I swear these were supposed to be short OS or even drabbles. But here we are with nearly 4k of Detective AU + Awful First Meeting.
"Hey, kid, what's up?"
"I'm on my way to the station."
"Oh. I'm not. I mean, I'm not in. I'm following a lead that might take awhi-"
"Is Killian there?"
Emma sighs and stops in the middle of the street – two separate people bump into her, one curses her something foul. Lovely.
"I think so but-"
"So I'll hang out with him and wait for you there."
"Henry, Detective Jones is there because he is working-"
"Got it. I'll be totally quiet and cool."
"Henry-"
"See you there, mom."
And just like that her kid hangs up on her. Emma reaches up to rub at her forehead when her arm is jostled by the third person that bumps into her.
"Fine, Jesus, I'm moving."
She tries to get her head back in the game. She is following a lead. Well, if going to question Will Scarlet can even be called that. But it's worth a shot. Worth enough that she can't just turn around and rush back to the station.
And it's not like she needs to. She knows Henry is perfectly safe at the station with Jones. And Jones doesn't exactly mind when Henry hangs around the station. If she has to stick to the facts ("like a good detective always does, Swan"), he doesn't mind at all. On slow days he is even known to (though she is pretty certain she is not supposed to know that) help Henry with his math homework.
Worry over Henry is not why Emma grows frustrated every time he spends time with the new detective.
70% of her frustration (Henry is currently learning percentages so yeah) comes from Henry's marked enthusiasm and obvious desire to spend more time in Jones's company. Because what good can come out of this really? At best, Killian is gradually gonna get fed up with humouring her kid and eventually their… relationship or whatever (god, she doesn't want them to have a 'relationship') will taper off and leave Henry with a vague but very real sense of disappointment. At worst, Killian is just gonna lead him on long enough and then just up and leave one day and leave Henry with a very acute and equally real sense of disappointment.
See? No scenario in which her kid doesn't end up disappointed. And protecting Henry from disappointment has been Emma's number 1 goal in life for all of the eleven years that he has been on this earth.
The other 30% are a bit more complicated. Or, to put it more frankly, Emma just doesn't like to think about them very much.
So arriving at Will's bar is quite welcome.
At 4pm the place is pretty deserted and it doesn't take the guy behind the bar too long to notice her. It takes him even less time to twist his face into a grimace that is most certainly not a welcome.
"Swan."
"Detective to you, Scarlett."
"Right. 'course. To what do I owe the displeasure, Detective."
"Now why do you have to be like that? Maybe I just came in to see how you're doing."
"Ta, I was doing splendid before you came in."
"Now be a helpful citizen and tell me about those two bankers you had at your bar last Saturday."
"Bloody hell. Jones didn't say you were coming about that."
"Excuse me?"
If possible, Will's face gets even more twisted up and now some colour comes into play as well.
Oh, that little shit, getting all up in her business.
"He might've called."
"To warn you that I'm coming?"
The guy's features seem to release a bit as confusion and slight suspicion enters his eyes.
"To warn me to answer your questions."
Oh. Well… it's still getting up in her business but maybe she can just yell at him instead of bringing out her gun.
"Well…"
Dammit, now she is losing her footing in front of fucking Will Scarlett of all people.
"Well then, will you?" she says with as much authority as her badge affords her.
"I ain't the one tending bar on Saturdays. Only heard about it from Ruby so if you'd rather get your information straight from the source – as I know you like to, detective – you should come back over the weekend."
Ugh. Useless. All men are useless.
Without another word and a glare that hopefully says enough, Emma turns on her heel and heads for the door.
"Oi, detective. You mind telling Jones I like sleeping in on those weekends I'm not at work."
She doesn't trip over her feet but it's a near thing. And for the second time in only so many minutes-
"Excuse me?"
She doesn't like Will's little knowing – the hell could he know – grin even one bit.
"Just thought he might listen if it came from someone… in position of authority."
Emma narrows her eyes and crosses her arms and really, really wants to keep walking but… the only thing more curious than a cat is a detective.
"What does Jones have to do with your sleeping in?"
She tries to keep her tone talking-to-Will-fucking-Scarlett icy and not I-do-not-wish-to-know-what-noises-Jones-keeps-his-neighbours-up-with icy.
And there's 15% more of her frustration right there.
Emma really, really doesn't need Henry hanging out with Killian Jones because Killian Jones is damn good with kids and he is good with her kid and it's making her like him and she really doesn't need that. Or want it. She really doesn't want to like Killian Jones. Anymore than she already does.
"Alice seems to think that dawn is the perfect time for her to practice the banjo."
Aaaand there's your other 15%.
/
See, fact is Emma Swan and Killian Jones get along pretty well.
There was that one time he twisted his ankle while doing yoga so (after laughing her ass off for about 5 minutes because, of course Detective Killian Jones doesn't do jogging or weights or something as mundane as that, no, no, he does yoga, what even is her life, or his life for that matter) Emma took it upon herself to deliver each file, document, meal or beverage that Jones might need or want to his desk.
("Where do you think you are going?"
"Swan, I just-"
"You are down a foot and a hand. Do you need to lose your head to finally learn to sit on your ass?"
"Good to know you're thinking about my a-"
"Sit."
"Swan-"
"What?! What can you possibly need to get up for?"
"Bathroom."
"…"
"…"
"Oh."
"…"
"Ok.")
There was that one time she had to go out of town for a case and, of course that's when Henry's school decided to have their Career day and Emma had promised herself that her kid would never feel the absence of a parent and yet here she was, states away, unable to talk about her "super cool and awesome and badass-" "language, kid" "job". Killian Jones was so helpful as to point out that he had the exact same job and worked with her and knew exactly what she did all day – "eat too much sugar for you own good." "hey!".
("So it went well?"
"Well? It was awesome! Half the class knew about that case and even the teacher's eyes grew like three times when he came in and-"
"Kid, you might wanna slow your roll or I'd think you are glad I wasn't able to make it."
"Oh. No, no, I-"
"I'm messing with you. I'm sure everybody was excited to get Sherlock instead of Watson."
"That doesn't really work cuz you're both detectives."
"Whatever, don't ruin my pop culture reference, I'm trying to be a cool mom. Did the teacher ask you anything? I mean why it was Jones and not-"
"Oh, I just told her you were on a case and he was your boyfriend so-"
"What?")
He saves her the bearclaws and she sometimes saves him the double coconut donut and yeah, Emma and Killian get along.
Except for the part where Emma knows that deep down Jones must hate her with at least 60% of his entire being. Maybe 65%.
Because Emma has had some bad first meetings – foster homes and police investigations don't make for the best of circumstances in which to meet people – but she has never ever had a first meeting as bad, as pigeon-flattened-on-the-pavement awful, as please-Jesus,-Zeus-Odin-someone-make-the earth-open-under-my-feet horrible first meeting as her first meeting with detective Killian Jones.
Jones came to her station some 5 months ago. Back then Emma had been at the job for less than a year – still among the youngest detectives in state history, mind you. Finding out that she would be working with Killian Jones was… kind of a big deal.
Emma had done her research. Not that she had to really. There were probably few people in America who could read and didn't know who Jones was. There was definitely no one with a badge who didn't know exactly how much of a big deal working with him would be.
Emma was not ashamed to admit that The Crocodile Case – as the media had eagerly dubbed it – was one of the reasons that cemented her decision to become a detective. It was also one of the reasons she knew exactly how dangerous it would be.
And the then-wet-behind-the-ears, expat detective Killian Jones, despite state and nation-wide involvement, had almost single-handedly solved one of the biggest and hardest cases of 21st century America. Emma thought the media loved that turn of phrase to an insensitive degree, considering that he had literally given a hand in the process.
So, yeah, saying that Emma was a little star-struck and excited to get to work with Killian Jones was something of an understatement.
And when he walked into the station on that first morning, in the first 5 minutes of shaking his hand and watching him be introduced to everyone, Emma thought he was everything she had imagined – confident but not too arrogant, professional but easy-going enough, handsome.
And then she came in. A flurry of movement and wild blonde hair and a paper bag and "oh, you gave me your gross tuna sandwiches" and "where's my jam?" and "oh, there we are" and cheek kisses and little waves and then another blur as the girl ran out of the door.
And that was just it – she was just a girl. Couldn't have possibly been over 16 and suddenly Emma knew Killian Jones was just like every other man with a reputation he could ride on and she was angry, so very, very angry at herself because she had let herself be disappointed by a man she didn't even know, she'd actually let herself be excited about meeting the ass.
Emma was angry and bitter and she wanted Killian Jones to know exactly how not excited she was to work with him and exactly how little she thought of him.
And as it is with most moments that are later coated in pure mortification, Emma doesn't remember exactly what she said but she very clearly recalls the words "jail bait" being part of her statement.
And what she has etched deeply into her memory is Jones's blue eyes icing over and igniting with rage at the exact same time and his tone dropping three octaves lower than it was when they were introduced and slicing through her sharper than if he'd actually stabbed her.
"What did you call my daughter?"
Yeah.
So…
15% of the reason Emma is frustrated with how well her kid gets along with Killian Jones is that she can't even look his in the eye without almost dying of shame.
Maybe a bit more than 15%.
/
It is a perfect demonstration of the kind of luck that Emma has in life that it's exactly one Alice Jones that she finds behind her father's desk when she gets back to the station.
"Hey, Emma."
Complete and utter mortification? Check. Relax features into something that doesn't resemble a grimace? Loading… Make voice a normal, non-freaked out pitch?
"Oh. Hey, Aliice,"… definitely still loading. "Um, have you seen Henry by any chance?"
"Yup, I was helping him with his art project."
Wonderful. Between the two of them the Joneses have half of her son's curriculum covered.
"But he was getting hungry so he and dad went to the bakery around the corner."
And they are feeding him.
"If you call them, I'm sure they can get you something as well."
"Oh, no, I'm-I'm good. I'll just be…"
She jabs her thumb towards her own office across the hall and hopes she doesn't look as awkward as she feels.
"Wait, Emma-"
She tries not to wince as she turns around but then Alice bumps her hip into the edge of Jones's desk and Emma does wince in sympathy, her hand reaching toward the young woman on instinct.
Thing is, from what Emma has seen and heard – and a lot of that comes from Henry because she simply cannot hold Jones's gaze when he is talking about his daughter and conversations where she is inspecting the walls around him with great interest tend not to last too long – Alice is a wonderful girl. A bit on the quirky side, occasionally on the I-found-these-rat-babies-and-their-mom-is-gone-and-yes-I-know-they-are-rats-but-they-are-just-babies side and always on the quite loud and easily excitable side but, frankly, Emma likes her all the more for it. She likes Killian all the more for raising a kid like that because she damn well knows how hard that is and how often you doubt yourself and what a relief it is when you see your kid help a little bird that fell out of its nest (or a rat in Alice's case) and realize that you did good.
So she truly likes Alice Jones. She probably really likes her father as well. It's just that she is pretty convinced they must refer to her as "that disgusting woman that thought that".
It's fine really. Not like she hates herself for ruining whatever that whole thing with the Jones family could've been within the first 10 minutes of meeting them. At least the curse doesn't seem to extend to Henry.
And as she looks at Alice to see what she wants to tell her, Emma decides that she will stop trying to dissuade Henry from spending time with Killian. Her kid doesn't have to pay for her fuck-ups or be dragged up in her shame.
"You alright?"
"Oh, yeah, yeah. I'll probably find the bruise tomorrow and have no idea where it came from."
"That sounds familiar."
"Right? Dad says it's ridiculous that I can quote The Breakfast Club from start to finish but can't recall where I got all my bruises."
"Please, mysterious bruises are like the universe's way of marking off clumsy people. Your dad is part of the born-with-feline-grace club, he will never know our pain. Literally."
Alice laughs this uncontrollable laugh that has a bit of a snort to it and Emma beams back at her and thinks maybe it's not too late for them after all.
"You wanted to ask me something or-?"
"Oh, yeah."
Her face doesn't fall but Emma is a good enough detective to easily recognize the body language of somebody who is really uncomfortable and please God, don't let it be about-
"Iwaswonderingifyoucangoshoppingwithme"
"What now?"
She doesn't mean to say it out loud but really huh?
Alice, bless her, takes a deep breath, squares her shoulders and looks her straight in the eye in the exact same way Jones does when he is getting ready to "face the bloody music and firing squad at the same time" as he likes to put it.
"I was wondering if you could maybe, like, go shopping with me?"
Emma opens her mouth and then closes it again. And opens it again. And closes it. And her mind is completely blank. And now Alice is turning a little red and tucking her long hair behind her ears and oh, her ears get red like her dad's as well. At least she doesn't scratch behind her ear – it's such an embarrassingly obvious (adorable) tell.
("Some detective you are, Jones."
"And yet I robbed your overconfident arse in that last poker game, Swan."
"Yeah, you robbed the world's unluckiest woman, way to go.")
"Well, you see, we have this spring dance thing coming up. And my dad says I can pick anything I want and he said he'll come with me and help me find one but, I mean, ughhh, he'll probably want me to wear something floor-length and with a turtleneck. Even though I'm going with Robin – that's my girlfriend, have I mentioned Robin? sorry – I'm going with Robin and it's not like… and like dad's given me the talk 7 times by now and I mean, okay, but I'm dating a girl and… I mean, sure, of course, but 7 times? I actually counted! And Robin also said she can come with me but I kinda want it to be a surprise and I just-"
Emma finally catches up on all her blinking for the month and seems to have assimilated enough to stop Alice before she hyperventilates.
"Alice. Alice, honey, take a breath."
She does – proper stops and takes a deep breath and gives her a look that says "good enough?" and Emma just knows this happens with her and Killian all the time. It gives her a funny feeling.
"I… I mean, are you sure your dad would be ok with that?"
She nods vigorously and then narrows her eyes in a way that's both adorable but also surprisingly intimidating.
"Yeah, he actually said he'd ask you himself but I just knew he'd chicken out like he always does with you so I decided to just ask myself. Plus, it's my dress, not his."
Emma has to agree with that. She also has to restrain herself from asking exactly what "like he always does with you" means.
"Well, as long as you are sure and he says it's fine when I ask him," she gives Alice a look just in case she is pulling one of Henry's own 'oh, yeah, my mum would be tooootally cool with that' moves but she seems unperturbed (and like she is barely holding in her glee). "I'd love to help you pick out your dress."
"Brilliant! Thank you!"
And in the next second Emma has her arms full of a girl almost her size but with the excitement levels of her own 11-year-old. Honestly, Emma has to ask Jones what he feeds her. She wants a teenager this easily excitable when the time comes. Henry is already getting pouty when she hugs him in front of his friends.
Speaking of Henry. Of course this is the exact moment when her son comes in, one attractive detective in tow.
Killian's arm is slung over Henry's shoulders (and he doesn't seem to mind that and Emma tries to make herself feel jealous rather than how she is feeling – all melty and warm and they are all so fucked), a paper bag from the bakery tucked into his left elbow and Henry is in the process of saying something like "No way!" but then they notice Emma and Alice and her kid breaks out in one of those smiles that Emma takes special care to memorize and store away, if she doesn't have a camera handy, but then her attention is now divided between storing Henry's smile and storing Killian's slack-jawed, awe-filled gaze as he looks at his daughter in her arms and Emma should probably let go now because her hand is cradling Alice's head now and she is no longer sure who's hugging who.
Alice, seriously bless this girl, rescues them all from potential awkwardness by bouncing on her heels as soon as she has released Emma and beaming at her and her father.
"Emma's gonna help me find a dress. I asked."
She says it in this pointed way that Emma is sure Jones would normally have a couple of choice words or at least an eyebrow for but he seems to still be stuck in time and space and in the process of rediscovering the position of his jaw so.
"I see. That's… brilliant."
Emma really can't help her smirk, she can't, maybe the eyebrow is a bit much but if anyone deserves it it's Jones. And it does seem to snap him back into reality.
"That's very kind of you, Swan."
He clears his throat and keeps staring at her and Emma wants to look at their children to see if they are feeling the sudden tension in the air as well and she also wants to put her hands to her cheeks but she kinda can't look away from Killian's eyes – the struggle in them equal part obvious and confusing to her.
"It's nothing. I don't mind. I mean… I'd really like to. And you can still come as well."
She cringes. Of course he can come. It's his bloody daughter and he is probably the one paying for their shopping trip and it's so not her place and this was so bad and can she just stop saying things that make her pray for a sudden fracture in the earth's surface?
Except Killian's eyes light up and it seems that somehow – how on earth? – she has said exactly the right thing because now he is smiling at her and putting the pastries on his desk and-
"I'm sure you ladies would not need my little informed and very male opinion. But I'd love to help with the jewelry choices, if that's acceptable. I like to think I have a knack for that."
Alice squeals a little and Emma is pretty sure that new jewelry for the dance was still under discussion until that moment.
"Perhaps," Killian turns around and puts the whole weight of his gaze on Emma again – it's not as heavy as she would have imagined, rather warm, actually. "Henry and I can come up with some extremely manly activities of our own in the meantime. And then we can all go for dinner?"
"Extremely manly activities?" she raises a skeptical eyebrow but her voice is full of amusement and she can see him lightly rock on his heels at it and damn, did they have work to do today or-
"I've been telling Henry about these model ships-"
Alice groans. Emma snorts. Henry cheers.
/
(It is not clear who is more mortified between Emma and Killian when Alice decides that the story of how her step-mom thought her dad was her boyfriend is simply hilarious and perfect for her wedding speech.)