The Runaway
CS Genre: CS Future Fic
Five-year-old Eva hurried up the stairs of Grandma and Grandpa's loft, her three-year old brother, Liam, quick on her heels. They were going to spend a whole week with Grandma and Grandpa and seven-year-old Uncle Neal. She couldn't wait to get to the play room. Uncle Neal had the coolest toys in the world!
This was the longest she ever remembered staying here at the loft. Sometimes she and Liam spent a night or even a weekend, but they'd never stayed a whole week. She'd be thrilled at the prospect—except Mama and Papa had acted so strange when they dropped them off half an hour ago, and Grandma had seemed excited—but also kind of nervous. Eva didn't know for sure what was going on, but she had a pretty good guess.
It all started several months ago. Mama and Papa had sat her and Liam down and told them that Mama had another baby in her tummy. Eva had, naturally, asked the logical question:
"Papa, how did the baby get in Mama's tummy?"
Mama choked on the sip of hot cocoa she'd just taken, but Papa had just laughed.
"Well, little love, papas have special seed, and when mamas find them irresistible, papas do a bit of…er…gardening."
"Killian!" Mama had groaned.
Papa simply raised an eyebrow and grinned at her. "Aye, love?"
"You can't tell our daughter that! She's only four-years-old!"
"Come, Swan," Papa replied, "my explanation was sufficiently vague that the lass has escaped the scarring knowledge of what her parents do when alone in their bed chamber."
It was all very confusing, but neither Mama nor Papa had seemed to be any more forthcoming about how babies get into mamas' tummies, so Eva assumed they didn't know any more than she did and left it at that.
A couple months later, Mama told her that it wasn't just one baby in her tummy, it was two. Eva was going to have a brother and a sister.
Everything led up to today—the day Papa took Mama to the hospital so that she could get the babies.
It was very strange. Mama and Papa had been acting weird all day. Mama had been moving slowly all day, stopping every once and a while to clench her fists and groan. Papa had been beside himself, at Mama's side constantly.
"Swan! You're in pain!"
Mama had swatted at him. "Of course I'm in pain, Killian; I'm about to push two human beings out of my body. It's all your fault, by the way."
"Aye," he'd said, hand and hook fluttering helplessly. "I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you. Is there ought you need? Ought I can get for you?"
Mama had swatted him again as though he was a fly buzzing around her head. "I'm fine. Stop hovering. I've done this three times before, remember? I know the drill."
"At least allow me to call Whale on my talking phone; take you to the hospital."
"Killian, my contractions are a good forty-five minutes apart. We've got hours yet. I'd much rather spend them here at home than in the hospital."
Papa had grumbled, but dropped the subject.
It had been a rough day. Neither Mama nor Papa seemed to want to pay any attention to her. Eva sat down to put together her favorite Curious George puzzle, but found it too difficult. She'd asked Mama for help, but Mama was distracted. Her mind seemed to be elsewhere, and Eva didn't like it at all. Why was Mama acting so strange?
A few minutes later, Mama returned from a trip to the bathroom, and headed for the closet to get her coat.
"I think you better call my parents," she'd said to Papa. "My water just broke; it's time."
Papa sprang into action—calling Grandma and Grandpa, helping Mama on with her coat, grabbing her suitcase, ushering her, Eva and Liam out the door and into their car.
And so here she was at Grandma's house while Mama went to get the babies.
Liam and Uncle Neal made a bee-line for the toy cars Grandma kept in a plastic bin under the window, while Emma headed toward the toy chest where Uncle Neal kept his Lego sets. Eva loved the pirate ship set; it always reminded her of Papa and the exciting stories he tells of his days as a pirate.
Eva had no more than spread the sheet of paper giving directions for construction, before Neal was at her side trying to wrench the bag of Legos from her hand.
"Hey!" he said. "That's what I was going to play with."
Eva frowned. "Uh-uh! You were playing cars with Liam."
"So?" Neal asked, tugging at the bag. "I want to build the pirate ship!"
"Well I got it first!"
"Doesn't matter. It's my Lego set. You can't play with it unless I tell you you can!"
Neal gave one more strong tug, and the bag slipped through Eva's fingers. She stomped her foot in anger. Usually she was in awe of her uncle. He was so cool. He'd even started learning how to read! Sometimes, though, he was nothing but a big fat meanie.
"You're a…you're a poopy head!" Eva said, pulling out the strongest language in her five-year-old vocabulary.
"Am not!" he yelled indignantly. "You take that back, Eva Jones!"
"No!"
Neal frowned. "You take that back or I'm going to tell Mama!"
Eva thought quickly. "You tell her, and I'll tell her that you said 'bloody hell' the other day!"
That took him aback. "Well….well…your papa says that all the time."
"So? He's a grown up. Grown-ups can say 'bloody hell' if they want to, but if I tell Grandma, she'll put you in time-out."
Time-out. The worst possible punishment for an active seven-year-old boy. Eva saw with satisfaction that the threat hit home as the fear crossed Neal's face. After a moment though, it was replaced with a crafty look.
"You just said it too! You said grown-ups can say 'bloody hell'! If you tell my mama; I'll tell your parents."
He had her there. Papa would probably just laugh and say "that's my pirate lass!", but Mama would not be pleased; she would not be pleased at all.
"Fine!" Eva conceded. "I won't tell, but you still have to give back the Legos. I had them first."
"No! Find something different to play."
It was at that moment that Grandma walked in to the playroom. "What's all the yelling about?"
"Neal took the pirate set away from me!" Eva whined.
"So? It's mine!" Neal countered.
Grandma looked assessingly from one to the other, and then turned to her son. "Neal, in this house we share. If Eva had the pirate set first, you need to give it back to her. You prefer the castle set anyway."
"But Mama…!"
"No Neal," Grandma said sternly. "Give it back to Eva."
After a moment of indecision, Neal thrust the bag of Legos back into Eva's arms, malevolent glare firmly in place. As soon as Grandma left and went back downstairs, Eva shot Neal a smug look and stuck out her small, pink tongue.
Neal's face turned decidedly malicious. "It's okay; I don't care. Have the dumb pirate set if you want. You better enjoy getting what you want while you can, because you won't for long."
"What do you mean?"
Neal grinned. "Everybody knows what happens when Mamas and Papas have new babies. They don't care about their older kids any more. They only love the new babies."
"That's not true!" Eva spat. "Papa and Mama love me; they'll always love me."
Neal scoffed. "Just you wait; you'll see."
Eva turned her back on her uncle and set to work on construction of the pirate ship, trying to banish his words from her mind. Surely they wouldn't stop loving her, would they? Not Mama and Papa! But a small, nasty voice reminded her that maybe they already had. What else could explain their inattention earlier today?
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
1 month later
Emma breathed a contented sigh as she returned to her bed and Killian's waiting arms.
"Got them settled again, love?" he asked, ghosting a kiss across her forehead.
"Yeah," she said on a yawn. "Your son was evidently hungry. Again."
She and Killian had brought their newborn twins, Charles and Leia, home three weeks ago, and Emma felt like she hadn't slept since. Caring for one newborn was tiring enough, but two? She didn't know if she'd survive it.
Killian laughed. "He's a strapping lad; needs his nourishment."
"I can't wait for the days when he doesn't need his nourishment in the middle of the night."
"I can't disagree with you there, love."
Emma turned her head and kissed him softly. "Killian, remind me again why we thought it was a good idea to have four kids under the age of six?"
Killian chuckled. "Well, Darling, you seem to have extraordinary difficulty keeping your hands off of my devilishly handsome person."
Emma slapped him lightly, rolling her eyes even though he couldn't see in the pitch-black room. "Somebody's got a high opinion of himself."
Killian laughed again. "In all seriousness, love, I seem to remember it began at the naming ceremony of Regina and Robin's new princess. No sooner had the former Evil Queen laid her lass in your arms than the look once more came over your face. You made comment about how much you missed having a baby, given that Liam was two years old. It came as no shock to me when later that night you nearly begged me to give you another baby."
"And you didn't see fit to make me see reason?"
Killian was quiet for a moment, merely running his fingers soothingly through her hair. Finally he answered. "No, love, I didn't. I'd have ten children with you if you so wished. We were both scarred by our lonely, childhoods, and now I have more family than I know what to do with. I'm grateful beyond words for you, our children, your parents, everyone. You all are a gift I'd never thought I'd be given."
Emma felt her heart melt within her. She kissed him softly, gently, letting the caress linger. "I love each and every one of our children, Killian," she murmured when the kiss finally ended, "and I wouldn't trade any of them for the world. I would, however, give my entire life savings for an uninterrupted night of sleep."
Killian chuckled and rubbed her back soothingly. "Well, Swan, we've got peace now. Best you take advantage of it. It's sure to disappear soon enough."
As if on cue, a strident cry broke the silence.
Emma groaned, and then moved to get up, but Killian stopped her with a hand to her arm. "Stay, love. Get some rest. It's my turn this time."
She gave him a quick kiss in thanks, and then settled back down onto her pillow. She listened for a moment as the baby's (Leia this time, if she wasn't mistaken) cries stilled, and then she closed her eyes.
Killian was right. Having a large, loving family was like a dream come true for the unloved, abandoned little girl she used to be. Having four young children might be crazy and chaotic and noisy and messy and tiring, but it was also heartwarming as anything she'd ever experienced.
As she drifted off, Emma let her mind wander over her young brood. The newborns were…newborns. As of yet, they did little but, eat, sleep, cry and mess their diapers. Then there was Liam, with his dark hair and blue eyes, he was basically a carbon copy of his dad. She'd worried about how he'd take to no longer being the baby of the family. She'd feared he'd be jealous of the newest additions to the Jones clan, but her worry turned out to be groundless. Liam had taken to being a big brother with relish.
And then, of course, there was Eva. Emma frowned slightly as she thought about her oldest daughter. Something was obviously bothering her; she hadn't been her normal sunny self for days now. Emma had tried to talk to her about it, find out what was bothering her daughter, but Eva had always brushed off her questions. Busy as Emma had been with the twins, she hadn't probed any deeper, but now she wondered if that was wise. Whatever was bothering Eva seemed to be getting worse.
Emma yawned and let her eyes close. Eva was a daddy's girl through and through. She'd discuss it with Killian; have him talk to Eva. If anyone could bring a smile to the little girl's face it was her papa. With that decision made, Emma slipped into sleep.
xoxoxoxoxoxox
"Killian! Killian, wake up!"
Killian groaned and burrowed deeper under the covers, placing his pillow over his head. It had been a ridiculously short night, and he wasn't relinquishing sleep without a fight.
Suddenly the covers were pulled back, and Emma was shaking his shoulder. "Come on, Killian! You've got to get up!"
Suddenly, Swan's tone registered with him. Panic. He hadn't heard that level of panic in her voice since she'd been forced to run him through to end the darkness. He sat up so quickly he got lightheaded, suddenly wide awake.
"Swan? What's the matter love?"
"It's Eva," she said, running a distracted hand through her hair and pacing. "She's gone, Killian!"
An icy chill ran over him. "Gone? What do you mean 'gone'?"
Emma stopped her pacing and turned to face him. "When I got up this morning, I checked on the kids like always, but Eva wasn't in her bed. I checked the kitchen, the bathroom, everywhere, but she's not here! Then I noticed the front door was open. Killian what if something happened to her? What if some new villain…?"
Killian surged to his feet and wrapped her in his arms, needing to comfort "Calm down, love. We'll find her. There's been no indication of a new villain in town, so let's not jump to conclusions."
Emma pulled back and looked up at him. "It's been a good three months since we defeated the latest evil. We're due for another one, and what better way to make a first impression than kidnapping the savior's kid?! O God! I need to be out there! We need to find her. Who the hell knows what he's doing to her right now? If he harms a hair on her head…"
Killian cut her off with a kiss. He had to break her panic, help her calm down, and this was the only strategy he could come up with. She tensed for a moment, and then relaxed into the embrace. Killian kept the kiss light and gentle, a gesture meant to soothe, not to enflame. When he pulled back, he was pleased to see that the desperation had left her eyes.
"Emma, love, we will find her," he promised. "We've faced unimaginable obstacles and have never yet failed to prevail. Finding our lost little lass will be no different."
She took a deep breath, and then nodded. "We need to go search. We need to be out there."
"Aye," he said, turning from her to throw on his clothing. "I will go out and search."
Her eyes narrowed at his phrasing and he knew he was about to feel Swan's wrath. "What do you mean you will go out and search? If you think I'm going to just sit home and wring my hands like some stupid damsel in distress you're delusional, Killian Jones!"
"Emma," he said, "we can't very well leave Liam and the twins unattended. Someone must care for them."
"And that someone has to be me because…?"
Killian donned his leather jacket and then went to her, placing hand and hook on her shoulders and staring into her eyes. "Because you are far more adept at using the talking phone, love. We'll find our lass far more quickly if we're logical and methodical at our search. I'll comb the streets for her while you telephone your father at the station, Eva's friends, anyone else you believe might know her whereabouts. When you've exhausted your enquiries, ask your mother to stay with the children, then come join me on the search."
Emma nodded, and then reached up to hug him tightly.
By the time Killian stepped outside into the chilly morning air, Emma had already begun dialing.
Where should he go? Where should he look? Assuming the lass had left of her own volition, where would she go? For a moment, Killian let his fear and panic take over. Eva was missing! If he lost his sweet baby…the thought did not even bear considering. Finally, Killian took a deep breath. He knew he would be of little use to Eva if he let the fear control him.
Killian headed toward downtown Storybrooke. It was as good a place to start the search as any. He'd barely walked a block before his talking phone began to ring. He pulled it out, praying it was Swan telling him his daughter had been located. His heart sank when he realized it was an unfamiliar number.
"Aye?" he bit out.
"Killian?" came the female voice at the other end. He couldn't place it.
"Aye?" he repeated.
"It's Ruby at the diner. I tried Emma, but the line was busy."
"I'm afraid we've no time to talk this morning, Ruby. Eva's missing. Her mother and I are rather beside ourselves searching for her."
"That's why I'm calling!" Ruby cut in quickly. "Eva's here! I saw her walking down the street when I got to the diner to open up."
Relief washed over him in waves, and he closed his eyes with the emotion. "My lass is there? With you?"
"Yeah," Ruby answered. "Listen, Killian. She says she's running away. I stalled her with some hot cocoa. I hope that's alright."
"Of course. I'll be there in but a moment. Keep her there until I arrive."
"Will do."
It was four blocks from the house to Granny's. The lass had walked all that way? Killian pressed the Emma button and listened as it went straight to voicemail. He disconnected and shot a quick text to his wife to still her worry, and then he took off at a run toward the diner.
The bell rang with a vengeance as he threw open the door, breathing heavily after his head-long run. A quick scan of the near-empty dining establishment revealed a small blonde in a booth, her legs swinging contentedly as she sipped at her beverage. Tears scalded the back of Killian's eyes, and he rushed forward, falling to his knees and taking his sweet lass into his arms.
"Eva! Eva, little love! I was scared nearly to death!"
"Papa," Eva said, patting her father on the back. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you, my lamb," he said thickly. "When your mother and I found you gone this morning we were frantic. Why did you do it? Why would you scare us like that?"
A frown formed on her tiny brow. "I'm running away Papa."
"Whatever for, little love?"
Her lip trembled and tears came into her eyes. "You and Mama don't love me anymore."
Killian took Eva onto his lap and held her, rocking her gently back and forth as she started to cry. For long moments he merely held her, stroking her hair, whispering wordless sounds of comfort. At last the worst of her five-year-old grief was passed. He dried her wet cheeks and tipped her face up to look at him.
"Eva, love, why would you think such a thing? Your mother and I love you to distraction, don't ever doubt that."
Eva shook her head, her messy blonde curls bouncing with the motion. "Not anymore! You used to love me, but you have a new son and daughter and you don't need me anymore. Neal told me you would stop loving me, and he was right!"
So that was what this was about! The lass was jealous of her new siblings. He and Emma had worried about how Liam would take to the new young ones, but they'd never thought to be concerned about Eva. She was so sunny and happy, it had never occurred to them that such a thing might occur.
"Neal is a silly little boy, love," Killian said hugging her tightly again. "He is sadly misinformed on the matter. Even were your mother and I to have ten children, we would never love you any less."
She pulled back and looked at him skeptically. He'd seen that very look on her mother's face back in the days before she'd accepted his love. "No, Papa. He's right. You don't have time for anyone but the babies anymore. You don't do anything with me since they were born."
Was she right? Had they been neglecting her? Perhaps so. The twins had kept Emma and himself on their toes to such an extent that their older, more self-sufficient children likely suffered as a result. Shame filled him. What manner of a father was he?
"I'm sorry, little love, so very sorry," he said. "Your mum and I never wished to neglect you."
How could he let her know how much he loved her?
"Have I ever told you about the day you were born?" he asked, running gentle fingers through her hair.
She shook her head against his chest.
"It was a beautiful autumn day," he began, "one of the greatest and most awe-inspiring day of my life."
He let his mind wander back to that day five years before. He'd paced the delivery room, frantic with worry about the pain his Swan was suffering, crushed with guilt that he was, in part, to blame for this pain. His Emma had screamed like a banshee with each contraction—language that would have made the most worst of his pirate crew blush.
And then it had stopped. Eva had arrived, and Killian had been convinced his heart would burst with the love he felt. How was such a depth of love even possible?
"The moment you were placed in my arms, Eva, my whole world changed. Never had I felt such a love. I made a vow to you at that very moment, little love. Do you know what a vow is?"
She shook her head again.
"It's a promise; a sacred promise," he said.
Eva sat up. "A pirate promise?"
Killian smiled, the skin around his eyes crinkling with the motion. "Aye, a pirate promise."
"And pirates keep their promises," she said solemnly.
"Aye, that they do. 'Twould be bad form to go back on one's word once given."
"What did you promise, Papa?"
He smiled again and leaned forward to plant a kiss against the top of her silky head. "I vowed that I would love and protect you until the day I die. It's a vow I've kept faithfully since you were born, and a vow I will never break."
"Even if a bad guys tries to make you?"
"Even then, little love. Nothing ever can, nothing ever will make me stop loving you."
Eva peered searchingly into his eyes, looking for the lie. So much like her mum, this one was. Finally she nodded and surged forward hugging him with the exuberance only a little child can show.
"I love you, Papa!"
"And I you, Eva. No more talk of running away, aye?"
"Aye," she said. "I didn't really want to anyway. I'd miss you and Mama and Liam and even the babies."
"And we'd all miss you to distraction. I have an idea. I'd a plan to go out on the Golden Swan this weekend, and I'll need a first mate. Would you consider the job? You'd be far preferable company to Mr. Smee."
"Really?" Eva asked, jumping up and down in her excitement. "You'd take me out on your new ship? The one even Mama hasn't been on yet?"
He ruffled her hair. "Aye. The very one. Will you do it?"
"YES!" she nearly shouted.
Killian held out his hand with mock seriousness. "We have an accord, my pirate lass. I'll expect you up and prepared to board at six bells on Saturday morning. I don't allow tardiness on my vessel."
She shook his hand gravely. "Aye, aye, Captain!"
Killian laughed, hugging her again, still giddy with his relief at finding his lost lass safe and sound. "Henry's returning from college for a visit this morning. What say we purchase some breakfast and take it back to the house? I know your mum is desperate to see you again, and has probably forgotten to eat."
"Aye, aye, Papa!"
Notes:
-Today's story is also a "rerun". It's a continuation of last week's story, The Cygnet. Today's story was originally chapter 2 of "The Girl That I Adore".
-There was a bit of "autobiographical" content in this story. I was five-years-old when my brother Michael was born. (He's the third in the family after me and my brother Mark). I distinctly remember the day he was born. I was trying to make a Curious George puzzle, but it was really hard. I tried to get my mom to help, but she was distracted, and it very definitely annoyed me. Little 5-year-old me didn't realize she was in the early stages of labor!
-Up next: For the next two weeks, I'll finish out this "rerun", and add the last two chapters of "The Girl That I Adore". In next Friday's edition, several years have passed, and Eva is now a teenager. Killian has to face one of his biggest over-protective dad fears: a teenage boy has asked Eva to the prom.