The last part of this chapter was inspired by some of your reviews. I hadn't planned on writing the scene, but by reading the reviews I realized it needed to be included. I think it turned out well.
I hope you all enjoy.
"You alright?" Emma asked Killian as they sat on the roof listening to the waves crash against the bluff below, "You were quiet tonight at dinner."
"Nervous," he corrected her, "I kept waiting for your father to ram his butter knife through my heart."
"I saw the books on the bed," Emma stated as she reached out to take his hand, bringing it to her abdomen, "Did you check them out at the library?"
"Your mother did," he responded as he caressed her stomach softly. There was no bump that could be seen, but he still loved to touch her, to have the reminder of the life they'd created. "She lent them to me."
"You two are awfully chummy these days," Emma smirked, "That's a big shift considering it wasn't even a few months ago that she couldn't stand to be in the same room as you. Should I be worried?"
"Hardly," he chuckled, "There is only one in the Charming family that was able to cast her spell on me."
"Learn anything from the books yet?" she asked.
"I haven't dove in," he admitted, "But I'll let you know."
"When you're finished, let me glance through them. I have as much to learn as you," she requested.
"You've done this before," he reminded her.
"Yeah, but that time I wasn't planning on keeping the baby," she responded as her hand covered his. She still couldn't believe there was a life growing inside her that they'd created together. "Almost as soon as I realized I was pregnant I was planning on giving it up for adoption. I couldn't take care of a child. I couldn't take care of myself. Being in prison was evidence of that."
"That was merely evidence of your trusting nature," Killian amended, "You didn't actually commit the crime you were incarcerated for."
"I was still an accessory after the fact," Emma responded, "I wasn't making good choices. I was living the life of a thief as much as Neal. I was just the one that ended up paying for the crime. I want to do things right this time."
"So do I, Love," he kissed her neck.
"Something else is bothering you," Emma stated, "Is it the wedding plans? Are they too much? We can cut back."
"However you see us getting married is fine with me," Killian replied, as he nibbled at her neck to distract her from pursuing her line of questioning.
"Then what's wrong?" Emma pressed, doing everything she could to keep her train of thought despite his efforts to distract her, "You went to see my mother today about something. It was more than just what color to paint the nursery. Tell me what's wrong."
"I'm worried," he told her, "I'm worried that I won't be able to be as much a part of this child's life as I want."
"What?" she spun towards him abruptly. A horrible thought of him having to leave for some reason entered her mind that nearly stopped her heart. "Is there something wrong?"
"I have one hand," he told her, "Or have you forgotten?"
"I haven't forgotten anything, but what does that have to do with being a part of our child's life?" she asked, her face scrunching in confusion.
"How can I possibly hold a squirming child with only one hand?" he asked, "When I first lost my hand, I was so focused on my rage and my need for revenge that I never missed what I no longer had. I have spent three hundred years learning to adapt and make the best of the fact that I had only one hand. This is the first time in my life I truly wished with every fiber of my being that I had two hands once more."
"I had no idea you were feeling this way," she caressed his chin gently.
"I didn't know I was either," he admitted, "I was alone on my ship with entirely too much time to think today, and my mind began to wander. I was thinking about how I would feel to hold our child for the first time when the sun reflected off my hook into my eyes…Emma, I could seriously injure our child the first time I hold him or her."
"We'll figure this out," she told him, "I don't want this thought to ruin how happy you are about this baby."
"I am still happy," he assured her, "Ecstatic, I just need to figure this all out."
"We need to figure this all out," she amended, "We're together in this."
Killian nodded as he pressed his forehead to hers.
"Let's go to bed," she pulled on his hook, "I bet I can make you forget all about your inner turmoil."
"You are particularly skilled in that manner," he smiled as he followed her willingly.
"Sheriff Swan, is everything alright?" Regina inquired as Emma appeared in her office.
"I'm sure that Henry told you that Killian and I are getting married next weekend. I came to invite you," Emma bit her lip in nervousness, "We're doing things informally because we're both a little impatient."
"Henry said you wanted it to be just close friends and family," Regina stated.
"And you're family," Emma stated, "We've had our differences, but for better or worse Henry has two moms. Killian and I would like you to be there."
"Then I'll be there," Regina replied.
"Thank you," Emma smiled as she turned to leave before doing an about face.
"Is there something else?" Regina asked.
"I was wondering something about magic," Emma stated hesitantly, "It's always been said that it has its price, but does it also have limits?"
"What kind of limits?" Regina inquired.
"Are there things it can't do?" Emma pressed.
"It can't bring someone back from the dead," Regina stated, "It can't force someone to do something against their will. A spell can put someone in a daze for a while so that they don't know what they are doing, but those spells are limited. What are you really asking me?"
"I love Killian, flaws and all, and his handicap doesn't bother me. I always assumed it didn't bother him, but he said something to me and now all I want to do is give him back the hand Gold took from him. So I'm asking if it's possible?"
"I don't know," Regina replied after a moment of thought, "That's not a spell I've ever attempted. I don't know if there even is one."
"Yeah, I didn't think so," Emma frowned.
"But I'll look into it," Regina offered as Emma turned to leave a second time.
"If you're hoping this will put me in your debt, don't hold your breath," Emma replied.
"The way I see it, I'm in Hook's debt. He didn't have to help us rescue Henry, but he did," Regina explained, "We'll never be able to thank him enough. If I can give him back his hand, I will. No strings attached."
Emma choked on the emotion she felt forming. It had been a shot in the dark when she'd first thought of replacing his hand, but now it could be a reality.
"I'd better get back to the station," Emma stated.
"I'll let you know what I find out," Regina vowed.
Emma nodded as she left Regina's office. She was in a fog, so much so that she walked right past her mother.
"Everything alright?" Mary Margaret rushed to get Emma's attention with a hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you," Emma jumped from fright.
"Everything alright?" Mary Margaret repeated.
"Yeah, just wedding jitter stuff," Emma waved off her concern.
"Were you at city hall getting the marriage license?" Mary Margaret asked.
"That would have been a good idea," Emma snorted, "No, I was asking Regina to the wedding. Killian and I talked about it last night. I wanted to get it out of the way before I lost my nerve."
"She didn't say anything Regina-like, did she?" Mary Margaret inquired.
"Regina-like?" Emma prompted her.
"Well, at my wedding she promised to destroy everyone's happiness," Mary Margaret stated, "And she was quite effective in doing that for twenty-eight years."
"I think that grudge has ended," Emma stated, "Regina and I owe it to Henry to put aside our issues. Inviting her to our wedding is that first step."
"Then what has you in such a fog," Mary Margaret asked.
"I asked Regina if it was possible to give Killian his hand back," Emma stated as she led her mother into the privacy of the town's gardens.
"Emma, you can't do something like that," Mary Margaret gasped, "Magic always comes with a price."
"Dark magic," Emma stated.
"And that's the kind of magic you're asking of Regina," Mary Margaret responded, "I know all about the temptations of the dark side, but the price is not something you're willing to pay. I know you."
"It's probably not even possible," Emma waved off her mother's concern, "It's not worth worrying about."
"Is that what Regina said?" Mary Margaret asked.
"She said she didn't know of a way, but that she'd look into it," Emma kicked at a stone at her feet, "I made it clear that there was no way I would be indebted to her as a result."
"That's one way to start," Mary Margaret sighed in relief, "But Emma, think this through. Even if Killian says that he wants his hand back, it may not be something that he truly wants. He may just want to know that you're okay with him just as he is."
"I am," Emma insisted.
"He'll adapt," Mary Margaret insisted, "When the baby comes, he'll learn how to hold and comfort it despite his handicap. He doesn't need a magic hand to be a good dad."
"You're right," Emma nodded, "I just need to reassure him that I love him hook and all."
"It does kind of grow on a person," Mary Margaret smirked.
"Hands off my fiancé, Mommy Dearest," Emma teased.
"He's a little too dark for me," Mary Margaret laughed, "Come on. I'm craving some of Granny's pie. I'll buy you a slice."
"I should get back to the station," Emma replied, "David is expecting me."
"He'll understand a pregnant woman's cravings, or in this case two."
"Lead the way," Emma wrapped her arm into her mother's as they made their way to Granny's for a slice of pie.
"Should I be nervous?" Killian was greeted with a homemade dinner when he returned from his daily excursion on the water.
"Didn't you say I should take lessons from my mother?" Emma smiled.
"I didn't think you'd actually take me seriously," he stepped in for a kiss, his lips lingering against hers even as the smells of a very tempting dinner hit his nose.
"One hundred percent made by my very own hands," Emma beamed with pride, "And edible."
"I'll be the judge of that," he told her as his hand fell to her abdomen, "How is our newest addition doing today?"
"Pretty good actually," Emma replied as she leaned back slightly to make her stomach more pronounced for him to caress, "I've only thrown up twice today."
Killian chuckled as he knelt down to kiss her stomach before making his way apprehensively towards the dinner table where Emma was assembling their meal.
The meal Emma had prepared looked edible, which was a change from the other dishes she'd served him, yet Killian was still apprehensive as he pushed the food around the plate.
"Have you tried this yet?" he lifted a curious eyebrow.
"I tested bits and pieces as I was cooking, but I was saving the full taste test for you," she stated. Her eyes were eager for his response. She felt she finally had mastered a dish.
Still nervous, he took the smallest bite possible and chewed it as best he could before he actually allowed himself to taste it all while Emma looked on.
"So," she looked on anxiously as he swallowed.
"It's good," Killian stated, much to his own disbelief.
Emma gave a triumphant smile as she dug into her own dish.
"What's your secret?" Killian asked as he dug in with gusto now that he knew it was truly edible. Spending all day aboard his ship, he was famished. "Did Mary Margaret duck out just before I arrived?"
"I should be insulted with your insinuation," she scoffed.
"But am I close to the truth," he smirked.
"No," she insisted, "Mary Margaret may have pointed me in the right direction, but she left before things got complicated. I made this all myself."
"I'll believe that when you're able to replicate it," he chuckled as he continued to eat his meal despite her continued glares.
"I did something foolish today," Emma sighed as her anger quickly evaporated.
"Foolish how?" he asked with a mouth full of food. Every now and then he would forget the manners he'd been taught as a young lad and revert to the unmannered sailor that spent all his time with other sailors with no manners at all.
"I talked to Regina about the wedding," she replied as she ignored his lapse in manners.
"How is that foolish?" he gave her a perplexed look as he swallowed his bite, having realized his lapse, "We talked last night about inviting her."
"Talking to her wasn't the foolish part," she explained, "It was something that I asked her after inviting her to the wedding."
"What was that, Love?"
"I asked Regina if there was a way to replace your missing hand," she replied.
"Oh," Killian's eyes went wide as he glanced towards his hook, "And what did she say?"
"She didn't know of a way," Emma replied, "But she said she'd look into it. Then I talked to my mom. She pointed out that magic like that comes at a price, a price that neither one of us is willing to pay, or at least a price that neither one of us should pay."
"Depends on the price," Killian mumbled under his breath.
"Hey, look at me," she guided his eyes to hers, "I love everything about you, from that arrogant smirk to the curve of your hook. We'll figure things out when the baby comes. You'll adapt."
"You don't understand," he left the table abruptly and made his way to the roof.
"What don't I understand?" Emma followed him up and pinned him against the rail.
"It's not just the hook, it's what the hook represents," he took a deep breath to calm himself, "This hook is part of the villain that I was for three hundred years that sought revenge from a man that not only took my hand but killed my first love. I don't want to be that man anymore. I want to be Killian Jones, a pirate with a code and the capacity to love someone."
"You are that man, Killian," she replied as she rubbed at his shoulder, "You don't need two hands to be that man to me or our child."
"Maybe I need that reminder for myself."
"What about the price that comes with using dark magic?" Emma asked.
Killian's eyes cast towards the rail. He didn't have an answer.
"It may not be a possibility at all," Emma told him.
"Will you think less of me if I accept Regina's help if it is possible?" he asked.
"No," she replied, "Just be sure that the price isn't too high."
"I won't risk you or our child's life," he assured her.
"Or your own life," Emma added.
"Or my own life," he amended, "Or the lives of anyone we care about."
"Thank you," she grasped his shoulders to turn him towards her, "I love you. Nothing will change that."
"I love you," he wrapped her tight in his arms.
"How are you going to tell Henry?" David asked his daughter at the station the next day. Emma had just returned from the bathroom having suffered through yet another bout of morning sickness.
"I guess I haven't even thought about it," Emma slumped into her chair, "I think he'll be excited about it…at least I hope he will be."
"He was happy to be gaining an aunt or uncle," David reminded her.
"I guess Killian and I should talk about how we're going to break that particular news to him," Emma replied, "I kept telling Henry that we'd talk through all these life changing events before they happened, but I haven't. Killian and I got engaged without discussing it with him. Now I'm pregnant and giving him a sibling in seven months, and I haven't talked through any of that with him. It's a wonder he's still talking to me."
"He seems excited about you and Killian getting married," David offered.
"Yeah, he does," Emma nodded.
"He's a pretty resilient kid," David stated, "Even if he's upset at first, he'll come around. He wants you to be happy."
"I guess I keep waiting to mess something up enough where he'll want to run back to Regina's full time," Emma admitted.
"You'll drive yourself crazy thinking about this," David stated, "Just tell him. Whatever his reaction, we'll all deal with it. A little advice though, it wouldn't hurt to butter him up a little first."
"Not bad advice," Emma smiled, "Thanks, Pops."
"So chocolate cake is supposed to gain favors with Henry?" Killian asked as he returned from Granny's with the cake Emma had ordered earlier that day for her planned mother-son dinner.
"It certainly can't hurt," Emma replied as she put the finishes on the best home cooked meal she could manage. She was by no means a gourmet cook yet, but with her mother's patient help, she was improving.
"You're nervous, aren't you?" Killian ran his hand along her abdomen.
"So nervous," she nodded.
"I can stay if you want," he offered.
"I need a little mother-son time with him," Emma replied, "I hope you understand."
"I do," he assured her, "I can keep myself occupied for the evening."
"Just until Henry goes to bed," Emma replied, "I still want you in bed with me tonight."
"As you wish, Love," Killian whispered into her ear.
Henry burst through the door.
"Hey, Henry," Emma greeted him with an eager smile, "How was school?"
"Fine," Henry shrugged.
"How'd your study session go this afternoon?" she asked.
"Fine," he shrugged again.
"I'll see you later," Killian kissed Emma's cheek before stepping over to ruffle Henry's hair.
"You're not staying for dinner?" Henry asked the pirate.
"Not tonight," Killian replied.
"Am I in trouble or something?" Henry gulped nervously.
"Is there anything you should be in trouble for?" Emma eyed him curiously.
Henry gave it a moment of thought before shaking his head from side to side. Near as he could remember, there wasn't anything to confess.
"I wanted to have a night just the two of us," Emma explained as Killian left them, "A lot has been happening. I just wanted to have a night to talk through all of that."
"I'm fine with you and Killian getting married," Henry assured her, "More than fine actually. I'm happy for you. I told you that when you first got engaged."
"We never really talked through all of this like I promised we would," Emma replied, "I'm sorry about that."
"It's okay," Henry shrugged, "I liked that Killian surprised you like he did."
"It was certainly a surprise," Emma agreed as she motioned him towards the table to start their meal.
"It's how it should be," Henry stated as he dove into the meal, "He's supposed to sweep you off your feet."
"So you're okay with Killian moving in here permanently and us being a family?" she asked.
"Yeah," Henry's head bobbed up and down.
"I hope you know that Killian doesn't want to replace your father," Emma stated.
"He already told me that," Henry stated, "Mom, really, I'm okay with all of this."
"There's something else we need to talk about," Emma began as she set her fork aside.
"Like what?" Henry asked.
"I'm just going to say this," Emma took a deep breath, "Killian and I didn't plan for it, but I'm pregnant."
Her news was met with silence, a long, unbearable silence.
"Henry," Emma prompted him finally, unable to take the silence any longer.
"Ahhh," Henry began, "Uh, wow."
"Is that all?" Emma asked.
"So…uh…wow," was all Henry was able to manage.
"I hope you know that I love you, and nothing will change that," Emma stated.
"When will you…how long until…?" Henry stammered out.
"I'm two months pregnant," Emma was able to translate his question, "So we have about seven months."
"Did you know before Killian asked you?" Henry asked.
"No," Emma shook her head, "Neither of us did. It was just excellent timing. We just found out."
"Do Grandma and Grandpa know?" he asked.
"Yes, we told them last night," she replied.
"Are you happy about this?" Henry asked.
"We are," Emma's head nodded, "We both are…It's okay if you're not. I know that is a surprise. I hope after a bit of time though that you'll be okay with it."
"Is it a boy or girl?" he inquired.
"It's too soon for us to know that," Emma replied, "But if we decide to find out, you'll be the first person we tell. I promise."
"I love my mom…Regina, but sometimes I wish you'd never given me up," Henry admitted.
"Every day of my life since I made the decision to give you up, I've wished that I never had," Emma replied, "I've missed so much of your life. That will always be the biggest regret of my life. I'm so sorry, Henry. I don't know if I've ever said that to you before, but I am…so, so sorry."
"I know," Henry nodded, "But things worked out how they were supposed to. We're all together in Storybrooke where we belong."
"You are wise beyond your years, Henry," Emma smiled.
"You'd better eat," Henry encouraged her, "My baby brother or sister is probably hungry, and this is actually good for a change."
Emma laughed as she picked up her fork and resumed eating.
TBC…
One chapter to go and then an epilogue. The epilogue might need to wait until I return from vacation in two weeks unless I manage to find internet access.