I've wondered for a long time "What if Killian never sold Baelfire to Pan and then after decades of being a family in Neverland, Alice was born" and this is what came from that.

The planks of the ship creek beneath Killian's feet as he crosses the deck to Baelfire. The young boy is practicing his knot tying, most likely at the command of Smee. A tiny smirk dances across Killian's lips as he imagines how that went down. Baelfire still considers knot tying "busy work". He longs to steer the ship or hang the masts. While he may have lived for a few decades by this point, his mind and body is still that of a teenager, a young one at that. He doesn't have to grow up so fast, no matter how much he'd like to.

"Bae," he says gently. His son barely looks up from the knots before returning to them. "Hey, c'mon. Is that any greeting for me?"

"You were gone," Baelfire grunts, his fingers fumbling over the rope. "Shit."

"Hey," Killian warns, raising an eyebrow. "Language."

The rope drops at Baelfire's feet and he settles his gaze upon Killian. "You haven't been here in a fortnight, suddenly you give a damn if I swear?"

"You have every right to be mad at me, but you will not use that tone. Are we clear?" That angry pout that is all Milah remains written on Baelfire's face. "I asked you a question, young man."

Baelfire rolls his eyes. "Yes, sir."

"Good." Killian drops beside him. "I didn't want to be gone this long. Something…came up."

Baelfire scoffs. "Yeah. Sure."

"I know it's scary for you when I leave, but I always will come back. I promise."

"Mama promised that too and look where it got me."

Killian purses his lips. "I'm not your mother, Bae." The side-eye he gets causes him to sigh. "I know I'm part of the reason she left, but I'm still not her. Part of the reason I was gone, was to prove that."

Baelfire's brows furrow. "What do you mean?"

"It's not something I can really explain without showing you. Come on, do you trust me?"

"We need to get back to Neverland…"

"We're not going back there." Baelfire's jaw drops open. "I'll explain everything in a moment. Please, just come with me."

A half hour later, Baelfire is scaling a tower under the watchful eye of his step-father. He's still mad at him. Killian always promised he'd never leave him on the ship for more than a few nights. The crew are like family but they have the tendency to drink and outside of Smee, most only pay attention to him when Killian's around. If he wanted to feel this lonely, he would've returned to his father. Killian promised him a family, a home. Whatever's up this tower needs to explain two weeks of abandonment.

Killian crawls through the window first, extending his hand for Bae to grab on. Reluctantly, he does and follows him inside. It's a simple set up. A small bed in one corner, surrounded by a few bookshelves. A kitchen nook in the other. By the window is an art station, with two easels and just about every color of paint one could imagine. The most jarring thing of all is the bassinet in the center of the room. A baby wiggles inside, no more than a few weeks old. Baelfire looks up at Killian, his eyes wide.

"Where did you get that baby?"

"It's…it's a long story. I um…we've spoken how they're made, right?"

"Oh my Gods, I do not need to relive that. I didn't even know you were…seeing anyone."

"I wasn't," Killian clarifies. "When we docked and I headed out for provisions, I ran into a disgraced queen. She was going to pay for passage onto our ship, with guaranteed protection that the Dark One could never hurt us. I was told to come to this tower and I'd get all the magic I needed. When I got here, there was a sorceress. She tricked me into helping her and we…celebrated."

Baelfire shakes his head quickly. "I do not need the details."

"Of course not. But the next morning…she was here." Killian gestures to the bassinet. "It was only then I learned the truth. The sorceress was locked in this tower and her only way out was leaving an heir in her place."

"Thus the baby," Baelfire whispers.

"I've been looking into a way to get her out of here, but it's not going to happen anytime soon." Killian frowns. "She's mine, Bae. I cannot do what my father did and abandon her."

Baelfire gnaws on his bottom lip, staring down into the bassinet. The baby fusses a bit and instinctively, he reaches out his finger. Her entire hand grips him, tightly, weighing him down to this tower. She's completely bald, save a few whisps of white blonde hair. Her eyes barely open but he can see the specks of blue that she clearly shares with Killian.

"I don't want to leave you either, but I understand what I'm asking of you," his step-father continues when he doesn't say anything. "You love our life on the ship, you have immortality in Neverland. It would kill me to let you go, but Smee has agreed to look after you."

"Smee," Baelfire repeats, dumbly. He breaks away from the baby and looks up at Killian. "You think I should be raised by him?"

"No. I think in a perfect world, the three of us-you, me and the baby-could start our lives somewhere safe. Away from Pan or the Dark One or the evil sorceress who bound an innocent baby to this tower. But we don't live in such a world. I can't bring her with us but I'm also not going to leave her behind." Killian's blue eyes shine and for a moment, Baelfire wonders if he's crying. "I understand what I'd be asking of you. You could leave this tower, we both could, for provisions and such. But at the end of the day, I can't leave her be for long. The tower provides for her when I leave but I can't trust that magic to work long term."

Magic. Baelfire stopped trusting that long ago.

"I'm giving you a choice, just like I did when you ended up on my ship. I don't want to force you into anything."

Baelfire's eyes return to the baby. He never considered a sibling. His mother was gone before he could question his father and her having one. She was dead by the time he landed on Killian's ship. Baelfire was content for a long time being the only one, the youngest.

Killian doesn't share his DNA and neither does this baby. And yet, his step-father has been his one constant. An anchor in the storm of his family drama. He makes sure he goes to bed at a reasonable hour, finds a way to get him fresh produce. Baelfire has never once feared Killian, not in the way he did his own father. No matter what, Killian has been his family. He never got to meet Liam, but in a way, he considers the man his uncle.

This baby…maybe he could come to love her as a sister.

"I'm not choosing one of you over the other," Killian rambles on. "I know it must seem that way, but it's the only way I can guarantee both of you will be safe."

"I know," Baelfire says. "You're taking care of your kids. It's what a father does." He smiles a little. "I think we could make it work."

A sigh of relief spouts from Killian's lips. "Really?"

"I have to grow up at some point. Might as well be to break my little sister out of here."

Killian's arms fall tightly around him and though it takes a moment, Baelfire does let go of the baby's grip to return the hug.

"Does she have a name?" Baelfire mumbles against Killian's thick leather jacket.

Killian pulls away a bit, keeping his hand on Baelfire while putting the hook on the bassinet. "There were only two people I know worth naming a baby after. My brother and my mum."

"Please tell me you went with Alice then. Liam is an ugly name for a girl."

Killian rolls his eyes and smacks him upside the head, ignoring Baelfire's small protest. "Alice Jones."

"It's pretty." He catches the look of doubt in his step-father's eye. "We're gonna get her out of here. I promise."

"Leave that to me, lad. You need to focus on being a kid. I've told you from the beginning, that's your job."

It's a nice sentiment but they both know, Baelfire will do anything to free his little sister.