Looking After You Chapter 6: VI: Lost Children Found, an once upon a time fanfic

(A/N: Hullo to you ladies and gents, and we're finally back! My ban's over and I have an extra-long chapter here today to kind of make up for it! Again, apologies for the wait, and I really hope you enjoy the three-chapters-in-one today! It truly is exciting, isn't it?

Oh, I should probably remind you about this, shouldn't I?

Okay, so don't freak out too much, but there won't be any updates until Christmas Eve (which, really, isn't that long from now). The thing is, i'm doing an upload for this story on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (because I have a midnight mass on Christmas Eve and it really depends on what country you live in to the time to you read it. It's one HUGE chapter), and then on New Years Eve and New Years Day, with perhaps a small one in between *hopefully if I have time*. You can feel special now. :P Hey, consider it as a internet-present from me to you, but hell am I going to be a busy writer for the next few days, so bless me with anything you can, I guess. The upload might not be exactly on the special day, though, depending where you live, depending on where you live if I upload in the morning.

You see, I live in Australia, and, for example, if you live in the States (where i'm originally from, other than the Philippines, which really shouldn't be mentioned at this point), you might receive the update like 6-8 hours in advance. If you're up that late/early, you'll be in for a treat! Good luck to me~

Btw, call me Evan (I'll edit my name through the chapters in the story, lol). I'm not a guy nor called Evan but my sister and my friends call me that and now I love it. :P I'm weird, I know.)

Warnings: Cringe-worthy pun included. Tiny amount of angst and some dark humour because i'm writing it my way. :P

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that associates with ABC's brilliant programme Once Upon a Time, or anything you recognise here, because obviously gaben doesn't love me enough for that ;p; (but I still have the steamarino hehe). And if you're reading this and you're like "WHAT THE ACTUAL FAHK?" It's okay if you don't understand what I wrote just now ^.^; Apologies for my craziness in advance.

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Emma was very fond of children and their eagerness to thrive and love and learn.

Especially when they all looked so much like her. Lost, desperate for love, caring, and so, so innocent - how the world worked its ways, she didn't know. Emma wished that no-one could ever experience the same sadness she had when she was their age, and instead receive the education and love they truly deserved in their life.

Even though she had a job as a lawyer/detective already, she couldn't help but notice what the world really looked like. Every weekend, as well as sometimes a weekday or two, Emma went to Neverland (the blonde did, in fact, love tales as such and it was just so fitting), an independent, non-profit community and organisation for the less fortunate that she and her friends had committed to making and blooming, taken from foster homes, orphanages, and even off of the street. Those who accepted Neverland's help was eternally grateful, no matter what age, race, or religion they believed in, that place had benefited them so much when they were seemingly unwanted in the world, and here they were, accepting them into a world of love and hope in open arms.

There were many members (who basically ran the place) in Neverland, which included Emma and her friends, so that they could still keep the place running with electricity, clean water, food - that sort of stuff, and still continue to be a non-profit place. It was hard, but so very worth it. The kids were lovely, surprisingly, the families that were once broken were fixed with the glue of love and home sticking them back together, and values were taught to provide them with knowledge for the rest of their lives.

No-one had to be alone on anything - they made sure of that.

Every family was put back together, every child adopted and cared for, every day passing by with total success. It wasn't easy doing what they did, but hell did she know that this was what she was meant to do and how this would influence the world one step at a time was part of it.

Then, Neverland began to be quite the talk of America. There were interviews, newspaper articles, TV programmes - every form of publicity out there, and wow did everyone like the idea. The government soon saw the benefit of this place for all of the desperate children and families who lived there, and gave Neverland both a new housing facility (which was bigger and better than the previous one they'd been using) a large amount of money, and, most workers in the community teary-eyed, used it for the expenses they needed to pay. They were so glad that this small group of people with just an idea made such an impact on the world.

It was bliss.

Now, many more supporters of the Neverland community wanted to pitch in. Some donated money, some clothes and other various resources, and some wanted to become a part of it.

Interviews were to be held quite a while later, but how exhilarating it was to just look at the amount of people wanting to benefit the world!

But there were only so many spots to help in Neverland (which Emma refused to believe, as she thought that there was always a part for some one, even just the little details), and so many people...

But that was something she could worry about later. Emma got to work once more.

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...

Emma. Emma Swan...

Killian scrolled down on the list of Emmas on the website he'd been using. And yes, he'd been internet-stalking this girl for the last twenty (or so) minutes. He couldn't help it, honestly.

And then he found her.

Emma, in her profile picture, was standing, laughing in a selfie pose, with supposedly friends laughing along with her, some serious-looking, some in silly positions, and it made Killian laugh too, as some he recognised from her workplace he'd been in two days prior.

The internet. Classic.

From looking upon the page, Killian soon grew to know Emma a bit more each post she made. Today's post was about...

Neverland? Sure, he was a Peter Pan fan, but a girl like her being obsessed with something like that should sort of just remain in one's childhood.

But then Killian read further into the post. Neverland - an organisation that gives to the less fortunate. Here, we, as a community, care and teach those who aren't as fortunate as many of us. We strive to give children, lost families hope in what seems like the worst. Give love. Give education. Give what they need, here.

Job spots are open to everyone! Sign up online or live in person here at Neverland!

How Killian wished something like this could've arrived in the world sooner, when he and Liam were children, scrounging, begging for food scraps on the streets. His childhood without parents, without anyone or anything in fact, was a dark time, but he - they worked hard. They tried to educate themselves, learn how to cook, to sell items, and soon, they were finally admitted to a home (the area that the two brothers lived in was very trashy indeed. It had no orphanages and no police at that time, and was a poor town in general to live in, unluckily as it was). They were happy most of the time, but eventually moved to Storybrooke when they were of age.

At least children in this era could have what they should. He was content with the idea of having a community that was Neverland, and knew that the future of this place would be something to admire.

And Emma was a part of it. From the way her eyes looked, from the way it seemed so lost and forlorn, like a beautiful sadness never told before, Killian could tell that she was one of them. One of him.

But everything finds its place, he realized.

("In the circle of life," Killian muses, glad he wasn't in public to report the Lion King reference out loud.)

And soon enough, he'll find his place, too.

But surely not alone.

...

Emma yawned, slamming her hand down on the irritatingly noisy clock on her bedside table.

Wait, 8:30? It was Friday, her literal only day off of the week, and the alarm set. The universe really had it out for her, didn't it?

She threw her head back onto her pillow, groaning obnoxiously. Pulling the covers up over her head like a child, Emma swore that she was going to fall back to sleep, get some much-needed rest, and hopefully she could have some peace.

But when she was awake, she was awake. It was just so unfortunate she didn't have the willpower to just get up already. Emma stretched out her arms in front of her, still lying down, attempting in vain to sit up, do something. But, alas, it was of no use. Her laziness was overpowering her, and honestly that was how she woke up every day.

Since she couldn't reach her coffee-maker from her room to the kitchen, Emma contemplated, thought, contentedly, about everything and anything.

The man slipped her thoughts.

She didn't believe he was going to be a part of her life anytime soon, even after two solid (sort of) encounters. Most of the men who'd entered her life came to do the worst, but she admitted that she wouldn't be the person she was without them screwing her up. Being broken was a fact of life. Nothing's a walk through Candyland, sugar, (see what I did there? ;)) and you have to go through that scary forest some time. That didn't mean life was always like that, though.

The blonde had found friends, things that interested her, a place that made her feel welcome - anything anyone could've asked for, really.

But all she lacked was a love life. She scoffed. It was true, but being single's awesome and ain't nobody gonna shame her for that! She was an independent woman who don't need no guardrails!

(PREACH IT!)

That didn't mean she wasn't interested in having a relationship any time in her life, though. She just didn't appreciate the fact that in the society she lived in, people NEED to have this and NEED to have that, and are just so self-centred and materialistic that you just HAVE to be something that you're not. The stereotypes, the cliques, the person you have to be was a chore of life. But Emma liked the fact that she was different, even though people didn't necessarily always like that about her. However, people didn't HAVE to like her. The blonde had her friends, and felt as if she didn't need any more. Having another enemy was a part of growing, because no matter how hard one tries, everyone has their own idea of perfect and nobody can ever fill everyone's standards.

Like any other girl, she wanted her Prince Charming to come and save her, supposedly sweep her off her feet. But life wasn't like fairy tales. Sometimes the ladies need to do the saving for once. Still, it was nice to imagine a life of that sort, with a happily ever after and an end to a perfect life. In fact, Emma wished she could live that life ever since she was little, and her imagination was a force to be reckoned with. She would never admit that to anyone, though. It was her secret fantasy that she never had.

It was pleasant to wish.

And so, after all that thinking, Emma got out of bed, an unwanted smile adorning her face prettily. She made a mental note to knock it off her face soon, but, alas, she couldn't help but think that...

Maybe that new guy could be different. Be a part of her life like she imagined. Confirm all of her suspicions that he was perfect. Love her and her him. Go against everything she'd just thought, believed to be just a dream, a myth.

She hadn't even met him yet, but perhaps.

Just...

...Perhaps.

(A/N: I don't know whether or not that was long, but I still hope you enjoyed this! :D I certainly did, especially after I just got off school (yeah, we end late here ^.^;) and all. Haha, i'm not even gonna miss my classmates at all. xD Enjoy your holidays, folks, and until next time, my friends...)

Pine for the next special chapter of...

~ Looking After You ~