I own nothing except my delusions.
Killian nearly threw his pack down in frustration, angered that David and Doc weren't allowing him to do anything. Not even being allowed to clear the surrounding area of walkers or set any traps, he had been told to stay behind in the camp. Though he knew he would have difficulty setting the traps and snares until he got used to working with one hand, he wanted to feel useful, instead of being someone who had to be coddled.
Leaving the pack where it was, he left the tent Ian had insisted he set up on his own while Killian waited for him much to his ire, stepping into their small clearing. Only a few of the others remained, most disappeared into the woods for their jobs.
Seeing the opportunity to do something, he dug out an area near the middle, gathering some tinder and stone to create a small fire pit. Easily enough he made up a fire, as well as a device that would allow the wood to replenish itself on its own without someone having to feed it.
"What are you doing?" a familiar curious voice came from his side.
Grinning, Killian gestured toward the pile, inviting Henry to inspect it. "It lets the fire keep burning without one of us needing to rebuild it. When the log at the bottom burns completely to ash, the next one rolls into its place."
Henry smiled widely in excitement. "That's awesome. Where did you learn to do this?"
"An old trick my mother taught me," Killian replied. "Every winter, she always made sure to have a fire going. I was young when she first showed me how to build it, but it's served me well all these years."
He wouldn't admit how it had nearly saved his and Liam's lives more than once when they were on their own after her death and his father's abandonment, letting them survive through some of the winters he faced with his brother. His demons were his own; he wouldn't allow Henry to be tainted by them.
Henry looked nervous, his voice suddenly unsure. "Do you think you could show me how to make it?"
Killian smiled warmly. "Of course, lad."
Helping Henry find suitable materials, he sat beside the boy, guiding him through the construction. Assuring him it got easier with practice, he couldn't help feeling a sense of pride in him. Henry had been a quick study in everything he'd been taught, but it didn't take away from Killian's amazement at how quickly the boy could adapt.
More people began returning from the woods, some setting up their crude security system.
Glancing around the camp, Killian saw David approach Emma, the man glancing over towards his wife worriedly as he spoke. Killian picked his head up in interest, seeing that while Emma was reluctant to surely do another run, it was necessary.
Looking back towards Mary Margaret, he thought sadly that it was impossible to get to where they needed to by the time her baby was due, much less when it turned to winter. He knew that staying out during the winter was out of the question, that more than likely most of them wouldn't make it. They would have to find some kind of shelter, just somewhere they could hide out from the cold and snow.
He looked up as Emma approached, crouching down beside him and Henry.
Before she could utter a word, Henry spoke up. "You're going on a run?"
Almost looking amused, Emma nodded. "Yeah, kid. David asked me to get some things Mary Margaret needs."
"Do you need assistance?" Killian asked her, finding himself eager, hoping to finally be able to do something.
She shook her head. "You're still recovering. I can handle this, it's an easy run."
He stood up, quirking his head to tell her to follow him a short distance away, away from her son.
"If it's so easy, then let me assist you," Killian challenged.
"You're supposed to be staying here taking it easy still," she argued. "This is something I can do easy."
"Then it should be easier with another person to help you," he persisted. His voice dropped, almost sounding desperate to his own ears. "Damn it, Swan, just let me do something. I can't keep sitting here useless while everyone else has their jobs. Just let me help you do something."
Emma was quiet, studying him. Her eyes gave her away, telling him she was debating within herself. She had already known for his desire to continue being of use to the camp, but knew that he still needed time to heal, that his wrist hadn't completely closed up.
Sighing in defeat, she nodded.
"Alright," she said.
They both started as they turned, seeing Henry standing a short distance away.
"I want to come, too," he said stubbornly.
Killian shook his head as Emma spoke. "No way, kid."
"But I can help too," Henry pleaded. "I can help you find stuff. It's not my first run, I've gone with you before."
She still looked unconvinced.
"I can watch Killian and make sure he doesn't do anything he's not supposed to," he rushed out, clearly desperate to accompany them.
Killian's eyes widened at the betrayal. To her credit, Emma suppressed her laugh.
"Seriously?" he asked incredulously. "You want to act as my babysitter?"
Henry smiled back innocently.
"The kid does have a point," Emma said humorously as she glanced over at him. Her expression grew stern as she looked back at her son. "If you come, you have to listen to me and Killian, and always stay with one of us. Got it?"
He nodded seriously. "I know, Mom. I promise."
"I need to let David know," she muttered. "I have no idea where the hell Neal is."
She suddenly spoke up, looking at Killian. "Can you get Henry what he needs?"
Killian nodded. "Of course, love. I'll even get the keys for the Jeep."
She nodded in thanks before jogging off to where David lingered beside Mary Margaret.
Jerking his head toward his tent, Killian grinned down at Henry. "Come on, lad. Let's find you a suitable weapon, aye?"
Henry smiled eagerly, following close behind him.
Going through his own stash, Killian pulled a couple of knives, a heavier one for himself as well as a smaller one for Henry, one he let the boy practice with.
Henry made a show of tucking it away, demonstrating that he remembered his lessons in how to handle and carry his weapons.
His eyes widened almost comically as Killian pulled out his hook, fastening it into his makeshift brace. The man grinned, realizing Henry hadn't seen the full contraption before.
"When did you make that?" he asked in amazement.
"A little while ago," Killian told him. "Figured that even if I'm missing a hand, I can still make something to be of use."
Henry grinned widely. "It's really cool. Just like Captain Hook."
Chuckling, Killian ruffled his hair. "Come along, lad. Your mother will be waiting."
He led the way out, only stopping to secure the Jeep's keys from Ian. Emma stood by the driver's side, holding out her hand expectantly as they approached.
"No offense, but I think it would be better if I drove right now," she said, sounding almost nervous.
Not taking any offense on her statement, he tossed her the keys before moving to the passenger seat.
"So we just need some stuff for Mary Margaret?" Henry asked, leaning forward between the front seats.
"Mostly," Emma told him. "David asked if we can try to grab some more blankets, too. It's gonna be cold tonight."
Henry was suddenly quiet.
Killian looked back, seeing he had his brow pinched in clear worry.
"Lad?" he asked in concern.
"We're not gonna make it by winter, are we?" Henry quietly asked.
Emma shared a quick uneasy glance with Killian before responding, keeping her voice even. "No, kid. We're not. We're gonna have to find somewhere to stay for the winter."
At the boy's solemn expression, Killian offered him a small smile. "Don't worry. It's just a minor setback. We'll find somewhere and settle down until it's safe to travel again. We'll be fine."
Carrying his own small grin, Henry nodded.
Meeting eyes again with Emma, she gave him a small nod of thanks.
The distance to the town was a little longer than they were used to, trees decorating the sides of the narrow road they traveled. The forest walls were dense enough that they blocked out the sky, preventing Killian from glancing out to guess what their coming conditions for the night would be like.
They were quiet, Killian knowing both mother and son were worried about what the coming season would bring. He couldn't help but feel a pang of anger for Henry, knowing that the boy was in a new world where he had to grow up too fast, as well as worry about things no child should have to worry about. From his time spent with Emma, he knew her childhood wasn't too dissimilar to his own, but while Henry had a mother who clearly loved him and would do anything for him, he had to learn to survive in a world of death. It was unfair that someone so young would have to see so much.
He peered ahead as the town came into view.
"I think we should check out this area before going deeper," he spoke up quietly. "See what we can find before we go into a potentially more dangerous area."
Emma nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We're sticking together. It's not that I don't trust you, you know that, it's just…"
He nodded in understanding. "That as much as we wish otherwise, I'm still a potential liability, and you don't want to risk your son at all."
"It's not that," she responded quickly. "Well, the second part it is. But after everything that's happened, I'd feel better if we were together."
"It's alright, love," he said in understanding.
He stumbled slightly as he climbed out of the car before swearing silently, having trouble regaining his balance. Between constantly being on the road and being stuck with nothing to do at the camp, he hadn't gotten much chance to practice doing his usual duties, let alone react to any potential threats. Steadying himself before moving to walk beside Emma and Henry, he wondered how much of a mistake he had just made in insisting on accompanying her in his frustration, afraid he may have inadvertently caused them to be put in danger.
He cursed himself again as he realized how much his balance would be off as he carried anything in his pack, favoring throwing anything over his right shoulder instead of his left.
"Here," Emma said, leading them to a small shop. She looked back at Henry seriously. "Stay behind me."
Henry nodded, stepping back as his mother loudly knocked on the door to attract any of the dead that could possibly be dwelling inside.
Seeing nothing stirring within, she tentatively stepped in, pausing a moment before waving for Killian and Henry to enter.
"You two see if you can find anything useful," Emma said. "I'm gonna go look to see if I can find what Mary Margaret needs."
Killian nodded, signaling to her that it was safe for her to go.
"So what are we looking for?" Henry asked quietly from beside him.
"Anything that we can use," Killian replied as he led him to the area opposite Emma. "Rations, batteries, blankets, anything like that."
Henry nodded, moving to keep up beside him.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly as he noticed the man stumble slightly.
Nodding, Killian forced a small grin. "Aye, lad. Merely just lost my balance. I'm still getting used to missing a hand."
Tilting his head, Henry pinched his brow in curiosity. "What do you mean?"
Killian raised his left arm in answer, letting the gleaming hook catch the dull light. "My balance is off because of my lack of hand."
"Seriously?" Henry asked in amazement.
Nodding, Killian reached out to ruffle his hair. "Yeah, but don't worry. I can still move around just fine."
Even if the last part wasn't completely true, he wasn't about to let anything happen to Henry or Emma.
"There's nothing here," Henry said after a while after being unable to find anything.
Killian nodded in agreement before raising his voice so Emma could hear him. "Swan, we're gonna go to the next place over."
"Be careful," she replied seriously.
He met her eyes as they both nodded.
Henry seemed slightly more relaxed as they moved away from his mother, making Killian watch in interest. He knew the mother and son were close, making him wonder at why Henry would be more at ease while she was elsewhere.
The unusual thing was that a new nervousness accompanied the ease, making for an unusual combination. Killian could see the boys nerves grow the longer they checked the new empty shop, making him suspect he was working his way up to something.
"Hey, Killian?" Henry finally asked.
Killian looked back at him in question.
Henry chewed his lip, a trait he noticed he inherited from Emma. His voice was faint when he spoke. "How do you fight another person? Like if they're really trying to hurt you? Like if the only way to stop them is to kill them?"
Red flags going up, Killian abandoned the shelf he was searching to kneel in front of Henry.
"Lad, why do you need to know?" he asked gently to remain calm. "Is someone trying to hurt you? Has something happened?"
"I'm worried about my mom," Henry nearly whispered. "She and my dad always fought a lot. She always tried to hide it, but he had no problems yelling. It woke me up a lot.
"I'm scared that he might try to hurt her," he admitted. "She always looks kind of scared whenever she looks at him now. I don't want him to hurt her."
Killian rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Henry, your mom is strong. She's the strongest person I've ever met. I know she can take care of herself, but if something were to happen, you know she has a lot of people to help her."
"But what if it isn't enough?" Henry asked, his eyes beginning to shine as he got worked up. "What if he tries to hurt her anyway?"
"Then we'll help her," Killian vowed as he stood up. "Lad, I promise you that I will help keep your mom and you safe. You don't need to worry about that."
Henry nodded before surprising him by stepping forward to hug him around the waist. Remaining stunned for a moment, Killian tentatively rested his hand on his shoulder, feeling a stirring that he could only describe as paternal for the boy.
"You want to check the next place?" Killian asked as Henry pulled away from him.
Henry nodded, pulling his pack higher up his shoulder.
A single walker was in the next area they went into, one Killian easily took out.
"You don't kill them like most of the others do," Henry commented as they stepped further in over the rotting body of the walker.
Exhaling, Killian nodded. "Aye. They're dangerous, but they were still people once."
"Do you feel sorry for them?" Henry asked.
Killian nodded. "Yeah, I do. In a way, even in death they aren't at rest. I don't know how much of themselves they can remember, but it seems like a sad existence."
Henry nodded, looking thoughtful.
Emma soon found them, stepping carefully into the shop before she released an audible sigh of relief at seeing them.
"You guys find anything?" she asked.
"Not really," Killian said. "We've had the most luck in here, and it's just some batteries."
She nodded. "Well, I did find what Mary Margaret needed. Not so much anything else."
"We should head back soon," he said. "It's going to get dark soon."
He saw her nervous glance at Henry, knowing she was in agreement with getting him back to the camp as soon as possible.
Knowing they were done, they left to get back to the Jeep, Killian letting Emma take the wheel again.
"How cold do you think it will get tonight?" she asked quietly as she drove.
Sighing, he glanced back at her. "Hard to say. The safest bet would be to just keep as warm as possible."
"I was afraid you'd say that," she sighed.
He saw the opportunity for the innuendo, the words just at the tip of his tongue, but he held back for two reasons, the first being Henry was with them, the second because he respected her and her boundaries.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Henry curl into himself, knowing it was for warmth.
"There's a couple extra blankets in the back," he told him, knowing it would waste resources to turn on the heat in the car.
Henry nodded gratefully before reaching behind the back seat and pulling a blue and green plaid blanket.
His arm aching, Killian gently pressed his fingers against the brace in a weak attempt to massage the sore flesh, not wanting to remove the brace until he had the privacy of his tent.
"Is it really bad?" Emma asked quietly.
Looking up at her in surprise, he saw her eyes trained on his left arm.
He shrugged nonchalantly, masking the pain he felt. "It's not too bad. I just need to take this off sometime later."
Her brow pinched, she nodded.
He noticed the speedometer picking up, reflecting the faster pace she was setting to get them back.
The sun had just set as they pulled into the spot they had designated to their cars, plunging the forest into darkness save the fire in the small pit he and Henry had created earlier.
"Kid, I'm gonna go take these to Mary Margaret," Emma told Henry.
Henry nodded. "Okay, Mom."
She flashed him a small smile before she climbed out, swinging her bag over her shoulder as she went. She disappeared into the camp, heading towards the tent Mary Margaret shared with David.
Henry got out beside Killian, keeping pace with him back to the main area of the camp.
"Henry!" Neal's voice suddenly yelled as soon as they reached the fire light.
Killian and Henry both froze as they saw Neal advancing towards them, his expression thunderous.
"Where the hell have you been?" he demanded.
"I went with Mom and Killian on a run," Henry quickly explained, looking scared.
"And why didn't you tell me before?" Neal asked angrily. "Or better yet, why couldn't your mom tell me herself instead of having David tell me?"
"She couldn't find you," Henry answered in a small voice. "I wanted to go with them to help them-"
Neal suddenly grabbed onto Henry's arm, pulling him away. "Come here. You said you want to help, fine. It's time for you to quit acting like a little kid then."
Killian stepped forward to try to stop Neal. "Neal, listen. Henry just wanted to come to help us look for supplies. He was never in any danger-"
Neal suddenly shoved him hard in the chest. Between the force of the shove and his own balance issues, Killian stumbled back, nearly falling.
"Piss off, Jones," Neal spit as he proceeded to drag Henry to the edge of the camp.
The commotion ensued that near the entire camp was watching them, getting ready to intervene.
Neal ignored his son's protests, continuing to drag him into the woods.
"Shit," Killian muttered as he forced himself up, ignoring Ian's approach to help him up to push himself after Henry and Neal.
He heard a loud whistle followed by a groan, making Killian nearly sprint as he knew Neal had attracted a walker.
He stopped right as he saw them, saw Neal throw Henry away before throwing a blade on the ground in front of him. Henry collapsed on the forest floor, releasing a small cry of pain.
"Kill it," Neal demanded. "The Jones brothers have said they've been teaching you how to fight, so kill it."
The blood in Killian's veins turned to ice as he saw Henry freeze in fear, watching his father grab the back of the walker's shirts to prevent it from actually biting Henry, but let him keep it close to the boy. He didn't even notice that nearly the entire camp had followed, all yelling for Neal to stop.
Neal ignored them, continuing to yell at Henry. "Come on! Man up!"
Killian sprang forward, unable to take any more and refusing to let Henry continue to be tormented. He drove his hook into the walker's skull, making it go limp and collapse from Neal's grip.
Neal was on him a second later. "What the fuck, Jones?"
Killian protectively moved to stand firmly between the man and Henry, refusing to back down.
"I could ask you the same question," he responded angrily. "What the bloody hell are you thinking? Throwing your son in front of a walker like that?"
"He needs to man up," Neal yelled in his face. "Emma's babied him too long."
The sounds of more footsteps approached, with two figures suddenly pulling Neal back and a third moved to stand beside Killian, blonde hair shining silver in the dark.
"What the fuck was that?" Emma nearly screamed. "I leave to give something to someone and you throw our son in front of a walker and tell him to kill it?"
"Oh, now he's 'our' son?" Neal mocked. "Cause you don't seem to be telling me anything anymore! Anytime I hear something, it's always from someone else!"
"Maybe it would help if you were actually around," she retorted. "Then I wouldn't have to have someone pass on the message."
Killian glanced around nervously, knowing they could easily be attracting more of the dead. His conversation with Henry about his parents fighting came to mind, seeing for himself that while Emma was trying to remain a semblance of calm and keep quiet, Neal had no problem yelling.
His heart sank as he saw that what Henry had told him, that there was fear in Emma's eyes as she watched Neal, was true. It was primal, similar to if she were watching a predator approach.
David stepped in the wedge himself between Emma and Neal, forcing Neal to step back further.
"Stop," David said threateningly. "Back off right now."
Seeing he was outnumbered with Killian, Emma, and David all facing off against him, Neal stepped back.
"Fine," he said coldly. "You want to keep babying him, go ahead. But just remember, one day, he's not gonna have Jones there to take care of him, then you'll regret this."
"Get out of here right now!" Emma nearly yelled, suddenly angrier than Killian had ever seen her before.
Throwing Killian one last dirty look, Neal turned on his heel, stalking his way back to the direction of the camp.
Neal's words sticking to him, Killian heard the threat, something more niggling at his mind. Combined with Emma's sudden burst, he knew in his gut what he'd been missing.
"Follow him," David requested to Lance. "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
Sighing, David looked back towards the trees to where everyone was retreating. "I don't know how safe the camp is now. He wasn't quiet, he could have made enough noise that more could be coming."
Groaning, Emma rubbed at her forehead. "Just freaking great. What do you suggest?"
"We can't travel tonight," Killian said as he helped Henry stand up and let him lean against him. "Everyone's exhausted."
Emma sighed unhappily. "We'll have to have to take shifts, keep watch through the night."
"We'll leave first thing in the morning," Killian agreed, lamenting that their plans would be changing, having originally arranged for them to be staying for a couple of days to rest and replenish their supplies, both by means of the forest and searching more of the town.
David nodded. "It's all we can do. I need to go be with Mary Margaret."
Nodding, Emma watched him go, remaining close to Killian and Henry. She looked back at her son, her expression shifting from one of rage to one of motherly worry. "You okay, kid? Are you hurt?"
"My ankle," Henry said. "It hurt when I fell."
Emma silently swore as she crouched down to attempt to look at it.
"We need to get back," Killian muttered as he glanced around the trees, wanting to get them back to safety.
Nodding, Emma stood, her voice softer. "Yeah.I can't see it right now. We'll take a look as soon as we get back to camp, okay? Can you walk?"
Henry nodded.
Moving to support his own weight, he faltered the moment he began to walk, wincing in pain.
Both Emma and Killian moved to catch him, preventing him from falling.
"Damn it," Emma muttered. "It's probably sprained."
Without any further prompting, Killian turned around so his back was to them, crouching slightly. "Climb up, lad."
He turned his head slightly to see Henry's surprised face.
"Seriously?" he asked.
"Aye," Killian nodded. "We need to get you back, and I'd rather we got there sooner rather than later."
Henry hesitated for a moment before reaching for Killian's shoulders, with Emma helping him maneuver his way up. Once Henry was settled on his back, Killian looked back at Emma.
"Can you cover for us?" he asked.
She nodded, determined. "Of course."
She stayed close beside them on their way back, refusing to leave their sides even as they entered the camp.
"Which tent?" Killian asked in a low voice.
"I- I don't know," Emma said, looking nervously at the different structures.
He knew her original one was out of the question, that Neal continued to occupy it. Knowing that there would be more than enough room, he led her back to his own.
Emma didn't question him, instead staying beside him and Henry. She pulled the door for him, helping him settle Henry onto a cot, surprising his brother.
"What's wrong?" Ian asked, immediately helping them settle Henry down.
"His ankle," Killian replied as he crouched down to retrieve a small camping lantern to illuminate the tent.
"Can you go get Doc?" Emma asked him, suddenly sounding weak.
Ian nodded before hurrying out of the tent.
"I'm sorry, Henry," Emma whispered as she hugged Henry tightly.
Burying his head in her shoulder, Henry's voice was barely audible. "It's okay, Mom. You couldn't have done anything."
She hugged him tighter.
Killian felt like he was intruding witnessing the private moment, making him look toward the entrance and wonder where Ian and Asa were.
He released a breath of relief he wasn't aware he'd been holding when his brother came back with the doctor. Stepping off into a corner to allow them room, he watched as Asa prodded at Henry's ankle.
"I didn't think this tent would become the infirmary," Asa said lightly.
"It seemed as good a place as any to bring him," Killian shrugged.
Asa nodded, not looking up from Henry's ankle. "Well, he needs to stay off this. It's sprained."
Screwing her eyes shut, Emma rested her head in her hand, feeling what Killian knew was guilt.
The doctor left them after wrapping Henry's injury, leaving them alone.
"Crap," Emma suddenly muttered. "C'mon, kid. I'll carry you over to David and Mary Margaret's."
"There's no need, love," Killian told her. "You're more than welcome to stay in here. Or if you prefer, I can carry Henry over."
Ian nodded in agreement.
They both glanced at the boy in question, seeing him looking almost sick at the prospect of being moved again.
Defeated, Emma sighed. "Thanks."
"We still have another cot," Ian told her. "It was… well, it seemed stupid to just throw it away. We thought we might still need it. I'll go get it out of the car."
She nodded in thanks.
"You know you can stay in here, too," Killian added in a gentler tone as Ian left. "You don't have to leave him. You'll both be safe in here."
"Thank you," she said, looking exhausted.
Knowing it was going to be a long night, he undid his brace, wanting to give his arm a moment of reprieve.
Killian woke to near darkness, the only light coming from the moon through the netting of the tent.
The noise that had woken him sounded again. Focusing, he knew it was coming from behind him. Turning his attention to the quiet sobs, he slowly sat up, seeing a slight figure with silver hair sitting on the floor of the tent.
Carefully undoing his own covers, he kept his voice quiet as not to startle her or wake the two others sleeping around them. "Swan?"
Emma started, quickly wiping at her eyes as she looked up at him. "Sorry, I couldn't sleep. Did I wake you?"
He shook his head as he got up, only to kneel beside her. "Don't worry yourself, love. What's wrong?"
She was quiet for a minute before answering. "This is all my fault."
"How?" he asked in disbelief.
"I should have fought him before all of this," she said in frustration. "If I had, none of this would have happened."
"You know that isn't true," he told her.
"Yeah, it is," she argued weakly. "He wouldn't be putting us in danger. Henry wouldn't have been taken by those kids led by that little psycho. He wouldn't have sprained his ankle. You-"
She was suddenly silent, fear evident as she cautiously glanced at him.
Taking a breath, Killian decided to test the waters, to see if his earlier suspicions were true. "I wouldn't have lost my hand and Liam would still be alive."
Her expression was crestfallen. "You remember?"
"Not exactly," he told her. "Some of it. I remember now that he was there right before the walkers came and I got swarmed. That I was hit with something then there was a gunshot and Liam cried out.
"How did you know he was responsible?" he asked, wondering if she knew, why nothing was done to Neal. He wasn't angry with her, only wanting to know why.
She sighed, looking guilty. "When David checked his gun, there was a bullet missing, and he found a gunshot wound in Liam's leg. We didn't know for sure because you didn't remember, so we knew we couldn't do anything."
Swallowing, he nodded in understanding. He wasn't mad exactly, feeling almost numb about the subject. His brother's passing was still painful, something he doubted he would ever really be able to recover from.
At the sight of Emma's face, he felt himself melt, making him extend his arm out in invitation. Understanding it was merely a friend offering her comfort, she curled into him, letting him pull her into him.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Killian shook his head though he knew she couldn't see him. "Don't be. None of this is your fault. Neal's actions are his own."
"Yeah, but what if he tries to go after you again?" she asked getting worked up. "Killian, he almost killed you once. You've had a major target on you since you found us, and it's only gotten worse."
"Are you afraid of him?" he asked quietly, again remembering his and Henry's conversation.
"I don't know," she replied. "Sometimes, he really does scare me. It's like he's become completely unstable."
Sighing, he knew he would be betraying Henry's confidence, but felt like Emma had every right to know.
"Earlier today Henry asked me how to fight another person," he told her in a barely audible voice. "How to kill, if necessary. He's afraid for you."
Emma's face paled as she looked at him with wide eyes that shone with fresh tears. "No, no. He's just a little boy, he doesn't-"
She broke off as a sob wracked through her.
Killian held her tighter in response, resting his hand in her hair.
"He's gonna try to do something," she lamented. "He's gonna do something to hurt someone else, or go after you again, or take Henry."
"I'm not gonna let that happen," Killian promised her. "No one will let that happen. Everyone will help you, Swan."
"But what if it's you he goes after again?" she asked him.
"I'm a survivor, love," he said. "You don't have to worry about me."
She didn't respond, instead burying her face in his shirt.
Grabbing onto one of the blankets from his cot, Killian draped it mostly over her with a little difficulty, prepared to stay up the entire night with Emma if he needed to.
Review?