Inspiration: Re-watching Tallahassee 02x06 and I was moved to write a Killian, Henry nightmare one-off.

Rating: K+

Spoilers: Set at least a year after the Season 3 finale. Emma and Killian are together.

Summary: Henry wakes up from a nightmare due to the sleeping curse. Killian is there to comfort him. Feels on the way.

The Captain was so grateful he never lost his gift for light sleeping. Running a pirate ship meant one was always on their guard, most ships were taken under the cover of darkness, sleeping could be a dangerous task. Even on land, in his new family home, he would wake up at any little sound. Last month Emma was brought to a fit of giggles when he rushed out in the middle of the night, to cut down the branches of the tree in the garden. 'I can't sleep when these blasted things keep hitting the window!'

Killian's ears perked awake. The sobs coming from the boy's room were nothing new to him. This was the fifth night in a row Henry had returned to the room in his dreams. One nasty side effect of the sleeping curse, though those casting are not really bothered about that bit of information. Nervousness building in the man's stomach, Emma was not here, she had been called to some emergency, sheriff stuff. She always took care of the lad, knowing what to say or not to say. Pulling him into a hug, comforting him.

Swinging his legs over the bed, taking a deep breath he pulled a lighter out his bedside table draw and put on the little leather sleeve that covered his left wrist, he stood up and made his way to Henry's room. 'Don't worry Killian you'll be fine. He might not wake up and if he does just talk to him. Read him like an open book, it worked for me.' Emma's words repeated in his mind. He could do this, he hating to see the lad in pain. The door was in front of him. One last deep breath. He opened it remembering the talk he had with David earlier that day.

'I don't do this very often so treasure it, mate. I've come to ask for help.' He failed to look into the prince's in the eyes, sliding in to the booth opposite him.

'Wow Jones. Never thought I would hear you say those words.' Shock all over his smiling smug face, staring at the pirate.

'It's about Henry.' he spoke softly. David's face dropped and became serious. 'He's having nightmares again, something to do with the sleeping curse he was under. Emma says you helped him through it when he first had them, her mother also. I want to be there for him but I have not the slightest idea where to start. How can I protect the lad when I don't know what to say.' His head fell to his hand.

'Jones, hey Jones.' Killian eyes looked at him. 'You just have to let him know that he is not alone. I had no idea what to do when Henry started to get them. He is my grandson and I didn't know how to take care of him. I was scared. I just ran to him and put my hands round his head. I lit a candle and told him they 'keep the nightmares away', they worked for Snow when she had the same terrors. I got him to talk to me. After a while he would drift off to sleep for the rest of the night.' David remembered those nights clearer than most. He had seen Snow go through the same thing, saw how much it destroyed her inside, little by little. He didn't want that for his grandson.

'Where does he go, in his dreams i mean? The tension oozing round the table.

'It's a Netherworld.' Dropping his voice. 'The place between life and death. Those who return there end up in this room, tall like a ballroom and the light is all red. There are no doors, no windows and the curtains, they are on fire. You're trapped there and there's nothing you can do about it but wait it out. The fire has a mind of its own and it seems to play games with you. Even for me its still terrifying.'

'Henry.' Killian whispered. He truly loved the boy, he had the best qualities from both his parents as well as a few not so favourable ones. David stood up, picking up his coffee, placing his other on Killian's shoulder.

'Killian,' voice full of care. 'Just be there for him, open up to him. You have become the father figure he never thought he could have. He loves you. He will just be happy that you care enough to help.' Looking at the prince, seeing the honesty in his eye's, he nodded. David turned to leave Granny's.

'David, Thanks'

Henry was thrashing round, tangled in his sheets.

'Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, lad, lad. It's ok, hey, hey.' Killian rushed over to the bed, taking the sheets down from his chest and arms, every inch of the boy's body dripping in sweat. Leaning as he sat down on the edge of the bed, putting his hand on Henry's shoulder, sleeved arm behind his back, still at little uncomfortable with anyone seeing it.

'Ahhh.' Henry suddenly was bolts up in bed crossing his arms, protecting his face.

'Hey, you're ok, lad you hear me. You're ok. Calm, breathe, I've got you.' Taking the boy's arm in hand, he slowly moved it down to his side as he spoke, the other following of its own accord. When Henry's arms were down he took the lighter out of his pocket and lit the candle beside the bed, speaking softly.

'Let's light this.' He sparked the flint and moved the flame to the wick. 'It will kee-'

'Keep the nightmares away.' Henry finished off. His voice was calm even if his breath still raced. Eyes fixed on the candle soothing his heart rate.

'Do you want to talk about it?' Killian asked tentatively. The silence seemed an eternity. Killian just sat there, hand on the lad's shoulder, thumb rubbing softly, giving all the comfort he could in this one small act.

'It shouldn't be like this, it's been years.' Disappointment in his voice. 'I'm older now, I shouldn't be scared of things like this.' A long and painful sigh filled the room.

'Hey now, it's ok be scared and from what I hear you have every right to be.' He moved Henry's face to look him in the eye. Open up to him. 'We all get scared, heck even I get scared from time to time. It's what we do will those feelings that really matters.'

'When you get scared what do you do?' rubbing his eyes, trying to hide his tears.

'That my lad is a difficult question. I've had over three hundred year to find the right answer. You mustn't let them consume you. You face them, running away or pushing them deep within you only makes them grow until your walls are so high you can't see the light. Me and your mother know that better than anyone.' It was true, he had consumed himself with revenge, fear of a life without Milah in it.

'Your mother says your dreams are worse when you are running away from a problem.' They had consulted Regina when they came back the first night. She add been working on a permanent cure for a while now, after the fiasco with the Sandman. Henry, Charming and Snow felt it worse as they been under a similar curse before. Unfortunately she had nothing, only that they're tied to our fears, dealing with them could help to keep them at bay. 'What are you not tell us, what are you afraid of?' Hoping his voice would help the boy to trust him.

'I'm always being taken. Greg and Tamara, Pan, The Sandman, Davy Jones, need I go on.' He dropped his shoulders, voice barely above a whisper. 'What if one day someone takes me and someone gets really hurt or doesn't make it. What if it gets my mom's or David, Mary-Margaret, Neal or you.' Killian's heart ached at the last word.

'Hey, hey. That can't always be helped. You're loved by a great many people lad, that makes you a target many times over. All you can do is use your head, which might I add you did. The Sandman thing was all you, we would still be stuck if it hadn't been for you. Don't sell yourself short.' Cleaver lad to outwit that daemon.

'But what if-'

'Henry, any number of what if's can happen. Don't dwell on them. Just believe that you can do the best thing when the situations occur. Even if that answer is stay alive.'

'But wha-'

'Henry, you have the heart of the truest believer. If you believe you can do it, you will. I have yet to see your mother fail and I know you won't either.' The boy was beaming, smile showing everything. 'Must be a family trait' adding with a chuckle.

'Stay with me till I'm asleep' as he pulled the sheets up to his chin laying down on his side, head on the pillow.

'Of course.' Taking a chair from the corner of the room to the bottom edge of the bed he sat down as Henry's eyes fluttered closed.

After a while Henry's breathing became slow and steady, sleep overcoming his body. Getting up from the chair Killian bent down to Henry's forehead. He placed a kiss on his hair and began to pull away. Henry rustled beneath him, speaking so quietly Killian almost missed it.

'Good night dad.'

'Good night, son.'

Tears filled Killian eye's. Standing over him, joy filling his every fibre. Good night dad. Henry had never call him that before. True, the boy had become a son to him, he love him just as much as he loved Emma but he never thought Henry would see him that way. He hoped he could be this for Henry, to give him what he and Emma never had growing up, to make up for the errors with Baelfire. He turned lost in his thoughts. Raising his head to the door he saw her, lent against the door frame arm crossed over her waist, hand over her heart. In the light he could see her cheeks had begun to shimmer with tears as well.

'Emma.'

'Killian.' She took his hand and gently pulled him from the room closing the door carefully behind them. Walking silently back to their bedroom, he sat on the edge of the bed, eyes wide and bright, tears falling into the creases made by his smile. 'You are good with him you know. I'm glad Henry sees you as his dad.' She sat beside him.

'I always wished to be a father but Milah didn't want any more children after what she did to Bae. I couldn't bring myself to tell her that I did. When Bae turned up in Neverland I vowed to Milah that I would try to be a father to him. I failed, revenge getting the better of me. After that I closed my heart to even the thought of becoming a father.' He knew Emma could see the sadness in his face.

'Henry loves you and you are the best father I could ask for him, for any child.'

'I try.'

'Yeah you do. You better get used to the feeling... with the baby on the way.' A hopeful smile on her face waiting her love to catch up.

'Emma, are you certain? A child, we're going to have a child, my child, our child.' Pure joy rippled through his heart. Taking is hand and stump to her sides, there is no gift she could give that would match this one right here, right now.

'Seems I do have a little pirate in me.' She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him softly, full of love.

Eight months later everything had changed for Killian. Henry nights had not returned to the Netherworld, Regina found a cure but not several weeks. His newly born son in his arms, bright green eye's burned into his soul, Emma glowing with pride, Henry's hand in hers. This was it. True Love. Heart no longer broken or dark, the last scar melting away, he spoke.

'Liam.'

Hoped you all liked it.

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