Title: A Life of It

Author: Roguie etc…

Part: 13/?

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, mentions of potential molestation, 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: Something a little more light hearted for those of you who've lived through the angst of the last few days. Oh, and I ended up surprised by the guest characters that appeared in this part! They wrote themselves in and I couldn't stop them! Something about it being their right to be involved in this story… so yeah, there was that. The person I was planning on introducing in this part is now going to have to wait until the next piece! LOL Anyway, this one left me feeling pretty darned good, so instead of a cliffie tonight I'll leave you (hopefully) smiling. Let me know what you're thinking, you know I love to hear from each and every one of you, keeps my muse fed and my soul happy! :D

~~~?~~~

When they came for her in the morning, Killian Jones stood by Emma's side. They tried to excuse themselves as they escorted her to the black van that waited in the hospital parking lot and were met with a firm smile. They tried to take her hand from his and were met with a quiet shake of his head. They tried to tell him he wasn't able to travel with them and they were met with a lifted eyebrow as he climbed into the backseat beside her.

He didn't a single word to either gentleman as they sighed with frustration and shrugged at each other, not bothering with the physical confrontation it would take to remove Killian from their vehicle. He held her hand the entire half an hour it took to get across the city to the police sponsored foster care facility at which she would be spending her next several weeks.

When they arrived, nobody said a word as he took the small bag of belongings Ruby was able to take from Neal's house and drop off at the hospital for her. Nobody was stupid enough to protest as he wrapped his arm around her waist and walked her inside. Nobody even blinked as he took her to the room indicated by the officer on duty.

Emma quietly allowed Killian to take care of her, unpacking her clothes into the small dresser that was provided, making her bed with the linens that laid at the foot, setting out her hairbrush, makeup and bathroom products under the small mirror she had been allowed. His fingers brushed over her cell phone; he had Liam put her on their plan for the time being, quickly changing the sim card, giving the number only to his brother and Ruby before handing her back her lifeline.

"I saved your contacts before changing the sim. If there's someone you want to talk to, all their numbers are still in there." He murmured quietly, finally at a loss for anything else to do as he paced the room.

"Thanks," she murmured in return.

"It's a new number so remember… well, no one but me and Ruby will call."

"Yeah, that's cool."

Killian finally stopped moving. He walked over to her bed and laid down on it, covering his face with his hand, breathing quietly to calm himself. When the bed dipped and Emma crawled in next to him, he pulled her up against him, letting her rest her head against his chest, his ruined hand on her hip.

"It's not so far, Em. At least this time I know where you are, 'n Liam says I can have the truck when he doesn't need it so I can come see you."

She breathed out a shaky gasp, burying her face in his neck, wrapping her arm around his waist. "I… I never had people come see me at one of these places. I… I don't know what the rules are."

He closed his eyes against the wet feel of her silent tears against his skin. "I'm not leaving you here, pretty girl. I promise. No matter what happens, I'm not leaving you here."

Instead of making it better, her tears grew hotter and heavier, her shoulders shaking as she clung to him. His entire body stiffened as she shifted, and an entirely new sensation spread across his skin. Her warm little tongue darted out, slipping through the wet trail of tears she'd left on him, making his eyes roll back in his head as his fingers clenched against her hip.

"Em…" he groaned softly, shifting to put space between them only to find himself trapped in the grip she had around his chest.

She replaced her tongue with warm lips, pressing the softest, sweetest kisses he'd ever felt to his throat, sending a heavy tremor through his body. He didn't stop her, but he did nothing to encourage her, his only movement the tightening of his fingers on her hip and then the gentle stroke of his thumb over the small space of skin that appeared between the hem of her shirt and her jeans.

"Jesus," he breathed out, letting her take from him what she needed to comfort herself, trembling under her touch as he struggled to reign in his reactions.

Finally, she stopped, curling herself against him, tucking the top of her head up under his chin. The long breath that escaped him as she settled against him was somewhere between relief and agony, finally opening his eyes to stare at the cracked ceiling, desperately trying to calm the train wreck that was his heart.

Long, silent minutes passed between them before she shifted, startling him even harder as she rolled on top of him, resting her chin on her clasped hands against his chest, her green eyes looking directly into his.

"Hi," she murmured, searching his face for any sign of what he was thinking.

"Hello, pretty girl," he murmured back, reaching up to run a knuckle across her undamaged cheek.

"You'll text me?"

"Every hour."

"You'll phone me?"

"Every day."

"You'll visit me?"

"Every chance I get, sweetheart."

"I love you," she whispered finally, breathing deep before she climbed off of him and moved towards the single window in her room, looking out over the driveway and the unfamiliar street below.

"I know," he answered back, lifting an eyebrow, his lips curved in a saucy grin.

The sharp bark of laughter that escaped her chest settled over him like a warm blanket and his body relaxed into her bed. "Liam's looking at getting us a lawyer. He's heard of this guy who does PI shit to get his own evidence for trial, so if we can get him on board with us, he'll have a chance at pulling apart Neal's story before they really do press charges."

"His dad isn't going to let that happen," she murmured, still not looking back at him.

"Yeah, well, looks like this guy has been through the foster system himself. Guess he had a pretty rough time of it growing up and started his practice to help people who had no one on their side. From what Liam says, he's gone up against Neal's dad before on some kind of business deal that went bad and he's not afraid to do it again."

"Sounds too good to be true," she muttered, the bitterness she felt at life coming through loud and clear.

"Hey, pretty girl, we're not asking for a fairy tale happy ending here, we just need someone on our side that's willing to fight for you."

She looked over her shoulder at him, so sad and lost in this new room, knowing that pretty soon someone would come upstairs and ask Killian to leave. "I'd like a happy ending some day."

He smiled at her, nodding his agreement as he moved to sit on the side of her bed. "Yeah, me too, Princess. How about once this is over, we go find ours, hmm?"

She giggled softly, moving across the room to step between his legs, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him to her. "What's your happy ending, Pirate?" she asked saucily as she flung herself down on her bed, flipping to her back and taking his damaged hand into her own, running soft fingers over scarred flesh.

"Don't you know, Emma?" He shrugged, his gaze traveling from her fingers against his destroyed flesh to the window she'd just been looking out. "It's you."

He heard her sharp intake of breath. When his eyes met hers again, he saw the tears building there, but the absolute awe that shone in the green sea of her gaze told him that they were startled, happy tears. His heart tumbled in his chest and his lips were forced into a smile. After taking a moment to memorize the pure joy that lit up every beautiful feature of her face, Killian smiled down at her gently and climbed to his feet. He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers softly, stealing a gentle, innocent kiss before moving to her door.

"I'd best be going before your wardens come to bodily escort me from the premises," he chuckled, not the least bit surprised with the house mother appeared in the hallway as if summoned.

"It is just about time to have Emma settle in and meet the other children in the house," the pixie like woman smiled up at him warmly.

Killian looked at her in confusion for a moment, finding his own lips curving in a smile to meet hers automatically. Something about the warm look on her face put him instantly at ease and helped to chase away the reservations he held at leaving Emma alone.

"I was just on the way out, ma'am," he replied with respect, not wanting to rock Emma's boat any harder than it was already rocking.

"Just stop and talk to David before you leave," she continued to smile at him, nudging him towards the stairs. "He'll put you on the approved visitor list. You can stop by any time between 10 and 9pm. Unfortunately, because of Emma's current situation we're not allowed to let her leave, but with time…" Her voice trailed off, glancing towards Emma through the doorway of her room.

"I understand. Thank you for the consideration…"

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Mary Margaret Nolan." She reached for Killian's left hand to shake it before noticing the damage. A light blush covered her cheeks before she switched hands and shook his right hand warmly. "My husband, David, and I run this house." She began walking with him down the stairs, Killian blinked as she continued talking distractedly. "David used to work in security at the jailhouse in town. When we were married, we wanted children, but you know fate, it has this way of stepping in and saying no when you want something. So, we decided that we would fill our lives with children through foster care. After time, we realized that some of the kids being processed through juvenile hall had no place to go, and no one to stand up for them. They were just being lost in the cracks of the system. So, he quit the jail, and we turned this house into kind of something like a halfway house, but for kids in trouble. They're good kids, mostly. Just scared and alone." She trailed off, realizing suddenly how much she'd said as they'd walked. "Oh, dear. You'll have to excuse me. David tells me that I would never know if my jaw broke since it's always flapping." She giggled lightly. "Oh! There he is now. David?"

Killian just followed along silently, processing the information she'd given him, shaking his head with amusement.

"David, this young man came with Emma Swan this morning. We need to put him on her visitor list." She stopped suddenly, her eyes going wide as she covered her mouth in surprise. "Oh, I never even asked your name!"

Killian couldn't help but chuckle, closing his eyes for a moment before smiling at her warmly. "Killian, ma'am. Killian Jones."

"Killian. Great! And you're Emma's…?" Her voice trailed off again, and for a moment Killian looked at her in confusion, at a complete loss as to what to say.

"Boyfriend."

The word came from the stairs behind them, Emma smiling at him apologetically as she shrugged.

"He's my boyfriend."

David looked between Killian and Emma, his mouth pursed down, his blue eyes dark and disapproving. "Aren't you a little old to be her boyfriend?" He questioned quietly, directly behind Killian's ear, making the boy stiffen.

"Um, I suppose if a stranger is looking in on us, then yes, they would likely think that."

Emma's sharp voice broke in once more. "There's less than three years between us, which is nothing when you compare that to the fact we've been in each other's lives since I was four. Eleven years trumps three any day."

David blinked in surprise as he looked at her and finally shrugged. "This house has a strict no sex rule."

Emma and Mary Margaret both gasped in shock, while Killian turned three shades of red, all the way to the tips of his ears.

"DAVID NOLAN!"

"Oh my god!"

Killian coughed sharply, scratching at the back of his ear before moving his right hand to his left, twisting the scarred flesh and bone nervously as David stared him down unapologetically.

"I… I'm sure your rules are in place for a good reason," Killian swallowed hard, avoiding David's eyes as he looked desperately at the front door of the house. "I shall endeavor to, um, follow the rules to the best of my ability."

"Yeah, you do that."

Killian cast an apologetic look up the stairs at Emma, the blush refusing to fade from his cheeks even as her eyes sparked with both amusement and defiance. "Call me tonight, pretty girl."

"As soon as I get a chance."

"Goodbye, pretty boy," David's hand landed on Killian's arm, directing him towards the front door.

"I prefer dashing rapscallion," Killian managed to get out as David shoved him through the door, leaving both Emma and Mary Margaret giggling in amusement as David scowled, slamming the door the moment Killian was clear of it.

When he left Emma's new house, he was surprised at how much better he felt about the entire situation. Killian had a bounce in his step that he hadn't carried in a very long time, and the smile that graced his features as he waited for the city bus was honest and true.

He told himself it had nothing to do with the fact Emma had identified him as her boyfriend. Nope, nothing at all.

~~~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?