Killian Jones sat and watched as his daughter walked around the tower. Or tried to walk. He had his arms outstretched and was encouraging her as best as he could.
"You've got it, Alice." His small child fell onto the cold stone floor. Damnit! Was she hurt? She shouldn't have been on cold ground with cracks splitting eery stone. They were a tripping hazard, he admitted. This wasn't fair. And nce she could walk? It'd be even less fair. He cursed the cracks in the stone and cooed a comfort to Alice.
"It's okay. Are you hurt?" He breathed a sigh of relief when Alice seemed fine and pulled herself up on the nearest object and continued in her efforts to toddle towards him. She made it and flung herself into his outstretched arms then right into his lap. "Way to go, Alice!"
"Papa!"
"That's right, I'm your papa. You ready for lunch?"
Alice mimicked something she'd heard Killian say many a time. "Aye."
"Right there lass. C'mon."
Alice kept learning how to walk and Killian began to worry more and more. How was he going to explain to her their situation? How was he ever going to explain that some people did horrific things and didn't care who they hurt. Even their own children. No! That woman wasn't Alice's mother. She had no bloody right.
Alice grew right before Killian's eyes and as she grew she became more restless. He found a way to explain the situation. Making sure she understood it wasn't her fault. Making sure she knew he loved her. He would never let her feel the way his father had made him feel. He wouldn't be responsible for her pain.
Killian and Alice sat playing one of the many games they used to pass the time. "Good game, Starfish."
Alice wiggled in her seat. Killian understood that she got tired of being stuck in the tower. It was a small space and she knew nothing else.
Killian glance at the cracks in the floor that he had cursed much of Alice's childhood for being dangerous to her.
"Starfish, I have an idea."
Alice glanced up at her papa. His ideas were almost always bloody brilliant. She didn't much fancy his attempts at getting her to eat cauliflour. It looked like brocoli but it had no taste at all! Alice was excited. She bounced a little in her seat.
"Let's play a game."
"This one?"
"No. A different one. One we've not tried yet."
Alice was very excited.
"How do you play, papa?"
"Okay you're gonna stand up and move aroudn the tower and try not to step on any of the cracks between the stones. Can you do that for me?"
Alice let out a laugh. Killian smiled. He loved that sound! He just wanted Alice to be happy. And if he could get her to forget she was traapped if only for a moment? That was even better. Alice stood up and immediatly began racing around the tower skiping and jumping to avoid the spaces in between the stones, quickly bursting into laughter.
She soon realized Killian wasn't doing the same. Which just wouldn't do.
"C'mon papa, play with me." Killian sighed. He should've known she'd never let him out of it that easy. He tried to and started to echo Alice's laughter.
"Watch this papa!"
Those words were like a dagger to Killian's heart but he knew Alice's exploration of new things to do within the confines of the tower were the closest thing to freedom she had. And he so desperatley wanted her to be free.
Killian watched as Alice jumped around, trying her various stunts. Jumping on one leg. Taking the stones several at a time. He was briefly glad their tower didn't have stairs.
"You try!"
Killian tried to jump on one leg. "Fraid I'm a bit to old for that one, Starfish." Alice let out a laugh.
"That's okay." Alice kept jumping even when Killian had retired from his participaton in their game in favor of simle watching her and cheering. She eventually exhausted herself and sat down.
"Tired?"
Alice nodded as she yawned.
This quickly became one of Alice's favorite games. And Killian soon realized it helped greatly with both boredom and the cabin fever Alice clearly had a higher chance of developing than anyone. And it made her so much more willing to adhere to bedtime. So it quickly became one of his favorites too.
Alice never stopped playing it. It reminded her of papa. Especially when the tower got dark and silent and she had no one but her toys and the clouds and trees she could see out of her window to listen to what she had to say.
Years later Alice and Robin stumbled upon a cobblestone street.
Alice glanced at the cracks between the stones and was reminded of memories from her childhood. memories of running and jumping around the tower. She got a look in her eyes. One Robin had quickly gotten used to. Alice was going to do something. It might not be something Robin would ever think of doing on her own.
Alice started jumping along the road, doging every crack. "I haen't done this in a while."
"What exactly are you doing, tower girl?" Robin was amused but had no idea what posessed Alice to start running nd jumping along the currently vacant street.
"It's a game papa and I used to play when I was little. You're supposed to avoid the cracks. Usually got pretty tired after it. But it was fun."
Okay Hook was a genius, Robin admitted. Alice hadn't had a lot of space to burn off energy. And toddlers were filled with energy.
No one was around. And no one was watching. So after a bit of Alice trying to get Robin to join in on her fun Robin tried to do the same. Alice clearly had far more practice but this didn't seem like a game anyone really won.
"Race ya"
Robin quickly tried to catch up with Alice, both avoifing the cracks in the ground, or trying to. Once they hit the ened of the cobblestone street, both breathless from laughing as they ran, Robin stopped and spun Alice around and leaned in for a kiss.
They kissed until the light of sunset behind them began to fade. They broke apart and continued on their adventure. Alice needed a cure for her papa's heart, and Robin was happy to help her. And her laugh had echoed beutifully even when their waas nothing for it to bounce off of.