A/N: Thank you all for your patience this last week. I want to keep all my stories on a strict schedule and this last week was a little nuts at work for me to be posting and writing everyday. Now, this is where things start to get good...
Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time, ABC or any of its characters. Just Aria and the chaos I create with her.
When all was quiet in my house, I would put on some music, and just dance. Adam was always willing to dance with me, and it didn't matter what tempo of song. So when Regina had left for the night, after we drank two bottles of wine, I put on some music and danced around slowly. I cleaned up our dinner mess, and thought about how my life had taken such a drastic turn. I had imagined Adam and myself, living in a house like this, and Amaya having at least two little siblings.
Now I was living in a paper town, I had met my parents, who were Prince Charming and Snow White. My sister was the Savior of the curse that my new best friend had cast on the Enchanted Forest, because Snow White had spilled a secret. I had lost my husband in a fire, and my daughter would grow up, without knowing how much he loved her.
"Adam, I miss you. I'm trying, I really am," I whispered, as a song came on.
The silence was deafening, even with the music playing. I noticed how little I had laughed over the last year, how little I smiled. All I ever did now was cry and focus on Amaya.
"Is this what you meant?" I asked, looking out the window into the starry night sky. Pulling the necklace out of my shirt, that held our wedding rings, I turned his over in my fingers.
"Am I meant to be happy again? Am I allowed to?"
As if in reply, a knock sounded at the door. I wiped my tears, tucked the rings back under my shirt and turned down the music. Opening the front door, I was surprised to find Hook there. Cursing Adam under my breath, I was sure he was watching and laughing somewhere.
"We haven't been properly introduced. My name is Killian Jones, and you are the Princess Aria."
"Wow, you just don't give up." I said, standing with my arms folded across my chest.
"I came to thank you." He said, holding up his left hand, showing me that Gold had actually done it.
"I didn't do anything," I said, truthfully. It wasn't me that reattached his hand.
"You spoke to Rumplestiltskin, and he healed me. I promised to let it go, as it was time to let Milah stay in the past." He said, as I nodded. Wrapping my sweater around me tighter, I said, "Would you like to come in?"
"I fear I'm not here for a night cap love. When I asked what I must do to win your heart, I was wrong. We both needed time to heal, I from the pain of what I spent my life trying to accomplish, and you from your last loves death. When I win your heart, I will do it with good intentions, and it won't because of any trickery. I felt a connection to you, and I don't want to rush you, if you aren't ready." He said, surprising me.
"Captain," I said, as he turned. He stopped, as he started down the stairs, and I walked up to him and said, "If you would like to win my heart, you first need to get to know me, and I you. If I don't like what I find, that will be it. But I can't agree to be with someone if I don't know who they really are."
"Aye. But you are cold and it is getting late."
"Killian," I said, taking his left hand in mine.
"You aren't getting it. I want to get to know you," I said, gently pulling him to the porch swing. He looked down at our joined hands softly.
"I have not touched a woman with this hand in over 200 years."
"I'm sorry," I said, releasing it.
"Do not apologize love, it was a memorable feeling," He said, taking my hand again gently. I sat down, looking at him. He smiled at me, and said, "What would you like to know?"
"Your favorite color, where you find the most peaceful spot to think, the thing about yourself no one knows." I listed for starters. Purdy came to sit down at our feet, wordlessly saying that she was here in case he tried something funny.
"I am favoring the color of your eyes." He said flirtatiously.
"Really?" I said, exasperated.
"They remind me of the sea. They call to me, like She does."
"Well, that answers my second question." I smiled, ducking my head.
"Something no one knows about me, is that my father left us as payment for passage on a ship. He was a thief, and I vowed that I wouldn't be as low as him. It is why I felt so insulted by you calling me a thief."
"I'm so sorry about that. I was just mad, and I took my anger out on you. You weren't taking the hint." I said as he continued to hold my hand.
"Then you must know that I took what you said to heart. I reflected back on my time as I was in the infirmary. I realized I had become the thing I tried so hard not to be, because I was grieving and angry over my brother's death."
"We both lost those we loved the most in our lives, who made us better." I said softly.
"But your love was your husband, the father of your daughter. Mine was my Captain and brother. It was not the same love."
"Adam was my family. Emma and I weren't speaking, and didn't until she had heard about his death."
"Tell me about him," He asked, as I tucked my knees up to my chest on the bench.
"He was so full of life, despite what he did. He never missed a moment, when he wasn't at work, spending as much time with our daughter as he could. Even when she was napping, or having a bath, he wanted to be there, in the background and watch. He would read as she slept and when the day was done, he'd turn all his attention to me."
"We married in the spring, and Amaya was born a week after our 1 year anniversary. I would only get another two years with him."
"He was my whole world. I would work as much as I could from home, because his job paid well enough for us to live, and mine gave us the extra money to do frivolous things." I said, as Killian listened intently.
"Will you tell me about Milah?" I asked, as I noticed his eyes drifting.
"Yes, I will. Milah was a free spirit. She didn't want to be held down by social norms. She fit in on my ship, and my crew looked at her as a second to myself. She was a constant in my life, and I felt the absence in my heart when she died."
"Don't look for me to fill that hole. You need to find that yourself," I said as he looked up at me again.
"I dare not think that way, love. You would never be seen as a replacement. Nor would I for your late husband."
"I like to think our hearts grow to accommodate love. When we think we cannot love someone more, our hearts grow for each person we add to our lives."
"I will always love Milah, but there maybe someone I could learn to love more," He said softly as I heard a cry from inside the house.
"Come in, please," I said as I rushed inside to grab Amaya. She was thirsty, as I hadn't given her a bottle of water for bedtime. I brought her down to the kitchen, only to find Killian was waiting patiently in the foyer, patting Purdy's head softly.
"Take your shoes off and come in," I chuckled as I set Amaya down in her booster seat. She watched him, a shy smile on her face, as he toed off his boots and walked in hesitantly.
"Amaya, this is Killian."
"Hello," he said awkwardly, making me stifle a giggle. She waved at him, no longer shy.
"'ian!" She said, as I put a bottle down in front of her.
"She won't remember this in the morning. I'm just gonna put her back to bed." I said, picking her up again. He nodded, waving goodbye to Amaya, as she started to fall back asleep on my shoulder. Placing her back in the crib and creeping out the door. She was asleep before I even put her down and I thanked my lucky stars. Killian was waiting for me in the living room, looking at photos I had unpacked that morning.
"That was our wedding day. I should have been wearing white, but I didn't feel it was my color." I pointed out the light blue dress quietly. Killian looked at me, and I felt the weight of his stare instantly.
"I must tell you. I was working with Cora." He said as I sat down.
"I know." I said, smiling at his honesty.
"You don't understand. Until I got my hand back, I was still working with Cora." He said, as he sat down next to me. I took his hand and said, "Killian, I know. She manipulates your desires, and twists them until they line up with her own."
"I know, and I wanted to be truthful with you. I did not want us to proceed without being honest to you."
"What is her plan?"
"She means to get the dagger of the Dark One."
"Tough luck for her. Gold is the only one that knows its location." I said, as Emma's ringtone sounded.
"Yes?" I answered, holding up a finger to Killian.
"Did you seriously let Captain Hook through your front door?" She yelled.
"Calm down and call me back in the morning." I growled, hanging up the phone.
"I take it someone knows I'm here," He said
"My sister, but she can stew for a night." I smiled, putting my phone away.
"How shall we proceed?" He asked, as my fingers laced through his once more.
"I think a date would be nice. See if things work outside, where people can interfere. I would like to see your ship sometime too. I've always loved the ocean."
"And I think you're it for me love," He chuckled.
"Promise you'll be here tomorrow night? I shall come for you around 7pm." He said, as he got up to put his shoes back on.
"I will be here. I'll have someone watch Amaya." I said as he opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.
"May I?" He asked, raising my hand. I nodded, and his lips brushed across my knuckles.
"Until tomorrow night, my lady." He smiled, backing up and walking down the stairs, out the front gate and down the sidewalk. As he disappeared, I sighed, feeling the rings dangling from the chain through my shirt. Hesitantly, I pulled it up and over my head, letting the chain pool in my hand with our wedding rings. The weight of my decision settled in my stomach, but I knew in my heart, I was ready to move on like I promised. Moving to put it in my pocket, I started walking back into the house.
"Don't you dare close that door," Emma screeched as she ran at the house.
"Emma, I said to let it go." I groaned. Purdy plopped down on her bed, as if saying, "Here we go."
"It's 11 o'clock at night. You smell like alcohol and a very smooth talking pirate just walked out of your house. I'm starting to think you aren't on our side of things."
"Emma, grow up. Things are not always black and white. If you must know, I asked Rumplestiltskin to give his hand back and forgive Killian."
"Killian? You're on a first name basis with Captain Hook?" She said, astounded.
"Emma, I know you haven't let anyone in since Neal, but that doesn't mean that I can't. I know it feels like it's too soon, but I also feel a connection with Killian. I understand him, and he was being honest with me. He sided with me after Gold told him it was me that asked. He was in pain when he acted with Cora."
"And now he's not? Not after a little action from the widow?" She said, before looking remorseful for what she said.
"Get. Out." I said calmly.
"Ari, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to underst-"
"GET. OUT." I said louder, backing her out of the open door and slamming it shut. Locking it, I swallowed thickly, and moved to turn off the lights in the kitchen and living room. I made my way up the stairs to my bedroom and sighed.
"They don't understand," I heard a voice say in my head, "But they will."
A/N: Reviews equal chapters. Love you all.