A/N: Hey guys, welcome back! Thank you in advance for reading my story, I greatly appreciate it and hope you'll enjoy. Its pretty much fluff central. I WILL warn you.. I was completely SLEEP DEPRIVED when I started this story and I absolutely could not leave until it was finished. Any mistakes, non sense, ect you see that needs to be fixed, PLEASE let me know. I don't have a beta, so... I'm depending on you guys. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
The beach was lit with the sound of waves crashing against the shoreline, the scent of the salty sea lingered in the air, and a flock of squawking seagulls circled above. Their toes sank into the wet fine white sand as the ocean water crashed against their ankles. Emma held her flip flops in one hand and held Killian's hand in the other. The wind blew through her blond locks making them dance behind her. Killian admired the view as he turned his head for a slight moment and eyed her.
"When are we going to be there?" Henry groaned as he stomped through the dry sand on shore.
"Patience, lad. We'll arrive at our destination soon enough," Killian replied, smirking.
The sound of the waves crashing against one another gave Emma a sense of relaxation she hadn't felt in a while. She watched as the thin mid-morning fog lingered over the water like steam. The sun had risen and its rays were trying to peak out from behind the clouds and casted a simple orange light onto the blue water. She admired how the sun seemed to push the clouds out of its way in order for light to be able to escape. Her breath hitched as the clouds opened up and the orange light seemed to push away the fog and the clouds, illuminating off the water causing it to sparkle. As she watched a fish jump to the surface, absentmindedly her hand squeezed Killian's.
Killian eyed her as she stared out into the horizon and the corners of his lips twitched into a small smile at her sudden gesture. He looked in the same direction and instantly saw the beauty that she did. His eyes lowered back to her and he gently squeezed her hand in return.
"Whoa!" Henry cried. "Did you see that?!"
"Aye. That's what you call an Asian Carp, lad. Those bloody fish can jump high enough to land in a ship. Where there's one there's more," Killian replied.
"Awesome," Henry replied. "Think we'll see more?" he asked excitedly as he trudged through the thick sand.
"Aye. This time of day is when they begin to stir," Killian explained. "Despite the beauty of the sun, this is the time of day sailors detest the most."
"Why's that?" Henry asked, looking at him.
"Because those blasted fish can cause more damage to a ship than a drunken landlubber," he replied. "Of course, depending on a certain location, they are quite tasty.. " his voice trailed, but a smirk was splattered across his face.
Emma turned her head to glance at Killian and gave him a look that was soft and tender, yet melancholy. His eyebrows furrowed.
"What is it, love?" He asked.
Emma paused for a moment and shook her head. A question had formed in her head, a question that has lingered in the back of her mind for quite some time, but she's always pushed it down, never had the guts to ask. She is too afraid of what the answer might be. Instead of allowing herself to be vulnerable, for just a moment, she threw a wall up and smiled.
"You're good with him," she replied. Although it wasn't necessarily the truth, it wasn't a complete lie either. As she watched and observed the interactions between the two, she could tell they were comfortable with each other. Although it was quite new to her, she liked it. A part of her was doing her best to trust Killian, and she was doing a good job, but a part of her was also incredibly skeptical and cautious when it came to her son. It was one situation for her to have a broken heart, but she wouldn't be able to bear to see her son's heart broken. Instantly, she threw these thoughts away and decided to focus on the day ahead of them. Decided to focus on the surprise.
Killian looked at her with a doubtful grin. "I highly doubt that, Swan. You forget, you're an open book to me," he said. Instead of allowing Emma the chance to retort, he turned back to Henry. "Lad, do you happen to have that black device that allows you to take a sketching of someone?" He asked.
Henry looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. "You mean a camera?"
Killian rolled his eyes. "Whatever the blasted box is called. Do you have it?"
Henry blinked and began to fish around in his pockets. He pulled out his cell phone and nodded to Killian. "Yeah.." he said, questioningly.
"Use its magical properties to take a picture of your mother," at that moment he turned to Emma and gave her a smile as he released her hand and stepped back. "The way she looks in the sun's light..." he let his voice trail off before he used words no longer PG rated.
"Alright," Henry replied, grinning.
"No, guys-" Emma tried to protest, but of course, the odds were against her.
"Don't waste your breath protesting, love," Killian replied with smirk.
"Yeah, mom, its two to one," Henry chimed in, chuckling.
Emma sighed. "Fine.." she said, incredibly reluctantly.
Killian stepped away from her and walked up the bank to where Henry stood. He leaned over his shoulder as he watched the lad position the camera on his phone just right. He zoomed in a couple of times and bent down on one knee to catch a different angle. Just as a gush of wind picked up, blowing her hair around her, Henry took the picture. And another. Then he stood up, zoomed out, and took another.
"Hey, Kid, I said just one," Emma protested.
"But now you have to take one with Killian," Henry said, grinning.
Killian smirked before he opened his arms and shrugged, teasing her with a pitiful sad face.
"You wouldn't deny this dashing rapscallion a chance to appear in a magic box with his lass, now would you?" he teased with a mischievous smirk.
"I'm going to remember this tag team act from you two, just wait," Emma replied with an amused chuckle. "And the magic box is called a cell phone," she added.
Henry giggled and Killian walked down the sand bar to stand behind Emma. He pulled her in front of him and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She leaned into him, covering his arms with hers, and he rested his head on her shoulder.
"Bar wench," He mumbled in her ear, causing her to grin.
"Scallywag," she mumbled back, causing him to choke a chuckle while grinning.
At the moment, the shutter sound clicked once, then twice, and Henry smiled from behind the camera.
"You two look awesome!" He stated.
"Lets see them," Emma said.
"No!" Henry protested. "Not until we get home."
Emma sighed in defeat. "Fine.."
She looked up at Killian, who still had her in his arms, and smiled. He looked down at her and grinned, never wanting to let her go. She didn't want him to let go.
"What now?" Henry asked.
The two of them chuckled, gave each other a longing look and broke away.
"Now, we continue on our journey," Killian said in a cheery but adventurous tone. When Emma looked at Henry, she admired Killian for making him feel excited. Then again, she was pretty excited too. Where was he leading them?
It was around 10:30 AM when the three of them began their journey across the beach to the opposite end of the island and it was around 5:30PM when they had finally reached their destination.
[A/N: I know the time is kinda far-fetched but I wanted the beginning to be a "morning" mood and the ending to be an "ending" mood]
"Rocks?" Henry asked, unenthusiastically.
"Not quite," Killian answered.
"Stones," Emma said, her voice full of shock.
There were stones everywhere. In particular, there was a huge stone at the end of the shore which stood several feet in the air. Blow the large stone were several mini stones with images engraved in the stone. Killian pointed to one stone which had a picture of a starfish engraved in the center.
"Oh wow," Emma and Henry said in unison and both stepped closer to inspect the stones.
Each stone had its own particular color. The stone with a starfish had an orange graphite color that blended in with black. The stone beside it had a yellowish gray color that blended in with a light black with a picture of a seashell engraved on the side. The stones varied in shape, and in size, and made a spiral staircase around the much larger stone.
Emma looked up from the rocks and turned to look at Killian, "this is amazing," she said. As Killian watched his love's and Henry's face light up with excitement, he vowed at that very moment to do whatever it takes to see those faces again. Just watching their eyes widen, lips part, breath's hitch, an unknown emotion washed over him like the waves against the stones. At first he didn't know what the emotion was but quickly came to realize.. It wasn't an emotion.. it was a task. The task to make sure that he made their faces light up as much as possible. At that moment, he made an obligation to himself to keep them both happy, no matter the task.
"How did these get here?" Emma asked as she reached out and traced the outline of a dolphin on a blue black stone.
Killian shrugged. "Alas, I haven't a clue. I remember these stones from a port I visited during my stay in the Enchanted Forest," he said. What he left out was the fact that the last time he saw these stones was two days before Milah was killed. Of course, he left this little detail out, for now. For three hundred years he had never bothered to try to find these stones in fear of remembering too much pain, too much of Milah. But as he stood on the side, leaning against the stone, watching Emma and her son explore the stones like it was the best thing they've ever seen.. pain wasn't an emotion that was going to surface its ugly head anytime soon. He remembers his first love, of course, but he has also gotten through it, gotten over her, and moved on.
He owed so much to the blond haired stubborn beauty in front of him who was checking out a greenish black seahorse engraved stone.. A new reason for living that wasn't dark and lonely, a second chance, a home.. And so much more. As he leans on the larger rock, his arms folded, his head tilted, staring at Emma... His heart began to beat just a little faster, his already bright blue eyes became a bit brighter, and his smile became more wider. He welcomed every emotion. As if sensing his emotions, Emma turned to look stare at him and her eyes were full of wonder. He let a smirk curl on his lips and he pushed off the rock to walk to her. She walked to him and they both opened their arms and embraced each other, tightly wrapping their arms around each other. Killian heard her sniffle and he peered down at her, concerned, to see a couple of tears escaping her lids.
Once she saw he was watching her, she stiffled a chuckle. "Its beautiful.." she murmured, unable to maintain a normal voice. Killian nodded, used his good hand to wipe away her tears, and pulled her back to his chest. He kissed the top of her head.
"Henry, use that... Camera? To take a magical sketching of the stones," he said.
Emma chuckled between her sobs. "Its called a picture. Cameras take pictures and they're not magical," she said with a slight raspy laugh. Killian playfully rolled his eyes at being corrected and gently squeezed her once more before releasing her.
"Ready for the best part?" He asked as he held out his hand.
Emma looked at him with a tone that said "more? Are you serious?". Regardless she smiled and took his hand.
While holding her hand, Killian led her up the stone staircase that twisted all the way around the larger stone until they reached the stop. At the top were more stones which contained more carvings of various subjects. More interesting than the stones was the fact from the view, you could clear over Storybrook. They could see the clock tower, the diner, the loft, the docks, over the ocean, silver fish jumping in the sea, the lighthouse, everything. The time of the day made the sun cast light on the ocean, making it sparkle with blue intensity. The view was breath taking and that's exactly what it did to Emma, it took her breath away. She turned in all directions looking around at the view, her jaw dropped, her eyes wide, and her breathing labored. Killian watched her closely, with a satisfied grin on his tilted head.
"I take it the Swan likes the view, yeah?" He asked with a small chuckle. Of course he didn't need a reply.
"Its beautiful.." Emma murmured, still entranced by the incredible view.
"Come here," he said softly.
Killian led her to a stone that had a very faded and worn "M" written on the top of the stone, + in the middle, and a "H" at the bottom. The second Emma saw it, she knew whose initials they were and a sudden pain shot through her stomach. Killian must have seen her reaction for he instantly reached into the satchel he brought with him and pulled out a hammer and a pick. Emma looked at him curiously and Killian returned her expression with one of his own charming, one eyebrow raised looks.
"Are you..?" Emma started to ask, but she didn't have to finish. Killian was already chiseling at the stone. Of course he wasn't able to turn his old initials into new ones, but he was able to scratch out the ones that had been there, placing marks through them, and used the other side of the pick to smooth out the stone, creating a fresh surface. He looked up at Emma, who was staring at his work in complete shock, smirked as he handed her the tools, and ushered her to begin. As she started to carve, Killian called for Henry, who came running up the steps with his cell phone still in his hand.
"Whoa," Henry said, taking a sudden stop to look around.. Just like his mother, Killian thought. "This is incredible!" He exclaimed.
Killian chuckled and motioned for him to join them. He walked over and leaned down to watch his mom carve "Emma" in the top of the stone. Henry looked at Killian and grinned. He knew man to man what was going on. Killian then took the tools from Emma and handed them to Henry. Henry's eyes shot open and he gave Killian a look that said "me? Really?". Killian nodded and Henry began to carve his name into the stone. Finally, Killian took the tools and carved a " + " under Henry's name and then carved his name. Once he was done he blew the dust off the tools and stuck them back in his satchel. He then turned to Emma who was staring at him with her intense green eyes that were full of water.
He stepped to her as the water began to fall from her lids. "Killian.." She murmured as softly as she could with a scratchy throat. He gave her a gentle smile and pulled her close. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and placed her head on his chest. He hummed as he lifted his good arm and placed his hand on her back.
"I assume you like it, love?" He asked, not letting her go.
"I love it," she mumbled, her face still buried in his chest.
Killian looked around for Henry, who was busy taking pictures, and motioned for him to join. Soon there was an extra body against them and Emma opened her arms and welcomed her son into the embrace. She couldn't help the sobs that were beginning to escape her. So many emotions were rushing over her, she didn't know which one to feel first. For now, she just held onto her lover and her son like she was never going to let them go. However, a sudden pang stabbed her in the gut that caused her to pull away quickly. Henry and Killian looked at her in shock and it took her a moment to gain her composure.
"Killian.. There's something I've been meaning to ask you, but.." Her voice trailed off as her confidence began to fade. However, she built it back up and looked at him straight in the eye. "Do you regret trading the Jolly Roger.. For me?" She asked, almost weakly.
Concern flickered in Killian's blue eyes and his expression grew serious. He took a step towards her and wrapped both arms around her waste. He looked down at her with the most serious face she's ever seen him wear.
"Love, I would trade a thousand Jolly Rogers if your family was in danger, if you were in danger. It was a ship.. A lifestyle that was filling my heart with darkness. You have provided me with a new purpose other than to be a pirate, and for that, I'll always be grateful," he softly murmured. He lifted his hand to trace her cheek with his finger. "To say I don't miss the sea and miss the ship herself, would not be truthful.. But I do not regret it my choice. Not since I now have you," he softly said as he traced her cheek.
Emma smiled at the man who was tugging on her heartstrings and her eyes sparkled from the tears that trickled down her cheeks. In that moment, as she lifted her head, he lowered his head, and their lips met in the most passionate kiss every girl dreams of. His lips were warm and her tears were still falling down, but neither of them cared. He took her in his arms, twirled her around, and never let their lips break. Her arms slid around his neck and his arms remained wrapped around her waist. The kiss became heated with intense emotions that emitted from them simultaneously and it took everything Emma had to break apart to catch her breath. Killian had to do the same and his blue eyes locked onto her green ones. At that moment, nothing was more magical. Even though Henry had been snapping photos of the entire scene, it was just them. As they stared at each other, soft smiles formed on both of their lips, and together, at the same time, they said the most powerful words..
"I love you."
END.
A/N: I know, I know. "I love you" may be pushing it considering we're not even on season 4 yet but dammit... I had to. How could I not have? Fluff central, right?
You guys know that song Time Is Running Out by Muse? Well.. My muse is running out of time. I still have 5 or 6 story ideas left but I'm starting to say "ehhh...". So, do me a favor? Keep my muse up? She would surely appreciate it. Until next time. *tips hat*