Title: A Life of It

Author: Roguie etc…

Part: 6/?

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: Another less angsty addition – at least this time around they have good homes with good people… maybe a little judgy, but still good people. Things are looking up for our little pair… but oh… jeez… ten going on eleven is the perfect age for a big, ol' crush… isn't it? :P~

A/N2: Just so you know, I'm really really really bored at work today, a 12 hour shift, literally all by myself, lonely and starving (unless husband finds it in his heart to bring me food and water at some point today), so yeah, this probably is going to get yet another part added today; I'm not going to complain, however, five thousand words in a little over four hours isn't a bad start to my day.

~~~?~~~

There was nothing he could do to explain the draw he had to her. In the place of his little sister was now this little blonde girl with an attitude the size of Nebraska who no longer wanted him to do her hair, who no longer was interested in picking flowers at the park. She wasn't the little damaged thing he'd sworn to protect when they were too little to fully understand the lifelong promise he was making. She wasn't the weak, beaten little soul that took comfort in his silent understanding of her situation.

He spent every single day of that summer with her, sometimes at his house, much to his foster parents' delight, sometimes at her house, much to her foster parents' dismay. Where his foster mother's eyes lit up with joy every time Emma knocked on the door, planting herself in the basement recreation room, their day spent with an endless supply of snacks and drinks and video games, her foster mother's eyes narrowed with suspicion when he knocked on her door. They're constantly monitored at her house, one or the other of her wardens always in the room with them, and when dinner time comes he's ushered out without even a passing thought as to whether he'd like to stay.

The days they spent at the park were the absolute best. In the months she'd been at this home, she'd made quite the little circle of friends, Ruby being her best friend. The dark haired flirt was a year older than Emma, but Emma's experiences in life had matured her early, making her appear that much older than Ruby. Killian often found himself sitting back and watching Emma scold Ruby for her behavior, shaking her head in dismay every time Ruby told her about a new boy she'd kissed, face palming each time Ruby told her about sneaking out with this boy or that boy. They'd bonded over their lack of parents; Ruby's parents had a lot of money and were less than inclined to spend time with their only child. As such, Ruby was mainly left in the care of her aging grandmother, making her wild child antics that much easier to get away with. With her parents gone traveling for the summer, Ruby was pretty much free to behave as she'd like, her grandmother unwilling to see the wild streak inside of her. Thankfully, Granny seemed to truly like both Killian and Emma, and both children found themselves warmly welcomed when they came to visit.

Through Ruby, Killian came to know the other children in their tight knit circle, the first being Victor the worm. More often than not, Killian found himself laughing as Emma knocked the persistent boy to the ground, her little fist tried and true, always finding its mark as he constantly tried to corner her for a kiss. Blonde hair would fly, ear drums would shatter, and Victor would end up on his ass, glaring up at her, shaking his head before Killian would have a chance to get to his feet to try and defend her.

She'd always come to him after one of Victor's attempts, grumbling about him not getting the message the first thousand times, leaving Killian chuckling as he'd pull her in for a hug.

"You should let me rescue you from him one of these times," he murmured, pulling her to sit beside him on Ruby's sofa as Victor peeled himself off the floor. "He'd get the message once I was through with him."

Emma sniffed, "I don't need you to save me anymore, Killian," she stated proudly, arms across her chest as she leveled Victor with a glare; "Nobody saves me but me."

He messed up her hair, earning a punch to the chest as she leapt away from him, muttering under her breath about boys not understanding anything, leaving him alone to hide the hurt that he was sure showed clearly through his blue eyes. He hated, absolutely hated the fact that she didn't want to need him anymore. He couldn't help but feel like he'd missed too many years to be that guy for her anymore, no matter how badly he'd wanted to be there for her.

With a sigh he got to his feet, chasing her into the bathroom, earning another shriek and shove as he opened the door on her. He flashed her a saucy smirk and rolled his eyes as she yelled at him about learning the concept of privacy, and shrugged. "Little sisters don't get privacy, Ems," he grinned, shouldering his way into the washroom and pulling the brush out of her hand, "'Sides, we've done this a hundred times, what'cha hiding from me now?"

Her glare burned at him through the mirror in front of her as he used his size to muscle her against the sink, pinning her in place with his hips as he pulled her hair out of the little clips and bands she'd had it up in and began to run the brush through it.

"I'm not hiding nothing, it's just… I can do it myself. I'm not a little kid anymore."

He nodded, sadness flickering across his face and mingling with pride, but he ignored her quiet struggles to get free and just kept brushing her long, blonde locks. "Just because you can, doesn't mean I don't want to anyway, so shut up and let me do your hair."

"You're a bully," she hissed, crossing her arms but staying put, allowing Killian to back away so that he had room to work.

"You're a brat," he responded simply, tugging on a lock of her hair, making her glare even darker.

"Why do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?" he replied innocently, braiding only the sides of her hair before pulling the two sides together and making them their own pony tail, putting her hair up in a loose, hippie style, leaving most of it hanging in wavy curls down to her waist.

"Pulling on it… you're gonna pull it right out one day and then what would you do to bully me?"

He gave her a lopsided grin, tugging on the braided pony tail once before handing her back the brush and shrugging. "Seems like the thing to do when you're being such a brat," he responded before ducking the brush that suddenly was airborne at his head and diving out of the small bathroom, laughter on his lips.

The summer passed quickly with pretty much the same routine daily. Their placement letters came in the mail in mid July; Killian didn't really care which high school he'd been placed at, but he instead of meeting the girls one morning, he instead walked over to where the letter said he'd be going to check the place out. Grade nine meant he was four short years away from being out of the system; he couldn't deny the excitement that came with knowing he was in the last stage of hell before he'd be free.

By the time he headed back to Ruby's at lunch, there was so much squealing coming from the basement that even the ever patient Granny looked frazzled. Killian shot her a raised eyebrow, earning him a small shrug from the old lady before she handed him a sandwich and shoed him down the stairs.

"Ladies, ladies, I know it's impossible not to be excited at my arrival, but really, lower the decibel level, it's just not necessary!" He grinned at them, bowing with a flourish at the bottom stair before hopping over the back of the sofa and slinging an arm around Emma.

"Oh, shut up," she laughed, shoving him away but not before stealing half of his sandwich and taking a huge bite out of it before he could react.

"No, really," Ruby bounced in front of them, their placement letters from the school flapping in her excitement. "Emma got bumped! Emma got bumped!"

Killian laughed uncertainly, looking between the girls, watching as Emma stuffed the last of the sandwich in her mouth and blushed furiously. "Bumped to what?"

"I'm supposed to go to grade seven next year, but because I've gone to so many schools, they say I've learned most of the courses already, so they're skipping me again and putting me in grade eight."

Killian's eyes lit up a brilliant blue as he grinned at her, tugging her into his side for a hug. "Seriously? That's awesome! Means only one more year 'n you'll be in high school too!"

She shrugged, biting her lip. "Yeah, but I'll be like the only twelve year old in high school."

Killian shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, but you'll be going with Ruby 'n I'll already be there."

"Doesn't matter, it's a whole year away anyway," she murmured, her eyes darkening as she looked out the small basement window. "I've never made it a whole year."

Killian's eyes darkened with hers, his cheek twitching as he turned his attention back to his sandwich. He'd never made it an entire year before either.

"Maybe things'll be different this time, guys," Ruby tried, smiling brightly. "I mean, Emma, you've already been with this family for like seven months, right? Maybe they're gonna keep you, 'n then we can all go to high school together."

Emma sighed, offering her friend a weak smile. "Yeah, Rubes, maybe."

"Shit," Killian muttered, dragging a hand over his face as he drew in a deep breath. "C'mon, girls, we gotta get out of here before we really start depressing ourselves. Let's head to my place, we'll hit up my foster mum for snacks 'n try out the new game they got me last night." He nudged Emma's shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "Think she got something for you too, brat. I'm beginning to think she cares more about you than she does me; it's gotta be a female thing: girl's rule and boy's drool 'n all that."

Emma rolled her eyes at his teasing, shoving him back as she climbed off the sofa. "Right, coz you're not completely spoiled living there. You've got those people wrapped around your finger thinking you're this perfect angel."

Killian grinned, shrugging, straightening his shirt with care as he climbed to his feet, his eyes dancing. "Don't know what you're talking about, Ems, I am an angel."

Ruby snorted, shaking her head at the both of them as she followed them up the stairs. "Dark angel."

"Guardian angel."

"Fallen angel!"

"Angel of mercy."

"Archangel!"

"SWEET! He's bad ass!"

"Language, Mr. Jones!"

"Sorry, Mrs. Lucas!"

"Oh my god, what is wrong with boys?"

"What's wrong with girls if you don't think Archangel is seriously cool?"

"UGH!"

Emma let herself be dragged out of her thoughts, giggling along with Ruby as they followed Killian to his house. She hated the fact that she was comfortable in the routine they started; she hated the fact that she was happy with her little group of friends; she hated the fact that she had Killian back when she knew without a doubt it was going to hurt even worse this time when she lost him. On top of it all, she hated the fact that every time he pulled her ponytail she blushed; that every time he nudged her shoulder she couldn't help but bite her lip; that every time he looked at her with his gentle blue eyes she wanted him to wrap his arms around her and just hold her tight.

It was weird. It made her uncomfortable. Sometimes she wished she could talk to someone about it, but she only had Killian and Ruby; talking to Killian was impossible and Ruby would just tease her. It was impossible.

She sighed when he settled down onto his basement sofa next to her, reaching around her for the extra controller and setting up their game. She didn't say anything when he insisted they share a controller, leaving his arm around her shoulder as Ruby grinned at them and wagged her eyebrows at her whenever Killian looked away.

She swallowed and grinned as the game began, chasing away the weird feelings, and hoping against hope that her green eyes didn't betray her every single time she looked up at him. He was her brother, her friend; she was his kid sister and nothing else. He'd never chase her around looking for kisses like Victor always did, but she thought maybe she wouldn't punch him if he ever did try.

She groaned to herself quietly, cursing her stupid thoughts as the others played on, oblivious to her confusion. It wouldn't matter anyway, she told herself, packing her aching heart back tightly into its covers, 'coz one or the other of them would be gone before long.

Enjoy what time you have, Ems, she insisted, careful not to look at him as he nudged her shoulder and handed her the controller.

She smiled at him, her confusing feelings hidden deep away, the mask she wore to keep every person other than Killian at bay shadowing her eyes. She nudged him back and took the controller, poking her little tongue between her teeth and focusing on the game in front of them.

It hurt a little that he didn't even notice the mask slide into place.

~~~TBC~~~

Remember, much like magic all muses come with a price. This muse's price is that little review box down below. Please don't make her chase you for payment, it seems a bloody awful waste of her time, wouldn't you say?