Title: Violet
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Aurora/Killian with Baby Jones and Smee
Summary: The Jones family plays host to an insecure and needy child and then there's the infant to deal with.
Warnings: BABIES!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: Victoria, my love, feel better. This has no point; I just wanted to write you realistic baby things because I know your real weakness is babies.
She'd read stories of him as a child. Captain Hook, the most feared pirate in all the seven seas. Captain Hook, bloodthirsty vagrant. Captain Hook, thief of shadows and innocence. Captain Hook, the last man you'd ever want to come across for your first meeting with him could be your last. She'd been groomed to fear him and men like him but as she stood in the doorway of the ship's cabin she realized that the man in those stories was gone and in his place was an insecure, needy, and extremely scruffy manchild who was also an overprotective pain in her ass.
Killian Jones, the man who had once made men cower with fear, was now hunched over a tiny bassinet with his chin firmly planted against the wood while he hovered over the tiny life sleeping inside of it with a look of complete horror, awe, and worry etched onto his face.
Aurora withheld a sigh. This was the third time this week she'd caught him obsessing over the baby while she slept and it was only Monday. Every night, more than once, she'd wake to find his side of their small bed empty and would glance over to find him resisting the urge to pull their poor, darling Violet out of her crib.
She only knew he was resisting because for the entire first month after she no longer slept between them Aurora would wake to the baby's cries because her papa couldn't go five minutes without being center of her attention.
There was an attention starved child aboard their ship and it wasn't her daughter.
"It's time for dinner, Killian Jones. Come before the crew leaves you nothing but crumbs."
She'd forbidden him from waking the baby on purpose and while he'd followed orders, he toed that line of disobedience every day.
"I'll kill them all if they try it," he mumbled before reaching in to push a loose piece of hair away from Violet's forehead.
Aurora rolled her eyes. He hadn't murdered anyone in years. He was all talk now, the way she liked it. The only murderer on their ship would be her if he kept on like this.
"Killian, she needs to sleep without you watching over her like a hawk. You'll only wake her and then I'll be the one losing sleep tonight. And if I have to suffer without sleep, then you'll be suffering without my touch for weeks."
"We can't with the baby in the room," he grumbled. Violet stirred and shoved her thumb into her mouth. A moment later snores came from her tiny form. Well, that was the good thing about living aboard a pirate ship; she had a high tolerance for noise.
"She'll be here when we return."
"You don't know that," he grumbled. She shook her head and entered the cabin. She allowed the door to swing shut behind her, he was impossible to deal with to begin with, if he thought they had an audience he'd completely clamp up.
"Darling, I promise, no one is going to come aboard this ship without our knowledge and take her. I'll even send Smee in to look after her if it makes you feel better, but you cannot spend every waking moment by her side. She has to be on her own from time to time, you need to be on your own from time to time."
"She needs me," he replied with a pout.
Aurora placed a hand on his shoulder before moving to her knees at his side.
"Look at me," she pleaded. He resisted but she reached out her hand to turn his head, forcing him to do as she commanded.
"I know you're worried she won't love you the way you love her, but you're not your father, Killian. She is going to adore you because you're already a wonderful father, a better man that he ever was. But if you keep on like this, she will grow up to resent you."
"I can't leave her, what if she wakes up and we're not here? I don't want her to ever be alone."
Aurora reached over and grasped his hand.
"Killian, eventually she's going to be alone, and if you never allow her to be she won't know how to be. Besides, we'll be right outside the room. If she wakes, we'll hear her. Come, you need to eat and to sleep. You've been at this for days now."
"Maybe she should sleep with us, just for a few more nights…"
"No," Aurora replied sternly. She already had a co-dependent lover; she did not need to raise a co-dependent child. His fatherly love was sweet but it was becoming borderline possessive. If he didn't stop…
Aurora took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She didn't want to leave him or the crew but if she deemed it best for their daughter she would do it in a heartbeat. She would not resort to threatening him; however, she had faith that she could help him overcome his fears before she needed to consider leaving.
"I'm not ready to leave her," he admitted and she sighed before standing. She reached down and held her hand out until he took it. She gave him a stern look and pulled him to his feet.
"We're going to eat dinner with the crew; you're going to entertain your men, because unlike our sleeping child who would like to be left in peace, they actually need you. Then, once she wakes and eats, we're going to put her back to bed and then you and I will spend the entire evening in our own bed unless she wakes and actually requires one of us. And we're going to repeat this every night.
You can play overprotective father when she's awake, until she hits about five, agreed?"
He pouted but she wasn't having it. She understood that he feared losing her and Violet the way he'd lost everyone he'd ever loved, but she also knew he pushed people away by being too clingy. She loved him but she had a baby to raise now, she couldn't keep taking care of him. It was time for her lost boy to grow up.
"You haven't eaten all day, come."
He sighed and reluctantly took her hand. He glanced back at the sleeping infant sadly before allowing her to lead him towards the deck.
"Can I check on her between dinner and entertaining the crew?" He asked pathetically.
"Killian," she sighed in annoyance.
"Please, 'Rora, she's the only thing I have that's ever been truly mine. I survived losing my mother and Milha and I would die inside if I lost you but if I ever lost her…" He swallowed hard and glanced up at her with sad eyes. "Please," he begged.
"That isn't fair-"
Small whimpers emerged from the crib and she groaned. Well, now he was getting his way whether she liked it or not. His face lit up like a child's and he gave her a small, sheepish grin.
"She's awake-"
"Fine, but I'm putting her right back down," Aurora warned but her words fell on deaf ears. The moment their daughter's bright green eyes fell on his she ceased to exist to him. He lifted Violet out of the crib and began babbling until she laughed and kissed her nose before cradling her against his chest.
"It's all right, poppet, papa's here." She curled her fist around his finger and Aurora sighed; at least it wasn't his hook. "You are the most beautiful pirate princess I've ever seen. Papa's never going to let you go. No, he's not. Because he loves you and don't tell her, but he loves your mama too."
She hated to admit it, but they looked perfect together.
With a resigned sigh Aurora walked up behind him and rested her head on his shoulder.
"You're going to drive me mad," she whispered after a moment. She reached over and stroked the baby's forehead with a small smile. Killian wasn't the only one entranced with her; he was just the one who lacked self-control.
"I don't mean to," he whispered as he rocked the baby carefully. "I promise I'll get better about this, I just need more time."
"Time for what?"
He glanced up to meet her eyes and gave her a small shrug.
"Time to accept that this isn't a dream; that's she, you, all of this is real."
"Killian-"
"I know, I'm a codfish."
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his middle.
"You're my codfish," she teased before pressing her lips to his cheek.
"She's asleep," he whispered regretfully.
"Don't worry, she'll wake up when it's most inconvenient for us both," Aurora whispered. "And I promise…when you wake up tomorrow we'll both be here. And the next morning and then the next and the one after that."
For once he said nothing. He gave her a small nod and she held onto him more tightly. Maybe she'd been too hard on him. She was so used to the cocky asshole she'd fallen in love with who was a child in many ways that she'd forgotten that deep down, he was just a broken man who wanted the same thing everyone longed for; to be loved.
But…
He was still a pain in her ass.
She'd give him another month before she really put her foot down. Until then…
"Perhaps just one night in bed with us wouldn't hurt her. But I get to hold her. You're not the only one who loves her."
"I think I can live with that and…'Rora?"
"Yes?" She asked as he gently placed the baby back beneath her blankets.
"It might be nice for her to have a playmate…so she doesn't grow up on this ship with only a crew of vagrants to keep her company."
Aurora rolled her eyes and released him. And here she thought he'd have a moment of love for her, but it was always about what he wanted, just like a child. She took his hand and led him out of the cabin with a shake of her head.
"Step one: you prove to me you can handle this child. Then we'll see how things go."
She already knew full well there'd soon be another member joining the ranks of the Jolly Roger, but she knew that the 'fearless' Captain Hook needed more time with his tiny princess before he could handle the news that his affections would have to be split into thirds. And she needed to know that he wasn't going to smother the three of them in an attempt to control them and keep them by his side.
"Hey?"
She glanced up and found him watching her with that look in his eyes that had landed him on his back and her with child; twice.
"Yes?"
He leaned down until their noses touched and slowly pressed her against the cabin door. She could feel the eyes of the crew on them but ignored them. Her problem in regards to Killian Jones had always stemmed from the fact that once they were in such close proximity they went at it like rabid rabbits; it was how she'd wound up queen of this pirate ship.
"I love you, my pirate queen," he whispered huskily.
She felt a blush rise to her cheeks. Killian Jones wasn't very expressive with his feelings, unless it came to the baby, but she wasn't having any of it, not tonight.
"You just want to sneak me away down below the deck so you can have your wicked way with me."
He grinned.
"Your point?"
Aurora shook her head and smirked.
"I told you, Killian Jones, you're not getting into my dress again until you earn it."
"As if that would stop me from trying," he muttered before pressing his lips to hers. Aurora couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips nor the fact that her fingers wound their way around his lapel so they could pull him against her, but she did have enough self-restraint to end the kiss the moment her head began to spin.
"The answer is still 'no', Captain."
"But Violet will be lonely without a sibling," he whispered as he laid his hands over her belly. Her stomach fluttered and she debated just telling him; she'd have to do it eventually.
"Killian-"
"I've saved plates for you and the princess, Cap'n." Smee interrupted. Killian sighed in annoyance and looked up to find that the entire crew was indeed watching them.
"Later," he muttered as he kissed the top of her head. He released her and strutted towards his men.
"Eyes off the princess! Didn't your mother raise any of you with manners? Of course not, you're all bloody pirates."
"Thank you, Smee," she whispered, relieved. She was no prude, but the last thing she wanted was to give the crew a show. Crying came from the cabin and she rushed inside before Killian could hear her and come rushing over. He needed time with the crew and well, Aurora needed time alone with their little princess.
"Hello, my darling." Aurora lifted Violet out of her crib and pressed her against her chest. "Did your papa wake you?" The baby fussed and Aurora kissed the top of her head. Violet stared up at her with her big eyes and pouted, just the way Killian did when he did not get his way. "Are you ready for dinner as well, then?"
She whined and Aurora hushed her. She grabbed the nearest quilt and covered herself so she could feed the baby.
"You're just like your father," Aurora muttered as Violet's whining stopped the moment she latched on. Aurora cradled her closely before leaning in the doorframe so she could watch Killian ease back into his role as captain. He didn't realize it, but he'd been a father long before Violet came into this world. She watched him play with one of the formed Lost Boys and found herself smiling fondly.
"Mama's going to tell you a secret, Violet," Aurora whispered happily. "You're going to be a big sister. Are you ready for that? Of course not, you're an infant. The real question is if your papa's ready."
"Oy! There are my girls! Come, love, your dinner's getting cold. Smee! Have you seen my little princess today? Isn't she the most precious thing you've ever seen? No, don't look at her! You're disgusting, when was the last time you all bathed?" She tuned him out as he continued to berate his men.
Aurora pulled the now sleeping baby away from her breast and adjusted her dress as she slowly made her way over to the head of the table. She cradled the baby against her chest with one arm and ate with the other. Once his men were sufficiently riled up Killian wrapped one arm around her and pressed a kiss to her temple.
"Have I pleased thee, my queen?" She glanced around at their strange family and realized that she was happier than she had been in years. It wasn't much, but she could continue to build a family on this ship, with him.
"It's a start," she admitted as she leaned against him.
This wasn't the fairytale ending she'd had planned for herself, but it would do.