Right so I know I said probably one more chapter then epilogue, but that didn't happen. So it's probably going to be this chapter, and then another after that and then an epilogue (but who knows! I just don't want to rush this story, and I hope you guys are happy that it keeps getting longer, lol!) Anyway I wasn't going to end this where I did, but I felt like it would be too packed if I ended it how I had previously intended to, so I moved a chunk into next chapter. That does mean that this ending is meaner than I meant it to be - so please don't hate me!
**Warning: There is a small scene which is a bit gory, it is a dream and is really short but just in case it sqeeks you out it is in italics, as my dream sequences always are, so can be skipped if needed**
As always thanks for all the follows, favourites and reviews - I really do read them over and over whilst writing, my muse seems to feed off them!
Anyways hope you enjoy this chapter!
The three of them sat chatting for some-time, about non-sensical topics mostly, in an effort to keep Katie's mind off of where she was and what was happening. Also the absence of her mother. Killian had sent Emma a text, inquiring on her whereabouts and alerting her that their daughter was now awake, but had yet to receive a reply.
"And that was how we met Elsa. You see, she had been the one to create the snow monster because she had been scared." Killian finished his tale, revelling in the look of awe on his daughter's face.
"Wow." Katie beamed, sitting up on her haunches. Her smile faltered as she registered the rest of her father's words. "Why was she scared?"
"Because she was away from home, had been separated from her family and didn't know where she was." Killian stroked his hand down her face, smiling sadly at the concern in her eyes. "But she was reunited with her family once more. And her and your mother became good friends. They still speak through mirror magic on occasion, next time we should introduce you."
"Really?"
"Of course. And not just Elsa, you'll meet Anna and Kristoff too."
"And Olaf?!" Katie all but screeched in her excitement. Killian's face morphed into confusion, sure that the name Olaf surrounded familiar but unsure as to why.
"In the real world, Olaf is Elsa's dog." Snow stroked Katie's leg, having worked with children over these past years she knew about the loveable snowman character.
"Oh." Katie sighed, feeling disappointed and slightly foolish for thinking that the snowman was real. But, then again, magic was real so anything was possible. Surely even a talking snowman.
"I'm sure you can see him though, he's as loveable as his Disney version." Snow attempted to lessen her granddaughter's disappointment.
"I do like dogs." Katie giggled, forcing herself to get past her disappointment. She wouldn't like people to judge her just because she isn't magical or special. "Has he ever met Nana?" Katie had a deep fondness for her grandparents' dog, she had fallen asleep whilst cuddling him on more than one occasion.
"Not yet," Snow laughed imagining a dog play date through a mirror. "We'll have to-"
"Sorry to interrupt." One of the triage doctors pulled back the curtain, swiftly entering the space. Killian stood, clasping his daughter's hand in his own as he sensed her nervousness. "Katie we are about ready to move you onto the children's ward. We'll probably access you here for another hour or so, just to be sure that you're stable, but it's looking good." Katie cast her eyes down to the bed, biting her lip against her nerves.
"That's good news, thank you." Killian nodded at the doctor. The family expected him to leave at that, but instead he turned to Snow.
"Mrs Nolan, mind if we have a word regarding your husband?" The doctor held his arm out towards the gap he had entered through. Snow and Killian eyes snapped over to one another, realising what the doctor had just unknowingly done, before moving to Katie. The little girl's brow was creased and her lip began to tremble. Why did the doctor need to talk about her grandad? He was out on a call, being a policeman. Unless something had happened. Her breathing started to pick up.
"Princess," Killian sat back down on the bed in front of his daughter, who was staring at the doctor with frantic eyes.
"Ma'am? I really do need to speak with you." The doctor could see that he had unknowingly said the wrong thing and therefore caused this upset, however it was important that he spoke with his patient's wife.
"Ok, ok, I…" Snow felt lost. She knew that she needed to speak with the medical team, however she didn't feel good leaving her granddaughter so upset.
"Go with them, we'll be fine." Killian gave his mother-in-law a reassuring smile. He also knew that the possibility of Katie speaking to him was much higher without the doctor present. Once the two of them had left, Killian turned back to Katie.
"What's wrong with Grandad?" Katie whispered, a small part of her hoping that her father would give some different explanation to the obvious.
"You know that Grandad responded to that police call?" Killian hated this. He knew this was going to scare his daughter. But he couldn't lie to her. Katie slowly nodded. "Well he had to protect someone from being hurt, and…well…he got hurt in the process." Katie gasped as tears fell down her cheeks. Killian tried to wipe them away, but more just replaced them. "He'll be ok, the hospital are taking care of him."
"P-people d-die in h-h-hospital…" Katie sobbed out, feeling her breathing quicken further. Her chest started to tighten, in that familiar feeling like someone was crushing her heart. "M-my b-birth m-mom…d-d-did…"
"No, don't think that princess, he'll be ok." Killian attempted to wrap his arms around Katie, but she shook her head. She felt like she was suffocating as it was. First her mom was absent, again, and now her grandad had been hurt during a police call which he only had to take because her parents were with her in the hospital. This was all her fault. And her mom probably wasn't here because she'd worked it out as well. She'd worked out that David had been hurt because of Katie and now her mom didn't want anything to do with her. Katie didn't blame her. She couldn't. The mystery was, why was her dad still here? He must not have figured it out yet, but it was only a matter of time before he did or Emma told him the truth. Then Katie would be all alone. Again.
"Katie, you're ok, it's ok. You need to breathe ok, princess?" Killian could see that his daughter wasn't listening to his reassurances. She was panicking and had gone somewhere in her mind where he couldn't reach her. And that terrified him. Not knowing what else to do, Killian pressed the buzzer to alert a nurse.
A few seconds later, Martha, the kind older nurse who had helped Katie out during her CAT scan, entered with a look of concern on her face. "You rang asking for help?"
"Yes, she's having a panic attack but refuses to let me help her." Killian gestured to his daughter, who's eyes had clenched shut and her body was shaking. "I don't think she can breathe."
"Ok." Martha nodded to the worried father before approaching the young patient herself. "Katie, it's me, Martha the nurse who helped you earlier. We need you to breathe, sweetheart, ok?"
Katie's heart was thumping in her ears, to the rhythm of the words on repeat in her head. All my fault. All my fault. Images of her grandad lying dead on the floor flicked across her closed eyelids. Her mom screaming at her that it was all her fault. Her dad throwing her out of the house.
"I don't think she can hear us." Killian squeezed his daughter's hand tighter than he ever had before, hoping to jolt her back to the present and reality. It seemed to have no effect.
"We were hoping to avoid sedation, especially with Katie being so young, but I think we need to help her to calm down." The nurse used a key to unlock a cabinet in the corner, quickly finding the medication she sought. "Do I have your consent?"
"What?" Killian looked at the nurse in slightly panicked confusion. Consent for what?
"I need a parent's consent to administer any medication." The nurse was speaking gently, yet firmly, leaving no room for argument that this must be their course of action.
"O-of course. Do what you must." Killian's words had not long left his lips, before the nurse was administering the dose directly through the cannula in the young girl's hand. The effect was almost immediate; Katie's body stilled and her face softened, her eyelids simply laying closed.
"I'll go speak with her doctor, but I think we'll be putting the oxygen mask back on whilst she is under. Some patients need some help breathing regularly when sedated." The nurse smiled sadly up at the father.
"Thank you." Killian wasn't sure if the nurse heard his quiet words of gratitude before she left. He picked up his phone to see that Emma had still yet to reply to his message. Grumbling to himself, Killian called his wife with hopes that she would answer him.
#
Emma was sat in her car in the hospital car park, with the radio droning on in the background. She was in a daze and unsure of how she had left her bathroom, let alone drove all the way to the hospital. She couldn't seem to hold on to one emotion for more than a couple of seconds before it floated off and was replaced by another. She didn't know what to believe, what was real or not, maybe she was going crazy.
Her cell phone ringtone managed to break through her fog enough for her to answer it.
"Emma? Are you alright? Where are you?" Killian frantically rattled of his questions.
"Hmm…?" Emma felt like she was on some sort of delay. "Outside."
"Outside the hospital?" Killian seemed confused. Well, Emma could relate to that emotion at least. She must have made an affirmative noise, because her husband sighed in relief. "Ok, good. Emma we need you, Katie's been sedated."
"Katie's been…?" Emma mumbled before the words truly sank in. Suddenly the world snapped back into clarity. Her daughter was in hospital, after being diagnosed with a condition which was life-altering – even life-threatening – for some. The medical team had mentioned sedation earlier, however Katie had managed to calm down before it was necessary. Clearly this time had been even worse. "Oh my god, ok, I'm coming." Emma snatched the bag from the seat next to her, thankful that in her daze she had still remembered the things for her daughter. In true Emma Swan fashion, everything else was pushed to the back of her mind to be dealt with later. She couldn't afford to take time now, not when her daughter needed her this much.
Killian breathed yet another sigh of relief when he saw his wife jogging down the hall of hospital. He had stepped out, wanting to greet his wife before she saw Katie. Also warn her that she was again wearing an oxygen mask, but it was simply a precaution.
"Killian?" Emma hadn't expected her husband to be waiting outside for her. She hoped that he hadn't coined on to the trance-like manner she had picked up the phone in.
"Emma." Killian's smile seemed strained, and he didn't open his arms for her as she had been expecting.
"Is everything ok? I mean apart from what you've told me already. I just can't-" Emma was rambling, she did this when she was nervous.
"Emma stop." Killian held up his hand. He had thought that she was keeping something from him, her ramblings just confirmed it. "What is it? Why are you lying?"
"I'm not…" Emma trailed off in defeat, knowing that her husband wasn't going to hold his tongue any longer. And knowing that it wasn't fair of her to expect him to do so. "Look, can we not do this right now?"
"We are doing this right now." Killian gritted out in frustration. "I have waited long enough, pretending that I didn't notice that you were ill, or that I agreed with your explanation that it was simply your hatred of hospitals."
"What do you want me to say?" Emma knew she was stalling, and that Killian knew it too.
"The truth, Emma." Killian ran a hand down his face when his wife remained silent. "Look, I know you. I know you need your space and I have afforded you it. More so than most would, I'd wager. But now, whatever it is is taking you from our daughter when she most needs you. And that is not ok."
"I…"
"Do you know why she had to be sedated? Do you?" Killian's voice was strained, as if he was fighting to control the thunder within. Emma slowly shook her head. "She learnt of your father's condition, and she now believes that he will die in hospital the same as her birth mother did. That's on top of you not being there after promising her that you wouldn't leave. And I couldn't even assure her that you were alright because I didn't know either. I didn't even know where you'd gone and you refused to answer the messages I sent. I respect that you need time but sometimes it cannot be afforded. A prime example of this is when your child is in hospital, without you for seemingly no reason. Well no reason that I can think of-"
"I maybe p-pregnant." Emma stuttered out. She was half expecting her husband not to hear her, but she was glad when he stopped short with wide eyes.
"You're… what?" Killian's brow furrowed. He must have heard wrong, there's no way.
"You heard me."
"Aye, I think I did, but I'm certainly mistaken."
"I don't think you are."
"Say it again." Killian took a step forward towards his wife who was stubbornly silent. "Again, Emma!" He hadn't meant to bark it at her, hadn't meant to shout it at all. However, her body did a small jolt and he was suddenly awash with guilt. He walked the remaining steps between them, taking the time to level his breathing. Killian held out his hand as a peace offering, pleasantly surprised when she took it without hesitation. "I apologise for snapping, but I need more Emma. Please."
"I took a pregnancy test, and…" Emma hadn't wanted to do this. Not like this. She needed time, because she knew what her husband would want to do as soon as he found out. The one thing which would, most likely, bring this whole fantasy crashing down. "It came back positive."
"You are… You are with child?" Killian was not ashamed of the tear that slipped down his cheek as he stared into his beloved's eyes.
"I…I don't know…" Emma winced, hating how confused yet hopeful her pirate looked. "Look, I have been having shooting pains in my stomach and back, like really bad cramps. And I've been throwing up quite a bit, like more than just would be morning sickness…"
"What are you saying?" Killian knew that his wife had a tendency to expect the worst from situations, but this…this was different.
"I'm saying, don't get your hopes up until we know for certain what this is." Emma knew that, despite her warnings, her husband would probably be unable to stop himself from hoping. His hope and belief were some of the many things she loved about him.
"But you said the test was positive, correct?" In all of their times of trying to conceive, they had never once had a positive test result.
"Yes, but it was just the one test and they're not always accurate. There can be false positives, or other things going on in a woman's body which imitate something which gives off the same thing as a pregnant woman…" Emma trailed off, knowing that she wasn't making much sense. "Look, I don't know, ok? I'm not a doctor."
"That's what we need then, isn't it? A doctor." Killian looked around them with a slight smirk. "As luck would have it, we appear to be in a building full of doctors."
"Now?" Emma gasped out as her pirate attempted to pull her along with him.
"Well no time like the present, seeing as the little lass is going to be asleep for a while yet." Killian assured Emma that Katie wouldn't be waking up alone again, however he knew deep down that that wasn't her only fear.
"No, look, it can wait ok?" Emma used the hand which wasn't still entwined with her husband's to cup his cheek. "I just…I know something's wrong." Killian went to refute it, but Emma softly shook her head. "I know you think it's just my tendency to see the worst, but it's not. I can feel it." Killian once again made to speak, probably to say that if something were wrong it may need seeing to, but Emma moved her hand to hold a finger over his mouth. "I just…want to be girl, standing in front of her husband, telling him that she might be pregnant. For a little while longer, at least."
"Aye, Swan, I think I can manage that." Killian lifted their joint hands to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "But, promise me, if it gets worse or you are in pain, you will allow me to take you to a doctor."
"Aye, Captain, I think I can manage that." Emma pressed her lips up against her amazing caring supportive husband's, who always knew what to say and how far to push her. "Now, I need to go see my daughter. I've got some stuff which I'm sure she'll be happy to wake up to."
"I'm sure she'll be most happy to wake up to you being there, love." Killian, ever the gentleman, took the bag from his wife. It swung from his hook so that the true-love's hands come remain entwined.
#
Katie had spent the afternoon at her grandparents, as was the norm for two days of the week. Usually one or both of her parents came to pick her up, but today her Granddad was driving her to the station. She wasn't entirely sure why, and couldn't remember if her Grandad had even explained himself. Not that it really mattered to her, she was happy listening to her Grandad sing along with the music on the radio.
They arrived at the station and exited the truck. Katie couldn't explain why but a shiver ran down her spine as they approached her parents' place of work. David placed his hand in hers and gave her a reassuring smile, but she still felt like something was off.
"Wait here." David barked at Katie in the hallway of the station, his mood suddenly as sombre as her own. She went to question him. Did he feel that something was off also? Did he know something which she didn't? Had he heard something? Yet David put a finger to his lips to silence her, before going around the corner into the bullpen. Katie's heart was beating so fast as she fought to keep her breathing quiet and under control.
Suddenly a gun shot rang out.
Katie screamed. A millisecond later she clasped her hand over her mouth.
Footsteps sounded on the cold hard floor. Coming closer and closer to her position in the hallway. Tears spilled down Katie's cheeks as she waited to be discovered. She didn't even try to move, somehow she already knew that she couldn't.
A figure all in black appeared in the hallway, a gun in hand. He walked along the corridor, getting closer and closer to Katie.
She closed her eyes, preparing herself.
Then the footsteps continued, getting further and further away.
Katie opened her eyes just in time to see the figure open the door of the station and leave. For some reason, she had been spared.
Suddenly she could once again move her legs and she walked with shaky steps into the bullpen. And she screamed, long and loud at the sight.
Her grandad was lying on the floor, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head.
Her daddy was sprawled on the cot in one of cells, multiple bullet wounds to his chest, stomach, back. Anywhere the shooter had been able to get.
"K-katie…" The chocked gargle sounded nothing like her mother's usual beautiful voice, but Katie knew it was her. She turned and ran into her mother's office, careful of the shattered glass littering the floor. Her mother was lying behind her desk, a hole in her chest where her heart was.
"M-m-mommy!" Katie sobbed launching herself on her mother. She tried to push her hand over the hole, but it was so large that her hand almost slipped inside. If she hadn't have been so panicked, she would have wondered how her mother wasn't dead already. "Help! HELP!"
"It's no use, b-baby. I'm g-g-going..." Emma's arm reached up just enough to stroke her daughter's hair.
"No, no, no…" Katie shook her head as tears flooded from her cheeks onto her mother's. "You'll be ok…you promised me you'd be ok! That you wouldn't leave me!"
"I'm s-s-sorry…" Emma gasped as blood filled her mouth.
"Help! HELP! HELP!" Katie screamed for anyone, anyone to hear her as the light left her mother's eyes. "M-Mommy? MOMMY?!" The little girl shook her mother, but all that accomplished was more red liquid dripping from her lips. It was no use. Like her grandad and her daddy, her mommy was dead. Katie lay there, she didn't know how long for, wishing the figure had killed her too.
"Katie?" Her grandmother's voice cause Katie to turn her head towards the entrance to the bullpen. The woman's face was ashen as she took in the crime scene. Then it hardened as she focused on the young girl. "What did you do?" Katie tried to speak, but no words would come. She needed to tell her grandmother that it wasn't her fault. She didn't do this. But she couldn't. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" The woman screamed in fury as she ripped Katie from her dead mother's arms.
Katie shook her head, feeling like her mother was truly gone now that they were no longer connected. Tell her, tell her who it was. That figure in black with a gun, remember? But as much as Katie's brain tried, her vocal cords refused to co-operate.
"It's all your fault." Snow dropped Katie down onto the gravel of the car park. When had they gone outside? "They're dead and it's all your fault." Those were the words which her grandmother left her with, going back into the station. Before Katie could try to follow, the car park morphed into the road leading out of Storybrooke. The young girl lay just past the town line, shivering on the ground.
"All your fault." A phrase repeated over and over in her mind, as it had been throughout her life. Her birthmother, her birthfather, his friends, kids at school, her foster-family before her group home placement. Everything was always her fault. And she had been selfish enough to let herself into her family's lives, knowing that she would do something to muck it up. Katie didn't fully understand how this was her fault, but she knew for certain that it was.
#
Emma lay on the bed next to her daughter, being careful to avoid the numerous wires still monitoring her as well as the oxygen mask which was now back on her face. Killian had explained that it was simply a precaution, but it still hurt Emma's heart to see her baby's beautiful face obscured so. Especially as the mask had distressed Katie so much. She was clasping onto her hand, hoping Katie could feel that she was there.
It was just the two of them, as Killian had gone to check on her mother and father. He said that Snow had been called out rather urgently by the doctor, and he hadn't seen or heard from her since. It had been Emma who had requested he go find out what was happening, as she refused to leave her baby's side again. It hurt her so much that Katie had woken up without her, wondering where she was. She had promised that she wouldn't leave her, and she had broken that promise. Never again.
A soft whine escaped her daughter, muffled by the oxygen mask. At first Emma thought that maybe her daughter was waking up, but her eyes remained closed and her breathing even. The mother started to card her fingers through the girl's brown waves, a motion which often served to calm Katie. However, the whimpers continued.
"Sssh, baby, it's ok. Mommy's here now." Emma laid her head next to Katie's, whispering the soothing words into her ear. She could feel her daughter's pulse beat slightly faster against her hand. Emma wondered, if Katie hadn't have been sedated, if she would have woken up already. Her poor baby was clearly having a nightmare, and Emma needed to comfort her. Especially as it seemed that she was stuck in her dreams for now.
The blonde scanned the space, making sure that they were truly alone and the curtain was pulled tightly closed. She listened out, but all she could hear was the repetitive beeping of machines and the quiet mumblings of people some distance away. Satisfied, Emma took a deep breath and begun to sing.
"Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird don't sing, Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring turns brass, Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass.
And if that looking glass gets broke, Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat,
And if that billy goat don't pull, Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull.
And if that cart and bull turn over, Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.
And if that dog named Rover won't bark, Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart.
And if that horse and cart fall down, Well you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town."
Katie's whimpers did continue, however much softer they had become due to her mother's singing was unknown. Emma was at a loss of what else to try to bring comfort to her daughter, unsure if there was anything which would work right now. So the blonde gently maneuvered Katie so that she was more tucked in to her body, with her daughter's head part-resting upon Emma's chest, and laid her arm across the young girl. "Yes, you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town." The mother laid a kiss to her daughter's head and closed her eyes, allowing herself to just be there with her little girl.
#
Killian did not like leaving Katie, especially after how distressed she had been. However Emma was finally there now, and as he had said before children need their mother's more than anything when ill. He wasn't entirely sure what to do about the information his wife had given him; he was more than a little confused. But as Emma had said, they didn't have to deal with it right now. As much as it killed him to remain in the not knowing about something so important, he understood that with everything going on it was just too much. But he had also meant what he had said, if Emma became ill or was in pain, then he was duty bound to seek out a medical professional. However scared it made them to get answers.
Emma's confession, it turns out, wouldn't be the only shock of the day. As Killian rounded the corner into David's section, he found the prince very much alive. Sitting up and conversing with his wife, no less.
"Is that Captain Hook, lost for words?" David chuckled at his mate who was standing at the foot of his bed, eyes and mouth wide open. "Maybe I am dead and this is heaven."
"David!" Snow scolded her husband. "You are not allowed to joke about such things. Not when you are lying in a hospital bed after being shot."
"Sorry, Snow." David lifted their joined hands to his lips, and kissed her knuckles. He clearly did feel bad for thoughtlessness of his joke.
"Bad form, Charming." Killian winked as he finally found his voice again.
"You're lucky I can't stay mad at you, not with how happy I am that you're ok." Snow lent forward to kiss her husband's cheek. She had always held hope that he would survive, but there had been a part of her which worried that this was it; when their luck would run out, and she would truly lose him. Snow was beyond relieved that it hadn't come to that.
"How are you so recovered, though?" Killian smirked at the slightly affronted look his mate took on at his words. "Not that I am not pleased that you're alright, mate, cause I am. But I saw you when you came in, and I'm sorry to say, you didn't look good."
"And what do you think you'd look like having just been shot?" David crossed his arms across his chest with a huff, the action caused him to wince as he put accidental pressure on his wound.
"Well you've seen me after I've been run through, numerous times and once by yourself I may add." Killian waggled his finger at his father-in-law, who rolled his eyes in return. "I'm sure you will attest to the fact that I looked as dashing as ever."
"Less so when we found you in the Underworld."
"Your daughter would argue differently, I'd wager."
"Can we not bring Emma into this?" David grumbled, not wanting to think about how good-looking his daughter found this pirate, his now-best friend.
"I think we can all agree that looks are not what anyone should be focusing on when they sustain injuries which could be fatal." Snow interrupted the ridiculous – equivalent to a pissing match – conversation the men were involved in.
"Quite right, milady." Killian bowed his head in apology.
"Kiss ass." David muttered, earning a laugh from Killian and another scold from Snow. There was no heat in his wife's admonishment, however, and soon all three of them were laughing; revelling in their relief that Prince Charming lived to fight another day.
When their laughter died down, Snow took on the role of answering Killian's earlier question. How was David here now, sitting up and talking, when mere hours ago he had been unconscious and bleeding out due to being shot. She explained that when the doctor had wanted to speak with her, it was to say that the whole bullet had been found by one of the dwarves combing the property for evidence. This meant that they could stitch David up with no fear of leaving harmful bullet fragments inside of him. A scan had already determined that nothing vital, such as organs, had been damaged. David awoke almost as soon as Snow clasped his hand in hers.
"You really are a lucky bastard." Killian shook his head, although the grin on his face was wide.
"Takes one to know one." David shot back, an equally as wide grin stretching across his own face.
"How's Katie?" Snow asked, in a manner which ascertained that she had not filled David in on their granddaughter's latest panic attack.
"Emma is with her." Killian smiled tightly. He wanted to hang onto the happy relief that his mate was going to survive, and he still felt it, however it was now muted by worry for his daughter. And a worry for his wife, which he felt unable to share. "They…um…had to sedate Katie."
"What? Why on earth would they do that?" David sat up straighter, not even wincing at the strain it caused his stitches. He managed to still hold his prince authority, even in a hospital gown and his face still pale from blood loss.
"She became distressed upon hearing…inadvertently I might add…hearing about your…condition." Killian didn't want David to feel bad, but the prince's face fell with guilt.
"Well I must go see her, show her that I'm alright." David went to move from the bed, but only managed a slight shift of his legs before gripping the railing of his bed hard. His face was a mask of pain.
"You will do no such thing." Snow soothed as she helped her husband lay back down, running a hand through his hair. "This is not your fault. I love how much you care for your, for our, granddaughter but it won't help her worry to have you collapse or tear your stitches."
"I'll go let her know, if she's awake that is. I know Emma will be anxious to hear of your recovery." Killian came closer to the bed, and clasped a hand on his shoulder. "It is great to have you back."
"Cheers, Killian." David chuckled, memories of speaking the same words to his son-in-law many times over the years. This family didn't seem able to stop risking their lives for the sake of others, curse or no curse. Big bad fairytale villain or not.
Killian lingered only a moment longer, needing the time to process that at least one of their problems has been solved. He then made his way back to Emma and their daughter.
The sight that met him when the pirate pulled back the curtain took his breath away, even though it was one he had seen far too many times to count; with the exception of the hospital wires and oxygen mask. Emma's golden hair cascaded across the pillow, the ends of some strands dripping over the side of the bed. Their little girl's head was resting on her mother's chest, tucked into her side in her sleep. One would be forgiven for assuming Emma was also asleep, as her eyes were closed and her breathing shallow, but Killian knew his wife.
"Love?" Killian called so as not to startle her, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Emma did not seem surprised at all by his presence, clearly having already sensed his arrival. Her eyes fluttered open as he took her hand in his own.
"Hey." Emma whispered, mindful of their daughter whose whimpers had ceased for the time being. The blonde was still not convinced that her sleep was peaceful, however. "How's my mom?"
"Better." Killian grinned, gently using his hook to toy with her hair. "Seeing as your father is awake and talking."
"He's what!?" Emma shot up in her shock momentarily forgetting about Katie. The young girl whose eyelids half-opened, clearly affronted at being awoken. "Hey sweetie, Mommy's sorry. Go back to sleep." Emma lay back down, hoping her daughter would instantly fall back under. Alas the young girl lifted her arm, obviously with great effort, and dislodged the oxygen mask so that it lay loosely at her neck. Killian watched like a hawk for any sign that she was struggling to breathe without the aid, but he saw none so would give her this short reprieve. With any luck, she would fall back asleep soon and then they would replace the mask.
"Mommy…?" Katie mumbled drowsily.
"Yes it's me, baby. I didn't mean to wake you." Emma stroked her daughter's hair with her free hand, still holding Killian's in a tight grip. "Daddy just told me that Grandad is ok."
"Grandad…" Katie was feeling very foggy, the medication she had been given still in effect. The images from her dream were in her mind, along with the ambulance and the hospital. Katie couldn't remember what had actually happened. What was real, and what was her imagination.
"Yes, princess, you know Grandad was hurt. Well the hospital have made him better." Killian could see that his poor daughter was exhausted and more than a little drugged up. He had no idea how aware she was of this conversation now, let alone if she would remember it at all later. "I promised you they would. And Daddy keeps his promises."
Katie wasn't listening. She'd only heard Grandad, hurt. Grandad had been shot. But her Daddy and Mommy had been as well, hadn't they? She'd been there. In the sheriff's station. But then how were here with her now. Had that been a dream. Or was this a dream. If this was, then she would hang onto it with all she was. She had no interest of waking up, once again alone and unloved. Katie squeezed her mother tightly, well as tight as she could in her current state.
"Baby, you ok?" Emma tried to look at her daughter's face but it was squished against her side.
"Don't die." Katie's quiet sob shocked both her parents.
"Princess, neither your mother nor me are going to die anytime soon." Killian's voice was choked with emotion as he rushed to reassure her.
"You did." Katie's mumbles were becoming more slurred, both by tears and the sleep which was pulling her under once more.
"What do you mean, sweetie?" Emma's brow furrowed, confusion and worry surging within her. They had yet to tell Katie of her father's death and their trip to the Underworld. Was that what she was referring to? How did she know?
"Police…shot…bad…" Katie's eyes had closed, but tears were still falling down her cheeks.
"Katie, we're not…me and your dad won't…" Emma struggled for the words to comfort her baby girl. She couldn't lie to her. Katie knew that her Grandad had been shot whilst working their job, why would she believe that the same fate didn't await her parents.
"She's asleep, Emma." Killian released his wife's hand to set the oxygen mask back in place, watching with a broken heart as his daughter's tears rolled over the device.
"I don't know what to do, what to say…" Emma breathed out, tears of her own wetting her cheeks. Her daughter thought they were going to die. If Katie still felt like this when she awoke, well it would give any child separation anxiety. For their child, a child who already dealt with it on a day-to-day basis, there was no telling what it would do to her. Her progress seemed to continuously get knock-backs. It wasn't fair.
"Aye, so much is still uncertain." Killian eyed his wife, leaving no uncertainty over what his words meant. Still Emma hesitated, not wanting her fantasy to be destroyed just yet. "Emma, if you won't do it for us then do it for Katie. She deserves two parents who are focused on her, on reality. Not ones whose thoughts remain somewhat elsewhere, wondering, hoping. We need to have our heads screwed on, for her. Now more than ever."
"Ok." Emma replied before truly acknowledging that she was going to. She knew that they had to get answers. And now was as good a time as any, when their daughter had just fallen into a deep sleep in which she would probably remain for a couple of hours at least.
"You mean it?" Killian stood for his seat, holding out his hook uncertainly.
"I do." Emma took his hook slowly rising from the bed, Killian using his hand to keep Katie from being dislodged as much as possible.
"And Emma, whatever the outcome," Killian cupped his wife's cheek in his hand, thumb rubbing across her jaw, "I will always love you. We have two children who mean the absolute world to me. It's enough. It's more than enough."
"You mean it?" Emma asked, seemingly in jest in her repeating of his phrase but Killian knew her better. He saw the insecurity in her eyes, the way her body moved imperceptibly closer to his own.
"Aye, I do." Killian pressed a soft kiss to her lips, before leading her away from their sleeping daughter. And towards answers which neither of them were quite ready to receive. "With all that I am."
