The Roadtrip—part 2

CS genre: Deleted scene (3x12 trip from New York to Storybrooke)

Henry really couldn't figure it all out and it was driving him crazy. Maybe his mom would explain more when the three of them actually made it to this "Storybrooke." (Pretty strange name for a town, if you asked him. Sounded like something he'd find on his favorite video game where he got to be a knight and fight dragons.)

This wasn't just any case; he was sure of it. His mom was never this….emotional about the bad guys she went after. It was almost like this was more than just a job to her this time. Why?

"Anyone need the rest stop?" Mom asked as they passed a sign. "It says there won't be another one for fifty miles."

"Yeah," Henry said. "Let's stop."

Maybe, if he was lucky, he could talk his mom into buying him something from one of the vending machines. She usually didn't let him have snacks filled to the brim with sugar, salt and fat, but hey! They were on a road trip; maybe she'd make an exception.

Mom put on her blinker, eased off the ramp, pulled up before a newly-constructed brick building, and the three of them went off to their respective restrooms.

This particular restroom provided even more proof that Killian was just…strange. It was one of one of those new, up-to-date places where everything was automated. No hands needed. When Killian stepped up before the sink and the water started up without him having to turn it on, he'd jumped back and said a word Henry was pretty sure his mom would have grounded him for saying.

"What manner of magic is this, lad?" Killian had asked, turning amazed eyes toward Henry.

Henry laughed. "It's not magic, Killian; there's no such thing! It's just…you know, automatic."

Killian washed his hand slowly, muttering the whole time about the wonders of this realm and magic and how bloody convenient it all was for a man with only one hand and how he must ask Swan how it all worked if it wasn't magic.

Like Henry said, he was strange.

They finished long before Mom…probably because there'd been a line out the door of the women's restroom when they got there. Girls were weird. Why did it always take them so long to do everything?

"So…." Henry said, turning to the man travelling with him and Mom—the man who was currently getting lots of suspicious looks from guys and old ladies and lots of…rather inviting looks from ladies mom's age. "What's really going on? Why are we really going to this 'Storybrooke' place?"

Henry figured maybe if Mom wouldn't tell him anything this guy would. But Henry knew almost immediately it was a no go. Killian glanced aside and then scratched behind his ear. "It's as your mum said, lad. I've a case I need her help with. I'm afraid that's all I'm at liberty to say at the moment."

Henry sighed and slumped down on the bench in front of the vending area and crossed his arms with a huff. "Nobody will ever tell me anything. No one thinks I can understand…or help…or anything."

Killian dropped to the bench beside Henry and placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "Course we do, lad. We've always believed in you, just like you've always believed in…well in things that others find difficult. It's just…there are…circumstances…it will all come clear one day, but for now, I'm sorry; I must be cryptic."

He'd always believed in me? Henry thought to himself. That was beyond weird. That was venturing into creepy territory.

"What do you mean, you've always believed in me?" Henry asked, turning an assessing glare at the man beside him. "I never met you in my life before this morning."

Killian looked away again and laughed uneasily. "Right you are, lad, but your mum's spoken so much of you I feel as though I've known you all your life."

Henry looked at him for long moments, silent, considering. Finally, he decided Killian was being honest…or at least as honest as he was capable of being given the circumstance of…whatever was going on. He sighed again, but then nodded. Killian looked distinctly relieved.

"You like my mom, don't you?" Henry asked after a few moments of silence, deciding to investigate the other big mystery on his mind.

"Of course I do," Killian said, eyes widening in obvious surprise. "I should have thought that would be rather obvious. What's not to like?"

"No," Henry said, shaking his head, "I mean you like her. You know, have feelings for her and stuff."

Killian scratched at the back of his ear again, glanced concernedly at the door to the women's restroom behind which Mom was still occupied, and then met his eyes resolutely. "Aye, lad; that I do. You're quite perceptive."

Henry took a deep breath. "Mom's not had the best luck with men, except with Walsh, maybe, but I guess that must have fallen through too. I just…I just don't want anyone else to hurt her, okay?"

Killian's eyes softened, and the hand on Henry's shoulder squeezed reassuringly. "I promise you, lad, your mother is safe with me. I want nothing but the utmost happiness for her and will diligently work every day of my life to make sure she finds it."

Now that, if Henry wasn't mistaken, was the absolute truth. He nodded. That was good enough for him. And even if Killian was weird, he was cool. If Mom decided she liked him too, Henry would be okay with that.

c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s

Emma stepped out of the restroom and scanned the surrounding area for her guys…er… that is her son and her…Hook. No! Not her Hook! Just Hook. There wasn't a "her and Hook", and there damn well never would be. It didn't make a difference that her heart had leapt as soon as she'd drunk the potion and remembered him. It didn't matter how many butterflies she'd had when he sang that stupid '80s ballad to her in the car. It didn't matter how right it felt when they were together; like something vital had just clicked back into place.

None of that mattered! Had she learned nothing from the whole debacle with Walsh? Everybody lies; everybody's got their own agenda; nobody's who he says he is; everybody leaves eventually.

Not Killian, her traitorous heart pointed out. He came back for you. Crossed realms, did who knows what to make it happen, told you the truth, and plans to reunite you with your family.

Emma shoved the voice aside with a ruthlessness beyond what she used on her nastiest perps. She wasn't going to fall under his spell. She damn well wasn't going to get her heart broken again! She wasn't some hormonal teenager who abandoned all common sense because of a hot guy. Enough was enough!

After a moment of being far more flustered than she really should be, she found the two guys by the vending machines.

She should have known. Henry would make any excuse he could to get his hands on junk food. Emma wandered over, gave her wheedling son a dollar for the machines and then took his place sitting beside Killian.

"Sorry," she said, sliding a look at him. "Seems like half the women in the state were in line before me."

He chuckled. "Not to worry love. Your lad and I were well able to pass the time."

Her eyes narrowed, remembering the embarrassment of earlier in the car when Henry had blurted out all kinds of crap about her pirate dreams. She didn't even want to think about what else Henry might have said. "What exactly were you talking about, Hook?"

He shrugged, grinning. "Nothing that warrants such a ferocious scowl on your lovely face, darling."

"You sure about that?"

"Perfectly," Hook said with a decisive nod. "Your son cares a great deal for you, Swan and he merely wished to ascertain that I meant you no harm."

Henry was trying to protect her from Hook?

"And," she said, looking up at him, "what exactly did you tell him?"

Killian's face gentled, and he cupped her cheek in his good hand, allowing his thumb to caress her cheek. Emma's heart skipped a beat at the gesture, unable to lie to herself about how good, how comforting, it felt.

"Love," he said in a low voice, "I told him nothing but the absolute truth. I wish nothing but the best for you, and there is not a thing in any realm I won't do to secure it."

Emma closed her eyes for a moment, leaning into his touch, feeling the tears threaten. When she opened them, he leaned toward her, his lips drawing ever nearer, his intent clear.

The fact that every fiber of her being screamed at her to lean forward and meet him halfway scared the hell out of her. She jumped to her feet, called to Henry to hurry up and marched back toward her bug, not sparing Killian another glance.

She was on dangerous ground where Hook was concerned. No doubt about it. As soon as they made it to Storybrooke, she needed to put as much distance as possible between her and the handsome pirate.

Yeah, it really was best for everyone concerned if she dealt with whatever crap was going down in Storybrooke as fast as possible so she and Henry could get back to New York; back to a life that was good, safe, and uncomplicated.

Notes:

-*Sigh* Back to Emma and her 3b denial. You do realize, Emma, that things would be a lot better for you all around if you'd just trust Killian and take the happiness he offers? Of course you don't yet, because A&E (and thus us fanfic writers who are writing fics that stay true to canon) like to torture their viewers with the slow burn! (Although, okay, to be fair, all the 3b denial and angst made the Captain Swan movie in 3x21-3x22 that much more beautiful and amazing. Note to self…remember this throughout the Dark Swan angst that's sure to come.)

-I couldn't resist tossing in a little more "Hook vs. the modern world". We haven't gotten nearly enough of that for my taste, although I'll admit there probably wasn't room for much of it with all the things going on in and around Storybrooke in s3 and s4!

-Although memory-less Henry was more…clueless…than regular Henry (and although memory-less Henry had his face buried in his video game more often than not), he's still, as Killian said, a perceptive lad. Though we don't explicitly see it in canon, I really think he's observant enough to notice Killian's obvious feelings for Emma (as Regina says, everyone sees the yearning looks and doe-y eyes), and he loves his mom enough to try to protect her.

-Up next: Another venture into AU land. I'm going to try my own take on the coffee shop au trope. This one will involve a secret admirer as well.