Hey there! I know it's late, but I promised you a chapter today, and so even if it's not really Friday anymore, here it is.
Thanks again to Dancing Doula for the beta job on this, couldn't do it without her!
Storybrook, Maine, May 2006, Sunday
Emma Swan was in the middle of a great dream when a little ball of energy jumped on her bed, climbing all the way up to her head and pulling on the blankets.
"Mommy, mommy, wake up, we're going to Disney," Henry was saying, excited like only a 5 year old could be at 5am.
Groaning, Emma tried to open her eyes, focusing on the little head that was resting on the pillow next to hers.
"Grandpa said you need to get up," he continued, obviously really happy that he had been the one commissioned to wake his mother.
"I am getting up, baby, just give me a minute to wake up," she told him, rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them.
Their plane was scheduled to leave at 9am and so they had to be at the airport, which was an hour away, by 7am. That left her about an hour to get up, shower and have breakfast.
"Will I get to see Cap'ain Hook?" Henry asked, his voice full of excitement at the thought of finally meeting his favorite Disney character.
"I'm sure you will, but now you need to go and get dressed. Ask grandma to help while I take a shower," Emma told him, ruffling his hair with her left hand as he scooted off the bed and rushed out as fast as his little legs could allow.
Laughing, the Emma got out of bed, pulling her arms above her head to stretch them. Her son had been obsessed with Captain Hook since he had watched the Peter Pan movie. It was still beyond her that he could love a villain that much, but Henry was completely smitten with the pirate, and she would make sure he would get to see him when they were in Magic Kingdom.
An hour later, all the bags were packed in the minivan and Emma was fastening Henry's seatbelt. The little guy was looking at the Peter Pan book her grandparents had gotten him for his birthday, seeing how obsessed he was with the whole story.
"All set?" David asked the both of them, locking the door to the house before making his way to the car.
"All set," Emma replied, fastening her own seatbelt as her father got into the driver's seat, smiling to his wife who was already sitting on the passenger side.
"Let's go then," her father said, almost as excited as Henry.
"We're going to Disney, baby," Emma exclaimed, turning around to her son to tickle his side, making him laugh.
"Yes, Disney baby," Henry repeated, his voice full of excitement, the Peter Pan book still clutched in his small hands.
They all laughed at that while David pulled the car out of the driveway and on the street. The drive to the airport went by quickly, everyone now fully awake and almost as excited as Henry was. Emma had never been to Disneyworld, and her parents were excited to be taking this trip as a family.
Even if they had been living together for 5 years now, it was the first real trip they were taking together. It had taken quite some time to adapt to having two new people living at home, one of them a newborn baby, but they had all figured it out pretty well in the end.
Emma was now working as the assistant to the sheriff and she had insisted on paying for some of the trip, which was the reason they had waited to do it. Her parents had insisted though, because they thought this was the perfect time to go, since Henry hadn't started school yet and he was still at the age in which he could get totally immersed in the Disney magic. After all, Disneyworld really was the most magical place on earth.
As the Emma settled in her seat in the airplane, making sure that Henry was safely buckled in between her and her mother, she couldn't help but think back to everything that had happened in the last few years.
If someone had told her when she had left that crappy motel in Portland that she would be taking a trip to Disneyworld with her parents and her son 5 years later, she probably would've laughed in his face. She would've had all the reason to do it too, seeing as she hadn't heard from her parents in over 20 years.
They had explained to her everything that happened when she had first called Mary Margaret all these years ago. Emma didn't really care anyway; having them back in her life and knowing they hadn't abandoned her because they didn't love her was enough for her.
It was the seatbelt signal that brought Emma out of her memories, and she turned to look at her parents, sitting on her left, smiling back at her as they could all feel the plane coming to life and starting to move.
Henry didn't seem to be frightened by the imminent take off, and Emma relaxed in her seat too. In 4 hours they'd all be in Orlando.
Orlando international airport, Florida
"Shuttle for the Port Orleans – French Quarter resort this way please, everyone just get your tickets out," the shuttle driver said to the line of people waiting to get on one of the many Disneyworld bus going to the resorts.
"You have everything?" Mary Margaret asked David as they started walking, and her husband waved the printed tickets in front of her as an answer.
Emma's mom smiled back at him, leaning in to give him a quick kiss as they moved towards the front of the line. Henry's hand in her own, Emma couldn't help but smile at her parents. They were the most perfect couple she had ever seen. The love they shared was almost palpable around them, and Emma sighed, surprising herself by wanting to share that kind of love with someone too.
After Neal, it had taken her a while to glue the pieces of her heart back together, and she had been keeping it safely tucked in a corner since then. She just to realize lately that maybe she just hadn't found anyone worth risking her heart for… Not yet anyway.
It was the heat from outside that took her out of her thoughts as they walked out of the airport and into the shuttle. Henry was still jumping up and down with excitement, asking when he would get to see Captain Hook and go on the Peter Pan attraction.
"Soon, baby, we need to go to the hotel first, then we'll see what time it is," Emma answered him, pushing him into the first available seat, her parents settling right behind them.
The ride to the hotel went quickly as they all watched the introduction video showing on the TV hanging from the ceiling of the bus. The man in the TV was talking all about the different parks, attractions and things to do, making everyone excited to get to the hotel and off to the theme parks.
As soon as they got to the hotel, David went to check in, grabbing the magicbands that would be their room keys, park tickets and fastpass for the next 5 days. Bags were dropped in the two adjoining rooms they had booked, sunscreen rubbed over everyone, and in no time they were back in the bus.
"Welcome aboard Disney's transportation system. We are on our way to Disney's Magic Kingdom, the most magical kingdom of all…" the voice on the intercom was saying, and Emma put her arm around Henry's shoulder, feeling like there was nowhere else in the world she'd rather be right now.
Employee quarters, Disney's Magic Kingdom, Florida
"For the thousand time, Sarah, I am NOT going out with Tinkerbell," Killian Jones repeated to the young woman in front of him.
Sighing, she put her hands on her hips and cocked her head, making her tiara slip a little to the side. Killian was one of the most stubborn men she had ever met. The petite blonde woman playing Tinkerbell had been turning flirting outrageously with him since the first time they'd met, but he was still refusing to act on it.
"Not with Tinkerbell, with Britney, you know she has the biggest crush on you," Sarah continued, reaching up to her head to remove her tiara.
Killian, dressed in his Captain Hook's costume, sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose with his good hand, his hook still resting at his side.
This would've been a surreal sight for anyone normal walking by, but for the Disney's cast members, it was just a typical day at the office. It wasn't unusual for anyone to walk across a couple of princesses talking about what they had for lunch, or even Winnie The Pooh chatting it up with Minnie Mouse in the underground tunnels.
Aurora and Captain Hook having an argument by the coffee machine was nothing short of ordinary.
The two of them had hit it off as soon as they'd met, Sarah probably the only girl here not swooning over the dark looks of the man playing Captain Hook.
"Listen, Sarah, I am just not interested," the man explained again, trying to be calm about it.
"Well if not Britney then take your pick. Half of the women I know would give everything to go out with you," she said, putting the tiara on the table and running a hand through her hair, blond locks cascading all over her shoulders.
"Bloody hell, I do not want to go out with anyone, you know that," Killian groaned, sounding more annoyed than he really was, but knowing that his friend wasn't one to give up easily.
"I get it, Hook, I do, I've got my heart broken a few times too, but you can't stay single all your life," Sarah told him, using the nickname he had gotten from playing the pirate, her voice softer than before as she took a step to put a hand on his shoulder.
The memory of Milah surfaced back in his mind, dark hair and taunting smile making him cringe. What had he been thinking getting married at 22 anyway, he asked himself again, knowing that the answer was just that he hadn't been thinking, too much smitten to care about the future. Said future had come to bite him in the ass though, 3 years later when Milah left him for another man.
"Aye, well, I am good for now, thanks," he said, raising an eyebrow at her and taking a step away towards the changing rooms.
"You are so stubborn, Killian Jones, you sure you're not a real pirate?" the woman asked as he got into the little booth.
He chuckled deeply and gave her one last look before he closed the door behind him, his jeans and shirt tucked under his arm.
"Well, I have been a sailor almost all my life, never pirated any ships though," the muffled voice came from behind the closed door and Sarah shook her head, a smile creeping on the corner of her mouth.
She didn't reply though, getting a cup of coffee instead and leaving him to change out of his Captain Hook costume. It didn't take long before he came back out of the cabin, dressed in an old pair of jeans and dark t-shirt. He really was handsome, she thought, and he knew it too as he gave her a devilish smile that told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.
They both knew it was just a harmless thought, Sarah being way too infatuated with the guy she was dating right now to want anything else, and even if she hadn't been, they wouldn't want to risk the friendship they had been building for the last 6 months.
"I just don't want you to be alone, Killian," Sarah added on a more serious tone, grabbing the bag with her clothes in it, walking to her friend.
"I know, love, but I am good alone. For now anyway," he reassured her, smiling softly.
"I'll see you tonight then," the young woman told him before turning around to get into the dressing room.
"Aye, see you tonight," Killian said as he returned the Captain Hook's costume where it belong and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge before leaving the room.
He made his way across the tunnels easily, having walked through them for the better part of the last 6 months. The weather was beautiful outside though, so he decided to get out into the open and walk outside instead of underground, getting out by one of the hidden back doors near the Cinderella castle.
The sun was shining, like it was most of the time in Florida, and he breathed in the hot breeze, walking amongst the thin crowd.
It was early May, and even if it wasn't the least busy time of year, it wasn't that bad either, and it wasn't nearly as crowded as he had seen it when he had first come in the midst of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party in November or during spring break.
Killian was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly didn't see the woman walking in front of him before it was too late. Taking a step right, he still wasn't fast enough to get out of her way and their shoulders collided, making her drop the bags she was holding.
"I am so sorry, love, I didn't see you there," he apologized, getting down to retrieve her bags as she did the same.
"It's okay, I wasn't looking either," the woman replied, getting down to help him, their eyes meeting as he raised his head to look at her.
A chill ran through Killian's body, making his blood feel alive in his veins as he smiled at her, not able to keep his eyes off her. She was beautiful. Natural blonde hair framing her face in a beautiful way as she smiled back at him, making his heart skip a beat.
They got back on their feet and he handed her the bags, apologizing again.
"No worries, it's all good," she told him, waving the matter with her left hand as she extended her right hand to grab the bags he was still holding.
When their fingers collided, Killian felt like lightning had struck him, time stopping for an instant as he gazed into her eyes, seeing the same feeling reflected in hers. They stayed like that for another long couple of seconds before someone called her name from a distance.
"I should probably get going," the young woman said, turning around to look away at the person who had called her name.
"Aye, have a good day," he agreed and she nodded, wishing him a great day too before she turned around, quickly walking to the family waiting for her a little further down the street.
Killian was too startled to move as he watched her take the hand of the little boy who seemed to be her son. Emma was the name the older woman used to call her and he said it softly, still motionless. Just as if she had heard him, the blonde woman turned around, eyes finding his almost instantly. He felt it again, this weird electricity passing from her eyes to his, making his blood boil.
Then, as soon as it had started, it stopped, the little boy pulling on her hand and making her spin around, evidently eager to start moving again. She turned to him one last time, smiling softly as she started walking away, quickly disappearing into the crowd that was walking into the castle.
When he couldn't see her anymore he turned around too, walking towards Main Street, the ghost of her hand on his still lingering on his skin, making it tingle pleasantly. Maybe Sarah was right after all, maybe it was time for him to start dating again, especially if a meaningless encounter like this could make his head spin like that.
But then again he didn't think he would feel that way with any of the other women that had wanted to go out with him before. He couldn't help but feel like this one was different. Sadly though, she had a kid, so she undoubtedly had a husband too.
Most of all, she was just one of the thousand people here, he probably wouldn't even have noticed her if he hadn't literally run into her. He would most certainly never see her again. This thought saddened him more than he should have, and he shook his head, wondering what had gotten into him.
Disney's Port Orleans – French quarter, Florida
It wasn't that late when Emma, Henry and her parents went back to the hotel that day. After all, they had had an early morning, not counting the plane trip and then the afternoon at Magic Kingdom. At 8pm everyone was tired and had decided against watching the fireworks that night, knowing that they would get some other chance to watch them.
Henry had fallen asleep on the bus back to the hotel and David offered to carry the sleeping form to Emma's room which she accepted gratefully. He had gotten pretty heavy and she was pretty tired herself.
Going in before her father, Emma unlocked the door to her room by a touch of her magicband and pushed opened the door, flicking on the lights. David walked in and slowly put Henry down on one of the beds, caressing his hair softly.
"Goodnight," he said when he backed up, smiling at his daughter as he walked to the door. "We'll see you tomorrow."
"Thanks dad, goodnight," she replied, waving at her mom who she could see yawning outside.
David closed the door, the room becoming suddenly silent as all the outside noises were drowned out instantly. Turning around, Emma shot a look at her sleeping son lying on the bed. He looked so peaceful, so beautiful, and her heart swelled with love.
She looked at him for a few more seconds before turning to get her pyjamas from her still-packed luggage, putting them on the table before grabbing her son's and walking to the bed. Trying not to fully wake him, she undressed him and put on his pyjamas, gathering him in her arms to pull the blankets over so she could tuck him in.
With that done, she went into the bathroom to take a shower, her mind drifting off to the events of the day. She didn't know why, but she just hadn't been able to stop thinking about the man she had bumped into earlier. The stranger's voice still resonated in her head, his deep low Irish accent still making her head spin.
He had smiled at her like no one had in a long time and this smile had warmed her all the way to the tips of her toes, leaving her with this surreal desire to see him again.
Plunging her face under the water spray, she shook her head, pushing those thoughts out of her mind. She would probably never see the man again in her whole life, why was she even thinking about it? Apart from that, she was most happy by herself, with Henry and her parents. She didn't need anyone else in their lives, she wouldn't survive being abandoned again, and the only way she knew of keeping herself from being abandoned was to make sure no one got close to her again.
Turning the water off, she grabbed a towel and got out of the shower. She quickly changed into her pyjamas and brushed her teeth before turning off the lights and getting under the blankets with Henry. It was the stranger's eyes that popped in her mind when she closed her eyes, even if she had been trying with all she had to keep him out of her head.
He had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. They were as blue as the ocean, a color that made her want to dive into them, made her want to get lost in their depths, made her want to stare into them until everything else in the world just faded to darkness…
So what did you think? I hope you liked this first real chapter, if you did just leave me a word! Maybe I could try to post the next chapter a little earlier next week. If you'd want me too, just tell me.
At the latest, the next chapter will be out by next Friday, hopefully a little earlier than today. Have a great week!
