Title: What's In a Name
Summary: They'd fallen in love and had married and were now living their happily ever after. A happily ever that now included this perfect little girl, born of their love for each other. This perfect little girl, who was the embodiment of what they'd sorely needed as they were growing up.
Spoilers: Post-series, so if you've seen everything, we're good.
Rating/Warning: K+. Family fluff, as per usual.
Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time and its characters were created by Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and are owned by ABC. I simply borrowed them when they weren't looking but I'll put them back when I'm done, I promise!
Author's Note: This is the result of another insistent plotbunny that wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it down. Have some ridiculously fluffy family fluff because why not? Feedback thrills me to pieces! Enjoy.
A tender smile spread across Emma's face as she gazed down at the precious little bundle nestled in her arms. The upswell of love that coursed through her entire being at the feeling of her brand-new baby daughter shifting her tiny body in the swaddling blanket sent tears to her eyes.
Killian, who had taken a seat on a chair that was pulled up as close to his wife and daughter as humanly possible, was just as smitten with his new little love. His blue eyes, sparkling like light on the ocean, glistened as he ran a calloused thumb down the baby's impossibly tiny cheek.
Emma freed one of the baby's hands from the blanket and gently caressed the tiny, wrinkly palm. The baby's little fingers instantly closed around Emma's, making her grin. An infant Neal had always gripped her finger the same way.
"She's been in the world a grand total of three hours and she already has us wrapped around her little finger," Emma murmured, arching a teasing eyebrow at her husband.
"Aye, love," Killian whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the side of his exhausted wife's head. "That she does."
Another rush of love coursed through Emma's veins at the gentle kiss. This was certainly a vastly different experience from the last time Emma had given birth.
This time, she wasn't alone. Her parents, her little brother, and her kid were on their way from the waiting room for their first visit with the new member of their family. From what Killian had told her, they'd all been sitting there from the moment they'd learned Emma was in labor but their visit had had to wait until Emma was transferred into a room of her own from the delivery room.
She couldn't even imagine the sheer amount of pacing that her parents had done in that waiting room. Sometimes she thought they were more excited for the baby's arrival than she and Killian were! And that was saying something; she and Killian had been trying for their precious little bundle of joy for years. As a matter of fact, they were just beginning to accept that a baby just might not be in the cards for them when Emma had found out she was pregnant. Ever since then, she and Killian had been on cloud nine, decorating the nursery together and preparing so very lovingly for their little pirate princess.
(Oh yes, they'd known for a while they were having a girl. Neither one of them could contain their excitement enough to wait so as soon as they were able, they'd wanted to be told.)
"You are already so very loved," Emma murmured to her tiny daughter, holding her surprisingly alert gaze. "You're going to have more love than you know what to do with."
"Aye, we'll make sure of it," Killian promised, his voice the same soft whisper as his wife's.
The two of them knew better than most how devastatingly brutal it was for a child to grow up longing for love and a sense of belonging. Of course they were going to make damn sure that their little girl felt every ounce of love being offered her.
And their little girl was going to be positively surrounded by love. This time, Emma wouldn't be going back to a cold, lonely prison cell when she was released from the hospital. No, this time, she would be going home, a home that had seen countless family meals and celebrations and get-togethers. A home that she and Killian, lost little girl and lost little boy, had found and made together.
This time, she would be bringing her baby home.
"I never did this with Henry," Emma admitted, her voice choking with emotion as she rubbed her thumb over her daughter's delicate fingers. "I never held him. I never even looked at him. I ... I didn't want to. Giving him up was the hardest thing I've ever had to do and I knew that if I saw him, if I looked into his tiny little face, I wouldn't have wanted to let him go."
Killian pressed another tender kiss to the side of her head. "You did what you had to do, love."
"I know. It's just that looking at her, staring into her perfect little eyes, I know now that I was right back then. If I had done this with Henry, I would never have let him go." She rested her head against Killian's as they gazed down at their little miracle. "I never want to let her go."
"You won't have to this time," Killian assured her in a soft but strong whisper. "Things are different now."
Oh, things were so completely different now. Back when Emma had had Henry, she'd had nothing. No family, no friends, no place to call home. Nothing but a tiny prison cell and the emptiness and loneliness that awaited her when she got out. Now, though ... now she was surrounded by family and friends and love and togetherness.
And Killian! Killian had spent all those years - those decades, those centuries - alone with nothing but anger and vengeance fueling his existence. He'd been sold into servitude by an uncaring father and he'd lost the two people who'd meant the most to him suddenly and cruelly. Like Emma, he'd had no reason to believe that his life would ever change.
That is, until lost little girl had met lost little boy. Like a fairy tale, a princess and a pirate had met in an enchanted wood. They'd grown closer and closer during their numerous trying but always magical adventures. They'd fallen in love and had married and were now living their happily ever after.
A happily ever that now included this perfect little girl, born of their love for each other. This perfect little girl, who was the embodiment of what they'd sorely needed as they were growing up: hope.
Emma gasped softly and looked up at Killian, her eyes shining. They had yet to decide on a name for their little pirate princess; none of the names they'd considered had seemed right. But now, Emma knew. "Her name, Killian. We should name her Hope."
Killian's eyes glistened as a smile slowly lit his face. "Emma, that's absolutely perfect." He looked down at the precious little bundle in his wife's arms, locking gazes with their daughter. "Welcome to the world, Hope. We're your parents and we love you very much."
"More than you will ever know," Emma agreed, smiling down at Hope. As she looked up, she caught movement in the window to her room. Four excited and expectant faces smiled at her and she smiled back, waving everyone in.
Snow, David, Henry, and Neal all filed into the room, chattering softly but excitedly and greeting the new parents with loving hugs and kisses. Once pleasantries were exchanged, Emma looked up at Killian, and he nodded, giving her a smile. "Now that you're all here, we would like to introduce you to Hope Swan-Jones."
There was not a dry eye in the room as everyone took in the significance of the baby's name. "Oh, Emma, Killian, she's absolutely precious!" Snow murmured, running a finger down Hope's tiny cheek. "What an absolutely perfect name for her."
"Nice to meet you, sis," Henry teased, reaching out to give Hope his finger to grip.
"She's so tiny," Neal whispered, an amazed grin tugging at his lips. "Can I hold her?"
"Neal-" David chided.
"No, it's okay," Emma assured him before once again looking up at Killian for his agreement. He nodded, so she shifted her attention to her little brother. "You've got to sit down in that chair while you hold her, squirt, all right?"
"Okay." While Neal climbed into one of the visitor's chairs, Killian slipped Hope from Emma's arms. Once the boy was settled, David showed him how to hold the baby as Killian transferred her to Neal's tender grip.
"Wow," Neal breathed, staring down at his little niece. "She looks just like Killian."
Everyone chuckled. With her full head of dark hair and bright blue eyes, Hope was Killian's spitting image. She had Emma's (and Snow's) chin, though.
"The doctors said her hair might lighten and her eyes might change color when she gets a little older," Emma gently informed her brother.
Snow and David both crowded around the hospital bed, giving warm congratulations to the new parents while Neal and Henry bonded with the baby. David bent down and dropped a kiss on the top of his little girl's head. "This is everything we wanted for you, kiddo."
Emma glanced around the room. Henry had crouched down beside Neal's chair so Hope could once again grip his finger. David reached down for Emma's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Snow's eyes shone with pride and joy as she wrapped Killian in a warm embrace. And Killian, he was basking in the love and comfort of the entire family.
Emma couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face as she pulled her father into a hug of her own. "Me too, Dad. Me too."