A/N: Hello & Welcome to my first CaptainSwan fanfic! I must say, first and foremost, that this is my first shot at writing them so if it's not totally on point.. I'm sorry. I'd also like to make it known that this little baby is a Secret Santa Christmas present (done VIA the CaptainSwan Secret Santa thing on Tumblr) for otokele! :)
Disclaimer; I own nothing. All OUAT people are credited to the show and the twins are credit to my friend, who rps a CS child. That's where I got the twins' names from, and a lot of what they're like, so thank you to her as well. With all that said.. I hope you enjoy! Please R&R. Thank you.
Not even a week before Christmas, yet the Jones twins had somehow managed to get many of their gifts early by sneaking around and looking everywhere within reach. Which considering there was two of them and they had pretty good balance, meant they could reach most anything whether it be up by the roof in the attic or down stairs in the basement up on a high shelf. That wasn't to say Liam and Karigan were selfish or anything of the sort, they just tended to get carried away and could never wait for surprises such as Christmas or even Birthday presents.
Though today, They decided to cut their parents (and grandparents for that matter) a break and find something new to do to pass their endless free time that was due to Winter Break. Somehow Kari had stumbled upon one of Emma's journals, something her mother had picked up on writing in during her Darkest times (quite literally) when she felt most lost and hopeless when it came to her dreams with Killian. After reading quite a few entries, the young blonde ran with it in her hand to her brother.
"Whats with you, K?" The young male asked, a brow raised in questioning. He hadn't seen his sister run so fast ever in his life. Upon looking at her features, it suddenly clicked. "You have an idea, don't you?" He questioned, knowing all too well that she must. It was worrying in a way, since her ideas tended to always get them in trouble.
"LOOK!" The petite blonde exclaimed, wide eyed as she thrust the journal toward her brother. Urging him to read the entries she left marked, and most importantly the dates on them. The entries were about the adults (their mother and grandparents, along with their half-brother Henry and his other mother Regina, and quite a few others) going into the Underworld to save their father. The dates were a match to now, other than the year of course.
Browsing over the journals pages, Liam quickly began to understand what Karigan's excitement and crazed expression was about. She must have some plan having to do with this. "Oh no..." The male shook his head, closing the book and handing it back over before he walked past her into the hall. "Whatever you're thinking, you're on your own this time! We're still in trouble over the presents, which were also your bright idea."
"But Liam, We have to go back. We have to help momma and give her hope for the future! You read that - She had none! It's a miracle they pulled it off, or even if they did.. Oh gosh, What if we're in some parallel universe that's running ahead of that one! What if she didn't save daddy and when that universe catches up with this one we just.. Vanish?!" He eyes began to pool at the thought, as well as her lip beginning to quiver. "We have to go back and help them! We have to save their future so ours can be safe too!" She reasoned.
"You're insane." The male retorted, but being as bored as he was... He quickly caved and agreed to this quite literally insane idea. "Okay, Okay. I give. How do you expect we 'save ourselves'? I don't remember seeing a time machine in the basement."
Jumping up and down, happy to have won this little back and forth, the blonde clutched the journal to her chest. "I bet there's something that works like one at Golds!" She said excitedly, referring to the still reigning dark one's shop. She wouldn't dare go there, but she knew the scary old man wasn't going to be there anytime soon.
Running off to her room, she left Liam standing in the hall to go get changed into a proper rescue mission outfit and pack a backpack full of important things that may help, along with the journal on top. She knew how stubborn her mother was, she come by it honestly, so the journal would help alot in proving that herself and Liam were Emma and Killian's children, that there was hope for them and a bright future as a happy family.
Tossing her backpack onto her back and placing the straps around her shoulders, Kari put her sneakers on and tied them tight before she ran back to her brother. Who had at some point left the hallway and returned to his room to put on his shoes also. "Ready yet?" She asked, already sounding a bit impatient. With a sigh, Liam stood up and grabbed the pocket watch his father gave him years ago from his dresser. "Let's go get this craziness over with, Miss Impatient." With that said, the two set off to journey into town.
It didn't take long for the two to get in town, doing their best to avoid everyone along the way, and slid into Gold's store - unnoticed. It was a good thing that young Karigan paid attention, well more like ease dropped, on the adults conversations and heard that the place would be mostly empty for the holidays. It proved to be quite useful information for this little mission.
"This way! Time stuff's in the back, I think." She said, grabbing her brothers hand and dragging him to the back of the store before he could say a word. "Am I just here for looks or something? You're doing everything." The male argued, shaking his head of dark hair as he looked around - trying to find anything that could potentially help time travel or even enter the underworld. Who knew, maybe there was a lack of time there anyways? He didn't know, and he highly doubted Kari did either.
Meanwhile the blonde was scavenging through everything, trying not to move things from their spots too much while also trying to see if there purpose could benefit them in any way.
After a while, their luck finally kicked in when Liam stumbled upon something that would aid in time travel. "K!" The male exclaimed, bringing the gadget over to his sister as he figured it out. Instantly the females eyes lit up, petite hands grabbing for the object to take it out of the just barely older males hands. "Is this? Will it?!" She rambled, figuring it out for herself almost instantly. Just like her mother, she was too smart for her own good.
Within moments the thing was lit up and set up to the correct time somehow. It would've surprised Liam, had he now grown used to his sister's ways years and years before. With an excited grin, the male grabbed onto the gadgets other side just as a burst of light came from it and enveloped them both.
Time traveling was nothing like they expected, it was basically the burst of light that just stayed until they got to their destination, but it didn't last too long either. In what felt like just a moment or two, they found themselves back in Gold's store. Only it was much different than it had been moments before. With wide eyes from both twins, they looked around and Kari let go of the gadget leaving it to Liam to place it in her backpack safely for later.
Once that was done, they quietly headed to the lake they knew everyone would be at. The lake that had the portal to the underworld opening at any given moment. Which meant they had to scramble to get there in a hurry. Their little feet carrying them as fast as they could, tripping over themselves from time to time in the haste of things.
As soon as they were at the lake, they quickly joined in behind the last of the rescue squad and slowed down so they wouldn't be loud and get noticed before the portal closed and took them under. They could both hear everyone's chatter and nervousness over this mission, but Karigan had all the hope they all needed within her and she was determined to share it with everyone. If she helped them believe this could work, then it would be easier than it had been, or so she hoped.
Saving Killan. It was something she had to do, no matter the cost to her. Though she never expected to get backup from literally everyone that played an important role in her life. Going to the underworld wasn't a bit deal when it came to just her. But dragging her parents and Henry, and everyone else? Suddenly made it so much more of a big deal. Though admittedly, it was nice to have their backup in this mission. If she did it alone, she wasn't sure she'd be successful, much less ever come back.
Leading the way into the dark abyss, Emma took a steadying breath before the portal took them in and lead them to the worst place humanly imaginable. If it seemed this horrible to her, what must it be like for Killan? Though he was as good as he possibly could be now, he still had a lot of horrible things in his past. Things he couldn't run from here, that would surely be out to get him. That was a thought Emma couldn't bare. Him being hurt or tortured for his past, when he's come so far from that. What would it do to him? Would it rip him down until he could no longer deal? What would happen to him then? She hated to even think of the possibilities.
Turning around, Emma checked to make sure everyone made it through safely. She was head of this mission, after all. "Everyone okay?" She asked aloud, looking through her loved ones and friends to make sure no one was unaccounted for. As everyone said their responses and looked around at one another, Emma noticed something off. More specifically two somethings moving right behind Henry. With wide eyes, she moved toward her son. Fully prepared to protect him from whatever it was, while ignoring everyone's worrying questions.
Coming to the end of the line, arm already extended and pulling Henry aside, Emma laid eyes on the foreign beings hiding behind him. In reality, it was just two kids hiding behind their big brother (when he was younger, of course) but that fact wasn't yet known to Emma. "Oh no." The blonde said, turning to her family and clearing out of their way so they could see the kids hiding behind them all. "Who're they?" Regina piped up first, obviously bewildered like the rest of them only quicker to say something. "I have no idea.." Emma answered, looking in the kids eyes and catching something familiar from the both of them. She had no idea why, but it felt like she knew these kids somehow.
A pair of big blue wide eyes, accompanied a pair of almost identical ones - only shaped a bit more slender looked up at the woman. Almost as if they alone were begging her to see them and recognize them. It would make things easier, yes. But this was Emma, the woman was stubborn and didn't believe things all too easily. "H-Hi." Liam spoke first, doing the right thing and speaking first. If things went bad, it was his job to protect K. So why would this be any different?
Looking at the male, Emma watched as the little girl looked from her to her brother then looped her arm through his. Obviously they were siblings. Maybe even twins considering how alike they seemed in both looks and in age. "Hello." Emma replied, her family echoing it behind her before falling into silence, unsure what to make of what was happening. Without word or warning, little K stepped toward Emma and looked up at her. "I'm Karigan, This is Liam." She said quickly, tugging her brother forward where he nearly fell over. Before the male could recover, or anyone to say anything at all, the girl spoke once more - dropping a bombshell on them all. "We're your kids."
Turning back to her family, Emma took turns looking from them to the kids. Obviously lost and bewildered, but also impatient with this all. She needed to at least be trying to find Killan right now, not talking to some kids. "You're what?" She replied, looking to them. Something told her they were right, but she wasn't listening to that just yet. "But..? I don't understand. Henry's my only kid. I'd remember if I had more." She told them, beginning to walk. She had to get this mission on the road. Time was of the essence here.
Following behind her, the twins ran up to the older blonde and kept pace with her ahead of the rest. "Bigmouth's didn't say it right, but she's telling you the truth." Liam told Emma, loud enough for all to hear. "We are your kids." He said, turning around to the group of people and walking backwards. "We're Emma and Killan's kids, from the future." The young male explained, noting the look on their big brothers face. Of course Henry would approve. "Told you." Karigan added, looking up to her mother. "Please believe us? I can prove it, if we must."
Slowing her pace, Emma looked at the kids once more. Fighting the urge to believe them tooth and nail. Just their eyes screamed for her to believe them. "What proof do you have?" She hated asking, but if this would speed things up... so be it. In a haste, she watched the little blonde (Whom she saw a awful lot of herself in if she were to be honest) pull off her backpack and dig in - pulling out the old tattered journal that of course had to look familiar. "That's-" Emma looked at it better as the girl passed it to her brother so she could close the bag. "That's my journal from..." She didn't finish the sentence, just left it hanging. Though she knew full well that it was her's. It'd been the journal she wrote in when she pushed everyone away.
Patting her pocket, she could feel the journal she used in her pocket. She'd minimized it after her last writing, before she lost the darkness' power. "Can I..." She asked, motioning to the book. With a nod, young Liam held it out to his mother's past self. "S-Sure." He said, letting it go into her hands. Instantly she opened it up, and sure enough it was an exact replica.
"I don't understand.. But let's just say I believe you." She said, looking up from the book. "Why are you here?" She asked, closing the book and handing it back over before anyone started trying to read it. Considering most everything in that book was still relevant, she'd rather not opening share it just yet. There was some awfully dark stuff in that thing.
Looking for Kari, Liam remained silent and left his genius sister to explain it. "We're here to give you hope," K replied, easily picking up that Liam was leaving this talking to her. The twin thing helped in crazy times. "Hope for the future you and daddy want. Hope that you can be together and happy, for a long time. I mean, Look at us. You two raised us together, with that one" She paused to look at Henry, "protecting us like the best big brother ever."
Emma didn't know what to say, but somehow, on some level, she believed the child. Enough to give her hope at least, though she was of course skeptical. "I-Uh, Wow." She shook her head, looking to her family for guidance. Of course they'd believe it, that made being a skeptic harder than it should be. "I don't know what to say, again." She looked down at them, then Henry, then the twins again. Similarities there too, though not as many. "I guess, Just thank you for giving me a piece of hope. I need it, we all do." She thanked them, opening her arms to hug them. Which should be strange, but it didn't truly feel that way.
Wordlessly, they ran into her arms and hugged her back. Henry came forward to join, for a near perfect family moment. Before Emma put on her determined face again. Whatever this was, it was time to get back to the mission. "I vote you two come with us to find him and bring him home." Emma told the group as well as the kids, "I second that vote." Henry chimed in, quickly followed by Snow and Charming both saying "I third that vote." and being surprised that they did it.
After a moment of half-hearted laughter, they all took off to journey into the deeps of the underworld to find the man that meant so much to Emma and a whole lot to the rest of the rescue squad too.