So this is my first multi-chaptered Sleeping Hook fic. I'm really excited about it since I've got a lot of ideas up my sleeve. I hope you guys all enjoy it!
This is strictly Storybrooke AU. No magic, no curse. I was going to try and change their names and keep Killian's hook included, but decided against it. Their names are all their names. He's got both hands.
All will be revealed in time. I hope you guys enjoy! Leave reviews, please. They encourage me to keep going.
Thank you! 3
Kids. He loathed kids.
Kids carried germs on their disgusting sticky fingers, and screamed and fussed and kicked if things didn't go their way. You had to feed them, and nurture them, and teach them things. Kids asked insipid questions all day and yet acted like they knew everything there was to know. They made messes and got into things and destroyed everything. Things dripped out of every orifice and everything on planet earth was free reign to be put in their mouths. They were up all night and got into everything. He never wanted to be around kids, let alone have them.
It shouldn't even matter to him. Being a father and having kids was the furthest thing from his mind. He wouldn't even know how to be one. He never knew his own father. His brother had been the one to teach him what he knew. The rest he picked up in daily life. He didn't need a father. He didn't need to be a parent to feel fulfilled with life.
So why was he standing outside the elementary school right now, watching all those squealing brats climb the jungle gym and push each other and bring his stress level through the roof?
"Hey Uncle Killian!" A happy voice shouts.
Oh. That.
His sister in law Emma was working a double shift at the sheriff's department. Of course no one else could pick up her son from school. Of course it just so happened to be the day that his brother August was working as well. Of course it just so happened that Killian was surprisingly free.
"Hey." He mumbled. "Come on, kid. I've got to get back to work."
"I thought you were free today. That's what mom said. She said you'd get me a milkshake at Granny's." He grinned that smile that was too much like August's.
Killian rolled his eyes and his head cocked back. "Of course she did." He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets, surprised his exuberant nephew would even want a milkshake in this chilly weather. "Come on, let's go."
As they turned, a sweet little voice called out. "Henry! You forgot your book!" A little girl with bouncing brown curls and big brown eyes came running towards Henry. She held out his heavy storybook, and gave Henry a shy smile. "I wouldn't want you to be without this all weekend." She has little flowers laced in her hair, and her dress is frilly and pink and lacy. Someone put too much time in this kid's outward appearance. Didn't her parents know she was going to school, where she would be sure to get dirtied up instantly?
Of course, what did he know, right?
"Thank you so much, Lucy!" Henry exclaimed, taking the book from her.
"Of course." She looked up at Killian and grinned. "Hello." She sent him a little wave before looking back at Henry.
"Lucy! Come on, honey!" A voice called out.
This time it wasn't Henry who looked up, but Killian. He locked eyes with a young woman on the sidewalk. Her hair was long and curly and seemed to glisten in the sunlight. She had soft blue eyes and a beautiful set of full lips. Killian couldn't help but bite his lower lip as he looked her up and down, a smirk tugging at his lips. The woman quirked her eyebrow at him and gave him an expression that said, 'not now, not ever.'
"I'll see you on Monday, Henry." Lucy grinned and hurried away, towards the woman on the sidewalk.
"Come on, you owe me a milkshake." Henry yanked on Killian's sleeve.
Killian was too distracted by the lovely creature in purple that embraced the little girl. He was sure he hadn't ever seen her before. The town was small. He saw everyone at least twice a day every single day. But how come he hadn't seen her? They would have bumped into each other at least a few times.
She's probably not the kind of woman to visit a skeezy bar like yours. She is a mother after all.
Killian smirked to himself. Indeed. She was a mother. Probably had a husband at home with the white picket fence and all the trimmings.
She glanced towards him as she took the little girl by the hand to lead her away. She studied him curiously for a moment before looking away to turn and walk down the street.
"Henry, who was that?"
Henry had been studying his uncle the entire time he gaped at Lucy and her mother. He sighed, adjusting the heavy book in his hands. "That was my friend. Lucy."
Killian rolled his eyes. "You won't get a milkshake unless you answer my questions without the sass, kid."
Henry sent him an eye roll of his own. "Her mom is Miss Aurora. Can we go now?"
"She married?" He asked, though already guessed the answer.
Henry hesitated, and looked towards where his friend and her mother had gone. "Well...not exactly..."
"What's that mean?" Killian asked. "Do I have hope with her or not?"
Henry looked up at Killian and shook his head. "I wouldn't hold my breath. She's not...she's not ready to date." Henry turned and started to head in the direction of Granny's diner.
"What happened to her husband?" He asked, hurrying after his nephew. "He run off on them or something?"
"No...no...he died." Henry deadpanned, figuring it was best to not beat around the bush.
That changed everything.
And not exactly for the better, either.
"Lucy, who was that with your friend Henry?" Aurora asked gently. "I've never seen him before."
"I don't know, Mama." Lucy murmurs, squeezing her mother's hand.
He certainly wasn't the boy's father. Aurora had known August and Emma for her entire time in Storybrooke. Even before she was married. She could remember Emma being pregnant, and Henry's birth. He wasn't his father. But she had seen him before. Perhaps in passing. He wouldn't be able to pick up Henry unless he was family. So he was related somehow. Aurora sighed and shook her head. She couldn't pinpoint who he was, or why he even mattered. There was just something about him that captured her attention.
Aurora shook her head, and gave her daughter's hand a gentle squeeze as they approached their apartment building. "What do you want for dinner, Luce?"
"Macaroni and cheese." She beamed up at her mother with a smile that was too much like her father's. Aurora tried her best to ignore the tight squeeze in her heart and fought off the tears like a pro.
"You always want macaroni and cheese." Aurora managed a soft laugh for her daughter.
"So do you." Lucy giggled, adjusting the blue and pink owl backpack over her shoulders. "Please, mama?" She asked sweetly, her warm smile growing.
Aurora swallowed the lump in her throat as she fished her keys out of her pocket. "I suppose so, sweetheart. Don't think we'll be making this an every night thing."
"Whatever you need to tell yourself, mama. We'll be the mac and cheese queens by the end of the month!" Lucy giggled.
Phillip would have been in awe of his daughter. She brought sunlight and joy wherever she went. Much like he had. Everything seemed brighter when she was around. The darkness didn't creep into her mind as often.
Oh, he would have been such a good father.
Aurora thought after five years with him being gone it would get easier. And in a few ways, it had. And yet, every single time she thought of him, she had this overwhelming urge to laugh and to cry at the same time. She couldn't control her emotions sometimes. She did her best not to let Lucy see her weakness, but the little girl always knew what Aurora was feeling. She would always comfort her in that special way only she was capable of doing.
The mother daughter duo walked upstairs and found Mary Margaret fighting with her lock. "Hello, Mary. Need help?" Aurora offered.
"Oh no, no. It's just this stupid lock. It's okay. David should be home soon."
"I heard my name." A voice laughed up the stairs.
A glow suddenly brightened Mary Margaret's cheeks, and her smile could have lit the entire town when David appeared on the top of the stairs. "My prince has arrived to save the day." She waved her hands in the air like a princess would, and Lucy giggled at her teacher's antics.
"Have a good night." Aurora murmured, doing her best to smile at the happy couple.
Hadn't it just been yesterday she was like that? Hadn't she once had a prince of her own to save the day? Hadn't she smiled like that before? Aurora couldn't even remember the last time she laughed because of a man.
But whenever she pictured herself laughing and being happy again, she saw it in the company of Lucy or Phillip. Never anyone else.
She couldn't even imagine moving on. When she'd allowed herself a night out with the girls, they had all suggested she try to move on. Emma and Ruby had been trying to get her to get out there and find a man to release her stresses and anxieties onto. Belle and Mary Margaret had been a little gentler, but still encouraged her to move forward. For her sake and Lucy's sake.
And what about Lucy? Aurora couldn't bring a man home and have her daughter become attached to said man and have her be crushed when he ran off or when Aurora pushed him away.
And how could Aurora ever love again? She couldn't picture loving anyone like she loved Phillip. She couldn't imagine being happy and in love again unless she was with him. She couldn't imagine getting so close to someone again, to open herself up to another person only to lose them like she had lost Phillip. Aurora didn't know if she was strong enough to go through that again.
Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw her husband. He was still with her, even after all this time. She saw him in different places throughout her day, remembering sweet memories with him. She could see him on their wedding day, when he had been so handsome and never let her go the entire celebration. She could see him talking to her stomach as Lucy grew beneath her heart. She could feel his hands upon her face, feel his kiss and his warmth. She could see him the day Lucy was born, and how in awe he was of his wife and daughter. She could still see him the day he died. How he'd given her and Lucy a kiss goodbye before heading off to work like he always did.
Aurora found herself afraid of forgetting him. How could she move on with someone new and make new memories as if he hadn't ever been there? It was impossible to go through life without thinking of him and seeing him. Their daughter was the spitting image of him. Even if she had been five when he died, she still remembered him. She exuded his light and gentle spirit. She was so beautiful. She deserved a father. She deserved that male role that would protect her and provide for her and guide her through life. She deserved so much more than Aurora could offer her.
Would Phillip want her to move on? Would he want her to be happy, to find love again? Of course he would. He would want Aurora to laugh again, to be in love and to not be afraid anymore. He would want her to find someone who could quell her fears, who could hold her through the nightmares, who could cherish her and love her and Lucy and take care of them.
Aurora did fine on her own. She gave Lucy everything she could and took the time to make her look like a fairy princess each day. She helped her with her homework and was at every school play. She always encouraged her to be whatever she wanted to be, and to fight through each trial life gave her. She taught her to be polite to others, and to always look for the best in others. Aurora wanted to give Lucy everything she could possibly ever want or need.
But did that include a father? Could Aurora open herself back up to love for Lucy's sake? She didn't know if it was possible.
"Um, Mama?" Lucy suddenly asked.
"Yes, sweetheart?" Aurora murmured, blinking herself back to reality.
"I just...um...didn't know macaroni could burn like that." She said as sweetly as she could.
Aurora gasped and quickly turned the flame off. The noodles were stuck to the bottom of the pot, and steam rose off of the goop.
"Let's head to Granny's. I'll treat you to a milkshake." Aurora sighed, tossing the pot directly into the trash can.
"I'll get my coat."
"You've had four milkshakes in an hour, kid. Might have to cut you off." Ruby teased as she collected the empty glasses onto her tray.
" I just want to try one more. The malted milk ball shake, if you please." Henry grinned. "My dear uncle is treating me today. We never get to spend time together."
Ruby glanced at Killian, heavily lined eyes looking him up and down. She smirked and nodded at Henry before resting her hand on Killian's shoulder a moment longer than necessary. If Killian had a nickle for every time that waitress ogled him, he'd be a rich man indeed. He could buy a boat and sail away from this stupid little town and never have to look back.
"I think I want some chili cheese fries too." Henry grinned.
"Where the hell do you put it all, lad?" Killian exclaimed.
"Hey, watch your language around my kid." August sent Killian a glare as he stepped towards the pair at the booth. Ruby appeared with another shake, and slid it across the table to Henry. "You trying to fatten my kid up?" August sent Killian another glare. "How many have you had?"
"Uhm...I lost count." Henry said sheepishly.
"This is his fifth." Killian grumbled. "Now that you're here, I'm off. I've got things to do before the night shift."
"Ah you have time to sit with us for a little while." August grinned, sliding into the booth beside Henry. "How've you been?"
"Just dandy, thanks." Now was not the time for his brother to catch up and check on him. Killian was getting a headache, and he was already irritated. It would be a shock if he didn't end up growling and barking orders at his staff later on.
"No really, how've you been?" August sighed. "You going out, seeing things?"
"There's not much to see in Storybrooke. And I go out. I went out today and look what that got me." He gestured towards Henry and his wobbly form.
"Look, man, you should get out more." August shrugged his shoulders. "Meet new people. Move forward."
Killian tensed up at his brother's insinuation, and shook his head slowly. "I run a bar. There's nowhere else to go to get out more." He tapped his fingers against the tabletop and sighed. "Look, Aug, I know what you're trying to do. But really...I'm fine. I meet people. Every night. This is my life now. I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself."
"I'm just trying to help you out." August sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "I mean ever since..."
"Don't." Killian shook his head, and rose to his feet. "Don't say her name, don't bring it up. Just don't, August." He growled.
The bell above the door jingled. Killian looked up, and spotted the little girl from earlier running across the diner to attack Ruby with a huge hug. "Lucy! Hey sugar, what's going on?"
And then the door jingled again, and the woman in purple appeared. She had a small smile on her face as she moved across the diner towards the little girl in Ruby's arms. "Hey Rory. How have you been?" Ruby hugged her and led the pair over to the bar.
The woman slipped her coat off and shook out her amber curls. Killian's fingers suddenly itched to rake through them, to feel the softness and watch the delicate curls bounce back into place. He quickly looked away, feeling a cold sweat break out across his neck. He hadn't felt this way in a long time, not since...No. It wasn't the same. Pretty girls were all the same. He encountered pretty girls every night. This one was a mother, with a bad history to boot, and she seemed snobby. Yeah, sure, she was probably snobby. You had to be if you cared that much about how you and your offspring looked in a town like Storybrooke. Sure, that was it.
"What are you staring at?" Henry asks in a slightly slurred voice. Kid couldn't hold his ice cream.
August quirks his eyebrow and looks towards where his brother had been gaping, and his eyes widen. "No, Killian. No. You need to go out, meet new people, sure. But Killian...leave her alone. She's been through enough."
"And? Nothing is going to happen." Killian shrugged his leather jacket on and rolled his eyes. "I don't know the woman."
"Keep it that way." August instructed.
"Fine, fine. I've got to go. Work. This and that." He adjusted his flannel and jacket, and stepped past his brother. "Thanks for the fun, lad." Killian sent Henry a little wave, and the boy giggled and waved back, a little loopy from all the ice cream.
"Thanks for picking him up." August patted Killian's arm as he stepped away.
"Oh yes, anytime." He drawled.
As Killian headed towards the door, Ruby's voice stopped him. "Dining and dashing? I don't think so. Don't make me get Granny."
Ah yes, the blasted bill.
"Sorry, love." Killian mumbled, doing his best to avoid looking at the duo sitting at the counter a few feet away from him. Had he actually looked, he would only find the little girl, and not her mother. He quickly pulls his wallet out and tosses a few bills down.
Ruby takes the cash and is quick to print the receipt and get his change. "Don't let it happen again." She slides his receipt and change across the counter, and Killian notices how she had added her phone number as well. He looks up at her with a quirk of his eyebrow. "Use that." She says in her smoothest voice.
"Hello again." Lucy giggles, oblivious to Ruby's flirting.
Killian glances at the little girl. She sits daintily at the counter, napkin placed carefully in her lap. "Hello, lass." He murmurs, sending her a smile.
"Who are you?" She deadpans. Kids. They never seemed to beat around the bush. She wanted to know something, so she simply asked. It was almost refreshing, really.
"I'm Killian Jones. At your service, m'lady." He gives her a sweeping bow, and she laughs.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mister Jones. I'm Lucy." She bows her head in return.
Aurora returns from the bathroom to find her daughter giggling at the man she had seen that afternoon.
"Mama, this is Mister Jones." Lucy grins at her mother before turning back to Killian.
"Hello." Aurora murmurs with a small smile.
"Ah, it's Killian." He offers. She's even prettier up close. No, not pretty. Beautiful. He'd seen plenty of pretty girls. But none quite as beautiful as the girl before him. "And you are?"
"Aurora. It's nice to meet you." She gives him a small smile, and he reaches out for her extended hand. He barely has a chance to admire the softness and tininess of her hand before she pulls it away. "How are you related to Henry?" She asked, glancing towards August and Henry still in the booth behind them. "I ah, noticed you picking him up today. I've never seen you around town before." She murmurs, a curious glint in her bluebell eyes.
"I keep to myself." He shrugs, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets. " August is my brother. The kid is my nephew." Killian glances towards August and Henry still seated in the booth. August is staring at him, practically throwing daggers at him with his gaze.
"The...the kid?" She asks with a lift of one perfectly shaped eyebrow.
Killian smirks a little. "Yes, that's my little nickname, I suppose."
"Precious." She murmurs, pursing her lips as she looks away. Ruby brings them their plates. A bowl of macaroni and cheese for Lucy, and a salad for Aurora.
"I love macaroni and cheese. I make it homemade." Killian turns back to Lucy, and leans against the counter. Something about the little girl is awfully likable. She isn't like the sticky handed brats he had encountered before. She's a little lady.
"Really?" Lucy's big brown eyes widen. "Mama, we've got to try that. I'll bet it's better than the boxed stuff."
"Oh definitely." Killian grins. "I'll have to give you my recipe."
"We're the macaroni and cheese queens." Lucy beams, leaning forward happily.
"Really now? I suppose I'm the king." He teases back.
"I suppose so!" Lucy laughs.
"Lucy, hush now. Let him go. I'm sure he's a very busy man." Aurora murmurs with a soft smile to her daughter. To him, her expression hardens, as if telling him to 'buzz off'.
He certainly could read her better than most, for some reason. As guarded as this woman seemed, she sure was open with how she was truly feeling.
"Aye, lass. Forgive me for invading on your meal. Have a lovely evening, you two."
"It was nice to meet you." Lucy grins, and sends him a little wave before picking up her spoon to scoop out a bite of cheesy noodles.
Killian headed out of the diner, fighting the urge to look back. Something about the young mother intrigued him. Maybe it was the fact that he couldn't have her, that she was untouchable. August would literally kill him, and she didn't seem to have a care in the world for him. Her husband had died. She understood loss, just like he did. But it was different. She had a child. A child that was too likable and warm for her own good. Killian hated kids, but that one, that one wasn't too terrible.
But the fact was, he could never have her. It wasn't even because of August's warning. His brother's warnings had never stopped him before. But this woman was different. There was an emptiness in her eyes when she looked at a person, even when she smiled. She had seen too much, had endured too much. And being with him would only cause her more pain, he was sure of it. He couldn't do that to a person. He couldn't drag another woman down and have it end in the same way as before. And he couldn't do that to the girl. She was too sweet for him to corrupt.
Had he looked back, he would have seen a pair of blue eyes watching him go.
