Today

It had been several weeks since their move into the new apartment and Killian had enjoyed working with the woman he loved on turning it into their home. It was different than having her moving into his place where everything had already been set, even though he had told her right from the start that they could move things around and throw stuff out if she didn't like it. Now it was their new start and even though they had a few discussions about where some items fit best or whether they fit at all into their apartment, they both seemed happy with how things had turned out.

Their focus had been on the nursery, of course, even though Emma had changed her mind about what color she wanted it to be repeatedly. A pale yellow had been the winner in the end, making the small room look bright and cheerful, and Killian saw the little smile whenever Emma set a foot inside it, telling him that it had been the right choice.

When Killian arrived at home after work, he found Emma sitting on the sofa, apparently completely focused on the book she was reading. He could hear the rummaging in the kitchen, where Ruth was preparing dinner.

Emma's mother had taken up residence in the spare bedroom, that had originally been intended to be his, once they had only been two days away from Emma's due date. It was meant as a precaution in case he was at work when she went into labor. Neither they nor her mother liked the idea of Emma being alone when it started. Not to mention Ruth's simple statement that she sure as hell wouldn't miss the birth of her first grandchild. The first night of Ruth's stay Killian had seriously considered sleeping on the sofa, since he hadn't wanted things to be awkward between them. Despite the lie they had told her family, sleeping under the same roof as Ruth made him feel like a teenager again and it seemed too strange to share a bed with Emma when her mother was sleeping down the hall. But when it was time to go to bed, Emma had simply taken his hand after saying goodnight to Ruth and steered him toward their bedroom.

That had been a week ago and their little princess was still taking her time to make her great entrance into this world. Emma's due date had come and gone and with every passing day she seemed more annoyed and more uncomfortable. Ruth had assured her that it wasn't unusual for a baby to arrive after the due date and Killian was doing his best to help her relax and make her feel better, but Emma's mood didn't improve.

Killian walked toward her and, when Emma lowered her book at his approach, leaned down to kiss her. "Hello, my love," he said, cupping her cheek with his hand and trying to smooth out the lines on her forehead with his thumb. "Is she still giving you a hard time?"

Her answering look would have made him laugh if Emma wasn't feeling so miserable.

He kissed her once more, before straightening up again. "I'm just gonna go and see if I can help your mom."

"Alright," Emma said and returned to her book.

When he approached Ruth, the older woman smiled at him before telling him to get the table ready.

They spent the evening watching some TV and talking, although Emma left most of the talking to her mother and him. Once or twice, when Killian glanced at her, she had her eyes closed and he thought that she had fallen asleep. But then she opened her eyes again and snuggled closer against him.

Ruth was the first to go to bed, wishing them a good night before leaving them.

"So… you have any ideas how we can bribe her to finally get out?" Emma asked him quietly.

Killian laughed. "Unfortunately not," he told her and moved his hand to stroke over her belly. "Believe me, if I knew any way to make you feel less uncomfortable I wouldn't hesitate to do it."

Emma sighed. "I know."

They continued watching TV a little longer, but when Emma started dozing off for real, Killian convinced her that they should head to bed as well.

11 years ago

Killian was walking around the new neighborhood he and his mother had moved into, trying to familiarize himself with the area that seemed so different from the city he had lived the first ten years of his life. He wasn't sure how he felt about this change, even though he understood that it was necessary for his mother's new job.

He hated that the move meant saying goodbye to his friends, even though they promised to stay in touch. It just wouldn't be the same compared to seeing them every day.

But he wouldn't hold it against his mom, who was doing her best to make life for them as good as possible on her own. His memories of his father were hazy at best, after he had walked out of their lives when Killian was just two years old, never to be seen or heard of again.

He was so lost in his thoughts, that he only noticed the blonde girl, when she ran into him. They both stumbled backwards and she would have fallen if Killian hadn't reached out to grab her arm and keep her steady.

She looked at him with big green eyes and Killian was just about to apologize for not paying attention to where he was walking, when he heard a voice shout: "Emma!"

She looked over her shoulder and Killian followed her gaze, seeing someone running down the street in their direction.

"You didn't see me!" she told him and then she disappeared around the corner.

Killian was still standing in the same spot, when a blonde boy stopped in front of him, trying to catch his breath.

"Have you seen my sister?" he asked, a ridiculously stern expression on his face.

Trying not to glance to where she had disappeared, he shook his head and said: "I didn't see anyone."

The boy looked at him for a moment, apparently trying to decide whether he believed him or not. It seemed as if Killian had been convincing enough, because the boy shrugged and then asked: "You're the new kid, right? I've seen you in school yesterday."

Killian grimaced, hating being called that. "I'm Killian."

"David Nolan. My mom, my sister and I live just down the street." He pointed somewhere behind himself. "You can come over if you want to hang out with someone. And if you need help getting around in school, just let me know."

"Thanks," Killian said, not sure what to think of that offer.

"Well, I've got to search for my sister. I guess I'll see you around school."

Killian only managed to get out a 'sure' before David ran off in search of his sister.

The moment he was out of sight, Killian said: "You can come out, Emma."

A moment later she joined him again. "How did you know I was still there?"

Killian shrugged. "I just did." He lifted a hand and picked a leaf from her hair that must have gotten caught there when she was hiding in the shrubs. "So, why are you hiding from your brother?"

"Because he's an idiot."

He laughed. "I heard brothers can be like that."

For a moment he thought she was about to smile, but then the serious expression was back in place. "He thinks he can tell me what to do because he's older and thinks he's smarter."

"Well, I think he's got that last bit wrong."

This time she actually did smile and Killian couldn't help but return her smile.

The smile on her face disappeared quickly though. "I better go back home before my mom comes back from the store. But, as David said, you can come over whenever you want. He might like some help getting the progress on his video games back that got accidentally deleted."

Killian laughed. "So that's why he's been yelling?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied and grinned. "Bye, Killian."

"I'll see you soon, Emma," he promised and watched her run off, the blonde hair flying in the wind.

Maybe it wouldn't be too difficult to make new friends after all.

Today

He woke, when he felt a hand gripping his tightly.

"Killian?"

It was the hint of fear in her voice that made him sit up right away.

"What's wrong?"

"I think she's coming," Emma said and looked at him. Even in the darkness of their bedroom he could see the panicked look in her eyes.

"Alright… ok… I think…" Killian stopped himself from rambling on, taking a deep breath to calm down. He couldn't freak out now when Emma needed him. But somehow everything they had planned for this situation had vanished from his mind. "I'm gonna go and wake your mom," he finally decided. Having another person helping and knowing what they should expect seemed just right to him.

But just when he was about to get up, Emma's grip on his hand tightened even more as another contraction hit her.

Killian stayed right where he was, trying to help her through the pain while at the same time attempting to pay attention to how long it lasts.

Once her grip loosened again, he kissed her temple, stroking her hair back, before climbing out of bed to wake Ruth.

Emma's mother dressed quickly before joining them. She sat down next to Emma, calmly asking her questions, while Killian was standing around, unsure what to do. Another contraction started and Killian was right at Emma's side in a second, thinking he saw a tiny smile on Ruth's face.

Once it was over, Ruth said: "You probably should get dressed, I'll go and get the car." Without waiting for their reply, she grabbed the bag they had packed a few weeks ago for this situation and left the bedroom.

When her mother had left the room, Emma looked at Killian and she didn't have to say a word for him to know that she was scared.

With a gentle smile he stroked her hair back, assuring her that he was going to be right there with her before placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Let's get ready to meet our baby girl," he said before getting up to search for some clothes.

Even though their daughter had suddenly seemed in a rush to join them when they were back home, once they had reached the hospital and the doctor had examined Emma, he told them that it might take a little longer before they could finally welcome their little girl. They settled into their room, Ruth trying her best to distract both her daughter and Killian. But whenever another wave of pain hit Emma, Killian forgot everything else.

It was already early morning, when the doctor finally said that it was time. Ruth kissed her daughter's forehead before going out to inform David that he was about to be an uncle.

Killian stayed right at Emma's side, only letting go of her hand when it was absolutely necessary and taking it once more the moment he could. He was whispering encouragements, brushing her hair out of her face with his fingertips and kissing the crown of her head.

He was amazed by the strength she was showing, but not surprised. He had always known that she was one of the strongest persons he knew. And she was just proving that once again.

The moment they heard their daughter's cry, Emma leaned back, her eyes closed to hold back tears. Killian pressed a kiss to her lips, unable to put his feelings into words right then. Once the doctor had finished examining her, they finally allowed Emma to hold their daughter and the moment she was in her arms the tears were allowed to flow freely.

5 weeks ago – Emma

Emma woke to the sound of Killian quietly talking to the baby inside her and kept her eyes shut, just listening to him as he told a story. It had become a habit for him during the past weeks and she just loved listening to him. And by the way she felt how her daughter reacted whenever Killian talked to her, Emma was certain that she loved it too.

"I know you're awake, love," Killian said and pressed a kiss to her belly.

"I didn't want to disturb your conversation," she replied with a smile when Killian sat up and leaned toward her to catch her lips in a kiss.

"You could never disturb us."

"You say that now, but I can already picture the two of you teaming up on me," Emma told him.

He chuckled and kissed her again, his lips lingering on hers a little longer than before. "I promise that I will try to not completely spoil her. But I can't predict how successful I'll be with that if she's even half as irresistible as her mother."

Before Emma could form a reply, he was kissing her again and this time it was more than just a peck on the lips. Her hand moved to the back of his neck, her fingers playing with his hair while his tongue brushed over her bottom lip, asking for entrance.

It had been almost two months, since he and Milah broke up. Almost two months since they had finally admitted that it was more than simple friendship between them. And she still hadn't got used to finally be able to kiss him whenever she liked, although she certainly did take advantage of that. But so did Killian.

Emma only interrupted the kiss, when another need was taking over and she excused herself to use the bathroom. When she reemerged Killian was already busy in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.

It was later that day when they once again approached the subject of finding a name for the baby. Ever since they had settled into their new apartment they had tried to come up with something suitable for their little girl, but it seemed almost impossible. There were quite a few names that were dismissed directly because she associated them with girls from school she didn't like. Others were too old-fashioned or too modern for their taste.

Emma leaned back against the cushions, staring at the ceiling in frustration. "Maybe we should just number them. She's One, the next Two…"

"The next?" Killian asked, a hint of amusement in his voice and Emma felt the heat rise to her cheeks. "Are you already planning ahead?"

For a moment Emma struggled to find the words to answer him. As close as their relationship had grown in the past weeks, one essential part of making a baby hadn't happened yet. It wasn't for lack of attraction because Emma certainly wasn't blind and had thought of the possibility of having sex with Killian quite a few times in the last couple of years. And ever since they had crossed the line between friendship and romance Killian had shown her that he wanted her like that as well. What was holding them back was Emma not wanting to be so very pregnant, when they finally did have sex for the first time. She wanted to feel comfortable and be able to enjoy it.

"I mean hypothetically… If we ever want… In some very distant future…" She knew she was babbling and forced herself to stop, closing her eyes to not see his reaction.

She only opened them again, when she felt Killian's hand cupping her cheek, gently making her look at him. "I kind of like the idea. But I'm sure that we'll come up with better names than One and Two." He paused, suddenly seeming insecure. "I want to make a suggestion, but I want you to know that either way I'm ok with what you decide."

Emma tensed, nervous about what he was going to say. "Alright."

"I know she's not my flesh and blood, but I want there to be no doubt about whether I regard her as my child. So while we still can't decide on her first name, may I propose a last name?"

Emma was staring at him, trying to hold back her smile a little longer to clarify that she understood him correctly. "Are you serious?"

He nodded. "I could understand it if you want to stick with Nolan. But yes, I am serious. You and this little one are my family. It only seems fitting to share a name."

Emma decided the implication behind his words regarding herself, for now. It was far too early for that in their relationship. But that he wanted her daughter – their daughter – to share his name and make it obvious even for strangers that they were a family, meant a lot to Emma.

Instead of replying him with words, she reached up and pulled him toward her and when their lips met, she put everything into it to make certain he understood her answer.

Today

Killian found it almost impossible to take his eyes off the little girl in his arms. During all the times he had imagined this moment in the past weeks and months, he hadn't been able to come anywhere near to how it really felt.

He had known that he would love this baby, because she was a part of Emma and there simply was no way he could not love her. But this little girl had managed to grab a hold of his heart in a way that only one other person had.

"You look good with a baby in your arms," Emma said quietly and when Killian managed to look away from the one love of his life long enough to look at the other, there was a little smile on her lips.

"Are you trying to tell me I don't look good without one?" he asked her teasingly and returned her smile, earning himself a simple "Idiot" from Emma.

"Yeah, but you love me anyway," he stated, his eyes on her face, and Emma didn't have to say anything for him to know that he was right. It was written in every look and every smile she was giving him.

A knock on the door interrupted their little moment and after Emma told their visitor to come in, Ruth, David and Mary Margaret joined them.

"Permission to meet my granddaughter?" Ruth asked and after Emma nodded she quickly closed the distance to Killian, who got up from his chair to offer it to Ruth after letting her take the baby from him. While she and Mary Margaret were swooning over the little girl, David was keeping a little distance, but even he couldn't hide that meeting his little niece had quite the impact on him and his eyes kept wandering from his niece to Mary Margaret. Killian walked around the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress, Emma immediately moving closer to lean against him. His arm moved around her shoulders and she reached up to take his hand.

"What's her name?" Mary Margaret finally asked and Killian gently squeezed Emma's hand to tell her to go ahead.

"Her name is Clara Emilia Jones," Emma told them and Killian pressed his lips to the crown of her head.

Ruth looked from her daughter to Killian before returning her gaze to her granddaughter. "Clara," she said, her finger stroking over the little cheek. "I like it."

The others left, when Emma started to doze off, the exhaustion of an almost sleepless night and childbirth finally catching up with her. Killian felt tired as well, but even though a nurse had stopped by earlier to take Clara away for a while, he couldn't bring himself to go home just yet.

He looked at the woman who had been such an important part of his life for the last eleven years and all he could think was that he had been fooling himself for too long. She had kept a hold on his heart ever since the moment she had first run into him, when he was just ten years old and the new kid around. And that part would always belong to her.

Thanks to the lovely persons who left name suggestions, it was a great help :-)

I'm sorry it took me so long to finish this, but I got stuck and was unhappy with what I wrote for a long time. I hope that the final result isn't too disappointing.