A/N: This is set sometime after 4x11, and sometime before "Poor Unfortunate Souls." So, obviously, spoilers, but not too many, I believe. No particular time, but possibly during the six-week hiatus.
The main thing is, Hook doesn't have his ship back.
Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time, or any of the characters. Oh, I do own the first three seasons on DVD! Does that count? No? Oh, okay. Then no. Not mine.
"Killian?"
Emma sighed. She'd been looking for the former pirate for close to an hour now. When Ruby told her how much time Henry had been spending with the Mad Hatter's daughter, she'd been amused, and her first thought had been to tell Killian. Now, her search was driven less by humor, and more by concern.
He was never a difficult man to find, usually right by her side.
Despite the fact that he slept there, his room at Granny's was rarely used, but she was out of options.
"Killian?" She called again, rapping on the door. At the silence that greeted her, she took a deep breath, held out her hand, and flicked her wrist. In spite of herself, she grinned at the answering 'click' as the door unlocked.
Pushing it open, she stepped into the room, glancing around.
No one.
She drew in a breath, trying to calm herself. After returning his heart, her old fear of losing him was suddenly alive and well, and she didn't like to let him out of her sight. Glancing around again, hoping for some clue as to where he went, her eyes settled on the bed.
On it there was a leather-bound book. She stepped closer, running her fingers lightly over the cover. She hesitated, before stepping back.
"It's a drawing book."
She jumped at his voice, before turning to face him. He stood in the doorway, smiling faintly at her, but his eyes betrayed discomfort.
"Where were you?" She tried to keep any accusation out of her voice, but he was gone, and she couldn't find him, and-
"I was, ah…I was at the docks. Fishing."
Understanding filled her. They never talked about his tremendous sacrifice, but she knew he missed the Jolly Roger. She stepped toward him, running her hand down his arm, before letting it fall to her side. He smiled genuinely then, before nodding back to the book.
"Milah gave it to me. I've nearly filled it with drawings."
He glanced at her, uncertainty filling his eyes, and she felt her heart swell. Whatever was in there made him uncomfortable, nervous even, but the offer was clear: He'd show her if she wanted.
She rested her hand on his shoulder and smiled softly.
"May I have the honor?"
He studied her for a long moment, before stepping out of her reach, picking up the book and handing it to her. He sat on the bed, and she followed suit, her heart racing. She opened to the first page, and her breath caught. Staring back at her was a woman, with piercing eyes and dark hair, a coy smile on her face.
"Milah," she breathed quietly.
"Milah," he agreed, his voice barely above a whisper.
She stared for a moment longer, before turning the page. He was quite the artist, she noted.
Vivid drawings of a young man with playful eyes and a uniform took up the next two pages.
"Liam." He said softly, gesturing.
There were several more of his first love and his brother, and she felt tears burning her eyes.
The next two pictures made her heart clench, because she knew exactly when they must have been drawn.
The first was of Rumpelstiltskin, exactly as she remembered him in the Enchanted Forest, a cruel smirk on his face. The second was of the same man lying, dead, on the ground. It was dark and violent and messy, and when she glanced at him, he looked away, refusing to meet her eyes.
But she understood, (Oh, did she understand. Images flashed through her mind, of the Dark One standing above her, holding Killian's heart in his hand, and she couldn't do anything, and oh, she understood.) so she leaned against his shoulder gently, flipping to the next page.
He drew in a breath, before maneuvering his arm around her.
The next two pages showed a young boy, with dark, curly hair, and sad eyes. She couldn't place him, but there was something oddly familiar about him. She shot Killian a questioning glance, and he hesitated.
"Baelfire," he finally said. His own expression was pained, causing her to once again wonder what had happened between the two of them. He had told her much about his past, but never that.
She swallowed the question. She wouldn't push him.
Looking back to the book, she blinked in surprise. The next two drawings were of her. The first
showed her exactly as she was when they met, dirt smeared across her face, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
She forced away memories of the beanstalk, of shouts and betrayal and fear, because he'd forgiven her. Somehow, some way, he'd forgiven her for everything she'd done to him.
The other showed her dressed up for a ball, practically glowing with excitement. The dress was green and flowing, her hair was loose and free, and she looked…
"Beautiful." His voice was quiet in her ear, and she blushed.
She quickly moved on, not wanting to stare at the pictures of herself any longer, but was caught off guard. The next two drawings were of her. And the next two. And-
"If you're trying to escape your own image, darling, you won't have much luck." He chuckled softly.
Sure enough, page after page was full of drawings of her. Some showed her dressed up, some showed her in jeans and a t-shirt, some showed her happy, some showed her sad, some showed her busy, some showed her just relaxing, but they were all her.
Her heart raced at once particularly vivid drawing of the two of them caught in a passionate kiss, the forest of Neverland surrounding them. It was the only one she'd come across so far that was titled.
'One-time thing?'
She blushed.
When she reached a drawing of them kissing outside Granny's, he stiffened. She raised an eyebrow in surprise. There wasn't anything particularly discomforting about the image. In fact, it was a rather fond memory. Confused, she turned the page…And immediately understood.
Suddenly, she couldn't breathe.
This…This was…She couldn't…
They were in a house, one she vaguely recognized as one Henry wanted to move into. Killian stood on one side of a room, wooden sword in hand, sparring with a little boy of about eight. His messy black hair and his mischievous grin were both unnervingly familiar, but his eyes…His eyes…They were hers.
Across the room sat a girl, no more than four or five, her bright blue eyes alight with excitement. Her golden-blonde hair hung carelessly by her face, and she looked like the happiest person alive.
Off to the side stood a slightly older Henry, arm wrapped around a girl it took her a moment to place as Paige. Grace. Whatever… He knew, the back of her mind exclaimed, and she nodded. Of course he knew. Maybe Henry had even told him.
The couple had matching rings and matching smirks, and they were clearly amused by the antics of the swordfighters.
But what caught her attention most was the mother. The girl sat on her lap, the two obviously egging the duelers on. Her stomach was slightly swollen, but her eyes were bright and shining.
Her.
Them.
A family.
He had imagined a family.
Their family.
She swallowed hard. Her mind was racing, and she could feel him sitting stiffly beside her, awaiting her reaction.
She had stopped running from him, yes, she was giving them a chance, but this? A family? It was something she hadn't even considered, not with him. Not with anyone in her whole life had she been able to think of such a solid future, except for a brief moment with Neal, and whispers of Tallahassee.
But she wanted it.
The realization hit her suddenly, taking her breath away once more.
She wanted this, wanted this family, wanted her-their-happy ending.
Drawing in a deep breath, and exhaling, she allowed the idea to flood her brain, and images along with it.
Him proposing.
Their wedding.
Her telling him she was pregnant.
Them catching Henry and Paige kissing in front of Granny's.
Henry and Killian each holding the new child for the first time.
Another baby.
Maybe a dog.
Snowball fights, Christmas trees, trips to the zoo, hide-and-go-seek, and "Finish your veggies, then you can have dessert." (But of course, he'd let their daughter have dessert first. She'd scold him, but all it would take would be one pout from their daughter, and he'd be lost.)
She forced her mind from the pleasant future to the motionless pirate next to her. This was why he hadn't wanted to show her. He was worried that he had scared her off again. She looked at him, but no words came to mind, and he wouldn't meet her eyes, so she glanced back to the paper.
The next page was empty, and an idea occurred to her. She'd never tried anything like it before, but surely….
She waved her hand over the blank page, and sure enough, an image slowly appeared: Her, on a hospital bed, her expression tired but content. To one side stood Killian, holding a newborn baby in his arms. Next to him were Henry, and a slightly tearful Paige.
On the bed sat their little boy, (Liam, she decided,) watching her anxiously, and their extremely excited daughter. (Leia.) The newborn baby, (Ava,) content in her daddy's arms, was sound asleep.
She sat back, smiling with satisfaction at the image. She heard him draw in a breath next to her, and turned to face him.
"Darling…"
His eyes watered slightly, the softest of smiles coloring his face, as he reached for her.
Their lips met halfway, and the kiss was sweet and gentle and fullof promise.
With the lives they lived, those drawings weren't a guarantee. There were always new monsters to fight, new villains to stop, and new curses to break.
But whatever happened, they knew this: They were both in it for the long haul.
(It was three kids, in the end, counting Henry. Two dogs, a house by the docks, and because they were them, a dragon. It was perfect.)