The Favor

CS Genre: (Captain Charming) Future fic

Killian scrunched his nose as he dug the pitchfork into the muck in the horse's stall, and then tossed it into the wheelbarrow. This farming was hot, physical, odoriferous work—and he was only beginning his tasks for the day. Why the blazes had he ever agreed to Dave's favor? Next time he found himself in a pinch, he'd face the consequences on his own.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

One week before

Killian peered into the washing machine in dismay. What the bloody hell had gone amiss? Where should have sat a load full of clean, pristine white clothing was a mess of pinks and reds. After sifting through, Killian found the culprit. A brand new pair of Emma's red unmentionables had found its way in the otherwise white load.

"Bloody hell," Killian muttered to himself.

She'd warned him about this. "Killian, you have to sort the laundry before you wash it. Separate the whites from the colors. If you don't, the colors will bleed and ruin the whites."

He'd waved her off, assuring her that he'd been washing his clothing for a couple of centuries before she'd been alive, but it was clear she wasn't convinced, sure this "washing machine" would do him in.

And so it had.

As Killian picked gingerly through the wet, soiled clothing, he groaned. Nearly every one of Swan's mini corsets and a fair number of her skivvies were destroyed.

But as frustrating as that was, the worst by far was her favorite cream-colored sweater. (Well, her formerly cream-colored sweater. Now it was a distressing splotchy shade of pink.) Emma was going to kill him. It was her favorite sweater, one she told him was as comfortable as a warm hug, one she'd be happy to wear every day if she could.

And now he'd destroyed it. She simply couldn't find out what he'd done. There was only one thing to do. He must call in reinforcements.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Killian, this is far more than I'd ever want to see of my daughter's underwear," David said, gingerly picking up a red-tinged bra, "particularly a pair that looks like my daughter had been stabbed in the chest."

"It'll be me who's stabbed in the chest if I don't find a way to fix this," Killian said. "After all, you Charmings do rather enjoy sticking a blade through my ribs."

"Are you ever going to let me live that down?" David asked. "I was cursed."

"If you help me avoid my wife's ire," Killian said, "I'll forget it ever happened."

David looked over the various items of clothing scattered throughout the laundry room. "Have you tried re-washing them?"

Killian rolled his eyes. "I'm not entirely daft, Dave. Of bloody course I tried re-washing them. I ran them through the laundering machine three more times, but as you can see, to no avail."

"Maybe if we try bleach…"

"Maybe, but the label maintains that bleach is not to be used on this fabric lest it yellow," Killian said. "I think perhaps we best not risk it."

"I suppose we could ask Snow…"

"No!" Killian insisted. "Should we alert your lovely wife to my predicament, she'll tell Emma."

David was silent for another moment and then gave Killian a hesitant look. "I have an idea, but I don't think you're going to like it."

"Aye," Killian said warily, "and just what might this idea be?"

"Magic."

"All well and good, mate," Killian said, "but neither one of us is endowed with magic and Regina is on vacation in the Land Without Magic."

"But…" David said, even more hesitantly, "Gold's still here."

Killian had, of course, thought going to Gold was a terrifically bad idea. He'd rather chop off his remaining hand than parade his wife's ruined unmentionables before the crocodile.

And that's how it happened.

"I mean, I suppose I could take these things to Gold for you," David said, clearly reluctant, "but if I do, you owe me one. You owe me a BIG one."

"If you can restore my wife's clothing to its former glory without her learning of my mishap, I will complete any favor you so choose."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

This morning Prince bloody Charming had cashed in on his favor.

"Killian I'm in a huge bind," David said just after dawn. "You know we got Jack Horner to be our farm hand, but he's sick today. Something about eating a bad plum in a pie. Anyway, if I'm going to get all the farm chores done, I need help."

"I'm sorry, Dave, but I'm no farmer," Killian said, "I'm a man of the sea."

"Yeah, well, you're also a man who owes a favor," David said.

Killian had sighed, but finally agreed to the task at hand…if only he'd known ahead of time he would spend his morning shoveling horse droppings from their stall. A man had his dignity, after all.

He shoveled the last bit of muck into the wheelbarrow, and then stopped to wipe the sweat from his brow.

This task was nearly at an end, but the gods only knew what Dave would have instore for him next.

As though summoned by Killian's thoughts alone, the prince himself stepped into the barn, looked around and clapped Killian on the back.

"Looks great in here, Hook," he said. "Couldn't have done it better myself."

"I'm pleased it meets with your approval."

"It does."

David started to walk away, but then turned back toward his son-in-law. "Look, I know you're only doing this because of that favor you owed, but I wanted to thank you. Really. It's great to know I have a friend who's got my back, who'll help out in a pinch when needed. And I hope you know you can always count on me to."

"Of course," Killian said, touched in spite of himself. "We're family now."

Notes:

-Today's another "rerun" day. This story was originally posted as my contribution to flslp87's Captain Charming Friday Prompts project. The June prompt was "Killian helps David on his farm". I had plans to write something new, but the muse is tired after all the writing I've been doing all summer. Fingers crossed I can produce something new next week—mainly because I've run out of reruns to post, lol.

-Up next: (Should the muse cooperate.) Last weekend I got stuck in a traffic jam on the highway. There was apparently a significant accident a mile or so ahead and it made the highway a parking lot. After we'd been stopped for ten minutes or so, people started to get antsy, taking their dogs out and walking, chatting with each other, etc. So of course my first thought was "How can I turn this into a CS au?" I think next Friday I'll do just that. Emma and Killian meet as they're both stuck in traffic after a bad accident up ahead. It changes the whole course of their lives.