A/N: new story, boom. I'm using third person instead of first, which is what I did for the first story. I like third better, and I hope you guys do too! So first chapter, yay! I cried a bunch writing this chapter, so I'm so sorry if I make anyone else sad. If you have not read Water Lillies, do so now because absolutely nothing will make sense.
Sobs rang through the Jones's house in the dead of night, once again waking Emma up. Usually the crying was from one of her three younger children, but as of lately the culprit was her oldest. It broke her heart to see him so sad. Since Addison had been taken, he had done nothing but go to school reluctantly and come home without a word before locking the door behind him. The dark circles under his eyes became more pronounced with every day that passed and it was rare to get more than one or two words from him.
"Is that Henry again?" Killian asked from beside her, his voice rough with sleep. Emma sighed and nodded, even though her husband's eyes were close and he couldn't see.
"Yeah, should I go check on him?" Emma asked, even though she knew the answer. When Killian nodded Emma threw the duvet back and padded sleepily down the cold hallway to the source of the crying. She found her firstborn in bed, clutching the sheets so tight his knuckles were white, his body shuddering with every sob. Emma felt her heart crack a little bit more.
"Henry," she whispered, crossing the room to his bed and sitting down next to him. "Come here." She held her arms out and the eighteen year old set his head on her shoulder and sobbed loudly.
"It hurts so bad mom." He whimpered into her shoulder, gripping onto her sleep shirt like Liam did when he had nightmares. "I said I would protect her-"
"She did it to protect you. Thomas was going to kill you but she gave herself up to save you and I couldn't thank her enough." Emma said, smoothing out Henry's hair soothingly. "You know we're working on a way to get her back."
That was true, when Emma and David weren't dealing with the petty problems of the townspeople, they were working with Rumple and Regina to form a rescue mission. So far they had made no progress, but they weren't giving up any time soon.
"I'd rather be dead than be in a world without her." Henry confessed with another sob, wiping his nose with the back of his hand and a loud sniffle. It was official, Emma Jones was heartbroken.
"Have you slept any tonight?" She asked after a minute, trying to ignore her son's confession. She glanced at the clock, it was 4:53 in the morning, he would have to be getting up for school in just over and hour and a half. Henry shook his head and sighed shakily.
"I-I can't sleep. Nightmares come when I sleep." He said, and for a second Emma was convinced the crying was over. She was wrong. Another wave of tears started before he cried, "Addison was the only thing that made them go away. My sheets don't even smell like her anymore."
"Why don't you come sleep in bed with Killian and me? I'll even light a candle to keep the nightmares away like David used to do. I know it won't be like it is with her, but maybe it could help?" Emma suggested, hoping he wouldn't be disgusted with the idea. Sure, even though it was a king sized mattress, fitting three adults in it would be a tight fit but at this point Emma would do anything to get Henry to sleep.
After considering her suggestion for a minute, Henry nodded and pulled away from her grasp before pushing himself out of bed. He took the pillow on the other side of the bed that Emma knew was Addison's and started out of the room. When they got back to her room they found Killian lying on his stomach, spread out across the mattress.
"Killian, scoot over." Emma said, flicking his stump and making his whole arm twitch.
"Why?" He groaned, moving his arm away from her reach and shuffling over to his side of the bed.
"Henry is sleeping with us tonight, or as long as he needs to." She said as Henry crawled into the middle of the bed and gently placed her pillow down between Emma's and Killian's. "I'm going to get a candle, I'll be right back."
Silence settled over the dark room, the only noise being Henry's occasional sniffling.
"We're going to get her back mate. Losing your first love is hard and hurts like hell, your mother and I both know what it feels like. I've literally had my heart almost crushed before," Killian said after a few minutes. He took a deep sigh before continuing. "and watching Milah die, that's what it felt like. The pain is unbearable, death seems less painful really. It's been almost thirty years and I still don't think I've healed completely from it and I'm not sure I ever will. That being said, I will stop at nothing to make sure you don't feel the pain I did."
The room was quiet for a few seconds before Henry yawned and started crying again, quieter this time, so quiet Killian almost didn't catch it.
"T-thanks Dad." Henry managed to get out between sobs, and Killian set his stump on Henry's back, rubbing it the best he could without a hand.
This was when Emma re-entered with a candle, wiping away tears in hopes that they wouldn't know that she had been eavesdropping. She set it on her bedside table and lit the candle, casting a warm glow over the room. She climbed in bed next to her son, only to find him already dozed off a little. Emma smiled sleepily and got settled in bed even though she knew she wouldn't sleep comfortably for the rest of the night, but for Henry, it was worth it.