The In-Laws
CS genre: Future fic
A/N: After last week's installment, "The Family Man", I saw one thing over and over and over again in the comments and reviews you all gave me (Thanks for the feedback, by the way!). It seems nearly a universal thing that people wanted me to continue the story. And so, by popular demand, here's the sequel. In this installment, Killian approaches David to discuss a certain all-important question he wants to ask the Savior.
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"So how's everything going on your boys' weekend?" Emma asked through the speaker of his talking phone.
"Splendid love," Killian answered, thinking of the conversation he'd had with her lad earlier that evening. "I miss you already, and I'm sure I won't sleep a wink without you in my arms, but I am enjoying your lad's and your father's company."
Emma chuckled. "Killian, I can't believe we're that couple. You know? The couple who's so into each other that they start to miss each other after only a few hours apart."
"Love makes fools of us all, I suppose."
Emma laughed again. "Killian, did you just quote Shakespeare? Look at you becoming a Land Without Magic man!"
"I've no idea what you're talking about love," Killian said. "Never heard of this Shakespeare bloke. Perhaps he quoted the line from me?"
"Kind of doubt it," Emma said. "Even though you're older than dirt, he actually lived before you were born."
"Bad form, Swan, casting aspersions on a man's age," Killian said with a wide grin.
She merely laughed, and Killian reveled in the joyous, carefree sound. If he had anything to say in the matter, his Emma would spend the remainder of her life in such a state of happiness.
"All joking aside, Killian," she said a moment later, "I miss you too. You'd think after all our separations, we'd be able to deal with a simple weekend apart."
"Don't despair, Swan," Killian said with a grin. "You'll be once again graced with my devilishly handsome self soon enough. This time tomorrow, I hope to be holding you once again."
"I'll look forward to it," she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "Anyway, I should probably get going. Got a big day of mother/daughter bonding ahead of me tomorrow, and I think mom wants to get started at the crack of dawn. I love you Killian."
"I love you too."
Killian held the phone for a moment longer as Emma disconnected. Wondrous devices, really, these talking phones. One could remain connected to his love even when they were miles apart.
"Hey Killian," he heard shouted good-naturedly from the deck above him, "quit sweet talking my daughter and get up here!"
"No need to bellow, Dave," Killian called back, grinning as he took the steep steps back up to deck. "I don't recall shouting at you when you were similarly engaged with your lady love."
"No," David said from his perch at the bow of the ship, "but you did rib me mercilessly when I came back from my phone call. Turnabout's fair play, my friend."
Killian grinned as he took a seat beside Dave in what the prince called a "lawn chair", a convenience he'd been quite insistent on bringing with them. "And what is so bloody urgent that you would pull me from my conversation with my True Love?"
David swept his hand vaguely above him at the wide expanse of starry night sky. "Not much, Hook. Just thought the whole point of this trip was family bonding."
Killian's heart turned over at the simple word "family". How long had he wished for one of his own? How many years, centuries had he wandered in pain and hatred, fully believing his last chance for family had been slain before his very eyes.
"Kind of puts it all in perspective, doesn't it?" David said reflectively as he looked up into the sky. "Millions of stars, an endless sky, and here we are, just tiny little specks within the universe."
Killian smirked. "I don't know about you Dave, but I assure you, I'm far more than a tiny speck."
David laughed.
"I must say," Killian said after a moment, "I find the night sky most unsettling in this realm."
"Yeah? Why's that?"
"The stars, the constellations, all of it is quite altered from what was in the Enchanted Forest," Killian said. "I knew the sky in all its moods and seasons there. It was my constant companion, the stars a map allowing me to navigate through even the most unfamiliar lands. Here, with these strange patterns of stars, I feel lost, out of my element."
"I don't know, Killian," David said, turning to look at him. "I think you've adapted quite well to your new home. You've found your place here."
Killian shot the prince a grateful look, knowing full well he was speaking about far more than the night sky now.
"And if you want to know more about the constellations," David continued, pointing vaguely over his shoulder, "talk to Henry sometime. He got a book on astronomy from Belle, and now he's at the back of the ship trying to find Cygnus."
"The 'back of the ship', mate?" Killian said with a mocking shake of the head, "perhaps you meant 'stern'? Any sailor worth his salt would know such a fundamental seafaring term."
"Watch it, Hook," David said with a grin. "This is the father of your True Love, you're talking to. A bit of respect."
Killian grinned, preparing to make a clever quip about how he was the captain on this vessel, but David's mention of Emma suddenly made the purpose of this weekend come rushing back to mind. He'd obtained the lad's approval, now the time had come to obtain Swan's father's.
"So," David said with a knowing look, as though he could read Killian's thoughts, "Henry told me there was something you wanted to talk about."
The moment of truth was upon him. Killian took a deep breath, fearing it would prove more difficult to obtain the father's approval than it was the son's.
"Aye," Killian said in a tight voice. He cleared his throat and began again. "That I did. The month of solid peace we've had since defeating Jafar and Emma's vision of her death has really given me time to reflect on the state of my life."
"That right?" David said, leaning back in his chair, and bringing his hand up to cover the grin Killian could see on his face.
"Indeed," Killian said with a nod.
"And what exactly did you come up with in all your self-reflection?"
"This past month living with Emma and Henry, being regarded as an honorary member of your family, carving out a life for myself in this realm," Killian said, looking out at the starry expanse of sky, "it's been the most rewarding of my life."
"Glad to hear it," David said.
"And it should certainly come as no surprise that I love your daughter to the depths of my soul," Killian continued as though David hadn't interrupted. "That such an angel should have deigned to look on me, a villainous pirate, with such adoration as she does…it overwhelms me, humbles me. Sometimes I fear I'll wake up and find it was all a beautiful dream, that I'll lose my love, my son, my family, everything."
Killian fell silent for a moment just basking in the wonder of it all.
"For what it's worth, Killian," David said, "Emma feels the same way about you. I see a look in her eyes, sometimes…it's as though she's afraid all this happiness she's found will be taken away from her."
"That will never happen," Killian said firmly, "not while I still have breath in my body."
"I know that, Killian," David said. "I see it clearly every time you and my daughter are together."
"Which brings me to my purpose for this 'boys'' weekend, as Emma called it," Killian said, then took a deep breath and slowly released it. "What we have, Swan and I, it is beautiful, priceless, better than anything I'd have ever expected, but I find that I'm now ready for more. I wish for everything. In short, I plan to ask your daughter to become my wife."
David took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and prepared to speak, but Killian silenced him with a quick raise of his hand.
"I think we both know Emma is an extraordinary woman, one who would not appreciate either my asking your permission nor you granting it. She'll make this decision of her own free will and volition," Killian said. "Even so, you and Henry are the most important people in my Swan's life, and I'd be forever grateful if you would grant us your blessing."
David tried…and failed…to contain his grin, as he clapped a hand on Killian's shoulder. For a moment, he said nothing, merely staring over at the man beside him. Finally, he turned back toward the sea, toward the sky full of stars. "I was with Emma, you know, just after she was forced to kill you, over the next day or so when we all thought you were gone forever, when she was forced to leave you in the Underworld. Let me tell you, Killian, I never want to see my daughter go through something like that again. She was absolutely…broken. You know what that told me?"
Killian merely shook his head.
"It told me that you are a necessary, vital part of my daughter's happy ending," David continued, finally looking back at the pirate before him. "Truth be told you had my absolute and enthusiastic blessing the moment you sacrificed your life to rid Emma of darkness and prevent the Dark Ones from dragging the whole family to hell."
Killian's heart swelled, and he felt a wide, joyful, delighted, relieved smile break out over his face. He hadn't truly believed Swan's father would object to the match, but neither had he anticipated such a ringing endorsement.
"David, I…" Killian said, suddenly completely speechless.
The prince nodded. "I know."
The two men fell silent once more. It was David who finally spoke. "So how do you plan to do it? Propose I mean?"
Killian grinned and then shrugged. "I'm afraid I haven't made any firm plans yet. Henry mentioned something about roses, and kneeling and rings the like. What would you suggest?"
"All of that is nice and romantic," David said, "but you're the man Emma fell in love with. Best advice I can give? Just be yourself. Tell her what's in your heart. All the other details…they're just incidentals."
Killian nodded, smile still firmly in place.
"And Hook?" David continued.
"Aye?"
"I look forward to your place in our family…the place that, truth be told, has been yours for months now already…becoming official."
Notes:
-It's been a loooooong week, and I feel like I'm nearly falling asleep at my desk right now, so I sincerely hope this makes sense and isn't too riddled with typos/grammar mistakes/misspellings.
-As mentioned above, this story is a continuation of last week's "The Family Man". I feel like a lot of people play up Daddy Charming's protective nature and expect a story about Killian going to David for his blessing to result in David going into over-protective dad mode, but I wanted to switch things up a little bit. I wanted to show that David already does approve of Killian as his daughter's True Love. I wanted David to give Killian his enthusiastic blessing.
-Up next: Well, as long as I went with part 2 of this story, I might as well bring in part 3 as well. I think next week I'll get to the actual proposal, now that Killian has the support of the most important men in Emma's life.