Title: Finding Home With You
Warning: Contains spoilers from Season 4.
Author's Note: So most of the time I don't even like AU stories. Like at all.
But I literally cannot get enough of the Lieutenant Duckling!AU. I mean really it's not completely AU, right? Since it happened in the story that Rumple had the Author write?
Well this fanfic is going to be based off of that episode. Only with a few twists. It might seem as though it's just following the episode at first, but stick around to find out where it goes.
I am not used to writing in the third person POV, but I feel like it's a lot more sophisticated, so bare with me as I attempt to write this fanfic in third person, but from Killian's perspective.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Once Upon A Time characters.
Summary: (Lieutenant Duckling!AU) What would have happened if Emma and Henry couldn't help Regina get her happily ever after? Now stuck in the story the Author wrote them into, Emma and Henry will have to start a new life in the Enchanted Forrest. With a little help from a timid sailor, Killian Jones. But plagued by the new Evil Queen, the three will have to continuously dodge Snow's efforts to hunt them down and end them.
Word Count: 2,145
Prologue
To say that Killian Jones was impressed by the skills the young lad had displayed, would be an understatement. In all his years, Killian had never known as much about a ship as this Henry lad, and the boy couldn't be but 15. Younger, perhaps, but not being accustomed to the company of children made Killian an amateur in his age estimation.
And yet, the most surprising thing of all was that this Henry lad seemed to think Killian had taught him to sail.
I had a great teacher….you.
Killian wished he was worthy of the pride and adoration that shone in the lad's eyes when he said those words. Wished he had taught the lad to sail. Wished he knew how to sail himself. But all he knew was how to swab the deck.
Not anymore, he had thought, tightening the rigging of the main sail with some difficulty. Now I know a thing or two, myself. What the lad's taught me.
The thought lifted his spirits a bit. Brought back a bit of courage and pride that he previously thought had been driven completely out of him in his years sailing under Black Beard's authority. He had glanced over at the lad, who was tending to the ship with great care and confidence, and smiled. The first genuine smile in years.
But then the boy suggested "taking out" the black night. And Killian was once again reminded of just how little of a man he was.
At least Henry's idea had saved him the embarrassment of backing down from yet another fight. Coward that he was, he was more than willing to go with any other plan than fighting.
Now here he stands, waiting for the boy to return with his mother, this Emma lass. He has to fight down a rising blush when the thought of rescuing a beautiful damsel in distress takes him by surprise. Instead of thinking of the woman about to descend the stairs, he tries to think about the lad's confusing words when they had tricked the guard.
What in the world is a Wookie?
And then a body's crashing into his and he instinctively grabs onto her waist to catch her. And he's gazing into the most beautiful set of green eyes he's ever seen. His mind seems to go blank and there's nothing but this stunning woman and the surprise that's so apparent on her face. Then it changes. And she's grinning like she's finally seen the sun for the first time in years.
But she's looking right at him.
He can't help the smile that overcomes his face. She's too stunning, and too close. He blushes and looks down, away from the stranger's eyes that have him completely enamored in mere seconds. That's when he realizes just how close they are, that he's still holding onto her from when she crashed into him.
And he doesn't want to pull away. He loves the way she clings to him. The way their bodies seem to fit together. The way her presence causes his heart to race and his breath to quicken, like a bloody fish out of water. But in a delightfully pleasant way.
"Killian, this is my mom, Emma Swan. Mom, Killian," Henry's voice pulls him towards the surface, but he's still drowning in her eyes.
He tries to pull himself together and act like a gentleman. "Um, uh yeah. Pleasure," he manages to get out in a gruff voice. He's embarrassed, to say the least, but he's encouraged by the twinkle she gets in her eyes.
He pulls away from her slightly, putting a little distance between them, and extends his good hand. She shakes it, but does so with a peculiar look on her face.
"Yeah. Right. We need to…get going." He's not entirely certain, but it seems as though she's just as reluctant to release his hand as he is hers. But she does so nonetheless. "We've got a wedding to stop."
And then she's hurrying off, snatching up the folds of her dress in such a fashion that it appears to him as though she's irritated at the length and weight of the garment. She manages to somehow look uncomfortable and graceful at the same time.
It isn't until the boy comes back to retrieve him that he realizes he's still standing there, starring at where she used to be, reliving the last few moments and imaging a lifetime of losing himself in her glorious green eyes and tantalizing smile.
He runs along behind the lad and steps out into the sunlight just in time to see the lass board the Jolly Roger with an alarming sense of familiarity. He's suddenly struck with embarrassment again and ducks his head to avoid the flush on his neck and ears from being seen. If the lad knows so much about sailing, he's almost certain the young mother will, as well. And it's not the pride of wanting to know more than this member of the fairer sex that causes his embarrassment, but his sudden overwhelming desires to impress her. And how can he impress a woman with so much more confidence and skill than he.
With quite a few suggestive orders and corrections from both Henry and Emma, much to his chagrin, Killian manages to help get the ship sailing away from the island prison. For a reason unbeknownst to him, the pair seems quite comfortable and in fact familiar with leaving Killian at the helm to steer them back to safety. Whilst confused with the faith they so quickly entrust upon him, Killian feels a bit of pride stirring inside him. To be trusted by this pair, both of whom seem completely capable of sailing the ship themselves, is a privilege he feels he hasn't earned, yet. And right then and there, he vows to do all in his power to become worthy of their trust.
From the corner of his eye he sees the lass approaching, which makes his heart beat faster and his throat run dry.
She waltzes right up to him, stopping only inches away from his side, the hem of her dress brushing against his leg as it sways back and forth from the momentum of her walk, and he has to force himself to turn towards her slowly, so as not to seem too eager.
"Thank you for your help, Killian," her silky smooth voice caresses his name. She says it with such familiarity, with such affection that he feels his palm grow sweaty and his ears burn.
It's been such a long time since anyone used his given name and now two strangers had in just under an hour. Sure the lad had used it a few times, but it was different when she said it. This woman didn't just speak his name, she gave meaning to it. With just that one word, she scrubbed away the years of torment and ridicule. She rebuilt him with honor and courage. She expressed adoration and understanding.
He's overcome by a sudden wave of emotions for a lass he had barely met not a quarter hour ago.
The pounding in his chest seems to create a lodge in his throat.
As if talking to her wasn't bloody hard enough.
"Um, yeah, of course," he stumbles over his words. Feeling like a bloody idiot, but unable to get his blasted tongue under control. "I'm pleased that you regained your, uh, freedom."
She must think he's a complete imbecile.
But once again, she surprises him by smiling at his words. "Me too. Unfortunately, it's not gonna last unless you put some distance between that tower and us before the guard wakes up."
Her tone is light, but he can see the worry in her eyes as she glances behind them at the tower. He follows her eyes, trying to scan the island for any apparent danger.
Not seeing any, he turns back to the Swan girl, "Why?"
She glances back over at him, that same peculiar look on her face that he had seen earlier returning. "Because that was not any ordinary Black Knight. Her name is Lily. She's dangerous."
"I don't understand. What's so bad about this Lily person?" He asks, just as a loud crashing sound echoes behind them. He turns to see a bloody dragon emerging from the tower.
Emma's attention turns to her son immediately. "Henry, get below now!"
He can hear the lad scurrying below deck, but Killian can't seem to tear his eyes off of the massive beast less than a kilometer away.
"I need you to load the cannon with a chain shot," he hears the lass yell. But it isn't until she turns on him, drawing closer, before he snaps out of his shocked state. "Come on! Now!"
He does as she says, thanking the gods that he had recently been tasked with maintaining the upper deck cannon ammunition and therefore knows where the chain shots are kept. Hands shaking, he loads the cannon and aims at the massive terror.
"Hold your fire until I tell you," Emma shouts, stepping towards the end of the boat. She begins waving her arms in the air over her head. "Lily, over here! Hey! Come on, Lily! Come on!"
Alarmed, Killian takes his eyes off the dragon and glances over at the mad woman, encouraging the fire-breathing monster to target in on their ship. She glances at him with so much confidence and hope that he can't help but put his trust in her.
"Now!" She yells. He gladly obliges, quick to stop the flying terror from advancing any further on them.
The dragon falls out of the sky and Killian is rewarded with a heavenly sound. He turns and sees Emma laughing in relief and Killian knows he'll do whatever he can to hear that sound over and over again.
"Well, that was close," Killian admits, breathing out a sigh of relief himself. He takes out his flask and allows himself a celebratory swig. He hands it over to the lass, "Cheers. You did it, Swan."
"We did it," she responds with a smile that causes his ears to grow hot once more. She takes a swig from the flask as well, but he's surprised to see disgust cross her features. "What is that?"
He reaches out to receive the flask, "It's goat milk."
"Where's your rum?" She asks, shocking him quite thoroughly. She seems so certain that he would carry such a vile drink with him. Did she think him a dishonorable man?
"I'm allergic. Never touched the stuff," he responds neutrally.
She sighs and softly mumbles, "Of course you are."
Instead of questioning this abnormal response, he attempts to cipher the young mother's trust in him. Who would put their complete trust in a stranger with her lad's life on the line?
"Can I ask you a question?" He asks timidly. When she nods encouragingly, he continues, "You trusted me with your life just now. Why?"
She gets that peculiar look again, but it's accompanied with a frown this time. And he's finally able to place it. She knows something he doesn't and she's upset by this.
"It's complicated," she finally stated. "Might take a while."
Glancing around at the wide open sea surrounding them, Killian attempts at humor, hoping to lift her spirits and maybe merit one of her gorgeous smile. "Your schedule's pretty clear."
He does in fact earn a small smile and it tugs on his heart, eliciting one of his own smiles in response.
"Okay," she laments. "Let's first work on your fighting skills. Then we've got to help Regina stop that wedding."
So he might not get his answers right away, but he can be patient.
"That might prove a tad more difficult than you'd think. I'm afraid I don't carry any weapons. How am I to learn to fight?" He admits, ears burning with shame.
"This is the Jolly Roger!" She responds, an understanding smile on her face. "I'm sure we can find weapons somewhere."
She disappears below deck, yelling out to her lad and leaving Killian behind the wheel.
He shakes his head, wondering just how he got himself in his current position. But he can't find it in himself to regret any action that led him to this course. Not after seeing the depths of those green eyes and the joy behind that wide grin. He can't find it in himself to do anything but plan how to unlock the secrets in her eyes. To entice dozens more of her melodious laughs. To maybe see just how those tantalizing lips feel…
No. He cannot entertain the wish of entering into a courtship with her. He can't ever be worthy of the Swan girl or her lad. No matter how badly he wishes he could be.