The Promise
Christmas Day
Group Home, Boy's Room
Boston, MA
Christmas Morning
Killian rolled over, pulling Emma close, burying his face in her fragrant hair but...something told him that wasn't right. "What the hell did Sister Blue put in that eggnog?" he thought as someone's hand landed on his shoulder.
"Killian," shake, shake, "why are you hugging Robin?"
His brain screaming, what?! Killian opened his eyes to stare directly into those of his best mate, Robin.
"Why, Killian, whatever will Emma say?" Robin cracked with a smile.
Killian quickly moved his arm, sitting up in the too narrow bed, demanding, "Robin why are you in my bed?
"I believe it is you…who are in mine?" Robin's grin got bigger.
Killian frowned and looked across the room at the bed he was originally given. Wyatt was sprawled across it, the same racket emanating from his mouth that had sent Killian running in the first place. Covering his eyes with his hand, he fell back onto the bed with a groan as how he ended up in the wrong bed came back like a wave.
"What the bloody devil is that noise," Killian muttered, opening his eyes to see the tiny frame of Wyatt spread out in his bed, snoring so loudly he couldn't hear his own thoughts.
Realizing he wasn't going to get any more sleep, at least in the immediate future, he pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms and padded down the hall to the front room. When he passed by the bedroom where Emma was sleeping with Ruby and Elsa, he pressed his ear to the door and listened. "What are you listening for, you big git," he mumbled when all was silent, but as he continued walking he couldn't help but wish she were there beside him. "Her company would be nice," he sighed wistfully.
How was it that he had always been able to sleep anywhere and through anything, yet apparently, he was the only one awake. As he made the long journey down the hallway, he could almost feel the anticipation of the children sleeping behind each door. Now, it was all quiet, but as soon as the first child awoke, the noise would be like no other he had ever experienced. Which reminded him that he needed to get some sleep. Problem was, the one thing that was guaranteed to send him quickly into la la land, was not part of the equation, therefore he'd have to settle for second best...rum. After opening and closing several cabinets in the kitchen and coming up empty, he opted instead for what he assumed was leftover eggnog. With glass and a handful of cookies, he made his way into the room with the tree.
The tree was standing in the corner, dark, which was in stark contrast to the many lights that lit it up earlier in the evening. Using his elbow, Killian flipped the switch and the tree immediately was brought to life. Beautiful, he thought, but not as beautiful as the figure it illuminated on the sofa.
A princess.
A sleeping princess.
But more importantly, his sleeping princess.
Loath to wake her just yet, he sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him and leaned back, taking a deep breath. The blinking of the lights hypnotized him, creating an almost dreamlike bubble that included him and, as luck would have it, his sleeping princess. He had been alive for over thirty Christmases and this Christmas would forever be held as one of his very best. Learning more about the woman who had captured his heart and who, with every little smile, was seeping deeper into his soul than he ever thought was possible.
Unable to stay away from her any longer, he drained his glass and made his way to her side. Kneeling in front of her, he slowly lifted his right hand, lightly trailing his finger along her nose, then along her full bottom lip. Her lips twitched into a semblance of a smile, and that invisible force that existed between them slowly drew him down until his lips hovered over hers. And then there was no stopping as he allowed their mouths to meet.
It didn't take long for her lips to open, and his mission quickly became getting as close as possible. Stretching out on the sofa in front of her, he pulled her closer, using his lips, teeth, tongue and hands to communicate in a language only meant for lovers. Her hands in his hair pulled his closer, then pushed him away so she could run them up his chest to his nape, pulling him closer yet again.
His body aflame in want, he slipped his hand under her t-shirt, encountering soft, warm woman. Squeezing...kneading...soothing up and down her back until his fingers reached the elastic of her bottoms, and with each movement down, they slipped a little farther inside until he was caressing the upper swell of her behind.
Needing to be closer still, he angled her top leg over his hip, allowing his fingers easier access to her heat which welcomed him home. She moaned, deep in her throat, her body moving against his hand, hers wrapped around his back holding him tightly, their tongues mimicking the action of his hand, faster and faster until...she pulled her head back with a gasp.
"Killian?" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Aye, love, come here." He leaned back into her for another kiss, settling for her cheek, moving to suck on her earlobe when she buried her head against his chest.
She groaned again and this time he could hear the regret in her voice. Righting her clothing, he held her until her breathing was under control. "I'm sorry," she mumbled against his skin. "I feel like a teenager whose parents might come around the corner at any moment."
Behind his feelings of regret, he felt contrite that he had allowed things to get out of hand, as he wouldn't ever wish her to feel uncomfortable. "It's alright, Swan. I'm the one who should be apologizing." He settled them into a more comfortable position on the sofa, with her head on his shoulder before asking, "What brings you out here in the middle of the night?"
"I couldn't sleep." He felt her shrug her shoulder. "I missed your arms around me."
Tightening his hold just a little, Killian rubbed his chin against the top of her head. "Me too, love. I'm here now. Shall we sleep?"
"Tell me a story, please?" she whispered. "I love how the words roll off your tongue."
He laughed and thought about telling her a story of his youth but at this time of year...
"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Princess who admired Captain Hook from afar, but her family didn't think he was good enough for their fair-headed Princess," he began.
And once the story was complete he had walked her back to her room and, with a kiss goodnight, had shut the door behind her.
"Sorry 'bout that, mate," he gave Robin a sheepish smile, "but that racket," he nodded toward his bed where Wyatt was still sound asleep, "woke me and I helped myself to a few glasses of Blue's eggnog."
"How many is a few?" Robin asked curiously.
Killian shrugged. "Two, maybe three. But I remember being dizzy when I came back into the room."
"Well, that explains it." Robin gave him a sympathetic look. "On my way to bed last night I saw Blue dumping more Brandy into the container of left over eggnog. Cheer up, it could be worse."
Killian gave Robin a dirty look as he climbed out of the bed. "I suppose," he grunted just as the racket from Wyatt quieted and he sat up smiling and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
Roland danced around in the middle of the room. "Hurry. Santa was here."
Robin looked over at Killian, a little frown between his brows. "And how do you know that, little man?"
Giving him a sheepish smile, Roland dimpled. "I peeked. Hurry."
Group Home, Front Room
Boston, MA
Christmas Morning
Emma had tossed and turned for an hour after Killian had sent her back to bed before ending up where she had started. Right back on the sofa that still smelled like him, and the smell, combined with the twinkling lights, had finally allowed her to drift off to sleep. She dreamed of Killian and mistletoe and gifts and Killian some more, only waking when she heard the shuffle of little feet, and opened an eye to spot Roland gawking at the filled stockings. After he disappeared down the hall, she pushed up, refolded the blanket she had used to keep warm and sat back waiting for the onslaught of bodies.
When that didn't immediately happen, her eyes were drawn away from the hallway and back to the tree, locking in on the colorful bulbs hanging side by side.
...Emma whispered, "It's a tradition here at the Home. Everyone gets their own Christmas bulb with their name on written on it, and we make a big deal out of hanging them on the tree."
Pulling her close, Killian whispered in her ear, "That's a lovely tradition, Swan. I quite enjoyed hanging the ornaments on our tree."
"Me too, Killian," she sighed, leaning a little closer to his warm body. They watched as the ornaments were hung on the tree one by one, all in a systematic fashion until it was time for the new friends to have their own. Blue picked up a box and gently lifted a bulb with Victor's name on it, handing it to him. As he hung it on the tree close to Ruby's, Emma leaned close. "Your own ornament means that you have been accepted into our family."
Next Blue gave ornaments to Killian's friends...there was Robin...and Graham...and Kristoff.
And, lastly, she stopped in front of Killian, handing him a blue ornament almost the same color as his eyes, his name written in calligraphy. He hung it on a branch, where it not only was close to Emma's, but where it actually touched, signifying to her that they were a unit.
And now, weeks later, whenever she caught sight of her white ornament hanging next to Killian's blue one, it made her feel giddy. He made her feel giddy, shethought as she heard his voice coming down the hall, accompanied by the voices of several children, all of them talking at once.
"Okay, children." Blue clapped her hands to try to bring a little order to the room. "Everyone have a seat and we'll get started."
Killian wound his way through all the little bodies until he was able to squeeze onto the sofa next to her. "Is it always this early?" he groused, glancing at the clock to see that it was just after 6:00 on Christmas morning.
"Oh, sometimes it's earlier," Emma answered. "We got lucky this year."
"And if I need a nap when they're all done?" he inquired, that cocked brow of his drawing her attention.
"Oh, there is no napping on Christmas Day, " Emma consoled him, "but maybe we can get to bed early." She giggled when she heard his quick intake of air.
He lowered his voice an octave, whispering for her ears only, "Don't make promises you don't intend to keep, Swan."
She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could assure him she wasn't, Blue requested help passing out the gifts. "I'll be right back. Save my seat?"
"Of course, love. I'll be here waiting."
He really says the most romantic things, she thought as she stood up to help with the presents. Once all the gifts were handed out, they were opened one at a time, as each child had their turn in the spotlight. Periodically, Emma would glance over at Killian, and when he wasn't looking back at her he was watching the children, captivated by their behavior.
Unable to stay away any longer, she made her way back to his side, resting her hand on his thigh as he watched Wyatt unwrap a Lego set. "Killian, look at this!" Wyatt held the prized possession aloft.
Emma watched Killian as he made an innocuous comment, but when he looked up at her and his eyes were sparkling, she had to laugh. "Do you wish I would have gotten you Legos?"
He grinned but didn't say anything as he was too busy studying the box Wyatt had given him. Shaking her head, Emma waited for the unwrapping to finish before making her way to a storage closet. Finding the large bin she was looking for, she pushed it out of the closet and beckoned Killian to come see. "For you." She popped off the lid to reveal thousands of Legos, all shapes and sizes.
As she had expected, his eyes lit up. "Bloody hell," he murmured almost reverently.
Giving her a quick hug, he picked up the bin, called Robin, and disappeared with all the boys who had gotten Lego kits into another room. "We'll not see them 'til it's time to eat, will we?" Elsa asked as she came by with a large trash bag.
"Probably not," Emma sighed. "Probably a good thing we do cookie decorating and not Lego building, isn't it?" Grabbing another trash bag, she followed Elsa into the pile of wrapping paper that had been ripped and tossed around like confetti. Working together, the trash was collected. The children had separated themselves into groups playing with their new toys and Emma found herself in the kitchen helping with breakfast. The smell of frying bacon, eggs, biscuits and cinnamon rolls filled the air.
She peeked inside the oven to check on the biscuits. "It was weird not having Ashley here this morning, wasn't it?"
"I know," Ruby agreed from where she was scrambling eggs. "She said they would be here for dinner, though. They're going to Sean's father's for brunch."
"Wait. What?" Emma asked. "I didn't think Sean and his father got along."
Ruby shrugged and made air quotes, "They're trying for Alex."
"Family is important," Emma agreed, wondering if a part of Killian's mind was thinking about his brother and wishing he were here. Making a mental note to ask him about it later, she turned back to the conversation at hand.
Group Home, Front Room
Boston, MA
Christmas Late Morning
Killian placed the last block and sat back to admire his work. It had taken him the better part of the morning and he had long lost all his helpers, but he had done it. He had built Emma...a memory lane, of sorts. Would she be able to identify his Lego renderings?
He stretched and stood up, noticing that, unlike the rest of the males, Robin was still sitting in the room playing on his phone. "You didn't get tired and leave like the rest?"
Robin shook his head, giving him a solemn look. "I thought you might want to talk about what you're trying not to think about."
Shite, thought Killian. Leave it to my best mate to know what's going on my head without anything being said. "What are you talking about?" Killian blurted, more sharply than was deserved.
"I've known you a long time, old man," Robin scolded him. "I know when you're involved in something methodical like that," he pointed at the structures at Killian's feet, "you're trying to either solve a problem or trying to run from one." His voice softened, "Have you told Emma?" Killian gave a quick shake of his head and dropped his eyes. "Why not, you big git?"
Killian didn't respond, because he couldn't without giving himself away, and today...it wasn't the right time.
"That girl loves you," Robin broke into his thoughts, "tell her."
"I will," he promised Robin, "when the time is right."
Exiting whatever game he had been playing, Robin took a few steps his direction, stopping next to Widner Library. "I would give anything to have what you have with Emma. Don't wait too long."
Killian took a deep breath, wondering how to bring up such a serious subject, but deciding that here, in the Home, probably wasn't the right place. "Soon."
"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me," he grinned as Emma wandered into the room, "I'm going to go call my pop, as it seems you're in good hands. Catch you later." He left whistling OneRepublic's Secrets.
"What was that all about?" Emma asked as she watched Robin leave the room.
He could hear the buzz of conversation from the other room, and not willing to start something that he might not be able to finish, Don't lie to yourself, it's more you aren't ready to discuss it yet, his subconscious clarified, he instead took her hand and pulled her into the room. "He was just giving me a tough time about this." He waved his hand over the array of buildings he had designed that were now spread at their feet.
"Oh, Killian," Emma said his name almost reverently, "this is..." She dropped down onto her knees and he could see her eyes moving from building to building. Taking measure of what she was seeing, going from one to the next and then backing up and looking at them all over again. Finally, she looked up at him, her eyes pooling with tears, "It's us, isn't it? It's our journey."
"Aye, love. It's our journey. He dropped down beside her and took her hand in his. "There's The Burren where, when I stepped out on the stage and heard your laugh for the first time, I knew that my life was about to change."
"Mine did too, Killian. Your voice as you sang Hello…it was if you were singing only to me."
"I was," he kissed her finger tips, "and then when I was actually close enough to look into your eyes, I was lost and found all at the same time."
She kissed him gently and then pointed toward the next few structures, the Lucky Strike, the Weeks Footbridge and the Caspersen Student Center. "All important parts of our journey, but at the time I think my friends were getting frustrated with me."
Killian laughed. "Oh, there's no thinking my friends were frustrated with me. I know they were."
"And the site of our first dance," she pointed out.
"And our first kiss." He kissed her again. One by one they took turns naming each building and mentioning the special occasion that had occurred there, until Emma pointed at the last building.
"Killian," Emma gave him a puzzled look, "why is there another replica of my house?"
He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Well, for what I have in mind it will be a momentous occasion."
She didn't say anything to him, and when she stood up and walked to the door, he was afraid she might leave, but then he heard the lock click into place and his breath caught. "Well, well, Ms. Swan..." He stood up and sauntered toward her, pinning her against the door.
"Well," she wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips a breath away from his, "I thought we'd start here and see where it goes."
He was surprised by her statement, but not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, planned on taking advantage of the opportunity. "Come here," he whispered, sealing their lips and ensuring that any further conversation in the immediate future would only be that of the nonverbal variety.
Group Home, Kitchen
Boston, MA
Christmas Afternoon
Being in the kitchen while Blue, Green, Astrid and Johanna cooked their holiday meals had always been one of Emma's favorite things to do. She didn't enjoy being there because she was interested in cooking, as she could barely scramble eggs, but the camaraderie that she felt when they were all there at once was something that she just...liked. It made her feel as if she were a part of something...she wasn't sure what, exactly, but she knew that at no other time during the year was the feeling the same.
This year, she had been tasked with making mashed potatoes and she didn't know how...but she had failed. They were lumpy one minute and then when she would add milk, they would be too runny.
Ruby, on the other hand, had been given the task of putting together a relish tray with celery, carrots, cherry tomatoes and dip. Emma watched her try to arrange the carrots into an orderly pile, but every time she put the top carrot on, the rest would all tumble down. By the looks of things, she was getting just as frustrated with her task as she, herself, was getting with the potatoes.
Ashley had arrived late and she was given the best task of all, and that was combining the ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies. Just watching her friend mix the ingredients was making her mouth water for the dough, which had always been her favorite. Unable to resist, she snuck closer to the bowl, dipping her spoon in and coming away with not just a small teaspoon amount but a huge heaping spoonful. "Mmm," she hummed in appreciation the minute the sugary substance hit her taste buds.
"Emma," Ashley giggled, "go away. You're just as bad as you were as a kid."
Ruby snuck around the other side and scooped just as much out onto her spoon as Emma. "Mmm," she hummed, her mouth full.
Dipping her spoon back in for more, Emma grinned at Ashley, sending her a look that said dare you and, just like always, Ashley caved, helping herself to several bites.
They had each just dipped their spoons in for more when they realized the room was too quiet. Emma peered over Ashley's shoulder to see all of the older women staring at them, hands on their hips and a rather dour looks on their faces. "Busted," she whispered before all three broke into a fit of giggles.
"I swear," admonished Blue, "it's just like when you were growing up. You ate all the dough and there were never enough cookies to go around. No matter how many times I said -"
"-Don't eat raw cookie dough. It will make you sick," the girls chorused.
"I've never been sick. Have you?" Emma looked to Ruby.
"Not me."
"Me either," chimed in Ashley.
Shaking her head, Blue turned away for a bit, and thinking they had gotten away lightly, spoons were dipped back into the bowl, except this time they were scooted out of the way as four more spoons joined.
Elsa walked in with Anna just as they all were enjoying another lick. "Oh, yum. Cookie dough. I love cookie dough. Can anyone join?" Anna spilled in rush.
Ruby nodded her head and handed them each a spoon. "I'm glad dinner's not for some time yet. I'm full."
"When will everyone be back from sledding, Blue?"
She looked at the clock. "Half-hour?" She shrugged her shoulder. "And that's if your young men can tell time." Taking a last lick of her spoon, she pointed it at Ashley. "Why don't you save that for later and mix up another batch to bake?" And then dropped her spoon in the sink as if it were the most natural thing in the world for them all to share chocolate chip cookie dough.
The girls looked at each other, all with expressions that said what did we just miss before deciding it didn't matter. After taking one more lick, Emma went to get a container to store the mixture and Ashley gathered supplies to start on the next batch.
"Em," Ruby called, staring down into the mess she had been working on prior to the cookie dough break, "I'll take the potatoes, you take the veggies."
Elsa held the pie she was carrying aloft, and after being sent to set it with the desserts, she and Anna were tasked with setting the tables.
Looking around her at the easy way everyone moved around each other in the kitchen, Emma decided some day she wanted all of this in her very own home.
Group Home, Dining Room
Boston, MA
Christmas Early Evening
Sitting around the table, Emma still found it interesting how this group of people had come to be. They were all adults and not from the same generations, nor were they from the same walks of life, but their lives were intertwined in many ways and they had come together to celebrate this most special day. And Blue played her part well. She was the matriarch of the group, and as such was gathering information from each of the guests, as if she were a spy collecting data for a mission.
She moved from person to person, with nary a pattern as far as Emma could tell, seamlessly going from listening to Graham talk superficially about a case to asking Victor how he liked working at Mass General as well as how he got into cardiology. As she listened to Victor spin a tale for Blue's benefit, Emma winked at Ruby, who looked a tad uncomfortable with Blue's line of questioning. Assuming Ruby was worried Blue might ask what Victor's intentions were, she could totally understand Ruby's nervousness, but Emma didn't think Blue would go there...yet. However, the fact that Ruby was smitten was a given.
As the questions continued, Emma realized that they seemed to be becoming more personal and knowing Blue was working her way to Killian, she worried what might be asked. His eyes, however, were still sparkling with mirth as he watched his friend's struggle to remain calm, which alleviated her fears for the time being. Hearing Blue start in with a question for Robin brought her attention back to the conversation.
"Robin, I thought your father would be joining us today. We had such a lovely talk when he was here at Thanksgiving."
As Robin explained that his father had planned on arriving earlier in the day for the holiday, but a problem at his jewelry store had caused him to miss his flight, Killian draped his arm along the back of her chair and stretched his legs out.
"Oh, that poor man," Blue exclaimed. "Families should be together for the holidays." She wiped her mouth, tucking her napkin under her plate before turning her attention to Killian. "And your brother, Killian. Why is he not celebrating here with us?"
Killian's hand tightened on her shoulder, his only outward sign of discomfort, because when he answered he made it sound as if it were perfectly normal for them not to spend Christmas together.
"Liam had some business to attend to in Europe, Blue. I hope he'll visit soon."
He finished just as Marion came around the corner and whispered into Blue's ear. Blue pushed her chair back and stood up abruptly. "If you will excuse me for a moment, there's a matter I need to take care of. Please continue without me." And then she was gone.
Emma looked at Ruby and then at both Green and Astrid, but only received confused looks from all. "I wonder what that's all about," she whispered.
"I'm not sure," Ashley, who was sitting on her other side answered, "but she said continue so..."
And Green took over hostess duties. "Dessert, anyone?"
Plates were stacked on the counters, and pie, cake and cookies were distributed to the adults as well as the children. Blue returned after about fifteen minutes with a somber look on her face, and even though her lips often turned up into a semblance of a smile, it never reached her eyes.
Emma tried to catch Blue's eye, but the older woman was good about playing dumb, and eventually she decided that when Blue was ready to talk, she would. As dessert and coffee were completed, the younger women sent the Sisters off to relax and prepared to clear the table and clean the kitchen.
It was a welcome surprise when Killian took the plate out of her hand. "We've got this, love." He inclined his head toward the other men and children who were similarly taking dishes back and forth to the kitchen.
"You sure?" Emma asked him cautiously. "But you won't know where everything goes or-"
"-we'll be fine, Swan," he cut her off. "Go, relax. Talk to your friends."
Emma studied his face a few more minutes and gave a quick nod before relinquishing the plate she was holding. "If you're sure. But you know where we are if you have any questions."
She hadn't taken five steps before he grabbed her arm, swung her around and pinned her to the wall with both his body and his lips. She had just gotten her wits about her enough to actively participate when he released her mouth, rubbing his nose against hers. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"
Killian pointed up, and following his finger, Emma spotted a sprig of Mistletoe attached to the ceiling. "Did you put that there?"
"I can't take the credit for it, sadly. I believe it was Victor, but," he leaned in even closer, "I'm not one to pass up a good opportunity," he finished before his lips covered hers in a very hot, very thorough kiss before sending her off to spend time with the girls.
Group Home
Boston, MA
Christmas Evening
And Scrooge made Christmas Joy last throughout the year by always treating others with kindness and generosity. May that be said of all of us! Merry Christmas!" Killian closed the book, and taking the pile he had read to the boys back to bookcase, said goodnight.
"One more book," pleaded Wyatt.
"You've had four," Killian ruffled his hair and pulled his blanket up before moving to Roland to do the same thing. "You don't want Sister Blue yelling at me, do you?"
Roland's eyes grew large and he shook his head. "She's scary when mad."
"Aye, lads, that's true. But I'll let you in on a little secret, all females are scary when mad."
"I heard that." Emma slid around the half-closed door.
"You shouldn't be spying on man talk, love." He winked at the boys. "You might hear something you won't like." He handed Roland his favorite stuffed monkey.
"Oh?" both brows rose high, "you were planning on saying more about females?"
Killian grinned at her, pulling her into his arms. "I was just going to finish with 'and you should try not to make them mad.'"
"Nice save," she whispered for his ears only, before moving away to say goodnight to each of the boys.
Picking up his duffle bag with his change of clothes, he followed Emma out into the hall and shut the door behind him. Putting an arm around her as they moved away from the boys' bedroom door, he sighed with contentment. "Thank you for including me, Emma. I enjoyed being here with you."
She gave him a little hip bump. "I'm glad. I wanted to share this part of my childhood with you."
"Is it time to go back to your place for a little adult celebration?"
"That sounds wonderful, but while you were reading stories, something else was planned that, hopefully, you won't mind."
He noticed she was worrying her bottom lip, which she was wont to do when she was nervous, and when they arrived in the front room and he was handed his guitar, he was a bit confused. "What's going on, Swan?"
"Graham and Victor are building a fire out in the back while Ruby and Elsa grab s'mores fixings. They thought a few songs, some chocolate..."
Killian kissed her nose and then her lips. "I know I've asked this before, but if I do this for you..."
"What's in it for you?" She dimpled up at him.
"Aye, love, you've got the idea," he whispered against her lips.
"Hmm," Emma hummed against his lips, before gently sucking on his full bottom lip, "a little of this and we can see where it goes?"
"Atta girl." He captured her lips in a brief kiss. "Lead the way."
~~~CS~~~
Killian pulled the strap of his guitar over his head and started strumming the guitar softly while he tuned it. When Robin joined him, it was as if his best mate had read his mind. A chord was played and in unison they sang The Christmas Song, transitioning easily into I'll be Home for Christmas.
A slow song, a quicker one, then in between, on and on they sang until one brought back too many memories and Killian just played, letting those around him do the singing.
Robin seemed to read his mind yet again as he quickly encouraged the others to sing while he and Robin only had to worry about making the music. The best part of the evening for Killian was just being close to Emma and watching how comfortable she was in this place and with these people. She made him feel things that he never thought possible, and as much as he enjoyed seeing how she spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, was ready to have her alone; to get to the only gift that was important...her.
He wasn't sure how long he had allowed his mind to drift, but then a voice pulled him back. Emma sang words to a song he didn't remember ever hearing before, but the timber of her voice sent chills through his system.
Do you remember me?
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies
His Swan had started life alone, a girl lost without a family, and now she wasn't lost any longer, and instead of being selfish and self-centered, she was selfless. Stronger than she knew...and his.
Well, I'm all grown up now
But still need help somehow
I'm not a child but my heart still can dream
He was happy Robin knew the song because he wasn't sure he could get his fingers to move. She mesmerized him and all he wanted was to have her alone.
And love would never end, oh
This is my grown-up Christmas List
As the last line of the song faded, nothing mattered but her. Her eyes never left his as she took the few steps to reach his side and, moving his guitar aside, he pulled her into his arms. No words were said as he tucked her head against his shoulder and just held her, knowing that she was the woman he had dreamed of forever and thanking whatever fates brought her into his life.
He wasn't sure how long he had been holding her in his arms but when he lifted his head, they were alone. "Before we go, love, I have something I'd like to sing for you."
Emma lifted her head. "I'm listening."
~~~CS~~~
Emma watched Killian as he played a few chords on the guitar. There was something about the look on his face as he started to sing that said this song mattered.
I've always believed in dreams
And fantasies somehow come true
When dreaming of you
I've seen a moment's magic shine
Upon the darkest night
And fill it with light
I've heard the wind whisper melody
Of love meant to be
I've searched the heavens for you
It was a song that she had never listened to before, but one whose words reached down inside and touched a part of her soul. The words in the song could have very well been pulled from her head so well did they fit her.
I've searched heaven and earth
Chasing my dreams on the wings
Of everlasting love
I've searched through heaven and earth
Voicing the song my heart sings
Heaven help us find our love, love
His eyes glistened in the firelight, sending her messages that she was willing and anxious to receive. Messages that she never thought she would have, especially with the man that seemed to have been created exactly for her.
I've searched through heaven and earth
Voicing the song my heart sings
Heaven help us we're in love
Forever in love
Forever we're in heaven
As the song faded, his eyes opened and the look in them drew her closer. "That song was important to you, wasn't it?"
A subtle nod of his head was given before he answered with words, "Aye, love. It was one of two that Liam and I found our parents dancing to, time and again," he told her quietly.
Emma smiled softly. "And what did you and Liam do when you caught them dancing?"
He gave her a lopsided grin. "Probably made gagging noises, but...as I got older I realized I wanted what they had. And now I do. I do," he said again. "Now, though…I need more, Emma." He reached for her. "I need you. Come to me."
Into his arms she floated and when their lips met, it was like coming home all over again.
"Ready to go home, Swan?"
"I'm ready, Killian. What did you have in mind?"
He whispered into her ear what he intended to do to her, a secret meant to be shared only between lovers and so romantic, her toes curled. "Merry Christmas, Killian.
"Merry Christmas, Emma.
Taking his hand, they left the home of her childhood for the home where she and Killian were learning what it meant to be in love. And just like the song said, she had searched for him through heaven and earth and being in love with Killian was forever, like being in heaven.
After reading these chapters, you can then move back to the main story and at the end of Chapter 8.