Emma groaned as she reached over to turn off her morning alarm. She turned back to look at her pirate, sleeping soundly beside her. The slow rhythmic rise and fall of his chest calmed her, he is here, he is alive, he is hers, and she his! A smile spread across her face thinking about last night. It was their first night home in their house, together, since returning from the underworld and whatever other realm Hook had found himself trapped in with her parents and Zelena! Yes, people had been brought back to Storybrook and no doubt there'd be another crisis in no time but after everything they'd been through there was no way she was going to put off their happy ending a moment longer. Her walls were down and they weren't going back up! Not around him anyway. Last night she finally gave herself completely to him, bodies intertwined, secrets whispered to each other in the throes of passion, and promises made as they settled down together, panting and basking in their love. It was long overdue but perfect in every way and Emma couldn't imagine this smile leaving her face anytime soon!
She kissed his forehead as she got up. A sleepy satisfied moan drifted from his lips. Those lips! She could kiss them for hours, and she wanted to, but work beckoned and whether she liked it or not in light of their new arrivals she would be needed at the station.
She left him sleeping, he deserved the rest! Quietly she tiptoed to the bathroom, jumped in the shower, got dressed, and made her way to the kitchen for her much needed morning coffee!
She finally reached the station, unlocking the door and loading up the ancient computer, they really did need an upgrade!
After an hour or so of writing reports, on all that had transpired since she became the Dark One, the beeping sound, indicating an incoming message, coming from her bag was a welcome distraction! She pulled out her phone and smiled when she saw Killian's name on the screen, she swiped to read his message:
Morning Swan! Your company is requested tonight on the Jolly Roger; meet me there at 7pm? I love you! Killian.
P.s. Please wear a dress ;)
Emma smiled and bit her lip. Henry must have taught him how to do the winking face. She knew he couldn't resist her in a dress, she had every intention of blowing him away with her choice of clothes tonight...she quickly replied:
It's a date! See you there Captain! I love you too! Emma.
Killian began to stir, reaching out for Emma...nothing, his eyes flew open; her side of the bed was empty. He rolled over to glance at the clock, 9:30am! He couldn't remember the last time he slept that late; she'd be at the station already! He silently cursed himself; he'd wanted to wake up with her, to continue where they left off last night. Last night! A grin crept across his lips as he gave a contented sigh and stretched his aching body. Last night had been...well...a long time coming! He'd wanted to wait for her, wait for her walls to be down, for her to trust him completely, for her to know that she loved him and that he loved her. It would have been an unspoken offer when he asked her to move in with him. He'd planned for the house to be a promise to her, that if they were taking things to the next level he was in it for the long haul. Truth was he was in it for longer than that, he was committed forever...and after tonight she'd know that for sure.
He pulled himself out of bed and into the shower, his time in the underworld made him appreciate some of life's simpler things, like how soothing the hot water felt pelting against his sore muscles. For a moment he thought about what it'd be like to have Emma in here with him...he quickly shook the thought away, he had too much to do today! He dried off and picked up his talking phone, he was starting to get the hang of this modern living!
Morning Swan! Your company is requested tonight on the Jolly Roger; meet me there at 7pm? I love you! Killian.
He thought about their first date, how stunning she looked in that pink dress; come to think of it she looked sensational in all the dresses he'd seen her in. In Camelot she was nothing short of angelic, the red dress she wore at her first ball showed her figure off perfectly, he smiled remembering her embracing her role as princess almost effortlessly, a part of him smug that he was her first dance at her first ball. And who could forget that peasant dress...
He quickly added, P.s. Please wear a dress ;) then hit 'send'.
Next he messaged Henry;
Hello lad, meet me at Granny's for lunch, I have something urgent to discuss with you...let's call it Operation CaptainSwan! Killian.
Right, just one more person to talk to. Killian quickly got dressed then head out the door towards the Charming's apartment.
Emma printed out her last report. Seeing it all down on paper really highlighted the craziness that had been the last two months! Is this really my life?! She thought to herself.
She turned and picked up the book that'd been sitting on her desk, "The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". Jekyll was in town and by the looks of things Hyde probably wasn't far behind, time to do some research on these two!
Killian hesitantly knocked on the Charming's door. Was he doing the right thing? Emma was a strong independent woman, he knew she didn't need her father's permission but he and David were from a different time and place, a place where these sorts of things were important. He hoped Emma understood, this wasn't about deciding her future for her, it was about getting her father's blessing, this was for David. He'd missed out on so much of his daughter's life, Killian wasn't about to leave him out of this.
The door swung open.
"Hook!" David patted Killian on the back. "How are you feeling?"
"Hi Killian!" Snow shouted from the back of the room where she was playing with Neal.
Killian nodded his head to both of them. "I'm here to ask you something..."
"Sure, what can we do for you?" David asked.
Killian scratched behind his ear then smiled as he cleared his throat. Was he really doing this?
"Erm...you both know, at least I hope you know, that I love your daughter more than anything!"
David and Snow looked at each other; huge smiles spread across their faces as they realised what this was.
"I would do anything for her; go to the end of the world..."
"...or time" David added trying to suppress the urge to scream his answer already.
Killian smiled as he exhaled.
"Aye, or time. I've said from the beginning that what we become is as much up to Emma as it is me, but I would feel amiss if I didn't ask you first..."
A part of David was enjoying watching the pirate squirm. He thought about putting him out of his misery but seeing the feared Captain Hook reduced to a ball of nerves, blushing mercilessly, and searching frantically for the perfect words was just too entertaining. David was going to let him finish.
"...what I'm trying to say, to ask...is...would I have your blessing to ask Emma to marry me?"
He held his breath waiting for their answer. Snow knew what her husband was doing but she couldn't bear to make the poor man suffer anymore.
"Yes! Yes of course you have our blessing!" She ran up and hugged Killian tightly. He winced slightly, still sore from falling through portals and almost getting strangled during their last adventure. He looked up at David, eager for his approval. He walked up to Killian then threw his arms around him making Killian's eyes fly open wide in surprise.
"I can't think of anyone more deserving of my daughter's hand, we'd be honoured to have you officially join our family!"
The pirate swallowed back the lump in his throat. David's approval meant the world to him.
"When are you going to ask her?" Snow asked excitedly.
"Tonight! But I was wondering if you could help me with something...I saw it on the Netflix when Emma and I babysat Neal back before the Queens of Darkness came to town..."
Snow giggled, "it's just called Netflix, not 'the Netflix' but yes, tell us what you have in mind and we'll help you out!"
Killian hurried down the street towards Granny's. Right, that's the hard part done, he thought...was it? He didn't think Henry would give him a hard time but then again maybe he'd think Killian was trying to replace his father...suddenly he began to doubt himself, the nerves returning to his stomach. Everything had gone so well with David and Snow; it felt too easy...maybe Henry was going to take some more convincing. The bell jingled as he walked into the diner. Henry was sitting in their usual booth engrossed in a book. Killian smiled, he was a good lad! Bae would be so proud of his boy.
Henry looked up and smiled at the pirate. Killian breathed a sigh of relief and sat down across from him. Granny came up, poured Killian a cup of coffee and took their order, no longer had she left when Henry blurted out, "So what's the plan? How are you going to propose to my Mom?"
Killian spat out his coffee in shock.
"Bloody hell lad! How did you know?"
"CaptainSwan? A bit obvious don't you think? You really need help choosing code names; you'd make a terrible spy!"
"So...you're not upset?"
"Are you serious? I couldn't be happier! I love my Mom and I want her to be happy, you're her happy ending!"
Killian's breathed hitched. Surely not! Finding her parents and her son was her happy ending...at least that was what he had always assumed. Emma was his happy ending, he knew she loved him, they'd learned in the underworld that they were true love which was more than he ever dared hope but now this!
"What makes you say that, Henry?"
Henry took a deep breath and leaned in. "If my Mom's happy ending was just finding Grandpa, Grandma, and me then she wouldn't have even been thinking about moving back to New York after she broke the curse the second time. She was still looking for home. When we were in New York with our fake memories I knew she wasn't happy, I made a wish. I wished that we would have a family and the next day you showed up. At first I thought you were just the means to find our family again but now I know...you are our family. That's why we all followed my Mom into the underworld, it wasn't just about helping her find her true love; it was about bringing our family back together again."
Killian blinked back the tears. Was it really so obvious to everyone except him? All that time he refused to forgive himself, refused to see himself as a hero, he'd missed what everyone else saw clear as day! He woke up this morning planning to ask for Emma's family's blessing to ask her to marry him, hoping they'd see how happy she was and agree. He was not prepared for this outpouring of love he received from each of them. Killian was completely overwhelmed."
Henry saw the pirate was speechless so prompted him encouragingly.
"So...how are you going to propose? I assume you need my help with something...you know, hence the 'Operation CaptainSwan'..."
"Right. Well...I have a plan; I just need yours and your grandparents, actually the whole of Storybrooke's help to execute it! Do you think you're up to the task?"
Henry raised his eyebrow, grinning from ear to ear, "What are you orders, Captain?"
Emma unlocked the front door, she glanced at her phone, it was 5:30pm, just enough time to grab a shower and try and find a dress to wear for Killian. They hadn't even had a chance to talk about last night; about what they'd shared together. Emma smiled as she walked upstairs remembering how he kissed her so fiercely when they were trying desperately to make it to the bedroom. She longed for his touch, she assumed that was what tonight was about, that he felt he needed to make an effort, to wine and dine her; he was old fashioned like that.
After her shower she stood looking through her wardrobe, there were dresses but not the kind she was looking for, nothing that was going to blow him away. Suddenly she had an idea, she had magic! Of course! She clicked her fingers and admired her reflection. She wore a red figure hugging dress, Killian liked her in red, and black Christian Louboutin heels. Her hair was braided to the side adding a bit of softness to a very sexy look. Yes, Killian was going to like this a lot! She wore Liam's ring around her neck, it didn't really go but it was the only jewellery Killian had ever given her so she wanted to wear it. Finally she went into Killian's closet and pulled out one of his black leather coats to wear over her shoulders. She checked the time, 6:30pm, just enough time to get to the Jolly Roger. Who knew what crisis was just around the corner but tonight they had a quiet moment, tonight she would go on a date with her boyfriend like a normal couple!
Killian got together the last finishing touches, Swan would be here any second and he didn't want to give anything away too early. He buttoned up his charcoal grey shirt, leaving the top few buttons undone, he was a creature of habit, besides he'd seen Emma looking at his exposed skin before and judging by how her fingers kept finding their way to it last night he figured she was a fan of his chest.
He headed up on deck just in time to see Emma walk on board.
"Swan, you look...incredible! Is that my...?"
"...jacket, yeah...I hope you don't mind..."
He smiled; she'd expected to see his flirty eyebrow game or a lust filled stare, but there was something else in his eyes, something that caused her to blush; it was pure undeniable love and adoration. She looked at his tight black jeans and grey shirt.
"You look devilishly handsome yourself!"
She walked over to him and gave him a chaste kiss, looking up at him through her eyelashes and it was all he could do not to take her right there and then, but no, he had a plan and there were other people involved a lot of other people! He would show her how much he appreciated how sexy she looked later when they were home! Right now he took her hand and led her up to the helm and placed her hands on it. She looked confused,
"Where are we sailing to Captain?"
He stood right behind her; his hands over her's holding the pegs, he leaned into the side of her neck kissing the bare skin all the way up to her ear then whispered "just outside the port, love, then we'll drop anchor."
She had no idea what he had planned but those kisses and his breathy whisper on her ear was sending shockwaves through her body.
Once they were a little bit away from port Killian dropped anchor, Emma looked across the water at Storybrooke all lit up, the town had always seemed quaint to her but at this angle it looked breath-taking. Emma leaned against the railing watching the sleepy town.
Killian set to work laying out a picnic on the deck and lighting candles. He walked up to Emma and leaned against the railing beside her.
"It's so beautiful" she said, almost to herself.
"Aye, it's a fine place to call home."
Emma turned around to face him and saw the picnic laid out illuminated by candlelight.
"Wow! Is that grilled cheese?"
"And onion rings."
"Good! I'm starving!"
They sat on the blanket and munched their way through the meal talking about Henry, and things they wanted to do to the house to make it their own. When they'd finished their food Emma looked up at her boyfriend.
"This was nice, thank you!"
"The night's not over yet!"
"Oh really?!" She raised an eyebrow.
Killian would usually jump at the opportunity to join in on the innuendos but tonight he was acting strange, instead he blushed and scratched behind his ear, a tell-tale sign he was nervous.
"Actually..." He began, "I have something for you."
"Really?"
Killian pulled a flat package from the picnic basket. Emma stared at it trying to figure out what it was.
He cleared his throat.
"Remember back before the Queens of Darkness came to town, we babysat Neal and you made me watch that fairy-tale on...Netflix?"
"Tangled?"
"Aye the one about Rapunzel. Well I couldn't help but be reminded of you. She was a princess taken from her parents as a baby, growing up knowing nothing of who she or her family were and unaware that she had parents who loved her and missed her terribly. Do you remember what they did each year?"
"The lanterns?"
"Aye, they released paper lanterns into the sky each year on her birthday hoping that one day the princess would return home to her family."
He opened the package and realisation set in. Tears filled Emma's eyes.
"Emma, for so long you ran from place to place looking for home and now you've found it here with your parents, your son, and...Me. So to symbolise the start of our future, as a family in our own home, I thought we could release our own lantern."
Emma was touched. He was giving her her own Disney Princess moment. She smiled and helped him pull out the lantern and light it with one of the candles. They held it together then Emma said,
"Here's to our future, our happily ever after!"
Killian smiled back at her and they released the lantern into the clear night sky, she snuggled into him as they watched it get higher and smaller. He knew he didn't have much time now before Snow, David, and Henry played their part. He sat up and turned her to face him and away from the town.
He stood up and gently pulled her arm signalling her to stand with him. Confusion crossed her face, quickly followed by shock as he went down on one knee still holding her hands.
"Emma Swan, from the moment I climbed that bloody beanstalk with you I knew we had a connection. From the moment you kissed me in Neverland I knew that connection was something deep, for the first time in a long time I felt myself falling in love. From the moment we had our first dance at King Midas' ball I knew you were my happy ending. From the moment you told me you loved me I felt you might want a future with me too. With every wall that came down I saw more of your soul and I fell deeper and deeper in love with you. We've been separated so many times, and said too many goodbyes. We've been given more chances than most couples could ever hope for so I'm not going to waste another moment. Emma, would you make me the happiest man alive and do me the great honour of becoming my wife?"
Tears flowed down Emma's face she nodded her head and fell to her knees in front of him taking his face in both her hands and kissing him over and over whispering "yes" between each kiss. He crashed his lips into hers pulling her in tight by her waist tilting her back and deepening their kiss. Her fingers grabbed his hair tugging at it making him groan and encouraging him to kiss her hungrily. He'd forgotten about the rest of the plan until they broke away to catch their breath. Emma inhaled sharply. "Killian!"
All around them lanterns glowed floating up into the sky, hundreds of them all shapes and sizes bobbing up and down, some dancing along the water, most soaring into the night sky.
"How?" Was all she could manage.
He smiled slyly.
"With a little help from your parents, and Henry, and...well the whole town really!"
She threw her arms around him then turned around and snuggled back into him so they could watch the spectacle together.
"It's so beautiful Killian, thank you!"
"Welcome home Princess"