Life as We Know It
Chapter One: Goddamn Waffles
Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own the characters. Any original characters, and the plot belong to me.
Note: There are mentions of IVF in this chapter, so if you are sensitive to that then this may not the be story for you. Also, whilst this is a Captain Swan story, Outlaw Queen will play a large part of it too.
She's in the blissful state of sleep, barely conscious but fully aware that she doesn't have to get up just yet. Her blonde hair is splayed out of her powder blue pillows, slightly unkempt and in need of a good brush. But she's relaxed and nothing can spoil it.
The blaring noise startles her, causing Emma to shoot up from her spot in her bed and glare around her bedroom as though it's the culprit for her misfortune. But she knows it's the newlywed couple in 7B who haven't learnt how to turn the extractor fan on when they're making waffles in the morning. She throws her feet into her boots, which have already been placed beside her best – just in case, and she stumbles in the darkness to find her coat. It's barely six in the morning and her previous state of relaxation has been disrupted.
Peter and Felix are great guys, if a little selfish. But they've invited her round several times for drinks, but she's refused every time. But that doesn't stop them from dropping round a plate of waffles after the fire-alarm ordeal. She's certain that the rest of the neighbours are ready to behead them, but in truth she'd miss their waffles too much.
They stand outside, some huddled together to keep out the winter touch which sneaks up pyjama bottoms and loose fitting lingerie for the young couples. There are men already dressed in suits, talking animatedly on the phone whilst their wives console their grumpy kids. It's the same every single time it happens.
Emma has become fascinated with people watching, it's then that you notice their flaws. Although she's got lots of people in her life, Emma feels terribly alone at times.
Felix comes over, all grins and wraps his arms around her shoulders, "Sorry about this, Em. Peter always has a plan with a pan, who knew this one would include molten caramel," Felix announced, casting a husband a look who simply shrugged his shoulders lightly.
After a routine check the alarm is switched off, causing the security guard to once again find Felix and Peter issuing yet another warning, and somehow Emma always happens to be standing far too close to them and she's beginning to think that the security guy suspects her involvement. "Waffle?" Peter questions after a moment, she turns her head up at him and begins to shake her head. "Oh come on, we both know you spend enough time in the gym. The only downside is that we now have no caramel, so it's either cream and strawberries or Nutella and strawberries"
The words Nutella leave the man's mouth and he knows that he's hooked Emma. When they'd first moved in, Emma was still trying to get over her break-up with Graham and so she had her face buried in a jar of Nutella with re-runs of It's a Wonderful Life playing in the background.
She pulls her hair into a ponytail, deciding on comfort over effort as she pairs a grey sweater with dark blue jeans and pulls on a pair of brown knee-high riding style boots. Originally, she was meant to go out to lunch with both Regina and her sister, kind of a buffer between the two women who always clashed despite being relatives. But her best friend had informed her last night that she was feeling pretty tired from all her treatments and that she couldn't make it.
A part of Emma had been relieved that she didn't have to see Zelena, but it meant that she also worried after Regina who was clearly suffering a lot more than she was letting on. Of course, the brunette had known what she was going into when she decided to go through the treatments, and it also happened to be the second time around. In Emma's opinion, half of Regina's exhaustion came from the stress she was putting on herself.
For two years and a half years, Regina and her husband Robin had been struggling to get pregnant. It had taken them a year before they went to the doctors and found out that they would need treatment in order to achieve a child. She knew that this was going to be their last try, because it was too emotionally disruptive to keep getting told that it was a no. The thing is, they want a big family and Emma knows that if they do get pregnant, it'll be the only biological child they have. But that won't stop them from adopting. Regina was born to be a mother.
"Earth to Emma!" Peter clicks his fingers in her face, causing a little irritation to bubble in. At times Peter reminded her of a bratty child, and today is no exception. Emma sighs, pushing her hair away from her face. "Sorry, I totally spaced out."
Later, that same day.
The winter season brings in many delightful things, but also reminds her of the bitter losses that she has endured in her twenty five years of living. Her dry fingers encircle the paper cup, breathing in the scent of cocoa and cinnamon, all topped with a delicious amount of cream. It provides a little warmth to her gloveless hands, as her bottom remains firmly planted on the iron seating.
"Do you mind?" a voice questions, causing her eyes to look up. There stands a man dressed in luxury, from the stone grey of his coat to the deep burgundy of his shirt loosely tucked into dark denim, Emma is immediately transfixed on the man's physique. She catches herself quickly, loosely waving her hand to the side where the vacant space is, in a half-welcoming, slightly uninterested motion.
There was always a self-serving attitude that came along with living in a big city, you could simply nod your head at an acquaintance and carry on with your day. No one stopped for deep conversation or listened to small town gossip, not like Storybrook. The sudden thought of her home town, and the ghosts of her past causes Emma to cringe slightly, which coincides with the hand being offered over.
"Ouch love, it's just a hand shake." She glanced at him apologetically and shook his hand, if only to humour him. Emma wasn't in the mood for idle conversation or causing offense. "Killian Jones," the man announced, causing her eyebrows to spike up. Ah yes, the date she'd stood up! Both Regina and Mary-Margaret had pushed her to start dating again, setting her up with a string of men. But after Walsh and Doctor Whale, Emma had begun to question how her friend's ended up with stand up guys when they'd set her up with complete assholes. So when they'd told her their next project, Emma had refused to attend the date.
"I was displeased that you bailed on our date," Killian admitted, cutting straight to the point. So he did know who she was.
With a roll of her eyes, Emma's body went ridged, arms coming up to cross over her chest as the internal walls instantly reconnected. "What is it that you want, Killian?"
"You to be my wife. But we can start with a first date." His response takes her by surprise, enough that she's actually questioning his own mental state.
"You're insane!"
"Not insane, love. Just a great businessman. I'd recognise a great deal in a beautiful woman any day of the week."
"I'm not some hired escort that you can be paid for her services!"
"It wouldn't be like that, Em-ma. " Disbelief runs in her veins, she's untrusting of him. How can she trust him? He's just as bad as the rest of the men that both her friends have introduced her to, in fact he might be worse. "You'd be given a life of comfort, at least for a year…if not longer. My daughter needs a mother figure, and I need a wife. The details would be discussed in a more private place."
"Come on, love. You might actually enjoy it," Killian suggests, raising both his eyebrows at her in a suggestive manner. Emma stands abruptly in that moment, knocking over the now barely-warm hot chocolate, which falls down the front of her sweater, causing her cheeks to warm slightly.
"Thanks, but no thanks."
He's too forthcoming, the approach which she's taken far more than she can handle. How can he possible think that she'd just accept his offer to be his wife, after knowing him all of five minutes.
"I'll help you find your birth parents," the man offers, causing Emma's head to whip round at lightning speed. "How do you know anything about that?" Her chest beats heavily in the confines of her chest. Killian simply lifts up his phone and waves it at her. "I had to make sure you were suitable for my daughter to be around, so I spoke with Robin. It was better than doing a background check on you."
Her chest constricts, his daughter? "You have a daughter? What the hell is wrong with you? You're a crazy man!"
"Emma, give me a chance, I might actually surprise you. The dating market is limited for me, most women either want my money or promptly suggest boarding school for my daughter. I don't have time to search for the perfect wife through love, my very persistent mother is parading socialites in my face like a bloody auction."
Everything in her body urges her to run away, he's a lunatic and she's got enough of her own problems.
"I need you to convince my family that we've been having a secret relationship for a year, but I wanted to keep it a secret for Olivia's sake. Do that and I'll help you find your parents? Please, just think about it."
"Firstly, you have no right to come on to me like that and use my personal history as an example of why I should accept your offer. Secondly, if you thought any of this would work, you're sadly mistaken. I am not about to become your hired help for an entire year, I do actually have a life. And thirdly, I'm not mother material."
She leaves him after that, he clearly knows how to get in contact with her and she's not certain about any of it. All Emma had ever wanted was to find her real parents, but then both Ingrid and herself had found one another and for a time that went away. But her adoptive mother's death had brought back a loneliness that stayed dormant and whilst she had cousin Elsa, and the less present Anna, Emma needed to know what happened to her birth parents. But she wasn't certain that Killian was the means to find them.
Instead of retreating home to her small apartment, Emma makes the quick decision to drive to the nice part of the city where the Locksley-Mills townhouse resides. But first her fingers fish out the spare jumper she has in the back of her bug, and promptly pulls it on, transferring the stained one to the back of the car. "Damned man."
She briefly wonders whether she ought to take Regina some food, perhaps an apple turnover – although it'll never beat the brunette's. But then she doesn't know what kind of food Regina can eat any more, it's all a little difficult and some things are just off limits. She knows that Regina is nervous about tomorrow, knows it's what the woman has been waiting for, but also dreading. S
Her boots hit the wet sidewalk, the earlier rain still prevalent on the surfaces as she walks up the steps to ring on the doorbell.
Emma cannot begin to understand what Regina is going through, but provides comfort where possible. She smiles kindly as Regina opens the door, eyebrow raised at her unannounced appearance, but says nothing of it as she turns to walk back inside, leaving the door open for Emma to follow.
They sit, bodies pressed into the grey couch whilst Emma nurses a glass of red in hand. Beside her, Regina looked exhausted, worry disguised behind a small smile as she sips her tea slowly. Emma doesn't ask how Regina is doing, and Regina doesn't tell. Emma can only watch as her best friend goes through her second round of IVF.
"So I got propositioned today," Emma starts, and it peaks Regina's interest.
"About what?" Regina questioned, clearly feigning ignorance.
"Don't act like a fool, we both know you're not. How do you know Killian?"
"Killian happens to be one of Robin's best friends, add David and they're practically the three musketeers. It's quite amazing that you've never met Killian before, but I guess when Robin and I were getting married, Killian was trying to deal with the loss of his wife and adjusting to life as a single father."
Emma opens her mouth, refraining from allowing strong accusations to fly from her mouth. Instead, she decides on a more delicate, softly spoken route, although if Regina knew…she'd probably be pissed. The brunette hated being molly-coddled, everyone treading on egg shells just to spare her feelings. "What did you and Robin say about Henry?"
End of Chapter Note: This chapter is about half the size of the rest of the chapters. However, I wished to give you all a taste and to see how this story would be received. I would love to hear your feedback, and favourite and alert as you like. I should mention that despite this being a new account, this is certainly not my first fanfic, although it is the first time I've written CS.