Ok so this is my contribution to CS movie month on tumblr. It is a fic inspired on Silver Linings Playbook with all the movie characters replaced by our beloved characters from Once Upon a Time.
I came up with this idea after watching the movie, and I thought that especially Killian and Emma fitted perfectly in this story. Anyways, I hope you like it, I would love to hear your thoughts on it and if you have any questions, ask away :)
Silverlinings playbook – part one: Coming Home.
"What, are you kidding me? Sundays? I love Sundays, I live for Sundays. The whole family is together. Mom makes lasagna. Dad puts the jersey on. We're all watching the game." Killian was standing in front of the window, looking outside. He was practising the speech he was going to give to Milah when he would see her again. "Yeah, it drives me crazy, and yes, I was negative. You didn't even know that I loved it, Milah, but I did. I just didn't appreciate it, or you, before."
There was a knock on the door, but Killian chose to ignore it.
"I lost all that. I blew it. And you also blew it, you know. But we can get it back, we're going to get it back. It's all going be better now. I'm better now and I hope you are, too. And I'm going to appreciate-"
"Killian, it's time to go." The doctor on the other side of the door said.
Killian sighed. "I'm going to appreciate you more, and I'm going to forgive you for everything that happened. And I hope you do to, because that's true love."
He turned away from the window and grabbed the suitcase of his bed, he looked around the room that had been his home for the past eight months for one last time. When he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of his mother arguing with the doctor.
"Yes, Lucinda. Technically, you can take him out against our recommendation, but you assume a lot of liability in the eyes of the court." The doctor said to his mother. "Besides, he's just getting used to the routine here."
"I don't want him to get used to the routine here, Dr. Whale." His mother interrupted the doctor, ignoring his feeble attempt at trying to get her to leave her son at the hospital. "Eight months is already enough." She walked over to her son and hugged him tightly. When she pulled back she cupped his face with her hands and looked at him with a loving smile on her face, her eyes slightly watery. "Let's go home, Killian."
When they got to the parking lot, Killian looked back at the hospital one last time, glad that he was finally going home. He got in the passenger seat of the car and smiled at his mother. "Thanks for getting me out, mom." She didn't say anything, but instead just smiled back.
Lucinda started the car and drove towards the exit, but suddenly she had to slam on the breaks as a young man wearing a very strange hat and carrying a suitcase stepped in front of the car.
"Hey Mom?" Killian suddenly asked. "Can we give Jefferson a ride to North Philly?"
Lucinda looked at her son with doubt in her eyes. "What, Why? I don't understand."
"No, no it's ok." Killian quickly explained. "It will be fine, he is a buddy of mine."
Lucinda looked at her son, contemplating what to do, but the innocent look he gave her, won her over, like it always did. "Oh, alright then."
Killian flashed her a bright smile and waved Jefferson over. The young man smiled widely and got in the back of the car.
"I guess everybody's leaving today!" He said enthusiastically, when Lucinda started the car. "Hello Mrs J. An honour to finally meet you. Killian told me all about you, how God made you rich in character, and you're the mighty oak that holds the household together, and not to mention the lasagne you make on Game day when the Birds play."
Lucinda looked at Jefferson in her rear-view mirror with her mouth hanging slightly agape.
"Jeff was in for assault because of crystal meth and alcohol" Killian explained to his mother.
"Bad combination." Jefferson said with a serious expression.
Killian smirked at his friend. "Yeah, especially on top of an anxiety disorder and ADD."
Jefferson nodded his head in confirmation. "That was when I was an X-ray technician, I had a lot of access to medication and I took advantage of it. But that went down the rabbit hole quickly you could say, because I started hallucinating, thinking one of my hats was magical and could create portals."
Killian turned to his mother. "He is obsessed with Hats."
"I just really like Hats." Jefferson said, looking insecure. "I think they are classy, and my little girl says they look good on me."
"Well, I must say, I like the one you are wearing now." Killian said, trying to cheer up his friend.
"Really?"
"Yeah, it looks good on you, makes you look dandy." He added with a wink, when he turned back around he noticed that his mom had turned the car. "You are going the wrong way!"
But his mother didn't hear him, as she was talking on the phone. "What, are you sure about that? O dear, I'll bring him back right away." She hung up and turned at Killian to look at him with a disappointed look. "You lied to me Killian. Jefferson wasn't allowed to leave the hospital at all."
"Alright mom, just let me explain." Killian started.
"No, Killian, you lied to me. I just…" Her voice started quivering. "I Just think this whole thing might have been a mistake."
"I'm sorry, mom, are you okay?"
"I'm just really out on a limb with the courts here for you Killian, you now that?" Lucinda said with desperation, her hands gripping the steering wheel.
hey look, it's my fault." Jefferson started, trying to help his friend. "Killian didn't know that I wasn't allowed to leave. I just having a disagreement with the hospital, because they won't let me see my daughter. But please take Killian home, he's fine. Trust me, You'll see he's fine. It's all my fault."
Lucinda was silent for a while, took a deep breath and looked back up at her son. "Fine, okay. I'll give you a chance Killian." He looked relieved at her words.
"But you, young man," she said turning to Jefferson. "Are going straight back to the hospital."
After they dropped Jefferson off back at the hospital, they drove home in silence. Seeing his parental house for the first time in eight months, made Killian feel nervous all of a sudden. He was not sure how his dad was going to react to the news that he was going to live with them again. But he didn't have any choice, Milah still had that restraining order against him, so he couldn't go back to his own home. Not until she withdrew it, and before that could happen, Killian had to find a way to get her to talk to him.
He got out of the car and walked up the steps leading to the front door, but before he got a chance to open the door, his mother hold him back.
"Killian listen," his mother started. "Don't say anything, but your dad lost his job and he's bookmaking"
"What?" he asked. "But why? How-"
But Lucinda interrupted him. "Just, don't say anything about it, okay. Not yet."
When he saw the pleading look she was giving him, he just shrugged his shoulders and dropped the subject. "Yeah, okay."
He opened the front door and stepped inside. He took a look around, and the first thing he noticed was that they took his picture down. There was now only a picture of his brother, August, on the wall. Why would they do that, he thought, he had to admit that it hurt a little. He decided to ask his dad about it later that night. Speaking of his dad, where was he? Killian walked towards the kitchen, when he suddenly heard voices coming from the living room.
"What are you doing? No, no. no, no.." He heard his father say. "Don't touch them, don't touch them!" Killian wanted to enter the living room, but lingered in the doorframe. He saw his father rearranging the remote controls on the coffee table. Marco Jones had a mild form of OCD when it came to the placement of certain objects. If they weren't in the right place, he thought it would bring bad luck on game day.
"I didn't even touch them. Why are you-, don't blame me." the other man in the room said.
But Marco ignored his excuses. "Who did this? Who took, who took the… the remotes like this." He turned towards the man, an accusing look on his face. "Did you do this, Gold?"
"No! I didn't touch them, as a matter of fact. I don't even know why you would even need so many." The man, Gold, turned around and was the first to notice Killian and Lucinda standing in the doorframe.
"Hey, there she is! Look how beautiful!" He walked over to Lucinda and took her left hand is his, and placed a kiss on it. Lucinda just rolled her eyes, and pulled her hand back. Killian just nodded his head. "Hello, Gold."
"what's this?" Marco asked stunned, when he saw his son in the doorframe, he walked up to him and patted him awkwardly on his shoulder "Are you good?"
"Mhm." Killian nodded, unsure of what to say. Marco was silent for a while, but then gave him a tight hug. when he released his son he turned towards his wife. "So, what's this? You don't talk to me anymore? You didn't think of telling me you were going to take him out?"
This caught Killian off guard, why didn't his mother tell his father that he was coming home?
"You didn't tell dad you were picking me up?" He asked incredulously.
"Don't worry about that." Lucinda said, trying to reassure her son before turning to her husband. "Marco, he was ready. Look at him."
Marco examined his son, looking him over thoroughly while holding him tight by the shoulders. "I just want to make sure, that when you come out, that you're okay. Was the doctor okay with this?"
"The court said yes, don't worry." Lucinda interjected.
"Yeah, but what did the doctor say? Because the court listens to the doctor, don't they?"
"Dad, relax. The court said it's fine, okay? Let it go." Killian tried to reassure his father, but Marco still didn't look convinced.
"Look, dad, I was there because of the court. That's the agreement that we made months ago. It was a plea bargain with the courts. The lawyer, he instructed me, he said that we should plead that, and then I would serve eight months and then I'd get out."
"Yeah, I know that. I just.." Marco started, but Killian could see that his father was beginning to relax.
Lucinda put a reassuring hand on Marco's arm. "It's all under control."
Marco contemplated this for a while, but then patted his son on the shoulders once more. "Well, okay.. Congratulations, and welcome home."
"Thank you." Killian was relieved that his father accepted him home and let out a sigh of relief. "So what are you doing with yourself."
At this question Marco brightened immediately. "I'm planning on opening a restaurant, or a diner actually."
Killian was confused, hadn't his father just lost his job? "How are you going to pay for it?"
But Marco just waved off the concern in his son's voice "I'm going to pay for it, don't worry about it."
Suddenly it clicked for Killian. "Are you going to pay for it from your bookmaking?" He asked, the accusation clear. He knew that his father had had a gambling problem in the past.
Marco froze on the spot. "How do you know about that?"
"Mom told me," Killian stated. "When we were outside."
"I did not. No, I didn't" she lied, shaking her head furiously, desperately trying to shut Killian up. Obviously it wasn't working.
"But you just told me outside, Mom, what are you talking about? Five minutes ago, we were walking up the stairs, you said, 'Don't say anything, but Dad lost his job and he's bookmaking'."
"Why, Lucinda?" Marco said, slightly panicked. "Why did you say that to him? Now he has the wrong idea." He turned to his son. "Everything's fine Killian. I'm more concerned about you than anything else."
This seemed to reassure Killian a bit. "Good, dad. Good." He said, hugging his father once more.
When he released him, Marco looked at him with a smile. "Good, the question, the big question is, what are you going to do with yourself?"
"What am I going to do?" Killian asked. "I'm getting in shape, I'm getting trim, I'm getting really fit for Milah. I'm going to read Milah's complete teaching syllabus and get my old job back."
Marco couldn't bear to see the hope in his son's eyes, when he knew that the chances of Milah reconciling with Killian were really slim. "Milah sold the house, she left. Didn't your mother tell you that?"
"Let me tell you something." Killian said, shaking his head stubbornly. "You don't know anything about my marriage, okay, Dad? All right? Our marriage… we're very, very much in love, okay? Just like you two." He added, pointing towards his parents.
"Listen, Killian." Marco interjected. "She's gone. She's not around anymore. Milah left."
"W- What are you doing, dad." Killian felt the rage bubbling up inside him, why didn't his father give him some credit? He knew he had to calm down, before he did something stupid. So he took a couple of deep breaths and threw his hands in the air. "You know what? Excelsior. Ex-cel-sior, dad."
Marco looked at his son with his eyebrows raised. "What does that mean."
"Excelsior. You know what that means, what I'm going to do? I'm going to take all this negativity and use it as fuel and I'm going to find a silver lining, that's what I'm going to do. And that's no bullshit. That takes work and that's the truth." And with that he turned around and disappeared upstairs, leaving his confused father behind. Marco exchanged a look with Lucinda, but she just gave him a tight smile. "Just give him some time, Marco. It's all going to be fine."