Author's note:
Nearly 100 Follower, wow, this is amazing! I'm flashed that so many people like my story. Please continue and of course I would like to read your thoughts :)
Megrye: I'm not so much for Henry calling him dad because I think that it doesn't fit. Henry is already 12 and he knows who is real dad is. My parents were divorced when I was a teenager and I never thought of calling their new partners mom or dad. They definitely will have a father-son-relationship but I think I stick with Henry calling him Killian. I hope this is fine for you!
28 weeks pregnant- part I
The time was running, only a few days till the wedding. She thought about the big day and rethinks all the stations in her life which lead to it: being presumably left at the side of the road by parents who don't want her and then being tossed from one to another family in the foster system to finally meet Neal only to be left alone again. Afterwards she closed up to the idea of ever having a personal Happy Ending, searching the company of men only to release the sexual pressure but never taking it on another level and now here she is: Having parents, a great son, being pregnant with the second one and about to marry the love of her life.
She is standing in their bedroom in front of the big mirror, silently watching her reflection in it. She looks happy, even some kind of beautiful, like she is radiating with happiness. Her hand is on her baby-bump which grows seemingly daily now.
It's the hand with the shoelace at the wrist.
She holds up her hand and examines it. Graham. He was the first man who somehow evokes emotions in her, unaware to herself that she was even applicable of feeling these emotions again and then his death, dying in her arms after their first real kiss.
He could have been a good person to heal, although she is sure, that if her paths have been crossed with Killian's she would still choose the pirate of course, but the huntsman will always have a place in her heart, but she thinks it is time to let him go.
She just starts to unbind the shoelace as the door to the bedroom opens and Killian comes in.
He recognizes that she is lost in thought and clears his throat. "Everything ok, Love?" He approaches her, hugging her from behind resting his head on her shoulder. He smells so good, god, she could stay in his arms for an eternity.
"Yes, everything is fine, I'm just a little bit nostalgic and I think I should lose some dead weight from the past to be perfectly prepared for my future, our future" She smiles and turns around to kiss him softly.
She continues to unbind the lace.
"And this is dead weight?" He looks curious at her. "Yes, I wore it as a memory of a man I hold dear, but I think it's time to let him go. I will always remember him, but I don't want to wear it when I'm about to marry you."
"You don't have to, you know that, right? Tell me about him!"
He is so honest with his request, a little spark of jealousy in his eyes.
She sighs "His name was Graham or also known as the Huntsman back in the Enchanted Forest. He was the sheriff when I came into town and had some kind of strange sexual relationship with Regina. He offers me the chance to be his deputy so that I could stay in Storybrooke for Henry. All were cursed at that time and I was happy to take it, some part of me wanted to annoy Regina back then.
We were a good team, but I was really angry when I discovered that he hooked up with Regina behind my back. That's then he started to show interest in me. He claimed that he doesn't feel anything with her, but he wants to feel something again, with me. He was also obsessed that he has no heart and sceptical as I was, I didn't believe him. He started to remember his real life after he first kissed me. Regina wasn't amused about the fact that I was not only stealing her son but apparently her boy-toy was also interested in me. We had a bad fight in which I injured my head. Graham tended the wound back at the station. That's then I realized that I was feeling something for him too and we kissed. He remembered who he was completely after the kiss and then collapses dead in my arms.." she starts to sob and Killian pulls her back in his arms."Shh Love, I know the feeling."
She looks up at him, tears streaming down her face. "It was the first time since Neal that I allowed me to open up to someone, to actually believe that I could have a happy ending and then all comes crashing back at me. We thought he had a heart-attack. Now I know that it was Regina. She just couldn't stand the thought of him and me and crushed his heart."
A single tear falls down of Killian's eyes. She knows that he is thinking of Milah.
"Yeah, apparently we have more in common than you thought.."
He nods "But why the shoelace?"
"It was his and as I was his closest friend they left his stuff with me. I wore it to always have something from him by my side. But now I have you and I think I will put it to rest."
She now holds it in her hand and opens a little chest which is standing on her sideboard and puts it in.
"But this is not the only thing I will put to rest today." He furrows his eyebrows. She takes out the swan-necklace from under her shirt and pulls it above her head.
"But you wear it every day!" He is really surprised that she wants to get rid of it as well.
"Yes, but do you have an idea what it symbols?" He shakes his head. "Neal gave it to me on one of our thievery adventures. He stole it and told me that I should have it because of my name. It was the first real present anyone ever gave me and I held it dear. In fact it was a keychain before I turned it into a necklace. But this was after he left me in prison for his crime. From then on I wore it as a reminder, to never trust someone again, because trusting someone means open up your heart and taking the risk of getting hurt again. Then I found him in New York and realized that he knew about all the fairytale stuff, I was so furious. He recognized the keychain and I threw it back at him. I'd never expected that he would keep it but he gave it back to me when he died in my arms."
She is crying again and now Killian is crying too. Both had their history with Neal and they both hold him dear.
"He gave it back to me and I had to promise that I would find my happy ending, I should find Tallahassee."
"Tallahassee" The pirate is confused by her statement.
"Yes, Tallahassee. Before he left me back then, we were about to settle down there, to start a life, together. It was our synonym of a happy ending, but happy ending aren't always what we think they are."
He smiles at her and she smiles back, remembering her mother's words the Regina told her, that she has to leave the others behind and stay with Henry. She puts the necklace besides the shoelace in the chest.
"I finally found my Tallahassee, with you" She kisses him lovingly.
"I would never found it with Neal and with my little brother I think we have a good memorial to remember him by. I don't need it to wear anymore"
They look at each other, both with teary faces and she still can't believe that after all the pain she had to go through she finally found him and according to his look he currently shares her thought.
"I'm so sorry, that I'm not able to remove my keepsake" She can't believe his words.
"Killian, this tattoo is part of you, I would never ask you to remove it. You had it for 300 years and if it wasn't for your thirst of revenge we would never have met."
She takes his hand and turns his arms to trace over the dominant tattoo and she can't believe what she sees there.
"Killian, look! How is it possible?"
He looks down at his arm and the same surprised expression appears on his face.
"Bloody hell!"
Both are staring on his arm now because the tattoo isn't there anymore. It was visible on most of his forearm and now nothing is to be seen there, at least not the expected tattoo.
Only a small swan accompanied by a small compass is shown at his wrist.
"Bloody hell!" Killian says it louder this time and Emma is still at a loss for words.
"Wasn't it an ordinary tattoo?"
"No, it was magical but I wasn't aware that it could change." He takes another look at the new motif. "It seems you are my true north Swan."
She starts to laugh as he pulls her back in his arms and starts to kiss her passionately.
"Now we're prepared to get married!" She shrieks when he carries her to their bed.
"Henry is still out with Lady right?" She nods.
"Good, then we have 20 minutes, let's make some new good memories"
He is already stripping out of his clothes.
"You can't be real" she is still laughing "How is it possible that you're still so horny although I'm about to become a whale?"
"You're still the sexiest woman for me and love, your nothing but beautiful!"
He is already tugging at her shirt and she gives in and it is amazing. Slow and passionate and she just loves the feeling of him filling her.
Of course they are finished and dressed again before Henry and Lady are back from their evening walk, although it was a short call.
"What do you say lad, shall we order some pizza and look your favourite pirate movie again?"
Henry grins and so they have a nice evening, like a normal family.