Kitsis and Horowitz still hold the rights to the characters but that won't stop me from bringing them out to play.

"Uncle David can we make s'mores tonight? Mom made sure to pack the good chocolate and not that stuff you got from that weird hippie store in New York."

Killian stifled a laugh at the offended look on David's face. Henry was dashing around the campsite, an excited Roland at his heels, trying to figure out where he could help out the most.

"Hey, that chocolate is imported and very good if you'd give it another try," David grumbled as he unloaded a cooler from the bed of his truck.

"Ew, no," Henry said wrinkling his nose as he watched Robin and August trying to set up one of the tents. "It tastes like dirt, not chocolate."

Laughter broke out across the campsite making Henry beam and David scowl. Killian was still chuckling as he picked up the last of the duffel bags from the bed of his own truck and dropped them to the ground. He figured if there was anything in them that broke it was the owner's fault for bringing something fragile on a camping trip. The bottles of beer in the coolers notwithstanding.

When Robin had told him they were going camping he had assumed he meant the lads from Locksley's with Roland tagging along. He had gone on a similar trip with them when he first moved to Storybrooke and was still working with them all. It had thrown him for a loop when Robin corrected his assumption and told him it was Henry's trip and he had wanted Killian to go along.

He was surprised further when he realized that Robin and Roland were the only other people going that he knew as more than an acquaintance. He didn't even think he knew Henry well enough to be invited along at all, let alone with his somewhat uncle, his godfather, and the man and son who'd been in his life for far longer than Killian had. Robin had just shaken his head when Killian said as much and told him to make sure he didn't make any plans for Labor Day weekend.

"Killian, is it true that you can navigate by the stars?" Henry's face popped up over the side of his truck.

"Me personally or anyone?" Killian asked as he grabbed a shovel and a small axe before hopping down to the ground.

"You, I guess? Mom said that people used to do it all the time and that you used to be a sailor. Plus when we went to see the Intrepid it didn't seem like using the stars would be helpful on a boat that big."

"The size of the ship doesn't matter, lad, the stars are sometimes a far more reliable source than GPS. I haven't had the opportunity to do it in a long while but it's a skill I'll never forget," Killian said with certainty as he passed the tools over to Henry and bent down to pick up the bags.

It was one of the few memories he had of his father, hazy and incomplete but still hanging on. He had spent a long time ensuring that Killian and Liam were able to effectively use a sextant, even going so far as to keep them up late on school nights out on his small boat in the North Sea. Killian knew that that, more than anything, influenced both him and his brother to pursue a life on the water.

"Neat. I'd like to learn something like that. All old timey and kinda like a special skill," Henry said wistfully as he followed Killian to the tents.

"I could teach you if you'd like," Killian offered as he set the bags in front of the tent that was already set up.

"Really?" Henry asked excitedly.

"Sure, you'd have to talk to your Mom about it first, as it will involve some late nights and perhaps even some sailing."

"Cool," Henry said with awe. "She'll totally say yes 'cause it'll be like an after school program but cooler. Plus she'll be able to go on more girl's nights without having to hope Uncle David or August are free."

"What do you mean, lad?" Killian tried to keep the rampant curiosity out of his voice.

"She likes to hang out with Aunt Mary Margaret and Ruby when she's upset about something and doesn't want me to know. They've been hanging out a lot since we got back from New York," Henry sighed, a tired, worn sound that belied his age. He shook himself and plastered a big smile on his face, "Do you think Uncle David will let me chop up a tree for firewood?"

Killian's head spun with the abrupt change in topic, "Probably not a whole tree but it never hurts to ask."

Henry's smile relaxed. He handed Killian the shovel and gripped the axe in both hands, careful to keep the blade away from his body and glancing around him to make sure Roland wasn't underfoot. With a semi-salute with the axe Henry spun on his heel and traipsed away to where August was struggling to get the final tent pole to remain in place.

Killian became aware that he was being watched and turned to find David regarding him warily. He hadn't had a conversation with the man since him and his wife had been at the nursery for their garden but he'd had come away with the distinct feeling that David would do anything for the ones he loved. Even if it meant ceding to Mary Margaret's disdain of the windmill he'd had his eye on, much to Killian's amusement.

Keeping in mind that David was a trained marksman Killian gave him a polite smile and forced himself to relax as he strolled to the ring of stones that marked the fire pit. It wasn't that he was afraid of the man, far from it in fact, but he knew that if anything started on the trip it wouldn't end there and he had apparently already fallen a few pegs where Emma was concerned. Getting on the bad side of one of her closest friends wouldn't do him any favors.

Grabbing a trashcan Killian started shoveling the ashes of previous fires into it, clearing the pit out for their own use, and trying not to think about Emma and her abrupt change in demeanor since she had returned from her trip. It worked for all of three minutes. There were a lot of ashes and no one was around to distract his thoughts, not even an errant jay or squirrel to focus on.

After their date he had spent a ridiculous amount of time 'mooning' as Will put it. He hadn't said anything to his cousin, of course, but somehow the idiot had figured it out. Killian had made him swear on pain of death that he wouldn't spread it all over town, or even mention it to Robin no matter how much money he was bound to make. Will had been taken aback but agreed.

It had taken a day or two before Killian realized why he felt lighter, freer, and why the corners of his mouth wouldn't stop lifting into a grin. He was happy and he was fully open to the possibility that he could fall for Emma. The heartbreak he had been living with since Milah's death was all but gone, just a small pang from time to time. Fear of the guilt that he thought would assail him at daring to move on was just that, a fear. Knowing Milah, the woman she had been, she wouldn't begrudge him happiness, she would have even pushed him harder than Will or Robin to find it. In the depths of his grief he had forgotten that detail about her.

That wasn't to say he wasn't plagued by self doubt and hesitance at how to proceed. Emma's reaction after their kiss had shown Killian more of her character than she probably realized. Physical intimacy wasn't the issue, far from it in fact. It was the intimacy of the emotional kind that had had her avoiding his eyes and waiting until he wasn't standing right next to her to confirm her hopes for a second date. He wanted nothing more than to take her to one of the best restaurants in town but he knew it was probably too much, too big of a gesture on his part.

Killian had decided that starting things small and slow was the best way to move forward. He had started leaving various flowers around places he knew she'd be the one to find them. Her car was an easy target, a guaranteed find for her and the least likely to be pilfered by a passerby. The greater challenge came from putting the blooms in locations she frequented often but might not get to in time to find them. His riskiest placement had been at the booth they sat in time and again at Granny's. He'd arrived early one Sunday to set it on the table, unaware that Ruby was working but glad she would make sure Emma got the fiery orange Gerbera daisy. Even if it did mean he was subject to her questions and subjecting Emma to the same.

Along with all the flowers he began inviting her to have lunches with him. He made sure to keep it an informal thing. Instead of directly asking her Killian decided to make a game of it. The first time he sent her a photo of his work's time clock he wasn't sure she would understand. Waiting at the diner in their booth he had fiddled with his phone, writing and rewriting texts explaining himself and trying not to obviously watch the door. Moments before he finally sent a clarifying text Emma entered the diner and smiled when she saw him sitting there.

It wasn't long before it became a regular thing between them. He would text her and head to the diner, then she would join him a few moments after he arrived. Emma was busy preparing for an expo that Regina had dumped upon her and had told him that while she was looking forward to it she had absolutely no free time. The hint that she made sure to make time for their lunches was not lost on him.

During that time Robin had called him with the invitation to go camping. When Killian had asked Emma about it at their next lunch she had just shrugged and said that the whole thing was really his idea so of course Henry would want him there. Henry repeated the sentiment when he received a text from him that night, using Emma's phone. Killian found was constantly trying to disentangle two conversations from one phone number. Although Henry was the one more likely to message him first than Emma.

The last time they'd had lunch together Henry had joined them. Which had been a surprise and not an unwelcome one. Killian could tell that Emma was letting him into her life, quietly and slowly but in the only way she knew how. He relished in it, showing her that he not only enjoyed her company but that of her son's as well. When the lunch was over and she had been leaving the diner he had stopped her to wish her luck with a gentle tug on her wrist, his thumb sliding over her pulse point. He liked to think he hadn't imagined her eyes darting to his lips or her nearly imperceptible sway towards him, even when she only smiled at him and grasped his hand as she thanked him.

They had exchanged a few texts while she had been away at the expo and even less after she arrived in New York. Killian had figured she was busy, it wasn't as though they had talked every day before she left. He didn't expect her to suddenly change her habits, no matter how many times his own fingers itched to send her a message just to say hello.

His consternation, what it was that had him shoveling ashes with increasing vigor, was Emma's demeanor after her and Henry had returned to Storybrooke. She had shown up to the diner when he invited her the day after she had gotten back but she had seemed distracted, only answering his questions with short, perfunctory answers. When he suggested they grab a drink at the Rabbit Hole later that night she had avoided his eyes and made an excuse about still needing to unpack. She didn't answer any of his texts after that.

Henry, on the other hand, had taken to texting him almost non-stop. Killian had almost stopped feeling the thrill of anticipation when Emma's name illuminated his phone. Henry had seemed to know that something was amiss with his mother, even though he hadn't said as much to Killian. Instead he had sent nothing but message after message about their camping trip, eager to be in the woods, despite having only recently returned from the city. Aware that Emma was most likely reading the exchanges between him and her son Killian kept the conversation focused on the trip and not the reason behind Henry wanting to escape.

He hadn't even had a glimpse of her before he left with the others for their trip. They had met up at Robin's house before heading out and Henry had arrived seated between David and August in David's truck. Killian had been disappointed and frustrated but hid it behind a grin and feigned eagerness to be on the road. His dour mood had only lightened once they hit the hour mark of the drive and woodland had completely taken over the scenery flying past the windows. Until Henry had mentioned outright that his mother was upset for some reason, that is, and Killian wasn't the only one to notice.

"You should talk to him."

Killian huffed in surprise and was rewarded with a plume of ashes in his face. Coughing he turned an annoyed gaze on Robin as he approached.

"Talk to whom, mate? In case you haven't noticed there's naught but us males out here."

"It's a boys' trip, what else would you expect?" Robin fished a handkerchief out of his back pocket and offered it to Killian as he came to a stop by the firepit. "August was saying that Henry was quiet the whole ride up here. He and David were a bit concerned because apparently it was something Henry didn't want to discuss with them."

"What makes you think he'll want to talk to me? I'm still trying to figure out why I was invited in the first place," Killian murmured as he wiped his face off.

"Sometimes I wonder if you and Will are truly cousins but then moments like this happen and I know you both inherited the same thick skulls from some unfortunate relative," Robin was shaking his head in mock disgust.

"Lay off the family, Locksley, and get to the point," Killian sighed as he went back to shoveling the last of the ashes into the trashcan.

"Henry may be twelve but he's not blind. He sees the same thing the rest of us do but without all the bullshit us adults attach to it. In fact, he probably has a better grasp on what's going on between you and Emma than even you two do," Robin chuckled as Killian's jaw dropped open in shock. "He knows you're important to his mom, even if neither of you are ready to admit it. That's why you're here, on this trip, with the rest of us."

"And I should be the one to talk to him because?" Killian said unnerved, trying to process what Robin was saying.

"Because maybe he needs to talk to someone that is still a bit objective when it comes to listening to him. David and August might not give him the types of answers he wants because they'd prefer keep him happy rather than keep him informed. A boon for you I'd say."

"Who's to say that I'd give him any kind of sound advice or anything worthwhile?" Killian felt mildly panicked at the thought of possibly damaging Henry emotionally in some way.

"I'd say you did a fairly good job on his birthday. Just keep that in mind and think it over, worst case he'll just want to know everything about you instead," Robin clapped him on the back and called out to the rest of the crew. "Alright, lads, who's up for exploring our home for the next three days?"

It wasn't until the next afternoon that Killian was presented with an opportunity to talk with Henry. He had mulled the idea over carefully while he watched and noticed that Henry was putting on a show for David and August. When their backs were turned, however, the mask would slip and Killian was afforded glimpses of the confused and sad boy underneath. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Henry needed someone to talk to but didn't want to burden the people he was closest to. Killian made up his mind to try to talk to Henry but the instant he did he found it nigh near impossible to get a minute alone with him.

Another hindrance Killian encountered was the fact that David seemed suspicious of him and kept a watchful eye on him. Somehow he knew that it everything to do with how he seemingly and suddenly dropped into Emma and Henry's life. Killian would have been suspicious too if someone like him appeared out of nowhere and crashed into the lives of people he held dear. He knew the portrait he painted: a foreigner who when he came to town skirted just on the right side of the law and then essentially disappeared for months until bursting brightly onto the scene with no one to vet for him besides a cousin whose own reputation was hardly stellar and a former boss who saw the best in everyone. It wouldn't have been surprising if David hadn't run a background check on him already and if he had Killian was shocked he was allowed on the camping trip at all.

In the end it was Henry that unknowingly gave Killian the window he needed. He had been itching to chop up wood for their fire since Killian had handed him the axe. Despite having brought enough split logs with them to last through an entire week Henry was adamant about taking advantage of what the forest could provide them. August had finally volunteered to take Henry into the woods but Henry had insisted Killian be the one to go with him. The suggestion had earned a lot of raised eyebrows and a frown of disapproval from David but in the end Henry's insistence won out. Killian was amused when he led Henry on a trial into the woods five minutes later with the axe in hand and a promise not to lose anymore fingers.

"What about this one?" Henry asked eagerly, pointing to a small spindly tree swaying gently in the wind.

"No, lad, it's a sapling. Not only will it burn poorly but it's still a young tree, perhaps as old as you. It wouldn't do to cut it down before it has a chance to grow into its mighty potential."

They had walked along the trail for ten minutes, Henry pointing out various trees to chop up and Killian gently prodding him along. As they went along he could find no way to casually inquire as to what was troubling Henry. He hadn't had much interactions with kids, aside from the occasional moments with Roland, and none whatsoever with pre-teen boys who happened to be the son of the woman he was interested in. He was at a loss until once again Henry came to his aid.

"Mom always says ominous stuff like that. Like, how I shouldn't take living in Storybrooke for granted because the rest of the world isn't as fairy tale perfect as home kinda is. It must be a grown-up thing," Henry said, eyes downcast as he kicked at a stone in their path.

"Perhaps it is. I remember my father would rhapsodize about how resisting the call of the fates was a fool's endeavor. It wasn't until much later that I understood what he meant," Killian sighed as he moved to sit on a fallen log on the side of the trail.

"What did he mean?" Henry asked as he sat down beside him.

"That he was already planning on abandoning us at the first opportunity," Killian said with a self-deprecating smile. "The fates apparently had plans for him that no longer involved us."

Killian remembered waking up the morning his father had left, the only complete memory involving his father he had. He had woken up early on a Saturday morning, hoping to beat Liam to the t.v. for once. It was early in the summer, they had been out of school for only a week and it had been mere days until Liam's thirteenth birthday. The day had dawned cloudless, the sky an unbroken blue expanse, a seemingly perfect day.

As he had bound down the stairs he had only been thinking about what cereals they had in the cupboard and whether or not Liam would like the gift he had saved up to buy for him. In his distraction he hadn't noticed his brother standing and staring at the front door. When he crossed the hallway from the kitchen to the den he finally caught sight of Liam. Killian had been disappointed, sure that he'd be forced to watch something he didn't want to, then he realized that something was very wrong. Liam had turned to look at him, his eyes red but dry, and told him that their father was gone.

"Where did he go?" Henry asked quietly.

"I'm not quite sure, I haven't heard from my father in twenty-five years. I don't even know if he's still alive," Killian shrugged and looked over at Henry. "I survived though, I had my brother and eventually our aunt found out what happened and took us in."

Will's mother had picked them up from school two years after their father had left and told them they would be staying with her. They had been shuffled from home to home up until that point, Liam adamantly refusing to be separated from Killian the entire time, which resulted in them running away a few times when it was suggested. While she wasn't their true aunt but their mother's cousin, she was the only family they had left and the courts granted her guardianship until Liam turned eighteen. She had told them she would have found them sooner if only she had known what had happened.

"But where was your mom?" Henry's eyes were wide with concern.

"She had died a few years before. Cancer. I don't think my father ever got over it," Killian sighed again and dug into the dirt with the heel of his boot.

He had only been five when it happened and he had even fewer memories of his mother than he did of his father. Liam had been ten and made sure to tell Killian stories about their wonderful raven haired mother before they went to sleep at night for years. To him she was more a character from a story than a mother but if he concentrated hard enough he could picture her grey-blue eyes looking down at him and the scent of honeysuckle still made him ache for the comfort of her arms around his shoulders.

"I think my mom's upset about my dad," Henry told him quietly as he scuffed his own heel in the dirt.

"What makes you think that, lad?"

"I heard her on the phone with Aunt Mary Margaret the other day. She was whispering so I wouldn't hear anything but I heard her say his name. When she hung up she looked really sad and made mac and cheese for dinner."

"Mac and cheese?" Killian prompted when Henry didn't elaborate.

"Kraft mac and cheese, you know, the one with powder cheese," Henry smiled briefly. "We only have it when she's not feeling good and she doesn't even make a vegetable to go with it to make it 'healthier'. We haven't had it since last winter."

"Really? Seems like the ideal meal choice for your growing bones."

"Oh, I'd eat it all the time if I could but Mom doesn't trust me using the stove yet and she likes to argue that it's not that great after a while. I just think it makes her remember a lot of things she doesn't want to," Henry said as he looked down and focused on the marks he was gouging into the dirt.

"Like your father?" Killian asked, unable to help himself.

"Yeah, he sent my mom to jail and disappeared. I don't even think he knows I exist. Guess the fates had different plans for him too."

Killian was surprised by the matter of fact tone of Henry's voice. When he had finally understood that his father wasn't coming back Killian had been upset and later angry. It was an anger that he still carried with him. He could feel it threatening to break loose at the injustice of Henry having to deal with a father's abandonment along with not having any idea of whom the man could be.

"Would you like to meet him, if you could?" Killian asked, curious.

"Maybe? I dunno. He really hurt my mom, she doesn't even say his name when I'm around, but…"

"He's still your father."

"Yeah," Henry sighed wistfully. "I don't even know if he'd like me."

The rage and heartache that coursed through Killian at Henry's statement surprised him. He took a calming breath, knowing Henry was paying close attention to his every move.

"Henry, you're an extraordinary boy who loves adventure, is exceptionally bright, and from the concern you show for your mother you love with a ferocity unrivaled," Killian slid off the log and knelt in front of Henry, putting both hands on his shoulders. "It is an honor to know you and if your father ever has the opportunity to meet you I'm absolutely sure he'd feel the same."

"Really?" Henry looked at Killian with wide, uncertain eyes.

"Absolutely," he said emphatically, as he stood up and gave Henry a bright smile. "Now, this log we've been sitting on seems to be exactly what we've been looking for. That is, if you still intend to provide more wood for our fire tonight."

Henry glanced down at the log he was still perched on. Killian could tell he was still mulling over what he had been told but the unease had disappeared.

"Are we gonna chop up the whole log?" Henry asked, seemingly daunted by the task.

"No, lad," Killian laughed and handed Henry the axe. "We're merely going to take a few whacks at the end over there and on a few of the branches. I'm fairly certain the lads back at camp haven't burned through all our wood while we've been gone, so we'll just bring them an armful or two more."

It took them an hour to chop up enough wood to tire Henry out and supply them with a satisfactory amount of wood and fresh blisters on their palms. As they walked back along the trail towards their campsite Henry eagerly shared with Killian how excited he was to be a junior high schooler. While he listened Killian felt a monumental shift in his chest, akin to the twisting of his gut when Emma was near. He realized, gazing down at Henry and smiling at his enthusiasm for school of all things, that he well and truly cared for the boy.

It was a revelation to know that he did care, that he could after everything that had ever happened to him. When they emerged into the camp, arms laden with sticks and hunks of wood, Killian was laughing heartily at one of Henry's stories and feeling lighter than he had in years. Not even the thought of Emma's attempt at pulling away could cast a shadow over his good cheer. Killian was more determined than ever to show her that he was worthy of a place in her, and her son's, life.

A.N.: I love the Captain Cobra dynamic and I love the idea the Henry would learn a piece of Killian's past that Emma doesn't already know.

Did y'all see that photo of Colin Ginny posted on the OUAT Instagram? I may have turned slapped a title on it and made it into a cover of a romance novel and I may have written a fake synopsis to go with it. I might also have put it under the 'my writing' tag on my Tumblr (not that I actually intend on writing an story based off it).

Until next week my friends.