Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT or the characters no copyright infringement is intended
Colin Inherits Magic
Nervous and restless Colin paced the living room and kitchen. He did not know what was going on. He was full of energy that felt completely foreign but also completely natural. It was disconcerting and preventing him from settling down to any activity. Unfortunately, he had no on to help distract him. Kerry was bogged with a paper, Mark was having a family day, and Catie and Kili had told him in no uncertain terms to get lost and stay lost. Both of his parents were at work but at least Liam was with Henry until he had to be picked up for dinner. He did not feel up to dealing with his little brother today. The strongest jolt yet, which seemed to shoot out along all his nerve endings, nearly knocked him off his feet. Through his wavering vision the couch seemed a long way away. Closing his eyes, he wished he was in his favorite armchair. Suddenly he was seated in that chair. His eyes shot open as the waves of energy seemed to be settling into every bone in his body. The explanation hit him like a bullet. Magic. He just did Magic! His heartbeat accelerated as did his breathing. "Catie!" He yelled, leaping from the chair. His twin would help ground him. Next thing he knew he was outside her closed bedroom door. "Catie!" Desperately he threw the door open.
She jumped from where she had been sitting on her bed, cuddling with Kili. "I told you to leave us alone," she spits out at him.
Trying to gain control of his breathing and panic he stretched a hand out to her. "I- "
"Out," she slammed the door on him, locking him out.
He could still feel the magic coursing through him, stronger than ever as it was settling into him as he wrapped his arms tightly around himself, shaking. He and Catie never ignored each other. The tremors were growing stronger. His father was tied up in harbor matters today. While he would never turn him away Colin knew how important the trade they were working on was to Storybrooke's future. But he needed help now. Closing his eyes, he willed himself to his second home. Hopefully Kerry and Aunt Regina would not turn him away. They never had before, but Catie had never had either and she was his twin!
"Colin!" He opened eyes which he had not even realized he closed to see Kerry jumping off her bed, knocking her notebook off the bed in her haste. She glanced around. "Did you just magic yourself here?"
All he could do was nod, his breathing and heartbeat accelerating even more. He couldn't focus! Everything was blurring and he was shaking+99
"Mom!" Kerry yelled, pushing Colin down on her bed and unceremoniously shoving her research books to the floor. Her best friend was her first priority. "Just breathe with me, Colin." She deliberately pushed her panic to the back of her mind, focusing on her breathing as she forced Colin to look at her. "Mom!" She shrieked again as Colin appeared ready to pass out. "You're going to be fine," she reassured him.
"Kerry, you do not have to ye- "Regina cut off her scolding as soon as she saw the shaking, hyperventilating boy staring blankly at Kerry. For the first time she could recall he was completely ignoring her daughter's efforts to gain his attention. "What happened?"
Barely glancing over her shoulder in acknowledgment Kerry kept her attention fully on Colin. "He just poofed here. What is wrong?" She had never seen her active best friend so lost and stricken.
Eyes on Colin Regina only nodded. "Text Uncle Killian that he is needed here." Before she could protest she held up her hand. "You know he will always put his family's well-being in front of anything else."
For a moment Kerry almost protested but decided she would get her answers later. Right now Colin needed her mom. Pulling out her phone she sent the requested text.
Pausing only long enough to be sure Kerry was making the requested call Regina crouched in front of the twelve-year-old who appeared on the brink of passing out. She could not recall ever seeing him this out of sorts. Colin was always the collected one no matter the situation. Much like his father. "You need to breathe," she reminded him. When he did not even respond she quickly decided on a different tack. "Colin Christopher Jones!" she snapped.
His eyes shot up to meet hers, but his ragged breathing barely changed. Out of the corner of her eye she was aware of Kerry sitting down beside him, leaning against him in quiet support. "It is not a part of me, yet it is." His blue eyes, so like Killian's, rose to meet hers. The pain and confusion in them took her back almost thirteen years to the last time she had seen that panic in a set of matching eyes. He wrapped his arms around himself, rocking slightly.
Before anything else could be said Killian burst into the room, quickly kneeling beside Regina. His hands went to his son's shoulders. "Colin," his voice commanded attention. When the boy's eyes slowly lifted to his he gently prodded him. "You need to slow down your breathing." He could sense the magic, his magic, coursing through Colin.
"I-I can't," he managed to pant out. "I do not feel like me."
Killian shifted his hand so it was cupping Colin's cheek. He could feel the restless, not yet settled magic moving through him. Reaching inside himself he felt the slight diminishment of his magic, but not enough to match what he felt inside his son. "It will be okay," he reassured him, recalling even now the unsettling feeling of foreign magic running through him. The panic he had felt deep inside that he struggled to keep hidden. If Belle had not been there for him to focus on and to distract him from what was going on in his body, he did not know if he would have reacted any better than Colin was. "It will settle in a couple of days and feel like it was always a part of you. Focus on us and take control of your breathing."
His middle boy could only shake his head. "No. I can't control it. I've poofed twice without meaning to. Who knows what I will do by just thinking about it?" As he talked his breathing slowly evened out.
"Magic doesn't work that way," Kerry assured him. "You have to focus and really want something. It still doesn't always work for me."
Regina gave her daughter a smile and squeezed her knee. "Uncle Killian's and now Colin's works a little different." She looked at her nephew in all but blood. "But Kerry is right. Magic is not that easy. Right now your magic is on a high as it settles in. You can and will learn to control it. Your father did."
His breathing continuing to slow down to normal Colin looked at his father curiously at the comment. This was not something he had ever thought to ask.
"What did you do?" Kerry asked for him. "We've heard how you got magic but never about learning to use it."
Hand still on Colin's cheek, trying to help calm the still restless magic, Killian nodded his agreement. "I was knocked out when the magic entered me. Before I was even fully awake I threw up a shield that Rumpelstiltskin bounced off. Once I was awake with barely a thought I sent Syndrome to the jail and Belle and I back to our home. Once the magic settles you will learn how to use it. It did not manifest so easily but was still there." He tilted Colin's chin up to be sure his son heard and understood his next words. "It will become a natural part of you that you will learn to control. With practice it will be just like dancing or throwing a ball."
Kerry smiled at him. "Now we can have magic lessons together like we have dance lessons. They will be much more fun with a friend."
Suddenly barely able to keep his eyes open Colin only nodded, yawning. "That could be fun."
"Let's get you home," Killian said, reaching to pull Colin up. He knew the boy would not stand to be carried, even in his currently exhausted state. Killian was surprised when he pulled away with a sharp shake of his head. "Colin?"
Colin refused to meet his father's eyes. "Catie is there, with Kili. She ordered me away when I went to her for help."
Killian's eyes narrowed for a moment before he carefully smoothed out his expression and kept his voice calm. "Why don't your rest here then?" he asked after seeing Regina's quick nod of invitation.
"He can rest here," Kerry announced, gathering her research material and moving it to the desk. "I won't ever let some boy come between me and my best friend."
Colin was asleep and Kerry at her desk working before the two adults had left the room. Regina led him to the sitting room, pouring a glass of water for the two of them. "Well now we know the fairies were right and your magic chose another host. Colin is your magical heir."
All Killian could do was nod, staring into his water as though hypnotized. "It is definitely my magic, but my power levels have not dropped by much. I can feel Colin's growing stronger and stabilizing even now, but there was not an equal lessening of my own magic."
Taking a sip of her water Regina leaned back in her chair. "We are still learning about your magic and how it manifests. Neither I nor the fairies have ever found a record of anyone getting magic the way you did. Colin will be fine. We will teach him ow to use his magic responsibly. Today was mostly shock I would guess. After that first initial surge you did not have any uncontrolled bursts, it took focus."
At her reminder Killian nodded. "I can still remember and feel vividly the feel of the foreign magic coursing through me. The combination of exhaustion and elation. It was overwhelming." He was silent a moment. "I am more concerned about Catie completely blowing Colin off when he went to her. That has never happened before, even in the midst of their worst arguments. They have always been there for each other."
Not sure what to say Regina could only shrug sympathetically. Her children were far enough apart in age that she had never needed to deal with the sibling relationship that Colin and Catie had. She had always just been glad that Kerry had the pair and Mark to be pseudo siblings. "Maybe they are just growing up and growing apart."
"I know that may one day happen, but not so soon and not so suddenly. They have always leaned on their twin bond." He paused eyes shifting to meet Regina's. "What bothers me most is that Colin had to be frantic and she ignored him. If it had been an emergency, or Colin had not managed to get himself here, the results could have been dire." Taking a deep breath, he finished his water and rose. "This is about more than just siblings drifting apart, this is sheer callousness that I did not think her or Kili were capable of. You are sure you do not mind Colin staying?"
Also rising Regina took the glass. "No. It won't be the first time I have dealt with accidental magic. And I saw that shield you put up to prevent him from accidently poofing. I'll put up an extra layer of protection just to be safe. We never tested to see if you could poof through your own shields." Noticing the look in his eyes she smiled. "Go check on him before you leave. I will set an alarm so I know when he wakes."
Only able to force a small smile in return Killian nodded gratefully. He knew Regina would look after Colin as if her were own but everything in him rebelled against leaving his son alone with his new powers. He knew all too well how confusing it was and how his senses and feelings would be ricocheting. Determinedly he pushed those thoughts away. Colin would be fine and he could be back instantly. Belle would be waiting at home and she needed to be told. He also was going to have to have a talk with Catie. His daughter was getting so wrapped up in Kili that she was neglecting everyone and everything else in her life. Slowly opening the door, he saw Kerry at her desk chair now angled slightly so she could easily check on Colin, wo was curled up still sound asleep under her comforter, his head resting on his Stitch pillow.
"I thought he might sleep easier," Kerry explained. "You don't have to worry Uncle Killian; I will watch him." She hesitated, staring down at her hands. "I know how it feels to barely be able to control your magic. Colin never let it bother him, it will not ever bother me."
Quietly Killian went to her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "You know I am here for you."
She smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist like she had when she was a little girl. "I have always been able to go to you and Aunt Belle. I've always been lucky to have two sets of parents." She nodded her head decisively. "You need to go talk to Catie. Colin is my responsibility now."
With a quick kiss on the cheek and tight hug Killian retreated to the door. "I couldn't ask for him to be in better hands. Don't forget to get some rest yourself." Before he could think of any more reasons to delay he stepped outside the room and poofed himself home. Colin was in good hands.
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More than a little frustrated Belle gratefully walked through the front door, setting her groceries on the island and then taking the bags that Liam was carrying. Then she sent him up to his room to play while she pulled out her phone to find out from Killian what was going on. She would wait until she knew more before asking Colin and Catie why they had not picked up their little brother from Ruby's. Awareness of her husband filled her and Belle turned, just in time to see Killian appear in a cloud of red smoke. Her questions immediately faded as she took in his ragged appearance. "What happened?" She pushed him into one of the stools situated around the island and got him a bottle of water.
With a brief smile of thanks, he drank half of it then put it on the island next to him and pulled her to stand in between his legs hand and hook on her hips. "Liam is home?"
Her frustration beginning to creep back in Belle nodded. "Ruby called me when the Twins did not come to pick him up."
"I was afraid of that. Colin is at Regina's." He held up a hand before she could say anything. "He became my Magical Heir today and was a little shaken up when the magic manifested. When he went to Catie she pushed him away and he poofed to Kerry. When I left he was sleeping with Kerry watching over him. Regina set an alarm so she would know when he wakes and will let us know."
It took a lot of effort for Belle to quell the instinct to go Colin. She knew from when Killian had absorbed his magic that it was better to let him rest. Then his words truly hit her and she locked eyes with him. "Catie ignored him?" she repeated in disbelief.
Killian's upset showed in his sharp nod. "Apparently Kili is more important. I am trying not to play the overprotective father but his is going too far. They are twelve and Catie is completely ignoring her family."
Belle, who had been quite relieved with how well Killian had been handling his little girl dating, could only nod her agreement. Catie's increasing distance had begun to worry her. Now, knowing that she had ignored Colin when he needed her and forgot her little brother she knew something needed to be done. "Do you want to talk to her or should I?"
"Both of us," was his immediate reply. "Although I think we should allow Colin to tell her about his magic in his own time and terms."
"It might be a good reminder for her as well."
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Catie leaned into Kili, their homework books forgotten on the floor as they talked about the play they were going to be in at school. She could not believe how good it felt to simply be with him. At least Colin had taken the hint and left them alone after trying to interrupt them. There was nothing wrong with spending time with her boyfriend. Her brothers just had to get used to that fact. Brothers. Liam. For a moment she thought about checking on her little brother but then shrugged it off. Colin could see to him. She had more important things to focus on at the moment. The door opened and Catie whipped her head around. Colin would pay for disturbing her again. The angry words died on her lips when she saw her parents filling the doorway, both looking very unhappy. She swallowed hard. It was never a good thing when both parents confronted you on a wrong doing.
Her father turned to Kili without acknowledging her. "You should head home."
It was not a request and Kili quickly rose, gathering his books together and stuffing them in his backpack before turning back to face her.
"Catie will call you when she is able," Killian spoke again before Catie could say anything. "Do you want a ride home?"
A quick glance outside showed it was still light out so he shook his head and made his escape, throwing Catie a sympathetic and good luck look over his shoulder. He knew to stay now or even to say anything would only make things worse.
Doing her best not to pout Catie scooted back so she could lean against the wall after he left. "Why did you do that? We still had an hour before he had to be home."
Neither parent answered her questions. "How are your brothers?" her mother asked.
She shrugged. "Fine." By the look her parents gave her Catie knew that was the wrong answer. "They have not said anything to me," she quickly amended.
Her father's eyes narrowed. "That is because you would not talk to Colin. Your mother needed to pick-up Liam when Ruby called that he had not been picked up."
Catie barely managed to not huff her frustrations out loud. Colin always got Liam when she was with Kili. "Colin was supposed to get him. He did not tell me otherwise."
"When was the last time you picked your brother up?" her mother asked.
Not happy with the interrogation Catie folded her arms and shrugged. She had done nothing wrong. "Colin gets Liam when I am with Kili."
"That stops now," her father stated, in the tone no one argued with. "When Colin gets home and is better we are going to sit down and set down some rules. You have proven that you cannot regulate yourself. Colin has been doing the majority of your chores and has had all responsibility for Liam. We are also going to discuss how much and how often you can see Kili."
Stomach dropping Catie could only shake her head in denial. "That's not fair! Colin hasn't said anything to me."
Her father's 'this is final stance' came into play along with the 'this is final' voice that she knew not to debate against. It was only used when he was genuinely upset with them. This had to be about more than chores. Her stomach began to clench in fear. Her eyes shot up to his. "Is Colin okay?"
Before he could answer his phone rang. He dropped a quick kiss on his Mom's cheek. "Regina, I will call you." He poofed away.
When her mother turned back to her the disappointment in her eyes was worse than the anger in her father's. "Colin came to you for your help and you were too busy with Kili to even find out what was wrong." Her piercing eyes looked even closer. "You did not even stop to realize something was wrong. I will call you when dinner is ready." Her eyes went to the books on the floor. "Until then get your homework done."
Worry was starting to spread through her. "What is wrong with Colin?" If something had happened to her twin because of her she was not sure what she would do.
"That will be up to Colin to tell you. Get to work on your homework."
Once her mom was gone Catie grabbed her math assignment but she was unable to concentrate on it. Her mind kept flashing back to the frantic look on Colin's face that she had ignored before. Grabbing her phone, she almost called him but then remembered Dad was with him. She would have to wait. Family was everything to her father, no wonder he had not been happy with her. She was not happy with herself. She would make it up to him. They were twins, she would know if anything was wrong. Mind focused she turned her attention to her math homework, refusing to notice the hint of guilt deep inside her.
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Colin woke suddenly to a strange buzzing under his skin. For a moment he had no idea where he was or what had happened and wanted to jump out of his skin. Then he recognized Kerry's furniture and memory washed over him. Almost hesitantly he held out his hand and a light appeared when he willed it. With just a thought he had it change colors before extinguishing it. He would not allow himself to give in to the panic deep inside him.
A hand squeezed his arm as Kerry tried to reassure him. "Magic can be fun. We can practice together."
"It's not the magic," he told her, wrapping his arms around himself. "It is the foreign feeling filling my body." He suppressed a shudder.
Before Kerry could answer there was a brief knock on the door and his Dad walked in. "It will settle. Soon it will feel like it has always been a part of you."
"How did I get magic?" he asked. "I know why it happened but it was not what happened to me." A tilt of Dad's head asked his permission to sit and Colin quickly sat up and moved to the side in answer. When he sat down Kerry rose as if to leave them alone but he held out a hand asking her to stay. She shifted to sit on Colin's other side. "Your Aunt Regina and the fairies theorized that my magic would choose a magical heir. Since the magic had chosen a vessel before it was a good guess it would happen again instead of fading away."
"Does that mean you no longer have your magic?" he immediately asked, worried. He did not want to steal his father's magic!
With a small smile Killian held his hand out and an image of Stitch began to prance around his hand over to Colin's shoulder and back. "We share the magic. I felt a slight drain when it jumped to you but not much. And as yours continues to grow stronger mine is not fading."
His thoughts were in such a whirlwind that Colin was not sure what else he wanted to ask. "What happens now? Will the magic settle soon?"
"If you focus on your magic you should already feel it settling," Killian quickly assured his son. "Within a week you will not even notice a difference." It was taking all his effort not to reach out and pull Colin into his arms, but he was doing his best to respect his almost teenage son's feelings that he was too old to need to be hugged most of the time. But it was hard, especially when he could see how hard Colin was struggling with this new knowledge. It was a feeling he remembered all too easily. "As for what happens now, we will need to sit down with Regina and the fairies to test your magic. Then we will have to see if one of us using magic affects the other. Then we work on training you to use your magic."
He made a face. "Not easy then or fun and games."
Holding out her hands Kerry called small fireworks into play. "It can be fun. You just need to learn how to use it and what limits you have. Trust me, overdoing magic is not fun."
Not able to stay still any longer Colin got up to walk around the room. "I just want to feel like myself."
"It will happen sooner than you realize," Killian reassured him. "Do you want to come home or stay here for the night?"
It only took a moment's thought for him to answer. "Liam and I are supposed to play our next round in our Mario Kart tournament and I promised to play at least a level of Lego Star Wars with him." His eyes rose to meet his father's. "I do not want to grow away from my family just because I now have magic. You and Mom have always taught us that family is among the most important things in life." He turned to Kerry. "Thank you."
She just smiled at him. "That is what friends are for. If you want someone to practice magic with I am always willing."
Nodding his thanks, he followed Dad out the door. They stopped to talk with Aunt Regina and Uncle Robin before leaving to set-up a time to test his magic and for him to thank them. Both his parents had ingrained manners into him and his siblings. Once outside Dad's hand dropped onto his shoulder. "Want to take us home?"
Not sure he had heard right Colin quickly looked up at him. "Me?"
The hand on his shoulder tightened in reassurance. "Just focus on where you want to go and take us and do not lose physical contact with me. Just let me know where you want to wind up and I will help with the visualization but let you do all the magical work."
Stifling his doubts Colin focused on where he wanted to be. "The start of the dock by the Jolly Roger," he decided aloud. Before Dad can tell him how Colin closed his eyes and focused on exactly how he had felt when he had poofed to Kerry's room. Once the feeling was firmly lodged in his mind he imagined the dock in as much detail as he could, wanting to be there. He could feel the magic reacting and reflexively tightened his grip on Dad. Opening his eyes once the sensation was gone he let out a whoop of triumph. He had done it! They were at the dock, the Jolly Roger a dim shadow in the cloudy night.
"Very good." He could hear the pride in his father's voice with no trace of surprise and his joy only grew only to fade slightly at his next question. "What did you want to talk about?"
For a moment Colin wished Dad was not so perceptive. It did make it easier to talk to him though. "What have you told Catie?" His twin's easy dismissal of him still hurt.
While the topic of conversation was not a surprise to him Killian had hoped to have more time before it came up. He suppressed his own lingering feelings about the whole situation. "Nothing. It is up to you how much you tell her although you will not be able to keep the magic a secret."
Colin looked at the water lapping near their feet, clearly thinking about his answer. All four of his children sought the calming of the ocean's waves when they were troubled. "I do not want to keep it from her," he replied slowly. "But I am afraid it will drag us even further apart. More and more she ignores me for Kili. I never thought we would grow apart or that she could ignore me for long stretches. She is my TWIN! Right now she doesn't seem to care at all about me. Everything is about Kili."
Not for the first time since becoming a parent Killian felt completely at a loss. He was not sure how, or even if he could, reassure Colin. He had noticed the same thing about Catie's behavior but had hoped he was just being an overprotective father. All he did know is that he would not lie to his son. "I wish I had an easy answer for you. It may not help much but I do know that she is not trying to hurt you or ignore you. I do not even think she realizes what she is doing."
Slowly starting to walk toward the house Colin kicked at some loose rocks. "I know I need to talk to her but for the first time in my life I do not know what to say to her. Her slamming that door in my face when I needed her- "he cut off not sure how to finish the thought. "It was more than just choosing Kili, it was like she shattered a part of us. For the first time in my life I truly felt alone."
Hating the fact that there was nothing he could do to fix the situation and that his son had been made to feel that way Killian simply pulled Colin into his side for a one armed hug. "Talk to her. I do not want to see this cause a permanent breach between you. You have always been close. Not only you and Catie, but your whole group needs to find a way for this new dynamic to work. Not as much as you but I am sure Kerry, Mark and Isabelle are feeling the loss and change as well."
They had almost reached the house before Colin answered, his voice little more than a resigned whisper. "I will."
Silence once again fell between them but Killian knew something else was bothering Colin. He took a guess at what it was. "Just because you are my Magical Heir does not mean you are tied to Storybrooke forever."
The speed with which Colin's eyes shot up to meet his told Killian he had guessed correctly. "Really?"
"Really," he reassured him. "The magic may tend to be protective in nature but I chose to use that to protect our town. It was not something I had to do."
His smile bright Colin nodded. "I do not think I would want to leave forever but I think I want to go to college or maybe into the Coast Guard. I just don't know yet."
"You are twelve," was Killian's response. "You do not have to have the rest of your life mapped out. There is plenty of time to decide or to even change your mind."
Colin smiled. "I think I am going to like having magic. Just imagine what Kerry and I can do together now. And Mark and Isa will have all kinds of crazy plans as soon as I tell them." He raced the rest of the way to the door, calling for Liam to finish their Mario Kart tournament.
By the time he joined them Catie had come down the stairs. Killian slid his arm around Belle's waist, watching anxiously as the twins eyed each other. This was between them and though it was painful he had to let them settle the matter between them. Liam stood at the bottom of the stairs, knowing it was better to let the siblings resolve their differences without interference.
"Can I join you?" Catie asked in an unusually meek voice. None of his kids could be called shy or retiring.
It was a long minute before Colin answered, eyeing his sister with a suspicious look he had never given her before. At last he shrugged. "We have a level of Lego Star Wars to play first then we can start a new tournament." He turned to Liam. "Is that alright?"
The youngest sibling only shrugged with a cocky grinned, learned from their father. "Fine by me. That just means I can beat both of you." He raced up the stairs before either could respond. It only took a moment for the twins to pound after him.
Belle leaned into him, needier than usual. "He is going to be alright."
Dropping a kiss on his wife's cheek Killian nodded. "While this has caught him by surprise he knows we will all be here to support him as he learns to use the magic. And he will see that it does not make anyone who knows and loves him see him differently. All that has changed is he has a new ability. The fact that no one treated me differently after I got my magic was a big part of why I could accept it. And Colin does not have three hundred years of seeing the abuse of magic to get beyond."
Belle smiled. "He can finish growing up with it as simply another part of himself. He and Kerry can get into even more trouble together." She led him over to the bar stools, perching next to him. "What do we do about Catie and Kili?"
That was a more difficulty question. He and Belle had discussed this topic several times but never came up with a satisfactory answer that appealed to both of them. "I think today may have been an eye opener for her. If things do not improve we may have to limit their contact and the time they can spend alone together."
"I hate to do that," she responded, reaching out to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. "But I do see the necessity. She needs to know that there is more to life than Kili." Her gaze met her husband's. "I do not want her to fall into that trap."
Holding her eyes with his Killian squeezed the hand that was not playing with his hair. "We will make sure she knows that."
Before Belle could answer there was a loud banging from the playroom. Running up the stairs they saw Colin shooting off fireworks, causing the banging as they exploded. "Not in the house," Belle immediately announced.
"And not until you've had some training," Killian added.
Meekly Colin sat down between his siblings with a contrite look that did not fool either parent. Liam was biting his lower lip to not laugh while Catie was also looking, falsely innocent, at her knees. "Sorry." Colin said.
"Just be careful," Belle told him. Out in the hall she looked up at her husband. "It just keeps getting harder.
"But we wouldn't trade it for the world," he finished with a matching smile. "I love you."
With no response needed Belle stepped into his arms raising her lips to meet his. Just enjoying the feeling of her family around her and in their home.
"Middle of the day for nighttime activities," Catie called out to them in a common refrain.
Resting her head against Killian's chest and listening to his gently rumble of laughter Belle took the time to revel in this quiet time. She knew the difficulties were not over but for now she would just enjoy the feel of her family together and loving each other.
