Emma woke up to a bed devoid of her pirate. She looked at the alarm clock and saw that it was only 7 am. It was very early for either of them to be up on a Saturday morning. Granted, it was the holidays and their house is full with all of their children, but she did not expect him to be up already. She sighed a little and got out of bed, throwing on a soft robe before going to look for him.
She checked both the living room and the kitchen with no sign of him. She knew that Henry, Liam and Brenna, along with their spouse, were all asleep in their rooms because she could see them through the partially closed bedroom doors.
She decided to check the office where her first grandchild should be sleeping soundly in his crib. She carefully crept in the room, intent on not waking up the 3 month old baby if he was still asleep. However, when she peeked into the crib, he was not in there. Her brow furrowed as she took in the empty crib and the baby monitor that had been turned off.
Then a thought struck her, she turned back around and went to the front windows of their seaside home. She saw a little movement on the swing on the enclosed porch. She quietly opened the front door, trying to make as little sound as possible.
Her heart almost completely melted at the sight that met her. There was Killian holding the baby and swinging lightly back and forth on the swing. She thought the smile that graced his face was the most beautiful thing she had seen in her life. He looked for all the world like the happiest person who had ever lived.
She silently watched him for a few more minutes, hesitant to interrupt his peace. Even though he was graying, she still thought he was the most handsome man she had ever met. When it had first started happening he had told her "It just adds to my intrigue, Swan" and had gone about his day as if she hadn't just insulted his age. She of course died her gray so that her long hair was still the golden blonde that he loved. She remembered when he would hold their children this way for hours and she would admonish him that he was spoiling them rotten. She knew he could not help it, that he could not believe that he was finally a father and she indulged him as much as she could when it came to their children.
Emma was interrupted in her thoughts when she heard his low humming and singing. Killian was singing You Are My Sunshine to the baby and he was cooing back at his grandfather. Near the end of the song, the baby yawned and wrapped his little fist around Killian's finger, trying to put it in his mouth. Killian chuckled and said, "Getting hungry little lad?"
He started to get up and then noticed Emma watching him. He stood and walked over to her, dropping a kiss on her lips, "Good morning Love."
"Morning. You are going to spoil him with holding him all the time," she told him with a smile.
Killian chuckled, "Aye, but isn't that my prerogative as a grandfather?"
"Huh, I guess it is" she said. She still felt weird having a grandchild. Killian always made her feel so young. "Just don't let Liam catch you or he might rename the baby to keep him from following his grandfather's footsteps and disobeying the rules" she teased.
"Aye love. But his grandfather is still a pirate and has many tricks up his sleeve. Little Killian and I will best Liam together. Won't we little lad?" He softly asked the baby in his arms. The baby just looked up at his grandfather and stuck his fist in his mouth.
Emma chuckled at that, "Alright you two, let's get some breakfast started. Killian, put the baby in his rocker and help me please before the hungry masses descend and eat us out of house and home."
"Aye Aye Granny" Killian retorted as he put the baby in the rocker. He snorted as he heard her grumbling about "I am not Granny, she is like 90 and I am way younger and am a grandmother".
He came up behind her and put his arms around her waist. He snuggled his face in her hair and whispered "I will always love you no matter how old you get. Thank you for giving me all these moments I never thought I would have." Then he kissed the side of her head and rested his forehead on her shoulder.
She squeezed his arms with her own, overcome with emotion. She turned in his arms and kissed him. The kiss started to grow in intensity when baby Killian decided that he had waited for breakfast long enough and let out a wail. They heard the stirrings of everyone else and quickly went into action, Killian getting the bottle ready and picking up the baby to feed him while she cooked breakfast. The others came out and Henry went to help his mother while Liam walked over to his father.
"Dad, how long have you been holding him today?" He asked with a mock seriousness.
"I just got him just now to feed him" he lied to his son as he looked over his shoulder and saw Emma give him a smirk and a mouthed Liar. He grinned at her, shrugged and then looked at his son with innocence. Liam just groaned and shook his head as he went to see if his mother needed more help.
Emma watched her family and her husband and smiled to herself. Maybe she was the happiest person who had ever lived.