Summary: At the last minute, Killian decides to leave with Emma and Henry as Pan's curse destroys Storybrooke. One year later, David and Snow find their daughter happy in New York, and they discover that a lot has changed for Emma in her new life with her son and Killian. One-shot.
Pairings: Killian/Emma, David/Snow
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Parts in the beginning are in fact word for word from Season 3 Episode 11: Going Home and some lines in the middle are from Season 3 Episode 12: New York City Serenade. That and all characters belong to the creators of Once Upon a Time.
…OUAT…
TWIST OF FATE
The mood was somber. Killian walked up to Emma, desperate for one last goodbye. However, when she turned to him, he was at a loss for words. There was so much he wanted to say to her, and too little time to do so.
"That's quite the vessel you captain there, Swan." He said, raising an eyebrow and trying to memorize her face.
She sniffed, fighting another round of tears. They stared into each other's eyes, both trying, and failing, to fight down their feelings attempting to break through. If this was to be the last time he saw her, he wanted her to know how he felt, but it would only hurt them both more to say the words.
"There's not a day will go by that I won't think of you." Killian said after a moment. Hopefully, she would understand the depth of his feelings for her with that statement.
"Good." She replied, her voice thick.
Killian smiled tearfully, and felt his heart soar when she replied with her own small, wet smile.
He turned his back then; if he kept looking at her, he would do something that would only make it harder for them both to say goodbye. Regina walked past him, calling for Emma. Heart breaking, Killian only vaguely heard the queen telling her that she and Henry will lose all memory of Storybrooke and their world, including her family.
"That doesn't sound much like a happy ending." At Emma's voice, he tunes in to the women's conversation.
"It's not." Regina chuckled at Emma tearfully, "But I can give you one."
Emma looked hopeful, "You can preserve our memories?"
"No." Regina sighed, "I can do what I did for everyone else in this town, and give you new ones."
"You cursed them and they were miserable." Emma insisted, almost defensively.
"They didn't have to be." The mayor reached out and took Emma's hand in both of her gloved ones. "My gift to you is good memories, a good life for you" – She reached behind her and gestured for her son to join them, grabbing his hand when he did – "and Henry."
Emma tried to stem the flow of tears but was unsuccessful as Regina continued.
"You'll have never given him up. You'll have always been together." Regina smiled sadly through her own tears.
"You would do that?" Emma asked, that hopeful expression returning to her face.
"When I stop Pan's curse and you cross that town line, you will have the life you always wanted." Answered Regina.
"But it won't be real." Emma replied skeptically.
"Well your past won't," Regina nodded, "but your future will."
The mayor sighed, fighting tears, placing her hand on her son's shoulder one last time. "Now go. There isn't much time left. The curse will be here any minute."
Henry threw his arms around Regina's waist and buried his face in her shoulder. She kissed his head as he pulled away and began walking toward the yellow bug.
Looking back to where her family was standing, Emma could no longer fight her tears. At her daughter's expression, Snow quickly walked over and took Emma's face in her hands. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, memorizing each other's faces, then Snow kissed her head just as she did all those years ago before losing her the first time and turned away from her daughter once again.
Emma turned and began walking toward her car.
With a glance behind himself where the large purple smoke had already enveloped the town and most of the people standing only feet away, Killian made a sudden decision.
"Wait!" He shouted as he jogged up to where Regina was standing on the town line. The queen turned curiously at him, tears still trailing down her face, looking as though it caused her physical pain to tare her gaze from her son's retreating form. "I can go with them. Give me false memories as well."
"What the hell are you talking about, Hook? I already explained that all of those cursed must return to their rightful lands." Her grief was clearly making her angry.
"Aye." Killian insisted, hopefully, "But I did not arrive in this land via the curse."
Regina's eyes widened as she came to the same conclusion as he, but she made no move signifying that she had agreed to his request.
"Please." He insisted, desperately, pleading in a way that he hoped appealed to her love for her son, "As happy as I am sure your boy will be with Emma, give him a father figure as well. We can be a family. I am willing and ready for that responsibility."
"Then why don't I just send his actual father? As I recall, he was not cursed either; therefore, he should be able to escape this one as well." Regina raised an eyebrow.
However, with a glance over their shoulders, Regina's question was answered. Neal had already been taken with the curse. As far as Killian could tell, they were the only two remaining in this world. He stared in the queen's eyes, hoping that she would see the honesty and desire to be with Emma in them.
After the longest second of his life, she nodded. "Go."
Killian did not need to be asked twice. He sprinted toward the yellow vehicle over the town line and threw open the passenger side door.
"Hook!" Emma exclaimed tearfully. Henry simply looked at him confused. "What are you doing?"
"I'm coming with you." He insisted. "I can escape this curse because I did not arrive in this land with the last one."
With only a moment's hesitation, Henry scrambled out of his seat and crawled into the tiny second row, leaving room for Killian to climb into the now vacant passenger seat. Gratefully smiling at the boy, Killian sat down and shut the door behind him.
Emma had not looked away from him throughout the whole exchange.
"There's no time to explain." Killian told her, unable to help the flutter in his chest at the relieved expression in her eyes at seeing him. "We need to go now!"
Finally turning away from him, Emma quickly started the engine and slammed on the gas pedal. Killian spared one last glance behind him at the purple cloud that had now taken Regina with the rest of the town's residents, before turning and looking ahead to his future.
Reaching across himself, Killian grabbed Emma's trembling hand that was closest to him. She gave him a grateful squeeze of acknowledgment.
Killian took a deep breath and forgot his entire life.
…OUAT…
ONE YEAR LATER…
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Emma reached over and blindly turned off her alarm clock. With a yawn, she rolled over onto her back and glanced over at the empty half of her bed. Eight fifteen on a Saturday morning and Killian was already out on the water. As captain of his own fishing boat, he made his own hours, but he always insisted that early morning let him catch the best fish and, therefore, allowed him to get his catch to all of the fresh markets before the other fishermen. She sighed; that man rarely took a day off.
Barely noticing the helicopter and sirens that were background noise in New York City, Emma got out of bed to begin making breakfast for her and Henry.
A few minutes later found Emma at the stovetop with a carton of eggs and pancake batter. With a glance over at where her son was watering her plants, Emma couldn't help but think about how great her life was now. After a rough childhood in the system, and then the whole situation with Henry's father and nearly a year in jail, Emma did not have hope that her life would ever get much better.
However, all that changed when she met Killian Jones.
She had been a single mother of a five year old only just starting out in the bail bonds game when she had run into the arrogant, infuriating, relentless, charming man at the police station. Unsure of him at first, due to the fact that he had only just been released from a night behind bars because of public intoxication, Killian still managed to worm his way under her skin and into her heart.
Still, Emma had denied her feelings for him for years. Her past had scarred her and she refused to allow someone else to have the ammunition to hurt her or her son. However, despite her resistance, he still became the most important person in her life, aside from Henry, and took up the role of a father figure for the boy. Lucky for her, Killian was a patient man. Nearly three years after they first met, Emma finally gave in to her feelings for her best friend and had kissed him.
Now, four years later, Killian and Emma were still going strong. With a smile at the ring on her left hand and a gentle rub to the barely visible bulge of her stomach, Emma sighed at exactly how much had changed. He had proposed to her last year and, though Emma was still stubborn enough to keep putting off choosing a date, they were happier than either of them had ever been. Especially since finding out about the newest addition to their family last month.
Emma placed a hot plate of pancakes and scrambled eggs in front of Henry next to his mug of hot cocoa. Before she could sit down, however, she heard her son's voice.
"Mom, you forgot something."
Thinking for only a short moment, Emma responded, "Right, cinnamon."
Sprinkling their beloved spice on the hot chocolate, Emma and Henry clinked their mugs together and took a sip. The warmth of the drink spread throughout her body and Emma sighed in contentment, enjoying the taste of chocolate and the sounds of Lou Reed coming from her stereo. The only thing that would make this morning better was if Killian were home.
A sudden, urgent knocking on the front door of the apartment startled Emma back to reality.
"Is someone coming over?" asked Henry, more concerned with cutting up his pancakes.
"No." Emma replied curiously. She was about to ignore it and go back to her breakfast when the knocking started up again. Getting up and turning off the music, Emma instructed her son, "Henry, wait here."
Ignoring the fact that she was still in her pajamas, Emma unlocked the door and swung it open to reveal the oddest dressed couple she has ever seen.
The man wore a thick brown shirt under a black leather vest and tight black pants. From the white frills sticking out of his shirtsleeves and around his neck, it was obvious he also wore some kind of blouse underneath. His knee high black riding boots were muddy and he had several pouches clipped to his belt. The oddest part, however, was the sword he had resting in its sheath at his hip.
The woman was not any better. She wore tight tan colored pants with brown riding boots up to her knees. Her regal looking white shirt was low cut with a high collar and a corset was clearly visible underneath. A thick grey belt was tight around her waist and what looked to be a knife was tucked into it. She had long, thick black hair that was crowned with a band of flowers. However, her defining outfit adornment would have to be the long white cape hanging down her back.
They both had identical looks of overwhelming joy, hope and relief on their faces.
"Emma." The woman said reverently, her eyes filled with unshed tears. She stepped forward as if to pull her into a hug and Emma put her hand up defensively.
Unexplainably, guilt began to sink into the pit of Emma's stomach at the devastated look on the woman's face. The man put a reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder.
"Do I know you?" Emma asked defensively.
"Not at the moment," He spoke. Emma could not understand the wave of calmness that washed over her at this stranger's soothing voice and the kind look in his blue eyes. "But we can help you remember."
He took a step closer as he reached into one of the pouches on his belt and Emma reacted instinctively. The man was close enough now that Emma only had to reach a short distance for his shoulders as she pulled him in and kneed him in the groin. Shoving him out of her apartment, Emma glared at the woman until she retreated, a look of horror and disappointment on her pale face.
"Emma, please," The woman pleaded as Emma reached for the door, "Some part of you has to remember us. I can see it in your eyes. We're your family and we need you. You just need to drink this potion and –,"
Emma cut her off incredulously. "Potion? You're both crazy! And my family is right here. Now stay away from us or next time I'm calling the cops."
She had one last glimpse of sadness on both faces as the door slammed shut.
…OUAT…
The next day, Snow and David found themselves wandering the streets of New York City. As soon as they had left Emma's apartment building, they both acknowledged that they should have expected that kind of defensive reaction from their daughter. She didn't trust them. Hell, she didn't even know them, so naturally, her walls were up high. Especially considering their state of dress yesterday. Regardless, it was still painful to experience.
After they had sold some of their Enchanted Forest gold for money, David had managed to find them a hotel close to Emma's apartment while Snow had bought them clothes from this world. She also got a haircut; she had missed her short hair while back in her homeland.
Yesterday, so blinded by their desire to see their daughter and grandson again after a year apart, David and Snow had not even stopped to think about what they would look like to her. They must have looked like freaks, like some kind of Renaissance Fair fanatics with crazy and stalker tendencies. In hindsight, they were really asking for a door getting slammed in their faces.
Now, they were ready to try again.
"How do you think we are going to get her to talk to us again?" Snow asked her husband as they sat on a bench across the street from the apartment, staring at the door and hoping their daughter would appear, "She's obviously going to recognize us as the crazy couple who showed up at her door yesterday. What if she calls the police?"
"She won't." David insisted, "Emma's too curious and stubborn for her own good. She'll want to know more about us and will refuse any outside help."
Snow chuckled, "True. And you still didn't answer my first question."
"We'll walk up to her and apologize for yesterday." David answered as if it were obvious, "She needs to trust us. If she asks us what we were talking about, we won't lie, but we'll choose our words carefully. I have the address Neal gave us to his apartment so we can use that to prove our honesty."
Nodding in agreement, Snow sighed. "I just miss her. It hurt so much when she looked at us like strangers, which I suppose we are to her right now."
Placing an arm around his wife's shoulders, David whispered, "I know, me too."
They sat in silence for a few more minutes before movement on the opposite side of the street caught their attention. Emma was approaching her apartment building. Her familiar blonde curls were blowing in the breeze, an aware but calm expression adorned her face, and a drug store bag was clutched in one hand.
With a look, they simultaneously rose from the bench and began making their way quickly across the street.
"Emma!" David called out when they were a few feet behind her.
Their daughter froze and whipped around at them.
"You two!" She exclaimed, "You are stalkers!"
"Emma, please," Snow pleaded, "I know we didn't go about it the right way yesterday, and for that we are sorry, but we just want to talk to you."
She took a step closer to them, her face impassive and cautious. "You have three minutes. What do you want from me?"
"You're not going to believe us," David started, pulling the piece of paper with Neal's address out of his coat pocket, "So I'm going to begin by giving you this. If you go to that address, I think it will help our case."
"And what is your case?" Emma prompted suspiciously, taking the paper from his hands, glancing at it briefly, then sticking it in her pocket.
"Well, believe it or not, we are your parents," Snow spoke up, raising her hand in a gesture for silence when Emma's expression changed from one of curiosity to one of rage, "And I know, you think you don't know us. You probably hate the idea of us at this point. You think you have been looking for us your entire life to no avail, but that's a lie. You found us two years ago. Something happened that made you, and Henry, forget. It won't make sense if we explained what happened but all you need to know is that drinking this" – she pulled the small blue bottle of memory potion out of her pocket – "will help you remember us."
Emma looked ready to explode but when she spoke, her voice was deliberately steady. "First off, there's no way in hell that you are my parents; you look like you are the same age as me. Second, if you were my parents, which you're not, I'm sure I would never forget finding you. And on that note, how do you know how I've spent my whole life? You don't know a thing about me, and you don't know a thing about my son! How the hell do you even know about him? And that thing again? There's no way I would ever drink some strange concoction that two random people off the street just offered me!"
The more she spoke, the angrier and louder she got. David and Snow found themselves both flinching at her tone. Snow looked close to tears.
"Just go to that address." David pleaded. "We'll leave you alone now, but when you need to find us again, and you will, we're staying at the Franklin Hotel, room 111."
With one last wistful glance at his daughter, David grabbed his wife's hand and began walking down the street.
…OUAT…
Not even two hours later, Snow and David heard a knock on the door of their hotel room. Knowing exactly who it would be, David jumped up and flung the door open wide. Emma stood in the doorway, breathing heavily, as if she had run the whole way there. Her eyes were wide and her expression was furious.
Without waiting for an invitation, she stomped into the room. "Why didn't you tell me that was Neal's place?"
"I think the tone of your voice answers that question." Snow answered, standing up from her seat at the edge of the bed as David shut the door.
"What is he up to? Is he trying to get into Henry's life? How does he even know about him?" Her voice became more erratic and higher pitched as she spoke.
"Whoa, slow down," David held up his hands, "We're not here because of Neal. We're here because there's been another curse. Our entire kingdom has been ripped back to Storybrooke."
"What are you talking about? Your kingdom? A curse? Do you know what you sound like?" Emma asked incredulously.
"Like we're crazy, I'm sure." Snow sighed, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder. "But it's true. We need you; you're the only one who can save us all."
"If you don't believe us, why did you come here?" David asked suddenly.
"Because of Neal," Emma answered, rummaging in her back for something, "He had a camera with my son's name on it. How?"
Snow's eyes widened in recognition. "Don't you see? That's proof we are telling the truth! Regina bought Henry that camera for his eleventh birthday, and he took it with him when you two came to New York with Mr. Gold last year. He must have left it in the apartment after Hook stabbed Gold and you had to rush back to Storybrooke."
"That's not good enough. I don't know any of the people you just named." Emma shook her head furiously, "I want answers. Real ones."
"The only way you'll get those is if you drink this." David held up the small bottle once again.
"Drink the thing crazy guy keeps offering me," Emma responded sarcastically, "No, thank you."
"Emma." Snow reprimanded in a mothering tone that was strangely familiar to Emma.
"It'll help you remember everything you've lost." David added, "If one small part of you senses that we are telling the truth, don't you owe it to yourself to find out if we're right? Take a leap of faith, Emma."
Shaking her head again, Emma began to walk toward the door, "You know what? I'm done. I'm only feeding your insanity by humoring you. Stay away from me and my family."
Without waiting for a response, she walked out and shut the door behind her.
…OUAT…
As Emma approached her apartment building a few hours later, she was unsurprised to find her two stalkers sitting on the front steps talking quietly to themselves.
"Hey." She said as she approached them. Their heads whipped up at her voice and Emma would have found their identical expressions of joy and hesitance comical if not for her internal panic. "We need to talk."
"Of course." The woman said, relief in her eyes, as her husband nodded beside her.
"What the hell are these?" Emma asked, pulling the recently developed pictures out of her bag. "I never lived in a town called Storybrooke. We never took a flight from Boston to New York with some old man. Neal has never met Henry, as far as I know. We never did any of this!"
The couple exchanged a small smile at the sight of her son in the photo.
"So do you believe us now?" asked the man quietly, hope clear in his voice.
"I don't know." Emma looked confused. "You could have photoshopped these."
The woman shook her head in exasperation, her newly cut hair blowing slightly in the breeze. "Oh, Emma, if you would only let down your stubborn wall for a second, you would realize that you are grasping at straws now. You know something is wrong. Deep down, you know we are right."
"It's just not possible," Emma could feel the tiny pinpricks of tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "How could I forget all of this?"
"I promise you there's an explanation." The man insisted, sympathy hiding behind his blue eyes.
"Not one that makes sense." Emma responded stubbornly.
Once again pulling out the small blue bottle, he replied, "If you drink this it will."
"If," Emma shook her head, "If what you're saying is true, I'd have to give up my life here."
"It's all based on lies." The woman responded, clearly grateful that she was no longer yelling nor trying to run from them.
"It's real to me," Emma said desperately pleading with them to give up the act. If they are right, she will have to give up her life, give up the only time she has ever been truly happy. She wasn't ready to let go of it just yet, even if it is all a fantasy. "I have Henry, a job, a guy I love."
Both started curiously at that last part.
"There's people you love in the life you've lost as well, Emma." The man stated sadly.
"Please, Emma," The woman's eyes were filled with unshed tears, "If you want to know the truth, please drink it. Do really want to live a life of lies? You know this isn't right. Trust your gut, Emma, it will tell you what to do."
Emma looked up curiously at the phrase. "Henry always says that."
"Then if you won't listen to us, listen to your son." The woman responded with a small smile.
With only a moment's hesitation, Emma reached forward and took the small bottle from the man's hand. She opened it and threw it back in one gulp.
Suddenly, a barrage of images began to resurface in Emma's memory. She saw a younger Henry showing up at her door. She saw a sign that said 'Welcome to Storybrooke' followed by the image of a clock tower on top of a library. She saw a dark haired, fierce-looking woman glaring at her from a white porch. She saw a dragon towering over her and spewing fire in her direction. She saw Henry's pale body on a hospital bed suddenly coming back to life. She saw a large purple cloud enveloping a quaint town. She saw the man and woman, with many other people behind them, staring at her in awe before pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. She saw a soul-sucking creature burst through a window. She saw her dream catcher from so long ago followed by Neal letting go of her hand and falling through a swirling green hole. She saw that same dark haired woman shooting colors out of her hand as she fought with another giant cloud. She saw as a line drawn on the ground disappeared from her rearview mirrors.
With a gasping breath, Emma remembered.
She couldn't help the tears that welled up in her eyes as she looked at the man and woman and remembered just how much they meant to her. Without another thought, she threw her arms around them and pulled them close. They responded immediately, holding her close as if they would never let go again.
"Emma," Snow cried a few minutes later when they broke apart. "We missed you so much."
"I wish I could say the same." Emma responded with a small smile. Her parents chuckled tearfully. "So what happens now?"
"Now," Snow sighed happily, "We go wake up our grandson with the other potion, and then we go home. A lot has happened, but we can talk more in private."
Emma nodded, gesturing for them to follow her up to her apartment. They had only reached the lobby when Emma realized who exactly was waiting for them upstairs. She froze, causing her parents to bump into her back.
"Oh no." Emma muttered to herself. Killian. What were they going to do now? Their entire relationship was fabricated from a curse, but she still loved him. Didn't she? This was so confusing. Do they break off their engagement and go back to the way things were before the curse? And what were they supposed to do with their baby? It's not like it's going to be able to grow up in the happy, loving, normal, family they planned.
"Emma?" Snow asked her, concerned, "Emma, what's wrong?"
"Killian." She whispered in response, closing her eyes.
"Killian?" asked David, eyebrows scrunching in confusion before widening defensively, "Is that the 'guy you love' you mentioned before?"
Emma nodded. "I didn't realize when he came with us that this is what Regina had in mind."
"What are you talking about?" asked her mother. "What does this guy have to do with Regina?"
She looked back and forth between her parents' confused expressions, before it dawned on her that they had already disappeared into Pan's curse last year when Killian joined her and Henry. They didn't know he came along.
"Killian," She repeated, with a significant look at her mother, "Killian Jones."
Snow's eyes scrunched in thought for a moment, before widening dramatically. "Hook. When we met him, he mentioned his real name was Killian Jones."
"Hook!" exclaimed David, a bit too loudly if the glare from the old man walking by was any indication. "You're in love with Hook? How the hell did he even get here?"
"He followed me and Henry last year." Emma explained, "He wasn't part of the first curse so he could escape the second. Regina gave him false memories too."
David sighed, his expression similar to one of pain. "And my first question?"
Emma looked away, hesitating. "I don't know. I did. I loved him this past year and in all the years that I knew him in my fake memories. But now, I'm confused."
She looked up when she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. David looked like he knew exactly what she was going through, which Emma supposed he did; the memory of his indecision between Mary Margaret and Kathryn flashed through her mind. Her mother smiled sympathetically as she squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "You'll figure it out."
Nodding, Emma asked the next question on her mind. "You only have one more memory potion?"
Her parents looked at each other, as if just realizing this new dilemma.
"Yes, only one." David sighed, "We obviously didn't realize that Hook was here so we only brought enough for you and Henry."
"I want you to give it to Killian." Emma insisted. "He needs his memories more right now."
Her parents nodded as if expecting that.
As they resumed walking toward her apartment, David stated, "You might want to call Hook. It's getting late now but we would prefer to start driving back to Storybrooke tonight anyway. If I'm right, it'll only take about five and a half hours so we should get there pretty late as it is."
Emma looked back at her father shyly for a second before looking away, feeling slightly like a teenager caught sneaking around with her boyfriend. "There's no need. He lives with us."
She snorted at her father spluttering behind her and her mother's quiet "David, really? She's a grown woman and they love each other. The overprotective father act is unnecessary right now."
"Will he be home?" Snow asked, as Emma unlocked the door and pushed it open.
Her mother's question was answered by the deep, accented voice exclaiming from inside the apartment, "Emma!"
Killian quickly rushed to her and pulled her into his arms, holding her close. Though Emma had her memories back and knew she should feel slightly awkward, she couldn't help but relax into his embrace. These arms are ones she knew well. They brought her a comfort she couldn't find anywhere else. When wrapped up in his arms, Emma felt safe, secure and more loved than she has ever felt in her entire life. Memories or not, Killian felt like home.
He pulled back and looked into her eyes, concern written all over his face. "I've been trying to call you all day. Where have you been? You said you would only be gone an hour. I was so worried, love."
Killian pulled her back into his arms. The guilt settled into her stomach as Emma realized it was late afternoon and she had indeed been gone all day. She had been so preoccupied with her parents that she had forgotten to call the one person who loved her more than anything in the world and would be worried sick.
"I'm sorry, Killian." Emma said, taking a step back from him. She was aware of her parents standing in the doorway behind her, but she didn't think her fiancé had noticed them yet. "Something's happened."
She didn't even realize how ominous that sounded until she noticed Killian's eyes widen in panic and felt his hand grip her shoulder tightly, "What happened? Are you alright? Is it the baby?"
The second the words left his mouth, Emma could feel the change in the atmosphere. She heard her parents' sharp intakes of breath behind her and Killian froze, looking over her shoulder, clearly noticing the new arrivals.
"Baby?" Snow gasped, eyes wide, looking back and forth between her daughter and Killian, a grin growing on her face.
Emma turned slowly and gave her mother a small smile and a nod, hand unconsciously moving to caress her abdomen. "Yes. A baby."
"You're pregnant?" David gasped breathlessly after managing to find his voice again, a slight look of confusion on his abnormally pale face.
Grabbing Killian's hand tightly, she nodded again. "Yes. And the baby is perfectly fine."
She directed the second part at her fiancé with a squeeze of her hand and watched as he breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at her parents and she could sense the question forming in his mind. However, before he could ask it, she was being pulled into her mother's arms.
"Oh Emma," Snow exclaimed tearfully, "Congratulations, sweetheart. I'm so happy for you! A baby! David, can you believe it?"
Her father seemed to be at a loss for words again. He looked torn; the dampness of his eyes told of happiness but the clenching of his fists hinted at his desire to punch Killian in the face. Shaking his head slightly, David strode forward and enveloped Emma and Snow in a hug. Emma could feel his hand cupping the back of her head and she couldn't help but sigh in contentment. She'd forgotten how safe she felt in her parents' arms.
"Um Emma, love?" Killian's voice came from behind her. "I don't mean to interrupt but I'm not quite sure what's going on."
Stifling a chuckle, Emma turned back to Killian. "It's a long story. Do you trust me?"
"Of course." He answered immediately. Emma smiled at his faith in her as she reached out a hand to her father. Knowing exactly what she wanted without asking, David placed the second memory potion in her hand.
"Good." She looked him in the eyes as she held out the bottle. "Then you need to drink this. It will explain everything."
Killian looked at her for a moment before hesitantly reaching for the bottle in her hand. He looked at it closely, then uncorked it and sniffed it. It was clear he had no clue how the tiny bottle would explain the strangers in his doorway. With one last trusting glance at her, he swallowed the small amount of liquid. Emma watched as his eyes unfocused for a moment. With a flinch, his gaze snapped back to hers.
"Swan." He stared at her, eyes wide in shock, before glancing up at her parents. "Your majesties."
"Hook." David responded simply while Snow nodded in greeting.
Killian returned his gaze to her. She could see the swirl of emotion on his face as he processed everything that had happened in the past year. He looked at her with a mixture of love, concern, happiness, disappointment, and…was that guilt? Emma could tell by his glance at her stomach and then to the ring on her left hand that he was as confused of their next move as she.
"Emma." He said slowly, raising a hand to place on her shoulder, but she stepped back before he could touch her. She did not want to have this conversation right now. With a shake of her head, his hand dropped to his side.
"We need to start packing." Emma told him, grabbing her car keys instead of looking at him. She did not want to see the disappointed look on his face. "I think we should leave for Storybrooke in the next hour or so. I'm going to go pick up Henry from his friend's house."
"You need to take it easy, love." Killian grabbed her arm before she could walk out the door. "I'll go get Henry."
"No." She insisted, suddenly angry. Why didn't he understand that she needed to think? "I'll go get Henry. He's my son, Killian, not yours."
With that, Emma strode from the apartment and slammed the door behind her.
…OUAT…
Trying not to let her last jab hurt him, Killian hurried into the kitchen and began making Emma's beloved cocoa. He knew her parents would appreciate the gesture. After the third thing he slammed on the countertop, however, he felt a hand on his arm.
Looking around, his eyes met Snow White's green ones. They were the exact same as her daughter's and this only made it harder to meet her gaze. He could see the prince standing a few feet behind her, a look of sympathy on his face. Both seemed at a loss for words.
"He is mine, too." Killian muttered after a moment, unable to help himself.
"What do you mean?" asked Snow, tilting her head slightly in question.
"I legally adopted him years ago, according to our false memories. I still have the papers. From a legal standpoint, Henry is my son." Killian paused, his heart twinging painfully at the thought that he would lose his boy the second Henry regained his memories of his actual father. "He calls me dad."
He could see it in the queen's eyes that her heart broke for him and the entire situation.
"I can't even image how you must feel –," David began but Killian cut him off, suddenly enraged.
"I can tell you exactly how I feel! I wish you had never awoken our memories! I selfishly feel this overwhelming, uninhibited anger at you and our world that you need her to save you once again! I wish that things were not about to be a lot more complicated between Emma and I, like I know they will. I know Emma. She's going to try to run, and I can't let that happen. Because if she runs, I not only lose the love of my life, I lose my entire family. Emma, my baby, Henry. Yes, I know Henry is her boy and Bae's boy but I love him as if he were my own. I can't imagine my life without him, without any of them."
Killian was breathing heavily and he could feel the wetness of shed tears on his face. He wiped them off quickly. Emma's parents looked shocked at his outburst.
"I'm sorry, Hook-Killian." Snow said tearfully.
"No, I'm sorry, your majesty." Killian shook his head shamefully. "I should not have shouted at you."
"I understand why you did." Snow replied, placing her hand back on his arm comfortingly, "A lot has happened today. I would be concerned if you were not overwhelmed. You have a right to express what you are feeling."
He smiled gratefully, finally finishing up with their cocoa and handing them each a mug.
"Thank you…Killian." David smiled. He seemed a little uncomfortable calling the pirate by his given name but was clearly willing to give it a chance, for his daughter's sake.
"Killian?" Snow asked quietly between sips of her hot chocolate.
"Yes, your majesty?"
Snow chuckled quietly. "First off, you can call me Snow. Secondly, I was just wondering exactly what there is between you and Emma."
Sighing deeply, Killian looked between her and the prince, before answering simply. "I love her, false memories or not. I have for a while, maybe even since she chained me up on that damned beanstalk. According to my false memories, I met her when Henry was merely five years of age. Of course, being the stubborn lass that she is, Emma denied her feelings for me for another three years or so, before we began our relationship. We have been together for four years now, and we planned to be a family. I'm not sure what will happen now. I fear her love for me was merely the curse's doing."
"You'll figure it out. True love is not something that can be replicated. If you felt as if she truly loved you while you were cursed, then that is how she feels for real. She just might be too afraid to say it now that she remembers who she is." Snow replied in the same tone she had used to soothe her daughter's confusion earlier. "I can see it in her eyes that Emma loves you. She's just confused, and when she's confused or feeling lost, her walls go right back up."
"Aye." He chuckled sadly, "That they do."
Before anything else could be said, the front door swung open and in walked Henry followed by Emma.
"Hey, dad!" The boy shouted cheerfully, his voice cracking slightly. "What's going on? Mom said we're going on a trip."
Killian smiled at Henry. "Aye, we are, lad. We're going to a small town in Maine called Storybrooke. Your mother has some work to do there and thought it be best if we all went along this time."
Still grinning, Henry's eyes finally wandered to the new arrivals in his kitchen. David and Snow had identical looks of shock and awe on their faces at the sight of how much their grandson had clearly grown in the past year.
"Um hi." He said to them, helping himself to a mug of hot chocolate. "I'm Henry."
"I know." Snow muttered, her jaw still slightly slack. At her husband's elbow to the side, she shook her head and continued. "I mean, I've heard all about you from your mother. I'm Mary Margaret and this is my husband, David. It's nice to, uh, meet you."
David nodded at his introduction. "Hello, Henry."
"It's nice to meet you, too." Henry smiled in response. "Are you my mom's new case?"
It took the royals a second to realize what he meant.
"Oh, yes." David responded quickly, "We know your mom's the best so we asked for her help."
Accepting that answer, Henry nodded, finishing up with his cocoa and placing his mug in the sink. "Well then, I better go pack."
The second Henry's bedroom door shut behind him, Killian allowed himself to turn back to where Emma had been hovering by the front door. Killian's anger at her abated when he noticed the guilt clear on her face. She was rubbing her small baby bump, a nervous habit she picked up lately, and he felt his eyes soften at the sight. He smiled reassuringly, conveying that she was already forgiven.
With a sigh of relief, Emma finally made her way further into the kitchen and leaned on the counter.
"I can be packed within a half hour." She told her parents, "Does that sound fine to you?"
Snow was about to answer when she suddenly froze, eyes widening and jaw dropping. Both men looked at her curiously but Emma knew immediately what had captured her mother's attention. The woman was staring directly at the ring on Emma's left hand.
"Um Mary Marg –," Emma didn't even get to finish her question when her mother was pulling her hand off the counter and examining it closely.
"You're engaged!" Snow breathed, looking between her and Killian once more.
"What!" exclaimed David, hurrying to his wife's side.
Killian scratched behind his right ear uncomfortably at their glances. This was almost as bad as thinking he was going to be punched by the prince for impregnating his daughter.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Snow smiled exasperatingly at her daughter before rounding on him. "And you! I ask you what's been going on between you and Emma and you fail to mention this little piece of information."
Swallowing and glancing at his fiancé, he responded. "The news was not mine alone to tell."
In reality, Killian wasn't sure where he and Emma stood at this moment in time. He loved her more than life itself and would marry her tomorrow if she would allow him, but this Emma, the one with her memories intact, was likely to break off the engagement and run.
This was why he was torn. On one hand, this was probably the best year of his life, whether he knew who he was or not. This past year, he got engaged to the woman of his dreams, found out he was expecting a baby with her, and had a family in her and her son. He would not wish it away for anything. However, on the other hand, he was overwhelmed with guilt and disappointment at the fact that it was all fake. Yes, he won Emma Swan's heart, but it was only because of a curse. He would never know if something could have happened between them naturally like he had hoped after Neverland. Then there was the baby to consider. Killian found that he was so guilty that she was having his baby simply because of the fact that she didn't know who he was when she got pregnant. Cursed Emma was terrified when they found out and it took him days to convince her that a baby was a good thing. He didn't know if this Emma, the Emma with all of her memories, even wanted another baby. If they had been in Storybrooke, if Pan's curse had never been enacted, Killian wouldn't be engaged to her nor would he be an impending father.
Noticing Emma's saddened and confused look at his comment, he knew she had read between the lines. Killian also knew she was just as unsure of their next step as he.
"We should pack." Emma stated suddenly, directing her attention to her parents. "Make yourselves at home. This shouldn't take long."
Then she was dragging them into their bedroom by his hand.
…OUAT…
"Killian –," She began the second they were alone.
"Let me say something first, Swan." He continued sincerely when she nodded. "I love you. No matter what. In this world or the next, real memories or false, I will always love you. I know things are confusing at the moment. We have to figure out where we stand. We need to make a choice about whether we keep our engagement or not, about how we plan to raise our baby since all of our plans have suddenly had to change. Whatever you decide, I will stand by your decision, but just so you know, I will never stop fighting for you. And our family. I mean every word, Emma. I love you, and Henry, and our baby. No matter what, that won't change. You mustn't worry; I will never leave you."
As he spoke, her eyes grew steadily wetter until the tears were spilling over onto her cheeks. Killian knew part of her emotion was her hormones, but the other part, the part that made his heart beat faster, was, he knew, what she felt for him in return.
Wiping the tears off of her face with his thumb, Killian said softly, "Don't cry now, love. You need not worry as long as I am here. Everything will turn out the way it's supposed to in due time."
Suddenly, she was in his arms.
"I'm so confused, Killian." She mumbled into his shoulder. "I feel like you have been a part of my life for years, helping me raise Henry, and being the only family I have ever known. But now I know that's not real; I have parents, friends and a whole life in Storybrooke. And I don't want it. I want to stay here, in New York, with you and Henry and our baby. I want the future we planned together."
"We can still have it, love." Killian insisted, his heart soaring that a part of her still wanted him, "Perhaps it won't be exactly as we imagined, but we can still have a future together. We can get married and raise our baby together. Maybe we will have to share your boy with Regina and Baelfire again, but he will still be a part of our family. We can vanquish whatever evil your parents need your help to defeat, and then start our lives together. Emma, if you still want me, I'm yours forever."
Emma looked scared. No, she looked downright terrified. Killian feared she was about to run from him. He knew Emma Swan, both cursed memories and real, and she was afraid to open herself up to him, even though she had completely done so this past year. She was going to put her walls right back up and leave him.
Heart beating rapidly, Killian held his breath.
Before he knew what was happening, her hands were reaching for the collar of his jacket and tugging his lips down to hers. Just as in Neverland, this kiss was full of passion and desperation. However, this time, he could feel her love for him underneath the surface of it all. Killian knew now that she truly felt the same as he did. Their practiced lips moved in sync, hungry and full of love for the other.
Too soon, Emma was tugging away.
"I love you too." She murmured quietly, looking him straight in the eye so he would understand that she meant every word. "This past year together may have been because of a curse, but I don't think we would have ended up the way we did if it wasn't meant to happen, if the feelings weren't there to begin with. Killian, you know me. You know part of me wants to run. I need you to not let that happen."
"You're not going anywhere, love." He kissed her forehead gently, "I won't let you. If you try to leave, I'll find you wherever you are, and drag your arse right back to me."
Emma laughed lightly, kissing him again.
"You're right, we have a lot to figure out." She said, "But let's take it one step at a time."
"Agreed." He smiled, forcing himself to pull away from her so that they could begin packing, "Let's start with saving Storybrooke once again."
…OUAT…
An hour later, Emma's tiny bug was packed so tightly that everyone could barely fit. The trunk was filled with all of Killian's, Henry's and her clothes that they would need for an immeasurable amount of time. She had even added most of the supplies she had begun buying for the baby; who knew how long it would take to defeat this new witch? Yeah, witch. The Wicked Witch of the West, to be exact. Her parents had filled her and Killian in on the situation over the course of several whispered conversations each time Henry had left the room. Emma still couldn't get over that fact.
Looking behind her to the back seat, Emma took in her mother squished between her father and her son, all three of their legs bent in odd angles around the bags at their feet. They looked slightly uncomfortable but it was the best she could do with her small car. Killian was next to her, smiling reassuringly. She knew he was just as anxious to discover what awaits for them in Storybrooke as she, but he, as usual, was her rock.
Emma knew things would not be even remotely easy returning to a cursed town in a land without magic. They all had to be careful around Henry until he regains his memories, however long that will take. She also had to be extra careful when fighting; it was not just her life on the line this time. Killian will insist she not fight; however, pregnant or not, she is the savior.
As for Killian, he was the one sure thing in her life. Even a year ago, Emma would not have said that a man would be one of the most important parts of her life. Especially not a pirate who prefers to wear a hook for a hand. However, now, she could not imagine her life without Killian Jones. Yes, there is a part of her that wants to run, but the rest of her knows she can trust him with her life, her son, and her heart.
She was going to defeat this witch. She was going to marry Killian. She was going to have this baby. She was going to have the family she always dreamed of, and she was going to live happily ever after, damn it!
Reaching over and grabbing Killian's wrist right above his prosthetic hand, Emma took a deep breath. She felt Killian's hand reach over and place it on top of hers and she reveled in the flutter in her chest. He would stand by her no matter what, of that she was now sure. Emma glanced in her mirror once more.
"Everyone ready?"
At the four acknowledging nods from her family, Emma started the car and began driving in the direction of Storybrooke, Maine.
…OUAT…
A/N: That was just a little something that came to me while re-watching Season 3. I thought about continuing this into a multi-chapter story, but ultimately decided against it. If anyone cares to know, in my mind, the story would continue almost exactly as it did for real, except for the fact that the baby Zelena wants will be Emma's not Snow's. Because of this, the time frame would be a little bit longer since Emma is not as far along in her pregnancy as Snow was. I really hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it!