(This is just a silly bit of hot weather fluff that I needed to get finished up and posted before summer completely passed me by… The idea of "Killian vs. an inflatable plastic pool" has been floating in my mind for some time, and this CS future family fic is what came of it. I am still stuck on my head canon of their daughter Morgan Ruth (whom I've written about several times before), so no offense to the lovely Hope Swan-Jones of canon, but Morgan is who weaseled her way into this story too! Hope you enjoy!)

"How Pirates Beat the Heat"

By: TutorGirlml

"Morgan, no! Wait! Oh bloody hell…" Killian's voice rang out from the front yard clearly, even from where Emma stood inside at the kitchen window, helping Henry finish up the dishes from their lunch. Glancing across the sink at her oldest, who smirked back, knowing one of them would have to go rescue the pirate, Emma's shoulders were already shaking at the consternation in his tone, even without seeing her husband or her four-year-old and what she might be doing to prompt the exasperated tone in his voice.

Henry gave her a knowing look, the mischievous twinkle in his brown eyes clearly equally curious about what the other two members of their family might have gotten themselves into, but also that his mom was itching to get to them – to make sure that Morgan hadn't hurt herself or led them into some kind of trouble, or that his poor stepdad didn't get confounded beyond endurance. "Go ahead and see what's happening," Henry assured his mom good naturedly, "I've got this," indicating the soapy water and very few dishes left with a nod.

Emma grinned, ruffling Henry's hair slightly as she passed, already on her way as soon as she got his reassurance to check on the rest of her little crew, the family unit so precious that she would once have never imagined something like it could be hers. Henry shook his head at her, but didn't dodge or swipe her hand away, warming her heart as she knew - remembering just a bit too late to stop herself in the affectionate gesture - that her son didn't protest the gesture he now found too childish, but allowed it gamely instead. It struck her once again, a welcome, poignant pang in her chest, just how lucky she was, how blessed to finally have the family she had always longed for – enough so that at some moments it was all she could do not to grasp her two men and her little girl tight, cling to them as jealously as a pirate with his bounty – more avaricious in her love than her husband had ever been, buccaneer captain or no.

"Just go help them before they break something or Morgan declares a mutiny," Henry scoffed playfully before turning back to the sink.

Still laughing lightly in agreement, Emma reached the front door and opened it onto the warm, sunlit front yard. And though she had already been grinning happily, the view before her caused her smile to stretch even farther, nearly splitting her cheeks as a surprised guffaw broke from her lips.

In a trampled-flat segment of the grass on their lawn, several feet from the walk, sat the rather pathetic and half-inflated floppy ring of the plastic wading pool they had purchased for Morgan upon the true heat of the dog days of August setting in. Killian had been adamant as to the needlessness of it: "I can take her out sailing at any time, Swan. We'll drop anchor and she can swim in a real body of water to her heart's content. What do we need with this shallow fake device?" he'd argued in puzzled disgust.

She had listened to his fussing fondly, honestly a bit charmed as well as humored at Killian's clear preference for the open salt sea and his beloved ship, almost as if offended on the old girl's behalf that someone could suggest another way to enjoy the water. Brushing at the few strands of just barely silvering hair at his temple with tender fingertips, she'd smiled indulgently. "It's just something kids enjoy in this world, Babe. There may be times it's hot and we aren't free to take her out. This will be quick, easy, and right here, okay? It won't make Mo love the Jolly any less."

Watching her husband frustrated and struggling, Emma winced, hating to see that "easy" might not have been her best choice of words for the project. Morgan was splashing merrily around in the water, even as Killian tried to fish her out, lecturing her about it deflating around her, slipping and falling, and it not being ready yet – all of which their stubborn and irrepressible toddler was cheerfully ignoring. The water was cool and refreshing, and her father seemed to be playing a vigorous game of tag with her, so she was clearly more than pleased with the situation.

Emma didn't waste long gawking, quickly seeing that though her husband was soldiering on with his task, he was also growing exasperated - she could always tell by the tight rigidity of his shoulders pulled up high toward his ears – and probably mentally berating himself for not being able to setup a modern child's toy. Never mind that he might well have never seen one before and hadn't want it in the first place; Killian didn't seem to give himself any slack for such details.

It looked as though they had started the process out alright. The wading pool was laid out over a flat space of grass and was about half aired up from the pump Killian had fitted correctly into the nozzle on the pool's side for inflation. Where it appeared things had gone off-kilter was when they had proceeded to put the water hose in to start adding water before the airing up was complete; apparently once there'd been standing water to splash about in, their impatient little guppy had not been able to wait.

The real death knell to the process however, Emma could see it clearly now as she came up right at her husband's side, was that in his efforts to catch their slippery daughter, Killian had put his hook into the side of the pool, puncturing the plastic quite soundly and leading it to slowly sink back toward the ground limply as the air continued to escape.

"Problems?" she asked simply, reaching out to run a hand over her True Love's shoulder and down his arm in what she hoped was a soothing gesture. She didn't want to take the task from him unless he was done fighting with it, nor to seem condescending or as if she didn't think he could find his own way to salvage matters – he was incredibly capable and ingenuitive, as she well knew. But, she did want to help if he wished it; the kiddie pool was meant to be for fun, not a frustration.

Killian stood to his full height, looking over at her a bit sheepishly with a face flushed from exertion and the heat. "Aye," he affirmed, scratching lightly behind his ear with the tip of his hook and then gesturing to the gaping hole. "It would appear that I may not be the best man for this particular job, Love." His half smile faltered just a bit as he finished speaking, his eyes falling away as if embarrassed at having trouble with the task…and well, Emma just couldn't have that, couldn't bear even that slightly pained look in his eyes over something he couldn't help and wasn't his fault anyway. She should have just magicked the whole thing from the start; it would have made a lot more sense. But Morgan had been so anxious to go swimming in "her" new pool, and Killian was always so eager to see his princess had her heart's desire, that Emma had let them go on without her, unthinking of the difficulty that might ensue.

Twisting her hand quickly in the air, a half rotation of the wrist, and her magic had completely patched the hole and filled the pool with air in a second. Morgan squealed in delight as the pool suddenly grew to its full size around her and she went careening into the side, bouncing off and cackling as she fell on her stomach in the few inches of water, kicking her feet and splashing her hands.

Killian's mouth dropped open for a second, as if after all this time her abilities still sometimes took him by surprise. Then, his gaze centered back on her shrewdly, his eyes narrowing as a devilish smirk crept over his lips and he took a playfully menacing step toward her. "If you could have done that all the while, what was the meaning of sending me out here to fumble around like a fool, hmm?"

"You were so set on doing it for her right away," Emma sassed back with a shrug, quirking her brow and trying to fake extreme unconcern, even as a giggle twitched at her corners of her mouth. "Didn't think I'd bother arguing with you, Captain," she added archly.

"I see," he murmured lowly, stalking after her as she took a step back, effectively bringing himself to stand right before her at the edge of the pool where Morgan was now sat still in the water, watching them both with curiously rapt attention. "Making a fool of your Captain, then, are you?"

Emma tilted her head slightly, a challenging twinkle in her eye as she just managed to get out her next words without laughing. "I'd say more like simply allowing him to make a fool of himself…" she trailed off, watching him and waiting to see where he'd take the banter next.

"Oh ho," Killian chortled, looking down at Morgan, "what say you, matey?" he asked her. "Do we allow Mama to mock us like that?" He waggled his brows dramatically for extra effect, grinning at his daughter even before she answered.

"No!" Morgan crowed loudly, pleased with herself and splashing to the far side of the pool again as she danced in excitement.

"And what do we do with those who show such cheek?" he continued, leering at Emma ridiculously in a way that made her cheeks heat up even as she shook her head at his antics.

"We make them walk the plank!" Morgan squealed, knowing she had the right answer for a pirate, even though she sounded not the least bit threatening.

"That's right!" Killian agreed proudly, looking behind them, making sure Morgan was still out of the way, and then wrapping his arms around Emma in a grip she couldn't escape, even as she began to squirm, eyes widening as she realized what he had in mind.

"Oh no you don't!" she warned, placing her palms against his firm chest and trying to push away from him, to no avail.

"Oh yes," he taunted, his voice a low thrill along her collarbone, where he planted a quick kiss. "Since we have no plank at present, a dunking shall have to suffice for your insubordination." She felt him quickly grasp the part of his brace needed to twist to disengage his hook where his arms met at the small of her back, then he tossed it on the lawn somewhere behind her and pulled her into the barely shin deep pool along with him.

Gasping at the cold and spluttering out what went in her mouth as they landed, Emma struggled mightily to hold onto her anger at the abrupt soaking, but the peals of laughter from her daughter's sweet voice and the low, warm chuckle rumbling in her husband's chest as he gathered her closer in his arms made it hard to feel too righteously indignant. Swiping her arm through the water, she sent a spray right back into Killian's face and over him to Morgan in playful retaliation.

Soon all three of them were laughing and thrashing about in the cool water and tackling each other riotously, all sense of calm forgotten. The hot, tired irritation had seeped from Killian's being as if it were never there at all, and Emma found herself relaxing in turn, relieved that he wouldn't hold onto his embarrassment or frustration, nor use it against her except in fun; he never had and she trusted that he never would.

The only thing keeping the entire moment from complete perfection was remedied moments later when Henry's voice called out to them as he clambered down the front steps, "Hey! What's the idea of having all the fun without me?!" His wide grin belied his words, teasing as good naturedly as the rest of them had been.

"We would do no such thing," Killian answered smartly, looking for all the world as happy as a clam when he floundered upright to sit with Morgan dangling from where her skinny arms circled his neck like a monkey and his wet, bedraggled wife sprawled practically draped over his lap. "We merely knew you would find and join us when mess duty was completed, as would any such fine first mate."

Henry's smile broke even wider across his cheeks at the ridiculous but heartfelt compliment. He might be nearly grown, but he still seemed to love hearing that this man he adored as a second father valued his help and considered Henry his right (or, left in Killian's case) hand man. "Aye, then," he conceded with a dip of the head and a bit of a salute. "As you were."

Of course, Emma was not in the least surprised when moments later their son threw himself smack into the middle of their heap in the water too. There was more yelling, fumbling, giggles and splashes, but she didn't mind one single bit. Soaking wet and silly with her family was all she could possibly want in the moment; her whole world was right beside her in a plastic wading pool.