DISCLAIMER: "Once Upon A Time" is copyrighted to ABC and Disney-ABC Domestic Television. I retain rights to the plot, but not the characters. This story is meant for enjoyment purposes only. No infringement is intended.
AUTHOR: Katrina
TIMELINE: Modern AU.
PAIRING: Emma Swan/Killian Jones.
SYNOPSIS: Emma Swan is scared of opening her heart up to any man ever again. Love only brings pain as far as she's concerned but then she meets someone who could prove her wrong...if only she has the courage to let him in.
GENRE: Romance
A/N: Based on a prompt from the lovely PopCultureSalad – 'Killian and Emma both single parents meeting every week in a park.' Hope you enjoy it :)
FORCE OF FEELING
Killian Jones walked briskly along the sidewalk with his nine year old nephew, James, by his side. Fresh snow crunching underfoot, he shot the brown haired, curly headed boy a grin as they reached the park.
"Can I go, Uncle Killian?" James asked eagerly, already picking up his pace in his excitement to play.
"Aye," his uncle assented with a nod before adding a cautionary, "Don't run off too far though."
There had been a heavy snowfall overnight, covering the town of Storybrooke in a brilliant white blanket and James had been keen to go outside ever since he'd awoken that morning.
"I won't," the boy promised then sprinted away with a delighted laugh.
Killian watched him go and felt a sense of fulfilment at seeing him so carefree. There had been many a dark time in the not so distant past he'd thought that he'd never see James that happy again.
A slight frown marred his handsome features, his moment of happiness giving way to a familiar stab of grief as painful memories resurfaced unbidden. It had been two years since Killian had lost his brother and sister-in-law in a tragic car accident on the night of their tenth wedding anniversary. Two years since James had lost his loving parents to a drunken driver who'd hit them head on killing not only them, but himself instantly too.
The cruel irony wasn't lost on him that they'd left England in pursuit of a better life and had ended up losing it instead. Fate had a way of being twisted like that.
Killian hadn't hesitated to take his nephew in. Being able to focus on the lad had made it easier to deal with the devastating loss in many ways. Although in the end it had cost him another person he'd loved; Milah.
Pretty, forthright and demanding, she'd stayed with him for three months before she'd finally walked out without a backward glance. In hindsight he was surprised she'd stayed that long. He had known going into their relationship that she didn't want children but still, given the circumstances...
Abruptly he shook his head and determinedly pushed the unwanted thoughts aside. It served no purpose to dwell. All that mattered was James now and after all the pain they'd both endured it was good to be finally finding a way to be a family together.
It had been hard at first. Unsure of his role, he'd tried to be both parent and uncle to James and had failed miserably at being either. It had taken a good few months for him to realise that he just needed to be himself. That had been a huge turning point in their relationship, one that was certainly for the better.
Eventually, a little over year after the accident, Killian had started to scour the internet looking for a new venture. A new start if he were completely honest. One that he hoped would combine his passion for all things nautical and provide a challenge. He'd learned the hard way that life was incredibly short and his job as a corporate lawyer no longer held the interest that it once had. With James to look after as well he knew that he wouldn't be able to put in the hours needed to ever get that promotion he'd once held in such high regard.
His search had led him to a small town in Maine where someone was selling a modest bespoke boat building company. After working out the numbers he found it a viable investment and went to have a look. He'd been taken with the town almost right away. Its quaint charm a breath of fresh air after the sometimes cloying oppressiveness of the big city.
James had loved it too which had been what had finally convinced him to make an offer. After a couple of days of negotiations Killian had finally agreed a deal. The following few months had been filled with all the usual tribulations that came with relocating to a completely different State and life, but he'd not regretted it for a moment.
Moving to Storybrooke had been the best thing he'd ever done...in more ways than one he thought when he suddenly spied a woman and boy in the distance. His heart stuttered in his chest as he recognised the familiar forms of the town sheriff, Emma Swan, and her dark-haired son, Henry, thoroughly engrossed in building a snowman.
Coming to an involuntary halt, his mouth curved up into a smile as he watched them stop and admire their creation. His eyes stayed on Emma, gaze roaming over her figure when Henry darted off apparently in search of something.
She was bundled up in a warm red coat and scarf, the black woollen hat she wore doing nothing to detract from the gloriously long, blonde hair that tumbled down her back. He couldn't see her face but he guessed that her expressive green eyes were probably bright from the exertion and there would be a soft smile on her lips that he knew was reserved solely for her son.
"Uncle Killian! Come on!" James suddenly called, causing him to drag his gaze away from the pleasant scene in front of him.
With a small sigh, he nodded and carried on walking after the boy trying not to think about the strong emotions just seeing the woman always seemed to evoke within him.
Killian had always considered himself a realist. He wasn't a man prone to flights of fancy, certainly not one that believed in love at first sight. But from the moment he'd first laid eyes on Emma Swan he'd found himself wondering if it wasn't such a cliché after all.
He'd never experienced anything like it. The instant surge of fierce captivation. An enthralment that seemed to simultaneously hit him in the head and the heart. It wasn't just attraction, although he thought her beautiful. It wasn't just lust, although his body was more than willing. What he felt went beyond that; it was more intense, more...significant. Somehow, some way she touched a chord deep inside of himself he hadn't known even existed.
It had shocked him at first. Scared him a little if he was honest. He wasn't used to such force of feeling. Especially not for someone he saw across the park once a week and with whom he had done little more than exchange a few glib comments about the weather and enquire about her day.
But it was also something that he couldn't just ignore. Especially when he was certain that she felt the same inexplicable connection to him.
There was something in her eyes whenever their gazes met. An awareness that often times had her quickly looking away and hurriedly muttering out an excuse for why she had to leave.
The first time she'd done it, he'd watched her walk away in silence, reeling from the realisation that whatever the hell he felt wasn't as one-sided as he'd thought. A sudden seed of hope had sprouted at that knowledge, warming his entire being and making him happier than he'd been in months. A slow grin had worked its way to his lips then and as she'd gone out of sight he'd vowed to himself that he would do his best to win her heart.
Unfortunately that was proving easier said than done as the lovely sheriff wasn't exactly welcoming his overtures with open arms.
Then again, she wasn't exactly pushing him away either and he took heart from that fact because it was obvious to him that she'd been hurt deeply in the past. So much so that she now fiercely protected herself from ever experiencing that pain again.
Killian was nothing if not a patient man, however, especially when something was important to him and he had a feeling that earning Emma's trust might just well become the most important thing of all.
In order to start doing that though, they needed to have a conversation that lasted more than a few minutes each week.
"Do you want to build a snowman?" came James' eager voice slicing through his internal musings unexpectedly.
Killian was about to say yes when an idea suddenly struck and he cast a brief glance over his shoulder at Emma and Henry. Relieved to see that they were still there, he looked back at his nephew and smiled mischievously before suggesting brightly, "How about we have a snowball fight instead?"
On the other side of the park Emma Swan helped her twelve year old son, Henry, place a mostly round head on top of the slightly lopsided body of the snowman they'd built and gave him a grin when he glanced over at her for approval.
"I like it," she told him as she put her arm around his shoulders, "He's got character."
They both tilted their heads to the side a little and surveyed their handiwork for a moment then Henry moved away.
"I just need to find some twigs and stones then I can finish him off," he called back enthusiastically over his shoulder.
Emma nodded her smile fading a little as she watched him run off. It was moments like these that she wished she had more time to spend with him. Wished that there was more of her to go around. Her job as Sheriff of their small town was demanding but one she'd worked hard to attain and keep despite all that had happened.
She let out a soft sigh and watched her breath float away in the chilly air as memories long since repressed clamoured to be released. Remembering the past wouldn't make anything better but apparently her head wasn't listening to her heart as thoughts of Henry's father pushed themselves to the fore.
It seemed a life time ago that she'd been head over heels in love with Neal. It was a life time ago...one where she'd been a completely different person. Ready for love, still willing to trust.
Abandoned by her parents while just a baby, she'd ended up in the foster care system. It hadn't been the nicest of childhoods and as soon as she was old enough, she'd run away. Hitch hiking across the country, she'd eventually she'd wound up in Storybrooke and had taken a liking to the quaint town by the sea. She'd got a job working as a waitress and found herself forming friendships. For the first time in her life after years of being pushed around it seemed as though she'd finally found somewhere she could tentatively call home.
She'd worked at Granny's Diner for nearly a year when she'd first met Neal.
He was the son of a local wealthy businessman and had returned home after finishing law school. He'd said and done all the right things to make her feel special. Make her feel wanted. After years of little to no attention, it was no wonder she'd fallen for him so fast.
Everything had been perfect...until the day he'd left her pregnant and heartbroken.
In hindsight she should have known by his reaction that he wasn't happy about her condition but at the time she'd just put it down to shock. It was understandable considering the baby wasn't planned but she'd firmly believed that everything would be fine because they were in love...or so she thought.
Even now Emma could still remember the swirling gut wrenching nausea she'd felt when she gone to see Neal after he'd stopped returning her calls. His father, Mr. Gold, had taken far too much pleasure in telling her that his son was no longer in Storybrooke. An unexpected job offer in New York that was too good to pass up he'd explained. No, Neal hadn't left her a message; why would he?
She'd known from the disdainful way he'd looked her up and down that there was more to the story but whatever is was she'd never found out. Never even tried. Neal had gone either by persuasion or of his own volition and it had taught her a harsh lesson about love that she'd never forgotten.
The sound of Henry calling broke through her miserable reverie and she plastered a proud smile on her face when he gleefully showed her the almost completed snowman.
"Looks good, kid," she enthused then turned her head when she heard a sudden shout of laughter cut through the air.
Some way behind her a man and boy were having a spirited snowball fight. Her heart skipped when she recognised them, her gaze drawn to the man when he laughed heartily at being hit squarely on the chest.
Killian Jones and his nephew had only been in Storybrooke a few months. Six to be precise...plus a few days that much to her own personal annoyance she could probably pinpoint along with the hours too.
Ever since Neal's desertion, Emma's love life, or lack thereof, had been patchy at best; heartbreaking at worst. Once bitten, twice shy had become a rule, not a guideline, in her book but from the first moment she'd laid eyes on Killian she'd had an overwhelming urge to rip up the damn thing and flush it down the toilet.
She had a feeling that he might just be worth it too if only she was brave enough to take the chance...but then again, she reminded herself bitterly, she'd been wrong before...
As if conscious of her scrutiny, the man in question turned his head and pinned her with his startlingly blue gaze. A familiar spark of awareness zipped between them then he gave her a brilliant smile that made the sudden butterflies in her stomach take flight and she quickly looked away.
What the heck was that? Every damn time he looked at her all the walls she'd carefully erected to stop people getting too close seemed to vanish.
It scared her, made her feel too vulnerable.
Agitation had her shuffling her feet, knowing full well that if Henry had finished his snowman she'd already be halfway home. She swore she could still feel Killian's gaze on her but before she could give in and look around a large lump of snow suddenly hit her square on the side of her head.
She let out an embarrassingly shrill shriek of surprise then stood completely still, drawing in a sharp breath as bits of snow sprayed onto her face and soaked into her hair. The icy mess chilled her ear even through her knitted hat and she gritted her teeth against the cold.
"Really?" she exclaimed in loud indignation as some of the icy water melted and ran down her neck, sneaking under her woollen scarf onto her chest.
"Sorry, love. Complete accident I assure you."
Emma looked up at the sound of the richly accented male voice and swallowed hard as she met the gaze of the man who had been centre stage of her not so pure dreams ever since they'd first met.
Black hair ruffling in the breeze, he was smiling at her apologetically and scratching the back of his head in that awkward fashion she found annoyingly adorable. The usual day old scruff he sported seemed a little thicker than normal and the errant thought of what that would feel like against her skin sent an involuntary shiver through her body that wasn't entirely down to the icy water still inching its way down her neck.
"Accident?" she finally repeated inanely when he continued to stare at her obviously awaiting some kind of response.
"Aye. I slipped just as I threw a snowball and well..." he trailed off in a regretful tone that didn't quite marry with the mirth that she could see dancing in his eyes and gestured towards her head, "Couldn't do it again even if I tried."
"Then don't," she warned grumpily, swiping irritably at the melting trickles of ice that were wending down the side of her face.
"Pity," he commented on an exaggerated sigh, "And here I was about to ask if you wanted to play with me, Swan."
She paused and looked up at him sharply, her gaze narrowing at his raised eyebrow and not so innocent smile.
"Seriously?" she challenged wryly then shook her head, "I think I've had enough of the snow for one day. Thanks to you I'm freezing."
"Well, in that case, allow me to warm you up instead," he countered with another quick grin, "Why don't you and your lad here join us for a hot chocolate at the diner? My treat."
"Can we, Mom?" Henry suddenly pleaded earnestly before she could form a reply, "I was just showing James how to get to the next level on this game."
"Yeah, I've been stuck for ages and Henry's the only one who's got further than me," the other boy quickly concurred.
She turned and saw both of them clutching their phones while staring at her expectantly and her shoulders sagged a little in impending defeat. How could she say no to those faces?
"The boys seem keen so what do you say, love?" Killian asked quietly, drawing her attention back to him, "Are you willing to give me a chance...," he paused just long enough for her to hear the question in his tone before clarifying with wry smile, "...to make it up to you for my terrible aim, that is?"
Emma stared back at him and felt her pulse quicken. There it was again, that charge of...something that surged between them leaving her feeling exposed. His not so subtle question hung heavy in the air and her head was fairly screaming at her to run. To make some excuse and just get the hell out of there.
But her heart...her heart, dammit, was responding to the tender, yet cautiously hopeful expression on his face. It was urging her to listen to her gut and that was telling her that this man wasn't like all the rest.
"You did say we could go to Granny's after we'd finished here anyway," Henry suddenly reminded her helpfully.
She blinked and dragged her gaze from Killian to look at her son. He was right, she had said that and she really couldn't go back on it now could she?
"Fine," she muttered, albeit begrudgingly, earning a bright smile from Henry.
She slowly smiled back then glanced at Killian who was grinning in unmitigated delight.
"Is that a yes, Swan?" he teased lightly, hardly daring to believe that she'd agreed.
"It's a don't push it or I'll change my mind," she retorted sardonically, trying hard not to be affected by his resulting rumble of laughter but failing miserably.
"We'd best leave now then, love, before I say something we'll both regret," he quipped, gesturing towards the park exit.
Emma merely rolled her eyes at him then started walking hoping that a brisk pace might settle her suddenly jangling nerves.
James and Henry followed close on her heels, the latter giving Killian a wide grin and a nod that had him raise his eyebrows in surprise.
Could it be that he had an ally in the lad?
Certainly his revealing that they had intended to visit the diner was most helpful in persuading his mother to acquiesce. He'd have to be sure to thank him later.
For now though he was going to spend some quality time with Emma Swan and he'd be dammed if he wasn't going to grab it with both hands.
END CHAPTER ONE