"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"
"Coming Princess Bean, what's got you so excited this morning?" Killian asked as he sauntered his way down the stairs. It was Saturday morning and his and Emma's 5 year old daughter was extra excited for a yet to be discovered reason. He smiled at her as she jumped up and down in excitement, her dark curly locks bouncing, blue eyes sparkling.
"We got something in the mail!" Lily said as Killian scooped her up into his arms. He planted a kiss on her temple as he carried her to the kitchen and deposited her at the breakfast table. He then went and wrapped his arms around his pregnant wife and gave her a brief but loving kiss.
"We did? Well what's inside of it?" Killian asked as he let go of Emma and helped her by pouring their daughter her morning juice.
"I don't know Mama said we had to wait for you to wake up to open it." Lily said bouncing excitedly in her seat as she tore into her pancake breakfast that Emma had just placed in front of her.
Killian looked down at the package on the table that was adresssd to the family, smiling when he saw Henry's return address in New York on it. Henry was currently in his third year at Columbia studying literature and creative writing. He would routinely send care packages of books (some written by him some not) home to his family (especially to his younger siblings Lily, Robyn, and his uncles Neal and Gideon.)
Killian lifted the package "It's from your big brother. Should we see what's inside, bean?" He asked handing it over to his daughter as she squealed and wiped her syrup sticky hands on a wet napkin Emma had provided for her. Lily tore the package apart as if she also had a hook for a hand, leaving tattered paper in its wake.
"A BOOK!" She squealed with such excitement one would think it was the first present she had ever received.
"Aye. Would you look at that, it IS a book!" Killian said, his voice full of glee and mock surprise as he smirked at Emma as they ate their own breakfast. His Swan just chuckled and quickly pulled Lily's empty plate away from her so that she didn't accidentally get syrup all over her new book.
"Look! Daddy look! It's got a mousy on the cover! And he's got a sword just like you and Grandpa!" Lily was jumping up and down and waving her book at him as she pointed at the cover.
"Aye bean, he sure does." Killian said with a smile, quickly finishing his own breakfast, clearing his and Emma's own finished off plate and brining them to the sink as Emma followed.
"I've got this, you go." Emma was saying "I'm sure she'll want you to read it to her immediately." Her eyes lit up in a smile.
"Emma love, no I can help. You shouldn't be doing anything demanding in your state." Killian reminded her taking the dish rag from her hands.
Emma just snorted at that "I'm pregnant Hook, not an invalid." She reminded him.
"Even still, it would be rather bad form of me to leave a princess with the clean up." He reminded her.
Emma just smirked at him, and then with a wave of her hand the dishes were suddenly clean and put away. "There. Done. Now go read to your daughter before she explodes." Emma said gesturing to Lily who was still bouncing up and down, waiting for her parents to join her. "I've got to go work now but Daddy will read with you!" Emma said to her daughter with a twinkle in her eye.
"Please Daddy! Please!" Lily was saying
"Alright bean, you win. We shall spend the day reading the new tale your brother has so kindly sent us." Killian said rolling his eyes in mock defeat.
"Yay!" Lily squealed. She then ran up to give her mom a hug. "By Mama! Love you!" She said squeezing her moms legs tightly. Then she leaned up and kissed Emma's slightly pregnant belly as she did every morning since finding out Emma was pregnant "By baby! Love you!" Then she scurried away to the living room, jumping into her fathers large leather arm chair and positioning her new book in her lap, waiting for her father to join her.
Killian enveloped his wife in his arms from behind, placing a his hand over her small but evident bump and kissed her sweetly. "Be safe." He told her when he rested his forehead against hers.
"We will." She promised "I love you."
"And I you." Killian said, kissing her one last time before letting her go and following his daughter into the living room.
"Alright what exactly do we have here?" Killian asked as he settled into his chair, Lily quickly getting up and repositioning herself on his lap.
As Killian read the story of the little mouse who fell in love with a princess aloud to his daughter he heard a ringing coming from the computer Emma kept in the living room. He stopped and looked up to see that it was an incoming video call from Henry.
'That's a bit strange.' Killian thought to himself. Henry usually reserved his weekly calls to Sunday nights, he knew his mother worked Saturday mornings. However Killian didn't panic because if something really had been wrong Henry would have rang him, Emma, or Regina directly on their talking phones (even after all this time Killian could not get used to calling it a cell phone. A cell? A cell containing what exactly? The blasted thing looked much more like a smooth rock than a brig.) instead of video chatting them.
"Hey Princess Bean it's your brother." Killian said motioning over to the laptop, "Should we go tell him how much we're enjoying his gift?"
"Yeah!" Lily cried jumping up from Killians lap and racing to the computer, Immediately pressing the Henry icon to recieve his call. Henry's face lit up the screen and Lily squealed with glee and Killian put the book down and marking their place before sauntering over to the desk chair in front of the computer and plopping Lily back in his lap so she could easily see the screen before them.
"Henry, my boy! To what do we owe the pleasure?" Killian greeted at the same time as Lily yelled (she still didn't understand that she didn't need to scream into the computer for Henry to hear her) "Thank you for the book!"
Henry just laughed and scratched behind his ear, a nervous tick that he must have picked up from Killian over the years.
"Glad you like it Lil." He said with a sincere smile, although Killian could tell that something was bothering him when it didn't fully reach his eyes.
"It has a Princess Pea! And I'm a Princess Bean!" Lily was yelling into the computer. Henry just laughed.
"I know, that's why I sent it to you." He said with a smile and an eye roll.
"I love it! Daddy just started reading it today!" She yelled.
"Today?" Henry questioned, his eyes finally turning to Killian in surprise.
"Aye, we just received it in the mail this morning lad." Killian told him with a smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry it should've been there a week ago." He admitted. Killian could definitely tell now that something was off. Henry seemed distracted and agitated. Killian wanted to ask why but he had a feeling Henry would talk when he was ready.
"That's alright lad these things happen." He said with a shrug. "We are greatly enjoying having the tale to read now on such a rainy morning so it all worked out for the best I do believe." The pirate said.
"Yeah!" Lily squealed "Henry it's so good! The mousy has a sword like Daddy and Grandpa and his own storybook just like you and there's a princess pea like me and-"
"I know Lil I read it before I sent it to you. How did you think I knew you would like it?" Henry said with another eye roll but he gave his sister a loving smile, it was hard not to be charmed by her antics.
Lily suddenly turned to her father "Daddy I have to go potty." Then turning back to the computer yelled "Henry I have to go potty! Don't leave yet! I want to tell you all about the book!"
"It's alright Lil I want to talk to dad for a minute anyway." Henry chuckled and Killians heart clenched with love and pride as it always did whenever Henry referred to him as his father. The lad didn't do it often. Usually he was still Hook or Killian but after Lily was starting to talk Killian had asked Henry to nix the Hook moniker while in front of her (just because he still was Captain Hook and still wore his hook doesn't mean he wants his daughter to know everything about his past just yet.) Killian has assumed that Henry would just call him Killian but he had started calling him dad when his sister was around instead, and although Killian knew it was probably on some level disrespectful to Bae, he couldn't find it within himself to ask Henry to stop. He'd loved Henry like a son almost as long as he had loved Henry's mother and it had never mattered to him what the boy called him, he would always see Henry as his son. So to this day whenever Lily was around Henry called Killian 'Dad.'
"So what's up lad? Working hard I hope." Killian said raising a knowing eyebrow at his son.
Henry grimaced his frustration, whatever was bothering him finally showing. "I thought this Children's Lit class was going to be a breeze. It's like, mostly discussing fairytales and I'm the freaking author! It should be a slam dunk right? Easy A, but it's not. I keep finding myself discussing the people I know instead of analyzing the characters as they were originally written." He admitted agitatedly.
"Aye lad. That must be rough. What are you currently working on now for this class?" Killian asked.
Henry just laughed without a hint of humor. "That's the best part." He said "I'm currently being forced to write a paper discussing why Peter Pan is one of the greatest and most enduring characters of all time and why his story has held through the test of time and is still considered to be one of the greatest in children's Literature."
Killian let out a real bark of laughter at that and another when he saw his sons rather annoyed looking face. "Aye lad I bet that would be a tough one." He admitted through his laughter "I hope your mentioning just how unfairly Captain Hook has been maligned in such stories and in popular culture. " he said winking as he shook with another shake of laughter .
That got a small smile out of Henry. "Actually I was." He admitted "I had basically written this whole thesis on how Peter Pan is a devil child and how Hook is the real hero of that story before I even realized it." He said finally laughing.
Killian smiles so wide he thought his face would split in two. "I'm glad to hear that you remember that."
"Of course I remember. It's not anything I'm ever likely to forget." Henry said seriously, his face in a grimace and his eyes staring off at something Killian couldn't see. But then Henry looked at him shyly and a slight blush crept up his cheeks as he scratched nervously behind his ear. It was obvious that he was remembering how Hook had been just as big as a part in Henry's rescue mission from Pan all those years ago as the rest of his family had been. Killian smiled gently at the grown lad, and for a moment he was brought back to those terrifying and yet amazing days in Neverland as well. It had been in Neverland that his Swan had first kissed him and he had realized his undying love and devotion for Emma. Even with the constant horror that surrounded them at the time there were many parts of that adventure he would hold dear in his heart forever. Henry broke the slightly emotional tension then by shaking his head as he laughed again nervously "However I really doubt that what I wrote is at all what my professor is looking for."
"Well how long before you need to submit it?" Killian asked him.
"Tonight," Henry sighed "that's why I'm calling now actually. I've been avoiding this paper for days and I'm going to spend the whole night re writing It. To be honest it's just painful." Henry griped but Killian understood him. He was trying to keep it light but the idea of praising Pan —even if it was just the fictionalized version of him of this world— was not something Henry was comfortable doing. He had a strong sense of right and wrong and this was clearly wrong. Killian also knew that while that particular adventure in Neverland was near and dear to his own heart, it was definitely less so for Henry's. The lad never talked about it, but Killian suspected that the boys horrific time in Neverland and the subsequent consequences of that adventure were painful for him to relive, and this essay of his was just bringing it all back up.
"The essay you wrote about me- I mean Hook," Killian stuttered, catching himself "is it any good?"
"Yeah, it's like great, perfect actually." Henry said a twinge of excitement in his voice that he always got when he was talking about something he was passionate about. "I even used all my supports for my thesis directly from the work and and research and not from real my own life. Did you know that in the first literary references to Peter Pan, Pan actually kills the lost boys because they were growing up and that was against his rules? Afterwards he just kidnaps more kids to replace them. Captain Hook is actually the first lost boy who managed to escape when Pan goes to kill him and his crew is all made up of other lost boys who managed to escape. That's how the rivalry began. I close it saying that although Peter Pan is a beloved children's tale, it's really not the story everyone believes it is and it is the lie that has endured the test of time, and not the truth." Henry said.
"That story does sound much closer to the real Pan than the one your mother had me read, or that infernal movie for that matter." Killian griped remembering the night that Emma and Henry had sat him down to watch Disney's animated Peter Pan movie. The bloody cartoon was the biggest insult Killian had ever seen and he almost tore his hook into the wall several times in anger and frustration. Of course the fact that Emma and Henry thought his reaction was completely hilarious didn't make matters any better.
"I swear, the essay is some of my best work for this class and I can't even turn it in." He sighed frustratedly again.
"Well why not?" Killian asked.
"Why not what?"
"Just turn in the essay that you have." Killian told him.
"What? You really think I should do that? It's barely even on topic though." Henry asked his head tilted to the side, his brow furrowed, and his brown eyes questioning.
"Aye lad I do. I know you can write a perfect essay in your sleep if the topic is something you believe in. You're an excellent writer. Am I correct in assuming that you do get points for such things as formatting and properly defending and supporting your thesis?" Killian asked. He had learned all this from Henry. In high school it had been Killian, and occasionally August who had helped Henry with his papers for school due to Emma's claim that she 'wasn't good with words' but in reality it had probably been more due to the fact that Lily had just been born and Emma was so exhausted from savioring, sheriffing and then coming home to a screaming baby that she didn't have the energy to help all the time. That was okay though, Killian had been more than happy to do it, and it had brought him and Henry closer in the process. The lad still sometimes sent him copies of his work he wanted the pirate to look over before he submitted them.
"Yeah..." Henry replied.
"Then you'll get some credit no matter what." Killian told him "Even if it's not what your professor is looking for, he will have to give you some credit for the outstanding essay I'm sure you wrote and that will be enough. I know your the author and you take the responsibility of telling the truth very seriously—as you should especially after what happened with that Isaac bastard— but not everything you turn into your school has to be perfect lad. And one essay for one class is not worth hurting yourself over or staying up all night stressing about trying to rewrite. I—" Killian hesitated, looking away for a moment but then turned back to Henry and continued "I know your time in Neverland is not exactly a pleasant memory for you. And that having to write an essay on this topic without having your teachers think your crazy is likely a very hard thing to do. This essay you wrote seems to me like you have finally have been able to channel that passion as well as your own experiences into something that your teacher may actually understand. As you said you've been struggling with reconciling the real and literary world in this class, this essay might just be the perfect compromise. I think it's a good thing and I think you should submit it." Killian finished seriously as he looked his son in the eye.
Henry stared at his step father, opened mouthed for a minute. Trying to think of what to say. The pirate was right of course. Henry never talked about Neverland, Pan, having his heart ripped out, the body switching, or Pans curse. To be fair Henry knew that if he was anyone else he probably would've needed a life time of therapy from just those few weeks alone (not that any therapist other than Archie wouldn't send him directly to an insane asylum.) Not to mention all the other things that had happened to Henry during his life in Storybrooke. But Henry had always been tough, incredibly resilient, and took the chaos that had always seemed to surround his family in stride. However the pirate had been right. This essay was bringing up fears and emotions that Henry had thought he had left behind him long ago. He thought again about Hooks words and how much he just didn't have it in him to rewrite the essay the way his professor definitely wanted.
"Yeah...thanks. I think you're right. I might just do that." Henry finally said, smiling at his step father through the computer, a little gleam in his eye that meant he had already made up his mind and was going to do just that.
Killian smiled wide again, his eyes crinkling. "Good for you lad. And if your professor gives you any problems, just tell him you'll send Captain Hook after him." He said with a smirk and a wink.
"Yeah, no. Columbia College professors don't really go for the whole 'my dad said you need to change my grade' routine." Henry said with an eye roll, but a smile still on his face. Killians heart once again soared at Henry's easy referral to him as his father.
"Aye, but maybe your essay will teach him some respect for Captain Hook." He ventured. Henry just laughed and rolled his eyes again.
The two of them talked for a little while longer and when Lily returned from the bathroom she told her brother everything that she'd done that week. Eventually Henry had to say goodbye, wanting to give his essay one last polish before submitting it that evening, and Killian and Lily went back to reading their new book.
A few weeks later Henry called for their regular family Sunday night video chat. Killian and Emma were sitting around the table in the kitchen with the laptop, Lily otherwise occupied coloring in one of her many coloring books at the coffee table in the living room. The second Henry's face popped up on the screen Killian saw that the lad was beaming. Their eyes connected immediately and the lad shouted "Killian! I got an A!"
Killian beamed even wider than Henry. He knew exactly what the lad was referring to, because no other A could be as meaningful to Henry then on the essay he had written criticizing Pan. But before Killian could say anything Emma laughed "Well hello to you too." She said smiling sarcastically at her son.
"Oh, yeah, hi mom." Henry said, taking his eyes off Killian and turning them towards her as if he somehow just realized she was there.
"What's this about an A?" Emma asked him.
"Well...You see I had this essay I had to write a few weeks back on Peter Pan." Henry started nervously. Just like Henry didn't talk about his time in Neverland neither did Emma (the only parts she ever talked about were the moments she and Killian had shared while on the Island, and that was only with Killian on the rarest of occasions.) However everything else that had occurred on that adventure was not something she discussed with anyone. It was too painful.
The moment the words Peter Pan left Henry's lips Emma froze, her face falling into a hard line. Killian quickly grabbed her hand that was sitting on the table and squeezed it, giving her a look of reassurance and he felt Emma relax a little.
"Anyway," Henry continued "I was supposed to write about what a great story and character Peter Pan was but I just couldn't do it. Before I knew it I had written this long essay on how Hook is the real hero of that story instead." Henry said, a small blush creeping onto his cheeks. "I ended up venting to Killian about it and he told me I should turn it in anyway. That one essay for one class wasn't worth torturing myself over. He was totally right and so I turned it in, thinking I'd get like a C or whatever because the essay was totally off topic but I just got it back from my professor today and he gave me an A!" Henry finished once again beaming.
Killian heard Emma's breath stutter and he turned to look at her trying and failing to hold back tears, a small yet brilliant smile on her beautiful face. Killian reached up and brushed away one of her tears with his hook.
"Mom are you okay?" Henry asked obviously seeing his mothers reaction as well. Emma just shook her head and laughed, wiping away her tears.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just these damn pregnancy hormones are killing me is all." She said with a smile and another laugh. Killian just smiled too as he wrapped his hooked arm around her, pulling her into his side and pressing his lips to her temple as his Swan relaxed into him.
"Okay good because there's more I still have to tell you." Henry said, the excited smile back on his face "I talked to my professor and he was telling me how he had never considered the story from Captain Hook's point of view and that the research I had found on the subject was quite interesting. He said that it was almost as if I had some sort of insight into the characters mind and I understood what really made Captain Hook...you know... tick." Henry said with a smirk, making Emma laugh out loud and Killian roll his eyes at the reference. "Anyway after that my professor told me that he was so impressed with my work that he's going to submit my essay to some literary magazines and papers. I don't think anything will really come of it but it's a huge honor." Henry said his smile showing just how extremely proud he was of what he had done.
At this point Killian began to feel his own chest tighten ever so slightly, threatening him with tears of his own. When he had told Henry to submit the essay, he really didn't think anything about it. He had just seen his son in pain and wanted to make it go away in whatever way he could. And he had just been glad that Henry wouldn't have to deal with it anymore. However to hear that his professor thought it was good enough to publish... well that feeling was almost indescribable. Killian had been a villain for so long and but he had worked extremely hard to turn his life around. However he was still ashamed to admit that the fact that the whole world still thought of him as not only a true villain, but a bloody coward as well was still a weight on his soul.
Whenever he and Emma ventured out into the real world like when they visited Henry in New York, he could see and hear the people whispering and staring at his hook. Even if they didn't for a second believe he was the real Captain Hook, Killian knew what they were all thinking and comparing him to that git from the Disney movies and he didn't like it one bit. He'd even asked Emma to glamour his hook into a hand on such outings or at the very least let him wear his fake one but she had refused, taking his hook and kissing it just like she would his hand. She would remind him that she was a fan of every part of him and whenever they went out in public she always held his hook tightly in her hand as they strolled throughout the bustling streets.
"That's amazing kid! I'm so proud of you!" Emma said a huge smile on her face.
"Aye, lad that is truly quite the honor." Killian agreed his throat tight but the huge smile on his face hadn't lessened since first hearing Henry's news. "When do you find out if it's going to be published?"
"Probably not for at least a few weeks, or more likely months." Henry sighed "Most publications have 90 days to reply if they intended to publish your work and if they aren't interested then they don't bother replying at all. Like I said it probably won't happen."
"Don't say that Kid you're an incredible writer. Every magazine and newspaper in the country would want to publish you." Emma admonished.
"Thanks mom." Henry said in that way only teenagers (or young men) say to their mothers.
"Screw everyone else anyway, when do we get to read it?" Emma asked with a smile. Killian felt his stomach start to knot a bit. He had read plenty of Henry's work before, the boy had always had him to proof his work in high school and would occasionally send some of his stories home for his family to read and enjoy, but this essay was different. This essay was about Killian. Well, technically this essay was about Captain Hook but Killian new that when it came to Henry's writing, he always put so much of his own passion and emotions into it that he couldn't ever seem to express out loud (he had inherited a bit of his mothers uncomfortableness for dealing with emotions) However Henry never shied away from them in his writing. Whatever Henry's feelings were for Killian they were sure to shine through with every word. (Killian knew that Henry loved and cared for him as he did all his family members but very rarely did he ever actually voice those feelings, especially in recent years with his being a teenager.)
Henry's face turned pink and he scratched behind his ear, avoiding their gazes "You...you really want to read it?" He asked a bit nervously. Killian noticed that when Henry did finally look up at them through his lashes that he only locked eyes with him and not his mother.
"Uh, Duh!" Emma said rolling her eyes in mock exasperation at the same time that Killian reassuringly said "Only if you want us too lad." His own face hesitant. Don't get him wrong. At the moment there was nothing in the world that Killian wanted more than to read his sons essay on Captain Hook. However Killian only wanted to read it if Henry wanted him to read it. This was personal for both of them and he wasn't going to force the lad to show it to him.
"Yeah, I guess I could send you guys a copy." Henry was saying still a bit nervous. Killian wanted to tell his son that he didn't have to however that's when Lily entered the room.
"Is that Henry!?" She yelled running over to see the computer and squealing when she saw her brothers face. "HENRY!" she yelled into the computer "I have so much to tell you! Look I lost a tooth!" She said showing off the empty space in her mouth proudly to her older brother making him and everyone else laugh.
The four of them spent another half hour or so chatting about what else they were up to until Henry's roommate came home, cursing and slamming doors and Henry commented that he should probably go check and see what was wrong before they lost their security deposit, and so they said their goodbyes and hung up.
Henry sent them all a copy of his essay the next week and both Killian and Emma had to hold back tears while reading it. It wasn't all entirely about Hook as Killian came to find. Quite a bit of it was about the demon Pan himself and all of the characters flaws that lead him to be the real villain of his own story. However for the the parts that were about Captain Hook it was blatantly obvious that Henry had based his words on the literary evidence and writings it was also just as obvious to anyone that really knew him that his words of praise for the Captain were just as much about Killian as the fictional character. Immediately after reading it Killian had reached for his talking phone and pressed the Henry button. It rang a few times before his son finally answered.
"Hey Killian, what's up?"
"Well," Killian began, his tears still in his eyes and his throat still tight. "Your mum and I just received your essay." He said.
"And? What did you think?" Henry asked his own voice showing how nervous he was for Killians answer.
"Well lad, your mother is in tears and I..." he choked, the emotions suddenly altogether overwhelming him again "I just...thank you." He finally managed to get out. His emotions in that simple sentiment laid bare before the boy, hoping Henry would understand that for one of the first times in his very long life, words were failing the pirate when it came to how Henry's essay had made him feel.
"Your welcome." Henry said and Killian could practically hear the blush on his sons face. "I couldn't have written it without you." He offered. Killians laugh broke the tension between them and they said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Killian read and re read the essay over and over again. Each time having to hold back the emotions that threatened to overtake him. He just felt so proud of his son and for the first time in a while, once again proud of himself. Proud for how far he had come and proud to be the man that Henry was praising. Emma had her copy of the essay framed and put on the wall, however Killian bought a protective folder for his own and kept it on his bookshelf among his other most prized readings.
When Henry had called for their weekly family chat later that week Emma had cried almost the entire time (blaming it on her hormones.) She praised Henry for his essay and for finding a way to finally find a way to deal with all that had happened in Neverland, even with living in the real world. Henry had just nodded and let his mother cry and told her he loved her. Killian had left the two of them alone to talk. They were finally opening up and discussing what had happened in Neverland after all these years and needed their privacy. When Emma made it up to bed that night Killian had pulled her into his arms and whispered all the good things that had happened on their adventure in Neverland as a way to counteract all the bad he knew she had just been reliving with their son. She had smiled sweetly up at him before he kissed her long and lovingly. Then he flipped them over and spent the rest of the evening showing to her just how much he loved her.
It was a month or so later when Killian received a package from New York. Seeing that it was from Henry instantly both intrigued and puzzled the pirate. Whenever Henry sent something he always addressed it to the whole family or sometimes just to Emma or Lily if it was a gift for them in particular like for his mothers birthday or the one Mother's Day where Henry hadn't been able to make it home for the weekend to spend with the family. However he never mailed things to Killian directly.
Killian sat down at the table, staring at the large yellow envelope. It was a bit heavy and flimsy and he couldn't even imagine what was inside. It didn't feel or look like a book as Henry usually sent.
"What's that?" Emma asked as she came into the room, just getting back from putting Lily down for a nap.
"Not sure." Killian admitted shrugging and handing it over to his wife so she could see.
"It's from Henry." She exclaimed brightly "And it's addressed to you!" She said looking up at him and smiling as she handed the package back to him.
"Aye love, that it is." Was all Killian could say, his brow furrowed, still confused why Henry sent him something directly.
"What's wrong?" She asked him.
"Just wondering why Henry sent it to me is all, normally he just sends things to the family, or possibly you and Lily, but not to me." Killian admitted.
Emma sat down and shook her head, grabbing his hand and hook in her hands.
"Don't be anxious, it's probably just something he thought you would like." She said as she squeezed his hands and smiled at him.
"Too right love." Killian said with a genuine smile as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, making his Swan smile even more as she got up and made her way to the fridge.
Killian picked up the package again and carefully tore it open with his hook. He dumped its contents out onto the counter. Inside was a copy of the New York Times newspaper dated from the previous week. Atop it was a sticky note written in Henry's hand.
Killian,
Thanks for everything (and I do mean everything)
Henry
- Ps. pg 16
Killians heart squeezed in his chest as he opened the paper and turned to page 16. However what he saw there made his heart stop all together and then pick up again at a nearly frantic pace. Killian couldn't believe what he was seeing and his eyes began to tear up. For there, written in large black letters, in a font so big one couldn't help but take notice were the words
'Has Captain Hook been unfairly maligned all this time? Essay from Columbia Lit student all but proves he has.'
Killian held back his tears as he read the article. It detailed much of the content Henry's essay as well as the conclusions that the lad had come to. Primarily that Hook was hardly the villain of the story and that Pan was the one who was the real monster.
"What did he send you?" Emma asked as she sat down at the table, a cup of hot cocoa and cinnamon in her hands. Killian breathing just stuttered as he looked up at her, his eyes filled with tears that were threatening to spill over at any minute. He handed her the paper wordlessly. Emma took it from him and let out a small gasp at the article title. She immediately looked up at him, her own tears already forming in the corners of her eyes.
"Killian..." she breathed as she got up and walked around the table. Killian opened his arms for her and she sat herself down in his lap, resting her head on his shoulder as he rocked her gently in his arms, still to overcome by emotions to speak. He knew what the New York Times was. It was the most famous and widely read publication on the east coast of this realm, if not the entire country. When Henry had told Killian about his essay Killians heart had swelled and he didn't think he could've felt more honored. When Killian had finally read that essay, he had been so overcome with emotions he could barely fathom it. He had thought that that would be the end of the emotional roller coaster his son had sent him on, however it hadn't been, because what he felt now was so big and so huge he could hardly contain it. It was joy. It was love. It was pride. It was the validation he had always secretly wanted but had never dared hope for. Emmas and her families acceptancr of him despite everything he'd done was more than he could ever dream of. However this, the idea that people around the world might just no longer think of the nefarious Captain Hook as a villain but as a hero and man of honor...there wasn't any words he could ever say to adequately describe what he was feeling, or to thank Henry for such a gift.
While Killian has been lost in his own thoughts Emma had picked up the paper and began reading the article. When she finished she put it down and looked at him, eyes shining bright with tears and happiness. She took his face in her hands and stroked the scar on his cheek as she looks deeply and lovingly into his eyes. "Now the world will see you the way I do...the way Henry does." She whispered.
Killian tried to say something but all that came out was a small choked noise before Emma leaned forward and kissed him deeply. He kissed her back, pouring all the love and passion he had in that moment into his kiss. He pulled her tightly to his chest and tangled his hand in her golden hair, keeping her lips trapped against his own, exactly where he wanted her to be. After they finally broke apart Emma once again cupped his cheek in her hand and rubbed his scar with her thumb as they pressed their foreheads together and breathed each other in. Killian pulled back to look at her, putting his hand over hers on his cheek and holding it there.
"Emma," he said, his voice quiet and his throat still tight, his eyes serious, "I love you. I love you and Henry, and Lily, and the new bean growing inside you." He told her. "I never thought I needed or wanted any validation from anyone but you and our family. But this..." Killian trailed off trying once again to hold back his tears as he gestured to the news article sitting on the table.
"I know, Killian. I know." Emma breathed, her voice just as quiet as she hugged him to her. Her arms wrapping around his neck and running her fingers through the back of his hair at its nape.
Killian wrapped his arms tightly around her waist "This is everything." He breathed out as a single tear finally escaped from his eye and slid down his nose as he buried it in her hair and breathed her in. Her scent already calming the storm of emotions he felt inside that threatened to overcome him.
"I know, Killian. It's everything to me too." She said quietly as he held her tight and just let himself feel for a few more minutes. Eventually they had to pull away and get a handle on themselves before Lily woke up from her nap. When she did finally get up both Emma and Killian helped her get ready to spend the night over at her grandparents house as they had planned earlier that week. Snow and Charming came and picked up a very excited Lily only a few minutes later. Their daughter gave them both big hugs and then kissed Emma's pregnant belly and said goodbye to the baby before she left. Once the door shut Emma and Killian made their way to the sofa and collapsed into it. Having a five year old was hard work, especially one with the amount of energy Lily did.
They were doing nothing of real importance. Just snuggling on the couch, Killian was reading a book and Emma's head was in his lap as she played a game on her phone. Killian sat his book on the arm rest so that he could idly run his fingers through his Swans hair as he read. He smiled down at her, her green eyes meeting his blue with her own smile and he sighed, totally content.
That's when Emma's phone went off and Emma answered it, but she kept her gaze locked on Killian, the smile still on her lips. "Hey kid what's up?" She asked as Killian returned to running his fingers through her hair, his book now completely forgotten.
"What, really?" Emma said as she bolted to an upright sitting position. Killian was immediately worried but then he saw a smile spread across his Swans face and she said "Thats amazing Henry!" And he let out a sigh of relief. Nothing was wrong. Emma talked animatedly with their son for a few more minutes although Killian couldn't tell what Henry's amazing news had been. When Emma hung up the phone a minute or so later she looked at him. "Henry's going to be on TV." She said beaming with the sort of pride only a mother has for her son.
"Really? Why's that love?" Killian asked.
"He said that a reporter from his local news station saw the article in the Timesand decided to interview him as a human interest story."
"Good for the lad! He rightly deserves the attention for that bloody brilliant essay of his." Killian said with his own proud smile.
"He said it's going to be airing tonight at 5." Emma said.
Killian turned to the clock seeing that it was a quarter to 5 already, his heart sinking a bit when he suddenly remembered how his Swan had once told him that they didn't get the same magic pictures as they did in New York. "Pity we won't be able to see it then." He said trying to keep his disappointment out of his voice.
Emma just rolled her eyes at him, waving her hand in the direction of the television.
"There now we do, I'll go make the popcorn." She said with a smile as she got up from the couch.
15 minutes later the two of them were once again snuggled up on the couch, melted chocolate popcorn and hot buttered rum in front of them. They barely watched the New York local news as they got wrapped up in feeding each other pieces of popcorn and nibbling and sucking on each other's fingers. However when they heard the broadcaster talking about Henry's essay they turned their attention back to the screen just in time to see the picture go from that of a news room to a book store, a pretty brunette reporter holding a microphone and Henry sitting proudly next to her. The reporter chatted with Henry a bit asking him his name, age, where he went to school and what he was majoring in, all of which Henry answered with a smile. Then they got into the real stuff.
"So Henry tell me, what inspired you to write this piece?" The woman asked him with a smile, holding the microphone to his face.
"Well It's all because of my dad—," Henry said a bit more shyly now but he continued to grow in confidence as he talked "well my stepdad technically—but he and my mom have been officially together since I was 12 and he's always been there for me ever since I was 10. Especially after Neal— my biological father— died when I was 11. So I've just always thought of him as my dad." Henry rambled on his face going a bit pink as he scratched behind his ear nervously. Continuing to babble and over explain things when he was nervous was another trait he had gotten from his mother. Killian's heart was beating fast, Henry had never expressed his feelings for him like this before. Killian had always considered Henry to be his son, and although the lad did call him dad on occasion, he had never said that he ever thought of the pirate as his father. Emma beamed up at him and took his hand in her own, squeezing it. That broke Killian out of his trance and he let out a long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
Henry continued talking "Anyway, he's totally the inspiration behind this essay. Just like Captain Hook he has a bit of a dark past. However now he's a real hero. Having him in my life has made me consider the other side of the story. To try and view things with a new perspective, and to give people— both real and fictional alike— a second chance." If Killian had thought he was overcome with emotions before they were nothing compared to watching Henry talk so freely about his feelings for him on the tv. Killian had to keep reminding himself to breath and remind himself not to cry as he staggered out tight breaths. Emma just wrapped her arms around him and he held her close.
"That's so sweet he sounds like a really great man." The reporter was saying "However all that being said how did you end up identifying Hook as the good guy and Peter Pan as the bad? Especially when it's thought to be the other way around for over 100 years?"
"Well it's not that hard to find the truth when you go looking for it." Henry answered "There are all sorts of references that people usually just ignore." He added.
"But what about the Peter Pan story in particular made you even think to look for such things?" The reporter asked, obviously not taking Henry's evasive answer. Both Killian and Emma tensed a bit as they waited for their son's response. They knew he was smart and had been living away from Storybrooke for several years now but with Henrys pension for truth telling, they weren't at all sure how he would answer that.
"Well..." Henry began as he scratched nervously behind his ear "I never particularly liked Peter Pan, especially as a kid. I kinda thought sneaking into kids rooms and taking them away was a bit creepy and manipulative. To me, Captain Hook was always the good guy for trying to stop Pan—I mean Peter Pan from getting to me— I mean the kids." Henry flushed crimson and looked nervously over to the reporter but she either hadn't noticed his slip or was choosing to ignore it for the sake of professionalism. Emma and Killian also froze, praying that Henry would take the opportunity to just move on and not try to explain away what he had just said, knowing that if he did that he would only dig himself a hole he wouldn't be able to get out of.
After a brief pause Henry continued "So when this essay for my class came up I immediately started to consider my feelings towards Captain Hook as well as my dad, Killian, and then it just sort of evolved from there." He said, still obviously nervous about his slip but trying to move past it.
"So you could say that this essay is also just as much about your father as it is about Captain Hook and Peter Pan?" Asked the reporter.
Henry laughed out load at that and so did Emma and Killian, breaking the tension from Henry's momentary slip. "Oh you have no idea!" Henry laughed again.
"Excuse me?" The reporter asked looking confused.
"Nothing, sorry, inside joke." Henry said as he tried to smother his laughter and answer her question in a way that wouldn't make him sound crazy. "Actually my dads the one who told me to submit it in the first place. I called him all frustrated about this essay and was thinking I was going to have to spend all night rewriting it but instead he told me to just turn it in as was because it seemed like it was something I was passionate about."
The reporter smiled at that "Are you glad you took his advice now?"
"So, so glad!" Henry laughed.
"So how do you feel about the world now thinking of Captain Hook as the good guy?"
"It's an incredible feeling." Henry beamed at her. "I know that this won't make much sense but this just truly means the world to me and my family."
"You're right that didn't make much sense." The reporter said with a confused smile and Henry just laughed again.
The rest of the short interview was about Henry's research on the essay as well as what he sees in his future as a writer. After it was over Emma shut off the Tv and looked at her husband. Once again Killian had tears in his eyes as he looked back to her slowly.
"He loves you." Emma said quietly "You're his father and he's so incredibly proud of you and now the whole world knows it." She said trying to choke back some tears of her own.
Killian was about to say something when he hear a ringing coming from the laptop. He turned to see that it was an incoming video chat from Henry. Killian got up and walked towards the table slowly, still overcome with such emotion he wasn't sure he could walk steady. He turned to Emma, expecting that his Swan would join him but she shook her head. "I'll give you two a minute." She said quietly, placing a kiss on Killians forehead as she exited the room.
Killian took a steadying breath and answered the call.
"Hey, did you see the broadcast?" Henry asked immediately as soon as they were connected.
"Aye lad we did." Killian said his voice thick with unbridled love for his son.
"What did you think?" Henry asked looking at him, once again quite nervous.
"Henry," Killian began "what you did, what you said, did you mean it?" He asked. He wasn't sure what he was referring to, more just like he was referring to everything Henry had said about him and about Hook both in his essay and in person.
Henry's face began to turn pink but he kept eye contact with Killian.
"Every word, Dad." He said seriously.
Killian closed his eyes as a single tear of joy finally escaped from them. His heart was singing and he felt like he was finally coming home after a long voyage at sea. He had thought that he couldn't have been happier, more content than he had already been in his life. But Henry's words both written and spoken had made Killian feel like a missing piece that he hadn't known existed was falling into place. That this was what it was like to have everything he's ever wanted.
"Thank you." Killian said as he opened his eyes, shining brightly on the boy— no the man— on the computer screen.
"I love you dad." Henry said.
"I love you too son, more than you could ever possibly know."