn’t think she had ever told a more blatant lie.

Henry didn’t give her any time to worry about whether he had inherited her superpower. “Do you have anything of his? Something you can remember him by. Something I could see.”

Without thought, her hand went to her chest, habit taking over before she remembered Killian had the necklace now. Emma sighed, feeling a little less for its loss, even with the memories attached to it.

“I… I don’t…” She sat up, the chair creaking underneath her and startling her beautiful, brilliant, ingenious son. Emma smiled. “Henry, I’m sorry. I gotta go. I may know how to find this guy.”

The wheels of her chair scraped against the floor as Emma rolled away from her desk and headed for her office and her keys. It felt like electricity shot through her veins. This would work, she knew it. Her fingers itched to turn on the siren when she slid into the squad car, but that would draw attention and attention probably meant Regina. And Regina would cut this idea off before Emma could even say the word ‘plan’. Besides, it was only two blocks away.

Ava and Nicholas jumped as Emma burst into the apartment. Ava had one of last night’s cookies in her hand and a guilty look on her face as she whirled to face Emma. Both children wore regular clothes. Emma didn’t blame them for wanting out of those uniforms as soon as possible.

“Stay right there,” Emma said. “I have an idea.”

Nicholas blinked at her, then turned around, reaching for the cookies as Emma dashed upstairs, taking the stairs two at a time. Two seconds later, she clattered back down the stairs, her old cardboard box in her arms.

Emma set the box on the counter, reaching inside without taking her eyes off the kids. “I want to show you guys something.”

Her fingers brushed soft wool like she knew they would. The blanket made a poor substitute for parents, but some part of her still relaxed a little.

Nicholas sat forward, his stool teetering on two legs. “What’s that?”

“It’s my baby blanket,” Emma answered, holding the small blanket to her chest. “It’s something I’ve held onto my whole life. That’s the only thing that I have from…” The words caught in her throat, for just a second. “From my parents. I’ve spent a lot of time with a lot of kids in your situation, and all of them…” Again, it was painful to admit. Even if they didn’t know her story, that she hadn’t been enough for her parents, she felt like they would see the truth written across her face, like countless children had done every day of her growing up. But she pushed on, because Ava and Nicholas weren’t in this situation because they were unwanted. They were here because their parents hadn’t had a choice. That was all she wanted, to give them a choice. “All of us. We held onto stuff.”

Ava’s eyes were glued on Emma, her eyes wide and lips slightly parted in a look of wary comprehension. She had them. If there was one thing Emma had noticed, it was that where Ava went, her brother was sure to follow.

“I want to find your father,” Emma said, setting the blanket down. She met first Nicholas and then Ava’s gaze. “But I need your help. Is there anything of his you’ve held onto?”

“I might have something.” Ava swallowed, her hand going to her pocket. She stared at Emma, clenched hand still hidden from view. “But if I give it to you, you’ll make sure we stay together, right?”

“Right,” Emma promised without thought. All she needed was a clue. If she had that, she could find their father. And if she found their father, she could keep them from growing up like she did. She could make sure their story was different from hers.

Metal clinked as Ava withdrew her hand. Shiny, dark metal peeked through her fingers, followed by a chain sliding from the pocket.

“A compass?” It didn’t look expensive, the metal a dull gold that barely reflected the light. It was heavier than it looked though. Emma examined it, noticing that the little needle was stuck.

“Our mom kept it,” Ava explained, her voice raspy. “She said it was our dad’s.”

“Thank you.”

She flipped the compass over, searching for some sign of the previous owner. No such luck. Biting her lip, she racked her brain for any other ideas. This was the key. This would lead her to their dad. She could feel it. She just…

Ava interrupted her thoughts. “Did you find them?”

Emma jerked her head up. “Who?”

“Your parents.”

“Not yet,” she said, because a flat out denial felt too harsh for this moment. “But I’m going to find yours.”

The kids watched silently as she examined the compass, trying to think if she knew anyone in town that might know about such things. She traced the outer edge with a finger, following the path of her thoughts.

Mary Margaret came out of her room, tucking the hem of her shirt into a pair of jeans. “Oh, Emma, I thought I heard you.” She smiled. “Are you done for the day or…”

“No,” Emma said, shoving the compass into her pocket. “I had a couple of questions for Ava and Nicholas.”

“Oh,” Mary Margaret sighed. “Well, Henry will be disappointed, he was planning to come hang out while he waited for Regina to get off work.”

“He knows this is important,” Emma said, hand on the doorknob. “Tell him I’ll see him later.”

The door swung open with a slight creak and Emma could practically hear her roommate adding WD-40 to her mental shopping list, but she didn’t stop to think. She let it latch behind her, pounding down the stairs and onto the street. The squad car’s engine revved to life and she was halfway down the street before she realized where she had decided to find her answers.

If she had been less desperate she might have turned around and figured out another option, but she needed someone who knew this town better than she did and a nine-year-old with a storybook just wasn’t going to cut it.

Few people roamed the streets at this hour. A couple of kids walking home from school, a bike messenger, an elderly couple out for a walk. When she got to the docks, it grew a little more crowded. The harbormaster stood outside his shack, debating hotly with someone. Several bundled up fishermen unloaded crates from a trawler. She pulled up to the curb near where Killian had indicated his ship was...parked? Anchored? Moored? She wasn’t entirely sure what the word was. The fishers paused, glancing over as she got out of the car and slammed the door behind her.

“Afternoon, sheriff,” one of them called.

Emma waved, feeling self-conscious and scanned the boats.

“You in the market for a boat?” he asked, grinning. “Looking to expand the sheriff’s department to the high seas now?”

“No,” she answered. “Just need to talk with a friend.”

“Odd place to look, considering none of those have been away from the docks in years. Nobody owns them far as I know.”

Emma turned to him, a cold fear coiling in her gut. “Really? My friend said he lived on one of these. The, uh, Miss Guided.” 

She almost winced at the name. Almost. But she was too busy worrying over whether Killian had lied to her. A cold sweat broke out over her skin, despite the stiff breeze blowing in from the ocean. She never had accepted his offer to visit his boat, so she had no proof. He could have made the whole thing up and be living on the street for all she knew.

“The Miss Guided?” The fisher got a strange look in his eyes, like he was trying to read fine print, but his eyes refused to focus. He bowed his head. Then his gaze snapped back up to Emma’s, his pleasant smile returning. “Ah, yes, Hook’s little boat. I’d forgotten he moved her so he could keep up with these poor unfortunate souls.” He gestured to the many boats with sails furled and gear packed away, looking forlorn. “That’s her right there.”

For a minute, Emma expected to find Killian standing where the man pointed, but the deck of the ship he indicated stood empty. There on the side curled the words Miss Guided. Clearly, she and this fisher had different definitions of the word little, because Killian’s boat measured at least thirty or forty feet. Despite her complete lack of knowledge about most things seafaring (Killian had talked about a thing or two, once upon a time, but she remembered very little of that), she could see the difference between this boat and the others.

Killian’s boat gleamed, the railing reflecting the sun and the deck a pristine white. The sails weren’t edged in gray or yellowed by the sun. And while the deck was tidy, it was in a thoughtful, useful way that gave the boat character instead of an air of abandonment.

Knees shaking, she approached. She didn’t like this, going to him in his territory, no matter that she had a gun. Killian wasn’t a physical threat to her, she couldn’t ever see how he would be. But she still remembered the way her heart sped into overdrive when Henry asked about him and the way she chickened out instead of telling her son the truth. Killian’s hold on her emotions, even after all these years, scared her far more than any other threat he could ever present.

She could shoot him. She couldn’t shoot her feelings.

“Hello,” she called out. “Hook?” Her feet faltered. A little dock extended away from the main dock down the side of the boat, providing access to a set of somethings that couldn’t decide whether they were steps or a ladder. Emma eyed the boat. Could she board without permission? The expanse of water between that little dock and the side of the boat looked awfully wide. “Hook?”

“Swan?” came a muffled reply. A moment later, Killian’s head popped up from under the deck, startling Emma. He quickly scaled the rest of the way up to the deck, concern clouding his features. “Is everything alright? Is it Henry?”

“No,” Emma said quickly, pushing down the guilt that flared inside her. “I just needed your help with something.”

The moment the words left her mouth, she wished she could take them back. Killian smirked, leaning up against the side.

“And what,” he asked, consonants snapping, “might the lady be needing help with?”

“Stop it.” She glared at him, though if she was mad at him for coming on to her, she couldn’t feel guilty so maybe she shouldn’t complain. “Look, I’d rather not shout it at you so either you come down here or…give me permission to come over or whatever you nautical types do.”

Killian chuckled. “Oh, things aren’t so formal on this little thing.” He gestured for Emma to make her way down the finger dock. “Though ‘permission to come aboard’ is the typical greeting. Keeps the jumpy ones from running you through with a sword. Here, grab this.” He leaned down, indicating a steel cable stretching taut above them. The metal bit coldly into Emma’s palm. “Yes. Now just step onto the gunwale. One foot and then the other right there.”

Emma did as he said, taking the hand he offered as she stepped off the dock. Killian smiled.

“Good then. Now you can step over,” he said, indicating the cord that ran the length of both sides. “We’ll make a sailor out of you yet.”

“Maybe some other time,” she said. “Look, you remember those kids from yesterday?”

Killian nodded, eyes dark. “Aye.”

“They’ve got no one.”

“I thought that might be the case,” he murmured. “You said you needed my help? How?”

“Is there somewhere we can talk?”

Emma expected Killian to lead her to a bench or something, but instead he led her to the back of the boat and down a cramped set of stairs. It opened up just a little once they were below deck. Enough that Killian could stand without hunching at least. The living quarters too were neat and tidy. No choice really, with the limited space beneath. There was a small kitchen along one wall and a set of cushioned seats along the other. All the way at the front was a triangular little bed, just big enough for one, maybe two people if neither of them were Vikings.

It was nice. Cozy.

Killian shifted nervously. “Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Tea?”

Emma shrugged. “Coffee, I guess.”

She glanced around, absorbing the small details. He had been reading, if the book lying face down on the bed was any indication. Not much lay out and about, but neat as Killian was, some of his personality shone through. The tiny pictures on the wall above the couches. The dark, earthy color of his blankets. A towel hanging on the outside of a door near the stairs. The bathroom she supposed.

Killian puttered around, pulling out an old kettle and turning on the stove. The rotten egg scent of propane clouded the air.

“Afraid making coffee is a bit more complicated here than at Granny’s,” he said.

“Well, it’s a step up from the bug,” Emma replied. “At least this place has a stove.”

“Stinks to high heavens though,” he grumbled.

“But at least you’ll know if there’s a leak.”

Killian turned to the cabinet, pulling out two mugs, one at a time. “There is that.” He leaned against the small counter next to the sink, crossing his legs at the ankles. “Now, what’s this about Ava and Nicholas?”

Emma brought him up to speed, detailing everything that had happened since she drove off yesterday. Well, not everything. Clearly he wasn’t interested in the odd little details, like her sleeping on the couch or what she wore to bed. On second thought, he was probably interested in that last one. Killian listened thoughtfully, nodding every now and then without interrupting. By that time the coffee had finished brewing.

“I’m sorry, love,” he said when she finished. “I fail to see how I can help.” He handed her a mug. “Afraid I don’t have any cream.”

“Sugar?” she asked.

In answer, he flipped open another cabinet and handed her a little ceramic jug.

“Thanks,” she said, dumping a few spoonfuls into her coffee as Killian shook his head.

“It’s not meant to be drunk that way,” he grumbled.

“What are you? A Starbucks barista?” Emma retorted.

“A what?”

“You know, Starbucks. Coffee? I know we’ve been to a few…” She shrugged.

“Ah, yes.” He scratched behind his ear. “I suppose I’ve been here so long I’ve forgotten there are places other than Granny’s to get sustenance.”

Emma nodded. “She does make a mean grilled cheese.”

“Now, what assistance were you counting on, Swan.” He cast his eyes around the small hold. “I’m afraid I haven’t much room to harbor a couple of strays, but I suppose…”

“No, nothing like that.” Emma wrapped both hands around the mug, glad of the warmth. She had no idea how Killian stood sleeping in this place. Even with his mound of blankets. They were gloriously messy, as though he had been cocooned in them before she intruded on his afternoon. “I’m trying to find their dad. From what Ava’s told me, he probably doesn’t know they exist.”

Understanding dawned on his face. “And this…father...you think he might take them in?”

Emma shrugged. “I hope so.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, his tone low. “For all you know, they were simply too young to remember him running out on them.”

“No,” she replied. “But it’s worth a shot. I mean, I wouldn’t have pegged you as the type to want to be involved either and you surprised me. I figured if you regretted running off…”

“Maybe he would too.” Killian swirled his drink, seemingly lost in the dark liquid. He took a sip, swallowing it with some difficulty. “How can I help?”

Emma pulled out the compass. “This is all they have of their father.”

With one reach Killian set his mug down on the little counter and took the compass in his hand. He turned it over, just as Emma had, caressing the smooth back with his thumb.

“A bit banged up,” he said. “But good workmanship.” He tapped a fingernail on the front. “Crystal. Jeweled setting. Quite the detail. Not your ordinary compass.”

Emma sat forward, hands clutching her coffee. “Is there anything else you can tell me about it?”

Killian shook his head. “I’m no expert. I simply know how to use the device…or I would were it working. Perhaps if you tracked the maker or the man who sold it they could tell you more.”

“Well, unless you see something I missed, I think finding whoever made this is a bust,” Emma said, taking the compass back from him. She pressed her lips together, noting how he fidgeted only slightly—his fingers tapping against his thumb while the rest of him stood stock still. She knew the answer to her next question before she even opened her mouth, but she asked it anyway. “Do you have any idea who might sell something like this?”

“You mean who might buy family heirlooms for pennies and then charge through the nose at resale?” he ground out. “Aye. Unless these children had a compass maker as an ancestor, this likely passed through Gold’s hands.”

Emma stood to leave, but found she wasn’t exactly sure what to do with her coffee. She wasn’t entirely sure she could just dump it down the drain in the sink. That felt a little rude anyways, considering she still had half a cup full.

Killian sighed, lifting the mug out of her hand. “I take it we’re paying a visit to the Crocodile.”

“The what?”

He snapped his mouth shut, eyes widening. “Nothing. Let me grab my jacket.”

“Oh no.” Emma held her hands up, the chain slapping dully against her wrist, halting him in his tracks. “I’m sheriff, this is my job.”

“And I’m a concerned citizen,” Killian shot back. “Mostly about you and the number of deals you’ve struck with Gold.”

“I can take care of myself, Killian,” she said. Tucking the compass into her pocket, she got her foot on the first step before Killian’s hand closed around her elbow. Gentle, but insistent.

“Please, Emma,” he said. “You don’t know him like I do. At least let me come for that, I might catch something you don’t.”

Emma sighed, but she couldn’t deny the very real fear in his eyes. There was a darkness to that fear, but it was true fear. Part of her should have been worried about what would happen if Killian and Gold ended up in the same room with only her to stop them, but she couldn’t dismiss the way anxiety coiled in her gut. Gold had been willing to risk injuring her and Regina to get what he wanted. Maybe Killian’s fear was justified.

“Fine,” she said. “But whatever issues you have with Gold, leave them at the door, okay? I won’t let you mess this up for these kids.”

He rocked back on his heels, his face thoughtful. Then he nodded and plucked his jacket up from among the blankets on the bed. Emma didn’t look behind her as she ascended, but she stopped short as she realized she wasn’t entirely sure how to get off the boat without ending up on her ass.

Killian chuckled as he passed her and it irked her how well he still read her. He winked. “Same as getting on, only in reverse.”

Easy as you please, he took hold of that same cable, quickly stepping over the line running down the side, and stepped down onto the little dock. He turned to her with twinkling eyes and held out his hand.

Emma gritted her teeth and followed him, doing exactly as he had done and stubbornly refusing to take the offered hand.

“See,” he said, apparently unflustered by her rebuff. “Nothing to it.”

“Come on,” she said, stuffing her hands in her pockets. “We’ve got work to do.”

#kau #captain swan #cs ff #cs au #cs fanfic #cs crew #henry's dad!au #i know it's been so so long #i'm a terrible person #this chapter has been sitting on my computer for six years #heh #my bad? #there's at least one more chapter coming tho #which has also been on my computer since 2017 #again a terrible person

[happy-emmdings]

Hometown Goodbye

on AO3

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

Word count: 3 026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"And your laptop?"

"Yes!"

"And your books?" Emma joined in.

"Yes!"

"And your sword?"

"Ye- No!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Now we're good to go!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Today is impowtant," Hope insisted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Me neither," Regina echoed.

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

"Yeah, yeah."

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Or rogue authors," Henry added.

"Or nasty demon boys," Killian smirked.

"Or dragons or dark wizards," Regina continued.

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

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

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

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

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

———

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Daddy, sing!"

“Please don’t,” Regina groaned silently.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[mie779]

The Dark Elven

A/N: This fic was started way back in April, I wanted to take part in this year’s CSSNS event on Tumblr. This is my contribution, it had always been my intent to write something inspired by The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit elves. I even made a moodboard/collage when I first started writing, I shared it on my Tumblr back in April. 

I was so friggin happy when I learned that I was paired with the talented @piinfeathers, she has made the amazing cover art for me. (In two versions, one dawn/day and one night… the dawn one is going to be my “official” cover as it fits with a scene that comes later on. I have both versions set up side by side on my computer wallpaper, I love them so much.)

This will be multichapter and I have yet to find the ending in this, currently, I have 8 chapters written and we have yet to reach the final “battle”. I will try and spread out my updates so I’ll post one each week, I will do my best to remember to do it each Wednesday. In the next two weeks, you will have to excuse me if I forget as I’m on vacation. 

I need to make one more shoutout and that is for my very helpful beta reader @ultraluckycatndltraluckycatnd. Without her, it would be filled with cringy typos and grammar errors. 

I hope you will enjoy this as much as I’ve enjoyed the process of writing this, and continue to enjoy it. Let me know in a review what you think of this. Read here or on AO3

Prologue

“Come now, little brother,” Liam urged, pushing away another low-hanging branch. 

“It’s younger brother,” Killian grumbled as his foot got tangled in another gnarled root. “Do we even know if the bloody crystal is in the temple; that it is perhaps nothing but a myth? It could be anywhere in this godforsaken place.” He looked at the dense forest around them; they had trekked through this place for hours. 

Liam inspected his compass and compared his notes on a small tattered parchment. “We’re almost there.” He pointed ahead of the tiny trail that could hardly be called anything else but thick woodland. Liam chopped off the twisted vines that blocked their passage with his cutlass. Liam was an expert at wielding the weapon and had taught Killian as they worked their way up the ranks on Captain Nemo’s pirate ship. When the old captain had died, Liam had taken up the mantle of Captain on the Jolly Roger.  

“I bloody well hope so.” Killian swatted at a mosquito that buzzed around his ears. 

“Look.” Liam stopped in his tracks and pointed with his cutlass. “It’s right there brother.” 

“So the crystal is in there?” Killian managed to push forward so he stood next to his brother. “This place looks haunted.” The tall, almost pyramid-shaped structure rose above them, intricate symbols lined the walls and around what looked to be the entrance. 

“Come now, Killian.” Liam took a step forward, eyes scanning the large open area in front of the lost temple. 

Killian followed his brother and they reached the entrance, and Liam checked his map and notes again. Finally, he nodded. “I know how to get in.” He reached out and pressed the Greek letters in the correct order. 

Moments later, the large entryway opened up and they could see a dark hallway. Liam found his torch in his backpack and, using a firesteel, the flame caught the oil in the torch. 

“Are you sure about this?” Killian looked into the darkness, his skin prickled in fear.

“Come now, brother.” Liam pushed through a layer of cobwebs and lifted the torch as he stepped inside. “Be careful where you step,” he warned as he walked further inside.

Killian glanced over his shoulder, making sure that no one had picked up on their trail. But the forest around them was still, perhaps a bit too quiet. Taking a deep breath, he hurried after his brother. “That bloody crystal better be here.” 

“It will be, the charts have yet to fail us,” Liam said as he led them deeper into the ancient Greek temple. The temple that they had spent days locating was in the middle of some deep forest area in Camelot, close to the borders of Misthaven. Misthaven was the land of elves, and who knew if they in fact hadn’t already crossed the borders between the two realms. 

Finally, the hallway seemed to open up in front of them, and they stepped out into a cavernous room, the light from the torch never reaching the ceiling. 

As they scanned the area ahead of them, they saw a faint flickering of blue light further into the room. 

“So this is an old temple of Zeus?” Killian asked, surprised that his voice didn’t echo through the vastness of the room. 

“It is.” Liam pointed to the blue light. “I think that is the crystal.” 

The two brothers walked carefully over the floor, stepping over several shallow grooves that had been cut out into the floor; it looked like it was filled with something. Killian crouched down. “Hold on brother.” When Liam turned to him he said, “What do you suppose this substance is?” He pointed to the not quite liquid but still not solid mass in the grooves. 

“Careful,” Liam warned. He pulled out a small knife and dipped the tip of it into the substance, then he carefully lifted it to his face and sniffed. “Smells like burning oil, and some other things I can’t place.” 

Killian grabbed for the torch. “So, indoor lighting.” He moved the flame to the ground and seconds later, the substance caught the flames, and with a fizzling sound, a low burning flame ran through the groove, spreading throughout the room. The brothers watched as the room became more and more alight with the now low burning flames. The grooves all formed an intricate pattern over the floor and moved up towards where they’d seen the blue light. Now they could clearly see a raised platform on top of a wide staircase. 

They carefully moved up towards the platform and as they approached the blue light, they could see a long blue crystal resting on top of the platform. 

“The Olympian Crystal,” Killian whispered in awe. When they had first heard the tales of the crystal, they had both thought it was nothing but a myth. But then they came across old maps and logbooks that pointed towards a lost Olympian temple. 

Liam reached out and let his finger slide over the ridges of the crystal; the pale blue light that emanated from it seemed to shift and change as he touched it. 

“Careful brother,” Killian warned, but Liam grabbed the crystal and when nothing happened, they both sighed in relief. 

“We did it,” Liam said in wonder, his eyes catching Killian’s, and they both let out a victorious cry. Killian clasped his brother’s shoulder as they looked at the crystal in Liam’s hand. 

“That we did,” Killian exclaimed and was amazed that they had managed to find the mythical Olympian Crystal. 

“We’ll get the darkness out now,” Liam said and waved the crystal between them, then frowned.

“First we will have to find someone who holds strong light magic,” Killian said in resignation. While it had been a struggle in itself to even locate the crystal, the next path seemed utterly impossible. “Bloody hell.” He tugged at his long hair, which usually fell over his pointed ears, hiding the fact that he and his brother were both part elven. 

“Didn’t the seer also mention something of True Love?” Liam asked and gave Killian the crystal so he could store it safely in his satchel. 

“Aye.” Killian secured their newly acquired treasure and sighed. “How the bloody hell do we find someone with True Love?”

“The elves are said to be firm believers in True Love.” Liam shrugged, then he rubbed over his own pointed ear hidden under his long dark brown hair. “Even if we do have some elven parts, I’m not trusting that True Love will ever find us.” 

“We’re bloody pirates to boot, and our souls are tainted with our father’s darkness, and it’s only getting stronger.” Killian shook his head, not really believing they would ever find True Love. “But we should be able to find someone with light magic, perhaps that will be enough. We’ll run out of time eventually and the darkness will have consumed our souls.” His skin prickled as the simmering darkness shifted inside him; to this day, it was still manageable, and they survived despite the curse they had inherited from their father. 

“Let’s start by getting out of this place,” Liam suggested and pointed to the exit. Killian nodded in agreement as the two brothers quickly found their way out and made good headway through the dense undergrowth of the forest.

Suddenly, a crackle was heard behind them and a blast of something dark red whizzed past their heads. When they both turned to look, they saw a menacing green-scaled man chortling while his fingers wiggled in front of him. 

“Now Dearies, be some fine gents and give the crystal to me.” The man’s long wavy hair shifted over his face as he tilted his head back and forth. He reached out his hand and wiggled his fingers again. 

“Who the bloody hell are you?” Killian asked, trying not to grab for his satchel, thus giving away where they had the crystal. “And how the hell do you know we have a crystal?” 

“Ah you see, I couldn’t go into that temple meself, so when I saw you two,” he waved his finger between them, “walk inside, I just waited for you to come out.” 

“Who are you?” Liam demanded, stepping forward.

“How delightful, you don’t know me.” The man tapped his chin then chortled again. “Now let me introduce meself then.” He did an overly dramatic bow. “I’m Rumplestiltskin the one and only, and you will do as I say or I’ll have you both skinned like snakes,” he smirked, “and I quite literally am capable of doing just that.” The menacing glint in the man’s beady eyes sent a chill down Killian’s spine; he was sure the man spoke the truth about how he could end their lives. But he wasn’t keen on testing out the theory. 

“You’re the Dark One?” Liam gasped and stepped closer to Killian. “You—” 

“Never mind what they call me.” He waved his hand dismissively in the air.

“Why would you need a crystal?” Killian asked. 

“Killian,” Liam warned. “This is the Dark One—” At this, the green man’s eyes sparkled with delight. “ — He will most likely use the crystal for some devious plan of his.” 

“Ah, so you do have a crystal,” the Dark One laughed. “Now give it here.”  

Both Killian and Liam stepped back and glanced at each other. Killian saw the same resolution in his brother’s eyes, they would never allow the Dark One near their crystal. With a small nod from Liam, they both dove head first into the thick undergrowth to their left. Killian only hoped that their path would lead them to safety. But right now he focused on dodging low-hanging branches and avoiding getting struck by the magic that the Dark One was currently blasting at them. A howl of anger echoed between the trees, and seconds later they could hear him moving closer to them. 

Killian had no idea for how long they stumbled and weaved in between the trees, but suddenly their path was blocked by a deep gorge, and a thundering waterfall to the left had the whole scene covered in a light spray of water. 

“Bloody hell, now what?” But before Killian could make a choice, they had another blast of magic wizz by them, barely missing Liam. 

They turned and saw the Dark One looming at the edge of the trees, his hands lifted, a sneer over his lips, anger in his eyes. “Now give the crystal to me.” 

“We don’t have a crystal,” Killian tried, but he could see his words didn’t mean much. 

“Now which one of you carries it?” Rumple tapped his chin, while still holding the other hand ready to blast his magic. His gaze shifted between Killian and Liam, and suddenly his eyes landed on Killian. “The younger perhaps?” 

“No,” Liam shifted his own satchel, grabbing it tighter. Killian glanced at his brother, wondering what his game plan was.

The Dark One’s eyes narrowed, then lifted his hand towards Killian and flicked his wrist, and suddenly Killian felt as if he couldn’t breathe. Trying to grab at his own throat, he found Liam’s horrified gaze transfixed on what happened. Liam tried to reach out to Killian but the Dark One sneered. “Give me the crystal and I’ll leave your dear brother alone.” 

“I have it here.” Liam took off his satchel and placed it in front of him, his hands raised in the air. “Now let him go.” 

Killian could hardly breathe anymore, black spots began to swim before his eyes, the air slowly seeping from his body. Suddenly he could breathe again, and he took large gulps of air. Before he could even comprehend what happened, the Dark One flicked his other hand and blasted a ball of dark red magic aiming straight for Liam. With his heart pounding in his ears, he watched as his brother was hit by the magic and stumbled back several steps. When Liam began slipping on the muddy edge of the cliffside, Killian bellowed, “Nooooo, Liam!” It all happened so fast that he barely managed to take a step forward before his brother slipped over the edge. Killian saw the fear etched in his brother's eyes, and his lips moving in a silent scream. Killian slumped to his knees, watching his brother tumble to his death, engulfed in the whirling vortex beneath the roaring waterfall. 

“Ah, one down,” the Dark One chortled and when Killian looked behind him, he could see the man getting ready to blast his magic again. 

In one fluent motion, Killian rose to his feet and bellowed, “I will avenge my brother’s death, you bloody wanker.” 

“Now just give me the crystal and I’ll be on my merry way.” The Dark One waved his fingers at him, pointing at Killian’s satchel. “I bet it’s right in there.” 

Killian was frantically searching for a way out of there, but he also had to keep an eye out for any movement the mad man did. 

Before the Dark One said another word they heard the flapping of wings; it sounded like a large bird approaching. When both men turned to look towards the sound, Killian could see a large creature emerge from the mists hanging over the waterfall. As it got closer it looked more and more like, “A flying monkey?” 

“What the hell is she doing here?” The anger in the man’s voice made it clear that whoever was flying on the beast, it wasn’t someone the Dark One had invited. 

Killian didn’t really care; he took a chance and slipped down a narrow path he’d spotted that would take him downriver, leading away from the waterfall. He only hoped that the Dark One had been distracted enough for him to be able to slide down the path without being chased. Just as he made a sharp turn, he picked up broken pieces of the conversation happening above him.

 “What? You don’t have the crystal…” It was a female voice that spoke at a high-pitched tone, sounding exasperated. 

“You were not supposed to be here…”

“Oh but I’m here, and I guess I’ll have to find it myself…” 

“That crystal is mine to find… mark me I’ll find it.” 

“Whatever…” 

Killian slipped down the path, his pants most likely in ruins, but he had to get the hell out of here and hopefully reach the Jolly Roger before the Dark One picked up his trail. When he finally reached the more level parts of the path that followed the brink of the river, he began searching for any signs of his brother. But his search was fruitless, and he knew he had at least another day's travel before he reached the sea. So he pushed forward and barely stopped to eat, only to fill up his waterskin whenever he crossed a smaller stream of water. 

Early morning, he reached the shore and signaled for the crew to sail in with the longboat to pick him up. Minutes later he watched as the crew rowed the longboat to shore. Once they realized that only one Jones brother had returned, the group of men grew solemn, and with no words shared they returned to the Jolly Roger. It wasn’t a difficult decision to make; when Killian climbed on board the ship, he took over his brother’s role as captain of the enchanted ship the Jolly Roger. For the next many years, he would travel the realms and to his crew’s surprise, he never seemed to age. He often excused it with their many travels to Neverland, a hellhole in all the realms, but he did make a few lucrative deals with the devil ruling the island. Deals often included him spending more time than his crew on the island. 

The years passed and each time anything regarding magic happened around him, he would flee and make haste to set sails. He knew the Dark One would be looking for him, and searched the realms for the crystal that he still had in his possession. None of his crew knew of the crystal, all they had been told was that the brothers had searched for something. When he returned he’d claimed the mission to be a failure, only gaining an enemy in the Dark One. 

Killian searched the realms they sailed through for anyone with light magic; it had only been an endless string of failures every time he came across someone wielding magic, though. As such, he spent years struggling with the looming darkness shifting around in his soul. It messed with his mind, making him do and speak things that he would never have done on his own accord. The darkness ruled his life and knowing none with light magic, he ended up not believing him to ever be free of the darkness. At his darkest moments, he cursed his father’s elven magic that had caused the darkness to seep into him and his brother. But this was his life, he was a pirate and a bloody good one too; perhaps the darkness did help in this regard, yet he never felt as if this was the life he wanted to live. What more was there to find in life?

The Dark Elven

A/N: This fic was started way back in April, I wanted to take part in this year’s CSSNS event on Tumblr. This is my contribution, it had always been my intent to write something inspired by The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit elves. I even made a moodboard/collage when I first started writing, I shared it on my Tumblr back in April. 

I was so friggin happy when I learned that I was paired with the talented piinfeathers, she has made the amazing cover art for me. (In two versions, one dawn/day and one night… the dawn one is going to be my “official” cover as it fits with a scene that comes later on. I have both versions set up side by side on my computer wallpaper, I love them so much.)

This will be multichapter and I have yet to find the ending in this, currently, I have 8 chapters written and we have yet to reach the final “battle”. I will try and spread out my updates so I’ll post one each week, I will do my best to remember to do it each Wednesday. In the next two weeks, you will have to excuse me if I forget as I’m on vacation. 

I need to make one more shoutout and that is for my very helpful beta reader Ultraluckycatnd. Without her, it would be filled with cringy typos and grammar errors. 

I hope you will enjoy this as much as I’ve enjoyed the process of writing this, and continue to enjoy it. Let me know in a review what you think of this. 

Prologue

“Come now, little brother,” Liam urged, pushing away another low-hanging branch. 

“It’s younger brother,” Killian grumbled as his foot got tangled in another gnarled root. “Do we even know if the bloody crystal is in the temple; that it is perhaps nothing but a myth? It could be anywhere in this godforsaken place.” He looked at the dense forest around them; they had trekked through this place for hours. 

Liam inspected his compass and compared his notes on a small tattered parchment. “We’re almost there.” He pointed ahead of the tiny trail that could hardly be called anything else but thick woodland. Liam chopped off the twisted vines that blocked their passage with his cutlass. Liam was an expert at wielding the weapon and had taught Killian as they worked their way up the ranks on Captain Nemo’s pirate ship. When the old captain had died, Liam had taken up the mantle of Captain on the Jolly Roger.  

“I bloody well hope so.” Killian swatted at a mosquito that buzzed around his ears. 

“Look.” Liam stopped in his tracks and pointed with his cutlass. “It’s right there brother.” 

“So the crystal is in there?” Killian managed to push forward so he stood next to his brother. “This place looks haunted.” The tall, almost pyramid-shaped structure rose above them, intricate symbols lined the walls and around what looked to be the entrance. 

“Come now, Killian.” Liam took a step forward, eyes scanning the large open area in front of the lost temple. 

Killian followed his brother and they reached the entrance, and Liam checked his map and notes again. Finally, he nodded. “I know how to get in.” He reached out and pressed the Greek letters in the correct order. 

Moments later, the large entryway opened up and they could see a dark hallway. Liam found his torch in his backpack and, using a firesteel, the flame caught the oil in the torch. 

“Are you sure about this?” Killian looked into the darkness, his skin prickled in fear.

“Come now, brother.” Liam pushed through a layer of cobwebs and lifted the torch as he stepped inside. “Be careful where you step,” he warned as he walked further inside.

Killian glanced over his shoulder, making sure that no one had picked up on their trail. But the forest around them was still, perhaps a bit too quiet. Taking a deep breath, he hurried after his brother. “That bloody crystal better be here.” 

“It will be, the charts have yet to fail us,” Liam said as he led them deeper into the ancient Greek temple. The temple that they had spent days locating was in the middle of some deep forest area in Camelot, close to the borders of Misthaven. Misthaven was the land of elves, and who knew if they in fact hadn’t already crossed the borders between the two realms. 

Finally, the hallway seemed to open up in front of them, and they stepped out into a cavernous room, the light from the torch never reaching the ceiling. 

As they scanned the area ahead of them, they saw a faint flickering of blue light further into the room. 

“So this is an old temple of Zeus?” Killian asked, surprised that his voice didn’t echo through the vastness of the room. 

“It is.” Liam pointed to the blue light. “I think that is the crystal.” 

The two brothers walked carefully over the floor, stepping over several shallow grooves that had been cut out into the floor; it looked like it was filled with something. Killian crouched down. “Hold on brother.” When Liam turned to him he said, “What do you suppose this substance is?” He pointed to the not quite liquid but still not solid mass in the grooves. 

“Careful,” Liam warned. He pulled out a small knife and dipped the tip of it into the substance, then he carefully lifted it to his face and sniffed. “Smells like burning oil, and some other things I can’t place.” 

Killian grabbed for the torch. “So, indoor lighting.” He moved the flame to the ground and seconds later, the substance caught the flames, and with a fizzling sound, a low burning flame ran through the groove, spreading throughout the room. The brothers watched as the room became more and more alight with the now low burning flames. The grooves all formed an intricate pattern over the floor and moved up towards where they’d seen the blue light. Now they could clearly see a raised platform on top of a wide staircase. 

They carefully moved up towards the platform and as they approached the blue light, they could see a long blue crystal resting on top of the platform. 

“The Olympian Crystal,” Killian whispered in awe. When they had first heard the tales of the crystal, they had both thought it was nothing but a myth. But then they came across old maps and logbooks that pointed towards a lost Olympian temple. 

Liam reached out and let his finger slide over the ridges of the crystal; the pale blue light that emanated from it seemed to shift and change as he touched it. 

“Careful brother,” Killian warned, but Liam grabbed the crystal and when nothing happened, they both sighed in relief. 

“We did it,” Liam said in wonder, his eyes catching Killian’s, and they both let out a victorious cry. Killian clasped his brother’s shoulder as they looked at the crystal in Liam’s hand. 

“That we did,” Killian exclaimed and was amazed that they had managed to find the mythical Olympian Crystal. 

“We’ll get the darkness out now,” Liam said and waved the crystal between them, then frowned.

“First we will have to find someone who holds strong light magic,” Killian said in resignation. While it had been a struggle in itself to even locate the crystal, the next path seemed utterly impossible. “Bloody hell.” He tugged at his long hair, which usually fell over his pointed ears, hiding the fact that he and his brother were both part elven. 

“Didn’t the seer also mention something of True Love?” Liam asked and gave Killian the crystal so he could store it safely in his satchel. 

“Aye.” Killian secured their newly acquired treasure and sighed. “How the bloody hell do we find someone with True Love?”

“The elves are said to be firm believers in True Love.” Liam shrugged, then he rubbed over his own pointed ear hidden under his long dark brown hair. “Even if we do have some elven parts, I’m not trusting that True Love will ever find us.” 

“We’re bloody pirates to boot, and our souls are tainted with our father’s darkness, and it’s only getting stronger.” Killian shook his head, not really believing they would ever find True Love. “But we should be able to find someone with light magic, perhaps that will be enough. We’ll run out of time eventually and the darkness will have consumed our souls.” His skin prickled as the simmering darkness shifted inside him; to this day, it was still manageable, and they survived despite the curse they had inherited from their father. 

“Let’s start by getting out of this place,” Liam suggested and pointed to the exit. Killian nodded in agreement as the two brothers quickly found their way out and made good headway through the dense undergrowth of the forest.

Suddenly, a crackle was heard behind them and a blast of something dark red whizzed past their heads. When they both turned to look, they saw a menacing green-scaled man chortling while his fingers wiggled in front of him. 

“Now Dearies, be some fine gents and give the crystal to me.” The man’s long wavy hair shifted over his face as he tilted his head back and forth. He reached out his hand and wiggled his fingers again. 

“Who the bloody hell are you?” Killian asked, trying not to grab for his satchel, thus giving away where they had the crystal. “And how the hell do you know we have a crystal?” 

“Ah you see, I couldn’t go into that temple meself, so when I saw you two,” he waved his finger between them, “walk inside, I just waited for you to come out.” 

“Who are you?” Liam demanded, stepping forward.

“How delightful, you don’t know me.” The man tapped his chin then chortled again. “Now let me introduce meself then.” He did an overly dramatic bow. “I’m Rumplestiltskin the one and only, and you will do as I say or I’ll have you both skinned like snakes,” he smirked, “and I quite literally am capable of doing just that.” The menacing glint in the man’s beady eyes sent a chill down Killian’s spine; he was sure the man spoke the truth about how he could end their lives. But he wasn’t keen on testing out the theory. 

“You’re the Dark One?” Liam gasped and stepped closer to Killian. “You—” 

“Never mind what they call me.” He waved his hand dismissively in the air.

“Why would you need a crystal?” Killian asked. 

“Killian,” Liam warned. “This is the Dark One—” At this, the green man’s eyes sparkled with delight. “ — He will most likely use the crystal for some devious plan of his.” 

“Ah, so you do have a crystal,” the Dark One laughed. “Now give it here.”  

Both Killian and Liam stepped back and glanced at each other. Killian saw the same resolution in his brother’s eyes, they would never allow the Dark One near their crystal. With a small nod from Liam, they both dove head first into the thick undergrowth to their left. Killian only hoped that their path would lead them to safety. But right now he focused on dodging low-hanging branches and avoiding getting struck by the magic that the Dark One was currently blasting at them. A howl of anger echoed between the trees, and seconds later they could hear him moving closer to them. 

Killian had no idea for how long they stumbled and weaved in between the trees, but suddenly their path was blocked by a deep gorge, and a thundering waterfall to the left had the whole scene covered in a light spray of water. 

“Bloody hell, now what?” But before Killian could make a choice, they had another blast of magic wizz by them, barely missing Liam. 

They turned and saw the Dark One looming at the edge of the trees, his hands lifted, a sneer over his lips, anger in his eyes. “Now give the crystal to me.” 

“We don’t have a crystal,” Killian tried, but he could see his words didn’t mean much. 

“Now which one of you carries it?” Rumple tapped his chin, while still holding the other hand ready to blast his magic. His gaze shifted between Killian and Liam, and suddenly his eyes landed on Killian. “The younger perhaps?” 

“No,” Liam shifted his own satchel, grabbing it tighter. Killian glanced at his brother, wondering what his game plan was.

The Dark One’s eyes narrowed, then lifted his hand towards Killian and flicked his wrist, and suddenly Killian felt as if he couldn’t breathe. Trying to grab at his own throat, he found Liam’s horrified gaze transfixed on what happened. Liam tried to reach out to Killian but the Dark One sneered. “Give me the crystal and I’ll leave your dear brother alone.” 

“I have it here.” Liam took off his satchel and placed it in front of him, his hands raised in the air. “Now let him go.” 

Killian could hardly breathe anymore, black spots began to swim before his eyes, the air slowly seeping from his body. Suddenly he could breathe again, and he took large gulps of air. Before he could even comprehend what happened, the Dark One flicked his other hand and blasted a ball of dark red magic aiming straight for Liam. With his heart pounding in his ears, he watched as his brother was hit by the magic and stumbled back several steps. When Liam began slipping on the muddy edge of the cliffside, Killian bellowed, “Nooooo, Liam!” It all happened so fast that he barely managed to take a step forward before his brother slipped over the edge. Killian saw the fear etched in his brother's eyes, and his lips moving in a silent scream. Killian slumped to his knees, watching his brother tumble to his death, engulfed in the whirling vortex beneath the roaring waterfall. 

“Ah, one down,” the Dark One chortled and when Killian looked behind him, he could see the man getting ready to blast his magic again. 

In one fluent motion, Killian rose to his feet and bellowed, “I will avenge my brother’s death, you bloody wanker.” 

“Now just give me the crystal and I’ll be on my merry way.” The Dark One waved his fingers at him, pointing at Killian’s satchel. “I bet it’s right in there.” 

Killian was frantically searching for a way out of there, but he also had to keep an eye out for any movement the mad man did. 

Before the Dark One said another word they heard the flapping of wings; it sounded like a large bird approaching. When both men turned to look towards the sound, Killian could see a large creature emerge from the mists hanging over the waterfall. As it got closer it looked more and more like, “A flying monkey?” 

“What the hell is she doing here?” The anger in the man’s voice made it clear that whoever was flying on the beast, it wasn’t someone the Dark One had invited. 

Killian didn’t really care; he took a chance and slipped down a narrow path he’d spotted that would take him downriver, leading away from the waterfall. He only hoped that the Dark One had been distracted enough for him to be able to slide down the path without being chased. Just as he made a sharp turn, he picked up broken pieces of the conversation happening above him.

 “What? You don’t have the crystal…” It was a female voice that spoke at a high-pitched tone, sounding exasperated. 

“You were not supposed to be here…”

“Oh but I’m here, and I guess I’ll have to find it myself…” 

“That crystal is mine to find… mark me I’ll find it.” 

“Whatever…” 

Killian slipped down the path, his pants most likely in ruins, but he had to get the hell out of here and hopefully reach the Jolly Roger before the Dark One picked up his trail. When he finally reached the more level parts of the path that followed the brink of the river, he began searching for any signs of his brother. But his search was fruitless, and he knew he had at least another day's travel before he reached the sea. So he pushed forward and barely stopped to eat, only to fill up his waterskin whenever he crossed a smaller stream of water. 

Early morning, he reached the shore and signaled for the crew to sail in with the longboat to pick him up. Minutes later he watched as the crew rowed the longboat to shore. Once they realized that only one Jones brother had returned, the group of men grew solemn, and with no words shared they returned to the Jolly Roger. It wasn’t a difficult decision to make; when Killian climbed on board the ship, he took over his brother’s role as captain of the enchanted ship the Jolly Roger. For the next many years, he would travel the realms and to his crew’s surprise, he never seemed to age. He often excused it with their many travels to Neverland, a hellhole in all the realms, but he did make a few lucrative deals with the devil ruling the island. Deals often included him spending more time than his crew on the island. 

The years passed and each time anything regarding magic happened around him, he would flee and make haste to set sails. He knew the Dark One would be looking for him, and searched the realms for the crystal that he still had in his possession. None of his crew knew of the crystal, all they had been told was that the brothers had searched for something. When he returned he’d claimed the mission to be a failure, only gaining an enemy in the Dark One. 

Killian searched the realms they sailed through for anyone with light magic; it had only been an endless string of failures every time he came across someone wielding magic, though. As such, he spent years struggling with the looming darkness shifting around in his soul. It messed with his mind, making him do and speak things that he would never have done on his own accord. The darkness ruled his life and knowing none with light magic, he ended up not believing him to ever be free of the darkness. At his darkest moments, he cursed his father’s elven magic that had caused the darkness to seep into him and his brother. But this was his life, he was a pirate and a bloody good one too; perhaps the darkness did help in this regard, yet he never felt as if this was the life he wanted to live. What more was there to find in life?

#cssns 2022 #ouat #fanfiction #once upon a time #captain swan #killian jones #emma swan #my writing #writers #writers on tumblr #elves #inspired by tolkien #cssns22

[inlocusmads]

Where is a vacation place your mc or li really would like to go to and what is the favorite one they have been to?

Hey there Anon! This is a lovely question!

Nora: I'd say for Nora, it's kind of hard to answer because she isn't a huge vacation person per se. She likes her bubble in New York, she isn't really ambitious or itching to get out anytime soon, but if I had to pick a place for her, it would probably be a toss-up between Indonesia and France. In college, she wasn't exactly a 'rogue partier' but liked the night-life for what it is - cheap beer, heavy music and terrible dancing. She kind of enjoys the nightlife Lyon or Paris has to offer and the really good food and night markets in Jakarta and Padang.

Apart from that, back in America, she'd love to take one of those long road trips across the country; maybe from New York to San Francisco, maybe hit up Vegas (jk jk, but she'd totally want to do that, even though she's like a retired grandma of a person salvaging a lost teenage-hood).

As for Nora's favourite place, she hadn't travelled much out of the continent apart from taking this incredibly long road trip to Montreal in Canada for Uncle Tommy to meet up with a friend he knew, who was also a manager at this brewery (to get some advice on opening up his own shop). Nora was like, fourteen and since Tommy couldn't leave her alone at home, he dragged her along. The city was nice and memorable, but she liked the road trip better.

Trystan: Trystan's been to like a bazillion places. I HC he'd have had not enough time to explore on his own since he'd be whisked away on diplomatic visits or as props for Maksim or Viktoria to make some political case. I'd say he wants to backpack around backpack-worthy places, if that makes sense? Like mountain trails and stuff with nature around, because he's sick of living all his life in concrete jungles.

The parks in Western Canada, Trolltunga in Norway and the hiking trails in New Zealand are some of the things he'd like to go to, but then again, he enjoys most of his vacations unplanned and spontaneous - just go on as they go.

As for Trystan's favourite place, it would definitely be Brno in Czech Republic. He went there as a student, going through boarding school in his early 20s, before his engagement to Juliana and he absolutely loved it - from being exposed to the music and architecture and the fact he made a couple of decent friends in his time there.

***

Thank you for the ask Anon! I wish I had time to get to my other pairings and mcs, but I'd say this is the only pairing I've got who are set in contemporary times where vacation is a thing (Maura would frown at the idea of even leaving Camp Cypress considering, well, zombies, Killian wouldn't know if there was land that existed beyond Morella and Artura and Guinevere would probably take days to even make it to France on a ship)

#askboxed! #anonymous #trystan x nora #thorne rose headcanons

[stickthisbig]

Kinktober, Day 8!

Breeding kink! Warnings for everything that goes with that, but it's pretty short. Brad/Killian, because it's Dread time.

"Because it's silly," Brad says. "Why would a guy- a cis guy, that's what we're talking about- why would a guy get off on somebody acting like they were trying to get him pregnant?"

"Maybe for the same reason as straight women," Madison says. 

"At least then it could be a danger kink thing," Brad says. "I understand danger kink."

Madison shrugs "I guess straight people also, like, derive joy from thinking they're creating new life or something?"

"I guess we could ask Eric," Brad says.

"Eric has a bi pride pin on his backpack," Madison says.

"No point in asking Killian," Brad says.

"Hey," Killian says.

"You're either pan, ace, or something you read about on Tumblr," Madison says.

Killian, who is omnisexual and grayromantic, seethes quietly. 

"All I'm saying is, if I'm on top of some guy," Brad says, because it turns out Brad is very free with his sexual orientation, "just pounding away, telling him I'm gonna put a baby in him? That's ridiculous, for me and for him."

Now Killian isn't saying anything because he can't stop thinking about it. Killian's big and strong but Brad is bigger, big enough to pin him against a bed and force him to stay there. The thought of Brad in him all the way to the root, plowing into him and telling him, swearing to him that he'd fill him up so full that Killian wouldn't have a choice, that Brad would be so strong and virile that it would transcend biology, force Killian to be Brad's good little bitch, tied up and docile because Brad was more, more of a man, more powerful, powerful in a way that Killian never would be-

"Yeah," Killian says, feeling a little dazed. "Why would anybody ever want that?"

#dreadventure #kinktober 2023 #s does kinktober

[jrob64]

Self-promo Sunday: 1st Anniversary Celebration

One year ago, I posted this story. It was a fun one to write - digging into Emma and Killian as high school friends, college students and first time lovers. If you’re reading it for the first time or it’s a re-read for you, I hope you enjoy it! 

Rating: M

Also found on Ao3 and ffn

*********

This wasn’t going to plan at all.

Killian Jones scrubbed his hand through his hair in frustration as Emma Swan, his best friend and the love of his life - a fact of which she was completely unaware - laughed loudly at yet another scene that was supposed to be terrifying.

He had invited her over to his apartment to watch a horror movie which, according to the reviews, was ‘guaranteed to cause heart palpitations, nightmares and ear-splitting screams of fright’, in hopes of her being so fearful she would seek the comfort of his embrace.

But she was laughing. Hysterically. Sitting as far away from him as possible on his dilapidated couch, she was nearly doubled over and wiping tears from her eyes.

He should have known. He should have remembered that nothing scared Emma Swan.

*********

The first day he set eyes on her, he was sitting in British Literature in the Fall of his junior year of high school. The teacher was droning on about the latest novel they were assigned to read, when Killian looked up to see an angel enter the room. She wore black skinny jeans tucked into battered combat boots, a red top which was short enough to allow a teasing glimpse of her stomach, and a faded jeans jacket which had definitely seen better days. Her golden tresses fell in riotous waves around her shoulders, and her green eyes glittered with defiance.

Killian was smitten at first sight.

The teacher took the note the new girl handed her, read it and turned to the class. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is…”

“Don’t announce me,” the girl growled, before moving stealthily down the aisle to slide into the seat beside him.

The teacher glared at her for a few seconds before continuing, “Very well, Miss Swan, we’ll carry on then. Please prepare to take notes since this information will be included on the upcoming test.”

Swan, Killian thought. What an absolutely appropriate name.

The girl stared back at the teacher with a bored expression and popped her gum loudly. Killian realized that, even if she felt inclined to take notes, she had nothing with her to do so. She’d walked into the room completely empty-handed except for the note she passed on to Ms. Hart.

Quickly, he tore a few sheets of paper from his notebook and scrambled to retrieve an extra pen from the bookbag on the floor beside his feet. When he offered them to her, she turned haughty eyes on him, refusing to take them from his hands.

He faltered for several seconds, then pushed them toward her again. “You really should take notes. Her tests are killer,” he said quietly.

She popped her gum again. “I. Don’t. Care.”

He struggled to pay attention to what the teacher was saying for the rest of class, sneaking glances at the blonde girl sitting beside him who was intently studying her fingernails and giving her gum a workout.

When the tone sounded for the end of the period, Killian hurriedly shoved his notebook into his backpack and trailed after the girl, who was quick to leave her seat and exit the room. He caught up with her a few steps outside the classroom door, as she pushed her way through the crowded hallway.

“Hey! What’s your next class?” he asked breathlessly.

She came to a stop and gave him another appraising look. Just when he thought she would brush him off again, she reached into the inside pocket of her jeans jacket and took out a folded sheet of paper. Flicking her eyes over it, she answered, “Chemistry.”

“That’s where I’m headed, too. Follow me, I’ll take you there.”

She shrugged. “Okay.”

He began leading the way, grinning as she fell into step beside him. “I’m Killian Jones, by the way.”

“Emma Swan.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Emma.”

“Why are you taking Brit Lit?”

“Pardon me?”

“You’re British, right? Shouldn’t you be the one teaching the class? I’m sure you’d do better than What’s-her-name. She’s as dry as the Sahara.”

Killian chuckled and scratched behind his ear. “I haven’t lived in England for several years. I just haven’t shed the accent.”

“I’m sure the girls are all falling at your feet with an accent like that.”

He scoffed at her statement. “Hardly.”

They reached the Chemistry lab and he was pleased to see her choose the stool beside him. His concentration wasn’t any better during that class, or for the rest of the day. They had two more classes together and she joined him at his table for lunch, sitting amongst the rest of the kids who didn’t belong to any groups or cliques which segregated the student body.

When the school day ended, they proceeded down the front steps together. “Did you drive to school?” he asked.

“Hell, no. I can barely afford to pay attention, let alone buy a car. How about you?”

“Oh, uh, I live just a few blocks down this way,” he explained, pointing off to his right. “Which direction is your home?”

“It’s over that way,” she said, gesturing vaguely. “I wouldn’t call it my home, though. It’s just another stop in the ongoing saga of ‘where’s Emma Swan going to live next’?”

“Your family moves a lot?”

“My family,” she spat, “is non-existent. “I’ve been a foster kid from the day I was born.”

“I’m an orphan, too. My mum died when I was seven years old. My father moved us to Storybrooke six years ago with the promise of a job on a fishing boat, but he was washed overboard in the middle of a storm just a couple of weeks after he started working, and was never found. Sarah Fisher took in my brother Liam and me, until he was old enough to get a proper job and become my legal guardian.”

“That’s who I’m living with - Sarah. She seems okay.”

“She is. She was strict, but she really cared about us. One time a kid accused me of stealing his jacket and I was suspended from school. Once she found out I didn’t do it, she went to the principal to defend me. I was sitting right outside his office and could hear her letting him have it about how I was an honest boy and just because I was a foster kid didn’t mean I was a thief. He took my suspension away and the next day, the kid admitted that he’d lost his jacket and didn’t want his parents to be mad at him.”

“Most foster parents I’ve lived with wouldn’t bother to stand up for me like that.”

“Well, Sarah will, as long as you prove to her that you’re trustworthy.”

“Good to know.”

“So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’ve got nothing better to do than come to school,” she smirked.

He grinned in return. “Have a good evening, Emma.”

“You, too.”

He turned to begin walking down the sidewalk, then heard her yell, “Hey, Killian?”

“Aye?” he asked, pivoting around to face her again.

“Thanks for, uh, talking to me and, you know, showing me around and everything,” she stammered.

“It was my pleasure, Swan.”

*********

After that first day, they were nearly inseparable. Emma continued to be a bit defiant with her teachers and most of the other students; but when she was with Killian, she let her guard down, and he was privileged to see the sweet, funny, endearingly sarcastic side of her.

She never took notes in class and still managed to ace almost all of her tests and exams. Once she heard something, it seemed to be embedded in her brain for good. The only subject which caused her problems was Calculus, and since he was excellent with numbers, he helped her through it.

They understood each other in every way that mattered, and everyone soon thought of them as a package deal. Wherever you found Emma, Killian wasn’t far behind and vice versa. He continued to be completely enamored with her, but never revealed his feelings for fear he would lose the first real friend he ever had.

When they moved to America, Liam was sixteen, broad-shouldered and outgoing, and soon found acceptance on athletic fields and courts. Killian, on the other hand, was only eleven years old; gangly, shy, morose and bookish. He wasn’t exactly bullied, but he never had what he would call actual friends. He kept to himself, trying to fade into the background as much as possible, while Liam thrived in the limelight. After graduating high school, Liam opted not to go to college, feeling the need to get a full-time job at the Storybrooke harbor so he could continue to provide a home for his younger brother.

As graduation neared for Killian, Liam insisted he continue his education to pursue his dream of being a mechanical engineer. Killian was accepted into five different universities, but he only considered going to one.

The one Emma planned to attend.

Liam wasn’t thrilled with the decision; he wanted his brother to expand his horizons and make other friends besides the girl who had Killian so starry-eyed, but never seemed to want to take their relationship to another level.

Killian stood his ground, and in the end, the two friends set off to a campus three hours from Storybrooke, living in the same dorm and carrying on their friendship. Their freshman year went by quickly as they adjusted to being independent and balancing their social life with their demanding classes.

At one point, Emma went out on a couple of dates with a guy she met in her Sociology class and Killian was heartbroken. He considered expressing his hidden feelings to her, but almost as soon as she started dating Walsh, she broke it off, calling him a jerk for telling his buddies she was an easy lay, when they hadn’t done anything more than make out for a few minutes.

They returned home for the summer, both of them working to save money for their second year; Emma as a waitress at Granny’s and a summer camp counselor, Killian doing maintenance work at the docks under Liam, who was now the harbor master.

The next semester saw Killian living in an apartment off campus, while Emma took on the job of being a Resident Advisor in one of the dorms, earning her a much-reduced room and board fee. They hung out as much as possible during their busy weeks, setting up study sessions at the library and meeting at the student union for lunch a few times.

When Emma was off-duty on the weekends, she was nearly always at Killian’s place, eating his food and enjoying the streaming services for which he and his roommates Robin, Will and Phillip splurged.

Killian grew increasingly frustrated that, despite his growth and maturity in the three years since meeting him, Emma never saw him as anything more than the awkward kid who was her first true friend. Gone was the skinny, insecure, bespectacled teenager - he used some of his graduation money to purchase contacts, grew three inches and gained thirty pounds of muscle during his first year of college - but she never even seemed to notice.

Killian finally decided that enough was enough, which was why he came up with a plan late in October of their sophomore year. His roommates were all going to be gone for the weekend and HBOMax was featuring a full menu of horror movies. He figured all he had to do was get her alone, watch a terrifying movie with her, and open his arms to allow her to bury her face in his chest. That would lead to kisses of comfort, and possibly more…

But she was far from seeking comfort in his arms as she hung over the end of the couch, laughing loudly as another bloodcurdling scream came through the sound system.

“Swan,” he grumbled through gritted teeth, “this isn’t supposed to be a bloody comedy!”

“It’s not a bloody anything! The ‘blood’ is so fake, it looks like strawberry jello,” she replied, framing ‘blood’ with air quotes.

“Don’t you find any of it even remotely frightening?”

“Yeah,” she responded, wiping more tears of laughter from her cheeks, “I find the fact that anyone would consider this to be a horror movie extremely scary. It’s so cheesy!”

Killian sighed, pulled the remote from the crevice of the couch cushions and pointed it at the television, turning it off.

“Why did you do that? I was enjoying it!”

“You just said it was cheesy!”

“It might be cheesy, but it was providing me with a good laugh, which I really need after the week I had. A full moon during the week of Halloween apparently causes college Freshmen to lose their damn minds!”

Killian pushed to his feet and tossed her the remote. “Fine, turn it back on and laugh yourself sick. I’m going to bed.”

“Hey, what’s your problem, Jones?” she asked, anger lacing her words. “I thought we were gonna have a fun night together, just like always.”

He stopped in his tracks, but didn’t turn around. “That’s the problem,” he muttered, “it’s just like always.”

“I thought you liked our movie nights.”

“I do, but…” He bit his lip and closed his eyes, wondering if he should finish the sentence.

“But what?” she prodded, rising from the sofa and stepping behind him.

Turning to face her, he said, “But it’s not enough anymore, Emma.”

She paled and he thought he detected a slight tremble of her bottom lip. “What do you mean by that? Don’t…don’t you want to hang out with me anymore?”

He finally had all he could take. Inhaling deeply, he moved within a breath of her, framed her face with his hands, and pulled her toward him to press his lips against hers.

For a few seconds, he felt her melt into the kiss, her lips soft and supple as she responded. Then suddenly, she pushed him away, staring at him with wide eyes; and that’s when Killian saw something in her expression he’d never seen before.

Fear.

Emma Swan was afraid.

“Wha-what are you doing?” she gasped.

“Something I’ve wanted to do for over three years.”

“You can’t!”

“Why not?”

“Because I’ve lost everyone in my life. I…I can’t lose you, too.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Emma.”

“You say that now, but…”

“Haven’t I been with you through thick and thin? Why would that change if we…if we were more than just friends?”

“Is that really what you want?” she whispered, her voice shaking with emotion.

“It’s what I’ve wanted since the first moment I saw you.” His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his throat, but he kept his eyes locked on hers. “I think I fell in love with you as soon as you mouthed off to Ms. Hart that day, and my feelings have done nothing but get stronger in the last three years.”

“You love me?” she squeaked. “I mean…really love me?”

He nodded slowly, then raised his hands to cradle her face, brushing his thumbs across her cheeks. “Don’t you know, Emma? It’s you, and it will always be you.”

“But what if…”

“Always, Emma. Always.”

Her eyes searched his face for any hint of a lie, something she could detect easily. Finding none, some of the tension left her body, and yet she still hesitated.

Killian pressed on. “I’ve told you where I stand, Swan; it’s your turn to tell me what you want. I promise that no matter what it is, I won’t leave you. I’d rather have you as a friend, than not have you in my life at all.”

He watched as a gamut of emotions played over her face, and saw the exact moment when she was finally ready to give in. “I want…I want to stop denying my feelings for you, too. I want the final bricks of the wall around my heart to be broken down completely. And I want…”

Killian waited with bated breath as she furrowed her brow, clearly trying to figure out how to finish the sentence. “Want what, Love?” he quietly prompted.

“I want you to know that I love you, too.”

“Yeah?” he whispered, barely daring to hope.

“Yeah,” she said, the surety in her voice setting his mind at ease.

A grin slowly stretched across his face, then he surged forward to capture her lips. This time, there was no hesitancy in the kiss; only passion and fire as they sought to express the feelings they had both repressed for so long. Tongues tangled, teeth clashed, hands roamed, moans worked their way up from their throats. The kiss was everything they wanted and not quite what they needed all at the same time.

“K-Killian?” she gasped.

“Mmhmm,” he uttered, still trying to devour her.

“Do you have…protection?”

He separated their lips at last, panting for breath as his eyes searched hers. “No, but I’m sure Will does.”

“Can you find some?”

“Are you sure, Emma?”

“I…I think so? I just, I haven’t ever…you know.”

“Neither have I.”

“Really?”

“Who would I have done it with? I’ve been in love with you for years and I didn’t want to go to bed with someone just to say I wasn’t a virgin anymore.”

“That’s how I felt, too.”

“I have another confession to make,” he ventured, figuring he might as well throw all his hats into the ring. “I’ve never even French kissed a girl before. The only other girl I ever kissed was Ariel during that school play we performed. I’m sorry if my kisses…if they’re…”

She placed her index finger over his lips. “They’re perfect. I could easily kiss you for the rest of the night, if there wasn’t another first that I want to experience with you.”

He leaned his forehead against hers. “I want that, too. God, Emma, I want that so much.”

“Check Will’s room and I’ll meet you in yours.”

He nodded and kissed the tip of her nose, before peeling away to hurry upstairs.

Emma quickly locked the front door and ran up the steps two at a time, dashing into the bathroom to pee and check herself in the mirror, before going into his room across the hall. She pulled off her hoodie and tossed it on the floor, then sat down on his twin bed and jiggled her leg nervously as she waited for him.

It was only a couple of minutes before he joined her, triumphantly waving a long strip of condoms. “Jackpot!” he crowed.

“Thank God Will is promiscuous,” Emma snorted.

Killian laughed and sat down beside her, shoving the condoms under his pillow. “So, um, are you…ready?”

“Yeah. Are you?”

“I’m, uh, kinda nervous.”

“So am I, but that’s probably normal, don’t you think?”

“Aye.” He started rubbing at the spot behind his ear which always garnered his attention when he was anxious.

“Why don’t we…lay down?” she asked timidly.

“Okay.”

They stretched their bodies out on the narrow bed, fully clothed and facing each other, and she reached up to brush her fingers along his jaw. “You didn’t shave today.”

“I’ve been working on a project and haven’t taken the time to do it for a couple of days.” Starting to sit up, he said, “I can go…”

“No, don’t. I like it. It’s very sexy.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmhmm.” Her lips followed the trail her fingers had blazed. “I might have chapped lips tomorrow, but it will be worth it!”

Killian grinned, and wrapped her in his arms to pull her against him. He initiated more kisses, which grew increasingly more fiery and frantic, then began fumbling with the hem of her T-shirt, trying to pull it up her body.

“H-hold on,” she mumbled. “Let me just…” Untangling her arms from around him, she sat up slightly and yanked on the shirt, briefly becoming trapped in it as it got caught in her hair, before finally succeeding in getting it over her head.

Killian’s eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store when he saw her lace-covered breasts, heaving with exertion after the passionate kisses and the battle with her shirt. He licked his lips and tentatively raised his fingers to touch them, stopping just short and looking up at her. “May I?”

“They’re all yours,” she smirked. “Do you know how to work a bra?”

His cheeks reddened. “Elsa’s are in the laundry sometimes,” he admitted, referring to Liam’s girlfriend, “and I...I’ve practiced with them a time or two.”

“Of course you have,” she giggled. “Well, why don’t you see if the practice pays off?”

Licking his lips again, he directed his attention back down to her chest, dipping his fingers into the valley of her cleavage, then using them to trace the edges of her bra around to the fastenings at the back. Despite his hands shaking nervously, it only took him a couple of attempts to undo the hooks.

“Ta-dah!” he celebrated.

“Yeah, nice trick, Magic Mike,” she commented dryly, shrugging out of the undergarment and tossing it behind her, while his jaw slackened in awe of the perfection in front of him. Seeing the hunger in his eyes, she urged him to roll over on his back, and shifted until she was hovering over him, surrounding him with a curtain of her thick, blonde hair.

He eagerly reached for her breasts, cupping them in his hands and rubbing both thumbs across the hardening nipples. The sensations he created caused her to close her eyes and moan, exciting him further and inspiring him to experiment with sucking a nipple into his mouth.

She threw her head back, moaning louder, and her arms, which were supporting her, began to shake. His hand squeezed and fondled her other breast, while he sucked harder, only pulling away to ask, “How does that feel, Love?”

“Amazingggg,” she groaned. “Fucking amazing!”

Grinning, he returned to his task, sucking several purplish marks into the soft skin surrounding her areola. Seeing those small bruises on her breast sent a rush of possessiveness through him that he couldn’t really explain, and he felt his cock swell further at the thought of her being his completely.

“Killian,” Emma gasped, pulling him from his musings. “You’re gonna make me come just from doing that!”

“Is that a bad thing?” he asked innocently.

“Hell no! I just…I never knew…you had…such a talented mouth!” she managed to say.

Wanting to reverse their positions, he rolled them over and…

Landed right on top of her on the floor.

“Ow!” she exclaimed, reaching up to rub the back of her head.

“Sorry, Swan!” he immediately apologized. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she assured him, then burst out laughing. “Real smooth, Casanova!” she teased, watching the tips of his ears turn red.

“Bloody hell! Talk about ruining the moment!” he cursed, scrambling to move his body weight off of her.

“You didn’t ruin anything,” she soothed as she sat up. “You just provided some comic relief.”

“When you remember this night, can you conveniently forget that part?”

“Not a chance!” She stood and tugged on his arm to help him to his feet. “While we’re up, we might as well get rid of the rest of these clothes.”

“O-okay. Do you want to…or should I…”

She put her hand on his chest. “Promise me something, Killian”

“Anything.”

“Promise not to be ashamed of showing me your body. I know how self-conscious you are and I don’t want you to hold back or be inhibited in any way. I love everything about you, including your body.”

“I’ll try my best as long as you help me. You’ve always been the fearless one, Swan.”

She grabbed the hem of his T-shirt, quickly sliding it up his body. He accommodated her by raising his arms so she could easily finish removing it.

Her eyes widened as she took in the glorious whorls of hair covering his chest. “Why the hell have you been keeping this covered? You don’t even take your shirt off at the beach!”

His fingers found their way behind his ear again. “It’s embarrassing to have so much hair.”

“Are you kidding me?” she sputtered, tenderly stroking her fingers through the soft strands. “Do you know what some guys would give to have perfect chest hair like this?”

“Well, some guys used to poke fun at me for it when I was in eighth grade.”

“That’s called jealousy, Kil. You’re not allowed to hide it from me anymore, because I love it!”

“Duly noted.”

Her fingers continued exploring his chest, circling his nipples and scratching across his abs, while her tongue found its way to the hollow of his throat and collarbone. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying to keep himself under control, but after a few more moments, he growled and grabbed her hands, raising a warning eyebrow at her.

She smirked at him, then he dropped her hands and reached forward to pop the button on her jeans and pull the zipper down. As soon as they were loosened, she shimmied them down her legs, leaving her in only a lacy pair of panties.

He swallowed hard, looking at the tiny triangle of material covering her most intimate area.

“Your turn,” she said, reaching to unbuckle his belt and remove it.

“Um, okay,” he replied nervously. Taking a deep breath, he unzipped his jeans and shoved them down all in one motion. It reminded Emma of trying to remove a bandaid quickly so it caused a minimum of pain.

His boxer briefs sported a sizable bulge and he started to bring his hands up to cover it.

“Uh, uh, uh,” she admonished. “You promised.”

He dropped his arms, holding them awkwardly at his sides.

“Can I take them off of you?” she asked, gesturing toward his underwear.

“Uh, I…I guess?”

She looked up at him through her lashes and licked her lips, then hooked her fingers in the waistband and pulled them out and over the tip of his cock. Dropping to her knees, she finished dragging them down his legs, her eyes widening at the sight of his rigid cock right in front of her.

Without hesitation, she slid her hands back up his legs and wrapped them around his sizable member. As Killian held his breath, she slowly ran her hands up and down the smooth, velvety skin, causing it to slide and shift.

“I’ve never seen a guy’s cock in person,” she commented, still concentrating on the stroking she was doing. “Are they always this big?”

“I…I don’t know. I’ve never…compared…bloody hell, Emma!”

“What?” She peeked up at him with a look of innocence on her face.

“If you keep doing that, you’re gonna make me come before we even get to the…the act.”

“The act? You’re calling it the act?”

“What else am I supposed to call it?”

“Making love, having sex, anything but ‘the act’!”

“Maybe I’m not ready for this,” he groaned, closing his eyes and dropping his head back.

“Oh, I’d say by the looks of this,” she said, giving his cock another stroke, “you’re more than ready.”

“Can you please stop doing that? I really want to make love to you.”

 “I thought guys liked having their cocks stroked.”

“We do, but not if it makes us shoot our wad too soon.”

She giggled as she pushed herself back to her feet. “Shoot your wad,” she snickered. “What a weird way to put it.”

“Are you gonna criticize everything I s-”

He stopped talking as she plunged her tongue inside his mouth. Their hands moved desperately over each other’s bared skin and soon they were falling backwards onto the bed again.

Killian maneuvered them until Emma was on her back in the middle of the bed, then began licking, sucking and kissing down her throat, across her breasts, and along the length of her body. With every nip and graze of his teeth along her overly sensitive skin, her back arched and she uttered indecipherable words.

When he reached the apex of her thighs, he removed the last remaining scrap of material, and she automatically spread her legs apart, giving him a strong whiff of her arousal. He inhaled deeply, then tentatively dragged two fingers through her folds, gathering her slickness on the tips of them.

She shivered at the sensation and gripped the corners of the pillow underneath her head with both hands. “Please…do that again.”

He obliged and this time, his fingers brushed under the hood exposing her bundle of nerves. Shockwaves of pleasure shot through her body and she emitted a long, low moan. “More, Killiannnnn…”

His fingers continued slipping through the ever-increasing arousal she was producing, and he took note of what made her writhe and moan the most. He discovered if he put pressure on the little nub, her legs would quiver and quake; so he concentrated on that area until her head was thrashing back and forth on the pillow. When he ventured to give it a little pinch, it was all she needed to fall over the edge.

“Yes! Yesss! YESSSS!!!” she screamed, and he watched as ecstasy filled her face.

“That was good, yeah?” he asked, once she seemed to come back to earth.

“Are you fucking kidding me? I’ve never felt anything that good in my life!” she panted.

“So that was your first orgasm?”

“I’ve given myself a few, but none as intense as that! I didn’t even know I could have one without actually, you know…”

“Doing the act?” he smirked.

She rolled her eyes. “You big nerd - you’re lucky I love you!”

“Aye, that I am,” he responded, his eyes going soft as he gave her a sweet smile.

Returning his smile, she said, “Now, let’s see what we can do about getting you off.” She gripped his shoulders and pulled him down to her, kissing him within an inch of his life. When she was sure she had his head spinning, she changed positions with him so that she was on top, making sure they were a safe distance from the edge of the narrow mattress.

Reaching under the pillow, she pulled out the condoms and separated one from the strip, tore open the package and took it out. Holding it up, she flipped it over a couple of times before placing it at the tip of his straining shaft and rolling it down. “Am I doing this right?”

“Not sure, but you definitely make it feel good!”

After throwing him a grin, she carefully straddled him, placed her hands on his chest and scratched her fingers through his luxurious hair. Then she started to slide her slippery cunt along his shaft.

“Emma, god!” he grunted, squeezing his eyes closed tightly. “Feels bloody, fucking fantastic!”

After making sure his cock was coated with her arousal, she lifted up a little. “I…I think I’m ready. Are you?” she asked, meeting his blue gaze once his eyes opened.

“Aye, Love, but go slow. Please don’t let me hurt you.”

“I won’t.”

“You’ll tell me if you’re uncomfortable?”

“I will, I promise.”

With that reassurance, he nodded at her and she raised herself over him, lined him up, and began to sink down around him. When it started to burn, she pulled back, then sank down a little further. After doing this several times, he finally filled her completely and she stopped moving with her ass resting on his thighs and her hands planted on his chest supporting her weight.

He clutched the blanket underneath him as the feeling of being inside the woman he loved overwhelmed his senses. “Are you alright?” he gritted out.

“I’m good. How about you?”

“I…I…feel like I’m gonna explode.”

“Do you want me to move?”

“Yeah, but not off of me. Just…just try sliding up and down.”

She tentatively did as he asked and soon both of them were taking pleasure from each other. Emma pumped her body up and down while Killian thrust up into her. The tension continued to build until suddenly he gripped her hips and held her tight against him.

Feeling the pulsing of his cock, she couldn’t hold on any longer and let herself give in to the bliss she could already see on his face.

Suddenly completely spent, she collapsed on top of him. Spasms shook their bodies and Killian gripped her ass. “Are you doing something to cause that, Swan?” he asked breathlessly.

“I think…they’re called aftershocks,” she giggled into his chest.

“How do you know that?”

“Hang around a dorm full of girls long enough, you learn things.”

They laid quietly for several minutes, their hearts slowing, sweat cooling, and minds racing with the implications of what had taken place in the last hour.

Killian had never felt as happy and content as he did in that moment; until he heard the next words to come out of Emma’s mouth.

“We should have become friends with benefits a long time ago.”

His stomach dropped and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. “Is…is that what you think this is?” he forced out through a throat that was constricted with disappointment. “Nothing but sex? I…I thought you said…”

Her head shot up and he saw a look of contrition on her face. “No, no, no! That’s not what I meant, Kil! Of course it’s more than just sex! I mean, it was amazing, but it…I love you! I know we haven’t talked about where we go from here, but if I have my way, we’d be together as a couple, not just friends.”

His heart started beating again. “Is that really what you want?”

She folded her arms across his chest and leaned forward to brush her lips against his. “Absolutely, as long as it’s what you want, too.”

“Without a doubt,” he answered, relief flooding him at her admission. “Can I ask you something?”

“Mmm, sure,” she said, nuzzling her nose against his throat.

“How long have you known you love me?”

She lifted her head again and shrugged. “I think I’ve known for a long time, but I didn’t want to admit it.”

“Why not?”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I asked you first.”

“You know you sound like a ten-year-old right now, don’t you?”

“Just answer the question, Swan.”

“I guess I was…scared. You’re my best friend and I didn’t want to do anything to screw that up.”

“The fearless Emma Swan was scared?”

Her eyes fell away from his as she watched her finger trace his jawline, and he saw a blush creeping up her neck into her face. “I’m not fearless, Killian. Not when it comes to you. In my childhood, people were always letting me down…”

“Hey - I don’t intend to let you down.”

“I know, but it’s not you I was worried about. I was afraid I would be the one letting you down.”

“How could you ever do that?”

“I couldn’t help but think that one day you would figure out it wasn’t worth the effort of putting up with a high-maintenance friend like me.”

“You’re not high-maintenance.”

“You have to admit it’s challenging being my friend.”

“I love a challenge,” he grinned, then grew serious. “Emma, in three years, I’ve yet to find a single thing about you that I don’t love. You don’t have to be afraid of losing me because I already told you - I’m not going anywhere.”

She smiled and leaned in to briefly press her lips to his, but before she could pull away, he moved his hand to the back of her head and held her in place to deepen the kiss. Soon their bodies began responding to the intense feelings, and they found themselves moving on to round two, during which they experimented with more ways to bring pleasure to one another, which continued into round three…and four…and…

By the time the weekend was over, Emma knew she never had to fear losing her best friend, now lover and boyfriend, and Killian’s dreams finally came true.

He also had to buy Will a new box of condoms.

*********

Tagging: @xsajx​ @hookedmom​ @kymbersmith-90​ @kmomof4​ @lassluna​​ @pirateherokillian​ @teamhook​ @stahlop​ @elizabeethan​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose​ @resident-of-storybrooke​​ @therooksshiningknight​ @jennjenn615​ @lfh1226-linda​​ @ilovemesomekillianjones​ @killianswannn​ @stories-enchanted​​ @eleveneitherway​ @withheartfulloflove​ @kday426​​ @lyssapup27​​ @swanlovato @djlbg​ @kristi555​ @laschatzi​ @xarandomdreamx​​ @lkles08​​ @wyntereyez​​ @bubblegum1425​​ @xhookswenchx​​ @yasbio2015​​ @tiganasummertree​​ @winterbaby89​​ @wefoundloveunderthelight​​ @hollyethecurious​​ @let-it-raines​​ @jonesfandomfanatic​​ @searchingwardrobes​​ @dreamingdreamsalways​​ @oncechicagolove​​ @andiirivera​​  @gingerchangeling​​ @everything-person​​ @klynn-stormz​​ @qualitycoffeethings​​ @vampcoffeegyrl23​​ @enchanted-swans​​ @ohmakemeahercules​​ @donteattheappleshook​​ @bluewildcatfanatic​​ @the-darkdragonfly​​ @demisexualemmaswan​​ @lavenderbudd​​ @grimmswan​​ @spartanguard​​ @flslp87​​ @ultraluckycatnd​​ @thisonesatellite​​ @captainswan21​​ @zaharadessert​​ @mariakov81​​ @snowbellewells​​ @xouatxcs​​ @kiwistreetswan​​ @batana54​​ @nadine200179​​ @probalicious17​​ @courtorderedcake​​ @julesep3026​​ @jackieorioncat​​ @whatthehell102082​​ @jarienn972​​ @sthonour​​ @linda8084​​  @pirateprincesslena​​ @daxx04​​ @winterbythesea​​ @artistic-writer​​ @cocohook38​​ @captainswan4life85​​ @molly958​​ @kingofmyheart14​​ @badwolfreturns​​ @itsfridaysomewhere​​@fallingforthecaptain​​  @onceratheart18​​ @strangestarlighttree​​ @omgmarvelousmorgan​​ @justanother-unluckysoul​​ @mrs-potato-but-likes-tomato​​ @anothersworld​​ @deckerstarblanche​​ @purplehawkcaptain​​  @superchocovian​​ @k-leemac​​ @citygirlscowboy​​ @laughterandbooks​​ @sotangledupinit​​ @apiratewhopines​​ @huntressandlioness1​​ @cosette141​​  @gingerpolyglot​​ @motherkatereloyshipper​​ @cs-rylie​

#self promo Sunday #his fearless swan #csff #jrob64 #CS modern AU #1 year anniversary #cs fanfiction #captain swan fan fiction #ouat captain swan fanfic #high school friends Emma & Killian #college students Emma & Killian #first time lovers Emma & Killian

[darkshadow7]

I’m not perfect!!

It was night in the United Realms. In Storybrooke a group of teenagers wearing dark clothes as they take out spray cans.

“We’re ready to do this?”

“Yeah.”

“Well hurry up.”

“Shh shut up. You’re trying to get us caught?”

“Whatever. Let’s just get this done with.”

“Yeesh what’s eaten you?”

“Nothing okay.”

The teens began spray on the wall, and as soon as they finished the sirens of a yellow bug was coming.

“Shoot it’s her.”

“Grab the cans, and run!!”

They grabbed the spray cans, and began to run as fast as they could till they ended up in a fence alleyway.

“Crap we’re trapped.”

“I don’t think so.”

The teen put the bag of spray cans on one of their shoulders.

“Go!! Go!!”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine. Just go!!”

The other teens began to climb over the fence, and fled as the yellow bug arrived, and a woman wearing a red jacket named Emma Swan came out of the vehicle with a gun.

“Hands up where I can see them.”

The teen raise the hands up as Emma approached the teen, and pulled the ski mask off revealing to be a teenage girl with blonde hair, and blue eyes.

“Hope!?”

A few hours later, having her be detained at the police station, and bringing her home, they began to argue with Killian after Emma grounds Hope for 3 months.

“Yeah just ground me for not being pathetic, and not being perfect, and being immature.”

“Hope you better stop with this attitude.”

“No, I'm not going to stop!! I’m not the perfect daughter!! No prince is going to come for me!! I will never be good enough to the entire family!!”

“You don’t have to be perfect Hope, but you can’t keep getting in trouble, and breaking laws.”

“Oh like how you stole the yellow bug, multiple watches, killed Cruella, and dad stole a navy ship, Gold’s previous wife, killed both his dad, and gramp’s dad?”

Emma, and Killian were shocked as Hope went upstairs, and went to her room slamming the door in rage, locking it in the process. She went to her bed, and screamed in the pillow.

Emma was still shocked from Hope’s words as Killian grabs her hand.

“Swan I understand that you’re hurt, but it’s best to give her some space. I’ll go talk to her.”

Killian went upstairs, and knocked on Hope’s door as Hope was holding her Pooh bear toy in her arms with tears.

“Go away!!”

“Hope just open the door, and let’s talk about it.”

Hope went to her door till a huge quake hit causing the lights to flicker till the lights went completely out. The only light shining is the stars outside.

“What was that?”

Hope, confused, grabbed her phone turning on the light as she unlocked it, and opened the door noticing her dad wasn't in front of her door, thinking he was downstairs, and went downstairs seeing no one, not her parents. She dialed her mom’s phone, and her phone rang on the table causing Hope to breathe rapidly. She quickly head upstairs, and went to her room grabbing her backpack packed her things, and found her dad’s sword tying it to her jeans via the scabbard, and put on her red/black jacket after changing out of her dark clothes putting on regular clothes, and black boots as she headed downstairs with her things as another quake hits that she nearly tripped that she sees the house beginning to be devoured by the darkness that she quickly got out as the house is devoured.

She went downtown seeing everyone panicking, and disappearing by being devoured by the darkness. The clock tower begins to crack, and fall as Hope moves out of the way. Hope then sees Henry that she ran up to him.

“Henry what’s going on?”

“Magic is dying.”

“What?”

“Magic is dying, Hope. It’s causing all the realms to disappear.”

“Like they’re being erased from existence. Is there a way to save it.”

“The library might have the answer.”

Henry then began to be devoured by the darkness.

“No, no, no, no Henry!!”

It was too late. Henry is gone as she begins to shed tears. Wiping her tears she headed to the library checking each book.

“The enchanted house, Legend of Sisu, Melody Times. It’s not here. What’s this?”

She takes out the book, and blew the dust off the book.

“Legend of the Wishing Star?”

Hope then sees the library start to be devoured by the darkness as well that she put the book in her backpack, and quickly gets out as the library is completely devoured by the darkness.

“What am I going to do?”

As Storybrooke begins to be devoured with the darkness approaching her, Hope begins to feel hopeless till the wishing star begins to shine, showing her a path guiding her to a place. As the darkness chases her after devouring all the realms, and Storybrooke Hope begins to run to where the wishing star is guiding her to a light. She breathed heavily as she saw the way collapse as the darkness approached her ready to devour her.

“Looks like I have no choice. All I gotta do is jump!!”

Hope jumps into the light as the darkness consumes everything till there’s nothing.

#once upon a time #hope jones #hope swan jones #light #fanfic #disney100 #wondrous journey #darkness

[casspurrjoybell-24]

My Mate - Chapter 7 - Part 3

*Warning Adult Content*

"By the Goddess," I shouted out loud, wanting desperately to stop thinking about Robert Killian.

Embarrassed, I glanced around to make sure I was alone on the street.

Thankfully no one had witnessed my outburst.

That stupid Alpha just gets on my nerves so much.

Like he has a special ability to get under my skin and annoy me.

Whatever, soon I'll have my Mate who will wipe my mind of him.

Determined and newly motivated, I didn't turn down the road that led to my house and instead continued on to the pack house.

I did remember Mom telling me to stay away but finding my Mate was worth the risk.

I'll just walk in and snatch my Mate.

She won't even know I was there.

It sounded logical enough.

Besides, Mom probably wouldn't even care given that her mind was distracted with Calvin.

She hadn't talked to him since dinner last night.

Not that she could have, he left not much longer and hadn't come back home.

I know it was a really messed up situation but I'm going to be an uncle and I love pups.

When the pack house came into view, my heart started beating a little faster.

My Mate's in there, I know he is.

Gripping the straps of my backpack tightly, I paused in front of the big house and looked up at it.

I've been waiting for this day since I learned about Mates.

Mom told me I'll know immediately.

They'll smell like the most amazing thing in the world.

I had argued with her that nothing smelled as good as freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

She couldn't describe what a brush of contact felt like but she did say that it's something that can't be ignored.

My soul will guide me to its other half and my whole being will crave them.

When I was little, that all sounded hilarious to me.

Now, I was a little scared... it's scary knowing another person had that much control over you.

They could either make you the happiest wolf in the world or completely ruin you with only a few words but I had that same control over them, we were equal in this.

Biting my lip nervously, I walked up to the front door.

It wasn't a question if my Mate was here... I could already feel him.

It was like I was being pulled forward by an invisible rope.

My heart was going crazy, beating so fast it was starting to hurt a little.

Hopefully I won't have a heart attack and die in my Mate's arms.

I shivered after opening the door, my hands sweating and my breathing becoming shallow.

I could feel them, their presence almost suffocating.

I'm not sure I would have continued if my instinct to go to my Mate hadn't taken over.

Already I had lost control of myself.

My steps grew faster the closer I got.

Others in the pack house seemed to realize what was going on with me and a crowd grew.

It only made me nervous.

Why did they all have to be such nosey assholes?

Any other day they would have ignored me as if I wasn't there.

I paused long enough to glare at the Werewolves closest to me before stomping down the hall.

I wasn't sure where I was going but I had a new spike of determination.

Pushing open the double doors, I froze as realization dawned and eyes turned towards me.

Mom's going to kill me.

Not only had she told me to stay away but I've done the very thing she didn't want me to.

The Alpha Leader stood from his seat at the head of the table, his eyes on me like everyone else's.

"Torin, is there a reason you're interrupting this meeting?"

My mouth opened but no words came out.

I risked a glance at the tables occupants as I grew dizzy, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Two pairs of brown eyes stuck out amongst the others but only one pair made the hair on my arms stand and made it difficult to breathe properly.

"Torin."

I stumbled forward, the sound of his voice making my ears ring.

Darkness clouded my vision as I chuckled slightly.

How strange, I thought before tipping over.

********

Groaning, I rolled over and buried my head into the pillow that smelled really good.

I wanted to go back to sleep but something had woken me up and sleep seemed far out of reach now.

Cracking open my eyes, I looked at the wall the bed was pressed up against.

The poster of a half dressed woman right in my face.

What the fuck?

Shooting up, I looked around the room that obviously wasn't mine.

It was messy, with clothes on the floor and a desk littered with junk.

Crawling to the edge of the bed, I was eager to sneak out of the room and run home.

It didn't matter that everything smelt so good.

It wasn't until I was standing that I realized my shoes and jeans were missing.

Looking down at my bare feet and my lucky green Hulk boxers, I knew I was going to kill the pervert that undressed me.

It was either run home in my underwear or shift.

I had just finished shifting and was fighting my way out of my shirt when the bedroom door opened.

I shivered at the closeness of him and I dreaded the realization of what had happened.

Why had I been so excited about my birthday?

I didn't have a heart attack in front of my Mate but I did pass out.

It didn't matter though, it was only Robert.

Finally getting out of my shirt, I bared my teeth and growled at the huge Alpha male standing in the doorway.

My attempt to frighten him only made him coo at me as if I was a cute pup.

Robert shut the door behind him and scooped me up off the floor, cuddling me close to him.

I purred like a stupid cat, rubbing my head against the side of his face.

What the crap is wrong with me?

I knew the answer to that though.

There was no denying it and I'd never reject him, no matter who he is.

Even if he's my brother's best friend.

I'd finally found him.

My Mate.

[englishindubellay]

ecg 1

Prefer – would rather - like – would like - mind

Ammar préfère conduire que de voyager en train, pourtant c’est bien moins écologique et économique. Prefer (un quai de gare, réserver un billet, prendre un train, un wagon, to jump on the bandwagon), monter à bord d'un train, être dans le train, le train-train quotidien, le train de vie

Tilian préfèrerait aller en vacances à l’étranger car il connaît déjà toutes les régions de France. Il ment ! Rather (la Bretagne, la Bourgogne, up and down the country, la campagne, across the world, worldwide, nationwide)

Lucas préfèrerait de pas sortir ce soir car il est fatigué et il a d’autres chats à fouetter comme réviser ses maths. rather not (to hang around, a hangover, drink-driving, enfreindre la loi, un chaton, a fat cat, to fight like cat and dog)

Gautier a demandé : « Qui va conduire ? ». Estéban a répondu : « Je préfèrerais que tu conduises. Comme ça, je pourrais boire une bière chez Mathurin ». rather (to hitchhike, emmener quelqu'un en voiture, un backpacker, to thumb a car, car-pooling, un automobiliste, un 4x4, Peux-tu m'emmener à...)

Est-ce que tu vas dire à Romain ce que j’ai dit à son sujet ? Je préfèrerais qu’il ne le sache pas. Rather (by word of mouth, to gossip, a friend in need is a friend indeed, to slander, swear words, four letter words)

Killian n’aime pas qu’on le fasse attendre. C’est pourquoi il est toujours en retard. C’est un drôle de comportement, non ? Like (a wait and see attitude, a waiter, a waitress, attendre un train, attendre un bébé)

Edwin m’a dit qu’il n’aimerait pas aller en boite tout seul. La prochaine fois, invite-le. Il sera ravi. Would not like (a venue, sortir en boite, bien s'amuser, a gig, la beuverie expresse, se sentir pompette)

Dis-moi Timothée, ça t’embêterait de fermer la porte. Je ne veux pas que Lison entende ce dont nous allons parler. Mind (fenêtre, plafond, sol, cloison, a lounge, la cave, le grenier, le toit, le sous-sol, le garage, a closet, a wardrobe, a coffee-book table, a bed-side table, the spare room)

Ca ne gêne pas Sara de regarder trois épisodes de Game of Thrones d’affilée. Elle est vraiment accro. Mind (binge watching, une série, regarder la télé, a couch-potato, un abonné, s'abonner, sous titré, doublé)

Ca t’embête si je demande à mahaut de me déposer à la gare ? Pas du tout. Je me demande pourquoi tu me poses cette question ! Mind (être pressé, être à l'heure, arriver en avance, l'avenir appartient à celui qui se lève tôt, passer prendre quelqu'un , a pick up point, car-pooling)

Ophélie n’a pas pu venir à mon anniversaire. Elle aurait aimé venir. Tant pis mais j’espère qu’elle me donnera un cadeau. Would like au passé (un cadeau d'anniversaire, une carte d'anniversaire, fêter un anniversaire, fêter, a gift, avoir 18 ans (passer l'âge de 18 ans, être mûr(e))

[amiratalks]

Amira hadn’t thought to take much when she’d left. It had been a spontaneous decision, one made of fear and uncertainty. With each passing day she’d come to regret it, and yet with each new morning — each text and phone call gone ignored, each unanswered plea to come home — it became harder for her to undo the mess she’d created. She felt it was too late to simply turn around, stroll up to the front door of her very first home, and beg Killian to take her back. Instead, she lay on her hard motel bed, tossing and turning in the night, the only thing to keep her warm a jumper she’d swiped from his room before leaving. 

It had been a surprisingly warm afternoon, early October, when everything had taken a turn for the worse. She’d been on her way to meet Killian, a spring in her step as she’d slipped down side streets, ducked into alley ways and skirted through neighbourhoods, avoiding busy streets and crowds of tourists, expertly weaving the city as though it were her own. She was clutching two disposable paper cups; a caramel hot chocolate for herself, black coffee for Killian. Amira had always teased him, noting what a waste of money it was to spend money on something that would take 30 seconds to make at home, but really, she supposed she should just be grateful he was paying for it at all. Besides, the drinks from A Novel Idea were some of the best, and the cheerful barista that always greeted her reminded her so much of her brother. The two of them would swap tales as she placed her order, sharing customer service war stories and showing off brand new scars; his afflictions were usually a result of clumsiness or a collision on the baseball field, Amira’s tended to be a reflection of her less than savoury way of living. 

She never made it to Killian. His texts of confusion, slowly turning to concern, had filled her screen not an hour later. It would be a lie for her to pretend she hadn’t seen the posters. They’d been plastered all over the city, a flier had even passed under hers and Kill’s front door. He’d sneered at it — a circus? Really? — while Amira had felt as though the world had stopped spinning, her heart aching in her chest.  There’d been hope mingled in with that fear too — her parents and her sweet baby brother were going to be in New York City, after all. Maybe she could reach out, if they’d let her. She could finally have the reunion she’d waited all those years for, 12 years in the making. 

And then she’d seen Pierre. It was fleeting; he hadn’t seen her, though she doubted he’d actually recognise her after all this time, but Amira would never forget his face. His features had sharpened over the years, he’d grown his hair out. On the surface, he was what might be mistaken for handsome, a charming young man with a twinkle in his eye, but she knew the truth. She knew how that gentle, patient smile he wore was simply a front for a much darker truth. 

Her body had reacted instantly; legs seizing up, rooting her to the spot as fingers trembled. The hot drinks had slipped from her grasp, clattering to the floor as their lids exploded, hot liquid puddling at her feet, splashing her clothes, scalding pop her exposed ankles. She didn’t feel any of it, she barely registered the people that bustled past her, shoulders harshly colliding with her own; cries from angry New Yorkers calling her an idiot, telling her to get out of the way, blissfully unaware of the inner turmoil that had taken ahold of her as she stood there, unmoving. 

The next hour had passed in a blur. Amira had no recollection of getting herself back to the apartment, she couldn’t recall finding the strength to carry her feet, didn’t know if she’d walked, ran or even crawled her way there. She’d taken no time to process what she’d seen, simply burst through her bedroom door and started snatching things up. She remembered the way panic had seized in her chest when she’d walked into Killian’s bedroom in search of a bag. She’d grabbed the first backpack she’d seen, emptying its contents onto his bed next to a sleeping Wraith, jolting the cat awake. Tiny bags littered across the duvet, white powder packed to the seam, bottles of pills clattering alongside them. Amira’s breath had hitched in her throat, her legs giving way beneath her as she fell to the floor in a heap. She felt as though she’d never catch her breath ever again; it had taken all of her willpower to force herself back up onto her feet, Wraith clawing at her as she’d heaved the cat into her arms and out of the room, her sole focus to ensure the cat couldn’t get into the contents of those bags, forcing urges to the back of her own mind. 

The bag was packed within minutes, Killian’s jumper the last thing to go in. It was cashmere — no doubt a gift from Saskia, it had certainly once worn a price tag that she knew Killian would turn his nose up at under any other circumstances. It was soft, warm, the smell of him wafting towards her nostrils; the only bit of comfort she’d allow herself. 

And, just like that, she was gone. She’d dropped her keys onto the kitchen table, beside it a scrap of paper with nothing but the words I’m sorry. clumsily etched onto it, and she hadn’t turned back. 

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought of that day, pulling the fabric of her stolen sweater closer, trying to breathe in one last hint of Killian. The scent was long gone. 2 months of sleeping rough, shifting from damp hostels to dodgy motels, every last penny that she’d managed to save up in the past year soon wasted, her funds running dry. Now, the sweater simply carried a musty smell that made her wince, nose crinkling whenever the heavy winds carried it to her nostrils. 

It wasn’t intentional, ending back in New York. She’d initially hopped on the first train out of the city, not even looking to see where it would take her. Yet, with time, she’d edged herself closer to New York, hardly aware that she was doing it, the city calling out for her. 

She missed him. Missed what they had, whatever it was. They’d taken upwards of two years to build up trust, a safe haven of sorts. Neither of them found it easy to open themselves up to strangers, go let people in, and yet she’d shattered that trust the moment she’d left. She wondered absently if the damage was irreparable, or if Killian might be able to find it in him to forgive her. It was a hopeless thought, the type of dream that only existed within fairytales. Amira knew he had never been the forgiving type; he tended to hold grudges so much as he cradled and coddled them. He tended to them like they were pets, nursing them as though they were something so fragile and breakable. They sat in his palm, made of glass, one wrong turn enough for his fingers to curl around them, crushing them to a fine dust. 

It was that final thought that had carried her to sleep, exhaustion taking hold of her and pulling her under. She couldn’t have known, in those moments, that Killian was a mere 500 yards from her. Amira’s name on his lips as he enquired about her at the front desk, the underpaid motel staff oblivious, only vaguely familiar with the fake name she’d provided them with. She couldn’t have known about the desperate way he’d pleaded with them, bags under his eyes, a begrudging young girl named Persephone following suit as they traipsed from one rundown building to another. 

#oneshot;

[magicalmonsterhero]

The Astonishing Ardaths trailer

A seemingly ordinary suburban family realizes something is amiss, and that they may not be so ordinary.

Very loosely inspired by WandaVision Part of the Tachyon universe

Major Characters: -Adam Ardath/White Knight -Lucy Ardath/Aurora -Connor Ardath/Chameleon -Gloria Ardath/Titaness -Matt Ardath/Kid Comet -‘Sophie’/Sofia Cruz/Miss Fortune -Charlie Reynolds/Silhouette -Donna Martin/Dynamo -Kelly Atchison -Michael Killian -Jonathan Caldwell/Red Reaper

(Open on a shot of the Ardath house as “Penny Lane” starts to play in the background. Cut to Adam and Lucy Ardath in their kitchen.)

Adam: Another fine day in suburbia.

Lucy: Yes, yes it is.

(She kisses him. Cut to Lucy standing outside, watching her elder son Connor and daughter Gloria get on the school bus. Her youngest Matt stands next to her, adjusting his backpack. Cut to Lucy having lunch with her friends Sophie and Donna.)

Lucy (v/o): And yet, I can’t help but feel...

Donna: I can’t believe he didn’t pass out!

Sophie: Yeah, well, I‘ll never be able to look at mac and cheese the same way again.

(A sitcom laugh track is heard as “Penny Lane” suddenly stops.)

Lucy (v/o): ...that something is not right.

(Cut to Lucy staring out a window as “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes begins to play. Suddenly, her hands begin to glow with greenish-blue light, and she looks down at them in surprise.)

Lucy (v/o): I can’t explain it, but somehow, this doesn’t feel real.

(Shot of Adam grabbing a metal railing, which crumples under his hand. Cut to Adam and Lucy in their bedroom.)

Adam: Do you remember your life before here?

(Shot of Kelly Atchison and Michael Killian leaning in close to look at a viewing screen. Shot of Sophie fingering a necklace with an esoteric-looking symbol on it.)

Sophie (v/o): They're starting to figure it out.

(Shot of Connor in front of a mirror, watching as he fades into invisibility. Shot of Gloria growing large enough to catch a falling support beam with her bare hands. Shot of Matt surrounded by a multicolored aura, flying at great speed through the air and leaving a trail of sparkles behind him. Shot of Adam and Lucy, as White Knight and Aurora, facing off against several large robots. Cut to Adam, Lucy, and their children standing outside their house.)

Adam: So what do we do?

Lucy: We do the right thing.

(Shots of Adam, Lucy, and their kids in sitcom-esque scenes. Cut to the Ardaths in a group hug. Tears roll down Lucy’s cheeks, but her smile makes it clear they’re happy tears.)

Lucy: I love you all so much!

(Shot of the Ardaths, along with Sophie and Donna, surrounded by robots. All are in costume and all are in 'ready to fight' poses. Cut to title card.)

The Astonishing Ardaths

(Cut to Adam and Lucy kissing. The camera slowly zooms out to show the image is on a TV screen.)

#fan trailers #tv series idea #Tachyon universe

[saltyunordinaryprincess]

Henry was already in his room, and starting a game he’d saved earlier. “ What, mom?” He called, his backpack on bed.

A few minutes later, Killian knocks on the door.

"Henrt Daniel Mills! Homework first! Or I'll make sure Killian is in charge of punishment. And he won't just take away the XBox!" Emma called up from the bottom of the stairs, needing to make sure Killian refreshed her knowledge on proper pirate-type threats to use on their teenager since her old fallbacks never worked anymore the older he got.

At the sound of the knock, her heart skipped and she grinned, going over to unlock the door, grabbing his keys to hold them up. "Welcome home sailor, forget something?"

#answered asks #memory loss is a real thing after the first 200 years 😂 #asker:killian jones #asker:henry mills

[jennyellie]

His face looks so confused during the final battle. He expected bombs, bullets and knives to fly at him. But what does he get??

🌈💖BUBBLES, KITTENS, GLITTER AND CLOUDS OF RAINBOW🌈💖

Poor Killian XD

@shadowbeneathlondon

#spies in disguise #killian #spies in disguise killian #XDD #are those pigeons wearing tiny backpacks?? #he looks so done with everything lol

[umbraastaff]

uhh just some idle thoughts

alt-tazswap au in which each IPRE member is swapped with an ally from their relic’s adventure? so:

lup swaps with killian

davenport swaps with angus

merle swaps with hurley

taako swaps with no3113

magnus swaps with roswell

barry swaps with lydia & edward. cam would be more accurate but i think this is more interesting

lucretia swaps with..... the voidfish???

- the party is hurley + a robot & elemental that got accidentally bound to her (both of them forgot they had Real Thoughts bc of lucretia/voidfish, but they do remember Hurley being an ally, so they just follow & obey her)

- davenport works for the police and they meet him on the train. he is an extremely serious detective

- lucretia was still part of the original mission & the voidfish was still brought along later (to keep the “sapient humanoids can’t join the starblaster), BUT:

- lucretia had some sorcerous ability to perfectly memorize & replay information, so she was supposed to observe and then give the memories of the mission to researchers when she came back. however, she instead got an entire century to develop this power into something that could also erase knowledge. and with the bit of Light Of Creation she has in the Bulwark Staff, she’s able to amplify this power to cover the whole planet. this also might mean there’re sometimes weird lapses or imperfections in the power, though

- the voidfish is some cosmic being that can see the future, but only in pieces. it knows that the relic wars will destroy everything, but since nobody’s thought of the “break the hunger’s bonds” solution, it doesn’t know that that’s how to end everything. it does know that making the world forget the relics is the first step in something that will end well, though. it convinces/encourages lucretia to do this

- the voidfish / “director” floats in the throne room and communicates telephatically w/ lucretia, who acts as its translator.

- angus says things like “hello! how can i help you!” and just kinda repeats those phrases a bunch instead of making proper conversations

- barry bluejeans, consumer of suffering energy. one of the party members gets truesight and sees that he’s actually just wearing a denim fucking cloak

- two (2) red robed liches continuously appearing before the party

- The Owl, a legendary criminal battlewagon racer who got his hands on the sash (this is sort of a swap rotation-- hurley becomes merle, merle becomes sloane, sloane becomes hurley (policewoman trying to catch him). merle and sloane are not romanic partners here obviously-- maybe he’s a father figure instead?

- hurley gets romance w/ sloane. merle dies of silverpoint and later returns as a cool dryad

- magnus, extremely loyal deputy of refuge, can’t be convinced to help the party until they gather enough incriminating information to make him switch sides

- taako, with magic anti-transmutation shoes, helping & buffing the party throughout crystal kingdom. his sister lup works for the BoB

- killian is trapped in something no3113 has... maybe it’s her weapon or maybe it’s just, like, her arm? like she made a robot arm upgrade out of something she found on the skeleton in the cave. no3113 punches things with the power of killian

#that or no3113 has a ghostbusters vacuum backpack that killian used to own. think about it. #the adventure zone #taz balance #balance #ipre #text #mine #relicswap