Twelve
Killian startles Emma awake before he can do the honors himself. He settles a bowl of breakfast on the nightstand and then sits on the bed.
"What are you- is everything okay?" She has awful morning breath and a voice to match, but she's never been more lovely, with her ratty golden curls and the pillow scars on her cheek.
"Everything's fine," He smiles because he can't help himself. "I made you breakfast." He gestures to the bowl. "Henry's got a bottle, too, in the kitchen."
Emma's expression softens as he explains and she actually smiles back at him. "Oh. Well, thank you, Killian."
He can't help but admire her, even in the way she yawns and rubs the sand out of her eyes. She scoots upright, stretching a bit, and he still doesn't look away, something she notices.
"You okay?"
Embarrassment colors his face and he shakes his head. "I… I was hoping, maybe, tonight we could go on a date."
Emma stares at him with wide eyes. Obviously, she's confused. "A date?"
Killian pulls on a smile to give himself strength and nods his head. "Aye. A date. Tonight."
"How?" Emma asks. "Kinda… alone on an island."
Killian laughs. "I realize." He searches her face. "Just… trust me with the details. What do you say, love?"
Emma holds her mouth open in thought. He'd imagined this would go much simpler and smoother- especially considering their interactions the day and night before. She'd been eager to share about their pasts and just as delighted to share in his personal space.
"I…" She suddenly breaks out in a grin. "Yeah. Okay."
"Good," Killian smiles back. He leans in to kiss her, but thinks better of it, instead kissing her forehead. "I've got to go tend to some things. I'll be back."
Emma's eyes shine bright at him as he steps away from the bed. He glances down at Henry where he lies in the cradle and bobs his head.
"See you in a bit."
Emma laughs at him, a delightful sound, as he continues to step backward to the door. "See you later."
/
As Emma adjusts to the new day, she realizes that Henry's been unusually quiet, based on the schedule she's known him to keep.
With a frown, Emma leans over Henry's cradle and finds him sleeping, his chest rising and falling with a little noise escaping his nose. She presses her hand to his forehead and her frown deepens.
He's warm. Much warmer than he was last night.
Emma's heart rate quickens as her mind races.
What is she supposed to do? He's too little to give medicine to. Is it even a fever? How is she supposed to know for sure?
Worry clenches tight within her chest, very nearly paralyzing her to the point of staying still.
Quickly, she shakes herself out of it. Killian can help.
She folds her arms against her chest and hurries out of the bedroom into the living area of the little house. Killian isn't anywhere to be found, which isn't a surprise. By now, he'll probably be in the lighthouse.
She steps into a pair of boots and grabs a coat before she frantically hurries outside, a grimace on her lips at the freezing cold air nipping at her nose. She can see her breath in front of her and she thinks the sky looks like another storm.
To her luck, Killian is just barely at the lighthouse door, so she calls out his name and he spins around, already making his way to her so she doesn't have to do more work than she needs to.
"What's wrong?" he immediately asks worriedly.
Emma shakes her head. "He... Henry's warm. It's not- I don't think it's normal. I'm worried he's sick."
Killian frowns deeply. "Is he still asleep?"
Emma nods. "Yeah."
His concern carries them both back into the house and into the bedroom, where they both look at the sleeping boy.
Killian feels his forehead. He frowns deeper than before and she can tell he's not satisfied with the temperature of their boy. He looks at her after a moment of contemplation.
"I think we should let him rest. When he wakes up we can try and cool him off with a bath."
Emma nods in agreement. "Okay."
She lets out a worried breath, rubbing her hands down her arms to try and soothe herself. Seeing this, Killian pulls his arm around her middle and kisses her temple.
"He's going to be alright, love."
Emma's stomach churns, but she manages a smile at him. "Okay."
He doesn't look convinced. "We won't let anything happen. Yeah?"
Emma closes her eyes and presses her hands over her face. "You say that, but look at us, Killian. We're nowhere near anyone who could actually help him and he's so small, I-"
"Hey," Killian holds onto her, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Henry will be fine. We're not going to panic, Emma."
Emma nods weakly. "Okay."
Killian drags his hand over his head and clenches his jaw. "I need to go check on something, but I will be right back, love. I promise."
He's so sure of this, but all Emma can envision is a dark, dark future.
Her stomach aches from worrying and she decides to leave the room, lest she disturb Henry's sleep.
She can't help but wonder if this is normal. She isn't even related to Henry and she is out of her mind scared.
Emma sits at the table, staring at a single line of dialogue on a page of a book she'd been reading.
The day had started so optimistically. They were going to have a date, and maybe that would have led to something good between them, but instead… she's worried about Henry.
It doesn't take very long for the front door to open up with its patented squeak.
Killian enters with a slight smile on his lips. "It's started to snow."
She manages a smile back at him. "Really?"
He nods and steps out of his boots, takes his coat off, and then comes to join her at the table. "I'm afraid it's officially winter."
Emma chuckles at the melancholy in his tone. "Do you like the winter?"
He shrugs. "It isn't a terrible season. Just unruly."
Emma hums. She stares blankly at the book in front of her again.
She realizes suddenly that Killian has no reason to particularly like winter. He doesn't have anyone to share it with. He doesn't come home to hot chocolate and Christmas movies. He doesn't get into any holiday season cheer.
There are no festivals or lights. No friends to exchange gifts with. No family to wake up to on Christmas morning.
Emma holds her breath as she looks at him. He's so different than anyone else she's ever been with. She can tell he cares. He isn't lacking in that. But he's still a broken man held together by his clever wit.
"Henry will be fine, love."
She blinks a few times at him. "I hope you're right."
/
They work together to get Henry taken care of all day.
When he wakes up, he's crying, clearly irritated and maybe a little fearful. He's burning up but clearly has chills and he's got a runny nose.
Killian only warms the water up a little and they bathe Henry together.
He isn't his cute bubbly self, though he does find it hilarious when Killian carries him into the living room with his tiny fist in his mouth while Killian pretends to chomp on him dramatically.
She's carrying Henry's former outfit and a new diaper along with his old one, and when Killian sets him down on the couch, they function like a well-oiled machine as they redress him.
Henry apparently loves the attention, because he keeps relatively quiet the whole time, his eyes bouncing back and forth between them as they work and speak.
After they change him, he becomes fussy and tired, so Emma holds him and Killian sings until he eventually falls asleep. He's still warm, but not as warm as he had been earlier, so Emma puts him in his little bed and goes to sit by Killian on the couch.
He is comforting in this situation, with his kind voice and his fingers that lace so perfectly with hers. He presses his lips to her head and she rests her cheek against his shoulder.
"What do you think it is?" she asks, voice small.
His hand strokes at her forearm. It's the most calm she's felt since she woke up this morning.
"Dunno, love," he sighs. "I'd say the flu, but I'm not sure that the symptoms are the same in babies."
She hums. "Could be the flu." She narrows her eyes and gnaws at her lip. They sit in silence for a few moments. "Don't you have stuff to do?"
He sighs. "Aye. But this is more important."
Emma dips her brow, sitting up so she can see him. "He's asleep, Killian. There's not much he can do asleep."
He nods. "But you're very much awake and I know you're taking this hard, so you need me to stay here with you. Keep you company."
Emma's expression softens and she studies his eyes. "Oh."
He smiles gently, lifting his hand to stroke back her hair. "Believe it or not, not all men are arrogant assholes intending to harm you."
Emma has to laugh a little, pulling out a smile from him.
And then realization and memories set in and she feels tears in her eyes. She is suddenly weakened by her past; suddenly thrust into the whole reason she shouldn't be with him in the first place.
She can't stay here. She needs to go home.
Killian is a lone wolf. He won't ever want to leave his work for her, his home for her. He won't ever want to sacrifice this so that he can be with her in Storybrooke, because that's just the kind of man he is. He has his own world and she has hers.
She doesn't blame him for that. She does blame herself for ever collapsing into this relationship. She feels comfortable in his arms. She delights in his laughter and his smiles. He completes the parts of her that hurt, but maybe that's the worst part.
She allows herself these last few days, because soon, they'll be parting ways, and right now, her little boy is sick and the only other person in the world who understands how that feels is holding her hand.
/
Killian's heart throbs in his throat while he stands at his desk in the lighthouse. He presses his finger against the switch to the radio. The light flickers on.
Clenching his jaw, he fidgets with the settings until he's satisfied.
There was only one way to find out if all of his tinkering actually worked.
The crackle of the airwaves gives him hope, but when he actually gets a reply to his call, he closes his eyes tight and a breath of air escapes his lungs in relief.
"Mister Smee, it's so good to hear your voice."
"We were going to come check on you, Jones," Smee says with worry. "What happened out there?"
Killian hesitates for a few moments before pressing the call button and speaking. "Radio troubles. Listen… a woman and an infant washed up onto the island a few weeks ago. The baby's fallen ill. I need help as soon as possible."
For a beat after releasing the button, he waits in silence.
"Emma Nolan?"
Killian manages a small smile and nods. His fingers tighten around the receiver. He clears his throat, forcing himself to respond. "Aye. That's her."
"She's all over the news. Her parents have been looking. It's good to hear she's alright."
Killian doesn't respond for a moment. While he couldn't say for sure that Emma was entirely healed, she was definitely better off to a certain degree.
"You can get a message to her parents that she's eager to go home to them."
Smee laughs into the radio. "Can do, Jones. I'll be on my way at first light. Wouldn't be a clean rescue if I came during the storm tonight."
Knowing help is on the way gives him some peace. Now if they can just make it through the night...
"That'll do fine. Thank you, Smee."
/
Emma sits up next to Henry on the floor of the bedroom.
She hasn't really eaten all day and she's exhausted because it's getting close to midnight, but she needs to watch him. She needs him to be alright.
"Emma?" Killian's voice pulls her from her half-dazed thought. She looks up. He's standing in the doorway with a concerned look in his eyes. "I've made something to eat. If you're interested."
While she'd like to continue to sit on the floor with her legs tingling and her stomach grumbling, she knows she needs a break from watching Henry sleep.
"Okay."
When she reaches the kitchen, she finds the table set for a romantic dinner for two, a candle in the middle of it all.
Emma turns to Killian, an unasked question on her lips, and he shrugs. "You said you'd go on a date with me."
She has to hide her laughter as he pulls out her chair. When she sits down across from him, he gestures to her bowl.
"Tonight, we'll be dining on stew and bread. An island specialty."
They eat in silence for a few moments, with the exception of a romantic instrumental playing in the background.
She has to admit, it's a sweet gesture to get her mind off of Henry and what could possibly go wrong.
With a soft sigh, she looks up at him and finds he's staring back at her, nervous.
"So, what have you been up to?"
Killian shifts in his chair and shakes his head. "Not much." He forces a smile. She can tell because it stays at his lips and travels no further. "Been thinking about what a date between us would look like mostly."
Emma scoffs and shakes her head. "Yeah, well, it probably shouldn't look like this."
"Why not?"
Emma shrugs. "It's late at night and I'm… only thinking about Henry. And about how much I want to go home." She sets her spoon down in her bowl and covers her face with her hands. "God, I'm sorry, Killian, I'm really sorry, but I'm just… we can't keep doing this."
"What?"
She removes her hands and her shoulders sink, her heart feeling heavy. "We're playing house."
He immediately stands up, going around the table to kneel beside her chair. He takes her hand and searches her eyes.
"I fixed the radio," he says. Emma's heart jumps in her chest. "So that you can go back home and Henry can get the help he needs, if he needs it."
"You…" Emma struggles to keep the tears from her eyes. "You fixed the radio?"
Killian nods. "Aye." He searches her eyes. "Your parents have been looking for you."
It's all so overwhelming. Emma can't stop the tears from coming and she ends up releasing a harsh breath as she begins trembling just slightly.
"I'm going home?" she asks in a shaky voice.
"Aye. You're going home, love. You and Henry both." Killian smiles at her. "In the morning, a boat will be here and can take you back to the mainland." He searches her eyes, shaking his head slightly. "And from there, you can hop on a plane home."
He strokes the back of her hand with his thumb.
In all of her excitement, she feels a bittersweet sadness weigh on her chest. She shakes her head. "You're not coming with us?"
For a moment, he just stares at her. He swallows and a smile flinches at his lips. "I… wasn't sure if you'd want such a thing."
Emma shakes her head and sniffles as she catches another tear with her knuckles. "I want you to be happy. If that's here or there…"
Nervously, she stops herself.
There's a chance he'll say no, that he wants to stay here, and she'd understand, but now that she's certainly going home with Henry in tow, she feels nothing but joy and that joy is tampered knowing who he was before she came into his life.
Killian averts his gaze from her for what feels like an eternity.
She doubts herself and their bond, ashamed that she'd even ask if he wants to join her if he's this uncertain about it.
And then, he meets her eyes with the gentlest of smiles.
"You and Henry make me happier than I've been in a long time." Her heart swells at the admission and she feels a hot tear slip down the side of her face. She wipes at it hurriedly. "I'll stay with you. If you'll have me, that is."
She can't help but smile. "Of course I will."