Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time
Chapter Six
Emma straightened the collar on Henry's uniform polo shirt and leaned back on her heels. "You two are going to be okay, right?" Frown lines creased her forehead as she looked between the two children concerned. She was worried they wouldn't fit in, that they wouldn't have a good day, that they would run, that Zelena would come whisk them away.
Killian chuckled, and gingerly reached a hand down to comb through her hair in an effort to calm her, "Swan, it's school. They've both done that before." He teased lightly, ruffling Henry's hair and tugging on Ava's braid lightly. She and Emma had spent an hour the night before trying out different braids for Ava's first day before settling on one they both liked.
"I know, I just, you have your lunches, you have cash in case you need it, you have the cell phone we gave you." She listed off.
"Dad's right, Mom," Henry rested a hand on her shoulder, "we've been doing this for the last two years alone. We're good."
Emma bit her lip and tried to fight back tears at the thought of them doing this alone, "Okay, now, Henry, you're in Mrs. Nolan's class and Ava, you're in Mrs. Benwick's class." She paused, "Daddy and I have to go to work, but if you need anything, you just call." She hesitated and looked up at Killian.
Sighing, Killian leaned down too, "I wouldn't share the fairytale theory with anyone." At the dubious looks on Henry and Ava's faces he continued, "We wouldn't want the bad guy who put us all here to figure out what we're up to, right? And since we don't know who that is, I think we should keep it between the four of us."
Henry seemed to consider this for a moment, "But what if we know that someone isn't the bad guy?"
"Well, lad, we wouldn't want them inadvertently sharing that information, would we?" Killian questioned.
"I guess not." Henry finally agreed, "Alright, but we need to talk about it more when we get home." His eyes narrowed the way Emma's did when she was lecturing someone.
Killian bit back a chuckle, "You got it." He stood and held a hand out to Emma to help pull her to her feet. Giving the kids one last hug, they watched them dash into the brick building.
"And they're off." Emma murmured.
Pressing a kiss to her temple, Killian pulled her into his side, "So Swan, would you ever want to have one of your own." At her questioning look, Killian shrugged, "One that you carry." His other hand instinctively reached out to stroke her flat belly. The thought had occurred to him the night before, when they laid in bed whispering to each other about the kids and this life they were forming.
"Why Deputy Jones," Emma arched a brow at him teasingly, "are you asking me to have a baby with you?"
Spinning her to face him, Killian tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Hm," his eyes flashed down to her stomach for a moment, "I think a date might be a good place to start."
Emma bit her lip and flushed, "I think so too."
"Friday night, we'll find a sitter for the kids." He leaned down and brushed a kiss to her lips, "We'll go some place nice."
"Oh," Emma hummed, "you're going to wine and dine me?"
"Something like that, love." He pressed and firm kiss to her lips, his teeth lightly nipping at her full bottom lip, "We should head down to the station before something goes amiss and we're not there."
Raising her arms to tangle her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck, she murmured, "One more kiss first."
Killian chuckled against her mouth, "As you wish."
OUAT
At lunch, Emma and Killian walked from the station down to Archie's office. Tapping on the door, they were welcomed into the local shrink's private room. "What can I do for our two fine deputies?" The older gentleman asked.
Sitting together on Archie's sofa, Killian leaned forward, "Emma and I have taken custody of two children." He told the doctor.
"I heard, I also heard that Mayor Mills isn't too happy about it." Archie admitted, "Though I can't for the life of me imagine why she'd care." He scratched the back of his head with a frown.
Emma snorted and scooted off the edge of the sofa to the floor to pet Pongo, Archie's Dalmatian, "Of course she isn't. And of course the entire town knows that now." Rolling her eyes, Emma continued, "The kids came from a bad place and Portland is overwhelmed. We can take care of the kids, but there's just something," she glanced up at Killian, "off about them, I guess."
"What do you mean 'off about them'?" Archie adjusted his glasses as he asked.
"They think we're their parents." Killian shook his head, "And that's not even the most impossible thing."
Archie chuckled, "Well I mean, if you've taken them in"
"No," Killian shook his head, "when we found them in the diner, they said they'd come looking for us because we're their parents. Before we even knew their names they were calling us 'mom' and 'dad'." Killian sighed, "And I mean, Archie, I know Emma and I have known each other for a while now, but we'd only just" he glanced down at Emma, "spent any considerable time together outside of work the night before they stumbled into town."
Archie flushed at Killian's insinuation that he and Emma had casually hooked up, "Okay, that is a little bit concerning." Archie slipped his glasses off and pulled a handkerchief out of his coat pocket. Absently cleaning the spectacles, he questioned, "Is that why you two feel so connected to them?"
Emma glanced up at Killian before murmuring, "Archie, they look like us. Even David noticed that. They look like us and they act like us and they have this insane theory that has us both concerned."
"What theory is that?" Archie slipped the glasses back on his face and tucked the cloth in his pocket.
"They think we're all bloody fairytale characters who were cursed to this land and don't remember who we are." Killian replied, "It's bloody insane, but when they talk about it, it sounds so realistic. Like it's become their joint reality for so long that they can no longer tell the difference between a fantasy and what's real."
"We'd like for you to talk to them, to assess what's going on." Emma requested, "Just tell us if we need to be concerned or if this is just a coping mechanism. The home they were in was really bad."
Archie stood and walked over to his desk, glancing down at his calendar he said, "Well, I have some time this afternoon at 4:00, why don't you bring them both by after school and I'll sit down with them together for an hour. Then the three of us can have lunch tomorrow while they're in school to really go through what I think is going and discuss an appropriate course of action."
"Thank you, Archie, it's appreciated." Killian held out two folders, "These are their files from Social Services in Boston. There's not much to them, but we thought it may help you." He set them on the shrink's desk. "We'll see you at 4:00." He held out his hand to shake Archie's.
Emma moved around the desk and gave the man a hug, squeezing him gently, "Thanks, Archie." Waving the two left him alone to review Henry and Ava's files.
OUAT
Henry had been hoping that at some point in the day he'd get to see Ava. He was worried that she wasn't doing well on her own. During the two years away from their parents he had become extremely protective of her.
"Hey, Henry." Henry's eyes were drawn to his grandmother. He had to bite his tongue and remember who she was in this land.
"Hi, Mrs. Nolan." He smiled softly at her and then down at the lunch his mom had packed him that morning.
"So," Mary Margaret settled on the bench next to his, "I know you're worrying about your little sister, I can see it, but Mrs. Benwick is a lot of fun and Ava will be fine."
"I know, I just, I just wish I could make sure."
Mary Margaret smiled softly at he boy, "Well, I brought something for you." She held a leather bound book in her hands, "You met my husband, Sheriff Nolan the other day didn't you?" Henry nodded, "Well, when he told me that Emma was enrolling you in school and then that you were going to be in my class, I wanted to do something to welcome you here, to make you feel happy and comfortable."
Henry eyed the book skeptically. He wasn't the biggest fan of reading. His mom and dad both loved it, but it hadn't stuck with him yet. "So you're showing me a book?"
His teacher laughed softly, "This isn't just any book, Henry, this is something special." Her green eyes sparkled at him. "I didn't even know I had it. I was digging through a closet at home this morning and it just appeared, almost as if by magic." The word 'magic' caught Henry's attention and he immediately straightened. "I was thinking about you and Ava and then suddenly I stumbled across it. It's like the book was meant for you." She set the book on the table so Henry could see the title, Once Upon a Time, written in a script he was more accustomed to seeing in his native land, "So I want you to have it. Maybe you can read it to Ava."
Tentatively, Henry reached out and touched the book, "Thank you, Mrs. Nolan."
Instinctively, Mary Margaret pulled the boy into a hug, "You're welcome, Henry." When the bell rang indicating lunch was over, Henry tucked the book protectively in his backpack. If the book magically appeared to his grandmother then it was something special, something he and Ava would need to go through that night after their parents thought they were tucked in for the evening.
OUAT
Henry was sulking. Emma kept looking over at Killian from the passenger seat of her bug. He was downright insulted that she and Killian thought it would be good for him and Ava to speak with a professional. And when Killian and Emma shut the door to Archie's office just as the clock chimed 4:00pm, Henry still hadn't said a word.
"I really didn't think he'd take it that poorly." Killian admitted, as he took a seat on the love seat in the waiting room of Archie's office.
Resting her head on his shoulder, Emma pulled his arm around her and tucked herself into his side, "Me neither. It makes me even more concerned about the two of them." She admitted.
"Archie will be able to form some sort of opinion on how to handle it all." He promised her, "For now, let's just be glad that they're here with us and they're safe." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
"You'll be a wonderful father, of that I have no doubts," Emma hesitated, trying to figure out how to put the doubts she had about herself into words.
"If you think for a moment that you'll be anything less than a perfect mother, you're wrong Emma." He tilted her chin up so he could lock gazes with her, "I promise you that we'll be fine. We make a magnificent team in all matters." He assured her.
Emma stared up at him. The words felt so familiar. The fear of not being able to handle children felt so familiar. She wasn't sure where it was coming from. Her brow creasing, she asked, "Have we had this conversation before?"
Killian stared down at her, "No, love. We only did just meet the little terrors." He reminded her.
Emma's frown deepened, "I guess so, it just feels like you've told me that before or something." She shrugged, "Like I was having deja vu."
"Well, darling, I think you're alone in that. Unless there's some other bloke you've had children with, perhaps the good doctor?" He suggested.
"Holy fuck, Killian, you're impossible." She shoved him lightly, "When did you become so jealous of Victor anyhow?"
Killian arched a brow in disbelief, "Don't tell me you've never seen the way that man looks at you?"
"Okay, I won't tell you I've never seen the way that man looks at me." Emma snarked.
"He stares at you like you're a bloody feast and he's a starving man. And I certainly don't approve." He huffed.
Emma chuckled softly and wrapped an arm around his torso, tangling their bodies together, "Don't worry, Jones, you're the only one I've wanted staring at me like that. And you're the only one I've noticed." She murmured.
"Glad to hear that, love."
OUAT
XOXO
MAS