Title: A Life of It
Author: Roguie etc…
Part: 3/?
Fandom: Once Upon a Time
Characters: Emma/Killian
World: AU Modern
Rating: T, with the likelihood it will change to M over time, because I'm weak like that.
Warnings: Child abuse, bullying, all the bad things you'd expect to find in a poorly executed foster care system.
Spoilers: It's AU, so not likely.
Summary: Everywhere she was sent, he was there, her savior, the boy with blue eyes. He should have meant nothing to her, just another person that had to leave, but he meant everything. Against all odds, he kept coming back.
Disclaimer: OuaT is not mine, if it were, tackle hugs and sweet kisses would be our norm. Also, there would be way more, *cough*, sword practice scenes between our Captain and his Swan.
A/N: I reiterate my Holy Crumbs! statement from yesterday – I have never seen one of my stories accumulate so many favs, likes, kudos, etc so fast in my existence. To those of you asking why I'm writing this, I have no answer for you. It seemed like something to do, so I'm doing it. How long will they stay this age? It depends on what story has to be told for this age – at least one more chapter at 6 and 9, and then we'll have to see how long it takes to find each other again. How fast will I update this? No clue, right now I'm feeling it – all the reviews, likes, etc that come in on it kind of fuel my commitment to it – which is why you've gotten three parts in two days. A plan is slowly starting to come together and I know next week I'll have some time to write – whether the muse leans to this fic or to the adult Emma/Killian AU I'm working on, however, that's entirely up to her indecisive nature. Until then, I hope you keep enjoying… and yes, I agree… Poor little Emmie. I can hardly wait for Killian to grow up and truly be able to help her. First he has to help himself.
~~~?~~~
Killian Jones had known intense panic in his short life. He'd felt the cruel grip of fear on his heart as he held his mother's hand while she wasted away from the cancer that couldn't be cut from her body. He'd felt the aching burn of betrayal and fear every time he looked into his father's eyes and the man would raise a fist in his direction, beating the boy blue for the simple crime of having his mother's eyes. He'd felt terror the moment Liam put himself between their father and him, allowing himself to be beat to the ground, laying bleeding and broken at Killian's feet while their father screamed in rage at what he'd done. He'd felt the powerful hold of an unbreakable panic as he and Liam were separated, Liam to a home for teenagers, Killian to the first of many foster homes, knowing they were likely to never see each other again. He'd hidden from angry foster parents, he'd worried how to stop the ache of hunger in his tummy when no food was provided to him, he'd cried miserably as he was taken from good homes knowing the next home would likely be something out of a nightmare. He'd woken in cold sweats from the night terrors that plagued his very existence.
He'd known every source of fear, panic, terror and misery available to a nine year old boy, but he'd never known the panic that gripped him now.
An hour after the bell rang, after cleaning erasers, chalkboards, putting away books and writing lines for a man that detested his rebellious personality, Killian tore down the hallway to the little kid's end of the school, hoping, praying even that she would still be waiting.
His heart fell through the floor, clenching in his chest as he realized the hallway was empty.
With trembling fingers, Killian knocked on the classroom door, hoping against hope Mrs. Finkle was still in the room. He breathed a deep sigh of relief when the classroom door opened and he looked up into Emma's teacher's eyes.
"Mrs. Finkle? Is Emma still here? I was s'posed to meet her but Mr. Batton gave me detention."
The older woman's eyes softened as she smiled down at him, shaking her head slowly. "I'm sorry, Killian, but Emma left ten minutes ago."
His face fell, his bright blue eyes stormy with sadness as he hung his head. "Oh." He breathed in a deep swallow of air and nodded quietly to himself. "'Kay, thanks anyways."
He turned to leave when the teacher called him back quietly. "If it helps any, Killian, I watched her leave. She went through the south door and walked across the senior playground. She likely lives somewhere that direction. She wasn't walking quickly, so if you run…"
"Thanks Mrs. Finkle!" Killian yelped, already dashing down the hallway to the south door, not even pausing as he hit the door's release bar and the large piece of metal slammed open against the side of the school with a resounding bang.
He shot across the school ground, pushing his legs for as much power he could muster, clearing the playground and hitting the pathway that cut through to the small houses that backed onto the school. He hit the exit to the street and stopped suddenly, panting, looking up and down in both directions, breathing a distinct sigh of relief as he caught sight of long blonde hair tied up in a messy pony tail disappearing around the corner just ahead of him.
"EMMA!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, pushing himself back into a run, lungs burning, legs aching as he forced himself to move faster. "EMMA! WAIT UP!"
He ignored the looks he was getting from people out on their lawns, ignored the giggles coming from the group of girls on the other side of the sidewalk, ignored everything as he charged after the little girl he'd managed to disappoint twice in less than two days of knowing her in their lives.
With harsh, panting, labored breaths, he finally caught up to her, catching her elbow and spinning her around. "Em... Emmie, why… why didn't you wait?" He panted, bending at the waist and gripping his knees for support when he was sure she wouldn't take flight the moment his eyes were off her.
She shrugged, big green eyes wide as she watched him struggle for breath before glancing down at the sidewalk under her feet. "Didn't think you were comin'." Her little voice was laced with sadness and guilt as she toed at a rock at the edge of the path.
"I told you I was," he answered with a frown, finally catching his breath well enough to straighten up.
"Everyone lies," she replied with another shrug in a tone far too matter of fact for a six year old.
"Yeah, well, I don't," Killian huffed, reaching down to grab her hand, ignoring the startled flinch that ran through her, only tightening his fingers around her smaller ones and holding on. "'Least I won't lie to you, Emmie. I promise."
He knew she didn't believe him, but she smiled anyway, a small, sad curve of her lips that in no way reached her eyes. "'Kay."
"So, where do you live anyway?"
He chatted with her quietly as they walked the long blocks to her house, watching her carefully for triggers that made her pull away from him, memorizing every flinch, every defensive reaction, every threatened tear, realizing that the phone call he'd made so many years ago had done nothing to improve Emma's situation. It seemed that she'd suffered through the same crappy foster situation that he'd been faced with; she just wasn't big enough yet to hide her misery from the rest of the world. Not like him.
With a deep breath, dreading the answer, Killian stopped outside the house Emma indicated. "Is this home okay?"
She shrugged a little, looking up at the windows of her house quietly. "They got food, so it's okay."
"Yeah? What about the mom and dad?"
She shrugged again, biting her lip, trembling slightly, making Killian's little heart pound in his chest.
"You got bruises?"
She shook her head but tugged at the sleeve of her little pink sweater, telling Killian instantly that she was lying. He'd made the same move himself a hundred times or better. His blue eyes darkened with anger and his little cheek twitched as he ground his teeth together to keep from snapping.
"You got your own room?"
She nodded, this time smiling a little, her green eyes lighting up with excitement. "Yep, 'n the boys aren't allowed to come in, coz they break everything. My teddy gets to sleep on my bed with me, 'n I got my own pillow 'n everything!"
"Yeah? You got lotsa stuff?" Killian forced a smile onto his face, keeping her talking, her excitement taking the bite off his anger.
"I got a teddy, 'n some clothes, 'n my last mommy gave me some pretty hair clips, 'n I got some books."
"Cool! What kinda books?"
She shrugged, looking back up at her window. "Um, I got coloring books, 'n Max 'n Ruby books, 'n some comic books I got to keep when they got forgot, 'n a big words book but I dunno what it's about coz no one wanted to read it to me."
Killian's smile lit up like the sun as she spoke, his eyes sparkling, his heart racing. "Yeah? Do you remember where you got your word book?"
She shrugged, biting her lip, finally looking up into his big blue eyes. "Kinda, I… I think my first brother?"
"Do you remember him?" Killian pushed, grinning even wider as he grabbed both her hands, squeezing them tightly.
Her voice dropped to a whisper as she shook her head. "I remember he protected me from an angry daddy."
Killian sighed softly, squeezing her hands again, softer this time. "Do you get a lotta angry daddies?"
"Not angry like that daddy. That daddy was really, really angry."
"Yeah, he was pretty mad, but least he wasn't mad at you right? Just at the mom, 'n your brother?"
She gasped a little, cocking her head to the side. "How'd you know?"
Killian grinned down at her, nudging her with his shoulder. "'Coz no one forgets hiding under the stairs for a whole night." He watched as her whole face suddenly lit up, her little mouth falling open in a surprised gasp. He winked at her quickly, "Anyway, I never read the book neither; it was my real Mama's… maybe we can read it together?"
Her little voice was quiet and filled with such a stunned awe that Killian found his cheeks turning pink from the instant hero worship that brightened her pretty green eyes. "'Kay."
Both kids jumped as the front door to her house flew open, and a very obviously angry woman came to stand on the front porch. "Emma Swan!" she snapped, making the little girl flinch back into Killian's slight frame, his arms tightening around her reflexively. "Get your ass in the house, now!"
A whimper crossed her lips but ever the obedient child, Emma stepped forward, ignoring Killian's hold on her hand, tugging only when he refused to let her go. With great reluctance, Killian loosened his fingers around hers, glaring at the woman, refusing to flinch under her returned glare.
As the door slammed shut with a bang behind Emma, Killian couldn't help but to listen to the woman as her voice rose to a shriek, every word clearly heard through the open windows. "Would you like to explain to me why I'm getting calls from your principal telling me you skipped the entire morning of school? Or why two hours after school is over I find you bringing strange boys to my house? Is that the kind of girl you are Emma? IS IT?!"
Killian wished he could have been shocked by the noises that followed: the resonating sound of skin against skin, the sharp little shriek that instantly cut off, the thud of something heavy slamming into wood, and then the silence that terrified him to the point of tears.
He wished he could have been surprised when he waited out front of her house the next morning until long after they should have left to be on time for school, leaving him no choice but to run the entire way and barely making it into his seat before Mr. Batton closed the door.
He wished he was older, smarter, or stronger for her when she finally did open her front door, three days later, and walked silently up to him, the bruising on her cheek faded to a shadow that no one but he would notice, her eyes so dull and lifeless that he almost flinched away from her on instinct. His cheek twitched, his blue eyes were dark and stormy, but he put his arm around her shoulder and tugged her into him, biting his tongue sharply as she gasped and winced at his touch.
"Sorry, Emmie," he murmured ten minutes later, wishing like hell that he had something better to offer her.
She shrugged. "Will you do my hair for me again?" she asked simply, both of them staring straight ahead as they walked across the school yard towards the building.
"Yeah," he sighed.
His little heart broke instantly as she smiled. "'Kay."
~~~TBC~~~
Remember much like magic all muses have a price. My muse's price is that little review box down below. Please don't make her chase you for payment, it seems such a bloody awful waste of her time, wouldn't you say?
