I want to give a big shout out thank you to my bestie best Miss Courtney aka FtheheatinTX for giving in and becoming my beta reader for this story. It's because of Once Upon a Time that we got to be super awesome friends and I know that I'd never gotten into fanfic without her...much less started writing it. So thank you Courtney. Love ya dude.
Chapter 18
They only painted the room that was going to be the nursery. Like Killian had said, Emma much preferred the colors the house came with. While the furniture was being put together in the rest of the house with professionals from IKEA, Killian had a muralist come in and paint flowing Irish landscapes because that's what Emma asked for. She wanted Isabella and Eoin to know where they came from.
By the time everything was finished, and they had received what Killian had had shipped from the house in Ireland, Emma was five months along and growing. Tink had convinced her to go shopping for maternity clothes because jeans and t-shirts weren't going to cut it anymore.
Emma had gone to lunch with August and Graham one afternoon and returned with them to the house to find a grim looking Killian.
"What's wrong Killian?" Emma could tell within seconds of seeing him that something was going on.
"August, Graham, would you excuse us?" The two men nodded and went to go look at the nursery. Killian led Emma out to their second floor porch. The weather had started to cool so Emma wrapped her sweater tighter around her.
"What's going on?"
"Regina called. Again. We've got to make a decision." The week before, they'd made the announcement that she and Killian were together and expecting in late January. Almost immediately, offers from several magazines started pouring in for rights to first photos of their baby (they'd neglected to mention she was carrying twins).
"Do we have to do this?"
"It'll only get worse if we don't."
"Vanity Fair. Graham says they're not as vulture-y as the rest."
"I'll let Regina know then." Killian pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped out a message. Once he slipped it away again, there was still something in his face that bothered her.
"That's not it, is it?"
"It's not." Emma motioned for him to sit down on the lounge chairs they'd gotten for the porch.
"Tell me."
"Filming for the fairy tale movie starts soon and it's going to be in Hawaii."
"That's fine. I figured it was happening soon. Don't worry about me because I've got my parents and Graham and August are working on Castle now so they'll be in Manhattan along with Ruby. Tink said she's going to visit often, so I'll see her too."
"You mistake me Swan. I don't intend to leave you here while I jet off to film. You're coming with me. I'm only in a mood because we've just gotten started on the house and I don't want to take you away from your family." Emma couldn't help the huge smile on her face.
"They'll understand Killian. This is my life, our life now. Where you go, we go", she said as she placed their clasped hands on her belly. "This will be our home, just not yet. I know how excited you were to get this part. As long as they put us up in a place on the beach, I've got no complaints that we're about to leave a frigid winter in Boston for winter in Hawaii."
"I love you."
"I know."
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Emma pressed the button to lower the window of the car as they drove down the coastal road and relished in having the wind in her hair. It was two days before her birthday and Killian had been on set since the day before, so he asked Smee to take Emma into the city that morning for pampering and shopping while he was busy…
"What are you up to Killian?" Emma had asked him when he'd called that morning.
"Nothing Swan. Is it wrong that I'm sending you out to have a nice day for yourself?"
"'Course not. Just…you sound weird. Wait, you're planning a surprise birthday party for me aren't you?"
"No darling, I'm not planning a surprise birthday party for you." Her 'superpower' tingled, and she could tell he wasn't lying, but he was holding something back.
"Okay then. You'll be home tomorrow night, right?"
"Yes my love, I will. When you return from your day, I will be there."
"Good, because it's uh…been lonely without you."
"Bloody hell."
"See you tomorrow Killian. I love you."
"As I love you my Swan."
The street became familiar the longer Smee drove and suddenly they were pulling up to the tall gate that protected the property. Smee swiped a card on a small console and the gates swung open, allowing them in and he continued down palm tree lined gravel drive. When Smee pulled into the garage and helped Emma out of the car, she felt like it was oddly quiet.
As soon as she finished that thought, her phone went off in her pocket. The familiar tone of a FaceTime call had her scrambling while Smee grabbed things from the trunk of the car. Emma hit accept and her parent's faces filled the screen as she walked into the kitchen.
"Mom! Dad!"
"Princess! How are you? How are our grandkids?" asked David. Emma lowered the phone to show her ever expanding belly.
"Kicking up a storm. I have no idea how they're comfy in there."
"They're probably fighting for space and trying to be more comfortable. How are you feeling?" asked Mary Margaret.
"Fine. Tired, but fine and happy." She stepped out onto the patio that was right outside the eating area and sat down on a lounge chair.
"What's wrong Emma? Is it Killian?"
"He's been super busy lately, filming is taking up a lot of his time and he's been on set the past two days. He said he'd be here when I got back from my day and he's not here." She saw her father look off camera, not at her mother. "Dad?"
"Huh? Oh…I'm sure he's just running behind sweetheart. I wouldn't worry."
"I guess."
"Now how about you take us for a tour of that castle you guys are calling a house", said Mary Margaret. Emma flipped the camera and panned around the yard.
"I never realized just how much I loved the ocean until we came here. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love our house in Boston but this view is gorgeous."
"I can't wait to share it with you sweetheart", said Mary Margaret. The look on her mother's face gave Emma pause, like she was holding something back.
"Same here mom." Emma walked them through the rest of the downstairs which included a wine cellar, a big kitchen and breakfast nook, a small solarium, a bar area with game tables, and the living rooms with big windows that showcased the ocean views.
"These views are amazing princess", said David. Mary Margaret had disappeared out of frame and sounded like she was quietly speaking with someone when Emma looked back down at the phone. For the first time since she' picked up the phone, she noticed the dark red of the walls of wherever her parents were. Before she could ask where they were and who with, David cut her off. "Are there any other rooms you need to show us?"
"Uh, yeah. This place has a movie theater actually." Emma made her way down the hall that led to theater and found that it was lined with candles and dozens of different flowers and Smee stood at the door that led into the theater.
"I'll see you soon princess. Have fun." David hung up the call.
"Wait. Dad!" She groaned and shoved the phone in her pocket and looked up. Smee gave her a nod and smile.
"Miss Swan, Killian wonders if these flowers are to your liking." He handed her another bought of buttercups tied with white ribbon.
"Of course they are." She laughed to herself, remember when they first met and he'd bought her what felt like almost every flower under the sun and that's when it hit her: the flowers lining the way to the theater was every flower he'd sent her when he was trying to apologize for his faux pas the first time they'd had lunch.
"He'll be glad to hear that." Smee motioned to the theater door, "Right this way." He opened the door and then shut it behind her when she stepped in. The room was dark with more candles lining the steps on the side and all she saw was Killian standing at the head of the room in dark jeans, white dress shirt that he'd left unbuttoned with a black waistcoat. His face lit up with a big smile as Emma made her way over to him.
"Swan. How are you, love?" he asked as he placed a hand on her belly.
"We're fine, Killian. What is all this?" She motioned to the candles and flowers in her hands.
"It's a birthday surprise for you my love."
"Are we going to watch The Princess Bride, just you and me or something?"
"Maybe later, but I have to ask you something first."
"What even are you-oh my GOD." Killian went down on one knee and pulled a small black box from his back pocket.
"Emma Swan, before I met you, I lived a life of loneliness and alcohol. But now, because of you, I won't ever have to again. You are my light and my life and I swear on our children that I will never leave you, will never hurt you, and will never not love you. There's not a day that has gone by since the day we met that I haven't thought about you."
"Oh God." Killian flipped the box open to reveal a princess cut diamond in a platinum setting with smaller diamonds around the platinum band.
"I guess what I'm trying to ask you Swan is…Will you marry me?"