The Surprise Party
CS genre: Future fic
Emma got the idea while she and Killian were cleaning up after Henry's 14th birthday party.
Killian reached up and pulled at a streamer they'd hung above their front door. He tugged gently and then peered down at the thin paper in his hand. Emma saw the wistful look in his eyes as his ringed fingers traced the cursive letters spelling out "Happy Birthday Henry!".
"It would seem your party was a smashing success, love," he said, smiling down at her as she threw a couple of paper plates into the large trash bag she was lugging around their living room.
"Yeah," she said. "Henry certainly seemed to like it, although at this point he'd probably be happy with anything we did. He's been so happy since we all got back from the Underworld, I doubt anything could bring him down."
Killian, stepped up behind her, wrapped his arm around her waist, and nuzzled her neck, placing a small, chaste kiss on her shoulder. "I know precisely how he feels."
She turned her head to meet his blue eyes. "So…you're happy, now?"
He smiled tenderly. "I'm once again in the land of the living, I've married my true love, we live together in a magnificent house with a view of the sea, Storybrooke has been peaceful for well-nigh six months and our lad has opted to spend the night with his other mother, leaving us free to indulge uninterrupted in whatever enjoyable activities we wish. What's not to be happy about?"
His smile turned to a mischievous grin as he raised one eyebrow suggestively.
Emma laughed and then thrust the trash bag at him. "I might be able to be persuaded about those enjoyable activities, but first we need to clean this place up. I am not waking up tomorrow to a trashed house."
"As my lady wishes," he said with a bow and another grin.
Emma watched her husband out of the corner of her eye as he slowly walked around the room, disposing of the accumulated mess produced by a big, boisterous family birthday party. He muttered under his breath, his tone awed, full of wonder, and suddenly it hit Emma.
She'd known him for several years now, but she didn't remember him ever celebrating a birthday. She'd never even asked him when the big day was. The pain hit her then. This wonderful man who'd always been there for her still didn't believe he mattered enough to celebrate.
"Killian," she said, clearing her throat when she heard how wobbly her voice sounded.
"Aye, Swan?" he asked, looking up with concern at the obvious tears in her voice.
"When's your birthday?"
His brow furrowed as he thought for a moment, and then he shrugged. "Sometime near the end of January. It's been years—centuries even—since I thought of such things. I lived in such darkness for so many years that something as joyful as a birthday fell by the wayside."
Emma felt the tears rush to her eyes, and felt one slip down her cheek. He looked up quickly, always so attuned to her and her emotions—even more so now that they shared a heart. He came to her then, catching the tear with his thumb, and smiling tenderly at her. Leaning down, he kissed her gently. "It's no matter Swan," he said softly. "My joy now is so great that those dark days feel like nothing but a nightmare, banished by the morning light."
She smiled at him as she cupped his face in one hand, love filling her, overflowing once more. "Good," she said. She took his hand and tugged. "How about we go get started on those enjoyable activities."
His grin turned teasing. "What about not wanting to wake up to the mess in the morning?"
She shrugged. "A clean house is overrated. Besides, I can magic it all away later. Much, much later, if I have any say about it."
Emma got no more complaints from her pirate husband—teasing or not—as she led him up to their luxurious king-sized bed.
~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~
The next morning Emma woke with a renewed purpose. She was going to throw Killian a birthday party spectacular enough to make up for all those missed years. She pushed aside the heavy comforter and sat up, running a hand through her messy hair.
Killian reached an arm around her waist, eyes remaining resolutely closed. "Come back to bed, love. Nice and warm here. Too early to rise," he muttered.
She giggled, kissing him softly. "Sorry Killian. I've got way too much to do today. No time to laze around in bed."
He cracked one eyelid and peered up at her. "Everything alright, Swan?"
She caressed his cheek. "Yeah, everything's fine. I've just got to…do some investigating. You know, the work of a sheriff around here is never done."
He hummed sleepily. She kissed him once more. "I love you."
He mumbled a sleepy "love you too" in return, and then sailed back into dreamland.
Emma had a long and busy day of planning. First order of business was picking up Henry from Regina's and recruiting him as she walked him to school. Unsurprisingly, her son was on board—and incredibly excited—from the moment he realized what she was planning.
"Yeah!" he'd said. "I can't believe we didn't think of this sooner! We should have a big surprise party for him. You know, get the whole town in on it. We should call it something he'd never suspect. Like 'Operation Giraffe'."
She laughed. "Why giraffe, kid?"
"I don't know," he shrugged. "It doesn't sound anything like 'surprise birthday party'. He'll never know what hit him. Besides, he really liked the giraffes that one time we took Roland and Neal to the zoo."
"Sounds good to me," she said. "I'll start setting things up. When you're done with school we can start in on some serious Operation Giraffe planning!"
From there, she'd headed to the docks, found Smee and determined Killian's actual birthday—January 26. (She'd freaked out for a minute or two, realizing they only had a few days to pull this off, but then she'd pulled it together. This town had gone to the freaking Underworld to save his life; planning a birthday party in two days was going to be child's play.)
As the day went on, Emma met with nearly everyone in the town, and everyone eagerly offered their assistance as soon as they knew what she was planning. Her parents had set out to pick a location; Granny offered to cater the event; Belle headed to the books, researching typical birthday practices in the Enchanted Forest three centuries ago; Smee and the rest of Killian's remaining crew offered whatever help she needed; and Leroy offered to spread the word stealthily. (She'd been a bit hesitant about that last one. Stealth wasn't exactly Leroy's strong suit when it came to telling the news, his preferred method being yelling at the top of his lungs. If they pulled this off without Killian figuring it out, it would be a minor miracle.)
By the time she and Henry got home later that night, decorations had been decided upon, food had been ordered, a venue had been chosen, gifts had been purchased, and the whole town had been invited.
Emma had to say; it had been quite the productive day.
~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~
Something was going on. Something was definitely going on.
Killian walked down the sidewalk of Storybrooke's main street, only half aware of what Henry excitedly prattled on about at his side. He and the lad had taken advantage of the unusually temperate January weather for a sail on the Jolly, and now they planned to dine at Granny's.
It had been a lovely day—the sun shining brightly, the salt breeze rifling through their hair, Henry's excitement and enthusiasm contagious as he asked question after question about the ship. The lad was going to make quite the sailor one day.
Still…Killian frowned in concern as they continued their walk. Over the course of the past few days, Emma, Henry, the Charmings, the entire town, really had been acting quite peculiarly. Emma and the lad spent long hours secluded together, and when he asked what they'd been about, both had become resolutely mute. To make matters worse, more than once, Killian had come upon a gathering of townsfolk who had been talking animatedly—only to fall suddenly silent at his approach.
He'd heard murmurs about "the big event", and "make sure not to tell him", and what sounded like an odd dispute about "the color of the streamers".
It was as though the entirety of Storybrooke was involved in something big and important that they resolutely wished to keep secret from him. Killian found the feeling of being excluded quite unpleasant indeed.
"Pardon lad?" he asked when he realized Henry was awaiting his response to a question he'd asked.
"I asked what you think of giraffes," Henry said.
"Giraffes?" Killian asked, brow furrowing in confusion. "When did the conversation take that turn? I thought we were discussing our planned night sail to learn the winter constellations."
Henry rolled his eyes. "Killian, have you been paying attention at all? We got done talking about that like ten minutes ago."
"My apologies," Killian muttered. "Must have been woolgathering."
Henry looked at him closely. "What's up with you lately?" he asked. "You've been, I don't know, moody or something the last few days."
Killian scratched behind his ear. "Nothing at all is the matter with me, mate. I might however, ask you the same question. It has seemed that something is a foot in this town, and no one has seen fit to make me privy to it. Have I…have I done something to offend? I'm well aware that I was a villain for many, many years, and it's likely difficult for some to trust me, but…"
"What?!" Henry interrupted, stopping stalk still on the sidewalk. Killian came to an abrupt halt, only narrowly avoiding running into the lad. "It's…it's. Okay, I can't tell you what it is, but you'll find out really, really soon. But it's nothing like that! Of course we trust you, Killian! The whole town trusts you! You may have done bad stuff before, but we all know you're not a villain anymore. You died to save us all; what more could someone do to show they're a real hero?"
Killian felt the relief flood him at Henry's words—and particularly at his passion in speaking them. He'd tried so very, very hard to reform his life—to become a hero worthy of Swan, worthy of his brother, worthy of the man he, himself wished to be—and he believed he'd been successful. But there was always, always that niggling doubt that perhaps he'd been too far gone with his villainy, that he'd reached the point of no return. To hear the lad he thought of as a son reassure him so heartily—he had no words to describe how much it pleased him.
"That's a relief to hear," he finally murmured.
Henry smiled. "You're going to like it; I promise."
"I…I'm sure I shall," Killian mumbled, having no idea how to respond.
"Come on!" Henry said after a moment. "Let's get to Granny's before the lunch crowd takes all the good booths."
Killian hesitated for a moment. He trusted Henry, truly he did, but suddenly he was weary well-nigh to death of the whispers and the glances and the secrecy. "I don't know lad," he said after a moment. "I know we discussed dining together, but I'm suddenly quite fatigued. Perhaps…perhaps you might pick up an order to go and we could dine with your mother at home?"
Henry looked startled at the idea. "But…but Killian! That won't work. We've planned this forever. Come on, you have to come to Granny's with me."
Startled by the lad's insistence, Killian started walking again. "Very well," he said, bemused, "if it's of that much importance to you…"
"It is, Killian," Henry insisted. "It really, really is."
~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~
"He's coming!" Leroy whisper shouted. "Everyone, HIDE!"
Emma rolled her eyes as she crouched next to her parents behind the counter at Granny's. "Is everything an emergency to that man?"
"Give him a break, Emma," Mary Margaret said with a chuckle. "He's excited. I don't know if this town has ever come together to throw a surprise party before."
Emma peered around the edge of the counter and watched the door. The doorknob turned, the bell above the door rang, and Killian and Henry stepped inside. She grinned as she saw the perplexed look on her husband's face as he stepped into an apparently completely empty restaurant.
Suddenly Leroy popped up like a grumpy, bearded jack-in-the-box and shouted "Surprise!"
The rest of the town followed suit, and Emma grinned again as Killian jumped and instinctively pushed Henry behind him, his hook raised and ready to attack.
Slowly, Emma saw the truth dawn on her husband's face, as he looked around at the streamers, the cake (with 35 rather than 335 candles) on the counter, the brightly wrapped gifts on a table in the corner, the banner proclaiming "Happy Birthday Killian!", and the wide smiles of everyone around him.
The concern, fear, desire to protect faded to wonder and awe. As Emma made her way over to Killian, slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss, she saw the tears in his eyes.
"Happy birthday, Killian," she whispered, just before her lips touched his.
~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~c~s~
Later that night, Emma lay in bed, happy and content within the shelter of Killian's arms. She smiled into his chest as she felt him draw soft patterns against her back. Giving him a quick kiss, she raised up on one elbow and grinned down at him.
"Did you like your surprise party?"
He grinned. "Aye, although I fear you frightened a good ten years off of my life."
She laughed. "You should have seen your face! Someone should have taken a picture. You looked like you were ready to jump out of your skin."
He laughed with her, and then sobered. "Thank you, Emma," he said seriously, "it was the greatest birthday party of my long life. To think everyone was there to celebrate me…it boggles the mind."
Emma reached down and caressed his face. "Don't you understand Killian?" she asked softly. "You're an important part of this town. We all care about you. We all want to show you how much you mean to us."
He looked unconvinced. "Truly?"
"Yes," she said decisively. "You have no idea how quickly everyone jumped to help as soon as I told them I wanted to throw you a party. You have so many friends here, Killian. Henry adores you, and I love you so much I wouldn't even be able to go on without you. It's about time we did something to show you how much you mean to us."
"What did I ever do to deserve a wife like you?" Killian smiled softly, his eyes suspiciously moist. He brought his hand to the back of her head and brought her down for a long, slow kiss.
When they finally broke apart, Emma rested her forehead against his. "How about you show me just how grateful you are, pirate?"
He grinned. "It will be my great pleasure."
Notes:
-Happy Friday! I received a prompt a couple of weeks ago to write a story about Killian's birthday in honor of Colin's birthday this week. It seemed like the perfect fluffy idea! I decided to combine a birthday party with everyone taking a moment to show Killian just how important he is in their lives.