A/N: Hey guys! If you're looking for some new PanFiction to read, I vote Sweat and Tears by Nellee, go and check it out.

On another note, I am here to update. Thank you so much for your reviews and favourites and follows, they are literally amazing. Thank you so much! I love you guys! xx

Enjoy! xx

Ash

xxx

Thirteen Months Ago

When Emma came up to her room nine months after Evie's wedding, it was with a loud sigh. Apparently, Evie's worst fears were being fulfilled quickly. Because news had just reached them that she had given birth to a baby girl, and even Snow and David had the decency to feign polite commentaries.

Emma threw her hand to the door in a loud punch the minute it shut. This was all her fault. How dare she have even considered that it was okay to let Evie go through with the wedding?! Go through with any of it…

"Now, now, Your Highness," a voice came from across the room. "I don't think the door deserves that kind of treatment."

Emma recognised his voice immediately. And it was with slight apprehension that she turned around, seeing him lying on her bed, sitting up against her pillows.

She knew that she should be scared, running, calling for the guards, doing anything other than…

Running at him and grabbing a pillow and hitting him repeatedly over the head with it.

"Damn you Killian Jones!" she was hissing. "How dare you come back after eleven months and just sneak up to my bedroom! How dare you even show your face here and, good Lord, what are you wearing?"

Emma's mouth dropped open slightly as she took in his appearance. The vest that was so low cut it should be illegal...the pants that were clinging to absolutely every inch of him...not to mention the leather.

"Do you like what you see, Princess?"

"Erm," her mouth was dry. Yes. She could feel her stomach doing little flips just by looking at him. "Yeah – NO! You left me!" Suddenly she realised that she was straddling him, and jumped off his body whilst he laughed.

"A pirate in your room and you're still concerned about the fact that I left you."

"A pirate?! WHERE! GUA –"

But his hand was covering her mouth within seconds, and Emma whispered at his proximity. He had one hand clutching her to him by the waist, the other tracing across her face. "Are you done, Princess?"

It was then that she realised why he'd chosen to sneak up here, why he had so much leather on, why there was a sword perched against the windowsill.

She gulped.

"You…"

"Well, when you find out that the thing you were sent to find in another realm has potential to kill millions, it kind of doesn't lend you to thinking honourably about them all."

"My father sent you to…"

"Oh no," Killian shook his head. "This he heard from King Highmark."

"Fiyori's father!"

"Indeed," Killian answered. "So, I handed in my resignation…so to speak. You'll notice I haven't been around much."

"Damn right, I noticed," Emma answered. "So you're a…"

"Pirate," Killian supplied helpfully. "And a damn good one at that."

"So you…kill people, and steal and rape and…"

"No," he growled. "No such thing. You know me Emma, do you really believe me capable? I fight no more men than I did as a naval officer. I steal no more than the bastards I steal from deserve. And I would never treat a woman so."

"So, you're really not a pirate at all then," Emma's brow furrowed.

"Grant me this one lie, Princess, and my reputation remains unharmed."

"What would you have me call you then," Emma asked, quirking her eyebrow. "I can't very well call you lieutenant anymore."

"Captain Jones, milady," he grinned, stepping back and giving a low bow, "At your service."

And pushing him backwards onto her bed, Emma climbed atop him and warned, "Oh, you'd better be."

xxx

Evelyn Asteri had held her daughter once in the past two weeks for a reason other than feeding. And even then, it was only because Fiyori had forced the child into her hands. She was barely opening her eyes, but when she did, it was to stare inquisitively at the unfamiliar face holding her.

"I brought you into this world, you may as well get used to seeing me," Evie said, looking down at the girl and saying softly. The baby gurgled before closing her eyes again and Evie shook her head with a loud sigh.

"Your Highness, your child shall one day rule our kingdom. Pray tell, what shall be our leader's name?"

Evelyn glanced down at the little girl, glad that Fiyori had at least given her some liberties.

"Natasha," Evie murmured, before repeating louder, "Natasha Asteria Highmark."

And the crowd applauded, though none of them knew the brave woman who died at sea whose name lived on in the baby who would one day rule their nation.

xxx

Present Day

"C'mon Ash," Evie was saying, bopping the thirteen month old on her hip as she whimpered unhappily, refusing to calm down. "I need to sleep, and so do you." Evie's eyes kept darting towards the door, searching for Killian to come back and put her to sleep. The child simply wasn't working for her.

The door swung open conveniently and Killian walked in, "I cleared out the spare room for Emma. Did you want me to take Ash?"

Evie was already passing her over into Killian's arms and he was looking at her worriedly. But the moment Ash began to babble to him, he returned his attention to the child. Trying to calm her down, but all she kept doing was babbling. He threw her up in the air a few times and she laughed. But coming back down, she said words a little more distinct than babbling.

"Dada!"

Evie thought she misheard and kept folding clothes, ignoring the beat that her heart had skipped. But then she heard Ash repeating it.

Her first word.

Evie spun round to face them and Killian was looking up at her questioningly. But it wasn't a, 'what-the-hell-is-happening' face. It was an 'is-it-okay-that-this-is-her-first-word' face.

"Have you been saying that around her?" Evie said sharply. Babies learned by imitation – they both knew that. At least Killian had the decency to look ashamed.

"I thought-"

"You thought?" Evie was livid as she glared at him from across the room. "You thought you could ever be her father?"

"I'm as good as she's got!" Killian answered, trying to keep his frustration contained from the child in his arms whose brow was furrowing with Evie's raised voice. "You've barely touched her in the past four days. It's almost like…"

Evie's glare hardened beyond compare. He knew better than to reference those months after she'd given birth. And he turned away, clutching Ash to him.

"Give her to me," Evie said, stalking across the room, a quiet rage stilling in her eyes. Killian shied away, his hand placed protectively over Ash's head.

"She is my daughter. I don't care what kind of hold you think you have on her Killian, but she is mine. She is the only reason I'm still here and I'm not going to let you take her away from me."

"I'm not trying to –"

"Then give her to me." Killian reluctantly handed her over and Evie clutched Ash to her, tightly and possessively. The only good thing she had throughout everything else that had fallen apart.

"Get out, Killian."

"Evie," he pleaded.

"I said get out."

And so he left her room, but he didn't leave the stronghold. Instead he sought the only person he knew could give him any sort of comfort. And he needed it. Evie couldn't just shut him out like that…how long had he been there for her? Helping her? Being her shoulder; her right hand man.

He breathed out before he lifted his hand on the door. It wasn't painted or well kept in any way. This was the farthest corner of the stronghold where the rooms were left if they should ever need them.

With a few sharp knocks he heard nothing. But after a few moments, he heard the sound of covers being thrown off and the dull sound of bare feet on stone. Clutching at herself in the cold, Emma opened the door warily, relaxing when she saw who it was.

"Jones," she breathed in relief, letting the door open. But her brow furrowed. "What are you doing here?"

"I…" he trailed off. Why was he here? Certainly not to take advantage of everything they could have been…

"I need someone to talk to."

"Oh," Emma said, her eyes widening, before leaning up and kissing him. It was delicate at first, like she was trying to remember what it felt like to kiss him. But he pulled away reluctantly, searching out her green eyes.

"Just talk," he whispered.

"Oh," she flushed in embarrassment. It hadn't been a euphemism. "Okay," she continued, slightly frowning when she saw the troubled look in his eye. She pulled away from him and left the door open. Killian closed it and kicked off his boots before realising that the only thing in the room was a bed, a bedside table and a bag with Emma's clothes in it.

But the minute Emma was settled on her bed, she patted the space beside her, expecting him to settle in there. He was hesitant, but he didn't fight it. This was Emma. When he sat against her pillow, she pulled his arm up to settle around her shoulders and leaned into him. He felt a wave of warm familiarity settle in then as Emma leaned into his chest. Her hand picked up his hook, running her fingers along its curved edge delicately.

"Tell me," she murmured softly.

And tell her, he did.

Additional A/N: So, I realised after I wrote this, that some of you have different accents and this might work weirdly, but in mine, the Ash in Natasha has the 'apple' a, so Ash works normally. =P

Also, Queen of Dorks pointed out the difference from the pronunciation in Evelyn and Evie. Evie is pronounced like the pokemon Eevee whereas Evelyn is pronounced with a hollow E (as in end). It's just that weird thing I do, like how Pan used to call Ella 'E' even though it had a hollow E sound.

I confuse myself with all these E names, I really need to find a new letter…