Killian Jones sat at his desk typing furiously away at his computer. Running a business was a lot more work than he thought it would be when he first started years ago but he was determined to make it work. He had to; he had a family to support after all.
Jones Boating Company had been a dream both he and his brother had shared since they were young. And as they got older that dream became a reality when Liam had been offered a chance to start it up in a small town in America called Storybrooke, Maine. Apparently being a high ranking Captain in the Royal Navy has its own perks. And so the brothers packed up their belongings and set sail for America.
Not long after they moved and started the company did Liam meet his future wife Attina. She was attractive she was; long brown hair and striking green eyes and she was always wearing orange it seemed. Attina was someone that complimented him well. Where he was somewhat aloof in his ways, she was there to drag him back down to Earth when needed. And when he came back from a hard day at the office when he had to deal with Mr. Gold and his want to buy the company from them, she was always there to cheer him up with his favorite drink and a little bit of dancing. They were quite the couple and Killian had hopes to have a marriage like theirs.
Then one day Liam decided to take a week off and leave the office to Killian so he and Attina could go sailing. He had been running on fumes the last few months trying to prepare for their summer tours and cruises. She saw how tired and sluggish he was becoming and demanded he take a rest week and so they did and set sail for a little getaway out on the sea. When the week was over and the couple was headed back a freak storm decided to grace Storybrooke with its presence. Killian had waited by the radio all night for a confirmation that his brother was okay. Nothing came on the radio until the next morning when a call in from the coast guard was requesting any information anyone had about a vessel they found crashed against the mainland called the Jolly Roger. When he called and said that it was his brother's ship and asked if they had found any sign of him and his wife they answered him by asking him to come down to the crash site immediately.
It was there that he had to identify the bodies of Liam and Attina Jones. They had been killed by the impact against the rocky bay when the boat crashed into the cabin they had been in to try and wait out the storm. The coroner told him that they didn't suffer long at least. On that day he swore to take good care of the company in his honor.
Fast forward three years and the company was doing fantastically. It had expanded down the east coast some and was gaining popularity fast. All summer tours sold out in a matter of days and the cruises in hours. The company was quickly becoming the vision that Liam had dreamed it would be someday and that's exactly how Killian wanted it.
Being President of the company left him little time to actually be out on the sea. There was just so much to organize when it came to running an entire business. But he was a happy man. He had a thriving business, enough money to last him comfortably past retirement, and the best mates anyone could have asked for, Robin and Will who followed from Ireland when he asked them if they wanted a new job. They quickly packed up and followed. So why did it feel like something was missing?
Killian found that missing piece later that night when Robin and Will practically dragged him from the office claiming he was working himself to the grave and that he needed to take a break. They went to the Rabbit Hole and began to drink and cheer to anything they could think of. As Killian became more and more relaxed he noticed a blond in the corner next to his friend Ruby. Her long hair curled slightly at the ends and her emerald eyes sparkled as she smiled at something the red head next to her was saying. She was a sight for sore eyes and he knew she must be new in town because he would never forget a face like that. The boys seemed to notice he distracted and followed his eyes to his new muse. They laughed and started teasing him about how he wouldn't have the guts to go talk to her.
"Killian in all my years of knowing you not once have you been able to gather the nerves to go talk to a girl you've looked at like that!" Robin chuckled.
"Pardon me, but I've never really had any problems talking to women," he said with a scowl.
"Yeah no, don't get me wrong you have no problems with that. I'm talking about women you are truly interested in. And I haven't seen that look since college and that Milah chick stood you up on your second date." Robin sighed.
"Aye, she was a beautiful lass. But I am completely over that you know," he said and looked back towards the blond.
"Yeah don't forget who had to ask her out since you were to chicken to approach her," Will chimed in nonchalantly. "I mean it was pretty embarrassing for me to go up and tell her that my friend hiding behind the pool table wants to know if you'd go on a date with him." Killian threw him a nasty look that just made him laugh. "It's true though! Don't deny it."
Killian just hung his head in defeat for a moment and then suddenly popped it back up. He picked up his glass of rum, threw it all back in one finishing gulp, and stood up. He glanced at Robin and Will and just shrugged. "What better way to show you lot how to man up in these kinds of situations than to show you I can do this on my own." He put the glass down on the table and sauntered on over to the blond haired beauty.
It didn't happen all at once. At first Emma despised Killian. She thought he was just another pretty boy trying to get his way with her. But he never gave up. He would send her flowers once a month and they would always have some cheesy saying about how beautiful she was. When he did see her, he was polite and dashing which she always thought was just a front. It was only when Mary Margaret grew tired of seeing the poor man be denied that she dared Emma to just give him one chance. One date with the 'dashing rapscallion' as he called himself and she would leave it alone after that. And so when the flowers got delivered that month she took one out of the bouquet, wrote a quick note on it and left it in his mailbox.
Later that night he showed up at her apartment dressed in jeans and black shirt and leather jacket with nothing but smiles. They greeted each other, went to the carnival in the next town over, and came back with both of them smiling like idiots holding hands. Two years later they were engaged and five months after that she found out she was pregnant. Nine months later she gave birth to two twin boys. One they named Henry, and the other Liam. Killian had finally found that missing piece he had been searching for.
Seven years later
Killian Jones sat at his desk typing furiously away at his computer. Running a business was a lot more work than he thought it would be when he first started years ago but he was determined to make it work. He had to; he had a family to support after all.
He took a break from his screen and looked outside. It was a beautiful day. Warm and breezy. Perfect sailing weather. He might take the boys out when they got out of school. He smiled at the thought of them. They were growing like weeds and were eating everything in sight. It was hard keeping food in the house when they came through and tore the place apart looking for after school snacks and late lunches. He looked at the one of the two photos on his desk, the one with the boys at the park before school had started last year. They were smiling on the swings, Henry's hair being a mess just like his fathers. Liam's blond hair was starting to curl a little like his mother's.
The other was a picture from his and Emma's wedding day. Oh how she had looked beautiful in that dress. It was a form fitted dress with lace designs covering it. Mary Margaret had battled with her on make-up and doing her hair, both of which Emma had lost. In the end she looked like an angel as she had walked down that aisle. Robin had to hit his back to remind him to breathe before she made it to him. He smiled at the memory before the incoming message on his phone brought him back to reality.
Robin: Hey we were going to head to the cemetery tomorrow after we drop Roland off with Ashley. That sound like a good time?
He looked at the date on his desktop. Sure enough it was the anniversary already.
Killian: Yeah that sounds fine. I'll meet you and Regina there.
He set his phone down and put his head in his hands. He hated this time of the year. It made him want to almost close down the company for good, but he had a promise to keep.
The next day Killian walked with Liam and Henry to the cemetery after school. They were chatting to each other which made Killian happy for the distraction. As he led the boys to the gravesite he split the flowers and gave some to each boy so they could place them on the site. When the boys did lay them down Killian asked them to give him a few moments alone and so they ran off to go play tag amongst the stones.
He sat down on the ground and began to cry. "My love, it's been so hard this past year without you. And I miss you like crazy. The boys are all right though. I've kept my promise to you to take care of them. I do the best I can but it's so hard without you here."
"But I do my best. Do you remember that picture from our wedding day on my desk? That's what has been helping me through all of this. Seeing your smile is the highlight of my work day. And I miss it so. Emma, love, I love you and miss you." He sat there for a little while longer and cried until he heard his boys coming back.
"We miss her too Papa," Liam said.
"Yeah, a lot." Henry followed.
Killian just smiled and looked at them. "Aye, we all do." He gathered his sons in his arms and hugged them. No matter what he would keep his promise to Emma. His sons were his everything now and that was all he needed to keep himself running after them each day.
Emma Jones
Beloved Mother, Wife, Friend
"Not a day goes by that I don't think about you."
I'm sorry for the ending. But I had to write it this way. I got the idea from watching Agents of Shield when one of the characters said something about the photo on their work desk. And so this sad story came about. Thanks for reading though!
With lots of love,
HatterandtheTardis