The long lost siblings had spent the entire day reminiscing about old times and telling their own individual stories of what they had been doing for so many years. Killian had shown his sister round the town and pointed out everyone he knew of. As the sun began to set, they found a grassy plain near the woods and since it was a nice night, decided to do what they did as children and lie out under the stars. They lay there for a little while and saw the sky turn from blue to pink to orange to blue to an ink black which eventually became studded with stars.
"Remember when we used to do this, years ago?" Killian spoke in a tired calm voice after being silent for several minutes watching the sun go down. Vivian began to laugh at the memory.
"Like it was yesterday. We would wait until mother and father were asleep and sneak out of our window. Liam would always try to convince us to stay but we always managed to get round him" the light hearted tone in her voice began to falter as she recalled the older brother that protected the both of them and who she never got to say good bye to. Killian noticed the quick change in his sister and turned his head to face her. A tear fell from Vivian's eye and he propped himself up on the elbow of his hooked arm and wiped it away with his thumb. Vivian attempted to shake it off but Killian wasn't done with the subject yet.
"We spoke of you every day, sister. We never forgot you. How could we? We loved you more than the wind and tide. Each day became more painful than the last knowing the distance we were from you. Our sole regret was leaving you and our parents like that for so long. I am so sorry for that" Killian's eyes began to glaze with tears while Vivian began shedding her own. he tried to hide his despair by looking down to the ground but Vivian brought her hand up to her brothers' chin and lifted his head up to face her.
"Killian, I never held that against you. We all knew how much you and Liam loved the sea just like our parents. It was the one place you felt most at home" Vivian spoke with sincerity and love as her voice began to waver...
"I only wish I could have seen you both again before Liam..." Vivian couldn't finish as a fresh overload of tears trapped her voice with sobs. Killian sat up and wrapped his arms around his sister bringing her to his chest and slowly rocking her back and forth in an attempt to sooth her the way their father did when they were children.
"Shh shh my sister. He was loved by so many when he passed. And he died a hero. Let's try and remember him that way" Killian ran his hand over the long raven hair as his little sisters sobs began to lessen. After a few moments she pulled away from him and gave him a watery smile. She nodded at his previous statement and both decided to keep the memory of their brother a happy one. As Vivian's emotions began to calm, she noticed another thought plaguing her brothers' expression.
"What's wrong, Killian?" she asked with concern. She could always tell when her brother was distressed by thoughts. It was a bond they shared with each other since childhood. Killian drew a breath before he asked the question that was distracting him...
"Did they suffer?"
Vivian knew exactly what he was talking about. Their parents both died shortly after him and Liam left. Vivian thought it was best to put his mind at rest...
"Our mothers' condition worsened around a month after you left. She became bed ridden but it was merely weakness in her body and no pain. She was happy right up until the end brother, she knew how her two boys loved the sea and she told me that she was so happy that you were doing what you loved and not sat at her bedside watching her slip away. She passed in her sleep with me and father at her side. She knew she was loved, Killian. By all of us"
Killian shed a tear as he listened to the passing of the woman who gave him life but he felt a weight lift from his leather bound shoulders. He knew during his centuries in Neverland that is family was gone but he had always wished to see them again at least once. Since his quest for revenge against the dark one had begun, Killian turned Hook had forgotten many things about his old life, But nothing about his family. The way his mother would read him and his siblings or the way she would hold him after waking up from a nightmare. Or the way the three siblings would play swordfights with their father and he would always play the villainous pirate that needed to be slain by the heroes.
Since finding Baelfire in the sea and seeing the boy as a son. The memories of his family became more and more vivid. This was bittersweet for the Captain of the Jolly Roger as the memories were the happiest he could recall but he knew he would never have these experiences again.
After hearing this about his mother, Killian knew his mother was happy and that she did not pass away alone. That was all he had wished for. Vivian stopped speaking to see that her brother was once again lost in thought but he quickly turned his attention to her again and willed her to carry on. But Vivian took a cautious breath before she continued...
"Father's death was a little harder to cope with, brother. After our mothers passing, he became a recluse. He refused to vacate his bedroom or study and his trips outside became more and more rare. He became void of all warmth and compassion as the months went by. He grew weaker and weaker until he too became confined to his bed. I would sit and read the stories of the sea that he and mother would read to us and this seemed to lighten his mood for a while at least. On the night before he passed, he apologized for the way he became after our mothers death. He found it impossible to accept the fact that she was gone and he told me he loved us all. And that the next time I saw you again, I would tell you so." Killian dipped his head in grief and shame as he felt an inhumane guilt for letting his sister go through this alone. He kept apologizing for this but Vivian told him there was nothing to be sorry for. Neither parents died resenting any of their children therefore passing away happy and proud.
...
As the night drew on, many more stories were told. Some of Killian's adventures as a pirate captain and some of Vivian's stories of the realms that she had travelled. The stories eventually came to a halt as Killian reached the point in his tales when he met Milah. He told his sister how and where they met and about her death. Vivian noticed the tattoo on his arm and placed her hand over it...
"I am so sorry, Killian. I can't imagine losing your true love" Vivian gripped his arm a little tighter and Killian covered her hand with his own...
"It was a part of my life that I will always treasure, Vivian. But I feel that my Milah, although my love, was in fact my first. There will be a part of me that will always love her but I believe in looking to the future as I have had three hundred years of present"
Both siblings began to laugh and Vivian's heart swelled with pride now seeing her brother as an optimistic and cheerful man looking for things in life. She had seen the effects of the death of a loved one in her father and she did not with that fate on anyone. It was important to look forward and find love again. Vivian's expression turned from happy to mischievous as she caught on to the way her brothers face lit up when talking about the future.
"So is there someone else in my big brothers life at present?" she said in a sing song way, already half knowing the answer. Killian grinned and looked down. As Vivian pressed him for more information, Killian merely touched his ear and shrugged so Vivian eventually began to guess.
"I'll bet it's that blonde beauty in the leather I saw in the town earlier. Am I right?" she began to beam and grin like a Cheshire cat as her brother began to smirk. She had always been able to read her brother like a book and she knew the kind of woman he would fall for. Someone very much like him, strong willed, adventurous and independent. And this was everything she saw in that blonde woman.
"Come on brother, at least tell me her name?" Vivian pleaded with her best puppy eyes that had always been Killian's weakness. He eventually gave up the silent treatment and sighed in defeat.
"Her name is Emma. Emma Swan" Killian eyed his sister and Vivian wriggled in her seat as if making herself comfortable...
"So then. Tell me about your Emma"
Killian was in for a long night
...
The next chapter will consist of the meeting of the two women in our favourite pirates' life
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