Evergreen
Emma and Killian lay together on their couch with a fire crackling low. Emma was curled into his side and his arm was draped around her. She was so happy to be back here, in her home, in Killian's arms. She felt like she hadn't seen him in 30 years.
Just hours before, Emma had fallen through the portal followed by Regina and Robin. Emma was dressed in a pink gown and a pink velvet cloak trimmed in ermine. Emma had flung herself into his arms and held him and Henry as close as she could.
They had gone straight home at Emma's insistence to get changed. Killian had talked her into keeping the regalia. Claiming fun to be had on the Jolly later. She smiled and tucked it into their closet- right next to his pirate coat. Then changed into favorite black yoga pants and oversized sweater, while Killian fixed them all some grilled cheese sandwiches and cocoa.
God, she had missed home.
"I know it might sound strange, but there is a tiny part of me that is glad this all happened."
"How so?"
"I've wondered what it would be like if I hadn't been sent through the wardrobe.
"I had a bad childhood there is no sugarcoating that, but I like the person I've become."
She smiled at him. "I like the life I have, the life I share with you."
She had told him of her and Regina's journey through the creepy fake world. He listened and chuffed at the appropriate times.
When she got to the part concerning his doppelganger, the inevitable question fell from his lips.
"Dare I ask what I was like there?"
Emma was quiet for a moment before she sat up to look at him, reaching over to her fingers through his raven hair.
His doppelganger's hair had been long and silver. Framing a worn face and sad eyes.
Those eyes haunted her. Emma never, ever wanted to see that look of utter defeat and hopelessness in his beautiful blue eyes again.
"You were definitely different there." She said thoughtfully, thinking of the warped version of her love. "I think you were how the Evil Queen thought you would turn out. The Evil Queen had a pretty low opinion of you apparently."
He quirked an eye making eye contact with her, pulling his head away from her gentle touch.
"You were much older, and you had a bit of a belly. "
"I was fat?!"
"Your clothes were a bit of a mess." She continued, ignoring the question. "You had stopped taking care of yourself."
She brought her hand to cup his cheek. "He wasn't you, he wasn't my dashing, well-groomed, nice-smelling pirate captain."
He voice fell to a whisper as she voiced the thoughts that had been floating around in her head since that encounter.
"He wasn't the Killian that's died for me." She swallowed hard. "He wasn't the man I love."
"But, honestly, I'm kinda really glad I met him." Emma continued, "Meeting him just made me want to get back to you all that more."
"To tell me to lay off the deserts and rum?"
"You have seen my stretch marks and cellulite."
"You're still beautiful." He said quickly.
"And you were still handsome." She cajoled. "You remember when we went back in time? How I met my parents, but they didn't know me? It was like that, only Hook was so unhappy and alone and I just remember thinking. 'I missed it. I missed his whole life. I missed seeing him everyday'."
'I thought of all those wasted years which they could never get back and I didn't want to risk a moment's more regret.'
"I wanna get old and grey with you, Killian Jones."
His expression melted into a smile at that, and he leaned in to kiss her warmly.
"And I you."
