A/N: Hullo, hullo! It was technically my final day of my first year at sixth form today! YAAAASSS! Just have to go in on Tuesday for a day of performances and then it is officially the holidays for me! This is inspired by the prompt from the lovely oncer4life11 wanting to see Henry's reaction to Emma being pregnant.
I am hoping that I will be able to also push out a few of my separate one-shot ideas when I finish my first year (next week onwards) so do keep an eye out!
I do need more prompts from you guys please! I only have a few left on the list before I am at the end!
Thank you for all of your reviews and to the new followers and favourites!
Keep Smiling!
"Henry? Can you come downstairs for me, please?" Emma shouts up from the bottom of the stairs.
She hears his reply, faintly agreeing, before she walks into the kitchen. She sits in one of the chairs at the kitchen table so she faces the stairs. Her hands tremble strongly in her anxiety. Killian stands behind her, and puts his hand on her shoulder, his hook running over her arm. He squeezes reassuringly.
"It is going to be alright." he whispers in her ear, kissing the sensitive shell. Emma leans into the loving touch.
Henry comes down and sits in the chair opposite them. He has curiosity and confusion written all over his face as he looks at the adults.
"What's up?" he asks, looking at his mother and step-father. He takes in their features - the worry on Emma's face. "Has something happened? Another villain?"
Emma shakes her head. She tilts her body so she can look up at her husband. He smiles encouragingly at her and she takes a deep breath, turning back to face her son.
"I'm pregnant." she says, her voice quiet.
"What?" Henry asks. There is no emotion on his face. His voice monotone. He does not move either.
Emma's right hand rises to grip Killian's, shaking still. He grips back strongly.
"I'm pregnant." she repeats. "We found out for sure a few days ago and wanted you to be the first person we told."
Henry scrambles out of his chair all of a sudden and runs upstairs. The sound of his door slamming reaches them a moment later. Emma reigns in her tears and rushes after him, Killian following.
This was not how Emma expected her son to react. She considered ways he would react; laugh, cry, smile. But running off? Emma hadn't thought he would do that.
She knocks timidly on his door. She will not walk in if he doesn't want her to.
"Henry. Please talk to me." Emma pleads.
No answer.
"Please, kid. Talk." she says, hands moving to rest on her stomach. "Please."
Killian kisses Emma's cheek before opening Henry's door. He can appreciate Henry's reaction but their relationship is built on being open with each other. He wants them to continue being honest and open.
He stops a few steps into the room. Henry is frantically packing his rucksack, stuffing a few shirts inside.
"Henry, talk to us, lad." Killian says, reaching out to rest his hand on his stepson's shoulder.
He flinches away. Killian tries to swallow down the lump in his throat at the hurtful rejection.
"I don't want to talk." Henry stresses, roughly zipping up his bag. "I'm going to Regina's."
He moves past them then, not even looking at them as he leaves. Emma lets out her sobs then. Powerful, heart-breaking sobs. Killian quickly gathers her to his chest, holding her tightly. He closes his eyes and tries to calm his wife, all the while trying to think of why Henry would react the way he did and how he can fix it.
...
Regina opens the front door a few moments after they've knocked upon the solid wood.
It took Killian a while to calm Emma down thanks to her rampaging hormones; ending with Emma being utterly exhausted. She had awakened half an hour previously and asked Killian to go over to Regina's with her. Hopefully the few hours since Henry walked out has allowed him to calm down so they can talk.
"He told me the news before running upstairs when I kept asking him why he ran in." the Queen says, smiling sympathetically. She steps aside, inviting the Joneses in. They step inside and she closes the door. "He's been up there since he arrived. He's refused to talk to me."
Regina takes in the redness around Emma's eyes, the way her left hand grips Killian's singular hand so tightly, her knuckles white, and the way her right hand unconsciously rests just below her navel; as if to protect the baby within.
"Are you alright, Emma?" she asks.
"I just... I didn't anticipate him running off. I... I didn't even get a chance to properly talk to him." Emma says, blinking back tears.
Killian kisses her temple. She closes her eyes briefly and inhales deeply. When she feels like she won't cry again, she looks back at Regina.
"Perhaps I should try." he suggests. "It might just be that he doesn't want to talk to his mothers."
Regina nods. "Perhaps." she says and looks at Emma. "Would you like a drink? We can go into the kitchen whilst Killian tries to talk to Henry."
"Do you have any apple juice?" Emma asks, feeling a sudden craving.
Regina quirks an eyebrow and smiles. "Of course I do. Come on." She looks at Killian. "Talk to him. Reassure our son."
Killian smiles. Emma looks up at him. He presses a soft kiss to her lips, their noses brushing as they withdraw.
"It will be alright, love. I promise you." he assures, smiling softly.
His wife smiles back, granted quite weakly. Emma then follows Regina into the kitchen, sparing a glance back at Killian before he disappears from sight.
Killian walks upstairs and taps on Henry's door with the curve of his hook. He opens the door and pokes his head in the room after receiving no response. The teenager is standing beside his window, gaze fixed to the tree outside.
"Is everything alright, lad?" Killian asks, his tone soft so he doesn't startle his stepson.
He just receives a shrug in reply.
Cautiously, Killian makes his way towards Henry. He sits on the edge of the bed, left forearm resting upon his left thigh.
"What caused you to run at the news of the pregnancy?" he questions. Henry remains silent other than the soft sounds of his breathing. Killian scratches behind his ear, feeling his old insecurities seep in. "Is it because I am the father? That I am becoming more a part of this family?"
Henry immediately turns around at the broken tone. One he has heard only once or twice before.
"No, of course not!" he exclaims, horrified he would think that way.
"Then why, Henry?"
Henry sighs and sits on the floor, his back resting against the wall.
"It's just..." he starts, attempting to formulate an answer. "I haven't had Emma as my Mum for long and I don't want a baby to come in and ruin it... I don't want them to be more loved than me... more loved than I ever could be."
"Oh, Henry." Killian says and kneels closely in front of him. His gaze imploring Henry to look at him. "That could never be the case. We wanted you to know first because you matter, and your thoughts matter about this new addition. I promise you that you are so loved, Henry, and I could never love either of my children more than the other.
"The heart expands constantly and mine is filled to the brim with love for you, your new sibling and you mother; alongside the rest of our family."
Henry looks at Killian with awe, unshed tears in his eyes.
"He's right, Henry." Emma says, making her presence known, having heard the end of their conversation. She walks in and sits beside her husband. "You are so loved, kid. I don't want you to ever think that you aren't."
Henry wipes his eyes on his sleeve, sniffing.
"I was worried about telling you I am pregnant because of how you may react." Emma continues, right hand dropping to rest on her stomach once again. "I don't want you to hate me because I had to give you up and this baby will be staying."
Henry shakes his head.
"I understand why you gave me up, Mum. We wouldn't be here if you didn't." he says. "We wouldn't be together if you didn't."
"I know. I just, I remember the frustration I felt when I saw that Neal was coming along because he would stay when I didn't." Emma says, leaning against Killian. "You can feel like that, Henry, and I would not blame you in the slightest. I just beg that you don't hate me and you talk to me - talk to us. You are so loved, and always will be - you're my first born; no one can ever replace you."
Henry sighs, his hands twisting.
"I'm worried that we won't be close anymore because of the new baby." he admits. "I don't want to go back to when you first arrived in town and I barely saw you."
"It's alright." Killian assures, smiling warmly at Henry. "I can take the baby for a while so you and Emma can have time together; just you two as often as you need. I can look after them whilst you go to Granny's, or the docks; whatever you want."
Henry looks at his mother and his stepfather, a smile on his lips. He gets up quickly and steps forwards so he can hug Killian tightly. They are quiet as their arms are wrapped around each other. Henry closes his eyes, feeling lighter than he has since the announcement. After a minute, Henry lets go and hugs Emma too.
"I'm sorry for reacting the way that I did." Henry says, withdrawing from the hug. His gaze goes between them. "I am happy for both of you. It is just going to take some getting used to having someone else around who needs you too."
Emma smiles before pulling Henry into another hug - pulling Killian in as well. Henry settles into their embrace, already feeling better.
...
Henry's fear slowly dwindled over the next eight months.
He was amazed when he felt his sibling moving for the very first time, kicking against his palm as it rested against the side of Emma's protruding stomach; her excited smile now understood after she yanked his hand over from his place beside her. The smile that grew on his face was something Emma still cherishes. Henry didn't stop wanting to feel his brother or sister moving around.
He felt tears in his eyes when he first heard the baby's fluttering heartbeat thanks to Emma recording it on her phone during her ultrasound appointment; marvelling at the strength within it; proving that their family were survivors. He had asked her to send the recording to his phone and found himself listening to it randomly each day.
But it was when he first held his little sister in his arms, bundled in her pink blanket and matching little cap, that he knew everything would be alright.
He would protect her from everything, just as their parents would for him.
End note: Please review! :)