The Dark Forest
I sat in a chair in front of my fireplace. I'd never before lit it unless I needed the light. I'd never lit it to keep warm, as I never got cold. But living with Killian this past few moons made me realize that just because you didn't need it, didn't mean you couldn't enjoy it. I'd lit the fire this evening, seeking refuge in the comfort of the warmth.
A knock on my door announced Killian. I unlocked the door from my place in the chair, continuing to watch the fire.
"Are you feeling alright?" Killian asked, sounding concerned.
I nodded. "I feel my age today."
"If it helps any, you don't look a day over twenty-eight." I had come to find that Killian thought himself something of a charmer.
I shook my head, looking back at the orange and blue flames dancing inside the stone cage they were in.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked.
I shook my head. "There is nothing to help with."
"Might I stay with you by the fire for a while?" He asked.
I didn't particularly want him to stay but neither did I want him to leave. I twirled my fingers, creating a chair from blue smoke for him to sit in next to me. He gave a small bow and sat next to me.
"Why do you bow? I am not a Queen." I informed him.
He smiled lightly. "You remind me frequently."
"And yet you still bow." I told him, turning my eyes from the fire to his face.
He watched me for a moment as if he was trying to word his thoughts. "Anyone with enough power to control the dragons should be respected to the fullest extent."
I scoffed. "I do not control the dragons."
"But if you so desired, you could at a moment's notice send them flying to attack a village." Killian said and I felt the full bitterness of his words.
"You think that low of me?" I asked him quietly, returning my gaze to the fire so he didn't have to see the hurt my eyes might betray.
"Never in the next thousand years. But you have the power to do so if you wished it." Killian told me, leaning forward to gently touch my knee.
Something surged in me and I gasped, feeling my stomach warm. It was as if something had clicked into my chest; a missing piece, long forgotten, returned to me. I turned to look at him. He stared at me. "Did you feel that?" He asked.
"Aye." I said, nodding, feeling confused. I turned my head, hearing a dragon approach. Killian had still not had direct contact with a dragon, for most dragons wished not to be around the human. Urgency flared in my chest and I stood, opening the door and meeting the dragon in my walkway.
My youngest cuddled up against my front, whimpering. "Child, calm yourself. What has happened?" I asked him gently.
Flashes of angry men with spears and swords and bows, shooting at him as he tried to save people from a burning barn entered my mind. They were yelling names at him he didn't understand and the woman he was trying to save beat at him with a broom.
"Oh, my sweet child. Was nothing but a nightmare. You're safe in the castle with me. I'd never let anything hurt you." I told him, bracing him against my body. The dragon whined and I ran my hand down his scales. "If you wish to meet the human, you must only ask." I told him quietly.
He gave a snort and his pleading eyes bore into me.
I turned to watch Killian, fearing his expression more than Euflamm's. "Killian, this is my youngest of children. His name is Euflamm."
The pirate nodded, as if he were honored to meet the dragon. The black dragon moved around me. I was always happy to see how fluidly he moved, despite his ever growing size. It was like watching a pool of black water run over the land as it wished. Euflamm sat just barely out of Killian's arm reach.
I returned to my chair, watching them. "Most dragons do not like humans, but Euflamm has wanted to meet you since you came to stay with us. I needed to make sure you were no harm to my children before they could meet you. I feel it is no longer a problem."
Killian looked at me with adoration in his eyes. "This is a great honor."
"Euflamm for the longest time has only ever wanted a rider. I have informed him multiple times that few men wish to ride dragons anymore; most find it easier to just kill them." I explained to the bearded man.
He nodded, looking back at the black dragon whose tail wound around itself. "Euflamm, ey? Quite a name you have, youngster."
The dragon scoffed, letting out a stream of smoke.
"Did I upset him?" Killian asked, looking concerned.
"He wishes to inform you he is nearing his two hundredth year and would like it if the pod and yourself would stop addressing him as a child." I said with a small smile.
"If dragons lay eggs every hundred years, why don't you have any younger than Euflamm?" He asked, turning to me.
I felt the stab of pain through my heart. I turned to the fire to avoid looking at Killian. "One was killed within a few moons of hatching. She would not listen to me about venturing into the woods at night. She was killed on sight. The other two were stolen from me, sold to a trader in another kingdom. I've yet to be able to find them." I told him quietly.
"I'm so sorry." Killian told me.
I sighed deeply, standing to move away from the warmth of the fire and into the chilly breeze that floated in through the window. I stood there for a few minutes before I realized there was no noise coming from behind me. A warming sensation took over my heart and I gasped, turning around.
Euflamm had his claw on Killian's chest, making a long scratch in it. He touched it with his scales and Killian gasped before clenching his jaw closed and screwing his eyes tight. I watched as light erupted from the cut the dragon had touched and when he pulled away, the scar was healed.
"Euflamm! Do you know what you've just done?" I asked loudly.
He ducked his head immediately, and I came to the pirate's side in an instant. He had his head leaned back against the chair and he was breathing heavily. His eyes floated open to look at me and he gave a small smile. "That wasn't so bad."
"Most humans don't survive the bonding." I told him, setting my hand over the scar on his chest to feel his heart beat. Instead of the weak rhymatic beat it held previously that had grown to be a comfort to me, his strong heart held a new beat, moving slightly faster than it had before. "You're stronger than most humans."
"Why don't most survive?" He asked.
"Bonding with a dragon is strong magic. Most humans cannot contain strong magic." I told him, monitoring his heart beat and his breathing.
"Will I live?" he asked.
I nodded. "You would be dead by now otherwise." I took a step back and sighed. As if I needed another thing to deal with. In addition, I'd lost the steady music I heard every day since he'd come. I didn't want to be mad at Euflamm, he just wanted a rider. But I knew the sailor couldn't give him that. "You're a part of the pod now. Being bonded with Euflamm, you will feel everything he feels and he, you. The only way to break the bond is death. His life span will increase yours. At most, you'll live to see five hundred, which is much longer than any human was ever made to live."
He nodded and Euflamm cuddled up close to me. At first, I thought it was because he was trying to apologize, but then I realized the emotion stemming from his contact was affection. I looked at Killian, knowing he had no clue he was projecting his feelings through my young dragon.
I didn't know how I felt, knowing a human felt affection for me. Five hundred years would pass in the blink of an eye for me and Killian would then be dead. So I simply held Euflamm for a few more minutes before sending him back to bed with a dream spell over his head.
Storybrooke
I bit my lip, looking at myself in the mirror. I kept twisting in the dress I'd acquired for the ball. It was a dark blue and tea-length, fitted garment. It had a solid back and halter neckline. Everything I'd read about these functions said to only show a certain amount of skin; you didn't want to make a traditional thing trashy.
The doorbell rang and I rushed over to it, pausing for a minute to take a breath before opening it. I was completely floored. I'd always seen Killian's uniform in the glass case and only imagined him wearing it, but this was so much better than what I'd come up with.
It was similar to the US Army dress uniform; black shirt and pants, with a white belt and a red and white cap and white gloves. There were some pins on his collar, probably telling you all about his service and rank. Killian just eyed me and I wanted to know what was going through his head.
"That's a gorgeous dress." He told me.
I looked down at it, completely forgetting about my clothes. "Oh. Thank you. I was just waiting for a night to wear it."
"The perfect night, indeed." He said with a smile.
"Oh, um. Come in. I just have to get my earrings." I told him, turning towards the bedroom. "And be careful of Shadow, she doesn't-" I paused, turning back around. Shadow sat on the back of the couch, purring while Killian stroked her with an ungloved hand. "Like people."
Killian looked up at me and I felt a strong sense of déjà vu. I'd seen this happen before.
"Are you alright, love?" He asked, looking concerned.
I nodded. "Déjà vu, that was all." I told him, heading for the bedroom to plant both earrings through their respective hole in my head.
"I must warn you," He said as I came back out. "General Lowry is a bit loud and a bit of a flirt. His wife will hit him if he's not behaving though. And Major Ross will definitely make an attempt to take you home. I'll make sure to stay with you most of the evening to avoid that very thing."
I smirked, nodding. I had remembered, despite the fact I couldn't remember their ranks to save my life. I didn't know why, but Killian's was easy. It had a ring to it, like I could say it a hundred times and not get tired of it.
"We best be off." He told me, holding his arm out for me.
I grinned, gladly taking it. I had been so nervous before. He told me normally only military spouses went to these kinds of things, but lots of men and women brought other kind of dates. We climbed into Killian's truck and I knew that despite how well he treated his appearance, especially for this function, he didn't want people to think he was anything other than himself.
He parked us at the community hall and gladly helped me out of my seat from the passenger's side. I smiled up at him, realizing he looked handsome in his outfit and cap. "Someone's happy to be out of the house."
I nodded, ducking my head. I was happy period. "Thanks for asking me to come with you."
He smirked, like he couldn't imagine not asking me. He led us inside and once inside, he removed his cap, as was the custom of most military personnel.
"Killian! What a surprise. I didn't know you were in the service." A young redhead said, coming over with a smile and jealousy made butterflies in my stomach. I'd seen her around, but had never interacted with her much.
He nodded, obviously not as pleased to see her as she was to see him. "The Royal Marines, actually. I was a sailor by trade."
She nodded with a smile. "And who's this?"
"Angela, this is a dear friend of mine, Miss Jamie Winston." Killian said, stepping slightly closer to me as he said my name.
"Jamie. I think I've seen you around town. You're like a cleaning lady or something, right?" She asked, but there was a vindictive tone in the very back of her words.
"Yep." I told her simply.
"Doesn't it get old, cleaning up after everyone like that? I bet you hate cleaning your own place." She said.
I did. I really hated cleaning all day to come home and have to do it again. But was I going to tell the snarky, attractive red head this? Not on my grave. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if Mary Margaret needs help with anything." I said to Killian, moving around Angela to head towards the crop of short black hair.
"Hey Mary Margaret. How are you?" I asked her.
She turned around with a smile. "Jamie! I didn't know you were coming to this thing."
I shrugged. "Killian Jones asked me to come. Can't leave a Royal Marine without a date." I said with a smile.
Mary Margaret smiled. "I'm glad you came. These things are always boring. Except for the dancing." She said with a smile.
"Are you here with somebody?" I asked.
She shook her head. "Half of the money raised goes towards the Wounded Veteran's program and the other half goes to the school. I'm here as a spokesperson, I guess. The Mayor wanted me to come."
I nodded. "Well, I'll hang around you if you'd like. Killian found an attractive redhead, so I'll sure he'll be a while."
"You mean like that?" Mary Margaret asked and I turned to see Killian moving through the crowd towards us.
"Jamie, you mustn't run off like that." The Captain told me.
"Sorry. I just wanted to say 'hi' to Mary Margaret. Half the money donated is going to the school." I told him, not sure if he was aware.
"I had no idea. That's good." He said with a smile.
"So Jamie says you're new in town." Mary Margaret said, sipping her punch.
"I am. I was in New York most recently." He told her.
"What made you pick Storybrooke?" She asked.
He shrugged. "Honestly, it just felt right."
After I talked with Mary Margaret a bit more and Killian conversed with other military personnel and their spouses, the bell was rung for dinner. Killian and I got sat next to a General, his wife, the mayor, her son, and an unpleasant looking man who was named Leroy.
The mayor gave a short speech about community and family and her son Henry clapped weakly. I was sure he didn't care anything for the place. I didn't blame him. If it weren't for Killian, I'd never have come to a function like this.
Dinner was chicken, a baked potato, asparagus and rolls. I ate silently, listening to Killian go back and forth with everyone at the table. He was very talkative and I could tell that being around other military folk was good for his soul.
"Having fun?" A voice asked to my right.
I looked to see the Mayor's son, Henry. I shrugged loosely. "How about you?" I asked.
He copied me shrug. "I've been to worse."
I smiled at him. "You know anything about these things?"
Henry shook his head. "I got roped in at the last minute."
I nodded. "Killian taught me to dance a couple weeks ago. He's been hoping I'd come to this with him."
"What dance did he teach you?" Henry asked.
"Um, it's just a real basic two step, I think." I told him, not being completely sure of the name.
He nodded and turned back to the table, watching everybody else talk the same way I did. A few more people got called up to make speeches and toasts before they opened the dance floor.
Killian stood and I looked over at him as he held out a gloved hand for me. "M'lady, may I have this dance?"
I blushed a little. "Anything for a man in his dress uniform." I said quietly as I stood from the table and he led me to the dance floor. "What if I mess up?" I asked him, remembering how I'd always forget that one step.
Killian smiled. "Don't worry about it. Just look at me like I've told you." He said, taking the first step. I followed easy, smiling at him as he danced us around the room.
I wasn't paying attention and I missed my step again, but noticed we never stumbled. "I missed the step." I told him.
He smirked. "I know. I adjusted. That's what a partnership is."
"I should've been able to remember one step." I told him, feeling stupid for having to make him change his moves for me.
Killian continued dancing as he reached over to lift my chin before returning his hand to mine. "It's one move, love. It doesn't change the feelings you put into the dance. And now we're a step ahead of everyone else and they'll never know how."
I smiled at him, ducking my head for a moment. "You always know how to make me feel better."
He smiled at me. "You make me want to be a better person."
I could feel my cheeks turn red as the song faded.
"Captain Jones, could I have a dance?" Mayor Mills asked, coming over to us.
"Of course, Mayor Mills." Killian said, giving me an apologetic look.
I returned to the table, where only Henry sat. "Your mom leave you alone?" He shrugged. "You wanna dance?" I asked.
Henry smiled and shook his head. "No. I don't dance."
"Okay. How about some more punch?" I asked him, seeing his glass was empty.
"I'd like that." He said with a smile.