Hey guys! Second OS in a week, I'm on a roll x) Actually, this one fiction is dedicated to one of my best friend, Mary, who I'm missing very much. So Happy birthday babe, I love you and hope to see you again very very soon!
Laying on his side on the bed of the room, Killian Jones was watching Emma Swan sleep. It was an habit he had taken for a few months, now. He was trying to be discreet, he knew all too well the woman of his life would mock him if she noticed he was staring at her like that, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to make sure she was sleeping correctly, she was all right, and, he had to admit it, she was so gorgeous it was hard to look away from her.
Her beautiful blond hair was spread on the pillow, and she was looking so peaceful, more than she had been for a long, long time. They had fallen asleep in each other's arms, as always, but she had moved in her sleep and she was now laying on her back, her head graciously tilted on its side. He looked at her for a long while, a smile on his lips, happy to finally see her getting some rest. When a ray of sun broke through the curtains and hooked her hair, he told himself she was definitely looking like an angel coming right from heaven, and his smile widened a little bit more.
He had his right hand placed on Emma's stomach, and he gently stroked her baby bump with his thumb. It was also something he was used to do now that she was with child. As if he wanted to make sure his baby was safe.
He still couldn't believe he was going to be a dad. In his mind, all of this had never been a possibility. When he was with Milah, the life they were leading was too dangerous, and was not allowing them to have children. And after that, he had spent dozens of years trying to mourn her loss without managing to forget her. But Emma had arrived. And she had turned his entire life upside down. He had fallen in love with her since the moment he had met her beautiful green eyes, right before she had glued a knife to his throat – she was definitely a tough lass, one of the many things he loved about her. He loved her strength, her doubts, her courage, her gentleness when she was talking to him or Henry or her way of getting really mad when she was finding something unfair. He had managed to bring her walls down, to break this armor she had worn for so long because his beautiful Swan had been too broken by life. He had managed to win her trust, without ever giving up on her. It had taken a lot of efforts, he had to admit it. But all he wanted was to have her by his side, even if it was only as friends because at that time, he was convinced he was living a one way love. He loved the way she was making him feel about himself, he was feeling like a new man when he was close to her, a better man. And then, as he was not hoping for anything anymore, she had fallen in love with him as well. She had gone to the Underworld fort him, because she wouldn't have stood losing him. And they were now reunited, happier than ever. They had built a life together, the two little orphans finally managing to find this happiness they had searched for their entire life in each other's arms. And they were going to have a baby.
It was still seeming unreal most of the time, because he was so happy. He was feeling like he was living in a dream. But sometimes, he had to admit it, he was having horrible doubts. He was wondering if he had the skills to raise a child, to be a good father for this little one that was going to arrive in his world and that he was already loving so much. After all, his own father had abandoned him when he was only a child, he had never had a real father figure to take as an example. During those moments, Emma was always there to reassure him. She was reminding him how close he had gotten to Henry, and how their friends' children were looking to spend time with him because he was wonderful with them. She was always there to comfort him with a gentle word or an embrace. And he was doing the same thing for her, because it wasn't unusual for her to suffer from impressive panic attacks, during which she was panting she would never be able to raise a child, she didn't know how to do it and she would be a bad mother. Those times, it was his turn to ease her, because if he was sure of one thing, it was that his Swan was going to give all the love in the world to this child coming into their life in no less than three months.
He could still perfectly recall the day he had learned she was pregnant, four months ago. It was still seeming so close, even if they had lived so many things since then, and he was sure that, fifty years from now, he would still remember this scene, because it had changed everything in his life.
Flash-back
"Killian, we are in trouble." Emma stated, almost jumping on him after coming back from her walk and violently slamming the front door behind her.
"Huh?" He said, sitting on the living room couch and looking at her with an eyebrow raised, intrigued by the young woman's strange behavior "Who's attacking this time? Don't tell me there's a new villain in town!"
"No." She sighted, looking a bit panicked as if she couldn't find the right words to explain him what was wrong, and panting a little. "Tell you what, it's better if I show you."
She threw a box in his direction, and he caught it, his brows together in worry. She then collapsed on the couch next to him as he was examining the package, turning it in his hand.
"What the bloody hell is this thing?" He started, thinking it was one of those mysterious devices coming from this world she wanted to show him to see his reaction. "Oh."
He had let go of his whisper while noticing what was written in a clear blue ink on the box. Pregnancy test. It wasn't one of those things we could find in the Enchanted Forest, but he wasn't stupid. He knew all too well what this meant. His hand started to slightly shake as his mind was idling. His Swan was…
"… with child?" He asked in a low voice.
She looked at him with tears in her eyes, and it broke his heart. He didn't want her to feel bad about it, and he was scared to have hurt her by his words. But she didn't give him the time to say something and redeem himself, and she started to talk very quickly as if the words were burning her lips :
"I don't know. Well, I mean, I think I am. This is why I've bought the test. I have symptoms, and I haven't taken my birth control with everything that has happened recently, you know, the Dark ones, The underworld… and now I may have a kid inside of me."
He wanted to answer something to make her understand things would be okay and she didn't have to worry, but without notice, she started to cry, horrible sobs shaking her shoulders. It was something that was happening quite often these past few weeks, but he had attributed this outbursts to the fatigue, as he had done with those sicknesses that were leaving her exhausted on the bathroom floor. After all, she had been quite consumed by the last events. But maybe all of this was because she was expecting a baby. His baby.
Without waiting for another minute, he took her into his arms and held her tightly. He immediately understood why she was crying, and he just wanted to make her feel better. The last time she was with child, the father had cowardly left her to rot in prison. He knew what she needed to hear to be reassured about what was going to happen. He always knew what to do to ease her, he was knowing her better than anyone else. So he chose to ignore his own dizziness and his heart that was pounding in his chest at the thought he could become a dad, to comfort his Swan. It was all that mattered for now.
"Oh Emma, don't cry, my love, it's okay. I know it's hard for you, and I know it's terrifying. But whatever happens, I'll be there. I won't ever let you down. I know we haven't talked about having children, I know it's frightening you, but if you really are… with child, I'll be there for you. Always. You're the love of my life, darling, and there is no way I'm going to abandon you, never. Understood?"
Her face buried into the crook of his neck, she slowly nodded and he felt her calming down a bit by hearing those words. He rocked her for a long while against his chest, waiting for her to be completely settled down, and when she had finally stopped sobbing, he pressed a tender kiss on her forehead and said :
"Perhaps we should make sure of what's going on before panicking, don't you think?"
She nodded once again, but stayed cuddled into his arms for a few more seconds, as if she was searching for the courage to discover the truth. He was trying to be strong, for her, but the truth was he was terrified as well. He had no idea how to raise a child, how to be a good father, it was a first for him. But for now, he just wanted the woman he loved to feel better. All his resources were used to comfort his Swan, and he didn't have the time to think about his own fears.
And a few minutes later, he found himself sitting on the bathroom floor, Emma in his arms as they were both staring at the pregnancy test, laying face down on the floor, as if it could jump at their throats. He couldn't believe such a little thing could actually announce him to most important piece of information of his entire life. His Swan suddenly sighted against him. The young woman had placed her head on his shoulder, and was slightly shaking. He pulled her even closer to him to ease her and show her everything was all right, and asked in a gentle voice :
"How much time did you say we have to wait before knowing, love?"
"At least three minutes." She sighted again in a somewhat broken voice. "What are we gonna do if I'm pregnant, Killian?" She carried on, sounding completely desperate. "I've never raised a child before, I don't know how to do this kind of stuff. I'm not my mother, it doesn't come naturally to me, and I have no idea how to take care of a baby. When I met Henry, he was ten already, he didn't need me anymore. And with all those dangers in this damn town, how could we protect a child from all this mess?"
"Emma, I promise you everything is going to be okay." he whispered, kissing the top of her head and gently rocking her against him. "I will never let something happen to you, Henry, or any of the potential children we could have together. And you're a wonderful mom, you're taking such good care of the lad. You say it doesn't come naturally to you, but I'm convinced it actually does. We'll make it, I promise you this. After what we've already survived to, a baby is just a new adventure to live together."
His own words actually managed to make him feel better. They would make it, he knew it. As long as his Swan was by his side, he could do anything. They had never talked about having children together, and yet, now that it had become a possibility, he felt with surprise a little pinch of happiness just underneath his heart. Suddenly, having a baby with the woman he loved was looking like the best thing that could ever happen to him. It was scary, sure, but it was also so beautiful he felt tears of joy forming in his eyes.
"You always know what to say, don't you?" Emma stated, driving him away from his thoughts.
"You know me." He replied, what made her giggle a little bit.
They stayed snuggled against each other for a few more seconds, him trying to comfort the woman of his life while feeling her close to him was making him feel better as well. She ended up starting to talk again in a shaky voice because of her fear :
"I think it's time."
He straightened a little bit on the floor, not himself knowing what he was hoping for. Sure, he had never expected to become a father one day. But now that the opportunity was presenting itself, he was realizing he wanted this, and he was scared to be disappointed if they discovered it had been a false alarm. But he didn't say anything out loud, he knew Emma was genuinely terrified, and he was getting her feelings. She sighted, rubbed her hands against one another and took the little device, still facing the floor, between her thumb and forefinger. He hand was shaking. She stared at it for a few seconds, as if she was wavering to learn the truth, then handed him the stick, staring at him with her two beautiful green eyes :
"Gosh, Killian, I can't do it. Would you look what it says?"
"As you wish." He answered with a comforting smile, reaching for the test she was holding. "But Emma, whatever happens, I'll be there, okay? Don't think I'll let you down for a second. You're stuck with me for a long time, darling."
It made her giggle once again, and she leaned to press a kiss on his cheek in a quiet thank you. Then she buried her face into the crook of his neck, as a little girl searching for comfort, terrified to know the result. He patiently waited for her signal, and after two minutes of silence, she finally whispered :
"Okay, I'm ready. Let's do it."
He took a deep breath. His heart was pounding so fast in his chest he was feeling like it could be heard into the entire house. He knew that what was written on the test was going to completely change his life. But he was ready. Whatever happened, the most important was that his Swan was with him. Together, they could overcome anything.
His breath got stuck into his throat when he turned the device in his hand, but he sighted in despair. He hadn't expected the sign to be so cryptic, he had thought the result would be clear, and he had no idea what this symbol, that was proudly shinning on the tiny screen, wanted to say to him.
"Swan?" He asked in a shaky voice. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart, but I have no bloody idea what two little pink sticks mean."
She didn't answer anything, but immediately started crying. He understood what it meant in a matter of seconds. Without waiting any longer, he dropped the test on the floor, and took her into his arms to hold her very close to him as he was feeling like his heart was about to explode from the happiness he was experiencing.
"Emma, we're going to have a baby!"
His voice was sounding overexcited, and she laughed through her tears. They stayed for a very long time in each other's arms on the bathroom floor, as he was promising her everything would be okay and they had nothing to be afraid of. He talked about how happy they were going to be and told her the tale of a little boy with hair as blond as hers. He swore to her they were finally going to get their happy ending. Because this wonderful woman was now offering him what he had searched for his entire life. Happiness. And he had no idea how to make her understand how much he loved her.
When she calmed down a bit, he pulled away from her to prepare a hot bath, knowing that she needed to relax. She watched him during the all time, looking completely exhausted by all those tears that were still streaming down her beautiful face. They both entered the water, her sitting between his leg as he had placed his hand on her still flat stomach, gently stroking her skin with his thumb in a comforting back and forth.
They stayed in that position for a long time as the water was slowly cooling down. He asked her dozens of questions about what was going to happen now, and she told him what was awaiting for them for the next few months. She apologized in advance for all the mood swings he would have to bear, and that made him laugh. He answered that she was carrying their child, and she was then allowed to scream as much as she liked. It made her sight in happiness, and she snuggled a little bit closer against his naked chest.
When they got out of the bathtub, the sun had already set in the sky. She insisted to go and talk to Henry right away, a bit anxious about his possible reaction. But, as Killian had expected, the lad was so glad about this idea of becoming a big brother. Watching the teenage boy throwing himself in his mom's arms, he couldn't believe how lucky he was. They were going to raise a baby together, and he would never thank his Swan enough to give him what he had sought for his entire life : a family.
The baby kicking suddenly drew Killian away from this happy memory. He glanced at Emma with a bit of worry, and saw her eyelids quivering, but she fortunately didn't awaken. The poor girl needed the rest. It was the first time in days she was managing to sleep more than a few hours in a row, and this night hadn't been that easy either. She had been sick for hours, until the night sky had started to clear up, and had fallen completely exhausted in his arms. Her sicknesses, that had gotten better around her fourth month of pregnancy, had gotten even stronger than before, and she had been sick all week long. He had even wanted to drive her to the emergencies room of the hospital, because he couldn't stand seeing her like that, it was physically painful, but she had weakly smiled at him and had refused his offer, explaining to him that Whale couldn't do a thing about her throwing up. But this last event had at least had the advantage of making them understand what was wrong lately : her stomach wouldn't accept any kind of meat anymore. This discovery hadn't pleased Emma at all, as she was almost exclusively eating cheeseburgers and bacon, but he had comforted her, whispering to her ear that, when the baby would be born, he was going to take her to Granny's for a feast of any meal she would want to eat. She had fallen asleep in his arms with a little smile on her face, as he was watching her sleep, glad to finally see her peaceful.
After one last stroke, he decided to get out of bed. He knew he wouldn't fall back asleep – he had taken the habit of waking up with the sun for years, after all – and he wanted to make Emma a surprise by cooking breakfast for her. He was so worried for her and the baby, and he was really hoping she would accept to eat something to give her some strength back. She had skipped a lot of meals these past few days because she was feeling too sick, and if he was getting her behavior, it was also concerning him a lot. He glanced at her one last time to make sure she was all right before getting out of the room, and he walked down the stairs to go join their kitchen.
His cellphone started to ring as he was preparing some hot cocoa for Emma. He was living in the modern world for quite a while now, and he had learned how to use the devices this place was containing. He was pretty good at it, even if Henry's playstation was still consisting in a mystery for him. He picked up pretty quickly in order not to wake Emma up, and it's David's voice that greeted him through the phone :
"Hey, Hook!"
He smiled hearing the cheerful town Swan's father had used to talk. The two men hadn't taken a very good start, but since then, he had completely been included in Emma's family. David had understood that Killian just wanted Emma to be happy, and he wouldn't ever hurt her on purpose. They were now getting along with each other pretty well. It wasn't unusual for them to get out just the two of them and go for a drink in the Rabbit's Hole, just to talk about nothing in particular. He was so happy he had been accepted by Emma's close ones. It was feeling like he had finally found a real family, and it was all because of her. She wouldn't ever stop impressing him.
"Hey mate." He answered, wedging the phone between his chin and his shoulder to free his hand.
"Happy birthday!" His friend answered, what made him chuckle in a somewhat embarrassed way.
As far as he could remember, he hadn't ever thought about celebrating his birthday. But Emma had decided otherwise. More than a month earlier, she had started to organize a dinner with his family the evening of this day that seemed so important for her. He hadn't tried to make her change her mind – he now knew that with the pregnancy, it wasn't a good idea to annoy his Swan, because she could get mad really easily, which was pretty impressive, he couldn't lie to himself about it. But he was still a bit confused by all this attention for the day of his birth. After all, he had seen more than two hundreds days like this one already, and it had never seemed really important to him. But Swan had seen things differently, and he had to admit these attentions were making him feel really glad, as he had never had someone to care about him during all those years of loneliness.
"How is Emma?" David resumed as Killian was flipping the pancakes in the pan with a surprising dexterity.
It was something he had discovered with great surprise when he had arrived in this world. He was genuinely good at cooking, and he was liking it a lot. Finding himself in the kitchen was relaxing him when he was stressed out, and he liked to make sure Emma was eating healthily. After all, if he had listened to her, they would have gone to eat at Granny's every day, and with all the books he had read about pregnancies after discovering she was with child, he knew the baby needed to have a good diet to grow properly. But this morning, he had decided to please her by cooking her favorite breakfast. He just wanted her to feel better after this horrible week she had spent, and he was hoping this would improve her mood, because she had been quite depressed these past few days.
"She's been sick again during the night, but she's finally sleeping." Killian answered, staring at the pancakes to make sure they weren't burning. "But we've realized meat has to go for good."
"Damn." David laughed. "It must not have pleased her."
"Not at all, indeed." Killian answered, shaking his head at the memory of the outburst that had followed this revelation a few hours before.
"Is it still okay if we come tonight?" Emma's father asked.
"Look." Killian sighted, a bit sheepishly. "I'd rather make sure Emma is okay before confirming anything. I really don't want her to feel forced to pretend she's feeling good if it's not the case. And I'm not going to lie to you, it wouldn't surprise me if she actually forgot about it." He added with a chuckle.
He was thinking that his Swan had forgotten about his birthday for a few days now. She wasn't talking about it anymore, but it wasn't annoying him at all. She was the one who'd had the idea of celebrating it, and he didn't need her to give him anything to prove how much she cared. He knew she loved him, and all he wanted for now was for her to feel better. He couldn't stand seeing her feeling so bad because she was carrying their child, he was finding it so unfair that she was the one who had to suffer for months, and he was doing everything he could to make her feel just a little bit better. To be honest, all he wanted for his birthday was to see his Swan smile. He wasn't really caring about anything else.
"You think so?" David asked a bit skeptically. "She was so happy about finally celebrating this day with you a few weeks ago."
"She's had a tough week." Killian explained. "And it's not a big deal, really, we can postpone the dinner if she doesn't feel good enough today."
"Very well, Hook." David then answered. "Just tell us what to do so we know if we have to come over or not. And say hello to Emma for us."
"Sure." Killian promised before hanging up the phone.
He cooked for a long while after the conversation. He really wanted everything to be perfect for the woman of his life. He knew it wasn't much compared to what his Swan was living everyday, but he was really hoping it would manage to make her smile. He was missing seeing her eyes sparkling while these adorable little dimples were appearing on her cheeks. When he had finished, he piled up the mountain of pancakes, as he had cooked enough of them to feed three people, the scrambled eggs and the mug of hot cocoa with cinnamon on a breakfast tray. He poised it on his right hand before walking up the stairs to go see if Emma had awakened while he was gone.
She was still sound asleep when he entered the room, and he decided not to wake her up right away. She was looking so peaceful, and the hot cocoa was still too hot for her to drink it anyway. He placed the tray on the night table and watched her for a long while, sitting on the bed next to her, dazzled by her beauty that seemed to strengthen even more every day.
It's only when she started to fuss in her sleep, ten minutes later, that he decided to wake her up. Her face had stiffened, and she was probably having a nightmare. He leaned forward as she was letting go of a little whimper, and pressed his mouth against hers to gently awaken her.
She stopped moving right away, looking comforted by the touch of his lips against hers. It made him smile, and he pressed a trail of little kisses down her neck until she opened her eyes, looking a bit confused. He kissed the tip of her nose, what made her giggle, and said, gently running his hand through her hair :
"Good morning, beautiful."
As an answer, she lifted her head up a few inches to kiss his lips. She was looking rested and in a good mood, and he felt so relieved. He had been so scared these past few days, and seeing her smile was making his heart beat faster from the happiness he was experiencing.
"Sorry to wake you up." He gently said when she pulled away from him. "You were whimpering in your sleep. Have you had a nightmare?"
"No, don't worry." She said, frowning, what made him guess that if she wasn't lying to him, she wasn't telling him the entire truth either.
But he didn't insist. If his Swan didn't want to tell him about her dream, she had a good reason to do so, and he was trusting her. He looked at her for a few seconds, telling himself she was definitely so adorable with her sleepy eyes and her messy hair. She ended up sitting down on the bed, a hand on her stomach, and said with laughter in her voice when she saw the breakfast tray.
"What is that?"
"Breakfast in bed, princess." He answered, and she laughed once again, what made him smile because he was so glad to finally see her happy.
"And for which occasion?"
"Just because I love you."
She rolled her eyes, as always when he was making this kind of declaration, but the smile she wasn't managing to hide was denying her annoyed look. She leaned forward to kiss him again in a quiet thank you, and he asked, gently running his hand up and down her spine :
"How are you feeling today?"
"Much better." She said, stretching with a little moan. "It looks like the little one has finally decided to leave me alone for a bit." She added with half a smile, placing her hand on her stomach.
"If you could let your mommy live for a while, we would love that, little love." Killian replied, leaning forward to press a kiss on Emma's bump, repeating this gesture he was doing so often since she had started to show.
The baby answered to its father's voice with a little kick, and that made Emma laugh. She stayed quiet for a few seconds, staring at the tray with her eyes sparkling, and she said with a mischievous smile seeing all the food laying before her.
"That sure makes a lot of pancakes."
"You need to catch up on all those meals you've skipped this week." He replied with a shrug.
"Oh, I'm not complaining." She giggled. "I'm starving!"
"That's a good sign." He said with a relieved smile as she was starting her meal with a great appetite.
She literally devoured most of her huge breakfast, and when she had finished, she snuggled into his arms with a pleased smile. He kissed the top of her head, his fingers gently tickling the thin skin of her neck, and he asked :
"What do you want to do today?"
"Mmm..." she absent-mindlessly answered, wrapping both her arms around him to pull him closer to her. "I don't know. Maybe we could stay here, what do you think? I really don't want to move today."
"As you wish, darling." He answered, breathing her with a smile.
Emma's answer consolidated his previous idea that she had forgotten about his birthday for good, but he couldn't have cared less. All that mattered to him was seeing her happy, and he was so glad her smile was finally back. It was all that he was asking for this day that wasn't as important as the people of his world seemed to think.
Cuddled against Killian's chest, Emma smiled feeling his hand gently stroking her side. She was feeling better than she had in days, and it was putting her in such a good mood. She had tried not to complain too much about her sicknesses, because Killian was worrying too much already and she didn't want him to feel even worse, but she had thought it would never get better. But she was finally feeling okay, and Killian had gladly accepted for them to stay home that day, not doing anything in particular because she just wanted to rest and spend the afternoon in his arms. They were now wrapped in three blankets, watching the princess bride, a movie she had seen so many times she was knowing the lines by heart, and it was making him laugh a lot when she was talking with the characters. She was so happy to show him one of her favorite movie of all times, and he was obviously liking it a lot. With Henry, they had decided to show him the most famous movies, and they were always finding his reactions hilarious. Between Star Wars, Harry Potter, and The Disneys, they had already spent dozens of hours cuddled in this couch, and she had to admit she was liking this a lot.
The baby gave a little kick, and she absent-mindlessly placed her hand underneath her belly-button, next to Killian's hook. She had been so scared when she had learned she was pregnant. She was still having quite impressive panic attacks from time to time, stressed by her hormones that were driving her crazy sometimes. But Killian was always there to take her into his arms and whisper that everything would be all right and that she was going to be the best mom ever for this little kid. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. But despite her fear, despite the pregnancy that wasn't always easy because of her exhaustion and her sicknesses, she had to admit she was deeply happy. And a lot of that happiness was coming from this man that was holding her close to him at that exact moment.
She sighted with a smile, and reached for the bowl of chips placed on Killian's lap, but she only met emptiness. Before she could say something, he started talking. It was like he was knowing better than herself what she wanted sometimes. He was so careful and attentive with her it was making her dizzy, because before meeting him, she had never through she would one day live with a person that would treat her like a princess, and she wasn't used to these kind of attentions.
"I'll go get some more." He said, moving to get off the couch.
"No, let me do it." She protested, taking the bowl to prevent him from doing anything. "I've already seen the movie, not you. I'll be back in two minutes."
She kissed his lips to make him quiet when she saw he was about to protest, and she quickly got up to head for the kitchen. He was so overprotective with her since he had learned she was pregnant that he wanted to help her in every little thing she was doing, and it was driving her crazy, even if she knew he had only good intentions. She had tried to explain him that if she was pregnant, she was not sick and she could still live normally, but her state these past few days had broken all that she had managed to build over the months. She was moaning about it a lot, but she had to admit to herself that, sometimes, and even if her wish of independence was most of the time taking over, it was feeling good to have someone caring about her after all those years of loneliness. But today, she didn't want to quarrel with him, even if it wasn't serious, and that's why she had acted before he could say anything.
She absent-mindlessly put the bowl on the kitchen counter, biting her lower lip. She'd had a dream that night, and it had left her quite puzzled. Although it wasn't a nightmare – she hadn't lied to Killian when he had asked her if everything was fine – it was making her quite perplexed. Because she had dreamed about their child to come, and she had this feeling that it was more a vision than a real dream.
She placed her hand on her stomach as she was recalling what she had seen the night before, and felt her heart fastening a little bit. The scene she had witnessed in this dream was so beautiful, and it was a bit confusing because she hadn't expected to have a vision again. The baby kicked, as if it wanted to tell her she was right, and that she had seen their future. She smiled : if it was the case, what was awaiting for them was more than wonderful.
She took care of the chips, and took one to eat it while she was at it. She was starving, and no mattered how much she was eating, her stomach kept on rumbling for more. It hadn't happened for a week, and it seemed to please Killian a lot, because she knew he had been very worried about her. He was by the way making a point of getting her whatever she wanted without her even having to say a thing, as if the fact she had her appetite back was making him genuinely glad. She took the bowl in her right hand and, with her left forefinger, she pressed her cellphone that she had left in the kitchen to see if she had a new text. In this town, we could never know when a new crisis could burst.
That's when she noticed the date, written in white on her lock screen, a picture of her and Killian on the Jolly-Roger right before they knew she was pregnant. She frowned, blinked several times, unable to believe that what she was seeing on her cellphone was true. It couldn't be, there had to be a mistake. She had prepared for this day for weeks, she couldn't have missed it. And someone would have reminded her of it, if what she was seeing was true. Her mom would have called her to make sure she hadn't forgotten, Henry would have sent her a text to ask if the dinner was still happening. Still convinced that her cellphone was mistaking somewhere, she quickly calculated the date in her mind. And she dropped the bowl on the floor, which crashed in a horrible smash.
She had actually forgotten about Killian's birthday.
And yet, she had organized everything she wanted to do during this day for weeks. She wanted to show him how much she loved him, and this project was also a kind of quiet thank you because he was so sweet with her all the time. But the last events had decided otherwise, and her sicknesses had made her lose the sense of time. He was going to hate her. Hell, she was hating herself.
She immediately felt tears forming into her eyes. Her hormones not helping, she was about to violently start sobbing. How could have she done such a thing, to him, who was always there for her when she needed it?
"Emma?" Killian asked from the living room, certainly alarmed by the noises of broken glass.
Trying to pull herself together, she had the impulse of squatting to pick up the little pieces of glass scattered on the floor. Her foggy mind was idling because of the guilt, and she didn't think about the fact she could hurt herself acting that way. Her vision was blinded by the tears that were now streaming down her face, and she couldn't see correctly anymore. Without surprise, she ended up cutting her finger, what made her get up with a little wince of pain.
"Swan, is everything all right?" Hook asked, walking into the kitchen.
She looked down to the floor, not even knowing how she could make him understand how sorry she was. She was feeling so bad she didn't even know how to explain it with words. Killian noticed right away her wound that, if it wasn't deep, was bleeding quite heavily, and he approached her to take her hand and gently drive her away from the broken glass on the floor.
"You're hurt." He stated, looking deeply worried.
"Killian..." She started, finally looking up to him, and his face changed to look very concerned when he saw Emma's eyes filled in with unshed tears.
"Hey… hey, what's happening?" He asked, taking her into his arms has she was burying her face into the crook of his neck, a husky sob shaking her shoulders.
"I'm… I'm so… sorry." She panted as he was stroking her back to comfort her, looking deeply confused by her sudden change of mood.
"Emma, it's just a bowl, it's not a big deal. We have others. Everything's fine." He tried to ease her.
"No, it's not that!" She cried out, pulling away from him, annoyed by the fact she wasn't able to tell him what was making her feel so bad.
It was obvious that with the few information he had for now, he was thinking her panic was because of the broken bowl. She could start sobbing without a good reason lately, because of her crazy hormones and exhaustion. No less than three days ago, she had started to cry in the middle of the living room because she couldn't find her car keys. Killian was now used to this kind of things, and he was always there to comfort her. But this time, it was different. What she had done was horrible. She couldn't believe she had actually forgotten about the birthday of the man she loved.
"I'm so sorry. I… I hate myself..." She stuttered, looking at him with a sheepish expression on her face.
"Emma, no! Don't say that!" Killian answered, intertwining his fingers with hers, a bit alarmed by her words. "Talk to me, darling, what's wrong?"
"I forgot about your birthday, that's what's wrong!"
She had yelled without even realizing it, so mad at herself, and his lips parted in surprise. Her tears, that had calmed down when she had started to talk, were now even stronger than before, and she said, trying to stop sobbing without managing to do so :
"I'm the worst girlfriend ever. You're always there for me, and I… I just..."
"Shh, baby." He said, taking her against him once again, and she was surprised to realize he didn't seem angry at all because of what she had done. "It's nothing, really, you don't have to feel so bad about that. You've been sick all week, it's perfectly normal you've forgotten which day it is..."
"Wait, you… You're not mad at me?" She said with a little sniff, and he pulled her even closer to him, kissing her neck to calm her down.
"Aw, sweetheart, of course I'm not mad at you. And my birthday isn't that important, you know. I've had more than two hundreds already." He joked, probably to make her smile, but she was still feeling too guilty too laugh.
"But, and… The dinner?" She asked, cuddling even closer to him because she was comforted by his strong arms surrounding her and the fact he didn't seem mad at all.
"Your father has called me this morning, while you were sleeping. I told him I would wait to see how you were feeling, and at the worst, we could postpone the meal."
She suddenly pulled away from him and took her cellphone in her hand while sniffing once again. He looked at her, shaking his head as he wasn't getting why she was suddenly freeing herself from his embrace, but she had to redeem herself and she didn't have a lot of time to do so. She nervously flipped the device in her hand and started talking very quickly :
"Okay, well now I have to call my dad to tell him the dinner is still on. It's already late, I don't have much time to cook, but if I hurry up I can do it. But now I have to go to the groceries store, and… Do you mind if I go pick your gift up now? I know it's not the same because I was supposed to give it to you this morning, and hell, I should have gotten it way sooner, but I have some ideas for a while now, and it shouldn't take too much time if I go fast. I'll just be gone for a couple of hours, nothing more, and..."
"Hey." He cut her off, approaching her, and she titled her head in surprise. "Everything's fine, baby, don't panic, okay? You don't have to do anything."
"But… I need to go and redeem myself for what I've done." She pouted, feeling tears forming in her eyes again.
"Emma, there is something I want for my birthday. And it's to spend it with you. I really don't want us to be far from each other today."
Her lips parted as she was staring at him in awe. She couldn't believe how wonderful this man was. She had made a terrible mistake, and he was still managing to be so sweet with her. He kept on gently smiling at her, and she realized he was completely sincere with her and he wasn't mad or disappointed at all.
"If you want to do all those things, you can go for it tomorrow, all right? And we can still organize the dinner, but you don't need to do a thing. We'll go to take something at Granny's. All I want is spending time with you. I want to keep on watching this movie with you in my arms and just spend a quiet day. What do you think?"
"Really?" She asked, looking at him through her eyelashes. "Are you sure? You're not saying this to make me feel better, are you?"
"I promise you I'm not, Swan. I really want that." He said, approaching her to hug her once again. "And it's bad form to discus the wish of man when it's his birthday, princess." He added with a teasing smile.
It finally made her laugh, and they stayed for a long time against each other in the middle of the kitchen as she was slowly calming down at the touch of the man she loved. He then took her to the living room couch to treat her wound, refusing for her to use her magic to make the cut disappear. They had found out that with her exhaustion, her powers were more unpredictable than usual, and he didn't want her to take a risk as he could easily heal her. She didn't even think about protesting. She was still feeling too guilty to discus with him, and she let him put a bandage around her hand without saying a word. She didn't know what to do to redeem herself, even if she knew he wasn't mad at her, and it's only when he sat back down next to her after calling David to tell him the dinner was still happening that the perfect solution came to her mind.
Without saying a word, she leaned forward to start kissing him, at first gently and then more and more passionately. They soon found themselves laying on the sofa, her on top of him as his hand was making its way under her shirt. He started talking again when she playfully bit his lower lip, panting, and he said with a little smirk :
"Where is this sudden idea coming from?"
"There is a little gift I can give you right now." She answered, licking her lips, and he chuckled at her words.
"You know what, Swan? Sometimes I have to admit I really like those hormones."
"You're an idiot." She laughed before attacking his neck again, pressing a trail of little kisses down his chest, what made him moan in pleasure.
Their embrace lasted for a very long time, and when they found themselves in each other's arms again, still a bit breathless, she noticed at Killian's smile that she had taken the right decision and he seemed to like his first birthday gift a lot.
"Can I tell you a secret?" Emma suddenly asked in the quiet of the room.
Her and Killian were laying on their huge bed, wrapped in a tight embrace. Killian had his head placed on Emma's shoulder, and his hand was gently laying on her stomach. He smiled. They had spent such a beautiful day together. He had been genuinely sad to see her feeling so guilty for something he didn't think was that important, but the rest of the day had been simply perfect. His Swan's parents and Henry had come to share a meal coming from Granny's with them, and they had spent such a good time all together. He had insisted for the food to be vegetarian so Emma wouldn't feel left out because she couldn't eat meat, and it had seemed to make her so happy. She had eaten her meal with a great appetite, and he was so glad to see the woman of his life with a smile on her beautiful face.
After their family had left the house – it was his family too now, Emma had insisted for him to use that word – they had resumed their quite enjoyable activities in their bedroom, and he had liked this twist a lot, he had to admit it. They were now laying in each other's arms, silent, and they couldn't have been happier. Emma's words surprised him a little bit when she started to talk. He wondered what kind of secret she was talking about, and he answered in a gentle voice :
"Of course."
She took a deep breath as if what she was about to say was important, but the big smile she had on her face was reassuring him. She was looking so happy, and that meant nothing bad was going on. She placed her own hand on her baby bump and intertwined her fingers with his to say :
"I think I know the baby's gender."
He stayed speechless hearing those words, not knowing how to react. They had decided to keep the mystery about the baby's gender until the birth, and she had seemed to agree on that. He wondered how she had learned such a thing, and mostly what had made her change her mind. Completely confused, he asked :
"How?"
"By accident." She sighted, gently stroking his hand with her thumb to ease him as she knew this statement was confusing him. "I know we've decided to keep it a surprise, and I didn't want to betray this decision. But last night, I had a dream."
He frowned, asking himself if that was the reason why she had seemed so scared in her sleep in the morning. A wave of worry rushed over him as he was wondering if something bad was going to happen to them again. He was scared she'd had a nightmare, and that their child was in danger. He tightened his grip on her hand, asking in a somewhat shaky voice :
"A vision?"
"I think so." She nodded before noticing his panic, and she pulled him closer to her to comfort him. "Don't worry, babe. What was happening in this dream… that was so beautiful. And I think I saw our baby."
"So?" He answered, deeply relieved, with the sudden wish to discover this secret now that Emma knew. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"You sure you wanna know?" She asked with a big smile.
"More than ever." he answered, and she giggled, making him shiver in happiness.
She took a deep breath, making the suspense last longer, and he pressed a little kiss on her neck to quietly show her how much he loved her. After a few seconds of silence, she ended up saying in a voice shaking because of her joy :
"We're having a girl."
He sighted in awe, feeling tears of joy forming in his eyes because he was so bloody happy. A little girl. He was going to become a little angel's father. He was already loving her so much while he hadn't even seen her yet, and he was so eager to finally meet her, hold her in his arms, take her little hands in his. He promised himself he was going to be the best person he could for this wonderful little princess that was coming into their lives, because this child was deserving all the happiness in the world. He gently stroked Emma's stomach and leaned to kiss her lips, a lonely tear escaping his eyes to roll on his cheek :
"I love you." He whispered against her mouth.
She smiled and held him tight to kiss him a second time as an answer. Her eyes were shinning with pure love, and he was finding her even more beautiful than usual. They stayed forehead against forehead, their noses brushing against one another for a few seconds, before he pulled away from her. He gently leaned toward Emma's bump and kissed it before whispering :
"So you're a little princess. Your mommy and I, I promise you we'll do everything we can for you. You're our little angel, and we already love you so much."
"Your daddy is right, but what he doesn't know, it's that you're more of a little pirate than a princess." Emma replied with a giggle and he smiled at her. "In my dream, she couldn't stay still." She added to Killian with a great gentleness. "She was so close to Henry, and he was teaching her how to sword fight with a wooden sword. You were crazy about her. She was looking like you a lot. She had your hair and you looked so alike. And us… we were loving each other more than ever."
He shook his head, telling himself that he was definitely happier than he had been his entire life. And it was all because of this incredible woman with whom he was building a family. He could never thank her enough for everything she brought into his life, and while he was usually so good with words, he didn't even know what to do to show her how much he was in love with her anymore. He approached her and kissed her lips for a long, long time. It's when she wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing through their kisses, that he understood the obvious. They didn't even need words to understand each other anymore.
They stayed cuddled against each other until the sun rose in the sky. He didn't say it out loud, but he thought deep down that this wonderful woman was giving him the most beautiful gift in the world by giving him this family he had searched for his entire life. She told him for hours the tale of her dream, in which their family was so happy, leaving out no details as he was listening carefully. And he ended up falling asleep in her arms, dreaming of a little girl with black hair and green eyes, smiling at him with the same smile that his beautiful Swan had when she was happy.
Here we go guys, I hope you liked it! And again, I wish you the happiest birthday babe, I hope this year brings you everything you're hoping for. Love you!
