Thirteen
Emma wakes up to the sound of low laughter. Confused, she turns toward the noise.
Beside her in bed, Killian sits up with Henry. His feet are flat against the mattress so that Henry can lean against his knees, giving her a good view of the happiest smile on Henry's face.
Killian leans in and blows noisy raspberries to his skin, making the boy erupt with delightful noises.
Henry's fever had broken at some point before they had gone to bed- probably around one in the morning- and now things are better, things are good.
She's going home today. They're all going home today.
Maybe it's the reason she'd allowed things to escalate the way they had the night before.
Flashes of memories come back to her, enough to warm her cheeks and ears as she contemplates the feeling of joy in her chest that's almost enough to make her giggle like Henry is.
Killian's hook is somewhere on the dresser across the room and his chest is still bare, though his necklace clings to his neck for a while before Henry latches onto it.
Killian chuckles at the interaction and Emma hums, reaching out to tug at Henry's foot.
"Good morning," Killian says with a wry grin on his lips.
Emma smiles at him. "Hey."
Killian turns to Henry. "Look, Henry, Mummy decided to join us."
Emma smiles a little, her heart jumping at the unfamiliar nickname. Henry babbles, turning to see her after a short while. He looks excited at the sight of her and they laugh when he holds his arms out to her.
Emma sits up beside Killian and takes Henry from him with ease, setting him on her lap in a familiar fashion to Killian. She holds his tiny hands and kisses his forehead, nuzzling her nose against his hair so she can smell the scent of baby on him.
"Hey, baby," she smiles, leaning back again.
Henry reaches for her lips and she kisses his palm, faux biting on his fingers when he insists upon having her eat him. She rolls her eyes playfully and tugs his hand away after a moment, then turns to see Killian.
He's gazing at her with a lopsided grin. His hair is matted and it's almost as if this is the last time he'll ever get to see her.
It's then that she knows he's definitely coming with her, that he's not going to chicken out and stay because it's easier to. Clearly, his feelings for her, and for Henry, are true.
Emma bites on her lip and presses her chin to his shoulder. She searches his eyes.
"Last night was really…" Emma pauses, a laugh bubbling up in her chest.
Killian hums cheekily. His eyes light up and his ears burn red. He reaches up to scratch the spot behind his ear as he searches for the right words. Having found none, Emma giggles and kisses his shoulder.
"I certainly enjoyed it." Killian agrees warmly and honestly. His dimples pop forward as he turns his attention to Henry. He looks at her again. "I'll go make breakfast. We've a long day ahead of us."
Emma nods. "Okay."
She accepts his kiss, quick and tender, and before she can say anything else, he's out of bed, pulling on his jeans and shirt, and leaving her alone with Henry.
Emma sighs at Henry, shaking her head to make him giggle. "Are you ready to go home, kiddo? Huh? We're going to have so much fun when we get home. And we can get you a real bath and real food. And a nice bed and stuffed animals and blankets-" She smiles at the ideas she has. "And your grandparents are going to love you so much."
Unable to contain herself, she kisses his forehead again before pulling herself out of bed with him on her hip.
She is far too excited that they're going home.
She's half-dressed already, having slipped into Killian's sweater for bed, and she pads out into the living room to carry Henry into the kitchen.
"Hey, so I was thinking and-" She looks up and away from the baby in her arms to see Killian standing by the door with his coat and boots on, looking at them with sad eyes. "Is everything alright? Is it- is the weather... or the lighthouse-"
He shakes his head, cutting her off. Emma braces herself and holds her breath. Killian's jaw clenches tight and he turns to look out the window for a long moment. "Pirates."
Emma's eyes widen and her heart plummets into her belly. This revelation has a very distinct potential of derailing their plans, and all she wants today is to go home.
"What should we do? What about the boat that's coming for us?"
He closes his eyes and sighs. "I don't know."
Suddenly, the world is on its head. She reaches up instinctively to protect Henry and her chest heaves as she glances out the window.
There are ships, she sees them, with big, terrifying black sails.
Fear runs cold in her blood.
At that moment, a knock at the door jars both she and Killian to action. Emma moves Henry out of the room, going straight for the bedroom where she closes the door behind her.
Tears burn in her eyes and she chokes back a sob. This was supposed to be a happy day. A good day.
She cradles Henry close to her body and paces the bedroom for a moment. She can't hear anything coming from outside of the room, except for footsteps.
The door opens before she can act and she glances around for something to use as a weapon, but she stops short when she sees it's only Killian waiting for her.
"It's Smee." Killian explains, as if that name means anything to her. He holds a bag in his hand that he extends to her. "Hurry. Pack this bag with whatever you think you'll need for the trip."
Emma goes blank for a second before she sets Henry into his crib and scrambles to grab everything she thinks they might need. She stuffs them into the bag and then grabs Henry.
She's breathless as she walks out into the kitchen where Killian waits for them. He's armed with his gun and a nervous smile.
She isn't sure how to feel about this. She should be happy, because it's her way home, but there are pirates threatening the island and possibly their ride home. Is it even safe?
"Okay. I packed the bag. Let's go."
Killian stands there, silent and unmoving, and suddenly dread fills the pit of her stomach. It feels like a bad dream, but she most certainly isn't sleeping.
"Emma, I have to stay." No. No. No. "You and Henry can go, as long as we move quickly-"
Her eyes widen and she shakes her head. "Why?"
"I have to protect the island," he says. He doesn't seem happy about it, but at least he remains calm and cool headed. "It's my job."
"No. No." Emma shakes her head. "Killian, you have to come with us."
She has a lot of questions and fears, but all she can think about is the fact that they'd gotten so close, and now they're being forced apart.
"It's not just the island or the lighthouse," he tells her. "I'm… protecting you and Henry. You know how dangerous it is when they come 'round. I don't want you in danger more than you have to be."
Her heart breaks at his words and she meets Killian's eyes with tears in her eyes. "Just… come with us. You don't have to stay-"
"As long as I can keep them busy, you and Henry can get away without any problems." Killian says firmly, though he has tears in his eyes. She can sense fear in the way he looks over his shoulder, out the window. "I'll make contact with Smee once it's over and he can come get me. And we can go home together."
It makes sense, but it doesn't help her feel any better.
Emma forces a smile and nods, despite the lump in her throat and the tightening in her gut that tells her she's about to make a huge mistake.
Killian smiles weakly and she knows he is just as broken up about this as she is.
As if he can sense that the battle to come isn't going to be easily won. He sets his gun down on the table and moves toward Emma.
His attention goes to the baby on her hip first. He reaches in to smooth his hair before he kisses Henry's forehead.
"Be a good boy, Henry. Keep a close eye on Emma for me."
Emma releases a quiet shaky breath, her limbs suddenly weak and her heart heavy.
Killian presses his nose against Henry's forehead, just breathing him in, and finally pulls away.
"We'll see each other again soon."
Emma knows it's already a broken promise. It just is.
She takes a deep breath and steadies herself before she manages to meet Killian's gaze again. She didn't think she'd be saying goodbye to him today.
It's the last thing she wants to do, but she also knows it's the right thing to do. If she wants to get off this island in one piece, to home, to her parents, then she has to take the ship waiting outside and get the hell away from here. He's right about that.
Killian stares at her apologetically, words that should be kept unsaid resting on the tip of his tongue, and she stops them with a kiss.
It's heartbreaking and passionate. She's pressed up on her toes and he has a hand against her elbow, her hand on his neck and in his hair, desperation in the way she closes her eyes. She doesn't want to let go.
Emma presses her nose against his after, his forehead pressed into hers. Their breathing is heavy and she curls a fist against his chest where she can feel his beating heart.
This is the hardest thing she has ever had to do.
"Emma," he whispers, "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be," Emma says, taking a half step back. She wraps her arm around his waist and rests her ear over his heart so she can hear its beat one last time. "Don't be sorry for being brave."
She feels his chin against the top of her head and she takes a breath of him to remember him by. His fingers curl in her hair and she clamps her eyes shut.
This was just always going to be for a few weeks, wasn't it? They weren't ever going to make it past the island. He was always going to stay and she was always going to go.
"We'll buy a house in Storybrooke and adopt a dog." Killian tells her, squeezing her tighter. Her heart reaches out of the helpless place it had been, instead swelling at the idea of a happy life with him. "We'll give Henry a few brothers and sisters. Your parents will adore me. And we'll spend far too much time forgetting that any of this ever happened."
She wants to capture this moment and hold it forever, knowing that it's possible that hard days lie ahead.
"But, I do reckon we'll argue about paint chips while we're working on remodeling the house. Unfortunately."
Paint chip arguments sound so normal and insignificant, all things considered, and the idea makes her laugh, fighting the tears already streaming down her cheeks.
She sniffles, burying herself closer to him for just another moment longer. When she pulls away, she meets his eyes. "Come back to me."
With a small smile, Killian nods. It's not a promise, but she knows he can't make a promise like that, not knowing the stakes are as high as they are.
"We best get going."
He walks with her outside and he introduces her to Mister Smee. The man is short and sweet, a little red cap on his head and a nervous tick in the way he seems to just fall to Killian's commands. The boat is kind of small and she is assured by Killian that it will be sturdy enough to take them to the mainland.
She smiles a little and nods. Mister Smee excuses himself to start the engine and Emma sighs, looking at Killian one last time so that she can never forget this man who took her in when he didn't have to.
Somewhere, in the near distance, pirates loom, and she knows it's only a matter of time before they're here and Killian will need to defend himself. Alone, on this island.
She doesn't know what else to say. With the pressure mounting with each passing minute, she realizes they need to hurry and leave.
"Killian, I…"
He's staring at her with sadness in his eyes and he shakes his head slightly before wrapping her in a hug that lasts only a few moments. He pulls away after a second, much to her chagrin, and gestures to the boat behind her.
"Go," he tells her. "We'll be in touch soon."
Emma nods. She climbs onto the boat with the help of Mister Smee's extended hand, and stares after Killian as they pull away from the island.
She sees his gaze switch from her to the horizon, to the ships drifting near, and Emma nervously watches him go inside the house.
She turns to go deeper into the boat, through an outside door that leads to the place where Smee controls the small ship. As soon as she enters the area, they're rocked by an explosion of a sort.
Emma holds the back of Henry's head and widens her eyes as she stares at Smee. "What's happening?"
Smee shakes his head. "Nothing to worry about, milady. We'll be alright. We're almost out of their proximity now."
Emma feels uneasy, so she walks to the door and peers outside, looking toward the island.
She should have stayed. She should have fought with him.
"He'll be alright, Miss." Smee says over the roar of the boat on the waves. "Jones is the strongest man I've ever known."
The words should be soothing, but the only thing on Emma's mind is that she should have told Killian that she loves him while she had the chance.
/
With Henry finally asleep against her, Emma watches as the land draws ever closer through the windows all around the small cabin.
She can see a crowd of people waiting for them, a curious thing.
Emma furrows her brow and stands up, moving to stand beside Smee in order to see what awaits them. "What's happening?"
Smee smiles a sheepish smile. "The world's been looking for you. As soon as Jones told me you were with him, I couldn't help but tell somebody."
Emma's eyes widen and a nervous feeling sits heavy against her chest. Her belly flips. What if her parents are here?
"Oh."
Smee gives her a smile. "Nothing to worry about, Miss."
They've come alongside the dock now, and Emma can hear the voices of the people outside, many of them calling for her. She adjusts Henry and grabs her bag.
"Are you ready?" Smee asks.
Emma manages a smile and takes a breath. She isn't ready, but there's no other choice, is there?
"Yeah."
Smee leads the way outside, his gentle kindness something that she clings to, alongside the comfort of Henry in her arms, squirming as he starts waking from his nap.
Initially, all she can see is reporters and cameras. An absolute roar of questions and the snapping of lenses entirely fill her ears, creating a sense of claustrophobia. She's overwhelmed in an instant.
"Emma, where did you go?"
"Is this your baby?"
"Are you alright?"
Emma blinks, her jaw falling open as Henry stirs against her and fusses, drawing her attention for a second as she tries to soothe him. Mostly, she wants to make sure that the cameras can't catch his face.
She looks up and brushes her hair behind her ear. "I- I'm fine."
"Emma!" a voice calls, as if light piercing the darkness. It's her mother, and she swears she's never been happier to hear the woman in her life. "Emma! Emma! Oh, my baby!"
Emma turns, finally finding her parents moving through the crowd of reporters and bystanders.
They're anxious and relieved, both of them teary eyed and moving as fast as they can. Her father looks like he might hit a reporter or two for crowding her, but then again, so does her mom.
She gasps and tears find her eyes as she rushes toward them. When they meet, her parents both reach out to touch her as if they're worried she isn't real.
Emma knows the feeling. She finds herself overcome with the need to be held by them, to quell the overwhelming feelings that have made her mind go entirely blank.
"Mom. Dad." Emma says as she accepts their embrace.
"Oh, Emma, you're here." Her mother whispers. "You're here."
Her father holds the back of her head like he always does, a gentle comfort after weeks apart.
"Who's this?" her father asks as they separate.
Emma smiles, looking at her little boy. He's awake now, his cries stopped. He holds himself close to her, as if she's a lifeline.
"This is Henry."
She looks away after Henry takes her finger and smiles at her parents nervously.
"Emma, he's so sweet," Mary Margaret awes, reaching over and stroking over his hair. "How are you, Henry?"
Henry burrows closer to her and she smiles a little more. "We've had a really long day, haven't we, buddy?" He whimpers a little. "Yeah."
From around them, she feels the cameras burning into them, watching their reunion. Reporters are still asking questions, she hears them ever so faintly, but they're drowned out by Emma's sheer relief to be with her parents again.
Her father has his hand already on the small of her back and she sighs, pressing her head against his arm a little.
"Emma, we brought someone with us."
She hardly has time to register what her mother's saying when suddenly, Neal Cassidy's walking toward her, a huge, happy, relieved grin on his face.
"Hey, Em."
"Neal."
He wraps his arms around her and she has no choice but to accept. When he pulls away, he turns his attention to the baby.
"Hey, dude," Neal says with a kind smile. He looks up at Emma, who truly can't believe her own eyes, that Neal would be here- that he'd be acting like a total hero and nice guy. "So he just… washed up with you or...?"
Emma nods dumbly. "Yeah. He…" She looks down at Henry, who stares up at her. "He washed up right next to me."
"Wow," Mary Margaret says breathlessly.
Nervous, she looks up at her dad, who smiles at her. "I didn't think we'd get a grandson out of our vacation, but I can't say I hate the idea."
Emma can't help the tears that come. She'd been so worried about Killian that she hadn't thought about what would happen when she came to the real world with a missing baby in tow.
Her parents both wrap her up in a hug again before they walk with her away from the dock.
"I'll get your bag." Neal says. He takes it from her gently. He moves ahead of Emma and her parents, holding a hand upright. "Alright! Get out of the way!"
It works, blessedly, people moving out of their way as they move away from the ships and the water.
They reach a car that they climb into and Emma sits alongside her parents in the backseat, both of them seemingly not interested in separating from her for more than a car's ride to wherever they're going. She can relate, comforted by their warmth and gentle words as Neal drives them away from the ocean.
Emma stares back at the water for as long as she can, just trying to adjust to the feeling of being on land again, much less make her peace with having left Smee and Killian behind.
There's so much going on that she isn't sure where to put her focus.
From her lap, Henry coos and murmurs. He presses his head back against her chest and his fingers hold onto hers tightly. As much as her own parents are her comfort, she is his. It's something that makes her stay stronger than she wants to be right now.
"Are you hungry?" her mother wonders. She's holding her arm with one hand while another brushes her damp and grimy hair behind her ear. "Should we stop for food?"
"Cheeseburger?" Neal suggests.
Emma's stomach grumbles and she salivates at the suggestion. She nods. "A burger sounds amazing."
Neal smiles softly at her in the rear view mirror and she smiles back.
He came all this way just to see her. It means something.
What exactly, she isn't sure yet, but she knows that her ideas about Neal Cassidy are turned on their head. Much like pretty much everything else in her life at the moment.