Disclaimer: I do not own Orson Welles, War of the Worlds, Shakespeare or Twelfth Night.


Chapter 3

93. She always wanted a dog as a pet (he overheard her saying that to Ruby when she took Pongo to her flat after Archie had "died")

"Sweet mother of J***S!" Emma's scream rocketed through the apartment and brought all her family rushing, well Charming and Henry rushed with the young boy sliding through the flat on his socked feet and Charming vaulting over the boxes that had been dumped by the stairs. Mary Margaret on the other hand waddled towards the main room of the apartment one hand placed protectively over her belly the other supporting her sore back.

"Emma! Emma what's wrong?!" Mary Margaret called but then came to a sudden halt as she discovered the situation.

Emma, Saviour of Storybrooke, Daughter of True Love, Princess Charming was splayed out on the floor on her back with a giant fluffy beast licking her face.

"Cool!" Henry cried and knelt down next to his Mom and stared at the fluffy monster that was devouring his Mom.

Charming had gone around his daughter and was giving Killian a hand up as the pirate had been sent flying when Emma's shriek spurred the fluffy beast into action.

"Gerrifoame!" Emma's voice was muffled by the thick black fur that was currently smothering her.

Snow waddled forward and coaxed the puppy off her daughter and lowered herself into a free kitchen chair before beginning to coo to the puppy that eagerly wagged its tail and plonked its head down on her knee.

"Killian, what the hell is that thing?!" Emma spluttered as she sat up and began using her sleeve to wipe drool, grass and slobber from off her face.

Killian leaned against the door jamb and gave his most devilish smirk. Charming and Henry had made their way over to Mary Margaret and the puppy and both men were now petting and fussing with the pup and exclaiming over its fluffy fur and bright blue eyes.

The pirate swaggered over to Emma and offered her a hand up, his hook settling against her hip as she wavered slightly once stood. The puppy had sent her crashing to the floor and Killian furrowed his brow concerned that she had hit her head but the moment she looked up at him with clear and irritated eyes he knew she hadn't injured much except maybe her pride.

"Why Swan, I would have thought you knew a dog when you saw one?" Killian said charmingly and pointed to the rather large puppy that was now watching pirate and princess with its head cocked to one side.

"That is not a dog Hook!" Emma said and pointed at the fluffy beast. "That is a monstrosity! How old is it? A year old?"

Killian scratched his head with his hook sheepishly before answering.

"Only 6 months old."

Emma's jaw fell open and she glanced at the puppy and then back at Killian and then back at the puppy and finally back at Killian.

"Only 6 months?!" She shrieked and Henry let out another 'Cool' before hugging the abnormally large puppy.

"What type of dog is it that it can be this big when it's only six months?!"

Killian shook his head whilst still grinning at Emma.

"Now, now love. It is actually a he, haven't given it a name yet but it's rather rude to keep calling him 'It'. You wouldn't like it would you? And HE is a Caucasian Shepard/Akita cross. Or at least that's what the animal specialist I took him to said he was."

Emma groaned and rubbed her forehead with her hand. It was only eight o'clock in the morning but she felt like she'd been up for hours already. A soft whine interrupted her musings and then there was a gentle nuzzle of her leg just below her knee. Emma glanced down to see the bear-like puppy sitting meekly next to her leg and staring up at her with his shockingly blue eyes.

"Aww, he likes you Emma." Snow said and smiled happily as Emma and the pup stared at each other.

"That he does." Killian said with some surprise. "Took me ages to coax him out of the box I found him in- "

Emma's head whirled up to look at him sharply. "You found him in a box?"

"Aye lass. Been left on the side of the road near one of the routes out of town. Only noticed he was there because he was howling something awful. Couldn't get out you see, whoever put him in there was no fool because the box was wooden, couldn't break it or tear it like yonder cardboard boxes." He gestured to the moving boxes stacked beside the stairs and then watched as Emma's fist clenched so tightly that her knuckles went white.

Charming and Snow exchanged worried glances and even Henry looked slightly disturbed at Emma's reaction but Killian knew why she was so upset. The pup had been left just like her, or at least like how she thought she had been left, abandoned on the side of the road. Like they weren't important, like they didn't matter.

"Anyway, once I pried the lid off the little lad wouldn't come out of the box for a long time. Spent the best part of an hour coaxing him out. Eventually he came out for a few bits of cheese from my sandwich. Managed to pick the rascal up and carry him to the Veterinary Surgery and got one of the animal healers to look him over. Apparently he's a bit underweight if you can believe it, shaken up from his ordeal but apart from that he's hale and healthy."

Emma knelt down next to the puppy and slowly, tentatively reached her hand out towards the pup's head. It was as if she expected Killian to lunge forward and snatch the dog away or for her to touch it and it would disappear in a puff of smoke.

The pup whimpered and lifted his head slightly as if encouraging Emma's touch but apart from that he remained motionless, waiting for her to come to him. Her hand landed in the soft but thick fur on top of his head and Killian marvelled at how pale her skin seemed in contrast to the pup's black fur.

Emma ran her hands over the pup's head and down his back. She run her hands over almost every inch of the dog, his strong legs, large paws, thick tail that curved slightly and showed his Akita genes, his square like muzzle and his furry chest.

"Why did you bring him here? Couldn't he have stayed at the vet's?" She asked softly but didn't take her gaze away from the pup who was staring straight back at her.

Killian watched with bated breath as the two interacted as if in their own world.

"Well I felt a kinship for the little fellow. Animal Healer said they couldn't keep him as he wasn't actually ill or injured and when I took him to the Animal Shelter they said they were closing down as all the lost pets had been adopted or reclaimed by their owners who could now remember them. Seemed like the little chap would end up on his own so I thought I'd keep him. Except I'm living at Granny's and the little chap wouldn't go anywhere near the B&B because of Ruby. The wolf in her didn't seem too happy at the thought of another canine in the area so I thought – maybe – you could take him in here? Until I get a place of my own?"

Henry's gasp of excitement echoed around the suddenly deathly quiet apartment before the boy launched into a frantic and excited cacophony of pleading, cajoling and begging. Mary Margaret and Charming shared a look before shrugging their shoulders.

"We're moving out soon so," Mary Margaret said slowly. "It's really up to Emma. This will be her home now so it's her decision."

Mary Margaret winked at Killian and the pirate's eyes widened slightly in surprise before he nodded his head in acknowledgement. It seemed Snow knew of Emma's longing for a dog too and neither parent was going to interfere in Killian's genius plan to get Emma a dog.

The timing really couldn't have been better. Killian had never thought he would find the perfect dog for Emma Swan abandoned on the side of the road. Fate it seemed was on his side when he found the box with the pup whimpering inside and when he took it to the Animal Shelter which was closing. It had felt like everything was happening for a reason and Killian had wasted not a second thought on finding the pup another home the moment he knew the pup would be his responsibility to re-home.

Now only Emma's decision remained and Killian hoped deep in his heart that she wouldn't argue for once and would just accept the good hand fate had given her.

"He can stay." Emma murmured and scratched the pup under his chin. "He can stay with me and Henry. You'll have to come and train him though Killian."

"Of course lass. Wouldn't leave you to fend for yourself with this bear of a dog!" Killian said lightly.

"What're you gonna name him Killian?!" Henry said as he bounced around the pirate, Emma and the pup.

"I think your mother should name him lad. After all he's going to be living under your roof for the time being so she's going to have the most cause to be shouting his name out." Killian suggested and felt his heart flutter at the surprised and exuberant expression Emma made at him.

She cocked her head on its side as she looked at the pup, then she tilted it onto the opposite side. Much to everyone's delight the pup copied her. When Henry giggled the puppy let out a series of sharp yips and crouched down on his forepaws with his back end wagging with energy.

"He looks like a bear." Emma stated and Killian could have hit his forehead with his palm at her words. 'Trust Emma to find fault' he was thinking when she continued her thought process.

"I thought he was at first, a bear cub that is, when you brought him to the door. So his name should be something to do with bears. Orson. His name will be Orson."

Mary Margaret murmured in surprise.

"How did you know Orson was related to bears Emma?"

"Hmm?" Emma said dazedly her attention clearly being taken over by the newly named Orson who was happily sniffing the furniture and floor of his new home. "Oh, one of the books I studied at school was War of the Worlds. Read up a bit about Orson Welles including his name and so on. We also looked at Twelfth Night that year and Count Orsino's name means little bear so I just remembered the names because they were similar."

"Orson it is." Killian said with a wink.

***Killian***

It didn't take long for the entire town to hear about Emma's new pet. Henry told Grumpy all about the pup when they were hanging out at Granny's Diner. Which of course meant that pretty much within the space of an hour every inhabitant of Storybrooke knew of Emma's soft spot for fluffy creatures.

Emma had ended up taking the newly named Orson into work. Mary Margaret and David were busy packing and getting ready to move into their new house, well David was packing whilst Mary Margaret ate a tub of ice cream and supervised her husband's work. Pregnancy didn't really allow for heavy lifting unless you counted an ice cream tub and a spoon as heavy lifting.

Emma sat with Orson in the Sheriff's office and attempted to do some work. She kept getting distracted however. By the cute, patient and utterly adorable pup sat at her side and was watching her with happy bright blue eyes.

"You sure know how to distract a girl huh Orson?" Emma said with a sigh and threw her pen down on top of the paperwork she had been attempting to fill out for the last couple of hours.

"You know your eyes are almost the exact same colour as Hook's. That pirate. I think he knew I wouldn't be able to say no to you."

Orson yipped as if agreeing.

Emma chuckled and stood, pulling her jacket on from where it was hung over the back of her chair before crossing to the coat rack and plucking the leash Killian had purchased for her to use with Orson. It was a simple leather leash and collar, Orson's name had been etched onto a metal plate that had been stapled to the thick leather collar but there was no other adornment on the simple brown leather.

Orson wiggled with excitement and panted but made neither barks of excitement nor any howls. Emma absently noted that so far the pup had made no sound louder than a yip or a whine. No growl had ever come from his throat.

Shrugging off the thought Emma attached the leash to the ring on the collar and led the dog out of the Sheriff's station and onto a meandering walk through the town. Several people stopped and watched the Sheriff and her bear-like dog as they passed by and a few young toddlers approached and eagerly petted the pup.

All was quiet and pleasant in Storybrooke. A rare day considering Zelena had been thwarted in her plans to stop everyone from remembering only days before and Killian still hadn't taken Emma's magic with his 'cursed lips'. Emma had expected some sort of retaliation from Zelena but then again the Wicked Witch couldn't really do anything until Mary Margaret's baby was born.

Orson trotted along merrily beside Emma, both enjoying the sunshine and the pleasant breeze trickling through the streets of Storybrooke.

That was until a piercing shriek caught both dog and Saviour's ears.

"Knew it couldn't last." Emma said and Orson whined slightly. "Come on then Orson, let us see what new trouble has come to ruin my days."

Emma set off into a run with Orson easily gambolling along beside her. They finally discovered the source of the screaming as a woman who had been visiting her beloved's grave when a hand had risen up from the soil.

It appeared Zelena was now practicing necromancy. For what reason Emma did not know but she found herself following the screams that echoed from near the docks.

"Oh god! Henry's with Hook!" Emma realised what Zelena's plan was. Either Henry or Hook would suffer for the Witch's defeat previously.

Emma all but dropped Orson's leash as she sprinted towards the docks occasionally crashing into people running the other way in a blind panic.

She skidded onto the docks her boots clicking loudly on the wooden planks. Orson's toenails clicked behind her as the pup ran at her heels.

She could see Henry and Hook by the water's edge with their backs to the sea. Hook had swept Henry behind him and was currently fending off what looked like hybrids of monkey, bird and human corpses.

"Henry! Hook!" Emma screamed as the zombies (there really was no other name for them) surged forward and Henry wheeled at the edge of the water.

Before Emma could do anything however, use her magic, bring out her gun Orson was before her. The pup seemed to swell in size until he was the height of a small pony and his eyes glowed red. His fluffy fur seemed to turn coarse and thick and appeared very ragged and ruffled.

"Orson?" Emma said tentatively as the now transformed dog began to growl and snap at the zombies who had all turned around.

Orson howled, his head tipped back and his nose pointed to the sky. The howl would later have been said to be heard in every corner and hidden place in Storybrooke.

The zombies seemed to quail before Orson's large form as it thundered towards them and flames burst at the dog's paws. The winged zombies attempted to take flight to flee from the Hound's attack but Orson merely skidded to a halt and breathed fire at the beasts now marring the bright sky.

One solid blast of fire scorched the air and Hook and Henry ducked away from the heat of the flames licking the monsters that had so terrified the people.

Emma closed her eyes against the brightness of the flames and when she heard flames and shrieks cease she opened her eyes to see Orson' large form sat on his hindquarters with his tongue hanging out and his heavy tail thumped on the dock as he peered eagerly at Emma.

Emma rose from her crouch and tentatively reached out to Orson.

"Good boy?" she offered and was rewarded with the happy yip from the beast that belied his size. Before their very eyes Orson's pony sized form began to shrink until he was once again the oversized pup they had seen that very morning.

"Bloody hell!" Killian said as he and Henry stumbled over to Emma who was standing with Orson rubbing his head on her leg.

"He is not a normal dog." Henry said slowly.

"I think your right kid. But somehow I think he will be good for us." Emma said and wrapped her arms around Henry pressing a kiss to his hair.

Orson glanced up at his new family, even if they didn't know they were his, and felt he was exactly where he belonged. Now, all he wanted to do was get something to eat. Crisping monkeys had made him hungry.

93.2 Because she loved the damn dog even when it turned out Killian had accidently gotten her a Hellhound. Killian did admit however that Orson made a great protector.

***Killian***