So I have been having this story in my head for quite some time, and I finally decided to write it. I still don't know how many chapters this will have since I'm still planning out the story. I'm really excited for this story and hope you will like it.
This chapter is more of a big background story for Emma and Killian spread out over 15 years.
Please take note that I'm not American so I have absolutely no clue on how the school system and social services work there, and what are also the legal ages for some things, I just based myself on what I know here in Quebec.
Read and enjoy!
Emma—7 years old.
She dreaded this moment every time it happened: meeting her new foster family.
The only thing that she knew about them was that they lived in a nice neighbourhood and had no children of their own. She waited outside with her backpack. It contained all of her possessions, which wasn't much.
A silver car stopped in front of the building and a tall man with light brown hair wearing a white button-down shirt with a pair of khaki pants came out of the car, followed by a petite ginger-haired woman in a blue dress. They both had a nervous smile on their face and Emma could tell that they were as nervous as she was, however maybe not for the same reasons.
Emma was now 7; she had already experienced her share of terrible foster families. Changing to a new family always meant adapting to new surroundings, new people, new kids, new everything and she also had a risk of ending up with some foster parents who wanted her just for the money and not her.
The couple approached Emma, the woman fidgeting with the fabric of her dress as she talked to the woman in charge of the foster care. When they finished talking, they approached her.
"Hello, Emma. I'm Isabelle, and this is Clifford. We are going to be your parents from here on out." She told her with a warm smile, and while Emma was afraid of admitting it, it did give her hope.
She smiled back shyly at them and hesitated on taking the hand Isabelle was offering her. She could see the hope on Isabelle's face for her to take her hand, but she finally dropped it to her side, understanding that it was too much to ask from this little girl who had already been tossed around from house to house.
She followed them into the car and sat in the back. Isabelle tried making small talk as she tried to get to know Emma. Emma knew the intention was there, but she didn't feel like responding to her questions. The red haired-woman quickly understood and Emma her have her space.
They arrived in the small neighbourhood, where there was modest-sized house, with a nice green lawn. Clifford parked the car in front of the garage of this two-story house. Isabelle got out of the car and came to open the door for Emma, who had still her mouth open, impressed with the house as she'd never seen such a beautiful one.
Emma got out of the silver car with her backpack and followed her new foster parents into the house. They have her a tour of the house until they finally reached her room. The walls were bore no decorations; the room had a very plain look to it, but it was twice as big as the others she'd had and she was going to be staying in it alone.
"I know it isn't much, but when you feel up to it, we can go and have a shopping spree so we can decorate the room as you wish. What do you say?" Emma looked up to her and nodded.
"Do you want to settle down and have some time alone?" She asked.
"Yes, please." Responded the little blonde girl as she spoke to Isabelle for the first time, which made her smile to finally hear Emma's voice.
She left the room, leaving Emma to admire her new room. She dropped her bag on the floor and started to inspect every inch of her bedroom, smiling to herself at the thought that maybe things could get better.
-/-
Emma—7 years old/Killian—15 years old.
A couple of weeks went by and Emma started to settle into her new life. She still couldn't admit to herself, even less out loud, that she really liked Isabelle. She still wasn't sure about Clifford; he was nice but he didn't show the same kind of devotion and warmth that emanated from the red-haired woman.
Emma was sitting on the patio table as she passed time working on her favourite hobby, making some friendship bracelets. She never had a friend to give them to, but she enjoyed making them. She even considered selling them to make a little bit of money.
Isabelle opened the glass patio door and joined her at the table. Emma continued working on her bracelet as she lifted her head briefly to look at her. Isabelle was sitting at the table nervously, which, in turn, made Emma nervous, as she worried that this was it: she was going to be sent back. She stopped what she was doing and looked up at the woman.
"Um, Emma, Clifford and I need to attend a benefit for his company, so we won't be here tonight." She started, hearing those words made Emma let out a sigh of relief.
"I've asked the neighbour's son to come and babysit you. Are you okay with that?" She asked, concerned with Emma's well-being.
"Yes." She blurted out with a smile, happy that that was Isabelle's only concern.
At 5 p.m. the doorbell rang, and Clifford, dressed in his black suit, went to open the door.
"Hello, Mr. Fletcher." Said a lilted voice. Emma was sitting on the couch watching TV, she craned her head up trying to get a peek at the person who was going to take care of her for the night. She couldn't really get a good look at him, since her foster father was standing in front of him, blocking her view.
She heard Isabelle walk down the stairs in her high heels as she went to join her husband at the door. A couple of minutes later, she entered the living room with a tall, skinny boy.
"Emma, this is Killian. He will be watching you while we are gone." Emma inspected him and she felt a nice vibe coming off of him.
Her parents left and he went to sit next to her on the couch. They stayed in an awkward silence, not really knowing what to say.
"So, what are we watching?" He finally asked.
"Disney movies. Which one do you want to watch, The Lion King or Aladdin?" She asked him as she showed him the two movies.
"Um, let's go with Aladdin."
"Good choice." She told him as she got up and took the casette from the box and inserted it into the VCR.
They started to watch the movie in silence, and after a while Emma took out the box where she kept her pending work. She continued to pull on the coloured strings as she made progress on her bracelet.
"Who is that for? A friend at school?" Killian asked as Emma shook her head.
"No, I don't really have any friends."
"So why are you making them, you know they're called friendship bracelets right?"
"Just because it's called that doesn't mean I have to give it to someone. I just enjoy making them." She simply answered.
"Good point. You should sell them, might as well make some money out of it."
Her eyes left the bracelet and looked at him as she stared at his deep blue eyes she smiled, a smile that he returned.
They went back to being silent and watched the movie. When it finished, Killian shifted on his seat and looked at her.
"Are you hungry?" He asked as he turned off the VCR.
"Yes."
"Your mom told me there was some Kraft diner." He told her.
"She isn't my mom, and that sounds good." She answered him her eyes still on her bracelet.
He didn't respond to her comment, feeling quite uncomfortable with this situation and went in the kitchen to make their diner.
-/-
Emma—10 years old/Killian—18 years old.
For the past three years, Emma had been living with Isabelle and Clifford. She still wasn't comfortable with calling them 'Mom' and 'Dad,' but she was getting there slowly. Isabelle was very caring and made sure Emma was happy with her life, while Clifford was kind, but not very talkative.
There was also Killian, who Emma appreciated most of all. He came to babysit her once in a while and she was always happy to see him. She felt like she could tell him anything, and she did. Killian's father had abandoned him, his brother and his mother when he was about 6 years old, and he always felt a void and the pain of being left. She knew that when she talked about all of her foster homes she'd been to, how poorly she had been treated sometimes, and how being tossed from home to home made her feel like she wasn't wanted, he understood her pain.
Every time he came over to her house, they'd spend the evening watching movies together as she made her bracelets and Killian was beside her drawing, until it was her time to go to bed. He would always tuck her in and lie next to her as he told her a story.
During the summer, he would accompany her to the pool and take her to the park and always ended up with Emma begging him to buy her an ice cream, which he always did.
Despite their age difference, she knew he liked her company and enjoyed spending time with her and that it went from the little girl he babysits to the little girl who became his friend.
Today was a hot summer day and Emma was putting on her red bathing suit and went to get her towel. The doorbell rang and she went running down the stairs to open the door knowing who it was. Killian was standing there in his flip-flops, his navy bathing suit, with a white t-shirt and a towel hanging from his skinny shoulders.
"Ready?" He asked her with a smile.
"I just need to get my bag." Emma ran into the living room and grabbed the bag where she stored her bracelets. She joined Killian at the door and closed it behind them as Emma's voice echoed in the house, shouting where she was going and with whom at Isabelle, who was in the kitchen.
As they walked towards the community pool, Emma had the habit on climbing on every edge she could, which earned her a warning from Killian, who always ended up taking care of her scratches, and wiping her tears away.
They arrived at the pool without any incident and as soon as she could reach the water, Emma jumped in as she made the water splash all around her. Killian followed her not long after and they played their usual game, Marco Polo.
After spending nearly an hour in the water, they came out and dried themselves off. Killian offered her to buy her an ice-cream cone on their way back to her house, which she gladly accepted. They went to sit on a bench near the park, taking their time and savouring their cold treats.
From the moment Killian had been sitting on the bench, he didn't stop from shifting, but Emma didn't notice a thing as she was entranced by the cookie dough ice cream she was relishing. She kept rambling about what happened at the park the other day, when a boy was teasing her for being adopted.
"Emma?" Killian questioned as he interrupted her. He only used her first name when he was warning her of something she did, usually calling her by her last name the rest of the time, Swan.
"Yeah, I know, I shouldn't have hit him, but he deserved it." She justified as she took an angry bite out of her cone.
"I'm leaving at the end of the summer." He blurted out suddenly, earning a shocked look from Emma.
"What? Why?" She asked him, trying to hold back the tears that were already threatening to spill.
"I'm moving so I can be closer to my college." He told her, the situation clearly hurting him, too.
"No you can't! You can't leave me too!" She yelled at him throwing the remains of her ice cream cone on the asphalt as she got up from the bench.
"I'm sorry, but, I have too. I can't stay here and work at the grocery store for the rest of my life. I have ambitions and I can't achieve them if I stay here." He explained, Emma frowning at him, arms crossed in front of her chest. "You'll understand when you're older."
"I don't care! I don't want you to leave, I'll be alone without you." She spilled as heavy tears started to slip down her cheeks.
"That's not true, you have Isabelle and Clifford." Killian said, trying to reassure the frightened little girl in front of him. His heart was breaking seeing this girl he came to care so much about over the years, as if she was his little sister, and it pained him that he had to leave her. If he could, he would take her with him but he knew that it wasn't possible.
"It's not the same, you're the only one who understands me. You're my only friend. Please. Don't go." Emma pleaded, her voice breaking as she made her demand.
He was looking at her with a pained expression, his face about to crack under the intensity of their predicament.
Seeing that he wasn't answering, Emma turned around, taking her things with her and ran as fast as she could back to her house as Killian shouted her name in vain. He figured that it was no use to run after her, knowing that she just needed some time to take in the news.
-/-
The end of the summer quickly arrived, and Emma was dreading this moment for the past few weeks. Killian had worked very hard to try and make the most of their last moments together, and even if Emma really did try to enjoy them, she knew it would soon come to an end.
He had asked her if she wanted to say her goodbyes with everyone at the car, but she refused. She didn't want everyone to see how his departure affected her. He had agreed to her request and offered to spend the afternoon at her place for one last time.
Near the end of the afternoon, Emma got up from her bed and went get something from her bag. Killian looked at her, intrigued, wondering what she was doing as she soon re-joined him on her bed.
"Here, I made you this." She took his hand and dropped something into his palm.
He looked at her before seeing what was in his hand. She had made one of her famous bracelets, but this one was different from all the others since it wasn't made out of boredom and wasn't without meaning. This bracelet was made with deep affection and represented the friendship they built over the last three years.
Killian smiled, seeing what she had given him and thanked her as he wrapped it around his right wrist before silently requesting that she tie it for him.
"I've got something for you, too." He told her as he went to take something out of his backpack that was lying on the floor next to her bed. He took out his black sketchbook and opened it. Killian took the loose sheet that was between the others and the hardcover.
He handed her a drawing that she had never seen before, and Emma's eyes watered seeing what he had made for her.
It was a simple drawing of them, sitting on her couch as they watched TV. They were drawn doing what they used to do during those evenings. Her eyes watered when she saw that he had drawn her with a smile, looking happy.
"This way, whenever you feel alone and think that you have no one, you'll be reminded that somewhere out there, you do." He explained to her softly; she looked at him with a sad smile and jumped from her seat to hug him tightly.
"I'm going to miss you so much." She told him, her face crushed to his chest as tears fell down, leaving a trace on his grey shirt. He hugged her tightly, his hand stroking her golden curls as he murmured into the top of her head. "Me too. But we'll see each other again I'll come visit."
She leaned her head back, looking at him with vulnerability in her eyes. "You promise?" She asked with her voice cracking in sadness.
"I promise."
Not long after, Emma saw Killian leave her house for the last time. She quickly ran up the stairs and barricaded herself in her room, battling internally as she wondered if she should watch him leave through her bedroom window.
She hid her head under her pillow, and when she heard voices coming out from outside, she couldn't handle it any longer and got up to see what was going on. Standing in front of her window, she saw Killian standing next to the used car her mom managed to give him for his birthday. She was standing in front of him, her back to Emma, holding his hands. They hugged each other for a while and he got in the driver's seat. The car pulled out of its spot and drove off down the street.
Emma stayed glued to her window for a while, wishing she would see his car come back, but it never did.
-/-
Emma—14 years old.
She was sitting in the corner of the living room, which was filled with people dressed in black. Most of the people that were in her house were standing in small groups surrounded by people they knew.
Emma hadn't really talked to Clifford since Isabelle's passing. Actually, they never really spoke to each other, and it got worse when Isabelle was diagnosed with cancer the year before.
Her illness was quickly declared terminal, the tumour having spread to her vital organs. The only thing that they were able to do for her was making her last months comfortable.
She looked around the room and it was filled with people who were mourning her adoptive mother, and she couldn't stand staying in this room any longer. She got up and discreetly climbed the stairs, barricading herself in her room so she could mourn her loss in peace.
Emma hadn't realized how much she loved Isabelle until she got sick. She had always treated Emma as if she were her own child and always put her happiness first, which was something that she had never experienced before. When Killian left, Isabelle comforted her, even though Emma pushed her away, not wanting her to see her in pain. Isabelle never gave up and after some time Emma let her in to help soothe her sadness.
As usual, whenever she felt alone and lost, she took out the drawing that Killian had made for her and held it close to her chest. Her vision got blurry when she realized that she was really alone now. She had come to care for and love Isabelle and now she was gone forever, just like Killian.
He had promised her that he would come back to visit her but never did. Shortly after he left for college, his mom decided to move to another city, to be near him. Because of that, he never came back, she knew the reason why he didn't visit, but she still had hoped that he would have kept his promise.
Emma laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling of her room, the drawing still in her hand, wondering what would happen now.
Killian—22 years old
He had just settled into his new apartment with a couple of friends he made in college. It was now his last year in architectural design, and was happy to leave the dorms and trade his studying space for something a little bigger and hopefully more peaceful.
Robin, his roommate, decided to throw a party before the beginning of the new semester in their apartment. Killian wasn't that enthusiastic at the idea, since he still hadn't finished on unpacking his stuff.
The apartment was filled with people he didn't know, and he had trouble walking around his apartment without bumping into someone and spilling their drinks everywhere.
Killian was trying to get to the kitchen so he could grab himself another cold beer, but was side tracked when he bumped into a beautiful brunette. Her blue eyes were surprised by his sudden appearance, and she realized that she had spilled her drink all over his shirt.
She introduced herself to him and told him her name was Milah.
He felt himself drawn to her all through the party, and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. They spent the night talking about their lives, dreams, and aspirations. He was amazed by her, her carefree spirit, and her thirst for adventure.
He was disappointed to hear through one of their conversations that she had a boyfriend. Killian didn't let that bring him down and decided to at least pursue a possible friendship.
-/-
Emma—18 years old.
For the past four years, Emma hadn't been living with Clifford. A month after Isabelle's death, he wasn't able to take care of her, a teenage girl with a lot of issues as it was. He decided to send her back into the foster care system and she stayed there, since no family wanted a fourteen-year-old girl with an attitude problem in their home.
She quickly lost hope, convinced now more than ever that she didn't belong anywhere. Every time she stumbled upon the drawing of the only friend she ever had and his broken promise, she came to terms with the fact that happiness wasn't something that the future held for her. After one horrible and frustrating day, where she needed someone to be there for her, but nobody was, she took Killian's drawing and tore it to pieces, blinded by the anger and sadness coursing through her.
She finally got out of the system and was trying to survive with the small amount of money she had. She sometimes didn't have a choice to steal from a convenience store for some essentials, or from grocery store for food.
Emma met a guy, Neal, as she tried to steal his car in a back alley, not knowing that he was lying in the backseat. She soon realised that she was stealing a stolen car, and the absurdity of the situation made them laugh. He asked her out for a drink, and she accepted, since she thought that he was kind of cute and there was something about him that she felt drawn to.
From then on, they had been spending all of their time together as partners in crime. Emma felt happy; for the first time in a long time she felt loved and that she had finally found a place where she belonged. Neal promised her the world and she saw endless possibilities with him as she fell head over heels in love with him.
She should have seen it coming when he framed her for one of his crimes and she was sentenced to eleven months in prison. She kept repeating and convincing herself that good things don't happen to her and that trusting others is something she can't afford.
She is, and always was, alone in this world.
Killian—26 years old.
In the past 3 months, Killian had finally started dating Milah. He had spent the last four years enamoured with her, but never wanted to make a move since she was already with someone. He became her friend, and soon realised how miserable she was with her boyfriend. He was jealous, possessive, and didn't treat her the way she deserved to be treated.
They slowly became closer, and she could no longer deny what she and Killian had. A couple of months later, she gathered the courage to leave her boyfriend for Killian. Since then, they couldn't keep their hands off of each other, and he felt content and happy with his life.
Killian was sitting at the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his thighs, his face buried in one hand as the other hand still held the phone through which he heard the news that had broken his heart into one thousand pieces.
Milah's best friend had just called him in tears, telling him that Milah was found lifeless in her apartment.
After hearing those words, the rest was a blur to Killian as he tried to assimilate the news; he didn't hear her friend tell him the details and circumstances of her death.
He found the strength to finally leave his apartment and rush his way towards her place, where he found a horde of policemen blocking the passage. When the police found out that he was her boyfriend, they bombarded him with questions.
It took them a day or two, he didn't really remember, for them to figure out who was responsible for this crime.
Milah's ex-boyfriend, still upset that she'd left him, committed a crime of passion.
Killian spent the days following her funeral on his bed mourning her as he drank himself to sleep, the only way he found to numb the pain.
-/-
Present.
Emma—22 years old/Killian—30 years old.
It had been a slow night up until now and she only had a couple of customers on her side of the bar.
From the moment she arrived at work, there was an annoying customer who wouldn't leave her alone, trying to get her attention, calling out her with cheesy pet names. She hated when clients acted that way just because she was wearing denim shorts with a low cut top.
She had been working in this bar for the past year, her roommate Ruby managed to make her boss hire her since she was desperate for a job, and there weren't a lot of places that were willing to hire her, due to her criminal record. At least she had a job that paid her enough to pay the bills.
"Ruby, do you mind watching my section, I really need to go to the bathroom." She yelled loud enough so her co-worker could hear her over the rock music that was playing.
"Sure thing." Replied the brunette as she poured some shots for the customers who were sitting in front of her.
Emma walked to the back of the bar and went to the bathroom. On her way back, she was smacked on the butt, the action making her body jerk and turn around towards the person who just touched her.
She was face-to-face with the customer who had been harassing her all evening. He closed the space between them and wrapped his arms around her waist, flushing his chest to hers, and she could smell the inebriated scent of his breath.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked as her palms went to rest flat on his chest and she tried to push him off her, her face contorted in disgust.
"Oh come on, sweetheart. Don't tell me you're dressing like that and don't want someone to fuck you good." He told her, snarling into her ear.
She felt herself boil over at his comment and actions and just when she was about to punch him in the face, someone else pulled him off of her.
"I think the lass doesn't want your dirty hands on her." The man said, earning him a strong push from the harasser.
"Back off, this is none of your business."
"Well, I think it is, when I see a man treating a woman this poorly. Especially against her will."
The other man groaned before launching himself at her rescuer. Everything happened so fast that she didn't clearly see what happened, the only thing she knew was the annoying man was now lying on the floor, unconscious.
She wanted to thank the man who came to help her, and walked towards him, as his back was to her. He turned around just when she arrived in front of him, and when she lifted her eyes to look at him, she felt herself freeze completely.
The man had incredible blue eyes that felt so familiar to her, that, without even realising it, she opened her mouth.
"Killian?"
"Emma?"