AN- Bro, I got so tired of scrolling through like 25 pages of work that I just split the chapters. I hope everyone is ready for a story… Also a big thank you to my new CS discord family for the love. Hope you guys like it. Also most of this is just dialogue. Messy unorganized dialogue that I got super lazy with. At the end of the day I just said "Fuck it."
**Chapter Six**
Birth
"I need to get to the hospital." She told him, wincing. "Now!" She screamed.
"Here, let me help you." He attempted to move her only to have her sink in his hold with a litany of the word "ow" leaving her lips as she tried to breathe through the pain.
"I don't want your help." She said, shoving him with her elbow.
"Aye, you are stubborn lass." He noted before unceremoniously lifting her up until his arms.
Emma's eyes widened in uncertain fear and confusion at the stranger lifting her up, but she was in far too much pain to care in that moment.
"Don't worry I've carried rum barrels heavier than you." He tried to ease her mind as he shifted her into a comfortable position in his arms.
"Oh trust me. That's not what I'm worried about." She said, rubbing her stomach, looking around her for any possible witnesses to aid police to where she might be taken hostage to. "I'm about to deliver a baby early with the help of a man who thinks he's a pirate." Emma moaned, leaning back against his arm.
"Thinks? I am a pirate." He told her in all seriousness, almost bragging about it. "Oh and watch the arm there love. That's the bad one." He cautioned, tensing at the weight against him.
It was then that she noticed his fake hand. Her fate now rested in the arms of a one-handed crazy man dressed head to toe in black leather. He really did think he was a pirate.
"Oh God." She groaned hopelessly.
"Don't worry, love. I will have us there in no time."
"I swear if you are taking me to some back alley so help me I will castrate you." She threatened.
"That's a shame. I thought you enjoyed that particular appendage." He said cheekily.
"That's it." She moved to escape his arms but was brought back down as another contraction hit her.
"Shhh. Calm yourself, love. Giving life is a tireless task. One that requires much energy. So save your strength to safely deliver the wee one, aye?" He chided.
Emma relaxed in his arms, closing her eyes as she timed her breathing with the sound of his heavy footfalls against the pavement.
"How are you fairing lass?" He asked her, glancing at her in his arms with a soft expression.
She inhaled and exhaled rapidly, drawing on the experience of giving birth to Henry several years ago. "How does it look like I'm doing?" She gritted her teeth, frustrated by his obvious question.
"How's about a story to take your mind off of things?" He suggested.
"As long as it's not Peter Pan." Emma placed her other hand on her forehead to ease the ache.
"Oh but that is such an essential part of our tale. It is the place where we first connected after all." He was quick to remind her, pride shining in his eyes.
"Are you telling me that you think you're Captain Hook?" She breathed out languidly.
"So you've heard of me." He recognized, smiling to himself.
"Everyone has heard of you- I mean him." She quickly caught herself. The last thing she wanted to do was entertain his delusions. "Captain Hook is a villain." She told him.
"Is that what the stories tell you?" He asked, amused at the prospect of learning more about this world's version of events. "Have you ever read Berry's interpretation? It is far closer to reality than it originally lets on."
"I've only ever seen the movie." She admitted.
"Not much of a reader are you Swan?" He teased.
"No I just don't have much of a stomach for fairytales. There is no such thing as a happy ending."
"I didn't think much of them myself either. That was until I met you."
Emma rolled her eyes before another sharp pain assaulted her. "How long has it been since my last contraction?" She asked him.
"It can't be more than a few minutes." He guessed.
"Are you sure? Because it feels like my insides are exploding and this child is about to burrow its way out." She moaned through her teeth. "Why didn't you just get a cab to take us there?"
"I've been in this realm long enough to know about the traffic. It would take us far longer than it would take for me to simply walk you there." He explained.
Emma hated that she agreed with him and refused to let him see it. "Ahhh." She whined again. "Where was that story you promised me?"
"Oh now you want to hear it?" He tisked.
"Yes." She strained. "But easy on the swashbuckling." She cautioned him.
"Once upon a time there was-" He began before Emma effectively cut him off mid-sentence.
"Ugh." Emma complained.
"Shhh. Hush now it's story time." He licked his lips before continuing. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful Princess and a handsome Prince who fell in love. However, their kingdom was ravaged by an Evil Queen looking to get revenge on the Princess for killing her true love. The Queen would stop at nothing to make the Princess's life as miserable as possible. This meant that she spent several years trying to destroy the love between them." He began as Emma listened intently. "The two managed to defeat the Evil Queen and banished her from the kingdom but she wasn't finished with them. No, it was far from over." He mused, remembering the tale scribed in Henry's storybook.
"On the eve of their wedding the Queen announced her plans to destroy their happiness once and for all by casting a dark curse that would rip everyone from that land and send them to a land where she could lock them in a state of eternal suffering where no one would know who they were." He explained further.
"Their only chance of destroying the curse was to give up their only daughter. Shortly after she was born she was sent to a magical wardrobe and ended up in this land where she waited for 30 years for the son she had given up to show up at her doorstep and take her back to her family. There she would discover her true destiny as the savior and break the curse with true love's kiss." He told her.
"Let me guess? She kissed you?" She rolled her head in his direction.
"No. She shared true love's kiss with her son. A boy called Henry." Hook said, waiting for her to react.
"And the woman who broke the curse?" Emma wondered, still not believing a word that came out of his mouth.
"A beautiful lass named Emma." He told her.
"That is nothing but a coincidence. This is just a story, right? You sought me out because you think I'm the woman in this story? That is ridiculous." She said dismissively. "I have yet to hear how you fit into all of this."
"So impatient. I was just getting to that part." He said. "Now, where were we? Oh yes, the broken curse. After breaking the curse, everyone regained their memories and the savior reunited with her long lost parents."
"If you tell me you think my parents are Cinderella and her Prince I'm out of here." She said between contractions.
"No of course not. That would be ridiculous. They're Snow White and Prince Charming." He said without a hint of deception in his tone.
"And the Evil Queen is like what? My aunt?" She grunted as another contraction hit her with full force.
"Try step grandmother." He corrected. "Hang in there love we are but a block away." He chided, sensing her distress. "Back to the story. Shortly after reuniting with her parents, Emma fell down into a portal with her mother in tow taking them both back to their land that had since been destroyed by the curse and overrun with ogres. However, there was one patch of land spared from the Queen's curse but everything trapped inside it laid dormant until the curse broke." He explained. "That's where I was hiding. Waiting for the veil to be lifted so I could resume my quest for revenge on the man who took my hand."
"Man? I thought a crocodile took your hand. I mean his hand." She shook her head at the slip up.
"Aye. It was a crocodile. Just not in the traditional sense. Captain Hook, that's me joined with Cora, the Queen of Hearts to get to the land without magic. In a mutually beneficial transaction, I agreed to execute her plan by infiltrating the savior's hunting party by pretending to be a lone survivor of an ogre attack. I was pulled from the rubble by a beautiful lass. Her beauty unmatched by any other and he instantly regretted his decision to mislead her because he knew she was not like anyone else he had ever met before. She was trouble the moment he first laid eyes on her." He thought back to their first meeting wistfully. "She was also taken in by his rugged good looks and charming personality."
"If this really is supposed to me. I highly doubt she was knocked off her feet by you." She argued.
"Are you saying you don't find me easy on the eyes?" Killian asked, slightly offended by the comment.
Emma shot him an incredulous look and Killian fell silent. "No, I'm simply stating that you are overestimating the effect you have on women."
"Ouch." He winced, feigning pain at the remark as they rounded the corner toward the hospital.
Emma howled as she saw the hospital in the distance, clutching onto his arm with a death grip that was worse than any injury he had sustained from his pirating days.
"Hold on tight, lass." He told her as he pushed through the doors.
The nurses rushed from their station and helped to pry Emma from Killian's arms and helped her into a wheelchair.
"She's in labor." Killian said, wiping the sweat from his brow, breathing heavily.
"They can see that Captain Obvious." Emma tensed as she gripped her stomach protectively.
"Are you the father?" One of the attending nurses asked him.
"Yes." He provided, still not entirely sure if the spawn belonged to him.
"No." Emma said at the same time. "I don't know who this man is. He's crazy."
"Is that the thanks I get for tending to you in your time of need and carrying you 3 blocks to the hospital?" Killian wrinkled his face in offense. "Bad form Swan."
"Here, if you don't mind filling out these forms. We are going to take your wife back to the delivery room. You can follow along." They instructed him.
"He's not my-" Emma tried before her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out from the pain.
"Emma!" He screamed, dropping the clipboard to be at her side.
When Emma came to she was laying down in a white room, the sounds of the bustle of the city just outside the window. There was a steady beep of two heart monitors beside her as she adjusted her eyes to her surroundings. She was completely out of it. She noted the faint throb of the needle in her arm that ran the tube to an IV beside the bed.
Panicked, she sat up from bed clutching at her stomach to feel around for her baby. Emma's hands closed around the swell of her belly and felt a small kick. She sucked in a breath of relief, her eyes slamming shut as tears dripped down her face, her lower lip quivering.
At the sound of her shuffling on the bed, Killian stirred in the chair where he had dozed off briefly. "You're awake." He observed stretching and yawning.
He was still here. And worse yet, he was making himself comfortable in her delivery room.
"What are you still doing here?" She demanded. "What the hell do you want from me?"
"Quite demanding aren't we Swan?" He smirked, winking at her. "I'm here for the long haul I'm afraid." He relaxed into the chair.
"You are neglecting the fact that I don't want you here." She barked. "I thought a woman had at least a small say in the birthing process." She mused, running her hands through her hair in frustration.
"Aye that. The nurses have been in and out tending to you." He waved his hand in demonstration. "You were out for an hour or two but they gave you a mild sedative for the pain because you weren't cognizant enough to consent to a- what did they call it?" Killian searched for the word as he opened and closed his fist.
"An epidural?" She answered for him.
"That. Yes." He recognized.
"Did they break any other HIPPA laws while I was unconscious?" She shook with frustration at the fact that they let this man just waltz into the hospital and accompany her to the room she was supposed to give birth in without verifying his identity.
"Aye. They checked on the-"
"Baby?" She finished for him, not really understanding why he couldn't say the word.
"Yes and they timed your contractions and they are a few minutes apart. They said that things seemed to be progressing well." He provided.
"Anything else you are forgetting to mention?" She asked him incredulously.
"They came in and examined your-" He shifted his gaze as he gestured to the lower half of her body.
"You-" She grabbed the pillow behind her, threatening to throw it at him.
"Easy. I left the room while they did it. I am a gentleman after all." He defended.
Emma calmed down slightly but still kept her guard up around him. "Now you want to be a gentleman?"
"I'm always a gentleman." He asserted.
"Did they say anything about the examination?" She wondered.
"They said you were 8 something…"
"Great. I'm 8 centimeters dilated. It won't be long now."
"How can you tell? How can they tell?" He asked himself, getting tunnel vision from the thought. "I can't believe their physicians in this realm whose soul purpose is to examine females."
"Can you be normal for five seconds if you intend to stick around for lord even knows why?" She bellowed before another wave of pain radiated through her stomach and she moved to sit up.
Killian raised his brows, and moved rapidly to wrap and arm around her neck, holding her up as she tried to breathe through the contraction. "Shhhh. It's almost over." He whispered against her head.
Once the pain had subsided, she fell back against the hospital bed, tears rolling down her face sideways. "I can't do this. It's far too early. I'm not even ready."
Killian softed his expression, tensing slightly at the way her words pierced through his entire being. "You can do this Swan. I've seen what you can do. You're a bloody marvel." He complimented wistfully.
She couldn't believe she was taking advice from a complete stranger. Yet, somehow his words comforted her. When she gave birth to Henry she was alone and chained to a hospital bed. She had a man beside her coaxing her through her contractions and refusing to leave her side. Whoever this man was, he had saved her from having to do this alone and for that she was grateful. The least she could do was humor him.
"Do you know that story you were telling me earlier?" She asked. "Do you mind finishing it? It might be an hour or two before the baby comes."
"Anything you want darling." He agreed, placing a kiss to her sweaty hair before taking a seat beside her. "Where did we last leave off? Oh, right. The Enchanted Forest." He remembered. "The savior has a certain affinity to handcuffs and the brave pirate captain found himself tied to a tree because the savior saw right through him. He was not who he claimed himself to be and she was going to get to the bottom of it. She threatened him, choosing to leave him at the mercy of the ogres if he didn't confess his true identity. She bested him." He smiled.
"In exchange for his life he promised to help them get back to your world but it would require a long journey up a beanstalk."
"A beanstalk, really? That's what you're going with?" Emma raised an eyebrow in retort.
"I've told you about the ogres and your concern is with a giant's beanstalk?"
"Fair point." She admitted, relenting.
"No more interruptions please. We are just now getting to the good part." He assured her. "It would take two to climb the beanstalk and retrieve the mummified magic bean that could be brought to a lake to restore its power. When asked for volunteers, the brave savior spoke up. Truth be told, I was hoping it was going to be her all along and she didn't disappoint. They spent several hours climbing the beanstalk to reach the top, learning about one another as they went. He could read her like a book. There was no mistaking the connection they shared. They had both lost love, been betrayed, hurt and abandoned. They were virtually perfect for one another in every way."
"Once they were on top of the beanstalk they tussled with a giant but I was trapped. She was able to save me but upon saving me decided that she couldn't trust me and left me there to face the giant's wrath. After being betrayed and narrowly escaping the beanstalk, the pirate captain swore his allegiance to the Queen and vowed to get even with the fearsome Princess. However, their undeniable connection still plagued him. When they eventually met up, he betrayed her just as she had him and took off with the ingredients needed to get to this land." He pointed to the room they were in for emphasis.
"But that wasn't the end of it. No, she managed to escape with the rest of their party and faced off at the enchanted lake, battling it out for the portal home. The savior valiantly went head to head with the pirate but she was no fighter. She lacked his superior skill and cunning to win. He did have several hundred years over her after all."
"Hold up, are you telling me that you're over a hundred years old? Even if you have to know how crazy that sounds."
"Yes, I imagine it does. It isn't really common in my land either. But spending time in Neverland helped me maintain my youthful glow." He smirked, gesturing to his face and Emma rolled her eyes. "But we will get to that later. It was a fierce battle as swords clashed. The pirate managed to get the savior onto her back, caging her in with his weapon as he vowed that the next time he had her own her back it wouldn't be to sword fight."
"I could have lived without that little detail." Emma said dismissively.
"Oh but it really is important to the tale." He told her.
"I'm sure it is." She said, unbelieving. "Go on." She waved her hand to get him to proceed.
"The savior was smart. She used the pirate's sexual charisma to her advantage and while he was distracted she punched him in the face and he slipped into unconsciousness. The Princess and the Savior managed to overpower the villains and win, using the portal to return home."
"This next spot gets a little dicey. You see, I wasn't there for much of it so I can't safely comment on it accurately." He disclaimed. "However, I will do my best to fill in any gaps." He vowed.
"Their next meeting was done under graver circumstances. The town of Storybrooke was being threatened by an unknown force that was hell-bent on destroying magic and anyone associated with it. Valuing his life, the pirate joined the heroes to save the day but ended up betraying them once again to save his own skin and escape the destruction of the town. This was even after the Savior asked her to change his ways and help them. Like her, he just couldn't risk the chance that he was wrong about her."
"The pirate took off on his ship leaving the others to die, however, with the help of the Queen, the savior was able to destroy the mechanism meant to end the town. But while they were distracted their enemies kidnapped her son and took off to a distant land. With a deep sense of regret, the pirate returned to shore to aid the heroes in their quest but it was too late. They finished their quest and were about to embark on another. I, being the selfless captain that I am, offered my ship and services to retrieve the boy, which led us to Neverland."
Emma started breathing rapidly as another contraction rippled through her.
"Easy there love." Killian moved to stand when he was halted by Emma.
"No." She pleaded. "Go ahead. Please, i'm fine. Tell me about Neverland."
"Aye. Neverland. A dark place that." He adjusted himself back into his chair upon request. He would never deny her her wishes. He was far too attached to her to deny her of anything.
"But isn't Neverland a place where you never grow old and have adventures everyday?" Emma breathed in and out rapidly as her contractions subsided. "Ah. That was a bad one."
"I'm sorry that your world has led you to believe that. I'm afraid it's a place filled with more dangers than you could ever imagine. The entire island is run by Pan and his brigade of lost boys that will never stop until they get what they want. In this case they wanted the heart of the truest believer. Your son."
"They wanted my son's heart?" She asked in disbelief. "I find it very hard to imagine that the boy who gets Pop Tart crumbs all over the sofa every morning would be any use to a group of rowdy teenagers."
"Pan isn't one to be underestimated. He may be a boy but he is a bloody demon. However that has been erased upon my second trip to Neverland because it was the place that we first truly connected. We even shared our first kiss in Neverland amidst all the danger." He confessed, a hopeful smile on his face to repeat the action.
"Why would I kiss you?" She asked him and he feigned hurt at her question.
"Why? Well for one I am a devilishly handsome pirate. But the primary reason I suppose was saving your father from dying from dreamshade." He said it like it was normal.
"My father? Prince Charming, right?" She had to laugh at that.
"You laugh now but it's the truth." He defended.
"Sure it is. And how did you save my 'father?'" She asked, putting air quotes around the word 'father.'
"I took him to a stream that cured the poison but at the cost that he could never leave the island. He got off the island safely I assure you. He and your mother are probably having a grand time in the castle."
"Whatever you say."
"The tables turned when Pan surprised us with your ex locked in a cage and brought us to the Echo Caves to free him. We were forced to reveal our deepest darkest secrets."
"Neal?" She nearly choked.
"Aye. But in the Enchanted Forest he goes by the name Baelfire. His mother and I were properly acquainted."
"Wait, do you mean you fucked my boyfriend's mother?" She nearly shouted as another contraction hit her, harder and quicker this time.
"We don't have to discuss that." He shrugged off.
"You're the one who brought it up!" She accused, the pitch of her voice rising.
"What does it matter? You don't believe me anyway."
"Oh now you want to tell me you're making it up now that you told me you fucked my boyfriend's mother!" She hurled toward him.
"Ex boyfriend." He corrected her, wincing as she scolded him. "But allow me to set you at ease. Our secrets. I volunteered to go first and I shared the fact that you and I kissed. But that wasn't the entire secret. I confessed that the kiss exposed my true feelings and that was that I didn't believe I was capable of letting go of my first love until I met you. By that time I had fallen completely head over heels in love with you and there was no getting you out of my mind. You had imprinted on me — mind, body and soul — I would be forever yours."
Emma's breath hitched in her throat. Something about the way he spoke to her tugged at her heart strings. Even if he was lying — it was a beautiful lie. She suddenly found herself desperate for it to be real. To know that someone out there loved her…
"Don't you understand Emma? I would do anything for you, be anything for you, go anywhere to find you — and I have." He told her, his voice filled with longing.
"Lastly, your confession. In order to set Neal free you had to admit that you wished he had been dead because he broke your heart and could never forgive him for it."
"How do you know that?" She swallowed hard.
"You know, love. You just won't allow yourself to believe what I'm saying." He explained.
"It's just a coincidence. You've proven nothing." She rebuked.
"Neal and I spent a brief moment in Neverland fighting over you. You just weren't ready to give me your heart knowing that your son was in danger. But after we rescued him and took him home, you grappled with your true feelings. I ended up agreeing to back off to let Neal have a chance at reuniting his family but in the end you chose me."
"The night before the second dark curse brought everyone back to the Enchanted Forest and you crossed the town line we shared an evening together. There is some part of you that has to remember it. I haven't stopped thinking about it for nearly 9 months."
9 months? No, it couldn't be. Could it? No, it was impossible. She remembered the night she conceived. She just couldn't remember the man's face.
Killian allowed the silence to lapse between them, his eyes glancing down at her belly asking her if the child she carried was indeed his.
Emma cried out, gripping the sides of the bed as her most violent contraction yet crashed over her.
"Swan?" Killian asked if she was alright.
At the sound of her screeching the attending nurses came to check on her as Killian waited impatiently in the corner with his fist tucked under his chin as he allowed them to lift up her gown to inspect her cervix.
"You're fully dilated." The nurse told her as Emma whimpered. "I'll go get the doctor and then it will be time to push." The nurse snapped off her gloves and discarded them before exiting the room.
"I should-" Killian stuttered, scratching his head before gesturing to the door.
"Do not dare leave me here alone!" She shouted, catching Killian off guard by the request.
"You want me here?" He asked, tilting his head to make sure he heard her properly.
"I delivered a baby alone one time. I won't do it again." She sobbed, tears rolling down her face.
"I'm here for as long as you'll have me." He vowed, shuffling to the side of the bed where she anxiously waited for the doctor.
"I'm scared." She admitted. "I raised one child by myself again. I can't do it again. I can't." She shook her head feverishly.
"You won't be alone. You'll have me. I swear it to you." He nodded, taking her hand into his for her to hold onto.
"I don't even know you." She whined.
"Alright, who is ready to have a baby?" The doctor asked as he entered the room and moved to scrub up.
"No. No. I can't do this." She whimpered, wriggling in the bed, watching as the doctor scrubbed in and positioned himself between her thighs. "No please. I'm not ready. It's too early!" She pleaded with the doctor.
"No. I'm afraid you're fully dilated now. There is no turning back. This baby is coming whether you like it or not." The doctor told her.
"Stay with me. Stay with me please." Emma clung onto him like a lifeline.
"I'm not going anywhere." He whispered against her hair. "I'm right here. Focus on me, love. I've got you."
"Alright Emma, I'm going to need you to put your feet up in these stirrups." The doctor instructed, patting them with his hand.
Killian nodded in support, urging her to do as she was told.
Emma situated her feet, adjusting herself to hover over the edge of the bed, completely exposed to the strangers in the room.
"Okay Emma, now on the next contraction I want you to hold your chest to your knees and bare down as hard as you can. Do you think you can do that for me?" The doctor looked at her for understanding.
She looked at the doctor and nodded despite how frightened she was. A few seconds went by and she felt the pressure building in her abdomen as the doctor viewed the monitor for a sign of when to start walking her through it.
"Okay Emma her it is." He said.
Emma leaned forward, tucking her chest to her knees as she pushed, gritting her teeth and as she squeezed the dark stranger's hand enough to break it clean off.
"Any harder love and you're going to leave me completely handless." He quipped much to the rest of the room's jargon.
"Shut up!" She screamed at him through her teeth. The noise of the doctor counting to the end of her contraction faded in and out of her ears until his voice cut through the chaos for her to focus on.
"And 10, release." The doctor said.
She fell back against the pillow, soaked in sweat, her heart beating a wild tattoo in her chest.
"You're doing great love. You're doing so good." He encouraged, a proud smile plastered on his face. Killian pressed his lips to the top of her hand before another wave of pain struck her.
"Okay. Okay. Here's another. Come on Emma. Push." The doctor said.
Emma shook violently as she pushed with her might as the lights flickered above her.
The doctor stopped coaching her for a moment, glancing at the ceiling in wonder. "What was that?" He asked one of the nurses who shrugged.
Once the contraction subsided, she wilted back down against the bed, looking at the man whose hand she was squeezing, her expression pale as she looked at him dizzily.
"Okay Emma, we can see the baby crowning. On the next push we are going to see the baby's head." He told her.
Her face dropped as she screamed again, sitting up rapidly to push, shaking violently.
"Good we see the head. Everything looks good." The doctor commented.
"I don't want to do this." She told the stranger. "You know I don't even know your name." She thought aloud.
Killian smiled softly as the grip on his hand tightened and Emma rose to once again push, glancing around as the lights sparked sending the nurses clattering in fear.
"Come on love. Come on. You're doing so good." He coaxed, pressing his cheek against her sweaty head to support her.
"Emma, we see the torso. One last push and you will meet your baby." The doctor told her.
She sat back, rocking her head to the right and left feverishly in exhaustion.
"Killian." He said.
"What?" She breathed out.
"My name. It's Killian." He smiled down at her in adoration.
"Killian." She tested the name on her tongue, something oddly familiar in the way it sounded. "Killian?" She asked, using the given name he had provided her with.
"Yes, love?" He replied, waiting with baited breath for her to ask her question.
"Please tell me how it ends. The story. How does it end?" She begged him.
"I don't know how it ends, love. I guess that part is entirely up to you." He said, sweeping his thumb over her knuckles before her latest contraction hit her with full force.
Emma bared down as hard as she could, shouting as she pushed.
"Come on Emma. Harder, harder. It's almost here." The doctor said, choosing to ignore the sounds of the machines erupting and the sound of glass breaking in a nearby cabinet.
"Killian!" Emma roared in agony as the baby was finally freed from her womb sending a gust of wind shooting out from her as the sound of the infant's cries filled the room and her memories came rushing back to her in a single moment.
Killian beamed clutching Emma, his eyes filling with unshed tears as he heard the baby wailing softly. "You did good. You did so good." He praised her thoughtfully as he eased her back into a comfortable position to rest.
Emma's mind swirled, her cursed memories and her real memories mingling together. She remembered everything. She remembered Neverland. She remembered their night together. He remembered their tearful goodbye at the town line. She knew that without a doubt that this baby was his. But most of all she knew that she loved him. "Killian." Emma caught his attention.
"You did great, love. You are blood brilliant." He admired.
Emma smiled faintly, closing her eyes before addressing him again. "No, Killian." She looked at him in recognition, boring into him like she could see right through him.
"You remember?" He asked, tears shining in his eyes.
She nodded her confirmation, swallowing the onslaught of emotion that threatened to spill out of her.
"I love you. I love you so much." He caressed the sweaty hair matted to her forehead as he held her.
"Killian?" Emma whispered.
"Yes, love?" Killian tilted his head in her direction.
"It's yours." She choked out. "She's yours Killian." She told him.
"She?" Killian drew out the word like it went on forever, pausing to take in the information all at once. But the luxury was short lived when the doctor turned to face them.
"Alright mom and dad, are you ready to meet your daughter?" The doctor said, rocking their newborn baby swaddled in a pink blanket.
"My daughter?" Killian pondered the weight of the meaning as the doctor approached him and offered the baby to him.
"No I can't. I'll break her." He refused, worried about dropping her because of his missing hand.
"Don't be silly." The doctor insisted, placing the infant in his arms.
Killian clutched the child fearfully, shaking as he struggled to support the squirming baby in his arms.
"Support her head with your arm." The doctor told him.
"Like this?" He asked for reassurance.
"There you go." The doctor nodded his approval, reviling in the way that new dad's reacted to holding their babies for the first time. It never got old.
Killian melted as soon as he saw her face. She was the perfect mesh of his dark features and her emerald green eyes. This was his baby. He knew from that moment on he would never let her go. Just like his mother had, she had managed to capture his heart with a single look. She was barely an hour old and she already had him wrapped around her tiny little finger. "Swan, you should see her. She's absolutely perfect." He beamed down at the child in his arms. "Swan?" He turned around to look at her.
The color had drained from her face and her eyes fluttered closed as the monitors beeped rapidly. "Swan? Swan!" He called out her name helplessly as the baby screamed in his arms at the noise. "Do something!" He begged as tears pricked his eyes.
The nurse came to his side, reaching for the baby in his arms and taking it from him to bring to the nursery as he watched on helplessly as the doctors swarmed around her.
"No!" His eyes widened as fear rocked him. "No, I just got you back. You can't leave me, Swan. Not yet." He begged tearfully.
"She's coding." One of the doctors said shoving him out of the way and he was ushered out of the room so that they could have access to her, the door slamming shut behind him to bar him from entering.
Killian placed his head against the window, slamming his fist against the door as hot angry tears spilled down his face. He choked on a sob, turning to lean against the wall for support, barely able to stand on his feet. He clutched at his chest, the feeling unbearable as he opened his mouth in a silent scream and sank down to the ground, tucking himself into his chest as he struggled to breathe.
"Come back to me, love. Please come back to us." He all but commanded her before he dropped his head into his hands and wept into his palms as he rocked himself unsteadily.
AN- Please don't kill me. *Winces* slightly. This one nearly broke me. I tried to channel some of the personal emotion I experienced last weekend. So my misery is your gain. Also as a reminder. I don't edit this at all. Fuck, I don't even reread it to post it. Just deal with it. No one has time for it. If I edited everything I wrote nothing would ever get posted. Anyway, I will be waiting patiently to hear what you guys think of this latest chapter.