Good in Goodbye, an once upon a time fanfic

Good in Good-Bye: Carrie Underwood

I heard you laughing in a crowd outside a restaurant we used to go to
I caught a glimpse that stopped me in my tracks
It took me back
You looked happy with that little girl on your shoulders, happy
I know where she got those crystal eyes of blue
Time's been sweet to you

As bad as it was, as bad as it hurt
I thank God I didn't get what I thought that I deserved
Sometimes life leads you down a different road
When you're holding on to someone that you gotta let go
Someday you'll see the reason why
Sometimes, yeah sometimes, there's good in goodbye

I don't regret it
The time we had together
I won't forget it
But we both ended up where we belong
I guess goodbye made us strong
And yeah I'm happy
I found somebody too who makes me happy
And I knew one day I'll see you on the street
And it'd be bittersweet

Laughter rung out across the diner. She would know that laugh anywhere. It had been her beacon for many years, guiding her home through the storm. It's tone was deep and melodic, playing through the diner like a song. She turned, her eyes scanning the room for his familiar face. It took her only moments to find him, his oceanic blue eyes drawing her attention from across the room. He wasn't looking at her. His eyes were focused solely on the little girl that he held in his arms. Her arms locked around his neck as she too laughed. It was angelic sound, their laughter mingling together. "Again Papa. Toss me again." Her breathe caught in her throat. This was not just any child. This was his child. She had suspected as much as the little girl had his deep blue eyes but she hadn't imagined the sharp pain that might come with the confirmation of her suspicion. A woman approached from behind him, a beautiful blonde, resting her chin on his shoulder. Her eyes too focused on the little girl before lifting her eyes to Killian, full of love and joy. "Toss her again papa. You heard the lass."

"Aye, that I did. And my pirate princess gets whatever her heart desires doesn't she love?" As requested he tossed her in the air again and as another peal of laughter rang through the room she turned to leave. She was nearly out the door when he saw her. "Milah?" She turned slowly, reluctant to face him. Their ending hadn't been bad, but it had been painful. What ending wasn't? As there was no leaving without being seen she made her way over to the happy family. "Killian, how have you been? As though I can't see." She smiled, attempting to be as friendly as possible in this awkward situation. "I've been well. Very well. I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Emma, and our daughter Olivia." She turned to the blonde next to Killian and extended her hand. "Milah, I have heard so much about you. Killian has nothing but kind things to say." The admission that he still spoke of her, and positively, helped to ease some of the anxiety that had settled in her chest and she was able to breathe naturally again. She didn't know why this was so hard for her. It wasn't as though she had spent the years away from Killian pining for him. Their ending had not only been mutual it had been on very friendly terms. They simply wanted something different out of their lives at that point in time. She was several years older than him when they met. He had been a sophomore in college and she was finishing up her masters. While his college career had just started hers was finishing and she found that she was wanting to move into the next stage of her life, which she saw as marriage and family. As it does life failed to bend to the whims of love and they found themselves at a crossroads. They both saw it coming and chose to end their relationship while they were still friends instead of dragging it out and coming to resent one another. "How did you and Killian meet Emma?"

"My son, Henry, had gone missing and Killian was the officer assigned to the case to help me find him. I drew my strength from him and when he found Henry safely I asked him to dinner as a thanks and I guess you'd say the rest was history."

"I'm so sorry to hear that your son had gone missing but I'd say that it was a pretty happy ending."

"Less ending and more happy beginning. Killian is definitely one of the best things in my life. Next to only my son and this little girl here." She looked to Killian again and saw that his eyes, still, were glued to his daughter. "You look positively enamored Killian. How old is she?"

"She's four. Among the great joys in my life." Without a beat his eyes moved to his wife, silently finishing his statement. "And you Milah? How is life for you?"

"Well. Very well. I married a year after you and I ended. Richard Blackstein. He's a history professor at UCLA. We're just here in town to check out a school for our son, Neal. College is still a few years away but there's prep school to be thought of. Do you and Emma still live here in Boston?"

"No, we live in a small town in Maine. We're here just for a family trip. I just got a promotion down at the precinct and Emma and I have just learned that we're expecting again. We took it as a sign that we should take a short trip before things get crazy back at home. It's amazing that we ran into you. I've often wondered how you were doing."

"As have I about you. Seems fate, or whatever, wanted us to catch up."

"That it did."

"You look happy."

"Aye, blissfully so. I've never regretted the time that we spent together, and I'll not lie and say you haven't crossed my mind over the years. I've wanted to say thank you." She tilted her head and looked at him in confusion. "Thank you? For what?"

"For it all. You were the first woman I loved. It was because of you that I knew what I felt for Emma was real and it was because of you that I knew what I felt for Emma was forever. You taught me how to behave in a relationship, and you broke me of some of the ways that I shouldn't have behaved. Essentially you helped become the man that would love Emma and love her well. How could I not thank you for that?" She smiled, taken aback by his words. "You're welcome Killian. I'm so glad for you that you've gotten all you want out of life."

"As I am for you. That being said we really should be going. We promised Olivia a trip to the zoo and we have to go back to the hotel to pick up Henry and his grandparents. It was great seeing you."

"It was great seeing you too. Good-bye Killian." He smiled as he wrapped his arm around his wife, his other hand holding that of their daughter and she felt her chest tighten a bit and tears prick at the back of her eyes. While she had always felt that they had made the right choice she had to admit that at times she felt as though she deserved the life she wished for with Killian. Now, having seen him with his family, she couldn't help but lay that to rest and recognize that sometimes there's good in good-bye.