It was done. It was bloody done.
And they had succeeded.
Liam took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the crisp night's air. The money was secured back in the warehouse, they'd discarded their SWAT gear and were heading to the rendezvous point. He reached for LJ and clasped his little brother's shoulder.
"You did well, kid," he said, his heart bursting with pride. He looked at Henry, who was walking along beside LJ. "You both, did."
LJ's smile was brief and small, but it was a start. Leaving the two of them to enjoy the high of their first big heist, Liam fell behind with Nemo and Poseidon.
"Well done, boy."
Liam smiled. "Admit it, Poseidon. You didn't think we would pull it off."
Poseidon shook his head. "I had my doubts, but they had nothing to do with the job, Liam. I simply wondered if you'd forgotten the things that truly matter in life."
An image of Belle rushed through his head and Liam held Poseidon's stare with solemnity. "I hadn't." They've reached the fountain near the Baelfire, the place where they were supposed to meet. Liam ran a hand through his hair, his nerves finally kicking in. "I just have to hope she hasn't either."
Nemo reached for him, engulfing him in a fatherly hug that Liam hadn't realized he needed until he sank into it. Liam held on, finally letting every bad moment of the past few years go. He was ready to start a new life.
"I'm still mad at you, Liam Jones." Belle's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he stepped out of Nemo's embrace. Turning around, he found her standing next to Ursula, only a few feet away from him.
She was still dressed elegantly, a blue halter neck dress that went above her knees, four-inch black heels and a caramel coat. The flash in her eyes confirmed her anger was real, but there was also a hint of a smile curving her lips. When he glanced back up her eyes were sparkling with mischief and that was when he noticed there was a small travel bag sitting at her feet. One could only hope… and Liam Jones really wanted to hope.
He opened his arms and gave her that smile he knew would melt her. "Think about it this way - I have a lifetime ahead of me to make it up to you."
She ran into his arms, crashing her lips against his. Liam caught her, lifting her from the ground as he let himself go, kissing her with everything he had. From behind them there were sounds of throat clearing, wolf-whistling and a few 'get a room' comments - the last of which sounded suspiciously like Milah - but Liam didn't let go. He couldn't even if he wanted to, as Belle was holding onto him as much as he was.
When they finally broke their kiss, he gently lowered her down to the ground and rested his forehead against hers. He took a moment to simply breathe her in.
"Liam..." Belle started, her voice laced with concern. "You know he probably called the cops, don't you?"
"Aye… I've already called my parole officer. I need to go back and face the music for a while, and Nemo has arranged for some legal advice." He pulled her closer to him, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "But he understands…"
"Understands what?"
He kissed her again.
"That I had to get you back".
/-/
Killian adjusted the cuffs of his shirt and ran a hand along the lapels of his suit jacket. His shirt was wrinkled and his suit was covered in dust. The beginning of a bruise was visible on his cheek and his ribs were sore. He ran a hand through his hair, wincing slightly at the pain as he tried to put himself to sorts. He was going to have to accept that he wasn't going to be more polished than this tonight. It would have to do.
He stepped out of the police station with his hands in his pocket and a small spring to his step. They had foreseen this - there was little they hadn't predicted with this job, with the exception of Emma Swan - and Nemo had already placed a couple of calls while Killian was being taken into the police station. There was nothing on him - nor would there be. Plus it didn't hurt that Nemo was more well-liked than Gold by pretty much everyone in this town, including the police.
Killian closed his eyes and took a deep breath. While the night was still too warm for his taste, there was a soft breeze that brought a chilled edge with it. It felt wonderful to fill his lungs with it, as if a new life was starting. When he opened his eyes, it seemed that new life had conjured before him, because Emma Swan was walking towards him. Her blonde hair loose and down, its wavy curls resting on her shoulders. She wore no makeup, tight jeans, a battered t-shirt, and a red leather jacket.
She was a vision… and he could only hope she were real.
He let a soft smile come to his lips as she approached him and he could confirm that she was, in fact, very real.
"Swan…" he couldn't help the cheeky tone or the wistful smile. "What brings you to this fine establishment on this of all evenings?"
She tilted her head, her lips twisting in what he thought was an adorable way. "I was coming to bail you out."
"Would you do that for me? Really?" The questions left his lips without prompting, and he bit his lower lip to refrain for making more of an embarrassment of himself. But oh well, in for a penny, in for a dozen million dollars. "While I appreciate the gesture, as you can see, love, I had everything under control."
She took a step towards him, and stood just a hairbreadth's away from him. "Do you, Jones?"
He lowered his eyes to her lips. "I'd like to think I do."
Her lips brushed his, soft and warm, and with one single movement, she'd upended his world again. Without hesitation, he brought her flush against him, his hands cradling her face and angling her head so he could kiss her with abandon.
A minute, an hour, a decade later, he finally pulled away, reaching to put a strand of hair behind her ear and tucking Emma at his side. Killian knew the moment had come and he couldn't hold back the truth from her anymore.
Besides, he didn't want to.
Taking a deep breath for courage, he started walking, his eyes on the street. "You know, pulling a job like this one is not easy. It requires a lot of planning, careful execution, and selecting the perfect associates."
"Are you trying to get into my pants by impressing me with your knowledge of criminal activity?" She cocked an eyebrow at him, her lips twitching. "I have to say, I'm not impressed."
"Of course not, but hush. I'm trying to make a point." He cleared his throat as he picked his words carefully. "We had a lot of friends coming to help with this, but we were still missing a greaseman. Lucky for us, I found one."
"You did?"
"I did. Wonderful kid: smart, fast, talented. He's a bloody marvel." He stopped, turning to face her. "His name is Henry Mills, he's sixteen years old and he ran away from the foster system a few years ago. He's been pulling jobs here and there while performing in a circus." From the inside pocket of his suit jacket, he pulled the stack of paper he'd been carrying with him all night. He handed them to her with shaking hands. "He has a past that I think you'll find interesting."
She shot him a puzzled expression as she took the papers, her eyes scanning the first one. Killian swallowed, shuffling his feet as he waited for Emma to read them all. She did. Three times. She scanned one page and then another, and then back to the first, over and over again. It was killing him, but he didn't want to push her.
When she finally lifted her head, her eyes had a haunted expression and her voice was barely above a whisper. "Are you sure - absolutely sure?"
Killian nodded. "One hundred percent, Emma. I wouldn't be showing you those if I wasn't. I had Smee looking into it. You haven't meet him, but he can get his hands on anything, and he always gets it right."
There was a moment of silence between them as he watched the information finally sink in.
And then she punched him in the stomach.
The breath went out of him, the pain of his already sore ribs spiking back up. He coughed and winced as he bent over in pain, holding onto his ribs. "Careful, darling. I've already taken a beating tonight."
Emma punched him on the shoulder without missing a beat. "You turned my son into a criminal!"
She had a point here. Almost. Straightening to full height, he caught her next punch with his hand. "He already was one, Swan. I just made sure he pulled a job where he was protected by people who would treat him like family, and got enough money to retire…"
That seemed to bring Emma out of her violent streak and into a different state. Her hands started to shake and her eyes filled with tears, the sight of it breaking his heart. Reaching for her, he pulled her into a tight hug, and let her sob into his shirt. "It's alright, love. It's alright."
"Was he- was he there that night? The night I tailed you?"
"Yes, he was… he's surprisingly not bad at blackjack, considering you're so terrible at it." She smiled against his chest and he placed a soft kiss on her head. "He's a wonderful lad, Emma. I can't wait for you to meet him."
"Does he know?"
"Smee is probably breaking the news to him right now. Since I wasn't sure I would make it out in one piece tonight, I took precautions." She pulled away to meet his eyes and he wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "If I didn't make it, Liam would have found you."
She pressed into him, her kiss both sweet and furious at the same time. "Damn you, Killian Jones," she whispered against his lips.
"Come, Emma, let's go meet your son. He's waiting for you."
/-/
The Vegas Strip was still bustling with activity at this time of the night, but, much like New York, it was a city that never slept. Emma fidgeted next to Killian as he pulled his car into a fancy driveway, her heart beating a mile a minute. He reached to squeeze her hand. "He's going to love you, Swan."
She waited for him to open the car door before stepping out and leaning into him. "You don't know that." It was the first time she'd ever voiced that fear out loud. Tonight was the first time she'd ever mentioned the son she'd given up to any living soul. She'd come close to confessing her deepest secret once upon a time, and it was to the same man she was now pressed against as they walked into the entrance of the house. In the end, it all began and ended with Killian Jones and her quest to find her son. Funny how those two people were now intertwined with each other in a way Emma was only beginning to comprehend.
"I know he will." Killian stopped and turned to face her, his eyes scanning her face. "After all, what's not to love?"
His words cause a catch in her throat, leaving her speechless. Killian gave her a soft smile before he grabbed her hand, lacing her fingers with his and pulling her towards the house and into the patio inside. A few people were scattered around in groups, making small talk and drinking glasses of champagne. In the corner she saw Belle standing next to Liam. Belle caught her eye and gave her a small wave.
Emma was about to wave back but her hand stopped mid-way at the sight of the brown-haired boy who was talking with Liam. He was flanked by a young man who looked slightly familiar, and Nemo.
Emma stopped breathing. "Is that him?"
"Aye, right next to LJ, my half-brother," Killian confirmed, his hand anchoring her to the moment.
She didn't know what to say, or what to do. Should she just go to him and introduce herself? Her heart beat a staccato rhythm against her chest as she stood there frozen. But at that moment, Henry looked in their direction. His eyes widened and he hastily made his way towards them. His lips curved in a tentative smile and Emma held her breath.
"Mom?" he asked tentatively as he reached her, and Emma lost the battle against the tears that were coming to her eyes.
"Hey, kid." Her voice sounded as small and tentative as his. She only barely noticed Killian letting go of her hand and stepping away to give them privacy, because she couldn't take her eyes away from the boy standing in front of her, looking at her with awe.
Suddenly, he was speaking a mile a minute. "I wanted to find you... but when I ran away before turning eighteen, I couldn't get my hands on my files. I tried to hack the system a couple of times, but I'm not that good." He averted his eyes for a moment, but he soon was looking at her again, as if he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Emma could understand the feeling. "I was - I was waiting to get more into this crew to ask Smee to do it for me… but-"
Emma's hand rested on his arm, the move slow and hesitant. "It's ok, kid. You don't' need to explain anything. I- I should be the one explaining things to you. I'm sure you have so many questions…"
Henry rested his hand on top of hers and he gave her a beautiful smile, bright as Vegas' neon lights, before throwing himself into her arms.
"You found me, mom."
Emma hugged him tightly, fiercely, letting the tears pour down her cheeks. "Killian found you - for me."
/-/
He ached to go to her. Letting go of her hand and stepping away had been one of the hardest things he'd ever done, and yet Killian knew this wasn't his moment to intrude. This moment belonged only to Emma and Henry. Still, he hovered nearby, at a polite enough distance, but not really able to walk away completely.
LJ came up beside him, his hands crammed into his pockets. "Well, they really let you out quickly."
Killian shrugged. "They had nothing on me, and Nemo was gracious enough to make a couple of phone calls." His eyes darted once again to Emma and Henry, now standing closely, heads bent, whispering to each other.
LJ followed Killian's stare. "So... the kid is the lost son of the woman you're desperately in love with. And she was working with Gold - against you - for a chance to have his records. The records she couldn't get her hands on the last time because you ruined it for her in Tuscany."
The amusement in his little brother's voice was hard to miss. Killian smirked as he reached to clasp his brother's shoulder. "I think that is a good summary, yes."
"Oh boy, there's never a dull moment in this family, is it?"
"I'm afraid not," Liam called behind them and they both turned to find him, Belle, and Nemo standing there. "But I do foresee some quiet times in our near future. Gods know we need them." He pulled Belle even closer to him, and his eyes met Killian's. "What I'm dying to know is… how come she didn't maim you when she found out you got her son into the business?"
"She did," Emma answered, her voice carrying a clear hint of mischief. She and Henry had made their way towards them. Killian turned to meet her eyes and held out his hand.
She took it and he pulled her closer to him. "Everyone, this is Emma Swan, the one from Tuscany."
Liam and LJ nodded their heads and Belle beamed at them. LJ, sensing the mood and Killian's need for a quiet moment with Emma, broke the moment by nudging Henry with his shoulder.
"Come, Henry. Now that we're practically family, I'm going to play nice and teach how to bluff at poker."
Henry didn't rise to the bait. Instead he picked an invisible fleck from his jacket. "Thank you for the offer, but the best brother Jones - that is Killian - already taught me."
LJ snorted. "Oh, burn. You're going to pay for that one, circus kid." He started walking towards the inside of the house. "Come, I'll bet you a million that you cannot beat me."
Henry trailed behind him. "You're on, nimble fingers."
"Wait a minute! I want in." Liam said, following them inside and pulling Belle with him by their joined hands. "I'll show you all who the best Jones is."
"And me," Nemo walked leisurely towards the inside, his confidence clear in every slow, sure step. "I'm going to show you all how this is done."
Killian shook his head with fondness. "As you can see, Emma, nothing excites this family more than a poker game…"
Emma was studying him, her lips curved in a soft smile. "So… now what?"
He brought her into his embrace, his arms circling on her waist as he swayed on his feet. "Well, there is this Tuscan town I've been meaning to go back to. After you and Henry get acquainted, are you interested in taking a trip with me?"
"What kind of trip?" Her voice had risen an octave. "Those people were amazing to me as I got drunk and cried my eyes out over you. Please don't tell me this is a recon to pull another job because I swear to god…. "
She was endearing, and infuriating, and was totally missing his point. He placed a finger on her lips and stopped her tirade.
"A honeymoon, Swan. "